Chapter 25: Noodles and a Full Battle Served!

"Won't be long now!" Brock said as he checked his Town Map guidebook, causing Dawn to smile sheepishly with relief in her tone. "That's good! 'Cause I'm starving!" Dawn said sheepishly. Piplup felt the same as he gave a sheepish smile as well.

"I'm hungry, too... When are we going to eat lunch, guys?" Hareta asked as he felt his mouth drooling from all the walking he had to do with little food as Hikaru sweat dropped, before he made a promise to the wild boy. "We're almost there, Hareta. You just have to endure it a little longer..." Hikaru said assuringly.

"Right! Because first thing we do when we get there is get some food! I promise, you guys!" Ash said with a promising grin on his face. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed as the five trainers kept on walking.

What they didn't know, was that they were secretly being followed by a familiar group of trio! And that trio came out of nowhere, jumping right in front of them, catching them all by surprise! "HAH!" The three cried out in triumph as Dawn was the first to ask in her surprise.

"Wha-What's that!?" Dawn asked as Hikaru was uninterested with this as he knew who surprised them.

"Don't tell me... It's them again, huh? Those morons." Hikaru said as Infernape blinked in surprise, before he understood as he scratched the back of his furry forehead.

And just as Hikaru predicted, it was none other than Team Rocket as they seemed to be riding on a robot that didn't seem so strong to the group. "Us! Filling twerps faces with fear!" Jessie smirked as Brock sighed, as he put a hand on his side.

"Oh... It's just Team Rocket. Guess both you and Infernape were right, Hikaru..." Brock said as Hareta pouted with the continuous stalking the evil trio was doing. "Geez... Can you guys just quit coming after us? You always lose when we come face-to-face..." Hareta said with a grumble.

"Oh really!? And when does that usually happen!?" James snapped as Hikaru stepped up, before he glanced at Ash, Pikachu, and Infernape.

"Well, it's about to happen right now. Infernape, you know what to do, right?" Hikaru said with a bored look, earning a nod from his Flame Pokémon. Ash followed along, by asking Pikachu to do the honors.

"Pikachu, help Infernape out with Thunderbolt, okay?" Ash asked. The Electric Type nodded as both he and Infernape launched their special attacks at the evil trio! Thunderbolt and Flamethrower blasted the machine, causing the evil trio to be sent flying high into the air!

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF BECAUSE OF BUSY BRATS!" Team Rocket screamed as they disappeared out of sight. Once they were gone, both Hikaru and Infernape sighed as they were not impressed with what the evil trio had shown just now.

"And they came out with a robot that's easy to blow up. Can't they ever give us a real challenge?" Hikaru asked as Dawn gave a sheepish smile.

"Well, this is Team Rocket they're talking about. When they come out poor, they come out with small devices to try and make us shake with fear. Of course, it's always them that end up shaking their boots off..." Dawn said sheepishly as the Twinleaf boy nodded to her.

"Well, now that the bad guys are out of sight, I thought we were going to get some food from the town we're going to?" Hareta asked as Hikaru chuckled. "Right... You don't need to tell us twice, Hareta..." Hikaru said as the group continued their way to town to get some grub before they continued on.

They were a few days away from Snowpoint City, which would lead to Hikaru, Hareta, and Ash's seventh Gym battle!

[Opening]: (Pokémon DP: High Touch! (English Subbed))

Hey Hey Hey!

(The screen spreads, like a puddle spreading)

Hey Hey Hey!

(Brock, Dawn, Ash, and Hikaru's smiling faces show)

We fight, make up, and then we fight again
There are a lot of things I want to say to you

(The Japanese opening title shows)

But foremost...
"Thanks for being here for me!"

(Hikaru, Ash, Dawn, Brock, Infernape, Pikachu, and Piplup runs together)

(The group rides on the sailboat across the sea with all their Pokémon)

Companions in this journey, compassion in the world
I pretend to understand those things, but

(The screen turns to Brock as he is making supper for the group)

The truth is...
"I'm happy you're here for me!"

(All of the group's Pokémon show)

Nice Partner!
Nice Rival!

(Zoey, Kenny, Paul, Hareta, and Lucas faces Dawn, Ash, and Hikaru)

(Glameow, Prinplup, Honchkrow, Hareta's Prinplup, and Grotle faces Dawn's Piplup, Ambipom, Pikachu, and Infernape)

I'll push you forward

(Dawn gives Hikaru and Ash a small push)

I'll pull you along

(Hikaru smiles at Dawn, while Ash grins and gives a thumbs up)

The sun seems so dazzling when I look up at it
Hey Hey Hey!

(The group watches the sunlight along with Pikachu, Infernape, and Piplup)

If it all goes well, let's high five!

