A/N: I do not own Pokemon. Just the OC Alexis.

ABCs of XYZ

Chapter 1

The sun rose over Lumiose City, promising another fine day in the Kalos region. People began appearing on the streets as smells from the many cafes began to fill the air. Shop owners greeted each other as they set out their signs, while people and Pokemon alike began their day. Pieces of conversations floated through the air, punctuated by the cries of Pokemon or a shout for a taxi.

Two people walked slowly down the street, oblivious to the commotion around them. Professor Augustine Sycamore and his research assistant, Alexis Bryson, were on their way home after a long night. They had been out all night looking for a runaway Pokemon, and had finally decided to stop and get some rest when the sun rose.

Augustine led the way up the steps of the Sycamore Pokemon Lab. He held the door open for his girlfriend, then followed her inside, where they were met by another assistant, Sophie. The young woman looked over her glasses at them as she held out two steaming cups of tea. Alexis' Litleo ambled over to greet her.

"Any luck?" Sophie asked.

Alexis took a cup and knelt to pet her Pokemon. "Nothing. We looked everywhere, but there was no sign of him. I hope he's okay..."

"He'll come back," Augustine said after taking a sip of tea. "He always does, eventually."

"I know you don't need any more bad news," Sophie said, "but Froakie's Trainer called again."

Augustine lowered his cup. "He's giving him up?"

Sophie nodded sadly. "So it looks like we'll have to find a new Trainer for Froakie once we find him."

Augustine sighed. "It'll work out. Someday. Sooner or later, he'll find someone he likes." He held out a hand to help Alexis to her feet. "But until then, we need to focus. For starters, you and I need to get some sleep. Why don't you go ahead and go up to bed?"

Alexis looked up at her boyfriend. "What about you? Aren't you coming?"

Augustine shook his head. "I'm going to rest on the couch in my office for a while, then try to get some work done. I'll go to bed early tonight."

"We'll keep everything under control while you two rest," Sophie promised.

Alexis nodded and picked up Litleo, then gave Augustine a quick kiss before heading upstairs to their bedroom. She went straight to the bed and collapsed, pausing just long enough to remove her glasses. By the time her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

Litleo jumped onto the bed and butted her arm. When he got no response, he used his teeth to grab a blanket from the end of the bed and pulled it up over his Trainer. Once she was covered, he licked her cheek, then curled up next to her.

A few hours later, Augustine was pulled from sleep by the sound of the front door being slammed. He sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes, then grabbed his lab coat and headed toward the entrance. Another new Trainer was probably looking for their first Pokemon.

As he walked up the hallway, a Squirtle fell into step beside him. He took a moment to pet the little turtle Pokemon, but a shout made him keep moving.

"Hello? Professor Sycamore, are you here?"

This visitor was insistent. Augustine yawned. "Coming." He stepped into the entry hall, where a teenage boy and a young girl were waiting. The boy had a Pokemon in his arms.

"Are you the Professor?" the boy asked.

Augustine was about to answer when he noticed the Pokemon. It was Froakie, and it looked like he was badly injured. "Froakie, no!" He hurried over.

The boy looked startled. "You know this Froakie, Professor?"

"I sure do." Augustine turned toward the hallway. "Sophie, come quick!" He gently took Froakie from the boy. "We've been so worried about you. Your Trainer called us." Froakie looked away and closed his eyes.

Sophie came running. "What is it?"

Augustine handed the Pokemon to her. "Froakie needs immediate care."

"Right!"

As she hurried away, Augustine looked down at Squirtle. "Go wake Alexis, please." The little Pokemon hurried toward the stairs.

"Thanks, Professor," the boy said. "We've been worried about Froakie, too. Is his Trainer on the way here now?"

Augustine shook his head. "I'm afraid not. He contacted us to let us know he wanted to give Froakie up."

The Pikachu on the boy's shoulder looked startled. "Pika, pika!"

Suddenly, the front door burst open again and another boy appeared, breathing hard. He stumbled over to them and fell to his hands and knees to catch his breath, nearly losing his glasses in the process.

"You're so slow!" the little girl said.

