Laramie Ranch (Day 8)

"Serena..." Ash slowly said, peering at the blushing girl with scrutiny. The boy thought long and hard, and eventually flashes came back to him. There was a handkerchief, Poliwag, a little girl in a pink sundress.

Don't give up till it's over, remembered Ash. His eyes widened in recognition at once. "Serena! You're the girl I met in the woods at Professor Oak's Pokemon Summer Camp. We were looking for a Poliwag," finished Ash excitedly.

"Yes, that's right," the still red Serena answered softly.

"Looks like Ash has an admirer," Misty jokingly whispered to Brock.

"I-I'm conflicted," Brock whispered back.

"What about?" asked Misty.

"I'm not sure if I should be beaming in pride or sobbing in jealously," the teen answered with a completely straight face.

"And who are you two?" Grace asked, interrupting the bantering.

"I'm Misty ma'am," politely responded the redhead.

"And I'm Brock," added the teenager.

"Nice to meet," Grace smiled.

"So, what are you and Serena doing here anyway?" Ash asked, turning away from the girl.

"I'm here to compete in the Pokeathlon with my trusty Ryhorn. Serena is going to follow in my footsteps one day, so I thought it would be nice to show her what racing is all about," Grace said, with pride radiating towards her daughter. Serena herself looked largely uncomfortable at that remark, but her mom didn't notice. Ash did. Before he could say anything about it though, Grace spoke up yet again.

"I'd ask what you three are doing here, but seeing as you just came out of the Pokemon Tournament line, I assume at least one of you will be competing?"

"That would be Ash," confirmed Brock.

"Oh, so that means you started your journey already," observed Grace.

"Yup! I've won six badges, met loads of amazing Pokemon, and have made a few friends along the way," the cheerful and now distracted boy responded.

Grace gave a nod of approval, while Serena looked at him in awe.

"Hey, it's getting pretty late and we really should find somewhere to stay," Misty interjected.

"You can stay with us!" Serena blurted out, before covering her mouth in embarrassment, making her mom chuckle.

"We did rent a pretty big place with more than enough room, so I have no problems with it," Grace agreed.

"Are you sure?" asked Brock.

"Of course! Just follow along," finished Grace, who began to walk away with Serena. The gang shrugged their shoulder and ultimately went with it. Ash would not forget about that look Serena gave her mom, but that would have to wait for another time. For now, it was time to get some rest for the all important tournament.

Laramie Ranch Pokemon Stadium (Day 9)

Ash got an early start to the day, waking up around 7:00 AM so he and his Pokemon could get a nice stretch in. They also made sure to enjoy a quick breakfast, before heading to the stadium. The others would show up later when the festivities actually began. Ash arrived, with a few minutes to spare, at what looked to be a wooden colosseum. It looked like it could hold a few thousand people from the outside, which while impressive for an out of the way Pokemon preserve, would be nothing compared to the Indigo League Conference. Handing his entry ticket over to a representative out front, Ash was directed to enter through a passage, which led him to the center of the battlefield. Several competitors were already present, but nobody Ash recognized. Though the boy did get a few curious glances his way thanks to the shiny Espeon at his side.

Soon enough, all the competitors had arrived, and a woman with a microphone, looking above them all in the stands, caught their attention. She had blue hair done up in a ponytail, a green t-shirt, and blue shorts. She also looked to be an older looking teenager or young adult. "Howdy y'all, my name is Lara Laramie, and on behalf of the Laramie clan, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone to our annual Pokemon Tournament."

Polite applause rang out amongst the competitors, and Lara continued. "Now, let's get down to the rules. This will be a single elimination tournament, which means if you lose once you're out. The first two rounds will be 1 on 1 battles, rounds 3 and 4 will be 2 on 2, the semi finals will be 3 on 3, and the finals will be 4 on 4. The match ups for the first round have already been decided. To be fair, y'all will have to choose which Pokemon you will be using for each battle ahead of time. Substitutions will be allowed in later rounds. Also, the final match will be held tomorrow before the Pokeathlon, so our finalists will have time to make sure their Pokemon are in tip top condition. We will also hold a match for 3rd place on that day as well. Any questions on the rules?"

No one said a word.

