Chapter Text
Unknown Location
The large chamber was dark. Most of the lights that would illuminate it were out, with only emergency lights being there to alleviate the darkness. There was enough light, however, to see one of his pokemon's still form, laying on the cold metallic ground, at the proverbial feet of the imposing figure of the creature that had delivered such a swift defeat.
It was also hot. So much hot. While his suit allegedly protected him from extreme temperatures, it seemed it wasn't as insulated as he believed. Every spot on his skin was covered in sweat, leaving him drenched. But now, no matter how uncomfortable he was, he couldn't afford to care about that one bit.
"Does it sink yet, children? How useless your efforts to stop me are?" the being in front of them said, their distorted, quasi-mechanical voice dripping mockery. "How big the gap in power between you and me is?"
Gritting his teeth, Ash returned his defeated Pokemon to their pokeball, as a loud beep coming from his wrist drew his attention. Bringing up the small control panel on his wrist, Ash read the warning message flashing on the tiny screen:
RADIATION SHIELDS: 18% (Aprox. duration:10-12 minutes)
IT IS URGENTLY RECOMMENDED TO RECHARGE THE HAZARD SUIT. IF RECHARGE IS NOT POSSIBLE, ABANDON THE IRRADIATED AREA IMMEDIATELY
Yeah, no, that wasn't an option. Too many lives depended on the outcome of this battle. Then again, even if his Pokemon were protected against the intense levels of radiation, Ash, Serena and Clemont's protection depended on the hazard suits they were wearing, and the moment they run out of power, it would be the end.
"Guys, how are you doing?" Ash asked.
"My radiation shield is at ten percent," Clemont replied after checking his screen.
"Seven percent," Serena replied.
"Tick tock, children," their enemy mocked once again. "It seems your time is running out. Will you spend your last minutes fruitlessly fighting me, or are you going to comply? Do so, and I'll make sure your suffering is... bearable, at the very least."
Surrender wasn't an option either. And even if it was, Ash would never take it. Ash gripped his last pokeball. It was funny how the pokemon inside wanted a second chance so badly... and he had more chances than either of them could have bargained for.
Ash now hoped this wouldn't be their last chance either.
"Does this answer your question? Greninja, I choose you!"
The dark vault was briefly illuminated by a blue flash as Greninja materialized, prepared to fight as he always had been, while he and his faithful Pokémon from Kalos steeled themselves for the upcoming fight. And as he gave his first order, Ash couldn't help but think of how it all started, so many months ago...
…
Prism Tower, Lumiose City, Kalos, many months ago
The mood was quiet. And for somebody who had been part of this traveling group of four, it was something unusual.
However, it was also expected, since the silent mood heralded the end of what it had been an epic journey across the region of Kalos. And the end of the journey signaled the end of their little group as well.
The Kalos League was over, so there was no more reason for Ash to stay at Kalos. The Master Class Showcase was over as well, so there was no more reason for Serena to be on Kalos either. It was time for them to leave the region in order to pursuit their goals, while Clemont and Bonnie would stay in Kalos, given that Clemont was planning to resume his job as Lumiose City's Gym Leader.
For the last couple days, Ash and Serena had been bunking at the Prism Tower, since it was better than staying at a Pokemon Center, and Clemont and specially Bonnie had enjoyed their company greatly, but their time together would soon come to an end. Goodbyes were always hard, but for Bonnie especially; she already had to say goodbye to Squishy, as well as Ash's Goodra, who was taken back to his home on the wetlands, and soon it would be Ash and Serena's turn.
Or it would be the case, if it wasn't for a certain videocall.
"The rest of you should come to Pallet Town as well. After all that awful stuff with Team Flare, I'm sure all of you could use a little vacation."
Ash had made a videocall to his mother, Delia Ketchum, to tell her about his journey through Kalos, and that he was going to head home soon, when Delia invited the rest of the group to come with Ash as well, if only temporarily. Ash looked at his friends with an expectant smile.
"So, what do you say, guys?" Ash asked. "It'd be great if you guys got to see my home town. Oh! And maybe you can meet all the Pokemon that I caught on my journeys through other regions."
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu added, nodding.
"Really? That sounds great!" Bonnie cheered, jumping up and down. She was going to take advantage of every opportunity to stay with her friends a little longer, but the prospect of meeting plenty of cute new Pokemon won her even further. She turned at her older brother with pleading eyes. "Can we, big brother? Please say yes!"
"Well, I need to resume my job as Gym Leader, especially now that Clembot won't be able to fill me in..." Clemont began, seemingly crushing Bonnie's hopes. Then, he looked at a nearby window, where many severely damaged buildings during Team Flare's attack, most of them now in the process of being rebuilt, could be seen. "Then again, with the state the city is in, I don't think we're going to get many challengers anytime soon, so why not? We could use some time to relax!"
"YES!" the energetic blond girl cheered, jumped into the air.
"Nenene!" her Dedenne cheered as well.
Bonnie then turned towards Serena. "What about you, Serena? You're coming with us, right?"
The performer was a bit taken aback by the sudden question. On one side, there were still a few weeks until Contest Season began, so she could afford to spend a little more time with her friends –and most importantly, her crush– , but on the other hand, she also wanted to use that time to explore Hoenn a little, learn about the Pokemon there, and maybe catch a new Pokemon or two.
"Well?"
Ash's question snapped her from her thoughts, and realized that everybody was looking at her, expecting her answer. Having no more time to ponder over what she wanted to do and what she believed she should do, she let her more selfish thoughts win out.
"Sure, you can count me in," Serena said, smiling at them.
"Awesome!" Ash cheered, before he turned back to the videophone. "You hear that, mom?"
"Yes. I'll make sure to have everything ready so your friends can stay at home with us," Delia replied.
"Then it's settled! To Pallet Town!" Ash announced, followed by a trio of cheers.
…
Viridian City, Kanto
Overall, the flight from Kalos to Kanto was both swift and uneventful, something the group was thankful for. As they left the airport, the group walked out of the city and and headed south to Pallet Town via Route 1.
