[Quick note - Yes, some moves will be deleted for more powerful versions of their attacks in time. Ex. Bite to Crunch)] br /

Nova's team (so far):

Houndour - Male - Hades - Flash Fire - Ember, Howl, Bite, etc.

Dawn's team (so far):

Piplup - Male - Torret - Bubblebeam, Peck, Bide, etc.

Buneary - Female - Limber - Dizzy Punch, Ice beam, Bounce, Quick attack, etc.

Ash's team (on hold):

Pikachu - Male - Static - Iron tail, Quick attack, Thunderbolt, Volt tackle, etc.

Noctowl (shiny) - Female - Insomnia - Confusion, Sky attack, Peck, and Steel wing, etc.

Wartotle - Male - Torrent - Rapid spin, Iron defense, Aqua tail, and Water gun, etc.

Bayleef - Female - Overgrow - Razor leaf, Vine Whip, Body Slam, Sweet Scent, etc.

Aipom - Female - Pick up - Swift, Focus punch, Double team, and Agility

Starly - Male - Reckless - Gust, Quick attack, and Double team, etc.

Ash was surprised when he realized Team Rocket wasn't going after Pikachu.

Heck, one of the reasons the boy now increased his Pokémon storage from six to ten, let alone rotate his old Pokémon at times, was to stop being outgunned by the trio.

Still, the raven teen won't let his guard up yet, as the day was still young.

While Professor Oak updated his pokedex for Sinnoh, he still recommended Ash visit Professor Rowan.

Whether this was another GS ball situation, he didn't know, but at least he could check out some new Pokémon the professor ought to have from all over Sinnoh and more.

Yet when he approached the front of the lab, his eyes only seemed to gaze upon the brown-haired girl.

His heart rate speed up, his blood pumped like he was in a Pokémon battle, and was it suddenly so hot all the sudden?

He quickly shook his head, trying to act normally despite the odd emotion phase he went through, "Someone say battle master?"

Dawn nearly rolled her eyes at the young teen with the Pikachu.

He had it hard for Nova, yet she assumed he wasn't the smartest on romance, as his Pokémon seem to react as she felt, rolling his eyes.

Even while Ash talked to Nova as she introduced Hades to him, she could tell his actions were strange, and she only meet the guy!

"So, Ash, tell me, what brings you to Professor Rowan's lab? Here for a starter?"

Ash stops petting Hades and turned to the blue haired teen shaking his head, "Nah, Professor Oak recommended I'd come, probably for some pokedex entries filling of Sinnoh Pokémon."

Dawn's suspicions seem to disappear as her eyes lit up, "You know the poetry man?!"

Nova wasn't sure what to think with Ash.

He defiantly was good looking, the navy-blue vest bringing out his eyes...

Luckily Hades seem to get the picture and brought himself forward towards the new trainer and his Pokémon.

Piplup was seemly suspicious of the two, but Nova assumed he probably was sizing them up.

"By the way Ash, are you perhaps a gym challenger? Or are you a coordinator?"

Ash turns to her and smiles, glancing at Pikachu introducing himself to the fire and water type Pokémon, "I'm a gym challenger. I'm making my way to get to the Sinnoh league. Then a Pokémon master!"

Nova nods, somehow getting the fired-up spirit Ash had when the spoke of such, forgetting of her shyness for a second, "Well perhaps you'd like to join Dawn and I on our journey? I'm a gym challenger as well, but also a coordinator too."

"You can be both?!" Both Dawn and Ash say as they look at her in shock.

Nova's face heats up, Hades going to her side in a protective stance, "Y-yeah you can, as the grand festival and the league are at different times, making it easier for those that do both to compete in the highest stage of their career without problems of scheduling."

Dawn nods smiling once more, "That's true! The grand festival is around two weeks before the league starts!"

Ash shakes his head but laughs, "Well that's a ton, even so I'd definitely be late for at least one if I did both...or forgotten the date."

