Hey guys! Welcome back to the story: Pallet High: Path to Glory! If you're new, please make sure to follow and favorite the story. I'd really appreciate it! As per usual, shall we talk? I'm writing this chapter far ahead of the time you'll have read chapter one. So, I'm going to lay down a handful of predictions.

If you're reading this story, I'm guessing it's for more about football or the "High School Fic" rather than the pairing.

The majority of you were disappointed, nonetheless, that I did not introduce Skyla last chapter, nor Mallow or Elesa.

You are likely still confused about the "Transfer" process that occurs in this world, which to be honest, is entirely confusing as a whole, so in short, nothing out of the ordinary on that front.

And my final prediction, you all have been dying to see what happens next.

Well have no fear, that is what I am here to settle your curiosities. As I said, please follow and favorite if this story is your thing. Thanks so much in advance for those who do. This chapter will feature all of the girls, a time lapse of sorts, and a fateful encounter. Well, that's the plan anyway. Hope you guys all enjoy, let's get into it.

LegionZ Presents… Chapter 2

Last Chapter…

Football.

They were the biggest sporting events among every region no matter what level; Junior High, High School, College, or Pro. In all of 6 regions, there was Kanto, Johto, Unova, Kalos, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. All of these regions had many schools across the nation. For Junior High, it was all about setting yourself up for High School, which really began to put a player on the map. Junior High was from the Sixth Grade to the Eighth Grade. During those three years, you were to try and make a name for yourself, that way, you'd either have a much better chance of making a high school team as a walk-on, or… you'd get offered.

See, High School football… and High School in general, was hardcore. The regions agreed that every student would be required to stay on campus all week long, without staying at their permanent residence with their families. This was because they felt exposing their students to the reality of being alone early would prepare them for college and what followed after it.

Bail Cree was a Sophomore receiver with a very specific and yet dynamic skill set: those of a master route runner. He was able to get open consistently thanks to above average speed and above average athleticism. The final name on the receiver trio was Oswin Lennon. He was a smaller kid with mediocre strength and speed, pretty much an all-around threat, but inexperienced. He was only a freshman.

Still, as Gary thought more and more, a grin was growing on his face. Could he see himself bearing the Black and Orange home jerseys in West Kanto?

Yeah.

He could.

In two days, I'll be announcing my official transfer to Pallet.

John was frozen, staring at the screen in shock. He reread it again and again.

…Transfer to Pallet.

John felt like screaming in joy. They were going to land the gem of the transfer portal. Gary Oak was going to become a flame. He couldn't believe this.

He texted rapidly. I appreciate it bro, and I think I speak for every single Pallet Flame fan when I say you're gonna love it here. You want me to keep this quiet for now?

The text came. Yeah. For the time being. Only you and my gramps know as of right now of my decision. I'm moving in over the summer; I'd like to start training as soon as possible w/ the crew. Think you can give me a hand organizing some shit?

John responded. You bet. Can't wait to get you here bud. Godspeed.

Ditto. See you in 2.

John placed down his phone, still contemplating what he had just seen. Gary Oak was going to be his teammate. The quarterback they so desperately needed was going to join forces with him. Now, as he heard Surge roaring at him nearby, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

Hope.

Present…

The next few weeks after that flew by. Gary still had to meet the guys he'd be playing alongside, but it was due to happen in just another day. Everyone in Pallet Town was buzzing due to the news that their star transfer would officially be moving in so soon. Summer was under way across the regions. (AN: Just assume that all the regions have similar seasons please… for my sake. It's a fanfiction )

The bottom line was that the Flames and their fanbase were very eager to get to the season. They had a ferocious pass rush, a dynamic safety duo, some decent weapons returning on the offense, and now, a quarterback that had some legendary experience. Everything was coming together, as well as their brand new stadium, officially named Halo's Field. Fortunately or Unfortunately, depending on which side you had been favoring, Hell's field didn't stick due to the whole "Profanity" thing. Still, Halo's field won out and overall everyone liked it.

For Ash, he was still unsure of what he was going to do in the way of sports. What he did decide on was that he was going to try and do another sport to gain attention, but as stated, he was woefully undecided on what sport was best for him. His end decision was to just keep training his physical attributes. That's what ended up happening.

He found himself running through the park with his shirt off in the middle of the day. He didn't honestly notice all the looks he was getting, mainly from those of the opposite gender. His gleaming and shining abs were easy to spot. However, Ash himself was solely focused on his run. He needed to keep grinding, because the path to the top was never easy. The more work you put in, the better results you'd get back.

