"You're sure it's okay helping me out with this?" Serena asked.
"Mustard said the next task won't be until nightfall, so I'm free to help you out with your task from Honey." Ash replied, stepping out. "What do you think?"
Ash was wearing a long sleeved red shirt with white cuffs, and golden clasps with a black belt, along with long black pants, and black flats.
"I feel like I've seen that somewhere before." Serena said. "Never mind, thanks for the help today."
"No problem, where do we have to go first?" Ash asked.
"See, he's not taking this seriously at all!" Klara whispered to Alister.
"I have to admit for a newcomer not to wear the uniform is quite disgraceful." Alister agreed. "Why is it that you can't take care of him, you've been here just as long as I have."
"I told you, he moves too fast for my traps, but yours can come up in an instant." Klara pointed out. "Plus I'll take care of that Goh character for you."
"There is the third one, I believe her name was Chloe." Alister pointed out.
"Perhaps we should start with her then." Klara said. "That Eevee of hers was able to match Slowpoke's speeds."
"Then we are in agreement, we stop the most dangerous tonight, together. Then we go after the two boys." Alister said.
"One and a half boys at best." Klara added.
Back with Ash and Serena
"So I'm looking for mushrooms in the forest. Apparently they grow all over, but these kinds are for the first style." Serena said.
"And I brought my best Pokémon for the job." Ash said. "Come on out, Palpitoad! You too Swampert!"
"Ash, Lycanroc could sniff it out, Swellow or Noctowl could see it from the sky. Even Sceptile would be a better choice than these two for looking in a forest." Serena said gently. "No offense to either of them."
"See my plan is vibrations. Watch." Ash said. "Palpitoad use Hyper Voice into the woods."
Several leaves fell nearby, as the moving of Pokémon could be seen and heard in the distance.
"How is that helpful?" Serena asked.
"Look at Swampert." Ash said. "You're the one who told me to show off what my Pokémon can do, and Swampert can sense changes in currents, sometimes known as vibrations." Ash said.
Swampert's fins were shaking slightly as it had its eyes closed.
"Okay Swampert, lead us to some mushrooms." Ash said, as Swampert took off.
They chased Swampert to underneath a decently sized tree.
"See, just like that." Ash said. "We'll get these mushrooms and you'll be one step closer to getting a Dynamax band."
"Ash, that doesn't look like the photos I have of the Max Mushrooms." Serena warned.
"I'm sure it's just a different growth. Have you seen two Oran berries that look the same." Ash said, approaching the mushrooms.
"AMOONGUSS!" The mushrooms shouted as Ash tried pulling them.
"An Amoonguss!" Ash cried out stumbling back.
"Told you that wasn't it." Serena pointed out.
"No matter. Palpitoad use Mud Bomb!" Ash called out.
Palpitoad shot off its attack as the Amoongus countered with an Energy Ball.
"Palpitoad use Hyper Voice!"
The Amoongus was flung back into a boulder, dazed for the time being.
"Now let's try it in a sensible way." Serena said.
"My way would've worked." Ash pointed out.
"Eventually maybe, or we could encounter a different more dangerous Pokémon." Serena said. "This is my mission, and I'd like to do it my way."
"Okay. Swampert and Palpitoad, return." Ash relented. "So what's your plan, oh wise and tall leader." Ash joked, taking a bow, his shirt dangling.
"First, you still don't know how to accessorize with a belt." Serena said fiddling with it. "There, much better."
The shirt now cinched at Ash's waist showing off all of his less than masculine curves.
"That was why it was like that." Ash pointed out.
"Well, you're much cuter like this, so it's your choice." Serena said. "Now let's get some eyes in the sky. Mandibuzz, come on out!"
Serena's Mandibuzz soared high above the tree line looking down for what Serena had described to her.
"Scraaa!" Mandibuzz screeched, circling above an area not far off.
"See, work smarter not harder." Serena said.
"My idea was smart." Ash said.
"Keep Swampert's tracking in the water." Serena said, as they rounded a corner. "Not a word."
Mandibuzz had led them back to the same Amoonguss they had just left previously, now back asleep.
"Oh, I'm not going to say anything." Ash smirked.
Back outside the forest
"So vibrations didn't work, and neither did looking for it in the sky. What about grass types?" Serena offered.
"I don't have any with me." Ash said, looking at his Pokeballs. "Best I've got is Muk."
"I've got Thwackey, he might be able to help." Serena said.
"I don't know, Thwackey still doesn't like me that much." Ash said.
"You're overreacting, besides he really only trusts me still. I was hoping that would change after evolution." Serena sighed. "But I'm sure he'll warm up to you. Thwackey I need your help."
As soon as Thwackey was out of his Pokeball, he took a quick look around, seeing Ash he charged straight for the trainer. Ash quickly put up an aura barrier stopping the Pokémon from getting closer, but not it's attempts.
