Hah, well, nothing beats finding out that you uploaded the wrong version of a chapter months after you've finally found some time to continue writing the next one. Yes, my job in retail is gruelling and it does take most of my time and energy, but I'm still alive. This 'update' is proof of that.

Went over this with Grammarly~

Enjoy~


The teen sighed heavily as he sat down a bench of the Shalour Pokémon Centre, all too happy for the short break in activities right now. He wasn't too tired out, but he felt… strange and considering all his freaky abilities, Ash wasn't sure whether that was a good thing. There was no one to influence him here now either, as the Pokémon Centre was practically devoid of people, not counting Korrina, Serena, Bonnie and Clemont, who were waiting for the recently promoted Gym Leader's Pokémon to get healed. And even if their feelings were influencing him, the strange ones he had right now couldn't possibly come from any of them... He knew he shouldn't be bothered about the fact his own Pokémon had suffered very little during the battle, but something didn't sit right by him.

His Aura was feeling absolutely elated, though and if it would ever possibly have a face to show how it was feeling, the teen imagined that it would be looking rather smug right now. Ash, however, wasn't feeling that way at all and couldn't help but wondered why that was the case. All things considered, Pikachu seemingly wasn't bothered either, as his little friend had curled up on his lap for a short power nap… And while his starter was a battle-hardened Pokémon and very little things affected him -unless they had something to do with Ash or his food-, the young trainer would have suspected Pikachu to noticed something if the feelings he had during the battle had been different from usual. Maybe it was the fact he had felt so into contact with his starter Pokémon during this previous battle that unsettled him… Or maybe it had something to do with a feeling that had been there for years, which Pikachu had grown used to, having always felt it but just one-sided.

"Your friends told me I could find you here." A voice suddenly piped up, causing the teen to look up and blink in confusion.

"A-ah, sir. Hello, I didn't see you there."

"Apparently so. They told me you like to mope around for a little while after a battle."

"Hey!" the boy protested. "I wasn't moping, I… I was… analysing."

"I see." The man answered simply as he sat down on the bench right next to Ash. "Can I ask what you were analysing?"

"… I beat up Korrina with Aura. What do you think I was thinking about?"

"Beat up?" Gurkinn chuckled. "Honestly, from what I saw, it was a normal battle, for once, equal with all the special effects and abilities. Korrina thought all her worries would disappear if she could Mega-Evolve Lucario, but consider me ever so pleased you still triumphed over her."

"You consider the fact that both my Pokémon and I are so connected, I nearly felt like a Pikachu, normal?"

"Ah, did you? Well good, for an Aura user like yourself, this could be a vital experience, Ash." Gurkinn stated. "I had a hunch, seeing that greenish hue appear in both your and Pikachu's eyes."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, you didn't know? It's harmless, I can assure you."

"But is that normal then? Because I feel like I've beaten up your granddaughter just a little too much and knowing that Pikachu somehow felt the same way… I dunno…"

"If you really feel like you approached that battle with Korrina too aggressively, Ash, think about the fact she brought this situation on herself." The man shrugged. "After all, it makes perfect sense for you and Pikachu to be on the same wavelength when it comes to wanting to beat her Lucario. Or have you forgotten what happened earlier?"

"No, I have not." Ash replied sourly, as the sight of the Lucario Mega-Evolving earlier had set off the rhythm of his heartbeat once more. "But I could have used a different Pokémon to face Lucario. Yet I gave into my own aggression and let Pikachu be this vindictive."

"Bah, you call that vindictive? Every Pokémon in this world will defend their own honour, especially when they lose face against a mighty opponent. The interesting part of this whole situation is that you're one of the rare trainers who act on their Pokémon's emotions and desires and I don't think you should include that kind of empathy into what you consider to be your flaws."

"… Alright. So you think I reacted that way because of what happened with Pikachu and crazy Mega-Lucario, huh? What about Viola, then? Or every Gym Leader I've already faced in Kalos?" the teen asked, getting slightly frustrated as he didn't know how to explain how he felt to Gurkinn. "My friends keep giving me these strange looks when I say I wasn't the best trainer when I started out, but believe me, I only got my Gym badges from befriending them or doing odd jobs for Gym Leaders. There was always very little fighting involved, sir, but here I am, years later and feeling all kinds of angry at every Gym Leader I've already fought so far. It's kind of a far stretch from how I started out, isn't it?"

"I believe this is commonly referred to as growing up, Ash." The man replied.

"Wanting to beat the snot out of innocent people is-"

"As a young man, you may find yourself a little more aggressive, Ash. It's because of a hormone called testosterone and there really is no escaping its strange peaks during puberty."

"Oh."

"And don't underestimate the effect of your past, Ash, especially not the trauma you've gone through at such an early age. Yes, you behave differently from other kids, but I have not noticed anything of this so-called aggression you keep referring to. And I have been told I'm too sensitive far too many times, so it really wasn't obvious, child."

The young trainer stared at the man for a little while, not really getting why anyone would call this serious person too sensitive. But then again, it may have something to do with Aura, because as far as Ash was considered, even he walked around with his ears, mouth and heart open so that he wouldn't miss a thing… no matter how bad or ugly the situation was. And it wasn't as if he could help it, so maybe Gurkinn felt the same way about this and that this was a common 'syndrome' for Aura users to have.

"It might do you good to remember that your actual character isn't affected despite your feelings towards people who appear like a threat to you. And yes, I include Gym Leaders in that group, because they're purposely appearing more intimidating, to rile you up." The man added, giving a gentle tap on the boy's hand, where Ash knew the glowing symbol was situated.

"Oh, right." The teen sighed, almost having forgotten about that situation because of what happened today. "The dirty joke."

"Oho!" Gurkinn chuckled, looking rather delighted. "You are growing up alright, then, if you got that much."

"Don't get your hopes up, I had a friend point it out to me before I got it."

"Understanding is key, even if you got told about it. Just because you might not understand something right now, Ash, doesn't mean you never will. Life just isn't as static as that. And maybe, just maybe, if you manage to put your mind to it, your own sexuality would have no secrets to you and your mother would still be able to enjoy seeing nudes stuck on the walls of your room, after all."

"I highly doubt it." Ash stated dryly.

"Well yes, for its clear where your extraordinary talent is, isn't it? Still, maybe you should ask your mother not to make fun of the subject when you bring it up, to talk about it."

The boy recoiled a little and couldn't help but feel as if the man suddenly had become a whole lot more creepy. How the heck did Gurkinn know that his mother was rarely serious when he wanted to talk about feelings, sex and stuff like that? Or was this just another of those 'mom-things' basically every kid had to deal with?

"… Okay."

"Or so you say. But do you understand, Ash?"

"Wha… My mom or the glowing body parts?"

"The latter."

"… You're still trying to convince me that whatever Tauroscrap I'm immersed in, that it's not my fault at all, aren't you?" Ash asked, squinting at the man. "Because if so, this is getting old."

"You, boy, are one of the most interesting people I've met in quite some time. I know that a strong person always has this one feature that will be their downfall and if you don't give yourself the credit you rightfully deserve, Ash, your feelings will be your doom." Gurkinn sighed. "When will you understand that the world was already burning before you were even born?"

"I think I already know and realise that, sir, seeing that you feel the same way about the world as I do and well… No offence, but we're from very different generations."

"Yes, good point, but if you do realise this, why think that it befalls you to fix everything?"

"Because no one else will."

Gurkinn fell silent for a while, seemingly at a loss of what to tell the boy now.

"If you could do me a favour, though, sir, I would like you to keep quiet about what happened during that battle with Korrina. I mean, you've already done me a great service, giving me that Aura shield, but I don't want certain people to find out the full extent of my Aura."

"You have mine and Korrina's silence, Ash. Though, full extent? I don't think so. You're too young to have reached your limit, especially for a Source."

"… Thank you, sir." Ash answered, figuring that this was the best he could get from the man… even if there always was some hidden compliment or warning in whatever Gurkinn had ready as an answer.

"It's the least I could do for you, seeing you did such a great service towards me and my Gym, raising my successor this well in my stead. Still, I'm worried about your need to protect people, why is this so dear to you, boy?" the man asked, leaning forward a little and definitely looked worried.

"I… I know that some Aura users can call up Aura Shields on their own, but mine was never… big enough to do the job I needed it to do. So the shield you gave me supplied me with a gift I didn't think I would ever be able to do, sir. And it makes me sleep better at night, knowing that if I've done everything I could have done and it still fails, I still did the utmost."

"Failure is human, though."