However, not too far away from him was a group of people that would soon change his life…

Meanwhile, John and some of the football players were throwing the ball around. Matias Surge, who was part of the group, chose the park to toss the ball rather than his backyard. When John questioned why he was so for throwing at the park and not his own house, in classic Surge fashion, he said it was because it was an absolute score location to land "the babes," as he put it. The other players that were part of the group were Bail Cree, one of their Junior Receiver, Frank Qalipo, one of their Junior offensive tackles, Volikov Maximovich, a Junior Cornerback and one of the players that transferred to Pallet when Gary Oak declared his transfer to Pallet, and finally, Xavier Blackmon, John and Matias' longtime friend and senior Safety.

All of them were beyond excited at the prospect of Gary's arrival just the next day. Everyone in their little group had grown close, and just let Volikov into the group when he transferred. While they tried to make conversation with everyone, their little group was most accepting towards those who had fun, easygoing personalities. That was why, when Volikov transferred in, they accepted him so easily.

Bail Cree was the guy who nobody could find a reason to dislike. Nicknamed "Ol' Reliable" by his teammates, every game, it'd seem like his stat line was the same: Five Catches, Seventy Yards, and for every other game, a touchdown. He'd always like to clown around with his teammates about the nickname because "If they know what I'm gonna put up how come they don't stop me?" He was black, had short black hair, and a wore a cheeky grin pretty much everywhere he went. He was a very fair-weathered guy; one that was well enjoyed throughout the student population.

Frank Qalipo was the class clown. He was the prankster, and did he ever have some unreal pranks. One time, during class, one of the teachers had to use the lavatory. Frank, the uprising comedian he was, asked a student nearby for some gum that happened to be the same color as the seat. You can probably imagine what happened after that. The thing was, while a small portion of students knew Frank was the mastermind, the faculty did not. For that, they called him "Silent" or "S" for short. That way, should the students ever get a name, it would only be "S" and the faculty could only assume the students named began with an S. As for football, he was the most sturdy part of their ever-changing O-line. He refused to let people past him; he was a brick wall. Like Bail, he was black, but had an afro, making him easily recognizable. Of course, he was an absolute unit; Six Foot-Four at just age 16. He was the largest player on the whole team.

Volikov was a transfer out of Lumiose City who had a thick Russian accent, and also had a huge craving for partying. He fit in with the group almost immediately, as they spotted him chatting amicably with a group of young females who found his accent "enchanting." He immediately hit it off with the "Blonde Badass" as Matias Surge called himself. Both of them love to party, and because of that, it took very little time for Volikov to be accepted into the group. Plus, he was a "Babe Magnet" as Surge would put it. Volikov had average-length brown hair and dark brown eyes with slightly pale skin all over. He was only five-foot eight, but for a corner at that age, he was quite tall. He had a remarkable wingspan, and he was able to play man-to-man as well as zone coverage.

Matias, as you already know, was the king of the afterschool. Any big events that happened, partying or not, he generally had a hand in. He was a muscular guy, and he had to be or else be at risk of getting tossed around by offensive linemen that opposed him. He had short blonde hair and generally was considered to be "playful" by many young females. He was liked by all though, simply because of his party-starting mentality and dominance at the sport everyone loved. He claimed to be the "true babe magnet" and while it was true he got a lot of interest from the population of the opposite gender, there were many in the school who were considered in the elite tier in the opinions of the females of the school.

One of them being Xavier Blackmon, the safety. His wavy brown hair, alluring brown eyes, and sexy smirk were more than enough to get a great portion of young women running his way. He himself was into one thing and one thing only, as it seemed: Gambling. Sure, it wasn't legal to bet money on games, officially at least. He would take any bet he legitimately believed in. Eventually, girls began betting with him more often than boys would in order to get close to him. But he wasn't nicknamed "the player" for the thrill of gambling. He also messed with, intentionally or unintentionally, many girls hearts. He himself wanted the perfect match for himself. Fortunately, he was usually good-natured about the whole thing. As for football, he was an all-around safety. He could play more than exceptional coverage downfield, and was solid run-stopper as well. He was also a highlight reel for utterly destructive hits on the opposition.

And finally, there was the captain: John Stamkos. (AN: Already explained him last chapter ) This group of guys, though some were newcomers, were tighter than family.

So that's why they found themselves chucking the pigskin around in the park; not to get girls, but to prepare for QB1's arrival.

"We're sure lucky you're not the Quarterback! Otherwise we're losing every game!" Xavier taunted John, who responded with a laugh. "Look who's talking! At least I can throw the ball further than ten yards downfield! Wonder how all the ladies would react if they found out their precious Xavy has no muscles in his arm?"

Volikov cut in, Russian accent on full blast, chimed in. "Can I just say zat Bail is by far the best amongst us poor souls?"

Matias raised a can of soda nearby. "Here's to that!"

The guys whooped and laughed. They were attracting much attention, but they seemed to not be bothered by it; they were football players after all.

