Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are now beginning our descent into Lumiose City. Please adjust your seats and..."

All about the airplane, passengers started raising their seats and putting away their tray tables. Near the back of the plane, a fifteen-year-old boy in a red hat and a blue vest was still sleeping lightly, his head resting against the wall. While he stayed asleep through the announcement, the small, yellow, mouse-like creature on his lap did not, blinking and sitting up. He turned and looked upward at the sleeping boy, before climbing up his shirt and looking him in the face.

"Pikapi." He reached out and patted the boy's cheek several times, trying to rouse him. After a couple of seconds, the boy stirred and woke, his eyes opening to see his companion looking back at him.

"Ah... what is it, Pikachu?"

Pikachu pointed out the window in response, hopping back down onto the boy's lap. He leaned forward and glanced outside, grinning wide as he saw the plains and mountains of Kalos below. He watched their approach quietly, trying to identify as many landmarks as he could, each one bringing up a memory of the region that he hadn't been to in five years.

"Well, here we are again... another journey, and another shot at the Kalos League." He glanced down at the Pokémon on his lap. "You ready for another adventure, buddy?" Pikachu nodded in response, smiling, before turning and pressing his face against the window.

The boy turned away from the view, taking out his handheld Pokédex and turning it on. He scrolled through various screens until he found what he was looking for: Ash Ketchum, Pokémon League history. The device showed the record of what had happened on his last journey through Kalos: eight Gym badges collected, and a second-place finish in the Kalos League. The Pokédex had all of the badges greyed out, indicating that they were no longer valid after so many years. He'd have to start from the beginning all over again.

Ash put the device back into his pocket, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, smiling as he did so. He pictured himself standing in the middle of the Kalos League arena, hoisting a giant trophy over his head in triumph; he imagined himself being entered into the Kalos Hall of Fame with his team of Pokémon. He'd been dreaming of a second chance ever since his last journey here, and he didn't plan on losing again.

After landing in Lumiose City, Ash departed the plane with the other passengers and started walking through the terminal, looking for the baggage claim, with Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. He couldn't help but grin as he took in a deep breath; there was something about Kalos that just made the air seem more clean and fresh than other regions, and almost floral. He decided to look it up sometime.

He walked down a flight of stairs and spied the baggage claim on the other end of the hall, making his way toward it, navigating the dense crowd of people traveling through the airport. As he moved to collect his bag, he felt a gentle tug on his pant leg, and a small voice.

"Xew! Xew!"

Ash stopped and glanced down, curious, finding himself looking at a short, gray-colored Pokémon with two green fins on his face like whiskers, and one on top of its head. He recognized the species immediately, kneeling down.

"An Axew? What are you doing here, outside of your ball?" The Axew raised its hands over its head, like a toddler wanting to be lifted up. Ash reached out and grasped it carefully, lifting it up and inspecting it carefully, not sure why this Pokémon had chosen him out of everyone in the entire crowd. Pikachu cocked his head as well, muttering curiously.

"Are you lost, little guy?" The Axew nodded in response, looking forlorn, and Ash gave it a reassuring smile in response. "Well don't worry, I'll find someone who can help. You'll be reunited with your owner in no time." He started walking off, still holding the Pokémon in his hands. He looked around for some sort of information booth, or someplace where he could have an announcement made, when he suddenly became aware of a loud voice, shouting in his direction and getting closer very quickly.

"You get your hands off my Axew, you kidnapper!" Ash jumped and turned around immediately, but didn't have time to get a single word out before he found himself being tackled to the ground; Pikachu yelped and flew off of his shoulder, knocked onto a nearby conveyor belt. Another pair of hands started grabbing at the Pokémon in his grasp, trying to wrench it away gently but forcefully, as Ash was still getting his bearings, the wind having been knocked out of him. Everyone around him immediately took a step back, not wanting to get caught in the fray.

"You think you can just take whatever lost Pokémon wanders across your path, you jerk?!"

"I wasn't kidnapping it!" Ash shot back, looking back up at his assailant. "I was just..." He trailed off as he got a closer look at the girl wrestling the Axew out of his hands, quickly recognizing the darker skin and the voluminous purple hair, despite how long it had been since he'd last seen it. "Iris? Is that you?"

"What?!" The girl's eyebrows raised, but her scowl was no less angry. "How do you know my name?!"

"Iris, it's me!" Ash quickly let go of the Axew, sitting up on his elbows. "Ash Ketchum! You remember me, don't you?"

Her eyes went wide as they roamed over his face; the years had matured both of their looks, but she was quickly able to identify some distinguishing features from long ago. Her angry glare instantly changed to a joyous smile. "No way! I don't believe it, it's been years!" She quickly hopped off of him, standing and reaching out a hand to help him up, which he graciously took. "Thanks for finding Axew for me. He got lost in the crowd as I was getting off my plane."

"Thanks for the friendly greeting." Ash dusted off the back of his vest, as Pikachu managed to make his way back over, climbing up Ash's side. The people standing around and watching went back to their own business.

"Well, you can't be too careful in a big city." Iris smiled up at him, having to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. While Ash had shot up like a weed over the past five years, Iris had not; he was at least half a foot taller than she was, and she only came up to his nose. "How have you been? What are you doing here in Kalos?"

"I'm taking another shot at the Kalos League," he replied, as Pikachu climbed into his arms; his Pokémon reached out toward Axew cheerfully, and the two shook hands, remembering each other well and happy to meet again.

"Another shot?" Iris responded, watching the two Pokémon interact. "You've been here before?"

Ash nodded. "Kalos is where I went after I left Unova. I've always wanted another chance to compete in it." He glanced back at Iris. "What about you? Are you challenging the League, too?"

She shook her head. "Nah, I'm not. I'm here to try and find as many Dragon-type Pokémon as I can." She grinned. "Besides, Gym Leaders aren't allowed to compete, anyway."

Ash's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean..."

"Yep!" Iris gestured toward herself proudly. "You're looking at the new Gym Leader of Opelucid City!"

"That's awesome!" He grinned wide, proud and happy to hear this news. "When did that happen?"

"Just over two years ago, when Drayden finally retired. I've left the Gym in the hands of some Academy students while I take a break." She smirked a bit. "They'd better not be letting me down."

"Well, I hope you find what you're looking for." He grinned back at her. "The two of us should battle sometime. I'd love to see how strong you've gotten!"

Her eyes lit up, excited. "How about right now?"

He smirked. "Sounds good to me. Let's go!"

Fifteen minutes later, both of them had grabbed their bags and left the airport, finding a Pokémon battle field in a nearby park. They stood on opposite sides of the field, staring each other down, energized; Pikachu was sitting on Ash's shoulder, while Axew had returned to his favorite perch, in Iris's hair.

"Hope you're ready for this, Ash!" Iris called out, holding a Poké Ball in her hand. "I've been waiting for this battle ever since I became a Gym Leader!"

"Well, I'm not holding back! Don't worry, you'll get a battle!"

She grinned, pleased, before hurling her Poké Ball out into the field. "Go, Excadrill!" As the ball landed, it opened up and released a bundle of red energy, which leaped out and formed the shape of a tall bipedal creature; it quickly turned solid, forming a black mole-like Pokémon with red features, and metal fins and claws on its head and hands. His eyes focused on the trainer in front of him, recognizing him more quickly than Iris had.

Ash nodded, having expected this; Excadrill had always been one of Iris's favorite Pokémon to use in battle. "Go on, Pikachu! You've got this!" Pikachu nodded, hopping off of Ash's shoulders and running onto the field, smirking and staring down his opponent, on all fours.

Iris's eyebrows raised. "Really, Ash? Five years later and you're still ignoring type advantages?"

"I'm not ignoring them!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu is just the only Pokémon I have with me!"

She sighed in response. "Well, don't expect us to go easy on you!" She looked down at her Pokémon, eager to begin. "Excadrill, use Metal Claw!"

"Drill!" Excadrill dashed forward, its claws gleaming in the sunlight, and it took a large swipe at Pikachu, who quickly backed away and just barely managed to dodge.

"Pikachu, hit him with Quick Attack!" Ash called out. His Pokémon became a blur as he zipped forward, crossing the tiny distance in an instant and slamming into Excadrill’s stomach. The drill Pokémon coughed as the air was knocked out of him.

"Mud Slap, now!" Iris countered, unfazed. Excadrill barely needed any time to recover before scraping his paws along the ground, pulling up mud and dirt and flinging them at his opponent. Pikachu was not quick enough to close his eyes, and he was temporarily blinded by the filth covering his face.

Iris grinned, pleased and growing confident already. "Now use Dig!" With its body already partway in the ground, Excadrill disappeared under the ground and out of sight almost in the blink of an eye, starting to tunnel through the earth. Pikachu finished wiping the dirt and mud from his eyes, and he looked around carefully, ears perked up and wary of a sudden assault from underground.

Ash wasn't frazzled by this; he had dealt with plenty of digging Pokémon over the years, and he had devised an effective way of countering it. "Track it with Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

His Pokémon nodded, focusing, and moments later his tail had become as strong and rigid as iron. He started tapping his tail against the ground, regularly and repeatedly, taking careful note of how the ground felt underneath. After a couple of seconds, he felt the ground becoming more hollow and less dense, and he quickly leaped into the air just as his opponent popped out underneath him.

Excadrill looked around curiously, surprised that Pikachu wasn't where he expected him to be. Pikachu took advantage of his opponent's confusion, whirling around and smacking him square in the face with his Iron Tail. Excadrill was knocked to the ground, landing heavily, groaning a bit.

"Great job!" Ash called out, as his Pokémon landed back on the ground, cheeks sparking. Iris was briefly shocked at this turn of events, but quickly shook herself out of it, keeping her cool.

"We're not done yet!" she retorted, as Excadrill got back to his feet. "Fury Swipes!"

Her Pokémon nodded and dashed forward, swiping away at Pikachu with great speed, over and over. Pikachu was able to dodge, slowly backing away, but it took a lot of focus. Eventually he had an opening and leaped backward, giving himself a chance to breathe.

"Pikachu! Iron Tail in the air!" Ash called out. His Pokémon nodded, taking a large leap forward as his tail hardened again, ready for another solid blow. Iris smirked, having been prepared for this.

"Now! Focus Blast!" Excadrill stood up straight, holding its hands out in front of it, and in almost no time at all a blue ball of energy had formed in front of it. He grabbed it and flung it forward, managing to hit Pikachu with perfect aim, taking him by surprise and knocking him to the ground. Ash goggled, amazed that Excadrill could focus so quickly.

"Now finish it!" Iris followed up. "Tunnel Attack!"

Ash cocked his head curiously, not knowing what move she was referring to, as Pikachu started getting to his feet, looking around. Glancing upward, he saw Excadrill diving down at him, claws out; he had no time to react before Excadrill grabbed him with his claws and started digging, both Pokémon disappearing under the surface.

"No! Pikachu!" Ash could do nothing but watch, worried and waiting for the two combatants to resurface. Ten seconds later, Excadrill burst out of the ground, flinging a battered Pikachu into the air. Pikachu landed hard on the ground, rolling for a couple of seconds before coming to a rest and lying on his back; having been dragged headfirst through solid ground had not been a fun experience, and it had left him hopelessly dazed, unable to continue the fight.

Both trainers ran out onto the field, knowing full well that the battle was over. Ash kneeled down next to Pikachu and scooped him up carefully, looking him over to make sure he wasn't too hurt, while a joyful Iris threw her arms around her Excadrill, hugging it tightly.

"You did amazing, Excadrill!" she exclaimed, as her Pokémon beamed and carefully hugged back, not wanting to hurt her with his claws. On the other end of the field, Pikachu was starting to come around, looking up at his trainer with an apologetic look on his face.

Ash smiled down. "That wasn't your fault, Pikachu. You did a great job. They just took us by surprise." He walked forward toward the celebrating pair, starting to grin himself. "I can't believe how strong you two have gotten. That last move was a killer!"

"Thanks, Ash. It's something we thought up while we were in Johto, ages ago." Iris smiled back, standing up fully. "You'll have to do better than that if you want a Legend Badge from me."

He smirked back at her. "Don't you worry. The next time I come through Unova, things are going to go differently." He glanced down at the two Pokémon, as Pikachu tiredly extended his hand; Excadrill extended his as well, and the two shared a fist bump of respect.

"For now, I think we need to get to the Pokémon Center." He glanced up again. "Where are you going, Iris?"

"I didn't really have any plans," she responded. "I was just going to explore as much as I could, and find Dragon Pokémon along the way."

Ash smiled wide. "You could travel with me, if you wanted. It would be like old times."

"I thought you'd never ask." She beamed back at him, thrilled to be traveling with an old friend, before tapping the return button on Excadrill's Poké Ball, sending it back. "So where are we going first?"

"I've got some business here in Lumiose City." The pair started walking toward the park entrance.

"Oh yea? Are you meeting someone else while you're here?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I just need to register for the League." He looked down a bit. "There is someone I'd like to see, but I don't know if she's even here..."

"She, huh?" Iris smirked knowingly. "Well, I hope you manage to find her." The two continued talking and catching up as they proceeded into downtown Lumiose City.

Far away from Ash and Iris, in the region of Sinnoh, a young teenage woman was frantically running around her hotel room, trying to get things packed while talking on her phone at the same time.

"...it's leaving in about three hours. I'll stay in Santalune City tonight and you'll see me tomorrow," she spoke distractedly, trying to figure out how to fold an ornate dress so it wouldn't wrinkle in a suitcase. "I'll be there a few days before I'm off again."

"That will be wonderful," an older female voice responded on the other end of the line. "Where will you be going first? They'll want to know."

"They? Who is they?" the girl responded, reaching out and folding her dress as best she could, holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder.

"The Showcase organizers, of course! They're excited to see you back in Kalos."

"They're excited to see me?" She tossed the half-folded dress into her suitcase, scouring her room for any missing clothes, locating a stray sock. "You're kidding me. I'm not Aria, I'm not Diantha..."

"Well, you've made a name for yourself, sweetie. You were nearly crowned queen, and then you've been all over the place in Hoenn, Kanto, Sinnoh, Galar... you're selling yourself short."

The girl was a bit flustered, glad that nobody was there to see her blush, as she walked back to her suitcase and tossed the sock in. "Well... tell them I'll be at the Coumarine City Showcase. After that, I'm playing it by ear." She kneeled down and quickly zipped her suitcase closed, lifting it upright and pulling out its handle. "I need to go, Mom. I have to catch my bus to the airport."

"Alright, have a safe flight. Love you, Serena."

"Love you too, Mom."

Serena smiled as she put her phone away, brushing her blond hair out of her face before reaching down and grasping a red-and-black hat, placing it on her head gently. Her heart raced excitedly at the prospect of returning to the region where she had grown up, and the Showcases that she had been preparing for over the past five years. She had barely missed her shot at becoming Kalos Queen the last time she competed, and she had every intention of earning the title this time around.

She grabbed her suitcase and rolled it along as she walked toward her hotel room door, stepping outside and making her way downstairs, eager to get on the bus that would take her home.

Chapter Text

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of your Pokémon. We'll call your name when he's ready to be picked up. It won't take long."

Ash nodded, smiling at Nurse Joy as she held his weary Pikachu in her arms, with Excadrill's Poké Ball resting on a cart with a number of others. "Thanks a lot." She smiled back and turned away, bringing all of the Pokémon into the back rooms of the Lumiose City Pokémon Center.

"Well, that's done," Iris commented next to him, holding Axew gently in her arms. "Now you just need to get registered, right?"

"Right. We can do that at the main desk," Ash responded, as the two started walking toward the front of the building. "Then maybe we can get some food."

She smiled and nodded. "Sounds good to me. I haven't eaten since my plane left Unova." They both proceeded toward the front desk, as Ash glanced toward Iris, his eyes settling on the Pokémon she was holding.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask," he began. "Both you and Axew wanted him to evolve into his final form, right? How come it's still an Axew?" As he asked the question, he could see Axew sigh and slump further into Iris's arms, almost physically deflating.

Iris sighed as well. "I've been trying, I really have. He's been in plenty of battles, fought lots of Pokémon... for some reason, it's just not working." She gently rubbed Axew's head, trying to comfort him. "I don't know what could be wrong."

"Hmm." Ash pondered this for a moment; he'd heard of plenty of Pokémon who had trouble evolving, but well over five years of waiting was definitely strange. A couple seconds later, he spoke up again. "Maybe we can take him to see Professor Sycamore. I bet he'd have some idea why Axew is having trouble evolving."

"You think so?" Iris's eyebrows raised, intrigued. "Is he an evolution expert or something?"

"Well, Mega Evolution, mainly," he responded. "But he's got to know plenty about regular evolution, right?"

She shrugged. "It's worth a try. I've already asked Professor Juniper in Unova, but she was stumped."

The two of them made it to the Pokémon Center front desk, where Ash handed his Pokédex over to be registered. A minute later, it was handed back to him, and he looked into the screen; all of the badges he previously had acquired had been removed from the device's memory. He was starting over from scratch.

"Well, it's official," he muttered. "I'm competing in the Kalos League again." He smiled to himself, as the thought of another journey started to excite him all over again.

Next to him, Iris grinned teasingly. "And you've already lost your first battle against a Gym Leader. You'll have to step it up."

Ash laughed. "Oh, I will. I'll have those Gym Badges before you know it!" He put his Pokédex away as the two sat down, waiting for their Pokémon to be healed so they could go and eat.

One hour later, the pair were walking into Professor Sycamore's lab, their stomachs full and their Pokémon back in their possession. The receptionist at the front desk smiled at the two of them and waved; they'd been prepared, as Ash had called ahead.

"You're here to see the professor, right?" she asked, as Ash and Iris approached the desk, Pikachu sitting on Ash's shoulder. "He's going to be a few minutes late, but he says you should go right on in. One of our resident Pokémon doctors will take a look at your Axew, to start." They nodded, thanking her, as she directed them down the hall to their right.

"Pokémon doctor, huh..." Ash muttered to himself, a little lost in thought.

Iris glanced toward him, cocking her head. "What are you thinking about, Ash?"

"Oh, nothing," he responded. "Just thinking about someone I used to know, who was studying to be a Pokémon doctor. I wonder if he ever became one."

"You don't stay caught up with your friends very much, do you? First this mystery girl, now this doctor..."

"Hey, come on," Ash shot back, annoyed. "I just... well..." He realized he didn't have a satisfactory answer prepared, and Iris laughed as his words faltered.

"One of these days I'm going to teach you how a phone works," she teased, smirking. "They're easy to use, trust me."

"Yeah, yeah..." he grumbled in response, as the two of them walked through a door into the doctor's room. They quickly glanced around, seeing a number of chairs, small tools and larger machines for diagnosing more serious conditions. They stepped in further, looking for the person who was going to take a look at Axew, when they suddenly heard footsteps from behind them.

"Sorry about that," a male voice spoke, as the two turned around. "I just took a second to..." He quickly stopped speaking as his eyes focused on Ash, recognition immediately flashing across his face. Ash's face lit up as he recognized this man's voice, darker skin, and perpetually squinting eyes.

"Brock!" he called out, running up to him, beaming. "I don't believe it! What are you doing here in Kalos?" The two shared a high five before Pikachu leaped cheerfully over into Brock's arms.

"Ash! Pikachu!" Brock responded, holding the Pokémon gently, looking as surprised and pleased as he could without opening his eyes properly. "I've been studying Mega Evolution with Professor Sycamore! It's something I'm going to need to know if I'm going to be the best doctor I can be." He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "What about you? Is this your first time here?"

Ash shook his head. "I challenged the Kalos League a few years back, and now I'm trying it again. This time I'm going to win!"

"That sounds like you, alright." Brock smiled as he let go of Pikachu, who climbed back onto Ash's shoulder. He adjusted his white doctor's coat, which he was wearing over his normal clothes, in an attempt to look professional. "It's been too long since we hung out. You'll have to fill me in on everything that's going on!"

"So will you! When did you get to Kalos? Is Olivia here with you?"

Brock shook his head. "She's still in Alola. I'm going to visit her when..."

"Ahem." The two boys abruptly stopped talking, turning toward a slightly irritated Iris. "I know you two need to catch up, but..." She held up her Axew, who was also looking a bit impatient.

"Right..." Brock rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that. Let's take a look at your Axew..."

Ten minutes later, Axew was seated in a smaller-sized doctor's chair, as Brock was finishing his examination, kneeling down close. Ash and Iris stood nearby, on opposite sides, watching as he stood up; Pikachu sat on top of Ash's head, similarly curious.

"Well, the good news is that Axew appears to be perfectly healthy," he stated, taking his stethoscope out of his ears. "The bad news is we're not any closer to figuring out why he hasn't evolved. If there is a problem, I don't think it's a physical one."

Iris groaned. "Well, what else could it be, then?"

"Does that mean it could be psychological?" Ash wondered aloud.

"Maybe," Brock responded, walking to a nearby bowl and taking a Poffin out of it. "It might be some sort of mental block, preventing him from evolving. Or he could just be a late bloomer." He walked back and offered the Poffin to Axew, as a reward for being a good patient; the Pokémon happily accepted and started munching on it.

"Five years late...?" She sounded almost despondent.

"It's possible." Brock shrugged. "Do you have any ideas, Professor?" Ash and Iris blinked and turned toward the entrance, neither of them having noticed the lanky, wild-haired Professor Sycamore walking in the door.

"It's hard to say," the professor responded, walking closer. "Did you find any physical abnormalities, Brock?"

"Nope, none at all."

He smirked a bit. "Figures that you'd get a puzzle like this on your last day, eh?" He glanced back at the others, as Axew finished off his Poffin. "Well, it could be a handful of things; it's not that anything is necessarily wrong with him. Some Pokémon may just need a compelling reason to evolve. Perhaps Axew hasn't found his yet."

Iris sighed, looking down at the floor, disappointed that she had gotten her hopes up yet again. Ash frowned, glancing at her, before looking back at Sycamore. "Is there any way to find out for sure?"

"Well, we can gather some more data, eliminate some possibilities, narrow down the causes..." the professor offered. "In order to do that, though, you'd have to leave Axew with me for a little while. A couple of weeks, perhaps. Is that something you'd like to do?"

Iris looked up, taking a long look at her Pokémon; Axew looked terrified at the idea, having never been apart from his trainer since they had met. Eventually she stepped closer, reaching out and lifting Axew out of the chair, holding him close again. "Thanks, Professor, but I don't think so. I don't want to leave him here if I don't know it's going to be worth it."

He nodded, understanding. "Well, just keep battling with him and getting him experience, I suppose. Sorry we couldn't be of any more help."

She nodded and offered a quiet thanks, walking out the door. Ash watched her for a moment before turning back to Brock and Professor Sycamore to say his goodbyes, as Iris walked into the lobby, looking down at her newly-disappointed Pokémon.

"It's alright, Axew," she offered quietly. "I'm not giving up. We're going to get you evolved into your final form one day, I promise." He sighed, not too optimistic, and admittedly she wasn't very optimistic either. Even if they did manage to get him to evolve, it would have been nearly eight years after he hatched before he became a Fraxure. How much longer would it take for him to become a Haxorus?

He eventually turned around and reached upward toward her head; taking the hint, she lifted him up to the top of her head, where he crawled into her hair, which was one of his favorite perches. She felt him getting nestled in just as Ash and Pikachu walked back into the lobby.

"Sorry that didn't work out, Iris."

"It's alright, Ash. It was a good idea." She glanced back at him, forcing herself to put on a more cheerful face. "Ready to go?"

He nodded, and the two of them walked outside, starting to discuss travel plans. They had just agreed to stay the night in Lumiose City when they became aware of a voice calling out to them.

"Hey, guys, wait up!" They both turned around to see Brock running toward them, wearing a large backpack instead of his doctor's coat.

"Brock? What is it?" Ash inquired, curious. "Did we forget something?"

"Didn't you hear Professor Sycamore say it was my last day?" Brock answered, grinning. "I'm all done with my studies under him. I was going to travel through Kalos for a while before heading to Alola."

"Really? That's awesome!" Ash grinned wide. "Well, now you have to come with us, don't you? My old traveling partner!" He glanced back. "Iris, you don't mind if he comes with us, do you?"

She smirked a bit. "That depends. You don't snore, do you?"

"If I do, nobody's told me." He grinned. "I can cook pretty well, though."

"Oh yeah?" She glanced toward Ash. "How does his cooking compare to Cilan's?"

"It's at least as good," he answered. "Maybe even a little better."

Iris immediately extended her hand. "Good to have you with us, Brock!" He laughed and shook her hand, before turning and receiving a fist pound from an excited Ash, and one from his Pikachu as well.

"This will be great; just like old times. Where are we going first? Are you going to challenge the Gym here in Lumiose City?"

Ash shook his head. "The Gym Leader here won't battle you unless you have at least four Badges already. We'll have to come back another time." His mind wandered back to Clemont, the Lumiose Gym Leader, and his little sister Bonnie, as well as all the time they had spent together. He knew he could easily get in and battle now if he wanted, based on their friendship, but Ash wanted to show Clemont the respect he deserved.

"Makes sense." Brock nodded. "So what's your plan?"

Ash pulled out his Pokédex in response, flipping through screens. "I was just thinking about that. I was planning on going to Coumarine City first, to get a Plant Badge, but it looks like Route 13 is closed down, for some reason." He zoomed his screen in. "So instead, we're going to go down Route 14, toward Laverre City."

"But we're going to stay in Lumiose City for tonight," Iris chipped in, glancing up at Brock. "The two of you can spend some time catching up before we leave."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Brock watched as Ash put his Pokédex away, and the two of them started talking about what they had been up to over the past five years. Iris smiled and listened closely, wanting to learn about their new travel companion, as the three sought out a place to stay.

Elsewhere in Lumiose City, a specialty restaurant was starting to wind down for the day. As soon as the last customer left, the owner walked up to the front door and turned the hanging sign on it from OPEN to CLOSED.

"Another slow day," he muttered to himself, before turning back toward the three employees that were working in the kitchen and behind the counter. "Alright, you guys, clear down. You know the drill."

"Yes, boss!" the employees responded in unison, moving from their current posts and starting to clean up the dining room. He watched them for a second before walking up to the register and opening it to take out the cash, trusting them to take care of things in the dining room and kitchen. He had taken on all three of them at once years ago, having found them down on their luck, unemployed and without a place to stay. At the time it seemed like a gamble, but they turned out to be great workers; they were skilled cooks, they always jumped on any task no matter how small, and they had a strong deference to authority.

As he collected the cash and walked into the back, his eyes wandered over to the shortest of the three. No matter how many times he looked, the employee never quite looked normal to him, due to his size and his strangely shaped face. It was almost as if he was some sort of Pokémon, wearing lots of layers, but he didn't know of any Pokémon who could talk. He shrugged it off and continued into the back room.

One of the workers, a woman with long red hair, spoke up as she was wiping down tables. "It's funny... I never saw myself doing work like this for the rest of my life. It seemed so embarrassing, but really, it's not as bad as I imagined it would be."

"Speak for yourself, Jessie," replied another, a man of the same age with shoulder-length blue hair, as he swept the floor. "We never had to clean up messes and sweep floors when we were with Team Rocket."

"Yeah, we did," the shortest of the three replied, collecting dishes, his whiskers starting to peek out from the hooded clothes he was wearing. "It just felt less demeaning then."

"Everything was better then, before we ran out of second chances." Jessie sighed, laying on top of the table she just finished cleaning. "Now my only hope is that some movie director comes by, finds this waitress down on her luck and makes her a star..." A dreamy look came across her face as she closed her eyes, imagining her future success. The other two stopped and watched her for a moment.

"I think she might be losing it, James."

"You know she's always been like this, Meowth," the sweeper replied. "Just leave her be. She'll come back down to Earth soon." Meowth sighed and moved to start collecting more plates. Glancing out the window, something caught his eye that nearly made him drop what he was holding.

"Guys! Look outside! Quick!"

The other two turned their heads toward the front windows, just as a trio of trainers walked by on the other side of the street. All three of them immediately recognized one of the three, with black hair, a blue vest, a red hat, and a Pikachu on his shoulder.

"It can't be!" Jessie exclaimed. "It's the twerp! And he's got a brigade of twerps with him!"

"What is he doing here?" James wondered. "He doesn't live here, does he?"

"What does it matter?" Meowth turned back toward the other two. "This is opportunity knocking, you two! That's our ticket back into Team Rocket out there! We nab that Pikachu and give it to the boss, and he's bound to let us back in!"

"Are you serious, Meowth?" Jessie glared down at him, incredulous. "Did you forget what happened the last time we tried to capture that little yellow rat?"

"We'll do it right this time!" he insisted. "We'll hand-deliver him to the boss ourselves! When he sees what Pikachu can do, he'll be begging us to rejoin!"

Jessie looked up toward James, wanting to order him to talk some sense into their feline companion. Her hopes were dashed as she saw the starry-eyed expression on his face, his mind already filled with dreams of returning to Team Rocket. She groaned and held her head in her hand.

"You two are both out of your minds," she muttered, before lowering her hand again. "You're gluttons for punishment."

"Think about it, Jessie!" James stepped forward and clasped one of her hands in both of his. "We can leave this restaurant behind and travel the world again, working for Team Rocket! We can be respected by the boss! We can be something more than we are now! We have to take this chance!"

She was about to tell him off, but she paused as she looked into his eyes again. There was a light in them that she hadn't seen in years, the light of hope and inspiration, that made her think twice about what she was going to say to him. After a few seconds, she sighed and let a smile cross her face.

"Alright... I'm in," she relented. "Let's go get that Pikachu!"

"Wonderful!" James beamed as he let go of her hand, turning and running behind the counter. He kneeled down and lifted up one of the loose floor tiles, revealing a box that had been long since stashed away. He pulled it out and placed it on the counter, opening it up and taking out a pair of gray and black outfits with a large red R on the front. They were a little worse for wear, dirty and torn in a couple places, but to James they looked like royal tapestries.

"Alright, this is it!" Jessie ran up and grabbed her outfit, holding it up to herself to make sure it still fit. "This is where our fortunes finally turn around!"

The three of them ran out the door, ready to grasp their futures with both hands and reclaim their dreams. Seconds later, they ran back inside to finish cleaning up the restaurant before departing again, hot on Pikachu's trail.

Chapter Text

In a small town in southern Kalos, an older woman with short brown hair was tending to her garden, trimming some weeds while humming to herself. The woman's name, Grace, could be seen on her mailbox, each of the letters having been cut out of various magazines and pasted onto the side of it by a young girl many years ago.

As she worked, she heard her pet Rhyhorn slowly walking up closer to her; it didn't sound like he was grazing in the yard, as it often did. It walked right up to her side and used its nose to gently nudge her arm, making a sound partway between a roar and a mewl.

"Hi, Rhyhorn." She reached out and gently pet its horn, absentmindedly, before going back to her weeding. She expected it to turn and walk away, but it nudged her arm again, a little more forcefully, making a louder sound than before, clearly wanting her attention.

"Rhyhorn, sweetie, I'm busy..." she muttered, keeping her focus and not looking away. She sighed as the Pokémon nudged her arm once more, and she nearly pushed it away before she heard a giggling sound, which stopped her right where she was. Looking over at Rhyhorn, she could see the arms and legs of someone riding on top of it. She glanced upward, surprised, and found herself looking into the beaming face of her daughter, Serena.

"Hi, Mom."

"What would you like to drink?" Grace asked, as the pair entered the kitchen. "I have water, juice, I have a tea kettle ready to go..."

"Tea sounds nice," Serena answered, smiling and sitting at the kitchen table. She glanced outside and watched as her three Pokémon stretched out their limbs and got some exercise; Pancham and Sylveon played with Rhyhorn, while her recently-evolved Delphox stood nearby and watched, amused.

"I see you've kept your hair short. Did you ever end up growing it back out?"

She nodded in response. "I tried going long again while I was in Kanto, but I ended up cutting it again. It reminded me too much of when I was younger."

"That's fair," Grace answered, walking to the stove, where she had a kettle of water simmering on low heat. "I think it looks better like this, anyhow." She turned up the heat under the kettle.

Serena smiled, turning a bit pink. "How has everything been here?"

"Oh, you know how Vaniville Town is." Her mother leaned against the counter near the stove, waiting for the water to boil. "I don't think anything has happened here since you last left. It's the same quiet, sleepy town it always is."

"Well, that's perfect for me," Serena responded. "After the whirlwind that was Sinnoh, I could use a few days' peace and quiet."

Grace grinned wide. "That bad, huh?"

"I got my schedule completely wrong. I had to practically run through the entire region to make it to all the Contests I wanted to participate in. I didn't have a single day to relax." She sighed. "I feel like I lost ten pounds while I was there."

"You're lucky you didn't make yourself sick." Her mother glanced over her, uncomfortably noting the weight Serena had lost, as the tea kettle came to a very quick boil. "You just take it easy while you're here. We'll get some good food in you and you'll be back in top shape before you know it." She reached over and turned off the stove, grabbing the kettle and a pair of tea cups.

"I've been craving your food for months, Mom." Serena grinned. "And thankfully, my schedule here won't be so hectic. I'll have plenty of time between each showcase to travel and enjoy Kalos."

Grace poured hot water into each of the cups, adding a tea bag to each one, before handing one to her daughter. "Are you planning to see your friends while you're here?"

"Definitely." Serena held her tea cup carefully, taking the string of the tea bag and moving it up and down in the water. "I've already told Shauna that I'm here in Vaniville Town, and we're going to spend a lot of time together before I leave. She's competing too, but we've agreed to not go to the same showcases." She took a sip of her tea, a bit too early, wincing at the heat.

"You don't want to get in each other's way, hm? That's sweet."

She nodded. "We're going to see each other at the Master Class showcase at the end of the season, if we make it." She blew on her tea to cool it down. "And at some point I'll stop by Lumiose City so I can see Bonnie and Clemont."

Grace nodded as well, taking a sip of her tea. "What about the other boy you were traveling with? The one with the black hair and the hat?"

"Ash? He doesn't live in Kalos," she replied quickly. "Even if he did, he's always traveling to catch Pokémon and compete in conferences. Who knows if we'd ever run into each other." She quickly went in for another sip of tea, despite its temperature, in an attempt to hide the smile that emerged on her face whenever she thought about him, even five years later.

"Oh, really?" Grace replied. "That's too bad, I liked him." She took another sip of her tea, as Serena went for an even deeper drink of hers, now needing to hide a light blush. "Well, if he's anywhere in Kalos, he's sure to find out that you'll be in Coumarine City."

Serena glanced up. "What do you mean by that?"

Her mother smiled. "You haven't watched any television since you got in yesterday, have you?"

"No, but what does..." Her eyes widened, as her mind put the pieces together. "You aren't saying what I think you're saying..."

Grace grinned wide. "Come on into the living room. I'll show you what I mean."

Three minutes later, Serena was seated at their computer, watching the screen with wide eyes, with Grace standing behind her. On the screen, an advertisement for the Coumarine City Showcase was playing, featuring a number of performers that were slated to be there. Roughly ten seconds into the video, Serena could see a picture of herself appear, next to her name.

"They're playing these all over Kalos, starting today, since this is the kickoff event of the performance season," her mother explained. "They were just able to squeeze you in at the last second, after our phone call."

"I... I can't believe this," Serena spoke quietly, as she watched herself appear in a montage with the other performers, the ad coming to an end. "They're putting me on TV? This is..." A thought occurred to her. "Did I even consent to this?"

"Apparently, you did," Grace answered. "It was in the paperwork you signed before the last Master Class." She rested her hands on the back of the computer chair. "They told me when they called me. They were asking if I had any more recent pictures of you, so I sent one."

Her daughter nodded lightly, still dumbfounded and in disbelief, not looking away from the computer. "This just... can't be right..." she muttered. "I'm just some girl... I'm not famous, I'm not important..."

"Just some girl?" her mother replied, leaning down and letting her arms slide around her daughter's shoulders. "Who was the person who put on that performance in Lumiose City after the Team Flare debacle? Who brought smiles back to everyone's faces when they really needed it?"

"Mom..." Her voice wavered a bit, as she leaned back into her mother's embrace.

"You're a very special girl, Serena," Grace continued, holding her tighter. "There's magic in your smile. You can lift people up with your energy; you can change their lives for the better. That's what makes you important."

Serena closed her eyes, not knowing what to say in response, still struggling to mentally process how quickly everything was happening. Her mother stayed quiet as well, letting Serena take the time she needed, happy to have her back home and more proud than she could say. Neither of them said a word for several long moments, but through this gentle, loving contact, mother and daughter were able to convey everything that needed to be said.

"I thought I would be twenty-five when I got to this point, not fifteen," Serena finally spoke after a little while, her eyes still closed. She grinned a bit, becoming less dumbfounded and more amused. "Does this make me a teen idol?"

"Oh gosh, perish the thought," her mother replied, laughing. "Please tell me you're not going to become a diva and let it go to your head."

"I'll do my best." Serena sighed happily. "I guess this means I need a new outfit. I don't think I can use the same old things I wore in Sinnoh. I'm starting to outgrow them."

Grace grinned wider than she had all day. "I've been waiting for you to say that, actually..."

"Why were you..." her daughter began, before realizing the answer to her own question, her eyes opening. "Oh Mom, no, I don't think I can take any more surprises today."

"Last one, promise. Come on up to your room."

Minutes later, Serena walked into her old bedroom upstairs, eyes quickly focusing on her mother, who was standing in front of her closet, hands about to open it.

"Now, I know you don't like my fashion sense," Grace began, "but I really think this is going to be perfect for you. I had it custom made. Give it a second, then honestly let me know what you think."

She opened the closet door and stepped aside, and Serena gasped as she saw what was inside, covering her mouth with her hands. Hanging inside the closet was effectively a knee-length white kimono, with blue floral designs intricately woven into it. The outfit also included a pair of white shorts, as well as a large blue flower attached to a hair clip.

"Oh my gosh, Mom..."

Grace grinned wide at her daughter's reaction, knowing she'd hit this out of the park. "It was originally full-length, but I asked them to make it shorter, so you could still dance in it."

Her daughter continued to stare at the outfit, eyes following the lines, taking in all of the subtle details. "Mom, it's beautiful..."

Grace smiled warmly, walking right up next to her daughter. "I'm glad you like it, sweetie. You're going to be the prettiest and classiest girl on that stage."

Feeling her mother's presence next to her, Serena quickly turned around and wrapped her arms tightly around her, burying her face in her mother's shoulder, feeling tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Thank you so much, Mom. Thank you for everything you've done. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"Of course, sweetie," Grace replied, holding her daughter tightly, sliding her fingers into her hair. "You deserve this. If you're going to go out and chase your dream, you deserve to be as prepared as possible."

Serena stayed quiet, not letting go, touched by the amount of support her mother was showing. Five years ago, Grace was skeptical of her dream of being a performer, not believing her to have the internal strength to go through with it. Now, her mother was her biggest cheerleader, always encouraging and supporting her every step of the way. The two stayed like this for a few moments before Grace spoke again.

"Serena, I had a question I wanted to ask you, and I want you to answer truthfully." Serena nodded, looking back, still lightly keeping her arms around her, as Grace continued. "Do you remember the Skiddo race the two of us had, way back when?"

Her daughter nodded again. "Of course I remember."

"If you had lost that race, would you have kept your word? Would you have come home and become a Rhyhorn racer, and given up your dream of being a performer, like you said you would?"

Serena thought it over for a second, not having considered it before. She didn't have to think about it for long, and she quickly shook her head. "No."

Her mother grinned wide, pleased. "That's my girl."

Serena smiled back, resting her head against her mother's collar gently. "I'm going to do it, Mom. I'm going to become Kalos Queen. I'm going to make you proud of me."

Grace leaned down and gently kissed her daughter on the top of her head. "You've become such a strong, confident girl, Serena. I can't imagine being more proud of you than I am now." The two stayed like this for another few moments, before Grace took a step back.

"I should get working on some lunch. I imagine you're at least as hungry as I am."

Serena smiled and nodded. "That sounds great."

Her mother smiled back. "You stay here and rest a bit. I'll call you down when it's time to eat."

She stepped back and left the room, as Serena sat down on her bed, appreciating the familiar feeling of the mattress underneath her. She looked back at her brand new performance outfit, grinning from ear to ear, before she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, sighing happily. She listened to the sound of her Pokémon playing outside, as well as the footsteps of her mother walking downstairs, letting her mind empty out all of its stresses and worries about the upcoming showcases.

She let her mind wander, thinking about being back in Kalos, and she found her thoughts coming back to Ash, as they sometimes did when she thought about home. She pictured herself going out and finding him, after she had been crowned Kalos Queen. She imagined how she would show him how she had grown, and what she had done with the confidence and guidance that he had given her so long ago, for which she would be forever grateful. She wanted him to be as proud of her as her mother was now.

Serena smiled warmly, feeling her cheeks flush red as she imagined the various ways in which their reunion might play out. She let her imagination go on for a bit before stopping. There would be plenty of time for him later; for now, she wanted to just enjoy the feeling of being home again, as if she was a young girl with no responsibilities. She rolled over onto her side, eventually drifting off for a quick nap.

Chapter Text

In a shaded area on Route 14, between Lumiose City and Laverre City, there sat a small lake which found itself with a bit of company. Iris was swimming back and forth through it, doing laps, getting in some early-morning exercise in the manner she enjoyed most. She was alone, having headed off herself, leaving Ash and Brock at camp; there weren't many Pokémon around, either, as many of them were scared away by the noise.

Once she'd swam enough laps, she headed to the edge of the water and pulled herself out, right next to her towel and her large overshirt. She sat on the edge of the lake, feet still in the water, taking a moment to rest before starting to wring out her hair. She reached for her towel, wanting to at least get her undershirt and shorts dried off before she headed back, before she noticed a strange sensation on her leg. She held it straight out and glanced down, expecting to see some algae covering it; instead, she found herself face-to-face with what looked like a giant purple-and-white slug with green cheeks, clinging to her shin.

"Gyah! Get off, get off!" She started violently kicking her leg, trying to dislodge the Pokémon; it attempted to hold on as best it could, but it eventually went flying back into the lake. Iris quickly stood up, moving a couple feet away from the water, as the Pokémon reemerged, looking confused and upset.

"Don't spook me like that!" she called out to it. "I thought you were some kind of giant leech! Find someone else to cling to!"

The Pokémon looked hurt by her words, frowning at her and focusing. Iris started to turn away, when she felt a few drops of water falling on her. Looking up curiously, she saw a storm cloud forming just a couple of feet above her head, the water starting to come down harder.

"Rain Dance...?" she wondered to herself, recognizing this as a Pokémon move. She didn't have much time to think before a bolt of lightning shot out of it, zapping her where she stood. She stood frozen in place for a moment, a shocked and pained expression on her face, before falling forward into the lake, stiff as a board. Satisfied, the Pokémon turned and swam off.

Back at their campsite near the main trail of Route 14, Ash was sitting down on a picnic blanket, hungry, as Brock set out breakfast plates for the three of them. They quickly dug into their meals, while Pikachu and Axew sat nearby, eating their own small bowls of Pokémon food.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Ash turned around to greet Iris, but paused upon seeing her, eyebrows raising. She was soaked from head to toe, her hair frizzed and sticking out in every direction, and her face bore the irritated look of someone who would bite the head off of anyone who talked to them.

"Whoa, Iris, what happened to you?" She growled in response, taking a seat next to Ash and accepting a plate of food from Brock wordlessly, starting to tuck in.

Brock watched her for a moment, intensely curious, but knowing that asking her about her current state might be hazardous to his health. He eventually decided to risk it. "Did you... have a good swim?"

Iris grumbled, swallowing her mouthful of scrambled eggs. "It was fine, until I got zapped by a Rain Dance from a giant slug."

"A giant slug?" Ash wondered aloud, thinking about what species of Pokémon might fit that description. "Was it colored purple and white?"

"Mm." She nodded in response, taking another bite of her breakfast. Behind her, Pikachu had finished its food, and was now wandering through the grass, tracking the movement of some small critter.

"That sounds like a Goomy to me. Why didn't you capture it, Iris?"

"I told you, Ash, I'm only here to catch Dragon-type Pokémon." She took a drink from her water bottle.

"A Goomy is a Dragon-type, though," he responded, reaching for his Pokédex.

Iris glanced over at him, in disbelief. "That's a joke, right?" He held his Pokédex out toward her in response, which was displaying the Pokémon that had just shocked her.

"Goomy, the Soft Tissue Pokémon," the device stated mechanically. "The weakest Dragon-type Pokémon, it lives in damp, shady places, so its body doesn't dry out."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Are you kidding me?! That little booger is a Dragon-type?!" She leaned in closer, as the device showed the evolution from Goomy, to Sliggoo, to the goofy but imposing Goodra.

"I thought you knew all of the Dragon types in Kalos," Ash responded, putting his Pokédex away again.

"I did! Or I should! I just assumed that thing was... argh!" She slapped her forehead. "Now I have to go and catch it!" She quickly shoved the rest of her breakfast in her mouth all at once before hopping up to her feet, grabbing her Poké Balls before running back in the direction of the lake.

Ash and Brock watched her go for a few moments, before a sharp cry drew their attention elsewhere. Ash's eyes widened as he saw Pikachu lying on his back, foot in the air; the grass nearby started to shift, as some small Pokémon started scurrying away.

"Pikachu! Are you okay?" Ash quickly hopped up and ran over, kneeling next to his Pokémon, whose pained expression was giving way to a sickly one. He reached down and lifted Pikachu up, holding him in his arms, recognizing the telltale signs of being poisoned. He quickly shifted his gaze toward the creature running away; most of its body was hidden by the grass, but a look at its scorpion-like tail quickly told Ash that it was a Skorupi.

"Brock, do we have any Antidotes?"

Brock stood up. "Give me one second, I'll grab one." He quickly ducked into his tent and rummaged through his pack, emerging with a small bottle in his hand, which he tossed over. Ash caught it easily, popping the top off and gently spraying his Pokémon with its contents. Once the bottle was empty, he set it aside and continued holding Pikachu gently, waiting for the effects to kick in.

A minute later, Pikachu sat up, looking much healthier than he had before. He hopped out of Ash's arms, eyes following the trail the wild Skorupi had taken, looking as angry as Iris had been just moments before. Ash sighed in relief.

"Good, you're feeling better." He followed Pikachu's gaze, trying to find the scorpion Pokémon that had just run off. He knew that a Fairy-type Gym Leader was waiting for him in Laverre City, and having a Poison-type Pokémon on his side could give him an edge. "Want to get some payback, Pikachu? Let's go and capture it!"

Pikachu nodded, getting down on all fours and starting to follow the Skorupi like a bloodhound. Ash stood up and followed, turning back to thank Brock for breakfast, which he was carrying part of in his hand. Brock watched the two of them head out, before looking around at the empty camp, with Axew as his only remaining company. He shrugged, before continuing to eat his own breakfast at his leisure.

Back at the lake, Iris was sitting high up on a tree branch, scanning for any signs of the Goomy from before. A handful of other Pokémon had arrived while she was gone, swimming and drinking, which made it difficult to find the Pokémon she was looking for.

After several long minutes of waiting, she spied a Goomy sliding out of the lake, filled almost to bursting with water. She hopped up and started following it, practically gliding from one tree branch to the next, as comfortable traveling through the tree tops as she was on the ground. She kept her Poké Balls at the ready, wanting to take the first opportunity to capture this little thing.

After following it for a minute, Iris was surprised to find another Goomy on the trail. Unlike the one she was following, however, this one looked like it was withering away, almost completely dried out. The Goomy she had been following crawled right up to it, spitting out some of its water to try and revive it. The desiccated Goomy regained a little bit of strength from this, starting to move toward the lake, albeit very slowly.

She watched with wide eyes as the plump Goomy continued along its path, moving to another dried-out Pokémon, then another. She started running ahead of it, following the trail of weak Goomys, until she eventually found a large collection of them seated in a large, empty depression in the ground, at the base of a tall cliff. Her eyes widened as she saw the state of these Pokémon; there were maybe two dozen of them, all in varying states of drying out, and some of them even looked close to perishing.

"Oh my gosh..." She quickly climbed down her current tree, wanting to get a closer look. She ran down into the large depression, right up to the small colony of Goomys, kneeling down next to them. "You poor things, what happened here?" She took a quick look around; there was no grass at all in this giant hole, just dry and cracked soil. Iris quickly realized that this used to be a lake, but something had caused it to completely dry out.

A high-pitched cry from nearby caused her to jump and quickly stand; looking toward it, she saw the hydrated Goomy from before, glaring at her. It had used up nearly all its water and was looking very tired, but it was still determined to protect its family at any cost.

"Hey, hold on!" Iris waved her hands, trying to head off a potential conflict. "I'm not here to fight, honest." The Goomy kept glaring at her as she slowly walked forward, keeping her hands visible, not wanting to appear as a threat. "Something happened to your home, didn't it? That's why you were traveling to the other lake."

The Goomy made a sad sound in response, letting its guard down a bit, and it looked upward toward the top of the cliff. Iris turned around, following its gaze, and was surprised to see a makeshift dam, made out of wood and mud.

"A dam? Who built that?" She walked out of the former lake and up to the cliff face, reaching out and starting to climb it, almost effortlessly. Less than a minute later, she had managed to make it to the top, finding an overflowing creek that had turned into its own pond. She could see the surface of the water being disturbed, as if a number of Pokémon were swimming underneath. She frowned and walked over to the dam, poking at it with her foot; it mostly held together, but she could feel a bit of movement. Whoever made this, it wasn't a professional job.

"Hm... I wonder if..." She started kicking it a bit harder, wondering if she could dislodge it on her own, not particularly concerned with how it had gotten there in the first place. As she worked on it, she failed to notice several large Pokémon emerging from the water, walking toward her. After a few more kicks, she noticed the large shadows that were surrounding her; she quickly whirled around, eyes widening as she found herself face-to-face with four large, angry Pangoros.

"I..." She took a step back, nervous. "I guess this is your dam, huh?"

The Pokémon growled and stepped forward, not pleased.

Elsewhere, Ash and Pikachu were continuing to stalk Skorupi, much less stealthily than Iris. They were moving as quickly as they could without being too loud, not wanting it to be scared off as they followed the subtle trail it had left behind. After a few minutes, they both stopped in their tracks as they found it slowly trying to climb a tree.

"There it is," Ash whispered, glancing down at Pikachu. "You ready? Hit it with Electroweb!"

His Pokémon nodded, creeping forward as he formed a ball of electricity on his tail. Once he was close enough, he whirled around and flung the energy ball toward the Skorupi; the ball turned into a web of electricity, which perfectly hit its target, wrapping around both the tree and the Pokémon before shocking both. The Skorupi cried out as it was jolted, falling back down to the ground as the web dissipated.

"Perfect shot!" Ash exclaimed, grabbing an empty Poké Ball from his pack. He pressed the button on the front to enlarge it, before hurling it at the stunned Pokémon. Skorupi managed to quickly come to its senses, however, and burrowed underground as fast as it could; the Poké Ball missed its target, rolling limply along the ground.

Pikachu's ears perked up, and he looked around carefully for any signs of his opponent. He yelped as a stinger shot out of the ground right in front of him, causing him to jump backwards, not wanting another dose of poison. Seconds later, the tail emerged again right next to him, and he ran across the field, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash reminded him. His Pokémon nodded, focusing and turning his tail to iron before turning around and tapping it against the ground. A few seconds later, he frowned and shook his head, stopping the tapping; the ground here was too moist, and he couldn't get any useful information from it.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Well... be on your guard. It's not faster than you. Just focus."

Pikachu nodded, getting down on all fours and focusing as best he could. He closed his eyes, all of his other senses focused on feeling out the location of his opponent. Seconds later, he could feel the tiniest of vibrations near his feet, which quickly grew in intensity. At the last possible second, he jumped back as the tail emerged for a third time; he whirled around and used his Iron Tail to hook the stinger skillfully, yanking a very surprised Skorupi out of the ground. Pikachu continued spinning around for a second, flinging the Skorupi off of his tail and sending it slamming into a tree; it fell back onto the ground, stunned for the second time.

"One more try!" Ash grabbed another Poké Ball and flung it as quickly as he could; this time, the ball made contact, and the Skorupi was turned into energy and absorbed by the contraption. The Poké Ball fell to the ground, starting to rock back and forth as the Pokémon inside struggled to get free. After a few tense seconds, the ball settled down, and the button on the front stopped glowing, indicating a successful capture.

"Yes! We got it!" Both Ash and Pikachu cheered, as the trainer ran forward and grabbed both the spent Poké Ball and the newly occupied one. "Our first new Pokémon in Kalos. Great job, Pikachu!" Pikachu climbed up Ash's side onto his shoulder, looking down at the ball containing his new companion, before Ash pocketed it. "Let's get back to camp. If Iris is still gone, maybe we can get a little bit of training in."

He turned around and started walking before quickly stopping again, looking around at the unfamiliar terrain. In his haste to catch Skorupi, he had not paid any attention at all to where he had been going.

"Uh... do you remember how to get back, Pikachu?"

Iris kept her gaze focused on the four angry Pokémon in front of her, looking for some sort of opening, acutely aware of the steep cliff that was right behind her. All she needed was a bit of time and space to deploy her own Pokémon, and she'd stand a fighting chance; without that time and space, though, she was a sitting duck.

One of the four Pangoro growled and charged toward her; thinking quickly, she jumped to the side out of its way, then dove forward through the gap that had just formed in their line. Safely behind them, she started running to get some distance, grabbing a Poké Ball and turning around to throw it behind her.

"Go, Dragonite!" The Poké Ball hit the ground, bursting open, and a seven-foot, orange-colored dragon Pokémon emerged from it. His gaze immediately focused on the four opponents in front of them; while he was larger than any one of them, four at once was definitely going to be a challenge.

"Slow them down, Dragonite! Ice Beam!"

Her Pokémon reared back for a second before shooting a light-blue beam of ice at all four of them, sweeping across. Having already been covered in water, the Pangoros felt their fur freezing in place, slowing their movements dramatically as they fought against the ice.

"Great work!" Iris cheered. "Now let's take them out, one by one! Thunder Punch!"

Dragonite grunted, using his wings to lift himself up into the air, before charging forward. His fist crackled with electricity as he slammed it into the gut of one of his opponents, sending it flying off the cliff, where it crashed into the trees below. It wasn't badly hurt, but it wouldn't be rejoining the fight.

Dragonite hmphed, turning toward the other three, when one of them managed to break itself free of its icy bonds. It reached out and grabbed Dragonite by the arm, surprising him; seconds later, the other two broke free as well, each grabbing a leg. Iris gasped as she watched him try to break free, but the Pangoros roared and started running forward, slamming Dragonite headfirst into a nearby tree.

Dazed, he started flapping his wings as hard as he could, trying to lift off again and create some distance. All three Pangoros held on tightly, not wanting him to escape, starting to drag him slowly back toward the makeshift pond. With one mighty collective pull, the three managed to yank him down into the water, where they started raining their fists down upon him.

"No!" Iris ran forward, panicked, wanting to help get him out of their grasp. One of the Pangoros noticed her approach and swung its arm around, backhanding her and sending her flying backward. She landed on the ground with a thud, groaning in pain as she sat up, watching the beating unfold. Her mind raced as she thought of how to save her Pokémon, eyes traveling from him, to the water, to the dam. Her eyebrows raised as she got an idea, and she ran forward again, cupping her hands to her mouth.

"Dragonite! Dash forward with Dragon Rush!"

Dragonite managed to hear her command, focusing as best he could, a blue aura starting to envelop him. His assailants paused for the briefest of moments, curious, giving him the opening he needed to dash forward through the water like a rocket. He used his head to slam into the wooden dam as hard as he could, shattering it into tiny pieces, before flying up into the sky, back in control.

As soon as the dam was gone, the water started to rush toward the edge of the cliff as it was meant to. The three Pangoros panicked, trying to get out of the water, but the rushing torrent was too powerful for them to overcome. All three of them were dragged along and sent flying over the edge of the cliff, landing just on the other side of the former lake, crashing into the fourth Pangoro that had been taken out earlier.

Dragonite took a second to catch his breath, hovering above what was now a rushing waterfall. He snorted angrily as he looked down at his attackers, sore all over and feeling vengeful, as Iris ran up to him.

"Let's finish this!" she shouted. "Hyper Beam!"

Her Pokémon opened its mouth, starting to gather a ball of yellow energy, which quickly grew to great size. He lunged his head forward, and the ball erupted into a beam of energy, aimed directly at the four Pokémon down below. The Pangoros had no time to react before the beam impacted the ground directly under them, sending all four of them flying far away. Dragonite grunted, satisfied, before landing back on the ground, where Iris threw her arms around his neck.

"You did it!" she cheered. "Great job, Dragonite!" Her Pokémon nodded, awkwardly putting one hand on her back; even years later, he was still a bit uncomfortable with the affection Iris showed all of her Pokémon, but he was slowly warming up to it. She let go and climbed onto his back, and the two flew down the cliff, watching as the waterfall started to slowly fill the lake again. As they landed, they saw one Goomy after another pop up to the surface, plump and hydrated once again. Iris beamed, thrilled to see them healthy again, before running off along the trail she had taken, wanting to gather the others.

Three minutes later, she had gathered five more dried-out Goomys in her arms, running back with them to the reformed lake and carefully placing them in. They instantly started swelling with water, swimming out to happily greet the other members of their family. She sighed a happy sigh, watching the reunion take place, before noticing a strange and familiar sensation near her foot. Glancing down, she saw the same Goomy that had attacked her before, now rubbing affectionately against her ankle, wanting to thank her for her help.

"Looks like they're all pretty healthy now," she said, smiling and kneeling down to pat its head. "I'm glad everything ended up working out." Goomy quickly shifted and moved to her side, butting its head against one of the Poké Balls attached to her pack.

Iris raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Huh? You want to come along?"

"Goom," the Goomy responded affirmatively, backing away and looking up into her eyes. She grinned and grabbed a spare Poké Ball, touching its main button to make it grow, before holding it out in front of the slug Pokémon. Goomy cheered happily before pressing its forehead against the button, causing the ball to open and absorb the Goomy inside of it.

She stood up again, glancing at the Poké Ball in her hand, as it quickly registered the capture without a struggle. "Well, it was more trouble than I thought, but it was worth it in the end." She thanked Dragonite again for his help, sending him back to his own Poké Ball before making her way back to camp.

Back at their campsite, Brock had finished his breakfast and taken his time getting everything cleaned up. He was putting away the cooking equipment when he heard multiple sets of footsteps, approaching from different directions. Looking around, he saw Ash and Pikachu approaching from one direction, as Iris approached from the other.

"Hey, Iris!" Ash called out, running forward. "Did you manage to catch it?"

"I sure did!" Iris held up the newly-occupied Poké Ball proudly, as if it were a trophy. "One Dragon-type down!"

"That's great!" Ash reached down and grabbed a Poké Ball of his own, holding it up. "Pikachu and I caught a Pokémon too! It's a Skorupi!"

"Good job, Ash!" Brock chimed in, as he started folding up the picnic blanket. "That'll come in handy. Are you going to use it at the Gym?"

"Sure am! Once we get some training in, that badge is as good as mine!"

The three friends continued talking and laughing as they packed up their campsite, before setting out once again toward Laverre City.

Chapter Text

The next day, in the middle of the afternoon, the trio found themselves walking into a medium-sized city in northern Kalos. The three of them looked around, their eyes drawn to the river running through the middle of the city, as well as the gigantic tree that stood in the center of it.

"Here we are, guys! Laverre City!" Ash proclaimed. "Man, this place hasn't changed a bit."

"I like it already," Iris responded, smiling as her eyes took in the greenery.

"I'll like any place with a bed," Brock added. "Camping is fun, but I can only sleep in a sleeping bag for so long."

"Really, Brock?" She glanced sideways at him. "You'd rather sleep in some stuffy bedroom than under the stars?"

"I dunno, I think I'm with Brock on this one," Ash chimed in. "I don't think I could camp out every single night."

"Bah, you guys are boring." Iris clasped her hands behind her head, stretching her arms.

Ash pulled out his town map, eyes snapping to the new route that had been created between Laverre City and Coumarine City. "Well, we'll get plenty of camping in when we're on Route 23. It's a few days to Coumarine from here." He put the map back into his pocket. "We can stay here a day or two before we head out. We're not in a big rush." He grinned. "For now, I've got a gym to challenge."

Brock straightened up, scanning what he could see of the city. "Where is it?"

Ash pointed to the enormous tree that stood out among the city buildings. "It's right there. They built the gym into that giant tree."

"Wow, really?" Iris stood on her toes to get a better look. "That's so cool!"

"Well, no time like the present," Brock added. "Let's head over there and get your first badge!" Ash nodded, a determined grin on his face, as the three made their way to the Laverre Gym.

Ten minutes later, the trio stepped into the main room of the gym, looking around in wonder at the design. The outer ring of the main room was covered in grass and trees, while a small moat surrounded the battlefield itself, which was connected to the rest of the room with four bridges. While Iris and Brock moved to a raised partition on the side, in order to watch the battle, Ash and Pikachu walked over one of the bridges onto the battlefield, where they saw the Gym Leader waiting for them on the other end. While she was wearing an eye-catching and intricately-designed pink and yellow outfit, Ash was drawn to her unusually large eyes, as he had been when they had first met, years ago.

"Welcome to my gym," she spoke in a soft, floaty voice. "What is your name, aspiring Champion?"

He grinned a bit in response, amused that she hadn't remembered who he was; from what he knew of her, it wasn't unusual for her to not remember what she had for breakfast that morning. "I'm Ash Ketchum, from Kanto. And being the League Champion isn't just my aspiration, it's my future!"

"I am happy to see such confidence from you." She smiled, stepping forward a bit. "My name is Valerie... Gym Leader, fashion designer, and aspiring Pokémon." She grinned. "Perhaps that is strange to say, but it's true."

Ash kept grinning, suppressing a laugh, thinking that just like Laverre City, Valerie hadn't changed at all. Iris cocked her head, looking at the Gym Leader like she was a few cards short of a full deck; Brock was determinedly looking away from the beautiful woman, his face red.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck," she continued. "I am told you are hoping to acquire your first Badge here. Is that correct?"

"It is," he answered.

"Very well, then. We shall have a two-on-two Pokémon battle. If you can manage to defeat me, then the Fairy Badge shall be yours." She stepped into position on her side of the battlefield. "Are you ready to battle?"

"You bet!" Ash stepped into position as well, feeling adrenaline starting to pump through his body, as it did before every Gym battle. He felt his fists clench in excitement, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Then, let us begin!" Valerie reached for a Poké Ball at her side, grasping it and throwing it into the ring, energetically. "Go, Spritzee!" The ball opened as it hit the ground, and the Pokémon that emerged was a small pink bird, less than a foot tall, with a large white beak. Upon seeing it, Iris pulled out her Pokédex curiously, aiming it at the creature.

"Spritzee, the Perfume Pokémon," the machine recited. "Spritzee gives off a fragrance that delights anyone who smells it, which changes depending on what Spritzee eats."

"Alright, let's do this!" Ash reached to his belt, pulling out a Poké Ball and tossing it into the ring. "Skorupi, you're up first!" The scorpion Pokémon emerged from the ball a second later, snapping its pincers, ready to go.

Valerie smiled a peculiar smile, which masked her thoughts well; it was hard to tell if she was impressed or bored by Ash's choice of a Poison-type. "Spritzee, let's neutralize their attack! Attract it with Sweet Scent!" The bird trilled in response, flapping its wings harder as it started to release a scent into the air, one that quickly started to spread. Ash watched it approach, unfazed, having prepared for this.

"Skorupi, avoid the scent by digging underground!" His Pokémon responded quickly, facing down and burrowing its way into the earth of the arena, just as the scent swept past. It hit the noses of everyone in the room, and nobody, not even Valerie or the referee standing at the side of the arena, was able to resist inhaling it deeply.

"Ahh..." Valerie exhaled slowly, smiling wide and closing her eyes, seeming to forget herself for a moment, before her mind returned to the battle at hand. "How long do you plan to keep your Skorupi underground, challenger? Sweet Scent lasts much longer than you might think."

Ash smirked, not saying anything, not wanting to give away what came next. As the two trainers watched, a Fell Stinger rocketed out of the ground, missing Spritzee by centimeters. Valerie yelped in surprise, as if she was the one who had been attacked.

"How devious! Don't get hit, Spritzee! Move around quickly!" The bird started zooming around the arena, dodging the stingers that were emerging from the ground once every few seconds, as the Gym Leader thought of her next move. As Spritzee flew about, its small wings were stirring up the air underneath, causing the Sweet Scent to slowly dissipate.

"Wow, look at that!" Iris exclaimed, leaning forward, her hands on the railing in front of her as the scent spread itself out and weakened. "Do you think he planned that out? Or did he just get lucky?"

"I couldn't tell you," Brock responded, his eyes following the action as well. "He wasn't quite that clever when I traveled with him... but it has been a long time." He grinned, excited to see what else was in store. Iris kept her eyes on the battle as well, wanting to see more before making her judgment.

Down in the arena, Valerie was acutely aware of what was happening. She was going to need a new tactic, right away, and her mind quickly came up with one.

"Spritzee! Attack the ground with Moonblast!"

Her Pokémon chirped and turned to face the ground, starting to gather a pink ball of energy in front of itself. As it dodged another Fell Stinger, it cried out and fired the energy out in front of it, toward the ground; it shook the earth as it hit, upturning much of it, making it harder to travel through. As its sharp eyes scanned the ground, it was able to see Skorupi's tail, as it struggled to dig through dirt that was now collapsing onto it.

"That's the way! Now find it and knock it out with Gyro Ball!"

Spritzee trilled again, starting to pitch forward and spin itself around repeatedly, until it was indistinguishable from a pink spinning ball. It lunged forward toward the soft earth, its opponent caught in its sights.

"Here it comes, Skorupi!" Ash called out. "Don't be caught off guard!"

Everyone watched as Spritzee grazed the battlefield, kicking up loose dirt all over, ramming directly into where it had last seen its opponent. As it zoomed past and back into the air, Valerie expected to see a dazed Skorupi half-buried in the soil; much to her surprise, however, the Pokémon was nowhere to be seen. She glanced up toward her Spritzee, which was spinning more slowly as it came out of the Gyro Ball. She gasped as she got a good look, seeing that Skorupi had clamped its pincers onto Spritzee's feathers, its poisonous tail jabbed directly into the bird's back.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, eyes wide. "Spritzee, no!" She watched as her bird fell woozily to the battlefield, trying and failing to stay afloat. Skorupi hopped off as it crashed, slightly dizzy from all the spinning, and it was clear to everyone that Spritzee was not getting back up, completely incapacitated by the poison.

"Spritzee is unable to battle!" the referee announced, holding up a flag in Ash's direction. "The challenger wins the first bout!"

"Yes!" Ash pumped his fist, energized. "Great job, Skorupi!"

"How about that," Brock commented from above, smiling. "All that with barely a word being said. Ash was fine as a trainer before, but it seems like he's really coming into his own now."

"Well, don't jinx it," Iris responded. "There's still one Pokémon left to take out before he wins. If Skorupi can beat this one, too, then I'll be impressed."

Valerie looked downcast as she pulled out her Poké Ball, aiming it at the defeated Pokémon. "Spritzee, return. I'm sorry I let you down." She pocketed it and grabbed another from her side. "An impressive display of cunning, Ash Ketchum from Kanto. But you haven't won this battle yet."

She tossed her next Poké Ball onto the field. "Sylveon, I choose you!" Out of the ball came a four-legged, pink-and-white Pokémon adorned with ribbons, smiling sweetly. Brock was the one to take out his Pokédex this time, recognizing the creature but curious as to what the machine would say.

"Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon and an evolved form of Eevee. Sylveon affectionately wraps its ribbon-like feelers around its Trainer's arm as they walk together."

Ash nodded resolutely, glad to see that Valerie's team had not changed. Sylveon would be a challenge, but hopefully Skorupi's type advantage would be enough to win the day. "Skorupi, same plan! You're more dangerous underground!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Valerie responded. "Sylveon, Disarming Voice!"

As Skorupi started to burrow underground, Valerie's Pokémon cried out loud, aiming its voice right in its opponent's direction. The cry blasted out as loud as a foghorn, slamming painfully into Skorupi's ears, and the Pokémon stopped digging as it was half-buried in the ground, dizzy and disoriented.

"Let's unearth this opponent!" Valerie continued. "Fairy Wind!" Sylveon held its ribbons out in front of itself, building up a whirlwind directly in front of it; it released the wind moments later, laser-focused on the opposing Pokémon, who was lifted out of the ground and tossed several feet back.

Skorupi slowly got to its feet, a bit rattled from its brief flight. The Pokémon looked forward again, just in time to see its opponent rocketing toward it. Skorupi had no time to get out of the way of Sylveon's Giga Impact, and it was knocked powerfully away, rolling across the ground several times before coming to rest, dazed, its tail sticking straight out stiffly.

"No! Come on, Skorupi, you can get up!" Ash called out, pleading, but to no avail. His Pokémon continued to lay still, groaning quietly.

"Skorupi is unable to battle!" the referee interjected. "Sylveon wins the bout! Each trainer is down to their last Pokémon!"

Iris sighed, leaning forward and resting her chin on her arms atop the railing. "Well, that didn't last long."

Ash sighed as well, retrieving his Poké Ball and bringing his Pokémon back, disappointed but not too surprised. "You did great, Skorupi. Get some rest." He glanced downward toward Pikachu, who was standing at his side. "It's your turn, Pikachu. You've got this!" The Pokémon nodded, running into the ring on all fours, glaring at Sylveon and smirking.

"Let's start strong! Electro Ball!" Pikachu focused himself, electricity starting to crackle around his tail; a moment later, the electricity had formed into a ball, which Pikachu flung at his opponent.

Ash grinned as he watched the ball of electricity fly toward Sylveon. "Now, cut off its escape! Quick Attack!" His Pokémon responded by dashing forward, curving around to the side, taking away one of Sylveon's options to get away from the Electro Ball.

Valerie smiled, looking relaxed and not at all worried. "Sylveon, stop that ball with Light Screen!"

Her Pokémon focused in response, and a pink shield of light appeared in front of it, intercepting the Electro Ball; the attack immediately disappeared in a small flash of light, dealing zero damage to its target. Ash's eyebrows raised, not having seen Light Screen from this Pokémon before, as Sylveon dashed forward with a Quick Attack of its own. It easily got away from Pikachu, who screeched to a stop as he realized what had just happened.

"Well, that was simple," Valerie taunted, in a rare moment of bravado. "I hope electric attacks aren't all you have up your sleeve."

"No way!" Ash responded. "Pikachu's got plenty of other skills." He focused on his Pokémon once again. "Chase it down and get it with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu nodded, his tail turning hard as iron, and he began to chase Sylveon around the battlefield. Valerie's Pokémon had plenty of speed, making itself hard to catch, but it was still slower than Pikachu, who was gradually closing in. Once he was close enough, he leaped into the air and turned about, ready to swing.

"Sylveon! Disarming Voice!"

Sylveon looked toward its attacker and cried out just as it had before, the incredible volume causing Pikachu to stop twisting and cover his pained ears with his paws. Valerie's Pokémon took the opportunity to lunge forward and chomp down on the Iron Tail using Bite. Pikachu cried out in pain and surprise, before Sylveon swung its head sharply downward, slamming its opponent into the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out, as his Pokémon was tossed away by Sylveon, skidding across the ground before getting back to his feet, shaking his head. He was dazed and a bit scuffed up, but still capable of battling. From above, Iris and Brock watched the battle unfold, concern in their eyes; Axew watched as well, from his usual perch on Iris's head.

"This isn't good," Brock spoke up. "Sylveon is strong, and it has just enough tricks to neutralize all of Pikachu's natural advantages."

Iris nodded gently, not wanting to jostle Axew too much. "Ash is going to need to pull out something else that's clever if he wants to win this. Unless he gets lucky somehow."

"Well, luck comes through for him more often than not. I guess we'll see."

Ash bit his lip, running quickly through his options, but Sylveon appeared to have all of its bases covered. He would have to find and exploit some sort of weakness if he wanted to win this, but how was he going to find them?

"Use Agility, Pikachu! Try to get behind it!"

His Pokémon nodded, dashing forward and starting to glow, becoming far faster than he had been previously. He started racing around Sylveon, who was turning about quickly, trying to keep up.

"You can't catch it, Sylveon!" Valerie called out, her voice still calm. "Stop it in its tracks! Dazzling Gleam!"

As Pikachu continued to race around, waiting for a good opportunity for a physical attack, he suddenly found an incredibly bright light appearing directly in his face, nearly blinding him. He cried out and slowed to a stop, waiting for his vision to return to normal, when he found himself blown away by another blast of Fairy Wind, sending him across the battlefield.

"Great work!" the Gym Leader called out. "You're a star, Sylveon! Now finish this battle! Giga Impact"

Pikachu got to its feet, dizzy as he looked toward Sylveon, who was once again racing forward to impact its opponent. This time, however, was a bit different; the Pokémon was running more slowly, its breathing a bit more labored. Ash's Pokémon had just enough time to leap upward and avoid the attack.

"What? What's going on?" Ash was relieved but confused, watching as Sylveon worked to catch its breath, turning to face Pikachu again. As he saw the color starting to drain from Sylveon's face, he remembered the moment where Skorupi was knocked out, and how its tail was sticking straight out, facing its opponent. His eyes widened as he pieced together what had happened; with its last attack, Skorupi had managed to stick Sylveon with a small amount of poison, which was now starting to take effect.

He grinned wide, seeing the path to victory laying itself out in front of him. "This is our chance, Pikachu! Use Agility one more time!"

His Pokémon nodded, starting to race around again, working once again to get into Sylveon's blind spot. Valerie's Pokémon turned around quickly, trying to use its Disarming Voice once more, but it didn't have the strength to cry out as loud as it needed to. It wasn't long before Pikachu was in position to attack.

"This is it!" Ash called out, adrenaline pumping once again. "Finish it, Pikachu! Volt Tackle!"

Sylveon turned more slowly than it would have liked, hearing that its opponent was no longer racing in circles. Before it could even get itself properly turned around, Pikachu slammed his whole body into the opposing Pokémon, sending a strong jolt of electricity through Sylveon's body as he did. Sylveon flew backward, landing hard on the ground before skidding to a stop. It struggled to get back onto all fours, its body weak, before it collapsed back to the arena, no longer making an attempt to stand.

"Sylveon is unable to continue!" the referee declared. "Pikachu is the winner, which means that the challenger has won the match!"

"Yes! We did it!" Ash thrust his fist into the air as he jumped, relieved and amped at the same time. Up above, Iris sighed in relief as Brock cheered.

Valerie walked forward onto the battlefield, kneeling next to Sylveon and lifting it up to cradle it in her arms, looking crestfallen. "I'm sorry, Sylveon. We won't be able to celebrate victory today." She took a minute before bringing Sylveon back to its Poké Ball, standing up and exhaling as Ash walked forward into the center of the arena; Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder, worn out.

"The sting of defeat... it never feels any better, no matter how many times you experience it, does it? Perhaps I'm in the wrong profession." She glanced back at Ash, looking a bit surprised to see him at first, as if she had just remembered he was there. "You, however... you have many victories laying ahead of you, I'm sure."

She reached into the pocket of her dress, pulling out a metallic badge designed to look like a rounded pair of insect wings. "As proof of your victory, I confer onto you the Fairy Badge. I hope that you may complete your collection while you are here."

Ash grinned wide as he held out his hand, accepting the badge from her. "Thanks for the great battle, Valerie. Your Pokémon were really impressive."

"Thank you for the kind words." She smiled at him. "Do take care, future Champion." He nodded, turning around and walking toward the exit. He reached into one of his vest pockets and pulled out the badge case he had picked up in Lumiose City, placing the Fairy Badge into it as Iris and Brock quickly traveled down the stairs to him.

"Congratulations, Ash!" Brock exclaimed cheerfully. "First try, first badge. You're off to a good start."

"It's a good thing you got lucky with that poison," Iris chipped in. "That would have been a tough battle otherwise."

"What do you mean, lucky?" Ash glanced back, smirking. "How do you know I didn't have that planned out?"

Iris laughed as they stepped outside. "Give me a break, Ash. You had panic written all over your face."

The three continued to talk, bickering and laughing, as they made their way toward the Laverre City Pokémon Center.

"What? No beds at all?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid not," Nurse Joy offered, looking down into the faces of the three disappointed trainers in front of her; Pikachu was sitting on the counter, next to Skorupi's Poké Ball, glancing up at her as she spoke. "It's unusual for us, but it does happen from time to time. If you wanted, I could get some bedding for you, and you could sleep in our lobby tonight?"

Ash and Iris thought this over for a moment, but Brock quickly shook his head, not interested in sleeping on a couch or the floor. "You don't need to trouble yourself for our sake. We'll find someplace where we can stay the night."

Joy nodded, giving another apologetic smile. "Of course. Sorry again." She looked down, scooping Pikachu up into her arms, while her right hand grasped the Poké Ball. "We can definitely take care of your Pokémon, though. It will just take a bit."

Ash nodded, turning back toward his friends, as Brock spoke up again. "You stay here and wait for your Pokémon. We'll come back and get you when we've found a hotel with spare beds."

"I still don't see the problem with just camping out," Iris muttered as they turned away, walking toward the entrance. Ash grinned and watched them go, quietly impressed that Brock had managed to overcome his weakness for Nurse Joys. Olivia must have had more of an impact than he thought.

He turned back toward the counter, as the nurse walked into the back with his Pokémon. Glancing down, he noticed a container of sweets at one end of the counter, with a small sign indicating that they were free for trainers to enjoy. He grinned and nicked a macaron from the container, walking away as he took a bite of it.

As he walked and munched, his attention was drawn to a television playing overhead; glancing toward it, he saw that it was playing an advertisement for an upcoming Pokémon Showcase in Coumarine City. He stopped and watched it for a moment, thinking back to his first trip through Kalos with his friends, where the Coumarine City Showcase had been a major turning point in their adventure. His reminiscing came to an abrupt stop roughly ten seconds in; he froze, eyes wide with shock at what he saw on screen, and the half-eaten macaron fell out of his fingers and onto the ground.

Twenty minutes later, Iris and Brock were walking down the sidewalk, back to the Pokémon Center. As they approached, they saw Ash practically burst out of the front doors, racing along the road with Pikachu held tightly in his arms.

"Hey, Ash!" Iris waved at him as he approached. "We're right here, you don't need to run. We found a place that's pretty close and-"

"There's no time!" Ash called out, running past the both of them. "We have to go! We have to leave, right now!"

"What?" Brock called out, confused, as they both turned around and watched him. "Why the sudden rush?"

"She's here! She's here in Kalos!" Ash answered, turning around and running backwards, one hand holding his hat onto his head so it wouldn't fly off. "We have to get to Coumarine City as fast as we can!"

"Wait, what?!" Iris exclaimed, starting to run after him. "The girl you know is here?"

"What's going on?" Brock started running as well, a mix of disappointed, surprised and curious. "You're not going to run all the way to Coumarine City, are you?"

"If I have to!" Ash turned around and started running full steam ahead. Now that he knew she was here, nothing was going to stop him from seeing her again.

"Ash, hold on! Wait up!" Iris called out, chasing after him as they all quickly made their way toward Route 23.

Chapter Text

Several days after she had arrived in Kalos, Serena found herself standing outside of the Pokémon Showcase Theater in Coumarine City, a building she hadn't been to in five years. She looked up at the circular building, which was adorned with banners and surrounded by large balloons, celebrating the beginning of the Kalos Showcase season. She had been dreaming of this moment for years, where she would finally show the people of Kalos everything she had learned during her travels.

As she envisioned herself on stage, her Pokémon joining her in a performance that she had been perfecting for months, she felt her heart starting to race, not from excitement, but from nerves. She inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath, not knowing why she was suddenly feeling this way. She had performed in Contests and Showcases across numerous regions without a second thought, filled with excitement and enjoying every moment. Now that she was back here, she felt once again like a scared little girl.

She took another breath and shook her head, trying to get herself out of her own head. Even if she was nervous, she knew her performance back to front, the muscle memory burned into her on a deep level. Her Pokémon were talented beyond measure. She told herself that there was nothing that was going to stop her from winning this Showcase and obtaining her first Princess Key, no matter how she felt now. She was going to make her mother proud.

She pushed herself forward, her bag slung over her shoulder, walking up the steps and into the theater. The performance wasn't for hours yet, but she would need time to get ready.

Later that same afternoon, Ash, Iris and Brock finally took their first steps into downtown Coumarine City. They were all worn out and exhausted, having traveled long days at a very ambitious pace, sleeping as little as possible in an attempt to make it in time. Finally arriving had given Iris and Brock a boost of mental energy, while Ash was positively wired. Pikachu, conversely, was completely exhausted, staggering forward a bit before slumping onto his stomach, eyes drooping.

"Finally... we made it, with almost no time to spare..." Ash took a second to stop and look around, seeing all the tall buildings around them, as well as the bay that separated the two halves of the city, before looking backward. "Thanks, you guys, really. Sorry I put you through this."

"It's fine," Brock managed, taking a breather, hands on his knees. "I needed some exercise anyway. And now I'll never need exercise again."

"I think after that, we deserve to learn a bit about this Serena girl we've all been running to see," Iris chimed in, not out of breath like Brock was, but still physically tired out. "We've barely had time to sit down and talk. I still don't know a thing about her."

"Right, sure." Ash turned around, kneeling down and scooping up Pikachu before starting to speak, when his eyes were drawn to a large screen on a nearby building, displaying an advertisement. He grinned and ran closer to it, moving past them both, somehow still energized. "This! Come look at this!"

Iris and Brock turned around, curious and following his eyes, seeing a video ad for the Showcase that would be occurring later that night. Roughly ten seconds in, Ash grinned wide and pointed to the screen excitedly. "There! That's her, right there!"

Iris's face quickly changed from curiosity to concern and confusion, as she looked over the smiling face of the honey blonde girl on the screen. "Ash... the girl you know... is from the TV?"

"Yeah!" he responded cheerfully. "She's the best performer in Kalos! I can't wait for you guys to see her!"

"Wow, she's pretty," Brock commented, as she disappeared from the screen, replaced with another performer. Ash nodded in agreement.

"The Showcase starts in an hour," he added, as all of the performers appeared together at the conclusion of the ad. "That should give us time to eat. And we could probably stop by the Pokémon Gym, too."

"By the what?!" Brock exclaimed, shocked. "You want to have a Gym Battle in your state?" Pikachu's ears perked up at this, and he glanced upward at his trainer tiredly, pleading for mercy, not in any shape to battle.

"No, not for a battle!" Ash shook his head. "I just want to look it over, and see if everything's the same as it was last time I was here. Maybe I can see what Pokémon are being used."

Brock nodded, sighing a bit in relief. "Alright... that's more reasonable. But I say we eat first." The three of them started walking further downtown, looking for a restaurant where they could get a big helping of food. As they walked, Iris fell back a bit, walking next to Brock before leaning in.

"Psst! Brock!" she whispered, trying not to get the attention of Ash, who was walking in front of them. "Are we sure Ash actually knows this girl, and this isn't some kind of stalker situation?"

"Buh?" He glanced back at her, surprised at the question, seeing the concern on her face. "I mean, I never knew Ash to be the stalker type..."

"Me neither, but it's been years. You can't be too careful, if you ask me." She turned back and stepped forward, catching up with Ash. "Tell me more about Serena, Ash. How did you know her?"

He nodded, starting to describe her in more detail, as well as their travels, as they walked down the streets of the city.

Thirty minutes later, all of them had gotten a large dinner, and they were walking a bit more easily as they approached the gigantic tree that housed the Coumarine Gym. As it came into clearer view, they were surprised to see a short, bald, old man walking toward the information board parked in front of the gym, reaching out to change the "Open" sign to "Closed".

"Huh? It's closing already?" Ash ran forward a bit, Pikachu once again perched on his shoulder. The old man turned around to see the youngsters moving in his direction, recognition flashing across his face as he saw Ash.

"Well, you look familiar, youngster," he spoke, stepping forward, as Ash stopped in front of him. "Have you battled in my Gym before?"

"Ramos!" Ash exclaimed, recognizing the older man as the Coumarine Gym Leader. "I have! It's me, Ash Ketchum! Don't you remember?"

"Ash Ketchum..." Ramos's eyes lit up as he quickly recalled the trainer in front of him, whom he had battled alongside during a crisis in Kalos long ago. "Well, sakes alive. You're a sight for sore eyes, young man. How have you been these past few years?"

"I've been great!" Ash answered, as Iris and Brock walked up behind him curiously. "I've been traveling all over, meeting Pokémon and having battles with all kinds of strong trainers. How have you been?"

"Oh, I'm just fine. I'm getting on in years, but I'm still keeping the gym going, despite the occasional crisis." He chuckled. "What brings you back here? Are you returning for another shot at the Kalos League?"

Ash nodded. "I am, but... why are you closing up the Gym? Aren't they usually open a little later than this?"

The Gym Leader frowned. "Yes, well, they are, but... it's a bit embarrassing, but my Pokémon aren't in any shape to battle right now."

"They're not? What happened?"

"A young man came through here a few hours ago, trying to get his Plant Badge. And, well... he got it." Ramos sighed. "I've been a Gym Leader for decades, but I've never had my Pokémon take a shellacking like that before. I had to take them all to the Pokémon Center right away, and unfortunately, they're still there."

Iris's eyebrows raised; if a Pokémon Center couldn't fix up a Pokémon after several hours, they must really have been beaten badly. "Oh wow, really? What was his name?"

"Ah, that, I don't recall. He was a couple years older than you, with black hair, but that's all I remember. I'm sure you'll hear about him again, if you keep at the Gym Challenge." Ramos rubbed his head a bit, adjusting his hat. "Anyway, if you want your own Plant Badge, try coming back tomorrow. I'll be waiting to see you there." The trio nodded, turning and walking away, as Ash looked down, contemplating this news.

"So, there's a trainer out there who's that strong..." he muttered to himself, growing concerned. He could already feel his chances of winning the Kalos League slipping away, in the face of this competition.

"Try not to think about it, Ash," Brock offered. "Just get your Badges, and you can worry about the competition later."

Iris nodded in agreement. "Besides, it's not like we ran all this way for a Gym Battle. We have a Showcase to get to."

"That's right!" Ash's eyes lit up as he grinned wide, and he started running toward the Showcase Theater, excited. His charge was quickly stopped, however, as Iris reached out and grabbed the back of his vest, clutching it tightly.

"No! No more running!" she scolded, holding him back. "We'll get there just fine if we walk." Ash stopped and nodded sheepishly, and they started walking toward the building at a reasonable pace, with Brock and Pikachu mentally thanking Iris for intervening.

Some time later, they were filing into their seats, as the theater filled with people excited to see the first Showcase of the season. They eventually found their seats and sat down, with Pikachu and Axew seated on their trainers' laps, while Brock looked over the program he had received.

"This says the Showcase has two rounds," he spoke. "Nine performers will participate in a Theme Performance, and then three of them go on to the Freestyle Performance. The ultimate winner is decided by audience vote, and receives a Princess Key."

Ash nodded, glancing down at the electronic Glow Caster wand in his hand, with which he would be casting his vote. "So it hasn't really changed much, I guess. I wonder what the Theme Performance will be. It changed a lot when I was here last."

"Did you see a lot of them?" Iris asked, glancing over.

"I saw a handful. Maybe..." He looked up, trying to recall the exact number. "Five or six, I guess? All of the ones that Serena competed in."

She smiled warmly. "That's pretty dedicated."

Ash smiled back. "Why wouldn't I have gone? Besides, she was there at all of my Gym Battles. It's only fair."

Before the conversation could continue, the lights started to come down, eliciting a loud round of cheering from the audience. A spotlight shone down near the front of the stage, and moments later a man in a flamboyant blue and black suit came on stage, holding a microphone and wearing a tall top hat.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he announced. "Thank you all so much for coming to this year's first Pokémon Showcase, here in Coumarine City! My name is Monsieur Pierre, and I will be your host tonight!" The crowd cheered raucously, excited, before he continued. "We have nine fantastic Pokémon Performers here tonight, some of them first-timers, some of them highly experienced. Which of these lovely ladies will be declared winner, and receive their first of three Princess Keys? The decision is in your hands!"

Behind him, the audience could see what looked like three small kitchen setups being brought onto the stage, despite the lack of lighting on the stage. Once they were in place, three different performers started walking on stage, one for each kitchen, as Pierre continued. "Our Theme Performance tonight will be a Poké Puff Contest! Each of the competitors will have to bake a batch of Poké Puffs for our judges, with the help of their Pokémon! The highest scorer in each group of three will move on to the Freestyle Competition!"

He turned around and gestured to the three kitchen setups. "And now, without further ado, our first trio of competitors! Please give a big round of applause to Fiora, Serena and Isadora!" The lights came up on the rest of the stage, revealing the three contestants, all of whom were wearing aprons over their dresses. The crowd roared with excitement, cheering for their preferred Performer in one cacophonous mass.

Ash could feel his heart stop as he watched the performers walk on stage, his eyes fixated on the girl in the center, shutting out everything else. She was notably taller than he remembered, her face more mature, but it was unquestionably her, only slightly different from the image that he had formed in his head. The moment felt surreal, as if something impossible that only existed in his mind had become reality, and it was several long seconds before his mind returned to him. He eventually leaned forward and started to cheer loudly for her, cupping his hands to his mouth, but there was no hope of his voice being heard, as far back as they were sitting.

Serena looked out at the crowd as the lights came up, immediately regretting it. Her nerves were kicking into overdrive as she saw all of the people in front of her, making her heart race and putting butterflies in her stomach. She was crossing her fingers behind her back, hoping that she didn't get too far into her own head. She knew she could make Poké Puffs with her eyes closed at this point; she just needed to let herself do it. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to shut out the voices of the crowd, working through the steps of the task ahead of her.

"Girls, bring out your Pokémon!" Serena reached down and grabbed two Poké Balls from her apron, tossing them in front of her; as they hit the ground, her Delphox and her Sylveon emerged, focused and ready to go. The other two contestants brought out their own Pokémon as well, each of them having at least one Fire-type by their sides to help with the baking.

"Is everyone ready?" Monsieur Pierre asked, not waiting for an answer. "Then let the Theme Performance... begin!"

Immediately, all three Performers turned around and started gathering ingredients, as their Pokémon followed them. Serena's Delphox started heating the oven, as she and her Sylveon began working on pastry dough. She could still feel her nerves trying to trip her up, but her muscle memory was starting to kick in, forcing her nervousness to the back of her mind. Within seconds, she had suddenly regained the clarity of mind that she'd been hoping for since earlier that morning. She felt a smile creep over her face as she moved to get her Sylveon working on filling; for the first time all day, she was having some fun.

The crowd was raucous as ever as the three girls got to baking, cheering nonstop, with occasional chants breaking out for one girl or another, as if the venue was a sports stadium. Ash was as loud and excited as anyone else, with Pikachu contributing his voice to the noise as well; Iris and Brock eventually got in on it too, getting swept up in the fun as the contestants got their puffs into the ovens. Ash and his friends watched as Serena kneeled next to her oven, giving careful direction to Delphox as to how they should be cooked.

"Girls, you have one minute left!" Pierre eventually announced, as the Performers started removing their puffs from the oven. Sylveon skillfully helped Serena fill her pastries, moving quickly as the crowd started counting down the final few seconds. When the buzzer sounded, all of the competitors exhaled and leaned back against their counters, some of them wiping away sweat.

"Excellent work, from all three of our girls!" the MC stated, amid further cheers from the audience, who were limitless in their candor. "And now, the judging shall begin! First up, Fiora!"

The crowd quieted down substantially as the first girl brought her Poké Puffs forward for judging. The three judges, all of whom looked like upper-crust members of society, tasted the pastries with contemplative looks on their faces, as if they were critiquing high art. Soon, Serena brought her puffs up for judging, followed by Isadora. All three girls looked nervous as the judges tasted their work; at the very least, Serena was glad to know she wasn't alone.

After a couple minutes of discussion, the judges waved Monsieur Pierre over to disclose their decision. Once he was told the name of the winner, he walked back onto the center of the stage, drawing more cheers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our decision! Everyone, please give a big round of applause to your winner... Serena!"

As the audience roared its approval, Serena felt a wave of relief wash over her, nearly knocking her off her feet. She smiled wide as she kneeled down, hugging both of her Pokémon tightly and thanking them for their help. She closed her eyes and sighed happily, thankful for the momentary reprieve before the nerves returned, unable to see the familiar face cheering for her in the crowd.

"We'll be seeing her again, during the final Freestyle Performance!" Pierre continued. "For now, let's bring out three more contestants to try their hands!" Serena stood up, returning Delphox and Sylveon to their Poké Balls, before she turned and headed backstage, smiling wide. Moments later, three more girls stepped onto the stage, and another round began.

An hour later, Serena was sitting in the hallway behind the stage, looking down, hands clasped in her lap, as her Pokémon milled about, warming themselves up. She was wearing her new performance outfit, blue flower clip in her hair, looking as perfect as she had hoped she would. She could hear the second freestyle performer on stage right now, dancing with her Pokémon, as she would be doing in just a few minutes.

She had finally figured out what was making her so nervous. Coumarine City was where she had her first performance, years ago, when she was first toying with the idea of being a Performer. The Theme Performance, which was a round of Pokémon Styling, had gone very poorly for her, as her Fennekin tripped on a ribbon and fell to the ground, destroying her chances of victory. She'd put on a brave face at the time, but inside she was crushed.

As she sat inside the same theater once again, all the memories were rushing back. She could feel the crushing disappointment in her heart, and the heat of shame on her face, as if it had just happened minutes ago. As she sat and stewed in her own thoughts, her Pancham walked by her and paused, looking up.

"Cham?" he asked, wondering what was making his trainer so upset.

"Pancham, I need you to slap me hard," she replied, needing to get herself out of this funk somehow. She was half-serious when she said it, but she was completely taken by surprise when Pancham did just that, hopping onto her lap and slapping her across the face with his paw, just hard enough to startle but not sting. She stared at him, stunned, eyes wide, as he pointed at her and began to speak.

"Pan, pan, pancham! Cham cham, papapan, pancham!"

She watched in confusion and disbelief as her Pokémon gave her an energized pep talk, gesticulating wildly and speaking loudly about who knows what. She eventually felt herself smile wide as he finished, reaching out and hugging him tightly to her, laughing.

"Thanks, Pancham. I needed that." He hugged her back, as she felt herself relax. She didn't have the faintest idea what he had said, but knowing that her Pokémon cared this much about her went a long way toward putting her in a better mood.

"Serena?" She glanced over at the sound of her name being called, recognizing the blonde, bespectacled woman in a suit calling her from the back of the stage. "We need you on stage. You'll be performing in just a minute."

She nodded. "Thanks, Paris." She stood up and followed her backstage, with her three Pokémon following her in turn. She walked out onto the corner of the stage, seeing the previous contestant, Jill, finishing up her performance, dancing and spinning with her Pokémon.

Serena closed her eyes, sighing, feeling better about what she was about to do. She found it easier to put aside the unpleasant memories from before, and she instead found herself thinking about the friends she had traveled with at the time. She tried to imagine what the three of them might say, as Jill wrapped up her performance.

"You're the best Performer ever, Serena! You can win this for sure!"

She smiled wide, imagining the young and cheerful Bonnie, with her Dedenne by her side. The two of them had been great friends throughout her journey, and as the audience started to applaud, she reminded herself to stop by Lumiose City to visit sometime soon.

"Your skills in this area are unmatched! Do your best, and I know you'll win!"

Her smile turned to a grin, as she thought of Bonnie's older brother, Clemont. He was more than a little geeky, but always cheerful and encouraging, and a loyal friend.

"Go, Serena! You've got this, I know you do!"

Her eyes shot open. That voice wasn't in her head.

She looked out toward the crowd as their applause died down, scanning the upper balcony, where the shout had come from. The voice was intensely familiar, though deeper than the voice she would have immediately recognized. As she scanned the crowd, she eventually locked eyes with a teenage boy with black hair and a red-and-white hat, with a yellow Pokémon sitting on his lap. As soon as their eyes met, he grinned wide and started frantically waving one of his arms.

Serena visibly gasped, covering her mouth with one hand, her heart stopping. It was him. It had to be. It couldn't possibly be anyone else. Her mind raced as she continued locking eyes with him, taking a trembling step back, unable to look away. Why was he here? He wasn't supposed to be here. She had planned it all out. This was too early. She wasn't prepared for this.

"Thank you, Jill, for that beautiful performance!" She was brought back to Earth by the voice of Monsieur Pierre, jumping and looking around as a spotlight shone down on her. "Last but not least, the fifteen-year-old veteran from Vaniville Town, Serena! Give her a big hand, folks!"

The crowd began cheering once again, as she took a moment to compose herself. She took a deep breath, trying her best to force her nerves downward; falling apart now would be an unacceptable disaster. As she walked toward center stage with her Pokémon, she found her heart racing again, no longer from nerves, but from excitement. Her momentary panic had subsided, and her mind became surprisingly clear. She knew what she had to do, what she had been planning to do ever since they parted. She was going to show him exactly what kind of Pokémon Performer she had become.

As her music began, she looked down and reached out toward her Sylveon, who leaped into her arms, as her Delphox used Fire Spin to surround them all with a small ring of flame. Serena tossed Sylveon into the air, as her Pokémon focused and used Fairy Wind, aiming it directly upward. The burst of air sent the flames flying upward, creating a pillar of sparkling pink air surrounding all three of them, rising upward, as if she was some sort of fairy goddess bursting forth from the Earth. The crowd ooh'd in amazement, and she grinned wide, energized and excited like she hadn't been in years, as her performance began.

The crowd cheered repeatedly as she danced about with her Pokémon, pouring her heart and soul into her performance. Delphox and Sylveon provided spectacular visual effects, as Pancham showed off his athletic ability and dancing skill, bouncing and flipping all about. Brock and Iris watched her with wide eyes, never having seen such a display from anyone before, as her performance blew the other two girls out of the water.

Ash's eyes never left Serena for a moment. He watched in amazement as she danced, somersaulted, and pirouetted about the stage like it was second nature, unable to believe how much she had improved in the last five years. As he watched her spin on one foot, her eyes closed and her arms out, it seemed as if time was slowing down for him. He watched her hair as it spun, the blue flower highlighting it perfectly, before his eyes traveled down to her face, and the magical smile that adorned it. He felt his face flush, thinking that in this moment, practically frozen in time, she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

As the music wound down, Serena did one final somersault forward, landing in perfect splits as her Pokémon raised their arms around her. She was still smiling as she caught her breath, the crowd erupting into the loudest applause of the night, amazed at the display they had just seen.

"A stunning performance from the talented Serena!" Monsieur Pierre proclaimed, walking to the front of the stage, as Serena's Pokémon helped her get to her feet. "We've seen all three performers, and now it's time to cast your votes!"

He held up a Glow Caster in his hand, showing off the three colored buttons on it. "When I give the signal, press the appropriate button to vote for your performer of choice! Remember that a green vote is for Astrid, a pink vote is for Jill, and a yellow vote is for Serena!" He lowered his wand and stepped backward, as the three girls walked forward, taking their positions. "Everyone, cast your votes now!"

As soon as they were given the signal, Ash, Iris and Brock raised their Glow Casters enthusiastically, each of them pressing the yellow button. They watched as yellow balls of light emerged from their wands and flew down toward the stage, collecting itself in a hologram of a key that floated in front of Serena. Soon the air was full of glowing, multicolored light flowing toward the stage, but it was clear that one color was dominating the other two.

As the light finally settled and the air returned to normal, there was no question as to who had won. Astrid and Jill's keys had collected a small amount of light each, but Serena's key was as full as it could be.

"Well, there's no debate to be had here!" Pierre announced, as the crowd cheered. "The winner of the showcase, and the recipient of the season's first Princess Key, is the one and only Serena!"

Serena was beaming from ear to ear as the adulation of the crowd washed over her, and she felt her Pokémon all embracing her tightly. She kneeled down and wrapped her arms around all of them, elated, before standing up again. Her gaze immediately went back to Ash, as she smiled wider than she could remember smiling before, her hands clasped over her chest.

She wished that she could speak to him, shout to him over the crowd, and tell him that performance had been for him; from the look on his face, she felt like he had understood it regardless. Even with the distance between them, she could see the immense pride in his eyes, which was a reward greater than any Princess Key. The two of them kept their gaze fixed on each other as long as they could, neither of them wanting this perfect moment to end.

Chapter Text

Serena made her way back into the performers' dressing room, her heart pounding, her hand clasping a key ring that now bore a gold Princess Key, with a heart-shaped emerald embedded in the handle. She could barely believe what she had just done. She had earned her first of three Princess Keys in dominant fashion, putting all of the performers in Kalos on notice, and showing Ash just how much she had grown as a Pokémon Performer. Now came the hard part: talking to him.

She quickly walked over to her mirror, where her bag was waiting for her; she reached in and pulled out a makeup wipe, starting to clean off her face. Her mind raced with all the things she had wanted to say to him, trying to think of what would be best. She had imagined their reunion for years, and while she hadn't expected it to come now, she still had plenty of lines and plenty of emotions that she knew she would need to express.

As she finished removing her makeup, she failed to notice the opening of the door, or the approaching footsteps. It wasn't until she saw a shifting shadow in the mirror that she realized she wasn't alone. She quickly turned around, finding herself face-to-face with an older woman, sporting sunglasses atop her head, a fancy full-length coat, and graying blond hair.

"That was quite the performance you put on, Serena," the woman spoke.

"Palermo!" Serena exclaimed, immediately recognizing the former Kalos Queen. "I didn't realize you were here..."

"Of course you didn't. I'm only seen here when I want to be seen." She took a step toward the young performer, an amused smirk on her face. "I have to say, I was worried for you when you rejected my mentorship offer, all those years ago. Obviously, my fears were unfounded."

"Ah... thank you, Palermo, very much." Serena smiled gratefully at her. "And thank you for your suggestion, to travel to Hoenn. Those Pokémon Contests really were a big help."

"Clearly, they were. Your Pokémon are leagues ahead of where they were before. So are you, for that matter." Palermo grinned. "You're a good student, evidently."

Serena nodded, a bit contritely. "I'm sorry about rejecting your offer. I know you could have made me a great Performer. It's just..."

The older woman shook her head. "You don't need to apologize, Serena. If it wasn't right for you, then it wasn't right for you." She folded her arms. "That's why I'm here. I just wanted to let you know that offer is still on the table, should you want it."

Serena's eyes widened. "It is? Really?"

"Of course. I still believe that you have the potential to be Kalos Queen. And I think you'd make a great one."

The performer flushed pink, not expecting such a compliment from someone so experienced. She smiled sheepishly, after a moment. "I... I'll think about it."

Palermo nodded in response. "Please do."

The two stood about for a moment, before Serena spoke again, sensing that the conversation had reached its natural end. "Well, I should... change out of this..."

"No, you shouldn't," the older woman responded, shaking her head. "In fact, you should put your makeup back on."

Serena blinked, surprised. "What? How come?"

Palermo smiled. "Because right now, there are roughly thirty little girls out there in the lobby, waiting to see you. Maybe more."

Serena was briefly stunned by this. "They... want to see me?"

"Who else? They're certainly not here to see a washed-up old fogey like me." Palermo smirked. "They want to see what a future queen is like. Go and show them. And bring a marker. They'll want autographs."

The younger woman stood for a moment, dumbfounded, before coming to her senses, smiling and bowing her head. "Right, of course. Thank you again."

Palermo nodded and put her sunglasses back down over her eyes, before turning and walking out the dressing room door. Serena watched her go for a second, before turning and reaching into her bag, pulling out her makeup kit, smiling wide. Ever since she was just starting out as a Performer, she had wanted to inspire others and make them smile, and here was her opportunity to do so. Ash would have to wait just a bit longer.

Several minutes later, she walked out the door leading into the lobby, with Sylveon by her side to help with the crowd that had apparently formed. She was shocked as a massive group of young girls ran over to her, wanting to speak to her, tell her how great she had been, ask for her autograph, pet her Sylveon, and more.

She laughed as they crowded around, grinning wide. "Alright, one at a time, one at a time..." She bent down to talk to one of the girls, who started raving about the amazing performance Serena had just put on.

Elsewhere in the lobby, Ash and his friends were standing in a corner, waiting for the champion to show up. As soon as Ash heard her voice, he quickly turned toward it, grinning as he saw her being swarmed, half expecting her to be lifted up and carried away. Iris and Brock quickly noticed her arrival as well, turning to watch.

"There she is," Ash spoke. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised at how popular she's gotten."

"After that performance, I'm not surprised, either," Iris responded, stepping closer to him, Axew back at his usual perch on her head. "That was amazing. Was she that good before?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. She was good back then, but nothing like this." He turned back to the two of them, Pikachu still watching Serena from his shoulder. "You guys should meet her! I'd love to introduce you."

Brock nodded, smiling and stepping forward. "Sure, that sounds-"

"Actually," Iris interrupted, reaching out and grasping the fabric of Brock's sleeve, "I think Brock and I are going to head back to the Pokémon Center. We'll see you back there later, alright?"

Brock's face fell a bit. "Whuh... but I was hoping to..."

"Come on, Brock..." she growled, turning and walking toward the front door, dragging him forcefully along. As Ash watched them leave, he felt Pikachu leap off of his shoulder and run after them, able to take the hint from Iris. He climbed up Brock's side and onto his shoulder, turning back toward Ash and waving at him, in a clear "good luck" gesture.

Once they had all left the venue, Ash turned back toward Serena, watching as she interacted with the collection of young girls around her. Several of them were kneeling next to Sylveon, petting its body and its ribbons, while Serena conversed with an excited young girl with curly brown hair. She looked completely in her element, caught up in the moment, a wide smile on her face. In that moment, she looked fulfilled, like she had everything she needed.

"She sure looks happy..." he muttered to himself. He stayed for several minutes more, watching as she continued to talk and laugh, never once looking his way. He eventually reached up and tugged his hat down a bit, covering his face, and he walked out one of the side entrances, stepping outside. He walked down the steps quickly, not wanting her to notice that he had left. Serena didn't notice anything amiss, moving on to the next young girl.

Some time later, Serena had finally gotten through the crowd of girls that were excited to see her, and she looked around at the nearly-empty lobby. The room had cleared out ten minutes ago, but she had continued to wait for the one person she had really hoped to see, her heart sinking further with each passing minute. As the cleaning crew came out to start sweeping the floors and pick up discarded programs, she was finally forced to accept the truth: there was nobody else coming to see her.

She looked down, her head and her heart feeling heavy. "I guess that's it." She turned around, walking backstage once again, slowly. She wasn't sure how this reunion was going to play out, but this was one thing she had never expected. This was definitely much worse than never seeing him again.

"I guess five years is a long time," she spoke to herself quietly as she walked into the dressing room, trying to rationalize what had happened. "People change... a lot. It was silly of me to think that things could be the same as before." She reached out and closed up her bag, not bothering to remove her makeup, trying to act like she wasn't completely devastated.

As she picked up the bag, she could feel something wrapping around her arm. Looking down, she saw Sylveon with a sad and sympathetic expression on her face, hating to see her trainer so upset. Serena forced a smile, kneeling down and embracing her Pokémon.

"I'll be alright, Sylveon," she lied. "You're a sweetheart."

She stood up after a few moments, returning Sylveon to her Poké Ball, before she started walking toward the entrance, feeling numb, all of the wind taken out of her sails. She didn't even want to think about her next Showcase right now, or really about anything at all. She closed her eyes as she pushed open the front door, stepping outside into the night air.

"Hey, there you are."

Her eyes snapped open, and she lifted her head to look at the figure standing at the bottom of the stairs. There he was, looking a bit cold and even more tired, but smiling wide, excited to see her; given what time it was now, he must have been waiting here for close to an hour. She felt her bag slip from her grasp, hitting the ground.

"You sure are popular now," he continued. "There was an army of people out there waiting to see you after the Showcase."

"Ash..." she uttered quietly, not sure what else to say, as she experienced the most severe emotional whiplash of her life.

"You were really incredible up there," Ash went on. "I can't believe how much better you've gotten."

"Ash..." she repeated, her heart pounding once again. All of the things she had wanted to say, all that she had practiced over the years, had completely fled her mind as she processed what was going on. She had spent years building up her strength and her confidence, and he had managed to reduce her to this in a matter of seconds.

"I... I was going to come and find you," she finally managed, her voice barely audible. "You were supposed to wait for me."

"Sorry," Ash offered. "Guess I didn't want to wait any longer."

She could feel her breathing becoming shaky, her mind and her heart reeling. Despite all of the time she had spent imagining their eventual reunion, she had never imagined anything like this. She never thought he would want to see her as much as she wanted to see him, and yet here he was, standing out in the cold for ages, just for a chance to speak to her alone. She tried to speak again, but she had no words.

She started to slowly walk down the stairs, her pace steadily picking up before she found herself running to him, tears falling from her eyes, glistening in the light of the street lamps. She closed her eyes tight as she reached level ground, throwing herself into his arms and holding him tight as she buried her face in his shoulder, feeling his arms wrap around her.

"I..." She sniffled. "I told myself I wouldn't cry when this moment came, but... just... I'm so happy to see you, Ash."

"Yeah," he muttered quietly, holding her gently. "You too, Serena."

The two stood there for several long moments, not saying anything, just feeling the warmth of the other's embrace. There was no longer any cold, nor exhaustion, just the two of them together, as they held each other in the cool night air.

Back at the Pokémon Center, Iris and Brock were sitting at a table near the entrance, playing a card game to pass the time. Brock was clearly winning, while Iris grew more and more irritated with how the game was going; Pikachu watched curiously, while Axew was curled up on a nearby chair, fast asleep.

They both turned as soon as they heard a muted pair of voices, followed by the whirr of the automatic doors opening, as both Ash and Serena walked inside. She had regained her composure several minutes before, and the two of them were talking animatedly as they spent some time catching up, her bag slung over his shoulder.

"Pipika!" Pikachu cheered happily, jumping off the table and racing over to the both of them. He leaped excitedly into Serena's arms, and as she caught him he began licking her cheek affectionately.

She laughed, delighted, feeling the tickle of tiny electric shocks as he showered her with affection. "Oh, I missed you too, Pikachu!" Iris quickly stood up and walked over to the pair, excited to meet her and eager to abandon the card game that she was losing. Brock quickly followed, wanting to meet the girl that Ash was so excited to see.

"Guys, this is Serena," Ash spoke, introducing her to them; he knew that Iris and Brock both knew Serena's name, but he wasn't sure how else this was supposed to be done. "Serena, this is Iris and Brock. I met both of them before I came to Kalos the first time." She smiled wide, holding Pikachu gently in her arms as the other two walked up to her.

"It's great to meet you!" Iris said cheerfully, extending her hand, which Serena shook. "I'm from Unova. I'm the Gym Leader in Opelucid City."

"That was an amazing performance you put on," Brock added, extending his hand as well. "I'm training to be a Pokémon Doctor, but I used to be the Gym Leader of Pewter City, in Kanto."

Serena grinned, shaking Brock's hand. "Wow, Ash, you sure know a lot of Gym Leaders, don't you?"

"Huh?" Ash replied, not having thought much about it before. "I mean, I know a couple..."

"A couple?" Brock cocked his head. "What about Misty, in Cerulean City?"

"Or Cilan, in Striaton City," Iris chimed in.

Serena grinned wider, a light teasing in her voice as she spoke. "Don't forget about Clemont, here in Lumiose City."

"Ok, so I know a lot of Gym Leaders!" Ash responded, a bit irritated at everyone ganging up on him. "What does it matter?"

Iris ignored Ash's outburst, looking back toward Serena. "Ash has told us all about you. When he heard you were going to be here, he made us run all the way from Laverre City to make it in time."

Serena's eyebrows raise, and she smiled as her face turned a bit pink. "He did, really?" She glanced over at him for confirmation, seeing him smiling sheepishly and looking down. She felt her heart swell a bit in response.

"How long will you be in Kalos?" Brock asked. "Are you doing the whole Master Class cycle?"

"Mhmm." She nodded. "I'll be here for several months, at least. The Showcase season mostly lines up with the Pokémon League schedule."

"That's great to hear," Ash chimed in, looking back up at her. "Would you want to travel with us, Serena? It wouldn't be the same without you."

She beamed at him, having been waiting for this question. "Of course I will, Ash! I wouldn't want it any other way."

He smiled even wider, relieved and thrilled. He took a moment to take note of the subtle changes he'd observed in Serena's personality. Her travels over the past five years had clearly given her a good deal more confidence, and with that she had become more playful, as well; he decided that he liked this change very much. Serena, for her part, was happy that Ash hadn't changed too much, and that the two of them were still equal in height.

"Well then, we've got a bit of work to do," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his town map. "If we're going to be hitting both Gyms and Showcases, we'll need to figure out where we're going."

Ten minutes later, all of them were seated around the table once again. The card game had been discarded, and the town map had been laid out, as they worked out where they were going to be, and when. Ash took notes, marking up the map with a pencil, as Serena used her phone to look up important dates.

"I think we've got the Western half of Kalos down," Ash spoke, glancing down at the map. "We can just do one big loop and it'll work out. It's the Eastern half that's tricky..."

"Actually..." Iris chimed in, pointing to the bottom-left corner of the map. "Do we have time to travel along Route 8 after Cyllage City? There are Bagons in that area, and I'd love to catch one. There aren't too many pure Dragon-types in Kalos."

"Sure, we can do that," Serena answered, leaning over the map. "We've got nearly two weeks to spare before we hit Lumiose City." Ash nodded, erasing one of the lines he had drawn and penciling in another, as Serena looked toward Brock. "Was there any place you wanted to see while you were here, Brock?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm not going anywhere in particular. As long as I get to see lots of Kalos, I'm fine." Ash nodded before he turned his attention to the right half of the map once again.

"So the Master Class is in Gloire City again, but..." he muttered. "There are still two other Gyms past Gloire that we need to tackle, and the timing is kind of rough." He absentmindedly drew a couple of question marks near a snowy, mountainous region. "We might have to backtrack from Snowbelle City to make the Master Class, then race back through Santalune City to make the Pokémon League... that's a bit messy."

Serena shook her head. "Actually, the Snowbelle Gym is closed down."

He blinked, glancing up at her. "What? When did that happen?"

"A couple of years ago, when Wulfric retired."

He glanced back down at the map, slumping a bit, his chin in his hands. "Well, that's just great. Where am I supposed to get my eighth Gym Badge?"

"There's a new Gym, it's... shoot, I used to know this..." She went back to her phone, performing a quick search. "Oh, that's right. There's a new Gym in Fleurrh City. It's a Dark-type Gym, run by Athena."

"Fleurrh City?" Ash's eyes lit up as he found it on the map. "That's perfect! That's right on the way to Gloire." He drew more lines on the map. "Guess we're not hitting Snowbelle City after all." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Iris sighing in relief, never having been a fan of the cold.

"I think we've got it!" he proclaimed, holding up the map in triumph. "Seven Gyms, six Showcases. We're all set to go." He started folding it up. "And along the way, I'll catch the remaining Pokémon I need to compete in the League."

"Catch them?" Serena asked, surprised. "You didn't bring a team with you?"

"I never do," he replied, putting the map back into his pocket. "Whenever I enter a new region, I try to catch and raise all of my Pokémon during my travels. That's how I've always done it."

She cocked her head. "What about Pikachu?"

"Thank you," Iris interjected, slumping forward. "I was telling him the same thing days ago." Brock chuckled.

Ash glanced down at his Pokémon sitting on the table, who looked back at him curiously. "Pikachu's different. The two of us have always been together." He reached down and pet Pikachu gently on top of his head.

Serena nodded, still looking skeptical. "Well, I don't want to tell you how to build your team. But a lot of people who compete in the Kalos League have Pokémon they've been training with for years. Having more Pokémon you're familiar with might... make things easier."

He frowned and looked down, thinking this over. He was reluctant to change the strategy he'd been using for years, but he also had too many near-misses and not enough championship trophies under his belt. Everyone watched him mull this over for a few seconds, before his eyes lit up a bit.

"You know, there is one Pokémon I could bring along who would definitely make things easier."

"Yeah?" Brock sat up, curious. "Who's that? Charizard?"

"Nah, not him." Ash stood up. "Hold on, I'm going to make a call to Professor Oak." He turned and headed toward the Pokémon transfer station, as the others watched him go, wondering who he was going to add to his roster.

"Alright, Ash, your Pokémon is on its way."

Ash grinned into the screen of the video phone, looking at the old man from his hometown, who had given him his Pikachu so many years ago. "Thanks a lot, Professor. Sorry for calling you so late."

"That's alright, my boy. But I wouldn't complain if you started making these sorts of calls in the daytime."

He smiled sheepishly. "Right, sorry. Have a good night."

"Best of luck in the Kalos League, Ash!" With that, Professor Oak hung up the phone to initiate the transfer. Thirty seconds later, the transfer station came to life, humming and glowing for a minute before quieting down, a Poké Ball appearing on a podium built into the device. Ash grinned and reached out to take it, before walking back to the main room, where his friends were waiting.

"Did you get your Pokémon, Ash?" Serena asked, sitting up.

"I sure did!" He grinned and threw the Poké Ball out in front of him. "Come on out!" The ball hit the ground, opening up and releasing the stored energy inside. A couple of seconds later, the energy had formed into a short, green, snake-like Pokémon with half-closed eyes and a smug expression. Serena and Brock looked at it curiously, while Iris, Axew and Pikachu immediately recognized it.

"Ah! It's Snivy!" she exclaimed, smiling wide. Serena took out her Pokédex and pointed it at the new arrival, as Pikachu rushed over to greet his old friend.

"Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokémon," the machine recited. "Being exposed to sunlight makes its movements swifter. It uses vines more adeptly than its hands."

Ash grinned wide, watching as Pikachu and Snivy clasped hands, happy to see each other once again. "Snivy's one of the best Pokémon I ever caught. She's really strong, and she can help my other Pokémon grow, too." He walked over and kneeled down next to Snivy, who looked back up at him.

"What do you say, Snivy? Want to help me take on the Kalos League?" She smiled and nodded in response, voicing her approval, glad to be part of a journey again instead of cooped up in Professor Oak's lab. Ash grinned wide, holding up his hand; Snivy responded by extending a vine from her collar, which reached up and smacked his hand for a high-five.

"Perfect," he said, as everyone else smiled and gathered around. "Now I'm ready to tackle anything." He looked around, glancing over the smiling faces of everyone around him. He felt like everything was finally in place, that everyone he needed was here with him. Nothing was going to stop him now.

The moment was interrupted as he felt a gentle tugging on his pant leg. Glancing down, he saw Pikachu looking back up at him, looking as if he might fall asleep at any moment. He grinned a bit and scooped his Pokémon up in his arms.

"Right, right," he spoke. "First we need to sleep, then I'll be ready to tackle anything." The others nodded and laughed, all of them suddenly tired, as everyone moved to get some rest.

Chapter Text

It wasn't until ten o'clock the next morning that Ash finally came down into the cafeteria of the Pokémon Center. All of them had slept in later than usual, desperately needing the rest after traveling from Laverre City, but Ash had stayed up far later than Iris and Brock, exchanging text messages with Serena. They had traded numbers before she left for her hotel, and they'd confirmed their plans for the next day, but they were both too giddy and excited to stop their conversation. They ended up talking about anything and everything under the sun, until Ash finally passed out after nearly two hours, unable to stay awake another second.

He yawned and rubbed his eye, getting a plate filled with breakfast food, then turning and scanning the tables. He quickly found Iris and Brock finishing up their own plates, as Axew and Pikachu were sitting happily, full and lazy. Brock was the first to spot him as he walked over.

"You're finally up," he remarked. "We were starting to think we wouldn't see you until lunchtime."

"Sorry, was just tired..." Ash sat down heavily next to him, digging in, as Iris pushed her empty plate aside.

"The Coumarine Gym's already open," she spoke, mentally telling herself not to judge him for staying up late. "We can get going as soon as you're done."

He shook his head in response, swallowing some hash browns. "We can't go right away. I need some time to prepare. I need to figure out what my strategy's going to be."

"Well, Skorupi's got a strong advantage against Grass-type Pokémon," she responded quickly. "He'll do great in this battle, I bet."

"Yeah, but I can't rely on him to carry the entire battle," Ash explained. "He's still not strong enough for that. Plus, I need to practice with Snivy. It's been a long time since we battled together."

Brock nodded, pleased that Ash was taking the upcoming Gym battle seriously. "When did you want to go, then?"

"I was planning on 2 p.m." Ash took another bite of breakfast.

"That's later than I thought," Iris chimed in. "Serena's meeting us there, right? Does she know the right time?"

"Yeah, she does. I let her know." He pulled out his phone, showing it off to her. "I sent her a text on my phone. The one I have, and know how to use."

She smirked. "I'm so proud."

They continued talking as Ash finished his breakfast, before he took his Pokémon out to a nearby battlefield to practice.

That afternoon, Ash, Iris and Brock made their way back to the Coumarine Gym, on the outskirts of the city. Climbing the giant tree that housed the structure, they made their way onto the battlefield, which rested on a large, flat bed of dirt, surrounded by greenery. They quickly found Ramos waiting on the other side, standing a bit hunched, his hands behind his back.

As Ash stepped into the challenger's position opposite Ramos, Pikachu sitting at his feet, his attention was drawn away by a voice calling out to him. Looking toward the left side of the battlefield, he smiled wide as he spotted Serena waving at him, standing a good distance back in the spectator area. She was wearing a more casual red-and-black dress, matching her hat, with what looked like a blue flower pinned to the front of it.

"Good luck, Ash!" she called out, as Brock and Iris walked in her direction, ready to spectate as well. He grinned and nodded, waving back, before turning his attention back to the Gym Leader facing him; Serena turned her attention toward the two walking toward her, greeting them warmly.

"Good to see you again, young man," Ramos called out. "Good dedication. Just what I would expect from you."

Ash grinned back at him. "I hope your Pokémon recovered alright."

"They're just fine, don't you worry about that." Ramos chuckled, appreciating the concern. "I remember our last battle now. I've made sure you'll be seeing some Pokémon you didn't encounter last time. Second badge, right?"

Ash nodded in response, as the Gym Leader continued. "Alright, then. Two Pokémon each. Take down both of mine, and you win the badge." He pulled a Poké Ball from his side, standing up straight for a moment as he tossed it into the arena. The ball opened, spitting out a brown, mole-like Pokémon covered in round, green armor.

"Quilladin, huh?" Serena muttered, recognizing the Pokémon, as Brock pulled out his Pokédex.

"Quilladin, the Spiny Armor Pokémon and the evolved form of Chespin. The hard shell covering Quilladin's body is so tough, a direct hit from a large truck wouldn't even dent it. Quilladin uses this shell to deflect foes' attacks, and it strikes back with its sharp quills."

Ash nodded thoughtfully, not having expected this Pokémon, but not rattled by the choice. He reached for a Poké Ball of his own, smirking as he tossed it into the arena. "Snivy, let's go!" The snake Pokémon emerged from the ball, quickly sizing up her opponent, as Quilladin did the same. Pikachu gave Snivy an encouraging cheer.

"Both Pokémon are ready to battle!" the referee announced from the side of the battlefield. "The battle will begin... now!"

As the battle began, Ramos's Quilladin stood its ground, waiting for Snivy to make the first move. This was no problem for Ash, who was eager to begin the offensive.

"Leaf Storm, Snivy!" he called out, pointing forward dramatically. "Aim for its face!" The Pokémon leaped into the air, a number of sharp leaves appearing and swirling around her body, before they flew forward toward her opponent's face.

"Take out those leaves!" Ramos responded. "Vine Whip!" Quilladin cried out, two vines emerging and flying all about, cutting up and deflecting the leaves; a couple of them made it through, but the Pokémon was mostly unscathed. As soon as the attack was deflected, Quilladin went right back to biding its time, waiting for another attack, which Ash was eager to provide.

"Let's try to trip it up! Vine Whip!"

Snivy nodded, her own vines extending from her collar and zooming forward, aiming for her opponent's legs. Quilladin extended its own vines in response, and the two pairs of vines wrapped around each other tightly. Everyone watched as the two Pokémon engaged in an impromptu strength contest, each one trying to pull the other off their feet. After a good fifteen seconds of this, both Pokémon ended up losing their footing, falling onto their backs, as their vines detangled and retracted.

"This will be tricky," Iris commented to the other two, as Snivy got back to her feet. "Ash is trying to keep his distance, but Quilladin's defenses are solid. It'll be hard for him to win like this."

Brock nodded. "Snivy will have to go in for a stronger attack, but that's when a Pokémon like Quilladin is at its most dangerous." Serena listened to their analysis, keeping her eyes on the battle, trying to absorb their insight. Sitting on Iris's head, Axew leaned forward for a closer view of the fight, wondering what Snivy was going to try next.

Ash bit his lip, coming to the same conclusion as his friends: he was going to have to fight this battle on Ramos's terms. His Pokémon turned and glanced back at him, giving a nod, apparently in agreement.

"Alright, Snivy, use Leaf Blade! Be careful of its counterattack!"

The Pokémon dashed forward, the tip of her tail glowing as she ran. She leaped into the air and spun around, swinging her tail like a blade toward Quilladin's face. Her opponent turned as quickly as it could, managing to block just in time; the tail hit against its hard body, doing no damage.

"Needle Arm, Quilladin!" Ramos called out, having waited for this moment. His Pokémon spun back around, its arms glowing with spiky energy, slamming the spikes into Snivy's body; she cried out in pain as she was knocked roughly to the ground.

"You need more patience, youngster!" the Gym Leader continued, a mixture of amusement and disappointment in his voice, before turning his attention back to his Pokémon. "Finish it with Rollout!"

Snivy started getting slowly and painfully to her feet, turning toward her foe, eyes widening as she saw him rolling toward her at a high speed like a bowling ball. She didn't come close to getting out of the way before Quilladin impacted her, sending her flying across the arena.

"No! Snivy!" Ash called out, as she landed roughly on the ground, sliding a bit. She started to get to her feet before collapsing to her arms and knees, crying out in pain. She looked back at herself, seeing one leg splayed out, not responding, not holding up her weight.

"Oh my gosh," Serena uttered, covering her mouth with one hand. "I think something's wrong. Snivy's seriously hurt." Iris and Brock leaned in, eyes wide, worried that Ash's battle might be over just as it was starting. Ash gritted his teeth, stepping as close to the battlefield as he could, as if he was about to run in and scoop her up. Pikachu ran up to the edge as well, worried and wondering if Skorupi was about to be sent in next.

Across the battlefield, even Ramos and Quilladin looked concerned, not having intended to cause so much damage. Quilladin stepped forward nervously, almost apologetically, as Snivy glanced back at him, pain in her eyes, blinking slowly.

"Quilladin, you need to leave it alone, little buddy," Ramos offered. "These things happen sometimes." His Pokémon didn't respond, starting to run forward helpfully. Snivy offered an appreciative smile, as Iris carefully studied the Quilladin. Her eyes widened as she put the pieces together.

"Wait a minute! That's Attract!" she exclaimed, keeping her voice as low as her surprise will allow. "Snivy used Attract on him!" The other two's eyebrows raised as they watched carefully, wondering where this was going.

Ramos came to the same conclusion a couple of moments later, calling out to his Pokémon. "Quilladin, don't! Get back here! It's a trick! A ruse!" Unfortunately for him, Quilladin was much too far gone to respond, swept up in his sudden attraction for his foe.

Snivy smirked as her foe came within feet of her, more than eager to help her back up. Once he was close enough, her vines extended once again, wrapping around his body multiple times. She immediately stood up, almost completely unharmed, and leaped into the air, pulling her foe along with her. She spun around, swinging him through the air, before letting go and sending Quilladin flying into the ground with the force of a Seismic Toss, burying his head in the dirt. She landed daintily on her feet, eyes closed and arms akimbo, exceedingly proud of herself. Everyone but Ash stared, amazed and stupefied.

"Wow... I can't believe they both planned that out," Iris commented, waiting to see if Quilladin would get back up. "Our little Ash is using strategy." She grinned a bit, pleased and proud.

"I've never seen any Pokémon sell an Attract like that," Serena added, not entirely sure how she should feel about this deception. "Why did they put on that whole show? Couldn't Snivy just use Attract by itself?"

"That act wasn't for Quilladin," Brock offered thoughtfully. "They were trying to fool Ramos. They didn't want him realizing what was happening until it was too late." He rubbed his chin contemplatively. "What I'm wondering is how Ash knew that Quilladin was a male. Even I wasn't sure about that."

Serena watched the battlefield for a moment, thinking back to everything they had just seen, before coming to a realization. "Snivy told him. That nod she gave him, it was her confirming that it would work." They all watched, impressed for a variety of reasons, as Quilladin finally fell onto his back. The dazed look on his face was evident to everyone, including the referee.

"Quilladin is unable to battle!" he declared, raising a flag in Ash's direction. "Snivy is the winner! Gym Leader Ramos has one Pokémon left!"

"Great job, Snivy!" Ash declared, pumping his fist. "He didn't know what hit him!" Pikachu gave a loud cheer, clapping, as Snivy brimmed with confidence, which was her default state at all times.

Ramos sighed, reaching for his Poké Ball. "I know that feeling all too well, Quilladin," he commented cryptically, as his Pokémon returned to the ball. "Well, this changes things a bit... but it's nothing we can't handle."

He grabbed another Poké Ball from his side, glancing down at it, speaking to it just loudly enough for everyone to hear. "It's all on you, girl." He reared back and threw it into the arena, watching as it landed and ejected a Pokémon that looked like a tall tree, with a creepy red eye peeking out from the top of its trunk. Iris was the one to pull out her Pokédex this time, curious.

"Trevenant, the Elder Tree Pokémon," the machine recited in a mechanical voice. "This Pokémon controls trees via roots stretching from its feet, and it will attack anyone that dares to ravage the forest."

Serena's eyebrows raised a bit at the size disparity between the two. "Wow, that's big... this Pokémon isn't going to go down so easily, huh?"

"And it's a girl, according to Ramos," Brock added. "He must have been worried about Attract being used a second time. It's not going to work against another female."

"Not against most of them, anyway," Iris chipped in, as Serena glanced over at her curiously. "It's probably not worth the risk." Serena contemplated this for a moment before returning her gaze to the battlefield.

The referee raised both his flags. "Ramos's next Pokémon is ready! The battle begins... now!"

Trevenant quickly buried its roots in the ground, focusing intently. As Snivy looked back, she realized that it was starting to get darker in the gym. Looking around, she saw the trees starting to contract and form a dome around the battlefield, blocking out the sun. Ash looked up as well, surprised, but quickly realizing Ramos's strategy.

"I see what they're doing," Serena spoke, looking up with everyone else. "Snivy gains strength from sunlight, so Ramos is blocking it out." She glanced back down, thinking that Ash's Pokémon was going to need strength to take down such a large foe.

"Let's show them your strength, Trevenant!" Ramos called out. "Wood Hammer!"

The Pokémon responded by raising its claw in the air, a green aura forming around it and taking the shape of a hammer. It swung downward toward Snivy, who nimbly leaped out of the way as the hammer slammed into the ground, shaking the battlefield.

"We need to topple that tree!" Ash exclaimed. "Snivy, use Vine Whip!"

Snivy landed back on her feet and extended her vines out from her collar; they reached out and wrapped around Trevenant's claws tightly. She leaned back, trying her best to pull the tree Pokémon down, but her opponent dug her roots even more firmly into the ground. Trevenant didn't budge even an inch.

"Show that Snivy what strength is, Trevenant!" Ramos called out. His Pokémon roared and swung her claws about, pulling Snivy along and sending her flying into the air. She quickly retracted her vines, twirling about in the air and barely managing to land on her feet, hitting the ground hard.

Ash clenched his fist, thinking as quickly as he could, trying to come up with a plan. In the meantime, he needed to buy some time. "Leaf Storm, Snivy!"

Snivy nodded, raising her arms and forming a number of leaves around her, flinging them toward her opponent in a wide pattern. Ash watched as several of the leaves flew toward Trevenant's eye, expecting them to be blocked. Instead, he watched as the large Pokémon leaned down, using her claws to protect her roots instead, letting the leaves assault her eye freely. His eyebrows raised in surprise as Trevenant bristled, barely even registering any pain from the attack.

"Respond in kind! Magical Leaf!" Trevenant stood up in response to Ramos's command, summoning a number of leaves of her own, far more than Snivy had in her weakened state.

"Vine Whip, Snivy! Deflect as many as you can!"

Ash's Pokémon nodded, producing her vines once again and slicing them through the air, as the massive barrage of leaves flew in her direction. She took out as many as she could, with a number of them still getting through and damaging her. As she lowered her vines again, her eyes widened as a ball of ghostly flame flew in her direction, the Will-O-Wisp hitting her head-on. She cried out in pain as she flew backward, sliding along the ground, singed all over.

On the sidelines, the trio of friends felt their hearts sinking in unison. Trevenant was strong enough on its own, but after taking out Snivy's source of strength, she had become a massive powerhouse. They turned their heads toward Pikachu, expecting him to be sent in any minute. As they watched Snivy painfully get to her feet again, they breathed small sighs of relief.

"Are you okay, Snivy? Can you still fight?" Ash asked, kneeling down. Snivy turned back to him and nodded, her gaze resolute; he sighed and nodded, smiling in response. "Glad to hear it. I know how we're going to win this now."

"Wait, what?" Iris blinked. "He's going to win? What's his plan?"

"I don't know," Serena responded. "I guess we're about to see it." She was still skeptical, but she let some optimism take root, putting her faith in Ash's ability as a trainer.

Ramos smirked a bit, curious himself, but not foolish enough to wait and see what the plan was. "Don't give them the chance, Trevenant! Use Magical Leaf again!"

Snivy watched as another batch of glowing leaves appeared around her opponent, primed to attack. As soon as they flew toward her, she leaped out of the way, using her vines to give herself a boost and dodge the attack. The leaves immediately changed course, seeking out their target, but Snivy was able to use Vine Whip to dispatch nearly all of them once again. As she landed, she used her vines once again to turn herself on a dime, flinging herself toward her imposing foe.

"Now!" Ash called out. "Leaf Blade! Attack the ground!"

Snivy's tail glowed once again, and she gave a battle cry as she flung herself around, swinging at the ground and scooping out a large chunk of ground around Trevenant's roots. As one of the roots became visible, Ash smirked confidently.

"That's what I wanted to see!" he called out. "Let's uproot that tree! Vine Whip!"

As Snivy landed, she whirled around quickly on one foot, her vines stretching out and grabbing the exposed root. Pulling as hard as she could, she managed to yank it out of the ground, as Trevenant cried out in frustration.

Once the root was removed from the ground, the sound of shifting branches could be heard throughout the arena. Everyone looked up at once to see that the trees had started to retract, and a beam of sunlight was starting to peek through the foliage. Ash grinned wide, his fist clenching involuntarily in excitement. His plan was working.

"Keep it up, Snivy! Take out every last root!"

Snivy nodded, energized from this success, and she whirled around to use another Leaf Blade. Trevenant swung her claws, flinging more Will-O-Wisps all over, trying desperately to stop her irritating foe from uprooting her; it was to no avail, as even in a weakened state, Snivy was too small and agile to be caught. As she pulled up one root after another, the trees continued to retract more and more, until eventually the entire battlefield was bathed in sunlight.

Before too long, Trevenant had no more roots left buried in the ground, and she lost all control of the trees around her. Snivy stood in the center of the arena, feeling strength coursing through her once again as the bright sun shone down on her. Ramos frowned, thinking of how to respond to this, while Ash's friends watched excitedly from the sidelines. Ash, for his part, had no intention of letting Ramos execute any more of his plans.

"Time to go on the offensive, Snivy! Leaf Storm!"

Once again, his Pokémon summoned a barrage of leaves, much larger than the last, sending them directly toward Trevenant's roots and eyes. The tree Pokémon cried out in pain, in stark contrast to the previous attack, and she started moving for the first time since the battle began, trying to flee the assault. Ash grinned wide; this was exactly what he was waiting for.

"Let's finish it!" he called out. "Grass Knot!"

Snivy nodded, her eyes glowing green, and she thrust her arms out toward her fleeing foe. As she did, a number of vines appeared out of the ground, ensnaring Trevenant's roots and throwing it off balance.

"Oh, here we go..." Brock spoke to himself, recognizing the move. Grass Knot was an attack that was more effective the larger its opponent was, and against a foe as large as Trevenant, it was bound to cause a huge amount of damage. Everyone watched with rapt attention as Trevenant cried out, toppling over and landing painfully on the ground, kicking up a huge cloud of dirt. Ash had to resist the urge to yell "timber" as it happened.

When the cloud cleared away, everyone in the room got a clear look at Trevenant's face, and the dazed expression that adorned it. Brock, Iris and Serena all cheered in excitement as the referee raised his flag in Ash's direction.

"Trevenant is unable to battle! Ash and Snivy have won this Gym Battle!"

"Yes!" Ash leaped into the air, amped and amazed that his Pokémon had done so well. Pikachu ran out onto the field, excitedly clasping hands with Snivy and cheering, offering words of praise in his language. Ramos sighed as he returned Trevenant to her Poké Ball, disappointed in himself, but pleased that his opponent had unquestionably earned his victory.

"Maybe I'm starting to lose my touch in my old age," he muttered to himself, walking out into the center of the battlefield, as Ash did the same. He reached into his vest pocket, producing a green badge in the shape of a rounded leaf, handing it over. "You don't have anything to complain about, though. You've definitely earned this Plant Badge."

"Thanks a lot, Ramos." Ash took it gently, looking it over, still grinning from ear to ear.

"That's one very special Snivy you have there, Ash," the Gym Leader continued. "And she's got a skilled Trainer, to boot. Keep this up, and the Pokémon League won't know what hit it." He reached up and adjusted his cap. "You take care, now." Ash nodded again, turning and walking toward the sidelines, where his friends were rushing over.

"Great work, Ash!" Brock exclaimed. "That was a tough foe to take down. You both did really well."

"That was a great battle all around," Iris added, smiling wide. "You really earned that badge."

"Thanks, guys." Ash grinned back. "Wasn't just luck this time, huh?" Iris smirked back at him, as Serena kneeled down to congratulate his Pokémon.

"You did great too, Snivy! You were really impressive out there!" She reached down to shake hands gently, which Snivy accepted, always eager for praise. Serena could feel the strength in Snivy's handshake, despite the size difference between the two of them.

Ash smiled and glanced down at the two of them, watching them celebrate, when his eye was drawn to the blue flower pinned to Serena's dress. Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't a flower at all; it was actually a blue ribbon, woven intricately into a pattern resembling a blooming flower. His eyes widened as he realized what it was.

"Serena," he spoke, gazing at the ribbon as she stood back up. "Is that...?" She looked back at him, following his gaze downward; she beamed when she realized what he was looking at.

"Yeah." She nodded, thrilled that he had recognized the gift he had given to her so long ago. "It's the same one."

He looked back up, their eyes meeting. "You kept it all this time?"

"I told you I would." She smiled at him warmly. "You didn't believe me?"

"No, I did, just..." He smiled back at her, flushing lightly. "It's just nice to see." Her smile widened as she turned pink as well. She could feel everyone else's eyes on her and Ash, watching this exchange, but right now she was too happy to feel self-conscious.

"Well, shall we go?" she spoke after a moment. Everyone else nodded, as they turned toward the entrance to the Gym, making their way back to the Pokémon Center. Snivy led the charge, not interested in returning to her Poké Ball, taking a self-satisfied victory march back into downtown Coumarine City.

Chapter Text

The day after Ash won his Plant Badge, he and his friends were taking their time waking up and getting ready to travel again. Serena had eaten a bit earlier than the rest, as she needed to make a video call and see if there were any news updates for the Kalos Showcase participants. Ash, Brock and Iris were taking their time eating breakfast, not in any hurry to get going.

After finishing his meal, Ash sat back happily, holding his stomach. "Oof, that hit the spot." He glanced back at his companions. "Well, are you guys ready to hit the road again? At a reasonable pace this time."

Brock nodded, wiping his mouth. "All recharged and ready to go. I think I'm ready to spend a few more nights in a sleeping bag."

"Same here," Iris agreed. "Honestly, after traveling like we did for two days, you come to appreciate a real bed a lot more."

Ash grinned, standing up. "Well, traveling to Lagoon Town will be a lot easier. We won't run like that again, I promise."

"It's alright, Ash," she responded, as she and Brock also stood, grabbing their plates to return them. "It was worth it. Serena will be a good companion to travel with." Brock nodded in agreement, as they all returned their dishes to the dish drop. They walked out of the cafeteria to go and fetch Serena, finding her near the video phones just as she was hanging up.

"Ready to go, Serena?" Ash called out. "Any news?"

She turned around in her chair, smiling as they approached. "Hey, guys! Yeah, there was news. They said that they're going to start incorporating Performance Battles later in the season."

"Performance Battles?" Brock asked, curious, not having recognized those from his program. "Are those like... Pokémon battles, but pretty?"

"Basically, yeah." She stood up. "They're supposed to show off the artistry of a well-choreographed battle. I've seen them once or twice before, but never participated in one."

"Well, that sounds fun to watch, but... are you supposed to be in charge of both of the battling Pokémon?" Ash wondered. He looked upward, trying to picture it in his mind, imagining himself yelling commands at two different Pokémon, repeatedly turning his head back and forth.

Serena shook her head. "No, it's not a solo thing. Each performer is supposed to find what's called a Battle Partner, who will be on stage with them. They're going to be part of the performance, too." She stepped closer as she looked into his eyes, hands clasped in front of her, wanting to make it as hard as possible for him to refuse her request. "Ash, would you be my Battle Partner?"

Ash smiled and nodded, not needing to be buttered up. "Sure! Sounds like fun!"

"Great, thank you!" She smiled wide, relieved and excited. "We can start getting some practice in once we've been on the road for a little bit."

"Sounds good to me." They all turned and headed for the door, stepping outside and making their way toward Route 12.

Four hours later, the crew had come to a stop in a clearing with a small campsite, ready to rest their feet and eat some lunch before they continued on. Brock was working on a meal with Iris's help, while Ash and Serena were standing across from each other as if they were on a battlefield, ready to practice. Serena had her Delphox out in front of her, while Ash was relying on Pikachu.

"So how is this going to work?" he asked, glancing down at the space between them, where their Pokémon would be battling. "What are we practicing? Isn't the whole battle going to be choreographed?"

She nodded. "It will be, but even if it's choreographed, a partner still needs to be able to follow a lead. That's what we're practicing." She gestured toward her Pokémon. "Delphox and I will lead, and you think of how Pikachu should respond. Remember, it's not about winning, it's about being fun to watch."

"Got it." He glanced downward. "You ready to go, Pikachu?" Pikachu looked back at him and nodded affirmatively, a little unsure of how this was going to go, but ready to give it his all for Serena's sake.

"Let's get started, then," Serena announced. "Delphox, start with Fire Blast!"

Her Delphox nodded, raising the flaming stick in her hand and slowly raising it to her mouth, deliberately moving slower for Ash's sake. He watched, mind racing through Pikachu's moves; normally, he would just have his Pokémon dodge, but he knew that wouldn't be interesting to watch. After a couple seconds, he thought of an idea, just as Delphox launched her attack.

"Pikachu, try to counter it with Electroweb!"

Pikachu nodded, forming a ball of electricity on its tail and flinging it out, watching as it stretched out and formed a web. The two attacks collided in midair, canceling each other out, but leaving an afterimage of a glowing web of flame in the air for a few seconds.

Serena smiled wide, both pleased and impressed. "Good work, Ash! Now let's see..." She started thinking of her next move, but before she could, she heard Ash calling out a second time.

"Pikachu, use Electroweb again!"

She blinked. "Wait, hold it!" Her call came too late, as another electric web was flung toward her Pokémon. Delphox yelped and tried to get out of the way, but the web managed to wrap itself around her tail, sending a painful shock through her.

"Ash, what are you doing? I lead, you follow, remember?" Serena shot him a disapproving glare as Delphox shook off the attack; Ash shrunk down a bit, embarrassed, as did Pikachu.

"Sorry... just got caught up..."

She sighed. "Well, let's try again. Does Pikachu have any other... flashy moves besides Electroweb?"

Ash frowned, thinking to himself. "I mean, not really, honestly. He's been trained to win battles, not to look cute doing it." Pikachu turned around, shooting him a skeptical glance, thinking that he looked pretty cute all the time.

"Well, maybe you can try someone else?"

"Probably..." He looked downward. "Sorry, Pikachu. Come on back." His Pokémon sighed, walking dejectedly back to him, as Ash grabbed a Poké Ball and tossed it out, summoning Snivy to the field.

"Snivy, want to try your hand at a Performance Battle?" he asked. She turned around and nodded affirmatively, feeling much more confident than he was.

Serena stepped back into position, ready to get back into it. "Delphox, charge forward!" Her Pokémon nodded, running at Snivy with a bit of a graceful gait. Ash's instinct was to counter, but he suppressed it, choosing another option.

"Snivy! Dodge it by... going overhead!"

Snivy nodded, using her vines to launch herself into the air and over Delphox's head. She spun around as she did so, her vines turning about like ribbons, before she landed daintily on her feet like a ballerina. Both trainer and performer sighed in relief, glad to see that Snivy seemed to have a natural performing instinct.

"Let's keep it up!" Serena called out. "Fire Spin, Delphox!"

Delphox raised her stick once again, drawing circles in the air before sending flaming rings at the opposing Pokémon.

Ash grinned, feeling more confident. "Snivy, jump through and use Leaf Storm!" He watched as Snivy formed a mass of leaves around her, flinging them forward as she jumped through the flaming ring, causing all of the leaves to catch fire. Delphox quickly danced away from the flaming projectiles, before turning around to watch them fly straight toward Ash.

Serena gasped, as Ash's eyes widened in panic. He tried to quickly back away, but ended up stumbling and falling onto his back, the flaming leaves just barely passing by him.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?!" Serena ran across the field to where he was laying down, as the two Pokémon stood around him as well. He continued to lie still on his back, looking up at the sky; the fiery projectiles had left parallel lines of black soot on his face, making him look like he had just been taken off of a grill.

"Maybe we should try this after lunch," he spoke.

Fifteen minutes later, all four of the travelers were sitting at a picnic table, finishing up their lunch; their Pokémon were sitting in the grass, out of their Poké Balls, eating their own food. Serena finished her meal first, wanting to get back to practicing, now that she knew how much work was going to be needed. Ash took his time, finishing last, much more reluctant to resume.

"Thanks for lunch, guys," he commented as he pushed his plate away.

Brock nodded, as Iris reached out to take his plate, starting to clean up. "Going to practice some more, Ash?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, frowning. "This Performance Battle stuff is a lot harder than I was expecting. It feels like all of my battle instincts are wrong."

"You shouldn't think of it as a battle," Serena responded, standing up. "In a Pokémon battle, you're trying to overcome and defeat your opponent. A Performance Battle is about working together with the other person. It's more like a dance."

"Well, that explains why I'm so bad at it," Ash replied, sighing. "I'm no good at dancing, either."

"What do you mean? Didn't you dance with Miette at Monsieur Pierre's party, way back when?"

He slumped forward, chin resting on the table, not appreciating the reminder of that embarrassment. "The less said about that, the better."

Serena's eyebrows shot up. "And you've never learned how?!"

Ash glanced up a bit, surprised to hear her so bothered by this. Before he could respond, however, she had already marched around to his side of the table, reaching her hand out toward him.

"All right, Ash, get up! On your feet!"

He sat up, eyebrows raised, a bit shocked at her forcefulness. "Right now? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious," she replied. "Right now, let's go."

He glanced down at her hand for a moment, a bit stupefied, before taking it. He stood up and followed her away from the table, knowing better than to argue with her when she was using this tone of voice.

Several minutes later, slow music was playing from Serena's phone as it rested on the picnic table. Brock and Iris were sitting at it, watching with morbid curiosity as Ash and Serena practiced dancing, holding each other lightly as she tried to lead him about. She was trying her best not to get frustrated with the lack of progress, but Ash's nerves were making him particularly resistant to learning.

"Ash, you're nearly a whole foot away from me. The whole point of slow dancing is to be close to someone."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," he replied, glancing down at the gap between them. "I'm worried that I'm going to step on your feet."

"Well, worry less," she responded quickly. "If you step on my feet, at least you're learning where not to step. You're not learning anything all the way over there. Just stay close."

She took a step closer to him, closing the gap, their faces inches apart. "You want to be close to me, don't you?" she asked, her voice quiet, her eyes on his.

Ash quickly flushed red, looking back into her eyes. "W-well... yeah..." he stammered in response, taken aback by the sudden intensity.

She gave him a soft smile. "You just need to relax, and get out of your own head. Just do what comes naturally." She started moving again, taking a step and turning a bit, trying to lead him in her direction. Ash lagged behind her steps a bit, taking a millisecond too long to realize she was moving, and he tried to quickly turn in order to compensate. The momentum of his sudden turn nearly knocked her off her feet, and she yelped as she fought to regain her balance, which she quickly did.

She sighed, getting more visibly frustrated. "Okay, that was too relaxed..."

"Ugh, this is hard to watch." Ash felt a hand tugging on the back of his shirt, turning around to see Iris standing there, looking even more frustrated than Serena. "Step aside, Ash. This obviously isn't working." She pulled harder, tugging him away from his instructor. As he stepped back, Iris quickly took his place in Serena's arms, causing her to flush pink, surprised.

Once she was in position, Iris turned and looked back at him. "I'm going to show you how this is done. Watch how I dance with her, and then try to do what I do, got it?"

He nodded, embarrassed that it had come to this, but wanting to do better for Serena's sake. Iris turned back and nodded toward her new dancing partner, prompting her to start. Serena was both shocked and impressed at Iris's forcefulness; as the two of them started slowly dancing together, she wondered if she should adopt a similar attitude with Ash.

Ash stepped back, sitting next to a stone-faced but highly amused Brock at the table, as they watched the two girls dance. He carefully studied Iris's movements, watching where she stepped, and how she responded to Serena's lead; he wasn't sure he was absorbing anything, but he tried to take in as much as he could. Serena quickly relaxed as she realized that Iris was a much more skilled dancer than her previous partner, smiling and letting herself have fun.

"You're good at this," she said, grinning as she spun Iris about.

Iris smirked as she spun, effortlessly getting back into position as they kept dancing. "It's not like it's hard. You just need a partner who knows what she's doing."

Ash kept up his intense focus, watching as the two girls moved together, noting how perfectly in sync the two of them were. A minute later, his eyebrows shot up as something suddenly clicked in his mind.

"That's it!" he exclaimed suddenly, standing up, causing the two dancers to quickly stop.

"Yeah?" Iris glanced back at him, smiling. "You think you have it now? Want to try again?"

"No, not that!" His eyes moved toward the other dancer. "Serena, Iris should be your Battle Partner!"

Both of the two girls paused, not expecting that suggestion. They turned and looked back at each other, contemplating the idea.

Minutes later, Serena and Iris were standing across from each other in a battlefield configuration, just as Serena and Ash had been thirty minutes ago. Serena had her Delphox out once again, while Iris was using an Altaria, which Ash had never seen her with before.

"Let's see what you've got, Iris!" Serena called out. "Delphox, Flamethrower!"

Iris watched as Delphox summoned a stream of fire from her lit stick. She was unfazed, knowing how to respond, barely having to think about it.

"Stop it with Dragon Breath, Altaria!"

Her Pokémon cried out, stretching its neck out forward and issuing a green beam of energy, with white rings around it. The two attacks collided in the middle, the flames shooting outward in rings, fading just as they started reaching the picnic table.

Ash and Brock sat nearby and watched, impressed, as Altaria started using Steel Wing near Delphox's feet, prompting the fox Pokémon to dance elegantly out of the way of each attack. Serena and Iris soon started to issue commands more quickly, clearly on the same wavelength, as their Pokémon half-battled and half-danced around the clearing. They eventually landed together in the middle of what would have been the arena, Delphox leaping in as Altaria swooped down, striking a dynamic pose as they finished. Brock and Ash quickly stood up, applauding, as Pikachu cheered from around Ash's feet.

"That was great!" Brock called out. "You two really work well together!"

"You sure do," Ash added. "If that's what you two are like without practice, those other performers don't stand a chance!"

Serena smiled wide as she walked forward, thanking them both, before focusing back on the girl in front of her. "You really are good at this. Would you mind being my Battle Partner, Iris?"

"Sure I will." Iris nodded in response, smiling back. "That was a lot of fun. I can't wait to see what it's like on stage!" Serena grinned, and the two of them quickly shared an excited high-five, before they turned to help pack up the cooking equipment. A few minutes later, all of them were back on the road.

Later that night, all four of them were sitting around a campfire, relaxing after a tasty dinner courtesy of Brock. The girls were discussing ideas for their routine for quite some time, as the boys partly listened, while partly making conversation with themselves. After an hour or so, they all agreed to retire to their tents, ready for sleep. Serena and Brock quickly disappeared into their tents, as Iris let Axew into hers.

Ash walked more slowly back to his tent and unzipped the door, with Pikachu walking in as soon as he did, ready for some rest. He started to follow his Pokémon, but he paused as he heard a hushed voice from behind him.

"You think you're pretty clever, don't you?" He turned around quickly, seeing Iris standing there, arms folded and eyes glaring at him.

"What are you talking about?" He cocked his head, confused.

"You know what I'm talking about. I mean you managing to finagle your way out of being Serena's Battle Partner." She folded her arms more tightly, eyes narrowing. "Are you proud of yourself?"

"What's the big deal?" he responded defensively, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn't overhear. "She has you as her partner now. She's going to do just fine."

She placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward. "She didn't want just any partner, Ash. She wanted her partner to be you! She wants to spend more time with you, you dolt!"

"I know that!" he shot back. "That's what I want, too! But I'm not going to put her Showcase dreams at risk just for that. I'm not the partner she needs. I'm no performer."

Iris was unsympathetic. "I'm no performer, either, but I figured it out quickly enough."

"Right. Because you know how to dance, or whatever." He turned around, not interested in more of this conversation.

"Exactly." She reached out and grasped his sleeve tightly. "And that's why you're going to learn, right now."

"What?" He turned back around to face her, incredulous. "Are you joking?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" she responded angrily.

He studied her face quickly; she did not look like she was joking. He thought about pulling away and refusing, but he knew Iris well enough to know that she was going to win that battle, with the mood she was in. He sighed, deciding it was better to just agree, and not cause a scene.

"Ugh, fine." He brushed her hand away. "If I have to."

"You do have to," she responded, taking a step back. "Honestly, Ash, five years later and you're still such a little kid."

She started walking into the nearby forest, looking for someplace for the two of them to practice, as he followed her, unable to believe he was in this situation again. Pikachu watched curiously from Ash's tent as they left, but ultimately decided not to interfere with whatever was going on. He walked back in, curling up and quickly falling asleep.

After a couple minutes of walking, Iris spotted a small clearing among the trees, and quickly moved toward it. "There. That's a good spot." Ash followed her, his expression having changed from annoyed to confused.

"Iris," he spoke. "Why are you doing this? What does it matter to you?"

She glanced back at him as she walked, her expression softening. "I can see how happy she makes you, Ash," she replied, her voice gentle. "I just don't want you to screw it up."

He was a bit surprised by this answer, but he quickly nodded in response, appreciating her concern. "Yeah... me neither."

They both stopped and faced each other as they stood in the clearing, taking their positions, as the lesson began.

Chapter Text

The next day, Ash and his friends were back on Route 12, traveling at a slow but steady clip toward Lagoon Town, where Serena's next showcase was taking place. While Ash and Brock were traveling in relative quiet, Iris and Serena were once again discussing their plans for their upcoming Performance Battles, specifically how much time they had to prepare.

"So there aren't going to be any Performance Battles at the next showcase?"

Serena shook her head, looking back at an inquisitive Iris. "They're giving everyone some time to find partners and get their routines ready. The showcases will start incorporating them in a few weeks."

Iris nodded. "Huh. So it sounds like we might not have to do many of these, at the end of the day."

"Maybe not, no." Serena nodded in response. "If I'm lucky, we may only need to do one, in Lumiose City. If I'm ridiculously lucky, we won't have to do any, but that will never happen."

"Why not?" Ash glanced backward.

"That would mean winning my first three showcases, one after the other, and that's not going to happen."

"It might!" he responded, optimistic. "You were great in your first showcase. Don't sell yourself short."

Serena laughed. "Thanks, Ash, but I'm not selling myself short. I'm being realistic. I'm pretty sure nobody has ever done it before." She playfully kicked her feet forward as the group walked through a patch of dead leaves, strewing them about. "The competition is just tough. It always is."

Iris nodded. "Well, I don't mind doing-" She quickly cut herself off, stopping short as she realized that Ash and Brock were no longer moving. Ash was holding his arm out in front of him, stopping Brock from taking another step, and the girls behind him quickly stopped as well.

"Hold it, guys," he spoke, eyeing the ground in front of him carefully. "This doesn't seem right."

"What doesn't seem right?" Serena stood on her toes, looking over Ash's arm, seeing a large patch of leaves strewn about in front of them. He didn't answer, kneeling down and poking at the patch of leaves, before pounding his fist on it, as Pikachu leaned in curiously from his shoulder. After a couple of firm pounds, everyone else jumped as the leaf patch fell away, collapsing into what looked like a twenty-foot pit.

"What the...?" Iris exclaimed, stepping closer and looking more closely. "Did someone seriously put some sort of trap in the middle of the road? Who does that?!"

"Who was that supposed to capture?" Serena wondered aloud, unnerved. "That... wasn't meant for us, was it?"

"Maybe it was," Brock answered, frowning, arms folded. "There's only one kind of person I know of who does things like thiWHOAH!"

He yelped as he was quickly and suddenly lifted off of the ground, along with all three of his screaming companions and their Pokémon. Once the dust had settled, they all found themselves trapped and tangled together in a large net, hanging from the branch of a nearby tree.

"What the heck?!" Ash looked around at the upside-down world around him, disoriented. "What's going on?!" He tried to turn himself around, eyebrows raising as he heard a familiar laugh, one that caused his stomach to drop.

"Hahaha! Nobody expects the booby trap to be booby-trapped!" a female voice called out. "A simple but brilliant plan!" Ash watched with wide eyes as a familiar pair stepped out of the trees, walking underneath them. He would never forget that combination of blue and red hair for the rest of his life, or the small cat-like Pokémon at their feet.

"You two again?! You've got to be kidding me!"

Jessie smirked up at him confidently. "Good to see you twerps again, too. Now... prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!" James added, brushing his hair back, trying his best to look cool.

"To protect... to protect the..." Jessie paused for a moment, her expression blank. "Wait... how does this go again?"

"It's..." James racked his memory, eyes widening as it came up short, holding his head in one hand. "I don't know... it's been so long since we've said it, I've completely forgotten!"

"You can remember our motto later, you nincompoops!" Meowth pointed upward at the net of trainers they had captured. "We've got work to do!"

"Right!" James quickly came to his senses, raising his hand, which held some kind of claw device at the end of a pole. Moving around the base of the net and looking upward, he grinned as he spotted the target he was searching for. He aimed the claw upward and extended it toward their captives; seconds later, the claw managed to snag Pikachu and yank him out through one of the large holes in the net.

"No! Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt, quickly!" Ash called out, panicking. His Pokémon started charging up electricity, ready to zap his attacker, but before he had the chance, a small panel extended from the claw, and a large, transparent, rubber ball quickly formed around Pikachu. When the Thunder Bolt attack was finally unleashed, it bounced around uselessly inside the non-conductive sphere.

"We did it! A perfect heist!" Jessie reached out and snagged Pikachu off of the end of the claw, grinning from ear to ear. "The boss is going to fall in love with us when he sees this!"

"Argh! I can't believe this!" Ash yelled down at them, trying his best to move in any way, which was a difficult task in their current position. "You haven't bothered me in years! I thought I was finally rid of you!"

Jessie smirked up at him. "Counting us out was your biggest mistake!"

"Now Pikachu's free for us to take!" James continued, slapping the side of the rubber ball.

"And now a daring escape we'll make!" Meowth concluded, as all three of them ran off down Route 12 in the direction of Lagoon Town, on cloud nine, leaving the four captives hanging awkwardly in the net.

"No! We have to go after them!" Ash tried again to move, wanting to get closer to the top of the net, but he was barely able to budge, due to his awkward position and the weight of the others bearing down on him.

"How are we supposed to chase them? I can't move an inch!" Iris responded, wriggling about. "And who has their hand on my butt?!"

"It's not on purpose!" Brock insisted, red-faced, also trying and failing to move. "I'm stuck, too!"

"Ouch! Ash, you're elbowing me!" Serena protested, feeling his elbow digging further and further into her side.

"Sorry! I just need to reach my Pokémon...!" After shifting his elbow a bit, Ash managed to get his pinky finger on the button of one of his Poké Balls; he quickly pressed it, not caring which one it was. He sighed in relief, glancing down as the energy from the ball was deposited onto the ground below, forming into his Skorupi.

"Skorupi! Climb up here and cut us free!" The Pokémon quickly sprang into action, climbing up the tree as fast as possible, then traveling along the branch. He crawled along the outside of the net, causing several of them to yelp as they felt his feet brushing against their backs, as he started cutting away at the net with his claws. As he clipped more and more of the ropes, everyone could feel themselves shifting downward more and more, until they all spilled out of the net and landed on the ground in a large pile.

They all quickly detangled themselves, standing up as fast as they could, as Ash returned Skorupi to his Poké Ball. "After them! We have to get Pikachu back!" All of them quickly took off down the road, praying that they could catch up.

Several hundred yards away, the former members of Team Rocket were sitting in the basket of one of their trademark Meowth balloons, heating up the gas inside, getting ready to take off. Pikachu was still trapped in his rubber prison, repeatedly slamming his Iron Tail against it in a bid to break free, but he was unable to get the leverage he needed to break through.

"And here I thought we were wasting our time by keeping this last balloon on hand," Jessie commented, looking upward at the giant Meowth head. "Who knew it would fly us back into the arms of Team Rocket?"

"The boss is going to flip when he sees what Pikachu here can do!" Meowth exclaimed cheerfully. "Finally, we ain't gonna be complete screw-ups anymore!"

Soon, the gas in the balloon was sufficiently heated, and they felt themselves starting to take off, rising above the tree line. All three of them had ear-to-ear smiles, already imagining their reinstitution into Team Rocket, with new outfits, new supplies, and occasional pay. James glanced downward, watching the ground as they flew away, when something caught his eye that caused him to groan.

"Oh, boo. Looks like they're already trying to spoil the party." Jessie and Meowth looked downward, following his eyes, seeing Ash and his friends running after them as fast as they could.

Down below, Iris was reaching for the Poké Balls at her waist, being the only one among them who had any flying Pokémon on hand. She grabbed two of them and quickly tossed them out in front of her, with the Pokémon inside quickly emerging.

"Altaria! Dragonite! Fly up there and get Pikachu back!" Both Pokémon quickly took off, flying upward toward the slowly-rising balloon, which was still fairly close to the ground.

Jessie sighed. "They have to make this difficult, don't they?" She reached down into the basket of the balloon, pulling out what looked like a hollow bazooka, with fans built into either end of the barrel. "Oh, well. At least now we get to use the fun stuff."

Both of the approaching Pokémon eyed the device carefully as they flew closer, not sure what it was going to do. Jessie quickly took aim at Altaria, pulling the trigger of the gun, causing the fans in it to spin wildly, as a sound like a jet engine rang out. Altaria was immediately knocked off course as a massive blast of air slammed into it, causing it to flap its wings wildly in an attempt to regain its balance.

"Direct hit!" Meowth cheered, hanging onto the edge of the basket and watching the action. Jessie grinned wide, taking aim at Dragonite and firing again, watching as he had to wildly dodge to avoid the blast.

From down below, Iris watched nervously as her Pokémon tried time and again to get close to the balloon, which was slowly getting farther away. She cupped her hands to her mouth, shouting out a command while she could still be heard.

"Dragonite! Hyper Beam! Keep moving while you do it, and take out the balloon!"

Dragonite snorted, irritated with these foes and more than happy to launch an attack. He opened his mouth, a yellow ball of energy forming in it, as Altaria tried one more time to fly in close. It started to focus, preparing a Dragon Pulse, when James suddenly pulled out an air bazooka of his own, grinning wide.

"Happy landings!" he called out, pulling the trigger and scoring a direct hit. Altaria flew backwards toward the ground, slamming into Dragonite on the way, causing the Hyper Beam to fire off harmlessly into the blue sky. Both Pokémon hit the ground heavily, dazed and sore.

"Oh no!" Iris ran over to both of them, checking on them to make sure they were alright. Ash, Brock and Serena watched the balloon fly farther and farther away, their hearts sinking, having no idea how they were going to get Pikachu back now.

"And that is that!" Jessie proclaimed, lowering her air bazooka and wearing a triumphant smirk. "Finally, after all these years, we've beaten back those twerps! They won't be stopping us now!"

James grinned wide, his chest puffing out proudly. "So this is what success feels like... I could really get used to this." He lowered his weapon as well. "This is the first day of a new chapter in our lives!"

All three of them turned toward each other, sharing a three-way high five and laughing happily. Their celebrations were quickly interrupted, however, by the sound of something like small airplanes approaching them quickly. They stopped and turned toward the sound, eyes widening as they saw two people flying through the sky toward them, wearing helmets with visors, jetpacks, and what looked like jet wings on their backs.

"No, no, no, not now!" Jessie started to panic, recognizing them immediately, not having prepared for this. "Not them, not when we're so close!" Both she and James reached down for their weapons again as the two airborne travelers quickly grew closer.

