A/N: Here is the next chapter. It introduces a character that a lot you asked me about. Well, here's your answer!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Chapter 24: The Grass is Greener

A green paradise. That was the first thought that crossed the group's mind as they stepped foot into Verdanturf Town. There were flowers and green plants everywhere along with several nature trails. The group was reminded of the greenhouse they visited just a few days ago, but this was a whole town that stretched out in front of them rather than a single garden.

"Wow, May. I remember you telling us how pretty Verdanturf Town was, but I wasn't expecting this," Serena said.

"It's the healthiest place to live in all of Hoenn. People also don't waste much garbage here and recycle mostly," May replied before she took a big sniff, "Ah! Smell that clean air!"

"It just smells like grass like on that road that led here," Ash muttered.

"Exactly! You don't smell pollution!" May stated.

"I don't even see any cars here. Everyone appears to travel on bicycles or on foot," Ash observed before he noticed a sign next to him, "Go Green, huh? I guess there are a bunch of environmentalists that live here."

"Not exactly. The people just take advantage of the clean air here. This town is near Mt. Chimney, but no ash ever falls here due to the wind patterns. The temperature is also great all year round so there's hardly ever a day where this town isn't completely green!" May explained.

"Hmm…" Brock mused, "I'm thinking this would be the perfect place to have a picnic rather than eating at a café. What do you guys say?"

"I'm up to have one!" Ash quickly said.

"I second that!" May added.

"Great! I'll make some sandwiches and buy some fruit and snacks at the local stands," Brock said as they entered the green town.

As they group made their way around the town, they were quick to spot the local contest hall. It was there that May would have another shot at earning her first contest ribbon. With her new Skitty in tow, May was sure she would be able to build an excellent contest team. This would only be the beginning for her. They had traveled quickly and managed to get to Verdanturf Town two days before the contest would begin so there was still plenty of time for May to register. They could take care of that after their picnic.

They also noticed a boy who appeared to be about ten years old in front of the contest hall. He had thick and messy green hair which contrasted his thin frame. His eyes also had a certain weakness to them as he gazed, almost longingly, at the contest hall in front of him. The boy then sighed and turned to leave, but a teenage girl with green hair just like him came running up to him before he could.

"There you are, Wally! I knew I'd find you here!" the girl cried, "You always sneak away from home to come to the contest hall!"

"Sorry, Kelly," the boy mumbled.

"Look, I know Verdanturf Town isn't a dangerous place, but with your condition, it's still not a good idea to go wandering off without telling anyone," the girl said before she spoke in a softer tone, "We just worry about you."

"If you guys would take me places, I wouldn't have to sneak away from home," the boy countered, "Even if I had my own Pokemon, I wouldn't be so bored there."

The girl crossed her arms and sighed. It was clear she had been through this exact conversation with the boy several times before given the tired tone she gave off when she spoke next.

"Don't forget why we moved here to Verdanturf Town in the first place. We came here for your health," the girl told him.

"That doesn't explain why I can't have my own Pokemon," the boy complained.

"It's because there's no telling what the Pokemon can do. There are a lot of grass and bug-type Pokemon around here that give off different pollens and odors. While it's fine for the environment, it's not good for your health. When you get better, we can discuss you having a Pokemon then," the girl stated.

"Yes, sister," the boy mumbled, but it was clear he disagreed with her.

"Come on. I'll get make some green tea for you when we get back home," the girl said and gently grabbed the boy's hand to lead him away.

"I don't want tea. I want a Pokemon," the boy muttered.

The girl didn't respond and just sighed as she continued to lead the boy away. The group felt some pity for the boy in the conversation they overheard. Ultimately, however, it was none of their business so they continued on towards the stands.

The group was now in the park and had let out all of their Pokemon with each doing their own thing. Skitty in particular was especially interested in meeting all of its new friends, even Sableye who had managed a weak smile at it. Sableye apparently thought this Skitty was too carefree to remember what happened what it did, and that suited Sableye just fine.