Bail stepped back like he was a quarterback and launched the ball as hard as he could, tossing it a solid twenty-fiveish yards towards a sprinting John Stamkos. He reached for the ball and leapt out for it. It grazed his fingers before he smashed into the ground, the ball bouncing away harmlessly. He pushed himself up and saw the ball still bouncing. A rather muscular teenager ran by and saw the ball nearby.

John waved his arms. "Hey! Mind grabbing that?!"

The kid nodded. "Yeah, sure." He snagged it and jogged it over to John. The defensive end looked at the boy and frowned. He had spiky black hair and had a toned body. The more he looked at the kid, the more he could've sworn that he knew this guy from somewhere. The guy gave him the ball and made to leave.

"Hold up a second!"

The teen stopped. "Yeah?"

"Do I know you from somewhere? I think… I think I've seen ya before…" John said curiously.

The teen shrugged. "Maybe, you been to a Pallet Track & Field match?"

John raised an eyebrow. "You go to Pallet?"

The kid nodded. "Yessir. Name's Ash Ketchum."

John's eyes widened. He knew that name. "Wait, you're the speed demon we have that runs the sprints!" He laughed and held his hand out, to which Ash shook. "My man you have some freaking wheels!" He continued to laugh, which was enough to get the attention of his friend group. Volikov came over. "John, who is this?"

Surge added. "Ya'll still have the ball after all!"

John clapped Ash on the back. "This is Ash Ketchum boys!"

A chorus of noise ensued. Frank whistled. "The Speed Demon!"

Bail walked over. "Brother I think you're faster than anyone here by a country mile!"

Ash blinked. "Ah, sorry, I don't know you guys. Who—"

John immediately cut him off. "Sorry, been awhile since I fanboyed like that!" He let out another hearty laugh before introducing the group one by one. "Xavier Blackmon, Frank Qalipo, Matias Surge, Volikov Maximovich, Bail Cree…"

He gestured to himself. "John Stamkos."

Ash's jaw dropped. He knew of the majority of these teens. He exclaimed in surprise. "You guys are on our football team!"

John chuckled. "Yep! We're getting ready for Gary Oak's arrival tomorrow!"

Ash frowned. "Wait, Gary is coming tomorrow?"

Xavier commented. "You sound like you know the legend himself."

Ash laughed at this. "I do."

"How's that?"

Ash grinned. "Gary used to be my neighbor once upon a time."

Bail commented. "Interesting. You oughta roll in to his gramps place tomorrow then! I'm sure none of the guys would mind." He was quiet for a split second before adding. "Hey, you wanna join us? I'd love to throw to a guy that's faster than myself or anyone else here!"

Volikov snorted. "You take too much pride in yourself Bail."

Bail fired back. "That's Trex."

Matias coughed. "Baloney."

Ash scratched the back of his head. "Ah… I'm sure I'd just be slowing you guys down…" John waved it off. "Trust me, we'd love to have ya. Bail's the only receiver here and he's also the only guy who can throw it fairly far. Who knows, maybe you got the hands of God…" He joked.

Ash shrugged. "Alright then, guess it can't hurt."

Bail clapped him on the shoulder. "Awesome! Want to get a bit of warmup in then?"

Ash was surprised at the openness of the young men. He expected the guys on the football team to be rather… standoffish. They didn't appear to be anything of the sort. They weren't running around with their shirts off, flexing at the young women nearby, glaring at the passerby's, or messing with anyone. They seemed to just be having a good time, and he kinda liked that. They acted like normal people; it was a sign they were still in touch with reality. Meanwhile, he and Bail took a few practice catches. After a moment or two, he said to them. "Alright, let's do some 3 on 3 action! I'll be all-time QB!"

Frank questioned. "What are the teams gonna be then?"

John offered. "How about we have Bail at QB, one offensive lineman versus one defensive lineman, then two receivers against two corners?"

Surge shrugged. "Works for me. How about John, Xavier, and Ash against myself, Voli, and Frank?"

John nodded. "You're on! Besides, you're gonna have to play as a corner, because I think Frank will want to be a cornerback!" The color drained from Surge's face before he suddenly grinned and fired back to his friend. "I think you'll find out that you'll be the one who has to protect Bail from him! After all, you're going to be the offensive lineman!" John's face paled at that statement, enough to the point where he was the color of the moon.

John groaned. "Didn't think that through…"

Ash lined up against Volikov, while Xavier lined up against Surge. Bail commented. "Sorry for forcing ya against Voli, Ash. It wouldn't be a fair fight with your speed against Frank." Ash waved it off. "No big deal. Let's do it!"

Bail, who held the ball in his hands, yelled out.