Back on the ground, everyone turned their attention to these new challengers as they approached. Ash, Brock and Iris were both confused and curious, not sure what sort of people traveled Kalos flying through the sky. Serena recognized them immediately, gasping.

"Ah!" Her eyes lit up excitedly. "No way! It's the Ace Patrol!"

"Huh?" Brock glanced in her direction. "The what patrol?"

"The Ace Patrol!" she reiterated, stepping forward for a closer look. "They travel around Kalos to help people in need! I can't believe they're here!" Ash took a step closer after her, watching as the two patrollers came to a stop on either side of the balloon, hovering in the air as Jessie and James pulled out their air weapons.

"So Team Rocket is still in Kalos after all!" one of the patrollers spoke into the microphone built into her helmet, communicating with her partner. "We'll take care of you guys!" She reached down to her side, pulling out a Poké Ball and pressing the button on the front. "Let's go, Hawlucha!"

Her partner nodded, pulling out a Poké Ball of his own. "You too, Staraptor! Let's stop these pesky criminals!"

Seconds later, both the Hawlucha and the Staraptor had emerged from their Poké Balls. Jessie and James started firing air blasts at them, desperate to keep them away, but both birds darted away, much too agile to be hit. The two patrollers took the blasts head on, both of them being knocked away, but they managed to regain control and fly back into position.

"Get them!" James called out, firing wildly. "Lead your shots! Get them away from the balloon!"

The male patroller called out, trying to be heard over the sound of jets and air bazookas. "Staraptor, use Steel Wing! Take out that giant Meowth!"

Staraptor cawed in response, flying closer, as its wings sharpened and turned as hard as steel, glowing white. Dodging multiple blasts, it flew right along the side of the balloon, slicing an enormous hole in the side. Hot air immediately began rushing out, sending the entire balloon flying in the direction of Lagoon Town, as the basket started shaking about wildly.

"Whoa! Hang on!" Jessie cried out, gripping the basket for dear life, as James and Meowth did the same. As it rocked about, wildly moving up and down, the rubber ball containing Pikachu eventually bounced its way out, starting to fall to Earth.

"No! Pikachu! Come back, please!" James called out, despondent, reaching out with one hand as if he could summon it back, but he quickly grabbed the basket again, not wanting to fall out himself. All three of them watched in despair as their futures slipped away, as the balloon continued flying away and sinking, eventually crashing into the trees.

Ash gasped as he saw Pikachu falling through the sky, running forward to try and catch him, even though he knew in the back of his mind that he wouldn't make it in time. Shortly before he hit the ground, one of the patrollers managed to swoop down and snatch the ball out of the sky, holding it tight as she turned herself upright and slowly lowered herself to the ground.

"You there! Is this your Pikachu?" she called out, turning off her jetpack, as Ash approached, with his friends close behind.

"It is!" he exclaimed, overjoyed as he ran right up to her. "Thank you so much for saving him!"

"My pleasure," she answered, handing the ball over to Ash. He looked it over, finding a button on the top and pressing it, causing the rubber to retract and release his Pokémon. As soon as he was free, Pikachu leaped happily into his trainer's arms, as Ash held him tightly, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Sorry that Team Rocket was troubling you," the male patroller called out, landing and turning his jetpack off as well, as the others ran up behind Ash. "Hopefully they won't be bothering you again. If they do, though, you can always call on Team Ace to lend you a hand."

"Team Ace?" Iris asked, curious. "That's who you are?"

"That's right," the girl answered, launching into a well-rehearsed monologue. "We're dedicated to improving the lives of all the citizens of Kalos, in every way we can. Crime fighting, philanthropy, community outreach, we do it all!"

Serena smiled wide, nodding, highly familiar. "Thank you so much for helping us. We really owe you for this."

"No need for that," the man answered. "Just pay it forward at your next opportunity." Both patrollers turned their jetpacks back on. "All of you, stay safe!" The four trainers watched, along with Axew and Pikachu, as the pair flew off into the sky, off to find more crimes to fight.

"Geez, talk about a lucky break," Brock commented. "I don't know what we would have done if the Ace Patrol hadn't come by."

"Me neither," Ash agreed, looking down at the Pokémon in his arms. "I can't believe I have to deal with Team Rocket again, after so long. What a pain."

Serena frowned and nodded. "At least we're not fighting them alone this time. Hopefully Team Ace helps keep them off our backs."

Iris agreed, starting to walk along the road again, Axew back in his usual perch. "We should get into town as soon as we can. I'd hate to run into them a second time." Everyone else agreed, resuming their walk toward town at a much quicker pace than before.

Some ways away, the wreckage of the destroyed Meowth balloon was resting in the forest, not too far from Route 12 or Lagoon Town. All three of the former Team Rocket members were lying on the ground right outside the basket of the balloon, partly because they were sore from the crash, partly because they were too depressed to move.

"I can't believe it..." Jessie groaned. "We had him in our grasp... we had finally beaten those twerps... it's not fair."

"Nothing ever goes right with us," Meowth added. "Even when we win, life finds a way to make us lose."

James sighed deeply. "We're never going to rejoin Team Rocket, are we? No Pikachu, no balloon, no luck at all..." He covered his eyes with his arms, as if he was trying to shut the world out. "We're just going to be losers for the rest of our lives. We might as well face it."

Jessie sat up a bit, looking over at her partner as she heard the defeat in his voice. Even though she couldn't see his eyes, she was still able to pick up on a deep sadness in his expression. She clenched her fists, standing up, feeling a surge of energy.

"No, we're not! We may have lost today, but we can't give up just yet!" She marched over to James. "So long as that Pikachu is here in Kalos, we're going to keep trying to capture it, like we always did! And when we do, things are finally going to turn around!"

James uncovered his eyes and looked up at her, surprised, as she reached her hand down toward him. "Come on, you two!" she continued. "We know they're on their way to Lagoon Town. Let's beat them there and come up with a foolproof plan!"

He lay back for a moment, surprised by her sudden vigor, before reaching out and taking her hand. "You're right, Jessie. We can't give up just yet!" He quickly stood up with her help, as Meowth got to his feet as well. "Let's get moving, quickly!" All three of them turned and ran once again in the direction of Lagoon Town, already starting to plan out their next steps.

Chapter Text

Later that afternoon, Ash and his friends had arrived in Lagoon Town, and were standing in front of an exceptionally tall building in the middle of downtown.

"So this is an Ace Center, huh?" Ash wondered, craning his neck upward for a better look. The building proper was only about three stories tall, but it was topped by a tall spire that stretched upward into the sky, dwarfing many of the other buildings around it.

"We saw one of these in Laverre City," Brock added, as Iris nodded. "We were going to stay there since the Pokémon Center was full."

"Team Ace has been building these all over Kalos," Serena explained. "They're a lot like Pokémon Centers. They won't heal your Pokémon, but there are beds, food, games, some community event stuff... they're really useful."

"Does it have to be so tall?" Iris asked, her eyes following the spire all the way up. "It's kind of gaudy."

"I guess it's part of their whole 'flying, sky-high' motif?" Serena shrugged. "They don't look great, but who's going to complain about it?"

They all stepped inside as the automatic doors opened, looking around, seeing lots of people milling about in the lobby. Some of them were sitting in chairs and relaxing, some were talking, some were trading Pokémon, and some of them were playing card games together. They could hear a number of voices from further inside the building, as well. Clearly this was a popular hangout.

"Sure seems a lot like a Pokémon Center," Ash commented, looking around. "It's cool, but why are they doing this? Do they make money off of this somehow?"

"No, I don't think they do," Serena answered. "I think this is all charity work, basically. The person leading Team Ace is a billionaire, named Byron."

"Byron?" Brock spoke up curiously. "Not the Sinnoh Gym Leader?"

She shook her head in response. "No, it's a different Byron. He used to be in the Kalos Air Force, before he became rich. Then he started doing all of his Team Ace stuff after the Vein Collapse."

"The Vein Collapse?" Ash looked over at her. "What's that?"

Serena turned back to him, incredulous, eyebrows raised. "What do you..." she began, before quickly calming herself. "Right, sorry. You don't live here. Um..." She looked around the lobby for a moment before walking over to a large map of Kalos, motioning for the others to follow.

"The Vein Collapse was a huge disaster that happened in Kalos about three years ago," she began to explain, as the others walked up behind her. "This long, enormous sinkhole opened up along the Western half of the region, about five hundred feet wide, and..." She reached up and touched the map with her index finger, drawing a line that began near the Kalos Power Plant, traveled along the northern part of the region, then dipped down through the mountains to the west, stopping just short of Cyllage City. "...About this long."

Iris goggled, stunned at the path Serena had just traced. "Are you kidding?! That has to be a hundred miles long!"

"A little more than that," Serena replied, stepping back, as Ash and Brock stared in amazement. "All of the coastal cities were really hit hard, some of them just from the quaking, not even from the vein itself. It was a huge amount of damage, and the government wasn't really well equipped to handle it."

"That's incredible," Brock muttered, eyes following the line, trying to imagine how much chaos that would have inflicted. "What could have caused something like that?"

"It's still a little unclear," she answered. "Most likely, it has to do with some old and ancient mines that might have been carved out under Kalos. If you go to some parts of the vein, you can see old wooden structures like that."

"Wow... so what happened?" Ash asked. "How did they fix it?"

She sighed. "I mean... a lot of it didn't get fixed. There are still large swaths of northwest Kalos that are collapsed."

"Like Route 13..." Iris commented, remembering how they couldn't travel right from Lumiose City to Coumarine City, putting the pieces together in her mind. Serena nodded in response.

"About a week after that, Byron went on TV and made this big announcement that he was forming Team Ace. They were going to do things like crime fighting, supporting travelers, funding Pokémon Centers and other things like that. That let the government focus on fixing what they could from the Collapse, like the rivers and the Power Plant. Team Ace has done lots of things for us since then."

"Well, it's good for us that they do," Ash commented, as they turned and moved toward the stairs, wanting to claim some beds. "Team Rocket might have taken off with Pikachu if it weren't for them." Pikachu, on Ash's shoulder, voiced his agreement.

"I wonder why this Byron went to so much trouble?" Brock wondered aloud. "You think he's just that altruistic?"

"I doubt it's just that," Iris added. "I bet he's just trying to get more people to like him." The cynicism was clear in her voice.

"Well, it's working," Ash replied, as the four of them walked into one of the rooms full of bunk beds; they each quickly claimed a bed, with the boys on one side and the girls on the other. Iris tossed her bag on the top bunk while Serena sat on the bottom one, opening up her performance bag and looking through it anxiously, making sure everything was in place. Ash watched her do so for a moment, eyebrows raising as she pulled out a thin, white tube roughly the length of her forearm, looking it over.

"What's that?" he asked, stepping closer curiously. "It looks like a giant lipstick tube or something."

She smirked at him. "That's exactly what it is." She reached it out toward his face. "Here, let me put some on you."

"Ack!" He backed up reflexively, bumping into his bed and falling back onto it, as Serena laughed.

"No, it's not lipstick, Ash. It's something I'll be using in the performance tonight."

Iris stepped closer for a better look. "You're allowed to use props?"

"We're allowed one," Serena answered, placing the tube back into her bag. "I had this specially made, to work with me and my Pokémon. If it works, it's going to be great."

"What is it?" Brock asked, highly curious.

She grinned in response. "You'll all find out tonight, when everyone else does." She zipped the bag up, placing it over her shoulder as she stood. "Come on, let's go get some food before I head to the theater. After the day we've had already, I'm pretty hungry."

The others nodded, walking out the door, with Serena following them after adjusting her bag on her shoulder. As they walked downstairs, continuing to talk about Kalos and Team Ace, none of them paid much attention to the mysterious figures in long coats in the lobby. As Serena walked by, one of them stealthily reached out and very carefully unzipped her bag. The second one quickly reached in, pulling out the tube before zipping the bag back up. Both of them dashed away as fast as possible, blending in with the crowd.

"Hm?" Serena noticed a gentle tug on the bag, glancing down at it, then around at the rest of the lobby. Not seeing anybody, she shrugged it off, assuming it got caught on something. She turned back, following the others, as the two mysterious figures traveled back upstairs, prop in tow.

An hour and a half later, the crew had eaten their fill and traveled to the Lagoon Theater, on the opposite side of Lagoon Town. The theater was less populated than the one in Coumarine City, as their current town was much smaller; the theater was smaller as well, seating fewer people, but the showcase had the same value as any other. As they walked through the lobby and down one of the hallways leading to the dressing room, Iris looked around curiously, seeing a lot of scared-looking girls in fancy dresses, with their Pokémon around them.

"Are these girls all performers?" she wondered. "Why do some of them look so terrified?"

Serena glanced around, taking a look. "This is probably the first showcase for a lot of them. Small-town showcases have smaller crowds. Those are less scary for newbies." She noticed several of the performers looking back at her, a bit awed, causing her to flush a bit and look down. Moments later, they reached the door of one of the dressing rooms, and everyone but Serena stopped a bit short, wanting to give the girls inside some privacy.

Ash smiled wide as she stepped up to the door. "Good luck, Serena! I know you're going to do great!"

She glanced back at him, smiling wide. "Thanks, Ash!" She unzipped her bag with one hand, reaching in, already running through her preparation checklist in her mind. "I can't wait for you all to..." She stopped talking suddenly, eyes widening as she rifled through her bag a bit more frantically. "Wait..."

Everyone watched, worried, as she dropped her bag to the ground and started looking through it with both hands, growing increasingly panicked. "Where is it, where is it, it has to be here..." She started pulling out clothes, accessories, makeup, trying to empty the bag in search of her lost item. "I know it put it back in here! Why is it gone?!"

"What's wrong?" Iris stepped forward, looking over the contents of the bag that were now all over the floor. She quickly realized what item should have been there, but wasn't. "Oh my gosh, that prop..."

"It's not here!" Serena started to panic, one hand running through her hair and holding her head. "I was so certain I brought it! Did I leave it back at the Ace Center?!"

"When do you go on?" Ash asked, stepping forward as well. "When do you need it?"

"I need it..." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and think through the schedule. "I would be performing last in the freestyle round again, and with the Theme Performance... probably 45 to 50 minutes from now?"

"Got it!" Ash started quickly walking backward, toward the entrance to the theater. "I'll be back with it by then, I promise!" He turned around and started running off, Pikachu in tow.

"Please hurry, Ash!" Serena called out after him, as everyone watched him run off. As he disappeared out the doors, she exhaled and started packing her bag again, with the assistance of Brock and Iris, before disappearing back into the dressing room, needing to get ready for the Theme Performance.

Twenty minutes later, Ash raced back into the room of the Ace Center where all of them were staying, a little out of breath. He quickly dashed toward Serena's bed, pulling the blankets back when he didn't see it right away. As he searched all around the bunk, he failed to notice the door closing behind him, firmly locking in place from the outside, as two people in long coats and hats emerged from the corners of the room. They stood in front of the door, waiting to be noticed, as Ash peeked under the bed, groaning in frustration.

"I don't see it anywhere... where could it be?" He stood up, turning toward the door. "I hope it didn't fall out while..." He immediately froze in place, heart stopping when he saw the door blocked by two strangers, not having noticed their presence at all.

"Who... who are you?" He took a step back, as Pikachu dropped to all fours, trying his best to look menacing. His eyes widened as one of them reached inside their coat, pulling out a familiar white tube.

"Looking for something?" the shadowy figure spoke, in a familiar female voice. Ash's eyes widened, recognizing the voice, as both of them grabbed their coats and hats and whipped them off, revealing the dirty and tattered uniforms they had on underneath.

"No way!" Ash gritted his teeth. "Not you two again!"

"You can't get rid of us that easily!" Jessie smirked, folding her arms, still holding onto the prop. "Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!" James added.

"To protect the world from mmphmph!" Jessie's speech was quickly interrupted, as Ash grabbed the blanket off of the floor and flung it at her face, muffling her as it wrapped around her head.

"I don't have time for this!" He reached down and threw out a Poké Ball, with Snivy appearing in the room seconds later, as James tried to get Jessie free of the blanket. "Snivy! Trip them up and get that prop!"

Snivy nodded, reaching out with her vines, snagging one foot from each of the two villains in front of them; she yanked hard, toppling them both to the ground. As they tried to get up, she used one of her vines to snag the tube, pulling it back as Ash worked to open up the window behind him. Seconds later, both Jessie and James sat up, Jessie finally getting the blanket off of her head.

"You little brat!" she exclaimed as her face emerged, furious. "We finally remember our speech, and you interrupt it! How rude can you get?!"

"Ask me if I care!" Ash managed to get the window open, looking back at his Pokémon. "Pikachu, Snivy, let's go!"

Both of his Pokémon nodded and moved back toward him, Pikachu leaping into his arms. Both Jessie and James watched with wide eyes as he put one foot on the windowsill, taking the tube from Snivy before leaping out. His Pokémon quickly followed him.

"What?!" They both ran over to the windowsill, watching as Ash and Pikachu started to fall down to the ground; they was dropping down two stories toward solid concrete, which was not going to be a fun experience. As Ash fell, he looked up as he felt one of Snivy's vines wrapping around his hand, and he grasped it tightly. Snivy looked back upward, sending out her other vine to grab at the windowsill. Ash started swinging down toward the ground instead of falling, his feet touching the concrete safely instead of slamming into it. Snivy sighed in relief, letting go of the windowsill as Ash ran forward, catching her in his arms.

"Better luck next time, guys!" he called out, returning Snivy to her Poké Ball before turning and running back toward the Lagoon Theater. Jessie growled, pounding the windowsill with her fist.

"That little... I can't believe he escaped like that!"

"Honestly, that was kind of impressive," James spoke, a bit of wonder in his voice as he watched Ash run off. "He's pretty fearless, you have to give him that."

"We can praise him later!" she retorted, turning and running to the door, pounding on it. "We have to get after him!" Meowth quickly unlocked the door from the other side, and all three of them raced downstairs in pursuit.

Back at the theater, Brock and Iris were sitting in the audience, watching the first of the three finalists dancing through her Freestyle Performance, accompanied by the bird-like Swellow and the flower Pokémon Roselia. They were trying their best to focus on the stage, but in the back of their minds, they were both worried about Serena's upcoming performance. She had sailed through the Theme Performance, but her fate in the final round still remained in doubt.

"Do you think he made it back?" Iris whispered.

"I doubt he's back yet," Brock responded quietly. "He's going to be cutting it pretty close, considering how far away we were." He frowned a bit. "Serena might have to perform without this prop, if she's unlucky. Maybe she can win anyway?"

"I'm not sure about that," she replied, watching as the ten-year-old brunette on stage danced her way into a one-handed handstand. "This Madison girl on stage right now, she's been really..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the performer lost her balance, falling forward and landing flat on her back. Nearly the entire audience gasped as one, as both Iris and Brock winced.

"Alright, never mind," Iris continued. "Still, it's better if Serena doesn't have to take chances."

Brock nodded, and they both watched as the extremely embarrassed performer got back to her feet, continuing her dance, much more chastened than before. They both hoped that when Serena took the stage, she'd have everything she needed.

Running as quickly as he could with Pikachu in his arms, Ash grinned wide as he saw the Lagoon Theater come into view. He quickly checked the time on his phone, seeing that he was going to cut it extremely close. He was already breathing heavily, tapping into the last of his stamina reserves, not about to let Serena down when she needed him.

Holding onto Pikachu tightly, he yelped and screeched to a stop as a ball of light fell from the sky and landed in front of him, exploding in a small burst of energy. Looking upward, he saw a large, dragonfly-esque Yanmega flying overhead, recovering energy for another usage of her Ancient Power attack.

"You aren't getting away that easily!" He turned around, eyes widening and fists clenching as he saw Jessie and James chasing after him on stolen bicycles, with Meowth standing on James's handlebars.

"You... why can't you two just leave me alone?!" Ash turned around and started running again, pulling Snivy back out, needing as much help as he could get. "Snivy, use Leaf Storm on those bicycles!"

Snivy leaped onto Ash's shoulder, raising her arms and summoning a flurry of leaves around her, flinging them downward toward the tires of the oncoming bicycles.

"Yanmega! Sonic Boom!" Jessie called out, pedaling faster. Her Pokémon chirped and aimed her wings downward, firing a shockwave of air directly into the path of the oncoming leaves. The leaves scattered and flew about, sent off course, failing to damage the bicycles in any way.

Ash glanced backward, gritting his teeth, holding Pikachu up in the air. "Electro Ball, Pikachu! Get that Yanmega!"

He tossed Pikachu into the air in front of him, as his Pokémon formed a ball of electricity on his tail; he flung it upward toward Yanmega before falling back down into Ash's arms. The Electro Ball attack flew upward, but the dragonfly Pokémon was able to just barely dodge, its movements extremely quick. Yanmega cried out and charged up its energy, firing another blast of Ancient Power toward Ash, nearly knocking him off his feet. He quickly regained his balance, starting to worry about his chances of evading capture, as his pursuers got closer and closer. The Pokémon flying overhead started charging up once again, longer than before, preparing to unleash the most powerful form of Ancient Power she could muster.

"What do I do, what do I do..." He looked to his left and right, seeing a number of trees lining the walkway he was running along. As he saw the immaculately-trimmed leaves and branches, he got an idea, glancing sideways at the Pokémon on his shoulder.

"Snivy! Grab some branches and trip up those bikes!"

Snivy nodded, understanding quickly, reaching her vines out to the left and right, snapping a couple of branches off of the trees surrounding them. She quickly turned around and stretched her vines out toward Jessie and James, quickly sliding the branches in between the spokes of their front wheels.

Both of them yelped in panic as their bicycles locked up, flipping them forward and launching them over the handlebars; all three of them landed in a pile on the walkway, their stolen bicycles flying forward and landing on top of them. Yanmega stopped its pursuit, turning around, panicked and worried about her trainer, Jessie; she was still holding a massive ball of white energy in her hands.

"Now, Pikachu! Thunder Bolt that Yanmega!"

Pikachu nodded and jumped onto Ash's other shoulder, charging himself up for a few moments before unleashing a powerful bolt of electricity. The bolt landed a direct hit on Yanmega, who yelped in pain for a moment before falling to the ground, sore and dazed.

"You..." Jessie growled, sitting up. "You're going to pay for..." She stopped herself as a bright light entered her vision, and she looked downward toward it, curious. James and Meowth looked toward it as well, seeing the large, bright ball of energy from Yanmega's last Ancient Power attack. They all panicked, trying to scramble away, before the ball exploded in a massive burst of energy, sending all four of them flying away, screaming.

Ash sighed in relief. "That should take care of them. Let's go, guys!" He started running as fast as he could, panting hard, but not about to stop now. He held the white tube tightly in his hands, hoping that the pursuit of Team Rocket wouldn't make him too late.

"An excellent performance from Laura!" the master of ceremonies spoke into his microphone, as the second performer concluded her dance. "Everyone, give her a big hand!"

From the side of the stage, Serena watched as the audience applauded her competition, her heart sinking as she realized she would be performing in a matter of seconds. She had discussed some small changes with her Pokémon, but they hadn't had any time to practice; something was almost guaranteed to go wrong during her performance. She could already see herself losing at the end of the show, with the showcase host handing a Princess Key to Laura instead of her.

"And now, for our final performance, the talented Serena! Let's give her a proper Lagoon Town welcome!"

From the audience, Iris and Brock watched as she nervously walked on stage, already looking defeated. They scanned her hands, quickly realizing that the prop she needed was not there. Ash hadn't made it in time.

Serena took a deep breath, closing her eyes, waiting for her music to start as the applause wound down. Her meager concentration was interrupted by the sound of doors bursting open, causing her to jump a bit. Everyone in the room turned around and looked backwards, seeing an exhausted Ash running down the center aisle, holding the white tube in his hand. She gasped, her eyes lighting up and her heart leaping.

"Here!" he called out weakly as he reached the front of the room, tossing the tube on stage just as the performance music began. Serena stepped forward and caught it in her hand, swinging her arm backward in one elegant motion, causing most of the white container to fly off and clatter backstage, revealing a long, crimson ribbon that quickly unrolled itself.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing into a sitting position in the aisle, gasping for air after his marathon sprint. He watched as Serena started dancing with her ribbon, spinning about, and he wondered what it was that made this particular prop so special. His question was answered thirty seconds into the performance: as she spun the ribbon around above her head, her Delphox stepped forward and touched her flaming stick to the ribbon, causing the entire thing to ignite.

The audience gasped in shock and amazement as the dancing began in earnest, with Serena dragging the flaming ribbon behind her, spinning it about. The ribbon left traces of flame in the air behind it, which lingered in place for just a few moments; she used this to create flaming rings in the air, which her Pancham eagerly leaped and flipped through, clearing every single one with ease.

Once again, Ash was unable to look away from Serena as she danced, jumped, spun and cartwheeled around the stage. Several times, he practically stopped breathing as she came uncomfortably close to the flame trailing about her, but she never once got burned. He tried to think about how many times she must have practiced this, to be able to execute it so expertly, because she looked as if she had done it thousands of times.

As the music started winding down, she began spinning in place in the middle of the stage, the ribbon creating flaming rings around her. As Pancham and Sylveon continued performing in front of her, Delphox reached out and took the handle of the ribbon out of Serena's outstretched hand. She grinned and moved her hand slightly, running it along the ribbon and collecting the flames in her ungloved palm, causing the audience to gasp once again.

Ash watched with wide eyes as she completely stripped the ribbon of its flame, before she tossed it into the air above her. Her Sylveon used one last Fairy Wind to send the flame outward, flying above the heads of the audience, where it slowly disappeared into embers. Serena grinned wide as she finished her performance in center stage, one foot in front of the other, arms stretched out above her head in a Y shape. Ash, along with half the audience, carefully inspected her hands, but found no signs that she had been burnt at all, despite holding fire in one of them just seconds ago.

The audience broke into loud applause, not nearly as loud as the one in Coumarine City due to the smaller size, but they were appreciative all the same. Serena was still grinning from ear to ear as she stepped back, while Madison, Laura and the master of ceremonies all came back on stage for the audience vote.

"You've seen all three performers, and now it's time to cast your vote! Remember that a green vote is for Madison, a pink vote is for Laura, and a yellow vote is for Serena! Raise your Glow Casters and vote... now!"

Ash reflexively reached for his Glow Caster, before realizing that he'd never received one, after running off back to the Ace Center. He crossed his fingers, watching nervously as the votes started coming in from the rest of the audience; the results were nowhere near as clear-cut as they were in Coumarine City, and it was quickly shaping up into a tight, two-person race between Laura and Serena.

When the lights finally faded, Ash breathed a sigh of relief at the results, as the crowd cheered. Serena had managed to just barely edge out Laura, by a margin that couldn't have been more than five votes, out of an audience of hundreds; the other performer, Madison, had taken a distant third after her fall. As the host formally announced Serena's victory, her eyes met Ash's, and he gave her a thumbs-up before collapsing onto his back, still breathing hard. He was just barely able to hear her delighted laughter over the sound of the applause.

Five minutes later, Ash had recovered somewhat, and was making his way through the back hallways of the Lagoon Theater, trying to remember where the doors to the stage were. After a minute of searching, he managed to find Serena outside the stage door, talking to the last of a small crowd of youngsters who had gathered for her, much smaller than the one in Coumarine City. As soon as he saw her stand up straight, he called out her name.

"Hey, Serena!" She quickly turned toward him, eyes lighting up.

"Ash!" she exclaimed happily, as they both started walking toward each other.

"You did an amazing job!" he continued as they slowly came within a few feet of each other. "That fire ribbon was really-"

As he was still talking, Serena reached out and grasped his hand, pulling him closer to her. He abruptly stopped talking as she leaned in and kissed his cheek appreciatively, her lips lingering for a second before she stepped away, his hand still clasped in hers.

"Thank you so much for doing that, Ash," she spoke gently, watching as his face flushed red. "You really came through for me."

"S... sure, of course..." he stammered back, clearly taken by surprise and unprepared for what had just happened. She grinned wide, amused, liking the idea that she had some sort of power over him. She could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

"I just need to get changed and cleaned up quickly," she continued. "I'll meet you guys back in the lobby, alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah... see you there."

She let go of his hand and stepped back, grinning as she turned away, deciding not to tell Ash that she had left a lipstick mark on his cheek. She'd leave that for Iris and Brock to find.

Serena quickly made her way back to the dressing room, placing her hand on the doorknob, but she hesitated for a moment before opening the door. She could hear the distinct sound of someone crying on the other side, not openly bawling, but clearly too upset to restrain herself. She slowly and quietly opened the door, peeking in, seeing a familiar girl with long, curly brown hair. Madison had changed back into her normal clothes, tears rolling down her cheeks as she threw her things into her performance bag, utterly humiliated.

Serena's eyes widened, as she quickly debated whether to enter or to give this sobbing girl a moment alone. As she thought it over, she recalled her mother talking to her in their home, reminding Serena about her ability to make people smile, and how special it made her. She set her face and opened the door all the way, stepping inside.

"Madison?" she asked quietly, startling the young girl. "Are you alright?"

Madison quickly whirled around, eyes widening as she saw who was there. "Serena! I... I was just..." A wave of conflicting emotions ran through her, as she found herself face-to-face with one of her idols, but in one of the worst possible circumstances. She wasn't sure what to say in response; she wanted to make an excuse, but it was painfully obvious what she had been doing. She felt her face heating up, as embarrassment washed over her.

"I remember you," Serena continued, her voice gentle, as she closed the door behind her. "You came to see me after the Coumarine City Showcase, right? I didn't know you were a performer, too."

Madison looked down, wiping her eyes. "I'm not a performer. Not anymore."

"You're not? What do you mean?"

She turned back to her bag, putting her makeup kit inside, fresh tears falling. "This is the worst night of my life. I've never felt more embarrassed before. I don't ever want to do this again." She zipped up the bag as angrily as she could manage. "Everyone told me I couldn't do this, and they were right. I can't. I'm going back home."

Serena bit her lip, her heart immediately aching for this poor girl. As she looked down at Madison, she could see herself as a nervous and embarrassed new performer, upset and humiliated over her own loss.

"I know what you mean, Madison." She took a seat in a nearby chair. "My first performance went really badly, too. I didn't even make it to the second round."

Madison blinked, turning back toward Serena, not having known about this. "You didn't...? Really?"

Serena nodded. "The first round was Pokémon Styling, and I made my Fennekin's ribbons too long. She tripped on it and fell, and that was that." She rested her hands in her lap, sitting back. "I was so upset, I cried and cried... but after that, I picked myself up, and I tried again. I haven't really looked back since."

"Wow..." Madison seemed almost shaken by this information. "I didn't know you screwed up in your first performance, too. I don't think I've ever seen you screw up."

Serena grinned back. "That's because I've already screwed up a thousand times before, so you don't have to see it. It's never fun, but every time it happens, it stings a little less. And when everything goes well and everyone's smiling because of you, it's the best feeling in the world."

Madison leaned back against the counter, contemplating this, feeling a bit like her world had been turned upside-down. Serena let the silence hang in the air for a moment before continuing.

"Why did you decide to give performing a try, Madison?"

"Well..." The younger girl looked upward, thinking. "I always liked dancing, and playing with my Pokémon... I used to dance for my family when I was younger, putting on these pretend shows, and..." She turned a bit pink, embarrassed, as she realized what she was admitting to. "Well... it just felt really good to perform for them... they way they smiled and clapped..."

Serena smiled wide. "I know just how you feel." She leaned forward a bit. "You and I are a lot alike, I think."

Madison's eyes widened, taking this as an enormous compliment. "You... you think so?"

"Mhmm. We both enjoy performing for its own sake, and we like to make others happy. Those are great qualities for a performer to have... especially ones who are trying to become Kalos Queen one day."

"Kalos Queen?" Madison looked down, holding her face in her hands. "No way, I could never..."

"Don't sell yourself short," Serena offered. "You never know how things are going to go." She stood up. "If you really don't enjoy doing these showcases, then you don't have to keep doing them. You should find something you like. But I think you should give it at least one more try. You're far too talented to give up so soon."

Madison's eyes were wide as saucers as she looked back up. "You mean it...?"

"Of course I do!" Serena smiled warmly down at her. "You're much better than I was when I was your age."

Madison flushed a deep red once again, almost overwhelmed by the sheer power of such a compliment. After a few moments, she nodded resolutely. "Alright... I'll try one more time, I promise."

Serena grinned wide, glad that she was able to lift this girl's spirits. "Glad to hear it, Madison. Maybe we'll see each other again soon."

"I hope so!" Madison grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, making her way to the door, a bit of a spring in her step. As she grasped the doorknob, she paused and turned around. "Serena? Can I ask you one more thing?"

Serena nodded. "Of course. What is it?"

"Well... your performance tonight... how on Earth did you hold fire in your hand like that?!"

She laughed, not expecting that question. "It's a cold-burning flame, from a special residue on the ribbon. It's hot, but not hot enough to burn skin."

"Huh..." She looked as if her mind had been blown for a second time, thinking about the applications of this.

Serena smirked, able to tell what she was thinking. "Don't play with fire, Madison. Not unless you really know what you're doing."

The young girl grinned back, her mood greatly improved. "I won't, promise." She opened the door. "Thanks, Serena! Congratulations on your win!"

Serena nodded, smiling wide as the young girl stepped out, closing the door behind her. She felt her chest swell with pride, glad that she was able to help someone who needed it, before she quickly got to changing.

Several minutes later, Serena appeared in the lobby with her performance bag slung over her shoulder, looking around for her companions and quickly finding them. She could see Brock and Iris with teasing smirks on their faces, looking toward a rather red-faced Ash, who had a smudged and half-removed lipstick mark on his cheek. She giggled and covered her mouth as she approached, ready to leave with them and get some rest.

Chapter Text

Later that night, all four travelers had returned to the Ace Center, where they had changed rooms out of an abundance of caution. All of them were in their sleep clothes, but there was no sleeping going on yet. Iris was lying in her bed, Axew curled up happily by her side, as she answered messages on her phone. Ash and Brock were standing around Serena, watching as she showed them the magic behind the fire ribbon she had used in her performance.

"This is the oil that the ribbon is doused in," she explained, pulling a container of liquid out of her bag. "It ignites at a relatively low temperature, so the flame isn't as dangerous as it looks. You can even touch it."

Ash and Brock watched with rapt attention, with Iris glancing over from her bunk, as Serena opened the bottle and poured a small amount of oil into her palm. Handing off the bottle to Brock, she pulled a lighter out of her bag; she flicked it on with her thumb and very carefully brought the flame to her palm. As soon as the lighter's flame touched it, the oil in her palm ignited, burning with a dim but lively flame.

"Whoa!" Brock exclaimed, leaning in closer. "I've never seen anything like that before!"

"That's amazing!" Ash added, watching the flame dance in her palm, without any sort of reaction from her. "That isn't hot at all?"

"Oh no, it's very hot," she replied. "It's pretty uncomfortable, actually. But it takes a long time to burn your skin, so it works well for performances." She reached down and grabbed a damp hand towel she had nearby, wiping off her palm, dousing the flame and removing the oil. "Do either of you want to try it? It's safe, I promise."

"Sure!" Ash held out his hand eagerly. "I doubt I'll get another chance to hold fire like that." Serena grinned wide, taking the bottle back from Brock and pouring some oil into Ash's hand, as everyone watched curiously, including Pikachu.

"Alright, hold still so the lighter doesn't burn you," she commanded, grabbing the lighter and flicking it on. She brought the flame to the oil, everyone watching carefully as it caught. As soon as the oil burst into flame, Ash began screaming in pain.

"Yahh! It burns!" He grabbed his wrist close to his hand, starting to run around the room as the fire danced around in his palm. "Put it out! Put it out!"

Serena shrieked, immediately dropping the lighter and running over to him to douse the flame, before realizing she didn't have her hand towel with her. She quickly turned around, nearly falling as she raced over and picked up the damp cloth, panicking. As she turned back to face Ash, it took her a second to realize that he was no longer screaming in pain; he was laughing instead, nearly doubled over, his free hand resting on his knee.

"Oh man, you should have seen your face!" he managed, cackling.

Serena exhaled, equal parts relieved and annoyed, walking over to him more calmly. She could hear Brock sighing in relief, while Iris laughed along with Ash from her bunk.

"Honestly, Ash." She grabbed his wrist, running the towel over his hand, removing the oil and the flame together.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," he replied, grinning.

"Yes, you could." She flicked her wrist upward, tossing the towel into his face in retaliation, before turning and walking back to her bunk, starting to put her things away as she sat down. Ash walked over as well, folding up the towel and handing it to her, before turning and looking up toward Iris, who was lying back and looking at her phone once again.

"What are you doing up there, Iris?" he asked. "You've been looking at your phone for ten minutes now."

"I'm answering questions from the students I have running the gym," she answered, not looking in his direction. "They're in a little bit over their heads, sounds like."

"They?" Brock wondered, leaning against the wall near the window. "How many are running the gym?"

"Three of them. Each of them has one really strong Pokémon, so they're all fighting together against challengers."

Ash grinned. "So it takes three Academy students to make one of you, huh?"

Iris smirked. "Darn right, it does."

Serena zipped up her performance bag, leaning forward and glancing upward toward Iris's bunk. "How do the students like having you as the new Gym Leader?"

"They don't," Iris replied flatly. "A lot of them are bitter that the gym is being run by an Academy dropout. They're not subtle about it, either."

"What?! That's terrible!" Serena exclaimed, upset on Iris's behalf. "What sort of things do they say to you?"

"Eh, they say a lot of snotty things. They're brats." Iris shrugged, not sounding bothered. "It doesn't matter. I let my Pokémon do the talking for me, and none of them can come close to beating me." She hit the send button on the message she was currently writing. "Sometimes they complain to Drayden about it. He usually sets them straight."

"Drayden?" Ash cocked his head. "I thought you said he retired?"

"He retired from the gym, that's all. He's still headmaster of the Opelucid Academy. He's a workhorse. He probably won't retire fully until he's 150 years old."

"Huh." Brock stood up. "Why'd he quit the gym, them?"

Iris hesitated for a moment, the pause both noticeable and awkward. "I'm not sure," she responded after a few seconds. "Maybe he was just too busy." She set her phone aside, plugging it in to charge for the night.

"Well, it sounds like he's pretty firmly on your side," Serena chimed in. "That's good to hear."

"Mm." Iris nodded, tucking herself into bed, a little bit lost in thought. She felt Axew crawl onto her pillow, curling up next to her; she reached up and scratched his head for a few seconds, as the others got into bed as well.

"Goodnight, guys," Ash spoke, walking to the door and turning off the lights. "We're off for Shalour City tomorrow." He walked back to his bunk and climbed in, as Iris closed her eyes. Her mind drifted back to Drayden and the Opelucid City Gym, recalling the day she became Gym Leader, as she slowly drifted off.

Two days after Serena's showcase in Lagoon Town, Ash and his friends were walking through downtown Shalour City in the middle of the afternoon. Iris and Brock looked around curiously, while Ash and Serena had confused looks on their faces as they inspected the city, and the people in it.

"Serena, was Shalour City this... blue the last time we were here?" Ash wondered aloud, eyes moving from one building to the next, the distinct ocean-like coloring appearing on decorations in all sorts of places. "It's like the whole city was redecorated."

"I don't know," Serena responded, equally confused as she took in the city around her. "I haven't been here in years, but I sure don't remember this."

"Is it not supposed to be like this?" Iris asked, glancing down toward the beach at the edge of the city. "I figured it was just a beach destination. There's enough people in swimsuits here." Her eyes moved from one person to the next, noticing the unusually high number of them dressed to swim.

"It is a beach city, but still, this is more than I remember," Serena answered. "And there sure weren't this many swimmers around."

"Maybe it's because of the Water Festival that's happening here," Brock chimed in, pointing to a banner hanging from a nearby streetlamp. Everyone turned to look at it, reading it quickly.

"'Celebrate the beauty and grace of Water-type Pokémon at the third annual Shalour City Water Festival,'" Ash recited, cocking his head. "I hadn't heard anything about a festival. How long has this been going on?" Serena shrugged, equally at a loss, as Iris took out her phone and started looking up information.

"Let's see... it says here that the Water Festival started a couple years ago, a few months after the Shalour City Gym changed hands."

"Changed hands?" Serena's eyebrows raised, as she turned back toward Iris. "You mean Korrina's gone?"

"Wait, seriously?" Ash exclaimed, his shock quickly giving way to disappointment. "We're not going to be able to see Korrina?"

"I guess not?" Iris responded, continuing to scroll. "It says she went on a 'personal journey of strength', whatever that means."

"Oh..." The energy fell away from Serena's voice. "I was really looking forward to catching up with her. It's been too long since we've seen each other."

"Yeah, me too," Ash agreed, feeling similarly dejected as a long-awaited reunion went up in smoke. "Plus, all the training I did on Route 12 was for a battle against Korrina." He glanced toward Pikachu, sitting on his shoulder, who gave him a concerned look in return. "Is it even a Fighting-type gym still?"

Iris looked over the information she was reading once again, scrolling through it with her thumb. "Um... no, apparently not."

"Great..." Ash sighed, slumping forward a bit, feeling dejected. "All that time spent training, down the drain... I should have double-checked before we left. What a dumb mistake." Serena frowned, reaching out and rubbing his shoulder comfortingly, as Iris glanced back at her phone.

"A member of the Kalos Elite Four named Siebold stepped in to run the gym, it sounds like," she continued. "A few months later he held the first Water Festival. Ever since then, it's been a 'Water-type Pokémon paradise.'"

"So I'm guessing it's now a Water-type gym?" Brock wondered aloud. Iris nodded as she put her phone away.

"A Water-type gym?" Ash's eyes lit up with realization. "Wait, that's perfect!" He stood up fully, turning back toward his friends. "I've already got two strong Pokémon with type advantages against Water types. Getting that badge will be a walk in the park!"

"That's true, Ash," Brock responded cheerfully. "After a bit of training, you shouldn't have too much trouble."

"No way, I don't need to train for this," Ash replied, to Brock's surprise. "I was already going to have my Gym battle against Korrina today. I'll just have a battle with Siebold instead."

"Ash, are you serious?" Iris had concern written all over her face. "You're going to just waltz up and take out a member of the Elite Four without any practice?"

"I can do it!" he answered confidently. "Sure, it might not be a cakewalk, but Snivy and Pikachu are going to be more than a match for him." He glanced sideways toward Pikachu, who gave him a supportive nod, before he turned around. "Come on, guys! It's low tide, so the bridge to the gym will be exposed. Let's go!"

"Ash, hold on!" Serena reached out toward him to try and stop his charge, but he was already off and running. She sighed, lowering her arm. "Well, you can't fault his confidence."

"Oh, yes you can," Iris replied, unimpressed, starting to walk after him. "Come on, we better go make sure he doesn't embarrass himself." The three of them started following Ash to the gym, hoping that his confidence wasn't unfounded.

Several minutes later, the group had crossed the bridge separating the gym from the rest of Shalour City, and had made their way inside. Ash was standing in the challenger's position on the battlefield, Pikachu by his feet, standing in front of a large pool of water that had a number of ice floes floating on top of it. Serena, Brock and Iris made their way into the bleachers that were on either side of the battlefield.

All of them were looking toward the other side of the arena, where the new Gym Leader was standing in position. He was a tall and slender man with short blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a rather regal-looking white outfit. He quickly sized up his opponent, looking a bit skeptical for a moment.

"Hm. Ask Ketchum, yes?" the man spoke. "And this battle is for your third badge?"

Ash nodded. "That's right."

The Gym Leader smirked. "Well, let's see if you can provide me with a rich and satisfying battle." He reached down to his belt, taking a Poké Ball and holding it in his hand. "My name is Siebold, and I lead this gym with my powerful Water-type Pokémon. Beat me in a three-on-three battle, and the Torrent Badge is yours. Are you ready?"

"You bet!" Ash replied cheerfully, trying his best to exude confidence. Standing in front of Siebold now, he was starting to worry about the outcome of this battle; he tried his best to push it down, not wanting to look weak in front of everyone.

"Well then, let's see what you have to offer." Siebold threw his Poké Ball out onto the field, bringing out a ten-pointed, purple starfish Pokémon with a red jewel in the center, hovering in the air. "Starmie, let's get things started!"

Ash took a deep breath, reaching down for a Poké Ball of his own, tossing it onto the ice floe closest to him. "Snivy, I choose you!"

As Ash's Pokémon emerged from the ball, Siebold didn't make any attempt to hide his lack of amusement. Nearly every trainer that battled in his gym played to type advantages. Most of them left disappointed.

"Both trainers are ready!" announced the referee, standing on the side of the battlefield, flags raised. "Let the battle begin!"

Ash stepped up, wanting to launch the first attack. "Alright, Snivy! Leaf Storm! Aim for its jewel!"

Snivy acted quickly, forming a number of leaves around herself and flinging them toward her foe. Starmie turned and flew away from danger, spinning like a disc, curving around toward Ash's side of the battlefield. He grinned, having wanted Starmie to come a bit closer.

"Now! Grab it with Vine Whip!"

Snivy's vines extended from her collar, reaching out toward Starmie and wrapping around two of its appendages. Siebold watched with amusement, smirking as Snivy got a firm grip.

"Use Rapid Spin, Starmie!"

As Ash's Pokémon tried to pull her opponent in and throw it around, Starmie started to spin around quickly. Snivy was caught off guard, her feet having absolutely no grip on the icy platform, and soon she was lifted off her feet, being spun around in circles in the air. Ash watched her fly about, not sure what to do, wondering if things would be better or worse if Snivy let go. Starmie made the decision for him, pulling its appendages in slightly, sliding them out of Snivy's grip. The snake Pokémon flew across the battlefield, crashing heavily into the floe she had been standing on before.

Snivy groaned as she got to her feet, looking back toward her opponent, but the only thing in her field of vision was a wall of water. She had no time to get away before the giant wave slammed into her, sweeping her along; when the wave subsided, Snivy was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh no!" Serena gasped, eyes carefully scanning the water, as Iris and Brock did the same. A few seconds later, a pair of vines reached out of the water and grabbed the edge of the platform, and Snivy pulled herself out of the water and back onto dry land, coughing and spitting out water. All three of the spectators breathed a sigh of relief.

"Starmie's strong... really strong," Ash muttered, frowning. He had hoped he would get a chance to use Attract to stymie his opponent during this battle, but it wasn't going to work against a genderless Pokémon like Starmie. He'd have to just stay on the offensive. "Keep using Leaf Storm! Fill the air with leaves so it can't escape!"

Snivy replied with another cough, still choking on water, but she formed another barrage of leaves, then another, and another. She sent them toward Starmie one after the other, forcing Siebold's Pokémon to flee as best it could. Starmie flew through the air, spinning rapidly as it dodged as many leaves as possible, but several of them managed to get through and deal damage due to their sheer quantity. The strain of creating so many Leaf Storms was taking a toll on the waterlogged Snivy, but she refused to show weakness.

"Starmie, use Psychic on those leaves!" Siebold commanded confidently. Starmie stopped spinning and focused for a moment, its jewel glowing with a red light, and a moment later all of the leaves surrounding it froze in place. Starmie flexed one of its appendages, and the leaves all turned and shot back toward their owner.

"Stop them with Vine Whip!" Ash responded. Snivy swung her leaves about in front of herself, slicing up as many leaves as she could, but she still took a fair amount of damage from the attack, though not as much as Starmie had.

Ash bit his lip as he watched Snivy catch her breath, much more drained than she should have been. She was losing energy at a rapid pace, still having trouble breathing after choking on water from the pool. At this rate, she wasn't going to take down Starmie before being defeated herself, leaving Pikachu to battle his way through multiple Pokémon by himself.

As he looked back at his Pokémon, racking his brain, Snivy suddenly found herself enveloped in a red aura. She quickly glanced down at herself, not sure what was going on, yelping as she rose into the air.

Siebold grinned, watching as his Starmie used Psychic on his opponent, taking control of her body. "Now, finish it off!"

As his Starmie focused, Snivy began to zoom through the air around the arena, panicking and starting to get dizzy. Ash watched from below, clenching his fist, not knowing how she was going to get out of this; all of her attacks required her body moving about a fair bit to unleash, either her vines or her limbs. After several long seconds, Snivy suddenly stopped above the ice floe closest to Ash, before she started to rocket downward. She screamed as she plummeted until she hit the ice, flat on her stomach, landing almost hard enough to crack the ice.

"No!" Ash stepped forward, trying to get a closer look, wanting to see if Snivy could still fight. As he got a good look at her face, however, it became clear that she was down for the count.

"Snivy is unable to continue the battle!" the referee announced, raising a flag on Siebold's side of the arena. "Starmie wins the bout!"

Iris groaned, disappointed. "This is bad... Pikachu's really going to have to pick up the slack." Her companions nodded, looking toward Ash, wondering what he was going to do next.

Back on the battlefield, Ash's heart was pounding as he reached for his Poké Ball to bring Snivy back. He had already been at a bit of a disadvantage when they started, having expected two of his Pokémon to do the bulk of the work, but with Snivy out of the picture, he found himself in a deep hole that he wasn't sure how to get out of. Pikachu was going to have to work miracles if he was going to get that badge.

He glanced down toward the Pokémon at his feet. "Alright, Pikachu. It'll be tough, but you're the strongest Electric-type Pokémon I know. If anyone can do this, it's you."

Pikachu looked up, giving his trainer a determined and reassuring look, before running out onto the nearest floe. Siebold remained unimpressed, not expecting much of anything out of this trainer anymore.

"The challenger's Pokémon is ready!" the referee announced. "The battle shall resume now!"

Siebold paused, waiting for the challenger to inevitably make his move. Instead, Ash held fast, exercising some restraint and waiting. The Gym Leader raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was newfound wisdom or a panicked, on-the-fly change in strategy.

"Alright, if that's how you like it." Siebold turned toward his Pokémon. "Starmie, use Psychic again!"

Starmie focused, and a fraction of a second later a red aura enveloped Pikachu just as it had Snivy. He tried to flail about for a moment, but Ash was remaining calm.

"Respond with Thunder Bolt, Pikachu! You can do it!"

His Pokémon closed his eyes tight, focusing hard and fighting against the power of the Psychic attack. He was able to flex his muscles just enough to summon electricity, and everyone watched with surprise as the bolt shot forward, zapping the unsuspecting Starmie. Both Pokémon fell back to the ground, with Pikachu landing lightly on his feet, and Starmie landing painfully on its back.

"Well, how about that? You've got some fight in you after all." Siebold grinned. "This battle may be more fulfilling than I expected."

"You can count on that!" Ash responded, starting to feel a bit more confident. "Don't let up, Pikachu! Electroweb!"

He watched as his Pokémon threw out a web of electricity toward his opponent, hoping that it would move quick enough, but Starmie was able to quickly recover and dodge, flying up into the air.

"Electro Ball!" Ash shouted. "Keep flinging until you hit your mark!"

"Water Gun, Starmie!" Siebold responded.

Both Pokémon started moving about the arena, firing projectiles at each other; Pikachu leaped from floe to floe, firing balls of electricity, while Starmie flew through the air shooting jets of water downward. Ash's friends watched nervously as the competitors sparred, wondering who was going to land the first hit.

The first one to hit their mark was Starmie; it eventually held still to take better aim, managing to hit Pikachu right in the face, knocking him to the edge of the floe and partway into the water. That momentary pause, however, gave Pikachu an easier target, and one of his Electro Balls perfectly hit its mark. Starmie was briefly incapacitated by the attack, as Pikachu clambered back onto the ice, coughing and spitting up water.

"Now's your chance!" Ash called out, clenching his fists. "Knock it down with Iron Tail!"

His Pokémon took a second to catch his breath before leaping forward, his tail becoming hard as iron. He swung it overhead, knocking the stunned Starmie down onto the ice below, incapacitating it further.

"Volt Tackle, Pikachu!" Ash shouted, not wanting to take any chances with this opponent.

"Don't let him do it!" Siebold called out. "Stop it with Psychic!" His call fell on deaf ears, however, as Starmie was still too stunned to act. Pikachu plummeted down on it from above, electricity coursing through his body as he slammed into poor Starmie headfirst, delivering a powerful shock.

A second later, Pikachu jumped back, trying his best to catch his breath as he coughed up some more water. Ash watched nervously to see if Starmie would get up and continue to battle, but a few seconds later, it became clear that it would not, as the referee raised one of his flags.

"Starmie is unable to battle! Ash wins the round, and each trainer now has two Pokémon left!"

Up in the bleachers, Brock, Iris and Serena all sighed in relief together, glad to see that this wasn't going to be a complete rout. Ash was relieved as well, but still nervous, as he looked over Pikachu, who was still coughing in response to the Water Gun. Being unable to breathe properly, he had spent more energy than necessary with those last few attacks, just like Snivy had, and now he was in worse shape than Ash was hoping for.

"Not bad, but you'll have to do more than that to give me a satisfying battle." Siebold returned Starmie to its Poké Ball, then grabbed another from his belt, tossing it onto the battlefield. The Pokémon that emerged had the appearance of a blue shrimp, with one of his claws enormous in size, easily dwarfing the rest of the Pokémon. Brock took out his Pokédex curiously, not familiar with this species.

"Clawitzer, the Howitzer Pokémon and the evolved form of Clauncher," the machine recited. "Clawitzer can travel at nearly 70 miles an hour when it propels itself by shooting water from the back of its claw."

As soon as the referee signaled for the start of the match, Siebold went on the offensive. He stepped forward and called out his first attack, sensing weakness in Pikachu and wanting to wear him down.

"Dragon Pulse!" he called out. "Take down that Pikachu!"

Clawitzer responded immediately, forming a purple ball of energy in his overlarge claw before shooting it out toward his opponent. Pikachu yelped and leaped out of the way, trying to catch his breath, but Clawitzer quickly formed another Dragon Pulse and shot it out.

"Get closer, Pikachu!" Ash responded, needing to put a quick end to this assault. "Use Thunder Bolt when you get a chance!"

Pikachu quickly started moving, leaping from one ice floe to another, dodging a constant barrage of Dragon Pulses. Clawitzer could attack very rapidly, but Pikachu was faster even in his weakened state, and soon he was in position to attack. He charged up his body with electricity, crying out as he shot a bolt toward his opponent. Ash watched as the electricity arced toward Siebold's Pokémon, but right before the attack connected, Clawitzer suddenly rocketed away, powered by a strong jet of water from the back of its claw. The Thunder Bolt missed completely, hitting the ice and dissipating.

"Whoa, what?" Ash blinked at Clawitzer's sudden burst of speed, which shot it across the arena and into the water, where it disappeared underneath the surface. Pikachu quickly looked around, trying to find his foe under the surface, but Ash had other ideas, a smirk forming on his face.

"Thunder Bolt, Pikachu! Shock the entire pool!"

Pikachu nodded, smirking, charging up another attack, ready to put his foe out of commission. Before he could unleash the attack, however, Clawitzer quickly resurfaced in front of him, aiming his claw and firing a Water Pulse directly into Pikachu's face. He cried out as the attack connected head-on, knocking him into the water, where he sank downward.

"Oh no! Pikachu!" Ash quickly scanned the surface of the water, which was rocking all about, disturbed by the action that had just happened. Everyone watched and waited for Pikachu to reappear, slowly growing worried that he might not. After several long seconds, the Pokémon emerged with a splash and a gasp, grabbing onto an ice floe close to Ash and climbing on, sputtering and coughing up more water, trying to catch his breath.

After a second, he came to his senses and turned back toward Siebold, only to see Clawitzer rocketing toward him at an incredible speed. He had no time to react before his opponent swung a massive claw right into his body, knocking him far away.

Ash gasped as he saw Pikachu fly across the arena toward him, landing right at his feet. His Pokémon groaned in pain, water still leaking from his mouth, as Ash kneeled down to look into his eyes. His heart sank as he saw Pikachu's dazed and defeated expression, his body only moving to breathe and cough up more water. He didn't even notice the referee running over to get a better look, before raising one flag.

"Pikachu is no longer able to battle!" he declared. "Siebold wins the bout! Ash only has one Pokémon left!"

Up in the bleachers, his friends were practically twisted up into pretzels. Siebold had two powerful and fresh Pokémon ready to go, and Ash only had his Skorupi available to him. None of them had any idea how he was going to win now.

"Well, that's a disappointment. This battle hardly qualifies as an appetizer," Siebold remarked casually, looking back toward his challenger. "Well, Ash, who's your last Pokémon? Who's your ringer that's going to win the match?"

Ash didn't respond right away, feeling his heart sink into his stomach. He couldn't even think, stunned into silence by the beating that Snivy and Pikachu had just taken. A wave of embarrassment washed over him, as he started coming to terms with how badly he had miscalculated. After several seconds, he was finally able to think again, but he didn't have to think long about what to do. There was only one option available to him at this point.

"My ringer is nobody," he spoke quietly, defeated, as he reached out and cradled Pikachu in his arms. "I know I can't win the match like this. I forfeit."

Siebold smirked, ignoring the loud gasps that came from the bleachers. "That's the best decision you've made in this whole battle." Ash nodded quietly, standing, looking down at the Pokémon in his arms, who had finally coughed the water out of his lungs. He felt numb, unable to hear the sounds of the gym around him, or the chatter happening in the stands.

"Oh my gosh, poor Ash... that was terrible." Serena sighed, disappointed, shaking her head a bit. "I guess he'll just have to train and try again tomorrow." She glanced over at Iris and Brock, who were still tensed, watching the battlefield nervously.

"There might not be a tomorrow," Iris responded, hands clasped anxiously. "This might be it for him."

"What?! What do you mean?" Serena exclaimed, a bit panicked. Iris held her hand out in front of Serena to quiet her, as Siebold spoke up again.

"Alright, Ash, listen carefully," he called out to Ash, who looked up in response. "Since you had the common sense to throw in the towel, I'll give you another chance. Come back and battle me tomorrow, and we'll see how you do. If you disappoint me again, though, you'll just have to find some other way to get your Gym Badge."

"Thank you, sir," Ash answered quietly and contritely. "I'll do better next time, I promise."

Serena blinked, putting the pieces of the conversation together, as Iris sighed in relief next to her. "Wait... you mean Siebold could have not let Ash have a rematch?"

"That's right," Brock answered, a mix of relieved and disappointed himself. "Every Gym Leader has the right to refuse a rematch, if they feel the trainer is unprepared. Normally it's meant to keep out little kids who are in way over their heads, but in cases like this..."

"But..." Serena needed a second to grapple with this information. "If that happens, how does Ash get all the badges he needs?"

"He'll just have to find another gym." Brock sighed. "If he can't, his only hope would be to go get some more badges, then come back and try to convince Siebold to let him try again. If he still says no... I don't know what Ash does."

"That's... oh my gosh..." Serena looked back toward Ash, who was turning to leave, looking over Pikachu carefully. "Well, thank goodness he has another chance."

All three of them stood up, ready to follow Ash out of the gym. As Serena thought of what she was going to say to him, she was startled as she felt Iris pushing past her, storming to the end of the bleachers and marching down the steps toward Ash.

"What on Earth were you thinking?!" she shouted at him, furious, shocking everyone nearby. "Did you honestly think you could just waltz up and take out an Elite Four trainer?! What's wrong with you?!"

"Whoa, Iris!" Brock exclaimed, as he and Serena rushed over to them. Iris continued, undeterred, as Ash looked up at her with terror in his eyes.

"You could have blown it all right here! The entire Kalos League, gone! When are you going to stop acting like such a little kid?!"

"Iris, that's enough!" Serena reprimanded, coming to Ash's defense. "Can't you see he feels bad enough already?"

Iris huffed and continued on down the stairs and past him, still fuming as she stormed out of the gym, not wanting to be in his presence for another second. Everyone watched her go, taken aback by what they had just seen.

"What on Earth..." Serena turned back toward Ash. "I'm sorry, Ash, that was..."

"It's fine," Ash muttered, looking back down at Pikachu, who was only just coming around. "I deserved it."

Brock stepped forward. "Ash, are you alright?"

"No." Ash turned and slowly walked out the doors, gutted. Serena and Brock followed, worried, hoping this loss wouldn't affect him too badly.

An hour later, they had returned to the Pokémon Center, where Snivy and Pikachu were recovering under the care of Nurse Joy. All four trainers were in the cafeteria, eating one of the most quiet and awkward dinners they'd ever experienced. Ash ate slowly and kept his eyes down, deeply embarrassed, while Serena and Brock tried and failed to think of ways to break the ice. Iris, much like Ash, was looking very embarrassed at her own behavior. After ten painful minutes, Ash stood up, his plate of food not even half-finished.

"Ash, you barely ate," Serena spoke quietly, looking up at him.

"I'm not hungry." He turned and left the cafeteria, not bothering to pick up his plate and drop it off. Everyone watched as he walked out the doors of the Pokémon Center, stepping outside.

Serena sighed. "I should go and talk with him... try and cheer him up a bit."

"Maybe," Iris replied, standing up. "But I need to talk to him first." She took her finished plate and dropped it off, before following Ash out the main doors of the building.

"I hope she apologizes..." Serena muttered, partly to herself. She watched them go for a few seconds, before realizing that Brock was standing up as well; she glanced over to him, a little surprised. "Brock, are you going after him too?"

"Nah, I'll leave that to you two," he answered, grabbing his plate. "I have to go make a video call. I'll be back shortly." She watched him go, wondering what he was up to, before turning her attention back to her meal, finishing up quickly.

Outside, Ash had wandered a block or so away, absentmindedly, before coming to rest on a random bench. His head hung down, hands clasped in his lap, as he mulled over the severity of his failure. He had managed to barely avoid disaster, but his addled mind could barely conceive of how he was going to come back from this. As he stewed in his defeat, he failed to notice the footsteps quietly approaching him.

"Hey." He sat up a bit and turned toward the voice, seeing a humbled Iris walking in his direction.

He nodded back at her. "Hey."

"How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

He looked back down at his lap. "Not great." She nodded in response, biting her lip.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Ash. You didn't deserve that."

"It's fine," he answered, not looking in her direction. "You weren't wrong."

"I was just... shocked, more than anything," she continued, wanting to explain herself. "This was so unlike you. You've been so prepared and cautious up until now. You trained hard before each of your last two Gym Battles, but this time you just charged in headfirst. It's like we were back in Unova on our first journey together. Why would you suddenly do that?"

Ash didn't say anything in response. Iris studied him carefully, seeing an embarrassed expression form on his face, even more so than before. She kept her eyes on him, trying to parse his expression, before something suddenly clicked in her mind.

"Oh no, Ash..." The disappointment was already evident in her voice. "Please tell me you weren't trying to impress Serena."

He turned a deep red, leaning forward more, wrapping his arms around his head as if he was trying to disappear. Iris sighed deeply.

"Well, did she look impressed to you?"

He groaned in response, as if he suddenly had a terrible stomachache. He could practically feel one developing, from the sheer force of humiliation he was experiencing right now. She sat back, filled with a mix of pity and disappointment.

"Why did you even think you needed to do that?" she asked, trying not to sound too judgmental. "It's obvious how much she likes you already."

"I don't know what I was thinking," he replied, still twisted up. "I'm an idiot. I'm a complete idiot."

"Well..." She tried to think of something to cheer him up, but everything she thought of sounded corny at best, or dishonest at worst. She decided to change tack. "The only thing you can do now is win tomorrow. Doesn't sound like you have a choice."

"No, I don't."

"I'm sorry again, Ash," she reiterated. "I'm willing to help you however I can."

"Thanks," he spoke quietly, finally sitting up a bit more, letting his hands rest back in his lap. "I might need it. It's going to be a long day of training tomorrow."

She nodded, standing up. "Are you going back inside? You need to finish eating. Starving yourself isn't going to help."

"I will in a minute," he answered. She nodded again, turning and walking back to the Pokémon Center. He continued to sit, still embarrassed, thinking about what a complete mess he had gotten himself into.

"...he just went in, guns blazing, against a member of the Elite Four. He thought he could get by just on type advantage and innate skill. You can imagine how well it went."

Back in the Pokémon Center, Brock was seated at one of the video phones, recounting the events of the day to someone on the other line. He wasn't making much of an effort to sugarcoat how things had gone.

"Ugh, Ash," a female voice responded from the video phone. "I wish I could say I was surprised, but he always liked rushing into trouble."

"Now he only has one day to train and have his rematch," he continued. "He needs some serious help. Do you think you could come down a day early, and, you know... give him a hand? Knock some sense into him, maybe?"

"Of course! Anything for Ash."

"Thanks a lot." Brock smiled warmly. "Sorry, I know this will kind of ruin the surprise."

"Oh, don't worry." The girl on the other end smirked evilly. "He'll definitely be surprised."

He grinned in response, and the two said their goodbyes before hanging up. He stood up and walked away, hoping that Ash was ready for what was about to come his way.

Chapter Text

Early the next morning, the streets of Shalour City were nearly empty as the morning sun peeked over the horizon, save for one teenager walking down the main street. This young redheaded girl wore an orange jacket over an athletic two-piece swimsuit, and would have easily fit in with the other swimmers that were out during the day. She looked over one building after another as she walked along, eventually stopping in front of the Pokémon Center.

As she looked up at the building, she felt a wide smile spread across her face, knowing who was sleeping inside right now. It had been years since she had last seen her friends, and happy memories of their travels together were flooding her mind. She was greatly looking forward to saying hello, catching up with them, and seeing how they had grown.

After a few moments, she sighed and shook herself out of her reverie. She took a deep breath as she lifted the megaphone she held in her right hand, bringing it to her mouth and bellowing into it.

"Ash Ketchum! You get your lazy butt out of bed and get outside this instant!"

Immediately, sleeping trainers in the Pokémon Center started waking up, wondering who was making such a din outside. Serena, Iris and Brock were all sitting bolt upright in bed, looking down at Ash, who had fallen out of his bunk entirely, tangled up in his sheets.

"Mmph... what the..." He fought with the sheets for a second until he extricated himself, quickly standing up and rushing to the window, vaguely recognizing the voice that had yelled his name. As he looked outside, he quickly spotted the girl making all the ruckus, his eyes wide as he realized who it was.

"No way!" He turned on his heel and raced toward the door, yanking it open and scrambling downstairs. Everyone watched him go for a moment, before Serena and Iris quickly hopped out of bed, taking Ash's place at the window. Brock followed at a more leisurely pace, knowing exactly who was waiting for Ash outside.

After racing downstairs at an Olympian pace, Ash stepped through the front doors of the Pokémon Center, his eyes focusing on the girl who was standing on the sidewalk, arms folded. He immediately recognized the girl's red hair, her single short pigtail, her teal eyes, and her trademark piercing glare. He grinned wide and started running toward her excitedly.

"Misty! What are you doing herglblblgblbll," he called out just as he took a Water Gun to the face, courtesy of Misty's Staryu, which knocked him onto his back. Misty tossed her megaphone on the grass in front of the Pokémon Center, marching toward him, as Ash's friends watched the exchange from above.

"Who on Earth is that?" Iris wondered. "How does she know Ash? Why is she shooting water at him?"

"I'm not sure," Serena replied. "But from the way she's acting, I think she's some kind of drill sergeant?" Brock smirked from behind them, as they all watched the girl march forward.

"Brock tells me you've been getting lazy," she scolded. "You strolled right into the Shalour City Gym, thinking you could steamroll it with a couple of type advantage Pokémon."

"Blurbl," Ash replied, sitting up and spitting out a mouthful of water.

"We Water-type Gym Leaders deal with an endless parade of trainers like you every day, thinking they can get an easy win with a couple of Thunder Bolts." She stood over him and leaned down menacingly, her hands on her hips and her eyes on his. "You think we just roll over and hand them their badge? No! We beat them into the ground! And that's exactly what Siebold did to you!"

He looked back at her with something approaching fear in his eyes, wanting to defend himself but knowing better than to try when she was like this. "Why... why are you here?"

"Why do you think? I'm here to make sure you don't humiliate yourself a second time." She stood up fully, towering over him. "Meet me at the Ambergris Street pool in fifteen minutes. We've got a lot of work to do." She turned and walked off without another word, grabbing her megaphone off the ground as she passed by.

Ash watched her go for a minute, a wide variety of thoughts and emotions coursing through him at his old friend's sudden reappearance and demeanor. Once she had disappeared from his view, he picked himself up and quickly headed back inside to get ready. If there was one thing he knew for sure about Misty, it was that upsetting her was not a good idea.

Fifteen minutes later, Ash and Misty were standing on opposite sides of the Ambergris Street pool, which she had hastily converted into a battlefield by creating some ice floes. Pikachu was at his usual battle position, sitting to Ash's left at his feet, while a Staryu was in position next to Misty. Ash's traveling companions were still at the Pokémon Center, showering and eating at a more leisurely pace before they came to watch the impromptu training session.

"Alright, Ash, let's see how well you battle against Staryu," she began. "See if you can take it down. But there's one rule: no direct type-advantage attacks. You can't damage it with any Grass-type or Electric-type attacks. Got it?"

"None at all?" Ash blinked. "That's almost all Snivy and Pikachu have! How am I supposed to take Staryu down without them?"

"That's for you to figure out," she answered rather unhelpfully, before sending her Pokémon out onto the battlefield. "Now, who's getting trained first?"

Ash glanced down toward his feet. "Pikachu, you're up first. Do your best." Pikachu glanced up at his trainer for a moment, a bit surprised and skeptical, before getting on all fours and running out onto the nearest ice floe. He looked across the pool at Misty for a moment, recognizing this side of her, but still no less intimidated by it.

Misty quickly got started, making the first move. "Rapid Spin, Staryu!"

Her Pokémon started spinning around at a high speed, as if it were a buzzsaw, before it dove quickly at its opponent. Pikachu yelped and quickly leaped out of the way, landing on the edge of the ice floe as Staryu zoomed past.

"Wait for it to stop, then use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded. His Pokémon nodded, dodging another dive bomb from Staryu, before it slowly came to a stop. Pikachu acted quickly, leaping forward across several platforms before leaping up for the tackle; he slammed into his opponent with his entire body, knocking Staryu down onto one of the floes, where it took a second to get back up.

"Great job! Now use Iron Tail!" Ash followed up. His Pokémon responded quickly, his tail becoming hard as iron, and he began to swing it downward, ready to deliver a powerful blow.

"Staryu, use Water Gun!"

Right before Pikachu struck his foe, Staryu bent forward a bit, a large jet of water spraying out of its topmost limb. Pikachu took the water blast head-on, and was forcefully knocked back into the water; he resurfaced quickly, scrambling to get back onto the ice.

"Hold on!" Ash called out, stepping closer to the edge. "We can't use elemental attacks, but you can? How is that fair?"

"Do you want to win this badge or not?!" Misty shot back, before turning to her Pokémon again. "Use Bubble Beam! Keep Pikachu off balance!"

Ash's Pokémon yelped as Staryu shot a stream of surprisingly strong bubbles his way; he quickly leaped out of the way, struggling to keep a grip on the icy surface, before another stream of bubbles knocked him back into the water.

Ash groaned as Pikachu resurfaced once again, coughing and climbing onto the ice floe. He could already tell he had a long day ahead of him.

Some time later, Ash's friends had arrived at the pool as well, and were sitting nearby as Staryu and Snivy sparred. All three of them were watching attentively, but for markedly different reasons. Serena was worried about how this mysterious and bossy girl would treat Ash during training; Brock was watching two old friends interact as they once did; and Iris was still feeling guilty over how she acted, hoping that Misty would give Ash the help he needed.

Eventually, it became clear that both Pokémon were slowing down and losing energy, after the long and intense training. As Snivy was preparing to attack again, Misty called her Staryu back to her side.

"That's enough for now. It's time for a break." She stepped away from the pool and walked over to the nearby bleachers, opening up her bag and taking out a lunch she had prepared.

Ash sighed a bit in relief, ready for a break himself, and followed her over. He picked up his own bag, taking out a package of Pokémon food and some bowls, setting them out. Snivy and Pikachu walked over, ready to eat, as Ash took Skorupi out of his Poké Ball, who had gotten some training earlier in the day. He poured the food into each bowl, getting ready to hand them out, before Misty suddenly stepped in between him and his Pokémon.

"Hold it, all of you," she commanded, looking down at them. Skorupi stopped in his tracks, jumping a bit, while Snivy slumped forward, exasperated and hungry. Pikachu stood at attention, as if she were his commanding officer.

"All three of you need to be better swimmers. It got in the way during training, and I'm told it was a big problem during your Gym Battle, too." She folded her arms. "I want ten laps around the pool from each of you. Once you've done that, then you can eat. If you eat first, you're all going to cramp up."

Pikachu nodded and quickly turned around, leaping into the pool and starting to swim; Skorupi scuttled over as well, approaching the water nervously and not jumping in quite yet. Snivy stood her ground, looking up at Misty, not about to take orders from this stranger and her haughty attitude.

"You too, Snivy. Let's go."

The Pokémon looked past her, seeing the full bowl of food sitting on the bleacher, calling her name. She extended her vines and reached them out, intending to grab the food and bring it over. Misty reacted quickly, throwing her arm in the way of Snivy's vines, causing them to wrap tightly around it.

Snivy's eyes widened as much as they could, and she glared up angrily at Misty, who glared right back with a look that could peel paint off a wall. The two stared each other down for several moments, the vines still holding Misty's arm tightly, threatening to pull her forward and topple her over. Snivy eventually relented, retracting her vines and turning back toward the pool, walking with as much of her wounded pride as she could muster. Misty watched the Pokémon hop into the water before she turned around, taking a seat on the bleachers and starting to eat.

Ash watched the exchange unfold, impressed, before turning to eat his own meal. As he walked toward the bleachers, he heard what sounded like frantic splashing, along with the sound of a panicked squeal. He turned quickly, seeing Skorupi flailing about in the water, clearly not an adept swimmer.

"Whoa, hold on!" He rushed over as quickly as he safely could, kneeling at the side of the pool and reaching underneath his Pokémon, holding him up and giving him a chance to breathe.

"Just relax, Skorupi, I've got you. Try kicking with all your legs at once. Propel yourself forward."

His Pokémon did as he was told, trying to kick in a more synchronized manner, as Ash held him from underneath. As he watched Skorupi try to get a handle on swimming, he heard footsteps from someone walking in his direction; from the gentle lightness of each step, he knew exactly who was approaching.

"How do you think training is going, Ash?" Serena asked.

"Alright, I guess?" he responded, keeping his focus on Skorupi, making sure the Pokémon didn't drown. "She's making me think about battles in a way I usually don't, which is tough. It's definitely not training I'm used to, but I think we're making progress."

"That's good to hear." She glanced over at Misty, watching as she used a pair of chopsticks to pop a sushi roll into her mouth. "Is Misty always this... well..."

"Intense?" Ash offered.

"Sure, let's go with that."

"Not usually, no." He thought the answer over for a moment. "Well... not always. She doesn't like to mess around. It's fine, though. I'm not bothered by it."

"Are you sure?" Serena kept her eyes on Misty, not having seen a pleasant expression on her face since she arrived.

"Totally." Ash finally let go of Skorupi, watching proudly as the scorpion Pokémon started zooming across the surface of the water, no longer floundering. "She's a great friend. Trust me."

She nodded. "Alright, I trust you. But I sure hope this all pays off."

"That makes two of us." He stood up, stretching his back for a second. "Come on, let's eat. I'm starved." She nodded, following him over to the bleachers, where they sat down and shared a meal together. Brock and Iris also took the time to eat, talking together about how the training was going. Eventually, three tired and soaked Pokémon emerged from the pool to get their meals as well.

Long after everyone had eaten, Ash and Misty were back to battling, as the others watched. Snivy and Staryu had been squaring off for quite some time, and while both of them were winded, Snivy was the one who had more energy left in her tank.

"Don't let her win, Staryu!" Misty commanded, her competitiveness on full display even during this training session. "Use Swift!"

Her Pokémon let out a cry, summoning more strength, as a number of glowing stars shot out of its gem. Ash watched them approach, feeling confident about his response.

"Dodge it, Snivy! Use your vines and get closer!"

Snivy nodded, extending her vines and using them to push herself around, moving more quickly than she would otherwise. Staryu followed her, trying her best to land a blow, but Snivy was too agile for her exhausted opponent. Once she was close enough, she launched herself toward Staryu, using her shoulder to tackle her opponent and send it toward the ice floe underneath.

"Great work!" Ash cheered, starting to feel excited at the prospect of finally besting Staryu. "Now finish it with Slam!"

Snivy nodded, reaching her vines out and grabbing the floe below; she used her vines as leverage to pull herself downward at a high speed, her body aimed directly at Staryu. She let a smirk spread across her face, feeling confident and ready to put this Pokémon out of commission. Right before she landed, her eyes widened as she saw Staryu turn into a collection of red energy, summoned back to its Poké Ball. Unable to stop herself, she crashed into the ice at full force, smashing directly through it and landing in the water underneath with a large splash.

"What?! What are you doing?" Ash looked upward at Misty, who was holding out Staryu's Poké Ball in front of her. "That's not fair! We were about to finally win!" Snivy emerged from under the water as well, glaring angrily at Misty as she treaded water, sore and upset at being deprived of the satisfaction of victory.

"Practice is over. We're out of time." Misty reattached the Poké Ball to her belt. "You need to get to the Pokémon Center and heal these three up, if you're going to have time to battle Siebold again today. I'll be waiting for you at the gym."

Everyone watched as she grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder before walking toward the pool exit. Ash was still searching for words, trying to articulate his thoughts, frustration and gratitude wrestling for dominance in his mind. Just before she walked out the door, she turned and glanced back at him.

"Good luck, Ash. You can do this."

With those words, she turned away and left, leaving everyone else a bit speechless.

Chapter Text

By the time Ash and his friends arrived back at the Shalour City Gym, Misty was already waiting for him in the bleachers, near the back, arms folded. Their eyes met for a moment as he walked forward, her stern look tempered by concern for the outcome of the battle ahead. After a second, he turned and looked back toward the gym leader on the opposite side, stepping into the challenger's position with Pikachu at his feet. Behind him, his friends walked into the bleachers; Serena led them to their seats several rows in front of Misty, not wanting to sit too close to the scary lady.

"Well, I'm glad you came back for another try," Siebold commented, studying Ash's chastened expression, pleased to see that he wasn't as overconfident as he was the first time he came in. "You've got tenacity, I'll give you that. I just hope this battle is more savory than the last."

"It will be," Ash replied. "I've been hard at work preparing for this rematch." His voice was confident but not assured, nervousness starting to creep in.

"Good." The gym leader nodded, not sure how much improvement could happen in 24 hours, but willing to give Ash the benefit of the doubt and see. "You already know the rules. Three Pokémon each side. If you don't impress me, you know what happens next."

Ash nodded back, not needing the reminder, watching as Siebold grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it into the arena, bringing out the same Starmie from the previous day. It hovered over the battlefield, waiting for an opponent to appear, watching Ash as his hand moved to his belt. He took a deep breath before throwing the ball out, his Skorupi appearing on the nearest ice floe, trying to make itself look as large as possible. Siebold's eyebrows raised, intrigued by the choice of Pokémon; it was definitely different, but he didn't know yet if it was different for the sake of strategy, or simply for the sake of being different.

"The two trainers are ready to battle!" the referee announced dutifully from the side of the ring. "The battle will begin... now!"

Ash took the initiative, stepping forward and calling out. "Fell Stinger, Skorupi! Stick that Starmie!"

His Pokémon acted quickly, aiming his tail at his foe and starting to fire stingers in Starmie's direction, one after the other. Siebold watched with mild amusement as Starmie dodged the stingers with ease, wondering what exactly Ash was playing at.

"Use Water Gun! Knock that Skorupi off its feet!"

His Pokémon made an affirmative sound, summoning a jet of water from its crystal and firing at its opponent. Siebold watched the attack get closer, expecting the scorpion Pokémon to be knocked back and start floundering in the water. Instead, Skorupi leaped off of the ice floe right before the attack hit, landing in the water and dashing in Starmie's direction with surprising speed.

"Keep moving, Skorupi! Get closer!" Ash commanded, a bit buoyed as he saw the Pokémon swimming easily. His guidance from earlier in the day was paying off, and he watched as Skorupi continued to fire Fell Stingers at his foe, much to Siebold's chagrin. Starmie was still dodging, but it was getting more difficult as its opponent approached.

"Dazzling Gleam, now!" the Gym Leader called out. Starmie acted quickly, too quickly for Skorupi to react, and he was soon blinded by the bright flash that shone forth from the Pokémon's crystal. Ash looked away as soon as he could, managing to save his eyesight, while his friends in the stands covered their eyes with their hands and arms.

"Good work! Now hit it with Rapid Spin!"

Ash bit his lip, watching as Starmie turned itself flat and started to spin quickly, zooming down toward its opponent. Skorupi's eyesight was returning very slowly, too slowly for him to be able to see Starmie approaching, and he had to guess at the Pokémon's trajectory based on his other senses. Starmie curved around, trying its best to be unpredictable as it closed in, wanting to knock Skorupi across the arena.

As it got close, Ash's Pokémon suddenly turned, feeling a light gust of air from the spinning Starmie, and it stuck its tail out straight, wanting to get any small amount of poison damage that it could. When the impact finally came, both Pokémon made a pained noise, as Skorupi was sent flying across the pool, landing on another ice floe. Starmie returned to an upright position, hovering close, still feeling the sting of the scorpion tail; at the moment, nobody was sure if any poison had been transferred.

Siebold frowned as he looked out at the battlefield, thinking that this Pokémon might not be the pushover he was expecting. "Let's end this quickly! Use Psychic!"

Ash nodded, anticipating this and reacting quickly. "Get ready, Skorupi! Like we practiced before!" The Gym Leader raised an eyebrow, wondering what this could mean, as he watched Skorupi stiffen himself up, tensing all of his muscles. Seconds later, a glowing red light surrounded him, as Starmie focused intensely with its Psychic attack.

Just as Skorupi started to rise into the air, one more Fell Stinger shot out of his tail, as his muscles fired off with the last of the control they had. Starmie made a panicked noise as the stinger shot toward it, not having expected another projectile. It quickly shifted focus, using its Psychic ability to stop the stinger before it made impact. As the stinger fell to the ground, Starmie looked back down at its opponent, watching helplessly as Skorupi leaped toward it, jaw outstretched, and sank his poisonous fangs into one of Starmie's ten appendages.

Ash could hear a gasp from Serena in the stands, barely paying it any mind as he watched Starmie try unsuccessfully to shake Skorupi off. It took another Rapid Spin attack to dislodge the Pokémon after several long seconds, a dizzy and dazed Skorupi rocketing back into the water. As Starmie tried to catch its breath, hovering closer to the water than before, it was clear that it had been badly poisoned this time.

"Great work, Skorupi!" Ash grinned wide, watching Starmie slump. "Keep up the stinger attacks! They're sure to hit now!"

Skorupi issued a high-pitched noise of affirmation, aiming his tail once again at his foe and firing out a stinger. It easily hit its target, as Starmie made no attempt to dodge. Skorupi continued to attack, dazed and sore but energized all the same, excited to have done so much damage to such a powerful foe. A second and third stinger hit their marks, digging into Starmie's muscles before falling back down into the water. As he prepared a fourth, however, he was knocked away by a heavy ice floe smashing into his body, controlled by Starmie's telekinesis.

"Oh no!" Serena watched with clasped hands as Ash's Pokémon was sent flying, slamming into the back wall of the pool. All four of the spectators saw Skorupi start to sink into the water, nearly motionless, making no attempt to swim toward solid ground. Ash stepped forward, pulling out a Poké Ball and returning the Pokémon to it, making a signal to the referee.

"Ash has withdrawn Skorupi from the battle!" he announced, holding up a flag in Siebold's direction. "The challenger has two Pokémon left!"

Iris, Brock and Serena looked back and forth between the two trainers. Based on their expressions, one wouldn't think that Ash was the disadvantaged one; he looked determined and resolute, pleased at his Pokémon's performance. Conversely, Siebold was clearly disappointed at this turn of events, his Starmie looking tired and sickly. Ash's clever response to the Psychic attack had taken him completely by surprise, and that moment of hesitation had cost him greatly.

"You're certainly not the same trainer that came by yesterday," he commented, not sure if he was more annoyed or impressed. "But let's see if you can keep this up. Who's your next Pokémon?" He glanced down toward the Pikachu at Ash's feet, but his eyes flicked upward as Ash reached for another Poké Ball.

"Your opponent's weak, Snivy! Finish it off!" Ash tossed the ball in front of him, and it quickly ejected Snivy onto the closest ice floe. She quickly sized up her opponent, smirking as she saw it looking exhausted. She was going to enjoy getting payback for the day before.

"Ash's Pokémon is ready! The battle will resume... now!"

Before Ash could make a move, Siebold stepped forward, not wanting any of what Snivy was going to dish out. "Use Psychic again, Starmie! Stop it in its tracks!" He knew that with all of the poison Starmie had absorbed, there was no chance that any of its physical attacks would work out well; Psychic was now the only option left.

His Pokémon focused as best it could, as a familiar red aura began to surround Snivy. She struggled a bit, trying to free herself, surprised to find that she was much more mobile than she was during the last battle.

"You can fight it off, Snivy!" Ash called out. "Try to grab it with your vines!" She nodded and focused hard, her muscles fighting against the ineffective telekinesis, and her vines soon emerged from her collar. They reached out slowly and wrapped around two of Starmie's appendages as they had before; at this point, Starmie was too weakened to force them back.

"Perfect! Now get up close and finish with Leaf Blade!"

Snivy smirked and began to retract her vines while still holding onto Starmie, sending her rocketing forward, as her opponent started to panic. Just before they collided, Snivy whirled around, her tail glowing, and smacked Starmie across the gem with her Leaf Blade attack. Both Pokémon fell back down to the arena, with Snivy landing gracefully on an ice platform, while Starmie crashed into the water, completely incapacitated. The referee didn't need long to declare his verdict.

"Starmie is unable to battle! Both trainers have two Pokémon remaining!"

There was a visible release of tension from the stands upon Starmie's defeat; Serena and Iris let out audible sighs of relief, while Brock and Misty watched the battle with similar stern expressions, their arms folded. Ash still had an uphill battle ahead of him, but by trading his weaker Pokémon for one of Siebold's powerful ones, he had put himself in a much more favorable position.

Snivy, still fresh as a daisy, was energized and ready to get another shot at Siebold; her normally calm demeanor was gone, and she was chomping at the bit to take on her next opponent and redeem herself for her previous disastrous showing. She stared Siebold down, waiting for him to pull out his next Pokémon, wanting to show him what she could really do.

Siebold exhaled a deep breath, brushing off the frustration as he returned Starmie to its Poké Ball, before reaching for another. "If a battle's what you want, then that's what you'll receive." He hurled the ball into the arena, summoning the Clawitzer that most of them had seen yesterday. Snivy quickly sized up her opponent, studying him, recalling the possible strategies Ash had gone over with her before arriving at the gym.

As the referee signaled for the match to resume, Ash made the first move once again. "Leaf Storm! See if you can damage it!" His Pokémon nodded, summoning a number of leaves around her body before flinging them forward toward her foe.

"Block them with your claw!" Siebold responded. Clawitzer quickly turned himself so his enormous claw was facing Snivy, completely shielding his body. The leaves rammed ineffectively against the hard shell of the claw, leaving Clawitzer's body unharmed. Ash frowned, disappointed but not surprised; at least now he knew not to use that attack again.

"Show them what a real attack looks like! Use Dragon Pulse!" Siebold's Pokémon grunted, forming an energy ball in his claw, which fired out in Snivy's direction at a rapid speed. She yelped and dodged quickly, hopping onto another ice floe.

"That thing's more dangerous at a distance," Ash observed to himself, before raising his voice. "Try to get closer, Snivy!"

She nodded in response, extending her vines a bit and using them to propel herself around, jumping from one floe to the next. Clawitzer fired off one Dragon Pulse after another, trying to knock her back, but he was forming them a bit too slowly, and they were unable to catch the highly agile Snivy. She smirked as she got closer, ready to deliver a beating, but just before she landed on Clawitzer's platform, he aimed his claw directly at her, firing off a powerful Aqua Jet and landing a direct hit.

Ash and his friends watched nervously as she was knocked backwards into the pool, landing with a large splash. Seconds later, her vines shot out of the water, grabbing a nearby floe and pulling her onto it; she was soaked and quite unhappy, but not choking on water as she had been the previous day. Ash breathed a sigh of relief, before both he and his Pokémon turned their attention back toward Clawitzer, who was charging up his powerful jet, ready to blast off.

"Use the ice! Knock him off course!" he called out, diving into the well of tricks he had devised for this particular fight. Snivy understood the command perfectly, smirking as she leaped into the air, her vines grabbing the ice underneath her. She heaved it toward Clawtizer as hard as she could, and the crashing of the ice floes knocked him off course just as he was blasting off. He ended up zooming in a completely different direction, crashing face-first into another ice platform, breaking off a small chunk of it.

"Great work!" Ash grinned wide, wanting to press the advantage, as Snivy landed gracefully in the water. "Use Vine Whip! Aim for his body!"

His Pokémon nodded, reaching out with her vines as she treaded water, starting to slap Clawitzer about before he regained his senses. He yelped and snapped with his claws reflexively, trying to fight off the attack. After a couple seconds of this, his large claw managed to clamp down heavily on one of Snivy's vines, causing her to yelp in pain. She tried to pull herself free, slowly reeling Clawitzer in as they both struggled against each other.

"You're stronger in the water than she is!" Siebold called out. "Now swing her around!"

Clawitzer nodded, turning its body about, swinging Snivy with the giant claw clamped down onto her vine. She yelped as she was dragged along, swinging around in a wide arc and eventually being pulled out of the water and into the air. Her flight was short-lived, however, as she crashed painfully into the side of the pool before dropping into the water right below her. She felt her captive vine go slack and reflexively recalled it back to herself, not noticing the Dragon Pulse that her foe was charging up. She didn't have time to get out of the way before it exploded in her face, sending her flying and landing on another ice platform.

Ash watched nervously, nearly holding his breath as Snivy pushed herself up, exhaling in relief as she got back to her feet. The spectators in the stands were nervous as well, worried about the strength of Siebold's Pokémon, surprised at how difficult the battle was so far.

"Can you still fight, Snivy?" Ash asked, as Clawitzer used a water jet attack to propel himself back onto an ice floe. Snivy turned around and nodded resolutely, breathing harder than before, but looking more determined than ever, almost angry. He sighed and nodded back. "Good. Try to get up close and personal again, and watch out for Aqua Jet. You know what to do." She gave an affirmative reply before turning back toward Clawitzer, extending her vines again and using them to leap forward, as she had before.

"Keep her away, Clawitzer! Use Water Pulse!" Siebold called out in response. Everyone watched as Clawitzer started firing off balls of water, trying to knock his foe out of the air; Snivy's vines were as agile as ever, though, and she was able to dodge them with ease, even as she got close. Just as she launched herself toward his platform, he aimed at her once again and fired off another Aqua Jet, as he had before. This time, however, she reached out her vines and grabbed the floe he was resting on, pulling herself downward, just underneath the rushing jet of water.

Siebold watched as Snivy landed on the platform, inches away from Clawitzer, vines still extended, wondering what attack she was going to use. With so little space between them, his Pokémon had no chance of getting away even with his powerful water jet, and he worriedly watched her approach. After a brief pause, she adopted a coy smile, leaning in and affectionately rubbing her nose against his, much to his surprise and confusion. She stood up again, giving him a flirtatious wink before using her vines to leap away, returning to Ash's end of the battlefield and motioning for him to follow her.

"Don't do it, Clawitzer!" Siebold warned, recognizing the powerful Attract ability. "Keep your distance! Don't follow her!" His words fell on deaf ears, as his suddenly lovestruck Clawitzer started charging up his jet, wanting to join the object of his desires as quickly as possible. The whole room watched as he took off in her direction, flying across the battlefield, as she kept her gaze on him. Once he was a few feet away, she smirked and leaped into the air, over his head; he looked upward, trying to keep his gaze on her, his affection turning into confusion. He didn't realize until it was too late that he was unable to stop his charge, and he slammed full force, face-first, into the concrete that lined the battlefield. Ash's friends all winced in unison at the impact.

"Geez, that looks like it really hurt..." Iris commented. "I'm surprised he didn't crack his shell slamming into that wall."

"That Snivy's a real heartbreaker, isn't she?" Serena wondered aloud, impressed by Snivy's feminine wiles. "I almost feel sorry for that Clawitzer."

"You've nearly got him!" Ash called out, grinning. "Finish the job! Use Slam!"

Snivy nodded, grinning in anticipation of her victory, as she extended her vines and grabbed the edge of the pool. Once they had a grip, she quickly pulled herself in, sending herself flying toward her dazed opponent. Partway through her charges, her eyes widened in shock as she saw Clawitzer's jet charging once again, and he rocketed backwards toward her. The two Pokémon slammed into each other with incredible force, knocking each other back; Snivy landed heavily on an ice floe in the middle of the arena, while Clawitzer landed on another platform, close to Ash.

After lying motionless for a moment, Snivy coughed and tried to rise to her feet, one hand holding her chest. Her breathing was harsh and labored, even more so than before, and despite her best efforts to push herself up, she eventually collapsed back into a kneeling position. Ash's friends looked nervously toward the referee, fearfully waiting to see if he would make an announcement, but he continued to stand and watch carefully. Snivy was still technically able to battle, but there wasn't much fight left in her.

"That was a clever trick, Ash, but you need more than that to defeat us," Siebold taunted, his confidence having returned to him. "Take her down, Clawitzer! One more jet will end it!"

Ash's fist clenched as he watched the battered and heartbroken Clawitzer charging up to take off once again. His eyes darted back over toward Snivy, who was still unable to stand, looking as if she had no strength left in her. She slowly extended her vines, still able to move them decently well, as she glanced back at her trainer, wanting him to know she wasn't completely out of it. He could see the desire in her eyes, the message that she was clearly sending: let me finish this.

He looked back and forth between the two Pokémon for a moment, mind racing for an idea, before coming up with one last gambit. "Tilt him upward! Send him sky high!"

She nodded, her vines shooting out in front of her and grabbing the near edge of Clawtizer's ice floe, tilting it up and aiming her foe toward the ceiling, just as he blasted off. He made a panicked squeal as he flew uncontrollably into the air at an amazing speed, ultimately slamming into the ceiling of the gym.

"No! What?!" Siebold exclaimed, his swagger evaporating in an instant.

Ash grinned wide, pleased and impressed. "Now, bring him back down to Earth!"

Snivy smirked as she extended her vines one more time, reaching upward and snatching Clawitzer out of the air. Using all of her strength, she swung him downward toward the arena, sending him crashing into one of the ice floes, which were starting to dwindle in number. His body smashed right through it, breaking it into small pieces that spread across the pool. The entire room watched the area where Clawitzer had landed, as bubbles slowly rose to the surface of the water. His body eventually bobbed up to the top, mostly motionless, the dazed expression on his face clear to everyone.

"Clawitzer is unable to battle!" the referee proclaimed, raising a flag in Ash's direction. "Snivy has won the bout! Gym Leader Siebold has one Pokémon left!"

"Yes!" Ash thrust his fist into the air, thrilled, able to hear cheers from the stands as well. "You did it! Great job, Snivy!"

Snivy smirked, glancing back at her trainer as she breathed heavily, proud of herself. The next instant, her arms and legs finally gave out, and she collapsed onto the ice, her eyes closing as she slipped under. Ash gasped, running to the corner of the challenger's box, trying to get a better look at his Pokémon, futilely hoping that she might still be conscious. As he got a glimpse of her face, it was clear that she was down for the count, having given everything she had.

"Snivy is down as well!" the referee announced. "Both trainers are down to their final Pokémon!"

"Oh gosh, poor Snivy..." Serena spoke quietly to the others, her hands clasped nervously. "She was hurt a lot worse than I thought..."

"Me too," Iris responded. "After that last attack, I thought she was going to be able to tough it out and let Ash return her."

Brock shook his head. "There was no way she could have kept battling after the injury she sustained. She should have fainted after that Slam attack, honestly. I guess she just wanted to beat Clawitzer that badly."

Several rows behind them, Misty was still sitting quietly, her gaze fixed on the Gym Leader opposite Ash, trying to figure out what was going through his head. Siebold was having his Pokémon fight harder than they should have for a third-badge battle, and she didn't know why. Perhaps he was trying to punish Ash for his hubris the previous day. Whatever the case, she wasn't happy about it, but she was reluctant to intervene just yet. She would wait and see how the battle turned out for Ash.

Ash sighed, proud and upset at the same time, taking out Snivy's Poké Ball and returning her to it. "You did a great job, Snivy. Get some rest and we'll fix you up soon." He put the ball away, glancing down at the Pokémon at his feet, who was looking back up at him.

"It's all on you, Pikachu. Whoever he's got, I know you can beat them." Pikachu nodded resolutely, turning and leaping out onto the closest ice floe, on all fours.

On the other end of the arena, Siebold sighed as he returned Clawitzer to his Poké Ball. On one level, he couldn't help but be pleased by the massive improvement Ash had shown; it was almost baffling to him that this could be the same trainer who so badly fumbled yesterday's battle. On another level, however, he was certain that his Clawitzer would defeat Snivy, and his own pride was somewhat wounded by the fact that she had been the victor instead. He tried to push it out of his mind as he reached for his final Poké Ball.

"I have to say, Ash, you've impressed me," he admitted, tossing his Poké Ball in the air and catching it repeatedly. "This is a much more savory battle than I anticipated. But it's not over yet."

He hurled the ball into the ring, dispensing a sizable amount of energy that quickly formed into a rather large Pokémon. Seconds later, Ash and Pikachu were looking up at a Gyarados as it hovered above the pool. He let out a loud roar that nearly shook the gym, wanting to intimidate, wanting to dominate his competition.

"Both Pokémon are ready! The battle will resume... now!"

Siebold made the first move this time, speaking just as soon as the referee finished. "Dragon Dance, Gyarados!"

Ash's eyebrows raised as he watched Gyarados spin in circles, powering himself up as a blue aura enveloped him. He was surprised to see a power-up move like that so soon; the Gym Leader he was up against was not clearly pulling any punches. He held his ground, not issuing any commands to Pikachu yet, waiting to see what Siebold had in store.

Siebold smirked a bit as he watched Ash hesitate. "Not going to make the first move? Then allow me." He looked up at Gyarados, who had just finished powering up. "Use Whirlpool!"

Gyarados gave another roar before pointing his tail toward his opponent, drawing circles in the air as the tip of his tail began to glow. Pikachu looked around as the water around him started to stir and churn, forming a large whirlpool. He yelped as the ice he was standing on started to move, caught up in the churning water, and he dug his meager claws into the ice to keep from falling off.

Ash's eyes scanned the pool quickly, looking for a way that Pikachu could escape, and he quickly found one. "There's another ice platform just outside the whirlpool, Pikachu! Jump to it when you can!"

His Pokémon nodded, looking around and quickly finding the floe in question, as Gyarados started to approach for another attack. Siebold's Pokémon whipped at the ice with his tail, just as Pikachu managed to jump off, scampering several floes away.

Ash sighed in relief before speaking up again. "Good work! Now use Electroweb!"

Pikachu quickly whirled around, forming a ball of electricity on his tail and flinging it at Gyarados, watching as it spread out into a wide web. His foe tried to escape, but he was both too large and too slow to get out of its way. Both trainers watched as the web wrapped around Gyarados and delivered a powerful shock, knocking him out of the air and dropping him into the pool.

"Great job!" Ash pumped his fist, glad to be starting this battle off strong. "Use Thunder Bolt on the pool, before he gets out!" Pikachu quickly aimed his head downward at the water, his body crackling with electricity; just before he delivered the shock, however, Gyarados roared and burst from the pool, hovering in the air again. Pikachu stopped charging, looking up at his opponent.

"Well, we can't be having more of that," Siebold commented. "Use Rain Dance!"

Gyarados growled and looked upward, focusing intently, a dark cloud forming above his head and swirling outward until it covered the arena. Seconds later, rain started to pour down from it, soaking both Pokémon and lightly misting the trainers on either end of the arena. Ash frowned, having expected something like this; all the water in the air would diffuse most of Pikachu's electric attacks, making them much less effective. They would have to get up close and personal for this fight.

"Swoop in and attack with Aqua Tail!" Siebold commanded. His Pokémon immediately swooped in toward Pikachu, a large mass of water forming on his tail, and once he got close he whipped his entire body around, swinging the tail directly at his foe. Pikachu leaped upward to avoid the attack, getting splashed a bit but mostly unharmed.

Gyarados quickly turned back around, realizing his attack had missed and trying to find his opponent again. As his eyes focused on Pikachu, he only had a moment before an Iron Tail smacked him heavily across his face, knocking him back into the water. He landed with a large splash, disoriented and needing a moment to regain his bearings; seconds later, a powerful electric shock ran through him, as Pikachu slammed into him with a Volt Tackle.

"Wow, look at that!" Up in the stands, Serena was watching excitedly with Iris and Brock, feeling more confident that Ash would win this battle and his Torrent Badge. "Pikachu's running circles around Gyarados!"

"It's a great matchup for Ash," Brock replied. "Pikachu's really agile, and Gyarados clearly isn't. So long as he doesn't mess things up, this should turn out in his favor." Iris nodded in agreement; as pessimistic as she usually was, she couldn't deny that Ash had a strong upper hand.

On the other end of the arena, Siebold watched as Pikachu leaped away from Gyarados and back onto a nearby ice floe, ready for the next attack. He had hoped to give Ash a decent challenge with his final Pokémon, but so far he had done nothing of the sort. At this rate, Ash was going to walk away with an easy victory, with barely a scratch on his Pikachu.

He looked across the pool, seeing the confident grin spreading across Ash's face, as he planned out his next attack. This expression was very familiar; it was the same overconfident grin he had yesterday, when he had gotten utterly trounced by just two of Siebold's Pokémon. As the Gym Leader envisioned Ash walking away with a Torrent Badge in hand, the same cocky expression on his face and the same foolish confidence settled in his mind, he felt a surprising anger rising up inside him, an almost visceral disgust. In that instant of anger, Siebold came to a hasty decision, one that would completely change the tide of this battle.

"This battle is going a bit too smoothly for you, I think." Siebold reached up with his left hand, adjusting the gold brooch that he wore just under his collar. "What do you say we make things a bit more interesting?"

Ash's eyes followed Siebold's hand curiously, wondering what he was referring to, studying the brooch and the rainbow stone laid within it. His eyebrows shot up as he recognized what the Gym Leader had just revealed, and what it meant for the remainder of the battle. "What the... a Mega Brooch?!"

He smirked back at him, secretly pleased to see the expression on his face. "You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?" He touched the Key Stone with two fingers, as if he was checking his pulse, a rainbow light emanating from it.

Ash watched in horror, turning his attention to Gyarados as a rainbow jewel embedded in the Pokémon's forehead began to shine as well, with a similar rainbow light. Gyarados began to glow and transform, growing in size as a number of additional fins emerged from his body, including an enormous one on his back, giving him a much more imposing appearance. A few seconds later, the transformation was complete, and everyone looked on as the enormous form of Mega Gyarados hovered over the battlefield.

Iris, Brock and Serena were aghast at the sight of the enormous Pokémon, dwarfing the tiny Pikachu as it glared down menacingly. Their momentary optimism and excitement had completely vanished, replaced by confusion and fear. This battle had been difficult for Ash before, but now things were really going off the rails. None of them had any idea what was going to happen next.

"Let's get this battle started for real, shall we?" Siebold call out tauntingly. "Gyarados, Waterfall!"

His Pokémon growled, eyes glowing a bit, and Pikachu noticed the water underneath him starting to churn and swell. A moment later, he yelped as a column of water shot up from underneath him, sending him into the air; the ice he was standing on tilted and fell away, leaving him trapped in the water, fighting to keep his head dry.

"See if you can swim out of it, Pikachu!" Ash called out, shouting to be heard over the sound of the water. Pikachu didn't get the chance, as a quickly-aimed Hydro Pump knocked him out of the column of water and back into the pool. He emerged a moment later, climbing onto another ice floe, coughing and choking on water as he had been before. Ash watched nervously, not daring to issue another command until Pikachu had recovered, but knowing Siebold wouldn't grant the same courtesy.

"Go after him with Aqua Tail!!" the Gym Leader commanded. Gyarados roared and zoomed toward Pkachu's position, water forming around the tip of his tail once again. Pikachu managed to catch his breath again just as his foe was getting close.

"Dodge it and follow up with Electro Ball!" Ash commanded, hoping that the concentrated electricity blast would survive despite the rain that was still falling in the arena.

Pikachu nodded, leaping out of the way as Gyarados's tail slammed into the ice, smashing it into small pieces. He quickly whirled around, flinging a ball of electricity toward his foe, as large as he could make it. The attack hit Gyarados squarely in the center of his back, causing him to roar in pain; he recovered almost immediately, however, minimally damaged. Pikachu watched in shock as his foe whirled around once again, smacking Pikachu with his Aqua Tail and sending him flying across the arena, landing heavily on another ice platform. Ash gritted his teeth as he watched his Pokémon get back to his feet, sore and irritated.

"Having trouble, Ash?" Siebold called out, smirking. "There's no shame in throwing in the towel, you know. You should know that already."

Ash glared back angrily, trying to suppress his emotions, knowing the Gym Leader was trying to get under his skin. "No way! I'm not giving up, not when I still have a chance to win!"

"Still stubborn, I see. Well then, it's time for us to eliminate that chance."

Ash's fists clenched, then unclenched, as he took a deep breath; he would need to stay calm and focused if he wanted to get out of this with a win. Gyarados was still hurt from the damage Pikachu had done earlier in the match, but the Mega Evolution had given his stamina a huge boost, and now Pikachu was the one who was worse off. After a few more powerful attacks from Gyarados, the match would be over.

"Keep it up, Gyarados!" Siebold ordered, no longer having any intention of allowing Ash to win the match, his emotions and his pride fully in control of the battle. "Chase him down and use Ice Fang!"

"Get away from it, Pikachu!" Ash called out in response. "Keep your distance! Wait for an opening!"

Pikachu nodded, starting to leap between the ice floes, which were becoming more and more sparse as the fight went on. Gyarados chased after him, moving as fast as he could, trying repeatedly to chomp down on his foe, but hitting only water or air. After a minute of this, Gyarados chomped down hard on an ice platform that filled his mouth, as Pikachu leaped into the air.

Ash watched as Siebold's Pokémon took a moment to spit out ice, stepping forward. "Now's your chance! Iron Tail! Aim for his eyes!"

Gyarados growled as he spat out the remaining ice, looking upward just as Pikachu was spinning around, unable to dodge the incoming attack. Pikachu's tail turned as hard as iron once again, and he swung it directly into Gyarados's eyes, the pointed corners of his tail digging in deep. The dragon Pokémon roared in pain, shutting his eyes tight as he backed away, his cries reverberating loudly through the gym.

"No!" Siebold cried out, watching as his Pokémon writhed in pain, furious. Ash sighed a bit in relief as Pikachu scampered away, thinking about what his next attack was going to be. To the surprise of both trainers, however, Gyarados dove back into the water and started thrashing about angrily, desperate to cause some sort of damage to Pikachu, even though he could barely see.

"Gyarados, stop! Save your energy!" Siebold commanded. His Pokémon ignored him, out of control, splashing water all about and shattering one ice floe after another. Pikachu kept jumping around, trying to keep himself on solid ground as best he could, not wanting to get struck by an errant fin or tail.

"I don't believe it," Iris commented, her eyes glued to the fracas in front of her. "Siebold can't control Gyarados right now. I never thought I'd see something like that from him."

"It might be because of the Mega Evolution," Serena offered, remembering how Korrina had trouble controlling her own Mega Lucario during her first journey through Kalos. "That and his eyes... and Gyarados are probably hot-tempered all on their own. That's a bad mix."

"Well, if Gyarados wears himself out, that's good for Ash," Brock added. "But this could go really badly, too..."

Pikachu continued to jump between ice floes as best he could, until one of his jumps finally landed him in the water. He surfaced and looked around quickly, trying to find some ice to climb onto, before realizing there was none left. Gyarados, in his rampage, had destroyed all of the floes in the arena, leaving Pikachu practically nowhere to go. He started to panic upon realizing this; he wasn't a terrible swimmer, but there was no way he could travel faster than his Water-type opponent.

It took nearly a full minute, and plenty of shouting from Siebold, for Gyarados to finally come to his senses. He slowly rose out of the water, growling and squinting as he scanned the water, his damaged eyes coming to rest on a yellow blob in a sea of hazy blue. He roared loudly, ready to exact his revenge.

"Finally," Siebold muttered, before raising his voice once again, ready to put this battle to a quick end. "Use Whirlpool again! Don't let Pikachu get away!"

Pikachu quickly tried to swim away, using his legs and even his tail to propel himself, but it was no use; he was easily caught up in the whirlpool that formed underneath him, spinning round and round with the water. He focused on Gyarados as best he could, trying not to get dizzy and wanting to keep his eyes on his still-dangerous opponent.

Siebold looked toward Ash, smirking as he saw the worried expression on his face, his confidence gone. "This is your last chance, Ash. Are you going to finish this, or are we?"

Ash looked back at him, conflicted. Siebold's taunts were infuriating him, but at the same time he was extremely worried for Pikachu. He stood wordlessly, not sure what he should do, not wanting to give up but also not wanting his Pokémon to be too badly hurt.

After a moment of this, Siebold chuckled, pleased that he had taken this trainer down a peg. "Very well, then." He looked back toward his own Pokémon. "Finish it off, Gyarados! Use Hyper Beam!"

Pikachu jumped a bit as he heard the name of the attack, looking up at his foe, watching Gyarados charge up an enormous yellow energy ball in his mouth. He panicked, trying his best to swim away and escape the whirlpool, but it was to no avail. Gyarados squinted down at his tiny opponent, roaring as it unleashed a powerful beam toward the whirlpool, and the Pokémon trapped inside.

The blast from the Hyper Beam created an enormous splash as it hit the pool, sending water flying in every direction. Ash's friends covered their faces as they were sprayed with stray droplets, while Ash was nearly knocked back by a wall of water, soaking him from head to toe. The attack left a cloud of mist where it had hit, obscuring both Pokémon, and the entire room watched with bated breath to see the aftermath of the attack.

As the mist slowly cleared after a few seconds, the pool became visible once again. Gyarados was still hovering above it, squinting and breathing hard, the last attack having sapped plenty of its stamina. The whirlpool had been completely destroyed by the Hyper Beam, with all of the water in the pool rocking about, disturbed by the powerful attack. Pikachu, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Hm?" Siebold scanned the surface of the turbulent pool, then the rest of the gym, briefly thinking that Pikachu might have been disintegrated. Everyone else followed his lead, searching the water carefully, trying to find any signs of Ash's Pokémon. After a few seconds, a yellowish blob started to appear in the water underneath Gyarados, and several spectators gasped as Pikachu burst forth from the water, having propelled himself forward by using his Iron Tail.

"What?!" Siebold goggled. "But... how?! Did the attack miss entirely?!" He watched with everyone else as Pikachu shot up, grabbing onto the tip of Gyarados's tail and hanging on for dear life.

Ash was briefly stunned like everyone else, but he quickly shook it off, knowing not to waste this opportunity. "Thunder Bolt, Pikachu! Give it everything you've got!"

With an almighty cry, Pikachu glowed yellow with electricity, shocking Gyarados with every last bit of energy he had. Siebold's Pokémon roared and shrieked in pain, his body convulsing as the powerful shock coursed through him for several long seconds. Pikachu eventually relented, spent, letting go of Gyarados and falling back into the water; his opponent quickly followed suit, crashing into the pool heavily, sending more water flying about. Pikachu popped back up above the surface moments later, tiredly treading water, watching with everyone else as Gyarados started to glow and shrink, the Mega Evolution wearing off. As he reappeared in his normal form, the expression on his face, and the outcome of the battle, was clear for everyone to see.

"Gyarados is unable to continue!" the referee declared, raising a flag in Ash's direction. "Challenger Ash has won the match!"

"Yes! Yes!" Ash jumped and thrust his fist into the air, unable to contain his excitement. "We did it! Great job, Pikachu!" His Pokémon turned back to him, exhausted but relieved, smiling as he slowly swam back toward dry ground. On the other end of the arena, Siebold was unable to do anything but stare in complete disbelief at his defeated Gyarados, not even returning him to his Poké Ball.

Ash could hear the excited cheers of his friends in the stands as well, as they started to scamper downward. Serena was the first to escape her seat, running down the stairs.

"Ash, you were amazing!" She ran right up to him, a wide smile on her face as she threw her arms around him. "CongratuEEK!" She immediately let go, jumping backwards as if she had been stung. "Ash, you're freezing! You're soaked through!"

"Haha, yeah..." He rubbed the back of his head. "That last attack was a doozy, huh?"

"You did it, Ash! You won!" Both of them turned back toward the stairs to see Misty running over, grinning from ear to ear as she ran up to Ash, raising her arm above her head. Ash grinned wide, raising his hand as well, and the two of them shared a high-five, before clasping hands and bringing them down together. "What a great battle! That's the Ash I wanted to see."

"Thanks, Misty. I doubt I would have won that battle without all your help."

"I don't know about that," she replied, grinning at him. "I didn't teach you any of those ice tricks you used, that's for sure."

The two of them kept talking, discussing the battle that had just happened, as Iris and Brock stood nearby and listened in. Beside them, a bedraggled Pikachu pulled himself out of the water, getting on all fours and shaking as much water out of his fur as he could. He sat up, looking toward his trainer as he talked excitedly with Misty, waiting to be noticed and given attention. As he watched, he felt a different pair of hands lifting him up into the air; he turned about to find himself looking into Serena's eyes.

"You were amazing, too, Pikachu." She smiled warmly as she held him in her arms. "You're every bit the fighter you were before." Pikachu murmured happily, nuzzling her chest and collar, his whole body relaxing as she lightly scratched his head.

"Well, that certainly didn't go the way I expected." Everyone turned to see Siebold walking along the side of the pool toward them, attaching Gyarados's Poké Ball to his belt. "Here I thought I would be giving you a lesson in humility... but it looks like I'm the one who got served a slice of humble pie."

He stopped walking, standing in front of Ash with his arms folded. "You're definitely no ordinary trainer, I can see that now." His eyes glanced over to the redhead standing by his side. "I should have known something was amiss when this little firebrand walked into my gym."

Misty smirked at him, inwardly satisfied to see the defeated expression on his face. "Don't be bitter just because you lost our last battle, Siebold."

He smirked back at her. "That was a fluke. I'll have my rematch with you one of these days."

"Don't worry, you'll get one," she replied. "But right now, I think your Pokémon need some fixing up."

He let out a laugh, stung and amused at the same time, before turning back toward Ash. "In any case, that was quite a battle you fought. There's no question you've earned your Torrent Badge now." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a metallic badge with the appearance of a rushing river, bent into an S-shape. Ash grinned and reached out to accept the badge, but instead of handing it over, Siebold pulled his arm back.

"So my question is, who was the sorry trainer I battled against yesterday?" His eyes narrowed as he looked back toward Ash, who appeared taken aback by the question. "How did a trainer of your caliber turn in such a pitiful performance?"

"That... I..." Ash stammered for a moment as he grappled with the answer, able to feel everyone's eyes on him. His head tilted downward, as the memory of yesterday weighed shamefully on him.

"I was..." He took a deep breath. "I was overconfident... reckless... I was taking the badge for granted. I thought it would be no problem, and I didn't need to prepare for it." He looked back up, forcing himself to meet Siebold's eyes. "It's a mistake I won't make again, I promise."

Siebold nodded, pleased with this answer. "You had better not. You need to bring your entire self to every battle, and always fight as if it's your last. Even the strongest trainers can fail if they aren't taking their battles seriously." He extended his arm again, offering the badge to Ash. "I fully expect to see you at the Pokémon League, and if I find out you ended up sinking in battle against some other Gym Leader, I'm going to be very disappointed."

Ash nodded, smiling as he gracefully accepted his Torrent Badge. "Don't worry, I don't plan on disappointing you again."

"Good. Now, I need to close this gym up. We've got some cleaning up to do."

All of them turned to leave, walking back toward the front door. Ash kept his eyes down and on the badge he had just received, filled with an immense relief he could barely quantify, which drowned out the shame of his previous failure. Serena walked next to him, still holding Pikachu in her arms, smiling down at the badge, thrilled that his journey was once again back on track.

"I think we all need a break after that battle," Misty spoke up, turning to face the group as she walked in front of them. "Dinner's on me. What do you say?"

Ash grinned, looking back up at her. Amidst everything that had happened, he had nearly forgotten that one of his oldest friends was here with him, and they definitely needed to catch up. "Sounds good to me. I think I need to get changed first, though..." He glanced down at himself and his completely soaked clothes.

Brock quickly agreed, picking up the pace a bit as they all walked out of the gym. Serena and Iris followed close behind, both of them curious about Misty's apparent personality change, but thankful that she was no longer giving Ash a hard time as she had been for most of the day. All of them turned and walked down the main street of Shalour City, taking in the sight of the setting sun as they returned to the Pokémon Center.

Chapter Text

"...and since then, I've mostly been tending to the gym with my sisters. Though I do travel from time to time, obviously."

Ash grinned, swallowing his bite of food. "Sounds like you've had some adventures since we last talked."

Misty smirked back at him. "Not half as interesting as the adventures you've been on, I bet. Trouble follows you around like a lost Lillipup."

All five of them were eating dinner at a restaurant on the shore, enjoying some fresh seafood as Misty recounted what she had been doing over the past few years. Brock was mostly familiar with the stories, as he had kept in touch, but Ash listened with rapt attention, knowing almost nothing about Misty's travels. Serena and Iris listened carefully as well, curious about this girl's apparent personality change. She had been harsh and unrelenting with Ash through the day's training, but now she was all smiles, her voice and her face gentle as she talked, her eyes bright. Ash and Brock didn't seem mystified by it at all; this must have been a normal thing.

"So what brings you to Kalos, Misty?" Iris asked. "I'm guessing you didn't come here just for Ash."

Misty shook her head. "No, I was already here. I'm participating in the Water Festival here in Shalour City. Siebold invites me every year." It was impossible for her to hide the pride in her voice as she said this.

"Really? What do you do there?" Ash asked, impressed.

"A bunch of things," she answered. "Lots of battling, lots of meeting other Water-type trainers... the biggest event is on the first day, where a lot of the invited trainers have a big group performance. That's tomorrow afternoon."

He grinned back. "Well, we'll definitely have to stay and see that."

"You had better," she replied with a smirk. "It's the least you can do, after today."

"It's pretty fortunate that we were here when we were," Serena added. "If we had been here a couple days earlier, we'd have missed you completely. That's quite a coincidence, huh?"

Brock smirked, swallowing a bite of his meal. "Oh, yeah. Complete and total coincidence, there."

Ash blinked at this, taking a second to parse his response before grinning. "Wait... you planned this out, didn't you? You made sure we would be here now when we were planning our journey! You sly dog!"

Brock chuckled in response. "I was going to bring everyone to the festival tomorrow. Seeing Misty there was supposed to be a surprise, but, well. You know."

"Yeah..." Ash rubbed the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry that your surprise got ruined, Misty."

"Don't worry about it, Ash. It was worth it to see the look on Siebold's face when he lost." She stood up, grabbing her empty plate. "I'm going to grab some more food, hold on."

As they watched her turn and walk away toward the buffet, Serena suddenly stood up, quickly grabbing her own plate as well. "I will too, actually. I'll be just a minute." She quickly walked off after Misty, hoping that the others at the table couldn't see how full her plate was. Unfortunately for her, all three of them noticed.

Ash turned in his seat, watching her walk off. "She's not actually getting more food, is she?"

"I doubt it," Iris answered. "She wants to talk to Misty about something, I'm guessing."

"Yeah, but about what?"

"Probably you," Brock suggested.

"Definitely you," Iris reaffirmed, reaching out and grabbing another piece of fried calamari from a basket on the table. Ash kept watching Serena as she caught up to Misty, not sure he liked the sound of that.

Over at the buffet table, Misty reached out for a pair of tongs, ready to fill her plate up again. She turned her head as she noticed someone taking a position right next to her, seeing Serena halfheartedly scanning the selection.

She smirked a bit, glancing down at Serena's mostly full plate. "Going for more, huh?"

"Ah... yeah, just a little." Serena quickly grabbed the first thing she saw in front of her, a bit embarrassed that her cover story seemed to have fooled nobody. "I was kind of wondering, actually..."

"Hm?"

"Well... earlier today, while you were training with Ash, you were so..." Serena took a moment to find the right word. "Different, from now. You were..."

Misty grinned, knowing what she was getting at and how much trouble she was having getting there. "I was tearing him apart?"

Serena sighed in relief. "Yes, that. And now you're being as friendly and kind as anyone. Was all that just an act, or..."

Misty shook her head. "No, that's not an act." She reached out and grabbed some more food, placing it on her plate. "That's just me when I'm upset at someone. I don't like to mince words. And I was pretty peeved at him for blowing his Gym Battle like I was told he did."

"I see..." Serena nodded. "Ash didn't seem very hurt by it when I talked to him. Or surprised."

"Oh, Ash knows exactly who I am." Misty moved along the buffet line, and Serena followed. "He knows I know how to get through to him. He just needs some tough love sometimes."

Serena nodded, her mind bringing her back to her first journey through Kalos, where she had pelted Ash with snowballs to try and get him out of his funk after a bad loss. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Do you?" Misty turned back toward her, eyebrows raised, intrigued by this comment. "How long have you been traveling with him?"

"Oh, well..." Serena looked down, flushing a little, realizing she'd given herself away. "Right now, it's only been a few weeks, but years ago we were traveling together for a while... we were each doing different things, but..."

Misty watched Serena's face as she recounted her original adventures with Ash, seeing her sheepish expression, and the light blush that appeared in her cheeks. Her eyes widened as she managed to put the pieces together. "Wait... are you two..."

Serena's blush deepened, but a smile started spreading across her face as well. "We... might be? We haven't really talked about it yet..."

"Oh wow..." Misty muttered, practically stunned, her mind having trouble with the idea of Ash being with anyone, let alone the attractive girl she was talking to now. "Ash is really punching above his weight, huh?"

Serena's eyebrows shot upward at this comment. "Wha... no, he's not!" She quickly turned back toward Misty, shocked to hear her say something like this about Ash.

Misty's expression quickly turned to surprise, then guilt, as she realized that she had accidentally spoken her inner thoughts out loud. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that..."

"I thought you two were friends?"

"We are, really!" Misty held up her hands reflexively. "He's one of my best friends, honest. It's just..." She sighed, lowering her hands and looking down, turning away a bit, clearly chastened. "Ash was a different person when I knew him, I guess. He was kind of immature... lazy... he didn't think things through very often. It's hard for me not to think of him that way."

Serena calmed herself a bit, still defensive, but a little more understanding. "Well, he's changed a lot since then, clearly."

"I'm sure he has," Misty responded. "But still, whenever I think about him, I can't help but think of that hopeless dork from Pallet Town who destroyed my bike."

Serena blinked. "Wait, he did what?"

"It's a long story." Misty looked back upward. "But he's also selfless... brave... always does the right thing... he has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met." She turned back toward Serena, smiling now. "If he treats you half as well as he treats his Pokémon, I think you'll be really happy."

Serena smiled back warmly, no longer upset, glad to hear such kind words and feeling like she understood their relationship a bit better. "I hope so."

The two of them continued talking, starting to share stories about Ash, as they made their way back to the table, where he was waiting nervously.

The following morning, Ash, Serena, Iris and Brock found themselves sitting in the middle of a large audience, with Pikachu and Axew seated on their respective trainers' laps, all of them waiting for the Water Festival to begin. All of them were indoors, in a large open venue with a giant pool in the center, clearly designed for water-based performances; an enormous bay window gave a clear view of the harbor outside. Six raised platforms were lining either side of the pool, each one about twenty feet in the air at their tallest; from the looks of them, they had been built recently and were not normally part of the building.

The crowd mumbled to itself, waiting for the festivities to begin, when the sound of orchestral music suddenly rent the air, causing half the crowd to fall silent and the other half to cheer. As a brash and energetic piece began to play, the sound of churning machinery could be heard from the raised platforms. Seconds later, a trainer slowly began to emerge from each one, rising up from a hole in the bottom. Soon, six trainers were standing tall above the crowd, all of them male, and all of them dressed to swim.

Ash grinned wide as he looked from one trainer to the next, wondering if there were any that he knew. He quickly recognized the masked and heavyset Crasher Wake, who was the leader of the Pastoria City Gym in Sinnoh. Seconds later, he also spotted the former Hoenn League champion, Wallace, standing tall above many of the others trainers; judging from the cheers and delighted shrieks from the audience, Ash was not the only one to recognize him. After a bit of prolonged applause, the audience collectively turned its attention back toward ground level, where Siebold was standing on the opposite end of the pool, holding a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming to the opening festivities of the third annual Shalour City Water Festival!" he announced, more excited and energetic than Ash had heard him yet. "This is always my favorite event of the year, and what better way to kick it off than with a stunning group performance from the most talented Water-type trainers?"

The crowd cheered once again, excited, as the six featured trainers reached for Poké Balls attached to their belts and brought out two Water-type Pokémon each, of all different shapes and sizes. Seconds later, all six trainers dove into the water, their Pokémon following behind them.

"Now that you've seen our dashing men, let's bring out our lovely ladies as well!" Siebold announced, as the machinery in the platforms began to whir once again. As six more swimsuit-clad trainers emerged, Ash and his friends quickly spotted Misty on the farthest platform on the left, and began to cheer raucously for her; they could see her smiling wide as the cheers hit her ears, but she kept her gaze forward in a professional manner. Looking around quickly, Ash was also able to spot Cissy, a Gym Leader from the Orange Islands, as well as Maya, the Sea Priestess from the Johto region.

Just like their male counterparts, each of the trainers retrieved two Poké Balls attached to their suits and brought out two Pokémon each. Misty had summoned Staryu and Starmie, two of her most elegant Pokémon, and she grinned and watched them as they flew around her in circles for a moment. After a moment, all six of them dove gracefully into the pool with their Pokémon, forming a circle with the men when they emerged.

The orchestral music swelled as the performance began, with the trainers swimming gracefully through the water, as their Pokémon either swam with them, flew through the air, or caused the water around them to churn, rise and dance. As all twelve dancers posed around an impromptu yet intricate fountain that the Pokémon had created, the crowd burst into applause once again. Ash quickly glanced over at his friends, wanting to make sure they were enjoying themselves. All of them seemed enraptured, amazed by the performance happening in front of them; Serena looked both delighted and contemplative, wondering if there was some way to incorporate anything like this into her own routines.

Moments later, the music changed to something a bit more subdued and legato, as the trainers and all their Pokémon disappeared under the water, preparing for the next part of the performance. As they swam, the audience watched as a thick, enormous pane of glass slowly slid out from the ground, eventually covering the entire pool from corner to corner. They started to murmur, curious, wondering how in the world this glass pane factored into the show.

Looking deeper into the pool, Ash watched as the trainers started to swim upward once again, one at a time, with Wallace leading the charge. As he reached the surface, a loud crack rang out through the venue as his head bashed painfully into the glass; this was quickly followed by three more cracks, as the next three trainers also slammed their heads into the glass pane. The audience gasped at this, murmuring more loudly, starting to realize that this was not part of the performance.

As Siebold ran back out toward the pool, yelling in confusion, Misty and the other trainers started pounding their fists against the glass, trying somehow to move or dislodge it. They had their heads tilted at unnatural angles, as they tried to breathe in the very thin layer of air between the glass and the surface of the water. They looked out toward the ceiling, or the audience, or Siebold, hoping that someone knew what was going on, or how to fix whatever had happened. None of them noticed the long, wide, snake-like tubes that were emerging from the sides of the pool, winding their way toward their Pokémon, who were also starting to beat against the glass.

As Siebold tried to petition the audience to not panic, the strange tubes started making a muffled but high-pitched whirring sound, not unlike the sound of a vacuum cleaner. They began sucking up the Pokémon in the water, swallowing them up one by one, each Pokémon fighting fruitlessly against the suction before disappearing into the tubes. The trainers all yelped as the tubes worked, some of them fighting to keep their Pokémon from being sucked in, while others had to struggle to not be caught up in the tubes themselves, or to keep their swimsuits on.

Less than ten seconds later, all of the Pokémon in the pool had been consumed by the tubes, which retracted back into the walls. The audience was on its feet now, clearly panicked, some of them running closer to the pool, while others made for the exit. Ash sprinted down to the edge of the water as fast as he safely could, followed quickly by Serena, Iris and Brock.

"We need to get them out of there!" he exclaimed, racking his brain as he kneeled down at the edge of the pool. "Should we just smash through the glass?" Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and stood at the pool's edge as well, worried and not sure what to do.

"We can't do that!" Serena answered. "We would just fill the pool with broken glass! They'd be cut to ribbons!"

"Guys, stand back!" Iris stepped forward, reaching for one of her Poké Balls, as the others backed away quickly. She tossed it in front of her, and everyone watched as Excadrill emerged, a little confused as to his surroundings.

"Excadrill, use your head to carve out a hole in the glass! Be careful, don't break it!" Excadrill nodded, kneeling at the edge of the pool and touching the metal tip of the blade on his forehead to the glass, starting to carve out a semicircle. The four friends watched as he worked carefully; with as thick as the glass was, it would take several minutes for him to carve out an escape route.

"Why is this happening?" Serena wondered aloud, worried, watching the trainers swim around under the glass, trying to find some way out. "Who could have possibly rigged the venue like this?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Brock responded, anger evident in his voice. "Who would go to this much trouble to steal Pokémon?"

Ash began to answer, but he stopped when the already-loud audience let out a collective gasp, as they looked out the enormous bay window. He looked outside, eyes going wide as he saw a large, metallic airship emerging from the bay, a number of propellers and jets pushing it upward. As it turned itself toward the open ocean, they could all see a transparent tank on the back, filled with both water and the Pokémon they had just stolen from the trainers. Soon after, their eyes were drawn to a large red R painted on the side.

"Argh! Team Rocket, again!" Ash gritted his teeth. "I don't believe this! Why can't they just leave us all alone?!"

"They're going to fly away with all the Pokémon!" Brock stepped closer to the edge of the pool, as if he might be able to reach out and grab the airship if he were one foot closer. "We have to get up to that airship, somehow!"

"I have Dragonite and Altaria with me!" Iris glanced down at the Poké Balls on her hip. "Two of us could get up there, but I don't think all four of us can..."

"You two go!" Serena replied, glancing toward Ash and Iris. "You have the strongest Pokémon among us. Brock and I will stay here with Excadrill and the others."

"Got it. Thanks, Serena." Ash nodded at her before turning toward the exit, Pikachu quickly climbing up his side; Iris followed him after handing Axew over to Brock for safekeeping. Running outside as quickly as they could, it took them a couple of minutes to get on the other side of the building. By that time, the airship had fully emerged from the water and was starting to fly away, albeit at a slow pace.

"Dragonite, Altaria, let's go!" Iris called out, tossing out their Poké Balls and summoning both Pokémon. "Get us onto that airship!" She leaped up onto Dragonite's back, arms wrapped lightly around his neck, as Ash and Pikachu climbed carefully onto Altaria. The two Pokémon quickly took off, flying the pair closer to the airship as it retreated.

Ash and Iris watched the vehicle carefully as they approached, worried that some sort of defense system might be in place. Sure enough, after a few seconds, four snake-like, metallic arms emerged from the ship's hull, each one brandishing an air bazooka like they had seen before. The trainers gripped their Pokémon carefully, ready to evade at a moment's notice, but all four of the arms started firing air blasts forward instead. Leaning in a bit, Ash was able to see a handful of Ace Patrol members near the front of the ship, dodging the air blasts and trying to use their Pokémon to disable the ship's propellers, to no avail. Seeing their opportunity to get on board, Ash and Iris flew right up against the main body of the airship, finding a large door right on the side.

"Altaria, freeze the door!" Iris called out, yelling as loud as she could in order to be heard over the din of the propellers. "Dragonite, bust it open with Dragon Pulse!"

Altaria cawed in response, inhaling a deep breath before expelling an icy mist from its mouth directly at the door, freezing its hinges. Dragonite followed up by firing off a Dragon Pulse, which slammed into the door and shattered the hinges, blasting it off the side of the ship entirely; Dragonite and Altaria had to quickly move out of the way to avoid it. Once the way was clear, the two trainers flew closer, carefully boarding the airship one at a time.

"Altaria, stay outside and stay close, in case we need to make a quick exit," Iris commanded, bringing Dragonite back to his Poké Ball. Altaria cawed affirmatively, as the two teenagers ran further inside.

In the cockpit of the airship, two adult trainers were watching with amusement as the Ace Patrol tried and failed to stop their escape. They all had their own Flying-type Pokémon out, and were attempting over and over to perform some high-damage moves, but the air cannons were keeping all of them on their toes, never giving them enough time to do what they needed to do.

"And to think I was worried about these guys." One of the trainers, a tall, green-haired man clad in black, watched as one of the Ace Patrol members was blasted away for the fifth time. "They're just flying around helplessly like a bunch of idiots."

"They should have known better than to tangle with us," spoke the other, a slightly shorter woman with golden hair, which was tied back into two long pigtails. "We're twice as clever as the other idiots that have been sent to Kalos."

"You think we should do something about those two kids who got on board?"

"Don't worry about that," the woman responded. "I've locked all the doors except for the ones that lead to us. They'll be coming this way any second now. Then we'll get to show them what's what." Less than thirty seconds later, the two heard a pair of footsteps approaching from behind, and the woman smirked. "Right on cue..."

Moments later, Ash and Iris finally made their way into the cockpit. Their eyes quickly homed in on the two figures standing at the controls, and Ash began to speak almost reflexively, in a commanding voice.

"Alright, you two..." He cut himself off as his brain properly processed the pair of trainers he was looking at, realizing that they weren't who he was expecting. His eyes widened as the two turned around, both of them grinning as they saw the confusion on his face.

"What, were you expecting someone else?" the woman asked.

"It's... you two?!" he exclaimed, recognizing them after a second. "Cassidy and Hutch?!"

The man growled, instantly becoming irritated. "It's Butch, you little brat! You've had enough practice saying it by now!"

"Ash, who are these guys?" Iris asked, her eyes darting back and forth between Ash and the foes in front of her. "Are they with Team Rocket, too?"

"Yeah, they are, but what are they doing here?" Ash stepped forward. "What about Jessie and James? Are they part of this whole heist, too?"

Cassidy laughed, more than eager to break the news that Ash clearly hadn't heard. "You'd rather be dealing with those losers, huh? Well, too bad. They haven't been a part of Team Rocket in years!"

"What?!" Ash and Iris exclaimed in unison, eyes wide. "But..."

Butch chuckled. "They finally got the boot after screwing things up for the thousandth time. The boss decided he'd rather send someone competent to Kalos, so here we are."

Ash gritted his teeth, reaching for one of the Poké Balls at his side. "Well, I don't care who he sends out! Nobody's getting away with these Pokémon!" Iris did the same, pressing the button on the front of her ball to enlarge it.

"You can try to stop us if you want," Cassidy replied, reaching down and grabbing two Poké Balls from her belt. "But don't expect a fair fight!" She tossed both balls in front of her, releasing a growling, canine Houndoom and a tall, orange Charizard. Butch did the same, bringing out the wolf-like Mightyena and an enormous, armored Aggron, which nearly tilted the airship off course as its massive frame began to weigh on it.

Both Ash and Iris took a reflexive step back, not having expected so many powerful Pokémon. After taking a second to steel themselves, Ash threw his own Poké Ball into the cockpit, summoning Snivy into the arena. Iris tossed out two of her own, bringing out her Dragonite, as well as the tall, black-and-red Garchomp.

Butch laughed. "That's the best you've got, huh? This won't take long." He stepped forward, pointing dramatically at the teenagers' Pokémon. "Aggron, Mightyena, attack!"

All four trainers took several steps back, as the cockpit became the scene of an all-out brawl. The seven Pokémon all dashed into each other at once, hitting with as much force as they could, their trainers trying to end the battle as quickly and decisively as possible. Despite the strength and skill of Ash and Iris's Pokémon, however, they didn't stand much of a chance when outnumbered by equally powerful foes.

Mightyena was the first to go down, felled by Snivy and Garchomp working together, but a powerful Flamethrower attack from Charizard took Snivy out almost immediately afterward. Soon after that, Dragonite went all in on a Hyper Beam attack that knocked out Charizard, and nearly took out the cockpit's control panel as well. The blast left him too drained to continue defending himself, however, and Aggron made quick work of Dragonite with a flurry of physical attacks. Iris's Garchomp stood no chance against the combined might of Houndoom and Aggron, and it wasn't long before he was knocked out as well.

Butch and Cassidy grinned wide, highly pleased with themselves, as Ash and Iris returned all of their Pokémon to their Poké Balls. Aggron and Houndoom were both somewhat winded, but still capable of battling, and certainly capable of inflicting some punishment on the two trainers standing before them.

"You thought you two and your puny assault would be enough to take us down, hm?" Cassidy taunted. "You should have stayed back down on the ground. You're not going to like what happens next."

She stepped a bit closer, trying to be menacing and wanting to get a glimpse of the fear on their faces. She paused, eyebrows raising, when she saw the expressions that they were wearing. Neither of them looked very surprised by their loss; it almost seemed as if they were pleased by what had just happened.

"What... what are you two being so smug about?" There was both confusion and concern in her voice as she spoke.

Ash smirked at her as he put his Poké Ball away. "It's because we're not the assault."

"Huh?" Butch took a few paces forward, equally confused.

Iris grinned wide, pleased to see the tables being turned. "We're the distraction."

Cassidy's eyes shot open wide, trying to figure out what these two could have been distracting them from. It was then that she noticed for the first time that something was missing, as she looked over the two trainers, Ash in particular.

"Wait... where's your Pikachu?!"

Moments later, as if to answer her question, a loud explosion rang out from elsewhere in the ship, close to one of the propellers. The entire airship began to tilt to one side, pitching forward slightly, aiming itself toward the bay.

"Gah! What's going on?! What did you do?!" Butch demanded, before turning back toward the control console. As he tried desperately to correct the ship's course, the sound of crunching metal could be heard above them, just as the ceiling of the cockpit collapsed. Everyone jumped backward to avoid the falling debris, watching as pieces of the ceiling fell down and hit the floor, followed by an oil-stained Pikachu, who landed painfully on his back.

"You little...!" Cassidy clenched her fists, turning toward her Houndoom. "Get that miserable little rat! Fire Fang, now!"

"Pikachu! Use Thunder Bolt!" Ash shot back. Pikachu quickly turned around and got to his feet, letting out a loud cry as his electricity shocked both Aggron and Houndoom, as well as Butch and Cassidy, knocking them all off their feet.

"Happy landings, guys!" Iris taunted, as she started to run away, back toward the door where they had broken in. Ash quickly scooped up Pikachu and followed her, running past an air vent that the two of them had pried open to get Pikachu further inside the airship. Cassidy started to run after them, but another explosion tilted the airship once again, knocking her off balance and slamming her into a wall. Groaning, she stood back up and ran back to the console, working with Butch in a futile effort to get the vessel back on course.

It wasn't long before Ash and Iris were back at the door they had forced open, and Iris stuck her head outside, putting two fingers in her mouth and whistling for Altaria to return. The bird Pokémon approached seconds later, flying close to the door and holding herself in place. Iris quickly jumped out the door and onto Altaria's back, before turning toward Ash and motioning for him to do the same.

Pikachu leaped out first, grabbing onto the fluffy white feathers that surrounded Altaria's body before scrambling into a better position. Ash grabbed onto the doorframe, taking note of the space left on Iris's Pokémon and getting ready to jump. Just before he leaped, however, the airship lurched once again, and he ended up tumbling out of the doorway instead.

"No! Ash!" Iris cried out, reaching out and firmly grabbing one of his hands with both of hers, stopping his fall; Altaria squawked and flapped wildly, trying to right herself as Ash threatened to pull her down. Iris strained to pull Ash up, trying to grab at his wrist, but his hand was now covered in some of the oil that was on Pikachu's fur, and it was hard to keep a tight grip. He quickly slipped out of her grasp, and he began to plummet toward the water hundreds of feet below.

Ash looked upward as Iris and Altaria as he fell, able to hear her shriek as she lost her grip on him. She quickly tried to steer downward, hoping in vain that she could catch him a second time, but there was no way Altaria could catch up in the short amount of time before he painfully hit the water. As his mind ran through the zero options he had to save himself, he felt the wind being knocked out of him as he landed on something large and scaly, rolling down its long body until he came to rest in a U-shaped bend. He quickly wrapped his arms around its body, not caring what it was, before looking up and finding himself on the back of a Gyarados. He looked around for a moment before glancing back down toward the ground, where he could see Misty running along the shore, looking relieved as her gaze met his. He grinned wide and waved to her, calling out a "thank you" that he knew she couldn't hear, as Serena and Brock started catching up to her.

With Ash safe and sound on Gyarados's back, everyone turned their attention toward the airship, which was now doomed to crash into the bay. Another explosion, close to the rear of the ship, finally managed to crack the large water tank on the rear, and water and Pokémon started to spill out of it, falling toward the bay at an alarming speed. Despite all of them being Water-types, they were certain to have a painful landing as they hit the surface of the water.

"Gyarados, use Waterfall!" Ash heard Misty shouting at the top of her lungs. Her Pokémon roared and surged forward, eyes glowing as Ash clung on for dear life, and a pillar of water shot out of the ocean, directly underneath the formerly captive Pokémon. Each one landed in the rising water, swimming down through the pillar and safely into the ocean waters below, as Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

As everyone watched the last Pokémon make its way out of the tank and down to safety, a large projectile suddenly shot forward out of the front of the airship. It hit the surface of the water and sped along the top of it for a few seconds, just long enough for Ash to recognize it as some sort of submarine, before it disappeared underwater and out of sight. He frowned, realizing that it must have been Butch and Cassidy making their escape; he was hoping he wouldn't have to deal with them again, but he was certain now that he would, knowing his rotten luck.

With its captains gone, the airship finally crashed into the water, sending a fairly tall wave out in all directions, which slammed into the shores of Shalour City and splashed the hundreds of people who had come to watch the action unfold. The flying members of the Ace Patrol hovered around the vessel as it began to sink into the water, no longer appearing to pose any sort of danger, but definitely posing a large mess that the city was going to have to clean up eventually.

With the danger finally passed, Misty's Gyarados flew back down toward the shore, alongside a very relieved Iris and her Altaria. The Pokémon hovered a few feet off the ground, letting Ash slide off and onto his feet again. As soon as he landed, he was assaulted by a pair of arms and a shock of honey-blonde hair, nearly knocking him off his feet again.

"Don't you scare me like that!" Serena scolded, holding him as tightly as she could, her angry tone cut by the clear relief in her voice. "I thought you were done for!"

"Sorry, sorry..." he replied, holding her gently but awkwardly, trying not to touch her and get oil on her dress. "I'm fine, Serena, I promise."

"Of course you are," Misty followed up, both relieved and exasperated as she returned Gyarados to his Poké Ball. "The only thing stranger than how you keep getting into trouble is how you keep getting away without a scratch." She sighed, smiling as her Staryu and Starmie flew over to her, and she reached out and held both of them to her happily. "Still, thank you for saving all those Pokémon. You too, Iris."

"Of course," Iris responded, accepting her Axew back from Brock and holding him tightly to her, Pikachu resting on her shoulder and waiting for his opportunity to rejoin Ash. "We've never let those jerks ruin our journey before, and we're not going to start now."

"You'd think they would learn to leave us alone by now," Brock grumbled. "I guess they wouldn't be Jessie and James if they were able to learn from their failures."

"That's just it, though!" Ash exclaimed, as Serena finally let him go and stepped back. "It wasn't Jessie and James this time! It was Butch and Cassidy!"

"What?! Are you kidding?!" Misty exclaimed. "They're here, too? We have to deal with two Team Rockets now?"

"Wait, what?" Serena responded, confused, looking back and forth between Ash and Misty. "Who are they? What's going on?"

Ash sighed and began to explain what had happened in the airship, Pikachu climbing up into his arms, as all of them started walking back indoors. As they walked, a number of police boats zoomed out toward the slowly sinking airship, the officers wondering how in the world they were going to get this giant hunk of metal out of the bay.

Later that afternoon, the whole group was standing at the edge of town, with everyone but Misty set to depart. The city was still abuzz with the events of the day, with hundreds of residents and tourists sitting and watching as Team Rocket's ship was slowly towed back toward land.

"I'd love to keep traveling with you guys, but I'm still needed here for the Water Festival," Misty explained. "The opening ceremonies are cancelled, but everything else is still on. Plus, I'll have to get back to my gym before too long."

Brock nodded. "Makes sense. Still, it was great to see you again. I'll have to stop by the next time I'm back in Kanto."

"You had better," she replied, grinning at him. "So where are you guys going next?"

"Our next stop is in Brackish Town," Serena answered. "There's going to be a showcase there."

"Brackish Town... that means you'll have to travel through the Reflection Cave, right?" Misty responded. "Be careful in there. I hear the Reflection Cave is in a 'bad mood' these days, whatever that means."

"Huh." Ash raised an eyebrow curiously. "Well, we'll be careful, I promise. I'm not going to let some dumb cave stop me before I can enter the Kalos League."

"I hope not." Misty smiled and stepped forward, shaking Serena's hand, then Iris's. "It was great to meet you both. Take care of the boys for me, okay?"

Iris grinned. "We'll try."

Misty smirked before turning toward Brock, standing on her toes and embracing him tightly, as he hugged her back. "Let me know the next time you're in town, Brock."

"I will, don't worry."

She smiled as she let him go, turning toward Ash, yelping a bit as Pikachu leaped into her arms. She laughed as he sat up and licked the tip of her nose affectionately, holding him close. "I'll miss you too, Pikachu. Keep taking care of Ash."

Pikachu nodded affirmatively, turning and climbing back onto his trainer's shoulder, as Misty turned her attention toward Ash. "You better not screw up any more Gym Battles, Ash. I can only bail you out so many times."

"You won't have to do it again, Misty. Those remaining badges are as good as mine." He grinned at her, thankful for all her help. "Are you going to be at the Kalos League?"

She smirked back. "Am I going to have someone there to cheer for?"

"Of course you will!" he answered confidently. "Nothing's going to stop me from winning it all this time."

"Well then, I'll see you there." She smiled wide, stepping forward and hugging him tightly, just as she had Brock. He smiled back, holding her as well, glad to know that the two of them were still as close as they had always been. Just as he started to relax a bit, however, he heard her voice in his ear, quiet but menacing.

"Mess things up with Serena, and I'll come back and kick your butt twice as hard, got it?"

He blinked in surprise, the smile disappearing from his face as she stepped away, smiling warmly at him, as if she hadn't said anything at all.

"Bye, guys!" she exclaimed, waving at them. "Have a great journey!"

Ash took a second to regain his composure, but he was soon smiling back at her. "Bye, Misty! Thanks again!" Everyone else said their goodbyes as well, before turning and starting their walk along Route 11.

"I was skeptical about her at first, but she turned out to be really great," Serena spoke, smiling toward Ash. "I can see why you're such good friends."

"She's a great traveling companion to have," Brock responded. "When we were journeying through Kanto, she helped keep us on track and out of trouble, more than I'd like to admit."

"Really?" Iris spoke up, curious. "What was she like? What sort of stuff did you all do?"

"Hm." Ash rubbed his chin, thinking to himself. "I mean, we did a lot of stuff... there's a lot to talk about."

Serena smirked deviously. "Maybe you can tell us about how you destroyed her bike."

Ash froze, caught completely off guard. "Wh... what? How did you..."

"Wait, what?" Iris grinned wide, her eyes lighting up, hearing the potential for a very entertaining and embarrassing story. "This I have to hear about!"

"It's... it was..." Ash stumbled over his words, his face turning red. "Look, ask Brock. He can tell you about it."

Brock grinned, not about to let Ash off the hook. "I don't know about that. I only heard about it after the fact. You would tell the story way better than I could."

"Well, Ash?" Serena grinned wide, leaning in closer as she walked next to him. "Go ahead. We're waiting."

"No! You can't make me!" he cried out, starting to run ahead of them, as if he could somehow escape his embarrassing past.

Serena laughed. "Ash, get back here!" All of his friends started chasing after him, as they made their way down the road together.

Chapter Text

"Alright, Cyllage City Gym..." Ash muttered to himself as he fiddled with his phone. He and his friends had been traveling down Route 11 for an hour or so, and after relating the embarrassing tale of how he and Pikachu had accidentally destroyed Misty's bicycle, he had taken advantage of a lull in the conversation to do some research. He had no intention of being caught off-guard again, as he had been in Shalour City.

"Here it is," he announced as he found the information he was looking for. "It looks like... good, Grant is still the Gym Leader. And he's still using Rock-type Pokémon."

"That's good to know," Serena commented, glancing over at him. "Do you know what your strategy is going to be?"

"Not yet," he responded absentmindedly, continuing to look over the information his phone was showing him.

"You should start thinking about it now," Iris recommended. "Snivy's your only real type-advantage Pokémon. Both Skorupi and Pikachu are going to have some trouble." Pikachu glanced back at her from Ash's shoulder, trying to appear indignant even as his ears lowered in shame, knowing she was right.

"Yeah... might have to catch something new... s'been a while..." Ash muttered in response, as he continued to read, before something on the page caught his eye. "Wait, what's this? 'Aspiring Kalos League trainers should check in at the Cyllage City Pokémon Center for their Gym Battle.' What's that mean?"

"The Pokémon Center?" Brock wondered aloud. "Why would you check in there? You should be able to just do that at the gym when you arrive. That's how it always works."

Ash scrolled frantically through the page for more information, to no avail. "It doesn't say." He sighed as he put his phone away, already feeling a bit nervous about what they might find when they arrived. "Why can't these Gym Battles just go normally for me?"

"Well, at least you know what kind of battle you're going to have," Iris offered. "Just do the best you can to prepare, and we'll figure out what's going on when we get there."

"Yeah..." Ash took in a breath and exhaled it slowly, trying to clear the doubt from his mind. "Yeah, you're right. So long as I can get that badge, there's nothing to worry about, right?"

"That's right." Serena smiled at him and nodded, before taking a quick look around at her surroundings, not having been on Route 11 in a few years. After taking in the sight of a small, grassy hill, her eyebrows raised as she suddenly realized where they were, and she took a step off the path, to the left.

"Hey, guys!" She turned around, glancing back at her companions. "Follow me for a second! You'll want to see this!"

Ash, Iris and Brock all turned and followed her, curious as to what she was going to show them, as she led them all up the hill she had spotted. Once they reached the top, their eyes nearly bugged out as they took in the sight of a long, enormous depression in the earth, a giant, grass-covered canyon that stretched out as far as their eyes could see in either direction.

"What the... what on Earth is that?!" Ash asked, surprise and wonder in his voice.

"This is the Vein," Serena answered. "This is what collapsed three years ago. This entire thing."

"You're kidding me!" Brock exclaimed, leaning forward for a slightly better look. "This is enormous! I can barely even see the bottom, let alone the ends!"

"How was this even possible?" Iris wondered, in awe of the sheer size of it in all directions; the vein was hundreds of feet deep, in addition to being hundreds of feet across and miles long. "Was this really just one enormous mine? Who even made this?"

"That's our best guess, and we don't really know." Serena took in the sight herself for a moment, not having seen it in ages, before pointing to one part of the canyon. "Over there, look. You can see some old wooden structures from before it collapsed. I have no idea how they didn't break..."

"Amazing..." Ash muttered quietly, trying to imagine what it must have been like when this whole thing came down. He could imagine the incredible sound, and the Earth shaking under his feet. "No wonder they haven't been able to fix it yet. I can't imagine them ever fixing something like this."

"Me neither," Brock added.

"Yeah... they probably never will, honestly." Serena frowned. "They might try to fix up Route 13 so people can travel on it again, but that's probably it. This is just going to be the newest part of the Kalos landscape, I guess."

The four of them continued to look on for a while, before deciding they needed to move on. They turned and started walking back down the hill toward Route 11, with Ash giving the vein one last look back. As he took in the sight, he did a double-take and turned around, something strange catching his eye.

"What is it, Ash?" Iris asked, stopping and turning back toward him.

"I thought I saw something..." He looked carefully over the canyon again, trying to get another glimpse of what he thought had been a mysterious figure in white. After a quick but fruitless search, he shrugged his shoulders. "Might have just been my eyes playing tricks on me." He turned back and walked with the others down to Route 11, as they resumed their journey.

Hours later, the foursome found themselves in front of the mountains that cut through the middle of Route 11, just as the sun was starting to set. They stood at the entrance to the Reflection Cave, which ran through the mountain and connected the two halves of Route 11; looking inside, they were able to see the numerous crystals and mirror-polished surfaces that reflected the light of the setting sun.

"So this is the cave that's in a bad mood, huh?" Brock wondered aloud, still not sure what such a comment was supposed to mean. "Is it going to eat us alive if we make it mad or something?"

"Hopefully not," Serena replied, stepping inside. "It doesn't take very long to get through, but we should probably hurry anyway. It wouldn't be good for us to get lost in here when it gets really dark."

"Well, it can't get too dark in here, can it?" Iris asked as she followed Serena into the cave. She pointed near the ceiling, where a rudimentary set of lights could be seen shining weakly.

"Oh!" Serena followed her finger upward, surprised to see the lights. "Well, that's a bit of a relief. Those weren't here when Ash and I traveled through the cave."

Ash and Brock followed the girls in, as everyone took a minute to look around, admiring the natural beauty of the cave. The crystals hanging from the ceiling and jutting out from the floor shined with the refracted light of the sun, and the walls were as smooth and reflective as any mirror; the travelers could clearly see their own reflections in them.

"This is incredible," Iris spoke in awe as she looked around. "It's beautiful in here. Is this all natural?"

"Yes, I think so," Serena confirmed, leading the way deeper into the cave.

"That's amazing. I don't know how the walls get so smooth on their own." Iris walked up toward one particularly reflective wall, curiously reaching out to touch it. Ash turned to see her walking over, hand outstretched, and his eyes went wide.

"No, don't!" He raced over to her as quickly as he could, grabbing her wrist and pulling it away, causing her to yelp. "Be careful! Don't touch the walls!"

"Why not?" She pulled her wrist out of his grasp, noticing the panic in his expression. "What's the problem?"

"It's..." He tried to think of some way to explain what had happened to him on his first trip through the Reflection Cave, five years ago. In the end, he didn't know how to explain his strange trip into a mirror dimension without sounding crazy. "Just... trust me. You don't want to get too close."

Iris looked back at him, concerned and confused, before looking toward Serena for some sort of confirmation that he was right, or that he was completely out of his mind. She nodded back at her. "He's right. This cave is... it's a strange place. It's not what it seems."

"Al... alright, if you're sure..." She stepped warily away from the wall, walking backward for a few paces and jumping when she backed into a crystal. She quickly started following Serena, nervous, not sure she wanted to know what made the cave so strange.

The group walked through the cave in relative silence, following the string of lights overhead, in order to keep themselves from traveling down the wrong path and getting lost. Iris and Brock ended up hanging back a bit, walking more slowly as they took in the sights of the cave, still somewhat mesmerized by its beauty. Pikachu eventually hopped off Ash's shoulder and started traveling on foot, looking a bit more closely at the reflective walls, wondering if he was going to see anything strange but familiar on the other side.

With nobody else in the cave, and many of the local Pokémon having gone to sleep, the only sounds to be heard were the echoes of their footsteps, ringing out through the cave as if they were coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Eventually, Brock broke the silence, unable to keep his thoughts to himself any longer.

"What's gotten you two so nervous?" he asked, causing both Ash and Serena to turn around. "You both look like you expect the boogeyman to jump out at any minute. What do you know about this cave that we don't?"

Ash and Serena glanced at each other, biting their lips, not sure where to start explaining. Before either of them had a chance, however, the lights above them started to flicker, before they all went out at once, stranding everyone in near-complete darkness.

Serena bit off a shriek as everything went black in front of her. "What happened?! Why did the lights go out?!"

"I don't know!" Iris exclaimed, her words echoing around the walls of the cave, the sound surrounding all of them. "I can't see a thing! I can't even see my hand in front of my face!"

"Me neither." Ash reached into his pocket for his phone, trying to power it on to get some light, but the device wouldn't respond to him pressing the power button. He groaned as he slid it back into his pocket; with all of the research he was doing earlier in the day, he must have drained the battery. Iris started to reach for her phone, before Serena's voice stopped her.

"Hold on, guys. I think I can see a tiny bit of light in this direction. It might be the way out." The sound of her footsteps started to echo through the cave once again. "Follow me, guys. I think I can lead us out of here."

Ash nodded and began following her as best he could, walking forward through the cave, trying not to run into any crystals on his way. He listened carefully to the sound of Serena's footsteps, trying to pick them out among all the others and walking determinedly forward after them. After several minutes, his eyes started to just barely adjust to the lack of light, and he was able to make out where the walls of the cave were, at least. He sighed in relief.

"Finally, I can see where I'm going," he muttered to himself, just loud enough for anyone around him to hear. He waited for someone else to respond to him, but after ten seconds, nobody else had said anything.

He stopped walking for a moment. "Guys?" His voice traveled along the cave, echoing back to him over and over, but no other voices came with it. He quickly realized that the sounds of footsteps had stopped as well. His eyes widened as he looked around in the darkness, trying to make out the figures of his friends, or even his Pikachu. All he could see was the incredibly dim outline of himself, reflected in the cave walls; he couldn't even see the frustrated expression on his face.

"You've got to be kidding me..." He held his face in his hand for a moment, realizing what had happened. With no way to see Serena in front of him, he had tried to follow the sounds of her footsteps, but the echoes had ultimately led him down the wrong path. He stood quietly for a moment, berating himself in his mind, before sighing and continuing forward, not having any other recourse. If he tried to turn around and find where he had gotten lost, he was fairly certain he'd never find his way out.

After trudging forward bitterly for several more minutes, he was able to see a light ahead of him, which started illuminating the cave a little better. He sighed in relief and started walking faster, hoping that the light would lead him out of the cave. As he turned around one corner, he nearly gasped in surprise as he saw Serena walking ahead of him. He started running after her, immensely relieved.

"Serena! Thank goodness I found you!" he called out. "Do you know where the others are?" She jumped a bit at the sudden sound of his voice, turning around to face him. As her eyes met his, he could see her wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"Ugh, seriously?" she groused. "I was hoping we'd lost you back there."

Ash blinked and stopped running, not sure he had heard her correctly. "Lost me? What do you mean?"

"What do you think I mean?" she shot back, venom clear in her voice. "I was hoping you'd stay lost in the cave, and we could keep going without you."

"W... what?" He kept his eyes locked on hers, seeing a disdain in them that he'd never seen before. He could feel his stomach starting to turn, confused and a bit scared. "Serena, what are you saying...?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Ash... do you have any idea how much I thought about you over the past five years? Every time I was lonely or sad, I wished you were there by my side to make me feel better. Even when I was happy, I wanted you there to share it with me." She looked downward, the memories making her wistful. "You had been so strong and so brave during our journey, and every time I felt weak or afraid, I wanted you to be there for me. I missed you more than anything."

She looked back up at him, the wistfulness gone. "And now, five years later, I get to see who you've become, and I hate it. You're overconfident, pathetic and weak. You can't even get a simple Gym Badge without needing your friends to come and bail you out. You can't even begin to imagine how disappointed I was." Looking into her eyes, the disappointment and regret was so clear and so strong that it looked almost painful. "If I had known you would be here, I would have waited to come back to Kalos until you were gone. Anything to avoid seeing you like this."

Ash's mouth was agape as he listened to her words, each one feeling like a knife in his heart. He could almost feel his skin going cold as she started to turn away. "Don't follow me out of here, Ash. I don't need your dead weight holding me back when I'm trying to become Kalos Queen. We're through. Just go home."

"Se... Serena..." he finally managed as she started walking away, barely able to articulate his thoughts. "Why... would you... how could you..."

"Oh, come on!" He jumped as he heard another familiar voice behind him; he quickly whirled around, seeing Iris glaring at him angrily, with Brock standing beside her. "We finally got away from you, and here you are again. Just our luck."

"I guess he just can't take a hint," Brock added, wearing the disgusted expression of someone who had just stepped in something unpleasant. "I'm not surprised. He still can't figure out he's wasting his time trying to be a Pokémon Master. No wonder he can't figure out when other people don't want him around."

"Guys..." The sick feeling in Ash's stomach started to grow, and he felt his legs start to shake. Somehow he found the indignation and the wherewithal to say something in response. "Why are you saying this?! Why are you all acting like this?! I don't understand!"

Iris rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't understand. Clearly it takes a lot to get something through that thick skull of yours." She focused back on him, gesturing toward him with both hands. "Look at yourself, Ash. You've been trying and trying for five years, doing nothing but working on becoming a Pokémon Master, and are you any better off than when you started?" She folded her arms. "I sure don't see a Pokémon Master in training. All I see is a little kid, chasing a dream that he should have given up years ago."

"I hate to say it, but she's right. All this time since we first journeyed through Kanto, and you haven't grown at all, as a trainer or as a person." Brock looked more upset than outright angry, but no more sympathetic. "Really, it's your Pokémon I feel bad for. Imagine having to be shackled to someone like you. They all deserve better."

"I'd be more than happy to take Snivy off his hands," Serena suggested from behind him. "She's a natural performer. She'd be much happier traveling with me, I bet."

"Good idea," Brock responded, nodding. "Skorupi... maybe he should just be released back into the wild. I don't think any of us could really use him. And what about Pikachu?"

"Eh, let Ash keep Pikachu, I guess." Iris shrugged. "You'll never be able to separate those two. And Pikachu deserves a friend, at least. Even if it's him." She walked past Ash toward Serena, taking a wide arc around him, as if she might catch a disease if she got too close. "I'm pretty sure he's on the other side of the cave, if you can even find your way out."

Brock started following her, similarly staying away from Ash. "Let's just get going, guys. It's getting late. We don't have time to waste on him."

Ash watched the three of them as they walked away, trying to call out after them, to persuade them to stay and give him another chance. The words wouldn't form in his throat, however, no matter how hard he tried. It took all of his internal strength just to continue standing, as he watched his friends leave him behind, possibly forever. He watched their retreating backs, listening to their echoing footsteps as they gradually grew more and more faint.

"Don't tell me you're surprised, Ash." He whirled around again, eyes widening in shock as he saw Misty standing behind him, wearing her trademark glare. "After what I had to come in and do, who would want to keep traveling with you? I can't imagine how embarrassing that must be, to be seen with you after that. It's no wonder Serena left you behind. Why would she still want to be with you?"

"Wha... Misty? Why are you here...?" He stared in outright confusion, her presence entirely inexplicable. The only way she could have been here was if she had followed them all the way from Shalour City, and one of them would have definitely noticed her trailing behind them.

"Hah! Figures you'd end up abandoned like this, once people figured out what your deal is." Ash turned his head to see Gary Oak walk up next to Misty, smirking and looking quite pleased with this turn of events. "Once a loser, always a loser."

"You've got that right." He turned again, to see an irritated and impatient Dawn to his left. "Considering your downward spiral after winning the Alola League, I'm not surprised."

"I... I'm done spiraling! I'm better now!" he insisted, pushing through his confusion. "You should know that better than anyone!"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Keep telling yourself that, Ash. We all know the truth."

Ash didn't even have time to wonder why all these people were here before more of them began to show up. As he turned around, he saw countless faces of people he knew standing around him: May, Max, Ricky, Lillie, Korrina, Tracey, Bianca and more. Almost everyone he had come to know over the course of his journeys was here, and all of them were talking about him, the disgust evident in her voices as they shared stories about how Ash had failed and disappointed them. The noise grew and grew, until he eventually had to cover his ears to shut it out.

The numbness that he had experienced was starting to fade, as he quickly realized that something was very wrong. These people couldn't all be here; it was completely impossible. He forced himself to look away, tilting his head downward and closing his eyes, as he tried to shut out the din that was growing louder and louder.

"This... this can't be happening... this isn't really happening..." he spoke quietly, trying weakly to reassure himself. This couldn't be anything more than the strange powers of the Reflection Cave, torturing him for reasons he didn't understand.

"You can't block us out, Ash," Misty taunted, her voice somehow carrying over all the others. "We're in your head. You can't make us go away."

"Shut... shut up..." He closed his eyes tighter, pressing his hands hard against his ears, trying to muffle the sound that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard he tried. "You aren't real... none of this is real..."

"So what if we're not real? That doesn't mean what we're saying isn't true." The voice of Iris cut through the rest, as if she was speaking directly into his ears. "You know Serena's going to leave you for real, eventually. Deep down, you know that you don't deserve her. You don't deserve anyone."

"I said shut up!" he shouted, with all the strength he could muster. "All of you, just leave me alone!"

It took him another moment of covering his ears before he realized that all the talking had abruptly stopped. He opened his eyes again and looked around, seeing the shocked and hurt expressions on the faces of everyone around him. A couple of seconds later, they started to turn and walk away, one by one, disappearing into the darkness of the cave.

"Wait... wait!" Ash began to panic, starting to chase after them as they vanished, the pit in his stomach returning as he saw himself being abandoned. "Don't go! Don't leave me, please!" He continued to plead with them as they all turned and left without a word, the numbers thinning out quickly. He stood in the center of the circle, turning about quickly to see everyone as they disappeared into the mirrors from which they had come, looking stung by his words.

Before long, there were only three people left that he could see, staring at him with a mix of pain and pity on their faces. The first to turn away was Professor Oak, who sighed and shook his head as he walked off and vanished. The next was Serena, who looked as if she was holding back tears as she pivoted on her heel and walked away. Finally, his mother turned to leave, holding Pikachu in her arms, and was quickly swallowed by the darkness.