The bespectacled boy looked up. "How's Froakie?"

"He'll be alright," Augustine assured them. "Come with me and we can see how he's doing."

Alexis was shocked out of a deep sleep by a splash of cold water on her face. She bolted upright and wiped her face before glaring at the Pokemon responsible. "Squirtle! How many times have I told you not to wake me up with Water Gun!"

Squirtle grabbed her hand and pulled toward the door. He was babbling wildly, but Alexis could tell her wanted her to follow him. She grabbed her glasses from the nightstand and hurried after him. Litleo yawned and stretched, then followed.

Squirtle led her downstairs and into one of the treatment labs. "...Sophie is the absolute best at what she does," Augustine was saying. He was standing next to the floor-length windows, facing a group of three kids, two teenage boys and a young girl. They were watching as Sophie worked on a Pokemon. Alexis walked past them and pressed a hand to the glass, where the Froakie they'd been searching for was being treated on the other side. "Oh, Froakie! Is he okay?"

Augustine motioned toward a pair of couches. "He'll be fine, thanks to these young people. I was just about to officially introduce myself to them." He looked at the kids as Alexis sat next to him. "I'm Professor Augustine Sycamore. I'm a Pokemon researcher here in Kalos." He motioned to Alexis. "And this is my head research assistant, Alexis."

The little girl suddenly got up, ran over to Alexis, and grabbed her hand. "You're a keeper!" she exclaimed. "Please take care of my brother!"

Alexis glanced at Augustine, but he looked as clueless as she was. "Um, what?"

The little girl started bouncing on her toes. "You're super pretty, and you must be smart if you work with Professor Sycamore. I think you'd make my brother a nice wife!"

The blond boy with glasses turned as red as a Voltorb. He jumped up and grabbed the girl, clamping a hand firmly over her mouth. "Bonnie, I've told you to stop doing this a million times!" He bowed to Alexis. "Please forgive my little sister."

Alexis smiled and took Augustine's hand as the siblings sat back down. "It's no problem. Sorry to disappoint you, though. I'm actually seeing someone already."

The little girl pouted briefly, but before she could say anything, the dark-haired boy on the other end of the couch spoke. "Nice to meet you. My name's Ash, and this is my partner, Pikachu."

The Pikachu in his lap pricked up its ears. "Pika!"

"My name's Bonnie," the little girl said, "and this is my brother Clemont."

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "It's truly an honor to meet you, Professor Sycamore."

"Pikachu and I got here today from Pallet Town in Kanto," Ash said.

Augustine was impressed. "From Kanto? Then welcome to the Kalos region."

Ash nodded. "Thanks. I'm traveling on a journey so I can become a Pokemon Master."

"I've always thought going on a Pokemon journey would be so cool," Alexis said wistfully.

Augustine motioned to the treatment room. "Forgive me for not thanking you yet for saving Froakie. It's much appreciated."

"Yes," Alexis agreed. "We were out all night looking for him. We were starting to get really worried."

"The truth is Froakie saved us," Ash said. His smile faded. "So what's the deal with Froakie's Trainer? What happened that would make him want to give Froakie up?"

Augustine looked down. "One of my numerous responsibilities is to give young Trainers their very first Pokemon. Froakie is one of the Pokemon meant for new Trainers."

"The problem is," Alexis said, picking up the story, "this particular Froakie is a bit difficult. He refuses to listen to his Trainer during battle. Several times, he's run away simply because he didn't like his Trainer."

"Several Trainers have come back to my lab just to return him," Augustine said. The kids looked surprised as he went on. "I'm sure Froakie acts that way for a reason, but it's made finding a home for him difficult."

"So Froakie's had a hard life," Bonnie said.

Clemont pushed his glasses up. "I've heard quite a few rumors about a new Trainer's first Pokemon acting like that, but it seemed absurd, so I never believed them."

Their conversation was interrupted by thundering footsteps as Augustine's Garchomp walked into the room. He immediately headed over to the glass partition and touched it with his claws. "Gar, gar! Chomp!"

The kids all stood up. "Check it out! It's a Garchomp!" Ash exclaimed.

