Chapter 5

Soon, Chloe and Serena walked side by side, with their pokemons walking together. They sat under a tree as Chloe took out her rotomphone to check about Sylveon.

"Sylveon, the intertwining pokemon, also the evolution of Eevee. It evolves from Eevee when leveled up knowing a Fairy-type move and having either at least two levels of Affection or high friendship. Sylveon's ribbon-like feelers emit a soothing aura that erases any sense of hostility, enabling it to stop fights. When hunting, it swirls its feelers as a distraction while the aura weakens feelings of hostility in its prey, then pounces on the victim. It will also wrap its feelers around its Trainer's arm as they walk together, which allows it to read their feelings."

Serena looked at her smiling. "I see you have Eevee as your partner. Have you planned on evolving it or keeping it as an Eevee?"

"You see, Eevee has quite unstable DNA. So, I'm not sure what Eevee would like to evolve into. I'll love it the same regardless of its evolution." Chloe replied.

"I see…don't worry much about it Chloe. I'm pretty sure Eevee would become the best partner it wants to be for you and it would find its path." Chloe smiled but soon sighed.

"I'm quite lost in my path actually and I don't know what to do. Both of my friends know what to do and honestly I'm the only one who is lost."

Serena smiled slightly remembering her own beginning as a lost new trainer.

"Do your friends judge for feeling lost?" She asked.

"No! They both are very supportive and are always by my side. It's just that I wish I had something to move forward to."

"Then you have nothing to worry about! You see, when I became a new pokemon trainer, I neither knew how to handle pokemons or what to do. But I had supportive friends who guided me through it. One of them was someone I looked up to, he was so great at battling and he understood pokemon better than anyone I knew. He was also very crazy about them." She laughed slightly. "But he made me a better trainer to my pokemons and eventually I found what I wanted to be."

Chloe laughed slightly. "The crazy for pokemon reminds me of one of own friends. He is quite understanding of pokemons." Serena nodded. "It's a gift honestly, to understand pokemons so deep. I try to be like him every time I face any troubles." Chloe looked at her.

"He sounds like someone you might be in love with."

"WHAT?!" Serena yelped blushing furiously. All these years and she remained as obvious as she was when it came to Ash.

"Yeah… whenever you talked about him, your eyes shone brightly." Chloe laughed as Serena pouted. Soon, however, their talks were interrupted as they heard a blast. They looked up to see a huge helicopter flying towards north. However, it looked like there was a cage at the bottom and inside it… a pokemon. Serena stared in horror as she realized it was a pokemon taken forcefully away.

"Chloe! They are taking away the pokemon!"

"Come on! We got no time to lose. Let's follow them!" Chloe held her hand as they started running. Serena took a pokeball out of her pokeball and threw it.

"Fletchinder, follow the helicopter!" It obeyed her and they ran behind it.

Soon they reached the place.

"A building?! In the middle of the forest?" Serena asked incredulously.

"Who do you think it belongs to?" Chloe asked.

"No idea. But when it comes to stealing pokemons, its always-

"Team Rocket" they both said in unison. Surprised, they both looked at each other.

"You know Team Rocket?!" They both asked at the same time again.

"Looks like we do. What do we do now though?" Chloe asked.

"Stop them, mostly" Serena replied.

Ash and Goh soon reached the place where the race was going to be held. Soon, he found Grace and grinned.

"Hey Grace! Over here!" Grace looked behind and spotted Ash, immediately recognizing him. She beamed in delight as she rushed towards him and embracing him tightly.

"Ash! It has been so long since we met! How have you been? You did not contact me or visit me after you left Kalos!" She bombarded him at once. Ash laughed and answered everything to her and telling where he had been busy with.

At last Grace said, "Wow. So, you became the Alola champion. I'm so proud of you. Serena would be proud too. Ah, speaking of Serena, have you met her yet?"

Ash felt a jolt. So, Serena was here. "No, I haven't. I thought she might be busy with her journey."

