Welcome to chapter 2 of "Bonds of Deceit". Be sure to leave a review when you reach the bottom!

Chapter 2: Zen and Hana in Kalos!


Hana hummed under her breath happily as she skipped down Route 218 several feet ahead of her older brother Zen. It was summertime, and the two children were traveling to their hometown of Floaroma in the Sinnoh region. At nine years old, Hana was still too young to start her Pokemon Trainer journey; after all, she still had one year left of classes before she could receive certification allowing her to own a Pokemon. Her brother, however, was the ripe old age of ten and had already received his first Pokemon a few days prior. Their father had taken the young boy to Sandgem Town where he had met with Professor Rowen and received his starter.

Old enough to travel on his own, it had been decided that Zen would be allowed to pick up Hana from their aunt's home in Twinleaf Town and drop her off at home before continuing on his journey. Traveling to Floaroma from Twinleaf should have taken only the better part of a day, but Zen kept insisting that they stop to battle every trainer he ran into. Hana had been awestruck as she watched her brother and his new Pokemon battle. She couldn't wait for the year to pass so she could get her own Pokemon and join him for real.

By the time they reached Jubilife, the last major city before Floaroma, the two children were exhausted as it was already after dark. With Zen's winnings, they had decided to spend the night at the Pokemon Center.

The next day, while preparing for the last leg of their trip home, Hana had seen a sign advertising a fair in Conalave City and had begged Zen to take her there first before returning home.

Deciding it would be a good chance to train, Zen gave the ok, and they began the trek west toward Conalave.


Hana's eyes opened abruptly, cutting short the memory of her time with her brother at the beginning of his journey. Blinking against the light she let out a ragged breath, wondering why the memories she had tried so hard to block from her mind were coming up. Get a grip she thought to herself, closing her eyes. It's been over ten years. You're fine.

She turned her head on the pillow to look out the window, and could see a hazy glimpse of the town of Aquacorde through it. Hana had arrived the night before after traveling two days straight from Unova. If she ever did catch up to Zen, she was going to kill him for being so difficult to reach.

Hana was pulled from her thoughts as the sound of a wet sort of crunching filled her ears. Sleep was replaced by wakefulness and she bolted upright in bed exclaiming, "Gible!"

The round Pokemon looked up happily from where he sat in the center of the room, in a pile of what used to be Hana's clothing. Feeling sorry that Gible had spent that last week in a pokeball, Hana had released him upon entering the small room at the inn she was staying in, and before she could even think about putting anything away, had fallen asleep. Groaning she slipped out of bed and walked over to her Pokemon.

"Gible, how could you! You know my things are off limits!" Glaring at him in annoyance, Hana swatted him, while at the same time taking care to avoid his sharp teeth. Hana picked up the remains of her clothes and tossed them on the bed. Picking up Gible's pokeball, she reluctantly recalled him. Hana loved Gible, but his destructive tendencies were too much to handle at that moment.

Yawning, Hana walked over to where her bag was on a small desk, and she removed a map of Kalos from it.

The map was creased, from all the folding and unfolding it had gone through these past two days as Hana had studied it, trying to decide where to start the search for her brother. Eventually, she had decided to start in the smallest of the towns, Vaniville, and move up from there.

After going to the bathroom, Hana got dressed in the only clothes Gible hadn't destroyed; a pair of shorts and a tank top that had seen better days. Looking at herself in the mirror Hana cringed. She looked more like a twelve year old than a twenty-something year old woman. Her thin frame with only a hint at curves didn't help.

Gripping the map in one hand, Hana exited her room and went down to the lobby of the Aquacorde Inn. It was nowhere near as opulent as the Hotel in Driftveil City, but it had a charm all of its own with its plush carpets and vintage furniture. Nodding at the receptionist at the front desk, Hana exited and stopped in surprise as she got her first good look at Aquacorde Town in the daylight.

It was a small town, hardly more than five or six shops in the downtown area where the inn resided, but it was beautiful. In the center of the town square was a fountain and the streets were all made of stone. The buildings seemed older but tidy, made from sandy stones and covered in dark blue roofing. At the north end of town was a long bridge that crossed a winding river while at the south end of town stood a stone archway that was the entryway to a path.

