Pokémon XY: Trying Something New

by PredictionPrincessMieru

Summary:

Ash has tried again and again.
Serena hasn't tried anything yet.

He's certain of his dreams.
She doesn't know where to start.

He'll lose it all if he doesn't change.
She'll never become anything if she doesn't choose.

Perhaps, in Kalos, they can both find their way. Perhaps, they can 𝙏𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙚𝙬.

~𝒳𝒴𝒵~

When circumstances give Ash and Serena a new perspective on their journey, the two find the direction of their lives radically shifted. Serena seeks to become a Gym Challenger and rival to Ash. Ash seeks to explore new options on his way to the Kalos League. Together, they may just change the Pokémon world.

Book 2 Now in Progress

Chapter 1: Fight at the Museum

𝒳𝒴

“The Kalos region has a great and glorious history indeed, and what we’ve seen so far was just a small snippet!” The energetic voice of a museum guide cut through the stirring murmurs of her tour group, as she herded them along through bright hallways. Despite her excitement, not everyone was impressed. A boy towards the back of the party grumbled, before getting hushed by one of his companions. Rolling her eyes, the guide continued. “And so now, we enter the Diamond Age!”

Excited gasps and breathless whispers escaped the tour group, the sheer decadence of the next exhibit laying them still. All around them, platform after platform of precious gems stood, with paintings of rich noblemen covering each wall, dressed from head to toe in encrusted diamond clothing. In fact, could it even be called that? There were so many gems that it was almost more appropriate to call it armor!

By far, the most astounding sight was what stood at the center of the exhibit, the headline artifact. It was a gargantuan gemstone, a few feet tall and in the approximate shape of, well, a diamond. Obviously, it was the most important item in the exhibit, as only it demanded a set of guards standing by its case at all times.

The group and its guide soon dispersed across the room, leaving in their wake a party of four.

“Ooooh Ash, look at this!” One of them, a girl, called out to the boy in question, tugging on his sleeve as she pointed to the monstrous gemstone. “Could you imagine the crown a gem like that was meant for? It’d be so beautiful!”

Ash couldn’t help but smile along with her kid-in-a-candy-shop energy, before he was pulled along a few feet closer to the item in question.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool, Serena! Never knew they got that big,” he replied, scratching his nose. “But man, I’m still confused on what shiny rocks have to do with Pokémon.”

“Oh come on, Ash.” Their third companion, Clemont, cut in between the two, readjusting his glasses as he looked towards his friend. “Don’t tell me you’re getting bored already. You were so excited to check out the Museum of Natural Pokémon History!”

Giving an awkward smile, Ash rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Yeah, I guess I figured it was gonna be a lot more Pokémon than history,” he said in his defense, earning a frustrated, but still loving, groan from his companions.

“Is there anything in your head besides Pokémon?” The littlest member of their little outing, Bonnie, berated Ash, before grabbing onto her brother’s hand and pulling him along. It seemed something had grabbed her attention.

With that, it was just Ash and Serena left, side by side as they looked upon the exhibit’s star artifact.

“And then there were two,” Serena whispered under her breath, watching Bonnie drag Clemont away. Her hands shook with a giddy delight. Straightening up, she made herself presentable before giving off a fake cough to attract Ash’s attention. “Soooo, just the two of us, huh?”

“Yep!” Ash cheerfully repeated, pulling his half-hearted attention away from the diamond. “Just the two— Heeeey, wait a minute.”

Ash blinked in surprise before he looked over his shoulder and behind him, confusing Serena for a moment. She then quickly realized what he was looking for.

“Pikachu! Where’dya go buddy?” he called out, earning a few stares from the other visitors of the museum, and a stifled laugh from Serena. After a moment, a pitched cry responded to Ash’s call.

“Pikapi!” Pikachu rounded the corner of the exhibit entrance, skidding and picking up speed as he went in for a running leap. In an instant, he was climbing onto Ash’s shoulder and taking his rightful spot.

“There you are. Where did you get off to?” Ash asked with a laugh, exchanging a few words with his partner before looking back to Serena. “Sorry, where was I?”

He gave a cheeky smile as he said that, hoping to excuse his scatterbrain. Serena’s giggle and eye-roll let him know he was forgiven.

“Oh yeah, the exhibit,” he said, taking a few steps closer to the central display. “This stuff is pretty cool, but I was hoping we’d get to see some cool stuff about Pokémon. Now I just feel like I’m back in social studies.”

“Ah come on Ash, not everything has to be about Pokémon,” Serena defended, joining Ash’s side. Looking over, she grumbled as she found Pikachu parked perfectly between them. Yet, when she looked past Pikachu, and faced Ash once more, what she found surprised her. That polite interest from a few moments ago was gone. A new look was in its place.

Anxious wasn’t the word, and even fretting would be a disservice. No, instead it was perhaps, yearning?

When Ash noticed Serena looking at him, that expression went away.

“Sorry, looking at all these rocks has got me thinking about the next gym again,” he explained with a laugh. Serena soon realized what he meant: Grant, the Rock-Type Gym Leader.

“Of course your head is on battles,” she said, crossing her arms, half-frustrated and half-accepting of Ash’s antics.

Keying in on Serena’s frustration, Ash put up his hands in defense, Pikachu mirroring him.

“H-hey, come on, can you blame me?” he said, putting on an appeasing, cheeky grin. “I’m a one-track mind!”

“Pika-Pikachu!” Pikachu repeated.

The image of Ash and Pikachu saying and doing the same things back-to-back broke through Serena’s irked mood, as she snorted at the sight of the two. Try as she might, she couldn’t be mad at them, not for long at least.

“I guess I can’t,” she said with a small smile, taking a half-step away. “I’ll let you two tinker with your game plan. I’m going to check out more of the gemstones.”

“Sounds good to me!” Ash replied, shooting her a thumbs up, which Pikachu did in turn.

With one final laugh at the sight of them, Serena stepped away, leaving Ash and Pikachu to themselves.

“Man, that was a close one, huh, bud?” he asked, walking off from the central display to one of the less busy corners of the exhibit. “Serena’s scary when she gets mad.”

Pikachu rolled his eyes at the suggestion of a teen girl being scary, and then rolled them even harder at Ash not fully getting why Serena was miffed. Ash didn’t notice that, of course, as he paused by one of the lonely display cases.

“The diamonds are cool and all, but who can think about shiny rocks when there’s a gym to plan for!” he continued, shooting Pikachu an excited smirk, one his partner couldn’t help but return.

“Pikapika!” he shouted in turn. If there was anything the two would always see eye-to-eye on, it was the blood-pumping excitement they felt about a battle. That much was for certain. “Pika?”

As the pair passed a small subsection of the exhibit, a sight caught Pikachu’s attention. A memory ticked away in his head before it clicked, and he began to nudge Ash.

“Pikapi!”

“Huh? What’s up, Pikachu?” Turning, Ash looked to where Pikachu was pointing: One of the exhibit cases, labeled Kalos’s Treasures from Abroad. It seemed to have been overshadowed by the bright and shiny gems that filled the room. Curious, Ash approached.

It was then that it all came flowing back to him.

“It’s, a time flower,” he said aloud, the crystalline visage of a flower bulb looking back at him. After a moment, he began reading the inscription that came along with it on the case. “A precious item from the ancient kingdom of Rota, in Kanto. It’s said to remind those who ought to forget.”

“Pika…” Pikachu mumbled in response, caught off guard by the blast from their past just as well. It’d been many years since either of them had laid sight on one of these things, and just the glance at it alone brought them back to one of their earlier adventures.

What a great adventure it was.

Ash stood straight, a smile crossing his face while he looked at Pikachu.

“That brings back memories, doesn’t it buddy?” he asked, earning a fierce nod in return. Pikachu let out a cry of affirmation, before the two of them left the familiar piece from their past behind them. Ash chuckled. “Heh, yeah, it has been a while.”

So Ash and Pikachu returned to walking the exhibit, turning their minds from the past to their future, and the battles they’d be having before long. Soon they’d be facing Grant, and then after that, who knows what else. If they wanted to be the very best, they had to always be looking on to tomorrow.

Yet, as Ash did that, as he planned for the next battle, planned for tomorrow, he found his mind being pulled back, again and again. For the first time in a long time, when Ash thought of tomorrow, he thought of yesterday as well.

---

𝒴

“Ma’am, the Diamond is quite a wonder of science, what with its incredible mass and size,” Clemont began with a passionate gusto, raising into the air both his regular arm and his secondary Aipom Arm, for extra question-asking effect. “How do you explain such an anomaly?”

The tour guide snorted at Clemont’s enthusiasm, perhaps having forgotten that other people might still be impassioned by this subject. She had given this tour so many times, after all.

“That’s a great question, in fact,” she replied, stepping up closer to the display case and pointing towards the gem’s clean facet. “We know for a fact it wasn’t formed naturally— The crystal lattice itself is too geometrically perfect, with no contaminants to speak of. But since the technology to produce artificial diamonds didn’t exist when this gem first appeared in history, we can only conclude—”

Clemont’s eyes lit up, attracting the attention of Bonnie.

“—That it must’ve been created by a Pokémon!” he declared, finishing the guide’s sentence, much to her delight. The two shared a moment of excited chatter as other members of the tour group approached, including Serena.

She looked on with a bemused stare, before catching a glance of Bonnie at Clemont’s side. A familiar mischievous grin was crossing the girl’s face. At that, Serena knew what was coming next.

“Oh, miss toooour guide! You and my brother get along so well!” Bonnie called out with a sing-song voice, prancing forward before Clemont could put her performance to an end. “You’re surely a keeper! Won’t you please take care of him?”

“Bonnie, noooo!” Clemont stumbled forward, trying to cut through the quickly reforming crowd to no avail.

The exasperated tour guide could only cock her head in confusion at the scene. Some little girl was down on one knee and someone, presumably her brother, was struggling to grab her.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand?”

Finally, after a moment, the robotic arm on the boy’s backpack broke through, swiping the little girl off the floor and dragging her away before she could make another heartfelt proposal. Just like that, the whole situation had dissolved.

“What an odd shift.”

The oddness wouldn’t cease, unfortunately, as before the guide could return to her usual spiel, three new bodies arrived to fill the scene: a new set of guards.

“Excuse me, ma’am! But we need you and the crowd to keep at least a meter back from the diamond!” a blue-haired guard declared, surprising the tour guide when he slipped behind her and put his back to the display case.

“What? Why?” the tour guide asked, watching while the crowd was shooed back by the other two new guards.

“Orders from on high!” declared one of them, a red-haired woman. “There’s been some suspicious figures seen recently, so we’ll need to make sure no one tampers with the case.”

Finally, the third, absurdly short guard spoke up, having finally managed to get a particularly large patron to step back.

“Yeah! Nows, if youse excuse me, we gots a diamond dat needs protectin’!” he announced, barreling past the guide and taking position. With a rude jab, he pointed at the guards that were stationed there already. “Oi, youse two can go, we’re relievin’ your shift.”

Looking on at the display, the guide decided she had put up with enough shenanigans today. She knew when to pick her battles, and this wasn’t one of them.

“Alright everyone, why don’t we move on to the next section!”

Watching as the tour guide and her group shuffled off, the three guards left manning the diamond snickered to themselves.

“What a dope! This was our C-rate material at best!” the red-haired one declared under her breath before the three huddled together.

“You said it, Jessie!” the blue-haired one said, pulling off the guard hat they wore and revealing their bob-cut hair underneath. “If this were the theater, I’d give myself three stars, at best!”

“Alright, can it with the performance shtick, James,” the third short one added, bearing claws to make a point. “With all the eyes no longah’ on our prize, my plan’s gone off without a hitch, no lies!”

“A Meowth plan without a hitch? Ain’t that a surprise,” Jessie added, completing the rhyme scheme. Giggling maniacally between themselves, Team Rocket readied for what would come next.

“I’ll get down to the basement and set up for phase two,” Meowth declared, tearing off his miniature guard outfit and delivering an impressively evil snicker. “Dis place betteh watch out, ‘cause pretty soon it’s gonna be closed for renovations.”

---

𝒳

“Grant’s Onix is crazy strong, and that Rock Tomb is killer,” Ash recounted, speaking aloud in a quiet corner of the exhibit. Most of the other guests were already ahead, giving him and Pikachu a perfect opportunity to brainstorm. “Beating him is gonna be a pain. Got any idea, buddy?”

Pikachu scratched his head in thought for a moment, before answering with an awkward inflection.

“Pika— Pikachu,” he said, a bead of sweat running down his head. Ash laughed, nearly doubling over while he passed by the exhibit’s entrance.

“I don’t think the ‘trigger the sprinklers’ trick’ll work again, bud,” Ash answered, earning a snicker from Pikachu then. “Good try though.”

Just as Ash said that, an odd sight caught his and Pikachu’s attention: A Pokémon walking around on its own.

“A Meowth?” he said aloud, his voice causing the Meowth in question to pause and turn.

“A twerp?” With that utterance, both sides froze, as the cat was quite literally out of the bag. “Aw jeeze.”

“Team Rocket!” Ash called out, Pikachu dismounting from his shoulder and building a charge to have at the ready. “What are you guys doing here! Where’s Jesse and James!”

“Ah, well, you see.” Sweat began pouring down Meowth’s brow before he raised his hands up in defense. “They’re actually— None of ya business!”

With that, Meowth sprinted out of the room at top speed, leaving Ash and Pikachu in the dust.

“Let’s go after them, Pikachu!” Ash called, a glint in his eyes. “How about we call this training for our battle with Grant!”

“Pika!”

Racing after the feline mascot of Team Rocket, Ash and Pikachu ducked and dived through the halls and exhibit of the museum, dodging near misses with old suits of armor and about a half dozen display cases. All the while Meowth just barely kept ahead of them, more than willing to employ a few dirty tricks to get them off his tail.

“Careful twerp, dis hall’s a fallin’ hazard!” he declared, taking his claws to an antique bead curtain and unleashing a flood of beads into Ash and Pikachu’s path. “Sayonara!”

Snickering, Meowth dived down a set of service stairs, leaving Ash and Pikachu skidding past.

“Pikachu!” Ash called out, reaching out and prompting Pikachu to jump up onto his arm. “Don’t let him get away!”

Still in motion from the beads, Ash spun, punting Pikachu as hard as he could towards the stairs.

“Pika!”

With perfect aim, Pikachu struck home, bouncing off the wall of the stairwell and flying down after Meowth, Ash soon enough following behind.

“Does anyone ever tell youse two that you need a hobby!?” Meowth declared, rolling into the basement and sprinting away. “Cause this persistence is ridiculous!”

“Pipi-Kachu!” Pikachu skidded to a stop, immediately surveying the new room for some obvious threat or trap. What he found instead left him gobsmacked.

“Yeah, you’re one to talk!” Ash declared, barreling down the stairs next, skipping a few steps on the way down. When he came to a stop at Pikachu’s side, the same sight made him step back. “Whoa!”

The latest contraption in Team Rocket’s assorted history stood before them, tall and imposing, reaching from the floor all the way to the ceiling, at least twenty feet up. Yet, unlike all the robots and moving behemoths they’d employed before, this one was different. Gone were the jammable treads or trippable robotic legs— replaced now by a firm and sturdy foundation. The only distinct Team Rocket trademarks were a set of mechanical arms and their eponymous R symbol.

Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t going to be leaving its spot.

“What are you guys up to!?” Ash said with a fierce shout, shaking off his initial shock just as Meowth reached his perch at the very top of the machine.

“Well if you must know— It’s kinda hard to keep the bank account topped up, when you and the rat keep blowin’ up our stuff!” he jeered, leaning over the side of the machine. In an instant, he got to work, sending his tiny hands into overdrive. “But once Team Rocket gets its hands on dat there humongous diamond, den we’ll be rollin’ in dough!”

“We’ll see about that! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!” Ash commanded, firing the charge Pikachu had been building up without a moment’s hesitation. It slammed into the machine— A direct hit! “Got it!”

“Talk about countin’ your Torchics!” With a snide laugh, Meowth flicked a switch, extinguishing Ash’s elation and Pikachu’s thunder in one fell swoop. The electricity of the attack drained away from the machine, charging up a battery at its base. “Even when on a budget, Team Rocket keeps the essentials! Anti-twerp defenses!”

Meowth cackled as he returned to his breakneck speed fiddling.

“Now, let’s kick dis baby into motion!” Raising a paw into the air, Meowth slammed down on a big red button, bringing the towering behemoth to life. The frame began to rumble, gears and hydraulics whirring in motion. The robotic arm at its side animated then, stretching and swinging out in one motion, nearly knocking Ash and Pikachu down in the process.

“Hey!”

Ash’s words fell on deaf ears, however, as the arm flicked, revealing its monstrous attachment and the next step in Team Rocket’s monstrous plan— A saw blade.

“Go!” Meowth cried, flicking a lever. The bladed arm whirred to life, flying straight up and carving through the roof in a clean arc. “You can’t make a diamond omelet without crackin’ a few ceilings!”

The saw blade arm pulled itself free from the roof and went in for another cut, carving another wide arc. With that, the whole cut section of the ceiling started caving in, sliding down into the machine’s embrace. “Come to papa!”

In only a few more moments, the entire thing would be free.

It was then that Ash got an idea.

“Hey, buddy, why don’t we lend him a hand!” he called out, looking at Pikachu and earning a confused look. After a moment, however, the gears turned in his head as well.

“Pika!”

“That’s the spirit!” Rearing back, Ash got into a thrower’s stance, as Pikachu leapt on for what came next. They only had one shot, so they had to make it count! “Go! Bring it down on him with Iron Tail!”

“What’re you doing!?” Meowth cried.

With a mighty throw, aided by the spring of Pikachu’s own legs, Ash punted his partner straight into the mechanical mayhem, just as he charged an Iron Tail for impact. In an instant, Pikachu was upon Meowth and the machine, delivering a stone-shattering attack to the section of concrete ceiling. Letting out a mighty cry, Pikachu forced all of the momentum his little body could muster straight down.

“Chuuu-Pi-Ka!”

And with that, the section of ceiling came free and fell, far too fast and with far too much force for Team Rocket’s contraption to grab onto. It crashed onto the mountain of metal, smashing the arms and control panel to bits, forcing Meowth to leap out lest he get crushed too.

“We did it!” Ash called out, while Pikachu expertly leapt off the collapsing contraption and joined his side once more. A plume of dust and debris rained down from the ceiling. “Way to go, Pikachu!”

There was little time for celebrations, however, as moments later, Meowth tumbled down the remains of the machine, landing at their feet with an unceremonious splatter. Not giving him the chance to run off, Ash grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“Gotcha! This is over, Meowth, for you, and Team Rocket!” he declared, giving Meowth a small shake to stir him from his nausea.

Jerking his head clear, Meowth didn’t seem to agree, a cocky smirk crossing his lips.

“Dat’s what you think! I might be good as done for, but so are youse!” he fired back, flailing his tiny arms around him. With a sharp inhale, he screamed out—!

---

𝒴

Back up in the museum proper, panic was rampant. Moments ago something had carved its way through the floor, pulling the exhibit’s main diamond display case down with it! Not only that, but the support beam the case was built into was collapsing too! A thin cloud of dust filled the room, choking the frenzied crowd that surrounded the hole.

“Hey! What’s going on!” Serena forced her way through the crowd, trying her best to spot her friends through the chaos. After a moment, she arrived at the edge of the pit that started this, freezing as she saw the dark drop underneath. “Ash! Bonnie! Clemont!”

“We assure you, everything is under control!” one of the security guards declared without a hint of confidence in his voice, trying his best to not be pushed into the hole he was guarding just minutes ago.

“Alright, lady, why don’t you shove it before I shove you down this thing!” another guard screamed, grabbing onto a woman and pushing her back into the crowd.

Then, cutting through the rabble, a cry rang up the hole, alerting the guards and Serena with its message.

“Jessie! James! Get your butts down here!”

With a snide grin, the two guards tore their uniforms off their bodies, shocking the crowd back a few feet and sending Serena’s temper soaring.

“It’s you two! Team Rocket!” she called, catching their attention as they faced the hole and straightened their outfits. “I should’ve guessed you’d ruin our day out!”

“And we should’ve guessed you twerps would be here to ruin our plans!” Jessie replied. “We don’t all get what we want!”

“Not today that is! Today Team Rocket gets everything it wants!” James added with a laugh. With a wave, he leapt down the hole. “Toodle-loo!”

“Bon voyage, you good for nothing twerp!” And with that, Jessie followed behind him.

“Get back here!” Crying out, Serena reached for the two villains, just barely missing as they disappeared. The frustration in her voice was reaching a fevered pitch now, threatening to boil over while she stared at the deep dark pit leading below. Those two had ruined their nice day out! Stolen that beautiful gemstone! The thought made her consider something crazy, her body moving to act on its own— to jump after them.

It took a hand on her shoulder to bring her back down.

Whipping around, Serena found Clemont looking back at her, Bonnie in his arms as he shook his head. Behind him, more dust and debris was falling from the ceiling, and the crowd was in a full force panic.

“We need to find Ash and get out of here.”

---

𝒳

Back in the basement, Ash unceremoniously dropped Meowth, jumping back with Pikachu as the cloud of dust above them cleared. A path straight to the exhibit had opened up, and down from it descended two unfortunate sights.

“To protect the world from devastation!”

“To unite all peoples within our nation!”

“Team Rocket!” Groaning, Ash considered a tactical retreat, grouping up with his friends so he wasn’t facing these pains-in-the-butt by himself. Their annoying tech redirecting Pikachu’s attacks could still be online after all. Yet, as Team Rocket continued their routine, that avenue closed off to Ash.

“To denounce the evils—” Jessie grunted while she leaned down and began to lift something. “—of truth and love!”

“To fill our piggy banks—” James went in to help her, and the two of them wrenched their motherload into the air. “—to the stars above!”

“The diamond!” Crying out, Ash made a fist as their plan returned to his mind.

“Pipi-Kachu!”

“Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!” Jessie released her grip on the diamond, letting it topple James over with its sheer weight. She reached for a Poké ball then.

“Surrender now—” Mumbling, James barely managed to push the giant rock off himself, before he pulled out his own Poké ball and completed the verse. “—or prepare to fight!”

Finally, topping off the cavalcade of hijinks, Meowth arrived. He had managed to scramble up the pile of scrap metal when Ash and Pikachu weren’t looking, hopping into view just in time to finish the motto.

“Meowth! That’s right!”

“Let’s keep this short, twerp, we’re having a good day!” Jessie called, tossing out her ball. “Pumpkaboo! Shadow Ball!”

“Inkay! Psybeam!” James followed in turn.

Sprinting to the right, Ash and Pikachu just barely dodged the onslaught while they looked for an opening.

“Pikachu, Thunderbolt!” Ash commanded, skidding to a stop as a beam of psychic energy flew in front of him. Quick to comply, Pikachu let out a crack of lightning, firing straight toward Team Rocket’s Pokémon—

—Before it diverted back into the machine once again.

“Nyehehe, even past its warranty, Team Rocket tech is as reliable as ever!” Meowth cackled, as another wave of attacks fired from Pumpkaboo and Inkay.

“If they’re just going to absorb our Thunderbolts, let’s give them something they can’t!” Ash suggested, smiling while he and Pikachu went on the move again. “Quick Attack to get close, then Iron Tail!”

“Chuuu!” Grinning along with his plan, Pikachu took off, closing the distance to Team Rocket and dodging their attacks in turn. He leapt into the air in an instant, his tail lighting up a shiny metallic silver. “Pi—Ka—!”

“Inkay, look out!” James called, throwing his arm out from atop the platform, too slow to realize what was happening.

“Ink—” With a slam like a thunderclap, James’s Inkay was sent spiraling down to the ground below, crashing at the feet of Team Rocket’s machine and sending out a barrage of Psybeams. “Ink-k-k-kay!”

“Whoa!” Ash just barely sidestepped one of the stray attacks, reeling back as he watched the aftermath of his move. Pikachu leapt back as well, landing at Ash’s side.

Inkay, scrambled by their surprise encounter with the ground, was sending attacks aimlessly, ricocheting them off the walls, the ceiling, and even back at Team Rocket themselves. Their perch up on the remains of their machine was soon becoming compromised, the whole structure shaking under their feet.

“Inkay, darling!” James cried out, leaning over the edge of the platform while rogue Psybeams flew by. “Are you okay!?”

He wouldn’t receive an answer, however, because in that next moment, the platform of scrap metal they stood on began to rumble. It wasn’t like it was moments ago, where Inkay’s smattering of attacks shook the mountain of metal and stone. No, instead the machine’s remains itself shook.

“Oh. Oh, dat’s, not good,” Meowth muttered, a paw going up as he scratched his head.

“Not good?” Jessie paused. “Why not good?”

“Well, youse see, we could only afford the standard Pikachu-protection-package,” he clarified, while the platform they stood grew more and more unstable. “None of the fancy stuff, like shieldin’ for rogue Psybeams.”

“Get to the point, man!” James called out, dangling down the side of the machine in an attempt to get his Pokémon. After a moment, the disoriented Inkay floated back into his hands and allowed him to pull them to safety.

“The point is—!”

“That I’ve had it with you three!” Ash’s voice cut through the rabble, all three turning to face him as he butted back in. “Pikachu, let’s finish this. You heard them, we knocked out their defenses with Inkay’s attack!”

Meowth’s eyes widened at Ash’s order, before he shot forward and called out.

“Wait, twerp, the defenses aren’t down, they’re overload—”

“Thunderbolt!” At Ash’s command, Pikachu unleashed his strongest bolt of lightning yet, which zoomed across the battlefield. It slammed into Team Rocket and their machine, sending the lot up in a brilliant display of sparks while they screamed at the sudden shock.

Finally, overwhelmed by that ultimate blow, the remains of the machine exploded, sending each and every member of Team Rocket flying into the air.

“Team Rocket’s blasting off—!”

Team Rocket flew out of the basement at lightning speeds, up to the exhibit above, before they crashed into the ceiling. A chorus of screams rang out, which did not cease as the whole building rumbled after the collision.

Ash’s proud expression from handling Team Rocket by himself quickly faded. Things weren’t done. Even as the cloud of smoke from Team Rocket’s blastoff parted, more and more dust and debris was descending down the hole from the exhibit above.

“Oh jeeze.” The whole room was shuddering— no, the whole building. “We gotta get everyone out of here, Pikachu!”

“Pikapi!”

Taking a running start, the two of them sprinted towards the hole and the remains underneath it. Team Rocket’s machine was truly now just a mountain of concrete and scrap metal, and that made it the perfect jumping-off point. With quick footwork, the two scaled up the tower of junk, up the hole left from Team Rocket’s plan, and back into the Diamond exhibit.

“Guys!?”

The room was in utter chaos. Above them, the ceiling was slowly caving in, the double trouble of losing a support beam and subsequent crash pushing it beyond what it could support. The exits they could see were blocked off by fallen rubble, and a thick cloud of debris filled the air, choking out any chance of the crowd handling this in an orderly fashion.

Oh jeeze, the crowd.

Panic was the kindest word to describe it. All around Ash and Pikachu, people screamed in terror and hysteria, unsure of where to go or what to do. A full force stampede seemed inevitable, that’s how infectious the panic was.

“Serena?! Clemont?! Bonnie?!” Whipping his head around, Ash tried to find his friends, but couldn’t parse them through the screaming masses. That left him with one option. He took a deep breath. “Hey everyone!”

“Pika!”

Ash and Pikachu’s cry was like a thunderclap, the way it shocked the screaming crowd out of their stupor. With their attention at hand, Ash called out.

“We’re gonna get you out of here!” he declared, Pikachu speaking in turn as Ash pulled out a Poké ball. “I’ll open up that exit, get moving!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the crowd found a vague sense of direction, running back towards the entrance of the exhibit. With that, Ash called out another Pokémon.

“Froakie, you—”

Froakie didn’t even need the command, already leaping into action once the situation became apparent. With a cry, he sprinted off to begin securing the building with his frubbles. Ash couldn’t help but grin at that, how in sync the two were.

“Ash!”

Whipping around, Ash breathed a sigh of relief, finding his friends finally at his side. Serena grabbed onto his arm and pulled.

“Where were you!” she cried, looking around as things began moving. Behind her, Clemont paced nervously in place, Bonnie in his arms. “Team Rocket—”

“Tried stealing that diamond!” Ash exclaimed, assuring her he was up to speed. “The building is—”

“Collapsing!” Serena said, assuring him of the same. With both their sentences completed, the two paused, before speaking together in unison.

“We gotta help people get out of here!”

“I’ll go up ahead and get Bonnie to safety,” Clemont said, breaking in and speaking over the rumbling of the collapsing building. Just as he did, Bonnie broke from his side and looked to the other two.

“Please, please be safe!”

“We will!” With that, the group split, Clemont taking Bonnie and following the bustling crowds out, while Ash and Serena stayed behind.

“I’m going to help my Pokémon open the entrance,” Ash explained, turning and running. “Let’s try to help people get out!”

“Right!”

---

𝒳

Off to the side and out of sight, under a particularly large pile of fallen rubble, groans of pain rolled out, before the pile itself began to fall apart. A roughed-up, gloved arm burst through the dust and debris, followed by a voice.

“Prepare, for trouble…” it said, before a different hand pushed rubble away.

“And make it, double…” another voice muttered. Finally, the whole pile of shattered concrete spilled away, revealing who lied underneath: Team Rocket. Stumbling to her feet, Jessie was the first to speak, as she cleared pebbles from her length of hair.

“You’ve really crashed and burned this operation, Meowth!”

“Me?! What did I do!” he shouted back, shaking a paw. Before he could get another word in edgewise, however, a slab of concrete crashed onto his head. “D’oh!”

“Oh no!” Whipping around, the situation began to settle in for James, panic reaching his voice. “The building is coming down!”

“We need to get out of here!” Jessie cried.

“Yeah, let’s jet!” Meowth agreed. With that, the two did an about-face for the exit and took off—

—Before coming to an abrupt stop.

“Stop!” James cried out, grabbing the two by the scruffs of their necks and pulling them back. “Don’t you see we’re partially the cause of all of this chaos! Team Rocket lies, cheats, and steals, but it does not hurt people!”

“And what exactly do you suggest we do about a collapsing building!?” Jessie roared back, as James dropped the two of them.

“We help!” he answered, making a fist and pointing to the smattering of people still lost in the chaos. “It’s time for Team Rocket to save the day!”

Jessie looked up at James, at the sheer boisterous confidence he gave that answer with, before sighing.

“Alright, just for today,” she said with a smile, standing proud. “Team Rocket saves the day!”

---

𝒳𝒴

Back up at the exhibit entrance, the panicking crowd lied in wait, as Ash, his Pokémon, and Serena worked on clearing the rubble from the exit. A large slab of concrete had sealed off the entryway, and it’d take everything they had to move it.

“Lift!” Ash called out, putting his back into it alongside Pikachu and Serena. “We, can, do, this!”

“Pika!”

With a united roar, the pair of them plus Serena just barely got the slab moving, clearing a way just large enough for a few people to pass through. Light filtered in from the outside as the crowd cheered.

“Froakie, frubble!” Ash called out, gritting his teeth and looking up to the rafters.

“Seal it with Ember, Fennekin!” Serena followed.

“Froa!” Swinging into action, Froakie appeared, unleashing splatterings of his signature frubbles across the concrete, sticking them in place. Moments later, Fennekin leapt up onto the concrete gate, unleashing a fiery ember to bake the frubble hard. With that tag team job done, the exit was secured.

“We did it!” Ash cheered, hopping out of the way and allowing the panicked crowds to begin rushing out. Letting Pikachu jump onto his shoulder, he called out to Froakie. “Good job, buddy!”

Serena slumped to the floor, utterly exhausted by the hero work Ash and Pikachu seemed so accustomed to doing. Just how much could those two lift?!

“You should stay here and help people get through,” Ash suggested, breaking Serena from her stupor as she rose to her feet. “Me and Pikachu and Froakie are going to see if there’s still people who need help!”

On that note, Froakie saluted before leaping back into the exhibit. A frog’s work was never done it seemed, and neither was his trainer’s. Ash was just about to follow him, if it wasn’t for Serena grabbing his hand.

“Wait, Ash.” she paused, gulping. “Are you sure—”

“You’re going to be fine,” he reassured with a smile, squeezing her hand before taking off. “Let Froakie help if anything goes wrong!”

“But Ash—!” Groaning, Serena turned back to the remaining people, just as they continued to bustle through. There was no arguing with that boy it seemed. Still, she sighed, speaking to herself while she began to direct the panicking crowd. “Who’s going to help you?”

---

𝒳

Ash skidded around a hard corner, venturing deeper into the collapsing exhibit as more and more debris rained down from above him. The building was really in a bad state, with dust and chunks of concrete pouring from the ceiling. It was only by Froakie’s frubbles that the roof was even close to standing. They wouldn’t last much longer.

Ash considered going back.

“Heeeeelp!” A pitched voice cut through the rumbling and Ash’s doubt. Someone needed help, and Ash was it.

“Hey, we heard you! Call out again so we can find you!” he said, head whipping side to side as he looked for the last straggler.

“Pikachu!” Hopping off his shoulder, Pikachu began searching himself.

“Oh no…”

That was a second voice, Ash realized, eyes widening as he narrowed down the direction. Returning to a full sprint, he and Pikachu turned down another corner.

“We’re here—!” Ash and Pikachu froze, skidding to a stop at the sight that came to greet them. For a moment, his blood began to boil. “Team Rocket!?”

The trouble-making trio stood before him. Well, more like lied before him, pinned beneath another pile of rubble that had fallen free from the ceiling.

“H-hey there, twerp,” Jessie stuttered, her nerves rising at the arrival of their supposed saviors. Ash and Pikachu’s brows were awfully furrowed.

“What are you three doing here?! I thought you’d be the first to high-tail it!” Ash declared, falling to his knees and parting some of the rubble.

“Hey, cut us some credit!” James shot back. “Team Rocket’s on the side of good today!”

“Pft, yeah, sure.” Rolling his eyes, Ash quickly cleared enough rubble to free Jessie, as Pikachu moved just enough to free James. After that, Meowth popped out from the middle of it all.

“Meowth! That’s ri—” The whole building shuddered at that word, louder and more violent this time. “Mottos are bettah when savored for later, survivin’ is the sweetest when fresh!”

“No need to tell me twice!”

Without another word of protest, Ash and the others went on a full force sprint. They booked it through the museum, past the collapsing ceilings and crumbling walls. Ash and Pikachu could just barely avoid slabs of concrete crashing down behind them. Team Rocket, meanwhile, seemed only able to survive by pure miracle. Making it by the skin of their teeth was the tamest they could describe it.

“Froa!” Swinging in from the ceiling, Froakie crossed Ash’s side.

“Froakie! There you are!” Ash beamed, shooting his Pokémon a thumbs up as they rapidly approached the front of the exhibit. “Get up ahead, make sure there’s no one else!”

“Oakie!”

Not much longer now, just another corner!

“Pikachu, jump on up, we’re going to go through together!” Ash explained, skidding around the bend and taking off again. In the next moment, he felt Pikachu leap onto his shoulder and hold on tight. “Let’s go!”

“Wait up twerp!”

They could see it now, up ahead, the exit! Two concrete slabs, held up by a splattering of Froakie’s frubbles— They just had to make it in time!

“Ash!” From up ahead, Serena called out, the lone person standing there still.

“Go! We’ll be right behind you!” Ash called out, as Froakie arrived and perched right above the exit. “Go!”

Without a word of protest, Froakie dived through the exit, leaving Serena there, gripping her chest with worry.

“Please hurry, Ash!” she cried, unable to push herself to go just yet. Ash couldn’t help but smile at that, at her misplaced worry. Didn’t she know, this was Ash Ketchum they were talking about?

“Don’t worry!” he called out, shooting her a grin. “Everything’s going to be okay!”

Dramatic irony was not lost on the universe today.

Rumbling had long faded into the background noise of the crisis by this point. What came next, however, wasn’t a rumble. What came next was a scream— The scream of metal on metal, concrete on concrete, before the whole building above them began to topple down all at once. The ceiling was falling, the ceiling was falling!

“Ash!” Serena leapt forward, intent on pulling him from danger before it could befall him. Yet, it was far too late. She jerked to a stop, as a hand grabbed hers and pulled her back to the exit. “Who—”

She froze at the sight of Clemont.

Time slowed for Ash, his breath going silent as he saw the whole of the ceiling collapse before him. The path between him and the exit was quickly thinning, and even on his best day, he could never make the distance. Even Pikachu couldn’t move that fast.

Pikachu.

“Sorry buddy.” With a heavy heave, Ash tore Pikachu from his shoulder and tossed him, faster than his partner could even realize what was happening.

Time sped up once more.

“Pikapi!”

“Keep them safe, Pikachu!”

The last thing Ash saw was his partner flying safely through the exit. Then, it all came tumbling down.

---

𝒳

Ash awoke to chatter, which fell silent as he groaned out in pain. His head was killing him, absolutely aching. He could almost appreciate the quiet.

“Ughhhhh.” Rubbing his head, Ash sat up, slowly coming to before he began to process his surroundings— His dark, cramped surroundings. “Huh?”

“Ah, good, the twerp’s awake.” The snippy voice of Meowth caught Ash’s attention, keying him in that he wasn’t alone. Gritting his teeth, he turned.

“Team Rocket.”

Jessie, James, and Meowth sat huddled across from him, around one of Jessie’s Pokémon: Pumpkaboo, who was providing the light for the whole of— wherever they were.

“Where are we?” Ash asked, rising to his feet and banging his head. The ceiling was shallow and crooked, leaving the space cramped, almost suffocating.

“A buildin’ fell on us, so I think we’re somewhere in Unova,” Meowth answered, rolling his eyes. When Ash just gave him a confused look, he groaned.

“The museum collapsed— Where do you think we are?” Jessie cut in, clearing away Ash’s confusion and leaving his irritation behind.

“Oh great, so we’re stuck?” Looking up, Ash began banging against the slab of concrete that made up their roof, hoping to feel some give. None came. His head pulsed again with pain at that realization. “Jeeze.”

“Don’t bother, twerp,” James added then, crossing his arms and pulling back at Ash’s attention. “Team Rocket are worldly connoisseurs at impromptu tunneling and escape attempts. We are well and truly trapped.”

“Our resources have been sapped,” Jessie followed in rhyme.

“And that’s a wrap,” Meowth finished.

Ash groaned, unsure if that was his headache or Team Rocket’s rhyming that hurt more.

“Well we can’t just sit here, we’ve got to try to do something— Signal to the outside!” he suggested, turning back to the low-hanging ceiling and knocking against it. “Hey! Is anyone out there!?”

“Oi, can it with the screamin’, twerp!” Meowth demanded. “This nook of ours happens to be the echoin’ kind!”

“What do you expect me to do!” When Ash turned, he found the trouble-making trio writhing as they covered their ears. He lowered his voice. “Just sit tight, wait for someone to come save us?”

“As well you should!” James replied, looking between his team mates. “It’s what we do best when the going gets too tough!”

“We let the tough get going!” Jessie added, earning a sneering laugh from her compatriots.

Ash wasn’t laughing.

“I can’t believe this,” he said under his breath, turning away again and looking at the twisted concrete that met his gaze. “I can’t just wait around— I need to get out of here— see if the others are okay.”

“Relax twerp, you did a good job playing hero,” Meowth reassured. “I’m sure your little posse is doin’ fine too. Relax a little, have some fun!”

Another pang of pain shot through Ash’s head, exasperated by a thirst he was just noticing. He could kill for a drink of water right about then.

“Fun? How can you guys be having fun after all this?” he shot back, rubbing his head and looking back up to the stoney ceiling.

“Look, all I’m sayings is you got an oppo’tunity to lean back and relax now after all the theatrics,” Meowth offered back. “Ain’t that why you and the other twerps even went to the museum, to relax?”

Ash gritted his teeth as his headache drove further inwards.

“I didn’t even want to go on this trip!” Ash said with a snap, making Team Rocket jump in surprise. “I just wanna find my friends, my Pokémon, Pikachu. I want to get out of here!”

The pounding in his head was unceasing now, only made worse by how uncomfortable this whole situation was. The chamber was cramped, stuffy. His mouth was dry, he was covered in sweat. He didn’t want to be here.

He wanted to be with his friends, he wanted to get back to his journey, he wanted to get ready for—

A realization struck Ash all at once,

“Oh, darn it!” Groaning, Ash dragged his hands down his face before balling them into fists. “And now I’m going to be late for my gym battle with Grant!”

The chamber went quiet for a moment, as Ash’s roar rang alone in the stuffy air. The look Team Rocket was giving back to him wasn’t exactly shock, more closer to confusion, a confusion that then spread back to Ash.

Jessie’s face furrowed before she stood up, just barely avoiding knocking her head against the ceiling.

“How can you possibly be worried about that in a time like this!? Everything that’s happened to us, and that’s your biggest concern!?” she screamed, surprising Ash with her fervor. “Isn’t there anything in that head of yours besides battling!?”

The accusation reignited the anger in Ash’s mind. For just a moment, the pain in his head was gone.

“You don’t get it! Don’t get me! You never did! All you care about is Team Rocket!” Ash roared, throwing his arm out to his side and scaring Jessie back. James and Meowth leapt at his cry, confusion fully turning to shock now. For a split second, that shock became fear.

That fear made Ash pause.

“I… You…” He pulled back, the anger draining from his face before he sighed. Pressing his back against the wall and sliding down, Ash shook his head. “You guys just, don’t get me…”

Silence reigned over the room then, as Ash looked down to the ground between his feet and remained quiet. He was ready to spend the next few hours like that, assured that when they got out of there, Team Rocket would have a whole new reason to dislike him.

So what happened next really surprised him.

“Den why don’t you explain it, twerp,” Meowth said, broaching the silence and pulling Ash’s gaze upwards. Jessie was sat back in her spot by Pumpkaboo, still a little upset but not at all angry. None of Team Rocket was angry. At best, Ash could call it concerned. Meowth spoke up again. “Not like we gots anywhere else to be. Why are youse so concerned about some gym battle?”

Ash contemplated it for a moment, thinking over the subject for what must’ve been the first in forever, in ever maybe. He’d never had the words for it, for that feeling he’d had on his mind for a while now.

His headache was almost gone.

“Do you ever, have something you love, something you really love, that you just want to spend your whole life doing it?” he began with a question, both for Team Rocket and himself. “But no matter how long you practice, no matter how hard you try, you never, get good at it?”

Team Rocket paused, looking between themselves. The same thought was crossing their minds.

“I love Pokémon, I love battling with Pokémon. I want to be a Pokémon master one day!” he exclaimed, a smile crossing his face before it slowly faded. “But, I feel like I’m always falling short.”

Scratching the side of his face, Ash snorted, as the words finally came to him.

“I’m in such a hurry, because I’m worried if I don’t keep training, keep beating gyms, I’m never going to be good enough. I’m worried I’m never going to be the best.”

The conclusion wasn’t given a moment to breathe, before Jessie leapt up from her spot once more.

“What are you talking about, twerp!?” she shouted, blowing out James and Meowth’s eardrums again. “I have half a mind to smack your stupid hat off for that!”

“Huh—?”

“You’re great at battling, amazing even!” she declared, throwing her hands down as James joined her.

“Do you think we would be following you and your Pikachu all this time if you weren’t?!” he cried, Jessie nodding in agreement.

“Yeah! Where’s dis whole self-doubt schtick even come from!” Meowth added then, hopping up between them. “You’re the most hard-headed and stupidly confident twerp we know!”

“I—” Ash couldn’t get a word in edgewise before Jessie spoke up again.

“So what if you’ve lost some dumb league a few times? Look at us!”

“We lose every single day!” James followed up, pointing to himself and Jessie.

“We’re certified losers!” Meowth shook his paw at Ash, as he stared at Team Rocket’s attempt at a pep talk.

“But no matter how many times you blow us away, Team Rocket comes back!” Bringing it back to herself, Jessie prepared to tie a bow on the point. “Are you about to say you’re not as good as us!?”

She pointed to Ash with that, leaving the floor to him for the first time.

“I— Uh—” He shook his head. “No, I guess not?!”

“So quit it with this whole downer routine!”

“Okay!?”

“Good!” A self-satisfied smile crossed Jessie’s face. “Don’t ever let me catch you skulking like that again. Being sorry saps is our job.”

Huffing, Jessie crossed her arms and sat down, joined a moment later by James and Meowth. A calm silence took the chamber, before Ash shook his head and did a double take.

“What, just happened?” he asked, looking at his trouble-making trio with a stare of pure confusion. “Did you guys just, help me?”

“It may be hard to believe, twerp, but we don’t hate youse,” Meowth answered, leaning back and turning his gaze to the shallow ceiling. “We wanna take your Pokémon, not make you sad or somethin’.”

Ash groaned.

“You’re right,” he said. “That is hard to believe.”

“Well, believe it!” James replied, getting a word in.

“Well, I can say this.” Smiling, Ash sat forward. “I don’t hate you guys either. You’re not evil. You’re just, annoying.”

“Hey, we’re totally evil!” Jessie cried in protest.

“You’ll regret that slight!” James added, followed shortly by Meowth.

“Meowth! That’s right!”

Ash broke out with an uproarious laugh, cutting through the tension immediately, setting Team Rocket at ease as he petered out.

“Thanks guys,” he began, wiping a tear from his eye. “It was nice, getting to say that to people who kinda get it.”

The kind expression Jessie held moments ago weakened.

“Way more than kinda, twerp,” she grumbled, earning a look of confusion from Ash.

“Huh?”

Glancing from Ash to the others, Jessie cocked her head, waiting for a response. Ash could just barely catch James mouthing out might as well.

“We much more than kinda get it, twerp. Though it may be hard to believe, Team Rocket knows exactly where you’re coming from,” Jessie answered.

“What do you mean?”

“What you said, about loving something, but never getting good at it.” Jessie crossed her arms, before Meowth spoke up next.

“We’ve been at dis game of chasings youse for how many years? And we’ve never gotten much betteh at it!” he explained. “Somedays it feels like we do dis just ‘cause we don’ts know anything else.”

“Why don’t you try doing something else then?” Ash gave that suggestion with a blithe tone, almost not thinking about it. Yet, it left Team Rocket silent, an air of apprehension standing between them. Realizing they wouldn’t reply, Ash continued. “Like, you don’t have to work for Team Rocket, do you?”

“But, what would we do if not work for the boss?” James asked, as if there was no other way to do things.

“Whatever you want!” Ash answered. “You guys get by well enough, except now you don’t have to waste all your money on gadgets for me and my friends to blow up.”

Looking between themselves, Team Rocket remained quiet, a thought working through their minds as well as their faces.

“We’d, have to think about it,” Jessie replied first. “I’ve thought about bringing in your Pikachu for so long, I don’t even remember what I was going to do after we finally did the deed.”

“It was always somethin’ about sleeping on the boss’s lap for me,” Meowth said, scratching his cheek. “Though nowadays, I think any lap will do.”

“Give it a try!” Ash suggested with a laugh. “If it gets you guys out of my hair, I’d appreciate it, heh. Try anything, try something new!”

With that, Team Rocket turned inwards, talking amongst themselves with a quieter tone from before. This was an inner Rocket matter now, and Ash had no place in that conversation. So he was left to his own thoughts.

His smile weakened as he looked down, his own words ringing in his mind as he got ready for the upcoming wait.

“Try something new, huh?”

Notes:

Credits to @Pedanti_Cat, @Mo1eculeMan, and @BCMonteiro1 over on twitter for their lovely help over the course of writing this fic!

Expect new chapters every Tuesday at 3PM!

Chapter 2: The Picture of Health

𝒳𝒴

“Ash Ketchum, correct? Spelled C-E-T-C-H-U-M?” The Nurse Joy’s questions droned on and on, prompting Ash to sit up in his bed. The very least he could do was look her in the eye while she was logging his information.

“Ketchum with a K, actually,” he corrected, scratching his bandaged cheek with a laugh. “Uh, Nurse Joy, could I have some more water please?”

“Of course!” Her voice was sweet, sweeter than usual, something Ash had caught onto in his short time under her care. Seemed he was a special patient. After a few moments, she produced a capped cup with a straw, which Ash accepted with a thanks. Now back to the logging. “And it says here you’re sixteen?”

“Fifteen—” he clarified, somehow nearly choking on the water. “My birthday hasn’t passed yet.”

“And you’re absolutely sure nothing hurts?” She put the clipboard down for this one, looking Ash in the eye as he gave her a cocky grin.

“I’m in tip-top shape!” he confidently claimed, which set Nurse Joy at ease. With a nod, she stood up.

“Alright, I think that’s everything then,” she said, giving a nod and stepping back. “You can be discharged as soon as your Pokémon are healed.”

“Oh, hey, yeah! How’s Pikachu doing? You said it wasn’t anything too bad.” He’d already been told his friends were okay, so that just left his partner to check up on.

“He has a few bruises, so nothing too serious. You two can be out of here very soon,” Nurse Joy answered with a smile, just as she reached the exit. Glancing up from her clipboard and to the glass door, she paused. “Oh, and you have a guest.”

“Hm?” Ash looked up, only to find Nurse Joy already gone. A moment later, she was replaced by a new, familiar face.

“Ash!” Serena barreled into the room, absolutely run ragged as she arrived. “Oh my gosh, are you okay!?”

It had faded to the back of Ash’s mind, but he was patched up pretty heavily. His arm was covered in bandages and a wrap of gauze still loosely clung to his head. It looked a lot worse than it was.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I swear,” he said with a laugh as Serena rushed to his bedside, sitting down and looking over him herself. She didn’t even hesitate to grab his hand and feel up the length of his arm— That’s how worried she was. “There’s nothing to worry about! Promise!”

“You were stuck under there for hours. I thought you’d gotten crushed, or you were going to suffocate, or—” She drew a sharp breath and looked down, trying to hold back the tears she’d been carrying for a while at that point. “I thought you— I thought—”

Ash felt his smile disappear, as he realized Serena was upset, really upset— upset in a way he’d never seen from her before. She looked up at him, gasping for breath, just barely holding it all in.

“I thought I’d lost you.” Her voice cracked and soon, she was no longer able to quell her tears. Her face twisted, before she began to sob.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Ash reached for Serena as she buried her face in his sheets, letting out a cry that made him pause with how hard it hit him. Still, despite that, he pushed on. “Everything’s okay! I’m fine now, aren’t I?”

“You nearly died! I thought you died!” Serena cried, looking up at him with a hopeless panic in her eyes. In an instant, she was back in the collapsing museum. “You nearly died, and I couldn’t do anything! I stood there and did nothing! I was useless!”

She buried her head in the sheets once more, leaving Ash feeling powerless to do anything. Of all his battles, ones like this were the hardest by far.

“Serena…” He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down, but she recoiled at the sudden touch, jumping back and pulling her hands to her chest. Nothing had changed, however, and after a moment, she buried her face in her hands.

Her hands.

Ash paused as he finally noticed them, or rather, what had changed about them. Her hands were blistered and rough, covered in bruises that were uncharacteristic of Serena’s usually delicate disposition. She hadn’t hurt them while they were escaping, Ash was certain. That left one possibility, a possibility that soon dawned on him. His eyes widened.

“…You were digging through the rubble for me, weren’t you?” he muttered aloud, breaking through Serena’s sobbing.

“H-huh?” Serena paused, looking up from her hands and towards Ash. A stare of abject confusion was clear on her face, which only grew as she saw Ash’s expression. Smiling, the boy was smiling. She sniffled, looking down at her hands. “Y-yeah, I was.”

“Then how can you say you were useless?” Laughing to himself, Ash pulled the loose gauze from his head, revealing his lack of injuries. “I came out okay, didn’t I?”

Ash did something that surprised Serena then— he offered the gauze forward.

“For your hands. They’re clean, I promise,” he said, giving a grin as he cocked his head. After a moment, Serena scooted forward, accepting the gauze and getting to work wrapping her hands up. Happy with that, Ash continued. “You were strong Serena, stronger than me at least. In the end, all I did was wait to be rescued.”

“How can you say that?” she asked, looking up away from her hands. “You did all that to help everyone, to save us.”

“You were there too, weren’t you?” he explained, sitting forward and watching her continue to wrap the gauze around and around. “You helped make sure everyone else got out, helped us open the way!”

Serena huffed as she finished wrapping her left hand, tucking the gauze into itself. The tape job came out great, the folds of gauze in perfectly straight lines.

“I was a helper, you were a hero. You were the strong one,” she insisted, looking at the remaining length of gauze she had. Could she really do as good of a job without her dominant hand?

Ash laughed, pulling back her attention.

“Let’s call it even then and say we’re both strong,” he offered, extending his pinkie finger out to her. “Whatdya say?”

Serena remained silent then, looking at Ash and his dumb confident grin. He’d nearly died a few hours ago and here he was, the only one who could seem to have a laugh at it. Serena wished she could know where he got it from, that confidence in himself.

That confidence, he had it in her too.

“Okay,” she said, finally letting a small hint of a laugh cross her voice. Leaning forward, she offered her hand and the two pinkie-swore, nodding their heads. “We’re both strong.”

“And we’re only gonna get stronger,” Ash added, just before they split. With that, the promise was sealed. “Right, so—!”

Extending his hand out, Ash confused Serena as he asked for the remaining gauze back. Realizing his misstep, he gave an awkward chuckle before clarifying.

“Let me help with your other hand.”

---

𝒳𝒴

With Ash and Serena patched up, the two headed down to the front lobby of the Pokémon Center. There seemed to be quite a crowd, bustling in and out. Considering what had happened in the last few days, however, it made sense. It took a moment, but the two managed to make it to the front desk. It was about time to get the group back together, starting with a certain yellow menace.

“Pikapi!” Pikachu leapt from the arms of Nurse Joy, too excited to wait for her to make it to the front desk. In an instant, he rocketed towards his partner, Ash just barely catching him with a roaring laugh.

“Hahaha! I missed you too, buddy!”

Scurrying up Ash’s chest, Pikachu quickly took his throne on top of Ash’s shoulder, giving a proud grin, a grin that quickly became an annoyed scowl.

“Pikapi.” An annoyed inflection tinged that call, which Ash replied to with an awkward laugh.

“Sorry about the toss back there, bud,” he apologized, referring back to the incident that split the two partners apart. Pikachu had to admit, Ash’s dumb grin was a very convincing argument. He couldn’t stay mad at that.

Chirping happily, Pikachu rubbed his cheek against Ash’s.

“Pika! Chuuu.”

From behind Ash, Serena laughed, pulling the attention of the two.

“Hehe, hey there Pikachu! Glad to see you’re okay too,” she said, parting some hair from her eyes.

“Pi-pika!” Pikachu surprised Serena with a quick leap, jumping ship and landing on Serena’s shoulder to deliver her her very own cheek rub. When he returned to Ash, the whole left side of Serena’s hair had puffed up with static.

“Hello to you too,” she grumbled, reaching into her bag to grab a comb. Ash and Pikachu couldn’t help but share a laugh as she got to work. “Anyways, with that all handled, we should probably go looking for—”

“Clemont! I found Ash and Serena!” Bonnie’s voice cut through the room, as she broke through the bustling crowd with her brother close behind.

He let out a sigh of relief.

“There you two are.”

“Clemont! Bonnie!” With an excited shout, Ash rushed the two. “Where’ve you been!”

“Looking for Serena!” Clemont explained. “One moment, she was cleared to go, the next she was gone!”

“We should’ve figured she’d find you, though,” Bonnie commented with a smug sneer. From behind Ash, Serena’s face ignited, Bonnie’s implication clear as day to the whole group.

Well, clear to everyone but—

“So that’s the gang back together!” Ash declared, grinning and raising a fist to the exit.

Serena breathed a sigh of relief. For once, his complete lack of awareness was her boon.

“Yep!” Serena declared, joining Ash’s side. “Next stop, Cyllage City!”

“Let’s head out!”

“Not so fast, young man!” The fierce shout of a Nurse Joy extinguished Ash’s enthusiasm and momentum, as he stumbled mid-step and nearly tripped over himself.

Turning, he found the Nurse Joy who he’d just gotten Pikachu from.

“Huh? What’s going on?” he asked, digging through his pockets. “I didn’t forget any of my Pokémon.”

“It’s not that,” Nurse Joy replied, shaking her head. “Since it took a few hours for you to be rescued and treated, the Pokémon Center took the liberty of calling the emergency number on your trainer profile.”

Pointing towards the video phone booth in the corner, Nurse Joy rained the realization down on Ash all at once.

“Which means…”

“Your mother would like to speak to you, Mr. Ketchum.”

---

𝒳𝒴

“What did you think you were doing!?” Delia’s voice rang through the previously quiet corner of the Pokémon Center, as Ash did his best to calm his mother’s admittedly pretty justified worries. “Do you know how easily you could’ve gotten hurt?!”

He wasn’t doing the best job at that.

“Come on, Mom, I was helping people!” he pleaded, managing to cut in for once and temper her anger. “I was being a hero!”

Unfortunately, that line merely added blood to the water.

“Your hero routine is going to be the death of me!” she declared, making Ash groan and bury his head into the table he sat at. “Won’t you please think of your poor mother when you go and throw your life away? For nothing?”

Standing behind Ash throughout this sorry display, his friends watched on, unsure on what to say or if they should say anything at all. After a few more moments, however, Serena broke in. She leaned over Ash’s shoulder and waved to the image of Delia on the screen.

“It’s unfair to say it was for nothing, Ms. Ketchum,” she claimed, her sudden intrusion bringing Delia to a pause. “He did help save all our lives.”

Delia’s expression softened.

“You must be the Serena that Ash told me about,” she said, the line surprising Serena. Calming down, Delia sighed. “I’m sorry. There’s always a part of me worrying about how my little boy is doing. Hearing he dropped a building on himself doesn’t do well for my nerves.”

“I’m not the one who dropped the building…” Grumbling that under his breath, Ash crossed his arms before his mother continued.

“Either way, it looks like my son is in very capable hands. I’m glad you’re okay, sweetie,” she explained, beaming at Ash and Serena with a smile that soon infected the girl. After a moment, however, that smile disappeared. Delia paused, before her face grew flustered. “Though, now I wish I hadn’t…”

Ash perked his head up.

“Hadn’t what?” he asked.

“Well, call it motherly panic.” Delia gave a nervous chuckle as she scratched her cheek in a way reminiscent of Ash. “I may have sent over, a care package, since you got hurt.”

“A package? That’d take ages to get here.” Peeking into the conversation now, Clemont spoke up, looking over at a nearby calendar to confirm his intuition.

Just as he did, the Nurse Joy from earlier returned, stepping between him and the calendar to catch the group’s attention.

“Apologies for the interruption, but a delivery is here for Ash,” she announced.

“I might’ve gotten it sent with extra express shipping.” Delia’s sheepish expression changed from light embarrassment back to her usual motherly sincerity. “You should go get that, sweetie. It’s a lot of stuff you left behind back here in Pallet Town. I was hoping a little bit of home would’ve helped you feel better.”

With that, Ash’s teenaged grumbling disappeared, as he smiled and gave his mom a nod.

“Thanks Mom.”

---

𝒳𝒴

When Ash and his friends stepped outside, they found not the mailman they expected, but a mailpokémon instead. A Dragonite with a courier bag stood outside the Pokémon Center, panting in exhaustion with a box in hand.

“Whoa! Did you fly all the way from Pallet Town with this?” Ash asked first, approaching the powerful dragon without a hint of apprehension. The Dragonite didn’t answer, instead wordlessly depositing the package in Ash’s hand before toppling over onto the sidewalk to take a breather. Ash laughed. “Ah well, you take a good long rest, Dragonite.”

Carrying the package inside, Ash laid the chest-sized box onto the floor, letting his party get a good look at it.

“Your mother really packed and sent you all of this?” Clemont asked in disbelief, readjusting his glasses as if that would shrink the size of the box.

“It’s so big!” Bonnie fell to her knees and tried wrapping her arms around the package then, failing to even hug one whole side.

“Yeah! She’s always been super supportive of me while I’ve been on my journey,” Ash explained, getting down on his knees as well. He didn’t notice it, but Serena puffed her cheeks at his words. “If someone’s got my back, it’s my mom!”

“Pikapi.” From Ash’s shoulder, Pikachu gave a sarcastic growl, which Ash followed up with a strained laugh.

“You know what I mean, bud!” he defended.

Rolling his eyes, Pikachu lit up the body of his tail with silvery energy, before diving down and delivering an expert Iron Tail to the box. In an instant, he cut away the tape.

“Good job, Pikachu.” With that final thanks, Ash pulled the tabs of the box open.

“Whoa!”

“Wowsers.”

“Oh huh.”

The care package had quite a few things in it: packed clothes, well-loved figurines, and quite a few dusty old knick-knacks. Serena could’ve sworn there were at least two alarm clocks somewhere in that mess. Yet, the thing that was by far the most eye-catching was the stack of items in the center of it all.

“Badge cases?” Clemont asked aloud.

“Oh wow, mom must’ve cleared out my whole dresser for these!” Ash scooped up the pile of cases, shuffling through them like a hand of cards before fanning them out. “Kanto to Unova, yep that’s all of them!”

Pikachu dug through Ash’s backpack to pull out his Kalos Badge case, which Ash added with a proud grin.

“That’s so many!” Bonnie noted, before Ash leaned down and handed her one of the cases to look over. Her eyes gleamed bright at the sight of Kanto’s shiny badges

“You’ve really traveled to all of those regions, Ash?” Serena said as she got the next case, popping it open to look over the elegant silver badges of Sinnoh. It was obvious they’d been kept well-polished.

“Ash is an excellent battler! It makes perfect sense that it comes from years of experience honing his skills,” Clemont answered, smiling as he showed off Ash’s Johto and Hoenn badges. “Right Ash?”

“Yep, me and Pikachu have been battling in leagues for a long time now, and we’ve always gotten all eight gym badges,” he declared, confidently tilting his head up and closing his eyes. “Ain’t that right, Pikachu?”

“Pika!”

“So have you won a Pokémon league conference yet?” Clemont’s question was a good one, but that made it no less of a blow to the pair’s confidence. Ash’s shoulders slumped over-dramatically as he let out a tired sigh alongside it.

“No…” he admitted sheepishly, earning a giggle from Bonnie and Serena.

“Well I’m sure you’ll get it this time, Ash!” Serena assured, depositing the badge case back into the box. As she did, she fished out another curious item, an alarm clock in the shape of a Poké ball. “Oh, I think this broke on the trip here.”

“Nah, that was always broken,” Ash answered, standing up and putting his badges safely away. “I accidentally broke it on the first day of my journey— Thought it was a real Poké ball in my sleep, heh.”

“And, you kept it?” Serena cocked a brow as she handed it over to Ash, who had a small chuckle as he looked over it.

“Mom did. She said it’s a reminder to me about how far I’ve come!” Ash didn’t notice it, but Serena’s smile faded for a moment, only coming back as he put the clock away.

“Having a mom who really supports you is really awesome, Ash,” she said, a hint of something unsaid under her voice. Ash wasn’t one for getting hints though and just nodded in agreement.

“Yeah it is!” Ash dove through the box again, digging through the old clothes now. “Oh man, Pikachu, look at this!”

What Ash fished out next was quite a sight: a short-sleeved jacket, not unlike the one Ash was wearing, only a few shades brighter, with white sleeves and yellow highlights.

“It’s, a jacket?” Serena asked, unsure of the significance of the item.

“It’s my jacket! My first one!” Ash clarified, showing off the old artifact. “I journeyed through Kanto and Johto in this! Ah man, I bet it barely fits anymore, heh.”

