Here is the seventeenth Supplement for the Heart in 'Winning Takes Heart', released at the right moment in the story. This is a Supplement that I have always planned to do but for various reasons I've not teased it with one, small, exception that I will of course not mention. For those wondering, this Supplement takes place between Parts CXXXVIII and CXXXIX and occurs at roughly the same time as the last Supplement hence why they are released so close to each other. However, that is all the administrative stuff I have and as there are no questions to answer or guest reviews to respond to I will end this note here which means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the Winning's Seventeenth Supplement For the Heart: A Fateful Encounter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
A Fateful Encounter
Ash wandered Laverre City a little unsure what to do with his day off in the city. It was the day after his gym battle with, and victory over, Valerie to secure his 6th gym badge of the year. He was now only two away from qualifying for the Lumiose Conference at the end of the season and he couldn't wait for those battles.
However, those battle were still a good month off at the soonest for Ash. That was because the nearest of the two remaining gyms for him to challenge was in Anistar City to the southeast but to get there they had to pass through Dendemille Town to reach it. Based on their current timing they would hit Dendemille in time for the Showcase there so Dawn would be able to compete in it before they moved on to Anistar where another Showcase was being held in a month's time so they would stay in that city for it as well.
After that they would keep moving to the east until they reached Snowbelle City where the final gym for Ash would be and where the Wallace Cup was being held in a few months' time. Naturally they would be there for it so that Serena, and probably Ash for training purposes, could compete in it around the gym battle and then plan from there. Of course, there was always the chance of side adventures on the way which they had to factor in as well, but they had a little cushion for those so Ash wasn't worried on that front.
That was in the future though, right now they had a day off after all the excitement in Laverre over the last week plus and they were all doing their own thing with that time. This day off hadn't been planned but Valerie really wanted to get tea with Dawn and meet her Togekiss because of the role both of them played in the discovery of fairy types and hear their stories so they'd stayed the extra day for that tea.
Valerie had invited the rest of them to it as well, but it wasn't Ash's kinda thing while May and Serena said they would join later if they had the time as they had their own plans. Those plans were training for Serena's next Contest when it came up, possibly as soon as Dendemille if the same thing occurred there as did in Lagoon Town, and after Serena's loss in the Laverre Contest semifinals they wanted to be better prepared for it.
They had learned from Adam, Emily's friend and traveling companion, that tactics and forethought on the better coordinators could be really helpful and as such they were going to begin doing that now that there was plenty of data on the Big 3. Serena still needed one more ribbon to reach the wildcard weekend and while she might not face any of the favorites again before the Wallace Cup, Emily and Jessilina were both on a break now that they'd reached 4 ribbons each, it was still a good plan to be ready for when the time came.
As such, Ash was on his own in the city and for once he had no idea what to do. Since getting to Laverre he had been busy from the get-go be it dealing with the Fashion Week drama thanks to Elesa's sudden appearance, helping Serena prepare for the Contest, or training for his gym battle against Valerie, Ash hadn't had the free time to just see the city. Now he did and with Dawn's tea with Valerie he couldn't even enjoy a date day, so he was stuck on his own.
With nothing planned, Ash had decided to just wander around the interesting city and see what happened. With his luck something interesting or unexpected was bound to occur so he may as well just see where fate took him and hope that it was something fun. If not, well he could just do some shopping and resupply for their trip to Dendemille as it never hurt to be too prepared for life on the road.
It was because he was thinking about what to do that he didn't notice where he was walking until he felt a strange, unnatural, chill pass over him. Pikachu felt it as well and gave him a little shock to stop and look around and see where he was. It wasn't where he was expecting to be that was for sure.
Somehow he'd ended up walking so far north that he'd passed the giant tree that held the gym and was now somewhere to the northwest of the city and right on the outskirts of it if he had to guess. That alone wasn't too bad, but it was what was in front of him that had caused him to shiver.
His random wanderings had taken him to the door of a simple two-story house that had seen better days though it wasn't dilapidated by any standards, which was covered in shadows from a nearby copse of gnarled trees. It wasn't sinister per se, but it wasn't what Ash had expected to find in a city with a reputation like Laverre especially after all he'd seen while here. Well, it was just a house so Ash could just turn and head back to the center of the city and move on with his day.
However, before he could move, the door creaked open as if on its own accord and an inky blackness greeted Ash from within the house. That had been unexpected but then a voice called out to him from the darkness.
