Ash, the Iron Trainer

Cave of Fossils and Team Flare

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

"Pokémon" – Normal Speech

'Pokémon' – Thoughts

Pokémon – Flashback

Pokémon – Move Names

{Pokémon} – Pokédex

Previously on Ash the Iron Trainer,

"B-but…" Serena still wanted to protest even though her front was a tad weak with her stuttering. "W-what about the hideous and disgusting Pokémon! They will attack us if we stay in here much longer! I wanted to get to the next Pokémon Center!"

"Serena." Ash said with a soft but stern tone that had silenced his human companion completely. But he didn't say anything else after that, only point his attention and an open hand to the ceiling. Serena then saw that the Zubat in question were not attacking them, they were instead hanging on the stone stalactites like regular bats, softly snoring. They were sleeping instead attacking them! "Pokémon in the wild only attack if they personally find a good reason to. Whatever because they are just mean or that we have offended them in some way. But I know Zubat, they are among the friendliest Pokémon in the world, so I have seen so far. They won't attack if we anger or scare them, and we are doing neither so we will be just fine." Ash said with a voice that never raised or lowered its volume.

Then Ash pointed for Serena to look in another direction and saw the wild Meditite, Axew, and Whismur in groups and also silently and softly snoring the night away. It looked rather cute to Serena who blushed at the sight, like a few month old infants during their nap time, huddled together with their friends. "Wow." Serena was no longer shouting and almost lost her voice altogether.

"This is what Pokémon really are Serena and ever since I left on my journey, I've always enjoyed such beautiful sights. It was the only way to remind me of the time I first met you Serena. You must understand that much." Ash said before finding a space that was not taken by the Pokémon and relaxed on the wall. The Stalactites and stalagmites didn't bother him at all.

After Pikachu found Ash's pack a very comfy bed, Serena decided that she needed to find a place to sleep or at least relax on since they were still full of energy from the fun day at the Battle Chateau. And for some reason, Serena didn't feel the least bit annoyed when she saw that Ash and Pikachu had dozed off before she will even sit down next to them. Right on the other side of Ash to Pikachu.

Serena wanted to be as close to Ash as possible since she still felt a little nervous about staying in a cave filled with Pokémon. She always dreamed of sleeping at least right next to Ash, to be able to lay her head on his shoulders. Serena always read in the romance novels, that couples always find it very comfy with a head on the other's shoulder.

And it was, more than it shows in those novels. It was like Serena had found the most comfy pillow in Kalos and it is all hers. Then Serena felt like Ash was moving his head, like her bold move awoke him. Thinking of moving fast enough to live tracks in the cave floor, Serena instead stayed still as a statue. All because Ash didn't wake up.

Instead, he just moved his head so that his cheek will be on Serena's forehead. It was like he knew she was there but didn't do a thing about it. Serena didn't even care about why Ash did that, she was enjoying the feeling of warmth that filled her from the head up. 'Ash…I knew that you will do this someday. I just wish that I can be the girl, the friend you make the luckiest in the world.' Finally, Serena closed her eyes while not budging from her place next to Ash, with all the peace and quiet found in a cave, even one filled to the brim with wild Pokémon.

XXXXX

Later, the next morning,

"Well we are out of the cave and now on Route 8 or as they call it, the Muraille Coast." Ash said.

"Great! I was getting a little tired of those creepy Pokémon." Serena said until she noticed that Ash was not taking that very well. "I-I take that back Ash! I swear!" She panicked, thinking that Ash was going to blow up in front of her face.

Instead Ash just sighed, "Serena you need to respect and remember the fact that Pokémon are found in all shapes in sizes and if you don't like one then that is too bad. You won't like it when you are seen as ugly or creepy by others do you?" Ash said and Serena nodded. "I just can't stand those who think that they can break hearts because they think that only beauty deserves to be trained and including those who think that only the strong Pokémon deserved to be trained. They are nothing but bullies and I will rather die than be one of them someday." Ash then stated until he trailed off into the distance while speaking that last distance.

"Ash…" Serena muttered and ran after Ash who started to walk down the path. 'Just what kind of trainer are you Ash? And just what kind of boy did you become since I last saw you?' Serena had no idea that she will learn so soon when the answer becomes clear.

"That Pokémon was so cute!" Serena squealed all the way to Ambrette Town, "where amber dust dances" like everyone there said. It was also the last town before Cyllage City since it after Route 8 and between both Route 9 & Route 10. It was direct route to Ash's second Gym Battle but there was still no hurry since the Pokémon League is still months away.

As for what got Serena in such a good mood was the last Pokémon they encountered which was a Spoink.

{Spoink, the Bounce Pokémon. Spoink moves around by bouncing on its tail. Its psychic powers are made stronger by the pearl on its head.}

Spoink is a gray, pig-like Pokémon. It has dark, circular eyes, a large gray nose, and small ears. It has stubby arms and possesses no hind legs. Motion is achieved by bouncing on its spring-like tail. The bouncing has a vital function, in that it keeps its heart beating. Even while it is sleeping, it continues to bounce. It wears a pearl produced by Clamperl on top of its head, which amplifies its psychic powers. Spoink will be weakened without a pearl, and always searches for bigger pearls. It lives in mountainous areas. It likes to eat mushrooms that grow underground.

