'Heh, I look pretty cool, I bet.'

Ash felt pretty confident in himself, having returned with his Pokémon on his belt as he waited on the side of the road in front of his home. From her footsteps in the dirt, it seemed Chloe was walking around and seeing the farms of Pallet Town on this morning walk she did, so Ash waited here for her to return. He leaned against the fence with his hat covering his eyes as Pikachu waited on his shoulder.

"Pikapi, pi ka chu," said his partner, alerting him that Chloe was returning.

"Play it cool, buddy," he said, a confident smirk on his face.

He heard the footsteps of Chloe, Eevee, and Yamper come to a stop nearby. "Ash, what are you doing standing out here?" she asked. "Is your ankle feeling better?"

"My ankle's great," he said, trying not to laugh. "So uh, Chloe, there's one more thing I wanna tell you about being a trainer. It's a saying that we have."

Chloe leaned back on her feet, amused. "A saying? And what's that?"

Ash finally looked up at her, and glared directly into her emerald green eyes. Her bemused expression faded into a somewhat shocked look, and her cheeks turned pink.

"A-Ash…?"

Ash reached to his belt and readied a Poké Ball. "When two trainers lock eyes, that means it's time for a Pokémon Battle!"

"Pika!" called his best buddy, cheering him on.

The shock on her face was replaced with surprise. "W-What?! Battle with you!? But you're like the 99th strongest trainer in the world! I'm no match for a guy like you!"

"No excuses," Ash responded. "We're gonna have a Pokémon Battle, since this is part of what it means t' be a Pokémon Trainer. And you wanted to learn all about it coming out here, right?"

Chloe's eyes darted around, obviously looking for a way to escape. Ash, however, felt confident. 'She really wants to learn what it's like to be a trainer,' he smugly thought to himself. 'I'm sure of that. And if we battle, I might get what she's feeling for once! It's win-win! I'm so psyched! It's like getting to battle a strong Gym Leader!' He began hopping back and forth from one foot to the other, unable to contain his excitement any longer.

Chloe sighed, signaling her surrender to his wishes. "Oh, alright. It's still too early for lunch anyway. We can have your battle. Where are we having it?"

Ash gestured around them on the dirt path in front of his house. "Right here. Trainers battle wherever they are."

"You're not serious-!" Chloe once again balked. "Pokémon Battles can get really destructive! You know that! What if we break something?"

"Don't worry about that," Ash said, waving off her worry dismissively. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

She looked back at his face, and then down to her Pokémon. "Okay, so I guess it's a two on two battle since I only have two Pokémon?"

"That's right," Ash said. He had secretly considered bringing back a few more for Chloe to use so she wouldn't be so limited, but battling with Pokémon she didn't necessarily have a chance to bond with wouldn't help him understand how Chloe felt. 'It's just like Brock and Professor Oak have said. Pokémon become more like their trainers the closer they get, and I'm sure with how close Chloe is to Eevee and Yamper, she'll be able to become one with them and then ba-blam!'

Ash turned and walked away from her to give them enough space for their battle. He wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen, but he knew this would be his best shot at meeting Chloe's gaze and peering into her heart.

When he turned to her, she was crouched down to Eevee and Yamper, seemingly deciding on a strategy. With only two options, Ash could force her strategy down two paths, given that he could call on any of six different Pokémon for the battle. 'When we battled Team Rocket, I could tell she knew about type match-ups, so it's not like she'll have no idea… in that case…" He reached down to his belt and picked off a ball, quickly expanding it. "Alright, Gengar, I choose you!" Ash threw the ball forward with a curving spin. The ball snapped open in midair, the recoil from the opening sending the ball back to Ash, who caught it just as easily in one hand. The blue light released from the ball took the shape of the shadowy Ghost- and Poison-type Gengar that Ash had met in the Cerise Laboratory.

Gengar zipped around the area on the dirt path in front of Ash's home before popping up right in front of Chloe. "Gen-GAAAAR!" he shouted, going cross-eyed and wagging his long tongue at Chloe and her Pokémon.

Chloe stared straight on, clearly not startled by the appearance of the Shadow Pokémon. Eevee jumped up and began doing the same facial expression, going cross-eyed herself and sticking out her tongue. Yamper on the other hand growled and barked at Gengar with a "Yamp! Yamp!"

Chloe looked at her two Pokémon before crouching down and patting them both on the head. "Right. Eevee, take it easy for now, okay? Yamper, I'm counting on you!"

"Eui!" The Evolution Pokémon chirped back before hopping onto Chloe's shoulder, taking the same spot Pikachu would be on Ash's.

Ash smiled. 'Eevee sure likes to copy things. I guess that's her way of trying to figure out what she wants to do.' He looked up from Eevee to Chloe's face, and the student had a serious expression as her eyes were focused on Gengar. There was a spark in them that Ash recognized in his opponents; a real burning fire for battle. It was small now but maybe, Ash could draw out both her and Yamper's fighting spirit.