"Ready! Black Seventy! Hut Hut!" He stepped back, pump faking the pass while John, a defensive lineman, attempted to block Frank, an offensive lineman. Ash, meanwhile, knew that this guy was a cornerback, according to Xavier. He wasn't expected to win any routes.

So, when Ash took two steps out, faked the cutback, and then took off, he was legitimately surprised when Volikov bought the fake and fell behind. Bail did not let this slip past him, and fired a pass to Ash that turned out to be a tad bit overthrown. Did it matter?

No, no it did not.

Ash leapt out and snatched the ball from in front of him before rolling on his shoulder to stop the momentum. He held the ball up and heard Bail whooping loudly, while everyone else was staring with shocked expressions. Bail high-fived Ash, who sheepishly handed him the ball. It had felt natural to him, so he wasn't sure why everyone was making such a big deal out of it.

"Let's go! To the line!" Bail called out. The two sides settled down again. Volikov admitted to Ash while lining up. "That was very impressive."

"Thanks. Lucky play."

"Damn right. It is not happening again."

Ash smirked and prepared himself. Bail yelled. "Ready! Horace! Seventy-Two! Hut!" He rolled out and ran right. Because they didn't discuss plays beforehand, nobody had a clue that he was going to do so. That didn't stop Ash from mimicking his quarterback, running parallel to him after a shifty maneuver to try and ditch Volikov. Bail fired it on the run, once again being very inaccurate. Ash knew this was going to have a chance at happening though.

He leapt out, extending his body to the absolute maximum. He felt the ball hit his hands, and on instinct, he pulled it into his chest, bracing for impact. He hit the ground hard, but hung onto the ball.

"Holy fucking SHIT!" He heard Xavier roar. He was immediately helped to his feet by said person who pumped his fist multiple times. "That was insane!"

Bail high-fived Ash again while John joked. "You sure you aren't a football player? You're acting like you're our star receiver." Bail playfully punched his friend on the shoulder for that remark.

"It's honestly just natural." It was the truth. It felt effortless.

John teased Volikov. "You're getting beat by someone who's never played football before!" At this, he looked to Ash for clarification, to confirm that the statement was correct. Ash nodded twice, confirming it. John continued with a grin. "Tighten up Voli! We're gonna need you in top shape this season!"

And he did. For the next three plays, Bail didn't target Ash because Maximovich was all over him. However, Xavier got open on two of those plays, while on the remaining play Bail was sacked by Frank for a loss. However, on what proved to be the final offensive play of the drive, Ash caught the touchdown; on a streak route that burned Volikov badly. Ash was attacked by his team, who was cheering and whooping happily for him.

John playfully punched Ash on the shoulder. "My man, that was a good first drive for you!"

And the drives that followed were similar. It was all for fun, but Volikov truly had his hands full with Ash. His speed and agility were staggering. He had natural talent at catching the football, no matter how difficult the catch appeared to be. Ash continually got open against Volikov who was absolutely winded by the end of the matchup. He cursed in Russian which sent John into a flurry of laughter.

Ash blinked. "What did he say?"

John opened his mouth to speak before Frank interrupted him with a joking smile. "You probably don't want to know anyway."

Volikov stood up straight and said in a thick accent. "I know when I am beaten. You should be on the team, not even Bail could outlast me."

Matias suddenly said. "Hey… that's not a bad idea! Ketchum, you'd easily be one of our fastest, if not the fastest player, on our whole team! How about it? Why don't you try out for the Flames? I can't imagine good ol' Bob wouldn't want you on the squad!"

"Bob?"

Bail explained with a grin. "Bob Welsh; Pallet Town's head coach for football. He's a bit inexperienced when it comes to coaching, but he's a genius for reeling in talent, and developing it. Because we got Gary to come in as a transfer, this is an important year for him. I agree with Voli; you've got some serious talent if you can stand up Volikov. You should give it a try."

Ash scratched the back of his head. "Ah… I mean, I don't think—"

Xavier waved it off. "Don't try and deflect Ketchum. You got some talent in there; we all saw it. If you're interested, I think you got a legitimate shot at making the team."

Ash opened his mouth to try and argue but then he recalled what his coach has said. He needed to find the sport that would put him on the map. Track wasn't it, apparently. Were these guys being serious? What position would he play? How would he possibly walk on with such a high amount of competition around him? These were amongst the questions that were racking his brain as he tried to formulate a coherent answer.

John waved them all off this time. "Gents, it's time we headed back to Matias' place anyway. Let's pack up. I'll talk with Ash here on my own in the meantime." Matias opened his mouth to either argue or put in some last second thoughts before John added with a grin. "Captain's orders. Move it boys." His teammates were grumbling good-naturedly and said their swift goodbyes to Ash.