Before that, Ash and the gang had gotten these additions to their Pokédex;

{Zangoose, the Cat Ferret Pokémon. Zangoose usually walks on all fours, but stands on its hind legs when angry. It's very quick and can easily dodge most enemy attacks.}

Zangoose is a bipedal Pokémon resembling a cross between a mongoose and cat. Although it is classified as a bipedal Pokémon, it usually walks on all fours. Its fur is mostly white with deep red, scar-like markings on the face, chest, and forepaws. It has two long, black claws on its forepaws, and pink paw pads on its hind feet. It has pink eyes, long ears, and a small red nose. When it opens its mouth, two sharp fangs can be seen on its upper jaw. There are small tufts of white fur on its shoulders, and it has a large, fluffy tail.

Zangoose is bitter enemies with Seviper, which it has battled against for many generations. Its claws are its best weapons, and can be used for its former signature move, Crush Claw. It lives in grassy areas.

{Seviper, the Fang Snake Pokémon. Seviper is known for its angry disposition, immobilizing its opponents by wrapping its body around them.}

Seviper is a serpentine Pokémon that is usually depicted scrunched up like an accordion. It is mostly black, but has several markings on its body. It has yellow hexagon markings that run from its head to its tail, small yellow bumps where it touches the ground, and various purple scar-like marks. It has elongated red fangs that protrude from its upper jaw and fierce red eyes. Its tail is partially red and has a blade-like shape. Seviper sharpens its tail on rocks, and can use it for its former signature move, Poison Tail.

Seviper wraps around its opponents to make them unable to move. Its tail and fangs are venomous, and are used for striking and poisoning prey or enemies. It has been bitter enemies with Zangoose for many generations. It lives in grassy areas.

{Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. Absol live in steep mountainous regions, and rarely venture down into areas inhabited by humans, but should an Absol be seen by humans, it is said that catastrophe is soon to follow.}

Absol is a quadruped, mammalian Pokémon with a dark blue to gray body covered in white fur. It has a ruff around its neck and chest and a tuft on the top of its head adorned with a single blue-black oval. It has a feline face with almond-shaped, red eyes, a scythe-like tail, and a sickle-shaped horn on the side of its head. Its broad feet are equipped with three claws each, and spikes protrude from the heels of its hind legs and the elbows of its front legs.

Absol lives in the mountains far from civilization, and rarely ventures down from its alpine home. Using its horn, Absol is able to sense even subtle changes in the sky and the land to predict when a natural disaster will occur, and will try to warn people when one is approaching. This often has the unfortunate effect of Absol itself being blamed for the disaster.

{Bagon, the Rock Head Pokémon. Because Bagon dreams of being able to fly, it regularly practices by leaping from cliffs.}

Bagon is a bipedal, blue, reptilian Pokémon vaguely resembling Pachycephalosaurus. It possesses a large, round snout, triangular eyes, yellow, circular ears similar to reptiles, and a yellow lower jaw with two teeth protruding upwards. Three thick, gray ridges cover the top of its head, and continue downwards to cover its neck as well. There is a triangular patch of yellow on its underside. It has stubby, digitless arms and short legs with two toes on each foot.

Bagon lives in rough terrains with cliffs and rocks. It longs to fly and dreams of one day being able to do so. Frustrated at its inability to fly, it leaps off cliffs and smashes its head against large rocks. This process of continually bashing its head causes it to become as hard as steel. Well-developed neck muscles support its hard head. This, combined with its power body, allows it to shatter rocks with its head.

{Drifloon, the Balloon Pokémon. Drifloon is filled with air and can either expand or shrink to express its feelings. It also likes damp weather.}

Drifloon has a spherical, purple body with two stringy arms that have yellow, heart-shaped hands on the ends of them. At the base of its body is a frayed protrusion that resembles the tied end of a balloon. In the very center of its body is a yellow tape-like "X", which contains its small mouth in the very center. Located on either side of the "X" are its small, black eyes. A white mass of fluff that resembles a cloud sits on top of Drifloon's head.

Due to its aimless drifting, this species is known as "Signpost for Wandering Spirits". It has been known to steal children that mistake it for a regular balloon. However, due to its light weight, it can be resisted easily and is often pulled around. It prefers to reside in damp, humid locations and can expand or shrink to express its feelings.

{Mienfoo, the Martial Arts Pokémon. Mienfoo's sharp claws strike quickly and precisely. It also overwhelms opponents with its skillful combination attacks.}

Mienfoo is a yellow, bipedal, mustelid-like Pokémon, with round ears, red eyes, and a pink nose with a whisker on each side. Its red arms look similar to flared sleeves, and the paws are yellow. Mienfoo's chest has a small red band, and its pelt piles around its thighs resembling a tunic or robe. Its legs are red, and its yellow tail is also tipped red. It is a very skillful attacker.

{Inkay, the Revolving Pokémon. Opponents who stare at the flashing of the light-emitting spots on its body become dazed and lose their will to fight.}

Inkay is a primarily blue squid-like Pokémon. It has a transparent mantle that resembles a hat with a pink "inner body" overlaid with yellow lights. Those who stare at those lights become dazed and lose their will to battle, allowing Inkay to escape. It has two tendril-like tentacles that hang from this "hat", similar to some styles of winter hats, and these tentacles hang next to its six short arms. Its eyes are round and have pupils, but no identifiable iris. Inkay also has a small, pink, beak-like mouth set between its eyes. It and its evolution, Malamar are the only known Pokémon capable of learning Topsy-Turvy.