"You can make the first move, Chloe!" Ash called. "After all, I challenged you."

Chloe looked up at Ash, her expression going from focused to puzzled. "Oh, well… I guess you can't really start a battle until you decide who's going first, huh…?" She thrust an arm out forward. "Alright, Yamper! Let's start with Spark!"

Yamper growled and his body began to spark and crackle with electricity. He began bounding forward on his short legs, building up even more power around him.

"Okay, Gengar! Let's meet 'em head on with Ice Punch!" Ash called

Building a chilling energy around his fist, Gengar began darting around the battlefield, moving about erratically but still in general in Yamper's direction. As the ghost drew close to Yamper to finally unleash the attack, the puppy crouched before springing up like a cannonball shot at point blank range. The crackling aura around Yamper crashed into Gengar's fist, and for a moment, the moves clashed roughly against each other before Yamper barked out, unleashing even more electric power. Gengar's fist was blown back, and Yamper's body shot forward, crashing into Gengar and sending him flying back towards Ash. The lightweight Pokémon tumbled across the ground a bit before landing on his feet, scowling at the impertinent pup who pushed him back.

Ash was unfazed. "Yamper's got a lotta power for such a little guy," he said, his smirk still confident.

But there was confidence on Chloe's face as well. "Remember the day Gengar started haunting the lab? Yamper was the one to take him out and force him back. He's got some serious strength."

"But Yamper's only got Spark, right?" Ash asked, his confidence never wavering

"Y-Yeah?" Chloe replied, not sure where he was headed with this.

"That means he won't be able to attack us if he doesn't get close!"

Chloe gasped and her eyes went wide. Similarly, Yamper gasped, his tongue hanging down from his mouth. "Yamp?"

"Gengar, use Night Shade!"

Gengar rose up into the air and his eyes began to crackle with necrotic energy. He blasted out what looked to be a burst of shadows from his eyes and aimed them straight for Yamper.

"Dodge it, Yamper!"

Chloe called out to her puppy, and he did his best, scrambling along the ground to avoid the attack, but Gengar simply chased him down from the air. Sweeping the Night Shade attack across the road, Gengar eventually caught Yamper zagging when he should have zigged, blasting him back with a burst of shadow. Yamper flopped on the ground like a wet sausage before rolling back over onto his feet.

"Yamper, are you alright?" Chloe asked.

Yamper growled at Gengar. "Yamper! Yamper!"

Chloe had a look on her face like she was trying to strategize. "Nuh uh," Ash shouted. "You've gotta think fast in a battle! Gengar, use Shadow Ball!"

Gengar formed the orb of necrotic energy in his hands, glowing and crackling with a brilliant darkness before chucking it hard at the small Yamper.

"Yamper, get out of the way and use Spark!" Chloe called.

Yamper watched the Shadow Ball get closer, crouching low to the ground. When it got close enough, he sprang up, and the Shadow Ball exploded where he had been standing just a moment ago. His body began to crackle and spark once more in the air, and Yamper used the electromagnetism to launch himself like an arrow towards Gengar.

"Gengar, use Psychic!"

Gengar's eyes began to glow purple and before him grew a swirl of psychokinetic force, which then exploded into a purple shockwave. Yamper, his trajectory already set, was unable to change his course and the psychokinetic shockwave washed over him, knocking him out of the electrical aura he had built around himself as he floated in the air for a moment. Gengar gestured with an arm downwards, and Yamper was flung into the dirt, landing with a thud.

When the dust cleared, Yamper stood defiant, shaking the dirt off and growling at Gengar again. Ash looked to Chloe, but her eyes were fixed on Yamper before she, too, became defiant. "Right," she said. "We're not going to give up!"

'She's totally one with Yamper right now!' he thought, excitedly. 'Let's keep pushing her and see what happens!" Ash smirked at his plan coming to fruition. "Let's wrap this one up, Gengar! Use Ice Punch again!"

Gengar, in contrast to the last time he was ordered to use the move, began charging Yamper head on, flying quickly across the road that was their battlefield.

"Yamper, use Spark!" called Chloe.

Yamper began sparking and crackling once more, but since Gengar was moving in directly, the ghost appeared before Yamper before the puppy's attack was ready. Gengar brought his chilling fist down into the Electric-Type's head, and Yamper quickly became encased in ice.

Chloe's expression became one wrapped in fear. "Yamper, NO!"

Gengar floated back to Ash's side with a grin on his face. Ash put a hand on his hip and shrugged. "You both fought really hard, but it's hard to win when you've only got one move that we can plan around."

"That's true…" Chloe said, sighing. She took a few steps onto the road towards Yamper's frozen body. Then she stopped. "Wait… Yamper's still sparking!"

The icy cocoon that contained Yamper was still crackling with electricity, as though Yamper was frozen mid-charge and the power just kept building up inside him. The ice began to splinter as the electricity continued to arc off the pup until the electricity seemingly caught Yamper on fire and engulfed his body in flames.

