GS Ball unlocked
Chapter 53, Getting to know Nina
"There are some things we have to go over."
On their way to their destination Nina wanted to go over a few rules with Serena. She agreed to come with her to fill in for Ash but there were some things Serena knew that nobody else could.
"First of all, you don't say a word about my Battle Bond to anyone else. I have no need for them to go after me the same way they did with him. Second. Not a word about my mentor and where he is." Shouldn't be that hard. Serena wanted to keep Ash away from the limelight too. But it was the third rule that stung a bit and the Kalos Queen realize that despite being like Ash as a trainer, Nina was nowhere near his character.
"Third. Don't ask anything from me when it comes to Mega Evolution. Maybe you've heard about our history with it and if you didn't don't ask. If you remember those three rules there shouldn't be many issues between us."
With these rules set Nina wanted to start looking for the former Kalos Queen right away. The sooner they would find her, the sooner she could join Ash and her mentor and experience just how much he's grown after a few days of training. Nina's focus now was at finding the former Kalos Queen and keeping the current one safe.
"My friend has set up her base in Cyllage City and is currently working on a plan to draw them out." Serena told her new companion. The coastal town was the closest city for Palermo and her personal to move to. Nina disapproved of this.
"That's exactly what they want from them. They're going to tire them out and then strike. One thing to remember when it comes to them. They're always going to fight on their terms. Not yours. They're only going to bring Aria out when it suits them. Let's get to her before she does too much damage." Serena didn't like the way Nina talked about Shauna. How would she respond if someone close to her was being mind controlled into doing terrible things.
But since Nina was the only one with relative experience dealing with their true goal, she decided to tolerate this for a little while. But one wrong word about Shauna or Palermo and it was over. Serena wasn't going to put up with a Battle Bond user vs someone close to her again.
The two riding on top of the two flying types saw the coastal town of Cyllage City in the distance. Long clear beaches where filled to the brim with the local residents or tourists.
Landing at the location that Serena agreed with Shauna for their reunion the two Flying types were thanked before Noivern would hurry back to his trainer in the woods.
Having heard the thanks Serena gave Noivern Shauna sped outside to meet her friend. Serena seeing the brunette run towards her and asked about the current situation. Her mentor must have been currently in rough times knowing the terrible things Team Union would probably make Aria do.
"Not to well. With constant asking for updates and lashing out if you don't have something for her. Safe to say she's not doing that well." The longer they went without any usable information the producer seem to lose it more and more.
"Where is Ash?" Not seeing the trainer with Serena made her worry that something must've happened to him. The new girl filled her in.
"Ash asked me to fill in for him. He's on a journey of self discovery right now. He will be back in about a month." It took a while before the coin dropped with Shauna.
"A MONTH! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! How could he just go and leave like that? And how do you know Ash?"
Nina shot Serena a glare that warned her not to tell anything about her heritage. Too many people knew about Ash already and if people found out she had a similar thing going for her like Ash's Greninja people would start asking too many questions.
"You can describe us as mutual acquaintances." Shauna found it strange that Nina wasn't telling a lot of things only keeping it to the bare minimum. If the white clad girl was going to help locating Aria they needed to know more about her and in what way she could be useful.
"You know Palermo is going to blow when she finds out he isn't with you." Ash did say after all that he was going to help. In her questioning Shauna completely forget about the second person standing next to Serena. Things were so hectic recently the brunette forgot the most basic of greetings.
"I'm sorry where are my manners? I'm Shauna. Nice to meet you."
"Nina. You friends with her?" The silver haired girl keeping it short.
"Yes I am. We've been friends ever since we met at summer camp years ago. Since then we've both been Pokémon performers. Do you what Pokémon performing is?"
Nina knew what a Performer was just after she rescued Lenore from a Wiper. Since the younger girl could not stop talking praising Serena on the way to Shalour City.
Only now noticing the silver hair on the girl with Shauna remembered the message in the Sky Trainer valley about a report concerning an intruder.
"By the way. Where you the one who got away from the guards recently in the Sky Trainer canyons?"
"Why? They want to try again to catch me?" Not one of her proudest moments but a necessary evil to find the Greninja trainer. Shauna continued her speech annoying Nina.
"And also why Ash went looking for you since you know what's going on between him and Greninja."
"What more did he say?" The boy had loose lips. A bit too loose for Nina's liking. All this time she's been living in secrecy while Ash happened flapping his mouth.
"No more questions about Ash and what he is doing. I came here to help rescue your friend. The more you keep asking about where I know these things, the more time wasted. We're keeping this strictly professional." Nina shutting the brunette off quite harshly.
Archer warned Serena about this. Nina was not even trying to make a friend out of Shauna. In the coming days Serena would try and get the silver haired girl to open up more. It was clear she had issues of trust and needed to relax.
It became clear to Shauna that Nina didn't want to discuss any more about Ash, Greninja and how exactly the silver haired girl tied into their special Bond. On their way to a room where they would plan their search and rescue Shauna tried to make some small talk to Serena's new friend and find out a bit more about her.