{Taillow, the Tiny Swallow Pokémon. Taillow has a fierce personality, never backing down, even against the most powerful opponents.}

Taillow is a small bird Pokémon with dark blue feathers and patches of red on its chest and forehead. The patch on its forehead has a triangular upper tip. It has narrow brown eyes and a short yellow beak. It has elongated wingtips, and the underside of the wings is white. It has two sharp tail feathers, and its black feet have yellow claws.

It flies over 180 miles per day when it migrates during the cold season to search for warm climates. It is very gutsy, and will stand up to powerful opponents without backing down. When it is hungry, it will weaken and cry loudly. It lives in areas that have warm climates.

And finally,

{Wingull, the Seagull Pokémon. Wingull will fly through the sky as though surfing waves. It normally carries food and other valuable items, then hides them here and there.}

Wingull is a small white seagull-like Pokémon. Its head makes up a large portion of its body, as it does not appear to have a neck. It has thin, simplistic eyes. It has two pointed, ear-like extensions on its head. Its beak is orange with hooked, black tips. Its wings have a long, thin shape and blue stripes. It has three tail feathers with blue tips that are short and fan-like. It also has two small orange feet.

As a habit, it carries valuables and prey in its beak and hides them in different locations. It flies on updrafts rising from the sea by extending its wings to glide across the sky. It builds its nests on steep sea cliffs.

That was quite the adventure for sure since they had to stop the hordes of Zangoose from fighting the single Seviper and vice versa. Other than that, the Absol was a tough one to scan since it was elusive for sure. They still made it all the way through the thick grass and over steep rock edges.

"Alright then Serena, I will help you make sure to spend so time with that Spoink currently at Professor Sycamore's place." Ash said, feeling a little envious of listening to Serena say how cute Pokémon are. But it wasn't in him to take that the same way as a man who suspects his girlfriend is cheating and choosing another person over him.

"Okay! Thanks!" Serena was in a very bubbly mood to even consider what her words could affect Ash, especially after their close intimacy moment in the Connecting Caves. They still got to Ambrette Town all the same and it was quite a little town at that.

The first thing they did in Ambrette Town was to rest at the Pokémon Center. Inside, Serena decided to send some more Pokémon back to Sycamore to make room just like with Ash. It was a little heart wrenching but it was a part of a trainer's life so the trainers did their best to settle their broken hearted Pokémon and promised that later, a switch will be made Pokémon on hand and at Sycamore's lab.

And so, Ash's Ledian and Kadabra were the first to go and Serena sent back her two Fairy types from Route 7. It was barely any change but it was their first start at something unavoidable as a trainer.

"Come on, let's go and see what the big fuss is about." Ash said after a long silence from Serena. "That will get our minds off this for a while." Serena just shrugged she will do anything to forget about saying goodbye to her Pokémon even if it was only temporarily.

The 'big fuss' Ash was talking about was at a building directly across from the Pokémon Center. At a place that supposedly researched fossils that originate from a series of caves called the 'Glittering Caves'. But this was something else,

"What is going on is that we are missing one of our scientists, the one that spends most of his time in the Glittering Caves. He hasn't been back in days and we can't even contact him." One of the scientists that worked at the Fossil Research facility said once asked.

"Then why don't you go and check it out? Or ask any of these people to help you?" Ash asked while pointing to the horde of townsfolk that were crowding at the front door, looking worried.

"Because they are too afraid, of the Pokémon on Route 9 and in Glittering Caves. And most trainers that come our way don't bother with things like this so we have no way of even getting near the caves." The scientist said with everyone nodding while looking sheepish. "And while we study Pokémon, we are no trainers and even if we could, leaving the facility is against protocol. We have as few workers and scientists as it is." The head scientist said before closing the door very rudely on the trainers.

While not impressed by the manners and honestly of the scientists, Ash was a too kind kid; he couldn't even dream of leaving a town in trouble. "Let's check it out so we can get this over with." Ash said grungy which Pikachu and Serena mirrored themselves.

XXXXX

"Are you sure about this!? I-i-i mean…!" Serena shouted while clutching to Ash like a lifeline, she was not enjoying this ride they were riding all the way to caves where Fossils were supposed to be found; the Glittering Caves.

On the way, they also encountered Pokémon but only a very few compared to the amount that was on Route 8. Here they are;

{Hippopotas, the Hippo Pokémon. It lives in dry places and covers itself in sand to protect against germs. It does not enjoy getting wet.}

Hippopotas is a quadruped, hippo-like Pokémon that is most commonly found in deserts and other arid places. Its skin color depends on gender: if male, it is tan with dark brown patches, and if female, its coloring is reversed. It has a large snout with round nostrils and eyes that protrude from the top of its head. It torso has mottled coloring and a small hole on its back. Each of its feet has two blunt claws, and it has a small tail. Hippopotas spends its time bathing in sand and avoids water at all costs. It covers itself in sand as a protective measure against germs and expels sand instead of sweat. When it walks through the sand, it shuts its nostrils. It prefers to travel in groups of ten.

