The hidden secrets of Battle Bond

Chapter 38, First lesson from master Ash

Ash, Nina and Evan were all by themselves in the hall where they had their battle. The Performers had taken Lucy away to teach her more about Pokémon caretaking. On the helicopter they used to fly back here Lucy said she wanted to be a coordinator and was hoping Serena can give her a few hints on how to bring out the best look of her Pokémon.

Nina sat on the side as Ash and Evan were in the center circle. The girl only watching to see how Ash would handle his pupil the aspiring Pokémon Master would go off the way how his mentor taught him. Evan and Toxicroak were out waiting till Ash would talk. Ash knew he had a difficult first pupil cause he needed to get Evan's attention long enough.

"Let's try and get you two to master the transformation first. We need to find your trigger." Thinking it's crucial Evan and Toxicroak can access the form at any time he needed to find his motivation. For Ash and Greninja it was the desire to get stronger that they can fall back on to transform in a second. For Nina and Primarina it was their love for music and the one of a kind sounds only they can produce.

"Rookie trigger. Not bad." The singer listening in found him start good enough. The Battle Bond transformation had to go from subconscious to conscious.

"What's your 'trigger' then?" Evan asked him. Ash clenched his fists and started to pump himself up.

"Stronger! Stronger! Stronger!" Ash called out loudly as his battle cry echoed through the hall. Ash looming silly Nina didn't judge him at all since her rookie trigger was all about sounding better than anyone before she got the feeling down training with Archer.

"Well?"

"Do you really have make that much noise?"

The new student asked Ash as he nearly fell to his knees. Putting his hat straight again Ash tried to find a new way. Evan clearly didn't had a big goal in mind like himself. Although the younger one was collecting badges he did not seem in a rush at all unlike Ash himself who already looked forward to the next one when he added a symbol to his collectors case.

"Well, you and Toxicroak want to get stronger right? Is there anything that…uh motivation is a word you don't like…look forward to something?"

"For things to calm down so we can use our tiredness for a good nap." Evan saying it Ash got an idea.

"You like to just let things leave you alone?" His student nodded again. Ash

"Then maybe a battle cry for you. Let's get this over with!"

Evan just stood there stunned. Wasn't this way too much effort to put into it? Ash explained it.

"The sooner you and Toxicroak can transform, the sooner the battle ends, the sooner you can do what you want." Seeing the point now Evan and Toxicroak tried it.

"Let's get this over with." Completely lacking any energy on his side Evan and Toxicroak did it a few times. Ash left Evan and Toxicroak to find their trigger for the form. Nina seeing his face could tell he was having a hard time. Can't blame him for thinking that really.

"Sorry about me not taking him. If I knew he was that hard to motivate I'd taken him on myself." The singer apologizing for do the heavy task she gave him she began to regret it. Ash sat down slumped next to her.

"I thought he'd be excited as I was learning about it."

"You just need to find the right words and spark his interest so he can't get around it. He's not aware how special he is yet." Giving him a few more pointers Nina saw he took his teaching quite seriously.

"I kinda want to do really well." Ash told her.

"You're doing fine Ash. You can't expect to be as good as our mentor right away. Besides, he's even below your level when I found you. It will come." Nina gave him some friendly encouragement. No complaints so far in his teaching methods she liked watching him grow in it. It wasn't his fault he got stuck with probably the most easy going one of all the stories she knows. This teacher thing made him think about a thing from quite some time ago.

"Serena asked me once if I would like to become a teacher for young children cause all the adventures I've been on would make for great stories to inspire their dreams."

"Hmm. Palermo offered me the same job. You're thinking about taking it?"

"Don't really know. It would give me something to do and it helps me stay in Kalos longer." This can also be a test to see if íf he was cut out for it. He never had protests to help teachers and show off his Pokémon to the young children in pre school and a young classes beyond it. And it would make Serena happy. Speaking off Serena he had something to tell her.

"Can you do me a favor?" Ash was in a playful mood.

"Of course. What do you need?"

He told the singer his idea for a prank on Serena and her female friends. His battle partner listening in she formed a sly smile as well with what he had in store for them.

"That's evil. But I like it." Nina agreed and disagreed with his plan. Still with what he told her to get for him she said a word related to his plan.

"Congratulations. The fallout is all on you though."

Serena, Shauna and Miette had taken Lucy away from the Battle Bond trainers and were busy with the younger girl telling her about Pokémon presentation. The girl took in the wealth of knowledge from the three young woman as she worked on her appeals.

