Hello! I bet you didn't expect to see me so soon already, huh?

I bring you the very first chapter of Kalos Ambitions, my adaptation of the XY series, and the sequel to Best Wishes! know you've been asking for this ever since XY aired on TV or became available on those anime websites we all stalk, so I thought, what better way to start off May (a month I despise) with something positive like this?

I originally didn't plan on publishing this so soon, but since it's a Sunday and I literally have nothing left to do after binge-watching all thirteen episodes of Danganronpa: The Animation since yesterday, and I'm feeling a bit on the down side, I wanted to end those pleas and cries from my awesome readers with the very first chapter! At least this should satisfy you lovely readers until Best Wishes returns.

But just a warning: I won't be updating this regularly. This is just a sneak peek, or whatever you want to call it. I won't be putting up new chapters every week like I've done with Best Wishes in the past.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, the XY series, or anything related to Pokémon. I merely own Alice, my OC.

(If you want to check out Alice's outfit for Kalos, check out my bio!)

Chapter 1
Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!

Puffy white clouds float next to the window I'm staring out of, and I so badly want to touch them. Below the clouds, however, the tips of buildings and skyscrapers poke out, and my heart rate begins increasing. The clouds soon vanish completely, and the beautiful Kalos region lays below me, one of its pretty cities shining gracefully right near us.

From my lap, Pikachu gasps, "Pika pika!"

"We'll be on the ground soon enough, buddy," I reassure him, hugging him closer to me.

Beside me, Alexa tugs at the white sleeves on her red and black shirt. "Alice, you and Pikachu must be really excited."

I turn my head and look over my shoulder, sending her a smile. "We're starting a brand new adventure. There's nothing more exciting to a Pokémon Trainer than not knowing what lies ahead of you."

"Pikachu!" my buddy cheers, his hands waving in the air.

A few minutes later, the plane lands, and everyone unloads from it. Being the very last person to step off—Alexa right behind me—I step outside and breathe in my first whiff of Kalos air.

The air is chilly but comforting—just like back in Kanto. The soft breeze runs through my hair, blowing it back. Luckily, it's not a powerful enough wind to send my black Poké Ball hat back off of my head.

I cup my hands around my mouth and shout, "Hello, Kalos region! Alice Ketchum from Pallet Town is finally here!"

"Pika!" Pikachu screams in joy, his voice blending in with mine.

And I swear, I can almost hear Iris's voice in my ear: Once a little kid, always a little kid.

Soft chuckling erupts from behind me. "What's with all the yelling?"

A light blush shadowing over my face, I turn around and answer Alexa, "Oh, I'm just sayin' hi to the Kalos region. And once I walk down these steps, we'll officially be in Kalos!"

Suddenly, two pink shapes flutter over me, and my blue eyes trail up to watch them. Small pink bird-like Pokémon swirl around in the air, acting like twitterpated lovers. It's kind of cute, actually.

"I've never seen those Pokémon before—!" My awe-stricken voice is cut off by my own scream, and I slip down the stair-dotted ramp and land on the ground below. My back hits the rough pavement, the impact stinging my skin underneath.

Immediately, Alexa and Pikachu run down the ramp and to my side. "Are you alright?" Alexa's voice sounds frantic.

"Pika pi?!" And so does Pikachu's.

I sit up, pressing the palms of my hands to the hot pavement below me. "Yeah, I'm okay Alexa, what are those Pokémon?"

Her eyes lift upwards, too, and she smiles at the two pink creatures, who still hover over us, lost in their own love-infested world. "Oh, those are Spritzee."

"Spritzee?"

The name feels strange on my tongue, and I feel it tingle after the word leaves my mouth. But the foreign name suits the small pink creatures up above.

"They're so cute!"

Alexa holds out a hand, and helps me stand up. "They kinda remind me of you and Cilan." She suddenly freezes, and cringes. "Oh, Alice, I didn't mean—"

I shake my head, tipping my hat over my eyes as I try to ignore the pang of sadness and longing in my chest. "No, it's fine. I'd rather get over him sooner than later." Change the subject, change the subject now! "But the first thing I wanna do is have a Gym battle!"

But as I start running towards the vast city in front of us, Alexa's voice stops me in my tracks: "Just a minute!" I turn around, watching her speak. "Where do you plan on going for a Gym battle?"

I roll my eyes internally. Has she already forgotten? "Your younger sister's Gym, of course! She's a Gym Leader, isn't she?"

She shakes her head, to my surprise. "Wait, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but her Gym isn't here in Lumiose City. I'm afraid it's located in Santalune City."

My heart seems to drop like a stone and hit the pit of my stomach. "What?!" A groan slips out, and I hang my head. "What do I do now?"

"Hold on," Alexa chuckles, walking away, "I'll go and give her a call right away. I'll see you the lobby."

I nod after her as she runs towards the small Pokémon Center outside the city. "Okay!"

Once she's out of my sight, I look around, noticing a soul isn't anywhere near me. I start running to the right, towards the large airport building near the plane. Something tells me I shouldn't stay out here too long, like I should go back inside and wait for Alexa.

I suppose a quick peek around wouldn't hurt, right?

"I wanna see if there are any other Pokémon around," I tell Pikachu, who runs next to me.