As they walked through the green grass fields, Ash told his friends about the beginning of his journey, how Pikachu refused to obey him, how he failed to catch even the weakest of Pokemon, and how he was attacked by a flock of angry Spearow.
"You were almost killed by a bunch of Spearow? That's horrible!" Serena gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. However, memories started to flood in from her own beginning as a trainer, and remebered that she was also attacked by wild Pokemon on a regular basis, at least before she joined Ash, Clemont and Bonnie. Then again, unlike Ash, at least Fennekin wasn't disobedient.
"Truth be told, I was the one who attacked one of their own first," Ash admitted. Then, his expression changed as if he remembered something. "Oh! Do you guys mind if we take a little detour? There's a certain somebody I want to greet before I go back home."
"A certain somebody?" Bonnie repeated.
"Nene?" Dedenne asked as well.
"Yeah. An old friend who is very precious to me. Don't worry, it won't take us long," Ash assured them.
The group abandoned the dirt road that crossed the grass field, and let Ash lead them into what appeared to be a small forest. The forest wasn't empty, though, as many Pidgey and Pidgeotto were flying around, while others were perched on trees, carefully looking at the newcomers. The deeper they got into the forest, the more bird Pokemon showed up.
"Ash? Is your friend nearby?" Clemont asked, his voice sounding nervous, as he glanced at the increasing number of Pokemon around them, which appeared to look at them with a disapproving eye.
"Yeah, I have the feeling that this forest is their house and that we aren't welcomed," Serena fearfully added, holding her hands.
"Don't worry guys, you have nothing to fear from these Pokemon," the Kanto native assured. Then, he looked at the sky, and smiled. "And there he is!"
"PIGEO!"
A loud caw came from above, as a shadow blocked the sun for a second. Looking upwards, the Kalos trio saw a bird Pokemon similar to Pidgey and Pidgeotto descending from the skies, except this Pokemon was much bigger in size, and its crest, as long as its body, was yellow with red trims. While the Kalos trio knew of Pidgey and Pidgeotto, they had never seen this Pokemon before, which prompted Serena to scan it with her Pokedex.
"Pidgeot, the Bird Pokemon. Pidgeotto's evolution and final form of Pidgey. Its powerful wings allow it to create windstorms with a few flaps, and is fast enough to fly at Match 2 speed." the Pokedex droned.
As soon as the Pidgeot landed, Ash walked towards him and started to pet his head. Pikachu then jumped from Ash's shoulder to the ground, and started to animatedly talk to Pidgeot as well, the large bird replying in kind. As the two Pokemon conversed, Ash turned towards his Kalos friends.
"Guys, this is Pidgeot. He's the second Pokemon I ever caught when he was just a Pidgeotto," he began. "I released him so he could protect and take care of the flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto that live here. However, I also promised him to come to visit whenever I could."
"Whoaaa, so cool!" Bonnie gushed, as she fearlessly walked towards the giant bird. "You're such a cutie, Pidgeot! Did anybody tell you that?"
Pidgeot cawed softly, seemingly accepting the compliment. Bonnie then started to rub the large bird's neck, while everybody else watched and smiled.
"Hey Bonnie, would you like to fly on his back?" Ash suggested, while patting Pidgeot.
"...really!?" she replied, sounding as if somebody offered her her heart's biggest desire.
"No way!" Clemont interrupted, as he stomped forward. "Bonnie, flying on a Pokemon is way too dangerous! You could slip and fall down!"
"Why don't you fly with her, Clemont?" Serena suggested. "That way you can make sure she stays safe the whole trip."
"W-What? Me-"
"Pidgeot is strong enough to carry the two of you," Ash added, with the bird in question proudly nodding as well.
"Come on Clemont, don't deprive Bonnie of such a joy," Serena said, while Bonnie made puppy eyes.
Eventually, the inventor sighed in defeat. "Okay... but he better fly low and calm!"
"Don't worry, Pidgeot will keep you safe. Right, buddy?" Ash asked, as he helped Bonnie get on the big bird's back.
"PIGEO!" Pidgeot cawed in affirmation.
"Good," Ash said, before helping Clemont as well. Once the Lumiose siblings were set, Ash told his second capture: "We're heading to Pallet Town, so take them there. However, you heard Clemont; fly slow and steady, and don't get close to the clouds."
Pidgeot cawed once again and nodded. The Bird Pokemon shot into the sky, while Bonnie let out a loud cheer and Clemont a high pitched scream of terror, while Ash watched Pidgeot take off with pride and Serena chuckled in amusement.
…
Since Clemont and Bonnie were soaring the skies on top of Pidgeot, that left Ash and Serena alone to walk the rest of the way to Pallet Town. The Kalosian girl then realized that she was alone with Ash. Even if she no longer blushed madly and her brain no loner came up with ideas like "it's as if we're on a date!", the thought of being alone with her crush still made her heart flutter a little.
Well, not exactly alone as Pikachu was still with them, perched on Ash's shoulder as usual, but the yellow rodent rarely got in their way.
"So..." Serena began, mostly to break the silence. "...do you have any idea of what are you going do next? Any new region you're planning to visit?"
"Hm? No, not really," Ash said. "I rarely plan my next destination. Whenever I visit a new region is because somebody tells me about it, or somebody sends me there as a part of a favor or an errand or something like that. I don't need to do anything, the next adventure will soon come calling."
"Is that how you decided to go to Kalos?" Serena asked.
"Yeah. I met Alexa on the Decolore Islands, shortly after I left Unova. She told me about her sister, Viola, who was a Gym Leader in Kalos, and suggested me to go there and take part on its League," Ash told her.
"I see," Serena replied.
Now that she thought about it, she hadn't planned to go to Hoenn on her own volition either, but because Palermo suggested her to go there. She couldn't help but wonder if there was an invisible, mysterious force that send Pokemon trainers to their next destination.