(The group runs across a map with their three Pokémon)

Hey Hey Hey!

(Ash, Hikaru, and Dawn high fives each other)

What's this feeling I've got tonight!

(Delia, Prof. Oak, Max, Tracey, May, and Gary smiles together)

As long as we are together

(All of Ash, Hikaru, Dawn, and Brock's Pokémon show)

I will not give up so easily! GO GO GO!

(Team Rocket are sent blasting off into the sky)

(Team Galactic shows, with Yamato and Cyrus' faces appearing behind them)

(Cheveyo and his Absol, Winter, watch the moon to the sky)

Hey Hey Hey!

(Hunter J appears with her Salamence, smirking)

It all went well, so let's high five!
Hey Hey Hey!
Shake hands with our opponent in battle

(The Buizel brothers uses Aqua Jets at different directions; Staravia and Dragonair uses Aerial Ace and Dragon Tail)

(Gliscor and Luxray charges with X-Scissor and Wild Charge; Grotle uses Tackle as Leafeon uses Leaf Blade)

(Chimchar and Togetic uses Flame Wheel and Air Slash; Pikachu and Infernape uses Volt Tackle and Flame Wheel)

As long as we're together

(The five trainers runs together with their three Pokémon on the map)

We can go even further than before! GO GO GO!

(Regigigas shoots Hyper Beam at Darkrai)

GO GO GO! GO GO GO!

(Hikaru merges with Infernape, Infernape turns into Spirit-Infernape with new fiery power)

(Hikaru stands together with his eight Pokémon along with Ash, Dawn, and Brock, and their Pokémon)

[Opening ends]

Soon, the group were in front of a restaurant, where it seemed to be a noodle shop! "Wow... Check it out!" Ash exclaimed as Brock checked his guidebook as Hareta enjoyed the smell that was coming from the entrance!

"Man... That smell coming from the shop... It smells so great in there... I could just sleep and eat at the same time if I could..." Hareta said happily as Hikaru sweat dropped once again, before he shook his head and placed a hand on top of Hareta's head.

"Then tell me this, Hareta... If you were to choose between delicious food or your Pokémon friends, then what would you choose?" Hikaru asked, catching the wild boy's attention as he began to think of the answer before he made up his mind with a cheeky grin on his face!

"Food, of course... Kidding! Of course, I would choose my Pokémon friends! I wouldn't have known them good if I hadn't lived with them when I was younger!" Hareta said cheekily as Dawn blinked, remembering the time when Hareta mentioned about living with Pokémon before.

She asked the question as they lined up for some lunch to munch on! "Hey, Hareta? I remember you mentioning about this in Iron Island and just now... but you living with Pokémon... What was it like?" Dawn asked as this caught Hikaru, Ash, and Brock's attention as well.

"Oh yeah... Come to think of it, you said you lived in the forest in Route 201 with all the wild Pokémon, right?" Ash asked, earning a nod from the wild boy.

"Yeah! I still remember the day when I slept with them, played with them, and eat with them! The Pokémon in the forest were practically my family when Gramps was doing something busy! I still remember that day... the day when we had the best time of all at the forest..." Hareta said happily.

The memories of his Pokémon family came back to his mind as his thoughts went back to the time before he started his journey.

Flashback

In the woods in Route 201, several wild Pokémon were running around, having fun playing together! Among them was a young boy, wearing only ragged shorts, who was acting like one of them! The young boy, who was known to be Hareta laughed as he ran around with a group of Bidoof, Pachirisu, and Aipoms!

The boy and his wild friends were playing tag together, with Hareta being the one to chase his Pokémon friends around! "Just you wait, I'm going to catch all of you!" Hareta cried out confidently as he ran to catch one of the laughing Bidoof and Pachirisu, as he managed to tag one of them, before embracing them playfully!

The three all tumbled onto the dirt, all enjoying their fun together as the game went on until the sun started to go down, leaving them all hungry and exhausted. By now, it was supper as Hareta munched on the berries given to him and his friends by a Kangaskhan that cares for him as his Pokémon mother.

Ever since Hareta was able to communicate with Pokémon, Prof. Rowan trusted Kangaskhan to care for Hareta, just like when she cared for her son. Kangaskhan was more than happy to take the boy as her own, as her son was overjoyed to have a brother, whether the brother was a human or not.

"Ah... That tasted great... Thanks, Mama Kangaskhan..." Hareta said with content as his other Pokémon friends laid next to him, as they had also enjoyed the meal that was given to them. The large Normal Type smiled to see her adopted human son lying on the ground with his friends as she looked up at the sky to see the moon shining down.

"Kanga ga..." Kangaskhan said softly, earning a small pout from the wild boy.