Pikachu leaps back on his shoulder and smiles, patting his trainer's head.

Nova sighs in relief, "Well luckily my papa will probably call to remind me, as remembering things can be tough for me as well sometimes. It's why I nickname Pokémon; in case I forget or I'm battling an opponent with said Pokémon species."

"Well guess while we travel, we can remember for each other!" Ash proudly explains, leading to both being a bit red in the face afterwards.

Dawn shakes her head and smiles smugly, "This will be some journey alright..."

With that, the three go off along the dirt road, not noticing the elderly professor gazing among them with a slight smile.

"So, you came here all the way from Kanto?"

Ash nods, walking in between the girls, with Dawn on his right, and Nova on his left, "Yep! Been on a Pokémon journey since I was ten! It's been five years...crazy how time flies, right buddy?"

Pikachu nods and smiles back, before going back to conversation with Hades, who preferred out of his pokeball to be by his trainer's side as well.

"Wow, so is this your first time in Sinnoh?" Dawn asks.

He nods again, "It is, but I've been through Kanto, Orange Islands, Johto, and Hoenn before coming here."

Nova's eyes go wide, "You must have a ton of Pokémon then with you right?"

Ash shrugs a bit, "Well yes, but to be honest, I only brought five Pokémon of my many back at Oak's ranch for the time being."

Dawn frowns, "So in total Pokémon, you have around..."

Ash tries to count on his fingers and looks at the sky in thought, "Let's see, there's Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Wartotle, Charizard, thirty Tauros..."

Both girls were in shock and awe as he seemed to go on and on until...

"And finally, Sceptile. So that makes...50 Pokémon total, as three of them came back after training/migrating."

"Wow, yet you only brought five. Why not a full team?"

Ash shrugs, "Well aside from my total from six to ten happened, I decided to bring half of a full team, so I have room for new Pokémon from here."

Nova nods, "Seems reasonable, though how you caught thirty Tauros I cannot figure out."

Ash laughs, "Oh just wait till I tell you the story! So, I was at the Safari zone when..."

"Starly!"

"Woooh!"

Ash ducks when a bird Pokémon swoops over his head, "What's that Pokémon?"

Nova looks upon the attacker as Ash brings up his pokedex (which the three learn can transfer data of Pokémon to each other's, helping in case one misses the chance to see up front a Pokémon), "A Starly, the regional bird of Sinnoh."

Starly, the starling Pokémon. Usually with a large flock, it is barely noticeable when alone. Its cries are very strident. (Pokémon Diamond)

Gender: Male

Ability: Reckless

Ash flips his hat backwards and smirks as he pulls a pokeball from his belt with nine other pokeballs, "Alright, looks like a new teammate! Go Noctowl!"

In a flash, with sparks for show, the teen's shiny Noctowl appears and is in flight, "Go after that bird, he's named Starly!"

Ash then runs ahead, leading the two girls to rush after him a bit of a slow start, as both were distracted by said shiny Pokémon.

Ash could see his bird in close distance of the region bird, a speed thanks to the early training he did with the rest of his Pokémon over the summer.

"Use confusion to bring him to the ground, and then go in for a peck attack!"

The Starly flies ahead, or tries, but a pink barrier around him stops him in his tracks before pushing him to the ground.

The region bird then looks back to see the trainer's bird come in with a smooth dive, her beak glowing white.

"Starlly!" With a quick move of his wing, the bird used wing attack to slap the bird into a nearby tree.

"Wow that's powerful!" Ash exclaims with a smile as Noctowl flies up still raring to go, "Alright then, go forth with a Sky attack!"

Now Noctowl's body shone with a white barrier, almost like flames in shape, striking down the bird before he could even counter.

"Now finish up with steel wing!"

Noctowl's wings glowed a silver white glow, knocking the bird on his feet with much struggle.

"Determined, not bad, now go pokeball!"

With a flick of the wrist, Ash throws an empty pokeball from his belt to the bird.