Augustine stood up and walked over to his Pokemon. "Garchomp lives here at the lab and likes to watch over the other Pokemon. He has a good heart." He reached up and rubbed Garchomp's nose. "Froakie will be just fine. Don't worry." He gestured to the kids. "You can thank these people."

Garchomp turned around as Alexis led the kids over. "Nice to meet you, Garchomp," Ash said. He stepped forward. "You really care a lot, don't you? Froakie's going to be okay. Promise!" He reached up to pet Garchomp.

Bonnie ran over to Augustine. "May I pet Garchomp, too, please? I've never seen a real Garchomp before!"

"Of course," Augustine said with a grin. "Garchomp would really like that." He picked up the little girl so she could reach Garchomp's head.

Alexis came to Augustine's side. "Garchomp may look scary, but he's a big sweetie."

Augustine set Bonnie down. "Yeah. And there are a lot more Pokemon than Garchomp living right here at the lab."

"Oh, I want to see them!" Bonnie cried.

Alexis chuckled. "Well, I think we can do something about that." She took Bonnie's hand and started to lead the kids from the room.

Clemont paused when he noticed Ash wasn't following. "Aren't you coming, Ash?"

Ash was gazing at Froakie in the treatment room. "Yeah, I'll catch up with you."

Bonnie tugged on Alexis' hand. "Come on!"

Augustine told Ash how to get to the sun room, then led the others there. The sun room was a huge, glassed-in room the size of a warehouse behind the lab. It was similar to a greenhouse, filled with grass and trees. There was even a small stream and pond. This was where Augustine kept all of the Pokemon he used for his research.

As soon as they got to the room, Squirtle and Litleo ran forward. They called out, encouraging their friends to come out and meet the humans. Soon, a large group of Pokemon were gathered. Bonnie ran from one Pokemon to another, giggling happily. A Zigzagoon jumped into her, forcing her to sit so it could crawl into her lap.

"Bonnie, be careful," Clemont warned.

Alexis lovingly petted her Beedrill when he buzzed up to her. "All of the Pokemon here are very friendly," she told Clemont. "Bonnie's perfectly fine."

Augustine put an arm around her while they watched the kids marvel over the number and variety of Pokemon. This was part of what their work was about: showing people the wonders of Pokemon. Alexis watched happily as Bonnie and Pikachu played with a group of Marill and Azurill.

"Professor?" Clement said. "I've heard a lot about your research on Pokemon Evolution. Is it true you've made a big discovery?"

"Is what true?" Ash asked, approaching the group.

Augustine grinned and his eyes lit up as he began to talk about his research. "Well, if I told you that Pokemon may have an additional evolutionary stage, what would you say?"

Ash and Clemont both looked stunned. "Are you serious?" Ash said.

"So you're saying that Pokemon like Garchomp can still evolve?" Clemont asked.

"Possibly," Augustine answered. "That's my research. There have been several reports about different Pokemon evolving in a way that we've come to refer to as Mega Evolution."

"Mega Evolution?" the boys repeated.

"A lot of the mechanics are still a mystery, but we believe that a strong bond, as well as a special stone, play a crucial role in evolving."

Ash looked at his Pikachu. "A strong bond, huh?"

"That's not even the best part," Alexis said, tucking a lock of blond hair behind her ear.

"That's right," Augustine said. "What's even more incredible, a Pokemon is able to return to it's previous form after it evolves this way."

"It can turn back?" Bonnie asked.

"That's right."

"Is it something that can only happen once?" Clemont asked. "Or can it happen multiple times?"

Augustine shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen it in person yet, so I haven't been able to study is as I'd like. So far, all of my information has come from indirect sources."

Alexis picked up Litleo. "We're hoping to someday get one of those special stones so we can study Mega Evolution up close. We're having a lot of trouble finding them, though, because they're so rare. I've checked with most of my sources, but so far, it seems like not many people even know they exist."

"Sources?" Bonnie asked.

"Alexis is a writer," Augustine explained. "She writes stories about Pokemon, as well as working as my head researcher."

"That's so cool! What kind of stories are you writing?"

Alexis shook her head. "Nothing right now. I've got writer's block."