"Aw... Already? Can't I play with the others more?" Hareta asked with a pouting face until he heard other Pokémon cries not too far from the forest! The Bidoofs all perked their heads up as they realized that it was their mother calling for bedtime.

The Pachirisus were alerted as well as Kangaskhan gave a playful smirk, showing Hareta that everyone had to go back home now, back to where their families were. Sweat dropping to see himself get wrong, the wild boy reluctantly climbed into Kangaskhan's pouch, where her daughter was already sleeping.

When the daughter felt Hareta's presence, the child smiled happily and cuddled with her adoptive human brother, causing Hareta to cuddle back and hug his Pokémon sister back. The mother watched as her two children bonded together as she settled down next to her cave entrance where she noticed a star shooting down.

"Kangaskhan... Kanga." Kangaskhan said, catching Hareta and her daughter's attention. They both turned to see where their mother was pointing at, as a shooting star shot across the sky, much to their amazement.

"Oh wow... It's a shooting star...!" Hareta exclaimed happily as his Kangaskhan sister was amazed as well.

Remembering from what Prof. Rowan told him about a shooting star, the wild boy clapped his hands together, making his wish as he grinned happily while saying his wish in his thoughts.

The young Kangaskhan noticed Hareta doing so and cocked her head in confusion before calling to her human brother. "Ga...? Kangaskhan?" The little one asked in confusion.

Blinking in surprise, Hareta smiled happily to the child and explained. "Whenever a human or Pokémon sees a shooting star, they could make a wish! It can be any wish that you want! So as the time goes by, there will be a time when your wish will come true! That's what Gramps says..." Hareta said sheepishly, causing the young Kangaskhan to be amazed.

After listening to her human brother's explanations, the young one began to make her own wish by praying to the shooting stars as well! Hareta couldn't tell what the little one was wishing for as the wish had to be a secret.

While the child was doing so, Kangaskhan watched and smiled happily to see her adoptive human child teaching her daughter about the wish to a shooting star.

Once the wish was done, Kangaskhan gave a soft cry of reminder to the two that it was time for bed. With the two nodding reluctantly, they cuddled together as their mother walked into their cave, which was where the two became fast asleep as little time passed by.

Flashback End

The group was sitting on their table, having their noodle lunch by the time Hareta was done as they were all amazed from the story the wild boy gave off. Hikaru was the only one that didn't touch his bowl as he was more interested in the story than the food.

"I see... You must've had a good time back at your home forest if you bonded and made friends and family with all the Pokémon there..." Hikaru said in understanding as Hareta nodded before he looked at the food on his large bowl. Dawn then asked another question for the little boy to ask.

"So, when did you start on your journey?" Dawn asked as Hareta looked up again, before he gave a soft smile to her.

"When I heard from Gramps that my Dad was around Sinnoh. That's what got me to start my journey, so I could travel around and find him." Hareta said as Brock and Ash were surprised to hear the little boy having a father.

"I didn't know you had a Dad, Hareta..." Ash said as Hareta smiled with a sheepish look on his face before he admitted his cluelessness about his father's existence. "I didn't know myself, too... until Gramps told me that my Dad left me with him so he could travel around the world..." Hareta said as Brock frowned.

"Sounds to me your Dad left you with the Professor just so he could be free... It kind of reminds me of my parents that used to do similar things as your Dad did..." Brock said as Hareta shook his head with a reassuring smile on his face.

"Ha ha... No, he wasn't like that. Gramps told me that the reason Dad left me, was because he wanted me to be like him, so I could make friends and family with the Pokémon I meet, since he also has the ability to what Pokémon are saying. I guess you can say, it's like father, like son." Hareta explained.

Hikaru narrowed his eyes at this, as he remembered the reason why Hinata lied to him about Yamato... the day when his 'long lost' father tried to kill him back at the Celestic Museum...

He glanced around to see his friends chatting with the wild boy as he felt a bit empty inside him. Infernape seemed to have felt his human brother's feelings as he gave a tap on his shoulder, causing Hikaru to activate his Aura so he could understand what his Flame Pokémon was saying.

"You thinking about Yamato...?" Infernape asked as Hikaru reluctantly nodded in affirmation.

"Yeah... His mentioning about his father left me to think of mine... I just wonder to myself, if my Dad was a sadistic or a maniac from the very beginning, right before when I was born..." Hikaru said as he tried to think of what his father was like before he was a part of Team Galactic.

"I don't think your Dad was like that from the very start. If he did, then he wouldn't have loved your Mom in the first place, would he? From what you told me about your Dad before that incident... You said that your Dad was a fine man, just as your Mom said before you left Twinleaf, right?" Infernape asked.