"You're going to love Hoenn," Ash began. "It's an awesome place with lots of cool Pokemon and great places to visit, I'm sure you'll have a great time. Though some people say there's too much water. Some of them went as far as to awaken a Legendary Pokemon to create more land. Crazy, huh?"
Serena couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at such silly thought and especially disproportionate response to it.
"Crazy indeed," Serena said, nodding. "So, since you've been in Hoenn, I take you saw a contest or two while being there?"
"More than one or two!" Ash replied with a hearty laugh. "Lots of them! Took part in a couple myself, even. Mostly for fun, though."
"Oh. I didn't expect you to be so big on contests," Serena said, raising an eyebrow. Even after all this time, there were still things about Ash that she was unaware of.
"Well, it's not that I'm that much into contests. A girl I used to travel with in Hoenn, May, was an aspiring coordinator. So naturally, me and our other friends watched all her contests and cheered her on," Ash explained.
Serena couldn't help but a feel a pang of jealousy upon Ash mentioning that he used to travel with another girl.
"And she wasn't the only one. Another girl I befriended while in Sinnoh, Dawn, was also a coordinator as well," Ash continued, before his smile became a little less joyous. "She was really close to become a Top Coordinator, but failed at the very end," he shook his head. "Such a pity. Oh well, at least she knew not to give up, and continues working hard to achieve her dream."
"It seems that you traveled with a lot of people before we started to travel together," Serena began, as she started to touch her blue ribbon. "Just how many people did you travel with before meeting Clemont, Bonnie and me?"
Ash started to tell her of her previous traveling companions: Misty, her very first traveling friend who only tagged along because he wanted Ash to pay for her bike that Pikachu had fried. Brock, his second friend, and the one who stood with him the longest.
Then there was Tracey, whom joined the group in lieu of Brock when Ash visited the Orange Islands. Followed by May and her brother Max in Hoenn. Then Dawn in Sinnoh, and finally Iris and Cilan in Unova. All of them eventually split from the group when the path to pursue their goals and dreams took them somewhere else.
"Just like I will say goodbye to Ash when I go to Hoenn and he goes somewhere else," Serena sadly thought. She then directed her sight forward, and saw what appeared to be a small town appearing in the horizon. "Ash, I'm seeing a few houses over there. Is that Pallet Town?"
Ash smiled happily and nodded. "It is. Welcome to my hometown!"
…
Ash and Serena rejoined with Clemont and Bonnie after Pidgeot dropped them at the edge of the town. Bonnie was bouncing excitedly up and down, gushing about how amazing the flight was. While Clemont was much less shaken than Ash and Serena had anticipated him to be, he was still tembling from the experience.
Ash thanked Pidgeot, and the bird returned to his home on the small forest of Route 1, and Ash lead his Kalosian friends towards his house. It was a two-story white-wooden house, with a small garden, surrounded by a white wooden fence. While not too big or too fancy, it had a very lovely and cozy feeling to it.
"Mom, I'm home!" Ash announced, as he entered, his friends following behind.
"Ash, honey!" a brown haired woman in her early thirties dressed in casual clothes appeared, and gave Ash a hug. "I'm so happy to have you back!"
"I'm happy to be back too," Ash replied.
"And of course, I'm glad to see you too, Pikachu!" Ash's mom said, as she rubbed the yellow rodent's cheek.
"Pikaaa!" Pikachu squealed.
"Mom, these are the friends I made in Kalos: Serena, Clemont and Bonnie," Ash began. "Guys, this is my mom."
"Delia Ketchum. Any friend of my son will always be welcomed in this house," Delia said, her disposition as warm as the sun itself.
"Mime mime!"
That moment, a Mr. Mime suddenly appeared, and without ever asking, took the backpacks of Ash and his friends, and carried them upwards.
"Oh, and that's Mimey. He's part of our little family as well," Delia said. "He's very hardworking and helpful. He'll be taking your bags to your rooms. I already made all the preparations for your stay here Serena and Bonnie will be sharing the guest room, while Clemont will be sleeping on Ash's room."
"Thanks a lot for having us, Mrs. Ketchum. We'll try not to bother you much," Clemont said.
"Nonsense! Like I said before, any friend of Ash will never bother me," Delia insisted. "Anyway, is there something you need? You must be hungry and tired after the flight. Why don't you all rest on the living room while I prepare some snacks?" the woman helpfully offered.
"That sounds great, mom, but not just yet. I still need to go to Professor Oak's lab in order to drop my Pokemon there with the rest," Ash announced, before turning to his friends. "Do you guys wanna come with me?"
Of course, such question turned out to be unnecessary.
…
Professor Oak's Ranch
The moment Ash and his friends arrived at the ranch where all of his Pokemon were living, they were immediately swarmed by an army of many Pokemon the Kalosian trio deduced they were Ash's, all fighting an pushing each other to greet their beloved trainer first.
"Boy, I knew Ash must had plenty of Pokemon given how many regions he had been in, but I wasn't expecting to be this many!" Serena exclaimed in shock. "Not even Professor Sycamore had that many Pokemon in his lab!"
"I know, right!" Bonnie gushed, as she petted one of Ash's Pokemon, one that looked like a large orange turtle. "When I'm a trainer, I want to have as many Pokemon, at the very least!"
"Torkoal!" the Pokemon cried, seemingly enjoying the attention Bonnie was paying to him.
Serena took out her Pokedex in order to scan it.
"Torkoal, the Coal Pokémon. Torkoal burns coal within its body to produce energy. As a defense, Torkoal is able to release smoke from its nostrils and its back to confuse enemies. "
"So, that's your name, huh? Torkoal? Great!" Bonnie cheered.
"Come out, everyone!" Ash said, throwing his four Pokeball into the air, releasing Greninja, Talonflame, Hawlucha and Noivern. The four Kalos Pokemon took a moment to inspect the new surroundings. "Everyone, I befriended these Pokemon during my journey through Kalos. Make sure they feel at home, okay?"