But when I step into the cool shadow of the building and turn around, I see a dark gray mark above me on the pavement. A shadow! I take a closer look at it. It kinda looks like a Blaziken, but not really. It has a few large beautiful sashes on its head.

My eyes scan up to the top of the building, where indeed a large creature stands. Sashes flow out from its head, and it seems to lock eyes with me for a moment.

Suddenly, it jumps over me, and I'm frozen by how elegant and powerful it looks at the same time. The red and tan creature—it does look like a Blaziken!—lands behind me and dashes off, leaving puffs of dust in its tracks.

Silence lingers between me and the Electric-type next to me, before I decide to break it.

"Did you see that, Pikachu?"

He jumps onto my shoulder and answers, "Pika."

After a moment of quietly staring off where the Blaziken-like creature ran off to, Pikachu and I shriek out in excitement and awe.

"Oh, yeah!"

A new Pokémon! Arceus, I love Kalos already!

Pikachu and I walk into the nearby Pokémon Center, still shaking in excitement from that new Pokémon we saw. I wonder what it was? Maybe it's related to Blaziken in a way, since they're so similar in appearance.

Heat emits from the lamps upstairs, warming my slightly-chilled body. Immediately, I spot a familiar yellow shape curled up on a cushion near the table.

"Helioptile!"

The tiny Electric-type's ears perk up as I call to him, and once he sees me, he immediately jumps off his spot on the cushion and runs to me. He prances around me before sitting and wagging his cute little tail. I kneel down and run my hands along his ears, causing him to coo.

"We just saw the coolest thing!" I tell him energetically. But when I look around, I can't spot his tall Trainer anywhere. "Where did Alexa go?"

"Tile!" he replies in his soft throaty voice. He nods his head to the right, where a little distance away, near the phones, Alexa stands.

As she hangs up the phone at the stand she's near, I run over to her, Pikachu and Helioptile at my feet.

"Alexa!"

She jumps slightly, but relaxes once she sees me. Helioptile jumps up into her arms and crawls over to her pouch behind her as the three of us run over.

"What's with all the excitement?" Her soft chuckle is warm and friendly, which sends a warm bubbly feeling in my chest.

I waste no time in jumping into explanation: "We just saw another new Pokémon! It was so awesome! It made this big jump and flew right over our heads!" I spread my arms out to emphasize my point.

Alexa's smile grows wider. "I see. I guarantee you're going to meet lots and lots of new Pokémon."

My heart pounds with unbelievable speed. "I'm so glad we're finally in the Kalos region! I can't wait to win that Gym battle, too."

The Pokémon journalist cringes and seems to avoid my eyes. "Uh, you see," she starts, her voice shaking slightly, "I managed to get through to that sister of mine...and she let me know she's away from her Gym right now...?"

My heart seems to freeze into stone and drop to my stomach. "She's away?! When is she gonna be back?!"

"Once my sister goes on a trip, she's usually away for quite a while," Alexa sighs.

I allow my clenched fists to drop at my sides defeatedly. "This sucks..."

Alexa flinches and claps her hands together in an apologetic manner. "I'm sorry, Alice! I know you must be disappointed after coming all this way!"

It's not that I'm sad about—I know there are other Gyms in Kalos to challenge. It's the knowledge that any Gym Leader in Kalos could just up and leave their post at their Gym. And just leave challengers like me hanging by a limb...

"Oh, no...way!" I grip my head tightly as I groan loudly. "I wanna win the League this time and become a Pokémon Master!" And how am I gonna be able to do that without any Gym badges?! I sigh deeply as my cheeks flush with a dark pink color.

Alexa suddenly snaps her fingers. "I know! Why don't you channel that energy into challenging the Gym here in Lumiose City?"

Her words snap me out of my sulking session. I raise my head and look her right in her dark green eyes. "There's a Gym here, too?"

She takes Pikachu and I to a colorful city map near the entrance of Lumiose City. Pointing to the center of the line-infested map, she says, "See? It's right there. The Lumiose Gym is located just inside Prism Tower."

I hug Pikachu tight one last time before he scrambles back up to my shoulder. "Prism Tower, got it." I look over to my faithful Electric-type. "We'll just have our first battle here, okay, buddy?" He nods, cooing as he clenches his little yellow hands into determined fists.

Alexa turns back to me, a soft expression plastered on her face. "I'm afraid this is where we'll have to part ways. Are you gonna be alright?"

Although half of me is let down that she's not coming along with me—she is my last link to my most recent travels in Unova, after all—the other half is too excited to think it over thoroughly. Hopefully, we'll meet up again soon. Maybe in Santalune City if I decide to challenge it in the future.

"We'll be just fine," I tell her.

"Pika."

"That's great," she chuckles softly. "Well then, once again, welcome to the Kalos region."

I give her a small but grateful smile. "You've really been a big help, Alexa. Thank you so much."

A light pink blush dusts her face, but she shakes her head. "No, thank you. It's been great fun!"

It never occurred to me someone like Alexa, especially at her mature age, could find fun in traveling with an immature kid like me. But a warm glow of pride settles into my chest, and heat starts to rush to my cheeks.