"Yamper?!" Chloe gasped before pausing. Ash looked at her and recognized that look in her eyes.

He could laugh. "I guess you can teach an old dog a new trick, huh?"

"Yeah, and unlucky for you, this is one that I know how it works!" Chloe responded, her confidence restored. "Yamper, use Flame Charge!"

The now blazing Yamper shot forward towards Gengar, and though the ghost was easily able to dodge out of the way, the heat from the move caused Yamper to move faster, skidding across the dirt road on his paws.

"Keep it up, Yamper! Keep building that speed!"

Yamper once again began sparking, and the electricity turned into fire much more quickly than before as the Electric-type was becoming more and more used to the new Fire-type move in his repertoire.

"Gengar, use Night Shade!" Ash called.

Once more, Gengar began shooting bursts of necrotic energy from his eyes. But this time, Yamper's increased speed made him a tough target to pin down. The puppy zipped along the ground, dodging the blasts until he jumped and collided with Gengar again, knocking him back as the flames scorched the specter.

"Gengar, use Psychic!"

"Yamper, dodge it!"

With purple glowing eyes, Gengar once more unleashed a wave of telekinetic force at Yamper. This time, though, Yamper jumped and sailed over the shockwave as it passed harmlessly beneath him.

"While he's in the air, he still can't dodge," Ash said, gesturing forward. "Gengar, use Shadow Ball!"

Smirking, Gengar formed another sphere of necrotic energy in his hands before chucking the sparking, shadowy orb at the airborne Yamper, an easy target since his quick feet were no longer on the ground.

Chloe reached a hand out towards the puppy. "Yamper, please! You can do this! I know it!"

"YAMPER!" he shouted, opening his mouth wide as the Shadow Ball approached. Yamper bit at the orb just as it was about to collide with him. Instead of an explosion of necrotic energy, the Puppy Pokémon had caught the Shadow Ball in his mouth as though he was playing fetch with Ash's Gengar.

"What the?!" Ash gasped in surprise.

Chloe was beside herself with glee. 'You did it, Yamper! Now throw it back!"

Twisting in the air and making the best use of the momentum of Gengar's Shadow Ball, Yamper spun around, throwing the Shadow Ball back in Gengar's face like a slingshot. Even Gengar gasped in surprise as the Shadow Ball crashed into him, sending him careening across the road until he landed close to Ash, his eyes dazed over. "Gen… gar…"

"Gengar is unable to battle! Yamper wins!"

"Mime, Mime!"

Ash and Chloe looked over at the front door to Ash's house to see Ash's mother standing there with a picnic basket and a sun hat. Mr. Mime, as well, was dressed like he was going to have a picnic in the countryside.

"Mom, how long have you been there?" Ash asked.

"And where are you going?" Chloe followed up.

Ash's Mom waved off their concerns. "Oh, long enough. I never thought I'd see such an intense battle right outside my own home! It's so exciting, isn't it?"

Ash grinned. "It sure is!"

"Y-Yeah…!" Chloe said with some hesitation. "I mean… it was a little scary for a bit there, but… it's also really fun! It's a rush, like riding a roller coaster!"

"That's it exactly!" Ash shouted. "Getting together with your Pokémon, feeling that rush, and then ba-blam!"

Chloe smiled back at Ash, her eyes glowing like green flames. "Yeah! You just ba-blam out a new move! Yamper and I were totally in sync!"

"Yamper!" He said, panting happily.

Ash picked Gengar's Poké Ball out of his pocket. "Return, Gengar!" he said. The recall beam shot out, turning Gengar back into energy and placing him inside. "Take a nice rest. You really helped out a lot!"

"Are you two ready for lunch, then?" Ash's Mom asked them, holding up the picnic basket.

Chloe shook her head. "Not yet," she said. "We're still in the middle of a battle, aren't we Ash?"

The intensity in Chloe's eyes sent a shiver down Ash's spine. A wild grin appeared on his face. He wanted to continue this battle, to continue to clash with those intense emerald eyes. "That's right! When two trainer's eyes meet, they've gotta battle! And we're not out of this yet!" Ash held his arm forward. "Pikachu, I choose you!"

Pikachu stood up on Ash's shoulder and leapt forward, sliding across the dirt road on his paws. "Pika!"

Chloe smiled, her expression brimming with confidence. "Let's keep going, Yamper! You've got this!"

"Yamp!" he said before snarling at Pikachu with his teeth bared.

"I hope you don't mind that I move first again, Ash!" Chloe called out. "Yamper, use Flame Charge!"

"Nuh-uh! We're movin' first! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Yamper once more prepared his flaming veil as he rushed towards Pikachu, but Pikachu built up his power that much faster and moved with lightning speed, darting across the battlefield, charging into Yamper and knocking the pup back.

"Yamper, use Spark!"

