The following morning, Ash awakens and pats Pikachu.
"I wonder where we're going to go today, but I think I know," Ash said, smiling, and Pikachu nodded.
Ash got up and got freshened up for the day. He then headed out into the Kitchen, where Hilda was waiting, already eating her breakfast.
"Good Morning Hilda" Ash said, smiling, and Pikachu sent his greeting too. Hilda replied, "Hey Ash, sleep well?"
"Yeah, how about you?" Ash replied, to which Hilda added "Quite well thanks"
Ash took a seat, and Hayley sat with them. She then asked, "So, where are you two going to do for your date?"
"Nimbasa City, there's so much to do, and a few romantic spots we could go to"
"That sounds awesome. Maybe we could see what happened to the Zoroark we met earlier" Ash replied, to which Hilda replied excitedly "Oh I hope she's doing well"
"Oh? A Zoroark? What's this story about?" Hayley asked, to which Hilda replied "There was a lonely Zoroark in Lostlorn Forest, we managed to convince her to work with Elesa, so she could come out of her shell, so to speak"
"Yeah, we hope that she's enjoying her time" Ash replied, to which Hayley nodded, and said "That's lovely to hear"
Once they finished breakfast, Ash and Hilda depart, heading for the train station.
When they got to the train station, Ash and Hilda got their tickets and signed autographs for the person who gave them the tickets.
"We're still giving out autographs. It feels weird. Good, but weird" Ash admitted as they took their seats on the train
As they travelled towards Nimbasa City, Ash asked "So where are we going in Nimbasa City?"
"Well, I was thinking of visiting the Pokémon Musical, Big Stadium and Small Court, and the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel" Hilda replied. Ash nodded and replied "Yjay sounds great, I'm looking forward to it. Maybe we could pay Elesa a visit too"
"That'd be cool" Hilda replied. She then snuggles against Ash, who is only too happy to wrap an arm around her, smiling while they both pet Pikachu.
While they didn't know it initially, Meloetta got onto the train at the Nacrene City. Ash, however, did sense her arrival, though couldn't put his finger on what it was that he had sensed. He wasn't the only one, as Pikachu sensed Meloetta's arrival as well.
Watching from a decent distance, two figures are holding infra-red goggles to their eyes to track Meloetta.
One, a female, had Gold hair, Purple eyes, and was wearing a normal militarised Team Rocket uniform, though with black and red gloves. The male, Has maroon eyes, Green hair, and also wears the militarised Tem Rocket uniform.
"Do you think we should go after it?" the male asked the female, to which she replied, "Don't be silly, you see who she's on the same train as?"
The male turned his goggles and looked up from them to see Ash and Hilda.
"What is that twerp doing here?" he asked angrily, to which she replied "Calm down Butch, it's fine. If this works, we won't have to deal with that twerp"
"Alright, Cassidy. We'd better report back" Butch stated before he added "And it's, wait, you're consistently getting my name right, Cassidy. About time"
"You've corrected people so many times that I don't forget anymore" Cassidy teased, but they got out of the tree and headed back anyway.
While on the way to Nimbasa City, Ash notices Pikachu is oddly distracted.
"Hey, Pikachu, what's up?" Ash asked, to which Pikachu replied by looking around as if looking for something or someone,
"You sensed someone else getting on too?" Ash asked, to which Pikachu nodded.
"What? I didn't see anyone get on" Hilda said, to which Ash replied "Neither did I. But I did sense a presence. Still here, just not sure where"
"Hm. That is odd. There are a few Pokémon that can turn invisible, could have been one of them?" Hilda asked, to which Ash replied "Potentially".
Soon, they arrived at Nimbasa City and disembarked. Meloetta followed behind, and went off on her own, though not entirely undetected by Pikachu.
"That presence from earlier's gone," Ash said, to which Hilda asked, "Ash, what are you talking about?"