"All right then, now let's get to the prizes. 3rd place will walk away with 30,000 Poke and a bronze medal. 2nd place will receive 70,000 Poke, a silver medal, and a set of evolution stones. Finally, our 1st place winner will receive 500,000 Poke, a trophy, a special Pokemon egg bred here at the reserve, and the honor of firing off the flare that will signal the start of the Pokeathlon. The first match will start in about an hour. Y'all should go ahead and wait in the locker room, and someone will be along who you will tell what your first Pokemon will be. The pairings are posted inside. Someone will also tell you when it's your turn to battle. Best of luck!" finished Lara, who walked away. Ash and his fellow competitors took her advice and headed off. Ash noticed that he would be fighting in the second battle per the bracket posted inside. He would be battling somebody named Melissa.

Sitting in a corner with Espeon and Pikachu, Ash thought through his Pokemon for a good first choice. Everyone here has already seen two of my Pokemon, which means Pikachu and Espeon are out for the first two rounds. Krabby has some experience, but I would prefer more of a sure thing for 1 on 1 battles. Shellder is not ready yet, despite her victory over Psyduck. That leaves Charmeleon, Ivysaur, and Clefairy. I think i'll go with Ivysaur for the first round and Charmeleon the second. Hopefully, my opponent assumes I will be going with Pikachu and makes a decision based on that, Ash finished thinking. An official came up to Ash shortly after and he informed them of his decision.

About an hour later, Ash was approached by a boy with purple hair in a pony tail. "Get up you. Time for your battle," said the boy in a rude manner. Ash ignored him and walked out of the locker room and back into the colosseum. Walking out, he could hear announcements being blared throughout the structure.

"Give one more round of applause to Raymond, who will be advancing to the second round of the tournament! Now, presenting our second match of the first round. This battle will feature Ash Red Ketchum from Pallet Town and Melissa Yoshiki from Neon Town. Ash Red Ketchum has obtained 6 Gym Badges, while Melissa recently graduated from the Pokemon Technical Institute, making her eligible for this year's Indigo Plateau Conference. Who will come out on top? Let's find out!" finished the announcements, resulting in wild cheering from the crowd.

Stepping into his trainer box, Ash looked across the battlefield to study his opponent. She had short blue hair and wore a matching blue outfit. Her expression radiated confidence, and perhaps a touch of snootiness brought on by her academic credentials. A referee caught Ash's attention as he stepped forward from the center.

"This will be a 1 on 1 battle. The trainer whose Pokemon remains standing will be the victor. Trainers, send out your chosen Pokemon!" called the ref.

Melissa moved first. "Go, Golem!" yelled the girl, sending out a familiar rock mammoth that Ash had already battled once before, though it was a different Golem owned by a very different trainer.

Ash let out a small grin, and revealed his choice, which was ironically the same Pokemon he used to defeat the other Golem. "Ivysaur, I choose you!" The Grass-Poison Pokemon materialized on the field, looking on at Golem with a stern face, and bringing a frown to Melissa's.

"Let the match begin!" yelled the referee.

"Razor leaf followed by Growth!" Ash called out right away. Before Melissa could do a thing, Ivysaur fired off razor sharp leaves, and then glowed a soft white.

"Defense Curl," responded Melissa, having no choice but to mitigate the early damage. Golem tucked its body into a ball, shielding himself, but the super-effective attack still made its mark. More importantly, Ivysaur successfully powered up his attack and special attack.

"Turn the Defense Curl into Rollout Golem!" Melissa continued, eager to inflict some damage of her own. Golem obliged, and began to roll in Ivysaur's direction.

Talk about deja-vu. This is exactly how my battle with that biker went, which means I know the exact combination I need to use. Still, it would be wise to be prepared in case she does something different, thought Ash.

"Stun Spore all around you and then launch yourself into the air with Vine Whip!" ordered Ash. Ivysaur's bulbs released yellow spores into the surrounding area, before the Pokemon launched himself into the air by slamming vines to the ground.

Unlike that biker he fought, Melissa did have a counter.

"Jump," smirked the girl, and the spinning ball of rock flew into the air, set on a crash course collision with Ivysaur.

Man I need to teach Ivysaur some special attack moves like Magical Leaf, which would obliterate a physical defense specialist like Golem. For now, it's time for more creativity, Ash quickly thought.