The only other Pokemon who wasn't thrilled to meet Skitty was Seviper. Truth be told, Seviper thought Skitty looked rather tasty. Seviper knew Serena would freak out if she caught it trying to eat Skitty, though. Like Taillow, Skitty was another forbidden food source. Ever since it was captured, the good food always seemed to allude it. The Pokemon food was okay, but Seviper craved to have real food like from that storage building, or another Pokemon. Cacnea had adjusted to Ash's team just fine, but Seviper was different. Seviper watched as Skitty danced in circles around it in an effort to play. However, Seviper turned away and laid down. If it played with Skitty, it might try to eat it.

Seviper then looked up as a thud sounded in front of it. A piece of watermelon was right in front of its face. Seviper looked at Serena who gave it a smile and a nod to go ahead and eat it. Seviper eyed the fruit suspiciously. It definitely looked good, and Seviper really liked fruit, but why was it one of the few Pokemon receiving fruit? Did Serena know that it wasn't crazy about regular Pokemon food? Well, she probably did considering how Seviper picked at it most of the time. Seviper supposed this was just Serena's way of showing it can have real food on occasion. Seviper opened its mouth and chomped on the whole watermelon piece in one bite. However, it soon made a disgusted face and spit it out.

"You're not supposed to eat the green skin on the outside, Seviper!" Serena laughed.

"Hey, Serena! Why don't we have a battle after we finish our watermelon? I could use some last minute training before my contest," May suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Serena replied before she looked over at Seviper, "Would you like to battle with…me…"

Seviper had already gone back to lying down and facing away from the group. Serena sighed as out of all her Pokemon, Seviper was still the one she wasn't very close to. She had even found some weird connection with Sableye that she couldn't understand. She and Seviper had patched things up after her locket was fixed. Still, Serena supposed there was still some lingering afterthought in the back of Seviper's mind of when Serena beat the heck out of it.

"Well, never mind. What about you, Silcoon?" Serena asked it.

Silcoon nodded its head and happily bounced over to Serena to show it was ready for battle. Due to not having as much training as May's Dustox, it hadn't evolved yet, but Serena had a feeling it would be soon. Hopefully, the battle would be just what it needed.

The group soon finished their picnic, and Serena and May were ready for the battle. Serena was using Silcoon, and May was using her new Skitty. Ash was watching off to the side while Brock was acting as the judge. May smiled as this would be her first battle with Skitty, but Skitty seemed more preoccupied with doing something else. It eased up on its battle stance and instead ran over to Serena's Silcoon and began to roll it around with its head.

"No, Skitty! Silcoon isn't a ball!" May cried.

"Nyah!" Skitty replied as it continued to roll Silcoon around.

May ran over and picked Skitty up, "We're supposed to be battling…eeee!" May squeaked as Skitty began to pull at her pigtails again.

"I don't think Skitty's much in the mood for battling right now," Ash stated.

"I guess not," May muttered before she looked over to Dustox, "You're up, Dustox."

Dustox nodded and flew over in front of May while Silcoon righted itself up. May decided to hold on to Skitty for the time being. If she let it go, it might try to intervene in the battle. Upon seeing everyone was ready, Brock nodded his head.

"This will be a one on one match between Serena and May! Begin!" he declared.

"Okay, Dustox! Use Gust!" May shouted.

Dustox began to flap its wings really fast, and Silcoon grimaced as it felt itself being blown back. It soon was lifted off the ground and went sailing through the air.

"That's alright, Silcoon! Use String Shot around that tree!" Serena said and pointed.

Silcoon shot out the white string, and it was wrapped around the tree trunk. That halted Silcoon's from flying back even further. It then swung itself around the tree by the String Shot and released it before it flew into Dustox for a high speed Tackle. Dustox was knocked backwards, but it quickly recovered.

"That's okay, Dustox! Use your Poison Sting!" May commanded.

"Counter with your own Poison Sting, Silcoon!" Serena said.

Both Pokemon shot their respective attacks at each other. The two attacks met midway which caused a small explosion. Both May and Dustox reared back a little as they tried to see through the smoke. Then they heard Serena make her move.