Consulting her map Hana saw that Vaniville Town lay to the south. Squaring her shoulders and walking towards the stone archway Hana thought; I'm coming for you Zen.


Zen looked around Lumiose City, his facemask being the only thing hiding his look of shock from those around him. Having arrived the previous evening, the former Unovan Champion hadn't had a chance to see much of the city once he reached the town at the center of Kalos. Now, however...Lumiose city was hands down the biggest city Zen had ever stepped foot in. The large buildings, wide roads, and strangely dressed people were going to take some getting used to.

The man sighed and looked off towards the center of the city, where he could see a towering structure that completely dwarfed every other building in the city. He was positive that the enormous tower could be seen for miles.

Looking down at the tourist guidebook he had found in his hotel room, Zen nodded his head. That is definitely Prism Tower he thought. And… it doubles as the city's gym? Fascinating.

He looked at Prism Tower once more, his fingers reflexively reaching for his nearly empty pokeball belt, before remembering that he wasn't there to admire the architecture. He needed to focus.

Zen flipped through the pages of his Lumiose guidebook until he found the page with the Lumiose City map. Hoping to find some indication as to where to begin, he began quickly scanning the map. His eyes, which were quite used to picking up and analyzing little details, zeroed in on some bold letters on the map. But it wasn't the bold letters that had caught his attention; it was what they spelled out.

"Professor Sycamore's Pokemon Lab"

Zen spotted the Pokemon Lab in the distance and broke into a run. "Hurry up dad! My Pokemon is tired of waiting for me!"

Sinnoh League Champion Shota shook his head at his son's antics. He could remember the day he received his starter. He had been just as excited as Zen, and he still considered it one of the greatest moments in his life. Smiling, he decided to just follow along, and not spoil Zen's moment.

"Coming!" Shota called ahead to his son who had already reached the laboratory doors, and, was now glaring a hole through him because of how slow he was apparently walking.

Shota chuckled inwardly. "Damned kid." A laugh escaped his lips as he noticeably sped up. "He'll be the death of me!"

Once inside, one of Professor Rowen's lab assistants greeted them and revised the documents Shota had handed to her. They were proof that Zen had completed the mandatory four-year course that all prospective trainers had take. According to UPL regulations, all schools were required to offer Pokemon Trainer courses.

From ages six to eight, children who wished to be trainers would spend hours doing typical textbook work. At eight, if they passed the required written exams, they moved into a more hands-on course until at ten, after a final they received a document certifying them as trainers, and authorizing that region's Pokemon Professor to give that trainer their first Pokemon.

"Looks like everything is here." said the woman. "Professor Rowan will be with you shortly."

To Zen, the wait felt like forever, although in reality, only about 6 minutes had gone by. He already knew which Pokemon he would start with; he had been thinking long and hard about it for a while now.

He clenched his fists and looked at his father in excitement. "I'm going to surpass you, dad!" He thought.

"Zenjiro?" Said a nasally voice, breaking Zen from his thoughts.

Zen blinked in surprise and looked in the direction the voice had come from. He wasn't used to hearing his full name. Another smiling lab assistant gestured for Zen to follow him.

"Professor Rowan will see you now."

Zen sprung to his feet, and practically dragged his father after the lab assistant.

He would finally have a Pokemon.

His journey started now.

Zen relaxed his grip on the guidebook when he realized he was crushing it almost to the point of not being able to read it. He'd never forget the beginning of his journey. Reflexively he put his hand on his chest, and gave it a comforting rub, eyes glazing over for a moment as if lost in a distant memory.

The man regained focus a moment later and prepared to make his way across the city to the Pokemon Lab. Now wasn't the time for old memories. He had a job to do. If anyone knew anything about Team Flare and their activities in Kalos, it would be the professor.

Taking the only pokeball he currently carried off of his belt, Zen looked down at it, sighing as if he felt an incredible weight on his shoulders.

"Let's get started."


Serena whistled under her breath as she walked down the forest path. Having recently moved to Kalos, she didn't know much about the area or the Pokemon that could be found. But at sixteen, she had felt confident taking the Vaniville Pathway by herself to meet with her brand new neighbors Shauna and Calem, who had come by to invite her to a get-together.