Those words snapped Hikaru out of his surprise as more new thoughts came to his mind, as he kept thinking on about Yamato's true self and his personality. He closed his eyes for a moment to think over what Hinata said to him before he left, and remember from what Yamato looked like when they met for the first time.

Opening his eyes, Hikaru gave a weak smile, before he gave a glance back to Infernape.

"What's up...?" Infernape asked as he was a bit surprised to see his human brother smiling again, even if it was weak or not.

"Infernape... I think... what I saw in my father... was his fake self. If what my Mom said about him was true, then the Yamato that we faced back at the incident wasn't the real Yamato, but the Yamato that Team Galactic has created..." Hikaru said confidently.

"What...? Then, you're saying that maybe Team Galactic could be brainwashed your father? So that he could become the maniac that we saw when we fought against him the first time?" Infernape asked as Hikaru nodded back.

"Yeah... But I can't say for sure yet... I'll need to speak to Mom about this whether my hypothesis is right or not..." Hikaru said as Infernape frowned, remembering the failed attempts Hikaru made for calling back home.

"But... how? The last few times you tried to call Mom... Those attempts failed..." Infernape said as Hikaru gave a knowing smile to his Flame Pokémon, before he made his answer to his partner.

"I don't think you heard this, but... remember when we ran into Barry the first time? Dawn mentioned about a festival that happens at our hometown. There's going to be another Twinleaf Festival happening soon, so maybe that can be the chance when I can talk to Mom again..." Hikaru said, looking out the window.

Infernape followed his eyes and looked out as well to see the sun shining bright still at the sky as the noodle lunch went on before the group had finished.

Later...

Once the munching and slurping was complete, the five trainers left the shop and prepared to head for the next town, which would be close to their original destination. While they were leaving, Ash, Dawn, and Hareta were the only ones making comments about their noodles.

"Ah... Man, those noodles were the best!" Ash said while rubbing his stomach. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed as Dawn made a plan for the others as she remembered about the restaurant they were just in.

"It's a chain restaurant! If we see another one, let's go!" Dawn cried out as Piplup seemed to like the idea. "Lup!" Piplup agreed as Hareta gave a cheeky grin.

"I'd like to take two extra large if I can, the next time we visit the same restaurant... Just having one extra large noodles wasn't enough!" Hareta said in content as Hikaru could only chuckle at the wild boy's content.

But just before the group got far, they were confronted by a large machine once again! Everyone turned in surprise to see that the robot looked like a noodle bowl with an R symbol on it! "What could that be!?" Ash exclaimed as Hareta was bewildered on what the robot was.

"A noodle robot...?" Hareta guessed as the others sweat dropped from his guess as the three noodle symbol windows revealed themselves to be... Team Rocket, once again! They seemed confident as they began their motto out of the noodles and the ingredients!

"Listen! Twerps outside the bowl!"

"We're bringing goodies and ready to roll!"

"Noodles!"

"And broth!"

"With a lot of soul!"

"Eat in, take out, your call!"

"Either way, you'll have a ball!"

"Delights to please the tummy and eye!"

"The more you eat, the more we make! Give us a try!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Meowth's the name!"

"Placing those noodles on your plate!"

"We're Team Rocket!"

"Ain't we great!?"

Hikaru and Ash both sweat dropped at the motto they said together as Hareta looked like he was about to drool at the sight!

"You guys lost it this time..." Ash grumbled as Hikaru shook his head with an unimpressed look on his face.

"And you even mixed your mottos with the noodles... How idiotic can you guys really get?" Hikaru asked in annoyance while Hareta was craving for more at the sight of the robot and after hearing their motto.

"Man... Can you guys really make some...?" Hareta asked dreamingly, causing Dawn to hold him back. "Come on, Hareta! You know they're always here to steal our Pokémon! Like what Hikaru sked, which is more important to you? Pokémon or food?" Dawn asked with a reminder.

At the question, that snapped Hareta out of his daydreaming as he shook his head before he wiped the drool from his mouth. "Oh! Uh... Sorry, guys... Looks like that lunch we just had got me carried off into my noodle daydreaming..." Hareta said sheepishly as Jessie made the call.

"Teach those twerps a lesson!" Jessie snapped as Meowth did so, using the controls to grab both Pikachu and Infernape!

"Yes'm! Go, Noodle Nabber!" Meowth called as long, thick strings of noodles wrapped themselves around the two starters, surprising them and the trainers as Ash tried to make a counterattack! "Pikachu! Break free with Thunderbolt-" Ash started to say until Hikaru stopped him.

"Wait, Ash! If you use Thunderbolt right now, you'll hit Infernape, too! Infernape, send them flying with Flamethrower!" Hikaru called as Infernape did so, breaking free of his noodles bonds with his strength! Then, with his annoyance, he blasted the noodle machine with his Fire Type attack!