As he flipped through the air, Yamper began building up a genuine electrical aura once more before zipping through the air towards Pikachu as his entire body sparked and crackled.

Ash gestured forward. "Pikachu, use Electroweb!"

"Electroweb?!" Chloe gasped. "What're you planning with a move like that!?"

"Pikapikapikapika-" Pikachu chanted as he built up the electricity in his tail. He spun "-PI-KA!", flicking the glob of electricity at the quickly approaching Yamper. The glob quickly expanded into a net that surrounded Yamper, dropping him to the ground.

"Just 'cause it's not very effective doesn't mean it doesn't do anything! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Yamper!" Chloe called out in a panic.

As Yamper struggled to escape the Electro Web, Pikachu leapt up and built a one-hundred thousand volt charge in his small body before unleashing the forceful attack with a "Piiikaaachuuu!" The electricity arced off of Pikachu and shot across the ground before finally colliding with Yamper, who shouted out in pain as the electricity exploded all around him.

Once the smoke and dust cleared, Yamper could be seen lying on his belly in the middle of the street, dazed and unable to continue.

"Yamper is unable to battle!" shouted Ash's mother. "Pikachu wins!"

In contrast to how the battle between Yamper and Gengar went, Pikachu had finished Yamper off relatively quickly. "Awesome work, buddy!"

Pikachu turned to Ash and flashed a V-for-Victory. "Pi Pikachu!" saying "We did it!" in his way.

Chloe walked across the field to where Yamper was, Eevee slipping off her shoulder to give the pup a sniff. Chloe gently picked Yamper up off the ground and carried him back to where she had designated her spot as. "You were awesome out there, Yamper," she said, praising the small Pokémon. "You really went all out against Gengar! You even learned a new move! Thanks for all your hard work."

"Yamper…"

"Chloe's right, Yamper!" Ash shouted. "You really surprised us when you sent that Shadow Ball right back at us! I guess you could say I got 'shocked', y'know?"

Chloe couldn't help but giggle as she gently set Yamper in the soft grass in Ash's front yard, giving him a rub on his head. "You watch from here, okay Yamper? Eevee and I'll make this an exciting battle for you to watch." She turned back to Ash, the same excitement that had been building over the course of the battle now plainly visible in her eyes.

"Ready for round two?" Ash asked.

"Yeah! Eevee, let's go!"

At Chloe's command, Eevee stopped following her around and dashed out to the field, staring down Ash's Pikachu with a determined yet excited look on her face - the same look that was on Chloe's face. Ash couldn't help but grin himself. Battling Chloe was exhilarating! Any battle could be, but there was something that just made Ash want to throw his all into this particular match. 'Chloe's come such a long way in such a short time…! I can't wait to see where this goes! I love it!'

He had forgotten that he was trying to determine what Chloe was thinking and ended up only clarifying his own thoughts. Those two odd pieces he had tried to fit together before slotted together perfectly in the forge of this intense battle.

Both trainers opened their mouths at the same time, shouting the same words.

"Use Quick Attack!"

Both Pikachu and Eevee built up power quickly before kicking off, dashing across the ground at lightning speed before crashing into each other, making a shockwave that nearly blew Ash's hat off his head and made Chloe's ponytail whip around. Both Pokémon bounced back towards their respective trainers, landing in place, ready to continue.

"Pikachu, use Electroweb!"

"Eevee, dodge and use Tackle!"

Pikachu built up the static blob on his tail and flung it at the small brown Normal-Type, but Eevee leap to the side, avoiding the net before charging in with a full body Tackle attack, crashing into Pikachu and sending him flying backwards just above the ground.

"Use Iron Tail to slow down!" Ash called.

Pikachu's lightning bolt shaped tail began to glow with a metallic luster, and the mouse flipped, jabbing his tail into the ground and dragging himself to a stop with it, leaving a groove in the road.

"Great, buddy! Now, use Iron Tail to Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu flung himself forward with the Iron Tail, jumping out towards Chloe's partner, ready to twist and strike.

"You use Iron Tail, too, Eevee!" Chloe called.

"Vui!" Eevee's tail began to glow with the same metal sheen, and she leapt forward, clashing metal tails together against Pikachu, creating a loud clanging that made even Chloe banging a pan with a ladle seem quiet.

"Keep it up!" Both Chloe and Ash shouted, and both of their small Pokémon continued to use a rapid-fire barrage of Iron Tail attacks as they smashed into each other one after the other, neither side giving as much as an inch as the sparks flew from each clash of tail against tail.

Eventually as they watched, it was becoming clear that Pikachu was gaining the upper hand, forcing Eevee more onto the defensive, but Chloe was the one to try to change the balance. "Eevee, Quick Attack!"

The Evolution Pokémon hopped backwards and quickly built up power before charging in and crashing into Pikachu once more, sending him backwards. Pikachu flipped and landed safely on his paws, and Ash took a look at Eevee. The Normal-type was panting from the exchange, clearly running out of fuel in her tank, and the sight made him feel frustrated. 'I want this battle to keep going…! We're having so much fun, right?'