All his Pokemon cried in affirmation. They always loved when Ash brought new members to their ever growing group, though some considered it a family. Serena couldn't help but smile tenderly at how strong Ash's bond with his Pokemon was, even if it was obvious that he only got to see most of them on certain occassions.
Then, all of sudden, Serena felt a chill creeping through her spine, as if a dark presence had made her the target of its wrath. Turning around, Serena saw a four legged yellow Pokemon with leaves around its neck and its head –it was clearly at least part grass-type– glaring at her as if she was its natural enemy.
"Um... hi?" Serena awkwardly greeted, but the Pokemon continued to glare at her.
Serena's Pokedex, still in her hand, scanned the newcomer.
"Bayleef, the Leaf Pokémon, and the evolved form of Chikorita. Bayleef emits a spicy aroma from the leaves around its neck able to restore energy."
"So, um, you're Bayleef, huh?" Serena awkwardly asked.
"Bay...!" Bayleef dismissively said, before turning around and walking away.
"Okay... that was weird..."
The Kalosian trio spend most of the afternoon getting to know all of Ash's Pokemon at Oak's ranch.
…
"I know you've only been here for little over a day, but what do you think of Pallet Town?" Delia asked.
It was the dawn of the next day, and everybody was having breakfast at the Ketchum residence, while Pikachu ate alongside Dedenne and Serena and Clemont's respective Pokemon.
"It's really nice and calm. Compared to how busy and noisy Lumisose City can be, it's a rather appreciated change of pace," Clemont replied.
"I know, right? Most people would find a little town like this one boring, but if you want to relax, there's no better place than Pallet Town," Delia proudly said. "So, do you plan to do anything today? It's a lovely day to stay outside."
"You bet it! I'm going to get some training done with my Pokemon. I could tell from yesterday that they really missed a good fight with me," Ash enthusiastically said, before looking at his friends. "Of course, you guys tag along if you want. I think my Pokemon like you a lot."
"You betcha I'm going to go!" Bonnie said, so excited her voice came more as a squeal..
"Yeah, me too," Serena added, sounding far more calm..
"Maybe later. Last night I had an idea for a new invention I want to work on," Clemont said.
"In that case, make sure you work far away from here. You don't want to leave Ash and his mother homeless when your gadget ends up blowing up," Bonnie deadpanned.
"B-Bonnie! That was uncalled for! Not all my inventions end up exploding!" Clemont protested.
"You know, if this was a cartoon, that comment would be followed by a montage of all the times your inventions had done exactly that, big bro," Bonnie replied in the same dry tone, shaking her head, before she turned towards Ash and asked: "Anyway, are we going or not?"
"Nenene!" Dedenne inisisted on his trainer's behalf.
They decided not to keep Bonnie waiting anymore, and after bidding a "see you later" to Clemont and Ash's mom, the trio headed back to the ranch, Bonnie running as fast as her short legs took her, while Ash and Serena walked at a more calmer pace. Serena thanked the opportunity to be alone with Ash again, as there was something she needed to ask him, and while it wasn't something too intimate, she prepferred not to have other people around.
"So, do you plan to train today?" Serena asked.
"Yep!" Ash happily confirmed. "I know we came here to relax, but you know me, I can't-"
Serena smiled. "Don't worry, Ash, I'm not going to chastise you or anything. I've been with you long enough to know that you don't do calm and quiet. Besides, I'm sure that you want to spend time with the rest of your Pokemon."
"Yeah, that too."
Serena clutched her blue ribbon with her index finger and thumb. "I'm asking because... well... I wonder if you could lend me a hand with something..."
"Oh? Sure! Whatever it is, I will help you, no problem!" Ash assured, eager to help as ever. "So, what do you want me to help you with?"
This brought a smile to the perferomer's face. "You see, last night, before going to bed, I did some research on contests. You know, so I know what I'm getting into and to be properly prepared once I start taking part in them."
"Sounds about right," Ash said.
"I learned how the contests are structured and what do you have to do. The first part, the Appeal Round, doesn't worry me. It's very similar to the Freestyle Performance, except the coordinator doesn't take part on it. Despite the differences, I'm confident my experience as a performer will be of a big help," Serena explained.
"...but you're worried about the Contest Battle, right?" Ash filled the blanks.
Serena averted his gaze, and looked at her feet, feeling something between a little embarrasment and disappointment in herself. "Yeah... I never gave it much thought before, but I'm not that good when it comes to Pokemon battles. So I was wondering if, for the time we're here... would you mind helping me train?"
"Sure!" Ash didn't even take a second to answer.
"Really?" Serena asked, surprised by his fast answer. "But what about the training you were going to do with your Pokemon?"
"Who says I can't do both?" Ash replied. "Besides, even if it wasn't the case, you're only going to stay here for a few more days, and my Pokemon aren't going anywhere. So I like to spend the few days we still have left together before it's time to say goodbye. And if I can use that time to help you, then the better!"
Serena could feel her cheeks warming up, and once again she was reminded why did she fell in love with this boy so badly. "T-Thank you Ash, that's very kind of you."
"Don't sweat it," Ash said. "Anyway, there's a large grass field behind the ranch where we can battle without bothering other Pokemon. Meet me there in five minutes. I'm going to the ranch to pick the Pokemon I'll be using against you."
"Alright."
…
A few minutes later, at the spot Ash had mentioned, Serena was waiting for Ash, with Braixen out of her Pokeball. The performer then saw Ash running towards their impromptu battlefield, Pikachu trailing behind.
"Alright, here I am!" Ash announced. "You ready for the fight?"
"Shouldn't we bring somebody to act as referee?" Serena asked.
Ash shrugged. "I don't see why. This isn't an important fight, just a sparring to help you become a better battler. Besides, it's not that either of us is going to cheat," Ash said.
"Pi-Pikachu," Pikachu added, nodding.
"So, I take you're going to use Braixen?" Ash asked.
"If I'm going to fight against you... Braixen is my strongest Pokemon. No offense to Pancham and Sylveon, but I don't feel confident with any other Pokemon given my opponent;" Serena explained.