The captain sheepishly began. "Look. I get this is coming at your fast. Approximately an hour ago you probably weren't even thinking about trying out for the football team." Ash sweatdropped at that, but opted not to tell John anything anyway.

"But… keep in mind what I'm about to say is coming from the Captain himself: you've got some real talent in there, and this is a huge year for us. We've got a handful of top ranked seniors, and while Bail and Trex… you haven't met him yet… are good, but having a speedster like you on the team will be invaluable. I can't say for certain you'd be a receiver, but with hands like those you won't even need to wear gloves during the game. I think receiver comes naturally to you, and nearly everyone needs tons of practice at their position. You'd help us win some games; we'd help you out with getting your name out there. I know it's rough being a Hybrid."

Ash's jaw dropped. That had been unrealistically perceptive; how had he known that was a problem? Ash opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He was speechless. John continued in a serious voice. "The whole "Athe's versus Hybrid's" media attention thing is stupid. Very stupid. I'm on the winning side of it, and I don't know if it's possible for me to dislike the system more. What I'm saying is…" He got close to him and muttered to Ash.

"I'm the 11th ranked player in the world right now. Gary is 38th. We have three total players ranked inside the top 100 total. If it's national attention you're looking for… football may be the way." He grinned a little and added. "I'm not forcing you into anything or trying to push you off the deep end. But again… you're getting endorsed by a top 15 player."

Ash joked. "Someone's gotta humble you."

John looked taken aback. "Hey! I'll have you know that this is me being humbled! You should see Matias after… or during, a party. He's wild."

He held up his hand. "Sorry, getting off topic. Look, if football's not your thing, no worries. If you wanna roll in, try-outs are in just over a month… the ninetieth of July if I'm not mistaken. If it's national attention you're looking for…" he punched Ash's shoulder lightly. "Football's the way. I'll see ya around man. Hit me up on Believe if you need anything." He gave Ash a small salute with his hand before jogging off with his group, who was about to leave without him.

Ash watched them slowly walking away, joking and laughing amongst one another. Volikov laughed and leaped on Frank's shoulders. Just as he was about to fade out of few, Matias turned around and yelled. "We'll see ya in a month Ketchum! Become legendary!" He then bolted after the group, vanishing from view.

Ash slowly walked back to the path to which he had come from a short couple of hours prior. He was, naturally, deep in thought.

Become Legendary.

He grinned ever so slightly. Oh yeah.

Meanwhile, back in Mistralton City in Unova, a young girl was sitting on her bed while casually browsing her phone. Her red locks were being held up in a light blue flower, while bangs came down past her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes were radiant. She had skin tanned to perfection and wore a light blue shirt that was identical in color to the flower in her hair. Her dark blue and cutoff jeans were simply the icing on the cake. Her curves were nothing short of perfection, though she herself wished she had a bit more on her backside.

Skyla Adams was beautiful. She knew it. Her friends knew it. The boys knew it. Everyone at her school knew it. And speaking of school, she was semi-grateful she didn't always have to stay near her school when the time came to go back home for the summer. She didn't like all the guys at her school having wet dreams just because they saw her in a bikini.

Her father lived in Mistralton City, while her mother worked in Pallet Town. Because of that, she had to make a decision: stay in rainy Mistralton for school, or go to the once small-town Pallet Town for school. It was a fairly easy decision for her.

Pallet had a beach, bustling and growing city, vast hills and forests, and had a decent amount to do. Mistralton, on the other hand, was just dreary. Though it was where she grew up, part of her wished she hadn't grown up here. She had a handful of great friends, but to her great disappointment, none of them lived in Mistralton.

Thankfully though, her best friend Elesa was from Unova, and lived in Nimbassa City. Why she chose to go to Pallet High instead of Nimbassa High, she didn't know. Her parents were not divorced, unlike hers. It may have been because she was recruiting as a top softball player, and was attracted to the complete deal she was offered. Still, going so far away from home just for money? She didn't see it happening for her. Then again she wasn't a prospect for any sport…

She was a part of a few clubs. None of them garnered any real attention or anything. She was just getting her education and going away to some faraway college; one that she could escape the grasps of both her parents. Nothing would throw a wrench in her plans; not if she could help it. The most annoying thing though about Mistralton City? The Boys: they were… well… not up to standards. It wasn't that they were bad looking, it was just that they weren't the most polite people. That got annoying real fast.

The most annoying thing though about Pallet High? The Boys. Not for the same reason though. She thought a handful of them were very cute, but none of them could mesh well with her bubbly, cheerful, but emotional self. Plus, boys would be boys; they'd just seek permission to get into her pants… or maybe not ask permission at all.

She was sure there was a boy out there for her. He'd need to be funny, sweet, cute, athletic—

"Skyla! Elesa is here!" Her father called out from the kitchen.