He looked up at Chloe's face and saw the same mix of excitement and frustration. She wanted to keep the battle going, too, but there was a limit to what Eevee was capable of. "Even still…" he said to himself, looking at Pikachu and Eevee. A smirk grew on his face. "Man, Chloe, you're really somethin', you know?"

She looked up at him, her focus broken. "I'm really something? Are you sure you're not talking about yourself there?"

He shook his head. "Think about the last time Pikachu and I battled against you and Eevee. We had to hold back a lot! But look at how far you've come in such a short time! You've gotten so strong since then, Chloe! You and Eevee both!"

Chloe's cheeks turned pink as she looked down at her Pokémon. "You think so…?" she asked, not meeting Ash's eyes. "If we're that much stronger than we were before, it's only because Eevee and I have gotten a lot closer than we used to be." She met his eyes and smiled gently at him. "And that's all thanks to you, Ash. We spent a lot of time this week learning about our Pokémon and each other. We had to make it through some pretty hard conditions, and defend ourselves from Team Rocket and wild Pokémon. It's all this time we've spent out here that's really made the difference for Eevee and me."

Ash chuckled. "I may have gotten you out here, but it's you and Eevee who really did all the hard work. And Yamper, too! These are the bonds you have with your Pokémon, Chloe! And the way you can do it is incredible! They love you so much, and that love becomes power that they can use when you're both in sync with each other!"

"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu added.

Chloe's face turned a shade redder. "L-Love, huh…?" she said, laughing lightly under her breath. "Well, if anyone's shown me an example of what love is like… it's you, you know?"

Ash blinked in her direction. "What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

The color of Chloe's face only continued to change. "W-What I mean is, you and Pikachu are really close. Like incredibly so. When you were hurt and wouldn't wake up, Pikachu was beside himself with worry."

Pikachu, sensing that the battle was at least taking somewhat of a pause, stood up and looked to Ash with a smile. "Pikapika, Pikapi," he said, meaning "She's right, Ash."

"You two have been through so much together," Chloe continued, smiling at him. "Eevee and I are still practically at the beginning of getting to know each other compared to you guys. You and Pikachu have an incredible bond, and I hope Eevee and I can be that close one day, too."

Eevee's ears twitched at the sound of her name, and she turned away from the battle and rushed to Chloe, jumping into her arms. "Eie! Euivui!"

Ash laughed as Pikachu rushed back to him and hopped on his shoulder. "But look at how far you two've come in such a short time, anyway! The way you and Eevee just get each other is really awesome, you know? You guys are a perfect team!"

Chloe giggled as Eevee pawed at her face, going in for a lick. She relaxed a bit, the tension in the air dissipating thanks to the Pokémon. "Well, you guys have stuck together so long, that's what I think is the real awesome thing. You guys never, ever, give up on your dream of being a Pokémon Master together! You've been all over the world, in so many places and things, and you all still keep going. That single-minded deduction is completely inspiring, Ash."

Now it was time for Ash to feel embarrassed. He laughed and scratched the back of his head, causing his hat to move a little. "Well, I guess we have been through a lot, huh, buddy?" he asked Pikachu, looking away from Chloe for a moment.

"It's taken you a long time to get where you are, and I know by just knowing you that you're going to keep going," Chloe continued. "It makes me feel like, no matter how long it takes for Eevee and I to figure out what it is we want to do with ourselves, we'll be able to make it. You're like… a guiding star in the night sky that we can see with our own eyes!"

To that, Ash could only laugh. "Well, maybe I'm some sorta guiding star," he said, rubbing his nose shyly, "but the map to your dreams is inside of you, Chloe! You and Eevee will be the ones to find the way together!"

Chloe looked across the field at him, and Ash caught the burning excitement and passion in her eyes, like a blazing green inferno. Seeing her so fired up just made him even more excited and fired up.

In the heat of that battle, everything in the world made sense to Ash.

"How about we finish this with one more move, Chloe?" he asked, adjusting his hat with his hand. Pikachu looked ahead at her as well, a confident smirk on his face.

Chloe nodded. "Yeah! One final attack!"

"Vui!" Eevee chirped in agreement as she leapt from Chloe's arms back into the road.

The two Pokémon seemed as fired up as their trainers were. Chloe and Ash glared across the field at each other before they both gestured forward.

"Eevee!"

"Pikachu!"

The next words came from both of them at the same time.

"Use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leapt up and slapped his cheeks, causing them to spark with electricity that coursed through his body before beginning to collect in the tip of his now sparking tail. "Piiiikaaa…!"

Eevee raised her tail into the and became engulfed in a bright, glittering electric-yellow aura. Her tail began to glow bright yellow as it began to spark as well. "Eieeevuiii…!"

"CHUUU!"