"See, it is out to get me!" Ash said. "I bet he's the one who destroyed my binders too!" Ash accused.
"Thwackey stop it, Ash is a friend." Serena scolded. "And Ash, aren't you the one who says to give our Pokémon some faith in doing better?"
"Tell that to him." Ash said as Thwackey was still going crazy at the shield.
"Okay, I've got him. Lower your shield." Serena said, petting Thwackey's head.
"Thwack!" Thwackey shouted, throwing a stick.
"Ow." Ash recoiled, the stick having flown right past the dissipating barrier and into Ash's head.
"Ash, are you okay?" Serena said worriedly.
Thwackey took this chance to break out and attack Ash. Tearing apart Ash's shirt, before Serena could return the Pokémon.
"You may have been onto something." Serena admitted.
"I get your research and finding are based around Thwackey and his mental disability but we may need to get him to open up to others more." Ash said, holding onto what remained of his shirt.
"Are you okay?" Serena asked.
"Nothing compared to what my own Pokémon have done." Ash lied. "We'll work it out I'm sure. For now I'm going to head back to the dojo for a new shirt.
"Okay, take four." Serena said thinking for a moment. "Of course! I'm an idiot!"
Serena backtracked to the tree where Amoongus was, checking behind it, rather than in front, finding a gathering of Max Mushrooms fresh for the picking.
Back at the dojo
"Oh Ash. Is everything alright?" Honey asked.
"Yeah, just a training accident." Ash said, trying to cover himself a little.
"Let's go in the back room, and I'll check to make sure." Honey said in a calming voice.
That night
"Alright everyone. Blindfolds on." Mustard instructed.
The remaining twelve trainers put on their blindfolds, unsure of what would come next. They were carefully led across the island, at least it felt like that, when they were instructed to remove their blindfolds.
"Alright students. This is a test of your resourcefulness. Each of these candles can stay lit until sunrise. There is a way back to the dojo without going through water. Those who make it back to the dojo with their flame still lit will move onto the next round." Mustard explained.
"Nice pajamas." Klara smirked.
"It's not the hoodie you should be concerned with." Ash said, his eyes faintly glowing.
"Ash, whatever that grudge match is, it can't wait until later." Chloe reminded.
"So we have no Pokémon, and no gear. How do we make it back?" Goh asked expectantly.
"No, I'm not using my aura to get us across the rivers." Ash said. "I'll see you guys back at the dojo."
"You're just leaving us?" Chloe said exasperated.
"Makes sense, Ash wants to battle Mustard. We're here to catch Pokémon and research the towers. He understands that if we keep winning eventually we'll have to fight." Goh said. "I'll head this way."
"Guess I'll figure it out myself." Chloe sighed walking off.
"Chloe, was it." Klara said innocently.
"Yeah, and you're Klara, right?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah, I thought the two of us could go together. Us girls gotta stick together, right." Klara said.
"Sounds like fun." Chloe agreed.
Several hours later
"And Klara makes four lit candles returned." Mustard announced.
Many trainers had returned with their candles blown out either by fighting each other, or from falling into water. Only Chloe was left out there.
"I'm getting worried for her." Ash said, standing up.
"Let's go look." Goh agreed.
"Dragonite!"
"Golurk!"
"Let's go!"
"CHLOE! ARE YOU OUT HERE!?" Ash shouted as he skimmed along the water.
"CHLOE IF YOU CAN HEAR US, SHOUT!" Goh yelled.
"HELP!" Chloe screamed.
Dragonite barely picked up the scream as she did a quick 180 almost throwing Ash off in the process, rushing towards Chloe.
"Chloe, I'm coming!" Ash called out as he began looking around the cliff side.
Chloe shifted slightly as some rocks fell into the water below.
"I really hope I don't fall." Chloe said as she continued shimmying.
"Chloe, step away from the edge." Ash's voice was heard.
"Ash! Is that you?" Chloe asked.
"Yes, now step away from the edge." Ash urged.
"Ash I'm standing on all of two inches of ground, try some better advice." Chloe argued.
"Chloe, I can create platforms with my mind, now step off the edge so I can get you up here!" Ash shouted from above, his eyes glowing.
Chloe cautiously stepped forward, feeling Ash's platform beneath her, she collapsed in relief as she was raised up.
"We've got you." Goh said, as he and Ash lifted her up.
"What happened?" Ash asked.
"Klara, she offered a team up, but when we got down there she disappeared." Chloe said.
"Okay, that's two problems, Ash what are we going to do about her?" Goh asked, as they stood there, letting Chloe catch her breath.
"We play fair. We say nothing, and we do nothing. We're the visitors here, and one of us is likely to face her in the next round." Ash reminded, as he led Chloe to Dragonite. "Take her back to the dojo safely, Goh you go with them just in case. I'll catch up."
As Goh and Chloe flew back to the dojo, Ash took a meditative stance. Whatever made Klara dissappear, he was going to sense it.