The young girl had been nervous at first about moving to a brand new region, but as she had started down the road leading to Aquacorde Town, Serena had felt nothing but happiness. The Vaniville Pathway, or Route 1 as it was more formally known, was a wooded path that connected the towns of Aquacorde and Vaniville. Unlike other routes she had grown up around, the Vaniville Pathway appeared to be Pokemon free.

At least Serena had thought so. Twenty minutes into her walk, she had heard a strange noise coming from one of the trees further up ahead. Curiosity piqued, Serena quickened her pace and soon saw that the branches of a tree up ahead were shaking wildly.

"What on…" Serena's voice trailed off as she realized it was a Pansage. The Pokemon had what appeared to be a tree growing out of its head. A combination of green and beige, Pansage had gotten its arm stuck in a hole in the tree trying to gather food. However, its clenched fist hadn't been able to fit all the way through and had gotten stuck. Now the Pokemon screeched wildly from pain and frustration.

Pity had welled up in Serena as she watched the Pokemon try to free itself. Who knows how long it had been there already? Dropping her bag on the ground Serena approached the tree and called out in what she hoped was a reassuring tone of voice, "Don't worry little guy, I'll get you free."

Serena hesitated a bit as she thought about what she was about to do next. Wild Pokemon were exactly that; wild. There was a reason that you had to go through a four-year course just to become a trainer.

Careless civilians and trainers alike got injured all the time because of letting their guards down around Pokemon that didn't seem all that menacing. In worst cases, death was a result of their folly.

Deciding that saving the Pansage was worth the risk, Serena covered her arms with the jacket in her bag, reasoning that it was thick enough to protect her from the trapped Pansage's sharp claws.

Standing at the base of the tree, Serena looked up and took a deep breath, before grabbing a low hanging branch and beginning to climb.

Within minutes Serena had shimmied up the tree and was seated high up on the branch above the ground. The Pokemon, weary from his ordeal, hissed and tried to scratch her with his free hand but missed.

"Hey, keep your paw...hand...thing...to yourself," Serena scolded as she gently took hold of the arm that was caught in the hole.

The Pokemon, terrified out of its mind, gave another desperate swipe. This one hit its mark.

While it didn't cut her skin due to the protection of her jacket, it had been a strong swipe. The Pansage was much stronger than it appeared.

Eyes wide, Serena found herself falling backward, her hand still holding the Pansage's arm. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that her weight had successfully freed the wild Pokemon, but it was now screeching and scratching as they plummeted towards the ground.

There's nothing to break our fall! Serena realized in horror. Doing the only thing she could do in the few seconds she had before hitting the ground, Serena curled around the struggling grass monkey Pokemon in an attempt to shield it, closed her eyes, and waited for the pain.


By the time Hana started down Route 1 towards Vaniville Town, it was already mid morning. On her walk to the stone archway that signified the beginning of the route, she had gotten distracted by the various shops and had even stopped at a cafe to grab some breakfast; a warm, tasty croissant the memory of which made Hana wonder why she had only bought one.

Sighing wistfully Hana noticed a marker on the side of the road that said she was only half way to Vaniville; glancing at the watch around her wrist she saw that she had only been walking thirty minutes. Looking around Hana couldn't help but enjoy her surroundings. The Vaniville Pathway was beautiful; big trees frames the path on both sides offering a good covering from the sun and the path itself was paved.

Completely caught up in admiring the scenery, Hana almost didn't notice the feet sticking out from the brush on the side of the road. When she did, an involuntary gasp escaped her lips and immediately her hands began to tremble as she struggled to stop the panic rising within her.

Too frightened to think straight, Hana turned back towards Aquacorde but froze when a pain filled voice asked, "Is...is someone there?"

Unable to speak Hana took several cautious steps away but stopped when the voice continued with a small sob, "Please, I need help! I think I broke something."

It suddenly occurred to Hana that the voice sounded youthful and carefully she walked over to where the feet were. Peering down she was shocked to find a teenage girl, laid out on the ground, with scratches on her face and bare legs.

Immediately the fear dropped away, and Hana fell to her knees beside the girl. "What happened? Did somebody do this to you?"

"If by somebody you mean a Pokemon, then yes."'the girl said painfully.