"I don't get it," Ash said. "How would your writing friends be able to help with finding one of those stones?"

"Journalists and writers have different sources and ways of getting information that aren't available to other people," Alexis explained. "Think about it. A researcher who's just made an important discovery will want to get the news out to the public so he can get recognition and funding."

Clemont nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Everyone looked up as Cosette, Augustine's newest assistant, approached the group. "Excuse me, Professor," she said, "but did you ask a group of researchers here to study Mega Evolution?"

Augustine shook his head. "No, I haven't asked anyone here." He looked at Alexis, who also shook her head. "Why?"

"There's a group of people in the entry hall. They say they're here to study with you."

"That's strange," Augustine said, frowning. "I'll see if I can straighten things out. Thank you, Cosette."

Suddenly, a roar shook the building. Augustine looked up and bolted for the door. It took a second roar for Alexis to recognize that it was Garchomp. He sounded like he was in pain. Alexis cursed and ran for the door with the kids behind her.

An explosion rocked the hallway, followed by the sounds of furniture and glass breaking. Alexis caught up with Augustine at the entrance of the hallway. Garchomp was in the middle of the room, in the midst of a rampage. There was some kind of crackling device around his neck. Froakie seemed to be trying to calm him.

Sophie ran over to them. "Professor! Those three did this!" She pointed at three people dressed in lab coats on the other side of the room.

"All right, who are you?" Augustine demanded.

The trio tossed aside the lab coats, revealing a man, a woman, and two Pokemon. They wore white uniforms with a red "R" on the front.

"Oh, no, Team Rocket!" Ash said.

"You are such annoying bad people!" Bonnie yelled.

"Who's Team Rocket?" Alexis asked.

Ash pointed at the other group. "They're bad guys who always try to steal everybody's Pokemon!"

"Try?" the Team Rocket woman said. "We succeed, don't we, James?"

"Indeed, Jessie," the man replied. "And today, Garchomp will fill that need!"

Their Meowth, which walked on two legs instead of four, jumped between them. "There's nothing like doing an evil deed!"

"It can't be! A talking Meowth?!" Augustine said, amazed. For a moment, he appeared to have forgotten the dire situation.

Alexis grabbed his arm. "This is so not the time for you to be impressed!"

Garchomp roared again and used Hyper Beam, blasting the front door to pieces. He shot another beam in their direction. The kids leapt to one side while Alexis pulled Augustine to the other.

"Why's he attacking us?" Cosette yelled.

Clemont pointed at Garchomp. "Look at his neck! It's some sort of collar!"

"It's from those people!" Sophie insisted. "Garchomp jumped in to save Froakie!"

Garchomp roared again and crashed through the wall and out into the street. Augustine sheltered Alexis as debris from the ceiling rained down around them. As soon as it was clear, they hurried toward the hole in the wall. There was no sign of Team Rocket, but Garchomp was flying down the street, crashing into buildings and cars as he went.

"Garchomp!" Augustine called. The Pokemon either couldn't hear him or ignored him.

Ash ran forward, accompanied by Pikachu and Froakie. "Let's go after him!"

"Be careful!"Alexis shouted as Clemont and Bonnie followed him. She looked at Augustine. "Go. I've got this. Garchomp needs you."

Augustine didn't argue. He simply nodded and hurried down the street. Alexis went back inside, hoping her boyfriend and his Pokemon would be alright. She, Sophie, and Cosette checked on the rest of the Pokemon in the lab. A few of them had been injured in the attack, so the women brought them into one of the treatment rooms.

Cosette turned on the TV to see if they could get some news about Garchomp. She found a news channel showing a view from a helicopter. "...presently flying toward Prism Tower," the reporter was saying. She screamed as a beam of energy filled the screen for a moment. "Garchomp is now unleashing random Hyper Beams!" The camera focused again as the helicopter moved back. "It just aimed on straight at our helicopter! Garchomp seems extremely agitated!"

"Well, that's obvious," Sophie said as she tended an Azurill.

Cosette brought over a bottle of Super Potion. "I hope Garchomp is going to be okay."