It caused the machine to overheat and explode, sending the evil trio to be sent flying into the air once again! At the defeat once again, Jessie glared at Meowth for their failure.

"You knew we were going to get burned, so why didn't you prepare for it!?" Jessie snapped as James joined in with the accusation.

"The nerve! A needless waste of food!" James snapped as Meowth protested for the accusations as he was getting by flailing his arms and countering their annoyance.

"So next time we're in the kitchen, you do the cooking, honey and I'll do the dishes!" Meowth snapped as the evil trio were sent blasting off once again. "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they all disappeared out of sight!

"Serves them right for using the noodle idea to make a robot... Could they have gotten that from the noodle shop we were in a few minutes ago...?" Dawn asked as Hikaru shook his head, unimpressed again for the crafty tricks the evil trio had pulled just now with their confrontation.

"Well, that could be the best choice... And if they did, then they must've trailed us when we visited that restaurant..." Hikaru said in annoyance as he noticed Infernape trying to speak to him, causing the Twinleaf boy to use his Aura.

"How long do you think those morons are going to keep this up? For all eternity, maybe?" Infernape asked as Hikaru shrugged before he made a guess. "I guess until they accomplish their goals, they'll probably stop at nothing from chasing us and stealing you and the others..." Hikaru said with a sigh.

That night...

"Why don't we stop here for the night?" Brock asked as the group walked up to a clearing in the forest. After their quick triumph against Team Rocket, they didn't notice the amount of time that passed as they continued on to the route of the next town.

With the sky becoming dark and the moon shining up, the Kanto breeder believed this to be the best time to relax in the night before going to sleep for another bright morning. "Sure!" "I'd like to rest up, too..." Ash and Hareta agreed together.

With that said, the five trainers had set up their two tents, with Ash, Hikaru, and Brock setting up the two, while Dawn and Hareta collected some firewood to make a campfire. Infernape, Pikachu, and Piplup aided their human friends with the preparation as the night went on.

Once everything was set up, Brock started the fire, with the help from Infernape's small Flamethrower attack. Once the heat started to rise up, the five trainers sat around the fire to relax and talk on what they should do for tomorrow. But while Brock was keeping the fire bright and big, Dawn raised a rumor to her friends.

"Hey... Did you guys hear about the differently colored Metagross?" Dawn asked as Ash turned in both interest and question, while Hareta seemed amazed to hear of such Pokémon. Hikaru and Brock only listened as Dawn explained about the Metagross rumor.

"There were a bunch of trainers at the noodle shop talking about how it appears on the Rocky Mountain, and it's not that far from here!" Dawn explained as Brock smiled, while commenting about the reason for Metagross's different coloring.

"I wonder if the strange coloring on a rare Metagross like that has anything to do with the Rocky Mountain's environment?" Brock asked as Hareta cocked his head in confusion. "You mean, the coloring has something to do with the Pokémon's habitat or environment?" Hareta asked as he frowned.

"I mean, back at the forest on Route 201, none of my Pokémon friends or family like that have any strange coloring. They're all the same to me, if I remember correctly..." Hareta said in confusion as Hikaru gave a chuckle of amusement and a knowing smile.

"That's because Route 201 didn't have any news about a different color Pokémon in the wild... If there were, I'd surely be surprised." Hikaru admitted as Ash grinned, feeling excited about the Metagross Dawn had brought up as he made a suggestion to meet this Steel Type.

"I say if that Metagross's really that rare, let's go check out that Rocky Mountain tomorrow, first thing!" Ash suggested until Dawn shot down the idea with an apologetic look on her face.

"That might not be such a good idea..." Dawn said as this caused Hareta to be a bit shocked and confused. "Huh? But why not? You're the one that brought it up after hearing the rumor from the noodle shop at the first place, Dawn..." Hareta asked until Hikaru explained.

"I'm guessing it's because since that Metagross is so rare and powerful, it makes it hard for Trainers to catch it... Not to mention that it even has an aggressive behavior, should it be provoked somehow..." Hikaru said as Infernape sighed, disappointed with the rare idea shot down.

"That's a shame... Wish we could've at least seen it with our own eyes..." Infernape said as Hikaru looked at his Flame Pokémon in understanding. "I know how you feel, Infernape... It IS a shame..." Hikaru said sheepishly.

"You're right about the aggressive and rare part. I've heard that Metagross have such incredible calculation abilities, they're almost like walking super computers!" Brock said as Hareta blinked in surprise. "A Pokémon and a super computer...? That's weird..." commented Hareta as the others chuckled at that.