Ash felt weak as he looked around himself again, praying that there was anyone else still there, anyone that he hadn't driven away. He stopped in his tracks as he came face-to-face with a tall figure that appeared to be made entirely of shadows, standing a foot and a half over him with a masculine build. Ash stared, taking in the sight, trying to place who this mysterious figure could be, when the shadows started to turn to dust and blow away. He watched as the figure slowly disintegrated, disappearing atom by atom into the darkness of the cave, until there was nothing left. Finally, the light faded, and he was alone.

Ash's breathing was ragged as he looked down, shaken and overwhelmed, feeling like his body was made of cold lead. He couldn't think; he couldn't speak. All he could do was feel the reaction of his body, feeling sick and terrified, surrounded by the consuming darkness and unbearable silence.

"Ash?" His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle, worried voice, and the area around him was suddenly illuminated, the darkness chased away. He glanced toward the source, wincing and covering his eyes as a small but powerful light nearly blinded him, his pupils immediately shrinking. He looked back again after a moment, seeing Serena standing there, lowering the phone that she was using like a flashlight. As her eyes met his, he could see relief cross her face, her body relaxing.

"Thank goodness," she spoke quietly. "I was worried we'd lost you back there."

He paused for a moment, studying her carefully, not yet ready to trust that she was real, as she stepped closer. "It looks like all of us got separated from each other, but everyone else is back outside, at the exit. The way out is pretty straightforward, so we can just-" Her speech was interrupted as he started walking toward her, then running, then finally reaching her and wrapping his arms around her, as tightly as he could.

"Ash?!" she exclaimed, taken aback by the intensity of his reaction. "Ash, are you okay?!"

"I..." He tried to bring himself under control as he held her tight, needing a moment to reassure himself that this was reality, that the words he had heard before weren't the real truth of how she felt. After a few moments, he relaxed his grip on her, his breathing starting to come back to normal. "I'm fine. Sorry. I'm fine."

She wrapped his arms around him as well, trying to be as comforting as she could. "What did you see?" she asked knowingly.

He hesitated, not sure how to answer. Part of him wanted to open up completely about everything he had just seen and heard. He wanted to tell her all about the crippling self-doubt that he kept inside, the imposter syndrome that haunted him regularly, and his constant fear that he would one day lose her - a fear that had caused him to nearly throw away his shot at the Kalos League just days before, in a desperate bid to try and convince her to stay with him a little longer.

"...nothing," he finally answered. "Nothing important." He paused for a moment, not yet ready to let her go. "What about you?"

Serena hesitated as well, her mind immediately recalling the visions that had confronted her minutes ago. She saw her mother holding an empty keyring, devoid of any of the Princess Keys that it was supposed to hold, looking almost angry at the time and expense she had wasted on her failure of a daughter. Beside her was an upset Shauna, a smug Miette, and a number of others who had supported her on her past journeys, none of them interested in supporting her now. At her mother's other side was Ash, whose look of pure, devastated disappointment had nearly reduced her to tears.

"Same as you," she replied. "Nothing important."

They finally let each other go a few seconds later, turning to leave. Serena led the way toward the cave exit, using her phone light to illuminate the path forward, his hand tightly clasped in hers to ensure they didn't get separated again.

A few minutes later, the two of them finally emerged from the Reflection Cave, stepping out into the night air to find the others waiting nervously for them. Pikachu ran up and leaped into Ash's arms, nuzzling his cheek, more than relieved to see his trainer again. Iris and Brock ran forward to greet them, visibly relieved, but also clearly shaken from what they had just experienced.

After reassuring each other that they were all fine, they continued walking, wanting to cover a bit more distance before setting up camp. None of them ever talked about what they saw in the cave.

Chapter Text

Two days after he and his friends had left Shalour City, Ash was sitting in the empty lobby of the Geosenge Town Pokémon Center, looking through his Pokédex and focusing intensely. The previous day's travels were quiet and awkward, as all of them were still processing what had happened to them in the Reflection Cave, but nobody wanted to be the one to talk about it and expose themselves in the process. Their arrival in Geosenge Town had served as a good distraction, and by the time they went to bed, they were able to put the episode behind them for the most part.

Ash had eaten his breakfast more quickly than the others that morning, before walking into the lobby and sitting in the first chair he saw, pulling out his Pokédex. He started flipping through it, looking at what species of Pokémon could be found nearby, trying to build his team in his mind. His concentration was only broken when felt a pair of hands come to rest on his shoulders; he tilted his head back, glancing upward, and found himself looking into the upside-down face of Serena.

"What are you doing out here, Ash?" she asked curiously.

"Hey, Serena." Ash smiled back up at her. "I'm just looking through my Pokédex for a minute."

"I can see that," she replied. "Why are you looking through it? And why do you look like you're cramming for a test?"

"I'm trying to figure out what Pokémon I should add to my team next." He glanced back down at the device in his hand. "I need to make sure I catch the right Pokémon. There's a lot I need to consider."

"Yeah? Like what?" She smiled and leaned in closer, letting her arms slide around his shoulders gently, looking over his right shoulder at his Pokédex. "Tell me more."

"Ah... well..." Ash took a second to compose himself, grinning involuntarily, tilting the screen to face Serena a bit more. "Right now I'm thinking of how I'm going to beat Grant and his Rock-type Pokémon, but I need to think about the Pokémon League at the same time. If I start tailoring my team for type advantages for every Gym Leader, it'll be completely unbalanced. Plus, I'd have to spend ages building them up before each Gym Battle."

"Huh. Didn't you catch Skorupi for your battle in Laverre City, though? That's what you told me."

"I did, but that only really works for the first few battles," he explained. "The fewer Pokémon that are in the battle, the more a single type-advantage Pokémon benefits you. That advantage starts weakening right around now." He turned his head to face her a bit more, feeling her hair brushing against his cheek as he did so. "I think this time, I'm just going to have to accept the disadvantage and work to overcome it."

"I see..." Serena nodded thoughtfully, trying to file this information away, hoping that knowing more about battling might make her feel closer to him. "So what are you thinking, then? You're just going to build out your team for the Kalos League?"

"That's what I'm thinking, yeah." Ash pressed a few buttons on the Pokédex, showing a view of the Pokémon they were likely to see on Route 10. "Golett could work, Houndour could work, Eevee could work great with the right Evolution Stone... I usually have a Flying-type Pokémon on hand by now, too. They come in handy a lot, and the people I face in the League are definitely going to have some of their own. I'd love to get one of those next, if I can." He started scrolling through the Pokémon, seeing a Snubbull, a Houndour, a Nosepass, and more. "If worst comes to worst and I don't catch one, I could always call up Hawlucha. He was a great fighter last time."

"I remember him," she responded, thinking back on how well the Fighting/Flying-type Pokémon had done in many of Ash's previous battles with him. "He'd be great, I bet."

"We'll see." Ash lowered his Pokédex a bit. "It all depends on what we come across. You sort of have to take what comes to you and hope for the best."

Serena smiled warmly, her arms holding him a bit closer. "I'm sure whatever you end up doing will work out, Ash. You're a fantastic trainer. You'll do great no matter what happens."

Ash grinned wide and nodded as her arms pulled him back into her a bit, closing his eyes as he felt her cheek lightly brushing against his. He took in a deep breath, focusing on the warmth he felt from her, the softness of her skin, the gentleness of her arms as she held him. He didn't dare say another word, nor move a muscle, not wanting to interrupt the moment and cause her to step away. The two of them were mostly too antsy and nervous for public displays of affection, but sometimes when they were alone, there would be moments like this, and Ash relished every second of them. The sensation of being close to her, of her gentle and affectionate touches, brought out feelings in him that he didn't have the words to describe.

As he slowly exhaled, his eyes opened again, as he suddenly remembered something he had thought of weeks ago when he had first arrived. He spoke up again just as he felt her start to pull away. "Hey, Serena, I was wondering something..."

"Hm? What is it?" She leaned back in close to him.

"Have you noticed... it might just be in my head, but have you noticed the air in Kalos is just... nicer then the air anywhere else?" he asked, thinking back to his arrival at the Lumiose City airport. "It's cleaner, it's fresher, it smells nicer, like flowers or something..."

"Oh, yes, of course." Serena nodded, understanding immediately. "It's not just you. That's absolutely a real thing. Kalos cultivates that on purpose."

"Really?" He glanced back at her, eyebrows raising. "How do they do that?"

"A few things... let's see..." Her eyes flicked upward as she thought to herself. "There's very little heavy manufacturing in Kalos; it's mostly just the Poké Ball factory and that's it. We also make a lot of perfumes here, and we plant lots of flowers, too. It all adds up. There might be other regulations, too. I don't remember all of it."

"I see... I had no idea it was on purpose. It makes sense, though."

"Mhmm." She glanced back at him. "Why do you ask?"

"No real reason," he replied. "It was just something I was thinking about."

"Hm..." She smirked a bit. "And why were you thinking about that just now?"

"Ah..." He glanced downward, suddenly sheepish. "Like I said... no real reason."

"Uh huh." She stood up fully behind him, letting her hands slowly slide off his shoulders. "Well, now you know." She turned and walked away to go and gather her things, grinning wide, her cheeks flushed. Ash was blushing as well, a bit embarrassed, trying to regain his composure as he continued studying his Pokédex.

Ninety minutes later, the foursome were eating lunch at a picnic table not far outside of Geosenge Town. They had meant to travel farther before stopping, but they had been delayed for a handful of reasons; Ash had forgotten one of his belongings in the Pokémon Center, and Serena had been stopped by a small group of fans who wanted to talk with her. As a result, they ended up taking a break with Geosenge City still in sight, their growling stomachs forcing their hand.

After enjoying a delicious lunch cooked by Brock, Serena had brought out a container of cream puffs she had baked recently, for everyone to enjoy. They had intended to save most of them for later, but as soon as each of them tasted one, all restraint was gone. They quickly went through the entire collection, complimenting Serena on the taste whenever their mouths weren't full. Before long, Brock and Serena were sitting back, full and happy, while Ash reached out to snag the last remaining cream puff.

As he started to grasp it, he felt another set of fingers touching his, trying to do the same thing. He looked upward to see Iris reaching out for it as well, their eyes meeting. They both smirked at each other, eyes flaring, and an instant later they had both slammed their elbows down on the table, clasping hands and engaging in an impromptu arm wrestling match. They both strained against the other for several long seconds, exerting every ounce of strength they had, fighting for pride and pastry alike. Eventually, Iris slammed Ash's arm down against the table, letting out a triumphant cheer as she let go.

"Geez..." Ash rubbed his now-sore arm as he looked back at her.

"Let the record show," Iris spoke, reaching out for her prize, "that the score is now six for me, and three for you." She took a bite out of the cream puff, the taste even sweeter after having earned it.

"You need to build up those muscles, Ash," Serena added teasingly, standing up and grabbing the empty container, as Iris popped the rest of the pastry into her mouth. "You need to do some weight training. You can't keep letting Iris show you up."

"Yeah?" He glanced back at her, a defeated tone evident in his voice, as she kneeled down next to her backpack. "You know a lot about weight training, Serena?"

"Of course," she replied, putting the empty container away. "I do plenty of working out when I have the time. You can't be a great dancer with flabby muscles."

"Oh, really?" Iris grinned, placing her elbow back on the table and aiming her arm in Serena's direction. "You think you can do better?"

Serena laughed as she stood back up. "No way, I'd get creamed. All my strength is in my legs and my core. We'd have to do something like leg wrestling if we wanted it to be fair."

The two girls looked toward each other for a moment, grins spreading wide across their faces as they both got the same idea at the same time. Iris jumped up, and the two of them quickly moved toward the end of the picnic table, toward more open grass. Serena was blocked by Ash, however, as he stretched out his arm in front of her.

"Huh?" She stopped and looked toward him, curious; he looked back at her and put his finger to his lips, before pointing up at the bough of a nearby tree. Sitting high up on one of the branches, she could see a Pokémon that looked like a cross between a bird and a hieroglyph. Its body was mostly round, with colorful zigzagging stripes adorning it, and it had colorful but minimal wings coming out of its shoulders. Serena didn't recognize it, but Ash clearly did, and he wasn't about to let this chance pass him by.

Everyone followed Ash's lead, staying quiet and still, as he motioned for Pikachu to come closer. He closed his hand into a fist, then opened it back up as he thrust it in the direction of the resting Pokémon. Pikachu nodded, understanding the command perfectly, charging up a ball of electricity on his tail. Just as he started whirling around, but before he could aim the attack, he cried out as he found himself suddenly frozen in place, the telltale aura of a Psychic attack surrounding him. The ball of electricity flew off into the sky, stretching out into a wide Electroweb before dissipating.

Ash's eyes widened, and he looked back toward the bird Pokémon, who was staring down at the group with three eyes, one on its head and two on its stomach. It started flapping its meager wings, taking off and flying back in the direction of Geosenge Town.

"Darn it!" Ash exclaimed, running over to his backpack. "I thought I had it!"

"What is that, Ash?" Brock asked, eyes following the mysterious Pokémon as it flew away.

"It's a Sigilyph!" Ash answered, quickly slipping his backpack on. "It's both a Flying-type and a Psychic-type! I almost never get my hands on Psychic-type Pokémon!" He started running after it, Pikachu following behind him.

"You can get it, Ash!" Serena called out encouragingly, as she slipped on her own backpack. Iris and Brock did the same, as they all followed him from a bit of a distance, hoping that Ash would be able to catch the Pokémon before they ran all the way back to town.

Several minutes later, Ash slowed to a stop as he took his first steps back into Geosenge Town. He had managed to keep pace with the Sigilyph, and Pikachu had fired off a couple of Thunder Bolts, but the Pokémon remained stubbornly un-caught. He groaned as he watched the Sigilyph fly up and over one of the buildings, vanishing from his sight.

"Ugh..." He took a second to catch his breath, hands on his knees, as the others came up behind him. "I was so close... I could have gotten it right when we first saw it..."

"I'm sorry, Ash." Serena stepped up behind him. "Maybe you'll see another one on the way to Brackish Town. That can't have been the only one."

"No way," he replied, shaking his head as he stood up fully. "I'm not giving up that easily. There's only so far that thing can fly."

"Ash, you're not going to keep chasing it, are you?" Iris asked, surprised. "Do you even know where it went?"

"It's a small town. It can't have gotten that far." He started running toward where he last saw the Sigilyph, looking back. "I won't be long, I promise!"

"Wait! Ash!" Serena called out, to no avail; he quickly rounded one corner, then another, disappearing behind a building. She sighed and slumped a bit, less than thrilled at this turn of events. Iris and Brock weren't any happier.

"Well, girls..." Brock spread his arms wide, gesturing mockingly toward the town in front of them. "Welcome to Geosenge Town... again."

"Does he seriously expect us to wait here for him while he chases a bird all over town?" Iris groused, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm giving him one hour, then I'm calling him and telling him we're leaving."

"Iris, this is important," Serena responded gently but firmly. "This Pokémon could help him a lot if he catches it. Give him a chance."

Iris looked back at her. "How long do you think we should wait, then?"

Serena spent a moment struggling with her answer. As quick as she had been to leap to Ash's defense, she knew that she had a showcase she needed to get to in Brackish Town, and they didn't have a lot of time for dawdling. On top of that, she had to admit she didn't really want to sit around and wait for him all day, either.

"...Two hours," she eventually responded.

"Fine." Iris started walking forward into town. "Let's go find something to do, then."

Serena and Brock followed her in, and the three of them started discussing how they could kill time. As they were coming to a decision, they paused as they heard a distressed female voice calling out from a few blocks away.

"Hydreigon! Where did you go?! Come back, Hydreigon!"

"Huh?" Brock looked around, a bit curious as to where the voice was coming from. "Did someone lose their Pokémon?"

"Sounds like it," Serena responded, also looking for the source of the voice. "I hope she find them." She turned her gaze forward again, stopping short in surprise when she saw that Iris had stopped dead in front of them, barely breathing, her eyes wide as saucers.

"That... it can't be..." She looked around for a moment, her heart suddenly pounding, hoping that the owner of the voice spoke up again.

"Whatever it is I did, I'm sorry, Hydreigon! Please come back!"

Iris took off like a rocket, running in the direction of the voice as it started to grow clearer, cupping her hands to her mouth and calling out. "Shannon! Shannon, is that you?!"

"What?! Who said that?! Who's there?!"

"Shannon, it's me!" She turned a corner and looked down the sidewalk, gasping and covering her mouth when she saw who was there. At the other end of the block was a young girl of Iris's age and stature, with long maroon hair that fell partway down her back. As their eyes met, the other girl gasped as well.

"Oh my gosh..." The girl stood still for a moment, in shock and disbelief, a bit overcome. As Iris started running excitedly toward her, she managed to come back down to Earth and raced back in Iris's direction, practically leaping into her arms as they embraced each other.

"I don't believe it!" Iris exclaimed, holding the girl tightly. "Shannon, what are you doing here?!"

"I'm going on a Pokémon journey, same as you!" Shannon answered, her shock and bewilderment quickly giving way to excitement and elation. "I didn't think I would actually run into you here!"

"You should have called me! We could have been journeying together all this time!" The two girls finally let each other go, standing back and clasping hands as they beamed at each other.

"Iris?" Both of them looked over to see Serena approaching, with Brock right behind her. "You know this girl? Who is she?"

"Yes!" Iris let go of Shannon's hands, gesturing toward her. "This is Shannon! She's my best friend. We grew up together in Unova, in the Village of Dragons." She glanced back at her friend. "This is Serena and Brock. I've been traveling with them for the past month or so."

"Oh! Well, it's nice to meet you, Shannon." Serena smiled and stepped forward, shaking Shannon's hand.

"You too, Serena." Shannon studied Serena's face curiously. "You look familiar... have I seen you somewhere before?"

"Serena's a top-tier performer here in Kalos," Iris answered, knowing Serena was too modest to answer directly. "You probably saw her on TV a few weeks back."

Recognition quickly flashed across Shannon's eyes. "It was on TV! I remember now!" She grinned as she saw Serena look down sheepishly, turning pink. "You have the coolest friends, Iris!"

She turned her attention toward Brock, who smiled and stepped forward, extending his hand. "My name's Brock. I'm from Pewter City, in the Kanto region. I haven't been on TV, but I hope I'm still cool." The two shook hands for a moment before he continued. "So why were you yelling for your Hydreigon a moment ago?"

"Ah! That's right!" Shannon was quickly jolted back to reality, after being swept up in the excitement of seeing Iris again. "Hydreigon... I've been letting him out every day so he could fly around and stretch his wings. But today, he just didn't come back..."

"Oh no..." Serena brought up her hand to cover her mouth, immediately concerned at the crestfallen expression on Shannon's face. "Was he acting strange at all?"

"No, he wasn't. I don't know why he would have left."

"Don't worry, Shannon," Iris spoke up confidently. "We'll all help you find him, won't we?" She looked back at Serena and Brock, who both nodded affirmatively, happy to help.

Shannon smiled, looking around at all of them, feeling a little more optimistic. "Thank you, everyone. I hope he didn't get too far..." The four of them started walking down Geosenge Town's main street, calling out for Shannon's lost Pokémon.

At that very moment, Hydreigon was on the roof of one of the tallest buildings in town, though not by choice. He was struggling against a surprisingly strong tube made of thick rubber, one that was encasing him completely. He tried to claw at it, bash his head against it, desperate to get out, but to no avail. Standing off to the side, watching the Pokémon struggle against his constraints, stood two criminals and their Pokémon.

"Well, at least we know it works," Jessie commented. "If it was possible for that thing to break out, it would have done it by now. There's no way that Pikachu can escape from this." She turned to look at her partner. "That's some pretty impressive engineering, James."

"Thanks, Jessie... only now it's going to take me thirty minutes to set it back up," James lamented, glaring down at Meowth, annoyance all over his face. "You just had to press the button when that Pokémon landed on the trap, didn't you?"

"Hey, give me a break!" Meowth shot back. "I panicked! Pokémon like me are like hors d'oeuvres to Hydreigons!" He gestured toward a circular contraption on the ground behind James, identical to the one underneath the now-captive Hydreigon. "What's the big deal? We've got another one, and it's not like we need two to capture Pikachu."

"The more we have, the better our chances!" James responded angrily.

"I suppose you'll just have to set it up again," Jessie chimed in, causing James to groan and slump forward. "In the meantime, how are we going to get rid of this thing? We can't just let it go. It'll tear us to shreds."

Both of them turned and glared at Meowth again, who raised his paws in defense. "Hey, don't look at me! I'm gonna be as far away as possible when we let that thing go!"

Jessie grumbled and looked away, glancing over the streets of Geosenge Town, as James sighed. "Unless we want to fight this thing off, we'll all have to be far away when we let it go. I guess we'll find out the range on that button."

"Hold on..." Jessie walked over to the edge of the building they were standing on, kneeling down and looking at the streets below. James and Meowth followed her lead, trying to find what she was looking at, quickly spotting Iris and the others. All of them were looking around, calling out for Hydreigon, hoping that he might come out from wherever he was hiding.

"It's the twerps!" Meowth exclaimed, before quickly hushing himself. "Does that mean this thing belongs to one of them?"

"It sure seems like it," Jessie answered, smirking. "Looks to me like opportunity is knocking." The three of them retreated from the rooftop, planning out how to best approach this situation.

Some time later, the four trainers were walking down one of the last unexplored streets in town. Coming to the end of it, they found themselves back in a familiar location, and as they looked around for other paths to take, they collectively realized they had explored every street in the downtown area.

"He's not anywhere around here... he must have really flown far away..." Shannon's face fell, her stomach in knots. Iris felt her stomach twisting up as well, seeing the pain on her friend's face. She turned to face forward, calling out one last time.

"Hydreigon! Where are you?!"

"Gah!" Everyone turned in surprise as the tree next to them yelped. "Who's shouting?!" They watched the branches rustle for a minute, before Ash's head poked out amongst the leaves, followed by Pikachu's.

"Ash!" Serena stepped forward. "What are you doing up there?"

"I'm trying to find Sigilyph! I'm scoping out the town!" He looked back down at them, his eyes quickly homing in on the new addition to their group. "Who's this?"

"Ash, you remember Shannon, don't you?" Iris asked. "From the Village of Dragons, back home?"

His eyes lit up with recognition after a second. "Yeah, I do remember!" He started climbing down the tree. "What are you doing here, Shannon? Why are you shouting?"

"We're trying to find my Hydreigon... he flew off, and didn't come back..."

"Oh no, really?" He hopped down to the ground, Pikachu hopping onto his shoulder. "Well, I can help you find him, no problem. Where should we start?"

"What about that Sigilyph?" Serena asked.

"It's fine. This is more important. I can always catch something else." Ash gave Shannon an encouraging smile, which she didn't return.

"Thank you, Ash, but... don't worry about it..." She looked down at her feet. "If he hasn't come back by now... maybe he doesn't want to come back." Her voice trembled a bit, and she looked to be on the verge of tears. "This is all my fault... I wasn't a good enough breeder..."

"Shannon! That's not true!" Iris exclaimed, shocked. "Both of your Hydreigons love you, and you know it! I don't know where he is, but I know he didn't run away on purpose!"

Shannon seemed a little boosted by Iris's words, but not much. The five of them stood around for a few moments, having no idea how to proceed from here; they had already scoured the whole of the downtown, and none of them were certain that expanding the search would do much good. Before they could come to a decision, they were distracted by a voice calling out to them.

"Yoohoo! Looking for something?" All five of them quickly turned around, looking upward at the source of the noise, gasping as they saw Hydreigon at the edge of the roof of one building, struggling to break free of the transparent prison that he had been trapped within. On either side of him were Jessie and James, with Meowth at James's feet, all of them holding onto the rubber container, trying to keep the captive Pokémon from inching his way off the roof.

"Oh no! Hydreigon!" Shannon shouted, running toward him, with the others following behind her.

Jessie laughed tauntingly. "Prepare for-" she began, before Hydreigon roared and slammed its head against its bindings, nearly throwing itself off the ledge. All three of its captors gasped and grabbed it tightly, pulling it back onto solid ground with all their strength. They quickly decided that their motto could wait for another time.

"You three again?!" Ash exclaimed, instantly angry. "What are you even doing with him?!"

"You want him back, hm? Well then, how about a trade?" Jessie smirked. "Come on up here and let's talk turkey." The three of them grabbed Hydreigon's container and started dragging him back toward the center of the roof, having to struggle against his powerful thrashing, much less dignified than they were hoping to look.

Ash growled, starting to run toward the building, causing Serena to call out to him. "Ash! You're not actually going to try trading with them, are you?"

"What choice do we have?" He turned around and looked back at the others. "We have to get that Hydreigon back! Come on, guys!"

All five of them started making their way to the building, running toward the front door, wondering how to get on the roof. High above them, hovering in the air as it flapped its wings, Sigilyph watched the group as they entered the building and started making their way up.

Minutes later, Ash stepped out of a stairwell and onto the roof of the building they had entered, seeing Hydreigon and his captors several yards away. Jessie smirked, pleased, as the others filtered in behind him.

"Glad you all decided to show up," she spoke smugly. "Now let's talk business."

"What do you jerks want?!" Iris demanded. "If you hurt that Hydreigon at all, I'll..." She started marching toward them, causing James to hold up a small remote threateningly.

"Hold it right there!" he warned, clutching the remote in his fist. "All of you, stay right there. Get too close and I'll destroy the release mechanism. He'll be trapped, with no way of getting out!"

"What?!" Iris froze in place. "You... no way! You're bluffing!"

"You want to find out?" Meowth taunted. Iris glared back at them, but didn't take another step. She wasn't sure she believed them, but she wasn't willing to risk Shannon's Pokémon over it.

"Much better." James stood up straight, feeling good about the situation and hoping his confidence wasn't misplaced. "Now then, let's talk about that trade. I think you know who we want in exchange for Hydreigon." He immediately focused on Pikachu; Jessie and Meowth did the same.

Ash gritted his teeth, infuriated and torn. Normally he would be confident in his ability to get either Pikachu or Hydreigon back, but the criminal trio had come far too close to escaping with Pikachu just weeks before. He had no desire to give Pikachu up, but even the thought of giving up Hydreigon made him feel sick with guilt.

"Why are you three even doing this?!" Iris shouted at them, startling Ash a bit and breaking his train of thought. "You're not even with Team Rocket anymore! Why do you care about Pikachu now?!"

"W... what?!" Jessie stammered a bit in surprise, all of them caught off guard. "We're... who told you that?!"

"We heard everything from Bill and Cassidy back in Shalour City," Iris responded. "They told us you got the boot years ago!"

"Urgh... those two..." James gritted his teeth, trying to remain intimidating despite his obvious embarrassment. "Even after we're gone, they still have to ruin our careers, don't they?"

"What do you need Pikachu for anymore?" Ash called out. "Why don't you just go away and leave us alone?!"

Jessie growled. "Why don't you just go back to Pallet Town and bag groceries or whatever?"

"No way! I'm not giving up on my dream just because of you three!"

"Well, we're not giving up on our dream, either!" James shot back. "Our dream is to rejoin Team Rocket, and nothing's going to stop us from achieving it!"

"That's right!" Meowth chimed in.

Jessie kept quiet, her eyes fixed on Pikachu, a noncommittal expression on her face. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that the other two were looking her way, waiting for her to chime in and fill the silence. She quickly spoke up, tripping over her words a bit. "Right... that's right."

James ignored the odd response, looking back at Ash and his friends. "That's enough talk. If you want this Hydreigon back, you'll set your Pikachu down right here." He tapped his foot on a small circular device on the ground, identical to the one that was underneath Hydreigon. "Once we've gotten far away, then you'll get your other Pokémon back."

"Why should we trust you?" Serena demanded, stepping up beside Ash.

"What choice do you think you have?" Jessie shot back.

All of them stood quietly for a moment, the two groups glaring at each other, as Ash tried to figure out what to do. After several tense seconds, Pikachu jumped off his shoulder and started walking toward the trap, looking simultaneously angry and resigned.

"Pikachu!" Ash gasped as his Pokémon moved closer and closer to the trap, keeping his eyes suspiciously on the trio in front of him. He eventually set foot on the device, sitting on it and looking up, waiting for them to get on with whatever it was they planned to do.

"Well, I'm glad one of you is seeing sense." James grinned, turning toward Meowth. "Alright, activate the trap!"

"With pleasure!" The small cat Pokémon held out a remote very similar to the one in James's hand, his other paw hovering above it, ready to press the button and activate the mechanism. He held that pose for several long seconds, not moving a muscle, as everyone else watched, the moment starting to change from tense to awkward.

"Any day now, Meowth..." Jessie suggested.

"I'm... trying!" Meowth answered, his voice oddly strained, his jaw barely moving. "Can't... move...!"

James blinked in surprise, wondering what he was talking about, when he managed to notice the strange aura that was surrounding Meowth at that moment. His eyes widened in shock, and he tried to step forward to help, only to find that he, too, was frozen in place. Jessie was similarly stuck, and she started straining against her invisible restraints, to no effect.

"Huh?" Ash took a closer look at them, recognizing the telltale aura of a Psychic attack. He quickly looked around, trying to find the source of it. After a moment, he looked upward and gasped again, his face breaking into a wide smile. "Ah! Look!" Everyone else followed his lead, finding the Sigilyph from before flying above them, focusing hard on keeping the former Team Rocket members frozen in place.

"No way!" Brock exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. "I can't believe it actually came back!"

"Now's our chance!" Ash took a step forward. "Pikachu, hit the button on James's remote!"

"No! Don't!" James pleaded helplessly, redoubling his futile efforts to get free. Pikachu ignored him, climbing up his body and onto his arm, slamming his paw against the button. In an instant, the rubber casing surrounding Hydreigon split into two halves and fell away, freeing the Pokémon from his prison.

"Yes!" Iris clenched both fists in front of her excitedly. "Great work, Pikachu!"

"Thank goodness!" Relief spread quickly throughout Shannon's body, before she stood back up fully. "Alright, Hydreigon, teach these three a lesson they won't forget!"

The trio could do nothing but watch helplessly as the enraged Hydreigon stretched his wings and advanced toward them. Each of his heads shot forward and grabbed one of them in its jaw; two of them grabbed Jessie and James by their collars, while the third snatched up Meowth by the tail. The dragon Pokémon started to spin around rapidly, faster and faster, before eventually letting go with all three of its mouths. Jessie, James and Meowth all screamed as they were flung far outside the edges of Geosenge Town, too far to even see where they eventually landed.

"Hmph! Good riddance." Serena un-tensed and relaxed, watching with the others as Shannon ran up to her Pokémon, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Hydreigon! I was so worried about you!" Her Hydreigon returned the affection happily, making a mewling sound as he wrapped an arm around her in response.

Iris was smiling from ear to ear, relieved and thrilled. "See, Shannon? I told you that Pokémon loved you. There aren't many people that can make a Hydreigon act like that."

"There sure aren't," Brock chimed in. "You must really be a talented breeder."

Shannon smiled as she turned back to them, flushing a bit. "Thank you for saying that, both of you. I guess I just need some more confidence in myself."

Ash nodded, looking back up at the Pokémon flying overhead. "Thanks to you, too, Sigilyph. Without your help, I don't know where we'd be right now."

Sigilyph cawed from some unknown orifice, swooping down closer to the rooftop and hovering just over it, looking Ash straight in the eyes with as piercing of a look as it could manage. Ash's eyebrows raised in surprise; he had expected the Pokémon to fly away again, after the chase they had gone through earlier in the day.

"Huh? What's it doing?" Serena wondered aloud.

"I think it wants to battle you, Ash," Iris chimed in. Sigilyph nodded, spreading its wings, trying to appear as intimidating as possible.

Ash grinned wide, excited. "Sure looks like it to me." He looked down at Pikachu, who had settled at its feet. "You ready, Pikachu?"

Pikachu cheered affirmatively, running forward on all fours and taking up an offensive position. The others moved away, standing behind Ash and watching curiously, as he issued his first command and the two Pokémon began to battle.

Chapter Text

Days after they left Geosenge Town, Ash and his friends were walking into the downtown area of Brackish Town, with additional companions in tow. At Iris's heavy and unnecessary insistence, Shannon had happily agreed to travel with the group, eager to spend time with her best friend. Ash had a new companion of his own as well, after successfully defeating and capturing the Sigilyph that he had chased all over town. Some practice battles between Sigilyph and Axew had told him that his new Pokémon had a quiet but honorable nature, and a visit to the Pokémon Center had informed him that his new Pokémon was female. How Nurse Joy managed to figure it out, he did not know; his knowledge of Pokémon biology began and ended with what attacks they could perform.

As they ventured into downtown and toward the Brackish Town Theatre, all eyes were on Serena, almost literally. It was hard to ignore the occasional glances from the townsfolk around them, who recognized her from either the Coumarine City Showcase or the advertisements for it that had briefly appeared all over the region. Ash could tell that she was uncomfortable receiving attention from all angles, but she was doing her best to take it in stride, walking forward with a smile on her face.

As they approached the showcase venue, Shannon leaned in closer to Iris, her voice low. "Iris, is this..." She gestured toward a couple looking in their direction. "...Normal?"

"Not really," Iris whispered back. "She's been recognized before, but it's never been quite like this."

"They're probably wondering if I'm going to win," interjected Serena, who was perfectly capable of hearing both of them. "Performers winning their first two showcases is uncommon. Winning the first three has never happened."

"Is that worrying you at all, Serena?" Brock asked.

She shook her head. "I'm trying to not think about it at all, honestly. I'm just treating this like any other showcase."

"Really?" Ash wondered. "I thought you might have some super-special performance routine ready for tonight."

"No, I don't, really. I'll try my best, but I've been putting most of the work into my Performance Battle with Iris. That's the one I really want to be good."

"You should make this one really good, too!" he responded, the energy rising in his voice. "Think about what it would be like to make Kalos history! They'd be talking about you for decades!"

"Ash, stop!" Serena turned a bit red, her palms moving to her warm cheeks. "You're going to make me nervous!" She grinned even as she blushed and protested; the idea sounded a lot more appealing when he said it.

As they finally reached the theatre, they were greeted by a fairly thick crowd, composed of performers, performers' families, and spectators. They merged into the throng, looking for the entrance to the venue, quickly splitting into two groups to find it more quickly; Ash and Brock started walking along the left side, while Serena, Iris and Shannon went to the right. After a few moments of walking, trying to navigate the crowd, Serena managed to spot the front entrance, as she exhaled in relief. Before she could turn and call back to Ash and Brock, however, she heard a female voice speak teasingly into her ear.

"Well, well, look who it is."

She jumped, startled, and quickly whirled around toward the source of the voice. She found herself looking into the red eyes of a familiar blue-haired girl around her age, standing with her hands clasped in front of her, an innocent yet devious smile on her face.

"Ah!" Recognition quickly flashed across Serena's eyes, as she remembered the competitive performer and baker she had tangled with on her first journey. "Miette!"

The girl smiled wider, glad to be recognized. "I was hoping I'd see you here. You've really been lighting up the showcase circuit, huh?"

Serena grinned wide, stepping forward as the two girls clasped hands, greeting each other like old friends. "It's great to see you again! How have you been? Are you competing here tonight, too?"

"Of course! I'm not here to watch, that's for sure." Miette grinned back. "I saw a video of you in Coumarine City last month. That was the best performance I've ever seen!"

Serena beamed as the two of them spent a moment catching up. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she had some reason to be worried or unsure about Miette, but she didn't care to think about it right now. She was more than happy to have another friend to talk with, especially one who understood what performing was like. Iris and Shannon stepped back and gave them their space, going to fetch Ash and Brock themselves.

"How have you been doing so far?" Serena asked. "Have you won any showcases yet?"

"No, not yet," Miette responded, smirking a bit. "Not all of us have Princess Keys coming out of their ears."

Serena smiled sheepishly. "Sorry..."

"Don't apologize!" Miette insisted. "You deserve those wins. You've always been a great performer." She adopted a confident smirk. "If you want another one tonight, though, you'll have to beat me to it."

"I'll do my best." Serena's eyes quickly glanced around, not seeing anyone who looked like they were intentionally staying close to Miette. "Have you been traveling with anyone, or is it just you?"

"It's just me, as usual. How about..." Miette did the same, briefly scanning the crowd. Her eyes suddenly lit up, as she saw a very familiar male someone approaching from a few feet away.

"Oh wow! It's him!" She immediately switched focus, brushing past Serena and running toward Ash as quickly as she could. Serena watched her go, her blood turning to ice as soon as she realized what was happening. Instantly, she remembered exactly why she felt the need to be worried.

"Ash! I can't believe you're here!" Miette ran right up to him, taking him by surprise. "You remember me, don't you? Your old dance partner?"

It took Ash a moment to remember what this girl was talking about, her overly friendly gaze bringing back memories from years past. "Miette! Yeah, I remember! How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great," she answered, leaning in flirtatiously, her hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes quickly took him in. "You've certainly grown, haven't you?"

"Ah, yeah..." Ash rubbed the back of his head, not having thought much about it. "We all have. It's been a while, huh?"

Serena stepped up to the two of them, glancing over Miette, nervously noting the specific ways in which she had grown over the years. Miette was a couple of inches shorter than Serena, but was noticeably more full-figured, and Serena was certain Ash had noticed as well. Perhaps it was from all the baking, she thought to herself.

"What have you been up to?" Ash continued, not wanting to be impolite. "Have you been practicing your performances this whole time?"

Miette shook her head. "No, I haven't. I've mostly been working on my bakery business." She reached into the bag that was hanging from her shoulder, rifling through it and producing a tin. She opened it and presented it to Ash, revealing a number of fresh-looking profiteroles. "Go ahead, try one!"

"Thanks." Ash smiled and reached in carefully, plucking one from the bunch and taking a bite, his eyebrows raising as he tasted it. "Whoa! That's good!"

She grinned wide. "Isn't it the best you've ever had?"

"It's up there, for sure," he answered diplomatically, fully aware of the other baker standing at his side.

"We should go in and get some seats. There's already a lot of people here." Iris stepped forward, grasping Ash's sleeve and starting to pull him along, sensing that he needed to be rescued from this conversation. He eagerly followed her lead, relieved, turning back toward the two performers.

"We'll see you guys later! Good luck, Serena! You too, Miette!" Miette grinned and waved at him as he departed, keeping her eyes locked on his as best she could. Serena waved as well, relieved to see that she was the one Ash chose to make eye contact with as he left.

"We should get inside, too. The first rounds are going to be starting before too long." Miette turned and headed in the other direction, toward the performers' entrance. Serena watched her for a moment before taking a deep breath and letting it out, following a few paces behind. She knew she had no reason to worry. She reminded herself that she was the one Ash had come to Kalos to see, not Miette. Even so, it was frustratingly hard for her to cast off her lingering doubts in Miette's presence. As she walked through the door and entered the theatre, she hoped that not every girl who flirted with Ash would make her feel like this.

Some minutes later, Serena had changed into her performance outfit, and was walking toward one of the many mirrors in the dressing room, needing to apply her makeup. As she approached, she could see Miette in the corner of the room, doing the same thing. She tried not to look her way.

Miette's eyes followed Serena as she walked robotically toward one of the mirrors, setting her makeup bag down. "You seem pretty nervous."

"I'm fine," Serena answered, unzipping her bag and taking out a hair brush, the strain evident in her voice.

Miette smirked a bit as she carefully applied mascara to her eyelashes. "I know why you're upset."

"Mm." Serena started tending to her hair, not wanting to have this conversation.

"You don't need to worry. I was just having some fun earlier." The mascara brush moved to Miette's other eye. "I've forgotten all about our 'other' competition. I won't get in your way."

"That's good to hear." Serena continued brushing her hair, staying silent for a moment before changing her mind. "Because I already won a long time ago."

"Really?!" Miette quickly turned to face Serena, surprised and excited. "You finally let him know how you felt, huh?"

"I did." Serena remained terse, as she put down her hair brush and reached for her blue flower clip.

"Well, what did he do?"

"He didn't really have time to do anything. I was already leaving." She slid the clip into her hair, placing it carefully. "We didn't see each other for a long time after that." She let a gentle smile creep across her face, as she started to relax. "But eventually... he came back to Kalos to find me."

"Wow... how romantic." Miette grinned wide, turning back to her mirror and double-checking her makeup. "Maybe I should have said something to him when I had the chance, after all."

"Maybe so... but I'm glad I did something first."

Serena reached for her foundation, pausing for a moment as she held it in her hand, a question suddenly burning in her mind. "Actually... why didn't you say anything to him? You had plenty of chances to tell him you liked him. Goodness knows I was taking my sweet time."

Miette sighed. "I never really had a chance with him, Serena. Not when you were around, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Serena." She used a brush to lightly adjust her blush. "You were always traveling with him, so he was always thinking of you, not me." She lowered her hands, looking down, her voice getting quieter. "Plus, you were kinder than I was... and prettier than I was..."

Serena turned to face her, eyes wide, never having heard her express vulnerability like this. "Miette..."

Miette shook her head. "It doesn't matter. At the end of the day, he only liked one of us the way we liked him, and it wasn't me. I can't compete with that."

"Miette... he didn't like me like that, either," Serena responded. "I liked him, not the other way around."

"If you say so."

The two of them continued preparing for their performances in silence for nearly a minute. Eventually, Serena spoke up again, her voice quiet. "Thank you for giving me that chance."

"Don't mention it." Miette started packing up her bag again. "I won't be granting you any favors tonight, that's for sure. If you want to make history, you'll have to go through me first."

Serena smiled into her mirror. "I'm planning to."

Miette smiled as well, taking a deep breath and letting it out before turning and heading toward the door. "Good luck out there."

"You too, Miette." Serena's eyes followed her as she walked out the door, exhaling as well, proud of herself for saying what she did. She continued applying her makeup, focusing on the competition in front of her, having no intention of losing this one, either.

One hour later, Ash, Brock, Iris and Shannon were sitting in the theatre auditorium, watching as Miette finished her solo performance, the first of the night. The audience watched with rapt attention as she spun through the air with her plump Slurpuff, powered by the Psychic ability from her cat-like Meowstic on the ground. As she was slowly lowered back to the stage, the crowd broke out into delighted applause; she grinned wide as she felt the waves of adulation from the audience, curtsying to them in thanks.

"Thank you, Miette, for that spirited performance!" the MC declared from the side of the stage. "Next up, please give a big Brackish Town greeting to Serena, from Vaniville Town!"

The audience's applause filled the auditorium once again, with Ash and his friends cheering louder than anyone else, as Serena walked out to the center of the stage, her three Pokémon in tow. She took a moment to wave to the crowd, with a motion that she had clearly practiced over her years of performing. The crowd was buzzing, cheering longer than they normally would, all of them excited to see if this girl would be making history tonight.

As the applause died down, her Sylveon and Delphox each took a step in front of her, ready to begin. Delphox raised her stick into the air, using her Fire Spin attack to summon rings of flame in the air, while Sylveon used her Fairy Wind to create a ball of pink, shimmering wind in the center of the rings of fire. Just as the music kicked in, the Fairy Wind exploded outward, sending the flames expanding in all directions. The fire died out just as it reached the audience, hitting them instead with a blast of warm air that felt almost as though it were charged with magic of some sort. Serena grinned wide as she heard their excited gasps, and she and Pancham began to dance.

Ash grinned wide as he watched the performance begin, powered by the sort of upbeat and poppy music that she had danced to several years ago. The routine may not have been as visually shocking as the fire ribbon from Lagoon Town, but all of her moves were perfectly on point, as well as her Pokémon's. The crowd was energized as they watched, all of them drinking deep from the energy that Serena was giving off with her dancing and her dazzling smile.

The audience weren't the only ones watching the performance with rapt attention. From the stage right entrance, a young performer with curly brown hair had her eyes locked on Serena, watching with a mix of amazement and anxiety. Madison could already feel her heart pounding at the idea of following this display, not knowing why the crowd would have any interest in her after watching the experienced performer who was now on stage. She had to force herself to look away once the routine was half over, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

Don't worry about her, she told herself as she exhaled slowly. You don't need to beat her. You're not here to win a Princess Key. You're here because you promised Serena you'd try performing one last time. You just need to make the crowd happy, and then you'll be happy. Her pep talk to herself had zero effect whatsoever, her nerves coming right back as she turned her attention back to Serena, who was animatedly dancing with Pancham amidst a backdrop of embers and glitter. She felt her Swellow nuzzling her cheek as it stood tall next to her, and she reached over to pet it gently, trying to clear her mind as the performance on stage started to wrap up.

The song concluded as Serena raised her arms and beamed at the crowd, Pancham posing triumphantly in front of her, with Sylveon and Delphox at either side. The audience burst into applause once again, cheering loudly at the display they had just seen. Serena had easily met the expectations they had all had for a potentially historic performer.

Serena let out a breath, relieved and a little exhausted as she walked over to stage left, the announcer thanking her once again for her performance. Now all she had to do was wait for the final performance to conclude, and the results to come in. With her performance behind her, and her nerves no longer able to ruin it, she started to allow herself to get excited at the idea of doing something nobody else had done before. A nervous grin spread across her face as she stepped off stage.

"...welcome to the stage, Madison!"

Serena abruptly stopped in her tracks, her eyes shooting open as she heard the familiar name. Up until now, she had been so focused on her own performance, as well as distracted by Miette's presence, that she hadn't paid any attention to who else was performing in the showcase. She quickly whirled around, gasping as she immediately recognized the young girl walking out toward center stage. She took a few steps forward, standing in the doorway and calling out, trying her best to be heard over the sound of the audience.

"Good luck, Madison!" she shouted, cupping her hands to her mouth. "You're going to do great!"

Madison looked toward the sound, shocked to see Serena cheering her on so eagerly. She put on the best smile she could, giving her a small wave before turning back to face the crowd. Her heart raced faster than ever as the lights came down, a single spotlight focusing on her; she was thankful, in the moment, that the bright light prevented her from seeing the hundreds of pairs of eyes that were now fixed on her.

As her music began, she felt her Swellow leaping off of her shoulder, spreading his wings and starting to fly above her in a small circle. Her body started moving on its own, muscle memory kicking in as she leaned forward, one leg extended out behind her as she grasped her Roselia in both hands. She shifted her weight, pirouetting in a quick circle before tossing her Pokémon into the air to be caught by Swellow. As the two Pokémon flew about in a circle, Roselia began spreading a Sweet Scent that quickly reached the audience, who inhaled it deeply.

Madison felt herself relaxing a bit as the audience let out a satisfied sigh all at once, glad to be starting off on the right foot, literally. As she glanced upward at her Pokémon, her eyes caught sight of a single dark feather that had molted from Swellow's wing, which was now drifting slowly toward her. She froze for a second, not having expected it to fall, and overly scared of anything that might be seen as a mistake. An instant later, however, her mind suddenly formed a plan, and she took a quick step forward, reaching up and snatching the feather between her index and middle fingers. She couldn't help but grin as she heard a couple audience members gasp in surprise, having correctly assumed the loose feather was not an intentional part of the performance.

As the orchestral music started to pick up speed, her dance routine began in earnest, the molted feather still clutched lightly in her hand. With each successful move, she felt her nerves slowly melting away, as the steps in her performance appeared in her head one after the other. Spin here. Plié here. Reach out and catch Roselia. Leap into the air as Swellow flies underneath. Pose and hold perfectly still, as a Petal Blizzard flies all around her, threatening to cut her if she moves a muscle. She was no longer listening to the crowd, not daring to let anything distract her and ruin the performance, just like in Lagoon Town.

As the music started to reach its climax, Madison leaped back to the center of the stage, starting to spin slowly on one leg. As she did, she could feel the air around her whipping into a frenzy, creating a small whirlwind in the middle of the stage, courtesy of Swellow. From behind her, Roselia used a Petal Dance to create a flurry of petals, which quickly got caught up in the swirling wind and surrounded her, rising upward in a beautiful spiral. The petals spread out as they hit the ceiling of the venue, eventually falling and landing among the amazed spectators.

The recorded orchestra continued to crescendo until it finally reached the final note, a powerful stinger that punctuated the air. Just as the music came to an end, Madison stopped spinning and finally threw the loose feather into the air. Caught up in the final vestiges of the whirlwind, it twirled upward like a helicopter blade, flying many feet above Swellow before coming to a stop, slowly floating down as the lights faded to black.

Madison finally allowed herself to breathe, as the stage lights came back on and the crowd broke into raucous applause. She looked out at the delighted faces of the audiences, hearing the whistles and the cheers over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. She clasped her hands to her chest, feeling her cheeks flush and her heart swell, in disbelief of what she had just accomplished. She could feel the familiar sensation of pride and excitement that she had felt performing for her family, multiplied a thousand fold. As a wide smile spread across her face, she knew full well that this was not going to be her last showcase.

"A big thanks to Madison for that elegant and inspired performance!" the announcer declared, as Madison continued staring out at the crowd. She eventually noticed some movement beside her, watching Miette and Serena walk back on stage; she quickly hurried to her position on stage right, embarrassed that she had forgotten the directions she had been given beforehand.

"Finally, it's the moment you've been waiting for: it's time to cast your vote and decide who will receive tonight's Princess Key! Don't forget that a green vote is for Miette, a pink vote is for Serena, and a yellow vote is for Madison! Everyone take your Glow Casters and vote now!"

The performers and the audience watched as colored balls of light began to fly through the air, zooming toward the three key holograms that had appeared in front of each performer. The crowd was noisier than usual as they cast their votes, all of them curious to see if Serena would manage to pull off three victories in a row. Madison's eyes were quickly darting back and forth between Serena's key and Miette's, crossing as many fingers and toes as she could. She knew that Serena's performance had been good enough to win, but she was nervous about the outcome all the same.

As the final votes came in, Madison's eyes widened as she saw the final tallies. It had been a close contest, but in the end, Serena had a clear margin of victory over Miette. She nearly shouted with excitement, thrilled that her idol had managed to do what nobody had done before. She took several steps forward as the crowd started to applaud, calling out toward Serena.

"You did it! You really did it!" she exclaimed, as Serena turned to face her. "Congratulations, Serena!"

Serena burst out laughing, saying something that Madison couldn't hear as the sound of applause drowned her out, pointing back toward Madison's key. Madison's eyes followed, curious as to what she meant, and she froze on the spot as she finally looked at her own key for the first time. She quickly looked toward Serena's, then back to her own, repeating this several times in utter confusion. No matter how many times she looked, her own key still appeared to be more full than Serena's.

"What an incredible upset!" the announcer's voice rang out. "We have our winner, ladies and gentlemen! Winning her very first Princess Key, it's Madison!"

Madison's hands quickly moved to cover her mouth in shock, as she watched the audience cheer and applaud, some of them getting to their feet. She couldn't form words, or thoughts, or muster any sort of conscious reaction to what was happening; it was all she could do to continue standing, her legs beginning to tremble. She felt tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

As she tried to work up the wherewithal to speak, or move, or anything, she yelped as she felt herself being lifted several feet into the air. Glancing downward in surprise, she could see the smiling face of Miette on one side of her, with the beaming face of Serena on the other side, as they lifted her up on their shoulders.

Her breath was shaky as she looked out at the cheering crowd again, feeling as though her heart was going to burst. She eventually closed her eyes tight, tears cascading down her cheeks, overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment. She tried her best not to sob as the applause washed over her, never having felt such happiness as this before, not even aware that happiness of this magnitude existed. She let the feelings of the moment fill up her heart and soul, forming a memory that she would hold onto for the rest of her life.

The next day, Ash, Serena and the others were stepping out of the front doors of the Brackish Town Pokémon Center, their bags on their backs, ready for another couple days of traveling. The streets were buzzing with activity, but after last night's showcase, much less attention was being given to Serena. With the potential to make history gone, she had become just another performer once again.

"Well, that's that," Serena spoke, as they started walking down the street. "I've got at least one more showcase ahead of me now." She glanced back toward Iris. "Looks like you're not off the hook for that Performance Battle. Sorry, Iris."

"Hey, I'm not upset about that," Iris replied. "After all the practice we've been doing, we'd better have a chance to put it to good use. I don't want to have wasted all that time."

"I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to make history, Serena," Brock offered, echoing a sentiment Ash had made several times the previous night. "That would have been a pretty amazing feat."

"Oh, I don't care about that," Serena responded, shaking her head. "As long as I get a chance at the Master Class, I'm not bothered about the rest." She smiled warmly. "Besides, Madison really earned that win. You could tell how much it meant to her."

"Serena!" Everyone turned and stopped as they hear a voice calling out in their direction. They turned and looked back toward the Pokémon Center, to see a ten-year-old brunette waving and running in their direction.

"Oh! Speaking of." Serena grinned and ran toward Madison as well, and the two of them quickly reached each other. "Hey, Madison! Congratulations again on winning last night! You did an incredible job."

"Thanks, Serena." Madison smiled wide as she looked up at her companion. "Are you all leaving town now? Where are you going?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah, we are. We're going to loop around the southern edge of Kalos and make our way back to Lumiose City for the next showcase." She smiled gently. "What about you? Will I be seeing you at any more showcases?"

"Well... it's just, I..." Madison quickly grew flustered, as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say next.

"Hm?" Serena blinked in surprise, watching as Madison fumbled for her words, as her other friends walked up behind her. "What is it?"

Madison looked back up at her, still struggling a bit, before taking a breath and letting it all out. "Please let me come with you, Serena!"

Serena's eyebrows raised in response, a bit taken aback by the forcefulness of the request. Madison waited a moment before continuing.

"You... helped me so much back in Lagoon Town, and I... I want to keep learning from you! I want to be the best performer I can be, and I know that if I'm watching you and learning from you, then maybe I could!" Her hands were clenched into fists, and her eyes were closed, almost as nervous now as she had been before her performance. "I know we're technically competitors, but please let me come along! Please say that it's okay!"

She opened her eyes again, looking up at Serena's stunned expression, as well as the surprise written on the faces of all her friends. Her heart sank a bit, worried that she may have been too eager, too forceful. She waited with bated breath for some sort of response.

Shannon was the first to speak up, looking toward Serena. "Well, you can't say no to a request like that, can you?"

Serena turned back toward her, smiling. "I sure can't." Her gaze returned to Madison, specifically toward the backpack she had with her. "You don't have a tent in that bag, do you? We do a lot of camping out."

"Ah... no, I don't..." Madison's face fell, fearing that she was being rejected. "I've been traveling by bus, staying in Pokémon Centers..."

"Well, that's alright. We'll get you a sleeping bag and you can stay in my tent with me."

Madison's face lit up, and she rushed forward, clasping Serena's hand in both of hers, unable to believe her good fortune. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Serena laughed, delighted and amused by this turn of events. "This is going to be interesting. I've never had a student before."

"I promise I'll be a good one!" Madison let go of Serena's hand, the rush of elation starting to wear off a little. "So where are we going first? Are you headed right to Lumiose City?"

Serena shook her head. "Not directly. We're going to Cyllage City first."

Ash nodded and stepped forward a bit, standing next to Serena. "I'm going to be battling at the Cyllage City Gym. I've got a Cliff Badge to collect."

"Cyllage City Gym?" Madison repeated, confusion evident in her voice. "You mean you guys didn't hear?"

Ash froze immediately upon hearing her words. Even without knowing what she was about to say, he could feel his skin turning cold, knowing whatever news she had to impart couldn't possibly be good news. "Hear what...?"

"The Cyllage City Gym is closed!"

"What?!" Serena exclaimed in shock, as the entire group gasped involuntarily. "When did it close?!"

"Just a few days ago!" Madison answered, already sounding a bit apologetic. "The Gym Leader left town and everything!"

"You can't be serious..." Ash held his head in his hands, instantly stressed to the point of being nearly overwhelmed. "No, no, this can't be happening..."

"We need to get to Cyllage City, pronto," Iris spoke up. "We need to figure out what's happened there."

She turned and started heading toward Route 10, and the others quickly followed her. Serena reached out and gently grasped Ash's arm, pulling him along as he tried to keep pace. As they made their way to the edge of town, he could feel his dreams of winning the Kalos League starting to slip away yet again, a feeling that he had become all too familiar with over the course of his journey.

Chapter Text

It was dusk by the time Ash and his friends arrived in Cyllage City some days later, and despite their tired feet and growling stomachs, they immediately sought out the local gym. As they searched, they couldn't help but notice the lack of townspeople out and about, or the number of buildings that were in disrepair. There was still activity in the city center, but any other part of the city felt like a ghost town. They collectively decided this was a mystery for another time.

"Do you remember where it is, Ash?" Brock asked. "What sort of building is it?"

"It's not in a building," Ash answered, eyes scanning the cliff walls lining the eastern edge of the city. "The gym is built right into the mountain. We should see a tunnel or..."

"Ash, look at that!" Serena pointed toward the cliff. "That must be it!"

Everyone followed Serena's finger along the wall, eventually finding a boarded-up tunnel entrance under a partially-collapsed cliff. The remnants of a massive rockslide lay next to the entrance, and a sign bearing the symbol of the Kalos Pokémon League was smashed and destroyed on the other side of the tunnel, as if it had fallen a hundred feet to the ground.

"Oh my gosh, what happened?!" Iris exclaimed, as everyone started running toward the derelict tunnel. All six of them crowded around the entrance, trying to find a gap in the boards they could peek through; Ash was the only one who managed to get a decent view, and everyone eventually stood back and waited for his report. Pikachu jumped up on top of his head, trying to get a look of his own.

"No way..." Ash sounded stunned, his breath taken away as he took in the sliver of a sight before him. What he saw inside looked less like a Pokémon Gym and more like a disaster zone.

"What is it, Ash?" Serena stepped closer.

"The gym... it's completely destroyed..." He paused as he looked over the mountain of rubble inside. "The ceiling's partially collapsed, and the climbing wall, too... the battlefield is totally gone. It looks like a quarry in there."

"You're kidding!" Iris reached out and pulled Ash away from the crack in the boards, taking a look for herself, gasping as she saw the devastation before her. Shannon stood close to her, as if that would somehow let her see what Iris was seeing.

Serena glanced down toward Madison. "What happened here, Madison? Did this happen recently?"

Madison shook her head. "I think it's been like this a long time, but the gym was still accepting challengers until a few days ago..."

"Seriously?!" Brock exclaimed. "How could they be accepting challengers in a place like this?!" He stood beside Iris, trying to find another crack between the boards to look through.

For the first time since leaving Brackish Town, Ash's despair was outweighed by shock and confusion. He stood back, trying for a few moments to solve the mystery of the gym, before coming up with an idea.

"They said that trainers need to check in at the Pokémon Center," he spoke, turning away. "They'll be able to tell us what's going on." He started walking back into town at a brisk pace, with the others following quickly behind.

"Yes, the gym... you're the first trainer to come asking about it in weeks." Inside the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy stood in front of Ash and the others, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm afraid you're just a few days too late. The Cyllage City Gym has closed indefinitely."

"We heard that," Ash responded, trying to keep a panicked tone out of his voice. "What happened to it? Why is it all destroyed?"

"It's been that way since the Vein Collapse, three years ago," Joy continued. "The whole city suffered from it, but since the gym is built into the mountain itself, it was hit the hardest by far. It's a miracle the whole place didn't cave in... but as you probably saw, it's completely unusable now."

"And nobody fixed it?" Serena asked, surprised. "After all this time?"

The nurse shook her head. "The money just wasn't there. They had so much to fix around Cyllage City, so many residential and government buildings... if they wanted to fix the gym, as badly as it was damaged, they would have had to take the money from somewhere else. It's really unfortunate, but people need houses more than they need a gym."

"Wait..." Brock stepped forward, putting his hands down on the counter. "But if the gym was destroyed three years ago, why did it only close recently?"

"Well, the gym itself was closed, but the Gym Leader, Grant, was still accepting challengers," she explained. "They would just battle on any spare battlefield that the city had. It worked fine for a while, but eventually, the number of challengers started dwindling down to nothing."

"How come?" Iris chimed in. "Just because the gym was ruined?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "You've probably noticed that the gyms in Kalos all have very unique and interesting constructions to them. It's part of their appeal." Ash nodded, thinking back to the first two gyms they had traveled to on their journey, both of which had been built into enormous trees.

"Apparently, the trainers of the region decided that they didn't want to battle in some random building if they had the choice. So they slowly stopped coming to Cyllage City and went elsewhere instead." She sighed. "Poor Grant would be stuck with nothing to do for days on end, because nobody wanted to challenge him or even train under him. After nobody came to see him for two whole weeks, he went to the city council and asked to leave, and they allowed it. Now the gym is officially closed."

"That's awful..." Serena lamented, remembering Grant's energy and imagining how unhappy he must have been.

"It is, but... what are the trainers supposed to do now?" Ash spoke up again. "How are they supposed to get a Cliff Badge?"

"Unfortunately, they can't," Joy answered. "The Kalos League has told us we can't give out badges if a trainer hasn't battled a Gym Leader." She reached down underneath the counter, pulling out a map and a small slip of paper, handing them both to Ash. "This is a map of all the currently active gyms in the Kalos region. If you go to any of them and show them this pass, they'll let you jump to the front of the line for a Gym Battle."

"Huh..." Ash looked over the map carefully, counting that there were nine gyms still active. They had made plans to visit seven of them, and the last two were significantly out of their way. "I guess we're going to have to figure out a new route through Kalos. This is going to be a mess, isn't it?"

"Again, I'm very sorry." Nurse Joy put on her best smile. "If there's anything else we can do to help, please let me know."

"That's alright," Brock replied chivalrously. "You've been more than helpful enough as it is. We really appreciate it." He had to restrain himself from reaching out and clasping her hands in his, still fighting off a lingering infatuation, as he reluctantly followed the others out of the Pokémon Center.

"It'll be okay, Ash," Serena offered, looking over his shoulder at the map he was holding. "There's still plenty of time before the Pokémon League begins. We'll figure out a way for you to get that last badge."

"I hope so..." Ash was much less optimistic than she was, already plotting out travel routes in his head, none of them good. "We'll have to sit down again and get this figured out, like we did last time."

"We'll have to do it after we get some food," Iris responded. "I'm starving." Both Shannon and Madison voiced their agreement, their stomachs growling, and the group started moving toward downtown in search of a good restaurant.

Hours later, long after the sun had gone down, Ash and his friends were back at the Pokémon Center and dressed for bed. With six of them all traveling together, they had to get a larger room than usual, but they found themselves spoiled for choice; as fortune would have it, they were the only travelers staying at the center that night. They had quickly chosen the largest room with the best view, claiming six of the eight beds, before pulling out the Kalos gym map and poring over it, thinking about how they could salvage their planned journey.

After nearly thirty minutes, they still hadn't made any progress, as the remote locations of the remaining two gyms was scuttling any plans they could think of, given the showcase schedule that Serena had committed to. Shannon had moved to her bed, sitting on it tiredly and watching the discussion from farther away. Madison was leaning against Serena's shoulder, somewhere between awake and asleep; the first time this had happened, Serena had gently shaken her back awake, but the second time she had relented and allowed it. She was still actively planning with Ash, Brock and Iris, but all of them were quickly coming to the realization none of them had wanted.

"There's only one way we can make this work," Brock eventually announced, stone-faced.

Iris nodded. "We're going to have to split up."

"Oh, no..." Serena covered her mouth with her hand, her heart sinking.

"They're right," Ash responded, looking down at his feet, equally gutted. "If we try to stick together, we'll either miss some showcases, or I can't get all of the badges I need. I'll have to go one way, and Serena will go another. And Iris will need to go with her, and Shannon and Madison too..."

"I'll go with you, Ash," Brock jumped in. "You shouldn't have to travel by yourself. We'll meet up with the girls again eventually."

Ash nodded limply, the offer not doing much to lift his spirits. The sudden change in plans had been frustrating for him, but manageable. Now, however, he could see his summer with Serena going up in smoke, which was an entirely different matter. After all the time he had waited to see her again, the thought of parting was leaving him almost despondent. The others watched as he stood up, turning toward his bed.

"We can figure out what we're going to do in the morning," he mumbled, shambling toward his bunk.

"Ash..." Serena spoke softly, concerned.

"I just really don't want to think about this right now." He lifted up the covers and climbed in, burying his face in his pillow; a sleepy Pikachu quickly moved out of his way, walking over and curling up between his legs instead. Iris and Brock stood up as well, getting themselves into bed, as Serena kept her eyes on Ash for a few more moments. She eventually bit her lip and nodded, reaching over to shake Madison awake again before standing up. She walked over to the light switch and flicked it off before heading for her bunk, the room only illuminated by a small number of lights from windows downtown. All six of them lay in their beds in silence, trying to fall asleep.

"It's so quiet..." Madison spoke after a few moments, half-whispering. The others lay in silent agreement; even for the late hour, the Pokémon Center, as well as the town outside, was far quieter than they were used to. The silence was unnerving.

"There's nobody here," Shannon responded. "No trainers passing through, no tourists, no night life... it's like the whole city is dying."

"I guess without trainers coming through, there's fewer people staying here, eating, shopping..." Iris followed up on Shannon's line of thought. "Then people start leaving because they can't make a living here... it's a death spiral."

"Yeah..." Ash rolled onto his side and looked out the window, at the relative darkness and the lack of activity. He thought back to how Cyllage City had been like on his first trip through Kalos, and how different it was now, even for the scant few hours they had been there. There was no hustle and bustle in the city center, no excitement in the air, and it almost seemed like there was no hope in the eyes of the few citizens they had seen. Grant may have only left recently, but it was clear the soul of the city had disappeared long before that, collapsing in on itself alongside the vein that now stretched its way through western Kalos.

He eventually closed his eyes, starting to drift off. It was clear to him now what he had to do when he woke up the next morning. The tricky part would be getting everyone else to agree.

"Mary, what's next on my schedule? Do I have time for a quick break?"

The next morning, a middle-aged man in a dark purple suit was seated at his desk in a luxurious office, pressing the button on his intercom. He could hear the sound of papers shuffling on the other end, as his secretary retrieved his schedule.

"A couple of teenagers are here to see you, Mayor Pirkle. They said they had some questions about the gym?"

The man sighed, disappointed, pressing the button again. "Alright, send them in." He sat back, mumbling that at least the meeting would be short. A few seconds later, the doors to his office opened up, and he watched two teenagers step inside. One of them was a boy wearing a red-and-white hat, evidently a Pokémon trainer from the way he was dressed. The other was a girl who was slightly shorter, with long, abundant purple hair tied up behind her waist.

"Thank you for meeting with us, Mr. Mayor," she spoke, smiling. "My name is Iris."

"And I'm Ash," the boy added. "We wanted to..."

"...Ask me about opening up the gym again?" Mayor Pirkle interrupted, anticipating his question.

"Ah... well..." Ash was a bit befuddled by the mayor's tone, as he already sounded like he didn't want to have this discussion.

"Trust me, I've already gotten tons of flak from angry trainers, upset that we were taking one of their gyms away." The mayor leaned back in his comfortable-looking chair. "They called in, sent their letters, calling me every name in the book, demanding that we open back up again. None of them have been showing up the past few weeks, though. Nobody's been coming through looking for a challenge, to convince us that it's worth the trouble. There's still no trainers eating at our restaurants, buying things in our shops, or staying at the Pokémon Center." He leaned forward again, elbows resting on the desk. "Sorry, but two trainers coming by to talk to me in person isn't going to do the trick. Not unless you have a few hundred friends waiting outside."

"We don't want you to just reopen the gym, sir," Ash quickly explained. "We want to rebuild it."

Pirkle paused, not sure he had heard correctly. "Come again?"

"Erm... maybe 'renovate' is a better word," Iris replied, stepping forward. "We want to clear out the rubble, put a proper battlefield down, clean up the entrance... make it a usable space again. Give the trainers someplace to go when they come to get their badges."

"Right..." The mayor was a bit unsure how to react, never having received an offer like this. He eventually went with skepticism. "And you two are going to be renovating it all by yourselves? How old are you, even?"

"Fifteen, sir," Ash answered. "And it's not just us. There's six of us altogether, plus all of our Pokémon, including some powerful Rock-types and Dragon-types. We can get the rubble cleared out in no time, I bet. Give us a week and you'll see what we can do, I promise."

"A week, huh..." Pirkle rested his chin on his hands, elbows on his desk. "You've still got a problem, though. Even if you clean up the gym, there isn't going to be a Gym Leader there to accept challengers and give out badges."

"We can take care of that, too." Iris grinned a bit, gesturing toward herself. "I'm a Gym Leader in Unova, and another of us used to be a Gym Leader in the Kanto region. We can make some calls to the Pokémon League here and arrange for someone new to take on the position."

The mayor raised an eyebrow, surprised and a bit impressed. "You've got this figured out, huh?" He leaned forward, still a bit suspicious. "So how much is this renovation going to cost us? You want to be paid in cash or Poké Balls?"

"The only thing I want is my Cliff Badge, sir," Ash insisted.

Both of the mayor's eyebrows shot up this time. "You're serious? You're doing this just for a gym badge? You can get those a lot more easily, you know."

"It just seems like the right thing to do," Iris added. "Cyllage City could really use this."

The mayor said nothing as he sat back, contemplating this offer as he looked up at the ceiling, fingers steepled. The two teenagers waited patiently and nervously for his response, hoping they had done their job and sold him sufficiently on the idea. After twenty seconds or so, Mayor Pirkle looked back at them, gesturing toward the two neglected chairs in front of his desk.

"Alright, have a seat. Tell me more about the plans you have for our gym."

Ash and Iris both exhaled in relief, grinning as they sat down across from the mayor, launching into a description of the plan they had hastily concocted earlier that morning.

One hour later, Ash and Iris were walking out toward the boarded-up entrance to the Cyllage City Gym with their friends, a work permit in Iris's backpack and a crowbar in Ash's hand. Once they reached the tunnel, Ash took to the job of pulling the boards free, with Brock lending him a hand when he needed a bit more leverage. A couple of minutes later, they had the entrance completely unblocked, and all six of them stepped over the boards to walk further inside.

Ash grinned wide as he saw the dilapidated space coming into view, despite its severe state of disrepair. He could see how much work lay ahead of him, but he also saw the potential for what the space could be when they were done. He saw himself going into battle and emerging victorious, a Cliff Badge in his hand and his friends by his side. He could feel adrenaline starting to pump through him, the way that it did before an intense Pokémon battle.

He turned back to look at the people that had all agreed to help him, all of them better friends than he could have imagined. They were all smiling, feeling a sense of excitement for what was going to happen. Serena kept her eyes fixed on him, beaming, her heart bursting with pride.

"Well, guys, here we are," he announced. "Our home for the next week. Let's get to work." The others nodded as they walked forward, ready to begin.

Chapter Text

Near the center of downtown Cyllage City, the sound of a ringing bell could be clearly heard over the minimal hustle and bustle, attached to the door of a delicatessen as it opened. Madison stepped through it onto the sidewalk, holding a pack of a dozen water bottles in one hand, using the other hand to keep the door open. Serena thanked her as she stepped outside as well, holding a large box in both hands, with two bags of different sizes on top.

"What a morning," Serena muttered glumly, as the two started walking along the sidewalk toward the outskirts of town. "We must have knocked on three dozen doors."

"I lost count around 26," Madison replied. "All that and not even one person wanted to help us. I can't believe it."

"Well, it's not the most exciting sales pitch," Serena admitted, glancing down at her companion. "What would you say if someone knocked on your door and asked you to come lift rocks for a week?"

"If they were going to help my town get back on its feet, I'd at least try!" the younger girl exclaimed. "Everyone here thinks it's so great that we're rebuilding the gym, but nobody wants to actually lift a finger to help us!"

Serena sighed. "I wish I was more surprised... at least we got some donations out of it. So the morning wasn't a total loss."

"I wonder if they would have given us money if they knew we were going to spend it on food."

"Don't say it like that!" Serena insisted, adopting a scholarly tone. "We're not just buying food. We're supporting the renovation of the gym by providing sustenance to the workers. This is a perfectly legitimate use of funds."

Madison smirked. "What about the éclairs?"

Serena grinned back down at her. "Éclairs are sustenance, too."

The two continued chatting as they made their way back to the remains of the Cyllage City Gym, glad that they could help the cause in some way. Early on in the renovation process, after watching Madison try to lift a fairly large rock, Serena insisted she lay off the heavy lifting, as any injuries could immediately knock her out of the showcase season. Brock had quickly pointed out that the same logic could be applied to Serena herself, and before she knew what was happening, Ash, Iris and Shannon had all agreed that she shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting, either. After grumbling about this for a few minutes, the two performers decided to try and find more pairs of hands to help out; by the middle of the third day, they'd still had no luck.

Serena and Madison soon found themselves back at the tunnel leading to the gym, stepping out of the way as Brock's Geodude floated past, carrying a large piece of rock from the old climbing wall. They walked inside, appraising the pile of rubble still in the center of the gym; while it had shrunk considerably over the past few days, it was still imposingly large.

"Lunchtime, everyone!" Serena announced cheerfully.

"Awesome!" Ash's voice came from the other side of the mountain of debris, sounding tired. "Can you bring it over here?"

"Sure." The two walked around to the other side of the cavern, watching as Ash, Iris, Brock and Shannon came into view. They were all sitting or lying back on the rubble, sweating, their hands preemptively wrapped in bandages to keep them from getting injured. Several of their Pokémon were also out of their Poké Balls and assisting in the effort, most notably Brock's Steelix, who towered over the rest of them. They all turned to look at Serena and Madison as they approached, eyes sparkling as they saw the food she was carrying, as if she were bearing manna from heaven.

As Serena poured out Pokémon food into bowls of varying sizes, Madison carefully walked up toward the workers, offering them each a water bottle, which they greedily took and started gulping down before giving their thanks. Serena followed after, opening the box she had brought to reveal numerous decadent sandwiches, handing one to each of her hungry friends.

"Thanks a lot, Serena," Ash quickly got out before taking a large and hungry bite out of his lunch. Serena grinned and let him eat for a moment before speaking again.

"How is the work going? Are you guys still behind schedule?"

"Oh yeah, we're way behind schedule," he answered, swallowing. "We thought we would have all this stuff out of here by yesterday morning. I didn't think we'd have to move it all one piece at a time."

She frowned and nodded, understanding. On the first day of renovation, they had tried to use Steelix to move all of the debris at once, but this had made the ceiling of the cavern rumble loudly and ominously, causing all of them to scurry outside in a panic. They eventually went back inside to continue working when they felt it was safe, but decided not to do anything that might accidentally cause a cave-in, moving the rubble one piece at a time instead. The group was forced to add "reinforcing the ceiling" to their list of tasks.

"Well, we have some leeway in terms of time, at least," Serena replied. "We can afford to spend another few days if we need it."

"We'll definitely need it," Ash responded, taking another bite out of his sandwich.

"Even that might not be enough," Iris chimed in. "We might have to scale back on some of our plans, like the electrical work."

"That sounds important..." Serena thought for a moment. "Maybe we can cut something else, like... I don't know, plumbing?"

"We already cut the plumbing," Shannon spoke up, watching as her Hydreigon flew down to claim some of the Pokémon food, landing between Pikachu and Snivy.

"That was the first thing to go," Brock added. "None of us knew how we were going to do that in the first place. We're not plumbers."

"Yeah..." Ash looked down, his mood deflating as he pictured the lackluster gym that was likely to emerge from their efforts. "I don't know how we're going to fix the ceiling, either. We're not going to have a Kalos-worthy gym at this rate, that's for sure."

Serena bit her lip, hating to see Ash dejected like this, but not knowing what to say to make him feel better. She had always deeply admired his selflessness and sense of duty toward others, and it was a big part of what had attracted her to him in the first place. Now, however, she feared that he may have gotten himself in over his head. She didn't dare say it out loud, but the thought of him having to stay behind while she went ahead to Lumiose City still lingered in the back of her mind.

"Hey!" Her thoughts were interrupted as a male voice shouted out from near the entrance to the cavern, causing everyone to jump. "Is anyone in here?"

"The gym is closed," Ash called out reflexively, not really wanting to expend the energy to sit up.

"I know that!" the voice called back. "Are you the kids fixing up this place?"

Ash's eyebrows raised, and he set his sandwich down and crawled to the top of the debris mountain, taking a look at who was doing the yelling; Iris and Brock joined him, while Serena walked around to the side. Standing at the entrance to the gym was a tall, barrel-chested man with muscular arms, a chiseled jaw, and blonde hair tied into a short ponytail. He wore a white shirt with a denim vest, jeans, and a blue field cap, and his neck was adorned with a shark tooth necklace, with an overlarge, rainbow-colored tooth in the center. The man's appearance tugged at the back of Serena's memory, but the others didn't recognize him at all.

"Yeah, that's us..." Ash stood up, climbing over the pile of rubble. "Why? Who are you?"

"The name's Byron," the man answered, as the group of six started to converge in front of him. "I'm the head honcho of Team Ace."

Serena's eyes shot open in shock, recognition suddenly flashing through her mind. "You're the Byron?!"

"Is there another Byron?" The man chuckled for a second before becoming serious again. "Don't answer that. I know there are other Byrons."

"Um... why are you here, sir?" Ash asked, carefully studying the man in front of him. This person didn't remotely line up with the picture of Byron that he had formed in his mind. He had imagined some stuffy old man wearing a top hat and a monocle, eating caviar for every meal and occasionally leaving his mansion to cut a giant ribbon somewhere.

"I heard some kids were trying to fix up the Cyllage City Gym," Byron answered, studying the group that had formed in front of him. "That's you, huh?"

"Are we in trouble...?" Madison asked, a bit fearful, feeling herself shrink in this man's large and intimidating presence.

Byron laughed. "Trouble? Are you kidding? No way. In fact, I want in."

"Want in?" Iris's eyes widened, optimism springing forth. "You mean you want to help us?"

"That's right," he confirmed. "I don't know what you kids were planning, but imagine what you could do with a blank check and an army of contractors. Give us a week and we'll build the best gym Kalos has ever seen. It'll put the old one to shame."

Ash and Serena's eyes lit up simultaneously at the thought, relief already sweeping through both of them at the mere suggestion of help. Brock was similarly uplifted, but found himself speaking up. "That sounds amazing, but why are you offering? Why do you want the gym rebuilt?"

"I've been trying to build an Ace Center here for years," Byron began to explain. "But the finance guys said it wouldn't be worth it because nobody comes through Cyllage City anymore. Then two days ago I hear about you guys, and the answer's obvious: rebuild the gym and the trainers all come back. I swear, you kids have more sense than my entire advisory board put together."

"Makes sense..." Ash muttered, as Serena stepped forward excitedly, still starstruck.

"That sounds incredible, sir! We'd love to take any help you're willing to give!"

"Alright, then we're in business." Byron extended his hand, which Serena eagerly shook. "First things first: I'm not 'sir'. I hate formalities like that. Just call me Byron."

Serena nodded, willing to call him anything he wanted if he was offering help. "Yes, of course."

"You look familiar, kid." He raised an eyebrow, studying her smiling face. "Have you ever been on TV?"

"Ah... technically, yes..." She flushed red, amazed that someone of his status knew about her somehow. "I'm a performer, and they put me in the ads for the Coumarine City Showcase..."

"Right, that's what it was." He let go of her hand as his recollection came back to him. "I saw a video of you after the show. You lit that place up. Nice work." She blushed deeper, looking downward.

"How do we let the trainers of Kalos know that the gym is fixed?" Shannon wondered aloud. "Do we put something in the paper, or..."

"Newspaper's not nearly loud enough. You're thinking way too small," Byron answered, a hint of condescension in his voice. "This is going to be a rebirth for the whole city. We need to go big with this. We need performances, a carnival, TV, radio... I can probably scrounge up a celebrity to do some ads. Maybe some talk show host or something."

Everyone nodded along as he described his plans, their excitement growing as they imagined a city-wide celebration. The moment was interrupted by Madison. "Oh! I know the perfect celebrity we could ask!"

"Really?" Serena glanced back toward her. "Who is it?"

"Who do you think?" Madison grinned back mischievously, leaving Serena curious. It took her a moment to realize that everyone's eyes were looking in her direction, the answer finally dawning on her.

"Whuh... me?!" she exclaimed, turning her deepest shade of red yet.

"Hey, now there's an idea." Byron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Kalos loves their performers. That'd be a great celebrity endorsement."

"No, don't call me that!" Serena reached up and tugged her hat down further onto her head, trying to disappear under it, feeling her face burning up.

He laughed, amused by her embarrassment. "TV's the easiest thing in the world. Just gotta say a few lines and they let you try it over and over. I do it all the time. Besides, if you're gunning for Kalos Queen, you'll have to get used to this sooner or later." She groaned a bit, not too comfortable with the accelerated rate at which her fame in Kalos was growing.

Ash reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to do it if you don't want, Serena. I'm sure Byron wouldn't have any trouble finding someone."

"Nngh... no, I'll do it," she responded, sounding defeated. "But if I make myself look like an idiot in front of all of Kalos, I'm blaming Madison."

"You're going to do great!" Madison insisted, unfazed by Serena's threat. "I can't wait to see it!"

"Alright, that's settled. I've got some calls to make." Byron reached into his vest pocket, pulling out an expensive-looking phone and handing it to Serena. "Speaking of which, put your number in here. I'll call you today or tomorrow with the details. Meanwhile, I need to scrounge up a Gym Leader for this place."

"We're taking care of that," Iris replied, as Serena entered her number into the phone. "We've already been making calls. They're trying to find someone for us now."

"Good, that's one less thing I have to do." He took his phone back as it was handed to him. "Alright, I'm gonna go make some miracles happen. Make sure the place doesn't collapse before the contractors arrive."

"We'll do our best," Brock responded, as Byron turned to leave as abruptly as he had arrived, without even a proper farewell. They all watched him as he walked out, blocking some of the light from the outside with his size, before hopping into a fancy black car parked outside and peeling off.

"Did that really just happen?" Iris wondered aloud, starting to come back to reality as his presence wore off. "Did a famous billionaire just walk in here and save our renovation project, or did I hallucinate all that from exhaustion?"

"If you did, I hallucinated the same thing." Ash let a grin spread wide across his face, unable to believe their good fortune. "Looks like I'm getting my Cliff Badge after all."

Serena grinned as well, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. "Looks like it to me, too." The group turned and walked toward the back of the cavern, relieved and excited, to finish off the lunch they had started.

Two days later, the six of them were seated in the empty Gym Leader's office, crowded around a computer screen. The sound of construction was all around them, even with the door closed tightly, so they had the volume cranked up as high as it would go. As Brock reached out and hit the play button on the computer, they could all see Serena's smiling face appear, dressed up in her performance outfit and makeup.

"Hi, everyone!" she exclaimed, looking into the camera and waving energetically. "It's me, Serena! And I'm in Cyllage City right now, preparing for one of the biggest celebrations Kalos has ever seen!"

Nearly everyone in the room grinned wide as the on-screen performer gestured toward a digital mockup of the new Cyllage City Gym, describing all of the improvements being made, as well as the planned carnival and other celebrations that the city was scheduling. Serena was covering her face with her hands, watching the screen through her fingers, painfully aware of every small mistake she had made during yesterday's filming.

"...the fun begins this Saturday, in downtown Cyllage City! I can't wait to see all of you there!" Everyone but Serena broke into a light applause as the video ended, congratulating her even as she continued to hide her face.

"That was great, Serena!" Madison jumped out of her chair and walked over. "You're going to bring so many people here!"

"You're a natural at this," Shannon added, smiling. "You look really comfortable in front of a camera."

"I can't believe that's the take they went with..." Serena muttered, slowly lowering her hands and sitting up. As critical as she was of herself, the praise and encouragement from Ash and her friends was helping to lift her spirits pretty quickly.

"It seemed like a good take to me," Ash offered, as the group all stood up together. "You always perform well, no matter what you're doing, if you ask me."

"Thanks, Ash." Serena sighed as they started walking back into the main hall of the gym. "They're going up all over Kalos today. I guess we'll find out how well I did when people start arriving."

Everyone paused briefly at the entrance to the cavern, watching as dozens of workers crafted the new gym. The pile of debris had been completely removed, and in its place was a deep hole that was being lined with machinery for some unknown purpose. Others were building stands for fans to sit in, while still others were being hoisted up to the ceiling by platform cranes, installing steel beams with the help of their Pokémon.

"This is so cool..." Ash looked around in wonder at the work that had already been done. "This is where I'm going to be battling in just a few days."

"You better make sure you're prepared, Ash," Serena advised, smiling. "There are going to be a lot of people here watching. You don't want to disappoint them."

"Trust me, I'm going to do a lot of training between now and then," he reassured her. "It would help if I knew who I was battling, though..."

"We're still working on it," Iris mentioned from behind him. "But ever since we mentioned Byron's name to the Kalos League, a lot more people have become interested in taking on the gym."

"Don't worry, Ash," Brock continued. "You'll have someone to battle this Saturday, I assure you."

Ash grinned and nodded, turning back toward the gym in progress, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. For the first time in a while, it felt as if things were really going his way. He just hoped his good fortune extended to the battle for his Cliff Badge.

Chapter Text

The streets of downtown Cyllage City were more crowded than they had been in years. Travelers lined the roads and sidewalks, filling the shops and restaurants with conversation and excitement. Most everyone was crowded around any television screen they could find, be it a smaller one at a diner or one of the large ones fixed to the sides of several buildings downtown. All of the travelers wanted to watch the event that was happening at the newly renovated Cyllage City Gym.

The stands at the gym were packed as full as they could be, with hundreds of fans cheering excitedly at the performance happening on the ground below. Serena and Madison were dancing with Pancham and Roselia, in their competition outfits, along with a familiar pigtailed brunette girl and her Flabébé. Serena had made a call to Shauna several days ago, asking her to join them in Cyllage City, and Shauna had been more than happy to assist. The three girls and their Pokémon were now putting on an energetic routine, which they had quickly crafted and rehearsed over the past two days.

As the music wound down, Madison took one last leap into the air, doing a front flip and landing with one foot in each of Serena and Shauna's hands. As they raised her up into the air, surrounded by their Pokémon, the crowd burst into raucous applause. Serena grinned from ear to ear, waving to the crowd as Madison jumped down to the ground next to her. She was still amazed and impressed at how the young girl managed to jump so high and move with such precision as she danced; "four years of ballet" had been Madison's answer.

As the applause continued, Ash, Iris and Brock stepped out onto the battlefield and walked toward the performers. Ash handed a microphone to Serena before standing off to her side, while Brock gave one over to Shauna. Iris stood with Brock, holding a pair of referee flags in one of her hands, as Serena began to speak to the crowd.

"Thank you so much, everyone!" she exclaimed, nervously excited, never having done anything like this before. "Now are you all ready for the main event?" The audience cheered once again, and she gestured toward the boy standing to her side.

"Our gym challenger is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town in the Kanto region!" she announced, as he started to wave to the crowd. "Ash is a three-time Pokémon League champion, with two wins in the Alola League and one in the Hoenn League! He's on a brand new journey here in Kalos, raising new Pokémon, and is looking to get his fourth badge!" Pikachu, standing on Ash's shoulder, started waving energetically as well.

"The question is, who will he be battling?" Shauna followed up, speaking into her own microphone. "After some searching, we've found a brand new Gym Leader to battle in this new gym, but not even I know who it is!" She turned to face the man standing at his side. "Brock, are you ready to introduce the new Gym Leader to everyone?"

"I sure am," Brock replied, leaning into the microphone as Shauna held it up to his face. He turned his gaze toward Ash. "The Gym Leader you'll be battling today..." He gave a devious smirk. "...Is me."

"Huh?" Ash need a moment to process this, before his face broke into a wide smile. "Brock, I'm going to be battling you?!"

"That's right," Brock answered. "A Rock-type expert named Stanley will be taking on the gym full-time, but he wasn't able to make it for the festivities. So, for the next three days, I am the leader of the Cyllage City Gym."

"That's amazing!" Ash clenched his fists, amped, not having an opportunity to battle against Brock in years. "This is going to be a great battle!"

"Well, there you have it!" Shauna declared, bringing her microphone back to herself. "Our two battlers for today are going to be Ash and Brock! How exciting!"

"Brock is the former leader of the Pewter City Gym in Kanto, a gym that specializes in Rock-type Pokémon," Serena elaborated, trying to keep the crowd energized. "And our referee today will be Iris, the Dragon-type leader of the Opelucid City Gym in Unova!" She watched Iris give a courtesy wave to the crowd before walking to the side of the ring, taking one flag in each hand.

"And Serena and I will be your lovely commentators for this match, bringing you the play-by-play from up in the stands!" Shauna finished up. "So everyone, let's get ready to battle!" The audience cheered once again, ready for action, as Ash and Brock took their places on either side of the battlefield. Serena and Shauna made their way up into the stands, taking two reserved seats in the center of the front row, while Madison found a seat next to Shannon from which to watch the battle.

"You had better give this all you've got, Ash!" Brock called out over the sounds of the crowd. "If you lose, I'm never going to let you live it down!"

"Don't worry about me, Brock!" Ash retorted. "And don't you hold back! I'll know if you do!"

Brock smirked, turning around and giving a nod to a gym assistant standing in the corner of the room; the assistant nodded back, reaching out and pressing a button on the wall. Seconds later, the ground rumbled beneath everyone's feet, and the audience gasped as the battlefield began to rise into the air, powered by several strong hydraulic lifts. As the arena ascended and got closer to the crowd in the stands, everyone could see small, colorful rocks screwed into the sides of the appearing rock, forming climbing walls on every side. The battlefield eventually stopped rising, reaching the height that it had been at years ago, before the Vein Collapse had brought it all crashing down.

"This will be a three-on-three match!" Iris declared to the amazed crowd, raising both flags and speaking into the microphone attached to the collar of her shirt. "The battle will be over when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle! Only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions!" She pointed one of her flags in Brock's direction, enjoying the opportunity to officiate a match for once. "Gym Leader Brock, please bring out your first Pokémon!"

"With pleasure!" Brock grabbed one of his Poké Balls and threw it onto the field. As it opened up, the energy inside quickly took the shape of the boulder-like Geodude.

Ash nodded as he saw the Pokémon raise its arms into the air, eager to throw something. "No surprise there..." Pikachu watched from near Ash's feet as he grabbed a Poké Ball of his own, tossing it into the arena and releasing his Sigilyph. The two Pokémon fixed their gazes on each other, ready for battle.

"And we're starting off with Sigilyph vs. Geodude!" Shauna announced. "It looks like the type advantage is tilted in the Gym Leader's favor. Will Ash be able to overcome it with strategy? We'll soon find out!"

"Both trainers are ready!" Iris announced. "The battle will begin... now!"

Ash wasted no time calling out his first move, stepping forward. "Sigilyph, use Cosmic Power!" His Pokémon cawed lowly in response, her body suddenly surrounded by a sparkling aura. Brock nodded, unsurprised but pleased; Cosmic Power would raise Sigilyph's defense, which would be useful in light of the type disadvantage.

"Rock Throw, Geodude! Knock that Pokémon out of the air!"

Geodude reared his arm back and slammed his fist into the ground, causing a number of rocks to dislodge themselves and fly in his opponent's direction. Sigilyph barely managed to dodge them by flying higher, by her trainer's command.

"Quickly, use Confusion!" Ash called out.

"No way!" Brock retorted, before directing his gaze at his Pokémon. "Go underground with Dig!"

Sigilyph's three eyes quickly glowed red, as she tried to use her psychic powers to grab hold of her foe. Geodude was too quick, however, and he managed to dig his way under the battlefield before the Confusion attack could connect.

"And Geodude has gone underground!" Serena announced to the crowd, her voice echoing through the cavernous gym, as well as through the streets of Cyllage City. "When and where will he resurface?"

Ash and Sigilyph were wondering the same thing, as their eyes scanned the ground, looking for some indication of where their opponent might be. Several long seconds later, the ground directly underneath Sigilyph gave way, and Geodude emerged underneath her; his fist glowed white as he swung it upward, his Mega Punch hitting her hard in the torso, sending her skyward.

"No!" Ash watched as his Pokémon tried to straighten herself out in the air, reeling. "Get your balance back and use Psybeam!"

Sigilyph took a second to right herself, her eyes fixing on the Pokémon below her. The one eye on her head took on a magenta glow before a similarly-colored particle beam shot out of it, landing a direct hit on Geodude and knocking him down to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt.

"Great job!" Ash grinned, feeling better now that he had managed to land an attack. "Now let's take control of this battle with Psychic!"

Brock looked upward, watching as Sigilyph started to glow a light blue color. He glanced back toward his Geodude, who was somewhat hard to see through the dust cloud. His eyebrows raised as he got an idea. "Geodude, use Sandstorm, now!"

His Pokémon cried out and lifted his arms, and as he did so a tornado of sand started to kick up around him, surrounding him as the sand dispersed and covered the battlefield. Up above, the glow started to fade from a disappointed Sigilyph's body, as she scanned the field for some trace of her opponent.

"Now that's a clever strategy!" Shauna declared. "You can't control what you can't see!"

"You can't defend against it very easily, either," Serena mused, looking toward Ash and seeing the concern on his face. She knew the battle had just started, but all the same she didn't like seeing him on the back foot.

"Come in closer and clear away that sand with Gust!" Ash commanded. His Pokémon flew closer to the giant sand cloud, flapping her wings to kick up several large gusts of wind. As the sand started to blow away and visibility began to return, Brock called out as well.

"Now, Geodude! Use Mega Punch again!" Everyone watched as Geodude dashed out of the ebbing sandstorm, rushing toward his opponent, fist reared back and glowing.

"There he is! Use Air Slash!" Ash ordered. Sigilyph's wings started to glow blue as she swung them out in front of her, shooting several blades of charged air at her foe. Geodude powered right through the attack, his Mega Punch slamming once again into Sigilyph, who cried out in pain as she started to descend, flapping her wings in a panic.

Brock smirked, starting to get caught up in the excitement of battle. "Sorry, Ash, but not good enough! Now, Geodude, use Stone Edge!"

Geodude nodded, focusing hard as he squinted his eyes, and several rings of light began to form around him. These rings soon turned into sharp, jagged rocks, which turned and shot directly at Sigilyph, impacting her painfully with one powerful hit after another. The flapping of her wings grew even weaker as she started to plummet to the ground.

"Finish it off, Geodude!" Brock shouted. "Seismic Toss!"

Ash gritted his teeth, watching helplessly as Geodude rushed upward to grab the mostly incapacitated Sigilyph in his arms. He flew upward, toward the ceiling of the cavern, before turning and plummeting back downward, spinning as he fell. At the last second, right before hitting the ground, he let go of his opponent and pulled away, curving upward to safety; Sigilyph crashed heavily and helplessly into the ground, with an impact that could be felt all the way up in the stands. Before the dust had even cleared, it was obvious to everyone what the outcome was, but the eventual reappearance of the crumpled and defeated bird Pokémon cleared up all doubts.

"Sigilyph is unable to battle!" Iris declared, raising a flag in Brock's direction. "Geodude is the winner!"

"Oh boy... that's a rough break for Ash, who's now down one Pokémon," Serena commented from the stands, as the crowd cheered around her. "But we knew going into this battle that Ash's Pokémon were mostly disadvantaged against Rock-types."

"This is going to be an uphill climb, but if anyone can do it, it's a three-time League champion!" Shauna followed up, trying to work the crowd up some more. "Who here is still rooting for our challenger?" The resulting roar from the audience helped to bolster Ash's spirits, as he grabbed Sigilyph's Poké Ball and returned the Pokémon to it, speaking to it briefly.

"You did well, Sigilyph. Get some rest." Everyone watched as Ash reattached the Poké Ball to his belt, before grabbing another and whipping it onto the field. "It's all you, Snivy! Show that Geodude who's boss!" The crowd murmured curiously as the snake-like Pokémon appeared on the field, quickly sizing up her foe.

"Now that's an interesting choice," Serena spoke into her microphone. "With her type advantage, I thought Snivy was going to be his ace in the hole... what's he planning?" She could see a confident grin on his face, which helped put her at ease somewhat, as she placed her faith in his skills as a Pokémon Trainer.

Iris held up both flags. "Both Pokémon are ready! The battle will resume... now!"

Brock was the first to call out an attack this time, stepping forward. "Rock Throw, Geodude!" His Pokémon quickly complied, slamming the ground once more to send a number of rocks careening toward Snivy.

"Dodge them and use Leaf Storm!" Ash responded. Snivy deftly leaped out of the way, twirling about in the air as if she were on a performance stage, nimbly avoiding every single rock. As she landed, she raised her arms and summoned a small whirlwind of leaves around her body; seconds later, she threw her arms out in front of her, and the mass of leaves flew off in Geodude's direction. He tried to dodge, but still took the brunt of the attack head-on, and the numerous impacts knocked him backwards. Brock frowned as he watched Geodude try to shake it off, clearly damaged by the super-effective attack.

"Snivy's too dangerous at a distance!" he declared. "Let's get up close! Tackle her!"

Geodude growled and rushed in, trying to slam into Snivy with his shoulder. She used her vines to leap away effortlessly, landing behind him as he tried to come to a quick stop.

"Vine Whip, Snivy!" Ash called out. His Pokémon eagerly obliged, extending her vines from her collar and sending them out in Geodude's direction, using them to slap her opponent silly. Geodude was effortlessly knocked around by the powerful vines, taking more and more damage as he tried and failed to get away.

"Geodude, use Defense Curl!" Brock yelled, low on options.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ash retorted. "Snivy, finish him off with Piledriver!"

"Huh?" Brock's eyebrows raised again, not familiar with this attack. "What's Piledriver?" The crowd murmured once again, sounding equally confused.

Geodude didn't pay the attack name any mind, trying to curl up into a ball in order to raise his defense. His efforts were thwarted, however, as one of Snivy's vines grabbed him by the wrist. She began to spin him around in a wide circle over her head, faster and faster, as he became steadily more dizzy and confused. After five full revolutions, Snivy leaped into the air and did a front flip, pulling Geodude along for the ride, before finally letting go of him and sending him rocketing into the ground with incredible force, just as she had done against Ramos's Quilladin.

The crowd gasped in amazement as Geodude crashed painfully into the battlefield, barely making a sound as they watched to see if he would get back up. After a few seconds, he groaned and started to push himself up with his arms, but he eventually crumpled and collapsed, down for the count.

"Geodude is no longer able to battle!" Iris declared, offering her flag to Ash this time. "Snivy wins the bout!"

"Wow! So that's a Piledriver!" Shauna exclaimed, impressed. "Is that a whole new move? Did Ash invent a new battle move?"

"I don't know! I've never seen that from any other Pokémon," Serena replied, unsure, sharing her musings with the audience. "It reminds me a lot of a Seismic Toss."

"Well, whatever it is, it sure worked out well for our challenger! Now each trainer has two Pokémon left, and that Snivy is looking fresh as a daisy!" Snivy was buoyed by Shauna's words, her already sky-high confidence being boosted even more.

Brock smiled, calling Geodude back to his Poké Ball. "Pretty good, Ash, but we're just getting started!" He reached for another, tossing it out into the arena. "Sudowoodo, I choose you!"

Ash nodded, grinning as he saw the tree-like Pokémon make its appearance on the battlefield. He had expected Sudowoodo to make an appearance, and was already forming a battle strategy in his mind. As Iris called for the battle to resume, Brock didn't waste a minute going on the offensive.

"Do some damage with Stone Edge!" he called out. Sudowoodo focused itself, summoning jagged stones just as Geodude had, sending them zooming toward his foe. Once again, Snivy deftly dodged, much too agile to be hit by such a highly telegraphed attack.

"Leaf Storm!" Ash called out, causing Snivy to summon even more leaves.

Brock smirked at this turn of events, clearly unsurprised. "Sudowoodo, use Mimic! Counter her Leaf Storm!" Everyone watched as Sudowoodo summoned his own Leaf Storm, shooting it toward Snivy, who responded in kind. The two attacks met in the middle, canceling each other out as the leaves destroyed each other.

"And our two combatants are already going at it!" Shauna announced, as the battle began in earnest. "Sudowoodo goes in for a Low Kick... but Snivy manages to keep away... and she uses Mega Drain! That's going to hurt!"

"That's the first big hit so far, and..." Serena paused, leaning in closer. "Wait... is Sudowoodo... crying?"

Everyone watched as Sudowoodo began to bawl in the center of the battlefield, the result of Brock calling out for Fake Tears. Snivy watched as tears flowed from her opponent's eyes, the Pokémon looking more pitiable and pathetic by the second.

"Don't fall for it!" Ash advised. "Use Vine Whip!" Snivy snorted, insulted at the idea that she would fall for such a cheap trick, before reaching out with her vines and slapping Sudowoodo across the battlefield.

"Ooh!" Shauna winced. "Snivy isn't fazed even a tiny bit by Fake Tears! That Pokémon is cold as ice, ladies and gentlemen!"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Ash pumped his fist excitedly. "Now let's go in for the finisher! Use Leaf Blade!"

Snivy nodded and started running forward, as Sudowoodo got to his feet. She leaped into the air to get up to the level of his head, the leaf on her tail starting to glow.

Brock's eyes lit up, as he saw the opening he had been waiting for. "Quickly, Sudowoodo! Use Head Smash!"

Sudowoodo eagerly did as he was told, rearing his head back before thrusting it powerfully forward. Snivy's eyes widened and she tried to twist away, but it was to no avail; Sudowoodo's rock-hard skull collided directly with hers, and she was knocked back across the battlefield, heavily dazed.

"Oh no!" Ash exclaimed, stepping up to the edge of the trainer's box. "Quick, Snivy, get up!"

"She's not going anywhere!" Brock declared, more than ready to turn the tide of battle. "Sudowoodo, use Rock Tomb!"

Sudowoodo nodded, lowering his arms then quickly raising them up again, as if he was lifting something heavy. As Snivy got unsteadily to her feet, she gasped as a circle of rocks protruded out from the ground all around her, trapping her in a cone of solid rock that closed around her chest, making it nearly impossible for her to move.

"No! Snivy, use your vines to break free!" Ash advised, caught off guard by this sequence of events. His Pokémon tried whipping at the rocks with her vines, still a bit dazed, but to no avail. Her prison didn't crack or budge an inch. As she struggled, she looked up to see a number of large rocks flying toward her; her eyes widened, and she quickly tried to deflect them with her vines, but it had no effect.

"Oh goodness!" Serena exclaimed as Snivy was mercilessly battered, the concern evident in her voice. "That Rock Slide looked really painful! Brock has Snivy right where he wants her! This could be really bad!" The crowd watched anxiously as Ash's Pokémon was pounded with a second Rock Slide, leaving her dazed, sore and trying to catch her breath.

"Let's put an end to this, Sudowoodo!" Brock ordered. "Finish her off with Wood Hammer!"

Sudowoodo smirked deviously, walking forward with his right arm extended and glowing green; the green aura soon took the form of a stump, as he started to pick up speed. As Ash watched the Pokémon advance, ready to deal the final blow, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind. He leaned in a bit, keeping his voice low so Brock couldn't hear.

"Snivy, wait for my command, and get ready to use Grass Knot..." Both he and Snivy watched Sudowoodo carefully, waiting for the right moment, as the advancing Pokémon raised his Wood Hammer above his head. Seconds later, Ash clenched his fist, sensing the time had come. "Now! Do it!"

Just as her trainer gave the command, Snivy's eyes flashed green, as a tangle of vines appeared around Sudowoodo's foot; he yelped in panic, tripping and falling forward onto his face. The Wood Hammer on his arm crashed down along with him, smashing into the rocks that encased Snivy.

"What the...?!" Brock exclaimed, stunned into inaction for a moment, as the audience gasped. Ash grinned wide, watching as Snivy managed to free herself from her prison.

"That's more like it!" he called out. "Now, knock him away with Leaf Blade!" She nodded, the leaf on her tail glowing once again, as Sudowoodo got up onto his knees. He looked up toward his opponent just in time to get a Leaf Blade right to the face, knocking him backwards and separating the two Pokémon.

"Sudowoodo, get up! Hurry!" Brock knew that he had to do something quickly, knowing better than to give his opponent an opening. Unfortunately for him, Ash already knew how this round was going to end.

"Finish it up, Snivy! Use Slam!"

As Sudowoodo finally got to his feet, he felt Snivy's vines snag him by his shoulders. He looked up to see Snivy zooming toward him, using her vines to pull herself in as fast as possible. At the last second, she turned to her side, slamming her shoulder into his head at full force, knocking him back to the ground. She landed heavily in the center of the battlefield, more than a little worse for wear, breathing hard and still a bit dizzy. She looked over her opponent, smirking once it was clear that he wasn't getting back up.

"Sudowoodo is unable to battle!" Iris raised her flag toward Ash for the second time in a row, as the crowd cheered all around her. "Snivy wins the round!"

"What a turnaround!" Shauna exclaimed, amazed. "Brock thought that Wood Hammer would seal the deal, but it sealed his fate instead!"

"That was a brilliant move by Ash! Just what you'd expect from a League champion!" Serena added, happy for the brief opportunity to not be impartial. "If he wins the next battle, then the match is his!"

Ash breathed in deeply for a moment before exhaling a sigh of relief, bringing his focus back to his Pokémon. "How are you feeling, Snivy?" She looked back at him, trying to look as strong as she could, but it was clear she was hurting. He frowned, thinking that he might need to call her back and give her what rest he could before she would have to come back out again. It all depended on what Pokémon Brock was saving for last.

"That was a good move, Ash." Brock recalled Sudowoodo back to his Poké Ball. "But my last Pokémon isn't going to go down so easily. You ready?"

"You bet!" Ash's adrenaline was sky-high as he watched his opponent take out his final Poké Ball. "Let's see it!"

Brock smirked, tossing the ball onto the battlefield. "Come on out!" Everyone in the gym watched as the Poké Ball opened up, a massive amount of red energy spilling out and taking the shape of an enormous orange-and-black Pokémon, looking partially carved out of stone, a giant drill taking the place of its nose. As soon as Ash saw who it was, the color began to drain from his face.

"Brock's final Pokémon is out, and it's a Rhyperior!" Shauna announced, confirming the species on her Pokédex. "How is Ash going to tackle this foe?" Ash was wondering the same question, as he reached for his own Pokédex. He aimed it in Rhyperior's direction, needing to confirm something very important.

"Rhyperior, the Drill Pokémon," the machine recited. "Rhyperior launches rocks or Geodude from holes in its palms. Its shell-like covering can withstand a volcano's eruptions."

Ash carefully looked over the data on the screen, his stomach sinking when he finally found what he was looking for. Rhyperior was a Ground-type Pokémon in addition to being a Rock-type, and it was a powerful one at that. Brock had somehow managed to dig up the one Pokémon that could completely scuttle Ash's battle strategy.

"When did you get a Rhyperior?!" Ash exclaimed incredulously, as he lowered the hand holding his Pokédex.

Brock chuckled. "It's on loan from the Pewter City Gym. I had my brother Forrest send it over two days ago."

"Great..." Ash grumbled, as he pocketed his device. "How nice of him." He looked back at Snivy, who was glancing toward him, wondering if she was about to be returned. After thinking over the matter carefully, he turned his head and gave a nod to Iris, indicating that he wouldn't be switching Snivy out. He would need her for just a bit longer, and hoped she would last that long.

"Both trainers have their Pokémon ready!" Iris declared. "Let the battle resume... now!"

"Snivy, start off by using Attract!" Ash commanded. Snivy smirked a bit, placing one hand on her hip and giving a wink to her opponent; one of her vines extended from her collar, beckoning her opponent closer with a "come hither" motion.

Brock smirked as well. "Show her what you think of that! Use Bulldoze!" His Pokémon roared, raising one of its feet and slamming it into the ground, creating a shockwave that rippled across the arena, knocking Snivy off balance.

"What? No effect?" Ash's stomach sank even further. "Does that mean what I think it means...?"

"It sure does!" Brock confirmed. "Rhyperior's a feisty one, isn't she?" Ash groaned and slumped forward, deflated; Iris slumped as well, sighing and rolling her eyes.

"Alright, we'll just have to battle you the normal way!" Ash looked down at Snivy as she got back to her feet. "Use Leaf Storm, quick!"

"Rhyperior, counter that Leaf Storm with Rock Blast!" Brock responded. Rhyperior growled and focused, her horn glowing white as a large rock formed on the end of it. Once the rock was large enough, it rocketed off toward Snivy, who was firing a barrage of leaves back. She barely leaped out of the way of the incoming rock, still sore from her last battle; she watched as her Leaf Storm landed a direct hit, dealing Rhyperior a bit of damage.

"Good! Let's keep going from a distance!" Ash declared. "Vine Whip!" Snivy nodded as she landed, her vines extending once again and reaching out toward her opponent, starting to slap her around a bit.

Brock appeared unconcerned by the assault. "Grab that vine and pull her in, then use Smack Down!"

Rhyperior grunted as she was slapped once again, raising her right hand and snatching one of the vines between her large fingers. She proceeded to yank backwards as hard as she could, lifting a panicked Snivy off the ground as she flew in Rhyperior's direction. Brock's Pokémon opened her mouth, forming an orange energy orb inside of it, and quickly shot it out at the incoming Pokémon; the orb exploded upon contact, sending Snivy rocketing immediately to the ground.

Snivy groaned as she tried to push herself up, exhausted and sore all over. As she managed to get one foot underneath, she looked back toward her opponent, her eyes widening as she saw Rhyperior charging her with Drill Run. She had no time to get out of the way before the spinning drill on Rhyperior's face impacted her, sending her flying across the arena. The entire audience gasped as one, wincing as Snivy landed heavily at Ash's feet, clearly incapacitated.

"Snivy is unable to battle!" Iris raised one of her flags in Brock's direction. "Rhyperior wins! Both trainers are now down to their final Pokémon!"

"Poor Snivy..." Serena lamented into her microphone. "With as much damage as she had taken, it's no wonder the battle ended so fast."

"How is our challenger going to topple that Rhyperior?" Shauna wondered aloud, keeping her voice energetic. "Does he have a giant Pokémon of his own, ready to go head-to-head?"

"I can tell you right now, he doesn't." Serena responded, trying not to sound too downcast. "He's got two Pokémon left to choose from. Which one will he go with?" The sound of chatter could be heard throughout the gym, as audience members talked among themselves, while Ash summoned Snivy back to her Poké Ball.

"You did a great job, Snivy. Have a nice long rest." He put the Poké Ball away, thinking to himself for a long while, as Pikachu looked up at him curiously. He had planned to use Pikachu to finish off the final battle with a bit of style, but Rhyperior's Ground-type status made her completely immune to electric attacks, which would take away Pikachu's major strength. On the other hand, Skorupi was weaker and slower than Pikachu was, and Rhyperior was still resistant to poison, if not completely immune. Everyone's eyes slowly moved toward Ash as he stood still, thinking as hard as he could.

"Ash, you have to choose your last Pokémon," Iris eventually warned, concerned. "You only have fifteen more seconds before I have to disqualify you."

He nodded wordlessly, holding off for another few seconds, still torn. He eventually grabbed one last Poké Ball from his belt, much to Pikachu's surprise, and threw it onto the field. "Skorupi, I choose you!" The audience began murmuring again as the relatively small scorpion-like Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, immediately recoiling a bit at the size of his opponent.

"Ash... has chosen Skorupi?" Serena sounded confused as she assessed the situation. "That's not the choice I was expecting... what's his plan?"

"Well, this is interesting!" Shauna was much more upbeat than Serena was, being less emotionally attached to the battle. "I wonder what our challenger has in mind? Let's see!"

Brock was surprised as well, looking across the field to see the expression on his opponent's face. He had traveled with Ash enough to know what he was thinking most of the time, and he could tell from the look on Ash's face that he was taking a massive gamble. If this backfired, Ash was going to crash and burn.

"Both challengers have their final Pokémon ready!" Iris raised her flags for the final time. "The battle will resume... now!"

Once again, Ash was the one who took the initiative. "Skorupi, attack with Pin Missile!" Skorupi raised his claws, which began to glow white, and soon a number of glowing white needles shot out of them and toward Rhyperior. She didn't bother to dodge, letting the attack connect; despite the direct hit, it didn't seem to do much damage at all.

"Show them a real attack, Rhyperior!" Brock called out. "Megahorn!" Rhyperior started to slowly advance, as her horn began to glow white. Ash knew what was coming, and wanted no part of it.

"Avoid it by using Dig!" Skorupi nodded and quickly dug his way underground, just as Rhyperior's horn extended across the battlefield, striking the spot where her opponent had been moments ago. As her horn retracted, she began to look around, wondering where Skorupi might resurface. Brock, however, had other plans.

"Dig that Pokémon up!" he commanded. "Use Earthquake!"

Rhyperior nodded, bending down and leaping as high into the air as she could manage. As she came back down, she stomped the ground with full force, causing the battlefield to shake violently, along with the entire cavern. Skorupi quickly found himself ejected from the earth, flung outward and back onto the battlefield, a bit disoriented. The shaking quickly stopped, as Iris and the others gave a quiet sigh of relief for the reinforced ceiling.

"Don't let up, Rhyperior!" Brock ordered. "Follow it up with Stone Edge!"

"Skorupi, dodge and use Venoshock!" Ash responded. His Pokémon quickly righted himself, watching as a number of jagged stones flew toward him. He leaped out of the way, getting closer and opening his mouth, spitting out a large glob of purple liquid. The attack hit Rhyperior right on her face, but Skorupi was quickly knocked away by another round of Stone Edge.

"Keep it up! Use Toxic!" Ash called out, worried by every bit of damage Skorupi took.

Once again, Skorupi stood back up as quickly as it could, needing a couple of seconds to locate his opponent. As soon as he saw the orange-and-black mass in his field of vision, he opened his mouth again, ready to spray a stream of toxic liquid. As Rhyperior became clearer, however, he was able to see the enormous boulder she had formed above her head, as part of her signature Rock Wrecker move. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, which Brock quickly capitalized on.

"Now! Let it fly!" Brock commanded. Rhyperior roared and hurled the boulder toward her opponent with all her strength. Skorupi tried to scuttle out of the way, but to no avail; the giant rock crashed right on top of him before rolling away, smashing him into the dirt.

Ash's heart sank as he saw Skorupi lying nearly motionless on the ground, one claw weakly twitching. His gambit had failed completely, and he had made himself look like a fool in front of all of Cyllage City. He could hear the audience murmuring once again, certain that they were talking about how unimpressed they were. Serena and Shauna had gone silent, almost in mourning.

Iris frowned, the disappointed chatter of the audience coming from all around, as she raised her flag toward Brock. "Skorupi is unable to... huh?" She stopped herself as she watched Ash's Pokémon start to move, forcing itself up on trembling legs, refusing to give up just yet. Seconds later, she gasped as Skorupi began to glow a bright blue, lighting up the cavernous gym.

"Oh my gosh, look!" Serena exclaimed excitedly. "Skorupi is evolving!" The audience was transfixed as Skorupi's form started to change, growing massively, his neck elongating, the claws attached to his head extending into long arms. Soon the light faded, and the Pokémon that once was Skorupi let out a roar of his own.

Ash grinned from ear to ear, thrilled and relieved. This was the longshot strategy that he had been banking on. "You did it! You evolved into Drapion!" He quickly grabbed his Pokédex and pointed it at his newly evolved Pokémon, needing to learn as much as he could.

"Drapion, the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon," the device spoke in a mechanical voice. "Its claws give off a deadly poison, and they are powerful enough to turn an automobile into scrap iron." Ash quickly looked over Drapion's move set, finding several new ones that were sure to turn this battle around. He smirked at Brock as he pocketed the device once again.

"That was a good move, Brock, but my last Pokémon isn't going to go down so easily!" he declared, mimicking the words that Brock had thrown at him minutes ago. He could feel adrenaline pumping through him once again, as he pointed forward toward Rhyperior. "Move in closer, Drapion! We need to do some damage!"

Brock watched as Drapion started running forward, still a bit flustered at the sudden turn of events. "Don't let it get close! Use Rock Blast!" Rhyperior grunted and formed another rock at the end of her horn, shooting it out toward her advancing opponent.

"Deflect the attack with Night Slash!" Ash responded. Drapion's left claw started to glow and emit a purple light, and he swung it at the advancing rock in the nick of time, knocking it harmlessly away. Both Brock and Rhyperior were shocked at this display of strength, though Ash couldn't have been happier about it.

"Use Hammer Arm!" Brock ordered. "Flatten it!" Rhyperior extended her left arm, which began to glow red, as Drapion got closer and closer.

"Dodge it and use Ice Fang!" Ash shot back. As Rhyperior brought her arm down toward her opponent, Drapion quickly leaped to the right, and the attack slammed powerfully into the ground. Ash's Pokémon immediately moved in once again, his fangs glowing light blue, and he sank them deep into Rhyperior's arm. As his opponent roared in pain, ice started to spread along her arm, and eventually to the ground, freezing her in place.

"Look at that!" Serena watched with amazement as Brock's Pokémon struggled against her new constraint. "Drapion has frozen Rhyperior to the ground! How is she going to get out of this?"

Ash grinned wide, unable to help letting out a laugh. "Perfect! Now use Toxic once again!" As Rhyperior struggled to free herself, Drapion opened his mouth once again, spewing out a stream of poisonous purple liquid. The attack hit Rhyperior right in the face at full force, with the poison stinging her eyes, burning her nose, and making its way down her throat.

"You have to get away, Rhyperior!" Brock exclaimed, now very worried about the direction this battle had taken. "Break the ice with Bulldoze!"

Rhyperior roared in anger and frustration, stomping one of her feet into the ground repeatedly, causing the ground to shake once again. The resulting shockwaves managed to knock Drapion back a little ways, and they eventually shattered the ice that was fixing Rhyperior to the ground. She reared back into a standing position, coughing and starting to feel sick. As resistant as she was to poison attacks, the force of the last one was starting to do some serious damage.

"We've got to finish this in one blow!" Brock called out. "Use Take Down!" Rhyperior growled, putting her head down and charging toward Drapion as quickly as she could. Ash's Pokémon stood its ground, waiting for a command; Ash watched as Rhyperior ran forward, her strength sapped and her movements more laborious. Rather than have Drapion dodge, he had a different idea.

"Stop her in her tracks with X-Scissor, Drapion!" he commanded. His Pokémon cried out and raised his arms above his head, his claws glowing a bright white, and he brought them down diagonally, in the shape of an X, just in time to block Rhyperior's charge. The two struggled for a moment, engaging in a contest of strength; Drapion eventually won out, forcing Rhyperior backward, where she struggled to get back on her feet.

"Keep going!" Ash commanded. "Use Night Slash, as many times as you can!" Drapion's right claw glowed purple, and he swung it directly into Rhyperior's face, knocking it to the left; it then came back from the other direction, connecting once again for more damage. He kept up the assault as long as he could, repeatedly smacking Rhyperior with his claw as she stumbled backwards slowly, unable to regain her bearings. Brock called out to her, trying to get her to use Stone Edge, but she was much too dazed to hear the command.

Rhyperior eventually felt the onslaught stop, and she tried her best to right herself, her head spinning and her ears ringing. As she caught her increasingly labored breath, she looked back toward her opponent to see him leaping toward her, charging her with one more X-Scissor attack. Drapion's powerful claws slammed into her hard, knocking her off her feet for a moment before she crashed back into the ground on her side, facing Iris. The poison and the continuous assault had done more than enough damage, and Iris had seen all she needed to see.

"Rhyperior is unable to battle!" she announced, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice as she raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Drapion is the winner, which means that Ash has won the match!"

"He did it!" Serena exclaimed, nearly squealing into her microphone, as the audience erupted into thunderous applause all around her. "Ash won! He won his Gym Battle!"

"And what an amazing battle it was!" Shauna continued, as Serena switched her microphone off for a moment so she could celebrate. "Skorupi evolved into Drapion to give Ash an incredible come-from-behind victory! What a spectacular way to inaugurate the brand new Cyllage City Gym!"

Ash ran out onto the battlefield, throwing his arms carefully around Drapion and hugging him tightly. "You did an amazing job, Drapion! I can't believe how strong you are now!" His Pokémon carefully wrapped an arm back around him, as Pikachu cheered happily from the ground.

Brock was all smiles as he returned Rhyperior to her Poké Ball, having absolutely nothing to complain about. He had put up a challenge worthy of a Gym Leader, and Ash had managed to overcome it in dramatic fashion, just as Brock had hoped he would. He started walking toward Ash, as the younger trainer stood up once again.

"That was a great battle, Ash," he spoke, as the two met in the center of the battlefield. "You showed great strength, skill, cunning... and a bit of your trademark luck, if I do say so myself."

Ash grinned. "All the best battles have a bit of luck involved, if you ask me."

Brock chuckled, reaching into his pocket. "With you, they certainly do." He pulled his hand back out, as he clasped a badge made out of three brown rectangles, resembling an abstract climbing wall. "But there's no denying that you've earned this Cliff Badge. Congratulations!"

Ash beamed as Brock dropped the badge into his hand, his eyes taking it in; it looked exactly the same as the badge that he had won several years back. He turned to face the crowd, holding up his badge for all to see, basking in the adoration from the crowd. As he watched everyone cheer him on for his amazing victory, especially Serena, he felt as if he was on top of the world, and part of him hoped this moment would never end.

Chapter Text

Ash woke late the next day, taking his time getting himself ready and eating breakfast, and it was mid-morning by the time he wandered into the lobby, Pikachu sitting on his shoulder as always. His eyes quickly focused on Serena, who was sitting in a chair and reading a newspaper.

"Hey, Serena." She glanced over at him as he spoke, walking toward her.

"Morning, Ash," she responded, her voice lacking its usual energy, sounding irritated. This caused him to pause briefly.

"What's up?" he asked, slightly wary. "You sound a bit miffed about something."

"I was just reading this, is all." She handed the paper to him, pointing to a particular passage she had been reading. He quickly started scanning it from the top.

"Hm, this is about yesterday..." He read it as quickly as he could, trying to find what was upsetting Serena; Pikachu leaned in as well, despite not knowing how to read. "Brock, me, battle, yadda yadda..." He started reading aloud, as he found what he thought was the offending portion. "'The talented performers Serena and Shauna also took on commentating duties once the battle started, announcing the action from up in the stands. While neither of them will become professional commentators anytime soon...' ooh, ouch..." He winced.

Serena folded her arms, looking away and grumbling. "I thought I did a good job..."

"Yeah, I thought so too," Ash replied, stretching the truth slightly. "Well, forget about them." He folded the paper back up and handed it to her, looking around the lobby. "Shouldn't there be more of us here? Where is everyone?"

"Oh, they're around. Let's see..." Serena sat back for a moment as she thought to herself. "Brock's taking on challengers at the gym, of course... Mads is practicing her Performance Battle routine today, with Shauna's help..."

"Performance Battle?" Ash cocked his head. "Doesn't Madison need a Battle Partner for that? Is Shauna her partner?"

She shook her head. "No, her partner is a friend of hers, named Barrett. He's a trainer trying to collect Gym Badges, like you."

"Huh, alright..." He nodded as Serena continued.

"...And Iris and Shannon are out having fun together." She rested her hands on her lap, on top of the newspaper. "So it's just the two of us today."

"Oh..." Ash took a moment to digest this, quickly realizing what it meant. The two of them had the day to themselves, unaccompanied and unencumbered, something he had been quietly hoping for since they had reunited. "Well... if you wanted, we could..." He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah?" Her eyes lit up as she sat forward, her voice raising in pitch, hoping he was about to say what she wanted him to say.

"You know, we could..." His brain was working overtime to find a sequence of words that he was capable of saying, in his sudden state of severe timidity. "Go do something, check out the city together, or... whatever you'd like..."

Serena smiled warmly; he hadn't quite found the words she was looking for, but the sentiment was there. "I'd love to, Ash." She set the newspaper aside as she stood up, watching relief wash over his face.

"Oh! Great!" He smiled back at her as she walked over to him. "There's just one thing I need to take care of first."

"Oh? Should I wait here?"

"Nah, it's fine. Come on." He turned and walked toward the main doors, motioning for her to follow, which she did. They walked down the street for only about thirty seconds, turning into another building not far from the Pokémon Center. After briefly talking with an older woman at the front desk, they walked through to a sizable outdoor expanse in the back, where dozens of Pokémon were eating, playing, relaxing or sleeping.

Ash reached down to his belt, grabbing all three of his occupied Poké Balls and tossing them in the air. "Come on out, everyone!" His Pokémon all appeared a moment later, and Sigilyph and Drapion quickly turned away to explore the space behind them, as well as the other Pokémon that occupied it. Ash grinned and watched for a moment before reaching upward, gently lifting Pikachu off of his shoulder and placing him on the ground.

"You and the others are going to have fun here today, alright?" he explained. "I'll come and get you all later. Have a good time!" Pikachu blinked, confused, unable to remember a time where his trainer had not brought him along as part of the day's activities. He continued to wear his dumbfounded expression as Snivy wrapped her vines around his waist, lifting him up and walking him further into the play area, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Alright, that's done." Ash stood up again, turning toward Serena. "Ready to go?"

"Mhmm." She smiled wide as she nodded back at him, excited. If there was any doubt as to his intentions before, there wasn't any now. She could feel her heart racing as they walked back outside, turning toward downtown Cyllage City. She'd been dreaming about this moment for a long time, and she was determined to make sure it was absolutely perfect.

Ten minutes later, the two of them were walking quietly through the streets of downtown, trying to find someplace to spend some time. It was evident now how nervous both of them were, as they had barely said a word to each other since they left the Pokémon daycare, and the silence just grew larger and more awkward with each passing moment. The pair had been stopped once by a group of fans, who wanted to congratulate Ash on a well-fought battle the day before, but at this point Serena was hoping they would be stopped again by someone else, if only to break the silence. They had both individually turned to window shopping, looking through the glass at the wares on offer as they walked past the shops, trying to find something to spark conversation.

"Hm?" Ash came to a stop as they walked past one store, turning and looking at the crystals being showcased. "Wait a minute... is that Lucarionite? Am I reading that right?"

"Huh?" Serena stepped up next to him, following his gaze, reading the small paper sign attached to a basket of what looked like orange marbles, with blue and red cat's eyes. "Yeah, that's Lucarionite, all right."

"But... the last time I was in Kalos, Korrina had to travel into the mountains just to get a single one of those," he replied, clearly baffled. "And now they're just selling them in stores? What happened?"

"Oh, there's no way that's natural Lucarionite," Serena answered matter-of-factly. "It must be synthetic."

"Synthetic?" He turned to face her, even more incredulous now. "You mean people can make their own Mega Stones?!"

She nodded in response, relieved that conversation was finally flowing. "Yes. Well, Team Ace can. They're the only ones who have figured out how to do it, and it doesn't sound like they're sharing their secrets with anyone else. They started selling them in shops a couple of years ago."

"And they really work?!" he exclaimed, feeling like a portion of his world had been turned upside-down.

"Yep, they really work. They're just as good as organic Mega Stones."

"That's amazing..." Ash turned back to the store window, realizing that there were many kinds of Mega Stones on sale; he could see Pidgeotite, Sceptilite, Galladite and more. His eye shifted to the price tag on one of them, his eyebrows shooting up as he saw how expensive they were. "Wow, that's pricey..."

"Yeah, they are. A lot of people can't afford them." She shrugged. "But Team Ace has to make money somehow, I guess."

He nodded, his mind starting to ponder the ramifications of this. "So are there more people Mega Evolving their Pokémon now?"

"Yes, definitely," she answered. "Some trainers used to have one Mega Stone for each Pokémon they had. Eventually the Pokémon League had to make a rule, limiting trainers to one Mega Evolution per battle. But for a while, battles were really out of control, I hear."

"Wow, that would have been incredible to watch..." He eventually stepped back from the window, looking toward her. "Maybe I'll be able to get a Mega Stone of my own this time."

She smiled back at him. "Maybe so."

The two of them turned and continued on, heading deeper into downtown. As their discussion about synthetic Mega Stones ended, the awkward silence fell over the nervous pair once more, causing their hearts to sink again.

It wasn't long before the two found themselves sitting in a cafe near the ocean, at Serena's suggestion. There weren't very many customers at the moment, which made it easier for them to hold a conversation, though Serena wasn't sure if that was better or worse. They had attempted to make small talk several more times, but it had invariably been awkward and forced, and so for the moment they had returned to silence, sipping from their water glasses while waiting for the wait staff to take their order.

This is bad, this is so bad, this is awful, this is a disaster, Serena thought to herself as she took a drink of water. I've been pining for this boy for the past five years and it turns out we have absolutely no romantic chemistry. Maybe this was all a mistake... She had imagined their first date more than once over the years, and in her mind it had always been a quiet but romantic affair, with gentle touches, affectionate glances and light conversation. The setting was right, but the mood was miles away; the only romantic thing that had happened so far was Ash pulling out Serena's chair before she sat down.

Ash was no more happy with how things were going; he could feel himself blowing it in real time, with every passing second making the situation worse. He glanced around the cafe, trying to find something they could talk about, having no idea why this was so difficult. They never had any trouble keeping a conversation going before now, but something about the added pressure of a first date made everything so much harder. He eventually looked away entirely, glancing out the front window of the cafe, not wanting her to see how embarrassed he was.

As he looked out at the ocean side of the city, something caught his eye, barely visible above the rooftops. His eyes lit up as an idea hit him, and he quickly stood up, pushing his chair back with his legs, causing Serena to look up at him curiously.

"Hey," he spoke. "Let's get out of here."

"Huh? What do you mean?" He could see her expression fall, as she assumed the worst. "You don't want to stay...?"

"I thought of someplace we can go to have some fun." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on!"

Serena's eyes widened a bit in surprise, wondering what he had in mind, not sure if she should be trusting whatever instincts were guiding him at the moment. She quickly nodded and stood, deciding that whatever he was thinking couldn't possibly be worse than this. "Alright, let's go."

The two of them walked back out onto the sidewalk, with Ash leading the way, looking excited. Serena followed him curiously, trying not to look too far ahead; if he was trying to surprise her, she didn't want to inadvertently ruin it. Eventually, the line of buildings gave way, and she could clearly see one of Cyllage City's major piers had been built up with numerous booths, with vendors offering food, games and more. Her eyes were quickly drawn not to the hustle and bustle on the pier, but to the surprisingly tall blue-and-black roller coaster that had been assembled just for the event.

"The carnival...?" she wondered aloud, surprised. Amid all the excitement about the gym, she had forgotten that Byron had organized this along with the city's other events.

"What do you think?" Ash asked, turning to face her. "This might be our only chance to go."

"I don't know... isn't this more for kids?"

"We are kids," he countered. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Well... alright, let's check it out," she relented, deciding to place some trust in his instincts. "As long as we don't have to ride that roller coaster."

Ash grinned. "Oh, that's the first thing we're doing."

"What?!" Serena exclaimed, immediately regretting her decision to trust him. Her eyes moved back to the ride, watching as one of the trains plummeted down the hundred-foot first drop. "You want us to get on that rickety-looking thing?"

"Why not? You're not scared, are you?" He looked over her expression, realizing that he was accidentally right on the money with his assessment. "Serena, I've seen you fly through the air on a showcase stage before, with nothing underneath you, and you weren't scared then."

"Yeah, with my Pokémon," she shot back. "I trust them with my life. What I don't trust is this giant metal contraption that wasn't here a week ago."

"Nah, you worry too much. Come on, let's go!" He reached down and grasped her hand, starting to jog onto the pier with her in tow.

"Ash...!" she protested weakly, following him as he made his way toward the line for the roller coaster.

Twenty minutes later, the two of them were exiting the ride and walking back onto the pier, both looking a little shell-shocked.

"That was... shakier than I wanted it to be..." Ash admitted, thankful to feel a sturdy pier under his feet. "But it was still fun, wasn't it?"

"If you say so," Serena responded. "I guess aside from the turns, it wasn't so bad... the first big hill was pretty thrilling, actually. That was the best part."

"Yeah, it was," he agreed, smiling. He was fibbing a bit as he said it; to him, the real best part was Serena having both her arms wrapped tightly around one of his throughout the entire ride. Secretly, she was thinking the same thing.

He took a look down the pier at the various booths. "What should we do next?"

"Let's get something to eat," she suggested. "I'm pretty hungry. Plus, then you can't take us onto any more rides like that for at least an hour."

He laughed. "Alright, sounds good to me." The two of them walked down the pier together, following their noses to the scent of carnival food.

Soon afterward, Ash and Serena were exploring the attractions that had been set up for the carnival, with full stomachs. They had managed to down three croque madames between the two of them, and they were now snacking from a package of beignets Ash had bought for them, after Serena mentioned that she was trying to regain the weight she lost in Sinnoh. They were discussing the idea of trying some of the carnival games when they heard a voice calling out in their direction.

"Hey there! Mister League Champion!"

He quickly looked toward the sound, seeing a man standing behind a booth beckoning him over. He looked around for a second, wanting to see if the man was trying to get someone else's attention, before pointing to himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you! How many other League Champions are here today?"

Serena looked at the man with a mix of curiosity and suspicion, as Ash stepped forward. "What's up?" He studied the booth carefully, seeing a line of Poké Balls in front of the booth operator, with a metal target hung up near the back.

"I saw that battle of yours on TV. Great stuff!" the operator replied. "Clearly you know how to battle... but do you know how to throw a Poké Ball?"

"Of course I do!" Ash grinned as Serena stepped up behind him. "I catch new Pokémon all the time!"

"Well then, you'd be an expert at this game." The booth operator gestured behind him. "Take a Poké Ball and hit this target like you're catching a Pokémon. It measures your accuracy, strength and spin, and scores you from 0 to 100. Get an 85 or higher, and you'll win a prize for the lovely performer you're with today." He pointed toward the sides of the booth, where a variety of plush Pokémon dolls lined the shelves. "What do you say?"

"Sure! Let's do it!" He turned back toward Serena, handing her the box of beignets. "Can you hold onto these?"

She nodded, smiling as she took the pastries from him. "Good luck, Ash!"

"I won't need luck," he responded, full of confidence as he put a bit of money on the counter. "That prize is mine!"

He received a Poké Ball from the operator before taking a step back, pressing the button on the front to expand it to normal size. He focused on his target for a moment before winding up and letting the ball fly through the air, watching as it hit the target with a loud clang. All three of them watched the small scoreboard above the target, which was changing between random numbers at a rapid pace as it calculated Ash's score. After a few seconds, it played the sound of a ringing bell as it displayed his score, causing his face to fall.

"71?!" His further lamentations were cut short by the sound of a snorting laugh off to his side. He quickly looked over to see Serena with her clenched fist covering her mouth, trying to hide an amused grin.

"Sorry," she offered, as he groaned and slumped forward. She felt guilty for laughing, but the combination of his prior bravado and his low score was too funny to resist.

"How about you give it a try, miss?" The operator turned to face Serena, petitioning her to try her luck. "Think you can do better?"

She mulled this over for a second before nodding, stepping toward the counter. "Sure, it's worth a try." Ash took the beignet box from her as she placed her own money on the counter, receiving a Poké Ball of her own. She took a moment to focus before winding up and throwing the ball at the target, and once again everyone watched as her score was calculated. Her eyes widened in shock as the ringing bell announced the arrival of her score: 49.

"What?!" Her shock quickly gave way to annoyance, as she shot a preemptive glare in Ash's direction, expecting a smart remark.

"I didn't say anything," Ash responded, grinning as he held up his hands innocently.

She grumbled as she reached into her purse, pulling out some more money. "We're doing this again, both of us." She placed the money on the counter. "I can't walk away from this with a failing grade."

"You can do it, Serena!" Ash encouraged. "Show that target who's boss!"

She grinned wide at him and nodded, as the operator handed her another Poké Ball. The butterflies in her stomach had long since disappeared, and the two of them were once again talking and having fun as they always had, a far cry from the nervous silence of an hour ago. She had tried to take him on the perfect, most romantic first date, but her attempts had backfired completely. Meanwhile, Ash had only thought about what would be a fun time, and his efforts had blossomed beautifully. Maybe he was more insightful than she gave him credit for.

She turned back toward the target, rearing back and letting the Poké Ball fly.

Many hours later, after the sun had gone down, Ash and Serena were kneeling on the beach of Cyllage City, lined up with hundreds of other visitors, each of them holding a paper lantern they had assembled. Several young men and women in Team Ace uniforms were walking along the beach with long lighters, lighting each of the lanterns in turn. Ash and Serena both held theirs up as a Team Ace member passed by and lit their candles, before leaning forward and resting their lanterns on the water, where they sat floating. A gentle push set them on a course toward the ocean, and they both stood up to watch the armada of floating lanterns, their flames reflected by the water underneath.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Serena asked.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, it really is."

She glanced over at him, smiling warmly. "You did this, you know."

"Huh?" He looked back at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"When we first arrived here and we found out the gym was closed, we could have just left," she explained. "You could have found another gym somewhere else, but you didn't. You chose to stay and make things better, and look at what's come of it."

"I didn't do all this, though," he replied, gesturing to the crowd. "This was all Byron's idea, not mine."

She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. He wouldn't even have come here if not for you. You planted the seed. These are the fruits of your labors."

"Well..." He could feel his face flushing, embarrassed. "I mean... I couldn't just leave. I had to help somehow."

"I know you couldn't," she responded. "That's what makes you special, Ash. That's what makes you who you are."

"Oh... well... thanks..." He smiled sheepishly, as she turned to face him fully, taking a step forward, closing the gap between them.

"Thanks for a wonderful day, Ash. The carnival turned out to be a great idea."

"Of course." He smiled at her. "I had a great day, too." She smiled back at him, her eyes locked on his, not looking away. The two of them kept their gaze on each other for several long and increasingly awkward seconds, before it became clear to her that he wasn't going to get the hint.

She cocked her head a bit. "You've... never kissed anyone, have you, Ash?"

"Whuh?" His eyes went wide, and his face red, as he suddenly realized what was happening. "I... I mean... I kissed you back in..."

She shook her head. "No, I kissed you. You didn't kiss me back." She grinned a bit. "I think you were too surprised."

"Ah..." His eyes were darting between her eyes and her lips, feeling like his brain was short-circuiting. "Well... I guess..."

"Well," she began, taking another small step forward. "When a girl stands close and looks at you like this, it means she wants you to kiss her."

"O-oh..." Ash could feel his hands start to shake a bit, more nervous now than he could ever remember being in his life. She could tell what effect she was having on him at the moment, but she didn't mind; it made her feel special. She watched patiently, her hands clasped behind her back, as he struggled to work up the wherewithal to do what he needed to do, which took every ounce of strength in his body. Eventually he bit the bullet, closing his eyes, puckering up and moving in quickly.

Serena's eyes went wide as she saw Ash coming in like a freight train, and she had to quickly throw up her hands to defend herself. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she exclaimed as her hands managed to catch his oncoming face. "Ash, that's not a kiss, that's a headbutt!"

He quickly backed away as he realized how badly he had screwed up, humiliated and crestfallen. He looked down at his shoes, barely able to croak out an apology as he turned away, his hands still shaking.

She continued studying his face, her bewilderment quickly turning to pity. He really had no idea what he was doing. "You look terrified," she commented.

It's because you're the most amazing girl I've ever known, and I'm constantly scared that I'm going to ruin everything and push you away and it will all be over, he thought to himself, not having anything close to the courage he needed to say it out loud. He couldn't even manage to look her way, until he felt her hand on his jaw, turning it to face her. She was closer than ever now, their faces only inches apart.

"Ash, just relax... take it slow..." She slowly began to move closer to him, her eyes still fixed on his. He followed her lead, slowly closing the gap between them, his heart pounding out of his chest. He watched as her eyes closed partway as their faces got closer and closer, until they were about an inch apart. He could smell the faded scent of shampoo, feel her light breath on his skin, as he realized that she had stopped. He was going to have to finish this himself.

Summoning all of the strength he had, he closed his eyes and slowly forced himself forward the final inch, until he felt his lips touch hers.

The immediate sensation was impossible for him to describe, feeling like an electric shock made of something other than electricity, shooting instantly throughout his entire body but focused on his heart. It took him a second to recover from it, as his instincts kicked in and the two of slowly kissed, excitement and relief taking over him at the same time. The last time their lips had met, he was too shocked to remember the moment itself, only the immediate before and after; this time, he was determined to take in as many details as he could. He noted the sharp intake of breath she had taken as their kiss began, the light taste of powdered sugar on her lips, the way his cap poked at her hat and threatened to knock it off her head, the tantalizing closeness between their bodies that led to what felt like an electrical buildup in his chest.

After what felt like an eternity, he felt her pull away from him, his eyes opening just as hers did. Both of them were beaming from ear to ear, their cheeks and ears flushed red.

"Wow..." he managed, not sure he was capable of saying anything more than that.

"Yeah..." she responded, a bit breathless. "That was... nice."

"It was..." He nodded slowly. "Sorry I screwed it up the first time..."

"It's alright," she replied. "You'll get another chance to practice, I'm sure."

He grinned at her, liking the sound of that. They eventually turned back to the ocean, where the paper lanterns had traveled a good forty to fifty feet, becoming their own constellation in the blackness of the ocean. They watched together in content silence, as Ash took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, not sure whether or not he wanted to calm his racing heart.

He glanced over at Serena once again, studying the smile on her face, the blush in her cheek, and the sparkle in her eyes. His eyes ran down her frame quickly, noting the tail of a new plush Dedenne sticking out of her purse, stopping at the hand hanging down at her side. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out and took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. He watched her smile grow even wider as she squeezed his hand back, keeping a gentle but firm hold on it. He smiled as well, feeling a warmth spread through his entire body as he turned back toward the water, the two of them watching the lights drift off toward the horizon, hand in hand.

Half a mile from the beach, a lone figure stood on a rooftop, overlooking the serene scene. Its eyes were focused on the Team Ace members, who were standing behind the line of tourists and citizens, talking amongst themselves.

Team Ace... the figure thought to itself, its arms folded, holding itself with hands that each ended in three overlarge fingers. What is it that you hide behind this facade of charity? What is the true goal of your scientific endeavors? What purpose do you truly have for existing?

The figure's long tail slowly rose as the feeling of suspicion grew, the purple color contrasting against the white that covered most of its body. I've already collected several pieces of this giant puzzle. It won't be long before I have everything I need... then we'll see just how charitable you really are.

Sensing that it wouldn't be gathering anything from observing this event, the being closed its eyes and teleported out of sight, vanishing into the night air.

Chapter Text

Ash woke up earlier than he usually did the next morning, just as the sun was starting to emerge from beyond the horizon. His eyes opened slowly, his foggy brain confused as he took in the relative lack of light in the room, trying to register where and when he was. As he pieced together that he was still in Cyllage City, resting in the Pokémon Center, the events of the day before stormed back into his mind. He felt a sudden rush of alertness, adrenaline coursing through him, as he realized that what had happened was real and not just a dream.

He stared up at the bunk bed above him, with disbelief as his immediate reaction; just like with their reunion, yesterday felt like something that was only possible in his mind, never to become real. He replayed the kiss over and over in his head, recalling every sensation, almost able to feel it once again. After over a dozen replays, he glanced over to his side, wanting to see Serena, as if he needed confirmation that she was really there. She was sound asleep in her bunk, rolled onto her side and facing him, a gentle and sleepy smile adorning her face. She had no makeup hiding her blemishes, her mussed bedhead hair falling into her eyes, but she was positively radiant, more beautiful to him now than any time he could remember.

He grinned wide as he looked back up at the bed above him, inhaling deeply, feeling as if he had just won ten Pokémon Leagues at once. He lay still for a long time, not thinking about anything in particular, just enjoying the thrill, his body racked with excitement. He didn't bother closing his eyes, knowing there was no chance he would fall back asleep now, lying in his bed for ten minutes that felt like thirty.

Eventually Ash lifted his covers and slowly got out of bed, being careful to not disturb anyone else in the room. He quietly grabbed a pair of gym shorts from his bag and stepped outside, needing to burn off his excess energy with a run through Cyllage City.

Later that morning, Ash was emerging from the showers in a clean set of clothes, his hair still drying and his body fully awake. The sun was properly up now, and some of the other travelers had awoken and were now traversing the halls of the Pokémon Center as well. He started making his way back to the room where they were staying, when he heard a voice calling out to him from behind.

"Morning, Ash!" He turned quickly to see Iris waving at him, grinning from ear to ear as she approached, unusually chipper. Her hair was partly wet and drying just like his, which he took to mean that she had gone off for an early-morning swim again.

"Morning, Iris." He grinned back at her, waiting for her to catch up. "Did you have a good day yesterday?"

"Yeah, it was great," she answered, as they started walking back to their room together. "Though not as great as yours was, I bet."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Shannon and I saw the two of you at the lantern lighting," she explained, her grin widening, tickled pink at the events of yesterday. "You two must have had a really nice date, huh?"

"You saw us?!" he exclaimed in surprise, turning red as he realized exactly what that meant. "How... how much did you..."

"Oh, we saw everything, Mr. Suave." She smirked at him teasingly. "She must really like you if she let you try a second time."

"I... I guess so..." He looked down sheepishly, wishing that his embarrassing failure could have been a secret between himself and Serena, or erased from history altogether.

"Still, congratulations, Ash," she offered, smiling warmly. "I'm really happy for both of you."

"Thanks, Iris." He smiled as well, his embarrassment fading. "It feels strange... I never really thought that I would have a girlfriend at this point, but..."

"Wait, really?!" Iris exclaimed excitedly, her eyes lighting up. "Is that what she said to you? Are you a couple now?"

"Well, she didn't say that exactly," he clarified, looking back at Iris. "But we kissed, so... it sort of goes without saying, doesn't it?"

Iris's face fell just as quickly as it had risen, and she slumped forward, her head in her hand. "Oh, Ash..."

"What? What did I say?" Ash cut himself off as she grabbed him by the sleeve, dragging him into the Pokémon Center's TV lounge and shutting the door behind them, needing to set him straight. Moments later, Serena emerged from the showers with a towel wrapped around her hair, humming happily to herself as she flitted down the hallway back toward her bunk and her backpack.

Ash sighed, already irritated with their conversation before it had even begun, as Iris turned back to face him. "What did I do wrong now?"

"Look, Ash, just because you two kissed doesn't mean that she's your girlfriend now," she responded, incredulous that she had to explain something like this to him.

"What does it mean, then?"

"It means she likes you, you dolt!" she shot back. "She's testing you. She's trying to see if you're boyfriend material."

"Testing me?" He glared back, replying defensively, not enjoying Iris talking down to him. "We've known each other a long time, Iris. If she's testing me, I'm pretty sure I passed way before yesterday."

"Maybe you did! I don't know!" she replied, exasperated. "The point is, you can't just assume."

He groaned. "Fine, whatever. How am I supposed to know if she's my girlfriend, then?"

"You ask her, of course."

"Ask her? You mean like... ask her to be my girlfriend?" He tried to imagine himself having that conversation, his confidence starting to visibly slip away.

"Yes, Ash." Iris closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, visibly frustrated. "I have no idea how you got as far as you did if you're this scared of her."

"I'm not scared!" Ash fired back. "It's... just... it's not an easy thing to ask, alright?"

She sighed, her frustration giving way to pity. "Look, just... keep doing what you're doing now. She likes you a lot, so clearly it's working. But eventually, if you want her to stay with you, you're just going to have to man up and ask her."

"How will I know when the time is right, though?" he asked, his defensiveness falling away, eager for whatever help Iris was willing to give, badly wanting to not mess things up with Serena.

"I can't tell you that, Ash," she answered, her voice more gentle now. "That's up to you."

"Alright..." Ash rubbed his head, feeling like he had just come out of a college lecture. "I don't know how people are supposed to learn this stuff..."

Iris smirked a bit, gesturing to herself. "Well, that's why I am a mature young woman..." She reached out and poked him lightly on the nose. "...And you are still just a little kid."

He smirked back, reaching out and resting his hand flat on top of her head, to emphasize the height difference between them. "Yeah, I'm the little kid." Iris glared up at him, her eyes flaring.

Back in their room, Serena finished drying her hair with a small hair dryer she had brought with her, putting it aside and reaching for a brush to give her hair a last once-over. Brock, Shannon and Madison were all putting their shoes on, with Brock finishing first, standing and heading for the door.

"Alright, time for some breakfast, then it's back to the gym." He glanced back toward Serena, as the other two girls started to follow him. "You coming down with us?"

"Sure, I'll be there in just a minute," she answered, inspecting her hair with a hand mirror. "You don't happen to know where Ash and Iris are, do you? They were both gone when I woke up."

"I heard them in the hallway just a few minutes ago," he replied. "I'm sure they're around."

"Alright, I'll go find them." She placed the mirror back into her bag, as Brock and the others headed down to the cafeteria. Walking out into the hallway, she looked around for a moment, wondering where the two of them might be, when she heard Iris's muffled voice from nearby. She moved slowly toward the sound, quickly realizing it was coming from the TV lounge. She reached out and opened the door, taking a step inside.

"Hey, I..." Her voice dropped off as she took in the bewildering sight before her. Ash was lying face down on the couch, his arms grabbing at the sides of it, trying to push himself up. Iris was on top of him, one knee planted firmly in his back, her hand mashing Ash's face into the couch cushion, a clear expression of vengeance on her face.

She glanced over at the door as she heard a voice, her expression changing to a smile as she saw who was there. "Hey, Serena!" She greeted her cheerfully, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening, not letting up the pressure on her target. "Ash and I were just having a little chat. What's up?"

"We... um..." Serena tried to collect her thoughts and process the scene in front of her at the same time, a difficult task. "Breakfast..."

"Oh! Great! I'm starving." Iris casually hopped up onto her feet, walking through the door past Serena and making her way downstairs. Serena turned her gaze back toward Ash, who was still lying defeated on the couch, face down, not looking in her direction.

"Are you alright, Ash?" she asked.

Ash nodded wordlessly.

"Do I want to know what that was all about?"

Ash shook his head.

"Well... we'll be downstairs." She quietly closed the door, as Ash continued lying on the couch for a few more moments, stewing in his humiliation.

Later that day, everyone had gathered at the gym, waiting for Brock to close it up so they could all have a big dinner together on their final day in Cyllage City. He had already defeated one challenger using only his Sudowoodo, and had just finished training with another who was hoping to strengthen his own Rock-type Pokémon. He was currently killing time by talking with Iris about their experiences running their own gyms, with Shannon standing nearby and taking in their conversation quietly. In another corner of the room, off of the battlefield, Madison was giving instructions to a brown-haired boy of the same age and height as herself.

"...I'll try not to change anything else before the showcase," she explained. "And I'll make sure we arrive in Couriway Town a couple days before so we can practice more."

"Sounds good," the boy agreed, before grinning a bit. "You'll 'try' not to change anything?"

"Yes, I'll try," she responded. "But no promises. I'll be practicing with Serena, and she might have some good ideas for improvements. If I do change anything, I'll send you a video."

He nodded, chuckling. "Alright, sure."

"Thank you so much for this, Barrett." She smiled at him appreciatively, deeply grateful. "I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"It's no problem, really!" he insisted, his smile mimicking hers. "Actually, I still had one question..."

On the other side of the arena, Ash and Serena were standing together, making idle talk as he leaned back against the stands. They spent a fair amount of their time together in silence, simply enjoying each other's quiet company. Their eyes would occasionally meet as they glanced around, causing both of them to grin. It was as if they had a special secret they were sharing between the two of them, and they shared it again each time they looked at each other. At the moment, both of them were watching Madison's conversation, curious about the trainer who had agreed to be her Battle Partner.

"He likes her," Serena commented.

"Huh? You mean Barrett?"

"Yeah," she confirmed. "He's crushing on her hard."

"How can you tell?" Ash stood up properly, looking over the two of them, trying to see what made her so certain.

"It's a bunch of little things," she answered. "The way he talks, the way he looks at her, his body language..."

"Huh." He leaned in closer, examining Barrett's face for clues. "I don't get it. He's just looking at her normally, isn't he? That's the same way I look at anyone."

"That's not true," Serena rebutted. "You look at me differently than you look at Brock or Iris."

"Wait, I do?" He looked over at her. "How do I look at you?"

"I'm not telling." She grinned as she watched Madison waving her over, needing help answering Barrett's question.

"Why not?"

She glanced back at him as she started walking in Madison's direction. "Because I want you to keep looking at me that way."

He watched her walk off for a moment, trying to figure out how he could possibly look at her differently, as she started talking with Madison and Barrett about their performance. He pondered this for a minute before a voice to his side distracted him.

"Hey, Ash?" He glanced over to see Iris standing beside him, looking humbled, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Iris? What's up?"

"Just... I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about Serena this morning," she spoke quietly. "I shouldn't have lost my patience like that. I know you're trying your best."

"Oh, that... it's fine, really." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. I probably deserved it."

She smiled back. "We're still cool, right?"

He nodded in response. "Of course we are. I know I wasn't in a great mood about it, but I really appreciate all your help."

"Well, I want you two to be happy. You're a good friend, Ash."

"You too, Iris." He grinned a bit. "I thought you were going to apologize for tackling me."

Iris smirked. "Oh, I'm not sorry about that at all."

"Alright, it's closing time," Brock announced, walking into the center of the arena. "My tenure as Gym Leader is over. Who's hungry?" The others in the room cheered, ready to get some food, and they congregated in the middle of the room as they started discussing their dinner options.

"Excuse me." Everyone stopped talking abruptly, glancing over at the soft male voice coming from the direction of the gym entrance. At the edge of the arena stood an older teenager, a couple of inches shorter than Brock, with short, jet-black hair. "I know it's late, but I was hoping I might be able to have a Gym Battle. I just got into town now."

"Ah, hi... technically, the gym is closed, but..." Brock looked around at the others, gauging their expressions, weighing the pros and cons of keeping the gym open a bit later for one more battle.

"I don't mind waiting a bit longer," Ash spoke up. "He came all this way for a battle, and it would be great if he could have one. I'd love to watch it, too."

Recognition flashed across the boy's eyes, and he walked over to Ash. "I've seen you before, haven't I? You were the challenger at the gym's grand reopening. That was a tense battle."

"Yeah, that was me." Ash smiled, extending his hand. "I'm Ash. Nice to meet you."

The boy smiled back, as the two of them shook hands. "You, too. My name's Darius."

"I think we can wait a bit so he can have his battle," Serena chimed in. She was happy to do what Ash wanted to do, and this newcomer seemed like a nice enough person. The other girls voiced their agreement.

Brock grinned. "Well, I guess that settles that. Only issue is, the ref already left for home a few minutes ago..." He looked in Iris's direction. "Iris, would you mind?"

"No problem, Brock." She walked over to the edge of the arena, toward the referee's position, as Brock turned back to face his new challenger.

"Alright, Darius. As the acting Gym Leader, I accept your challenge. We'll have a two-on-two Pokémon battle for the Cliff Badge. Sound good?"

"That sounds great." Darius bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much." He turned and made his way to the challenger's position, as Brock took his position on the opposite side of the arena. Ash, Serena, Madison and Shannon walked up into the stands, as Iris loudly declared the rules of battle, before gesturing toward Brock.

"Gym Leader Brock, please bring out your first Pokémon." Brock reached down to his belt and tossed a Poké Ball into the arena, summoning his Geodude; his Pokémon bashed his fists together boastfully, ready to send another challenger home. Everyone watched as Darius reached down for a Pokémon of his own, throwing a Poké Ball onto the battlefield.

"Jolteon, let's go!" The ball opened up and released a yellow, fox-like Pokémon onto the battlefield, its sharp, pointed fur sticking straight out like needles, a white mane surrounding its collar.

"Jolteon?" Ash wondered aloud, a bit stunned at Darius's choice of an Electric-type Pokémon. "But Geodude is part Ground-type. Electric attacks aren't going to do a thing."

Serena frowned, sensing that a bad loss was incoming. "Do you think it's his first Gym Battle?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I guess we'll find out." He took a careful look at Darius's face, trying to gauge the boy's expression, as Iris raised her arms, holding a flag in each one.

"Both trainers are ready! Let the battle... begin!"

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" Brock commanded, his empty stomach telling him to take the initiative. His Pokémon raised his fists and punched the ground with extreme force, sending rocks flying in the direction of his opponent.

"Dodge and get closer with Agility!" Darius ordered, his normally soft voice becoming louder and more stern. Jolteon's body began to glow as its speed greatly increased, and it dashed away from the oncoming rocks as fast as lightning, speeding toward Geodude.

"Stop it in its tracks with Stone Edge!" Brock called out.

"Don't let him do it! Use Bite!" the challenger retorted. As Geodude tried to focus on forming the rings of sharp stones around him, Jolteon was in his face in mere moments, its powerful jaws clamping down on Geodude's left arm. He cried out in pain, the stones vanishing, as he struggled to get free.

"Keep hold of it! Slam it into the ground!" Jolteon growled and thrust her head downward, slamming its opponent's body painfully into the arena; the Pokémon did this once more before tossing a dazed Geodude away.

"Are you alright, Geodude?" Brock asked as Geodude managed to right himself, holding his head. The Pokémon grunted and nodded, as Brock focused on Jolteon instead. "We'll show that Pokémon speed! Use Rollout!"

Geodude tucked its arms in, becoming as sphere-like as possible, and started to roll along the ground in Jolteon's direction, preparing for a powerful impact. Darius watched the Pokémon approach, looking unfazed.

"Counter that Rollout with Double Kick!" Jolteon whirled around quickly, raising its hind legs and striking Geodude with both of them at the same time. The powerful blow send its opponent flying, and Geodude crashed hard into the arena near Brock, badly damaged.

"No! Geodude, are you alright?" Brock leaned in closer, concerned, as Darius continued without pause.

"Quick Attack, Jolteon!" His Pokémon growled and dashed forward with great speed, covering the full length of the battlefield in no time. As Geodude slowly rose into the air, Jolteon's head bashed into it with great force, sending him flying out of the arena and slamming against the wall. As Geodude fell down to the ground, the spectators had no doubt as to the outcome of the battle.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" Iris raised a flag in Darius's direction. "The winner is Jolteon! Gym Leader Brock has one Pokémon left!" Up in the stands, all four of the spectators were watching with amazement, eyes popping out.

"You've got to be kidding," Ash spoke aloud, partly to himself. "That's the strongest Jolteon I've ever seen."

"It didn't even take one bit of damage," Shannon commented. "I guess this isn't his first Gym Battle after all."

"Definitely not..." Ash thought back to his conversation with Ramos, the Coumarine Gym Leader, on the night he had reunited with Serena. Could Darius have been the black-haired trainer who demolished the gym on that day?

Brock returned his Pokémon to his Poké Ball, not sure if he was more amazed or disappointed. "You did a good job, Geodude." He attached the ball to his belt as he looked back at his challenger. "You've got a great Jolteon there, Darius. But I think my last Pokémon will be a bit more of a challenge." He grabbed his other Poké Ball, whipping it onto the field. "Rhyperior, I choose you!"

Darius watched as the enormous drill Pokémon emerged on the battlefield, letting out a powerful roar that shook the gym. He gave a nod to Iris, indicating that he would be sticking with Jolteon for now.

"Both trainers are ready!" she declared. "The battle will resume... now!"

"Jolteon, use Pin Missile!" Darius's Pokémon bristled, its fur becoming even spikier than usual, shifting and pointing directly at its foe. Numerous needles shot out of its fur toward Rhyperior, who was too slow to dodge the attack; she cried out in pain as the needles hit her, much stronger than she expected.

Brock gritted his teeth, growing frustrated with how one-sided this battle was becoming. "Use Earthquake! Throw it off balance!" Rhyperior growled and leaped into the air, stomping her feet as she came back down, shaking the entire arena; everyone watched as Jolteon started to stumble a bit, the Ground-type attack having a powerful effect.

"Leap into the air and use Quick Attack!" Darius commanded. Jolteon bounded upward as soon as it could, leaping toward Rhyperior with surprising speed. As it landed and jumped forward again, Brock smirked, seeing an opening.

"Now, Rhyperior! Hit it with Rock Wrecker!"

His Pokémon raised her arms, small rocks shooting out of the holes in her palms and coming together to form a giant boulder over her head. Jolteon's eyes widened in panic at the oncoming attack, unable to change directions and dodge in midair. Rhyperior roared and heaved the boulder at her opponent; it smashed into Jolteon with amazing force, sending the Pokémon skidding across the battlefield, where it lay on its side for a moment close to Darius's feet.

"Yes! That's the way, Brock!" Ash exclaimed, grinning, thankful that there was some fight in him still. Darius glared down at his Pokémon, as it slowly worked to get back up.

"What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled, a vicious snarl in his voice. "How could you let that hit you?! Get back up and fight, you useless idiot!"

The simultaneous gasps of everyone in the room echoed through the cavernous gym, as the spectators were shocked into silence. Even Brock and Iris were briefly stunned, gaping at Darius, as Jolteon got back to its feet.

"Did he just say what I think he said...?" Serena was covering her mouth with one hand, as was Madison next to her. Ash didn't respond, too shocked to feel anger just yet.

"Get up close and use Iron Tail!" Darius ordered, clearly still angry with Jolteon for letting itself get hit. His Pokémon dashed forward as quickly as it could, wanting to make up for its previous mistake.

Brock managed to shake himself out of his reverie. "Bat it away with Hammer Arm!" Rhyperior extended her left arm, focusing hard, but she was still recovering from using the powerful Rock Wrecker. Jolteon was soon in her face, whirling around and striking her in the head with the iron-hard fur on its meager tail; Rhyperior stumbled backwards, dazed by the super-effective Steel-type attack.

"Now follow it up with Double Kick!" As Rhyperior was recovering, Jolteon leaped forward once again, landing on its front feet and spinning around. It slammed both feet directly into its opponent's jaw with incredible force, enough to knock even the enormous Rhyperior off of her feet. She crashed down onto the ground, on her back and groaning in pain.

As everyone watched Rhyperior weakly try to get up, it was clear that she was going to be down for the count. Darius, however, seemed to have other ideas.

"Don't you let up! Take Down!"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed, nearly standing up, as he watched Jolteon charge at its nearly-unconscious opponent, not a shred of mercy in its eyes. Right before the attack connected, Rhyperior transformed into a pile of red energy, as she was summoned back to her Poké Ball, causing Jolteon to skid to a stop. Darius looked up as Brock reattached Rhyperior's Poké Ball to his belt, a disappointed and angry frown on the Gym Leader's face.

"Brock has withdrawn Rhyperior from the battle," Iris announced, the energy gone from her voice, sounding as defeated as Brock was. "Jolteon wins the battle, so the challenger has won the match." She cast her flags aside as both challenger and Gym Leader walked toward the center of the arena, Brock reaching into his pocket.

"Your Pokémon is very strong, there's no doubt about that. Its skill is off the charts." He pulled a Cliff Badge out of his pocket, holding it out toward Darius, a stern look on his face. "But you really need to learn when to stop."

"I already know when to stop," Darius answered, his voice soft and gentle once again, reaching out and taking the Cliff Badge respectfully. "It's when I'm holding this badge in my hand." He bowed courteously to Brock. "Thank you very much for the battle."

Brock and Iris watched as he turned away, walking across the battlefield toward the entrance to the gym. A shout from the stands caused him to stop in his tracks.

"Hold it!" Madison exclaimed, standing up, her hands clenched into fists. "Where do you get off, talking to your Pokémon like that?! How could you be such a jerk?!"

"She's right!" Ash stood up as well, anger welling up inside him. "Nobody who treats Pokémon like you do deserves to call themselves a trainer!" Serena and Shannon voiced their agreement as well.

Darius smirked a bit, holding his badge out to face the angry spectators. "You may not like my methods, but you can't argue with the results." He placed the badge into his pocket. "Good luck in the Kalos League, Ash." He turned away and walked out of the gym, into the night.

"Ooh, that...!" Serena was baring her teeth, furious herself as she made her way down to the battlefield with the others. "We can't just let him treat his Jolteon like that! We have to do something!"

"Yeah!" Madison looked toward Brock as he approached. "Can't you get in touch with the Pokémon League and do something about that jerk?"

"I mean... what are we supposed to do?" Iris replied as she walked over, the wind taken out of her sails.

"She's right," Brock concurred. "As bad as that was, there aren't any rules against yelling at your Pokémon." He watched everyone's faces fall in light of this information, before shaking his head. "Forget about him. The battle's over now. Let's close up here and get some dinner."

The others reluctantly nodded, as Brock and Iris walked away to turn off the gym lights. Shannon and Madison slumped as they walked toward the gym entrance. Serena started to follow them before realizing Ash wasn't coming along; she turned back to see him looking down at the ground, his clenched fists shaking with anger. She walked back toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Ash, take a deep breath. I know he's awful, but try not to think about him."

"I just can't stand it..." Ash's voice was strained, as he tried to force himself to calm down. "I can't stand anyone who treats Pokémon the way he does...!"

"I know, Ash..." She rubbed his shoulder gently, trying to relax him. She knew how much Ash cared about every single Pokémon he ever met, and how much he despised anyone who would abuse them in any way, verbally or otherwise. "Just focus on something else. Think about how we'll be in Lumiose City soon. We'll be able to see Bonnie and Clemont again."

"Yeah... yeah..." Ash took a deep breath and let it out slowly, unclenching his fists. "Yeah. Alright." Serena gave him a gentle smile, glad that she had been able to defuse him, at least. The two of them began walking toward the entrance again, with Ash deep in thought. His anger at Darius was starting to fade, replaced with the worry that the two of them might have to battle at some point. With such powerful Pokémon, would Ash have any chance at victory?

His thoughts were eventually interrupted as the lights in the gym started turning off one by one, leaving only a few small emergency lights weakly illuminating the cavern. Brock and Iris soon joined the others, as they started their walk back toward Cyllage City, and the dinner awaiting them there.

Chapter Text

Three days after Brock's battle with Darius, Iris was leading the group of six as they made their way up the mountainous Route 8, looking down at the Pokédex in her hand.

"It looks like we're deep in Bagon territory now," she reported. "Everyone keep your eyes peeled for a short, blue, Dragon-type Pokémon."

