And we're off again~ Oooh, I've gotten plenty of scares writing this chapter, since my flash drive this entire story and current chapter + more chapters were stored on crashed so many times… Ah, I'm glad I can present this to you today, though and I'll look into what the issue is, so I can keep you all up to date!
My poll will be closed by the eve of the 21th of July -consider my UTC+2 time zone-, just before the next chapter will be published -now I hope I don't jinx myself here- so I can present the results to you in that very same chapter.
(Edit- It happened, I did jinx myself. It wasn't my USB flash drive being the issue, my whole tablet went and died on me, or at least -according to the error code- CRITICAL_DRIVE_DIED... taking the whole of chapter 19 with it. Three days work gone, leaving my head full of worries because I don't know what I did wrong for this to happen, meaning I could potentially do it again... I don't know if I will be able to publish next chapter on time, but the poll will end as stated above anyway. Root for me and my tablet, guys...)
Grammarly served as my -not quite so loyal- beta reader~
Enjoy~
Despite all their enthusiasm -maybe not Ash's because he had a pretty good idea on how elusive shiny Pokémon were-, they didn't manage to find the golden Magikarp. Well, they had seen a glimpse of something but honestly, the sunlight had made whatever they saw as black as night. Ash thought he had seen something shimmering, but he wasn't a hundred percent sure that it was the typical glitter-action of a shiny Pokémon or drops of water reflecting the sunlight.
To his surprise, Bonnie didn't seem to be too bothered by the fact they hadn't seen it… but for all the wrong reasons. She suddenly claimed that the man had obviously been lying to them, which Ash thought to be unfair.
"You do realise that shiny Pokémon exist, don't you, Bonnie?" he said. "Because if you don't, I have caught one."
"Eeeeh!?"
"Don't be too surprised. While they are very rare, I've seen a couple of them already. In fact, I think that one Druddigon in Unova was the last one I've seen, so who knows, maybe we'll meet one of the shiny Pokémon in Kalos as well."
"That would be so cool, wouldn't it?" Serena said happily, still pleased as punch by the fantastic experience the aquarium had provided. "Ash, could we possibly see that Pokémon of yours sometime?"
"Of course, as soon as we reach a Pokémon Centre, I'll give Professor Oak a call and ask him to send Noctowl over." The teen answered.
"Yay!" the little girl cheered, but after that, a little while of silence fell.
It caused Ash to be able to hear the waves a little better, seeing that the whole route towards Cyllage was basically all beach line. Oh, the sound was wonderful to him and he found himself enjoying this silence a lot. Little did he know that Serena was watching him closely and was sooo pleased to see that little smile appear on his face.
"Is something the matter?"
She blinked and saw that the young trainer had caught her staring. Her mind was shooting off all the possible answers she could use as an excuse but the one that actually left her mouth was…
"Iwasthinkingaboutdinner."
The speedy answer had taken the teen off-guard and now she had his full attention.
"That's… random, but okay. Do you… need inspiration or something? I can do things with seaweed…?"
"You eat seaweed?!" she exclaimed, her own blundering answer forgotten.
"Well yeah. That's not customary here, I take it?"
"Absolutely not. I can't even see myself picking up those dead things at the beach and eating them." The girl said, already shivering at the thought of doing so.
"Not like that! First off, if they're about to rot, that's a no-go! Unless you're out to make sake with an euhm... acquired taste or something, there's no need to have something fermenting in your food. But if you see some washed up by the tide, all you need to do is make sure its edible and thoroughly clean it, to get the nasty bits out."
"... Sake?" she repeated.
"Alcohol. You know, that's what fermenting does, make alcohol?"
"Oh... Gosh, I didn't know that. I don't even think you can get seaweed in another way here in Kalos."
"I don't think so." Clemont piped up. "I've been to the beach plenty of times and I've always seen the same black goop, which proved to be inedible."
"Well, then it's probably imported or something because it was on the menu of that one restaurant in Santalune." Ash shrugged.
"Really? Did it taste good?"
"Dunno, I choose something to warm me up... And the soup was cheaper, so there was that too..."
"Oh man, you're all about soup, aren't you?" the blonde sighed. "Aren't you afraid you're going to turn liquid one of these days?"
"Well, you guys are all about sandwiches, aren't you? You would eat them at any time a day, aren't you afraid you're going to turn square one of these days?"
"… Every time I think, Clemont, stop retorting to Ash, because he'll always come up with a comment better than yours and you won't be able to answer it… Yet every time, I do it again…"
"The definition of madness is doing the same thing twice but expecting different results~"
"… Thanks."
Upon going to the beach for lunch, the four ended up meeting two researchers, who turned out to be very friendly, seeing the went out of their way to help Ash's poor, poisoned Pikachu. After having helped the Pokémon, they introduced themselves as Lindsey and Eddy, both Marine Archaeologists, looking for a ship which had sunk a while to the strong currents in the area, it's exact location had never been pinpointed.
When the suggestion to join in this expedition had been made -Ash hadn't been paying attention all that well-, he was not amused by it, at all. He wasn't aqua-phobic, but diving this deeply gave him bad memories... ones he would rather keep hidden for his friends. Also, there was only one escape route from a submarine, which was a number too little and too deadly for the teen to be comfortable in. So when Clemont pulled out one of his handy-dandy machines to determine who would go along with Lindsey... he lagged a little, purposely causing a draw.
"Soooo boring!" Bonnie exclaimed.
"Don't be like that, there's no helping this…" Clemont said. "Maybe it's best if we play it again?"
"Why don't you and Serena team up?" Ash suggested quickly. "I have to talk to Bonnie anyhow."
"But I want to go!"
"… You don't want to stay with me?" he asked, pulling out his best puppy eyes.
Boy, did they work! He had totally been acting hurt, but the boy never thought it would make Bonnie's attitude do a one-eighty degree turn. She quickly skipped over to his side and grabbed his arm.
"Of course, I do! Is there something you want to show me?"
"… Yes, as a matter of fact, I think I do." He said, but then turned to the other two. "Are you okay with that?"
"Sure~" Serena said happily. "Have fun above ground, you two!" she added.
"Bonnie gave me a great idea, so I'm sure we will." He answered and with that, started walking away from the group.
There wasn't a more ideal moment to explain to the little girl why she had been the only one who heard him that one time. And honestly, Ash was in the mood to do some cooking, like actual treats. Nothing better than a simmering fire to convince his treacherous thoughts he wasn't underwater so that he wouldn't be reminded by that one time he hadn't made it back to the surface in time...