"It sure has," I find myself whispering. She holds out her hand, and I grip it gently, shaking it. When she pulls away, I feel a little sad, but the possibility of meeting up with her again in the future perks me up again. "I'll see you later, Alexa."

She nods. "Right. See you!"

With that, I turn around towards the entrance arc to Lumiose City. I can hear Alexa cheer, "Go get 'em, Alice!" before the sound of my pounding heart and heavy breathing fill my ears. With each slap on my shoes against the stone sidewalk, vibrations shoot up my legs, and I'm carried one step closer towards a new adventure.

Pikachu and I reach the arc and run through, cheering. Warm sunlight pools down onto my body, but the heat is blown away by a cool, soft breeze. Kalos is a breath of fresh air, I think to myself.

I waste no time running down the streets. Different people and Pokémon are scattered along the cobblestone paths, some of them paying attention to us as Pikachu and I run through them, and some of them not caring. Either way, it's fine by me.

"Another new Pokémon!" I gasp, pointing to a cute and fluffy gray creature with dainty white paws. "Pikachu, this city's huge!"

"Pika pika!"

I shriek in surprise when I almost collide with a young woman with a white and navy blue bipedal creature walking beside her.

"I've never seen that Pokémon before!"

Pikachu and I continue running, but slow down to a fast-paced walk to gauge at the different Pokémon and people littering the streets. I'm able to recognize a few Pokémon, as well.

"Look, Pikachu, it's an Ampharos! And Metacham! There are Pokémon we've met before!"

"Pikachu!"

It's not like Unova, where every single Pokémon was different and unrecognizable at the time. But that was then, I remind myself. I'm in a new region, with new Pokémon.

I come to a stop when a large, beautiful white tower comes into view. It looks like we've reached the center of the city, according to the map Alexa showed me.

"That must be Prism Tower," I nearly squeal. "That's where our first Gym badge is!"

Pikachu and I run over to the white tower, and I try to ignore my racing heart and ragged breaths. Once we reach the tower, there's no sign to tell me otherwise, so I assume (correctly, I hope) that it's Prism Tower.

"Here it is, buddy. The Lumiose City Gym!"

"Pika pika!"

Before I step through the doors, I inhale deeply through my mouth. This is it. A new challenge awaits us—a new journey. Just thinking about traveling on the road and challenging Gym Leaders again makes my heart pound with anticipation and excitement.

I step forward and push the doors open. Pikachu and I are greeted to an electric-blue room, cold air pouring down from the air conditioners up above. Blue tubes with electric bolts are lined up along on either side of the path that leads to another set of doors. A dark screen is settled on the wall above the doors.

It must be an Electric-type Gym, I realize. Excitement bubbles up in my chest as I remember the Nimbasa City Gym Leader, Elesa, back in Unova. She used Electric-type Pokémon in her Gym battles, too, and it was thanks to Pikachu we made it out of that Gym with a Bolt Badge.

"Anybody in here?" I call out, stepping closer to the doors.

The screen suddenly flickers on, a symbol of a Poké Ball with a slash mark on the side (the Pokémon Gym symbol) appearing. "Welcome to the Lumiose Gym," it speaks in a robotic-with-just-a-dash-of-human voice.

"My name's Alice, and my friend Pikachu and I have come all the way from Pallet Town in the Kanto region." Stating my home region aloud makes me feel important in a strange way. "I wanna have a Gym battle, please."

"How many badges to you have?"

The question makes me cringe slightly in surprise. No Gym in Unova or Kanto or any of the regions I've traveled so far ever asked me about my Gym badges with that tone. It makes me feel like I'm in trouble.

"Uh, well, this is the very first Gym I'm challenging in Kalos, so I haven't won any yet."

The screen jolts in what seems to be surprise. "You have none?! Not a single Gym badge?! In order to challenge the Lumiose Gym, you must have accumulated at least four Gym badges."

The information sinks in, as well as disappointment. But that disappointment is replaced by fear and shock when two zap cannons with electric tips appear from either side of the screen. The worst part? They're aimed at me.

"Wait a minute!"

I hold out my hands in surrender and wave them furiously, but that doesn't stop the cannons from electrocuting me. Pain shoots through my body, and the sound of my screams drown out my hearing. But the "fun" doesn't stop there.

The floor gives out from under me, and I start sliding down a smooth, cold ramp inside a dark tunnel. Pikachu tumbles from my shoulder and starts sliding down behind me. My fingers try to grip on anything around me to halt myself, but I only find the freezing surface of metal.

The end of the tunnel comes into vision—it's a bright white light. But as Pikachu and I near it, and we're shot out from it, we're released outside into the chilly Kalos air.

Terrified screams rip through my throat as I start falling towards the hard pavement. I shut my eyes, my teeth locked onto my bottom lip, as I await my gory death.

But I don't land on the hard cobblestone pavement after all. Instead, I land on my back on a soft cushion. My eyes shoot open to a large and fluffy ivory pillow underneath me; it's so fluffy and comfortable it melts around my body, starting to engulf me in its plushness.

"I've got you, Pikachu!"

A high-pitched female voice pierces my ears, and I feel another body fall on the cushion. The fabric sinks under her weight, taking some of the melting ivory substance off of me.

As I shake my head, another voice speaks up: "Are you alright?"