"VUIII!:"

Both Pikachu and Eevee launched the Thunderbolt attacks at the same time, and the crackling blasts of electricity collided in the middle. The electric energy arced off of both of the small Pokémon who were pouring their energy into the blasts. If the road hadn't been damaged before (and it assuredly had been), it was being wrecked now as the electricity arced out, cutting even more slices into the already ruined patch of dirt road in front of Ash's home.

"Full power!" Ash called out as the shockwaves from the clashing moves nearly blew his hat off his head.

"CHUUUUUUU!" Pikachu shouted, obliging Ash's request. The full unleashed power of Pikachu's Thunderbolt pushed back against Eevee's attack, and the Evolution Pokémon dug in her toes as she poured all her strength into keeping Pikachu at bay.

"Eevee! You can do it!" Chloe shouted her encouragement at her partner.

Eevee felt the surge of Chloe's emotions, and unleashed even more power into the Thunderbolt, pushing Pikachu just a little further back to the middle once more. But Pikachu shouted once more from the depths of his being, and began to overwhelm Eevee, pushing down harder and harder with the vivid yellow voltage arcing off into the ground all around them until Eevee's copied move was pierced by Pikachu's signature attack.

Eevee called out an "Ei!" as the Thunderbolt exploded, but Pikachu continued arcing the attack further back until it got close to Chloe. The electricity arced into her hair, making her carefully crafted and braided ponytail explode into a wild looking puff of hair, sending her barrette flying backwards and turning her hair into a wild, frizzy mess.

The smoke cleared all around them, and Eevee laid in the middle of the road, eyes dazed over and unable to continue the battle.

Ash's mom stepped forward and raised her hand. "Eevee is unable to battle! Pikachu wins, which means the winner is my Ash!"

Pikachu landed in Ash's arms with a thud as both he and Ash laughed, holding his partner in his arms before he turned to Chloe, who was walking to the fallen Eevee. Her hair was even more frizzy and wild than it was the morning Ash saw her in the cave, and their talk replayed in his head.

"Your hair's really soft, just like you are on the inside. It's friendly and kind."

And watching her gently lift Eevee into her arms, he couldn't help but think was right about that. Chloe walked up to Ash with her hair going every which way, holding onto Eevee, and gazing at him with the warm kindness in her emerald eyes. With a hint of pink in her cheeks, she held her hand out to him.

"Good battle, Ash. That was a lot of fun."

Ash began to reach for her hand, but there was something in him that hesitated for only a moment before he took her hand in his.

It felt small and soft in his hand as his fingers pressed into her palm. He had worn gloves to prevent some of the worst aspects of wear and tear on his hands, but even as he discarded the practice, the effects of time on his hands and the rough conditions he often found himself in had left their indelible mark on his them, leaving them rough and hard. Good for rubbing a Pokémon's fur, but for little else. Chloe's hand felt very different, like a delicate dessert that would fall apart if he squeezed it too hard, ruining it. He didn't squeeze the handshake overmuch, and it was over just as it began with a shake or two.

"What an exciting battle!" Ash's mother said as she walked closer with Mr. Mime. "It had me on the edge of my seat!"

Chloe giggled and released Ash's hand. "Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum. There's no beating Mr. 99th in the world over here, though!"

Shaking himself from the now-missing feeling of Chloe's soft hand, he smiled. "Hey, that thing where Yamper caught the Shadow Ball threw me off my game! How'd he even do that?"

"You know," Chloe laughed, "I'm not really sure. But I think if we do a little research we can figure it out."

"You almost sounded like Goh there," Ash teased, making Chloe blush.

"Well, you almost sound like Jessie! She was so mad when Eevee copied their moves!" Chloe parried his jab perfectly, her wit as sharp as ever.

The two of them broke into laughter that managed to even perk up the injured Yamper and Eevee into higher spirits.

Ash's mother nodded. "I have a great idea! Why don't we head out to Professor Oak's lab with our picnic? Tracey did mention he should be home from Goldenrod last night, right?"

Ash jumped up and down. "Yeah! That's a great idea, Mom! It'll be great to have one more day with everyone!"

His mother then turned to Chloe. "Will you need any help getting your hair back in place?" she asked.

Chloe laughed, giving her hair a toss with her hand. "I think I can fix it if you give me enough time."

"That's good," Ash's mother giggled. "From where I was standing it looked like Pikachu's Thunderbolt made your hair bloom like a flower!"

Chloe's face reddened again as she turned to the Pokémon. "Well, we should get ready if we're headed over there, right?"

Ash pumped his fist. "Right! Even if I was already over there today to pick up Gengar and the others, spendin' more time with everyone else'll be awesome!"

Chloe and Ash began walking towards the house, talking as Ash's Mom turned to Mr. Mime. "Now Mimey, can you handle fixing all this road so it's still safe to use?" Looking over the stretch of road that Ash and Chloe turned into their battlefield revealed that there was a lot of collateral damage for what ended up just being a battle for fun.

