Sorry for the wait, but Chapter 3 is here! This is our longest yet, and I hope you enjoy!

Slateport City

The ferry pulled into port, hitting Slateport's docks on time as usual. As the anchor was thrown down, the ferry's boarding ramp descended as Ash, Goh, Chloe, and Brendan arrived in Slateport City: Hoenn's gateway to the sea. The salty scent of the sea entered their noses, and the sun beat down on the city like a Camerupt using Heat Wave. Ash was the first to step forward, breathing in and smiling to himself as Pikachu cheerfully shouted in glee.

"Well, we made it to Slateport everyone. What now?"

Currently, the group was walking along the street and away from the harbor, not quite sure where they should be headed. Then, Brendan walked forward, PokéNav in hand.

"I was thinking we'd take the road north of here to Mauville, then if we cross Route 111 and take a left before reaching the desert, we can easily get the cable car up to Mt. Chimney and go from there."

"Great! Let's get going!"

Goh hurriedly ran off, but Brendan stopped him with an outstretched arm.

"Now hold on Goh. It's getting quite late, don't you think? By the time we reach the road, it'll be nighttime and believe me, you DO NOT want to walk to Mauville when the Seaside Road is closed. We're best off remaining in the city until morning, then we can get a head start."

"Sounds good to me."

Chloe looked to her friend and snarked, "I'm sure someone won't mind remaining idle and away from wild Pokémon."

Goh rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Fiiine. We'll remain in the city then. Ash?"

"I was looking forward to seeing Slateport again anyways. I don't mind staying idle for a bit."

Brendan smirked as the group continued to walk along the street, looking at their surroundings. Slateport was a big city, and just exploring a single neighborhood would take days.

"Hey Brendan," Ask asked. "I know you started your journey here a month before I arrived, but how come I never saw you at the Ever Grande Conference?"

"Pokémon League conferences aren't my thing really," Brendan shrugged. "Too rigid for my liking."

"Then what do you normally do as a Trainer then? Contests?"

Brendan shook his head. "Believe me Chloe, I am the last person you'd see doing Contests. I really enjoy researching Pokémon out in the wild like my dad, but before that I used to compete at Trainer Hill, up north."

"Trainer Hill?"

"It's similar to the Battle Tower you'd normally see at the Battle Frontier, but less about fighting a Frontier Brain and more about how quickly you can beat the trainers there."

"Sounds fun. We'll have to give it a shot sometime, right Pikachu?"

"Pika-pika!"

Brendan smirked as the group continued to walk along, eventually coming across what appeared to be a gigantic market. Many stalls lined the street, selling all sorts of merchandise from Pokémon food to imports from other regions. Chloe in particular was grinning when she saw it.

"Okay, we gotta go here! I think I see a stall selling Casteliacones!"

Chloe ran off, with Goh close behind, as Ash and Brendan smirked.

"Those two have a lot of energy, don't they?"

"You could say the same about me Brendan."

"Fair enough. I'm gonna go check out that stall over there that's selling Poké Dolls."

"Poké Dolls? Really?"

"It's for a friend, alright!"

Brendan nervously ran off in fear as Ash chuckled to himself. As he walked along through the market, he eyed a stall selling berries looked nothing like the ones he had seen in Kanto; they were much plumper and looked juicier. Nodding at Pikachu, he walked over to the stall and stood in line, only for someone to collide with him from behind.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that sir!"

"It's no problem miss, I'm sure-"

Ash turned around to see a short-haired blonde girl with a yellow shirt, a pink skirt, and a red hat on. Adorning the hat was a blue ribbon. Wait a minute….blue ribbon?!

"Serena?"

Rusturf Tunnel

The hooded figure walked through the cavern, Whismur tagging along with them.

"This is our quickest route to Mt. Chimney. We'll beat them to the Magma hideout in no time."

"So that's your goal."

The hooded figure turned around to see a green-haired boy standing behind them, smirking as he folded his arms. A journal could be seen on his belt alongside his Poké Balls. Judging by his appearance, he looked to be the studious type.

"Did you really think you could eavesdrop on the champion of Hoenn and not be noticed? C'mon."

"I suggest you back off. This doesn't concern you."

"Oh, but it does. What you're trying to interfere with is something that could save our region from what is to come."

The hooded figure chuckled to themself.

"Oh please," they looked disinterested in what the young man had to say. "I seriously doubt Devon could stop something that my people did thousands of years ago."

"Then prove it."

The green-haired boy grinned as he pulled out a Poké Ball. The hooded figure responded in kind with their own.