"We're probably going to be spending the night in Bagon territory, at this rate," Serena added, glancing toward the sun as it approached the horizon.

"Fine by me." Ash looked around the rocky landscape for any signs of movement. "The longer we stay, the better our chances of finding a second Bagon for me to try and capture."

"Do you think we'll be stopping soon...?"

Ash, Iris, Serena and Madison all glanced backward, hearing the exhausted female voice from behind them. Shannon was lagging five to ten feet behind the rest of them, flushed and out of breath, having to struggle for each uphill step. Brock was by her side, slumping as he lumbered forward, neither of them as in-shape as the others.

"We'll probably stop and set up camp when the sun goes down," Iris answered. "Not much longer." She tried to inject some sympathy into her voice, a bit torn between feeling sorry for Shannon's struggle and wanting her to build up some stamina.

"If we collapse, just leave us where we fall," Brock managed, also out of breath. "We'll become food for the wild Pokémon around here." Serena started to reply with a joke of her own, but was quickly interrupted.

"Hey, look up there!" Madison pointed upward, at a ridge a little ways above the group. "What Pokémon is that?" Everyone stopped and followed her finger with their eyes, quickly finding a four-legged creature covered in white fur, with a black tail and a single, curved, black horn protruding from the side of its head.

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed in a hushed tone, not wanting to alert or startle the Pokémon. "It's an Absol!" Iris aimed her Pokédex at the Absol at it slowly climbed up the rocks above them, while Ash quickly took off his backpack and ran up to the cliff face.

"Absol, the Disaster Pokémon," the machine spoke mechanically. "Absol live in steep mountainous regions, and rarely venture down into areas inhabited by humans, but should an Absol be seen by humans, it is said that catastrophe is soon to follow."

"Catastrophe, huh..." Shannon uttered tiredly as she walked up next to Iris. "I hope that's just an old legend. I'd rather not deal with a disaster right now... or ever."

"Are you going to try and catch it, Ash?" Serena asked, as he began climbing the boulders in front of them, Pikachu clinging to his back.

"You bet I am," he answered quietly, looking back, not wanting the Absol to hear his plan. "A Pokémon like that would make a great addition to my team."

Everyone watched as Ash made his way slowly up the rocks, in pursuit of the wild Pokémon. As he kept his eyes on his target, he could see that it was struggling to climb up the rocks, more than Ash would have expected. Its legs were trembling, and it had a great deal of difficulty getting a solid footing. As it tried to scale the mountain, the Absol eventually slipped and fell, starting to roll downward on a trajectory toward the trainer chasing after him.

"Whoa! Hang on!" Ash stood his ground as Absol fell down toward him, reaching his arms out and catching the Pokémon just as they collided, Pikachu leaping off of Ash's back just before impact. He held Absol tightly as they tumbled back down the mountain together, landing in a pile among Ash's friends, knocking the wind out of them both.

"Oh no, Ash!" Serena ran over and knelt next to him, as he coughed. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine..." He sat up as much as he could, looking down at the Absol on top of him, as Pikachu climbed down the rocks and ran toward the pair. "Is Absol okay?" Everyone stood around and watched as the Pokémon got shakily to its feet, slowly turning around and making its way back toward the cliff face. Less than two steps later, Absol's front legs gave out, and it collapsed once again to the ground.

"What's wrong with it? Is it hurt?" Madison wondered, stepping a little closer. Shannon and Brock both walked in front of Absol, kneeling down to take a closer look.

"It looks as though it's been poisoned," Shannon assessed, seeing the sickly pallor on its face. Brock nodded in agreement, as Absol's back legs gave out as well, its body hitting the ground hard. He reached out and rested his hand on Absol's cheek for a moment, feeling how cold and clammy it was.

"It has been poisoned... and pretty badly, too. It must have happened a while ago, maybe an hour or more." He glanced back toward Iris, as the Pokémon tried once again to stand up. "Can you grab an Antidote, or a Pecha Berry if we have one?"

Iris nodded and grabbed Brock's bag, lifting it up and starting to rifle through it, her search growing more frantic as it went on. "Uh oh... I think we're all out." She placed the bag back down, everyone focusing on Absol once again, who no longer had the strength to push itself up.

"Is it going to be okay without any Antidote?" Serena asked, wringing her hands.

Brock frowned. "If this Absol were older, I'd say it would be alright. But this one's pretty young, and small, too..." He paused briefly, as everyone's hearts fell at once. "We need to get it an Antidote, as soon as we can."

Ash kept his eyes on Absol, feeling his stomach starting to turn as he watched it struggle to move, its breathing labored. "How are we supposed to get one? Do we have to go all the way back to Ambrette Town?" They had started the day back in town, and spent about six hours walking since then.

"I don't know where else we go," Serena answered. "But even if we ran that entire way, the shops would be closed by the time we got there..." Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a Poké Ball opening beside her, and she turned to see Iris's grumpy Dragonite stretching his arms and wings.

"The fastest way there is to fly," Iris declared, walking up to Dragonite's side. "I'll try to get there before the shops close. If I'm not fast enough, I'll come back first thing in the morning." She climbed up onto his back, as he grunted and flapped his wings, lifting off.

"Please hurry, Iris!" Shannon pleaded, as Iris and Dragonite turned and took off toward Ambrette Town, miles away. Everyone watched her gradually grow smaller as she flew off, before turning back toward the weakened Pokémon.

Brock stood up again, walking over to his bag and searching through it. "We need to keep its strength up, in the meantime." He pulled out a yellow fruit covered in orange spots, as well as a bottle of orange powder. "This Sitrus Berry should help, combined with a bit of medicine." He reached into his bag a second time, retrieving a mortar and pestle, starting to mash and combine the ingredients.

"Will that help it feel better?" Madison walked over, watching Brock work.

"Yes, but not for that long," he explained. "We'll have to keep feeding it over and over until Iris gets back."

"Over and over?" Ash sat up. "How often?"

"Probably once an hour, to be safe."

Ash nodded. "I'll do it. I'll make sure it's fed."

"Are you sure, Ash?" Serena asked. "You might have to do that all night, if Iris doesn't get back soon."

"Then that's what I'll do." His tone was resolute as he kneeled next to Absol, looking down at the distress on its face, as Brock walked over with the finished mixture. He scooped out a spoonful and brought it close to Absol's mouth, watching as the Pokémon sniffed the air, looking toward the spoon.

"This will help you feel better," Brock reassured. "It doesn't taste too bad, either." After inspecting it for a moment longer, the Absol leaned in and ate the medicinal mixture off of the spoon, quickly swallowing it. Brock fed him one more spoonful before setting the bowl aside.

"That should do for now," he spoke, as everyone watched Absol try to stand once again, getting up on its front legs before collapsing again, into Ash's waiting arms. "Two spoonfuls an hour should help fight off the poison. There should be enough there in that bowl." Ash nodded, letting the exhausted and sickly Absol rest sideways on his lap, rubbing its back, trying to get it to relax. Serena kneeled next to it as well, gently running her fingers through the fur on Absol's head, holding it gently.

"I guess this is where we're setting up camp, then," Shannon suggested. Serena nodded quietly, standing up and walking over to lay out her sleeping bag, while Shannon and Brock got to work on a campfire with some brush they had brought along. As Serena finished rolling it out, she looked back toward Ash, who was still holding the Absol in his arms and rubbing its back, an expression of deep concern etched onto his face. She bit her lip and watched him for a moment, before getting up and walking over to his discarded backpack, laying out his sleeping bag for him as well.

Hours later, Ash was awoken by a soft beeping sound right by his ear, as he had been many times that night. He slowly sat up and tapped his beeping phone to silence it, eyes squinting, needing a moment before he remembered why he was waking up. He opened his eyes, taking in the dark night around him, the mountain illuminated only by the campfire they had made, which was still burning.

He stretched his arms briefly before slipping out of his sleeping bag, reaching out and grabbing the bowl of Sitrus Berry mix. He stood up and walked slowly over to Absol, who was lying close to the campfire, sleeping fltfully as its body tried to fight off the poison. Ash kneeled next to the Pokémon, resting his hand on its head gently, causing it to stir.

"Time for some more, Absol," he half-whispered, scooping out another spoonful of berries and bringing it to Absol's mouth, who accepted it tiredly but eagerly. Ash fed it one more spoonful before setting the bowl aside, rubbing its head gently. "Don't worry, we'll have some Antidote soon, and then you'll be all better."

He stood up and walked over to his sleeping bag once again, exhausted. As he started to lie back down, he took another look at Absol, pausing as he did so. Despite resting next to the campfire, the Pokémon was visibly shivering, as if it was freezing cold. Ash felt his heart drop into his stomach, deeply scared for Absol and fearing the worst, as he had been all night. He watched for several seconds, unable to look away, before stepping out of his sleeping bag again. He reached down and unzipped it fully, turning it into a large plastic comforter, and walked back over to Absol with the sleeping bag in one hand and his phone in the other. He lay down beside the sickly Pokémon, covering both of them with the comforter, and lightly wrapped one of his arms around it, wanting to share his warmth.

"Absol, it's just me," he reassured quietly, as he felt Absol weakly struggle against him for a moment, surprised; it quickly settled down and relaxed, comforted by Ash's warm frame and his now-familiar voice. "You're going to be just fine. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

Ash could feel Absol drifting off, still shivering a bit, but less so than it had before, its breathing a bit less labored. He tried to stay awake as long as he could, wanting to watch over the Pokémon just in case anything happened, but he soon fell asleep as well, physically and emotionally drained.

"Ash? Ash, wake up."

Several feedings later, Ash found himself being shaken awake. He stirred quickly, opening his eyes and looking up to see Iris kneeling over him, illuminated by the light of the early morning sun. She was smiling gently despite the situation, partly relieved that she'd returned in time, partly touched by how far Ash was willing to go to protect a wild Pokémon.

"Iris?" He sat up immediately. "You're back! Did you get the Antidote?"

"Yeah, I got plenty." She looked past him, at the Pokémon lying by his side. "How is Absol?"

He quickly turned and looked down, studying Absol's face. It was still asleep, breathing harshly and lying still. "It had a rough night... it definitely needs that Antidote." He heard stirring around him, turning and looking around to see the others waking as well, sitting up and turning toward Absol. Brock stood up and walked over, rubbing his eye, accepting an Antidote from Iris and kneeling down.

"Alright, Absol, this will be cold, but you'll feel a lot better." He started spraying the contents of the bottle onto Absol's body, focusing on its face and its chest; the Pokémon stirred and winced at the spray, kicking its legs weakly.

"How many do we need to use?" Iris asked, watching as he applied the Antidote.

"Just one will do the trick," Brock answered. "Then some more of that berry mix will have it feeling normal again." He soon exhausted the Antidote bottle and set it aside, as Ash eagerly grabbed the bowl he had been using all night, scooping its remaining contents into one large spoonful. He offered it to Absol, who quickly accepted it, as everyone gathered around and watched. Seconds later, Absol opened its eyes and sat up, starting to get to his feet, causing everyone to sigh in relief.

"Thank goodness." Serena watched as the Pokémon stood up once again, strength coursing through it. "I was so worried..."

Ash smiled tiredly as he sat back, watching Absol stretch each of its four legs individually, as Pikachu ran over and climbed up on top of Ash's head. "How are you feeling? All better?" Absol ignored his question, immediately turning and racing over to the cliff face, starting to climb up as fast as its newfound strength would allow.

"Whoa, hold on! Where are you going?" Ash stood up and followed after it, stopping only briefly to grab his Poké Balls and attach them to his belt. He ran up to the rocks and clambered upward after Absol, Pikachu clinging tightly to him; he was followed by Iris, who quickly climbed up ahead of him without breaking a sweat. The two of them managed to scale the wall and started running after Absol, who was making its way toward the closest peak.

"What is he doing?" Iris called out. "What's up here that's so important?"

"I have no idea," Ash answered from behind her, following as quickly as he could, adrenaline pumping through him to counteract his lack of sleep. As they chased Absol up the mountain, both of them spotted what looked like an enormous, unstable pile of rocks and boulders, placed very precariously on a ledge. They watched Absol carefully navigate around it before stopping, growling at something on the other side.

"What's going on...?" Ash wondered aloud, as he saw Iris catch up to Absol, standing behind it. He soon managed to do the same, and he found himself staring down into what looked like a carved-out hole in the mountain, which was currently filled with angry Seviper. He counted an even half-dozen.

"I get it now," Iris spoke, turning her gaze to the pile next to them. "These Seviper must have carved out this hole to make a nest. Absol was probably worried about them causing a rockslide."

"That's when they poisoned it," Ash concluded. "They couldn't have been too happy about Absol getting in their way." Based on the glares they were now receiving, the Seviper still weren't too happy. They slithered slowly forward, ready for a fight, before one of them sprung forward in Absol's direction, fangs bared.

"Pikachu, stop it with Iron Tail!" Ash commanded. Pikachu immediately leaped off of his head and whirled around, smacking the snake Pokémon to the ground with his tail before it could sink its fangs into its target. Ash reached down to his belt, sensing that things were about to get messy, and he quickly brought out his Sigilyph and Drapion, while Iris summoned her Garchomp and Excadrill.

The band of Seviper stopped their advance as they saw their opponents multiply, clearly not interested in a fair fight that might not work out in their favor. Iris glared down at them as they slowly backed off.

"Go and find somewhere else you dig your nest," she ordered. "This place is too dangerous."

The Seviper hissed back at her, trying to appear menacing, but they thought better of it as Garchomp and Excadrill advanced on them. After a moment's consideration, they started turning to leave, one by one, slithering out of the hole they had made and heading off to find some other place to dig. Ash and Iris felt the tension leaving their bodies as the Seviper left, and Absol visibly relaxed as well. They turned their attention to the final Seviper, the one who had been struck down by Pikachu, as it slowly sat up and glared at its opponent, sore and wanting revenge. He coiled up and sprung at Pikachu, ready to sink its fangs into its prey.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash ordered. His Pokémon deftly leaped out of the way, charging up electricity in preparation for an attack command. The attacking Seviper had no time to change course, ramming itself full force into the rock pile that had been dug up. Immediately, the pile began to rumble, as did the ground beneath their feet, before the rocks gave way and started to fall.

Ash and Iris shared a brief moment of panic as the rockslide began, before Absol started taking off down the mountain, running alongside the rocks, trying to think of something it could do to stop what was happening. Ash quickly came to his senses and started part-running, part-sliding down the mountain, Pikachu climbing back onto his shoulder, as he turned back toward his Pokémon.

"Sigilyph, stop those rocks with Psychic!"

Sigilyph cried out as she glowed a light blue color, focusing as hard as she could on stopping the rocks; as a Psychic aura formed around them, they began to slow down, but the toll it was taking on her was obvious. Ash watched her for a moment before his attention was drawn by Absol, who was running in front of the moving rocks. The Pokémon dug its feet into the ground and leaned hard against one of the larger boulders in the center, trying to stop its descent.

"Help them out, you two!" Iris called out, following Ash down the mountainside. Both of her Pokémon quickly rushed to Absol's side, using their arms to hold back several boulders as well. Ash threw out another Poké Ball, summoning Snivy to assist, who leaped forward and used her vines to hold back several others, as Drapion ran up and used its claws to hold back more. With all of the Pokémon working together to hold back the rocks, they eventually slowed to a stop, just before the rockslide ran over what had been their camp until moments ago. Brock, Serena, Shannon and Madison had all grabbed their things and ran well out of the way as soon as the calamity began, taking themselves out of danger for the time being.

Ash and Iris ran forward to assess the situation further, seeing all of their Pokémon straining to stop the rockslide from continuing. Looking further down the mountain, they could see the somewhat distant buildings of Ambrette Town, directly in the path of the oncoming rocks. They knew they couldn't stop the rockslide forever, but if they let it go, there was a chance that the boulders would eventually reach town and do some damage.

"Steelix, I choose you!" Both of them looked down at the sound of Brock's voice, watching him toss out a Poké Ball and summon the enormous Steelix onto the mountain. "Dig a trench in the mountainside! Redirect those rocks toward the ocean!" His Pokémon roared and got to work, using its enormous jaws and powerful tail to dig large chunks out of the mountain path, creating a trench that curved away from Ambrette Town and toward the ocean to the west. Sigilyph and the other Pokémon continued holding the rocks back as much as possible, using all of the energy they had.

After several minutes of work, Steelix crawled back up to his trainer, his work complete. Brock turned and gave a signal to Ash and Iris up above, who pulled out their Poké Balls, ready to call everyone back.

"Alright, we're going to let go on three!" Ash declared. "One... two..."

Before he could finish counting, Sigilyph let out a defeated cry as she fell down toward the ground, exhausted, her psychic hold on the rocks finally breaking. The boulders started to rumble and shift once again, the rockslide resuming. Ash and Iris both yelped and immediately hit the buttons on their Poké Balls, calling back who they could; Ash brought back Drapion to his ball as Snivy brought her vines back into her body, while Iris returned both Excadrill and Garchomp. They both watched fearfully as Absol leaped away from the boulders, which began to fall and chase after the Pokémon as it started running downhill.

The other travelers gasped as Absol ran past them as fast as it could, the rockslide in hot pursuit. It looked around for a safe side path to leap onto, knowing it could only outrun the rocks for so long, when it suddenly lost its footing and fell forward. Moments later, one of the smaller boulders slammed into its body, sending it flying over the edge of a cliff.

Absol cried out in shock and panic as it began to plummet to the ground far below, legs flailing as it scrambled to find something it could possibly grab onto to stop its fall. As it looked down toward its inevitable crash landing, it felt something wrap around its two rear ankles, gripping them tightly. It looked back up, surprised, to see Snivy struggling to hold on with her vines, with Ash's arms wrapped tightly around her; Iris and Serena was holding onto him in turn, all of them working together to stop Snivy from tumbling off the edge with Absol. As the wild Pokémon slowed to a stop, all of them sighed in relief, as Snivy carefully lowered Absol onto a ledge far below. With everyone finally safe, they turned to watch the tumbling rocks as they curved toward the ocean, guided by the trench Steelix had dug.

"That was really close..." Ash muttered, stepping back, still holding Snivy in his arms.

"You're not kidding," Serena added, still keeping her grip on Ash's arm. "I'm glad that nobody got hurt... at least not too badly." She looked back down at the ledge below, where Absol was looking back at all of them curiously.

Ash smiled and waved at him. "Thanks for your help, Absol! I'm really glad you're okay!" The Pokémon looked back at them, cocking its head, before it began to walk along the mountain ledge, and eventually ducked inside a cave.

Iris smiled as she watched Absol walk out of sight. "Well, all's well that ends well, right?" The other two nodded, as Iris looked back up toward their companions, realizing how hungry she was. "Come on, let's get back up there and get some breakfast." They all walked back up the mountainside together, hands clasped to make sure none of them fell, as Brock, Shannon and Madison got to work reigniting the campfire.

"Dragon Rage, Axew!"

Hours later, Iris and Axew were engaged in a heated battle with a wild Bagon, as the others stood back and watched. Upon receiving her command, Axew opened his mouth and fired a blue energy blast toward its dinosaur-like opponent; the attack hit its mark perfectly, knocking Bagon onto its back, where it lay for a few moments, sore and exhausted.

"Here we go!" Iris reached down to her side, retrieving a spare Poké Ball and tossing it at the fallen Pokémon. "Go, Poké Ball!"

Eight pairs of eyes watched as the ball flew out and hit Bagon in the stomach, turning the Pokémon into a pool of red energy that was quickly sucked inside the spherical device. Iris watched with bated breath as the Poké Ball rocked back and forth, fighting to keep the Bagon contained inside; seconds later, the ball became still and emitted a small chime, indicating a successful capture.

"Yes! I got it!" She ran forward and picked the Poké Ball back up, holding it triumphantly above her head, as Axew cheered from below. "One more Dragon-type down!"

"Great job, Iris!" Shannon exclaimed, running up to Iris as she attached the Poké Ball to her belt. "I knew you could do it!" Iris grinned as she turned around to face her friend, when she spotted something above them, out of the corner of her eye.

"Huh?" She looked upward, toward one of the ledges above them, where she got a good look at a very familiar face. "Hey, look!" Shannon and the others turned around, gasping as they could see the eyes and horn of an Absol peeking out curiously, keeping most of its body hidden.

"Oh wow, Absol!" Serena took a step forward, trying to get a closer look, causing the Pokémon to retreat nervously. "Has it been following us this whole time?"

Ash watched the Absol with wide eyes as it slowly peeked back out, their eyes meeting. He grinned wide, waving at the Pokémon. "Hey there! Do you want to come along with us?" Absol perked up at this, moving in a little closer, as Ash continued, encouraged. "It'll be great having you with us! I can tell we'll be good buddies!"

He watched as Absol stood up properly, taking a few steps forward, maintaining eye contact. After mulling it over for a few seconds, it started bounding down the mountainside, an excited expression on its face. It quickly reached level ground and ran up to Ash, leaping up and placing its front paws on his shoulders, starting to lick his cheek affectionately.

Ash started laughing, reaching out and resting his hands on Absol's shoulders. "Hey, that tickles!"

Serena laughed with delight, her hands clasped over her heart, as Brock grinned. "I think that's a yes."

"Sure seems like it to me!" Ash answered, as Absol took a step back and looked up at him, a clear smile in its eyes. Ash reached down and took out a spare Poké Ball of his own, grinning down at his new companion. "Welcome to the team, Absol!" He gently pressed the front of the ball against Absol's forehead, who transformed into a mass of red energy that was immediately sucked up by the ball. Everyone crowded around Ash as the Poké Ball quickly came to rest, capturing the Pokémon without a fight.

"I'm so glad he came back," Serena spoke up, touched and delighted. "I bet you two are going to be great friends."

Madison grinned wide. "I think they're already friends."

"You're right about that," Ash responded, tired but excited, as he opened the Poké Ball back up, depositing Absol back in front of everyone. They all watched as Pikachu ran up to his new teammate, introducing himself in his own Pokémon language, with Absol returning the gesture. Once introductions were out of the way, they all started traveling along the path once again, Absol sticking close to Ash's side.

Chapter Text

"I knew there was something happening at the Chateau," Serena commented, as she and the others approached.

"You're right about that," Ash added, looking over the crowd of people visible through the windows. "Something's seriously happening."

The group of six slowly approached the large, stone building that looked like a cross between a mansion and a castle, which sat near the intersection of Routes 7 and 8. The Battle Chateau was a popular destination for those looking to test their Pokémon battle skills, but right now it was absolutely jammed with people, far more than Ash or Serena would have anticipated. There was even a short line of people waiting to enter the building.

"What do you think is going on?" Serena asked, trying to see what was happening further up the line, watching people handing their Poké Balls to attendants.

"Maybe it's some kind of party?" Madison suggested, squinting at one of the building windows. "Looks like people are talking and eating snacks and stuff."

"Party, huh?" Brock straightened up a bit. "That could be pretty fun. We could use a break after all that hiking."

"Yeah, but would we even be allowed in?" Iris looked over the others in line, seeing a lot of adults in fancy clothes, with only one or two kids around their age. "This seems like kind of an exclusive thing." Ash jogged ahead, stepping up to the person the end of the line.

"Excuse me," he asked, causing a man and woman in fancy dress to turn around. "What's going on at the Chateau? What are all these people doing here?"

The woman smiled, as Iris walked up behind them curiously. "It's the Battle Chateau's semi-annual gala. Everyone gets together to socialize and have fun, and there are some exhibition battles for everyone to watch as well."

"All members of the Chateau nobility can attend, along with however many guests they like," the man added, linking his arm with his female companion's. "Finally, I get to see what one of these parties is like."

"Really?" Ash's eyes lit up. "That's perfect!" He turned to his friends and started waving them over. "Come on, guys! We're going to a party!"

"Wait, what?" Iris cocked her head, as Shannon and the others followed Ash's lead. "How are we supposed to get in?"

"Anyone with a noble title can get in," Ash answered, as they all stepped forward in line, another guest being let inside. "So we're good to go. I'll get us in."

Iris groaned, not reassured, imagining Ash trying to bluff his way into the party and getting himself thrown out. She and the others spent a couple of minutes waiting in line, watching as other guests were let inside after handing their Poké Balls over. Eventually, Ash made his way to the front, where an attendant waved him over.

"Your name and title, please?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum, and I'm a Baron," Ash replied proudly, before gesturing backward toward his friends. "These five are my guests." The employee raised an eyebrow, thinking that this teenager was abusing the guest policy somewhat, before looking up his name.

"This is not going to work..." Iris muttered under her breath, as the attendant searched for Ash in her laptop computer, looking skeptical herself. Seconds later, the computer emitted a chime, and her eyebrows raised.

"Well, here you are," she confirmed. "Ash Ketchum, title of Baron. If you and your guests could please proceed forward and deposit your Pokémon." She gestured to her right, ahead of them in line, ignoring the utter shock plastered on Iris's face.

"Deposit our Pokémon?" Brock spoke up, leaning in closer. "Why do we need to do that?"

"It's a new policy for events like this," the employee explained. "If we don't do this, the entire building is just nothing but Pokémon battles, which makes socializing... difficult. Don't worry, they'll be returned to you when you leave. And if you need any Pokémon for an exhibition battle, it will be retrieved for you right away."

Serena nodded, reaching for her Poké Balls, with Madison, Shannon and Brock following suit. Ash hesitated, glancing at Pikachu on his shoulder, who glanced back. "Well, see... my Pikachu really doesn't like going into his Poké Ball, so..."

The attendant nodded, reaching under the table at which she was working. "That's no problem." She pulled out something that looked like a long, thin strip of silver fabric. "If you could just have your Pikachu wear this ribbon, the other attendants inside will know they are a non-battling guest." Ash reached out and took it, happy with this compromise.

"I'll need one of those too, for my Axew," Iris spoke up, still astounded that they were somehow being permitted to enter. The employee reached under the table again, as Ash placed Pikachu on the table, looking over his Pokémon's short limbs and wondering where he was supposed to apply the ribbon.

"Let me do that, Ash," Serena offered with a smile, gently taking the ribbon from his hand. He nodded and let her do as she pleased, reaching down and grabbing his own Poké Balls to hand them over. Another employee took them and placed them carefully in a box, which had been quickly labeled with Ash's name a few seconds ago. He watched as they started collecting his friends' Poké Balls into the box as well.

"Ta-da!" Serena's triumphant voice drew his gaze once again, and he glanced over at his Pokémon. She had managed to turn the ribbon into a silver bow tie, which sat smartly around Pikachu's neck. "Now he's perfectly dressed up for a gala!"

"Hey! Looking good, Pikachu!" Ash grinned wide, impressed by Serena's handiwork, as Pikachu stood up tall, feeling handsome and proud. He jumped onto Ash's shoulder, as Iris finished tying Axew's ribbon around his arm, and the group made their way inside.

Inside, the building was even more packed full of partygoers than they had thought, talking, eating hors d'oeuvres and drinking punch. Everyone looked around at the lavish decorations, taking in the view from the enormous windows, which overlooked the immaculate gardens below, as well as the battlefield suspended above a lake.

"Wow!" Shannon exclaimed, eyes shining with wonder. "This is incredible! I've never been any place like this!"

"I can't believe we actually got in," Iris added, glancing back toward Ash, impressed. "Ash, you're really a Baron?"

"That's right," he answered proudly.

"How on Earth did that happen?"

"Serena and I came through here back on our first journey," he explained, as he led the others further inside, looking for snacks. "I won a battle, so I got the title of Baron."

"You won one battle?" The wonder started to fall away from Iris's voice. "Was it like... a really important battle?"

He shook his head. "No, just a normal battle."

"People at the Battle Chateau battle each other for noble titles," Serena explained. "You start as a Knight, then as you battle you become a Baron, Viscount... um, Earl..." She paused as she tried to remember the other titles. "And eventually, if you're really good, you can become a Grand Duke. Or Duchess."

"That's the silliest thing I've ever heard," Iris replied, no longer impressed, speaking up a little to be heard over the hustle and bustle of the party. "I thought you had to do something really noteworthy to get a title, but they're just giving these out to themselves for winning Pokémon battles? I've probably won more battles than most people here, but you don't see me calling myself a Duchess or whatever."

"That's because you're a Gym Leader," Brock chimed in. "Battling is your job."

"Exactly!" she shot back, her voice rising as she got herself worked up. "I'm actually doing something with my battles, not putting some dumb title next to my name and roleplaying like I'm a member of the upper crust!"

"Iris..." Shannon warned, trying to calm her friend down.

"All these people are just trying to convince themselves that winning a few Pokémon battles can make them better than everyone else with no effort," Iris continued. "Playing pretend with their own egos like a bunch of little kids!"

"Iris!" Serena snapped, her voice a low, chastising hiss.

"What?!" Iris snapped back, before realizing the room had become eerily silent. She looked around to find that nearly everyone was now staring at her, their expressions ranging from amusement to bewilderment. She immediately felt herself starting to shrink.

"I... what I meant was..." she tried to explain, feeling the heat of embarrassment rising on her cheeks.

"Come on, Iris." Shannon grasped her hand and started leading her toward a less populated part of the Chateau, sensing that she wasn't likely to be welcome in this room anymore. "You can castigate the aristocracy somewhere else, forest child." Iris kept her head low as the two of them started walking off.

"I meant every word I said," she grumbled.

"I know you did, Iris."

The others watched quietly as Shannon led Iris away, down a large set of stairs. The activity in the room quickly resumed, with other attendees starting to talk with each other again, many of them talking or laughing about what they just witnessed.

"Do you think we should go after her...?" Madison asked.

"I think we should let Shannon take care of it," Brock suggested. "They've known each other a long time. Iris will be alright." Ash kept watching Iris as she left, unsure, but his thoughts were interrupted as a voice rang out over a loudspeaker.

"Everyone, if I could have your attention, please. We will now begin the first of our exhibition Pokémon battles. If there is anyone with the title Baron who wishes to participate, please speak to the nearest attendant."

"A Baron battle!" Ash's eyes lit up. "I've got to be a part of that!" He immediately dashed off, in search of an attendant close by.

Serena smiled and shook her head. "And just like that, he's forgotten about everything else."

Brock chuckled. "If there's anything more important to Ash than a Pokémon battle, I don't know what it is." The three of them watched as Ash managed to track down an attendant, and after a short conversation, he turned back and waved all of them over. They followed him downstairs and outside, making their way to the exhibition battlefield.

Minutes later, Iris was standing on a large balcony outside, resting her arms on the balustrade as she looked down at the battlefield below. She watched as Ash, Serena, Brock and Madison ventured down onto it, Ash stepping into one of the challenger's boxes with Pikachu. One of the party attendants handed him a Poké Ball, which he tossed out onto the field, releasing his recently-caught Absol. She slumped down and rested her chin in her arms, deflated, able to hear the whispers of people around her, talking about the girl who had made a scene and insulted everyone at the Chateau. Axew was nestled in her hair, halfheartedly watching the action, able to tell that his trainer was distressed, but not sure what to do about it.

"Here." Iris stood up straight and glanced over to her side, seeing Shannon holding a glass of punch in each hand, offering one of them to her.

"Thanks." She gave a weak smile as she accepted the drink, immediately taking a sip before looking back down. Shannon took up a position next to her.

"So, you think you might want to go down there and cheer Ash on?"

Iris shook her head. "Nah. I've come to accept that I ruined the party for myself in the first thirty seconds. I'll just spend it here, in exile. Plus..." She paused for a moment, looking contemplative. "Eh, never mind."

"You can't start a sentence like that and then not finish it." Shannon leaned on the balustrade as well, looking over, trying to see her friend's eyes. "What's on your mind?"

Iris's eyes fell to her glass. "I don't... really want to see the others right now," she confessed. "I'm tired of embarrassing myself in front of them. I'm tired of apologizing to Ash."

"Oh..." Shannon went quiet for a moment, realizing she had missed some significant events before she reunited with Iris. "How many times have you had to do that?"

"Twice so far. And honestly, I owe him more than that," Iris admitted. "He does something boneheaded, and I lay into him about it, but then afterward I feel guilty, like I went overboard."

"Well..." Shannon took a moment to try and find a good spin on the situation. "It's not like you're trying to hurt him, right? It's all coming from a place of love. You do it because you care about him."

"Of course I care about him, he's my friend." Iris looked down at the battlefield, where Ash's Absol was dodging a Hydro Pump attack from his opponent's Dewott. "But that doesn't make me feel any less like the bad guy. And what about just now?" She held her face in her free hand. "What was I even thinking? Why did I let myself get so worked up over this?"

"You saw people doing something silly, and you called them out on it." Shannon gave a small smile. "You always did want to be the mature one in the room. I remember how much you would call the boys in the village 'little kids' whenever they were acting childish."

"I don't feel like the mature one right now, that's for sure." She slumped forward again. "Am I the dumb, immature jerk now? Am I the problem?"

"You've never been the problem, Iris," Shannon answered quickly. Iris looked down again, eyes on the battle below, not looking bolstered by her friend's words. Shannon bit her lip, not used to seeing such insecurity from someone who was normally so confident, before deciding that more honesty was in order. "Though, honestly, it feels like your patience is kind of thinner than it used to be."

Iris nodded, in full agreement. "I'm just stressed out. Being a Gym Leader is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. It's hard to give your all in every single battle, day in and day out. It's hard on my Pokémon, too."

"Maybe you can take a break?"

"That's what this was supposed to be," she responded quickly. "I was supposed to go on a nice, long journey to relax and recharge my batteries. And instead I'm spending it getting mad at strangers and yelling at my friends." She slumped forward again, sounding genuinely upset with herself. Shannon stepped closer, reaching out and rubbing the back of Iris's shoulder with her free hand; Iris closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, relaxing just a bit.

"Do you think it might be better if you weren't the Gym Leader anymore?" Shannon dared to ask.

Iris quickly shook her head, keeping her eyes closed. "No way. It's stressing me out, but I still really enjoy it. And it's what I need to be doing. I can tell I'm growing stronger as a trainer every day. This is part of how I become a Dragon Master."

"Then start doing what you need to do to reduce your workload," Shannon responded. "Take a smaller number of challengers. Make them queue up to battle you. Start closing the gym on weekends. You can come visit us in the Village of Dragons."

"I don't know..." Iris pushed herself up off the balustrade, straightening up and opening her eyes again. "The Opelucid Gym has a reputation to uphold. What are people going to think if they see me taking it easy like that?"

"Who cares what they think?" Shannon shot back confidently. "Your well-being is more important than their dumb opinions. It's your gym and your rules, and if trainers want a Legend Badge they'll just have to deal with them. If they don't like it, they can take it up with me and my Hydreigons."

Iris gave her friend a warm, heartfelt smile, deeply appreciative to have someone like this in her corner. "I've really missed you, Shannon."

Shannon grinned back, reaching her glass out and clinking it against Iris's. "I've missed you, too." The two of them both took a drink of their punch, not noticing the footsteps approaching from behind.

"So this is where you went off to." Both of them quickly turned around, finding a blond-haired woman wearing a white-and-green dress and a smile. "You really got the party talking, you know."

Iris averted her eyes. "Mm. Don't remind me."

"Who are you?" Shannon asked, looking this newcomer over curiously.

"My name's Viola," the woman answered. "I'm the leader of the Santalune City Gym... and a Grand Duchess here at the Chateau."

Iris gave her a skeptical glance. "Are you here to try and convince me that I'm wrong about what I said?"

Viola shook her head. "No. I'm here to tell you that you're completely right." She grinned at the looks of confusion on the young girls' faces, before continuing. "Honestly, the whole thing is pretty silly. It probably had a serious origin however many centuries ago, but now it's really just a bunch of adults playing pretend. It's mostly an excuse to dress up in fancy outfits and have a good time. And really, what's wrong with that? It's nice to let go and have fun once in a while, isn't it?"

Iris looked down and away, not sure how to rebut that, feeling guilty all over again. Viola watched her for a second before speaking back up. "Why don't the two of us have a Pokémon battle? Right now, here on the balcony. No titles, just one Gym Leader against another."

"A battle? Here?" Shannon asked, as Iris looked up in surprise. "Isn't that against the rules?"

"Psh. Rules are made to be broken. If we tell them we're going to have a battle, nobody's going to have the guts to tell us no." She turned and flagged down one of the party attendants, who quickly rushed over. "This guest and I are going to have a battle. Could you go and retrieve my Scizor?"

"A... a battle, miss?" The attendant looked a bit uncomfortable at the request, not having expected to enforce the rules at all, much less against a Gym Leader and a Grand Duchess.

"That's right." She turned back toward Iris. "What Pokémon will you use?"

Iris smiled, warming up to the idea. "I'll use Garchomp. It'll be with Ash Ketchum's Pokémon."

"That... I..." After a few moments, the man bowed his head, giving in. "Yes, miss. I'll be right back." The three watched him scurry meekly off, as Iris started planning out her battle strategy, the stress starting to leave her mind. Shannon smiled as she watched Iris think, glad that her mood was already improving.

"Shadow Ball, Absol!"

Ash's Absol leaped into the air, opening his mouth and forming a black ball of energy, before spitting it out and launching it at his foe. The opposing trainer's Dewott tried and failed to dodge, the blast from the Shadow Ball knocking it back.

"Perfect!" Ash grinned. "Now close in and finish it with Night Slash!"

"Don't give up now, Dewott!" the opposing trainer encouraged. "Use Water Gun!"

Dewott struggled to its feet, rearing back and preparing to fire a stream of water from its mouth. Absol moved in quickly, however, and slashed Dewott across the face with its glowing claw. A small explosion of water flew out of Dewott's mouth, the Water Gun misfiring, as the Pokémon flew backwards. It rolled along the ground before coming to a stop, making no attempt to get back to its feet.

"Dewott is no longer able to battle!" the nearby referee announced. "Absol is the winner! The victory goes to Baron Ash!"

"Yes!" Ash threw his fist into the air as a polite, restrained applause rose from the audience. "You did it, Absol!" His Pokémon turned and bounded back toward him, rubbing against him happily with his eyes closed, eager for both praise and pets. Ash was happy to provide both, kneeling down and rubbing Absol's back and side with both hands. "You were great out there! Dewott didn't stand a chance!" From down below, at Ash's feet, Pikachu gave his congratulations to Absol as well.

"Great job, Ash!" Serena walked up behind him with Madison and Brock, reaching out and running her fingers through the fur on Absol's head. "You were great too, Absol!" The Pokémon mewled contentedly from all the affection he was receiving, before looking up and licking Serena's hand, causing her to giggle.

Brock grinned as Madison stepped up to take Serena's place, wanting to pet Absol as well. "That's got to be the most affectionate Absol I've ever seen."

"That's all the better," Ash replied. "A happy Pokémon is the best kind of Pokémon."

"Pretty good battle there, kid." Everyone turned as they heard a familiar voice, seeing the large, muscular Byron approaching in the same casual outfit they first saw him in. By his side was a woman bearing long brown hair, rimless glasses, and a long, slim, black dress.

"Byron!" Ash stood up, as Absol immediately turned toward the overly large man, suspicion all over his face. "You're here, too? Do you have a title here at the Chateau?"

"Nah, I just go where I want." He stepped up to the group, ignoring the Pokémon's glare. "You've got some good battle instincts. Ever think of getting a sponsor?" The woman next to him leaned down in front of Absol, producing a square piece of yellow Pokéblock and offering it to him.

"A sponsor? What do you mean?"

"You know, someone who sponsors you," Byron explained unhelpfully, as Absol curiously sniffed, then consumed the candy being offered. "Someone who hooks you up with the good stuff. What about being sponsored by Team Ace? You could be part of our battle team. We'd get you all the best Pokémon to battle with. You'd win one match after another."

"Oh..." Ash shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks. If I'm not raising my Pokémon myself, then what's the point?"

"Hah! Good answer, kid. I like your style," the man replied, looking unfazed by the rejection. "It's just as well. I don't think Team Ace even has a sponsored battle team." He glanced over at the woman in the black dress, who was standing up after gently petting a still-suspicious Absol. "Remind me to look into making a trainer sponsorship thing for Team Ace, alright?"

"That sounds like something you should tell your secretary, who I'll remind you is not me," she answered without missing a beat.

"Right, right." He reached into his vest, pulling out a small recording device and bringing it to his mouth. "Note to self: look into creating a sponsored battle team for Team Ace." He lowered the device before quickly bringing it back up. "Also, check and see if sponsored battle teams are a thing."

"Wow." Madison looked up toward the woman, slightly awed. "If I ever talked to my boss like that, I'd be fired for sure."

"Well, then you don't have real job security." She smiled down at the young performer. "My name's Rosanna. I'm Head of Operations for Team Ace."

"Rosanna here is the reason Team Ace ever gets anything done," Byron chimed in. "Before she came on board, we were just throwing money around and not accomplishing a thing. She turned this team into an actual charity operation. If you ever get an employee like that, pay her well and never take her for granted."

"You constantly take me for granted," she responded, her voice flat.

"Well, I pay you well, don't I?"

"That you do." Rosanna turned her attention toward Ash. "You were the trainer who battled at the re-opening of the Cyllage City Gym, aren't you? I remember watching that." Her eyes darted toward Brock, whose gaze had been fixed on her since she approached. "And you were the Gym Leader, I believe."

Brock nodded quickly, a bit stiff. "Yes, that's me. That was us, I mean."

"So all of you are the ones who began rebuilding the gym, before we stepped in." She gave Ash a gentle smile. "It's easy to do things like that when you're a large organization, but it's much harder when you're just a handful of people, especially children. You all should be very proud of yourselves. I know I am."

Serena smiled wide and nodded, already exceedingly proud of Ash for his selflessness. "Thank you, Rosanna, very much."

"Keep up the good work, and all that," Byron butted in, reaching up and straightening his cap. "I'm gonna find some other people to hobnob with. I hear there are some politicians here who managed to get knighted or whatever." He turned and walked off, giving them a casual two-finger wave as he departed.

"I suppose I'll have to go hobnob with him." Rosanna stood up straight. "It was nice meeting all of you. Take care of yourselves."

"It was nice to meet you, too," Ash answered with a smile, resting his hand casually atop Absol's head. "See you later." She nodded and walked off, following Byron as he disappeared back inside.

"She seems nice," Madison spoke up, once the pair were out of earshot. "He seems... not as nice."

"Maybe that's the kind of person you become when you're a billionaire," Brock wondered aloud, back to his senses. "At least he's being generous with his money."

"Excuse me, sir." Ash turned to his right, seeing a party attendant standing there. "I'll have to ask you for your Absol's Poké Ball back. Chateau rules, I'm afraid. And we need to get the field ready for the next battle."

"Oh, yeah..." Ash took out Absol's Poké Ball, looking down at his victorious Pokémon once more. "Thanks again, Absol. You were awesome!" Absol seemed quite satisfied as he was returned to his ball, which Ash handed back to the grateful attendant.

"So, what now?" Serena asked to everyone else. "I'd like to track down some food, personally." Brock and Madison quickly agreed.

"Well, let's go find some," Ash replied. "At a place this nice, they're bound to be serving something good." Pikachu climbed back up onto Ash's shoulder, and the foursome went off in search of sustenance.

Back on the balcony, Iris's Garchomp was grappling with Viola's Scizor, each of them trying to overpower and toss the other away. A crowd had formed at the edges of the balcony, giving the two Pokémon plenty of space. A small group of Chateau attendants were huddled not too far away, each of them wondering if they were going to be disciplined for not putting a stop to this.

After a few moments of the two Pokémon struggling against each other, Garchomp managed to get the upper hand, lifting Scizor up and throwing it across the balcony. Iris grinned, her eyes lighting up as she smelled blood in the water.

"Take Down, Garchomp!" she called out. "Now's your chance!" Her Garchomp growled and lowered his head, starting to charge as fast as he could.

"Scizor, counterattack with Iron Head!" Viola ordered. Scizor quickly got to its feet, standing its ground as Garchomp approached. The three horns on its head glowed a bright white, becoming hard as iron, and it swung its head sideways into its opponent as he approached. Both Pokémon were knocked back several feet from the force of the impact, taking their time getting to their feet. The two Gym Leaders carefully evaluated their combatants, seeing how dazed and unsteady they were after the last attack.

"Why don't we call it here?" Viola suggested, calling out. "That last attack took a lot out of both of them. They seem pretty evenly matched, too."

Iris nodded, thinking the same thing. "Sounds good to me." She walked up to her Garchomp, rubbing his back for a moment and offering words of praise, before returning him to his Poké Ball. The two trainers met in the middle of the balcony, Shannon following close behind Iris.

"That was a great battle, while it lasted," Viola offered. "You're a strong trainer. No wonder you're a Gym Leader."

"Thanks! Same to you." Iris smiled back up at her. "That was a lot of fun."

"It sure was," Viola answered, with a hint of a smirk. "It's nice to just let loose and do what you feel like every once in a while, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I know what you're getting at," Iris responded. "Point taken." Internally, she was trying to tell herself that she needed to loosen up a bit, to not let things get to her so easily. She wasn't about to admit this out loud, however.

"Glad to hear it. Now, what do you say we get something to eat? I can show you where the really good snacks are."

Iris grinned. "Now you're speaking my language." She glanced back at Shannon, who smiled back at her. The two Gym Leaders handed their Pokémon over to the highly relieved and grateful attendants, before heading back inside.

Hours later, Brock was scanning the downstairs floor of the Chateau, on the lookout for a familiar face. After a few minutes, he managed to spot a familiar head of purple hair, with an Axew buried in it. Iris and Shannon were seated in a corner of the large room, talking with an attractive blond woman he didn't recognize. He waved his hand in the air as he called out, moving more quickly. "Hey, Iris!" The three girls all glanced over as he approached, Shannon waving back to him.

"Hey, Brock!" Iris responded as he approached, having expected his arrival after receiving a text message from him. "So everyone's getting ready to go, huh?"

"Yeah, seems like it. We're all starting to get a bit tired." His eyes moved from one girl to the next. "Did you have an alright time at the party?"

"Mhmm, it was great, actually." Iris turned her head to smile at her new friend. "We've been hanging out with Viola this whole time. She's the Santalune City Gym Leader."

"You look familiar," Viola spoke, eyes running over Brock's face. "Aren't you a Gym Leader here in Kalos, too?"

"Ah... that was only for a few days," Brock clarified, looking over Viola's face in return. "I'm actually training to be a Pokémon Doctor."

Her eyebrows raised. "Well, that's even more impressive, if you ask me. Good luck with your training, Brock."

"Thanks. Same to you," he replied automatically, before faltering. "Er, with... the gym, I mean..." He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, as Iris and Shannon stood up.

"Alright, I'm ready to go," Iris announced. "We just need our Pokémon back now, I guess. Do we just talk to someone at some front desk somewhere, or..."

"I know a faster way." Viola stood up. "I know where they store the Pokémon during large events. I bet if we go right there, we can get your Pokémon back faster."

"That sounds good, thanks." Iris started following Viola as she walked off, with Shannon and Brock following behind. "Is the whole 'storing your Pokémon' thing normal? That's kind of a strange rule."

"It started around a year ago," Viola explained, leading them down a tucked-away hallway. "Some people were upset about it at first, but it is a lot easier to have conversations without battles happening all over the place... here, it's right through this door." She reached out and grasped a doorknob, pushing the door open and taking a step inside. She was about to call out and ask for assistance, before she noticed a pair of hushed voices talking further inside.

"Looks like a Jigglypuff..." a female voice spoke quietly. "What about yours?"

"I've got a Throh," a gravelly male voice answered. "Could be a good candidate."

"Yeah, could be," the girl responded. "Set that one aside."

Iris's eyes shot open wide, the voices sounding very familiar to her. She brushed past Viola and stepped further inside, rounding a corner and gasping as she found herself face-to-face with Butch and Cassidy, who were each holding Poké Balls underneath a scanning device in order to view their contents. The two of them looked up from their task, nearly dropping the Poké Balls they had in their hands.

"You! What are you doing here?!" all three of them exclaimed at once, immediately incensed. Viola, Brock and Shannon ran up behind her, with Brock recognizing the pair quickly, while the other two stood on in confusion.

"Iris, who are they?" Shannon asked nervously.

"They're with Team Rocket!" Iris exclaimed. "They're probably stealing people's Pokémon down here!"

"You little brat," Cassidy growled. "You're not going to stop our plans a second time." She reached down and grabbed a communicator on her hip, bringing it up to her face. "We've been found out. We're switching to Plan B."

"I liked Plan B better anyway," Butch added, a smirk on his face.

"Whatever Plan B is, you're not going to get the chance to do it!" Viola shouted, instinctively reaching down to her hip. She froze as she felt nothing on her side, realizing that all of her Poké Balls were now stashed away behind the two villains in front of her. The others quickly came to the same realization.

Cassidy couldn't help but laugh at the panic that flashed across everyone's faces at the same time. "You're going to stop us, huh? With that little Axew?" She reached down and tossed out a Poké Ball of her own, summoning Houndoom, as Butch brought out his Mightyena. Both Pokémon growled viciously as they took a couple of steps toward their prey.

Shannon instinctively grabbed Iris's wrist, turning toward the exit door, yelping as she saw two party attendants standing there. They both grabbed their uniforms and tore off the shirts, revealing black outfits with a large, red "R" on the front, before adding a Nidoking and a Boldore to the mix.

"Let's make sure you four are nice and out of the way," Butch spoke menacingly, as the four Team Rocket members stepped forward. Iris and the others looked around fearfully, having no idea how they were going to get out of this.

Two floors up, Ash, Serena and Madison were standing near one of the building's large windows, in various stage of fatigue; Ash was starting to come down from the high of watching Pokémon battles, while Madison was stifling yawns, ready for some sleep. Serena had the most energy of all of them, always enjoying an opportunity to socialize, though she was now concerned for Iris once again, after they hadn't seen her for hours.

All three of them jumped as the sound of crashing metal started ringing out around them. They quickly looked around to find large, metallic shutters slamming down in front of all of the windows, cutting them off from the outside world. Many of the guests began to panic, while other guests tried to convince them everything was alright, that this was likely just a security malfunction.

"What's going on?!" Madison exclaimed, instinctively clutching Serena's arm as she eyed the metal shutters.

"I don't know, but it can't be anything good..." Ash muttered, scanning the room for anything suspicious. His scan was interrupted by the sound of Pikachu's muffled cry, coming from his shoulder. He whirled around to see his Pokémon encapsulated in a rubber ball, attached to a long metal arm that was extending from a panel in the wall.

"No! Pikachu!" He ran and jumped after his Pokémon, trying to grab the ball and pry Pikachu out of it, but it quickly moved upward and out of his reach. He watched with clenched fists as Pikachu was pulled inside the wall, quickly vanishing from view. Looking around the room, he could see a number of other Pokémon being captured with similar devices, all of them wearing the shiny silver ribbons they had been provided upon entry.

"What's happening?!" Serena ran up next to Ash, eyes moving to the panel where Pikachu had just disappeared. "Who's taking our Pokémon?! Who's trapping us in here?!" Ash didn't get a chance to respond, as he felt a strong hand gripping his arm painfully. He cried out and whirled around, looking into the face of a tall man dressed in the telltale Team Rocket outfit.

"We got special orders from the lady in charge," the villain rasped, keeping a tight grip. "She said you're too much trouble to leave alone. You're coming with us." He reached out for Ash's other arm, ready to drag him off.

"Let me go, you jerk!" Ash exclaimed, struggling to get away, but he quickly found himself in the man's grip as he was pulled along. Changing tack, he charged forward and slammed his body into the Team Rocket member, the top of his head bashing into the man's jaw. His captor staggered backward, his grip loosening, and Ash immediately stepped backwards and away. Acting on instinct, he looked back and grasped Serena's hand, starting to pull her along.

"Come on, you two! Let's get out of here!" Serena didn't think twice, grabbing Madison's hand with her free one and following Ash, as they ran as fast as they could toward the nearest doorway.

"Stop them!" Ash's former captor called out, rubbing his jaw as he regained his balance. "Get them tied up, all of them!" Responding to his call, several attendants tossed their uniforms aside to reveal their Team Rocket uniforms underneath, all of them chasing after Ash and the others. He pulled the two girls along as he led them into a hallway, looking around for some sort of escape, able to hear several pairs of feet chasing after them. He eventually found an unoccupied room and ducked inside with Serena and Madison, slamming the door shut before barricading it with the first thing he could find, propping a chair up against the door handle.

He took a moment to catch his breath, looking around the room and finding a few more large chairs, dragging them into position against the door, which was now being pounded on by several Team Rocket members. He could hear Madison audibly panicking as he worked, a few feet away.

"What's happening?!" she spoke aloud to no one in particular, her voice trembling, gripping her bangs. "Why are they chasing us?! What's going to happen to us?!"

Serena stepped up behind her and placed her hands on Madison's shoulders, trying to relax the young girl, plenty scared herself but doing her best to hide it. "They're Team Rocket. They're a bunch of criminals, but they're not very good at what they do. We'll figure out how to stop them. We always do."

Ash took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm his mind, wondering how he was going to stop them without any Pokémon. He looked around the room for any sort of outlet or exit, now worried that he had trapped them all in here with no escape. While he couldn't find a door or an unimpeded window, his eyes lit up as he spotted a Pokémon transfer station in the corner of the room.

"That's perfect!" He dashed over to the machine, grabbing the attached phone and starting to dial, as the girls watched.

"A transfer device?" Serena could feel a weight lifting off her chest as she realized what was happening, relieved that they might not be completely defenseless. "Who are you going to call?"

"I'm going to bring in an old friend," Ash responded cryptically, his foot tapping impatiently as he waited for the person on the other end to answer the call. "If anyone can get us out of here, it's him. I just hope they pick up..." Serena and Madison both rushed to his side, looking at the video screen, hoping that Ash could get his Pokémon before Team Rocket broke through his makeshift barricade.

A couple of minutes later, the handful of Team Rocket members on the other side of the door had brought in some stronger reinforcements, bringing their numbers to six. Two very large members were standing in front of the door, staring it down, angry that a group of children were foiling their capture attempts and ready to put a stop to it.

"On three," one of the larger members spoke. "One... two... three!"

Both men lifted one foot and twisted in place, slamming their feet into the door with identical, powerful kicks. The door finally gave way, flying back as it was knocked off its hinges, knocking away some of the furniture that had been assembled on the other side. The other members exhaled in relief, starting to move inside, when a powerful blast of water from the other side slammed into them and knocked them onto their backs.

They groaned in unison, holding their dizzy heads, shocked at the strength of the attack that had come from inside the room. Hearing footsteps passing them by, they turned their heads to see several pairs of shoes running past them, along with one pair of webbed feet.

Chapter Text

"You're in no position to make demands right now. If you want us to let our hostages go, you'll have to do what we say. We're in charge here, got it?"

In the back hallways of the Battle Chateau, Cassidy was having an angry and animated conversation with someone on her phone. Butch stood nearby, in the vain hopes that he might need to chime in and sound tough, but his partner had that role neatly covered.

"You're wasting my time," Cassidy spoke, interrupting the person she was speaking with. "Call me back when you're ready to talk business." She ended the call, dropping her phone back into her pocket.

"They're trying not to pay the ransom, huh?"

"Of course not. It's an unreasonable demand on purpose, remember?" she answered, her previous animosity gone in a heartbeat. "The longer they spend grappling with our ransom demands, the more time we have to siphon all the stored Pokémon away."

"If the phone calls are all for show anyway, you should let me answer the next one," Butch suggested hopefully. "I can practice my tough guy shakedown."

"Forget it," she shot back. "We're not shaking them down, we're stalling them. That takes finesse, not toughness. And you're not getting your hands on my phone."

"I can finesse toughly," Butch began to insist, before he was interrupted by a beeping from Cassidy's hip. She reached down and pulled up a walkie-talkie, speaking into it.

"What is it?" she demanded, hoping for good news, which she did not receive.

"We've got a problem," a male voice on the other end answered. "Byron managed to get away from us. He's somewhere in the employee section of the third floor."

"What?!" she barked. "How could you let him escape?!"

"Have you seen the guy?!" the voice protested. "He's like a Machoke that used Bulk Up! He was practically throwing us around!"

"For Pete's sake." Cassidy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Take one person from each floor and send them after him."

"Got it! We'll get him, don't worry!" The voice vanished, as Cassidy slapped the communicator back onto her hip, starting to hurry down the hallway.

"Come on, we're going, too. If he gets in touch with Team Ace, this is going to become a huge mess."

"Hmph. No way he's getting away from us," Butch added, ready to see some action, as they made their way toward the stairs. On the other side of a nearby door, four partygoers were trapped in a supply closet, unable to escape their prison or the preceding conversation. Brock, Iris, Shannon and Viola were all sitting or lying on the floor, tied up with ropes that bound their arms to their torsos, and their wrists to their ankles behind them.

"Who do you think escaped?" Shannon wondered aloud, having only heard one half of the conversation.

"Hopefully, Ash and the girls," Brock answered, turning his head. "If he's still got Pikachu with him, they'll at least have a chance against those goons."

"I should be the one going up against those goons," Viola growled, struggling futilely against her restraints. "I'm a Gym Leader. This is humiliating."

"Well, you're not the only one." Brock glanced over toward Iris, expecting her to chime in. She stayed mostly quiet, only making occasional grunts for some unknown reason.

"What are you doing, Iris?" Shannon tried to roll herself over.

"Those idiots tied my ropes up too high," Iris answered, keeping her voice low in case anyone was listening. "I've been forcing them upward for the past ten minutes. I think I can slip out of them."

"What? Really?" Shannon exclaimed, before hushing herself.

"Well, I'm probably going to need my wrists free." She did her best to roll herself into a sitting position, scooting herself in Brock's direction. "Brock, you're a doctor. You're good with your hands, right? Help me get out of this."

"You want me to do what?" He strained to sit up and turn his head, trying to look immediately behind himself. "I can't even see what I'm doing! How am I supposed to untie you?"

"I don't know what else we're supposed to do." Iris lay down behind Brock, shifting a bit until her wrists were touching his fingers. "It's just rope. You can do it."

"We'll see..." Brock started moving his fingers carefully around Iris's wrists, trying first to find the rope, then the knot. Viola turned herself around, trying awkwardly to get into a sitting position where she could look down at his hands as they worked.

"It's a bit further to your left," she advised, watching his fingers move. "No, your other left."

"I only have one left!" Brock insisted, trying to keep his cool, having a great deal of difficulty picturing the ropes in his head.

"Move your hand a bit more slowly..." Shannon had managed to get on the other side of them, and was now offering her own advice. "Slower... there! That's the knot. Now where's the loose end of the rope..."

Viola and Shannon continued to oversee the delicate operation, giving useful and occasionally conflicting direction to Brock, who was trying to not injure his wrist as he carefully untied a knot based almost entirely on feel. After a minute or two of struggling, he managed to push a critical rope back through its knot, loosening Iris's wrists. She quickly slipped one of them out of the rope, then the other, flopping forward toward the floor as she was finally able to straighten herself out.

"You did it, Brock!" Viola exclaimed, beaming as Iris turned around and sat up. "Great work!" Shannon twisted herself about, watching as Iris negotiated her way into a sitting position, wriggling her arms and doing her best to shrug her ropes off of her shoulders. She soon had the top loop off of her shoulders and around her neck, and she reached up to grab the ropes and pull them off of herself. Everyone else in the room gave a quiet cheer as she reached down and extracted her feet from their bindings, giving a silent thanks for her slender build.

"Finally." She exhaled as she stood up fully, rubbing her sore arms. "That was about as uncomfortable as it gets." She took a step toward the others to untie them as well, when the sound of an opening door stopped her in her tracks.

"What's-" a male voice began, just as Iris whirled around to face one of the Team Rocket members that had tied her up, shock and anger in his expression. "How'd you get free?!" He growled and dashed forward, arms extended, intent on fixing the situation. Thinking quickly, Iris dove forward between the man's legs, scrambling to her feet again on the other side of him. As he spun around to chase after her, he felt himself being bowled over as Shannon rolled into his legs, knocking him off his feet. Brock and Viola awkwardly shimmied closer, doing their best to throw themselves on top of the man and restrain him.

"Run, Iris!" Brock urged, as the Team Rocket member grabbed at his arm. "We'll be fine! Go get your Pokémon!"

"I'll be back, I promise!" Iris dashed away as fast as her legs could carry her, trying to remember where the Pokémon were being stored. Her pursuer quickly threw Brock and Viola off of him, getting to his feet and giving chase.

Several floors up, Ash, Serena and Madison were running through the back hallways of the Chateau, searching for some way they could get back downstairs without fighting through an army of Team Rocket mobsters. As they rounded a corner, they skidded to a stop as they were greeted with two uniformed foes, both of whom immediately reached for the Poké Balls on their hips, looking to provide some resistance. Neither of them would get the chance.

"Quick, use Water Shuriken!" Ash commanded, glancing backwards. A tall, blue, frog-like Pokémon shot past him, extending both of his arms and forming a large spinning blade of water in each one. He flung them forward toward their pursuers with incredible speed, knocking both opponents off their feet and putting them down for the count. Ash and his friends ran past, putting as much distance between them as they could.

"I need a minute... can't keep running..." Serena panted, her energy reserves starting to run low. Ash nodded and stopped, in need of a breather himself, looking around for a spare room they could enter; he quickly identified a supply closet, leading the girls and his Pokémon inside. He closed the door quickly but quietly behind them, hoping that any more pursuers wouldn't bother checking every random locked door, as Serena and Madison slumped against opposite walls.

"Alright... should be safe here..." He took a second to catch his breath, before grinning at the Pokémon standing across from him. "You're even stronger than I remember, Greninja. You must have really been working hard all this time, huh?" Greninja gave a terse, affirmative reply, not sure why his trainer would have expected anything else.

"Thank goodness he has," Serena piped up, recovering slowly from what had turned into a marathon sprint. "We'd probably be bound and gagged otherwise."

"Ash, how did you get this Greninja to come here?" Madison asked with wonder in her voice, looking up at Greninja in awe, as if she was meeting a celebrity. "Do you know it somehow?"

"Of course I know him," he answered, a bit puzzled by the question. "Professor Sycamore sent me a message a few days ago, saying that Greninja was resting at the lab. He does that from time to time, I guess. So I asked his assistant to send Greninja's Poké Ball over."

"Poké Ball...?" Madison mulled the answer over for a few moments, before putting the pieces together. "Wait... this is your Pokémon? You're the trainer of the Guardian Greninja?!"

"Huh?" Ash glanced down at her. "The Guardian Greninja? What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean!?" she fired back, incredulous, her voice raising in both pitch and volume. "How do you not know about this?! It's your Pokémon!"

Ash paused for a second, trying to figure out what obvious thing was eluding him. "I mean... the professor did say something about a Guardian Greninja, I guess, but I thought he was just blowing smoke."

"Oh, that makes so much sense..." Serena looked as if a lightbulb had just gone off in her head, her face registering mild shock as she stared into space for a moment. "Of course it's him..."

"See, Serena knows! He's the Guardian Greninja!" Madison reiterated, as if that should be enough explanation for anyone. "He travels around Kalos saving people from danger! He fights off criminals and wild Pokémon and stuff! He's like a superhero! Everyone in Kalos knows him!" She pointed to Greninja's collar. "Look! He's wearing the key to Laverre City!"

Ash leaned in closer, not having taken the time to study his old companion before now. His Greninja had a blue ribbon hanging loosely around his neck, with an overlarge key tied into it, looking like a film prop of some sort. "Why does he have that?"

"There was a big fire in Laverre City a couple of years ago," Serena explained, grinning wide, her voice filled with energy after realizing who this Pokémon was. "A lot of folks were in danger from it. Greninja ran into every burning house and apartment and saved over a dozen people. They held a ceremony for him the next day and gave him the key to the city."

"That's amazing!" Ash's eyes shone as he looked back up into his Pokémon's face. "Greninja, you're a real hero! You're incredible!" Greninja nodded, affirming that he was indeed incredible. Ash was about to follow up with more words of praise, but he quickly silenced himself as he heard the sound of footsteps outside, walking past. Everyone immediately quieted down, listening to the accompanying conversation.

"...sure they didn't get outside somehow?"

"I can't imagine how. All the windows are locked down, and we have Pokémon blocking all of the stairs. They've got to be hiding out somewhere up here."

"If they're still around here, we'll find them for sure. Question is, how do..." The voices faded away again as the trio outside walked off; the children inside didn't dare to make a sound for another half-minute.

"Who do you think they were chasing?" Madison wondered aloud. "Could it have been the others?"

"You think so?" Serena perked up. "Do you think they got away? I really hope they did."

"If it is them, then we need to go and help." Ash stood up, grasping the doorknob. "Let's go! Be careful, everyone!" He opened the door and peeked out, looking for any other pursuers, before motioning for the others to follow him out. Greninja followed immediately behind, with Serena and Madison trailing him, all of them moving cautiously but quickly down the hallway.

Down in the basement, two uniformed members of Team Rocket were working in the Poké Ball storage room, grabbing every stored Pokémon they could and placing them into two large plastic boxes. Once both of the boxes were full of stolen Poké Balls, the two minions each grabbed one and lifted it up, straining under the weight as they walked their plunder out the door. As they labored slowly down the hallway, transporting the haul to some unknown location, they failed to notice a teenaged girl sneaking into the room they had just vacated, quickly closing and locking the door behind her.

Iris exhaled, thankful that she had managed to lose the man who had been chasing her, before turning and looking around the room. Roughly a quarter of the Poké Balls remained in their places, the rest having been siphoned off by Team Rocket. Looking around the room, her attention was quickly stolen away by a familiar but muffled cry; her eyes snapped over to the corner, gasping when she saw Axew and Pikachu trapped inside their rubber prisons, along with a number of other Pokémon.

"Axew!" She raced over and slammed her hands down on the rubber balls, hitting the buttons resting on top. The rubber retracted and fell away, freeing the two Pokémon, who quickly leaped into her arms. "I'm so glad you're both okay!" She hugged both of them tightly, one in each arm, as they clung happily to her.

Their reunion was interrupted by the sound of a rattling doorknob, followed by a pounding fist and a female voice. "Hey! What moron locked this door?"

Iris immediately put the two Pokémon down, running over to the closest box of Poké Balls and scanning the label on the front, looking for Ash's name. She moved quickly from one box to the next, her search getting more frantic as the pounding on the door continued, and the voices from outside accumulated.

"Please be here, please be here... don't let them have taken all our Poké Balls already..." A loud slam against the door made both her and her heart jump, and she gripped one of the shelves tightly for a moment, starting to consider the possibility of going into battle with only Axew by her side. Pikachu would help, at least, and maybe if she was really desperate, she could try to use some random stranger's Pokémon as well.

As she mulled this over, her face lit up as a much better idea came into her mind. She immediately reached into the closest box, grabbing a Poké Ball in each hand and tossing them out in front of her, unleashing a Kricketune and a Gardevoir.

"Axew and Pikachu, tell them what's going on!" she commanded, reaching back into the box and tossing out two more Poké Balls. The two smaller Pokémon started speaking animatedly to the others in their own language, doing their best to explain the situation, as their audience grew and grew.

Minutes later, the key to the storage room had finally been retrieved, and the gangsters on the other side threw the door open, ready to resume their work. They all froze in their tracks as an army of dozens of angry and powerful Pokémon greeted them on the other side, growling and snarling, ready for payback. They stood facing each other for a moment before the humans' fight-or-flight responses kicked in, all of them choosing flight. They turned and scrambled down the hallway, hearing the collective roars of angry Pokémon behind them, praying that they were somehow faster than their vengeful pursuers.

Iris stood close to the door, grinning mischievously as the freed Pokémon spread out, running in all directions in order to find their trainers and liberate every room of the Chateau. Axew cheered them on, as she held him firmly in her arms. As the Pokémon dispersed, ready to cause havoc, she felt a smaller creature brushing past her leg; she looked down to see Pikachu running into the hall, stopping and looking down both directions.

"Pikapi?!" he called out, worried about his trainer. Iris looked down at him for a moment, wondering if he had the right idea, as she was rather worried about Shannon and the others herself. After a short but difficult deliberation, she knelt down next to him and rested her hand on his back, causing him to look up.

"I know you're worried about Ash, but he can take care of himself. We need to stop Team Rocket before they get away with all those Pokémon. Can you help us out?" Pikachu nodded, trusting her judgment, and climbed up onto her shoulder. She gave him a thankful smile before racing into the hallway, following the members of Team Rocket that were now in retreat.

After trailing them from a distance for a minute or so, she turned and entered an underground parking lot, where a large truck was sitting idle, engine running. She could see members of Team Rocket sitting in the cab, looking impatient, as others were climbing onto the back, tossing Poké Balls into it.

"Dragon Pulse, Axew!" she commanded, thinking quickly. "Aim for the front! Take out the engine!" Her Pokémon responded quickly, leaping out of her arms and charging up an energy ball in his mouth. The blast shot out and hit the grill of the truck, exploding with a flash of light and a cacophonous sound of crunching metal, which quickly silenced the low rumble of the engine. The gangsters in the cab quickly fled, coughing as smoke filled the vehicle, glaring at Iris through watery eyes.

"You little... you're going to pay for that!" Each of the four criminals in the garage reached down and threw out their own Pokémon, which quickly formed a half-circle around Iris. She looked around at the Dustox, Sandslash, Girafarig and Gogoat that were now growling at her, before glancing down at Axew and Pikachu in front of her. As skilled as she was, and as strong as these two Pokémon were, she knew she didn't stand much chance in a four-on-two battle.

"Iris! Need some help?" She whirled around, gasping as she saw Viola grinning at her, no longer bound by ropes, with a tall and imposing centipede-like Pokémon standing next to her. Brock and Shannon were standing behind both of them, looking unharmed.

"Viola! How did you all get out?!"

"Brock got Shannon untied, and she helped the two of us get out," Viola explained, as the other two looked both relieved and proud from behind her. "Then as we were running around here, I ran into my Scolipede. I guess that was your doing, huh?"

Iris grinned and nodded, turning back to the gangsters facing them, whose confidence was starting to shrink. "How about we teach these jerks a lesson?"

Viola stepped forward, a confident and vengeful look in her eyes, as her Scolipede rushed forward, slithering between Axew and Pikachu. "I think we can teach them several." She glanced backward. "You two, go for the truck! Get those Pokémon out of their Poké Balls! We'll cover you!"

Brock and Shannon quickly dashed forward, going around the side of the garage and making their way toward the truck. The four Team Rocket members turned toward them, some of them starting to reflexively call out attacks in order to stop them, when all four of their Pokémon were drenched by a powerful Venoshock blast from Scolipede. They all began to panic as Axew and Pikachu moved to attack, reaching for their communicators and calling for some desperately needed backup, as Brock and Shannon hopped into the truck and made a beeline for the first Poké Balls they could find.

Near the top of the Chateau, two very high-profile guests raced into a large social lounge, screeching to a halt as they realized they had hit a dead end. They quickly looked around, finding no doors to lead them away, nor any windows that had not been firmly locked down.

"You gotta be kidding me," Byron muttered to no one in particular, not even the companion standing by his side. "They seriously barred every window in this stupid place?"

"They did a thorough job, I suppose," Rosanna commented. "This must have taken months of planning."

"You don't have to praise them for-" he began to remand as he turned around, cutting himself off as he saw the only doorway blocked by Cassidy and Butch, along with an intimidatingly large Blastoise. Rosanna quickly spotted them as well, freezing in place.

"You really had to make this difficult, didn't you?" Cassidy rested her hands on her hips. "You could have just sat there and been a good little hostage, and everything would have worked out fine."

Byron stood up to his full height, seeing Butch starting to shrink a bit in response. "Doing what other people tell me to do just isn't my style."

Cassidy let out an overly dramatic sigh, as she walked further into the room, with Butch next to her. "I guess we're doing this the hard way, then. We'll see how cocky you are when you don't have any Pokémon to defend you."

He let out a barking laugh. "You idiots think I need Pokémon to take care of you?"

Butch growled, feeling rather emasculated standing before Byron and not liking it one bit. "You smug... what do you think you're going to do to us, huh?" He turned his head toward the large Pokémon standing by his side. "Blastoise, show this guy who's boss! Use Tackle!"

Blastoise snorted and started running forward toward the escaping hostages. Rosanna yelped and took several steps back, but Byron confidently stood his ground, watching the enormous tortoise Pokémon advance. Just before the attack connected, he dropped into a defensive stance, grabbing Blastoise's shell and digging his feet into the ground as best he could. Everyone watched with mouths agape as the pair slowly screeched to a stop, each of them trying to gain an advantage over the other. After a couple of seconds of struggling, Byron let out a loud grunt and a yell as he pivoted and threw Blastoise behind him, where the Pokémon crashed unsteadily into the wall.

"Ghk..." He grabbed his left shoulder, hissing in pain, as Rosanna ran back to his side. "Maybe that wasn't my brightest move..."

Cassidy blinked slowly, as Blastoise got to its feet. "Did he just...?"

"What kind of freak are we dealing with here?!" Butch clenched his fists, feeling even smaller now and starting to take this as a personal insult. "Blastoise, use-"

"Byron! Rosanna!" Everyone in the room turned back toward the door, seeing Ash standing in the doorway, with Greninja by his side; Serena and Madison were standing immediately behind him. "Are you two alright?"

"I don't believe this! What are you doing here?!" Cassidy exclaimed, growing exasperated. "You were supposed to be tied up! Can't anyone on this team do anything right?!"

"Team Rocket doing something right?" Ash smirked. "That'd be a first." Serena let out a brief giggle at his retort, infuriating the two criminals all the more.

"I have had it up to here with you little punks!" Cassidy's voice slowly escalated into a shout, her patience completely gone. She turned her head toward her partner. "Butch!"

"On it," he answered, understanding her unspoken command, peeling the glove off of his left hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, smooth, round gem, one that Ash immediately recognized as a Key Stone. Before Ash could manage a reaction, Butch gripped the stone tightly in his fist, streams of energy shooting out from between his clenched fingers. The room turned and stared at Blastoise, who was starting to glow as well, a bright light shining from the Mega Stone that was hanging from its neck. The Pokémon began to hunch forward slightly, shells and cannons forming on its arms, while one enormous cannon began to extend from the shell on its back. The glow soon faded, leaving the imposing form of Mega Blastoise behind, who let out a powerful roar that shook the metal shutters.

Ash gritted his teeth as the Mega-evolved Pokémon turned in his direction, eyes focused on Greninja, seeing easy prey in its sights. Cassidy couldn't help but grin as she saw the confidence leaving his face.

"What's the matter? Not feeling like such a big man anymore?" she taunted. "You're not thinking of running away now, are you?"

"We'll never run away from a battle!" Ash shot back. Greninja glanced back at his trainer, and they gave each other a determined nod, both of them thinking the same thing. Ash looked back at his opponent, clenching his fist, hoping that he was still capable of doing what he was about to do, and that his body would be able to handle it. Serena put her hand on Madison's shoulder and took a step back, with the younger girl quickly following suit.

Ash worked on clearing his mind, needing to focus on nothing but his Pokémon and his opponent. As he slowly and calmly drew breath, he could feel his heart thudding in his chest, and soon he could feel an echo of his heartbeat, as if there was another one beating inside of him. He started to feel a surge of strength and adrenaline shooting through his arms and legs, followed by a sharpening of his senses; he could see his opponent with shocking clarity, and hear the hurried breathing of Serena and Madison behind him. His eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across his face, as the familiar sensation of the mysterious Bond Phenomenon swept over him, and he felt himself becoming one with his Pokémon, practically able to see through Greninja's eyes.

Cassidy, Butch and Byron all jumped at once as a veil of water suddenly formed around Greninja, swirling about as the Pokémon began to transform within. His face began to widen, with red markings appearing on his forehead, and what looked like black hair forming behind his ears. A ball of water formed on his back, sprouting what looked to be a set of moth wings, before the wings sharpened and formed a giant shuriken of water. The veil of water soon fell away, and the final transformation was laid bare for all to see.

"What the..." Butch rubbed his eyes, not sure he was seeing things correctly at first. In another corner of the room, Byron was staring in dumbfounded shock at the newly transformed Pokémon.

"Serena, what did he just do?" Madison asked, whispering, as if she was trying not to draw the attention of a sleeping bear.

"That's Ash-Greninja," Serena answered, grinning excitedly. "We're about to see an amazing battle." Madison turned back to the scene in front of her, having no idea what an Ash-Greninja was, but she figured she was about to find out.

"There's just no end to the freak show with you people, is there?!" Cassidy glared backward at Butch's Pokémon. "Water Gun, now!" Blastoise grunted and pointed its hands forward, water blasts firing from the cannons that had formed on its arms.

"Block it with your Water Shuriken, Greninja!" Ash countered. Greninja reached behind himself and grabbed the giant shuriken on his back, holding it in front of him like a shield. The Water Gun collided with the shuriken and was easily deflected, with Cassidy and Butch getting hit by residual spray.

Ash grinned, eager to show these criminals what he and his Pokémon could do. "Get in close and use Cut!" Greninja returned the shuriken to his back before dashing forward, bringing his fists together and pulling them back apart, a glowing white blade forming in his right hand. He reared back and prepared to swing.

"Withdraw!" Butch commanded. Blastoise immediately drew itself back into its shell, its limbs and cannons withdrawing and forming one large, contiguous tortoise shell. Greninja swung his blade into the shell, undeterred, sending it spinning across the room and crashing into a wall; Blastoise emerged a moment later, a bit dazed but mostly unharmed.

"Good! Now use Rapid Spin!" Butch's Pokémon returned to its shell, starting to spin quickly, preparing to launch itself into its foe.

"Double Team!" Ash answered. Greninja started moving at incredible speed, much too fast to track, leaving after-images of other Greninjas all around the room. Blastoise rocketed forward, spinning around at a high speed, attacking one after-image after another, dispelling them one by one. It eventually guessed right, managing to clip the leg of the real Greninja, who was forced to leap away from further injury.

"Agh!" Ash closed his eyes tight and collapsed as pain shot through his leg, in the same place that Greninja had been hit, able to feel the pain as acutely as if he had been injured himself. Serena gasped and rushed forward, holding his shoulders, getting him back onto his feet properly. He opened his eyes again a moment later, his resolve undiminished, not intending to let Greninja get hit a second time.

Byron and Rosanna had backed up all the way to the far corner, watching in amazement as Ash-Greninja and Mega Blastoise continued to battle. Both Pokémon were extremely powerful, with their blasts causing residual damage to the furniture and the walls. Greninja had the advantage with agility and dexterity, however, and he was able to get a number of small blows in on his opponent, slowly whittling away at his foe's health.

After several minutes of battle, Blastoise was breathing heavily, winded from exhaustion and damage, while Greninja was much more energetic. Ash saw an opportunity to bring this battle to an end, stepping forward and calling out. "Knock it out with Cut!" Greninja nodded and formed another blade of light in his hands, moving in for the final blow.

"Blastoise, Skull Bash!" Butch called out. With a sudden burst of speed, Blastoise shot forward toward its incoming foe, slamming its skull into Greninja's chest. Greninja's eyes bulged out as he was knocked across the room, and both he and Ash crumpled backward, barely managing to stay on their feet. Ash collapsed into the arms of Serena and Madison, who both worked to help him stand again, as he tried to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him.

"Finally." Cassidy exhaled, glad to see Blastoise with the advantage for once. "Finish it quickly, before it gets back up!"

"Got it!" Butch answered. "End it with Hydro Pump!" Greninja looked up as Blastoise aimed all three of its cannons forward, building up an enormous blast of water, enough to blow away almost any opponent. Ash managed to get back onto his feet, holding his aching chest, watching the attack build itself up. He pushed aside his instinct to tell Greninja to dodge, coming up with a different plan.

"Push through the Hydro Pump with Aerial Ace!" he called out. Greninja nodded, holding up his arms in an X shape, as both of them started to glow with a purple light. As Blastoise finally unleashed its Hydro Pump attack, spraying a massive blast of water, Ash's Pokémon stood up and met the blast head on, slamming his arms against it. He slowly forced himself through the blast, the Aerial Ace attack deflecting the water and allowing him to walk forward. As he pushed through, he slowly picked up speed, feeling a surge of adrenaline, until he was running up to his foe. Finally, Greninja slashed forward with his arms, knocking Blastoise backward and bringing the Hydro Pump to an early end.

"Let's end this! Use Cut one more time!"

As Blastoise got unsteadily back to its feet, it looked back at its foe just in time to see Greninja swinging a blade of light right into its face. Blastoise had no defense against the relentless barrage, as Greninja swung over and over, showing zero remorse. Finally, the assault ceased, and the blade vanished as Greninja folded his arms and turned away; seconds later, Blastoise staggered and fell onto its back, glowing a bright white once again as it reverted to its normal form, unconscious.

"Blastoise, no!" Butch started to run over to his Pokémon, but a threatening glare from Greninja stopped him in his tracks. His mind raced, his confidence entirely gone, his ears barely registering the cheers of Serena and Madison from the doorway, or the beeping of the communicator on Cassidy's hip. She nearly crushed it in her grip as she grabbed it and brought it to her mouth.

"What is it now?!" she barked, badly needing some good news, which she once again did not receive.

"Everything is bad down here!" the communicator answered, the man on the other end sounding frantic and almost terrified. "The Pokémon were let out of their Poké Balls and they're wreaking havoc all over! We can't keep the guests locked up anymore!"

"They what?! Grgh... you idiots are useless!" she snapped, as Butch returned Blastoise to its Poké Ball from a distance. "Fine! Load what you have into the truck and get out of here!"

"The truck is busted! The engine was destroyed! We can't take anything with us!"

Cassidy could feel her eye twitching as the onslaught of bad news weighed down on her. The complete collapse of all her plans, which had been months in the making, was creating such a powerful, white-hot rage within her that she was nearly incapacitated, unable to move, or speak, or think. After several long seconds, she brought the communicator back up to her mouth, speaking with as much calm as she could muster.

"We're abandoning the Chateau. Tell everyone to get out." She lowered the device again, clenching it tighter and tighter in her hand before she let out an infuriated scream and threw it against the wall, where it shattered into a dozen pieces. She turned her gaze toward Ash, her vision nearly going red as she sized up the teenaged brat that had ruined her well-laid plans for the second time.

"You... will pay... dearly for this," she seethed, her breathing harsh and ragged as she grabbed a Poké Ball from her side and threw it forward, releasing her Charizard. "Fire Blast, now!" Her Pokémon opened its mouth, a fireball growing to enormous size inside it, before blasting it forward in a massive, five-pointed shape, directly at Ash and Greninja.

"Quick! Water Shuriken!" Ash commanded. His Pokémon reached behind him, grabbing the large shuriken on his back and flinging it at the oncoming blast. The two attacks collided in midair, the water dousing the flame and creating a massive burst of steam that filled the entire room. When the steam cleared, Cassidy, Butch and Charizard were nowhere to be seen.

"Huh?" Ash looked around the room for a second, spotting a window that was wide open, no longer blocked by a shutter. He ran over to it and glanced outside, Greninja by his side, seeing Cassidy and Butch flying off on the backs of Charizard and a Pidgeot. He briefly considered going after them, but decided against it, turning back to face his Pokémon. The battle over, he closed his eyes and let out a long, slow exhale, the strange connection between himself and his partner slipping away with his breath. As he and Greninja returned to normal, he felt a rush of dizziness and weakness in his legs, and he stumbled backward, grabbing at the window to hold himself up.

"Ash!" Serena rushed over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Yeah..." He held his head for a moment, the spinning starting to slow, his body no longer used to the Bond Phenomenon. "I'm alright... just need a second... I'm fine."

She nodded, exhaling, turning around while still keeping one hand on him. She saw Madison running over out of the corner of her eye, as her own gaze moved toward Byron and Rosanna. "What about you two? Byron, you look like you've hurt yourself..."

"I'm alright-" Rosanna began, before she was interrupted.

"I don't believe it!" Byron exclaimed, butting in, eyes glued to Ash. "You! You're the kid! With the Greninja!"

"Huh?" Ash stood up straighter, his head clearing up. "I'm the kid?"

"You were in the Kalos League five years ago!" Byron began walking forward, ignoring his strained shoulder. "You did that crazy transformation back then, the same one you just did!"

Ash nodded, surprised that someone of Byron's status would care about or remember his battle. "Yeah, that was the finals against-"

"That battle was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen," Byron continued, not caring about what Ash had to say. "That was what got me interested in researching Mega Evolution."

"Really?" Ash's eyes were wide. "My battle did that?"

"When I saw your Greninja transform, I realized how much possibility there was with Mega Evolution, how many things we could do that we didn't even know about. All of our Mega Evolution work came from that battle. If it weren't for you, there'd be no such thing as synthetic Mega Stones."

"I... wow... I don't know what to say, sir." Ash was completely taken aback, almost overwhelmed, as Byron plowed ahead.

"And now, after all that, I even get to see it up close. It's way cooler to see in person, I gotta say." He took a moment to rack his brain, trying to recall the name of the boy in front of him, before giving up. "Remind me your name?"

"Ash, sir." He stood at attention, feeling like he was addressing royalty. "Ash Ketchum."

"Ash Ketchum," Byron repeated, extending his hand. "I won't forget it a second time." He grinned as Ash reached out, and the two shook hands. "And it's Byron, not 'sir'."

Ash smiled back, his amazement fading, replaced with excitement. "Right. I won't forget that, either." Serena was beaming from ear to ear as she watched the exchange, proud of Ash all over again, staying out of the conversation and letting him have his time to shine.

"You children are incredible." Rosanna stepped up to Byron's side, looking down at Ash. "Restoring the Cyllage City Gym, saving the Chateau and us... and now I find out you're the inspiration for a huge amount of our work. You're no ordinary teenager, are you, Ash?"

"Ah... I'm nobody special, really..." Ash insisted, rubbing the back of his head. "I just have a knack for being in the right place at the right time."

"The right place, at the right time, with the right determination and moral fiber... don't sell yourself short. You really are something else."

Byron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, no kidding. You guys really saved our bacon. I gotta find some way to pay you back."

Ash shook his head. "You don't need to do that, really It's fine."

Byron raised an eyebrow, amused. "Ash, here's a tip: when a billionaire tells you he wants to pay you back for something, you say 'yes'."

"Oh... well then, yes. I mean, thanks."

"Much better." Byron went back to holding his injured shoulder. "Meantime, I gotta get some ice or something. This is gonna be sore tomorrow."

"I can't believe you actually tried throwing a charging Pokémon, and at the same time, I absolutely can," Rosanna chided, as they turned toward the door. "You are completely out of your mind, you know that?" Ash, Serena, Madison and Greninja followed behind them, their adrenaline faded and replaced with a mixture of relief, befuddlement and amusement. All of them were eager to get downstairs and reunite with their friends.

"Well, I'm glad that Greninja got to you in time. But I'm amazed that the Bond Phenomenon still happened, even after so long. That's something I didn't expect."

Ash grinned into his phone, looking at the tired face of Prof. Sycamore. "That's just how strong our bond is! Even after five years, we're as close as we've ever been. Nothing can break that bond now."

He had to speak up a bit, to be heard over the noise coming from nearby. He was standing in a quieter corner of the Pokémon storage room in the Chateau basement, as the remaining staff were finishing up the laborious task of reuniting all of the Pokémon with their owners and their Poké Balls. Iris, Brock and Shannon had ultimately loosed over a hundred Pokémon into the Chateau, and none of them had kept track of which one had come out of which ball. The process of reuniting owners with their Pokémon had taken over two hours at this point, and exhaustion was setting in for everyone as they waited for Ash's final Pokémon, Drapion, to be identified and returned.

"I suppose I should have known better than to underestimate the two of you," Sycamore answered. "The appearance of the Bond Phenomenon in the first place speaks to how close you two are."

"It sure does," Ash concurred. "So now that this is all over, do you need me to send Greninja back to the lab, or..."

The professor shook his head. "No, not at all. There's no rush. You two take your time and catch up. In fact, you should bring Greninja back here yourself. I've got some tests I want to run."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Tests? What kind?"

"Tests involving the two of you. I think I've nearly solved the mystery of the Bond Phenomenon. I just need some help confirming my findings."

Ash nodded, grinning. "So long as the tests aren't too hard, I'm in."

"Perfect. I guess I'll see you all in a few days, then." Sycamore gave a quick wave. "Take care, Ash."

Ash waved back before hanging up, dropping his phone into his pocket, before looking back at his friends. Viola had departed some time ago, and Byron and Rosanna had left the Chateau as soon as they could. Iris, Shannon and Serena were currently sitting against the wall, trying to conserve energy, while Brock was still on his feet, watching the guests receive their Pokémon. Madison was curled up on the floor, sound asleep, her head resting on her backpack; Pikachu was curled up by her feet, snoozing, similarly exhausted from his busy day.

"So I guess we'll be seeing the professor again soon, huh?" Serena asked, glancing up. "That'll be nice. I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Yeah. I only saw him for a few minutes when I first got here," Ash replied. "He was taking a look at Axew."

"Mm." Iris grunted in acknowledgement, not looking over. Ash, Serena and Shannon all looked in her direction, seeing her forlornly looking down at her Pokémon, who was relaxing tiredly in her arms.

"What's the matter, Iris?" Shannon asked, looking down at Axew.

"It's just the same thing as before," Iris answered, slumping. "Axew did so much battling tonight against those goons, and he did such a good job, but look at him. Even that wasn't enough to make him evolve."

Ash bit his lip, seeing an expression of near-despair in her eyes, which he wasn't accustomed to. "Well... the professor said that maybe he didn't have a compelling reason to evolve. Maybe that's it?"

"What could be more compelling than this, though? He was fighting to protect the Chateau. He was fighting to protect me. What else does he need?"

"I don't think it's that," Serena spoke up, as Iris glanced over toward her. "I think it's more like he has a compelling reason not to evolve."

"Huh?" Iris blinked, surprised by this suggestion. "What could that be?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Serena smiled warmly. "Axew's a little mama's boy. He doesn't want to evolve because it means he'd have to go back into his Poké Ball. He wouldn't be able to spend as much time with you. He loves you too much."

Iris's eyes slowly went wide as she pondered this, and she glanced back at her Pokémon. "Axew, is this true?" Axew's eyes were wide as well, looking as if he had just come to a major realization of his own.

"Oh, Axew, you little sweetheart!" She hugged him tightly to herself, her heart ready to burst. "I love you too, so, so much!" She looked down into his eyes. "You take all the time you need to evolve, okay? I'll wait for you as long as you want, I promise." Axew cheered happily, hugging his trainer tightly, and Iris returned the affection, a wide smile on her face, her glumness gone. The smile spread infectiously to everyone around her, and Shannon held her hands over her heart, touched.

"Well, I think I've gotten statements from everyone, now." Brock immediately turned upon hearing a familiar female voice, seeing a green-haired woman in a police uniform approaching, looking down into a small notebook. "This was one of the most sophisticated criminal operations I've ever seen."

"What did you find out, Officer Jenny?" Ash wondered, as she came to a stop in front of all of them.

"From what I can gather from the remaining staff, Team Rocket has been casing this place for months," she began to explain. "Some of them were hired as real staff ages ago, and that gave Team Rocket a way to get in and out after hours. It seems like they were coming in at night and installing machinery on the sly. They even changed some of the locks a couple of days ago."

"Wow," Ash responded. "That's a lot more planning than we're used to from Team Rocket."

"Used to?" Jenny raised one of her eyebrows. "Have you encountered them before?"

"Oh yeah," Brock answered. "All the time, honestly. A few years back, we could barely go a day without running into them. They're usually pretty harmless."

"Oh, really? So you're experienced crime fighters, huh?" Jenny grinned a bit, looking into Brock's eyes. "I guess that explains a few things. I was pretty surprised when I drove up and saw you and the other girls ordering all those Pokémon around. But it sounds like that's old hat for you, huh?"

"Eh heh... not that part exactly, but..."

"And the other girls tell me you were able to untie them, after Team Rocket tied you up? With your arms behind your back?" She was standing closer now, hands clasped in front of her, holding her notebook.

"Y-yeah..." Brock was starting to flush red, not used to this level of positive attention from an Officer Jenny. "It wasn't easy, but I'm training to be a Pokémon doctor, so I need to be kinda... dextrous, I guess."

"Really... a Pokémon doctor..." She began twirling some of her hair flirtatiously around her index finger, her voice getting a bit quieter and more high-pitched. "You know, maybe we could go over your statement in a bit more detail a little later... maybe over coffee? My shift ends in thirty minutes."

"Buh... I..." Brock's conflicted brain was overloading, numerous alarm bells going off in his head. After years and years of flirting with Jennys, one of them was finally returning the favor, even going so far as to make the first move. An intense battle began to be waged within him, as his faithful devotion to his longtime girlfriend Olivia was challenged by his inner hopeless romantic. A very loud and forceful part of him was telling him to say yes, to take her hand, to join her for coffee, to stay here in Kalos with her, to-

"Sorry, officer, but he's taken."

Brock's open mouth issued a sound he didn't know he could make, some guttural and primitive combination of shock and despair. He quickly whirled around to face Serena, who was offering a sweet and innocent smile, after intervening on his behalf.

"Aw, really?" Jenny's smile turned quickly to a disappointed frown. "Oh, well. Can't blame a girl for trying." She stepped backward. "Well, I had better start working on this report, I suppose. If any of you remember anything else, give me a ring." Brock watched with the others as she departed, and while he was relieved to have this temptation gone, he was unable to shake the overwhelming despair of watching one of his lifelong dreams walking away.

"You alright, Brock?" Ash stepped up to him, able to see the conflict on his face, understanding where it was coming from.

"Ash... I never truly understood the phrase 'cruel irony' until just now," he answered, his voice practically quivering.

Ash clapped a hand onto Brock's shoulder. "Hang in there, buddy. You'll be fine."

"Pardon me, Mr. Ketchum?" He glanced over to see a very tired-looking attendant, holding a Poké Ball in each of his hands. "Are you quite certain you only had one Pokémon left?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, only my Drapion. Why?"

"Well, we have two unclaimed Pokémon left, and you are the only remaining guest." The man handed over the ball in his right hand. "This is your Drapion here. But if that's all that's left, then who is the owner of the remaining Pokémon?"

"Huh... good question. What Pokémon is it? Maybe one of us will recognize it."

"I'll let it out so you can take a look." The employee turned and tossed the Poké Ball onto the floor, the energy inside taking the shape of a medium-sized, orange-and-black, dog-like Pokémon with a skull design on its head. Shannon looked at it curiously before aiming her Pokédex at it.

"Houndour, the Dark Pokémon," the machine declared. "Houndour travel in packs and communicate through barks in order to surround their prey."

Ash glanced down at the dog Pokémon, who was looking around suspiciously, emitting a low growl as a preemptive warning to everyone nearby. "Houndour... I don't think I know anyone who has a Pokémon like that." He looked back at the others, who all shook their heads, confirming that none of them recognized the Pokémon, either.

"That's... unfortunate." The employee sighed, sensing that his work for the night was not yet done. "I'm worried that this Pokémon's trainer may not return for a long time. The Battle Chateau doesn't have anything for long-term care of Pokémon. One of the employees here will probably have to take it home..." From the sound of it, this man was the last person in the world who wanted to suddenly care for a stranger's Houndour.

Ash looked back at the Pokémon, who had stopped growling and was now looking about curiously, sniffing the air. After a few moments of deliberation, he spoke up again. "We can take it. We'll bring it to a Pokémon Center or someplace nearby."

The employee immediately bowed his head, immensely thankful. "Thank you, thank you, very much. If the trainer calls for their Pokémon, we will let them know where they've gone. Please let us know where it's being taken care of."

"I will, don't worry." Ash reached out and received the Poké Ball from the attendant, bringing Houndour back to it before attaching it to his belt. "I guess that's everything, then." He glanced back at the others. "Alright, everyone. Ready to get out of here?"

"I've been ready to get out of here since we got here," Iris answered, standing and stretching her back. Shannon followed suit, as Serena reached over to shake Madison awake.

"Mads? Wake up. We're leaving." Madison refused to stir after numerous shakes, far too deep in sleep, her energy completely drained. Serena sighed as Ash walked over, leaning down.

"Out like a light, huh?"

"Yep. She's K.O.'d." Serena kneeled beside her, accepting her fate as Madison's transport. "Help me get her on my back, would you?"

Ash grinned a bit, carefully lifting Madison up and propping her against Serena, who grabbed her by the legs as she stood up, thankful that she was more than strong enough to support the young girl's weight. Ash grabbed the remaining bags in his hands, a sleepy Pikachu climbing up onto his shoulder, and everyone finally made their way toward the exit of the Chateau, ready for a nice, long rest.

Chapter Text

Two days later, Ash and his friends were finishing up a hefty lunch at the Camphrier Town Pokémon Center, thankful for the break after traveling the entire previous day. The confrontation at the Battle Chateau had drained their energy reserves, but they didn't have the luxury of staying and resting as long as they wanted. The group needed to get to Lumiose City as soon as they could, no longer having weeks to spare before Serena and Iris had their Performance Battle at the Lumiose City Showcase, and so they had to pick up the pace along Routes 7 and 5. They had planned to stay in Camphrier Town for a few hours, to recharge their energy and boost their morale, before hitting the road again.

"Well, I definitely needed that," Brock said, standing up and grabbing his plate; everyone else followed his lead. "So what's everyone planning for the next couple of hours?"

"The first thing I need to do is talk to Nurse Joy," Ash answered, looking down and watching as a completely stuffed Pikachu rolled himself into a standing position. "If they can't take care of Houndour here, I'm not sure what we're going to do."

"I hope they can do something about it," Shannon offered. "That trainer must be really missing their Pokémon by now." Ash nodded in agreement, concern lightly gracing his expression.

"I was going to check out Shabboneau Castle," Brock said, answering his own question. "It looks incredible from down here, and I wouldn't mind getting a closer look."

"Shannon and I were going to do the same thing," Iris spoke up. "How about we all go together?"

"Sounds great!" Brock gave her a smile, before turning his attention to the other two girls. "What about you two? You want to come along?"

Serena shook her head. "We're going to find someplace where we can work on Madison's upcoming Performance Battle. I want to see if we can do anything to spice it up." Madison was grinning wide beside her, excited to receive feedback from such an accomplished performer.

"Well, good luck, you two," Ash responded. "Let's all meet back here at three o'clock, alright?" They all nodded in agreement, depositing their dishes before heading back to the Pokémon Center entrance. Most of the group stepped outside to head to their respective destinations, while Ash walked up to the front desk, Pikachu following behind.

"Hello there," Nurse Joy greeted him warmly, with a smile she had practiced over many years, like every other Nurse Joy. "You were here with Greninja, right? He's still recovering at the moment. He just needs a bit more rest."

"Oh, thanks," Ash responded. "Actually, I had a question... can this Pokémon Center take care of Pokémon, like... long-term?"

Joy's eyebrows raised curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I have this lost Pokémon..." he began to explain. "We don't know where its trainer is, or even who it is, and we don't know how long it will be before they come back for it. I was hoping that we could leave it here, and you could take care of it while...?"

"I see..." Her face fell, always hating to deliver bad news. "I'm very sorry, but our Pokémon Center is not authorized to perform long-term care for Pokémon. We don't have the necessary staff or facilities for it."

"Oh..." Ash's face fell as well; he'd expected that answer, but was still disappointed to hear it. "Are there other Pokémon Centers that are authorized?"

She nodded. "There's at least one center in Lumiose City that could take care of the Pokémon. Its Poké Ball would be kept securely in storage, and it would be fed regularly."

"Storage?" The skepticism was evident on his face, as he imagined Houndour being stuck on a shelf in its Poké Ball 23 hours a day. "They wouldn't... train it, or play with it, or anything?"

Joy adopted a lopsided frown. "That's... not really what Pokémon Centers are for, I'm afraid. We specialize in short-term and urgent care."

"I guess not..." Ash looked down at the Poké Ball attached to his hip, wondering if this was the best he could do for this Pokémon.

"It sounds like what you want is a Pokémon Day Care," a voice from his right chimed in. "There's one on Route 7, near the Battle Chateau."

Ash looked over curiously, wondering who was talking to him. His eyes took in a woman who appeared to be in her early 20's, with long black hair tied up into a ponytail that was draped over her shoulder. She wore a low-cut black blouse over a white shirt, and a short, black, lace skirt on top of a pair of white pants.

"Yeah, I know. That was the first place we tried," he explained. "They said they couldn't take a Pokémon with an unknown owner, because what if they never come back? They'd be forced to adopt it, basically."

"Ah, that's a shame." The woman frowned. "It makes sense, though. Well, I hope you figure something out." He nodded glumly, turning to thank Nurse Joy before walking outside, Pikachu climbing onto his shoulder, as the other woman claimed her own Pokémon. He looked down at Houndour's Poké Ball as he held it in his hand, heavily conflicted, absentmindedly wandering further into Camphrier Town.

"It sounds like we don't have many options, huh..." he lamented, coming to rest on a bench. "I guess there aren't a lot of services out there for lost or abandoned Pokémon." He glanced over at his companion, resting on his shoulder. "What would you do if you were me, Pikachu?" His Pokémon gave him a quizzical and unsure look, not having any better ideas, before hopping down onto the bench next to him.

He sat back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, as he contemplated the situation. He knew, logically, that leaving Houndour at a Lumiose City Pokémon Center was the obvious choice. It might not be a five-star resort, but the Pokémon would be kept safe, and its trainer would be able to find it easily. Even so, the idea just didn't sit right with him. He kept thinking that there had to be something better he could do, where Houndour could be well cared for, able to socialize and train and play and all those things that Pokémon deserved to do.

He could feel Pikachu crawl underneath his dangling right hand, trying to provide comfort; Ash gave a weak smile as his thumb rubbed Pikachu's fur between his ears. Even something as simple as this could do wonders for a Pokémon, he thought to himself. He tried to pacify himself by imagining Houndour's trainer coming back for the Pokémon, and the joyous, tear-filled reunion that would follow. He pictured a faceless, unknown trainer playing fetch with Houndour, training with it, bathing it, and pouring it a bowl of food after a long day. As he envisioned this scenario, trying to cheer himself up, he saw his own face replacing that of the nameless trainer, caring for Houndour himself. He quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea.

A strange sound from somewhere close by brought him back to reality after several minutes, and he opened his eyes, looking around for a moment. He zeroed in on a building a block or so down the street, where he could see a mysterious but familiar light glowing through some of the windows. His eyebrows raised as he recognized what it was: it was the light that he had always associated with Pokémon evolution, or Mega Evolution.

He stood up and stepped forward for a closer look, just as the light began to fade, but he wasn't able to see anything meaningful from this distance. A moment later, his curiosity got the better of him, and he motioned for Pikachu to follow him as he started walking down the street.

"This looks like a nice spot."

Serena and Madison came to a stop in front of a large fountain, in a public park not far from downtown. Glancing around, they could see a handful of people milling about, walking by the fountain or relaxing on the grass, but there was plenty of space for the two of them to work without disturbing people.

"Let's see where you're at now." Serena turned to glance down at Madison. "I'll take Barrett's place. He's using a Torracat, right?"

"Right," Madison confirmed. "Who will you use? Delphox?"

"Sylveon will be better, I think," Serena answered. "She's closer to the right size and shape. We can use her attacks to simulate Torracat's fire attacks."

Madison nodded, reaching down and releasing her Roselia from its Poké Ball, as her mentor brought out her Sylveon. The two Pokémon stood across from each other, as if they were on opposite sides of a stage, as the two performers stood in front of the fountain.

"Alright, let's start. Remind me how it begins?"

"Roselia starts with Magical Leaf," Madison explained. "And Torracat jumps and destroys the leaves with a spinning Fury Swipes."

"That's right," Serena recalled, looking down at her Sylveon. "When the leaves come at you, jump and spin and destroy them with your ribbons." Her Pokémon nodded, not needing any more explanation, an expert performer already. Serena smiled and glanced back at Madison. "Go ahead and start us off."

The younger performer turned toward her partner. "Roselia, Magical Leaf!"

Roselia took a graceful step forward, summoning a circle of leaves around her, which quickly flew toward her substitute opponent. Sylveon jumped in the air, spinning around expertly, shredding the incoming leaves with a grace and elegance that had been refined over many years.

Serena watched the performance carefully as it continued, her eyes studying every last detail, every tiny movement of Roselia's dance, even as she was issuing more commands to her Sylveon. Madison stood by her side, commanding Roselia in turn, her eyes moving back and forth between the Pokémon and Serena, wishing she could know what the experienced performer was thinking.

As she looked back toward Roselia, she paused as she saw a young couple standing and watching their practice session, curious looks on their faces. She lost her focus for a brief moment before regaining it, continuing to call out attacks, albeit a bit less confidently than before. She glanced back toward her mentor, studying her expression; it wasn't clear if Serena hadn't noticed the couple watching, or if she was just completely unfazed.

"This is looking great!" Serena exclaimed, as the routine came to an end. "This is shaping up really well." She glanced down at the younger performer. "You're a natural at this, you know? Great choreography."

"Thanks!" Madison grinned wide. "Do you have any ideas for what to change?"

"I had a few thoughts..." Serena started describing the changes she had in mind, walking over to Roselia and using her hands to visualize how she wanted certain attacks to be performed. Madison did her best to pay attention, trying to ignore the fact that three more people were now watching their discussion from a short distance. She didn't know if they recognized Serena from television, or if they were just intrigued by her performance, but either way she found it intimidating. Having people watch her finished performance was one thing, but her practice session felt like a raw and vulnerable moment for her, one that she would rather not have an audience for.

Minutes later, the two girls wrapped up their review, and their Pokémon took their places opposite each other once again. Madison began the performance for a second time, commanding her Roselia, the confidence disappearing from her voice as she tried to ignore the watching passersby, which were growing exponentially in number. Eventually, once the crowd grew to two dozen people, she had to speak up.

"Serena... there's a lot of people watching us..." she spoke quietly.

"I know," Serena replied, not taking her focus off of her Sylveon. "Just ignore them."

"I don't know if I can do that..." Madison could feel their eyes on her, even as she looked away.

Serena grinned. "Well then, perform for them! Give them a show!" She gestured toward her Pokémon with a flourish, her voice raising so everyone could hear it. "Fairy Wind, Sylveon!"

Sylveon had a sudden spring in her step as she generated her air blast, feeding off the energy of her trainer. Madison watched in surprise for a moment, a bit bewildered by Serena's sudden change in demeanor, but she quickly turned her attention back toward Roselia, deciding to give Serena's approach a try.

"Jump and shoot back with Petal Blizzard!" she called out, trying to force strength into her voice, which was easier than she expected. Her Roselia leaped into the air, twirling a bit before forming a ring of petals around her, shooting them toward Sylveon. Her eyes ran over the onlookers once again, seeing that their expressions had changed from curiosity to delight. She could feel her heart starting to beat faster, excitement starting to well up in her, as a grin spread across her face.

The two performers continued to issue orders to their Pokémon, who half-battled and half-danced in a well-choreographed routine. The energy of all four of them continued to rise, as they gradually transitioned from practicing to performing, showing off for their impromptu audience. Madison could feel her nerves transforming, changing from a nervous sick feeling in her stomach to an electric charge shooting through her and giving her goosebumps.

Eventually, the two Pokémon finished their Performance Battle, hitting their final poses side by side, as Serena and Madison extended one arm each toward the crowd. The audience of onlookers began to applaud, thoroughly impressed, and Madison could feel her heart swell as she looked at their admiring eyes. Serena grinned wide, holding the edges of her dress as she curtsied to the crowd.

"What did I tell you?" She glanced toward Madison. "It's the greatest feeling in the world."

Madison beamed and nodded, feeling like Serena was coaching her in more ways than she could have imagined. "Yeah... it really is." She turned toward the crowd and gave a formal curtsy as well.

Ash walked through the door of the building, Pikachu on his shoulder, and he immediately took a look around, finding himself on a rectangular balcony surrounding a lower floor. The strange light had faded long before he arrived, but it didn't matter, as he didn't have to look very hard to find the source. He stepped forward to the edge of the balcony and looked down to the floor below, finding a Pokémon battle arena. He was shocked to see the black-haired woman from the Pokémon Center there, facing away from him, and in front of her was a winged, white-furred, black-horned Pokémon that he quickly recognized as a Mega Absol.

"Dark Pulse!" the woman called out, her voice low but forceful. Ash watched with rapt attention as her Absol opened its mouth, forming a ball of purple light that erupted into a beam of energy, raking across the ground and kicking up an enormous amount of dirt and dust. The woman stood with her hands on her hips, not saying anything as the attack cleared up, while Ash watched in amazement. He still found Mega Evolution to be absolutely fascinating, even as he rivaled its power increase with Greninja and the Bond Phenomenon. He continued watching as she called out several more attacks, which Absol executed with gusto, unleashing an incredible amount of strength. After a couple minutes of this, her Pokémon stood down, taking a brief rest.

"So, are you just going to stand up there and watch?" she called out, glancing back and up at him. He jumped a bit before shrinking down, sheepish.

"Sorry..." He started walking along the balcony, toward a staircase that would take him down to the battlefield. "You and your Absol are amazing! Those attacks looked super strong." He walked down the stairs, his eyes on the Mega Absol that was now watching him descend. "I'd love for my Absol to be that strong someday."

The woman's eyebrows raised. "You have an Absol, too?"

Ash nodded as he stepped onto the battlefield. "I caught it less than a week ago, but we've bonded a lot since then. He's a great battler."

"Well, let's have a look," she suggested, though it sounded more like a command. "You've seen mine, let's see yours."

Ash grinned and reached for the Poké Ball at his hip, tossing it out and releasing his own Absol, as Pikachu hopped down to the ground to get a closer look at whatever was about to happen. The Pokémon immediately took notice of the Mega Absol in front of him, causing him to stand up straight, both amazed and intimidated.

The woman's eyes ran over Ash's Absol, nodding thoughtfully. "It's a bit small, but it looks healthy. Good sheen on the coat." Her eyes flicked up toward the trainer opposite her. "Alright, show me what you've got. I want to see what your Absol can do." Beside her, Mega Absol took up a defensive stance, ready to take on whatever Ash's Absol had to dish out.

"You got it!" Ash looked down at his Pokémon, feeling pumped already. "Absol, use Shadow Ball!"

Absol opened his mouth and started charging up the largest energy blast he could, wanting to impress this stranger and her powerful Pokémon. Once he had charged it up as much as he could, he shot it out directly at his opponent. Mega Absol brought its wings in front of itself, taking the brunt of the attack as it exploded against its wings. Once the energy had cleared, Mega Absol was still standing there, unfazed and mostly unscathed.

Absol looked a bit downcast at the lack of impact, as did Ash, but the other trainer seemed impressed. "Not too bad. Keep it up."

Ash nodded, deciding to try another approach. "Get in close and start using Slash! Aim for the head!" Absol ran forward toward his opponent, extending its claws and swinging away with his right paw, then his left, trying to get a clean hit in. Mega Absol was able to dodge backward and from side to side, avoiding each attack, refusing to go on the offensive without the command from its trainer. After one close brush with Absol's paw, Mega Absol leaped back and away, creating some distance.

Ash watched the Pokémon leap away, seeing an opportunity. "Now! Hit it with Quick Attack!" His Pokémon dashed forward as quickly as it could move, closing the gap just as Mega Absol landed, slamming into it with his horn. The woman's eyebrows raised in surprise, as Ash's fist clenched in excitement, a grin spreading across his face.

"Follow it up with Night Slash!" As Mega Absol got its bearings and looked back, Absol slammed his glowing, purple paw into the side of its head, knocking the Mega-evolved Pokémon back and staggering it. Absol watched with immense satisfaction as Mega Absol worked to get back to its feet, ready for his trainer's next command; Pikachu cheered Absol on from beside Ash's feet.

"Absol, use Payback!" the woman commanded. Moments later, her Mega Absol was surrounded by a potent purple energy, as the damage it had absorbed was converted into potential attack power. Absol couldn't react before the energy shot forward, battering the Pokémon with a quick series of powerful blows that exploded in small bursts against his body. Absol was blasted helplessly across the arena, overwhelmed by the might of Mega Absol, landing on his side and skidding to a stop at Ash's feet.

"Absol! Are you alright?" Ash kneeled down next to his Pokémon, lifting him up and holding his head in his arms, as Pikachu stood underneath and tried to help the Pokémon stand. Absol groaned, opening his eyes and looking apologetically back at his trainer, substantially weakened from the powerful retaliatory attack. His Mega-evolved opponent had showed itself to be far more powerful than he had been ready for.

"You need to work on your Absol's defense and stamina," the opposing trainer explained, walking forward and resting her hand on Mega Absol's back. "But its strength is impressive for its age and size. Same with its speed. I can tell you two are bonding well." Her Pokémon exhaled and closed its eyes, the Mega Evolution fading away as it reverted to its normal form, looking taller and stronger than Ash's Absol even in this form.

"Thanks." Ash gave her a polite smile, grateful for the feedback. "Your Mega Absol is amazing. Do you have your other Pokémon here, too? I'd love to have a full battle with you!"

The woman shook her head as she pulled out her Absol's Poké Ball. "No, thanks."

"Huh?" Ash's face fell, as she returned her Pokémon to the Poké Ball and attached it to her hip. "Why not?"

She started walking past him, toward the staircase leading up to the balcony and out of the building. "If you want a battle with me, come to Fleurrh City and challenge me at my gym."

"Gym...?" A lightbulb went off in Ash's brain as he made the connection, his face lighting up. "Ah! You're Athena!"

"That's right." She turned her head and glanced back at him, a smirk on her face and one hand on her hip. "And you're Ash Ketchum, the three-time Pokémon League champion. So I'm expecting a great battle when you show up."

Ash grinned excitedly. "Don't worry, you'll get one!" She turned away, walking up the stairs and outside, as Ash looked back down at his Pokémon, who was maneuvering himself into a sitting position. "You were great too, Absol. Taking on a Mega-evolved Pokémon like that is really impressive."

Absol leaned in and nuzzled his trainer happily, causing Ash to laugh as he ran his hand through the fur on Absol's head. Looking back at Absol, he could see his Pokémon was a bit roughed up, a bit battered, but it was as happy as a Pokémon could be. This was what a Pokémon needed, Ash thought to himself. Pokémon needed to be active, to be cared for and exercised and battled with, and to be taken care of at the end of the day. In that moment, he came to an important decision.

He stood up and returned Absol to his Poké Ball, then scooped Pikachu up into his arms, before climbing the stairs and making his way outdoors, heading back to the Pokémon Center. He had a Pokémon who needed care, and a call that needed to be made.

Later that day, all six trainers were returning to the Pokémon Center, converging in the lobby. They greeted each other warmly, each of them having had a fulfilling day and wanting to hear about everyone else's.

"Serena! Madison!" Ash called out, as they walked in and joined the other four, who were all sitting in a corner of the lobby. "How did practice go?"

"It was great!" Madison exclaimed, somehow still filled with energy. "My Performance Battle is going to be better than ever now!"

"Madison's a natural," Serena added proudly. "I barely had to do anything."

"I've never seen a Performance Battle before," Shannon chimed in. "I bet that practice would have been fun to watch."

Serena grinned. "How was the castle?"

"It was great! Very pretty. Lots of interesting antiques and artifacts there."

Brock nodded in agreement. "The architecture is amazing. It has this unique, old-world feel that I've never seen anywhere else."

Ash sat up. "What all happened while you guys were there?"

Brock shrugged in response. "Nothing, really. It was a fun tour, but that's it."

"We sort of expected that something interesting might happen while we were there, but no, not really," Iris concurred. "Nothing wrong with that, though."

Ash nodded, standing up. "Well, are we all ready to hit the road again?"

"Wait, Ash. What about Houndour?" Serena asked. "Did the Pokémon Center take it?"

He shook his head, smiling. "Nope. I'm going to be taking care of Houndour."

"Huh?" Iris stood as well, giving him a confused look. "You're keeping it? Can you do that?"

"I'm not keeping it, keeping it," Ash explained. "I'm just going to look after it while we wait for its trainer to contact us. Once they do, I can send Houndour to whatever Pokémon Center they want." He stretched his arms behind his back. "But until then, I'll feed it, care for it, play with it and all that. Make sure it's happy, you know?"

Serena smiled proudly at him, touched by his selflessness as always. "That's really sweet of you, Ash. I bet Houndour is going to be a lot happier with you than it would be here."

"I hope so." He smiled back at her, before looking around. "Alright, everyone, ready to go?" They nodded in response, ready for more traveling, and soon they were back on the road, beginning the final leg of their journey to Lumiose City.

Late that night, all six of them had set up camp and eaten a filling dinner courtesy of Brock, and they were now retired to their tents, starting to drift off one by one. In Iris's tent, Shannon was lying in her sleeping bag, eyes half-closed, as Iris slid into hers.

"Today was great," she mused quietly, exhausted and already on the verge of sleep. "I've really missed the two of us hanging out like this. It's too bad we won't be able to do it much longer."

Iris nodded somberly, lying sideways in her sleeping bag to face her friend. "Are you sure you can't stay longer? You have to leave when we get to Lumiose City?"

"I'm sure," Shannon answered. "I've been gone a bit longer... well, a lot longer than I told them I would be. The Pokémon I was taking care of are getting restless. They're practically begging me to come back and calm them down." She frowned. "I'll be able to watch your Performance Battle, but I can't stay beyond that."

"Responsibility sucks," Iris replied, frustrated and sad that her reunion was getting cut short. "It feels like our journey is just getting started, and you're already leaving."

"I know..." Shannon rolled onto her side as well, their eyes meeting. "I remember when you went on your first journey, I was so jealous... I wanted to go with you so badly. It would have been so much fun, the two of us traveling around Unova together."

"Yeah..." Iris agreed quietly, imagining it herself, as she stifled a yawn. "You went on your own journey eventually, right? You asked the elder about it when we visited the village."

Shannon nodded. "I did. I traveled around Unova at first, then I went to Sinnoh after that. It was amazing, being able to get out and see the world, but... I really wish I could have had someone to share it with." She looked down. "That's why I waited so long to try going on another journey. There was just something... missing. It didn't feel right."

Iris watched as Shannon looked down, lament clear in her eyes, feeling her heart sink. She instinctively reached out, grasping Shannon's hand and holding it tightly in her own. "Let's do it, then. Let's go on a journey together. Just the two of us."

Shannon looked back, her eyes lighting up. "Really? You're serious?"

"Of course I am!" Iris exclaimed in a hushed tone. "I'm not sure when, but as soon as we both can travel. We'll pick a region and we'll go there and see every last bit of it. It'll be the perfect journey we've both wanted."

Shannon's expression settled into a warm smile, touched by Iris's eagerness to travel with her and make her happy. "I'd love that, Iris. I can't wait."

Iris smiled back, her tired eyelids drooping just as Shannon's were. They continued to talk over details about how they might travel, where they might go and what they might do, as they both drifted toward sleep. Throughout their discussion, their hands remained clasped together, neither girl wanting to let go and lose this warm and comforting touch. They eventually drifted off side by side, both of their fingertips gracing the other's palm as they slept.

Chapter Text

"Breakfast time, everyone! Come and get it!"

The gaggle of trainers was summoned to breakfast the next morning by Brock's voice, though the delicious smell of food was already attracting several of them to the picnic table at their campsite. As Brock began distributing plates, the hungry travelers dug in without hesitation, eager to feast on his masterful cooking. Ash was standing nearby, laying out several food bowls on the ground, before reaching for his belt and grabbing all of his Poké Balls all at once.

"Come on out, everyone!" he called out, as five different Pokémon emerged from their spherical shelters. Snivy, Sigilyph, Drapion, Absol and Houndour all joined Pikachu and Greninja in watching Ash, as he grabbed a bag of Pokémon food and started pouring it into one of the bowls.

"Alright, Pikachu and Snivy, here's yours." He started pouring food into the next bowl as the two smallest Pokémon walked up, ready to eat. Just as they were reaching in to grab their first food pellet, they were knocked away by a charging Houndour, who bashed into both of them with his shoulder, before burying his face into the food bowl and starting to devour it, nearly snarling as he ate.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ash exclaimed, as the others at the table turned to watch in shock. "Houndour, chill out!" Pikachu, angry and hungry, stepped closer to try and get this bully to back off. Snivy quickly wrapped her vines around Pikachu's midsection, yanking him back just as Houndour snapped at him with his teeth. Pikachu backed down, not interested in losing an arm over breakfast, as the Dark-type Pokémon continued to greedily wolf down the food in front of him.

"What on Earth?" Serena exclaimed, standing up for a better look. "What is he acting like that for? There's plenty to go around."

"What a bully!" Iris glared down at Houndour, who couldn't care less about her piercing gaze. "Why don't more trainers teach manners to their Pokémon?"

"I guess we should be feeding him last," Brock suggested, taking a bite of his own food.

"Yeah... or maybe first," Ash wondered, watching as Houndour finished off the bowl, licking up every last crumb before standing upright. He looked around at the other Pokémon, who were all watching him in shock and disbelief. He gave a low growl, as a sort of warning to the rest of them.

"It's all right, Houndour. You don't need to wolf it down like that." Ash walked up and produced Houndour's Poké Ball, returning the Pokémon to it, not wanting him to steal anyone else's food.

"Maybe Dark-type Pokémon are just more aggressive that way?" Madison suggested, as Ash poured another bowl of food for Pikachu and Snivy.

"That can't be it," Serena rebutted. "Absol's a pure Dark-type, and he's the biggest sweetheart in Kalos." She reached out and rubbed Absol's back as he stood next to her, causing him to mewl contentedly.

"Drapion isn't that way either," Shannon noted, swallowing a bite of breakfast. "So it's definitely not a type thing."

"You know, you've got a bit of a Dark-type collection going on," Brock observed with a grin. "You're going to become a Dark-type specialist before you realize it."

"No way," Ash answered, filling the last bowl of food, which Drapion started eating from. "There are way too many great Pokémon out there for me to limit myself to one type." He took a seat at the table, grabbing his fork. "Besides, Houndour isn't my Pokémon, so it's not even a collection." He took several hungry bites of his breakfast before reaching for his canteen of water, frowning when he felt the weight of it, feeling nothing inside.

"Darn, out of water." He stood up, still holding the empty canteen. "I'll be right back. I'm going to fill up at the stream we saw."

"Oh, do you mind filling mine up, too?" Serena asked, holding her own water bottle out toward him.

"Sure, no problem." He smiled as he received her water bottle, before looking around. "Anyone else?"

Six minutes later, Ash was carrying four bottles in his arms, as he backtracked toward a quiet stream they had passed not long before setting up camp the day before. Pikachu walked by his side, carrying one more water bottle above his head, always eager to give his trainer a hand. Once they spotted it, they picked up the pace a bit, walking over to its side and kneeling down, as Ash began filling the first canteen.

Ash and Pikachu weren't alone. On a cliff overlooking the stream, about fifty feet away, two uniformed criminals and their Pokémon were watching with devious grins on their faces, ready to pounce.

"That poor, unsuspecting little twerp." Jessie's voice was mocking, filled with faux lament. "He has no idea this is the last time he's ever going to see his Pikachu."

"He won't be getting away from us today," James continued. "He's never had to contend with this lovely contraption before." He held up a bizarre device that he was holding in both hands, which looked like a square bazooka topped with a tiny radar dish.

"If this doesn't work, nothing will." Meowth's eyes focused on Pikachu, as he handed Ash another empty water bottle. "And we ain't going back to Team Rocket empty handed, that's for sure."

"Enough idle chatter," Jessie commanded. "Time for step one of our plan: get his attention." She knelt down and picked up a rock the size of a softball, hurling it at the pair below.

As Ash began filling the fourth canteen, he jumped as something landed in the stream close to him, making a loud splash and spraying both himself and Pikachu with water. He leaped up and looked toward the splash, wondering if there was some sort of Water-type Pokémon in the stream that he hadn't noticed.

"Yoohoo! Up here!" He whirled around, looking up toward the source of the female voice, immediately recognizing the trio standing above him.

"What?! You three again?!" He clenched his fist as Pikachu ran in front of him, his cheeks sparking threateningly as he got on all fours, ready to launch an attack at a moment's notice.

"You should know you can't get rid of us!" Jessie taunted. "Now, prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!" James added, trying his best to hold up his strange device in a menacing way.

Jessie continued to recite their Team Rocket motto, but her words were unintelligible over the sound of propellers, which were quickly growing louder, the oppressive noise drowning out almost everything else. Everyone turned around, watching as a small airship emblazoned with the Team Rocket logo came into view, kicking up air and blowing back the tree branches as it flew overhead.

"What?! What are those other jerks doing here?!" Meowth shouted, trying to be heard over the sound of the airship. The trio shielded their eyes with their arms as the vehicle approached, in order to keep out the dirt and dust that was twirling about. As James tried to protect his eyes, he felt his secret weapon slipping out of his grasp, and he gasped as it started plummeting to the earth below.

"No, no, no!" He clambered to the edge of the cliff, looking down and watching as the device collided with the ground, shattering into dozens of jagged and unsalvageable pieces. He could feel his body going cold, as their foolproof plan to capture Pikachu went up in smoke, their salvation vanishing in an instant. The airship continued on, undeterred, flying toward Ash and Pikachu, who were shielding their eyes as well.

"Well, well, look who it is!" Cassidy's voice rang out from a speaker installed on the airship, blasting out loud enough to be audible over the sound of the propellers. "A miserable little rat creature and his Pikachu!"

"Ugh, you've got to be kidding!" Ash squinted as he looked upward. "How many of these Team Rocket creeps do I have to deal with today?!"

"Don't worry, we won't be here long!" Butch's voice added, before a sound like a firework rang out. A bisected rubber ball attached to a thin rope shot out of the airship and rocketed downward toward Pikachu, who was too busy covering his eyes to see the threat coming. The ball closed around the Pokémon, snapping shut and trapping him helplessly inside, before the rope immediately retracted, pulling Pikachu into the air.

"No! Let him go!" Ash immediately started running after his captive Pokémon, trying and failing to jump into the air and grab him. He continued to run as fast as he could, knowing nothing except for an instinctual need to save his partner, as he'd felt many times before. As he ran, he failed to notice the ground giving way underneath him, until he found himself plummeting into a pitfall dug into the earth, landing hard on the bottom.

"And right on cue, he takes the bait!" Cassidy taunted, as the airship turned around and hovered above the pit that now contained Ash. "You people make this way too easy!"

"Hey! That's not fair!" James shouted from his perch, as he and his partners watched the action unfold. "Digging holes is our bread and butter! You can't just steal our techniques like that!" They continued watching as four cables dropped from the airship and into the hole, latching onto something and going taut. Seconds later, the cables started pulling up a large, transparent, plastic tarp that had been lining the bottom of the pit, which Ash was now caught up in.

Inside his plastic prison, Ash was rolling about, trying to get himself upright. He was eventually able to look up, watching as the cables came together to close up the plastic tarp like a bag. As he wondered where they were taking him, a rubber hose poked into the tarp and started dumping water on top of him. He immediately held up his hands to try and block the water flow, not wanting it to get in his lungs, as the water started to fill up the bag. The water was soon past his knees, showing no signs of slowing down, and he started clawing at the bag, trying to tear his way out, to no avail.

Outside, Jessie, James and Meowth continued to watch as the airship turned and started flying over them, back to wherever it originally came from. As it flew overhead, the vehicle made a sudden jolt upward, as it tried to avoid slamming the plastic tarp into the trees and tearing it. The sudden, sharp movement caused the ball containing Pikachu to bounce up and down, straining the thin rope attaching it to the airship, which quickly snapped. The Pokémon fell downward toward the trio, landing in Jessie's outstretched arms, as the airship started flying away, apparently unconcerned.

All three of the former Team Rocket members looked at the captive Pikachu for several moments, in disbelief, their brains not yet registering that this was real. Once it sunk in, their faces lit up in unison, and they all let out a loud, excited cheer.

"We got ourselves a Pikachu! We got ourselves a Pikachu!" they all sang in unison, unable to contain their elation, practically dancing in place.

"Finally, after over twenty seasons on the show, we've done it!" James proclaimed. "Pikachu is ours! And that twerp won’t be taking him away from us again!"

"I always knew success would fall into our laps one day if we waited long enough," Jessie added. "Finally, our ship has come in!"

"Hah! So long, chump!" Meowth called out toward Ash, as the airship continued to retreat. "That loser ain't going to be bothering us again!"

Jessie and James turned as well, wanting to watch the object of their torment as he was carried off, far away from his Pokémon partner, who was crying out desperately for his trainer. The smiles slowly vanished from their faces as they watched him battle to keep his head above the water that was nearly filling his plastic confines, his pocket of air growing smaller and smaller. He was no longer able to struggle against the tarp, having no leverage with which to attack it, and it was all he could do to keep himself breathing.

"I don't think he's going to be bothering anyone again," James muttered. They continued to watch in silence as Cassidy and Butch's airship flew off, with a struggling Ash in tow.

Ash continued to fight against the constant stream of water flooding the bag, which was almost completely full at this point. He was floating near the top, his head contorted in order to breathe in the tiny air pocket that still remained, as he tried to force his hand up through the top of the bag and pull himself out, or at least create an opening. It was no use: the cables holding the bag had joined themselves together around the hose, leaving no space for him to reach through. Seconds later, Ash's face was completely submerged, as the last bit of air was forced out of the bag, replaced with water.

Ash began struggling even harder, trying and failing to not panic as he attempted to make some sort of escape route, with no oxygen. His lungs burned as he frantically tried to grab at the top corners of the tarp, trying to force them apart to no avail. He slowly grew weaker as he struggled, his arms feeling more heavy, his vision starting to fade to black. Soon he stopped grabbing entirely, as his consciousness started to slip away from him, the world around him vanishing as he began to weakly sink into the water.

A shock of alertness and fresh pain rushed through him as air suddenly hit his nose, and his eyes shot open as the world came back in an instant. He started coughing and hacking, taking a moment to compose himself before looking around, trying to discern what had happened. He spotted a large, jagged tear that had appeared in the side of the tarp, which water was now pouring out of. He kept coughing as he swam closer, trying to see what had caused the bag to tear open, when his eyes spotted a small, cream-colored tail ending in a brown spiral on the other side. The owner of the tail quickly climbed up the bag and out of sight.

Inside the cockpit of the airship, the two more competent members of Team Rocket were flying aimlessly, not worried about their destination just yet. Butch was grinning a self-satisfied grin, while Cassidy was practically giddy.

"This may not have been our most complicated plan," she spoke aloud, "but it's far and away the most satisfying."

"What should we do with him afterward?" Butch asked, glancing over.

"We'll give it a good ten minutes or so, to be safe," she explained. "Then we'll circle back and drop him in the stream. It'll look like it was an accident."

"Perfect." He smirked deviously. "With him out of the way, we'll have Kalos all to ourselves. We'll have whatever we want."

"Don't say it like that," she responded, wrinkling her nose. "Don't act like some stupid kid was standing in our way all by himself. It makes us sound incompetent."

"Yeah, well..." Butch looked forward again, not wanting to feel incompetent either, but it was impossible to deny the impact this one meddlesome trainer had had on their plans over the past few years. At least it was coming to an end, he thought to himself.

Both of them were startled as the airship tilted suddenly to the left, pulled down by a heavy weight. As the two criminals regained their balance, Cassidy carefully walked over to a window and peeked out, trying to see what had latched onto their aircraft. Her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets as she saw Jessie and James clinging to the landing skids underneath the ship, with Meowth's claws digging painfully into James's back. Jessie's right hand had a death grip on a short length of rope, which was still attached to the rubber ball that held Pikachu captive.

"Are you serious?!" She ran backward toward the sliding door on the side of the craft, throwing it open and lifting her leg, preparing to stomp on their hands and force them to let go. As soon as the door opened, however, she was blasted backward by a Sonic Boom attack from Jessie's Yanmega, slamming her against the back wall of the airship, jolting it once again.

"What's going on back here?" Butch ran backward after leaving the craft on autopilot, skidding to a stop as the former Team Rocket members clambered inside, Pikachu in tow, while Cassidy held the back of her sore head as she stood up straight. The two groups both leaped backwards, taking up positions on opposite sides of the aircraft.

"What are you three doing?!" Cassidy demanded, infuriated and baffled. "You have your stupid Pikachu, don't you?! Why can't you just leave us alone?!"

"What are we doing?!" Jessie shot back, standing up, arms wrapped tightly around the captive Pikachu. "You already had the twerp captured! You could have just brought him back to headquarters! This is going way too far!"

Butch glared at his former coworkers, as James and Meowth got to their feet as well. "Your problem is you never knew how to go far enough! That's why you got the boot!"

Cassidy reached down to her hip, grabbing a Poké Ball and nearly crushing it in her grasp. "If you two are going to stand in my way, then you're going to pay the price!" She hurled the ball in front of her. "Charizard, get out here!"

"You too, Mightyena!" Butch followed up, summoning his own Pokémon to join the fight.

James took a nervous step back, eyes moving back and forth between the two Pokémon, before reaching down for his own Poké Ball and tossing it out. "Let's go, Carnivine!" A leafy, lanky, plant-like Pokémon resembling a Venus flytrap emerged from the ball, recoiling just as James did upon seeing its opponents. Yanmega flew next to Carnivine, ready to defend her trainer.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Cassidy commanded. "Torch that overgrown plant!" Her Pokémon opened its mouth and lunged its head forward, spewing flame directly at Carnivine.

"Yanmega, stop the flames with Sonic Boom!" Jessie ordered. Yanmega flapped her wings with extreme speed, creating a powerful sound blast that shot forward into the oncoming flames, disrupting and dispelling them. Moments later, Mightyena leaped into the air and grabbed Yanmega's tail in its jaws, landing and shaking the Bug Pokémon about.

"Oh no! Carnivine, use Vine Whip and pull Yanmega free!" The plant Pokémon extended its vines and wrapped them around Yanmega's wings, trying to yank Jessie's Pokémon out of Mightyena's jaws. Seconds later, the wide-open Carnivine was consumed by a massive Fire Blast from Charizard, and it flew backward onto its back, practically burned to a crisp. James let out a panicked scream as he knelt down next to Carnivine, hoping against hope that the Pokémon might still be able to fight.

Jessie gritted her teeth, seeing an uphill battle in front of her, but full of misplaced confidence in her battling abilities. "Yanmega, use Silver Wind to get free!"

Yanmega's wings began to glow, and she flapped them in Mightyena's direction, sending glowing silver crescents directly at her opponent's face. Butch's Pokémon yelped and released its prey, and Yanmega quickly righted itself. As soon as she began flying freely again, she was slapped down to the ground by Charizard's powerful tail; seconds later, a charging Mightyena slammed the Pokémon against the wall with Take Down, nearly squashing it. Yanmega fell limply back down to the ground, nearly unconscious.

"Yanmega, no!" Jessie returned Yanmega to her Poké Ball, glaring down at Meowth as James did the same with Carnivine. "And where were you? Why weren't you fighting alongside them?"

Meowth held up his hands defensively. "Hey, it's not my fault I got good self-preservation instincts!" All three of them looked back at Cassidy and Butch, as their Pokémon advanced.

"You two have just made the biggest mistake of your entire lives," Cassidy growled, fire in her eyes.

"We're going to make you wish we did to you what we did to the twerp," Butch added threateningly. The trio looked back and forth between Charizard and Mightyena, already able to see their lives flashing before their eyes. Acting on instinct, Jessie looked down and slapped a button on top of Pikachu's rubber ball, splitting the rubber in half and freeing the Pokémon from its confines, causing James and Meowth to scream in shock.

"Pikachu, do something!" she pleaded, panicked and desperate. Pikachu instantly dashed forward, running past the opposing Pokémon and their trainers, charging up a Thunder Bolt and unleashing his full strength on the control panel of the airship. Explosions immediately rang out, as the entire airship began lurching forward, threatening to crash into the trees.

"No! You little vermin!" Cassidy and Butch raced back to the control panel, struggling with the controls and trying to prevent a crash. Pikachu dashed past them, whirling around and flinging an Electroweb at both Charizard and Mightyena, which sent a powerful shock through both of them. He ran by the both of them while they were briefly stunned, standing at the open door of the airship, trying to figure out how to climb down and help his trainer.

"Hey! Get back here! You owe us!" Pikachu turned around, jumping as he saw Jessie, James and Meowth all diving for him at the same time. He tried his best to dodge to the side, but his feet slipped on the now-unsteady footing of the tilting airship. All four of them tumbled out of the open door, their fall broken by some nearby trees.

Underneath the aircraft, Ash was being jostled about as the plastic tarp pitched to and fro, still filled almost entirely with water. As another explosion rang out, the tarp detached from the cables and fell toward the cliff below. Water began gushing rapidly out of the widening hole in the tarp, as it began rolling downhill, tossing Ash around as if he were trapped in a washing machine, sending more water down his nose and throat. Finally, the tarp tore completely in half, and Ash fell out of it just as his momentum sent him tumbling over the edge of the cliff.

He started reaching around frantically, trying to grab onto anything nearby that might be able to break his fall, but there was nothing around. As he braced himself for a very painful impact, he felt a pair of thin but powerful arms wrapping around him and jolting him in a different direction, before he slowed to a stop. Coughing and looking up, he could see Greninja's face looking upward, scanning the cliff side that he was clinging to, eventually spying a small, yellow Pokémon tumbling down the ledge. Greninja leaped upward once again, landing on the slope above and reaching out to catch Pikachu in one hand, pulling him into his grasp. Ash reached out and held Pikachu tightly in his arms, acting on instinct to keep his Pokémon safe.

With both Ash and Pikachu now safe, Greninja started leaping back down the side of the cliff, coming to a soft landing in the forest below. He let go of Ash, kneeling by his trainer's side as the boy started coughing violently once again, his body forcing water out of his lungs.

"Ash!" He could hear Serena's panicked voice from close by, along with the sound of racing feet approaching him. She kneeled down next to him, resting her hand gently on his back as he coughed and hacked up water. "Are you alright?!" He managed to give a vigorous nod before inhaling sharply and beginning another coughing fit. After a good thirty seconds of coughing and choking, Ash finally managed to catch his breath, looking up to see all his friends standing around him, worried expressions on their faces.

"Ash, what happened?" Iris asked, her hands clasped nervously over her heart. Ash looked back upward, his eyes drawn to the plume of smoke that was billowing from the airship, which was rocking wildly back and forth as it slowly descended toward the forest below.

"I'm not really sure..." he answered.

Up on the cliff above, the former Team Rocket trio were clinging to the branches of a tree that had broken their fall, all of them catching their breath. They took a moment to be amazed at what had just happened, and to be excited that they had managed to get one over on Butch and Cassidy. Their adrenaline began to slowly fade, as it was replaced with lucidity, and the full ramifications of their actions began to dawn on them.

"Guys... what did we just do?" James wondered aloud.

In a large office in a remote location in Kanto, a tall, brown-haired man was sitting behind a desk, stroking a cream-colored Persian that rested on his lap. As he looked over paperwork, a button on his desk started to beep quietly and light up. He reached out and pressed the button, activating a large screen that was built into the office wall opposite his desk. As the screen came to life, he could see the face of a green-haired man and a blonde, pigtailed woman; their hair was frizzed in all directions, looking somewhat burnt, and their faces were covered in soot.

"Giovanni, sir!" the man spoke, giving a salute. "Reporting in, sir!" The woman was too visibly enraged to greet her boss appropriately.

"Butch? Cassidy? What happened to the two of you?" Giovanni demanded. "Did you take care of your target?"

"We had him in the palms of our hands!" Cassidy blurted out. "But those traitors stopped us! Those filthy, rotten traitors!"

Giovanni's eyebrows raised curiously. "Traitors? Who do you mean?"

"It was Jessie and James, sir!" Butch explained, a bit more level-headed than his partner. "They interfered with our plan and stopped us from taking out our target!"

"What?! Jessie and James?!" Their boss was briefly stunned, not having expected to hear these names again. "They interfered with your operation? Was this intentional, or more of their trademark ineptitude?"

"They knew exactly what they were doing!" Cassidy shot back. "They were doing it entirely on purpose! They've turned against Team Rocket!"

Giovanni sat back, needing a moment to process this information. Jessie, James and Meowth had always been his most devoted minions, constantly pledging loyalty to him and Team Rocket; the three of them turning traitor was almost inconceivable to him. Incompetence he had come to expect, but never treason.

He sat forward again after a few moments, his expression resolute. "Very well, then. Get yourselves straightened out and prepare for further instructions." He pressed the button again, and the two operatives disappeared from his screen. He moved his hands to a nearby keyboard, typing away for a moment before the screen turned on again; he saw his own face reflected in it, as it began recording him.

"This is a message for all of our operatives in the Kalos region," he began, his voice cold and menacing. "We have been betrayed by three former agents. This transgression will not stand." His hands clenched into fists, an intentional gesture to emphasize the seriousness of the situation. "All of you, put your current operations on hold. Your top priority, for every one of you, is the capture of the traitors Jessie, James and Meowth. Once you have them in captivity, bring them to me. I will deal with this treason personally. That is all."

He hit another key on his keyboard, ending the recording and sending it out to all of his lackeys in Kalos, before turning his attention back to the paperwork in front of him. He barely processed it, his mind consumed by this new information, as he plotted out a special and painful revenge.

Chapter Text

It was mid-morning in Lumiose City as the group of six ran through downtown, eagerly making their way to the tower that dominated the skyline. Prism Tower was one of the largest and most impressive landmarks in Kalos's largest city, and it chiefly served as the home of the Lumiose City Gym, where aspiring challengers battled for the Voltage Badge. For the first time since their journey began, Ash wasn't the one leading the charge to the gym.

"Serena, wait up!" Iris called out, trying to keep pace. "Where's the fire?"

"I'm just excited!" Serena answered, glancing back as she ran, beaming from ear to ear. "It's been years since I saw Bonnie and Clemont! I can't wait to see them again!"

"That makes two of us!" Ash concurred, running right behind Serena, already pumped up. "A gym battle and a reunion with Clemont and Bonnie... this is going to be so great!"

It didn't take the group long to reach their destination, and they walked through the front doors of Prism Tower brimming with anticipation. Iris, Shannon, Brock and Madison looked around in wonder as they entered, taking in the front hallway filled with machinery and crackling electricity; Ash and Serena kept their eyes forward, having been here several times before. They stopped in front of a large metal door that led to the gym proper, as a screen up above came to life, displaying a wireframe symbol of the Kalos Pokémon Gyms.

"Welcome to the Lumiose Gym," a robotic but familiar voice spoke. "What business do you have here today?"

Ash took a step forward, Pikachu sitting dutifully on his shoulder. "I'm Ash Ketchum, and I'm here to get my Voltage Badge!"

"No challengers are being accepted at this time," the screen responded. "The Lumiose Gym is closed today."

"I know that!" Ash replied, gesturing to himself with his thumb. "I've got a special battle against Clemont today! He knows who I am! He closed the gym for us!"

"You are not ready for a Gym Battle against Clemont." The robotic voice was growing more stern. "You have not met the requirements. You need more preparation."

"What are you talking about?" Ash was starting to lose his patience a bit, as he grabbed his vest and opened it, revealing the badges he had earned thus far. "Look, I've already got four baaAAAAHHHHHH!"

His words were cut off as a trapdoor opened up underneath him, barely having the sense to grab onto Pikachu as he started to fall, and his friends gasped and crowded around as he vanished into the floor. The trapdoor quickly turned into a slide, and after a few moments and several twists and turns, the slide spat Ash and Pikachu out onto a soft mat, where they rolled to a painless but disorienting stop.

"Unh... what's going on?" Ash wondered aloud as he sat up, Pikachu hopping out of his arms. "Has Clembot gone out of control again?" He turned and looked further into the room, eyes going wide as he saw a full-length obstacle course in front of him, with piston platforms, swing balls, and even a Tesla coil or two for good measure.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..." He stood up and sighed, stretching his arms and legs. "I just can't have a normal Gym Battle here, can I?" He looked down at Pikachu, who gave him a resolute nod, and the two started running forward through the obstacle course.

Pikachu was able to quickly run through with his small size, not having to worry about the swinging obstacles overhead, and was soon on the rising and falling piston platforms, turning around and waiting for his trainer, who had to dip, duck, dive and dodge his way past the numerous obstacles. After a bit of being pushed around, and almost getting himself shocked, he finally made it onto the same platform as Pikachu, nearly losing his balance as it receded below him, having to quickly kneel down and grab hold. Taking a moment to regain his bearings, he waited for the platform to rise again; once it did, both trainer and Pokémon clambered across the remaining platforms to the other side, at the end of the room.

Ash slowly stepped forward, thankful to be back on solid ground, and he grabbed at a railing at the end of the room as he caught his breath, feeling adrenaline pumping through his veins. As he and Pikachu took a moment to rest, he jumped as he felt the ground underneath him rumbling, starting to rise. He looked upward, seeing the ceiling open up above him, welcoming them both as they continued on their upward trajectory. Half a minute later, the floor finally stopped rising, and Ash and Pikachu found themselves on the battlefield of the Lumiose Gym, as the railing retracted into the ground.

"It's been a while, Ash Ketchum." Ash's head snapped toward the other end of the battlefield, his eyes lighting up as he spotted a blonde, teenaged boy in a blue-and-yellow jumpsuit, pushing his glasses further up his face, wearing a smirk. "I hope you enjoyed my special greeting." The overhead lights of the gym were reflecting off the lenses of his glasses, obscuring his eyes.

Ash grinned wide, clenching his fists excitedly. "If you're trying to throw me off, Clemont, it's not working! I'm more pumped up than ever now!"

"That's exactly what I wanted." The Gym Leader raised his head, the reflected light vanishing from his glasses, revealing the blue eyes that Ash was familiar with from his first Kalos journey. "Let's have the best battle we've ever had!"

"Good luck, Ash!" The challenger turned his head toward the stands, where all of his friends were sitting in the front row. His attention snapped to a ten-year-old girl in a maroon dress who was hanging off of Serena's shoulder, waving frantically, her blond hair tied up in two braided ponytails that hung down to her shoulders. "You too, Clemont!" He grinned and waved at her in response, thrilled to see Bonnie again and glad to see her close with Serena, as she always had been; Pikachu waved as well, energetically, with both arms.

"This will be a three-on-three battle!" a referee announced from the side of the arena. "The match ends as soon as one trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle! In addition, only the challenger will be able to substitute Pokémon!" He turned his head toward the boy in the jumpsuit. "Gym Leader Clemont will be the first to bring out his Pokémon!"

"Hope you're ready, Ash!" Clemont called out, grabbing a Poké Ball and flinging it onto the battlefield. Out of the ball emerged a metallic, magnetic Pokémon shaped somewhat like an alien spaceship. Ash recognized the Pokémon immediately, but up in the stands, Serena took out her Pokédex and pointed it at Clemont's Pokémon, tilting the screen to face Madison, who was on Serena's other side, opposite of Bonnie.

"Magnezone, the Magnet Area Pokémon," the device announced. "It evolved from exposure to a special magnetic field, and it emits energy from each of its three magnets."

"So, your Magneton evolved, huh..." Ash muttered to himself, as he grabbed a Poké Ball of his own. "Well then, I'm going with...!" He hurled it into the arena, summoning Absol as his first Pokémon; Absol quickly took an offensive stance, ready to give his all for his trainer.

"Both Pokémon are ready!" the referee called out. "Let the battle... begin!"

Clemont cast his hand out in front of him, wanting to steal the first move from his opponent. "Magnezone, use Tri Attack!" His Pokémon generated three balls of energy, one in front of each eye, each one a different color.

"Dodge, Absol, and hit it with a Quick Attack!" Ash countered. His Absol leaped out of the way as the three attacks shot toward him, dashing forward at high speed and jumping toward his opponent. Magnezone was barely able to hover out of the way of the charge.

"Hit it with a quick Electro Ball!" Clemont commanded, and his Pokémon immediately began charging up a large ball of electricity. Before it could complete the attack, Absol dashed in with a Sucker Punch, slamming its paw into Magnezone's underside; the Pokémon emitted a metallic cough, its eyes bulging out, as the electricity dissipated. Before it could recover, it was swatted away with a Night Slash, and it wobbled unsteadily as it tried to right itself.

Ash grinned wide, thrilled with his newest Pokémon's performance. "You're doing great! Go in for another Quick Attack!" Absol rushed in once again, buoyed by his trainer's praise, wanting to end this battle quickly and in dominant fashion.

Clemont was unfazed by being on the back foot, his voice calm and confident. "Stop it with Discharge!" His Magnezone righted itself, finding its opponent, and a bolt of blue electricity shot out from the antenna on top of its head, zapping Absol from head to toe and stopping him in his tracks. Absol collapsed to his knees, but shook the attack off quickly and got back to its feet, looking at Magnezone just in time to see a second Tri Attack heading his way.

Ash watched nervously as all three attacks connected, knocking Absol across the arena, and as his Pokémon stood back up he hoped that he hadn't been inflicted with a burn, or paralysis. He sighed in relief as Absol shook out his fur, roughed up but still ready for battle. Magnezone had some tricks up its sleeve, but Ash was certain that Absol's superior speed would win the day.

"Good work, Magnezone!" Clemont called out. "Now charge in! Get ready to attack!" His Pokémon nodded, taking an offensive stance and flying toward Absol. Ash watched it approach, not at all impressed with its speed.

"Counter it with Shadow Ball before it can hit you!" he commanded. Absol opened his mouth, charging up an orb of black energy, getting ready to launch its attack. Clemont was unable to hide a smirk; Ash had reacted just as he had hoped.

"Now! Use Thunder Wave!"

Ash's smile changed to an expression of panic, as Magnezone fired a series of electric rings at its foe. Absol shot out its Shadow Ball attack in response, but it was too late to stop his opponent, and both attacks hit their marks perfectly. Magnezone was knocked to the ground by the Shadow Ball, while Absol managed to stay on his feet. As he tried to move, however, he cried out in pain as electricity wracked his body, rendering him mostly immobile.

"Oh, that's not good..." Brock muttered, sitting between Iris and Madison as he watched Absol struggle, his arms folded.

"What's happened?" Madison asked, leaning in closer, concerned.

"He's been paralyzed by Thunder Wave," Brock explained. "This is big for Clemont."

"Absol's biggest advantage was how much faster he was than Magnezone," Iris elaborated. "Now he's barely going to be able to move. He's going to be a sitting duck." Madison looked back down at the battlefield, biting her lip, not wanting anything to happen to such a sweet Pokémon.

Clemont grinned mischievously, pleased that all of his time spent traveling with Ash was still coming in handy now. "Time to do some real damage! Use Gyro Ball!" Magnezone issued a metallic sound of affirmation, rolling forward and spinning at a high speed until it became a blur. Once it was moving fast enough, it dashed forward, ready to knock Absol off his feet.

Ash watched the magnetic Pokémon approach, not sure how to deal with this attack under the circumstances. He eventually stepped forward and called out a command. "When it gets close, try to knock it away with a Night Slash!" Absol steeled itself as Magnezone approached, his paw starting to glow purple in anticipation. Once his opponent was a handful of feet away, he lifted his leg and swung as hard as he could at Magnezone's body.

Both Pokémon were staggered by the exchange, with Magnezone spinning off in another direction, and Absol sliding along the ground, trying to regain his footing. As he tried standing again, another round of paralyzing electricity shot through his muscles, and he cried out in pain a second time. He managed to get back to his feet with a bit of effort, looking back at his opponent, eyes widening at the powerful Flash Cannon headed his way. With no hope of avoiding the incoming attack, he was blasted helplessly across the arena, skidding to a stop at Ash's feet. Ash kneeled down to study Absol's face, his heart sinking as he got a good look at his Pokémon's eyes.

"Absol is unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising a flag in Clemont's direction. "The Gym Leader, Clemont, wins the first bout!"

"Yay! Good job, Clemont!" Bonnie called out, the only member of the audience cheering for the Gym Leader. "Keep going! I know you can win this!"

Serena glanced down at her, conflicted, not wanting Clemont's only supporter to be his younger sister, but wanting Ash to win his badge at the same time. She eventually leaned forward and offered tepid support for both battlers. "Both of you are doing great! Keep at it, Ash! You can come back from this!"

Ash let out a disappointed sigh, but he managed to keep his cool as he stood up and grabbed Absol's Poké Ball. "You did a great job. Get some rest and I'll have you fixed up as soon as I can." He brought the Pokémon back to his ball and reattached it to his hip, before glancing up at his shoulder. "Alright, Pikachu. You ready to show Clemont what you're made of?" Pikachu gave a cheer and leaped into the arena, locking eyes with the Gym Leader as his cheeks sparked.

"The challenger has chosen his Pokémon!" the referee announced. "The Gym Battle will resume... now!"

"Magnezone's weak, Pikachu!" Ash called out, not giving Clemont a moment. "Get in close and use Iron Tail!" Pikachu dropped down onto its front legs and raced forward, quickly closing the gap.

"Use Thunder Wave again!" Clemont commanded. "Stop it in its tracks!"

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash countered. Pikachu easily leaped to the side of Magnezone's attack, running behind his opponent before leaping up and swinging its iron-hard tail into the back of Magnezone's head, knocking it to the ground.

Ash cheered. "Yeah! Do it again!" Pikachu grinned and moved in for another attack, as Clemont's Pokémon started to hover again.

"Grab Pikachu before he can hit you again! Give him a Thunder Shock!"

As Pikachu jumped in for another attack, Magnezone whirled around and snatched his foe out of the air, giving the mouse Pokémon a quick zap before he could get free.

"Shock it back, Pikachu! You're the stronger Pokémon!" Ash insisted.

"Toss Pikachu away, then follow it with Gyro Ball!" Clemont ordered at the exact same time. His Magnezone spun about and hurled Pikachu across the battlefield, before starting to spin once again. Pikachu slid for a moment before getting back to his feet, watching as a whirling Magnezone approached.

"Stop Magnezone with an Electroweb!" Ash shouted, thinking fast. Pikachu nodded and focused, charging up a ball of electricity at the tip of his tail, before spinning about and flinging it at the approaching Pokémon. The ball opened up and spread out into a wide web, which wrapped around Magnezone and delivered a powerful shock, stopping its advance immediately.

"Shake it off, Magnezone!" Clemont called out. As the Electroweb attack dissipated, Magnezone righted itself and looked around, finding Pikachu running toward it at full speed, surrounded by an electric aura. Before Clemont's Pokémon could dodge, Pikachu leaped up and slammed into it with a full-force Volt Tackle, shooting it across the battlefield like a cannonball. Magnezone hit the ground hard, rolling over and over until it finally came to a stop, making no attempt to get back up and continue the fight.

"Magnezone is unable to battle, and Pikachu is the winner! Both trainers have two Pokémon left!"

"Great job, Pikachu!" Ash shouted, the cheering from the stands filling him with energy. "How are you feeling? Still good to go?" Pikachu spun around and gave an affirmative cheer, raring to go for another round.

Clemont looked unfazed as he returned Magnezone to its Poké Ball, offering words of praise before putting it away. He immediately grabbed another, knowing exactly who he wanted to take on Pikachu, and he tossed it into the arena. Everyone watched as a short, yellow-and-black, dinosaur-like Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, immediately letting out a cry in an attempted show of intimidation. Iris pulled out her Pokédex, wanting to know who this creature was.

"Heliolisk, the Generator Pokémon and the evolved form of Helioptile. Heliolisk produces enough electricity to power a large building and recharges by spreading its frills."

Ash grinned from ear to ear, excited for the upcoming showdown. Pikachu and Heliolisk were two powerful and speedy Electric-type Pokémon, with no obvious advantages one way or the other. This was going to be skill vs. skill, power vs. power, and he couldn't wait to see the result.

"Both Pokémon are ready for battle!" the referee's voice rang out. "The match will resume... now!"

Ash once again took the initiative, going with a familiar strategy. "Use Quick Attack, Pikachu! Let's see who's faster!" Pikachu nodded, dashing forward as fast as lightning toward his opponent. Clemont, however, was not about to play Ash's game just yet.

"Stop Pikachu's charge with Bulldoze!" he ordered. Heliolisk growled and lifted his leg, bringing it back down and sending a shockwave through the battlefield, just as Pikachu was closing in. Ash's Pokémon stumbled and slipped, losing his footing as the ground underneath him rose and fell, sliding across the field. As he got to his feet, he was knocked away by a Dragon Tail from his opponent.

"No! Pikachu!" Ash called out, shocked, as Heliolisk ran forward in pursuit. "He's after you! Use a Thunderbolt!" Pikachu twisted about to spot his foe, closing his eyes and firing off a powerful electric shock, zapping Heliolisk and stopping his charge cold. Pikachu was able to land on his feet, and the two Pokémon stared each other down, ready for another attack.

"Flash!" Clemont yelled out. Heliolisk wasted no time, instantly extending the black-and-orange collar around his neck, which emitted a blinding light right in Pikachu's face. The mouse Pokémon cried out in pain, looking away too late to save his vision, and even Ash had to wince and cover his eyes. As the world slowly returned, Pikachu was abruptly blasted away by a powerful Focus Blast, sending him rolling across the battlefield.

"Great work, Heliolisk!" Clemont was confident as he took a step forward, pleased to have Pikachu on the back foot so early. "Now follow up with a Thunderbolt!"

Ash reacted quickly, not about to let Clemont have an easy win. "Pikachu, throw an Electroweb in the opposite direction of me!" Pikachu was still squinting, his vision not fully returned, but he obeyed his trainer's command dutifully, flinging his Electroweb away from his trainer; the attack collided with the incoming Thunderbolt, and the two cancelled each other out. Pikachu shook himself out as he stared down his opponent, his vision finally back to normal. Seconds later, both trainers ordered their Pokémon to charge, and they were off and running.

The spectators in the stands watched with amazement as Pikachu and Heliolisk traded blows, their bodies clashing repeatedly as they ran at each other at high speeds. Sparks flew everywhere and electricity raked the walls as the two Electric-type Pokémon battled ferociously, wanting to bring victory to their trainers. Both Ash and Clemont were laser-focused on the battlefield, calling out attacks one after the other, each of them trying to play several moves ahead, wanting to show the other trainer how much they had grown.

As Pikachu charged in for another assault, another Flash attack left him partially blinded once again, and he screeched to a halt as he grumbled in pain, dropping to all fours. Ash watched as Heliolisk took the time to summon another Focus Blast, before an idea came to him.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ground, as hard as you can!"

His Pokémon complied immediately, leaping into the air and performing a front flip, swinging his Iron Tail into the battlefield with incredible force. The battlefield splintered and crumbled where it had been struck, and a shockwave swept outward through the arena, knocking Heliolisk off-balance and breaking his focus,

"Now, Volt Tackle, quick!" Ash followed up, and Pikachu began to charge through squinting eyes.

"Dodge it, Heliolisk!" Clemont countered. His Pokémon attempted to move out of the way, but without a sure footing, he ended up stumbling and falling instead. He could only watch as the incoming Volt Tackle slammed into him, knocking him away and knocking the air out of his lungs.

"Pikachu's got him on the ropes!" Madison exclaimed excitedly, as she watched Heliolisk fly backwards. "Look at Heliolisk! He looks like he's on his last legs!"

"It was close for a while, but I think you're right," Brock concurred. "That last attack took a lot out of him."

"Maybe... but you should never count Clemont out too soon," Serena mused. "He's a Gym Leader for a reason." They all watched Heliolisk get unsteadily to his feet, as Ash plotted his next move. Clemont watched his Pokémon rise, still looking cool as a cucumber, not concerned with the damage Heliolisk had taken.

"Now's the time!" he declared. "Use Parabolic Charge!"

His Heliolisk nodded, extending its frilled collar once again and letting out a hissing sound, a powerful electric charge forming and then shooting into the air. The large ball of electricity hung in the air for a few moments, before powerful bolts of electricity began shooting out of it, arching down toward the ground.

"Pikachu, dodge! Don't let yourself get hit!" Ash's Pokémon tried to heed his words, jumping and running about to avoid the electric barrage, but it wasn't long before he was struck by a powerful bolt of electricity, then another. Pikachu collapsed to his stomach, his energy drained and his body in pain, as the electric attacks shot back out of him and rejoined the orb hovering above the battlefield. Once the attack ceased, the orb issued one more bolt of electricity toward Heliolisk, who stood taller and stronger as a result.

"That's what I was afraid of," Serena spoke, wringing her hands. "Parabolic Charge damages Pikachu and heals Heliolisk. That attack could turn the whole battle around." The others watched Pikachu slowly stand, suddenly nervous.

"Great job, Heliolisk!" Clemont grinned. "Again! Use Parabolic Charge!" Ash watched as Heliolisk summoned another ball of electricity, his mind racing, knowing Pikachu wouldn't be able to take many more of those. His eyes soon lit up with an idea.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" he commanded. Everyone watched as Pikachu raced forward toward his opponent, not sure what the plan was, before Ash called out again. "Now jump overhead! Get behind him!"

Pikachu abruptly stopped his charge and leaped over Heliolisk in a tight arc, landing directly behind his opponent. Heliolisk whirled around and took a defensive stance, not wanting to take an Iron Tail to the back.

"Heliolisk, move!" Clemont yelled, able to see what was about to happen. "Get away from Pikachu, now!" His command came too late, as the first bolt from the Parabolic Charge shot downward toward Pikachu, but connected with Heliolisk instead, who was directly in the way. The Gym Leader felt his heart drop into his stomach as one shock after another wracked his Pokémon's body with friendly fire. By the time the attack finished, Heliolisk was barely able to stand, woozy and sore, his frilled collar still extended.

"Great job!" Ash lauded his Pokémon. "Now finish him off with an Iron Tail!" Pikachu leaped up and spun around, smacking Heliolisk right in the collar with his tail, knocking him heavily to the ground and kicking up a large cloud of dirt and dust. Five of the six spectators cheered as the dust cleared to reveal Clemont's Pokémon, leaving no doubt as to the outcome.

"Heliolisk is unable to battle!" The referee lifted one of his flags in Ash's direction. "Pikachu is the winner! The Gym Leader only has one Pokémon left!"

"Yes!" Ash thrust his fist into the air. "Great job, Pikachu!" His Pokémon turned around to face him, giving a tired cheer.

"Come on, Clemont!" Bonnie called out, cupping her hands to her mouth, unable to hide a mischievous grin. "This trainer's nothing! You can beat him with your eyes closed!"

"Bonnie!" Serena chastised, turning to the young girl in surprise, as Bonnie snickered.

Ash laughed, turning toward Bonnie in the stands. "Hey, whose side are you on?!"

"I'm on Clemont's side, of course!" she responded, leaning forward and placing her hands on the wall in front of her. "Someone here has to be!" Ash sighed and shook his head, not sure who the target of her teasing was anymore.

"Don't worry, Bonnie!" Clemont responded, as he returned Heliolisk to his Poké Ball. "I'm not planning on letting you down!" He attached the ball to his belt, turning his gaze back to Ash. "You're as crafty as you've always been, Ash. Let's see how well you do against my last Pokémon!" He grabbed another Poké Ball and tossed it onto the battlefield. "Come on out, Luxray!"

Ash watched as a four-legged, black-and-blue Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, his tall fur making him look larger and more imposing. He smiled wide, glad to see another familiar face, before looking back toward his own Pokémon.

"How are you feeling, Pikachu? You need to rest for a bit?" Pikachu looked back and shook his head, clearly tired but still full of fighting spirit, wanting to show Clemont what he had. Ash gave him a nod, letting him stay in the fight, not about to remove a Pokémon that was raring to go. He knew Pikachu wouldn't last the entire bout, but if he wanted to go down swinging, Ash was going to let him.

"Gym Leader Clemont has chosen his final Pokémon! The battle will resume... now!"

Clemont was the one to make the first move in this round. "Luxray, attack with Swift!" His Pokémon raised his tail, which began to glow yellow, before spinning around and swinging the tail toward Pikachu, unleashing a mass of stars.

"Stop those with Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity at the oncoming stars, and the two attacks destroyed each other in midair.

Ash grinned, pleased, before issuing another command. "Get in there with Quick Attack! You're faster than Luxray!" Pikachu took off running, not as fast as he had been earlier in the battle, but still much faster than the larger Luxray.

Clemont waited a few moments for Pikachu to approach before his counterattack. "Discharge, quick!" Luxray bristled, his fur standing on end as electricity coursed through it, and it shot out in a bolt that arched directly toward Pikachu, zapping the Pokémon and stopping him in his tracks. Ash grimaced, worried that Pikachu was much more worn out than he had let on.

"Good work! Now follow it up with Wild Charge!" Luxray immediately started running, his body surrounded with an electric aura, much like the Volt Tackle that Pikachu often used.

"Stop him with Electroweb, Pikachu!" Pikachu hopped up to his feet, whirling around and flinging a wide web of electricity at the incoming Pokémon. The web wrapped itself around Luxray, delivering a powerful shock and stopping him cold, as Pikachu took a minute to catch his breath.

"Now attack with Iron Tail, while he's still stunned!" Ash's Pokémon nodded and began to focus, his tail slowly becoming hard as iron, much more slowly than Ash was hoping for. A few seconds later, he ran forward toward Luxray and leaped into the air, ready to attack.

"You can stop him, Luxray!" Clemont called out. "Grab that tail with Thunder Fang!"

As Pikachu spun around in midair, Luxray shifted his body slightly and reached out with his jaws, clamping down hard on Pikachu's tail. Pikachu cried out in surprise, then in pain, as the Thunder Fang delivered a delayed but powerful shock, leaving the Pokémon limp and exhausted. Luxray growled and flung Pikachu away with a tilt of his head, sending him sliding across the battlefield. As he groaned and tried to get to his feet, he didn't even see the final Swift attack coming his way before it hit him, flinging him away a second time. All of the spectators, even Bonnie, watched glumly as Pikachu rolled to a stop, not getting back up.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising a flag toward Clemont. "Luxray is the winner! Both trainers are down to their final Pokémon!"