She pushed herself out of her bed and ran downstairs. She squealed. "Elesa!"

Her beautiful hourglass figure stood there. She had luscious blonde hair that draped down her back and light blue eyes. Her glorious backside was much better than Skyla's, as much as Skyla hated to admit. Thankfully for the redhead, her chest was larger, something Elesa was also hated to admit. She was gifted in softball, and because of that, she was incredibly popular at school. She loved it, but also hated it at the same time. The upside was because she had a bright future. She knew this. The downside was that she had hordes of men attempt to woo her, when they were all just, as she put it, "Pigs." She was arguably more attractive than Skyla.

"Sky!" The blonde exclaimed before hugging her friend tightly.

"How've you been!?" Elesa asked Skyla brightly.

"I'm great, though honestly wishing I was back in Pallet right now. It's a huge few weeks for our Football team right now." Skyla beamed.

Elesa nodded. "I know! Can you believe it? So many transfers coming in! We may honestly not finish in dead last this year!"

They began walking towards Skyla's room. "We didn't finish last… just close to it."

Elesa giggled. "It's championship or bust this year."

Skyla dryly pointed out. "Okay, you know that's not happening. We'd need nothing short of a miracle for that to happen."

They made it to Skyla's room, also painted the same color as the flower in her hair. Skyla closed the door and her friend plopped down on her bed. She sat in her swivel chair with her legs up on the bed. Elesa smirked. "I don't want to speak too soon, but don't you think Gary Oak can be that miracle? He's got what we need to make a playoff run. He's got talent, experience, a killer arm, and killer looks—" Elesa's hands flew to her mouth in a flash while her friend took little pity on her for the slip-up.

Skyla cheekily said. "I think I know why you're pulling for him! You just wish you could have your way with him, oh miss Kamitsure!

Elesa snorted, her cheeks still a small tinge of red. "Oh please! Even you have to admit he's cute!"

Skyla giggled. "Oh I'm not denying it."

The girls and their friends, like almost every high school student across the world, loved football. They followed it closely and sat in the front rows of the student section, as per usual. The catch was that this year was supposed to be the grand turnaround for the Pallet Flames. They had the gem of the Transfer Portal in Gary Oak at Quarterback, who in return, attracted many more transfers in as well. They had a dynamic pass rush duo in John Stamkos and Matias Surge. They had a duo of hard-hitting safeties in Xavier Blackmon and Red Gilmore. They had young talent at Receiver and Tight End, with young players at running back as well.

And of course, they had the new stadium that would be open for business. The students were beyond excited. It was the most state-of-the-art stadium in the world. It supposedly had massive screens to list facts, scores, out-of-town scores as well, and the camera that showed what was happening in the game as well. Supposedly as well, it had flamethrowers built into the top of multiple parts of the stadium for when the team either was introduced for the start of the game/ halftime, or scoring a touchdown.

Everyone, especially the players, were eager to see where they'd be playing for the season. The hype was there… just to not get last place and maybe, just maybe… make the playoffs.

Elesa giggled again. "In that case, let's play a game."

Skyla blinked.

"A game?"

Elesa smirked and crossed her legs on Skyla's bed. "Yep. A game. It's called, "Rate them." We take turns rating certain individuals on a scale of one to ten and if you'd date them. I get to pick the category of… individuals that we rate. We just keep going until we both agree we don't want to do it anymore. Sound good?"

Skyla giggled. "Sure, why not? What's the category Ms. Gameshow host?"

Elesa's smirk widened. "Pallet High Football Team." The color drained from Skyla's gorgeous face. "W-what?'

"You heard me. I'll even let you give me the first contesta—I mean boy, to rate." Skyla argued. "I thought you were talking about celebrities, not boys from our school!" The look didn't vanish from Elesa's face, and that let Skyla know she wasn't getting out of this.

"That's what happens when you assume! But don't keep me waiting, go first!" Elesa added with a grin. "Or else maybe I'll just go—"

"Fine! Porfiro Mattos! You know that Senior running back who transferred in out of…" Skyla trailed off, forgetting exactly where he came from.

Elesa had the answer. "Twinleaf, from Sinnoh. Coach Welsh did a good job of snatching recruits and transfers from Sinnoh when Gary Oak announced he was coming here. As for whether or not I'd date him…" Elesa frowned, trying to recall what he looked like. After a moment or two, the face came to her. A guy around average height with pure blonde hair and dark green eyes. He had a slightly disappointing body posture though; he was too big of a man for Elesa.

"I mean… he's not bad… but he's a little on the larger side for me. I'd give him a four and say no." Elesa said a bit guilty. Suddenly, she brightened up. "My turn! Lance Wateru!"

