This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokemon, which belong to the Pokemon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokemon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

The next few days were some of Harry's best at Hogwarts. Everywhere he went people would stop to tell him just how impressed they were with his performance in the second task, students giving him compliments from all parts of the school, excluding the obvious. Even the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students occasionally gave him praise.

The biggest symbol of this new found popularity was on the giant scoreboard looking out over the castle grounds. Sitting pretty in joint second Harry had as good a chance as any to win the whole thing. After the first task he had been a one hit wonder. After two tasks a pattern was starting to emerge and it was becoming clear to everyone that Harry deserved his place on that leaderboard. He was a true Tri-Pokémon Champion.

Harry's positives did not end with the Tri-Pokémon Tournament, however. Indeed they extended to other parts of his life, in particular to Hagrid.

"I told her everythin', yeh know," Hagrid told them when they went down to visit, the giant man now reunited with the Beauxbatons Salamence. "I told her about the allegations back then an' how I'd been proved innocent but public opinion forced me ter leave the school. She was very understanding she was."

Harry personally thought it would have been more understanding to let Hagrid have his say before she'd gone about ignoring him for months on end. But he didn't want to bring that up. Hagrid looked much too happy for Harry to ruin it.

"I told her about everythin' tha' happened in yer second year, too," Hagrid informed them. "I told her all about the attacks and the chamber and you provin' my innocence once and fer all, Harry."

"Truth be told I don't think she believed me," Hagrid admitted bashfully. "I think she reckons I was tryin' ter big yeh up. Not that I'd need ter. She loves you after what yeh did fer Fleur." Harry blushed. The day after the second task Fleur had approached Harry in the Great Hall and returned his jumper, placing a kiss on his cheek for good measure before she left. Naturally that had got the whole school talking.

"Hey now, steady on," Hagrid said defensively as Ron and Hermione sniggered at Harry's embarrassment. "That was a right nice thing yeh did, Harry, an' it's what this whole tournament is supposed to be about. International cooperation, makin' friends with fellow students across the sea. Yeh should be damn proud of yerself."

Hearing Hagrid say that did indeed make Harry feel proud of himself. The giant man had always been on Harry's side, even when it had seemed like the whole school had been against him, and he had taught him so much over the years, and not just in his capacity as Pokémon Care professor. Hagrid's was an opinion he respected above most others.

"Now, who wants ter help me with the Salamence?" Hagrid asked, rubbing his hands together gleefully. Needless to say that all three of Harry, Ron and Hermione were eager for it and so they followed him out the back of his cabin, Norbert the Shelgon following dutifully as they walked out into the open air.

"Oops," Hagrid said loudly. He'd walked into a large bucket just outside the door and knocked it over, spilling water across the grass. "Drats," he cursed. "Shoulda been payin' attention." He walked over to the paddock and sloshed what little remained in the bucket into a huge water trough for the Salamence. The Salamence standing there looked at him as though to ask 'is that it?'.

"Looks like we'll have ter make a trip to the lake," Hagrid told them, waving around the empty water bucket, which even empty must have weighed a tonne. "Who's comin'?"

They all decided to go with Hagrid. It was a Saturday, therefore there was no need to rush to get back to class or a meal. In fact Harry loved to spend his weekends just like this, relaxing with his friends and Pokémon.

Speaking of Pokémon, they were accompanied down to the water not just by Norbert, but also Trapinch, sitting snugly in Hermione's arms. Trapinch was, slowly but surely, being weened off his medication and Harry had to think it wouldn't be long before he was due to be set back into the wild, probably before the end of the year. That being said he wondered if Trapinch would really want to go; he and Hermione had formed quite a bond in the time they'd been together.

"Hey now, what have we got here?" Hagrid's question brought Harry to a stop and he looked up.

Up ahead, standing by the bank of the lake, was none other than Viktor Krum, standing ready alongside his Mienshao. And they were not alone. A Buizel, an orange water type Pokémon, stood facing off against Mienshao and looked ready for a fight.