Hana helped the girl sit up as she introduced herself as Serena, and gave a brief rundown of what had occurred to her. It was clear that the fall had injured the girl's leg and the Pokemon, upon being released, had scratched the girl several times leaving bloody lines across her face and legs.

When Serena was done, she winced and said, "You must think I'm an idiot."

"Well…" Hana started off, rummaging through the bag she had been carrying with her. "It wasn't exactly a wise decision." the older woman pulled out a first aid kit. "I can't help with your leg but let me clean up your scratches before I go for help."


Zen stared at the entrance to the Sycamore Pokemon Lab. After walking for what seemed like forever across the large city, he had finally arrived. Going up the short staircase that led to the entrance, he paused only a brief moment before entering the building.

Once inside, he was greeted with the sight of many lab assistants milling around completing their various duties. This must be the floor where all the paperwork was dealt with.

As soon as Zen entered the building, all chattering came to a halt, and he was met with the questioning, and somewhat fearful, stares of everyone currently in the room. Was there something on his face or could it be his outfit? Maybe, he realized suddenly; it was a Kalos custom that he was not aware of. Perhaps they stared at people as a way of greeting. Deciding to test his theory, Zen crossed his arms over his chest, erased all emotion from his face, and stared right back unflinchingly.

Thirty awkward seconds went by...and nothing happened aside from some of the weaker looking lab assistants flinching and turning away.

Zen, realizing that he was wasting his time, opened his mouth to speak. "Please take me to Professor Sycamore. I have urgent business to discuss with him."

"Excuse me sir, but do you have an appointment?" The words were spoken by a short woman, with dark hair, wearing a smart looking outfit in white. "Professor Sycamore is a very busy man and can't just see people whenever they want to!"

Zen turned to look at the woman who had spoken out to him, his face still unreadable. His eyes suddenly took on a predatory look, and he spoke.

"I don't have time to waste with incompetent assistants. Move, I'll find him myself." If there was one thing that put Zen in a bad mood, it was people who opened their mouths and spoke nonsense. It just grated his nerves.

Seeing an elevator towards the back of the room, Zen began to walk forward, hoping that the fools weren't so annoying that they would try to stop him.

He shouldn't have hoped.

He hadn't taken more than four steps before the lone security guard who thought he had been hiding successfully grew a pair and shakily stepped in front of Zen with a determined look on his face.

"Sir, you are r-really not allowed past this point unless y-you've made an appointment…" said the guard, holding a standard issue Taser Gun up in front of him.

Zen sighed. This was getting annoying. Why were they making such a big deal about someone wanting to talk to Professor Sycamore?

Taking another step forward, the former champion decided to try one more time. Beginning to lift his hands up to placate the security guard, Zen spoke; or tried to.

"Listen, I rea-

"Don't MOVE SIR!" squeaked the guard, interrupting Zen loudly. "Remove t-that dagger from your leg, p-put it on the ground, and take five steps b-back!"

By that point, Zen was reaching his breaking point. He hated being interrupted. However, he refrained from becoming upset, because now it all made sense.

He had strolled into a Pokemon lab that contained valuable Pokemon and research, wearing strange, dark, foreign clothes, and a long twelve-inch dagger strapped to his leg. That must have been why they had all stopped to stare when he had entered the building.

I guess it's not every day that a strange, foreign-looking man waltzes into their lab with a giant knife strapped to him Zen thought.

At that moment the elevator doors behind the security guard slid open revealing Professor Sycamore himself. The professor, a man in his mid-thirties, was busy looking down at the papers in his hands and walked straight into the security guard's back.

Blinking in surprise, Professor Sycamore looked up from the documents and exclaimed, "What's going on? Why are you standing there Mr. Thomas?"

Without waiting for a response the professor peered around Mr. Thomas, and his eyes brightened as they landed on Zen. "So the rumors are true!" he exclaimed, pushing past the security guard and striding over to Zen. "The former Unovan champion is here in Kalos! What a delightful surprise!" He held out his hand to Zen. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

Zen gave a small smile under his mask and grasped the professor's hand.

"My name is Zen. It's an honor to meet you Professor Sycamore. I wish we could have met under more pleasant circumstances...but my reason for being here is quite urgent. Can we speak in private?"

Hands still clasped together in greeting the professor caught the serious tone of Zen's voice, and he immediately became serious as well. "Of course, let's head to my office. We can speak there."

