"Ash! Get over here!" Chloe shrieked.
Ash came running, toothbrush in mouth to see Scraggy. He was beaten up and unconscious, lying outside a vent.
"What is going on with Impidimp, first he doesn't respond, and then he attacks Scraggy?" Ash said, lifting up Scraggy.
"What should we do. We need to get him out of the vents." Chloe said worriedly.
"Give me a minute. I'll come up with something." Ash said pacing back and forth.
"What if I send in Rookidee and Eevee. The two of them should be able to get Impidimp out." Chloe offered.
"Are you sure, it might be risky." Ash said.
"Sooner or later we're going to run out of small enough pokemon, but Impidimp has to come out sooner or later after so many battles." Chloe said, sending two of her Pokémon into the vent. "We should finish getting ready, it's almost time for the first morning activity."
Ash looked over the schedule, and began planning. His next obstacle was a big one.
"The goal is simple, eat as many pies as you can." Ren said in front of three tables of pies.
"I don't want to eat next to him." Kim complained.
"Good, because I don't want to eat next to you either!" Ken yelled.
"Then Kim, you sit over here next to Pria, and Ken you sit next to Scott. Now both of you see who can eat more pies between the two of you." Ash offered.
It wasn't the order he had planned on, but it worked at least. Sitting at the center of his teams table, he was able to see almost everyone was at least participating in this today. Pria being the exception.
"And stop!" Ren said as a bell rang. "In first place with 2 pies remaining is Yellow Team. In second place is Red with 5 pies, and in third is Blue with 10 pies left."
A while later they were at the lake for a relaxing swim. Ash walked over to Scott, crouching down in front of him.
"What would you say if I told you that you could enjoy the water with everyone else." Ash said.
"I'm not sitting in an inflatable just to feel included." Scott said annoyed.
"I have something a little different in mind." Ash said holding a Pokeball.
Ash watched as Dracovish swam into the lake. Scott clinging, on happily screaming.
"So how many does that make now?" Professor Cerise asked, walking up.
"Technically only one has agreed to try everything, but we'll see how the day goes." Ash said.
"Ahh Ashley! Control your Dracovish!" Chloe shouted from the lake.
Dracovish was having maybe a bit too much fun in the water. Quickly searching, no one seemed hurt, 19 people in the lake, all seemed as it was before.
"Ashley, we have a situation." Goh said, running up from the lake.
"Why are you going to me for this." Ash complained.
"They want to see a battle." Goh said.
"What do you say Professor, can we?" Ash turned to ask.
"This camp is for them, I suppose it couldn't hurt to have a battle. Just keep it safe for the kids." Professor Cerise said.
Ash and Goh quickly went off to gather some Pokémon for the battle.
"This will be a three on three battle, with no substitutions at any time. The trainer who defeats their opponents three Pokémon first will be declared the winner!" Professor Cerise announced.
"Shiftry I choose you!"
"Come on out Kingler!"
"Shiftry use Leaf Blade!"
"Kingler use Crabhammer!"
The two Pokémon duked it out, exchanging blow for blow.
"Shiftry use Extrasensory!"
"Kingler use Hyper Beam!"
Kingler's beam hit head on, only for Shiftry to charge right back at him.
"Now use Leaf Blade!"
Kingler's lack of battles was its undoing as it went down in only two attacks.
"Kingler return, come on out Talonflame!"
"Shiftry use Extrasensory!"
"Talonflame use Flame Charge!"
Talonflame swooped down, knocking Shiftry off of its feet.
"Now Talonflame use Razor Wind!"
"Shiftry get up and use Hurricane!"
Shiftry's attack overpowered Talonflame's easily, sending it flying.
"Maybe I should be the battler." Goh said with a laugh.
"I wouldn't count on it. Now Talonflame use Brave Bird!" Ash called out.
Talonflame flew in from behind, sending Shiftry hurtling into a wall.
"Shiftry return. Come on out Skarmory!"
"Talonflame use Flame Charge!"
"Skarmory use Drill Peck!"
The Pokémon flew in the skies striking back and forth. Professor Cerise watched, amused at the change in plans, but happy everyone was excited.
"Use Steel Wing!" Both trainers shouted.
Colliding in a tangled mess, both Pokémon began to plummet.
"They're coming in too fast!" Goh shouted, scrambling for his Pokeball.
Ash panicked, hoping something would catch them, as his eyes began to glow, they stopped. A strange blue barrier had formed just below them, haunting the fall.
"Skarmory return!" Goh shouted.
As Talonflame was freed, and flew back down the barrier disappeared as Ash collapsed.
"Ash!" Goh said running forward, stopping him from falling. "Are you okay?"
Ash didn't respond, as he faded into unconsciousness.
"I'll call Nurse Joy, everyone else take care of the kids." Professor Cerise said, pulling out his phone.
"What happened?"
"Is she going to be okay?"
"How did she do that?"
"What are we going to do?"
A flurry of questions from the campers frightened Chloe. Ash was out, and Goh was with him. Ren and Chrysa were helping, but they didn't have those answers either.
A few hours later
"Attention everyone, I know we had a bit of a scare earlier on with Miss Ashley, but I'm happy to say she's doing much better, and just needed some rest." Professor Cerise said. "Chloe, Goh, may I speak with you two alone." He said more quietly.
"What's wrong Professor?" Goh asked.
"I'm not sure how Ash is going to be feeling for tomorrow, you two might have to take his kids for the day if he isn't up for it." Professor Cerise said.
"Last time this happened, Ash just slept, ate, and then was all good." Chloe explained.
"Well that's good. Wait what do you mean last time!?" Professor Cerise said shocked.
"Ash can explain this better, but he effectively has magic powers. He used them to mentally connect with Lucario to take out a couple hundred Wobbuffet, and then promptly passed out just like this." Goh said.
"So the barrier was him?" Professor Cerise asked.
"I couldn't say. Ash never said anything about being able to do that." Chloe said uneasily.
In Ash's Mindscape
"Hello again Ash." A voice called out.
"Darkrai I swear if that's you!" Ash turned around to see a Lucario.
"Glad I'm not Darkrai, do you know who I am?" Lucario asked.
"You're Sir Aaron's Lucario aren't you!" Ash said shocked.
"I see you've heard of me." Another voice said as Sir Aaron approached.
"So, what are we doing here? More importantly how are you here? Does this mean I'm dead!" Ash asked.
"Relax Ash, you aren't dead, we're in your mind. As fellow Aura Harnessers, we are communicating with you from the great beyond." Lucario said.
"As to why we're here. You made an Aura Construct earlier, and we wanted to make sure you were okay." Sir Aaron explained.
"So I did make that barrier?" Ash asked. "Does that mean I can make an Aura Sphere?"
"Not quite, each person is unique as is their auras. Yours is like mine, protective. At one point I could even create an aura bubble around an entire city." Sir Aaron said with a laugh.
"What about me passing out from using my powers? How can I stop that?" Ash asked.
"Practice, once your body becomes used to using your aura physically more, you won't pass out as much." Lucario said.
"There are others like you. Like us. You've even met a few, I'm sure at least one of them could help you along the way." Sir Aaron said.
"Thanks, I won't give up." Ash said.
"You never do." Lucario said with a smile.
In the vents
Impidimp had been careful. He watched where he was going, and waited for others to turn the corner if he heard something approaching. As he turned this corner he was worried. An Eevee and a Rookidee! How many things were in these vents. These were his vents! Impidimp carefully moved them back out of the vents though. They clearly didn't fight each other, and he didn't. He was here yesterday after removing the Scraggy, so they didn't do it either. Who was in his vents, and why were they there!