"But at what cost? The bigger the task, the higher the prize there is to pay for failure." The young trainer answered, barely holding back a shudder, as he remembered how many times the earth could have been plunged in darkness… if he hadn't stopped what was going on.

Oh, if he only had this Aura Shield that time Celebi went rogue after getting caught with the effects of the Dark Ball, affecting the poor, innocent being into becoming nothing less but a monster. It would have helped if he had the ability to call out the shield that one time there were three, enraged Legendary birds attacking Lugia. The shield could have saved him from the trauma he caught in the underwater Temple too, which could have at least allowed him to try to learn how to swim with his heavy prosthesis. Ash hadn't even dared to enter the bath at the hospital's revalidation area a second time, as he had gone down like a brick, pulled down by the sheer weight of his prosthetic limb, just like that crystal had done and-

"Ash, are you okay?" Gurkinn asked and the boy couldn't help but wonder just when the man had put his hand on his shoulder.

"I… I don't think I have been since…" Ash answered, mouth uncomfortably dry as he looked at his left leg.

"Things like that take time, boy, it won't do you any good to rush through life, hoping that you will miraculously feel better."

"Will it ever happen, though? Me feeling better?"

"Of course, it will. I can't tell you when or where, Ash, but getting to grips of who you are will be the first step towards that goal." The man said. "It helps going back to basics in Aura training, actually, like calling out Aura Spheres at will-"

"Like this?" the boy asked, the tennis ball-sized orb hovering over his palm.

Ash made it disappear after Gurkinn pulled a face as if the world was ending right there and then, though, concerned that the man would have a heart attack or something.

"S-sir? Are you okay?"

"You already have a teacher!"

"Err…"

"Of course, that makes all kinds of sense now." Gurkinn stated, seemingly having had an epiphany. "Still, boy, whoever it is, tell them to pick up a book or something, because your knowledge of the basics of Aura and its foundation are lacking severely."

"Duly noted."

"What makes you think that someone who knows about that kind of thing is still alive in Kanto?" Ash asked, quickly changing the subject in favour of making Mewtwo even more annoyed than it already was with this stab at its knowledge.

Like, the boy didn't think his Legendary friend's lessons lacked and Mewtwo certainly wasn't a bad teacher, like, the teen didn't have the patience the creature had shown… But it was rather clear that his teacher was a Pokémon because nearly everything Ash had been taught were attacks or something that could have been used during a battle. Still, the young trainer hadn't counted on Gurkinn's sudden and rather tragic expression that appeared after his remark.

"… Yes. Indeed, I'm sorry for assuming. Err… Is there anything else you can do as quickly as the spheres?"

"Nothing comes as naturally to me as this, no."

"Can I suggest Sight? It could be rather fun if you could use your Aura marked hands to look through."

"… I mainly use Sight in my eyes, though, to walk around in the dark and not step on a Pokémon or something… But I think that using my hand will have a different kind of function, right?"

"Most likely, yes."

"Alright, that does sound interesting, I'll try and use it as often as I can… Though what do I do when it shows up in my eyes again, in or outside a battle?"

"As I said, every great power has a drawback, Ash." Gurkinn answered, shrugging. "Why do you think that even those without Aura could spot those with Aura as well as they could?"

"Ah."

"Quite. Though I would like to let you know that no one is actively out to hurt any Aura users here in Kalos, so if needed, you can show that you have it. But well, that is up to you, whether or not you use it in the open."

"Well, my teaching may be lacking, but my mind-wiping abilities are still on point."

Ash didn't doubt that for a second, still remembering the Lore Keeper who had gotten a hold of Cynthia and her Aura and the blank look that had appeared in the man's eyes when Mewtwo had done its thing to him.

"I'll be careful."

"I know you will, or else you wouldn't have asked for my silence." Gurkinn said, nodding. "I'm glad you at least showed this side of you, Ash, I had been fearing that such talents had gotten lost in that terrible war. I'm relieved to see that this wasn't the case and I can only pray that you will find your place in this world to fully work out your potential."

'I've been saving the world ever since I was ten, so what exactly is this potential of mine, hm?' Ash thought amused, but nodded, if only to show the man that he had been listening.

"As the historian said, things like that take time. As far as I can see, you have plenty of that."

'Back at it again, with the foreshadowing?'

"I have told you time and time again, friend, there are always consequences. And with an Aura pool as large as this, you will most likely live a long time. Unless, of course, something happens to you that involves your Aura."

'Is there something that can destroy Aura?'

"Yes, humans."

'I mean, something that can directly attack Aura.'

"Not that I know off. But as you just heard the historian say, I am not all-knowing."

'Are you going to be sour about that?'

"… Maybe a little. It is painful, hearing that one's knowledge is not enough, especially when one considers themselves smart. Still, maybe we can learn about Sight and the basics together."

'I would love to.'

"I hope so too, sir." Ash eventually answered. "Though I also hope that Korrina is as happy about the result of this battle as you are."

"Bah, of course. You must be aware that we, as Gym Leaders, look forward to strong opponents, so it would be foolish to act like a snotty brat when a worthy opponent finally shows up. No, no, if Korrina says something about it, tell me, I'll set her straight."

"I will, sir." The teen chuckled… though couldn't help but focus on the fact that all the Gym Leaders he had faced had indeed known he was coming.

And for all Gurkinn and Korrina could keep their mouths shut about what exactly had happened during the battle, it didn't mean that they couldn't tell the next Gym Leader about the opponent they would be facing in the near future. Still, Ash decided not to focus on that and settled for thinking about his Aura Sight… though he couldn't help but remember the rest of the conversation at the same time, though. And his old 'adventures' were always rather heavy on the soul, so while the teen seemed happy enough when saying his goodbyes to Korrina and Gurkinn, he was heavily lamenting on the inside.


His friends had noticed Ash was a little more closed off than normally after a Gym Battle -where he usually started ranting over how little respect they had and things that had set of his annoyance- but it didn't worry them as much as it used to. It wasn't as if the teen had turned into some zombie, he was just… far away in thought. Then again, Clemont especially had kept an eye on the young trainer and he had noticed that it probably was Gurkinn's ideas and comments keeping Ash mentally occupied. Still, Serena was too happy and in her element after having seen her first ever live Performance and of course she wanted to talk about it.

Bonnie's eyes had been glued to what was going on too, but the little girl didn't have the same conversation value as Ash or Clemont. The latter couldn't really be bothered by the subject, as he and gracefulness hadn't met each other just yet and Ash… Well, he looked as if his mind had taken the first plane back to Kanto, really. The boy actually didn't react to anything until they had settled down in a quaint, little restaurant, recoiling heavily as the short waitress had put a glass of water in front of him. Clemont noticed that Ash wasn't startled by the waitress at all -who looked rather shocked at the reaction- but at the innocent glass.

"Ash, calm down." The blonde teen said, gently laying his hand on the other's shoulder. "You're okay."

"I-I… I am?" was the rather confused-sounding answer. "Where am I…?"

"In a restaurant."

"… In Shalour?"

"No, towards Courmaline."

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?" the waitress asked. "Should I call for a doctor?"

"A-ah, n-no, it's just, water, I… I can't swim, I literally sink and I was thinking about that when this glass appeared right in front of me and I just…"

The woman looked mortified and quickly took the glass of water away from the table, away from the boy who still looked a little shaken by the memory.

"I'll get you some cola." She said and hurried off.

"What were you thinking about, Ash?" Clemont asked, his hand still on the other's shoulder, deciding not to be bothered that the waitress thought no one could actually drown in cola.

"I err… There was this underwater temple once and I… I didn't get out fast enough."

"What the…? How did you start thinking about that?"

"Something Gurkinn said."

"Right, well." The blonde sighed, not too happy he was right about the man having left an impression on his friend. "You're safe now."

"Mm." Ash just hummed, as he slid his chair back in a more normal position, having slid just a little too far backwards earlier.

"I'm already happy you weren't getting all broody about the Gym Battle." Serena said, as easy as if she had been travelling with him for years already. "I mean, that was such an awesome fight, it would be a shame if you were overthinking details or mistakes because I didn't see any."

"A-ah, thank you. It… felt good to let go for once. I doubt that I'll ever be able to do it again in an innocent way like this. Though I hope I'm wrong and that I'll have plenty of chances."

"There's always New Island~"

"Wait, you mean… You keep all that energy inside? Like, all the time?"

"Wha? Well, no, not all the time, I mean… Sort off?"