"Oh, it appears that my Aura sensing Abilities are back. I've been unknowingly able to sense Aura for a long time, but it was only about a year ago that I learned I could consciously" Ash replied, smiling. Hilda nodded, then replied "I didn't know what was a thing. But it's cool nonetheless"
"Agreed. So, where first?" Ash asked, to which Hilda replied "How about the Ferris Wheel first? Plus we can visit the Gym and possibly catch up with Elesa"
"Sounds good" Ash replied, and Hilda grabbed his hand and ran for the Ferris Wheel.
When they arrived at the Ferris Wheel, they find that the Wheel hasn't got that many people on it.
"Cool, guess the line isn't that long" Ash said as they joined the queue. Both of them were smiling, this had been great so far. Soon, they were on the Wheel.
"I've never been on this Ferris Wheel before, this is so exciting," Hilda said, visibly excited. Ash chuckles and said "Calm down a little please, You're going to make the whole thing shake", to which Hilda took a deep breath, and calmed a little as they got on.
"Wow, look at the view," Hilda said as they went up the Ferris Wheel. Ash nodded, and replied, smiling warmly "it is quite the view, I'll give it that. This was a good idea Hilda", causing Hilda to blush slightly and become slightly flustered.
"Hehe, Th-thanks Ash" Hilda replied. Pikachu was also enamoured by the view.
The Ferris wheel went for a while, allowing the trio to see the vast lands around them several times. And as they came down for the final time, they noticed Elesa standing nearby, along with the Zoroark they had befriended earlier.
"Hey look, it's Elesa, and the Zoroark that we befriended in our previous visit" Ash called, pointing to them. Hilda and Pikachu looked over, and Hilda replied "Awesome, it'll be good to catch up with them", and soon, they reached the bottom and climbed out.
"That was cool," Ash said, to which Hilda smiled and replied, "Thanks. The views were awesome". When they reached Elesa, Ash called "Hey Elesa, hey Zoroark, how are we?"
"I'm good. Zoroark spotted you two as you went onto the Ferris wheel, and came to tell me you two were here. It's good to see you again" Elesa replied, and Zoroark nodded and called.
"Heh, good to hear," Ash replied. He then turned to the Zoroark, and asked "Are you enjoying your time here?" to which Zoroark nodded. Ash smiled, and replied "Lovely to hear"
Elesa then said "She's been lovely for modelling. She's certainly gotten more confident and less shy", to which Zoroark nodded, though still seemed a little awkward. Seeing this, Elesa added "Can you please follow us to the Gym? Just so Zoroark's in a quieter area"
"Sure" both Ash and Hilda replied, and Elesa headed for her Gym, with Zoroark, Ash, Hilda and Pikachu following.
When they arrived at the Gym, there were a couple of the models standing there, seemingly waiting for them.
"Welcome to the Nimbasa City Gym, which also doubles as a catwalk. We're going to be starting a show soon, so please get into your seats" one of the models said. Elesa walked up and added "Zoroark, you go and get ready. Ash, Hilda and Pikachu are my guests"
"Wow, thanks Elesa" Ash replied, and they went their separate ways.
A few minutes later, Elesa sat with them. She turned to face Ash, and asked: "So, you two out on a date?"
"Yeah, we are. Hilda suggested Nimbasa City" Ash replied, and Hilda nodded in confirmation. Elesa smiled, petted Pikachu, and replied "That's lovely. I think you two would make a lovely couple", which made both Ash and Hilda blush.
The show then started, and Ash, Hilda and Pikachu were awed by the outfits on display. There was a swimsuit that looked like it was made in Elesa's clothing colours. Another one was a wetsuit that looked exactly like the colour of the sea, seemingly allowing for camouflage. Then there were a few cool looking dresses, one of which Hilda wondered if they had one in her size. After about half an hour of modelling, another model came out. And this one, Ash and Hilda could both tell, was Zoroark. The crowd cheered and clapped at them all, especially for Zoroark, who wasn't entirely used to this much adoration yet. Once it was over, Elesa turned to face Ash and Hilda, and asked: "What did you think?"