"Use String Shot!" she shouted.

May and Dustox looked around as they tried to figure out where Silcoon was, but a white string came out from the smoke to Dustox's right and wrapped around it. Dustox began to pull back to get away, but that was just what Serena wanted. Silcoon came flying out from the smoke attached to the string and swung around behind Dustox for slamming it with another Tackle. It then used the string to swing Dustox around and slam it into the ground.

"Great, Silcoon!" Serena cheered as the smoke cleared up.

Silcoon then began glowing white. Serena's eyes lit up once she saw this. A cracking sound came from Silcoon's shell as it began to change shape. It sprouted wings as its body took on a different shape. Once it was done, Silcoon had evolved into Beautifly!

"Oh! Wow! It's Beautifly!" Serena cried in delight as the rest of the group smiled.

As May saw Serena's new Beautifly, she couldn't help but let her mind linger to what it would've been like if she had one. However, she quickly pushed that thought away. She had a Dustox right now, and she was proud to have one. She also had a match to win.

"That's great, Serena, but we still have our match to finish!" May called out to her.

"Right!" Serena replied with a nod.

"Dustox, use Confusion!" May cried.

"Dodge it, and use Stun Spore!" Serena yelled.

A weak, telekinetic force was sent from Dustox's antennas at Beautifly. Beautifly quickly flew out of the way and began to heavily flap its wings as a yellow dust came out. Beautifly began to fly all around the battlefield as it spread the Stun Spore to make sure there was no way for Dustox to escape.

"Umm…umm…" May thought before an idea came to her, "Use Gust to blow it all away!"

However, her command came too late. The Stun Spore began to cover Dustox before it get away. A pained expression came over its face as the paralysis took effect. It struggled to stay airborne, but it was having a difficult time to do so.

"Finish this with Gust!" Serena shouted.

Beautifly then flapped its wings again, and a high wind came towards Dustox. Dustox had no way to dodge due to the paralysis, and it was easily blown away. It continued flying backwards until it landed in some bushes a short distance away.

"Dustox!" May cried in worry before she and the rest of the group heard a cry of surprise.

The group exchanged glances with each other before they hurried over to where Dustox had fallen and where the source of the noise was. They peeked behind the bushes and were quick to discover the weakened Dustox lying on the ground. A short distance behind Dustox was a boy with green, wild hair. He looked vaguely familiar. They then realized he was the boy they had noticed earlier in front of the contest hall.

"Oh!" the boy cried in surprise again like he was a Deerling in headlights.

May went over to pick up her Dustox and cradled it in her arms. The Dustox weakly looked up at her, and May gave a small smile in return.

"It's okay, Dustox. You did great," May told it before their attention was drawn back to the boy.

"Were you spying on us?" Ash asked the boy.

"No! Not at all…at least not on purpose!" the boy defended frantically, "I just noticed that you were having a Pokemon battle, and I really wanted to see it!"

"Well, you could've just asked us to watch. You didn't have to hide," Serena told him with a small smile.

"I thought I would bother you if I asked," the boy replied meekly, "Besides, I didn't want to get caught by my sister again."

The group remembered when the girl had made the boy go home earlier. Well, the group wasn't sure if the boy was supposed to be out here or not, but they didn't want to be rude. They might as well introduce themselves.

"Well, it's nice to meet you," Serena said first as Beautifly landed on arm, "I'm Serena, and that's my new Beautifly!"

"I'm Ash!" Ash introduced next.

"I'm May, and I guess you met Dustox," May stated and gestured to her Pokemon.

"And I'm Brock!" Brock finished.

"Umm…my name is Wally," the boy said before he shyly looked at Serena, "Umm…Serena. I thought your Beautifly was really cool. It was really awesome to see it evolve."

"Thank you! Would you like to see it?" Serena asked as she brought Beautifly closer to him.

Wally gave his biggest smile yet as he nodded his head. He then reached out his hand and began to pet the Beautifly on its head which caused the Pokemon to coo in delight. Wally then let out a small laugh.