“You went through two whole regions wearing a single jacket?” Serena wasn’t sure what was worse, the fashion implications or the single-digit number of times Ash must’ve washed the thing.

Bonnie furrowed her brow in thought.

“It’s the same size as what you’re wearing!” she called, pointing to Ash as he held the jacket up to his frame. Indeed as she said, the jacket wasn’t much smaller than Ash’s current one at all, a fact that earned a short round of laughter from the group.

When the laughter petered out, Clemont was the first to speak up.

“It’s been great seeing all these things from your home, Ash, but we should probably be heading out,” he suggested, which Serena quickly agreed with.

“Yeah you’re right,” Ash said, digging through the box for anything else, his old jacket still in hand. “You guys head up ahead, I’ll get this old stuff packed up and sent back and we can hit the road!”

As the group nodded and started on their way out of the Pokémon Center, Ash began to dig through his jacket. He’d always found goodies trawling through his old pockets, this time should be no different. Yet, his hand brushed not against an old candy bar like he expected, but old, dry paper.

“…No way.” When Ash pulled out his find and unfolded it, a smile grew across his face. “No way!”

“Pika!”

“There’s no way! Do you remember this, buddy?” Pikachu nearly fell off Ash’s shoulder at the sight of what Ash had found. “I thought I lost this years ago!”

“Oh? What’s that, Ash?” Ash’s reignited enthusiasm caught Serena’s attention as she stopped, wondering what was forestalling Ash again.

“It’s a gift, from an old friend of ours!” he answered, turning and showing the page to Serena and the others. It was a piece of art, colored wax on sketch paper, depicting a younger Ash and Pikachu sharing an idyllic moment together.

“Wow, that’s beautiful!” Serena wasn’t sure why the snapshot of the two brought her to such a pause. Perhaps she was just particularly vulnerable to its ‘subject matter.’

“Man, it’s been a few years, eh Pikachu?” he asked, turning the page back to his partner and earning a chirp. “And we still haven’t caught up with her yet!”

“Why’s that?” Clemont perked up then, Ash’s claim piquing his interest.

“Well, I guess I thought she’d be mad at me for losing this!” he said, waving off the question with a laugh. Giving the gift one last look, Ash nodded, before stowing it away in his backpack. “Who knew I left it in that old jacket this whole time!”

“Typical Ash, forgetting things and hoping it doesn’t come back to bite him,” Serena teased with half a laugh and half a sigh. Straightening up, she smiled. “At least this means now you don’t have an excuse not to go visit, right?”

Ash paused for a moment, looking at the box of his old things. He hummed in thought before scooping up the package.

“Yeah, I guess not,” he replied, shooting the group a grin. With that, the party began on their way to the door, Ash’s head a little in the clouds as they stepped outside.

The thought of the drawing stirred in his mind.

Chapter 3: A Heart-Stopping Heart-to-Heart

𝒳𝒴

“Double Team!” Ash’s command rang into the sky, a metaphorical starting pistol for the Pokémon at his side. In an instant, Froakie and Fletchling disappeared— Copies of the latter and clones of the former flying through the air at frightening speeds. Colliding, they soon faded into a growing cloud of smoke that hung over the battlefield.

At the center of it all was Ash, coordinating the evening spar with expert direction and an ecstatic grin. Nights like these were what he lived for. Moments like these were what sent his heart racing.

Only two copies remained now: Froakie up high and Fletchling down low. It was time to finish this.

“Crash!”

Fletchling soared and Froakie dived, closing the distance in an instant. The sheer pressure of the former’s wings sent out shockwaves, yet it did not disturb the latter’s speedy descent. Finally, with a fierce cry that sent shivers even up Ash’s spine, the two crashed in mid-air. A plume of smoke and water blew out, signaling the end of the pair’s training.

“Whoa, whoa, I gotcha!” Snapping to attention, Ash started backing up, looking up at the plume of smoke for his Pokémon. After a moment, Froakie and Fletchling fell straight down. “Aaaaand, gotcha!”

With a laugh, Ash caught the two of them, holding them close as he cheered.

“That was awesome! You guys are getting this routine down!” he declared, coming to a stop while his Pokémon came to.

“Froa-Froakie!” Froakie answered first, a bit roughed up but no less pumped than Ash was.

“Fleeeeetch.” Fletchling stirred then, singing a snide comment at Froakie that he quickly picked up on.

“Froak!?”

At a distance from the intense sparring session, Serena sat, her attention lost in the sight of the three training. She didn’t know what it was, but today’s performance was particularly dazzling.

The display of movement and speed, the coordination through it all— Serena was never not impressed when she saw Ash at work, but it was moments like these that really reminded her just how seasoned of a trainer he was. His sheer confidence, standing right below the exchange of blows, was captivating.

So captivating, in fact, it distracted Serena from the task right in front of her.

”Fenn!” Fennekin yipped from her spot on Serena’s lap, pulling her attention back to their nightly routine: grooming.

“Right, sorry, I’m such a scatterbrain today,” Serena explained with an awkward laugh, returning to her thorough brushing of Fennekin’s fur. “Ash trains like this all the time— I don’t know why I’m staring tonight— I’m sure I’ll find some other opportunity to watch— Maybe later tonight when—”

Fennekin rolled her eyes as Serena rambled on and on, eventually prompting a sigh and an understanding yip.

“Huh?” Serena watched as Fennekin hopped off her lap, motioning her head towards Ash with a nod. After a moment, the message clicked. “Oooh thank you Fennekin! Tomorrow I’ll give you double the brushes, triple!”

Giving one final thanks, Serena slipped off, leaving Fennekin and the rest of camp behind. Her partner gave her one last smile and another teasing eye roll as she ran off.

With a quick hop and a skip, Serena approached Ash, catching him while he was recalling Fletchling to her Poké ball. It seemed it was time to switch up the training.

“You guys are on fire tonight!” she called out, grabbing Ash’s attention just as Pikachu hopped out. Dipping his head back, Ash spotted Serena’s approach and grinned.

“Hey Serena! Coming to watch the Ketchum Process™ in action, eh?” he suggested, earning a giggle from Serena as he held his awkward pose and smug grin. After straightening up, he continued. “But nah, this is nothing. You should see how much butt we can kick in a few months!”

Ash turned to Pikachu and Froakie.

“Alright guys, we’re gonna do some one-on-one with a special rule,” he declared, surprising Serena as he took a step forward. “No Electric moves!”

“Pika!”

“Oakie!”

With that, the two were off, jumping back and giving Ash and Serena room to watch while they began to spar.

“No electricity? That’s a bit unfair to Pikachu, isn’t it?” Serena asked, watching as Froakie flew forward, going for an early first strike.

“Nah, if Pikachu could use those moves, it’d be over before he could get any real training in!” Ash explained, his eyes jumping as Pikachu expertly leapt up out of the way. “It’d be unfair to him if I did let him do that.”

“Right, because Froakie is a Water-Type,” Serena noted, the answer coming with the proof in action. Pikachu slammed down onto Froakie, dealing some minor damage before jumping away. If he could use Thunderbolt, that’d be a serious blow. “Jeeze, you really think this stuff through, huh?”

“Course I do!” Ash pumped a fist while Froakie rushed forward, not giving Pikachu an inch. “If I wanna be a Pokémon Master one day, I gotta be on the top of my game when it comes to training!”

“Well, you’ve certainly got the passion for it,” Serena said with an exasperated inflection, watching the sparring continue. Froakie was attempting to keep the pressure up on Pikachu, but was easily outmaneuvered by the more experienced Pokémon. Seemed he still had a lot to learn.

Serena hummed in thought as she watched, pondering if she was ever going to get to hear what exactly a Pokémon Master was, or why exactly Ash was so interested in the title. He was enthusiastic in everything he did, of course, but with this he was a downright zealot.

Pursing her lips, Serena glanced back at Ash, watching him as he stood affixed on the battle. He was following the action perfectly, she realized, not losing sight of Pikachu and Froakie for a second. At that moment, the entirety of Ash’s heart was dedicated to this, to his craft.

Serena wished he would look at her that way.

“What do you see in this?” she asked, somewhat quietly, but still breaking the silence between them. To Serena’s surprise, that pulled Ash out of his focus.

“Oh man, now that’s a question,” he noted, scratching his chin as he thought it over. “I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that before!”

“Wait, really?” Serena cocked her head at Ash, while he thought it over with a hum. After a moment, he smiled.

“Here, let me show you!” Ash placed a hand on Serena’s shoulder, causing her to tense up. As he pointed towards the sparring, he guided her line of sight. “Watch.”

Froakie and Pikachu were locked in an intense one-on-one, the former keeping up the pressure with a relentless barrage of Pounds. Yet, Pikachu was cool as ice, dodging each strike with simple strafes. He waited until Froakie faltered and paused, giving him the opening to turn the tables.

Sweeping Froakie’s legs with a lightning-fast Iron Tail, Pikachu flipped control of the match to himself, forcing his opponent to scramble back.

“See that? That back and forth? First Froakie pushes forward, then he’s on the back foot,” he explained, as Pikachu pushed his advantage. “Now watch this.”

Rushing forward with a Quick Attack, Pikachu went in for a decisive blow. Yet, Froakie was no sitting duck. Holding position until the very last moment, he leapt away from the oncoming attack, sending a splatter of frubble down in the process. Now gummed up, Pikachu tripped and rolled, suddenly vulnerable as Froakie raced back.

“You try to make a move on your opponent, and they counter.” Ash’s breath was short, like he was holding it, like the battle held his attention so closely he could barely breathe. Soon it was the same for Serena, as she followed his every word. “So you start thinking three steps ahead—”

Pikachu grinned, jumping to his feet and spinning all in one motion, sending about half of Froakie’s frubbles flying out. Yet, it didn’t deter Froakie, who merely reabsorbed the returned projectiles.

“Something goes wrong, then you’re only two steps ahead.” His grip on her shoulder tightened.

Grunting, Pikachu leapt back, flipping several times as he made space between himself and the oncoming Froakie. Yet, when he tried to land on his tail, he just ended up flopping onto the ground. His tail, it was stuck to his back because of the frubbles!

“Then only one.”

“Froa!” Froakie slammed into Pikachu, sending him flying back.

“Now you’re battling by the skin of your teeth,” he explained, as Pikachu rolled away from Froakie’s repeated Pounds. Leaping up, Pikachu tried to make room, but Froakie anticipated that and jumped forward in sync. “You’re there, with them, for every move, for every near miss—”

“Pika!” Finally freeing his tail from the frubbles, Pikachu swung in a wide arc, forcing Froakie back. Yet, it wouldn’t be for long.

Froakie rushed in once more, rearing for another massive blow.

“Chuuu-Pi-Ka!” With a lightning-fast Iron Tail, Pikachu just barely managed to deflect the oncoming attack, sending Froakie’s fist rocketing into the ground.

Ash’s fist shuddered in time with it.

“You feel it right with them. Every blow they take, every move they make.” The battle was reaching a fevered pitch. When Pikachu slammed his tail into Froakie, Ash’s leg tensed. When Froakie grabbed onto Pikachu and pulled, Ash’s arm did the same move.

Finally, when Froakie swung Pikachu over his shoulder and tossed him, Serena’s arm repeated the motion.

“What— What just happened!” she exclaimed, stepping back and looking at her outstretched arm. Her skin shuddered, a shiver running up her spine. She had barely moved a muscle, barely breathed in this whole debacle, yet her heart was racing. Adrenaline had flooded her veins.

“There ya go, you’ve got it!” Ash exclaimed, running up to her side. “You’re not even the one fighting, and you still feel it with them! Sometimes I even end up feeling sore the day after a really tough battle, hah!”

That claim made Serena pause, as her heart rate began to even out.

“Do you always feel like this, feeling what your Pokémon feel?” she asked, her gaze drifting back towards the sparring happening beside them. Ash laughed.

“A little!” he explained, scratching his cheek. “But I guess that’s why I love battling so much. I get to feel just as awesome as my Pokémon do! When they’re at their best, so am I!”

Ash turned and gave Serena a big goofy smile as he said that, breaking her away from the last of her shock and awe. Despite everything, he was still the same old Ash, even at his most intense.

Yet still, his ‘most intense’ absolutely floored Serena. She knew the boy loved battles, but this was something else. This was a fix of adrenaline unlike anything she’d ever felt before. His love for battles, his drive to get to the next gym, it made so much more sense now.

It was intoxicating.

“I think I— Ash!” Unfortunately for both Serena and Ash, they soon learned why taking their eyes off an ongoing battle wasn’t the best idea in the world.

Pikachu slammed into Froakie in a decisive blow, launching the hero-in-training back at frightening speeds, straight towards Ash and Serena. Before either of them could do anything, Froakie crashed into Ash’s side, the latter just barely managing to avoid toppling over as he was sent skidding back.

“Ash?!”

“Whoa! I gotcha!” he declared, coming to a stop before Froakie gave an embarrassed apology. “You did awesome out there buddy, but you gotta stop underestimating how fast Pikachu can hit ya! Next time, we’ll try practicing to keep your guard up, alright?”

“Oakie!” With a salute, Froakie hopped off Ash’s side, letting his trainer straighten up as he walked off. As Ash stretched off his sudden high-speed frog encounter, Serena approached him again.

“Is it always this intense?” she asked, a bit exasperated.

“Sometimes, heh. Training with Froakie can usually go a bit off the rails,” Ash noted, glancing over to Pikachu and Froakie exchanging supportive banter. “But going wild is when things really get going. It’s why I love battling! Why I wanna do this forever!”

“I never really thought about it this way,” Serena confessed, landing at his side and looking at the same sight. “Or, thought about it much at all, really.”

The adrenaline rush had nearly run its course now. Finally, she could spare the breath to laugh.

“Don’t take this personally, Ash, but I never would’ve taken you for someone who’s really thought things out this far,” she said, giving an awkward smile as she looked at him. “About what you love to do, and what you wanna spend your life doing.”

“Heeeey, what’s that supposed to mean!” Ash replied, a grumpy inflection in his voice as he got the feeling he was being insulted on some level. That response made Serena laugh, putting him at ease. After a moment, he spoke up. “How about you then? Have you figured out what you want to do?”

The question made Serena pause, catching her by surprise. It was true these last few weeks she was supposed to be ‘finding herself’ so to speak. But between the incident at the museum a little while ago and now, she hadn’t given it much thought.

The feeling of adrenaline was gone now.

“Not yet,” she confessed, answering Ash’s question. Scratching her head, her voice took on a joking tone. “Who knows though, maybe I’ll be the one challenging some gyms next, heh.”

Chapter 4: Cold Sweat

𝒴

“I want a triple chocolate fudge swirl with three scoops of strawberry sprinkles and oodles of caramel sauce! Oh! Actually I want a double vanilla bean sundae with a big squeeze of chocolate sauce and two candied bananas! Oh! But how about—!” Bonnie’s rapid-fire requests were adorable, but that didn’t make them any less intense, especially for the hapless creamery attendant charged with fulfilling them. The nervous assurances from Clemont weren’t much help either.

Today the party found themselves in Ambrette Town, the last stop before Cyllage City and Ash’s next Gym Badge. It was a quiet place, built into a rocky hillside, with few attractions beyond a rather impressive aquarium. Before any of that though, there was one spot the group needed to check out first: The town’s famous ice cream shop. Bonnie wouldn’t let them step one foot out of the city until they went.

With her ice cream already in hand, Serena could only watch and giggle as Bonnie cycled through increasingly complex variations of her order. It was getting almost absurd now. By the end of this, she might run that poor ice cream shop worker to an early grave.

It was still funny though.

“I wonder…” Serena’s thoughts drifted to the other member of their group, Ash, who had already gotten his ice cream. Or so Serena thought. When she glanced over to him, she found him surprisingly empty-handed, chatting excitedly with Pikachu. “Oh, did you not order yet, Ash?”

“Ordered and finished!” Snapping to attention, Ash gave Serena a wide grin, revealing a chunk of chocolate chip still in his teeth. He picked that away with an embarrassed chuckle.

“Aw come on Ash, that was fast, even for you!” Serena teased, nearing the end of her first scoop as she said that.

“Hey, what can I say, I’m just that excited to get to the next gym!” he explained, putting his hands behind his head. Glancing over to Bonnie and Clemont still ordering, he slumped. “Though at this rate, we won’t get there until I can qualify for next year’s league.”

Serena giggled at Ash’s antics, the boy’s expressive movement about the whole predicament tickling her funny bone. Yet, as Serena returned to focusing on her own ice cream, a thought rested in her mind: Why was Ash so impatient to get to the next gym?

Before she could ponder the question, the front door to the ice cream parlor slammed open.

“Ash Ketchum! I knew I’d find you here! And with Serena as well!” A familiar voice rang through the air of the parlor, snapping Ash and the others to attention. A familiar face had arrived.

“Alexa! Wow, it’s been a bit!” Ash exclaimed, Pikachu perking up from his shoulder and giving a greeting of his own. “What brings ya to this neck of the woods?”

“Just a bit of research for an article I’m writing! Viola told me you’d gotten her Gym Badge, so since I was in town, I figured I’d find you around here as well.” As Alexa gave her explanation, she glanced behind Ash and Serena, to the front counter. A smile crossed her lips. “Clemont! It’s nice to see you!”

“Thank you! Same to you!” he answered with an exasperated sigh, giving her a wave before returning to tending to his sister. Her order had changed again.

“What kind of article are you writing?” Serena asked, finishing up her ice cream and tossing the napkin away.

“I’m glad you asked! Ambrette may be a small town, but it has something very unique— The fossil lab!” Striking an excited pose, Alexa grinned. “The scientists there told me they’ve made a big discovery!”

“Fossils? Like a bunch of old bones?” Serena’s excitement dwindled slightly at Alexa’s description, the idea of a bunch of dead Pokémon skeeving her out. Unfortunately for her, she was alone in that thought.

“It’s much more than that!” In what was frankly a supernaturally short burst, Clemont had appeared at Serena’s side, startling her into a jump. Seemed he’d finally found a good enough excuse to leave that hapless attendant to the whims of his sister. “Fossil researchers study more than just the bones, they’re uncovering how super ancient fossil Pokémon lived millions of years ago!”

“You seem to be pretty knowledgeable in them yourself,” Alexa noted with a laugh, jotting a few of Clemont’s words down on a notepad. “Why don’t you guys come along? I bet it’ll be worth your time.”

The offer gave Serena pause.

“I’m not sure,” she confessed, a hand going up to her cheek as her voice took an embarrassed inflection. “Fossils, bones, rocks. I just don’t see the appeal.”

“What’re you saying!” Startling her for the second time that day, Clemont jumped to Serena’s side, a look that was a little too excited on his face. “Fossils are filled with the lives of prehistoric Pokémon, from their ancient diets to their ancient romance! Surely you see the appeal in that, Serena?”

While she’d been backing up slowly up until then, that point made Serena pause.

“Ancient romance, you say?” Glancing over to Ash, Serena officially had her interest piqued. The fossils themselves would be drab, sure, but hearing about their timeless rituals of love and affection? Now that would set a mood. “What do you think, Ash?”

Ash had been quiet for a little while now, before snapping to attention at Serena’s call. Yet when he faced her head-on, the excitable boy she’d come to know wasn’t there, not fully at least. There was a look of apprehension in his eyes.

“I’m not sure,” he said, humming in thought for a moment. From his shoulder, Pikachu chittered something in his ear, which he nodded along with. Soon, his expression turned. “Ah well, it shouldn’t take too long— Let’s go!”

A round of agreements took the party, one Serena followed along with. It was decided. Yet, while the others had moved on from what had just happened, Serena dwelled on it for a moment.

Ash didn’t hesitate in anything he did, she considered. He took everything on with an immovable passion that was honestly exhausting on most days. Yet just then, he hesitated.

That thought hung in Serena’s mind as she returned her concentration to the conversation.

“Unfortunately we’ll have to wait for Bonnie to, finish her order,” Clemont confessed with an awkward chuckle and nervous readjustment of his glasses, turning his attention back to his sister. If the shop employee who was attending to her wasn’t dead yet, she certainly looked it.

“A double quadruple sundae surprise with little jelly marshmallows and tons and tons of strawberry sauce!” she declared, surely confident that that would be the final variation on her order.

As she said that, Alexa gave a giggle from behind her.

“We’re in a bit of a crunch, sweetie. Why don’t we just get two scoops of chocolate you think?” she suggested, to which Bonnie’s eyes lit up.

“Sure!”

---

𝒴

Frigid, freezing air spilled out from the sliding doors, chilling Serena to the bone on first contact. If she thought the ice cream they had earlier was cold, this was without a doubt below-zero. Her knees clacked together with shivers as she let out an involuntary squeal.

Thank god for these winter clothes.

“Whatever they’ve got in here better be worth it,” she muttered, the rest of the party shuffling in behind her. They must’ve spent forever staring at crummy rocks, all in the lead-up to this ‘big discovery’ the head scientist kept hyping up. “Ancient romance my butt, Clemont.”

“Did you say something, Serena?” Clemont asked as he filed in behind her, causing her to jump.

“Nothing! I was just, uh, wondering what this big room was about,” she asked, an awkward inflection following up a similarly awkward laugh. “Said it must be worth freezing our butts off.”

“I can assure you, it is!” Stepping to the front of the party, past Serena and Clemont, was the head scientist, Thaddeus, as cheery as he was from the beginning of the tour. “The temperature in this room must be kept cold enough to emulate the climate of Kalos’s northern highlands, in order to accommodate the Pokémon we have here!”

“What kinda Pokémon?” Ash asked, shivering for a moment before Pikachu climbed into his coat for warmth.

“Yes, and how does it relate to the big discovery you’ve been telling us about?” Alexa added, stepping forward with her notepad in hand.

“I’m glad you asked! You see—” Before Thaddeus could launch into another long and winding diatribe about the history of the fossil record or whatever, the ground beneath the party shook. Thaddeus took that as a sign. “Ah, well, I think she’d like to make introductions herself.”

“She?” Turning back to the chilled room, Serena tried spotting this eponymous ‘she’, only to find the same field of snow and rows of trees from before. It was only when Thaddeus tapped her shoulder and pointed up, that Serena caught sight of her. “Oh. Oh, my gosh.”

“She’s huge!” Bonnie squealed, the rest of the party caught in pure shock at the face of it. There, peaking above the tall evergreen trees of the lab’s cold room, was the head of a ginormous Pokémon. It had deep blue eyes and a light blue face, with two huge sail-like frills that glistened the color gold.

With a serene cry that echoed across the room, the Pokémon stepped forward, through the line of trees, gracing the visitors with their presence.

“It’s an Aurorus!” Clemont exclaimed, pure wonder in his eyes at the sight of it. “A super ancient Pokémon native to the Kalos region! But they’ve been extinct for tens of millions of years!”

“Over one hundred million, in fact!” Thaddeus corrected, a proud look to his grin as he stepped forward. “The Auroros family has been extinct for so long that it was thought no living DNA sample still existed! Until now!”

“That’s so cool!” Ash added, childlike glee in his voice.

“So that’s what your big discovery was. Your team uncovered a fossil in good enough condition to revive a living specimen!” Cutting through Clemont and the others, Alexa approached the head scientist, an excited grin on her face and her pen already jotting notes on her notepad.

As Thaddeus began to go on and on, talking about the mission he had undergone to collect the sail fossil, Serena’s attention remained firmly on the Pokémon in front of her.

Aurorus was ginormous, certainly one of the biggest Pokémon Serena had ever seen at the very least. Yet, as she stood before her, Serena didn’t feel a hint of apprehension she would have expected to feel from such a behemoth. Aurorus and her shared a moment of eye contact, and Serena felt something she hadn’t ever felt in a Pokémon before.

Their serene grace.

The sound of footsteps crunching through the snow pulled at Serena’s attention. There, at the base of Aurorus’s feet, another Pokémon had arrived, one that evoked a different reaction from Serena. While Aurorus had stood out as a symbol of serenity, this one was—

“Cute!” With a squeal that alerted the rest of the party, Serena pounced on the newest arrival: A Pokémon that looked like a miniaturized version of Aurorus. It even had smaller, underdeveloped sails to boot. Before Thaddeus could get a word in, Serena was hugging the adorable specimen, earning a positive chirp of affection back from them.

“I see you’ve taken a liking to Amaura, Aurorus’s pre-evolution!” Thaddeus added with a laugh, approaching as Serena wrapped her arms around Amaura’s long neck, trying to give them a full hug. “Amaura are very affectionate, and love the attention. Which is good, their mothers are particularly violent if they feel their children are being threatened.”

“They’re so cute! Look at the sails on their head, they’re like the most beautifully done eyebrows in the world! And— Did you say violent?” Pausing from her runaway ramblings about Amaura, Serena glanced back up to their mother. Serena wasn’t the best at reading faces, but the look Aurorus was giving her spoke loud and clear.

Watch yourself.

“H-hi, ma’am.” With a nervous laugh, Serena slowly turned back to the adorable Amaura in her clutches, whose cheerful chirp set her heart at ease. “So… cute…”

“Amauuuur!”

Thaddeus soon left Serena and Amaura to themselves, stepping away to talk with Alexa in more detail. That just left the rest of Serena’s party to join her a few moments later.

“This is incredible! The technology to revive Fossilized Pokémon itself isn’t new, but for a species as old as Aurorus, this is a breakthrough!” Clemont began pacing around the elegant Aurorus, keeping a respectful distance while he observed her. “Just think of all the new species that could be brought back now! Think of—”

“I want a turn, I want a turn!” Descending down on Serena and Amaura, Bonnie encircled the two, as she demanded a hug of her own with the adorable Pokémon. “Pleeeeease, Serena!”

“Alright, hehe,” Serena giggled before separating, giving Bonnie a shot.

With an excited shout, Bonnie tackled Amaura, wrapping her arms around their neck. The exchange of affection was short-lived, however, as Bonnie shivered and hopped back a few moments later.

“Brrrrr, you’re chilly!” she shouted, earning a round of laughs from the rest of the group.

Serena in particular giggled fondly at Bonnie’s antics, as she tried hugging the ice-cold Pokémon two more times, only to discover yet again that they were, in fact, ice-cold.

“Amaaaaaur?” Eventually, Amaura spoke up, looking at Serena and pacing forward, away from Bonnie. “Aaaaamaur.”

“Oh?” Serena was surprised as Amaura nudged their head into her chest, before going in for another hug. “Awww!”

“Seems like they like you!” Ash suggested, stepping forward to give Amaura a pat on the head.

Pulling away, Amaura hopped in place, motioning towards a particularly undisturbed hill of snow. After a moment, Serena got the message.

“You want to play!” she exclaimed, rising to her feet while Amaura hopped off in that direction. “Well I’m happy to, especially for a Pokémon as cute as you are!”

At that word, Serena froze, before slowly turning her head back to Aurorus, who was watching her very closely.

“If that’s alright with you, ma’am,” she asked with a nervous inflection. A round of laughter took the group.

---

𝒴

After some time playing with Amaura, Clemont and Bonnie had gotten pretty cold and headed back into the lab proper to warm up. Soon after, Alexa and Thaddeus joined them, having much to discuss for Alexa’s eventual article on the topic. That just left Ash and Serena still in the chilled environment with Amaura.

“I gotcha, I gotcha!” Serena called out from the bottom of the snowy hill, squealing as Amaura came sliding down past her. She laughed as she patted snow off her coat. “You rascal, you did that on purpose!”

Amaura gave a mischievous giggle, before hopping up closer to Serena, chirping happily.

“Look out below!” Their idyllic moment soon came to an end as Ash came sliding by, sending a torrent of snow over both Serena and Amaura. “Heh, sorry!”

The two could only laugh between themselves as they shook it off.

“Watch it, Ketchum, before I get back at you for that one,” she said with a laugh, looking up from Amaura to Ash. As she did, behind him, she caught sight of Aurorus, there in the distance by the tree line. She was giving the group one last look before lying down for a nap. Glancing back at the snickering Amaura, Serena smiled. “It’s so hard to believe something as adorable as Amaura is going to evolve into something as graceful as Aurorus someday.”

“Ah man, see, that’s what’s so amazing about raising Pokémon!” Ash commented, approaching back up the hill to meet her and give Amaura an affectionate pet. “You get stronger right alongside them, and see who they grow into!”

Ash’s words made Serena pause and think, as she looked into Amaura’s bright, utterly innocent eyes. After a quiet moment, Ash spoke up again.

“I think I’m gonna head back in to warm up,” he said, rubbing his hands together and looking towards the way Bonnie and Clemont went earlier. “It’s getting pretty cold, even for me, and especially for Pikachu.”

“Pika.” From inside Ash’s jacket, Pikachu’s muffled grumble rang out, speaking in agreement.

“Sorry bud,” Ash answered with an awkward chuckle, before looking back at Serena. “You sure you’ll be okay?”

“Totally! I don’t want to lose any time with this cutie before we have to go.” With that, Serena sent Ash off with a wave, before returning to giggle with Amaura.

Over the next half hour, the two ran up and slid down the icy hills, played hide-and-seek in the evergreen trees, and tossed snow at one another. It was that last activity in particular that got them in a bit of trouble, as a wave of snow from Amaura went straight down Serena’s coat.

“Cold, cold, cold!” Squealing as she hopped in place, Serena desperately patted the snow out, feeling a chill run through her whole body all at once. Now, she definitely needed to go warm up. “Okay, I’m going to— Are you laughing at me!”

Serena huffed as she turned back to Amaura, who was doubling over in laughter at the sight of her. All that dancing over a little snow!

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she said, a shiver going up her spine. “I’ll be right back, I promise, I just need to warm—”

Unfortunately for Serena, leaving wasn’t going to be that easy.

“Amaura!” Biting down on Serena’s sleeve, Amaura tugged her back, stopping her dead in her tracks.

“I won’t be long!” Serena pleaded, wrenching her arm away. The snow was beginning to melt now, so she definitely needed to go dry off. Yet, as she looked back at Amaura, the adorable, understanding face she was hoping for wasn’t there. Instead, it was one that was far, far too sad and cute to deny. “Ahhhhhhhhh.”

Glancing around, Serena looked for some alternative, before her eyes landed on just what she needed: Another, closer door. It was there, against the back wall, painted sky blue like the rest of the enclosure to help it blend in.

“I won’t be far! Just out this door,” Serena explained, running the short distance to the exit and wrenching it open. A wave of warm air from the outside hit her all at once. Glancing back at Amaura, Serena breathed a sigh of relief. They were satisfied. “I’ll be right out this door, just a few minutes, okay?”

“Amaur!”

With that, Serena stepped outside, walking a few paces away from the lab enclosure and peeling off her wet coat to let it dry off. The warmth was so relieving, she was half tempted to bring out Fennekin to help make it extra toasty. She held that thought in her mind for a few minutes.

“Right, I think that’s good,” she said, shaking off the last of her shivers and picking up her now dry coat. “Can’t take up too much time, Ash is still waiting to get to his Gym battle!”

Picking up the pace, Serena approached the enclosure’s side entrance once more, pausing only once to notice two things. For one, there was a sign on the outside she had missed, one that read ‘Please keep door closed at all times to ensure containment of Pokémon.’ The other thing she noticed was that the door was, in fact, very much not closed. It was wide open.

A thought processed in Serena’s mind for a moment.

“Ah jeeze.” Serena rushed back into the enclosure, slamming the door behind her and whipping her head around. “Amaura! Amaura, where are you!”

All around her, Serena looked, trying to spot the sight of her adorable companion. Yet, even from the perch of the tall snowy hill they’d been sliding down, she couldn’t see a hint of Amaura anywhere. Panic set in.

“Amaura!”

---

𝒴

The scientists at the fossil lab were in a full force panic, the most hysterical of which being Thaddeus. He tore through the enclosure several times himself before concluding Amaura was indeed missing. The interview with Alexa was called off. Finding Amaura was the number one priority.

That just left Serena and the group.

Serena stood in the now empty exhibit of the fossil lab, her eyes firmly on the ground as Ash and the others spoke behind her. She hadn’t noticed it in her first trip through there, but one of the central items in the exhibit was the Sail Fossil, the very fossil Amaura and their mother had been revived from.

“What’s gonna happen now?” she heard Bonnie ask, worry in her voice. “I hope Amaura is okay…”

“I’m not sure.” Clemont’s answer was true, but no more helpful at assuaging his sister’s worries. “Professor Thaddeus suspects Amaura was taken while everyone else had stepped outside, so they’re currently searching the city.”

Serena turned back to the group then, her words caught in her throat. She hadn’t said what had happened, and now she couldn’t if she wanted to.

“Then we’ve gotta do something!” Bonnie pleaded, tugging at her brother’s side.

Clemont hesitated, unsure of what to say.

“I’m not sure if there’s anything we can do,” he said, readjusting his glasses before turning to Ash. “What do you think? Maybe Team Rocket has finally reared their heads again?”

“I don’t think it’s them, they’re usually a lot, louder, when they do something like this,” he answered, scratching his head as Pikachu gave a few words in agreement. He muttered under his voice then. “They’re probably not gonna bother us anymore, anyways.”

So that was it, no words of strength or assurance from Ash. He was caught without much to add, unsure of what to do. Ash! Unsure of what to do! It drove Serena mad—

—because she knew this was her fault.

“I know what we’re going to do,” Serena said, breaking through the words caught in her throat, surprising the group as she spoke up. “We’re going to find Amaura.”

---

𝒴

Hours had passed since the search began, with researchers, officers, and most of all, Serena’s group, looking throughout all of Ambrette town. At first, the teams were relentless, trawling in each-and-every town street and back alley avenue they could find, all in search of who could’ve taken the precious fossil Pokémon. Yet, as the day approached sunset, the energy began to dwindle.

The officers soon got called back to the station, one by one, until only a token handful were left still on the hunt. Then, the researchers themselves started throwing in the towel. As tragic as losing Amaura would be, they had already sequenced the species’s DNA. They could always revive another.

Eventually, all that was left keeping up the search was Serena and the group, and no one was as zealous to find Amaura as Serena was.

“Amaura!” Her words echoed down an empty alley, to no response. There wasn’t a soul here save herself and her companion on the search: Clemont. Ash and Bonnie were looking in a different part of the city. Shaking her head, Serena turned. “Come on, we still have to double-check the next block.”

“Don’t you think we should slow down? We’ve been at this for quite a few hours now,” Clemont pleaded, a definite air of exhaustion in his voice.

“We can’t, Clemont.” Serena gave an unfortunate sigh, not liking this any more than he was. She was tired too, massively so. Her hair was a mess, her clothes needed a good scrub. Yet, she couldn’t stop, not for a moment. “You heard what the Professor said, Amaura needs the cold or they’ll get sick.”

“I know, Serena, but.” Clemont stopped, readjusting his glasses, forcing Serena to pause herself. “There’s a point, where we’ve expended all our options.”

A layer of soot still clung to Clemont’s face, from an earlier attempt at leveraging one of his Clemontic Gears. It had failed as they usually did.

“It’s going to be night soon, and we’ll have to stop then,” he added, stepping forward and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe we should go rest now?”

Serena shook her head before turning.

“Then we’ll just have to find Amaura before the sun sets!” she declared, trying to evoke a confident, boisterous tone that was missing from this whole operation, one she expected from Ash of all people. Yet, after a quiet moment, her fake confidence failed. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. “We have to find Amaura.”

Turning away, Clemont remained quiet, looking for some thought to add to all this. Yet, what he found wasn’t a thought at all. It was something much better. Clemont’s eyes widened.

“Serena, look at this!” he shouted aloud, dropping to his knees at the corner of an alley. Serena was at his side in seconds as he pulled out a magnifying glass.

“What is it!” she responded, leaning down beside him to see what he’d found.

There, caught in the brick of the building, was clearly a patch of beige fur. Plucking it from the wall with a pair of tweezers, Clemont raised it up to his magnifying glass.

“I’m fairly certain this is Meowth fur! And Meowths aren’t native to Kalos!” he declared, standing up. “This must mean that Team Rocket was involved. We have a lead!”

Clemont’s excitement took him all at once as he paced in place, looking up and down the quiet street the two were on. Yet, Serena didn’t move, staring at the corner with her mind abuzz. As Clemont began speaking again, she slowly stood up.

“We should go tell Officer Jenny immediately. We know who we’re looking for now!” he declared, a huge smile on his face as he dug through his pockets for his phone. Serena’s expression, however, did not mirror his. She couldn’t get excited.

She knew the truth.

“Clemont… Wait,” she asked, audibly hesitating as she saw him slow down. “We shouldn’t— There’s still—”

With a sharp breath, Serena turned away, looking down the opposite end of the street.

“Serena…” Clemont’s voice was tinged with worry then. “What’s wrong? Why shouldn’t we go? Do you, know something?”

After a moment, Serena nodded, before Clemont walked around to face her again. Her face had welled up, her eyes were on the verge of tears.

“I’m, I’m, the one, who let Amaura escape. I took a side door in their enclosure to warm up and, left it open,” she confessed, taking in a sharp breath before her head dropped down. A tear began to run down her face. “Team Rocket didn’t take Amaura— Amaura wandered off because of me.”

A flood of emotion hit Serena all at once, as the guilt she’d been holding onto after so many hours came crashing in. She’d done this. Amaura escaped because of her mistake. Amaura could very well be hurt because of her mistake, because of her.

Yet, she held on, standing her ground as best she could, trying not to cry. They didn’t have time to cry, she had to find Amaura. She had to fix this. She had to.

Clemont’s hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her spiraling train of thought.

“Serena,” he began, an empathetic smile clear on his face. “Serena, it’s going to be okay. This is good news!”

“Huh?” she hiccuped, unsure of what Clemont meant, before he separated from her and pulled out his phone.

“Don’t you see, we’ve been operating under the assumption that Amaura was taken, but now we know they just got loose!” he explained, raising his phone up to get a better signal. “We can start looking for where Amaura would be, not where someone would take them!”

“And where’s that?” Sniffling, Serena wiped the single tear from her face, before stepping forward to see what Clemont was looking up. This was good, this was progress.

“Young Amaura need the cold, yes, but more importantly they know they need the cold. They search it out!” he explained, pictures of snowy plateaus flashing across his screen. “The fossil lab enclosure is too well insulated for them to search it out, but there are some local mountains in the area Amaura may naturally head towards, and—”

A realization struck Serena.

“Clemont,” she said, cutting him off and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I know where they are.”

---

𝒴

A bewildered ice cream shop attendant scratched her head, unsure of how close she was to losing patience with her shift today. Right as she was getting ready to close, she had stumbled upon an astonishing sight: A Pokémon, one she’d never seen before, happily digging through the store’s walk-in freezer, bumping its head into the shelves of ice cream without a care in the world. How long had it been in there?

“Amaura!” A voice called out, startling the attendant as she whipped around.

As if things couldn’t get even more tiring— Now a customer was plowing her way through to the back, slipping past the attendant and tackling the Pokémon into a tight hug. Didn’t these two know it was closing time?!

“Amaura! I found you!” Serena cried, not even feeling the cold as she pressed her forehead against her icy friend. “I’m so sorry for leaving you, I’m so sorry for letting you get lost!”

After a moment, Serena pulled away from Amaura, only to find the same cheerful expression they always had.

“Amaaaaur!”

---

𝒴

“It is fortunate that Ambrette town has such a well-stocked Ice Cream shop,” Thaddeus mused, looking through a pane of one-way glass into Amaura and Aurorus’s enclosure. The young tyke was digging through the snow, with the careful eye of their mother always on them. “Thanks to that, Amaura is in perfectly fine health.”

Turning, Thaddeus faced the only other person in the observational room: Serena. She stood there, with an obvious look of regret on her face, one that threatened to bowl her over. Yet still, she stood firm, raising her head to look at him head-on.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he asked, to which she nodded.

“I’m sorry for letting Amaura escape, and not telling the truth when it happened,” she began, airing her mistake out with only the slightest tinge of pain. “I felt responsible for her, after the time we had together. So I felt it was my job to make sure she got back safe and sound.”

The strength of Serena’s conviction faltered then, as her eyes fell to the ground.

“Still, I should’ve put Amaura’s safety ahead of fixing my mistake. I put her at risk, and for that, I’m sorry,” she added, unable to raise her head now. “If you don’t want me seeing Amaura anymore, I understand.”

Thaddeus looked upon Serena and her heartfelt confession, letting a quiet moment pass before snorting. Turning back to the observation window, he watched the happy, energetic Amaura playing in the snow.

“In a few months’ time, once we’ve completed our research, Amaura and their mother will need to be released for reintroduction into the wild,” he explained, while Serena picked up her head to listen. “When the time comes, you’re welcome to take Amaura with you on your journey.”

A quiet moment passed as Serena processed what the professor said. Then, a tear poured down her face. With a smile, she bowed her head.

“Thank you. Just, thank you!”

---

Notes:

Credit for that amazing art at the end goes to the even more amazing @teehee_vibes over on twitter!
And check out their XY Fic, "Restarting at Letter A"!

Chapter 5: Another Mountain To Climb

𝒳𝒴

“Steel Wing!”

“Rock Tomb!”

A pair of cries rang through the air, rapturous and impassioned, sparking a flurry of movement across the battlefield. For the Gym Leader and their challenger alike, each call carried more than just their commands, but their battling spirits as well—

Spirits that made Serena’s heart beat like a drum.

She watched Ash’s Fletchling dive, her wings pulsing bright silver as a torrent of rocks flew her way. It was a dangerous maneuver, too dangerous even— But Fletchling was just too fast!

“Fletch!”

Serena gasped, leaning forward as Fletchling strafed to the side, dodging the storm and slamming into her opponent in the process. She launched Tyrunt back before retreating to the safety of the air. It was a solid hit, but she and Ash would need a lot more than that to defeat Grant’s ace.

Over on the sidelines, the rest of the party watched along with bated breaths, their excitement abuzz from the battle on display. The fervor from Bonnie and Clemont was running high, but Serena’s excitement was off the charts. She could barely register them as she leaned forward.

Her hands gripped the metal railing with a nervous sort of feeling, one she couldn’t parse as being from thrill or dread. She wasn’t even sure why the battle was making her feel that way. Perhaps Ash’s anticipation had rubbed off on her at some point. After all, why else would she be grinning from the sidelines, just like he was?

Her heart raced while the battle turned.

“Steel Wing, one more time!” Ash ordered, Fletchling following his command without delay. If the strategy wasn’t broke, why fix it? Yet, the repeat he was hoping for would not come to pass.

“Sorry, Ash, I’m not going to let you use the skies so freely anymore!” Grant declared, throwing his arms out as Tyrunt just barely dodged the hit. “This has officially become a no-fly zone! Tyrunt, use Dragon Tail, into the air!”

Before Ash could respond, Tyrunt leapt into the sky, coming up to Fletchling’s level in an instant. With a vicious roar, their tail grew alight with a layer of green scales.

“Get out of there! Fletchling!” Ash commanded, only just barely too late. Tyrunt slammed their glowing tail down onto the shocked Fletchling, sending her rocketing into the ground below. When the smoke cleared, she was knocked out, earning Tyrunt the win this round.

“Unfortunate, but not unexpected,” Clemont commented, pulling Serena from her focus. As Ash was spending a moment exchanging his Pokémon, she turned and asked why. Clemont shook his head. “Ash’s Fletchling is incredible, speed-wise especially, but this was a poor matchup from the face of it. Flying-Types like Fletchling are weak to Rock-Types.”

“Then why did Ash use her?” Serena muttered to herself, turning back to the battle as the final round began— Pikachu versus Tyrunt. For Ash, it was do or die.

For Serena, it was a shot of excitement she only got in moments like these.

The battle began simply enough, with Pikachu and Tyrunt exchanging blows in close, rough-and-tumble combat. Pikachu would sweep for the legs with an Iron Tail, which Tyrunt would dodge with a jump. Tyrunt would rocket forward for a devastating Crunch, only for Pikachu to leap off his face to juke the strike. In rapid-fire succession, the two moved to gain the first solid hit, only to just barely miss and then be forced to dodge.

“Get back, Tyrunt, we can’t keep this up!” Blinking first in the battle of attrition, Grant ordered his Pokémon back. Tyrunt was panting after their exchange of blows with Pikachu, and the same could not be said for Ash’s partner— He was grinning with delight.

Maneuverability was Pikachu’s game. Tyrunt couldn’t hope to match it in the long run.

“You too, Pikachu! Let’s light ‘em up with Thunderbolt!” Ash commanded.

“Rock Tomb, Tyrunt!”

Serena’s eyes flew across the field as the battle took its sudden turn. One moment it was up-close-and-personal, the next, it was a game of range and firing power. Torrents of stone and plumes of lightning fired back and forth in quick succession while Serena was still catching up.

It was almost dizzying to Serena, how quickly things turned—

—If it wasn’t for how fast her heart was beating in the excitement of it all.

“Send ‘em back with Iron Tail, Pikachu!” At Ash’s command, Pikachu leapt into the air, slamming back one of Tyrunt’s boulders with twice the speed it was sent with. That alone would be impressive enough, if it wasn’t for the half dozen other ones he sent flying back by the time he hit the ground.

“Now, Rock Tomb!” Identifying a moment to strike, Grant ordered his Tyrunt to send another wave of rocks at Pikachu, right as he landed. It was an opportune move— Pikachu needed a moment to recover after his impressive feat.

“Pika!”

“Pikachu!” Ash cried as his partner was hit dead on, seemingly too fast to avoid being knocked off the field. At the last moment, however, Pikachu dug his tail into the ground and drove the boulder to a dead stop. Jumping onto the fired stone, Pikachu rejoined the battle with only a minor number of scrapes. “Good job, buddy. We’re still in this!”

“I have to congratulate you for holding on this long, Ash. You and your Pokémon have a bond that can beat the best of strategies!” Grant snapped his fingers before he took a step forward, signaling Tyrunt to pull back as his trainer spoke. “But it’s time to push where your defenses are lacking— With raw firepower!”

“We’ll see about that!” Ash called, his smile growing into a wild grin. “Get ready, Pikachu!”

“Then let’s end this— Tyrunt, use Draco Meteor!” Grant’s command echoed across the gym, silencing even the proudest of shouts that had stood up till then. The attack’s name carried a power of its own, one that left the challengers frozen and the onlookers reeling.

“Draco Meteor!?” Clemont exclaimed, flying back a few paces in shock.

“What? What is it!” Serena’s eyes were glued to the battlefield, as Grant’s Tyrunt dipped their head down and charged something, a plume of energy growing at their maw. Whatever it was, it kept back even the ever-intrepid Ash and Pikachu, who watched on with caution. “Clemont?!”

Serena would get her answer in the next moment, as the ball of stored energy grew too strong for Tyrunt to hold onto any longer. Whipping their head into the air, Tyrunt fired, sending a blast of energy straight up at blinding speeds. It nearly exited the building before reaching the peak of its rise.

Then, it burst.

The shockwave hit first, sending Serena and the others nearly flying back from the sheer wind force. From there, the proverbial meteors descended. It was stunning, the whole air above them was suddenly flooded by a stream of crashing fireballs, burning red and white as they streamed down onto the battlefield. It looked like it could end an entire city, not some mere battle. What could Ash and Pikachu hope to do against this?!

As Serena looked back to them, she saw that hope, burning bright in their eyes.

“Pikachu! Let’s show ‘em how far we’ve come!” Ash roared with an ecstatic grin, sending his partner off with a fiery start. “We’ll call this one, Draco Meteor Climb!”

Rocketing forward, Pikachu leapt onto the lowest falling fireball, using his resilient Iron Tail to bounce on the burning stone. That lightning-fast maneuver wasn’t the end of it though, far from it, as he repeated the act, flying towards the next meteor in quick succession. Then again, and again! With each swing of his tail, Pikachu ascended through the tower of crashing projectiles, building height faster than anyone could track.

Anyone, but Serena, whose total concentration kept her glued to the whole thing.

For one moment, it was like it was going in slow motion, the sight of Pikachu climbing higher and higher, his feet never touching a single stone on the way up. In the next moment, it went faster than anything Serena had ever seen. Pikachu was down low and in a blink of an eye, he was at the top. He was like a bolt of lightning, crossing an impossibly long distance, yet the path he took was clear as day.

What came next came even clearer.

“Bring it down on them, Pikachu!” Ash commanded, throwing his fist down. “Iron Tail!”

“Tyrunt, Rock Tomb!” Grant called out in time. “Knock them out of the sky!”

It was too late, the next move was too fast to track. With the height Pikachu had gained, he crashed downwards with stunning speed, a bright Iron Tail heralding his descent.

“Chuuu-Pi-Ka!” Pikachu’s cry was like the boom of thunder and he struck like the oncoming storm. In an instant, he landed a blow right onto Tyrunt’s head.

The battle had reached its conclusion.

Serena slumped against the railing, her knees hitting the ground as she released all the tension she’d been holding onto up till then. Reaching for her chest, she felt her heart beat at an insane pace, far faster than she had even realized. Was it always like this? Did this happen to her when Ash battled Viola? Why did it feel like she had been the one battling, not Pikachu?

“Oh, my gosh,” she muttered, looking up at the clearing plume of dust. The battle had yet to be called, but it was a formality at this point. She knew who won— As if there was any other possibility.

“That was amazing!” Bonnie cheered, Dedenne squeaking out loudly in agreement. Her brother gave a hearty chuckle as he rejoined her side.

“It sure was! What Ash just did was astonishing!” Clemont said, readjusting his glasses as the dust began to clear. “The way he just used Grant’s Draco Meteor to his advantage— You can tell he’s had experience with that move before!”

“Draco Meteor… You recognized it,” Serena commented, rising to her feet after a moment, feeling her legs wobble. “Ah jeeze, don’t tell me I’m always going to get jelly legs after these things.”

“Yes! Draco Meteor, it’s one of the most powerful Dragon-Type moves known to science!” Clemont explained, excitement in his eyes mirroring itself in Serena’s.

“And Ash just—” Serena made a motion with her hand, mimicking Pikachu going up the tower of falling meteors. “Those two, are amazing.”

Serena stood at attention as the debris finally cleared, adrenaline pumping through her veins one last time. The battle was about to be called, and her assured assumption had now come to pass.

Tyrunt lied on the ground, unconscious, before a standing Pikachu.

“Tyrunt is unable to battle!” The match’s scorekeeper called, finally speaking up again. “Ash Ketchum is the winner!”

“Congratulations, Ash!” Clemont was the first to shout out, followed quickly by his sister.

“You guys were amazing!” Serena added then. The trio rushed onto the battlefield while Ash and Grant met in the middle to talk.

“Excellent work, Ash!” Grant’s voice was proud and booming, as he approached the pleased Ash with his arms out wide. “You and your team’s spectacular work have overcome the wall that is the Cyllage City Gym!”

Grant’s applause went on and on, giving Serena a moment to calm her racing heart. Between the breath-taking conclusion to their battle and the sprint over, it felt like she had run a marathon today. The adrenaline alone was still working its way out of her. If this was how she felt just watching Ash, she could only imagine how he was feeling through the whole thing.

Glancing over to him, Serena smiled, finding the pleased, albeit tired, expression she was expecting from the boy. He and his team had been practicing for this match for so long now. He earned this.

“For your performance today, this is yours,” Grant said, handing over an item that made Ash’s eyes gleam. “The Cliff Badge.”

“Thank you!” Receiving his prize finally, Ash leapt with excitement, turning to Pikachu and smiling. “It was all thanks to the team and you, Pikachu!”

“Pika!”

Turning and raising the badge into the air, Ash shouted out.

“We got— The Cliff Badge!” With that mighty cry, the team’s business in the Cyllage City Gym was done.

Serena paused then, as she looked at Ash and his celebratory ritual. She saw his smile and half-lidded eyes, and a thought rested in her mind for a moment, before it slipped away. It was there, but then it was gone.

Ash looked happy, but not that happy.

---

𝒳𝒴

“Hey, Ash. Could I ask you a question?” Serena’s voice was low and quiet, so as to not wake the members of the group who had already retired for the night. Bonnie and Clemont were asleep in their tent, and Pikachu had dozed off there in Ash’s lap.

It’d been a few hours since the group left Cyllage City, and now they were on their way to the next gym, at Serena’s recommendation: Shalour City.

“Sure!” Ash replied, a bit too loud for Serena’s comfort. Then again, Pikachu didn’t seem to stir. Perhaps she should’ve guessed Ash knew what would wake up his partner.

“Earlier today, in your battle against Grant, you sent out Fletchling,” Serena began, her eyes wandering from the smoldering campfire the two were sitting by. “But Clemont said that was a really bad idea, since Fletchling is a Flying-Type. So why did you do it?”

Serena had never been one to question Ash’s logic in battling before. She wasn’t even a novice. She was less than that— A total layperson. Yet the question had been gnawing at the back of her mind for hours now, for reasons she didn’t fully understand. So she asked.

Ash’s smile dropped slightly, though it didn’t fully disappear. Looking down, he gave Pikachu a good scratch behind the ear, earning a quiet purr from his sleeping partner.

“I already knew Pikachu could’ve beaten almost anyone Grant sent out,” he explained, turning back to her and recounting his logic. “But, I wanted Fletchling to get a chance to stretch her wings, to battle when she’s at a disadvantage.”

“Which, didn’t turn out too great,” Serena said, completing the thought.

“Nope, heh.” Ash had a chuckle, which petered off after a moment. “Man, I was almost hoping Grant had something else after Tyrunt went down.”

“Huh? Why would you hope for that?” Now Serena’s confusion was aimed at an even bigger question.

“I beat Grant, but I needed three Pokémon for his two,” he explained, scratching his cheek. “It almost felt like I only beat him with a handicap.”

“That’s not true though!” Now it was Serena who spoke loudly, surprising Ash with her sudden fervor. Realizing her mistake, she quieted down. “I’m sure you could’ve beaten Tyrunt with just Pikachu. You had him on the ropes the entire time.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he admitted, a certain cockiness returning to his eyes for a moment. Try as he might, Ash was never not proud of the work he’d done. Yet, after a moment, that cockiness disappeared. “Still…”

“Still what?”

“Eventually, I’m going to be battling in the Pokémon League, and I’ll need a team of six,” he explained, his mind lost in thought. “If I don’t want to lose this time, I can’t rely on Pikachu for everything.”

Serena processed what Ash said for a moment, watching as he ran his fingers through Pikachu’s fur as he slept.

“You earned that Cliff Badge,” she began, the thought half-formed in her mind, yet still so certain. “And when you’re done challenging gyms, you and your Pokémon are going to be amazing. If you can do what you did with Pikachu, I just know you can do it with anyone.”

Ash smiled at Serena’s words of assurance, as he looked to her with a familiar fire in his eyes. That fire sent her heart racing.

“Serena, thank you.”

Chapter 6: A Bittersweet Goodbye!

𝒳

Ash was never one for drama, let alone drama when girls were involved. He preferred to settle things straight, with a good battle and only the occasional fist fight. Unfortunately, he suspected that suggestion wasn’t going to fly today.

The gang had taken a stop at a small town along the way to Shalour City, in order to recover, resupply, and enjoy some sweets— Serena’s home-made Poképuffs to name one. That last task only seemed to invite trouble, however. Serena was now locked head-to-head with some other girl over, of all things, the pastries. Ash wasn’t even sure what the fuss was about, they both made good sweets!

Serena’s were better, of course, but they were both good.

“Do you even know how to pick nature-neutral berries for your Poképuffs?” The girl named Miette pressed, sneering at Serena in the way teenage girls do.

“Oh please, of course I know that.” Serena huffed, crossing her arms as she butted heads with the smug stranger.

Sighing, Ash watched along with a look somewhere between amusement and bemusement. He was unsure if he should intervene, unsure if he could intervene. Clemont had tried already, to less than stellar results.

“Well, at least we’ll be out of here pretty soon, eh buddy?” Ash said under his breath, leaning over to Pikachu. He was watching the sparks fly with a similarly befuddled expression.

“Pikachu-pi…”

Unfortunately for the both of them, it seemed they weren’t getting out of anywhere anytime soon. A few paces away from the ongoing catfight, Bonnie’s attention had been captured by an advertisement, one she was soon intent on sharing with the rest of the party.

“Why don’t you guys do this to figure out who makes better Poképuffs!” she called, breaking the two out from their clashing for a moment. There on the bulletin board was an advertisement for a Poképuff contest, one that brought a sparkle to Serena’s eye and a smug grin to Miette’s face.

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!” Serena said immediately, putting on a firm smile and glaring Miette down. Miette, meanwhile, was cool as a cucumber.

“I’ve been training for this competition for a long time,” she began, catching a moment of eye contact from Ash before looking at Serena. “I’d be happy to show you how it’s really done.”

Just like that, the vicious spark flying between the two became an exchange of competitive jabs. Any hope of getting on to the next town soon was dashed.

Ash blinked.

“...Wait, what?”

---

𝒳

When it became clear that Serena was serious about taking part in the Poképuff contest, Ash’s mood took a fast turn. The journey was just as much for the others as it was for him, so he wouldn’t complain about a short delay, even if the point of all this was lost on him.

Serena had made the best Poképuffs— The contest just felt like a formality.

Still, as Ash saw Serena up there on the stage, readying herself for the upcoming competition with a grin on her face, he couldn’t help but smile. He understood that look, he knew that look. It was a fire he had shown in his own eyes a dozen times by now— the fire of a good battle! So, when it came time for the contest to begin, he’d be right there, cheering her on.

Until then though…

Perching his chin on his hand, Ash looked on at the growing number of contestants up on the stage by Serena. They were all sorting out supplies with their partner Pokémon, a detail that interested him for a moment before his attention began to drift. This was going to be a long and painful wait, he could just feel it.

“Pikapi?” Climbing up onto his shoulder, Pikachu roused Ash’s attention with a question.

“Heh, I’m fine bud,” he answered, sitting up and looking over at an approaching crowd. Even more contestants were arriving, surely ballooning this into an all-day event. Groaning, Ash continued. “Just trying to think of something to pass the time is all.”

“Pika Pika.” Muttering alongside his partner, Pikachu slumped against Ash’s head, his attention turning to the arriving crowd as well. After a moment, though, something caught his eye. With a sudden hop, Pikachu grabbed at Ash’s focus. “Pikapi! Pipi-Kachu!”

“Huh? What’s up, Pikachu?” Looking to where Pikachu was pointing, Ash paused. He spotted what had captured his partner’s curiosity.

“Something the matter?” Clemont spoke up from the row of stands behind Ash, noticing his change of demeanor.

“Nah, nah.” With a shake of his head, Ash assured Clemont he was fine, his attention not parting from the arriving contestants as he stood up. “I’m just gonna go, uh, pass the time.”

---

𝒳

Ash approached the crowd of remaining contestants, keeping his head low as he followed close behind. He had seen it. Pikachu had seen it. It had to be there. In the crowd, a familiar sight had sparked both of their interests—

A Meowth, walking on two legs.

“I see him!” Ash shouted, before Pikachu shushed him with a swat of his tail. Grumbling, he continued forward after their person-of-interest. “Team Rocket hasn’t bothered us in forever, but I guess they can’t just let a good thing stay that way, right buddy?”

“Pipi-Kachu, Pika.” Grabbing onto Ash’s head, Pikachu pulled him to the side, out of the line of contestants and towards a clearer path straight to their target. Without missing a beat, Ash sped up, getting a closer look at Meowth.

He definitely looked like the Meowth they knew, what with the way he strolled casually through the crowd without a trainer. They just needed to confirm before they made a scene.

Just as Meowth parted from the others and approached the backstage area, an idea came to Ash.

“Watch this, Pikachu,” he whispered, whilst speeding up once more. Coming from behind, Ash got precariously close to Meowth, before looking away and bumping into him with an overplayed flourish. Ash’s acting wasn’t the best, but it was good enough for what came next. “Oh, hey, a Meowth?”

Stumbling over, the Meowth looked back and stared at Ash.

“A twerp?” With that utterance, Meowth instantly realized his mistake. “D’oh!”

“I knew it! What’re you up to, Team Rocket!” Ash and Pikachu took on a defensive stance, facing Meowth down with intense glares.

“None of ya’s business, twe—!” Meowth turned to sprint away, only to be stopped in the very next moment.

“Oh no you don’t!” Before Meowth could hightail it, Ash had jumped forward and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, forcing him to a stop. “You’re not going anywhere!”

“Hey!” Trying his best, Meowth kicked his legs in the air, attempting to escape to no avail. “Lemme go! Lemme— Wait a second.”

Freezing in midair, Meowth went slack, surprising Ash and Pikachu when he swung around to look at them.

“What am I runnin’ for? I didn’t do anythin’!” he shouted, making Ash blink.

“I— Uh. Huh.” Ash looked into the distance for a moment in thought, before Meowth began twisting in his grip again.

“Team Rocket’s left youse twerps alone for ovah two weeks! We ain’t harmin’ a soul!” he claimed, grabbing onto Ash’s wrist and trying to wrench himself free, to little effect. “Why are youse still on my case!”

“I dunno,” Ash confessed, dropping Meowth without much defense for himself. “Force of habit, I guess.”

Patting himself off, Meowth huffed.

“Oil admit, I did get da sudden urge to nab ya Pikachu just den as well,” he admitted, rubbing his chin in thought. His annoyed expression became humorous. “Guess old habits die hard, don’t dey twerp!”

Ash couldn’t even dignify that joke with a response, instead merely facepalming with a groan. Pikachu concurred with a similarly frustrated ‘Pipi-Kachu.’

“Well, it’s been a nice lil’ meetup, twerp, but I gots a Poképuff contest to go win! Sayonara!” Waving the two off, Meowth began on his way again, leaving Ash and Pikachu to watch for a moment before they blinked.

“Wait, what?”

---

𝒳

“You guys are just, taking part in the contest?”

After following Meowth to the backstage area of the amphitheater, Ash and Pikachu found it wasn’t just him, but actually the entirety of the trouble-making trio in attendance. Jessie and James had already arrived, the latter helping the former get into character for the contest.

“Why do you look so incredulous!” James shouted, separating from Jessie before he could finish zipping up her dress.

Ash frowned while James huffed.

“Because why should I believe you aren’t up to no good?” he pressed, crossing his arms as Pikachu concurred. “I never took you guys for the healthy competition types.”

“A part of a young lady’s charm is her baking!” Jessie asserted, pulling away from James now, whilst he was doing up her hair. “Just you watch, twerp. Jessilee is going to prove it!”

“Didn’t realize you still counted as young,” Ash muttered, looking away for a moment. Turning back, he found the trio having returned to their preparation, not even paying him and Pikachu mind. “So, what’s up? Why aren’t you guys going after Pikachu anymore?”

“What’s it look like, twerp?” Meowth answered first, facing Ash with a clipboard in his paws. “We givin’ the Team Rocket shtick a rest for a while.”

“Huh?!” To say Ash was shocked was an understatement, Pikachu even more so— he actually fell off Ash’s shoulder, he was just that surprised.

“After our enlightening discussion back at the museum, we three decided we wanted to give being regular old joes a try,” James explained, his focus squarely on tailoring Jessie’s dress to fit her form better. “And so far, we love it!”

“The freedom of not having to think about stealing your crummy old Pikachu—” Nearly squealing, Jessie threw her hands into the air, messing up James’s work in the process. “It’s like nothing else!”

“Pika?!” Pikachu was incensed at the not-so-subtle jab, growling with sparks at his cheeks for a few moments. It took a steady hand from Ash to get him to huff and let it go.