"Shouldn't we go and stay near Mr. Eddy?" the little girl asked, snapping him out of the depressing thoughts that were still creeping up on him.
"Mm, I don't think that's a good idea, Bonnie. I mean, there's a chance that the submarine will be controlled by Mr. Eddy, so if that's the case, it's best to leave him to it. And even if that's not the case, he will probably be watching along what Miss Lindsey is doing through a camera or something... I think we would only get in the way being there, breaking his concentration or worse."
"Oh… What did you want to tell me, then?"
"Remember when I said I had Aura?"
"Yes?"
"I think you have some too."
"Really!? Then I'll be as cool as you when I grow up?"
Leave it to a child to flatter you when you were trying to be deadly serious. No matter what, Ash just couldn't keep a straight face now.
"I think you're already pretty cool, Bonnie, so Aura or not, you're going to be amazing."
"Then I'm going to be a trainer like you and big brother!"
"Seeing how relaxed Dedenne is near you, I can already tell that you're going to be a good trainer, Bonnie. Getting a Pokémon's trust is one thing, but getting it to sleep on you when you're moving around… Well, it took Pikachu a while before he allowed me to do that."
"Really?"
"Yes. But then again, I've had Pokémon who caught themselves as well and some who literally fell asleep on me without any of that, so it all depends on the situation and character of the Pokémon."
"Brother says Dedenne is Naughty but…"
"Is that so?" Ash chuckled.
"Is Dedenne not okay?"
"Why would you say that, Bonnie? Have you noticed any kind of problem with your little friend? Is it sick?"
"No, no, brother just looked so strange when he looked up from his Pokédex… And now you're laughing too." The girl said, pouting a little.
"I'm not laughing because of Dedenne, Bonnie, I just think Naughty is a funny word. And well, as for Clemont's reaction… I can already guess why he pulled a face like that, but the thing is, are you interested in hearing the reason for it?"
"Yes! I wanna know, so I can tell Dedenne it's okay."
"Oh, but it is okay, Bonnie. I think your little friend is going to surprise a lot of people." Ash grinned. "You see, there are three types of Pokémon: those that use their body to bump into each other, those that attack from a distance and those who use moves to make the other a little… crazy. Now, every Pokémon had four vital parts that show you which one of the three they are and they are called Attack, Defence, Special Attack and Special Defence."
"Okay?"
"Pokémon like Pikachu and your Dedenne are usually all about Special Attack, seeing that they use energy and usually don't touch the other Pokémon. However, being Naughty means that little Dedenne has more Attack and little Special Defence and will have to touch their opponent. And dodge attacks any Electric-type Pokémon shouldn't need to evade."
"… So that was why brother looked at Dedenne that way? Because it's not a good Pokémon?"
"Nonsense! Every Pokémon is a good Pokémon, Bonnie. You just need to take into account that your brother is a Gym Leader and has a certain view of how Pokémon should be to… bloom, I suppose."
"So… My brother is the problem, not Dedenne?"
The boy laughed at that, because honestly, yes, that was the case. There were no wrong Pokémon on this earth, just people with the wrong idea.
"Maybe. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't give up on Dedenne, okay? After all, there are plenty of attacks it could use, I mean, Iron Tail, Super Fang, Wild Charge… and heck, isn't Dedenne part Fairy? It can learn Play-Rough, so you can send it out against Dragon-type Pokémon and still get away with it." He said. "You just need to train it enough, if you want to use it in a fight, but honestly, every Pokémon needs some training. I don't believe there's such thing as a 'perfect' Pokémon or a 'perfect' person, so both we and the Pokémon need to make do with who we all end up with."
"Can you tell brother that too, Ash? So that he doesn't make any other Pokémon feel bad?"
"Sure thing~ Now, do you want me to show you a really good cure to make Dedenne happy again?"
"Yes!"
"Come on, then!"
It was already late in the afternoon when Serena and Clemont reunited with the two. Seemed like their underwater excursion hadn't been as much 'fun' as the girl had envisioned it to be, but honestly, seeing that his friends were safe and without harm was enough for Ash. No need to delve into details of how the submarine had nearly sunk, right? Even if Bonnie was playing with Krookodile in the sand a little sand...
"Those Dragalge were pretty awesome but…" the blonde sighed, looking a little miserable.
"Yeah, they were a little aggressive." Serena sighed.
"Hardly a wonder they act like that, with a name that sounds like someone's choking..." Ash stated and passed down a plate with some Pokéblocks. "Here, why don't you two try these and tell me what they taste like."
"Alright." Clemont chuckled, taking one of the colourful treats off the plate. "What is this supposed to taste like?"
"Not telling. I don't want to spoil the surprise now, do I?"
"Sure." He grinned and ate the thing in one go. "… Holy…"
The blonde's eyes widened considerably.
"What is this!?"
"A Pokéblock." Ash answered. "Do you like it?"
"A lot! What's it made off?"
"Just berries and a little mapping out of what flavours go together well." Was the simple answer. "Do you want to try one as well, Serena?"
"Of course! Are they similar to Poké Puffs?"
"Eh? Never heard of them." he said. "I've not tasted anything similar to a Pokéblock either. Is it like a Poffin?"
"... Never mind, I don't know what a Poffin is, either. I'll let you taste one!... Tomorrow, though, because I'm beat." She sighed but then put the treat in her mouth. "… Alright, no, this isn't like a Poké Puff at all. Oh, man, Ash, how did you make this?"
"Not all my experiments come out successful, but if they do end up being edible, it's usually something like this." He answered, looking pleased his creation had been appreciated.
Not that it had mattered that much, because his Pokémon had already proven to have been happy with how it tasted. And they weren't exactly made for people to eat, so honestly, Ash had just let them taste this to make them feel included. It seemed to have worked alright so far, which actually pleased him more than any compliment on his cooking skill –even though an abysmal amount of that skill was enough to successfully make some Pokéblocks.
"So, is that all you two have been doing? Making candy?"
"They are Pokémon treats that just so happen to taste good for our taste buds, buddy." The teen said. "And Bonnie asked me a particular question, so I spend quite some time explaining the IMDUCPC to her."
"The what…?" Serena asked, sounding a little baffled.
"The International Moral Debate on Unethical Categorisation of Pokémon Characteristics." Ash stated. "It's a global discussion that has been going on ever since a case came to light where a Pokémon had been deemed useless based on the stats the Pokédex provided.."
"… I'm going to get it simply because I pulled a face when I scanned Dedenne, aren't I?" Clemont asked dryly, while the girl still looked bewildered.