"Poor Pikachu..." Bonnie lamented, her hands clasped in her lap. Though she was supporting her brother in this battle, she still loved Pikachu dearly, and it was hard to see him roughed up. Serena reached out and rubbed the girl's shoulder.

"He'll be alright," she offered. "He wanted to fight to the end, and that's what he did. He'll be perfectly fine later, after a trip to the Pokémon Center." Bonnie nodded, watching as Ash ran out onto the battlefield and knelt down next to Pikachu, cradling the defeated Pokémon in his arms.

"You were great, Pikachu," he reassured, wearing a warm smile, as the mouse Pokémon came back to his senses. "You've done more than your fair share. You've earned a nice, long rest." Pikachu gave him a tired smile as they walked back to the end of the battlefield, exhausted but happy, deeply enjoying the feeling of being cared for by his beloved trainer. Ash placed Pikachu at his feet, watching as he sat up and looked back out at the battlefield, before turning his own eyes toward Clemont.

"This has been a great battle, Clemont! Just what I was hoping for!" Ash reached down to his belt, fingers wrapping around one last Poké Ball. "But that badge has my name all over it!" He hurled the ball into the arena. "Snivy, let's go!" Clemont watched curiously as the green, snake-like Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, sizing up her opponent with a confident smirk, certain that she could take him down.

"That's a good choice," Brock commented from the stands, his arms folded. "Snivy's a Grass-type, so she'll have a resistance to Electric-type attacks. And she's agile, too." Iris and Shannon nodded in agreement, as the referee raised both flags.

"Both trainers are ready! The final round will begin... now!"

Clemont stepped forward. "Luxray, start with Electric Terrain!" Luxray howled as several bolts of electricity shot forth from his body, dissipating into the air and giving the arena a yellow, electrified glow.

"Well, so much for that advantage," Iris muttered. Electric Terrain was an attack that powered up Electric-type moves, which would offset Snivy's natural resistance.

"He purposely waited for Pikachu to leave, so only Luxray would benefit," Shannon observed thoughtfully. "That's a clever move on his part." Down in the arena, Ash had come to the same conclusion, but he was undeterred. He knew how fierce of a fighter Snivy was. He was certain her tenacity would carry her to victory.

"Snivy, attack with Leaf Storm!" Ash began. Snivy immediately summoned a whirlwind of leaves around her, before thrusting her arms forward and flinging the projectiles in Luxray's direction. Clemont's Pokémon dodged easily, leaping to the side.

"Run in closer! Get in range to attack with Discharge!" Clemont responded. Luxray started running forward, toward Ash and Snivy, and Ash tried to hide a confident smirk as he issued his next command.

"Stop him with Grass Knot!" Snivy made no attempt to hide her smirk as her hands glowed green, pointing them toward Luxray. Immediately, a vine burst from the ground and snagged Luxray's foot, causing him to stumble and somersault forward, scrambling to get back on his feet. When he finally was able to look up, he was greeted with a glowing Leaf Blade right to his face that knocked him back.

Ash pumped his fist excitedly, amped to see that Snivy had the strength to contend with Luxray, and not just the speed. "Keep up the assault! Use Slam!" Snivy reached out with her vines and grabbed Luxray by the shoulders, pulling herself in quickly for a powerful tackle.

"Quick, hit her with Discharge!" Clemont responded. Luxray instantly shot out a bolt of electricity at the incoming Pokémon, delivering a powerful shock and knocking Snivy out of the air. As she worked to get up, she cried out in pain as Luxray's jaws clamped down on her torso, delivering an even more powerful shock with Thunder Fang.

"Snivy!" Ash called out, worried and thinking quickly. "Slap him around with Vine Whip!" Snivy gritted her teeth and extended her vines, reaching back and slapping Luxray repeatedly across the face, as hard as she could. It wasn't long before Luxray was forced to let her go and back off, feeling dazed and unsteady from the repeated attacks to the head.

Ash exhaled, watching Snivy get to her feet. "Quickly, go in with another Leaf Blade!" The grass Pokémon rushed in immediately, leaping upward as her tail began to glow.

Clemont responded quickly, needing to eliminate one of Snivy's advantages immediately. "Luxray, stay still and use Thunder Wave!"

Ash's eyes went wide, and he went into panic mode. "Snivy, stop! Get away!"

His advice came too late. Snivy was unable to stop her mid-air charge, and flung herself directly into the electrified rings of Luxray's Thunder Wave attack, as they issued forth from his mouth. Her Leaf Blade attack hit him directly in the jaw, sending him sliding backward, but the damage was already done. As Snivy landed on the ground, she cried out in pain as electricity coursed through her lower body.

"Oh no! Not again!" Madison gripped her legs tightly, watching nervously as Snivy struggled to stay upright. Next to her, Serena was trying her best to keep cool, knowing how good of a trainer Ash was, but paralysis was undeniably a major setback in a Gym battle.

"Come on, Ash, you're being careless!" Iris spoke to herself, though secretly hoping Ash could hear her chastising him. "Did you really think an Electric-type Gym Leader wouldn't paralyze your Pokémon a second time?"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ash held his head in his hand, eyes locked on his Pokémon. "Snivy, can you move?" Snivy glanced back at him, wincing as her legs received another painful and paralyzing shock. She extended her vines, moving them about freely, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great job, Luxray! Now let's show them some power!" Clemont clenched his fist. "Run in and use Thunder Fang again!" His Pokémon barked and charged forward, baring his fangs as they crackled with electricity.

"Snivy, dodge!" His Pokémon extended her vines and used them to push against the ground, launching her deftly away from the incoming attack. Both Clemont and Luxray goggled as she came to a graceful landing, her vines bringing her slowly back to the ground. Serena couldn't stop herself from letting out an excited cheer from the stands.

"What?! How can she still move like that?!" Clemont gestured toward Snivy with his hands, incredulous.

Ash briefly covered his mouth to hide his snorting laugh. "Snivy's better with her vines than she is with her arms or legs! Maybe you should have paralyzed those!" He looked back at his Pokémon. "Attack with Leaf Storm!" Snivy was bursting with confidence, fueled by Clemont's stunned expression, as she flung a barrage of razor-sharp leaves toward Luxray, who was unable to dodge them in time.

"Don't let her get the best of you, Luxray! Hit her with Discharge!" Luxray growled and closed in, trying to get close enough to zap Snivy with a bolt of electricity. Snivy stayed on the move, using her vines to jump, turn and dodge with ease, her paralyzed lower half proving to be a minimal hindrance. The occasional Vine Whip kept Luxray at bay, unable to get in range for a Discharge or a Thunder Fang, and Ash and Snivy were able to keep control of the battle.

After a minute or so of dodging and jumping around, another wave of paralyzing shocks wracked Snivy's lower half, causing her to fall to one knee. Clemont's eyes flashed, seeing an opportunity.

"Quickly, hit her with Swift!" Luxray's tail glowed and he quickly spun around, flinging a mass of stars at his opponent. Still groaning in pain, Snivy was unable to dodge the attack, and was blasted away, landing on her back. She used her vines to help herself back to a standing position, looking forward to see Luxray bearing down on her, electric fangs bared once again.

"Snivy, grab and stop him with Vine Whip!" Ash ordered. His Pokémon extended her vines further, wrapping them around Luxray's shoulders and pushing him away as best she could, but the paralysis and the last attack had left her weaker than she wanted to be. Soon the two of them were engaged in a shoving match, as Luxray tried to force himself forward, while Snivy tried to hold him back.

"Use Discharge and push through!" Clemont commanded, able to see victory in his grasp. Snivy cried out in pain as the electric charge coursed through her body and her vines, and she fell to her knees, allowing Luxray to inch his way closer to finishing her with a Thunder Fang. As Ash racked his brain for some way to get Snivy out of this situation, he gasped as her body began to glow with a blue light.

"Oh my gosh, look!" Shannon exclaimed, sitting up straight and leaning in closer, knowing exactly what this light meant. Everyone in the room fixed their gaze on Snivy as the glowing light slowly expanded to cover her body. After a few seconds, she let out a loud cry and lifted Luxray off the ground with her vines, tossing him across the battlefield. Luxray got slowly to his feet, turning and watching the evolution with everyone else, wanting to see what his opponent would transform into. Several long seconds later, however, it became clear that something wasn't quite right.

"What's happening?" Madison wondered aloud. "Isn't Snivy supposed to be changing shape? What's going on?" The others began to wonder the same thing the longer they watched. Snivy was standing perfectly still, her eyes shut tight and all of her muscles tensed, as the glow in her body stayed at a constant dim level. Eventually, another bout of paralyzing electricity shot through her, causing her to cry out in pain, and she began to glow more brightly.

Ash stepped forward, getting as close to the battlefield as he was allowed. "Snivy, what's going on? Are you alright?" She turned back to face him, and his breath caught in his throat as he saw the expression on her face. He had known Snivy for a long time, and he had seen a wide range of emotions from her, from confidence, to consternation, to contentment. He had never seen her scared before. Yet right now, the expression on her face was one of distress, panic, and absolute terror. Her eyes were filled with fear, pleading desperately for help.

Ash instantly shifted gears, forcing his own panic down for his Pokémon's sake. The outcome of this battle was no longer important; the only thing that mattered was stopping Snivy's evolution into Servine. Right now, he had no idea how he was going to do that. He wouldn't have time to go and obtain an Everstone to stop the evolution, as he only had a handful of seconds to act, not minutes. He thought of forfeiting the battle and using a Paralyze Heal to help her fight the evolution, but it wasn't clear that it would even help. He had no real experience in preventing a Pokémon evolution in progress.

"We have to knock her out before she evolves!" Clemont shouted, on the same page as Ash. "Luxray, use Wild Charge! Give it everything you've got!" Luxray nodded and took off like a large bolt of lightning, running as fast as his legs would allow, lowering his head in order to hit Snivy with full force. Ash watched him approach, not giving Snivy any order to dodge, hoping that Clemont was capable of knocking her out, and furthermore that it would prevent her transformation.

His mind continued to race, thinking back to all the times that he had witnessed a resisted evolution. Many years ago in Kanto, his Bulbasaur had stopped himself from evolving just with his own internal strength; this clearly wasn't working for Snivy, due to her damage, or her paralysis, or both. During his journey with Dawn in Sinnoh, her Piplup had forced its evolution back down by using Bide, taking the evolution energy as damage and expelling it back out. Snivy didn't know Bide, however, and he didn't know of any other-

In an instant, his mind clicked with the answer. Snivy couldn't use Bide, but she did have one other technique that might just do the trick. They had been practicing it together in secret, waiting for the right time to unleash it, and if there was ever such a time, it was now.

"Snivy!" he called out. "Take all of that evolution energy and turn it into a Solar Beam!"

Snivy immediately heeded his command, ignoring the audible confusion from the spectators, extending her arms in front of her and focusing hard. A small ball of light appeared between her hands, which quickly grew to a massive size as it was flooded with evolution energy. Luxray's eyes went wide as he saw the giant energy ball in front of him, almost blindingly bright and dangerously threatening.

"What the...?!" Clemont took a moment to react, falling back into Battle Mode. "Luxray, jump! Avoid it!" Luxray obeyed immediately, leaping into the air as he continued his charge, only feet away. Snivy let a confident smirk cross her face once more, as she aimed her arms up at her foe. She wasn't about to let this attack go to waste.

The Solar Beam erupted right in Luxray's face, slamming into him from point-blank range with incredible force. He was blasted away, carried along with the beam that sent him flying nearly fifteen feet into the air before he fell out of it. The attack carried on without him, lighting up the entire room, slamming into the roof of the arena and nearly cracking it with its strength, as Luxray landed heavily and helplessly on the ground. As the attack dissipated and the light receded, Snivy slumped forward and caught her breath, the glow completely faded from her body. She looked across the arena at Luxray, grinning as she saw him lying still on his side, completely incapacitated by Snivy's display of power. The referee, dutiful as ever, watched Clemont's Pokémon for a moment before raising a flag in Ash's direction.

"Luxray is unable to battle!" he announced. "Snivy wins the battle, and the challenger Ash wins the match!"

As soon as Ash heard the referee's words, he ran out onto the battlefield, not concerned at all with his badge and worried only about his Pokémon; Pikachu ran after him, similarly worried. "Snivy! You're not glowing anymore! Are you feeling alright?"

Snivy turned around, her eyes lighting up as they met his, and she extended her vines to wrap around his shoulders, pulling herself upward. She came to rest on his right shoulder, leaning in and rubbing her cheek against his, gratefully and affectionately.

"Hey!" Ash laughed and reached up to rub her head gently, never having seen this side of her before. "I'm glad that you're still you, Snivy." He grinned and looked back into her eyes as she pulled away, having a suspicion that he wanted to confirm.

"Snivy, that wasn't your first time resisting an evolution, was it?" She shook her head in response, and he smiled up at her. "Then I guess we'll be getting you an Everstone as soon as we can. However you want to be, that's the way I want you to be." Snivy nodded and voiced her agreement, still wearing a grateful smile, never having been as happy with her trainer as she was right now.

"Well, I'm glad everything worked out." Ash looked forward to see Clemont walking toward him, a thoroughly amused expression on his face. "Every time I think I've seen everything from you, you always prove me wrong, Ash. You're the most unpredictable trainer I've ever known."

Ash chuckled. "That's how I win most of my battles. But not even I was expecting what happened today to happen."

"How did you know that Snivy would be able to resist evolution with a Solar Beam? I've never seen anything like that?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly, it was just a guess. I'd seen something sort of like it before with Bide, and I was running low on ideas, so..."

Clemont shook his head, amazed. "You're really something else, Ash." He reached into the pocket of his jumpsuit, pulling out a metallic yellow badge that looked like a triangular shield, with six bolts of electricity emanating from its center. "And you've definitely earned your Voltage Badge. Not like there was ever any doubt."

Ash grinned and reached out, accepting the badge from his old friend. "Thanks, Clemont. That was an awesome battle! You did a fantastic job, just as I knew you would."

Clemont smiled back and nodded. "Same to you."

"Ash!" He turned to his left to see Bonnie leaping up at him, throwing her arms around his neck and clinging to him tightly, nearly knocking Snivy off her perch. "That was amazing! You were so great, the way you saved Snivy like that!"

He laughed as he regained his balance, holding her gently, as all of his other friends walked up after her. "It's great to see you again, Bonnie!"

"You too, Ash!" Bonnie slid off his shoulders, turning and looking toward Serena, who was standing next to Ash. She reached out and grasped one of each of their hands in her own, her eyes shining. "I'm so happy you two are traveling together again! I want you to tell me everything that's happened!"

Serena giggled, squeezing the young girl's hand in hers. "We will, Bonnie, we promise!"

Clemont was smiling from ear to ear as he watched the happy reunion, before speaking up. "I want to hear all about it, too. And I want to meet all these friends you've brought with you." He pushed his glasses up. "There's a special lunch waiting for all of us, after we take a trip to the Pokémon Center. Let's get going!"

Ash nodded, his stomach already growling in anticipation. "Sounds great!" He kneeled down and lifted Pikachu up in his arms. "Come on, everyone!" Clemont turned and led the way out, with the other seven following him, talking amongst each other about the battle they had just seen.

"Ash, when did you teach Snivy how to use Solar Beam?" Brock wondered, walking on his other side. "I don't remember seeing you practicing that."

Ash smirked and started to answer his question, loudly enough for everyone to hear. As he walked and talked, Pikachu turned in his arms to look curiously up at Snivy, who was sitting on her trainer's shoulder.

"Why didn't you let yourself evolve?" he asked her, speaking in his own Pokémon language.

"Why would I want to evolve?" she replied, her nose in the air. "I'm already perfect."

Pikachu nodded, unable to find fault with this logic.

Chapter Text

"...So pretty much as soon as the Grand Festival ended, I got on a flight back home to Kalos," Serena recalled for a captivated Bonnie and Clemont. "Then a few days after that was the Coumarine City Showcase, and that's when I ran into Ash, Iris and Brock. We've been traveling together since then. Ash is taking on gyms, and I'm taking on showcases."

Clemont nodded, swallowing a bite of his lunch. "You sure are. You've already got two Princess Keys from three showcases."

"And you're about to get your third!" Bonnie encouraged, her face practically glowing. "I can't wait to see you perform in person again!" From atop her head, the orange-and-cream-colored Dedenne voiced his agreement.

Serena grinned wide as she took another bite of her meal. She and her friends - now numbering eight in total - were seated in a large dining hall, enjoying a V.I.P. lunch with fifty of the most V.I. of P.'s in Lumiose City. Most of the invitees had only brought one or two guests, but Clemont had wielded the combined might of two Gym Leaders, a League champion, and a fan-favorite performer, and managed to get a larger table for all of them. Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie were busy catching up, while Brock, Iris, Shannon and Madison enjoyed one of the most delicious lunches they had ever eaten. For Iris, the flavor and composition of her meal was oddly familiar, though she couldn't put her finger on why.

"So what about you? What have you two been doing since we left?" Serena asked.

"Hey, no fair!" Bonnie insisted. "I was going to ask Ash that!"

"Well, I asked first!" Serena fired back, as Ash chuckled. Bonnie pouted as Clemont swallowed his mouthful of food, sitting up straight.

"I've been tending to the gym, of course," he began. "I've made some upgrades to Clembot, so he can give feedback to trainers when they lose a battle with him. Doing that has allowed me to spend more time at Lumiose University."

"What have you been doing there?" Ash asked, taking another bite.

"I've been doing research into how to make the Power Plant more energy-efficient," he explained. "There's a bit of a net power loss whenever we process the solar radiation that comes from our satellites, and we want to recapture that power. Specifically, I've been trying to redirect the lost solar particles back into our superconducting ring using a variety of techniques, but I also can't spend more energy than we're trying to..." He trailed off as he took in the blank expressions of those around him, all of them utterly lost in the details of his explanation. "Well, it's... a tricky problem to solve, is the point."

Ash's quickly put on an encouraging smile. "I don't know what all that means, but I'm sure if you're working on it, you'll be able to figure it out."

"Eheh... thanks." Clemont rubbed the back of his head.

"What about you, Bonnie?" Serena turned her gaze toward Clemont's sister. "What have you been doing since we left?" A grin landed on her face. "Are you still trying to find someone to take care of your brother?"

"Hnn..." Bonnie groaned and slumped down onto the table, covering her face with her arms, mortified at the memories of herself asking every beautiful woman she met to be her brother's girlfriend. "Please don't bring that up..."

Serena giggled as Clemont reached out and rubbed Bonnie's back comfortingly. "No, she hasn't done that in ages. Thank goodness for that."

"You're ten now, right?" Ash asked. "Do you think you're going to be going on your own journey soon?"

"I don't know..." Bonnie propped herself up with her arms, a contemplative look on her face. "I sort of feel like I already went on a journey with you guys, you know? I already got to see Kalos, its people, its Pokémon..." She looked up again. "Besides, I'm pretty busy working these days. I'm not sure I'd have time to get away."

"Working?" Ash cocked his head. "What work are you doing?"

Clemont grinned and gestured proudly toward his sister. "Bonnie here is one of Lumiose City's most highly-requested Pokémon sitters."

"What? Really?!" Serena's whole face lit up with pride, as Bonnie grinned and sat up straighter. "Bonnie, that's wonderful!"

"Pokémon sitter?" Ash wondered aloud. "So you take care of people's Pokémon while they're away?"

"Mhmm." The young girl nodded. "It's mostly business people going on business trips and stuff, and don't want to bring their Pokémon to a hotel. I feed them, bathe them, play with them, make sure they take their vitamins... all the rich people here have their Pokémon take vitamins, for some reason. Who knows why."

"How often are you doing that?" Iris chimed in, as conversation on the other half of the table started dying down.

"Four to five days a week, normally. With overnights on the weekends."

Serena's eyebrows raised. "Wow, you really are busy. That sounds like a lot of work."

"It is, but I love it, though!" Bonnie's eyes were sparkling. "Taking care of Pokémon is my favorite thing in the whole world. And now I'm getting paid for it! And I'm learning so much about all the different Pokémon out there!" Her eyes flicked upward, a bit lost in thought. "One day, I want to save up enough money so that I can open up my own Pokémon day care. That would be so perfect..."

"Go for it! I know you can do it if you put your mind to it, Bonnie!" Ash encouraged.

"Thanks, Ash! I really hope so." Her eyes were still dreamy as she imagined her future business.

Ash watched her daydream for a moment before changing the subject. "So if you haven't gone on a journey, does that mean you didn't go get a starter Pokémon from Professor Sycamore?"

"No, I did!" She eagerly grabbed her bag and reached into it, rifling through its contents before pulling out a Poké Ball and immediately opening it. "Come on out!" Everyone watched as the ball ejected the red energy inside onto the floor, which took the shape of a blue, frog-like Pokémon, with a mane of bubbles around its collar.

"Ah! It's a Froakie!" Serena exclaimed, immediately recognizing the base form of Greninja. Ash grinned wide, watching as Froakie hopped up happily into its trainer's waiting arms, sitting on her lap as she hugged it tightly.

"Isn't she the cutest?" Bonnie rubbed its head lovingly, and Froakie closed its eyes, basking in the affection. "She's so sweet, but she's really protective, too. I love bringing her with me when I'm sitting."

"She looks great!" Ash leaned in for a closer look, as the frog Pokémon looked back curiously. "I think you made a great choice, Bonnie."

Clemont smirked deviously. "Bonnie's wanted a Water-type Pokémon ever since a Simisear she was looking after set her hair on fire."

"Clemont!" She whirled around and glared at her brother, face flushing with embarrassment. "I told you not to talk about that!"

Serena blinked. "Wait, did that actually happen?"

"No! It never happened!" Bonnie replied sharply. "And he wasn't supposed to bring it up!" The others at the table laughed as she huffed and slumped in her seat, holding her Froakie a bit tighter.

"What about you, Ash?" Clemont turned his attention toward his old friend. "I'm sure you must have had some amazing adventures after you left."

"Yeah! And caught some amazing Pokémon!" Bonnie sat up straight. "Who do you have with you now? I want to see!"

"Well, I don't think I can bring them out here..." Ash grinned. "You saw Snivy and Absol, and of course Pikachu." He glanced over to his left, where Pikachu was sitting on the table, happily lapping at a small plate of tomato sauce. "Greninja's with me right now..."

Bonnie issued a squeak of delight. "Greninja! I want to see him again, too!"

"You will!" Serena reassured her. "We're going to bring him with us to Professor Sycamore's lab tomorrow."

Bonnie nodded vigorously, and Ash continued. "And I've got a Drapion and a Sigilyph, too. They're all great Pokémon, great fighters."

"Don't forget Houndour," Iris added.

"Houndour?" Bonnie spent a moment counting on her fingers. "Wait, that's seven. How do you have that many Pokémon with you? Shouldn't one of them be sent to a storage box?"

"Well, Houndour isn't actually my Pokémon," Ash clarified. "I'm looking after it for someone else."

"What difference does that make?"

"Each Pokémon that a trainer catches is registered under their Trainer ID, which is stored in the Poké Ball," Brock elaborated. "You can only have six Poké Balls with the same ID together before they start getting sent to storage automatically. But Houndour's ball is registered under a different ID, so he can keep it on hand along with six of his own Pokémon."

Bonnie nodded, understanding, as Clemont spoke up again. "You went to Alola after you were in Kalos, right? Bonnie and I saw that you won the Alola Pokémon League!"

"Yeah, I did! I went to the Pokémon School, and I did the Island Challenge, and I met all of these new friends..." Ash's voice was full of energy as he recounted his days in the sun-drenched Alola archipelago. "And there were so many amazing Pokémon! It was one of the best experiences of my life!" Next to him, Serena was beaming from ear to ear, enjoying hearing about his happy memories.

"You're so lucky!" Bonnie exclaimed. "I want to go to a place like Alola someday!"

Clemont grinned at her, before looking back. "So what happened after that? We kept looking up other Pokémon League winners after that, but we didn't see your name... did you stop competing?"

"Ah... no, I didn't..." Ash looked down a bit, the energy fading from his voice. "I kept competing, I just... stopped winning."

"Oh... I see..." Clemont quickly grew quiet, as did Bonnie, both of them worried that they may have upset him, as he continued.

"After Alola, I went to the Galar region and traveled with some new friends for a while, but they both had to leave before the Galar League began. I took fourth place in that conference." Everyone at the table was quiet now, listening intently, none of them too familiar with the details of Ash's travels. "Then I went back to Johto and traveled by myself for a while. I got another fourth place in the Johto conference... after that, it was top eight... then top sixteen..." He spent a few seconds choosing his next words. "After that, I... wanted to take a break."

"It sounds like you were getting burnt out," Serena offered, trying to comfort him, having heard parts of this story before. "You did a lot of competing with basically no breaks in between. It makes sense that you'd want to take a rest for a while." Several others at the table quickly agreed with her. Ash gave a light nod in response, not looking up.

"I went back home, to Pallet Town, and just took it easy for a while. I was there for about six months, before my friend Dawn came by and dragged me out to Hoenn with her."

"Dawn?" Serena perked up at the name, not familiar with this detail. "Not the Hoenn Top Coordinator, Dawn?"

Ash smiled a bit, his spirits starting to lift up again. "That's her. That was the same year that she won the Grand Festival, even."

"That's just incredible." Serena smiled and leaned forward, resting her chin in her palms. "You know everyone, Ash."

"I guess so..." He rubbed his head before continuing. "So yeah, we traveled together in Hoenn for a while, as she competed in Pokémon Contests, and I challenged the Pokémon League again. At the end of our journey, she won the Grand Festival, and... I ended up winning the Hoenn League." He sat up more, his mood lifted by the happy memory. "After that, she had some fashion project to work on in Alola, so we both traveled there and stayed for a while. And that visit was the second time I won the Alola League."

"So you went from placing in the top sixteen to winning two Pokémon Leagues in a row," Clemont summarized. "That must have really boosted your confidence."

"And it'll be boosted even more when you win the Kalos League!" Bonnie chimed in optimistically, her voice bright as always.

"Thanks, Bonnie." Ash looked up again, smiling gently. "And yeah, it really helped a lot. It made me want to get out and go on journeys again. The whole period was kind of humbling, though. I still think about it a lot, especially after a big win. It sort of... keeps me in check. It reminds me that I'm just one screw-up from being a screw-up again."

The table remained awkwardly quiet, not sure how to react after this admission. Every one of them, save for Madison, had come to know Ash as endlessly confident and optimistic, always looking forward toward his next battle and his next goal with a smile on his face. If he did have his downcast moments, they were never longer than a day or so. Hearing this sort of uncharacteristic pessimism from him was jarring, and almost worrying. They sat in silence for a few moments, taking in the sound of chatter all around them, before Bonnie spoke up again.

"Oh! Ash, Serena! There's something I need to show the both of you!"

"Hm?" Serena glanced toward the young girl. "What is it?"

"It's back at home!" She reached for Froakie's Poké Ball, returning the Pokémon before standing up. "Come on, let's go! It won't take long!"

"Well, alright." Ash stood up as well, glancing back at the others as Pikachu leaped up into his arms. "We'll be back soon! See you guys!"

His other friends waved politely as he and Serena walked, then ran after Bonnie, who was sprinting excitedly toward her home, Dedenne clinging to her head. Inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he didn't have to talk about his travels anymore, glad that nobody had pried further.

He hadn't been completely honest with his friends. His downward spiral after the Alola League hadn't just burned him out, it had left him in a deep depression, highly unmotivated, gratingly irritable, and deeply unhappy. For almost the entire six-month period where he was at home, he barely even attempted to train, let alone have a Pokémon battle. If Dawn had not come to Pallet Town and strongarmed him into traveling with her, he might have still been there. Even now, his self-esteem had not fully recovered to where it used to be, and his lingering self-doubts continued to follow him through Kalos, whispering his failures into his ear, screaming them at him in the Reflection Cave. He was thankful every day that he had found Serena again, as she was able to silence the dissenting voices in his mind and fill him to the brim with confidence, one of several magical powers that she seemed to possess.

As Ash and Serena ran out of sight, their friends looked back at each other, not entirely sure what to talk about, not having the same shared connection with Clemont. The group was rescued from this awkwardness by a loud voice from one side of the room, commanding the attention of all the attendees.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" A woman with long, blonde hair and a formal dress waved at the guests, her voice amplified by a microphone and carrying over the various conversations, causing them to die down. "Thank you all so much for coming! Did everyone enjoy their lunch?" The crowd cheered in response, and applause soon followed; the woman waited for the applause to die down before continuing. "Wonderful! Now, please allow me to introduce you to the talented S-class Pokémon Connoisseur who prepared your meal!"

Iris's eyebrows shot up at the mention of a Pokémon Connoisseur, and she sat up to get a better look at the man walking toward the woman with the microphone. She gasped as she immediately recognized his green eyes, green hair, and ever-present green bow tie. She stood up in a hurry, nearly knocking her chair down with her legs, waving energetically with one arm as the connoisseur waved to the crowd.

"Cilan!" she called out, trying to be heard over the applause. "Cilan, over here!" She stood up straighter, raising her hand as high as she could, in an attempt to catch his attention. He eventually glanced in her direction, his eyes lighting up, and he began to wave back, letting out a delighted laugh that Iris couldn't hear. As the woman thanked everyone for attending, and the V.I.P.'s began to stand and leave, Iris jogged in Cilan's direction, as Cilan speedwalked back toward his old traveling companion.

"Iris! What a pleasant surprise!" The two of them met in the middle of the room, clasping hands. "I didn't expect to see Unova's newest Gym Leader all the way out here in Kalos!"

"I'm taking a vacation!" she explained, as the two separated. "I've been trying to see the region and catch more Dragon-type Pokémon. It's been great so far."

"And you've got some friends with you, I see." Cilan's eyes roamed over the four others who were walking up behind Iris, settling on the Kalos Gym Leader. "Oh! I remember you from our little subway adventure, way back when."

"That's right! I nearly forgot." Clemont smiled up at him. "Thanks again for helping my sister back then."

"Shannon is here, too, from the Village of Dragons," Iris continued, gesturing to her friend, before moving on to the other two. "And this is Madison, and this is Brock."

Cilan chuckled, finding himself with a queue of hands to shake. "That's a large group you've been traveling with. I wish that Ash was here with us, too. Then we could have a proper reunion."

"He is here!" Iris responded. "He stepped away for a bit, but I've been traveling with him for months!" She reached down and grabbed her phone. "I need to tell him that you're here. He's going to flip!"

"I was joking!" Cilan laughed, rubbing his head. "Wow... what are the odds of all of us being here at the same time?"

"What are you doing back here in Kalos, Cilan?" Clemont asked, as Iris fired off a text message.

"A few things," he began. "I was doing a workshop here in Lumiose City for other Pokémon Connoisseurs, teaching them how to better perform evaluations. Then I was asked to cook for this event, of course. And this evening, I'll be a judge in a cooking competition here."

Brock's face lit up at this comment. "A cooking competition, huh? Wish I had known about that earlier. That would be fun to compete in."

"Oh? Would you like to join in?" Cilan smiled. "It's not too late, you know. There are still some spots open, if you want to give it a try."

"Really..." Brock rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"You should do it, Brock!" Madison encouraged. "Your cooking is amazing!" Iris and Shannon eagerly agreed.

"Well, alright then! That settles it!" Brock clenched his fist resolutely. "I'm going to cook the best meal of my life!"

"Good luck, Brock! I'm looking forward to judging your cooking." Cilan and Brock locked eyes for a moment, each of them thinking that the other looked vaguely familiar. The conversation soon shifted back to Iris, who started talking about her tenure as the Opelucid Gym Leader, as the group sat down and waited for the others to return.

"...and here's my room," Bonnie commented as she stepped through a door, followed closely by Serena and Ash. The two teens looked around, as Dedenne hopped off of Bonnie's head and onto her bed, sitting down and propping himself against the headboard.

"What is it you wanted to show us?" Serena asked, not seeing anything obviously out of place. Ash was similarly puzzled.

"Over here!" Bonnie stepped over to her desk by the window, reaching out for the bag sitting on top of it, opening a flap and peeking inside. "Come on out! Serena and Ash are here! They'd love to see you!"

Ash and Serena blinked, surprised, not sure what bite-sized person or creature Bonnie might be talking to inside her bag. They watched as the fabric started to shift, as something inside started to wriggle its way out. It eventually peeked outside, and the two gasped as they saw what it was, immediately recognizing the tiny green Pokémon with a red jewel embedded in its stomach.

"Oh my gosh! It's Squishy!" Serena rushed forward, kneeling down for a better look at the small creature, recognizing it as Bonnie's companion during their first journey. This tiny being was the core of a much larger creature, the legendary Zygarde, but in this form it was much more helpless, as well as cute. "I can't believe it!"

"No way!" Ash exclaimed, following Serena's lead. "But he left after the whole Giant Rock thing! When did he come back?" Pikachu leaped out of Ash's grasp and landed next to the small, green Pokémon, greeting him enthusiastically.

"It was about two years ago." Bonnie scooped the tiny Pokémon up, cradling him in her arms. "I came home one day and he was sitting on my desk, lying in the sun. I don't even know how he got in."

"Has he been with you that entire time?" Serena reached out and ran her thumb along Squishy's head, causing him to close his eyes.

"He comes and goes," Bonnie answered, looking down and watching as Serena stroked Squishy affectionately. "He'll be here for a few weeks, then he'll leave for a few weeks. He's probably doing important, guardian-type stuff. I don't mind, as long as I get to see him."

"I bet being a guardian of Kalos is hard work," Ash added. "Does he ever... you know... talk to you?" He thought back to one of their last interactions, where Squishy had taken on the form of Zygarde and spoken to all of them in plain English, broadcasting his words into their minds telepathically.

Bonnie shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He mostly just lies around and keeps me company. It's a lot like when we first met. He's only ever said one thing since he came back."

"What's that?" Ash asked, as Serena stopped petting the Pokémon and stood up straight.

Bonnie smiled sweetly, holding Squishy more tightly in her arms. "He said 'I love you'."

"Oh, Bonnie...!" Serena covered her mouth with her hands, touched.

"At least, I think he said it," the young girl clarified. "It's kind of hard to tell. It was late at night and I was really tired. I'm still not sure if he said it, or if I just imagined him saying it."

"Well, it doesn't matter if he did or not," Serena replied, beaming. "You know it's true either way. He wouldn't be back here if he didn't miss you."

Bonnie grinned wide, leaning down and gently kissing Squishy on the top of his head. "And I missed him, too." The Pokémon closed his eyes again and slumped, letting out a contented sigh.

Ash grinned as well, watching the two interact like a mother and child, before a buzzing from his pocket caught his attention. He reached down and grabbed his phone, opening up a text from Iris, eyebrows shooting up as he read it. "No way! Cilan is here, too?!"

"Huh?" Serena glanced over. "Who is Cilan?"

"He's the person who cooked lunch for everyone! Me and Iris traveled with him in Unova!" He tossed his phone back into his pocket. "I'm going to go and say hi! You two should come down and meet him!"

Serena smiled gently and shook her head. "You go ahead. I'm going to catch up with Bonnie for a bit longer. We'll be there later."

"Alright, see you later!" Ash dashed off excitedly, followed by an energized Pikachu. The other three watched as they flew through the door, nearly forgetting to close it.

Serena sighed and sat down on Bonnie's bed, incredulous. "I was just joking when I said he knew everyone, but he really does."

Bonnie sat next to her, practically glowing, resting Squishy on her lap. "It's so nice having everyone here again. It feels like the old days, traveling through Kalos together."

"I know what you mean." Serena nodded, smiling wide. "That journey was probably the best time of my entire life."

"Mine too!" Bonnie agreed excitedly. "It got kind of intense sometimes, and a bit scary, but it was so much fun! We did so many fun things, like... like when we were models in Valerie's fashion show!"

"That's right!" Serena had been nervous and stiff during that event, but ultimately she was glad she had participated. "Or when we helped make that Pikachu superhero movie?"

"Oh, I forgot about that!" Bonnie was grinning from ear to ear, basking in the delightful memories. "Or all those nights where we stayed up and did Pokémon impressions?"

"Mhmm, I remember. Those were a lot of fun. You were good at those."

Bonnie nodded, her voice getting softer. "And then when we were done, you'd tuck me into my sleeping bag..." She leaned back against Serena, closing her eyes. "And you'd lean in and kiss me on the forehead, and you'd say 'sweet dreams' or 'love you, Bonnie'..."

"I remember that, too." Serena reached out and wrapped her arms around Bonnie's shoulders, pulling the young girl closer. "It was true then, and it's true now."

Bonnie rested her head on Serena's shoulder. "I still think about that sometimes... when I'm having trouble falling asleep, I think about it, and it helps me relax."

Serena beamed, resting her head on top of Bonnie's, her heart full to bursting. "i need to come visit you two more often."

"You really do." The two girls sat together in silence for some time, eyes closed, basking in the mutual affection, listening to each other's slow and steady breathing. The moment reminded the both of them of falling asleep together in the same tent, side by side, inches away from each other.

Bonnie was the one to eventually break the silence. "So, have you two kissed yet?"

Serena's eyes shot open as she sputtered out a laugh. "Bonnie!"

"Come on, tell me!" Bonnie sat up, looking the older girl in the eyes. "I want to know everything that's going on with you two!"

Serena continued laughing as she let go of Bonnie, stretching out her legs as she started recounting the more romantic details of her journey, with the younger girl giggling endlessly the entire time.

That evening, Ash, Serena and their traveling crew were seated in a small event hall, part of an audience of about a hundred. They watched with tense anticipation as twenty-odd amateur cooks had their meals tasted by a panel of four sophisticated judges, with Cilan sitting on the far left. Clemont and Bonnie had returned home to rest, but everyone else was eager to support Brock, and curious to see how he measured up against other cooks.

Once the final dish had been tasted, the three judges conferred among themselves for several minutes, as the contestants waited at their stations with bated breath. The judges eventually waved over the master of ceremonies, the same blonde woman from the lunch earlier that day, and quietly informed her of their decision. She nodded and lifted the microphone she was holding up to her face, announcing the results.

"The judges have made their decision!" she declared, garnering everyone's attention. "In third place, we have Tobin, from Snowbelle City!" She paused for a moment, waiting for the applause to die down. "In second place, Emma, from Ambrette Town!"

Ash and his friends applauded politely as the lower places were announced, growing increasingly excited and nervous as the names were called out. At this point, it was clear that Brock was either the winner of the competition, or he hadn't done well enough to be worth mentioning. They kept their fingers crossed as the MC began to speak one more time.

"And finally, the moment you've been waiting for! The winner of the Lumiose City Amateur Cook-off is... Brock, from Pewter City in Kanto!"

Instantly, all five of his friends were up on their feet, applauding and whistling and cheering out their full-throated congratulations. Brock looked stunned as he walked up to the front of the room, reaching out and shaking the beautiful woman's hand for just a bit too long before she had to pull away. He took in a deep breath and let it out, sticking his chest out proudly as the woman began to speak once again.

"Our winner will be receiving a full new set of cooking supplies, so that he can continue to make delicious meals like the one he presented to our judges!" she announced. "But that's not all! We have one more surprise for our winner, should he choose to accept it... one final exhibition cook-off against our guest judge, Cilan of Striaton City!"

Ash and Iris quickly glanced at each other, both of them thinking the same thing. The two of them had extensive experience with Brock's and Cilan's cooking, and the food from both was among the best they ever had. Neither of them could decide which one was the better chef, and the two were very eager to see who would come out on top. They gave each other an excited grin before returning their eyes to the stage, watching as Cilan stood up and flexed his fingers. Brock and Cilan met in the center of the stage, reaching out and shaking hands, ready for battle.

"Both cooks will prepare their signature dishes, and will have them judged by our three remaining judges! Are you both ready?" She looked back and forth between Brock and Cilan, both of them giving a confident nod. "Well then! Both of you... get cooking!"

Brock quickly rushed back to his cooking station, with Cilan running to an unoccupied station off to the side of the room. As the crowd began cheering once again, Ash and his friends kept a careful eye on both cooks, observing a flurry of chopping and dicing on both sides as they both worked as hard as they could.

As the final exhibition round continued, however, there was a clear disparity in how the two cooks were approaching their task. Cilan was a whirlwind of activity, slicing and mixing vegetables, tending to a sauce and even kneading his own pasta dough. Conversely, Brock was spending almost all of his time standing over a single pot on the stove, occasionally giving it a taste and adding a sprinkle of something or other. His friends in the audience could feel the wind slowly being let out of their sails, as it appeared that Cilan's energy and advanced techniques were going to carry him to an easy victory. Then again, he was a special judge for a reason.

Twenty minutes later, both cooks were putting the finishing touches on their plates as a buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the round. The crowd applauded as the two stepped back, exhaling and wiping away sweat, before lifting up their dishes and stepping up to the judges' table. Cilan was the first to present his work, and he placed a full and colorful plate down on the table.

"Judges, I have prepared for you a delicious tagliatelle alla Bolognese, with a frisée salad on the side." He placed the plate in front of the first judge and stepped back, calm and relaxed as the three judges passed the dish around, tasting its various components with contemplative looks on their faces. The judges made no comments, giving no indications as to their thoughts, before thanking Cilan for presenting his dish. Brock was the next to step forward, placing a much more dull, flat and mono-colored plate in front of the first judge.

"I made a plate of my famous Pewter City curry, with some jasmine rice," he stated proudly before taking a step back. The judge glanced down at the dish with a skeptical expression on his face. While Cilan's plate had been complex and colorful, with numerous different flavor and texture elements, Brock's plate was exceedingly simple, with white rice on one half and a dark brown curry covering the other half. Brock could hear the audience murmuring with concern as the judges began tasting his dish, passing it down the line, their expressions blank.

Once they had their fill of both dishes, the judges began their deliberations. As their discussion dragged on and on, the audience began to grow curious and impatient, not sure why this round of judging seemed to be taking so long. Even Brock and Cilan became visibly restless, looking around and the crowd, then at each other, silently asking each other with their eyes if they knew what the holdup was. After several long minutes, one of the judges stood up and walked over to the master of ceremonies, speaking their decision into her ear before taking a step back.

"Finally, we have our decision! And the winner is..." She paused for dramatic effect, eyes moving back and forth between the two cooks, before she raised her hand in the air in celebration. "Both of you!"

The audience broke into a moderate applause, amused and confused and slightly disappointed, as the woman handed the microphone off to the judge, a heavily bearded man in an immaculately tailored suit. He cleared his throat before beginning to speak. "The two dishes we were served represent the best of two entirely different schools of cooking. Cilan's tagliatelle was elegant and sophisticated, while Brock's curry was rustic and flavorful. To try and choose one over the other would be akin to choosing between apples and oranges." He gestured toward the dishes on the judging table with his free hand. "I urge both of you to try the other's dish, to see what your opponent has done."

Both cooks stepped forward, reaching out to grab a spare fork, intensely curious. Cilan reached down and grabbed a forkful of curry and rice onto his fork, looking it over for a second before placing it in his mouth. He chewed on it for a moment, his eyes widening more and more as he ate, eventually holding his cheek in his hand.

"Oh my!" He closed his eyes, savoring the flavor, feeling as if he was floating away on a delicious cloud. "The simple appearance of this dish gives way to an extraordinary wealth of flavor! The layers build and build upon themselves, like a symphony building to the peak of a crescendo! Such a rich and deep experience in this single forkful of curry!"

Brock followed suit, reaching down and twirling some tagliatelle with sauce onto his fork before bringing it to his mouth. His face lit up as a grin spread across his face. "Wow! That's tasty!"

"Congratulations again to Brock, for putting up an impressive battle not once, but twice!" the MC announced as she reclaimed her microphone. "And thank you to everyone for attending this exquisite event! I hope you'll join us all tomorrow for our professional competition!"

The audience gave one last round of applause, before everyone started standing up and shuffling out of their seats. Brock and Cilan turned to each other, smiling as they shook hands.

"I'm glad you chose to enter this competition, Brock," Cilan spoke. "You were a very impressive competitor. And if I may say so, your rustic, down-home cooking style was a breath of fresh air."

"Thanks for inviting me," Brock replied. "And same to you. I can see why you're an S-class connoisseur."

Both cooks nodded toward each other, once again trying to determine why the other's face seemed so familiar, before their thoughts were interrupted by the approach of Ash and the others. They turned and joined the group happily, all of them offering words of praise and congratulations as they began to walk out of the event hall.

"Yoohoo! Brock!" He immediately turned around as he heard his name, his breath hitching as he saw the lovely MC waving him over, an amused grin on her face. He quickly broke into a run, nearly tripping as he raced over to her.

"Yes? What is it?" he responded breathlessly, as she let out a brief giggle that sent his heart soaring.

"You nearly forgot your prize!" She gestured toward a table in the corner of the room, bearing his newly-earned collection of premium cooking supplies.

"Ah... right... thanks." He put on his best smile as his ego quickly deflated, walking over to claim his winnings, before turning to leave with his friends once again.

Chapter Text

The next day, a group of eight trainers of varying ages were all making their way through Lumiose City to Prof. Sycamore's laboratory, forming a tight clump as they walked. Ash and his friends had all deduced that if everyone else surrounded Serena, forming a protective barrier, passersby were far less likely to approach her and ask for autographs and photographs the like. She didn't hate the attention, and she always enjoyed making other people happy, but they had an appointment to keep. Madison joked that Serena now had her own entourage, which caused the older girl to roll her eyes, and everyone else to laugh.

They all spread out as they entered the lab, and Ash walked up to the front desk. "Hi again. We have another appointment to see the professor?"

"Yes, of course," the receptionist answered with a polite smile. "He's stepped out for a moment, but-"

"We can take care of them, Maribelle."

Both Ash and the receptionist looked over, and the young trainer gasped as he saw who was speaking. The voice belonged to a familiar young man around Brock's age, with short black hair that matched his ensemble of clothes. Besides him was a younger, redheaded girl clad in green, roughly Ash's age, but slightly shorter.

"No way!" A grin spread wide across Ash's face. "Alain! Mairin!" He quickly walked over and extended his hand toward his formal rival, the one who had defeated him in the finals of the Kalos League five years ago. As the two shook hands, Serena rushed up to clasp hands with the redhead next to them.

"I can't believe you're here! It's great to see you again!" she exclaimed, as Clemont and Bonnie gathered around as well, eager for their own reunion. The foursome behind them walked up curiously, starting to get used to Ash or Serena recognizing everyone they met.

"I'm guessing you're friends with these two," Brock joked.

"Yeah, we are!" Ash took a step back, gesturing behind him. "Guys, this is Brock..." He gave a quick introduction of the four friends behind him, each of whom smiled and waved in turn.

"Good to meet all of you," the older boy answered. "My name's Alain. I work on and off doing research under Professor Sycamore. I spend the rest of my time as a Pokémon Trainer."

"And I'm Mairin," the redhead chimed in. "I'm Alain's research assistant."

"She's my travel partner," he corrected.

"He depends on me for all sorts of research stuff," Mairin continued, as if he hadn't said anything. "I don't know how he gets anything done without me."

"She's a remorseless liar," Alain deadpanned. "Don't listen to a word she says."

Ash chuckled, as Serena spoke up. "How have you been doing, Mairin? How is Chespie?" she asked, referring to the girl's Chespin.

"I've been great!" Mairin answered. "And he's not Chespie anymore, he's Quillie now!"

"Oh! That's wonderful news! You'll have to show me later!"

"What about you, Alain?" Ash asked, looking up. "How has your Pokémon training been going? Have you been improving since the Kalos League?"

"Well..." Alain folded his arms, thinking. "It's more research, less training these days. No more nose to the grindstone, constant battling. I have more work to do."

Ash nodded. "That's too bad. Do you still get to battle, though?"

"Oh, yes. There's a certain someone who makes sure I'm battling at least once a week." He cast his eyes down to the girl beside him.

"Well, I need the practice!" Mairin insisted. "I need to get better at using Mega Evolution! And you don't want to get rusty, do you?"

"Mega Evolution?" Ash's eyebrows raised. "Mairin, you have a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve?"

"Sure do!" She grinned wide, raising her arm to reveal a Mega Ring around her wrist. "I got my hands on a piece of Pinsirite a couple of months back. A few weeks ago, my Pinsir Mega Evolved for the first time!" She was giddy, bursting with excitement at the memory even now. Mega Evolution had always been a fascination of hers.

"A Mega Pinsir!" Ash's eyes lit up. "I've got to see that! How about you and me battle? Your Pinsir versus my Greninja!"

"Really?!" Her fists clenched tightly. "That'd be so great! Let's do it! Come on!" She spun around and began to lead Ash down a hallway, toward the battlefield behind the lab, running much faster than she intended in her eagerness.

Iris adopted an amused smile. "I can't tell which of them is more excited."

"Me neither," Brock added. "I thought it was impossible to like Pokémon battles as much as Ash does."

Alain sighed. "Come on. We should make sure they don't destroy the lab." He led the rest of the group through the laboratory, heading for the battlefield at a more leisurely pace.

"So, Alain..." Clemont walked ahead of the group, side by side with the one leading them. "You said you were doing research. What have you been studying?"

Alain nodded. "I've been studying the synthetic Mega Stones that Team Ace has been selling. I'm trying to figure out how they're making them."

"What have you found out?" Serena asked. "Is there anything strange about them?"

"The whole thing is strange," he answered, sounding a little defeated. "It shouldn't be possible, but they're perfectly functional Mega Stones. They have a different... composition, but they give off the same energy and everything. I've been looking at them for nearly a year, but I still haven't found out much. And they won't tell me anything."

"But they really Mega Evolve Pokémon?" Shannon piped up. "Is there anything strange about how they evolve?"

"No, it's the same as organic Mega Stones, as far as we can tell." Alain glanced back. "You'll see for yourself in a minute. Mairin's using synthetic Pinsirite. She's 'borrowing' it from the lab... indefinitely."

The group of eight stepped outside, finding Ash and Mairin on opposite sides of a simple dirt battlefield. Greninja was standing stoically on one end of the arena, while on the other end, Mairin stood behind a brownish-gray Bug-type Pokémon, with two large pincers atop its head, and a necklace draped around its neck with a Mega Stone embedded in it.

"You ready, Ash? Let's do this!" Mairin raised her arm and grasped her Mega Ring tightly, not waiting for Ash's answer. Everyone watched as the stone glowed, light shining from between her fingers, and the Mega Stone on Pinsir's neck began to glow as well, with a familiar rainbow light. Ash's eyes were shining with amazement as he watched Pinsir grow and shift, forming a pair of orange and yellow wings. As the glow faded, he could see Pinsir's normally white eyes were now a bright and threatening yellow, locking in on Greninja across the way.

"That's so cool...!" Ash was grinning from ear to ear, his heart racing before the battle had even begun. "Alright, Greninja, let's-"

His command was interrupted by a sound from his belt. He looked down to see that one of the Poké Balls attached to his hip had opened itself, and moments later, Houndour had emerged onto the battlefield, growling and snarling.

"Whoa! Houndour, what are you doing?" The Pokémon ignored him, baring his fangs as he raced toward Mega Pinsir, eliciting gasps from several of the people watching. He leaped into the air, fangs glowing red with fiery heat.

Mairin acted quickly. "Pinsir, grab him before he can hurt you! Be careful!" Her Pokémon stepped forward, snatching Houndour's midsection in his pincers, just hard enough to restrain the Pokémon without hurting it. Houndour snarled and snapped at the air, trying to wriggle himself free.

"Geez, what is his deal?" Iris wondered aloud, as Ash ran out onto the battlefield. "First the food thing, now this? Why can't that Pokémon behave?"

"It sort of seems like he has a chip on his shoulder, doesn't it?" Serena added. Madison and Shannon nodded in agreement, as Ash pulled out Houndour's Poké Ball.

"Sorry, Houndour," he offered as he returned the Pokémon. "I'll have you battle another time, alright?" He glanced across the way at his opponent. "Sorry about that. I'm looking after Houndour for someone else, and he's a bit of a handful right now."

"He's just excited to battle," Mairin replied, taking it in stride. "You and I can relate to that, right?" Ash smirked and nodded, before jogging back to his position on the battlefield, his focus quickly returning.

"Come on, Greninja, let's show them what we've got!" Trainer and Pokémon struck identical poses, their breathing slow and steady as they worked to synchronize with each other. Seconds later, Mairin gasped as Ash's Pokémon was surrounded by a thick shield of water; when the water fell away, the Pokémon had taken the form of the mysterious Ash-Greninja.

Iris, Brock and Shannon were all gawking in stunned amazement at the transformation, having never seen it before, or anything quite like it. As they tried to find words to express what they were thinking, Clemont chuckled and began to explain their limited knowledge of the Bond Phenomenon.

Mairin was vibrating with excitement as she gave her first command. "Pinsir, fly up in the air, then come down and use X-Scissor!" Her Pokémon leaped fifteen feet into the air, before turning and diving toward his opponent, his claws glowing white as they crossed each other in an X shape.

"Match that with an Aerial Ace, Greninja!" Ash commanded. His Pokémon ran forward, crossing his arms as well, as they began to glow purple. The two attacks met in the middle of the arena, as the combatants strained against each other. It was Greninja who ultimately won out, slicing his arms forward and forcing Pinsir back.

"Great work!" Ash called out, as Pinsir worked to right himself. "Now use Double Team!" Immediately, Greninja's form began to duplicate itself, more than a dozen copies of the Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. Pinsir whirled around in the air, trying to discern which one was real.

Mairin was unfazed, having too much fun to be frazzled. "Start swooping down and using Vise Grip! Find the real one!" Her Pokémon swooped down toward the first Greninja he saw, trying to grab it in his pincers; it vanished into the air, having been only an illusion. He continued flying, undeterred, taking out one false Greninja after another, failing to find his target.

"Now! Use Cut!" Ash eventually shouted. Pinsir started and looked around, trying to find which Greninja was moving, spotting one leaping toward him with a blade of light. Greninja swung down as hard as he could, sending Pinsir crashing down to the ground, as Serena and Bonnie both cheered loudly.

Ash grinned wide, delighted with his Pokémon's performance. "Great work! Go in and use Cut again!" Greninja landed on the ground and dashed forward, ready to continue his assault, as Pinsir got to his feet as fast as he could.

"You can take that, Pinsir!" Mairin ordered. "Use Harden!" Pinsir stood his ground, glowing white for a moment, and when the light faded his body appeared to be covered with a metallic sheen. As Greninja swung his blade again, Pinsir dug his feet into the ground, tanking the hit with little more than a grunt, barely budging.

"Quick, use X-Scissor!" Mairin followed up. Her Pokémon stepped forward, crossing his arms and swinging them at Greninja, knocking him back before he had time to dodge. He quickly rolled and got back on his feet, but his trainer was not so lucky.

"Agh!" Ash felt himself being knocked backward just as Greninja was, bracing himself with his arms to avoid falling onto his back. He could hear gasps from around the room, followed by footsteps.

"Ash!" Serena was beside him in an instant, kneeling next to him. "You're not hurt badly, are you?" Bonnie, Clemont and Iris were soon surrounding him as well, as he got to his feet, assuring them that he was fine.

"What? What happened?" Mairin's tone was panicked, as she watched Ash stand up while holding his chest. "Why is he hurt?"

"That's one of the effects of the Bond Phenomenon," Alain explained, standing behind her. "Ash suffers some of the damage that Greninja takes in battle."

"What?! I didn't know that!" She looked back at him with an expression of worried guilt, as if she had punched Ash herself.

Alain raised an eyebrow. "How did you not know that? You were there at our battle in the Kalos League, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but I was watching you, not him!" she protested.

"Maybe we should call this battle here." Everyone turned to look at the door to the laboratory, where Prof. Sycamore was standing with his hands in his pockets. "Looks like things might be getting a bit too intense."

"Yeah..." Mairin looked toward the ground, the wind taken out of her sails. "Sorry, Ash. Sorry, Professor."

"It's fine!" Ash insisted, walking onto the battlefield. "I've taken way worse hits from Alain, trust me." Mairin turned back to glare at the older boy, who looked a bit flustered at being put on the spot.

The professor chuckled. "Ash will be just fine, I'm sure. Now, let's get inside and get some testing underway, shall we?" Ash nodded, slowly exhaling as he carefully broke his sync with his Pokémon, the transformation reverting itself. Once he had regained his footing, he followed the professor inside, along with the large crowd of people accompanying him.

Ten minutes later, Ash was standing still, arms held out at his sides, as Alain applied a number of electrical diodes to his body, connected by wires. In another part of the room, Prof. Sycamore was doing the same thing to Greninja. The others were spectating from the opposite side of the room, giving the boy and his Pokémon some space.

"What do all these wires do, anyway?" Ash wondered aloud.

"They'll give you an electric shock if you screw the test up," Mairin explained helpfully.

"They what?!" Ash started to grab at the wires in a panic. "Get these off me!"

"They're not for shocking!" Alain insisted, grabbing at Ash's hands to stop him from ripping the diodes off. He shot an angry glare at his redheaded companion, who was biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"The wires are to measure your vitals," Sycamore explained more calmly. "Heart rate, brain waves, breathing, all that. This way, we can measure how synchronized you are with Greninja."

"Alright..." Ash was still wary as Alain attached the final diode, stepping away. "So how many of these tests do you want us to do?"

"Well, if my hypothesis is right, we'll only need to do one." The professor stepped away from Greninja as well, as the Pokémon continued to stand nonchalantly, as if nothing strange was happening. "If I'm wrong, we'll have to do a few more. I'm not sure exactly how many. But I won't keep you all day, I promise."

Ash nodded, hoping that the professor's idea was correct, whatever it was. "So what do you want me to do first?"

Sycamore stepped back to get a better view of both Ash and Greninja, as did Alain. "First, I want you to show us the Bond Phenomenon in action. Do what you did before to bring out Greninja's transformation."

The trainer nodded, giving his Pokémon a resolute look. Both of them focused on their slow and steady breathing, as they did out on the battlefield, putting themselves in sync. After a few seconds, the familiar water veil appeared around Greninja, transforming him into Ash-Greninja. The professor watched the Pokémon closely the entire time, noting all of the small changes as they happened.

Ash watched as Alain and the professor looked at the monitors around the lab, taking notes and writing down measurements. Once they were done, the professor looked back at Ash. "Alright, you can relax now. Please end the transformation." He nodded and exhaled, and Greninja reverted to his base form after a few moments. Ash could feel himself getting used to the phenomenon once again, no longer being knocked off of his feet when his Pokémon returned to his old self.

"Was that the first test?" he asked. "Did you learn what you needed to know?"

"No, that wasn't the first test." Sycamore walked over to Ash, inserting his hand into his coat pocket. "I'd like for you to do that once more, but this time, hold onto this." He withdrew his hand and extended it toward Ash, holding out a small, round, rainbow-colored crystal.

"A Key Stone?" The boy reached out and took it. "This won't do anything, will it?"

"We're about to find out." The professor stepped back. "Whenever you're ready, Ash."

Ash looked down at the stone in his hand, highly skeptical, but willing to try it for Prof. Sycamore's sake. He took a deep breath and started the synchronization process once again, his hand closing around the Key Stone. Immediately, streams of rainbow light began to shoot out from his fingers, causing him to jump and nearly drop the object. He turned his attention toward Greninja, eyes widening as the Pokémon began to glow with a bright light. His face began to shift and widen, his muscles growing slightly larger, a giant shuriken of water forming on his back. When the light finally faded, the figure that remained was the spitting image of Ash-Greninja, but with one critical difference: the black hair, and everything else that made him look more like Ash, was nowhere to be found.

"Whuh... what?!" Ash was stunned, rendered immobile by the shock, as were many of the spectators. Greninja himself seem taken aback as he looked down at himself, hands moving up to feel his head. "What happened?!"

"So, my hypothesis was correct after all." Sycamore looked immensely pleased with himself as he stepped forward again. "What we have here is the first known appearance of a Mega Greninja."

The room continued to stare in stunned silence, the whirring machinery around them providing the only noise.

"Professor, could you tell us what you've learned about the Bond Phenomenon? Can you explain why the Key Stone worked?"

Several minutes later, in a comfortable lounge with several chairs and a sofa, an intensely curious Clemont was quizzing the professor about his findings, as everyone else sat or stood around. Ash and Greninja were no longer attached to anything, their biometric data no longer being needed.

"There's a lot to cover, but sure I can," Sycamore responded. "My hypothesis was that the Bond Phenomenon was another method of achieving Mega Evolution. I think today has proven that to be correct."

"So when we use the Bond Phenomenon, Greninja is Mega Evolving?" Ash was sitting up straight, more fascinated than anyone, except possibly Clemont. "But how does that work?"

"Well, let's start at the beginning." The professor had a glint in his eyes, as he transitioned into Scientist Mode. "Normally, you need two things to Mega Evolve: a Key Stone and a Mega Stone. But what are those two things for?" He could see everyone's eyes on him, relishing the moment.

"A Key Stone, we've found, is a crystal that can synthesize a strong bond between trainer and Pokémon. It bridges the gap between the two of them, and allows them to synchronize. But..." He cast his gaze down at the young trainer in front of him. "As Ash and Greninja have proven, it's possible to achieve this level of synchronicity without a Key Stone, if the two are close enough and have absolute trust in each other. It can even cause the Pokémon to change in ways that make it more like its trainer, as you know. This may well be the very first kind of Mega Evolution ever discovered, long ago."

"So without a Key Stone, Greninja becomes Ash-Greninja," Serena spoke up. "But with a Key Stone, he becomes Mega Greninja instead? Because of... something the Key Stone does?"

Sycamore nodded. "From what we've observed, a Key Stone makes the bond easier to achieve, but it also makes the bond weaker than it could be. Ash and Greninja have a stronger bond than they could achieve using a Key Stone, which is why we get Ash-Greninja instead of Mega Greninja."

"So why hasn't anyone ever seen a Mega Greninja before?"

The professor smiled and shrugged. "Nobody's ever found a Greninjite." Serena blinked and sat back, not sure what answer she was expecting.

"So if a Key Stone isn't needed after all, is it something special about the trainer?" Brock asked, sitting up. "Is there something about humans that makes Mega Evolution work?"

"That's a good question." The professor rubbed his head. "For all the research we've done, we've never found anything specific to humans that makes Mega Evolution happen. They might not be important at all. There have been some recorded instances of Pokémon undergoing Mega Evolution all by themselves, without bonding with anyone else. For all we know, Pokémon could be Mega Evolving each other. We've still got a lot to learn about the process."

Clemont nodded, listening intently. "That's a little bizarre, but it makes a lot of sense. But... what about the Mega Stone? That's even more important than the Key Stone, isn't it?" Behind him, Bonnie was trying her best to follow along with the discussion, as was Mairin.

"Now that's the really fascinating part." Prof. Sycamore began to grin excitedly. "After years of study, we finally have a better idea of what a Mega Stone is. Each Mega Stone is a standard evolution stone that's been irradiated with Mega Energy. The sort of Mega Stone it becomes depends on what the original evolution stone was, and the exact circumstances of how it was irradiated. But this stone is what generates the Mega Energy needed to perform Mega Evolution. And the sort of energy that's emitted can usually only evolve one species of Pokémon."

"Where does this Mega Energy come from?" Iris asked. Brock nodded beside her, indicating that he was thinking the same thing.

"It depends," the professor answered. "And we're not 100% sure. Here in Kalos, we think that most Mega Energy comes from the legendary guardians, Xerneas and Yveltal. In other places, like Hoenn, it may come from rare-earth elements. The Giant Rock from five years ago was found in Hoenn, and it emitted enormous amounts of Mega Energy."

"Alright, but..." Madison began, wanting to contribute to the discussion also. "How does Greninja become Ash-Greninja without Mega Energy?"

"Oh, he doesn't." Sycamore smirked, looking toward the Pokémon in question, who was leaning against the wall in a corner of the room. "Somehow or other, Greninja actually generates his own Mega Energy."

"What?!" Nearly everyone in the room whirled around in unison to stare in amazement at the ninja Pokémon. He was unfazed by the attention, either having anticipated it, or simply used to being stared at in astonishment.

Prof. Sycamore chuckled. "That was my exact reaction. The first time Greninja showed up at the lab on his own to rest, our instruments started going nuts. When we finally thought to use a Mega Energy scanner, he lit it up like a Christmas tree. That was when I first started forming my own ideas about how the Bond Phenomenon works."

"Greninja..." Ash was looking at his Pokémon in awe, amazed and incredulous. "How can he do that? How is that possible?"

"Now that's the real mystery," Sycamore answered. "I've never met another Pokémon that does this. Maybe there's something in Greninja's past that caused this. He's not exactly easy to interview."

"Mairin and I have been traveling around Kalos and other regions, trying to find other common Pokémon that generate Mega Energy," Alain added. "We haven't found any so far. He's the only one."

Bonnie's amazed expression gave way to a giddy one. "That's so cool! I always knew there was something special about Greninja!"

Sycamore chuckled. "He's always been special, alright. Even back when he was a Froakie. But now we know that he's scientifically special, which is an entirely different matter. He's going to be the centerpiece of my next big paper about the Bond Phenomenon."

"Professor, how does..." Clemont started to ask another question, as the rest of the room broke into a collection of small discussions, forming a low rumble of white noise. Ash tuned out the voices around him, keeping his eyes on Greninja, who continued to stand in the corner, cool and aloof. Ash's mind was consumed with questions, as he wondered what mysteries his Pokémon held in his past.

In a calm and tranquil forest, a small blue Pokémon hobbled his way toward a pristine lake, its waters disturbed only by the school of Luvdisc swimming under its surface. He limped over to the water's edge, nearly collapsing to his knees as he leaned forward, taking a long and desperately-needed drink. He eventually sat up again, looking at the frog-like face reflected in the lake, shining in the moonlight. He could see heavy bruising on his body, and some of the bubbles on his mane missing, though the one eye that hadn't yet been swollen shut. He gave his own reflection a determined glare. Despite putting himself through one vicious battle after another, Froakie still was not satisfied, the chip on his shoulder weighing heavily on him.

It was only weeks ago that he had been given to a new trainer, by the tall and lanky scientist in the large city. They had traveled together, fought and captured other Pokémon, and battled against other trainers. Froakie had tried his best every time, attacking with as much strength as he could muster, but his opponents were much stronger than he had expected, and he lost more often than he won. The trainer looking after him grew more and more resentful as the days went on, visibly angry about the Pokémon's lack of progress. Finally, after losing a very important battle against a powerful trainer in a different city, his trainer had broken his Poké Ball in half and told him to leave, so that he could find another partner who could win him the Gym Badge he wanted, whatever that was.

Froakie was distraught, but at the same time, he was enraged, fired up, chomping at the bit. He knew how capable of a fighter he was. He could see the potential inside himself, burning like a fireball, demanding to be unleashed. He started challenging every Pokémon he came across, wanting the experience and the vindication, wanting to prove to his old trainer that he had made a mistake by letting him go, even if the human would never come to realize his error.

After dozens of difficult battles over the course of a week, however, Froakie was looking rather worse for wear. As he looked down at himself in the water, his breathing labored and shallow, he was having trouble seeing the warrior inside him through the bruises and the wounds. Soon, he was having trouble seeing anything at all, as his vision began to swim, and he fell forward into the water, passing out.

He awoke sometime later, his eyes gradually opening, watching the blurry outlines of trees as they slowly moved past him, in the darkness of the night. He quickly realized that whatever he was resting on was moving, walking him carefully through the forest. Turning his head, he was barely able to make out a chandelier of ice-blue antlers, atop the dark blue head of what appeared to be a proud and regal buck. Froakie had never seen a Pokémon like this before, though his experience was admittedly limited. Oddly, he could feel the Pokémon glowing, a sensation he didn't fully understand. It wasn't the warm glow of a fire, or the bright light of the sun, but a bizarre radiance he had never felt before, triggering senses he never knew he had.

He didn't bother trying to get up and flee, sensing no malice from this creature, and beside that, he knew he was too injured to get very far anyway. He stayed still, drifting in and out of consciousness, as the glowing Pokémon led him through the forest to a small, shallow cave. They walked in and made their way to the back, and the deer Pokémon knelt down and set Froakie on what felt like a bed of straw and leaves. It was much too dark in the cave to see, but he felt the larger Pokémon walking in small circles before lying down right next to him. He could feel the warmth of the larger body, as it slowly rose and fell with the creature's breathing, alongside the strange and ever-present glow. The warmth and the closeness were deeply comforting, and Froakie quickly fell back asleep, exhausted.

The next day, Froakie awoke to find himself alone in the cave. The glowing Pokémon was nowhere to be found, but as he looked around, he spotted a number of berries in a small pile on the straw bedding. He wasn't sure if they were placed there for him, but his growling stomach promptly drowned out his concerns. He got to his knees and limped over, sitting next to the berries and devouring them greedily. Stuffed full of food, he lay back once again and stared at the ceiling through swollen eyes, lying and resting for what felt like hours, before he felt a strange and familiar glow.

Looking toward the entrance to the cave, he saw the glowing Pokémon return, holding a concave rock in its jaws. It walked further in and set the bowl close to Froakie, who sat up and looked toward it, seeing that it was full of water. He immediately pushed himself up again, hobbling over to the water and leaning in, taking a long drink. The deer sat nearby, watching Froakie drink while grooming itself, until the frog Pokémon had his fill. He slowly tried to stand, stretching his legs, but they buckled under his weight, and he collapsed to the ground. He tried to push himself up, his arms trembling, when the deer Pokémon placed its muzzle underneath his body, lifting him up and placing him back on the bed. Froakie groaned, feeling humiliated and defeated, as the glowing Pokémon lay back down and continued to groom itself. After some time, the sun had gone down, and the deer curled up next to Froakie once again to fall asleep.

This routine continued over the next couple of weeks. The glowing Pokémon continued to bring food and water to its smaller companion, watching over him and making sure he had what he needed to heal. Froakie was improving slowly, his wounds healing and his legs recovering. Soon he was able to stand and walk on his own again, which he did at every opportunity, wanting to be well again as soon as possible. Eventually he was practicing attacks, firing off Water Pulses and Bubbles at the side of the cave, which grew stronger and stronger every day; before long, they seemed to be even stronger than they were when he was with his trainer. Even as he improved, however, the two Pokémon continued to fall asleep side by side, every night. Froakie had grown accustomed to the deer Pokémon's warmth, and even its mysterious glow proved to be comforting after so long.

One day, Froakie found himself waiting longer than usual for his companion to return. The sun was setting, and normally the glowing Pokémon had returned by now, bringing water or berries. He continued to wait nervously as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, its light replaced by that of the full moon. Eventually, he could stand the wait no longer, and he stretched his still-sore legs before walking outside, starting to look for his new friend.

After thirty minutes of scanning the forest in a widening circle, he could feel a faint but familiar sensation, the glow that he had become accustomed to. He started running toward the glow, relieved, but he screeched to a halt as he heard harsh and sinister human voices.

"You can't hide forever, Xerneas! Come on out now and save us the trouble!"

"I can't believe it! A legendary Pokémon, right where they said it'd be!"

"We're going to be gazillionaires when we capture that thing! We'll live like kings for the rest of our lives!"

Froakie began sprinting as quickly as he could, his heart dropping. He didn't know that the humans were poachers, not being familiar with the concept, but he knew from the tones of their voices that they had ill intentions toward his caretaker. He was still in pain, his stamina not as high as it could be, but it didn't matter. He would power through on pure adrenaline.

It wasn't long before he found who he was looking for. The deer Pokémon was running tiredly through the trees, looking as if it had been chased for hours. Behind it were three adult humans, each with their own powerful and menacing Pokémon. One of them Froakie recognized as a Tyranitar, having seen it while traveling with its old trainer. The second Pokémon had the appearance of a dragon, with a red head, a blue body, and jagged, sharp wings. The third Pokémon was a dark-blue toad, with a pointed horn on its head and a red patch on its stomach.

"Toxicroak, use Sludge Bomb!" one of the humans commanded. The toad Pokémon opened its mouth, generating a purple ball of gunk, which it promptly spat out at its retreating target. Froakie immediately leaped forward, forming a Water Pulse in its hands and heaving it as hard as he could. The two attacks collided in midair, bursting and falling to the ground. Everyone stopped and turned toward Froakie, who was glaring back defiantly at the attacking humans.

"Well, what do we have here? Look at this little guy, trying to play the hero! How cute!"

"Druddigon, get it with Crunch!"

Froakie watched as the red-and-blue Dragon-type Pokémon roared and charged, its jaws open, ready to deliver a powerful bite. The frog Pokémon leaped out of the way at the last minute, responding with a series of bubbles from his mouth; they hit their mark easily, causing Druddigon to stumble slightly. As he landed and prepared a Water Pulse attack, he was knocked away effortlessly by Druddigon's powerful tail, skidding to a stop a few feet ahead of the glowing Pokémon. He groaned and forced himself to his feet, in significant pain, but ready to push through it.

"Hah! This Froakie's not bad!" one of the humans taunted. "Not good enough, though!" He gritted his teeth, running forward, one of his fists glowing as he prepared a Pound attack. He leaped into the air, aiming for Druddigon's head, wanting to buy his friend time to run away.

As Froakie moved to strike, his eyes went wide as a powerful Slash attack tore through him. He felt himself flying backwards, rolling across the ground, all of his energy immediately sapped. The pain faded quickly as his body went into shock, his vision and hearing growing weaker, no longer able to feel his own extremities. He used his arms to laboriously pull himself to the front hoof of his companion, collapsing against it. If he couldn't fight off the attackers any more, he could at least use himself as a shield for a few moments longer.

He heard the muted sound of laughter as the humans approached, a sound that faded suddenly and sharply a couple of seconds later. He could no longer see what was happening, but he could feel the deer Pokémon's front leg shifting and growing, becoming stronger and more muscular. He could feel the glow becoming harsher and more intense, until the Pokémon was shining like a star, the strange energy coming off of him in waves, as if it could barely be contained. What happened next was a cacophonous mass of shaking ground and crunching sounds that lasted for nearly a full minute until it faded. When it did, the sound of the humans and their Pokémon was long gone.

Froakie clung tightly to the glowing Pokémon's leg, not knowing what else to do, barely able to see or hear, his body feeling cold. He hoped and prayed that his friend was safe, that he had somehow managed to do something to keep it from harm. He could weakly feel his caretaker's leg shrink and return to normal, before the Pokémon kneeled down and pulled him close, nuzzling him gently with its snout. As Froakie closed his eyes and reveled in the affectionate gesture, he could feel a spark of energy appearing inside him, which soon grew to massive proportions. His eyes shot open as the energy began shooting through him like electricity, spreading from his core to his fingers and toes, erasing his pain and fatigue and clearing his mind.

Both Pokémon stood at the same time, as Froakie looked down at himself with an intense curiosity. His injuries were gone, chased away along with his fatigue. His senses had grown sharp once again, perhaps sharper than they were before. He had gone from hanging by a thread to the pinnacle of health, through some mysterious magic that his companion possessed. He looked back up, gratitude and amazement all over his face, and he could see clear relief in the deer Pokémon's eyes. He watched as his friend leaned down to nuzzle him, a gesture that conveyed gratitude, affection, relief, and a hint of sorrow. Froakie returned the gesture, not entirely sure what had just happened, but knowing what was going to happen next.

As the glowing Pokémon stood up straight, it turned and began to walk away, slowly, reluctantly. Froakie's heart ached as he watched his companion leave, but he didn't fight it, understanding why. This place was no longer safe for his friend. It would have to find somewhere else to live, where more humans wouldn't be able to come and find it. Besides, Froakie knew that he would always be carrying a piece of his friend with him. He was glowing now, too, with a powerful energy that radiated out from his core, the same energy that he had been basking in for the past couple of weeks.

Once the deer Pokémon was no longer in sight, Froakie turned and walked off in the other direction, starting the long journey back to the tall scientist in the large city. He had accomplished his goal of becoming stronger, much stronger than his previous trainer had wanted him to be. Now he needed to find a new trainer, one that would appreciate how special he had become.

"Greninja?"

The Water-type Pokémon started a bit at the sound of his name being called, emerging from his memories. The visions of his past faded, replaced with the streets of Lumiose City in the light of the setting sun. He had retreated to the roof of the laboratory some time ago to reflect, and someone had finally come to join him.

He turned around to see his trainer standing behind him, the trainer that had proven himself to be strong enough to handle his Pokémon, the trainer that Greninja had chosen. He had his own faint glow to him right now, but it was weakly radiating out from his skin, not shining out of his core. Everyone who entered the scientist's lab glowed like this for a little while, with all of the Mega Energy bouncing around inside. The glow would fade in a day or two.

"Did you come up here to be alone?" Ash asked. "I can leave if you'd like..."

Greninja shook his head, turning back to the edge of the roof. His trainer smiled and walked up beside him, looking out at the streets of the city, and the people that lived there, walking and talking and laughing and smiling.

"You're itching to get back out there, aren't you?" Ash glanced over at his Pokémon, waiting for some sort of answer or reaction. Greninja didn't speak, didn't nod or shake his head to confirm or deny, but the expression on his face laid his thoughts bare.

He smiled sadly and looked back out at Lumiose City. "Yeah, I get it. This is what you've been working to protect all these years. These places, these people... Kalos needs you more than I do now. It needs its guardian." Greninja continued to stand in silence, not needing to say anything. His trainer seemed to have a sixth sense for what Pokémon were thinking and feeling, especially his own. It was one of many things that made him unique, made him special.

"Greninja..." The Pokémon looked over, seeing his trainer holding a Poké Ball in his hand. "I brought your Poké Ball here with me, just in case you would, you know... want it." The boy extended his hand nervously, offering the device to him. "If you want to be let go... be your own Pokémon again... just let me know, and-"

Greninja silenced the boy by reaching his webbed hand out, resting it on top of the device. He looked up to meet Ash's gaze, as he pushed the Poké Ball back toward his trainer, in a clear and unmistakable gesture.

A smile spread across Ash's face from one ear to the other, as he felt the tension evaporate from his chest. "Got it. I'll take good care of it, I promise." He reattached the ball to his belt. "Thanks again for everything, Greninja. It was great traveling together like we used to. I hope it's not too long before we see each other again."

His Pokémon nodded, extending his hand. Ash reached out and grasped it, giving it one good shake, before both of them stepped forward and wrapped their spare arm around the other, in the same sort of masculine hug they had exchanged upon Greninja's original departure, five years ago. Ash was still smiling as the two stepped back, pushing his sadness down inside of him.

"Take care of yourself, Greninja. It's tough out there, but so are you."

Greninja nodded again, saying goodbye in his own language before turning and leaping off the edge of the roof. He landed on the roof of the adjacent building, one story down, and started running and jumping his way deeper into Lumiose City. Ash watched him go until he was completely out of sight, before turning and making his way back inside, where his friends were waiting.

Several hours later, Ash and his friends were all asleep, as was most of Lumiose City. The six travelers were all resting in their own room in one of Lumiose City's numerous Pokémon Centers, while Clemont and Bonnie were in their own beds, in their own home. Bonnie was curled up in her bed, with Dedenne resting beside her on her pillow, while Squishy was snoozing in a makeshift bed that Bonnie had placed on her desk.

A quiet but sharp rapping sound roused Squishy from his sleep. Opening his eyes, he turned toward the window, shocked to see Greninja hanging from the side of the building, his body illuminated by the street lamps nearby. Squishy hopped out of his bed and over to the window, which the frog Pokémon carefully and quietly opened, before reaching his hand out with the palm facing up. Squishy hopped into his hand, trusting his old companion implicitly, and Greninja closed the window again before climbing up to the roof of the building, moving effortlessly even with one hand occupied.

As Squishy's eyes cleared the rooftop, he came face-to-face with an imposing white-and-purple Pokémon, hovering a foot or so above the building. Its body sported a long purple tail, spindly arms that ended in three-fingered hands, and a pair of cold, calculating eyes.

"I did not expect one of the legendary guardians of Kalos to be in the care of a ten-year-old human girl." The Pokémon spoke in a deep, emotionless male voice, projected directly into the minds of Squishy and Greninja with his psychic powers.

"I am in her comfort, not her care," Squishy responded defensively, speaking in the exact same manner. "And I don't see what business it is of yours."

The floating Pokémon let out a noise like a hmph. "You're right, it is none of my business." His eyes quickly sized up the small, green Pokémon. "So it is Zygarde that I am speaking with."

"It is." Squishy looked back, unintimidated. "Who am I speaking to now, and why?"

"I am known as Mewtwo," the other Pokémon answered. "I am here investigating matters of deep concern, and I am in need of information."

"Deep concern?" Squishy cocked his head. "Should I be concerned as well?"

"Perhaps," Mewtwo answered. "That depends on what you can tell me about the Vein Collapse."

"I see." The smaller Pokémon looked over the larger one carefully, trying to determine if this Mewtwo creature could be trusted. Eventually, he decided that answering questions likely wouldn't cause much harm, if any. "Very well. What do you wish to know?"

"Nothing, yet. We still have one more who needs to join us."

"Who is-" Squishy began, before a gust of wind blew past both of them. All three of them looked up to see a large, orange Pokémon flying overhead before turning around, coming to a landing. They turned to watch as the Charizard flapped its wings and slowly landed on the roof, snorting and looking around suspiciously at its company. It held still as a young man hopped off of its back, stepping forward and curiously studying Mewtwo, then Squishy, then Greninja.

"This has got to be the strangest meeting I've ever been a part of," Alain spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"Good, we're all here," Mewtwo responded. "Now we can begin."

Chapter Text

The next morning, Ash was sitting on his bed in the Pokémon Center, trying in vain to tame his unruly hair with a brush. After struggling for a couple minutes, he conceded and set the brush aside, just as Serena walked into the room, dressed up for the day, minus her hat.

"Morning, Ash!" she proclaimed cheerfully.

"Morning, Serena." He gave her a smile as he slipped his own cap on. "What are you up to today? Going to practice with Iris for your showcase tomorrow?"

She shook her head. "No, not today. We've already practiced a lot, and at this point we've got it down cold. We're going to take today off, so we're not too stressed out during the performance."

"Makes sense..." Ash's eyes were drawn to Serena's hands, which were grasping something like a magazine as she held them behind her back. "So, what's the plan, then?"

She grinned and leaned forward, placing herself on eye level with him. "I found something the two of us could do together." She produced the magazine from behind her back, holding it out for him to read. "Ta-da!"

He leaned in for a closer look, eyes scanning the words and images on the page. "The Ambrette Town Aquarium?" Pikachu scampered over from his resting place on Ash's pillow, taking a look for himself.

"They're on their annual tour of Kalos," Serena explained. "They take all their Pokémon and bring them from city to city. They're going to be in Lumiose City today." She lowered the magazine. "What do you think?"

He nodded as his eyes met hers, grinning. "Sounds like fun! Let's do it!"

"Great!" She beamed as she stood up straight again. "We can get going after we eat breakfast." Her eyes stayed fixed on his for a moment, before they moved to Pikachu, who was looking up at her with a forlorn expression.

She grinned at him. "You can come too, Pikachu." His face lit up, and she giggled as he cheered excitedly. She turned back to her bunk to grab her hat, as Pikachu hopped onto his trainer's shoulder, and moments later the three were walking down to breakfast.

Their four traveling companions were gathering to eat when Ash and Serena arrived in the cafeteria. Brock gave them a wave when he spotted them, motioning for them to come closer. "Hey there! What are you guys doing today? Going to hang out with Clemont and Bonnie some more?"

Ash shook his head. "They're both busy today, so they can't come by."

"Clemont's doing something at the university, and Bonnie had some emergency sitting request from one of her regulars," Serena elaborated. "I guess they pay her really well."

"So you get the day to yourselves?" Madison wondered. "That'll be nice."

Ash nodded back. "What about all of you? Any plans?"

Iris smiled. "There's this traveling aquarium that's going to be downtown today. We were all going to check it out."

"Oh, really..." Serena put on the best forced smile she could. "We were thinking of doing the same thing." Ash was able to pick up on the strain in her voice, as her date plans quickly slipped away.

"Hey, that's perfect!" Brock spoke up as he swallowed his food, not noticing Serena's disappointment. "We should all go there together once we're done eating." Ash and Serena nodded, turning and walking together to the food counter.

"Well, it'll still be a fun time," he offered, grabbing a tray and handing it to her.

She nodded, accepting the tray. "You're right. Let's just make the most of it." The two of them filled their trays with food before heading back to the table with their friends.

An hour and a half later, the six-some were walking along the closed-off streets of downtown Lumiose City, stopping frequently to admire the massive tanks filled with fish Pokémon from all over the world. The aquarium took up an enormous amount of space, occupying more than eight city blocks, with thousands of people walking the streets to admire the new visitors. After thoroughly admiring the fish Pokémon of the Kalos and Sinnoh regions, Ash and his friends found themselves at a metaphorical and literal crossroads, coming to a stop in an intersection as they figured out where to go.

"Alright, what would everyone like to see next?" Serena asked, playing the role of hostess.

"I was sort of hoping to see the Hoenn exhibit," Shannon spoke up. "There's a lot of interesting water Pokémon from that region." Iris nodded in agreement, wanting to go wherever her companion went.

"I'm interested in seeing some of the deep-sea creatures," Brock added. "You don't get a chance to see those often."

"I heard they have a pair of Milotic here!" Madison exclaimed energetically. "I've always wanted to see one! I hear they're beautiful!"

"Huh..." Ash rubbed his chin for a moment. "It might take us a while to see all of that. Maybe we should all split up? I kind of wanted to see the Alola exhibit, myself."

Brock nodded. "Sounds good to me. We could all meet up here later, when we're done. How does that sound to everyone?" The others quickly agreed, offering quick goodbyes before turning away. Ash and Serena watched as their friends separated and departed.

Serena turned toward Ash with a smirk. "So did you really want to see the Alola exhibit, or did you just want everyone else to leave?"

He grinned back at her. "Maybe I wanted you to see it with me."

She failed to suppress a giggle, covering her mouth with her hand, pleasantly surprised to see him overcoming the shyness from their first date. "Well then, lead the way." She followed him as he walked down a cross street, pleased that he had managed to get them the alone time they were hoping for.

It took them a couple of minutes to find the Alola exhibit, following the signposts that had been temporarily planted at the intersections. As soon as they arrived, Serena's eyes were drawn to a waist-high tank filled with colorful pink, blue and yellow fish Pokémon.

"Wow, what's this?" She walked quickly up to the edge of the tank, peering through the water at the multicolored creatures as they milled about. "They're so colorful! It's almost like they're wearing makeup."

"Oh yeah! They're, uh... Bruxish, I think?" Ash spotted an information placard, walking over and scanning it quickly. "Yeah, Bruxish. Water and Psychic-type. They scare other Pokémon away by... grinding their teeth, it says." Pikachu kept his eyes on the fish, recognizing them from his previous journeys.

"Just look at them," she continued, eyes studying one of the nearby Bruxish closely. "They're beautiful, but they're just... wild. I've never seen anything like it. They're almost otherworldly."

"That's what Alola is like." He stood beside her, watching the Pokémon lazily drift through the water. "It's like traveling to another world, where everything is different from what you know. It's one of my favorite places."

"It sounds incredible," she replied. "I'd love to go there sometime and see it for myself."

"Yeah..." Ash glanced over at her, seeing the wide smile on her face as her eyes followed the flamboyant Pokémon. He would love to take her to Alola someday, he thought to himself. He wanted to show her the sights, to see more of her wondrous gaze as they explored the islands together.

He turned his attention back toward the tank, his eyebrows raising. "Whoa, look at this!" He pointed down at the edge of the tank.

"Hm?" She looked over, following his gaze. "What is it?" She leaned in closer, not seeing whatever it was he was pointing at. As her face approached the water, Ash dipped two fingers into the tank and flicked them in her direction, lightly misting her face with water.

"Ah! Hey!" She failed to suppress a laugh as she shielded herself with her arm, immediately standing up.

Ash grinned mischievously. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"That's not funny, Ash!" she shot back, trying to force an angry expression onto her face.

"Then why are you smiling?"

She quickly turned away, knowing she couldn't hide her amusement. "Come on, you. Let's go look at something else."

Ash chuckled and followed after her, keeping his eyes on her as she looked around at the other Pokémon. His eyes drifted down her arm, toward her hand, and he quickly stepped closer to make his move. He reached out and let his fingers slide down her open palm, before intertwining with hers and clasping her hand. He felt her hand squeeze his back, watching as her smile grew wider, shining out of her face like a sunbeam. They walked hand-in-hand down the street, both of them looking around at the sights that surrounded them, able to weakly feel each other's heartbeat through their touch.

Ash's attention was soon diverted, as he watched an older couple reaching into a small bag, tossing pellets into a tank. "Hey, look at that! I think people are feeding the fish!"

"Really?" Serena followed his gaze, and the two of them walked over to the edge of the tank. She looked inside to see a large school of blue-and-white fish, swimming together in a large swarm, some of them moving up to the surface to snatch up the pellets being offered to them. "What are these?"

"They're Wishiwashi!" he answered cheerfully. "These little guys are all over Alola." Serena leaned in for a closer look.

"Oh, look at them! They look like they're about to cry!" she exclaimed, her heart immediately aching for the pitiable creatures. "We need to get some food for them!"

Ash chuckled, taking a look around and spying a stand selling fish food. He let go of Serena's hand, resolving to reclaim it later, and rushed over to purchase a small paper bag filled with pellets. He turned and walked back, his eyes on Serena and not on the ground in front of him. As he walked up to the tank, his foot slipped on a piece of paper in the road, and as he stumbled the bag of food fell out of his hand and onto the street, pellets spilling everywhere.

"Aw, man..." He sighed, deflated, eyes fixed on the ground as pellets rolled about. "So much for that." Serena lowered her hand from her mouth, biting her lip.

"You can have mine," a male voice spoke from Ash's other side.

Ash stood up straight, turning gratefully toward the voice. "Oh, thanks a..." As his eyes found the face of the generous stranger, he recoiled in shock, as did Pikachu on his shoulder. "Gah! What are you doing here?!" He could hear Serena gasp behind him, as she recognized the trainer that had defeated Brock in Cyllage City.

Darius blinked in surprise, not expecting such a harsh reaction. "I'm... feeding the fish...?"

"That's..." Ash started to say that wasn't what he meant, but upon reflection, he realized he didn't know what he meant by it in the first place, and he looked down. "Never mind."

The older boy cocked his head. "So, do you want the fish food, or..."

"No way." Ash turned back to face the tank, his voice bitter. "I don't need anything from some... wannabe Paul." He blurted out the first words that came to his mind, aware of how ridiculous they sounded.

"Paul?" Darius raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"He was one of the biggest jerks I ever met," Ash explained, relishing the opportunity to vent about an old rival. "He was always mean to his Pokémon. He didn't care if they hurt themselves in battle. He would kick any Pokémon he caught to the curb if he didn't think they were strong enough."

"What? That's ridiculous," Darius responded. "Any Pokémon can become a strong fighter if it's raised correctly. Whoever this Paul is, he doesn't sound like a very good trainer." Ash grumbled without responding, not wanting to agree with this trainer about anything. Darius watched him for a moment before continuing.

"So clearly you don't like me," he spoke, his voice calm. "Did I do something to hurt you, or offend you?"

"Not just him," Serena answered, trying to keep anger out of her voice. "All of us were upset after the way you mistreated your Pokémon in Cyllage City."

"Mistreated?!" he responded, incredulous and indignant. "I take great care of all my Pokémon. They're well trained, well fed, and well rested, every single one. But I yell at one of them one time, and now I'm some sort of abuser?"

"You would never treat your friends like that!" she shot back, her voice raising. "You wouldn't treat family like that! You shouldn't treat your Pokémon like that, either!"

Darius was unfazed. "I'm supposed to be their trainer, not their friend."

"Every trainer should be friends with their Pokémon!" Ash interjected. "That's the most important thing you need to be! When your Pokémon love you and trust you, they'll fight harder for you!"

The older boy folded his arms. "And how well is that approach working for you?" Ash hesitated for a moment, thinking about his years of failure, but Serena quickly intervened on his behalf.

"It's working great!" she insisted. "He's won three Pokémon League championships already. Two of them were back-to-back!"

His eyebrows raised involuntarily. "Not bad," he admitted. "When you've won five of them in a row, then get back to me."

"Five?!" Ash was stupefied at this absurd demand. "Are you nuts? How many have you won?"

"None, yet," Darius answered. "This is my first time challenging a Pokémon League. And it'll be my first championship, too."

"You think it's going to be that easy? If you want to win the Kalos League, you'll have to go through me first."

"Fine by me." Darius's eyes narrowed. "No offense, but after seeing your battle in Cyllage City, you're not going to be much of a problem."

"What did you say?!" Ash was seething as he stepped up to Darius, glaring up into his eyes, his fists clenched and his heart pounding in his ears. "Why don't you and me..."

His voice trailed off suddenly, as his mind somehow managed to return to him. His clouded mind started clearing itself, as he heard the sound of Wishiwashi splashing around next to him, and he smelled the simulated ocean breeze in the air, the world reappearing around him. He was enraged and insulted, ready to defend his honor in an impromptu battle in the street, but some part of him managed to grab onto him, holding him back. This was not the time, or the place. This was supposed to be a day of fun with Serena and Pikachu, and he couldn't let Darius ruin it by getting to him.

"Well?" Darius prompted.

"Nothing." Ash looked away. "Just forget it."

"Come on, Ash." Serena stepped forward and grasped his hand in hers. "Let's look at the exhibits somewhere else. It's gotten chilly around here." She gave Darius a lingering glare as she turned and walked off, leading Ash away by the hand. He watched them go for a moment before turning back to the tank beside him, calmly tossing food pellets into the water.

Hours later, Brock was standing in the center of an intersection, hands in his pockets as he rocked back and forth, glancing around at the fish he could see in all directions. The streets were much clearer than they were earlier in the day, as guests gradually left the aquarium and moved on to find dinner for themselves. After several minutes, he grinned and waved as he spotted Iris, Shannon and Madison walking in his direction.

"Hey, girls. How did you like the aquarium?"

"It was great!" Madison answered. "I've never seen this many fish Pokémon before!"

Shannon nodded in agreement. "Me neither. We saw some Pokémon unlike anything I've ever seen before. It makes me want to go out and travel more."

Brock removed his hands from his pockets as he walked toward them. "Did any of you see Ash and Serena? Are they close by?"

"No, but Serena answered on the group text, so they should be here soon," Madison answered.

"They might just be taking their time coming back," Shannon added with a grin. "Maybe they're out being all lovey-dovey somewhere."

"Those two? In public, in broad daylight?" Iris responded bluntly. "No way. They're way too antsy for that. If they even managed to hold hands, I'll be impressed."

"Yeah, I guess-"

Brock was interrupted by the piercing, frantic sound of a honking horn. Everyone jumped and turned toward the noise, watching as a large semi truck barreled down the street, directly into the path of the Unova exhibit.

"What the...?!" Brock exclaimed. "What is that driver doing?!" Everyone watched as the truck started swerving back and forth, trying to lose speed before it started crashing into the tanks. Bystanders shrieked and ran preemptively out of the way, crowding the sidewalks, as they watched the inevitable destruction come to pass.

Unable to stop in time, the truck swerved once more to try and navigate between the tanks. The gambit failed, and the sound of shattering glass filled the air as the side of a large Alomomola tank was taken clean off. The truck swerved a second time, making a hard turn as it tried to come to a stop, but the truck's momentum was too powerful, and it tilted and fell onto its side, with a loud crashing sound that made everyone nearby wince and cover their ears. The truck continued sliding sideways along the ground, smashing into several more tanks before finally coming to a stop, with shattered glass and thousands of gallons of water left in its wake.

As soon as the truck came to a stop, Iris and Brock were off and running, instinctively rushing forward to help; Shannon and Madison followed close behind. They could hear the sound of a police siren as they approached the truck, and soon they spotted Officer Jenny pulling up to the vehicle on her motorcycle, with a blue-and-yellow Manectric sitting in her sidecar. She immediately leaped off and started climbing the underside of the overturned vehicle, making her way to the door, which she wrenched open just as Brock and Iris reached the truck cab.

"Are you alright?" She stood up on the side of the cab, looking inside, seeing the male driver sitting dazed in his seat, clearly banged up. She carefully climbed into the truck and dropped down, unbuckling the driver from his seatbelt.

"Brakes... not working..." the driver managed, holding his head, woozy. "Couldn't stop..."

"You can fill us in later. Right now, we need to get you to a hospital." She grasped the driver's hand, starting to pull him to his feet.

"Get him up here! We'll pull him out!" Jenny looked up at the sound of a male voice above her, seeing Brock and Iris looking down into the cab, expressions of grave concern etched onto their faces.

"Thanks, you two!" She kneeled down to give the driver a boost, and with a bit of teamwork and struggling, Jenny, Brock and Iris managed to get the injured driver out of the truck, and the officer climbed out herself as the driver sat on the edge, holding his head.

"Tried to stop the truck..." he muttered, looking physically and emotionally traumatized. "Might have made it worse..."

"Just rest, alright?" Jenny advised. "Don't strain yourself. We'll take care of everything."

Iris and Brock watched the driver for a moment before turning back to the carnage he had wrought. The water from the tanks had spilled out along the street, spreading out over hundreds of meters and bringing the Pokémon along with it. The fish Pokémon flopped helplessly in the road, gasping for air, trying in vain to push themselves into a body of water that no longer existed. Dozens of bystanders crowded the sidewalks, gawking at the sudden disaster, talking with each other and taking pictures. She felt her heart drop as she thought about how many of these Pokémon weren't going to make it out of this disaster.

"Look at all this..." Iris sounded despondent as she surveyed the destruction, her voice quivering. "This is horrible... how is anyone going to-" She abruptly stopped as Brock reached into the backpack he had brought with him, producing a doctor's coat with a grand flourish. He donned it with incredible speed, in a motion that he had clearly practiced many times, and as he stepped up to the edge of the truck, he began to bellow in his loudest voice to the crowd below.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Everyone in earshot quickly stopped talking and looked up toward him, his authoritative voice drawing their attention. "We need to take all of these Pokémon and put them into the undamaged tanks, right away! We're going to need everyone's help with this!" His eyes immediately scanned the road, assessing the Pokémon that needed to be re-homed, as well as the tanks that still remained. "Freshwater with freshwater, saltwater with saltwater! Grab the Tympole and put them with the Ducklett, and bring the Alomomola to the Frillish tank! Anyone who can lift a heavy load, gather around the Tirtouga and take them to the Jellicent tank, one at a time! If you find any wounded or injured Pokémon, bring them to me right away!"

Everyone in the street immediately began following his directions, persuaded by his commanding tone and his doctor's coat. Iris watched them scatter, running up to the closest Pokémon they could find and lifting them carefully in their arms, before turning and looking for the appropriate destination tank. She glanced back at Brock, looking at him with newfound respect and admiration, as he turned his attention toward Officer Jenny.

"Officer, does the Pokémon Center have ambulances on the way?"

"They will in a minute, when I call this in." She looked back at him, eyebrow cocked, somewhat suspicious. "Are you an actual Pokémon doctor, or do you just like ordering around crowds of people?"

"I'm a doctor in training. I just finished a residency with Professor Sycamore." He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and unfolding it. "I'll be applying for my final certification soon." He handed the paper over to Jenny, who scanned it quickly before handing it back, satisfied.

"Alright, then. I'm leaving this situation in your hands for now. I need to get this driver to the hospital. Don't make any rash decisions, alright?" He nodded in response, as she hopped down to the ground, and the trio of Brock, Iris and Jenny helped get the driver down onto the street.

"Brock!" His attention was diverted by shouting from close by, and he looked over to see Ash and Serena standing nearby, looking worried. "Tell us what we should do to help!"

"Look for any Pokémon that have been hurt!" Brock commanded, climbing down onto level ground, as Iris hopped down next to him. Everyone else quickly spread out, joining the others in assisting the scattered Pokémon, as one citizen brought him an injured Tympole to inspect.

Ten minutes later, the organized chaos had grown much more organized and far less chaotic. Almost all of the Pokémon had been placed in new tanks, breathing easily once again, with only a few stragglers still being relocated. Brock had treated a half-dozen Pokémon for minor scrapes and cuts, and turned away a dozen other unharmed ones that had been brought to him by well-meaning helpers. Three other Pokémon had been transported by ambulance to the closest Pokémon Center.

Fifty yards away, Ash and Iris were straining to lift a large Tirtouga over the edge of the Jellicent tank, along with three others. With one final heave, they managed to toss it in, lifting their arms in a futile attempt to shield themselves from the resulting splash. Ash turned and leaned against the tank, his arms and back sore, as he scanned the streets once more. The concrete was still drenched in water and covered in broken glass, but the road had been almost completely cleared of Pokémon. A relieved smile spread across his face. Somehow, with everyone working together, they had managed to save every single Pokémon from this unexpected disaster.

He exhaled and slumped down into a sitting position, taking a breather, as Iris walked past him and toward Brock, who was applying a Potion to an injured Pokémon. As Brock stood up, he was taken aback by Iris wrapping her arms tightly around him, offering words of praise and gratitude. Ash grinned wide as Brock briefly hugged her back with one arm, before she stepped away to go look for Shannon. She really cared about every Pokémon she met. It was one of the qualities that Ash admired about her, and vice versa.

As Ash turned away to watch the citizens of Lumiose City carrying Pokémon around to their appropriate tanks, his eyes shot open wide as he spotted a familiar black-haired trainer running through the street. Darius had a panicked look on his face as he attempted to keep hold of a clearly distressed Alomomola. Ash pushed himself away from the tank and ran toward the older boy, gasping when he saw that the pink fish Pokémon had a large, jagged piece of glass sticking out of its abdomen.

"Darius!" he called out, attracting the older boy's attention.

"Ash!" Darius replied, clearly struggling to hold on. "Help me out! This Alomomola's about to slip out of my hands!"

Ash immediately reached out and grasped one of the Pokémon's side fins with one hand, and its back fin with the other, setting aside his anger toward the other trainer without a second thought. Darius exhaled and took a moment to regain his grip, and the pair shuffled their way over to Brock, who winced as he saw the state of the Alomomola, as it wriggled about, clearly in serious pain.

"Oh, that's really bad..." He walked around them in a circle, looking for other injuries, relieved when he was unable to find any. "Lay it down on its good side. I'm going to remove the glass and apply a waterproof patch. Can one of you calm it down so I can get to work?"

The two trainers lay the Pokémon down, as Brock rifled through the supplies the Pokémon Center had brought him. Ash immediately kneeled down next to the Alomomola, having no intention of letting the harsh and cruel Darius spend any more time around it than necessary.

"You're going to be just fine," Ash spoke quietly, trying his best to soothe the gasping and flailing Pokémon. "Brock's going to take care of you, and you'll be better before you know it." He ran his hand along the Pokémon's body, then its fins, trying to get the Pokémon to relax. No matter what he tried, however, the Alomomola refused to quiet down, panicked and terrified. As he racked his brain for ideas, he felt a hand roughly grab his shirt collar and yank him away, Pikachu tumbling off his shoulder.

"Step aside," Darius commanded. "You obviously don't know what you're doing." Before Ash could gather the wherewithal to respond, the older trainer threw out a Poké Ball, summoning a blue, bipedal Pokémon with large black fins on its head and tail.

"Swampert, use Water Gun on Alomomola, as lightly as you can." His Pokémon responded immediately, spitting out a weak stream of water that landed on the injured fish Pokémon, covering its body. He kneeled next to it and rubbed his hands on Alomomola's lower torso, in what looked like a deliberate and practiced motion. "Just breathe... you'll be fine, just breathe, slow and steady..."

Ash watched in surprise as the Pokémon stopped flopping around, closing its eyes and breathing slowly, just as Darius commanded. It was still clearly in pain, but it looked calmer, assuaged by the trainer's gentle touch and voice. Ash was so stunned by this display of compassion that he didn't even think to get up, until Brock ordered him to come closer.

"Come here and put your hands on either side of the glass shard. Hold the Pokémon down carefully while I remove it." Brock looked toward the older boy. "Darius, keep doing what you're doing." Ash sat up and shuffled over, obeying Brock's command and holding the Pokémon down, as Pikachu watched carefully by his side. The doctor-in-training applied a pair of latex gloves before reaching out and starting to slowly remove the glass, and Ash had to fight to keep the Pokémon in place, wincing as it squealed in pain. After several seconds, the shard was successfully removed, and Brock worked quickly to apply a temporary patch, spraying it with a Super Potion.

He wiped his forehead with his arm once the work was done, as Ash stood up and took a step back. "Good, great. This one's going to be just fine, after a trip to the Pokémon Center." He glanced toward his two temporary assistants. "Thanks for helping, both of you."

Darius nodded. "It's a lucky break for everyone that you were here. I had no idea you were a Pokémon Doctor, too."

"Well, a doctor in training," Brock admitted with a smile. "I originally wanted to be a Pokémon Breeder, but-"

Darius's face lit up. "A breeder? Really?!" Brock faltered, taken aback by this reaction, as the other trainer scooted closer, still on his knees. "Actually, do you mind if I ask you a few questions? I've been thinking about making my own food, and I've been looking for tips..."

Brock looked back toward Darius, briefly stunned by the excited expression on the boy's face, as well as the pen and notebook that had somehow materialized in his hands. "Uh... sure, no problem..." He stood up, and Darius followed. "What I usually do is..."

Ash continued to watch in abject confusion as Brock gave the best advice he could, while Darius scribbled down notes furiously, looking as if he was attending a college lecture and meeting a celebrity at the same time. He didn't look back as the four girls walked up behind him, equally confused.

"Did I miss something?" Iris's voice asked. "When did this guy get here? What is he doing?"

"I don't know," Ash admitted. "He helped us treat the Alomomola, then all of a sudden he went gaga over Brock." The group watched Brock and Darius converse, trying to reconcile this bright-eyed and curious boy with the jerk they encountered in Cyllage City.

"Thanks so much," Darius spoke as his discussion concluded, tucking his notebook into his pocket. "This will be really helpful, I think."

"Sure thing," Brock answered, adjusting his doctor's coat. "Hopefully that works out for you. Thanks for your help today."

Darius nodded, bidding Brock goodbye before turning to walk away. He only made it a few feet before Ash's voice stopped him.

"What is your deal?!" Ash blurted out, exasperated.

Darius turned around, eyebrows raising. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you like this?" Ash continued, speaking in a pure stream of consciousness. "How can you be yelling and insulting your Jolteon, and then you're so nice and kind to this Alomomola? Why do you treat other Pokémon better than your own? I don't understand you at all!"

"I'm heartbroken," Darius responded, bitter and sarcastic. "Are you done?"

Ash glared at him for a moment, not answering, not sure if he wanted to continue going off on the older boy or to just turn and leave. Darius eventually rolled his eyes and thrust his hands into his pockets, turning and walking off, as everyone else watched. Ash could feel Serena's hand coming to rest on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Well, that was... unexpected..." Shannon muttered. "Maybe this guy isn't the huge jerk we thought he was?"

"No way," Ash answered sternly. "Anyone who's mean to any Pokémon is bad news, end of story." He heard several grunts of agreement from behind him, as his Pikachu climbed up his body to his usual perch.

"Well, anyway," Brock jumped in, changing the subject. "I'm going to need to stick around here for a little while. I need to talk with Nurse Joy about everything that's happened today. You guys probably don't want to stick around for that."

"We all should probably get back to the Pokémon Center and get some dinner," Iris replied. "It's getting late." Serena nodded in agreement, disappointed that her day was coming to a bittersweet end like this. As she started walking away, however, Ash's voice caused her to pause.

"Actually, Serena and I were talking about staying out a while longer," he jumped in, looking toward her as she turned around. "Are you still up for that?"

Her face lit up, and a wide smile spread across her face. "Of course! I'd love to." Her smile spread infectiously to him as well, as the two kept their eyes on each other. One thing he had learned about Serena over the past few months was that she was the perfect cure for whatever was upsetting him at any given time.

"Alright! Have fun, you two!" Madison smiled as well, as she started walking back to the Pokémon Center with Iris and Shannon. "We'll see you guys later!" Ash and Serena waved at them as they left, before bidding Brock farewell and turning away, heading back into Lumiose City as they discussed what to do next.

Later that night, the two teenagers were standing at a window side by side, looking out at the lights of Lumiose City from hundreds of feet in the air. The two of them, along with Pikachu, had been let into Prism Tower by an eager Bonnie, and they were taking in the breathtaking view from the very top.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Serena spoke softly. "I've never seen Lumiose City like this before. It's amazing."

"Yeah..." Ash replied with a polite nod, his voice a bit distant.

Serena glanced over at him, picking up on his tone of voice. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. Why?"

"You sound distracted." She frowned. "You aren't still thinking about that jerk Darius, are you?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"Well, you're thinking about something."

He smirked. "I'm never thinking about anything."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "You're ridiculous, Ash." She continued gazing out the window, until another sight caught her attention. "Oh, come look at this! Look at all the people down there!"

Ash grinned and walked over to see what she was looking at, bringing his attention fully back to her. His mind had been focused on other things for a few minutes, but he hadn't been thinking about Darius, or the aquarium. He had finally decided how he was going to ask her the question he had been thinking about ever since their date in Cyllage City. It was going to happen in Gloire City, once the Master Class was completed and she had been crowned. As her Kalos Queen journey came to an end, he would present her with a bouquet of one dozen red roses, and ask her to begin an entirely new journey with him. It was undeniably cheesy, but it would be romantic, and he knew she would appreciate that. He needed to butter her up as much as he could, making it as appealing as possible to say yes, because he knew for certain now that he didn't want to continue traveling without her.

The two of them continued looking out at the City of Light, enjoying the moment, both of them hoping for many more nights like this to come.

Chapter Text

"...We are proud to honor the heroic deeds of this young man. Thanks to his leadership, knowledge, and quick thinking, a massive disaster was averted, and the lives of dozens of Pokémon were saved. In recognition of his valor, we award him with..."

The voice rang out through the streets, washing over the crowd that had formed around the entrance of Lumiose City Hall. The city mayor, a middle-aged woman with greenish-gray hair, was standing at a podium and speaking to the reporters and bystanders who had come to watch the short event. Brock stood stiffly off to the side, a few feet away, looking exceedingly nervous and hoping he wasn't expected to make a speech. Ash and his friends were all in attendance, listening proudly, with the exception of Serena and Iris, who were making early preparations for their Performance Battle a few hours later; Clemont and Bonnie were attending in their stead.

A round of applause broke out, as well as a chorus of flash bulbs, as the mayor handed Brock a medal attached to a yellow ribbon. The two shook hands briefly, exchanging words that nobody else could hear over the sound of the crowd, before they both turned to leave, and the audience began to disperse. Ash led the others through the crowd, intercepting Brock as he was trying to find them.

"Congratulations, Brock!" Ash was the first to speak, clapping his longtime friend on the back. "You're a bona fide hero now! You got a medal and everything!"

"Hah! Yeah, I guess the medal makes it official, doesn't it?" Brock mused. "I, uh, didn't look too nervous or anything up there, did I?"

"No, not at all!" Shannon lied. "You were just fine!" Everyone else hastily nodded in false agreement, and Brock let out a relieved breath.

"You've had quite a stay in Lumiose City, haven't you?" Clemont spoke up. "First you win top prize in a cooking competition, then you get a medal for heroism."

"I knew that any good friend of Ash and Serena had to be someone special," Bonnie added, her voice sincere and full of wonder. "They always meet the coolest people."

"Eheh, thanks..." Brock looked around for a moment. "Where is Serena, anyway? And Iris?"

"They're at the amphitheater," Shannon answered. "They left early to get ready for the showcase."

"I think they're figuring out their outfits and makeup and stuff," Madison explained further. "Serena said she had to 'work on' Iris." She paused for a moment. "Um... don't tell her I told you that."

Shannon giggled. "I'm sure Iris gets it. She's never been a part of anything fancy like this." Ash's mind recalled one incident in Unova when they were younger, when a spiteful Iris tried to fit in with a group of uptight high-society girls, but he didn't mention it. It wasn't really representative of the girl they knew, and he wasn't about to bring up any memory that involved him wearing a dress.

"If we want to get good seats later, we should probably go eat now," he suggested. "The showcase is only a couple hours away."

"Let's go, then," Clemont concurred. "I wonder if the two of them were able to eat. Do you think they'll be hungry?"

"Maybe we should bring them something," Brock suggested. The others agreed, and they all turned to find a good restaurant to eat at, as Ash pulled out his phone to ask the performer duo about their food preferences.

It was a little over an hour later when the group arrived at the open-air Lumiose City Amphitheater, and while most of them went to get seats for themselves, Shannon explored the corridors behind the stage in search of the dressing rooms, holding a paper bag filled with warm food. After a couple minutes of searching, she located the door she was searching for, stepping up and knocking on it gently, then opening it slightly and speaking through the crack.

"Serena? Iris? It's me! I've got noodles!"

"I want noodles!" Shannon could hear Iris calling out from inside, making herself heard over the low rumble of other girls getting themselves ready. Shannon opened the door a little wider, unsure if she should step inside, when Serena's face appeared in front of her.

"Thanks so much, Shannon." She opened the door wider, reaching out to accept the bag. "We're both starving." Shannon nodded, looking over the performer, surprised at her appearance. Her normal kimono outfit was nowhere to be found, and in its place was something closer to a sky-blue ballgown, with plenty of bows and lace. The flower in her hair had been replaced with a headband decorated with pearls - fake ones, Shannon assumed.

"That's not the same outfit you wore last time," she observed.

"Nope, it's not." Serena smiled, stepping back to give Shannon a better view. "What do you think?"

"I think you look great!" Shannon answered. "Why the change, though?"

"My kimono dress was too understated," Serena explained. "I needed to glow myself up to match Iris."

Shannon's eyebrows shot up. "What have you done with Iris?" She took a step forward and turned her head to peek inside, freezing in shock as she saw Iris standing at a mirror, adjusting a golden tiara resting on top of her head. Her hair had been pulled back into a massive ponytail, and her long bangs had been tied up into two loops on either side of her face, connecting on the back of her head to form what looked like the plumage of a peacock. Her normal outfit had been replaced with an extravagant dress; a cream-colored top with pink highlights connected to a flared-out pink skirt that reached nearly to the ground, with an enormous slit in the front that showed off her legs.

Iris finished getting her hair tied up and turned toward the door, revealing a large, gold-plated pendant hanging from her neck. She grinned from ear to ear as she saw the stunned expression on her friend's face. "You like it?"

"Yeah..." Shannon responded without thinking, before her mind returned to her. "You look like... a princess of some exotic country somewhere."

Iris snickered at the strange simile, feeling a bit warmer as Shannon took in the sight of her, looking at her in a way she never had before. "I'll take that as a compliment." Shannon grinned as Iris stepped forward, reaching hungrily for the bag and pulling out her food.

"There's going to be way more performers at this showcase than the others ones I've competed in," Serena continued, as Iris took a seat and started eating. "There will probably be seven or eight girls competing in the Performance Battle round. Any way we can stand out is good for us... as long as we're standing out in a good way."

"I'm sure you're going to blow them away," Shannon reassured her. "With all the secret practice you two have been doing, I'm guessing you have something really wild in the cards."

"Oh, we do." Serena grinned. "Iris is a real out-of-the-box thinker. We've got some really exciting stuff planned." She reached into the bag and grabbed her own bowl, sitting next to Iris.

"I can't wait." Shannon smiled and took a step back. "I'll let the two of you eat. Good luck! I'll be cheering for you both!" She stepped out the door as the other two girls waved at her, their mouths full. She gave Iris one last lingering glance before stepping away, going to find where Ash and the others had found seats.

Hours later, the enormous Lumiose City crowd was watching the sixth of seven Performance Battles, as a Vaporeon and a Gogoat danced and battled their way across the stage. Serena had sailed through the Theme Performance round, as everyone had expected, giving her the final Performance Battle slot. Ash and his friends were anxiously awaiting the premiere of Serena and Iris's Performance Battle, the contents of which the two girls had kept close to their chests. Shannon had briefly left her seat, trying to race to the restroom and back before the real show began, not wanting to miss a moment.

In a waiting area backstage, Serena was giving her Delphox one final pass with a brush, while Iris paced back and forth, filled with nervous energy. Both of them were running the performance routine through their heads, worried that they might forget something or miss a cue. They continued these routines until a voice from nearby captured their attention.

"Serena? You're up in a couple of minutes. If you're ready, you can move backstage."

Serena nodded and smiled, standing up and looking toward her partner. "This is it, Iris. Are you ready?"

Iris nodded back, able to feel the blood pumping through her veins. "Ready as I'll ever be." Serena returned her Delphox to its Poké Ball, and the two girls walked through the door that led them behind the stage, on the right side. Iris stepped up to the stage entrance, watching as the two Pokémon on stage attacked each other weakly, sacrificing power in favor of elegance and showmanship. She couldn't help but grin.

"Look at that... if that's the level of the competition, we've got this in the bag." Her eyes turned to the crowd, the grin falling away as she saw the size of it. "Whoa... there's a lot of people here..."

Serena stepped up beside her, looking out at the audience. "Yeah, it looks like it's a full house. Or close to it."

"I didn't think there would be so many people watching..." She looked over the faces in the crowd, feeling as if they were already looking at her, sizing her up. "There weren't this many in Coumarine City..."

"Lumiose City is the biggest city in Kalos," Serena explained. "And they don't always have showcases every season, so when they do, it's a big deal."

"Right..." Iris muttered, as the eyes in the crowd began to multiply, growing exponentially, until there seemed to be millions of them. Millions of eyes watching her, judging her, as she engaged in some strange dance battle that she had never done before, in the most outrageous outfit she'd ever worn. She could feel her heart beating out of her chest, her stomach starting to twist up.

"I'll be right back." Iris turned and walked away from the stage, moving quickly, searching for the closest door she could find.

"Iris?" Serena turned to watch her, shocked. "Where are you going?"

"i just need some air." Iris reached out and shoved open the first door she saw, immediately searching for another, unable to hear Serena calling her name and running after her.

Further back in the amphitheater, Shannon was speed walking down a hallway, looking for the door that would lead her back into the audience. As she tried to find a sign or some other navigation aid, she watched a door open ten yards ahead of her, gasping as Iris stepped out of it and came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, breathing heavily and resting her hand on her chest. Serena appeared behind her an instant later.

"It's alright, Iris," she consoled. "Just relax. Take a few deep breaths."

"Iris?" Shannon jogged closer. "What's wrong?"

"Oh! Shannon!" Serena looked up in surprise, but it quickly faded. "Everything's fine. Iris is just experiencing a bit of stage fright."

"I am not!" Iris insisted, trying to convince herself more than anyone else. She could feel her face burning with humiliation; it was bad enough that Serena had to see her like this, but now Shannon was as well. Iris couldn't even pinpoint what the problem was. She was incredibly confident in everything she did. She'd battled in front of large crowds before, and with much higher stakes. Why was she feeling like this now? What was the matter with her?

"This happens to everyone, Iris. It happened to me, too." Serena reached out and rested her hands on her partner's shoulders. "It's worst right before you go on stage. Once the performance starts, then the butterflies go away. Trust me." Iris didn't respond, wishing that butterflies were all she was feeling; right now, she felt as if she could throw up on the spot.

"Serena, you need to get ready to go on stage." The performer turned to see the blonde stage manager standing in the doorway, not looking pleased at this delay. "You've got thirty seconds."

Serena nodded, turning back to her Battle Partner. "We have to go back on, Iris. You're going to do great, I promise. You have this down pat." Iris nodded, not saying anything in response, trying to catch her breath.

"We'll be right behind you, Serena," Shannon spoke for Iris. "I'll take care of her." Serena nodded and disappeared backstage, and Shannon reached out to take Iris's hand in hers, leading her backstage as well. Iris followed her, not resisting; if she fought this now, she would never survive the sheer embarrassment.

As they walked through the darkened space behind the amphitheater stage, they could hear the familiar voice of Monsieur Pierre over the speakers, thanking the previous performer and her Battle Partner. Serena glanced back at the two of them for a moment before taking her first steps onto the stage, the lights not yet shining on her. Shannon led Iris to the edge of the stage, standing behind her with her hands on the girl's shoulders, feeling them rise and fall with her rapid breathing.

"You're going to be just fine, Iris," she soothed, speaking softly into Iris's ear. "Don't look at the audience. Just keep your eyes on Serena. Are you watching her?"

Iris nodded, letting out a shaky breath. "Yeah..."

"Good." Shannon moved her hands to Iris's back, stepping forward and shoving her friend onto the stage as hard as she could.

Iris bit off a yelp, quickly regaining her balance after taking several steps forward. She whirled around and stared at her friend in shock; Shannon gave her a wave and an encouraging smile before disappearing, running back to find her seat. Iris growled and turned away, forcing herself to step forward and take her position, her mind running through all the ways she could hide Shannon's body after the show.

"And for our final performance tonight, we have the lovely and talented Serena of Vaniville Town, and her Battle Partner, Iris!" Iris could hear the applause and cheering wash over her; it was clear Serena was a Kalos favorite. She forced herself to look forward, away from the audience, keeping her eyes on her partner from across the stage. Serena was giving her a cheerful smile, trying to put Iris at ease, and Iris couldn't tell if it was working or not.

Serena reached down to her hip, grabbing the Poké Ball that was attached to it and bringing out her Delphox, who had been dressed up for the occasion in a frilly dress and matching hat. Iris did the same, summoning her Altaria, who had been costumed with bows and an overlarge vest that was decorated with sparkling stones.

"Let's get started!" Serena declared, pointing toward her opponent. "Delphox, use Flamethrower!" Her Pokémon raised the stick it held in his hand, summoning a stream of fire. Iris watched it approach, her mouth opening automatically to respond, as it had so many times in rehearsal.

"Altaria, Dragon Breath!" Her Pokémon stretched its neck forward, a green beam of energy shooting out of its mouth and colliding with the oncoming flames. The two attacks cancelled each other out, forming a series of flaming green rings that radiated outward, dissipating before they hit the audience.

Iris saw Serena's smile grow, her face filled with pride, and she felt her stomach starting to settle, the nerves sinking to the bottom. Her voice was more confident as she issued her next command. "Now attack with Steel Wing!"

Her Pokémon flew forward to attack, its wings glowing a bright white, and it began to spin around as it swung its wings near Delphox's feet. Serena's Pokémon danced away skillfully, hopping and spinning about, before responding with another attack of her own. As Iris watched the two Pokémon battle each other, she could feel her fear starting to melt away, her terror replaced with a nervous excitement that made her hair stand on end. She felt a grin spread across her face, as she wondered what she had even been afraid of.

As the Performance Battle continued, Serena listened closely to the crowd's muted reactions. They had watched six excellent performances already, and so far the seventh one wasn't doing anything to wow them, especially considering the reputation Serena had garnered. She was unfazed, smirking confidently. The real performance hadn't even begun.

"Altaria, use Moonblast!" Iris commanded. Her Pokémon charged up a large pink ball of energy in her mouth, launching it toward Delphox; she danced out of its path, and the attack continued on, directly at Serena. She let it approach for another moment before cartwheeling elegantly out of harm's way, landing in a crouched position as the attack burst against the amphitheater wall, blowing her hair back. The shocked gasps from the crowd were music to her ears.

"Use Fire Spin!" she countered, getting back to her feet. Delphox drew a circle in the air with her flaming stick, sending out large rings of flame at Iris and her Pokémon. Iris ran forward and hopped onto Altaria's back, and the bird Pokémon took off like a rocket, flying both of them through the flaming rings before zooming upward into the sky, to the sound of more gasps and a few shrieks from the audience.

Iris was feeling electrified now, her fists clenching, ready to drop some jaws. "Get in there and use Pluck!"

Altaria cawed and swooped down toward Delphox at high speed, snatching the flaming stick out of her paw and flying away with it. Altaria tossed it to the side, and they both watched it fall to the ground, threatening to snap in half when it hit the stage. Serena raced forward and leaped into the air, snatching the wand out of the sky, twirling it like a flaming baton as she landed. She then held the stick up in the air, pointing it toward her flying partner, and Delphox focused her pyrokinetic powers on the wooden device. The audience gasped once again as a Flamethrower attack erupted from the stick as Serena held it aloft, which Altaria carefully dodged. As Iris bobbed and weaved through several carefully placed Flamethrowers, she could hear the crowd start to roar, the first time they had done so in the middle of a Performance Battle.

Iris eventually turned Altaria around to face the performer below. "Stop her with Dragon Breath!" Her Pokémon fired off an energy beam once again, aimed directly at Serena; the blond performer tossed the flaming wand back toward Delphox before rolling out of the way, avoiding the blast.

She grinned as she got back to her feet, turning back toward her Pokémon. "Let's do it, Delphox! Mystical Fire!" Delphox's eyes shone as she formed another set of flaming rings in the air, which she followed up by opening her mouth and spewing out a column of flame. The rings and the fire blast combined into one massive attack, and the audience watched with rapt attention as the attack swept over Iris and Altaria, swallowing them completely. A chorus of piercing screams rent the air, as the blast appeared to roast Iris and her Pokémon alive.

Inside the flaming column, Iris was holding onto Altaria as tightly as she could, making herself as small as possible so she could fit inside the Safeguard bubble that Altaria had thrown up at the last second. She could hear the sounds of terror coming from the audience, laughing as one loud observer begged for the performance to be called off.

"Here we go, Altaria," she spoke into her Pokémon's ear, as she grabbed at her pendant with her right hand. "Time for the big finale!" She flicked the pendant open with her thumb, revealing a rainbow stone that had been set in the center, and she grasped it tightly in her palm. Beneath her, a marble-like stone attached to Altaria's vest started to shine brightly, and the Pokémon began to glow and transform underneath her.

Outside, beams of light shone out from the flames, growing in intensity and lighting up the already-bright stage even more. As the flaming attack faded, the audience gasped once again as they beheld the cloud-like, cotton-covered form of Mega Altaria, with an unscathed Iris still riding atop her. The Pokémon cawed proudly as she spread her wings, the sound carrying over the noise of the audience.

"Now, finish it with Sky Attack!" Iris commanded. Altaria turned and started to dive down, quickly building up an incredible speed. As they got closer to the stage, Iris pushed herself off of Altaria and fell a few feet to the ground, landing delicately; her Pokémon continued forward, beginning to glow white as she dove at Delphox.

"Counter it with Psybeam!" Serena commanded. Her Delphox focused on the flaming wand in her paw, and a beam of multicolored light shot out of it, directly at Altaria. The bird Pokémon continued to push through, as both she and Delphox strained with all their might, and the gap between the two slowly closed.

Once Altaria was a couple of feet away, Iris gave one last command. "Dragon Pulse!" Altaria opened her mouth and spat out a turquoise ball of energy at her foe, and the attack exploded almost immediately in a brilliant flash of colored light. As the light and the smoke faded, Delphox twirled her way toward the center of the stage, raising one paw in the air, which Altaria landed on gingerly. Seconds later, Serena and Iris leaped forward and stood in front of the two Pokémon, clasping two of their hands together and raising their arms to the sky, their Performance Battle finally concluded.

The audience erupted into massive applause, with cheers and whistles ringing out into the night, as the two girls caught their breath and took in the sight of the crowd. Serena eventually let go of Iris's hand and curtsied to the crowd, while Iris gave a bow beside her, unable to stop smiling even if she wanted to. They both returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls, as Monsieur Pierre returned to the stage.

"What a finish, ladies and gentlemen!" he declared. "Now, please welcome the other contestants back onto the stage!" Serena and Iris walked off to the side, as six other beautiful and well-dressed performers stepped onto the stage, standing in a line and waiting to be judged.

"Now, it is time to cast your votes!" he continued. "Your Glow Caster wands have seven buttons on them, each with its own color, corresponding to the keys in front of each of our girls. When I give the signal..."

As Pierre explained the voting procedure, Iris glanced down the line of girls, surprised to see that there were so few on stage. As she counted, she realized with a start that she had forgotten the instructions she had been given before the performance began. She was supposed to leave the stage when the final judging began, as only the performers were supposed to be on the stage, and not their Battle Partners.

Iris's heart dropped as she looked around the edge of the stage, wondering how she could possibly leave now without drawing attention to herself. As she started forming a plan, she felt Serena reach out and grasp her hand, holding it tightly. Iris glanced back at her curiously, watching as Serena looked out stiffly at the audience, her chest rising and falling anxiously. Iris's eyes widened in shock. Had Serena been this nervous the entire time, and pushed it down in order to comfort her Battle Partner? Was she this nervous during every showcase, and she had just gotten good at hiding it?

Iris quickly changed her mind, squeezing Serena's hand back as she stood by her side. Serena had given her support as she wrestled with her own anxiety, and now Iris was going to do the same in return. She was exactly where she needed to be.

The line of eight girls watched as the votes began to be cast, a rainbow cloud of light flying through the air and onto the stage. Some of the colors were much more represented than others, with a couple of the girls receiving a paltry number of votes, while others were swamped. Serena and Iris both tried to count the lights as they flew through the air, but it became too difficult to keep track of the four most popular colors. After the votes had finally settled, however, the result was clear for everyone to see.

"We have our winner!" Monsieur Pierre announced, as the audience began to roar with applause. "Our champion performer, with her incredible Performance Battle, is none other than Serena!"

Serena and Iris's faces lit up, and they immediately turned to embrace each other excitedly, laughing and squealing in delight as they jumped up and down. The MC let them have their moment of celebration, giving them a few seconds of uninterrupted applause, before continuing.

"This victory gives Serena her third and final Princess Key, making her the first performer to receive all three this season! Serena is now the first official entrant into our Master Class competition, where she will have an opportunity to claim the title of Kalos Queen!" He produced a golden key with a red ruby embedded in the handle, and he turned toward a glowing Serena, who held out her key ring, her hand nearly trembling with relief and excitement. The man skillfully attached the key onto the ring, and she held it in both hands, staring at it in admiration.

"Thank you, everyone, for attending this fabulous showcase, and helping us to usher in our very first Performance Battles!" Pierre continued. "I hope to see some of you again at a future showcase! All of you, have a wonderful night!"

Hours later, the overjoyed collection of traveling friends had managed to fall asleep in their beds at the Pokémon Center, after lots of congratulation and celebration, which included a cake that Clemont and Bonnie had purchased for this victory. After the adrenaline and sugar had worn off, Serena had crashed hard and was barely able to keep her eyes open, and everyone else took this as a cue to get themselves to bed as well. They were now sleeping soundly and happily, enjoying the final night of what had been a thoroughly satisfying visit to Lumiose City.

A rudely loud voice from outside their door roused Shannon from her sleep, and she sighed in disappointment as she found herself out of her dream and back in the Pokémon Center. As the voice faded and the traveler walked further down the hallway, she let her eyes scan the darkened room for a moment, coming to rest on Iris's bunk. She blinked and sat up, taking a closer look as she realized the bed was empty. She stood up and looked around, confused, wondering where she might have gone at this time of night, whatever time that was. Moving to the window in hopes of finding some sort of clock, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw her friend standing outdoors in her sleep clothes, arms outstretched.

Outside the Pokémon Center, Iris was standing on the narrow lawn in her bare feet, feeling the cold and dewey grass beneath her toes, letting the night air fill her lungs as she breathed deeply. She still had adrenaline coursing through her veins, her heart racing excitedly as she replayed the showcase over and over in her head. The feeling of accomplishment was almost immeasurable, and she was as proud of herself now as she was when she became the leader of the Opelucid City Gym.

"Iris?"

She turned around to see Shannon standing at the door, a curious look on her face. "Shannon? What are you doing out here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"I couldn't sleep." Iris smiled and relaxed. "I was still thinking about the showcase."

Shannon smiled back warmly, walking closer. "You were really incredible out there. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks! I am, trust me." Iris grinned a bit. "I still can't believe you actually pushed me onto the stage like that."

Shannon giggled lightly. "Well, I didn't have a lot of time... Serena said that the nerves got better once you were on stage, so I decided I was just going to get you on stage the fastest way I could."

"Well, I'm glad you did. And she was right. As soon as the performance began, everything got easier."

"I'm glad to her that," Shannon responded, before changing the subject. "When did you get an Altarianite, anyway? I didn't know you had one of those."

"I got it a few weeks before I came here," Iris explained. "Drayden helped me to track it down, and he helped me train Altaria to Mega Evolve, too. That was what got me interested in coming to Kalos in the first place. Tonight was my first real opportunity to use Mega Altaria, though."

Shannon smiled, stepping closer. "That was a pretty amazing debut. You should be proud. I know I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Shannon. It's like..." Iris tried to find words for how she was feeling. "Have you ever done something you didn't think you could do, and afterwards, it's like... you're sort of floating on a different plane? It's like the night isn't even there, and you can't feel the cold, because you feel so warm inside, and it's this otherworldly moment that you wish would last forever?"

Shannon cocked her head a bit, grinning. "I can't say I have. It sounds wonderful, though."

"It is." Iris smiled back. "I feel like I could do anything right now." The two girls kept their eyes on each other, drawing energy from their smiles, as a moment passed in silence. Shannon was the one to break her gaze, glancing down, realizing she had something that she needed to get off her chest. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Iris," she began, as her friend stepped closer. "There's something I need-"

Her eyes abruptly shot open, her voice and her heart stopping, as she felt Iris's lips press against hers.

She froze in place, shocked, unable to react as Iris's face filled her field of view, her entire body focused on the sensation of the soft lips that were now kissing her. After a second, or maybe it was an hour, Iris stepped back and opened her eyes, her stomach once again in knots, but for an entirely different reason. Both of them were blushing deeply, though it didn't show through Iris's dark skin.

"Shan-" was all Iris managed to say before Shannon threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around Iris's neck and kissing her as if her life depended on it. Iris couldn't help but laugh as she embraced Shannon back, and the two kissed each other sweetly but passionately, weeks of tension unraveling all at once. The rest of the world vanished as they melted into each other, nothing else mattering but the two of them.

They eventually had to break for air, taking a moment to recover as they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. Both of them were giddy and grinning like children, in delighted disbelief, as they continued to hold each other in their arms.

"What were you going to say?" Shannon eventually asked.

Iris shook her head. "It doesn't matter. What about you?"

"Oh, well..." Shannon's eyes fell again. "It's just... when we found each other in Geosenge Town, I... wasn't completely honest with you."

Iris blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I said that I was here in Kalos to go on a Pokémon journey, but... that's not the truth," Shannon confessed, bringing her eyes back up. "I came here to find you."

Iris smiled warmly, touched. "I thought it might have been something like that," she admitted. "Thank goodness you did."

"Yeah..." Shannon nodded in agreement. "And now, after... this... I need to leave again. I'm going to go right back to missing you."

"Do you want me to come back to Unova with you?" Iris offered.

Shannon shook her head. "No, you shouldn't. I already got what I came for. You still have a journey to finish." She grinned. "It won't be long before I see you again, right?"

"No way. You're going to be the first person I visit when I get back home." Iris smirked. "Maybe it's better that I stay here a bit longer. Ash is going to be floundering without my help, especially with Serena."

Shannon giggled again. "So you're going to be his wingman? I didn't think you were the romantic type."

Iris laughed. "Not a chance. He's just hopeless. He's going to need all the help he can get."

Shannon grinned wide. "He'll have a good coach. You definitely know how to make a girl happy."

The two of them leaned in and continued to kiss each other for as long as they dared, giggling excitedly as they did so, until their cold feet eventually forced them back inside.

"You're now the first performer this year to receive all three of her Princess Keys. How does that make you feel?"

Serena smiled politely, sitting with her hands clasped on her lap. "It feels amazing! This was beyond my expectations. I was confident that I could get myself to the Master Class a second time, but I didn't think it would happen so soon. It's..." She took a moment to settle on the word she wanted. "It's validating. It feels like a confirmation that I'm doing the right thing with myself."

The brunette reporter she was speaking with nodded, writing quickly into her notebook as she sat across from Serena. "So being a performer, is that your plan for your future?"

"I don't know about the far future, but it's all I want to do now," Serena answered. "I'm devoting everything to performing and becoming Kalos Queen. Right now, that's all I'm thinking about."

The reporter nodded again, continuing to write, faster than Serena had ever seen anyone write. "Let's talk about that Performance Battle last night. That was something wild. You and your Battle Partner were the only ones in the competition to join in the battling with their Pokémon. How did you think that up?"

"I actually didn't," Serena explained. "That was Iris's idea. She asked me if there was a rule about performers staying on the sidelines. I told her no, but that was how Performance Battles always worked. She asked why, and... I didn't really have a good answer. From there, we just let our imaginations run wild."

"I think a lot of performers might end up following your lead now," the reporter commented. "Speaking of, your Battle Partner is pretty noteworthy herself. How did you end up performing with a Gym Leader from Unova?"

"Well, she's... she was a friend of a friend, you could say." Serena grinned involuntarily as she thought about the bizarre circumstances of choosing her Battle Partner. "I was going to partner with someone else at first, but it didn't end up working out. Iris was traveling with him, and she stepped in to help, and we gelled perfectly."

"Well, that's fortunate," the reporter responded, half-focused as she continued to write. "Before we wrap up, is there anything you would like to say to the people and performers of Kalos?"

Serena held her chin, thinking for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully. "I want to say that... this region, it's given me so much, and... I want to try and give back to Kalos, too. That's why I want to be Kalos Queen. I want to put smiles on the faces of everyone around me. That's my dream."

The reporter gave her a wide smile. "I think that's a wonderful dream to have, Serena." She finally finished writing, placing her pen in her shirt pocket. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I'll send you a copy of the article once it's published." She stood up, and the young performer followed her lead. "Best of luck in the Master Class!" Serena grinned and thanked her, shaking the woman's hand before turning to leave.

Ash, Brock and Madison were standing on a sidewalk in downtown Lumiose City, waiting for Serena to emerge from the newspaper office. They had said their goodbyes to Clemont and Bonnie earlier in the morning, and now Serena's interview was their final task before they departed. Brock was the first to spot Serena as she stepped outside, waving to her as she approached.

"How'd it go?" he asked, cutting off Ash as he tried to ask the same thing.

"It went well, I think," she answered. "It was kind of formal, but it was a nice conversation. I'm pretty sure I didn't embarrass myself, at least."

"I'm sure you did great!" Ash was encouraging as always. "We should have Clemont send us a copy of the paper when it comes out."

Serena nodded. "I'm going to send one to my mom, too. She'll be thrilled, I bet." Madison nodded in agreement, her smile fading a bit at the mention of Serena's mother.

"Hey, guys!" The four of them turned to see Iris waving at them, having returned from seeing Shannon off at the airport. "How did it go, Serena?"

"It went... fine..." Serena paused, as she saw Iris's eyes looked red and puffy. "Are you alright?"

"You look like you've been crying," Madison observed.

"I was." Iris rubbed her right eye with her arm. "It's fine. I'm just going to miss her, is all."

Brock nodded in understanding. "You'll see her again soon, when you go back to Unova."

"Mhmm." Iris looked toward Ash. "So what's our next destination? Your next Gym Battle is in Anistar City, right?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, but we're not going there right away. We're taking a trip back to Laverre City."

"Laverre City?" Iris repeated, confused. "We already went there once, though. Why are we going back?"

"I got a call from Shauna this morning," Serena explained, grinning wide. "I'm going to be in a music video with Aria, the last Kalos Queen!"

"What?!" Iris's eyes shot open. "Seriously?!"

"Yes!" Serena was bursting with excitement. "They're going to be filming it in Laverre City. Shauna's going to be in it, too!"

"That's so cool!" Iris was beaming, thrilled to see her friend's success. "You're going to be a superstar by the time we leave!"

"They want us to be there in three days," Brock continued. "We need to get going now if we want to make it in time."

"Well, let's go!" Madison spoke up, eager to meet a former Kalos Queen for herself. The others agreed, continuing to talk as they started making their way toward Route 14. As Serena and Madison discussed Aria and music videos and other such topics, Ash stealthily fell back until he was walking alongside Iris.

"Hey, are you doing alright?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"I'll be fine." She looked back at him, touched by his concern. "Thanks for asking."

"That's good," he replied. "I was worried that Shannon leaving might be harder on you."

"How do you mean?"

"Well..." He rubbed the back of his head. "I kind of... saw the two of you last night."

"You—?!” She quickly cut off her shocked reply, looking down at the ground, feeling her face heat up. "Ah, geez..." She couldn't even be upset about him watching her, since she had spied on him and Serena in the past, and turnabout was fair play.

"Sorry..." he responded quietly. "I'm really happy for both of you, though. I think you two are great together."

Iris felt herself smile despite her embarrassment. "Thanks... I hope we are."

"So, are you two a couple now? Girlfriend and... girlfriend?"

"We're going to talk about it when I get back," she answered. "But we probably will be."

"That's great." Ash smiled as he looked forward again. A moment later, his smile turned to an amused grin, and he snickered lightly.

She turned back to face him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he answered. "Just thought about all the times you told me that Attract didn't work between girls."

"That's...!" She felt herself blush even harder, incredulous. "That's completely different!"

"It's fine," he replied coolly. "It's okay to be wrong once in a while, you know."

Ahead of them, Madison noticed a muffled commotion happening behind her. She turned her head to see Iris and Ash caught in a subdued scuffle, with Iris trying to grab at Ash while he attempted to fend her off.

"I think Ash and Iris are fighting about something," she mentioned to Serena.

"Just ignore them," Serena answered, used to their vaguely adversarial relationship by now. "They'll get it sorted out soon enough." The two trainers continued sorting it out as the group left downtown, on their way to Laverre City.

Chapter Text

It was late afternoon in a forested part of Route 14, with the sun starting to think of setting, as five young travelers began to grow weary after a full day of walking. A debate broke out amongst them about whether they should stop and set up camp.

"It's not even dusk yet," Ash remarked, glancing up at the sky. "I bet we could go another hour, at least. Maybe two."

"Two more hours?" Madison responded from behind him, her disappointment and sore feet coming through clearly in her voice.

"Well, we don't want to be late making it to Laverre City."

"We can still make it even if we stop soon," Serena replied. "We have time, and it's not that far. We're not in the same rush as when we were traveling to Lumiose City."

"We don't really have much of a schedule at all anymore, do we?" Brock wondered aloud. "Without more showcases to attend, we really just need to make it to the Master Class and the Pokémon League. We've got time to spare."

"Well, don't forget, Serena's not the only performer here," Iris rebutted, glancing back at their younger companion.

"That's true." Serena looked back toward Madison as well. "What does your schedule look like? What showcases are you going to compete in? I forgot to ask before."

"The next one is in Couriway Town," Madison answered.

Serena's eyebrows shot up. "Couriway Town? But that showcase is close to the end of the season. Even if you win, you'd have almost no time to get a third Princess Key."

"That's the only showcase that Barrett can attend, though," Madison insisted. "I can't do any Performance Battles without him, so..."

"Do you have to do a Performance Battle for the remaining showcases?" Iris asked. "Aren't there any others where you can just do a solo thing instead?"

Madison frowned. "There are, but they're not on our travel route. They're in a bunch of other cities that we won't make it to in time."

Ash nodded, listening even as he kept his gaze forward, hesitating for a moment before speaking up. "Well... maybe you shouldn't be traveling with us?"

Madison's eyes shot open wide, his words feeling like a gut punch. "What?"

"I mean, it's not like traveling with you has been bad or anything," he quickly clarified. "But if you're trying to compete in showcases, it's better to get to as many as you can, right? And if our travel route is getting in the way, maybe you should... you know... take a different one." The others kept quiet, not wanting to seem eager to kick her out, though Iris gave a nod in agreement.

"Oh..." Madison looked down, her mind wrestling with this suggestion, not happy with how much sense it made. "Yeah... I guess that's a good point..."

Serena started to speak up, wanting to offer words of comfort, before she was silenced by a growl from somewhere nearby. Everyone stopped in their tracks, looking around for the source of the noise, then jumped as a large bush immediately next to them began to rustle threateningly. While most of them took a step back, away from the angry bush, Ash took a cautious step toward it instead. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and onto the ground, and they both inched their way closer as the bush growled once again, lower-pitched this time. As the trainer pondered his next steps, an orange-and-white mass leaped out of the foliage at him, hitting him in the chest and knocking him onto his back.

As Ash took a second to regain his bearings, slightly dazed, he could hear the sound of Serena and his friends calling out his name, but the sounds of panic quickly subsided. He tried to sit up, but there was a weight on his chest holding him down, one that seemed to be moving. Tilting his head up, he came face-to-face with a dog-like Pokémon with orange fur, black stripes, and a cream-colored mane. The Pokémon yipped at him excitedly, its tail wagging back and forth.

"A... Growlithe?" he wondered aloud, recognizing the species immediately.

"What's that?" Madison pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at Ash's assailant, never having seen a Pokémon like this before.

"Growlithe, a Puppy Pokémon of pleasant demeanor and great diligence," the device reported. "It drives enemies away with barks and bites."

"What's a Growlithe doing here?" Brock took a step closer, as the Puppy Pokémon hopped off of Ash's chest and moved toward his feet. "They're not a native species in Kalos."

"I've only ever seen one here before," Serena chimed in. "I've never seen one in the wild." Ash managed to sit himself up as the Growlithe tugged eagerly on his pant leg, growling in a non-threatening manner.

"Growlithe?" A woman's voice could be heard from nearby, along with the sound of footsteps. Everyone turned to look as a young woman in her mid-20's emerged from the trees, bearing shoulder-length red hair, a white shirt, a brown leather vest, and faded jeans. She gasped and covered her mouth as she took in the scene before her, with Ash still on the ground. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Growlithe didn't hurt you, did she?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Growlithe just surprised us, is all." He glanced back down toward his feet, where the Pokémon had ceased tugging on his pant leg, and was pawing at it instead. "She seems more like she wants to play than fight."

The woman sighed. "Yes, that's her problem." She walked over and kneeled down next to Growlithe. "How many times have I told you not to run off, you little troublemaker?" The Pokémon yipped in response, not appearing to realize she was being chastised.

"What's wrong with a Pokémon wanting to play?" Madison asked, confused.

"It's a problem when she's supposed to be training to be a guard dog." The woman stood up. "I'm sorry that Growlithe gave you trouble."

"It's fine, really." Ash slowly stood up, reaching behind him to dust off the back of his vest. "Why are you training her to be a guard dog?"

"It's something I've been doing for years," she explained. "My name's Cindy. I can show you my Growlithe ranch, if you like."

"Growlithe ranch?" Brock spoke up, very curious about what seemed to be a high-level Pokémon breeding operation. "Sure! We'd love to take a look!"

Cindy smiled at him, nodding. "It's not far from here. Follow me." She turned and started walking back into the forest, with Ash and his friends following her. Growlithe ran about in circles around their feet, clearly having an excess of energy to burn off.

A few minutes later, the forest gave way to a large meadow, with a large ranch house situated close by. Attached to the house was a large, fenced enclosure that covered at least an acre, which housed what appeared to be around two dozen Growlithe. Several of them noticed their approach and walked up to the fence, curious as to these newcomers.

"Oh wow, look at all of them!" Madison exclaimed. "They're all so cute!" She glanced back toward Cindy. "Can I pet them, please?"

"Only the ones that come up to you on their own," Cindy advised. Madison grinned and rushed over to the fence, reaching out to run her fingers through one Growlithe's fur.

Brock looked over the Pokémon with a careful eye, seeming satisfied with what he saw. "They look like they're in great shape, at first glance." He turned back toward their new host. "And all of them are going to be guard dogs?"

"Guard dogs, sheepdogs, maybe even police dogs... it depends on the pup," the woman answered. "Growlithe are really useful as guard dogs. Very loyal, very protective, you know. But they're not native to the Kalos region, so they're very hard to find here. That's why I started breeding them myself. I raise them, train them, and then sell them to whoever needs one. Business has been great so far."

Ash nodded, watching as the rogue Growlithe ran up to the fence, barking at her friends on the other side. "But this Growlithe, she's been harder to train?"

"She's been practically impossible to train," Cindy clarified. "I've gotten almost nothing to stick so far. She just wants to play with the other Growlithe all day, or with me. It's like she has infinite energy."

"So what are you going to do if you can't train her? Will you just keep her here?"

"No, I don't think I can do that. She's too much of a distraction to the others." Cindy frowned. "I'll probably have to find someone to adopt her. She'd make a good pet, especially for someone with children."

Iris shrugged. "That doesn't sound bad, really."

"It is what it is," was Cindy's response. "Not every Growlithe is cut out to be a guard dog, and that's alright. It does feel a lot like wasted time, though."

"Hm..." Ash thought to himself as he watched the disobedient pup stick her nose through the beams in the fence. "Have you ever given her any battle training, or anything like that?"

Cindy shook her head. "No, never anything like that. I'm not a Pokémon Trainer. Just normal obedience training."

"I wonder if she'd respond to that?" He turned to face her. "Do you think I could give it a try?"

She raised an eyebrow curiously. "Give what a try? You mean battle training?"

"Right!" He nodded. "I've trained stubborn Pokémon before. I bet that if she learns how to battle, it'll be just the discipline she needs!" He started to get excited, talking himself more and more into it. "What do you say? I could try it out right here at the ranch, while we're here."

Cindy mulled this over for a few seconds before shrugging her shoulders. "If you want to give it a try, it's fine by me. Just don't be surprised when she doesn't listen to a word you say."

"All right!" Ash kneeled down next to Growlithe, who turned and looked at him curiously. "Growlithe, you want to try learning how to battle? I bet you'll love it!" She let out an energetic bark in response, standing up on her hind legs and grasping the bill of his cap in her jaws, snatching it off of his head.

"Wh... hey!" Ash reflexively grabbed at the top of his head, before reaching out for the cap in the Pokémon's jaws. "Give that back!" Growlithe leaped backwards, turning and running off with his cap in her jaws, already enjoying this game. Ash ran after her, much less amused, as the others watched.

"Well, he's already off to a rip-roaring start," Brock remarked, as Ash continued to chase Growlithe around the meadow.

Nearly an hour later, an exasperated Ash had Pikachu and Absol facing each other inside the fenced-in portion of the ranch, about twenty feet apart. Growlithe was standing nearby, watching the two curiously and waiting for something to happen; after so long with so little progress, Ash considered it a victory that he had gotten her to stand still.

"Okay, Growlithe, watch carefully," he advised. "Absol's going to attack with a Shadow Ball, and Pikachu will dodge. Then he'll counterattack with a Quick Attack." He turned back toward his Pokémon. "Alright, Absol, go!"

Absol grunted and opened his mouth, forming a black Shadow Ball and firing it at his smaller opponent. Pikachu deftly leaped out of the way, charging forward with blinding speed toward Absol, as Growlithe watched. He slowed himself down a bit before leaping into the air, weakening the impact before his body collided with his sparring partner's; Absol took the impact head-on, barely damaged at all.

"Great! Alright, Growlithe, it's your turn!" The Pokémon yipped and bounded into position, tail wagging, as Ash grinned wide. "You're going to do the same thing. Dodge the Shadow Ball, then attack with Tackle!"

Absol formed another projectile, smaller this time, and shot it out at his new opponent. Growlithe leaped out of the way in the same manner as Pikachu, avoiding damage, barking energetically as she crouched forward, hind legs raised.

"Great! Good start!" Ash's grin grew, excited that he might finally be getting somewhere. "Now after that, follow it up with a tackle attack!" Absol fired off another Shadow Ball, and Growlithe once again leaped out of the way. She crouched forward again, tail wagging, pawing at the ground.

Ash frowned, rubbing his head, as he heard Serena walking in his direction, carrying a large plate of prepared food. "Huh... why isn't she attacking? She's dodging just fine..."

"She must like the dodging more than the tackling," Serena replied, walking past him. "Look at her. She's treating this as a game. She's doing the fun bits and ignoring the work bits."

Ash groaned. "Come on... we've been at this for an hour and she hasn't even attacked once." He slumped forward, starting to feel defeated, as Serena continued on and placed the food on a picnic table close by.

"I did warn you," Cindy's voice joined in, as the older woman walked by with an armful of plates and silverware. "I've been working on her for months, with no luck." She was followed by Brock and Iris, who were carrying the remaining parts of a delicious meal that Brock had cooked in Cindy's kitchen. Madison trailed after them, with her arms full of water glasses.

"Yeah, I know..." he conceded. "I know she's listening to me, but she's not, like... listening to me. It goes in one ear and out the other."

"Take a break, Ash," Iris suggested. "Come and get some dinner. Growlithe will still be there to not listen to you later."

"Yeah, alright." Ash turned and walked over to the picnic table, where everyone else was sitting down to eat, starved. He grabbed a collection of bowls out of his bag, setting them on the table and starting to fill them with Pokémon food. Once the first bowl was full, he reached for a Poké Ball on his hip and opened it, releasing Houndour into the meadow.

"Alright, Houndour, you're first." Ash set the bowl of food down on the ground, quickly stepping back as the dog Pokémon rushed forward, starting to wolf down his meal. Ash let out a sigh before releasing his other Pokémon, starting to fill more food bowls and place them on the ground.

As Houndour ate at a breakneck pace, he paused as heard the sounds of eating around him. Looking up for a moment, he could see Snivy and Pikachu sharing a food bowl to his left, with Absol eating his own bowl off to the right. He looked up toward Ash, confused, as the trainer set another bowl of food down, which his Drapion gratefully walked up to. Houndour blinked a few times, looking a bit taken aback, before he returned to his own food bowl, eating at a more reasonable pace.

His meal was interrupted by a yipping sound to his right. Glancing over, he could see Growlithe leaning in close, her face inches from his as she barked at him, tail wagging. He growled angrily at her, not wanting to be interrupted, or even worse, not wanting to share his meal. She backed off momentarily, giving him space, but immediately closed the gap again, tugging playfully on his ear with her teeth. He whirled around and barked at her, enraged, causing everyone at the table to jump.

"Growlithe, cut it out," Cindy commanded sternly. "Give Houndour some space so he can eat." Ash started to pour a bowl of food for Growlithe, hoping it might distract her, but Growlithe was undeterred, yipping back at Houndour and pawing at his leg. Houndour roared and lunged toward her, snapping with his jaws; Growlithe leaped backwards, turning and running off as Houndour gave chase.

"Hey, stop! Both of-" Ash started to run after them, but he found himself blocked by a green vine. He glanced down at Snivy, who was smirking as she shook her head. Ash blinked and looked out at the two dog Pokémon again, watching as Houndour chased after his aggressor. Growlithe nimbly dodged one of his lunges, pivoting quickly and leaping toward him, causing both of them to tumble along the ground. Houndour pushed her off, resuming the chase once again.

As Ash and the others watched the two Pokémon roughhouse with each other, they could see Houndour's behavior gradually shift. He slowly stopped growling, and instead of trying to bite his prey, he started to pounce on her instead. Ash watched in amazement as the two rolled around, running in circles, shooting light Ember attacks at each other in a playful manner.

"Wow... look at that," he remarked, a bit stunned. "I've never seen Houndour like that before."

"Well, what do you know?" Brock grinned, amused. "Look at how much more relaxed he is. Maybe he just needed to blow off some steam."

Cindy raised an eyebrow as she swallowed her bite of food. "Have you been having trouble with Houndour, too?"

"Yeah." Ash nodded. "He's always been really aggressive and angry. I've never really gotten him to relax before." He saw Drapion approaching Houndour's food bowl hungrily, and he quickly grabbed it and placed it on the table, next to Growlithe's bowl.

"Well, hopefully this does the trick," Serena chimed in optimistically. "I guess Snivy knew what Houndour needed better than we did."

Ash grinned wide, nodding in agreement. "Snivy's really great like that. She's good at knowing what my other Pokémon need, settling conflicts between them... it's a big reason why I wanted her to come along with me." Snivy's chest swelled with pride as she turned back to her food bowl, continuing to eat.

"Yeah, I've noticed," Madison added. "She's almost like the group mom."

Snivy abruptly stopped eating, eyes shooting open as wide as they could, her mouth hanging open. She could hear the sound of screeching brakes in her head.

Madison scooped up another spoonful of her meal. "I hope Houndour will- ow!" She grabbed her head, startled, as she was hit by a flying food pellet. She turned her head to see Snivy glaring at her, blushing furiously as she protested in her own language, gesturing to herself with her hands and her vines.

"Geez, what was that for?"

"I don't think she liked being called the group mom," Ash observed, ignoring Iris, who was trying very hard not to laugh out loud.

"Well, what else would you call her?" Madison retorted. "She takes care of the other Pokémon! She acts like a parent does!" Snivy turned her head away with a hmph, grabbing the food bowl and moving it further away from Madison, continuing to eat with her face red and her back turned away. Pikachu scurried over to continue eating as well.

"Well, she doesn't look too happy," Serena remarked.

"She'll be alright," Ash reassured, lowering his voice as he leaned in toward Madison. "Honestly, you're not wrong." He started to take another bite, before another food pellet hit him in the head as well.

The group continued to eat and talk for several minutes, until their attention was drawn by the return of the two playing Pokémon. Both of them trudged forward slowly, exhausted, their fur mussed and covered in scorch marks, as they approached the table. Growlithe sat at Ash's feet and looked up at him hungrily, asking for dinner with her eyes. Houndour did the same, looking up at him patiently, without any growling or glaring or any other signs of aggression.

"Finally wore yourselves out, huh?" Ash grinned and reached for the two food bowls, placing one in front of each Pokémon, and the two leaned down and began to eat, side by side. Ash kept his eyes on Houndour, quietly excited that this normally incorrigible Pokémon was finally behaving more reasonably. After a moment of watching, he reached his hand down and rested it on Houndour's head, petting him gently. The Pokémon immediately stopped eating and growled warningly at the trainer, eyes glaring.

"Sorry, sorry..." Ash retracted his hand, though the grin stayed plastered on his face. Houndour returned to his meal, and soon Ash did as well, as the conversation at the table continued.

Hours later, the visiting trainers were all getting themselves ready for bed, in a large room near the back of the ranch house. Cindy had offered them lodgings for the night, which they had graciously accepted, and she had prepared a handful of cots and air mattresses for them to sleep on. As Serena tied her hair up, Ash walked back into the room, drying his face with a small towel after washing it.

"You know that Growlithe is sleeping in the house, instead of outside with the others?" He set the towel aside. "She's curled up on a couch. She really just does whatever she wants."

"She's definitely the most stubborn Pokémon I've seen," Serena replied, glancing back at him. "So, do you think you might want to try again tomorrow, or..." She was a bit worried about broaching the subject, but their travel schedule was front and center in her mind.

Ash shook his head, sitting on his air mattress. "No, I don't think so. We don't have time to stay here much longer. We need to keep going to Laverre City."

Serena nodded, lowering her arms as she finished tying up her hair. "Are you okay with that?"

He shrugged. "I mean, it's disappointing, but what can I do? We were at it for hours, and I didn't get anywhere. It would take way more time than we have for me to make any progress, at this rate." He leaned back, propping himself up with his arms. "Besides, it's not like this is the end of the world for Growlithe. She'll get adopted, and she'll have a nice family who can play with her as much as she wants. She'll be just fine." Serena smiled and nodded in agreement, thankful that Ash wasn't going to be upset by them leaving.

As Iris and Brock chimed in with their own perspectives, Madison sat quietly on her cot, watching them with her hands clasped in her lap. She had been wrestling with a difficult decision all evening long, and the more she thought about it, the more it had stressed her out. She knew that she needed to talk with somebody about it, and soon. But who?

Her eyes quickly moved from one traveler to the next. Serena was out of the question, for obvious reasons. Ash meant well, and was very kind-hearted, but it didn't seem like deep thinking was really his forte; she wasn't sure he could add any meaningful perspective. Iris was far too intimidating, and Madison was scared of being yelled at. That left Brock. He seemed like the smartest person in their group, being a doctor-in-training, and he was the only one who was an actual adult. Maybe he would have the mature, thoughtful responses to her questions that she needed.

"Hey, Brock?" Madison stood up, and everyone else turned to look in her direction. "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure," Brock responded, a bit surprised, not sure what question she could have for him. "What is it?"

"It's... about Roselia," she lied. "Can you take a look?" She turned toward the door to the ranch's living room, not wanting to talk about this in front of the others.

"Yeah, no problem." Brock grabbed his bag and followed her out the door, closing it behind them, as the others quietly wondered what Madison wanted to talk about.

Once the two of them had walked over to the sitting area, Brock opened up his bag, reaching for a stethoscope. "Alright, what about Roselia did you want me to take a look at?"

"Um... Roselia's fine," Madison admitted, looking down. "I had something else I wanted to ask."

"Oh... huh." Brock closed his bag up again. "Well... what is it?"

She sat down on a recliner, keeping her eyes down. "Brock... do you think I should leave?"

"Leave?" He sat on a sofa across from her. "You mean, stop traveling with us and go your own way?"

Madison nodded, hands clasped on her lap. "I've been thinking about it ever since Ash brought it up, and I still don't know what I should do. So I wanted to ask someone else."

"Well..." Brock mulled the question over for a minute, trying to figure out how to answer. "Maybe we should weigh pros and cons. What are the benefits of leaving?"

"Well, the obvious one is that I get to participate in more contests," she answered. "I have a lot more of a chance of making it to the Master Class that way. And... I don't know, personal growth and stuff, I guess, from traveling by myself."

"Right, all that stuff," he remarked, a hint of sarcasm coming through. "And what about the benefits of staying?"

"If I stay, I get to keep traveling with Serena. I can keep learning from her, and getting better..."

"Now, hold on a minute," Brock interrupted. "You've been traveling with us for a while now, but I have to be honest, I haven't seen a lot of learning going on."

Madison faltered. "I... I mean, we did some practice in Camphrier Town, and..." She struggled to come up with another example.

"So, one practice session in what, the past month and a half?" He frowned. "Does that seem worth it to you?"

Madison didn't answer, feeling her face heat up from shame. She brought her knees up onto the chair, holding them to her chest, keeping her eyes low, not wanting to meet Brock's gaze.

"What's this really about, Madison?" He waited a moment for a response that didn't come, before putting on a gentle smile. "You can tell me anything, I promise. I'm training to be a doctor. We're good at keeping things confidential."

She slumped forward, resting her chin on her knees. "Serena... she's been so helpful, so encouraging, and..." Her voice grew quieter. "...I'm scared I can't do this without her."

Brock paused, eyebrows raising, taking a moment to digest this. "You mean, without her supporting you?" Madison nodded weakly, the movement barely visible, and he continued. "Well... you know she'd still be supporting you even if she's not there, don't you? I'm certain she'd be happy to call you, talk about performing with you over the phone... it's not that different from your parents, right?"

Madison hugged her knees more tightly, her voice growing bitter. "Can we please not talk about my parents?"

"Er..." Brock paused again, realizing he'd inadvertently stepped on a landmine. "Yeah... sorry."

She sighed. "I know I could call her, but it just doesn't feel the same," she continued. "She wouldn't be there at the showcases, in the audience watching me, and... ugh, I don't know." She covered her face with her raised legs, so only her eyes were visible. "I feel sick just thinking about it."

"I understand." Brock nodded, trying to meet her eyes, but she looked stubbornly away, feeling too vulnerable at the moment. He took a minute to synthesize his thoughts, trying to think of how to say what he wanted to say. "I guess what I would say is, don't worry so much about the Master Class. You should think about what would help you grow more as a person and as a performer. If you think spending more time with Serena will make you stronger, you should stay. If you think that traveling alone will do that for you, you should go. Maybe think about that for a little while."

Madison nodded, not looking very happy with this advice. "I thought you were going to tell me what I should do."

"Sorry, but no." Brock shook his head. "Part of growing as a person is making hard decisions." He stood up, looking down at her. "I'm sure you'll make the right one for you if you think about it long enough." She stayed quiet, trying to come up with some response, when a shriek from outside caused them both to whirl around.

"What? Was that Cindy?" Madison quickly hopped off of the chair, as Brock sprinted toward the sound, finding the door that led to the enclosure and throwing it open. She followed him out the door, gasping as she saw the state of the enclosure. All of the Growlithe that had been resting outside were now gone, and in their place was Cindy, lying face down on the grass, nearly motionless.

"What's going on?" Ash stepped up beside Brock to survey the scene, with Iris, Serena, Axew and Pikachu behind him. He quickly spotted the ranch owner unconscious on the grass. "Oh no! Cindy!" He started to run toward her, but was immediately blocked by Brock's arm.

"Don't, Ash! Look at what's out there!" Ash stopped his charge, squinting as he tried to see what was in front of him through the dark of night. He was barely able to make out a light blue powder lingering in the air.

"What's that? It looks like... is that Sleep Powder?"

"That's exactly right." Brock dove into his vest pocket, pulling out a surgical mask and strapping it onto his face, before running out onto the field and kneeling next to Cindy.

"Someone must have come by and used Sleep Powder to steal all the Growlithe," Iris realized, her hand clenching tightly into a fist, as Brock lifted the ranch owner up into his arms.

"I can't believe it..." Serena was wringing her hands as Brock walked back, Cindy's head drooping onto his shoulder. "How did none of us notice this? When did this happen?"

"Judging by the amount of powder in the air, it must have happened not long ago," Brock answered. "I'd say fifteen minutes at most."

"Fifteen minutes..." Iris found her anger being replaced with despair. "Who knows how far they could have gotten in that time..."

"We need to call Officer Jenny, right away," Ash chimed in. "Maybe she can-"

He stopped himself as he felt a warm, fuzzy sensation against his leg. He looked down to see the rogue Growlithe at his feet, looking out at the field in shock. Ash felt his stomach turn into a knot at the expression on her face, imagining what she must have been feeling. He started to kneel down to pet her, to offer some words of comfort, but she immediately leaned down and started sniffing at the ground, walking back and forth along the edge of the enclosure. Everyone watched her for a few moments, before she looked up and began barking viciously, starting to run off toward the forest.

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed. "Do you think she has their scent?"

"Let's follow her and see!" Iris started to run after Growlithe, holding Axew tightly in her arms. Ash followed after her, thankful that he had managed to grab at least one Poké Ball before running outside, though due to his haste he wasn't sure exactly who was residing inside. Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder, cheeks already sparking in anticipation.

