The next morning, the kids decided to visit Professor Sycamore before heading to Cyllage City.

"So, you're all traveling together now, eh? Sounds like a great plan!" Sycamore said.

"Thanks!" Ash said.

"Professor, here! I baked delicious macarons for everyone!" Serena said, holding up a small wicker basket filled with the different colored pastries.

"How nice!" Alyssa said, turning around from a computer with many screens filled with data. "I suggest we have a little tea break with those macarons."

"I still have a little work to do, so I'll have mine later." Sycamore said.

"Will you let us see what you're working on?" Serena said.

"Of course! Make yourself at home."

"The lounge is down this hallway, third door to the left." Alyssa said. "I'll go prepare the tea."

"Thanks, Alyssa!" Ash said as he, Serena, and Bonnie headed to the lounge.

Clemont, however, lingered and nervously clutched his backpack straps.

"Alyssa?" Clemont said.

"Yes?" Alyssa said, turning to the boy.

"Rylee told me about you. I know that you're really her sister and Colress is your brother."

Alyssa smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "She did, did she? If my assumptions are correct, she's still in here, huh?"

"Um..." Clemont said. I crossed my arms and turned visible between Clemont and Alyssa. "Yes."

"I thought you said you'd join Ash." Alyssa said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I'm still thinking about it."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Very well." She winked at Clemont. "Make sure she doesn't tell you all her secrets."

I scowled as I watched Alyssa walked down the hallway.

"Sisters..." I mumbled. I turned to Clemont, who stared at me thoughtfully. "Come on, the others are waiting."

Clemont nodded absently and walked ahead of me.

"I wonder if there are any secrets you haven't told him..." Zoroark said.

"Shut up." I said before turning invisible and walking towards the lounge.


Alyssa set down the cups of tea. "Here you go!"

"Thanks, Alyssa!" Ash said.

"Wait a minute..." Serena said, looking around. "Where are the macarons? I could've sworn I put them here."

The basket was absent from the table. As the kids glanced around, they heard crunching and the smacking of lips. Alyssa walked around the couch.

"Aha! I knew it was you, Chespin!" she said, crouching down behind a plant. A Chespin snacked ferociously on the macarons. It choked in surprise and turned around with a guilty smile. "Sneaking around again?"

"So, that's Chespin?" Ash said as the other kids gathered around Chespin.

"It's one of three Pokémon new trainers can choose from."

"Awesome!" Ash said, pulling out his Pokédex.

"What a cute Pokémon!" Bonnie said, crawling closer to the plant.

"If you wanted macarons, you should've just said so." Clemont said. He held his hand out to Chespin. "Why don't you share?"

Chespin growled and shoved one of its spikes into Clemont's hand. Clemont cried out and stumbled back, clutching his hand. Shoving as many macarons as it could into its mouth and arms, Chespin took off down the hallway.

"I'm so sorry..." Alyssa said, picking up the leftover macaron basket and handing it to Serena. "Chespin is a bit of a prankster."

"It's fine. Since we've all gotten a bit of rest, why don't we go see what the professor is doing?" Serena said.

"Yeah!" Bonnie said.

Clemont stared down the hallway Chespin escaped to while the other kids filed out of the room.

"Are you okay?" I said.

"Uh, yeah... But my hand really hurts." Clemont said, clutching his injured hand.

"Let me see." I took Clemont's hand and held it out. There was a small puncture wound, and blood trickled out of it. "Yikes. Chespin really got you."

"It's nothing..." Clemont looked away.

"Yeah, and an infection is nothing, too. Here." I held out my other hand, and a ball of orange and pink power formed. Clemont watched with awe as I took the Heal Pulse orb and pressed it against his wound, laying my hand on top of his. I pulled away, and the wound closed and healed. "There."

Clemont held his hand to his face. "Wow. Thanks."

I smiled. "It's no big deal."

"Having all those powers must be so cool." Clemont flashed a big grin at me. "You're really awesome, Rylee."

I smiled tepidly and helped Clemont stand up. "Thanks. Let's go."


As Clemont and Ash snacked more on the macarons that weren't eaten by Chespin, their brunch was interrupted by a loud crash from somewhere in the lab.

"What the-?!" Ash said.

"What happened?" Clemont said, and the two boys stood up.

"Let's go check it out." Alyssa said. The three ran out of the lounge and into the hallway.

"Alyssa!" Colress ran out of the Pokémon habitat and towards us. "It's the Professor!"

"What? What happened?!" Alyssa said.

"These people came crashing into the habitat and kidnapped him! One of them was a talking Meowth!"

"Talking Meowth?"

"Team Rocket!" Ash growled. "Where are Serena and Bonnie?"

We ran out of the giant, gaping hole in the habitat and to the outside, where Chespin laid on the road. It climbed to its feet and chattered frantically at us.

"Chespin, calm down! Do you know where the Professor went?"

"There!" Chespin flailed its arm at the black Team Rocket van that disappeared down the road. "They took those two girls, too!"

"Oh, no, Bonnie!" Clemont said.