"Wrap your vines around Golem and descend, and then use his momentum to slam him into the ground behind you!" yelled Ash. Ivysaur's vines flew frpm the ground and latched onto the spinning flying Golem, allowing Ivysaur to swing himself below the flying rock. Then, using all of his strength and Golem's momentum, Ivysaur slammed Golem into the ground behind him, making a loud boom, creating a crater, and bringing up loads of dust.

"GOLEM!" Melissa cried out in concern. When the dust settled, her fear was confirmed. Ivysaur stood in the middle of the battlefield, looking ahead at the girl, while Golem was knocked out in front of Ash.

"Golem is unable to battle. Ivysaur is the winner! Therefore, the match goes to Ash Red Ketchum from Pallet Town!" declared the referee.

"A unique use of strategy send Ash and Ivysaur to the next round. Give it up for our winners!" voiced the announcer. Applause rang out. Ash looked out into the crowd, and waved in appreciation, but he did not spot his friends in the thousands of faces out there. Calling back Ivysaur, the boy headed back to the locker room.

"Hey, good battle out there!" a voice called out behind him in the tunnel. Ash turned to see his opponent Melissa.

"Thanks, you did pretty good too," smiled the boy.

"Yeah, but it wasn't enough," sighed the girl. "Guess I know not to underestimate you in the future. Anyway, good luck with the rest of the tournament. Going to head out and keep training for the league," finished the girl, who quickly took off.

Yet another rival to keep track off, Ash thought with a grin. He didn't mind it. Melissa and his other rivals would only push him further along the road to becoming a Pokemon Master.

A Few Hours Later

It was now around 1:00 PM, and the second round would starting shortly. Ash had already submitted his choice for the upcoming battle and the competitors had been provided meals for lunch. Everyone who advanced was kept secluded in the locker room to prevent Pokemon from being healed or swapped out in-between rounds. Out of the corner of his eye, Ash could see the same purple-haired jerk from earlier approaching him, which meant it must be time for his match. Standing up, he walked out to the battlefield, ignoring the guy, much to his annoyance.

Stepping outside, Ash heard similar announcements regarding the start of the match. His opponent would be somebody named Raymond, who was a native of Olivine City in the neighboring Johto Region. The man in question wore a red bandana, a yellow vest showing his bare chest, and purple shorts. The referee reiterated the same instructions from the first round and the match began.

"Go Donphan! yelled out Raymond, making a foreign gray elephant-like Pokemon with tusks appear. It also appeared to have some sort of black armor on parts of its body. "Bet you've never seen something like this have you kid?" laughed the man.

Ash's face gave nothing away, but internally he did have some concerns. Must be from Johto like his cocky trainer. I can't be sure on the type, but I am guessing Ground, Rock, or a dual typing between the two. I'll just have to test that out. "Charmeleon, let's go!" called out Ash, making his first Pokemon appear on stage. As always, Charmeleon appeared eager for battle.

"Charmeleon vs Donphan. Let the match begin!" declared the referee.

"Horn Attack!" quickly ordered Raymond. Donphan began an immediate charge with his tusks out.

"Flamethrower," Ash calmly responded, testing the waters of this battle. A stream of fire exited Chameleon's mouth and immediately engulfed the charging Pokemon. For about 15 seconds, there was nothing but continuous flames. When Ash saw no movement resisting the flames, he called off the attack.

"Oh my Arceus," muttered Raymond. Donphan was completely charred and knocked out on the ground.

"Donphan is unable to battle. Therefore, the winners are Charmeleon and Ash Red Ketchum from Pallet Town," called out the referee

"WHAT AN EXCITING TURN OF EVENTS! CHARMELEON KNOCKS OUT THE RARE DONPHAN WITH ONE ATTACK! I THINK WE CAN EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM ASH RED KETCHUM GOING FORWARD," boomed the loud voice of the announcer, causing the crowd to go into a frenzy. Ash stared out his Charmeleon in amazement for a moment, while said Pokemon preened at the attention from the crowd, before the boy chuckled and recalled his Pokemon. Guess Charmeleon is stronger than I thought. I wonder if he is getting close, thought the boy as he walked off.

A Handful of Hours Later

"Welcome to our first semi-final match of the evening! This battle features two talented trainers. First, we have Neesha Sweet from Maiden's Peak, who has put on quite the showing today. Our other contestant is Ash Red Ketchum from Pallet Town. Ash has not seen a single Pokemon go down in battle today. Can Neesha end his perfect streak? Let's find out!" the announcer's voice echoed throughout. the colosseum.