Alexis took the bottle and sprayed the medicine on the Combee in her lap. "I just hope Augustine doesn't do anything stupid. I know he cares about Garchomp, but I don't want him to get hurt, too."

"The Professor will be alright," Sophie assured her gently, "and so will Garchomp. You'll see."

Alexis smiled gratefully and they continued to watch the coverage as they helped the injured Pokemon. A few minutes later, the screen showed someone step out onto the deck where Garchomp was. "There's a boy up on Prism Tower!" the reporter said. "Could he be trying to talk to Garchomp?"

The camera zoomed in on the figure. Alexis let out a yelp, startling Combee. "That's Ash! What in the world is he doing?" The camera zoomed back out as Garchomp flew to the top of the tower. Ash put Pikachu and Froakie on his shoulders and climbed up after him.

Sophie looked impressed. "That Ash is really brave."

"Unbelievable!" the reporter said. "That boy has climbed to the top of Prism Tower!" The screen went wild as another explosion rocked the helicopter. Garchomp must have used another Hyper Beam. "It appears that the boy is trying to calm Garchomp."

The camera zoomed out enough to see both Ash and Garchomp. Alexis and the others watched tensely as Ash approached Garchomp, one slow step at a time, ignoring the fading sunlight. Suddenly, red bolts of electricity appeared around Garchomp's neck, He went wild, stumbling back toward the edge of the tower.

"No!" Alexis cried. In that condition, Garchomp probably wouldn't be able to collect himself enough to fly before he hit the ground. She couldn't bear to see Garchomp in so much pain.

On the screen, Froakie jumped up and used his sticky Frubbles to stick Garchomp's feet to the tower. Garchomp continued to struggle, though. Ash ran forward and jumped onto Garchomp, holding him still while Pikachu slashed off the collar. Garchomp fell to his knees.

The researchers breathed a sigh of relief. Garchomp was safe. Alexis and Sophie hugged each other. "Oh, I'm so glad he's okay," Alexis said. "If anything had happened to him, Augustine would have been devestated."

"But nothing happened, and everyone's okay," Sophie replied.

Alexis went to go make some tea to help them all relax. Suddenly, Sophie shouted her name. She hurried back and Sophie pointed at the screen. Alexis looked and gasped.

Ash and his Pikachu were falling down the side of the tower. "...part of the walkway has collapsed!" the reporter said frantically. "The boy and a Pikachu are falling! It doesn't look- wait, what's that?!"

A streak of light shot across the screen. It grabbed Ash and Pikachu, then flew to the ground. The fiery glow faded, and the camera picked up an unusual-looking Blaziken carefully putting Ash on the ground. Ash turned to it, then the Blaziken leapt into the air, disappearing off-screen.

Alexis breathed another sigh of relief. She recognized that Blaziken as the partner of a masked man called Blaziken Mask. The pair saw themselves as the protectors of the city and fought crime together. She wasn't surprised to see them responding to this emergency. She caught a quick glimpse of Augustine talking to Ash before the camera moved away. "Turn it off," she told Cosette, who had the remote. "I think we've had enough drama for one day."

Cosette agreed and turned off the TV. The three women set about cleaning up the debris from the attack. Alexis got her tool box and started patching the hole where the front door used to be.

She was working on boarding up the hole when Augustine and the kids returned. Augustine gave her a tight hug while Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie told her everything that had happened at the tower. Augustine asked about the damage to the lab. "It's not as bad as it looks," Alexis assured him. "Most of the damage was to the entrance hall. There's no significant structural damage, except for this front wall and one of the inside walls. The ceiling will need some repairs, and the rest of the lab will need to be cleaned up eventually. I'll get it all taken care of. How's Garchomp?"

Augustine sighed. "He's okay, but he needs some rest. That device put him through a lot of pain. Let's get this outer wall patched up, then we can figure out the rest tomorrow."

"Let us help, Professor," Clemont said.

"Yeah, with all of us working together, it'll be done in no time," Ash agreed.

"I can help, too!" Bonnie said, holding up her hand.

Augustine smiled. "Thank you, everyone. Let's get to work."