"Mime mime!" he responded with a bow.

She looked back over towards her son and the girl who had her heart set on him, the two of them smiling gleefully as they entered the house. "It looks like that little seed really did bloom into something beautiful, didn't it?"

Mr. Mime either didn't hear her words, or only pretended not to.

Ash was once more lying on the couch in the Ketchum house, the sun having set hours ago after a fun day introducing Chloe to all the Pokémon he had that she hadn't met yet. Pikachu was curled up in his lap as he lounged in the was doing something he hadn't ever really done before, and was scrolling through pictures on his phone. Chloe had taken time at Oak's Lab to show him how to take pictures, and it was something he would then do a lot of as they enjoyed their picnic with his Mom, Professor Oak, and Tracey.

He scrolled to a picture of Eevee using Bullet Seed next to a very surprised Sceptile. His stalwart partner from Hoenn seemed extra interested in Chloe, in a way that Ash himself found pretty funny, though he didn't seem to quite grasp what Sceptile was trying to ask about her. He just wished Bayleef was as friendly, but the Leaf Pokémon at least found companionship in Yamper, the two of them lying in the grass and pouting in the direction where Chloe was playing with Sceptile and Eevee

Scrolling past the pouting Pokémon, Ash came to a picture that did make him smile wide. He didn't own a lot of female Pokémon (mostly a factor of random chance since he didn't go out of his way to catch any particular gender), but seeing Swellow, Gliscor, Snivy, Unfezant, and Talonflame join with Eevee, Dragonite, and Chloe for a picture of 'the girls' was fun, even if Bayleef was still being a spoilsport. It was like they were accepting the three newcomers as part of the group, and it made his heart swell with pride to see it.

"It'd be nice if we could include Lycanroc next time, too," he chuckled to himself.

He scrolled to the next picture of Chloe running from the Tauros before moving on to the next one, of her getting scooped up by Noivern.

"Look at all these pictures I took," he said to himself quietly so as to not disturb anyone in the house's sleep. "Rotom would be really proud of me, I bet. Maybe Todd, too."

He scrolled to the next picture and smiled. It was one Chloe had taken with his phone, with the two of them next to each other, and Lucario, Dracovish, Gengar, Dragonite, and Sirfetch'd all huddled around the two of them. Pikachu was in the middle, squeezed between her and him. He had thrown his arm around her shoulders and they were all smiling together, human and Pokémon alike. He liked this one most of all.

"Heh… I guess I kinda forgot to figure out what she was thinking, but that battle was worth it. We had such a great time, I'm sure I'll put it together eventually as long as we keep spending time together."

He tapped on the picture to pull up some options and set this particular image as the background on his phone before setting it down on the end table nearby. As he relaxed and laid down to go to sleep, he heard one of the stairs creak under the weight of someone stepping down them. He sat up and looked towards the stairs. Silhouetted in the dark, her hair down and smooth, was Chloe. In her arms she held Eevee, her hand over the Normal-Type's mouth to keep her quiet. She was in her long pajamas again, just like the night before. Ash smiled at her and picked a dazed and tired Pikachu out of his lap and slipped out behind her as she gently opened the door.

"I didn't think you'd be someone who snuck out this often," Ash said, placing Pikachu on his shoulder once they were standing in the moonlight.

Chloe giggled. "Well, I guess that makes you a bad influence."

He snorted. "Me? A bad influence? Maybe you're just really impressionable."

Chloe laughed to herself and looked up at the stars. "Yeah, maybe."

Ash sat in the cool grass, damp with dew. He patted the grass next to him, and Chloe sat there, holding Eevee in her lap.

"The stars out here are somethin' else, aren't they?" he asked.

"Yeah," she responded. "You can't see anything like this in the city. There's so many of them, and they're all like little sparkling diamonds. It's… beautiful, you know?"

Ash chewed on that word for a bit. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess it is beautiful, isn't it?" he said. "I think the night sky above Pallet Town is my favorite."

"And after that is Alola, right?" Chloe asked, gently petting Eevee.

Ash chuckled as Pikachu yawned and stretched. "Yeah, guilty."

He leaned back on his hands and felt his accidentally touch Chloe's hand in the grass. He retracted his hand fearfully, not wanting to offend her, but other than a dart of her emerald eyes in his direction, she didn't seem to respond, so he put his hand nearby, but not touching hers as he looked up in the sky.

"I hope I can see the sky in Alola someday," Chloe said wistfully. "It's a really special place to you, so I'd like to visit it someday."

Ash looked at her when she said 'you', blinking. "Well, it's special to a lot of people. Especially the people who live there."

"Yeah," she said, shrugging as Eevee yawned as well. "But while we've been out here this week… I've seen a lot of things. I've seen some of the really amazing things that come with being a Pokémon Trainer, and I've had to deal with…" she went quiet for a moment. "...some of the less amazing things. Like the danger. And the fighting." Her eyes were now dark, no longer catching the moon's light as she lowered her head, now looking at the ground. "I was really worried for a bit. I cried back there, in that little hole in the wall cave. But in the end, we made it through, didn't we?"