I look up, my eyes meeting an identical pair of dark blue orbs. They belong to a handsome boy, who looks only a year younger than me, with blonde hair that barely reaches his shoulders, and he wears a slightly baggy light blue jumpsuit with thin yellow lines stretched out along the arms and legs. Those mesmerizing blue irises are nearly hidden behind a pair of shiny glasses.

The boy holds out his hand, and I take it without a second thought. "I'm okay, thanks to you." He pulls me off the ivory cushion to my feet, and I nearly stagger. But I'm able to keep my balance.

From the side, I can see my Pikachu being clutched tightly in the arms of a small girl who looks to be around eight years old. She wears a brown shirt with a clean white skirt that barely reaches her knees. A dark yellow hair clip separates a strand of her short blonde hair from the rest of her head, forming it into a small ponytail. Her blue eyes sparkle as she holds out Pikachu to the boy.

"Take a look at this, Clemont!" she squeals. "A Pikachu! And what a cutie!"

Pikachu struggles frantically as she hugs him tightly, and he suddenly releases a powerful bolt of electric power on the small girl. She shrieks in pain as the boy and I shield our eyes from the electrical outburst.

When Pikachu finally stops, the girl releases her grip on him as she falls down on her back. Pikachu scrambles over to me and jumps onto my shoulder, his black-tipped ears pointed down in fear.

"Bonnie, no!" the boy next to me gasps.

I cringe at the sight of her. "Are you okay?"

But instead of bursting into tears like I expect, the girl merely sits up and giggles loudly. Pikachu shrinks back into the crook of my neck. "Of course!"

"Pika pika," my Electric-type whimpers from my shoulder.

The blonde boy with glasses turns to me, hanging his head apologetically. "I'm really sorry about my sister," he mutters.

I hold up my hands, brushing his apology off. "Don't worry about it."

But he seems to pay little to no attention to me, and shifts his dark blue eyes over to the small girl in front of us as she stands up. "Bonnie, you apologize, too!" he demands, glaring at her.

Bonnie meets his glare with an almost sassy glare of her own. "I just wanted to give Pikachu a hug 'cause he's so cute!" Her cheeks puff out in annoyance, and I bite my tongue to keep myself from giggling.

Her brother frowns, and then retorts gently, "But did Pikachu like it?"

The eight-year-old girl's expression turns sympathetic, and she looks at me with sad blue eyes. "Alright," she sighs. "I'm really sorry, Pikachu."

I kneel down to her level as Pikachu climbs back into my arms. "It's okay now, kiddo. Pikachu was just surprised, that's all."

"Pika pika," he replies, sounding embarrassed as he scratches the back of his head.

"But I haven't thanked you yet," I continue, smiling at the girl. "You saved Pikachu's life. Thank you so much."

She giggles, any trace of sadness washed away from her cute face. "You're very welcome!"

As I straighten myself when I stand up, my eyes slant in the direction of Prism Tower. "What a weird Gym. What's its problem?"

"You got kicked out, right?" the boy asks me softly.

"Yeah," I sigh, "and after coming all this way. Some Gym Leader," I mutter, looking away.

The boy looks up at the tall white tower, as well. "Yeah, he's something, alright," he murmurs.

His sister steps up, a wide smile on her face. "The Gym Leader of the Lumiose Gym is this really super-duper strong person! They asked you how many badges you have, right?"

I nod at her. "That's right, but when I told them I didn't have any, I got zapped really badly."

The two blonde siblings gasp in unison. "You don't have any badges?!" the girl demands, sounding surprised.

My cheeks grow red—why does it seem like everyone in Kalos besides Alexa wants me to be embarrassed about the fact I don't have any badges yet?

"You see, I just arrived in the Kalos region," I explain to them. "This is the first Gym I've been to."

The boy pushes up his glasses as he questions, "Pardon me, but where are you from?"

That warm glow of pride returns to my chest as I tip the brim of my red hat over my eyes slightly. "I'm from Pallet Town in the Kanto region, and my name is Alice. This is Pikachu, and my buddy and I are on a journey together, so I can become a Pokémon Master."

"Pikachu!"

The three of us—wow, it's been a long time since I've said that—stand underneath two large trees, basking in the shade. A medium-sized battlefield rests next to us, the busy streets of the city just beside us.

"And now it's time for us to introduce ourselves," the boy says. "My name's Clemont, and this is my little sister, Bonnie."

Bonnie smiles and waves to me. "Nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you, too," I chuckle. "Clemont and Bonnie—nice names, too." Bonnie smiles with pride as Clemont blushes slightly.

"Pika pika," Pikachu greets them from his spot on the top of my head.

Bonnie stares at Pikachu and I in awe, her small lips parted slightly. "You and your Pikachu look like such good friends! If you weren't, Pikachu wouldn't be sitting on your head like that."

A soft giggle escapes my lips as Pikachu tugs at some of my messy black hair. "Well," I sigh, smiling, "we've known each other for a long time. Six years, to be exact." Pikachu climbs down onto my shoulder as I stretch out my left arm. He walks down my arm and sits on the crease where my elbow it, smiling. "Actually, Pikachu was the first Pokémon I got, and that's the reason why we came here in the first place, looking for Gym battles." He jumps back onto my head in one leap as I ask, "Are you two on a journey, too?"