{Sandile, the Desert Croc Pokémon. A dark membrane protects its eyes from the sun, and it buries itself in the sand with its eyes and nose sticking out.}

Sandile is a short, quadruped with a long snout and tail. Its body is mostly light brown with the exception of black stripes crossing over and under its legs and its pink underbelly. It has a black stripe on its snout in front of its eyes, and black covering the tip of its tail. Its eyes resemble binoculars and are shrouded in black all around their front. The black is a membrane that helps Sandile see in the harsh desert sun. Its long snout is tipped by two protruding nostrils, and its mouth comprises the bottom half. Its feet are flat and contain three sharp, black claws. They are attached to stubby legs on its sides.

Sandile is only found in deserts. It usually burrows under the surface, with only its nose and eyes above the sand. Due to being so close to the surface, it can move around the desert and allow the heat of the sand to regulate its body temperature. Sandile will protect another of its species, and can be caring at times.

{Helioptile, the Generator Pokémon. They make their home in deserts. They can generate their energy from basking in the sun, so eating food is not a requirement.}

Helioptile is a small, lizard-like Pokémon. It has a tapering tail, short legs, and small feet with three pointed toes on each foot. Its body is pale yellow, while its feet and the tip of its tail are black. The top of its head is black as well with a small triangular yellow patch between the eyes. It has two long, black pointed frills with yellow tips hanging from the sides of its head, which can stiffen and unfold. These frills have cells which generate electricity when exposed to sunlight. It has large eyes with blue irises and white pupils. Helioptile can generate its own energy from sunlight, so it can thrive without food; it will still eat if needed. It lives in deserts. It and its evolution, Heliolisk are the only known Pokémon capable of learning Electrify which turns a target's move into an Electric type if the user moves first.

But what really kicks things off about Serena where when they encountered a Rhyhorn which in turn, made Serena nervous the whole trip through the trail. Ash knew that it was something a little personal and didn't actually matter given the circumstances. He just remembered what the Pokédex said about Rhyhorn when he first scanned it,

{Rhyhorn, the Spike Pokémon. Rhyhorn is known for its physical power and its considerable offensive and defensive skills.}

Rhyhorn is a rhinoceros-like creature with a body covered in gray, rocky plates. Its underside and rear are smooth, and it has four short legs with two claws on each foot. It has a triangular head with narrow, red eyes, two fangs protruding from its upper jaw, and small, triangular openings on the upper sides. A spiked ridge runs along its back, and it has a single short horn on the tip of its snout. The female has a shorter horn than the male. In addition to its rocky hide, its bones are a thousand times harder than human bones.

Rhyhorn's brain is very small, giving it a one-track mind. When it runs, it forgets why it started and continues until it falls asleep. However, it may recall the reason upon demolishing something. Rhyhorn runs in a straight line due to its short legs making it inept at turning. It does not care if obstacles get in the way, merely smashing through them or sending them flying. Sometimes it may feel pain the day after a collision. Rhyhorn lives in rough terrain.

And despite all that, Serena still hasn't said why she was uneasy on the Rhyhorn who was their only way to the Glittering Caves. They just went their way on the rugged terrain while fending off any of the new Pokémon.

Once they reached the end of the rugged trail, Serena practically jumped off the Rhyhorn like a frog off a lily pad. "Ground, solid ground!" Serena just literally kissed the dirt that somehow felt a lot better than the rocky and bumpy hide of Rhyhorn. Ash ignored all that and rubbed a reassuring rub on the wild and friendly Rhyhorn that they were still grateful for him taking them to the entrance of Glittering Caves.

"Come on Serena, let's go and see if we can find this 'Missing Scientist'." Ash said and when Serena got to the entrance, she was halted. "And before we leave, I will want to know what you have against Rhyhorn, enough to hurt the one who brought us here. Count on it." Ash said in a low tone so only Serena hears it before finally entering the Glittering Caves.

XXXXX

Once inside, Ash and Serena had found themselves faced all sorts of Pokémon inside but mostly rock types. The list goes as follows;

{Machop, the Superpower Pokémon. Machop have muscles that never tire no matter how much they exercise. Machop have enough strength to throw 100 average sized adults.}

Machop is a humanoid, bipedal Pokémon that has gray skin. There are three brown ridges on top of its head, and it has large red eyes and relatively flat face. Its chest has three, thin, rib-like stripes on either side. Its feet appear to have no toes, while its hands have five fingers. It has a short, stubby tail. Machop's entire body is covered with muscles that will never tire or cramp. With these muscles, it can lift many times its own body weight. It spends its time and energy practicing all different forms of martial arts and trying to improve its abilities. Machop lives in the mountains.

{Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon. It tunnels through the ground which shakes when it raises its thunderous roar. It can move the ground at fifty miles per hour.}

Onix resembles a giant chain of gray boulders that become smaller towards the tail. There is a rocky spine on its head and a pair of black eyes right beneath it. This Pokémon has a magnet in its brain that serves as an internal compass. Its body absorbs many hard objects, making its body very solid. As it grows older, it becomes more rounded and smoother, eventually becoming similar to black diamonds.