Ash called out Fletchling and sent it after Team Rocket's van. Alyssa and Colress hurried to go and alert Officer Jenny. Chespin lifted its nose to the air and inhaled deeply. It took a few steps and picked up a bit of macaron.

"Hey, I think Serena left a trail of these so we could find her and Bonnie." Clemont said.

"Awesome! Lead the way, Chespin!" Ash said, he and Pikachu following Chespin.

"Rylee," Clemont said, and I turned visible, "will you go and find Bonnie and Serena?"

"Of course." I said. Zoroark and I turned into Fletchlings and followed after Team Rocket.


Zoroark and I found the Team Rocket van, which shook back and force with echoed cries of struggle. We crept up to the open back door and peeked inside. Team Rocket, Sycamore, Bonnie, and Serena were in the truck. Team Rocket stood over the other three, which were tied up.

"All right, you better start talking Mega Evolution, Professor." Meowth said, holding a piece of glass.

"And what if I don't?" Sycamore said.

"You'll be sorry you asked." Meowth extended his claws and raked them against the piece of glass, broadcasting an ear-shattering screech. Everyone in the van whimpered from the sharp noise.

"All right! I'll talk!" Sycamore said, and Meowth stopped. "The data is in my pocket."

Meowth walked over and pulled the memory card from Sycamore's pocket. He held it high for Team Rocket to marvel at. Zoroark and I glanced at each other and nodded. I picked up my feet and flew into the van. I circled around Team Rocket and pecked at their hair while chattering loudly in their ears.

"Bratty bird!" Jessie said. "Get it out of my hair!"

Meowth extracted its claws from his free hand and swiped at me frantically, but I dodged. While they were distracted, Zoroark flew in and snatched the memory card from Meowth's hand.

"Hey! That's not yours to take! That's our job!" James cried.

Zoroark and I wove in and out between their faces. As they went cross-eyed from trying to keep track of us, Zoroark tossed the memory card aside into an empty can before flying out of the van. The three Team Rocket members ignorantly chased after her. I turned around and fluttered in front of Sycamore, Bonnie, and Serena.

"Wow, thanks, Fletchling!" Bonnie said.

I took a deep breath, bowed my head, and glowed green. The three hostages gasped in shock as I landed on the ground and changed back into my human form. Crouched down, I looked up at the three and smiled.

"You're welcome." I said. I shot a wink at Bonnie.

Bonnie, stunned at the sight of what just happened, groaned and fainted.

Oops. Not my greatest plan.

"Uh... Sorry." I said, standing up. I cupped my hands together for a second before separating them. A sword of Protect formed in my hands, and I gripped the smooth handle. "Hold very still."

I brought my arm back, and Sycamore and Serena braced themselves. I dealt a few quick swipes, and the ropes and tape fell off them. Serena lifted Bonnie into her arms.

"Thank you... Who are you?" Serena said.

"I'm Rylee. I'm an old friend of Ash." I said, and her eyebrows raised. I pulled the memory card out of the empty can and handed it to Sycamore. "Now, hurry out of here. Clemont and Ash are looking for you."

Sycamore and Serena nodded and jumped out of the van. I heard Clemont and Ash calling to them. I transformed back into a Fletchling and flew out of the van, meeting with Zoroark.

"What happened in there?" Zoroark said, gesturing to the unconscious Bonnie.

"Little girls don't really handle shape-shifting humans well."

"You revealed yourself to them?"

"Yes..." I didn't like the annoyed look in Zoroark's eyes. "What? They're good people. I won't get experimented on by a bunch of children."

"I'm not mad at that. I'm mad that you're appearing to everyone except Ash. Why are you doing this?"

"Is this really a good time to discuss that? We have Team Rocket butt to kick."

"Really? Because it looks like you're trying to find a way out of this conversation."

I pretended I didn't hear that last comment as I flew over to the others.

"Is everyone all right?" Ash said.

"Yeah... More or less." a dazed Serena said, glancing at Bonnie in her arms.

"What happened?" Clemont said.

"There was this girl..." Sycamore said, rubbing his forehead.

A loud rumble interrupted his confused train of thought. Everyone turned around as the old warehouse next to them trembled. The wall burst open, and a giant, mechanical Meowth rolled out.

"What the heck is that?!" Ash said.

"Introducing our Mega-Mega Meowth!" Jessie said. "Now, Professor, be a dear and hand over that memory card."

"Never!" Sycamore said.

"Very well, then. Mega-Mega Meowth, go!" James said.

Mega-Mega Meowth uttered a low, distorted cry before it kicked into gear and rolled towards the others.

"Let's get outta here!" Serena said.

As the others ran down the path, Clemont paused and turned around. Chespin lagged far behind with the macaron basket. It tripped, spilling the contents onto the ground.

"Chespin!" Clemont cried as Chespin frantically tried to pick up the treats. It turned around as Mega-Mega Meowth loomed right over it, ready to squish it. Clemont lunged and grabbed Chespin, stumbling out of Mega-Mega Meowth's path. He hid behind a worn, stone pillar.

"Clemont!" I said, flying over to him and changing back to my human self. "Are you okay?"

"Sort of." Clemont groaned and gripped his shoulder.

Chespin opened the macaron basket and handed a macaron to Clemont.