With the knowledge that there had been this greenish glint in both his and his Pokémon's eyes during a fight, Ash didn't particularly want to know what Serena meant with 'all' that energy. He didn't know what they had seen and really, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to either. There was already so much he could worry about, that the boy didn't feel a need to add that kind of information on his large pile of worries as well. Besides, it had been a while since he had vented, so maybe that was something he could try out before fighting another Gym Battle, just in case his Aura had been begging for attention through the err… 'light show' it kept performing when in use.

"Ash? You're doing it again."

"O-oh, sorry, Serena."

"Did you even see anything of the show we went to?"

"We went to a show?" the teen asked, completely bewildered as he couldn't even recall having moved from the Shalour Pokémon Centre, after having said goodbye to Korrina and her grandfather.

"So you didn't see the Pancham, huh?"

"Wha? Pancham in like those fluffy little liars we met earlier?"

"Yes."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't… see it, no."

"It's okay, Ash, you can't help getting lost in thought." Clemont said, trying to catch the boy's attention before he noticed Serena's disappointed expression. "I mean, it's visible when we've got your full attention, like, you give your all when your mind is in the game... or well, in what's happening, so it doesn't really matter if you need some time to get into gear."

"Yeah, but I care about the impression I leave on you guys, I mean, what kind of a friend am I when I'm not there to at least… You know?"

"But I guess you've seen plenty of shows where people work with Pokémon, though?"

"Yes, I've seen several. I even participated in some." Ash answered.

"Really?" Serena asked, finally looking a little happier. "How did it go?"

"Eh, as I might have said before, I'm not really a performer. I usually entered because my Pokémon wanted to or if participating helped any of my friends out."

"Well, that's fine, you can't be good at everything, can you?" the girl chuckled.

Ash nodded but he wasn't so sure whether he wanted to be good at coordinating in total. To him, beauty and gracefulness were as good as useless, but he wasn't going to stop Serena or his Pokémon from enjoying it. He knew that May and Dawn loved doing it and were really good at it and that some Pokémon enjoyed being on stage, doing their thing, but the teen had barely even seen Fennekin do anything else but eat, play or getting groomed, so who was he to judge? The little Fire-type Pokémon seemed eager to please Serena, but Ash knew that some Pokémon just didn't have the talent in things like that. In fact, he clearly remembered that Pikachu hadn't liked him training a Pokémon that way and frankly, the teen had only seen Aipom eager to do a showcase for a contest.

'Don't start overthinking this, it's not worth it. Besides, nobody even gave the idea of wanting to become a Pokémon Master any more attention than a raised eyebrow and maybe even a sneer, but nothing more than that.' Ash thought to himself, making sure to nod as he didn't want Serena to get an even worse image of him than she probably already had.

Like, he hadn't meant to daydream throughout the entire show, but that was completely Gurkinn's fault. Anyway, it was good to see that Clemont at least cared enough to have ordered something edible for him, while he was still lost in thoughts and now that everyone had their plate back in front of them, no one expected him to say anything. Meaning he could at least think about Sight and how the heck he should start looking at Aura through his hand.

"It will probably require you taking off the gloves."

'Skin isn't naturally see-through either, though.'

"I cannot tell you whether or not you can look through the Aura mark, friend, not even the historian we left behind at the previous town knows about it. For as much as he passionately spoke about Aura users, he doesn't seem to have met too many. Then again, the few he did meet, like the flower lady we send some time at, told him more than enough for him to have a decent amount of knowledge. Not to mention the man is an Aura user himself, so he has his own experiences to draw information from."

'… Wait, Mabel was an Aura user?'

"Yes, presumably a Healer, but I cannot be sure about it. I could not help but notice how badly she wanted to surround herself with plants, which apparently is rather typical for Aura Healers."

'Good to know.'

Then again, it did make some sense, because Mabel had instantly honed in on all his 'shortcomings' and had promptly diagnosed him with several mental illnesses.

"Undeserved. She does not have the right to judge you like that."

'I won't deny I have issues, but you're right. Still, with all the secrets, someone is bound to notice something.'

"Mm, indeed. Maybe, friend, it would be wise to give that strange man in the flying pyramid another call. He could have interesting information about the basics of Aura, if he has spent some time researching the subject."

'I'll have to do my best not to let that conversation end up in disaster again then, or else he won't be looking forward to my calls.'

"You do trust him, hm?"

'Yes, I trust him, if only because I know that no one else knew about the Aura Shield, despite the fact that the usage of it was vaguely described in the articles published in the newspapers. Also, it's not commonly known that Anabel is an empath either, while I know for a fact that Brandon's been the one taking care of her when her abilities got the better of her.'

"Valid reasons, my friend. I hope he will be able to get you the basic needs for Aura usage, because I have no idea about those foundations the historian was talking about."

Ash understood why that was all too well, as plenty of people strived to live in a forward motion towards the future, especially when the world seemed to show that this was to be the norm to live life like that. He had only recently learned that it wasn't that bad to look back for a couple of times, as he had learned a great deal from the past… His Aura was just as easily annoyed as he was as well, so maybe the fact it had taken him months to learn the attacks Mewtwo had taught him, was a sign that one) he had skipped a few steps; two) his Aura hadn't appreciated that it didn't have any kind of support. Like, Ash didn't need to think to call out an Aura Sphere, especially not the static ones he had 'created' to punk the Lore Keepers.

He never had the ambition to become an actual Aura Source, with all his abilities 'maxed out' or whatever Gurkinn had been referring to. It was the fact that Ash felt that he needed something other than his Pokémon to protect himself that had driven him to follow Mewtwo's guidance. Hell, the teen loved every single second he had spent with the Pokémon, as his Legendary friend was patient yet great fun at the same time… But he never had wanted to put a foot closer to becoming an actual threat –or possibly recruit-able ally- to the Lore Keepers. Then again, the Pokémon League had seemingly gotten the message of his dislike towards the group alright, though, or else Lance and Diantha wouldn't have called him in to see if he could help Cynthia.

"If, by a rare chance, someone had found themselves on New Island and found me, to tell me that years from that moment, I would be owned by a human, I highly doubt they would have gotten away with it. Yet, here I am, finding myself rather contently in your presence, friend."

'Yeah, life's got a funny way to shove whatever misgivings you have right in your face, one way or another, hm?'

"Agreed."

"If it's okay with you guys, I would like to see whether Fennekin is able to at least do some of the moves I've seen today." Serena said, snapping Ash out of his thoughts.

"Is she that stupid or is it just ignorance?"

'I think she means dance moves, not attacks.' Ash answered, knowing fully well that Mewtwo wasn't even bothering looking into Serena's mind to check.

It really wasn't a compliment towards his friend, hence why the boy even graced the question with an answer, to let his Legendary friend know that this behaviour wasn't appreciated.

"Oh."

"Sure, I don't mind. I probably have something to tinker on, while you're busy training." Clemont said.

"T-training?" the girl stammered. "Is just trying out some stuff actually considered training?"

"Everyone's got to start out somewhere." Ash answered. "You don't need the word 'training' give you any stress, Serena, you can just call it a session, or something. It's just, when you keep doing a certain move or teaching yourself one, it's usually considered training."

"Alright, then I'll euhm… start my first ever training, then."

"Good. I'll probably be a few shrubs away, but if there's anything you think I can help you out with, come tell me." The young trainer chuckled.

"Softly, because we'll probably be surrounded by trees again… and Beedrill."

"Nah, you're in luck with Fennekin, Serena. Just let your Pokémon spin some fire and you won't see a wild Pokémon for miles. It's both the downside and advantage of having a Fire-type starter."

"… Are Pokémon scared of fire, then? And why would it be a downside, scaring other Pokémon away?" Serena asked.

"It's a downside when you're trying to catch a few, yeah. As for being scared, are you going to approach a burning building?"

"No."

"I won't either, because it's really dangerous to do so. And I felt that way before I even owned a Fire-type Pokémon. It's an instinctual fear towards certain elements, I guess."

"I can't really imagine you being scared that easily, Ash." She admitted. "Has there ever been a fire that scared you that heavily?"

"Yes, recently, even. A heavy thunderstorm had broken out above the sea close by Pallet Town and I was awake anyhow, so I went ahead and recorded some of the lightning bolts. The Vermillion power station always makes storms in the area have a higher entertainment factor, but one of the lightning bolts came a little too close for comfort and hit a tree in the route right in front Fuchsia. It hadn't rained in a while either and the storm was completely dry too, just one big light show… But in seconds, the whole route was ablaze and the wind was picking it up towards Pallet and the fire followed a natural path towards Fuchsia. Like, I don't know if you've ever been evacuated, but let me tell you, it's not nice needing to leave your house when you can see the fire licking at the back of it."

