"Sonic Boom!"

A commanding voice rattled the eardrums like thunder, and its owner's trooper obeyed without question. Shockwaves built up from vibrating at the speed of sound, and assaulted the senses of everyone present. It was as if this arena was really a theater of war; by the time the ringing in the challenger's ears stopped, his small, bipedal Pokémon had been blown back towards him, rolling across the dirt before stopping on all fours. She whined, sporting scratches and dirt smudges on her knees.

"H-hang in there," the trainer stammered out. "We can still win this! I know you have some fight left in you!"

The Pokémon obeyed, receiving his support with absolute faith and clarity. With a moment's struggle, she was back on her feet, despite the beating she'd taken.

"Y'got guts!" The towering shadow guffawed, showing his approval with a toothy grin. "But, guts alone ain't enough to win, in this Gym. Rollout, now!" Immediately, Voltorb turned into a swift spin, launching itself at its foe, like a bowling ball ready to decimate anything in its path.

"Use Psychic!" With Voltorb's momentum building, they had no choice but to put it to a halt, before it could get any worse. That much, the trainer knew, and his Pokémon exerted their will over the coming mimic. A bright blue highlighted Voltorb, suspending it to spin helplessly in place, levitated just above the ground.

The telepath sounded with a high-pitched cry, tossing her hands into the air to will a swift and jarring flight for Voltorb. It was sent soaring, with no traction to be gained away from solid ground.

The youth smiled, feeling a touch of his confidence returning. Perhaps earlier in the battle, removing Voltorb from solid ground wouldn't have done them much good. But, the after-effects of the leader's nasty strategy had worn off. Now, Voltorb was a sitting duck. They could finish it off at their leisure! "We've got 'em! Now, use-"

"Rollout, again!"

"What!?" There was no predicting Voltorb using his sky bound momentum to roll even faster, and use the centripetal force to plummet down towards his own Pokémon. Tried as he may to utter up a counter - anything at all - he found his mouth dry. Guilt welled up in the pit of his stomach, before the dust even cleared.

He didn't have to look. He knew he'd lost. So, it was the least he could do to walk over and scoop his ailing partner into his arms. She hung limp. No sign of consciousness.

"I'm… sorry."

"Tough luck, Baby!" The gargantuan tower of a man loomed over him, rolling his arm around to stretch it out. As if this had all just been a warm-up exercise for him. Though, while his pride didn't want to acknowledge it, the trainer at his feet could guess that their match was exactly that. "You're gonna have to do better than that, if you ever wanna get a badge from this Gym!"

The trainer quietly recalled his partner, finding himself any real comebacks. He didn't want to look up, and show off the tears stinging his eyes.

He knew if he did, he'd see them reflected in the man's jet-black sunglasses.

The match played on repeat in his head, every step and misstep haunting him, after he'd slowed down from his sprint to the Pokémon Center. He'd planned everything perfectly. Taken notes beforehand, laid out his strategy, and his Pokémon…

The child's bespectacled eyes drifted to the double doors, leading to the inner walkways of the center. Somewhere, back there, his team was being treated. Bringing them here was the least he could do; they'd fought their very hardest, for him.

He'd kept in his own head, thoughts wandering and swimming around, until his introspection drowned out the calls of Nurse Joy. Finally, he overheard his own name and snapped to attention. "Yes!?" He stood to attention, approaching the front counter. Nurse Joy slid him a small tray containing two Poké Balls.

"You were spacing out, just now. Don't worry; your Pokémon are fighting fit!" Joy reassured with her usual chipper attitude and a sugar-sweet smile. Even in his youth, there was something reassuring about the presence of the resident head of each Pokémon Center. He wasn't in any mood to be celebrating; not enough to put on a smile, certainly.

But, he did bow his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Nurse Joy…" He retrieved his two capsules from the tray, and left the counter, dragging his feet towards the center's lounge.

"Hey!"

Before he could claim a seat, the boy felt a hand on his shoulder. There was a slightly older trainer, with wild black hair that almost took the shape of a pompadour. He looked just a touch more experienced, if anything, looking oddly - and frankly, annoyingly - chipper. "Let me guess. You just got creamed by Surge, didn't cha?"

"What's it to you!?" The younger trainer scowled, yanking his shoulder away. Having it rubbed in was the last thing he wanted to hear, right now!