As the announcer mentioned, Ash had no issues with the final 16 or the quarter final battles. Krabby even made a brief appearance against a Ryhorn in one of the battles, providing additional experience for the boy's Water Pokemon. In these last two battles though, Ash planned to choose from his 5 strongest Pokemon on hand. Looking on the other side of the battlefield, Ash briefly studied his opponent. Neesha had short brown hair, a sleeveless collared blue shirt, yellow pants, and a Pokeball pendant. She seemed to radiate the confidence of a clearly experienced trainer, which meant Ash needed to be on his A game for this one.

The referee stepped forward, silencing the crowd with a few gestures, before going over the rules. "This will be a 3 on 3 battles. Trainers may utilize the Pokemon they have pre-selected for this fight. Substitutions will be allowed. The battle will end when each of a trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle. Call out your selected starting Pokemon!"

"I choose you Ponyta!"

"Pikachu, time to battle!"

Said the trainers at the same time. A cream colored horse with a mane and tail of fire made its appearance on Neesha's side of the battlefield, while Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder.

"Ponyta vs Pikachu. Let the battle begin!" declared the referee.

"Flame Charge," started out Neesha. Ponyta drew her hoof against the ground and sped off in a coat of flame, towards Pikachu.

I need to match that speed increase, but I don't want Pikachu anywhere near those flames. "Agility to dodge Pikachu," countered Ash. Pikachu became a blur, easily avoiding the Fire Pokemon's charge and appearing behind her in an instant.

"Thunderbolt!" ordered Ash at the opportunity.

"PIKACHUUUUUUU!" cried the yellow mouse, sending a significant amount of lightning Ponyta's way.

"Bounce Ponyta!" Neesha quickly responded. The horse jumped at surprising speed, avoiding the lightning and spinning in the air. She was now on a collusion course for for Pikachu. Ash waited a few moments, and took advantage.

"THUNDER WAVE STRAIGHT ABOVE YOU!" Pikachu moved lightning fast, sending concentrated waves of electricity at the rapidly descending Ponyta and connecting. Ponya crashed into Pikachu, dealing some minor damage, but was now unable to move.

Neesha began to reach for her Pokeball to possibly call Ponyta back, and Ash caught sight of it. So, he went in for the kill.

"LATCH ONTO PONYTA AND USE A FULL-POWERED THUNDERBOLT!" The girl's eyes widened at the follow up, and she could do nothing but watch as Pikachu grabbed on and unleashed a torrent of lightning onto her poor Pokemon. When the lightning ceased, Pikachu let go, and Ponyta was out for the count.

"Ponyta is unable to battle!" called out the referee.

"Nice work buddy," Ash said, earning a smile from his Pokemon, who looked back. Meanwhile, Neesha sighed and called back her Pokemon. For her, It was time to gain the upper hand on that powerful tiny Pokemon.

"Vileplume, it's your turn," Ash's opponent yelled, throwing her Pokeball into the air. A blue Pokemon with a giant red flower with petals for a head materialized.

"Return Pikachu," Ash immediately called out, much to the annoyance of his opponent. The mouse retreated back to his trainer's shoulder and Ash turned to his other Pokemon that resided outside of her Pokeball.

"Your time to shine princess," smiled the boy.

"Got it daddy!" exclaimed his green Espeon, running up onto the battlefield. Ash spared another look at his opponent and found her looking at Espeon with uncertainty. Perfect! It looks like she doesn't recognize Espeon at all. I'll have to ensure I use her psychic attacks at the perfect time to catch my opponent off guard, thought Ash.

Neesha clearly wasn't going to make the first move, preferring to see Espeon in action, so Ash obliged her. "Swift attack!" Yellow stars were immediately fired from the emerald Pokemon, and were on course to strike Vileplume.

"Stop that attack with Acid and they fire a Poison Powder!" responded Neesha. Vileplume shot a a vile purple liquid from his moth, colliding with Swift in the middle of the battlefiled and creating a small explosion, shielding both Pokemon from the other trainer's vision. Ash could already see the smoke turning purple and heading Espeon's way, indicating that Poison Powder had already been used. Time to dodge and set up our next attack with old reliable, chuckled the boy internally. "Disappear," Ash spoke lowly, allowing Espeon to hear, but nobody else.