"Thank you." Clemont accepted the macaron and ate it. We glanced back down the path, where the others were still being pursued by Mega-Mega Meowth. "We've got to find a way to stop Team Rocket and save the others. My friends are precious to me, just like those macarons are precious to you."

Chespin stared thoughtfully at Clemont.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu attacked Mega-Mega Meowth, but its electricity was absorbed into its charm. It launched the attack back with double power, directly hitting Pikachu. Pikachu collapsed onto the ground.

"This machine can reflect your Thunderbolt, which gives us the mega upper hand!" James said.

"No way! There's gotta be something we can do..." Clemont said.

"I know! Follow me!" Chespin said. It set the macaron basket down and ran from the pillar. We followed it to the rear of Mega-Mega Meowth. A long cord was attached to it.

"It looks like it could be what powers Mega-Mega Meowth." I said.

Chespin led us back inside the warehouse. The cord connected to a large battery, and Chespin tried to unplug it.

"Don't just stand there... Help me!" Chespin cried.

Clemont and I nodded, and we grabbed the plug and yanked. The cord unplugged, and we fell back to the ground.

"That should do it." Clemont said, adjusting his glasses.

"Like that's going to stop us!" James said. "Turn on the auxiliary power!"

Meowth did so, and the Mega-Mega Meowth turned back on.

"Go help them out, Clemont." I said.

Clemont nodded, and he and Chespin ran to help the others. Chespin used Pin Missile and Tackle, but the Mega-Mega Meowth was too resilient. With a combined force, Pikachu used Quick Attack and Chespin used Tackle, but it still did nothing.

"Keep trying, Pokémon, but you'll never hurt Mega-Mega Meowth!" Meowth taunted.

A fiery blast came down from the sky and smashed into Mega-Mega Meowth. Mega Blaziken backflipped and landed on a tree branch. A man wearing a uniform similar to Mega Blaziken stood one branch below with his arms crossed and a smug smile.

"It's those two from Lumiose City." I said. "What are they doing here?"

"Use Flamethrower!"

Mega Blaziken unleashed a colossal burst of fire that collided with Mega-Mega Meowth. The machine was barbecued and it fell apart. Pikachu used Electro Ball and Chespin used Pin Missile. The two attacks hit the machine's battery, causing it to explode and send Team Rocket blasting off into the sky. The others looked up at Mega Blaziken and the man, and they jumped away into the forest.


"Thank you so much for your help today." Professor Sycamore said when they returned to the lab. Alyssa stood at his side. "Because of all of you, I'm free again!"

"Yeah, but still... your research lab is messed up again." Ash said.

"Not to worry. I'll have it all fixed by the time you come to visit again."

"We will, no doubt!"

"Guess we better head out." Serena said.

I sensed a pair of eyes watching us, and I looked over and saw Chespin watching the kids from a bush. I nudged Clemont, and he looked over and saw Chespin.

"Chespin?" he said. "You were a big help. I'm sure we'll see you soon!"

Chespin fumbled with its paws. "I... I wanna go with you!"

"Huh? Is that okay?" Clemont said to Sycamore.

"Of course. After all, that's what Chespin wants." Sycamore handed Clemont Chespin's PokéBall.

Clemont smiled and walked over to Chespin. "Chespin... Welcome to the team!"

Chespin jumped with joy, and Clemont returned Chespin back to its PokéBall. Bonnie grumbled in Serena's arms, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Bonnie, you're awake!" Clemont said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... Wow... That was so weird..." Bonnie said. Serena set her down, keeping a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "That Pokémon turned into a girl!"

"What?" Clemont and Ash said.

"That's how we were able to escape. Two Fletchling came in and attacked Team Rocket. One of them turned into a girl right before our eyes!" Serena said. "She used the move Protect, and she manipulated it into a sword and freed us."

Ash tensed. "A girl... that used Protect?"

"Maybe you all were just hallucinating from stress." Clemont said quickly. "After all, you were being held hostage. Perhaps it was just your imagination. A girl that can turn into a Pokémon and use its moves? Doesn't that seem a bit farfetched?"

"You'd be surprised..." Ash said, his voice distant. His eyes were fixed on Clemont. He shook his head and his smile returned. "Well, let's get going! Cyllage City, here we come!"


"Are you nuts?!" Clemont cried, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"You sure look like it, screaming at nothing." I said before I turned visible.

"Why did you reveal yourself to Serena and Bonnie? To Professor Sycamore?"

"I had to help them; it's my job. Why are you so concerned about this?"

"You told me you needed to be careful about using your powers."

"You don't need to worry about me." I said.

Clemont reached out and clasped my hand. I tensed and looked at him in surprise.

"You remember what I said to Chespin, right? I said my friends are precious to me. You're my friend, too, Rylee. Is it bad for me to worry about you?" Clemont said.

I sighed. "Thank you, Clemont, but I'm fine..."

"Are you sure? I don't mean to pry, but you seem like you're troubled by a lot of things that you won't tell me."

"You mean the boy you saw from my vision before." I said quietly. Clemont nodded slightly. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "That's a story for another day. Okay?"

Clemont released my hand. "All right..."