Onix tunnels under the ground at over fifty miles per hour, which causes tremors and a terrifying roar that echoes a long way. The massive, winding tunnels it leaves behind are used as homes by Diglett. Onix loves to eat the large boulders it encounters while burrowing underground. As seen in the Pokémon Stadium series, Onix is capable of rotating its head, or any part of their body, a full 360 degrees. Onix can be found in mountains and caves, though it prefers underground tunnels with little light.

{Lunatone, the Meteorite Pokémon. Lunatone is believed by some people to have come from outer space. It moves around most actively during full moons and its powerful red eyes instill fear into anyone who beholds them.}

Lunatone is a cream-colored, rock Pokémon with a crescent moon shape. In the center of the crescent is a pointed, beak-like structure. It has deep-set, red eyes, which can cause paralyzing fear or induce sleep. It lives in caves, and becomes active under a full moon. The moon increases its power, and its health is tied to the lunar phases. Using its psychic powers, Lunatone floats through the air. It was first discovered at the site of a meteor crash.

{Solrock, the Meteorite Pokémon. Solrock has the ability to read its opponent's minds. It attacks by rotating quickly while giving off and intense heat.}

Solrock is a primarily orange, spherical Pokémon. It has eight yellow, rocky spines extending from the sides of its body, and multiple small, yellow stony bumps running vertically along its center. On its back are dual rocky mounds, situated to the sides of the midline. Its large eyes consist of thick, semicircular yellow eyelids through which black sclera and red pupils can be seen. A black ring with six extensions surrounds each eye.

Solrock relies on solar energy, which it absorbs in groups during daylight. While it is always expressionless, it is able to sense the emotions and thoughts of others. It spins its body to produce intense heat and a blinding light. It is able to stay silent while floating in the air, and can be found in caves.

All that were in the hallways but this one came from the ceiling of the cavern,

{Woobat, the Bat Pokémon. Its habitat is dark forests and caves. It emits ultrasonic waves from its nose to learn about its surroundings.}

Woobat is a blue, spherical Pokémon, resembling a Honduran White Bat. It is covered in shaggy fur and has a large, piggish nose with a heart-shaped nostril. Two tufts of shaggy fur hide its eyes, and its mouth has a single fang in the center of its upper jaw. There are two relatively small, black wings on either side of its body. Woobat's nose serves various purposes: It uses ultrasonic waves from its nostrils for echolocation, and it can also be used to grip walls as Woobat sleeps, which leaves heart-shaped marks on the walls of caves.

And this one came from behind cracked rocks in order to see the visiting trainers. Serena found it cute but ultimately decided to forgo capturing it because it did no harm and only wanted to be left alone. That much should be a good reason just to scan it and leave the Pokémon at that.

{Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon. After finding a suitable rock, Dwebble digs a hole in the rock's bottom to use as a protective shell. Dwebble can make rocks easier to carve by producing a liquid from its mouth.}

Dwebble is a small, orange hermit crab-like Pokémon with large pincers. It has dark, oval-shaped eyes supported by eye stalks. It has a hook-like tail that is concealed underneath the sectioned chunk of gray rock it uses as a shell. This tail is possibly used to keep the rock in place or to carve itself a new home should its old rock get lost. When finding a rock to use as its shell, Dwebble inspects the rock to see if it can be used, then it digs a hole in the rock's bottom. It can expel a corrosive spray from its mouth to dissolve or mend rocks. This spray can ease carving. If the rock breaks, it won't calm down until it can find another rock to replace it. It lives in the desert.

But enough of that, they continued their way inside the Glittering Caves. It took a while to make out the twisting turns and deciding to how to find the way deeper. It sure took a while but Ash and the gang had found their way into another portion of the caves. It was like a tunnel within one big room but that wasn't the only thing to notice.

"Hey! What are you brats doing here!?" Someone was in the tunnel and from the looks of it, much longer than Ash or Serena. It was a fully grown man that wore a bright red suit and pants, black gloves with the top of the hand showing through, black boots, a black tie with a white undershirt, and red hair combed down with the exception of a left side tuff in the shape of a flame.

"We should be asking you that and why are you in some much red, trying to win a date with a Rosebud?" Ash said and got Serena and Pikachu snickering at the jab which got this strange man to feel it piece his heart section, no wonder he stopped and shuttered.

"NO you brats! I am part of Team Flare and we are going to rule Kalos even if you will have something to say about it!" That man, now a grunt, shouted but only got a moan from Ash and Pikachu.

"Not another one. Pikachu, see if it will be the same." Ash said and Pikachu nodded but attacking the grunt with a Thunderbolt and launched him into a mine cart behind him that will filled to the brim with rocks and dirt, covering everything but his pants in grim.

"That hurt you stupid kids! I have had it being nice!" That grunt then got out of the mine cart, clothes covered in dirt and rocks showing in his messed up hair that was a static mess. He then whistled in the direction of the continuing tunnel and caused more of the grunts, both men and women to arrive. "Let's go wild guys!"
They all threw Pokéballs at Ash and Serena which revealed to them a Zubat, a Gulpin, a Scraggy and a Croagunk but it was the last two that neither the trainers recognized so they scanned very causally which only ticked off the Team Flare grunts even more.