Serena looked rather tragic, as if she hadn't counted on this kind of story being told. Clemont, however, was giving him a strange look and pointed out an accusing finger shortly afterwards.

"I read about that in the papers. And someone saved both Fuchsia and Pallet Town by calling out a Kyogre."

"Wait, it was reported here? News from Kanto?" the girl asked bewildered.

"It's kind of a big deal when a Safari Zone is about to get ruined, Serena." The Gym Leader answered. "Isn't it the only place in Kanto where Dratini and Dragonair live?"

"Correct." Ash nodded. "The one taking care of them is the only non-G-Men person in Kanto who has the right to own a gun."

"Ah, okay." Serena said and she looked as if she would make sure never to set foot into any Safari Zone whatsoever.

"Kyogre?" Bonnie repeated, albeit a little belated. "Isn't that your big friend, Ash?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"So wait, when you're scared, you call out a Legendary Pokémon… So that means that the fire scared you as much as that Ultra Beast?" the brunette asked, looking even more impressed now.

"I wasn't… as strong as I am now at the time, but yes, it does scare me plenty." Ash admitted, already happy he hadn't felt the need to let out yet another thunderous noise to call out Giratina at the time.

He could hardly understand Professor Sycamore's reaction with him having sit still and looking as scared as he had, so what would have happened if there was actually proof he had something to do with it. Like, actual facts, not the misgivings the regional Professor had towards him and his abilities?

"Fennekin's not that scary, though." Clemont said. "So don't worry, Serena. You know how he is with Pokémon."

"Hah, yeah." She chuckled and now the black-haired trainer figured that the time they spend away from him, is probably used to talk about him.

Go figure.

"Right, well, if we're all finished, then I guess we're ready to pay and go see if we can't find a nice spot for you to do some training at, huh, Serena?"

"Okay!"

Ash was pleased to see the Gym Leader take some initiative, as Clemont hadn't seemed to be that independent, or at least, confident enough to guide them around. And now that the teen had something else to think about, it was nice to know that someone else would be in the lookout for danger. He, however, was bewildered when the bill came and that the cola the waitress had given him was completely free.

"… Is this normal or should I go report this mistake?"

"It's not unusual for some of the waitresses or waiters to occasionally give a treat on the house." Clemont shrugged.

"Did I look that bad?" Ash asked, wincing a little as he really wasn't comfortable getting stuff for free.

"Yes, you did."

"A-ah…"

"Or maybe she did it because she thought you were cute." Serena said quickly, though it seemed like she wanted to tease the teen a little.

And boy, did it work? The young trainer blushed like mad as he gave the girl a bewildered look.

"C-cute?"

"Very. Now, let's go."

Ash wisely let the restaurant event behind him figuring it wouldn't do him any good trying to figure out what had been going on in the waitress' head at the time she decided to give him a freebie. Once they found themselves in a rather peaceful spot, surrounded by trees, not too far away from the path towards Courmaline but not too close to accidentally harm any passer-by's, it became rather easy for the teen to put the whole thing out of his mind and concentrate on what was important. His friends had settled down in the middle of the clearing, so that Serena had plenty of space to do her thing, but Ash took himself and his Pokémon a little further away into the trees.

He didn't think any of his friends would mind that he secluded himself for a little while, but honestly, even if they would, they had no claims in eavesdropping onto the conversation Ash was planning to have with Brandon. In all honesty, the teen didn't expect any of them except for Clemont to realise who Brandon was -like, he was really befuddled that the story of the Fuchsia fire had been covered this far outside of Kanto- but still.

There were just some things Ash didn't want to have an audience for and a conversation with any adult could turn into a hot potato in seconds, even on a good day. Hence why he took this into the trees, so that there was little to draw his attention away from being civil. The teen did release his Pokémon though, for good measure in case his friends thought he was doing some training. Which, in all honesty, his Pokémon didn't need him for as they usually enjoyed their time out, to do some rough-housing with each other and do typical Pokémon things, like mock-battles. He, though, took a deep breath, checked whether the time in Johto was still acceptable enough to call towards and dialled Brandon's number.

"Hello again, Ash." The man answered.

"Wha… You saved my number into your phone?"

"Yes."

The teen blinked, bewildered as he hadn't thought that… Oh, but maybe it had to do with the fact Scott's invitation for the Battle Frontier had gotten a completely different context, now that he had Mewtwo by his side. That he hadn't had a Legendary Pokémon in his team wouldn't have been enough to deter Scott from having him as a Frontier Brain but now-

"Do not get side-tracked."

"Aha, yeah, okay, hello as well, Brandon." The boy chuckled nervously, knowing to take Mewtwo seriously. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"I'm free at the moment, so I do have time." Brandon answered and Ash could swear he had heard the man take a seat somewhere -a couch or chair, presumably. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Err, Aura, actually. There have been… developments."

"Spoken to someone, haven't you? I hope it wasn't a Lore Keeper?"

"Hah, those clowns! They can't tell me anything I don't know yet. But I won't lie, I did speak to someone, or rather, they spoke to me and told me a lot of information that I… have no idea what to do with. At all. And if you really need to know, it was a historian who told me to educate myself on Aura further than I already have."

"Leave it to you to find someone of a group everyone considers to be extinct. Ash, how on earth did you manage to find a historian in Kalos, just like that?"

"By accident, but that's just my kind of luck. Though I didn't call you to talk about that person."

"True, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to talk to an actual historian."

"What's so special about them for you to suddenly hold them in high regard?" Ash frowned, bothered but intrigued nonetheless.

"Ah, the knowledge they had, Ash, it must be immense."

"… Sanity obviously isn't required to be one. I got told to try and look through my hand, Brandon."

"Is there something on your hands that I should know about?"

"Aura marks. On both of them."

"Ah. That's…"

"Yeah, rare, I know. And I'm not a troublemaker either, been there, done that. Still doesn't make me feel wiser about what the hand thing could be useful for."

"How does your Aura respond to you?"

"Err, quick. The historian wasn't pleased to see the speed I could create that Aura Sphere."

"If the person doesn't know that the only one to teach you is a Pokémon, I'm sure they would be startled. That is, if they know what kind of Aura user you are."

"A Source." The boy answered, willing himself to remain calm.

But adults had this habit of putting their feet straight in the middle of where it hurts most and he didn't like it one bit.

"… Okay." Brandon answered eventually, seemingly not having expected that. "… Would explain why you were so carefree about the Shield, if your Aura was too much for even Arceus to… Yes, I understand now. Still, euhm… You're not going to be touchy if I keep referring to the Legendary Pokémon? If I'm going to be teaching you, I'm going to need to know what your previous teacher told you."

"I'm not going to deny the existence of my friend any longer, if asked or hinted at." Ash replied stiffly.

"Good. You misunderstood my question about how your Aura acted, though. I meant what it feels like to you."

"Oh, it's as spiky as I am, really."

"Or rather, maybe you are as spiky as you are because your Aura is."

"… I acted this way before I started training with Mewtwo, though."

"Trauma does that to people, I'm sure. You don't strike me as the aggressive person, but in a fight or flight scenario, I know you will choose to fight all the way. And with that massive amount of Aura, right in your hands, I'm not at all surprised you can fling Aura Spheres around as if creating them comes naturally to you."

"Euhm, I don't fling them. I've been told they explode."

"… How old are you?"

"I'll be fifteen soon. Why?"

"It's just that young Aura users tend to have these explosive abilities. It doesn't really matter, though, maybe it's just something hereditary in your Aura."

"Huh, yeah, I could have asked mom if only she didn't freeze up before she could start thinking about Aura. And dad's not around."

"It's fine." The man stated simply. "Everyone's Aura is different and while there is a possibility that family member's Aura's have shared traits, you don't need the knowledge that they do to master yours."

"What if I don't want to master it, though?"

"… It's a little too late for that now. You shouldn't have taken a Pokémon teacher at all, if you didn't want your Aura to activate."

But, Ash grimaced, it had activated years ago, with Mew and the Tree of Beginning. Right there, in Rota, he had gotten the full Aura explanation and in the good tradition of the idiot he truly was, the teen had listened to any of it. He didn't know whether he regretted not listening… But what if he hadn't met Mewtwo and hadn't gone ahead and started up his Aura training with its help? Would life treat him any better if he was a defenceless Shuckle, waiting to be struck down? Ash didn't even need his own imagination to come up with an answer for that particular question.