His Pokemon vanished underground just before the cloud of Poison enveloped the area above her. Meanwhile, "Good work Vileplume. Now use Magical Leaf," Neesha continued with some regained confidence. Glowing leaves appeared in an instant and soared through the air straight into the poisonous cloud. No sound of contact was heard, nor the cry of a Pokemon being struck, and that is when Ash's opponent began to worry again. Before she could think of what was going on, the ground exploded beneath Vileplume and Espeon sent the Pokemon flying high with a successful Dig attack.

"Now finish with Psybeam!" commanded the boy. Espeon aimed her gem in the air and purple psychic waves flew straight up at the helpless Vileplume.

"PROTECT!" Neesha yelled in panic. A translucent green barrier formed around the Pokemon in the air, successfully blocking the attack, though the force of waves on the barrier kept Vileplume airborne. A normal trainer might do something foolish at the sight of his strategy being seemingly derailed, but not Ash Red Ketchum. Protect is a move that fails more often than not when used in succession. The attack also prevents the user from making another move right away. Furthermore, it relies on the will of the Pokemon using it to sustain it. Add this to Espeon's excellent endurance and the answer is simple, rationalized Ash.

"Again Espeon," he calmly ordered. Another round of purple psychic waves were emitted from Espeon's gem.

"Try using Protect once more!" Neesha desperately countered. A barrier appeared like last time, but immediately flickered out, just as Ash had thought. As a result, the waves connected with the Poison Pokemon, dealing Super-Effective damage.

"VIE!" cried out the Pokemon in pain, soaring even higher from the force of the attack. What goes up must come down eventually though, and the Pokemon made a speedy descent, crashing into the ground hard. Vileplume was easily knocked out.

"Vileplume is unable to battle!" called out the referee. Neesha stared in shock out how she had lost two Pokemon so easily to this kid, while Ash looked on neutrally. In the stands, another conversation was going on discussing the current battle.

"Ash is certainly talented for a boy who only left on his journey a few months ago," praised Grace, as she looked at the results of Espeon's attack.

"He may be young, but I have never seen anyone battle quite like him," agreed Brock with a smile.

"Not to mention the way he and his Pokemon train like crazy almost everyday," added in Misty.

"Why does he do it?" asked Serena, while never taking her eyes off of Ash, who had swapped Ivysaur in to face a Wartortle.

"Do what?" questioned Misty.

"Why do he and his Pokemon fight and train so hard?" clarified the girl.

"That's easy. Ash's dream is to be a Pokemon Master. Everyone of his Pokemon have a desire to grow stronger as well. I'm sure you want to chase your dreams too Serena," finished Misty.

"Yeah. I'm sure I do..." the girl answered with a hint of longing.

Back on the battlefield, it was more of the same. Ivysaur had Wartortle on the ropes, and quite literally at that. A clearly battered Wartortle was currently being held in the air by Ivysaur's Vine Whip.

"Now slam Wartortle into the ground!" Ash called out, sensing victory. His Pokemon obeyed and Wartortle was flung straight down at a high speed. The Water Pokemon hit the ground hard and A loud thud echoed throughout the colosseum.

"Get up Wartortle," tried Neesha. Her Pokemon gave an effort, rising to a knee, but exhaustion took over and Wartortle collapsed onto his stomach.

"Wartortle is unable to battle! As trainer Neesha Sweet has no remaining Pokemon, the winner is Ash Red Ketchum!" judged the referee.

"HE'S DONE IT AGAIN FOLKS! ASH RED KETCHUM BLAZES THROUGH THE TOURNAMENT TO THE FINALS WITHOUT LOSING A SINGLE POKEMON! WILL HE GO ALL THE WAY? FIND OUT TOMORROW AS HE TAKES ON THE WINNER OF OUR SECOND SEMI-FINAL MATCH, WHICH WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. FOR NOW, GIVE ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR TO THIS AMAZING YOUNG MAN!" boomed the announcer.

Everyone rose to their feet as the crowd roared in approval at Ash's latest victory. The boy in question beamed at the crowd and gave a quick wave, before returning Ivysaur and jogging off. Ash loved battling in these moments, but the boy wiped out from the all day event. He was looking forward to relaxing tonight.