Clemont suddenly looks nervous. "Journey? Well, you see—"

But Bonnie steps forward and answers for him, confidence radiating off her small form. "That's something we'll be doing sometime in the future."

My chest deflates a little inside. "A family adventure sounds like a lot of fun. After all, I don't have any brothers or sisters." Except for maybe Brock, who traveled with me for four years, but he was more of a father figure than an older brother.

"But you've got your special friend Pikachu instead!"

I let a smile reveal itself on my lips. I'm starting to like this kid.

"Bonnie's a little bit too young to have any Pokémon yet," Clemont explains to me, smiling at his little sister, "so she's really impressed when she meets someone who does."

"I know just what it's like," I giggle, crossing my arms over my chest. "I could hardly wait to grow up and become a Pokémon Trainer."

Bonnie's blue eyes seem to sparkle even brighter. "You totally understand how I feel!"

After giving her one last smile, I turn to her blue-eyed brother. "What kind of Pokémon do you have, Clemont?"

He stays silent for a moment before taking out a Poké Ball. "Okay, here's a Pokémon that I recently caught."

My heart begins to pound with a strong sense of anticipation, and adrenaline surges throughout my body. "Please, let me see! And then, let's battle!"

"Pika!" At my words, Pikachu bounds down from my shoulder and races over to the battlefield, standing in the middle with an expectant look on his cute face.

Clemont eyes us with those sparkling dark blue eyes of his. "Battle for real?"

I roll my eyes playfully, resisting the urge to shove him gently. "Yeah! If I can't have a Gym battle, I'd love to have my first battle in the Kalos region with you. What do you say, Clemont?" I hold out my hand, giving him a lop-sided smile.

Although her brother still looks a bit doubtful, little Bonnie stares up at him with an eager smiles. "Let's do it! It'll be a great test of strength!"

She seems to convince him, and Clemont meets my smile with one of his own, filled with fiery determination. I've missed that look in a friend or rival's eyes, I realize with a jolt.

"Okay. You're on!"

Once we're on the battlefield, with Clemont on the opposite of Pikachu and I, and Bonnie perched onto the side, I adjust my red Poké Ball hat, pulling down the white brim slightly. There's no way I'm losing my first Kalos battle. Not when I have Pikachu at my side.

As if he can read my mind, Pikachu looks over his shoulder at me and winks. I wink back, sending him a small smirk. We're ready for this.

His glinting glasses hiding his blue eyes, Clemont brandishes a Poké Ball. "Alright, Bunnelby, come on out and let's have a battle!"

He throws the Poké Ball, and it bursts open in a beautiful white light. Huh, I guess Kalos Poké Balls have white lights, like Unova Poké Balls have bright blue lights. The light takes shape on the field, taking the form of a small brown bunny-like Pokémon with large ears with brown patches. Two bucked-teeth poke out from the creature's little mouth, and a circular brown tail pokes out from his bottom. In short, he's one of the cutest Pokémon I've ever seen.

"I've never seen that Pokémon before!" I call to Clemont, feeling my heart beating like crazy already. I wish I had a Pokédex to scan it, though.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu flicks his tail to Bunnelby in acknowledgement, and the creature nods, smiling sweetly.

"Pikachu, let's give it our all!" I shout out to him.

"Pikachu!" He bares his teeth playfully, swishing his lightning bolt-shaped tail from side to side.

On the sidelines, with a beautiful smile on her face, Bonnie shouts out, "Lots of luck to both teams!"

Alice and Pikachu

vs.

Clemont and Bunnelby

"Now Bunnelby," Clemont says to his partner, "this will be our very first battle. Just relax, and you'll do great." Bunnelby nods, glaring in Pikachu's direction.

Now's our chance! "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu cries out and jumps, his yellow body crackling with electricity. He releases his power in the form of a powerful jagged bolt of electricity, aiming right for Bunnelby.

"Now Bunnelby, use your ears to stir up the sand!"

Surprisingly, Bunnelby dives and digs his large floppy ears into the ground below. Sand sprays up in a small storm, and it spits out, shielding Bunnelby from Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack. At this, I gasp loudly, and so does Pikachu once he lands in front of me.

But how?! Bunnelby doesn't look like a Ground-type!

Clemont smirks at us, his glasses glinting once more. "Yes, Bunnelby is a Normal-type Pokémon," he says, as if he can read my mind, "but he's more than prepared to deal with any Electric-type moves."

I grit my teeth against each other, willing myself not to show my annoyance. "Bunnelby's strong, no doubt," I mutter.

If we can't use Electric-type moves, we'll just have to go for a head-on attack. We can either use Quick Attack or Iron Tail, or try to catch them off guard with a Counter Shield using Thunderbolt.

"Now it's our turn. Bunnelby, Dig!"

Bunnelby jumps up at Clemont's command and slaps his large ears together. He spins around rapidly and dives, disappearing into the ground.

"Run, Pikachu!" I shout. "Don't let them know where you are!"

Pikachu nods and takes off, his little paws hitting the ground at an incredible speed. He races around the field, trying to confuse Bunnelby, who's still underground.

But Clemont merely smirks. "Now, go!"