"Yes, I suppose so. But, you can help, right?"

"Of course. What's the next town you'll be going to?"

"Courmaline. Though it'll take us some time to get there, we're barely a few miles from Shalour."

"That's okay, just make sure to check the Pokémon Centre in Courmaline, for I'll be sending you a book. It's bound to give you a better understanding of what the historian was probably aiming at, as it includes a good amount of information on how Aura works and it's foundations for the users of the force. And if you're done with it, I'll be sure to include a return address."

"Ah, thank you. I euhm… can trust you that if you write anything down, about me or what we talk about, it wouldn't become common knowledge?"

"… I've not suffered years of tormenting on how bad my handwriting is to tell you, without one shred of levity, that even Anabel can joke about how all my files are top-secret by default, as no one but me can read them."

"Good, then we have a deal, Brandon." Ash answered, feeling rather pleased with himself.

"I believe we do." The man replied. "Do try and keep practising what the historian told you, though, for whatever reason, I tend to believe advice from someone smarter than me."

"Okay, I'll euhm… try looking through my hand then, how.. strange that might look."

"Anabel took years to keep most of her facial expressions in check, so trust me, things like that take time. And the action being strange only matters when you think it's odd as well."

"Says the man in a mythical contraption that defies gravity."

"Yeah, I'll try and remember that." The boy chuckled.

"Good. Call me if there's anything you think I can help you with, okay?"

"Yes, I will. Goodbye, Brandon."

"Bye, Ash."

And now the boy had to stop himself from cheering as he put the transceiver back on his wrist, but he still raised his arms above his head in quiet celebration.

"This was my first actual conversation with an adult that wasn't my mother that went okay~" he said, pleased as punch.

"Yes, congratulations." Mewtwo stated and Ash could never tell whether it was being sarcastic or not… and wasn't at all bothered to find his friend right next to him.

"Thank you. Now… This hand." The teen said, deciding not to bother trying to figure out if it had been sarcasm this time. "Should I activate Sight?"

"Might as well."

Now, even the Legendary creature stared at the hand for a while, as the glowing symbol was ever so prominent, here amidst the trees casting a good amount of shadow. Ash didn't seem to be comfortable around anyone but his Pokémon and while it pleased Mewtwo, the boy's natural distrust for human behaviour was terribly unfitting for someone his age. It would do Ash a lot of good to go ahead and bond with someone else but his mother, but it would certainly not be the one to tell the teen that, as it would only get a defensive and typical pubescent answer in return. The fact that Kalos as a region was setting off all kinds of warnings inside the boy already would do very little in helping Ash find someone to trust right here.

"Well… With Sight, I can see my own Aura, without it, I just see my hand and whoa! Gliscor!" the teen exclaimed, shooting backwards as the mischievous Pokémon had been right there in front of him, staring at the glowing symbol on the other side of the hand. "Personal space is also a thing."

Maybe it was, but Gliscor didn't care, as he came over for a snuggle, his usually bright and yellow glowing eyes closed in bliss as the Pokémon received the attention he desired from the boy… who had all but forgotten about his prominently glowing hand. It was hard to miss, as the stark blue was a strange colour to find in a natural habit. Would explain why Pokémon enjoyed staring at it, as it wasn't a natural colour to exist at all.

"… I wonder why the colour of my Aura showing up in Pikachu and my eyes appeared to be green to Gurkinn, though."

"Maybe the lighting in the building played a part in it."

"Huh, yeah, must have been the case." The teen shrugged and had initially been planning on getting up and recalling all his Pokémon, but decided against it when he suddenly felt his cap getting pulled off his head. "What the-…? Hey! Come back!" he called out, when he noticed some small Pokémon jump away from him, his precious cap in its hold.

The creature was a Pancham and oh, it was just unlucky in the way it had jumped right in the middle of where most of Ash's Pokémon had congregated. Especially Infernape was giving the Pokémon a dirty look, as the Fire-type remembered the previous encounter they had with some other Pancham. They were just too far away for it to be one of the same ones of that particular group… but they all seemed to have a slightly criminal tendency to them. Gible, though, surprised everyone by quickly grabbing his trainer's cap out of the Pancham's hold and prancing back over to Ash, proud to have been the one to return the precious possession. The little thief, though, seemed to be less impressed by being surrounded by Pokémon like this, much less than anyone would be, with those kinds of dirty looks pointed at him. Not to mention the look the small creature seemed to give Mewtwo, who had been outside its Pokéball for a while now and had most certainly been there when the thief had struck.

The Pancham seemed to get that a confrontation with either of the creatures around it could end in disaster, though, and quickly jumped off, disappearing in the shrubbery. The other Pokémon let it do so as they didn't want to invoke their trainer into another preach how they shouldn't be attacking wild or other Pokémon without his say-so. And seeing Ash had been stunned too much into looking at the rather wild and gutsy Pancham, he hadn't given the signal to attack either, hence why they laid low. Chances were, though, that their trainer would not have let them attack the creature anyhow, unless it had ended up destroying the cap it had in its hold for a while, so the Pokémon let the whole situation and the emotions it ended up raising slide. There was one not quite willing to forget about the whole thing, though.

"Did… Did you see how it looked at me?" Mewtwo asked, clearly not happy about the situation.

Pikachu ended up being the one to answer the question, which surprised Ash as his Pokémon weren't at all vocal to each other. Most of their calls went out to him and unless they were fighting, they remained mostly silent.

"Quite." The Legendary Pokémon sniffed.

"What did he say?" the young trainer asked, genuinely curious what his partner Pokémon had told Mewtwo.

"Ignorance is bliss."

"Huh, yeah, probably. Don't think it would've even stared at you at all if it knew who you were."

"Most Pokémon know how to respect power, though."

"So do most people, but there's always that one jerk to ruin someone's faith in humanity." Ash shrugged.

"But it was challenging me. That… that little critter… Did it really think it could best me?"

"In bad manners, it would, yes. It's not worth your time, though."

"No… It is highly unlikely that we would meet this particular miscreant again as well."

"I don't know about that, but ah, even if we do, what could it possibly do to you, Mewtwo?" the teen sighed, a small smile on his face. "You know you're better than it anyway, so why try and give into that doubt that you aren't?"

"Yes, you are right. I… I guess I can let it go…"

"Is there a possibility I could massage some of your frustration out of you?"

"Yes."

Ash knew Mewtwo was a sensitive Pokémon, especially thanks to the fact that it had been treated as the best there was, from its earliest days already. So really, the teen wasn't worried if this small Pokémon had set off his friend like that, even the slightest little remark on its power could do the trick. In fact, he was already rather pleased that Mewtwo hadn't freaked out over the idea that there were now two adults who thought his teaching to be lacking. So maybe Ash had rubbed the Pokémon's back a little longer than he should have and maybe he should've gone back to the camp where the others were when his other Pokémon had been staring at him to get the same attention and treatment.

But he had remained there and had hugged and massaged the heck out of his Pokémon, just because he felt like it. The Shalour Gym battle had done a number on him, despite him actually having given his all -and possibly even more than that- so it felt good to sit back and relax for a little while. The trainer eventually did recall his Pokémon again and sauntered back to the camp, but he had not expected Serena to bounce towards him as excited as that.

"I caught my first Pokémon!" she exclaimed happily.

And Ash, who couldn't believe he had missed yet another important thing the girl possibly had wanted him to be there for, smiled widely.

"Really?"

"Yeah, do you want to see it?"

"Sure!"


"Are you sure you do not believe in foresight? Because, friend, if you had that kind of powers, they would be on point!"

Ash stifled a groan, as he had been hearing Mewtwo complain about Pancham ever since Serena had called out that very same Pancham who had nearly succeeded in stealing something very precious to him. Its presence had called out rather interesting feelings in Mewtwo and now the teen, who realised he had the shittiest luck instead of any foresight, was forced to listen to his friend's complaints. Yes, he would never judge a Pokémon or person by the first thing they did, whether it was wrong or right and yes, Ash wanted to see its character first before anything because Pancham was still as wild as it could be, bad manners including in the package deal… But he knew he shouldn't underestimate the feelings of his other Pokémon. It was clear in the way they were guarding their food and generally staying near to him that they had some suspicions about the fuzzy creature and there was no way that Ash was going to degrade those feelings to merely being wary of Pancham being a newcomer.