Ash smiled reasuredly. "Don't worry, I don't plan to go too hard on you. Anyway, this is my pick: Gible I choose you!" Ash said, tossing a pokeball forward.
The pokeball then released a small shark-like Pokemon with dark faded blue skin, a red underbelly, stubby arms and legs, and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth. Not knowing what she was facing, Serena pulled out her Pokedex for information:
"Gible, the Land Shark Pokémon. Gible once lived in the tropics, and to avoid cold, it lives in caves warmed by geothermal heat."
A frown formed on Serena's face when he saw the Dragon/Ground typing. That means that Ash had the advantage in both attack and defense. Then again, it might have been deliberate on his part: you don't get better by taking only the easiest roads.
"Gib!" Gible said, as he jumped at Ash, chomping on his head, causing the boy to cry in pain.
"Ash!" Serena called in horror.
"It's okay, don't worry, Gible tends to do this. It's his way of showing affection," Ash said, half laughing, before prying Gible from his head. "Are you ready, Serena?" Ash asked.
"Yes! Let the battle begin!"
~Ash (Gible) VS Serena (Braixen)~
"Alright Serena, you make the first move!" Ash offered.
Serena nodded, her expression hardening as she was filled with determination. "Braixen, Flamethrower!"
"Brai Brai!" Braixen said, as she waved her already ignited wand towards Gible, releasing a stream of flames.
"Gible, dodge it with Dig!" Ash commanded.
"Gib!" Gible replied, as he buried himself underground, just before the torrent of fire sailed harmlessly above him.
Serena bit her lip and repressed a curse upon seeing her opening move fail so badly. Braixen looked at her, waiting for her guidance, but Serena was having trouble coming up with a solution. "Okay, Ash uses Iron Tail or other powerful physical moves to force an underground Pokemon back to the surface, but Braixen has no such attacks! What can I-"
"GIB!"
Serena was snapped out of her thoughts when Gible burst from underground just behind Braixen, and slammed his little body against her. Still, there was a lot of strength behind the blow, enough to make Braixen fall on her belly.
"Oh no! Braixen, quickly, get up!"
A single blow wasn't enough to bring the Fox Pokemon down, and she quickly jumped back to her feet. However, as she did so, Ash was ready to continue the attack.
"Gible, Dragon Pulse!"
"GIIIB!" Gible cried, before opening his jaws, releasing a dragon-shaped energy stream of swirling colors, mostly dark purple, blue and magenta.
"Braixen, counter it with Flamethrower!" she ordered.
Braixen repeated the same move again, casting a wave of flames from her wand towards the incoming dragon-shaped blast. Both attacks collided, resulting in an explosion that followed by a cloud of smoke and dirt.
"Good one, Serena. However, if this was a contest battle, you would have lost a few points for using the same attack twice in a row," Ash gently chidded.
"I see," Serena said, her voice carrying an annoyed edge, before forcing herself to calm down with a deep breath. "No spamming the same attack, got it. Braixen, use Hidden Power!"
"Braix!" the Fox Pokemon cried, waving her wand, summoning several rainbow colored orbs of energy, before sending them towards the fading cloud of smoke with another wave. The attack fully dispelled the cloud upon crossing through it.
"Gible, use Dig again!" Ash ordered.
The small dragon once again dug underground, dodging Serena's attack. The honey blonde unwittingly clenched her fists upon seeing her attack being evaded once again with the same maneuver. And what's worse, she knew that Gible would attack from a blind spot.
"Come on Serena, think! There must be something Braixen can do to counter that. If she can't take Gible out, then... wait, I got it!" Serena thought, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Braixen, jump into the air, and use Fire Blast on the ground!"
"Brai Brai!" Braixen cried affirmatively. She jumped as high as her legs allowed her to, while raising her wand into the air, the flame on its tip growing into a massive fireball. The fireball then took the shape of the kanji of fire, and waving her wand down, she send the mass of flames downwards.
"Gible!" Gible had chose that moment to make his move and emerged from underground, but rather than Braixen, all what the tiny dragon found was a wall of raging fire coming down at him. "GIB!?"
The Fire Blast hit Gible squarely, engulfing him inside a torrent of roaring flames.
"Gible, no!" Ash cried in shock.
"Pika!" Pikachu added.
When the flames dispelled, Gible was covered in soothe and burn marks, but still had enough energy to jump back to his feet and continue the fight. Ash let out a sigh of relief.
"Good job, Serena! Not only you countered my attack perfectly, but if this was a contest battle, it would have made me lose a lot of points!" Ash praised her.
"Really? That's great!" Serena beamed. "Maybe I'm not that bad at battles after all!"
"Braixen!" the Fox Pokemon added, sounding as happy as her trainer.
Ash's lips curved into a smirk, as a mischevious glint flashed across his auburn eyes. "Feeling confident, huh? Well, in that case, you won't mind if I take things up a notch!"
"Bring it on!" Serena said.
"Gible, Draco Meteor!"
"WHAT!?" Serena asked, her face growing pale. Serena had only seen such attack a couple times, first when Grant's Tyrunt used it during Ash's battle for the Cliff Badge, and more recently at the Kalos League. That was an attack that she would never forget. "A little guy like Gible can use that move?"
"It took him a while to master it, but you'll see!" Ash proudly said.
Gible's body started to glow orange. Opening his jaws, he spat a glowing energy ball of the same color into the air. Once it was high enough, it exploded into multiple fiery shards that rained down towards Braixen.
"Braixen, counter it with Hidden Power!" Serena ordered.
Trying to rein her panic in, Braixen once again summoned several rainbow colored orbs, before launching each of them towards the coming meteors, destroying them before they could touch the ground. Unfortunately, the meteors doubled the energy spheres in number, and many of them managed to land around Braixen, and the Fox Pokemon was engulfed by a series of explosions caused by the sucessive impacts.
"Braixen!" Serena cried.
When the clouds of smoke and dirt raised by the explosions began to fade, Serena could see that the pwoerful Dragon-type attack had made a number on her starter. Her body was trembling, there were numerous burnt marks around her fur, and she was breathing heavily.