"I really wish I had my own Pokemon," Wally commented before he let out a sneeze which was followed by a cough.

"Bless you!" Brock told him.

"Thank you," Wally replied and gave small sniff, "I'm really not supposed to be around too many Pokemon because I have bad allergies, but I just can't help it because they're so cool."

"Yeah. Pokemon are really amazing," Ash agreed with a smile to Pikachu and Togetic.

"Wally!" a voice called out.

The group turned see the same teenage girl from earlier come running up to them. Wally got a guilty look on his face as he knew he had been caught. Once the girl made it up to them, she placed her hands on her hips and frowned disapprovingly at Wally.

"I take my eyes off of you for three seconds and you run off," she stated before she looked to the group, "Hello. I'm Kelly. I hope my brother Wally wasn't causing you trouble."

"Not at all!" Serena replied, "We were just talking about Pokemon, and he was watching our battle."

"Well, I guess it's alright then," Kelly said before she looked back at Wally, "Still, I've already told you that you were supposed to stay inside today."

"I'm fine, though," Wally protested before he went into a fit of coughing.

Kelly sighed again and then noticed May's Dustox. "I see your Dustox is injured from the battle. If you'd like, you all can let it rest at our house. It's the least I can do since you found my brother."

"Well, we wouldn't want to impose on you…" May began.

"Please!" Wally suddenly pleaded, "I'd really love to hear about all your Pokemon and adventures."

The group figured they could at least entertain Wally with stories while Dustox rested. He seemed like a nice kid who really wanted a lot more excitement in his life. Besides, it's not like they were short on stories to tell him.

"Okay. We'd love to. Thank you for that," Serena said.

The trip to Wally's house had actually been quite a short way from the park. It had only been about a ten minute walk. Before they made it to his house, however, Wally was already asking the group about all the adventures they had been on and the Pokemon they captured. The group was happy to share with him, but of course, they left out all of the more unpleasant experiences they had. Wally soaked up everything they had told him and appeared amazed.

"Wow! Will you tell me more?" Wally asked in excitement as his sister unlocked the door and led the group inside their house. It had been the most energy they saw out of the boy since they've seen him.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the stories, but don't get too worked up, Wally," his sister warned.

"Right," Wally replied and seemed to calm down a little.

The group stepped inside Wally's house and took in its appearance. It was slightly smaller than the average house, but it also appeared very clean and cozy. Furniture was arranged neatly around the living room, and no dust was in sight. Ash knew his mother would appreciate something like this. Also, a pleasing smell of tea leaves was around the house. Apparently the air inside the houses was just as clean as the air on the outside in this city.

"This is a nice house," Serena commented once they were in.

"Thank you. I'm a bit of neat freak so I keep it extra clean," Kelly responded with a smile before she pointed to a cushioned chair, "You can let your Dustox rest there, May."

"Great. Thank you," May replied as she walked over to the chair and placed Dustox on it.

"I'll make some tea for all of you so please make yourselves at home," Kelly offered before she left the room to presumably the kitchen.

"Tea again," Wally said with a sigh as he sat down and slumped in the sofa.

"I think tea is quite good, especially when brewed right," Serena told him.

"Try having it three to four times every day and see if you still feel that way," Wally replied.

"I think they give it to you so you'll feel better," Ash stated.

"Yeah. Yeah," Wally muttered as if he had been told the same thing many times before.

Seeing the way that Wally was acting, the group could tell this was something he didn't want to talk about. He had his head propped up in his hand, and he was staring out the window as he watched several other children around his age play outside. They could only imagine how hard it must be on Wally to be told he has to stay inside a lot when he clearly had an adventurous spirit.

"So, Wally, if you could have any Pokemon in the world, what would it be?" Serena asked him.

Wally seemed to brighten up considerably after Serena asked him that. He looked down and appeared to think hard. He must have had several favorites, but then again, there were a lot of Pokemon out there. After a short moment, he smiled broadly and looked up to face the group.

"Gallade," he answered.

"A Gallade?" Ash repeated, "What's that?"