Bunnelby suddenly bursts up from the ground in front of Pikachu, and my Electric-type skids to a stop. However, this allows Bunnelby to smack him with his floppy ears, and Pikachu cries out. He's send back, hitting the ground as he lands on his stomach.

Fear grips my chest like an icy clawed hand. "Are you okay, Pikachu?"

He bounds back up, nodding. "Pika pika!" He paws at the ground like a Bouffalant, ready to charge.

"That's my boy! Okay, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu surges forward, specks of air trailing behind him as he runs. He slams into Bunnelby, causing him to yell out. He rolls backwards and lands on his back paws, however, not that effected by the attack.

"Double Slap, go!"

Bunnelby jumps forward and lands in front of a surprised Pikachu. He reels his head to the side, smacking his large ears into Pikachu's face.

My hands form into fists, my nails digging deeply into my palms. "Bunnelby's ears are just like hands. How can I stop them from using them against us?"

Then it hits me. If we can't use a long-distance attack or run around the field to catch them off guard, a head-on attack to trap those ears might just be what we need! Then we can land an attack at close-range!

"Pretty neat, huh?" Clemont asks, smiling. "Bunnelby's ears can do lots of great things."

Meanwhile, Bunnelby gives Pikachu a final slap, sending him over to me. Luckily, Pikachu's skim hit the ground, and he flips over onto his paws fully in front of me.

"You're okay, right, buddy?"

Pikachu perks up at the tone in my voice, and he smirks. "Pika!" He knows what I'm up to.

"Then use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu leaps up into the air, his tail glowing with steel. At this action, Bonnie and Clemont gasp loudly.

"Look at that! Pikachu knows a Steel-type move!" Bonnie says, sounding amazed.

Clemont regains some of his confidence, however, and yells out, "Use your ears and catch it!"

Pikachu dives down, his steely tail in front of him, aiming for Bunnelby. But Bunnelby holds out his ears, ready to catch it. As Pikachu brings down his tail, Bunnelby claps his ears over it, seizing it and protecting himself. But Pikachu doesn't seem all that faltered.

"It worked like it should," Clemont says proudly, a smirk upon his face.

But I meet his expression with an equal smirk on my face. "Yeah, but it's too bad you can't use your ears now."

I've got 'em now!

As realization sinks into both Trainer and Pokémon, and they gasp loudly, I proudly announce, "You can't move if you're holding Pikachu's tail. Now, use Electro Ball!"

At the tip of his captive tail, Pikachu gathers a ball of swirling electric power. Smirking, he releases it on Bunnelby, and the attack collides into the Normal-type at close-range.

Bunnelby cries out, bouncing back towards Clemont. But he's able to stay on his paws, still holding a strong glare at Pikachu.

His endurance is impressive, I'll give him that.

"Alice and Pikachu are really amazing!" Bonnie exclaims almost dreamily, beaming at us. I smile softly back at her before turning my attention back to the battle in front of me.

Meanwhile, Clemont smiles at us, his eyes darting from me to Pikachu. I feel my cheeks growing warm, but will the heat to disappear; I'm not used to other people staring at me since he left.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Heads up, Bunnelby," Clemont warns his Pokémon. Bunnelby tenses up, bracing himself for Pikachu's attack.

Pikachu charges at Bunnelby, cheering as he does. Suddenly, he skids to a stop and jumps back, flipping over as a blue web-like net flutters onto the ground in front of him. Panting, Pikachu bares his teeth at the net as it fades away.

In a flash, I'm on the field and at my buddy's side. "Are you okay, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu," he answers, nodding.

As Bonnie, Bunnelby and Clemont run over to us, I shift my gaze upwards to the wall near the battlefield, where four figures stand—two tall, one medium-sized, and one really short. I glare at them furiously, already pondering over who they might be.

"Who are you?! Why would you do something like that?!"

"That was dangerous!" Clemont adds, glaring at them, as well.

"Who are you?!" Bonnie demands in her high-pitched voice.

"Prepare for trouble, our middle name," a female voice says.

A male voice joins in, as well. "And make it double, a high-stakes game."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight, fight, and fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

And indeed, the forms of Jessie, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet are revealed, the two humans clad in their usual white uniforms.

"Team Rocket!" I yell, glaring fiercely. "It's just like you to follow us to a new region."

They've been following us ever since I became a Trainer, with the intent on capturing Pikachu and presenting him to their boss, Giovanni. I'd never met their boss until recently in the Unova region, where Pikachu battled his Persian to protect Meloetta, a Mythical Pokémon traveling with us at the time.

Bonnie looks at me quizzically. "Wait, do you know them?"

But before I can quickly explain to her how I know them, Clemont steps forward, his dark blue eyes wide with interest and awe. "I've never seen a talking Meowth before! That's incredible!"

I snatch his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks as I do. "Be careful. They're a group of villains who're always trying to take Pikachu from me."

"Excuse me, twerp," James speaks up, "but you're selling us short."

"Catching Pikachu is but one of our numerous yet glorious goals," Jessie gloats.

"The rest of them include the confiscation of all the strong and rare Pokémon in Kalos," James adds in. "Forming a formidable Pokémon army is inevitable."