“Well…” Lost in thought for a moment, Ash glanced past Team Rocket, to a thin slice of the stage that could be seen from their spot backstage. There, he saw a comforting sight: Serena and Fennekin, happily wrapping up the last of their prep. Ash smiled. “If you guys aren’t gonna come after me and my friends anymore, then I won’t complain.”

Ash surprised Team Rocket as he turned, spotting his path back to the stands.

“Heads up though, you guys are facing Serena, and her Pokepuffs are the best,” he claimed, his smile becoming a grin as he faced his old nemeses one last time.

“Is that a challenge I hear?!” Jessie called back, her voice matching Ash’s competitive tone tit-for-tat. The two stared each other down for a moment before Ash broke it off with a laugh.

“You bet it is, good luck!” he said, waving them off before he left. “And congrats!”

Once he was out of earshot, he muttered.

“...on finally getting a life.”

---

𝒴

The first round of the contest had gone off without a hitch, with Serena, Miette, and “Jessilee” putting on a good show making their Poképuffs. Serena especially had done well, thematically decorating her Pokepuffs with a shaving of chocolate to represent Fennekin. Now, however, it was time to hear the results of the round, with all of the contestants waiting in the stands.

“You’ve all done wonderfully here today, but I can only allow three of you to pass.” Despite seemingly being a small town event, the contest had gotten an authentic pâtissière to judge, which only added to the anxiousness hanging over the results.

Serena shuffled in her seat, squeezing her fingers to relieve her nerves. She felt she had done well enough, and Ash and the others didn’t hesitate to say she and Fennekin had killed it up there. Yet still, she was nervous. Something was nipping at her the whole time, and she wasn’t sure what.

Her heartbeat was racing.

“First off, we have Miette!” At the pâtissière’s call, the stands were taken by a round of polite applause, which did nothing to help Serena’s nerves. All she could do was huff as Miette stepped forward, pausing to smirk back at her and Ash. After a moment, the judge continued. “From there, we have the Berrybaker siblings!”

That wasn’t unexpected, Serena thought. They had put in good work, and their Poképuffs were really beautiful! Still, that just left one spot. Serena’s nerves soared, as she began to tap her feet in wait.

It all came to a stop, when Ash put a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t sweat it, Serena,” he said with a confident grin. “No matter what, I know your Poképuffs were the best!”

Serena smiled, as for a moment, all her nerves disappeared, washed away with that look he gave her. Nodding, she gave her thanks, before facing the stage once more.

“And now—!” Perhaps the pâtissière was a performer in another life, because she seemed intent on making this as dramatic as she could. With a flourish of her arms, she called out. “For our last finalist—!”

The whole stage went quiet.

“Jessilee and Jamesio!”

Applause erupted, full force this time, drowning out any immediate thoughts in Serena’s mind. All around her, onlookers and contestants alike stood and cheered for the final two bakers, as they stumbled their way to the stage. For a moment, they looked familiar, but then that thought too was soon drowned out.

At first, Serena was surprised, almost shocked. Whether it was Ash’s words of assurance, or her own last-minute boost of confidence, for a second there, she honestly thought she’d qualified. Soon, however, her shock faded. Only a few moments after the applause had begun, she joined along with it, celebrating her fellow Poképuff makers’ victory. It was the least they deserved after all.

Soon after that, the amphitheater began to clear, leaving just the group idling by. Serena stood at the foot of the stage, her back to them as they shuffled around her. A quiet moment passed.

“Serena… I’m sorry about how things ended up,” Clemont began, breaking through the silence first. “Your Poképuffs really were splendid!”

“Yeah, and they were so pretty and everything!” Bonnie chirped, Dedenne squeaking in agreement from his spot in her satchel.

Ash stepped forward then, a worried look to his eyes as he spoke.

“I’m really sorry, Serena,” he began, surprisingly morose. “I really thought you had it in the bag.”

“Pipi-ka…”

A moment passed as Serena didn’t respond, her shoulders tensed as she looked up at the stage. She’d stood on that stage, just a little while ago. Then, she relaxed. Her shoulder slumped, and she turned.

When she faced the group, she was smiling.

“It’s okay. It’s not worth getting hung up over this anyways,” she explained, giving the stage one last passing glance. “Come on, why don’t we get out of here?”

“That’s a very mature response! I’m glad you’re not too disheartened,” Clemont said with a grin, pulling up his backpack and taking a few steps towards the exit. Bonnie eagerly went ahead, prompting Clemont to follow lest he have a few marriage proposals to turn down. “We’ll meet you two up front, I’ve gotta— Bonnie!”

Serena giggled as Clemont ran off, leaving a moment of quiet before Ash approached her.

“Hey Serena, great work up there!” he led with, pumping his fist to really sell his excitement. After that, though, his fiery passion tempered itself. “But I gotta ask— You didn’t seem that torn up about it. You sure you’re doing okay?”

Serena’s smile weakened, but didn’t fall. It just felt more earnest now.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay,” she answered, stepping away from the stage and leaving it behind. “I realized I only ever did this to prove a point, one that didn’t need proving.”

“Oh?” Ash’s curiosity was piqued now, as he followed along.

“I make Poképuffs just because I like doing it, not because I want to be the very best or something,” Serena explained, reaching into her bag. After a moment, she pulled out something that made Ash’s mouth water: One of her newly baked Poképuffs. “If me and you guys like what I make, isn’t that enough?”

“Sure is!” With a voracious grin, Ash accepted the pastry, splitting a portion out to Pikachu before absolutely inhaling the rest in one bite. His lack of manners chewing his food was so egregious, it made Serena break out with a laugh.

“Come on, let’s go find Bonnie and Clemont, before she starts making wedding plans,” she suggested, wiping a tear from her eye.

With that, the two were off—!

“Hey, Serena! Wait!”

—For a few steps.

Serena turned with a jump, finding the shout surprising and the person it came from even more so. It was Miette, standing up on the stage once more. With a jump, the girl hopped off and ran after them.

“What do you want, Miette?” Serena huffed, crossing her arms and stepping forward as the girl paused to catch her breath.

Grinning with a snide look, Miette glanced at Ash before back at Serena.

“Clever trick, throwing the first round of the contest, knowing I had to stay, just so you could run off with Mr. Handsome,” she said, keeping it quiet and erupting Serena into a blushing mess.

“H-handsome? I d-didn’t—”

“You’re a lot sharper than I took you for,” Miette continued, waving off Serena’s denials. Then, she dropped her voice lower. “Consider your claim respected.”

“Claim!?” Serena screamed, Miette’s hushes doing nothing.

“Huh? Is something wrong?” Tuning back in, Ash reentered the conversation, much to the embarrassment of Serena and chagrin of Miette.

“N-No!” Serena pressed, as Miette rolled her eyes. Getting closer, she grabbed Serena’s shoulder and pulled her away from Ash.

“Careful though~” she whispered. “If you don’t make a move, someone will.”

With that, Miette walked off, leaving Serena bright red and stunned for words.

“What just happened?” Ash asked, scratching his head as Serena slowly turned around.

“L-let’s just, get out of here.”

Notes:

And so we say hello and goodbye to series favorite, Miette! With Serena's journey going in a radically different direction this time, her path diverges from Miette's here. Don't fret, however, I don't think this is the last we'll hear of her!

So too comes and goes Team Rocket! Seems while Ash has been stewing the last few weeks, Team Rocket has been doing some thinking themselves! What exactly will this new lease on life bring them? And can Ash learn a thing or two?

Until Next Time!

Chapter 7: Combative Contemplation

𝒳𝒴

On the way to Shalour, Serena and the gang found themselves passing through yet another rest-stop destination: Brackish Town. It was a charming little place, with a whole block dedicated to its bakeries and chocolate makers.

Today, however, it wasn’t baked goods that would sidetrack the gang. Something else had caught their attention, something that made Serena especially stop dead in her tracks.

“No way!” she exclaimed, splitting from the party and jumping to a bulletin board. “Diantha! Diantha’s going to be here!”

“Diantha? No way!” Clemont too came to a sudden halt, his shock and awe being a surprise to Ash as he looked back.

“Diantha? Who’s that?”

There on the board was a large poster depicting the woman in question, posing stylishly with a Poké ball in hand. Alongside her was another, less recognizable figure.

“Ash, how can you not know Diantha! She’s only the most famous actress in all of Kalos!” Serena gushed, clasping her hands together. Her heart soared at the sight of the figure, a fact she had no chance of hiding from the rest of the group. “The star of a dozen critically acclaimed films! She’s elegant, charming, beautiful—! My absolute idol!”

Serena’s excitement put a smile on Ash’s face.

“Heh, that’s really cool, Serena!” Ash replied, turning but not moving from his spot. He still had a foot firmly pointed down the path they were walking on.

“Oh! And you can’t forget to mention this, Serena.” Chiming in, Clemont looked over to Ash. “She’s the champion of the Kalos Region!”

In an instant, Ash was at Serena’s side, sending her reeling back in surprise.

“No way! She’s the strongest trainer in Kalos?!” he exclaimed, his interest seemingly taking a quick turn. One moment he was mildly amused, the next, he was fully enraptured.

Serena couldn’t help but smile, however. She saw a familiar fire burning in his eyes.

“Yep! Isn’t she amazing?” Giving a wistful sigh, Serena looked onto the poster again, for what she knew were very different reasons than Ash’s. Ah well, she was just glad the two could share this.

For now, at least.

“Alright, I’ve made a decision.” Turning from the poster, Ash left Serena behind to face the rest of the group. “I’m going to challenge Diantha to a battle!”

Serena paused.

“Huh!?”

---

𝒳

“Jeeze, how long can this line be!”

After Ash’s initial hare-brained scheme of sneaking in had gone awry, the group decided to take the more straightforward path. They’d grab a ticket to the event Diantha was attending today, an exhibition match between her and a town native. Unfortunately, the straightforward path was also the one more traveled by, and a substantial line waited between them and even entering the arena.

“This isn’t so bad, Ash,” Clemont suggested, looking up from a pamphlet detailing all the town’s local hotspots. “It’s said great things come to those who wait!”

Huffing, Ash crossed his arms and looked off to the side.

“They also come to those at the front of the line,” he muttered.

Before Ash could turn back, something off in the distance caught his eye, prompting a mischievous smile to cross his lips.

“You thinking what I’m thinking, buddy?” Ash grabbed Pikachu’s attention with a nudge, earning a similarly devilish ‘Pika!’ once his partner saw what he saw.

“Do I want to know what you’re thinking, Ash?” Serena had hoped the antics would be kept to a minimum today, but that seemed to be a lost cause when Ash and Pikachu were involved.

“Nope! That’d ruin the fun,” he answered, stepping out of the line. “I’ll be back in a bit, you guys wait in line!”

“Ash, wait—” Sighing, Serena gave up before she began really trying, watching as Ash and Pikachu ran off to who-knows-where. “Clemont, what’re the chances of Ash being unfashionably late, you think?”

Clemont chuckled.

“You don’t need me to run the math on that, Serena.”

---

𝒴

“Unfortunately, Brackish Town’s champion, Magnus, has come down with an unfortunate case of the flu. Today’s match will have to be postponed.”

A wave of groans spread through the packed stadium, disappointment reaching a fevered pitch almost instantly. It’d taken forever just to get seated, and now it looked like the whole event wasn’t even happening.

“Well, at least Ash isn’t missing much,” Serena said with a huff, glancing to her right. She had left an empty spot next to her, specifically for him.

“I wanted to see a fight!” Decrying the injustice of the canceled match, Bonnie raised Dedenne into the air, allowing him to cry a rapturous squeak in agreement.

“I think you mean a battle, Bonnie.” Clemont gave an awkward laugh, before he turned back to look at the battlefield. “Oh, that’s odd. The referee hasn’t moved.”

“Huh?” Glancing back, Serena found exactly as Clemont had said: the referee, still standing there, his hand up to his ear. “Maybe he’s getting some more info?”

After a few moments, her guess came true.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m happy to report a substitute challenger has been located!” the referee announced, soothing the indignant crowd. “While not a champion of the great Brackish Town, this young upstart has been a top finalist in almost a half dozen regional Pokémon Leagues!”

“Oh that’s good, they found someone!” Clemont commented, watching the referee as they shifted to introduce the guest of honor: Diantha. Serena was practically out of her seat for that, her hands jittering as the Pokémon Champion strolled onto the battlefield.

“Yeah! It’d be a shame if they had to cancel the whole event,” she replied, her eyes firmly on Diantha. “Too bad Ash is going to miss this.”

“And for our substitute challenger! All the way from the far-off region of Kanto!” —The referee’s words made Serena’s jaw drop— “Ash Ketchum!”

“Huh!?”

Bursting from the opposite end of the battlefield, Ash and Pikachu arrived, the former gripping the rim of his hat as he grinned.

“Diantha! It’s amazing to get a chance to battle you!” he called out, his voice booming across the field while he strolled forward. “But don’t think that this’ll be easy just cause I’m subbing in— Me and Pikachu are going all out!”

Smiling, Diantha pulled out a lone Poké ball from her pocket.

“Now this is unexpected,” she said simply. “Alright young trainer, I accept your challenge! Let us make this a grand performance!”

With a graceful turn, Diantha struck an elegant pose, throwing her arms back.

“And for it, here is our star performer,” she declared. “Go, Gardevoir!”

---

𝒴

“Thunderbolt! Then Iron Tail!”

“Pika!” A flash of lightning extended across the battlefield, followed by a flurry of movement as Pikachu charged. His tail was alight with bright, silver energy, ready to deliver a devastating blow.

“Garde.” With a quiet bow, however, Gardevoir side-stepped Pikachu’s attack, letting his Thunderbolt pass harmlessly overhead as well. Her dodge was so casual, it was almost like she was playing with them.

Still, that wasn’t everything they had in store.

“Quick turn, on your Iron Tail!” At Ash’s command, Pikachu slammed his tail into the ground, halting his momentum in an instant. In the next, it launched him back towards his opponent.

So went the exchange between Ash and Diantha, the latter always seeming to easily evade, and the former always having another trick up his sleeve.

Serena’s hands jittered in her lap as she watched, the now familiar feeling of adrenaline running through her veins.

“I can’t believe he did this,” she said aloud, voicing her incredulity for the third time now. Try as she did, however, she couldn’t hide the shiver underneath her voice, which only grew every time Pikachu and Gardevoir traded blows.

“Go, Pikachu! Kick her butt!” Unlike Serena, Bonnie had no interest in reigning in her excitement, much to the amusement of her brother.

“To be honest, I totally believe it,” Clemont said, watching as Ash and Pikachu fired a barrage of Iron Tails with expert precision, only to still miss their nimble opponent. “He said he was going to battle her, and he found his way! That’s Ash for you.”

Serena nodded but didn’t look away, instead keeping her eyes locked on the battle ahead. She had expected a dose of excitement today, what with a champion being involved, but with Ash now in the mix, this was something else completely. Her heart was racing so fast, it was becoming hard to hide.

Especially from a certain pair of bespectacled eyes.

“Someone’s getting fired up, I see,” Clemont said aloud, his tone catching Serena off guard and making her turn.

“W-what? I don’t know what you mean,” she stammered, forcing her eyes forward regardless. She didn’t want to miss Ash’s next big play.

That reaction only seemed to confirm Clemont’s suspicion.

“There’s nothing embarrassing about it, Serena, Pokémon battles are a spectacle for a reason, they’re spectacular!” That joke earned Clemont a boo from his sister, who bapped his shoulder just to make a point.

“I know, I just…” Serena trailed off as she went silent, unable to find the words. Now didn’t feel like the time for words.

Clemont didn’t seem to agree.

“You’ve been looking for something to pursue in your journey,” he began, speaking aloud. “Why don’t you consider becoming a Gym Challenger, like Ash?”

Pikachu’s Iron Tail slammed into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust to obscure the battlefield. Was this Ash’s next gambit to turn the battle to his favor? It felt particularly more dirty of a play than his usual fare.

“No way,” Serena said with a slightly stilted laugh. Waving off the idea, she shook her head. “Battling wouldn’t work out for me.”

“Why not? Your passion while watching Ash battle seems clear.” Clemont’s interest had turned now, the battle was secondary to the topic he was discussing with Serena.

“Pika!” With a wide slash through the air, Pikachu’s Iron Tail blew back the dust and debris, revealing the result of his play: a direct hit, right on Gardevoir’s side.

“They got a hit in!” Serena, unable to contain herself, jumped from her seat and cheered. After a moment, though, she slowly sat back down. “But, is that enough?”

Clemont smiled.

“And I think you’d be a quick learner,” he pressed, pulling at Serena’s attention once more. “Why don’t you think it’d be the right fit for you?”

Serena hesitated, her mind turning from the battle to the question for a moment. Before, she had dismissed the idea without a thought, but she wasn’t sure why. She didn’t even have the words to describe her reasons.

The sound of Pikachu and Gardevoir clashing pulled at her, as she groaned in frustration. She wanted to focus on the battle, not the question.

So, Serena would focus the question on the battle.

“Look at Ash” she began, pointing Clemont’s attention to Ash’s side of the field. “See how he gets, when he’s battling?”

“Let her have it, Pikachu! Iron Tail!” Stomping his foot forward, Ash made a fist, throwing it into the air as Pikachu followed suit. The electric mouse bounced off the ground at Gardevoir’s feet and drove an Iron Tail straight up, aiming for her chest. Gardevoir just barely dipped her head back fast enough to let Pikachu fly past. “Dive down and keep the pressure up!”

“He’s yelling, roaring, throwing his arms around him with every move,” Serena explained, her eyes locked on to the combat. With every strong swipe of Pikachu’s Iron Tail, Ash mirrored it with his own movement. “It’s like he’s right there, on the field, like he’s the one battling!”

Pausing, Serena put a hand up to her chest, feeling her heartbeat get away from her for a moment. She breathed out a sigh.

“It’s so intense, amazing to watch, but… I can’t imagine doing that myself,” she explained. “Being wild and crazy like Ash— It’s a good look on him, but not on a girl like me.”

“Well that’s not your only option!” Clemont submitted, earning a look of surprise from Serena. “Here, look at the other side, to Ash’s opponent.”

Clemont pointed Serena’s focus to Diantha now, for surprisingly the first time since the battle had begun. Her attention had been squarely on the Pokémon and Ash up until then.

In contrast to Ash, Diantha was composed, elegant in her stance. She stood with little extraneous movement, occasionally striking a pose in time with her Gardevoir. A flick of her wrist, a turn of her hips, a raise of her hand, until—

“Moonblast!”

Her voice pierced the noise of the battlefield with perfect timing, like an actress delivering the crescendo of a dramatic scene.

“Perhaps you could become a trainer like her?” Clemont suggested, cutting through and pressing the question again.

This time, however, Serena didn’t answer. Perhaps because she didn’t have an answer.

“Become a trainer… Like Diantha…”

---

𝒳𝒴

“Bounce off the Shadow Ball with Iron Tail, Pikachu!”

Slamming his tail down, Pikachu followed Ash’s command to a tee, detonating the oncoming Shadow Ball with one precise strike. The attack exploded with the sound of a thunderclap then, sending Pikachu flying into the air at blazing speeds. Even Diantha took a step back in surprise as Pikachu flew nearly fifty feet straight up.

“Pika!”

“Now, bring it down on them, Pikachu! Iron Tail!” At Ash’s confident cry, Pikachu began his descent, charging a full force Iron Tail aimed straight for Gardevoir. This was it, the finishing blow!

For one of them at least.

“Checkmate!” With a snap of her fingers, Diantha grinned, throwing her arms back and giving her command. “Gardevoir, Moonblast!”

“Gaaaaaaaar!” Charging up a plume of roaring pink energy, Gardevoir aimed straight up at her rapidly descending foe. A perfect shot.

“Pikachu, cut straight through it with Iron Tail!” At that moment, Ash realized Diantha’s plan: With Pikachu in the air, he had no way to maneuver— Meaning no matter what, this was going to hit dead on! “Hold on, buddy!”

“—devoir!” Letting out a rapturous cry, Gardevoir fired, sending the blast of moonlight straight up. In an instant, it intercepted Pikachu, forcing his rapid descent to a stop and holding him in a pitched struggle against it.

“Chuuuuuuuuu—!” Pikachu grunted as he fought against the powerful finisher, driving his Iron Tail down on it with all the force he could muster. This was no fragile Shadow Ball, that was for sure. “Piiiiiiii—!”

“Pikachu! Blow it away with—!”

“One final Moonblast, Gardevoir!” Diantha cut in before Ash could counterattack, delivering the closing line and closing move. Gardevoir charged another Moonblast in an instant and sent it straight up, smashing into her previous strike and bringing the battle to its conclusive end.

“Pika!” The colliding Moonblasts erupted all at once, enveloping Pikachu in two explosions that canceled out any attempt to get away. As the shockwave from the attacks petered out, the battle fell silent, for a moment.

“Pikachu!” Ash rushed onto the field, spotting before anyone the sight of Pikachu falling out of the sky, utterly and truly knocked out.

“Pikachu is unable to battle! Diantha is the winner!” the referee called, perhaps a bit too late. Ash caught his partner then, cradling him as he began giving assurances.

“You did awesome, buddy! I think we nearly had them there!” he called, turning in place as he waited for Pikachu to stir awake. After a moment, Pikachu’s face began to twitch and Ash let out a sigh of relief. “You were amazing out there, Pikachu.”

“Indeed he was. As were you.”

Ash looked up, just managing to catch Diantha’s Gardevoir being returned and her trainer stepping forward. The champion was cool-faced as ever, approaching with a perfect smile as she met Ash in the center of the field.

“That was a wonderful performance. There were a few moments where I nearly went to Mega Evolve my Gardevoir,” she said, gripping the pendant hanging around her neck. The bright sheen of her Keystone stood out to Ash. “Nearly.”

“Mega Evolution, huh…” For a moment, Ash stared longingly at the stone, before he shook his head and looked up at his opponent. “That battle was awesome! Even when me and Pikachu were going all out, we could barely keep up! How did you two do that, that moving without even calling out a move!”

“The fact you could keep up was quite impressive,” Diantha noted, glancing over to the clock hanging over the stadium wall. “As for your other question—”

“Ash!” Hopping out from the stands, Serena and the others rushed onto the field, cutting into the conversation before Diantha could finish.

“Guys!” Ash waved the party over, quickly crowding the center of the arena, much to the confusion of the still-watching crowd. “Diantha, these are my friends! Serena, Clemont, and his little sister, Bonnie.”

“Pika!”

“Heh, and you’ve already met my partner here, Pikachu!” Ash continued, as Pikachu finally sat up in Ash’s arms and climbed up to his shoulder.

Gulping, Serena stepped forward, looking on at the composed and dignified Diantha. She was a nervous mess after the end of the exhibition match, and now she had to speak to one of her idols. On most other days, Serena would probably pass out.

“W-wow, Diantha! I can’t believe I’m meeting you in the flesh,” she blurted out to start, absolutely starstruck as she shook her hand. “I must’ve seen ‘My Sweet, Sweet Lady’ at least ten times!”

“I can’t claim to be as big of a fan as Serena is, but I’ve also enjoyed your films as well!” Clemont added with a smile, unable to deliver the same zealous energy that Serena could. Unfortunately, any energy in his interest for Diantha was perhaps too much.

Bonnie quietly began to grin.

“You heard him, Ms. Diantha! He loves your movies!” she called, catching the champion’s attention with her outburst. Before either Diantha or Clemont could realize what was happening, she darted forward. “You’re surely a keeper! Won’t you please take care of him?”

“Uh, huh?” Confusion was probably the most conservative word you could use to describe Diantha’s expression. One moment she was talking to a group of fans and a rather interesting trainer, and now there was a young girl down on one knee. Diantha gave an awkward, but polite, smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand?”

“You don’t need to!” Clemont exclaimed, jumping forward and dragging Bonnie back, a bright red blush on his face. “Just pretend this didn’t happen!”

The sheer absurdity of that request for a moment stunned Diantha, before it made her break out with a laugh.

“You four are quite an interesting party,” she said with a chuckle, looking across the group of four plus Pikachu. “This certainly wasn’t where I was expecting today to go at all.”

Glancing back, Diantha looked over to a woman pacing back and forth at the end of the battlefield. She was staring back at Diantha and tapping her watch with an anxious sort of energy. The message was clear.

Diantha sighed.

“Unfortunately, it seems my time here is up,” she announced, turning to the group and pulling their attention once more. “And here I thought I’d have time for some gâteau au chocolat…”

“Oh no, that’s too bad,” Clemont said, holding onto Bonnie tight before she could try for a shotgun wedding. “Still, it was an amazing opportunity to get to meet you, ma’am!”

“As it was to meet all of you.” With a smile, Diantha bowed her head, as the rest of the group got ready to say their goodbyes.

“Hey, Ms. Diantha. Can I ask you something before you go?” Carrying a surprisingly polite tone, Ash approached Diantha, his earlier fiery energy seemingly calmed now. Serena perked up at that, while Diantha nodded. “I’m challenging the Kalos League right now, and I won’t pretend it’s my first time trying… And, failing.”

That confession surprised Serena.

“I want to be a Pokémon Master someday, and I figure I should learn from people who are closer to that than I am,” he said, explaining himself as Pikachu nodded in confirmation. He looked up and locked eyes with Diantha. “What’s your secret, being champion and everything? How did you do it?”

“Now, isn’t that a question! Admittedly I have not ever been one for advice, however~” Humming in thought, Diantha rubbed her chin, before snapping her fingers. It was as if an idea had struck her. “If there’s anything that has helped me, it has been this: Don’t get lost in trying to do the same thing better, forever. Expand your options, seek out new avenues, and always try something new.”

“Try something new, huh…” Ash nodded along to Diantha’s words, before thanking her and stepping back.

Serena was astounded, shocked to a complete lack of words. In all her time knowing Ash, she’d never seen him like this: So, vulnerable, so willing to admit weakness. All of this, just so he could grow stronger, be better?

Serena wanted to be better.

Making a fist, Serena steeled herself, gulping before she stepped forward. Her burst of confidence caught the eye of Diantha, just as she was about to leave. Instead, she paused.

“Ma’am, before you go, I just wanted to say, thank you,” Serena began, her eyes locked to the ground for a good moment before she looked up.

“Whatever for, chérie?” Diantha’s curiosity seemed piqued, and her cool and confident demeanor made Serena even more nervous.

Yet still, she inhaled, and continued.

“For showing me, a different kind of Pokémon trainer,” she explained, her words catching Diantha off guard. “Elegant, charming, and beautiful! And yet… still strong. It’s the kind of trainer I could see myself being, one day.”

Serena’s words settled in with Diantha for a moment, before her smile returned.

“Then I should expect to see you alongside Ash in the Kalos League in due time, yes?” she suggested, now catching Serena off guard.

Scratching her head, she gave an awkward laugh.

“Heh, I’m not sure about that.”

Chapter 8: Mega Revelations!

𝒳

Ash let out a long and untamed yawn, stretching his arms out far before leaning back against a sturdy tree. At his side, Pikachu did the same, curling up for a well-deserved nap.

On any other day, the two of them would be rip-roaring and ready to go— After all, there was always another mile to trek, another town to visit. Shalour City was awaiting them!

For now though, the journey could wait. It was nearly lunch.

“995, 996, 997~”

Ash cracked an eye open, glancing over the clearing the gang had settled in for the day. Clemont was making food by the fire, Bonnie had stepped out to explore the nearby area, and the source of the counting, Serena, was sitting there by a tree across from him.

On her lap was her trusty Fennekin, as the two partook in a mainstay of their regular routine: A grooming session.

“998, 999~” Serena giggled as she dragged out the penultimate brushstroke, much to the annoyance of Fennekin. “Aaaaand, 1000! See, I told you I’d make it to double the brushes eventually.”

Picking Fennekin up, Serena gave her partner a big squeeze before letting her go. Fennekin huffed at that, but couldn’t help but smile all the same. With a strut, she showed off her shiny coat, much to the delight of her trainer.

Ash smiled before closing his eyes once more, content with what he saw. While Serena’s way of caring for her Pokémon wasn’t exactly his style, he couldn’t deny it made the two of them happy. He was glad they had a way that worked.

Now, back to his pre-lunch nap.

“Do you guys hear something?”

Or maybe not.

“What’s up?” Ash sat up and looked to Clemont, who had been the one to stir him. He was over by their encampment’s fire, searching around for whatever had caught his ear moments before.

“Listen. It sounds like… Well, I’m not sure what.” It looked like he barely believed it himself, as he turned.

“What’s going on?” Serena called out, rising to her feet. After a moment, Ash joined her.

“Not sure.” Going quiet, Ash put his ear to the air, trying to catch what Clemont was hearing. Then, it came to him. “I hear it! It sounds like it’s getting closer!”

Ash turned to the direction of the sound, taking a stance as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. Whatever it was, it was going to be on them in no time.

Serena stepped closer, as she listened in.

“Does, that sound like roller skates to anyone else?”

“Look out below!” Bursting from the treeline, a figure appeared, flying above Ash with her visage cast in a silhouette. Taking a flip and a dive, she quickly crashed down behind the group, sending all but him and Pikachu falling back in shock.

“Whoa!” Ash jumped, watching the party’s sudden guest slide against the ground and come to a controlled stop. As she stood straight, indeed wearing a pair of roller skates, one feature above all else stood out to him: Her cocky grin.

“You! I’ve decided you’re going to be my 100th!” she declared, throwing a fist out before doing a twirl in her skates. It was clear she was well-practiced.

“Can, we help you?” Clemont was the first to respond, readjusting his glasses as he got a good look at their lunchtime intruder. While he was never one to dress very well for an occasion, this girl was something else entirely. She was wearing what looked like a cross between a cheerleader and a roller derby contestant.

“And what’s this ‘100th’ thing about?” Ash asked then, incensed as he took the lead and a step forward all at once.

“What’s it sound like?” the girl replied, smirking and rolling across Ash’s view. “I want a Pokémon battle!”

Now that changed things.

“You’re a trainer!” Ash’s disposition turned as he kept his eyes locked on their guest. “Now you’re speaking my language! A battle sounds awesome!”

“Pika!”

“That’s the spirit!” Taking a sharp turn, the girl shot into the group, orbiting around Ash and incidentally forcing the others back. “I love it when my challengers have a kick to them. Makes it extra satisfying when I beat them.”

“Ohoho! Getting ahead of ourselves, aren’t we?” Ash didn’t blink as he matched the girl’s cocky demeanor tit-for-tat.

“Nah, I don’t think so,” she replied, a pronounced smirk aimed right at Ash’s face. “No offense to you, but you looked like easy pickings.”

“Funny! I could say the same thing about you.”

The two were practically head-to-head now, with Ash’s sudden challenger coming to a stop and eyeing him up. Between her roller skates and natural height advantage, she was nearly half a head taller than Ash was.

Her grin softened.

“Oh, I liiiike you.”

For a moment, Ash and the girl were in their own little world, a fact that struck Serena as the bantering exchange went on.

“Clemont— Clemont, what’s happening?” she asked with a panic, shaking his shoulder. He took a moment to readjust his glasses before chuckling.

“Two trainers have locked eyes, as they say,” he explained. “Now their fates are intertwined!”

“Eh?!” A shot of hysteria went through Serena, as she turned to Clemont and grabbed his shoulders. “It sounds like you’re describing soulmates!”

---

𝒳

“I’m Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and this is my partner, Pikachu!” Ash declared, taking a stance on his side of the field. After their sudden encounter back at the camp, they and their mystery visitor had found a good grassy knoll for their battle.

“You can call me Korrina! And I’d like to congratulate you and Pikachu on being my 100th win,” Korrina announced, skidding to a stop across from him. Even on the bumpy, grassy surface, she smoothly glided with her roller skates. “You’ve already been the most fun I’ve had since coming out here.”

“I don’t know when you got it into your head that this’ll be an easy battle, but me and Pikachu are gonna knock the idea right outta ya!” With a wide grin and a fiery look, Ash laid it into his opponent, who only seemed to get more excited with every word he spoke. He couldn’t blame her. With every jab she sent his way, he was getting fired up just as well. “So, who’re you going to send out for your first loss?”

“Pika!” Pikachu was quick to call out in agreement, static already building in his cheeks.

“Reciting the questions you ask yourself in the morning, aye Ketchum?” Korrina stuck a tongue out at Ash as she held up a lone Poké ball. “Let’s get this show on the road. Say hello to my partner!”

With a toss of the ball and a flash of light, a new figure joined the battlefield.

“A Lucario? Now I’m really getting excited!” Making a fist, Ash faced his opponent with blazing vigor, as Korrina’s Lucario let out a fierce battle cry. “Let’s do this!”

“You’re so on!” Korrina cried out.

“Pika!”

Between the two roaring trainers and their Pokemon, Clemont pursed his lips, his head cocking as he muttered to himself.

“Do they even need me here?” Clemont glanced back at Serena, who was watching Ash with a fairly unhealthy level of stress, and Bonnie, who made it back to the campsite in time to watch this battle. “Well, might as well leave them to it.”

Clemont raised an arm into the air and, with that, the battle was on.

“Quick Attack!” At Ash’s command, Pikachu shot forward, the distance between him and his opponent melting in an instant.

“Block it, Lucario!” Unfortunately striking first didn’t mean drawing first blood. Holding a firm stance, Lucario took the attack head-on, skidding back only a few inches as Pikachu bounced off. “Rush in, don’t let him recover!”

“Lu!” In a flash, Lucario disappeared from view, startling Pikachu as he tried to find his footing. Before he had even a moment to breathe, his opponent was at his side, delivering a devastating kick that sent him flying across the field.

“Pika!”

“Pikachu! Iron Tail, on the ground!” Ash knew they couldn’t be left on the back foot for too long— They had to recover fast.

“Chuuu—!” Delivering a powerful Iron Tail straight down, Pikachu did just that, halting his momentum and skidding himself to a stop. “Pi-Ka!”

There was just one problem, however. It looked like his tail was stuck to the ground!

“While he can’t move, Lucario, go in with a Bone Rush!” Korrina and Lucario’s moves played in parallel, each slamming their fists together and pulling them apart. Lucario was only slightly more impressive, as when he did so, a staff of glowing blue energy was left in his wake.

“Cario!” Sprinting forward, Lucario went on the offensive, aiming straight for Pikachu. It looked to be a direct hit.

Ash smirked.

“Now, Iron Tail, Pikachu!” he called.

With a proud cry, Pikachu ripped his tail from the ground, launching it straight up just as Lucario was on top of him. He nailed his opponent in the jaw with a wicked strong blow.

The pinned act was a bluff!

“Dive back, Lucario!”

“Keep it up, buddy— Continuous Iron Tails!”

Pikachu swiped once then twice, trying to rack up damage, but Lucario dodged with a flip, somersaulting away to regain his footing.

“Again, Bone Rush!”

“Match them with Iron Tail!” At Ash’s command, Pikachu shot forward, swinging an Iron Tail down until it met the hard resistance of Lucario’s Bone Rush. First block. The two threw each other off, before colliding once more. This time Pikachu stopped Lucario’s swing. Second block.

With each crash, the two traded blows, each just barely missing a direct hit before separating.

It was time to break the impasse.

“Quick Attack, hit him from behind!” Pikachu grinned with Ash’s words, disappearing from sight as Lucario’s Bone Rush swung uselessly through open air. With a little quick footwork, he skidded between Lucario’s legs, jumping and slamming into his back next. Ash cheered. “Iron Tail!”

“Hey batter-batter-swing!” Korrina’s command was perplexing but no less effective. Turning on a dime, Lucario swung with a full force Bone Rush, slamming Pikachu in the gut and launching him like a baseball.

“Pika!”

“This is our chance, Lucario— Swords Dance!”

As Pikachu flew through the air, Lucario began a rhythmic dance, turning his body and the staff of Bone Rush in time. With a proud cry to cap off the performance, Lucario’s power doubled upon completion of the move.

“We’re not outta this yet! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!” Still flying through the air, Pikachu spun, building up a vicious charge of electricity and letting it loose all at once.

“Block it with Bone Rush, Lucario!”

Unfortunately, Pikachu’s bolt-from-the-blue petered out into nothing, completely nullified by Bone Rush’s Ground-Typing. Electric moves wouldn’t work!

“Now, Lucario! Keep him flying!”

“What?!”

Lucario was ready: When Pikachu finally fell to Earth, he dashed forward and landed a second violent strike, sending his opponent back into the air.

“Pi— Ka!”

“Hold on Pikachu!” Ash gritted his teeth, the desperation of the situation setting in. “Block his next hit with Iron Tail!”

Pikachu was too disoriented, however, unable to find his balance before approaching the ground once more. With another cry, Lucario slammed him with a Bone Rush, sending him flying straight up.

“Now to finish this, Lucario!” Dismissing the staff from Bone Rush, Lucario took a stance and began powering up a plume of energy at his fist. All the while, Pikachu reached the peak of his final flight.

“Lu-cario!” With that cry, Lucario leapt into the air, aiming for a full force strike to end the match.

It was now or never!

“Pikachu— Thunderbolt!” It was too late to dodge, too late to block. This was their last trump card. At Ash’s command, Pikachu reoriented himself, charging his biggest store of electricity yet.

“Piiiika-Chuuuuu!”

“Luuu-cario!”

The collision of Electric and Fighting-Type energy erupted into a powerful explosion, filling the air and blowing back both trainers as the battle came to a close. Through the ensuing shockwave, Ash and Korrina called out their partners’ names.

When the dust and debris began to clear, two figures stood alone: Lucario and Pikachu. The fighters stood opposite of one another, facing their respective trainer, physically exhausted as they tried to remain upright. Lucario stumbled as Pikachu nearly tripped over his own feet.

Neither wanted to give in first, but they had little choice in the matter. With a final pant, one of the combatants fell over, knocked out.

“Pikachu is unable to battle!” At Clemont’s signal, the battle had begun, and with Clemont’s call, the battle was drawn to its end.

Ash rushed to his partner’s side, scooping Pikachu off the ground and immediately showering him with assurances.

“You did amazing there, buddy, absolutely awesome!” he called out, giving Pikachu a moment to stir awake. “We got caught a little off guard with Bone Rush there— But we’ll get ‘em next time!”

“Pika… pi.” Pikachu groaned before nodding his head, slowly coming to. At that, Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

“I gotcha, buddy. I gotcha.”

Approaching, Korrina and Lucario met Ash in the center of the battlefield, catching his attention with a wave. He straightened up for a moment, before beginning.

“That was a great battle, but I guess in the end you two were just tougher,” he confessed, an abashed tone to his voice, before he offered his hand forward.

Huffing, Korrina smacked it away.

“Oh shush! That match was a coin flip!” she declared, putting her hands on her hips. “Do it again, and we could’ve easily lost!”

Ash was stunned, but didn’t lose his cool. Not fully, at least.

“What was that for! You talked all that smack and now you wanna be humble?” he fired back, depositing Pikachu onto his shoulder as soon as he was stable enough.

“You’re one to talk! Weren’t you the one who was gonna kick my butt and show me my place?” Korrina did a spin in her skates as she began to orbit around Ash, a self-satisfied smile growing on her face. “My butt’s still unkicked— So where do you get off, trying to act so modest!”

She was egging him on, baiting him, and Ash knew it. Yet, as a smile grew on his face, he was happy to fall for it.

“Why don’t you bend over and I can take another shot!” he shouted, bringing her to a stop as she pulled out Lucario’s Poké ball.

“You wanna go again?!”

As the two devolved into their endless back-and-forth of competitive jabs and haughty jeers, the rest of Ash’s party just watched on with a mix of confusion and exasperation. Serena in particular pursed her lips as she saw Ash and Korrina butting heads, yet never losing their smiles in the process.

“Now what’s going on?” Bonnie asked Clemont then, pulling Serena from her train of thought. The older of the two siblings gave an awkward laugh before he answered.

“It’s said that trainers can speak through a battle— And I think Ash and Korrina have just had a whole conversation,” he explained, his metaphors annoying his little sister. He clarified. “It seems to me that those two are cut from the same cloth, and this is their way of connecting to each other.”

Serena looked back at Ash and Korrina, watching as they bantered and jabbed at one another, never too aggressive, yet never too coddling either. Clemont was right, she thought. This was their way of communicating, of connecting.

Her heart panged for something, but she wasn’t sure what.

---

𝒳

After a while, Ash and Korrina’s head-to-head had come to an end, for no better reason than it was lunchtime and the two of them were starving. Good thing Clemont had made a big meal too, because they would need it to feed the two Ash-sized appetites they had on hand.

So with the party all sitting around the picnic table and the Pokémon dining on a batch of Serena’s Poképuffs, it was time to dig in.

Korrina and Ash tore through platters of sandwiches and soups, barely pausing for air let alone to say please when grabbing seconds. To the rest of the group, it was like they were seeing double, the way the two seemed to have mirrored table etiquettes— infinite appetites and near-zero manners.

Eventually, Ash broke from the impromptu eating contest, pausing to breathe while Korrina continued. He couldn’t help but chuckle at that— Now he’d been beaten twice by her today. Ah well, he’d just have to repay her the courtesy at some point.

Before Ash could return to his food, his gaze fell on something— Something he’d been eyeing for a little while now: The glove on Korrina’s hand. He took a moment of pause before speaking.

“That’s a Keystone, right?”

Korrina stopped, alongside the rest of the party as they looked on.

“Yep, you’re on the money!” she said, after taking a moment to swallow. “Surprised you recognized it.”

“Heh, yeah, I got an up-close-and-personal look at one pretty recently.” Ash glanced to the side, recollecting his face-off against Diantha. He’d nearly pushed the Champion to Mega Evolve her Gardevoir, or at least, she said as much.

That thought brought another question to Ash’s mind, one Clemont managed to beat him to.

“So you must use that to Mega Evolve your Lucario then?” Giving a smile, Clemont posed the question whilst looking over to where Lucario and the other Pokémon were eating.

“Nah, not yet,” she answered, perching her chin on her hand and gazing over the Keystone affixed to her glove. “We still gotta get our hands on the Mega Stone first.”

“Right, cause Mega Evolution needs a Keystone and a Mega Stone.” Ash nodded, the lesson on Mega Evolution he had gotten from Professor Sycamore playing in his mind. Before long he found his eyes turning to her Keystone as well— The two of them transfixing at that same sight. “So, where did you get yours?”

“Oh, this old thing? My grandpa gave it to me!” Korrina sat up in her seat, putting her food down then before she got ready to regale her tale to the table. “See, the very first person to ever Mega Evolve a Lucario was an ancestor of my family! And since then, we’ve kept the tradition of Mega Evolution close to home!”

“That sounds so cool!” Bonnie seemed excited, the image of Korrina’s powerful Lucario getting even stronger playing in her mind.

“What’re you doing hanging out in this forest then?” Then it was Serena who joined the conversation, speaking up for the first time since lunch began.

Korrina opened her mouth to answer her, but was swiftly cut off.

“It’s because you and Lucario want to grow stronger first, right?” Ash answered, surprising Korrina with his assertion. After a moment, though, she smiled and nodded.

“Before we went looking for a Lucarionite, my grandpa said we needed to grow stronger,” she explained, looking down at her Keystone. “So, we set out to defeat a hundred challengers in a row!”

“And I was number 100!”

“Yep!” Korrina snickered, and flicked a finger beneath the bridge of her nose just to make the point. “Once we’re done here, me and Lucario are heading up to Geosenge town to find the Lucarionite.”

“Oh hey, we’re going up that way too, aren’t we?” Perking up, Serena pulled out her PDA to confirm just that.

“Yeah, we’re heading through there on our way to Shalour City! I want to challenge the Gym Leader there,” Ash added, getting a look from Korrina he couldn’t quite parse. It almost looked like she wanted to laugh. Overlooking that, he continued. “Hey, Korrina, if you don’t mind, could we come along with you?”

The rest of the party was surprised by Ash’s sudden request, Serena in particular. Korrina, however, took the solicitation with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Oh? Why’s that?” she asked, already having a pretty good idea of the answer. “Are you itching that badly to hang out with me?”

Ash laughed, her teasing demeanor bouncing off him without much effect. Shaking his head, he looked down at her glove one last time.

“I’ll be totally honest— It’s because I want to learn how to Mega Evolve my Pokemon too.”

Notes:

And with that, we officially begin the Korrina Arc! The next handful of chapters will be following Ash, Korrina, and the XYang on their journey, as Korrina pursues her birthright, and Ash seeks to learn the secrets of Mega Evolution! Will he get his hands on a Keystone and Mega Stone? Find out next time!

Chapter 9: The Cave of Trials

𝒳

“Aw come on. It’s called a Lucarionite. How hard is that to find!?”

Traveling to Geosenge Town came and went without a hitch, the short trip passing by in no time at all. What happened after Korrina and the group arrived, however, was a different story. The hunt for the illustrious Mega Stone was officially on, and with so many shops to cover, there was a pretty extensive search ahead of them. So, it was decided that the gang would split up: Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie in one group, Ash and Korrina in another.

That led those two to their current situation— Pestering every local in town with little to show for it.

“Fine. If you don’t have it, we’ll just go to the shop next door!” Korrina declared, turning and skating out of the store with a huff. It was about the dozenth time she’d threatened that today— So what was a dozen more?

Unfortunately, not everyone was liable to agree with her.

“Pikapi…” As Ash and Pikachu watched Korrina approach the next shop, the latter of the two was growing increasingly annoyed.

“Give it a bit of time, buddy. It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack out here.” Ash said, trying to assuage his partner’s frustration. A thought came to mind as he glanced across the rows and rows of stands, all seemingly selling the exact same wares: Shiny stones. “Besides, if we keep our eyes peeled, maybe we can find a Pikachunite here too!”

Pikachu’s mood turned as he grew a mischievous grin, catching Ash’s meaning.

“Pika!”

“It’s a very special kinda rock, I’ll have you know!” Back with Korrina, things weren’t going very well. Her attempts to explain what a Lucarionite even was were falling flat. Digging a Poké ball out, she sent out Lucario to try and make a point. “It, like, resonates with Lucario’s energy, or something, and makes his power go woosh! Bang, bang, bang!”

A thought began to turn in Ash’s head when he heard that. Then, some old memories began to play.

“Right, I think that’s enough.” Becoming decidedly unwilling to talk to the manic girl before him, the shopkeep took a stand. She was going to scare away the paying customers with her ravings! “Please just go.”

With a firm finger pointed away from his stand, the keep sent Korrina and Lucario away, dejected—

—But not empty-handed.

“Korrina, wait! I’ve got an idea!” Ash ran after the two before they could get far, his mind racing with a realization. “I know how we can find the Lucarionite!”

“You do?! Well, spit it out!” Korrina exclaimed, spinning around with a look of fire in her eyes. Matching her tit-for-tat, Lucario was similarly excited.

“Why don’t we have Lucario find it with his Aura!”

The suggestion made Korrina pause, her excitement diminishing.

“Do what with his huh? What’re you talking about, Ash?” Her confusion wasn’t the most encouraging look. “Aura is just the stuff Lucario uses to hit stuff!”

“It’s way more than that, here, watch!” Ash chuckled as he faced Lucario. Fumbling with himself for a moment, he eventually settled on offering a hand to Korrina’s partner, who took it after a second of apprehension.

“Lu-cario?”

“Give him a chance, Lucario. I trust him.” Korrina reassured him, but gave Ash a sturdy look as she did. You better not mess this up, her face said.

“I never really got a chance to learn how this stuff works, but—” Ash’s explanation did not inspire much confidence. “You can feel me, right? My Aura?”

Lucario closed his eyes, going quiet for a moment. A moment, however, was all it was. Opening his eyes once more, he shook his head.

Ash huffed, thinking as he glanced back at Korrina. She was growing impatient, a sentiment he couldn’t blame her for.

Then, an idea struck.

“Oh!” Grabbing Korrina’s hand, Ash pulled her in as she yelped. “What about her? If there’s anyone you can feel, Lucario, it’d be Korrina!”

Lucario paused before closing his eyes once more, his head tilting down with a period of silence. All at once, he jolted.

“Lucario!”

“What is it, Lucario?” Korrina asked. Lucario had begun bouncing in place, looking between her and Ash. “What just happened, Ash?”

“I think he just felt your Aura!” he exclaimed, while Lucario disconnected and began looking around. Something was pulling his gaze. “And now he knows how to look for more!”

Ash laughed as Lucario began rushing down the street, his sight locked firmly toward the mountains in the distance.

“Let’s follow him!”

---

𝒳

“So Lucario can feel the Lucarionite, because it resonates with his Aura?!”

“Uh, yeah, sure! Something like that.”

After regrouping with the rest of the party, Ash and Korrina took off with Lucario to the nearby mountain range. Between his Aura Sense bringing them there and the mountain’s numerous mines filled with precious stones, it seemed like the prime location to turn their search towards.

Now, all they had to do was get through Ash trying to explain Aura for the umpteenth time.

“Aura is like, well it’s kinda like you and somebody are talking, and your heart goes ‘bam-bam-bam, fwoosh!’ and then they go ‘boom, wham, grrr—”

“—hiya! Nyoom!’ Like that?” Korrina’s eyes lit up as, somehow, Ash’s mixture of metaphors and onomatopoeia managed to click with her. “And then suddenly you’re all like ‘wham, bam! Brrrr!’ Like that!”

“Yeah, exactly!”

“Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?” Clemont asked, leaning over as the trio of him, Serena, and Bonnie followed the two from close behind. “I’m afraid I lost track of their conversation after the fourth or fifth bam.”

“I stopped trying to figure out what’s going on in their world a looooong time ago,” Serena confessed with a laugh.

“It makes sense to me!” It was Bonnie who added that to the conversation, grabbing the wide-eyed stares of both Clemont and Serena.

“Wait, Bonnie, you—?”

“Cario!” Up ahead from the rest of the party, Lucario came to a sudden stop, before whipping back and letting out a fierce cry. He’d found something.

Catching up with their intrepid Aura tracker, the group came face-to-face with a sight that broke the monotony of the mountain paths they’d been trawling: A cave opening. The stone changed here, turning from the rough, bronze color of the exterior to a smooth, cobalt blue leading further in.

“This is it. The Lucarionite is here.” Korrina tightened her fist, raising it in front of her while a determined look grew on her face. “This is everything that me and Lucario have been training for. This is our final test!”

She paused, as she felt Ash’s hand on her shoulder.

“You ready?” he asked, bringing Korrina a moment of apprehension. A moment, however, was all it was. Her wild grin answered his question.

“Let’s go, Lucario!” With that, Korrina and Lucario took off, Ash and the others keeping close behind.

The path through the cave was a short, but no less winding journey, forestalling their arrival for a few tense minutes. Yet, soon, the tunnel opened up again, and their destination revealed itself.

“Whoa.” Korrina froze, as a room— a grand hall —stood before them. Pillars of rock bearing the symbol of Mega Evolution rose from a great lake of water, with a single carved stone path leading further in. The water shimmered a bright blue, some source of energy underneath providing the room’s ambient lighting.

Despite the lack of much light, nothing could hide the room’s crowning eye-catch, the thing that took Korrina’s and Lucario’s attention first and foremost: the bright amber crystal atop a stone pedestal.

“The Lucarionite!” Korrina exclaimed, hopping in place before she took off, Lucario following close behind. After so long, it was right there— After so long, it was almost in their grasp— “After so long, it’s finally ours—!”

—With one last trial.

“Blaziken!”

Crashing down on the pair like a speeding fireball, an unexpected guest arrived. They slammed onto the stone path and blew out a wall of fire, forcing Korrina and Lucario to a stop.

“Korrina!” Ash cried out, as the pair leapt back to face their sudden opponent.

With the barrier of burning embers disappearing, a Blaziken appeared to stare the two down, taking a strong defensive stance.

“Huh!? Who’s that Pokémon!?” Pulling out her Pokédex, Serena fumbled to get a read on the intruder, before Ash raised a hand and answered.

“It’s a Blaziken,” he answered, his brow furrowing while Korrina and Lucario took position ahead of their opponent. “I think… It’s protecting the Lucarionite.”

Korrina gritted her teeth, eyes locked with the Blaziken as it taunted them, beckoning them closer. Whatever Ash was saying, it rang true to her.

“One last trial, one final test,” she muttered, skating back and forth, before giving her partner room. “You hear that, Lucario! This guy thinks they’re gonna stop us from getting what’s ours!”

Lucario howled, fists raised. He wasn’t going to be turned away— Not without a fight.

“Let’s show him what we’re about! Everything we’ve trained for! Go!” At Korrina’s roar, Lucario sprang into action. One moment, he stood at her side, the next he was flying through the air, a plume of energy at his fist.

Blaziken was no sitting duck, however. Bracing for impact, the guardian of the Mega Stone flawlessly tanked the first strike, before moving to counter-attack.

“Blaz!” With a proud cry, Blaziken turned on their heel, delivering a brutal Blaze Kick to Lucario’s gut and launching him back.

“The buck stops here, Lucario!” There it was again, an incomprehensible but no less effective command. Summoning two staffs with the power of Bone Rush, Lucario brought himself to a stop, halting his momentum by jamming them into the ground.

“Second round, Lucario—” Korrina’s voice boomed like that of an announcer, appropriate considering her calls. “—Bone Rush times two!”

Zigzagging across the platform separating them, Lucario immediately closed the distance to Blaziken. He had a bone to pick with his opponent— Two of them in fact.

“Lucario!”

“Blaziken!”

Lucario slammed his Bone Rush down on Blaziken, who parried the strike with a powerful high kick. Rearing back, Lucario tried for a follow-up, but Blaziken’s legs were as nimble as they were sturdy. Lucario’s Bone Rush came to a dead stop against his opponent’s tree-trunk legs.

Lucario gritted his teeth.

“Cario! Lu!”

“Don’t get frustrated, Lucario! You’re leaving yourself open for—!”

Korrina’s warning soon became fate, as Blaziken found an opening to exploit. Rearing back, they delivered a devastating roundhouse kick, sending Lucario careening.

“Ken!” They weren’t done, however. Before Lucario even hit the ground, Blaziken brought their fists together, slamming down on Lucario for a double dose of damage.

“Lucario, no!” Korrina felt her lungs go empty, felt the air that was blasted out of Lucario’s chest by the back-to-back hits. They needed to turn this around, fast! “Don’t let them use their legs, Lucario—! Grab their arms!”

Gritting his teeth, Lucario lurched forward, latching onto Blaziken’s forearms before they could pull back.

“Now, toss them!”

Lucario dug deep, planting his knees into the ground. Before Blaziken could counter, they were sent flying over Lucario’s shoulders, straight through the air.

“Keep the pressure up— Bone Rush!”

With barely the chance to catch his breath, Lucario leapt to his feet— A newly formed staff from Bone Rush in hand. A moment after Blaziken was launched up, Lucario followed.

“Luuuuucario!”

“Blaz-iken!”

Lucario brought the Bone Rush down on Blaziken, but was parried once more. Even in the air, Blaziken had astonishing control of his positioning and legs.

“Don’t get caught up there, Lucario— Hit ‘em where it hurts!” Throwing her arms back, Korrina prayed her meaning came through to her partner.

As Lucario dropped the staff and went for Blaziken’s chest, she knew it did.

“Cario!” Rearing a fist back, Lucario slammed into Blaziken in mid-air, returning the favor from earlier— He blew the air straight out of Blaziken’s lungs, stunning them for a moment. A moment, however, was all it was.

Lucario wasn’t the only one who could return favors.

“Blaze!” Tanking the hit, Blaziken grabbed Lucario’s forearm, locking him down before he could pull away. What came next played out like déjà vu. One second, Lucario was flying above his opponent, the next, he was sent crashing down to the ground below. “Blaziken!”

“Watch out!”

Gravity wasn’t all Lucario had to worry about— As Blaziken followed the seismic toss with a full force Blaze Kick. With perfect timing, they slammed into Lucario, just as he hit the ground, igniting an explosion of fire and dust.

“No! Lucario!” Korrina felt waves of wrecking pain coursing through her, as her partner disappeared from view. Even when she couldn’t see him, every hit he took went through her bones just the same as his. She knew he couldn’t take much more of this— She couldn’t take much more of this.

The pain was bringing Korrina to her knees.

As the dust cleared, one fighter remained. Blaziken, damaged but no less domineering, stood firm on the path between Korrina and the Mega Stone. His gaze spoke volumes, telling Korrina she could not pass. Yet, she couldn’t look at them for even a second— Her attention was firmly set on her partner, whose body hung limp in the hand of Blaziken.

“Ken. Blaziken.” Tossing Lucario into the air, Blaziken dismissed their challenger without a thought, sending him flying back with another powerful kick.

“Lucario—” Korrina’s voice cracked, as she could only sit and watch Lucario slam against the wall of the chamber, before sliding into the shallow water below. When he didn’t even try to break his fall, cold fear ran through her.

“This, this is terrible! We can’t just sit here!” Back with the party, Serena found herself speaking up for the first time since Korrina’s trial had begun. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, the battle clouding her common sense up till then. Now, however, the situation was clear. “Ash, we need to—”

“No.” Cutting in once more, Ash put a hand up, surprising the party as he blocked them from taking a step forward. “Korrina said this was her battle, her test. She wouldn’t accept our help— She’d sooner fight us too than let us do that!”

Serena saw something in Ash’s eyes then, something she’d almost never seen in the boy. Underneath his fiery determination, behind his analytical gaze, was a look that seemed almost foreign: A sad empathy.

“Ash…”

“Isn’t that right, Korrina! You won’t give up, neither you, or Lucario!” Ash called out, taking a step forward as he tried to get a read on his friend. She sat still on the path separating them, on her knees with her face to the ground. “You’ve come so far, and I don’t believe for a second you’d stop here!”

“Pika! Pikachu!” Pikachu let out a fierce cry in agreement, Ash’s sentiment ringing true to him as well.

As the pair’s declaration echoed through the cave, Korrina dipped her head back, and chuckled.

“Ash… You get me,” she said, slowly rising to her feet. “You know me, the heights I want to reach, the training I’ve put in. You know I could never accept your help here, not in a million years. Because I want to be the best.”

Turning back, Korrina shot Ash a smile, a genuine one, without a hint of pride or conceit to it.

“You and I are the same, aren’t we?” Korrina’s gaze returned to Blaziken before she had a chance to see Ash’s reaction. It was time to finish this. “You’re right. Me and Lucario won’t give up! No matter the opponent, no matter the limit! We’ll take on the whole world together!”

Placing her hands on her hips, Korrina smiled and glanced over to where Lucario sat. His body was half-submerged in the waters of the chamber.

“Isn’t that right, Lucario!” she asked, watching her partner stir awake at her words. He was just as determined as she was, she just knew it. After a moment, Lucario gritted his teeth and rose to his feet, staring down Blaziken once more.

“Lucario!”

“Let’s finish this! Every hit, full force! Every move, limit-breaking!” Korrina declared, pumping a fist and throwing it forward. “Power-Up Punch!”

Summoning forth a burst of speed, Lucario flickered from view, before flying towards his opponent with a massive plume of energy at his fist. The strike was too fast for Blaziken to parry with a kick. So instead, Lucario’s fist crashed against his opponent’s raised arms. The sheer shockwaves of the impact sent Ash and his party reeling.

“Blaaaaaz—!”

“Caaaaaar—!”

“Keep it up, Lucario! Don’t let him recover!” Korrina declared, holding steady while the first clash approached its end.

Still in midair, Lucario swung his leg hard, delivering a massive kick to Blaziken’s chest. The force was so great, in fact, it sent them flying.

“Bone Rush, times two, take two!” Korrina grinned as her partner touched down on the ground, a pair of staffs already procured. “Go!”

Lucario took off once more, chasing after his flying opponent. He carried his weapons with vicious intent, ready to knock Blaziken out of the air with one decisive strike.

Blaziken, however, was far from helpless.

Driving their legs into the ground, Blaziken halted their momentum, just in time to face Lucario head-on.

When Lucario’s Bone Rush thundered down on them, they grabbed the twin staffs and brought them to a dead stop. Another series of shockwaves followed that, forcing even Korrina back a few paces.

“Cario! Lucario!”

“Blaaaaaziken!”

The two combatants were locked in a head-to-head, each putting in 110% to not give a single inch. Lucario held the twin staffs of his Bone Rush with an iron grip, summoning all his strength to try and beat down his opponent. Meanwhile, Blaziken was as sturdy as stone, fighting for every inch as they held the staffs back.

The battle was at an impasse—

—and impasses, like any limit, could be broken.

Smiling, Korrina stood tall and pointed straight towards her partner.

“Use your head, Lucario!” Her final command rang through the chamber, confusing most but bringing a smile to Lucario’s face. This was it.

Staring Blaziken down, Lucario wrenched his head back, before crashing it into his opponent’s, stunning them for a moment. That moment was all Lucario needed. With a ferocious roar, he barreled over Blaziken, slamming them onto their back.

“Now, seal the deal!” Not wasting a moment, Lucario drove a staff into the ground, then another, then another. Summoning a half dozen more of the aura weapons, Lucario made quick work of pinning Blaziken to the ground before they could recover.

“Bla— Blaziken!?” When Blaziken regained their senses, they were trapped in a web of the interlocking staffs. Lucario stood over them, chest heaving and with one final staff in hand.

“This is it, Lucario!” Korrina cried out, raising two fists into the air before throwing them down. “Before they can escape, use Bone Rush!”

Without a moment to hesitate, Lucario complied, raising his staff into the air. He took aim—

“Lucario!” —And swung!

“That’s enough!” A deep cry rang through the chamber, startling Lucario to a stop and sending Korrina reeling back in shock.

“Huh?” She stared at where she heard the sound, up by the stairs leading to the Lucarionite. There, a figure cast in shadows stepped forth, a chuckle echoing out from him before he came into the light. The sight of the man who appeared made Korrina gasp. “Grandpa?”

The rest of the party followed suit.

“Grandpa?!”

---

𝒳

“What are you doing here?” Korrina asked, skating forward and hopping past the still-pinned Blaziken. Despite her familiarity with her grandfather, the very man who had started her journey in the first place, she had little respite from her confusion. She blinked once then twice in disbelief. No matter what, however, Gurkinn still stood there, a grin across his face.

“Is it not obvious?” he pressed, glancing back at Blaziken and then up towards the Lucarionite. The gears turned in Korrina’s head for a moment.

“You said this was my last test— I should’ve guessed you’d be the one running it,” she said with a laugh, turning back. “Let them free, Lucario.”

“And I’m glad I chose to do so. Your performance today was a sight to see!” Putting a hand on Korrina’s shoulder, Gurkinn smiled. “You and Lucario have earned your prize. Now, take it.”

Parting from their way, Gurkinn opened a path forward— A straight shot from Korrina and Lucario to the Mega Stone. An infectious grin grew across their faces before they took off, climbing their final summit in an instant.

The Lucarionite was still uncut, encased in a shell of stone and dull crystal. Yet still, to Korrina, it was the most brilliant gem she’d ever seen. It was her reward, her birthright. Wrapping her hands around the stone, she felt a jittering excitement race through her.

With an excited cry, she raised it into the air and turned.

“We got— The Lucarionite!”

Pride swelled in Korrina’s heart, which only grew as Lucario howled and the others cheered her on from the entrance. Even her grandfather, who was usually far more moderate with his praise, applauded her success.

Slowly following her up the stairs, he gave her a wide smile.

“Congratulations. Korrina! Your achievement here with Lucario is nothing short of impressive. And to do it all on your own as well!”

Korrina paused then, her smile slowly fading as she brought the Lucarionite down to eye level. She looked at it, then over to Ash. He was still standing at the entrance of the chamber, smiling proudly back at her. Pursing her lips, Korrina walked down the steps to speak to Gurkinn.