{Electrike, the Lightning Pokémon. Using the electric charge stored in its fur, it can run faster than the eye can follow.}

Electrike was a green, canine Pokémon with yellow markings. It had a large head crest with angular, lightning-like markings on the side. Its snout had a yellow blaze, and four fangs were discernible when its mouth is open. It had a yellow stripe down its back. Each of its four legs had a spike, with the ones on its hind legs being longer. It had yellow crescent-shaped paw pads on its front feet, while the pads on its hind feet were circular. It had a small, pointed, yellow-tipped tail.

{Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Houndour travel in packs and communicate though barks in order to surround their prey.}

Houndour was a quadruped, canine Pokémon with short, black fur and a red underbelly and muzzle. Its ears and tail were both short and pointed. Two fangs protruded from its upper jaw, and its triangular nose was black. There were white bands on its ankles, and rib-like ridges on its back. The Houndour appeared to have a simplistic, stylized skull on its forehead with the eye orbits creating eyebrow patterning above its actual eyes. It also had circular, red paw pads on each of its three-toed paws.

"Stop taking us so lightly and bring it on!" That first grunt yelled out and only got Ash to smirk along with Pikachu while Serena just pulled a weaker one to look more confident. She had never encountered some many Pokémon at once and they all looked very strong.

"Taking you so lightly, I doubt that you will be that disappointed once we are done with you." Ash said coolly and took out his Metal Team while Serena took out her Braixen and followed Ash closely behind. Pawniard took Zubat, Durant did Gulpin, Honedge finished off Croagunk with the help of Braixen and Mawile faced Scraggy. It all took one last Thunderbolt from Pikachu which caused all enemy Pokémon to faint and their trainer's hair all frizzled up.

"We won't forget this!" They ran and Ash was about to move forward when he and Serena heard something that caused them to freeze on the spot, "There is still out chief and he got binger game and prey than any of us!" It meant that this Team Flare 'chief' had stronger Pokémon and captured some wild Pokémon!

Ash had seen this before and took Serena to see what was up. They found it and they knew from the spot that this was more than taking care of some expendable grunts. This woman that wore a more professional suit with a red color scheme was facing them but also in front of a cage that had two Pokémon that they encountered but never got the chance to scan them. Right now, that wasn't he issue anymore.

"Let them go! They have nothing to do with this!" Serena suddenly showed a bit more courage.

"Let them go? They are rare and even have much better stuff than the rest of weak prey that this cave is stinking off." The chief spoke in a stereotypical tone of a big boss woman, one that is an as tough as an army sergeant and stern as a strict mother. "When I get my money's worth, there won't be much left of this treasures to ever be found in this stupid cave again! Everyone will be happy, I will be happy so why don't you just go home happy too. You can't do a thing about this!"

Ash didn't know what to think about all this and didn't have the time when Serena finally exploded. "Shut up!" That shocked Ash and Pikachu and silenced the Team Flare chief while those words encoded in the cavern walls. "I will stop you even if I will get messy about it! Braixen, Audino! Let's win this!"

Serena sent out her starter and her Hearing Pokémon from Route 6. Ash never seen this much anger and yet courage and boldness in Serena. He and Pikachu wisely stepped back and stayed out of her way. "So you what to fight kid, so be it!" The chief smuggled took out two Pokéballs and threw them to release the contents inside.

The first Pokémon was a large, blue bat-like Pokémon with purple wing membranes. It had small eyes with slit pupils and a massive mouth containing four fangs. While its mouth seems to be otherwise empty, it still displayed a long, purple tongue. Finally, its pointed ears were tiny, and it had short legs with long, thin feet.

The second Pokémon was a quadruped that was loosely based on a hyena. Its body was a mixture of black and gray fur, with black lower legs, clawed feet, and tail. It had dark, triangular streak patterns below its eyes, which have yellow sclera and red irises. Its ears were rhombus-shaped with dark insides, its nose was red, and it had gray paw pads. And it had a shaggy mantle of black fur.

Ash turned on his Pokédex and found the volume control and set it so low that only he and Pikachu can hear the computer voice.

{Golbat, the Bat Pokémon and the evolved form of Zubat. Being nocturnal, Golbat fly at night in search of prey.}

{Mightyena, the Bite Pokémon. Mightyena is the evolved form of Poochyena. They move primarily in packs, working together to capture their prey.}

"Braixen, see if you can use Fire Spin on both Pokémon. Audino, use Attract on either of them if you can!" Serena wasted no time and with her own style of training, Braixen just managed to trap both Pokémon a vortex of fire each while Audino had found out that the Golbat was the only male for her Attract to work on! Golbat was out of the works, for now, but Mightyena was still in the game.

"Not bad kid but that is the only thing you will get and the only thing your Pokémon will ever do because…" The chief turned to her dark type Pokémon, "Mightyena use Taunt!" Mightyena smiles tauntingly at the both Pokémon, causing them to get enraged at the Bite Pokémon. "Now use Swagger on the normal type and Take Down at the freak fox!" She then commanded and her Mightyena never let her down. He caused Audino to get so enraged, she got confused while Braixen was hit with a powerful Take Down that did hurt Mightyena in the end though.

"Braixen, Audino!" Serena suddenly lost her focus and remembered on her humiliating and utter defeat at the Battle Chateau. That was the prefect chance for the Team Flare Chief to land her victory. And what is worst for Serena is that the Attract used Golbat had worn off!