"Knock Off!" Krum cried and Mienshao swung out one of its elongated arms towards its opponent. Buizel, however, was much too quick, dodging out of the way and swinging itself around, a Sonic Boom attack being released from its tail and soaring towards Mienshao, who raised its arms to block the attack. The move hit with a crash.

The two Pokémon stood their ground, staring off against each other unflinchingly. They were clearly ready to battle it out to the end.

"Trap!" Trapinch leapt from Hermione's arms, running forward aggressively.

"Trapinch!" Hermione cried, shocked by the actions of the little Pokémon as it ran towards Buizel, shouting challenges to the water type. The Buizel looked wary, half turning towards Trapinch but keeping Mienshao in its line of sight.

But Mienshao didn't look to be using the distraction to its advantage. Instead it simply stood there, awaiting commands as Krum kept silent, watching the situation unfold before him. Harry got the impression he was intrigued.

"Trapinch, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, running up to the Pokémon and scooping it up into her arms. But Trapinch was not having any of it, wriggling and jumping free, challenging again the Buizel who still looked torn over whether to take the ground type seriously.

"Looks like Trapinch wants ter battle," Hagrid said. "But I think young Mr Krum was lookin' to catch this Buizel for himself." But as everyone looked at Krum he very deliberately turned away from the Buizel. A moment later his Mienshao was sucked back into its Pokéball.

"Why don't you battle Buizel?" Harry suggested.

"What?" Hermione gasped. Harry could only imagine the thoughts that were crossing her mind, thoughts of type advantage and Trapinch's inexperience, but Harry knew through his own experience that some of the strongest bonds were formed in battle.

"Yeah, you should totally battle," Ron agreed. "You'll be perfect together." Hermione continued to look uncertain, turning from Harry to Ron to Hagrid and then to Krum, but seeing no resistance.

Hesitantly she stepped forward. "Okay Trapinch, lets do this." Trapinch let out a battlecry, setting himself for battle. Buizel readied himself too.

"Trapinch, use Mud Slap!" Trapinch dug into the dirt at his feet, flinging it with surprising ferocity towards the Buizel. Buizel, however, leapt agilely away, water foaming in his mouth as he blasted it towards the target of Trapinch. Trapinch jumped back, adeptly avoiding the attack.

"Use Sand Attack!" Hermione called, trying to obscure Buizel's vision. It seemed a fruitless effort, sand rising in clumps between the two Pokémon not nearly doing enough to impair Buizel's vision, though it was getting quite thick.

"Bui!" Buizel cried, charging through the sand. Worryingly its fist was surrounded by an icy white energy, an Ice Punch doing tremendous damage if it was to make contact. Yet what Harry could see, and what Buizel could not, was that Trapinch was no longer there. He'd dug himself underground.

"Bui?" Buizel looked confused, having exited the sand cloud and now finding himself alone, though not for long. For beneath its feet Trapinch rose, opening its jaws wide and clamping them down hard around Buizel's torso. Harry saw Ron flinch. Clearly the memory of Trapinch's bite had not left him.

"Great Trapinch, keep it up!" Hermione yelled encouragingly, looking delighted at how the battle was turning out. Buizel was still struggling, though its hands were trapped tightly to its body and it seemed unlikely that it would be able to break free from Trapinch's unshakeable grip.

Yet Buizel was not without a few tricks. As it seemed almost certain that Trapinch would come out the victor water sprung up around the Pokémon trapped in its jaws and Trapinch's eyes widened in shock. He released his grip on reflex, Buizel shooting away surrounded by its Aqua Jet attack and coming to land some distance away, looking quite shaken by the event.

Trapinch was still struggling to recover.

"Trapinch!" Hermione cried, hurrying up to the Pokémon as the ground type let out a hacking cough. It seemed like water had got caught in his throat and he looked in deep distress. Then he started to glow white.