By the look of things, though, something Mewtwo was exuding was keeping the Pancham away from him. But it made Ash wonder who the Pokémon was targeting then, because well… Looking mischievous was one thing, but actually being that way was a completely other and now the teen felt anxious to discover it was taking stuff from his friends. Or at least, his fears lasted that way until he wanted to take his medicine later that day, as the most important one had its cap chewed shut. The bite-marks around the cap were too small to have come from any of his Pokémon in his current team and hell, if Gible had been responsible for it, the bottle would have been in shreds. And Pikachu's teeth weren't shaped like the indentations either. Besides, none of his Pokémon had the skill -or hands- to get the lock on his case open. The teen had been careful of where to put his medicine, after all, seeing they were out in the open most of the times and slept amidst the trees, where literally anyone could come and snoop in their stuff. Not that Ash thought anyone could pass Gliscor, who took it upon himself to take vigil over the whole group, but accidents happened.

So for anyone to actually crack the lock and get that one particular bottle out of the case, well… The teen had looked up what type Pancham was and he couldn't help but think that this behaviour didn't fit a Fighting-type by the slightest. But the devil was in the details and when he looked up Pancham's evolution, Pangoro… well, that explained a whole lot. That was all good and well, but did he really want to have that conversation with Serena, telling her that the creature she had caught was devious and possibly dangerous? She was already irked that Pancham didn't really get along with Fennekin, who stuck around her at all times when the other was out in the open and Ash really didn't need any kind of ability to know how that particular conversation would go. No, she would discover that in her own time, surely and really, it was vital for the teen to get this bottle of pills open first, or else he'd be stuck in his zombie limbo once more, this time not influenced by some meddling, old coot who had good intentions but strange ways to express himself.

No matter how hard the boy pulled or twisted the cap, though, it refused to give and remained shut, completely the opposite of what Ash needed it to be. Thankfully, his Pokémon had kept an eye on him -whether or not that was influenced by Pancham's presence remained to be seen- and Infernape was quick to offer assistance. The bottle, though, wasn't capable of resisting the sheer force the Pokémon used to try and open it and one rather satisfying snap later, it had come dislodged… taking part of the bottleneck with it, though. And Infernape looked so guilty, holding the separated cap and bottle, Ash didn't have the heart to be angry at him.

"Thanks, buddy, for getting it open for me."

"… Nape?"

"I'm sure Nurse Joy will be able to get me another one, don't worry."

At that, the Pokémon handed the pulled-apart medicine bottle back to his trainer, still a little doubtful whether his actions had been helpful, but appeased by the fact Ash hadn't been mad at the involuntary destruction. And well, the teen at least had access to his medication, but right after he had taken it, Clemont startled him greatly and solved the mystery of who Pancham had been targeting all this time.

"Arceus, where the HECK is my stuff disappearing to!?"

"Shhhh!" Ash had hushed instantly, but couldn't avoid the argument that suddenly broke out between the Gym Leader and the girl who bravely defended her Pokémon.

"You don't even have proof he came near your stuff!" Serena cried out, after Clemont's accusation that her Pancham was stealing his tools.

"You guys, relax, stop screaming, even if Pancham is a little thief, it's not the end of the worth and really not worth getting skewered by a Beedrill for." The black-haired said, actually laying a hand over Clemont's mouth to stop him from retorting. "And Serena, I know it's a hard thing to accept criticism, but it's one of the things you'll have to learn to accept, if you're going to be a performer."

"This isn't just criticism!"

"Keep quiet." He hissed, getting properly pissed right now. "Yes, I've noticed that Pancham is stealing stuff too, but it's not something you can't help."

"Even you? You can forgive an evil Pokémon for turning pretty much everything its attack touches into stone, but not Pancham?"

Ash just sighed and went to his backpack, hoping that Pancham hadn't gotten into his Pokéblock case, so that he could prove a point to the angry girl. It didn't seem like the Pokémon had been terribly interested in the case, but then again, it didn't have a lock on it. Maybe the creature's attention had been pulled by the specific security, but ah… Whatever it was, the teen wanted to see it fixed, because getting this new pill container wasn't a cheap issue either and he didn't want to get several a month or something.

"Hey, Pancham?" the teen asked, crouching down with the box in his hands. "I'm sorry for what happened earlier, but my Pokémon League cap is precious to me. It's a little like your leaf, it's something not easily replaced and well, it belonged to someone pretty important to me, so yeah. No hard feelings?"

The Pokémon was looking at him rather warily but eventually nodded.

"Would you like a treat, then? That way, Serena can know what kind of food you enjoy."

In many ways, it was helpful and the Pancham seemed kind of pleased with the attention, choosing a few sweet Pokéblocks… but the damage had been done and the tension in the group stayed there for more than a couple days. Ash didn't enjoy the fact that Clemont and Serena didn't talk to each except for a few short sentences and only if it was necessary, but well… You could lead a Rapidash to water, but you couldn't make it drink, could you?

All that tension was doomed to make Ash forgetful but thankfully, he didn't notice a single thing about it, happily cleaning and grooming his -and other Pokémon, like Clemont's Luxio who didn't care for its trainer's stubborn persistence not to talk to the Serena- until it was time to leave again. He didn't even remember the way to this big ranch and only saw the cute little Skiddo, bending down to scratch it under the chin and smiling widely when it clearly enjoyed the ministrations. He couldn't help but wonder why Pokémon were so attracted to him in particular, like, was that all because of his Aura or was something else involved? The Kyogre back at home hadn't really made any inclination of sniffing at his hands and had just come closer because he had been there… But at the time, his Aura hadn't formed such a formidable world yet, in fact, it had all still been dots. Ash wondered how his Aura dimension had already grown by now… or how much it would change under the influence of the book he would receive from Brandon.

"Ash?"

Oh, right, the ever so soft and kind Skiddo. It seemingly couldn't get enough from the rubbing behind its horns, so the teen humoured the Pokémon and continued his ministrations. He wondered whether these were farm animals and whether people had some benefit from keeping these Skiddo, outside of being ride Pokémon. Not that he expected these cute Pokémon to be farm animals, just like every strong looking person wasn't a farmer either… Then again, that didn't explain why Trip thought that every person from Kanto was a boonie, or a hillbilly, but Iris had often said he had learned the word from his father, as there were some people in Unova who has 'unique' opinions about foreigners.

She had also said that there were people who were very much against the open border plan from the Pokémon League, allowing everyone to travel to whatever region they pleased. And that Trip's father was probably one of those people who thought that someone who immigrated from a different place would steal his benefits and probably his job too. Ash had nodded at the time, but now he wondered why the man would say that. If he was afraid of hillbillies, commonly found on farms and usually working in or around them, taking his job, did that mean that Trip's father was a farmer too? And thus, also very much a boonie and a hillbilly, in that sense?

"Ash!"

"Huh?" he asked, turning to the side he had heard his name getting called out from.

"Ash, there's someone who would like to meet you." Clemont said, sounding and looking a little exasperated.

"Huh?" the teen asked, turning his head to the side in confusion.

"Other side."

"Apologies." He said after turning around and spotting the woman looking at him expectantly, bowing deeply, only to remember mid-bow that people in Kalos did not use this kind of greeting, ever. "It's nice to meet you." The boy added, grinning a little sheepish, as he hoped that she had understood the gesture and its meaning anyway.

"My, how polite~" the woman said, smiling from ear to ear. "It's nice to finally meet you as well, Ash."

"… Finally?"

"Yes, I met Bonnie and Clemont during the Ryhorn Race earlier this season, before they met up with you. At the time, they were looking for you, along with my daughter.

Ah, so this was Serena's mom, huh? He should have guessed that, she had that same kind of look in her eyes, that calm, kind of calculated look that seemed to look straight through you and whatever secrets you had-

"Ash, you're looking a little unfocused." Clemont said, snapping the boy out of his newest daydream.

"Hm?"

"Are you okay? Did you take your medication?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course, I took my… Err…"

Ash never really finished his sentence, because he came up empty when trying to remember having taken his medication. He remembered having taken them yesterday evening but he hadn't thought of taking them today, for some kind of reason. Then again, he was focussing on all kinds of things that weren't nearly as important as his meds… so yeah, that was probably silly, but who would blame him, hm?

"Ash, are you sure?"

"No… No, I didn't."

"Then what should we do? Can you take them now?"

"No, I can't. I'll have to wait until lunch, as I need to take them with food." Ash answered, grimacing.

"What kind of medication are you all talking about? Do you have concentration issues?" the woman asked, looking a little confused. "Because if so, you should definitely not be anywhere near ride Pokémon."