"Madison, stay here and call Officer Jenny!" Serena advised, following after Ash. Madison nodded, turning and racing into the house to get her phone, as Brock laid Cindy down on the closest couch.

After following Growlithe's nose for several minutes, the three teenagers spotted a truck parked amidst the trees. Three adults, two men and one woman, were carefully loading numerous sleeping Growlithe into the back of the truck, from a large wooden cart that was parked next to the vehicle.

"Look! There they are!" Ash shouted without thinking, alerting all three of the Pokémon thieves. All of them ran forward, placing themselves between their haul and the advancing trainers.

"Who are you kids?" one of the men demanded, a tall and lanky fellow with a thin mustache and a trucker hat. "What are you..." He stopped mid-sentence as the lone Growlithe ran out in front of Ash, growling at the three poachers.

"Wait, how did we miss one?" The woman, a long-haired brunette, turned to glare at the third thief, a shorter man with blonde hair and thick-rimmed glasses. "You told me you got all of them!"

"I did get all of them!" the bespectacled man protested. "I got every single Growlithe out there!"

"You had better give all of those Growlithe back, right now!" Iris barked, as Axew leaped out of her arms and onto the ground.

"Why don't you make us, you little brat?" The woman stood in front of Iris and tossed out a Poké Ball of her own, summoning a Barbaracle, an orange-and-black rock-like Pokémon with four arms and a hand for a head. The blonde poacher threw out a Poké Ball as well, which deposited a Forretress, a white, hard-shelled, floating bivalve Pokémon; Serena took a nervous step back, not having brought any Pokémon with her. The final thief stood in front of Ash, bringing out a large, brown, bear-like Pokémon with a white ring on its chest, which Ash recognized as an Ursaring.

Ash turned to the Pokémon on his shoulder. "Pikachu, you battle with Serena. Make sure she stays safe, alright?" His companion nodded, dutifully leaping to the ground and standing across from the enemy Forretress, waiting for Serena's first command. Ash looked back at his own opponent, reaching for his own Poké Ball, but it opened itself before he had a chance to grasp it. Houndour emerged onto the field, standing next to Growlithe, snarling at the Ursaring in front of him, ready for battle.

"Whoa, uh..." Ash was taken aback for a moment, but he didn't have time to question it. He turned his gaze back toward his opponent. "Alright, Houndour, let's go! Use Fire Fang!" The Pokémon growled and dashed forward, baring his fangs, which were glowing red and covered in flames.

"Hit 'em with Slash, Ursaring!" the opposing trainer commanded. His Pokémon began to wind up its arm.

"Dodge and bite its arm!" Houndour leaped to the side as Ursaring swung, dodging its sharp and powerful claws. The fire Pokémon leaped forward and sunk its flaming jaws into Ursaring's forearm, causing the bear Pokémon to howl in pain, swinging its arm wildly and dislodging the attached Houndour. A grin spread across Ash's face, upon seeing that Ursaring's arm had been scorched.

"You little... get that runt with Fury Swipes!" Ursaring started marching forward, raising both arms to swing them this time.

"Back off and use Ember!" Ash countered. Houndour scampered backward and opened his mouth, spitting out several small bolts of flame at his opponent, which hit their mark perfectly. Ash started to issue another command, but before he had the chance, he heard a growling sound from his other side. He looked down and watched as Growlithe opened her mouth as well, shooting out her own Ember attack and dealing even more damage to Ursaring.

"Growlithe, you want to fight, too?" The fire Pokémon bared her fangs angrily, pawing at the ground with her claws, ready to deliver some payback to the humans who had stolen her friends.

"Don't let those two push you around!" the thief ordered. "Knock out that Houndour with Hammer Arm!" Ursaring lifted his arm, forming a hammer-shaped bundle of energy on the end of it, prepared to swing.

"Houndour, dodge to the side!" Ash commanded instinctively. "Growlithe, use Ember again!" He watched as Houndour escaped the slamming Hammer Arm attack, before turning back to the other Pokémon, hoping against hope that she would obey him. To his amazement, Growlithe did exactly as she was told, spitting out an even larger Ember attack, forming a small fireball that collided with Ursaring's back. The enemy Pokémon cried out and stood up, hissing in pain as he did so. Ash could see the skin underneath his fur had turned a fiery red, an indication of a burn.

"Great job! Now both of you, run at him and use Bite!" Both of the dog Pokémon rushed forward with their teeth bared; Houndour leaped up and chomped on Ursaring's arm, while Growlithe bit down painfully on her foe's leg. Ursaring swung his limbs around, trying to damage his assailants.

"Use Hammer Arm on that Houndour!" The bear Pokémon roared and lifted its arm high, slamming it back down into the ground with its foe still attached, its fist hitting Houndour right in its ribs. Houndour yelped and flew backwards, landing painfully at Ash's feet, having taken a heavy blow from the attack.

"Good! Now hit it with Slash!" Ursaring lumbered forward, wincing in pain as its burn acted up again, but powering through it, eager to deliver another blow. As Houndour took a minute to get dizzily back to his feet, Ash's attention turned back toward Growlithe, gears turning in his head.

"Growlithe, run at Ursaring, and while you're doing that, keep using Ember!" Growlithe immediately took off, opening her mouth and issuing more flames, which began to spread and cover her entire body. She ran as fast as she could, building up both momentum and flames, her target in her sights.

"Ursaring, look out!" the poacher commanded. His Pokémon turned around to see Growlithe barreling toward him with a Flame Wheel attack, far too late to dodge. She leaped upward and slammed into its chest with full force, staggering Ursaring and knocking it onto its back. The Pokémon groaned and tried to stand, but the combined assault was too much, and he fell back to the ground, spent.

Ash pumped his fist victoriously, energized. "You did it, Growlithe! That was a great Flame Wheel!" Growlithe turned to him and barked excitedly, before turning her gaze back toward the defeated poacher. Ash's attention was drawn to his right a moment later, as Barbaracle fell limply to the ground, defeated by Iris and Axew. Turning to his other side, he could see Pikachu leap into the air and swing his Iron Tail down into Forretress's shell, knocking it painfully to the ground, where it made no attempt to get back up.

"Who are these kids...?" The blonde-haired poacher started backing up. "Quick, let's get out of here!"

"No way!" Ash pointed forward. "Pikachu, cut them off! Don't let them get away!" Pikachu zipped around the trio as fast as lightning, cutting off their escape route, his cheeks sparking threateningly. The thieves turned around again, only to find Axew, Growlithe and Houndour surrounding them, preventing them from fleeing in any direction. All of them soon heard the clear sound of a police siren, distant at first but approaching quickly. Ash couldn't help but smirk as the color drained from the faces of the three criminals in front of him, who had no choice but to stand still and wait for their arrest.

Minutes later, Officer Jenny had handcuffed the troublemaking trio and was leading them into the back of her police car, which she had very carefully navigated through the forest, on the same path that the crooks' getaway truck had taken. The area was littered with the stolen Growlithe, who were beginning to wake up and wander around, confused. Nearby, Iris scooped Axew up into her arms to congratulate him, while Pikachu leaped up into Serena's embrace, nuzzling her cheek happily as she giggled. Ash knelt down in between the two Pokémon he had battled with, resting one hand on each of their backs.

"Both of you did amazing!" he praised, turning toward Houndour. "You're a strong fighter, Houndour! Your trainer must be really proud of you!" Houndour snorted and turned away, not looking very pleased at his words of praise, though he didn't pull away at Ash's touch, either. Ash didn't press the issue, looking toward Growlithe instead.

"You were awesome, too! You battled hard and you saved all of the Growlithe at the ranch! You're going to be a great guard dog after all!" She yipped happily, tail wagging, her eyes energized even though her body was exhausted. Ash grinned and ran his fingers through the tuft of fur on her head, excited that he had finally managed to get the playful Pokémon to focus and battle. He couldn't wait to return to the ranch and tell Cindy the good news.

The next morning, the five traveling trainers were awake and feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. Ash and Iris were helping Cindy get the dining room ready for breakfast, while Serena was pacing about and looking up information on her phone. Madison was sitting on her cot, brushing her hair, as Brock finished packing up his things. As the young performer set the brush aside, she turned her head as she heard her name being called in a familiar voice.

"Hey, Madison!" Serena wandered back into the makeshift bedroom, holding her phone aloft. "I just found out something that I think you're going to be interested in!"

"Really?" Madison sat up. "What is it?"

"So, you said that there were no other showcases on our route where you could do a solo Freestyle Performance, right?" Serena was grinning, already excited to deliver the news she had discovered. "Well, I was taking a look, and it turns out that the Anistar City Showcase made their Performance Battle round optional a couple of weeks ago."

"Wait, really? They did?"

Serena nodded. "Apparently, they didn't have as many entrants as they wanted. Not enough performers had a Battle Partner to work with, just like you. So now performers can do either a Performance Battle or a Freestyle Performance." She grinned wide, lowering her phone. "Isn't that great? Now you have another showcase you can enter!"

"Yeah..." Madison should have been happy about this news, but she was still heavily conflicted from the day before. After the brief conversation she had with Brock, staying with Serena and going to Anistar City felt like weakness. It felt like giving in to her fear and insecurity.

She watched as Serena walked over to her own bed, packing the last of her things into her bag. She kept her eyes on Serena's face, taking in her glowing smile, the smile that helped to chase away her doubts and fill her with hope, the smile that represented all the encouragement and support that Madison had never received at home. At that moment, Madison decided that she couldn't give that support up.

"That sounds great, Serena," she continued. "I'll have to get to work practicing a new routine."

"Great!" Serena zipped up her bag, not noticing any of the conflict residing on Madison's expression. "I'm sure you'll think up something really clever. Your last showcase was really excellent."

"Thanks! I hope so." Madison watched as Serena walked out of the room, off to help Ash and Iris get things ready for breakfast. With her gone, the only other person left in the room was Brock, who was watching the exchange with an amused smile, arms folded.

"Well, it looks like you'll be traveling with us for a bit longer," he spoke.

She nodded, her eyes falling to her lap. "Do you think I made the right decision, Brock?"

"I think you made a very hard decision," he answered. "That's all any of us can ask." He strolled over to the door, giving Madison's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he walked past. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, not feeling very confident in her choice, before she got up to get breakfast as well.

"Thank you all so much for everything." Cindy was standing outside, bidding the travelers farewell as they prepared to depart once again. "I would have lost everything if not for you. I owe you so much."

"Of course, Cindy," Serena answered. "I'm glad we were able to help. And thank you for letting us stay here last night."

Ash was about to say something along the same lines, when he felt something brushing against his leg. Looking down, he saw Growlithe pawing gently against his pant leg, yipping at him excitedly.

He laughed and kneeled down next to her. "Sorry, Growlithe, but we've got to get going. And you've got some training to do. You're going to become a great guard dog soon, just like you were last night."

Cindy snickered at his comments, covering her mouth with her fist. "You haven't seen her at all today, have you?"

"Huh?" He looked up at the older woman, confused. "No, but why?"

"Growlithe is worse than ever now," Cindy explained with a grin. "She's spent the entire morning attacking the others, trying to get them to battle her. She's become obsessed."

"What?!" Ash's eyes bugged out. "But she did such a great job last night! I thought we'd finally taught her to listen!"

"I guess the only thing you taught her was how much she enjoyed battling." Cindy shrugged. "She hasn't listened to a word I've said, just as usual."

"Ah, geez..." He looked down at Growlithe once again, who was wagging her tail, once again unaware that she was being chastised. "And I thought we were making progress..."

"Like I said, not every Growlithe is cut out to be a guard dog, and that's fine," she continued. "This one could make a good battler, though, in the right trainer's hands. I think you should take her with you."

"What? Really?" Ash blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?" He was trying his best to conceal his excitement, though his best wasn't very good.

"Absolutely. It's the least I can do, after everything you've done for me and the other Growlithe." Cindy grinned, looking down at her disobedient Pokémon. "It looks like she's pretty taken with you, really. So it's just as well."

"Wow... thank you, Cindy, so much!" Ash was beaming as he stood up, grabbing a Poké Ball from his bag and enlarging it, preparing it for capture. "What do you say, Growlithe? You want to come along with us and do some more battling?"

Growlithe barked loudly and affirmatively, leaping up and down, more excited than she'd ever been. Ash grinned and tossed a Poké Ball toward her, and she leaped up and caught it in her mouth, to the amused delight of the travelers. She was converted into energy from the inside out, as the Poké Ball sucked her in and fell to the ground, rocking back and forth. It didn't take long for the ball to come to rest, with the Pokémon inside putting up zero resistance.

"This is so cool! Finally, I've caught a Fire-type to battle with!" Ash declared, running up to the ball and picking it up.

"And it's your sixth one," Iris added. "Now you've got your full team together for the Kalos League."

"No way." Ash shook his head, as he attached Growlithe's Poké Ball to his belt. "I'm not going to stop catching Pokémon just because I have six. I'm going to catch as many as I can get my hands on, to fill out my team even more."

"I knew you'd say that." Brock chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it. It's good to give yourself as many options as you can."

The group bid their final farewell to an extremely grateful Cindy before turning and re-entering the forest, making their way back to Route 14 and resuming their journey toward Laverre City.

Chapter Text

It only took one more day for Ash and his friends to arrive in Laverre City, after their brief pit stop at the Growlithe ranch. After stopping for a much-needed lunch, the traveling trainers wandered through downtown for twenty minutes, looking fruitlessly for their destination; once Serena replaced Ash as the navigator, however, they were able to find the recording studio within five minutes. Upon stepping inside, Serena immediately recognized the orange-haired teenage boy who was waiting for him, as both their faces lit up.

"Hey, Serena! Hey, Ash!" he called out. "Long time no see!"

"Trevor!" she exclaimed happily, running up to him. "I didn't expect to see you here! Are you traveling with Shauna?"

"Yeah, I am!" Trevor nodded as the others gathered behind Serena. "Tierno, too! We've been helping her to manage her rising stardom. It's more work than it seems."

"Really?" Ash raised one eyebrow. "I didn't realize she was such a big star. I haven't seen that much of her around."

"She's starting to get up there, just like Serena is. This music video is definitely going to change things, though." Trevor tilted his head toward a hallway leading further inside. "She's waiting for Serena in the studio. Come on!"

The group followed Trevor deeper into the studio, as he and Serena took a minute to catch up. Everyone else looked around curiously, peeking through the various windows as they passed by. Several of them had been inside recording studios before, whether for making a movie or recording a radio drama, but they had never been in one this fancy. Most of the rooms were unoccupied but filled with veery expensive-looking equipment, and the occupied ones were taken up by clearly talented singers or dancers, being managed by small groups of people wearing suits or holding clipboards. Clearly, this recording studio was a big deal. Ash and Madison, being familiar with Aria and her fame, were not as surprised as Iris or Brock.

Trevor eventually led them to a room near the back, which was lined with plenty of equipment with buttons, knobs, sliders and more. One of the walls was one enormous window, looking into a room painted entirely in chroma key green, with video cameras gathered on one side. Serena barely noticed, however, as her attention was drawn by a pigtailed brunette on the far end of the room, accompanied by a tall and stocky boy whom Ash and Serena quickly recognized.

"Serena! You finally made it!" Shauna called out, walking toward her fellow performer. The boy by her side raced forward, moving past Shauna and reaching out to clasp Serena's hand in his.

"It's great to see you again, Serena! It's been too long!" he exclaimed, eyes locked on hers. "You're looking great, as always!"

"Hi, Tierno! It's good to see you, too!" Serena replied, brushing off his flirtatious comments with a polite, chaste smile. She withdrew her hand from his as soon as she could. "Shauna said you'll be helping us make this music video?"

"Of course I will! I did all the choreography for it!" He gestured to himself with his thumb. "I'll be watching to make sure you hit all your moves just right."

"Oh! Well, that makes sense," she responded. "You always were a skilled dancer. I'm sure with your help, this is going to be a great video!" She watched Tierno's chest swell with pride at this.

"Is Aria here yet? I don't see her..." Madison took a look around, as if there was a celebrity hiding in one of the corners somewhere that she hadn't spotted. Aria was another one of her idols, a sentiment shared by many Kalos performers, including Serena.

Shauna shook her head. "She called and said she'll be running late." A grin spread easily and naturally across her face. "Which is fine, because we need to get ourselves ready. We've got to look perfect for filming!" She reaches out and grasped Serena's wrist, starting to lead her out the door. "I've got the perfect outfit for you!"

Serena laughed, following behind as Shauna picked up the pace. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" The two girls departed and made their way to a nearby dressing room, leaving Ash to catch up with Tierno and Trevor, while Iris, Brock and Madison occupied themselves by looking around the control room.

"...so now I've got five badges, thanks to Clemont," Ash recapped. "Only three more to go before I get another chance at the Kalos League. I won't be losing this time."

"You better not!" Tierno added. "You should have won the first time around, if you ask me. You and Greninja taking on that Mega Charizard was something else!"

"What are you going to do after the Kalos League?" Trevor chimed in. "What's the next thing you need to do in order to become a Pokémon Master?"

"Well... I'm not sure, really." Ash thought to himself for a second. "There's so much that goes into becoming a Pokémon Master. I've just been taking things one step at a time."

"I can understand that," Tierno replied. "I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my dancing. I've just been traveling with Shauna while I try to make plans for my big break."

"Me, too." Trevor gestured toward the camera that hung perpetually around his neck from a strap. "I've been able to get some really great Pokémon pictures here and there and sell them, but I still haven't made a name for myself. So when I'm not out trying to get shots, I'm taking pictures of Shauna for her social media."

"And he's great at it!" Ash turned to see Shauna walking back in through the door, wearing a familiar pink dress with a black bow on the front, paired with a short white jacket. "Ever since he started taking pictures for me, my follower count has skyrocketed! He's the best!" She wrapped her arms around Trevor from the side, squeezing him tightly, while he tried to squirm out of her grasp.

Ash studied Shauna's outfit for a second, the dress tugging at various threads in his mind. Before he could complete the connection, however, his attention was drawn back to the door, where Serena was walking in. He immediately recognized the red dress she had changed into, which featured a red ribbon over her chest, and a dual-layered red-and-pink skirt. The outfit was completed with a pair of white gloves, a black choker, and a headband made of blue pearls and a pink bow.

"Hey, that's... your old performing outfit, isn't it?"

"That's right!" Serena beamed, delighted that Ash had remembered. "Well, not the exact same one. It's been sized up, obviously."

"We're all going to be in the outfits we wore when we first started performing," Shauna explained, letting go of Trevor and gesturing to her own dress; this allowed Ash to finally realize where he recognized it from. "Aria's doing the same. It goes with the message of the song, about remembering where you came from." She walked over to a bag that was set in the corner of the room, pulling out a case and placing it on a chair. Opening it up, she revealed a mirror on the inside of the lid, with a large number of makeup peripherals inside.

"That's a great idea!" Madison exclaimed excitedly, as Shauna took out a blush brush. "I remember watching you guys perform in these in the Master Class, years ago!" Serena walked over as well, grabbing some mascara and starting to touch up her eyelashes.

Shauna grinned wide as she applied blush to her cheeks. "I can't wait for this video to come out. Three of the most gorgeous girls in Kalos all on screen together, playing on TVs all over the region. We're going to be beating the boys off with a stick."

Serena snickered, trying to hold still as she finished off one eyelash. "Shauna...!" she protested weakly.

"What?"

"Come on, you know..." Her eyes quickly flicked toward Ash, who looked away from her gaze, slightly embarrassed.

Shauna smirked evilly. "You worried he's going to get all jealous?" she teased, her voice lowering a bit. "You think he's going to be worried about all the attention you're going to get?"

"It's fine," Ash insisted, able to hear her perfectly well, still looking away. "I don't mind."

"You sure about that?" Shauna turned her gaze on him, in a playful mood. "You're not going to be bothered by all the teenage boys in Kalos watching her dance around on screen and crushing on her?"

"Shauna!" Serena shot back, a bit more harshly this time, though she was still grinning. "Cut it out!"

Ash shrugged. "I mean, it's not like Serena cares about girls looking at me. Why should I care about boys looking at her?"

Serena froze, the mascara brush halfway through her left eyelash, only having heard the first thing he had said. "What?"

"Well, I mean, you know," was his noncommittal and slightly bashful reply.

"Hm." Serena continued applying her makeup, her mind immediately flashing back to watching Miette flirting with Ash at the Brackish Town showcase, and her attitude coming along for the ride. "You get a lot of attention from other girls, Ash? Got some notches on your belt I don't know about?"

She immediately regretted her words as soon as she said them. She had tried to play it off as not a big deal, wanting to be chill and relaxed about it, but there was a bitterness in her voice that had been impossible to hide. Aiming for "cool and aloof", she had instead landed at "grizzled prosecutor", and everyone had noticed. She could feel all the eyes in the room on her.

"Serena, you're not jealous, are you?" Iris asked, surprised.

"N-no! Of course not!" Serena insisted, fooling nobody, as she felt her heart drop. This conversation was going down in flames, and she needed an escape route. Fortunately, one showed up right at that time.

"Sorry I'm late!" an older female voice spoke from the door. "Looks like I'm the last one here. Sorry about that."

Serena whirled around, her skirt flaring out as she did so, eyes lighting up as she saw a young woman with red eyes and long red hair, which was tied up into a ponytail. She was wearing a relaxed and casual outfit, which was very different from the white-and-blue dress that she had previously worn on stage. Serena rushed over to her, excited both to see this woman again, and to abandon the conversation.

"Aria!" she exclaimed. "It's great to see you again! Do you remember me?"

"Of course I remember you, Serena!" Aria laughed. "How could I forget the girl who gave me such a challenge at the Master Class? Especially after you've been appearing on TV all over Kalos."

Serena flushed pink, beaming. She and Aria had been on friendly terms ever since her first journey, but her inner fangirl was still squealing over her idol holding her in high esteem. "How have you been? Have things changed a lot since... well..."

"Since I gave up the crown to Vanity?" Aria replied, and Serena nodded in response. "I've been great! Honestly, not a lot changed after I stopped being Kalos Queen. I'm still doing music, obviously, and making appearances at showcases and whatnot. I'm actually going to have my first part in a movie, after talking with Diantha a few months ago."

"Wow! That's incredible!" Serena was grinning ear to ear, the previous topic completely forgotten. Aria grinned back, before her gaze turned toward the youngest girl in the room. Madison had slowly been inching closer, desperately wanting to meet her idol but far too nervous to initiate a conversation on her own. Aria smiled warmly and took a step toward her.

"Well, hello there. You look familiar to me, too. Didn't you win a Princess Key not too long ago?"

Madison had to suppress a gasp. "Ye... yes... in Brackish Town..." She bowed her head deeply. "I'm Madison. It's an honor to meet you, Miss Aria."

The older woman giggled. "Just 'Aria' is fine." She leaned down and rested her hands on her knees, bringing herself closer to eye level. "I saw your winning performance, and I was really impressed. Anyone who can beat Serena in a showcase must be talented. You've got a bright future ahead of you." Madison's face shone the color of a traffic light, as she squeaked out her thanks.

Serena waited for Aria to stand fully before speaking up again. "Thank you so much for inviting me to this, Aria. Dancing in one of your music videos is going to be really big for my performing career."

"One of my music videos?" An amused smirk spread across Aria's face. "So Shauna hasn't told you everything, has she?"

Serena blinked, confused. "What do you mean?" She turned back toward Shauna for some sort of clue as to what Aria meant. Shauna was holding her clenched fists to her chest, looking like she was about to burst from the pressure of the secret she held.

"I kind of hid the truth a little bit," she admitted, her face practically glowing. "This isn't Aria's music video... it's mine!"

"What?!" Serena's eyes shot open as wide as they could. "It's yours?!"

"Yes!" Shauna was vibrating with excitement. "This will be my debut single! I'm going to be a pop star!"

"Oh my gosh!" Serena raced over and grasped her friend in a tight hug. "Shauna, that's incredible! I'm so proud of you! Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise!" Shauna answered, hugging Serena back. "I wanted to see the look on your face when I told you!"

Serena laughed. "So that's why you wouldn't let me listen to the song beforehand!" She took a step back, resting her hands on Shauna's shoulders. "We need to make this video the best one there's ever been!" Shauna nodded eagerly, in full agreement.

"I had better go get myself ready, then," Aria spoke up, moving back toward the door. "I'll see you guys back here in a couple minutes." She turned and left to go get dressed up in her own outfit, as Serena and Shauna crowded around the makeup case once again. Trevor pulled out a computer and started settings things up, while Tierno stepped outside to call over the engineers and cameramen, letting them know that they would be ready to film soon. Ash and his friends stood around awkwardly, watching the flurry of activity and waiting for the show to get on the road.

Nearly an hour later, the spectators were seated in the control room, watching intently as the three performers danced their way through their ninth take of the shoot. All of them had their metaphorical fingers crossed, hoping that this take would finally be the one to succeed. Those hopes were dashed as Tierno's voice cut through the room, carried by a set of speakers.

"Shauna, you missed your cue. You're supposed to spin there."

"Ugh, not again...!" Shauna clenched and unclenched her fist, taking a deep breath and letting it out, as the song playing over the speakers abruptly stopped. This was the third take that had been ruined by Shauna making a mistake of some kind; Serena had ruined another three, and Aria had inexplicably ruined one, though Iris and Brock suspected it was on purpose to take the pressure off the other two girls. They had made it through the whole routine twice already, but everyone had agreed that those takes were missing the energy of a showcase performance. If they went through too many more takes, the performers would need to go and reapply their makeup for a third time, as they would start sweating it off after too many attempts.

Ash's face turned to a frown as the girls got back to their places, Serena pulling out a pocket mirror to check her hair. It wasn't hard to tell that she was starting to get frustrated; at this point, everyone was. He had hoped to see the same spirit that she always exhibited in her showcases, but for some reason it wasn't showing itself. Maybe it was the change in setting.

"Serena seems really stiff," Iris spoke quietly, on the same wavelength as Ash. "You think she's nervous about this? That's kind of a surprise. It's not like it's a live performance where you only get one shot."

"She does seem kind of nervous to me, too," Madison agreed, her voice low, as if she was saying something blasphemous.

"It's not just her," Brock observed. "Shauna, too. Aria's the only one in there who looks like she's in her element... which makes sense."

Ash nodded in agreement, keeping quiet, resting his chin on his closed fists. He kept his eyes on Serena as she got back into place, plastering a smile onto her face. He could tell by now when she was smiling genuinely or when she was forcing it, and this was the latter case, without a doubt. This video needed her true smile, with all of the light and energy it brought, if it was going to be a success, and that wasn't going to happen if Serena didn't loosen up. He sat and thought in silence for a long minute, wondering how he might be able to help, before an idea suddenly came to him.

"Hey, Pikachu." He glanced down at his lap where his Pokémon was seated. "I've got an idea, but I need your help." Pikachu looked up at him with a curious expression, wondering what he had in mind.

Inside the green screen room, the tenth take had begun. Shauna stood out in front, lip-syncing the words to her song, as Aria and Serena danced a simple but flashy routine behind her. Aria was cool as a cucumber, having made many music videos before, but Serena was unable to match her confidence. The recording studio was a very different beast from the performance stage; it felt more sterile, more manufactured, more lifeless. She was having a lot of trouble getting into the groove as she often did, which made her feel as though she was letting Shauna down. The thought of her friend's musical debut being sullied by her own poor performance was a gutting one.

As she leaped and spun behind Shauna, trading places with Aria, she let her eyes glance outside the room at the people watching. Her eyes passed over Brock, Iris and Madison, but as she looked over Ash, her brain came to a screeching halt. His body was leaning forward in his chair as it had been, elbows resting on his thighs, but his head and neck had been inexplicably replaced with Pikachu's. The adorable Pokémon's head was sticking out of the top hole of his shirt, as if he had been transformed by some bizarre experiment, with Ash's hat resting loosely on the smaller head. The strange Ash/Pikachu hybrid showed no indication that anything was wrong, a look of intense concentration on the Pokémon's face, as Pikachu's chin rested comfortably on Ash's fists.

Serena sputtered into uncontrollable laughter, covering her mouth with her hand as she collapsed to one knee. "What...?! What...?!" As she tried and failed to get a sentence out, Shauna and Aria stopped dancing as well, looking out to see what was so funny; once they laid eyes on Ashachu, they began to laugh as well. The other spectators soon joined in, having held their poker faces until this moment, and the sounds of laughter filled the studio, finally cutting the tension.

"Come on, Ash!" Trevor chastised, trying to be stern. "This is taking long enough as it is!" Ash's grinning face popped out of his shirt, chuckling, showing no remorse for his antics. Pikachu continued to sit on top of his head, as the video director tried to get everyone to quiet down.

It took a couple of minutes for the dancers to get ready for the eleventh take, but once they did, the difference was like night and day. All three of them had a new spring in their step as they danced and sung, jumping higher, spinning faster, looking more limber. Ash's eyes continued to follow Serena, whose false smile had been replaced with a genuine one that lit up the room around her. Shauna and Aria were smiling brighter now, as well, though he never bothered to look their way and see. The twelfth take was the final one.

Once filming had finally wrapped, all three performers turned to each other and shared a group hug, relieved and tired; they let go quickly, each of them feeling sweaty and gross after dancing for nearly an hour. They filed out of the green screen room and into the control room, where their friends stood and rushed over to greet them. Madison was the first to reach them.

"That was great! All of you were amazing!" she offered breathlessly.

"Thanks, Madison," Serena answered, walking slowly, every part of her feeling tuckered out. "I'm glad that we finally managed to get a good take. That was taking way too long."

"You seemed really nervous out there," Iris spoke up. "That was surprising to see."

She nodded. "Yeah, I was. I didn't think I would be. A recording studio really is different from a showcase stage."

"Huh." Ash cocked his head. "I would have thought a stage would make you a lot more nervous. There's so many more people in the crowd watching you."

"That's the best part, though." Serena smiled. "Crowds are great. I can feed off of their energy, and it makes my performances better. I've always performed better in front of lots of people." She brushed some stray hairs out of her face. "A video camera is totally different. I can't get energized the same way."

"I know exactly what you mean," Aria chimed in from behind her. "There's nothing better than hearing a crowd cheering for you. That's a great attitude for a future queen to have." She stepped forward, brushing past the other two before turning around to face everyone. "I think we all need to celebrate after that. How about we all get some dinner after we get cleaned up? I know a great place downtown where I can get us a table."

"That sounds amazing!" Madison answered for the rest of the group, not about to miss out on time with a former Kalos Queen. "Thank you so much, Aria!" The others all nodded or voiced their agreement, and Aria quickly grabbed her phone to make reservations, as the rest of them traveled back to the Pokémon Center, where Serena and Shauna would each get a much-needed shower.

Later that night, the travelers were resting in their beds after a delicious and expensive meal, generously paid for by Aria. Shauna, Tierno and Trevor had their own room in the Pokémon Center, while Ash and his traveling companions occupied another. Ash was lying in his bed, full and happy after eating his fill of food, which was at least twice the amount of food anyone else had eaten that night. He was thinking of just falling asleep right there, in his clothes, when he heard Serena's voice calling out to him.

"Hey, Ash?" He opened his eyes and looked toward the door, where Serena's head was peeking out. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ash sat up, a bit hesitant, his brain working overtime to try and decipher her tone. "Uh, sure?"

Serena gave him a reassuring smile. "You're not in trouble, Ash."

"She's lying," Iris chimed in from her bunk. "You're totally in trouble."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Go to bed, Iris." Iris snickered as Ash rolled out of bed, standing up and following Serena out the door. She led him down the hallway of the Pokémon Center, eventually leading them into the TV room.

Ash closed the door behind them before turning back to her, seeing a bit of a worried expression on her face. "What is it?"

"I give, Ash," Serena relented. "Which other girls have you been with before?"

"Huh? That's what this is about?" His eyes ran over her face, which clearly reflected humility and a bit of embarrassment. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him. "I didn't actually make you jealous, did I?"

"No." She shook her head, before pausing. "Well... maybe a little. But that's not why I'm asking. I just don't want us to feel like we should be keeping things from each other. I want to know more about you, Ash." She looked back into his eyes earnestly. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Yours? So you've been with other guys before?" As Serena nodded, he felt a twinge of jealousy of his own, which took him by surprise. His mind immediately pictured her on a date with some faceless boy, holding his hand, kissing him, and the thought made his heart quicken unexpectedly. As he saw the naked vulnerability in her eyes, though, his stress melted away, and he forced his negative emotions down.

"Alright, sure." He saw her relax at his answer, which immediately made him feel better. "So which guys have you been with before? When was it?"

"There was only one other boy. It was when I was traveling in Galar, when I was thirteen," Serena began. "There was a boy named Jeremiah. He was a Pokémon Trainer, like you... though not as good as you, obviously."

"Jeremiah..." He chewed on this for a moment, his curiosity spiking, and his mind immediately wanted to know how he measured up. "What did you like about him?"

"He was cute, mostly," she answered. "Especially his accent. He had that great northern Galarian accent, you know?"

Ash nodded, trying his best to grin. "Yeah, I know. My friend Gloria had an accent like that."

She smiled back at him, thankful that he was being understanding. "I went out with him for about a month. He was fine, but... he ended up being kind of boring. And he didn't have any real ambition. I knew I could do better, so I broke it off."

"Alright..." Ash grinned a bit, genuinely this time. "I hope I'm faring better than he did."

Serena grinned. "You're how I knew I could do better, Ash." She giggled as she saw his face turn red, before turning the conversation back on him. "So how about you? What's your history like?"

"Well... there's not much," Ash admitted. "I can't say I was ever 'with' anyone else. You're the only girl I've been on a real date with, or kissed." He paused for a moment, as his brain unearthed a previously forgotten memory. "Although..."

"Although...?" she prompted, intrigued.

"Well, there was this one girl..." He rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think I really liked her, but she definitely liked me."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "Do tell."

He nodded. "It was after I won the Hoenn League, right before I turned fourteen. Dawn and I traveled back to Sinnoh for a bit, and went to Professor Rowan's summer camp, where we'd both been before. There was a girl there..."

On the final day of Prof. Rowan's summer camp, the main yard was filled with children and teenagers alike, all of them saying their goodbyes to each other, or making plans to reconnect in the near future. Many summer camp attendees had their parents there, standing at the outer edge of the yard, waiting to collect their children and return home.

A thirteen-year-old Ash was standing near the far end of the schoolyard, eyes scanning the crowd for someone to appear. By his side was a girl his age with long blue hair, a black-and-pink dress, and a white beanie cap. She was a couple of inches shorter than Ash, a fact that irritated her to no end, and she was insistent that a growth spurt was right around the corner.

"What's taking Angie so long?" she wondered aloud, eyes running over the crowd of children for the umpteenth time. "Her parents have been here for like twenty minutes. She can't still be packing her bag, can she?"

"I don't know..." Ash frowned, his sixth sense telling him that something was amiss. "I'm going to go look for her. I'll be back soon, alright?"

"There's no rush," the girl replied. "Just make sure she's okay." Ash nodded before stepping away and walking back into the building, making a beeline for the first place he wanted to check. Making his way to the dormitories, he peeked his head into the room where he had been staying with his friends, spotting an androgynous-looking green-haired girl sitting on one of the lower bunks, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Angie!" he exclaimed, a bit surprised to have found her so quickly. "Dawn and I are..." He trailed off as he got a better look at her face, where a despondent expression was framed by tears. "Wait, what's wrong?"

"Sorry I'm taking so long," Angie croaked out, her voice cracking. "It's just... I'm not going to see you guys anymore..."

"Oh..." He stepped inside, sitting on the bunk across from her. "I mean, I'm gonna miss you too, Angie. Both of us will. But there'll be more summer camps after this." He put on an encouraging smile. "I know I'm gonna try my best to-"

Angie shook her head, tears still falling. "No, there won't. My parents are selling the Pokémon day care. We're all moving to Unova."

Ash's stared in shock, as the gravity of the situation suddenly slammed into him like a ton of bricks. "You're... you're leaving Sinnoh?"

She nodded, holding herself more tightly, not wanting to start openly sobbing again. "I've never been to Unova. I don't know anyone there, or anything. I'm going to be leaving my whole life behind. All my friends, all my favorite places..."

"Angie..." Ash tried to think of something to say to make her feel better, but he had never been very good with words. Anything he could think of sounded trite and meaningless in his head, and this friend deserved better. He opened and closed his mouth several times, not sure what to say or do, as he rested his hand on his torso. His fingers brushed against something that he had in his pocket, something he had forgotten about, and at once an idea flashed through his mind.

He hopped off of the bunk and stood up, causing Angie to look up in surprise. "Do you still have that carving you made?"

"Huh?" She blinked for a moment before she remembered what he was talking about. "Yeah... why?" She turned and reached into her bag, pulling out a small block of wood that had been carefully whittled into the shape of a Shinx. This was the result of one of the camp's several activities; Ash and Dawn had their own carvings as well.

"Let's trade," Ash explained. "You give me yours, and I'll give you mine." He reached into his vest pocket, pulling out a wooden Pikachu carving, which was far more crude than Angie's Shinx carving. Ash's attempt at whittling had been an unmitigated disaster, and he was only able to approximate the rough shape of his Pikachu. Dawn had stepped in to help refine the Pokémon's features, but his Pikachu still looked somewhat like it had been attacked by a lawnmower.

"What for?" she asked, even as she stood up and offered her Shinx to him. He accepted it, taking it gently out of her hand, replacing it with his Pikachu.

"It's something to remember each other by," he elaborated. "I'm going to carry this with me everywhere I go. And every time I see it, or feel it, I'll remember that you're out there in Unova, and I'll be thinking of you and wishing you the best."

Her eyes widened. "You'll be thinking of me...?" she muttered, her heart swelling.

"Uh huh." Ash nodded, smiling now. "And whenever you see that wooden Pikachu, you'll remember that there's someone out there in the world who believes in you, and knows that you're going to be just fine." The words didn't come out quite as eloquently as he wanted, but he hoped that they had the impact he needed them to have.

"Ash..." Angie's voice was quivering as she clutched the ramshackle Pikachu carving to her chest, as if it were a priceless treasure. She could feel tears pooling in her eyes again, and she reached up to wipe them away with her sleeve.

"You're going to be alright, Angie. It always hurts saying goodbye, but I know you. I know how strong you are."

"Thanks..." She lowered her arm and looked back into his eyes, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude that was starting to push away her sadness. Ash's smile grew as he looked back at her, pleased that he had been able to get through to her. He waited for her to say something, to tell him that she was alright, that she was ready to grab her bag and say goodbye. Instead, she took a step forward, closed her eyes, and kissed him on the lips.

Ash's eyes shot open as wide as they could, his heart stopping. He didn't think to kiss her back, though right now he couldn't have even if he tried. He had suddenly forgotten how to do anything, to move, to talk, to breathe. He continued to stand there, frozen, as she pulled away from him, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"Goodbye, Ash." With those words, she turned and grabbed her bag in one fluid motion, then raced down the hallway to the front entrance. Ash continued to stand in place, reaching up and touching his fingers to his lips, his mind running at a million miles an hour. This was an intensely familiar situation, he realized, almost identical to the only other time he had been kissed. Suddenly, he had a much better understanding of why she was so sad to say goodbye to him... and as she had dashed off, leaving him behind, he hadn't said a word.

Outside the main entrance, Angie finally emerged, wiping more of her tears on her sleeve as she spotted her parents and ran over to them. Her folks rushed over to her, seeing how upset she was, each one of them resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Sweetie, what's the matter?" her mother asked.

"Can we just leave, please?" Angie pleaded, not wanting to stay here any longer, now that she had finally worked up the strength to leave.

"...Yes, of course," her father answered, keeping his hand on her shoulder as they turned to leave. Angie kept her head down, trying not to sniffle, as the trio started walking away. Her parents kept quiet as they left, giving her a bit of time before pouring on more sympathy.

"Angie!" She looked up and quickly turned around at the sound of her name being called, seeing Ash standing at the edge of the camp grounds, waving emphatically at her. "You're going to have a great time in Unova! I'll never forget you, I promise!"

Angie's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. As she saw the enormous smile on her face, she finally felt one creeping across her own. She waved back at him, then at Dawn, as she ran up to Ash's side. When she finally turned and left, she could feel her heartache starting to subside. She knew she would never forget him, either, for as long as she lived.

Serena's eyes were sparkling as Ash finished his story. "You are just the sweetest boy I've ever met, Ash. You're incredible." Her jealousy had been completely placated by Ash's touching tale, as she felt her attraction to him grow even stronger.

"Heh, thanks..." Ash worked to keep his eyes on hers, even though his instinct was to look away bashfully.

"So that's it? This Angie girl was the only one?"

"Yeah, pretty much," he confirmed. "She was the only other girl to kiss me. Well, aside from little pecks on the cheek, from people like Mallow, or... Dawn."

Serena's grin grew wider. "I knew it," she declared triumphantly, noticing how his voice grew quieter as he said the last name. "I knew there was something between you and Dawn."

"No, there's not!" he insisted. "We never... well..." He rubbed the back of his head, groaning a bit. "It's complicated, alright?"

"Complicated, huh?" Serena only grew more amused from this admission, as any potential concern was washed away by intense curiosity and intrigue.

"Look, nothing happened," he asserted. "Dawn and I are just good friends. And she's with someone else now, anyway."

Her mischievous grin softened. "I believe you, Ash. I'm not surprised that other girls would be interested in you. You're a rare catch."

"I guess... but yeah. You're still the only girl I ever kissed." He looked down a bit. "And I didn't even do it very well..."

"Don't worry about that, Ash," Serena reassured him. "I'm sure you'll get better at it."

"I hope so..." He looked back at her, a grin spreading across his face. "You know, I remember you saying something about giving me another chance to practice..."

Her smile widened, her heart rate picking up a bit as she watched him lean in. "Hm... I did say something like that, didn't I?" She leaned in as well, feeling particularly affectionate toward him right at this moment. As their faces drew closer, their eyes slowly began to close, and soon their lips met.

Ash could feel his heart leaping as it had before, but he recovered far more quickly as he began to kiss her slowly. He still moved on instinct, but he felt more in control, his mind fully present as he followed her lead. He opened his eyes again as he felt her pull back, able to see the flush in her cheeks, and feel the same in his own.

"How was that?" he ventured to ask.

"Hm... better," she granted him. "But there's still room for improvement. You need more confidence, Ash. I know you have plenty of it to go around."

He raised an eyebrow. "Confidence, huh?" He smirked and leaned in again, daring to go for another, but she stopped him with a single finger against his lips.

"Maybe some other time," she said teasingly. "It's too late for lessons. We need to get to bed." She grinned at him as she turned toward the door, opening it and stepping out into the hallway. He sighed, shrugging, and followed her out, not bothered. Any kiss from Serena was enough to make his day. He followed her down the hallway until she turned to enter the bathroom, needing to wash her face; he continued on to their bedroom, ignoring the probing stares from Iris.

Minutes later, Serena emerged with a clean face, ready to get some shut-eye. As she passed by Shauna's room, she paused, able to see a stream of colorful light from inside the dark room. Stepping closer and peeking inside, she saw Shauna sitting on the edge of her bed, watching Trevor's laptop screen intently.

"Shauna?" The girl turned around as she heard her name called, seeing Serena standing in the doorway.

Shauna smiled back at her. "Hey. I was just watching the finished video again."

Serena grinned. "How many times have you watched it so far?"

"I don't know. Probably a dozen, at least." Serena grinned and stepped inside, taking a seat next to Shauna and looking down at the screen, seeing herself dancing with Aria while Shauna sang her song. The green room they had performed in had been replaced with a CGI background, and they were now dancing in an ethereal pink space, filled with hearts and computer-rendered Pokémon and other things.

"This is really it," Shauna uttered quietly, almost reverently. "This is what I've been working toward for so long. In a few days, my life is going to change forever."

"It sure is," Serena agreed. "Are you nervous?"

"I'm terrified," Shauna admitted. "But there's no turning back now. I'm not letting this chance slip away."

Serena smiled wide, wrapping one arm around her friend's shoulders, holding her close. "You deserve it. You've been working so hard. You're going to be a huge star, I know it."

"I hope so..." Shauna turned back to look at Serena's face, which was bathed in the pink and yellow light of the laptop screen. "Thank you for being a part of this. Thanks for... everything, really. I never would have gotten this far without all of your encouragement."

"Of course, Shauna. What are friends for?"

Shauna grinned wide, the faint noise of the laptop coming to a stop as the video ended. She looked back toward the screen and immediately started the video over again, and she and Serena watched it together in silence.

Chapter Text

The day after the recording session, Ash, Iris, Brock and Madison were strolling lazily down the streets of Laverre City. They had just taken a long lunch at a cafe, where they spent equal amounts of time eating, talking and people-watching, and they were now each enjoying an ice cream cone as they wandered through the town.

"Man, this city really is gorgeous," Brock remarked. "I'm glad we came back. We didn't get to see it at all the first time around. We can kill plenty of time by just exploring." Iris nodded in agreement behind him, taking a bite out of her chocolate ice cream.

"When did Serena say she would be done?" Madison asked aloud to nobody in particular. Serena had gone out with Shauna and Aria that morning, saying she needed to do some shopping, but she refused to tell any of them what she was buying. The general assumption among them was that she was buying gifts of some sort, but for whom, they weren't sure.

"I don't think she did?" Iris answered, unsure.

"She didn't," Ash confirmed, as he polished off a cookie dough cone. "She said she'd text once she was done with- ghk!" Ash grabbed his forehead, holding it with the tips of his fingers, his eyes screwing up in pain. "Haah..."

"Brain freeze?" Brock asked with a smirk, as Iris rolled her eyes.

"Try rubbing the roof of your mouth with your tongue," Madison suggested, going in for more of her mint chocolate chip. Ash nodded and followed her advice, starting to feel relief after a few moments, while Pikachu rubbed his temple and sighed. As the group approached the Laverre City Gym, they could hear the low rumble of spectators from inside, a rare experience for a gym.

"That's strange," Brock observed. "Is there something going on at the gym? Why are there so many people?" They walked past the door, and he tilted his head to try and get a good look inside.

"Sounds like a battle's happening," Iris noted, doing the same. "You can hear Valerie giving commands to her Pokémon."

Ash took a curious step closer, having recovered from his brain freeze and wanting to confirm Iris's suspicion. Over the clear sounds of a crowd from inside, he could definitely hear Valerie issuing orders to what seemed like her Sylveon. As he turned toward his friends to report back, however, a second voice caused him to stop in his tracks.

"Lucario, use Power-Up Punch!"

He froze, recognizing the voice immediately, his heart practically stopping. "No way...!" He turned back to the gym door and dashed inside, not thinking to say anything to the others.

"Hey! Ash!" Iris chastised, as she and the others followed him inside. They caught up to him quickly as he navigated his way through the crowd, and they slowly worked their way up to one of the spectator platforms. Ash gently forced his way to the edge of the platform, clinging to the rail, grinning with delight as he saw the face of the trainer challenging Valerie. Behind him, Iris and Brock were standing on their toes to get a good look, while Madison had no choice but to squeeze in on Ash's right side.

In the center of the arena, a bipedal, blue-and-black, fox-like Pokémon was leaping through the air, one of his paws glowing orange, toward Valerie's Sylveon. The Pokémon swung his fist down toward his foe, who dodged by leaping backward, creating space between them. On the far end of the arena, Valerie was issuing commands to her combatant, her face showing a mix of concern and enjoyment from the battle. On the other end of the arena was a girl with long blond hair, tied up in a ponytail that stretched down to her waist. The girl was wearing a helmet which her hair was poking through, a white-and-red tank top with matching skirt and black shorts, a pair of roller blades, and a determined grin.

"Who's that, Ash?" Brock asked, leaning in closer and speaking quietly, not wanting to disrupt the battlers.

"It's Korrina!" Ash answered excitedly. "The old Shalour City Gym Leader!"

"Really? But I thought she left," Iris wondered. "What is she doing back here? And why is she fighting Valerie?"

"I don't know!" Ash exclaimed just as excitedly. He didn't care why she was back, or what she was doing in the Laverre Gym. All he knew was that one of his best Kalos friends had returned, and he was getting a chance to watch her battle once again.

"Sylveon, blast him back with Fairy Wind!" The Intertwining Pokémon held its ribbons out in front of its body, forming a large whirlwind in front of itself, which soon erupted into a powerful, circular gust of shimmering wind. The opposing Pokémon stood firm, digging his clawed feet into the ground, fighting against the powerful winds.

"Fight back with Aura Sphere, Lucario!" Korrina commanded, punching the air in front of her. Her Lucario nodded, holding his hands out in front of himself and concentrating. As he focused, a glowing ball of blue energy formed in his palms, and once it was large enough it shot forward like a bullet, battling against the Fairy Wind and winning easily. The attack exploded in Sylveon's face, blasting it into the air and bringing the wind attack to an end. Sylveon crashed painfully into the ground, groaning as it tried getting to its feet. It wouldn't have the chance to stand, as Lucario dashed forward with a glowing, blue, bone-shaped mass of energy in its hand, swinging it at Sylveon like a golf club. Valerie's Pokémon skidded across the arena and eventually rolled to a stop at its trainer's feet, a dazed expression on its face.

"Sylveon is no longer able to battle!" the referee declared, holding a flag up in Korrina's direction. "Lucario wins the battle, and challenger Korrina wins the match!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, Ash louder than any of them, as the current and former Gym Leaders met in the middle of the battlefield. They shook hands and exchanged words that nobody could hear, before Valerie reached into her sleeve and pulled out a Fairy Badge, handing it over to her opponent. Korrina slipped it into her pocket as the two girls continued to talk, and spectators began to file out of the gym.

A minute or so later, the skater bid a fond farewell to Valerie, after promising to spend some time catching up at their earliest opportunity. She turned back toward her Lucario, giving him a big hug and words of praise, before the two of them began walking toward the exit. As she started to leave, a loud voice calling her name drew her attention. She looked up toward one of the spectator stands, and her eyes lit up as she spotted a familiar black-haired trainer with a Pikachu on his shoulder, both of whom were waving at her.

"Ah! I don't believe it!" She beamed and waved back at him enthusiastically, before pointing toward the exit door. He nodded, understanding, and turned around to make his way outside again, remembering to tell his friends to follow him this time.

Stepping out of the gym and onto the sidewalk, Ash looked around quickly and impatiently, wondering if he had somehow beaten Korrina outside. As Iris emerged behind him, followed by Brock and Madison, he cupped his hands to his mouth and called out her name. He was rewarded by a familiar voice responding in kind.

"Ash!" He turned to his left, grinning as he saw Korrina skating toward him at a high speed, holding out one of her hands. He did the same, standing in place, and as she approached the two shared a powerful and thunderous high-five, one that echoed through the streets of Laverre City.

"It's great to see you again!" Ash exclaimed happily, taking a moment to rub his now-stinging hand. "We thought you were gone! When did you get back?" Pikachu leaped off of his shoulder and ran up to Lucario, who was standing a few feet behind his trainer; the Aura Pokémon kneeled down and began an animated conversation with his old friend.

"Just a few weeks ago!" She wheeled herself around to face him again, looking down to meet his eyes. Korrina was several years older than Ash was, and was closer to Brock in height, especially with her roller blades on. "What about you? How long have you been here? I didn't think I'd see you in Kalos again!"

"I've been here for months! I'm working to challenge the Kalos League again. I've got five badges so far already."

"Hey, nice work!" She grinned at him, before a lightbulb went off in her head. "Oh! Have you seen Serena yet? I saw an article about her in the Lumiose City paper."

"Yes! She's been traveling with us all this time!" Ash responded. "She's not here right now, but I know she'd love to see you!" A few moments later, his brain managed to make a broken connection, and he took a step back to gesture toward his friends. "Oh, these are my friends! This is Madison, Iris and Brock." He gestured toward each of them in turn, wanting to be polite, even though he was dying to know more about Korrina's absence and reappearance.

"Nice to meet you!" Brock extended his hand, which Korrina shook. "Seems like Ash has made friends with basically everyone in Kalos."

"Ash told us you're a former Gym Leader?" Iris asked, seeking information as she shook Korrina's hand.

"Yep," Korrina confirmed. "Former and future Gym Leader." She leaned down to greet Madison as well.

"Future?" Ash's eyebrows raised. "You mean you're going to be a Gym Leader again?"

"That's right!" She nodded, standing up fully and clenching her fist. "I'm going to be taking on leadership of the Shalour City Gym again soon." She rested her hands on her hips. "Siebold's putting up a fuss about it, but I'm not giving in. He can keep having his water festivals and whatever, but the Tower of Mastery belongs to my family. That's where I'm supposed to be."

"Good! Don't let him win!" he encouraged. "You were a great Gym Leader! You've got to get your gym back!"

She grinned wide and nodded in agreement, as Madison spoke up. "If you're a Gym Leader, why are you collecting Gym Badges?"

"Well, I'm not a Gym Leader yet," Korrina answered. "I won't be back at the Shalour Gym until after the Lumiose Conference, at least. Until then, this might be the only chance I have to compete in the Kalos League, and I'm going for it." Her eyes returned to Ash. "So you had better make it all the way, got it? It's got to be you and me in the finals!"

Ash's confidence shone brightly in his eyes. "Don't you worry about that. I'll give you a battle you'll never forget!" The two trainers were practically giddy, already reveling in their newfound rivalry. It was hard to find two trainers in Kalos that loved Pokémon battles more than these two.

"So, uh..." Brock stepped in. "If you don't mind me asking... why did you leave the gym before?"

Korrina sighed, some of the wind leaving her sails. She wasn't eager to talk about her own shortcomings, but if it was to Ash or his friends, she was less hesitant. "I don't know... I just felt like I was... stuck in place. All the people around me were going places and doing new things, and the trainers coming to the gym kept getting stronger, and I just... wasn't. I felt like I was stagnating, like I was wasting my potential." It was a carefully curated subset of the truth, the full extent of which was too embarrassing for her to reveal.

"I'm sorry, Korrina," Iris offered sincerely. "I know what that feels like."

"Yeah..." Korrina nodded before continuing. "Then, a couple years ago, a friend of mine from Galar invited me to become a student and train on the Isle of Armor. It sounded like just what I needed, so I arranged to hand over the gym and I left for Galar." A smile spread across her face. "I just got back a few weeks ago, and I feel great! I feel ready to take charge of the gym again."

"I've never heard of the Isle of Armor before," Ash responded, trying to recall the name coming up during his journey in Galar. "What sort of stuff did you learn there?"

"Well, instead of telling you..." She grabbed a Poké Ball from her waist and held it out in front of her. "How about I show you?"

Ash could barely contain himself. This day was getting better and better.

Soon, the group of five were gathered around the closest outdoor battlefield they could find, in a nearby park. Ash and Korrina stood on opposite sides of it in the trainers' boxes, getting themselves psyched up, which was not difficult for either of them. Iris was standing by the side of the arena to officiate the match, having won a game of rock-paper-scissors with Brock. The other two stood off to the side, closer to Ash's side of the field, while Pikachu and Lucario stood with their respective trainers.

"I hope you're ready, Korrina!" Ash taunted, reaching for a Poké Ball on his belt. "I've got a whole new team of Pokémon here with me! I can't wait for you to see them!" He hurled the ball onto the battlefield. "Drapion, I choose you!" Korrina watched as the large scorpion-like Pokémon emerged, ready for action.

"You're not the only one with new Pokémon!" she retorted, tossing out her own Poké Ball. "Kubfu, let's go!" Everyone's eyes were on Korrina's Pokémon as it emerged, taking the form of a short, grey bear cub with a band of white fur around his forehead.

"Oh, look at it! It's so cute!" Madison squealed, holding her cheeks. Ash took a moment to size him up before pulling out his Pokédex for more information.

"Kubfu, the Wushu Pokémon," the machine reported. "If Kubfu pulls the long white hair on its head, its fighting spirit heightens and power wells up from the depths of its belly." He stored the Pokédex again, thinking that this Pokémon didn't look particularly strong, but he knew better than to make assumptions.

"Alright, you two!" Iris called out informally. "The battle begins... now!"

Ash stepped forward, wanting to cut off Korrina to get in the first attack. "Use Toxic! Poison that Kubfu!" His Pokémon opened its mouth, spraying a stream of purple liquid in the direction of its opponent. Korrina watched calmly, having waited for Ash to make his move.

"Dodge it, Kubfu!" The bear cub nimbly leaped away, easily avoiding the poisonous liquid. Drapion tried to chase the Pokémon down, but it was no use; Kubfu was much too agile to be hit from such a distance. After a minute of this, Drapion had to stop, needing to restore its poison reserves.

Korrina's eyes flashed, sensing an opportunity. "Now, rush in with Dynamic Punch!" Kubfu sprinted forward with impressive speed, closing the gap in no time. He reared back one fist, which began to glow orange, and rammed it into the side of Drapion's head, staggering the scorpion Pokémon.

"Counter with Night Slash!" Ash commanded. As Drapion's head reared back, one of its claws glowed purple and swung into Kubfu's stomach. Korrina's Pokémon flew backwards, easily knocked around due to his meager weight, but he managed to flip around and land on his feet.

"Good job!" Ash encouraged, already feeling energized. "If Toxic doesn't work, hit it with Poison Sting!" Drapion growled and opened its mouth, spitting out a wave of purple needles. Kubfu tried to dodge, but the needles were too fast and spread out too wide, and several of them managed to hit their target. Ash clenched his fist and ordered another round of Poison Sting, as Korrina decided to take a different approach.

"Get in close and use Close Combat! Dodge as many needles as you can!" Her Pokémon dutifully obeyed her command, running back toward Drapion, leaping and rolling to avoid as many needles as possible. Korrina knew there was a good chance Kubfu would be poisoned, but with such small needles, it wasn't likely to be a severe poisoning. She would just have to end the battle quickly.

As Kubfu closed the gap, Ash grew wary. "Back away, quick!" The command didn't come in time, and Kubfu began to pummel Drapion's face and neck with punches and kicks, doing considerable damage. The barrage continued for ten long seconds before Kubfu had to back away, catching his breath; Drapion had to do the same, its breathing more labored.

"You're doing great!" Korrina encouraged. "Follow up with Brick Break!" Kubfu nodded, raising one glowing paw and preparing to chop down on his foe's head.

"Drapion, use Scary Face!"

As Kubfu crouched down to jump, Drapion brought its head back down and glared a horrific glare, its eyes wide and frightening, its jaws open and dripping with toxic venom. Kubfu staggered backward, spooked, and the glow faded from his paw as he briefly lost his nerve.

Ash smirked, wanting to see the expression on Korrina's face, but refusing to take his focus away. "Now hit it with Night Slash!" A glowing claw once again knocked Kubfu away, and this time he landed on his back instead of his feet. As he tried to get back up, Drapion leaped at him with an X-Scissor attack, its claws slamming into the ground and holding the Pokémon firmly in place.

"Kubfu, no! Get out of there!" Korrina pleaded, taken aback by how quickly the tide of the battle had changed. Her Pokémon struggled to get free, but he found his strength sapped, a light purple color visible on his face. The poison was taking effect, and even though it wasn't much, it was enough to give Drapion the edge.

"Time for some serious damage! Use Crunch!" Drapion gave a low and menacing hiss as it opened its mouth, its large, pointed jaws glowing a bright white. Before it could chomp down, Korrina's voice cut through the air, confidence coursing through it.

"Counter it with Iron Head!" Kubfu closed his eyes and focused, and the fur on his head began to grow stiff and hard as iron. As his opponent lunged forward to bite down, Kubfu swung his head at Drapion's mouth, smashing into its teeth. Drapion squealed in pain and immediately backed off, one of its claws moving to its mouth.

"Oh no! Drapion, are you alright?" The confidence immediately fell away from Ash's face, as he tried to assess the damage and calm his Pokémon down. Korrina was smirking, certain now that the battle was already won.

"Let's seal the deal, Kubfu! Use Focus Punch!"

Her Pokémon reached up and grabbed the white tuft of hair on top of his head, giving it a firm yank. He clenched both of his fists tightly, feeling a rush of energy and adrenaline, as his right fist started to glow blue. Once he had stored enough energy, he stepped forward and swung with all his might into Drapion's head, hitting it with a powerful uppercut. Drapion's head snapped backward, where it hung awkwardly for a few moments, before the Pokémon's legs gave out and it collapsed to the ground.

"Drapion, no!" Ash exclaimed, running up to the edge of the trainer's box on the battlefield. Iris ran over as well, getting a good look at the blank expression in the battler's eyes, before she raised one hand in the air.

"Drapion is no longer able to battle!" she announced. "Korrina and Kubfu are the winners!"

Ash ran out onto the battlefield, kneeling next to Drapion and lifting its head, looking into its eyes, hoping that his Pokémon wasn't hurt too badly. Kubfu stood in front of Drapion, placing his closed right fist against his open left palm, and bowed respectfully to his opponent for a battle well fought. His rei was interrupted as a pair of arms scooped him up and hugged him tightly.

"That was great, Kubfu! You gave it your all and never gave up!" Korrina praised. Her Pokémon was startled, but soon let out a defeated and annoyed sigh, having a much more serious demeanor than his trainer.

"You really have been working hard!" Ash returned Drapion to its Poké Ball and stood up, smiling wide despite his defeat. "Not like I would expect any less of you."

"Thanks, Ash! Same to you." Korrina grinned. "Now I'm really looking forward to a full battle between us. I need to make sure I get the rest of the Gym Badges I need." She reached down and grabbed Kubfu's Poké Ball, tapping the Pokémon and sending it back to its temporary home. "So what's next for you after this, Ash? Where are you going from here?"

Ash shrugged, as the others gathered around them. "We were just going to kill time until Serena was done with her errands, then we were going to get dinner." His eyes shone. "You should come with us! I bet Serena can't wait to see you!"

"I'd love to! I have to go talk to some League people on the phone after this, but after that sounds great!" She cocked her head slightly. "But I was thinking more about where you were going after Laverre City. What are your plans?"

"Oh, right." Ash rubbed the back of his head. "After this, I'm going to go after my next Gym Badge in Anistar City. Madison has a showcase there, too." He gestured toward the younger girl, who gave a meek but polite smile, her hands behind her back.

"Anistar City?!" Korrina's eyes sparkled as she clenched her fists in front of her. "That's perfect!"

"It is?" Iris spoke up. "Why is that perfect?"

"There's going to be a double battle tournament there in about a week!" she explained energetically. "I was trying to find a teammate who could enter it with me. You and I should partner up! The two of us would dominate the competition!"

"Whoa, really?!" Ash felt her energy spreading infectiously to him. "That's a great idea! That will be great practice for my Pokémon. Count me in!"

"Awesome! Thank you so much, Ash!" The two of them shared an eager fist bump, both of them already planning battle strategies in their head.

"If you're going to Anistar City, too, why not travel with us?" Brock offered, mentally adjusting the food supplies he needed to buy to manage a sixth companion.

"I can't," she sighed. "I still have to spend a couple of days in Laverre City, to hammer out details of the gym handoff. I'll take a bus and meet you guys there." She took a step back. "I have to go get some things done, but I'll catch up with you guys later! I'll call you when I'm done!" Ash and Korrina had traded phone numbers on their way to the battlefield; after Iris had given him a hard time about not staying in touch with people, he was doing his best to make more contacts.

"Great! See you then!" Ash waved at her as she started skating backwards, and she did the same before turning around and dashing off, Lucario by her side.

Ash sighed happily as he lowered his arm. "Wow... I can't believe how lucky we were to run into Korrina here. What a great afternoon this was."

"Afternoon?" Brock looked down at his watch. "It's only been about thirty minutes. We've still got plenty of afternoon to go."

"Oh... heh. Right." Ash smiled sheepishly. "So I guess we still have some time to kill, huh?"

"There's plenty of stuff we can do here," Madison piped up. "I think the Pokémon Fan Club is close by. We could start there."

"Sounds good to me," Iris added. "Let's see if we can get there before Ash runs into any other long-lost friends."

"Hey, come on," Ash spoke up to defend himself, as the group started walking again. "That's only happened, like... seven times." The others laughed as they continued on toward unexplored parts of the city, as Ash reached for his phone to text Serena the news.

Hours later, the group of four were standing and sitting around a set of benches near the edge of a park, waiting for Serena's arrival. Both Serena and Korrina had separately texted Ash to tell him that they were all done and ready for dinner, and now they were waiting for the former to join them, while the latter had picked out a place to eat and was waiting for the group there. Brock and Iris were seated on one bench, glancing at their phones, while Madison was standing nearby and doing the same. Ash was standing on the sidewalk, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, moving slightly to stay out of the way of passersby.

He glanced down at his pocket as he felt his phone ringing, reaching down and grabbing it, stepping forward as a stocky businessman walked past him. He figured it was either Serena, telling him that she was running a bit late, or Korrina, wondering where he and the others were. Instead, when he fished his phone out of his pocket, he saw that the call was from a number he didn't recognize. He accepted the call and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey! Is this Ash?"

"Yes..." He furrowed his brow, recognizing the voice from somewhere, but not quite identifying it. "Who is this?"

"It's Byron!" the voice answered. "What, you don't recognize me?"

"Byron?!" Ash exclaimed, causing the others to look toward him. "Wait, how did you get this number?"

"I'm resourceful," Byron replied, not going into any more detail than that. "Hey, listen. Where are you right now? Are you anywhere near Anistar City?"

"Uh, yeah..." He took a second to gather his thoughts. "We're in Laverre City now. We'll be in Anistar City in about... five days?"

"Good," came Byron's reply. "I'm hosting a big fancy shindig at my place in Anistar next week, and you're officially invited. It's gonna be great, you'll love it."

"Wow, really?" Ash took a step back as a bespectacled schoolgirl walked in front of him. "Thanks a lot! Can my friends come, too?"

"Sure, why not? The more the merrier. Get there by Wednesday, alright?"

"No problem!" he eagerly agreed. "This will be great! I've never been to-"

"Alright, it's settled. See you then," Byron interrupted, before he hung up and the line went dead. Ash stared at his phone for a moment, bewildered by Byron's lack of manners, before collapsing into a sitting position on the bench, next to the schoolgirl, who was glancing at her own phone.

"That was Byron?" Iris asked, seeking confirmation as she looked over at him. "What did he want?"

"He just invited us to a party," Ash answered, still staring at the phone. "At his house in Anistar City."

"Really?!" Madison spoke up, excited. "We get to go to a billionaire's party at a mansion?!"

"Yeah, sounds like it," he replied. "I guess this is..." He paused for a moment, noticing that the schoolgirl had scooted closer to him, and her knee was now touching his. He scooted a bit further away, as Pikachu glanced at the girl curiously from Ash's shoulder. "I guess this is his way of paying us back for the Battle Chateau?"

"Hey, I'll take it!" Brock chimed in. "It's not often you get to go someplace like that. I wonder what his house looks like?"

"I wonder what sort of people are going to be there?" Iris added. "A party like that is probably going to be a who's who of Kalos celebrities."

"Yeah, I didn't even think about that." Ash grinned, imagining himself among those people, wondering if he might see any champions or Elite Four members. "Man, what a day this has..." He stopped himself again, as the schoolgirl had once again inched closer to him, her knee once again touching his. He slid further away from her, now sitting on the edge of the bench. "Um... do you mind?"

"Mind what?"

"Mind..." He drifted off, instantly recognizing the girl's voice. His eyes snapped to her face, taking her in for the first time, as she looked back at him with a grin on her face. She had long blond hair that reached to the middle of her back, and wore a pair of round, blue-rimmed glasses on her face. As soon as Ash saw her eyes, however, he knew exactly who she was.

"Gah! Serena?!" He reflexively jumped up from the bench, shocked almost into a panicked state. Everyone else turned to look as well, gasping as they came to the same conclusion, as the girl laughed.

"I walked past you guys three times!" Serena insisted, her grin spreading from ear to ear as she stood up. "I was certain one of you would recognize me, but none of you gave me a second glance!"

"Whuh... but..." Ash was paralyzed with confusion, not sure which of his hundred questions to ask first.

"What happened to your hair?!" Madison blurted out, her eyes following the honey blonde strands of hair down Serena's back.

"They're extensions!" Serena ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it back; it looked convincingly real. "It took a while to find my color, but they look perfect, don't they?"

"Is that like a disguise?" Brock stepped forward for a closer look. "Is this what you were shopping for?"

"That's right." She nodded. "It was Aria's idea. She has her own disguise that she uses when she goes out, so she doesn't get mobbed. She told Shauna she should get one before her video goes live, and I went along, too. I already get recognized enough as it is."

"Man..." Ash's eyes took in Serena several times, frequently focusing on her face. "Now I don't know how I missed it. When I look at you carefully, it's obvious." He started to feel guilty for not recognizing her.

"But you didn't. That's the point." She smiled back at him. "It's not supposed to make me unrecognizable. It's supposed to make you not look at me too closely. It lets me blend in."

"You sure did blend in." Iris grinned and stepped closer, taking a closer look at the hair extensions, having transitioned quickly from perplexed to amused. "I'm pretty sure I looked right at you once and didn't put it together."

"I noticed! I was trying really hard not to laugh." Serena's eyebrows shot up. "Do you think Korrina will recognize me? Should we try it?"

Ash laughed. "Let's try it! She's waiting for us now!" The group of five started traveling further into downtown, hungry and ready for a delicious dinner, each of them making their own predictions on how Korrina would react when they arrived.

Chapter Text

Serena reached down into a stream with cupped hands, collecting some water before splashing it onto her face. She did this twice more before drying herself off with a hand towel that she had brought with her. Feeling clean and refreshed, she stood up and folded her hand towel before turning away from the stream, moving to rejoin the others, the acrid scent of smoke hitting her nose and lightly burning her throat.

She and her friends were traveling down Route 15, on their way to Anistar City. They had to pick up the pace a little bit, with two different routes and Dendemille Town separating Anistar from Laverre, but it was an easy path to walk so far, and they were making good time. The one complaint all of them had was the powerful smell of smoke that permeated the air, growing stronger and then weaker from one hour to the next. From what they had been told by other travelers, there was a rampaging Heatmor on Route 16 to the south, setting the forest on fire in its inexplicable rage, and the wind was now carrying the smoke all around northern Kalos. Unless the Heatmor was found and captured, they were likely to be inhaling the smoke for a few more days.

As she started making her way back, she let her eyes wander, enjoying the tranquil forest around her. Looking around, she paused as she saw something strange at the base of a nearby tree, partly buried by tall grass. She walked over and knelt down to take a closer look, gasping as she realized what she had found.

Back at their campsite, Brock was cooking up breakfast as he did every morning. Madison was setting out a blanket and plates for everyone to eat on, while Ash and Iris were getting tents packed up. Iris was the first to hear Serena approaching, but soon everyone turned to look, as they all realized that she was running.

"You guys!" Serena called out as she approached, as excited as anyone had ever heard her. "Look what I found!" As she became visible through the trees, Iris gasped as she saw her holding something tightly and protectively in her arms.

"Oh my gosh! Is that a Pokémon egg?!" Everyone crowded around Serena as she entered the clearing that acted as their campsite, leaning in to inspect the large egg that sat in her arms. The egg was predominantly black, mixed with a color that could have been dark green or blue, depending on who was looking at it. It was covered with white speckles that could pass for either leaves or water droplets.

"I found it under a tree, near the stream!" Serena exclaimed energetically, looking down at the egg herself. "There wasn't any sign of a burrow or a nest or anything like that. I thought it would need someone to take care of it."

"That sounds about right, if you found it on the ground," Brock assessed, before a grin spread across his face. "You're going to have a new Pokémon companion soon!"

"I know!" She nearly squealed at the thought. "I'm so excited! It's been so long since I had a new Pokémon of my own!"

"What kind of Pokémon is it going to be?" Madison wondered aloud. She looked over the egg carefully, studying the colors and the markings, as if she had any idea what they meant.

"It's hard to say," Brock answered. "The markings on the egg can give you some idea, if you're an expert on the subject, but I think it's impossible to know with absolute certainty."

"If you ask me, not knowing is half the fun! It's like a surprise!" Ash insisted, leaning in for a closer look. "The last time I was in Kalos, I found an egg that hatched into a Noibat. It didn't look anything like this, though."

"Oh, a Noibat!" Iris's eyes lit up. "I'd love to catch one of those and evolve it into a Noivern! They're part Dragon-type!"

"Well, we'll be passing by the Terminus Cave after we leave Anistar City. There's plenty of Noibat there for you to catch." Serena lovingly rubbed the top of the egg, already attached to it after only a couple of minutes, her heart swelling as she imagined it hatching into a baby Pokémon. Everyone stood around and basked in the egg for a few moments, swept up by the magical allure of a new Pokémon about to enter the world. The moment was interrupted by a loud crackling sound from the campfire, causing Brock to jump.

"Ah! Breakfast!" He whirled around and rushed over, moving quickly to save the food that he had been preparing before it burned. Everyone else chuckled before returning to their previous business, all of them occasionally pausing to steal looks at the mysterious egg.

The campsite was pitched again after a full day's walking, as everyone rested their tired feet and filled their empty stomachs. Soon the sun had set, and everyone began setting their sleeping bags out near the campfire. The winds had shifted a few hours ago, pushing the wildfire smoke in another direction, and everyone was eager to get some fresh air as they slept.

Serena was fussing repeatedly with the egg as she kneeled on top of her sleeping bag, moving it closer and then farther from the campfire. She frowned, resting her hands on her knees, struck with indecision. "Brock, how warm should this egg be at night?"

Brock walked over, kneeling down and lifting up the egg, feeling how warm it was already before placing it down strategically about four feet from the fire. "I'd say right about there." She smiled and thanked him as she pulled her sleeping bag closer, laying it down right next to the egg. She reached into her bag and pulled out a blanket, creating a small nest for the egg to keep it in place.

Ash couldn't help but smile as he watched her dote over her egg, slipping into his sleeping bag. "You're really excited for this Pokémon, aren't you?"

"I'm so excited, Ash," she answered. "I haven't caught a new Pokémon in such a long time." She sat up, satisfied with the makeshift bed she had created. "I caught a Horsea years ago that was a real sweetheart, but I let him go during mating season."

Ash nodded. "I did the same thing with my Butterfree, a long time ago. It always hurts letting a Pokémon go, but it's easier when you know they're going to be happy." Serena smiled, keeping her eyes forward, feeling a pang of heartache for her former companion.

A few feet away, Iris was sitting up in her sleeping bag, scrolling through the messages that she had left to pile up over the course of the day. After answering another email from the substitute Gym Leaders, she moved on to her next message. After a minute of reading, her eyes went wide and she reflexively covered her mouth. "Oh, Shannon...!"

"Hm?" Ash glanced over, turning to the side and leaning on his elbow. Pikachu, who was starting to curl up next to him, sat up curiously. "What about Shannon?"

"She's just a sweetheart," Iris replied, smiling down at her phone. "I'm going to be visiting the Village of Dragons on the weekends, and I'll be staying with her. So she's been straightening up her place and decorating with some of my things, to make it feel more like home. She just sent me a picture of my bedroom."

Ash climbed out of his sleeping bag and crawled over toward Iris, sitting behind her and taking a peek at the image on her phone. He could see a small bedroom with a full bed, decorated with photographs of Iris and her friends, as well as other traditional-looking knickknacks that he assumed had sentimental value to Iris. In the center of the photo, on a dresser, was a tall, golden trophy, topped with a silver bird posing on top of a gold-plated Poké Ball.

"Look at that." He grinned at the sight, as Serena and Madison appeared behind him, taking a look for themselves. "She's even got your trophy."

"Mhmm." Iris nodded. "She's the best."

"Trophy?" Madison leaned in for a closer look. "What is it for? It looks like a Pokémon League trophy."

"It is," Serena confirmed, smiling at the image on Iris's phone. "It's from the Vertress Conference in Unova."

"It is?" Madison's eyebrows shot up, as the meaning of the statement suddenly hit her. "Wait, it is? You're a Pokémon League Champion?"

"Yes?" Iris replied, slightly confused, glancing back at the young performer. "I know I've said this before."

"You mentioned it to us in Coumarine City," Brock clarified from behind them, as he walked past to take a quick look at the phone before returning to his sleeping bag. "Madison wasn't with us then."

"Right, that's right." Iris returned her gaze to her phone. "When I was twelve years old, I was doing a lot of traveling, but I came back to Unova to challenge the Pokémon League. I figured if Ash could do it, then I could do it, too. And unlike Ash, I ended up winning the whole Vertress Conference."

Ash rolled his eyes. "You had to rub it in, didn't you?"

Iris smirked and nodded. "After that, I went back to traveling for a bit. I journeyed through Hoenn for a while before going back to become a Gym Leader."

"Wow..." Madison was awestruck at the discovery that she was in the presence of two League Champions, instead of just one. "Does that make you the Champion of Unova?"

Iris shook her head. "No, I'm just a League Champion, that's all," she said matter-of-factly, as if there was nothing noteworthy about this.

"A League Champion is different from being the champion of a region," Ash explained. "To be the Unova Champion, Iris would need to challenge the Champion's League and defeat the current champion."

"I'm going to do it, too," Iris resolved, her voice becoming more bitter. "I'm going to take down Alder the first chance I get. I'm going to wipe the smirk off that smug womanizer's face." Ash nodded in understanding, not having very fond memories of Alder, the Unova Champion. He was certainly a less inspirational figure than Cynthia, who was still the reigning champion of Sinnoh at the time. Brock firmly bit his tongue.

Madison and Serena both wrinkled their noses at the description of the man, instantly disliking him. The younger performer quickly spoke up. "Do you have to wait a while after becoming League Champion to enter the Champion's League?"

Iris shook her head. "No, you can go into it right away."

"So why didn't you try as soon as you won the League?" Madison followed up.

Because I was scared to face Drayden again and I wanted to get away from him, Iris thought.

"Because I wanted to try and find more Dragon-type Pokémon, to help me become a Dragon Master," Iris said. Madison nodded, not questioning her rationale.

"You're definitely going to be a Dragon Master someday," Ash encouraged, resting his hand on her shoulder. "And you're going to be Champion of Unova, too! Alder won't know what hit him!"

Iris beamed in appreciation, reaching up to squeeze his hand briefly before letting go. There was something about the earnestness of Ash's encouragement that made her sincerely believe it, and she could feel a gentle warmth grow in her stomach. It was one of the things he did that made him such a great friend to everyone he knew.

Behind her, the group of travelers dispersed, returning to their sleeping bags. Serena walked back over and slid into hers, resting on her side so she could watch the egg for a few more minutes. She eventually drifted off with an eager smile on her face.

The campers were jolted out of sleep the next morning by the sound of a muffled shriek. Ash sat bolt upright in his sleeping bag, launching a sleepy Pikachu off of his chest, and immediately turned toward the sound of the scream. Serena was walking in circles around the campsite, wearing her pajamas and a panicked expression.

"Where is it, where is it?!" she exclaimed, her eyes searching every square inch of the ground. "Where did it go?!"

"Where's what?" Ash asked, the sleepy haze still fogging his mind, before the answer struck him. His eyes zeroed in on the blanket nest next to Serena's sleeping bag, widening when he saw it was unoccupied. "The egg! It's gone!"

"Gone?!" Madison jumped up. "How? Where could it have gone?"

"I don't know!" Serena was distraught, overwhelmed. "Eggs don't just leave! I don't know what happened!"

Ash's first instinct was to get up and help her look for the egg, but as soon as he saw the distress on Serena's face, he could feel his priorities shifting. He hopped up and made a beeline for her, putting his hands on her shoulders from behind. "It's alright, Serena. We'll help you find the egg. There's no need to worry." She felt some of the tension leave her body as soon as he touched her, and she started taking deep breaths, able to recognize that she was panicking. As she tried her best to calm herself, Brock and Iris were on the case, studying the campsite carefully for any signs of what might have happened.

"There's only two possibilities I can think of," Iris suggested. "Either the egg hatched and the Pokémon wandered off, or... someone snuck into camp and took it." Serena felt herself shiver at the thought of the second option.

Brock was kneeling down next to the blanket nest, inspecting it carefully. "Usually, when a Pokémon egg hatches, there are small remnants of the shell left behind. I'm not seeing anything like that here." He frowned. "What I am seeing are things that might be footprints. I don't know if they're ours or someone else's."

"So... someone else really snuck in while we were sleeping?" Madison was similarly creeped out at the idea of people walking all around them as they slept, completely unaware.

"Looks like it," Iris replied, holding herself gently. "We're lucky they didn't take anything else." She paused for a moment before dashing back toward her bag, looking through it carefully. Everyone else did the same, searching for anything else that might have been stolen, but after a couple of minutes of combing through their belongings, everything else seemed to be in place, even their wallets.

"Phew... I'm glad everything else is still here." Ash stood up, holding a Poké Ball in his hand. "Now we just need to find that egg!" He pressed the button on the front of the device, and soon his Growlithe was standing next to him. "Growlithe, we need you to track down whoever stole Serena's egg. Can you pick up their scent?"

The fire dog yipped affirmatively as Ash led her to the blanket where the egg was resting. She sniffed at the blanket for a few moments before starting to pace in circles, her nose close to the ground, as everyone watched. Twenty seconds later, she barked and started walking away from the campsite, keeping her nose low as she followed the scent.

"Perfect! Let's go, everyone!" All of them quickly grabbed their bags, not needing any other valuables stolen, before following Growlithe into the forest.

After twenty minutes of walking, the forest gave way to a large clearing along the edge of a cliff. Ash, leading the charge, spied two teenage boys talking and laughing as they sat across from each other, with an extremely familiar Pokémon egg sitting between them. Both of them jumped as Growlithe started barking and racing toward them, with her trainer in tow.

"There it is!" Ash exclaimed, carefully examining the egg from a distance. As far as he could tell, it was a dead ringer for the egg that Serena had cared for the previous day. He felt someone brush past him as Serena raced ahead, visibly enraged.

"You two give that egg back, right now!" she roared. "You stole it from right under our noses!" Both trainers looked terrified for a moment, as if they had stumbled across a mother Kangaskhan protecting her child.

"What are you talking about?" one of the trainers shot back, a brunette with a black jacket and matching cap. He stood up and moved in front of the egg, blocking Serena's advance. "This is our egg!"

"Y-yeah!" His companion, a redheaded trainer dressed in yellow and blue, stood up as well, though he wasn't bold enough to get directly in Serena's way. "We found it ourselves! We've had it for days!"

"You have not!" Serena's hands clenched tightly into fists, before she felt Iris's hand come to rest on her shoulder.

"That egg looks exactly like the one we found yesterday," Iris explained, more calm than Serena. "We had it with us when we fell asleep, but it was gone when we woke up."

"Well, it wasn't this one!" the brown-haired trainer insisted. "You think we would ever let an egg like this out of our sight?"

"What do you mean?" Brock cocked his head, not sure what made this particular egg so special.

The brunette trainer scoffed. "You guys have no idea what this is, do you?" He smirked as he saw the confused expressions on everyone's faces. "This here is a genuine Lugia egg!"

"What?!" the other all exclaimed at the same time, having identical reactions. None of them had ever heard of a legendary Pokémon such as Lugia hatching from an egg.

The boy chuckled. "It's true." He gestured toward his redheaded friend. "Justin here found it near the ocean two weeks ago. As soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what it was."

"Derrick's real smart about Pokémon stuff," the other boy chimed in, the admiration clear in his voice. "He's the best trainer I know!"

"That doesn't sound right." Brock stepped forward. "You can't tell exactly what Pokémon an egg will hatch into just by looking at it."

"Maybe not if you're an amateur," Derrick replied, as smarmy as he could possibly be. "But when you know as much about Pokémon as I do, it's obvious."

"You're lying!" Serena fired back, requiring all her restraint to not step forward. "You were in our camp last night!"

"That's right!" Ash added, gesturing down toward Growlithe, who was glaring at the two thieving trainers. "Growlithe caught your scent and led us right to you."

Derrick let out a smug and disdainful laugh. "Well, it sounds like your bloodhound isn't a very good one. They led you on a wild goose chase for no reason. Maybe you should have trained it a little better." He looked around at his audience, his smirk fading as he saw the anger on all of their faces. He realized that maybe he should be a bit more cautious with his words when he was outnumbered. "...Although, maybe there's another way we can settle this."

"And what's that?" Serena demanded, her eyes still fixed on the egg.

Derrick grinned. "We'll have a Pokémon battle. Whoever wins, takes the egg."

"What?" Iris raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "If that's really your egg, why are you so willing to wager it in a battle?"

"Oh, uh..." The brunette trainer faltered. "I'm just that confident! I know I'm going to win, so it's no problem if I wager the egg."

"You got this, Derrick!" Justin pumped his fist, perfectly playing the part of a hype man and a suck-up.

"I want to take a look at that egg first." Serena stepped forward impatiently, marching past the two not-so-friendly travelers. "I need to make sure you didn't damage it." Madison ran after her, similarly concerned for the welfare of the speckled egg, and the two kneeled next to it to begin their examination.

Derrick watched them go, thinking this over for a moment, before shrugging, not seeing the harm. "Fine, go ahead. I've taken perfect care of that egg. See for yourself." He turned back toward the rest of the group. "So, which of you is going to challenge me?"

"I will!" Ash stepped forward, more than ready to defend Serena's honor and her property. Pikachu leaped off of his shoulder, getting into battle position reflexively.

Derrick chuckled, not impressed by this trainer and his un-evolved Electric-type. "Fine by me." He reached down to his belt, grabbing a Poké Ball. "I should let you know, I've collected seven Gym Badges already. Not to try and intimidate you or anything."

"Hey, not bad." Ash smirked, standing by his trusty partner to fight for him in this battle. "I've got more than sixty badges, myself."

The other boy gaped, not sure he had heard Ash correctly. "Sixty...? You mean six, right?"

"Nope." Ash shook his head. "I've been traveling through different regions for years, collecting badges from every gym I could find. I've got three League Champion trophies at home, too." He wasn't normally one to brag, but this jerk definitely needed to be taken down a peg, and he had to admit it was satisfying to watch the color drain from his opponent's face.

"Uh..." Derrick suddenly felt a lot smaller, and he looked around for some way out of this. "Actually, uh..." He glanced back at Justin. "Yeah! Let's do a double battle instead! Justin, come help me out!"

"Me?!" Justin looked taken aback at being put on the spot. "But I'm nowhere near as good as you are!"

"You'll be fine!" Derrick encouraged, needing to bolster his friend's confidence, as well as his own. "Just do what I say and we'll win, no problem!" He turned back toward Ash, Iris and Brock. "So who's your partner going to be? You don't have any other League Champions over there, do you?"

Ash grinned wide. "We sure do!" He glanced behind him. "Iris, you ready?" She nodded and stepped forward, keeping her eyes on her opponents as she grabbed a Poké Ball of her own.

It was Justin's turn to gape, his face going white as a sheet. "You're... you're also...?"

"That's right." She folded her arms, smirking, enjoying this far more than she should. "And I'm a Gym Leader on top of that." She tossed her Poké Ball out in front of her, summoning Excadrill to the battlefield. "Hope you two are ready!" Axew leaned forward, nestled in Iris's hair, ready to cheer on his trainer.

The two boys were as far from ready as they could possibly be, but now they had no choice but to proceed, Derrick's ego having locked them into this course of action. Derrick swallowed hard as he threw out his Poké Ball, summoning a white-and-green bipedal Pokémon, which Ash recognized as a Gallade. Justin timidly followed suit, bringing out the brown-and-white bird Pokémon Staravia. Looking across the way at Ash and Iris, they could feel their stomachs dropping in unison.

"All four trainers are ready to battle!" Brock declared, raising a hand above his head, having instinctively taken up the referee's position. "Let the battle..."

"Aha!" Everyone stopped to turn and look at Serena, who was standing up with the egg in her hands, a triumphant look on her face. "I knew this egg was mine!"

"Huh?" Derrick turned away from the battle as quickly as he could, walking up to the pajama-clad performer. "No it's not! It's ours!"

"Then why is my name on it?"

Everyone was stunned into silence at this comment, especially Derrick and Justin. The brunette trainer looked down at the egg. "What...?"

"Take a look for yourself." She rotated the egg carefully in her hands, gesturing toward one white teardrop mark near the top. As the boy leaned in, he could clearly see the name "Serena" written into it with a makeup pencil.

He stared at the name for a few moments, slack-jawed, before he was finally able to speak. "Let me see that..." Serena handed the egg over for his inspection, feeling much more confident now that she had proven her ownership. As soon as the egg was in his hands, Derrick turned and started running as fast as he could, yelling at Justin to follow him.

"Wha- hey!" Serena began racing after him. "You get back here!" Everyone else began following her, including the Pokémon that had been released, as they raced along the edge of the cliff.

Derrick turned to look behind him. "Gallade, use Psybeam! Staravia, use Whirlwind!" Both Pokémon immediately obeyed, and Staravia flapped its wings to create a massive gust of wind, while Gallade fired a beam of psychic energy circles at the advancing trainers. They were forced to come to a stop, in order to avoid being blown away by the combined attacks.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt on Staravia! Keep them busy!" Ash commanded, starting to run in a wide circle around the Whirlwind attack.

"Excadrill, fight off Gallade! Use Fury Swipes!" Iris added. The four Pokémon began squaring off as their trainers ran ahead, as fast as they could.

Justin turned to look at his friend with an incredulous expression. "Derrick, what are we doing?! We're definitely stealing it now!"

"Just keep running!" Derrick advised, holding onto the egg for dear life. "It'll all be worth it when we have a baby Lugia in our hands!"

Ash growled in anger as he summoned another of his Pokémon. "Snivy, use Vine Whip to trip them up!" The Grass Snake Pokémon obeyed without hesitation, her vines extending and reaching out at an incredible speed, snagging one ankle on each of the two boys. They yelped and immediately fell forward, crashing into the ground, and as Derrick landed, the egg he was holding slipped out of his grasp and started bouncing away. He panicked and tried to grab at it, but it quickly bounced and rolled out of his reach, eventually rolling off of the edge of the cliff.

Everyone gasped as they watched the egg drop over the side of the cliff, starting to fall hundreds of feet to the ground below. Their gasps turned to screams as Serena dove off the edge of the cliff after it.

Serena held her arms tightly against her body as she dove through the air, trying to speed herself up, utterly single-minded in her determination to protect the egg. She carefully reached out as she approached, managing to grab the egg with the tips of her fingers, and she pulled it in against herself. She wrapped her arms tightly around it, curling up and forming a ball as she fell. With the egg in her grasp, she looked back down at the forest below, unable to do anything but anticipate her impact against the ground. The only thing she had thought of as she dove off the cliff was protecting this egg and the Pokémon inside, without giving any consideration to herself. She hoped against hope that the trees below her would break her fall, or else a lot of other things were going to break.

As she approached the canopy, she could feel herself starting to slow, much to her surprise. Looking down at herself and the egg, she could see a light blue aura surrounding her body. She craned her neck around to look upward, able to see Ash's Sigilyph near the edge of the cliff, straining with all of her might to hold onto Serena using Psychic. She didn't even have time to sigh in relief, however, before she started slamming into branches. She grunted and cried out in pain with each one she hit, her fall gradually slowing, until she eventually hit the forest floor, the air knocked out of her.

She groaned as she sat up, pain shooting through her neck and back; it didn't feel like anything was broken, thankfully, but she was still going to be feeling this for a few days. Her eyes shot open as she felt the weight of the egg on her chest, and she pushed herself up into a sitting position, looking over the egg carefully. As she turned it about in her hands, her heart stopped as she found a large, jagged crack running along the egg from top to bottom.

She could feel her body go cold as she stared at the crack. She wasn't as knowledgeable about Pokémon breeding as Brock was, but she knew that it was extremely rare for an egg to survive major damage like this. Her breath shuddered as she covered her mouth with one hand, feeling tears well up in the corners of her eyes, when the sound of a breaking shell caused her to jump. She could see another crack form on the egg, then another, as something inside seemed to be trying to poke its way out.

Her eyes were as big as saucers as she watched the egg slowly hatch, barely breathing, doing nothing but hold it carefully in her hands. Eventually, the entire shell fell away in large chunks, and she found herself looking into a tiny, brown-and-white face, adorned with a short and stubby pair of brown horns, attached to the body of a goat-like creature with a green, leafy mane. The Pokémon opened its large, black eyes and met Serena's gaze, as she took in the sight of a newborn baby Skiddo.

"Ski?" The creature bleated curiously in a high-pitched voice, and Serena could feel her heart melt instantly.

"Hi there, cutie," she spoke gently, beaming, as she wrapped her arms around the Pokémon. "My name's Serena. I'm going to be taking care of you." The Skiddo leaned in and sniffed at her for a moment, before issuing a happy bleat of affirmation and nuzzling her. She laughed, delighted, and held the little one close to her chest, all of her pain and stress vanishing in an instant.

Serena heard the sound of rustling leaves above her, looking up to see Sigilyph flying down toward them. She smiled and waved at the bird Pokémon. "Thanks for saving us, Sigilyph! Could you bring us back up?" The Pokémon cawed and focused, and the blue aura returned, surrounding Serena and Skiddo both. The goat Pokémon started to panic as they rose up into the air, but Serena held it tightly and comfortingly in her arms, rubbing its back. A minute later, Sigilyph placed her back on her feet on top of the cliif, and her friends all ran up to her, worry all over their faces. Even Derrick and Justin, several feet behind them, looked concerned.

"Serena! Are you alright?!" Ash exclaimed, placing his hands on her shoulders, looking her over for obvious signs of injury.

"I'm fine!" she insisted, glancing down at the creature in her arms. "Look! The egg hatched!"

"Whoa!" Brock looked over Ash's shoulder, taking in the sight of the Pokémon. "It's a Skiddo!"

Behind them all, Derrick froze in place, stunned. "A Skiddo...? Not a Lugia...?" He looked absolutely flabbergasted, as did his companion next to him.

"Oh my gosh, it's adorable!" Madison squealed, running right up to it. "I've never seen a newborn Pokémon before! It's so small!"

"Isn't it?" Serena agreed. "I've only ever seen full-grown ones. I had no idea they could be this small." The Skiddo looked up at her, leaning in and trying to take a bite out of her hair; she laughed and turned her head away. "Hey, cut that out!"

"I'm so glad the both of you are alright," Iris added. "I can't believe you jumped off a cliff to save that egg. I thought you were Ash at first."

"I can't really believe it, either," Serena admitted. "The only thing I was thinking about was keeping the egg safe. I guess Ash's recklessness is rubbing off on me." The others all agreed, including Ash.

Derrick took a small step backward. "Well, if it's not a Lugia, then I guess we'll..."

Immediately, Ash, Brock and Iris were shooting death glares in his direction, emitting a dark aura of pure malice that seemed to block out the light of the sun. Sensing that his life was in danger, Derrick returned his Pokémon to their Poké Balls before turning and running off into the forest. Justin followed suit, looking as if his world had just been turned upside-down.

With the two thieves no longer posing a danger, the Pokémon moved in closer to see the new arrival for themselves, and Skiddo looked back down at Pikachu, Snivy, Growlithe and Excadrill. Wanting to get a closer look at them, the Pokémon leaped out of Serena's arms to the ground underneath them. Serena yelped and snatched it out of the air, laughing as she lowered it carefully to the ground. Skiddo took several unsteady steps forward on new legs, having to quickly teach itself the basics of walking. It only took a few seconds before Skiddo could propel itself, and it walked carefully up to Pikachu, who politely introduced himself.

"He sure is cute, isn't he?" Ash spoke, grinning wide.

Serena could only nod, her hands clasped over her heart as she watched her new Pokémon interact with its new friends. Everyone stood and watched in silence, all of them overcome by the magic of a new life discovering the world for the first time.

Chapter Text

The sounds of growling and yipping carried through the air as Houndour and Growlithe rolled and ran about in the grass. They chased each other up and down a nearby hill, thrilled to be back on grassy plains after having to spend days traveling through the snow-capped mountains of Route 17. At the top of the hill, the five travelers were pitching their tents and preparing dinner. Many of them were intentionally gathering close to Brock as he cooked up a delicious stew, eager to smell something that wasn't the intense, scorching scent of wildfire smoke, which was finally receding again after several days. Team Ace had been hunting for the rogue Heatmor that was the cause of the fires, but so far the creature had eluded capture. All of the travelers were looking forward to their imminent arrival in Anistar City, where the Pokémon Center would hopefully have filtered air.

Eventually, Houndour trudged over the crest of the hill, walking over to Ash and sitting at his feet, asking for food with his eyes. Growlithe followed him, pawing at his back, still having energy to burn. He turned his head and gave a low growl as a warning for her to back off. Playtime was clearly over.

"Sorry, Growlithe," Ash offered, as he started pouring food into Houndour's bowl. "You've tired Houndour out. Maybe someone else will want to play with you?"

Growlithe let out a dissatisfied whimper, turning to look around the campground for a new playmate. The Pokémon gathered near Brock and Iris were quickly ruled out as unsuitable, being too large or too serious or just too intimidating. She looked toward Ash's Pokémon, spying Pikachu and Absol as possible playmates, but her attention was soon drawn toward Serena's companions instead. Skiddo was running around his trainer's legs in circles, having recently mastered the art of running and eager to practice it at every opportunity.

She ran over to the goat Pokémon and yipped at him excitedly, nudging his side with her head. Skiddo looked back at her curiously, not sure of the meaning of this gesture.

"I think she wants to play." Serena smiled wide as she knelt next to her new Pokémon partner. "You should do it! I bet you'll have a lot of fun!"

Skiddo didn't have to think about it long, issuing a happy and excited bleat, eager to run around with somebody. Growlithe barked and turned back toward the hill, and Skiddo followed her as they ran off down the slope. Serena sighed happily, her hand over her heart as she watched them go, already deeply in love with her adorable new Pokémon.

"Isn't he just the cutest?" she asked aloud, to nobody in particular.

"He sure is," Ash agreed, setting Houndour's food bowl down on the ground, and the fire dog tucked in hungrily. "Are you going to try and get him perform with you?"

Serena nodded. "I'll give it a shot. I'll run through a couple practice routines in front of him, and see if he likes them. He may prefer to just run, though. Skiddo are natural born racers."

"Makes sense." He started grabbing more food bowls for his other Pokémon. "What will you do with him if he doesn't want to perform?"

"What do you mean, what will I do with him?" She whirled around to face him, an incredulous look on her face. "I'm going to keep him. What else would I do?"

"I didn't mean get rid of him!" Ash recoiled from her reaction. "It's just, you're a performer, all your Pokémon are performers... what if he wants to be a racer?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." Serena folded her arms. "If he wants to be a racer, I'll train him to be one. I'll get my mom to help me if I have to. I'll figure something out."

"Alright..." Ash turned back to his task and placed more food bowls on the ground, deciding not to pursue a potentially testy subject any further. The tension evaporated from the air moments later, as Brock smacked the rim of the stew pot with a wooden spoon, making a ringing sound.

"And we're done! Come and get it, guys!" The three girls all gathered around, hungry and eager to eat, as Brock started ladling stew into bowls for them. Ash soon joined them, after he had gotten food for all of the Pokémon who still needed to eat. It wasn't long before everyone had their own bowl, and they all grabbed spoons and prepared to dig in. The meal was interrupted before it could begin, however, by a panicked and frantic bleating from nearby.

"Huh? Skiddo?" Serena set her bowl down and stood up, running toward the edge of the hill where the two Pokémon were playing. As she called out again, her Skiddo raced over the edge of the hill toward the rest of the group, screaming in pain and fear. The entirety of his leafy mane was engulfed in flames, from his neck to the tip of his tail, making him look like a small fireball as he ran.

Serena shrieked as her Skiddo ran toward her, before turning back toward her other Pokémon. "Sylveon, put out that fire with Fairy Wind!" The Intertwining Pokémon summoned a ball of wind as quickly as she could, blasting it in Skiddo's direction. The powerful winds knocked the younger Pokémon off his feet, but the sudden gust of cool wind was able to snuff out the flames, like a candle being blown out.

"Skiddo! Are you alright?!" Serena dashed over to the young Pokémon and knelt down, cradling him in her arms, as everyone else gathered around. Skiddo continued to bleat and whimper as she held him, his whole body shaking. The leaves on his mane had burned away, reduced to ash and soot, exposing blazing red, flame-licked skin. Behind them all, Growlithe wandered curiously up to the top of the hill, pausing when she saw everyone gathered around her playmate with worried expressions on their faces.

"That's a serious burn," Brock assessed, not needing to inspect it closely. "We'll need at least one Burn Heal for that. Maybe more."

"Is he going to be alright?" Madison asked, her hands clasped tightly.

"He'll be just fine," Brock reassured her. "But that burn will probably sting for a few days. He won't want to run around much until it's fully healed." He turned to retrieve his bag, but Iris had already hopped up to get it.

"Growlithe must have used an Ember attack while they were playing," Ash reasoned, watching as Serena sat Skiddo on her lap, rubbing his cheek to try and comfort the panic-stricken Pokémon. "She and Houndour do that to each other all the time."

"How could she do that to a Grass-type?!" Serena exclaimed, trying and failing to keep her composure, unaware that the Pokémon in question was nearby and listening. "Doesn't she know how badly she can hurt him?!"

"It won't happen again, I promise." Ash rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'll make sure Growlithe understands she can't do that."

Growlithe watched the commotion with a growing sense of dread. She knew she must have done something really bad, because everyone was too worried about Skiddo to yell at her. She'd experienced something like this before, back on Cindy's ranch. She had jumped onto a fellow Growlithe while playing and landed heavily on his leg, which caused him to walk funny for a long time after that. He eventually got better, but they were never friends again.

Iris jogged back over to the group with Brock's bag, already having fished a Burn Heal out of it. Brock thanked her as he accepted it, popping the top off of it. "Skiddo, this is going to feel really cold, but it will make you hurt less." Serena held the goat Pokémon carefully and comfortingly in her arms as the aspiring doctor moved in to apply the medicine.

A low woof caused everyone to look off to the side, where a very contrite Growlithe was approaching slowly, her head low. Upon seeing her again, Skiddo panicked and scrambled off of Serena's lap, hiding behind Brock's legs and shaking even harder than before, terrified. Growlithe felt her heart drop, never having seen anyone react to her like this before. She took several steps back before lying down submissively on the grass, whimpering.

"Oh no, that poor thing..." Iris covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide. "Is he scared of Growlithe now?"

"Ah, geez... what a mess." Ash stood up and left the circle to sit next to his Pokémon, resting his hand on her back, wanting to give her some reassurance that the group didn't hate her for her actions. He watched from afar as the others carefully placed Skiddo back onto his trainer's lap, and Brock began spraying him with the bottle of Burn Heal.

"You can't play with everyone the way you play with Houndour," the boy spoke in a calm but firm voice. "Your fire attacks can really hurt people or other Pokémon if you're not careful." His Pokémon let out another whimper, eyes glued to Skiddo as the remainder of the Burn Heal was applied, utterly consumed with guilt.

"There." Brock set the empty bottle aside. "I'll check on him tomorrow and see if he needs another. We can feed him a Rawst Berry, too, to help with the pain." He started digging through his bag for his berry pouch, as Serena held her trembling Pokémon close. She looked over at Ash and Growlithe, seeing the guilt written all over the fire dog's face. She could feel guilt spreading across her own face as well, her anger melting away in an instant. As much as she wanted someone to blame for hurting Skiddo, she knew in her heart this was just an awful accident. Hopefully, Skiddo would understand that, too.

She continued to hold her Pokémon in her arms as Brock fed him a Rawst Berry, and the group slowly and awkwardly resumed what they were doing before, going back to their discarded bowls of stew and starting to eat. Ash got up and prepared a bowl of food for Growlithe as well, which went almost entirely untouched.

One hour later, the dinner dishes had been cleaned up, and the travelers were sitting and talking around the campfire, the incident from earlier having been forgotten for the most part. Skiddo had spent most of the evening in Serena's arms, being lulled into a state of relaxation by her voice and her gentle embrace. Growlithe was lying on the ground near the fire, being pacified by her trainer as well. Ash had been sitting steadfastly by her side for the past thirty minutes, letting his hand run slowly up and down her back, trying to comfort her. Like Skiddo, she had become much more relaxed, and was starting to drift toward sleep.

"So, Madison, do you think you're ready for the Anistar City Showcase?" Brock took advantage of a lull in the conversation to change the subject, turning toward the youngest of the group.

"I hope so," Madison answered, hugging her knees gently as she sat on the ground. "I've been working on a new routine, and I've been practicing with Roselia and Swellow when I can. I think I'll be able to pull it off." Despite her optimistic words, there was an undeniable twinge of disappointment in her voice.

"But...?" Serena prompted.

Madison looked up at her. "But what?"

"You sound like something's bothering you."

"Oh, well..." Madison looked away, wishing she was less easy to read. "I was just thinking... there are these ideas I've had for routines that would be really great, but I can't do them with only two Pokémon. I'd need a third, like Serena has."

"Well, then you should catch another one," Iris offered, not sure what the issue was.

"Yeah, but... I've never actually caught a Pokémon before." Madison was a bit embarrassed to admit this in front of so many experienced trainers.

"Wait, you haven't?" Ash sat up. "What about your Swellow and your Roselia?"

"They're not actually mine," she admitted. "They belong to my parents. I've never had a Pokémon of my own."

"Well, we can help with that!" Ash's mood went past incredulous and right into excited. "We've caught dozens of Pokémon between us. Anytime you want us to help you, just say the word!" Madison smiled and thanked him quietly, her brain already working through three-Pokémon routines.

"What about you, Ash?" Serena redirected the conversation. "You've got two things to prepare for in Anistar City. The tournament and your gym battle."

"Well, the tournament isn't going to be easy to prepare for without Korrina there to practice with," he answered. "I'm just keeping my Pokémon in tip-top shape for now."

"What about the gym battle?" Brock followed up. "It's a Psychic-type gym, right?"

Ash nodded. "Olympia's a really strong trainer, and a powerful psychic, too. I still remember one of the tricks we used last time, though. I hope it still works."

"Well, if Olympia remembers you at all, she'll-" Serena began, as she scooted closer to the campfire. The Skiddo in her arms stirred a bit as she moved, glancing toward the fire, eyes widening as he saw how close and how large it was. He started to panic once again, kicking his legs and trying to leap out of his trainer's arms.

"Whoa! Hey, easy, easy!" Serena stood up and backed away from the fire, and her Pokémon stopped trying to kick free, though he was trembling again like he was earlier. She sighed. "Oh, Skiddo..."

"What happened?" Ash cocked his head. "Did he get singed again or something?"

"It looked like he saw the fire and freaked out," Iris answered, watching the Pokémon with pitying eyes. "I think he might be scared of fire now."

"I guess so." Serena took another step back, moving toward her tent. "I think I'm going to go lie down with this little guy, to try and get him to relax. I'll see you all tomorrow, alright?" The others bid her goodnight as she dipped into her tent with the trembling goat Pokémon. Growlithe whimpered again as she watched the exchange, the guilt that she had battled against all evening returning in full force.

Soon after Serena headed to bed, the others slowly broke off and started getting ready to sleep as well. Some of the Pokémon that had been let out returned to their Poké Balls voluntarily, while others chose to sleep out in nature, around the receding campfire. Thirty minutes later, every human and Pokémon had fallen asleep, save for one.

Growlithe continued to lie awake, eyes on the fire, feeling sick with guilt. The only thing she ever wanted was to be friends with everyone, and the idea of anyone being scared of her was absolutely gutting. The sight of Skiddo shaking in Serena's arms, and the sound of his pained and distressed bleating as he ran away, was as clear now as it had been an hour ago when it happened.

Skiddo wasn't the only Pokémon she was thinking of. She could still picture the other Growlithe at the ranch, limping painfully as he tried to walk, unable to put any weight on his swollen and contorted rear leg. She thought she had been careful after that, but history had nevertheless repeated itself. Once again, all she had wanted was to play, and someone had ended up badly hurt because of her lack of self-control. She didn't know how she kept hurting people, and so she didn't know how to stop. She was starting to realize, with a heavy heart, that there was only one way to make sure she didn't hurt anyone again.

Growlithe slowly got to her feet, her head hanging low, and plodded away from the campsite and the clearing. She trudged into the forest surrounding them, wandering into the darkness, continuing until the campfire was completely out of sight.

The next morning, the five travelers were changing out of their pajamas and into their clothes before emerging from their tents. Iris and her Dragonite worked on getting the campfire started again, while Brock rooted through his bag for another Burn Heal. Serena and Madison watched him patiently, as Skiddo tried again to leap out of his trainer's arms, wanting to stretch his legs and walk around. Serena grinned a bit and shushed him, telling him he'd be able to walk soon.

Ash stretched his arms as he exited his tent, eyes roaming over the campsite, taking in the site of Pikachu and Absol sitting and conversing with each other. He paused and looked around the clearing for a second time, realizing that somebody was missing. He turned around and crawled back into his tent, grabbing Growlithe's Poké Ball and pressing the button on the front, expecting her to come out of it. Instead, the ball fired a weak energy beam out from itself, trying to recall the Pokémon that belonged inside. He could feel apprehension settling in his chest.

He peeked his head back out of his tent. "Hey, has anyone seen Growlithe?"

Iris glanced over, eyebrows raised. "No... I assumed she was in her Poké Ball. Was she not?"

He shook his head, stepping out and cupping his hands to his mouth. "Growlithe! Where'd you go? Growlithe!" He was trying his best to remain calm, but after the events of yesterday, he was rapidly growing worried.

"Where could she have gone?" Serena asked, as she handed Skiddo off to Brock for treatment. "You don't think she..." She let the thought die in her throat, not wanting to suggest anything that she didn't want to come to pass.

"She was pretty upset all night..." Madison continued Serena's line of thought. "She looked really guilty whenever I saw her." Everyone looked around at each other, all of them clearly thinking the same thing, their worries plain as day on their faces.

"Growlithe!" Ash called out again, starting to walk into the forest around them. Before he could make it more than a few feet in, he felt a hand grasping the back of his shirt tightly. He turned around to see Iris holding him back.

"Ash, don't just run off into the woods!" she chastised. "If we're going to find Growlithe, we need a plan."

"Right, sorry..." He took a deep breath and let it out, trying to keep a cool head, and he followed Iris back toward the campfire, where everyone else was gathering. Ash made a beeline for his tent, ducking inside and retrieving his Poké Balls before returning. He grabbed one and tossed it out in front of him, revealing the other Fire-type dog that he had brought with him.

"Houndour, Growlithe is missing. Can you track down her scent?"

There was a flash of worry across Houndour's face, and he lowered his face to the ground, sniffing at the grass. Everyone watched as he wandered around in what seemed like drunken circles, much less confident and methodical than Growlithe tended to be. He eventually looked up and let out a defeated groan.

Brock frowned as he finished applying the Burn Heal to Skiddo, placing the goat Pokémon back down on the ground. "Nothing, huh... I guess Houndour wasn't bred to be a bloodhound like Growlithe was." He stood up and walked over to the campfire, which was weakly burning itself out, having never been built up properly. Skiddo wandered over to Serena and stood beside her, wondering why everyone was standing around stiffly.

"We have four flying Pokémon, right?" Brock spoke authoritatively. "We can have each one take a different direction and search from the air." He looked around at the others standing around, ready to receive their marching orders. "Is everyone here comfortable searching by themselves?"

Three heads nodded resolutely back at him, while one stayed put, looking unsure. Everyone turned to look at Madison, noting the uncomfortable look on her face.

"You can stick with me, Mads," Serena offered. "We'll search together."

Brock nodded, satisfied with this. "So then, we can cover eight directions altogether. If Growlithe is anywhere close, we'll definitely find her." The others voiced their optimistic agreement, and moments later, the sound of three different Poké Balls rang out. Altaria, Swellow and Sigilyph joined Dragonite, listening carefully as Brock assigned directions to everyone, covering the eight major compass directions.

"Alright, everyone, let's go," he declared. "People on the ground, don't forget to mark your path so you can find your way back. If you find Growlithe, come right back to the campsite and wait for the rest of us." Everyone turned and started walking off, some of them into the forest, others following the gap in the trees that formed the main road of Route 17.

Fifteen minutes later, Serena and Madison were walking slowly along the dirt path, occasionally calling out Growlithe's name, but taking breaks to rest their voices as well. Skiddo was walking alongside them, periodically letting out a bleat of his own, but it was mostly just to imitate the other two; as far as he knew, he was just going on a walk that was occasionally punctuated by yelling.

"I hope we find her soon," Madison fretted. "I don't know how far she could have gone... she had to have gotten tired eventually, right?"

"This is my fault," Serena lamented, her heart feeling heavy.

"What?" Madison whipped her head around, shocked. "How is this your fault?"

"I should have said something to Growlithe," Serena explained. "I could have told her that it was alright, and that I wasn't upset with her. But I spent all my time worrying about Skiddo."

"Of course you were worried about Skiddo! He's your Pokémon! And he's a newborn!" Madison insisted. Skiddo didn't pay attention to the mentions of his name, wandering closer to the edge of the forest and peering inside.

"I know, but still! Maybe if Ash wasn't the only one being nice to her all night, she would have felt better!" She was getting herself more upset as she talked, too upset to notice Skiddo wandering further into the woods, drawn to the sounds and smells. As he walked further inside, his hooves slipped as the ground suddenly sloped downwards, and he found himself tumbling down a large hill, far away from his trainer.

"You can't blame yourself for that," Madison insisted. "You can't have known she would take it this hard."

Serena groaned, looking down. "Well, when we do find her, I'm going to apologize over and over. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't even have Skiddo right now. He'd be off with those two kidnappers."

"That's true! I'd forgotten about that." Madison glanced down at their feet. "We wouldn't even..." She paused, stopping and turning around. "Wait, where'd he go?"

"What?" Serena followed Madison's gaze, then whirled around and looked in all directions, gasping when she couldn't see her Pokémon anywhere. "Oh no, not again! Skiddo?! Skiddo, where are you?!" She started running backward down the path, calling out his name, as Madison followed.

At the bottom of the hill, a slightly dizzy Skiddo was regaining his bearings after rolling all the way down, having stopped after ramming into something oddly soft. He sat up and looked behind him, curious as to what he had hit. He spotted a red-and-yellow lump on the ground, which growled threateningly as it got to its feet, revealing a four-foot-tall creature that resembled a flame-colored anteater. Its eyes narrowed as it focused on the small Pokémon that had knocked it flat.

Skiddo froze in fear for a moment as he took in the sight of the other Pokémon. He had never seen a Heatmor before, and didn't know that they looked exactly like the imposing creature standing before him. He didn't have the presence of mind, or the maturity, to recognize that the Heatmor was nursing an injury on its leg, one that was causing him to act out all over eastern Kalos. All he knew was that this beast was absolutely terrifying to behold in its anger.

When the Heatmor snorted in fury, sending hints of ember and flame from its long nose, panic overtook Skiddo in a heartbeat, and he spun around and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could. He was somehow fast enough to outrun the fireball that was spat in his direction, but the trees around him were not so lucky. The trunks ignited on contact, and the flames and heat reached the canopy in no time, where they began to spread to other nearby trees. Skiddo continued to run, feeling the heat behind him, as the Heatmor roared and gave chase.

In the sky above the forest, Altaria was flying low above the trees, squawking below her in an attempt to find the missing Growlithe. She paused for a moment as the smell of smoke returned, unusually and suspiciously strong. Looking around, she gasped as she saw a nearby patch of forest engulfed in flames, starting to spread quickly.

Thinking quickly, she flew up into the air and pointed her head down, letting out a powerful Disarming Voice. The screech echoed all around, hitting the ears of everyone else in the search party. Her work done, Altaria flew at top speed toward the fire, wanting to protect whoever was unfortunate enough to be close.

Upon hearing the screech, Ash jumped and spun around, looking up into the air to see what the commotion was. Pikachu, sitting on his shoulder, did the same.

"Was that one of our Pokémon?" the boy wondered aloud. "Did they find-" He stopped mid-sentence as he saw a pillar of smoke rising into the air, his stomach twisting as he realized how close it was. The fire could only have been within their search radius, and he was fairly certain Serena and Madison were somewhere in that direction.

"No, no, no!" He started running toward the fire as fast as he could. "Come on! We have to go help them!" Pikachu leaped off of his shoulder and ran next to him, both of them hoping that everyone would be able to escape the danger they were racing toward.

Skiddo was racing as well, running blindly away from the Heatmor that may or may not have been chasing him still. The world around him had become very disorienting and overwhelming, as the air was filled with the heat of encroaching flames, the smell of smoke, and the sound of human screams and Pokémon cries. He had no idea where he was, or where he was going; all he could do was continue to run and hope that he would somehow find his trainer again. He thought he could hear the sound of her calling his name, but in his disoriented state he couldn't tell where it was coming from.

As a hill appeared in front of him, he started running up to try and escape, but the slope was too steep for his newborn legs. He yelped as he started rolling downhill again, landing in a heap on the ground. He righted himself and looked around, seeing the sloped ground all around him, blocking all of his escape paths. Turning around, he shrieked as he saw the enraged Heatmor standing before him, looking ten times as menacing with the backdrop of the forest fire behind him.

Skiddo cried out in terror, bleating into the air and adding to the cacophony all around him, as Heatmor took in a deep breath in preparation for another attack. As he started to breathe flames in Skiddo's direction, a large fireball slammed into him from the side, knocking him away; the flames from his nose were blasted upward, igniting more leaves above both of them and bathing the area in a fiery glow. Skiddo jumped and turned to look at the fireball as the flames receded, revealing a vengeful Growlithe standing among them.

As the Heatmor grunted and got back to its feet, Growlithe leaped toward Skiddo before turning around, standing between the predator and its prey. She growled and bared her teeth at the enraged Fire-type that was staring her down, not intimidated in the least. She had come running as soon as she heard Skiddo's cries and smelled the smoke, the events of the previous day gone from her mind, instinctively driven to protect the newborn Pokémon. She was exhausted, having slept little the previous night, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins was making her as alert as she could be. She was ready to defend Skiddo until her last breath.

The Heatmor glared angrily at Growlithe as he took in a breath, preparing to spew out another stream of fire. Growlithe inhaled deeply as well, feeling the familiar heat in her chest that led to an Ember attack. This time, however, the flames inside her felt like they were growing, encompassing her throat, chest and stomach alike. The air in her lungs was superheated as she inhaled as much as she could, until she couldn't take in any more breath. As Heatmor unleashed an Inferno attack, Growlithe met it head-on with her very first Flamethrower, and the two streams of fire collided in midair. The Flamethrower easily won out, forcing the Inferno back, slamming into Heatmor and knocking it onto its back.

Skiddo watched with both awe and terror as Growlithe pounced on her fallen foe, sinking her teeth into its long snout, and the two began wrestling viciously with each other with teeth, claws and flames. His instincts told him to continue running, to escape this horrifying blaze until the heat no longer seared against his singed skin, but he was paralyzed with fear. The flames were all around him now, glowing red in every direction he could see, roaring threateningly at him.

As he watched Growlithe charge into Heatmor and knock it onto its stomach, he could hear a threatening cracking sound above him. Looking up, he saw a large branch in a tree above starting to sag, weakened at the base by the flames. With another loud crack, the flaming branch snapped off entirely, and Skiddo could only scream as it plummeted down toward him, his legs refusing to respond. As the branch fell, it was intercepted by the silhouette of Growlithe leaping through the air, catching it in her jaws. She landed on the opposite side of Skiddo, who was lying in a trembling pile on the ground. Twisting herself around quickly, she flung the branch backward toward her foe, and it slammed painfully into his head. The Heatmor dropped like a rock, not yet unconscious but heavily stunned, in no condition to get back up and continue the fight.

The fire dog quickly turned back toward Skiddo, walking forward and shoving her snout underneath his stomach. Forcing herself forward, she was able to use her head to lift the startled goat Pokémon onto her back, and she felt his four legs clinging to her for dear life. Once she felt that he was securely in place, she took off running at top speed, dodging flames and leaping over tree roots, searching desperately for the way out of the forest.

Skiddo was panicking even harder now as he watched the flaming trees rush past, feeling the oppressive heat against his body and in the air in his lungs. The smell of smoke was powerful, and the sound of screams from humans and Pokémon alike were mixing with the crackling and snapping of burning wood and leaves, overwhelming his senses. He eventually closed his eyes and buried his face in Growlithe's side, shutting out as much of the world as he could, taking in the scent of her fur and the sound of her pounding heart. He hoped against hope that when he opened his eyes again, the two of them would be somewhere safe.

On a hill overlooking the flaming forest, Ash and his friends were staring down into the blaze with twisted stomachs and broken hearts. Over a dozen members of Team Ace had arrived to battle the blaze with their Water-type Pokémon, but with a fire of this size, it was likely to take an hour or more to put out. At that point, there would be nobody left to find.

Ash and Iris were kneeling on either side of Serena, resting their hands on her shoulders in an attempt to try and comfort her. She had collapsed to her knees, her hands clamped over her mouth as tears streamed freely from her eyes. Even as the blaze had spread around her, she had stubbornly refused to stop searching for her Skiddo, and she had to be dragged out of the forest. She barely blinked as she stared into the flames, certain now that her Pokémon had either escaped the blaze to never be seen again, or had simply not escaped at all.

A loud but tired bark drew all of their attention off to the left, further down the hill. Ash immediately leaped up and ran toward it, recognizing the sound; Iris and Serena followed close behind him, with Brock and Madison trailing them. As more of the hill came into view, they all gasped as they saw a droopy and sluggish Growlithe trudging up the hill toward them, with a nervous Skiddo on her back, both of them covered in soot.

"Skiddo!" Serena shrieked, racing past Ash and toward her beloved companion as fast as her feet could carry her. Skiddo immediately looked toward the sound of her voice, his eyes lighting up as she saw her face, awash in joy and tears alike. He leaped off of Growlithe's back and ran toward her, and she collapsed to her knees again as he leaped into her arms. She held him as tightly as she could, as he nuzzled happily at her chest and collar.

"I can't believe it! I'm so relieved!" she exclaimed, nearly snuggling the life out of him. "I thought I had lost you!" He bleated happily as he looked up at her, licking the tears off of her face. Growlithe let a smile cross her face as she watched the reunion, before her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground.

"Oh no! Growlithe!" Ash rushed over to her, sliding into a kneeling position by her side, resting his hand on her back. "Are you okay?!" Everyone else quickly gathered around, watching her fearfully as she caught her breath. They all moved back as Brock knelt next to her, reaching his hand underneath her to feel her heartbeat, and resting his ear against her back to listen to her lungs. He soon sat up and leaned down in front of her, forcing one of her eyes open so he could look into it. Everyone watched him conduct his examination, waiting with bated breath for his assessment.

"Don't worry, Growlithe is fine," he reassured them all as he sat back up. "She's just exhausted. She must have really worn herself out." Everyone sighed in relief all in unison, and Ash rested his arm along her back.

"Thank goodness..." He lightly rubbed her fur, running his fingers through it. "I can't tell you how worried I was, Growlithe. I'm so glad you're safe." She opened her tired eyes and did her best to look back at him, his words feeling like a healing balm on her weary spirit.

Once he had gotten his fill of snuggles from Serena, Skiddo turned around and hopped out of her arms, walking back over to his savior and nuzzling his cheek against hers. She did her best to sit up, giving his face a tired but happy lick. Everyone smiled wide as they watched the exchange, feeling a bit warmer inside.

"Oh, look at that..." Madison cooed. "Skiddo isn't scared of her anymore. They've made up."

"I should hope not. She saved his life, didn't she?" Serena wiped her tears away with her arm before reaching out, running her fingers through the tuft of fur on Growlithe's head. "Thank you so much, Growlithe. You're the greatest guard dog in the entire world." Ash grinned wide, waiting for Serena to withdraw her hand before he reached out with both arms. He lifted the exhausted Growlithe into his arms, holding her gently as he stood up, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Don't you run off like that again, alright?" he chastised weakly. "You had all of us worried sick."

Growlithe closed her eyes, feeling herself relax in her trainer's arms. She was now being told off exactly the right amount; all was right in the world once again. She finally fell into a deep, restorative sleep, as the rest of the trainers turned back to watch the firefighting effort, waiting for the opportunity to return to their camp and make sure their belongings had survived.

Later that night, the group had managed to travel to just outside Anistar City, setting up one last campsite before their arrival. After Team Ace had put out the fire and finally captured the injured Heatmor, Ash and his friends had returned to their campsite and packed up before setting out again. Thankfully, they had set up camp far from the source of the blaze, and their belongings were undamaged, aside from a faint smell of smoke.

All of them were once again gathered around the campfire to talk, with some of their Pokémon joining them. Pikachu was curled up in his trainer's lap, not yet asleep but certainly looking the part, listening quietly to the conversation around him. Growlithe was spread out on her side near the fire, in the middle of a blissful food coma, after a grateful Serena had baked her an entire plate of Poké Puffs. Skiddo was in Serena's arms once again, resting happily against her as she talked with Ash about their imminent plans for Anistar City.

During a brief lull in the conversation, Serena looked down at the Pokémon in her arms, examining his face. "I bet Skiddo's more scared of fire than ever now... poor little guy. Being in the middle of a forest fire must have been traumatic."

"Yeah..." Iris kept her eyes on the young goat Pokémon. "What are you going to do? Are you just going to keep him away from fire?"

"I can't keep doing that," Serena replied. "Fire has always been a big part of my performances. He's going to need to get used to it again, eventually." She scooted both herself and her Pokémon forward, lifting him out of her arms and placing him in front of her, closer to the campfire. As he opened his eyes and saw the flames in front of him, he began to panic once again, trying to run away.

"Shh, shh... it's alright, Skiddo," she soothed, her hands holding him gently and rubbing his back. "I know you're scared, but this isn't going to hurt you, I promise. Just keep your distance and it'll be nice and warm, that's all. Shh..."

The travelers watched as Skiddo stopped trying to flee, but he was still trembling a bit in her hands, his eyes glued to the dancing flames. After a few moments, Serena moved to lift him back up again, wanting to reintroduce him to fire slowly, but he surprised everyone by stepping forward. They all watched as he walked over to Growlithe and lay beside her, burying his face in her chest and taking in the scent of her fur. This had been the scent that had helped to pacify him during their escape, and it was having a similar effect now, calming his frazzled nerves. He could hear the gentle beating of her heart, slow and steady, and he could feel his own heart starting to settle as well. Lying beside her, the heat of the fire, and the crackling sound of the burning wood, became less threatening and more comforting.

Growlithe opened her eyes, glancing down at the Pokémon that had joined her as she rested. She stretched one foreleg out and draped it over Skiddo's body protectively before closing her eyes again, holding him close. Everyone had to suppress a coo of delight, especially the girls.

"Look at them..." Ash spoke quietly, a sense of wonder in his voice. "They're like a big sister and her baby brother, aren't they?"

"She really is a sweetheart," Serena added, beaming. "She's a bit of a troublemaker, but she's full of love. Just like her trainer."

He grinned at her. "What do you mean, I'm a troublemaker?"

The other travelers laughed, and the conversation resumed once again. Growlithe felt herself drifting off, bathed in the gentle voices all around her, along with the warmth of the campfire. Her guilt had faded entirely, replaced with a deep feeling of protectiveness. Just as before, she was determined that nobody was going to hurt Skiddo again - not her, nor anyone else.

Chapter Text

As Ash and his friends stepped through the front door of Byron's manor in Anistar City, they immediately came to a stop as they took in the sight of the enormous, lavishly decorated sitting room, which seemed as if it was the size of a Pokémon Center all by itself. The room was filled with adults in fancy suits and dresses, chatting and laughing with each other, eating classy hors d'oeuvres and sipping from wine glasses. Ash could feel himself shrinking a bit, feeling as if he had walked into someplace he didn't belong.

"I feel underdressed," Madison spoke quietly, thinking along similar lines.

"Yeah... I didn't think the party would be this... classy." Ash looked around at the fancy outfits and haircuts and snacks, searching for caviar, hoping he wouldn't have to eat any while he was here. On his shoulder, his Pikachu was sniffing the air, trying to parse the various smells of food that were mixing together.

"Eh, who cares?" Iris responded, taking a couple of steps forward. "How often are you going to get an opportunity like this? You should enjoy it while you're here."

"Exactly!" Serena chimed in, looking around in wonder, feeling the same rush of energy that she felt on a performance stage. "Think of how many people would love to be here right now, surrounded by all these people!"

Brock chuckled. "Sounds like you're one of them, Serena."

She nodded vigorously, grinning from ear to ear. "I've always wanted to be at a fancy party like this, at least once. Talking with performers and celebrities and..." She abruptly stopped and gasped, her eyes lighting up, and she started running further into the room, waving her hand above her head. "Ah! Monsieur Pierre! You're here!"

The blond-haired, blue-eyed announcer turned at the sound of his name, smiling wide when he saw where it was coming from. "Well, if it isn't the rising star of the performance world! I shouldn't be surprised that you were invited here."

"Ah, thank you... but I'm here with Ash, actually," she clarified, as her friends walked up behind her. "Byron owes him a favor, so here we are."

Pierre's eyebrows raised, as his eyes flicked in Ash's direction. "Oh, really? Well, if you should have anybody indebted to you, it's hard to do better than a billionaire philanthropist." He chuckled and turned his gaze back toward Serena. "So how have you been spending your time, now that you've already collected your Princess Keys?" His words were a bit difficult for Ash to parse, coated in a heavy accent that swallowed many of his consonants. Serena seemed to have no trouble following along, however; for that matter, neither did Madison.

"Oh, this and that," Serena answered. "I've been raising a new Pokémon that I caught recently, I've been spending time with Shauna and Aria... but I've also been spending a lot of time planning my performances for the Master Class." She had to crane her neck up to meet his gaze, as the man was well over six feet tall, towering over most of the guests.

"I'm glad to hear it," Pierre replied. "After your incredible Performance Battle, the people of Kalos are going to have some high expectations of you. Do you think you can live up to them?"

She put on a confident smile to hide her nerves. "I certainly hope so."

"Have there been any other Performance Battle showcases?" Iris asked a question that had been burning in her mind since they left Lumiose City. "Has anyone else been doing performances like ours?"

"Ehm... yes, they have, but..." Pierre began, his smile fading away. "I should probably tell you that your style of Performance Battle is likely to be banned in the near future."

"Banned?!" Iris's eyes shot open wide. "How come?"

"It is simply too dangerous for most performers," he explained. "Last week, one poor girl in Dendemille Town was hit in the chest with a Dark Pulse."

"Oh my gosh!" Serena's hand rose up to cover her mouth. "Is she okay?"

Pierre nodded. "She will be alright, but her performance season is likely over. Most performers do not have the talent and the skill that you have." He rested his hands on his cane. "I believe the performance rules will be changed so that a Pokémon attack cannot be fired at a performer."

"That's too bad," Ash chimed in. "Serena's performance was so good! It's a shame that nobody else will be able to have one like that."

"It is a shame, but the health and safety of the performers must come first. That Performance Battle will go down in Kalos showcase history as a rare jewel." Pierre turned his gaze back toward Serena. "But we have other things to discuss, I think. I wanted to let you know that I will be hosting another ball for the performers, not long before the Master Class."

"Oh!" Serena's eyes sparkled. "That's great news! Thank you for telling me!"

Pierre smiled, glad to see that she was already looking forward to it. "As before, you each will be expected to bring a date with you, if possible. And Battle Partners will each get their own invitations, with their plus-ones." His eyes darted toward Iris for a moment.

"Where will that be?" Serena asked. "In Fleurrh City again?"

He nodded. "I'll be making an announcement in the next few days, through the official channels. But you may consider yourself the first guest to be invited."

"I'm honored," she replied, beaming. "Thank you so much!" She couldn't stop her chest from swelling with pride.

He bowed his head. "I have some other guests waiting on me, but it was a pleasure talking to you, Miss Serena. I'll be waiting to see you in Fleurrh City." He smiled at her as he turned away and took his leave, walking further into the room.

"Another ball..." she spoke dreamily to nobody in particular. "I was hoping there would be something like that this year."

"I remember the ball from the last time we traveled together," Ash spoke up. "I hope this one is as fun as the last. Eating, battling, even the dancing was fun, really."

Serena shot him a playful smirk. "Oh, so you just assume that you'll be going with me?"

He blinked in surprise for a moment, but he quickly caught onto the joke, putting on his own smirk as he looked away. "Fine, then. Go and invite someone else. See if I care."

She grinned and turned to face him, unwilling to keep up the charade for very long. "Ash, would you be my date to the ball?"

He smiled back at her, their eyes meeting. "Of course I will! I'm looking forward to it!"

"Oh my gosh, you two are such dorks." Iris shook her head, trying to appear exasperated, though she couldn't stop a smile from gracing her lips.

"What about you, Iris?" Serena looked toward her old Battle Partner. "You get to invite somebody, too."

"Huh... that's true." Iris thought for a moment, before turning to look toward Brock. "You want to go to a party?"

"Are you kidding?" Brock gestured toward himself with both thumbs. "I am the party!" Iris let out a small giggle at his bravado.

Serena grinned at them before shifting her gaze toward the youngest performer among them. "Madison, how about you?"

"Hm..." Madison looked down and held her chin in one hand. "I'm not sure... maybe Barrett will be free then..." She started thinking hard on it, trying to identify her potential dates. Ash watched her for a moment before looking back toward Monsieur Pierre, who was easy to spot in the crowd due to his height.

"You know, I've been wondering," he began. "Where is Pierre from? His accent is really strong. I haven't heard many like it before. He's not from Kalos, is he?"

Madison looked up, following Ash's gaze. "He's got to be. That's a traditional Kalosian accent, through and through."

"Really?" Ash sounded surprised. "I haven't heard almost anyone else in Kalos talk like that. You two don't talk like that."

"It's more common with older adults, who grew up speaking Kalosian in their homes," Serena explained. "Most people these days, especially children, speak the common tongue when they're at home. Or they speak both."

"Do you speak any Kalosian, Serena?" Iris asked.

"Oui, c'est vrai," Serena replied as she turned back toward her friends, slipping into a flawless Kalosian accent exactly like Monsieur Pierre's. "Je parle le kaloçais depuis tout petit."

"Ah, moi aussi!" Madison chimed in excitedly. Serena grinned and rubbed her shoulder briefly.

The other three stared at her for a moment, a bit dumbstruck. Brock eventually spoke up, rubbing his head. "I guess that's a yes...?"

"Bien sûr." Serena nodded. "Ever since I was young. I don't often get a chance to use it, though."

"That's so cool!" Ash exclaimed. "I love the way that sounds!" The words "in your voice" were left unspoken. "Man, I wish I could speak another language."

"Do you?" Brock glanced down at him. "What language would you speak if you could?"

Ash looked upward, thinking about it for a moment. "I guess I'd want to be able to talk to Pokémon."

Serena giggled. "Why am I not surprised?"

The others chuckled along with her, as they started walking further into the manor, wanting to explore everything that the party had to offer.

Far away from Byron's manor in Anistar City, there was a remote, heavily-hidden facility that was bustling with activity. Scientists wearing white lab coats were conducting experiments with studious rigor, while people wearing Team Ace uniforms were wandering the halls, performing security patrols, delivering needed materials and more. All of them were doing their jobs as usual, some of them bitter that they wouldn't be able to party like their boss. None of them were aware that there was an intruder in their midst.

An unusual creature was moving carefully through the hallways, hiding within shadows or behind crates. It spent most of its time staying still, plotting its movements carefully, blinking in and out of existence as it teleported from one location to the next. It had difficulty keeping itself completely hidden, due to its unusual white body and its distinctive purple tail, but its powerful psychic abilities were able to "persuade" anyone who got too close that they had not actually seen anything.

Soon, Mewtwo had entered a large, darkened laboratory, one that most of the workers and scientists did not even dare to approach. He took a careful look around, spotting a number of complicated devices and mysterious stones, certain that he had found what he was looking for. As he slowly glided further into the room, hovering in the air, a piercing alarm started blaring through the facility, and the room was instantly lit up in bright lights. Mewtwo's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't noticed any sort of security system present in this room; whatever they were using, it was a new technology he was unfamiliar with.

He turned as he heard the door open behind him, and a number of security guards started pouring in, immediately tossing out Poké Balls and summoning their own Pokémon into the fray. As they started issuing commands to attack, Mewtwo's eyes began to glow purple, and each of the Pokémon were soon surrounded by an aura of the same color. They struggled to move as they rose into the air, before being flung all around the room, crashing into walls and slumping to the ground, defeated in an instant. Mewtwo could see the guards staring in fear and astonishment at their helpless Pokémon, before turning their attention back to the intruder.

"If you don't want the same thing happening to all of you, I suggest you leave," he spoke, projecting his voice into each of their minds. "Don't make the mistake of thinking I would spare any of you." The guards hesitated, weighing their options. Some of them had their hands on other Poké Balls already, but none of them had the courage to throw them and continue the battle.

"Hold it, all of you." Everyone turned toward the entrance to the laboratory, stepping aside to give the speaker the space to step inside. Mewtwo watched as a brunette woman in a suit jacket and a pencil skirt walked into the room, her eyes locked on his from behind a pair of rimless glasses. "There's no need to fight before we've even had a chance to talk."

Mewtwo was intrigued by the woman's apparent lack of fear, as well as the intimidating effect her presence seemed to have on the guards. "And you are...?"

"My name is Rosanna. I act as Head of Operations for Team Ace." She folded her arms. "Tell me, Mewtwo, what brings you to our laboratory today?"

Walking up an enormous staircase to the second floor of Byron's manor, the five Pokémon trainers were taken aback once again by the scene before them. The gigantic room in front of them was filled with numerous green-felt tables, with party guests crowded around each. Each of them was handling playing cards, rolling dice, or spinning roulette wheels.

"Whoa!" Brock looked around in amazement. "He's got an entire casino here!"

"Holy cow." Iris did the same, stepping forward. "When this guy throws a party, he really goes all out." Taking a more careful look around, she noticed the outer edge of the room was lined with white busts of Byron, each of them wearing a pair of tacky plastic sunglasses. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Can't say he's a great decorator, though..."

Ash followed her lead, walking further into the room, and the others trailed behind him. He only made it a few feet before he noticed someone calling out to him; turning to his left, he spotted a party attendant waving him over, standing behind a reception desk.

"If any of you are interested in playing, you'll need a stack of chips." The attendant reached behind the desk, clasping a stack of red poker chips in her fist and handing them over to Ash. "Each of you gets ten thousand Pokédollars worth of chips. Use them wisely!"

Ash's eyes bugged out of his head. "Ten thousand?! You're just giving us these?!" He looked down at the chips in his hand with reverence, as if he was holding a pile of solid gold.

The attendant laughed lightly. "That's just their chip value. You can't exchange these for real money. However, if you're able to earn enough chips, you can exchange them for prizes at the opposite end of the hall."

"Oh..." He sounded a little disappointed as he looked at the chips, seeing only a pile of plastic once again, as his friends stepped up and each received their own chip stacks. Once they all had their money to play with, they started wandering through the casino, looking for a game that any of them knew how to play. The group eventually converged around a roulette table, eyes wandering over the grid of numbers printed on the green felt.

"How does this game work?" Serena asked aloud, watching as other guests placed chips onto various squares. "We just pick numbers?"

"That's right," the croupier answered, standing near the wheel. "Pick the number that you think the wheel will choose. If you're right, you win!"

Ash looked down at the chips in his hand, shrugging as he took one and placed it on the table. "Let's go with, uh... 15. Since I'm fifteen years old."

The others stood back and watched as the croupier spun the roulette wheel, letting it turn for a moment before dropping a marble onto it. The marble eventually fell into one of the open slots, and when the wheel stopped spinning, the winning number was clear for everyone to see: 15.

"Oh, wow! First try!" Madison exclaimed, amazed. She watched as the croupier gathered a stack of chips and pushed them toward a victorious Ash with a wooden stick.

"Haha! Awesome!" Ash was grinning wide as he inspected his winnings, liking this game already. Looking to his left, he spotted one of the busts of Byron just a foot away from him; he snatched the sunglasses off of the bust and placed them on his face. "Just call me Cash Ketchum!" he declared with a cocky swagger, making finger guns with his hands and pointing them at his friends.

"I am not calling you that," Serena declared flatly. The others, including Pikachu, quickly agreed.

"Hey! Look who it is! The man of the hour!" All of them turned to look at the loud voice that was calling out to them, carrying over the noise of the room. They could see Byron waving and walking over, dressed in the same casual outfit he always wore.

"Oh! Byron! Hey!" Ash smiled as he saw the man approach, pleasantly surprised at how glad Byron was to see him.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Byron continued as he caught up with the group. He reached out and grabbed the sunglasses off of Ash's face. "Take those off, you look ridiculous." He tossed them aside, knocking over Ash's stack of chips on the roulette table, before grabbing his wrist and raising his hand into the air.

"Hey, everyone, listen up!" Byron shouted, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "This here's the guest of honor, Ash Ketchum! He's going to be the next Kalos League Champion! Everyone give him a hand!" Ash could feel his face heating up as everyone in the room applauded for him; this was starting to feel a bit like a strange dream.

Byron quickly let go of Ash's wrist. "Come on, follow me. I've got something for you in my office." He started walking off, and Ash quickly hurried after him. The others trailed behind him, while Brock took a moment to collect Ash's chips before following.

After a minute of navigating hallways, the group found themselves in Byron's office, which looked to be the size of a small apartment. At one end of the room was an immaculately clean desk with a computer on it, though the surrounding cabinets had folders and papers stacked all over them. The rest of the room was covered with memorabilia, expensive-looking souvenirs, and a large collection of Mega Stones. Ash and the others looked around curiously, while Byron started rifling through drawers in his desk.

"Let's see, I know it's in here somewhere..." he muttered to himself. "Where did I-" He paused, his train of thought interrupted by something, before reaching down to his pocket. He pulled out his expensive-looking phone and glanced at the screen, groaning. "Ah, cripes."

"Is something wrong?" Serena asked, turning to him.

"One of my lawyers is calling about something," he answered, walking back to the center of the room. "It's pretty important." He held out his phone so everyone could take a look. The screen showed an incoming call from a contact that had been named "Lawyer (Actually Important)".

Iris blinked. "Did you really save the contact like that?"

"I'm pretty sure Rosanna did, but she won't own up to it," he answered, moving toward the door. "Anyway, I gotta take this. Stay here and don't touch anything important or valuable."

Madison looked around nervously. "Everything in here looks important or valuable..."

"Well then, don't touch anything," Byron replied. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He walked out the office door and quickly entered another one across the hall, entering a small, soundproofed room the size of a closet. He shut the door and securely locked it, sitting down on a chair and answering the call on his phone. He read through several text messages, catching up on the developments that had happened, staying silent and listening carefully.

"I'm here to do some research of my own in this laboratory of yours."

Mewtwo continued to hover above the ground as he stared down Rosanna, who was meeting his gaze without showing even a hint of intimidation. The various guards had taken up positions behind her, ready to step in if anything went wrong, though they weren't sure what they were supposed to do against this Pokémon's incredible psychic might.

"Research?" she reiterated, raising one eyebrow. "And what exactly are you intending to research?"

"Retinite."

Rosanna kept quiet, not sure how to respond. She put on her best poker face, trying to appear innocent and ignorant, hoping that this Pokémon couldn't read her mind. "Retinite...?"

Mewtwo snorted. "Yes, Retinite. A particular kind of mineral that has absorbed trace amounts of Mega Energy. And with the right techniques, this energy can be used to coerce standard evolution stones into becoming functioning Mega Stones. I believe the scientists of Team Ace are well versed in these techniques."

Rosanna continued to listen quietly, not giving anything away, wanting to know exactly how much Mewtwo knew. She could hear a clicking sound in her ear, which told her that Byron was now listening in, having received her phone call.

"The problem is how much of the mineral is required to make a single Mega Stone," he continued on. "The only efficient way to get enough Retinite for a continuous supply of Mega Stones is to mine it." He hovered closer, threateningly. "Over the course of several years, thousands of tons of Retinite were mined, from an enormous vein that stretched for over a hundred miles... until eventually, the whole thing collapsed, causing massive devastation all along western Kalos."

The woman pushed her glasses up, taking a moment to form her reply. "The Vein Collapse was an unfortunate and tragic accident. The supporting structures of the mine deteriorated over several years, and were not bolstered as they should have been." She placed her hands behind her back. "Byron has spent years of his life, and millions upon millions of Pokédollars, working to repair the damage. He created one of the world's largest and most extensive charity operations to help Kalos recover in the wake of the disaster."

"I am well aware of the circumstances behind the creation of Team Ace," he responded, unimpressed.

"Well, then, what exactly is your concern?" she asked patiently.

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed. "My concern is the second vein you're currently digging under eastern Kalos."

Rosanna froze, working as hard as she could to maintain her poker face. "The vein under eastern Kalos...?" she repeated, trying to play dumb. In truth, she was repeating the words for Byron's sake, who was unable to hear Mewtwo's speech over the phone.

"He knows too much," Byron spoke into her ear. "Use the Colress device." She made a signal with her hands behind her back, one that the guards and scientists gathered behind her could see.

"You playing dumb will not make any difference." Mewtwo rose up further into the air. "I have seen all I need to see. The reckless actions of Team Ace will cause even more devastation across this region. It is time to nip this in the-"

His declaration was cut short as a strange energy swept through the room, and a horrific pain instantly wracked his mind. He collapsed to the ground, holding his head, feeling as if it was being assaulted by a thousand knives from the inside and outside. His tail twitched incessantly as he tried to summon the strength to push the pain aside, to send out a psychic blast throughout the room, to do anything at all. The energy coursing through the air was completely disrupting all of his psychic abilities.

After what felt like an eternity, he could feel the pain finally recede. He gasped for breath, still holding himself, as the humans stared at him in disbelief. All of them had been expecting a thoroughly different reaction to the Colress device, and none of them knew how to react to this development.

"What... what did you do to me?!" he demanded furiously. Rosanna took a nervous step back, showing fear for the first time since she arrived.

"Sir? It didn't work," she spoke directly to her boss. "It didn't work and he is very angry. Please advise."

"Seriously?!" Byron exclaimed angrily. "Whatever. Put him in stasis!"

She turned to give the verbal command to the humans gathered behind her, when the sound of crunching metal rang out all around them. She turned back to see Mewtwo hovering in the air once again, eyes radiating light as a purple aura surrounded him. All around, the walls were starting to buckle and bend inward, the glass windows cracking and shattering.

Mewtwo was absolutely enraged, almost beyond the point of rational thought. He had no idea where the device was that had incapacitated him, and he didn't care. He would destroy this whole facility from the inside out, in one fell swoop. Nothing and nobody inside was going to make it out, except for him.

"Hit him again!" Rosanna shouted, making herself heard over the cacophonous sounds of destruction. She yelped as she felt herself rising into the air, turning back to see Mewtwo holding his arm out toward her, a murderous glare on his face. She cried out in pain as she felt an invisible force squeezing her entire body, starting to crush her.

Another blast of the mysterious energy disrupted Mewtwo for a second time, and both he and Rosanna collapsed to the ground. He cried out in his rarely-heard true voice, consumed by pain, unaware of the guards that were surrounding him with strange, gun-shaped weaponry. They started firing as quickly as they could, their weapons spitting out a mysterious orange goo, which landed on Mewtwo's body and immediately crystallized. The strange crystal built itself up more and more, covering the legendary Pokémon's body, until he was completely buried in it, looking like a fossil encased in amber.

Rosanna sighed in relief, giving the order to shut off the Colress device. The energy was immediately sucked out of the room, but Mewtwo remained immobile, a look of pained shock frozen on his face. The crystal had completely frozen him in place and time, like a cryogenic capsule.

"We got him, sir," Rosanna reported, touching her finger to her ear. "He nearly took the entire lab with him, but he's in stasis."

"Why didn't the device work?" he demanded. "He should have been under our control like any other Pokémon."

"I don't know," she replied, walking up to Mewtwo preserved in his cocoon. "He's not a normal Pokémon by any definition. His psychic abilities may be too powerful for us to take control of him. Maybe it's his brain composition. I'll have some of our scientists examine him."

"Find out what went wrong as soon as you can," he ordered. "If we can't control legendary Pokémon with this thing, then we need to figure out another plan. Get Dr. Colress on the phone. Tell him to jack up the voltage or something."

"I'm fairly certain it doesn't work that way, sir," she responded. "I'll bring Dr. Colress down here right away. We'll have him double-check every component."

"This is the most important thing. It has to work. Make sure it does." Rosanna could hear Byron standing up. "I need to get back to the party. I've left some guests in my office. I'm counting on you, Rosanna."

"I won't let you down, sir," she reassured him, right before the line went dead. She turned back and called some guards over to transport Mewtwo and his crystal prison, before beginning to assess the damage to the lab.

Back in Byron's office, the five trainers were exploring the room and its various contents. It had quickly become obvious that there was a common theme to the various memorabilia and decorations scattered around.

"This guy really loves Mega Evolution, doesn't he?" Iris observed, staring at the large collection of Mega Stones he had displayed on top of a file cabinet.

"He sure does." Brock looked over a series of sketches on the wall, depicting Pokémon in their normal forms and their Mega-evolved forms. Some of them were Pokémon that Brock didn't even realize could Mega Evolve - in fact, some were Pokémon that he was certain could not. "Some of these don't even seem like real things. This is more like... from someone's imagination."

"Well, Team Ace did create synthetic Mega Stones, and nobody thought that was possible at the time," Serena reminded them. "Maybe imagination is the first step toward making something real." Ash agreed, liking her point of view.

"Hey! Enjoying the collection?" Everyone turned to see Byron returning to the room, closing the door behind him.

"Byron!" Ash turned to face him. "Did your, uh... law stuff go okay?"

"Yeah, that's whatever," the man answered dismissively. "Can't talk about it, but everything's fine."

"Mr. Byron, why do you have so much Mega Evolution stuff in your office?" Madison asked, looking away from the Mega Stone collection.

"You have to ask?" Byron chuckled. "It's because Mega Evolution is the coolest thing in the world."

The room was silent for a moment, before Iris spoke up. "Is... that all? That's the whole reason?"

"Do I need another reason?" He stepped forward, eyes running over his large collection of memorabilia. "Mega Evolution is awesome. I'd Mega Evolve myself if I could. So pretty much all of Team Ace's research is focused on pushing the boundaries of Mega Evolution. We're making things happen that nobody thought could happen. We're even going to be Mega Evolving Pokémon that nobody has seen Mega Evolve before."

"Wait, really?" Brock seemed stunned by this idea. "You can do that?"

"We sure can. Well, we can soon. We're working on it, but we're making good progress." A smirk spread across his face. "Ever seen a Mega Wigglytuff?"

Brock shook his head. "No, I haven't."

"Neither have I," Byron answered. "Nobody has, anywhere. But someday soon, they will, thanks to the power of synthetic Wigglytuffite!" The final word lingered awkwardly in the air for a moment. "We'll, ah, get Marketing to work on the name."

Ash grinned wide. "I know exactly what you mean, Byron. Mega Evolving is one of the coolest things I've ever learned about."

"When I was growing up, I was dirt poor on the streets of Lumiose City," Byron continued. "There were rich people all around me, spending their money on vases and wine and other stupid nonsense, while I was just trying to keep a roof above my head. I told myself that if I ever became rich, I'd never be like that. I would spend my money giving back to the community."

"Wow..." Serena had never heard these details of Byron's youth, and she had to admit they were touching. "How did you become rich if you grew up poor?"

"I made my first million through hard work and sheer determination," he explained, not bothering with any more detail than that. "After that, I turned that million into a billion the boring way, with smart investments and all that. Now I'm rich enough that I don't have to work, and I can spend all my time on charity and research. Everyone benefits from it, and I get to spend my money and my life studying the coolest stuff on the planet. I'm living the dream."

"So is that why you have a Mega Stone on your necklace?" Madison observed.

"Hey, you noticed." He looked down at the shark tooth necklace he wore, which bore a tooth-shaped rainbow stone as its charm. "Most people don't realize that's a Mega Stone on there."

"Whoa..." Ash stepped closer for a better look. After examining it more carefully, it did have a similar design to Mega Stones, aside from the shape. "What Pokémon is that for?"

"Sorry, can't tell you," Byron replied quickly. "That's a secret. Legal tells me I have to stop leaking our products before they're ready to be announced." He took a step back before turning toward his desk. "Anyway, there's a reason I brought you in here. You still have an Absol, right?" He started rooting through the desk drawers, the same way he had been before he was called away.

"Yeah..." Ash nodded, watching the man curiously. "Why?" Byron didn't answer right away, looking through several drawers, before his eyes lit up and he grasped something in his hand.

"Here it is!" He walked back over to the group and extended his hand toward Ash, opening it. Everyone crowded around to see a Mega Stone colored in several shades of blue. "This is for you. Synthetic Absolite."

Ash's eyes shot open as wide as they could. "For me?!" He looked back up in shock. "You're giving me a Mega Stone?!"

"Of course," Byron answered plainly, as if nothing strange was happening. "I told you I would pay you back for the Battle Chateau, remember?"

"We all thought that the party invite was your repayment," Serena responded, looking just as shocked as Ash was.

"Nah, the party invite was because I like you," Byron replied. "And that's a crummy gift to get after saving a billionaire's life, anyway. This is a lot better."

"Wow..." Ash eventually reached out and grasped the Mega Stone in his hand, handling it carefully, as if it was a precious diamond. "I don't really know what to say... thank you for this, really."

"Don't mention it." Byron clapped his hand onto Ash's shoulder, causing the boy to look up. "You're going to go on to do amazing things, I can feel it. You've got the same hunger in your eyes that I've got. You're going to take the Kalos League by storm. If I can help out with that somehow, I'm going to. You've got me in your corner, Ash."

Ash looked into the man's eyes, seeing how sincere Byron was in his praise. He felt overcome by emotion for a few moments, bowled over by the strength of Byron's belief in his strength and his abilities. He eventually was able to put a smile on his face. "I promise I won't let you down, Byron," he said, as serious as he'd ever been. He was going to repay Byron's charity by working as hard as he could, to succeed and do good in the world just as Byron had. He wanted this man to be proud of him.

"Good." Byron let his hand fall away from Ash's shoulder. "Now, everyone out. If Rosanna finds out I let a bunch of kids into my office, she's going to flay me alive." He ushered all of them out the door, shutting and locking it behind him, as Ash carefully placed the Absolite into his coat pocket. The stone felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

"Alright, I've got about a million other guests to greet." Byron turned back to them after locking his office up. "You all enjoy the party. All the good food is on the third floor, so eat up before it's all gone." He walked past them, giving a casual two-finger wave as he passed, not waiting for any of them to say goodbye.

"Man... that was..." Ash struggled to find words for how he was feeling right now, his hand once again grasping the Mega Stone in his pocket.

"Yeah..." Iris spoke up behind him. "I can't believe he just gave you a Mega Stone. Those things cost thousands of Pokédollars, don't they?"

"At least," Madison confirmed, also in awe. Ash pulled out the stone again to stare at it, never having had a Mega Stone of his own before. It was utterly beautiful in his eyes, looking like a precious gem with a cat's-eye design. He continued to stare as he felt Serena's hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"You deserve this, Ash," she reassured him, speaking softly into his ear, able to read his thoughts from his expression. "If you want to repay him, you can do so by putting it to good use."

"Yeah..." Ash nodded, his lips curling up into a smile as he placed the stone back in his pocket. "I'll definitely be putting it to good use. You can count on that." His smile spread infectiously to the others as well, before they all started walking down the hallway together, looking for the promised third floor full of delicious food.

Chapter Text

The day after the party, Ash, Serena and Iris were traveling through downtown to the Anistar City Stadium, where the double battle tournament would be taking place. The three of them had plans to meet up with Korrina, who was waiting to sign up for the tournament with Ash before engaging in some quick practice. Brock was out restocking the group's supplies, as they'd eaten all of the food he had on hand, while Madison was at the theater registering for the next day's Pokémon Showcase.

As they approached the stadium, they entered a small crowd that had gathered outside, full of people excited to either watch or participate in the event. Making their way through the throng, they found more than a few people stepping out of their way, letting the group through more easily, as soon as they lay eyes on Serena. She gave a gracious thanks to as many of them as she could, determined to stay humble and not let her steadily increasing fame go to her head. They soon made their way to the front entrance of the stadium, where a blonde-haired skater girl was waiting for them.

"Hey, guys!" Korrina called out as they approached, waving. "Good to see you again!"

"You too, Korrina!" Ash responded, his eyes meeting hers. "Are you ready for the tournament?"

"Of course I am!" she replied, clenching her fist in front of her. "I've been ready since Laverre City! I can't wait to get started!" He grinned back at her, already feeling adrenaline start to pump through him. Beside him, Serena turned to look at a large poster outside the stadium door.

"'The Anistar City Co-Star Double Battle Tournament'," she recited, her eyes traveling downward. "'Compete to be the brightest double battle stars in Kalos'... what are these rocks on the poster? Are those fossils?"

"Yep!" Korrina answered, eyes moving toward four fossils that were attractively placed halfway down the banner. "That's the grand prize! The winning team takes home the four fossils on that poster. I think they were donated. The winners get money and supplies, too."

"Whoa! That's so cool!" Ash stepped up to the poster himself, eyes moving from one fossil to the next. "We could take these and do that fossil restoring thing and get us some ultra-rare Pokémon!"

"That's right." Korrina nodded. "None of them are Fighting-types, which is a bummer, but it will still-" She was interrupted by a loud gasp to her side.

"Oh my gosh, look!" Everyone in the group turned to glance at Iris, who was starry-eyed as she gazed at the banner in front of them. "That's a Jaw Fossil!"

"It is?" Serena looked back at the fossils, spotting one that looked like it could possibly be a jaw. "What does that mean?"

"You can get a Tyrunt from a Jaw Fossil!" Iris exclaimed. "They're the only Dragon-type fossil Pokémon ever restored! I never thought I would be able to get one!" She turned toward the performer standing beside her. "Serena! Enter the tournament with me, please!"

Serena's eyes shot open wide. "What? Me?!"

"Yes, you!" Iris stepped over and grasped Serena's hand in both of hers. "I helped you with your performance, now you can help me with this! Getting that Pokémon would mean so much to me!"

"Iris, you don't want my help!" Serena protested. "My Pokémon aren't battlers! I'd never get past Ash or Korrina!"

Iris's face fell as she let go of Serena's hand, but she quickly started thinking again. "Where's Brock?" She turned and started quickly walking off, cupping her hands to her mouth. "Brock! Brooooooock!" The others watched as she moved in the direction of the nearest Poké Mart.

"Well... I guess we know who our competition is..." Korrina muttered.

"Yeah..." Ash nodded in agreement, too stunned to have any other reaction.

Later that afternoon, Ash and Korrina were walking onto the field of the stadium, their Pokémon partners already by their sides, for their first match of the tournament. The hastily-assembled team of Iris and Brock had cleared their first match without too much trouble, and they were now sitting in the stands with Serena and Madison to cheer on their friends. They all cheered as hard as they could, trying to be heard over the din of voices surrounding them.

"After a long day of battling, we've only got three matches left in the round of 32!" The excited voice of a male announcer echoed through the open-air stadium, cutting through the sounds of cheering. "But that doesn't mean the matches are going to be any less exciting! We've got a great matchup for you coming up next, featuring the former Shalour City Gym Leader, Korrina! She's finally back in Kalos and ready to make a name for herself once again!"

Korrina beamed as she felt the adoration of the crowd washing over her, looking around and waving at them energetically. Ash smiled as well, glad to see that his old friend was as loved by Kalos as she deserved to be. He got the sense that the two of them were going to have something like a home-field advantage, surrounded by these supportive and passionate fans. He certainly wasn't going to complain about that, though if he was being honest with himself, he preferred it when the odds were stacked against him.

"By her side is Ash, a former runner-up in the Kalos League!" the announcer continued. "They'll be facing off against two aspiring Kalos League champions, Asher and Gabrielle! These two are an experienced double battle team, and they've been waiting to show their stuff in this tournament!" Ash looked across the field to size up their opponents, a blonde-haired boy and a girl with blue hair tied into pigtails, both of whom looked to be around thirteen years old. He could see the nervous excitement in both of their faces, and a burning determination in their eyes. He grinned wide, already pumped for the battle ahead.

"The team of Asher and Gabrielle won the coin toss, and have chosen to make the first move!" the referee declared, raising her hand in the direction of Ash's opponents. "All four trainers, please bring out your Pokémon!"

Ash turned and gave a nod to the Pikachu on his shoulder, who nodded back and leaped into the arena. Beside him, Korrina's Lucario ran out onto the field as well, immediately taking up a fighting stance. Across the way, Gabrielle tossed out a Poké Ball that released a red-and-black, spider-like Ariados onto the field. Her partner, Asher, summoned a Tyranitar, a Pokémon that looked like an armored, green, bipedal dinosaur.

"All four trainers are now ready to battle!" The referee raised both of her flags. "Let the battle... begin!"

Gabrielle was the one to issue the first command. "Ariados, use Sticky Web!" Her Pokémon lifted its head and started spitting out gobs of white webbing toward the other end of the field.

"Pikachu, dodge it!" Ash commanded. Both Pikachu and Lucario evaded the attacks easily, and the webs landed on the far side of the arena, close to Ash and Korrina's feet. The two trainers looked down at the resulting mess, realizing that their side of the field had shrunk considerably, closing their Pokémon in and giving them less room to move around. Both of them were quietly impressed with this show of strategy.

"Now, Tyranitar, use Rock Slide!" Asher ordered. His Pokémon roared and summoned an avalanche of rocks, appearing out of thin air above his head and rolling toward the two opponents across the way. The trainers on the other end of the battlefield needed no time to respond.

"Pikachu, run up the rocks and hit Tyranitar with Iron Tail!" Ash called out. Pikachu leaped into action, jumping from one rock to the next as he ran forward.

"Lucario, use Force Palm to hit those rocks back at Ariados!" Korrina commanded. Her Pokémon raised both fists, which began to glow blue, and he started thrusting his open palms toward the oncoming rocks, while dancing out of the way of others. He aimed them directly at the spider Pokémon across the field, and while some of the projectiles collided with the rockslide and fell apart, many of them managed to hit their mark, even as Ariados tried to scuttle away. Meanwhile, Pikachu managed to leap his way right up to an astonished Tyranitar, spinning around in midair and smacking the Pokémon in the face with his tail. The attack stunned Tyranitar enough to put an end to his Rock Slide attack.

"Great!" Ash praised. "Now use Electro Ball on Ariados!" His Pokémon immediately leaped away, forming a ball of electricity on his tail and hurling it at Ariados for a direct hit.

Korrina clenched her fist, happy with how this battle was starting out. "Run in and hit Tyranitar with a Power-Up Punch!" Lucario grunted and dashed forward, his right fist glowing with an orange aura.

"Stop him with Earthquake!" Asher retaliated. His Tyranitar leaped up into the air a couple of feet, before stomping the ground as hard as he could, causing the entire arena to shake. Lucario jumped into the air to avoid losing his balance, while Pikachu was knocked off of his feet.

Asher grinned. "Now, follow up with Rock Throw!" Tyranitar quickly punched the ground, sending a series of large rocks flying out in front of him. A particularly large one hit Lucario dead center, knocking him to the ground. The trainers could hear the shocked cries from the crowd, as many of the spectators winced.

Ash watched as Tyranitar advanced on the staggered Lucario, who was still lying on his back, stunned from the attack. He turned and yelled out a command to his own Pokémon. "Pikachu, stop Tyranitar with a Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu whirled around and delivered a quick but powerful zap to Tyranitar, causing the Pokémon to stop in his tracks, crying out in pain. Before Pikachu could make another move, however, he felt a series of painful stings from behind, as Ariados shot him with Poison Sting. As he turned around, Ash could see a sickly purple color forming under Pikachu's eyes, and he felt his stomach drop.

"Ah, man... getting poisoned this early in the battle..." He cupped his hands to his mouth. "Pikachu, back away and then use Electro Ball!" Pikachu turned and raced back toward his trainer, moving to the center of the arena, before turning around and flinging another Electro Ball toward Ariados, who barely managed to dodge.

"Ariados, use Pin Missile on Lucario!" Gabrielle called out, her voice full of confidence.

"Hit Lucario with Stone Edge, Tyranitar!" Asher followed up. Both of them began shooting their own projectiles at Korrina's Pokémon, as Ariados shot needles from its mouth, and Tyranitar summoned pointed stones that rocketed forward. Lucario did his best to dodge both attacks, but ended up taking several blows from Stone Edge.

Ash and Korrina could see their strategy clearly. With Pikachu weakened by poison, Asher and Gabrielle were focusing their fire on Lucario, in order to stop him from attacking and take him out more quickly. Once he was knocked out, Pikachu would be easy pickings between the two of them. The two trainers looked at each other for a moment, both of them clearly thinking the same thing.

"Their Pokémon are in perfect sync," Korrina observed. "They're either fighting together or they're supporting each other at any moment."

"You're right," Ash agreed. "If that's the case, then we need to keep the two of them apart, so they can't help each other." He looked forward once again. "Pikachu, trap Ariados with an Electroweb! Keep it from doing anything!"

His partner complied immediately, ignoring the weakness he was feeling in his arms and legs, and he flung another ball of electricity at the spider Pokémon, which spread out into an Electroweb. Ariados tried to dodge, but the web wrapped around it and delivered a powerful, continuous shock, preventing it from attacking.

"Alright, Lucario, let's take the fight to Tyranitar! Use Force Palm, over and over!" Korrina commanded.

"Don't let him get close, Tyranitar!" Asher shot back. "Stop him with Rock Throw!"