"Oh," Hermione said softly, watching as Trapinch shone. The small Pokémon seemed to rise up into the air, his body shifting and changing as he went. Wings sprouted, unmistakable even in the brightness of evolution, and at last the glow started to fade to reveal Trapinch's new form.

"Vibrava," Hermione said, sounding quite unprepared for what had happened. Vibrava let out a buzzing noise in response, his wings vibrating so fast that it appeared that the sound was coming from them rather than his mouth.

"Wow."

"Eh, Hermione," Ron said awkwardly, shifting slightly on his feet. "Not to interrupt or anything but… well, aren't you in the middle of something." This seemed to snap Hermione back into focus and she looked up to where Buizel stood, now recovered from his altercation with Trapinch's jaws. He looked determined.

"Okay Vibrava, let's do this," Hermione said, her voice matching Buizel's determination. Vibrava flew forward eagerly, no longer consigned to wandering the ground, and buzzed towards his target. "Use Screech!"

Buizel's determined expression faded almost immediately as an unearthly sound emanated from Vibrava, causing everyone in the vicinity, including Buizel, to cover their ears.

"Now Sonic Boom!" Hermione cried over the noise. Vibrava twisted his body and then pulled it back sharply, a blade of air flying the distance between the two Pokémon. Buizel, shaking its head from the noise, became aware of the danger just in time to dodge. "Sand Tomb!"

For a second time Buizel was trapped, this time in the ground as earth rose up around it and held the water type where it stood, restricting all of its lower body movement as Buizel struggled to free itself. It looked as though it was going to try another Aqua Jet, having been successful with it last time, but it hadn't made the move quickly enough.

"Sonic Boom!" The attack struck the motionless Buizel head on, blowing the Pokémon out of its dirt cage and knocking it flat on its back. Buizel did not get up again. It lay there, panting heavily, clearly defeated.

Harry turned to Krum. "Well, are you going to catch it?" Krum shook his head.

"It is not mine to catch," he said simply. "That honour belongs with the victor." He turned to Hermione.

"Me?" Hermione gasped, shocked. "But you were battling… I don't even have a Pokéball."

"Here," Ron mumbled, jogging up behind her and slipping one of his own unused Pokéballs into her unresisting hand. She looked at it in surprise, looking almost as though she did not even recognise what it was, before a steely look came over her features.

"Ok, I'll do it," she said defiantly, straightening up.

"Yeh better hurry now," Hagrid pointed out. "Buizel ain't stayin' down for long." It was true, Buizel had already recovered enough energy to struggle into a sitting position, though it was still looking very battered and bruised. In time Buizel could still make a break for it.

"Alright," Hermione said, holding the Pokéball up and clutching it tightly. "Here I go." And she tossed the Pokéball forward.

The Pokéball seemed to hang in the air for an age, closing in on its target, but Buizel did not move. It was hit, dissolving into a stream of red energy as it was sucked inside the Pokéball. The Pokéball hit the ground and rocked, violently. Buizel, though weak, was still fighting to break free. A second shake, then a third shake, and then the Pokéball fell still.

Ping.

The soft noise signifying capture sounded loud across the lake bank as the trainers watched on and it took a moment for it to settle in that the capture had been successful. Hermione walked forward, picking up the Pokéball delicately, looking as though she couldn't believe it.

"Look what we did, Vibrava," she said softly. Vibrava buzzed in delight.

There was, of course, a downside to Hermione's capture of Buizel, and it was one Harry had seen coming earlier that same day.

Pokémon evolution, for whatever reason, was a remarkable healer. It had done an incredible job on Fletchinder when he evolved into Talonflame, curing injuries sustained that had taken the fire and flying type a year to recover from naturally. The same was true for Vibrava.

"Vibrava is in excellent condition," Madam Pomfrey told them professionally. "There is no need to continue with his treatment. He is more than ready to live life on his own."