“Weeeeell, about that—”

---

𝒳𝒴

Back with the group, Ash and the others watched as Korrina and her grandfather spoke, a sense of calm returning to the chamber after the exciting last few minutes. Clemont in particular was leaning in, squinting to get a look at the Mega Stone Korrina held in her arms.

“To think that entire endeavor was just a test from her grandfather,” he said, pausing to readjust his glasses after a moment. “Her and her family lead very… interesting lives.”

“Way more than interesting. That was so cool!” It was Bonnie who added that comment, throwing her hands into the air as she recounted the trial. “The way they went bang, bang, bang— Fwoosh!”

She made Ash laugh.

“There ya go. Now you’re getting it!” he said, pumping his fist and giving Bonnie a high five.

“I don’t know how any of you are getting anything from this besides a heart condition.” Serena was surprisingly less excited than the rest of the group, muttering that quip to herself as she pressed a palm to her chest. Her hand shuddered in trepidation.

Looking up, Serena found Ash’s attention pointed straight ahead again, locked onto Korrina and her Mega Stone. Her heart panged for just a moment.

“Ash—”

“Ash Ketchum!” A firm shout from Gurkinn summarily cut Serena off, grabbing Ash’s attention in the process. “Could you come here for a moment?”

Pointing to himself in surprise, Ash looked back, just to confirm he heard correctly. After realizing he had, he approached the trio of Korrina, Lucario, and Gurkinn.

“According to Korrina here, you helped her complete her trial today,” Gurkinn explained, motioning to the girl in question. She seemed rather embarrassed, though for what reason, Ash couldn’t parse. “It takes a great trainer for my granddaughter to credit them, even if it’s just for their words of encouragement. For that, I thank you.”

“Aw man, you don’t have to do that.” Realizing he was being thanked and not derided, Ash switched his tune, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“Still, is there anything we can do to repay you?”

Ash paused then, his usual manners getting away from him for a moment. A thought was turning the gears in his head, leaving him silent until he broke through it with a grin.

“Can you help teach me how to Mega Evolve?”

Notes:

And so the Korrina arc continues! With the Lucarionite now in hand, where will Korrina and Ash's journey take them next? Just how does Ash intend to attain Mega Evolution for himself?! Find out next time!

Chapter 10: The Aura Storm!

𝒳

With the Lucarionite finally in hand, there was only one last thing to do before Korrina’s journey was complete— Cut the stone down to size. It wasn’t exactly practical as a fifty-pound block of crystal, so getting it shaven to the standard marble was a no-brainer. Thankfully Geosenge Town had no shortage of smiths with the equipment for such a task. Now, it was a matter of waiting.

Ash and Korrina stood outside by the window of one such smith, the two of them plus Pikachu peering inside and watching the process at work. Though they kept up their air of cool with one another as best as they could, there was an undeniable excitement underlying every word they exchanged.

“Come oooon. Let me and Pikachu take a shot at you first!” Ash asked, continuing the conversation the two had been having. He turned his gaze away from the stone for a moment to face Korrina head-on. “We still haven’t gotten to battle a Mega Evolved Pokémon before!”

“Pikachu, pika!”

“Sorry Ash, if you two couldn’t handle us before, you’ve got no chance with Mega Evolution on our side.” Korrina’s sincere humbleness from the cave was seemingly gone now, replaced again with her bolstering, confident attitude from their first meeting— Not that Ash minded of course.

“Oh, you wanna see how well we handle you this time?”

“Pffft.” Korrina snorted, laughing Ash’s jeer off without another word, wounding his pride a little in the process. It wasn’t that bad, however.

He understood her reasoning. She had promised her grandfather a match after all.

“Just be patient, Ketchum. You’ll get your shot at me soon enough,” she teased, calling back to their conversation in the cave. Ash recalled the explanation Gurkinn gave him clearly.

“Our family holds two Keystones. One for our successor, and one for an inheritor. A trainer who has proven themself against Korrina may inherit our remaining Keystone, and be bestowed the gift of Mega Evolution.”

“When we have our Gym Battle, then you’ll get to face my Mega Lucario,” she added, giving Ash a grin he soon returned

“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell us you’re the Shalour City Gym Leader,” he said with a sneer, jabbing her side lightly before turning and looking back at the gemsmith at work. They’d be done soon. They just needed a few more passes to round out the Mega Stone.

A thought began to turn in Ash’s mind.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hm?”

“Why me?” His opening surprised Korrina, earning him a confused look that deserved a clarification. “Since you’re a Gym Leader, there must’ve been a ton of people who’ve beaten you already. Why didn’t they get the Keystone?”

Korrina snorted again, raising her hand forward as she began to count off.

“For one thing, it only counts if you beat me when I’m using Mega Evolution— No Mega Stone for me means no Keystone for you. Secondly, I don’t go easy on people. So, no, a ton of people haven’t beaten me. Thirdly—” Korrina reached forward, grabbing Ash by the collar of his jacket. “—I told you already. I like you. And since you asked so nicely, and helped me get the Lucarionite to start with, you get the first shot at becoming the inheritor.”

Korrina let Ash go then, crossing her arms as she gave him a look that was halfway between ‘You’re welcome’ and ‘I dare you to hit me.’

It made Ash laugh.

“Let’s have a great battle then!”

---

𝒳

The moment of truth had arrived. The combatants, Korrina and her Grandfather, stood on the outskirts of Geosenge town, surrounded by the rocky pillars that would be the stadium of their spar. This was far from the first battle the two had had, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Yet, this time, things were different. This time, Korrina was certain she could win.

From the sidelines, Ash and the party watched on in pitched trepidation, Ash especially barely able to contain himself. He’d never seen a Mega Evolved Pokémon this up close and personal before, let alone two!

He could feel the Aura pouring from all four of them, the waves of energy that contrasted each side of the field. Gurkinn and his Lucario were cool and firm, their Aura like a tensed muscle ready to strike. Korrina and her partner, meanwhile, were like firecrackers, their Aura almost roaring with their proud battle cries.

“Mega Evolution! From the very beginning!” Gurkinn reached for his Keystone and immediately his Aura began to turn. The waves pouring out of him and his Lucario synchronized, flowed in tandem, until they began to sing in perfect harmony.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Korrina slammed down on her Keystone next, as her Aura changed as well. It grew faster, more excited, more everything. Lucario’s Aura mirrored hers, its pace accelerating into a runaway heartbeat.

Bands of light shot out from each trainer and Pokémon, binding together until they began to expand. The light soon encased the two Lucarios, brilliant shells of gold and crimson energy forming and wrapping around each of them. Soon, only their silhouettes remained.

Then, they began to change.

The black bands across their skin exploded out, stretching like bolts of lightning from each limb to their chests. Their fists and feet then began to glow, splotches of red forming on them like crimson-hot steel. The most astonishing change of all, however, happened to their hair. Their shorter, organized braids grew into true manes, now waving through the Aura winds.

“Lucario!” With a proud cry, Korrina’s partner dismissed the energy, revealing the transformation that had taken place. A moment later, Gurkinn’s Lucario followed.

It was time to begin.

“Go Lucario, Bone Rush!” At Korrina’s command, the battle kicked into gear. With just a flicker of movement, Lucario disappeared, appearing above Gurkinn’s with a staff already procured. His new speed was immense, nearly untrackable to the naked eye.

His opponent, however, was no slouch.

“Lucario.” Barely even straining themself, Gurkinn’s Lucario expertly caught the overhead strike, bringing Korrina’s Lucario to a dead stop. The explosion of their colliding Auras alone sent Ash and his group reeling.

“This is so cool!” Ash’s smile grew wider and wider as he watched the clash of fists and energy, each blow making his senses run wild.

Korrina’s Lucario separated and went for another strike, while Gurkinn’s Lucario swept the former’s legs. Korrina’s Lucario, however, merely used his hands to summersault away.

Every strike, every move, they were like explosions of energy, waves of Aura similar to nothing Ash had ever felt before. This was battling like nothing he’d ever felt before.

“Aura Sphere!” Gurkinn’s command split the air like a thunderclap, as his Lucario disappeared from view. Korrina’s Lucario tried to spot where his opponent had gone, but it was too late.

They were already behind him.

“Lucario!” The Aura Sphere was point blank, launching Lucario across the field.

“The buck stops—!”

“Bone Rush!” Cutting through Korrina’s command, Gurkinn sent his Lucario flying into action. They disappeared from view once more, appearing in their opponent’s path with a single staff in hand. Rearing back, they readied a devastating strike.

“Not on my watch! Lucario, grab their Bone Rush!”

“Huh!?”

Korrina’s Lucario turned in the air at the last moment, throwing his body over the staff and latching onto it in the same motion. Then, using his opponent’s strength against them, he flew back with the swing, ripping the staff away and pulling it close in tandem.

“Lucario.” Korrina’s partner grinned as he skidded to a stop, his opponent’s weapon in his hands.

“Those two are amazing— I can barely keep up!” Serena’s hand went to her chest. Every move, the energy that was being let out, it was so strong that even she and the others could feel it now.

“Isn’t it awesome!” Ash, meanwhile, could feel all of it. The clash of energy, the sheer presence the fighters had— it was practically barreling over him. The Aura felt like a storm, like constant waves beating against stone, just ready to blast through.

Soon though, that storm began to shift.

“Lucario, Bone—!”

“Lucario!” At Korrina’s call, Lucario lurched forward. Jumping with a sudden burst of speed, he went on the offensive, thundering onto Gurkinn’s Lucario with a wild swing.

“Bone Rush, once more!” Gurkinn and his Lucario, however, were speedy on the draw. In a flash, they summoned their own staff, bringing their opponent to a dead stop again. Another wave of Aura blasted out from the collision then, this one even stronger than the ones from before. “Sweep him, Lucario!”

Gurkinn’s Lucario pushed their opponent back before diving for his legs.

“Lu!” Yet, Korrina’s Lucario dodged it, leaping far into the air, latching onto one of the stoney pillars that framed the battlefield.

“Huh!?”

“Good job, Lucario! Now—!”

“Lucario!” Without a pause, Lucario pushed ahead, springing off the rock pillar. He flew over Gurkinn’s Lucario, grabbing them by the shoulders and wrenching them into the air. With a vicious roar, he slammed his opponent down into the dirt, before sending them flying with a kick.

“Hey Lucario! What’re you doing, you’ve gotta— Hey!”

Lucario flickered from view once more, appearing again in his opponent’s trajectory. He’d sent them flying, and now he’d send them into the ground.

“Cario!” Rearing his leg back, Lucario delivered a merciless curbstomp into his opponent’s gut, bringing them to a dead stop. The wave of Aura that fired out from that collision was staggering, blowing up a cloud of dust and debris that obscured the entire battlefield.

“Lucario!” Korrina didn’t even have a command this time. She didn’t want Lucario to do anything. She just wanted him to stop.

“Ash, Clemont, what’s happening?” Serena was nearly stunned by how fast the battle had turned. Even she could tell something was happening.

“I don’t know.” Clemont, bearing a face more serious than she had ever seen from him before, shook his head.

“Their Aura… Something about it is off,” Ash answered, surprising the both of them. “I don’t know what, but it feels off. Something’s happening!”

“Pika. Pikachuuu.” Whatever it was, it drove Pikachu to tense up, and growl.

The cloud covering the battlefield dispersed with another blast of Aura, revealing what lied underneath: Both Lucarios, hands interlocked as they engaged in a no-holds-barred head-to-head. Gurkinn’s Lucario tried their best to maintain their cool, while Korrina’s Lucario was barely holding onto his composure. He was fiery, impassioned, growling— Growling?

It was true. Lucario’s teeth were bared, his battle cries replaced by guttural snarls. Most frightening of all, though, were his eyes glowing a crimson red.

Something was happening? No, something was wrong.

“Lucario!” With a cry that was more like the roar of a raging beast, Lucario slammed his skull against his opponent’s, disorienting them but not fully breaking their hold. That was until Lucario head-smashed them again, and then again.

“Lucario, that’s—!”

Before Korrina could even finish interjecting, her Lucario finished the job, shattering his opponent’s grip and stunning them completely. With killer efficiency he slammed Gurkinn’s Lucario back and pulled them into a tight headlock.

“Lucario! Throw him off, over your shoulder!” Gurkinn’s command was clear but no less ineffective. His Lucario tried to wrench Korrina’s off, but their opponent cut them at the knees, tightening his grip on their neck.

They were truly and utterly pinned, gasping for air, helpless—

—But not for long.

“Pikachu, Iron Tail!”

Storming onto the field, Ash and Pikachu arrived to turn the tide of the battle. Pikachu leapt from Ash’s shoulder before delivering a full force Iron Tail straight down.

“Chuuu— Pi-Ka!” The strike was laser-focused, slamming Korrina’s Lucario on the head and giving Gurkinn’s Lucario the chance to pull away. “Pikapi!”

“Pull back, buddy, don’t get too close!” At Ash’s words, Pikachu bounced away, skidding to a stop at Gurkinn’s Lucario side, the two of them staring down the rampaging beast that was their opponent. Ash gritted his teeth. “Korrina, I don’t know what’s going on but you need to get a hold on Lucario!”

“What do you think I’m doing!? He’s not listening to me!” she fired back, her eyes a mix of worry and utter indignation. “Stand down, Lucario!”

No dice. Lucario didn’t even seem to parse her demand, instead diving straight in for another hit against Gurkinn’s Lucario.

“Thunderbolt, Pikachu!”

“Block with Aura Sphere!”

Lucario slammed a fist against his opponent’s Aura Sphere a mere moment after it was made, threatening to barrel through it with just another push. It was only thanks to a timely shot of lightning from Pikachu that the two managed to bring Korrina’s Lucario to a stop.

Now it was time for the counterattack.

“Iron Tail, slam him down!”

“Go for his legs, Lucario!”

With perfect timing, the twin pair of Gurkinn’s Lucario and Ash’s Pikachu struck, the latter from above and the former from below. Korrina’s Lucario was smashed into the ground, legs pinned by Gurkinn’s Lucario as he thrashed about.

“Great job guys!” Ash’s heart soared. They finally had an in to wrap up this mess. “Now, Pikachu, let’s finish this with Thunderbolt!”

“Piiika! Chu—!?”

Unfortunately, Lucario wasn’t going to make it easy for them.

Throwing his shoulders back, he launched Pikachu into Gurkinn’s Lucario, loosening their grip and letting himself pull free— at least partially. Dragging himself forward with a frightening speed, Lucario made his getaway, with Gurkinn’s Lucario desperately holding onto his legs.

Ash’s eyes quickly scanned the field, searching for something, searching for an idea. As he saw where Korrina’s Lucario was blindly crawling towards, such an idea came to him.

“Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Keep him going straight!”

“Pika?” A tone of confusion went through Pikachu’s voice, one he quickly buried. This was no time for questions. “Piiika— Chuuuu!”

As Lucario’s rampage began to drift to the left, a shot of lightning redirected him to the right. When he began to diverge to the right, another shot kept him on the straight and narrow. On and on, Lucario dragged himself forward in an unbending line—

—Until he crashed head first into the stoney henge that overlooked the battlefield.

“Now, Lucario, pin him down with Bone Rush!” Gurkinn cried out.

“You too Pikachu, Iron Tail!” Ash called in turn.

Capitalizing on their opponent’s moment of daze, Pikachu and Gurkinn’s Lucario rushed into action. The latter immediately produced a set of staffs to lock Lucario down at the waist, while the former crashed an Iron Tail down on Lucario’s wrist, sealing it to the stone like a makeshift shackle.

Just in time as well. Korrina’s Lucario shook off his stun then and began to thrash about.

“Ghraa! Ghraaa— Rio!” It was hard to even recognize what Lucario was even saying now, his voice reduced to a guttural roar more than anything. He kicked against his bindings, reaching for Pikachu with his one free arm before Gurkinn’s Lucario slammed it back into the rock.

No more chances to wait. They had to end this.

“Pikachu, Thunderbolt!”

“Lucario, Aura Sphere!”

Delivering a double dose of massive damage, Pikachu and Gurkinn’s Lucario barreled down on Lucario from each side— Pikachu’s Thunderbolt blasting through him while Lucario’s Aura Sphere slammed into his chest. This had to be it. This had to do it!

Their hopes were misplaced.

“Cari— Raaaaaaah! Lucaaaaaario!” Despite being pinned down, despite being faced with his supposed equal in Gurkinn’s Mega Lucario, despite everything, Korrina’s Lucario raged on through it all. He thrashed against his restraints, nearly overpowering both opponents at once as he tried pulling his arms free.

“Pikachu, Thunderbolt, full power!” Ash’s command was well-meaning, but it had little effect. Pikachu was already firing at full power. At the pace things were going, it wouldn’t be enough.

They needed something else, something to tip the balance, push them over the edge. They needed—

“Fennekin, Flamethrower!”

A column of fire rocketed across the battlefield, as Ash turned with a look of shock and awe.

There, just behind him, Serena stood. A mix of worry and determination was on her face as she and her partner Pokémon stared straight ahead.

Fennekin’s attack hit its mark, slamming into Korrina’s Lucario and just barely avoiding Pikachu and Gurkinn’s partner. After a few moments of sustained fire, the flames petered out, and the final attempt to bring down Lucario came to an end.

A flash of light filled the charred and torn-up battlefield. When it cleared, Lucario’s Mega Evolution had faded away. All that remained was the Pokémon himself, just barely holding on to consciousness.

Notes:

The Korrina Arc continues now, as things begin to diverge more and more from the timeline we knew. Just what set Lucario off like that, and why was he so powerful?! Find out next time as we approach, The Bonds of Mega Evolution!

Chapter 11: The Bonds of Mega Evolution! Part 1

𝒳

“Okay, explain it to me one more time.”

“So, it was like this—”

The grassy pathways of the Pomace Mountains were usually quiet this time of year. The early spring air was just too chilly for most tourists, the main source of noise the scenic route would see in its day-to-day life. Today, however, it wasn’t tourists that were trekking through its serene vistas.

Today, it was a set of knucklehead trainers.

“When you Mega Evolved Lucario, it was like your Auras were exploding. Just boom, boom, fwoosh, I was feeling everything!” At the front of the group as usual was Ash, recounting what he felt days prior, during Korrina’s first attempt at Mega Evolution. He was doing his best to explain it in the only terms he had, miming out the rest with his hands and body. “But then, something happened. Your Auras didn’t change, something about your Auras together changed.”

“Hmmm.” At Ash’s side, same as she had been for days now, was Korrina, who listened to Ash’s explanation with great fervor. Her mind plugged away in thought for a moment before she sighed. “Nope, still don’t get it. How can our Auras change, but also not change!”

“I dunno, that’s just what I felt!” Ash’s shoulders slumped, threatening to send Pikachu careening off in one move— A move Ash quickly apologized for.

“Come on, Ash. We gotta figure this out,” Korrina pleaded, stepping ahead so she could be in Ash’s line of sight as they walked. “Last thing I want is to come back to my grandpa empty-handed.”

“Blegh, yeah, you’re right,” Ash glanced back to where Serena and the others were trailing behind. It’d been a few days since they’d managed a stop at a Pokémon Center, and it was beginning to weigh on his friends. Hopefully, they’d arrive at their destination soon enough.

At that thought, Ash’s mind began to drift to the standoff that set Korrina and his group on this detour to begin with.

---

𝒳

“Your performance today cannot be called anything but disgraceful! All this time I believed you two to be strengthening your connection, preparing for your birthright, only to find you no different than the day you left!” Gurkinn’s voice ripped through the grassy field that stood outside of Geosenge Town, startling the pair of Korrina and Lucario as they sat still at his feet.

“But, I thought we did everything we needed— What did we do wrong, Grandpa!” Feeling a pang of bravery, Korrina looked up at Gurkinn, pleading and justifying all in one response. Despite her attempts to explain herself, however, Gurkinn’s anger did not cease.

“You have become stronger, but you have become no wiser. You have trained for the battle but your bond is no greater!” he boomed, knocking Korrina’s gaze to the floor once more. Gurkinn wasn’t done, however. Far from it. “At your current level, you will never rise to be the successor of our family!”

“Hey, leave her alone!” All at once, Ash interjected into the public scolding, bringing Gurkinn and Korrina to a moment of pause as their surroundings returned to them. Behind Ash stood the rest of his party, watching the altercation with a mix of apprehension and concern. “Korrina worked insanely hard to get to this point— She doesn’t deserve this!”

“Pika— Pikachu!” Right there at his side as always, Pikachu growled, a distinct threat coming along with his words.

Gurkinn scoffed.

“Stay out of this, Ash. You may have helped my granddaughter up till this point, but it’s obvious you haven’t helped her achieve what she needs.” Turning away from Ash, he faced Korrina once more.

Gurkinn’s tacit dismissal sent a shot of anger through Ash’s system.

“Yeah, because that was your job!” Ash fired back, balling his hands into fists and raising one forward. “If Korrina isn’t ready yet, it’s your fault for not helping her get there!”

Ash’s accusation echoed across the open field, bringing Gurkinn to a moment of contemplation. A thought was passing through his eyes, one Ash couldn’t parse. He hoped it was a good thought regardless.

After a few seconds of quiet, Gurkinn sighed.

“To the north of here lies the Pomace Mountains. There, you will find the master I trained under. Seek them out, and they shall teach you what you need to know.”

With that, their journey was set.

---

𝒳

“I dunno Ash, maybe I’m just not cut out for this Aura stuff.” Korrina’s confession shook Ash from his train of thought, her apparent vulnerability catching him off guard.

“Don’t say that.” Putting a hand on Korrina’s shoulder, Ash delivered a smile alongside his assurances. “If a knucklehead like me can get it, you’ll be a whizz at this stuff in no time!”

At that, Korrina’s worried frown became a small smile, one that quickly grew as she stood straight once more.

“You’re right, I just gotta—”

“Ash, Korrina, I’m sorry to disrupt your conversation, but I think we’ve arrived!” At some point between the recollecting and conversation the two were having, Clemont and the rest of the group had gotten ahead of Ash and Korrina. They stood at a curve in the path, overlooking something in the plateau ahead of them.

Turning back, Clemont shot the two a smile.

“Yep, I’m sure of it. We’re here!”

---

𝒳𝒴

“Hey! It’s me, Gurkinn’s granddaughter! He sent me here to do some training!”

Korrina’s fist pounded against the front door of their destination, as if doubling her knocking would halve the time she’d have to wait. It became increasingly obvious by that point that her impatience had become legendary— If her barreling past the beautiful scenery of their destination didn’t make that clear enough.

She’d completely missed the fact that the mountain-side manor she was knocking on was a tree-house of all things.

After a few more minutes of incessant knocking, the door cracked open.

“Yes, yes, hello, I’m here,” a voice called out, surprising Korrina as she took a step back. When the door came open completely, an entirely unexpected figure came forward.

“Huh—?”

“Hello everyone, my name is Mabel.” The person that voice belonged to was nothing more than a little old lady, barely taller than even Bonnie was. She was dressed in loose-fitting fabrics, scarves around her head and neck, with a wide-brimmed hat to top it all off. Her skin was wrinkled and sun-aged, curved around a gentle smile that was at home on her face.

At her side was a curious sight, a Mawile, who looked on at Korrina and the group with an inquisitive expression.

Forging ahead, Korrina took charge and began her request again.

“Ms. Mabel, my name is Korrina, I’m a student under my grandfather, Gurkinn. He asked me to seek you out, to help me and my partner master Mega Evolution!” Korrina’s commanding, determined expression faltered for a moment, as she stepped back and motioned to the others behind her. “And, uh, these are my friends! Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.”

“Heya! It’s great to meet you!” Ash continued, giving the kind old lady a wave before the others made their quick hellos. After a moment, the conversation went back to Mabel.

“Good girl, your grandfather taught you to mind your manners, making proper introductions.” Mabel said that with a chuckle, looking at Korrina as she made her way out of the doorway. “If you don’t mind then, would you and Lucario give me a demonstration of where you are with your Mega Evolution training?”

“Would we ever!” Jumping up with excitement, Korrina pulled out Lucario’s Poké ball, just on the precipice of sending him out. Then, however, she paused. Looking towards Ash, she slowly put the ball back. “...I’m sorry, but, I can’t.”

“Oh?”

“Korrina, what’re you saying?” Ash was practically floored by his surprise. Korrina dismissing a chance to show off and Mega Evolve? It was unthinkable! Yet still, she shook her head and looked up at him and Mabel.

“When Lucario went berserk last time, it took both Ash and my grandfather to stop him,” she began, the incident from days prior replaying in her head. “I don’t want to risk Mega Evolving until we get more training.”

A moment of quiet took the group, before Mabel nodded.

“That’s quite understandable, dearie,” she replied, approaching the group again and coming to a stop. “We’ll get you and Lucario right-as-rain very soon!”

“Thank you, Master Mabel!” With a bow that was almost unlike her, Korrina paid her respects to Mabel, who chuckled as she turned.

Mabel glanced back to Ash then, something about him catching her eye. After a moment, he noticed her lingering gaze and pointed to himself.

“Pray tell, I ask, why have you joined Korrina on her journey today?”

It wasn’t an accusation, more so a curious question, one Ash was happy to answer.

“We’re here to help Korrina master Mega Evolution!” he explained, pausing for a moment while his initial excitement dampened. He lowered his voice and his head in respect. “And, because I’d like to train with her, so I can use Mega Evolution too one day.”

“Ohoho, training the successor and the inheritor, will I?” Mabel surprised Ash with her keen knowledge of his plan. It seemed it was a mistake to underestimate Gurkinn’s teacher of all people. “Alright then, I’ll happily take you both on as my students. Come, we have a lot of fun in our futures!”

With a surprising burst of energy, Mabel turned around and marched back to her front door, holding it open and inviting the others to come in. At her side as well was Mawile, who similarly heralded them through with a cheery look.

“Awesome!” Calling out in unison, Ash and Korrina flew through, excited to begin before anything.

A moment after, Clemont and Bonnie went, the former thanking Mabel for her hospitality as he passed.

Finally, that left Serena. She looked on at Mabel and the open doorway, a thought working its way through her mind.

“Sorry dearie, but these old bones can’t hold open this door forever.” Mabel’s comment shook Serena from her stupor.

“Ma’am, could I ask you something?” she inquired, reaching forward to prop the door ajar and let Mabel rest. “Watching those two get so excited to come here— It’s made me really curious to see what it’s all about. So, I was wondering…”

Taking a deep breath, Serena steeled herself.

“Could I, take part in the training, alongside Ash and Korrina?”

A sparkle of something new grew in Mabel’s eye at Serena’s request, as a kind smile took her face once more. Nodding, she turned and stepped into her manor.

“That would be quite alright indeed.”

---

𝒳𝒴

“Flower arranging, frigging flower arranging.” Korrina huffed and puffed from her spot at the table, trying her best to keep her voice down as she grumbled about her work. Strewn all around her and Lucario were the clippings of various flowers, the necessary sacrifices for their so-called training. “I thought I was going to learn how to control Mega Evolution, not decorate for my wedding.”

Glancing back, Korrina looked to Ash, and to Serena who sat across from him. They too were taking part in the same task as her, putting together a flower arrangement with their partner Pokémon: Pikachu and Fennekin respectively. Korrina’s eyes lingered on Serena for a moment longer before she turned back.

Even if Korrina didn’t understand why they were doing all this, she still wanted to do her best.

“A clipping here, some compositing here, aaaaand—” Serena smiled as she stepped back, Fennekin hopping over to join her. The two gave their creation one last look-over before nodding. “Yep, I’m done!”

“Same here!” Giving his and Pikachu’s handy-work a final check, Ash called it, leaving just Korrina and Lucario left.

“One second— Lucario, can you— Thanks.” Korrina breathed a sigh of relief, thankful she and her partner were at least on the same page with this whole thing. It made it go faster. “Yep, we’re done too.”

“Splendid!” Popping through the door at the end of the room, Mabel made her sudden return, surprising the trio plus their Pokémon as she began looking over their handiwork. Ash, Korrina, and Serena grouped up while they watched Mabel carefully analyze the first of the three arrangements. “Hmmm, interesting work from Korrina and Lucario.”

“Cario?”

“Oh?” Korrina perked up at that, curious but also admittedly desperate for some sort of feedback during her time here. She held her breath as Mabel nodded and hummed in thought to herself.

“This arrangement tells me that you two are very close, with hearts that beat almost identically to one another.” Pointing to the clean and orderly lines between Korrina’s half of the arrangement and Lucario’s half, Mabel continued. “But though your hearts are the same, they are still separate.”

“The same, but separate?” Korrina repeated the observation aloud, hoping to grab some extra context from the old master. When Mabel moved on to look at Serena’s arrangement instead, Korrina groaned.

“My, my. What an interesting use of vernal buds!” Mabel sauntered around the display, looking over the bed of still unbloomed flowers. They crowded the plant bed, bustling like a crowd of onlookers to the display’s central figure: A bright purple Crane’s Bill. “This tells me quite a bit, Serena.”

“It does, ma’am?” Serena stepped forward at that word, holding Fennekin up in her arms as Mabel turned back to look at her.

“The bond you have with your Fennekin is healthy, but still budding. With time and effort, it will bloom!” Giving the girl a wide-toothed grin, Mabel walked off, approaching the last of the three displays and leaving Serena and Fennekin to chatter excitedly with themselves.

Ash’s and Pikachu’s arrangement was perhaps the ‘loudest’ of the three. It boasted tall spires of gold and orange freesias, coming down on the pot that contained them like a storming bolt of lightning. It was appropriate considering the pair that had made it, though there was little doubt they had done it by complete accident.

Mabel hummed in thought for a moment, before turning back to the pair.

“This one tells me you two have a strong and unfettered bond, forged by many years together,” she explained.

“Pikachu— Pikapi!”

“Yep, that sounds about right! Me and Pikachu have been through everything, thick and thin!” Ash concurred, flexing the arm Pikachu was perched on and letting his partner strike a pose himself. Mabel snorted at the sight of the two, before continuing.

“That being said, for as strong as the bonds this displays for you, it also reveals something else.” Her words pulled the wind from Ash and Pikachu’s sails, as they quieted down and listened. “It tells me that one of you is troubled by some unresolved tension.”

A moment of quiet passed, as all eyes turned to Ash, who found himself the center of attention all of a sudden. Yet still, it was like he didn’t even notice. Instead, he just blinked and thought Mabel’s words over for a second.

“Troubled, huh?” He looked over to Pikachu, who shared his confused, if worried expression. Finally, though, that worry broke. “Wow Pikachu, I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“P-Pika? Pikapi!” Pikachu was incensed at the implication that he was the troubled one, ready to pick a fight over it right there and then—

If their time there wasn’t already up.

“But enough of that— You’ve all done wonderfully! I’m excited to see you try again, tomorrow,” Mabel explained, bringing the session to an end before anyone had a chance to say anything. In a flash, the trio and their partners were shooed out of the room, with the door firmly shut just behind them.

“What the heck was that! Tomorrow— She wants us to do that again tomorrow?” Korrina huffed, stomping away from the door, but not getting too far away from Lucario and a certain someone. “What’s your take on all that, Ash? Have you ever trained like that before?”

“Can’t say that I have,” he replied with an awkward laugh, his attention split between Korrina and a thought that was buzzing through his mind. Soon, however, his attention focused. “How about you, Serena— You enjoy your first shot at training?”

“Enjoyed it? We loved it!” she replied, raising Fennekin up, who yipped in an excited agreement. “Me and you did so well arranging those flowers, didn’t we!”

Korrina rolled her eyes as she watched Serena and Fennekin chirp about their experience. She was happy they were having fun, but Korrina was looking for something more involved than clipping flowers.

An idea came to her as she looked between Lucario and Ash.

“Ash, that was cool and all, but wouldn’t you wanna try some real training?” she offered, a familiar, goading energy to her voice as she gave Ash a sly grin. Despite his hesitancy a second ago, she soon infected him with her energy.

“Would I ever!”

With that, the two plus their partners were off, leaving Serena and Fennekin to their own devices. The former couldn’t even get a word in before they were gone. Serena huffed for a moment, before turning back to Fennekin and smiling.

“Good job today, Fennekin.”

---

𝒳𝒴

The group was back to flower arranging the very next morning. With Mabel’s feedback in hand, the name of the game quickly became improving on their creations from yesterday— And no one was as motivated to do so as Serena and Fennekin were. Though they were happy to have received Mabel’s praise, they still technically ranked the ‘worst’ of the three. They wanted to change that. They wanted to do better

Mabel said their bond was budding, and they wanted it to bloom.

Looking over the table of options before them, Serena and Fennekin hummed in thought. The variety of flowers they had today far outstripped what they had yesterday. But that made sense. After all, they had asked Mabel if they could go pick some flowers from the local area before they began. Serena was hoping it’d give them a leg up.

“What do you think about—”

“Fenn!” Before Serena could finish the question, Fennekin had an answer. She knew what Serena was going to ask— Because Fennekin was having the same thought.

Serena smiled and got to work.

After a little while longer, the arranging came to an end, and the judging began.

“Hmmm, very curious indeed.” Mabel paced around the table that held all three arrangements this time, her eyes glancing from one to another to their arrangers and back again. Finally, she came to a stop and turned to the trio fully. “Korrina and Lucario, you’ve improved! This arrangement is still distinct, yet there is crossover between you and your partner’s side of the piece.”

“Heck yeah! See Lucario, I told ya we’d get better!” Korrina high-fived her partner, taking the early shot of praise and running away with it. It was a shame there was scrutiny attached to it as well.

“I’m sure that training you lot were doing behind my back was a help as well,” Mabel added, causing Korrina and Ash to freeze up at the mention of it. The former of the two turned slowly and laughed awkwardly as Mabel chuckled. “Whatever way you two find your connection is valid, just remember to not neglect what you came here to do.”

With Korrina’s alternate training tacitly approved of, Mabel turned to the next pair of the day, Serena and Fennekin. The two stood with a nervous sort of energy, Serena especially close to practically biting her nails in the wait. Mabel almost wanted to laugh, though she knew that’d send the wrong message.

“Serena, you and Fennekin have improved remarkably as well! Your budding bond is beginning to peak through— Keep tending to it, and it will become a beautiful flower in its own right.” Mabel’s words left Serena and Fennekin a squealing mess, as the two celebrated with a cheer that was just short of grating to the ear. The flower picking paid off!

Chuckling, Mabel turned to the final pair to be graded: Ash and Pikachu. Her smile stayed bright as she looked upon the two, glancing back at the work they had made today. It was another strong testament to their bond, solid and true.

That, however, was all it was.

“You two are unchanged.”

---

𝒳𝒴

With the day’s training over and done with, everyone quickly sorted back into their lodgings, some less pleased than others.

“What’s going on with us, buddy? I thought we were just having an off day— But it sounds like something’s really bothering you.” Ash frowned as he took a seat, locking eyes with Pikachu while his partner did a double-take.

“Pi— Pika! Pikapi, ka Pika-Pikachu!” Ash’s implication still didn’t go over well. Pikachu was quite certain— Something wasn’t bothering him, it was bothering Ash!

“What’re you talking about? There’s nothing wrong with me!” Ash was similarly irate at the idea. He was Ash Ketchum! When did anything ever bother him? Honestly.

“Maybe you two should take a shot at what me and Fennekin are doing?” Speaking up from her side of the room, Serena grabbed Ash’s attention, smiling at him as she continued to brush Fennekin’s fur. “Picking our own flowers apparently helped me and Fennekin get closer, so maybe it’ll help you guys too!”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea!” Ash nodded as he thought it over, the concept going over well with him and Pikachu alike. “Alright, next time, we’re gonna—!”

Just then, the door to their room slammed open all at once, as Korrina barreled in.

“Hey, Ash! Wanna go train some more?”

“Boy do I!” And before Ash could even finish the thought, he and Pikachu flew out of the room at top speed, following Korrina as they went. Just like that, Serena and Fennekin were alone.

Serena sighed before laughing.

“Oh, those two…”

---

𝒳

“Okay, let’s try this again.”

It was late into the evening now, with the setting sun hanging over the horizon, just looking for a reason to dip down and let the night take its place. Where there was still light, however, there was an opportunity to train, to improve, to grow stronger.

Ash, Korrina, and Lucario stood on a grassy knoll outside of Mabel’s manor, hands interlocked as they prepared to take another swing at the main focus of their training: Korrina and Lucario mastering their Aura. With Ash as their guide, they could hopefully begin by seeing what he had seen.

“You guys ready?” Ash looked to the two, each holding onto him with one hand, and holding out their respective stones with the other. In sync, Korrina and Lucario nodded, closing their eyes in order to begin. After a moment, Ash closed his eyes as well. “Okay, let’s give it a try, see if you can feel each other’s Aura again, like last night.”

The world went quiet for the three, as the ambience of the mountain lowlands became muted and distant. First, all they could hear were leaves blowing in the gentle wind. Then, that went away, and they were left with the sounds of each other’s breathing. Finally, that too faded back, and each other’s heartbeats were all that remained.

Korrina and Lucario’s hearts were beating together.

A band of energy formed in the air, arcing like lightning from Korrina’s Keystone to the Lucarionite, connecting the two.

“You guys did it!” Ash didn’t even need to open his eyes to see that. He could feel it, the sheer Aura of their bond in the air before him. “Okay, while you’ve got it stable—”

Ash spoke too soon.

“Ahh!”

The plume of energy burst, zapping all three participants, breaking the connection in an instant. By the time they opened their eyes, the power was already gone.

“Darn it!” Korrina groaned and stomped her feet, throwing a fist behind her and storming off a few paces. “Why can’t we get it! I was so close, so close to feeling it!”

“Cario! Lucario!” Lucario was similarly frustrated, making his point to Ash and Pikachu with wild gesticulations as he turned in place.

“Hey, I thought you guys did a lot better! You actually held it this time!” Ash’s words of assurance seemed to fall on deaf ears, as the pair continued to grumble on their opposite sides. He sighed.

“Pika-Pi-Chu…”

“Ash, give it to me again. Tell me what you felt back then.” Pushing through her frustration, Korrina came back, approaching Ash with her hands at her side. “When we Mega Evolved for the first time.”

“I don’t know what else to tell you. I felt your guy’s Aura go wild, and then something changed.” Ash scratched his head as he tried to recollect the spar from days prior. “Your Auras didn’t change, but something about them together changed.”

“Something about our Auras changing together— And from what Mabel said, the two of us are the same, but separate.” Humming in thought, Korrina worked over the two cryptic clues she had, trying to find some way to fit the puzzle pieces together. Soon, however, all she could do was groan. “I don’t get it.”

“Yeah, I’m lost too.” Ash tried laughing it off, to little success.

Korrina merely turned and looked down at her Keystone with a huff. For a moment, the two stood there, looking at the same sight.

Then, an idea came to Ash.

“Hey! If we keep getting shocked when we try with the stones, why don’t we ditch ‘em?” His suggestion was practically a joke to Korrina, who did a double-take at the mere sound of it. When her incredulity didn’t cease, he pushed the idea further. “We’re just trying to feel Aura right now, and your Aura was pretty easy to read even before you guys Mega Evolved. If it’s Mega Evolution that’s zapping us, getting rid of the stones can get us some real progress!”

“That, could actually work. Let’s try it!” Korrina immediately tore off the glove housing her Keystone, while Lucario followed suit with his Mega Stone armband. In an instant, the trio were back in their positions, hands interlocked and eyes closed.

With that, the world went quiet.

Korrina’s head dipped down, as she gave a silent prayer that it’d work this time. She and Lucario had worked so hard, trained for so long— She just wanted the trials to be done with. She knew her partner, knew Lucario’s heart inside and out, because it was her heart as well.

Its beat, its tempo, its melody, she could recognize it in an instant, if she could just feel it. If she could just—

Was, was that it?

“L-Lucario?” Korrina sputtered over herself, a smile growing across her face. “I think— I think I can feel it, your Aura!”

“Lucario!?”

The two opened their eyes, and the feeling didn’t go away. Aura— They could feel each other’s Aura!

“We did it!” Korrina pounced Lucario, dragging him into a twirling hug that he happily returned. “Your Aura! It’s right there! I don’t know how I couldn’t feel it before now— It’s right there!”

“Cario! Lucar— Lucario!” Lucario was similarly ecstatic, hopping up and down as he recounted what he felt in turn. This wasn’t the first time he’d felt her Aura, but it was the first time he’d sensed it in such detail!

From the sidelines, Ash and Pikachu watched the two chatter excitedly with themselves, pride in their eyes as they let them have their moment.

Yet for Ash, there was something else in his expression than just his pride.

“Pikapi?” Spotting something was amiss, Pikachu perked up. “Pikachu, pi?”

“Ah, it’s nothing, buddy.” Ash chuckled. Pikachu could always zero in on what he was thinking. There really was no point in hiding it. “I’m happy for them getting it down! I just wish, I could figure out what’s keeping us down too.”

Notes:

The Korrina Arc approaches its end, as Ash and Korrina seek the wisdom of the Mega Evolution Guru, Mabel! Will they learn what they need to master the art of Mega Evolution? Or will they find their own way through the mystic practices of Aura!? Meanwhile, Serena's curiosity has gotten the best of her, as she asks to train alongside Korrina and Ash! What exactly is she looking for!?

Find it all out now next time, with The Bonds of Mega Evolution! Part 2!

Chapter 12: The Bonds of Mega Evolution! Part 2

𝒳𝒴

Mabel’s workshop was quiet today.

It had never been particularly loud up till then, as after all, they were just arranging flowers. Yet today, it was especially quiet. Korrina, Ash, and their partners stood by, waiting for the last pair of the group to finish, with their own submissions already completed.

Serena and Fennekin’s piece was beautiful, a bouquet of orange amaryllis standing proud and tall for the whole room to see. It was just missing one thing though— Its creators.

“Sorry for the delay!”

Bursting through the door, the pair in question arrived. Serena sheepishly rushed across the room, Fennekin in tow and a bundle of their pickings in hand. Those two were out hunting for flowers again, looking for the perfect specimen to cap off their piece. And after nearly a half dozen sessions of Mabel’s training, arriving late was just the standard fare for them at this point.

“These were in such a tough to reach spot. It took us forever to get them down!” Serena explained with a laugh, sorting through the bundle of flowers she had brought in until she found the exact one she was looking for— A pristine, white lily-of-the-valley. “Now we just feed the stem through here, and here, and pull these flowers through—”

“Fenn!”

“Right, pull across, good catch!” With that correction from her partner, Serena put the finishing touches on their submission. “Okay, I think we’re good. Done!”

“Then let’s get this underway!”

At Serena’s word, Mabel had arrived in the workshop, seemingly just waiting for the perfect time to make her appearance. With a kind smile to the three and their Pokemon, she got to work judging.

“Hmmm, let’s begin with this one.”

It was Korrina and Lucario’s arrangement. The two had taken another shot at a previous attempt, producing a bed of sturdy flowers with slightly off-colored petals: Light orange for Lucario and a deep yellow for Korrina. It was almost impossible to tell whose flowers were whose now.

Almost.

Mabel could tell, and in that, she could see how well blended each side had become. The boundary between the two was melting away.

Mabel smiled— It was progress.

“Korrina, your grandfather sent you here to temper the bond between you and Lucario, the same way he did. Yet to me, it seems you’ve found your own way, perhaps a better way.” Mabel looked back to the two, surprising them with praise alongside her feedback. “Still, there remains a barrier you two will have to overcome, in order to tie your two views together.”

Mabel glanced down, her eyes aiming at the lack of Mega Stone or Keystone on either of the pair. They had left them behind, again.

“You understand, I hope?”

Korrina gulped before nodding, Mabel’s meaning coming through loud and clear: Don’t neglect what she came here for— It was time to face Mega Evolution again.

“I do, ma’am.”

“Good girl.” Smiling, Mabel turned to the next of the three to be judged— Her star pupil of sorts. “Serena.”

“Yes, ma’am?” The call jostled Serena from her spot, as she didn’t expect the sudden address. Her nerves got away from her for a moment, before she calmed and let Mabel speak.

The old master grinned.

“Your hard work and dedication have paid off greatly. Though you and Fennekin began your time here as mere novices, you’ve taken to my tasks with admirable determination and an open heart.” Turning back to Serena’s piece, to the amaryllises wrapped in a crown of lilies-of-the-valley, Mabel nodded. “I have nothing else to teach you.”

“Fenn!?”

“I— We— Oh… Wow.” Serena paused, processing Mabel’s words once, then twice, then a third time, just to make sure she was getting that right. Had she and Fennekin just, won? This wasn’t a competition, of course, but it still sounded like they’d, won, that they had managed to complete Mabel’s training before Ash and Korrina. “I’m sorry, could you say that—”

“Congratulations, Serena!” With a merry pat on her back, one that was perhaps a bit too strong for the girl, Ash congratulated Serena, pumping a fist as she processed her shock. “I know you could be great at this! How do you feel!”

“I feel— Ecstatic!” It took her a moment to realize it, but Serena’s heart was racing, almost beating straight through her chest. She was struggling to even find the words to describe it, that’s how excited she was. “It’s like— It reminds me of—”

It was the feeling she got, watching Ash battle.

“Is this how you feel, when you beat a gym?” Serena’s question was sudden and unexpected, seeming to throw Ash off for a moment, before he nodded.

“All the time! It really gets your blood pumping, right?” Ash gave her a grin as he made his point, earning a strong nod and smile from Serena in return. At that moment, the two of them truly saw eye-to-eye on something:

A love of competition, and the heart-racing rush of victory.

After a while longer, the two broke up their little exchange, and focus returned to Mabel once more. She still wasn’t done after all. There was one last pair that needed their assessment.

“So, how about me and Pika—!”

“Young man.” Mabel’s voice was kind even as she interrupted Ash, letting him know she wasn’t upset. It was just her time to speak. “I can tell you find yourself to be of the helpful sort. You’ve done much to aid both your friends to make it this far.”

Mabel motioned to Korrina and Serena, who stood at each side of Ash.

Realizing she was leading with a shot of praise, he relaxed.

“Aww, thanks ma’am. We—”

“You’d do yourself a lot of good to begin helping yourself from here on.” Mabel’s voice was less kind now, not mean, but not comforting either. It let Ash know something immediately: she was serious. “Your arrangement is the same as it has always been. There has been no improvement from you and Pikachu.”

---

𝒳

“So it’s like, I don’t know where me and Lucario can even go from here. We’ve got the Aura sensing down pretty well, but doing it with the stones still zaps us!”

Korrina threw her head back, dodging a lightning-fast swing from Lucario and putting creating distance in an instant. His follow-up strike was no better, as she simply skated out of the way with the aid of her rollerblades.

“It’s not like we can just get used to the electricity like you are, Ash. And there isn’t much more training we can do now, either.” Korrina turned away from Lucario then to make her point, as she expertly jumped up to avoid a sweep of her legs. Reading her partner’s aura almost felt like cheating when it came to their spars. “Where do you go after this?”

“Lucario!” Lucario reared back and swung, hoping to catch Korrina by surprise— But with Aura sensing on her side, he might as well have attacked her from the front.

“Hyah!” Korrina caught Lucario’s fist, bringing him to a dead stop before latching onto his arm. Then with a mighty heave, she flipped her partner over her shoulder, slamming him onto the ground in front of her. “Sorry, Lucario, but you’ll have to try harder than that~”

After helping her partner up, Korrina let Lucario take a break. She had a conversation to get back to.

“You get what I mean, Ash?” Yet, when Korrina turned back, the attentive training partner she was expecting wasn’t there. Instead, some knucklehead in a red hat stood there, staring off into nowhere. Korrina furrowed her brow. “Yo, Ketchum!”

Her call shook Ash from his stupor.

“Heh, sorry! Got lost in my own head again, I think.” Laughing to himself, Ash approached Korrina, joining her at the top of the grassy knoll where they did their training. It was late, the sun having set a good long while ago. Even Pikachu had gone to bed by that point.

“Thinking about what Mabel was saying again?” Korrina resisted the urge to add a jab to her comment, flushing away a prepared jeer as she looked at him. “You shouldn’t let her get to you. Me and Lucario found our own way, I’m sure you’ll figure out your own soon enough.”

“Well, I better figure it out fast.” Ash smiled as he looked off into the distance. “—If I wanna kick your butt before the Pokémon league that is!”

“Hey! I was being nice!” Korrina was laughing as much as she tried to feign offense. Comments like that were old hat between the two of them now. “And kick my butt? I’d like to see you try!”

“That’s the plan!”

The two shared a laugh, one that petered out into a calm, quiet comfort. They shared a moment, looking off into the mountain scenery, before Ash began moving again.

“So hey, about you and Lucario— If training with the stones keeps zapping you, why not skip the training, and get straight to the action?” Ash’s suggestion piqued Korrina’s interest, as she leaned in. “Why don’t you try Mega Evolving again! With all your training, I bet you could do a lot better.”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea.” Korrina looked over to where Lucario was resting, leaning up against a tree. Despite getting his butt kicked in their spar, he seemed otherwise spotless. Perhaps it was time to turn things up a notch. Perhaps— “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.”

“Huh?” Before Ash could even ask what she meant, Korrina was off, grabbing her bag and digging through it. He couldn’t help but snort at that. “It’s cool when you get an idea and run off with it, Korrina, but even I don’t know what you’re talking about right now.”

“I spar with Lucario all the time, we even used to do it once a night!” she explained, finally finding her prize: the Keystone and the Lucarionite. “Just because he can Mega Evolve now, why should I stop?”

Korrina’s intention hit Ash all at once. She intended to spar with her Mega Evolved Lucario.

“Lucario, round two’s coming up! Catch!” With an expert throw, Korrina sent the Lucarionite flying to her partner, stunning him as he too understood what she was getting at. Korrina grinned. “Chin up, buddy. This isn’t anything to worry about.”

“Korrina—”

“Don’t try to stop me, Ash. I’ve already made up my mind. Besides—” Korrina turned and shot Ash a grin that was half-way between cocky and utterly mad. “Don’t tell me you’re not totally into this.”

For a moment, it was like Ash was looking in a mirror.

“Yeah, yeah I am.” Ash couldn’t help it. The smile, the energy, it was infectious. He was getting pumped up! “Let’s do this!”

“You heard him, Lucario!” Whipping around, Korrina faced Lucario head-on, watching as he approached with the Lucarionite in hand. There was an apprehension in the way he walked, an apprehension Korrina felt immediately. She gave him a smile. “Don’t sweat a thing, buddy. Just remember what Mabel said.”

“Cario?” He paused at that, unsure of what Korrina meant.

So, she would remind him.

“Our hearts are the same, but separate. There’s a barrier between us, that’s keeping us from tying our views together.” Korrina slid on the glove carrying her Keystone, before raising a fist to present it. “I don’t know if I understand what it all means yet, but I know this— If mastering Mega Evolution means working on our connection, then nothing will help us better than this!”

Throwing her fist to the sky, Korrina called out.

“A battle, right here and right now! You and me, Lucario!”

Her words hung in the air for a moment, as Lucario stared at her with a look of thought.

“Cario… Lucario!” Then it clicked. Like a bolt of lightning coursing through him, Lucario went into overdrive, fiery energy burning in his eyes. Slamming the Mega Stone into his armband, Lucario took a battle stance. “Lucario!”

“That’s the spirit, buddy! Let’s go!” Korrina took position herself, mirroring her partner as she crouched down and held her arms forward. With one final sneer, she glanced back at Ash. “Hold onto your hat, Ketchum, because this is going to be a wild ride!”

Korrina slammed her hand down on her Keystone.

“Bring our hearts together, and let our power burst to life! Mega Evolve!”

Thick bands of pure white energy filled the air, connecting Korrina and Lucario and lighting up the whole battlefield. The power, the sheer Aura it let out, it almost knocked Ash right off his feet. Yet still he stood firm. He needed to see this.

The light encased Lucario, who let out a proud battle cry as his form disappeared and a pure silhouette remained.

“Lucario!” The light dispersed and Lucario was gone. Now, Mega Lucario remained.

Korrina and Lucario stared each other down, a mixture of apprehension and exhilaration filling the air between them. Getting low, Lucario tightened his fists and tensed his muscles. Korrina did the same, her hands touching the ground, taking something akin to a runner’s stance.

It was time.

“Hyah!”

“Lucario!”

In an instant, Lucario flickered from view, going straight for the first strike. Yet, despite his edge in terms of speed, Korrina had one advantage.

“Not yet!” Throwing her head back, Korrina narrowly avoided the bone-crushing hit, sliding past thanks to her rollerblades. She skidded to a stop and took off again, sneering whilst Lucario whipped around to find her. “Did ya forget I can sense your Aura! Doesn’t matter how fast you go—!”

Lucario rolled and shot towards her, still just barely missing Korrina as she leapt over him.

“—I know exactly when you’re gonna strike! Hyah!” Slamming her skates into Lucario’s back, Korrina used her opponent like a springboard, gaining speed and distance while striking all at once.

“Cario!” Lucario wouldn’t be deterred, however. He rocketed forward once more, closing the distance and going for another swing.

“Hah! I told you, that won’t—”

In a flash, Lucario’s fist accelerated, becoming far faster than Korrina originally guessed. She only just barely dodged the hit as it swung by.

“F-fast!”

Rolling back, Korrina went on the defensive, dodging hit after hit by just the skin of her teeth. Sensing where Lucario was going to swing could only get her so far. She had to be fast enough to dodge each hit too!

“How about a little detour to slow you down!” Breaking away from Lucario, Korrina took off, skating at full speed towards a patch of trees that bordered their sparring grounds. Lucario leapt after to try to stop her, but she just narrowly avoided his thundering strike. “Too slow!”

With that, she disappeared into the shadowy woods.

“Lucario!” Lucario roared, his eyes flickering across the treeline. He couldn’t spot her— So he’d just have to remove her cover! “Cario!”

With a proud battle cry, Lucario leapt forward, shattering the first tree he could find with a deadly axe kick. The sturdy cherrywood shuddered as it crashed into the ground— the first of many. With expert precision, Lucario cut down another tree, then another, then another! A chorus of careening logs filled the night as Lucario looked for his sparring partner.

“Whoa! Take it easy, Lucario!” Sprinting from her cover, Korrina appeared once more, dodging a falling tree while she aimed straight for Lucario himself. “We can’t get too crazy!”

“Cario!” Lucario roared, ready to strike hard and strike fast. He reared back and— “Lucario!?”

His fist was caught in a shattered tree!

“Gotcha!” Korrina leapt and dropkicked Lucario, slamming him into the ground before she jetted off once more. With a snide snicker, she returned to open grassland, before turning and facing the trees. “Come on, Lucario! I know you can do better than that! Don’t tell me you’re holding back for little ol’ me!”

Korrina’s taunt wasn’t meant to be a question— But she received an answer regardless.

A deep, guttural howl filled the air, stunning Korrina silent in an instant. It was savage, bone-chilling, and the sheer force of Aura it let out nearly knocked her off her feet. When she looked up, her trusted sparring partner was no longer there.

A beast had taken its place.

“Right, this again.” Korrina scowled, standing face-to-face with the source of all her woes. Lucario had completely transformed. His mannerisms were wrong, his disciplined fighting stance nearly unrecognizable. Most striking of all though, was his eyes now glowing a crimson red. Korrina’s fist tightened. “If you think I still can’t take you, then you have another thing coming!”

With that, she flew forward with a full force sprint.

“Ghraa!” Lucario thundered across the field, a shuddering plume of energy at his fist. When the two met, he reared back with an earth-shattering strike.

“Nope!” Korrina rolled out of the way, narrowly skating past the hit. Now behind him, she went to deliver a powerful kick of her own to Lucario’s back.

“Ghraa-rio!” But Lucario caught it! With lightning-fast reflexes, he reached back and brought her to a dead stop.

“Huh!? How did you—?!”

“Lucario!” Wrenching Korrina off the ground, Lucario turned, whipping her around before he sent her flying across the battlefield.

“Ow— Frick— How— Sonnova—!” Korrina rolled to a stop, head whipping up to keep her opponent in her sights. Her tumble across the ground had banged her up, leaving her with a few bruises as she stared Lucario down. That didn’t matter, however. “How did you—?!”

Korrina paused, looking up at her partner whilst the gears began turning in her head.

“You sensed my Aura that time,” she realized, a smile growing across her face. “You haven’t completely lost control!”

Hopping to her feet, Korrina began bouncing in place, fists raised as she readied herself for round two. In time with her, Lucario summoned a staff with Bone Rush.

“Good, don’t hold back, not for a second!” she roared, shooting forward at top speeds. “That was just a warm-up!”

“Lucario!”

From the sidelines, Ash watched the spar-turned-brawl, a mixture of ecstasy and trepidation running through his veins. Every hit, every dodge coming from those two, it let out waves of crackling energy— energy that was whipping up the entire battlefield into a flurry. Korrina was right. Ash had to hold onto his hat, or else it’d be sent flying by their trading blows.

“Those two… They’re amazing!” Ash laughed as he took a step back, another wave of their energy rolling over him. It was like nothing he’d ever seen or felt before, like the Aura itself was fighting alongside them.

It was roaring, crying— Singing. Each strike was a note in the chorus that their Auras were singing. Their fight was almost like a duet in that way. Two singers, a perfect match, only just out of tune.

Out of tune.

“Korrina!” The thought was only half-formed in Ash’s mind, but he was sure of it— He’d finally put into words what he had felt! “Your Aura! It’s the same as Lucario’s, but it’s out of sync. You gotta sync up!”

Korrina somersaulted back a few paces from Lucario, dodging swing after swing of his staff until they both came to a stop. With room to breathe, she smiled.

“Sync up, huh? I can do that!” she called back, raising the fist carrying her Keystone.

Her moment of pause, however, was Lucario’s moment to strike. He stormed forth, teeth bared, closing the distance Korrina had made in an instant. This time there would be no escape, no room to dodge!

So Korrina wouldn’t dodge.

“Hyah!” Standing her ground, Korrina jammed her fist into Lucario’s maw, skidding back as she brought his attack to an end. When the cloud of dirt that was thrown up dissipated, the two stood firm, interlocked and fighting for dominance.

“He, he stopped.” Ash slowly straightened up, shock running its course as he looked on at the impasse.

Lucario and Korrina were nearly head-to-head, strong stances holding them in place as they vied for control. Yet, despite Lucario’s obvious advantage in strength, he didn’t simply bowl over his partner. Instead, all of his energy was invested into one thing— His jaw, wrapped around Korrina’s Keystone.

Korrina grinned.

“Lucario can’t bite through the Keystone,” she said, jostling her fist to show his iron grip on it. “Not cause it’s too hard, but because of what it is.”

Caressing Lucario’s face, even as he growled and shook against her, Korrina nodded.

“It’s my half of our bond.” Her explanation rang through the open air, as Korrina went to do something even Ash would consider reckless; she pressed her forehead against Lucario’s. “I know that cause I know you. And I know you, because I know me, Lucario.”

Lucario began to thrash about, pulling against Korrina’s fist, against her touch. Yet still, she kept her head firmly pressed against her partner’s.

“We have one heart, Lucario, just two views,” she called, the energy in her voice rising, her Aura singing. Its chorus rang out with her message, loud and clear. “Tie our views together— And we’ll use it to become stronger!”

To become stronger, together.

Lucario froze, and then calmed, his body slacking against Korrina’s for a moment, before tightening once more. Then, with a nod of his head, he pulled away from Korrina’s fist, and stood tall and steady.

His crimson eyes were amber once again.

Korrina’s heart swelled at the sight of her Pokémon, her friend, her partner, looking at her with his own eyes once more.

“You did it, Lucario!”

---

𝒳

“Thank you, Master Mabel, for everything.” Korrina went into a deep bow to emphasize her point, dipping her head down below her teacher’s. Around her stood the other members of the group, packed and ready to hit the road back to civilization. They just had a few last goodbyes to make beforehand.

Mabel couldn’t help but smile

“It was a pleasure having you, Korrina. Your resourcefulness in your time training here was quite a sight to see!” she said with a kind nod. “If I were a little more humble, I might even say you didn’t need me.”

“No way!” Korrina stood straight at that implication, waving off the idea in an instant. “I couldn’t have done anything without your guidance to help focus my training!”

At that, Mabel chuckled.

“Good girl. Tell your grandfather I wish him well— And that he should call more often.”

Taking her request to heart, Korrina nodded, before stepping back. In her place, Serena came forward.

“Ms. Mabel, I wanted to thank you as well. Me and Fennekin had no idea what we were getting into when I asked to train with you— But it’s been so much fun!”

“You’re quite welcome, dearie,” Mabel replied, dipping her head back as she began thinking. “I’ll confess, I was surprised by how well you took to my training. But now I’m more than certain your bond with Fennekin will take you far.”

Serena’s smile grew at Mabel’s words, as she gave her master a final bow of respect. With that, the last of the thanks had been delivered, and it was time to go.

As the group began to shuffle off, Mabel’s eyes glinted towards the head of the party.

“Ash, could I speak to you for a moment?” Her voice was calm and steady, a relief to Ash as he split off from the group and approached. When he arrived at her side, Mabel was smiling. “I wanted to thank you for your help with Korrina’s training, and for your encouragement of Serena. However, I cannot help but wonder—”

Mabel’s smile disappeared, leaving a disappointed look underneath.

“When are you going to help yourself?”

“Pika?”

“Huh?” Ash paused at that, glancing at his partner as he was unsure if he even understood her correctly. When Mabel’s expression did not budge, however, it became clear he had heard her loud and clear.

She wanted an answer, one he wasn’t sure he could give.

“Hey, Ketchum!” Just then, Korrina’s voice broke through the awkward impasse Ash found himself in, pulling him back towards the group once more. “Get your butt moving! Unless you want me carrying you to Shalour City the whole way!”

With that, Ash shook his head, as he turned back to follow.

“Sorry Mabel, I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Notes:

With that, the Korrina Arc comes to a close! Thanks to Ash's familiarity with Aura, he and Korrina have managed to help her master the art of Mega Evolution! Meanwhile, Serena has excelled in her own training, refining her bond with Fennekin to the point that she has surpassed her peers!

While Korrina and Serena have seen stunning success, Ash leaves the Pomace Mountains the same as he arrived. Something hangs over his mind, something even he is unaware of. Will he heed this warning? Or will something forever elude our hero!?

Find out next time as our group heads to Avignon Town!

New Chapters Return to Tuesdays at 6PM EST

The Diancie Arc has begun!

Chapter 13: A Diamond's Best Friend!

Notes:

Credit to the lovely @Bird_Partii on twitter for their art of Diancie!

𝒴

“996, 997, 998—” Serena’s hand was steadily at work, muscle memory carrying the brush she held through rhythmic, practiced strokes. It was a good thing too— With her thoughts so preoccupied, she could barely concentrate on anything else. “999, 1000… 1001.”

No, today, Serena’s mind was on the image of battle.

Iron Tail, slam him down!

Go for his legs, Lucario!

“1002, 1003, 1004…” It had been days now since the group parted ways with Korrina. Yet still, their time with her seemed to be on repeat in Serena’s mind, one day in particular above all else—

Pikachu, Thunderbolt, full power!

—The day Korrina’s Lucario had first Mega Evolved, and the battle that ensued.

“1005, 1006…” It’d be silly for Serena to deny her guilty pleasure at this point. The way intense battling could send her heart racing, it was like nothing else. Yet, this battle was something different, something fundamentally different.

Fennekin, Flamethrower!

It was the first heart-racing battle, which she had taken part in.

“Fenn!”

