Serena and the other girls went to the large courtyard to perform for the Cyllage City crowd. It was a sunny day outside and it was a perfect today to relax and have fun. Serena needing to keep up appearances would debut Illumise and Minccino in front of a smaller crowd before taking them on an official stage.

The three Battle Bond trainers did not join them. They let the others do their thing while they focused purely on Evan. Still indoors at their training hall Evan protested wanting to go outside too.

"Can't we take a break like the girls?"

"You can, after you and Toxicroak transform." Nina told him strictly from the sidelines. Still studying her younger counterpart she started to believe he was impossible to train. She would only disrespect her mentors by bringing the lazy duo to them comparing it to giving them bags of sand and make a powerful trainer out of it.

"Really?" Evan said with a heavy sigh.

"It will be fine. Just do what you did earlier and it will come." Ash took the opportunity to pick it up again. Evan did the repeat of earlier trying to activate the change but it didn't happen. Ash and Nina had just about enough of it and they actually still wanted to make something of this beautiful day.

"You know Ash? I'm getting bored." Nina said as she got up from her seat.

"Where are you going?" The student wondered.

"I am going for singing practice. You stay here till you transform." Nina told him as she stared him down. The singer scoffed as she was annoyed. Shaking her head she turned around at the last second.

"You know Ash? I think he and Lucy are lying to us. I haven't seen a single thing from them that makes me believe Toxicroak is like Greninja and Primarina." Nina added fueling the flame even more.

"They're kind of pathetic if you ask me." Him and his Pokémon insulted for the first time Evan finally responded with something else but indifference. Ash saw him clench his fists and Toxicroak started to shudder.

"Him and Toxicroak aren't worthy enough. Can't believe we got fooled for a second. I think we're dealing with a fake. We don't have time to waste on fakes and weaklings like them."

"Weaklings?"

"Come on Nina. I know it doesn't seem like it but they're trying their best." Ash defending his student. The singer had none of it.

"The effort he puts in resembles his character, pathetic."

"Let's get it over with!"

A purple substance appeared underneath Toxicroak. The Pokémon got dipped into it entirely and it then came out of the slurry slowly crawling and looking different. Ash and Nina looked on as they were now being introduced to the newest Battle Bond Pokémon.

The long red spikes on its arms pronged into three longer ones now with them being a glowing purple. The long spike on top its head now was blue and a few smaller spikes added to reflect Evan's own hairstyle like the head plate of Ash's Greninja that got side locks. Toxicroak sharpened the purple blades out of instinct over one another sharpening them pointing them to Nina.

"There it is." Nina looked on glad to add another to the ranks. Took a bit of something they did not like to do but it was necessary.

"Glad now!? How about we battle now and show you what we can do!" Evan still angry at them there finally was a threat in his voice. Ash was not scared thanks to his experience with tougher and dangerous opponents and Evan didn't really mean it. Nina only smiled finally seeing the form.

"Sorry for insulting you and your Pokémon. But nothing is a better trigger than that. We didn't mean to come of as degrading."

Nina apologized immediately by bowing her head. In her defense it was Ash's idea.

Calling another trainers Pokémon pathetic is a sure fire way to get motivated. Ash being on the receiving end of it a bunch of times asked Nina to do it for him cause he wasn't sure he can do it in a convincing way. The singer had a bit more experience with looking down on others and her acting abilities.

"Yeah. Remember that rush, that's your trigger. Every time you want to use the form just think about that." Ash told him as at least they can go on further now. The trigger they installed into him was only a starting one cause Evan needed to keep his cool while transforming.

"Now what? Can we go relax?" Still a bit angry at the singer Evan and Toxicroak

"Sure. Let's relax. Just stay in that form as long as you can though."

Without any further words Evan and Toxicroak fell on the ground snoring. True to their demand the youngsters stayed in the Battle Bond form. Nina looked over to Ash and nodded no. She knows he wanted to go see Serena perform with her new Pokémon.

"I'm not picking him up and dragging him across town in that form."

Serena and her female friends gathered at a large square in town. A surprise Performance taking place she had asked for the townspeople to build a small stage on which she can perform on. The townspeople more than happy to aid in her request got some boards together and took some seats from nearby restaurants and cafe's. Shauna and Miette were going to film the event for her so they can make a compilation for the rest of the region on Pokevision. Lucy in the crowd excited to see Serena perform had front row seats.

Before Shauna would start filming she got on stage. Taking up her role as Showcase promoter she called out to the large gathered crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Children and Pokémon of all ages! Welcome to the demonstration of the Kalos Queen in Cyllage City!" The brunette yelling everyone's attention was on her. Being usually spotted with the Queen herself the crowd knew they were good friends of one another.

"Due to some personal events in her life she has not been able to perform as much as she wants for all of you!" Team Union and her Battle Bond friends ready to be attacked at any moment did not help Serena's motivation and eagerness to dance.

"So today there is a special occurrence to make up for it! And a show like not one she did before because it the debut of her new Performance partners!"

The crowd cheered as behind a round curtain Serena was waiting with her Pokémon dressed up for the occasion. Illumise and Minccino had gotten accessories in red and pink so their outfits matched Serena's trademark style of pink and red.

Serena going over it one last time Illumise was already shaking under the sound of the audience. Not used to being the center of attention to such a large gathering of people she looked for comfort in her trainers arms. Minccino was a lot more calmer being raised as a musician Pokémon under Madeleine's care for stages like these. It was looking at the Bug type a little worried.

"Illumise?" The Bug type looked up slowly while still being cradled by Serena.