"Not really, I just wanted to make you aware that as a Gym Leader and a brother, it wasn't really that nice."
"I'll apologise to it."
"That's not necessary, just be there for your sister when she starts training and tell her the truth, not your opinion."
"Alright, I can do that." The blonde said, seemingly already happy that he got off this lightly.
"What actually happened to the Pokémon, Ash?" The girl asked. "You know, the one you said was deemed worthless?"
"Oh, it ended up with a very nice but influential lady who took care of it with no intention of ever use it as in a fight. It got diagnosed with a depression early on but with some tender love and care, it ended up living a happy life. The lady wasn't pleased though and as such, the discussion started." Ash answered.
"I never knew about that... or the effect these stats had on anyone, Pokémon or people alike. I never thought any less of Fennekin because it's Gentle. I mean, I thought that it would only have an effect on behaviour but not…"
"That's exactly what everyone should do, Serena, I mean, it wouldn't be fair if we started being so picky with friends, first asking for their nature before deciding whether we wanted to be friends or not."
"No, that would be a little stupid." She giggled. "Still, what does it mean, being Gentle? Would anyone discriminate on Fennekin?"
"No one but the trainer who caught it can see what nature your Pokémon is, actually. But being Gentle will raise Fennekin's Special Defence and lower its Defence. Right now, it's typical opponents would be Special Attack based Pokémon, so it's not bad to have extra Special Defence to counter against it." The black-haired trainer said. "What does it evolve into, though."
"That would be Braixen and then Delphox." Clemont said. "Fire-Psychic."
"Aaah… Well, then it might be good to work on Speed as well, Serena and get your starter to dodge instinctively. Or just plainly avoid using Fennekin against any ground or Rock types, because nearly all of those attacks are physical, exactly what your Pokémon is weak against, in both stats and natural type weakness.."
"I didn't think it would be this… profound." Serena said. "I think I'm going to write this down, though."
"It's useful to know." Clemont agreed. "There are those who go straight against morality and start breeding the right Pokémon and just… release the others who don't fit their plan. That too is one of the discussion points of IMDUCPC."
"That's horrible!" she exclaimed.
"It is." Ash nodded. "Hence why I didn't like it that Dedenne was being judged less because its stats wasn't like a typical Electric-type's stats."
"Where do people even find this information?"
"Do me a favour, Serena… Take your Pokédex, find your Fennekin's registration and scroll down."
The girl blinked but did just that.
"Oh…"
"Don't forget to have some fun during training, though. I mean, having a good bond between trainer and Pokémon helps things get not that serious, but it's never fun when you overdo it."
"… Like trying to hit them with a stick?"
"I wasn't trying to and I never hit him." Ash defended. "And if you have a better idea to train agility, you're welcome to implement that in your own kind of training. I, however, am going to stick with the stick, because it's cheap, you can literally do it anywhere, it's not as harmful as rocks and seeing that Froakie goes to find sturdy sticks by himself these days, I'm guessing it wasn't as traumatising for him as it apparently was for you."
"It was scary to watch."
"And hence why I even left you guys to go to that Battle Chateau so you didn't have to witness something like that again."
"… You make too much sense for my tired mind." She sighed. "And we still need to make dinner..." Serena added, groaning a little.
"I… can always make something if you would like? I mean, I promise it won't be soup."
"It's settled then~" Clemont sighed happily.
"Alright, then you two stay put, I'll be taking Bonnie with me to go and find some ingredients to use~"
"…"
Ash still had troubles keeping a smile off his face when thinking about how little faith his new friends had in his cooking skills. By now, they should have known he had different eating habits than them, but the dish he had made wasn't bad or outlandish at all. No, both Serena and Clemont were just hesitant to try it because he had gone to get the ingredients straight out of the woods.
Bonnie had cheerfully eaten the lukewarm pie, probably fully trusting the dish seeing she knew that everything was okay, seeing she plucked the fruit used in it herself. It was only after she had gulped down another piece, that the two had even started on theirs.
'Ye of little trust.' Ash had thought, entertained by how fast the pie was disappearing.
Still, while the three had eaten and had quickly fallen asleep after they had made up camp a little further away from where they had eaten dinner, the teen found himself awake again.
'What is it about being unable to sleep every time I find myself outdoors?' he thought, trying to keep as calm as possible.
There was no use in becoming all annoyed again, because that way, he wouldn't find any rest. And this time, he could feel that he was actually tired and that his Aura was at ease… So what was keeping him up? Was his fear of the dark still so deeply embedded in him that it made him uneasy without him even noticing it? Was that actually a thing?
The boy was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a noise. It sounded familiar, hence why his interest was piqued… But don't ask him what it was. It wasn't until he straightened, already pushing his sleeping bag off him, that Ash realised that something or rather someone was calling him. He had gingerly put his prosthesis back on and was about to walk off -yeah, he really couldn't care less that he was walking around in his pyjama's- when a soft voice sounded out.
"Ash…?"
The teen blinked and suddenly noticed that Bonnie was sitting up as well.
"Ah, did I wake you?" he whispered, quickly darting over to her.
"No, I can't sleep." She answered. "What were you doing?"
"Not sleeping, hm? Did you perhaps hear my friend as well?"
There was little to no chance that the girl had actually heard anything and that it probably was the sugar in the pie that had left her with too much energy to sleep, but hey, he got her attention straight away.
"Friend?" the girl asked, eyes wide.
"Yes. Would you like to come with me to see it?"
Bonnie nodded fervently, quickly getting out of her own sleeping bag. Ash still couldn't get over how adorable her pyjamas were, even though he had no idea which Pokémon it was supposed to depict. However, that wasn't important right now, seeing that the teen really needed to watch out where he was going, now that he had the little girl to care for.
Of course, Ash was carrying her, with all these dangerous hills and falls… and possibly sleeping Beedrill laying around and about. No, he would keep her safely in his hold, since his Aura enabled him to see where he was going, no matter how dark. It was only logical he would use his ability now that it wasn't seeking attention or wanting to vent off some steam, hm? And as long as Pikachu stayed near the camp, the teen would be able to find it again.
Seeing his starter had the uncanny ability to sleep through the heaviest of thunderstorms, even while sleeping outside in that very same storm, the young trainer was pretty sure that his starter would remain still for quite a few hours longer. Plenty of time for Ash to go and introduce Bonnie to his friend who was possibly younger than her.
"Is it a Pokémon?" the girl asked softly.
"Yes, it is. And I bet that you're going to be the first person in Kalos to have ever seen it."