Grace and Serena's Rental (Midnight)

After the long day of battling, Ash finally arrived back at cabin Grace and Serena had rented. Everyone met him inside and offered sincere congratulations for his efforts, which he took in stride. Brock also cooked up one of his favorite dishes to celebrate his success. Of course, Ash also made sure to feed his Pokemon and heal them up with the supplies the gang had on hand. After dinner, Ash had planned on heading straight to bed, but someone had altered those plans when she asked him to meet her outside around midnight, which is why the boy was currently tip toeing out of the room he shared with Brock. Making sure not to wake him, or anyone else up, Ash slowly made us way out of the room and out the front door.

"Thanks for coming Ash," whispered the girl. The boy turned to see Serena sitting on a swinging bench, which had room for another. She gestured for Ash to take the seat next to her, so the boy slowly shut the door behind him and did so.

"No problem. What's up Serena?" asked the boy with curiosity.

"I-I... You battled great out there today," responded the girl awkwardly.

"Thanks, but I don't think that is why you called me out here," Ash answered perceptively.

"No it's not," admitted the girl. "You know, Misty said your dream is to be a Pokemon Master today."

"Misty is right about that," agreed Ash.

"Was that always your dream, or did somebody push you into it? H-Has anyone ever tried to send you in a different direction?" the girl asked, now looking at Ash intently.

Ash was thoughtful at the questions, thinking back on his life to provide an adequate response, so he took a bit before he responded. "Well, i've been around Pokemon all my life. Since I was little, I was always hanging around Professor Oak's lab and helping out, or learning something new about Pokemon. My mom also told me a few stories about..." Ash stopped here and swallowed hard, as the pain he had pushed down since Celadon City threatened to rise up.

"Are you ok?" Serena asked with worry, seeing the boy pale and abruptly stop talking.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine," Ash said with a forced smile, fighting back his unresolved emotions that he would deal with another day. "Anyway, my mom told me stories about battling growing up. Mix that with the exposure to Pokemon at Professor Oak's lab and my dream kinda just happened," finished the boy.

"Nobody forced you into it though?" reiterated Serena.

"No. To be a master is my dream, and it always has been. Professor Oak, my friends, and my mom are supportive, even if they do worry about me from time to time. I'm sorry you can't say the same Serena," Ash said quietly, looking at the girl with pity.

"W-What do you mean?" an alarmed Serena asked.

"I saw how you reacted last night when your mom talked about you following in her footsteps to be a Ryhorn Racer. It wasn't exactly hard to put together that you have other ideas on the matter," pointed out Ash with a knowing look.

Serena's eyes widened, as she looked like the kid whose hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar, but she did not deny Ash's statement. The boy in question continued to look her in the eyes, waiting for an honest answer. After a few moments, she sighed and nodded her head with a sad expression. "You're right. I don't want to be a Ryhorn Racer, and i've tried to tell that to mom, but each time I bring it up the conversation gets redirected. I don't want to disappoint her, but I want to live my life the way I want to live it," Serena said with frustration.

"Serena, I may not know what it is like to have somebody try and force me to follow a path I don't want to go, but I do understand how hard it is to tell someone you love something they don't want to hear. If you let it build, it's only going to get worse," advised Ash.

"But i've already tried talking to her so many times! It's no use!" cried out the girl.

"What was it I told you all those years ago in the forest?" Ash asked lowly, grabbing a hold of Serena's hand. The girl blushed at the contact, but she also thought back to that day.

"Don't give up till it's over," whispered Serena. Ash smiled and squeezed her hand.

"That's right. Don't give up. You're 10 years old and have your whole life ahead of you. Sometimes, life will knock you down, but you have to stand back up. I want you to tell your mom that you don't want to follow her down the path as a Ryhorn Racer after she races tomorrow. Can you do that for me?" asked Ash, still holding Serena's gaze.

"Yes. I can do that. I will do that!" responded Serena with determination.

"That's great!" Ash cheered, releasing his hand from Serena's, to the girl's hidden displeasure, and patting her on the back. Another curious expression soon found it's way onto Ash's face though. "Say, what is your dream anyway?"

Well, there is one thing, but I'm not sure I can tell HIM that, Serena thought with a blush. On the other hand, she didn't exactly know what she wanted to do with her life as far as a career went. "I haven't really given it much thought, other than knowing I didn't want to be a racer. I'm sure I will figure it out eventually though" smiled Serena at the endless possibilities.