And so it was goodbye, as they'd all known it would eventually be. And there wasn't any point in dragging it out.

The very next day Harry, Ron and Hermione walked out towards the forest, not talking, not making even the slightest of sounds. In Hermione's case she hadn't said anything all morning.

For Harry and Ron it would be difficult to say goodbye to Vibrava, the Pokémon having been a constant throughout the year so far. For Hermione it would be near impossible. Since the train journey at the beginning of the school year when Hermione had taken responsibility over Trapinch at Ron's behest the two of them had been inseparable. Every day, without fail, Hermione had administered the many varied medications that Trapinch required to remain healthy and over that time Trapinch had taken her heart. And now it was being broken.

The path into the forest they were taking had been recommended by Hagrid, leading straight into the heartland of territory that would be perfect for Vibrava to live in. Harry supposed it would be good to know that they could always visit. Just seeing where Vibrava was going to be living was a small comfort for the trio.

The path they were following was unusually full of Pokémon, though Harry quickly realised it must have been because they were being so silent. Usually Pokémon avoided humans when they could but at the moment all sorts of Pokémon were crawling obliviously across their path.

They wouldn't be oblivious for long.

A Pokéball on Ron's belt burst open suddenly and, as he had many times over the course of the year, Pig the Pidgey appeared without being called on. The only confusion came from the fact that there wasn't any food for Pig to gorge himself on. What was he doing?

"Pig?" Ron questioned, equally as confused as the others, but Pig payed him no attention, looking around the trees before his eyes found a Machop, minding its own business up ahead, and dove towards him.

"Pig!" But Pidgey wasn't paying him any attention. Machop, wide eyed, was caught completely off guard as the diminutive flying type crashed into it, knocking it onto its back. It was quick to get back up though.

"Pig, cut it out!" Ron yelled but again Pidgey ignored him, swooping round in a second attack. This time, however, Machop was ready. The fighting type leaned to the side as Pig attacked, dodging and taking hold of the flying type in its fists. It turned on the spot and threw Pig, using all of his built up momentum against him, and he went crashing into a tree.

"Well, you can't say you didn't deserve that," Ron told his Pokémon as he hurried up to him. Machop, thankfully, seemed more confused by Pig's surprise attack than angry and didn't seem eager to continue the fight. It turned to leave.

"Pidgey!" Pig cried, rising into the air suddenly, shrieking after his opponent. Again Machop seemed more surprised and confused than anything as again Pig flew towards it, this time speeding forward at an alarming rate, so fast that Machop wasn't given the chance to dodge. It was struck hard, rolling on its back and back up onto its feet. Now it was angry.

"Ma!" Machop shouted, pulling back a fist. It became surrounded in white energy, deadly, and in a moment Machop had launched its devastating Ice Punch and sent Pig flying. The little Pidgey tumbled in the air, straightening himself out just before reaching his trainer, and glared back at the Machop.

And then he started to glow.

"Bloody hell!" Ron swore loudly as his Pokémon evolved unexpectedly right in front of him. "Pig? What on earth?!" Pig the Pidgey was no more. Now Pig the Pidgeotto fluttered in his place.

"I guess that's why he came out," Harry said quietly, somewhat shocked by the sudden turn of events. "He must have felt that he was close to evolving and decided to push himself all the way."

"Great timing, isn't it," Ron said with a roll of his eyes. But he was smiling. "Alright Pig, lets see what you can do. Hit him with a Quick Attack." Pig chirped excitedly and in a flash shot off, closing the distance between the two Pokémon in an instant and sending the Machop sprawling. "Yes!"

But Machop wasn't done. The gutsy fighting type pulled itself roughly to its feet, all thoughts of leaving the conflict gone from its mind as it glared at Pidgeotto. Machop then closed its eyes, drawing in a deep, steadying breath. Then it charged.