A few minutes later, and Zen was seated in a comfortable looking chair, across from Professor Sycamore. His office wasn't excessively large, but it was a comfortable size, and there was a large glass window that overlooked the Pokemon habitats that belonged to the lab.

Zen spared a glance at what seemed to be a Charmander basking on a rock enjoying the sunlight, before turning to the professor and asking him point blank.

"What do you know about Team Flare?"

Professor Sycamore leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment before responding.

"They are a vast and highly prominent group whose primary goal is to improve the world we live in. They do fundraisers, help towns and cities after natural disasters, and even appear at high profile meetings with influential people in the Civil Government."

Zen sighed, slightly disappointed that the Professor didn't have any new or useful information. However, his trip to the lab wouldn't be a complete waste. The Professor was essentially one of the UPL's representative here in the Kalos region. He always had a network of reliable people around Kalos that would be a great source of information. Teaming up with the Professor would be in his best interests.

"The UPL has reason to believe that Team Flare is not all that it seems to be. It is possible that they are a powerful crime syndicate using humanitarian acts and putting on a good face to hide their illegal activities," said Zen in a low voice that only the Professor could hear.

Upon hearing this, the Professor sat straight up in his chair, and looked Zen straight in the eye.

"Is the UPL certain about this?" he asked.

Zen shook his head. "No, and that is why I am here. I've been sent to uncover the truth. I had hoped you would have heard something, but it seems my hopes were in vain. I'll need to keep looking." Standing up from his seat, Zen continued. "There is something you can still do to help, Professor."

Walking over to the window overlooking the Pokemon habitats, Zen looked out at the sunbathing Charmander, absently wondering why there was a Kanto starter in the Kalos region. Shaking his head lightly to regain focus, he looked sideways at Professor Sycamore, who had just joined him at the window.

"You have many connections here in Kalos. Please investigate on your own, and see if you can't figure out something useful. In the meantime, I will be continuing my search across the region." Said Zen, who was still looking outside at the now awake Charmander, who seemed to have taken it upon himself to see what would happen if it bit down on it's tail flame.

"I'll do it. Give me some time to make some calls, and visit some people. I'll alert you should anything come to my attention." Said Professor Sycamore.

Tearing his eyes away from the intriguing fire lizard outside the Professor's window, Zen nodded. "Thank you, professor. Now how about a tour of the lab?"

Laughing, Professor Sycamore motioned for Zen to follow him, and they made their way down the hall towards the elevator.

"We'll head down to the main lobby, and out the side door to the Pokemon Habitats. We can start there."

Zen only nodded and followed the Professor into the elevator, anxious to see what type of Pokemon the Kalos region had to offer.

As the elevator opened, and they stepped into the main lobby, an energetic voice blasted through the air and assaulted their ears.

"Look Pikachu!" The voice said enthusiastically. "This is the famous Pokemon lab that studies Mega Evolution! We're going to learn something here that makes us stronger. I'm sure of it!"

Both the professor and Zen stared at the new comer. It was a young man about Zen's age. He was about an inch shorter, but stood with confidence that made him seem taller. His face was framed with pitch black hair that was spiked a bit to the side, probably due to the red baseball cap he was wearing on his head.

The man's large eyes were searching the room excitedly, and he was grinning widely. A few moments passed, and the stranger's wandering eyes met Zen's confused ones.

Zen immediately narrowed his eyes, but did not break eye contact. This man was hiding his power behind his giant smile and energetic, happy attitude. However, Zen was not convinced. He could tell by the way this man stood. He was a powerful man and Pokemon trainer. The Pikachu sitting on his shoulder only seemed to confirm Zen suspicions.

His Pikachu was clearly well trained and powerful. It sat confidently on his shoulder; it's small black eyes also staring straight at Zen, apparently sensing the same thing as it's trainer. What stood out the most about the man's Pikachu was the fact that it's fur was littered with scars. It had clearly fought many battles, and didn't seem to be in any way ashamed of it's battle scars. It wore them as banners of pride.

The man with the Pikachu spoke up once more as he stared at Zen intensely, his broad smile turning into a confident smirk.

"My name is Ash Ketchum." He raised a finger and pointed at Zen.