Ash looked up at the night sky, sighing at the loss of chance to see such a powerful Pokémon. "Mm... I still wish I could see it, though..." Ash said silently. The Twinleaf boy looked at the Kanto trainer before he looked up at the night sky as well.

"We all feel the same, Ash... Life can be harsh when a great chance like that gets taken away from you." Hikaru said with a smirk as an idea suddenly came to the wild boy's head.

"Oh! I got it! I know what we can do tomorrow!" Hareta exclaimed, catching the group's attneiton as they listened to what the wild boy needed to say. The wild boy turned to the Twinleaf boy, before making a confident and challenging look on his face.

"Hikaru... Would it be alright, if I challenge you to a battle tomorrow? A full six on six battle, that is?" Hareta asked, catching everyone by surprise. "A full battle?" Dawn repeated in surprise as Hikaru narrowed his eyes before he desired for the reason of the sudden challenge.

"What's with the sudden request?" Hikaru asked as the wild boy explained with a determined look and a determined fist.

"Ever since our last battle, my Pokémon and I've been training hard so we can challenge you to a rematch! You see... You're the only person Prinplup and I lost to back when he was a Piplup." Hareta explained, as the others listened carefully before Hareta went on.

"So, if you could accept my challenge, the two of us will be able to show what we're really made of! Neither of us got to show each other our real power in our last battle, right? And now that you've got Infernape with you..." Hareta started to say until Hikaru guessed his finishing words.

"You think we'll be able to go against each other with full power and no holding back... Is that what you're asking?" Hikaru asked as Hareta nodded in affirmation. "Yeah! So, so? What do you say? Do you accept my challenge?" Hareta asked as the others looked at the Twinleaf boy.

"What do you think, Hikaru?" Ash asked as Hikaru's face darkened for a moment as Infernape looked at him, waiting for an answer. Then, the Flame Pokémon noticed a small smile coming from his human brother's mouth as the Twinleaf boy looked up and smiled at the wild boy.

"Heh... Alright... I'll take your challenge. It's been a while since we last saw each other battle, other than the time when we fought against the poachers..." Hikaru said as Hareta was ecstatic with the answer.

"ALRIGHT! Now I can show you guys what I'm really made out of, along with my friends!" Hareta exclaimed as Brock and Dawn just chuckled while Ash seemed excited to see his two friends battling against each other.

"Ha ha... I can't wait to see how the two of you will go out against each other..." Ash said as Pikachu joined in with agreement. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed as the night went on, with the two trainers making the promise to battle each other when the time comes tomorrow.

The next day...

It was morning, as everyone was dressed to move out. But first, they all knew on what they needed to do before they continue on down the road: complete the Full Battle between Hikaru and Hareta as the two boys faced each other after making some distance.

Brock stepped in between them, as if he was offering to referee the match. "Hey, you two! Do you mind if I become the referee?" Brock asked until Hikaru assured that they will be fine without one. "It's okay, Brock. We both know what the rules will be all about." Hikaru said seriously.

The others and Hareta all looked at him in surprise as Hikaru took out a Pokéball, preparing to show his serious side.

"The two of us know that it's a full six on six Pokémon Battle. Pokémon substitutions are allowed. And the battle will be over when one side's team are completely wiped out, leaving the other team as the victor for this match." Hikaru said seriously.

Hareta smirked back with a confident look on his face as he took out a Pokéball as well. Seeing how the two know the rules for this match, Brock joined Ash and Dawn, as the two were watching to see on how the battle would start.

"I don't think I've seen Hikaru this serious at the start of a Pokémon battle..." Dawn said as Brock folded his arms with a small smile on his face. "That could be because... he knows on how strong Hareta is, ever since the little guy started traveling with us." Brock said as Ash frowned.

"I think I get what Hikaru's feeling... I mean, we all saw Hareta help us beat Team Rocket once at the Pokémon Center, right? Back then, his Pokémon showed some incredible battling spirit and power..." Ash said as Brock nodded to his words.

"Right... And that's why Hikaru is about to become serious. Because in this battle, any mistake one of them makes, could be fatal to their winning chances..." Brock said as they all looked back to see the boys sending out their first Pokémon!

"Okay, Mismagius! Show them your stuff!" Hareta cried out.

"Leafeon, it's time for a battle!" Hikaru called as his Grass Type came out to face her Ghost Type opponent!

"A Mismagius...? Hareta's Misdreavus must've evolved before we met with each other again!" Ash exclaimed in both shock and amazement as he took out his Pokédex to scan the evolved Ghost Type.

"Mismagius, the Magical Pokémon and the evolved form of Misdreavus. Mismagius' cry sounds like an incantation. It is said that the cry may rarely be imbued with happiness-giving power." Ash's Pokédex buzzed as Hikaru narrowed his eyes at the first choice.