"Braixen can you... can you continue?" Serena worriedly asked.
"Br-Braixen..." the Fox Pokemon nodded, as she pushed herself back to her feet.
"Such a powerful attack... what I'm supposed to do against something like that?" Serena asked.
"Every attack can be countered, Serena. I know it may look like you have nothing, but if you-"
Ash was interrupted by a crackling sound, followed by Gible's body glowing white and blue. Gible's body then started to grow, becoming taller and more slender, his stubby arms and legs also growing longer, and a tail extending on the back of his body. The glow ceased, and Gible had turned into a completely new Pokemon.
"Gible, you evovled!" Ash cried in joy. "That's so awesome!"
"Gabite!" the new Pokemon cried.
Wordlessly, Serena pulled out her Pokedex to scan the new evolution.
"Gabite, the Land Shark Pokemon, and Gible's evolution. As it digs to expand its nest, it habitually digs up gems that it then hoards in its nest."
"Ummm, Ash? Do you mind if we end the battle here?" Serena asked, rubbing her arm. "Gible already gave Braixen quite a lot of trouble, so I don't think we have any chances now that he has evolved."
"Oh, um, sure!" Ash said. "That Draco Meteor must hurt more than I imagined."
"Indeed. Return, Braixen." Serena said, returning her starter. "Don't worry, you did fine. We'll do better next time."
"For all it's worth, I think you and Briaxen were great. Right Pikachu?" Ash asked.
"Pi-Pika!" the yellow rodent happily cheered, giving Serena a thumbs up.
One thing Serena had learned from this battle is that Ash always seemed to plan multiple steps ahead of her, while also guessing what would be her next move. Tactics went beyond simply knowing what attacks use against which rivals. A Pokemon battle took place first in the mind of the trainers before it did on the battleground.
Also, even if one plans ahead of time, said plans didn't come out as intended. "Man plans, Arceus laughs", as the old saying went. Ash, however, was really good at thinking on his feet, coming up with solutions to problems that appeared less than two seconds ago. And Serena will need to think just as fast if she wanted to be a successful coordinator.
"Thank you guys, but I know that I still need to do much better than that," Serena admitted.
"So... do you want to call it a day? Or do you want to continue with your other Pokemon?" Ash asked. "I think Sylveon would do great against Gabite, given that she's Fairy-type."
"Alright, let's give it another try. Sylveon, go!"
And thus the battle resumed.
…
For the next few days, the group fell onto a comfortable routine. Ash and Serena would go to Professor Oak's ranch to train, Bonnie would go with them in order to get to know and play with Ash's Pokemon roaming there, while Clemont would work on his inventions. All of them would gather to have lunch and dinner, and share what they had been doing during the day.
That's it, until a certain day, their status quo would be altered, and a new road would be laid before them. It began a couple hours after Ash, Serena and Bonnie had left for Oak's, when somebody knocked the door.
"Coming~!" Delia chirped, as she walked to the door before opening it. There stood a man in a formal suit, looking like some sort of important businessman, the kind of people Pallet Town rarely saw. "Yes? May I help you?"
"Greetings, Ma'am. My name is Timothy Glenn, and I work for Orangics," the man introduced himself, and handed Delia a card with information about the company he worked for, which appeared to be about robotics. "I'm looking for a boy named Clemont. He's the leader of Lumiose City Pokemon Gym in Kalos, but I was told he's staying here for the time being."
"Oh, um, sure thing, Mr. Glenn," Delia said, moving aside so the man could enter. "Wait a second before I go fetch Clemont."
A few minutes later, Clemont was sitting in front of Mr. Glenn on the kitchen table, with Delia pouring some tea for the two of them, before filling a cup for herself, and taking a seat between them.
"So, Mr. Glenn, is it?" Clemont asked. "Mrs. Ketchum said that you were looking for me, and that you're from Orangics."
While Clemont knew about the name, he had the feeling that the brand had more significance to him than he remembered, though now he couldn't tell exactly why.
"Indeed. I'm sure you probably heard of us, given your more than evident interest in engineering and electronics," Mr. Glenn began. "I'll be direct: Orangics is currently undertaking a new project involving nuclear power plants in the Tandor region, and we'd like to have you be part of such project, Clemont."
If Clemont had been drinking the tea at that moment, he would have spat it. "M-Me? Working for Orangics? Really!?"
Mr. Glenn smiled, and chuckled. "You sound surprised. Given your your accomplishments, it is that incredible that a bussiness in this kind of field would be interested in having you?"
"Aww, don't be so humble, Clemont! I've only known you for a few days, yet I can tell what a bright and talented boy you are," Delia encouraged.
"I see..." Clemont said, before adjusting his glasses. "And what kind of project are we talking about? You mentioned nuclear plants?"
"Yes. I don't know if you hear about the incident, given that it was almost a decade ago, but there was an accident on one of Tandor's power plants that left it unusable," Mr. Glenn began, with Clemont nodding. He had heard of the accident, but he didn't remember when it happened. "Now, they're bulding a new plant to replace the one that was lost. This one will be better and more advanced, and most importantly, safer and cleaner. For such endeavor, we're gathering the best and brightest minds when it comes to all technological fields. One of our members suggested to hire you, and after reviewing your resume, we couldn't agree more. So, what do you say, Clemont? Can we count on you?"
"Of course! I-It will be a great honor, sir!" Clemont excitedly said, feeling like Bonnie on a sugar rush.
"The project is already underway, so the sooner you head to Tandor, the better," Mr. Glenn said. "South of this town there's a port named Old Shore Wharf. You can take a ship from there that will take you to Tandor. I'll be heading back to Tandor myself as well, and tell my bosses that you're in and to expect you shortly. Though I assume that you'd like a day or two to pack your things before you depart for Tandor."
"Yeah... oh, wait, I need to tell my friends! And Bonnie! She'd probably want to come with me, but there's no way I can keep her close while working on a power plant," Clemont began to ramble.