"Battle me!"


"Hana?"

The soft voice startled Hana, and she realized with embarrassment that she had fallen asleep in the living room of Serena's home in Vaniville. After finding the injured girl Hana had gone on to Vaniville, located Serena's mother, Grace, and then helped the woman retrieve her daughter.

That had been three hours earlier. Grace had left Serena in Hana's care and had left on her Rhyhorn to locate a doctor. Eventually, the woman had returned with an older gentleman and Hana had slipped out of Serena's room and gone downstairs.

Rubbing a hand over her face, Hana said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"That's alright," Grace said with a grin. "It's been an exciting afternoon. The doctor just left."

Hana stood up, looking concerned. "Is Serena going to be alright?"

Grace nodded. "It's just a fracture so she'll be alright. But the doc says she needs to stay off her leg for several weeks to let it heal."

Relief filled Hana at that news. "Really? I'm happy to hear that. Well, I'll be on my way then. It was a nice meeting you."

"Not so fast!" Grace laughed and propelled Hana towards the staircase. "Serena wants to speak with you."

Heading back to Serena's room, Hana found the girl lying in bed, using a laptop; her leg propped up. Seeing Hana, she smiled and closed the device.

"Hana, thank you so much for helping me. You didn't have to."

Sitting in a chair pulled up beside the bed, Hana replied, "Of course I did! I couldn't just leave you there lying in some bushes. Your mom told me that the doctor said you'd be ok."

The two of them chatted for a few moments longer. As Hana got ready to leave Serena asked hesitantly, "Can you do me a favor?"

"Ah...sure. What do you need?"


Grumbling under her breath, Hana made her back to Aquacorde wondering how she had gotten herself into this mess. If she hadn't stopped for the croissant in the morning, she wouldn't have met Serena, and she wouldn't be back on her way to Aquacorde Town to meet with Serena's friends to inform them of what happened.

Well...she'd be on her way back to Aquacorde anyways since no one in Vaniville had seen Zen, but that was besides the point. When she emerged from the Vaniville Pathway, Hana headed straight for the cafe she had eaten at in the morning. Serena's friends would be there.

Hana saw a group of teenagers seated outside the cafe and approached them. "Excuse me...are you Serena's friends?"

The group swiveled towards her and a young girl, with her brown hair divided into two large pigtails smiled and said eagerly, "Yes! We're her friends."

"Ah...sorry but...She can't meet with you right now. She got hurt on her way over." Hana said. At the stunned looks on their faces, she explained what had happened.

One of the boys, sat back in his seat and said glumly, "What are we going to do? The professor wanted me and Trevor to hand out these items."

Patting the boy's arm, the girl with pigtails said, "Don't worry Tierno, I have an idea! Hey! Lady!"

Hana, who had already been walking away, stopped and looked back. "My name is Hana," she said irritably.

"I'm Shauna," the girl replied brightly. "These are my friends Tierno, Trevor, and Calem! Come sit down!" She bounced out of her seat, grabbed Hana by the arm and pulled her over to the tables.

When Hana was seated Tierno said with a grin, "You know, Hana's a pretty name but wouldn't you prefer to be called H-Meister?"

Hana ogled him and Shauna burst out, "What! No way, she's a Li'l H for sure." Without missing a beat, the bubbly girl turned towards Trevor and demanded, "What do you think Trevor?"

"What? You want me to nickname someone I just met?!" Trevor's face turned nearly as red as his hair. Shooting a look at Hana in embarrassment he continued, "Shauna you shouldn't put people on the spot like that!"

Weakly Hana said, "Thanks but...I don't need a nickname. What do you guys need from me?"

"Well you see," Shauna chirped, "The Professor of this region has asked all of us to do him a favor and to complete it….he's giving us all Pokemon! Serena was supposed to help, but she's injured...and I noticed you're not carrying any Pokemon on you... so you can help instead!" Whipping towards Tierno, she continued eagerly, "Can we see the Pokemon? I want to meet my new partner!"

Hana felt a cold sweat break out over her, and she wanted to nothing more than jump up and run as far away as possible. She didn't want a Pokemon. She already had one, and that was enough.

She held up her hands and said, "Look, guys, thanks but I'm not interested."