"Use Air Cutter Golbat, Snarl Mightyena!" Both attacks came at both Pokémon in trouble until,

"…what?" Serena had gotten back to the world of reality when pebbles and rocks came from nowhere and knocked her Pokémon out of fire range as well as getting their focus back!

"Who dares interfere!?" The chief proclaimed so loud that it echoed and rocked off the cavern like before but no one was intimated for some reason when another voice came.

"No one's interfering. You are just a poor excuse for a trainer to claim Pokémon were nothing but tools to throw away. I hate those type of trainers." Ash appeared and remained off the boundary of the Pokémon duel. "You people never win your battles, just push Pokémon to the utter limit and cheat if things don't go wrong. I have seen it before and you are no different."

"Says the one who throws rocks when I am about to lose! Just who do you are!?" The chief was not impressed but Ash still put up a strong front.

"I am Ash Ketchum, and I will become a Pokémon Master so that I can put you bullies and heartless jerks out of business." Ash said with spice of pride and a dash of confidence that still held out strong for what came next.

"You? A Pokémon Master!?" The chief then started to laugh out of controllably, like she just heard the funniest joke in the world. "You are just a puny kid who is a miserable trainer for siding with little girls who just cry for thick headed boys like you who just want to boast! I bet you never even won a Gym Badge fairly!" The chief then broke off to start laughing again but didn't notice what everyone else was.

Serena had been starting shaking ever since Ash had saved her Pokémon. "…stop it." She muttered and the chief continued to mock and laugh at Ash. "STOP LAUGHING AT ASH!" the outburst shook the cavern and some of the rocks and dust scattered around in the sheer volume of her voice.

"So you still want to fight eh? I will trash you for wasting my time." The chief had spared her breathing of her uncontrollable laughter but noticed her Pokémon frozen in fear. "Quit belly aching and focus you worthless excuse for useless!" That got both Pokémon in line for sure but they were all growling at the chief who just ignored it. "Now use Air Cutter again and use Swagger for real this time!"

"Use Light Screen Braixen and Audino, use Protect!" Serena was ready this time and blocked the Air Cutter while Audino had deflected the negative effects of Swagger. "Psybeam on Golbat! Secret Power on Mightyena!" Now that was a good strategy since Mightyena's Dark Typing could have made Psybeam entirely useless and wasted. On the other hand, Golbat's Poison Typing had made Psybeam extra strong.

Golbat was dealt heavy and super effective damage, Audino's Secret Power attack had caused some damage and also Mightyena to finch instead of using Swagger. The Team Flare Chief was not happy about it and the Pokémon, who were in barley a place to hear very well, were somehow feeling grateful for being able not to hear any more of that attitude from the chief.

"Howl and then Flame Charge at Mightyena! Use Double Slap on Golbat!" Braixen heard that and made a howl that increased her attack power which came into handy when Mightyena went down from the Flame Charge which also increased Braixen's speed. And Audino sure scored one mean Double Slap on Golbat with a critical hit as well. Both Pokémon were done for the count.

"You useless, weak, pathetic, stupid…WHERE IS MY POKEBALLS!?" The chief yelled when she felt none of her Pokéballs on her belts and yet her defeated Pokémon were retrieved in a red beam each any ways. And by Ash! "Give them back, they are mine!"

"Not anymore. You will never touch any of these Pokémon again." Ash said calmly and coolly. Serena wondered what he had in mind until,

"Police, freeze Team Flare!" Another voice rocketed at the cavern once again and Serena was surprised to see a woman about the age of the Nurse Joys she had been seeing a lot and with a police uniform. The gun in her pointing at the disarmed and defeated chief was another big clue. Speaking of whom, the chief realized that in her overconfidence, she had lost her Pokémon and her grunts and every means of escaping.

"Damm you fucking shit brat!" The chief lost it all and tried to harm Ash knowing that there was nothing to do to get away but instead, she was hit by Pikachu's Thunderbolt and this time, was knocked out when she was sent into one of the cave walls. The police woman introduced herself as Officer Jenny and thanked Ash for the tip about any possible criminals in the caves that will prevent the Scientist from returning to Ambrette Town.

Officer Jenny then took the knocked out chief but not before searching for the key that unlocked the cage and freed the imprisoned Pokémon. As for the Chief's Pokémon, they may had been used for crime but they were loyal to a better cause so Officer Jenny held onto them and took them to headquarters to decide on where they were going to end up in.

But things weren't done for Ash and they all have to do with Serena.

XXXXX

After Team Flare escaped with the fossils they stole, Ash and the gang returned to Ambrette Town with the absent minded scientist that had all the unbelievable luck in the world that Team Flare never even noticed him and vice versa so it seemed as well. Everyone got all jumpy and worried over nothing.

"So let see what these Pokémon are." Ash said while scanning the two Pokémon Serena had defended back in Glittering Caves.

{Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon. It wears the skull of its dead mother on its head. When it becomes lonesome, it is said to cry loudly.}

Cubone was a small, bipedal Pokémon with a golden brown hide that covers most of its body, including both dorsal spikes. Its belly is a very light brown. Two small claws, one on each hand, served as its thumbs, and two large nails make up its toes. On its head, Cubone wore a skull as a helmet. Because of this, much of its actual face was never actually been seen, except for its triangular, black eyes and a small area surrounding them. The skull had two rounded horns on the top of its head and a tooth-like point on the lower sides. Under the skull, Cubone had a brown snout.