Jessie points to Pikachu, a smirk plastered on her pale evil face. "But catching Pikachu is our top one!"

Pikachu jumps at her words, baring his teeth. "Pika?!"

James nods to her, smirking, as well. "There's no better way for us to begin our Kalos Kingdom."

"Wobbuffet!" the blue Psychic-type agrees.

"And I'll take the one with the ears," Meowth says, eyeing Bunnelby greedily.

Bunnelby flinches, but Pikachu steps protectively in front of him, his red cheeks bristling with electric sparks. "Pika pika!"

"Like that will ever happen," I growl to them.

Clemont adjusts his glasses to hide his furious glare. "I will not sit idly by and let you steal other people's Pokémon."

"That's right!" little Bonnie chirps in, wearing a glare identical to her brother's. "Who do you think you are, anyway?!"

"Team Rocket, that's who!" the villains shout back.

As I grit my teeth together, I yell out, "Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"

Jessie merely smirks as Pikachu jumps up, ready to attack. "Wobbuffet, time to shine!"

Wobbuffet jumps up, as well, allowing his body to absorb the electrical shock Pikachu sends his way. However, instead of recoiling in pain like he should have, Wobbuffet shoots out a more powerful bolt of electricity, his body glowing like a rainbow.

"That's Mirror Coat!" Clemont gasps.

Pikachu has nowhere to go, and the blast collides into his little body. Screaming out in pain, he begins to fall towards the ground, flailing his arms wildly.

The next thing I know, I'm running as fast as I can to catch my baby before he meets his death. But I can't reach him, and he's almost to the ground.

"PIKACHU!"

I run under him, lunge, and scoop him up, holding him tightly. My body flips over, somersaulting onto the field, and I land in a sitting position in the dirt. Although my arms feel scratched and my legs feel bruised, I turn my attention to my Electric-type partner, who bears a few scratches of his own.

"Are you okay, buddy?" I whisper.

His eyes shoot open, and he smiles weakly yet reassuringly. "Pika."

"Poor Pikachu," Bonnie whimpers from behind me.

As Wobbuffet lands near Jessie on the wall, I hear her say, "Excellent. I give you an eleven."

"We'd better retreat!" Clemont yells to me. "Using Mirror Coat reflects special attacks with double power! We can't withstand that kind of strength!"

I stand up, gripping Pikachu tighter before allowing him to move to my shoulder, and begin to speak. "You're wrong. We've always stood up to them before. In Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and even Unova. We'll always fight back!" I turn around to meet the blonde siblings, my eyes slanting in determination. "As long as Pikachu doesn't give up, you won't find me giving up, either!"

"Pikachu!" My buddy jumps down from my shoulder and lands on the ground in front of me, his yellow fur bristling.

Bonnie and Clemont look at each other for a moment. My words begin to sink into them, and they nod at each other, smiling.

"All you'll end up with are reruns," Jessie scoffs at us.

I try to ignore her and yell out another command. "Pikachu, Electro Ball, now!"

"We'll help you out, too!" Clemont joins in, stepping up at my side. "Bunnelby, use Mud Shot!"

Both Pokémon jump up and into the air, side by side. Bunnelby places his ears a little distance apart from each other, and a golden ball forms at the space between them. It turns into a series of mud balls, and he throws them at the villainous quartet as Pikachu swings around and chucks a ball of lightning at them.

"You're on, Wobbuffet!" Jessie shouts.

Wobbuffet jumps up, dodging every blast of mud Bunnelby has sent his way. He then glows with a shiny rainbow luster, and I bite my lip in fear.

Clemont's eyes go even wider. "He dodged them all!"

Wobbuffet allows himself to be hit with the Electro Ball attack, and sends it back at Pikachu in the form of a bright golden blast. In the air, Pikachu screams, shutting his eyes.

"Pikachu, no!"

But before I can reach out to him, a blue shape moves in front of Pikachu, taking the hit for him. The collision causes an explosion, and I shield my eyes from the steam and dust that stirs up.

When I unveil my eyes again, I see the small blue creature drop down near me, holding Pikachu tightly. I run over to them, and Pikachu bounds out of the creature's arms.

"Pikachu!" I kneel down to my baby, inspecting him for any injuries. "Are you okay?"

"Pika pika!" He shakes me off and points to the creature, who shivers as electric jolts coat its body.

I'm able to get a good look at the creature, though. It looks a bit frog-like, with small bent back legs and wide eyes. A layer of bubble-like coating surrounds the area around his neck and back, and his two hands are a pure white color. A thick dark blue stripe runs down his head, connecting to his nose, which is covered with the same bubbly coating on his neck.

Jessie looks genuinely surprised. "What's that?"

"A Pokémon?" James suggests, shrugging his shoulders.

The blue Pokémon glares at them, and that's when Clemont and Bonnie run over to us, Bunnelby right beside them.

"It's a Froakie!" Clemont exclaims.

"Froakie?" The name feels foreign on my tongue, but in a good way.

"It's a Water-type Pokémon new Trainers can get in Kalos," he explains hurriedly, "so that Electro Ball must've done lots of damage."

Then it's a Kalos starter Pokémon. Interesting.