The two spent a little more time together, talking about a few paths Serena could go down, but soon departed for another night of sleep. Ash would need it for the finals the next day, and Serena would need it to build up the courage to confront her mother.

Laramie Ranch Pokemon Stadium (Day 10)

"Ladies and Gentleman, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the finals of the annual Laramie Ranch Pokemon Tournament! Today, we have two great battlers, who have wiped away the competition with ease. On the one hand, we have the rising young star from Pallet Town. He has won six badges and could be on his way to winning this tournament. Give it up for Ash Red Ketchum!" yelled out the announcer.

Ash gave a small smile and wave to the crowd, but did his best to remain focused on what was to come.

"At the other end of the spectrum, we have a trainer with years of experience. He has competed and placed high in multiple Pokemon Leagues, including being in the Top 4 of last year's Ever Grande Conference in the Hoenn Region. He comes to us all the way from Veilstone City in the distant Sinnoh Region. Give it up for Reggie Shinji!" boomed the announcer for a final time.

END CHAPTER

I hate reading cliffhangers, but man is it fun to leave them. In any case, we made some good progress today. The trainers I utilized in the tournament are a mix of characters from the anime. Some of them came from a certain movie. Let's just say that I had to use the movie characters here if they were ever going to appear in this story. As for Serena and Ash, let me remind you all that the primary focus is not on shipping, but on Ash's journey. Shipping will not come into play until after Hoenn. As for who Ash will end up with, I have made a decision. It is not necessarily Serena either, though it could be her. As a hint, it is a character who developed a crush on Ash, which applies to Serena and so many other characters in the anime. In other news, I will be adding a familiar character to travel with Ash and the gang in the Johto region. I'm not sure anyone has used this character in that capacity either, so i'm excited to get to that point eventually.

Next Time - Ash and Reggie duke it out in a 4 on 4 battle, Ash and the gang say goodbye to Serena, and the group attends an interesting party. Remember, certain episodes will be skipped over, so don't be surprised if it seems like we passed something up.

I am Vegito - Thanks for the review! Glad you liked the chapter. Hope you liked this one.

Jabberwockyy - Thanks for the review! I appreciate the suggestion, but Ash will not be catching Mewtwo. There is only 1 legendary Ash will catch in this story, and it will not be an overpowered one. Please keep the thoughts coming though as I have used plenty of suggestions from other reviewers!

Barryc10 - Thanks for the review! I am kind of using a mix of the anime, games, and my own twist to form this world. My take on the Safari Zone is just an area where you can catch a bunch of unique wild Pokemon that the league has designated for use. Perhaps it serves as an alternative to poaching from the nearby reserves.

Espeon860 - Thanks for the review! I do not think Ash will be catching a Dratini in this Fanfic. Ash will catch his first Dragon Pokemon in Johto, but I will leave it at that. Glad you liked the Pokemon choices for the captures and Serena's surprise appearance.

Azure - Thanks for the review! I appreciate the recommendations. Hope you liked the Pokemon everyone caught!

Mystery889 - Thanks for the review! Green is a neat color, though I chose Espeon for a few other reasons lol.

Flame55 - Thanks for the review! Glad you are liking the story. Hope you enjoyed the update.

Reader - Thanks for yet another thorough review! I addressed shipping above and Dratini in a previous review response. Please note that some of the episodes you mentioned will be cut, but otherwise good suggestions. As for Scyther, we will see. Right now I do want Scizor to be the end result, and i'm not sure how the new evolution will even work yet. By the way, you did predict something about the next chapter, so stay tuned for that. Finally, I am probably going to keep contests to Hoenn and Sinnoh. Still not sure how I will handle writing those yet and I would rather deal with it down the line. As always, I appreciate your analysis.

JEFF - Thanks for the review! I left a long review on this story explaining why I can't be precise with the timing of updates. Long story short, I have a full-time job, do other things in life, and each chapter gets written at a different pace based on what it will be about. Sorry, but I hope you enjoyed today's entry.

Guest - Thanks for the review! It's kinda the anime logic, such as Pikachu vs Raichu with the Surge battle. Evolution does not always indicate superiority, even if the games make it seem like it does with the leveling system.

Remember to review with your thoughts/critique :)

Smell ya later!