"Hey, easy. Chillax!" The elder waved his hand, giving an apologetic, but still far-too-carefree smile. "It's nothin' to be ashamed of. He sends newbie trainers right to the E.R. all the time. It's happened to all of us." Blinking, the trainer rubbed the back of his neck. "You'd think he'd learn to take it down a notch, after all these-"

"Shut up!" He shoved past the other boy, sprinting out the sliding doors as soon as they offered him an escape. He didn't stop running; he didn't need one more word rubbing salt in the wound. Like, jeez. Who goes and states the obvious, like that!? Wasn't a bad loss enough!?

Occupied with his shame, the trainer put little thought into where he was going, really. He only took enough care to not run into the middle of a street, turning a corner to get as far away from that jerk as possible. No peanut gallery, no pity from Nurse Joy. He didn't want to hear any of it!

Nope, he'd just keep running. Running until he… saw a Pikachu? "Huh!? What the…" At least, he was pretty sure he was seeing one, at the very end of the block. A chipper looking yellow dot, with specks of red. That was all he could make out, as it rounded a corner.

The boy removed his glasses, wiping them clean with the fabric of his burnt sienna vest. Finding no luck with that texture, he used the hem of his green t-shirt, instead. By the time he put his glasses back on, the Pikachu was already gone. "I swear, that looked familiar…"

Acting on impulse, he ran down the block in pursuit, hoping that what he thought was a small Electric Mouse would still be there, when he arrived. It could just be a wild one, or he could've been mistaking another Pokémon. But, he felt compelled to check anyway, rounding the corner to find…!

"...It's gone." He frowned, coming to a halt. His shoulders slacked in disappointment. "I guess I missed 'im… if he was ever there in the first place." Maybe he was just hallucinating. Or, being overly hopeful. What were even the chances of them being in this city, right now?

"-just our luck!" A teenage boy's voice sounded, halfway down the block. "Of course we missed 'er."

Accompanying him was the scratchy voice of a girl, perhaps around his age. "Leave it to Ambipom to run off when we do show up." She was easier to make out from a distance; long-blue hair framed the face of a crestfallen girl, wearing a pink vest. "Ping-pong keeps her busy, huh? I guess we'll have to visit, next time we're in town…"

"Piiika." Walking on all fours, a Pikachu sulked along with the duo, along with a somewhat taller blue bird.

"Pikachu…" The boy gasped. Then, that other guy had to be… "Ash!?"

Hearing his name, the capped teenager turned around. His eyes went wide when he spotted the younger trainer. "Max!?"

Max sprinted over to the group at once, stopping just short of any collisions. "What a surprise! I didn't know you were here in Kanto. And, uh…" He turned his attention to the blue-haired girl, blinking. "...Oh! You're Dawn!"

"Max… Oh! You're May's little brother!" Dawn cooed, putting the pieces together. "She mentioned your name before. It's great to finally meet you!"

"Yeah, you too! I saw your battle with my sister in the Wallace Cup! It was so cool!" Being in the company of friends (and an acquaintance) was a nice turn of events; enough to put a smile on Max's face, at least for the moment. "She even told me to tune in to your Grand Festival!" With a cattish smirk, Max let his less flattering side surface, with a glimmer of his glasses lens. "Making the finals is impressive. Too bad it still isn't first place."

Though Max didn't notice, Ash's face fell in real time, in tune with Dawn's own filling with a furious red.

"Oh, yeah!? What do you know about competing in a Grand Festival!" Dawn fumed, pushing herself into Max's personal space. "For your information, I'm perfectly happy with being the finalist! No need to worry."

"You sure?" Max's sense of self-preservation told him to back away and back off, though he only had the sense to do the former. He gave a nervous, half-smile, delivering in a deadpan voice. "Someone with no need to worry wouldn't be this close to busting an artery over it being pointed out."

"Oh, I'll give you a BIG need to worry, you-!"

"So, Max!" Ash butted in, hooking an arm around Dawn's to rein her back in, before this decidedly got ugly. "What're you doing in Vermillion City, anyway?" Don't mind the coordinator with the sourpuss face and balled-up fists.

"Oh, me? Uh…" Max frowned, backing away from the two. Evidently, shame was a greater pull than fight-or-flight. "I… Y'know, I was actually about to go get some training done. Ishouldgo, bye!" Max turned on his heel to run, but was suddenly yanked back by his vest's collar. "Ack!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Ash chuckled, pulling Max back before setting him down like a Growlithe pup resigned to staying put. Dawn had been released, as well. "I'm not hearing any of that. It's lunch time! And you can't train on an empty stomach, right?" He winked.