Fennekin’s voice broke through Serena’s train of thought, snapping her to attention all at once. Her surroundings came back to her. They were sitting on a bench in a sunny plaza, at another stop the group had made, on their way to Shalour City. She had been taking the opportunity to give Fennekin her daily grooming before her mind got away from her.

“1007— Oh, look at me, daydreaming again, hehe.” Shaking her head, Serena put the brush away, before giving Fennekin’s coat a good pet. Yet, Fennekin didn’t seem to appreciate the comforting gesture.

“Fenn! Fennekin!” Her face was worried, and the meaning of her call rang loud and clear to Serena.

It was odd actually. Ever since their training with Mabel, Serena almost felt like she could understand Fennekin better now.

“Oh, it’s nothing, I’ve just been thinking, is all,” she reassured, hoping to leave it at that. Another yip from Fennekin, however, quickly let Serena know she wasn’t getting off that easily. She couldn’t help but let out a laugh at that. “Alright, you win. I’ve been thinking about the last few days, and, about battling.”

“Fenn?”

“The kind of battling that Ash and Korrina do,” Serena clarified, as she looked up at the clear skies overhead. “I’ve been thinking… If battling like that comes from a strong bond, could we do that one day?”

“Serena!” Clemont’s voice rang through the air, leaving out any chance for Fennekin to reply. The boy in question was rushing to the two from a nearby walkway. “Ash’s gotten into a battle! I thought you wouldn’t want to miss it!”

A smile grew on Serena’s face as she stood. As much as she wanted to say her guilty pleasure was just hers to know, Clemont had been encouraging her for quite a while now. She appreciated him for that.

“Coming!”

---

𝒴

“Use Pound, Froakie!”

“Fury Swipes, Meowstic!”

A flurry of movement filled the air, with two combatants racing to make their move. The time for warm-up had long passed, and now they had to find the finishing blow.

“Froa!” Froakie delivered a barrage of blows to his opponent, the cat-like Pokémon expertly dodging or deflecting each one. Making just one connect would lead to his victory, but his opponent was just too quick on her feet. So he’d need something more than speed.

“Meow!?”

“Froakie!” With a deceptive feint, Froakie rolled past Meowstic, forcing her onto the back foot.

The closing hit— he’d found it!

“Water Pulse, now!”

Summoning a plume of torrential water in his hand, Froakie fired, blasting Meowstic back until she slammed against a solid wall. When the dust and debris from the collision settled, only one Pokémon remained.

“Way to go, Froakie!”

“Hmph. Impressive.” Ash’s opponent was quite a sight, determination burning in her eyes and in the commands she spoke. Even as she sent out her final Pokémon, she was perfectly poised with a fierce intention to her words. It was a stark contrast to Ash, who just seemed to be getting more and more fired up as the battle went on. “Absol, I choose you!”

At that call, her ace appeared, glistening white fur contrasting against dark gray skin. Through sheer presence alone, Absol towered over the battlefield, pulling the attention of each-and-every onlooker. Yet, their most eye-catching feature was the Mega Stone hanging from their neck.

“Now we’re talking! Froakie, return!” Ash called back his dauntless partner, a grin growing across his face as he got ready for the final round. “I choose you, Hawlucha!”

The last member of Ash’s team appeared with a flurry of wind to mark his arrival, as he struck a pose to show his warrior flare.

The players were set, and the match began once more.

Serena’s heart raced along at the sight of the battle before her, the lightning-fast move and counter-move of each Pokémon dazzling her every sense. The addition of Hawlucha had made things especially exciting, turning the spectacle up to eleven. The way he battled was like no other member of Ash’s team. He moved like he was putting on a show!

Yet, just when the battle began to really get going, something caught Serena’s eye. It was surprising actually. Up until then, she had been completely entranced by the sight of Ash’s battling. Now, however, something else pulled at her gaze — A Pokémon, brilliant and shining against the dull stonework of the town.

It was a bright pink, with what looked like honest-to-goodness diamonds adorning its body, all wrapped up in a dress of white fabric. The beauty of the pixie-like Pokémon captivated Serena’s attention, until she noticed something.

It was scared.

With darting eyes, it rushed into a nearby alley, hopping along and nearly tripping over itself in the process. Moments later, a pair rushed in after it.

It wasn’t just scared. It was being chased.

“Oh jeeze.” Serena’s head shot between the alley and Ash, as panic flooded her system for a moment. She couldn’t just stay here— She had to do something!

But do what?

“Fenn?” Grabbing her attention, Fennekin broke through to Serena, grounding her. The two shared a moment of eye contact, speaking volumes with just a look.

They knew what they had to do.

---

𝒴

The pink Pokémon stumbled down the dark alleyway, desperately trying to push herself forward. It was okay— She was fine— Those assailants were long gone by—

A flash of movement forced her to a stop.

“Our little game of cat-and-mouse is over, princess.” A man, dressed in the cobalt blue uniform of a ninja, stood tall and imposing in her path. At his side was a stoic and unyielding Greninja, weapons drawn to ensure no errant escape attempts. “Why don’t you do us all a favor, and give up.”

She took a half step back, her voice caught in her throat. She saw danger standing before her, in the flesh, and she couldn’t come up with a word to say.

Soon another voice joined the fray.

“That’s funny, Riot. We were about to say the same thing.”

Appearing from an offshoot alley behind her, two more figures appeared: A smiling, mischievous woman dressed with an impression of a witch, and her devious and cunning partner, a Delphox.

“Merilyn.” Riot’s voice turned from its cold disposition, growing disgusted at just saying the woman’s name. “Attempting to poach my target once again, she-witch?”

“Oh come now, Riot, baby. What do you say we skip the harsh words, split this prize fifty-fifty?” In contrast, Merilyn’s voice remained silky smooth, even as her attention turned to the man across from her.

“Pfeh, you’ve long lost any trust I could place in you.” Riot went into a fighting stance, pulling a pair of kunai from his sleeves while his Greninja mirrored his movements.

“Hmph, you’re right.” Shaking her head, Merilyn reached into the alleyway beside her, raising a crooked metal staff from it into view. “I probably would’ve just run off with the loot again.”

Caught in the middle of the two’s venomous exchange, the pink Pokémon gulped and began to hop away.

“It is clear that you two have much to discuss. So, I shall excuse myself—”

“No!” Merilyn and Riot snapped to attention in unison, realizing their target was getting away. In a flash, the two of them shot forward to bag their prize.

Then, a new voice rang out.

“Get away from them!”

A pillar of fire blasted through the thin alley, forcing Riot and Merilyn back in an instant. Whipping their heads up, they searched for the source of the intrusion. Yet, when the smoke and dust cleared, it was right in front of them.

Serena and Fennekin stood tall in the alleyway, the former’s arms raised as she put herself between the two poachers.

“What do you think you’re doing!” she shouted, Fennekin barking in unison. Meanwhile, the pink Pokémon stood frozen behind her, staring at her supposed savior.

For Riot and Merilyn, the sight of Serena just made them loosen up.

“Sorry kid, but this is the business of adults,” Merilyn pressed, stepping forward with Delphox right behind.

“Do not meddle in the affairs of the shinobi, girl, or you won’t live to regret it.” Riot was far more direct with his threat, holding up a kunai to make his point. Behind him, Greninja backed his word up with a shuriken of water.

Serena gritted her teeth, fear running through her system, threatening to overrun her resolve.

“I won’t let you hurt this defenseless Pokémon!” she blustered, hoping she could pull through on sheer intimidation. Unfortunately, her opponents were far more intimidating.

“Then I shall put an end to you, with my dark arts.” Riot stepped forward, startling Serena into a yelp and shutting her eyes. Yet, after a moment, no slash came.

When Serena looked again, Merilyn was holding onto Riot’s wrist.

“There you go again, with your affairs of the shinobi and dark arts talk,” she said with a groan. “Weren’t you kicked out of your village, aye ninja boy?”

“Do not defile my culture with your words, witch!” Riot tore his arm away, before turning to face her fully. “Watch your tongue or I will start with you first!”

They’ve turned on each other, Serena realized. Now was her shot!

“Fennekin, Flamethrower!” At Serena’s word, Fennekin unleashed another pillar of fire, forcing their assailants back. “Let’s go!”

Grabbing the pink Pokémon’s hand, Serena made a break for it, running down the alleyway with Fennekin in tow.

Unfortunately, things were far from over.

“Don’t let her escape!” At their trainers’ command, Greninja and Delphox raced after the trio— Delphox rushing through the last of Fennekin’s flames and Greninja leaping over them.

“Fenn!” Coming to a stop, Fennekin fired another Flamethrower— But to no avail. Delphox merely sidestepped the blast. “Fenn!?”

“Stay back Fennekin, don’t—!” Letting the pink Pokémon go, Serena jumped back to grab her partner, only to be grabbed herself.

“Gren!” Riot’s Greninja pounced, latching onto Serena’s outstretched arm and forcing her to a stop. Fennekin went to try and free her, but Merilyn’s Delphox put an end to that, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck. The two were caught, utterly and truly.

Yet not for long.

“Thunderbolt!”

A brilliant bolt of electricity shot through the alley, skimming just past Serena and slamming into her captors. Their bodies lit up with bright gold energy as they screamed in shock, allowing Serena and Fennekin to pull free. Whipping around, they found their saviors— Ash and Pikachu.

“Move!” he called, kicking them into gear. Serena wasted no time grabbing onto the Pink Pokémon and high-tailing it, Fennekin right at her heels.

“Ash!” Serena stumbled over herself as she turned the corner, finding Clemont and Bonnie lying in wait for her. Hope swelled in her heart for a moment, before a cry from the alley sank it once more.

“After them!”

“No time, let’s get out of here!” she shouted. With that, the group was off.

---

𝒴

“I think— we’re safe— for now.” Serena bent forward and inhaled, trying to catch her breath after the long chase she and the group had been through. All around her, the rest of the party was similarly panting alongside their newest member: That bright pink Pokémon, the one covered in gemstones.

“Who were those guys?” Ash asked, recovering first as he stood straight. Glancing back up the set of stairs they’d just run down, Ash checked to see if they were still being followed.

“I don’t know. I just saw one of them going after this Pokémon.” Having finally settled down her own breathing, Serena looked over at the Pokémon in question, who was the most winded of their group. “I’m glad though, that they’re safe now.”

“I am pleased— for my— safety— as well—”

A round of shocked looks took the group, disbelief flashing through their eyes.

“It— It just spoke! It’s using telepathy!” Quick on the draw as always, Clemont quickly identified what was happening.

“That’s so cool!” Bonnie, meanwhile, was far more thrilled than surprised, as she began circling around the Pokémon in question. “What’s your name! Can you say it like a normal Pokémon! Or do you use tallow-pathy for that too!”

“Actually Bonnie, it’s called tele—”

“Hey, that’s pretty awesome. Nice to meet you!” The most relaxed member of the group was, surprisingly enough, Ash, who offered the Pokémon a handshake. “I’m Ash, this is my buddy Pikachu, and these are the rest of my friends!”

Everyone made their introductions before it came back to the Pokémon once more. Looking around at the kind faces that surrounded her, she nodded and gave a smile.

“Everyone, it is wonderful to meet you. My name is Diancie.” Diancie did a bow as she said that, paying her respects until she straightened up once more. Her tone was formal and cordial, like she’d practiced introductions for a moment just like this.

“Diancie, huh?” Getting curious, Serena pulled out her PDA and began tapping away. After a moment, she had a list of results. The internet to the rescue. “A Pokémon capable of creating diamonds. Because of its rarity and strength, it’s categorized as a Legendary Pokémon.”

A moment of silence took the group.

“Legendary Pokémon!?”

Shock and awe filled about half of the party, with Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie absolutely floored at the sight before them. It was only Ash and Pikachu who seemed rather unphased by the news.

“Hah, I figured as much! Explains why those bad guys were after ya!” he exclaimed, Pikachu chirping out a call in time. His attitude was surprisingly blasé, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed.

“Ash, how can you be so nonchalant about this!” Clemont asked, stepping past Serena.

“Oh, me and Pikachu have been dealing with stuff like this for forever.” Pulling a cheeky grin, Ash gave a look to Pikachu, who nodded in agreement. “It’s sorta old hat for us.”

“Of course it is…” Serena sighed. One day she would learn not to be surprised by Ash and Pikachu— Today was not one of those days. For now, she turned her attention back to Diancie, who seemed to be giggling at the group’s antics.

Serena hadn’t had a chance to get a good look before now, but the dress that covered Diancie’s lower half had seen better days. The fabric was torn and muddied, hastily tied together to hide something that laid underneath. Serena imagined it couldn’t be easy for a Pokémon to hit up a tailor.

“Okay, that’s enough fun and games.” Putting her hands on her hips, Serena stepped forward, taking charge and the group’s attention all in one go. “I think Diancie could use a good cleaning, on the double!”

Diancie paused and looked up at Serena then, at the face that was offering its second spot of help that day. A moment of hesitation crossed her eyes.

With a smile and nod, however, Serena assured her everything was going to be okay.

“I think I would appreciate that very much.”

---

𝒴

“Ta-dah! Introducing— The new and improved Diancie!”

It was nearly dusk now, with the sun gently setting on the castle town of Avignon, basking it in warm evening light. Serena and Diancie had split off quite a while ago, promising to meet back up for dinner. So, with the rest of the party seated at a local outdoor buffet, the two were ready to reveal the fruits of their labor.

“It is wonderful to meet you all again!”

Standing at the end of the table, Diancie struck a balanced and dignified pose, showing off the transformation she’d undergone. Gone was even a speck of dirt and grime from her body, the diamonds that ornamented her cleaned to a pitch-perfect shine. Her polished surface was particularly spectacular, mirroring the group’s reflection back at them. Yet, her most eye-catching feature was what she was wearing.

Gone was the tattered bundle of cloth and fabric. Now Diancie sported a clean and untarnished skirt, with layers of white silk whose colors suited her perfectly.

“Whoa!”

“She’s so pretty!”

“Oh my! This is impressive, Serena!” Echoing Bonnie and Ash’s remarks, Clemont lauded Serena’s handiwork. “How did you put this together?”

“Heh, what can I say? It pays to always keep a sewing kit on hand.” Serena took on a surprisingly boastful tone for a moment, before she returned her attention to their guest of honor. “Diancie, why don’t you go get something to eat from the buffet?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Nodding her head with a smile, Diancie glanced around until she saw where the buffet stood. “I shall take my leave then, to the boo-fay.”

“I’ll go with you!” Hopping out of her seat, Bonnie quickly volunteered to join Diancie. With that, the two were off.

“Man. That Diancie sure is polite, huh?” Ash waited until she was out of earshot to make that comment, as he returned to the giant plate of food he’d gotten for himself and Pikachu. “She acts like royalty or something!”

“Oh, you don’t even know the half of it.” Taking a seat at the table, Serena began recounting her last few hours. “We talked a bunch while I was helping get her cleaned, and get this— She is royalty!”

“Wait, really!” It was Clemont who was astounded this time, as Serena nodded her head to confirm what she’d just said.

“Mhm! There’s this whole kingdom she comes from called the Diamond Domain, and her subjects are these cute little guys called Carbink!” Serena was more gushing than talking at this point, even as she dug out her Pokédex. With a few clicks, she showed the two the entry for Carbink— Small, rock-shaped Pokémon with bunny-like ears atop their heads. “She had a blast getting dressed up and trying on the skirt I made for her— Because she’s a real princess!”

“Reminds me of someone I know.” Ash let that comment pass under his breath, as he smiled and glanced to the side.

“I can’t believe we’ve met an actual princess, and a Legendary Pokémon at that!” Clemont added, his eyes glancing over to Bonnie and Diancie. His sister was showing Diancie how to use a set of tongs. After a moment, they disappeared deeper into the building hosting the buffet line.

“Right? Can you believe it! Just out of the blue, by herself!” After hearing her words aloud, Serena paused, her smile disappearing as she went into thought. “What is she doing out here by herself?”

Serena wouldn’t get an answer—

—because a shockwave rocked through the air then.

“Huh!?” Jumping to their feet, Serena, Ash, and Clemont looked up in horror, finding a pillar of smoke rising above the building next to them. In an instant, the people around them began screaming, running in a panic.

“Bonnie!” Clemont immediately rushed forward, cold fear in his eyes. Thankfully, his relief came a moment later.

“Clemont!” Running out of the building, Bonnie returned to the group, fortunately unharmed and unfortunately alone.

Alone.

“Diancie? Where’s—!?” A cackling laugh through the air cut Serena off, pulling her gaze upwards. “What!?”

There, above the building hosting the buffet, Merilyn floated into view. Perched atop a metal staff, hoisted by a Yanmega, she rose high above Serena and the group.

“Ohohoho! I just love how easy it is to get away with this with you people!” She laughed, raising a burlap sack forward and throwing it over her shoulder. The struggling movements that came from it confirmed Serena’s fears. “I want to steal Diancie, and what do you do? You let her go off by herself! With the four-year-old at her side!”

“Give her back you monster!” Serena screamed, Ash and Clemont backing her up in an instant. Their assailant, however, was less than impressed.

“Why? So you can lose her again? To Riot or whoever?” With her lips curling into a jeering grin, Merilyn tapped her staff, signaling her Yanmega to take them up higher. “No, I think I’ll be taking good care of her myself!”

“No!” Despite her cries, Serena was powerless to do anything but watch, as Merilyn flew back into the pillar of smoke.

In an instant, they disappeared into the night.

So you can lose her again?

Merilyn’s words echoed in Serena’s mind, as she recalled the incident with Amaura from weeks ago.

---

𝒴

“Alright, your highness, end of the line.”

With little fanfare or regard, Diancie was sent flying out of a burlap sack, tumbling onto what felt like a scratchy, padded surface. Furniture? She couldn’t quite tell.

She was dazed, but after a moment her surroundings came into focus.

It was dark. To her right was a wall of old brickwork, and to her left, a mass of metal cogs. They moved with a rhythmic tick-tock-tick-tock. Ahead, a round white panel was on the wall, covered in black symbols she couldn’t parse.

Diancie didn’t know where she was, and she didn’t like it.

“Where have you brought me?” Diancie turned to face her captor.

Merilyn, the smug witch, was smiling at her, hands at her hip as she stood between Diancie and the room’s exit: A staircase leading down.

“You can call this place my Witch’s Tower.” Approaching, Merilyn took a seat next to Diancie, crossing her legs and striking a surprisingly casual tone. “It’s a sort of safe house for me, while we get down to business.”

“Hmph, this house does not feel very safe.” Diancie huffed, folding her arms as she looked away. After a moment, she hopped off the old sofa the two shared. “I have no interest in doing business. Good day to you.”

“Good day to—? Hey, wait a second!” Merilyn stared for a moment as Diancie hopped past her, before she jumped to her own feet. “Delphox!”

Diancie was mere inches from reaching the stairs, before her exit was closed off. Delphox stood in her way now, rising into view from the staircase and brandishing her wooden wand.

“Phox! Delph, delphox!” With Delphox’s shrill cry, Diancie was sent stumbling back right into Merilyn.

“Sorry princess, but you have work to do. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and you’re my ticket to a motherload of them.” Pushing Diancie off, Merilyn moved to tower over her captive. Yet, despite her distinct height advantage, Merilyn’s attempt at intimidation was less than successful.

Diancie huffed and crossed her arms once more.

“I am the princess of the Diamond Domain— I have never worked, and I do not intend to start now.”

“Well, tough luck! You better get used to it.” Merilyn could feel her patience beginning to fray. Just who did this upstart princess think she was? “Because there is gonna be no escaping, no grand rescue, and no friends to come bail you out!”

“Friends?” Pausing, Diancie looked up at Merilyn, a sincerely curious tone to her voice. “What are friends?”

“I— Huh?” That one caught Merilyn off guard, as she dropped the domineering routine. “Wow, I knew princesses were sheltered, but this is a new one.”

Glancing over to her Delphox, Merilyn looked for an answer, only to receive a confused shrug from her partner. She was on her own.

“Uh, well, friends are like, people that you enjoy being around. They do stuff for you, just because it’ll make you feel nice.” Merilyn couldn’t believe she was giving this afterschool-special lesson in the middle of a job. If she wanted her threats to land, however, her victim had to understand what she was saying! “Get it?”

“Oooh. Well then, I do have a friend!” Diancie struck a dignified curtsy, as she motioned to the skirt she had wrapped around her lower half. “Serena!”

Silence stood in the room, with Merilyn staring at her supposed captive. When she had imagined exploiting a Legendary Pokémon for fame and profit, this conversation was not what she expected. She had half a mind to just try this again tomorrow.

A voice cutting through the silence put that idea to rest.

“I think it is time for this charade to come to an end. I will be taking Diancie now.”

Eyes snapped to the back wall, where the silhouette of a pair appeared in the clock tower’s face. Before Merilyn and Delphox could realize what was happening, the face’s panel slid open, and two new figures were in their company.

“Riot!” Merilyn gritted her teeth, grabbing her staff and holding it forward. “How did you find us!?”

“The shinobi is the paradigm example of the unseen— of being inconspicuous.” The blue ninja closed his eyes as he stepped forward, his trusty Greninja at his side. “The cackling witch flying through the night sky— is anything but.”

“Oh, cut it with the ninja talk! Paradigm of the unseen my butt!” Merilyn threw her arms down at her sides, her temper flaring. For a moment she forgot that this was a standoff. “Do I need to remind you why you got kicked out of your village!?”

“Del! Delphox!”

“Do not start with this again!” Riot’s composure was lost in an instant, his focus on his target gone with it.

“Couldn’t pass your camouflage tests! You flunked out every time!” Merilyn’s lips turned up into a grinning jeer, as her Delphox came to join her with a snicker.

“That’s it! Greninja, Water Shuriken!”

“Mystical Fire!”

With a flash of movement, the sparks of battle began to fly, quite literally. Delphox’s plume of fire and Greninja’s torrent of water collided in midair, exploding and filling the room with a dense layer of steam. For a moment, it became impossible to see anything through the thick cover.

“Riot! Where are you!”

“The witch still can’t find her broomstick with two hands— You really haven’t changed, Merilyn!”

Diancie stumbled through the cloud of steam, stopping only once she hit a wall. Those two, they were more focused on each other than her now— This was her chance to escape!

“Thank you for teaching me the meaning of friends. Now I must go find mine.” Even Diancie was unsure how sincere that comment was. There was no time to dwell on that, however. She had to rush to the now clear stairwell.

There it was, down the flight of stairs— The exit! Going as fast as her hopping could take her, Diancie went straight for it, not looking back for a second until she’d reached the doorway.

The locked doorway.

“Flamethrower!”

With that command from the other side of the door, Diancie leapt back, wide-eyed amazement on her face. The metal of the handle was glowing, turning from its cool steely bronze to bright red in an instant. Then, with a strong cry, the door was thrown open.

Moonlight flooded the stairwell, obscuring Diancie’s savior in a shadowy silhouette. Only when they stepped forward, did Diancie realize who it was.

Diancie’s gaze fell onto a kind face, offering its third spot of help that day. With a smile and a nod, it reassured her that everything was going to be okay.

Diancie grinned.

“Serena!”

Notes:

And so the Diancie arc kicks off with a bang! Serena and her friends have met the eponymous Diancie in some quite dire circumstances, and now they've been pulled into her troubles! Just where will Diancie and her quest lead them?! And what will Serena learn about herself, and her new friend along the way!?

Find out next time!

Chapter 14: A Princess's Promise

𝒴

“And then, Riot and Merilyn began brawling with one another, with force rather than their words. Under the cover of their battle, I slipped away.”

After Serena and the others had rescued Diancie from the clock tower, the group decided to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the Pokémon hunters. They were now at the opposite side of town, sitting on a park bench under the light of a street lamp. It was late into the evening.

“I must ask, however.” With her story having come to an end, Diancie turned and faced the group, looking to Serena in particular. “How did you locate me?”

“Ah that’s an easy one!” Ash quipped, before proceeding to not explain how.

“As it turns out, neither of those two are particularly inconspicuous.” It was in fact Clemont who answered her question. “You could see the flashes of light and noise from their attacks from half way across town.”

“Do you know why they want you so badly, Diancie?” Serena stood up from her seat then, crouching down to look Diancie eye-to-eye. Even so long after Diancie had been rescued, Serena’s nerves were visibly frayed.

Diancie nodded.

“The one named Merilyn requested that I make diamonds for her,” she explained, looking down at her own hands for a moment. She made two fists. “Fortunately… Or, rather, unfortunately, I’m unable to do what they desire of me.”

“You can’t make diamonds?” Bonnie was never one for subtlety, as she repeated what she heard in plain speak. Diancie tensed, before nodding her head.

“That is why I am here, rather than in my kingdom,” she answered, turning away and looking up to the night sky. The stars were out in full force. “I have been sent on a quest to unlock my true powers— By finding the place where All Earth Ends.”

Silence took the group, before Diancie snorted and turned back.

“You can see, with directions like those, how I have gotten lost so easily.”

A feeling swelled in Serena’s chest, one she couldn’t parse but could still understand. She stood tall and looked on at Diancie, surprising the princess with her burst of gusto.

“Well, with instructions that vague, and those guys chasing after you, maybe you should have someone to accompany you.” Serena smiled, calming Diancie’s nerves and her own all at once. “You can call it a… royal escort!”

Looking back to the group, Serena shot her suggestion to the others.

“I think that would be a wonderful idea!”

“Roadtrip!”

Clemont and Bonnie seemed enthusiastically onboard, voicing their support without much reluctance. That just left Ash and Pikachu. Those two hesitated for a moment, before Ash broke into a smile.

“If Diancie needs help finding wherever that place is, then I’m down!” he exclaimed, Pikachu agreeing with a happy chirp. With that, there was only one last person to give their input.

“What do you say?” Serena brought the suggestion back to Diancie, getting down onto her knee as she did so. She couldn’t explain why, but something drew her to Diancie, wanted her to help. Whatever the feeling was, though, she was happy to oblige.

Diancie’s hesitation disappeared, before she smiled.

“Serena, everyone, I shall grant you permission to escort me on my journey.”

Serena paused as Diancie genuflected then, granting her declaration royal legitimacy. Yet still, Serena couldn’t help but laugh.

“Eh? Permission?”

---

𝒴

“So, how do you know where you’re meant to be going?”

It’d been a few hours since the group had embarked upon their impromptu adventure, leaving Avignon and trekking out for parts unknown. In the interest of time, it was decided they would take an overnight bus in order to cover more ground. Now it was late into the evening, with most of the party fast asleep, save for a few quiet voices still talking and listening.

“I do not, fully.” Diancie looked out from the bus window, watching the full moon following them close behind. “I feel some force pulling me in certain directions. But I do not know where our journey will lead us.”

“You weren’t kidding about the vague directions,” Serena muttered, a thought going through her mind. From her spot, she could see Ash and Pikachu, fast asleep in the row ahead of her. “Sent out into the big, wide world, and you barely know what you’re supposed to be looking for— Jeeze, it’s like looking in a mirror.”

“Oh? What do you mean?”

Serena hesitated for a moment, not realizing she had spoken aloud at the end there. Still though, she replied.

“I’m, in a similar situation. I left home searching for something, but I don’t really know what.” Glancing back to Ash once more, Serena bit her lip. “I’m supposed to find what I want to do with my life, but nothing’s really clicked.”

“I’ll admit, I do not understand,” Diancie spoke with a surprising tinge of embarrassment to her voice. “Why do you not just do what you want? You want things, no?”

“No, it’s—” Serena giggled, the heavy feeling from moments ago fading away. “It’s more than that. I mean a goal, a job, something to… pursue. Like how you’re looking to unlock your powers.”

“Oh! Then I understand!” Thinking it over for a moment, Diancie nodded her head. “Perhaps I could help you then, like you are helping me. Tell me, what do you like to do?”

Serena couldn’t help but laugh, Diancie’s exuberant attitude lifting her spirits. If only it were that easy. Still, she gave the question the thought it deserved.

“If you promise not to tell, there is one thing.”

“A princess never betrays a promise.”

“Well… I’ve been thinking for a while now—” Pausing, Serena gulped, before pushing the thought up and out, into the open for the first time. “That maybe, I’d like to start challenging gyms, like Ash does.”

Silence reigned in the bus, Serena’s words echoing in her own mind. Yep, she’d just said it. No going back now.

After a moment, Diancie spoke again.

“Oooh, that sounds like it would be a good thing to pursue. I’m sure you would be excellent at it.” Diancie was so confident with her declarations. Serena didn’t know where she got it from. Even she didn’t believe in herself that mu— “Though, I do have one question. What are gyms?”

Serena paused before she laughed, earning a miffed pout from Diancie. Taking a moment, she broke through her own giggles to speak again.

“Okay, so, Pokémon Gyms are like this…”

So Serena began to explain the Pokémon League, recounting everything she had learned from Ash and Clemont in their time traveling together. As she did so, she gained another attentive listener.

In the row of seats ahead of them, Clemont smiled before settling back in to sleep.

---

𝒴

“Woooow! What sort of castle is this!” Diancie hopped and turned, gazing out far in every direction. No matter where she looked, the grand complex she found herself in just seemed to go on and on for forever! “This must belong to a great queen!”

“This isn’t a castle, silly.” Serena joined Diancie’s side then, the rest of the party following close behind as they arrived at their latest stop. “This is the mall!”

After a few days of traveling by bus, the group had decided to take a break to rest and check out the local sights. Serena was especially excited for this stop in Orsay City— The home of the most famous mall in the entire region, the Mall of Kalos!

Bustling crowds of people filled the building, shuffling in and out of dozens of shops in every direction. Across four different levels, the places to visit seemed endless.

“Come on, let’s take a break for a while— I’ve got to show you the boutiques they have here.” Serena took Diancie’s hand into her own as she laid her offer down. “Shopping is a girl’s best friend after all!”

Serena wasn’t alone in that thought.

“I wanna go too!” Bonnie hopped forward with an excited squee, taking Diancie’s other hand and egging her on. After a moment, Diancie giggled.

“Alright then, I shall permit this excursion,” she said, holding that distinctly royal tone to everything she said. Soon, however, it began to slip. “Your princess declares it— Let us partake in the shopping!”

“There she goes, giving us permission again.” Serena laughed before she looked at the three stragglers— Clemont, Ash, and Pikachu.

“You guys can go ahead, I’ve got some shopping of my own I’d like to do.” Clemont quickly opted out of the girl’s day out, a knowing glint to his eyes as he turned to the last two. “Care to join me, Ash?”

“Nah, me and Pikachu are gonna pass. We’re gonna get back outside and do some training.” Making a fist and pumping it, Ash grinned. “We gotta be ready to face Korrina!”

“Pika!”

With that, the group split up, the plan for the day set before parting ways.

Only time would tell how close they’d stick to that plan.

---

𝒴

If the mall was a grand castle, then the boutique before Diancie was a wardrobe fit for royalty. All around her, aisles and aisles of clothing racks stood, stuffed from end to end with a dumbfounding number of outfits, in dozens of bright colors that just went on and on. It’d be almost impossible to find more than one copy of a single piece of clothing, that’s how varied the assortment was.

“Oh wow! Is all of this for us?” Diancie asked, her royal intonation slipping as she looked up at Serena.

“Heh, not exactly.” Smiling, Serena crouched down to be level with her. “We can try on whatever we want, but we can’t keep more than one or two outfits, okay?”

“Oooh, okay!” Diancie took on a determined grin and nodded. “Then I shall find something truly beautiful! Fit for a princess!”

“Come on, let’s go!” Ever the patient one, Bonnie blazed ahead, Serena and Diancie just barely keeping up with her excitement. “I wanna try everything!”

And try everything they did! From stylish sundresses to dashing pantsuits, from silk blouses with pleated skirts to cotton apron-dresses and the accessories to boot— The three of them went through the boutique’s stock like there was nothing else to do in the world. All the while, they talked, took pictures, and giggled over some of the more absurd items on selection.

When Serena walked out wearing a dress that looked like an ice cream parlor, Diancie and Bonnie doubled over in laughter.

After a while, though, Serena began to notice something. It was about two dozen dresses in, when she was applauding Diancie’s latest outfit.

“Hm.” Serena hummed in thought, before what she was seeing finally clicked— Throughout this entire outing, Diancie had been keeping something on, no matter how unflattering it may be. It was the skirt Serena had made for her days prior. That realization made her pause. “Huh?”

“I said that I loved this dress, but would like to try something lighter!” Diancie said, repeating herself and pulling Serena off her train of thought.

Realizing she was being spoken to, Serena stood up.

“Right, yeah. Let me pick something for you then!” Serena smiled as she said that, sorting through the pile of clothes she had at her side. After a moment, she pulled out the perfect choice, a short ruffled dress with an off-shoulder neckline. “Here, try this!”

When Serena turned back, Diancie had already taken off the previous outfit— Everything but the skirt, again. That fact stood out to Serena, as she handed over the dress and watched Diancie approach the changing room.

“You know, the clothes would fit even better if we ditched that bottom,” she suggested, her quizzical expression turning into a ready grin. “They’d match better too!”

“Oh! Oh, no. That is quite alright.” Diancie paused but did not turn, keeping her back to Serena. “I am quite satisfied with this article of clothing.”

Serena’s smile weakened.

“I know you like my sewing and all, but I promise you’ll like these better,” she assured, standing up with another outfit in hand. “For one thing, they were made by people who knew what they were doing.”

“Ah, it is not that.” Hopping into the changing room, Diancie gripped the privacy curtain and closed it behind her. For a moment, Serena hesitated pushing the subject.

“What is it, then?”

Diancie went quiet, not even going to change from the sound of it. Soon, however, she spoke up.

“Well, I suppose I should be honest, as you have been with me,” she began, surprising Serena. The sound of her changing rang out next. “And, since you have seen this before, afterall.”

When the curtain parted, the silk skirt around Diancie’s waist was gone, revealing what laid underneath. Behind the smooth and clean layer of clothing Serena had made, craggily, hard rock stood. It was a harsh contrast with the rest of Diancie’s pristine, crystalline features, making her look almost unfinished, in a way.

Hopping forward, Diancie brought her hands together, and began to speak.

“These clothes we are trying on are beautiful, but they do not cover my, raw features,” she explained, looking off to the side as she did. “So, as long as I am stuck with this part of myself, it is better if I try to make do, to make it look pleasing.”

A swell of emotion rose in Serena’s chest. She stepped forward without even pausing to think.

“Hey, don’t say that,” she said, crouching down to look Diancie eye-to-eye, surprising her with her sudden approach. “What’s all this about being ‘stuck’ with it? We’re not stuck with anything.”

Looking at Serena, Diancie frowned.

“I am, though, in any real sense. The work needed to polish this much of myself is so great, and no one in my kingdom could even begin to help me complete it.” Diancie stared at her palms before raising them to show to Serena. “They lack hands, you see.”

The image of a squad of Carbink trying to work a stone grinder flashed through Serena’s mind. She resisted the urge to laugh at that.

Instead, she gave Diancie’s rocky skin a quick inspection. The stone was dry and dusty. Typical, considering how it had been neglected, hidden under there. Yet still, through it all, Serena could see something else. The dull stone was like a mirror, in a way.

“Diancie… You and I are a lot alike, I think,” she began, her words pulling at Diancie’s attention. “I get how it feels, being a ‘work-in-progress’. I think it can be really easy to hide things away, and forget to actually get anywhere.”

Serena smiled as she took Diancie’s hands into her own.

“But girls like us have to keep moving forward, keep trying to become that person we want to be—” Licking her thumb, Serena rubbed some dust and debris from Diancie’s lower-half. She revealed some uncut, yet vibrant gemstone sitting underneath. “Because eventually, we get better, and that person shines through.”

Diancie seemed struck by Serena’s words, words even Serena couldn’t believe she had uttered. Yet, to say they came from the heart was an understatement— The advice was just as much for herself as it was for Diancie.

“Do you really believe I can cut and polish my lower half?” Diancie asked then.

“Of course! In fact—” An idea came to Serena, before she stood straight. “You stay here with Bonnie. I have something from another shop you’ll love.”

Serena’s voice exuded excitement, excitement that quickly infected Diancie.

“Okay!”

With that, Serena split from the group, giving Bonnie the heads up before she headed off. As it turned out, the girl had been spelunking through the summer clothes section this entire time.

Watching Serena leave, Diancie smiled, before looking down at the last outfit she had been offered. Perhaps she should give it a try without the skirt.

“This is fine. I can do this.” Hopping back to the changing room, Diancie psyched herself up for the attempt. “I just need to keep moving forward.”

Diancie gripped the closed curtain of the changing room.

“Keep moving forward.” With that, Diancie threw the curtain open, before freezing at the sight that stood behind it.

A man, and his Greninja.

“Yes, keep moving forward, and keep quiet as well.”

Notes:

And so the Diancie arc continues! With a difficult journey ahead of Diancie, Serena and the party volunteer to escort her on her way! As they do, Serena begins to learn more about her new friend *and* herself. What will this revelation lead to!? And what will happen to Diancie in the meantime?!

Find out next time!

Chapter 15: The Pursuit of Princesses!

𝒴

Serena rounded a corner, a wide smile growing on her face. She couldn’t believe it, but her plan was in motion!

The Mall of Kalos really did have everything, not the least of which being a gemstone emporium. It was like a miniature Geosenge Town in the middle of the building! And where there were jewelry enthusiasts, there was their equipment on sale.

Serena gripped a bag close to her chest, feeling the rotary tool and gem polishing kit she had bought rattle inside.

“Diancie is going to love—!”

“Move!”

Before Serena could even react, a passing stranger shoved her against a wall, stunning her for a moment before she whipped around.

“What the—?” She could see the culprit sprinting away, a burlap sack on his shoulder, and a Greninja close behind. A thought was processing in her mind, but it wouldn’t click. Not yet, anyways.

“Serena!” A voice called from the other way— Bonnie’s voice, Serena soon realized. The girl was rushing down the mall walkway with a frighteningly worried look on her face.

“Bonnie?” Pausing, Serena watched as Bonnie skidded to a stop at her side. “What are you doing here? Where’s—”

“Diancie! She got taken!” Just barely speaking through her panting, Bonnie jabbed towards the direction behind Serena, to that man from moments ago.

The man with the burlap sack, and a Greninja.

It clicked.

“Go find Clemont!” Without even pausing to breathe, Serena shoved her bag into Bonnie’s arms. She didn’t need the extra weight. With that, she took off, sprinting at full speed.

“Serena!? Where’re you going!?” Bonnie called out, watching as Serena dashed into the distance

“To save Diancie!”

---

𝒴

The mall became a blur to Serena, melting away into her peripheral vision. The only thing that remained clear was the subject of her focus— Riot. Her lungs burned with her relentless pursuit, but her anger burned even hotter.

“Riot!” Serena’s cry tripped up the ninja, as he turned back mid-step.

“You!?” Scowling, Riot doubled his efforts, accelerating around a corner and pulling ahead of Serena.

No matter, Serena would just triple her efforts.

Skidding around the same corner, Serena shot forward like a cannonball, closing the distance Riot had made in an instant.

“Let Diancie go!” she demanded, shocking Riot with how close she was. There were maybe ten meters between them, and now she was calling attention to him with her screaming.

“Insolent— Greninja, evasive maneuvers!” Taking a sharp turn through a crowd of people, Riot sprinted down a bridge to a parallel walkway. All the while, his partner came to a stop and raised something into view.

“Huh?!” Before Serena could react, Greninja shattered that something against the ground, throwing up a huge plume of smoke that filled the air. It was a smoke bomb! “Darn it!”

Barreling past the shocked crowd and wall of smog, Serena appeared at the other side, whipping her head around as she looked for the poaching pair. For a moment, her heart sank, until—

She spotted them!

“Oh no you don’t!”

Like that, the chase was on again.

Riot turned, juking Serena out and making a full force sprint towards an escalator. Surely that was a mistake though, Serena thought. There was a whole group of people going down it!

She would soon learn to not underestimate the ninja.

With a leap like that of a gymnast, Riot jumped straight over the crowd, spinning in the air on his way to the floor below. A moment later, his Greninja followed him.

“Oh my— Fine!” Picking up speed, Serena sprinted towards the escalator herself, past the shocked crowd and to the railing that led below. With a hop, she latched onto it and began sliding down. “Get back here!”

“Persistent little—” Landing, Riot whipped around to face his partner. “Greninja, I’ve got the package! Use Water Shuriken!”

“Oh no you don’t—!” Serena tripped over herself as she reached the bottom, mere moments before Greninja’s attack flew overhead. A second earlier and that would’ve hit her instead of the wall behind her.

Yet still, Serena would not be deterred. Gritting her teeth, she pushed through, pulling out a Poké ball as she stumbled to her feet.

“Fennekin, Flamethrower!”

“Gren?” Riot’s Greninja smirked at the sight of their supposed opponent, the tiny fox with a fiery bark. That smirk was quickly wiped away by a column of fire. “Greninja!?”

“Good job, Fennekin! Keep them occupied for a bit, then follow!” With that, Serena took off once more, rushing to close the lead Riot had built. She couldn’t lose Diancie now, she couldn’t!

“Fenn? Fenn!” Letting Serena get her head start, Fennekin cut her blast short, jumping away just in time for Riot’s Greninja to counterattack. A flurry of Water Shurikens flew through the receding wall of fire, nipping at her paws before she dived into a watching crowd. Slipping out of view, she brought the altercation to an end.

“Greninja!”

Back with Serena, the chase was still on. Her eyes darted across the crowds of passing people, looking for where Riot could’ve gone.

“Found you!” She spotted him, attempting to slip away, hidden in the masses with a bamboo hat to disguise himself. With that burlap sack on his back, however, he was anything but inconspicuous. “Give Diancie back!”

“Why you—!” Shoving his way through the crowd, Riot took off once more, his eyes flashing across his field of view. He was looking for something, and soon, he found it.

Turning on a dime, Riot sprinted towards the mall’s exit, accelerating to a pace Serena couldn’t hope to match. There was not an obstacle to impede his escape, nothing!

Or so it would seem.

“Clemontic Gear, On!”

A pair of metal frames, shaped like ladders, shot across the exit, blocking Riot’s path and forcing him to a stop. When his head shot to the source of the blockade, a familiar bespectacled boy and his sister met his gaze.

“Thanks for the save, Clemont!” Serena caught up then, skidding to a stop as she blocked any shot of Riot going back the way he came. “Let Diancie go!”

“It’s two against one, poacher! Mathematically, you can’t win this!” Clemont added, standing firm at the side of his latest Clemontic Gear: The Super Stretch Ladder DX.

Bonnie added insult to injury then, sticking her tongue out at Riot.

“Gah!” Gritting his teeth, Riot turned, looking for an escape, looking for a way out, looking for—

A smile crossed Riot’s face, before he stood straight.

“You should purchase a new abacus, boy, for it’s actually two against two.”

“Greninja!”

Bursting through a newly forming crowd, Riot’s Greninja returned to the scene. They leapt into the air and landed at his side, a set of Water Shurikens already in hand.

“Wait, if you’re here, then where’s—” Serena whipped around, before she spotted Fennekin squeezing her way through the crowd, haggard but thankfully not hurt.

“You and your Pokémon caught us by surprise before, but this time we are more than ready.” Riot pulled a kunai from his sleeve as he made his point. “Release us! You are outmatched!”

Or so it seemed.

“I don’t know about that.” A new voice cut through the air then, bringing a smile to Serena and Clemont and stealing it from Riot. The doors to the exit slid open. “Maybe it’s you who needs the math lesson. Cause it’s three against two!”

The final member of the party had joined the fray.

“Ash! Thank goodness you’re here!” Clemont breathed a sigh of relief as he retracted the ladders of his device, allowing Ash and Pikachu to step through. “You’re just in time— He’s got Diancie!”

“Is that so!” Ash called, turning and glaring at the assailant in question.

Between the three of them, Riot was beginning to sweat, utterly cornered without an easy way out. He turned, eyes darting in search of a clean getaway. Nowhere he looked was clear, however.

There was just one last card to play.

“The time for games is over!” Reaching into the burlap sack, Riot grabbed Diancie, hoisting her into the air by the back of her neck. “You will let me go, or this little gem will come out of this in pieces!”

“Serena!”

“Diancie!” Serena screamed, cold fear flushing away her adrenaline. Panic soon followed it, when Riot raised his kunai up to Diancie’s chest. “Let her—!”

“Shut up! I am sick and tired of you!” Riot was roaring now, as he whipped around to face Serena. “I will be the only one making demands— If I hear one more word out of you— of any of you, I will have your tongues!”

Riot’s words echoed through the now quiet mall, the surrounding crowd going silent at the face of the threat. No one dared speak a word, for fear Riot would make good on his.

That was, until an unexpected voice rang out.

“You, will not, hurt my friends!”

Riot looked up, and found defiance staring back. Diancie’s brows were furrowed, tears running down her face, until they evaporated in an instant. Between Diancie’s palms, a plume of pink energy was forming—

“What!?”

—And it was burning bright.

“Diamond Storm!”

With a flash of light, Riot was blown away. Diancie’s attack slammed him against his Greninja, sending the two flying into the air. And where they once stood, a new, astonishing sight had formed: A pillar of pink crystal, with Diancie falling off the top.

Falling.

Serena snapped from her shock and awe. “Diancie!”

“Serena!”

Rushing forward, Serena leapt to the rescue, catching Diancie and falling onto her knees in one motion. The two of them skidded for a moment, before finally coming to a stop. Everything came to a stop.

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” In an instant, Serena was upon Diancie, looking over her for any injuries.

“I am unharmed, fortunately,” Diancie reassured, rubbing her crown for a moment before sitting straight. “I could go without another trip in the sack of burlap, however.”

For the first time in that whole ordeal, Serena choked out a laugh.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t want you to either.” Reaching forward, Serena rubbed a spot of dirt from Diancie’s cheek. “We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again, okay?”

“Okay.”

Serena breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the adrenaline run its course through her veins as her shoulders relaxed. Exhaustion nipped at her senses for a moment. That was, until she looked up.

Riot was gone— The cloud of a smoke bomb was all that remained.

Notes:

And so Diancie was saved! With the combined efforts of Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Ash, the XYang corner Riot before he can make his escape! Just what was the nefarious fiend planning to do with our poor princess?! And what troubles lie for her and Serena!? Find out next time, as our journey continues to its end!

Until next time!

Chapter 16: Diancie and the Tree of Life

𝒴

A gentle sound stirred Serena awake. It wasn’t like music, nor like the wind, but instead something in between. Ethereal tones trickled in from the outside, until Serena could ignore it no longer.

“Huh…?” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, blinking in the dark of her tent before crawling forward. That sound, it was so close, she thought. When Serena looked outside, however, what she saw brought her pause. “Diancie?”

It was late into the night, far too late for anyone to be awake. Camp had been set up hours ago. Yet still, Diancie stood there, in the distance, moonlight shining brilliantly off her crown.

A bright light in her hands caught Serena’s eye.

“D-Diamond Storm.” Keeping her voice low, Diancie called the move out, her arms tightening until energy in her hands began to grow and morph. A small plume of light she held crystalized, soft waves becoming hard edges.

Holding her breath, Serena watched a forming diamond take shape. It was nearly there—!

—until, it wasn’t.

The silhouette of the gem burst, blowing a gust of wind through the surrounding landscape. It was so strong that Serena had to shield against the breeze to avoid rogue debris flying into her face. A few moments later, when the wind had wound down, Diancie was left standing alone, frustration plain in her eyes.

This wasn’t the first time she had tried, Serena soon realized.

Looking down at her hands, Diancie sighed. Perhaps it was time for her to turn in, give it another shot tomorrow? Tomorrow had its own challenges, though.

Diancie looked up into the night sky.

“You’re getting pretty good at that.” A voice cut through the quiet ambiance, startling Diancie as she turned. The face that the voice came from, however, calmed her just as easily.

Smiling, Diancie welcomed Serena to her side.

“You do not need to embellish your words with flattery,” she said, her eyes returning to the night sky. “I know that I am nowhere near producing a diamond made to last.”

Serena’s mind went back to the mall, to the pillar of diamonds that Diancie had made to escape Riot’s clutches. It disappeared soon after the ninja had.

“Well hey, that’s not too bad,” Serena said, nudging Diancie’s shoulder before she too looked up into the night. “Not being where we wanna be is the first step towards getting there— And I think you’re pretty close to your destination.”

“You really think so?” Turning back, Diancie looked to Serena, a hint of longing hope in her eyes.

“I do. And I think once we find what you’re looking for, you’ll start making beautiful diamonds, just like that!” Serena crouched down to look Diancie face-to-face, before snapping her fingers to make her point. “Just like that.”

Diancie smiled, before her gaze fell to the floor. A thought was working its way through her mind.

“So much has changed in my time with you all,” she commented. “Between really training my abilities for the first time, and coming to terms with my lower half, it feels like I have— like I’ve become a new person.”

Looking up once more, Diancie grinned, straightening her shoulders as she faced Serena head-to-head.

“Thank you, Serena.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” Serena replied with a laugh, reaching forward to wipe a spot of dirt from Diancie’s cheek. “We still have that final stretch after all, yeah?”

Diancie nodded.

“So, I shall thank you then as well,” she promised, bowing her head with a genuflect. “And then I shall give onto you a reward, fitting of a princess.”

Diancie’s practiced politeness nearly made Serena giggle. Instead, however, she merely bowed and genuflected in kind.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said with a smile. As the two straightened up and shared a laugh, a memory worked its way through Serena’s mind. All the talk of gifts and rewards was reminding her of something. “Oh hey, I completely forgot! I got something for you~”

Diancie looked up, a curious look to her eyes as Serena grinned.

“Oh?”

In the morning, the rest of the group would marvel at the clean, new shine that Diancie’s body would have.

Big thanks to @drawnbynic over on twitter for her amazing rendition of this scene!

---

𝒴

“I believe, we are here.”

Diancie and the group stopped in their tracks, somewhere on a craggy hill out in the wilderness. To their right, the elevation took a steep rise, nearly becoming too high to climb. Still, Diancie’s gaze pointed them that way, so that way they would go.

The party rushed up the hillside, just barely reaching the top and coming face-to-face with what laid beyond. This was no mere hill, but instead a cliff— one that overlooked a vista, greater and grander than any the group had ever seen.

“Whooooa!” Ash and Bonnie were gobsmacked, while the others were stunned silent by what they saw. A waterfall stretched across their field of view, a solid kilometer long even as it bent and curved across the ginormous river that fed it. Thick forest surrounded the waterfall on all sides, and bordering that was a mountain range that seemed to go on for forever.

After a few more moments of gawking, Clemont began to sputter.

“Guys! This, this is Alerth forest. We’re at the edge of Alerth Forest!” Pulling up one of his many devices, Clemont began to tap away until an encyclopedia of knowledge was pulled up. “Alerth, an archaic word for All Earth!”

“The place where All Earth Ends…” Looking out into the distant vista, Diancie nodded, before raising her arms and closing her eyes all at once.

“This is it, Diancie!” Serena exclaimed, approaching her friend. “The place you’ve been feeling all this time!”

“Yes…” Nodding once more, Diancie opened her eyes, before her expression grew more serious. “It’s here.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Ash asked, pointing to a path that led down into the forest below. “Let’s get searching!”

The party quickly descended down the cliff face, branching out and searching the mountain-side forest for even a hint of what Diancie was feeling. Something in all these trees and foliage was calling out to her, they just had to find it.

So they searched. Behind every bush, under every cliff face, no stone would be left unturned.

Until, Diancie came to a stop.

She was deep in the forest when the feeling from before pulled at her. It guided her gaze deeper, changing as she turned. It was no mere feeling now, nor just a direction to follow, but instead, a presence. Diancie felt a presence in a clearing up ahead.

It drew her closer.

“Diancie?”

Serena’s call fell on deaf ears, as Diancie hopped closer and closer to the clearing. A wall of sunlight obscured what laid beyond the treeline. Yet still, Diancie knew something was there— That someone was there.

Pausing at the boundary between the forest and the clearing, Diancie felt a tinge of doubt build in her chest. She tried to see past the light, but it was no use. She would just have to push forward.

Taking a deep breath, Diancie crossed the threshold, and found her destination before her.

A Pokémon stood in the clearing.

It carried itself on four thin legs, with a black-skinned body that led into a long, blue neck. X-shaped pupils dotted its piercing eyes, which seemed to bore straight through Diancie. The Pokémon’s most impressive feature, however, was its antlers. Eight horns, colored light blue, stretched into the sky, crowning the head of the being before Diancie.

Diancie gulped, treading forward with a determined, but still nervous gait. A feeling, a new one, welled in her chest now, one that was almost familiar. This whole space, the clearing, felt familiar, in a way she couldn’t parse. It was like she’d been there before, like she’d met this Pokémon before.

A name she had never learned came to her mind.

“Xerneas.” Diancie began with a polite address, bowing her head and genuflecting in one motion. Though she indicated her respect, Xerneas did not return the favor. Instead, it merely kept its eyes trained on her. Diancie took a breath. “Xerneas, I am Diancie, princess of the Diamond Domain.”

Her title did little to impress. Perhaps it shouldn’t, she realized. She was here to ask for help, after all. Perhaps it was she who should be impressed.

Bowing her head down, Diancie began again.

“I am the princess of the Diamond Domain, in name only. I do not have the power, or ability, befitting my title,” she confessed, keeping her eyes trained to the ground. Her words brought feelings of shame, shame that kept her from facing Xerneas head-on. Still, despite that shame, she pushed forward. “And so I have come to you, so you may grant me the strength I need.”

That word, strength— It sat in Diancie’s mind. This whole journey, it was about growing stronger. Even if she wasn’t where she wanted to be, she had to face towards it regardless.

Picking her head up, Diancie looked to Xerneas again, locking eyes with her boon granter.

“The strength… The strength I need, to fulfill my duty.”

Diancie’s request stood in the open air, while silence reigned through the clearing. Only the gentle sounds of the wind and distant river remained to fill her ears, as Diancie waited for her answer.

That answer came, when Xerneas began to speak.

“Diancie.” The voice, distinctly feminine, did not boom or overwhelm Diancie. Yet, it felt omnipresent, like she could hear it from every which way at once. The words that came next did little to shake that impression. “Princess of the Diamond Domain. You are… mistaken.”

A moment of quiet followed Xerneas’s answer, as Diancie blinked.

“Huh…?” She cursed herself for not having more to say. All she could seem to express was her confusion. Thankfully, her desire for an explanation came through regardless, as Xerneas’s head rose.

“It has been since time immemorial that I have known the rulers of your land. For it was I who brought life to that first stone, which became your first kin, of your kingdom’s first year.” Xerneas’s words were like milk and honey, even as they drove straight through Diancie’s mind. “And since that time, it was always I who was sought by your predecessors, for advice and counsel.”

Xerneas’s head lowered once more, in an almost solemn fashion.

“Solely, advice and counsel.” Those words hung in the air, before Diancie looked down to the ground, then up once more.

“So, what you’re saying is…”

“I do not, cannot, bestow onto you the power which you seek. I may only provide you insight,” Xerneas explained, standing tall and looking to the sky. “For it is only you who may carry my legacy, to bring life to the next sacred stone.”

Diancie was struck silent, her head dipping down as she was left in thought. On some level, she was frustrated, upset even. She’d hoped this would be the end of her journey, or at least near enough to it. Yet, it seemed there was still one last trial for her to overcome.

So, overcome it she would.

When Diancie looked up, she was surprised to find Xerneas seated, sitting level with Diancie for the first time. Just then, Xerneas’s voice broke the silence once more.

“You have traveled far, princess. Tell me, what have you gained in your odyssey?”

The question caught Diancie off guard, but she would do her best to answer regardless. She thought back to the last few days, to everything she had seen and done. Soon, she had her answer.

“I have gained… friends. And one very best friend.”

At her answer, Xerneas nodded.

“And so I ask, do you love them?”

This time, Xerneas’s question did not surprise Diancie. It didn’t even bring her to pause.

“Yes. Yes of course.” There was no doubt in her words. She spoke them, confident and true.

With that, Xerneas nodded, before standing tall once more.

“Then you have within you, that which you seek.”

“Wait, what do you—” Before Diancie could finish, Xerneas turned away, stepping towards the treeline without another word. The sunlight from the clearing quickly dimmed in Xerneas’s absence, and the ethereal tones of the space soon faded away.

Diancie took a breath.

“Is, is it over?”

Realizing she wasn’t alone, Diancie turned, finding Serena at her side and the rest of the party close behind. To say they looked shocked and amazed would be an understatement.

“That, that was Xerneas,” Clemont mumbled, pulling down and cleaning his glasses in a few stiff motions. “I’ve only seen it depicted in art. Old stories tell of a Legendary Pokémon who controlled life itself.”

Despite the wonders Clemont was weaving, Serena didn’t seem to pay him any attention. Instead, she put a hand on Diancie’s shoulder, steadying her after her close encounter with Xerneas.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, things could be described as— Yes. Yes, I’m alright, heh.” Stumbling over herself for a moment, Diancie giggled, calming Serena’s worries as she looked up at her. Yet still, behind Diancie’s eyes, a melancholic look stood.

“What happened? Did Xerneas give you your powers?” Serena asked then, crouching down while she did so.

Diancie went to shake her head, but paused before she thought it over.

“I think, in a way, Xerneas did give me my powers. But, I do not think I can produce a diamond yet.” Pondering the thought for a moment, Diancie let her gaze fall to the ground. “Maybe… Maybe—”

A cackling voice rang through the forest.

“Maybe it’s time our little chase came to an end!”

Plumes of scarlet flames flew through the treeline, forcing Serena and the rest of the party to drop to the ground. When the fire parted, Diancie was gone, and a new, familiar figure had taken her place.

“Ohohoho! All this time and you lot are still letting your guard down!” It was the witch, Merilyn! With the aid of her Yanmega and her broomstick, she flew high above Serena and the others, with Diancie struggling against her grasp to no avail. “Little kiddies like you will just have to learn your lesson, the hard way!”

“Help me!”

“Diancie!” Serena screamed, her heart rate sent racing in an instant. Again, Diancie had been taken from right underneath her!

“Give her back!” Roaring, Ash leapt to his feet and into action, pulling out a pair of Poké balls. In a flash of light, the forms of Hawlucha and Fletchinder took to the air. “Guys, stop her!”

“Sorry, brats, but only witches are flying today!” Still cackling like a mad woman, Merilyn motioned back to the forest below. “Delphox, use Gravity!”

Cutting through the foliage of the forest, Merilyn’s Delphox appeared, a snide grin on their maw. Before Serena could realize what was happening, the Pokémon struck. With a raise of their wand and a fierce cry, they cast their incantation.

“Deeeelphox!” Their words slithered through the air, which grew heavy in an instant. In the next moment, everything grew heavy. The group was forced to their knees as their fliers, Hawlucha and Fletchinder, crashed to the ground.

“What’s going on?!” Serena screamed, trying to look up, trying to keep Diancie in her sight. It was no use, however. After a moment, she fell forward, feeling the weight of her own chest hold her down.

“The effects of gravity have been magnified!” Clemont explained, desperately holding himself up with the aid of his Aipom arm. “We need— to—”

In unfortunate Clemontic Gear fashion, the Aipom arm failed at that moment, slamming Clemont to the ground and dazing him. With Bonnie following him moments later, that left just one member of the group remaining.

“You won’t— get away— with this!” It took all of Ash’s strength, but he would not be brought down lower. His arms remained locked, muscles pounding while he fought against the increasing effects of gravity. No matter what, he refused to yield. “Let Diancie go!”

With a burst of energy, Ash raised his head, looking up to the witch with a burning anger in his eyes. At his side, Pikachu began to rise as well, vicious crackles of electricity building at his cheeks.

“Ohohoho, what’s this?” Despite it all, Merilyn didn’t even seem a little worried. A smug smile crossed her lips even whilst she looked on at the defiant act before her. “Sorry brat, while the athletics are impressive— Brains beats brawns every time! Delphox, show him his place!”

“Huh!?” When Ash turned, he found the grinning face of Merilyn’s Delphox towering over him. With just one strong thwack of their wand, he was sent careening to the ground below.

“Ohohohoho!” Merilyn let a cackling, ugly laugh fill the air then, taunting the group below with her jaunty sneers. “Seeing you little kiddies squirm was a treat, but seeing you fall was even better!”

“Let, them, go!” At Merilyn’s side, Diancie struggled against her grasp, trying to force herself free. “Unhand—!”

For Merilyn, however, it took just one squeeze of the neck to pacify her captive.

“That’s enough out of you!” she declared, shaking her head and looking down once more. “I think it’s about time we stop playing around, and finally bid farewell to your little troop, princess.”

“S-stop! No!” To Serena, the hopelessness of the situation finally began to sink in. Diancie was trapped— Her friends were trapped— And now, Merilyn was making her escape!

Until, a flash of blue flew through the air.

“Huh!?” Merilyn screamed, as someone latched onto her getaway vehicle. They grabbed her from behind, careening the whole broomstick over in the process. It took only a moment for her to realize who it was. “Riot!?”

“A shinobi lies in wait until the opportune moment to strike!” The cobalt blue ninja was making his move. With vicious determination, he tried wrenching Diancie from Merilyn’s grasp, sending her broomstick flying to the side.

“Riot, you idiot!” Screaming at the top of her lungs, Merilyn began shoving Riot back, just barely keeping his gloves off her prize. “With you and Gravity weighing us down, we’re going to crash!”

“Well then, we better lighten the load!” Grinning through his mask, Riot called down to the forest below. “Greninja, Taunt!”

Leaping from the forest top, Riot’s Greninja pounced onto Merilyn’s Delphox, slamming his rival back into a tree. He wasn’t done there, however. With a snickering sneer, Greninja reached for his face, before pulling his eyelid down and blowing a raspberry.

“D-Delphox?!” The immature taunt caught Delphox off guard, before quickly driving her up a wall. Her concentration was utterly broken—

—And with it, the effects of her Gravity.

“We’re free!” Serena shouted, pushing herself up in an instant. Without thinking about it, she reached for Fennekin’s Poké ball.

“Which means—” Clemont was up next, with Bonnie shortly after.

“—so are our Pokémon!” Roaring, Ash and Pikachu leapt to their feet. “Fletchinder, Hawlucha, after them! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!”

“Fennekin, Flamethrower!” If Ash’s command was angry, then Serena’s was furious. No longer tied down by the effects of Gravity, all of her fear had turned into red-hot anger.

“Now look at what you’ve done!” Merilyn swerved her broomstick to the side, just as Fletchinder and Hawlucha flew by. A moment later, a crack of Pikachu’s lightning raced overhead, narrowly missing a direct hit. “What did that accomplish but make our lives harder!?”

Even as she was nearly scorched by columns of fire, Merilyn’s attention was squarely on her rival.

“If it makes your life harder then it’s all worth it to me!” Grabbing onto the staff of the broomstick, Riot took direct control, wildly veering the ride from the clearing. In an instant, the clash was on the move, with the party right behind.

“After them!”

Ash gave the command, but Serena was the first to act. She blasted past him, past the whole group, with Fennekin at her heels and her eyes locked on her target. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in her now, nor just boiling anger driving her every move. Her rage had cooled, becoming something else, something stronger.

It became her determination.

---

𝒴

“Pompous windbag!”

“Contemptuous she-witch!”

Riot and Merilyn dived through the forest, their wild, flailing movements unperturbed by the paths they shot over or the foliage they smashed through. Their attention was undeniably on one another, and not on the party in hot pursuit.