With everyone pitching in, the temporary repairs were finished within the hour. To thank them for their help, Alexis offered to make dinner for them. Augustine sent Cosette and Sophie home for the night and checked on Garchomp and the other Pokemon, then joined Alexis and the kids in the kitchen.

"I could have helped you cook, you know," Clemont was saying.

Alexis smiled as she put a basket of bread and some drinks on the table. "I'm okay, but thanks for the offer."

"My big brother is a really good cook," Bonnie said as she carefully poured a glass of milk. Out of the corner of her eye, Alexis noticed Clemont helping his little sister mop up some milk that spilled.

Augustine picked up a piece of bread and sat at the table. "My Alexis is an excellent cook herself." He turned to Ash. "So tell us about your journey so far."

"There isn't really much to tell," Ash said. He handed a piece of bread to Pikachu. "We just got to Kalos today."

"But this isn't your first Pokemon journey, right? Tell us about that."

As Ash told the story of his first Pokemon journey in the Kanto region, Alexis finished making dinner. She placed a pot of soup and a bowl of salad on the table, then sat next to Augustine. She listened to Ash's story and wondered again what it would be like to go on a Pokemon journey.

It was late by the time they finished dinner. Alexis invited the kids to spend the night and got a bedroom ready for them. Everything was still a mess, but she was able to clean up enough to make sure they would be comfortable.

Augustine and Alexis started getting ready for bed themselves. Alexis was standing at her dresser, brushing her long blonde hair. She couldn't stop thinking about their dinner conversation. Not going on a Pokemon journey was something she had always regretted. Listening to Ash tonight had only reinforced that she had missed out on something special.

Augustine was laying on their bed, watching her. He was thinking about the dinner conversation, too. After a moment, he said softly, "You want to go, don't you?"

Alexis looked at him in the mirror. "I've always wanted to go on a Pokemon journey," she said. "You know that."

"So why not go?"

"What?"

She turned around as Augustine got up and walked over, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I've seen your face every time a new Trainer comes for their first Pokemon. I saw your face tonight when Ash was telling us about his journey. You want so badly to go on one yourself. So go."

Alexis stared at him. "I can't."

"Yes, you can." Augustine took the brush from her and put it on the dresser, then took her hands. "You've said before that you've never had the money for a journey. That's not a problem now that your book has been published. And it can only help your writing. Think how much better your stories will be if you can base them off of real adventures."

Alexis pulled away and rubbed her forehead. This was so sudden. "But what about the lab? And your research? What about you?"

Augustine shrugged. "I admit, things will be more difficult around here while you're gone, but we'll find a way. Maybe Meyer can help out with the repairs. And think of the research opportunities. You could find someone out there that knows more about Mega Evolution than you and me combined. You could even learn about new Pokemon that can mega evolve." He paused and put his hands on her shoulders again. "As for me, I'll miss you more than you can know. But I think you need to do this."

Alexis looked into his gray eyes. "Why are you so insistent on this?"

Augustine gently cupped her cheek. "Because this is important to you. And I want you to be happy. With no regrets."

Alexis couldn't answer around the lump in her throat, so she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly and burying her face in his neck. She loved him so much. After a few minutes, she said, "I need to think about this."

"Okay," Augustine whispered. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and moved away. "I'm going to take a shower." Once he was gone, Alexis walked over to the window and leaned on the sill as she thought hard.

Ever since her parents had given her Weedle, she'd wanted to go on a Pokemon journey. Money had always been a problem, though. Her mother's health wasn't good, so her parents had never been able to afford to send her to university. Alexis had worked her way through on her own. After that, she'd been busy with finding a job and helping Augustine get the lab up and running. Between helping him with his research and her own writing, she hadn't had time to go on a journey, no matter how badly she wanted to.

That wasn't an issue now. Augustine was offering to let her go fulfill her dream. He was giving her the time off and she could certainly afford to go now. Her first book had turned out to be very popular and provided a good income.

Augustine had said that a journey could provide new research possibilities. He was right. As busy as they were at the lab, they didn't have time to do much field work. She could send reports back to him and they could research them together when she got back.

