Max quickly ducked his head back inside the bushes and turned away from his mentors when he heard Blue end the video call. His mentors had contact with two rangers and a League Champion? And what was this about their 'superiors'?
He quickly shoved the thought aside. If Jessie, James, and Meowth were still looking for Ash, then what chance did he have of finding his old friend?
Ash tensed once again, the very edges of his eyes burning a bright cerulean under the contacts. He caught Aurian's attention, and signaled a hand motion- pointing at two eyes and outstretching his right hand.
Someone's watching.
Aurian immediately whipped around, her eyes glowing an unearthly blue. She immediately saw where Max was hiding, and whispered something to Ash. The patonai walked back down the path as Max sprinted back on an adjacent trail with no clue of the patonai's observance.
The olive-headed boy arrived back at camp to find the plethora of Pokémon getting along rather nicely. He approached Aurian's Mienshao, who was leisurely eating an Oran berry, with a smile.
"Hey there! I'm Max."
The fighting type smiled at the boy while finishing her berry. "Shao, shami."
As Max and the fighting-type continued their exchange, Maddy walked back towards Max, with Corona and Typhlosion at her side.
"I followed Red and Blue," Max admitted sheepishly.
Maddy sighed. "Curiosity killed the Purrloin. What'd you find out?"
"They're working for someone- I heard an older voice mention something about Team Rocket looking for an old friend of mine."
Maddy frowned. "I've heard of them- they steal Pokémon, right?"
Max nodded. "Yeah, and apparently, three members that I've run into multiple times are on their way to the tournament."
"Well that's not good," Maddy dead panned, picking Corona up off the ground and stroking her back. "What should we do?"
Max sighed. "What can we do- we're ten, for crying out loud! We need more training before we can do anything important!"
Max cut off his rant as the sound of approaching footsteps from the forest echoed through their campsite. Max focused his attention to the magnificent Togekiss who had waddled over in his direction.
"Hey, Blue and Red!" Maddy called. "Is everything all right?"
The older girl nodded, her curls bouncing up and down. "Yeah. We're clear. Since our teams are fed, I think we should set out for a short training session."
Ash smiled as he watched the signature gleam of excitement glimmer in Max's eyes. He remembered when he used to feel like that- eager to learn new things, expectant of new things to come.
"Max, can you call out your Ralts?"
The beginner nodded, and his psychic-type appeared before them.
"What moves can he use?" Ash inquired as Pikachu settled himself on top of his left shoulder.
"Growl, Confusion, Double Team, and Teleport," Max announced. "I know it's not much, but we've gotten along fine."
"Everyone has to start somewhere. Blue, you've got a bit more experience with psychics- do you have any strategy ideas for Max and Ralts?" Ash asked, playing with the short end of his ponytail.
"Using Teleport for offense," Aurian offered. "It's a rather unusual strategy, because most people see that move as an emergency escape route. While Ralts is in between locations, have him prepare an attack, and preferably land on top of your target."
Max grinned. "Gee, I never thought of using Teleport like that!"
Ash shrugged. "Like Blue mentioned earlier, it's uncommon. We both learned it from our mentor a year ago. I don't have a Psychic type with me, but the strategy works equally well with moves like Agility and ExtremeSpeed."
The two young trainers nodded wordlessly.
"Who's your mentor?" asked Max.
He knew that if Red would answer, he'd be one step closer to figuring out who he worked for.
Ash frowned, considering how to answer the question. "A man we know heads a prestigious training organization. We were lucky enough to be noticed because of our skills, and he invited us to train under him."
Max looked a little put out from not getting a specific answer, but nodded anyways.
"For Corona," pondered Ash. "I would advise you to keep SmokeScreen around once she learns it. I've been in tournaments where Typhlosion's smoke has saved my tail a few times. It's both an offensive and defensive move."
Maddy nodded attentively. "Yes, sir!"
Ash allowed a small smile. "Please- I'm seventeen. There's no need to call me Sir- Red will suffice."