Racing forward, Serena burst past a thicket of trees, pure passion in her veins as her eyes remained locked to the sky. She wouldn’t lose Diancie again. She refused.

Soon, however, the tree top chase would have to come to an end. The wooded forest gave away, and a new site was now upon her and the others.

A wasteland, and a sinkhole that stood dead ahead.

It was a hundred meters across, end to end, with a huge pool of murky water about thirty meters down. An impassable barrier, too deep for Serena and the others to go any farther much longer. The same couldn’t be said for Merilyn and Riot, however. They were about to fly straight over it.

Something had to be done.

“Pikachu, hop on!” Skidding to a stop, Ash reached out to his partner, who leapt into his hand without a moment’s hesitation. Then, with a practiced thrower’s stance, Ash took aim at the flying poachers. “Go! Use Iron Tail!”

At that command, Ash launched Pikachu into the air, firing him towards Merilyn and Riot. In the blink of an eye, he was upon them.

“Huh!?”

“How!?”

“Chuuuuuu— Pi-ka!” Pikachu slammed his silver tail down on the broomstick, shattering it in an instant. Merilyn’s Yanmega was sent flying back in shock. The two poachers and Diancie, meanwhile, began tumbling out of the air—

“Yes!” Ash called.

—Their momentum quickly careening them straight into the sinkhole.

The three instantly disappeared from view.

“Serena!”

“Diancie! No!” Serena felt her throat snap shut, as everything went slow. Panic flooded her system. She couldn’t just stay here— She had to move, she had to do something.

So something she would do.

“I’m coming!” Without another moment of hesitation, without a moment of pause, Serena leapt straight into the ravine.

“Fenn!?”

Air whipped through Serena’s hair as she fell, nearly forcing her eyes shut as she caught her bearings. The watery chasm below was fast approaching, but she paid it no mind. Her attention was locked onto just one thing—

“Diancie!” Stretching her arms out, Serena quickly closed the distance between her and her friend, as Diancie reached out in kind. She was so close!

“Serena!”

“I’ve got you!” With that, Serena pulled Diancie into a tight hug, just as the two crashed into the water below.

The lake was surprisingly shallow, just barely deep enough to break their fall. If the ledge had been any higher, they might just have hurt themselves. Thankfully not. When the shock passed, the two began swimming up.

Serena’s face broke through the surface first, with Diancie following her moments later. Serena wanted to say something, but her first priority was making it to shore. Diancie certainly wasn’t going to protest.

With a heave, the two reached shallow waters, where they could sit and catch their breaths.

“Thank— You—” Diancie’s voice, though telepathic, was haggard and tired.

“You’re, welcome.” Serena’s was not much better. She scanned their surroundings, finding basalt pillars and caves lining the walls of the sinkhole in every direction. The inky black of the stone matched the cloud of silt in the waters all around them. “We should get out of here…”

“As if it’d be that easy.”

Serena tensed, the call from behind her immediately sending her heart racing. She stood and turned, Diancie joining her side as the two faced their assailants once more. On the opposite end of the sinkhole lake, Merilyn and Riot stood, no longer at each other’s throats.

Clouds of silty black water surrounded where they stood as well.

“Why don’t you two just give up!” Serena called, taking a step forward. “Trying to steal Pokémon like this— It’s despicable!”

Merilyn’s smile fell, as she shook her head and replied.

“This might not be clear to you, little miss sunshine, but for the payday hiding behind that Pokémon, we’ll more than gladly play the villains!”

“For the treasure one could attain— We are willing to do anything!” Brandishing his kunai, Riot got low, seeming ready to strike at a moment’s notice. “Even if it means working together.”

Smirking, Merilyn glanced over to her partner-for-a-time.

“So glad to see you come around to me, sweetheart!”

Taking a step back through the water, Serena grabbed onto Diancie’s hand and squeezed it. This wasn’t good. She was outmatched, two-to-one, with Fennekin still up on the ledge above them— Not that the Fire-Type would be much help in this knee-deep water.

At the very least, these two didn’t have their Poké—

“Gren!”

“Delphox!”

Almost immediately, the situation went from bad to worse, as Merilyn and Riot’s partners arrived at the scene, leaping down from the surface above. They landed at the poachers’ sides, brandishing their weapons of choice: Water Shurikens for Greninja and a trusty wooden wand for Delphox.

More black silt rose in the waters where they stood.

“Give it up, girl!” Riot called, standing tall and resolute with his partner at his side. “You are severely outmatched!”

Gritting her teeth, Serena took another step back. A thousand words were caught in her throat— Threatening jabs, righteous declarations, venomous calls. None would vocalize, however. Someone else would have to do that for her.

“No one’s giving up— Not on my watch!”

The call came from the sky, sending a jolt through Serena’s system.

“Ash!?”

The tide of the battle turned once more, as Ash arrived, flying down the sinkhole with the aid of Hawlucha. With an almost trained maneuver, he dropped down at Serena’s side, Pikachu on his shoulder and a fire in his eyes.

At his feet, the water grew silty and dark.

Credit to @teehee_vibes on twitter

“I’ve had it up to here with you guys, so why don’t we just end this!” Ash roared, raising a fist forward and reigniting hope for Serena. “Isn’t that right, Pikachu!”

“Pikachu, pi!” Lightning crackled at Pikachu’s words, just to accentuate his point. He was itching for a real brawl.

“Yes, I think we’ve played this little game of cat and mouse for long enough.” Merilyn tapped her foot as she concurred, holding the remains of her staff up.

“All of our encounters have led to this— The end of the line!”

With the words exchanged, that left just one party unspoken for amongst the four: Serena. The lone girl watched Merilyn, Riot, and Ash fire back their declarations, as a feeling ignited in her chest. It was not fear, nor anger, nor determination, but something else entirely. It was excitement, the feeling of adrenaline in her veins.

Diancie could feel Serena’s heart begin to race, as she held her hand.

“You guys are done for!” Serena shouted aloud, taking a step forward and standing at Ash’s side. “Let’s—!”

Serena’s excitement deflated, as the ground beneath her feet began to shake.

“Whoa! What’s going on!?” Ash cried, looking around to find the source of the tremors. No matter where he turned, though, it was all the same. The lake shook. The sinkhole shook. Even the trees peaking over the cliff face up above, it all shook, shuddering, rumbling like a rolling earthquake. Then, it stopped.

Serena’s gaze fell to the lake once more, to the clouds of black silt that pooled around each person standing in the water. It was flowing towards the pitch-black center.

A realization struck her then— The floor beneath the lake was solid, smooth rock. There was no silt.

“Ash—!”

An explosion rocked the center of the chasm lake, sending dark water flying in every direction. Serena could only stare in horror then, as a whirlpool formed, sucking in the pools of black.

That horror grew, when something began to rise from that whirlpool.

“Clemont! Any idea what’s going on!?” Serena called back up to the ledge above, hoping he could give her the answers she was grasping for. It was for naught, however.

The horror would introduce itself, momentarily.

With a roar, the amorphous shape from the center of the lake shot into the air. It unfolded itself, long wings separating from a flat tail, until a great, black beast had formed before her eyes. Its cry was like an oncoming train, for there was only one thing Serena could feel when she heard it.

Her approaching end.

Notes:

As so the journey's end approaches! Diancie has found the presence beckoning her, the Legendary Pokémon of Life, Xerneas! Yet the conclusion of her trials this is not, as it seems Xerneas alone is not the key to unlocking Diancie's heart. That lies in her friends!

With the Legendary Pokémon of Destruction, Yveltal, now released, Serena, Diancie, and the rest of their friends face their greatest challenge yet! Can they overcome this overwhelming force!? Find out next time, in "Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction!"

Once again, credit to @drawnbynic over on twitter for her rendition of Diancie and Serena's moonlit promise! You can find the art at her twitter, here!

Thanks as well to @teehee_vibes as well for her art of Serena, Diancie, and Ash! You can twitter, here!

As an important note, Pokémon XY: Trying Something New will be moving to Monday releases, starting with Chapter 18.

Chapter 17: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction

𝒳𝒴

Fear. Fear was all Serena could feel.

Her muscles locked— Her throat snapped shut— All from a suffocating, drowning fear.

Before her loomed a great, black beast, with a cry so blood-chilling that it froze the fire in her veins. Her mind told her to run, but her terror instead held her still.

The beast turned with a beat of its mighty wings, letting out a piercing scream as it faced its other prey.

“W-what is that thing!?” Merilyn cried, jumping back and stumbling towards the shore. “Delphox! Fire Blast, now!”

“Del!” A plume of red-hot flames formed in Delphox’s grasp, before they unleashed a wild blast of crackling fire. Moments before the column of cinders struck home, it spread into five distinct points.

“Bullseye!” Standing tall, Merilyn declared her victory before the attack had even finished.

That would be her mistake.

When the fire cleared, the beast remained. And now a new color graced its pitch-dark skin— A deep, crimson red.

Rearing back, the beast let out another soul-shattering cry, bringing its wings together then and doing something new. Stark black energy formed in its grasp, streaks of dark lightning firing out in all directions while it did so.

Before anyone could realize what was happening, a blast was let loose.

“Get down!” Riot turned on his heel, slamming into Merilyn and shoving her away all in one motion. Before he could escape, however, he was caught in the pillar of energy. An explosion rang through the sinkhole.

“Riot!?” Merilyn stumbled to her feet, her eyes darting through the cloud of smoke that was left in the attack’s wake. She gasped when she saw the smoke clear.

Riot, was gone. The stoic ninja was no longer there. Instead, a stone statue of his exact appearance was left in his place, frozen in the very moment before the blast. And that wasn’t all—

“Delphox!?” Riot was not the only victim. Her trusty partner had been petrified as well, turned to stone with a look of frozen horror on their face. Behind them, a statue of Riot’s Greninja also stood. “No!”

The great beast paid her cries no regard, while it charged up another attack.

“Serena, you gotta go, now!” Ash’s command snapped Serena from her shock, pulling her gaze away from the rampaging monster. “Take Hawlucha, and get out of here!”

“But Ash, what about you!” Serena swept Diancie off the ground, just as Hawlucha joined her side.

Ash did something that surprised Serena then. He smiled, and gripped the rim of his cap.

“Somebody’s gotta keep that Pokémon distracted.” Turning, Ash faced the nameless winged beast, flipping his hat back as Pikachu began building a charge. “Now, go!”

Before Serena could get another word in, Hawlucha grabbed onto her shoulders and took flight. Slowly but surely, they began flying back to the surface above.

“Please, stay safe, Ash!” Serena cried, watching him stand tall behind the beast. In her arms, Diancie turned and called out.

“Your princess commands it!”

Snorting, Ash watched as they flew by.

“Heh, playing it safe has never been our style, eh, Pikachu?” he asked, glancing at his partner. Pikachu was building up a charge, building up the voltage in his cheeks, higher and higher. They were gonna need every ounce they could get. “Alright buddy, Thunderbolt! 110%!”

“Pika! Piiiikaaaaa-Chuuuuu!”

A bolt of lightning, stronger and brighter than any Serena had ever seen, flashed across the lake. It slammed into the black beast, evoking from it a deep and guttural cry.

Recoiling against the sudden attack, the beast shuddered and shook, before turning to take the remaining electricity head-on.

“Good job, buddy! Now, keep firing! 110%!” Ash went into a sudden sprint, strafing across the beast’s line of sight. They needed every chance they could get to blow this thing away.

“Piiiikaaaaa-Chuuuuu! Piiiikaaaaa-Chuuuuu!” Pikachu’s attacks were relentless, stunning the beast with each repeated blast. If he could keep this up, they might even be able to keep this thing locked— “Piiiikaaa— Kachu!”

Unfortunately, even Pikachu had a limit to his endurance. He faltered, bringing his barrage of Thunderbolts to a pause. Now the beast had the opportunity it needed to fire back.

Letting out an earth-shuddering roar, the beast charged up its own blast of black energy, and fired. Its column of darkness flew across the sinkhole in a wide arc.

“Whoa!” Ash skidded to a stop then, rolling to the side and just barely dodging the petrifying beam. “Sorry big guy, but it’ll take a bit more than that to keep us down!”

Glancing up, Ash spotted Hawlucha, Serena, and Diancie reaching solid land above. They’d made it out!

“Let’s meet them up top!” On that signal, Ash and Pikachu took off once more, dodging another blast from the beast. They quickly disappeared into one of the many caves lining the lake.

Now alone in the chasm pit, surrounded by nothing but basalt and petrified poachers, the beast roared. There was still more out there. It knew it. It just had to find it.

Billowing its jet-black wings, the beast took off.

---

𝒴

Serena and Diancie landed on solid ground, with barely a second to catch their breaths before the monster arrived in pursuit. It roared a thundering, angry cry, and charged another attack.

“Hawlucha! Lucha!” Shoving Serena and Diancie away, Hawlucha told the two to run, as he went in to counterattack. He shot up, juking past the roaring beast and drawing its attention. Just in time too— The beast fired, and just barely missed Hawlucha’s arc through the air. “Hawlucha!”

Coming to a complete stop, Hawlucha spread his arms out wide, before crashing down with a blistering Flying Press.

“Yes!” Even as Serena fled with Diancie in tow, she watched the clash with pitched trepidation, cheering as Hawlucha landed a solid hit on the beast. The attack even sent it careening to the side. The monster’s pitched cry gave Serena hope.

Undue hope.

In the next moment, a flash of black light filled the sky once more. When it faded, Hawlucha’s stoney form crashed to the ground below.

“Hawlucha, no!” Serena froze, nearly about to run back for him, before a hand gripping hers brought her to a dead stop. When she whipped around, she found Clemont and other’s worried gazes looking back at her.

“Serena, we need to leave,” Clemont pleaded. When Diancie joined his side, Serena realized how right he was. Before another word could be said, the group took off, jetting it for the nearby treeline.

“What is that thing!?” Serena shouted as she ran, watching the beast begin to rampage in the sky behind them.

Beams of pitch-black energy fired in quick succession, crashing into the surrounding forest in wide, random arcs. Everywhere the black light touched, death seemed to follow, as the trees soon became a stoney, pale gray.

“I’m— not— sure— But—!” Poor Clemont, he could barely keep up with all the running and talking. Still, despite that, he pulled up his Clemontic gear screen and tapped away. When the information he was looking for popped into view, his eyes widened. “This— This isn’t good.”

“What is it!” Diancie demanded to know, before Clemont looked up at the rest of the group.

“Everything has its equal and opposite— If Xerneas is the Legendary Pokémon of Life, then—!” A blast of energy from the beast shook the ground and nearly made Clemont trip over his feet. It was only thanks to a save from his sister that he managed to keep running. “Perhaps, this is Yveltal! The Legendary Pokémon of Destruction!”

A dozen different images flashed across Clemont’s screen: cave paintings, chipped murals, etchings in stone tablets, all depicting the same thing. They showed a great winged beast, leaving terror in its wake—

The same beast that was aiming straight for them now.

An explosion of energy rocketed through the air, before focusing into a solid beam aimed downwards. In mere moments it was upon Serena and the others. In another moment, it would destroy them, just as it had everything else.

Unless, something could protect them.

Diancie stopped and turned, that very thought racing through her mind. At the last possible moment, she threw her hands forward.

“Diamond Storm!” Her cry rang through the air, as a flash of her own light suddenly formed before her. In an instant, it solidified, manifesting the shield she so desperately wished for: A diamond, great enough to block any blow!

Yveltal’s mighty attack slammed into Diancie’s diamond, pushing her back a solid meter. Yet still, Diancie held, desperately fighting against the blast with every ounce of strength she could muster.

“Diancie!?” Serena and the others froze, looking back in utter shock at the sight of their salvation. With a gasp, Serena rushed to Diancie’s aid. “Oh my gosh, Diancie! You’re doing it! You’re really doing it!”

Serena pressed her shoulder against the crystal, feeling the warm energy pouring from the stone.

“Yes— I— am!” Struggling against the sheer force of Yveltal’s blast, Diancie belted out her words between each breath, praying the onslaught would come to an end soon. “But— My diamonds— are not— built— to—”

The diamond cracked.

“—last!”

A seam in the diamond’s body burst all at once. In an instant, it shattered, and the black energy of Yveltal’s attack poured forth. It nearly struck home, right as another voice joined the fray.

“Thunderbolt! 110%”

An arc of lightning shot through the air, slamming into Yveltal’s attack just in time. The clashing energies struggled for a moment, before the remains of the black bolt were swept away.

“Ash!?” Serena whipped back, relief soaring through her as she found him and Pikachu, safe and sound. That relief dwindled as her senses caught up with her. “Ash, Hawlucha. He—”

“I know.” Ash’s confident look grew weighty, when he looked back at her. For a moment, it seemed like he wanted to say something. Instead, his eyes shot upwards again. “Guys, get back! Pikachu, Thunderbolt! 110%!”

The group scrambled away, before another blast from Yveltal came crashing down.

“Piiiiikaaaaa—! Chuuuuu!” In just the nick of time, however, Pikachu returned fire! His electricity met Yveltal’s energy in midair, and the opposing forces fought, head-to-head. After a few seconds of sustained struggle, the beams exploded.

“Ash, Serena, we need to leave! This is too dangerous!” Clemont pleaded, holding onto his sister as he looked up. Yveltal had begun to circle around the group, readying itself for its next attack.

“No, we can’t run! We have to stop this thing from hurting anyone else!” Ash countered, keeping his eyes locked on the Legendary Pokémon overhead. The moment it went for an attack, he needed to be ready to counter. Yet still, Pikachu only had so many 110% Thunderbolts left in him. He couldn’t do this forever.

So that just left Serena, caught between the two of them. Fear and adrenaline were rushing through her veins, pulling her towards contradicting desires: Stay and fight and surely lose, or run and maybe live. She wanted to take bold, decisive action, but all she could feel was hesitation.

Until, she felt Diancie gripping her hand. Serena looked down at her friend, at the fear and doubt in Diancie’s eyes. For a moment, it was like she was looking in a mirror.

Serena had her answer.

“We need to fight.” Serena’s decision came through loud and clear to the others, even as Pikachu fired another rapturous Thunderbolt into the sky. “Clemont, you said Yveltal was the opposite of Xerneas, right?”

Clemont seemed bewildered at the question, growing even more so as Serena fell to her knees at Diancie’s side.

“I mean, yes? But what does that have to do with anything?!”

“It has to do with everything,” Serena replied, taking Diancie’s hands into her own. “Diancie, you said your powers came from Xerneas. If there’s anyone who can stop Yveltal then, it’s you!”

“Huh?!” The declaration shook the party, especially Diancie, who seemed the most surprised. Yet still, she did not pull her hands away from Serena, as she continued.

“That diamond you made was amazing. It stopped Yveltal dead in its tracks!” Serena explained, a smile managing to work its way onto her face. Serena couldn’t believe it, but she was getting excited. “You just need to do it again, use Diamond Storm like the princess you’re meant to be!”

Despite everything, Serena’s excitement couldn’t infect Diancie.

“I— I do not know. Even if I can create a diamond built to last, it can only defend us!” She reasoned, casting doubt with each word. “I may be a princess, Serena. But I am only a princess.”

“You are capable of so much more, Diancie!” Serena pleaded, squeezing her hands. “Being a princess, that doesn’t mean you can’t fight! You can do this!”

“But I can’t. I have— I’ve tried so hard, but I can’t!”

“If you guys have a plan, you’ve gotta do it fast!” Ash’s words were punctuated by another Thunderbolt, this one quieter, sloppier. Serena didn’t have to look— She knew Pikachu was getting exhausted.

“You can! I know you can!” Serena pleaded to Diancie, a smile clear on her face even through her distress. That smile didn’t falter, not for a moment. “If there’s anyone who believes you can, it’s me, Diancie! I know there’s a gem inside you, and you just need to bring it out!”

Diancie paused, her eyes widening as the world went quiet. She looked at Serena, at her friend, and it made her heart go still.

Then, it came to life once more.

At that moment, her heart and Serena’s were one and the same.

“Thank you, Serena.” Billowing light formed in Diancie’s chest, as she turned and looked up at the rampaging beast, Yveltal. Its dark aura had spread to the whole horizon now, blotting out any view of the sun and sky. “I think— I know, I can do this.”

Serena smiled as she stood, before looking up with her friend.

“Then let’s show Yveltal, how we princesses do things!”

Light swelled from Diancie’s crystalline features, growing stronger and stronger as she raised her arms forward. Every facet of her body was soon glowing, bathing the ground in warm pink light. Then, all at once, that light came to life.

Bands of pure white energy formed in the air, bursting from Diancie’s chest and going into Serena’s. When the connection was set, Diancie’s body was engulfed in light.

“Are they— Is that!?” Ash watched in utter disbelief, as Diancie’s form changed before his eyes. Rough stone grew into perfect rows of crystal. Cloth transformed, becoming ribbons and crystal tassels that whipped in the wind.

When the light faded, the Diancie they knew was gone.

Clemont’s jaw fell open.

“Mega Evolution!?”

Gone were any remains of Diancie’s stoney features, the hard rock replaced now by a literal dress, made of diamonds. Ornaments of shining crystal and gold ordained her body, culminating in a heart-shaped crown that framed her head. In the space between Diancie and Serena, the symbol of Mega Evolution flashed, before fading away.

Noticing the light show, Yveltal roared, diving towards the pair with a pace that’d terrify lesser opponents. Diancie and Serena, however, were anything but lesser.

With a cry like an operetta, Diancie charged a plume of light in her hands. The energy grew, becoming bigger, bolder, stronger, until it towered over her and Serena. Then, with a flash, it solidified. Ethereal energy became material reality, and soon a crystal brimming with power remained.

“Diancie! Let’s do this!” Letting the command ring clear, Serena began to feel her heartbeat running away. Everything about this, the way the words felt on her lips, the way she threw her hands forward— It was amazing! She could bask in this feeling for forever!

For now, though, she would make do with just a moment.

“Diamond Storm!” With that fervent cry in unison, Serena and Diancie fired their attack, rocketing the diamond upwards at dizzying speeds. A brilliant beam of light and energy followed in its wake, until the stone was mere moments from collision.

Yveltal screeched, freezing as it tried retaliating with return fire— but to no avail. The pair’s Diamond Storm cut straight through its final blast and struck home. An explosion of black soot and diamond dust filled the skies, before silence reigned across Alerth forest once more.

After a few tense moments, Yveltal fell from the fading clouds above.

Diancie and Serena exhaled in unison, holding steady as they watched Yveltal fall back into the chasm it arose from. The deed was done. Erupting in a flash of light, Diancie’s Mega Evolution disappeared, returning her to her original appearance. Finally, the two looked to one another, and their composure broke.

“You did it!” Serena cheered, jumping up and down before she fell to her knees.

“I could do nothing alone. We did it!” Diancie countered, hopping in place as she held Serena’s hands. “Thank you so much, Serena!”

“What are you thanking me for?” Laughing through her words, Serena smiled, before she felt a paw pressing against her. When she found her trusty Fennekin at her side, her smile only grew. “I should be thanking you, the both of you. Come here!”

Pulling the two into a tight hug, Serena let out an elated laugh, relief and exhilaration running through her all at once.

Back with the rest of the group, Ash and Clemont spoke as they watched Serena celebrate.

“Mega Evolution, without a Mega or Keystone…” Clemont chuckled, as he gave Bonnie a squeeze. She was beginning to get tired, after the day they had had. “I didn’t even think such a thing was possible.”

“I know right? It’s like every day we find another reason that Mega Evolution is so awesome!” Ash was similarly tending to his own sleepy companion. With the performance Pikachu had put on earlier, he deserved the rest he was taking on Ash’s shoulder. “And man, with power like that— It’s almost scary.”

“Oh? Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now.” Clemont separated from his sister, leaving her at Ash’s side as he began walking back over to the sinkhole.

“Hah! Are you kidding?” Ash grinned. “I’m just that more excited to get a shot at it myself!”

“Of course you are. I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Chuckling to himself, Clemont arrived back at the sinkhole’s edge, his mind racing after the events of the day. He’d have to process everything at some point, all those thoughts in his head.

When he looked down into the chasm, those thoughts went still.

“Ash, Serena—” Clemont froze, before stammering out a call. “Diancie! You may want to take a look at this!”

“Huh?”

Breaking from their celebrations, Serena and the others quickly joined Clemont’s side. All at once, they came face-to-face with the same sight he had, and like him, they too froze.

It was Yveltal.

The Legendary Pokémon of destruction wasn’t down yet, not by a long shot. It stood in the center of the chasm lake, crackles of black lightning filling the air all around it. Letting out an ear-piercing cry, Yveltal wrapped its wings around its body, as it began to suck in the pools of black water from the surrounding lake.

“Clemont, what’s happening!” Ash clenched his fist, feeling Pikachu rouse from his shoulder as he did so. It seemed the action wasn’t over.

“Pika?!”

“I don’t know?!” Clemont was sputtering, once again watching encyclopedias worth of information flash across his screen. After a few seconds, he locked onto something. “It— It’s said that when Yveltal has exhausted itself, it may absorb the life of everything around it, in order to heal itself!”

“But we’re in everything!?” Bonnie exclaimed, squeezing her bag tight as panic set in.

“What are we going to do!?” That panic hit the rest of the group just as well, as Serena’s earlier confidence seemed to evaporate. She turned to Ash and Pikachu, who were scowling in thought about the problem.

“We gotta save the rest of the forest— So let’s hit it again, with everything we got!”

Ash’s words had only a moment to hang, before another voice rang out to answer him.

“No.”

A feeling shot through Diancie’s system, as she turned to face the forest. The rest of the group followed, and soon, they came face-to-face with the source of the call.

Xerneas.

“I am sorry, my children. This situation is far beyond you now.” The Legendary Pokémon of life came forth from the forest’s edge, its light shining through the surrounding plant life with each step. Dead trees and rotten grass regained their colors, as Xerneas braved through Yveltal’s destruction.

Before another word could be said, Xerneas leapt forward, flying over the group and down into the chasm below. With a gentle prance, it landed on the water’s surface, the ripples from its touch turning the lake from black to blue once more.

Raising its head up high, Xerneas encircled the convulsing body of Yveltal.

“Xerneas, what is happening— What are you doing?” Swallowing her pride and her deference, Diancie called down to Xerneas.

Xerneas merely shook its head.

“My sibling’s time is coming to an end once more, and once more, it needs my light to sleep.” Xerneas came to a stop at Yveltal’s side, before kneeling and eventually laying down. Sparks of black lightning nipped at Xerneas’s antlers, but did not do more than sting. “With my light, I will feed Yveltal, and restore the damage it has wrought.”

“But, what about you! Will you be okay?” Diancie took a full step closer to the edge, even as Serena put a hand on her shoulder. The rest of the group had gone silent, while Diancie and Xerneas spoke to one another.

Xerneas’s head rose then, before turning to look up at Diancie.

“Like my sibling, I will sleep. And as life sleeps through the winter, I too shall return.” Taking a deep breath, Xerneas faced Yveltal again. Soon. Yveltal would need to sleep soon. “I shall return, to counsel your successors.”

Diancie reflected on Xerneas’s words, looking down at her hands for a moment.

“My successors…” It struck Diancie, what those words meant. Raising her head, she looked to Xerneas one last time. “Xerneas, thank you! For everything!”

“Be good, my child.” Locking eyes with Diancie, Xerneas did something that surprised her. Xerneas bowed. “Be good, and carry my light well.”

Sparks of color filled Xerneas’s antlers, shining out from each horn tip until a whole rainbow began to flow forth. The light spilled into the sinkhole, flooding the chasm lake and forcing the group to look away. Only Diancie could bear to watch what happened next: The dance of light.

Pillars of black and red energy fired into the air, convulsing, swinging wildly, almost fighting against the rainbow of color at their base. In time though, the rebellious energy would go still. Xerneas’s aura wrapped around it, like vines on a stem, until the black and red gave away to calm blue light. The soothing energy embraced its sibling, and the two rescinded, together.

When the dance came to an end and the blinding lights faded, much had disappeared from the chasm. The murky water of the lake was gone, crystal clear waves now left in its wake. So too had the stone statues of Riot and Merilyn come up missing. Like Xerneas said, the damage from Yveltal had been reversed. The poachers must have escaped during the light show.

Finally, that just left Xerneas and Yveltal themselves. A white tree now stood where they had, its roots and trunk wrapped around a red and black stone. That was the only trace the two had left.

Diancie looked on at the sight below her, to what remained of Xerneas and Yveltal, and sighed. Now, it was over.

Serena’s hand touched Diancie’s shoulder.

“Let’s get you home.”

---

𝒴

There was great irony to the fact that Diancie’s journey ended so close to where it began. The entrance to her home, The Diamond Domain, was only a few short miles from Alerth forest, less than a day’s travel. Why her senses had taken her so far afield before she met Serena and the others then, was a mystery.

In the deep woods of a nameless forest, Diancie stood at the entrance of a similarly nameless cave. If she hadn’t pointed it out to the others, they might not have even noticed it. Regardless though, this was the path to her kingdom, and the place where she and the group would part ways.

Turning, Diancie faced Serena and the others, a smile on her face despite everything.

“With my newfound abilities, I will be able to help right the ills of my kingdom,” she explained, perhaps stalling before she had to begin. Her eyes wandered, as she thought of what to say next. “In a short time, my duty to my people will be paid.”

“That’s amazing, Diancie! I just know when you get back, everyone is going to be so proud of how far you’ve come.” Stepping forward, Serena pressed her hand into her chest, as a wistful tone tinged her voice. “Just like I am.”

Diancie’s smile grew.

“Thank you, Serena, everyone. To merely say your assistance on my journey was crucial, would be a disservice.” Punctuating her words, Diancie bowed, a respect that Serena and the others returned, before they said their goodbyes.

“Bye-bye, Diancie! It was really cool knowing you!” Bonnie began, joined by her brother a moment later.

“If you ever need another hand, give us a ring! We’ll be around,” Ash added then, tipping his hat while Pikachu stood up on his shoulder.

“Pika-kapi!” he chirped, giving Diancie a wave.

That just left Serena, whose face tightened as she looked down. She took another step forward, before raising her head.

“Diancie, thank you. I know we did a lot to help you through all of this, but, I think you helped me too.” A smile grew on Serena’s face, soft and subtle, and a little bit sad. “Because I think everything I said to you, applies to me too. You helped me realize that.”

Serena’s eyes fell to her hand, as she made a fist and stood straight.

“I hope we can meet again, so I can show you the person I want to be, like you’ve shown me.”

Serena’s words struck Diancie, bringing the princess to pause as her meaning came through. Soon, Diancie grinned and nodded.

“I hope so too. I hope you find what you want to do someday.” Loosening up, Diancie let her royal intonation drop. “And, that I’ll be able to help you realize that dream. Just like you helped me.”

Serena let her shoulders relax, as she and Diancie shared one last quiet moment.

“Yeah, I hope so too.”

---

As the Pokémon of Alerth Forest made their way back to their homes, the land stood quiet in the evening dusk. Not that it was a problem of course. In fact, the silence made one man’s job all the easier.

He stood at the edge of the sinkhole chasm, slate blue hair and an orange cloak whipping in the wind. Though his eyes were obscured by his visor, he was still clearly frustrated. The sight of what had become of Xerneas and Yveltal drove him to grit his teeth.

Taking a deep breath, the man turned, before pulling a communicator from his pocket. He had to make this quick.

“Status report: Xerneas and Yveltal have begun another period of hibernation,” he explained, leaving the chasm behind. “Project XY is no longer tenable. We must move to Plan Z.”

𝒵

Notes:

And so! Serena and Diancie part ways, their lives forever changed by their chance meeting and blooming friendship! Though Serena carries a heavy heart for now, she also carries a promise— To find her dream!

The Diancie Arc has concluded, and so the journey to Shalour City resumes. Ash's next Gym Badge awaits!

Until next time!

Credit to @203wolves over on twitter for their lovely art of this amazing moment
As a reminder, starting next week, new chapters of Trying Something New will be releasing on Mondays 6PM EST

Chapter 18: Another Serena in Another World!?

Notes:

As a reminder, New Chapters of Trying Something will be released on Mondays rather than Tuesdays from now on.

𝒴

After the adventure with Diancie had finally been settled, the group turned their attention back to their next destination: Shalour City. Korrina and her gym badge were waiting for them, and Ash especially was rip-roaring and ready to go. Just a mention of the city would fire up his excitement.

Yet, while Ash was focused on where tomorrow was leading them, Serena just couldn’t seem to escape yesterday.

Sprinting past pale trees, flying through the air to avoid certain death, splitting pitch-black skies with blasts of amazing energy— It all played in Serena’s mind, sending her heart fluttering with a familiar feeling. It was the rush of adrenaline, coursing through her veins.

Through it all, though, there was one memory her heart was set on the most.

“I hope we can meet again, so I can show you the person I want to be.”

Serena had made a promise to Diancie, to show her that person she wanted to become one day. Which meant, Serena had to decide who that was exactly. The thought terrified her as much as it excited her.

Glancing over to Ash, Serena reflected on the last few days of their travels.

Since the group parted ways with Diancie, Ash threw himself into training with a fire she’d never seen from the boy. Back-to-back practice sessions, relentless sparring exercises, working to master his team’s moves— it was all on the table. Serena almost felt bad for his Pokemon, if it wasn’t for the fact they were as determined as he was to overcome Korrina.

The life Ash lived, it certainly wasn’t easy. Yet, that didn’t diminish the allure of it, at all.

Was she seriously considering becoming a Gym Challenger like Ash? Serena had asked herself that question a dozen times by now, and the answer had yet to be ‘no’. Perhaps it was time to admit, it should be ‘yes’.

Before Serena could complete that thought, she was saved from the crippling terror of commitment— A fork in the road had brought the group to a halt.

“Huh? I thought it was a straight shot to Shalour City from here?” Ash asked. A weathered sign pointed in two opposing directions, one towards a mountain looming in the distance, and the other deeper into the woods the group had been trekking.

“Oh it is! The path on the left is just a minor detour,” Clemont clarified, as he pulled up the map he’d been holding onto. “Though reportedly, going through Reflection Cave can cut a few days of traveling.”

Ash perked up at Clemont’s words.

“Whoa, wait, you’re saying if we take this path, we’ll get to Shalour City faster? Well why aren’t we doing that!” The rather excitable Ash was living up to that descriptor, as his usual passionate fervor began to shine through.

“Well, it’s not that simple,” Clemont said, folding up the map as he did so. “Reflection Cave is a bit of a maze. It’s said it’s very easy to get lost in there!”

“Aww come on Clemont, when have we ever gotten lost?” Clemont’s explanation took some wind from Ash’s sails, but it didn’t completely deflate his enthusiasm. What came next came close though.

“What about the two days we were stuck in that bamboo forest on the way to Cyllage City?” Clemont immediately countered.

“Or when we accidentally doubled back after Ambrette Town? We wasted half a week going the wrong way,” Serena added, doubling the evidence against Ash’s claim.

“Or that time we got lost in that glittery cave and had to call for help to find a way out!” And just like that, Bonnie came in with Ash’s third strike, demolishing what he surely thought was a great argument.

“Awww man.” Slumping forward in defeat, Ash’s only consolation was a sympathetic path from Pikachu. He was outmatched, three-to-one. Still, that didn’t mean he was done. Straightening up, Ash began again.

“I know it’s a riskier trip, but I really want to get to Shalour City as fast as I can. The faster I can beat Korrina, the faster I can get to the next gym after that, and the faster I can be ready for the Kalos League.” Ash’s tone was surprisingly serious, his more excitable persona from moments ago seemingly nowhere to be found.

It struck Serena then, that this wasn’t just a bit of childish impatience.

“I say we take the shortcut,” she declared, catching both Ash and Clemont’s attention. With eyes on her, she quickly added, “We got sidetracked helping Diancie, so I think it’s only fair we make up for lost time.”

“Yeah, plus, I’m tired of walking in this forest for so long!”

Now it was Clemont who was outmatched three-to-one, as his sister quickly joined Ash and Serena.

Far more willing to concede to the direction of the group, Clemont smiled and sighed.

“Well, alright then! I guess it can’t be too bad. Through Reflection Cave we go!”

---

𝒳

Reflection Cave, as it turned out, lived up to its namesake. The walls of the spiraling, maze-like cave were coated in clean sheets of crystal, clearer and more reflective than any mirror one could make.

“I can see why people get lost,” Ash muttered, watching as a reflection of his seemed to walk down another path without him.

“Well, as long as we follow this guide, we should be totally fine.” Looking down at the screen in his hands, Clemont came to a pause. The path the group was following split into two parallel routes. “I belieeeeeve, we go this way!”

“Huh?” Ash looked back, just in time to see Clemont and the others begin down one of the paths. “Come on buddy, we don’t wanna get left behind, do we?”

“Pika!” So with that, the two picked up the pace, speeding along to catch up with the rest of the party.

After a few moments of quiet traveling, Clemont spoke up.

“You know Ash, I’m actually sort of glad we decided to take this route,” he began, raising his device up. “With this guide I found, I doubt we’ll get lost at all!”

“Heh, what did I say? When do we ever get lost!” Ash shot Clemont a goofy grin, but couldn’t help but notice something as he did so. “Gotta say though, why are you so quiet?”

Clemont turned but did not face Ash. Instead, he looked towards a side wall.

“What do you mean, Ash? You’re the one being quiet.” That time, Clemont’s voice was even lower, barely audible. As he said that, the whole group stopped and turned around, yet not one of them looked to Ash himself.

“Guys? What’s going—?” And then, all at once, Ash’s party disappeared before his very eyes, blinking from sight, like a reflection in the dark. “—on…”

Ash stood in silence for a moment, before turning to confirm, yes, there were multiple paths behind him, and yes, he was unsure which he had just come from.

“Pikapi, pipika.” Ash could feel Pikachu side-eyeing him.

“Oh shut it, I know.” Puffing his chest up, Ash picked a path and marched forward, intent on getting un-lost before he heard another word about it. Unfortunately, the Reflection Cave was intent on being anything but kind to him today. When he arrived at another crossroad, he couldn’t tell at all if this was the path the group had split up at. “Okay, maybe, I don’t know.”

Ash cupped his hands together and called out into the caves.

“Guys! Where are you!” His voice echoed through the mountain, reflecting back at him from a dozen different directions. That was the only response he was getting. “Ah jeeze.”

“Pikapi, Pikachu-pi!”

“No way! If we split up, we’ll just get more lost!” Ash declared, before he began running forward. He had to see some sign of the group. He had—

Then, there, in the corner of his vision, Ash spotted a flash of red and blonde. Serena!

“Hey wait up!” Through the maze of mirrors, splitting paths and disorienting halls, Ash followed the image of his friend. Then, finally, he spotted her directly ahead. “Serena! Ah man, there you are!”

Ash’s call rang loud and clear, yet Serena didn’t answer. She just continued racing forward. Frowning, Ash and Pikachu followed in hot pursuit, until—

At the very last moment, Ash realized he was running into another mirror.

In his defense, this one wasn’t anything like he’d seen before. Usually, a mirror shows your reflection, and usually when you run into one, a mirror shatters. In this mirror’s case, however, Ash and Pikachu simply ran straight through.

“Pika!?”

“Huh?!” All at once, gravity gave away, as Reflection Cave flickered from view. Gone was the endless maze of mirrors, with some new environment coming to take its place. Stone and earth pillars filled Ash’s view as far as the eye could see, surrounded by tall fractal skyscrapers, repeating forever in every direction. There was no sky or ground or up or down, just an endless distorting landscape that flew by. “Are we—!?

“Pikapi!” Pikachu’s warning grabbed Ash’s attention, as he quickly realized the two of them were still flying forward. Another mirror lied dead ahead.

“Whoa!?” At the very last moment, Ash turned and pulled Pikachu into his chest, protecting the both of them while they crashed through.

As quickly as gravity had disappeared, it reappeared now. It sent the two tumbling onto a, hopefully, non-distorting floor.

“Uuuugh.”

“Pika… pi… pipika.”

“Hah, well, this idiot just kept us from getting lost in the Rev—” Ash froze as he looked up, finding not the dark mirrored halls of Reflection Cave he was expecting, but instead the wooded forest outside the cave’s entrance. How the duo had made it back outside was anyone’s guess. For now though, a far more important question was staring him right in the face. “Serena? How’d you get out here? Don’t tell me you guys got lost too!”

Looking over the silent girl, another question hit Ash just then.

“And when did you get so tall?”

---

𝒴

“Ash? Ash, where are you!? Pikachu!?” Serena felt her throat begin to tighten. Everywhere she looked, she couldn’t find even a glimpse of Ash, neither of him nor his reflection. “Uugh, I never should have voted to take this route! Now we’re lost!”

Serena faced Clemont, who was surprisingly calm considering the circumstances.

“No point in worrying about it now. We just need to find Ash and everything will be alright,” he said, looking over his handy guide once more. After a moment, though, he muttered another comment. “Besides, he’s the one who got lost, not us.”

The snide comment from Clemont surprised Serena. Though, considering everything that had led them up to that point, she certainly understood his frustration.

Still, her worries remained.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?” she asked, looking down another splitting, winding path.

“This is Ash we’re talking about.” Taking a moment to put the guide down, Clemont gave Serena a smile. “He always finds his way back to his friends.”

---

𝒳

“Hey Serena, what’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Ash rose to his feet, glancing around as he did. Did the forest look, different than it did earlier?

“Putain de merde— I’m sorry, but, I think you’ve gotten me mixed up with someone else.” Shaking her head, the girl gripped her bag and turned towards the forest. A few mutters escaped her. “Though I’m not sure how you’ve managed that.”

“Pikachu-pi?”

“Huh? What’re you talking about? It’s me! Ash Ketchum!” Struck with another shot of confusion, Ash began following. “Man, I really must’ve hit my head there, cause you’re looking huge, Serena!”

“Pikapi, Pikachu-pi, pi!”

“Wait, you’re seeing this too, Pikachu?” Blinking, Ash did a double take.

“Why do you keep calling me that?” Coming to a halt, the girl turned, a hand reaching into her pocket as she faced Ash head-on.

“Eh? Calling you what?” Ash took this moment to give her a once-over. This was definitely his Serena, same clothes, same hair, same face. She was just, bigger, and older. “Ah man, did you hit your head too, Serena?”

“That! My name isn’t—” The girl paused, a realization dawning in her eyes before she began again. “You really don’t know who I am, do you?”

“What kinda question is that? You’re my friend, Serena!” Ash snorted as he came to a stop, before extending his hand out to start counting. “You like fashion, you like baking, you’re a real princess and a half—”

“Pikapi!”

Before Ash could say another word, the girl swung, stopping just short of slamming her fist into his face. And in her fist, there was a Poké ball, black with gold stripes.

“My name is Yvonne, the Champion of the Kalos Region.” Yvonne’s declaration hung in the air, stunning Ash quiet before she pulled back. With his silence secured, she continued. “You were just in Reflection Cave, yeah?

Ash straightened, before nodding, quickly catching on that this situation wasn’t as mundane as he had presumed.

“I should’ve expected. I fell in through there a few years ago—” Yvonne looked away from Ash then, biting her thumb as she went into thought. “Only makes sense that someone could fall out.”

“What do you mean, fall out?” Ash turned and looked back towards the mountain hosting Reflection Cave, before something suddenly dawned on him. The mountain, had changed. Not drastically, like something had happened to it, but… “It’s mirrored.”

“I’m sorry to say, Ash Ketchum, but this isn’t your world.”

---

𝒴

“Finally, out.” Serena stumbled forward, falling to her knees moments after she left Reflection Cave behind. Seconds later, Clemont and Bonnie followed, both similarly exhausted. “I cannot believe how long that took.”

Clemont’s guide had become useless once his batteries ran out, so they had to find their way out blind in order to let him recharge. They were out now at least, even if that didn’t solve their first problem.

“We still have no idea where Ash went,” Serena muttered, as she sat down and faced Clemont. “Where could he have gone?”

Pausing as he was getting his charging equipment set up, Clemont sighed.

“Well, there are some legends…”

---

𝒳

“It’s said that people who fall through the mirrors in Reflection Cave can only go back at the same time of day they left,” Yvonne recounted, as she and Ash stood side-by-side at the entrance to the cave. After a moment, she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. “You two fell out right around twelve so you should be able to get back tomorrow, at noon.”

“Ah jeeze, a whole day? The others are gonna kill us.” Ash tightened his lips, before he began muttering under his breath. “And now we’re gonna be late to Korrina anyways— So much for our shortcut, aye buddy?”

“Pika… Pikachu.”

Ash turned back to a surprising sight: The girl he wanted to call Serena digging through her backpack.

“You’ve got a while to wait, and it’s a long way to the next town, so I’ll stick around until you can get back home,” she simply said, pulling out a familiar pop-up tent set. “Better than freezing over the night at least.”

“Ah man, thanks! I really appreciate this, Serena!”

“It’s Yvonne.” Yvonne’s flat voice took on a distinctly annoyed tone, one she held for a moment before letting it go. “Besides, it’s nothing. Helping people and Pokémon in my region, that’s what being Champion is all about, yeah?”

“Yeah…” As Ash watched Yvonne unpack, a thought began to work its way through his mind. Soon, a smile joined in. “Hey, Ser— Yvonne.”

“There ya go, you’re getting it.” Looking up from her tent set, Yvonne turned. This time, she came face-to-face with one of Ash’s Pokeballs.

“Let’s have a battle!”

Notes:

Now these are circumstances most dire! Ash and Pikachu have managed to take a tumble through Reflection Cave, and ended up in a new Universe! Just what secrets does this "Yvonne" hold? And what will Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie do with Ash missing?!

Find out next time!

Chapter 19: A Section on Self-Reflection

𝒵

“I gotta say, Ash. This is pretty gutsy.” Yvonne turned, gripping a Poké ball while locking eyes with her opponent. “Just asking a champion to a battle? Most trainers wouldn’t dare.”

“Hah, you’re gonna find out that I’m not most trainers,” Ash jeered, pointing his thumb towards his chest. “I’m gonna be a champion myself one day, so I can’t pass up chances like these!”

“Pika!” Pikachu was as fired up as Ash was, with sparks of thunder in his cheeks signaling his excitement.

For the first time since Yvonne had met Ash, she cracked a smile— A small, snorting smile.

“You’re ambitious— Let’s see where that ambition gets you.” Rearing back, Yvonne went into a practiced pitcher’s stance, before launching a wicked fastball. “Go! Delphox!”

Appearing in a plume of smoke and cinders, Yvonne’s mighty ace took the field, letting out a proud cry as she stared Ash and Pikachu down. In her hands was a unique accessory— not a wooden stick for a wand, but a whole branch, as tall as she was.

“A Delphox, huh?” Ash wasn’t cowed, however. He merely smiled before nudging his partner. “Hey Pikachu, mind playing second-in-command for this one?”

“Pika? Pikachu!”

“I know, I know, but I wanna give Froakie a little love! I can feel he’s gonna want in on this,” Ash answered, as he dug out a ball from his pocket. “So let’s show her what we can do!”

Pikachu grinned, before looking forward.

“Pikapi!”

Yvonne glared, watching the two talk between themselves for a moment. Was Ash, asking his Pokémon for its opinion on the battle? What exactly was he up to?

“Alright, Yvonne, check this out! I choose, Froakie!” As if on cue, Ash answered her, sending out his Pokemon.

With a torrent of water to mark his entrance, a lone Froakie appeared, facing Yvonne’s Delphox with a look of proud determination. It was a look that matched his trainer.

“You’ve got some big boots to fill Ash, if you intend on becoming a champion one day,” Yvonne said with a snort, glancing up from her tiny opponent. Yet, when she did, Ash’s smug smile made her pause.

“Heh, you should keep your eyes on the prize. Froakie! Double Team into Water Pulse!”

“Huh!” Yvonne’s eyes snapped down to where Froakie should’ve been, finding bare ground instead. Which meant— “Delphox, left and right, Flamethrower, now!”

In an instant, two copies of Froakie appeared at either side of Delphox. They were fast, but not fast enough. A crackling, fiery column from Delphox dismissed the copies in an instant.

Dismissed the copies.

“Where is—!” Quickly, Yvonne realized her folly. Froakie was coming from above! “Flame—!”

“Pika!”

“Too late!” At Ash and Pikachu’s call, Froakie landed, slamming a charged Water Pulse straight onto his opponent’s head. An explosion of steam filled the air as Delphox cried and stumbled back. “Keep the pressure up, Froakie! Back-to-back Pounds!”

Gritting her teeth, Yvonne quickly moved to retaliate.

“Dive into the steam, Delphox! Use the cover and fire back with Psyshock!” she directed, watching her partner narrowly avoid Froakie’s first and second swings. Just how fast was this frog!?

“Get back, Froakie! You gotta outlast that hit!” Cupping his hands, Ash let his command ring out clear. Just in time as well.

Right as Froakie began to summersault away, granules of pink psychic energy shot out from the cloud of steam, crashing down onto the spot he just stood at. And that wasn’t all— More of the deadly projectiles were in hot pursuit!

“Just keep it up, buddy!”

“Pikapi! Pika-Pika, chu!”

“Oh hey, great idea!” Grinning, Ash looked forward, his eyes scanning the field for a moment. He was looking for the right— “Now, Froakie! Rock Tomb Climb up their attack!”

“Huh!?”

Froakie landed with a hand to the ground, catching his balance before pivoting around in one motion. Then, with a practiced leap, he began scaling up the projectiles of Psyshock!

“You three are just full of surprises!” There again, she saw it. Ash and Pikachu were talking, in the middle of a battle! The two of them were strategizing in live combat! “Well, you’re not the only ones! Delphox, Psyshock— grabbing maneuver!”

“Pika?!”

“Whoa, what!” Ash and Pikachu were dumbfounded as Delphox stepped forward, waving her staff through the air. In an instant, the projectiles Froakie was leaping on turned against him. They shot up, not striking but instead grabbing!

“Smashing maneuver!” Driving her fist into her palm, Yvonne made her intention clear. Delphox raised her staff up and sent Froakie crashing down.

“Water Pulse, straight down!” Ash’s command was well-meaning, but only barely effective. Without the use of his arms, the best Froakie could manage was a weak Water Pulse from his mouth. Still, it did the job, cushioning his collision with the ground. A cloud of dust and debris filled the air, as Ash grit his teeth.

A call from Yvonne pulled him from his scowl.

“I’m impressed, Ash. Very impressed,” she said, her mind racing as she put her words together. Despite the low stakes of this battle, her heartbeat had quickened, and with it, an old, familiar feeling began to form. “Most Pokémon can’t get the drop on Delphox, or stay standing after her grab-and-smash.”

Just as she said that, the cloud of dust and debris cleared, revealing Froakie. He was hurt, but very much standing. The sight of it all made Ash grin.

“Thanks! But don’t think some nice words are gonna make us stop here— Right, Froakie?” he called, earning a smirk and thumbs up from his Pokémon. Froakie rubbed dirt from his mouth before staring Delphox down, eye-to-eye. “We’ve been traveling with Froakie for a while now, and I know he’s just as determined as we are, to be the very best!”

“Pikapi, pi-Pikachu!”

“Froa!”

There was a fire in the three’s words, fire Yvonne couldn’t deny for a moment. She recognized it, clear as day— the very same fire that was rushing through her veins now.

A wild smile grew on Yvonne’s face.

“Good! Because me and Delphox are the very same!” she declared, taking a step. “So let’s end this!”

“Yeah, let’s!” Ash leaned forward, his eyes racing across the battlefield. An idea was building in his mind, Yvonne could tell. “I got it!”

“Chu! Pika-Pika, pikachu!” He wasn’t the only one, Pikachu seemed to have an idea as well! “Pika!”

“Perfect, let’s do both then!” Looking up, Ash threw his hand into the air. “Froakie! Double Team, into Pound and Water Pulse! One in each hand!”

“Froakie!” Lunging forward, Froakie took off, raising his fists as they began to glow with intense energy: One stark white, and the other a pulsing blue. A moment later, he disappeared into a flicker, a dozen or so copies taking his place.

“Trying to overwhelm us, aye? Well, watch out!” Yvonne wrenched her grasping hand into the air, mirroring her Delphox holding her staff. “Flamethrower, sweeping maneuver!”

Next, it was Delphox who was mirroring her trainer. With a flick of her wrist and a wide sweep of her arm, she sent a wall of fire flying forward. It would easily consume all the copies in one fell swoop!

“Not on my watch! Froakie, drop the Water Pulse, straight down!”

Quick to comply, Froakie slammed his fist into the ground, thrusting himself into the air with the subsequent torrent of water. Just in time as well, as the wave of flames consumed his shadow clones.

“Now we’ve got you! Delphox, Psyshock, grabbing maneuver!” Curling and closing her fingers, Yvonne motioned her intent.

“Heh, that won’t work twice!” But Ash was ready, looking up. “Froakie, frubble it!”

“Frubble!?” Yvonne stared in shock as Froakie tossed a load of his neck bubbles downwards, ensnaring the psychic pellets of Psyshock. Now stuck together, they couldn’t grab Froakie!

“Jump off it, buddy!” Ever the opportunist, Ash used Yvonne’s attack to his advantage. Froakie latched onto the flying mass of frubbles and Psyshock, before catapulting forward, straight towards Delphox.

There was just one last shot to end this. Yvonne had to take drastic measures.

“Delphox! Use Mist Ball!”

“Deeeeeeeeel!” A plume of psychic mist formed in the air, as Delphox drew an intricate pattern with her staff. Finally, coalescing the energy into a ball, she let the attack loose. “Phox!”

“Froa!?”

The projectile struck home, hitting Froakie at point-blank range. An explosion of pink smoke filled the air between the two, coating the arena and blocking both trainers’ view.

“Froakie? Froakie, are you okay!” Ash called, waving into the pink cloud.

“Pika-Pika!”

“Disperse it, Delphox. We’re done.” Satisfied with her performance, Yvonne called the battle to a close. With a wave of Delpox’s staff, the cover of Mist Ball parted, revealing both combatants once more.

They were still standing, both Delphox and Froakie.

“Huh, impressive.” Yvonne was surprised. Most didn’t last that long after a direct hit from Mist Ball. “Ah well, just a matter of time.”

“Good job, Froakie! We’re still in this! Use—” Unfortunately for Ash’s enthusiasm, his Pokémon wasn’t as up to continue as he was. Though Froakie could raise a fist forward, though he wanted to continue, his body betrayed him.

Sapped by the magic of Mist Ball, Froakie collapsed. Yvonne had won.

---

𝒴

After another two attempts to search for Ash, the group was forced to call it for the day. It was getting late and they were getting exhausted. They could resume the search tomorrow.

Camping out at the mouth of the cave entrance, Serena and the others settled down for the night, huddled around their campfire.

“It still doesn’t make sense. How could he just, disappear?” Serena was muttering to no one at this point. Fortunately, though she addressed no one, someone did answer.

“You shouldn’t worry about Ash.” It was Clemont, still looking through his trusty guide, still taking care of his sister after a long and stressful day. Bonnie had nodded off, laying her head against her brother’s lap. “Wherever those two are, I’m sure they’re okay. It’s Ash. He’s always okay.”

Serena paused for a moment, her anxiety seemingly distant as she focused now on Clemont. He was calm, almost uncharacteristically so. Sure, he had his moments of panic back in the cave, such as when his devices had run out of charge, or when the search had hit the five-hour mark. Yet, through this whole situation which left Serena a worrying wreck, Clemont seemed surprisingly held together.

“You must be wondering how I can keep so calm.” Clemont’s intuition cracked the quiet of the night and knocked Serena off her balance. Was she really that easy to read? The small smile that grew on Clemont’s face told her yes. “Truth is, inside, I’ve been a nervous mess all day. But with Ash gone, I felt a more collected approach was needed. Otherwise, we all would have gotten lost.”

Serena’s gaze fell to the fire between her and Clemont.

“I’ve really been out of it, huh?” In truth, this hadn’t been Serena’s greatest hour. It was nothing like when she had helped Diancie, or trained with Mabel, or stood up to find Amaura. Serena wrapped her arms around her knees. “I’ve been pretty much useless all day.”

There were a few responses Serena expected from Clemont. She got none of them.

“Yeah, you were.” His bluntness surprised Serena. The smile he offered her when she looked up did even more so. Then again, after the day they’d had, Serena knew he didn’t have the energy for sugarcoating. That made what he said next feel all the more real. “With everything else on your mind, though, I don’t blame you.”

“What do you mean?” Serena frowned. “What else would be on my mind?”

“Your promise, of course,” Clemont answered, without missing a beat. “And the thing you’ve been looking to pursue on your journey.”

“I—” Serena froze, completely blindsided by Clemont’s words. Taking a moment to collect herself, she slumped and laughed. “Jeeze, I haven’t been hiding anything very well, huh?”

“You could say that.” Clemont’s eyes drifted off to the side for a moment, as if he had something else to say. Serena wouldn’t ring it out of him, however. “You’ve been thinking about challenging gyms for a while now, why not give it a shot?”

“Well, I’m just not sure if that’s what I want to do.” Serena was fibbing, of course, and the look Clemont was giving her told her that he knew it. She dropped the charade. “Okay… I am sure. I do— want to— start challenging gyms.”

Every word was like pulling teeth. Yet, when it was done, it was done. What she had said was now standing out in the open, and there was nothing she could do to take it back.

When Serena looked up, she saw Clemont looking back, with the proudest, widest smile he could muster.

“Well, that settles it!” he said, ecstatic while keeping his voice down. “After we find Ash and get back to town, we’ll get you registered for the Kalos League! It’ll be amaz—!”

“Shhhh!” Serena panicked, waving her hands to shush Clemont as her face erupted with color. “I’m nowhere near ready for that!”

“But, why not?” Clemont’s enthusiasm drained for a moment, as he saw Serena’s hesitation. “You’ve got to start soon, if you want a chance to finish before the league conference.”

“I know, I just…” Hesitating, Serena looked away, trying to put words to her feelings, words she’d hesitated to form up till now. “I don’t know how to tell Ash.”

Clemont remained silent, letting Serena put herself together. She was thankful for that. She was still working through the reasons herself, after all.

“I haven’t said anything about this but, I really, like, Ash,” Serena began, allowing the confession a moment to settle. She’d kept that little secret under lock and key after all.

After a few quiet seconds, she continued.

“I only began really paying attention to Pokémon battles, because I wanted to share something with him. Because I wanted to understand why he loved battling so much,” Serena explained, pulling her legs up and hugging her knees once more. “And before I knew it, I got pulled in. I was watching him battle not just for him, but for him battling.”

“Isn’t that a good thing, though?” Clemont offered, pulling Serena’s gaze back towards him. “You two will have a shared interest to bond over now.”

“Maybe… Or maybe, it’ll change how Ash’ll see me.” Serena’s response came with very little resistance. Like the thought was something she’d known for a long time now. “I’m Serena. I’m supposed to be a proper ‘classy’ girl, who likes fashion, baking. And Ash likes me, at least a little.”

Serena reached into her pocket, pulling out Fennekin’s Poké ball.

“If I change, if I become a trainer like Ash, will he still like that Serena?” she asked, more to herself than anything. In the Poké ball she held, Serena could see her reflection. She could see the look of worry and doubt she carried in her eyes. “Will he still like me?”

Silence reigned over the camp then, as Serena’s question came to dominate the air.

Soon, however, Clemont’s voice took its place.

“I think you have nothing to worry about, Serena. Of course, Ash would still like you, no matter who you decide to be,” he said, pulling her gaze with a calm assuredness, and then, a calm smile. “Ash likes Serena, not the person you think Serena should be.”

Serena processed Clemont’s words, his conclusions, and how simple and succinct they seemed to be, when her worries were so complicated and long-winded. Could something she’d been stewing over for weeks really be washed away with just a few strong words?

Maybe.

But not in one night.

“Thanks Clemont. I think, I think I’ve got something to think about.”

---

𝒳

A few hours after their battle, Ash and Yvonne set up camp for the night. A single plain tent, an instant fire starter, and a comparatively comfortable sleeping bag— It seemed that unlike the Serena he knew, Yvonne had far more humble camping provisions. That fact stuck out to Ash now, as he and his host sat around a smoldering fire.

Pikachu and Froakie had nodded off a while ago, and Yvonne’s Delphox, who preferred to sleep outside her Poké ball, was already in the tent. That just left Yvonne and Ash himself, burning a little more time.

They were bored out of their minds.

Ash dug through his backpack, an old desperate habit of his. Who knows, perhaps he could find something to hold his interest for a while, a snack perhaps?

Yet, it wasn’t an old candy bar that he found.

“Hah, nearly forgot about this again,” he said to himself, pulling out a surprising sight: weared, dry paper. With a gentle touch, he unfolded the sheet and gazed onto the art inside. The image of himself and Pikachu in their younger days looked back at him.

“What’s that?” Yvonne’s voice broke through the otherwise quiet night, grabbing Ash’s attention. It seemed he wasn’t the only one trying to find an outlet for their boredom.

“Ah it’s nothing, just a gift from a friend,” Ash answered, approaching to let Yvonne have a look. Sitting down at the champion’s side, he showed her the art of himself and Pikachu, while making the point of not offering it to hold. “Something I’ve had for a long while now.”

“One of those friends who you were looking for?” Yvonne’s gaze was oddly stuck to the paper, before Ash pulled it away after a moment. She shook her head clear as Ash gave a quiet chuckle.

“Nah, I haven’t seen this one in a long time,” he confessed, leaning forward a bit while he looked down. “A really, really long time.”

“Do you usually disappear on your friends like this?” That comment was more snide than it was scornful, but in either case, Ash laughed.

“Not on purpose, nah. Life just sorta, happened,” he said, looking up from the art. “I’ve always been so busy working to get stronger. So, I never found the time to look back, ya know?”

“Hmph, well, you’ve certainly been putting in the work,” Yvonne muttered, rubbing her wrists as she recalled their battle from earlier. After a quiet moment though, she continued. “Word of advice though— You should make time for your friends.”

“Huh?” Looking back, Ash felt a spark of offense run through him. Who was this lady to say Ash didn’t care enough about his friends! Yet, still, he held back. This Serena was a champion after all. He shouldn’t turn his nose up at her advice. “What do you mean?”

Yvonne hummed in thought for a moment, staring into the fire between the two of them.

“I used to have this set of friends, who I met when I first started my journey. They were always very energetic, if a bit, overwhelming.” Yvonne paused, before she blurted out the next few words. “Annoying, they were a bit annoying.”

There was a good deal of shame in that confession, Ash could tell. It was why he didn’t say anything as she continued.

“They used to spend so much time hanging out with me, showing me all around Kalos, challenging me to battles. I didn’t dislike them, I just…” Yvonne paused, pondering over her own words, like she was trawling through her memories for how she felt. “I never took the time to try to be their friend too. I was always just focused on beating Gyms, getting closer to challenging the champion.”

Yvonne sighed, before she leaned back.

“And by the time I became champion, I didn’t hear from them anymore. They’d stopped trying to hang out with me at some point, and I hadn’t noticed.” Looking up, Yvonne gave Ash an intense look, one that held his attention. “Make time for your friends, Ash. So, in the end, you’ll have people there cheering for you.”

Silence covered the camp the two shared, as Ash dwelt on what Yvonne had told him. It wasn’t the advice he was expecting, but it was advice from a champion nonetheless.

“You don’t have many friends, do you?” he asked, a determined expression on his face as he locked eyes with Yvonne. In a reversal, it was her who cracked a smile now.

“Heh, beyond my team? None.”

“Well, we all have to start somewhere.” Saying that with a grin, Ash stood tall. “Consider me your first! First friend in a while, and first of a lot more.”