"Aegislash, let's go!"

"Salamence, it's on you!"

The two Pokémon were released from their Poké Balls, staring each other down. For a moment, neither Trainer issued any orders as the cave went silent, save for the sound of dripping water. The green-haired boy was the first to break the silence.

"Sacred Sword!"

Aegislash instantaneously switched to its Blade Forme as its blade glowed white, before charging at Salamence and preparing to slash forward with its body.

"Dodge and use Dragon Claw!"

Salamence jumped out of the way of the slash as it took flight, before lunging forward with a terrible claw swing that knocked back Aegislash. The Royal Sword Pokémon nearly dropped its shield, but grabbed it just seconds before it fell to the ground.

"Keep up the pressure with Fire Fang!"

"King's Shield, quick!"

Salamence flew forward with flaming fangs, but instead chomped down on its opponent's shield. The dragon Pokemon tensed up from the metallic texture.

"Follow up with Night Slash!"

Aegislash immediately countered the hit with a blade cloaked in darkness as it threw its shield into its left hand. The strike sent Salamence flying into a pillar, causing said pillar to crumble on impact.

"You've got some skill for being Steven Stone's errand boy."

"You don't become a semifinalist in the Kalos League for nothing. Aegislash, Swords Dance!"

"Interrupt it with Crunch!"

As Aegislash lifted floating swords into the air, its attempt to begin the Swords Dance was met with a pair of draconic fangs chomping down on it. Salamence held the bite for some time as Aegislash winced in pain.

"Now take him down with Dragon Claw!"

Salamence capitalized on the weakened Aegislash with a series of claw swipes, pushing Aegislash closer and closer to a wall as it did so. It seemed like Salamence wouldn't stop anytime soon.

"Break out of it with Night Slash!"

Aegislash attempted a shadowy slash forward in an attempt to break free, but Salamence swiped it away with a Dragon Claw before landing another directly at Aegislash's eye. As soon as it landed the hit, the Royal Sword Pokémon fell to the ground, dropping its shield as it fainted.

"Aegislash! No!"

The green-haired boy ran towards Aegislash, kneeling in front of the unconscious Pokémon. As he did so, Salamence returned to his Trainer's side.

"Unless you want the rest of your Pokémon taken out like this one, I suggest you beat it."

The green-haired boy looked at the hooded figure in anger as he returned Aegislash to its Poké Ball, before getting up.

"Suit yourself. But know that those you're working to intercept will now be aware of your actions."

"I'm counting on it."

Slateport Market

The possibility of running into Serena in Hoenn had come into Ash's head several times when he first saw the interview in the airport, but he certainly didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

"Ash! It's been so long!"

Serena immediately pulled Ash into a hug, which he returned after a few seconds. The soft embrace made it feel like the world had stopped moving just for the two of them. Eventually, the two of them broke away as they smiled at each other.

"I saw your interview in the airport. For a new Coordinator, getting to the quarterfinals is no small feat!"

"Thank you Ash! Contests are very different from Showcases, but they're still fun nonetheless. And I should probably congratulate you for winning the Manalo Conference as well! That battle with Gladion was captivating."

Ash couldn't help but smile when he heard Serena had watched him battle.

"You saw me in the conference?"

"Of course I did! I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Serena winked at Ash as he smirked in response. Knowing that Serena had seen what was arguably the biggest achievement in his career as a Pokémon Trainer made him happy.

"Winning that conference really changed my outlook on things. It's part of why I decided not to go on a big journey in a single region and ended up working with Professor Cerise. I get to travel all over the world and I've made some great friends along the way!"

"That sounds awesome Ash! Listen, we should catch up over-"

"Ash! We're back!"

Serena sighed as her thought process was interrupted by Goh, Chloe, and Brendan walking over to the duo, shopping in hand. As usual, Goh had picked up more Poké Balls and was holding them all in a large bag, Chloe had a Casteliacone as well as a bag full of all sorts of souvenirs and clothes, and Brendan carried a large bag in hand, packed with paper to hide whatever he had bought. A receipt fell out of his pocket, which he hurriedly moved to secure, chuckling afterwards.

"Oh, you're the contest girl! Ash's eyes were glued to the TV when he saw your interview."

Ash nervously laughed at Chloe's remark as Serena smirked at her.

"Oh, I like her. What's your name?"

"I'm Chloe, and these two are Goh and Brendan. And you are…?"

"Serena, from Vaniville Town in the Kalos region! Ash and I travelled together across Kalos."

"Well, good to meet you Serena."

"So what brings you four to Hoenn then?"