{Kangaskhan, a Parent Pokémon. Once approaching extinction, they are now protected by law and inhabit the Safari Zone. Approach with extreme caution. The Kangaskhan is a rare Pokémon which raises its children in its pocket. They will attack viciously and without warning if they feel their young are threatened in any way.}

Kangaskhan was a large, bipedal creature with a thick tail. It had a brown hide with several raised patches, and a cream-colored belly. On top of its head was a black patch, and it had large cream-colored ears and red eyes. Its snout was short and rounded with two pointed teeth protruding from its upper jaw. There were epaulette-like growths over its shoulders and a row of spikes down its back. It had three clawed digits on each hand and foot. In the pouch on its belly, it carried a baby Kangaskhan. Unlike its parent, the baby is light purple and has smooth skin.

"And now me." Ash then pointed the Pokédex at his new Pokémon.

{Ferroseed, the Thorn Seed Pokémon. Ferroseed absorb minerals from rock by penetrating the walls of caves using their spikes.}

Ferroseed was a cave-dwelling Pokémon resembling a durian. It had many green thorns around its body that are used for protection. It had a metallic body with band-like stripes, along with small yellow eyes with black pupils

Since the only Pokémon on the beach could be encountered from the cracked rocks with Rock Smash, Ash had to buy a fishing old. It just happened to be called an 'Old Rod' since it was used multiple times before being returned for much better rods. And yet Ash didn't care, it worked pretty well anyways.

"Finally…" Ash directed his attention to Serena who was already looking at him in the other direction. "About what you promised, you don't have to if it hurts…" Ash was just a too soft of a boy but Serena wasn't going to break a promise like that.

"No. I will need to tell sooner or later or not at all." Serena said, with all that self-confidence from the Glittering Caves still strong as a candle flame on a fresh candle stick. "To tell the truth, my dislike for Rhyhorn is related to why I left the day after I first met you Ash." That really got Ash's glaze on Serena, sticking like glue. "My mother, Grace, is a Rhyhorn racer and she wanted me to be one as well but ultimately decided to move to here in Kalos after a business deal was too much for her to stay in Kanto. She has been telling me for years that moving here was the best thing that ever happened to our family. I never believed her, I had to leave you and no matter how many times I asked to go back, even for one single day, Mom never let me leave Kalos." Serena said all that, not caring what Ash had to say about it yet until she suddenly broke into tears,

"My Mom forced me to leave the only friend I ever had and I never even told him my name. Just that I promised to play together the next day. That never happened and I had to live with that pain for years. And now you are in Kalos instead me in Kanto, I don't know if you can actually forgive me for being so stupid, so weak, so shy and…and…" Serena just couldn't even speak with her heart wrenching at every letter of her self-hating words, she cried so hard, she made a puddle at her feet but before she could fall to the ground in tears,

"Mmmph~!?" Serena felt like something had clamped on her lips like a staple, preventing her from saying a single word and barely able to breathe. She was in for the shock of her life when she saw Ash, kissing her!

"Serena, I gave you my name and you couldn't give me yours. Now that I gave you my first kiss, don't think the same thing is going to happen." Ash said casually despite the blush on his face. "Your mother can't stop us from being together again."

"B-b-but…we are just ten years old!" Serena wondered why she was questioning her first kiss, something that she had been dreaming in bed at night,

"So? You had to wait of years to tell me your name, I am not going to keep you waiting from doing what you want to do. And besides, if you are embarrassed by it, then we will keep this our little secret until we are ready to do it for real." Ash said with his blush glowing strong on his face still. Serena grew one herself but she won't dare protest against this.

"…thank you Ash." She just said after a moment just in Ash's arms around her body protectively. "I am glad I have you as a friend, I never want to leave you gain." Serena said before she was silenced for the rest of the day. She was just in pure bliss, she trusted Ash with her secrets and feelings so Serena felt no reason to be afraid anymore.

End of Chapter 8.

*Another Chapter done and guess what! Next Chapter, I am definitely doing Cyllage City and my version of Ash's Battle with Grant. Expect it to be a little like with Voila. I had to decide on the Mega Evolution that Grant should use. In the anime, he did have an Onix but Steelix is not a rock type so that was out but I had to debate with Tyranitar or Aggron. I hope that you will still like my choice because it felt the best with a trainer like Grant that he shows in both the Anime and the Games.

And to tell you the truth, I once did this in another one of my Pokémon Fanfics and I got complainants that it was too soon in the story. I hope that this chapter wasn't so much of a disappointment. If you think that I am making Ash too mature then I apologize with all my heart and I will try to make this more natural and connected to the plot. Tell me what you think and I will try to satisfy you all with all my ability. See you later!*

Pokémon on Hand;

Ash – Pikachu (Male), Honedge (Male), Pawniard (Male), Mawile (Female), Durant (Female), Frogadier (Female), Fletchinder (Male), Skiddo (Male), Smeargle (Male) and Ferroseed (Female).

Serena – Braixen (Female), Plusle & Minun (Female), Audino (Female), Cubone (Male) and Kangaskhan (Female).