"No, she came for a break after winning several performances and she along with me to Kanto. However, she went to the forest quite a long time ago and isn't back yet."

"I'll go look for her, don't you worry!" Ash said as Grace smiled.

"Yes, do that, she'd be overjoyed seeing you here."

He waved goodbye to her as he ran out to Goh who was busy admiring the Rhyhorns.

"Ash you are back. I think I should catch a Rhyhorn next. They are so friendly." Ash nodded in response and said, "Awesome. But I need to find a friend now. Do you want to come along?" Goh nodded and they headed out again, this time towards Viridian forest.

Ash was feeling a different kind of energy inside of him. He was going to meet Serena again.

Serena and Chloe were at the rooftop now. Serena peaked outside and looked at the situation. She stifled a gasp as she realized who the caged pokemon was. Looking back, she whispered to Chloe, "They have captured a Lugia forcefully!" Chloe looked and then gasped.

Lugia thrashed around trying to break free but was subdued due to the electric and dark energy attacked it.

They saw Matori, the Team Rocket member looking triumphant. Serena boiled in anger. She despised mistreatment of pokemons. She came out of their hiding spot and yelled. "Hey leave Lugia alone now." Chloe came as well standing beside her.

"You both! What are you doing here?" Matori snapped coldly looking at them.

"What do you think? To free Lugia!" Chloe said.

"In that case, we need to eliminate you. Throw them out." She said as the other members took out their pokemons. Infront of them stood Houndoom, Golem, Rhydon, Purugly and Toxicroak.

"Go Eevee!" Chloe commanded as Eevee stood infront of them.

"Go Sylveon and Fletchinder." Serena yelled as her both pokemons stood infront of her.

"Fletchinder, use Flame Charge, Sylveon use Quick Attack." They both obeyed as Chloe yelled, "Eevee use Tackle."

The fight went on but Fletchinder was soon knocked out. "Return Fletchiner. You did a good job. Now, go Delphox" She yelled as her first and closest pokemon came out.

"Delphox use flame thrower on Purugly!" Chloe looked at the beautiful pokemon. Looking at her distracted Golem attacked her Eevee. "Sylveon, use Protect." Sylveon stood infront of them and made a shield as Golem was thrown from the impact and fainted.

The fight went on but no one noticed Lugia slowly losing its control on itself. A huge light emitted as the members dodged it when Matori yelled, "Everybody get down." Everyone got out of the way as the attack came towards both the trainers. "Sylveon use Protect!" Serena yelled. "Eevee, copy Sylveon." Chloe said as both the pokemons made the invisible shield to protect. It did not impact them directly but they were thrown backwards as they fell from the rooftop. Serena closed her eyes, waiting for the fall, but it never came. Instead, she felt someone holding her and going upwards. She opened her eyes to see a Dragonite, holding her and Chloe and their pokemons. It looked down upon them in assurance.

"Dragonite, is it you?" Chloe asked. Dragonite nodded in affirmation as she sighed in relief.

"You know the Dragonite?" Serena asked and Chloe nodded.

She was about to ask, but another yet attack came from Lugia.

Before they could react, however, the attack was thrown off by a pokemon.

Ash and Goh were searching for Serena.

"But Ash, how are we supposed to find her? She might be just anywhere." Goh asked.

"Don't worry, Goh. I'll find her."

"Chloe isn't even back yet. She could have helped as well." Goh said, worried.

"I hope she's fine. We'll search for her as well."

Before they could say anything else, they were interrupted by a loud wail. It sounded familiar to them.

They both looked at each other uneasily.

"It sounds familiar right?" Goh asked. Ash nodded. He threw out his pokeball calling out Dragonite.

"Dragonite, go check if there's anything unusual around here." Dragonite nodded and flew. Goh called out his Aerodactyl as well and commanding the same. They walked further, now worried about the noise. Soon both the pokemons were back and made signs of following them. They climbed on their backs and rode towards the direction the pokemons were heading to. Soon they saw a building and went near it.