Yvonne stared at Ash’s outstretched hand, which egged her on for a response. For a moment, she hesitated, before finally, she laughed.

“Ash Ketchum, you’ve got yourself a deal.” Reaching forward, she took Ash’s hand into her own, and returned to him a firm shake. “Thank you.”

Ash nodded.

“It’s no problem, Yvonne.”

---

𝒳

The sun hung over the mountain containing Reflection Cave, nearing its summit in only a few short minutes. With noon rapidly approaching, it was soon time for Ash and Yvonne to say their goodbyes.

Ash and Pikachu stretched, pacing at the entrance of the cave, readying themselves for the moment. At their side, Yvonne stood, keeping track of the time.

“So, we just run through?” Ash asked, glancing over to his latest companion. After their heart-to-heart the night before, Yvonne seemed to have returned to her regular, flat disposition.

“Yep.”

“Any chance this’ll just get us lost in the Reverse World?” he then pressed, half-joking but also half-serious. The question made Pikachu shudder at the thought.

“I have no idea what that is, and at this point, it’s a bit late to ask,” Yvonne merely replied, taking Ash’s claim at face value. She tightened the grip on the watch she held. Only a minute left.

Ash did something surprising then. He turned.

“Any chance I’ll get to see you again?”

Pausing, Yvonne looked up from her watch, locking eyes with Ash for what was probably the last time. Her reserved attitude broke then, as she chuckled.

“Probably not.”

Leaning forward, Ash offered a handshake, throwing in one of his Ash Ketchum™ grins to sweeten the deal.

“Even if we won’t see each other, we’re still friends, you got that?” he said, Pikachu jumping onto his shoulder to back him up. With both knuckleheads grinning at her now, Yvonne had no choice but to smile.

“Still friends,” she replied with a nod.

Just as she accepted the handshake, the watch Yvonne held began to ring. In time, brilliant light began to pour out of Reflection Cave.

It was noon.

“Gotta jet!”

---

𝒳𝒴

“All packed up?” Serena did a quick sweep of the campsite— Tents collected, waste disposed, fire put out. They were all ready to head out, even if she wished they weren’t.

After another dive into Reflection Cave this morning, the group had decided they’d exhausted their options. The plan now was to make it to Shalour City and get Officer Jenny to help. It was all they could think to do.

Serena wished she could think of something else to do.

“Ready to go.” Clemont and Bonnie were similarly not happy with the current plan of action, Bonnie especially. The girl had been uncharacteristically quiet the last day, ever since Ash disappeared.

Serena sighed.

“Let’s—”

A loud ring, like the sound of a whistle, rang through the air, as a flash of light came from the entrance to Reflection Cave. A moment later, two figures stumbled out.

“Ash!?” Serena dropped everything and sprinted back to the cave, Clemont and Bonnie barely keeping up. In an instant, she was upon them, hugging Ash and Pikachu tight before they had a chance to get their bearings. “Oh my gosh, where were you!?”

“We looked for you everywhere! We went so long we got dizzy!” Bonnie yelled, visibly distraught as she held onto Ash’s hand.

“We —Jeeze, my head— We, fell through,” Ash said, choosing his words carefully. A moment later, Pikachu nodded, as he got his balance back.

Clemont’s eyes widened at Ash’s explanation.

“Fell through? Do you mean…?”

“Me and Pikachu landed in some kinda mirror world. It was crazy!” Seemingly having gotten his head cleared, Ash stood straight, before he began to recount everything. “The whole world was backwards! The mountain, the forest, and— Serena! You were there!”

Ash jumped as he faced Serena, grabbing onto her shoulders.

“I, was mirrored?” Admittedly, Serena was only just barely following along with Ash’s ravings. She could almost laugh if she weren’t massively upset. “What? Did you meet an ‘Aneres’ or something?”

“No, her name was Yvonne!” Ash replied, flooring Serena with the sheer sincerity of his claim. And he wasn’t even done. “And get this, you were champion of the whole Kalos Region!”

“I— I was what?” Serena blinked, hoping for a clarification but receiving none. Instead, she was just left stunned while Ash turned again.

“Clemont.” Ash slowed down, his frantic mania petering out as he faced his friend. A hand went up to his neck, as if he suddenly lacked the words to say.

It was odd behavior from Ash, which is why Clemont took notice and stood straight.

“Yes?” he replied, curiosity crossing his gaze for a moment.

Finally, Ash’s hesitation gave away, and a familiar determination returned to his eyes. He put a hand on Clemont’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry I made us take Reflection Cave. If you wanna take the other route, I don’t mind waiting.” Ash’s declaration hung in the air for a moment, as Clemont finally understood what he was getting at.

After the last twenty-four hours of stress and worry, a genuine, unabashed smile grew on Clemont’s face.

“Thank you, Ash.”

Notes:

With reflection cave and its eponymous mirror world behind Ash and his friends, the journey to Shalour City is nearing its end! The time to face Korrina and her Lucario is close at hand!

Next time, The Shalour City Arc begins!

Chapter 20: A Limit Breaking Rivalry!

𝒳

“Shalour City— Say hello to Ash Ketchum!”

“Pika!”

Ash and Pikachu burst through a wall of thick foliage, skidding to a stop after the forest had come to an end. After days of traveling, and a few detours along the way, their destination was finally in sight: Shalour City.

The path the group was on had led to a cliff, giving Ash and Pikachu a perfect view of the whole city. Tall buildings stretched far down the coastline, with a web of greenery between it all. Yet, none of that drew Ash’s attention. Through the hustle and bustle of the town, past all the distractions, his gaze was attached to just one thing.

He could spot the Tower of Mastery, and the setting sun hanging above it.

“Here we go!”

---

𝒳

“…How do we go?” Ash came to a sudden stop, realizing all at once that the Tower of Mastery wasn’t at the edge of town, but in fact, beyond the town. A stretch of ocean separated him and his destination, with a thick stone railing and his impulse control being all that kept him from diving straight in.

“Pika?”

“Yeah, I don’t see a boat either!” Ash answered, looking down the coast for a ferry, or some other path to the Gym. “Ah, what the heck!”

“Ash, slow down.” Soon after Ash and Pikachu had arrived, Serena and the rest of the group joined them. Clemont was exhausted from all the running the group had been doing, and his sister was only a bit better. Serena in comparison didn’t seem as tired, though that did little to ease her annoyance. “I was trying to tell you, the Shalour City Gym is on an island outside of the city. You can’t just run straight in!”

“Awww, but I wanted to battle nooow!”

“Pika, pikachu!” Pikachu called in agreement, as he and Ash turned to look out onto the sea again. The sun would set below the horizon soon, and Korrina might not take their challenge that late!

“How do we get into the Gym?” Clemont asked then, turning to Serena after having caught his breath. She was reading through a guide of Shalour City on her PDA.

“Sorry guys. I don’t have a clue,” she confessed after a moment, sending Ash into theatrics once more. He buried his head into the stone railing.

“Well, now what are we gonna do?” Grumbling, Ash crossed his arms and looked out to the tower. For a moment he considered swimming again, though his brain managed to keep that idea under lockdown. That just left the painful option of waiting till tomorrow to borrow a boat.

Man, why didn’t he get Korrina’s number for situations like these.

“You who strives for great power!”

That call rang through the air like a thunderclap, turning heads and sending Ash whipping around. Shock and surprise came from the rest of the group, but not him. All he had was his goofy grin.

He recognized the voice.

Bursting from around a nearby corner, the familiar form of Korrina appeared, a smirk across her face. She immediately sprinted forward, picking up speed and getting low. Then, all at once, she leapt! She was going in for a jump kick—!

“Oh man!”

—Straight towards Ash!

Launching off his partner’s shoulder, Pikachu fired off an Iron Tail, steel meeting rollerblade as he expertly blocked Korrina’s kick. The clashing blows fought against each other until— it all canceled out. With that, Pikachu and Korrina bounced off one another, landing on opposite sides of Ash.

Standing tall, Korrina smiled, her expression a stark contrast to the bewilderment of the group surrounding her. Only one member of the party had a grin like her: Ash.

Korrina offered her hand forward, before speaking again.

“The path will only open to your heart.”

---

𝒳

Sunset brought the low tide and, with it, the answer to Korrina’s vague declaration. The sea parted, and a path to the Tower of Mastery revealed itself. Now, only a short walk divided Ash and his date with destiny.

A short walk and a conversation.

“You two better have been training hard.” Korrina’s words broke Ash from his train of thought, as he looked up to find the girl skating alongside him. She was giving him a wily grin, one he couldn’t help but mirror. “Cause me and Lucario have been at it non-stop!”

“Pika— Pi!”

“Oh you know me and Pikachu have been getting ready since the day we split.” Ash’s words were boastful, but no less true. He had the sore muscles and bruises to prove it. “I hope you’re ready for a butt-kicking like nothing you’ve ever seen!”

Korrina surprised Ash then, as rather than another taunt or jeer, she instead gave him a chuckle.

“If there’s anyone I’d be okay with kicking my butt, it’d be you, Ash,” she told him, stunning him quiet as she came to a stop. They’d arrived at their destination. “Once we get through these doors, our match can—!”

The moment Korrina said those words, the gates to the tower were thrown open. A booming bellow rang out, sending Ash and the group reeling back with its sheer volume.

“Thou who calleth thyself the inheritor! Step forth and hear my words!”

“—begin, after, you listen to grandpa give his speech.” Putting on a look halfway between embarrassment and pride, Korrina stepped back and let the owner of the bellow show himself.

From the dark interior of the tower, Gurkinn strolled forth. With furrowed brows, he stared Ash down, pulling out an intense gaze that managed to snap him to attention. Even Pikachu straightened up, a fact that put a smug smirk on Gurkinn’s face.

“Ash Ketchum, you seek to become our family’s inheritor. So, like your consort, the successor, you must learn our history!” he declared, the boom returning to his voice. “Do you accept this burden?”

With the initial shock of Gurkinn’s volume fading, Ash grinned. He stole a glance back at the others before standing tall.

“You bet I do! Mega Evolution is an awesome power, and I just know me and my Pokémon can master it!” Putting a boom to his own voice now, Ash took a step forward, making a fist as he faced Gurkinn. “So lay it on me! Show me everything you’ve got!”

Gurkinn simply nodded and turned, not looking back as he spoke his last words.

“Then follow me, as we begin your evolution.”

With that final declaration, Ash and the others followed Gurkinn inside.

---

𝒳

“—And so, the stones came to life with a brilliant fire, igniting the sky above the whole city!” Ash had to give it to Gurkinn, his storytelling was pretty captivating. The imagery and descriptions were straight out of an old fairytale. Yet despite that, he was still finding it hard to pay attention. “That light connected our ancestor and his Lucario, and through their bond, a transformation began to take place!”

Gurkinn was regaling Ash and the group from the Tower of Mastery’s second floor, calling down to them like he was making a kingly decree. That alone would’ve made this whole setup kinda awkward, if it weren’t for the tower’s decorations taking the cake in that department.

Glancing back, Ash came face-to-face with the most eye-grabbing attraction in the whole room: The sixty-foot-tall statue of a Mega Lucario.

It towered over Ash and his friends, its proud and stoic gaze not even bothering to return his attention. It simply looked straight ahead, something Ash soon mirrored, returning his attention to Gurkinn.

“—And so, the first sage of Mega Evolution was born, beginning our family’s lineage.” Gurkinn looked down, locking eyes with Ash then. “Ash Ketchum, should you defeat my granddaughter, and prove yourself worthy to become the inheritor, you may join that lineage.”

“And then you’ll teach me how to Mega Evolve!” There was a thin line between Ash’s excitement and what could be read as impatience, and it seemed to tip towards the latter for Gurkinn.

“And then, you will be made privy to the contents of the Jackal Scroll!” he shouted, gripping the edge of the railing and sending a shot of confusion through his listeners.

“The Jackal whatsit?” Scratching his head, Ash glanced towards Serena and the others, who merely shrugged. Finally, he turned to Korrina, finding her crossing her arms and sighing.

“The Jackal Scroll is an old family heirloom,” she explained, rolling her eyes as she looked up at Gurkinn. “Apparently, it was written by one of my ancestors with a buncha advice for the two of us.”

“Advice for you and the inheritor, whoever it may be!” Gurkinn’s clarification didn’t seem to phase Korrina as she looked to Ash once again.

“I’ve never gotten a chance to look at it though, so after our match, it’ll be the first time for the both of us,” she said, finishing her explanation with a smile.

Giving her a nod, Ash began to think.

“So win this battle, read the scroll, and then I’ll get a shot at using Mega Evolution.” Ash turned those thoughts in his head, those next three steps in his journey. They seemed so clear, so certain. He just knew this was where all his hard work had been leading to. Now all he had to do was pull off this next battle. “Korrina.”

Turning to the girl who was more his rival than a Gym Leader, Ash grinned.

“Let’s do this!”

The last thing Ash looked at, before entering the Gym proper, was the statue of Lucario.

---

𝒴

“You’re looking more nervous than Ash is right now.”

Clemont’s comment snapped Serena to attention, turning her focus from her train of thought to the arena before them. Down on the battlefield below, Ash and Korrina stood, trading barbs between themselves like always. The rough and brutish nature of the field they stood on was like a distant concern to them.

At Serena’s side was a surprising sight: Ash’s fourth Pokémon, Froakie. He wanted to watch the match along with them, it seemed.

“Hah, well, someone has to be,” Serena said with a bit of an anxious chuckle, finally answering Clemont’s comment as she turned. “Ash’s been training so long for this— So my mind’s been racing over what strategy he’s going to use.”

“Whatever he does, I just know he’s gonna win!” Before Clemont could respond, Bonnie interjected, sticking her head over the railing of their viewing area. Her remark surprisingly managed to bring out some calm with its energy.

Serena cracked a smile, before looking down to Ash once more.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so too.”

---

𝒳

“Let’s start with a bit of warm-up then— Ash! I’m sending out Mienfoo!” Going into a perfected pitcher’s stance, Korrina launched her first Pokémon out with a burst of speed. The puny, but no-less fierce fighter took the stage then, entering a battle-ready stance as it stared down Ash and Pikachu.

“Heh, of course, you’ve got more in store than Lucario.” Smiling, Ash pulled out a Poké ball of his own, rearing back to throw it. “I think we’ll go back to basics then— And take you head on! I choose you, Hawlucha!”

“Haaaaaaaaaawlucha!”

The proud warrior of the forest arrived onto the field with fiery flair, striking pose-after-pose for his many onlookers. Then, with honed muscles on display, he faced his first challenger, locking eyes with Korrina’s Mienfoo.

The match was set to begin.

“Mienfoo, High Jump Kick!”

“Karate Chop, Hawlucha!”

In an instant, both combatants leapt, crashing in midair as they came to blows. Hawlucha’s arm deftly blocked Mienfoo’s kick, and soon, their clash came to a quick end.

“Grab and toss them, Hawlucha!”

“Oh no you don’t! Mienfoo, kick them off!”

“Lucha!” Hawlucha lunged for Mienfoo, just barely missing their ankle before they pulled away. A moment later, Mienfoo retaliated with a swift kick, launching themselves back to the ground and Hawlucha further into the air.

Their mistake.

“Perfect! Straight into a Flying Press, Hawlucha!” Pumping his fist, Ash watched as Hawlucha recovered and dove with perfect form, slamming into Korrina’s Mienfoo mere moments after it hit the ground. Caught off guard, the diminutive fighter was sent rolling across the field.

“Mienfoo! Recover and use Swift!”

Forcing themselves to a stop, Mienfoo quickly launched their counter-attack, sending a flurry of stars flying towards Hawlucha. Though he could deflect the first few blows, he was quickly overwhelmed by the storm. The stars exploded, filling the center of the battlefield with a plume of smoke.

“Lucha!?”

“Now, go in with a Drain Punch, Mienfoo!” Hawlucha’s position was obfuscated in the smoke, but that didn’t matter. They just had to strike hard and strike fast. Mienfoo sprinted forward, their fist glowing with green Fighting-Type energy.

Ash grinned.

“Get up, Hawlucha!” he called, grabbing Korrina’s attention while her Pokémon dove into the smoke.

Moments later, Mienfoo leapt out from the other end, confusion apparent as they looked back and forth, their Drain Punch still primed.

“Huh? Where did—!”

“Now! Flying Press!” At Ash’s word, Hawlucha appeared again, flying out from the top of the cover of smoke. With a proud battle cry he crashed into the shocked Mienfoo, grabbing and slamming them across the battlefield as he flew.

Coming to a stop, Hawlucha stood victorious over his unconscious opponent.

“Haaaaawlucha!” He struck a pose, beckoning Korrina to send out her next challenger. She seemed almost tempted to do just that, before slowing down and drawing a smile.

“Impressive, Ash!” she called out, returning her Mienfoo to their Poké ball. “Using my attack’s own smoke as cover, letting me tunnel vision myself into just the right spot to strike— You’ve been training!”

“Of course! We’re zero and two against you, no shot we’d slack on attempt number three!” Standing straight, Ash gripped the rim of his cap, locking eyes with Korrina as she pulled out her second Poké ball. Would this be her Lucario?

“Well, I won’t leave you at zero and two for too long! Let’s see which way you’ll tip that record!” Stopping and rearing back, Korrina aimed high with this next toss. “Let’s get fired up! Come on out, Machoke!”

Where Korrina’s first Pokémon was small and lithe, emphasizing technique in their every move, her next pick was anything but. Appearing with bulging, rippling muscles was Machoke, striking a flex as they towered over the battlefield. They were a stark contrast to any of Korrina’s previous Pokémon.

“Heh, guess I can’t say you’ve got a type!” Ash reached into his pocket, dwelling for a moment on whether he should stay in or switch out. Hawlucha would be pretty useful to soften up Lucario, he reasoned.

“Of course I’ve got a type, Fighting-Types!” Korrina asserted then, drawing a laugh from Ash. At that moment, he was decided.

“Well, in that case, I think I’ll show off a type of my own— Hawlucha return!” Quickly swapping between Poké balls, Ash sent out his own second pick to take the field. “I choose you!”

“Fletch!” Fletchinder took to the air with a proud cry and a fierce beat of her wings. A swift gale blew from her then, clearing the last of the smoke from the previous round.

“Another Flying-Type, eh? Alright, let’s see how far you can fly, Ash!” Stomping her foot, Korrina let her next command rip through the air. “Machoke, Low Sweep!”

“Peck, Fletchinder!” Though Korrina gave the first command, it was Ash’s Pokémon who was first to move. Fletchinder rocketed across the field, beak glowing until she was mere meters from striking Machoke. Then, her opponent disappeared. “Huh?!”

“Fletch!?”

Whipping around, Ash and Fletchinder scanned the whole arena for Machoke, but they were nowhere to be found. Did Korrina return—?

When Ash looked back to his opponent, she was pointing up.

“Machoke!” From the sky, Machoke crashed down onto the battlefield, delivering a devastating kick to Fletchinder and launching her back.

“Fletch!” Ash’s Pokémon faltered but did not fall, instead just barely recovering before she began to fly laps around the field. Surely from up there, she’d be—

“Brick Break!”

“Razor Wind, Fletchinder, now!” Ash’s dire call came at just the right moment, as with one move, Machoke leapt into the air once more. The blast of wind from Fletchinder’s counterattack was only just enough to deflect their devastating blow.

“Impressed, Ash? Everyone underestimates just how fast a Machoke can be!” Bearing a smug grin, Korrina posed with a flex, one her Machoke mirrored as they landed at her side.

After a moment, Ash returned her grin.

“Guess you can count me too,” he replied, standing straight. “Alright Fletchinder, you heard her! Her Machoke is fast, so we gotta be faster! Think we can handle that?”

“Fleeeetchinder!” Shaking her head clear, Fletchinder gave Ash a confident nod, one he repeated.

“That’s the spirit! Now, Flame Charge!” At his word, Fletchinder rocketed forward, gaining a burst of speed as flames ignited around her.

“Dodge it, Machoke! Straight up!” With leg muscles tensing, Machoke took to the air, drawing stares as Fletchinder flew underneath them.

“Now! Peck, while they’re in the sky!” Turning on a dime, Fletchinder went for her second run, instantly zero-ing in on her opponent. With striking efficiency, she battered the falling Machoke before diving back. “Perfect! Machoke can’t hit us up in the air without leaving themself a sitting duck!”

“Oh yeah? We’ll see about that!” Korrina threw her hand back, watching as her Machoke recovered and leapt to her side. “We’ve got a couple more tricks up our sleeve! Machoke, use Focus Blast!”

“Choke!” Quick to comply, Machoke brought their hands together at their side, forming a blip of light between their palms. “Ma-cho—Ma-cho—!”

“Keep moving Fletchinder, don’t make it easy for them!” Recognizing the move, Ash locked his sights onto his Pokémon. In an instant, she began to fly with erratic movements.

“Ma!” Just in time as well, as at that moment, Machoke fired. A blast of blue energy rocketed through the air, clearing the length of the field in the span of an instant.

“Fletch!?” Diving back, Fletchinder just barely managed to dodge the pillar of destruction sent her way. Her feathers singed as she juked around the attack.

“Keep it up, Machoke! They can’t dodge us forever!” At her command, Machoke began to wrench the pillar of Focus Blast across the sky. As long as they kept their attack going, they could chase the flailing Fletchinder forever.

“She’s got one thing right— We can’t keep this up!” Scanning across the field, Ash gritted his teeth, before throwing his hand back. “So let’s take this fight to them! Fletchinder, dive in with Flame Charge!”

“Fletch!” With that call to confirm, Fletchinder dived down, hanging low to the ground as she rocketed towards Machoke.

“Drop it, Machoke! They’re taking this fight to our turf!” Drawing a smile onto her face, Korrina crouched down. Machoke let the Focus Blast peter away, before getting into position to take the next attack head-on. “Now!”

“Machoke!” Wrenching their hands forward, Machoke caught Fletchinder at just the right moment, skidding back as their opponent barreled into them. It was a close play, with Fletchinder’s speed nearly overcoming Machoke’s strength and mass. Yet, the indomitable Fighting-Type stood firm, holding in place as the two rammed into one another.

“Come on Fletchinder, you can do this!” Ash watched the pair struggle, neither giving an inch as muscle pressed against flame. Then, that sight gave him an idea. A smile grew on his face. “Fletchinder! Toss ‘em up!”

“What!?”

“Fletch!” Fletchinder dropped down, tripping Machoke up as they were suddenly pushing against open air. That moment was all she needed. “Fleeeetchinder!”

Fletchinder crashed into her opponent’s gut, knocking them off their feet and carrying them into the air. With the last sparks of her Flame Charge, she sent Machoke flying upwards.

“Focus Blast, Machoke, don’t let them take you out!”

“Now! Finish it with Peck!”

With blistering speed, Fletchinder raced upwards, her beak glowing before Machoke could even begin to charge their blow. It took but one final hit to their chest before the match was sealed.

When Machoke hit the ground, they were out of commission.

“Now that was a surprise.” Korrina was stunned for a moment, almost forgetting to recall her Pokémon to their ball before she looked back up to Ash. “How did you—”

“I figured that if you trained Machoke so hard to be fast and jump high, they couldn’t be that heavy,” Ash answered, extending an arm out to let Fletchinder rest. A goofy grin wouldn’t leave his face as he gave his Pokémon a touch of praise. “Plus, everyone underestimates just how strong a Fletchinder can be.”

Hearing her own words repeated to her, Korrina laughed, her head swinging back.

“Alright Ash, I think we’re ready to get serious,” she called, locking her eyes with his. Pacing back and forth with the aid of her skates, Korrina turned and raised a final Poké ball forward. “I hope you’re ready!”

“We’ve been ready from the start! Bring it on!” Ash made a fist and then threw it forward, feeling the excitement bubbling in his veins. He knew what was coming next, who was coming next.

“My last Pokémon! My ace! I choose, Lucario!” With a call that was like a crack of thunder, Korrina heralded her partner, summoning him to the field in a flash of red light. He landed at her side, the ground itself shuddering as he stood tall. Finally, raising his head, he locked eyes with Ash and Pikachu, the look sending a jolt of adrenaline their way.

“Lucario… We’ve been waiting for you.” Swallowing the last of his nerves, Ash gripped his cap. He would not look away from this, his final hurdle. This was it— do or die.

---

𝒴

“Ash’s been doing great!” Back at the sidelines, the tension was running high, even as Serena tried to cut through it. She gripped her hands around the railing that divided her from the battlefield, like she was squeezing all of her worries into it. “Right?”

Clemont nodded, though did not break from his inquisitive look.

“He’s in an advantageous position, still having all three of his Pokémon to just Korrina’s one. However—” Looking back to Serena, Clemont shook his head. “Ash has never beaten Korrina’s Lucario, and with Mega Evolution on her side, there’s no guarantees.”

“Jeeze, now you’re making me nervous!” Bonnie interjected then, bapping her brother’s side with her bag. “Who’s side are you on, bro!”

While Bonnie chastised her brother for being a downer, Serena was left with her own thoughts, watching as Ash conferred with Pikachu and Fletchinder down below. Her nerves were threatening to get the best of her, but she held on regardless. She could tell Ash was confident, and if he was, she would be too.

At her side, Froakie stood firm, eyes locked on Ash as the final round began.

---

𝒳

“Fletchinder wants to stay in, so I say let’s keep this ball rolling!” Ash called out, letting Fletchinder snap up from her perch and begin flying once more. Her wings were beating with a fiery rhythm, still holding onto the speed boosts from Flame Charge. They had to take advantage of those while they still had them.

“Then let’s do this!” Turning on a dime, Korrina threw a punch, a move her Lucario mirrored in time. She followed it with a kick, and Lucario repeated that as well. Finally, with a pair of fists to the sky, the two were ready to begin. “With our hearts aligned, we let our power burst to life!”

“Here it comes!”

Thick bands of white light burst into existence, connecting Lucario’s chest to Korrina’s. The power pulsed and stretched, growing, until a whole web of energy stretched between the two.

“Mega Evolve!”

Finally, the transformation began in earnest. In an instant, Lucario disappeared, his body lost into a silhouette of pure light. Muscles grew, Aura pulsed, until the Pokémon they knew from moments ago soon disappeared.

Mega Lucario now stood in his place.

“Lucario!” Extending a paw forward, Lucario beckoned his challengers forth.

Ash smiled. He was happy to oblige.

“Now, Fletchinder! Use Flame Charge!” Ash sent Fletchinder rocketing forward, her wings beating with burning fire. In a mere moment, she was upon Lucario, ready to strike hard and strike fast.

Not fast enough, however.

“Power-Up Punch, Lucario!” With just a flicker of movement, Lucario closed the remaining distance. With another, his fist was buried into Fletchinder’s chest.

“Fletchinder!” Ash watched in horror as Fletchinder was sent rocketing into the air, her flaming speed snuffed out without a second thought. Crashing into the ceiling, Fletchinder threw up a cloud of dust in her wake.

“Don’t let them get away, Lucario! Use Aura Sphere!” Korrina commanded then, the familiar move sending a shock through Ash’s system. He had to act fast.

“Dodge it, Fletchinder! Use the dust as cover!” he called, seeing the blue charge of Aura Sphere already forming in Lucario’s grasp.

“Oh no you don’t!” Pumping her fist, Korrina looked up, eyes scanning the cloud before locking in place. “Aura Sphere, Lucario! Strike true!”

Her words instantly grabbed Ash’s attention. There it was, one of Korrina’s shorthand commands— And Ash had a good idea of what this one meant!

“Cario!” With a blast of pressure, Lucario let his Aura Sphere loose, sending it flying into the clouds above. True to Korrina’s words, it hit its mark.

“Fletchinder!” Before Ash could speak another command, Fletchinder began plummeting back down to the ground below. He hesitated for a moment, before returning her to her Poké ball. “Don’t feel bad for a second. You did amazing, and I am so proud of you.”

Though his sentiment was true, Ash’s mind was elsewhere, dwelling on what just happened. How did Korrina and Lucario make that shot through the cover? Had Fletchinder really not recovered in time?

When Ash looked back to his opponents, he found his answer. In Lucario’s eyes, Ash could see a spot of blue— Aura.

“They’ve been training more than just their moves,” he muttered, the realization hitting him all at once. His heartbeat began to race, before he shouted out. “You’ve been training with Aura too!”

“Of course!” Korrina grinned as she stood straight, mirroring Lucario’s stance and placing a hand on her hip. “Ash Ketchum couldn’t be the only one with tricks up his sleeve, could he!”

“Heh, I guess not.” Ash raised his next Poké ball forward, before rearing back for a fierce pitch. “Alright, Hawlucha, it’s your cue! I choose you!”

“Lucha!” Returning to the field with a flurry of flair, Hawlucha took the stage. He stared Lucario and Korrina down, not flinching as he commanded his challengers to step forward.

This time, they’d take the offensive.

“Alright, Lucario! Let’s do this again, Power-Up Punch!” Korrina and Lucario moved in perfect time, the former stomping as the latter flickered from view.

“Duck and kick, Hawlucha! Now!” The timing of Ash’s command was critical, for the moment Hawlucha threw his head backward, Lucario’s fist appeared. It swung, missing as it passed in the air above him. That miss was vital for this next move: Delivering a High Jump Kick straight to Lucario’s gut.

“Lucha!” With that mighty blow, Hawlucha launched Lucario into the air.

“Good job! Now, Flying Press!” Ash called, swinging his fist as Hawlucha landed. His Pokémon was quick to comply, stretching his wings out and taking off.

“Oh no you don’t!” Making a fist and throwing it back, Korrina called out. “Continuous Aura Spheres, Lucario!”

“Dodge them, Hawlucha!”

“Cario!” Spinning in mid-air, Lucario stabilized himself, before charging and firing a lightning-fast Aura Sphere. The haphazard shot was inaccurate as it was quick, however, and Hawlucha easily flew right past it.

“Lucha!” With his path clear, Hawlucha accelerated. He slammed into Lucario with a Flying Press, smashing him into the wall of the gym.

“Lucario!” Korrina spun and stared in shock, as dust and debris rained down from above her. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and furrowed her brows, going into a look of deep concentration.

“Hah! Perfect, Hawlucha!” Cheering, Ash pumped his fist, while a thousand thoughts raced through his mind in that instant. Victory was so close— He just had to bring it home! “Use—!”

“Grab him, Lucario! Now!” Korrina’s eyes snapped open, as a spot of blue faded from them.

Lunging through the thick cloud of dust, Lucario’s arm shot forth. He snatched Hawlucha by the neck, stunning him with just the hold. With another move, Lucario cleared the smoke in a wave of Aura, revealing his perch on the cratered wall.

“Get out of there, Hawlucha!”

“Finish this! Ground them!”

Ash’s command came first, but it would have little effect. Lucario’s grip was iron-clad and Hawlucha had no chance to react. With another burst of that unimaginable speed, Lucario disappeared from the wall, appearing in midair with Hawlucha in hand. Before another word could be said, he slammed his opponent down onto the field below.

When the smoke and dust of the collision cleared, Hawlucha was knocked out.

Ash exhaled as he recalled his Pokémon, taking a moment after to thank him for his hard work. Try as he might, however, he couldn’t focus on anything but what was coming next: The final round, Pikachu vs Lucario.

“It’s all down to this, buddy.” His lips curled into a grin as he looked down to his partner, finding the same expression reflected back at him. “You ready?”

“Pika!” Without a moment of hesitation, Pikachu stormed onto the battlefield, crackling sparks at his cheeks.

Ash could feel the hair rising on the back of his neck. Was that his excitement, or the literal static in the air? Perhaps it was both.

Across from the two of them, Lucario stood, seemingly unharmed despite the blows he’d taken. Looks like they were gonna have to rack up the hits.

It was all down to this.

“Pikachu, Quick Attack!” At his word, Pikachu thundered forward, nearly fading from view.

“Go in, Lucario!” In response, Lucario made his own move, disappearing after one step.

“Pika!”

“Cario!”

The combatants passed each other, skidding to a stop as their mirrored movements missed one another. Lucario landed on Ash’s side while Pikachu crackled in anticipation on Korrina’s. In both trainers’ minds, there was only one move to do next.

“Again!”

Again the two raced forward, barely visible as they approached and passed, raced and evaded. Both Pokémon flickered in and out as they danced across the battlefield, trying to land the first hit while evading their opponent’s.

There was an impasse, and it needed to be broken.

“Iron Tail, now!”

“Bone Rush, Lucario!”

From a clash with no hits came a brawl that was nothing but. Both Pokémon dropped any attempt at evasion and went head-to-head with their weapons of choice. Steel struck bone again and again, as Pikachu and Lucario gunned to draw first blood.

“Pika!” Pikachu came down on Lucario with a thunderous Iron Tail.

“Lucario!” But Lucario blocked it with his paired staffs, sending Pikachu flying upwards.

“Use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!” Ash’s command came fast like lightning, and to it, Pikachu was the thunder. Plumes of sparking electricity formed in the air, as he charged his attack.

“Piiii— Kaaaa— Chuuuuu!” With that, a bolt of golden electricity raced down to the ground below.

“Block it, Lucario!” Despite the ferocious force behind the attack, Korrina and Lucario deflected it with just a flick of the wrists. The sturdy staffs of Bone Rush were the perfect counter to Pikachu’s electricity. “Now, follow them Lucario!”

“Darn it!” Cursing under his breath, Ash watched as Lucario pivoted, crouching and leaping up in one quick move. “Iron Tail, Pikachu!”

Raising his tail, Pikachu parried at the last moment, right before Lucario appeared to bring down the thunder. The Bone Rush crashed against him, rocketing him downwards.

“Pikachu!” The shockwave from Pikachu’s collision sent Ash reeling back, as a cloud of dust and debris formed in its wake. Soon after, that cloud began to crackle with static. “Think you can keep going, buddy!?”

“Pika… Pikachu!” Clearing the air with a wave of electricity, Pikachu revealed himself, scraped up but still raring to go. Smacking his cheeks to jumpstart a charge, he reared back and roared. “Piiii— Kaaaaa— Chuuuuuuu!”

A bolt of thunder fired straight up, before crashing down on its source. It flooded Pikachu’s body— filled the air with a massive dose of electricity. There was no doubt now, that was sheer static raising the hair on Ash’s neck.

“Let’s go, Pikachu!”

“PIKA!” Though the attack came to an end, the pillar of electricity it left behind did not fade. It coated Pikachu’s body, crackling, sparking, billowing off him like a cloak made of lightning. Fierce determination filled Pikachu’s eyes, as he stared down his opponent.

“Now! Quick Attack!” At Ash’s word, Pikachu became a yellow blur, racing across the field in a jagged zig-zag. Too fast to dodge, he slammed into Lucario’s side before diving back. “Now, Iron Tail!”

“Bone Rush, Lucario!” Now the melee returned, faster and more brutal than before. Pikachu zipped in and out of view, launching thundering Iron Tails as Lucario parried with iron-clad Bone Rushes. At his feet— down from the air— even from behind— Pikachu appeared in a cloud of electricity, delivering blow after blow that Lucario could only just block.

“Between his legs, Pikachu, Quick Attack!” With a feint to pull Lucario’s attention, Pikachu did just that, diving underneath Lucario with a burst of speed and slamming into his back. “Now, Iron Tail!”

“Hey batter-batter-swing!” Korrina’s command came just in time. Lucario couldn’t turn fast enough, so he swung his staff back instead. His weapon slammed against Pikachu’s before the two pushed apart. “Bone Rush, take the lead!”

“Oh no you don’t, Quick Attack!”

“Cario!” Lucario flickered forward, rearing his staff back for a decisive blow. Yet, even then he was too late. His weapon swung through open air and golden mist. “Lucario?!”

“Pika!” Pikachu appeared at his side, delivering a kick charged with pure electricity. With no defense, Lucario was sent flying, tumbling over to his trainer’s side.

“Lucario!” For the first time in the whole battle, Korrina’s voice held worry, as she watched her partner slowly rise. “Lucario, are you okay!?”

Lucario nodded, despite the pain obvious on his face. With the assistance of his remaining staff, he stood, turning to face his opponent once more. Soon, Korrina followed.

Ash and Pikachu, they were thundering, both literally and figuratively. Though it was Pikachu who wore the mantle of lightning and sparks, Ash carried it as well. It was in every move he made, in the very electricity in his voice.

“Ash… You’re putting 110% of yourself into this,” she said, her plain voice almost not making it to Ash’s ears. The statement made him pause, made him turn his focus from her partner to her. With his attention at hand, she grinned. “It’d be wrong if we didn’t do the same. Right, Lucario!?”

“Lucario!”

“Then let’s do this!” Korrina made two fists and threw them back, as Lucario mirrored her with his own movement. “Let’s show them what we’re made of!”

A wave of Aura rocketed out from the pair, blowing Ash back with its sheer pressure. Pikachu’s mantle of electricity whipped in the ensuing wind coming off from the two.

“I don’t know what you guys are doing, but we’re ready for you!” Ash called, grinning and forging forward.

“Pika!”

Korrina raised a fist, and Lucario did the same. Lucario shifted his stance, and Korrina followed suit. As the Aura coming off the two began to whip into a twister, the two synchronized more and more. Their bodies moved as one. Their hearts beat as one.

“You better be, Ketchum! Because if you want this badge—!” When Korrina looked up, her eyes were tinged with blue, just like Lucario’s. “You’ll have to come and take it!”

“Let’s go!”

Without a word from either trainer, Lucario and Pikachu shot forward, shockwaves of aura and thunder in their wake. The two flickered in and out of view, firing blows but never quite landing them. Soon though, their impasse would break, when they skidded back to their partners’ sides.

“Quick Attack!”

“Send them flying!”

Picking up a burst of momentum, Lucario did the unimaginable— He outsped Pikachu’s Quick Attack.

“Pika!?” Before Pikachu could even tense to move, Lucario appeared. More specifically, Lucario’s foot appeared. With a kick like cannon-fire, Lucario slammed into Pikachu, sending him flying.

“Thunderbolt, Pikachu!”

“Ricochet, with Bone Rush!”

“Pikachu!” Flipping in midair, Pikachu whipped up a quick shot of lightning, hoping to catch Lucario off guard. No dice, though— Lucario was gone! “Pika?!”

“Turn around, Pikachu!” Ash caught it before he did. Lucario was on the wall behind them!

“Lucario!” Rearing back with a staff from Bone Rush, Lucario took aim, slamming Pikachu with a vicious batter’s swing.

“Pika!”

“Thunderbolt, now!” At Ash’s command, Pikachu righted himself again, firing another fast blast back the way he came. Unfortunately, it took only a swipe of Bone Rush from Lucario to neutralize the lightning. “Darn it!”

“Keep going, Lucario! Ground them!”

Leaping into the air, Lucario once again outraced the speeding Pikachu, appearing above the battlefield at just the right moment. With a fist glowing blue, he smashed his rival right out of the sky, sending him careening to the ground below.

“Pikachu! Quick—!”

“Aura Sphere! End this!”

There was no dust or debris to obscure the field now. There was just Pikachu, struggling to stand up after his crash landing. His bleary eyes opened, and then, it was too late. From the skies came Lucario, and a full force Aura Sphere with Pikachu’s name on it.

An explosion of Aura and lightning filled the air of the Shalour City Gym, with a thundering roar soon following it. Only one thing could be heard through the cacophony of deafening sound— A cry from Ash.

“Pikachu!”

---

𝒵

“—you hear me? You there… …Pikachu?” A voice came in slowly, fading in and out for a moment, before coming in clear. When Pikachu finally managed to open his eyes, he could put a face to the voice.

“Pika… pi?” Pikachu muttered the words weakly, trying and failing to raise his head up for a moment. He could tell he wasn’t seriously injured, but he was definitely going to need a long rest at the Pokémon Center. “Pikachu… pi?”

“It’s okay, buddy— We’re okay,” Ash answered, choking out his words as relief tinged his voice. From behind him, Pikachu could see Korrina, and Lucario, and a few moments later, the rest of his friends. Froakie hopped up onto Ash’s shoulder, worriedly sputtering about something Pikachu couldn’t parse. He couldn’t parse any of the others talking right now, only Ash.

He definitely needed that rest.

“Pikachu… Pika, kachu. Pikapi.” Pikachu’s words brought Ash a moment of pause, as the relief and joy from moments ago drained from his expression.

“Hey, no. Don’t blame yourself, not even for a second. You were amazing,” Ash pressed, standing up then with Pikachu in his arms. “We just weren’t ready this time. We were just… Missing something.”

Notes:

And with that explosive start, the Shalour City arc has begun! Having trained Korrina and Lucario in the art of Aura, Ash and Pikachu now face a challenge far beyond any they've had yet! How will this loss affect our intrepid heroes? To what ends will they go to surpass their limits even further!?
Find out next time, as the Shalour City arc continues!

Chapter 21: Pikachu's Power! The 110% Thunderbolt!

𝒴

Serena awoke to the sound of thunder.

It was early in the morning, far too early, even for Serena. Yet still, awake she was, roused from her slumber by a crack of thunder. Sitting up, she began grumbling under her breath and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“It’s not supposed to be storm season…” she muttered with a yawn. “Rotten weather— Ow!”

Touching down onto the stone floor, Serena yelped, feeling as a chill ran up her leg to her spine. As grateful as she was for the rooms Korrina gave them, Serena far preferred the amenities of a Pokémon Center, compared to the Tower of Mastery.

After spending a few moments to find her warm fuzzy slippers, Serena took a deep breath, before looking out the lone window in the group’s room. It was then that a realization hit her all at once— It was clear outside. There was no storm.

Turning to see another bed empty, and the door to their room wide open, Serena paused. Thoughts clicked away in her still-tired mind.

“Ash?”

---

𝒴

Serena didn’t bother to change before she ran outside. In fact, she still had her fuzzy slippers on when she stepped out onto the beach. Her mind was on other things, on a suspicion she was aiming to confirm.

As another crack of thunder ripped through the air, she got her answer.

“Piiiii— Kaaaaa— Chuuuuu!”

“You’ve got it, buddy! Full Power!”

Ash and Pikachu stood out near the edge of the beach, the rising sun just peaking over the horizon as Serena found them. Ash had his back to her, with Pikachu far out in front of him. Static was in the air as well, more dense than Serena had felt in days. It was just like the climax of Ash’s match against Korrina.

“I think we’re nearly there, Pikachu! We just gotta maintain it a bit longer and a bit tighter. Do you think you can do that?” Ash went down on one knee as he gave Pikachu a pet of support, a sight that brought a bit of calm to Serena’s heart. Getting up this early was out of character for him, sure, but this was still Ash after all.

Serena kept a steady, observative gaze as she quietly approached.

“Pika!” Giving a nod, Pikachu stepped forward and prepared to try again. Sparks crackled at his cheeks, the charge building as he took a wide stance on all fours. With eyes shut tight, Pikachu let his body burst with roaring lightning. “Piiiiii— Kaaaaa—!”

“Use Thunderbolt!” Ash threw his fist into the air, as he called down the thunder.

“Chuuuuuu!” A brilliant bolt of electricity erupted from Pikachu, rocketing into the sky before crashing down an instant later. It slammed into the ground at his feet, driving straight into the earth like a jackhammer. And unlike one of Pikachu’s usual Thunderbolts, which came and went in a flash, this one was different. It was disciplined, sustained for several seconds, before cutting out all at once.

When the attack ceased, a messy column of glass sat at Ash and Pikachu’s feet, still red-hot.

“Heck yeah! That’s the stuff, Pikachu!” Ash leapt into the air before giving his partner a high five, one Pikachu was happy to oblige him with.

“Pikapi! Pikachu, pika!” Hopping onto Ash’s shoulder, Pikachu chirped out a few pleased notes that Serena couldn’t parse. Whatever he was saying though, she could tell they were happy. It seemed like they were finished.

Deciding to finally announce her presence to the two, Serena let out a call.

“I guess getting up early does have its benefits!” She couldn’t help but giggle as they flinched and turned. All that noise, and little ole her made them jump? “But really though, what are you guys up to?”

Serena stopped at Ash’s side, her eyes falling to the spot at both their feet: the glass left over from Pikachu’s Thunderbolt.

“Heh, well, me and Pikachu were thinking back to when we challenged Korrina last time.” Smiling, Ash exchanged a look with his partner. “And we figured the real issue was Lucario’s Bone Rush. He can use that to knock out Thunderbolts like they’re nothing. And that’s our best move!”

“And this training is meant to help?” Glancing down, Serena took note of the glass once more. Its red-hot coloration had quickly disappeared, though she couldn’t begin to parse how warm it actually was.

Which was why she was floored when Ash leaned down and plucked it from the ground.

“Bone Rush is a Ground-Type move, so it’d usually counter Pikachu’s Thunderbolt,” Ash explained, passing the messy pillar of glass from one hand to another. “But by practicing against the ground, we can find a way to even the odds.”

Ash turned and tossed the glass to Serena, causing her to yelp as she juggled it between her hands for a moment. Thankfully, it was only just warm to the touch, not burning hot like she worried it was.

“We’re not gonna let a little type mismatch stop us.” Ash pumped his fist, leaving Serena to gaze at the glass as he turned back to the Tower of Mastery. “We’ll blast right through it!”

“Pika!”

Serena couldn’t help but snort as she watched the two hype themselves up, fierce determination burning in their eyes. Holding onto the glass column, she joined Ash’s side once more.

“So you think you’ll be able to do it this time?” Her question was more a setup than anything else, an opportunity for the two to assure themselves even higher. Yet, where she expected Ash and Pikachu to call out ‘yeah!’, she instead got a look of contemplation.

“You know, I’m still not sure.” That confession came with an awkward laugh, from both Ash and Pikachu. The latter even rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Turning, Ash faced Serena head-on. “We’re definitely feeling good enough to give it another shot, but I still think we’re just…”

Silence hung in the air between the two, as Ash seemed to search for the words. Thankfully, Serena was there to help.

“Missing something?”

“Yeah! I think we’re missing something.” Though Ash’s smile told Serena he was grateful, his eyes betrayed him somewhat. Both he and Pikachu had a look on their faces, one she caught as they turned back to the Tower of Mastery.

Behind their fierce determination, there was unease.

---

𝒳𝒴

“And just like that, we’re back to this!” Korrina’s call drew a smile from Ash, as the dust between the two settled. The battlefield was in full view once more.

Ash’s second attempt began much like his first. Hawlucha and Mienfoo led off, trading blows in an exchange of intense acrobatics, while Fletchinder and Machoke once again had their aerial slugfest.

One would think Ash would do better, now knowing what Korrina’s Pokémon could do. The same was true for Korrina, however. She had seen Ash’s Pokémon in action, and had put her own plans together. So the match remained just about even.

So, once again, it returned to this, a battle of the aces— Pikachu versus Mega Lucario, thundering electricity against flowing Aura.

From the balcony, Serena watched, her hands gripping the railing and a single thought running through her mind.

“Do you think he can win this time?” she asked, drawing the attention of her fellow spectators. Clemont looked to her, before nodding his head.

“Ash wouldn’t have challenged her if he wasn’t confident,” he simply said, returning his focus to the action below. Ash and Korrina were bantering about something or another before they were set to begin.

Serena turned back as well, her gaze falling onto Ash specifically. There he was, shouting, moving with the relentless excitement she knew him for. She wanted nothing more than to fall into that, the feeling his energy left her with. Yet, she couldn’t. She was too focused on the battle ahead.

“I’m not so sure,” she muttered, as things began to pick up below.

“Alright Ash! We’ve been going at this long enough!” Korrina declared, snapping her fingers and pointing towards her opponent.

“What? Tired already!” Ash’s jeer drew a grin from Korrina as she stood tall.

“Funny, I was almost about to ask you that!” she shot back, before quickly following it up. “Seriously though— What do you say we go all out, from the very start!”

The offer almost drew a pause from Ash, before he quickly pivoted. Swinging his head back, he laughed.

“You’ve read my mind!” he declared with a grin, raising his hand forward and making a fist. In an instant, the air of the gym intensified. “I was about to say the exact same thing!”

“Then let’s do this!” Turning and driving her leg back, Korrina threw forward a massive kick, one her Lucario mirrored with but one word.

“Cario!”

“You are so on!” Ash went into a wide stance himself, electricity in his eyes and his voice as he called out to his partner. “You heard her, Pikachu! We’re pulling no punches!”

“Pika!” Leaping back, Pikachu began rubbing his cheeks for an instant jumpstart. He was gonna need it to pull this off!

“Let’s go!” With that unison call from both battlers, an explosion of light filled the arena. First came a golden flash of electricity, fast as lightning and loud as thunder. Then, a moment later, the flood— Cobalt blue Aura raced in and overwhelmed the gold.

When the light cleared, it was like they were back to days prior. Pikachu’s mantle of thunder and sparks whipped in the wind of Lucario’s streaming Aura.

It was down to this.

“Quick Attack into Iron Tail, Pikachu!”

“Match it, Lucario!”

The two combatants dived forward, pitched roars ringing out as they came to blows. With Pikachu’s Iron Tail slamming into Lucario’s defending arm, screams of metal-on-metal rang out. An instant later, the two pushed each other apart, making distance once more.

“Again!”

Another crash, another exchange of blows. The two battlers barreled their weapons of choice against each other, trying to gain the upper hand, trying to tip the scales. Yet, it was to no avail. They simply threw each other back once more.

“Aura Sphere!”

“Quick Attack!”

In perfect sync, both sides pivoted in the third round. Lucario charged a wicked fast Aura Sphere as Pikachu raced to close the distance. Moments before Pikachu would’ve slammed into his opponent, however, Lucario fired.

“Perfect! Iron Tail then climb!”

“Chuu-Pi-Ka!” Instantly charging the move, Pikachu leapt and swung. He slammed the oncoming Aura Sphere down and began soaring straight up.

“Whoa!? Since when could you do that!” Korrina exclaimed, leaping back and watching Pikachu fly.

“It’s a little trick we learned back with Grant!” Slamming his fist into his hand, Ash signaled his next move. “Now let’s show you what it can do! Iron Tail Pikachu!”

“Pika!” Reaching the peak of his flight, Pikachu flipped, charging his tail with a sudden burst of energy. “Chuuuuuu— Pi-Ka!”

And with a swing of his weight, Pikachu began rocketing down.

“Stop ‘em! Bone Rush, Lucario!” Without delay, Lucario leapt, instantly accelerating with a twin pair of staffs in hand.

The two met in mid-air, metal crashing against bone, lightning and Aura burning in the sparks of their clash. Forced into a dead stop, the battlers blew each other away. Pikachu and Lucario landed at their partners’ sides, standing tall and taking deep breaths as they awaited the next move.

Back in the viewing balcony, Serena stood tense. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, clouding her mind as she watched the battle unfold. It felt like she could almost break the railing with her bare hands.

Yet, despite that, she didn’t lose herself. As the battle raged on, her mind was racing, and a single thought stood at the forefront of it all.

“Why haven’t they used Thunderbolt yet,” she muttered, drawing a look from Clemont and Bonnie. Realizing she was being looked at, Serena paused, before explaining herself. “Those two were training this morning— They wanted to find a way to break through Bone Rush with Thunderbolt.”

“Trying to beat a Ground-Type move with an Electric one?” Clemont’s face was incredulous, even if his voice didn’t betray that. “Those two never cease to astound me.”

“But still…” Shaking her head, Serena turned her mind back to that morning, to the red-hot glass buried in the beach. “Why haven’t they used it yet?”

Ash grinned.

“Now that we’ve got her using Bone Rush— Time to really get this going!” With a pump of his fist, Ash threw his hand down. It was game time! “Quick Attack, Pikachu! Just like we talked about!”

“Pika!” Always quick to comply, Pikachu rocketed forward, fading sparks in his wake as he raced. In an instant, he was at Lucario’s side, circling his opponent and zigzagging in and out of view.

“Talk about flying too close to the sun, Ash!” Korrina laughed as she jumped back. “Blow ‘em away, Lucario! Fore!”

“Lucario!” Despite Pikachu being a blur, Lucario took aim and swung. With one mighty blow he struck home, launching Pikachu into the air.

“Pika!” Flying back, Pikachu slammed into the wall above Ash, stone crumbling, cratering, and exploding into a cloud of dust. The sound of the crash was thunderous, laying still the battlefield as Lucario and Korrina straightened up.

“Didn’t expect you to get so sloppy, Ash!” she jeered, watching him stare into the cloud hanging above him. The billowing plumes of debris were slowly dispersing. “You left yourself wide open!”

When Ash turned back to her, he was smiling.

“Who said that was an accident?” At his call, a wave of lightning cleared the air. Pikachu revealed himself, securely perched in the crater of his own crash! “Now Pikachu! Thunderbolt! 110%!”

“What?!” Korrina stared in shock and surprise, as a dense charge of static flooded the air. In an instant, all the errant sparks in the arena converged on Pikachu, coalescing into his body until only his aura remained. Then, with a thunderclap like that of a storm, he fired.

“PIIII— KAAAAA— CHUUUUU!”

“Block it Lucario!”

From the wall, a pillar of pure electricity surged forth. It flew across the field, slamming into Lucario’s staff and sending him skidding back.

“Perfect! Keep it going, Pikachu!”

“You’ve got this, Lucario!”

For a moment it seemed that Lucario would hold true, that even the overwhelming power of this Thunderbolt would fall to its type counter. But then, through the chaos and the thundering, a crack rang out. Lucario looked up in shock.

His staff— It was turning into glass!

“Lucario?!” All at once, the staff shattered, firing a thousand volts through Lucario’s body. Overwhelmed by the attack, he was sent skidding to the back wall. “Cario!”

From the viewing balcony, Serena gasped, recognizing what had happened— It was like this morning, when the sand melted!

“Bone Rush might be a Ground-Type move, but its staffs can only take so much force and heat before they shatter!” Clemont said, mouth agape as he explained. “Amazing!”

“That’s so cool!” Bonnie exclaimed.

Korrina smiled even as she huffed and puffed, wiping sweat from her cheek and locking eyes with Ash.

“How do you like our 110% Thunderbolts? We put together this technique just for you, Korrina!” he declared, shooting her a cocky smirk. “It’s our secret weapon!”

“You must be pretty proud of that one, Ketchum! Figuring out how to beat past Bone Rush— Creative!” Standing tall, Korrina put her hands on her hips. “But I promise you, this match isn’t over!”

“Bring it on! With Thunderbolt back online, you won’t be able to play it safe anymore!” Ash fired back, a hand gripping the rim of his cap. Arcs of lightning from Pikachu passed over him as he made his point.

“If playing it safe won’t work, we’ll go straight in then!” Korrina took a wide stance, grabbing onto her forearm with her hand. “No more fancy tricks! Footwork and fists from here on out!”

“Lucario!” All at once, Lucario surged forth, appearing at Korrina’s side with a flash of Aura. Without another word he mirrored her moves, teeth clenched until energy burst to life in his fist.

“Now, Power-Up Punch!”

“Thunderbolt, Pikachu!”

A dozen columns of lightning flew through the air, surging electricity arcing out from Pikachu’s perch. Lunging and diving through the chaos, however, was Lucario, who dodged each and every hit! The lightning thundered down at his heels, as he flickered ever closer to Pikachu’s position.

“On my signal, get out of there, Pikachu!” Gritting his teeth, Ash snapped his sights onto Lucario. The indomitable Pokémon would quickly be at their door. The constant storm of Thunderbolts was only just delaying him! “Now!”

Leaping from his perch with a crackle of sparks, Pikachu narrowly evaded Lucario’s oncoming fist. That was far from the end of it, however.

“Again, Lucario!” Lucario flickered from sight, then appeared above Pikachu with a strike already charged.

“Move!” Pikachu could only just barely dodge, shimmering out of view in a flash of lightning. “Thunderbolt!”

Still scrambling away, Pikachu then turned and fired.

“Let it pass!” But Lucario simply sidestepped the blast, sprinting to catch up with Pikachu once more! No matter how fast they moved, no matter how quickly they juked and dodged, Lucario was still faster, still more agile! “Again, Power-Up Punch!”

“Quick Attack, dive back!” Ash cried.

“End this!”

Pikachu flickered, nearly disappearing as he aimed to get away— But it was too late. Lucario’s arm lunged forward, grabbing him mid-movement.

“Pika?!”

“Pikachu!?” Ash’s eyes widened, as the next move played out before him. “Pikachu!”

Lucario wrenched Pikachu up, before slamming him down into the ground. Sparks and Aura crashed against each other, igniting into an explosion that filled the arena. A plume of thick dust then flooded the air. Once more, silence reigned on the battlefield.

“Is… Is it over?” Serena asked, her voice low as her eyes darted across the field of smoke. She couldn’t see anything. At her side, Clemont hesitated.

“I’m not sure but… I think it is.”

Following Clemont’s gaze, Serena found the source of his reasoning. Ash— His shoulders were slumped. It took Serena a moment, but she soon realized why.

The static in the air was gone.

When the dust cleared, Lucario stood victorious. Pikachu was knocked out.

Notes:

With a fresh round of training and a new plan in hand, Ash and Pikachu have challenged Korrina once again! Though the 110% Thunderbolt was enough to break through Lucario's Bone Rush, something more will be needed to truly defeat their powerful rival. Will the third time be the charm? Or will Ash and Pikachu need to bring back something tried and true to win the day!?

Find out next time, on Pokémon XY: Trying Something New!

Chapter 22: Secrets of the Jackal Scroll!

𝒵

A knuckle knocked against a thick, wooden door, sending sharp echoes ringing down a stone hall. Against the canvas of the quiet night, the sound was almost deafening. Soon enough though, it faded, and silence returned.

At least, for a while.

“Keep me waiting, huh?” It was Korrina standing in the dim light of the hall. Though her tone spelled out her annoyance, in truth, her mind was on something else entirely. Her furrowed brows dropped. “…Why are you keeping me waiting?”

Soon, however, the door cracked open, and the face she was looking for showed itself. Korrina breathed a sigh of relief and grinned.

“Korrina?” Ash blinked, even the low light of the hallway seeming bright to him. “Korrina, it’s— 3 AM.”

“Course it is! That’s when I do my best work.” Pressing her hand against the door, Korrina wrenched the opening wider, revealing Ash in his full glory— Loose pajamas and a nasty case of bedhead. “Come on, I’ve got something I wanna show you.”

“At 3 AM,” Ash reiterated, shaking the sleep from his eyes and fully coming to. Reaching back into the dark, he pulled out his hat to help tame his hair.

“Of course, it’s—”

“—when you do your best work.” Ash finished her sentence with an eye roll and a sigh. “Alright, I’m coming.”

---

𝒵

The statue of Mega Lucario spiraled ever onwards as Korrina picked up speed, ascending the Tower of Mastery floor-by-floor. She was going to need that speed, if she was ever going to pull off this trick.

As soon as she was level with the statue’s head, Korrina took a sharp turn, leaping over the railing in a single bound. After a few seconds of air time, she skidded onto the statue’s shoulder. Definitely a close call. Catching her balance, Korrina slowly inched her way along.

“Nice jump!” As soon as Korrina reached the statue’s head, Ash’s voice rang up from down below, grabbing her attention. He was doing warm-up stretches of all things. “I’d try it myself if I had those skates, hah!”

“There’s a ladder in the storage room behind you,” Korrina called down, turning back to the statue. Her hand brushed against the old metal, in a spot where the oxidation had been worn away by her touch. “Don’t take too—”

“Hyuh!” That grunt from Ash grabbed Korrina’s attention once more, her gaze whipping down to the ground below. He wasn’t going for the ladder— He was scaling the statue by hand!

“What’re you—!”

“Nearly— There—” With a cheeky smile, Ash pulled himself up to the statue’s chest spike, taking just a moment to balance himself before continuing. After a little while longer, he joined her, sitting up on the statue’s other shoulder. “Okay, so, what’s up?”

Shaking her head clear, Korrina grinned.

“I’ve got something for you.” Now it was Korrina’s turn to pull out the surprises. Without a hint of hesitation, she stuck her entire arm into the mouth of the statue, digging around for a few moments before she pulled back, holding onto something new.

“Is that—” Ash blinked, nearly falling off the statue before catching himself. “That’s the Jackal Scroll! That thing Gurkinn was talking about!”

“Yep! Old man thought he was clever, hiding it up here,” Korrina said, a hand traveling up and down the length of the scroll. The sigil of Mega Evolution greeted her eyes, with a crude drawing of a Mega Lucario underneath it. After a moment, she looked back to Ash. “Let’s open it. We’ve both earned the right to look at this thing.”

Yet, where Korrina expected to find excitement, expected the hot-blooded passion she knew from Ash, she instead got something else: Unease.

“No… I haven’t,” Ash simply said, his gaze falling to the floor, a dozen meters below. “I still haven’t beaten you yet. I still haven’t— Ow!”

With a swift bonk to his head, Korrina silenced Ash before he could even complete the thought.

“You haven’t beaten me yet,” she replied, not bothering to say anything beyond that. All Ash could do was stare at her, rubbing his head as he thought her words over.

After a moment, he snorted and nodded.

“…Yet.” With one final laugh, he was convinced. “Okay, yeah. Let’s look at that scroll.”

“That’s the spirit! Let’s see what this thing has to say.” Plopping down into crossed legs, Korrina began to wrench at the scroll’s casing, as Ash climbed over to join her on the statue’s left shoulder. With a bit of elbow grease, she got it open. “Right, so. Those who calleth— Jeeze, it even sounds like Grandpa.”

“Maybe the fancy talk runs in the family.” Ash’s comment came with a snide grin, earning him a jab from Korrina’s elbow.

“Anyways— Those who calleth thouselves the inheritor and successor, heed our family’s wisdom.” Stumbling over her words for a moment, Korrina paused before continuing. “First, thou shalt be early to bed and early to rise. Second, thou shalt eat in moder—”

All at once, Korrina came to a stop.

“What the heck am I reading?”

“Is— Is that actually what it says?” Ash stared at Korrina in confusion, before leaning in to read the scroll himself. True to what Korrina said, those were the words on the paper.

“Keep your workspace organized. Wash your hands often— This is generic advice, just like Grandpa gives me!” Korrina paused, looking over the one and only picture the scroll had to offer: a crude doodle of Gurkinn himself, making a peace sign. “Oh for— It’s exactly like the advice Grandpa gives me. My Grandpa wrote this!”

“Hah! You’re kidding me!” Ash doubled over in laughter, almost slipping off the statue in the process. “Haha, well you did say one of your ancestors wrote it.”

“This isn’t funny, Ketchum.” Huffing, Korrina began to read over the document again. “Five, make sure you set goals for yourself. Six, when things get difficult, don’t just push through, try something new. Seven, don’t make assumptions— And that’s it!”

Pulling the scroll out further, Korrina revealed the blank pages lying beyond the first seven lines. The whole thing was mostly empty.

“I can’t believe this. My Grandpa’s been talking about this dumb thing for years, and in the end, it’s just—” Korrina looked up then, pausing as she found Ash gone silent. He was craning his gaze upwards, looking towards the ceiling now. Korrina couldn’t believe it— Had one of these fortune cookie sayings actually managed to click with him?

She was tempted to make a snide remark, before she stopped herself. It looked like he was deep in thought.

“Try something new, huh…”

---

𝒳

A few days after their late-night meetup, it was back to the battlefield for Ash and Korrina. This time, words wouldn’t need to be said. They both knew how the other wanted this to play out.

The moment Pikachu and Lucario hit the field, the light show had begun. It was a full powered battle from the very start!

“Alright Ketchum, you know what they say! Third time’s the charm!” Even with the thundering electricity and streaming Aura, Korrina’s voice came through loud and clear. “Or are you gonna prove the old saying wrong?”