The bird is sucked in by a red light, and while struggling with the same red glow on the center button of the pokeball showing... the device stops and clicks in complete capture.

Ash smiles before going over to pick up the pokeball and turns to Noctowl, "Thanks girl, you did great! Swellow and Pidgeot must have trained you hard to master steel wing."

The owl just turns her head to the side 180, but shrugs before pecking her pokeball on his belt and being sucked back in.

"Nice job Ash!" Dawn speaks before going up to him with a glare, "But next time don't run out on us like that! We're not Dodrio!"

Ash chuckles slightly as he rubs the back of his head, "Hehehe whoops, sorry you two."

Piplup equals in his trainer's glare but doesn't speak despite his pride hurt from not being able to run faster than the fire hound, who seem to not even look like he took a sweat.

His trainer wasn't too off exhausted like Dawn, as she wasn't exactly that best runner around, "Perhaps a warning of a catchable Pokémon you'd like to get would be nice next time?"

Ash sighs and nods, Pikachu nodding as well due to his trainer's impatience, "Yeah, will do."

With that the trio continue on their way to the city, this time with Starly whom gotten Noctowl out of her pokeball to fly beside as they went on their way.

Ash points his pokedex to Starly and then looks on the device's screen, "Let's see... knows the moves wing attack, gust, tackle, and double team."

"Got some potential, as usually Starly don't learn gust till they evolve. He must be pretty special." Nova explains as Starly tries to outdo Noctowl on a trick contest, but no avail.

Dawn meanwhile scans Noctowl with her pokedex, interested in the shining beauty.

Noctowl, the owl Pokémon. It's extremely soft feathers make no sound in flight. It silently sneaks up on prey without being detected. (Pokémon Crystal)

Gender: Female

Ability: Insomnia

Moves: Sky attack, confusion, hypnosis, peck, and steel wing

Note: Shiny Pokémon

"Okay my turn at catching a new Pokémon!" Dawn enterically says, Piplup by her side with equal excitement (more so to one up someone, since Pikachu and Houndour were a no show at this point...not that he'd admit it).

"Go for it!" Ash exclaims.

Nova nods, "We'll be here to help if the battle gets too brutal."

Dawn nods and smiles at the two while she looked around, "No need to worry! Piplup and I got this!"

Ash sighs, "Why do I feel like that's when I worry the most?"

Nova nods and sighs as well, "Your guess is as good as mine."

Pikachu and Hades sigh as well, before exclaiming for the two birds above to watch for any danger while Dawn is on the hunt.

The two birds' tweet before circling above the pair of trainers, looking at Dawn and Piplup at a glance every now and then.

"Okay new Pokémon, where are you?" Dawn mutters to herself as she looks through some nearby bushes, Piplup doing the same.

"Piplup!"

The three turn to see Piplup jump back from the bush he was looking in, only to face to face with another Pokémon.

The three quickly scan said Pokémon.

Buneary, the rabbit Pokémon. When it senses danger, it perks up its ears. On cold nights, it sleeps with its head tucked into its fur. (Pokémon Pearl)

Gender: Female

Ability: Limber

"What a cutie!" Dawn exclaims as she points to the rabbit, "Alright Piplup go on and use peck!"

"Piplup!"

The penguin charges at the bunny, his beak glowing white.

Meanwhile, Nova could see the Buneary was more looking at Pikachu then at Piplup. Yet despite that, managed to dodge and hit Piplup with a hard dizzy punch.

'Buneary keeps blushing whenever she sees Pikachu...could it be?'

Her thoughts were interrupted when Piplup managed to get a bubble beam hit on Buneary sending her back a bit.

"Alright now use peck and finish this off!"

Piplup charges once more with a white glowing beak, and despite Buneary throwing in an ice beam, manages to get a direct hit.

Dawn then quickly throws a pokeball at the rabbit on the ground, "Go pokeball!"

The pokeball sucks the Pokémon and wobbles for a bit, but then clicks as a complete capture.