"I'm sure they're still at Professor Oak's lab, training," Delia told him.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Glenn, who was about to leave the house, turned around, and added: "You know, if your friends are Pokemon trainers, you might tell them to visit Tandor, given that there's a Pokemon League there as well."
"There is?" Clemont asked, already imagining Ash's reaction. "In that case, I'm sure he's going to want to come as well!"
…
Professor Oak's Lab
Clemont ran towards the lab as fast as he could –but had to stop midway to catch his breath due his poor physical shape. When he arrived, one of Professor Oak's assitants, a boy named Tracey, directed him towards the back, where Ash and Serena usually trained. Clemont found them sparring, Serena using Pancham, and Ash using a small, snake-like green Grass-type Pokemon that later he would learn was called Snivy, and told them about his new job in Tandor, as well as the Tandor Pokemon League.
Needless to say, Ash was excited by the prospect of tackling yet another league.
Ash suggested to talk with Professor Oak about the Tandor region, in order to see if the old scientist had anything interesting to say about the region.
"The region of Tandor, you say?" Oak asked, as he sat in front of one of the lab's computers and, after typing a few keys, opened a website with information about the region. "Funny thing you ask, given that one of my undergrads, or better said, former undergrad, Ernest Bamb'o, recently became a Pokemon Professor and opened a lab there. You know, you should pay him a visit once you get there."
"Look at that!" Ash said, looking at a section that boasted about all the Pokemon unique to Tandor. "So many Pokemon that can't be found anywhere! And it says that it has one of the hardest Gym Challenges!"
"So I take you're interested in going?" Clemont asked, chuckling a little.
"You bet!" Ash replied. "Those gyms won't know what hit them when we fight them! Right, Pikachu?"
"Pi-Pikachu!" the Electric type confidently cheered.
"Yay! We're going to Tandor!" Bonnie squealed, jumping up and down.
"Nenene!" Dedenne cheered as well, even if he didn't know what they were cheering for.
"No, Bonnie, Ash and I are going to Tandor. You'll be going back to Lumiose with dad," Clemont strenly said.
"What?" Bonnie asked, dumbfounded.
"Nene?" Dedenne asked as well, sensing his trainer's confusion.
"But... why not!?" the blond girl protested, clenching her fists and pouting.
"I'm not going there to travel, but to work on a power plant. That place is way too dangerous for a child like you, not to mention that I can't work while keeping an eye on you," Clemont explained.
"Hey Clemont, if you're worried about Bonnie, she can come with me," Ash offered.
"What?" Clemont asked.
"You would!?" Bonnie cheered, her hopes of visiting a new region renewed. She looked at Clemont with pleading eyes. "Please say yes, big bro! I won't get in any trouble if I'm with Ash!"
"That's true, but..." the inventor began, rubbing the back of his head. "Bonnie can be a real handful, and I don't want to impose-"
"You won't be imposing anything. Bonnie is my friend as much as you and Serena are. Plus, I'd have somebody to talk to. I love my Pokemon, but I can't imagine not traveling with another human being," Ash assured.
"Well, if you don't mind... guess there's no harm in letting Bonnie come," Clemont finally admited.
"YES!" Bonnie shouted, before tackling Ash in a hug. "Thank you Ash, you're the best!"
"It's so great that you guys get to travel for longer a little more," Serena, who had been silent for most of the conversation, finally said.
This seemed to snap Bonnie out of her joyous mood. "What do you mean, Serena? Are't you going to come with us?"
The possibility was tempting but... what was she supposed to do, once she arrived on Tandor? Be a mere tag-along like she was during the beginning of their Kalos journey? Become Ash's cheerleader? Become Bonnie's babysitter when Ash was too busy to look after her?
No. Sure, delaying her journey to Hoenn in order to spend a few more days with Ash was one thing, but going to an entirely different region and do nothing just because she wanted to be with Ash –and Clemont and Bonnie, she reminded herself– wasn't something she could allow herself to do. As much as it pained her, it was time to say goodbye for the time being.
Serena finally shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Bonnie. My path takes me somewhere else."
"What? Why?" Bonnie protested.
"Serena also has to follow her own dreams. In order to achieve her goals, somebody recommended Serena to go to Hoenn in order to take part in Pokemon Contests," Ash gently explained. Bonnie had heard of Contests a couple times, being similar to Kalos' own Performances. "It's not that Serena doesn't want to come with us, but sometimes, you need to say goodbye to your friends in order to follow the path ahead of you. I myself had to say goodbye to plenty of friends for similar reasons."
Bonnie didn't say anything. It pained her that Serena wouldn't come with them, but no matter how much she wanted, she couldn't refute Ash's words. After all, Bonnie wasn't a stranger to goodbyes. Even if they didn't become any easier.
Fortunately for Bonnie, the solution would come from Professor Oak.
"If that's a problem, maybe you should know that Tandor has contests as well," Professor Oak said, as he scrolled down the website, and highlighted a certain section.
"It does?" Serena asked, surprised by this new revelation. She rushed towards the computer as well, and scanned the screen until she found the highlighted section that talked about contest. And indeed, Contests were also big in Tandor as well, to the point that one of its toughest Gym Leaders was also a Top Coordinator.
"Well, makes sense. Hoenn might be the region that pioneered contests, but a lot of regions hosts them, such as Sinnoh, Johto, or even Kanto itself," Ash commented.
"See? If you go to Tandor with us, you can do Contests as well! I mean, it's not that you have to go to Hoenn, right?" Bonnie asked.
This... this changed everything! Now Serena could stay with her friends and follow Palermo's suggestion!
Trying to make the volcano of joy erupting inside her heart not too obvious, Serena merely smiled and said: "If that's the case, then I don't see why I couldn't go with you guys."
"YES! The gang's complete once again!" Bonnie cheered, pumping her fist into the air.
"I'm glad you're going to stay with us, Serena," Ash began, smiling at her. "It wouldn't be the same without you."