Even in the dark, the teen could feel that Bonnie was excited. He was so pleased that she was such a nice girl, young enough to still be able to look at things with wonder, yet not old enough to fully understand and ask annoying questions.
Soon enough, the familiar beach came in sight and it was thanks to the full moon, that Ash could see that his assumption was correct. The Kyogre had come to visit him, all the way from Kanto. Or… had it followed him? Mewtwo said something about the mark on his left hand being an imprint, but the boy hadn't thought that Legendary Pokémon actually needed to imprint anyone. Come on, who in the right mind -which basically ruled out every criminal already- would ever feel compelled to bother any Legendary Pokémon? Though, no matter whether the imprint was needed, he felt a little flattered that the Kyogre had chosen him for the job, should Mewtwo's theory be correct.
"Is that it…?" Bonnie whispered.
"Yes, this is my friend. Are you scared?"
"No, because you're here." She said, keeping a good hold on him.
While he wondered what he had done to gain the little girl's trust, the teen still felt mightily chuffed that he did. Children should be free and see as many wonderful things as they could possibly get to… so if Ash could make Bonnie's childhood a little more memorable, he would go for it. Also, while plenty of people would run at the sight of a Kyogre, this one waiting for them a little further down the beach was a young, playful one, so what could possibly go wrong?
"Alright. Let's go a little closer then… Tell me if you're not comfortable, though, okay?"
"Okay~" she said happily, shifting a little in his hold to find the best position.
As they were going towards the large creature, it let out a soft cry. Bonnie seemed only a little startled but was probably more curious than anything. And as soon as they were right in front of Kyogre, it lit up the markings on its skin, making the surrounding water glow, showing off how awesome the Pokémon was.
~Miss you~ was the fleeting sentence that went through Ash's mind as soon as he had touched the being.
Seems like his left hand was indeed linked to this Pokémon, hm? While interesting, the teen couldn't help but feel relieved that neither the Kyogre or Bonnie were making a big fuss. This could have turned into a hot potato quickly, but it seemed that the youngest barely realised the girl was there and that Bonnie was just too impressed to react.
"I missed you too, buddy. Did you swim all the way from Kanto to here?"
Another croon and this time, it drew the girl's attention.
"How did you meet?" she asked.
"Aaah, that's actually a good story." He grinned and knew that the large Legendary being really couldn't care what he was saying, so what better time for some stories than right now?
Still, it was around two in the morning and even before Ash had managed to tell the girl about the lightning bolt that nearly caused this fire in Fuchsia, Bonnie had fallen asleep.
"I've got to go now, buddy. Go try and sleep a bit as well, okay?"
The Pokémon merely pushed its large head against the teen's hand and started sliding back into the sea. With one last croon, it disappeared in the inky water… but Ash knew it would be back. Yes, he could almost feel it, but honestly, he didn't care. If this little one wanted some attention, the teen would happily provide it.
So, with that thought in mind, Ash happily went back to the camp. Bonnie never moved an inch as he tucked her back on her sleeping bag and it really didn't take long until the teen himself drifted off to sleep. In fact, as soon as he had laid himself in a comfortable position, he was off to dreamland.
"We made it to Cyllage!" Serena exclaimed happily.
"Alright, where is this Gym Leader!?" Ash asked, briskly turning from side to side.
He had slept wonderfully and both him and his Pokémon were feeling ready to go and battle, so this Gym Leader better hold onto their hat. You see, if the teen became passionate about something, he could also talk to his Pokémon. After all, he had given a pretty good motivational speech to Froakie and Pikachu this morning, so if he could continue to feel this way about the oncoming Gym Battle, they would be set. While it was a shame that his explanation about his abilities had been overshadowed by Bonnie's own problem with Dedenne, she didn't seem to be too bothered about hearing him while no one else could. She probably just thought that Aura was the whole reason for it, which wasn't exactly true... but it wasn't untrue either.
"That way~" the brunette giggled as she looked up from her digital map and pointed in the right direction.
"Alright!" the teen answered and started power-walking towards the Gym.
"What Pokémon are you going to use, Ash?" Clemont asked, already glad that they weren't running.
"Froakie and Pikachu."
"… If it's indeed a Rock-type Gym, why even bother with Pikachu?"
"Hah, there's no need to worry. Pikachu's got no trouble dealing with type advantage Pokémon, Clemont. You of all people should realise there's more to Electric-type Pokémon."
"Yeah, I should, shouldn't I?" the teen grinned.
"… Is this that thing we talked about yesterday? The Nature thing?" Serena asked confused.
"Eh? Pikachu is as Hardy as his kind comes, so no." Ash answered. "If I'm right and this Gym Leader does use the type I think they'll be using, then you'll definitely notice what I mean."
"… Alright."
The girl couldn't help but feel like both those two were talking in a secret language, only understandable by other trainers… which wasn't fair, because she was one as well, right? Right?
Still, once they entered this Gym, Serena noticed that Clemont had been right in saying that the mood was different from the Battle Chateau. There was a mood of expectation and… excitement here, that she had never experienced before. It made her stomach churn just standing here, so how must that make Ash feel?
Didn't seem the black-haired teen was too bothered about it, though, seeing he had an unwavering grin on his face. Even as this huge climbing wall or rather, tower got into view, the boy was still looking as ready to fight as before.
"… Do we have to climb that?" Clemont asked hesitantly.
"We'll get to know about that soon enough." Ash said and cupped his hands to his mouth. "HEY, UP THERE? ARE YOU THE GYM LEADER?"
The call got the man's attention, who turned and nodded.
"That's right, I am Grant, the Gym Leader of Cyllage Gym." he answered.
"Good! I'm here to challenge your Gym."
"In that case, climb up!"
"Really?!" Serena exclaimed.
"The battlefield if up here, you know~"
The black-haired teen couldn't help but feel really bothered about the fact Grant was teasing them. It wasn't the smartest thing to do and judging from the looks he was getting from his friends, they knew that as well. Now, from the slight chance that Grant didn't know about him -Viola was a tattle-tale, to begin with- it was still rude to think that anyone could climb a wall. But figuring that he did know who he was, seeing that Pikachu was so rare and obviously present, it was a pitiful act, one that made the boy determined to undermine whatever prejudice the man had.
"The Cyllage Gym is a Rock-type Gym. I have all challengers climb up to this battlefield on their own so they can experience the wonderful world of rocks." The man continued.
Despite all the experiences the teen had already had with rocks, 'wonderful' wasn't exactly it. In fact, he hadn't been too impressed when his mom had taken him to go visit Pewter for the first time... and he remained unimpressed by the dreary place years later.