Skyla looked thoughtful. He was the not-so-bad looking Senior; a year above her. He played left outside linebacker on the team. He had spiky red hair and had a sturdy build. He was fairly stern and as far as she knew, was one of the only guys on the team who didn't enjoy partying all that much. Sure there were a handful of others, but he was one of the more notable ones.

She was honest. "I'd give him a six and…" She shrugged. "I'd say yes I guess."

Elesa opened her mouth but her red-haired friend cut her off. "Nuh-uh. No side comments from the peanut gallery. We answer the question, and that's it. Moving on…"

Elesa pouted. "Fine!"

Skyla grinned. "Drew Saiga."

Elesa didn't hesitate. "Eight, but no."

The look on Skyla's face was one mixed with surprise and confusion. "If he's hot, why would you not go for him?"

The blonde shook her head. "Someone who supposedly has as much arrogance as he does gives me a good reason not to date him simply because he's good looking. Having confidence is one thing; what he has is another. It's not like he's mean, he's just… cocky." Elesa finished awkwardly.

The redhead giggled. "So be it. He is a cornerback though; they usually are fairly cocky."

Elesa ignored her and paused, careful to make the most of her player selection. "… Arch Drezdale." Skyla nodded and carefully pondered what she would say. Arch was a year younger than her, a sophomore. He had long brown hair, not dreads, but what you may consider "flow." He was the team's second tight end, and slated to be the first tight end on the team after Brock Harrison would graduate this upcoming year. He was supposed to be your rah-rah guy whenever you scored.

Skyla ended her tirade of thoughts. "I'd say six and… no? I feel like he's too outspoken even for someone like me who likes to talk a lot. He's not bad looking though."

Elesa nodded. "Fair."

Skyla paused then spoke. "Matias Surge."

Elesa's cheeks tinted red. "Ah… I mean…"

The redhead giddily cheered. "I flustered the queen herself! I flustered the queen! I flustered the—"

Elesa tossed a pillow at her friend. "Hey! Cram it!"

Skyla was still laughing away and the blonde attempted to defend herself. "Y-you can't blame me for liking him! He's blonde, he's muscular, he parties hard… you can't knock me down for thinking he's cute!"

Skyla waggled her eyebrows, fully enjoying torturing her friend. "So you're saying you only like blonde haired guys?"

Elesa's blush got even worse. "N-no! Not at all! Guys with brown hair are cute too—" She slapped her hand over her own mouth to try and prevent a total breakdown. Skyla was clutching her sides from the comedy she was getting to watch. Her best friend was never this easy to fluster. Usually she had boys coming for her every second, and she was thoroughly uninterested in them. They would always just gawk at her body rather than make conversation with her. And of course, "make conversation" didn't mean just casually chatting with them. It more or less meant that they'd try and coerce her into a date or two. She didn't particularly enjoy that sort of attention, for obvious reasons.

She sought an honest relationship, and admittedly, she didn't mind if she ended up being one of those kids who became known as high school sweethearts with her special someone. The problem was that the guys in her school were only interested in the fun time and not for the long time, well, for the most part anyway. A handful of guys had been dating their significant other for quite some time and it warmed Elesa's heart to see that. Still, her close group of friends also was in the same boat she was.

She wasn't being quite fair to the boys either. A handful of girls in her grade were also just hellbent on getting items from boys rather than actually being interested in figuring out who they were. In other words, gold diggers. They sickened Elesa to no end. After all, why on earth would you play with someone's heart and mind just so you could get material possessions that you'd probably lose interest in within a year? It was disgusting.

Her friend, meanwhile, had finally stopped her antics. "Alright alright, I know when enough is enough. But you still have to give me a rating… and an answer." Skyla's beautiful smile radiated throughout the room.

Elesa rolled her eyes, her posture rebuilt. "Eight and yes. He's cute. We have stuff in common. Moving on," She replied bluntly.

Skyla smiled and waited eagerly for her friend to say a name. Though she had been very reluctant to start, she was finding herself enjoying the game.

Elesa's lips curled into a smile, one that had a very mischievous feel. "Xavier… Blackmon."

Skyla's cheeks tinted red. Xavier was the school's playboy, and free safety on the team. He was moderately built with short but wavy brown hair. He was also the tallest kid in the Pallet secondary, standing at six foot two inches. He had a bad habit of toying with many girls hearts. So far, nobody had been able to tame the teen, and it didn't look like anyone would do so anytime soon.

Thankfully, he had a great friend group. Frank Qalipo was one of the funniest people she had ever met. Bail Cree was also a very nice guy, and for being such a crucial part of the team, he took all the praise he got modestly. Of course, Surge was pretty loud and proud, but she didn't hold that against him. She got word that a recent transfer named Volikov Maximovich was now part of their group, but she knew little about him. And naturally, the most popular guy in school, John Stamkos. All these guys, while a little bit mischievous, all were supposed to be very friendly guys. It rubbed off a bit on Blackmon.