Serena couldn't help but smile back at him.
…
Team Rocket HQ, Undisclosed Location
The trio of Team Rocket agents Jessie, James and Meowth were standing in front of their boss, Giovanni, sitting on his desk inside his spacious office. They enjoyed a few days of rest after their mission on Kalos, but now, it was time to get back to work, and the Team Rocket Boss already had a new target for the trio.
"This," Giovanni began, pressing a button on his desk. An holographic projector displayed the image of a map of a region the trio was unfamiliar with, being made of land to the west and an archipielago to the east. "Is the Tandor region. From what our scouts reported, the region has many Pokemon that can't be found anywhere else, but that's not the reason I want you three to go there. There's also-"
The phone began to ring, making Giovanni flinch, and the trio of agents to gulp. They knew if there was something their boss hated, was being interruped.
"I told Matori not to pass me any calls when I'm briefing agents," Giovanni growled, before picking up the phone. "This better be imporant," he said, sounding almost like a threat. "WHAT!?" Giovanni's yell made the trio startle once again. Whatever Matori told him, they weren't good news. "And how many...? But that's almost half of them! No, no, tell that idiot not to do anything! I'll be sending them reinforcements." and with that, he hung the phone.
"Uh, boss? Everything's okay?" Jessie dared to ask.
He glared at her as if she asked something extremely stupid. "No, it isn't. Matori just told me our cell in Sinnoh had been compromised, with almost half of our field agents there being arrested. If our operations in Sinnoh are to continue, I need to send more people there to replace those who had been taken away."
Before Jessie or her teammates could say antyhing else, Giovanni then opened his laptop, and began to type something.
"According to your files, you've been in Sinnoh before," Giovanni read. He then narrowed his eyes at the screen, before shooting the trio a questioning look. "An... inordinate amount of time, might I add."
The trio gulped once again, as a feeling of dread grasped their very souls. Officially, they were the ones who took down Team Galactic, but deep down they knew that was a lie and it was all the twerps' doing. If their boss realized that they falsified their reports...
"...y-yes?" Meowth weakly confirmed.
"Then I imagine you're familiar with the region?" Giovanni asked.
Sensing that they were no longer on thin ice, James spoke up: "Yes sir! We know the region like the back of our hands!"
"Good because I need agents that know the zone. You'll depart for Sinnoh immediately. Your contact will be waiting for you at Veilstone City," Giovanni told them.
"Right away, sir!" James obediently said.
"Uh, boss? What about the Tandor mission?" Jessie asked.
"The Tandor mission is shelved for the time being. Now go!" Giovanni ordered.
Not needed to be told twice, the bumbling trio rushed out of Giovanni's office. The Team Rocket Boss then took one last look at the hologram of Tandor, sighed in defeat, and switched it off.
It seemed that fate didn't want Team Rocket to set its foot on Tandor.
…
Pallet Town, next day
Packed and ready for their newest adventure, Ash and his friends were at the edge of Pallet Town, with Delia Ketchum and Professor Oak about to see them off.
"Good luck, sonny. I'm sure you'll win the league this time," Oak encouraged. Ash. Then he looked at Serena. "And good luck to you with your contests as well!"
"Thank you, Professor Oak!" the two of them said in unison, before looking at each other in surprise, and sharing a laugh.
"I already gave Bamb'o a call, so he'll be expecting you. Be sure to pay him a visit once you arrive at Moki Town," Oak added.
"Will do," Ash replied.
"Also, be sure to call me once you get there, to know you you arrived safely," Delia began.
"Don't worry, mom, I will," Ash insisted.
"And please, call me more often! I hardly heard from you on Kalos, and I'd like to know how were you doing," Delia continued.
"Sorry mom, I promise to call you more often this time," Ash assured.
This made Serena wonder if she should call her mother more often as well.
Delia smiled. "That's what I wanted to hear," she then gave Ash a hug. "Have a safe journey, and lots of luck."
"Thanks a lot, mom," Ash replied, before he gently broke the hug. He then turned towards his friends. "Ready to go, guys?"
All of them nodded, and the group of four finally departed Pallet Town, with Ash sighing in relief that just this time, his mother didn't embarras him by loudly reminding him to change his underwear every day.
"Oh I almost forgot!" Delia shouted. "Make sure you change your underwear every day!"
Ash's fell to the ground facefirst. Spoke too soon.
…
As the group made their way towards Old Shore Warf, they didn't realize that there was somebody following them. Somebody quick and stealthy, who could have remained undetected had he chose to do so. But once he was close to them, he decided to make his presence known by deliberatedly making some noise.
"Huh?" Ash asked. "Did you guys hear that?"
"Yeah, it sounded like something was rustling the trees," Clemont replied.
"A pokemon?" Bonnie asked.
Bonnie was right, of course, but neither she nor the others were expecting said pokemon to be no other than Ash's Greninja, who landed in front of them with all the grace and skill of the spies his species were named after.
"Greninja? What are you doing here?" Ash asked, taken aback to see the first Pokemon he ever caught in Kalos.
"What's on Greninja's hand?" Serena asked, noticing the item Greninja was holding on his right hand.
If on cue, Greninja lifted his arm at Ash, showing that he was holding his own pokeball.
Ash and Greninja locked eyes, and through their unique bond, Ash could sense what Greninja was feeling: Disappointment, not in Ash but in himself. Dissatisfaction. Frustration. The desire to do better and prove his worth. It didn't take Ash long to realize what the Ninja Pokemon wanted.
"You were disappointed that we couldn't win the Kalos League, after we got so close to victory," it wasn't a question, but a statement. "And you want another chance."
"Gre," the blue frog confirmed.
Ash finally averted his gaze, for a brief moment his eyes became obscured by the visor of his cap. But once they were visible again, Ash smiled widely.
"You only needed to ask, Greninja," Ash said, before taking the pokeball from Greninja's hand, and returning the Ninja Pokemon inside it. "Welcome back to the group."
Now that the group was truly complete, their newest adventure could finally begin.