"I've been waiting for you traveler." A slightly horse, but surprisingly young and feminine voice, called out to Ash. "Please, come in and join me for a moment so I can see if you are truly the one that I have been waiting so long for."
"Er, really?" Ash asked confused. "You've been waiting for me?"
"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked just as confused from Ash's shoulder.
"For a traveler who comes upon my dwelling without thinking yes but not you in particular young traveler." The voice called out. "And I can tell from your sense that you did not seek me out which means that you must have a connection to what I have. Please, come in so I can see you."
With a look at Pikachu, who just shrugged from his position on Ash's shoulder as this wasn't the weirdest thing they'd ever done, not even close, Ash turned back and walked forward. He was looking for something to do today and it looked like he'd found it so he may as well check this out and see what happened. What was the worst that could come from this after all?
As soon as Ash was in the house, a series of gas lights on the walls flickered to life on the wall to illuminate the simple entrance room he'd walked into. Inside the room was a large, old, worn, square wooden table in the center of it with 4 chairs around it, one for each side, that took up most of the space. On one wall was a sofa that had seen better days while a kitchen nook was in the far corner next to a door that had to lead further into the house. However, Ash's eyes were drawn to the person sitting at the table waiting for him.
Sitting there was a young woman who could only be at most a few years older than he was if that. That alone was a surprise as Ash was expecting someone older but then there was her appearance. The woman was dressed all in black. She wore a simple long sleeved black dress that fell to her knees with a rounded collar and what looked like a spiderweb pattern around her midriff for some reason.
It all went with her long, slightly unkept, black hair that was slightly held back by a purple headband which was the only color on her and black eyes. To complete the look she had black nail polish on her delicate looking fingers, black lipstick, and black eye shadow. All this stood out in stark contrast to her milk white skin giving her a slightly spooky appearance.
"Please sit." The woman said with a smile as she gestured to the chair opposite her which pulled itself out for Ash. "And let's chat to see if you are who I have been waiting for."
"Um ok." Ash said now nervous and uneasy as the door also closed on its own, but he saw no telltale sign of the woman using psychic powers so something else had to be at play, but he couldn't think what it was at the moment other than that he was certain he'd encountered this phenomenon before somewhere. "Er, what have you been waiting for?"
"First off your name." The woman said. "Who are you and how have you come to my quiet corner of Kalos?"
"My name is Ash Ketchum, I'm a trainer from Pallet Town out in Kanto." Ash said. "I'm in Kalos to challenge the Kalos league and enter the Lumiose Conference at the end of the season. I already have 6 gym badges, so I am well on my way. I'm also here with some friends, and my girlfriend, who are also doing important things in Kalos."
"Ah a trainer, just as I suspected when I first saw you in town last week." The woman said with a smile. "Perfect, the first criteria is met, only a trainer can receive what I have as only a trainer understands the true value of it. Judging by your Pikachu, you are someone who sees Pokémon as friends and not tools, that is very good as it means that you have a kind heart just as I suspected."
"Wait, you saw me earlier in the week?" Ash asked confused.
"Why yes I am from this city so I do get out despite what it may seem." The woman said with a light chuckle. "And I saw you at the Fashion Week while I was there to see Val's latest designs though they were too bright for my tastes, double that for that Unova woman though the black dress she put that blonde in was very nice I have to admit. All that is irrelevant though. Yes, I saw you and I had a feeling that once things died down you would come to me without realizing it. I can sense these things and have been waiting for the right person."
"Oh ok." Ash said still confused by this strange woman but deciding to just go with it for now as there wasn't anything else he could really do at the moment but go with it. "And you are?"
"My name is not relevant, and I haven't used it in years regardless." The woman said waving her hand dismissively only adding to her oddness though still not as odd as some of the people Ash had met over the years in all the regions and areas that he'd been to. "This meeting is about you not me regardless. You have the potential and as such I must confirm things to see if you are the one to receive what I have. Others have tried to claim but as it is mine, though I cannot use it for various reasons, I can choose who gets it. I have decided to give it to a worthy trainer and have been waiting said right trainer for a while now. That trainer could be you."
"Er alright I'll bite." Ash said at this point his confusion was so deep that he may as well ignore it and see what the woman wanted from him. "What are you looking for?"
"A trainer with a good and pure heart, one who is one with the Pokémon under his or her own care." The woman said before nodding at Ash's hand. "You have one of those which means that you have that criteria met as well though I will not ask for details on that, and it isn't a dealbreaker regardless. There is but one thing that I must ask for confirmation on to see if you are fully worthy."