"I… yeah, well…" Max averted his eyes, struggling to find another excuse.

"Great! C'mon. We can pick up some of Vermilion's famous boxed lunches, and eat them in the park! There's a great one, a few blocks over."

Before Max could object again, a very loud rumble spoke for him. Looking down at his stomach, Max flushed heavily. How embarrassing. "Urgh… Alright, you win."

"Come on out, everyone!"

Ash and Dawn called in unison, tossing a variety of Poké Balls into the air. Their teams materialized around the group; from Ash, there was Gengar, Rosa, Tyranitar, Croconaw, and Lapras. From Dawn, her Buneary, Pachirisu, Quilava, Clefairy, and Togekiss.

"Okay, guys. There's Pokémon food all around, left out for you! Why don't you chow down, and mingle for a while?" Ash asked.

"Just to be sure to come back, before sundown!" Dawn instructed.

The majority of the group cried in agreement, and went off their own way. That was, except for Rosa, who lingered by Ash, and Buneary, who ceased her hopping to look back at Pikachu. Evidently making her choice, she shimmied next to him, sitting down to place her bowl beside his. "Buneary~!"

"Piiika." Pikachu gave a sheepish smile, growing tense at their closeness. Ultimately, he ignored it, opting to politely focus on his meal.

"Woah!" Max exclaimed, leaning forward. "You caught a Riolu!?"

The doe-eyed pup stared back at the boy, seemingly transfixed. A blink or two later, and a high, scratchy voice passed through his mind. ~Max!~

"Huh!?" More than a little confused, Max gawked at the fighting-type before looking to Ash for an explanation. "Was that… Riolu? Why does she-"

"Sorry!" Ash laughed. "Rosa, here, has had a peek or two at my memories. She must've recognized you, since we're friends."

So, this 'Rosa' had that sort of telepathic powers? Could she read his mind? How much could she dig up…!? Hopefully she wouldn't rat out his recent humiliation. These thoughts kept him occupied and well-distracted, giving the pup ample opportunity to reach into his fold-out tray and grab something for herself; a chocolate glazed donut hole. "H-hey! My dessert!"

"Rosa!" Ash scolded, resting his hands on his hips. "You can't just go and take people's food. I've taught you better than that."

~Sorryyy.~ Rosa replied telepathically, though it didn't stop her from shoving the morsel into her muzzle even as she apologized. Chowing down, she cooed in delight, holding her cheeks. ~So tasty!~

Ash resigned with a sigh. "Sorry 'bout that, Max."

The younger trainer just shook his head, laughing. "You really like chocolate, huh? Y'know… There's someone you remind me a lot of!"

"Hey Max," Ash interjected, as the confused Riolu titled her head. "Why don't you call out your Pokémon? I'm sure they'd want to chow down, too!"

"Oh, duh! Good idea." Max threw his two Poké Balls into the air. "Come on out, guys." Beside him, materialized a Diglett in the dirt, and along with it, a Ralts.

"Diglett! Dig!"

"Ralts…"

Ash and Pikachu gasped in joyful awe, both immediately recognizing Max's partner. "No way! Max, is that…?"

"Mhm!" Max beamed, pulling the Feeling Pokémon into his lap. "Before I started my journey, I went back to Cerosi Town with Mom and Dad. Ralts was still there, waiting for me!"

"It's so cute!" Dawn cooed, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. "You know this Pokémon, Ash?" She extended a finger to the Psychic-type, who reached out tentatively before shaking it with her tiny hand.

"Uh-huh!" Ash affirmed. "It was back when we were touring the Hoenn region. Max ran into this Ralts, and it was really sick. He took on the responsibility to bring 'er to the Pokémon Center, himself. Even with Team Rocket on his tail, he pulled through!" He looked over to Max, wearing what the trainer could only register as a look of pride. "You were a real hero."

"Leave it to them to screw things up," Dawn scowled. "So, you must've made friends with Ralts back then, right? And now you can really be together!"

"That's right!" Max affirmed, hugging the Pokémon to his chest. "I made good on my promise."

"Hey, by the way," Ash interjected. "What're you doing in Kanto, in the first place? Shouldn't you be traveling through Hoenn?"

"Well… that's the thing." Max gently set Ralts down. "I wanted to prove myself as a trainer, and live up to Dad's legacy. But, around the time I was close to getting my trainer's license… ugh. The people in Petalburg were totally suffocating! They wouldn't leave me the heck alone! 'Max, when are you going to challenge Norman?' 'Max, what starter Pokémon are you gonna pick?' 'Max, what color SHOES are you gonna wear on your journey?' Agh!" He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "...Okay, maybe I made that last one up. But you get the idea. They're a pain!'