"Oh, no, no, I do zone out from time to time, but I forgot to take the pill I take every morning, to counter the side effects of the medications I take in the evening. See, one of them has a really potent calming substance in it, hence why I'm not really able to concentrate very well in the morning and-"

"Taking medication to counter side effects isn't a healthy way of life. You need to rest."

"Err… Okay." The teen said, all his instinct telling him not to disobey a worried mother.

Even if this wasn't his own, there was this particular tone they all used, which let every child know they would be in serious trouble if they became defiant from that moment on. So he was put down on a bench, where Ash could have a good view of what his friends were doing and where everyone could see him. However, the boy didn't get to see a lot, because a while after he had gone to sit there -where he spends a toe-curling, boring time-, this huge trailer had parked right in front of him.

"What are you transporting?" he asked the man who stood there, looking a little impatient.

"Oh, a Pokémon." Was the simple answer.

"Is it that dangerous you need to put it in such a tightly secured box?" Ash asked, peering into the trailer.

"Look, it's how we transport these kinds of ride Pokémon, okay? No need to go questioning ways that have always worked out for everyone."

The boy doubted that the Pokémon in the box felt the same way about it, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he looked around for a bit, before he questioned the man some more.

"Do you want me to go find someone to help you unload this Pokémon?"

"There should've been plenty of people waiting here! This transfer was agreed to months ago."

"… Maybe they forgot? I mean, there's plenty of people here today, but most of them are busy. If you didn't park your truck in front of the field, maybe you would've seen it."

"Look here, smart-ass kid-"

"My name's Ash. Now do you want me to go find someone for you, or are you going to keep standing here like that?"

"… Fine, go find someone. Better that than nothing."

Now, Ash knew he was probably doing something which would upset Serena's mom, but she didn't seem like the vengeful type. Not like his own mother, who would probably follow him to the end of this earth and beyond, if there was any end on a round planet, but well… There was a Pokémon involved and whenever that was the case, the teen followed his gut. And now it was saying he should do the utmost to get the creature out of that depressing box, so hence why Ash even went to go and bother some people who were clearly taking a break.

They err… responded accordingly, if not a little mean, because the boy only meant well, but at least they went along and helped the man drop of his precious cargo. Ash didn't get to see what Pokémon it was, but his imagination took him to all kinds of sides and places possible of who this ride Pokémon could be. It would probably look different, but so far, all he knew was that the creature was called 'Bonanza' and apparently extremely dangerous.

'Well… That's not going to be a Tauros.' He thought dryly.

Unless the people in Kalos were deadly afraid of Tauros, that is, in which case Ash would definitely have the higher ground, because well…

"Gosh, you are a trouble maker!"

The boy jumped again, hearing that strict mom voice tone again. And seeing he was anywhere near the bench she had told him to stay put at, this wouldn't be good.

"I-I'm sorry, but there was this truck…"

"Yes, yes, I know. It's all probably due to bad timing, but if you should've stayed where you were-"

"Then Bonanza would have still been in the box." He interjected defiantly, feeling strongly about the subject. " What kind of Pokémon is it, anyway?"

"… A Bouffalant." The woman answered, a little bewildered. "I was told you have a special relationship with Pokémon, but surely you must've noticed that it wasn't getting hurt?"

"No Pokémon should ever belong into a box. It's already bad enough that it got captured to be transported from place to place, with seemingly no trainer to travel with it, to provide some care and attention."

"… Well, Bonanza will be staying here for more than a while. And if you saw how well the Skiddo have been cared for, then you should realise that Bonanza will be fine here."

"Do the Skiddo have sticker on their stable door, stating that they're extremely dangerous?"

"It will be cared for, Ash, that's what these people are paid for."

"Yeah, so are debt collectors but that doesn't mean they always do the right thing."

"Yes, yes, I hear you, Ash. Come on, there's a Skiddo waiting for you to cuddle."

Well, if they thought that he would stay in one place just because there was a huggable Pokémon near, they were absolutely correct. It helped that Pikachu was interested in the Skiddo as well and this one seemed to be the kind who enjoyed being petted. Exactly the kind of Pokémon Ash enjoyed having near… But then again, Bonanza sounded like his kind of Pokémon as well. The teen didn't like the idea that a Pokémon was categorised as dangerous, just because of how fragile people were. In fact, he knew that a Bouffalant pretty much was the Unova version of a Tauros, if not with a little more gusto but still…

"I can hear you thinking about what happened." Clemont said, startling Ash, because he had not seen his friend come back, once more lost in thoughts on thought on that blasted bench.

God, for all he could think his way out of boredom, the teen didn't enjoy sitting still. Especially not when his friends were on less but good terms and Pokémon getting locked up like… well, animals, but still!

"Since when have you been sitting here?"

"Since I got kicked off a Skiddo."

"Oh no, are you hurt?"

"Nothing but my pride." The Gym Leader answered, a small smile on his face. "I'm completely fine, Ash, don't worry."

"Alright, if you say so."

"So, what happened?" Clemont grinned.

"… Got kicked back to this bench, that's what happened, no Skiddo needed to deliver the blow." Ash replied moodily.

"Why?"

"There was Pokémon they locked up. What are you even grinning about?"

"Was that Pokémon they supposedly locked up a Bouffalant?"

"… Yes? And what do you mean, supposedly, I saw them lock up Bonanza with my own eyes?"

At the mention of that name, a soft 'moo' came from the left of the boy, who turned and looked straight into the feared Bouffalant's face. But Ash didn't fear a Pokémon and if Clemont had been able to pass it, it meant that Bonanza had been sitting here calmly and thus, open to reasoning… and most importantly, hugging as well.

"Ah, Bonanza!" the teen exclaimed happily, quickly jumping up to hug the creature's abundant mane. "How did you get here?"

"Maybe they didn't lock him up that well at all."

… Or maybe the lock had been electronic. In fact, it had looked heavy enough for the lock to be completely connected to the electric network, which was close enough to him, seeing he had been sitting under an unlit light. And well, Ash hadn't enjoyed the fact they had locked up Bonanza at all, so it wasn't surprising his Aura might have opened the door for the Pokémon. It actually succeeded in making him smile and the boy couldn't help but feel like his Aura felt rather pleased with what it had done, simply because it had succeeded in cheering him up.

"Boy, do you even know what you did?"

"I did nothing." Ash stated, defiantly once more because how could they say that Bonanza was dangerous when nothing was happening.

"No, but look at the kids. Now they want to ride it too."

"I'll ride it."

"You're riding nothing until you've taken that medication you're supposed to take." The woman said. "Come one, lead Bonanza to that field so he can graze and then come with me so we can have lunch."

Forceful loving, that's all Ash could say about Serena's mother's behaviour. Then again, it seemed like she did trust him enough to handle the Bouffalant, who seemed to have taken a liking to him, so that might mean something. Not much, but enough… especially seeing that Clemont gave him a knowing look when he joined the group again.

"You know something I don't."

"Mm, Mrs. Grace is a particular person. Serena said so."

The boy was already glad to hear that the two were talking again, even if it was about the girl's mother's strange behaviour. It was a start, nonetheless.

"Mm, she doesn't seem open to suggestions on much, does she?"

"Yes, she has a set view on how things need to go. You're probably adamant enough to make an attempt to make her understand differently, but I… Gosh, I wouldn't even know where to begin. Especially not by defying her."

"No? Why not? You're not telling me this is good for a Pokémon, to be locked up and stuck in-?"

"That's not what I meant. But I guess you'll notice later."

"… I hope so. I have lots of questions already."

Clemont smiled but Ash couldn't help but feel that something was brewing. And even if Mewtwo was keeping silent, his natural instinct told him something was up. Whether it had something to do with this particular ranch or not didn't particularly matter… But the feelings were still there and he could only hope that his medication took care of this paranoia.


"Goodness, and then my daughter tries to convince me that you're the strong trainer in the group and will keep everyone safe."

"Piiiikaaaa." The Pokémon on Ash's shoulder growled as if to say 'do you want me to shock her now or should I do it later?'.

The teen just gently laid his hand on Pikachu's head, to calm his starter Pokémon down and gave the woman in front of him an icy look.

"All I did was open a fence."

"Once more releasing Bonanza."

"Be glad, he's taking care of Team Rocket for us."

"… Huh?"

"So your daughter wasn't able to tell you about the dumb criminal duo following us around over all that talk about Ryhorn racing, was she?"