"Don't let your guard down, Leafeon... This won't be like any other battles..." Hikaru said, earning a nod of understanding from his female Grass Type as the Full Battle began! It started off with Hareta making the first move.

Hikaru: Leafeon + 5 VS Hareta: Mismagius + 5

"Let's kick this up first, Mismagius! Use Shadow Ball!" Hareta called as the Ghost Type launched a dark ball to blast Leafeon, until Hikaru countered with a counterattack! "Don't think it's going to land that easily! Now Leafeon, use Shadow Ball as well!" Hikaru yelled.

Responding to her human brother's orders, the Grass Type shot the Ghost Type to counter the Shadow Ball back, causing the two attacks to collide with each other! At the dust blocking both sides from seeing each other, Hikaru remained calm as he heard another attacking coming by!

"Now, Mismagius! Use Lucky Chant!" Hareta cried out as Mismagius began to speak some words, as if she was creating an incantation while Dawn asked the question for the new move.

"What's Lucky Chant...?" Dawn asked as Brock answered the question.

"Lucky Chant is a move that can prevent the user or its teammates from getting any critical hits for a while!" Brock said as Ash knew what the wild boy was trying to do with that chanting move.

"So, he's trying to prevent Hikaru from making any direct hits with Lucky Chant..." Ash said as Hareta smirked before he kept the battle going on. "Keep it up, Mismagius! Use Magical Leaf!" Hareta called as the colored leaves were sent towards Leafeon's way!

"Counter their Magical Leaf with yours, Leafeon!" Hikaru called as Leafeon sent her attack as well! The two attacks once again collided, just like with Shadow Ball! Another explosion occurred as Hikaru this time made the attack call!

"Quick, use Leaf Blade while you have the chance! Attack their blind spot quick!" Hikaru called as Leafeon did so, using her speed to confront Mismagius until she realized that the evolved Ghost Type wasn't around! Hikaru widened his eyes as Infernape did so, until he noticed Mismagius' whereabouts.

Hikaru noticed it as well, until he realized it was too late to call Leafeon back as Hareta made the counterattack!

"You fell for it! Now, Mismagius! Shadow Ball!" Hareta yelled as Mismagius created another Shadow Ball to blast Leafeon down, as the Verdant Pokémon widened her eyes to see her opponent ambushing her!

But she knew how to counter it as Hikaru knew as well. "Quick! Aim Magical Leaf towards the air!" Hikaru yelled as the sudden order surprised both Hareta and Mismagius as Leafeon shot the leaves towards her, as the Ghost Type dodged!

"You're going to have to do better than that to beat Mismagius, Hikaru!" Hareta taunted until he noticed the small smile on his opponent's face. "I should say the same thing to you... Look up." Hikaru said teasingly.

The wild boy widened his eyes as he looked up to see the Magical Leaf coming back from above! It pierced Mismagius from the back, causing her to flinch and yell in pain from the surprise attack she had just taken just now!

Ash, Dawn, and Brock were surprised as well, while Infernape was amused to see how Leafeon was able to strike her opponent like that. Hareta on the other hand, was still shocked with the surprise attack Hikaru had pulled off with Leafeon before he smirked back.

"Whoa... Now, that was a surprise... I didn't expect that at all! That was so cool!" Hareta exclaimed with a grin, causing Ash and Dawn to sweat drop at the vigor Hareta still had despite of his Pokémon taking the damage.

"He's so full of vigor..." Ash mumbled as Dawn sighed. "He reminds me of someone... a lot." Dawn said, before she glanced at Ash, as she was referring to him. Brock only gave a sheepish chuckle as Hikaru made the next attack!

"Don't cheer for the battle yet, Hareta! Because this is about to get even worse! Use Shadow Ball once more, Leafeon!" Hikaru yelled, allowing the Grass Type to jump in the air and shoot multiple Shadow Balls to surround and blast the Ghost Type away!

It dealt some massive damage as Mismagius let out a painful cry before it floated back to where her trainer was, causing the wild boy to lose his smile and look serious for once.

"Well that wasn't nice... I guess being cheerful about it isn't going to help. Mismagius, use Psybeam!" Hareta yelled as Mismagius floated, recovering from the damage she had taken! Then, listening to Hareta's words, she shot the Psychic Type attack towards Leafeon!

"Dodge it, and then use Leaf Blade!" Hikaru cried out.

Using her speed, the evasion of her opponent's attack proved to be easy as she slashed Mismagius away with Leaf Blade, much to the wild boy's surprise and dismay. "No way!" Hareta gasped as Ash grinned to see how well Hikaru was battling.

"Oh yes way!" Ash exclaimed as Brock folded his arms with a small smile in his face.