"D-do we all have to do that?" Serena exclaimed, her face full of worry.
"Don't worry, there is an elevator as well. You can choose whether or not you want to use the wall or the elevator, I won't think any less of any challenger just because they refuse to climb the wall~" the man said. "So, challenger, what will you do?"
"I'm gonna climb this thing, of course." the black-haired stated, never one to back out of such an obvious challenge.
"A-Ash, are you sure that's okay?" Clemont asked, even though he could see that nothing would convince the teen to back down from this challenge.
The teen wasn't even looking at him and it didn't seem like he had heard the question… so the Gym Leader's challenge had successfully riled him up, for all the wrong reasons, probably. He too had heard the teasing tone but it didn't seem like a good idea to lure anyone with a prosthetic leg up a climbing wall like this, without any protection either. However, knowing Ash and how little you noticed of his disability... And he had climbed the Prism Tower with relative ease too, so maybe Grant didn't know...
"Wonderful, I like your enthusiasm. I'll see you on top, then." The Gym Leader said and easily made his way to the top of this 'mountain'.
"Hang on tight, Pikachu." Ash said, glaring at this wall as he turned his hat backwards. "Things are about to go down, I swear…" he added, a lot softer, so that only his starter Pokémon could hear it.
"PIka!" Pikachu agreed loudly, putting his little fist in the air.
The teen didn't even bother waiting for any reaction from anyone behind him and just started climbing. He wondered whether Dr. Martin had this Gym in mind when setting up Ash's last evaluation, but if he hadn't, this would just be an uncanny coincidence. And honestly, the young trainer had half a mind to check in with the man and thank him for having added that particular test in the last check-up.
"There, I climbed it." The teen sighed, as he crawled over the edge of the last wall.
"Excellent. What did you feel like when climbing?"
"… Pissed?"
The man barked out a laugh and extended a hand.
"I am Grant, the Cyllage Gym Leader. Your unusual answer entertains me, challenger, let's hope that the fight will do the same."
Ash just grunted and shook the man's hand. If only he hadn't teased him, maybe he would've liked this man but honestly, right now, all the teen wanted to do was fight. Consider him bewildered by the fact the referee called out that he could use all his Pokémon on hand. Like… really?
"All of them?" Ash asked.
"Yes, I would like to see the strength of your team."
'Yeah, yeah, hence why I won't be needing all eight of them. How difficult is this Gym going to be for this rule to be in play? Is it like Lt. Surge's? Or worse? Surely Viola would've said something if it was that bad? Right?' the boy thought, panicking a little.
But honestly, there was no need to panic. Thanks to all the training he had put Froakie through and his experience with fighting against Onix -it seemed like every Rock-type Gym liked to use one-, the Water Pokémon proved to be agile enough to dodge and used the Rock Tomb attack in its advantage. Grant seemed surprised, but the teen sure wasn't. After all, Froakie was such a determined Pokémon that he had all too readily undergone the training, if only to become similar to that Frogadier.
"Inventive, Ash. I can see why Viola warned me about you." The Gym Leader said, once his Onix had been defeated. "But how will you deal with my second Pokémon?"
From the start, the young trainer could see that Froakie would be in trouble. After having scanned the unknown Pokémon, Ash realised that it probably had high attack stats… which was bad for his little, blue friend, because he would probably get mowed down by one single attack. However, Froakie visibly wanted to continue, something the teen admired.
"If you're sure, Froakie, so am I."
'Besides, that Tyrunt reminds me of Bonnie's pyjama's.'
If Froakie had been feeling any tension, it was gone by now. Ash could even see the Pokémon relax, which really seemed to confuse the Gym leader. But the teen wasn't going to let himself be bothered about that, because this was the reaction to the ability he was expecting after all.
No matter how much jokes, though, Froakie hadn't been fast enough to dodge the Rock Tomb, which had come faster and from a lower direction than before, making it harder to evade. Ah well, it all went within the scope that Ash had figured it would have gone… But he would use a different tactic with Pikachu.
"Well fought, Froakie." He said, gently scooping his fallen Pokémon up in his arms.
"Froa…" the being sighed.
"Don't worry, Pikachu will avenge you."
The Electric-type Pokémon all too readily jumped on the field and while Grant didn't seem too impressed by its arrival, he didn't seem to underestimate it… yet went for another Rock Tomb.
'It's not moving at all.' Ash thought, as he saw his Pokémon dodge the rocks, flying in his direction. 'Pikachu can probably outspeed this thing with ease too… but let's see what else it can do and if we can get it to move.'
"Pikachu, get in close."
As expected, the Gym Leaders switched tactics instantly.
"Use Bite!" Grant exclaimed, as soon as Pikachu got near the Tyrunt.
However, Ash's starter was way too fast for his opponent to actually get bitten but a devilish grin settled on the black-haired teen's face, as a devious plan folded out in his mind. As soon as the Electric-type Pokémon was at a decent distance, the man called out for another Tomb Rock, which apparently was his favourite move.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail on the rocks!" Ash called. 'Get one stuck in its mouth!'
The Pokémon deftly deflected all of them and after the fifth or sixth rock, one finally got lodged in between the Tyrunt's dangerous jaws.
'Get in close and hit the rock out of its jaw with a backwards Electro Ball!'
And yes, Grant's reaction speed was quick enough to call out for his Pokémon to Bite, to try and get rid of the rock, but he would never beat Pikachu to it. Just as the Tyrunt started biting down on the stone, Pikachu's tail slammed it out of its mouth... and because the Pokémon had prepared itself to have to bite down on something dense, its mouth closed a lot quicker now that the rock was out of it… which caused the Electro Ball to get stuck there.
*ZAP*
Pikachu knew instinctively that his opponent was beaten, but the face it had pulled when it realised it was chomping straight on the ball of pure electric energy had been so funny, he had gotten the giggles.
"Ah… T-that was… Very impressive, Ash." The Gym Leader uttered, recalling his clearly defeated Tyrunt, who had been laying a little further down the field, with some smoke coming off it.
"Thank you. I initially had wanted Froakie to soak your Tyrunt, but there's always another way." The teen answered, unable to stay mad at the man because Pikachu was still giggling. "Thank your walls for the added determination Pikachu felt to defeat your Pokémon, though."
"… Excuse me?"
"It was very mean to send Ash up that wall!"
Both Ash and Grant were startled by Bonnie's sudden appearance, but Clemont was quick to pull her back.
"Bonnie!" he hissed.
"I… am becoming aware I'm missing a piece of vital information to understand this euhm… global annoyance with my behaviour or the walls, Ash." The Gym Leader said, looking serious but also a little confused.