"It's a long story, but the gist of it is that me, Goh, and Chloe came here for a research mission and Brendan is our "tour guide", so to speak."

"Tour guide? I consider myself more of a local informant thank you very much!"

Brendan's annoyance made Serena chuckle. She then had a moment of clarity as she pulled her Poké Balls off of her belt and held them in her hand.

"I think it would be a good idea for my Pokémon, new and old, to meet with you guys, don't you think?"

"You said it Serena, and I'll do the same!"

Ash and Serena threw out their Poké Balls, with Goh and Brendan following suit. Seeing as how Chloe only had Eevee, she simply let out her arm for Eevee to jump onto the ground, while Goh's Grookey and Pikachu simply jumped from their Trainers' bodies to the ground. The Poké Balls would soon let out the Pokémon within, revealing what everyone had on them.

Ash hadn't made any adjustments since departing for Mossdeep, so his team still consisted of Pikachu, Lucario, Gengar, Gible, Sceptile, and Krookodile. Goh however had only brought Grookey, Inteleon, and Cinderace with him, as he wanted to keep space for new captures, and Chloe retained her Eevee.

Brendan however had never shown his Pokémon until now, and his team was quite something: a Swampert, Shiftry, Aggron, and Rhyperior. One could see that his team was very much adept at navigating the outdoors and treacherous terrain while also being able to pack a punch in battle. Serena meanwhile retained Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon, but also had two new additions: a Milotic and a Sceptile.

As everyone's Pokémon arrived, they immediately began socializing and interacting. For one, Krookodile and Pancham instantly got along and stood back to back with their sunglasses, like they were ready for a photo shoot. Eevee and Sylveon were also chatting away to Chloe's relief, and both Gible and Rhyperior were playing catch as Rhyperior shot rocks into the air for Gible to grab with his mouth. Yet, one interaction was more intriguing than the others.

Ash and Serena's Sceptiles immediately took notice of each other, with Serena's nervously rubbing her neck as it chatted with Ash's Sceptile. Chloe was the first to take notice of this as she smirked, tapping Serena with her elbow.

"Looks like you and Ash's Sceptiles seem to like each other."

"Chloe, what are you talking about?" Serena was confused.

"It's so obvious that they're-"

Chloe's train of thought was interrupted by a scream from Brendan as he looked on in horror. A Magneton appeared to be hovering in the air with his Aggron in tow, before flying off.

"It must've taken it with Magnet Pull!"

"Ash, do you think it was Team Rocket?"

"Goh, if it was Team Rocket they'd be taunting us about how they managed to steal something under our noses."

"Team….Rocket?"

"A bunch of jokers who follow us around and try to steal our Pokémon. It seems they chose not to do so this time oddly enough."

Brendan grumbled as he immediately pulled out his PokéNav as he got up off his knees, looking to the rest of the group.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going after Aggron!"

Brendan scurried off, and with few other options remaining, the rest of the group followed.

Rustboro City

Sawyer's day was not going well.

Firstly, Steven Stone had assigned him to act as an observer to his acquisition of the Link Cable, much to his annoyance. He never liked staying idle and there was nothing new to gather from watching the Hoenn Champion talking with his father. He had at least seen a shady figure observing Steven's conversation, but when he confronted them, they brought out a Salamence that beat his Aegislash to a pulp. Now he was in the Rustboro Pokémon Center, waiting for Aegislash to recuperate as he spoke with Steven via his PokéNav.

"So this individual is en route to the Magma hideout to stop us from retrieving the Primal energy?"

Sawyer nodded in response as he sighed to himself. He felt guilty for letting them slip away.

"Supposedly. I never got a good look at their appearance but they had a brown cloak on and a very powerful Salamence. There's no telling how much they can endanger the plan."

"I agree. I can't intervene myself because I have to deliver the Link Cable, so I'm going to have to ask you to make the trek to Mt. Chimney."

"You got it Steven. I'll make sure the plan isn't derailed."

"Thank you Sawyer. Check back in when you can."

Steven ended the call as Sawyer nervously thought to himself. After what happened in the Rusturf Tunnel, he was weary of directly battling the mystery figure again. He knew he had to be discrete when he started the journey to Mt. Chimney.

Slateport City

Ash, his friends, and their Pokémon had followed Brendan to an abandoned warehouse near the market. It looked like it was falling apart at the seams, and plenty of broken crates and barrels were scattered along the nearby ground. Serena looked around nervously, keeping a tight grip on her bag.

"I don't like this one bit. This place gives me the creeps."