He moved his hand from the grass to her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Yeah, because you stuck it out and kept a cool head. You've really surprised me at how much you've grown this week, Chloe. I hope you found something that you can take back with you. You really do belong with us."

Chloe's mind went back to their talk in the cave. "Yeah… I guess I did show that I can really stick it out when times get tough, you know?" She brushed a hand through her hair, her fingertips gliding over the back of Ash's hand where it stayed on her shoulder, but she didn't let them linger as she sat up, looking at the stars.

"I think…" Ash started before shaking his head. "No, I know you should come with Goh and me more often than you already do. There's so much you can see out there, even if you don't think you'll be interested in it at first."

Chloe looked over at him. There was a mirthful twinkle in her eyes. "So you'd want me to see stuff that I might not be interested in at first?" she said with a smile that looked warm in the moonlight.

"Yeah!" he said, still full of energy. "Even if you aren't interested in it, or you're never interested in it, there's always something to get out of it! You can't learn anything just sitting there, right? You've gotta keep moving, and nothing you learn'll be a waste of time as long as you do!" He chuckled a bit before looking away from the girl next to him and towards Pikachu. He rubbed his best buddy's head. "At least, that's how I do things, anyway."

"I… I'll think about it," she said after a few moments of silence. "I want to make sure what I decide on is the best for me and for Eevee, both."

"As long as you've got Eevee with you," Ash said, "I know you'll both make it together."

"Thanks, Ash…"

There's another moment of quiet.

"I guess it's gonna be another night like this one, huh," Ash said.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"Now I'm just thinkin' about all kinds of stuff," he replied. "The stars, the sky, Alola, Eevee, you…" he chuckled a bit after the last one. "I guess I need t' calm down a bit before I can go to sleep."

Pikachu stood up and hopped off Ash's shoulder and ran back towards the house. The action was so quick that Ash wasn't even ready for him to dash off. "B-Buddy? Where are you goin'?"

Pikachu jumped and opened the door quickly before dashing inside.

Chloe looked at Ash for a moment, Eevee mimicking her own somewhat neutral-confused expression. It was only a few moments longer when Pikachu came back, holding a small instrument that he recognized.

His ukulele.

Chloe gasped. "You brought it with you?" she asked, excitedly.

He laughed as he took it back into his hands. "Yeah. It left it here when we went camping, but I guess it could have helped pass the time those nights if I brought it with me, huh?"

"You wouldn't have minded playing for me?" Chloe's voice was quiet, but high with anticipation.

Ash shrugged at the question. "Yeah, why not? You already know and besides… it's nice to see you relax, you know?"

"Would you…" her face turned pink again. "Would you mind playing some for me now?"

"Sure."

Ash sat up and began strumming his fingers across the ukulele, plucking out the familiar tune he had spent many a night perfecting alongside Pikachu. It was during sleepless nights like this one, where he was too excited to sleep, that he would stay up strumming it. Pikachu curled up in his lap, his tail gently swaying to the ukulele's song.

He closed his eyes and pictured the Alolan sea at night with it's sparkling stars and bright moon over the ocean, reflected on the water's surface. He remembered the cool nights listening to Professor Kukui play a relaxing song for Burnett as she would drift off to sleep.

He felt something against his shoulder, and he looked over as his fingers continued to strum. Chloe's soft hair cushioned it, but she was laying her head against his shoulder, listening to him play quietly.

Ash smiled, a feeling of peace and contentment rising in his heart, and he played on.

The two of them stood at the bus stop together. While Chloe had insisted she wasn't opposed to walking the rest of the way as a sort of last-minute adventure, she did note that with her full suitcase carrying all that stuff as well as Yamper's presence, it would be infeasible to do so.

So they were waiting for a little bit until the bus to Vermilion arrived.

"I had a great time out here, Ash," she said to him. "Thanks for bringing me out here."

He laughed and scratched the back of his head. "You're welcome, Chloe. I had a blast, too!"

"Even your ankle?"

"Even my ankle."

She giggled. "I'm glad, too, then. I'm almost excited to see what comes next!"

A rumbling sound was heard over the horizon, and Ash and Chloe both looked to see the bus trundling down the road, kicking up a somewhat reasonable cloud of dust behind it. The bus stopped and opened its doors for the two of them to climb aboard. Ash went first and stepped up the stairs before turning around and seeing Chloe holding onto the suitcase, trying to juggle it, Eevee, and Yamper. Once she had Eevee on her head, and the suitcase and Yamper under one arm, Ash reached down and took her by her free hand, pulling her onto the bus. The two smiled at each other and went to find a seat.

From his perch on Ash's shoulder, Pikachu smiled. He felt like something was beginning to change, and he was excited for what came next, too.