"Huh?" Ash asked. "What do you mean by that? What do you need confirmation of?"
"That you are, shall we say, compatible with what I have." The woman said sounding a little evasive, but she'd been like that this entire time, so Ash just went with it. "However, that is easy to determine. Please can you hand me your Pokedex, that will have the information I need."
"It will?" Ash asked as he pulled out his Pokedex and slid it across the table to the woman as he figured there was no harm in it though he had no idea why she needed it. "How?"
"A Pokedex is more than just a device to show what Pokémon you have seen." The woman said as she pressed a button on it and began to look through it while occasionally pressing things on it. "If you know where to look you can find much more about a trainer than just what he or she has seen."
"Well, this isn't my first Pokedex so I'm not sure how helpful it will be." Ash said. "I get a new one each time I go to a new region, or at least update the old one, and Kalos is the 6th region I have been to."
"That is fine, your trainer data is always transferred over no matter how many regions you go to." The woman said as she paused on something and began scrolling through it. "Ah, here is what I am looking for. Let's see, hmm. Oh my, you are well rounded."
"I am?" Ash asked confused.
"Yes now shush." The woman said as she flicked through something, her eyes lighting up a moment later and a broad grin appearing on her face that told Ash that she had found what she was looking for. "Yes, you are the one I have been waiting for. You don't just have one of the requirements, you have the requirement which given other factors is impressive. Please, tell me how you came by it."
The women finished speaking by passing over the Pokedex back to Ash who looked down. He was surprised firstly by the page she was on; he didn't realize that that existed in his Pokedex, but he was even more surprised by the entry she'd selected and asked to know about.
"It's a long story." Ash said looking up at her. "But can I know why you want to know the story behind it?"
"Pure curiosity." The woman said with a smile. "And we have time so I can sit and listen to it."
"Fine but, um, before I do tell you, can you at least show me why I've been through all this?" Ash asked. "I am still pretty lost at what is going on."
"Very well, you do deserve to know but after I tell you please tell me the story of how you got it." The woman said. "As part of the exchange if nothing else."
"Of course." Ash said with a nod. "I'd love to once I know why it is important."
"It is important because I have long been charged with guarding this item until the right trainer arrives to claim it from me." The woman said as she reached into the web pattern on her dress and withdrew a small, pitch black, drawstring bag that she put on the table between them. "Only a trainer who is truly worthy and has what I am looking for can claim this. I have been holding it until that time came and I believe that time is now. Please, take a look for yourself and I can explain all you want to know about it. All I ask is that you treasure it and your bond and that you use it when the right time to do so comes."
With that, the woman passed the bag over the table to him. Nervously and still very confused by everything going on here, Ash picked up the small drawstring bag the woman had passed him and opened it to see what all this was really about. As soon as he did his eyes widened at the sight of what was inside, the light in the room more than enough to illuminate what it was and at once he knew what this was about though.
"This…" Ash began looking up at the woman unable to say anything more one what she'd given him as it was an invaluable item as far as he knew. "This is…"
"Yup, I've guarded that for a while waiting for the right trainer which is you." The woman said with a smile. "It's for…"
Oh boy am I cruel or what, but I can't resist leaving a cliffhanger here for y'all to enjoy. I know that this is a short, vague, and strange Supplement, hence why it is here, but there is actually a clue to what it is somewhere in the Hearts Series (yes I am that cruel that I won't say were it is) but I am sure that many of you can guess at least what it is in general. As for more specific details, well again I think some will guess as there is a way to find out what it is, but I won't reveal what it is until the time is right, and that right time is currently slated (pending additions or subtractions from the outline) to be in Part CXCII which is going to be in Hearts 5. That means that this cliffhanger will not be answered until the main Hearts Series and the next and final installment in it, but it is a little set up for that Part when it comes. I know, cruel but everything I do is for a reason so you will just have to wait and see. Anyway, that is it for this second Supplement in the Laverre arc and the overall conclusion to the Laverre arc as Serena and May's activities are really just training and research so not worth telling. The next Supplement isn't scheduled until around Part CXLIII and is special in its own right but that's all I will say on that as well. Anyway, that is all I have for this Supplement so I will leave it here. As always please continue favorite and follow both me and this story to keep abreast with new releases and keep the reviews coming. Until next time.
Stringdog