The teen didn't blame him, seeing that he was bewildered by how Bonnie had been affected by his annoyance as well. It was eerily similar to how his Pokémon reacted… Was this the effect of being an Aura Source…?
"Well, why don't you ask Viola about it then?" Ash said, deciding to use the same cheeky, teasing tone as the man. "Seeing she can warn you about me and all that? Never mind this, though, can I get my badge?"
"Y-yes, yes, of course."
Grant looked even more befuddled now, but the teen was in no mood to explain himself. Now that he had his badge, he was planning on rewarding his Pokémon, making sure they would be properly hugged and so forth… But as far as he was concerned, this chapter was over and done with. No hard feelings towards the Gym Leader, because it seemed like he didn't know about his challenger's disability, despite whatever Viola had said… Yet either way, it shouldn't have mattered whether or not the Gym Leader knew or not, really, seeing that there was no real reason to keep disabled people from participating in any Gym. And Ash would have hated being sent to that elevator, so there's that to consider as well.
"Are you okay?" Serena asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Sure! This was just another Gym fight, so no worries~ Pikachu got a good laugh out of it as well and hey, now that I remember, did you see how one attack mowed down Froakie?"
"Euhm… Yes?"
"That's what I meant when I said that Fennekin would be better off avoiding physical fighters like that."
"A-ah… Really? Is one attack enough to…?"
"It might be a wild guess, but that particular Tyrunt probably had an elevated Attack stat… or has naturally heightened Attack and an elevated Defence stat. But yeah, one attack basically KO's Pokémon without much Defence."
"Heavens… You didn't let Froakie go through that just to show me that, right?"
"Of course not!" Ash replied, sounding and looking indignant. "Froakie clearly wanted to fight and this was just a normal battle, Serena, you… You can't always win two battles with the same Pokémon?! Unless they're unusually overpowered, that is… Like Pikachu often times seems, hence why Team Rocket is after him like that."
"Oh, okay. Sorry, I was just wondering."
"You just seemed interested in your Fennekin's stats yesterday, so hence why I thought it was a good idea to mention it."
"It's… enlightening, to be honest. Just not in a good way, you know?" the girl said hesitantly. "I'm not sure whether Fennekin's the right Pokémon for those kinds of fights…"
"It's your full right to make such decisions, Serena. Professor Sycamore gave you a starter Pokémon, but he never mentioned what you should start with. Travelling, yes, but towards what goal? That's up to you to decide. Just know that Pokémon will follow their trainer to the end of the world, so think carefully when you speak in their name because they will accept it as the truth… Well, unless you have a difficult one with a mind of its own, like Froakie has."
"Have you ever chosen to not make a Pokémon fight? What kind of Pokémon do you prefer?"
"I don't mind a little character, you know? It makes for a wonderfully colourful, little family." Ash grinned. "And yes, of course, I have! Young ones, or those that were better off living free… and then one who was more a comedian than fighter…"
"Really? Do you still have it?"
"No, I gave it to a Gym Leader, to cheer her up."
"Did it work?"
"Amazingly so. And it was only my gut instinct who told me to do what I did, so honestly, Serena, follow your own instinct. If my mom can flaunt her 'female intuition', then so can you."
The girl giggled and nodded.
"Hey, if anything, with how stylish you dress and how elegant Fennekin is, I bet you would be a great Coordinator."
A while of silence fell and for a moment, Ash thought she was actually considering the idea, until…
"What's a Coordinator?" She asked.
"You don't know what a… Oh, man, I should've known this too would be different in Kalos. I'm sorry, Serena, it's a thing from Hoenn where they showcase their Pokémon… or something."
"I'll think about it." Serena said with a small smile on her face. "So, you think I'm stylish, huh?"
"Well yeah… Unless your mom picked your outfit?"
"She didn't!"
"Well, then~"
The girl just rolled her eyes at his answers. Still, she would take the compliment, even though Ash probably didn't have an idea about style. But he was a good trainer and that was all that mattered. Now if only she could decide on what she wanted to do with her life, then they would be settled.
Ash was confused at how quickly moods could change. His own was the prime example, because he felt so deceived… How had such a big, striking Pokémon managed to pry one of his very first Poké Puffs out of his hands as quickly as that? And had eaten it just as soon as it got possession of it, again, so quickly?
"I'm sorry, my Slurpluff gets drawn to sweet food. It says that your Poké Puffs are so-so."
The blue-haired girl had appeared from nowhere and had quickly introduced her as Miette… but the teen found himself wondering why this stranger had tried to anger Serena by misinterpreting what her Pokémon had said. Just by the way the Slurpluff had turned to the girl, Ash knew something fishy was going on. After all, it was very possible that this had been a perfectly tasty Poké Puff -not that he would know…- and the Slurpluff just didn't like it because it didn't like that particular taste.
This was all perfectly normal, really, but he didn't like how quickly Miette had covered up her lie -yes, it was a lie- with acting sweetly.
"Well, why don't I treat you to some really taste Poké Puffs?" she said and while Bonnie jumped at the change, the boy felt a little… meh.
"Why doesn't she train her Slurpluff so it doesn't take people's food in the first place…?" Ash grumbled, taking a little distance from the group, seeing as he could feel an argument between Miette and Serena brewing.
He had seen how quickly girls could get in each other's hair, as he had seen it happen in his hometown… Sisters who basically had shared over half of their lives together could suddenly turn against each other and well… If Ash hadn't known Gary, he would've thought only girls would be able of such a mood switch. What he didn't count on, though, was that Miette had heard him.
"Oh? An overprotective boyfriend coming to the rescue?"
"No, but I am an annoyed, hungry person who's getting a little fed up that people are willing to forgive their own misgivings but will give others grief over something that only exists in their head."
"… That's the most elaborate 'no' I've ever heard."
"Well, then I'm glad you're listening." He sighed. "What are you doing here anyway, except bothering us and trying to pick a fight with Serena?"
"… I'm here to participate in a Poké Puff-making-contest."
"Well, go do that, then, instead of bothering us." Ash huffed and turned his back to her, stalking off.
"Dang, Ash." The blonde chuckled as soon as he had caught up. "You told her off really good."
The multiple footsteps alerted Ash that Serena and Bonnie were also following but well…
"I'm getting a little sick of people using my own denseness against me, Clemont."
"Eh? You don't seem dense to me."
"Then I've got you fooled." The boy sighed. "The whole subject just… goes over my head. I really don't understand anything about it."