"It's a really cool and strong Pokemon!" Wally replied and jumped up from his seat. "It's a psychic and fighting-type Pokemon! Also, rather than attack from its mind like a lot of psychic-types, it attacks with blades on its arms for its psychic attacks! I'd really like to have one someday!"

"Hmm…I kind of wonder what it looks like," Ash muttered in thought as he, Serena, and May took out their pokedexes to look at it.

It was a white, bipedal Pokemon that resembled a swordsman with a head that looked like a gladiator's helmet. It had arms that were shaped like tonfas with blades on them. The group did think it looked like a pretty cool Pokemon.

"If I ever get to go on my Pokemon journey, I'd really like to have one someday," Wally continued before he let out a cough and sat down, "Sorry. I guess I got too excited."

"That's okay. Gallade does seem pretty cool. You must really love Pokemon, Wally," Serena said with smile.

"You have no idea," Wally responded and then gave a yawn, "My dream is to definitely to go on a Pokemon journey someday."

Wally's eyes then began to droop, and he let out another yawn. He then slowly closed his eyes as his breathing steadied. His head then lolled forward on the couch, and the group could tell he had fallen asleep. They smiled slightly to themselves. Serena was next to Wally on the couch, and she smiled before she patted his head and gently placed pillow for his head to rest on. He sure fell asleep quickly.

It was a short moment later that Kelly returned to the living room carrying a tray of tea. She then noticed Wally had fallen asleep so she quieted her pace and carefully set down the tray. She then began to pour each person a cup of the hot tea before she poured one for herself.

"Wally seems like a good kid," Serena commented as she took her cup while making sure to keep her voice down.

"He really is," Kelly answered, "Still, sometimes his thirst for adventure gets the best of him, and he ends up leaving home to wander off who knows where."

"I'd be like that, too, if I was kept in my house all day," Ash said, but a frown from Serena, May, and Brock made him scratched his cheek in embarrassment. It wasn't really his place to speak, "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"I kind of know how Wally feels, though," May spoke up as she took a sip of tea, "Before I started my Pokemon journey, my parents were really strict about me starting one…especially my dad. They didn't let me go unless I agreed to travel with someone who already knew what they were doing."

"Were you unwell, too, as a child?" Kelly asked.

"No. Quite the opposite, actually," May responded, "I just meant I kind of know how it feels to not getting to go on a Pokemon journey because of limitations. I can't imagine how it would've been if I couldn't leave my house very often. I love the outdoors."

"Wally does, too," Kelly said, "That's the main reason our family moved from Petalburg City to here. A place with clean air like this is really good for Wally. His condition has improved a lot since we've been here, but he's still not quite well enough to go out on his own all the time. When he's a lot better, our parents will start letting him go out on his own more, and maybe even have a Pokemon. Until then, we have to do this."

"Why can't Wally have a Pokemon now?" Ash questioned.

"It's because a lot of Pokemon around here are grass or bug-types or ones with fur. They aren't good for Wally's condition. We'd have to travel to find a Pokemon that's different. Besides, no one else in our family is a trainer so there's no way for us to capture one for him."

The group exchanged glances with each other once Kelly mentioned that. She never said that Wally couldn't have a Pokemon at all. It was just that the types of Pokemon found in Verdanturf Town weren't suited for his condition. If they could find a Pokemon that wasn't like that, he might be able to keep it. The problem was as Kelly said. They had no one to catch a Pokemon for him. That's where they came in, though. They nodded to themselves before Serena spoke.

"What if we helped Wally catch a Pokemon?" Serena asked.

"What do you mean?" Kelly wondered.

"We could help Wally search for a Pokemon that's a good fit for him," Serena said.

"I couldn't ask you to do that," Kelly said with a sad smile.

"It would be our pleasure," Serena insisted, "I think Wally would be a lot happier if were able to get a Pokemon for him. He said so himself."

"Well…" Kelly began as she appeared to mull over the idea before she smiled, "I think that's a good idea as long as it would help Wally."