"They look amazing. I wish that third dress was available in my size" Hilda replied, to which Ash nodded. Elesa smiled and replied "Thanks. It's from the latest brand we're planning to release. As you Hilda, the dresses will all come in various sizes, so you should be able to find one in yours"
"Thanks, Elesa," Hilda replied, smiling happily. Ash nodded, then said "Well, I think we'd better get going, we've got other places to go today. But thanks for that Elesa, and for catching us up with Zoroark"
"No worries, good luck" Elesa replied, as she headed for the back rooms. Ash, Hilda and Pikachu ran out of the Gym.
"So, where do we go now Hilda?" Ash asked, to which Hilda replied "I'm thinking Big Stadium before Lunch. Small Court's out of action at the moment"
"Sounds good. Let's go" Ash replied, and they headed for Big Stadium.
When they arrive, they see it's open to Football. Entering, they see several people in drills.
"Hi, there," Ash said from nearby, though not in the actual arena. The Linebackers turn to face Ash and Hilda, and one of them asks "Who are you?"
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town," Ash said, while Hilda added "I'm Hilda, from Nuvema Town" and Pikachu concluded with "Pika Pikachu"
"Nice to meet you guys. Would you like to try out a bit of Football? I assume that's why you're here" One of the Infielders asked, to which Ash nodded, and replied "Sure"
"Good. What about you Hilda?" another one asked, to which Hilda replied "Alright, I'll give it a go"
"Good going girl" the Infielder replied as Ash and Hilda both joined them.
It was pretty fun, getting a feel for the basics of Football. Both Ash and Hilda tried to tackle the Tackle Trainers, with neither of them knocking them over.
"Wow, they're sturdy," Ash said once he pulled himself up. The part of passing the football, and kicking it, was more accessible, though Ash was impressed at the skill of getting the ball into the goal from the distances they do.
Finally, Ash and Hilda got to try passing the ball to each other as they ran down the field to try and score a touchdown. It didn't go well at first, but after a while, they managed to get it down the field for a touchdown.
"Well done, you've picked up the basics pretty quickly," the Infielder said, to which both Ash and Hilda replied "Thanks. This was quite fun"
"Gonna go to Small Court after lunch?" one of the other Linebackers asked, to which both Ash and Hilda nodded.
"What's on at Small Court today?" Ash wondered, to which the first Linebacker replied "Tennis"
"Cool, we can give Tennis a go" Hilda replied, to which Ash nodded, and added "It'll be fun, I'm sure. Well, we'd better get to lunch. Thanks for the introduction to Football"
"No worries, it was our pleasure" the Linebackers replied as Ash, Hilda and Pikachu departed. After freshening up, they headed for Lunch.
After lunch, they headed for Small Court, where several Smashers were practising. They spot Ash and Hilda, and all waves.
"Hey there, would you like to try out some Tennis?" one of the Smashers asked, to which both Ash and Hilda replied "Sure, we'd love to"
"Then come here, and let's start you two out" two of the Smashers replied. Ash and Hilda went over to opposite sides of the court and practised their smashes, serves and return serves.
Unlike in Football and Basketball, Hilda picked up Tennis faster than Ash did. In particular, Hilda got pretty good at Serving. Ash, meanwhile, got good at his Smashes.
"Alright, how about you two have a quick few games?" one of the Smashers asked, to which both Ash and Hilda replied, "Sure, we could give a few games a try" and they both went to the same court and faced each other off.
The match was pretty close, with both Ash and Hilda winning two games each. Ash then got out to a 4-2 lead thanks to some very accurate smashes, while Hilda hit back to make it 4-4 after acing Ash three times in a row. Ash and Hilda then won a game each, so the final score was 5-5.
"Next one to win a game will win the match" one of the smashers announced, and both Ash and Hilda nodded. It was Ash's turn to serve, and the first two games went to Ash, including the second game where Ash was able to Ace Hilda for the first time. Hilda then got the game back to 30-30 thanks to some skilled shots. Ash then got it to 40-30, before Hilda levelled it at Deuce.
"Two rally wins in a row will decide it," Ash thought to himself as he served. This time, the student bested the teacher, after three Deuces, Hilda broke through and won 6-5.