"Well, if that's the issue, maybe you just need to experience it, hm? I'll gladly lend Bonnie to you so she can find you a bride, Ash." Clemont chuckled, giving him a little pat on his shoulder. "There's nothing more obvious than having a small girl proclaim your non-existing love to someone."
"… What?"
"Oh yeah, you've never seen her do that, hm? Well, she thinks I'm… unable to care for myself, so she's looking for a bride who will look after me."
"I feel like Bonnie and my mom would be instant friends, then." Ash chuckled. "Still, don't worry about the bride, we've got you covered for now."
"Thanks." the teen chuckled. "Though, if I'm honest, I don't think Bonnie would want to find someone for you. She… works in mysterious ways, but you seem to have impressed her to a degree that she probably thinks you'll be fine on your own."
"Of course, I've got my Pokémon, after all."
"Yeah, and that's what makes you extra-cool to her, or rather, to all of us." Clemont said.
"C-cool?" Ash spluttered. "I'm so not… Like, there are so many, much cooler people, like any of the elites and the Champions… Heck, even the day-care people are amazing-"
"But they're not here and they don't put up with us."
"… But I'm so rude."
"As I've noticed, you only do it when the opportunity arises." Clemont said, adjusting his glasses. "And it's incredibly funny to hear, even more since you're seemingly going out of your way not to swear. Whether that's because of Bonnie or Serena, I don't know, but it's hilarious."
"Well, I'm glad it amuses you. I euhm… was never taught to swear and having seen my mom glare at Professor Oak that one time he spilled hot coffee on himself, which actually justified his cursing, was enough reason not to do it… Adding to that the fact that the one who helped me relearn my entire vocabulary, was better at using insults than swear words, it's no wonder I don't have the habit, I suppose."
"… Relearn?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you that I had this strange sort of retrograde amnesia? I forgot how to speak after the accident that landed me this prosthesis."
"No, you never told me about that, no…" the blonde teen mused. "Man, you deem too little of yourself."
"Maybe so." Ash shrugged.
"Sooo…What are we going to do now?" Bonnie asked, so loud that it actually interfered with the conversation up front. "Are we gonna go look at the contest or…?"
"I don't know." Serena sighed.
"Why don't you show me how to make them, then?" Ash asked, stopping so the two girls could re-join the group.
"Yeah!" the little girl cheered. "We could go on a picnic!"
"Sounds good to me." Clemont grinned.
"Really?" the brunette asked hopefully. "Then we will be needing some berries!"
"Alright, to the marketplace then!"
The group had a rather good time in the forest, with the cute Swirlix -Ash was completely captivated with their teensy, little feet that appeared out of the fluff that was their entire body- coming to see what they were doing. Serena felt a whole lot better when proven that her Poké Puffs were enjoyable after all, seeing that the wild Pokémon had come to have a sniff at them. Of course, she had reached out one of them to the Swirlix and to her delight, the pink Pokémon even started quarrelling about who would get what piece.
It was cute and really peaceful and yes, the girl found herself enjoying this a lot more than she initially expected. That Ash was so willing to learn and good at what he did was a plus and together they end up making a laughably huge Poké Puff for dinner too. Yes, it had been a good time and as they were heading towards Lumiose again, they had no idea that Team Rocket was disturbing the Poké Puff contest. No, instead, they all helped Serena set up her first Poké-vision video, where she showed how to make that huge treat.
They had been able to get to Lumiose in a relatively quiet way, seeing that Ash still wanted to train a bit and had no qualms in doing it while they were on the road. It wasn't that dangerous so no one commented on it and it was keeping Bonnie busy, so that was a plus. But that didn't mean they never got to know the trouble that had happened, causing the entire Poké Puff-making-contest to be disbanded.
"Oh man, Team Rocket's fallen to an all-time low." Ash chuckled, looking at the newspaper Serena had acquired earlier.
"… How do you know Team Rocket has anything to do with it?" the brunette asked, frowning. "It doesn't say in the article, does it?"
"Stealing all the Berries, including those in the forest? That sounds totally like something those three would do." He said, looking rather amused. "I mean, I don't know why they would do something like that, but if I had to guess, it was probably Jessy doing it for the honour or some bizarre, other reason…"
"Honour?" Clemont chuckled. "Really?"
"Yeah, they don't really work for Team Rocket, they just… think they do, I suppose. But they really aren't the actual Team Rocket, I mean, I would never stick around if I noticed that it's not the three I know. And they're not always bad, you know? I mean, if they would just… think logically for once, they would realise that they're better off outside of Team Rocket than in it, but then again, I figure that you can't actually ever leave a criminal group… But still, I hope they'll find something they're actually satisfied with their lives. Because I don't think that owning every berry in the whole town and forest is something to be satisfied with. Well, not unless you've got a heard of Pokémon to feed, that is."
"Hm… That's interesting. Maybe we could try and tell them that next time we meet." Serena said.
"I doubt that they would believe me. After all, remember that you at first didn't believe I didn't hate them, so why would they listen to either of us when they probably don't know we only want the best for them?"
"… Oh yeah…"
"Forget it, we're probably stuck with these losers for the rest of our journey." The teen sighed as he folded up the newspaper and laid it to the side. "Anyway, why don't I go and give Professor Oak to ask him if he can send Noctowl over for a while?"
"Oh, yes, yes!" Bonnie said, starting to bounce on her seat.
"Easy! Or you'll knock your drink off the table." Clemont said and gently eased her a little further in her chair so that her arms weren't so dangerously near the mug.
Ash couldn't help but smile fondly as he got off his chair. He was already so used to these morning rituals -though with how early he was awake, it often seemed as if they were having lunch- and knew that he would miss these three if this journey ended.
'Hey now, you've only got your second badge, man.' He thought, trying to cheer his own mind up.
There was plenty of time to make some more wonderful memories, after all, so there was no need to get so depressed. Besides, for once in his life, it seemed like he didn't need to wait for a videophone to be available, so that was a plus. Initially, Ash had dialled in part of Professor Oak's phone number… but then he figured his friends would understand if he made them wait a little longer, just so that he could call his mom first.
"Sweetie!"
Her smiling face came on screen almost immediately after a seconds or so.
"Whoa, mom, were you waiting for me?"
"No, I was just standing here~" she said happily. "How are you doing, sweetheart? Is Kalos treating you well?"
"I'm doing pretty good, mom, I won my second Gym Badge yesterday." He answered proudly, getting his badge case out of his pocket and showing it to her.
"My, my, you've been busy, haven't you? No issues so far?"