To say that Wally was ecstatic upon hearing the news when he woke up would be an understatement. The boy's eyes had shined with happiness and tears, and he was literally leaping for joy. So much, in fact, that he had gone into another fit of coughing and had to rest for a little bit before they could all go outside to look for a Pokemon.

The group, along with Kelly and Wally, were now exiting the house to head off. Wally was still grinning broadly and looked as if he could hardly contain himself. The group couldn't blame him as he appeared to be waiting for this moment his whole life. It kind of brought the group back to the first time they got their first Pokemon.

"So where are we heading off to?" Kelly asked.

"Well, since you said that Verdanturf Town doesn't have much Pokemon that are right for Wally, we were thinking about looking on the outskirts of town. I'm sure we'll find something," Serena said.

"Do you have an idea of what to get Wally?" Ash whispered to her.

"Not a clue," Serena whispered back, "We'll just have to wing it."

"I'm so excited for this," Wally commented.

The group continued on through the Verdanturf Town Park until they had passed the "Welcome" and the "Go Green" sign at the entrance to the town. They looked ahead at the flowery fields and lush greenery in front of them which signified the beautiful path on the way to Mauville City.

"The pollen is bad right now. Be careful, Wally," Kelly warned.

"I will," Wally responded.

The group then stepped into the fields and began their search. They hadn't told Wally or Kelly this, but the only type of Pokemon they found on the way over to Verdanturf Town were all grass and bug-type Pokemon as Kelly had said. Still, there had to be at least something here that Wally could have.

After walking around for a few minutes, the group spotted a creek a short distance away. They could probably find some water Pokemon in that area, and there were a few out there that would be perfect for Wally. They then turned back to the Wally and Kelly.

"I'm thinking we can get our rods and go fishing," Serena said, "There's bound to be some great water-type Pokemon!"

"Really?" Wally asked hopefully and turned to Kelly, "Water-type Pokemon would be fine, right?"

"I wouldn't see a problem with it," Kelly replied.

"Great! Let's do it!" Wally said enthusiastically.

A short time later, the group had set up their fishing gear, and were fishing inside the nearby creek. They had each cast their lines a fair distance away from each other to make sure the most area of the creek could be covered. Wally was staying near Serena as he watched her fish. Apparently, the boy had taken a liking to her.

"Do you feel anything yet?" Wally asked.

"Not yet," Serena replied, "When you fish, you have to wait for a little bit. We'll get you something good."

Wally nodded his head and waited for someone in the group to get something. As they were fishing, a small Pokemon stuck its head out from the bushes and peeked at the humans in front of it. It had sensed them and especially the snacks they had brought with them. The Pokemon was thinking about going into the open and retrieving the snacks, but it was too shy to do that with the humans around. Perhaps if it waited, there would be an opportunity. The Pokemon then slunk its head back into the bushes and watched them.

"Hey! I've got something!" Brock cried about five minutes later and began to pull back on his rod.

"Really?!" Wally asked excitedly as he and the others hurried over to Brock.

"Yes! Just hold on a little bit!" Brock replied as he began to reel in the Pokemon.

Once Brock thought he had reeled in enough, he gave an extra hard tug, and the Pokemon flew out of the water. The Pokemon went over their heads and then behind them. Once it landed, they eagerly looked to see what Pokemon Brock had snagged.

"Cool! A Wooper!" Wally exclaimed.

"There you go! I think Wooper can be a fun Pokemon!" Ash stated as they watched the Wooper bounce up and down, "I think it seems like a happy guy, too!"

"Awesome!" Wally said before he was handed a pokeball by Serena, "Huh?"

"You're going to catch it," Serena explained to him, "If you really want this Pokemon to be yours, you have to battle with it and then catch it. There's nothing quite so satisfying once you do."

"You're letting me use your Pokemon?" Wally asked.

"Of course! Don't worry. They're good so I'm sure they'll listen to you," Serena told him.

"Well, okay. I'll give it a shot," Wally said before he threw forward the pokeball.