"We did it! I caught my first Pokémon! Oh, thank you Piplup!"

Dawn tries to go for a hug from Piplup, but he just shakes his head, puffing out his chest at Pikachu and Hades who only give him a deadpan look.

"Oh well, just you two wait! With a Buneary on the team, we'll grow close and later Piplup and I will do the same!"

Nova and Ash nods, before following the teen as they go on their way once more.

"So, what nickname should I call Buneary Nova?"

The shy teen's eyes go wide as she looks at Dawn, "You're nicknaming your Pokémon too?"

Dawn nods, "Sure, it'll help if like you said, we battle a trainer with the same Pokémon."

Ash nods as well, "I might just do the same, what do you think buddy? Want a nickname in such a case?"

Pikachu shrugs, but quickly then jumps onto Nova's right shoulder in surprise.

"Well guess that's a sure?" Nova nervously says, which Pikachu responds with a nuzzle on her cheek.

Hades growls at the mouse, but Nova just sighs before petting the jealous dog.

"May we please enter for the contest and gym leagues?"

"Of course! Just hand me your pokedexs and I'll register you all in the respective league you would like, and you said Nova you want both leagues?"

"Yes, Nurse Joy!"

Once the three registered for their leagues, Nova for both, the three give their Pokémon to Nurse Joy before sitting at the mini café for some lunch.

"So, Nova, what gave you the urge to do both contest and gym battles?"

The teen turns to Ash and smiles softly, "Well I believe it's the mix that can make my Pokémon stronger. With contest you also do battle, so it's like fighting a gym but on a public stage so to speak, which might help my anxiety."

Ash nods, "Well I can agree with that, as a friend of mine from Hoenn does contest too. I even entered a contest one time, remember buddy?"

Nurse Joy had handed their Pokémon early, since the only ones that needed to heal were Piplup and Noctowl.

"Chaaa!" Pikachu nods before going back to his food.

"Wow, what was it like?" Dawn asks.

Ash crosses his arms in thought, "Well it definitely is different from a gym battle, as least mentally. To need to show off your Pokémon, at the same time of being attacked in battle, can mess you up if you aren't careful."

Both girls' nods urging him to continue, "I actually didn't do so bad, managed to tie with May at the finals. So, I got my Sceptile to cut the ribbon in half, giving us a token of said battle." He then pulls said ribbon half out of his bag of mementos in his backpack.

"Wow, that's one huge ribbon." Dawn exclaims.

Nova nods, "I've only seen Sinnoh ribbons, and their much smaller than that."

Dawn then claps her hands and smiles, "Wait! Weren't you the small girl years back who got my mom's Umbreon to perform for the class?"

Rachel gasps and turns to Dawn, "Wait, Joanna is your mom?!"

Dawn nods excitedly, "Yeah! It's why I'm trying to become top coordinator, to be like her!"

Ash meanwhile just looks between the two, "So you two known each other?"

Nova turns back to Ash and shakes her head, "Nope, I was probably in a different class then she was, but the story of me using Umbreon in a performance battle did make its way to other classes."

Dawn giggles and nods, "My mom was shocked by such a move, especially since no one but her could ever get Umbreon to do any attacks."

Nova blushes slightly with a shrug, "I thought Umbreon was bored and asked if he'd like to do performances with me. I didn't expect him to actually do it!"

The three laughs as they then continued through the day and dinner, discussing of their childhoods.

Though both Ash and Dawn could somehow sense Nova wasn't telling everything, as she only talked of her childhood from the age of seven onward yet did speak of her being adopted at six by the professor, just not why or how.

Nova's team (so far):

Houndour - Male - Hades - Flash Fire - Ember, Howl, Bite, etc.

Dawn's team (so far):

Piplup - Male - Torret - Bubble beam, Peck, Bide, etc.

Buneary - Female - Limber - Dizzy Punch, Ice beam, Bounce, Quick attack, etc.