"Congratulations Hilda, that was awesome" Ash called as the ball sailed past him to secure the win for Hilda. Hilda cheered and called happily, she was ecstatic she'd beaten her teacher at something.
"Congratulations Hilda. And very well played Ash, not quite there at the end though" the smasher said, to which Ash replied "it's fine. It was a lot of fun"
"Lovely to hear," the smasher added. Ash then said "Well, I'm pretty sure Hilda wanted to show me somewhere else, so we'd better get going"
"Oh yeah, the Pokémon Musical" Hilda replied. Both Ash and Hilda thanked the Smashers for the introduction to tennis, then went to get freshened up, and headed for the Pokémon Musical.
When Ash and Hilda reached the Pokémon Musical, they found that they were just in time to join the next one.
"I think Pikachu deserves entry into this one. He hasn't had much to do lately" Ash said, to which the receptionist nodded, and they went to the prop room to dress Pikachu up. Hilda, meanwhile, had a little more difficulty deciding but eventually went with Samurott for dress-ups.
The musical they were going into was Quirky, so both Ash and Hilda had to pick Quirky items for their Pokémon.
Pikachu went with a Germ Mask on his face, a Jester's Cap on his head, a Hula Skirt on his waist, which Pikachu found a bit awkward being male, a Fake Bone in one hand, and a Whisk in the other. Hilda's Samurott, meanwhile, went with a Pikachu Bib on his body, a Green Barrette on its ear, a Maraca on one arm and a Round Mushroom on the other. Finally, Samurott also went with a Hula Skirt.
Then, it was time for the performance.
In addition to Pikachu and Samurott and their props, there was a Beheeyem with a Fake Bone on one arm and a Magic Wand on the other, Googly Specs on its face, a Windup Key on its head and a Fake Bellybutton on its waist. The other was a Watchog, which had a Bennant on its Arm, and a Shuriken on the other. It had a Red Nose on its face, a Witchy Hat on its head, and a Bib around its waist. They performed for the crowd, who had come to see a quirky performance, and they were putting on a show. The crowd was enjoying it.
Once it was over, the trainers and their Pokémon met up again to get their results.
And they all got good reviews, which made everyone glad.
"Well, that was a lot of fun. But now, I think we'd best head home. This has been a great date though, Ash" Hilda said, to which Ash wrapped an arm around Hilda, and said, "That it was". Hilda responded by wrapping both arms around Ash as they headed for the train station.
One train trip later, Ash and Hilda got back to Nuvema Town. And Professor Juniper, and Maximus, were waiting for them.
"Ah, I think I know what this is about," Ash said, to which Maximus replied "Yep, Professor Juniper got acceptance for giving me a starter. And I've gone for Tepig", and he pointed to the Tepig now sitting next to him.
"Hey there little guy, you've got a great trainer in Maximus. I hope you enjoy your time with him" Ash said, to which Tepig cheered happily. Maximus smiled and said "I intend to be a good trainer for him. Also so I can show that Team Plasma members can reform"
"Which is a good thing" Professor Juniper replied. She then continued with "And I'm going to get onto my father about not interfering with things like this in the future"
"That sounds like a good idea. As for me, I'm going to go spend some quality time with my new starter" Maximus replied, nodding. He then smiled at Tepig, picked him up, and put him on his shoulder, kinda as Pikachu did with Ash. Smiling, Ash replied "Good Luck Maximus"
"Thanks, Ash" Maximus replied, and he headed for Route 1. Professor Juniper then sighed and said "I just wish I'd known, I would have still given him the starter. I'm nowhere near as judgemental as my father is"
"It's s shame. But, a wrong has been corrected, so don't beat yourself up over it. Alright, Professor?" Hilda asked, to which Professor Juniper turned to face Hilda, smiled, and replied "I will don't worry. Speaking of that, you two had better get home and rest up. I've got something I want to talk to you two about tomorrow"
"Sounds good, we look forward to it" Ash replied, and they headed back to Hilda's house, while Professor Juniper returned to her lab.