Serena's Beautifly then appeared from the pokeball and gently flew into the air. Out of all of the Pokemon she had caught so far in the Hoenn region, Beautifly seemed like the most likely to let Wally give out commands to it besides Togetic.

"Okay, Beautifly. I'm lending you to Wally for just a bit. Make sure to listen to him," Serena told it.

"Beautifly!" Beautifly responded to indicate it would.

"O-okay," Wally said as he thought about what attack to use.

"Come on, Wally. You can do it!" the group encouraged.

"Alright," Wally said and got a resolute expression on his face, "Beautifly, use Gust!"

Beautifly nodded and began to flap its wings very fast which created a Gust of wind. The Wooper then dodged the attack and shot a Water Gun at Beautitfly.

"Dodge it, Beautifly!" Wally commanded.

Beautifly did indeed dodge the Water Gun. However, it kept going and ended up spraying Wally in the face. The boy guzzled on the water a little bit before the attack stopped, and his face and hair were completely drenched. Wally stood there in shock as the group gasped. The Wooper then laughed at the irony before it hopped away from the group and back into the water.

"Are you okay, Wally?" Kelly asked in concern.

"I-I think so," Wally mumbled before he looked sadly at where the Wooper once was, "I guess that wasn't the Pokemon for me, after all."

"That's okay. We can always try again for something else," Serena said as she produced a towel from her backpack so Wally could dry himself, "You can't let that get you down."

"Umm…right," Wally muttered.

The group then heard a rustling from behind them, and they turned around to discover a lump in Ash's backpack. They stared curiously at it as Pikachu ran over and sniffed it a little bit before its ears perked.

"Pika!" it said in excitement as it pointed at the backpack.

Togetic then flew over and opened the backpack, and a small Pokemon tumbled out that was munching on some crackers. It was humanoid Pokemon with a white body and a round green helmet-like feature on its head that resembled a bowl cut. The shape of its body almost made it look like it was wearing a gown.

"I think that's a Ralts," Brock spoke up as the group checked their pokedexes.

"Ralts, the feeling Pokemon. Ralts has the ability to sense the emotions of people. If its trainer is in a cheerful mood, this Pokemon also grows cheerful in the same way," the machines informed.

"That's a pretty cute Pokemon," May commented.

"Yeah, and a Pokemon that would be a great addition for my team since it was in my backpack!" Ash stated as he prepared a pokeball, "I'm going to capture it!"

"Hmmhmm!" Serena coughed.

"Or not," Ash muttered and chuckled nervously, "Sorry. I guess I got carried away."

"Why don't you try to capture that Ralts, Wally?" Serena asked.

"Umm…I guess I could try," Wally said.

"I think this would be a great Pokemon if Wally could catch it," Serena told Kelly, "It's not a bug or grass-type Pokemon, and it doesn't have fur to shed. It's perfect!"

"Well, how could I refuse then?" Kelly asked rhetorically before she turned to Wally, "Good luck. You can do it."

Ralts continued to stare curiously at the group and the boy in front of it before it finished off its cracker. It could sense there was a battle approaching by the way the group was staring at it and the Pokemon around it.

"Okay. Please help me, Beautifly," Wally requested.

"Beautifly!" Beautfily responded.

"Beautifly, use Gust!" Wally called out.

Like before, Beautifly flapped its wings hard which created a gust of air. The Ralts felt the Gust of the air and was blown backwards. It then got up and used Double Team. A bunch of copies of Ralts spread out and surrounded Beautifly. Wally looked around at the copies as he tried to figure out what do next. He then took a deep breath.

"Try a Whirlwind!" he commanded.

Beautifly then spread out its wings as wind began to form all around the group. The Ralts copies shielded themselves from the wind as they each disappeared until the real one was lifted off the ground and blown backwards. Ralts then quickly got up and used a Confusion.

"Dodge it!" Wally called, "Use Stun Spore!"

Beautifly moved out of the way of the incoming Confusion and spread the yellow dust over the makeshift battlefield. The dust settled around the Ralts, and it began to get a strained look on its face as the attack took effect.