"Where are you from?"
"Fortree City in Hoenn." Nina answered. Serena relieved that she would at least give out a honest answer to her friend.
"You've come a long way then. How has Kalos been treating you?" Serena was also hoping to get to know another Battle Bond user better.
"Great region. Just a shame about Team Union and these guys who harass trainers for their badges or keys." The description of the second group made the promoter wonder if it was exactly who she was talking about.
"You battled a Wiper? Did you beat him?" Nina confirming she did Serena was glad to hear it.
"At least there's one less of them. Nice to hear another one is behind bars."
"Don't know what happened to him. I left him tied up there without calling the police." Or at least Serena thought so.
"Why? He probably wants revenge on you now. He could've been in prison right now." Both Performers found it a dumb move and Nina explained herself further.
"I'd like to see him try. And I certainly want him to bring someone else with him." Nina was playing the long game with the Wipers. Let him scurry back to his allies and bring out a lot at once. It was a lesson she learned in Alola.
Release the small Wishiwashi and catch the big school later on.
"Aren't you worried?" Serena asked her.
"Not really. The amount of miserable people I've come up against is more than a handful. Some of the strongest trainers I battled with had nothing to with Gym's or the League."
And it was the same with her. Nina's mentor was more powerful than anyone she could dream about. Believing that few could match her and Primarina's new found power at a time she was utterly decimated by her teacher.
Incredibly she was offered a place as his student and never looked back. Incredibly confident in her skills as a battler but never taking anything for granted. Archer beat that out of her during her training and the silver haired girl knew exactly the trouble Ash was going to face.
And there was Vivian. Of course Archer put her through the toughest training sessions but the elder woman always was there to offer a helping hand. Always patching her and her Pokémon up whenever they were down.
Vivi as she liked to be called was always there when she was struggling with something. Smallest of hints being enough to put her in the right direction. A talent of explaining the most difficult things and making it sound so easy showed her wisdom and understanding.
Vivi didn't have the power Nina's fellow Battle Bond users had, it didn't stop Nina from admiring her. Their latest talk being about Nina's vision being constantly switched on seeing people's characters being point of it. When she met Shauna she didn't have it turned on making her wary.
A weird feeling telling her not to turn it off, she did it anyway just because she respected the old woman so much and would try for her.
Speaking off her mentor and his wife she heard the two girls talk about the boy who was with him right now.
"I still can't believe you let Ash go and train again. What made you change your mind?"
Shauna knew that Serena would be the last person to allow Ash to go on another training trip for who knows how long. Wondering exactly convinced the Kalos Queen to allow him to leave like that again Serena's answer was not what Shauna expected.
"He didn't. I was the one who told him to stay." Unexpected that it was Serena that told him that Shauna still had to ask.
"So why the secrecy?"
"I've heard things there that goes beyond anything I've heard before. If Ash is going to beat Team Union he needs this. I can tell you some things but I promised I would keep the more important things secret. I just need time to figure out what I can say and not." Serena wanted to share more with her best friend but her hands were tied.
Having a clue that they were finally finished discussing her private life Nina called them out on what she came here for in the first place.
"Can we get started on making a plan to save Aria?" Nina clearly getting impatient. Shauna put it back for now.
"First I want to know how strong you are. It isn't personal but company policy. I hope you understand."
As much as she wanted to get started, she now was the temporary manager of Palermo's company. There were still rules to follow even if Shauna was the one in charge.
"So who's my opponent?"
Nina in the mood for a quick battle. Maybe it would give her an idea on what type if trainers she would be teaming up with. Seeing a guy with a musketeer outfit coming into vision Serena feared the worst.
"Bonjour mademoiselle Shauna. Is it this girl I'll be battling?" It was the same trainer Ash faced when Palermo went to test Ash. Henri, the actor Ash faced before introduced himself.
Nina scanning the new person she found him strangely dressed for an occasion like this. But not judging him until she saw a small sparkle coming from the sword's hilt.
"Is that a keystone on that toy of yours?" Nina immediately spared her thoughts on the actor. Just what Serena was afraid of.
"Indeed mademoiselle. Together with my Gallade we will show you the ability of a swordsman from a more noble era." Seeing the keystone wielder being full of himself Nina shot back.
"Sure. I'll play with you for a bit." While going to a suitable place for their battle Serena's worries grew by the second.
Archer told Serena about Battle Bond users having a dark history with Mega Evolution users. Henri has a Mega Gallade. It failed the last time when Ash was in possession of the crystal Pokeball Team Union gave him. Now Ash didn't know anything about the animosity. The same couldn't be said about Nina who already had a negative feeling to the Mega Evolution user.
And she could only hope Nina wouldn't go overboard with her definition of "play".
No time skip. I came up with the whole Aria/Francine subplot to keep the others busy while Ash is getting his Battle Bond training.
These next few chapters are focus on rescuing Aria and Ash is getting his training on parts beside it. Also more time to delve more into Nina's backstory and show exactly why she's pretty distant.
See you around.