"None that had to do with my prosthesis, no. Gym Leaders here seem really rude, though, if that's anything I can say. Also, it took me some time to warm up to Professor Sycamore too."
"Ah yes, but your therapist also said that 'Uncle Finley' caused you to have a heightened level of understanding, so if poor Professor Sycamore was mentally prepared for a fourteen-year-old, he might have been a little surprised with the kind of answers you've given him." She answered, raising an eyebrow when she mentioned Mewtwo's nickname.
It made Ash frowned a little, because there was no reason for his mom to not say 'Mewtwo' out loud. Unless...
"Not to mention that he is naturally very curious, a given aspect of a Professor, really, while you, Ash, aren't easy to question." a voice suddenly piped up.
"… Oh, Professor Oak, I didn't know you were there." The boy said dryly, now seeing the man in the background.
"Merely visiting your mother, my boy, don't worry."
"I'm not, I was just about to call you to send my Noctowl over for a bit, hence why I reacted that way. Figured I should call mom first, which proved to be a good decision."
"You still don't want to face Gary, do you?" The Professor chuckled.
"Maybe so." Ash answered simply, leaving the subject open.
He wasn't planning on humouring Gary and making a big deal out of whatever was left of their friendship. The redhead just wasn't worth it, as far as Ash was concerned.
"Well, I will have to disappoint you, though, the earliest I can send Noctowl over is tomorrow or maybe even later, depending on when the electricians are done. You see, there's maintenance on-going on my machines, just like you suggested."
'Oh, right, the Delta Dratini, I almost forgot.' Ash thought. 'I wonder how it's doing.'
"I can almost see you think about him, my boy. Why not give him a call?"
"Eh? Who? The Delta Dratini? Did Professor Ivy give it a transceiver?"
The Professor gave the teen a bewildered look but then started chuckling.
"I'm sorry, I… thought you were thinking about someone else."
"Not at all." The teen said simply, though knew fully well who the man was talking about. "Shame I can't get to Noctowl, though, I was looking forward to seeing him again."
"Indeed, it is a drawback. Then again, you're not the only trainer with this issues, so… did you need him for a battle?"
"Not particularly, no."
"Ah well, then you can just call me later."
"I suppose I will have to, if I remember to. You know me and my ability to get side-tracked."
"Do I ever?" the Professor chuckled. "Right, I'll leave you to it, then."
"Yes, thank you."
Because well… Ash had dialled his mom's number and not Professor Oak's, so yeah, he kind of wanted to talk to her instead of someone who had an unhealthy habit of trying to get inside someone's head. Not that the man could, he wasn't like Will or Mewtwo in any way, but if he could, there was no telling what would happen…
Ash's mind wasn't always a good place to be in and while he was influenced by the cheerful innocence of his travel companions, there was nothing keeping him from his own, dark thoughts at night. Even Mewtwo had never talked to him when he got in such a downward spiral...
"Sweetie, are you okay?"
"A-ah, sorry, I zoned out for a little." He chuckled nervously.
"Still?"
"It hasn't been happening too much, mom, really. I… have met some friends who keep me busy too and well…"
"That's good, sweetie." Delia said. "As long as you're having fun, hm? And if there are any of those Gym leaders bothering you again, tell me, I'll come to straighten them out for you."
"They're not that bad, mom." Ash giggled, already able to imagine the bewildered faces on both Viola's and Grant's faces if she went after them. "I was probably thinking a little too hard, you know?"
"Still, be careful, okay, sweetheart? I only want what's best for you and for you to have fun with what you're doing. If it's not… Well, I would rather have you come home."
"Don't worry, mom, there's more to a journey then just Gym Leaders and their moody blues. You know that in every region, at least a few of them will have issues, so I should've realised Kalos wouldn't be any different either. Still, one of my friends is a Gym Leader, so I know that there's at least one decent Gym in the whole of Kalos~" Ash said. "Also, another friend of mine had taught me how to make Poké Puffs! I'll make some for you when I come back home."
"Ah, I'll look forward to that!"
The teen was pleased and displeased at the same time, really. He liked that he had been able to leave his mother comforted by the fact he was doing okay… but that thing with Gary… Professor Oak was probably blowing this up, just to get the two to talk about whatever, really. At heart, he was one of the biggest tattle-tales in the whole of Kanto, so it wasn't that much of a far-fetched idea.
Still, he was in no mood to talk to the redhead and honestly, Gary was probably projecting some worries of a completely different problem onto him, because he didn't do anything to make the teen so annoyed. Or at least, not that he remembered, that is. Maybe Gary interpreted something different than Ash himself did? Had he scratched his neck with his middle finger or something?
'Whatever.' The teen thought, going back to his friends' table.
Just before he reached it, though, his transceiver went off, making him jump a little. His travel companions had seen it happen, so he possibly wouldn't be able to dodge any question they could have about the message. However, it was kind of a strange one where the boy himself had questions about.
-How many tickets do I need to get for your little group?- the message read.
Ash blinked as he realised that it had come from Lance. Also, he didn't know whether the man was making fun of him by assuming he had several friends around him or that it had been innocently meant, but it was still a strange question to ask.
-Four. What are we going to be doing, though?- he sent back.
-Figured you would like to see a Champion Battle, with your interest in Mega Evolution, seeing Diantha uses one. Come to this location around eleven, I'll be there waiting for you with the tickets.-
'Oooooh!' the teen thought and quickly scurried over to the table, where his friends were looking at him with big eyes.
He had probably been weirding them out with all the faces he was pulling, but honestly the teen was surprised and feeling all kinds of things, right now. To think that Lance was here, in Kalos and that he would finally get to see anyone Mega Evolve their Pokémon, Diantha of all people was sending chills up his spine.
"Hey, do you want to go watch a Battle featuring Champion Diantha?" he asked, a blinding smile on his face.
"Of course!" Serena exclaimed. "When?"
"Today at eleven, so you might want to finish up soon." Ash answered happily.
"How did you get to know about that, though?" Clemont asked, as they speedily started cleaning up the table.
"My uncle Lance got us some tickets~"
"C-Champion Lance? He's actually here?"
"Yes! I can't wait to see him!"
While his excitement was shared through all of them, consider Clemont a little unsettled, though. He had met plenty of people, but no one as eerily honest as Ash. Even more, the truths he told everyone were unbelievable as is so whether the teen took pleasure in creeping everyone out, or whether he did it unconsciously, the blonde boy didn't know… But having a person why didn't lie around him, wasn't as refreshing as he had initially thought. And one day, Clemont would have a serious conversation with the boy… one which may be rapidly approaching as well.
( … to be continued…)
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