Max tucked Red's age away in his brain. Ash was fifteen when he vanished, and that was two and a half years ago...
Aurian checked her watch, and a resounding grumble could be heard throughout the campsite, drawing everyone's attention. The copper-haired girl shrugged. "It's eleven thirty. Is anyone else hungry?"
Max nodded. "Yeah, I'm starved!"
Maddy returned Corona to her Pokéball, and tapped Max on the shoulder.
"Race ya!" she yelled, taking off at a dead sprint towards the Center.
Max took off as well. "Hey, no fair! Wait up!"
Aurian and Ash chuckled at the new trainers' enthusiasm, returned their various team members, and started off towards the center.
"Max seems like a good trainer, from what I've seen so far," Aurian offered, twirling the pendant of her necklace around its chain.
Ash allowed a small smile. "Yeah. He's gonna go far."
"How are you holding up?" his patonai asked. "This can't be easy for you."
He sighed. Yes, you're right. This isn't easy. It's taking all of my self-restraint to keep from blowing my cover. You know how I felt after the Sinnoh incident- it was a physical, emotional, and mental battering."
Aurian put a hand on his unoccupied shoulder. "You'll floor them at the tournament itself. They will never doubt your strength again."
"They weren't doubting. They were right. I wasn't strong enough."
The girl sighed. Look. We've taken down Cipher, Galactic, and the Johto branch of Rocket. You handled most of the Galactic takedown on your own, and wonderfully at that. You're going to win this tournament, Red," she whispered, "and you'll never doubt yourself again."
The two eventually came back to the Center, where they entered to find Max and Maddy waiting on them at a table.
"Who won?" Ash asked.
Maddy grinned, while Max hung his head.
"Well," Aurian countered, "that solves that. What kind of food is served here?"
Max shrugged. "Nurse Joy said that she'd bring us bread, peanut butter, and jelly. That sounded good, so I said sure."
Ash grinned. "I could go for a PBJ right now."
As he spoke, a Chansey dropped off their dinner plates with a happy announcement. After much thanking, the rotund pink Pokémon bounced off back towards her station. The table fell silent as the four kids fell upon their food, practically demolishing it in their hunger.
Aurian finished first, and as she wiped her mouth on a disposable cloth napkin, she paled as a figure approached the table.
"Blue, is something wrong?" asked Max.
Maddy frowned and put a hand on the older girl's shoulder. "Yeah, you don't look all that good."
Ash bit his lip when he saw the girl approaching. He knew why Aurian was nervous. The aura-user had told him about her rather... turbulent past. He knew the girl from his old traveling days through Sinnoh.
Guess she never knew that Rebecca Makushisa would be here.
Aurian had to repress a sigh when the bluenette walked past her to another table. The trainees exchanged curious looks.
"She was extremely rude and degrading towards my team and I when we started out. Things are different now, but still..."
Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder to Aurian's, and provided a caring nuzzle and a reassuring 'Chaaaaaaa'. The older girl immediately perked up, and set the electric rodent back on his trainer's shoulder with a smile.
As Ash glanced back over his shoulder, he saw yet another familiar face- this one topped with spiky red hair that would make a Qwilfish jealous. A yellow shirt, battered dark blue jeans with a red racing stripe, a waist pack, and a headband completed the extent of his clothing. A strange bionic device covered his shoulder and hand, connected by a wire that ran the length of his arm.
Only two people in the world were in possession of a Snag Machine, and one of them was raising a family.
"Michael," Ash breathed.
Lance's representative.
(A/N): Hello, everyone, and thanks for reading chapter three! I'll take some time to respond to everyone's lovely reviews-
BlueBlackFantasy- Wow, thank you so much! Ash's crew didn't really do anything mean, but that will be explained in due time.
partner555- Yes, the break from canon happens at the end of Sinnoh. I don't like the way that the anime went from there. And as for Ash's dislike of Dark-types: all will be explained.
PL signing off!