And he was right about her writing, too. She was stuck right now and it would help to have some new experiences to draw inspiration from. Going on a journey would help her grow as a writer.

Alexis stared out at the twinkling lights of Lumiose City. She wanted to go badly. But could she? Not only was there research to be done, but all of the repairs needed to be done, too. She didn't like the idea of leaving her work for others.

And then there was Augustine himself. He filled her life with so much joy. They had been together for a little more than six months now, and every day had been amazing. How could she leave him for so long?

Alexis thought back over the day and remembered the bond between Ash and his Pikachu. The two were closer than any Trainer and Pokemon she'd ever met. They were more like family than friends. Alexis thought about her own Pokemon. They already had a strong bond, but could they grow even closer through a journey, just as Ash and Pikachu had? It wasn't fair to them to not go on a journey just because she didn't want to leave her boyfriend.

By the time Augustine finished his shower, Alexis had made her decision. "I'll go," she told him when he came up behind her.

"Great," he said. "When will you go?"

Alexis pulled back the covers and got into bed. "Well, I was thinking, and Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont are going to need a chaperone. They're good kids, and if it's okay with them, I'll go along with them."

Augustine climbed into bed beside her. "Are you sure you want to leave so soon?"

"If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it as soon as possible."

"Alright," Augustine said. He pulled her close. "I'll miss you."

Alexis snuggled against him. "I'll miss you, too," she said with a tender kiss. They both fell silent as they lay in each others' arms, relishing their last few hours together before the morning.

The next morning at breakfast, Alexis asked the kids if she could join them on their journey. They enthusiastically agreed, and the rest of the morning was spent getting ready. It didn't take long for Alexis to pack. Thanks to countless hours of hiking and camping as a child, she was ready to go shortly after lunch.

Everyone gathered outside to see them off. Alexis was bringing Beedrill and Litleo with her, so several of the lab's Pokemon had come to say goodbye to their friends. Sophie and Cosette assured her they would help the Professor as much as possible while she was gone.

"Make sure he doesn't get too wrapped up in his work, okay? At least make sure he eats every once in a while," Alexis said. "You know how he can be."

"Yeah, almost as bad as you," Sophie teased.

The three women laughed as Augustine joined them. "Laughing at my expense again, are you?"

Alexis put her arms around him. "What else would we be laughing at?"

Augustine looked her in the eyes. "Be careful out there, sweetheart. Come back safely."

"I will. Promise. I love you."

His arms tightened around her and he gave her a long kiss. "I love you, too."

Clemont approached them. "Thank you for everything, Professor."

Augustine and Alexis moved apart, although he kept his arm around her. "You're most welcome. I guess your real journey starts now, doesn't it, Ash? Have you received a Kalos region Pokedex yet?" He took one out of his pocket to show the boy.

Ash shook his head. "No."

"Then please take this with you on your journey," Augustine said, handing him the device. "I hope you make good use of it."

Ash took the Pokedex. "Thanks a lot, Professor!" He looked at Pikachu. "Are you ready to go, buddy?"

"Pikachu!"

Clemont took Bonnie's hand. "Good luck with your research, Professor. Bye!"

Alexis gave Augustine one more kiss, then turned to go. The group was stopped short at the gate by the sight of Froakie sitting in the middle of the path. He nudged a Poke Ball toward Ash.

"I think he wants to go with you," Augustine said. "This is marvelous!"

Alexis was amazed. "I can't believe it! Froakie chose you! He must really like you."

"That's so sweet!" Bonnie said.

Ash picked up the Poke Ball. "So, Froakie, do you want to come along with us?"

"Froakie!" Froakie jumped up and hit the button on the Poke Ball, allowing himself to be pulled inside. The button flashed.

Ash grinned. "It's awesome you're coming with us, Froakie! Pikachu, Froakie's our first friend in Kalos!"

"I hope you find many more friends along the way, Ash," Augustine said. "Be careful out there, all of you."

"We will," Ash said. "Thanks, Professor. Bye!"

The group started out. Alexis waved to Augustine and her friends one last time, then adjusted her backpack. Her journey was finally beginning.

A/N: Sorry the chapter is so long. Hopefully the rest won't be as bad.