"Learning all throughout this place. Does Palermo know you're turning it into a school?" The singer came close as Lucy and her Chikorita were trying a new combination of Razor Leaf. Lucy seeing her asked Serena and the others for a quick break. They agreed as Lucy focused on the singer now wondering how her friend was doing.

"How's Evan's training going?"

"What training?" The singer sounding frustrated Lucy nodded.

"Yup. Exactly what I expected." Lucy said.

"Why are you here? You need something?" Serena asked.

"Ash asked me too. He was wondering if any of you girls fancy playing a game of cards with him tonight after dinner." Some of them were in for it. Miette herself wanted to make the game more exciting.

"What are the stakes? Loser takes a piece of clothing off…"

"Miette!" Serena's face was flushed full red like a tomato.

"What? Till we're in our underwear. Nothing further than that."

"Absolutely not!" Serena not wanting to play such a high stakes game. Shauna, Miette eventually convinced Serena to participate. The challenge accepted they went through the rest of the day.

The cards were shuffled and dealt over the table.

"So ready to lose Ash?" Miette confident about her chances at the card game he chose. Ash wanted to play poker. It was her, Serena and Shauna against Ash alone. Nina and Evan were alone with Lucy as the singer took the youngers trainers aside to tell them a bit more about her experience with Battle Bond. There were fake plastic chips dealt to all players and the game started off friendly.

"Bring it on!" The cards dealt Ash lost the first few rounds as all the girls easily called his bluffs. He always was a terrible liar and it showed. But then something strange happened.

His winnings at one point kept stacking up in a rapid rate. No matter the round and how much the girls ganged up on him he always came out on top or got out of a bad hand before his bigger losses. Miette the more aggressive player of them all got kicked out first after an all in which Ash waved away with ease and Miette threw her hand on the table. Sulking over it she was visibly angry.

"You're cheating! I don't know how you do it but you're cheating!" Miette thinking Ash did not have it in him at first cause he was just too nice had her opinion changed real quick. The other girls as well were tired and gave up making him the winner of the game.

"Do you have Greninja hiding somewhere and you can see our cards? Or do any of our Pokémon spill it?" Shauna asked looking around all over wondering what trick he's using. Battle Bond trainers did have access to abilities she never could have. Ash's lips were sealed when it finally dawned on Serena what he was doing as she saw the smile on his face.

"He can tell if we're bluffing or lying! You can read negative emotions without Greninja now!?" Ash nodded his head as Serena was a mix between happy and annoyed. Happy he got one of the most useful abilities down but annoyed at being pranked.

"Why didn't you tell us you knew it?" Serena asked him.

"This was training for me."

"Training?"

"I can see a red color in people if they have bad thoughts or planning something bad. Also when they're sad but all of them are in a different shade of red. Nina can see positive emotions as you know but the changes in color tell exactly what it is. I got the sight but now I need to learn how to separate and filter the emotions out of it. I tried to get you girls angry and frustrated over the card game and I'm sorry for it."

He bowed his head to apologize to them. Serena and Shauna understood and forgave him for it. Miette was still fuming though.

"Hey Ash? I know you and Nina are busy with Evan but what are you going to do with that woman and the Arbok?" Shauna asked him since Rana was still their prisoner.

"Some of the people here are getting anxious. You can't keep her here forever." Serena nodded in agreement as some of the men had spoken to her personally to get her 'boyfriend' and his singing companion to do something about her.

"Well, me and Nina have talking briefly about it. We want to talk to her but want to wait till Evan gets the transformation down a bit more as self defense."

"You really going to try and reason with her?"

"I mean, she is like us. She didn't seem to know about the hunters or how Perish Song would affect her as well. Rana deserves to know a little more and what danger she's in like us."

Ash and Nina had been discussing this between training sessions. Doubting how much to tell her though they only would go into the basics and dangers of being a Battle Bond trainer. She at least deserved another chance if her origin resembled the first maze crawler who turned people into stone out of revenge.

"Please be careful." Serena having her doubts of course. He and Nina were more than capable but it still was a risk she did not want him to take.

"I will. Don't worry. I won't do anything that will endanger anyone else or you." Ash saying that made Serena blush a little which Shauna and Miette picked up on.

"Aw, you've become a real boyfriend already. So when are you going to make it official?"

"Miette!"

Work through the grind. Not good, I know. But just keep plowing mate.

See you around.