Froakie staggers under the pain, and I throw out my hands to help him (I'm assuming it's a boy). "Froakie, are you okay?" He winces in response, and I look around wildly for a sign of another person nearby. "Where's his Trainer?"

Froakie suddenly hops away from me, heading towards the wall where Team Rocket stand.

"Where's Froakie going?" Bonnie wonders aloud.

The small Water-type glares at the villainous team above. "Froakie froak!"

Jessie's eyebrow shoots up; she's not impressed. "What's with te yapping?"

I stand up, straightening my body as I do so. "I think Froakie wants to help us."

"Froak!" he screams at the team.

Meowth flinches at the harsh words Froakie fires at him. "Froakie's sayin' bad guys rub him the wrong way!"

I step closer to the Water-type, holding out my hand. "You can't take them all on if you're hurt. Stop!" But Froakie ignores me, and the white coating on his back fluffs up as he jumps up. "Froakie!"

Froakie grabs fistfuls of the white fur and throws them at the trio. "Froakie just used his frubbles!" Bonnie exclaims in awe.

Jessie rolls her eyes at the Pokémon's attack. "Big whoop. We'll just send that right back at you!"

But when Wobbuffet jumps up, his body glowing with a shiny color, and the so-called frubbles hit him, they don't bounce back. Instead, they stick to Wobbuffet's blue body, and he shrieks as he falls to the ground.

Froakie throws even more handfuls of sticky white fur at Team Rocket, hitting all three of them. They yell once it connects with their skin, and they try desperately to pry them off.

"What's this?!" Jessie shrieks.

"I can't get this gunk off!" Meowth complains, his paws stuck together by a sticky band of white fur.

My jaw drops at the attack. "Why didn't it bounce back?" Does Froakie have some kind of special attacks that aren't affected by Mirror Coat?

"Of course!" Clemont suddenly realizes. "Froakie's gummy frubbles isn't a move, so Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat was completely ineffective!"

Upon hearing this, a large smile creeps up onto my face, and Pikachu and I rush over to Froakie, who looks quite pleased with his work.

"Nice job, Froakie! Pikachu and I can take it from here."

"Pika pi!"

"We'll lend a hand, too," Clemont tells us, coming up to my right side.

But Bonnie's right behind him, and appears on my left side. "You guys better not forget about me!" she yells, puffing out her cheeks.

"Bunnelby, use Dig!"

Bunnelby wastes no time in diving into the ground, spinning rapidly as his ears dig into the earth. A rumbling is heard, and soon, Bunnelby bursts out from under Team Rocket, causing them to jump up and scream in fear.

"Way to go!" Bonnie cheers.

"Nice work, Bunnelby!" Clemont praises his partner.

After nodding to Bunnelby, I turn to my own Pokémon. "Pikachu, finish with Thunderbolt!"

With a victorious cry, Pikachu leaps up and crackles with thunderous power. He expels the electricity into the form of a bolt, which collides into the team of criminals and sends them "blasting off again," into the far distance and away from us.

"Wow! Awesome power!" Bonnie says, staring at us with wide blue eyes.

Blushing in embarrassment, I reach around and place my hand on my neck. "Thank you, guys."

"Bunnelby, you were just great," Clemont tells the Normal-type, who basks in his Trainer's loving praise.

All of a sudden, Froakie collapses, shaking violently. Startled, I'm at his side in a flash, and kneel down to him.

"Froakie!" I pick him up, my eyes roaming around the numerous scratches and bruises on his small light blue body. "He's really injured," I whisper, my heart clenching for the Water-type Pokémon.

"Froakie needs help right away," Clemont speculates, adjusting his glasses.

"Is there a Pokémon Center nearby?"

Clemont straightens up, looking around. "Well, from here... I'm trying to think..."

"I think it would be a whole lot quicker if we brought Froakie to the professor's lab instead," Bonnie speaks up.

I raise my eyebrow at her words. "Professor?"

Clemont nods. "Professor Sycamore's research lab. There's no doubt he'll know how to help Froakie." I nod, and once I stand up, Clemont holds out a Poké Ball to Bunnelby. "Alright, Bunnelby, return." Bunnelby's sucked back into the Ball in a jet of red light. Clemont smiles at it and lifts it up to his face. "Thanks a lot. You really helped out." The Poké Ball shakes in response.

Bonnie tugs on the hem of my baby blue shirt, motioning over to the nearby road. "Come on, Alice! This way!" She begins to run towards the road, where various people are scattered on the pavement.

"I'm coming!"

I begin to run after her, Froakie in my arms and Pikachu at my heels. Clemont begins to follow us, but stops to reach down for our backpacks. I don't want to lose sight of Bonnie, so I keep following her.

"It's okay, Froakie," I pant to the injured Pokémon in my arms. "You'll be feeling better soon."

And with that, I continue to follow the little blonde girl, her brother right behind us, and Pikachu at my side, towards Professor Sycamore's lab.

I hope this isn't too much of a cliffhanger, but I promise you, I'm working on the second chapter. I can't promise you when it'll be released, but I'll try my hardest!

I'll change things up here and there, like I've done with Best Wishes so far. I already plan on Alice having an Espurr, and thanks to TerrorKing10, maybe Serena will have a Vivillon. But we'll see how it all plays out!

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me what you think so far! I love you all! 3