Tyranitar roared and slammed the ground with its fist once again, sending more large rocks straight toward the advancing Aura Pokémon. This time, however, Lucario rammed his Force Palm directly into the oncoming rocks, shattering them effortlessly. He continued right on, running up to his opponent and slamming his glowing hand into Tyranitar's chest. Tyranitar, being extraordinarily weak to Fighting-type attacks, reeled from the blow as the breath was knocked out of him. Lucario followed up with another Force Palm, then another, wanting to press the advantage as much as possible while Ariados was out of commission. Unfortunately, that time came to a rather quick end.

"Ariados, Pin Missile!" Gabrielle's Pokémon had managed to free itself, and was once again firing needles from its mouth toward Lucario, who had to jump away. Tyranitar took a moment to catch its breath, as Ash issued another command.

"Pikachu, use Electroweb again!" Pikachu moved as fast as he could to throw out another attack, but by this time the poison was starting to take its toll, and the Electroweb came out more slowly than before. Ariados was barely able to dodge, and immediately resumed shooting Pin Missiles at Lucario. Asher let out a sigh of relief, before turning toward Gabrielle.

"We need to take out that Lucario," he spoke, too quietly for their opponents to hear. "I'm doing it now!"

"Now?" The girl's eyebrows shot up, but quickly receded. "Alright... just be careful!"

"I will, don't worry!" He turned back to face his opponent, reaching out with his right hand to pull down his left sleeve. Ash and Korrina squinted their eyes, looking more closely at what he was doing, eyes widening as they recognized the Mega Ring on his left wrist, with a rainbow-colored Key Stone set into it. This battle was about to go from tough to tougher.

"Let's do this, Tyranitar!" Asher declared, grasping the Key Stone firmly with his right hand. "Mega Evolve!"

As he activated his Key Stone, a Mega Stone tied around Tyranitar's neck began to shine with a bright light, and the crowd gasped as the Pokémon's body began to glow. Everyone in the stadium watched as Tyranitar grew two feet taller, the various spikes on his body growing and elongating, turning even more menacing. Soon the evolution was complete, and Mega Tyranitar let out a powerful roar that nearly shook the arena by itself.

"Now, quickly, Mega Punch!" Asher followed up. His Pokémon took a step back for better leverage before swinging his fist directly at the Lucario standing before him. Lucario leaped back to move away, but his side was still clipped by the powerful punch, and he was knocked backward, landing unsteadily on his feet next to Pikachu. Seconds later, a series of Pin Missiles from Ariados hit him as well, causing him to stumble.

"This isn't good..." Korrina muttered. "We need to get rid of Ariados if we're going to take out a Mega Tyranitar."

"Yeah..." Ash thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with an idea. "I think I know how we can get rid of Ariados, actually..." The two trainers conferred for a moment, as Lucario dodged more attacks, before he heard his trainer calling out to him.

"Lucario! Pick up Pikachu and throw him at Ariados!"

Lucario paused for a moment, baffled, before obeying her command. As the crowd murmured in confusion, he leaped backward toward Pikachu, lifting him up in his right hand and hurling him as hard as possible at Ariados.

"Now, Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu grimaced and focused with all of his strength, surrounding his body with electricity the same way he did during a Volt Tackle. At the speed he was moving after Lucario's pitch, Ariados had no hope of dodging, and the Pokémon took the full brunt of the unorthodox attack as Pikachu slammed into it headfirst. Pikachu bounced off of Ariados and landed on his stomach, close to the edge of the arena, but everyone focused their attention on Ariados, who was now lying on its back, a dazed expression on its face. The referee ran in for a closer look, before raising one of her flags.

"Ariados is unable to battle!" she declared. "Asher and Gabrielle have one Pokémon left!" Gabrielle had a worried look on her face as she recalled her defeated Pokémon, hoping that Asher and Tyranitar could pull out a victory.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash called out. "Can you still fight?" Pikachu grunted as he got up on all fours, giving his trainer a determined nod and smirk. He'd saved his strength by hanging back after being poisoned, and now he was ready to fight properly alongside Lucario.

"Great!" Ash turned back to face Korrina, who was looking much more confident now. "Are you going to Mega Evolve Lucario, too?"

"If I have to," she answered. "But Lucario and Pikachu together should be able to take out Tyranitar, no problem." She cast her hand forward, ready for the tide of battle to change. "Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

Ash grinned and looked back toward his own Pokémon. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Both Pokémon fired off their attacks at Mega Tyranitar, who held his arms in front of himself to block out the Aura Sphere as best he could. The projectile attack exploded against his arms, doing minimal damage, but the Thunderbolt landed a direct and painful hit. The Pokémon growled, more aggressive in this Mega-evolved form and not happy about being on the back foot.

"Use Rock Slide!" Asher commanded, trying to keep his voice calm. Tyranitar raised both arms and roared, summoning an enormous avalanche of rocks and spreading it out in all directions.

"Dodge it!" Ash and Korrina shouted at the same time. Pikachu leaped up on top of the rocks once again, moving from one to another with impressive dexterity and flexibility, even in his weakened state. Lucario deftly danced out of the way of the rocks, breaking some apart with his fists while jumping away from others. Both Pokémon remained unscathed, immediately resuming their long-distance attacks on Tyranitar with Thunderbolt and Aura Sphere.

Asher gritted his teeth, mind racing as he tried to think up some other options. Tyranitar wasn't exactly an agile Pokémon, and without Ariados there to disrupt the faster opponents, the Armor Pokémon was a sitting duck. "Tyranitar, use-"

His command was interrupted by an ear-splitting roar, as an infuriated Tyranitar craned its neck up and shouted to the sky in frustration. Looking back at Lucario, he opened his mouth and formed a large ball of yellow energy, before shooting out a Hyper Beam. He turned his head and swept it across the edges of the arena, trying to blast Lucario or Pikachu, and nearly hitting Ash and Korrina in the process.

"Tyranitar!" Asher gasped, shocked to see his Pokémon using such a powerful attack on his own. "What are you doing?!"

"Whoa!" Ash jumped backward, covering his face with his arm to keep the clouds of dust out of his eyes. "What's going on? Tyranitar's losing it!"

"It's like when I first tried Mega-evolving my Lucario," Korrina responded, frowning. "He would stop listening to me and attack all on his own. Tyranitar must be overwhelmed by his new strength."

"Well, we need to stop him before he hurts someone!" Ash turned toward his Pokémon. "Pikachu, use Electroweb! Try to stop him from moving!" Pikachu complied immediately, flinging out a web as hard as he could, watching as it wrapped around Tyranitar, shocking him painfully and pinning his arms to his sides.

"Lucario, use Power-Up Punch!" Korrina commanded. Her Pokémon dashed in, slamming his glowing orange fist directly into Tyranitar's head. As his opponent staggered and thrashed against the shocking confines of Electroweb, the orange glow spread across Lucario's entire body, giving him a substantial power boost. Both Ash and Korrina felt relief spread through them at this, while Asher and Gabrielle were too busy panicking over Tyranitar's rampage to even notice.

After regaining his balance, Tyranitar managed to break free of the Electroweb, and roared as he began slamming his fists into the ground, performing repeated Rock Throw attacks. Lucario and Pikachu both dodged with ease, while Ash and Korrina had to take a couple steps back each.

"Tyranitar, stop it!" Asher shouted. "You're using all your energy! Cut it out and get a hold of yourself!" His Pokémon growled and whirled around, blinded by rage and consumed by the power of his Mega Evolution, and punched the ground once more, sending rocks flying back toward his own trainer and his partner.

"Whoa! What are you doing?!" His trainer took several steps back, starting to grow frightened. "Tyranitar, this has gone too far!"

On the other end of the battlefield, Ash was thinking the same thing. "Did he really just attack his own trainer?! What's going on in his head?"

"I'm Mega Evolving Lucario." Korrina held up her left hand, which had a Key Stone embedded into the back of the glove that she wore. "We have to stop him before he..."

Her voice trailed off, her eyes widening in shock, as Tyranitar started charging toward the two trainers at the far end of the arena. The crowd gasped as he opened his mouth, gathering energy for another Hyper Beam.

Korrina's mind began to race. There was no way she could Mega Evolve her Lucario in time for him to stop Tyranitar from seriously injuring his trainer. He might be able to attack Tyranitar and stop Asher and Gabrielle from being attacked, but there wasn't a guarantee that it would work. Her imagination conjured up an image of Asher and Gabrielle being hit by a Hyper Beam from a Mega-evolved Tyranitar, and her stomach twisted itself into a knot.

She realized that there was only one way to stop Tyranitar's rampage before Asher was badly hurt. It was time to use what she had truly learned on the Isle of Armor.

As Ash shouted something to his Pikachu, Korrina quickly skated backward and pressed herself against the back wall of the arena, underneath an overhanging section of the stands, to make sure that she couldn't be seen. Once there, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on clearing her head. She felt herself traversing pathways in her mind, searching for a destination she had discovered during her training with Lucario. After years of practice, she only needed an instant to find what she was looking for and unlock the door inside her mind.

When Korrina's eyes opened again, her irises were glowing with a brilliant blue light.

The arena in front of her was bathed in a sea of blue, as she took in the sight of Auras all around her, bathing in the life force of everyone in the stadium. Ash, Pikachu, Lucario, the other trainers, and all of the spectators in the stands all had their Auras shining out of their chests, some brighter than others. Her eyes zeroed in on Tyranitar as he charged, the lone red island amidst the blue ocean. His Aura was enraged, inflamed, raging out of control. This Aura would put up a fight, but she'd dealt with worse before.

She cast her arm out in front of her, and she watched as streams of Aura flew out of her fingertips, as she projected her Aura out onto the field. The blue energy surrounded Tyranitar's red Aura, wrapping around it and completely surrounding it. Once Tyranitar's Aura was encased in her own, she clenched her fist tightly, trying to forcibly coerce the Pokémon's inflamed Aura into a more tepid form. She could feel the other Aura battling against her own, but she didn't let up, using all of her mental strength to bend the creature's rage until it broke.

After an intense battle that lasted all of three seconds, she could feel Tyranitar relent. His Aura stopped burning out of control, coaxed into gentleness by Korrina's own. She watched with everyone else as Tyranitar's charge slowed gradually to a stop, the Hyper Beam energy vanishing from his mouth, until he was standing at the edge of the arena with a confused expression on his face. Moments later, his knees gave out and he crashed to the ground, all of his energy spent, and he glowed once again as he reverted to his normal form, the Mega Evolution dissipating.

The referee ran over as quickly as she could, looking into Tyranitar's eyes, before dutifully raising a flag in Ash's direction. "Tyranitar is unable to battle! The winners of the battle are Ash and Korrina!"

Korrina exhaled a long breath as the crowd broke into a mild applause, less excited and more relieved. She lowered her arm and closed her eyes for a moment, letting go of the power she had wielded moments ago, and when she opened them again the glowing light had vanished, returning her eyes to their normal grey color. She looked up at the spectators, none of whom were glowing blue anymore, to see if any of them were looking her way. She couldn't see any pairs of eyes fixed on her, as everyone had been fearfully watching Tyranitar during his final charge. Nobody had managed to see what she had done.

She sighed in relief, smiling as she turned toward her partner, and promptly froze. Ash was staring at her with eyes wide and jaw agape, as if he had just seen a ghost. She could feel her heart drop into her stomach, and her face heat up.

"Korrina... what was that?" he asked in numb astonishment.

"That... that was..." She held the back of her head in her hand. "Can we talk about it later?" She broke away from his eyes, looking across the battlefield, and Ash eventually stopped staring at her and followed her gaze. They watched as Gabrielle berated Asher for a moment, yelling things they couldn't hear over the sound of the crowd, before she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, her anger tempered by clear relief.

"Well, I don't think any of us was expecting an outcome like that!" the announcer's voice rang out. "Thank goodness nobody ended up hurt! And with that, Ash and Korrina advance to day two! But we've still got two more matches to go today, so stay in your seats!"

The spectators began to stand up and stretch, some of them going to get concessions, as the groundskeepers came out to clean up the battlefield. Pikachu ran slowly back toward Ash, who kneeled down and scooped his poisoned partner up into his arms, and Lucario returned to Korrina's side. The group of four left the arena and made their way to the in-stadium Pokémon Center, where the two battlers would get a much-needed rest.

The group of six celebrated their victorious day with a decadent dinner at a restaurant in downtown Anistar City. Tyranitar's rampage was a hot topic among them, though they had plenty of praise for Iris and Brock's battle as well, wherein they had taken down a pair of slightly-too-confident martial artists. After polishing off their meals, along with an ice cream dessert each, they all made their way back to the Pokémon Center for some rest. The battlers among them were all in need of a good night's sleep, as either team could find themselves in up to four battles the next day, depending on how well they did.

As they walked upstairs toward their rooms, Ash and Serena were making small talk about the showcase that Madison would be entering the following day. Ash started to step through the door to their room, a sleepy Pikachu on his shoulder, but he was stopped by a hand grasping his wrist. He looked behind him to see Korrina there, a businesslike expression on her face, with her Lucario by her side.

"You and I need to talk strategy, Ash," she said. "Do you have a minute?"

"Oh, uh, sure." He turned back and gave Serena a smile. "I'll be back in a bit, alright?"

"It's no problem. Take your time," she encouraged. "I want you two to do the best you can tomorrow." He grinned and nodded at her, before turning and following Korrina and Lucario down the hallway. She led him to the TV room, peeking her head in to make sure it was empty before leading them in and closing the door behind them.

"Alright... so..." She turned back to face him, leaning against the door. "I'm sure you have some questions about earlier."

"Earlier...?" Ash stared at her blankly for a moment before realization set in. "Oh, right."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean, 'oh, right'?"

"Well, I was thinking about our battle strategy for tomorrow, and I... sort of forgot," he admitted sheepishly.

"You for-" She stopped herself from shouting incredulously, and held her face in her hand for a moment instead. "Of course you did."

"Sorry... but, yeah, what was that?" he continued. "Your eyes were glowing, and it looked like you were grabbing something...?"

She sighed and walked further into the room, past Lucario, who was standing near the television. "Ash, do you remember when Team Rocket kidnapped Lucario, and I was able to track them down by sensing where Lucario was?"

He nodded, vividly recalling the kidnapping that had occurred shortly after the two of them met, watching as Korrina collapsed into a sitting position on the couch. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, it turns out there was more to that than I thought." She folded her hands in her lap. "See, when Lucario and I were training on the Isle of Armor, I met someone named Riley. It turned out that he was an Aura Guardian, and-"

"Riley?" Ash interrupted, causing her to look up. "I've met him, too! We ran into him when I was traveling through Sinnoh!"

She was taken aback for a moment, before smiling and shaking her head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"So you met him, and... wait..." His mind managed to put the pieces together. "Korrina, are you an Aura Guardian?!"

"Shh!" She brought her finger to her lips. "Keep your voice down!" He quickly covered his mouth with his hand, giving her an apologetic look, and she continued. "Anyway... no, I'm not an Aura Guardian. I can't use Aura the way that he does. I'm something else. Riley called me an Aura Shaper."

"An Aura Shaper?" He walked forward and sat on the couch next to her. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I can sort of manipulate the Aura of other people and Pokémon, in some ways," she explained. "Mostly calming them, relaxing them... I think I can energize them, too, but it's hard for me to tell if it worked. It's mostly about calming people's hearts, like... balancing them." She rubbed her head. "It's kind of hard to explain, but I think 'balance' is a good word."

"Whoa..." Ash looked awestruck, as did his Pikachu. "And that's what you did to Tyranitar!"

She nodded. "That's right. His Aura was completely out of control, so I balanced it out and made it more normal again. I didn't think it would faint after that, though... I guess it just exhausted itself."

"So was that what made your eyes glow?"

"Yes... sort of." She leaned back onto the couch, relieved that she finally had someone to talk to about all of this. "My eyes glow when I'm in the Aura State. Normally I can sense people's Auras around me, but that lets me actually see Aura with my eyes. Lucario can do the same thing, and his eyes glow, too. And I need to use it to actually... shape Aura."

"That's so cool...!" Ash turned toward her excitedly. "Could you see my Aura right now?"

"Sure I could." She closed her eyes for a moment, looking down, and when she opened them again, they were glowing just as before. She grinned at him as she took in his Aura, which was burning with excitement. "It's sort of like you have a blue silhouette, or something like that."

"That's amazing! This is the coolest thing ever!" He leaned in close for a better look, staring into her eyes, causing her to laugh.

"Hey, calm down!" She reached out and placed her hands on his shoulders, smirking as she flexed her fingers lightly. Instantly, Ash could feel himself calming down, entering a state of deep relaxation, and he sat back and sank into the couch. She giggled, reaching out and tapping the tip of her finger to Pikachu's nose, and the Pokémon's eyes and ears drooped as he fell off Ash's shoulder and into his lap, mumbling incoherently.

"Sorry..." Ash mumbled, sitting back up, his excitement suddenly tempered. "That's just incredible, though. That must be so cool, being able to do that."

"Well, it's not like I use it much," she replied. "The eyes are kind of a giveaway. I can still sense Auras all around me, though. And because of this, Lucario and I have never been closer." She closed her eyes again, the glow fading.

"Yeah, I can imagine." He paused for a moment, as something occurred to him. "You know, I've always sort of felt like I've been able to sense where Pikachu is... do you think I'm sensing his Aura?" He started to get excited again, without Korrina using her calming influence on him. "Could I be an Aura Something, too?"

Her eyebrows raised as she considered the question. "I don't know..." She looked upward, touching her finger to her chin. "I guess it's possible that you could be Aura-sensitive... or maybe you and Pikachu are Aura-bonded."

"Aura-bonded?" Ash cocked his head. "What does that mean?"

"It's where your Auras grow together, so each of you has a part of their Aura inside the other," she answered, looking at her own Pokémon. "Lucario and I are Aura-bonded, too." Her Pokémon gave an affirmative grunt, smiling at her.

"That's got to be us! Nobody's closer together than me and Pikachu!" Ash declared confidently. "How can we find out for sure?"

She grinned, amused by his confidence in his own Aura abilities. "You'd probably need to talk to an Aura Guardian to find out for sure. But..." She stood up and turned to face him. "Maybe we can have a little test."

"A test?" His eyebrows shot up, as she bent down and grabbed his Pikachu off his lap. "What kind of test?"

"First, let's see if you really can sense where Pikachu is." She walked back into the center of the room. "I'm going to put him somewhere, and then you see if you can find him without using any of your other senses. If you can do that, then we'll try something else."

"Alright! Let's do it!" Ash jumped up, fists clenched, ready to discover that he was a long-lost hero with mystical powers. Under Korrina's instructions, he stood in the center of the room, closing his eyes and covering his ears, as she set his Pikachu down somewhere in the room. Once the Pokémon had been placed, she walked over and grasped his arm, spinning him around in circles several times, in order to jumble his sense of where he was.

"There." She walked over and turned on the TV, in order to drown out the sounds of breathing in the room. "Now, keep your eyes closed, pick a direction, and find Pikachu."

Ash nodded, keeping his eyes closed tight and breathing deeply. He didn't know exactly what he was supposed to be feeling for - he'd never tried to study or quantify the way that he sensed where Pikachu was - and so all he really had to work with was a hunch. Still, hunches had managed to get him out of a lot of tough situations in his life, so he was going to just go with his gut and see where it led him.

After about ten seconds of standing in place, he turned and started walking in one direction that just seemed right. He couldn't really explain why, but it just felt as if that particular direction was... brighter, sunnier, something-er. He inched forward slowly, reaching out with one hand and feeling the air in front of him. After inching forward about six feet, he was startled as his hand lightly brushed against a familiar, furry ear. He opened his eyes, gasping as he saw an overjoyed Pikachu standing in front of him, on the arm of a chair.

"No way!" He laughed as Pikachu leaped into his arms and nuzzled his cheek, and he hugged his partner tightly. "I actually got it right!" He turned back toward a beaming Korrina. "Does this mean Pikachu and I are Aura-bonded?!"

"I can't tell you for certain. It may have been a lucky guess." She shrugged, though her smile stayed just as bright.

"Well, I know what I think!" He grinned wide and rubbed Pikachu's head, and his partner murmured contentedly in response. Korrina giggled as she walked forward, once again grasping Pikachu in her hands.

"Anyway, now we can try another test." She held Pikachu gently in her arms as she led Ash back to the center of the room. "This time, you're going to try and find Lucario. Close your eyes and cover your ears." Ash did as he was told, as Lucario silently hid in a corner of the room. Once he was in place, Korrina once again spun Ash around a few times before letting go. "Alright, now go find him. Show me your Aura powers."

This time around, Ash was feeling much more confident. It only took him about three seconds to choose a direction, certain that he would find the Aura Pokémon in that direction and confirm his own latent Aura abilities. He strode forward with purpose and confidence, not bothering to hold his hands out in front of him, expecting Lucario to reach out and stop him as he approached. One second later, he smashed face-first into the wall.

He stumbled and fell backwards onto his back, crying out and holding his forehead, which felt for a moment as if it was going to split in two. His eyes watered as he opened them, looking up at the ceiling, his forehead throbbing viciously. Pikachu soon appeared in his field of vision, followed by Korrina.

"Ash, are you alright?" she asked, her voice quivering. Even through the tears in his eyes, he could tell that she was trying hard not to burst out laughing.

"Mmh... I'll be fine... that just hurt... a lot."

She reached down and grasped his hand, helping him to sit up. "I didn't want to say anything at first... then you were inches from the wall and it was too late..."

"Yeah, yeah..." He continued to hold his forehead, which was smarting almost as badly as his ego. "Was I at least close?"

"Not even a little," she answered. "You went in almost the complete opposite direction."

"Ah, man..." He groaned, wiping his eyes.

"Sorry, Ash," she offered. "I'm not an expert, but you probably don't have any Aura powers... they're really rare. Riley told me he's met almost nobody else that has them."

Ash nodded, still slumped in a sitting position on the floor. "Yeah... I've never met anyone else, either. I was just hoping that maybe I was special, you know?"

"You're special for a lot of reasons, Ash," she consoled. "This just isn't one of them." She let that sentiment hang in the air for a few seconds before she spoke again. "Anyway... if you don't have any other questions, we need to spend some time talking strategy."

"Huh?" He glanced in her direction. "I thought that was just a cover story?"

"It was, but we still need to," she responded. "Those two trainers worked together a lot better than we did. If we're going to win this tournament, we need to have way better synergy than we did today."

He nodded, rubbing his forehead one more time. "Yeah, good point. Sure, let's do it." He sat across from her on the floor, as the two of them started talking about potential strategies, as Pikachu and Lucario listened in closely.

Chapter Text

"Vileplume and Manectric are unable to battle! The winners are Kubfu and Drapion!"

The stadium roared with applause, as the crowd celebrated Ash and Korrina's win over their opponents. Kubfu concluded the match by bowing respectfully to the defeated Pokémon, his fist pressed against his palm, as was his custom. Drapion looked toward him for a moment before awkwardly bowing his head to his foes as well, not wanting to be disrespectful. His bow was interrupted by the sensation of his trainer's hand on his head.

"You did a great job, Drapion!" Ash declared. "Our training is really paying off!" His Pokémon gave a wide, fanged smile as he carefully wrapped an arm around Ash's shoulders. Beside them, Korrina was joining Kubfu in a bow toward their fallen opponents, wanting to meet her Pokémon halfway with his formal behavior.

"This victory puts Ash and Korrina into the semifinals!" the commentator announced. "We'll be seeing them again later today, but we've got three more quarterfinal matches first! We'll get the field cleaned up before bringing out our next two teams!"

The two male trainers on the other end of the arena returned their Pokémon, offering somber words of praise before turning to leave. Ash and Korrina were much more excited in their praise, but they too returned their Pokémon before exiting the arena. As they left the competitor's area and returned to the stadium proper, they were surprised to see Serena and Madison waiting for them.

"Oh, hey, you two!" Ash waved at them, jogging a bit to close the gap between them.

"Hi, Ash!" Serena replied. "Congratulations, both of you! That was a great battle!"

"Both of your Pokémon look stronger than they were last time!" Madison added. "I was impressed!"

"Thanks!" Korrina grinned wide in response to their kind words. "What are you two doing back here, though?"

"We need to head out," Serena explained. "Madison's showcase is going to be starting soon, so we came down to say goodbye before we left."

Ash nodded in understanding. He would have preferred to have Serena watching him as he battled in the final rounds, but Madison needed her support more than he did. "Good luck, Madison! That Princess Key has your name all over it!"

"Thank you, Ash! I hope so," Madison replied. "The competition's going to be really tough in such a big city, but I'll do my best."

Korrina nodded as well. "We'll be doing our best, too. The way things are shaping up, there's a good chance we'll be up against Iris and Brock in the semifinals."

"That's going to be a tough match," Ash chimed in, looking toward Serena. "If we end up going against them, you'll be cheering for us, right?" He was slightly taken aback when she shook her head in response.

"I'm not going to take sides," she explained, gently but firmly. "I care about all four of you. I wish you all the best of luck, and whoever wins, wins."

"That's fair," Korrina responded, before clapping Ash on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Ash. We're two of the best trainers in Kalos. They're the ones who will need the luck."

Serena grinned, pleased to see Korrina's confidence was sky-high as always. "We'll meet up again after the showcase, alright? Good luck, you two!"

Ash smiled back at her. "We'll see you then! Do your best, Madison!" The younger girl thanked him before departing, with Serena in tow. Ash and Korrina watched them as they made their way to the exit.

Korrina couldn't help but snicker. "You totally got shut down there. Nice going."

He bristled for a moment, before letting out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah..." He followed after her as she led them both to the stadium's Pokémon Center.

Fifteen minutes later, the two performers were walking up to the edge of a crowd that had formed around the Anistar City Showcase Theater, which both of them had come to expect. Serena looked down toward the younger Madison, ignoring the people around her mentioning her name, and studied the young girl's expression. Madison's eyes mostly shone with excitement, though there was a hint of trepidation showing as well.

"So, do you think you're ready?" Serena asked.

"I think so," Madison answered quickly. "My routine's good, my Pokémon and I are really practiced... just..." She took a breath and expelled it back out quickly, trying to shake off her nerves. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm ready to go."

Serena smiled warmly. "You're going to do a great job. It's okay to be a little nervous. It'll give you a bit more energy while you're performing." She turned back toward the performance hall. "Come on, let's go in and get you registered." The two of them started moving toward the entrance, but they didn't make it two steps before a voice in Serena's ear caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Don't you have enough Princess Keys already?"

Serena jumped a bit and turned to her left, coming face-to-face with a familiar, blue-haired performer. She felt the tension leaving her body, as she held her hand over her heart. "Miette! Stop doing that!"

Miette smirked. "You've already made it into the Master Class. How about you let the rest of us have a turn?"

"I'm not entering!" Serena huffed. "I'm here to support Madison. She still needs two more keys."

"Does she now?" The blunette stepped forward, looking down at the younger performer. "Well, it looks like we're going to be competitors again. I've been working hard on my routine for tonight, so I hope you're ready."

"I am!" Madison insisted, as Miette's words stoked a competitive fire within her. "I've been working hard, too! The showcase season's already half over. I need to try for all the Princess Keys I can get."

Miette nodded. "That makes two of us."

"How many keys do you have now, Miette?" Serena asked.

"None, yet. And not for lack of trying, either." Miette's calm voice belied the frustration she was feeling. "Today's showcase is do-or-die for me, so I'll be trying my best."

Madison nodded resolutely, not allowing herself to be intimidated. "So will I."

"Well, may the best performer win." Miette turned toward the front doors. "I'll see you two inside." She strode confidently and forcefully into the theater, not taking the time to wish Madison good luck.

Madison exhaled, a bit relieved to be out of Miette's presence. "She seems more... intense now than she was back in Brackish Town."

"She's probably stressed because she doesn't have any keys, and you do," Serena answered. "Just focus on your performance. Don't let her bother you."

"I won't," Madison replied quickly, as the two started walking toward the front door again. "I'm not letting anyone get to me. I'm just going to focus on the performance, like you said."

Serena smiled and squeezed the younger girl's shoulder. "I'm looking forward to seeing it." The pair walked through the front doors and stepped up to the registration desk, to get Madison signed up for the competition.

"We've seen a lot of great matches today, but this semifinals match is going to be on a whole different level! Everyone, make some noise for the four competitors taking the field!"

The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium, as it had done all day throughout the tournament. The crowd began to roar as soon as they saw the four trainers taking to the field, familiar with all of their faces. Both teams had been favorites to win the tournament, and so their inevitable matchup was promising to be the highlight of the entire event. The cheering for one side or another had already begun.

"On one side of the field, we have Shalour City's own Korrina, battling with the three-time Pokémon League champion, Ash!" the announcer continued. "And on the other side, we have the former Rock-type Gym Leader, Brock, alongside the Dragon-type Gym Leader from Unova, Iris!"

All of the trainers below felt the crowd's adoration washing over them, pumping each of them up, though most of them could acutely feel their nerves creeping up on them. Ash and Korrina took their places in the trainers' box, watching as Iris and Brock did the same. Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder, as always, ready to cheer for his trainer's victory.

"So, we stick to the plan?" Ash asked, turning toward his partner. "Take them out one at a time?"

"If they let us," Korrina confirmed. "I think if we take out Iris's Pokémon first, Brock will be easier to deal with solo. He's the weak link between the two of them. He doesn't want this the way she does."

"How can you tell?" Ash cocked his head. "Can you read minds now, too?"

"Not really, no," she responded casually, as if this was a perfectly normal subject to talk about. "It's more like I can read hearts. Emotions and stuff." She glanced back at him. "Stay focused, Ash. We've still got a tough battle to win." He nodded, turning his attention back to the battlefield. His right hand absentmindedly ran over the back of his left, feeling the Key Stone that was now embedded into his fingerless glove, as the referee made her voice heard.

"This is a two-on-two battle!" she declared, raising one arm. "Each trainer is allowed only one Pokémon! The match will be over once both Pokémon on a single team are unable to battle!" She looked back and forth between the two teams. "All four trainers will now select their Pokémon together, and send them onto the battlefield!"

All at once, Ash, Korrina, Iris and Brock reached down and grasped a single Poké Ball from their belts, holding them out in front of themselves. Each of them had carefully considered their Pokémon choices for this battle, needing to not only think about this bout, but potentially the championship battle that would follow. On the referee's signal, each of them threw their Poké Balls onto the field to release the combatants inside. Korrina had chosen her Lucario, while Ash had brought out his Absol, in a carefully measured balancing act that the two trainers had agreed upon earlier. Across the way, Iris had summoned her Altaria, while Brock's Steelix towered over the arena.

The four trainers took a moment to study their competition, all of them quickly recognizing the common link between their Pokémon. This was undoubtedly going to be an exciting battle, especially later on.

"Both teams are ready!" the referee announced. "The battle will begin... now!"

Iris responded first, calling out the battle's first command. "Altaria, use Dragon Pulse on Lucario!" Her Pokémon opened her mouth and began charging up a multicolored ball of light, but before Iris had even finished her command, Ash had already started issuing one of his own.

"Absol, stop Altaria with Sucker Punch!"

Absol dashed across the field in no time at all, raising a paw and slamming it into Altaria's stomach. The bird Pokémon let out a squawk of pain, the Dragon Pulse fading in her mouth. Seconds later, an Aura Sphere from across the battlefield exploded against Altaria's body, knocking her away as Lucario ran in, on the offensive.

"Steelix, stop that Lucario with Bind!" Brock commanded. Steelix's tail shot out with the speed of a whip, much too fast to be dodged, and wrapped itself tightly and painfully around Lucario's body. Korrina's Pokémon cried out in pain before grabbing at the steel tail on either side of him, trying to force it off. Steelix's brute strength was too much, however, and Lucario continued to be painfully squeezed from all sides.

Ash quickly turned his attention to Lucario, thinking of how to free the Pokémon. He knew that if the battle devolved into two one-on-one fights, his inexperienced Absol was going to have a very tough time with Iris's Altaria. "Absol, hit Steelix's tail with Night Slash!"

Korrina jumped in as well. "Lucario, use Force Palm and attack the same spot as Absol!"

Both Pokémon raised a paw, glowing with blue and purple energy, and slammed it into one of the kinks between Steelix's tail segments. The Iron Snake Pokémon roared in pain, its grip slackening, and Lucario was able to pry himself free. Absol and Lucario turned back toward Altaria, to find that she had just finished powering herself up with a Dragon Dance.

"Now, cover the field in Mist!" Iris called out. Altaria quickly exhaled a thick, cool, icy mist across the battlefield, covering an area several feet above the ground. Ash had to begrudgingly admit that he was impressed. Iris had taken advantage of Steelix's distraction to not only power up her own Pokémon, but to apply a Mist that would ensure Altaria kept her newfound strength. Clearly, Iris was not playing around.

"Absol, use Shadow Ball on Altaria!" he ordered. Absol quickly formed and fired a ball of dark energy from his mouth, but his opponent dodged it with ease.

"Altaria, Sky Attack!" Iris countered. Her Pokémon let out a powerful cry and dove forward at a great speed, slamming into Absol and sending both of them flying across the arena. Lucario had no time to intervene, as he had problems of his own due to the powerful Steelix.

"Hit Lucario with Iron Tail!" Brock commanded. His Pokémon reacted quickly, swinging his tail at Lucario a second time, trying to swat him away like a fly.

"Lucario, use Counter!" Korrina shot back. Her Pokémon focused himself, an orange glow surrounding his body just as the Iron Tail crashed into him. The attack did almost nothing, with Lucario barely budging, as if he were a steel pole. He quickly countered by slamming his paws into Steelix's tail, dishing out twice the damage he would have received. Steelix roared and retracted his stinging tail, and Lucario quickly pounced to follow up with a Power-Up Punch.

Ash and Korrina frowned in unison, as their "one opponent at a time" strategy was falling apart faster than they could have predicted. Iris and Brock seemed to be taking the exact opposite approach, working to keep Absol and Lucario separated as much as possible, engaging both of them in battle at the same time. They were going to have to strategize on the fly if they wanted to win.

"Look at that! Our combatants are already off and running, choosing their opponents and powering themselves up!" The announcer's voice rang out, struggling to be heard against the roaring crowd. "Which Pokémon will be the first to fall?" He watched with rapt attention along with everyone else, as both teams grappled to gain control of the battle.

"Madison? We need you backstage. You're on in forty-five."

In the hallway behind the theater stage, Madison jumped up out of the chair she was sitting in, slightly nervous but ready to get on stage. She gave a nod to the blond-haired woman who was watching her from the open backstage door. "Thanks, Paris." Serena stood up from the chair beside her, watching as Madison smoothed out her outfit, a light-brown dress with a wide tiered skirt. Madison had cleared the Theme Performance round with little difficulty, and was now about to take the stage for her Freestyle Performance, without any partner.

"Good luck, Madison!" Serena encouraged, as the two of them walked toward the backstage door. "Just relax and have fun. If you're having a good time, the audience will, too." Both girls stepped through the door to behind the stage, with Paris keeping an eye on Serena as she stepped into the darkened area.

"I will," Madison answered, her voice hushed. "I've been looking forward to this." Both of them stood and watched from a distance as the current black-haired competitor finished up her performance, a Chespin and a Beautifly dancing by her side. She curtsied to the delighted crowd as they applauded, before making her way offstage, on the opposite side of Serena and Madison.

"A lovely performance from the equally lovely Faye!" the host announced, standing on the side of the stage. "Our next performer hails from Jacore Town, and is looking to win her second Princess Key tonight! Please give a warm welcome to Madison!"

Serena gave the young girl's shoulder a quick squeeze, and Madison stepped onto the stage with a wide grin on her face, ready to dazzle the audience. She took her place in the center of the stage, reaching for her Poké Balls and summoning Swellow and Roselia. Serena watched with pride as Madison used her Pokémon to create a swirling cloud of petals around herself, which grew to expand the entire stage.

"You know you're not supposed to be back here." Serena turned at the sound of a quiet voice behind her, seeing Miette approaching with a light smirk on her face. "Only competing performers are allowed."

Serena grinned slightly. "Are you going to report me?"

"We'll see." Miette stood by Serena's side, watching as Madison continued her characteristically artful performance. Serena turned toward her fellow performer, looking over her outfit. Miette wore a short but wide indigo-and-white skirt, with a matching light-blue blouse that had several of its buttons undone, a more revealing outfit than Serena would have expected. The outfit was completed with black shoes, white gloves, a fake-diamond tiara on top of her head, and a gold necklace around her neck, complete with a pendant that drew attention to her exposed collar.

"You're really pulling out all the stops, huh?" Serena commented.

"I don't have a choice," Miette answered flatly. "I'm running out of time. If I don't get a Princess Key here, I'll never make it to the Master Class. This whole season will have been a waste of time."

Serena noticed that Miette's voice was fairly emotionless. She didn't sound as if the Master Class was all that exciting to her, which was a surprise. Years ago, when they had first competed in the final rounds of the showcase season, Miette's defeat had reduced the girl to tears. Now, it seemed like the prospect of Kalos Queen barely registered with her. Maybe months of failure - years, perhaps - had beaten her down.

"Well, I hope that you can make it to the Master Class," she offered sincerely. "I don't want you to miss out on your chance to win the title."

"Mm." Miette was unfazed. "But you're rooting for her." She gestured toward Madison on the stage, who was still mid-performance. Serena didn't answer, unsure of how to respond to that, and the two girls kept watching the display in front of them.

After a few quiet moments, Miette continued. "Why do you want to become Kalos Queen, Serena?"

"Me?" Serena blinked, surprised that Miette was asking her a question like this minutes before taking the stage. "Well... I want to bring smiles to the faces of everyone in Kalos. I want to change people's lives for the better by performing the best I can."

"That sounds nice," Miette replied, her voice contemplative. "Have you always felt that way?"

"Pretty much." Serena paused, reconsidering her answer. "Well... not always, always. At first I thought it just looked like fun to dance and perform with Pokémon. But after the whole Team Flare thing, when I performed with Shauna in Lumiose City... something changed. I saw how I could help people with my performances, and I wanted to do more of it. That's what motivates me to compete."

"Hm." Miette took a moment to mull this over. "You think Madison is the same way?"

"I think so," Serena answered. "We've talked about it before. I think it's important to have a strong motivation like that, to help guide you toward becoming Kalos Queen."

"I see." The two of them returned to silence, watching as Madison twirled with her Swellow. Serena felt uncomfortable with the silence, sensing that there was more to Miette's question.

"What about you?" she eventually asked. "Why do you want to become Kalos Queen?"

Miette's reply was quick. "Honestly, I don't know anymore."

Serena turned back to look at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"When I was younger, I wanted it more than anything," Miette began to explain. "I wanted to perform on stage in front of all of Kalos with my Pokémon beside me. Now I feel like I'm just going through the motions. I'm just aimlessly traveling from one showcase to the next. I don't have that burning desire anymore. I haven't for a long time."

Serena was shocked to hear such pessimistic words from her formal rival. She was even more surprised when Miette turned and started to walk away. "Miette, where are you going?"

"I'm leaving. I forfeit." The girl turned away, starting to walk toward the exit. "I don't belong here. Not the way you and Madison do."

"You what?!" Serena exclaimed, before bringing her voice back down. "Miette, you can't just leave!" She started walking after the retreating performer.

"This is for the best." Miette reached up and removed her tiara from atop her head, tugging her hair out of place in the process. "All the other performers will be better off if I'm not here. Madison will have a better chance of getting that Princess Key. That's what you want, right?"

Serena was lost for words as she watched Miette walk away. On some level, she should have been relieved. With Miette out of the competition, there was one less performer that Madison had to defeat in order to get her Princess Keys. On top of that, the two of them were less likely to run into each other at future showcases, which was a net positive for Serena's blood pressure. None of that seemed to matter, however, compared to the painful sensation of feeling her heart break for her former rival.

Miette had nearly reached the exit door when she felt a hand gently grasping her own, holding her back. She turned her head to see Serena standing behind her, a resolute expression on her face.

"You can't leave like this, Miette," she spoke firmly. "If you let your dream end this way, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

"My dream's already over, Serena," Miette replied, deflated. "I had my chance when we were in the Master Class together. I'm not getting that chance again."

"Even if that's true, you don't want your last memory as a performer to be you walking away," Serena responded, undeterred. "It should be a crowd cheering for you, after the great performance you gave them. You deserve that much. You don't want this one moment clouding the memory of your performing career."

Miette slumped, her stony façade falling away to reveal the pain that it had been masking. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked, her voice despondent. "How am I supposed to perform if my heart's not in it?"

"You're just going to have to put your heart into it," Serena answered, drawing on her years of experience of succeeding and failing at performing. "Put a smile on your face even if you're not feeling it, go out on stage, and perform like I know you can." She reached down and gently took the tiara from Miette's hand, placing it back on top of her head. "Give it all you've got and leave them wanting more. Give them something to remember, but more importantly, give yourself something to remember."

Miette held still as Serena fixed up her hair, putting the stray strands back in place. "You're not going to let me leave, are you?"

Serena smiled sweetly. "I'll block the door myself if I have to."

Miette took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Alright... I'll do my best."

"That's what I want to hear." Serena finished fixing up Miette's hair, taking a quick look over the performer's outfit. "You're a talented performer, and your Pokémon are, too. You'll do a great job, I'm sure of it." As she spoke, she casually reached out to button up one more button on Miette's blouse.

Miette smirked, looking down at Serena's fingers as they worked. "I thought you said to give it all I've got."

Serena smirked as well, as her hands fell away. "I also said to leave them wanting more."

Both of them looked toward the stage as the sound of applause rang out. Madison's performance had finished, and from the sound of it, the audience had greatly enjoyed it. The voice of the announcer cut over the applause, thanking Madison and praising her in the same breath.

"You're up," Serena observed, turning back to Miette with a genuine smile. "You've got this. Get out there and knock them dead."

Miette smiled and nodded back at her, before turning and walking onto the stage, just as the host began introducing her. Serena watched her for a moment before scurrying off, wanting to see her performance from the audience.

Altaria squawked as she was knocked away with a Bone Rush attack from Lucario, flapping her cotton-shrouded wings as she tried to stay upright. She fired back with a Dragon Pulse, which missed its mark as Lucario leaped backwards. A roughed-up Absol landed painfully next to him a moment later, having been assaulted by an underground Dig attack from the mighty Steelix.

After several minutes of battle, all of the Pokémon were starting to grow worn out. They had traded blows back and forth, trying and failing to gain a decisive advantage, and their stamina was starting to wear down. All four trainers took a moment to reassess the battle and decide on their next steps. Iris and Brock were the first to make a decision, looking toward each other, both of them thinking the same thing.

"Is now the time, you think?" Brock asked, allowing Iris to dictate the flow of the battle.

"Yes," she answered tersely, reaching up toward her neck. "Let's do it." She slipped her fingers under the collar of her shirt, pulling out the necklace she had worn during her performance battle with Serena. Brock did the same, pulling out a simple rope necklace attached to a Key Stone. Iris flicked open the pendant to reveal her own Key Stone, and both of them grasped the stones in their hands at the same time.

Both of their Pokémon began to glow, the light of Mega Evolution sweeping over both of them. Altaria started to grow and transform as she had during Iris's Performance Battle, assuming the same elegant, cotton-covered form as before. Steelix, by contrast, was growing even more intimidating and fearsome than it already was. The Steel-type's jaw grew even larger, jutting out of its face like a shield, as a series of crystal spines grew out of its back. A ring of floating, jagged steel around its neck completed the transformation. While Mega Altaria exhibited grace, Mega Steelix was exuding raw power.

Ash clenched the fist that bore the Key Stone on its back. He had fully expected Iris and Brock to Mega Evolve their Pokémon at some point, but the impact of seeing his powered-up opponents in front of him made their match seem like even more of an uphill battle than it was before. The only way to proceed was to even the odds.

"Well, we don't have a choice now," Korrina commented, raising her own Key Stone as she looked toward Ash. "Is Absol ready for this?"

Ash took a deep breath. "I think so... I hope so." He knew that Absol was strong, and well-trained, and eager to battle fiercely for his trainer. What he didn't know was how the Pokémon would react to his first battle in his Mega-Evolved form. If things went wrong, it might be impossible to make them go right again. As Korrina said, however, he didn't have a choice now.

"Let's do it, Absol!" He raised his left hand, the Key Stone shining with rainbow light in the sunlight, and grasped it firmly with his right hand. By his side, Korrina did the same thing.

Both of their Pokémon began to glow with a familiar light, starting to assume their new forms as the crowd cheered excitedly. Lucario retained his same general shape, but his frame became sharper, more jagged, more rough around the edges. His fur grew denser and sharper, his tail growing and extending behind him, as the dreadlocks on his head grew longer. As the light faded, the form of Mega Lucario looked more raw and muscular, his power unrestrained.

Absol, by contrast, started to assume a more regal and grand form as he Mega Evolved, due to the synthetic Absolite that hung from his neck. His matted mane swept downward across his chest, and the long lock of white hair on his head grew longer to cover his left eye. His tail grew slightly spikier, while his singular horn grew larger and curvier, and was joined by a smaller counterpart on the other side of his head. The most drastic change was the sprouting of two wings on his back, just like Athena's Absol had sported. Finally the light faded, and the crowd gasped at the beautiful, almost mythical form of Mega Absol, looking like a creature plucked out of legend.

"Would you look at that?!" the announcer called out, just as excited as anyone else in the crowd. "All four Pokémon on the field have Mega Evolved! What sort of battle are we in for now?!"

Once again, the eager Iris was the one who snatched the first move for herself, ready to show what sort of battle the stadium was in for. "Altaria, hit them both with Dragon Breath!"

Altaria reared her head back before firing off a wide, powerful beam of green energy, sweeping it across the field at both Lucario and Absol. The two Pokémon leaped backward, barely able to dodge the attack, able to feel its stinging residual heat.

"Lucario, hit it back with Aura Sphere!" Korrina commanded.

"Absol, do the same thing with Shadow Ball!" Ash followed. Both Pokémon began charging up their own attacks, Lucario between his paws, and Absol in his open mouth. The more-experienced Lucario fired off his attack first, flinging an Aura Sphere half the size of his body at an incredible speed. Altaria attempted to dodge, but the attack still managed to hit her on her side, knocking her to the ground.

Moments later, Absol finished forming his own overlarge Shadow Ball, shooting it toward Altaria with a loud cry. The sheer size and power of the attack took Absol by surprise, however, and his moment of bewilderment threw off his aim. The attack sailed over Altaria's head, impacting the invisible, psychic barriers that surrounded the stands.

"Absol, are you alright?" Ash called out, a hint of worry in his voice. Absol turned back and nodded resolutely to his trainer, not wanting to disappoint in his first battle as Mega Absol. Ash pushed his concerns down and let the battle continue.

"Use Dig underneath Absol!" Brock ordered. Steelix responded immediately, diving headfirst into the ground and burrowing his way into it. As Absol steeled himself for an attack from underneath, Iris called out an attack of her own as well.

"Hit Lucario with Sky Attack!" she commanded. Altaria, having recovered from the Aura Sphere and the whiffed Shadow Ball, flapped her large wings and took off like a bolt of lightning toward Lucario.

"Stop it with Force Palm!" Korrina answered. Her Pokémon waited until Altaria was sufficiently close, then slammed his glowing paws directly into her body. The two of them struggled against each other, pitting strength against strength, battling for dominance.

Meanwhile, Absol was starting to feel a rumbling under his feet, indicating that Steelix was close. Both he and Ash waited for Steelix to emerge and attack, but the rumbling faded not long after it had arrived. Brock's Pokémon emerged in the center of the battlefield, appearing to grin maliciously at his smaller adversary, though his new, overlarge jaw made most of his expressions look like a malicious grin.

"Now!" Brock cast his hand out in front of himself assertively. "Sand Tomb!"

Steelix growled and used his tail to kick up a sandstorm, sending the swirling sands toward Absol's feet. As the sand picked up speed, it stirred the ground underneath Absol, until it suddenly collapsed, trapping Ash's Pokémon in a quicksand-like sinkhole. Absol began to panic, struggling to pull his legs out of the churning sand and dirt, with little success.

"Oh, geez." Ash forcibly calmed himself, not wanting to panic Absol any more in his current state. "Don't struggle too much, Absol! You'll sink faster! Lean back and pull your legs out slowly, a little bit at a time!"

Absol tried his best to calm down and free himself with small movements, but his newfound strength was making the process difficult. Gentle tugs came out as massive lurches, and he only managed to entrench himself further by pulling too hard. His focus was shattered further as Steelix attacked with a merciless Rock Throw, pelting him with rocks the size of his head and making him sink even deeper into the sand. The ground seemed to loom up at him, threatening to swallow him whole and bury him alive.

"You can do it, Absol!" Ash encouraged. "Try to-"

His words were interrupted by a desperate, panicked howl from Absol, one that drew the attention of the other battlers. He quickly formed and fired off several Shadow Balls into the air, trying to take out some of the rocks flying toward him, or maybe the Pokémon that was throwing them. Ash could feel his heart sinking into his stomach, his worst fears starting to come true.

With a powerful lurch that nearly pulled his shoulders from their sockets, Absol managed to free his front paws from the Sand Tomb. Ignoring the pain, he growled and began clawing at the ground repeatedly with Night Slash, pulling himself free with brute force. After several desperate moments, he stood just outside the sinkhole, emitting a raw, guttural, pained sound that was half-growl and half-whimper.

"Absol, you're free! Just relax!" Ash called out, to no avail. Absol's panicked rampage continued, his immense strength taking control of his mind, as he began firing Shadow Balls blindly around him, wanting to force anything close by to back off. Altaria, Steelix, and even Lucario were forced to dive out of the way. Ash was barely breathing as he watched his Pokémon lash out at everything around him, while Korrina nearly winced from the burning sensation of Absol's inflamed Aura.

"Oh, no! It seems that once again, a Mega-Evolved Pokémon is rampaging out of control!" the announcer dutifully recapped. "Is this going to be the end for Ash and Korrina?" The crowd murmured in amazement and fear, certain that this setback spelled doom for the two trainers. Even the four combatants were unsure how Ash was going to recover from this.

Ash gritted his teeth and ran up to the very edge of the trainer's box, cupping his hands to his mouth to try and make himself heard. "Absol!" he shouted. "Listen to me, Absol! Listen to my voice! Absol!"

Ash's voice managed to reach his Pokémon during a brief break in his rampage, and his barrage of Shadow Balls came to a stop. Absol stood still, gasping for breath and trembling all over, his trainer's words bringing back a critical memory from earlier in the day, as the rest of the stadium watched.

Absol stood in the center of a spare battlefield, not far from the large, noisy stadium that was filled with noisy people. His trainer, Ash, was kneeling in front of him, slipping a metallic necklace around his neck, brushing back his fur so that his mane would obscure the blue stone set in the center of the necklace. Behind Ash was a blond-haired human girl that Absol hadn't seen before, but his trainer was friendly with her, so Absol assumed that she could be trusted. By her side was a fox-like Lucario, standing and watching with his arms folded.

"There," Ash spoke as he finished applying the necklace. "Now you'll be able to Mega Evolve, and nobody will be any the wiser. Except for Iris and Brock, I guess." Absol expected his trainer to stand up, but Ash instead put his hands on his shoulders, wearing an uncharacteristically serious expression. The Pokémon cocked his head curiously.

"So listen, Absol," he continued. "When a Pokémon Mega Evolves for the first time, it can be... disorienting. You're going to be a lot more powerful, and it will be a lot harder to control yourself. It might even be a little scary at first." Absol listened carefully, able to understand the gist of his words, the seriousness of Ash's tone making the point clear.

"If you're in battle and you Mega Evolve, you might get overwhelmed. You might start to panic and lash out. It happens to plenty of Pokémon who aren't used to Mega Evolution." He briefly glanced back at the Lucario standing behind him. "It doesn't mean you're not a great battler, alright?" Absol nodded, starting to feel nervous, as Ash continued.

"If that happens... if you start to panic and lose control... I need you to focus on the sound of my voice." Ash was as serious as Absol had ever heard, but there was a familiar compassion in his voice as well. "Don't think about the battle, or the other Pokémon, or anything else that's happening. Just listen to me and try to stay calm. I promise that I'll never say or do anything that will hurt you. I'll always take care of you, no matter what. Do you trust me?"

Absol leaned in and nuzzled Ash's cheek in response, causing the boy to laugh. He loved his trainer with all his heart, and trusted him with his life. The talk of panicking and losing control had caused him to worry, but he knew intrinsically that if his trainer was commanding him, everything would turn out all right. He looked up as Ash stood up, running his fingers through the fur on Absol's head, before taking a few steps back.

"Alright, then. It's time to try Mega Evolving for the first time." Ash raised his left hand, showing a colorful stone that had been inset into his glove. "Here we go." He grasped the stone with his right hand, and Absol could feel a bright light and a powerful strength welling up within him, unlike anything he had ever felt before. He could feel himself growing, sprouting new appendages, his current ones lengthening and becoming stronger. He wasn't completely sure what was happening to him. All he knew was that once the transformation was complete, the brilliant, excited smile on his trainer's face nearly filled his heart to bursting.

"Absol, are you alright?"

Ash's voice was distant, but it somehow managed to cut through the chaos of the moment and reach Absol's ears. Absol's breathing was harsh and ragged, adrenaline pumping through his powerful body, but the sound of Ash's voice was somehow able to calm his frayed nerves, and Absol clung to it desperately like a life preserver. After several long, deep breaths, he turned his head back to meet his trainer's eyes. Ash could see the fear in Absol's expression, but he could see signs of the Pokémon's gentleness and love, as well.

Ash sighed in relief, glad to know that Absol had regained control, just as a large, pink energy blast slammed into the Pokémon's side, knocking him across the field.

"No! What?!" Ash looked up to see Altaria hovering above the battlefield, catching her breath after a Moonblast attack. He looked across the field, aghast and incredulous, and his eyes met with Iris's. Her face was apologetic, but determined. She was in this competition to win, and she couldn't pass up a golden opportunity like this. There was only so much mercy she was willing to show.

"Wow! Iris takes advantage of Absol's hesitation with a Moonblast attack!" the announcer shouted into his microphone. "A powerful attack like that might end up sealing the deal for Iris and Brock!"

"Absol! Are you okay?!" Ash could feel his heart pounding as his Pokémon slowly got to his feet, still breathing heavily, barely clinging to his senses. Korrina was watching in horror, still taken aback, too stunned to issue a command to Lucario. Iris had no such hesitation.

"Keep up the pressure!" she commanded. "Use Dragon Pulse on Absol until he goes down!" She looked to her right, toward Brock, who quickly picked up on her unspoken command.

"Steelix, keep using Rock Throw on Absol!" he ordered. Both Altaria and Steelix began to bombard the staggered Pokémon with attacks, taking advantage of his disoriented state.

Ash called out another command, keeping his hands cupped to his mouth, wanting his voice to be loud and clear. "Absol, block those attacks with your wings for now!" Absol, trembling, did as he was told, his absolute trust in Ash managing to overcome the fear and rage he was feeling. The flung rocks and the energy ball burst against his wings, which he was barely used to using. He was growing increasingly unsteady on his feet, barely clinging to his senses, as Altaria and Steelix sent another barrage his way. Neither his mind nor his body would be able to take much more punishment.

Korrina chose this moment to intervene. "Lucario, use Bone Rush on those rocks! Hit them back against the other two Pokémon!"

Lucario quickly put his paws together and slowly pulled them apart, forming two long bones made of energy. Grasping one in each paw, he raced forward to intercept the next attack as soon as he could. He wasn't fast enough to stop the second assault, but he was able to make contact with the third, swinging at the incoming rocks with expert aim as if they were tennis balls. Most of the deflected rocks hit Steelix in his face and torso, while a handful of them struck Altaria in her wings and her chest. Both of the attacking Pokémon were sent reeling for a moment, granting Absol a brief respite.

With the battlefield clear of projectiles, and Absol no longer under assault, Ash could finally see the way forward. His Pokémon had held on, fighting through terror and confusion and exhaustion, because of the undying trust Absol had in his trainer. With his final command, Ash was going to make sure that trust didn't go to waste.

"Now, Absol! Use Payback!"

Absol gritted his teeth and focused with all of his might, before letting out a howl that seemed to split the air in the stadium. His body glowed with a bright purple light, as all of the damage he had taken was converted into attack energy. Soon, the light turned into a barrage of energy blasts that homed in on Steelix and Altaria, turning their malicious assault right back on the two of them. Both of them were sent flying backward from the intense force of the retaliatory attack, hitting the ground and kicking up two large clouds of dust.

When the smoke cleared, Steelix was lying still on his side, having reverted to his normal form, down for the count. Altaria had managed to retain her consciousness and her Mega Evolution, and Iris let out the breath she was holding as her Pokémon groaned and got back to her feet. Across the battlefield, Absol was gasping for breath, glaring at Altaria as he swayed on his feet. Seconds later, he collapsed to his side, glowing with a bright light and reverting to his normal form as well, unable to continue.

Altaria bore an expression of relief as she flapped her wings, returning to the air and floating a couple of feet off the ground. She was sore all over, her energy drained, but she was still able to battle, unlike Absol. The relief vanished from her face as an enraged Mega Lucario appeared in front of her. Neither she nor Iris had time to react before both of his energy bones caught her in the chest, sending her flying into the wall surrounding the arena. If Mega Altaria hadn't been a giant ball of cotton, the impact may have cracked the stone that made up the wall.

Iris gasped and watched as Altaria fell back to the ground. Her heart dropped as Altaria began to glow and shrink, the Mega Evolution vanishing. Even if the reverted transformation hadn't given it away, the dazed and defeated expression on Altaria's face was clear for all to see.

"Both Steelix and Altaria are unable to battle!" the referee ruled, lifting the flag she held in her left arm. "The team of Lucario and Absol are the winners! Ash and Korrina will advance!"

Ash couldn't hear the roar of the crowd as he ran out onto the battlefield, kneeling down next to Absol and lifting the Pokémon's head in his arms. "Absol, can you hear me?" Absol stirred at the sound of his trainer's voice, opening his bloodshot eyes, silently asking if he had done a good job.

Ash sighed in relief, a smile finally crossing his face. "You were amazing, Absol. I know you were scared and you were hurting, but you regained control and you never gave up. I'm really proud of you."

Absol smiled tiredly with his eyes, tilting his head and licking Ash's fingers a few times. Ash laughed and ran those fingers through Absol's fur. "You just get some rest, okay? You've done more than enough." Absol closed his eyes and slumped in Ash's arms, before the trainer retrieved a Poké Ball from his belt and returned Absol to it. Ash exhaled and stood up, turning to watch Korrina as she hugged her Lucario tightly, offering profuse words of praise.

As the announcer gave an energetic recap of the battle that had just occurred, Ash was able to barely hear the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned his head to see Iris in front of him, looking down toward the ground, a mix of emotions on her face. She was disappointed in herself for being defeated, and starting to feel guilty for attacking Absol in his moment of distress, making no attempt to hide any of this.

"Ash..." she began, though she wasn't sure how to proceed.

Ash forced a smile onto his face, extending his hand toward her. "It was a great battle, Iris. I wasn't sure we were going to win that. You almost has us."

She looked up at him with a guilty but grateful smile. "Thanks, Ash." She reached out and shook his hand. "Make sure you win in the finals, alright? One of us needs to get that prize." Beside them, Brock was shaking Korrina's hand as well.

Ash grinned and nodded, his chest swelling with confidence. "Don't worry about that. Those fossils are all ours, trust me." The four friends soon turned and walked off of the arena, as the stadium's groundskeepers began preparing the battlefield for the next semifinal match.

Serena watched from the back of the auditorium as a sea of rainbow-colored lights flew through the air. The six performers who had made it to the second round were lined up on stage, watching anxiously as their keys received their fill of the votes. Madison was watching with her hands clasped together, eyes flicking from one ball of blue light to the next, trying to count them. Next to her, Miette was taking in the light show with a wistful smile on her face. She had put on an excellent performance, just as Serena had predicted, and while the seasoned performer could tell that Miette could have done better, the audience had been thrilled with what they had seen. Her experience had more than made up for her lack of enthusiasm.

Eventually the lights settled, and Serena leaned forward to study the holographic displays in front of each contestant. There were several contestants, including Madison and Miette, who had vote totals that were very close to each other, and Serena couldn't tell who the winner was. She would have to wait with everyone else for the official tally.

"We have our winner!" the host called out after a couple of seconds. "The recipient of tonight's Princess Key is... the talented Latenna!"

Serena exhaled and sat back, disappointed, but began applauding with the rest of the crowd as the blond-haired Latenna was awarded with her second Princess Key of the season. She looked first toward Miette, who was in higher spirits than she had been before her performance, appearing pleased with the closeness of the competition. Madison, by contrast, was looking dejected. She was smiling and applauding with the rest, but Serena could tell when she was faking a smile.

As the showcase concluded and the audience began filtering out, Serena fought against the flow of people and made her way to the hallways behind the stage. The evening's competitors were standing and walking around, some of them talking with friends or family, while others were on their phones. One poor girl was sitting up against the wall and crying, and Serena took a minute to offer her some words of encouragement before continuing. It wasn't long before she spotted Madison, looking down at the floor as she slowly walked in the direction of the dressing room.

"Madison!" Serena called out, starting to walk faster. The brunette looked up, her face lighting up for just a moment.

"Hey, Serena." She resumed looking downward, her expression difficult to parse. "I gave it my best shot, but..."

"Yeah... I'm sorry you didn't win." Serena stepped up in front of her, worried about Madison breaking down again like she did in Lagoon Town. "It's just tough competition... a lot of girls are trying to get their last keys, and-"

"I know what I did wrong."

Serena blinked. "You... you do? What do you mean?"

"I don't think I did a good enough job showing off Swellow's agility," Madison elaborated. "I was showing off all of Roselia's skills, but I think I used Swellow as a tool too much, and didn't give him time to shine on his own." She looked up at the older performer with a spark in her eyes, the spark of inspiration. "I bet if he learned some new attacks, I could really make him stand out. What do you think? Do you think Ash could help me teach him some moves?"

Serena was dumbfounded for a moment, but her befuddlement soon gave way to elation, a wide smile spreading across her face. "I bet Ash would love to help you out, if you asked him."

"I hope so!" Madison's eyes flicked upward as she thought to herself. "Maybe I should take bits and pieces from old routines and turn them into something new... something that flows a bit better... get rid of the stuff that doesn't work, you know?"

Serena nodded, greatly relieved at Madison's constructive reaction to her loss. "You're starting to talk like a real performer, Madison." She was prepared to say more, but her thoughts were interrupted as a blue-haired girl appeared in her peripheral vision. She looked up to see Miette walking toward the both of them, smiling warmly.

"Oh, Miette!" She quickly reached for something to say. "Um... how are you feeling?"

"I'm doing fine," Miette answered, sounding tired out, as Madison turned to look in her direction. "I'm glad I went out there. I think the audience really liked my performance."

"They did, for sure," Serena confirmed. "You were-" Her comments were cut short as Miette stepped up and wrapped her arms around Serena's torso, leaning into her and holding her gently.

"Thanks for earlier," she spoke softly. "You definitely put a smile on my face today."

Serena was briefly taken aback, but she reciprocated quickly and hugged Miette back. "I'm glad to hear it." The hug was cut short as Miette stepped back, placing her hand on the dressing room door.

"I'm going to get changed quick. I'll see you both out front, alright?" Serena nodded, and Miette opened the door and stepped inside, closing it again immediately.

"Did I miss something?" a baffled Madison asked, looking back and forth between Serena and the door. "What was that about?"

Serena giggled. "I'll tell you later. Go and get changed. I'll be waiting outside." Madison continued to stare at her for a moment before following Miette into the performers' dressing room, and Serena turned and walked toward the exit of the theater.

Not long after, Serena and Madison were standing outside the showcase theater, the city around them bathed in the twilight of the setting sun. The two of them were in the middle of discussing Madison's performance, which Serena had missed half of, when their attention was drawn by Miette's voice calling out to them. They stopped and watched the blue-haired performer as she jogged up to them, waving one arm. She had changed back into her normal outfit, which was a casual dress with an apron sewed into it.

"Miette!" Serena smiled as she approached, noticing the renewed spark in her eyes. "You're looking a lot more energized."

"Mhmm! I'm feeling a lot better now." Miette came to a stop in front of the other two. "Thanks again for snapping me out of my funk."

"Of course." Serena nodded at her, hands clasped in front of her. "Anytime."

"So what's next for the two of you?" Miette turned her attention down toward the younger performer. "Off to earn more Princess Keys?"

"Yep," Madison replied. "I'll be competing at the showcase in Couriway Town. From there, I'm not really sure."

"Well, good luck. You're definitely talented enough to make it to the Master Class." Miette looked up, catching Serena's eyes again. "Speaking of which, what are you going to be doing now?"

Serena shrugged. "Just getting myself ready, I suppose. My routine and my Pokémon need to be in top shape."

"And spending some quality time with Ash?" Miette gave her a teasing smirk.

Serena felt her face glow red, but she kept a smile on her face. "That's the plan." She kept her eyes on Miette's, projecting confidence, even as she quickly changed the subject. "What about you? Do you know what you're going to be doing next?"

"I do," Miette answered. "I've decided that tonight was my final performance."

Serena had expected this decision, though it was still a bit saddening. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely," Miette responded. "I've thought about what you told me, how you want to bring smiles to people's faces all over Kalos. I'm going to try and do the same thing... through my baking."

"Baking?" Madison spoke up curiously. "You're a baker, too?"

Miette nodded. "I've been baking even longer than I've been performing. I've always loved watching people's reaction as they try my food, the surprise on their face as they take a bite... it's the greatest feeling in the world." Her eyes visibly lit up, as she started to grow more excited. "My new dream is to have the most popular bakery in Kalos, with customers lining up around the block to try my pastries. It'll take a lot of time, and a lot of work, but I'm willing to do what it takes. It'll be worth it in the end."

"That sounds like a wonderful dream to have, Miette," Serena replied, a glowing smile on her face, her heart touched by the sincerity and determination in Miette's voice. "Let me know when you get your bakery up and running. I'll be your first customer on opening day."

Miette's eyes widened. "You mean it?"

"Of course!" Serena answered. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Miette's face settled into a warm, heartfelt smile, a bit of pink showing on her cheeks. "Yeah... we are." The two stood and smiled at each other for a few moments, before the moment was interrupted by a tinny noise from Serena's bag. She quickly reached in, recognizing Ash's unique text message notification, and pulled out her phone to take a look. She let out a squeak of delight as she took in the sight on the screen.

"He won!" she exclaimed energetically. "Ash and Korrina won the tournament!"

"They did?!" Madison scooted closer to take a look at Serena's phone screen, and Miette followed suit. On the screen was a photograph of Ash and Korrina in the tournament stadium, triumphantly holding a pair of identical trophies.

"Oh, that's the double battle tournament!" Miette grinned, always eager to revel in Ash's success. "So he's still the trainer he's always been, huh?"

"Of course he is," Serena replied proudly. "I knew he'd be able to pull it off. Korrina, too." Madison had to suppress a snicker at her comment. She had talked a big game about being impartial before they left, but it was obvious she had been rooting for someone after all.

"We should go back and congratulate them!" Madison suggested. "And we can probably get some dinner together while we're at it."

Miette took a step back. "You go ahead. I have places I need to be," she lied. She didn't have any plans for the rest of the night, but she wasn't about to repay Serena's kindness by becoming a third wheel between her and Ash. "Good luck in the Master Class, both of you. Tell Ash congratulations for me, would you?"

"I will, don't worry," Serena responded, slipping her phone back into her bag. "Good luck with your bakery, Miette! Take care!"

The three girls parted, with Serena and Madison heading back toward the tournament stadium, while Miette began her return to her hotel room, with a warmth in her chest and a spring in her step.

Chapter Text

There were few people awake to see the early morning sun over Anistar City, as most of the citizens remained stubbornly in their beds. The nocturnal Pokémon were retreating into the forests surrounding the city, and the sound of bird Pokémon could be heard from anywhere within the city limits. Among the human population, the few early risers included the shopkeepers downtown, the Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center, and a pair of teenagers going for an early-morning run right outside of town.

Ash and Serena were jogging side-by-side along the last two miles of Route 17, both of them dressed in white shirts and running shorts, getting in some exercise before the rest of the city awoke. Their hearts were pounding and their legs were burning as they crested a large hill, but for each of them, the sound of the other's heavy footsteps pushed them to go just a little further, for just a little longer. Both teenagers wanted their time together to be as long as possible, and furthermore, neither of them wanted to look weak and out of shape in front of the other.

As the two of them reached the top of the hill, their footsteps slowed to a lighter jog, and then to a slow walk. They slumped forward in unison, gasping for air, needing some respite after pushing their stamina to their limit. Ash was the first to step off of the path, wiping sweat out of his eyes.

"I gotta... I need a break..." he wheezed out as he collapsed into a sitting position on the grass, which quickly became a lying position. He stared up at the red-and-gold sky for a moment, feeling his heaving chest rise and fall.

"Yeah... haven't run like... that in... a while..." Serena added, sitting for a moment before falling back and lying on the grass next to him.

Ash glanced over at her, grinning a bit at her closed eyes and flushed cheeks. His eyes flicked downward to locate her hand, and he immediately reached out to clasp it in his own, squeezing it gently. He felt her squeeze back, her lips curving up into a smile as she caught her breath. The two of them lay on the grass, hand-in-hand, for a one-minute break that turned into several minutes. It wasn't long before their legs and lungs had recovered from their jog, but neither of them were in a hurry to end their peaceful moment together.

Serena was the one to eventually break the silence. "Ash... what do you think you'll do once the Kalos League is over?"

Ash shrugged. "I'll just wait for my next adventure to find me. That's the way I've always lived my life."

"Yes, I know you have," she responded. "But it's harder to live that way when you have to think about... someone else."

"Ah... yeah." He nodded, the context of her question becoming more clear. This wasn't a "him" conversation. This was a "them" conversation.

"So...?" she prompted again, and he furrowed his brow. He knew that he wanted to continue traveling with Serena if possible, but the details eluded him, as they often did.

"Honestly, I haven't thought about it at all," he answered a bit sheepishly. "All I've been thinking about is being here in Kalos, and taking on the Kalos League, and then... that's it."

"Well, it's not like your dreams end in Kalos, do they? There has to be another step to becoming a Pokémon Master."

"There's a million other steps to becoming a Pokémon Master," Ash replied. "I don't even know what most of them are. It's not a step-by-step thing. I'll probably be chasing that dream most of my life."

"I didn't know it was that complicated." She continued looking up at the sky, watching as it slowly changed color with the arrival of the sun. "So you could end up going anywhere once the Kalos League is over."

"Yeah, pretty much."

Serena frowned, feeling the conversation starting to get away from her. She felt selfish coming right out and asking him where she fit into his plans, but the two of them needed to figure it out sometime before their journey came to an end. "Well, you should start thinking about it now. You're not the only one who needs to know."

He turned his head to face her. "Well, what about you?"

"Hm?" She glanced back at him. "What about me?"

"What happens after you win the Master Class and become Kalos Queen?" he clarified. "You're going to be the most famous person in Kalos for a while, aren't you? Are you even going to be able to go anywhere?"

"I..." She blinked, staring into space for a moment as she considered his question. She had been so preoccupied with the Master Class that she had to admit she didn't really know what came after. "I guess I haven't really thought about what comes next, either." She could feel all the wind being taken out of her sails, as her request to Ash was turned around on her.

"You see?" he responded. "It's not as easy as it seems."

"Mm." She gazed out at the sky once again, unsatisfied. The two of them were at an impasse, and she wasn't any closer to the answers she was looking for. She could feel him give her hand a reassuring squeeze after a moment, but she didn't return it. Instead she let go of his hand and rolled over in his direction, resting her forearms on the ground on either side of him, her upper body hovering over his. Her face stared down at him from above, blocking out the sun, her sweat-drenched hair hanging down and framing her features.

"I wish I could take a look inside your head, Ash Ketchum," she commented cryptically, her voice hitting a lower pitch than before.

He looked back up at her with wide eyes that roamed over her face, his heart beating a bit faster. "Why do you say that?"

"Maybe I could sort things out in that brain of yours," she answered, trying to make herself alluring and intimidating at the same time, in the hopes of breaking him. "I could get the answers that you don't want to give me."

"It's not that I don't want to..." he protested, in his defense.

"Well, you'll have to come up with something eventually," she responded. "Where do you see yourself going forward, Ash? What do you think about when you imagine yourself as Kalos League Champion? What is it that you really want?"

Ash lay back and watched her eyes as she spoke, trying his best to listen to what she had to say, but captivated by the sight in front of him at the same time. As she finished speaking and waited for his reply, a devious grin crossed his face. He slid his elbows upward to give himself leverage, pushing himself up off the ground and firmly pressing his lips against hers.

"Mmph!" Serena's eyes shot open wide, her heart leaping as she felt him starting to kiss her, shocked by his brazen and unexpected action. She tried not to respond, tried to pull herself away, as she felt blood rushing to her cheeks. She didn't want him to get out of this difficult conversation so easily.

Her resistance lasted all of one second before melting away. Letting out a sound somewhere between a grunt and a sigh, she closed her eyes and slowly kissed him back, feeling her skin tingling from head to toe. It was all she could do to keep herself propped up and stop herself from melting into him completely. The two of them lay there for several seconds, sharing a slow and tender kiss, before he finally broke away from her and slumped back to the ground. His eyes met hers as they opened.

"Geez, Ash..." she muttered breathlessly, feeling stunned. She had been in complete control of the situation for a few moments, but with that one kiss he had wrested that control away from her. She had known ever since Lagoon Town that she had some degree of power over him, thanks to her feminine wiles, but she was now starting to realize that he had power over her as well. This realization was somewhat irritating, but at the same time it was terribly exciting.

"Is that a good enough answer?" he asked with a smug smirk on his lips. She had more protests, but as she beheld him those protests evaporated into thin air, and she suddenly found herself tongue-tied. Her face felt as if it could catch fire at any moment, and her heart was pounding against her ribs and battering her lungs, snuffing out any chance of a retort. He could be infuriatingly charming when he wanted to be.

"It's good enough for now," she eventually responded, pushing herself up onto her knees. "We should get going. You've still got a gym battle to fight today."

He nodded and reached for her outstretched hand, letting her pull him up, and soon the two of them were jogging back down the hill toward Anistar City. Serena's heart continued to pound, her face flushed as she glanced over at him. She couldn't keep an excited grin off her face, enjoying the sensation of being completely overwhelmed by her attraction to him, feeling as if she was a ten-year-old girl with a crush once again.

Hours later, the rest of the city had awoken, along with Brock, Iris and Shannon. The full group of five were walking through the city, with the Anistar City Gym just starting to come into view. The main structure of the gym was a circular building with a domed roof, with several large, golden arches surrounding the structure. The construction and decorations made the building look like some sort of mystical, psychic observatory.

Stepping inside, most of the trainers stopped to look around and take in the interior of the reception area, which was designed to look like a night sky filled with stars. Ash, impatient as always to have a Pokémon battle, immediately moved to the reception desk, which was being attended by a black-haired girl roughly his age. "Hi! I'm here for a battle against Olympia?"

The receptionist smiled and nodded. "Ash Ketchum, right?" Ash nodded in confirmation, and the girl looked toward the large doors that led to the battle arena. "Miss Olympia will be ready for you in just a minute. She's just finished conducting a vision session, and is preparing for your battle now. Once the doors open, you can go on in."

He smiled back. "Thanks! We'll just wait here, then." He turned back toward the doors, waiting impatiently for them to open, every second feeling like a minute. Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, was able to wait with a bit more patience, already knowing that he likely wouldn't be taking part in this battle.

"A vision session?" Brock spoke up curiously. "What's that?"

"It's where Olympia and a bunch of other psychics gather around to get visions of the future," Madison explained, a hint of reverence in her voice. "She does them often, to try and see dangers before they happen. She's the most powerful psychic in all of Kalos."

"The future?" The skepticism was clear in Iris's voice. "Are those visions, you know... real?" The receptionist looked scandalized at Iris's comment, but Serena stepped in first.

"We've seen her visions come true ourselves," she explained, a bit snippy. "They've saved all of Kalos before."

Iris nodded wordlessly, easily catching the coldness in Serena's voice and not surprised by it. The previous night, after watching a video of their tournament match, Serena had rounded angrily on Iris, demanding to know how she could have brought herself to attack Absol when he was in such clear distress and anguish. Despite Ash leaping to Iris's defense, Serena had gone to bed upset that night. She had apologized earlier that morning, after her jog with Ash, but Iris could tell that she was not back in Serena's good graces just yet. She made a mental note to never underestimate Serena's love for the gentle Dark-type.

Moments later, the conversation came to a halt as the large doors leading to the battlefield slowly opened, seemingly of their own accord. Ash grinned wide, barely having the presence of mind to turn to his friends before charging in.

"Alright! Come on, guys, let's go!" All five of them started walking into the main arena, with Ash moving faster than the rest of them, when a gentle and familiar voice caused them all to stop in their tracks.

"Excuse me, but I was hoping that I could have a gym battle today?"

Ash and the others turned around, freezing in shock as they saw the raven-haired Darius standing at the reception desk. He glanced toward the door, eyebrows raising as he saw the other trainers properly for the first time, realizing who they were. All of them stared in silence, none of them certain how to react after the unusual circumstances of their last meeting. The brief moment of silence was broken by the receptionist's voice.

"I'm sorry, but this trainer already has an appointment for a battle this morning," she explained apologetically, not having the same reaction to Darius's appearance. "Perhaps you can battle once they are done."

Darius offered her a weak smile. "I would like that, thank you." He paused briefly as the girl made a note in her calendar before speaking up again. "Are gym battles open to the public to watch?"

"Yes, they are," the receptionist confirmed. "There are some exceptions, but for the most part, anyone is able to watch any battle."

"Maybe I'll watch this one, then." He turned back toward Ash, his expression neutral once again, in stark contrast to the shock written on Ash's face. "You don't mind, do you?"

"I... uh..." Ash was completely taken aback by the request, as were all of his friends. He could feel anger swelling up within him, his mind immediately flashing back to the battle at the Cyllage City Gym, but Darius's politeness was as disarming as it was baffling. Ash could not reasonably reject the older boy's request without making himself look like a stubborn jerk, which would not endear him to the gym attendants. "I guess not..."

Darius smiled at him politely. "Thanks." Ash nodded back weakly, his mind still reeling, as the other trainer began walking toward the door. He regained his composure after a moment, turning and walking into the giant room that housed the gym's battlefield, his friends following behind him. His befuddlement was soon replaced with determination. He was growing even more fired up than before, wanting to show Darius exactly what he was capable of as a trainer.

The inside of the arena felt like an infinite void full of stars, as if Ash and his friends had stepped into outer space, with a Pokémon battle arena somehow suspended within it. Ash stepped into the challenger's box on the battlefield, Pikachu at his feet, with his friends standing off to the side, along with Darius. On the other end of the arena was the tall, regal, imposing figure of Olympia, the purple-haired Gym Leader.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Ash Ketchum," she spoke in a gentle but strong voice that carried throughout the room. "I have been looking forward to our rematch for some time now."

"For some time?" Ash's eyebrows raised, as a cheeky grin crossed his face. "Did you foresee my arrival?"

"Of course I foresaw it." Olympia's pleasant demeanor grew more stern. "You called our gym to ensure we were still taking challengers. Anyone could have foreseen it."

"Oh... right..." Ash did his best to ignore the snorting laugh from Darius. "Well, I've been looking forward to our rematch, too. I've got a new group of Pokémon to battle with. I hope you're ready!"

"I've made sure to prepare especially for this match," the Gym Leader responded. "As before, this will be a double battle. You will not be battling against my Meowstic, however." She reached down and grasped a pair of Poké Balls from her hip with one hand, tossing them both out onto the battlefield.

Ash watched carefully as the two Pokémon appeared in the arena, recognizing both of them immediately. The first was a pink, bipedal Pokémon with a large, grey crustacean forcibly attached to the top of its head, the crown of a Slowking. The other was a large, floating, squid-like creature that caused Ash's breath to briefly catch in his throat. Off to the side, Serena gasped as she saw the combatant appear, recalling the near-catastrophe that she and Ash had experienced together with this species of Pokémon in the past. Beside her, Iris took out his Pokédex and aimed it at the Pokémon curiously.

"Malamar, the Overturning Pokémon, and the evolved form of Inkay," the machine reported. "Possessing the strongest hypnotic powers of any Pokémon, Malamar can compel others to do anything it wants them to do." Iris put the machine away again, nervous about what this might mean for the upcoming battle.

Olympia could see the surprise in Ash's eyes, understanding exactly where it came from. "It seems that you recognize this particular Malamar... I can't say I'm surprised. This one would be rather hard to forget."

Ash looked back at Olympia with shock written all over his face. "You mean... that's the same...?" He was aghast at the idea of once again meeting the wicked Malamar that had hypnotized Officer Jenny and attempted to conquer the planet, many years ago. He had hoped to never see it again.

"The very same," she responded. "Years ago, this creature came to Anistar City, in an attempt to harness the power of our gym's psychics for its own nefarious ends. That was its greatest and last mistake." Ash swallowed involuntarily, not sure he wanted to know what Olympia had done in order to bring this Malamar to heel. He looked up at the creature's eyes, as it stared back at him, clearly recognizing Ash as much as Ash had recognized him.

"Does Ash know this Pokémon somehow?" Iris half-whispered to Serena. The performer turned her head and began to recount their run-ins with this Malamar in the past, and everyone listened in curiously, including Darius.

Olympia returned her Poké Balls to her hip. "You have now seen my Pokémon. Who will you choose as your combatants?"

Ash's hand moved to his Poké Balls as well, having chosen his Pokémon earlier in the day. Part of him was still upset that Absol wouldn't be taking part in this battle, especially considering he would be immune to Psychic-type attacks as a Dark-type, but he knew that leaving Absol out was the right decision. Physically, he was fighting fit after a night at the Pokémon Center. Psychologically, the Pokémon had still not recovered from what had been a traumatic battle against Iris and Brock, and against his Mega Evolution most of all. Ash had resolved to give Absol a few days of rest before returning him to battle. Plus, if he was being honest with himself, he didn't want this battle to be too easy. On the other hand, facing down this particular Malamar, he wouldn't mind having every advantage he could get.

"Sigilyph, Drapion, let's go!" He tossed the two Poké Balls out onto the field in front of him, and the bird Pokémon and scorpion Pokémon appeared in a flash of red light. Sigilyph assumed a regal stance, sizing up her opponents, while Drapion snapped its claws threateningly, bearing its fangs.

Olympia nodded after a moment, appearing satisfied with her challenger's choice of combatants. Ash couldn't stop his eyes from flicking over to Darius, wanting to see his own reaction. The older boy was stone-faced, his expression not betraying his thoughts.

"Both the challenger and the Gym Leader are ready!" From the side of the battlefield, a young women wearing a psychic's robes held a pair of referee flags aloft. "The battle will begin... now!"

Olympia responded immediately, reacting with a speed Ash couldn't hope to match. "Future Sight!" Both Slowking and Malamar surrounded themselves with a light blue aura, manifesting a handful of blue energy spheres above their heads. Moments later, several rifts opened up in the air around them, and the energy balls shot into those rifts before closing up again, the energy vanished from the world.

Ash was unsurprised. Future Sight had been a cornerstone of Olympia's strategy in their last battle, and finding a way around it had been key to their victory. He glanced down at Pikachu and gave his partner a nod; Pikachu nodded back and looked toward the battlefield, his tail swinging back and forth in a constant rhythm, like a metronome. With each swish of his tail, the Pokémon made a light noise under his breath.

"Huh?" Iris cocked her head. "What is Pikachu doing?"

"He's timing the Future Sight attack, so he knows when it will emerge again," Serena answered, keeping her voice low. "They did this in their last battle, too. It worked really well."

"What are the chances that will work again?"

"Probably pretty small," Brock replied. "But it couldn't hurt to try." Iris shrugged, not arguing with that point. She turned her focus back to Ash, who was issuing his first commands.

"Sigilyph, use Cosmic Power!" Ash called out. "Drapion, go after Malamar with Fell Stinger!"

Both Pokémon reacted instantly to his commands. Sigilyph let out a low caw as her body was surrounded with a sparkling aura, raising her defenses. Drapion aimed his tail at Malamar and fired off a large, pointed stinger that looked particularly sharp and menacing. Malamar was able to dodge easily, hovering out of the way of one stinger, then another, and another.

"Slowking, attack Drapion with Surf!" the Gym Leader commanded. Drapion was forced to turn his attention away from Malamar, watching as a powerful wave of water swept across the field toward him.

"Use X-Scissor!" Ash retorted. His Pokémon raised his claws above his head, bringing them down in an X-shape just as the wave of water approached. The twin slashes managed to disrupt the approaching wave, displacing the water that would have slammed into him. Instead of knocking him off his feet, the remnants of the wave in front of him passed harmlessly over his feet, soaking the arena.

Ash looked up into the air, watching as Malamar started to pursue Sigilyph with Dark Pulse. With half the battlers in the air, and the other half on the ground, it seemed that the matchups had been decided, at least for the time being. He was confident that Drapion could hold his own, and he hoped that Sigilyph could do the same despite her type disadvantage.

"Sigilyph, hit Malamar with Air Cutter! Drapion, get closer and use Crunch!" Both of his Pokémon went on the offensive, charging in with their own attacks while dodging those of their opponents. Everyone in the room watched as the four battling Pokémon went on the assault, trying to land an attack with minimal success. Ash kept a careful eye on the situation, giving occasional words of warning, but mostly letting his Pokémon battle the way he knew they could. He knew it was only a matter of time until-

A half-dozen rifts suddenly opened up in the air, all of them surrounding Sigilyph, as the Future Sight attack came to pass. Sigilyph cried out in pain as she was assaulted by the energy orbs from both attacks, battering her from all sides. As she flapped her wings in a bid to stay aloft, a powerful Night Slash from Malamar sent her plummeting to the ground, where she crashed next to a rather surprised Drapion.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief as Sigilyph pushed herself up and returned to the air, sore but determined. He looked down to the Pokémon at his feet. "Did you get that?" Pikachu looked up at him and chirped affirmatively, the time of the Future Sight attack committed to memory. They both looked back as Slowking and Malamar each fired off another Future Sight attack, and Pikachu immediately started counting again. They would be ready for the next assault.

"Why did both of those attacks hit Sigilyph?" Madison asked quietly, as Drapion began firing Fell Stingers at Malamar once again.

"Drapion's part Dark-type," Brock explained, as Slowking fired a Water Gun at Drapion, who retaliated with a Dark Pulse. "They're completely immune to Psychic-type attacks. Hitting Drapion would just be a waste of energy."

"Malamar is part Dark-type too, though," Serena added. "So Sigilyph is probably going to have trouble." Madison nodded thoughtfully, as Malamar blocked the Dark Pulse with a Reflect.

As Malamar briefly diverted his focus away from Sigilyph, Ash saw an opening, and was quick to capitalize on it. "Sigilyph, use Air Slash!" She cawed and raised her wings, which began to glow with a light-blue energy. Before she could swing her wings at her opponent, however, a number of rifts appeared around her once again, battering her with another double dose of Future Sight.

"No!" Ash watched Sigilyph plummet to the ground once again, his eyes darting down toward Pikachu, who looked as shocked as he was. Pikachu had still been counting down, waiting to give Ash the signal that the attack was coming up. Future Sight had reappeared much faster than it had the first time.

"I should thank you for showing me one of my weaknesses in our last battle, Ash Ketchum." Olympia's voice carried across the battlefield easily, her respectful but vaguely taunting tone hitting the ears of everyone in the room. "I would not dare to disrespect you by showing the same weakness again."

Ash nodded, his disappointed frown giving way to an ecstatic grin. "And I wouldn't want you to make this easy for me!" With his initial plan scuttled, he was going to have to strategize on the fly, which was exactly where he operated at his best. As both of Olympia's Pokémon prepared for another round of Future Sight, he decided to intervene.

"Drapion, hit Slowking with Toxic!" he called out. His Pokémon obeyed immediately, opening his mouth and spitting out a stream of toxic purple liquid in Slowking's direction.

"Catch that attack with Psychic!" Olympia responded. Her Slowking abandoned the Future Sight attack, his eyes glowing blue as he stared down the approaching venom. The poisonous liquid suddenly stopped dead in midair, inches in front of Slowking's face, accumulating into a large ball. The Toxic attack was now Slowking's to use as he pleased.

Ash seemed unfazed as he issued his next command. "Sigilyph, Air Cutter and steal that Toxic!" Before Slowking could react, he was knocked forward onto his stomach as numerous blades of air collided painfully with his back. His psychic control of the toxic venom wavered, and as the ball of liquid started to fall, it was quickly recaptured by a recovered Sigilyph.

Ash grinned wide. "Now, throw it at Malamar! Chase him down!" The toxic ball zoomed across the battlefield, toward the flying squid Pokémon, who was forced to dodge. Sigilyph didn't let up the pressure, pursuing Malamar with the poisonous attack, forcing it to stay on the move. Malamar eventually flew down closer to the ground in his efforts to stay away, focusing on summoning his own psychic powers to form a counterattack. As he prepared to retaliate against Sigilyph, he could see Drapion leaping toward him out of the corner of his eye, slamming both claws into Malamar's body in a super-effective X-Scissor attack.

"Perfect!" Ash's eyes were shining as he saw Malamar stagger. "Now Sigilyph, hit-"

His command was interrupted as the newest Future Sight attack made itself known, battering Sigilyph and breaking her focus. The ball of venom fell and splattered against the ground, no longer posing a threat. Malamar straightened himself and turned back toward Sigilyph, firing a powerful Dark Pulse that knocked her to the ground, where she struggled to rise.

"That Future Sight is causing Ash a lot of problems," Brock commented, as Drapion once again started firing Fell Stingers at Malamar to keep it away from Sigilyph. "Every time he gets a bit of momentum, Future Sight steals it away from him." Malamar formed yet another Future Sight as he dodged Drapion's assault.

"In his last match, Ash was able to use it against Olympia," Serena followed up, as Sigilyph righted herself as well, starting to look tired and beat down. "But I don't know if he'll be able to do that this time." Darius continued to watch silently, saying nothing, taking in as many details from the battle as he could.

As Drapion prepared more Fell Stingers, he was surprised to feel a few drops of water on his head and his back. Looking upward, he was able to see a rain cloud floating in the air above the battlefield, the result of a Rain Dance technique from Slowking. He could only appreciate it for a moment before a powerful Water Pulse knocked him off his feet, sending him sliding across the water-slick battlefield.

Ash looked up at the rain cloud with a frown, as Drapion got back to his feet. Rain Dance would have the frustrating effect of powering up all of Slowking's Water-type moves, which were his only real means of attack against Drapion. Malamar already had an edge over Sigilyph, even before Future Sight was factored in. If Slowking was able to overpower Drapion as well, Olympia was going to run away with this battle.

As Ash thought over his options, and the tactics he'd used in the battle so far, a devilish idea entered his mind, causing a devious and wild grin to spread across his face. He was probably going to owe Sigilyph a big apology after this, but it would help him take control of the battle.

"Drapion, fire Toxic into the air!" he called out. "Sigilyph, spread it out in the rain cloud!"

Olympia's eyebrows raised, as she failed to hide her surprise at the strange command. Before she could order her Pokémon to intercept, Drapion had already spat out a large spray of poisonous liquid, which Sigilyph retrieved with her psychic abilities, dispersing it in the cloud formed by Rain Dance. Moments later, the crystal-clear raindrops were replaced by slightly larger, threateningly purple ones, as Drapion's poison began to rain down on the battlefield.

"Sigilyph, use Psychic to protect yourself!" Ash commanded. The bird Pokémon did as she was instructed, forming what seemed like an invisible umbrella above her head, the toxic rain splattering against the strange barrier and rolling off. Slowking and Malamar were forced to do the same, while Drapion looked as if he was practically reveling in this new weather.

"What the... is Ash out of his mind?!" Madison whispered, incredulous. "He's making it rain poison?!" By her side, Serena looked equally shocked.

"It's wild, but... it kind of makes sense, actually," Iris responded. "This is going to affect everyone but Drapion. They'll have to use their psychic abilities to deflect the poison, but he's immune to his own venom. Now he's the most powerful Pokémon on the battlefield." She couldn't help but smile weakly. "Only Ash would think of something like that."

Iris wasn't the only one smiling. Off to the side, Darius had adopted an amused smirk, the first emotion he had shown since the battle began.

Ash watched the three Psychic-type Pokémon working to shield themselves from the toxic weather, feeling adrenaline pumping through him. Sigilyph was going to be more vulnerable as a result, but she would be able to keep herself out of danger for the most part, he hoped. It was Drapion's turn to shine now.

"Drapion, charge at Slowking and use Crunch!" The scorpion Pokémon took off running, jaws wide and dripping with venom, a little too eager to sink his teeth into his foe.

"Slowking, stop Drapion with Water Gun!" Olympia countered. "Malamar, close in on Sigilyph and use Dark Pulse!" Both of her Pokémon leapt into action, with Slowking summoning another giant wave of water, and Malamar flew through the poisonous rain toward Sigilyph, having to move more slowly in order to maintain his psychic shield.

"Dodge it, Drapion!" Ash responded. "Sigilyph, dodge! Be careful!" As the bird Pokémon began to carefully weave through the rain, dodging Malamar's assault, Drapion scuttled back and forth to dodge one Water Gun after another. Soon he had closed the gap, and he lunged forward with his jaws, sinking them deep into Slowking's side. The Royal Pokémon cried out in pain, not accustomed to such a vicious physical assault, and tried to use his weak arms to force Drapion away.

"Push him away with Psychic!" Olympia ordered, her voice as calm as it ever was. Slowking obeyed without hesitation, his psychic umbrella dropping as he used all of his power to dislodge Drapion and hurl him across the arena. As the scorpion Pokémon got back to his feet, a sickly expression started to wash over Slowking's face. His psychic powers were deflecting the poison rain again, but the momentary pause had been just enough. Drapion's venom had taken effect.

As Drapion charged Slowking again, Ash turned his attention back toward Olympia, wanting to see her reaction to this reversal of fortune. Much to his annoyance, she was as stone-faced as always, not showing any sort of emotion - at least, that was how it seemed at first. Looking closer, he noticed that she seemed almost pleased with how the battle was going. He wasn't sure if she was happy at how well he was doing, or if she still had an ace up her sleeve. He received his answer as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Malamar, use Hypnosis!"

Ash's blood ran cold as he watched Malamar's body glow yellow, and he fixed his gaze on Sigilyph, who instantly stopped flying about. The trainer had no time to warn her before her body went slack, her three eyes drooping. This was the power that made Malamar the fearsome creature that Ash, Serena and their friends had battled several years ago. He had placed Sigilyph entirely under his control, turning the two-on-two battle into a three-on-one.

"Oh, no..." Serena covered her mouth with her hand, just as fearful now as Ash. "This is what I was afraid of..." The others were all just as concerned, save for Darius, who continued to watch the battle curiously, picking up on as many pointers as he could. They all watched as Malamar forced Sigilyph to hover still in the air, where the final Future Sight attack battered her once again. She struggled to stay aloft after yet another assault, but she managed to fly upward once again after a few moments.

Drapion looked around nervously at the three Pokémon that were all turning on him threateningly, no longer happy with the direction this battle was taking. As all three of them began to glow, preparing their own attacks, Ash spoke up.

"Drapion, get away by using Dig!" he ordered, somewhat desperately. His Pokémon immediately tunneled into the earth that made up the battlefield, just before he was attacked by a Water Pulse, Air Slash, and Dark Pulse simultaneously. Ash hoped that the Dig attack would buy him time to come up with a plan, but Olympia had other ideas.

"Use Surf on that tunnel, Slowking! Flush Drapion out!" Ash swallowed hard, watching helplessly as a wall of water was forced into the small tunnel. Moments later, a geyser of dirt and water exploded out of the battlefield, throwing a panicked Drapion into the air. He crashed hard onto the ground, scrambling to get back to his feet, but another Air Slash knocked him away, toward the edge of the arena. He took off as quickly as he could, dodging a Dark Pulse from Malamar, as the assault resumed.

Ash's mind raced as he watched Drapion try to escape his three attackers. He had to get Sigilyph back on his side, at any cost. He thought back to his previous run-ins with Malamar, and how they had managed to defeat his hypnosis, but neither of those instances would help much here; he didn't have access to Team Rocket here, or one of Clemont's exploding inventions. He looked up at Malamar, and his glowing body, before his eyes moved to Sigilyph and her slack, vacant expression. He could think of a couple of different ways of potentially disrupting Hypnosis, and he was going to try both of them at once. After this battle, he was going to owe Sigilyph several apologies.

"Drapion, use Dark Pulse on all three of them!" he called out.

His Pokémon looked a bit confused, but didn't hesitate to open his mouth and fire off a beam of purple and black rings at his foes, sweeping it across all three. Malamar and Slowking moved quickly out of the way, but the mind-controlled Sigilyph did not have the same reaction time as the other two. The Dark Pulse hit her head-on, knocking her out of the air while it knocked the air out of her. As she crashed into the ground, Ash could see that her eyes were wide open and alert once again, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Sigilyph was heavily struggling now, barely able to push herself up, having to resort to her psychic abilities to keep herself aloft, only a few feet off the ground. She didn't have much more time to battle, and Ash would have to make the most of it.

"Malamar, use Dark Pulse and knock Sigilyph out!" Olympia ordered. Before he could act, Ash was issuing his own command.

"Sigilyph, hit Malamar with Sky Attack!"

Despite being weak, sore and exhausted, Sigilyph used the last of her strength to fly higher off the ground, dodging Malamar's Dark Pulse. Her whole body glowed white, and she shot forward with shocking speed for her condition, slamming headfirst into Malamar's chest. Both Pokémon tumbled bodily to the ground, where Sigilyph rolled across the arena to a stop, unconscious and spent. Malamar coughed and tried to return to the air, but it wasn't long before his face started to flush purple, as the poison rain finally began to take effect. He continued to struggle for a few moments before collapsing to the ground, defeated.

With the two fliers out of commission, Drapion turned his gaze toward Slowking, who was looking rather intimidated. After seeing what Olympia and Malamar had done to Sigilyph, Ash was ready to bring this difficult battle to a swift end.

"Drapion, finish Slowking off with one more Dark Pulse!" he ordered.

"Slowking, fight back with Water Gun!" Olympia commanded, though her voice no longer had the strength it had before. It was as if she could see the end of the battle already.

Drapion opened his mouth and shot one last Dark Pulse at Slowking, who fired back with the most powerful Water Gun his poisoned, weakened frame could muster. The two attacks met in midair, but their clash could hardly be called a struggle. The Dark Pulse easily win out, forcing the Water Gun back in moments before striking Slowking directly in the chest. Olympia's Pokémon was knocked off his feet and onto his back, groaning as he rolled onto his side, unable to pick himself back up.

"Both of Olympia's Pokémon are unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising her flag in Ash's direction. "The challenger, Ash Ketchum, has won the match!"

Ash's initial reaction was much more relief than elation, and he let out a long, slow breath as he slumped forward for a moment. The cheers of his friends from the side of the arena, and Pikachu from down by his feet, quickly restored his energy, and he stood up straight before returning his two Pokémon, praising both of them for a battle well fought. He turned his gaze back toward the battlefield, where several of the gym's psychic attendants were clearing away the poisonous raincloud, as Olympia returned her Pokémon as well. Once the arena was safe to traverse, the two battlers both stepped out onto it, meeting in the center.

"Another impressive battle, Ash," Olympia began. "You are one of the most bold and resourceful trainers to set foot in my gym. I don't think anyone could ever predict your battle tactics, even if they could see the future."

Ash grinned up at her. "Thank you for the battle, Olympia. I wasn't expecting to see Malamar ever again, but I'm glad I had the chance to face it in a proper battle."

"I thought you would appreciate that." She reached into her robe, producing a metallic badge that had the appearance of a golden wisp of smoke emerging from a purple pearl. "Once again, you have earned this Psychic Badge. Congratulations." She gently placed the badge into his hand, and his grin only grew wider as he looked down at it, feeling proud and accomplished.

"I'm afraid I have less pleasant words to share with you," Olympia continued, recapturing Ash's attention. "My attempts to discern the future have been difficult, as of late. The visions that come to me have been murky and unclear, revealing little."

"They have?" He cocked his head. "What does that mean? Is that bad?"

"It is rarely good when we cannot see what the future holds," she answered, her voice flat. "I fear that unnatural forces are at work in Kalos, clouding our ability to truly See. I can view glimpses of you and your friends, however. I am certain you will have a role to play in the events that lay ahead of us."

"I see..." Ash frowned, not liking the sound of any of this. As much as he loved adventure, he wasn't interested in anything that might put his friends in danger, or Kalos itself. "So you don't know anything that's coming our way?"

"That is not quite the case," she replied, causing his eyebrows to raise. "There is one thing that manages to cut through the fog that encompasses our visions... one Pokémon, to be specific."

"A Pokémon?" His voice was filled with surprise and curiosity. "Do you know which one?"

Olympia nodded. "I do. It is a powerful and legendary Pokémon... the guardian of Kalos, Xerneas."

"Xerneas?" Ash's eyes shot open wide, recognizing the name immediately. "But... how is that possible?" He had encountered Xerneas once before, but the encounter had left the Pokémon entombed within a giant tree, in order to recover its energy over the next thousand years. How this Pokémon could have a role to play in in the near future, he had no idea.

"Unfortunately, I cannot glean any other details," she responded, shaking her head. "You now know as much as I do about what is to come. I will continue to try and gain better glimpses of the future, in the meantime. I hope that nothing dangerous is coming to pass, but we should all be preparing ourselves for the worst."

"I understand." He dipped his head toward her, in gratitude. "Thank you for telling me about this."

"Of course. Everyone in Kalos owes you a debt, whether they know it or not. This is the least I can do." She extended her arm, and the two shook hands briefly. "Take care, Ash Ketchum. I look forward to hearing of your accomplishments in the Kalos League."

Ash thanked her again, and the two separated and walked off in opposite directions. He could see his friends gathering at the door, and he grinned and picked up the pace as they waved him over.

"Congratulations, Ash!" Serena was the first to speak up. "You did a great job out there, just like I knew you would!"

"You're as unpredictable as always," Brock added, his arms folded. "That poison rain was something else, even for you. Who knows what you're going to come up with next?"

Ash grinned. "Thanks a bunch, guys." He took in the smiling faces of his friends, before his eyes darted over to Darius, who was standing at the edge of the group. He turned toward the older boy, unable to keep his curiosity bottled up.

"So, what did you think of that?" he asked, a bit of smugness in his voice.

Darius's expression was fixed as he spoke. "Do you always win your battles by the skin of your teeth like that?"

"Wh... no, I don't!" Ash shot back, taken aback. He could feel himself flushing with embarrassment, his smugness draining away in an instant.

"Hm. If you say so," the older boy answered. "I've only seen two of your battles, but you nearly lost both of them, so..."

"Don't you ever have anything nice to say?!" Iris fired back at him.

Darius shrugged. "Sure. That poison cloud was pretty inventive. You saw that she was controlling the battle and figured out a way to turn it around. You're a creative battler, and that's your biggest strength as far as I can tell." He slid his hands into his pockets. "But that's only going to get you so far. If you can't handle techniques like that Future Sight, you're never going to make it to being Kalos League Champion."

Ash was starting to grow angry. "You think you could have handled that Future Sight better than I did?"

"Of course," Darius answered, his voice low. "Olympia was telegraphing every single attack. You could see her eyebrows raising and her shoulders rising right before Future Sight came back out. She knew when each attack would hit, and whether she realized it or not, she was letting everyone else know, too. If you had been paying attention, maybe you wouldn't have had such a hard time."

Ash stared at him with wide eyes, trying to form words that wouldn't come forth. He could feel his face heating up more, his anger giving way to even higher levels of embarrassment. For the first time that he could remember, another trainer had rendered him completely speechless.

"Anyway, good job getting your badge, and good luck with the rest." Darius turned back to the door. "I'm going to get some lunch. See you in the Kalos League, maybe." Ash stared at him as he walked out of the arena, his eyes fixed forward even as the door closed and Darius vanished from sight.

"Ash?" Iris's voice brought him back to reality. "You alright?"

"Ah... yeah." Ash nodded. "I'm fine." His voice didn't match his words, sounding downcast.

"Don't worry about him, Ash," Serena reassured. "Don't let him get into your head. Remember, you've got a Psychic Badge, and he doesn't."

"He'll get his badge soon enough," he replied, much of the wind taken out of his sails. "He's too good not to." He stepped forward and walked through the doors slowly, lacking the energy he usually had after a good Pokémon battle. The others quickly followed after him, concern on all of their faces, as they walked out of the gym and toward the Pokémon Center.

Chapter Text

"Good mooooorning, Ash!"

Ash grumbled and stirred, eyes opening and immediately closing again at the painful light flooding into the bedroom. After a moment, he squinted and looked toward the door, where his eyes took in the silhouette of a familiar female figure, framed by the light of the hallway outside. The girl standing in the doorframe had a large tray in her hands, and an unnaturally sweet smile on her face.

"Mmph... Iris?" he mumbled. "What's going on?"

"I just thought you might enjoy some breakfast in bed, that's all." Iris stepped inside, kicking the door closed behind her with her foot, as Ash sat up in bed. "You've earned it after the battle against Olympia you had the other day."

"Oh, uh... thanks, I guess..." Ash was befuddled, to say the least, as Iris slid the tray onto his lap, before sitting sideways on the bed next to him. His eyes ran over the tray, which was piled high with pancakes, eggs, bacon and toast.

"Of course!" she responded cheerfully. "Anything for my best friend in the whole world." Her voice sounded strained and unnatural, as if she had never tried speaking to someone this way before. It rang insincere, and left an impression like a carnivorous plant trying to lure a fly into its maw.

"Right..." Ash picked up the knife and fork that had been placed on either side of the tray, looking over the bounty before him, trying to decide what to dig into first. Iris leaned in closer, inches away from him.

"I thought that we could go out and have a Pokémon battle later, when you're feeling like it," she continued. "We could have a proper rematch with a full team, not just a one-on-one like before. I bet it would be good training for Athena's gym, too. That sounds like fun, right?"

Ash sighed and put the silverware back down, unable to bear any more of this. "You're really bad at this whole 'buttering up' thing, you know."

Iris's pleasant demeanor instantly dissolved away, as if a switch had been flipped inside her. "And you're really bad at being generous with your friends!" she snapped, her voice filled with bitterness and venom.

He rolled his eyes, tired of having this same conversation again. "I can't just give you a Tyrunt, Iris."

"Sure you could! Nobody's stopping you!" she insisted. "You're already going to have one fossil Pokémon! Why do you need a second one? Why can't you share?"

"You don't just 'share' some of the rarest Pokémon on the planet! They're not like a bag of chips!"

"You are being so bullheaded about this!" Iris glowered at him, her enraged eyes on his. "That Tyrunt would mean everything in the world to me! It's just another Pokémon for you! You're just being greedy!"

"Don't tell me I wouldn't care about a Pokémon!" Ash shot back. "I earned those fossils fair and square! You tried to get them, and you lost!"

"Guys!" Both of them jumped as Brock's sharp voice cut through the air, from the bunk above Ash's. "It is way too early o'clock in the morning for this, so could you either shut up or leave?!"

Ash nodded meekly, suddenly sheepish. "Sorry, Brock..." He turned back to his meal, reaching once again for his silverware, but Iris reached out and snatched the tray away from him before he could get a single bite. She huffed and stood up, turning back toward the door and throwing it open before storming out, not bothering to shut it again.

He groaned and slowly slid back into his bunk. There wasn't much chance of him getting back to sleep now. From the sounds of stirring and shifting all around him, it seemed like nobody else was getting back to sleep, either.

"Are you two seriously still going at it?" Madison groused sleepily.

"She's the only one going at it!" Ash insisted. "She's trying to get a free Pokémon out of me!"

"I knew that Tyrunt meant a lot to her, but I didn't know she'd be this unbearable about it..." Serena rubbed her eye as she sat up. "You don't owe her any Pokémon, Ash. You won them fair and square, like you said. But... it would be really generous of you if you would think about it, you know..."

Ash rolled over in his bed, his body still rebelling against the morning. "If it were something like a Beedrill, sure. But a Tyrunt? Do you know how many of those there are?"

She shook her head. "No. How many are there?"

"Oh, uh..." He paused for a moment, his face blank. "I don't know either, but the point is it's not a lot."

"If there are a hundred Tyrunt and Tyrantrum around the world, I'd be surprised," Brock contributed helpfully, resigned to his fate of an early awakening. "Even among fossil Pokémon, they're pretty uncommon."

"Hm." Serena was torn between wanting to be fair to Ash, wanting to keep the peace, and being altogether too tired to maintain that balance. "I just hope this doesn't... ruin your friendship or anything."

"I doubt it," Ash replied. "We've had our problems before, but we're still friends. I'm sure everything will be fine." He paused, frowning. "At least, I think it will..."

The room was quiet for a moment, as Ash lost himself in his thoughts. He and Iris had fought before, over much more trivial matters, and their mutual stubbornness had nearly torn them apart before they swallowed their pride and made up. Fighting over something that was truly important to Iris might be too much for their friendship to bear. Would she ever forgive him for keeping one of her lifelong dreams just barely out of her reach?

"The Pokémon are arriving today, right?" Madison eventually spoke up.

"Yep, today. The fossil restoring guys said they finished yesterday morning." Ash's voice received a boost of energy at the reminder of the imminent arrivals. "Later today I'm going to have an Amaura and a Tyrunt! I can't wait!"

"Do you have space for them?" Brock asked, too exhausted to share in Ash's excitement. "You've got six of your own Pokémon with you already, don't you?"

"Oh, right." Ash abruptly sat up, sliding out of bed. "I gotta call Professor Oak and free up a couple of slots." He grabbed his bag and stepped out the door, making his way to the showers, as the other three travelers took their time waking up and facing the day.

"Ah, here they are! They've just arrived!"

On a video screen in the phone room of the Pokémon Center, Professor Oak re-emerged after a brief disappearance, holding a Poké Ball in each hand. "This will be my first real chance to study a Sigilyph! I'll have to keep a eye on it whenever I have the time."

"She's something else, for sure." Ash grinned into the screen. "Drapion might be a bit scary to the other Pokémon at first, but he's a real softy on the inside. I know they'll all get along once they get to know him."

"Trust me, the Corral has handled far worse than a Drapion." Oak chuckled to himself. "Anyway, you had better send over Tyrunt and Amaura as soon as you can, understand? Watching fossil Pokémon socialize is always fascinating. And studying their diet will help me piece together a more complete picture of the long-term evolutionary chain."

"I will, don't worry!" Ash paused, preparing to say his goodbyes as his friends walked into the phone room, having finished breakfast. Before he could wrap up the call, a stray thought entered his head. "Oh! How is Torkoal doing?"

"He's just fine, as always," Oak reassured the boy. "Sleeping, eating, playing with the other Pokémon, and sleeping some more. He's as happy as a Clamperl. I've had Tracey add more vitamins into his food, to keep him in good health."

"Thanks a lot, Professor." Ash glanced briefly back at his friends, before returning his attention to the call. "I gotta go. Thanks again for looking after those two."

"Of course, of course," Prof. Oak answered with a soft smile. "They'll be right at home here. You don't have to worry about a thing. Good luck with the Kalos League!"

As Ash said his goodbyes and ended the call, he heard a gentle pair of footsteps approaching from behind, followed by a gentle female voice. "Who is Torkoal?"

Ash spun around in his chair, looking up to meet Serena's eyes. "He's one of the Pokémon that I caught on my first trip through Hoenn. A good fighter... kind of emotional."

She nodded. "Why did you ask Professor Oak about him? Is he sick?"

"Nah, he's just old." Ash answered. "He's a lot older than we thought he was when I caught him. His battling days are pretty much behind him, so he just stays at Professor Oak's place, eating and sleeping and playing. We like to say he's retired."

"It sounds like he's living the life," Madison chimed in, standing between Brock and Serena.

He shrugged in response. "I guess so. I know if I were a Pokémon, I'd rather be battling." He stood up, stretching his arms. "So what's everyone up to today? Have any of you seen Iris?"

Serena shook her head. "Not since this morning, no. I assumed she was off sulking somewhere in the city." Ash nodded, a bit of a frown on his face. He wasn't eager to see her at the moment, but he would like to know that she was alright, at least.

"I'll probably explore the city for a while," Brock chimed in. "I'm interested in seeing the Sundial. I hear it's a pretty important Kalos landmark."

"I'm going to be practicing with my Pokémon for the next showcase," Madison followed up. "I'll be doing what I can without Barrett there. Every little bit helps."

"It definitely does," Serena agreed. "I'm going to be spending some time baking, here in the Pokémon Center kitchen. I'm going to whip up some more Poké Puffs, and maybe some things for us, too."

"Oh, great!" Ash smiled at her. "Mind if I help?"

She started a bit, surprised. "Um, sure, it's fine. How come, though?"

He shrugged back. "Just seemed like it would be fun. And I bet I could learn a lot about baking, too."

Her smile grew easily across her face. "Sure, Ash! I've always thought baking was fun. And it will be nice to have a helping hand."

"Great!" he reiterated, excited at the idea of spending more time with Serena. "Should we start now?"

"In just a bit," she answered, stepping past him. "I need to make a call of my own, real quick."

"Who are you calling?" Madison asked, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, nobody important," Serena responded cryptically, as she took a seat in front of the video phone.

Ash smirked down at her. "You not calling anyone about a birthday surprise or anything, are you?"

She glanced sideways at him, offering her own smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She used her hand to shoo the rest of them away, wanting some privacy.

He chuckled and stepped away, walking back toward the lobby with the other two, certain that she had some birthday-related plans in mind. His sixteenth birthday was a week and a half away, though Madison would be turning eleven even sooner than that, in just a few days. Serena's birthday was next, as she would turn sixteen about two months after Ash, while Brock and Iris's own celebrations were quite a ways off. For all of Iris's talk about Ash being a "little kid", he had been incredulous to discover that she was nearly eight months younger than he was. Iris, naturally, was unrepentant.

As the trio walked into the lobby, Ash took a seat and pulled out his Pokédex to study it, with Pikachu resting on the arm of the large, comfortable chair. Madison and Brock continued out the door, before turning and walking off in opposite directions.

One hour later, Serena and Ash were both hard at work in the kitchen that was available for the Pokémon Center guests, both of them wearing aprons over their normal attire. Ash had resisted the apron at first, but after the second time he had spilled flour onto his clothes, he had relented and put his on, if only to prevent Serena from rolling her eyes at him again.

"Okay, so next is... um..." Ash stared down at his large bowl of dry, powdery ingredients, trying to remember what they had done in the first batch of Poké Puffs. Next to him, Serena was effortlessly cracking eggs into a bowl of wet ingredients, using only one hand. Pikachu was sitting on a corner of the large kitchen island where they were working, watching curiously and waiting patiently for his opportunity to have a Poké Puff for himself.

"One and a half cups of flour," she prompted, staying focused on her own bowl.

"Right." Ash reached for the bag of flour off to his right, grabbing it carefully in both hands and tipping it toward the bowl. Before he could actually pour any flour, he jumped as a wooden spatula smacked into the side of the bag, causing him to nearly drop it.

"No," Serena reprimanded sharply, barely even looking in his direction. "Never freehand. Always measure out your ingredients."

He quickly reached for a measuring cup. "Brock freehands stuff all the time when he's cooking..." He dutifully scooped out one cup of flour, remembering to brush the excess off the top, one of the few things he'd managed to retain from Serena's tutelage so far.

"Cooking is different from baking," she explained, as she picked up her bowl in one arm and started whisking the wet ingredients together. "Cooking is more forgiving, and you can fix mistakes more easily. Baking is a science. Too much or too little of one thing can cause everything to fall apart."

He nodded, frowning as he added the flour into the bowl. "I was never that great with science..." He briefly stirred the contents of his bowl with a fork, mixing the flour together with the sugar and baking soda.

"It's not that bad, really." Serena placed the bowl back down, examining her apron, happy to see it spill-free so far. "There are just a few rules you always need to keep in mind. Always measure your ingredients... mix your dry ingredients into your wets... that sort of thing." She pushed her bowl toward him. "Speaking of which..."

He nodded, lifting up his bowl and tilting it slowly. The first bunch of dry ingredients came out in one large chunk, splashing into the second bowl and kicking up a cloud of flour that coated both their faces. She held in a sneeze, stirring the ingredients together as Ash added in the contents of his bowl, bit by bit. Once all of the ingredients were combined, Ash set his bowl aside and watched as Serena mixed the concoction to the right consistency.

"There we go," she said, with a smile that could be seen on her face and heard in her voice. "It looks exactly how it's supposed to look. Now we just pour it into the tins." She grasped two large spoons resting on the counter and handed one to Ash, starting to grab large spoonfuls of the runny Poké Puff batter and pour them into a set of tin molds.

Ash followed her lead, carefully spooning the batter into some of the molds, trying to match the exact quantity that Serena was using for each puff. "I didn't think this was going to be as tricky as it was," he commented, dripping some excess batter onto the tin. "I thought I was doing everything right, but you kept telling me I had screwed up somehow."

Serena grinned. "Well, for someone who hasn't done this before, you weren't terrible," she offered. "But I'm not sure that rigidly following instructions is really your style."

"You're right about that," he conceded. "For me, it's usually just... like, with battles, I study the Pokédex for moves and type advantages and stuff, but in the end I just do what feels right, you know?" He set his serving spoon down on the counter, and Pikachu scampered over to lick off some of the excess batter.

She giggled lightly, as she finished filling the final tin. "That's you to a T, Ash." She stepped away to grab a nearby washcloth, wiping the excess flour off of her face. "You've got great instincts for a lot of things, but baking isn't one of them." She tossed the washcloth over to Ash, who caught it easily with one hand.

"Mmph... I guess." He cleaned off his own face, missing several spots on his forehead and jawline. "So those are going in the oven now?"

"Mhmm." She grabbed the tin with one hand, opening up a preheated oven with the other. "And the first batch is coming out. Once those Poké Puffs cool, then we decorate." She gently slid the puff tin into the oven and closed it up, before opening an adjacent oven and pulling out a set of perfectly baked puffs using an oven mitt.

"Sounds good to me," Ash responded. "Maybe I'll do a better job of decorating them."

Serena firmly bit her tongue, not about to reveal her lack of faith in his artistic abilities, and pasted a smile onto her face instead. "Maybe you-"

Her comment was interrupted by a crashing sound from outside the window. All three of the kitchen occupants turned toward the noise, as an older woman's voice rang out. "You miserable little rat! Get back here!"

Ash raced over to the window, throwing it open and peering outside, as Pikachu climbed up onto the windowsill. He was looking out over some sort of open-air market, where over a dozen vendors had set up stalls, selling fruit, produce, trinkets and more. One stall across the road from the Pokémon Center had multiple signs knocked over, and much of its inventory of berries on the ground. The stall owner, a brown-haired heavyset woman with fire in her eyes, was running out into the street with a blue-and-white, squirrel-like Pokémon by her side.

Ash followed her gaze down the road, spotting a bipedal, yellow, ferret-like Pokémon with red accents on its arms, legs and tail. The creature was glaring back tauntingly at the stall owner, unfazed by her anger, while holding several berries in its arms. Ash's eyebrows raised as he immediately recognized the Pokémon as a Mienfoo, a Fighting-type that Korrina had used in battle against Ash years ago.

"You're not getting away this time!" The owner of the stall pointed forward toward the thieving Mienfoo. "Pachirisu, use Discharge!"

Her Pokémon's cheeks began to spark with electricity, before an arc of it shot out of the creature's body, toward the escaping berry thief. Mienfoo dashed to the side with impressive speed, dodging the electricity with ease. In one smooth motion, the Pokémon reached down to grab a rock off the ground and flung it directly at its attacker. The rock struck Pachirisu square between the eyes, knocking it onto its back. The stall owner yelled out in incomprehensible rage, as Mienfoo turned and ran off with its plunder of berries.

"Wow, what's with that Mienfoo?" Ash asked aloud to nobody in particular, a hint of wonder in his voice. The merchant immediately to the right of the window spoke up to answer.

"She's been causing trouble for us for months," the older man replied. "She's always coming by the stalls, or sneaking into the stores, to steal food and berries and whatnot."

"Does she have a trainer?" Ash inquired, gears turning and plans forming in his head.

"I don't know if she did before, but she doesn't now. Plenty of trainers have tried to catch her, but she's too slick and too strong for them."

Ash was already grinning wide before the man had finished speaking. He could see both the challenge and the reward that would come from catching and training a stubborn but powerful Pokémon, and he was already determined to add her to his team. Recruiting Mienfoo on top of the Tyrunt and Amaura he was receiving later may have been excessive - and he would have to think of another Pokémon from his team to send to Professor Oak - but he was never one to pass up a golden opportunity like this.

"Well, she's never met me before!" he boasted. "Let's get out there, Pikachu!" He quickly pivoted toward the door, pausing as his eyes met Serena's, having nearly forgotten she was there. "Oh... um..."

She gave him an understanding smile. "Go ahead, Ash. I'll take care of the rest of these. It's no problem."

"Thanks, Serena!" He dashed to the door, giving her hand a quick squeeze as he ran by, with Pikachu following after him. She watched him toss his apron aside as he ran out the door, skidding around a corner in his haste to intercept the Mienfoo, before she turned back to the counter and got started on a third batch of batter, grinning and humming to herself. It had been fun baking alongside Ash, but this was definitely going to go faster without him.

In an alley several blocks away, Mienfoo was gorging on her stolen berries, filling her empty belly to bursting. A handful of Murkrow were watching from afar, hoping for an opportunity to nab some food from themselves, but one glare from Mienfoo sent them scattering. The wild Pokémon of Anistar City had learned not to tangle with this berry thief.

"There you are!" Mienfoo jumped up and whirled around, spotting Ash at the entrance to the alley, with Pikachu on his shoulder and Growlithe at his feet, yipping triumphantly. She eyed him with clear suspicion, already having a good idea of what he wanted. She'd dealt with enough ambitious trainers over the past few months.

"The people here told me that you're really strong," Ash continued. "And you had some good moves earlier, at the market. You're just the kind of Pokémon I'd love to add to my team."

Mienfoo glared at him for a moment, giving the idea the barest amount of consideration, before giving her nonverbal answer. She tucked her last remaining Oran Berry under her left arm before charging forward at high speed, looking to escape.

Ash grinned excitedly, ready to test this wild Pokémon in battle. "Growlithe, use Ember!"

The Puppy Pokémon yipped before spitting out a small fireball in Mienfoo's direction. The wild Pokémon leaped away with ease, kicking off the wall of the alley and launching herself into Growlithe's side with a powerful tackle. Growlithe yelped, skidding along the ground and slamming into the alley wall, crumpling for a moment before she could get back on her feet. Mienfoo continued forward, undeterred.

"Holy cow!" Ash turned toward his partner on his shoulder. "Pikachu, stop her with Iron Tail, quick!"

Pikachu leaped down to the ground, racing toward Mienfoo as his tail became as hard as iron. Once he was close enough, he leaped into the air and spun around, swinging his tail horizontally toward Mienfoo's head. The wild Pokémon bent backward and slid forward on her knees, ducking underneath the tail as if it were a limbo stick. She sprang forward again and slammed her glowing Force Palm into Pikachu's torso, knocking him away.

Ash's eyes widened as he saw Pikachu flying back toward him, reaching out and catching the Pokémon projectile in his arms. He only had a moment to look back and react as Mienfoo leaped into the air, throwing a fistful of dirt and sand into his face. He instantly shut his eyes, able to block the dirt from getting in, but he coughed as the improvised attack found its way into his nose and mouth. An instant later, he was knocked onto his back, coughing a second time as Mienfoo landed on his chest before leaping off again. He opened his eyes and watched the Pokémon escape down the street, still carrying her stolen Oran Berry in her arms.

Even as he groaned and coughed, he couldn't help but be amazed at what he'd seen. Mienfoo's strength was average for an un-evolved Fighting-type Pokémon, but her speed and evasiveness were spectacular. It was no wonder no trainers had managed to catch her so far; they probably hadn't been able to lay a finger on her. As he watched her turn a corner and disappear again, however, he wondered if he was going to have any better luck.

"Ash! Are you okay?" He turned his head in the other direction as a familiar female voice spoke to him, eyes lighting up at the sight of the purple-haired girl kneeling next to him.

"Iris!" Ash propped himself up onto one elbow, as Pikachu sat up on his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just walking through town, when I saw that Mienfoo cleaning your clock."

He grumbled and looked down. "She took me by surprise, that's all..."

She reached out and brushed some dirt off of his face, along with some excess flour. "Did she try baking you into a cake or something? You're covered in flour."

"No, that's from... never mind." Ash wiped his sleeve against his face, cleaning off the rest of it, as Pikachu hopped off of him. "I need to track that Mienfoo down before she gets too far away."

Iris smirked and stood up next to him. "If she got past you so easily, it might take two of us to take her down."

He looked up at her with wide eyes, as the implication of her words sunk in. "Two of us...?" He was a bit taken aback, not expecting an offer like that after their brief fight this morning.

She grinned down at him, extending her hand to help him up. "Come on, Ash. Let's go catch that Mienfoo."

His face soon split into a matching grin, as he grasped her hand and she pulled him to his feet. Iris really was a true friend, through and through. He could barely imagine what he had been so worried about before.

Ash, Iris and Pikachu all turned and ran down the sidewalk, following Growlithe as she pursued Mienfoo's scent through downtown Anistar City.

Growlithe's nose soon led them to a park four blocks away. She ran up to a tree and pawed at it with both paws, barking loudly and repeatedly. Up among the tree's branches, Mienfoo sat up from her lying position on a rather thick and sturdy branch, looking down at the ground below with irritation. Ash and Pikachu were running up to her chosen tree, with Iris and her Excadrill lagging behind, as Ash returned Growlithe to her Poké Ball. Grumbling, Mienfoo quickly hopped up to her feet, and began leaping from one branch to the next.

"Excadrill, use Focus Blast!" Iris commanded. Her Pokémon stood still for a moment, forming an energy ball in his hands in a little less than a second. He flung it upward at the retreating Mienfoo, who jumped away from it without a second thought. As she flew in the air toward the next branch, she was unable to evade the Thunderbolt that Pikachu sent her way, and she crashed into the next branch instead of landing on it. She hung gracelessly with both arms from the branch, which bowed slightly under her weight.

"Pikachu, smack the tree with Iron Tail! Knock her out of it!" Ash called out. Pikachu leaped at the tree, his tail hard as iron, ready to swing. Mienfoo grunted and pulled down on the branch as hard as she could, snapping it off at the base and sending her plummeting to the ground. By the time Pikachu struck the tree, Mienfoo was already on her way down, with the branch still in her hands. She swung it down like a baseball bat, slamming it into Pikachu's head and snapping it in half. Pikachu cried out in pain, swatted down to the ground by the branch and dazed by the impact, needing a few moments before he could get back up.

"Wow, this thing..." Iris mumbled under her breath, before speaking up again. "Use Fury Swipes!"

Her Excadrill rushed forward, claws on both paws extended, and began swiping furiously at the Fighting-type Pokémon. Mienfoo's eyes glowed blue as she dodged, ducked under, and leaped over one attack after another, a clear sign of Detect. After dodging a dozen swipes, she swung the broken branch into Excadrill's claw, splintering it into pieces and briefly distracting Iris's Pokémon. Mienfoo took advantage of the moment to dash forward and thrust a Force Palm into Excadrill's gut. The force of the attack knocked Excadrill onto his back, more inconvenienced than injured.

"Excadrill, go underground!" Iris ordered. Her Pokémon responded quickly, closing up and forming a drill before burrowing underground. Mienfoo started to dash away, seeing an opportunity to escape, but a second Thunderbolt from a recovered Pikachu wracked her body and dropped her to one knee. The momentary pause was just enough, and Excadrill emerged directly from underneath her, sending her flying into the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.

Mienfoo pushed herself back up, breathing hard as she looked back and forth between her two opponents. She wasn't very well-equipped to take hard hits, preferring to dodge them instead, and she knew one more strong attack could put her down for the count. Thinking quickly, she started throwing pieces of the broken branch at both of them, wanting to keep them off-balance so they couldn't counterattack. Pikachu dodged them easily, but Excadrill found himself pelted repeatedly, having to raise his claws to protect his eyes.

"Pikachu, get behind her and prepare Electroweb!" Pikachu obeyed his trainer's command, zipping around to cut off Mienfoo's escape. He stared her down as he began charging a ball of electricity on his tail, making it larger and larger, waiting for the command to throw it. Mienfoo stared right back, her breathing labored as she waited for the web to come out, prepared to dive through any opening in the web that she could.

"Now! Tunnel Attack!" Iris's voice rang out.

Mienfoo blinked and spun around, gasping as she saw Excadrill diving at her with his claws outstretched. She tried in vain to get away, but his claws grabbed firmly onto her, and the two Pokémon vanished underground. Pikachu stood up, the electricity on his tail dissipating, and he waited for the two to reemerge, along with Ash and Iris. A few seconds later, Mienfoo shot out of the ground with Excadrill right behind. She hit the ground hard and rolled to a stop, not even attempting to get back up, dazed and defeated.

"Yes! Now's my chance!" Ash reached down to his belt, grabbing one of the spare Poké Balls that he had on hand. He looked back up at the stunned Mienfoo and-

"Go, Poké Ball!"

Ash froze in place as a different capture device flew through the air, making a direct hit on Mienfoo's stomach. He nearly cried out in shock, looking to his right, where Iris still had her arm extended, her eyes locked on the wild Pokémon.

"What?! What are you doing?!" he demanded, receiving no answer. Both trainers watched as the wild Mienfoo was sucked into the ball, which dropped to the ground. With each twitch of the Poké Ball, Ash could feel his heart sinking further. Finally, the ball went still and emitted a quiet chime, and his heart fell into his stomach.

"Yes! We got it!" Iris pumped her fist into the air before running forward. "Great job, Excadrill!"

"Iris!" Ash shouted, confused and enraged. "What are you doing?! I thought you were helping me!"

"I'm catching Mienfoo!" she explained plainly, running over to Excadrill. "She's too good of a fighter to let go."

"That's not fair!" he shot back, running after her. "She was mine!"

"How do you figure?" she responded, brushing some dirt off of Excadrill with her hand. "It's not like your name was on her. We both fought her. And Excadrill did most of the damage, anyway." She returned her partner to his Poké Ball.

"Come on, Iris!" Ash was nearly despondent. "You know how much I wanted to catch that Pokémon!"

"Hm, is that so?" Iris kneeled down to pick up Mienfoo's Poké Ball. "Well, it seems to me that I have something you want..." She turned to him with a sly smile. "...And you have something I want."

Ash stared in dumb disbelief at Iris, feeling as if his head was going to explode. He tried and failed to form words for several long moments, as the full impact of Iris's scheme bore down on him, leaving him a strange mix of furious, impressed, and slightly intimidated. He had deeply underestimated her determination to get what she wanted, and he was slightly nervous about what that might mean for the future. He was fairly certain his eye was twitching.

He eventually let out a long, world-weary sigh, as he held his head in his hand. "Fine... fine, Iris, you win. Let's go back and- HRK!" His words were cut off as Iris threw her arms around him in a bone-crushing embrace.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squeezed him tightly, as excited as she'd ever been. "I can't tell you how much this means to me!" She let go of him, allowing him to breathe again, before grasping his hand and starting to run off. "Come on, let's go right now!"

"Iris!" he protested, as she began dragging him along. "The Tyrunt isn't even here yet!" He ran after her, trying to keep up, as Pikachu dashed after the both of them.

Later that afternoon, Ash and Iris were standing in front of a trade machine back at the Pokémon Center, waiting for it to finish warming up. The machine let out a beep to indicate its readiness, and Iris excitedly placed Mienfoo's Poké Ball in its container. Ash took out the Poké Ball that contained his brand-new Tyrunt, staring at it wistfully for a moment, before letting out a sigh and placing it in its container. At least he had been able to say hello to the fossil Pokémon, and register it to his Pokédex, before handing it over.

Both Ash and Iris stepped back as the machine began its work, standing next to their other three companions, who were watching the process with expressions ranging between amusement and resignation. All of them were surprised to hear how the argument had been resolved, especially when the finer details of Mienfoo's capture had come out. Serena in particular had been utterly exasperated by the resolution to their feud, but so long as the two of them were friendly again, she had decided to just let the matter drop. This had done little to get Iris back into Serena's good graces, however.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Ash," Iris reiterated for maybe the tenth time that day. "I know this isn't exactly a fair trade..."

"Yeah, but it's fine." Ash shrugged, having made his peace with this. "I probably wouldn't have caught Mienfoo without your help, anyway. And I know you'll appreciate Tyrunt a lot more than I would."

She reached out and gave his hand a grateful and loving squeeze. "You're the best friend I could ever ask for, Ash. I'll make this up to you somehow, I promise."

He smiled a genuine smile as he squeezed back. "Yeah, I know." He exhaled slowly as he watched the machine do its work, thankful that the two of them had managed to work out their differences, as difficult as it had been. This wasn't exactly how he wanted the two of them to make up, but at least now they could all continue on in peace.

Soon the machine emitted a satisfied beeping sound, signaling that the trade was complete, and Iris let out a noise close to a squeal, one that Ash had never heard from her before. She rushed over to her side of the machine and threw open the small door to the Poké Ball container, reaching in to grab the ball inside. She didn't hesitate in pressing the button on the front, wanting to see her new Pokémon for herself.

"Come on out, Tyrunt!" she declared excitedly, watching as a mass of red energy spilled out of the Poké Ball and onto the ground. It quickly took the shape of a short, bipedal, dinosaur-like creature, with a large head and a massive jaw. The creature had short but strong legs, small and weak arms, a spiky white mane around its neck, and a pair of orange horns atop its head.

"Hi there!" Iris kneeled down in front of the creature, a disbelieving smile on her face. "My name's Iris, and I've been waiting my whole life to meet you! I know we're going to be the best of friends!" She reached out and pet Tyrunt gently on top of its head. The Pokémon let out a high-pitched, reptilian cheer, and he leaned forward and clamped his powerful jaw affectionately onto Iris's arm.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Iris's smile gave way to an expression of sharp pain, as she shook her arm to try and dislodge her well-intentioned attacker. "Let go, let go!" Tyrunt quickly released her arm, cocking his head at her in confusion, as she held her sore arm gently.

"Well, this is what you wanted, Iris," Serena spoke up, unable to keep a taunting tone out of her voice. "Hope you're ready for it."

"Ngh... I've never been more ready for anything," Iris insisted, forcing a smile onto her face. Everyone watched as she reached out to scratch behind his ear, in a way that she knew almost all Dragon-types liked. The Tyrunt mewled and leaned into her touch, immediately relaxing enough to fall over onto her knee. She giggled and lifted the creature into her arms, grunting lightly at the weight, as she continued to scratch. The smile on her face was a smile of pure, unrestrained joy, the kind of smile that people only show a handful of times in their lives.

"Come on, you. Let's find out what sort of food you like to eat." She turned and walked back into the Pokémon Center lobby, and the other four followed her out, all of them a little touched at the sight of Iris's dream coming true.

Chapter Text

Iris lay in her bed in the Pokémon Center, staring and smiling at the Poké Ball she held in her hands, containing the Tyrunt she had acquired earlier that day. Her initial high had subsided several hours ago, reverting her to her normal state, but she had still been in an uncharacteristically good mood for the remainder of the night. She felt a little guilty over how she had actually obtained the Pokémon, but there hadn't been any real harm done, so she decided to not beat herself up over it. She definitely owed Ash a debt of gratitude for this, though.

Her four traveling companions were getting ready for bed around her, in addition to packing up their belongings. They had spent a long time in Anistar City, more than they had planned, and it was past time for them to hit the road again. Madison's showcase in Couriway Town was a week away, but she wanted to arrive as early as possible, so that she could have more time to practice her routine with Barrett. Ash was eager to resume traveling as well, even though he didn't have a pressing deadline he needed to meet; he just got antsy if he stayed in one place for too long.

"That must be a deep conversation you're having with that Poké Ball, Iris," Brock joked from his bunk.

"It is," Iris replied, not looking his way. "I'm learning about all of his hopes and dreams. It's very enlightening."

"Why don't you just let Tyrunt out?" Ash asked, sliding into his bed.

"Maybe if we weren't in a Pokémon Center," she answered. "I'm just worried about how he'll behave. I don't want to wake up with him eating my hair or something. I'll take him out of the ball more when we're on the road."

"I'm sure you'll be able to make him less temperamental, with some training," Serena chimed in, as she finished tying up her hair. "Maybe you can get him a barbell to chew on."

Iris smiled gently. "Better that than my arm."

"Exactly." Serena stood up, walking toward the door. "I'm going to wash my face quick." She stepped outside, her phone in one hand and a bottle of face wash in the other, turning toward the showers.

"Can we leave early tomorrow?" Madison asked anxiously. "Barrett's going to be in Couriway Town in two days, and I'd rather not keep him waiting..."

"I bet we can get out of here by nine," Brock responded. "That will let us get a nice big breakfast before we leave. If we move quickly, we can probably get to Couriway in five days."

Iris was about to speak up, but was silenced by two short buzzes from her phone, indicating a text message. As she reached down to pluck the phone from its charger, she felt it buzzing again, and she quickly turned the screen on to see who was trying to talk to her this late at night. Her eyebrows raised as she saw the person contacting her was Serena. She tapped on the message, confused, wondering why Serena was sending texts from the bathroom.

Serena (9:42 p.m.): I wanted to tell you that what you did today was really low. I never thought I'd see you do something like that.

Serena (9:43 p.m.): It was deceitful and underhanded and Ash doesn't deserve to be treated that way. He would never do anything like that to you.

Iris stared quietly at the messages for a few moments, reading them several times, her heart dropping into her stomach and her face growing hot with shame. The latent guilt she had been suppressing all evening was suddenly unleashed in full force, and she felt like a young schoolgirl being scolded by her teacher for misbehaving. Serena had apparently decided she wasn't going to simply let the matter drop after all. So much for no harm done.

Iris eventually reached out with her free hand, navigating around her sleeping Axew, and typed out a quick reply.

Iris (9:45 p.m.): I know

She kept her eyes on her phone, waiting for a response, barely aware that Ash was saying something to her.

"...Could do some training tomorrow, maybe?" he asked. "We could have Tyrunt battle against Mienfoo, or Amaura. What do you think?"

"Yeah, sure," she answered mindlessly, all of her attention still on her phone. The messaging app indicating that Serena was responding, and she waited with bated breath for her reply.

Serena (9:46 pm.): That Tyrunt should belong to Ash. It should be his decision what to do with it.

Iris took a deep but quiet breath as she typed out her reply, her hands feeling a bit weak. Under normal circumstances she would have been more defensive, but all she was feeling was ashamed and small. She couldn't deny the truth in Serena's words.

Iris (9:46 p.m.): I'm not giving it back. I can't

Serena (9:47 p.m.): Why can't you?

Iris drowned out the dying conversation in the room, focused hard on writing out her lengthy reply. She needed to do this right.

Iris (9:50 p.m.): Have you ever had a lifelong dream that you had always hoped would come true, but you knew in your heart that it never would? But then one day you suddenly find out you have a chance, and you have to act on it before it slips away forever?

Iris (9:51 p.m.): Wouldn't you do everything you could to try and make that dream come true, no matter what?

She felt her heart pounding as she waited for Serena's reply. The seconds stretched into minutes, as she wondered if Serena was simply washing her face, or if she was preparing some sort of blistering retort. Finally, after two minutes that lasted an eternity, her response arrived.

Serena (9:53 p.m.): You need to make this up to him.

Iris let out a sigh, feeling as if she had just staged a death-defying escape, as she sent another reply.

Iris (9:53 p.m.): I will, I promise

She waited for another message for a few moments, before the door opened and Serena stepped back into the room, her face and bangs slightly wet. Iris sat up and looked toward her, trying to meet her gaze, but Serena kept her eyes focused on her bed, which was directly under Iris's bunk.

"Goodnight, everyone," she spoke in a quiet but gentle voice, not giving any indication that anything was wrong. Iris lay back and turned toward the wall, her face falling, feeling like she had just driven a wedge between herself and someone who she considered to be a good friend.

Her voice joined in with the chorus of goodnights from the others, as she plugged in her phone to charge. She lay back and covered herself with her blankets, closing her eyes and eventually drifting into a less-than-restful sleep.

After a full day of traveling, the group finally stopped to set up camp in a large clearing, underneath a sky that was just starting to change color. Brock took up his usual role of cooking dinner, while the others started pitching their tents. Once Ash had his tent set up, he reached for his belt and grabbed every Poké Ball on it at once.

"Come on out, everyone!" he declared, tossing the balls into the air. In a flash of red light, Snivy, Growlithe, Absol, Mienfoo and Houndour all appeared in the clearing, looking around for a moment to take in their surroundings. The other trainers followed suit, and soon the field was full of Pokémon of various shapes and sizes, stretching out and taking up space.

Growlithe turned around excitedly, looking around the field for a companion to play with, when a nudge to her side nearly knocked her off her feet. She turned toward the nudge, yipping happily as she saw Serena's Skiddo there, eager to play. The goat Pokémon had grown quickly since he had hatched, and he was already larger than Growlithe was, though only by a couple of inches in height. He bleated at her eagerly, and she responded by leaping onto his back, clinging to him tightly. He began to buck and jump around, kicking his legs as he tried to dislodge her, as part of a game the two of them had invented.

Nearby, Houndour was watching the two of them jealously, not happy that his usual playmate had been usurped by Skiddo. After a few moments, he barked and ran toward them, jumping up and trying to push Growlithe off of Skiddo's back. He was partly joining in the game, and partly trying to end it so he could have Growlithe's undivided attention. Growlithe tried to bat him away with her paw, while Skiddo continued jumping about, not at all bothered by Houndour inviting himself into the game.

The other Pokémon stood back to give the rowdy group some space. Snivy and Delphox watched the fracas with smirks on their faces, an air of maturity about the both of them, as if they were far above such childish games. Absol lay down and relaxed, grooming himself alongside Madison's Roselia and Serena's Sylveon, while Pancham and Axew watched the tussle with great interest, wondering how they could get in on this play session. Mienfoo watched disdainfully, her arms folded, looking entirely unhappy to be here. The other Pokémon mostly stayed away, conversing among themselves and minding their own business.

Ash spent several minutes watching Skiddo, Growlithe and Houndour running about, a wide smile on his face, before turning his attention toward one of his traveling companions. "Hey, Iris! What do you think about a battle? We can fit some training in before we eat."

"Huh?" Iris glanced over at him as she finished hammering in her final tent stake. "Oh, yeah, sure!" She hopped up and followed him to an unoccupied patch of grass, not about to say no to anything he asked. They took up positions opposite each other, and Ash turned his head back toward his tent.

"Hey, Mienfoo!" he called out, catching the Pokémon's attention. "Come on over here! Let's do some battling!" She looked back at him contemplatively for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders and wandering over to the makeshift battlefield, not in any sort of hurry. Once she was in position, Iris reached to her belt and tossed a Poké Ball onto the battlefield, summoning Tyrunt to the battle. Mienfoo sized up her opponent curiously, never having seen this species of Pokémon before.

"Alright, Tyrunt, let's see what you can do!" Iris called out, a wild smile on her face. She was still having trouble believing that this Pokémon was really hers. "Use Tackle!" Her Pokémon let out a high-pitched, adorable roar and started lumbering forward, a bit unsteady on newly-restored feet. Mienfoo stared and watched Tyrunt approach, looking incredulous.

"Dodge it and use Pound!" Ash commanded. Mienfoo grumbled and easily sidestepped the attack as Tyrunt charged on by, but didn't bother retaliating as her trainer had ordered. Ash frowned, worried that he might have an attitude problem to deal with, as Iris called out again.

"Get her with Bite!" Tyrunt turned around a bit awkwardly, still learning to balance with his overlarge head, and opened his jaw to clamp it down on Mienfoo's arm. The ferret Pokémon reached out and grabbed both halves of his jaw, one in each hand, and held him off with little effort. Tyrunt growled and tried as hard as he could to bite down, and Ash could see Mienfoo's arms trembling slightly, but it was still a very uneven power struggle. Mienfoo eventually shifted her body weight and tossed Tyrunt away, and the dinosaur Pokémon needed a moment to get back to his feet.

Ash took a moment to figure out what to do next. He had some experience with disobedient Pokémon, but that didn't make handling any particular one any easier. "Alright, Mienfoo, use-"

Mienfoo didn't wait to listen to his next command. She turned on her heel and walked straight off the battlefield, giving Ash a look of disgust as she strolled past him and toward the forest. Ash, Iris and Tyrunt all stared in disbelief as she began attacking a nearby tree, using a flurry of punches and kicks that looked a lot like Close Combat.

"What a little brat!" Iris exclaimed angrily. She stepped forward and cupped her hands to her mouth. "Sorry that my Tyrunt isn't enough of a challenge for you, your Highness!" Mienfoo paid her no heed.

Ash groaned, rubbing his temple. "Looks like I've got some work to do... I'll talk to her later." He turned toward his bag, which he had set down close by. "I think Amaura will be a better matchup for Tyrunt, anyway."

He reached into his bag and pulled out what looked like a very small cooler, roughly the size of a cereal bowl. Popping the cooler open revealed a Poké Ball surrounded by ice, covered in a thin layer of frost. This was his solution for keeping the Ice-type Amaura comfortable, as the species had lived in frigid locales when they walked the planet millions of years ago. If the Pokémon ever evolved into an Aurorus, it would be more able to regulate its body temperature.

Ash reached in and pulled the Poké Ball out, immediately wincing at the sensation of the ice-cold metal against his skin. "Ooh! Cold! Cold!" He tossed the ball from one hand to another for a few seconds, before he finally pressed the button on the front and released the Pokémon onto the battlefield. The Pokémon that emerged was roughly three feet tall, having the appearance of a sky-blue, long-necked dinosaur, with red and yellow fins atop its head.

"Amaura, do you want to try your hand at a Pokémon battle?" Ash asked. The Pokémon looked back at him and nodded affirmatively, looking much more interested and energized than Mienfoo had been. Tyrunt walked awkwardly back to his initial position, and the battle began for a second time.

"Use Tackle again, Tyrunt!" Iris commanded. Her Pokémon ran forward once again, a little more smoothly this time.

"Slow him down with Powder Snow!" Ash countered. Amaura nodded and took in a deep breath, exhaling a weak wind laced with loose snow, aiming it directly at Tyrunt. The dinosaur Pokémon grunted and slowed down as the snow got into his eyes, but his charge still hit its mark, and Amaura was knocked back by Tyrunt's large head. He skidded along the ground for a few yards, but managed to keep his balance and stay on his feet.

Even though his Pokémon had just taken a body blow, Ash couldn't help but grin. Watching these two newly-revived, unskilled battlers go up against each other reminded him of his earliest days as a trainer. Back when he was one of many new trainers, his battles often went like this, with one unskilled Pokémon floundering its way to victory against another. Now, years later, it was just as satisfying watching a new Pokémon slowly learning the art of battle. He couldn't wait to see how his Amaura developed.

Both trainers issued new commands, and the two Pokémon continued attacking each other, until Serena called everyone over to eat.

Dinner was delicious, as usual, and once the dishes were cleaned up, the group got to talking around the campfire as they often did. Iris was somewhat quieter than usual, still feeling contrite and awkward in Serena's presence. Ash, however, was much quieter than he usually was, and he spent most of the evening with his head down, deep in thought. Pikachu was relaxing on the boy's lap, not yet sleepy but still happy to take it easy next to a warm fire.

"Ash, are you alright?" Serena eventually asked, looking toward him with concern. "You've barely said anything all night."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded. "Just been thinking."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm trying to figure out what to do about Mienfoo," Ash responded. "I don't want what happened today to keep happening. If it does, it's going to be a big problem."

"She seems kind of stuck-up," Madison chimed in. "She didn't want to be with anyone else earlier."

"I think she's just unhappy," Ash responded. "She didn't want to be caught. I think she might have had a bad experience with her last trainer."

"How do you know she had a trainer?" Serena asked.

"She's too good of a battler for her to not have had one. The way she fights, the way she moves... wild Pokémon don't usually learn that on their own. Maybe her last trainer was just a big jerk, and she doesn't trust them now."

"Whoever it was, they must have been bad, if Mienfoo would rather steal food to survive," Brock contributed. Iris nodded along in agreement, not daring to say a word. Given the circumstances behind Mienfoo's capture, she didn't feel as though her opinions on the subject would be welcome.

"Still, she hasn't tried to leave," Madison offered contemplatively. "So she can't be that unhappy, can she?"

"Yeah... there's hope, for sure." Ash looked down again, mulling this over. The group was silent for a moment, as they sat and listened to the crackling of the campfire, before Ash lifted Pikachu into his arms and stood up.

"I think I'm going to try and work things out with her," he said, turning toward the forest. "It might be a while. Don't wait up for me."

Serena sat up straight, instinctively wanting to follow him. "Ash, where are you going?"

"Just somewhere with a bit more space. We'll probably need it." He gave the group a casual wave with one hand as he started walking away, and everyone watched curiously as he and Pikachu disappeared into the trees.

A few minutes later, Ash came to a stop as he came across a small clearing. He looked over it for a minute, gauging its size, before looking down at the Pokémon he held in his arms.

"This looks like a good battlefield, don't you think?" he asked. Pikachu's face lit up, intrigued by the prospect of a battle, and he quickly voiced his agreement. Ash set the Pokémon down before reaching to his belt, pulling out a Poké Ball and summoning another Pokémon to the battlefield. Mienfoo looked around in confusion as she appeared, not sure why she was being called out deep in the forest, or with so little daylight left.

"Hey, Mienfoo," Ash spoke gently, capturing her attention. "I wanted to talk about what happened earlier today." The ferret Pokémon rolled her eyes, certain that a lecture or a tongue-lashing was incoming, and she wasn't interested in either one.

"You didn't want to battle an easy opponent like Tyrunt, did you?" the boy continued. "You wanted to take on someone at your level." He had to fight off a smile as he saw Mienfoo's eyebrows raise with intrigue. It seemed like he was on the right track.

"Well, here's your chance." Ash gestured down toward the Pikachu at his feet. "Pikachu's the best Pokémon I've got. He's been my partner for years. He's really fast and super strong. If anyone can give you a good battle, it's him. What do you say?" Pikachu was down on all fours, electricity sparking from his cheeks as he stared Mienfoo down, eager for a rematch.

Mienfoo gave Pikachu a careful evaluation as she scanned him with her eyes, thinking back to their brief tussle the day before. She knew that Pikachu's electric attacks were potent, and while he may not have moved as well as she did, she couldn't deny the skill and training he had shown. She eventually dropped into a fighting stance, implicitly accepting Ash's offer for a battle. At the least, she would be able to prove that she was better than whoever Ash currently had.

Ash grinned and called out his first command. "Pikachu, get her with Quick Attack!"

Pikachu shot forward with the incredible speed he was known for, on a collision course with his opponent. Mienfoo stood her ground, her eyes glowing blue, and she smoothly sidestepped Pikachu's attack with the help of Detect. As Pikachu screeched to a halt and turned around, he was knocked away by Mienfoo's Force Palm, which sent him rolling across the ground. He quickly recovered and got back up, minimally damaged.

"Quickly, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out. Pikachu responded immediately, flexing his muscles and shooting out a powerful bolt of electricity in Mienfoo's direction. The ferret Pokémon clapped her hands together, as they started glowing with a red energy, and she thrust them out in front of her. A red energy shield, the result of a Quick Guard, appeared in front of her to intercept the attack. The Thunderbolt sparked and danced wildly as it hit the improvised shield, which ultimately shattered under the force of the assault. Mienfoo received a healthy zap from the attack, though it was substantially weaker than it could have been.

Mienfoo bristled and leaped forward, dashing toward Pikachu as soon as she could move again. Pikachu yelped and tried to move away, but he was unable to escape the incoming Close Combat. He was battered by a flurry of kicks and punches, hitting him all over his body, leaving him briefly unable to respond. She leaped away after landing the final blow, taking a moment to recover her stamina, as an irritated Pikachu got back to his feet.

Ash had to fight to keep his focus on the battle, proud of how well Mienfoo was doing against his ace Pokémon. Her feet were quick, and her reflexes were quicker. It was a rare Pokémon who could give Pikachu a run for his money in the speed department. Regardless, if Mienfoo wanted to win this battle, he was going to make sure she earned it.

"Use Agility! Run around her and prepare a Volt Tackle!" Pikachu did as he was told, his body glowing as his speed increased drastically, and he began running circles around his opponent, nearly too fast to be seen. Mienfoo tried to keep track of where Pikachu was, but was unable to keep up with his incredible speed. She kept her guard up, her eyes glowing blue again as she anticipated the attack.

After a few moments, Pikachu pivoted and dashed toward his opponent, his whole body sparking with built-up electricity. Mienfoo was barely able to move out of the way, thanks to her use of Detect, though the attack was close enough to make her fur stand on end. Before Pikachu had even passed by her, however, Ash had already commanded a follow-up attack.

"Turn and use Iron Tail!"

As soon as Pikachu passed by Mienfoo, he spun around on his feet and swung his iron-hard tail, still charged with electricity, directly into Mienfoo's stomach. The assault knocked the air out of her and knocked her off her feet, sending her flying through the air and landing on her back. She groaned as she started getting to her feet, struggling to catch her breath and sore all over from the electric shock. Just like the day before, her poor defense was proving to be a handicap against an opponent who had both speed and strength.

"Now hit her with Thunderbolt, full power!" Ash called out. Mienfoo looked up at his words, eyes widening as Pikachu started glowing bright enough to light up the clearing. She tried to form another Quick Guard, but her sore muscles weren't fast enough. She was unable to stop the massive bolt of electricity that shot through the air and struck her in the chest, coursing painfully through her entire body.

After what felt like ages, the shock finally subsided, leaving her swaying on her feet. She tried to focus her blurry eyes on Pikachu, wanting to prepare another attack, but her body wouldn't respond. Her muscles felt like they were made of lead, and her thoughts were slow and hazy. Before she realized it, she was falling backward to the soft earth, and her vision went black as she hit the ground.

Mienfoo was still lying on her back when she woke up a few minutes later, though she was no longer on the ground. She could see trees moving above her, lit by the last dying vestiges of daylight, which confused her until she realized that she was the one moving, not the trees. She turned her head to see Ash's face hovering above her, a neutral expression on his face, and she realized that she was being carried in his arms.

He noticed the stirring in his arms and glanced down, offering her a smile. "Hey, you're awake. That was quick."

She reflexively tried to push herself away, wanting some personal space, but her sore muscles refused to respond properly to her commands, and she ended up squirming ineffectually in his arms. He quickly shook his head to dissuade her.

"Whoa, whoa! Just relax, don't try to move. That Thunderbolt did a number on you. Don't worry, I'll get you fixed up."

Mienfoo grumbled and reluctantly lay back, letting herself be ferried along, not having much choice in the matter. As she lay back, she couldn't help but focus on the sensation of being carried in her trainer's arms, which she had never experienced before. Her previous trainer had been effective at bringing out the best in his Pokémon, but he had also been cold and distant, doing little to create any sort of personal bond with his team. The only human touch she was familiar with was that of Nurse Joy. She wasn't used to the sensation of being held in a pair of strong but gentle arms, feeling the warmth of her trainer's body as she rested partly against his chest, and the steady, calming pulse of his heartbeat.

After a few moments, she let her eyes droop and her body relax, as she sank further into his arms. Looking up, she could see his smile grow, and he glanced back down at her. She immediately turned her head away, not wanting to meet his eyes, feeling heat rising into her cheeks.

She continued looking away as they re-entered the campground, and he bent down to retrieve a Super Potion from his bag before walking over to the campfire, which had been abandoned by the other tired travelers. He took a seat on a log that had been rolled up next to the fire, sitting Mienfoo gently on his leg. Pikachu, who had been walking alongside them, clambered up onto the log as well, sitting on Ash's other side.

"You did a great job in that battle, you know," he began, as he opened the cap to the Super Potion with one hand, holding the Pokémon up with the other. "I can't remember the last time I saw a Pokémon move and evade attacks like you do. You were giving Pikachu a run for his money for a little while." He started spraying her body with the medicine bottle, paying attention to the areas that were more damaged or bruised.

"I want to help you get even better," he continued. "I want you to be the best battler you can be. That's what you want, too, isn't it?" He tried to meet her gaze, but she continued to look stubbornly away. He shrugged and resumed applying the Super Potion, as she held still for him.

"If I'm going to help you, then I need you to help me, too. Not just in battles, but with my team. Training with you, all of them could get a lot stronger. I know they would have a lot to learn from you. All of us can get stronger together. If you do that, I promise I'll find really strong opponents for you to fight." He applied the last of the medicine and set the bottle aside. "What do you say? Does that sound okay to you?"

Ash tried once again to look into her eyes, but she turned away from him as much as she could, hiding her face from him. He sighed with disappointment, certain that she was still angry at him for capturing her. In truth, she didn't want him to see the deep red blush that was covering her entire face. She wasn't about to admit to him, or to herself, how nice it felt to be pampered and cared for by her trainer.

"Well, just think about it, okay? In the meantime, get some rest." He reached down to his belt for her Poké Ball and tapped it against her, returning her to the device. He stared at the contraption for a moment, hoping that he was doing the right thing.

"How'd it go?" Ash started a bit, looking up to see Iris walking over from her tent, dressed in her pajamas.

He exhaled and gave her a weak smile. "Okay, I hope. I don't know if she was really listening... I guess we'll find out the next time we do some training."

Iris took a seat on the log next to him, as Pikachu climbed onto his lap. "I'm sure it'll work out. You're a great trainer, Ash." She smirked playfully. "Almost as good as me."

He chuckled. "Thanks, Iris." The two of them sat quietly for a minute, staring into the fire, as Ash gently scratched Pikachu's head between his ears. The Pokémon murmured dreamily as he melted into his trainer's lap. Beside him, Iris's smile slowly faded from her face, as she allowed her thoughts to catch up to her. Her brief text message conversation with Serena was at the forefront of her mind, as it had been for much of the day.

She eventually spoke up. "Ash, I'm sorry I was such a butthead about Tyrunt. I took it way too far, I know."

"Hm?" He glanced over at her, surprised. He had thought this business had been over and done with. He took a moment to search for some comforting words. "I mean... I get it. You've wanted that Pokémon your whole life, haven't you?"

"Yes, but that's not an excuse," she responded, slumping forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "I could have found some better way of trading. I could have not been so harsh on Absol during our battle. I didn't have to be such a jerk about it. I just... getting Tyrunt at any cost was the only thing I could think about."

Ash's instinct was to offer some reassurance, to tell her that everything was fine, but he found himself hesitating. Everything wasn't fine. Iris had wronged him, and substantially at that. He'd had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity snatched away from him by her scheming. As kind and forgiving as he was, it felt wrong to just let this go.

"...I was really looking forward to raising that Tyrunt," he muttered after a moment, looking away from her. Iris nearly winced at his words, which felt like a knife through her heart. The two of them fell into silence again, one that felt much colder than the last.

"I haven't been a very good friend, have I?" Iris eventually spoke.

"What?" Ash turned fully to face her. "Because of this?"

"Not just this," she clarified. "It's been a lot of things. Teasing, yelling, losing my temper..."

A skeptical look crossed Ash's face. "Teasing, really? That's nothing. And yeah, there may have been some yelling, but you were just trying to-"

"But what about this?" she retorted, speaking a little more frantically. "There's no justifying the whole Tyrunt thing. That's not something friends do to each other." She slid her hand into her hair, holding her temple, clearly stressed. "Maybe you'd be better off if I had left with Shannon after all. Maybe I should-"

"Iris." Ash rest his hand firmly on Iris's shoulder, causing her to quiet down immediately. "Look... the whole Tyrunt thing was not cool, we know that. But think about everything else you've done while you were here! You helped us rebuild the Cyllage City Gym. You helped Serena win her last Princess Key. You saved all those Pokémon at the Chateau. You probably saved Absol's life by flying out to get those Antidotes. You even..." His voice grew a bit more sheepish. "Well, you helped me with those lessons..."

Iris couldn't keep a smirk from crossing her face, recalling her attempts to mold Ash into a better dancer. "Right, those."

"The point is, my journey's been way better because you were part of it." He moved his hand over to her other shoulder, letting his arm rest reassuringly around her, as his voice became more confident. "And even if we have some rough patches, you're still one of the best friends I have. That's something that will never change."

Ash could see Iris's eyes soften and shimmer, and he felt her shoulders relaxing. He smiled and pulled her closer, and she leaned in and rest her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Ash. Same to you."

He nodded, turning his gaze back to the fire, as they sat together for several quiet seconds. After letting the silence settle, he spoke up again, with a bit of a smirk in his voice. "You still owe me big time for that Tyrunt, though."

"Trust me, I know," she answered. "I'll find some way to pay you back." She opened her eyes and stood up, and his hand fell back into his lap. "I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight, Ash."

"Night, Iris." He watched her retreat into her tent, starting to feel tired himself. After staying and petting Pikachu for a few minutes longer, he stood up and extinguished the fire with a bucket of water, before retiring to his own tent for some rest.

The next morning, Ash was washing his face at a stream near the campsite, his stomach grumbling as the smell of breakfast pervaded the air. He began wiping his arm dry with his sleeve before remembering that he had brought a hand towel with him, which he used to finish drying himself off, hoping Serena had not been watching. He stood up and began walking back over to the campfire, when an unfamiliar voice drew his attention away.

"Hey! Aren't you Ash Ketchum?"

Ash looked over, along with the rest of the campers, to see a blond-haired boy waving and running in his direction. The boy looked no older than ten years old, and he had the starstruck look that many young people had when they saw Serena on the sidewalk.

"Yeah, that's me," he answered, causing the boy's face to light up even more. Closer to the campsite, most everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch this interaction.

"Wow! I can't believe it!" the boy responded. "I saw your battle in Cyllage City and I thought it was great! I'm a big fan!"

"Oh! Well, thanks a bunch!" Ash grinned wide, his chest swelling with pride as he studied the look of wonder on the boy's face. It had been a long time since he had met a fan of his, and the idea still felt somewhat surreal. He had to wonder how Serena dealt with this so often.

"My name's Robby! I just started my Pokémon journey, but I've already got two badges!" the youngster continued, the words falling out of him like water from a faucet. "Do you think you and I could have a Pokémon battle?"

This time it was Ash's face that lit up. "You bet! Let's do it!" He turned away and started running toward a more empty part of the clearing, where he and Iris had trained their Pokémon the day before.

"Ash!" he heard Serena call out. "You're not going to battle now, are you? It's almost time to eat!"

"Save some for me!" he insisted, taking up a position at the far end of the clearing. Serena sighed and rolled her eyes, not sure why she even bothered trying to dissuade him.

"How many Pokémon do you have?" Ash asked, as Robby reached down to his belt.

"I've got two so far!" the boy exclaimed proudly. "Can we try a double battle? I want more practice before I battle Olympia."

"No problem!" Ash answered, watching as his opponent tossed out two Poké Balls, summoning his Pokémon to the battlefield. The first was the fox-like Fennekin, which was likely Robby's starter from Professor Sycamore. The other was a bipedal, yellow-and-black Mawile, whose innocent and child-like face contrasted with the large, vicious mouth that hung from the back of its head.

Ash thought carefully about which Pokémon he wanted to battle with. He didn't want to steamroll the boy and crush his spirit, and he had some Pokémon of his own that could use some practice. After deliberating for a moment, he reached down to his belt and sent out his chosen combatants. Growlithe started jumping with excitement as she realized where she was, pawing at the ground excitedly, ready for battle. Mienfoo was much more reserved as she emerged, looking at her partner, then her opponents, then back at her trainer with a skeptical look.

"Bear with me, Mienfoo," Ash pleaded. "I want to see how you do in a double battle, and this one is low-stakes. Can you help me out?" Mienfoo sighed, looking disappointed, but she turned back to her opponents and adopted a fighting stance. Ash let out a small exhale of relief, as Iris walked up to the side of the makeshift battlefield, ready to officiate.

"Alright, you two ready?" Both trainers nodded, and she raised her hand in the air. "The battle begins... now!"

Robby jumped at the chance to make the first move. "Fennekin, use Ember! Mawile, spread it around with Fairy Wind!" His Pokémon complied immediately, as Fennekin spat out a small collection of embers from its mouth, while Mawile summoned a pink, sparkling wind to spread the flaming embers to both of their opponents.

Ash was slightly impressed by the combination attack, but also disappointed. Ember was a weak enough attack on its own, but when dispersed with Fairy Wind it would barely do anything. "Mienfoo, push those embers away with Force Palm! Growlithe, use an Ember of your own!" Growlithe acted right away to push back against the incoming embers, and to his relief, Mienfoo did the same with her glowing palm. The embers were knocked away effortlessly.

Robby quickly issued more commands, not wanting to give Ash the chance to attack if he could help it. "Fennekin, use more Embers on Mienfoo! Mawile, use Bite on Growlithe!" His Fennekin ran forward and spat out a large group of embers toward an unimpressed Mienfoo, who didn't need any help in dodging the assault. Mawile ran in Growlithe's direction, leaping and turning around so its threatening rear jaw was facing its opponent.

"Growlithe, dodge and bite right back!" Ash ordered. Growlithe leaped backward, just as Mawile's massive rear jaw clamped down where she had been, grabbing a bit of grass and soil in the tip of its teeth. Growlithe jumped forward and sank her teeth into Mawile's shoulder, who cried out in pain and struggled to get free.