"Quick, Pig, Gust!" Ron called as the Machop made up ground with phenomenal speed. Pig, flapping his wings wildly, blew a huge gust of air towards the advancing Pokémon. Machop braced itself, trying to fight its way through the wind, its hand glowing with the energy of a Karate Chop. But the wind was too powerful. Soon Machop found itself lifted up off its feet, completely at Pig's mercy.

"Wing Attack!" There was no way for Machop to dodge, caught high in the air as it was, and the Pidgeotto's attack caught it full in the chest. Machop was sent crashing back to earth, slamming into the base of a tree and not getting up.

"Alright, Pokéball go!" Ron shouted excitedly. He flung a Pokéball at the prone Pokémon, striking his defeated opponent on the head as it was sucked inside. The Pokéball shook three times and then lay still, a soft ping announcing the capture.

"Yes!" Ron cried excitedly, running forward to pick up the Pokéball. "We did it Pig! Great work!"

"Congratulations Ron," Harry said simply. It was an impressive achievement but it wasn't really the time to be celebrating. Ron, catching on quick, lost his grin as he looked to the third member of the group.

Hermione had not said a word.

"We should go," Harry said quietly, looking from Hermione to Ron who swallowed. Harry could tell he wanted nothing more than to celebrate Pig's evolution and Machop's capture but he couldn't do that. Not in front of Hermione.

They walked on in silence. Even the Pokémon had gone now, scared away by the sound of Pig's battle with Machop, so nothing could be heard but the soft breeze that whistled through the trees.

"We're here," Harry said shortly, pulling up as they entered a small clearing. It wasn't that dissimilar to any of the other clearings they'd passed but Harry remembered it from when Hagrid had shown him earlier. "Are you ready, Hermione?" She didn't look it.

"Just give me a minute," she told him, turning away from the two boys and facing out into the empty forest beyond. From her outline Harry could see she was taking deep, even breaths. This wouldn't be easy.

Hermione picked up Vibrava's Pokéball.

"Vibrava, come out," she called, pressing the button and releasing the Pokémon within. Vibrava appeared, accompanied by the buzz of his wings as he hovered airborne in front of her. The Pokémon had no idea what was happening.

"It's time," Hermione told the Pokémon, her voice shaking. Vibrava tilted his head. He didn't understand.

"It's time to go," Hermione said more clearly. "Your home is in the forest. You're all better now. It's time to go."

It was painful to watch. Vibrava didn't understand. He hovered in front of Hermione, looking at her quizzically, but Hermione kept her mask up, her jaw strong.

"Go on," she said, and her voice caught. "This is where we part. You're free to go." Vibrava reacted hesitantly. He hovered away slightly, turning back to look at Hermione every few feet, before reaching the line of the trees. He stopped.

"Go," Hermione said, more firmly, and her voice cracked. "Go. Now." Vibrava continued to hesitate, hovering just within the line of trees, and then he was gone. The leaves ruffled as he passed but soon the vibration of his wings was lost to the sounds of the forest.

Vibrava had left.

A sniff caught Harry's attention, pulling his eyes away from where he had lost seen Vibrava, and he turned to look at the source.

Hermione was standing stock still where she'd said goodbye, her back still turned to Harry and Ron. Her shoulders were shaking.

"Hermione?" Harry said tentatively, sharing a worried look with Ron. She let out another sniff, her hair covering her face. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry," she whispered, so softly he almost didn't hear her. He used his hand on her shoulder to turn her round so she was facing him. Tears were streaming from her eyes, running tracks down her face as she sniffed again before looking up at Harry.

He hugged her, clutching her tight to him. He couldn't see her from this position but he quickly felt his shirt get wet where her head was resting and she grasped tightly onto the back of his shirt.

Standing behind Hermione Ron looked helpless. He didn't say or do anything, he just watched as Hermione cried endlessly into Harry's shoulder. Harry felt like he should say something, try and comfort the distraught girl, but all platitudes sounded hollow in his mind. And so he just held her, hoping that, somehow, she would understand that everything would be alright.