As Ash looked to Serena in concern, Brendan eyed his Swampert with a smirk.

"Swampert, use Hammer Arm to break down the door."

Swampert nodded at his Trainer as he charged forward with a glowing fist, slamming it into the rusted door. It buckled under the weight of the attack and went flying through the warehouse, hitting a wall. The group walked in slowly, keeping a sharp eye out for the missing Steel-types.

"Look guys!" whispered Brendan. He pointed in the distance at Magneton and Aggron, where, strangely, they were sitting down and talking, as if there was no malicious intent. Brendan reached for Aggron's Poké Ball in an attempt to return him, but the distance was too far.

"Dang it. I'll have to get closer."

As Brendan snuck closer and closer, the rest of the group kept an eye on Magneton. It seemed to be cheerfully sparking electricity from its magnets as Aggron chatted with it. Unfortunately, it would soon notice Brendan attempting to separate it from its friend and unleashed a vicious Thunderbolt in response, knocking the Trainer back a good distance. Brendan winced in pain as Ash, Serena, and Chloe went to check on him.

"I'm okay. I've felt worse. I think we should prepare for a battle unless-GOH!"

While most of the group went to check on Brendan, Goh was standing before the Magneton, Poké Ball in hand, as he stared it down.

"I don't know about you guys, but I need a Magneton."

Goh immediately threw a Poké Ball at Magneton, encapsulating it as it fell to the ground. Despite shaking twice, Magneton broke out of it and glared angrily at Goh.

"Goh, you're supposed to weaken it before throwing the-"

Serena's words were interrupted by Chloe putting a hand on her shoulder, smiling.

"This is normal, don't worry."

Goh reached into his bag, grabbing a Heavy Ball as he smirked. He didn't think he'd be able to use the new specialty balls he bought so soon.

"Try this on for size Magneton!"

Goh tossed the Heavy Ball at Magneton as it bounced along its three Magnemite, before trapping the Magneton inside and falling to the ground with a thud. The ball spun around a few times, but eventually clicked shut as Goh grinned, tossing the ball up and down in his hand. His Rotom Phone dinged in response.

"Magneton has been registered to your Pokédex."

Brendan got up off of his feet to Aggron, hugging him tightly in relief.

"Well bud, we kept your new friend intact while also letting you continue traveling with us!"

"Agg!"

As the group gathered once more and started to walk out of the warehouse, it had quickly become apparent that night had fallen.

"We should head back to the Pokémon Center and get some rest for our journey up to Mauville tomorrow."

"Mauville? What are you guys doing there?"

"It's a long story that's best explained on the way to the Pokémon Center Serena."

"Is that an invitation for me to join you guys?"

"Maybe it is."

Ash grinned sheepishly as Serena blushed slightly. She was traveling with Ash again! As the group stepped forward, Chloe quickly grabbed ahold of Serena's arm.

"Hey Serena, can I talk to you privately?"

"S-sure."

"What are you two talking about?"

"I wanna hear about Serena's contests. We'll catch up shortly, Goh."

Goh nodded as he, Ash, and Brendan got a head start to the Pokémon Center. As they did so, Chloe couldn't help but notice Serena smiling softly. It reminded her of Chrysa back home. She then turned to Serena with a smug smile.

"So, I couldn't help but notice how you act when Ash is around."

"Well yeah, I haven't seen him in a while."

Serena thought to herself, "Wait, am I THAT obvious?!"

"Don't lie to me sister. I can tell when someone has a crush."

Serena stammered briefly, before sighing and nodding her head at Chloe as she grinned.

"Alright, I admit it. I may have a…gigantic…crush on Ash. But it's well-justified and-"

Chloe cut her off.

"You don't need to admit WHY you like him, Serena! Believe me, Ash is just a friend of mine."

Serena sighed in relief as she looked at Chloe.

"It's just that…I'm always super nervous around him and whenever I'm close to trying to get some time alone with him, we always get interrupted! Plus he's as dense as a Steel-type when it comes to this kind of thing."

"And that's why I'm going to help you out."

Serena glanced at Chloe in shock.

"Wh-what?! But you barely know me Chloe!"

"Believe me when I say that Ash needs a girlfriend to ground him to reality sometimes."

"Well thank you Chloe! We should really get to the Pokémon Center now, but let's hope your help comes in handy!"

Chloe smiled at Serena as the two of them started walking towards the Pokémon Center. As this day came to a close, they would look towards tomorrow and the journey to Mauville.

Serena's arrived, Sawyer's on the trail, and the group is headed to Mauville! See you guys next chapter, and make sure to review if you want more!