She admitted. "Nine and no. I don't want my heart broken into tiny pieces today, thank you."

Her friend laughed and tossed a pillow at Skyla from that comment. Skyla giggled back and said with a defiant smirk, "If you're playing with fire, I'll play with it too!"

Elesa opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by her redhead-friend who said with a gleaming smirk and a hint of smugness in her voice…

"John Stamkos."

Elesa pointed out swiftly. "That's not fair! He's—"

"On the football team. Therefore, he's fair play. Answer the question."

Elesa blushed. "Nine and… oh who am I kidding? Of course I'd date him. Who wouldn't?" She added, still blushing furiously. Skyla, still giggling from the prospect of seeing her attractive friend get embarrassed, consoled her.

"Do you think I blame you girl? He's hands down the most popular guy at school. Practically every girl would throw themselves at him! I'm not exaggerating either and you know it. I can name five girls off the top of my head who are on the cheerleading squad that have got their sights aimed down on him. I mean, seriously, how many girls do you think he's slept with? I'm dead serious!" Skyla defended herself when she noticed the look coming from her longtime blonde friend.

She flopped back on the bed, the bottom of her shirt rolling up so a small amount of her smooth, tanned stomach was showing. She said aloud, "Like I said, dead serious. That guy could get anyone he wants! I've really never talked with him anyhow. What do you think Elesa? Maybe like two different girls a week?"

Elesa snorted with laughter. "Are you crazy? That's not supposed to be how he is at all."

Skyla peered back, her head against the mattress. "What do you mean?"

"From what I've heard, he's supposed to be a very mature guy. He's likeable and down-to-earth about everything and hasn't even dated a girl yet from what I know. He's supposed to be this stud that dates all these popular hotties from our school—"

"Like us?" the redhead grinned cheekily. The laugh that came from her gorgeous friend was almost one of pity.

"No, I mean like, the most popular girls in school."

The redhead shrugged. "I've heard he's supposed to be very friendly. I don't know if it's true or not though."

Elesa grinned. "Aw who knows? Maybe we'll meet him and his little clan!"

Skyla snorted. "And the number of people, boys and girls, who say that? The whole school population."

"You never know…" Elesa trailed off, mystery laced in her tone, unsure of the path that lie ahead for the two of them.

XXXXXXXXXX

And from that point, the next few weeks passed. Ash opted not to go to Gary's grandfather's house since he had not decided on whether or not he would take John up on his offer. And as it turned out, he realized he had made a mistake by not going to see Gary. He chose to take the chance because as it turned out, Gary had asked John about Ash and if he would consider joining the team.

That was enough to convince him he needed to take a chance and go out for the team. He had a few weeks to get prepared and was determined to give it his all. He remembered his text that he sent the captain when he had declared that he'd try out.

"Hey John, it's Ash. How you've been?"

"Been good! I'm hoping this is a good news type of text."

"It may not mean much in the long run of things, but it is. I think that I'm gonna give it a go. I'm hoping I got a legit shot at making the team."

"My endorsement stands Ash. You've got the natural skills and physical talents to back it up, at least from what I've seen. All you gotta do is convince Bob and the rest of the coaches you've got what it takes."

"I appreciate it. I'll get back to you in a couple weeks if I've got any questions."

"I'll do you one better and just get back to you myself every couple days. Plus, I'll hype you up to Coach Welsh. He'll have to accept you as long as you perform."

"Here's hoping. Tell Gary to keep a seat warm for me."

"Will do. Talk to you in a few."

This was his chance. It was his time to make a play and push for a spot. He wasn't sure how likely it was that he'd make it, but at least he could try, and he'd be damned if he didn't go out and put on a show.

AN: That's it for this very long chapter. Next chapter will have the tryouts as well as some others housekeeping things that I'll touch up on. I believe the story is coming along nicely, but I believe I'll be shortening the chapters significantly in order to make more chapters. I have a list of OC's that I'll be going to making as unique as I can for the team. It will be very long and complicated, so maybe I'll end the chapters with descriptions of each OC so people don't get confused. That's a thought.

Something else that came to me is that I have made a pairing adjustment. I wanted to throw my main OC with Mallow from Alola, but there lies a handful of problems. The most obvious one is that Alola is not even mentioned in this story and therefore I shouldn't even include characters from it. That's a mistake I intend to change. By next chapter I'll figure out what the plan is there, but the two main pairings of Ash and Gary with Skyla and Elesa respectively has not changed.

That's all for now! Thanks so much for reading! Follow and favorite if you enjoy and don't forget to review! Criticism is always accepted

Till next time!

LegionZ