"Leafeon must've trained her speed high enough, so that she could be able to dodge the attacks Hareta has sent coming to her, even with Mismagius at her side..." Brock said as Hareta kept the frown on his face, which Hikaru noticed as he watched Hareta taking out Mismagius' Pokéball.

"Mismagius, thanks for trying! Now come back and take a short rest!" Hareta called as he recalled his currently injured Ghost Type before he took out another one, much to the confusion of Dawn.

"But Mismagius was still able to battle... Why is Hareta calling her back now?" Dawn asked as Brock made a guess for the wild boys' concern for his Ghost Type. "It could be because he's worried for Mismagius, considering on how much damage she had taken while battling Leafeon..." Brock said seriously.

Hikaru remained unfazed as he understood the wild boy's concern for Mismagius as Hareta took out his second Pokéball, preparing to make another surprise to his four friends!

"Okay... Here goes nothing! Kangaskhan, show them your stuff!" Hareta cried out as a familiar mother-figure Pokémon appeared, showing its figure as it faced both Hikaru and Leafeon, much to the Twinleaf boy and Infernape's surprise.

The others expressed their surprise as well as they recognized the Pokémon. "Is that... a Kangaskhan!? The same one Hareta was mentioning before!?" Dawn exclaimed as Ash was shocked to see the sight as well. "That must be Hareta's Pokémon mother then!" Ash said in disbelief.

Kangaskhan noticed the new humans as she turned to her adoptive son, saying something to him, as if sounding like she was worried on who they were, until Hareta reassured Kangaskhan with a bright smile on his face.

"Don't worry, Mom... They're okay! They're my new friends! And the one we're battling right now is our friend, too! They're the kind of guys that love Pokémon, just like with me!" Hareta said with reassurance, causing the adoptive mother to feel relieved before she looked back at Leafeon.

The adoptive sister of Hareta peeked out from her mother's pouch, seeing Leafeon in front of her as she showed the determination in her young eyes, causing Hareta to feel the same as he showed the fire in his eyes, causing Hikaru to feel a bit amused.

But feeling the anxiety coming from his Grass Type sister, Hikaru had his pupils in his eyes glow again to understand how Leafeon was feeling as she expressed worry for facing a new and big opponent.

"Hikaru... This is going to be tough, right? I mean... Hareta over there... is calling Kangaskhan his mother..." Leafeon said in worry as Hikaru nodded in understanding.

"I know... It feels like... Hareta's been hiding on how strong his bond was with all his Pokémon ever since we met him... But I feel like right now, in this battle... That's about to change. Stay sharp, Leafeon... We don't know what they could do right now!" Hikaru said in warning.

"Right." Leafeon said calmly as she got into her battle stance once again, before two boys cried out their attacks at the same time, ordering their Pokémon to attack.

"Leaf Blade!"

"Mega Punch!"

To be continued...

Hikaru's Team:

Infernape: (M): (Flamethrower, Mach Punch, Flame Wheel, Close Combat)

Luxray: (F): (Wild Charge, Discharge, Iron Tail, Hidden Power)

Dragonair: (M): (Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Thunder Wave, Safeguard)

Buizel: (M): (Ice Beam, Aqua Jet, Razor Wind, Water Gun)

Togetic: (F): (AncientPower, Attract, Metronome, Air Slash)

Leafeon: (F): (Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Synthesis, Leaf Blade)

Gardevoir: (F): (Psychic, Double Team, Thunderbolt, Teleport)

Riolu: (M): (Endure, Quick Attack, Foresight, ?)

With Prof. Rowan:

None

Next chapters:

Chapter 26: Hareta's Spirit! A Tough Wild Rival!

Chapter 27: The Flight Battle for the Ring!

Chapter 28: The Jubilant Feeling! Shine Through!

Chapter 29: Luxray's Fear! Hikaru's Concern!

Chapter 30: The Bond and Love Repaired!

Next chapter preview:

Hikaru: How long have you been hiding the power of your bond with your Pokémon from us, Hareta?

Hareta: More than you think, Hikaru! I'm the kind of kid who may be stupid, but tough as well!

Ash: Did he just call himself stupid? What is that kid thinking about himself?

Dawn: Check it out! Those two are fighting hard as if they're equals together!

Ash: Equals, huh? I think this means they're starting to have fun in this full Battle...

Hikaru: No more holding back, little guy! We're going all out from now on!

Events that occurred:

- Hareta reveals part of his past living as a wild Pokémon to his friends

- Hareta challenges Hikaru to a full six on six Pokémon battle, which Hikaru accepts

- Hareta is revealed to have evolved Misdreavus into a Mismagius

- Hareta is also revealed to have his adoptive mother, Kangaskhan in his team, along with his sister