Ash grinned, as he spotted her past the gold and cobalt.

“Oh just you wait, Korrina. Me and Pikachu are here to win this!” he declared, gripping the rim of his cap. “That gym badge is ours!”

“Then bring it on!” Throwing her whole chest forward, Korrina beckoned Ash on with a wild, excited grin— The same expression he was wearing. Between the pair of them, there were no more words to share, except for two.

“Let’s go!”

In an instant, Pikachu and Lucario disappeared from view, thundering shockwaves in their wake. Gold streaks and cobalt streams flew across the battlefield —Slamming, striking— Blocking blow-after-blow as they shot past one another. With one big windup, the flashes of blue and yellow crashed into one another, revealing Pikachu and Lucario clashing underneath.

“Pika!” Kicking against Lucario’s arm, Pikachu launched himself back.

“Thunderbolt, from the air!” At Ash’s call, Pikachu complied, flipping and firing a bolt of electricity in one motion. The quick-draw blast only just missed its mark, as Lucario sidestepped the lightning.

“Trying to bait a Bone Rush? Not a chance!” Korrina declared, crossing her forearms. “Follow with Power-Up Punch!”

“Thunderbolt again, Pikachu !”

Another pillar of electricity flew forth from Pikachu, Lucario ducking and dodging it while in hot pursuit. Then, with a flicker of movement, he lunged forward.

“Lucario!”

“Spin, Pikachu!” Literally rolling with the punch, Pikachu twirled in midair, dodging Lucario and letting his opponent fly past him all at once. And he wasn’t done there. “Iron Tail!”

“Chuuu—Pi-Ka!” Throwing his weight, Pikachu then slammed his tail into Lucario’s back! With one mighty blow, Pikachu launched both him and his opponent in opposite directions.

“Recover, Lucario! And follow!” Now it was Korrina’s call that steadied her partner. Lucario skidded against the ground at Ash’s side, before rocketing back towards Pikachu again.

Right on time.

“Now Pikachu, with the spin!” Ash called, throwing his hand out to the side. “Use Thunderbolt!”

“Sidestep it, Lucario!” Korrina’s command was well-meaning, but no less ineffective— Even as Lucario went into evasive maneuvers, it was to no avail.

The Thunderbolt wasn’t aiming for him!

“Pi—! Ka—! Chu—!” Pikachu let out a rapturous laugh, spinning through the air as he fired pillars of lightning straight up. Then, touching down onto the ground, he kept spinning, the streams of electricity curling around him as he did. They were forming a vortex of electricity— No, not a vortex. A barrier! “Pika!”

“Cario?!” Caught off guard, Lucario faltered, unable to stop himself before he barreled straight into the wall of lightning. In an instant, he was battered by the spinning pillars of electricity. “Lu—ca—rio!”

“Lucario!” Korrina hunched over, her muscles visibly tensing and spasming from the attack. Relief only came when Lucario flew back, sliding against the ground and away from Pikachu’s shield. “What is this, Ash? Some kinda new move!?”

When she looked at Ash, however, she found him grinning.

“Not a new move— Just an old technique!” he called out, his gaze still locked onto the battlefield. “It’s not just an attack, but a shield! We call it Counter Shield!”

Pulling away from the action, Ash locked eyes with Korrina once more.

“And it’s how we’re gonna win!”

Up in the viewing balcony, the excitement was even more palpable.

“That’s— That’s amazing!” Clemont was dumbstruck, stammering out his thoughts without even a hint of hesitation. “It’s offensive and defensive, all-in-one! Just what Ash needs!”

“That’s so cool!” Bonnie added then, hopping in place and raising her pouch into the air. With a light shake, she revealed her trusty partner hiding inside. “If they did that just by spinning, maybe we can learn to do it too, Dedenne!”

“Dede!?” Dedenne was strikingly less confident in the suggestion.

While Bonnie and Clemont were obviously excited, Serena was even more so, despite her stoic appearance saying otherwise. The way her hands shook against the railing made that clear.

“If Korrina can’t block Thunderbolt with Bone Rush anymore— And now she can’t get close because of Counter Shield, then that means—” A wide, quivering smile grew on Serena’s face, as she watched an Aura Sphere bounce uselessly off the surface of Counter Shield. “This could be it— They could win this!”

Ash could feel his heartbeat racing, his chest heaving as he called out each move. Before him, Lucario was flashing across the field, coming at Pikachu from every angle conceivable. Power-Up Punches, Aura Spheres, even good old kicks and blows— Not a single one of them could get past Pikachu’s impregnable wall.

“This is it— This has to be it!” he declared, a wide grin across his face as he watched a tendril of lightning shoot out from the Counter Shield. It slammed into Lucario when he tried to retreat, sending him reeling back.

Yet, despite his assured declarations, Ash couldn’t shake something— a remaining nerve, sitting at the back of his mind. Looking across to his opponent, he soon realized what it was.

Korrina’s confident gaze, it hadn’t faltered in the slightest.

“Retreat, Lucario!” At Korrina’s command, Lucario flickered from view, instantly appearing at her side a second later. Arcs of electricity were coursing across his body, but that didn’t stop him from standing tall, not for a moment. Giving her partner a once over, Korrina smiled. “Alright, Ash, this Counter Shield thing is pretty impressive! Since it seems we can’t hit Pikachu through it, we’ll just have to get inside it!”

Korrina’s declaration bucked against Ash’s confidence, and he couldn’t help but relish in that.

“And how do ya figure you’re gonna do that!” he thundered, making a fist and throwing it forward. Yet again Korrina and him were here, goading one another on, pushing the other to give their 110%. If they didn’t, how could they ever be satisfied?

Ash had given it his all, now it was time for Korrina to do the same.

“Just watch!” Moving in unison, Korrina and Lucario crouched down, arms steady as they went into a battle stance. Whatever they were planning, it was going to need them in perfect sync! “Lucario— Get ready!”

The two sent a shockwave of Aura racing through the gym, flowing, streaming energy crashing into the crackling lightning of Pikachu’s electricity. This was it!

When the two looked up, their eyes flashed with a tinge of blue.

“Lucario, use Bone Rush!” Korrina reached for the sky, and in an instant her partner was gone. Lucario flickered into view above the battlefield, a staff in each hand.

“Blow ‘em away buddy! 110%!” Lucario’s incredible speed had already put Ash on the backfoot. It didn’t matter, though. Pikachu’s Thunderbolt could still beat him back!

“Pika!” Through the spinning tendrils of Counter Shield, a path opened up, giving Pikachu the line of sight he needed. “Piiii— Kaaaa— Chuuuu!”

“Don’t let it touch your staffs, Lucario!”

“Huh!?”

Just as Korrina gave her command, Pikachu’s Thunderbolt rocketed out from the Counter Shield, flying towards Lucario in the blink of an eye. And true to Korrina’s word, Lucario didn’t block the blast. Instead, he dived back, letting the lightning fly overhead!

“Go, Lucario!”

“Light ‘em up, Pikachu!”

Landing on his feet, Lucario dashed forward, Aura at his heels as he ran. He was trying to close the distance to the Counter Shield— But Pikachu wasn’t going to make that easy!

“Pii! Kaa! Chuuu!” A half dozen Thunderbolts flew through the wall of electricity, raining down on Lucario like the rattle of a machine gun.

“Lu— Cario!” Forced to evade, Lucario ducked and dived across the battlefield, dodging bolt-after-bolt-after-bolt of lightning. Then, just as a barrage of electricity would’ve struck him down, he leapt into the air!

“Thunderbolt, Pikachu!”

A massive pillar of lightning thundered forth, only just missing Lucario as he threw his weight to the side. This was it, he had his clear shot!

“Bust ‘em open, Lucario!” At Korrina’s command, Lucario slammed into Pikachu’s Counter Shield, digging his fists between the tendrils of electricity. Then, with a mighty heave and a fiery roar, he wrenched those tendrils apart!

“Pika!?”

“What the?! How—!?” Ash took a step back, as the realization hit him all at once. The staffs from Bone Rush— Lucario was still holding them! They were protecting him from the electricity! “Pikachu! Use—!”

“End this!”

“Cario!” Before Pikachu could even react, Lucario flew through the fissure in his Counter Shield, thundering down on him with a staff in each hand. It was too late— With an earth-shattering swing, Lucario smashed Pikachu into the ground.

“Pika!”

“Pikachu!”

Aura and electricity crashed and burned, bursting into an explosion that filled the air and obscured the whole battlefield. In the blink of an eye, Pikachu’s Counter Shield dissipated, its tendrils of lightning fading into the expanding dust cloud.

“Pikachu…” Ash felt his shoulders slump, the energy in his arms and voice draining away with the echoes of the battlefield. The gym grew silent while he stood there, holding onto one final bout of hope— Hoping that when the dust cleared, Pikachu would still be standing.

Soon, however, that hope faded as well. Ash could feel it in the air, the static was gone now.

It was a feeling he was getting used to.

They had lost.

Notes:

Three attempts, three losses. Each time Ash grows stronger, but each time Korrina does as well. If this keeps up, he'll never surpass his rival. He needs to break the cycle. He needs to go beyond.

Something has to change.
Something must change.
Something will change—

Next time!

Chapter 23: Serena's Resolve! Break the Storm!

𝒴

In the days following Ash’s match against Korrina, a storm had descended on Shalour City. The tumultuous squall, starkly out of season, appeared with little warning, battering the city with intense winds and unyielding thunder and lightning. Since the weather was so perilous and the tide holding so high, the group decided to hunker down on the mainland, inside the warm walls of the city’s Pokémon Center.

Serena sat slouched in the center’s common area, her arm resting on the rough fabric of an old public sofa. At her side, Fennekin lied asleep, while across from her was Clemont. He was tinkering with something or another, keeping his mind occupied on anything other than the storm raging away outside. It was quite late, so Bonnie had gone to bed early. That just left Ash.

Ash had gone to bed as well.

Serena squinted her gaze, looking over the closed door leading to Ash’s room. It must’ve been the hundredth time that she had done that. Perhaps it was time to try something different.

“I’m worried about Ash,” she declared, dwelling on her own words for a moment after. Then, she groaned. “Ugh, when am I not worried about Ash.”

“It does seem like a pattern around here,” Clemont said, a hint of humor in his voice. He looked up from the gadget he was tinkering with, and then craned his gaze to the door. “Still, I understand what you’re getting at. I couldn’t imagine being in his position.”

“Korrina… She’s so strong.” Pulling away, Serena leaned back in her seat, turning her eyes to the ceiling. “And her Mega Lucario, it just feels unbeatable.”

A moment of silence hung, only interrupted by the rumble of the storm overhead. The thunder echoed for a few seconds, before Clemont spoke up once more.

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far.” His words struck Serena by surprise, pulling her to sit straight as he spoke. She watched his hands fiddle with the construction in his lap. “Ash and Pikachu are amazing, but I don’t think they’re fully playing to their strengths here.”

Serena was left dumbstruck for a moment.

“But, how? They’re running at full speed,” she said, shaking her head and looking up. “How could they not be giving it their all?”

“Oh, it’s not that they’re not trying hard enough. It’s just, not an ideal type match up.” Clemont clarified, finally setting his project to the side. “Korrina’s Lucario uses Fighting and Ground-Type moves, and no Steel moves, which Pikachu would at least resist. Meanwhile, Hawlucha would resist or be immune to both of those types.”

“What? Are you saying Ash should try to beat Lucario with just Hawlucha?” Serena didn’t seem convinced by the idea, which thankfully is why Clemont wasn’t standing by it.

“Oh no, of course not. I doubt Hawlucha would be able to win by himself,” he quickly clarified. “But, if Ash brought Pikachu out earlier in the match, he might be able to get enough damage on Lucario, so that a well-rested Hawlucha could finish the job afterwards.”

“But, it can’t be that easy. There’s no way that’s all he needs to do.” Sitting up in her seat, Serena began going over Clemont’s plan in her mind. Pikachu could probably beat Machoke or Mienfoo without much effort. That would leave Hawlucha completely unharmed when he faced Lucario. Yet… “It just seems… too easy.”

“I’ll concede it’s just an idea,” Clemont added then, as he paused to wipe his glasses clean. “Just something for Ash to try, in my opinion. It certainly doesn’t guarantee victory.”

Silence stood between the two once more, bringing back the familiar ambiance of rain and lightning to Serena’s ears. The storm was rolling and thundering up above her, and yet, she paid it no mind. Instead, she began to think, began to contemplate Clemont’s plan again.

“But, what if…” Though Serena considered herself a novice, she’d been watching Ash battle for a good while now. She had a sense for how the flow of his matches went. So as she played the scenario Clemont laid out in her mind, she couldn’t find a reason to dismiss the idea. She felt like it could work. Soon, there wasn’t any doubt. “We should tell Ash.”

“Huh?” When Clemont looked up, Serena was already standing, pacing back and around the couch. She had her eyes locked on Ash’s door.

“Your plan, if it could help, we should tell him about it. Maybe he could try it out.”

“Well, I’m sure Ash has thought about it,” Clemont argued, standing up himself then. He joined Serena’s side and put a hand on her shoulder. “Ash is a very capable trainer. He must have his own reasons for leaning on Pikachu here.”

Serena paused after approaching the door, her hand just touching the handle.

“Maybe…” Her mind went back to days earlier, to the training she discovered the two doing: Firing Thunderbolts into the ground. Were they trying to prove something? Trying to push through despite the disadvantage? Serena’s hand tightened. “But maybe not. I’m telling—”

Serena froze as she opened the door, going silent the moment she looked inside.

The sound of thunder ripped through the Pokémon center.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Clemont asked as he approached. All at once, Serena whipped around.

“Ash— Ash and Pikachu are gone!”

Their room was empty, and all that remained was a still-open window.

---

𝒵

“Serena!? Serena, where are you going!” Clemont could barely keep up as Serena sprinted through the Pokémon Center, bursting past the lone Nurse Joy on duty. Without a moment of hesitation, she flew through the front doors, braving intense winds and sideways rain while she looked across the horizon. “Serena!?”

“Young lady, this weather is too dangerous for you to go out there!” The Nurse Joy cried, joining Clemont’s race. With a desperate heave, the two of them each grabbed a swinging door and pulled, leaving just a crack for Serena to re-enter through.

Yet, Serena didn’t re-enter.

“Ash is out there, Clemont. I don’t know why, but him and Pikachu walked out into this storm,” she said, her gaze locked into the distance. After a moment, she forced herself to look back. “I just know, they need help!”

“But, Serena—!” Before Clemont could get another word in, Serena sprinted into the storm, disappearing in the torrential downpour almost instantly. Left alone, with just the Nurse Joy at his side, all Clemont could do was sigh. “Who’s going to help you…”

---

𝒳𝒴

The rain crashed into Serena’s side, stinging her skin like cold sleet and chilling her to the bone. Wind too battered against her, forcing her to cover her eyes as she marched on. Yet still, she marched on.

All around her, the rain and wind roared as the lightning above thundered. She couldn’t see anything, she could barely hear anything, and still, she pressed forward. Screaming Ash’s name against the wind, she desperately begged for a response, but got nothing in return.

Until, through the howling storm, a call rang out.

“Chuuuuuuuuuuu!”

It was Pikachu, firing a Thunderbolt! Serena could recognize that cry anywhere! In an instant, she oriented herself and began sprinting, taking off towards the source of the sound.

“Piiiiikaaa— Chuuuuuuu!”

The boom of the storm’s lightning was quickly becoming drowned out. All Serena could hear now was Pikachu and his thunderclaps. She was nearly there, she knew it!

“Piiiiiiiikaaaaa— Chuuuuuuuuuu!” Then, all at once, it was like the storm disappeared.

“Huh—!?” Serena stumbled and blinked, finding sand at her feet and clear air around her. When she turned, a wall of rain and wind was standing at her back. The howling of the weather seemed almost distant now, muted.

Was this, the eye of the storm?

“Piiiiiiiiiiiiikaaaaaaaa— Chuuuuuuuuuuu!”

When Serena whipped around, her vision was blinded by a flash of golden yellow— golden yellow she recognized. All at once, when the light faded, she felt her heart swell.

“Ash!” she called, rushing forward and grabbing the boy’s attention. Ash and Pikachu were there, standing on the sands of Shalour City’s beach! Skidding down a tall sand bank, Serena quickly made her way over to them.

“Serena? Serena!? What are you doing here?!” Turning, Ash jumped in surprise at Serena’s sudden appearance.

“What do you think!? You guys ran off in the middle of a storm!” she shouted, grabbing her hair and squeezing water from it. She was utterly soaked after her own march through the rain. “What’re you doing here!?”

Despite Serena’s obvious worry and almost feverish tone, Ash grinned.

“What’s it look like? We’re training!” he answered, somehow excited despite being sopping wet himself. Stepping back, Ash motioned to Pikachu, who was standing closer to the shore— Standing, with his back to the two. “Watch! Give her a taste, buddy!”

“Pika.” Nodding, Pikachu took a step forward, before glaring up at the wall of the storm. Then, with a smack of his cheeks, he began building up a charge. “Piiiikaaa—!”

“Is he—?” Almost immediately, something about Pikachu stood out to Serena. Before she could process the thought, however, Pikachu let his attack rip.

“Chuuuuuuuuuuu!”

Pikachu fired a monstrous, full force Thunderbolt into the air, carving a hole straight through the storm and into the sky behind it. A moment later, after the storm closed the chasm Pikachu had made, it returned fire. Two stunning bolts of lightning crashed down onto Pikachu, igniting his body with a bright golden energy.

“Piiiiii— Ka!” Letting out a furious roar, Pikachu stomached the blow, skidding against the sand as the twin bolts drove him back. Then, all at once, the lightning vanished! It snapped out of the sky and flew into Pikachu’s body! When the light dissipated, Pikachu was left standing, crackles of electricity bouncing off his cheeks.

“He, absorbed the lightning,” Serena muttered, earning a confident nod from Ash.

“We’re using the storm like a big battery! Supercharging Pikachu for our next shot at Korrina!” he explained, as Pikachu went to fire another Thunderbolt. It was bigger, better this time, resembling the 110% Thunderbolts they were training with the other day. “This has to be it— The technique that’ll get us the win!”

“Pika,” Pikachu called out in agreement, as he readied for what came next. Two more plumes of lightning rained in from the surrounding storm, striking him and sending his charge skyrocketing. “Pi— Ka— Chu!”

With a proud and furious cry, Pikachu broke the storm’s lightning, ripping it from the wall of clouds and pulling it into himself. The charge in his cheeks grew once more, the sparks now crackling like firecrackers.

This was impressive, Serena had to admit. Despite her worry, there was a part of her that couldn’t help but get caught up in the spectacle of it all, in the sheer performance of the pair. Yet, despite that, Serena was still hesitant as she watched them train. Something was rattling her, something about Pikachu.

Pikachu was angry.

While Ash seemed excited, almost manically so, Pikachu was furious. Every word he spoke, every attack he fired, it all carried a ferocious anger, unlike anything Serena had ever seen. It was like Pikachu was trying to outmatch the fury of the storm itself.

Serena watched as Ash leaned down to give Pikachu a head rub, only to receive no response in return. Pikachu merely growled and began charging up his next shot.

Ash didn’t seem to mind, Serena realized.

“Ash, isn’t this dangerous? You guys are in the middle of a storm,” she pleaded, as Ash turned to face her once more. “What happens if you get hit by lightning?”

Ash merely laughed.

“Ah come on, Serena. I’ve been taking Thunderbolts to the face for years— My whole life even!” he said, dismissing her concerns with a wave. Behind him, Pikachu fired once more, thundering into the sky with a bright bolt of lightning.

“Not real ones, Ash! You and Pikachu can get really hurt!” Frowning, Serena paused to catch her breath, as the sheer vibrations of the lightning knocked her off her balance. “And what happens if the eye of the storm starts moving?

“Then, we’ll just keep up with it!” Ash threw out that answer almost immediately, not taking even a moment to think it over.

“You can’t keep up with a storm, Ash!” To Serena, it felt like she was talking to a brick wall. Were none of her concerns getting through to him? Was anything getting through to him? “You two have to leave before you get hurt.”

This time, Ash didn’t immediately respond. He remained silent, visibly tensing as Serena said her piece. It was hard to notice, but his hands had curled into fists, at the moment she said the word ‘leave’.

After a moment, he began again, as Pikachu thundered another bolt of lightning into the sky.

“We can’t, leave.” Three words, that was all he had to say. And even that seemed like a difficulty for him. Serena noticed his emphasis on the word ‘leave’, like it was pulling a tooth just to say it.

Though she noticed it, she didn’t understand it.

“What kind of answer is that, Ash!?” she called, taking a step forward and putting a hand to her chest. Frustration was rising in her voice now as well. “Why can’t you leave?”

“Because— Because we’re giving it our all right now! Just like we always do!” he exclaimed, defending himself with a haughty voice and puffed chest. Soon though, his facade fell away, and he forced himself to turn around. “A little rain isn’t going to make us run away. We’ll be fine.”

Another bolt of lightning flew from Pikachu, striking the storm and beckoning for its response.

“This isn’t a little rain, Ash!” Serena cried, her voice beginning to run ragged. “This… This is crazy. Ash, please… You guys don’t have to do this. There are other ways to get stronger.”

Ash’s whole body tensed, as Pikachu’s lightning ripped through the sky ahead of him. From Serena’s angle, it almost looked like it was coming from Ash now.

“Like what?” he asked, the wild energy in his voice beginning to slip away. With his back still to Serena, he asked again. “How else are we gonna get stronger?”

Immediately, Serena felt the tone of the conversation shift. The manic Ash from moments ago sloughed away, and a far more frustrated one now remained. She could hear it in his voice, and see it in the way his fist trembled at his side.

“We’ve been training for weeks, Serena. Double time since we got to Shalour.” Turning, Ash faced Serena, a fire in his eyes as their gazes locked. “It’s not working.”

Another bolt of lightning from Pikachu filled the air.

“It’s still not enough, Serena. We’re still not enough. But every time me and Pikachu faced an opponent like this, we kept going!” His voice pulled on the effect of familiar assured energy. “We trained and trained, and changed up our strategies until we made it through— So if we want to make that work again, we can’t leave yet!”

Ash’s call rang into the air, piercing the winds of the storm and echoing back at him and Serena.

“Ash…” Serena pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, her whole body shivering against the cold. For a moment, she wanted to step away, to let Ash and Pikachu handle their own business. Those two would be fine, her mind told her. They were always fine. Yet, she stayed. Despite the coldness, despite the resistance she was getting, Serena knew one thing for certain.

She hated seeing Ash like this.

When Pikachu fired into the sky this time, the sky roared in response. A massive bolt of lightning came down, flying past Pikachu, and landing on the beach behind Serena.

“Ash. This isn’t right. You’re not thinking straight— You’re acting recklessly—” Serena pressed forward, both hoping and fearing that her words would strike a nerve. “You’re not invincible just because you’re trying your best. You and Pikachu— You aren’t going to make it work here! Not like this!”

Serena motioned to the beach all around them, to the literal storm just meters away.

“I know… I know it hurts, to try and try, and still not be where you want to be,” she began, her words echoing those from weeks ago. “I know—”

The whole sky lit up with lightning, as Ash grit his teeth.

“You don’t know anything!”

Ash’s cry ripped through the air, louder and more furious than even the thunder itself. For a moment, it felt like the whole storm was laid quiet, as his snap echoed against the wind. Serena stood frozen in shock, and even Pikachu stopped now.

“I… You…” Ash, for his part, seemed to catch himself then, as he paused and pulled back. The anger in his eyes faded away, and a new, sadder expression took its place. Turning to the side, Ash began rubbing his eyes. “You just, don’t get it…”

Silence reigned in the air between Ash and Serena, the storm now seeming wary to disturb them. The roll of thunder and lightning had stalled, leaving just the patter of rain as the backdrop to their meeting. Who would dare to speak first?

Tightening her fists, Serena stepped forward.

“What? What don’t I get, Ash?” Despite her shock from Ash snapping at her, Serena pressed onward. She’d come too far to be turned away now. “Talk to me. If I don’t understand, then please, explain it to me.”

Looking to Serena, Ash hesitated, the thoughts visibly ticking away in his mind. After a few quiet moments, he sighed. Then, he grit his teeth.

“You don’t get, how hard it is,” he began, each word like pulling teeth. “League after league— region after region— Me and Pikachu have tried so hard, and we just keep losing.”

Memories from weeks ago flashed in Serena’s mind— All those badges Ash had shown the group, but not one league to his name.

“You don’t get how that feels, giving it your all again and again and again and always falling short,” he said, voice rasping and chest heaving. “It kills me.”

Silence returned for a moment, a different silence. Not one that begged someone to start speaking, but one that begged them to continue.

“It… It scares me,” Ash finally confessed, frustration giving away to sadness now. His words made Serena’s eyes widen, made her stare as he made a fist. “I’m scared.”

Tears were beginning to form.

“Oh, Ash…” Serena did something then, that surprised even her. She stepped forward, until she was right at Ash’s side, and, after a moment’s pause, reached to him. Pushing past one last bout of hesitation, Serena cupped Ash’s face in her hand, freezing him still. He looked up at her, as she held him. “What could scare you?”

Even while she asked him for an answer, Serena’s gaze held nothing but empathy. All Ash could do was stare, before he began to speak.

“I’m… scared, scared that no matter how hard I try, how hard I ever try, I’ll… I’ll never be good enough,” he explained, eyes falling to the sand at their feet. Though he tried to hide it, tears were streaming down his face, dripping to the ground below. “I’m scared, that I can’t beat Korrina, because this is as good as I’ll ever be.”

Then, like that, it all clicked for Serena, everything. Ash’s dogged impatience, the warnings Mabel had given him, his dissatisfaction in beating Grant— It was all down to this one thing, underlying it all. It was this fear, that he’d never be better than who he was now.

Ash was scared that he had peaked.

Never in a hundred years could Serena have guessed that.

“Pikapi?”

Serena looked up, her train of thought lost as she realized someone else had joined their conversation: Pikachu. He’d finally turned around, and was now sitting on Ash’s shoulder with a worried look.

“Pikapi, pikachu-pi?” he asked, nudging the side of his partner’s head. Ash broke into a small smile then, at the sight of Pikachu, his worries almost going away.

“Yeah… Yeah, you’re right. Crying never solved anything, huh?” he said, putting on a hint of the bravado Serena knew him for. Moments later though, it slipped away again. Ash’s gaze turned back to Serena, as he realized she was watching him wipe the tears from his cheeks. “Well, that’s everything, I think. I’m sorry, if I don’t come across as that cool anymore.”

Serena stared at him, blown away by his implication.

“What are you talking about, you dork?” Serena picked up Ash’s gaze with her hand. “You’re the coolest, most amazing person I know.”

“Look at me, I’m crying,” he replied, choking out a laugh as he said that. One of his tears hit Serena’s hand then. “Hard to call that very inspiring.”

Serena paused, as she dwelled on Ash’s words. Thoughts were rushing through her mind, and along with them, a response.

“Seeing you cry, hearing you say those things— It hasn’t changed how I see you, Ash.” Now it was Serena’s gaze falling to the ground beneath them. “You may get knocked down, but you still stand up afterwards. You may not be the best yet, but you always try your best. That’s the Ash I know, the Ash I see every day, and—”

Serena smiled then, giving Ash a warm, tender look, a look she hoped carried her meaning even better than her words did.

“That’s the Ash I see now,” she finished. In Serena’s eyes, there was awe, and in that awe, a message: That even in Ash’s lowest moments, Serena still looked up to him.

Big thanks to @Standreamy over on twitter for her amazing rendition of this scene!

With that, Ash finally paused. His breathing steadied and, at last, the tears came to an end. Wiping his face clean, Ash nodded, before giving Serena his response to her message. With a smile, he accepted her words.

Silence stood now, as the pair took a moment of calm reprieve. Ash’s gaze hung low, not in contemplation but in simple peace. Thoughts and worries and fears no longer rushed through his mind. It was finally quiet.

Serena, meanwhile, had not moved from her position. Her hand still cupped Ash’s cheek, and her gaze still looked onto him with awe. Yet, while Ash was happy to finally let his mind settle, Serena’s mind was still going. She was still processing something.

“Thank you, for opening up to me, and telling me all that. I know it wasn’t easy,” she said, catching Ash’s attention. When he locked eyes with her once more, she paused for a moment, before smiling. “I think it’s only fair, if I opened up a little too.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Pika?”

Taking a deep breath, Serena stepped back, pulling her hand away from Ash and giving herself some space in the process. With a nod, she stood tall, before continuing.

“Ash, I know what I want to do with my life— On my journey, with you,” she began, her heartbeat almost immediately picking up. She couldn’t tell if it was panic or excitement. In either case, it didn’t matter. This was happening. “Because you inspire me, because of what you’ve shown me, I want to become a Gym Challenger, like you.”

Ash and Pikachu blinked.

“P-pika?!”

“That’s— That’s amazing! This’ll be amazing!” Almost immediately, Ash’s mood seemed to take a 180. Slow, peaceful content ignited into familiar, burning excitement. “We can train together! I can show all the tricks I’ve picked up!”

“Pikachu-pi!” Pikachu added then, standing up tall on Ash’s shoulder.

“Yes, perfect! We can teach you and Fennekin how to use Counter Shield!” It was stunning, like their nasty mood from minutes ago had never existed.

For a few moments, that return to normalcy calmed Serena’s nerves. Her muscles relaxed for what must’ve been the first time since she discovered the two missing. Yet, after a moment more, she tensed again.

“...No, Ash.”

“Pika, chu?”

“Huh?” Ash’s smile fell as he came to a stop, watching Serena shake her head. Once he realized she was being serious, he stood straight. “What do you mean?

“I mean, we can’t do that. Not right now, at least,” she answered, looking down at her hands. “I need to go back to Santalune and Cyllage, and earn the badges you already have.”

“Well, we’ll go with you! You’ll need help just starting out!”

“Pika!”

“And you,” Serena continued, remaining firm despite Ash’s offers, despite wanting to accept Ash’s offers. “You two need to go find what you’re missing.”

“...What, what do you mean?” Ash’s energy seemed to drain, as Serena looked up at him. The expression she held told him exactly what he didn’t want to hear— That what happened tonight, wasn’t over.

“You said it yourself, Ash. You’re missing something. Something you need to beat Korrina,” Serena explained, taking a step closer to Ash. “I’m not sure what it is, but you won’t find it where I’m going.”

Reaching forward once more, Serena took Ash’s hand, raising and holding it up between them.

“I don’t think you’ll find it here,” she continued, motioning to the area around them, to Shalour City itself. “Ash, you should go find what you’re looking for. Go find, what’s missing.”

Serena felt her throat tighten, like it was almost trying to stop her from speaking. On some level, she couldn’t blame it. She couldn’t believe what she was saying either.

Ash and Pikachu were stunned silent, a hundred thoughts crossing their eyes as they took in what Serena said. All the while, Serena could only watch. All she could do was stand with them in the quiet of the night.

Quiet.

Neither had realized it, but the storm had come to a stop.

“I think, you’re right,” Ash confessed, looking down to the sands for a moment. “Me and Pikachu— I’ve been in a funk about this for a while now.”

“Yeah, you have.” Serena’s thoughts went back to the last few weeks of their journey, to all the signs that had passed her by. It all painted a picture to her of Ash’s state of mind. “And, I think I have, too.”

All the while Ash had been struggling, Serena had been wrestling with her own internal conflict: The question of where her life was going, of her becoming a Gym Challenger.

“But now we can clear things up!” Ash exclaimed, pulling Serena from her train of thought. “And when we meet again, we’ll both be ready to move forward! You and me!”

“Pika!”

Serena smiled, Ash’s words resting easily in her mind.

“Yeah. You and me…” She basked in the idea for a moment, before her eyes widened. “Oh shoot, what about Clemont? How are we going to explain this to Clemont?”

Another voice then entered the fray.

“You won’t have to.”

Turning in surprise, Ash and Serena faced one of the beach’s larger sand dunes, something the wind had swept up hours earlier. There, climbing atop of it, was a familiar figure clad in blue.

“Clemont!?”

“I heard everything, after a certain point,” he explained, taking a breath and looking down the steep incline. With a hop, he slid down the embankment, joining Ash and Serena with only a few minor slips along the way. “Ash—”

Clemont turned his focus to Ash, a moment of weakness in his eyes giving away to strength. He placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Ash, I’m sorry. I wish I had realized sooner what you’ve been going through. I know talking about all of that wasn’t easy,” he said, before turning to Serena. Where with Ash his face held strength, with Serena, it was pride. His other hand went to her shoulder. “And Serena, I am so proud of you. You finally committed to becoming a Gym Challenger, and you finally told Ash!”

With a hand on each of his friends, Clemont broke into a wide smile, tears welling in his face. Before either Ash or Serena could realize what was happening, he pulled them into a hug.

“I’m so proud of you! Both of you!” he exclaimed, displaying a surprising feat of strength as he held the others tight. Soon though, Ash and Serena broke into a laugh and returned the favor.

After the trio separated, Serena’s mind went back to business.

“So, what are you and Bonnie going to do now, since me and Ash will be splitting up for a while?” she asked.

“I think we’ll head back to Lumiose, for the time being. I’ve realized that the both of you deserve a Gym Leader worthy of your efforts,” he explained, readjusting his glasses. “Me at my current level can’t even give you much of a challenge, Ash.”

Clemont’s words earned a hearty chuckle from Ash, a sight that brought a smile to Serena’s face. After a moment though, that smile dipped.

When it did, Clemont took notice.

“No matter what though, the three of us will stay connected, yeah?” he asked aloud, looking between Ash and Serena.

“Oh yeah, of course! No way we’re just gonna let Serena start her journey by herself!” Ash declared, fire in his voice as he made a fist. Pikachu stood tall on Ash’s shoulder and agreed.

“We can call consistently, and I’m sure me and Ash will have lots of advice as you challenge your first few gyms,” Clemont added.

“Consistently? More like every night!”

Watching the two go back and forth between themselves, Serena couldn’t help but break into a smile. The group of them, even if they were going to spend some time apart, wouldn’t be divided, not even for a moment.

She felt blessed, to have friends like hers.

---

𝒳𝒴

“What do you think you’re going to do? Where will you two go?”

After talking for a good while longer, the trio decided it was time to head back to the Pokémon Center. It was late into the night by now, and there was much to do tomorrow now that they had plans. Clemont, ever the responsible one, headed out first to make sure Bonnie wasn’t left alone for too long.

That just left Ash, Pikachu, and Serena, the former two looking on at the sea, while the latter looked at them.

“I don’t really know,” Ash confessed, shaking his head for a moment before turning to Serena. “I’m not even sure what I’m missing, to know where I’m supposed to start looking.”

“Pi-kachupi…” Pikachu was similarly unsure, his expression matching Ash’s. Soon though, both of their faces turned, as Ash grew a confident smile.

“But that’s not going to stop us! Not me, or my team!” he exclaimed, Pikachu echoing him with a call. “We’ve never done anything like this before, but I think that means it just might work!”

Ash turned his gaze back to the ocean, to the Tower of Mastery standing just beyond the water. The sight of it made him pause, bringing a thought to his mind. That thought made him chuckle.

“It’s like you said, Korrina,” he said, under his breath. “We gotta try something new.”

Notes:

The storm... has broken.

Through her resolve, Serena has connected her heart to Ash's and discovered what weighs down upon our hero. The burden of loss sits heavy on his shoulders, as the fear that he will *never* achieve his dream has bubbled to the surface. All the while, Serena finds the courage she needs to commit to her own dream, to one day stand proud at Ash's side as an equal on the battlefield.

With that comes the time to heal, as our heroes face a new stage in their journey, one that they will need to face apart, but *not* alone.

Part 1 of Pokémon XY: Trying Something New concludes next week, with the parting of ways!

Until then!

Chapter 24: The Parting of Ways - Until We Meet Again!

Notes:

Welcome guys, to the final chapter of Pokémon XY: Trying Something New's first book. Stay until the note at the end, where I will be going over the future of this series, and an announcement for Book 2 and side stories.

𝒴

“Top A, or top B? Top A… or top B?” Serena huffed and puffed in front of the mirror of the changing room, as she jumped between the pieces of clothing in her hands. Just as she thought she was leaning one way or the other, the other top reignited her interest once more. “Tooooop A, or tooooop B?”

“Fen!” It took a yip from Fennekin to startle Serena from her indecision. Serena’s partner loved shopping as much as her trainer did, but this was getting excessive! “Fenne— Fennekin.”

“Of course it matters, Fennekin. This isn’t just about looking good.” Turning back to the mirror, Serena hummed, before giving up on making a hard decision. Both tops would go into the ‘maybe’ pile, a pile that was growing increasingly tall. “Clothes maketh the woman, as they say. It’s about finding an outfit that defines the trainer I want to be!”

“Fennekin? Fen-fennekin.” Fennekin’s reply made Serena pause, just as she was holding another sundress up to her body. For the first time, Serena’s gaze moved from the reflection of the clothing to the reflection of herself.

“That’s a good question— What kind of trainer do I want to be?” Glancing back, Serena looked towards the two heaps of clothing that sat near Fennekin— In one pile were beautiful, delicate tops and skirts, in the other, sporty, bold jackets and the pants to match. One closer to her current style, yet the other alluring all the same.

Just like the tops, Serena couldn’t decide.

“Fen?”

“Uuuuugh.” Sighing, Serena fell to her knees, before leaning over with a dramatic flourish. “I don’t know what to do, Fennekin. I thought the hardest part was going to be confessing I wanted to start, not this.”

“Fennekin…” Pouting, Fennekin approached Serena, before resting her head on her trainer’s lap.

The two shared a quiet moment, before a voice broke through the silence— A voice from outside the changing room.

“Les vêtements font la femme.”

Serena recognized that voice.

“...Diantha?” Serena rose to her feet with confusion ripe in her eyes. Even she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Soon, it became apparent that it was not the person she was expecting, but something else entirely.

A digital advertising board took up a whole wall across from the changing rooms, cycling through all the latest clothing lines the boutique was advertising. It seemed it had audio advertisements as well, as before Serena’s eyes stood the source of the voice: An image of Diantha, speaking into the empty air.

“I introduce to you, The Carnation Collection.” Almost immediately, Diantha was joined by scores of models, each wearing a gorgeous outfit that was clearly inspired by her own. Her jacket, shoes, and even purse had been divided up amongst the line-up, each given a new splash of color that contrasted with Diantha’s clean white. “A new line that exudes not just elegance and beauty, but a strength they cannot ignore.”

With a smile that almost seemed knowing, the image of Diantha snapped her fingers, and the advertisement disappeared. In its place was a black screen and a date, the current date.

Silence returned to the changing room, Serena standing quietly with Fennekin at her side. Then, after a moment, she smiled.

“Come on, Fennekin. We’ve got a salon appointment to make!”

---

𝒳

The Day Before…

Ash stood in what was becoming familiar stomping grounds for him— the sandy beaches of Shalour. The city itself laid behind him, and ahead of him was the soon-setting sun. A contemplative, forlorn expression held his gaze, as he spoke aloud.

“Where would we even go, Pikachu?” he asked, seemingly to no one. His shoulders were unoccupied, and the beach was quiet— For a moment, at least.

“Pika!”

“Froa!”

Flying across the beach was Pikachu and Froakie, the former’s Iron Tail slamming into the latter’s Cut! Shockwaves rocketed out from their impact, before it forced the two apart.

Despite the sudden clash, Ash seemed unphased.

“I don’t even know what we’re looking for,” he said with a huff, his gaze locked onto the sunset ahead of him. “I just wish— Froakie, you’ve gotta go into the roll more when you land! It—”

“Pika!” Pikachu chastised Ash with a sudden shout, just as he landed on his paw and bounced back. “Pikachu, pi— kapi!”

“Right right, you’re the one coaching, not me.” Grumbling, Ash turned and crossed his arms, trying to pull his attention from the two’s sparring match. It was weird, but it felt like he just knew when Froakie had made a misstep. The urge to help him correct it was overwhelming.

After a while, Ash sighed, and turned his mind back to the topic from before.

“How about you, buddy? Come up with any ideas?”

Skidding across the sand, Pikachu gave the question some thought, before juking to the side to avoid a pounce by Froakie. After a second more, he gave his answer.

“Pika, kapika,” he said, before turning and launching an Iron Tail through the air. Froakie was forced to dive back at the last moment, lest he get slammed.

“Unova, huh?” Ash was initially surprised. It only took Pikachu a few seconds to come up with that answer. In the end though, it did make sense. That region wasn’t their best performance, after all. “Still…”

Chewing on the thought for a moment, Ash shook his head.

“Unova isn’t right. It’s a whole region! We gotta start somewhere specific,” he answered, earning a reluctant nod from Pikachu.

“Pikachu-pi, Pika.” Flipping over Froakie, Pikachu glanced back at Ash before he continued to speak. “Pikachu, kachu, Pi—”

“Froa!” Unfortunately for Pikachu, he had pushed his luck one too many times. With his attention on Ash once more, Froakie took the opportunity to strike, bouncing from his position and launching Pikachu into the air.

“Pika!?” Before Pikachu could react, he crashed into Ash’s arms, sending both him and his trainer falling onto their butts.

“Whoa! Good work there, Froakie! You really got him!” Ash called out with a laugh, before readjusting his crooked hat.

“Pika? Pikachu!”

“Hey, distracted or not, he still got the hit in!” Ash argued, before shooting Froakie a grin and a thumbs-up. Pikachu could only grumble as Ash called an end to the sparring, and returned Froakie to his ball.

Now it was just the two of them again. Ash and Pikachu, sitting on a beach, the sun setting before their very eyes. It didn’t take long before Ash came to sigh.

“What’re we gonna do, buddy?”

“Pika…” At first, it seemed like the two would leave the beach empty-handed, with nothing to show but a bit more training under their belt. Yet, then, a flash of something crossed Pikachu’s eyes. His ears perked up, before he suddenly leapt onto Ash’s shoulder. “Pikapi!”

“Whoa! What’s gotten into you, Pikachu?” Ash said then with a laugh.

Without taking a moment to explain himself, Pikachu began digging into Ash’s backpack, sticking his whole head inside as he went to look. After a few moments, he resurfaced, with something surprising in his grasp: aged, folded paper.

“Huh? What’s this about, Pikachu?” Ash furrowed his brows as Pikachu handed him the paper, prompting Ash to open it. When he did, he found what was almost like a reflection: the drawing of him, with Pikachu on his shoulder.

An old song played in Ash’s mind, and then, an old memory. With that old memory, came finally, a new idea. Ash grinned.

“If we don’t know what we’re missing, then maybe we should just go and start looking, eh buddy?”

---

𝒵

The Day Before That…

The Tower of Mastery had become awfully quiet in the last few days, and today was no exception. Serena was out shopping, and Ash had been avoiding the island ever since his last match. That just left Bonnie and Clemont in the group’s lodging, packing up after their extended stay.

Bonnie sat on her bed, a dour look in her eyes as she watched Clemont fiddle with their bags. Though Dedenne tried his best to attract her attention and cheer her up, he had little luck. She just kept watching her brother pack. After some time, she found the strength to say something.

“Clemont… Did something happen? Are Ash and Serena mad at us?” Her question brought Clemont some pause, prompting him to look back at her.

“No, no, of course not,” he assured, digging deep into his backpack. After a moment, he pulled out something— What seemed to be a book wrapped in tissue paper.

“Then, why are they leaving?”

This time, Clemont came to a complete stop. Bonnie’s question made him turn and face his sister head-on, made him realize just how sullen her face really was.

“Oh, Bonnie…” Stepping away from the bags, Clemont joined his sister’s side, putting a hand on her shoulder before he began to speak.

“They aren’t leaving, at least not for very long,” he explained, giving a small smile as Bonnie looked up at him. “Those two have a great big journey ahead of them, and right now, that journey is taking them in different directions.”

“But why can’t we go with them!” Bonnie exclaimed. Her voice held the hint of a tremble, one she tried very hard to hide. “Like, maybe we can stay with Ash, or Serena, or— or— maybe we each go with one of them!”

Despite Bonnie’s insistence, Clemont gave a chuckle, one that made her pause and listen.

“I couldn’t leave you alone for that long, especially if Ash and Serena ended up in different regions,” he explained, putting a hand to his chest. “I promised Dad I would make sure you were taken care of.”

“...Dad.” Bonnie’s head dipped, her gaze falling to the satchel sitting on her lap. Dedenne was looking up at her, his eyes seemingly as down as hers were. After a moment of thought, she looked up. “Big brother, when we get back home, can you… teach me more about battling?”

Clemont was taken aback by the request at first. Sure Bonnie had always expressed an interest in becoming a trainer one day, but that was always just ‘one day’. Still, after a moment, he smiled and nodded.

“Of course.”

---

𝒳

A Few Days Later…

An old wooden door stood before Ash, with a scratched frame and a knob polished from years of use. The Tower of Mastery had been quiet for days now, and at this late at night, it was even more so.

Ash grimaced as he looked onto the door, thoughts running through his head. Everything else had been sorted out, except for this.

He had to tell her.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Pushing through his moment of hesitation, Ash knocked. A few seconds later, he received his answer.

“Oh hey Ash, there ya are! I’ve been wondering where you’ve been.” The door had opened to reveal Korrina, wearing a far more casual outfit than she usually sported— A simple white and red tank top with the athletic shorts to match. Her hair was down as well, though Ash wasn’t one to notice. Without a pause, Korrina stepped back into her room, beckoning Ash to follow. “Well come on in! You’ll get a cold out there, or something.”

“Pffft, a cold?” Ash snorted as he followed, leaving the hallway behind and entering Korrina’s room fully. Almost immediately, he noticed how busy it was.

The room itself wasn’t small, far from it, sporting a full-sized bed and more than enough space to still walk around— That was, if it weren’t for the sheer amount of other things littering the floor. Dumbbells, free weights, exercise bands, and tons of crumpled paper absolutely flooded the room.

“How else was I going to get you in my room? You’ve been avoiding me like the plague,” she fired back with a grin, walking past the only other stand-out item in the room— A chalkboard of all things. “Anyways, sorry for the mess! Lucario was supposed to help me clean up when he got back, but he’s run off I think.”

“Going it alone too, huh? Same here. Pikachu ran off when I told him I was coming here for some reason.” Stepping over a particularly heavy set of free weights, Ash came to a stop in the dead center of the room.

“Oh, so, it’s just you and me?” Upon saying that, Korrina plopped onto her bed and leaned back. She was looking Ash in the eye, her grin unmoving. After a moment of silence from him, however, Korrina pursed her lips and stood up again. “Anyways— Check this out!”

Hurriedly rushing back to the chalkboard, Korrina drew Ash’s attention to a frankly indecipherable barrage of writing and scribbles. In the center of it all though, something caught Ash’s eye: a drawing of Pikachu.

“Me and Lucario have been working non-stop to figure out a good strategy for your Counter Shield!” Korrina exclaimed, her finger tracing along what must’ve represented tendrils of lightning, starting from Pikachu and extending out. “We may have broken through it last time, but there’s no way we can do that consistently.”

“This is so sick!” Soon, Ash began parsing meaning from the chaos. This wasn’t just random lines and text, it was play sequences. Move here, juke then, fire off an attack there. There were at least a half-dozen different plays being workshopped, all leading back to the center of the board, to Pikachu. That realization made Ash pause. “Man, you guys have been going all out for us, huh?”

“Of course! If I rested on my laurels, you and Pikachu would catch up with us in no time! Gotta keep it a challenge, right?” Stepping forward, Korrina faced Ash with a hand on her hip and a grin on her lips. “Speaking of which~ When can I expect to see you back in the gym?”

“Hah, well, it’s funny you ask.” Ash scratched the back of his head, stalling for time as he pulled his gaze away from Korrina. Soon though, he found his confidence with a breath. “It’s, gonna be a while, before I challenge you again.”

Now it was Korrina who paused, her eager smile falling away.

“What do you mean?” Her excitement seemed to evaporate right then and there, as she took a step forward. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna go challenge the other Gym Leaders first! I thought we had something special, Ketchum!”

“It’s not like that! I just, need some time to sort things out.” Ash looked away as he said that, a feeling almost like shame bubbling up in his voice. “Korrina, the whole time I’ve been training to battle you, I’ve felt like I’ve been missing something.”

It was a struggle to say the words, like Ash was pulling teeth once more. In an instant, it was like he was back on that beach with Serena. Yet still, he pressed forward. This was just another thing he had to train to do.

“I think, it’s something I’ve been missing for a long time now. I’m not sure what it is, but I know if I want to keep growing stronger, I have to go find it,” Ash explained, tightening his grip with each word, until his hand was a trembling fist. Then, however, he released the pressure, and raised his hand forward. “If I don’t want to be stuck where I am now, I need to go find it.”

A moment of silence took the room, as Korrina and Ash stood there, looking at one another. A thought seemed to be working its way in Korrina’s mind. Then, she stood straight, her eyes widening.

“I… Oh, huh.” Korrina looked down for a moment, before taking a hesitant step forward. “I didn’t realize it was like that, Ash. Just— Wow.”

Korrina then did something that surprised Ash. She pulled him into a hug.

“You’re, not disappointed?” Ash noted, quickly realizing how tightly Korrina was squeezing him. Without letting go, she began to speak.

“No, of course not. Ash… You and me are a lot alike. Stubborn to a fault,” she said with a snort, only then loosening up on him. With her hands still on his shoulders, she continued. “I don’t know if I could make the decision you’re making, but if I had to, I know it’d be… hard.”

“Really hard, heh.” His chuckle gave Korrina a smile, if only a small one.

“Ash, promise me that when you’re ready, you’ll come back to Shalour first thing,” Korrina’s request brought Ash a moment of pause. His reservation quickly disappeared, however, when she continued. A cheeky smile took her face. “I don’t want anyone to take a swing at you before me!”

“Hah! You’ve got it!” In an instant, Ash felt the fire between the two reignite, as he broke into his old, wild grin. “You and Lucario better not stop getting stronger either then! Cause when we get back, we wanna beat you at the top of your game!”

Taking a step back, Ash offered his hand forward, a hand Korrina took without hesitation.

“I’d like to see you try! It’s a date!”

With that, Ash’s business was done. He’d told Korrina everything he needed to tell her. Now everything was set for tomorrow. That thought, however, brought another to Ash’s mind.

Everything was set for him.

“Oh hey, one more thing—”

---

𝒳𝒴

The Next Day…

“Man, usually I’m the one cutting it this close.” Ash crossed his arms, a bit of uneasy impatience working its way through his body. Ahead of him, the airport’s central clock read the time: 8:15 PM. His flight would be leaving soon, but he wasn’t ready to go yet. He still had to say goodbye. “I know Serena’s excited to challenge her first gym, but could she at least see me off first?”

“Pikapi, Pikachu.” Pikachu tried to ease Ash’s grumbly disposition, to little effect. He was going to need a little help for that.

“She’ll be here,” Clemont called, joining Ash’s side with Bonnie at his heel. Despite not being the one getting on the plane, his backpack seemed more stuffed than Ash’s was. “Trust me, Ash, she wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Clemont’s assurances let Ash loosen up, as he snorted and slipped into a snarky smile. “She’s probably just doing her hair or something.”

“A little more than that, thank you!”

All at once, the whole group turned, facing the one and only Serena standing proudly before them. With a turn and a confident strut, she secured her hat to her head.

“Ta-dah! What do you think!”

Big thanks to @CRITTER over on twitter for her amazing rendition of this scene!

True to what Serena had said, her whole outfit had transformed. Gone was the tall red skirt and black sleeveless top— Now Serena sported a pink blouson dress, with a bold red jacket over it. Her old hat was gone too, the red flat top being replaced by a salmon-colored fedora. Of course, the most stunning change was her hair. Her long locks had been carefully trimmed and cut, before curled into soft waves that framed her face.

Taking a step forward, Serena approached the stunned group.

“So, do you like it?” she asked with a giggle.

“Your dress is so pretty!” Hopping away from her brother, Bonnie began orbiting around Serena, oohing and awing as she took it all in. Clemont, meanwhile, seemed to agree with his sister in more ways than one.

“You’re— It's Stunning!” he exclaimed, hiding a bit of redness in his cheeks. “You always astound me with how well you can put together an outfit, Serena.”

“Heh, thanks Clemont, thanks Bonnie.” Serena took all the praise in, a light blush of embarrassment on her face as she did so. Soon, though, it faded, when she faced the final two in the group— Ash and Pikachu.

“Pi-pika!”

“Yeah, you look amazing, Serena!” Ash pumped his fist as he said that, Pikachu calling out in agreement soon after. Serena couldn’t help but giggle at the pair’s charged energy.

“Thanks, you guys.” A small, sincere smile took her face as she fell quiet, until she found something to say. “Before I left home, all those weeks ago, I picked out a new outfit, something to commemorate the occasion. Now that I’m starting a new journey, I figured something else was in order.”

Ash grinned.

“I’ll say! You’re—” At that moment, the airport intercom came to life, grabbing the group’s attention.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are now boarding our final flight for the evening. All passengers, please make your way to the boarding area.”

“Aaand that’s our cue.” Scratching the back of his neck, Ash looked to the rest of the party. Just like that, it was time to say goodbye. Ash snorted as he crouched down. “Well, I better make this fast! Bonnie—”

Bonnie stepped forward, a bit of nervousness to her before she stood straight. Ash couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Don’t give your brother too hard of a time, okay?” he asked, the request almost seeming like a challenge— one Bonnie was intent on failing.

“No promises!” she said with a giggle, before sharing a laugh with Ash. While those two had their moment, their partners were having their own.

“Dedenne? Den!” Dedenne popped out of his bag, crawling up onto Bonnie’s shoulder to meet his equal. “Deden, dedenne!”

“Pika!” With a crackle of sparks and one final cheekrub from the two, Dedenne and Pikachu said their goodbyes as well.

After Bonnie and Dedenne came Clemont. He stepped forward, a hand digging through his bag and a determined, if kind, expression on his face.

“Ash, before you go, I have something for you,” he said, pulling out something Ash didn’t recognize. It almost looked like a Pokedex: A red, pocket-sized device that could flip open. “Since you’ll be traveling outside of Kalos so much, I wanted to make sure you’ll always be able to contact us! So, introducing—!”

With a dramatic flourish, Clemont hoisted the device into the air.

“The Clemontic Gear Cellular Telecommunications Phone!” he declared, all sense of restraint gone from his voice. “It can receive calls from any phone or Pokémon Center! And since it’s connected to your Trainer ID, your friends can always find you!”

Clemont’s explanation hit Ash all at once. It was a cellphone!

“Oh wow, that’s amazing, Clemont!” Ash called, sparkles in his eyes as Clemont showed off his invention. With a flick, the phone came to life in Clemont’s hand, displaying the logo of the Lumiose City Gym in the background. “Man, this’ll be perfect!”

While Ash and Clemont reveled in their mutual love of the latter’s inventions, Serena and Bonnie could only just watch, their faces somewhere between bemused and bewildered. Bonnie, in particular, was crossing her arms and grumbling about her brother’s choice of redundant naming again.

“I’ve also tested it extensively, so there’s no worries about this one exploding.” With that comment, Clemont handed the phone over. “I promise, heh.”

“Ah man, thanks Clemont! I—” Ash paused then, as something caught his eye. Clemont’s hands— There was a layer of soot and grime all over them. Clemont had been staying up late the last few days, and in that moment, it occurred to Ash as to why. “Clemont…”

Before Clemont could react, Ash pulled him into a tight hug.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m gonna miss the occasional gadget blowing up in my face!” he confessed, before separating. He watched as Clemont’s initial surprise turned to a smile.

“Don’t take too long out there, and we can get right back into it.”

“Hah, you hear that, Serena? We better not keep ‘em waiting!” Ash laughed and looked over to Serena, as she approached.

“Heh, I’ll try my best to not get too stuck,” she said, joining her friends. Soon though, Clemont stepped aside, and it was just Ash and her remaining. The two shared a look. “Ash.”

Putting on a confident face, Serena offered her hand forward. Despite not saying a word, her meaning was obvious to Ash.

“You do your best out there, okay?” Ash grinned and shook her hand. “Cause from here on out, you and me aren’t just friends, we’re rivals.”

The fierceness in Ash’s declaration seemed to catch Serena off guard. Yet just as he predicted, she recovered and nodded.

“I’ll make you proud, I promise.” Serena’s vow was firm and unyielding, and to Ash, it was just what he was looking for.

“That’s the spirit!”

---

𝒴

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie watched as Ash walked into the bustling crowd ahead. At first, the sight of Pikachu on his shoulder kept him recognizable. Soon, however, he disappeared. Silence stood in the group, before Serena spoke up.

“I can’t believe he’s gone.” It was an impulse thought said aloud, but she received sympathy from the others regardless. She felt Clemont’s hand pat her shoulder.

“He’ll be back before you know it,” he said, joining her side and giving her a smile. “We’ll all be.”

“Yeah…” Despite his attempts to cheer her up, Serena’s small frown did not fade.

A few quiet moments passed, before Clemont spoke up once more.

“Your bus will be arriving soon enough, so we should make sure we’re not too pressed for time,” he said, stepping forward and digging through his bag as he did so. That caught Serena’s attention.

“Oh, Clemont, I really appreciate it, but I already own a cell—” Serena paused. Whatever Clemont had pulled out, it certainly wasn’t a phone. It was far too big, and wrapped in crinkled tissue paper and a pink satin bow.

With a smile, Clemont handed it to Serena to unwrap.

“A journal?” Serena turned the gift over in her hand. It was a solid, robust thing, with a strong binding and a cover bound in cloth.

“When a trainer begins their journey, they can learn so much in the very beginning, that they can’t keep track,” Clemont explained, a pep to his voice like he was talking about one of his inventions. “Keeping notes of it all will help you challenge the first two Gyms.”

Reaching forward, Clemont touched the journal in Serena’s hands, before opening it.

“And this will probably be the best help I can offer you starting out.”

Printed onto the back of the cover was a brightly colored table, with eighteen rows and columns. Across the top and sides of the table, Serena could recognize the various types of Pokémon she’d met so far: Fire, Water, Electric, and a few more. The contents of the table itself eluded her completely though. It was just squares of white, green, red, and black.

“What does it mean?”

“It’s a type chart. It shows you which types are Super Effective against each other. You’ve already got the basics, of course, but knowing the nuances of this will be vital to your journey.” Clemont traced his fingers over the chart, as he quickly explained how to read it. “I thought you could begin reading it on your way back to Santalune City.”

Serena closed the journal as he said that, and in that moment, caught the words embossed on the back. It read ‘The Mall of Kalos.’

Clemont had gotten this all the way back in Orsay City.

“Just how far back were you thinking about this!” Serena laughed, before surprising Clemont with a sudden, yet still welcome, hug. “Thank you. I know this’ll be a great help.”

After a few moments, the two separated.

“Of course, that’s not the only assistance you’ll be getting. Feel free to call and ask for advice whenever you need!” Clemont added with a laugh. “I just know me and Ash will have an answer between the two of us.”

“I’ll keep that in mind!” Just then, the PDA in Serena’s bag began to rumble. She was getting a message, and she knew what it was about. “What’s it that you said, Clemont? About being pressed for time?”

After dismissing the alert for her bus, Serena crouched down to meet Bonnie head-on. Despite the gloomy look on the girl’s face, Serena cut through it with a ruffle of her hair.

“I’m going to miss you, Bonnie. I promise, as soon as we’re all back together, I’ll take you on a girl’s night out!” she exclaimed. “We can visit boutiques and try on clothes and everything!”

“Okay! But when you do, you gotta teach me about all the stuff you’re gonna learn about being a trainer!” Bonnie’s request was a bit of a surprise to Serena, but she took it in stride with a smile.

“Heh. Okay, you’ve got it!” Standing straight, Serena turned to Clemont once more, pausing as she locked eyes with him. A kind smile crossed her lips. “See you around?”

“As soon as possible!”

---

𝒳

“I’m sorry, sir, but it’s currently 20:30. You missed your flight by about twelve hours.”

“Come on lady, I’m not that dumb. The clock only goes up to twelve!” Ash couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His flight was about to leave, and now he was being told it left half a day ago! “It’s 8:30 and my ticket says 8:30!”

“Pikachu! Pika, pikapi— Pikachu!” Pikachu was doing his best to support Ash, but it was having little effect on the airport staffer.

With a frustrated sigh, the woman began again.

“Sir, this airport uses a twenty-four-hour clock. Your flight was at 8:30 AM, and it is currently 8:30 PM.” Her voice was firm and her words clear, and with that, Ash finally understood. His eyes fell to the desk between them.

“Oh. Oh.” His moment of numb contemplation turned into panic. “We missed our flight?!”

“Pika-Pikachu?!”

With Ash’s hot-headedness gone, the airport staffer seemed to grow far more sympathetic. In an instant, she began typing away at the terminal in front of her.

“Listen, if you can get there fast enough, you can still make your connecting flight out of Lumiose.”

“But that’s halfway across the whole region! How can I—” Ash turned and came to pause, the sight of a mural hanging over the terminal catching his eye. It depicted a woman in pilot garbs, riding on the back of a Pidgeot. “Where can I find the nearest video phone?”

---

𝒳

“…Ash? Ash, is that you, my boy?” A hazy and static image buzzed on the screen, before focusing in on the recipient of the call. Now Ash was face-to-face with the sight of a haggard, old friend. “I always appreciate the ring, Ash—”

The man took a moment to loudly yawn.

“—But isn’t it a bit late?”

A realization hit Ash all at once.

“Ack, sorry Professor! I forgot about the time difference!” Ash slid down his seat, a sheepish look to his face as he realized his mistake. Soon though, he recovered and sat straight. “I’ll be out of your hair in just a second! I just need you to send someone over really quick.”

Professor Oak blinked, the request seeming to catch him off guard.

“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem, my boy. Who did you have in mind?”

---

𝒳

A column of fire filled the sky above the quiet airport, and with it, came a great and powerful roar. Yet, it wasn’t the cry that stood out the most in the night, but the laughing call that rang out underneath it.

“Let’s go, Charizard! First stop, Lumiose, next stop— Alto Mare!”

Notes:

And like that, Pokémon XY: Trying Something New - Book 1 has come to a close! It has been a long way from the museum to the airport, from that beginning in our heroes's journey to this temporary goodbye.

For now, Trying Something New will be going on hiatus while I finish Book 2. I can't say when it will be complete, but I am hoping to have it ready sometime later this year. In the meantime, I will be releasing two side stories for the series— One covering what's gone on in Alto Mare over the years, and the other being a one-shot about Ash and Korrina.

If you want to stay updated with all future books and stories, I recommend following My Twitter and subscribing to the Trying Something New - Series Page for new books and the Extended Canon Page for everything TSN related!

With that out of the way, I wanted to talk about Book 2 and what it'll be covering. As you know, Ash is heading back to Alto Mare, seeking to find the part of himself he's been missing— The thing that has kept him from defeating Korrina and accomplishing so much more. This is only one stop in a series of destinations he'll be taking across Book 2. Meanwhile, Serena will begin her challenge of the Kalos League Gym circuit, facing Viola and Grant and taking her first steps towards becoming an expert battler.

Our heroes will return in Book 2 of the TSN Series— Pokémon XY: Finding Something New

For now though, this is goodbye... For a little while! We'll all see each other really soon—

When the journey continues!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Trying Something New - A Pokémon XY AU
• Part 1 of Trying Something New - Extended Canon