Robby panicked at the sight of his Mawile in pain, responding reflexively. "Fennekin, use Flame Charge on Growlithe!" Fennekin growled and ran toward the tussle, her body growing hotter until she was surrounded by flames. At such a close distance, Growlithe wouldn't have time to let go and back off before getting hit.

"Mienfoo, protect Growlithe, quick!" Ash commanded. He couldn't see Mienfoo's expression, and he was unsure that she would put the effort into this battle, after their minimal discussion the night before. To his surprise, she leaped into action, clapping her hands together as she ran toward Growlithe and Mawile. She slid in front of them and cast her arms out in front of herself, forming a Quick Guard just before Fennekin made contact. The flaming fox slammed into the shield, straining it but failing to break it, and she bounced off of it and landed in a sitting position, mildly stunned.

"That was great, Mienfoo!" Ash praised, grinning from ear to ear. "Now attack Mawile with Pound!" She spun around to face Mawile, just as the Pokémon managed to shake Growlithe free. She reared her fist back and slammed it into Mawile's side, sending the Pokémon flying. Fennekin growled and barked as she got back to her feet, and Growlithe responded in kind, as Mienfoo kept her eyes on Mawile. Ash was beside himself with glee, thrilled that Mienfoo had decided to listen to him.

"Alright, you two, what do you say we go on the offensive?" Growlithe barked affirmatively, while Mienfoo gave a quick, affirmative nod, taking a moment to bask in the warm, tingly sensation of her trainer's earnest praise. She didn't allow her trainer to see, but her lips had curled up into a smile, for the first time in as long as she could remember.

Both trainer issued new commands, and the battle resumed.

Later that morning, after Ash claimed victory in his battle, all six of the travelers were finishing breakfast, listening as Robby talked about his journey so far. He told them how his older brother had placed fourth in the Kalos League the same year that Ash had competed, and then traveled to other regions in order to become a stronger trainer. Robby was now on his own journey, wanting to follow in his brother's footsteps.

"You're doing a good job so far," Ash encouraged, as he finished off his plate, which had been the fullest of the bunch. "Keep having lots of battles! The more you train your Pokémon, the stronger they'll get, and the better you'll get at directing them. You're going to go up against lots of people with lots of different strategies, and you'll want to see as many as you can so you can figure out how to beat them."

"That's what my brother taught me, too," Robby answered. "I've been trying to develop my own signature style, but it's a lot harder than I thought..."

"It seems a little early for that, don't you think?" Brock piped up. "You're still a new trainer. I doubt you've seen enough Pokémon battles to decide on a specific style, let alone develop one. Once you've battled enough, you'll realize what your strengths are, and your style will decide itself."

"That's what happened with me," Ash added. "I didn't mean to start battling the way I do. I just did what felt right, and played to my Pokémon's strengths."

"Hm..." Robby thought on this for a moment. Being told that he had to walk before he could run was discouraging, but he didn't want to discard advice from more accomplished trainers. He looked back up at Ash after a moment. "Do you think you could give me some tips on battling?"

"Sure!" Ash stood up and stepped away from the table, already fired up. "You guys don't mind if we practice for a bit, do you?"

"Go ahead, Ash," Serena encouraged with a smile. "We'll get things cleaned up here." She stood up and started gathering plates, looking in Iris's direction. "Iris, do you mind helping me with the dishes?"

"No problem!" Iris answered, perhaps a little too eagerly. The two worked together to collect plates and silverware, then walked them over to a wash basin that Serena had set up. They kneeled down next to it and began scrubbing dishes clean, as Ash and Brock began talking strategy with Robby, while Madison listened in.

"That boy has a one-track mind," Serena commented, as she listened to the conversation.

Iris nodded in agreement. "That's what he's always been like, as long as I've known him." The two of them kept cleaning quietly for a minute or so, the sound of strategy discussion filling the silence.

Serena was the one to speak up first, keeping her voice low. "I heard you apologize to Ash last night. I'm glad you did."

Iris froze for a moment, taken aback, before she continued cleaning. "Yeah... you were right. He didn't deserve what I did."

"I remember what you said yesterday, about having a dream that you never thought would come true." Serena grabbed a nearby hand towel and began to dry a plate. "I've had a dream like that, too."

"You have?" Iris looked up at her companion. "What was it?"

A somewhat dreamy smile spread across Serena's face. "I never thought I'd be able to travel with Ash again."

Iris grinned. "Well, that's sweet... and look at where you are now."

"Mhmm. I may not agree with how you went about things, but I understand why you did it."

"Yeah..." Iris looked down again, scrubbing the same plate clean for the third time without realizing it. "I sort of regret it, but I sort of... I know that if he had that Tyrunt and I didn't, I probably wouldn't be able to handle it."

Serena nodded, setting her dried plate aside. "I understand that, too. It was more important to you than I realized."

"It really was. If I want to be a Dragon Master, I need to be able to master every kind of Dragon-type. It's been my goal for as long as I can remember. After this, though... the way I acted..." Iris finally started drying her plate clean. "I just... hope I don't end up losing any friends over it."

Serena gave her a warm smile. "Well, you won't lose any friends over this. Don't worry."

Iris smiled back, feeling a heavy weight lifting off of her chest, and the two of them shifted to another topic of conversation as they continued cleaning the dishes.

Chapter Text

"Madison? Are you up?"

Madison stirred at the hushed voice coming from outside the tent she shared with Serena. She blinked a few times as she turned in her sleeping bag, focusing her eyes on the tent flap, and the humanoid shadow visible on the other side. There was a sound like a finger flicking against the tent, as if the speaker was trying to imitate a knock.

"Ash?" she answered quietly, her voice croaking a bit, before covering her mouth and yawning. "What is it?"

"Can I come in?" he asked. "Are you... decent?"

She sat up and glanced down at herself, and the blue nightgown she was wearing. "Yeah..." She turned her head to her left, seeing Serena still curled up in her sleeping bag, facing away from her. "Serena's still asleep, though..."

The tent door slowly began unzipping itself, as Ash tried to open it as quietly as he could. Once the hole had grown large enough, Pikachu pushed his way through it and into the tent. He ran over and clambered onto Madison's lap, nuzzling her stomach affectionately.

Madison covered her mouth as she giggled, rubbing the top of the Pokémon's head between his ears the way he liked. "Good morning, Pikachu!" She pet him for a moment before looking back at the tent flap, which Ash had forced his head and arms through. He sat up on his elbows as he grinned at her.

"Happy birthday, Madison!" he congratulated. "Get dressed and get outside as soon as you can, okay?"

"Huh?" Madison's eyebrows raised curiously. "What for?"

"You and I are heading out," Ash answered, his voice full of energy even as he half-whispered. "We're going to go out and catch your very first Pokémon!"

"We're what?!" Her eyes widened in shock. "Right now?"

"As soon as you're ready! We'll get going after breakfast!" He wriggled his way back out of the tent, and Pikachu followed after him, darting out of the tent before Ash closed it up again.

Madison was now fully awake, her drowsiness chased away by adrenaline and excitement. She threw her clothes on as quickly as possible, briefly brushing her curly hair before tying it into a high ponytail. Once she had made herself presentable, she unzipped the tent and stepped outside, closing it behind her before rushing to get breakfast.

A few seconds after Madison had left, a grinning and fully conscious Serena sat up and slid out of her sleeping bag, starting to get dressed herself. She waited for the sound of Ash and Madison heading into the forest before stepping out, moving toward the campfire to get started on a birthday surprise of her own.

One hour later, Ash, Madison and Pikachu were wandering through the woods, all six of their eyes roaming over their surroundings. There was no shortage of wild Pokémon in the forest, as its occupants slowly awoke. Many of them scuttling away as the group approached, while others ignored them and continued on with their business, and still others stopped and watched the group as they passed. Ash had to suppress his desire to catch one of the Pokémon for his own team. He had to remind himself that he was out here for Madison's sake, not his own.

"Lot of choices for Pokémon around here," he muttered quietly, trying not to disturb the forest too much. "See anything you like?"

"Mm... I don't think so, yet..." Madison answered distractedly, eyes roaming the trees and brush around her. "I don't even really know what to look for..."

"Yeah, that happens." Ash let his gaze wander again. "Usually I don't know what I want until I see it. Sometimes the right Pokémon finds you instead." He spotted a familiar, anteater-like Pokémon roughly twenty feet away, scrounging for food. "What about a Heatmor? We've seen a few of those. You could do some cool fire stuff with that."

"No." She shook her head firmly. "Skiddo would hate me if I caught a Heatmor. And fire is already Serena's thing."

"What do you mean, her thing?" he responded, confusion in his voice. "Serena didn't, like... invent fire."

Madison rolled her eyes. "It's like her signature, though. She does all sorts of cool stuff with fire. The ribbon, the battle, that giant fire flower she made years ago... if I start doing fire stuff, too, after spending all this time with her, everyone's going to say I'm just copying her. I need my own signature. I need to stand out."

"Hm..." Ash looked away again, a contemplative look on his face. After a few moments of silence, he spoke up again. "Maybe you could have something like a wind specialty?"

"Huh?" She looked back up at him curiously. "Wind?"

"Yeah!" His voice picked up a bit. "I was just thinking about that cool tornado move you did in Brackish Town, and the thing where you sent out all the petals and stuff... seems like something you already do a lot, so... you know?" His ramble was inarticulate and slightly incoherent, but the enthusiasm in his voice spoke more clearly than his words.

Madison blinked a couple times, parsing his words before starting to think them over. She hummed idly as she considered the possibility, thinking back to her past performances. Ash kept the two of them walking forward, keeping his eyes peeled in case a new Pokémon popped up that he wanted her to see.

His vigilance was unnecessary. After another minute, Madison jumped as a small purple creature darted in front of them, crossing their path. Her eyes snapped to the cat-like creature as it effortlessly climbed up a nearby tree, with both speed and grace. Partway through its climb, it jumped off and grabbed a nearby branch with its front paws, swinging around in a full revolution before launching itself up to another branch up above. The Pokémon immediately bounced off that branch, kicking with its hind legs, and returned to the trunk of the tree, continuing its climb. The extra movement around the branches was entirely unnecessary for its climb; as far as Ash and Madison could tell, those had just been for fun.

As it neared the top of one tree, the Pokémon leaped away from the tree with its back facing the ground, reaching its paws out and plucking a blue Oran Berry from one of the tree's branches in the process. With its meal in hand, the Pokémon completed a full backflip and landed on its hind legs on a lower, sturdier branch. It started nibbling at the berry, looking very pleased with itself, as Madison watched on in astonishment.

"A Purrloin...?" Ash mumbled, reaching for his Pokédex and aiming it at the cat-like Pokémon. He held the device close to Madison, so she could more easily hear the information it had to offer.

"Purrloin, the Devious Pokémon," the device reported. "Purrloin fools people into letting their guard down so it can steal their possessions. When angered, it uses its claws to fight back."

"Wow..." Madison's eyes were locked on Purrloin as it quickly downed the Oran Berry. "It's... agile." Pikachu nodded and murmured in agreement, having plenty of expertise in being agile.

"That was a pretty slick move," Ash agreed, slipping his Pokédex back into his pocket. "It looks like it has good, uh..." He took a moment to search for an acceptable word. "...Balance."

"Mhmm..." She barely listened, her eyes unfocused as her mind immediately took her to the showcase stage. She was already starting to assemble new performances pieces, imagining what she could do with a dedicated dancer or acrobat in her arsenal.

"So?" Ash prompted after a moment, as the Purrloin sat on the branch and began grooming itself. "You think you might want Purrloin on your team?"

"Maybe..." Madison's reply was non-committal, but Ash wasn't fooled. He didn't bother hiding a smirk as he saw the starry-eyed look on her face. Her heart had made a decision, even if her mind didn't know it.

"Well, then you should try and catch it," he continued.

She blinked at this, his statement snapping her back into reality, and she looked down at the capture devices attached to her hip. "How do I do that? Do I just throw a Poké Ball at it?"

He shook his head. "That won't work. You need to weaken it first, by battling it." He paused for a moment, as another idea came to him. "Or maybe it will join you if you just ask it, like Absol or Growlithe."

Ash watched as Madison pondered her options, her eyes flicking back and forth between Purrloin and her Poké Balls. He kept quiet, not wanting to push her one way or the other, knowing it would be best for her to make a decision herself. After ten contemplative seconds, she stepped forward toward Purrloin's tree and cupped her hands to her mouth.

"Purrloin!" she called out, capturing the Pokémon's attention. Purrloin immediately stopped grooming itself and jumped up onto its hind legs, looking down at the two trainers below. Madison froze, as she realized she didn't actually know what to say. "I... um... hi."

Even Ash found himself wincing at Madison's awkward attempt to reach out. Purrloin had a disappointed look on its face, and it started to turn away, ready to leap to another branch. Madison panicked as she saw the Pokémon turn to leave.

"Wait!" she shouted. "Please wait! I want you to be part of my team!" Purrloin paused, turning back to face her, curious enough to hear her out. Feeling encouraged, Madison continued.

"I'm a Pokémon performer! I get up on stage and dance and perform with my Pokémon partners! And I want you to be one of them! I want you to be up there jumping and dancing with me! I think you'd be great at it!"

She stopped to inhale, having run herself out of breath in her excitement, and her eyes met Purrloin's. He regarded her curiously for a minute, thinking her offer over, before giving her a smirk and leaping away from her, traveling further into the forest.

Madison's face fell, her shoulders slumping, as the Pokémon ran off. "I guess that means no..."

"That wasn't a no." Ash stepped up beside her, an excited grin on his face. "That was a 'convince me'." He reached down and grasped her hand in his. "Come on, let's go after it!" He started running off with her in tow, and she yelped as he began pulling her along. She quickly fell into step beside him, and the two trainers ran after Purrloin, with Pikachu leading the charge in front of them.

The chase took the trainers deep into the forest. Purrloin moved effortlessly from one tree branch to another, clearly experienced in this method of travel. Pikachu was able to keep up easily from the ground, and while Ash and Madison lagged behind, they were able to keep up by keeping the bright yellow Pokémon in their sights. Ash had briefly worried that Madison would tire out or become demoralized, but every time he glanced over at her, she had a look of clear determination on her face. He couldn't help but be proud of her.

As Purrloin leaped from tree to tree, it eventually screeched to a stop, with no more trees in front of it to jump to. The forest gave way to a small clearing that was mostly hill, with a gap of more than fifty feet before the trees resumed. Purrloin paused for a minute to consider its options, as Ash and Madison finally managed to catch up. Madison reached down to her hip and grabbed one of her occupied Poké Balls, tossing it in front of her. She had been preparing a strategy in her head during the chase, and now she was ready to show Purrloin what she had to offer.

"Swellow, loop around the branch and hit it with Quick Attack!"

The bird Pokémon wasted no time once it emerged, zooming through the air directly toward Purrloin's perch. He twisted his body around as he flew in a tight loop around the branch, first to Purrloin's left, then to its right. On the third loop around, Swellow smashed his body directly into his opponent's, sending Purrloin crashing to the ground with a pained yowl. Pikachu leaped out of the way as Purrloin hit the ground, running over to Ash's side.

Purrloin got to its feet quickly, impressed with Swellow's agility, but not about to concede yet. He watched and waited as Swellow swooped down for another Quick Attack, before leaping out with its claws outstretched, ready to scratch. Swellow turned his body and tried to bank away, but he still cried out in pain as Purrloin's claws raked along his back.

Madison grimaced at the attack, but forced herself to keep her cool. She wasn't going to let Purrloin go so easily. "Use Peck!"

Swellow whirled around in an instant, changing directions on a dime even as it flew inches above the ground. His beak glowed white as he approached, and he pecked several times at Purrloin's face and chest, knocking the cat Pokémon onto its back.

Purrloin growled and sat up, watching as Swellow flew around for another assault, waiting for a moment to strike. As the bird Pokémon approached, Purrloin dug its claws into the dirt and flung some of it into Swellow's eyes, emulating a Sand Attack. Swellow squawked and tried to shake the dirt away, but a strong tackle from Purrloin sent the bird reeling through the air, slamming into a nearby tree.

Madison clenched her fist, wanting to end this short battle before her Pokémon was badly hurt. "You can do this, Swellow! Whip up a whirlwind around Purrloin!" Swellow pushed himself up and into the air once again, flapping his wings powerfully and kicking up a small tornado, blowing away the dirt nearby and causing all of the branches on the trees to rustle.

Purrloin looked around at the wind for a curious moment, but as the whirlwind picked up speed and strength, the cat would come to regret its curiosity. The wind started to spin Purrloin around with it, and despite its attempts to dig its claws into the dirt, the Pokémon was soon spinning in small, quick circles. Madison could see it growing dizzy and unsteady, and saw her opportunity to strike. It was time to use one of the techniques that Ash had generously taught to Swellow.

"Now, finish it with Aerial Ace!" she commanded.

Swellow cawed affirmatively, banking away from the whirlwind and navigating the trees carefully, creating a bit of distance. Once it was far enough away, it turned around and swooped back toward Purrloin, speeding up rapidly until it was barely visible. Swellow ducked his head as he approached, slamming into Purrloin with incredible force and sending the Pokémon flying. When Purrloin hit the ground again, right at the edge of the forest, it was too dazed and sore to get back up.

"Yes!" Ash exclaimed. "Now's your chance to catch it!"

"Alright... here goes...!" Madison reached down and snatched a spare Poké Ball from her belt, taking a deep breath before throwing it in Purrloin's direction. The ball landed on Purrloin's stomach, and the Pokémon was quickly converted into red energy before it was sucked into the contraption. Madison held her breath nervously as the ball shook once, twice, three times. It soon came to rest, emitting a triumphant chime, and her eyes lit up.

"I did it!" she squealed in excitement, nearly jumping for joy. "I caught a Pokémon! My first one!"

"Great job!" Ash praised, nearly as excited as she was. "That was a great catch! Now go get it!"

Madison nodded and ran toward her newly occupied Poké Ball, wanting to claim it and show it off as soon as possible. She was already imagining herself showing it off to Serena, teaching it some of her performance routines, and bringing it onstage to the cheers of an excited crowd. Her heart was pounding with excitement and anticipation.

In her haste to get her hands on the Poké Ball, she did not look to see where she was going.

Right before she was able to reach out and grasp the device, her left foot got caught on an exposed branch, sending her twisting and tumbling to the ground. She yelped in pain and surprise as she started rolling down the hill, trying and failing to grab Purrloin's Poké Ball as she rolled past. Ash gasped and ran after her, sliding down the hill with Pikachu beside him. Both of them winced as she reached the bottom of the hill, crying out in pain as her foot hit against the trunk of a tree.

"Madison!" he called out as he started running down the hill. "Are you okay? That looked like it hurt!" She groaned and rolled onto her back, her left foot coming to rest on the ground. She immediately shouted and lifted her foot in the air again, grabbing at her leg near her ankle but trying not to touch it directly.

"Ow ow ow ow ow..." She closed her eyes tight as she held her leg, trying to roll forward into a sitting position. "I think I hurt my ankle really bad..."

Ash kneeled next to her, reaching down and helping her sit up, before looking down toward the injured ankle. "Can I see it?" He reached over toward her foot, carefully trying to pull her sock down. As his fingers brushed against her ankle, she cried out again and retracted her foot.

"Ow, no, don't touch it!" she yelled, and his hand recoiled as if it had touched a hot flame. He frowned, thinking hard about what he needed to do to help her, but there was only one thing he could think of: take her to someone who actually knew what they were doing.

"We need Brock to take a look at your ankle," he declared. "Do you think you can walk?"

"No," she answered without hesitation. "It hurts if anything touches it at all. I can't even put it on the ground."

Ash nodded, sighing. "Well, there's only one thing to do, then." He shifted so his feet were solidly underneath him, then slid his arms underneath her and lifted her into a princess carry. She yelped again, reflexively wrapping her arms around his neck, not wanting to be accidentally dropped.

"Ash!" she protested, even as she clung to him for safety.

"We need to get you back," he insisted, turning back toward the hill. "If you have a better idea, let me know." She groaned as he started to slowly walk uphill, not having any better ideas, but mortified about the situation all the same. At the very least, she was thankful she had chosen to wear pants today instead of a skirt.

Ash slowly trudged up the hill with Madison in his arms, exhaling in relief as he reached the top. He looked down at the nearly-forgotten Poké Ball on the ground, before turning his gaze toward his Pokémon partner. "Pikachu, can you bring Purrloin's ball back with you?"

Pikachu nodded and scampered over to the Poké Ball, grabbing it and lifting it over his head. He held it aloft as he walked back toward their campground, and Ash walked alongside him. Madison kept her eyes on the ground, praying that she would wake up soon and discover this was all just a bad dream.

Back at their shared campsite, the three remaining travelers were all preparing for Ash and Madison's return. Iris was setting plates and silverware on the nearby picnic table, as Brock tended to a delicious-smelling dish that he was cooking over the campfire. Serena and Delphox were kneeling around a small, folding, metal box on the ground, which Serena had fashioned into a makeshift oven some weeks before. Delphox was using her pyrokinetic abilities to heat the metal, along with the birthday cake that was baking inside. Serena had practiced this baking technique several times in the past, and she was excited to surprise the birthday girl with it once she returned.

"Brock! Come here, quick!"

Everyone turned in confusion at the panicked sound of Ash's voice, not having expected him for another hour at least. They each gasped in turn as he came into view, carrying a distressed Madison in his arms. This was not the return they expected.

"Ash!" Serena stood up and ran toward him, leaving Delphox to monitor the cake on her own. "What happened? What's going on?"

"Madison tripped and fell down a hill," he explained quickly. "Her ankle is hurt bad." He set her down on the bench of the picnic table, and she leaned her back against it as she held her injured ankle in the air.

"Oh, no..." Serena brought her hand to her mouth, eyes moving to the suspended ankle. She leaned in closer, as if she might be able to diagnose the issue if she stared at it hard enough. A moment later, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder coaxing her away, and she shifted to stand behind Madison, allowing Brock to kneel next to the patient.

"I need to take a closer look," he explained, immediately switching into Doctor Mode. He reached out and carefully started to unlace her shoe, as Iris watched curiously from nearby.

"Ow!" Madison pulled her foot away, recoiling in pain. "Don't, please! It hurts!"

"The shoe has to come off," he explained. "Even if I didn't need to see it, you don't want your shoe on if your ankle is swelling." Madison gritted her teeth and nodding, trying her best to suppress her cries of pain as Brock unlaced and removed the shoe as carefully as he could. Serena reached down and grasped Madison's hand in one of hers, and she felt the young girl squeeze tightly every time Brock's fingers caused her more pain. Soon her red, inflamed ankle was exposed, and Brock took a careful look at he injury to determine its severity, his fingers probing as gently as they could.

"Well, it doesn't seem broken, so that's good," he announced after a minute. "I'd guess that you twisted your ankle when you first tripped."

Madison's face fell as she heard his diagnosis. "What does that mean...?"

"It means that you shouldn't put much weight on it for a little while, if you can help it," he explained. "I'll wrap it in a bandage to keep the swelling down. That will make it less painful while it heals."

"Great..." Her voice was defeated, devoid of energy as she looked down toward the ground. "That's it, then. It's over for me."

"What do you mean?" Iris asked, concerned.

"I can't do any more showcases like this," Madison explained, her eyes growing dim. "I can't dance on a twisted ankle. I can't keep traveling if I can't walk." She let go of Serena and wrung her hands together. "I knew something like this was going to happen eventually. This is the end of my dream of being a Pokémon Performer."

"Huh?" Brock cocked his head, confused. "What, over this?"

She looked back at him, not sure why he wasn't as pessimistic as she was. "The showcase season is more than half over already... I'm not going to be able to perform again like this, am I?"

"Well, maybe not for a couple of weeks," he conceded. "But it's not nearly as bad as it could have been. As far as twisted ankles go, you got off kind of easy. There's still plenty of showcases left, aren't there?"

"Yeah, but the Couriway Town showcase is only a few days away. I can't compete in that. And without that..."

"But Couriway Town is a Performance Battle showcase," Serena reminded her. "Your Pokémon are going to be the ones doing all the moving, not you." She rested her hands on the young girl's shoulders. "I bet we can get you a brace to stand on. We'll find you a longer dress and nobody will even notice."

"I... but..." Madison was grappling to reconcile her defeatist attitude with the optimism of those around her. "I can't even walk... how am I supposed to get there? I'll just be holding you guys back..."

"I bet Absol would be happy to give you a ride," Ash suggested. "He loves you as much as he loves anyone else here. He wouldn't want you to leave because of this."

"Or Skiddo," Serena piped up. "If he's big enough."

"B... but..." Madison found herself at a loss for words. She looked from one companion to the next, searching for any sign that they might just be humoring her, and finding nothing.

"Don't worry, Madison," Brock reassured her. "Your dream of being a Pokémon Performer isn't going to die because of a little mishap like this. We won't let it, will we?"

"No way!" Ash agreed. "We'll do everything we can to help you get those Princess Keys. We're all here for you, I promise." Everyone around him emphatically voiced their agreement, especially Serena.

"You guys..." Madison felt her lip trembling, her heart swelling and her throat growing choked up. She had never experienced what it was like to have people supporting her performance dreams like this. The strength and the sincerity of their support was leaving her feeling overwhelmed.

"Th... thank you..." she managed to choke out, as tears of gratitude began to leak from her eyes. "Thank you all so much..." She reached her arm up to wipe her eyes.

"Madison?!" Serena exclaimed, surprised. "Are you alright?"

The young girl didn't answer, keeping her eyes shut tight as she sniffled, trying her best to not openly sob. Serena leaned down and wrapped her arms around Madison's shoulders, not saying anything, just offering the same quiet comfort that her mother had offered her in the past. They stayed together like this the entire time Brock was treating Madison's ankle, as Ash and Iris watched on with concern. None of them said another word until Brock was done.

Later that evening, everyone had retired to their tents for the night, ready to get some sleep after a surprisingly eventful day. Serena and Madison were busy figuring out how to get the latter into her sleeping bag without irritating her twisted ankle, which was easier said than done. They eventually managed it after fully unzipping the bag, and Madison resigned herself to needing Serena's help to get in and out of bed each morning, at least in the short term.

"This is definitely the most memorable birthday I've ever had," the younger girl muttered, lying back onto her pillow. "Welcome to eleven, I guess."

"Well, it wasn't all bad, was it?" Serena slid into her sleeping bag as well. "You caught your first Pokémon, and it's a great one. Purrloin will be there long after your ankle heals."

"Mhmm." Madison nodded in agreement. "And after was good, too. Dinner and dessert were delicious." She turned her head toward her tentmate. "I can't believe you figured out how to bake a cake in the middle of the woods."

Serena grinned. "Well, it wasn't my first time trying it. It took a few attempts to get it right."

"Well, it was great. You nailed it." Madison closed her eyes, letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry for being a mess today."

"You weren't a mess," Serena responded. "Today was a lot. Getting hurt like that is scary, especially for us performers. I would have been worried, too."

"It wasn't even that, though," Madison replied, her eyes opening again. "After that, when you were all figuring out how to help me, that just... yeah."

Serena propped herself up on one elbow. "What, did you think we would do anything else?"

"Ugh, I don't know." Madison rubbed her temple with one hand. "I guess I just expected you all to do what my parents would do."

Serena's eyebrows raised. "What would they have done?"

"Probably just tell me to stop traveling and come home," Madison answered. "The same thing they always tell me when I call them on the phone."

Serena was fully sitting up now, eyes wide with shock. "They really say that? They don't want you to be traveling? Or... they don't want you to be performing?"

Madison groaned. "They act like they're all supportive of me being a performer, but they aren't, really." She propped herself up with her elbow. "When I told them what I wanted to do on my journey, they said 'oh, that sounds wonderful! Go out there and achieve your dreams, Madison!'" Her eyes fell to the ground, her voice taking on a bitter tone. "'And then when you're all done having your fun, you can come back home and run the family store like you're supposed to.'"

Serena rested her elbows on her knees, trying to find a positive spin on the situation. "Maybe they're just worried about you. You know how parents can be super protective of their kids. Maybe they thought you'd get hurt?"

"They've said that to me," Madison replied. "But I think they're just making up excuses. People don't really get hurt being performers, do they? I mean, you had that sprained wrist in the Master Class, but besides stuff like that."

Serena was quiet for a moment, frowning and looking lost in thought. After a few seconds of contemplation, she slid herself out of her sleeping bag. "Let me show you something."

Madison's eyebrows raised and she sat up curiously, watching as Serena started peeling the sock off of her right foot. She gasped as she saw what was underneath: a ring of discolored skin around Serena's ankle, bordered by scar tissue on the top and bottom.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, quickly hushing herself. "What is that?!"

"This is from my first few attempts at the fire ribbon routine," Serena explained. "This was before I was using a cold-burning flame. While I was doing a twirl, the ribbon wrapped itself around my ankle and burned me really badly."

"Oh no, oh gosh..." Madison closed her eyes tight, her whole face reacting to the gruesome image that had formed in her mind.

"Yep... that day was a big reality check for me." Serena covered her ankle back up with the sock. "I was feeling kind of unstoppable at the time. I didn't think something like that could ever happen to me. I figured it happened to other girls who weren't as careful. So much for that."

"Wow..." Madison was a bit dumbstruck as Serena slid back into her sleeping bag. The tent was quiet for a moment before Serena broke the silence.

"You know, my mom wasn't very supportive of me when I set out on my journey, either," she said. "She told me I was just going to quit when things got tough. She thought I wasn't strong enough, and she said it to my face."

"She what?!" Madison was aghast. "That's horrible!"

"Well, honestly, she sort of had a point," Serena explained, lying back down. "At the time, I wasn't a very motivated kid. I was kind of lazy. I mostly just sat around the house. That's why she tried to push me onto her career path, I guess."

"What was that?" Madison asked.

"She wanted me to be a professional Rhyhorn racer."

Madison sputtered into laughter. "What?!"

"Hey, don't laugh!" Serena huffed, pouting. "I wasn't... well..." As she recalled the memories of herself being bucked off of her mother's Rhyhorn time and time again, she had no choice but to abandon her protest.

"Sorry, just..." Madison continued giggling as she calmed herself down. "I just really can't see it, is all."

"Yeah, well... neither could I," Serena conceded. "That's part of why I went on a journey in the first place. I just wanted to get away from my mom for a while."

"What about your dad?" Madison asked curiously. "What did he want for you?"

"Oh, I never knew my dad," Serena answered casually. "He left when I was just a baby. My mom didn't have many nice things to say about him. I have no idea why she married him in the first place."

"Oh..." Madison bit her lip, a bit embarrassed at her faux pas. "Any brothers or sisters?"

Serena shook her head. "I'm an only child. My mom's the only family I have."

Madison nodded contritely. "I have a couple of older brothers, myself. I wish I had a sister I could talk to."

"Yeah?" Serena smiled as she rested her head on her arm. "I think I would have really enjoyed having a sister like you growing up, Madison."

"Oh, I would have loved having you as a big sister!" Madison responded excitedly, the words bursting out of her, as if she'd been holding onto this information for months. "We could stay up talking all night about girl stuff, we could trade clothes and accessories and stuff..."

Serena covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled, not expecting such an enthusiastic reply, but far from upset. Her eyes lit up a moment later, and she sat up once again.

"Oh, that reminds me!" She turned herself around, reaching for her bag which sat in the corner of the tent. She pulled it closer and opened the top flap, rifling through it for a moment, before she pulled out a rectangular box wrapped with red paper.

"Here." She handed it over to Madison. "This is for you. It's a birthday gift I nearly forgot about."

"Really?" Madison reached out and accepted it, holding it gently and looking at it with reverence. "Can I open it?"

"Of course! It's your birthday, isn't it?"

Madison turned the package over and began carefully unwrapping the paper, not wanting to be disrespectful by tearing it. She soon had the paper removed, and opened the pink box that was hiding underneath. Her eyes widened and she gasped, nearly dropping the box as she saw what was inside. The box held a headband made of blue beads, a pair of white gloves with pink ribbons around the wrists, and a black choker with a gold pendant - all of which looked very familiar.

"Serena..." Her eyes were shimmering as she looked up. "Are these yours...?"

Serena nodded, a smile stretched wide across her face. "They're the same ones I wore on my first journey. They won't fit me anymore, but I think they'd be perfect for you. What do you think?"

Madison looked down at the gift again, her mouth opening and closing several times, at a loss for words. She eventually set the box aside and scrambled over to Serena, wrapping her arms tight around the older girl's torso.

"Thank you so much, Serena," she spoke quietly, a hint of a tremor in her voice. "This is the sweetest gift anyone's ever gotten me."

Serena smiled warmly, wrapping her arms back around Madison, sliding her fingers into the girl's hair. "You deserve it. Happy birthday, Mads."

The two girls stayed together for a long time, not saying anything, simply relaxing and basking in the mutual affection. Serena closed her eyes and gently rubbed Madison's back, her heart feeling warmer from the younger girl's grateful embrace.

Maybe Serena had more family than she realized.

Chapter Text

Ash was still as a stone, on his knees as he hid among the brush and shrubs of the forest, carefully watching the night sky. Pikachu knelt by his side, scanning the sky just as his trainer was. Neither of them dared move an inch or make a sound. If either of them gave themselves away, it could put everyone in serious danger.

He tensed and crouched down further as a beam of light swept over the forest. The loud drone of a powerful motor grew even louder, until it was nearly deafening, but he resisted the urge to cover his ears. He remained perfectly still, not moving a muscle, as a black helicopter flew overhead, the powerful winds from its propeller rustling leaves, bending branches and blowing back foliage. A searchlight attached to the bottom of the helicopter swept back and forth over the trees, its beam almost blindingly bright. Ash kept his eyes away from the searchlight, focusing instead on the scarlet-red R painted onto the side of the helicopter.

The helicopter scanned the area for an eternally long thirty seconds, before it began flying away to another part of the forest. Ash and Pikachu stayed still until the helicopter was nearly out of sight, the roar of the propeller reduced to a hum in the background. They sighed in relief, standing up together and looking around at the forest surrounding them. Madison's head soon popped out of a nearby bush, along with Ash's Absol. Brock, Iris and Serena emerged from their own hiding places as well.

"That was too close," Serena spoke as she stepped into a clearing, brushing foliage from her clothes with her hands. "I thought we were going to be spotted for sure."

"What is Team Rocket even doing here?" Madison asked aloud, visibly limping as she stepped into view. "They weren't looking for us, were they...?" Absol stepped out alongside her, and she leaned against him to take the pressure off of her injured ankle.

"They may have been," Brock answered. "We already know they were unhappy about what happened at the Chateau. And they didn't like us much before then, either."

"We need someplace we can hide for the night," Ash spoke up, as Pikachu climbed up his side and onto his shoulder. "We don't know when they might come back." He glanced to his left, looking deeper into the forest, which abruptly ended as it gave way to the face of a tall cliff. "Maybe we can find a cave to stay in, or something." He started walking through the forest, following the cliff face, and the others walked alongside him.

"You don't think they'll try looking in caves?" Madison asked warily, climbing onto Absol's back. The Pokémon let out a brief grunt before following Ash and the others.

"They might, but it's got to be safer than staying out in the open," Brock replied, as he joined Ash in searching for a cave. "Maybe we could block the entrance somehow to hide a campfire, or-"

"Shh!" Iris hushed him, stopping in her tracks, and everyone else stopped with her. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Serena asked quietly, but Iris didn't reply. Everyone immediately quieted down, listening for anything that wasn't the distant whir of the helicopter. Moments later, several of them suppressed gasps as they heard a muffled groan from nearby.

"Who was that?" Iris whispered. "Are they hurt?" Nobody had an answer, none of them able to recognize the groan.

Ash carefully crept forward, toward the source of the noise, which appeared to come from a large bush not far away. He stepped up to the bush and reached out, pushing some of the branches away, and audibly gasped at the sight in front of him. Lying on the ground, piled up in an exhausted heap, were a very familiar man, a very familiar woman, and a very familiar Meowth.

"Team Rocket?!" he shouted, forgetting to keep his voice down. The three criminals looked over at the sound of his voice, eyes shooting open wide as they realized who had stumbled across them.

"Twerp?!" they all exclaimed at once, scrambling to their feet and running out from behind the bush, in order to get a clear line of sight. Ash glared angrily at them for a moment, but his anger gave way to shock as he took in the state of them. All of them were dangerously skinny, their faces gaunt, as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. Their eyes were tired, with large bags under each of them, as if they hadn't slept in the same amount of time. They all looked as though they could be toppled over with a light breeze. As Ash's friends ran up behind him, each of them quickly came to the same conclusion.

"What are you all doing here?" Ash demanded.

"That's our line," Jessie managed, her voice wavering. "Now, prepare for... protect from... deforestation..."

"To unite... our reach with... stars... surrender..." James mumbled, his eyes unfocused.

"Meowth, that's... Meowth," the cat Pokémon concluded.

An awkward silence followed, filled only by the continued low drone of the helicopter, as the exhausted and unsteady criminals stared down Ash and his friends. This was normally the part where Team Rocket sent out their Pokémon to attack, but no such thing happened. The two groups just kept their eyes on each other.

"Are you guys... okay?" Serena dared to ask.

"We don't need your pity!" Jessie retorted angrily, pointing forward. "Yanmega, Sonic Boom!" Ash reflexively looked around for the incoming attack, but there was no attack or Pokémon to be found. Another silence reigned for a moment.

"You need to send Yanmega out first," James advised, his voice weak.

"I know that!" Jessie shouted. She reached down toward her hip, grasping a Poké Ball in her hand. As she reared her arm back to toss the ball, she continued leaning backward until she toppled over onto her back, groaning.

"Ah! Jessie!" James and Meowth started moving toward her to help, but their malnourished bodies gave out almost immediately, and they fell right back into the heap Ash had found them in. None of them made an effort to get back up.

Ash and his friends stared in dumb disbelief at the pile of villains in front of them, all of them wondering how this trio had found themselves in such a state. Their wondering was cut short as all of them were lit up in a bright light. The trainers spun around and found themselves faced with the same Team Rocket helicopter they had been hiding from minutes before, all of them having pushed the increasingly loud propeller out of their minds.

Inside the helicopter, Cassidy was giddy as she looked out at the treasure trove in front of her. She leaned forward and spoke into a microphone attached to her control panel, her voice taunting and excited at the same time. "What do we have here? Not only did we find the traitors, but we found the brats, too!"

"The boss is going to fall in love with us when he sees this!" Butch proclaimed. "He's going to promote us as high as promotions can go!"

Cassidy watched with amusement as Ash ordered his Pikachu to attack with a Thunderbolt. The mouse Pokémon charged up for a moment before releasing a powerful bolt directly at the helicopter. The attack made contact, but the electricity arced harmlessly around the reinforced outside of the helicopter, leaving the engine and the occupants unharmed.

"You're a day late and a dollar short, brat!" Cassidy declared, trying not to laugh. "We're prepared for you and your little Pikachu! All of our tech repels electricity now!"

The two gangsters brought the helicopter closer, savoring the panicked expression on the faces of those below them. Ash was the first to turn and start running, with his Pikachu running behind him. His friends soon followed, all of them abandoning the fallen Team Rocket trio and running for cover.

Cassidy could no longer hold her laughter in, chortling with delight as she flew after them. "Run while you can, you little rats! You won't be getting away from us this time!"

Butch chuckled as well, reaching for the control panel. "Let's see how well they run after this!" He pressed a bright orange button on the control panel, and an orange ball shot out of the bottom of the helicopter, directly toward the fleeing trainers. The ball burst upon hitting the ground, exploding into a large cloud of sparkling, orange mist. One by one, the trainers collapsed to the ground, their limbs seizing up and their lungs spasming at the sudden onslaught of Stun Spore.

"Perfect shot!" Butch congratulated himself, grinning at the satisfying sight in front of him.

"And now..." Cassidy pressed another button, and a net shot out to ensnare the helpless trainers and their Pokémon. As its connecting rope began to retract and pull it back toward the helicopter, the net wrapped itself around the immobilized trainers and began pulling them along. Soon, all of them were hanging helplessly in the air, unable to escape or even move.

"Yes!" Cassidy clenched her fists excitedly, elated. "Finally, those meddling runts are all ours!"

"Don't forget about the traitors," Butch advised.

"I didn't forget!" she responded, turning the helicopter back toward the other unconscious figures on the ground. A second net quickly had them tangled and captive, dangling in the air next to Ash and his friends.

"We got them!" Butch proclaimed. "Mission accomplished! Three Team Rocket traitors, with a side of twerps!"

"Giovanni will fall in love with us when he sees this!" Cassidy exclaimed. "He's going to make us his top Kalos operatives!"

"And then once we take out Team Ace, this whole region is going to belong to Team Rocket!" he added, getting swept up in his partner's excitement. They both laughed in delight as the helicopter flew upward, and they started making their way toward the regional Team Rocket headquarters, with their helpless prisoners in tow.

Down on the ground, Ash and the others watched cautiously as Butch and Cassidy's helicopter flew off into the distance, two empty nets hanging beneath the cockpit. Their partly giddy, partly maniacal laughter continued to ring out, broadcasted over a loudspeaker, as they flew away as fast as their vehicle would carry them. None of the trainers dared to move until the helicopter was just a speck on the horizon.

"Phew... I think we're okay, now." Serena turned toward her Delphox, who was standing beside her. "Thanks for the Confuse Ray, Delphox." The Pokémon nodded in response, wearing a sly smile as she often did.

"Thank goodness." Madison let out a relieved breath, leaning forward on Absol's back. "I thought we were done for..."

Iris nodded in agreement, taking a moment to try and calm herself. Once her heart rate had gone down, she turned her gaze toward the three lying in a heap on the ground. "What do we do about them, though?"

Everyone stared quietly at the former Team Rocket members for a few moments, torn. All of them, save for Madison, had been hounded relentlessly by this trio in the past, for months or even years. None of these criminals had earned the slightest bit of clemency. At the moment, however, it was hard to reconcile the relentless thieves they knew with the pathetic, pitiable people in front of them now. Unconscious, emaciated and exhausted, the three of them looked more like refugees than criminals. Silence covered the forest once again, as the group weighed their options and their emotions together.

"We can't just leave them here," Ash eventually spoke, breaking the silence. His voice had a resigned tone to it. "We need to help them somehow."

"You're right," Serena agreed. "Just... let's be careful, alright?"

Everyone else eagerly agreed with this sentiment. Several of them released Pokémon to help carry the trio along, and soon all of them were on the move once again, looking for a cave in which they could hide.

Twenty minutes later, all of them were holed up in a cave they had found in the side of the cliff, finally resting their weary feet. A rock wall had been hastily constructed to block the light from their campfire, assembled mainly by Brock's Geodude and Serena's Delphox. The trainers were sitting in a semi-circle around the fire, watching in stupefied silence as the half-starved Jessie, James and Meowth wolfed down food at a breakneck pace. Each of them had finished a first helping in under three minutes, and they were now on their second, draining all of the excess food from Brock's reserves.

The three of them finished their food at roughly the same time, setting their bowls aside and sitting back, feeling the satisfaction of a full stomach for the first time in weeks. With their mouths finally unoccupied, Brock saw an opportunity to ask some questions.

"What happened to all of you?" he asked.

"We've been on the run for weeks," Meowth answered, lying on his back and staring at the cave ceiling. "Every Rocket in Kalos is after our hides."

"Everywhere we go, there are members of Team Rocket trying to capture us," James elaborated. "We can't show our faces in public. If we even stop to get a bite to eat, they'll find us and start hounding us day and night."

"So that's why you're all half-starved," Madison observed, a hint of pity in her voice.

"Why are they all after you?" Iris asked, sitting up with her arms around her knees. "What did you do?"

The trio looked at each other for a moment, wondering which of them would give the answer. Ash beat all of them to the punch.

"It's because of me, isn't it?" he spoke up. "It's because you saved me from Biff and Cassidy."

"That's right," Jessie answered bitterly. "We all went out of our way to make sure you didn't drown - which you haven't thanked us for, by the way," she added with a sneer, "and our reward was to have our lives ruined. That's what I get for trying to do something good for a twerp."

Ash was incensed. "You want me to act all grateful after you spent years tormenting me and trying to capture my Pikachu?!"

"Look, kid, that was just part of the job," Meowth insisted. "It wasn't anything personal."

"It sure felt personal," Ash retorted coldly.

"He saved you from them, too," Serena interjected. "And you're getting a meal from us. That's gratitude enough, isn't it?" Jessie hmphed and turned away, arms folded.

"It looks like you're all done eating," Brock observed. "I'll get Geodude to open up the wall so you can leave." His tone of voice indicated that this was not a suggestion.

"Yes... about that..." James began, before getting down on his knees and bowing his head toward Brock, clapping his hands together. "Please, let us rest here tonight!"

"No!" Iris responded. "You think we're going to trust you around us while we're sleeping? No way!"

"We ain't gonna do anything, we swear!" Meowth pleaded, kneeling besides James and mimicking his stance. "We haven't slept right in weeks! We just need one night's rest!"

"How are we supposed to know that?" Serena demanded. "How do we know you won't steal all our Pokémon and run off once we're asleep? How do we know all of this isn't one big lie?"

"No! We would never do such a thing!" James insisted. "We wouldn't betray someone's kindness like that!"

"It wouldn't be the first time," Brock retorted angrily. James and Meowth looked toward him despondently, before turning their gaze toward Jessie, seeking some support. She continued to look away, refusing to debase herself in front of her longtime foes.

"They can stay."

Everyone in the room turned toward Ash, shocked. He was gazing down at the astonished Pikachu sitting in his lap, looking frustrated and defeated, as if his words had been wrung out of him.

"Ash, you don't actually trust them, do you?" Iris asked, her eyes wide.

"I don't trust them one bit," he responded. "That's why I'm going to be keeping an eye on them. I'll make sure they don't do anything."

"You're what?!" Madison sounded even more incredulous than Iris. "You're going to stay up all night?"

"No, he won't," Serena answered in Ash's stead. "I'll watch them for part of the night so he can sleep."

"Me, too," Brock added. "We'll take shifts." Iris nodded and voiced her agreement as well.

James slumped forward, nearly passing out from sheer relief. "Oh, thank you! You won't have anything to worry about, we promise!"

"That's right!" Meowth added. "We'll be the best houseguests you ever had!"

The two of them looked toward Jessie for confirmation, followed by everyone else. She refused to say anything for a few moments, but under the collective, judgmental gaze of everyone else in the cave, she eventually relented.

"...Thanks," she muttered, as quietly as she could manage while still being heard. Her face bore the pained expression of someone who had just had a tooth pulled.

"We should probably just get to sleep," Ash spoke, looking up. "It's late, and we're all tired. I'll take first watch."

Everyone else quietly agreed, and the circle around the campfire slowly broke apart as everyone moved away. The traveling trainers all pulled out their sleeping bags and started making themselves comfortable, while the three Rockets had to make do with the hard ground. Ash reached for his belt and released several of his Pokémon, in order to help him keep watch for the next couple of hours.

One hour later, the cave had gone mostly silent, as nearly everyone within was asleep. The fire was weakly crackling, keeping everyone warm, and there was the sound of light snoring from one of the Rockets, but it wasn't clear which one. Ash kept a sleepy but vigilant watch over all of them, trying his best to keep his eyes open. He had spent the first half-hour watching Team Rocket with a careful eye, but when it became clear that they were completely asleep, he had allowed his attention to wander from time to time. Pikachu was sleeping deeply on his lap.

Ash heard a weak growl over to his left, and glanced over toward the source of the sound. Houndour was lying down with his head raised, watching over the group alongside Ash. His eyes were drooping from exhaustion, but he forced himself to stay awake so he could protect the trainers from trouble. Growlithe was sleeping happily and obliviously by his side, snuggling into him as much as she could. He had made no effort to move away from her.

"You should rest, Houndour," Ash whispered. "It's going to be a long night. We'll be fine."

Houndour ignored his suggestion, focusing hard on the three criminals curled up at the far end of the cave. Ash sighed and reached down, resting his hand on the dog Pokémon's head and starting to pet it gently. Houndour growled louder, as a warning, but Ash didn't pull away.

"Shh... just relax... it's alright..." he spoke in a soft, reassuring voice. Houndour continued to growl for a moment, but his growls soon turned to whimpers. His heavy head lowered until it was resting on the ground, and his eyes slowly drooped shut. Ash continued to pet Houndour until he could hear the Pokémon's breathing slow.

A muffled coo of delight drew his attention away. He looked over to see Serena lying on her stomach in her sleeping bag, smiling at him.

"Hey," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. "What are you doing awake?"

"I couldn't sleep," she answered. "Want some company?"

He gave her a wide grin. "That sounds great." She slid out of her sleeping bag, walking over and sitting next to him on the ground.

"How are you holding up? Tired?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm tired, but I'm okay. I can make it another hour until Iris takes over."

"That's good." She looked toward their unexpected guests. "They haven't been any trouble, have they?"

"Nah." He shook his head. "They haven't budged all night. I had to check and make sure they were still breathing, at one point. I guess they really were exhausted."

"Yeah..." She bit her lip briefly. "I feel kind of bad for doubting them, now... they looked like they were at death's door when we found them."

"Don't feel bad," Ash replied, his voice low and bitter. "It wouldn't be the first time they pulled a nasty trick like that, like Brock said. Every time I start to think I can let down my guard around them, I can't. I'll never trust them."

"I get it," she responded. "How long were they after you?"

"They hounded me for years," he answered. "From the day my journey started. Long before I came to Kalos, and long after I left. They finally stopped when I was twelve, traveling through Sinnoh."

Her eyebrows raised. "What happened then?"

"They finally captured Pikachu," he answered. "For real, that time."

"Oh my gosh." Serena's hand moved to cover her mouth. "How?"

"They used Sleep Powder on us while we were camping out. By the time I woke up, they were long gone, and so was Pikachu." Ash grimaced at the memory. "It took me a week to finally track him down. That was the worst week of my life. I barely ate. I barely slept. He was the only thing I could think about."

"I'm so sorry, Ash..." She reached out and rest her hand on his shoulder, trying to alleviate some of the pain from the memory. He relaxed slightly from her touch and continued.

"I eventually tracked him down to a Team Rocket lab, with Officer Jenny and a bunch of other police. I got all of my strongest Pokémon, and we all stormed the place together. We freed a bunch of captured Pokémon, and they arrested a bunch of Rockets. Pikachu was in there, sitting in some giant cage, like he was their big prize. I had Charizard smash it open. I was so relieved I almost collapsed, right there."

Ash's eyes flicked over to the former Rockets. "Those three were there, but they got away somehow. I wanted to go after them, but Officer Jenny told me not to... probably a good idea." He looked back down at his Pikachu, who was still asleep on his lap. "I thought they were just going to come back and try to get Pikachu like they always did, but I didn't see them again. But I was still looking over my shoulder for months after that."

Serena was rubbing his shoulder gently as he recounted the story, waiting for him to release the tension he was holding in his body. "Maybe that's why they were all fired from Team Rocket. Losing a lab and everyone in it would be a big loss."

"Probably," he agreed. "I was hoping I would never have to deal with them again, but..."

"Yeah... but you let them stay here with us," she pointed out. "You were the only one on their side."

"Mm." He kept his eyes low. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. They didn't have any reason to save me, but they did."

"Maybe they aren't as bad as you thought," she suggested.

"They're definitely bad," he responded defensively. He paused for a moment, as he pictured the enraged face of Cassidy, back in the Battle Chateau. "But... they could be worse."

The two of them continued to make hushed small talk with each other for the next hour, waiting for Iris to relieve Ash of his shift. By his side, Houndour was sleeping deeply, his chin resting on top of Growlithe's head.

Geodude punched through the rock wall that hid the entrance to the cave, letting in the light of the morning sun. Everyone winced and covered their eyes while they adjusted, as Geodude continued punching rocks away, until a suitable passage had been made. Ash and his friends were the first to step out into the forest, with the former Team Rocket members following behind them.

"Alright, you've had your meal and your rest," Brock said, turning to face their unexpected guests. "Now you all can leave."

"And no following us," Iris added. She pointed out toward the forest, back toward Anistar City. "You all go that way. If we see any of you again, we won't be as nice next time."

"Yeah, we get it," Meowth responded. "We won't bother youse again."

"We can make it on our own from here," James added. "Thanks again for letting us rest." Jessie stayed silent, refusing to look at anyone else present.

After an awkward pause, Jessie, James and Meowth turned and started walking into the forest, in the direction Iris had indicated. Ash and the others stayed in place, watching them as long as they could, until the trio were no longer visible. They eventually resumed their journey toward Couriway Town, keeping a careful lookout as they traveled.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Madison dared to ask.

"They'll be fine," Ash replied flatly. "They've always bounced back from whatever trouble they're in, as long as I've known them."

Madison resisted the urge to reply with "that's good." Secretly, however, all of them were hoping that nothing horribly bad happened to the trio, even if they weren't sure why.

"How completely humiliating," Jessie groused, once she and her former teammates had traveled out of earshot of the Twerp Brigade. "We were supposed to be the ones in control, with all of them begging us for mercy. And instead we're the ones begging them for food and shelter."

"What choice did we have?" James replied. "It was either that or we starve. Or get captured."

"Yeah, and then Team Rocket skins us alive," Meowth added. He turned back to face Jessie, glaring angrily at her. "Thanks for that, Jess."

"Excuse me?!" Her eyes flared. "How is this my fault?!"

"You were the one with the bright idea to chase down that airship!" Meowth stopped walking and turned around to face Jessie. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in hot water like this!"

"Don't act like I did that all by myself!" she retorted, standing her ground. "All three of us went after them! You were both saying how you couldn't let the twerp go out like that! I didn't hear either of you complaining back then!"

"That's a fair point..." James muttered weakly, in Jessie's defense. Meowth was not swayed.

"I wasn't complaining when all we were doing was saving the twerp! I was all ready to leave after cutting open that bag of water! But then you had to go start a fight and get us all in trouble with Team Rocket!"

Jessie was caught off-guard by this accusation. "That... that's because..." She struggled for a moment to come up with an acceptable rationale.

"Hey, that's right!" James jumped in, easily convinced by Meowth's argument. "We could have just left with his Pikachu! He was all captured for us! All we had to do was make sure the twerp didn't drown! Now we'll never have our chance to rejoin Team Rocket! They'll never let us back in after what we did!"

"They sure won't. We'll be lucky if they don't throw us in the dungeon," Meowth added, keeping his angry gaze fixed on an increasingly flustered Jessie. "So what's your next master plan, genius? What's your secret for getting the boss off our backs and getting us back into Team Rocket now?" He cupped his paw to his ear mockingly. "Go ahead! We're all ears!"

Jessie's fists were clenched tightly in anger. She wasn't used to having her partners teaming up against her like this. She was supposed to be the one in charge, but now the situation was getting away from her, which only made her frustration grow. As Meowth leaned in to listen to her brilliant plan for rejoining their old employer, she snapped, shouting into his ear as loud as she could.

"I couldn't care less about rejoining Team Rocket!"

Meowth yelped in pain, covering his ears to block out the sound of her yell. Once the pain has subsided, he stared up at her with wide eyes, not sure he had heard her correctly. "You... what?!"

"You heard what I said!" she responded, too worked up to back down now. "I gave those creeps what they deserve! And I'd do it again! If I never see Team Rocket again, it'll be too soon!"

James was taken aback as well. "Jessie, what are you talking about? You're turning your back on them?"

"They turned their backs on us first!" she insisted, still shouting. "Half a lifetime of faithful service, dedicating ourselves to the cause, and this is the thanks we get! I gave them the best years of my life! What do I have to show for it now?! Nothing but a criminal record and wasted time!"

"If you didn't want a criminal record, why did you join a criminal team, you nitwit?!" Meowth shot back.

Jessie growled. "It's complicated, alright?!"

"Psh, yeah, right! You're as complicated as a brick. Don't act like you're any better than us. We're all here for the same reason. We're just a bunch of no-goodniks, deep down."

"Speak for yourself." She grumbled and folded her arms, looking away. "This is not where I saw myself when I was growing up. I wanted to be a superhero. I was training to be a nurse! I wanted to help people! How did I end up like this?"

"You, a superhero?" Meowth responded, incredulous. "More like a supervillain! You're the most rotten of all of us!"

"Say that again?!" Jessie bared her teeth at him, enraged.

"Honestly, he has a point," James spoke up meekly. "Your morals were always more... flexible than ours."

"You shut up!" she barked, whirling about to face him. "You'll never understand what I had to put up with my entire life! You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth! You had everything you wanted, and you gave it all up! I never had any of that!" James took a wary step backward as she continued.

"When you don't have anything to your name, you learn to do what it takes to survive," she explained, long-suppressed memories and emotions bursting out of her like water through a broken dam. "You steal one meal from a restaurant, just so you don't starve. You pick one person's pocket and steal their wallet, so you can have clothes without holes in them for the winter. You join a biker gang, so you always have friends around to protect you from being mugged. You take a job with a group like Team Rocket, so you can have a steady paycheck and a roof over your head."

She looked down and gripped her sleeves tightly, the memories making her gradually more bitter. "You always tell yourself that this is the last time, that you're only doing what you have to do. Then one day you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror, and you realize you've given your life over to a criminal organization for years. And you stay there because you have nowhere else to go. You have nobody to turn to, because everyone who was ever close to you abandoned you a long time ago. Abandoned by my mother, by my foster family, by my friends... I was the only person I ever had." There was a moment of silence as her words lingered in the air.

"Well, ain't that a touching story," Meowth lamented in false sympathy, before reverting to his previous anger. "So then why the heck did you have to hang around with us?! You coulda just stayed in Lumiose City and ruined your own life! You didn't have to ruin ours, too!"

"What was I supposed to do?" she shot back. "Just stay in Lumiose City by myself, working as a waitress? Was that supposed to be my life plan?"

"You just told us how much you loathed Team Rocket!" James jumped in. "And on our last day, you were telling us you would be okay working in a restaurant for the rest of your life!"

"I didn't..." Jessie reflexively jumped to her own defense, but the memory of their conversation unearthed itself at that moment, stilling her tongue. "I..."

"That's right!" Meowth added triumphantly. "I remember it clear as day!"

"So then, why did you do it?" James demanded. "Why would you leave that behind and go back to something you hate so much? It makes no sense!"

Jessie was trembling now from head to toe with frustration and embarrassment, her fists clenched tightly as she stared back into James's accusing eyes. "Are you really going to make me say it...?"

"Make you say what?" he replied in confusion. She growled and thrust her hand out in front of her, pointing right at him.

"It was because of you, you idiot!" she roared. "The whole reason I left was because of you!"

James froze where he stood, his eyes as wide as saucers. "W... what...?"

Jessie glared back at him, her anger finally starting to fade after her outburst, though her hands still trembled as they did before. She could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, and she hated herself for it. She felt weak, and vulnerable, and all of the things she had told herself she could never be if she wanted to survive. She had no recourse now, however. She had peeled back one layer of mental defenses after another, exposing more and more of herself to her former teammates. Now the naked, fragile truth was all she had left.

"You were the only one, James," she uttered quietly, her voice quivering. "The only one who didn't abandon me."

James barely breathed, barely blinked, as Jessie's admission crashed into him like a tidal wave. His mind came to a screeching halt, overwhelmed by this revelation and everything that came with it. Once he could think properly again, he found his anger quickly consumed by guilt. How much grief had she put herself through for his sake over the past couple of months? Over the past several years? As he recovered from his shock, a resolute expression crossed his face.

Jessie and Meowth blinked in surprise as James reached down to remove his gray Team Rocket shirt, leaving him in his black undershirt. Both observers gasped as he turned it upside down and began tearing the front of it in half, his muscles straining with the effort.

"James! What on Earth are you doing?!" Meowth exclaimed.

"What does it look like?" he answered, as the red R was separated into two pieces. "I'm tendering my resignation."

"But why?" Jessie asked, eyes wide. "You've always loved Team Rocket!"

"Maybe," he responded, tearing through the collar and dropping the destroyed shirt to the ground. "But like you said, I haven't abandoned you yet." He lifted his eyes to meet hers, offering a reassuring smile. "And I'm not going to start now."

Jessie was dumbstruck. His words were a direct strike on the soul she had bared to him. She could feel her final mental barrier, which had stood strong for more than twenty years, shattering and crumbling to dust.

At that moment, the dam finally burst.

"You..." She felt her legs give out, and she collapsed to her knees. "You idiot..." She reached up and covered her eyes with her arm, trying to hide her tears from her companions. "Why'd you have to go and do something like that..."

James quickly stepped forward, concerned, and kneeled down in front of her. He reached out and rest his hands on her shoulders, half-expecting her to back off, but she didn't push him away. She continued to sniffle, occasionally making a choking noise that sounded like a suppressed sob, as James and Meowth watched in silence. After a minute of this, she quieted down and started rubbing her eyes with her arm.

"...Thank you," she spoke quietly, her voice gentler than either of them had heard before. James just smiled and nodded in response.

"Hey, uh... I hate to interrupt the moment," Meowth spoke up, interrupting the moment. "But we probably shouldn't be hanging around here any longer. We're still persona non grata around these parts. Who knows when those two goons will come back looking for us again? We gotta move."

"You're right." James removed his hands from Jessie's shoulders and stood up. "We need to get to Anistar City. It'll be easier to hide there."

"Right." Jessie finally lowered her arm and stood up. "We need a plan for how to get Team Rocket off our backs. And we still have a score to settle with those Team Ace punks. I don't trust those do-gooders as far as I can throw them."

"Let's get moving, then," Meowth replied. "We can plan out our next move once we've found someplace to hide out."

"We?" Jessie's eyebrows raised. "Meowth, you aren't leaving? Even if we're abandoning Team Rocket?"

"Yeah, well..." Meowth shifted a bit uncomfortably, almost as guarded as Jessie was. "As much as I wanna be the boss's top cat again... I've hung around you two lugs way too long to leave now. We're all stuck together like glue."

James grinned down at him. "That's the spirit! We may not be Rockets, but we'll always be a team." He extended his hand out in front of him, resting it in the air between all three of them.

Meowth grinned and reached up, resting his paw on top of James's hand. "All for one, and one for all!" Jessie reached out as well to complete the gesture, her heart feeling lighter than it had in decades.

As soon as the three of them withdrew their hands, Jessie grabbed at her Team Rocket shirt and peeled it off, leaving her in her black undershirt. She turned the shirt upside-down and tore it in half down the middle, with far greater ease than James had done. She balled the torn garment up and tossed it into the forest, before turning and resuming her trek toward Anistar City. James and Meowth followed behind her, with renewed energy.

Chapter Text

Serena led Ash by the hand through the streets of Couriway Town, an excited grin on both their faces. Ash was craning his neck to look ahead of him, hoping to get a glimpse of his destination as soon as possible. He had wanted his birthday gift to be a complete surprise, but he was too excited to stop himself from trying to figure out exactly what it was.

Pikachu clung to his shoulder as he always did, while Iris and Brock followed behind them. Madison brought up the rear, noticeably limping but still keeping pace. As soon as they had reached Couriway Town, they had sought out the local hospital so that Madison could receive proper treatment for her twisted ankle. She was discharged an hour later, with a rigid ankle brace and a renewed sense of optimism. So long as she took it easy for the next few weeks, she was cleared to start walking again for short periods of time, which meant that she would be able to participate in the Couriway Town Showcase in a few days. She was excited to start practicing her Performance Battle with Barrett, as she had a lot of new changes in the routine she needed to rehearse.

She and the others made their way downtown, to an intersection where they were supposed to meet up with the young boy again. Once they rounded the last corner, they spotted him standing and waiting on the sidewalk, whistling with his hands in his pockets. Madison smiled and waved as she called out to him. "Barrett! Hey!"

His eyes lit up at the sound of her voice, and he was beaming as he turned to face them, waving back. His smile turned to an expression of horror as he saw Madison limping alongside her friends. His eyes snapped down to her ankle, where the brace was on full display. He ran over to her as fast as he could, in a panic.

"Madison! What happened?! Are you alright?!" he exclaimed, the questions firing rapidly out of his mouth. He rested his hands on her shoulders as he looked her over for other signs of injury.

"I'm okay, really!" she insisted. "I had a fall last week and twisted my ankle, but it's been getting better. The doctor said I can walk on it now."

"Are you sure?" Her calming words barely seemed to penetrate his skull. "Does it hurt a lot? Do you need help walking?"

"Barrett, I'm fine!" She reached up and lifted his hands from her shoulders. "It's sweet of you to worry, but it's all taken care of. Trust me."

"So you're still okay to perform?" he asked, his eyes on hers as his hands dropped to his sides.

"Yep! We're still on," she reassured him. He nodded and exhaled, taking a small step back. Serena held back a grin as she watched the two of them, tickled pink by Barrett's concern.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Barrett looked up and around at the older trainers around her. "So why are we all meeting here?"

"We're all here to celebrate Ash's birthday!" Serena announced cheerfully. "We set up something special for him."

"Here?" Barrett turned toward the building next to him. "We're celebrating his birthday on a battlefield?" Madison immediately smacked him on the back of his head with her palm, causing him to wince in pain. "Ow!"

"It was supposed to be a surprise!" Madison barked at him. Behind her, Iris let out a deflated sigh, and Brock chuckled lightly.

"Sorry, I didn't know!" Barrett protested, holding the back of his head.

"It's okay, really!" Ash insisted, waving his hands in front of him. "I figured it was probably something like that. It's still going to be great!"

"You're going to love it, Ash." Serena smiled wide as she walked toward the door. "I think this is a battle you're going to remember for a long time."

"I can't wait!" Ash could already feel adrenaline pumping through him as he followed after her, and the four remaining travelers walked in after him.

As they entered the building and walked onto the expansive Pokémon battlefield, Ash looked around the room curiously for any sign of what big twist was waiting for him. The arena was empty, save for them, and there were no special decorations on the walls or anything of that sort. It wasn't immediately clear what made this battle special.

"So who am I battling?" He turned back to face Serena. "One of you guys?" She grinned wide and shook her head, but didn't answer. Ash turned to meet the eyes of Brock, then Iris, but they both shook their heads as well. They were both wearing mischievous smiles, and Iris was nearly as excited as Serena had been. Barrett was just as confused as Ash, being completely in the dark. Madison, on the other hand, was practically vibrating, looking like she was about to explode.

"If it's not you guys-" Ash began, before he was quieted by the sound of a door opening. Everyone turned to the back corner of the room, where a woman had emerged from one of the doors and was walking toward the group. The mysterious woman was wearing a long black coat, a matching bowler hat, a pair of dark sunglasses, and an eager smile.

"It's been a while, Ash," she spoke, in a voice that tugged at Ash's memory. "It's good to see you again." She reached up and removed her sunglasses, revealing a pair of blue eyes that he instantly recognized. He and Barrett gasped in unison.

"Diantha?!" Ash exclaimed, gawking at the reigning Kalos Champion, whom he had met several times in the past. "What are... wait..." Realization dawned on him, and his face lit up like a thousand-watt bulb. "Diantha, am I going to battle you?!"

"That's right," she confirmed, grinning at the unrestrained joy on the boy's face. "I'm looking forward to seeing how you've improved."

"This..." Ash was briefly overcome, trying to find words to express his elation. "This is... amazing!" He turned back toward his friends. "How did you all do this?!"

"It was pretty much all Serena," Iris admitted, unable to keep herself from smiling. "She's the one who put this together."

"I was calling around, trying to find people who would be willing to battle," Serena explained. "I was thinking of Elite Four members, past League winners, you know... but early on, Palermo helped me get in touch with Diantha. I didn't think she would be able to battle, but after a few days she called me back and said she'd be happy to." Brock and Madison nodded in agreement, while Barrett stared in amazement at Diantha, his eyes bugging out of his head.

"The timing worked out perfectly for me," Diantha added, folding up her sunglasses and placing them in her coat pocket. "Filming for my next movie has wrapped up, and the Champion's League is going to be underway soon. Both my Pokémon and I need to get back into fighting shape." She grinned down at Ash, barely having to look down to meet his eyes, as he was starting to grow close to her in height. "And who better to practice against than a promising young trainer like yourself?"

"It's an honor to be your sparring partner!" a starry-eyed Ash replied, full of confidence. "Thank you so much, Diantha!"

"It's my pleasure, Ash," Diantha responded. "I still remember your battles from the Kalos League five years ago. That battlefield burned with passion and energy from you and your Pokémon." Her eyes flicked over to meet Pikachu's, who was nearly as excited as his trainer. "I want you to show me that passion again, right here."

"You bet!" Ash clenched his fist in front of himself. "I'll give you the best battle you've ever had!"

Diantha laughed lightly. "That's a tall order, but I like your enthusiasm." She slipped her coat off, revealing the flowing white outfit that she was usually seen in. "What sort of battle are you looking for? Single or double? How many Pokémon?"

Ash looked down for a moment, mulling over his options. His instinct was to ask for a full six-on-six battle, but he knew Amaura was not remotely ready to battle a champion, and after a moment of thought, he decided Growlithe wasn't either. Secretly, he wished that he had been given the opportunity to change out his team before arriving, but he wasn't going to ruin the moment by saying this in front of Serena. He also wanted to be respectful of Diantha's time, knowing how busy she usually was.

"How about a four-on-four?" he suggested. "Single battle."

"Sounds good to me." Diantha nodded and slid her coat off, revealing her white champion outfit underneath, which slowly puffed out once it was no longer being held down. "I'll send out the first Pokémon. I want to see how you respond."

"Great!" Ash nodded and reached down to his belt, retrieving one of the Poké Balls attached to it. He then grabbed his pack from off of his back, reaching in and pulling a Poké Ball out of an ice-filled container. One moment later, Amaura and Growlithe materialized next to him, and the both looked around curiously at their surroundings. Neither of them recognized what an official battlefield looked like, nor the woman standing across from Ash.

"Growlithe, Amaura, I want the two of you to watch this battle, alright?" Ash knelt down next to them, and their attention snapped to him. "Sit with the others and watch us battle against Diantha. See if you can learn something, okay?" Growlithe barked affirmatively, turning and walking over to Serena, wandering between and around her legs affectionately. Serena laughed and knelt down to pet the Puppy Pokémon before walking toward the stands with Iris, Madison and Barrett.

Amaura followed behind them, eager to learn more about battling, but stopped and turned at the sound of another Pokémon being released into the room. Everyone looked toward the far end of the battlefield, where Diantha had released a massive, blue, long-necked Pokémon that looked like a larger, more regal version of Amaura. Ash's eyebrows raised, while his Pokémon beside him gasped.

"Whoa! Diantha, you have an Aurorus?"

Diantha nodded. "That's right. I've had him for nearly ten years, now. He was revived from a fossil I was given." She watched as Amaura ran over toward Aurorus as fast as his legs could carry him. "I assume your Amaura was the same?"

"Yeah, he was," Ash confirmed, watching with everyone else as Amaura started speaking rapidly and excitedly to his evolved counterpart. "I won the fossil in a tournament a couple of weeks ago. We're working on getting him into battling shape." Aurorus let out a low rumble of a laugh, leaning down and rubbing noses with the awestruck Amaura, who was as happy as he could be.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of another Pokémon being released from its Poké Ball. Houndour had once again chosen to release himself, sensing a large opponent that he wanted to battle against in order to prove himself. He barked loudly and ran toward Aurorus with a snarl, but a glare from the nearly nine-foot-tall Pokémon stopped Houndour in his tracks. There was an air of authority in Aurorus's eyes, a commanding presence that made Houndour realize he may have bitten off more than he could chew.

"Sorry, Houndour, but not this time." Ash walked over to the conflicted Pokémon and gently pet him on the head, receiving a low but non-threatening growl in return. "You can watch with Amaura and Growlithe if you want." After a moment's consideration, Houndour let out a low woof and turned toward the stands where the others had gathered. He sat down next to Growlithe, who yipped happily and nuzzled the side of his head. Amaura joined them moments later, his eyes still glued to Aurorus.

Brock stood on the side of the battlefield, taking the place of the referee, and began to announce the rules. "This will be a four-on-four battle between Ash and Diantha! The match will end when all of the Pokémon from one or both trainers are unable to battle! A Pokémon cannot be switched out unless it has been battling for at least two minutes!"

"I won't be switching out my Pokémon," Diantha declared, folding her arms. "That should make this a bit more interesting."

"Understood." Brock nodded as he turned toward Diantha, having trouble meeting her eyes. His voice sounded stiff and beset with nerves. "Diantha has already sent out her first Pokémon!" He turned back toward the other end of the battlefield. "Ash, please send out your first Pokémon as well!"

Ash reached down to his belt and grabbed one of his Poké Balls, already having chosen who he would be starting with. He hurled the ball onto the battlefield as hard as he could, endless energy coursing through him. "Snivy, I choose you!"

The Grass Snake Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, immediately sizing up her gigantic opponent with a serious expression on her face. She turned to look at the walls, seeing sunlight streaming in through several large windows, and her expression changed to a confident smirk.

"Both trainers are ready!" Brock declared. "The battle will begin... now!"

Ash was eager to snatch the first move for himself. "Snivy, attack with Leaf Storm, and start building up energy for a Solar Beam!" The latter attack would take a while to build up, especially if Ash wanted it to be a powerful one, and he would need to get Snivy started on it early.

Snivy extended her arms outward, and a swarm of leaves appeared and swirled around her body, quickly growing in speed and size. She thrust her arms forward a moment, sending the Leaf Storm toward her opponent. She expected Aurorus to move out of the way, but the large Pokémon held his ground.

"Stop those with Powder Snow!" Diantha commanded. Aurorus exhaled a dense, snowy fog from his mouth, which both froze the leaves and blew them away from his body. All of them fell to the ground uselessly, and their target remained unscathed. Snivy made a "hmph" noise, clearly displeased that she hadn't even scratched him.

"Now, use Blizzard!" Diantha continued, casting her arm out in front of herself. Aurorus complied immediately, taking in a deep breath and exhaling a massive gust of freezing air and snow, one that made the previous Powder Snow look like a light breeze. Everyone in the room could feel the temperature drop, as the freezing air swirled all about the battlefield. Even after Aurorus stopped exhaling, the icy blizzard continued to churn, in a show of Aurorus's masterful control over ice.

Snivy began shivering at the extreme cold surrounding her, wincing every time an ice particle scraped against her skin and left a minuscule cut. Ash grimaced at the sight, and so did the observers in the stands.

"That's not how Ash wants to start this battle," Iris muttered, holding herself as she shivered from the cold. "On top of all that damage, Snivy's going to be slower than usual, now."

"And it's not slowing down, either," Serena noticed. "It's still going. How long does it last?"

"I guess that's how good a champion's Pokémon is," Barrett suggested, staring at Diantha in awe, which he had been doing ever since she revealed herself.

In the arena, Ash could see his time being whittled down. He was going to have to do a lot of damage a lot faster, or else Snivy would turn into a popsicle before she could even fire off her Solar Beam.

"Get in close and attack with Leaf Blade!" he shouted. Snivy nodded and dashed forward, at a slower pace than normal due to the ongoing Blizzard.

"Stop her with Rock Slide!" Diantha countered. Aurorus rumbled affirmatively, and a thick ring of glowing rocks appeared all around his body. The rocks flew forward toward Snivy like an avalanche, poised to do some serious damage.

"Dodge and pull yourself in close!" Ash commanded. Snivy extended her vines and pushed them against the floor, launching herself into the air and out of harm's way. She then wrapped her vines around her opponent's neck, pulling herself in before Aurorus could move out of the way. As she approached, her tail glowed a bright green, and she let out a battle cry as she swung it against her foe's torso. Aurorus let out a pained grunt, but otherwise showed little reaction.

"Again! Keep hitting him!" Ash encouraged.

"Use Rock Slide again!" was Diantha's reply. Both Pokémon obeyed their trainers, and Snivy went in for another Leaf Blade, while another ring of rocks flew toward her. She managed to dodge once again, delivering a third and fourth blow to Aurorus's body and neck. For all the attacking she was doing, however, Aurorus barely seemed to be affected. His stamina must have been off the charts.

"We need to do some more damage!" Ash called out. "Aim for the head!" Snivy smirked, liking the sound of that, and she wrapped her vines around the top of her opponent's neck. She whipped upward, dodging another Rock Slide, and slammed her Leaf Blade into Aurorus's jaw. The Pokémon cried out in pain, his head snapping back for a moment.

"Aurora Beam!" Diantha ordered. Aurorus zeroed in on his opponent, opening his mouth and shooting an icy beam of rainbow energy directly at her. The beam hit Snivy square in the chest, knocking her to the ground and back into the blizzard. Ash watched as she struggled to her feet, holding the spot where she had been hit. She looked as if she had run a marathon, and the battle had barely started.

Ash looked across the battlefield at Aurorus, who was still standing in the exact spot he had been since he was released from his Poké Ball. Ash had been waiting for a good opportunity to use Grass Knot, which would have done a great deal of damage to such a large Pokémon, but it wouldn't do any good if Aurorus wasn't moving. He looked back toward Snivy, who was glowing a faint golden color from the Solar Beam energy she had collected. At this rate, she would be knocked out before she got a chance to fire it. They had to speed up the process, and one of her new techniques would be the key.

"Use your vines and gather some energy with Giga Drain!" he called out.

Snivy nodded and extended her vines once again, wrapping them tightly around Aurorus's neck. The vines began to glow with a bright green color, and Aurorus roared as he felt his energy being sucked away through the vines. Snivy started to glow more brightly herself, as energy for her Solar Beam filled her body. Ash was vigilantly watching both Aurorus and Diantha, ready to respond to whatever they tried. Snivy could probably dodge a Rock Slide while keeping her grip, he mused. Aurora Beam would be tougher, but she could-

"Pull her in and headbutt her!" Diantha ordered.

Ash briefly panicked, flustered, as Aurorus threw his head backward, pulling on Snivy's vines and sending her flying directly toward him. Neither she nor Ash had time to reach before Aurorus thrust his head forward again, colliding painfully with the helpless Snivy.

She cried out in pain as she flew halfway across the battlefield, tumbling to an inelegant stop. She groaned as she used her vines to force herself back to her feet, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. She turned back toward her trainer and gave him a short nod, her body glowing more brightly than before. She may not have had all the power she wanted, but she had enough. She was ready.

"Do it now!" Ash commanded, not hesitating. "Use Solar Beam!" Snivy turned back toward her foe, her chest heaving as she held her hands out in front of her. A ball of golden energy formed between her hands, rapidly growing to an impressive and dangerous size. She let out a weak cry as the energy was unleashed as a Solar Beam, aimed directly at Aurorus's massive bulk.

"Light Screen!" Diantha shouted, just before the Solar Beam fired. Aurorus's eyes glowed white, and a barely-visible, transparent shield of energy appeared in the air in front of him. The Solar Beam collided with the Light Screen, and most of the energy exploded against it in a burst of golden light. A much smaller, weaker version of the beam managed to get through, striking Aurorus at the base of his neck. He roared in pain, but still stood his ground as he had the entire battle.

Both Ash and Snivy gawked in disbelief, along with everyone else in the room. Their one chance at doing serious damage to Aurorus had gone up in smoke, and now Snivy was on her last legs, while Aurorus was still standing like a brick wall. Diantha decided to take the initiative and put her out of her misery.

"Ancient Power, Aurorus!" Her Pokémon rumbled, and the ground soon followed suit, as a large boulder ripped itself out of the battlefield and flung itself toward Snivy.

"Dodge it!" Ash commanded in a panic, but it was too late. Snivy was unable to extend her vines in time, and she was soon crushed by a flying boulder several times her size. The rock continued on, flying out of the battlefield and smashing into the wall of the arena, while Snivy was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground outside of the boundaries of the battlefield. Nobody needed to take a closer look to see the condition she was in.

"Snivy is unable to battle!" Brock declared, raising an arm in Diantha's direction. "The first bout goes to Aurorus!"

Ash sighed in disappointment as he recalled Snivy, whispering words of praise to her Poké Ball before attaching it to his hip. He was already down one Pokémon, and Aurorus barely looked affected. They had gotten a solid shot in with Snivy's Leaf Blade, and some additional damage on top of that, but he hadn't even needed to move in order to take down his opponent. Aurorus was the definition of a tank, even without Light Screen. The only real positive from the fight was that they had managed to run out the clock on Blizzard, which had finally receded.

Over in the stands, Madison was no more optimistic. "Geez, that was... one-sided. How is Ash supposed to win this battle now?"

"I don't think he ever had a chance of winning," Iris answered. "I mean, she's the champion of Kalos for a reason. She's stronger than a lot of other champions. She's up there with trainers like Cynthia."

"Yeah, I didn't think he could really win, either," Serena admitted. "But still... this is a pretty brutal way to start."

They all watched Ash as he deliberated over his next choice, his hand resting on top of one Poké Ball, then another. He eventually grabbed one and tossed it out, releasing his Absol right next to him. Ash leaned in and spoke something to Absol that nobody else could hear - some sort of secret strategy, they assumed.

Once Brock signaled for the battle to resume, Ash jumped in once again with the first move. "Absol, use Double Team, then Shadow Ball!"

Absol grunted and began to multiply, with more and more copies of himself filling the battlefield. Soon, two dozen Absol all opened their mouths at once, each of them forming a Shadow Ball. The attacks all fired off simultaneously, making their way toward Aurorus. It was difficult for anyone to tell which was the real attack.

"Dodge, Aurorus!" Diantha commanded. "Charge through them and take out the real one!"

For the first time in the battle so far, Aurorus moved. He leaped to the side, and most of the Shadow Balls shot right past him. The real attack still carved effortlessly through the Light Screen, thanks to its type resistance, and exploded against Aurorus's shoulder. Diantha's Pokémon did little more than grunt in response, before lumbering forward and charging through the army of Absol clones.

"Get moving, Absol!" Ash's voice rang out. "You're faster than he is! Keep the pressure on with more Shadow Balls!"

The Absols did as they were told, running around the arena and firing off one group of Shadow Balls after another. Aurorus chased them around the battlefield, sweeping through them with Aurora Beams and eliminating two to three Absols at a time. He continued to be pelted with the occasional Shadow Ball, but it wasn't clear how much damage was being done.

Eventually, Aurorus eliminated the last of the clones with another Aurora Beam, and only one Absol remained. Before Ash could issue another command, the fossil Pokémon pivoted and swung its long tail across the battlefield, slamming it directly into Absol and sending him flying. As the Dark-type landed on his stomach, he cried out in pain as he was hit by an Aurora Beam.

"Absol! No!" Ash watched nervously as Absol got back to his feet, glaring at his opponent with a gleam in his eye. Once he was standing, Ash turned his attention to Brock, looking at his right hand. Brock had previously been extending his index and middle fingers, officially signaling that Ash could not switch out Absol yet. His hand was now relaxed. Ash was free to make his switch whenever he wanted.

Ash swiftly reached for Absol's Poké Ball, holding it in front of him and pressing the button. "Absol, return!" His Pokémon was converted to a batch of red energy and sucked back into the device, which Ash placed back onto his belt. He grabbed another one and tossed it out onto the battlefield. "Mienfoo, it's your turn!"

Mienfoo glanced downward as soon as she emerged, instantly recognizing that she was on a battlefield. She looked across the field for her opponent, eyes widening as she saw the massive Aurorus glaring angrily at her, dwarfing her in size.

"We're battling against the champion of Kalos," Ash spoke, as Mienfoo turned around to listen. "This is one of the toughest battles we'll ever face. Give it all you've got and don't hold back!" Mienfoo smirked and turned back toward Aurorus, excited to test her skills against such a powerful foe. Aurorus seemed agitated, almost angry, at the sight of his new opponent.

"Both Pokémon are ready!" Brock declared. "The battle will resume... now!"

Diantha was the first to call out a command this time. "Aurorus, use Reflect!" she ordered. To nearly everyone's surprise, Aurorus did not obey her command, choosing to growl threateningly at Mienfoo instead, with a low rumble that reverberated through the floor.

Diantha let a smirk cross her face, immediately picking up on what had happened. "Clever boy..." she muttered to herself, under her breath. This battle had just become more interesting.

"What just happened?" Up in the stands, Madison was much more confused. "Why isn't Aurorus listening to her?"

"Wow," Iris responded, surprised and a little awed. "It looks like Absol used Taunt on Aurorus. Now he's too enraged to do anything but attack."

"Really?" Serena glanced over at Iris from beside her. "How did a champion-level Pokémon let itself be taunted?"

"It's because Taunt is a move that uses Dark-type energy, and Absol is a Dark-type Pokémon," Iris explained. "When a Dark-type uses Taunt, it's basically impossible to fight it." She leaned forward, resting her folded arms on her thighs. "Now the question is, how long will it take for Aurorus to go back to normal?"

Down in the arena, Diantha was not interested in waiting for her Pokémon to go back to normal. Aurorus was extremely weak to Fighting-type attacks, and if this Mienfoo was as strong as Ash's other Pokémon, there was a chance she would be down one Pokémon in the next few minutes.

"Use Icy Wind!" she called out. "Slow Mienfoo down!" Aurorus took in a deep breath and expelled a blast of icy air as thick as fog, in Mienfoo's direction.

"Dodge it!" Ash countered. "You're faster than him! Get in close and do some damage!"

Mienfoo leaped to her right, dodging the Icy Wind with ease. As she landed again, she dug the claws on her left paw into the ground and used her momentum to pivot back toward her foe. Before Aurorus could launch another attack, she jumped into the air and grabbed onto one of the two sails that ran down Aurorus's neck. She clambered up the sail, toward his head, as he growled and tried to buck her off.

"Freeze the air around you!" Diantha's voice called out. Aurorus once again refused to obey, focused more on dislodging Mienfoo from his back. She held back a sigh, frustrated at the broad effect Taunt was still having on her Pokémon.

"Great job!" Ash praised. "Hit him in the head with Close Combat!" Mienfoo did as she was told, wrapping her short legs around Aurorus's throat and pummeling him repeatedly in the back of the head with her fists. He cried out in pain, bucking his head wildly to try and shake her loose.

"Whip her off with your tail!" Diantha commanded, already concerned with how this battle was going. Aurorus leaned his head as far backward as he could, as his tail came up to smack Mienfoo away.

"Use Detect!" Ash countered, though it was hardly necessary. Even as the words were leaving his mouth, Mienfoo's eyes were already glowing blue. She dodged at the last second by spinning around Aurorus's neck, her legs still clamped around his throat. Once the two were face-to-face, she reared her hand back and slammed a glowing Force Palm into his jaw. The force of the attack snapped his head back, and her legs came loose, sending her back toward the ground. She pivoted in midair and landed daintily on her feet, while Aurorus needed a moment to come back to his senses.

Iris let out a low whistle up in the stands, as Diantha ordered Aurorus to freeze the battlefield. "That was a lot of damage in... not a lot of time. And right to the head, too."

"Do you think Mienfoo can win?" Barrett asked, not tearing his eyes away from the action. He watched as Aurorus used his icy breath to freeze the ground underneath himself, and Diantha breathed a small sigh of relief.

"At the start of this, I would have said no," she answered. "But if she can avoid getting hit, and keeps dealing damage like that, maybe?"

"I'm just glad those two are working together," Serena chimed in, as Mienfoo easily dodged an Aurora Beam, using her claws to gain traction on the icy surface. "It looks like Ash and Mienfoo have patched things up since she was caught."

In the arena, the normally unflappable Diantha was growing bothered by the difficulty Aurorus was having. In a normal battle, she would have switched her Pokémon out for someone smaller and faster, but she had already promised not to do so. She would simply have to deal with an uneven matchup.

"Slow her down with Rock Slide, all over the arena!" she called out. Instantly, a small mountain of rocks formed around Aurorus and barreled toward Mienfoo. She dodged them easily, clambering over the rocks to pull herself closer to her foe. Unfortunately, the extra time taken to climb over the rocks was slowing her down just enough to make her vulnerable.

"Quick, dodge!" Ash called out, as he saw an attack coming her way. Mienfoo pivoted right away and tried to dodge, but was still struck in her left shoulder by an Aurora Beam. She stumbled down the oncoming rocks for a moment, but recovered quickly and resumed her climb. She dodged one more Aurora Beam before slamming a glowing Force Palm into Aurorus's sternum, eliciting a pained cough from him.

Diantha watched the battle unfold with a hint of a frown on her face. Mienfoo was shockingly fast, just enough to be an ideal counter for a powerful but slow Pokémon like Aurorus. That speed of hers had to be taken down a peg.

"Use Blizzard again!" she ordered. She had hoped she could conserve Aurorus's energy for his next opponent, but at this rate there wouldn't be another opponent.

Aurorus swiftly inhaled and let out another enormous gust of freezing air, which swept across the battlefield and lingered just as it had before. Mienfoo tried to dodge, but was soon surrounded by the cold air that seemed to seep deep into her bones. Her muscles felt tighter, less limber, less able. She could already tell she wouldn't be able to move like she had before.

Ash furrowed his brow, able to see his brief moment of advantage disappearing. Mienfoo was about to really be put to the test. "Get closer, but be careful! Try to get on top of him again!"

Mienfoo rushed forward, zigging and zagging as best she could to make herself a more difficult target to hit. She dashed past Aurorus's left shoulder, looking for the best angle to leap onto his body again.

"Disrupt the floor!" Diantha commanded cryptically. Aurorus grunted and focused, watching as the ferret Pokémon approached. One moment later, the icy floor of the battlefield turned jagged and craggy, as he exerted his cryokinetic abilities. Mienfoo stumbled, thrown off-balance for the first time in this battle.

"Get away!" Ash ordered, his voice panicked, but it was too late. As Mienfoo scrambled back to her feet, she was hit point-blank in the chest with a powerful Aurora Beam that sent her sliding back across the arena. Ash gasped, worried, but soon recovered as an idea came to him.

"Quick, use Reversal!"

As Mienfoo slid across the ice, the claws on her feet dug into the ice below her, stopping her momentum. Bright orange energy swelled around her, as she instantly turned her damage into attack power. She exploded forward into the air, slamming her glowing orange fist into Aurorus's throat. Aurorus's eyes bulged as he coughed and hacked, needing a moment to regain his breath.

Mienfoo took the moment of reprieve to limp away from Aurorus, her breathing harsh and ragged. Even after all the work she and Ash had done to improve her poor defense, one direct attack from a Pokémon as strong as Aurorus was enough to put her on her last legs. Looking across the battlefield again, she was at least proud to see that her opponent was also in poor shape. Her direct assault on his most vital spots had done more damage than Aurorus and Diantha had bargained for.

"Finish her off!" Diantha ordered. "Ancient Power!" A large, glowing chunk of earth rose out of the battlefield, threatening to bring this matchup to a quick end.

Ash clenched his fist, not interested in going down with a fight. "Use High Jump Kick! Aim for his head!"

Mienfoo took a deep breath, summoning all of the strength she had. Just as Aurorus flung his Ancient Power attack at her, she launched herself forward and upward, her knee jutting outward. She managed to dodge the incoming attack by mere centimeters, and her knee slammed directly into Aurorus's jaw with incredible, super-effective strength. The force of the attack was so powerful, and so precisely targeted, that the impact could be heard throughout the arena as a sickening crack. Ash could hear Serena's distinctive gasp from the stands.

Aurorus's head snapped back violently, and his rear legs immediately gave out, his back half collapsing to the ground. His forelegs trembled as they tried to hold up his weight, but they soon collapsed as well. Aurorus's head slowly fell back down and slammed into the frozen arena, cracking much of the ice around him. Brock ran to the side of the arena to get a better look at Aurorus's face, grimacing slightly before raising his arm toward Ash.

"Aurorus is unable to battle!" he declared, sounding pleasantly surprised. "Mienfoo is the winner!"

"Yes!" Serena cheered loudly, clapping her hands before cupping them to her mouth. "Great job, Ash! Great job, Mienfoo!" Iris and Madison offered their own cheers as well, while Barrett sat in silence, dumbfounded that the Kalos Champion could have lost even one of her Pokémon.

"That was awesome, Mienfoo!" Ash called out. "That was a super-strong Pokémon you just took down! You're a fighter right to the end!" Mienfoo grinned, feeling warmth flooding her chest and her cheeks as she took in his praise. She could barely stand up straight or catch her breath, but she wasn't about to retreat into her Poké Ball after hearing that.

Diantha kept an inscrutable smile on her face as she pulled out Aurorus's Poké Ball. "You did a good job, Aurorus," she offered as she returned her Pokémon. "That was a tough matchup against a skilled opponent." She reattached the ball to her belt before looking across the battlefield at Ash.

"Excellent work, both of you," she praised. "Aurorus isn't an easy Pokémon to take down. Your use of strategy and type advantages was impressive." She reached down and retrieved another Poké Ball from her collection. "Let's see how far you can go."

Her second Pokémon emerged on the battlefield, a bird-like creature with vivid red and green plumage accenting its white torso. The coloration extended to its head, forming what looked like a luchador mask over its face. Ash grinned, recognizing the Pokémon, while up in the stands, Madison pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at the new arrival.

"Hawlucha, the Wrestling Pokémon," the device announced. "Possessing an artistic way of executing its moves, Hawlucha takes great pride in their elegance."

Ash studied Hawlucha for a moment before returning his focus to his own Pokémon. "Mienfoo, do you want to rest?" She shook her head without hesitation. With all the damage she had taken, she wouldn't last long against any champion-level opponent, even with whatever rest she could gather in her Poké Ball. She would rather go down swinging right now. Ash nodded and gave a thumbs-up to Brock, who signaled for the match to continue.

"Hawlucha, use Wing Attack!" Diantha ordered. Ash and Mienfoo steeled themselves, watching as Hawlucha spread his wings before taking off like a rocket.

If Aurorus was a tank, Hawlucha was a bullet. In the blink of an eye, he had covered nearly half the battlefield, his wings glowing a bright blue. Ash barely had time to issue a command.

"Detect and Close Combat!" he shouted. Mienfoo's eyes glowed blue as she analyzed her foe's speed and direction, and she bent backward just as Hawlucha swung one of his wings at her. She was barely able to dodge, and retaliated with two solid punches from Close Combat before Hawlucha flew past.

"Don't let up!" Diantha commanded. "Use Aerial Ace!" Hawlucha flew around the battlefield in a wide arc, before turning and zooming toward Mienfoo again, at an almost untrackable speed.

"Same thing as before!" Ash responded. Mienfoo tried using Detect a second time, but the glowing in her eyes flickered and faded as the move failed. She tried to dodge manually to no avail, and Hawlucha slammed his entire body into her torso. She flew backward and bounced along the ground before rolling to a stop, completely unconscious.

"Mienfoo is unable to battle!" Brock dutifully reported. "Hawlucha is the winner!"

Ash nodded grimly as he returned Mienfoo to her Poké Ball, wishing that he could have taken a bit more out of Hawlucha. Diantha was only down one Pokémon at this point, while Ash had lost close to two and a half, given the damage Aurorus had delivered to Absol. For the sake of his own pride, he wanted to take down more than one of Diantha's Pokémon before this match was over. It was time to send in his ace.

He turned his head to the right, toward the Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. "Pikachu, it's all you. Show him what speed really is!" Pikachu cheered and leaped onto the battlefield, filled with energy and ready to show Diantha his full potential; Diantha smiled wide, ready to see it. Once again, the type advantage lay with Ash, who needed every edge he could get in this uphill battle.

"Pikachu and Hawlucha are both ready!" Brock announced, raising both arms. "Battle... begin!"

Ash was speaking up as soon as Brock was finished. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu swiftly emitted a powerful bolt of electricity from his body, which arced toward Hawlucha on the far end of the battlefield.

"Block it with Feather Dance!" Diantha responded. Her Hawlucha thrust his wings out in front of himself, throwing out a thick cloud of loose feathers that lingered in the air. The Thunderbolt connected with the feathers, which absorbed the majority of the blow as they were burned to a crisp. Hawlucha still received a shock from the attack, but it was far weaker than it would have been otherwise.

"Keep your distance and use Hone Claws!" Diantha continued. Hawlucha took off and began flying around the edge of the battlefield, scraping his talons together. They began to glow orange, and soon his entire body followed suit, as his strength and accuracy increased significantly.

Ash watched Hawlucha fly, impressed but unintimidated. He looked back at his Pikachu. "You're faster than that, Pikachu! Use Agility, then hit him with a Quick Attack!"

Pikachu dashed off like a bolt of lightning, his speed rapidly increasing as his body glowed white. He zoomed across the battlefield, matching and exceeding Hawlucha's speed as he homed in on the flying Pokémon. Once Pikachu was close enough, he zipped forward with a Quick Attack and tackled Hawlucha, sending the Pokémon tumbling to the ground. He recovered quickly, and was up in the air again after only a moment.

Diantha adopted a confident smirk. "Now, use Encore!"

Before Ash realized what was happening, Hawlucha had formed a white ball of energy in between his outstretched wings, and he flung it at the unsuspecting Pikachu. The energy ball was absorbed into Pikachu's body, and he began to sparkle with a white light. His eyes became slightly unfocused, a confused expression on his face.

Ash stared in shock for a moment, as the effects of Hawlucha's attack sank in. He'd been duped. Diantha had set up a ruse, and he had fallen for it without a second thought. Now he could only watch as Pikachu charged after Hawlucha with another lightning-fast Quick Attack.

Serena watched the two Pokémon race in circles, as Pikachu clipped Hawlucha's wing with another tackle. She leaned in closer to Iris. "What does Encore do?"

"It forces Pikachu to keep using his last attack," Iris answered. "Now he's going to keep using Quick Attack over and over for a little while."

"Why is that bad, though?" Madison asked. "His Quick Attack is really good."

"But it's not an Electric-type attack," Barrett responded, eager to show off his knowledge as a trainer. "Hawlucha's weak to those, but it's not weak to Quick Attack." Madison nodded in understanding, watching with the others as Pikachu used one Quick Attack after another, occasionally making contact with part of Hawlucha's body.

After a couple of minutes and more than a dozen Quick Attacks, the sparkling glow of Encore faded, and Pikachu came to a stop close to his trainer. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, feeling sweat drip down his cheeks. Using so much speed in such a short time had done a number on his stamina. This had been the true aim of Encore: to tire Pikachu out.

Diantha grinned as she saw her opportunity. "Now, hit him with Aerial Ace!" Hawlucha grunted and swooped around the arena, lining himself up for a blindingly fast strike.

"Pikachu, hit him with Electroweb!" Ash commanded. Despite his exhaustion, Pikachu immediately spun around, and formed a ball of electricity on his tail in a mere instant. Diantha watched in shock as Pikachu flung the electricity at the oncoming foe, which spread out into a wide Electroweb that wrapped itself around Hawlucha's body and delivered a nasty shock.

As Hawlucha crashed to the ground, Pikachu followed up with a powerful Thunderbolt by Ash's command, damaging him even further. The bird Pokémon managed to free himself after a moment and fly off, but he was clearly hurting from those few attacks. Hawlucha was skilled, but he had nowhere near the stamina of Aurorus, and multiple super-effective attacks from an opponent as strong as Pikachu had taken their toll. Both combatants looked as if they had run a marathon.

Diantha grinned in amusement. "Well, I'm impressed. I didn't think Pikachu would be able to react after that. His strength and stamina are commendable."

"Pikachu's been my partner ever since I became a trainer!" Ash exclaimed in response. "He always gives it everything he's got! Taking him down won't be so easy!"

"Well, I look forward to the challenge." Diantha returned her attention to the battle. "Hawlucha, attack with Swift!"

Hawlucha spread his wings wide, and a large collection of yellow stars appeared in front of his chest in the blink of an eye. He clapped his wings together, and the stars flew forward toward their target. Ash watched them approach, knowing better than to try and dodge an attack that would never miss.

"Take care of those with Iron Tail!" Pikachu scrunched up his face as he focused, his tail turning hard as iron after only a moment. He leaped into the air and spun around, swinging his tail at the oncoming stars and destroying nearly all of them. One or two still made it through, but the damage done was minimal - and as they were about to learn, the real threat was yet to come.

Diantha's eye gleamed as she issued her next command. "Now! Rock Tomb!"

Hawlucha cast his wings out in front of himself, just as Pikachu was coming back down to the ground. A cone of solid rock shot up out of the battlefield, snagging Pikachu around his waist and holding him firmly in place. He gasped for air as the rocks squeezed his chest tightly.

"What?!" an incredulous Ash exclaimed. "Since when can Hawlucha even learn Rock Tomb?!"

Diantha covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a short laugh. "You'd be surprised what your own Pokémon can be capable of, if you try." She lowered her hand again, turning back to Hawlucha. "Use Swift again!"

"Pikachu, stop them with Thunderbolt!" Ash countered. Pikachu began charging up electricity as he always did, but when he moved to shoot it out as a Thunderbolt, he found himself stuck. The muscles he normally used to shoot out a Thunderbolt were being squeezed and constricted by the rocks around his torso, preventing him from firing off his signature attack. Both he and Ash watched helplessly as he was battered mercilessly by the Swift attack.

"Try to break free with Iron Tail!" His Pikachu nodded and formed an Iron Tail once again, swinging his hidden lower body to try and destroy the rocks. Unfortunately, due to his limited mobility, he was unable to gain the leverage he needed to do any damage. His tail whacked uselessly against the rocks, doing nothing to free him from his cage. Seconds later, he was battered by another Swift attack, then another.

"No! Pikachu!" Ash gritted his teeth, trying to focus and think of some way to free Pikachu from his prison before he was knocked out. Pikachu was now breathing heavily, weary and sore from the repeated barrage. Diantha, meanwhile, was not interested in giving Ash the chance he was looking for.

"Take him out with Flying Press!" she ordered. Her Pokémon took off into the air once again, flying high above the arena. His body glowed orange with attack energy, before he dove down at his captive opponent.

Ash watched Hawlucha approach, his mind running through all the moves Pikachu knew. As his time ran low, he shouted out a combination he wasn't fully sure of. It had worked in the past for other purposes, but would it work here?

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball and Iron Tail together!"

If Pikachu was confused by the command, he didn't show it. Keeping his eyes on Hawlucha, he formed an Electro Ball on the end of his tail as quickly as he could, before swinging and slamming it against the rocks. The hard edge of his tail dug into the ball of electricity, straining it until it burst like a water balloon. The electric blast was powerful enough to shatter several of the rocks holding him in place, and he dropped down to the ground on all fours.

With Hawlucha approaching, Ash didn't waste a second. "Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu charged himself up with electricity in the blink of an eye, before running forward and leaping upward toward a very surprised Hawlucha. Their bodies smashed into each other, their heads bashing together painfully. Hawlucha's body convulsed at the enormous surge of electricity that shot through him, and he quickly lost control of his flight. Pikachu was driven into the ground, the air knocked right out of him, by the momentum Hawlucha had built up during his Flying Press. Hawlucha rolled across the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust as he tumbled.

Everyone in the room watched to see which of the two Pokémon would rise first, or rise at all. Hawlucha rolled over and got to one knee, pushing himself unsteadily to his feet and trying to keep his balance. The combination of the impact and the electric shock proved to be too much, however, and he tipped over onto his back, down for the count. Pikachu simply didn't rise at all, much to Ash's dismay.

After watching both Pokémon for a few seconds, Brock announced his verdict. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! This bout is a draw!"

Ash let out a deep sigh, feeling a mixture of pride and disappointment. He walked out onto the battlefield and knelt down next to Pikachu, lifting his partner into his arms. "You did great, Pikachu. I should have seen some of her tricks coming. Then maybe you could have lasted a bit longer out there." He walked back to his side of the battlefield, as Diantha returned Hawlucha to his Poké Ball.

"I wouldn't be disappointed if I were you, Ash," Diantha advised, attaching Hawlucha's Poké Ball to her belt. "Your Pikachu took out a champion-level Hawlucha nearly by himself. Even with the type advantage, that's something to be proud of."

Ash turned back to her and smiled, as Pikachu stirred in his arms. "Thanks a lot, Diantha." He looked down at his Pokémon partner, who blinked back up at him. "You hear that, Pikachu? You're strong enough to take down a champion's Pokémon!" Pikachu gave him a tired smile, happy that his trainer was proud of him. Ash returned to his box and set Pikachu down next to him, sitting upright.

"Ash, you've already shown your fourth Pokémon, so you'll have to send him back out," Brock advised. He turned to his other side. "Champion Diantha, please choose your third Pokémon."

Ash politely sent his Absol out again as a reminder, though it was not one that Diantha needed. She kept her indecipherable smile on her face as she sent out her third Pokémon. Ash's eyes lit up as he took in the tall, humanoid, green-and-white Pokémon standing on the battlefield. Even though he was certain he would be defeated, he couldn't help but be excited at the prospect of battling Diantha's ace Pokémon, Gardevoir.

As the two Pokémon sized each other up, Ash looked across the battlefield at Diantha, meeting her eyes. She reached down to the charm she wore around her neck, which bore a Key Stone in the center, and raised her eyebrows at him. He grinned from ear to ear, able to pick up on the question she was wordlessly asking, and nodded in agreement. His excitement started to reach a fever pitch.

Brock raised his arms once more. "Both of you, get ready to battle... now!"

"Gardevior, let's do it!" Diantha touched two of her fingers to the Key Stone around her neck, which began radiating a rainbow light. Gardevoir's own Mega Stone, which also hung from a necklace around her neck, started glowing as well, and soon Gardevoir herself followed suit. The red horn protruding from her chest split into two, while the flowing, green, skirt-like material that covered her thin legs turned a pure white, growing outward until it resembled a ballroom gown. As the light faded, the newly-transformed Mega Gardevoir exuded beauty, grace and elegance.

As the onlookers in the stands marveled at Mega Gardevoir's appearance, Ash raised his right hand close to his left. "Absol, we're going to Mega Evolve to battle her. Are you ready?" Absol took a deep breath before letting out an affirmative grunt, keeping his eyes forward. Ash took a deep breath as well, before grabbing his Key Stone firmly in his hand. Rainbow light emanated from both the Key Stone and Absol's Mega Stone, as Absol grew and transformed into his now-familiar Mega form.

Once the light had faded, Ash took a step closer, standing at the edge of the battle box as he looked over his Pokémon. "How are you feeling, Absol? Are you alright?" Absol turned back to him and gave him a resolute nod. He was sore and injured from his brief battle with Aurorus, but his heart was as strong as ever. He wouldn't falter a second time.

"What is Ash doing?" Barrett asked, as he watched the exchange. "Is something wrong with Absol?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Serena explained. "But the last time Absol Mega evolved, he had kind of a bad reaction to it. Good on Ash for checking up on him."

"And look, Diantha's just watching," Barrett pointed out. "She's waiting for Absol to be ready before she attacks. That's really cool of her." Madison and Serena readily agreed. Iris, seated on Serena's other side, proceeded to look down at her shoes.

As soon as Ash had confirmed that Absol was ready to battle, Diantha made her first move. "Gardevoir, Thunderbolt!" In no time at all, a bolt of electricity burst into existence in front of Gardevoir, shooting out toward its target. Ash and Absol had almost no time to react.

"Dodge it!" Ash shouted. Absol leaped away immediately, barely managing to dodge the Thunderbolt's impact; he could feel his fur standing on end, from the strength of the electric attack. As soon as he landed, however, he was bowled over by an incoming Will-O-Wisp attack. As he pushed himself back to his feet, he winced and whimpered at the serious burn that had been left on his side, his glowing red skin exposed.

"You can do this, Absol!" Ash reassured his Pokémon, as well as himself. "Shadow Ball, rapid fire!"

Absol opened his mouth and formed a Shadow Ball as quickly as he could, firing it at his foe. Gardevoir didn't move a muscle as the attack approached, keeping her eyes locked on her opponent instead. At the last second, right before the attack connected, Gardevoir simply phased out of existence, reappearing a few feet away with Teleport. Undeterred, Absol continued shooting out Shadow Balls, one after another, hoping that any of them might connect. Gardevoir teleported away from each one without a second thought, never once looking tired or unfocused.

Eventually, Ash leaned in closer, lowering his voice so only Absol could hear. "Once she gets close, go in with Quick Attack and a wide Night Slash. She never teleports that far away." Absol grunted before resuming his Shadow Ball barrage, slowly walking forward. Gardevoir continued teleporting, only moving a few feet at a time and never backing away.

Soon, after well over a dozen Shadow Balls, Absol found himself only a few feet away from her. Sensing an opportunity, Absol dashed forward using Quick Attack, his right forepaw glowing with dark energy. He winced at the pain from his burn, but he tried his best to put it out of his mind.

"Reflect!" Diantha's voice rang out. Gardevoir thrust her hands out in front of her, and a translucent shield popped into existence roughly a foot in front of her. Absol's paw slashed at the shield, and the Pokémon hiding behind it, and his paw was stopped cold. Unlike most Reflect shields Ash had seen, this one didn't bend, or crack, or show any reaction whatsoever. It was as if he had just tried to claw through a solid concrete wall.

Neither Ash nor Absol had time to marvel at this powerful Reflect before Diantha's next command came. "Dazzling Gleam!"

A tiny pinprick of light appeared in front of Gardevoir and exploded into a supernova. Only Diantha and Gardevoir had time to look away; everyone else in the room, including the onlookers and the referee, winced and turned their heads away from a light that was even brighter than the sun. Absol cried out in pain and looked away, instinctively backing off as he closed his eyes tight, trying to will his vision back. He hadn't come close to recovering when Diantha gave her next command.

"Now, use Moonblast!"

Ash's heart dropped as he saw Gardevoir extending her arms, forming a large, pink ball of some sort of wind-like energy. With Absol still blinded, there was little useful guidance he could give him now. "Absol, run to your left!"

Absol dutifully did as he was told, trying to outrun an attack he couldn't see, but it was to no avail. Gardevoir's Moonblast shot forward like a cannonball, crossing the field in a fraction of a second and exploding against Absol's side. The Dark-type howled as he was thrown across the field, landing painfully in a lump near one of the far corners. Ash held his breath as he watched Absol stir, groaning in pain as he struggled back to his feet. His fur was ragged all over, thinning at the point where the Moonblast had hit him, and his head and wings were sagging.

Ash exhaled in relief as his Absol finally stood. Once his Pokémon was on his feet, he issued one more command. "Absol, use Payback!"

Absol growled and focused with all of his might, trying to force the damage energy to the surface of his body. As he started to glow with energy, he nearly jumped as Gardevoir manifested into existence directly in front of him. He could only watch as she leaned in, closed her eyes, and gave him a gentle peck on his muzzle. Both Pokémon glowed yellow, as Gardevoir's Draining Kiss stole all of the energy that Absol had planned to unleash, and then some. Gardevoir stood fully and looked down toward Absol, who gave her a despondent, defeated look before collapsing to the ground. His body began to glow once again, as he reverted to his normal, unevolved form.

Brock barely had to inspect Absol before he raised his arm in Diantha's direction. "Absol is unable to battle! Gardevoir wins the bout, and Champion Diantha has won the match!"

Ash let out a sigh, but despite his disappointment at the lopsided battle, he was able to easily find his smile. He walked over to his Absol and knelt down beside him, stroking his mane. "You did great, Absol. We couldn't have beaten Aurorus without your help. Get some rest, okay?" He returned Absol to his Poké Ball, as Diantha walked across the battlefield over to him.

"That was a good battle, Ash," she commended. "You've got some very strong Pokémon on your team. Your Pikachu and Mienfoo are especially impressive." Beside her, Gardevoir was glowing as she reverted to her normal form.

"Thanks, Diantha." Ash stood back up and looked back at her, as his friends left the stands and walked onto the battlefield. "They weren't nearly as strong as yours, though. Snivy and Absol are strong, too, but they could barely do anything against your Pokémon."

"Well, it wasn't their strength that was the problem, truth be told."

"Huh?" Ash cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

Diantha smirked and folded her arms. "How honest do you want me to be, Ash?"

"Be totally honest, please!" he pleaded. "I want to hear all the advice you have to give! If I'm doing something wrong, I want to know!" Around him, all of his friends were standing by and listening in, wanting to hear what tips Diantha had to offer. Iris and Barrett, in particular, were very invested in learning the secrets of a champion.

"That's a good attitude to have," Diantha chuckled. "Alright, then. The problem isn't that your Pokémon aren't strong enough. The problem is that you let me control the flow of the battle, from beginning to end. You spent most of your time attacking and reacting to what my Pokémon did. Meanwhile, my Pokémon were manipulating the battlefield, or manipulating your Pokémon. Nearly the entire battle was fought on my terms. You'll never win against a strong opponent if you let them put you on the back foot."

Ash listened carefully, feeling somewhat embarrassed at how his battling style was being dissected and criticized, but he tried not to let it show. Diantha noticed his disappointment anyway, but continued on.

"By far, the best thing you did in that battle was having your Absol use Taunt. That move stole away many of Aurorus's best tools for dealing with battlers like Mienfoo. You forced me to fight on your terms instead of mine. You played up your advantages while taking away mine. If you had been battling like that from the get-go... well, I still would have won, but it would have been much closer."

She lowered her arms and rested her hands on her hips. "Still, your Pokémon did an impressive job of fighting back. I didn't expect Mienfoo or Pikachu to have that last bit of fight in them. They're strong, and they've got stamina, and that helped push them through when they otherwise would have lost. But that's only going to take you so far. At the top level of Pokémon battling, almost all Pokémon are as strong as every other Pokémon. It's strategy and careful planning that wins the day. Keep that in mind, and it will pay dividends when you make it to the Lumiose Conference."

Ash nodded repeatedly, deeply grateful. "I won't forget that, I promise. Thank you so much, Diantha. Your advice is some of the best I've gotten." He grinned, his fist clenching involuntarily. "And this battle was so fun! This is one of the best presents I've ever had."

"I'm happy to do it, Ash," Diantha replied. "I've never forgotten everything you did during the Crisis five years ago. All of Kalos is in your debt. This was the least I could do." She grinned back at him. "And you're right, it was fun."

"I really appreciate it, too," Serena chimed in, stepping forward. "I never thought a trainer of your caliber would get back to me about this. I figured the most we could ask for was a battle with a former League Champion."

"Good luck in the Champion's League!" Madison jumped in, eager to get a word in with one of the trainers she idolized. "I know you'll defend your title again!"

Diantha turned toward the young girl and smiled. "Thank you... Madison, right? Good luck in your upcoming Showcases, too."

Madison gasped. "You... how do you know my name?" She looked up to Serena for an explanation, but the older girl was just as surprised.

"I saw a video of your winning performance," Diantha explained. "I like to keep up with the showcase season. It's a nice change of pace from battling, and all you young girls are so talented." Madison's eyes were wide as saucers, her heart doing flips at the thought of the Kalos Champion knowing who she was. She watched as Diantha offered good luck to Serena as well, feeling as if she was floating.

"Diantha!" Barrett jumped in, nearly shouting in excitement. "It's an honor to meet you! Could you sign my Pokédex, please?"

Diantha laughed. "Yes, of course." She produced a marker from somewhere, taking Barrett's Pokédex from him and signing her name on top, being careful to avoid the glass display. As she handed it back, she turned to face Madison once again. "Is there anything you'd like me to sign for you?"

Adoption papers, Madison briefly thought.

"Could you sign my makeup bag, pretty please?" she said, quickly producing the bag from her pack. Diantha gave the bag her signature as well, pocketing the marker as Iris chimed in to introduce herself.

Five minutes later, everyone had finally exchanged greetings and goodbyes, and Diantha excused herself, citing a prior engagement that she needed to meet. She returned to the far end of the battlefield, donning her jacket and hat. Ash knelt down and scooped his Pikachu up into his arms, praising him for a battle well fought, before Serena's voice captured her attention.

"So, Ash, are you ready to keep celebrating your birthday?" she asked.

"Keep celebrating?" He turned to her with wide eyes. "You mean there's more?!"

Serena giggled. "It's nothing as special as this, really. We were just going to get some desserts at a nice pastry shop downtown, after we go to the Pokémon Center." Diantha paused for a moment, eyebrows raising, and she turned back toward the group of trainers.

"That sounds great!" Ash answered. "After that battle, I've worked up an appetite!"

Iris rolled her eyes. "You can work up an appetite just thinking about battling, Ash." The others laughed and agreed, and the six of them started collectively making their way toward the front door of the arena.

"Pardon me." All of them turned around at the sound of Diantha's voice, surprised to see her approaching. "You said you were going to a pastry shop?"

"Yeah?" Ash responded curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Diantha smiled back at him. "Well, to be honest, I've worked up a bit of an appetite as well." She slid her sunglasses onto her face. "I think my meeting can wait another twenty minutes or so."

Everyone around her cheered and welcomed her eagerly into their group, and all of them walked outside together, as Serena led them further into Couriway Town.

Chapter Text

"Ahh!" Ash sat back in his chair, his hand resting on his stomach. "That was great! Pokémon Center food always hits the spot!"

On the other side of the table, Serena smiled an unconvincing smile as she continued eating her breakfast. "If you say so, Ash."

"You don't like it?" He tilted his head forward to meet her eyes, his eyebrows raised.

"I mean, it's fine," she elaborated. "But it's still cafeteria food, you know? I'd rather be sitting at a table outside, with a cup of tea and a slice of clafoutis." She took another bite of her scrambled eggs.

"Oh, I love clafoutis!" Madison chimed in from beside Serena. "Especially when they can get the cherries to be really sweet and not sour."

"I don't know what clafoutis is, but I'm with you two." Iris set her fork down on her finished plate. "Especially if there's cherries in it."

"Come on, really?" Ash looked around incredulously at the others at his table. "Am I the only one who really likes Pokémon Center food?"

Brock chuckled. "You're also the only one who travels on foot as much as you do. How many Pokémon Centers have you eaten at in your life?"

The table devolved into a highly opinionated discussion on cafeteria food, and breakfast foods in general. Ash gave an impassioned defense of typical trainer food, while Iris and Brock encouraged him to raise his standards, and Serena and Madison continued to promote the delicious food of their home region. Only Barrett, seated next to Madison, remained quiet. He kept his eyes low, barely listening to the conversation occurring next to him, as he poked lazily at the food that remained on his plate.

The debate came to an end as an outnumbered Ash sat back and folded his arms with a huff. Serena giggled as she finished her food, which was not the supportive gesture Ash was hoping for. Iris rolled her eyes, biting her tongue to keep herself from calling Ash a little kid as she often did.

"So what's everyone doing today?" Madison asked, as she set her silverware down. "Is everyone going to be able to see my showcase tonight?"

"I'll be there!" Ash perked up.

"We'll be there if we can make it," Iris answered. "I'm going on a day trip to Terminus Cave, and Brock is coming with me."

"To get a Noibat, right?" Serena asked.

"That's right," Iris confirmed. "It's my last real chance to get one. I think that's going to be my last catch while I'm here. After that, I really want to focus on training all my new Pokémon. It's been going fine so far, but after seeing how much Ash's Pokémon have grown in his battle with Diantha, I know I can do better."

"Please try to be back in time!" Madison pleaded. "I really want everyone to see my Performance Battle! Barrett and I were working hard on it all day yesterday!"

"Mm." Barrett grunted as he heard his name mentioned, acting as if he had been following along. He took a small bite of his mostly-intact breakfast.

"Barrett?" Madison turned to face her companion. "Is something wrong? You're really quiet."

The boy blinked and turned to his right to see Madison studying him. She was sitting much closer than he had realized, her large, brown eyes lit with concern. He found himself briefly lost in those eyes, temporarily forgetting where he was and what he was thinking about.

"I... uh..." He forced himself to look away as his cheeks flushed a deep red. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Don't worry." He shoveled a large forkful of his breakfast into his mouth, in order to keep it occupied. Madison frowned, not entirely convinced, but she decided not to pry.

Serena watched the exchange with deep amusement, covering her mouth with her hand in order to hide her grin. She was fairly certain she knew what was on Barrett's mind. His feelings toward Madison weren't exactly a mystery.

"We'll do our best to come back in time," Iris promised. "I want to see what you all have been working on."

Madison seemed satisfied with this, and the group soon dispersed to go their separate ways. Iris and Brock began their trek to Terminus Cave, Ash left to train with his Pokémon, and the remaining three travelers left to make some last-minute preparations for the upcoming showcase. Barrett remained quiet throughout, a nervous and thoughtful expression etched onto his face.

Hours later, Iris and Brock were walking along an old, abandoned minecart track suspended above a quarry. Both of them came to a stop, looking up as the track led them to the entrance of a large, deep cave. The walls immediately inside the cave were speckled with minerals that reflected the sunlight weakly, but deeper inside they could see the cave was nearly pitch black.

"Well, this sure looks like it," Brock said. "Terminus Cave. This looks just like what Ash and Serena described."

"How long did it take us to get here?" Iris reached down and pulled out her phone, wincing when she saw the time. "Ah, geez... I don't think we're going to be making it back in time. I'll have to apologize to Madison when we get back."

"I'm sure she'll understand," he responded. "Catching new Pokémon is the whole reason you were here in the first place, wasn't it?"

"Mhmm," she answered. "Maybe I could have stopped off here earlier and made it in time to see her showcase..." She slid her phone back into her pocket. "Well, no use worrying about it now. Only thing I can do is catch a Noibat as fast as I can. I wonder if there are a lot-"

She cut herself off as three purple-and-black, bat-like Pokémon with large ears flew out of the cave together, flying off overhead and into the forest surrounding the quarry. Axew poked his head out of Iris's hair, following them with his eyes as they flew away.

Brock chuckled. "Well, either those were the only three Noibat in the cave, or you don't have much to worry about."

Iris grinned wide, feeling excited about her catch already. "Well, let's get going and find out!" Brock nodded and pulled out a flashlight, turning it on and pointing it inside. The two of them followed the beam of light deeper into the cave, keeping their eyes peeled for Iris's chosen Pokémon.

"Ladies and gentlemen, one and all! Welcome to tonight's Pokémon Showcase, hosted in the lovely and quaint Couriway Town!"

A spotlight shone down on Monsieur Pierre, as he stood at center stage in the auditorium of the Couriway Town Theater. The audience was on the smaller side, roughly comparable to the audience at the Brackish Town Showcase, but they were still able to fill the building with the sounds of applause. Ash and Serena were watching from their seats on the left side of the auditorium, close to one of the backstage doors, which Serena had ducked in and out of several times as she checked on Madison and Barrett. Ash was gently scratching the top of Pikachu's head with one hand, while his other hand rested on top of Serena's on their shared armrest.

"Tonight, seventeen young girls have gathered here to perform for you with their Pokémon! But only one of them will walk away with a Princess Key, bringing them one step closer to the Master Class, where they will have the chance to compete for the title of Kalos Queen! Will one of tonight's competitors become Kalos's newest star?"

The curtains behind Pierre were pulled back, revealing a mostly empty stage, and a large projector screen hanging from the ceiling. Ash frowned, not recognizing this setup from any previous showcases. He wondered just what the Theme Performance had in store for the night's performers.

"Before our ladies can proceed to the Performance Battle round, they must first prevail in the Theme Performance," Pierre continued. "Tonight's Theme Performance is the Pokémon Spectacle! Our performers will be given a visual prompt on the screen behind me, and each one must recreate that visual by using their Pokémon! After five prompts, our judges will determine which performer in each group will move on to the next round!"

As he finished his explanation, three female silhouettes stepped into view behind him, obscured by powerful lights from behind them. Each of them had two Pokémon by their side, of varying shapes and sizes. Pierre began walking toward the side of the stage, gesturing to the contestants standing behind him. "Everyone, please give a warm welcome to our first three performers: Madison, Elise and Judith!"

Ash and Serena cheered with the rest of the audience as the three girls were lit up properly with stage lights, revealing their immaculate outfits and nervous expressions. Madison's eyes roamed the audience for familiar faces, though it was difficult to recognize any of them with the stage lights in her eyes. After a moment, she spotted Ash and Serena at the far edge of the crowd, and visibly relaxed.

As the applause died down, Ash leaned in closer to Serena, speaking quietly. "I still don't get it. How is this round supposed to work?"

"Just watch," Serena whispered back. "It'll make sense after you see it." Ash nodded and sat upright again, watching as all three girls turned to face the projector screen.

"Ladies, here is your first prompt!" Monsieur Pierre declared, as a black-and-white pattern appeared on the screen. To Ash, the pattern looked an awful lot like an exploding firework. The image reminded him of those ink-blot cards from psychological tests that he had heard about.

"Madison, if you please!" the host continued. Madison nodded and stepped forward, with her Roselia and Swellow on either side of her.

"Roselia, Petal Blizzard!" she commanded, pointing upward above her head. "Create a ball!"

Roselia extended her arms outward, and the flowers at the ends of her arms began to glow. Pink petals materialized around her out of thin air, quickly growing in number until they were thick enough for her to hide behind. She thrust one of her arms skyward, and all of the petals flew up into the air, swirling about in a tightly-packed sphere.

"Now, Swellow, use Air Slash!" Her Swellow cawed and flapped its wings, taking off and flying into the air. He positioned himself several feet behind the petal ball, as his wings glowed white. He slashed his wings in front of himself, and two blades of air shot forth in an X pattern. The attack struck the exact center of the petal ball, and the petals exploded outward like a firework, mostly matching the pattern shown on the screen.

"Oh, cool! I get it now," Ash spoke quietly, applauding with the rest of the crowd by clapping his right hand against his knee.

"I told you," Serena answered with a smile, as Madison took several steps back. The purple-haired Elise was next, and the audience watched as she tried to create her own firework effect with a Monferno and a Porygon.

As Serena watched the Pokémon work together to dazzle the crowd, she noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head toward the backstage door, where she saw Barrett poking his head out and glancing around. His eyes soon met Serena's, and he waved her over with his hand.

Serena stood up, telling Ash that she would be right back, and scooted past the two other audience members between herself and the aisle. Once free, she hurried to the backstage door and stepped inside, taking in Barrett's appearance. He was dressed in a sharp blue tuxedo, with a white dress shirt and matching blue pants. A red rose was pinned to his lapel, providing a much-needed pop of color.

She grinned wide at the sight of him. "You look great, Barrett! Very handsome! Madison did a great job picking that out."

"Thanks," he mumbled, looking away from her gaze for a moment as he processed her compliment. "Um... do you know how to tie a bow tie?" He held up his hand, which held an untied black bow tie. "I never learned how."

Serena held back a snicker as she stepped forward, taking the bow tie from his hand. "Sure I do. I've tied them on my own Pokémon plenty of times." She knelt down in front of him, draping the tie around his neck. "Not that you're a Pokémon or anything."

"Mm," Barrett grunted, not acknowledging her comment. He stayed quiet as she worked, his face looking as if he was a thousand miles away.

His pensiveness was not lost on Serena, who eventually decided to break the ice. "What's on your mind, Barrett?"

"Huh?" He looked up at her, surprised, before looking away again. "It's... nothing. I'm fine."

"That's a lie," she responded matter-of-factly. "Your mind has been somewhere else all day. You've barely said anything and you always look lost in thought."

Barrett didn't look back at her, but his face flushed red, confirming her suspicions. "Sorry..."

"You don't need to apologize to me," she responded, as she finished straightening the perfectly-tied bow tie. "But you should probably talk about it with someone if it's bothering you this much, don't you think?"

"Well... it's just... hard to say," he admitted, having to force the words out.

"I understand," Serena replied, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I'm sure some things can be scary to talk about. But those are the things that are the most important to say." She looked him square in the eyes. "Trust me, Barrett. You don't want to wait until it's too late."

He looked back at her, eyes widening as the weight of her words sank in. He swallowed nervously and nodded. "Yeah... you're right. Thanks, Serena."

"No problem." She flashed him a warm smile as she stood up. "I'm going to watch the rest of Madison's performance. I'll be back before you two go on."

He thanked her again, his voice still quiet, and he turned and trudged away slowly, weighed down by his heavy thoughts. Serena watched him for a moment before walking back into the auditorium, her meddling complete, and returned to her seat next to Ash. Her heart raced at the idea of Barrett having a long-overdue conversation with Madison, who was being declared the winner of the Theme Performance at that very moment.

Brock's flashlight was one of the only sources of light deep within Terminus Cave, and most of the Pokémon that he and Iris encountered shied away from it. They had spotted a wide variety of different species, including Sandslash, Lairon and Larvitar, but the Noibat they were seeking proved to be hard to come by. Brock had once again joked about the only three Noibat leaving the cave earlier, but Iris found it much less funny the second time around.

Eventually, the darkness gave way to a bright green glow, and the two of them ran forward to find a large subterranean lake, radiating light from some unknown source. Iris gasped as she took in the sight.

"Whoa!" She gazed out at the lake in wonder. "What is this? I've never seen anything like this before!"

"Neither have I... at least, not in this color." Brock flicked his flashlight off. "Want to go take a closer look?"

The two of them carefully climbed down a gentle slope before approaching the water, leaning in closer to try and find the source of the mysterious light. Finding no clues in the water itself, they started walking around the edge of the lake. Brock had grown somewhat invested in the mystery, while Iris allowed her attention to wander around the cave. As she scanned the floor and walls of the cave, her eyes lit up as she spotted what looked like a nest made of rocks, and an occupied nest at that.

"Oh, look at this!" She reached out and tugged on Brock's sleeve to capture his attention. "It's a huge nest of Pokémon eggs!"

"Wow! Look how many there are!" Brock squinted even more than usual, trying to count how many eggs were present. "It looks like there's seven altogether. I've never seen that many eggs together in the wild before!"

The two trainers rushed over for a better look at the eggs, when a piercing, explosive noise stopped them in their tracks. They winced and covered their ears to block out the high-pitched shriek, which was soon accompanied by the sound of swooping wings and a rush of wind from deeper in the cave. The air was soon filled with the flapping of wings, as more than three dozen Noibat swooped past Iris and Brock. All of them flew toward the ceiling above the nest, clinging to it upside-down and turning to glare at the intruding humans.

"Well... I guess we know whose eggs those are now..." Brock muttered.

Iris held up her hands in contrition as she faced the colony of Noibat. "We're not here for the eggs, I promise! We just saw them and were curious!" The Noibat growled at her, not entirely convinced. Axew leaped out of her hair, ready to defend his trainer, but Iris caught him in her arms instead.

"See, I'm a Pokémon trainer," she explained, holding Axew tightly to her chest. "I specialize in Dragon-types. I was hoping I could find a Noibat who wanted to join me and be part of my team. That's why I came here to this cave."

The Noibat appeared to soften their stances, as they tried to determine if this human could be trusted. One of them hanging in the front let out a loud squeak, swooping down and landing on a small outcropping near Iris. This Pokémon looked a good deal taller than the rest, and it flexed its wings to show off its muscle, in an attempted show of force.

Iris couldn't help but snicker at this Noibat's bravado. "You're interested, huh?" Noibat squeaked affirmatively, jumping up and down, looking as if its life's dream was coming true.

Brock stepped forward to examine the Noibat more closely. "Well, it sure looks strong. Healthy, too, as far as I can tell. I haven't seen too many of these before."

"Well, that settles it, then." Iris reached down to her belt, pulling out one of the unoccupied Poké Balls she had brought with her. Before she could catch Noibat, however, there was another, higher-pitched squeak from within the crowd. A second Noibat flew over toward Iris and perched next to the original contender, waving its wings in protest and gesturing toward the empty Poké Ball. This new Noibat was several inches shorter than the other, its muscles less developed, but it seemed just as insistent on being chosen.

Iris looked back and forth between the two, not having expected to be spoiled for choice. She briefly thought about capturing both of them and having one of them sent back to Opelucid City, but her thoughts were interrupted by the larger Noibat shoving the smaller one off its perch.

"Whoa! Hey!" Iris reflexively took a step back, as the smaller Noibat chattered angrily at its aggressor. It flapped its wings and took off, zooming forward to tackle the larger Noibat. Unfortunately, its charge was easily sidestepped, and it was slammed with a powerful Wing Attack that sent it tumbling to the ground.

Undeterred, the smaller Pokémon righted itself and flew around for another pass. This time, the larger Noibat took off as well, flying with much greater speed toward its opponent. It opened its jaw and crunched down on the wing of the smaller Noibat, who squeaked in pain. The larger Noibat shook the smaller one back and forth several times, fangs digging into leathery skin, before flinging its target away. The smaller Noibat crashed painfully into the wall of the cave, falling to the ground and landing upside-down.

Iris and Brock expected the fight to be over, after the first Noibat demonstrated its clear superiority, but the other Noibat groaned and tried to right itself once more. Snorting, the larger Noibat lifted its wings and swung them at its foe, and a pair of Air Slashes cut through the air. The attacks dug deep into the smaller Noibat's torso, knocking the wind out of it with a loud squeak of pain. The little one finally slumped, no longer having the energy to battle.

Satisfied, the original Noibat struck a victorious pose and postured toward Iris, awaiting his prize. Iris had already turned away, running over to the smaller Noibat and kneeling next to it, worried for its health.

"Are you alright?!" she asked. Noibat struggled to lift its head and look her in the eyes. Its expression was one of despondency and devastation, and it squeaked a pitiful, sorrowful squeak. Iris sighed, reaching out to gently pet the Pokémon's ears, before her lips curled up into a smile.

"How would you like to become stronger than that other Noibat?"

The cavern was instantly filled with the sounds of chattering from the surprised flock of Noibat. The alpha Noibat, still standing on its outcropping of rock, began squeaking angrily and incredulously, stomping its feet in indignation. The smaller Noibat's eyes lit up, and it nodded as vigorously as it could. Iris beamed and grabbed her Poké Ball once again, tapping it to the smaller Noibat's nose. The Pokémon was sucked into the device, which chimed almost as soon as it was closed.

"That was a bit of a surprise," Brock spoke, walking over to Iris as she stood up. "You didn't want the stronger one?"

She shook her head, keeping her eyes on her new catch. "This one's got spunk, and I like that. It kept getting up even when it was being beaten down, when it must have known it couldn't win. I can make any Pokémon strong, but I can't always give a Pokémon spirit." She attached the ball to her hip. "Plus, that other one is a bit of a bully."

"Seems like a good enough reason to me." Brock looked back toward the path that led to the cave entrance. "Well, you've made your catch. Want to head back? Maybe we can still see part of-"

He was interrupted by enraged, high-pitched screeching from the spurned Noibat. The Pokémon was jumping up and down now, furious at being overlooked in favor of such a pitiful specimen. It took in a deep breath and bellowed, letting out a powerful wall of noise that slammed into Brock and Iris like a gust of wind. Both of them covered their ears once again, crying out in pain, as Noibat leaped into the air and swooped forward, on a collision course with Iris.

"Hey!" She yelped and leaped out of the way just in time to dodge Noibat's assault. She reached down and grabbed another Poké Ball, opening it up and releasing her Dragonite, as Noibat turned and flew in for another pass.

"Dragonite, stop that Noibat with Thunder Punch!" she called out, a bit frantic. Dragonite glared at the incoming attacker and slammed his fist directly into its face, sending Noibat careening into a wall. Its body crackled with electricity as it slid down to the ground, groaning in pain. It looked back up at Iris and Dragonite with determination in its eyes, just as its body began to glow with a bright blue light.

Iris and Brock gasped, and the other Noibat all chattered in wonder, as Noibat's body began to elongate, growing in size several times over. Its meager wings extended into large, mighty appendages, and the scruffs of hair on its neck grew into a large, threatening mane. As the light faded, the newly-evolved Noivern let out a howl and dashed forward toward Dragonite, opening its mouth and issuing forth a large Dragon Pulse.

"Dodge it!" Iris shouted reflexively. Dragonite leaped to the side, propelled by his wings, and the Dragon Pulse sailed past and crashed into a stalactite, sending it crashing to the ground. Iris turned back toward Noivern with gritted teeth, preparing herself for a tough battle as she issued her next command.

The Performance Battle round was in full swing, as a redheaded girl named Pamela battled with her Meowscarada against her partner, Dorothy, and her Glaceon. Ash was still watching in the audience, but Serena had migrated backstage for some last-minute preparation with Madison.

"You're sure nobody can see my brace?" the younger girl asked, as she craned her neck to try and see underneath her own floor-length dress.

"When you're standing still, it's practically invisible," Serena reassured her. "And nobody will notice it while you're walking. Just smile and wave at the crowd, and they'll all focus on that instead. You're a performer. Control their attention."

"Yeah, alright." Madison took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "How long does it take to stop being nervous before a performance?"

"When it happens, I'll let you know," Serena answered truthfully but unhelpfully.

"Great..." Madison rested her hand over her heart for a moment, before her attention was drawn by the sound of familiar footsteps. She turned around to see Barrett walking toward her, looking even more nervous than she was. "Barrett! How are you feeling? Are you all ready to go?"

"Madison..." Barrett began, his voice trembling slightly. "There's... something I need to tell you."

Serena's eyes shot open, as her heart flooded with excitement, stunned that this was happening now, of all times. Madison cocked her head, puzzled.

"Whatever it is, can it wait?" she responded. "We're going on in just a few minutes."

Barrett sharply shook his head. "No, it can't wait. It's too important."

Madison stepped forward, curious and concerned. "Barrett, what is it? What's so important? Is everything okay?"

Serena took several steps back, giving the two some space for this important conversation. She was covering her mouth with both hands, almost giddy at the moment that was finally coming to pass. Barrett received zero points for timing, but she awarded him plenty more for bravery and initiative. She watched excitedly as the boy took a deep breath and spoke.

"Madison, I... can't be your Battle Partner."

Madison blinked in confusion. "What? Barrett, what are you talking about? We're just about to go on stage! You need to-"

"Your parents called me last night," he continued, his words silencing her on the spot. "They told me I wasn't allowed to perform with you. They told me I was... enabling you, and that if I kept helping you, they'd get me in trouble with my parents, somehow."

He kept his eyes low, unwilling to look at the expression of wide-eyed horror on Madison's face. "They said it's time for you to stop this and come home. That you need to stop performing and go back to school and start working at your family's store. They said that they know best and that this is for your own good." He closed his eyes tight to try and keep tears from forming. "I'm really sorry, Madison!" He turned on his heel and ran away down the hall, far from Madison's inevitable anguish.

Serena watched him run, aghast. This was the polar opposite of what she had expected him to say. She felt her romantic high hopes crashing down and shattering against the carpeted floor of the theater. This was not what was supposed to happen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of rapid, panicked breathing. Madison was clutching at her dress over her heart with one hand, with the other covering her mouth, as she began to hyperventilate. She could feel the world closing in around her, boxing her in, trapping her. Her knees felt weak, her head light, as she brought herself steadily closer to passing out.

Serena snapped into action, recognizing the signs of a panic attack in progress. She stepped in front of Madison and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Madison! Breathe for me. I need you to breathe," she ordered, meeting Madison's shaky and unfocused gaze. "Close your eyes. Take in a deep breath... hold it... now let it go." Madison squeezed her eyes shut and did as she was told, letting Serena's words ground her like an anchor. Serena walked the young girl through two more breaths, and her trembling gradually slowed until it stopped.

"Barrett...!" Madison's eyes opened again, still full of panic and horror. "He... he just...!"

"Forget about Barrett," Serena commanded, her voice forceful but reassuring. "Focus on now. Focus on you. Do you still want to go through with this showcase?"

"Y... yes, but... but..." Madison stammered. "I can't! I don't have a Battle Partner!"

"You will in five minutes," Serena replied immediately. "I just need to go and get ready."

Madison stared at Serena in stunned amazement for a moment, needing time to process what she had just said. "S... Serena..." She could feel tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, overwhelmed.

"Hey, hey, no crying." Serena reached out and wiped her tears away. "Your makeup will run. You can cry after you're done." She reached down and took Madison's hand in her own. "Come on and help me get ready! This will go faster with your help."

Madison swallowed and nodded, wiping away more tears as she and Serena ran down the hall toward the dressing room.

Noivern crashed painfully into a stalagmite as it flew through the air, hitting the ground and rolling for a moment. The Pokémon needed a few seconds before getting back up, its stamina sapped after being beaten down for several minutes. Its evolution had multiplied its strength and speed several times over, but it still found itself outclassed by the ace Pokémon of a Gym Leader.

"You should give up," Iris advised, her voice stern. "You just evolved, and my Dragonite has been battling and training with me for years. You can't win. Save your strength." Noivern growled at her words, far too proud to give in how, and it pushed itself into a standing position before flinging two more Air Cutters at its foe.

"Dodge and use Dragon Rush!" Iris called out. Dragonite easily dodged to the side, a blue aura surrounding him, and he dashed forward toward his foe. Noivern tried to evade, but Dragonite's head hit the Pokémon square in the gut, and it flew backward and slammed into a wall. It slid back down into a sitting position, dazed and winded. Noivern started to seriously consider the merits of pretending to be unconscious, but its pride eventually forced it back to its feet.

As Noivern prepared yet another attack, a panicked screeched echoed through the cavern, drawing everyone's attention. One of the Noibat was frantically flapping its wings, gesturing toward the nest on the ground. The nest was now completely empty, all of the eggs having mysteriously vanished.

"What?! What happened?!" Iris exclaimed, running over to the nest along with Brock. "Where did the eggs go?!"

"Did someone steal them?" Brock wondered aloud. "Maybe they did it while we were all distracted with the battle?" Noivern and Dragonite flew over and landed behind him, studying the empty nest as if it held some sort of clue.

Iris turned about in a circle, searching for any sign of a Pokémon that may have made off with the eggs, with no luck. She groaned. "I don't see anything... do you think it may have left footprints? Or-"

Noivern let out a brief but commanding screech, silencing Iris instantly, along with all of the chattering Noibat. The Pokémon closed its eyes and focused, its overlarge ears opening up and expanding, taking in every tiny noise, every single drop of water, every skitter of movement from a Pokémon in the entire cave. It soon opened its eyes again, screeching and lifting off into the air before flying toward the entrance to the cave.

Iris didn't take any time to question what had happened, reacting promptly. "Dragonite, follow Noivern! It knows where the eggs are!" Dragonite grunted and took off, flying after Noivern and easily keeping pace. Iris and Brock ran after them.

Several minutes later, Noivern and Dragonite slowed to a stop as they came across the culprits close to the entrance to the cave. A line of gray, steel-coated Durant were marching along the cave floor, each of them carrying a Pokémon egg in its mandibles. All of them were marching toward a tiny hole in the cave wall about thirty feet ahead, just barely large enough for a single Durant to crawl through at once. Neither Noivern nor Dragonite would be able to fit through it.

Noivern flew up into the air, taking in a deep breath as it prepared a Dragon Pulse. Before it could let the attack go, it was stopped by Iris's alarmed voice.

"Wait! Don't attack!" she shouted, as she ran up behind the two Pokémon. "You might hit one of the eggs and damage it!" Noivern huffed and swallowed its Dragon Pulse back down, watching with distress as the Durant marched closer to their target. Iris ran through her options in her mind, quickly coming up with a plan.

"Dragonite, use Hurricane! Grab all the Durant and the eggs together!"

Her Pokémon growled and flapped his wings repeatedly, creating a powerful gust of wind that slowly grew into a small hurricane. The Durant tried to dig their steel feet into the ground to no avail, and each of them were lifted up and thrown about in the air. They gradually lost their grip on the Pokémon eggs, which began flying wildly through the air along with the Durant.

"Now Noivern, fly through the hurricane and grab those eggs!" Iris continued. Noivern screeched and dove into the fray, managing to navigate the swirling wind with impressive skill. It spotted an egg and grabbed it in its claws, flying out of the hurricane again and dropping it toward Iris, who caught the egg in her arms and set it carefully down on the ground. Noivern turned and flew right back in, retrieving egg after egg and dropping them down to Iris or Brock, until all seven eggs had been safely rescued.

Iris grinned as she set the final egg down, turning back toward the Durant that were now falling to the ground, as the hurricane died down. "Let's teach these thieves a lesson! Dragonite, use Flamethrower!"

Her Pokémon took in a deep breath and spat out a powerful jet of flame at the pile of Durant that had formed on the cave floor. At the same time, Noivern finally spat out its Dragon Pulse, and the two attacks collided with the Durant simultaneously. The combined assault turned into a small but potent explosion, which sent the ant Pokémon flying in various directions around the cave. Whimpering in pain and still glowing red from the Flamethrower attack, the Durant skittered as quickly as they could toward the cave wall, retreating into their hole until all of them were out of sight.

Iris and Brock both sighed in relief, as the two flying Pokémon slowly descended to the ground and rested their wings. Noivern and Dragonite turned to each other and locked eyes for a moment, both of them conveying a look of reluctant, begrudging respect. The moment was followed by the sounds of chattering and flapping wings, and everyone turned around to see the flock of Noibat flying closer. Half of them gathered around the eggs, inspecting them for damage, while the rest crowded around Noivern, rubbing up against it and cheering happily.

Brock smiled at the touching scene. "Well, look at that. All these Noibat are cheering for their hero."

Iris nodded in agreement, as Noivern turned to face both of them. "You're definitely strong, Noivern. You're the strongest out of anyone in your flock. That's why you need to stay here with them, to protect them and keep them safe. Can you do that?"

Noivern frowned as it mulled over Iris's words, clear disappointment on its face at the prospect of not joining Iris on her journey. Its musing was interrupted by Noibats landing on its shoulders and nipping affectionately at its ears, or landing by its feet and nuzzling at its legs from below. After a few moments of being bombarded by their affections, Noivern relented and gave Iris a short nod. It knelt down and wrapped its wings protectively around the Noibat that had gathered below him, and the sounds of cheers echoed through the cave.

Iris felt her heart swelling at the sight, as the flock of Noibat anointed their new Noivern as their protector. He basked in their praise for a moment before squeaking out a series of instructions to them, and the Noibat flew over to the eggs and grabbed them in their talons. They started carrying the eggs back into the cave, with each egg being tended by at least three Noibat. Once all the eggs were in the air and being transported, Noivern turned and gave one last nod to Iris, before flapping its wings and flying back along with the others.

"Take care of yourself, Noivern!" Iris called out, waving. "And take care of everyone else, too!" She and Brock both waved until Noivern was out of sight, before turning and walking out of the cave, into the bright light of the setting sun.

"That was a pretty impressive Noivern you left behind, there," Brock commented. "Turns out it had a pretty good heart, after all. And it was persistent, like you wanted."

"Yeah, I guess so," Iris admitted. "But I'm happy with my catch. My Noibat is going to be even stronger than that after some training." She turned her head to the side to look at Brock. "Thank you for coming with me. This was-"

She cut herself off as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She reached in and grabbed it, seeing a picture message from Ash and opening it up. Her eyebrows shot up at the image that appeared on screen. "What?! Brock, look at this!"

Brock stepped closer and peeked at her phone screen, blinking in confusion. Ash had sent her a photo of Madison's Performance Battle with her Roselia, but instead of Barrett and his Torracat, it was Serena and her Sylveon standing on the other side of the stage. In between the two of them, a Petal Blizzard was caught up in a pink, glittering Fairy Wind.

"Huh? What's Serena doing on stage? What happened to Barrett?"

"I don't know," Iris answered. "We should get back and find out as soon as we can."

Brock nodded in agreement, and the two trainers picked up their pace as they made their way back toward Couriway Town.

"You've seen our six talented performers, and now it is time for the audience to pick a winner! Each of you has been provided with a Glow Caster wand, which you will use to vote for your preferred performer. On my signal..."

Monsieur Pierre continued to explain the voting procedure, as the night's six finalists stood in a line behind him. Madison stood on the far left of the group, forcing the best smile she could manage for someone who had just been stabbed in the heart. Her mind was reeling and her stomach was churning, but she would save her inevitable tears for after the showcase was over. She wasn't about to let tonight's events steal her dream away from her.

Serena peeked out through the side curtains, clad in her kimono dress with her blue flower head band. Her makeup had been hastily applied, and her hair styled simply to look "good enough", a far cry from how she preferred to present herself. It had been the rush job to end all rush jobs, but she hadn't been in a position to be picky. She and Madison had made it onto the stage with seconds to spare, and had executed their Performance Battle routine to absolute perfection. If Madison lost tonight, it wouldn't be because of Barrett.

"Well, hello, Serena," a familiar voice spoke from behind her. "Fancy seeing you here." Serena turned around, eyes lighting up as she saw the older, gray-blond woman walking up to her.

"Oh! Palermo!" Serena turned to face the woman fully, smiling. "It's good to see you again. Are you doing more scouting?"

"As always," Palermo responded. "I must say, I didn't expect to see you on stage again before the Master Class."

Serena's smile was immediately replaced with a bitter frown. "That makes two of us."

"I thought Madison had registered some boy her age as her Battle Partner. What happened to him?"

"He ditched her, because he's a coward," Serena grumbled. "The less said about him, the better."

Palermo nodded, leaving the subject alone. "So that's why you stepped in to help her." She stepped up beside Serena, watching the colored lights float through the air as the audience cast their votes. "That was awfully big of you, you know. There aren't many performers who would go to such lengths for another."

Serena smiled, her body feeling warmer at Palermo's praise. She turned and watched the votes come in as well. "Well, she deserves it. She's so talented, and she works hard... and she's had to deal with plenty of issues on top of that."

"It's an admirable quality for you to have," Palermo continued. "That's the sort of behavior that should exemplify the title of Kalos Queen. Aria was the same way."

Serena nodded, thinking back to her first journey, where a disguised Aria offered her practical advice on how to become a better performer. "That's the kind of performer I want to be. I want to help people and spread joy all over Kalos. If I can't use the crown to put smiles on people's faces, then I don't want it."

"How noble of you." Palermo smiled gently. "Well, you've already laid a strong claim to the crown. All the other performers are trying to catch up to you, at this point."

"That's what I was hoping for," Serena responded. "This time, nobody's going to stop me from becoming Kalos Queen."

"Hm." Palermo watched as the final balls of light slowly floated onto the stage. "So, no regrets about tonight?"

"Of course not," Serena answered. "I've been doing everything I can to live up to the ideals of a Kalos Queen. That's the kind of person I want to be."

"Well, that's good to hear." Palermo took a step back. "I certainly would have had a regret or two if I was in your shoes."

"Huh?" Serena turned her head to face her companion, her smile falling away. "Why do you say that?"

Palermo smirked and turned to leave. "Because she's better than you."

Serena blinked several times, watching silently as Palermo disappeared backstage. "Better than me...?" she repeated, taken aback.

Once Palermo was out of sight, Serena turned back to the stage, where the final results were being officially tallied. She immediately focused on Madison, who was standing closest to her. Madison, who had been chasing her own performance dreams for years, and practicing nearly as long as Serena had. Madison, whose perfect, precision movements, creative choreography, and impressive improvisation had left even Serena jealous. Madison, who had already defeated Serena in one showcase this year, to earn her first Princess Key.

Serena could feel her blood suddenly run cold, feel her heart stop, as the reality she had ignored came crashing down around her. There was one girl who was going to stop her from becoming Kalos Queen - and Serena had helped her to do it, every step of the way.

She continued to stare in shock, too stunned to even applaud as Madison was awarded with her second Princess Key.

"Are you sure you have to leave, Madison?" Ash asked, disappointed.

Madison nodded resolutely. "Yes, I'm sure. I still need one more Princess Key, and I have to compete in showcases where I can do a solo Freestyle Performance. There aren't any more like that on your route."

The two of them were standing outside a bus stop in Couriway Town the next day, with Serena, Iris and Brock alongside them. Barrett was noticeably absent from their group. He had approached Madison the night before, after the showcase, offering more apologies. A tearful Madison had torn into him like she had never torn into anyone before, giving him an earful for the ages. She had used several potent and colorful words that Serena was not aware the young girl knew.

"Well, good luck," Brock added. "It was nice traveling with you." He gave her a playful grin. "Try not to trip over anything else, alright?"

Madison giggled. "I won't, I promise. And you'll all see me again, at the Master Class! I'll be there whether I'm competing or not."

"I hope you get a chance to compete," Iris chimed in. "You and Serena still have a score to settle. You're both one-and-one against each other."

"Yeah..." Serena was quiet and reserved, much more conflicted about Madison's presence at the Master Class than her friends. A full night's sleep had done nothing to dim the revelation she'd had the night before, and the thought of Madison snatching away Serena's chance at the crown was still plaguing her mind. "We'll see."

The conversation was cut mercifully short by the arrival of a bus. Madison rushed over to the door as it opened, setting one foot inside before turning back to the others. "Take care, everyone! I'll see you all again soon!"

"Take care, Madison!" Ash called out, waving to her. "Good luck!" The others all waved and wished her well, as Madison stepped onto the bus and slid into a window seat. She continued to wave at them through the glass as the bus pulled away, until she was finally out of sight.

Once the bus had disappeared from view, Serena promptly turned toward her friends. "We need to get going, too! We've got a lot of ground to cover and a lot of training to do! Let's go!"

Ash laughed at her sudden burst of enthusiasm. "You're really fired up, Serena!"

"Of course I am!" she responded. "The Master Class is less than a month away! I have to make sure my Pokémon and I are in tip-top shape!" She stepped forward and grasped Ash's hand in hers, gently tugging him forward. "Come on, let's get moving!"

If any of her friends noticed the anxiety and alarm hidden behind her manic smile, they didn't mention it. They simply smiled and followed along, as Serena led them all toward Route 19 and Fleurrh City.

Chapter Text

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Welcome to Kalos's first-ever four-way Battle Royal!"

Iris stood in a clearing on Route 19, with her hand raised above her head, as she announced the upcoming event to the wilderness. Her four newest catches were standing before her, arranged in a square as they stared each other down, with varying degrees of intensity.

"These four Pokémon will be battling each other all at the same time, and the last one standing wins!" She gestured toward the combatant closest to her, a two-foot-tall white-and-purple slug Pokémon, which had evolved from her Goomy some weeks back. "In this corner, we have the steadfast Sliggoo!" Her arm moved to the next Pokémon, then the next. "Next, the mighty Bagon! The feisty Tyrunt! And finally, the tenacious Noibat!"

Noibat was practically bouncing up and down as his name was called out, eager to get in the ring and show everyone what he was made of. Tyrunt was growling, scratching one of his feet against the ground, ready to battle. Bagon and Sliggoo were not quite as energized as the other two, but they both bore determined expressions on their faces, ready for the chaotic battle to come.

"Everyone, do you best!" Iris called out. "Let the Battle Royal... begin!"

Iris stepped back as she started the match, and the clearing instantly devolved into an all-out pillow fight.

Sliggoo and Bagon immediately rushed forward, not to attack, but to act as defense for the young Noibat, who they all considered to be the baby of the group. Bagon stepped in front of Tyrunt, shoving his bone-hard head into the dinosaur Pokémon's mouth as it chomped down. At the same time, Sliggoo fired a weak, slow Water Gun at the swooping Noibat, who dodged it easily as he flew by. Noibat boldly slapped Sliggoo's face with a Wing Attack, and the slug Pokémon stumbled dramatically in response, in an exaggerated manner. Noibat cheered and flew confidently toward Tyrunt, and both Sliggoo and Bagon turned toward him, prepared to play defense once again.

Iris watched the action unfold with an adoring smile on her face, as the two older Pokémon did their best to prevent Noibat from Tyrunt, while pretending to be injured by the attacks from the younger two. She eventually covered her nose and mouth with her hands, as Brock walked up and watched alongside her, his frilly pink apron on.

"So... what is this supposed to do for them?" he asked.

"It's supposed to be training," was Iris's muffled reply.

Brock's eyes followed Noibat as he flew triumphantly above the rest of the group, without a scratch on him. "Is training supposed to be this adorable?"

She shook her head.

He smirked. "Are you going to stop them, then?"

"Not on your life."

As the two of them watched Iris's Pokémon battle and babysit, a bright yellow glow illuminated another corner of the clearing. Pikachu was standing on his hind legs, his tail glowing yellow and crackling with electricity, as Ash watched him carefully from behind. The trainer kept his eyes on Pikachu's tail, studying the electricity carefully, trying to discern if it looked the way it needed to look.

"Alright, Pikachu, let's go!" he called out, pointing forward. "Use Thunder Wave!"

Pikachu cried out and leaped into the air, spinning around and swinging his tail out in front of him. The electricity was flung off of his tail, turning into a large bolt that instantly homed in on the nearest tree, shocking it and frying it to a crisp.

Ash groaned, scratching his head, as his disappointed Pokémon landed back on the ground. "Still not it... what are we doing wrong?" He knelt down and sat on the ground, reaching for his Pokédex and turning the screen on, as his Pikachu ran back to him. The Pokémon clambered onto his lap, and the two of them studied the Pokédex carefully with frowns on their faces. Neither of them looked up as they heard gentle footsteps approaching.

"How's it going, Ash?" Serena asked, as she used a handkerchief to wipe sweat from her forehead.

"Mmh... slow," he answered, keeping his eyes on his Pokédex.

"How come?" She stood behind him and leaned down, also glancing at his Pokédex. "What are the two of you trying to do?"

"We're trying to learn Thunder Wave."

She cocked her head. "Hm? Didn't you tell me you wanted to learn another move?"

"Well, what I really want is for Pikachu to learn Electric Terrain," Ash explained, glancing up to look upside-down into her eyes. "Based on what Diantha told me about controlling the battle and stuff."

She nodded. "Right, that's what it was. So why are you learning Thunder Wave instead?"

Ash held up his Pokédex. "I read that if your Pokémon learns Thunder Wave, then it's easier to learn Electric Terrain after that. It's the same... uh..."

"Same principle?" she suggested.

"Yeah, that." He set the Pokédex back down. "But it's really tough. It's like a different form of electricity than Pikachu normally uses. And I don't really know how to help him along, 'cause I've never had to teach anyone a move like this, you know?"

Serena hummed, thinking on this for a moment, before speaking up again. "Why don't you give Clemont a call? He has Pokémon that know Electric Terrain. I'm sure he could help you out."

Ash's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea, Serena! Thanks!" He immediately fished his phone out of his pocket, opening up his contacts and calling up his old friend. Serena leaned down and rested her hands on her knees, looking into the phone screen over Ash's shoulder. After a few seconds of ringing, they both saw the bespectacled, blond-haired boy appear on the screen with an excited smile on his face.

"Ash! And Serena!" he exclaimed. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Hey, Clemont!" Ash responded.

"It's great to see you!" Serena added. "How are you? How's Bonnie?" Pikachu climbed up onto Ash's shoulder as she spoke, waving happily to Clemont. Serena reached out to scratch the Pokémon's head, and his ears flattened as he murmured happily.

"We're both doing fine, thanks," Clemont answered. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was hoping you could help with something," Ash replied. "Pikachu and I were trying to learn Thunder Wave... well, we were trying to learn Electric Terrain, and they say you should learn Thunder Wave first, since it's..."

Clemont nodded. "Yes, I understand. Are you and Pikachu having trouble with Thunder Wave?"

"Yeah, we are. We can't get the electricity to come out right. It's supposed to be like... it's not a bolt of lightning, right? It's more like... whoosh, but instead we're just like, bzzap. You know?" Behind Ash, Serena had to work hard to not burst out laughing at his description.

Clemont gave a polite chuckle. "You're right, it's not like a bolt of lightning. It's more like an electric field. The air gets charged with electricity."

"Yeah, that." Ash nodded. "So how do we do that? You taught it to your Luxray."

"Well, Pikachu needs... hm..." Clemont paused as he held his chin, trying to figure out how to explain the principles behind Thunder Wave to Ash and Pikachu. Ash was a very skilled Pokémon trainer, but as he had just demonstrated, he was not an expert in conveying complex concepts.

Ash, Serena and Pikachu all watched him deliberate for a few seconds, before his eyes lit up with an idea. "Actually, I have an idea." He looked down and focused for a second, and the others could hear the sound of a Pokémon being released from a Poké Ball. A moment later, the face of his Luxray could be seen walking into the frame, and Clemont turned toward it. "Luxray, Pikachu is trying to learn Thunder Wave. Could you explain to him how you do it?"

Luxray grunted and nodded, stepping up to the phone until his face was filling the screen, and started speaking in a language none of the humans could understand. Pikachu climbed down into Ash's lap and listened intently, occasionally nodding and speaking up himself. Ash and Serena watched with quiet amusement as the two Pokémon conversed over the phone, with Pikachu occasionally turning his head and wiggling his tail experimentally.

"Well, I... guess those two have it under control," Serena spoke, standing up fully. "I'm going to get back to rehearsing."

Ash turned to look at her in surprise. "You're going to rehearse more? You've already been doing it for hours. I thought you were done."

"You can never be too prepared," she answered, turning and walking back to her own corner of the clearing, where her Pokémon were resting. "Good luck, Pikachu!"

Ash watched her approach her Pokémon, clapping her hands and encouraging them to stand and get started again. Delphox rose easily, but Sylveon and Pancham needed a moment to stretch and summon the energy needed to resume, accompanied with some light grumbling. He frowned and turned back toward his Pokémon, hoping that Serena wasn't working herself and her partners too hard.

Back at the other side of the clearing, Noibat was standing triumphantly on top of a "defeated" Sliggoo, while Bagon easily held down an exhausted Tyrunt. Iris, torn between amusement and exasperation, congratulated Noibat on his victory, reaching out to remove him from his perch on Sliggoo's head. She was going to have to think a bit more carefully about her next training exercise, she decided.

"Stone Edge, Pancham!"

At Serena's command, her Pancham slammed his front paws against the ground, and an array of stone pillars jutted out of the ground, each one at a different angle. He stood up and ran forward, jumping to the top of the first pillar before leaping to the second. He twirled about in the air, doing a handspring off of the second pillar and spinning to the next. Behind him, Delphox and Sylveon were watching his progress, nodding with each pillar he touched; their job was to destroy each pillar as he jumped off of it, but they were taking a break as everyone focused on Pancham's movement.

Finally, Pancham sprung off of the final pillar, doing a front flip in the air as he descended toward the ground. He landed heavily on his feet, taking a moment to catch his breath before raising his arms in triumph. Delphox gave him a warm smile, while Sylveon let out an excited cheer at her partner's success.

"Great job, Pancham!" Serena exclaimed. "I knew you could do it if you kept at it!"

Pancham lowered his arms and exhaled in relief, wobbling a bit on unsteady feet. Seven straight attempts of the acrobatic pillar climb had drained his mental and physical stamina, and he was looking forward to getting some well-deserved rest. He could hear the telltale sounds of Brock starting on dinner, and his stomach growled in response.

Serena turned toward her other Pokémon and clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone! Let's take it from the top! Take positions!"

The smiles immediately fell off of the faces of all three of her Pokémon. Delphox gave her trainer a concerned frown, while Sylveon's ribbons fell limply to her sides. Pancham let out an audible whine, turning to face Serena incredulously. He watched as his two partners trudged into their starting positions, mustering the strength for yet another run-through of their Master Class performance routine. Delphox and Sylveon turned to face him, waiting for him to get moving, but his tired legs and his tired mind both refused to cooperate.

"Come on, Pancham! Not much longer, then we'll be done!"

Pancham began to protest, complaining about how exhausted he was. He tried to gesture with his arms, but it took more effort to move them than he wanted. Serena gave him a disapproving look, her hands on her hips.

"I know we've been at it for a while, but this needs to be perfect!" she insisted. "The Master Class is on the line! I don't want us to lose our shot because of a slip-up! We have to practice until we get this right!"

A small pang of anger struck Pancham's heart, as his frustration at being tired turned to frustration with his trainer. Instead of moving into position, he folded his arms and sat back down on the ground in a huff. His eyes were fixed on hers defiantly, almost challenging her.

Serena's eyebrows shot up in shock. "Pancham!" she scolded. "What's gotten into you?" He hmphed and looked away from her, refusing to move. Serena felt one of her fists clenching in anger, for a brief moment.

"Why are you being so stubborn about this?" she demanded, marching forward. "All of us are working hard here, not just you! I'm tired, too! I've been dancing my butt off for hours, but you don't hear me complaining!" She leaned forward as she stood over him. "You need to step up and be part of the team, alright?"

Pancham's eyes went wide, stunned at her words. After all the work he had been putting in, day after day, did she just accuse him of not being part of the team? Was she suggesting that he somehow didn't care enough? Had she been paying even a moment's worth of attention to his efforts?

Before he knew what he was doing, he rolled over onto his hands and knees, forcing himself to his feet. Instead of getting ready for his performance, however, he began half-running, half-shambling into the forest that surrounded the clearing. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew he couldn't be in her presence for one more second.

Serena gasped, scandalized, looking as though she had just been slapped. "Pancham! Get back here!" Pancham refused to listen, running further into the woods until he was out of sight. Behind her, both Sylveon and Delphox were staring in shock, their mouths practically hanging open.

"Veo?" Sylveon dared to utter, in disbelief.

"Hmph!" Serena folded her arms, unrepentant. "Well, if he wants to be a little prince about this, he can go right ahead. Once he decides to act like a grown-up and join us again, we'll be waiting for him." She turned back to her remaining two Pokémon. "We can do this with just the three of us, anyway. Let's go!"

Her command was met with even more incredulous stares from Delphox and Sylveon. They looked at each other for a moment, wanting to confirm that they had both heard the same thing, before turning back toward their trainer. Serena looked back and forth at the two of them, the moment slowly growing awkward, before she sighed and relented.

"Fine, fine. I guess I'll just go help Brock with dinner. You two can rest for now." She walked past the both of them and trudged toward Brock, deflated and disappointed. As she walked across the clearing, a panicked shout caused her to jump.

"Incoming!" Ash called out in her direction, and she stopped in her tracks. A strange combination of charged air and lightning bolts flew right past her, missing her by about two feet. The electricity was still strong enough to give her a small jolt, the hair on her arms standing on end. She blinked several times, standing perfectly still, as Ash ran up to her.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "It didn't hit you, did it?"

She groaned and reached up to her head with both hands, able to feel her hair sticking out in all directions. "Great..." she grumbled, trying and failing to comb it back down with her fingers.

"Sorry about that..." he offered. "We're getting a lot closer, though! That call with Clemont really helped a lot."

"That's great to hear," she responded half-heartedly. "But can you get closer without threatening to shock the rest of us?"

"Sure thing," he answered quickly. "Sorry again!" He turned and jogged back toward a guilty-looking Pikachu, as she turned and made her way toward her tent and the bag inside, in dire need of a hairbrush.