"Sorry about this. It's almost over, though," Wally thought before he called the next attack, "Use Gust, Beautifly!"

Beautifly nodded its head and sent a final gust of wind at Ralts. The Ralts was knocked backwards once again, and it fell to the ground and remained still. Wally then took a deep breath as he prepared to throw the pokeball.

"Go, pokeball!" Wally said and threw the ball that Serena lent him forward.

Wally's aim was true as the pokeball connected with Ralts and sucked it in. The pokeball then landed on the ground and wiggled back and forth. The group all waited in anticipation and hope as they watched. Wally had his hands clasped and an anxious look on his face. This is the moment he had been waiting for his entire life. This had to work. It just had to.

Finally, the pokeball stopped wiggling, and the signature ding was heard. For a while, Wally just stood there. He couldn't believe it. He had actually done it. He had caught his very own Pokemon. Wally smiled and hurried over to the pokeball and picked it up.

"I really did it. I actually caught my own Pokemon," he said to himself.

"That's great, Wally! I'm proud of you," Kelly said and went to hug him.

"Thanks, sis," Wally responded, "Ralts is the perfect Pokemon for me. We'll become best friends!"

"You know, I think it's possible for a Ralts to evolve into a Gallade. You said that was your favorite Pokemon, right?" Brock asked it.

"Really! That's so awesome!" Wally exclaimed. He couldn't believe how lucky he was right now. If he raised Ralts enough, he might just get one.

Ash, Serena, May, and Brock clapped their hands for Wally that he had done it. They had to say he was actually a natural. He commanded Beautifly quite well and knew what attacks to use at each time. Serena was the first one over to Wally after Kelly and gave him a high five.

"You did super, Wally. You couldn't have done that any better! My Beautifly was in good hands!" Serena told him.

"Really?" Wally asked.

"Of course! I'm sure that if you are ever able to start your journey, you would make a great Pokemon trainer!" Serena added.

"Wow! Thanks, Serena!" Wally replied before he looked down shyly, "Hey. Is it okay if I call you sometimes so we can talk about Pokemon?"

"I think that would be just fine, Wally! I would love to!" Serena responded.

Wally smiled in return before he looked at the pokeball in his hands. He was eager to meet his new Pokemon and let it out. Brock applied a Super Potion to the injured Ralts, and pretty soon it was as good as knew. Wally then knelt down next to the Ralts.

"Hi, Ralts. I'm Wally. I'm really excited to have you with me. I hope we can become the best of friends!" he told it.

Ralts looked curiously at Wally for a little bit as it read his emotions. What Ralts could see was sincerity, love, a bit of shyness but an adventurous spirit, and also friendliness. Ralts could tell that Wally was a good person and someone it would want to be around. It smiled and nodded its head at Wally who laughed happily in return.

"Awesome! Thank you, Ralts!" Wally said before he picked it up and hugged it.

As the group watched the scene, they were happy themselves that they were able to help Wally out. He had first given off the impression that he wouldn't be able to handle being a Pokemon trainer, but all of that was quickly washed away. Ralts would be the perfect Pokemon, and they were sure that he would do just fine.

Ash walked over and placed his hand on Serena's shoulder before he leaned over and whispered to her. "I don't care what anyone says, Serena. You're a good Johto Queen. Wally's one more person you helped in their dream."

"Thank you, Ash," Serena replied with a smile and leaned her head on his hand. It was times like this that made Serena confident she could do this. It didn't necessarily have to be someone she trains to help them. It could simply be someone they meet in a town like Wally. It filled Serena with joy when something like this happened. The so-called darkness she had in her be darned.

Wally will appear a few more times throughout the Hoenn region, but he won't make it to the Pokemon League this time. He hasn't even officially started his journey yet. As far as if he battles anyone in the group at some point...then...yes!

May's contest is next, and if the chapter title is any indication, I think we all know who's going to be there, as well. You'll have to wait and see if that's a good or bad thing. It will be out in two weeks. Until next time, have a good one!

Chapter 25: A Rose for Dustox