"Oh, so you're opposed to it too?" Grace sighed, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"I just think that betting on one team is a little risky. Especially when you're betting on the weakest team. I mean, training with just one ride Pokémon as your profession is a little… meh, I dunno." Ash shrugged. "I think being a Performer would suit Serena better, in all honesty."

"You've not seen her on a Ryhorn, have you?"

"I don't have to, I've seen kids half my age on a Charizard or Rapidash before. As I said, it doesn't require talent to sit on a Pokémon, just courage."

The woman was giving him this particular look now and the teen knew he was on thin ice now. But he felt like he needed to free Serena from the idea that destiny was shaped by what your parents wanted you to become. Yeah, it was fine if the kid was okay with the choice, but it was clear that his friend's desires and dream lay elsewhere… And were a lot more glamorous than mucking out Ryhorn stables, for that matter.

"Mrs. Grace, she won't ever forget being a Ryhorn racer." He sighed. "If this Performer career falls through, which I doubt it will, she will still have something to fall back on. Just… let her do what she wants. Or else you'll end up fighting or avoiding each other and it'll hurt both you and Serena and that would be sad, because you're supposed to be protecting her from misery as her mother, not cause it."

"And what do you have?"

"Huh?"

"As a fall back plan? In case being a trainer isn't your thing?"

"I think I would've noticed that in the past four years, actually. And I won't fail."

At first, Grace doubted that… But then the boy welcomed the stampeding Pokémon back with open arms, like it was a long lost friend or something. Bonanza seemed like a docile and calm creature when Ash was around and with her daughter having told her that he had a particular way with Pokémon, it was clear that the teen already had his fall back plan. Now that she wasn't looking at him in a critical way and now that the trainer had gotten his medicine and was clearly back in the game, Grace couldn't help but notice how happy her daughter seemed to be around him. Even if he was a little weird, the kid clearly had some skill and she wasn't that kind of fool not to give young ones a chance.

"… feels weird to go against the guidance of a person I trusted on so long." The woman heard Serena say when she was close enough to the group.

"I know it does. But you need to realise that you shouldn't sacrifice your life in making your parents happy. You're your own person and everyone has their own responsibilities… but it's not yours to make sure your mom is happy."

"I know but still…"

"Well, I know that I'm not making her very happy." The teen chuckled.

"Depends." Grace piped up, startling the two teens. "So, Ash, you said you wanted to ride Bonanza, didn't you?"

"Can I?" the boy asked, his face full of glee.

"If you're sure you can handle him."

"I've been feeling his eyes on me all day, Mrs. Grace, and I've gone stampeding with my Tauros plenty of times to know the ways of a bull."

Ash was positively sparkling and it was clearly affecting Serena, who was watching him with a smile.

"Well, come on then." The woman chuckled, motioning to follow him. "We'll put a saddle on him and then you'll be ready to go."

"… Eh, I don't really need a saddle, but I am heavier on the left side, so maybe it's a good idea nevertheless."

"Safety first, Ash."

"I hear you~"

"… You will be supporting Serena, though, will you?" Grace asked, when she led the boy into the stables, where they would meet up with Bonanza and the rangers and well out of her daughter's hearing range.

"Of course, I will. If, in return, you could find some people who don't flip shit when near a Pokémon like a Bouffalant, I would say we have a more fair deal, though."

"What makes you think I'm in charge of this place?" she asked, amused at the boy's persistence of making sure Bonanza wasn't treated any differently from the other Pokémon here.

"I've stopped thinking about people and their behaviour after a full grown adult man started screaming at me for no reason." Ash replied dryly. "But at any rate, I feel like your voice would be more effective than mine in this ranch."

"Thank you. Then all there's left to say is good luck with your ride, huh? And well, with you being an actual Pokémon trainer, you'll probably be aiming for the end of season tournament, won't you?"

"Yes, I currently am aiming for my next Gym. This was one of our stops, I guess Bonnie wanted some ice-cream or pet the Skiddo." Ash answered.

"Have you already challenged Clemont?"

"Not yet. I have to get one more badge before I can legally challenge him. Even if I'm not going to fight his robot, the Gym badge limit is still a viable rule."

"You'll do fine. I don't think any Gym Leader is scarier than a Bouffalant storming towards you."

"… If that's how you feel about it, then Kalos must have more decent Gym Leaders than those I've already encountered. But I'm glad for it, I can only stomach my friends getting turned into dolls once."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, did I say that out loud? Don't worry, the dolls- I mean, my friends are alive and well, I know how to fix my own messes really well."

"… Huh, okay."


Ash might definitely have left a lasting impression on Serena's mom, with riding Bonanza as well as he had -please, his Tauros were just as aggressive but fun to ride on- but he really couldn't be bothered with someone else's feelings while his were still a little iffy. Mewtwo's lack of comments was worrying him more and more and the teen didn't want to risk using the Pokéball, only to discover it empty, that his friend had left. It was probably one of his worst nightmares, one he didn't want to think about… but then again, Ash rarely was in control of his own thoughts. He really wanted to remember a time where he didn't have such intrusive thoughts, or hadn't been so dependent on medicines or people and Pokémon to get around, but the teen came up empty. He had already spent so much time getting used to this new lifestyle, that he had completely forgotten how he had been in the past.

Given the fact that he seemed to have a healthier and more honest relationship with a lot more people, the boy figured that the changes which had happened weren't bad in any way. Not all of them could be based on pity, seeing any elite trainer could burst out in annoyance, which was something one didn't do with anyone they felt concerned about… Right? Ah well, it didn't matter, for now, the teen figured he was happy enough, travelling to go to his next Gym, a man Clemont had claimed to be 'eccentric'. Now, the Electric-type Gym Leader was anything but ordinary either, but Korrina had said the same about the man, so maybe it was a good detail to keep in mind when faced with Ramos in Courmaline City. They still had some way to go before they got there, but no one was in a hurry.

"Brother, can you catch me one of those Bouffalants later? I really liked it!" Bonnie said cheerfully, of course having gone to pet Bonanza after Ash had finished his ride and wanting one of her own -like she always asked after meeting a new one she liked.

"B-Bonnie, these Pokémon don't appear in Kalos!" he spluttered.

"Awww!"

"Clemont is right, Bonnie." Ash said. "I've seen them in Unova, though, so once you are old enough to be a trainer, why don't you travel there and find one yourself?"

"Yes! I can't wait to be a trainer!"

"It'll happen soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy not having to care about anything. Like mothers with unfulfilled dream pushing them onto their offspring." The teen chuckled.

"Sorry about that, Ash, it's just the way my mom is." Serena sighed.

"No worries, my mom would do the same thing, just more subtle and quiet. It's probably one of those parent things no one but a parent gets."

"Yeah, probably."

A comfortable silence fell soon after, but they also noticed the darkening sky, forcing them to put up their camp and settle for the day. Enough had happened already and in between Grace and the Bouffalant, Ash wasn't sure which expression would appear to hunt him in his dreams, as Bonanza's look had been terribly passionate too. But those were worries for later, as he had some things to do before they could get to bed. His task in the evening usually consisted of finding wood for a campfire, one he did with pride and plenty of gusto and putting up the tents, along with Clemont, but as he had finished the first one, Ash couldn't help but feel watched.

"Is everything okay?" the Gym Leader asked, noticing that his friend was unusually distracted, turning to look around more than often.

And he had seen Ash take his medicine, so that couldn't be the issue here either.

"Yeah, I suppose so." The young trainer answered, but kept up his vigilance.

Every snap in the woods got his attention, but he knew there was something out there. And now that he couldn't count on Mewtwo's guidance to tell him whether it was good or bad -seeing Ash's Aura had little to no empathy towards creatures and people-, the teen made sure he didn't mess up.

"Ash, there's something, isn't there?" Clemont asked, once the tents were put up.

"Yes."

"Anything evil?"

"No idea." Ash answered, but then a distinct and close snap sounded out. "Stay here and keep Bonnie close. Serena, go to the fire."

He could hear his friends follow his command quickly, which pleased him, but he was too busy trying to notice anything in the dark. But as he activated his Aura, he instantly spotted the humanoid figure, which also had a pretty impressive Aura. Seeing that Ash wasn't scared of people, he was into the trees in seconds, only to stop in front of the figure, to pull the person away from the trees, away from the blind spots where anything could attack them.

"I don't know whether you're suicidal or just an idiot, but walking around in a forest this late at night is stupid!" he chided… and then fully turned to the stranger, stilling in the process.

"Ash?" Clemont piped up, softly. "… Are… are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Oh yes, the teen saw it. A face that looked as good as identical to his.

( … to be continued…)


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