"It's ok." Serena gave her a gentle smile. The smile she pulled out when someone needed strength. Serena being here before with the Eevee she caught once knew how to handle it. All Illumise needed was a confidence boost.

"They are no different then the Volbeat you directed. They are all going to follow you like they did. Let's just go out there and have fun!"

The response made Illumise calmer. Still a little nervous Serena kept comforting her that it would be alright. Minccino jumped on Serena's shoulder and peeked over it to Illumise. It said a few words on Pokespeech but the tone sounded encouraging. It was at moments like these she had her friends ability to understand Pokémon.

"And as Monsieur Pierre likes to say, without further audeu, please welcome Serena!" Shauna finishing her intro speech left the stage running to get her camera and let Serena do her thing.

With a jump and a cheer she showed herself on stage waving to the crowd. The audience cheered at seeing the Kalos Queen and the two new Pokémon on her.

"Minccino, start off with Sing!" The little gray Pokémon began by putting his original training to work. It began to sing a gentle lullaby as different cored music notes came out of its mouth. Serena happy so far with thanks to Madeleine winked at Illumise in her arm. Her tiny wings started to flap as Serena loosened her hold on her as she twirled around the singing Pokémon.

"Illumise, Moonlight!"

With aerial maneuvers she flew through the notes as they all began to glow absorbing the light of Illumise's rear light. He notes turning a gold color Serena held out her hands to give Minccino a boost. The Chinchilla Pokémon understanding it leaped into Serena's hands as the Performer then threw it up.

"Tail Slap!" Minccino tail began to strike at the golden musical notes as Illumise grabbed it in midair and flew around holding it. The golden notes turned into sparkles as a rain of the stuff descended on Serena as her Pokémon came down again next to her still dancing.

"Now together, use Charm!"

They both shot pink hearts up that carried some of the golden particles over the crowd. The hearts popped in some of the children's hands as she and her Pokémon took their final pose.

"Ta-da!"

Her Performance fell into good taste with the crowd cheering wild. Seeing Illumise fly up to her with a smile on her face it was one of relief. She did it after all.

"Thank you Illumise. You too Minccino." They both hugged her in full view of the audience who demanded for more. Unfortunately it was all the time she had cause she was still working on her own musical performance with Pancham and Minccino. She'd do that one next time during her next appearance after Nina trained her a bit more with the Pokeflute.

Serena's demonstration over they all went back to the harbor area to see how well Ash and the others have been doing. Getting closer to the battlefield where they trained at they heard noise.

"What is that beautiful sound?" Lucy asked the girls. Serena recognizing the voice and song listened as well relieved to hear it.

"That's Nina. If she's singing it must be good news."

"She's gotten a lot better." Shauna said as Miette bumped into her elbow.

"Hush will you?" Out of the older girls she was the only who hasn't heard her yet live. Lucy swayed as well to the tune hearing how good the silver haired girl is. They all went inside to see her practicing with Primarina in her normal form. The song ending she looked at the larger group getting a small applause. As as she enjoyed it Lucy had questions.

"I thought you were supposed to train Evan."

"See for yourselves." The singer pointed over to the stands where Ash was playing with Pikachu while keeping an eye out. Next to him laid over the width of a bench laid Evan. Ash in return pointed up into the rafters as the girls vision moved up. A tiny hint of purple glowed and on closer inspection Toxicroak now had blue spikes on top its as it was snoring softly with his arms hanging down.

"If we keep the naming thing going on, this is Evan Toxicroak." Ash calling it as it is Lucy most of all was stunned.

"You managed to do it!? How?"

"Thinking outside our usual methods." Nina winked at Ash promising it would be their little secret in how they did it.

"Congratulations!" Serena happy Ash managed to do it. With ow he learned his sight recently and inspiring the lazy boy to transform she hoped it would make him reconsider on that offer she made a very long time ago to visit schools and teach children more from time to time.

"Get it down! I want a closer look!"

The girls loud took Evan out of his nap.

"What's all that noise?"

Seeing them all excited he laid back down again just letting it all wash by.

"I think we should celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Ash found Serena's suggestion quite strange. He thought she knew better on what a Battle Bond master really is. Thoughts which his fellow Battle Bond trainer mirrored.

"It's a basic transformation, not a full mastership. He's got quite a way to go before we can celebrate."

"What are you thinking Serena?" Shauna wanting to join in as well ignoring the duo of powerful trainers.

"It's just a small party on the beach. A small group of friends, nothing more than that but with food, dance and other fun stuff." Thinking they earned some downtime Cyllage City was one of the better places to have a small beach party among friends.

"I'll get Jean to cook up some nice food." Miette liking the idea wanted to show off with her boyfriend. He got the job in feeding the men here, getting his own kitchen but she was sure to convince him to make something for their little group as well.

"I'll invite TJ, Tierno and Trevor as well. They would love to see you guys again." Shauna thinking it be great to get her boyfriend and two best friends here as well and giving them to catch up now that Nina pretty much revealed herself on who she really was. Plus with how much she antagonized Tierno and Trevor the first time they were together maybe it can change so they'll be better friends as well.

"Do you have too?" Nina not looking forward to seeing the photographer with the Mega Charizard again.

"Remember what Madeleine said?" Serena lecturing her on what someone close to the singer said in improving herself. Nina let out a heavy sigh cause she knew the Kalos Queen will call her singing coach on how she returned to old habits.

"Snitch. They can come but keep them on a leash."

"Then it's settled. Beach party!"

Grind, must press on.

Really sorry this one is on the back foot but again no motivation.

See you around.