"What is a building doing here?" Goh asked but Ash knew already that whatever going here wasn't good.

"Let's go, Goh." Before they could do anything, they saw a blinding flash and the realized in horror that two people were falling off the rooftop. Ash quickly hopped off from Dragonite's back to Aerodactyl's and yelled, "Go catch them!" Dragonite soon flew and caught them. They both sighed in relief but Goh suddenly yelled, "Ash, that's Chloe! And Eevee. What were they doing here?!" He looked and realized it was Chloe, but he recognized the girl beside her as well. With a jolt, he realized he found the girl he has been searching for and yearning for since the past few years.

"Serena…"

Then came another blinding light but before it harmed Dragonite and the girls, Goh yelled, "Aerodactyl, use Hyper Beam."

They soon went to the rooftop and saw the situation.

"Ash, free Lugia. I'll handle the rest!" Goh yelled as Ash nodded. He ran towards the cage and saw Lugia.

"Lugia! Calm down! You are hurting yourself." Ash tried to soothe the legendary pokemon.

"Hey look, it's me. I won't hurt you." Pikachu stood beside him, trying to calm it as well.

Serena and Chloe were brought up to the rooftop. As soon as they landed, Chloe ran towards Goh. "Goh!" Goh turned towards them glancing at Chloe to make sure she wasn't hurt. He nodded and turned his back to continue fighting.

Chloe stood beside him to fight as well. "Go, Eevee! Use Tackle!"

"Raichu! Use Volt Tackle." Goh commanded to his Raichu as it attacked as well. Another attack however came and Serena commanded Sylveon to use Protect to shield them from the damage. Goh looked at her and said, "You must be Serena." She looked at him in surprise and Goh continued, "We will handle this. Please go and help Ash."

Serena looked at him open mouthed. "Ash?" she whispered before she realized. Everything made sense now. The pokemon trainer who understood pokemons. Crazy for pokemons. No one but only Ash could be like that. She broke out of her trance and ran towards the place where Lugia was trapped. She had to help Ash.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail." Ash commanded as Pikachu tried to break the bars. "Use again and again!"

"Gengar, use Night Shade. Pikachu use Thunderbolt." He yelled again trying to free Lugia.

"Delphox, use Flame Charge." Another voice said as he saw a gust of flames charging towards the cage. He looked back to see Serena who ran towards him.

"Serena." He said.

"Ash, lets free Lugia." She said as he nodded. Both of them used their pokemons to break it.

"Serena, wait. I know who can help. Go, Lucario!" And his strongest pokemon came out.

"Lucario use Aura Sphere, others use the same attacks!" And this time, the bars made a crack and the electric powers of it were cut off. Lugia, realizing it, broke free off the cage and flew out in rage. He attacked the Team Rocket members knocking off all their pokemons. The villains, realizing this, made their way to escape and started flying off.

Goh started running towards them but Chloe held her back. "Goh we must calm Lugia or it will be bad!" He nodded and took her hand, pulling him with her. Ash ran towards Lugia standing infront of it.

"Hey, Lugia. Calm down. Remember me? And Goh? You are the same Lugia right? We won't hurt you." He spoke softly. Lugia stopped and looked at him intently. Ash slowly extended his hand, to stroke it. And the shadow from Lugia's eyes passed making him calm again.

All the others came towards it and stroked it and Lugia took them all on its back and flew them out of the forest and landing them back at Cerise Lab. Hearing the commotion, Professor Cerise and his partners came out, their mouth widening in shock when they realized it was Lugia and hardly believing when they saw Goh, Ash, Chloe and Serena coming down from it.

"How…what happened?" The professor asked weakly.

They all looked at each other and laughed. "It's kinda long story. So, this is how it started…."

A/N- They finally met! we hope you like this new part and comment your opinions on it :)