Hana made a move to stand up, but Shauna reached over and grabbed onto her arm. "But you have to help us," she cried out. "Without a fifth person, we can't do as the professor asked. And everyone else around here is either already on their Pokemon journeys or still not certified!"

A look came over Shauna's face, and she asked in a rush, "You are certified aren't you?"

Memories washed over Hana, memories of begging her parents to let her drop out of the Pokemon trainer classes, only to have her father forcefully insist that she get over her fears and finish what she started.

Memories of graduating top of her class that year and throwing the certificate at her father and screaming that she would never be a trainer like him. Memories...

"I am certified," Hana whispered hollowly. "But I've never been a trainer." She looked at the eager youthful faces around her and remembered feeling that same eagerness. More memories bubbled up, but she forced them down.

She was an adult now, more than capable of taking care of herself. Last time with Zen, she had been a child. The two of them were unprepared for the horrors they had encountered in Conalave...but….this time...it could be different.

The image of her father in her mind, Hana found herself nodding, albeit reluctantly. "Alright….I'll help out."

The teens gave a cheer and Tierno pulled out three pokeballs and pushed them towards Shauna, Calem, and Hana. "Here you guys go, choose your new partner!"


At the shocked look on Zen's face, Professor Sycamore laughed delightedly.

"What an honor," the older man said, crossing the lobby to go shake Ash Ketchum's hand. "To have not one, but two Pokemon Champions here in my lab! Welcome!"

Ash shook Professor Sycamore's hand and grinned. "Former Pokemon Champions Professor; and it's good to be here." He looked over at Zen. "I didn't mean to startle you, but I know a powerful trainer when I see one. Passing up a battle is something I can't do! So, what do you say? Let's battle!"

Zen's eyes widened for a split second. I knew he seemed familiar he thought...and that Pikachu is unmistakable. This is the man who took down Team Rocket when he was only about ten years old! Still...I've been a trainer for just as long. I'm confident of my victory should I choose to battle.

Looking at the energetic man in front of him, Zen contemplated whether or not to battle.

Finally, Zen shook his head and responded succinctly. "No."

Ash's jaw dropped in disbelief at being denied a battle so quickly. "Why not? This would be a perfect way to test my strength!" he argued.

"Two reasons." Zen began, holding up two fingers. "One, I'm not here for pleasure. I have extremely important business to attend to." Lowering one of his fingers, Zen continued. "and two… I wouldn't want to destroy Professor Sycamore's lab while using my Pokemon to defeat your Pikachu."

Zen kept his eyes on Ash, chuckling internally at the frustration and annoyance that now showed on the man's face.

"There is no way my Pikachu would lose to ANY Pokemon you have." Clenching his fist, Ash demanded. "Battle me!"

Zen shook his head once more, and began making his way towards the entrance of the lab. "No."

As he was about to exit the front door, he was interrupted by Professor Sycamore's voice.

"Surely you can make time for one battle? Your business is not going anywhere in the next hour. I'll even lend both of you a Pokemon to use that won't cause the destruction of my lab." he said.

Closing his eyes in slight annoyance at their persistence, Zen turned around and faced the Professor and Ash. He supposed that there was no way out. What did he have to lose?

"Fine," Zen said, his eyes narrowing as he focused on Ash. "I'll battle you. But don't be upset when I defeat you."


POKEDEX ENTRY

#511 Pansage: It's good at finding berries and gathers them from all over. It's kind enough to share them with friends.


Karashi: Thanks for reading the next chapter of "Bonds of Deceit! I just want to clarify a few things about this story before we move on with it. This story will contain a mixture of Original Characters and characters from canon. We do not own any of the characters we use from the canon storyline, but since this is our version, do not expect the characters to be exactly the same as they are in the anime/manga/game, because you will only find yourself disappointed in the end.

This also goes for the storyline. You may have noted that we are loosely following the sequence of the XY games. The key word here is LOOSELY. The storyline will be different from the original at times, to better accommodate the plot of the story.

All seriousness aside, we hope you are enjoying Bonds of Deceit. Be sure to leave reviews, favorite, and follow! Come back and read the next chapter so you can see which Pokemon Hana chose, and for Ash vs. Zen! (Be sure to check out the two polls on our profile page to give your opinion!)