"The Norman fan club really needs a reality check," Ash deadpanned. He looked every bit as aggravated as he'd been on that day, many moons ago. "So, let me guess. You wanted to get away from all that?"

Dawn looked over to Ash with her brows raised. She was probably out of the loop about it. Frankly, Max didn't mind; it was totally embarrassing.

"Mhm," Max nodded. "I wanna prove that I can be my own trainer, out of my family's shadow! Even if I leave Petalburg, I'm sure I'd be asked what the 'Princess of Hoenn' is up to," he spat, pretending to gag. "And after watching your adventures in Kanto," Max segued, "I just couldn't pass up having my first journey here!"

"She really is the Princess of Hoenn… what a legacy," Dawn cooed, completely veering back into territory Max was trying to avoid..

"You're not helping!" He snapped back.

"N'aww. I bet you're really proud of her, though, deep down," Ash teased.

"Shut up!"

"Hey, I get it," Dawn said, donning a sympathetic smile. "I've been wanting to carve my own identity, outside of just being my mom's daughter. No matter how great she is… I want Dawn Tsumura to be the next big household name, with Coordinators!"

"That's exactly how I feel," Max agreed, folding his arms. "I wanna succeed my dad. But, I need some room to breathe, first!"

While the trainers exchanged their sentiments, Pikachu had abandoned the conversation, walking over to Ralts. "Pi…?" He tilted his head, examining the Psychic-type. She sat in something of a slump, paying little mind to those around her. While her eyes were hidden, she had a frown fixed on her face. "Pikachu?"

"Ralts…" Ralts answered lazily, with no show of enthusiasm.

"Pi… Pikapi! Pikachu!"

"Hm? What is it, Buddy?" Ash answered after hearing his name. Then, he gasped. "Hey! What's wrong with Ralts?"

"She really looks under the weather." Dawn frowned. "Now that I think about it, we've barely heard a word from her, since she was let out."

"Diglett…" Diglett whined, burrowing over to nudge Ralts with his head. The Feeling Pokémon pulled further away in response, leaving the Ground-type crestfallen.

"Hm…" Ash thought to himself, pursing his lips. "Ralts can sense the feelings of others. If something's wrong with her… she must be empathizing with Max!"

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Max frowned.

"Duh. You're her trainer, dude. Of course she's gonna get in tune with you. And that means something is bothering you, too. Right?" Stupid Ash, with his stupid good sense for figuring people out. Why couldn't he go back to being an airhead?

Max's face soured, and he pulled Ralts to his chest. "I don't wanna talk about it!"

"C'mon… spill it! It's just us."

"Mind your business," he snapped back. Couldn't they leave well enough alone!?

"Hmm…" Ash sat back, crossing his arms. Probably trying to think his way around this, Max would bet. The second he exchanged a devious look with Pikachu, the Hoennian knew he was in trouble.

This was confirmed, as Pikachu marched up to Max, smiling up at him with his black, beady eyes. "Kaaaa. Pikachu?"

"C'monnn. If you won't do it for me, then at least tell Pikachu? Look at him!"

"Now, that's just playing dirty!" Max scoffed, turning his eyes away from the mouse… even if he was cute. No, adorable. Him and his darned red cheek pouches… "Argh! I give. Fine."

"Pi-ka~!" Pikachu cooed, hopping into Max's lap. Unbeknownst to the boy, he gave a tiny thumbs-up to Ash.

"The thing is…" Max started, hugging Pikachu to his chest. "On my trip to Kanto, I knew I was coming in through Vermilion, so I decided to study the local Gym Leader. He uses the power and speed of Electric types to paralyze opponents. I got so excited, thinking about all the counter-strategies I could use to beat him! So, as soon as I got here, I ran off to Diglett's Cave, and caught this little guy." He leaned over, scratching the back of Diglett's head. The tiny Pokémon cooed in response. "I thought with him, well…"

"...You thought that if you had a Ground-type, you'd have a sure victory," Ash finished. His eyebrows knit low in sympathy, which only made Max feel worse. "It didn't end well, huh."

"Ugh, it's so frustrating!" The boy hissed. "I had a solid strategy ready for him. But, he bowled me over before I could even figure out what was happening!"

"Hey, don't sweat it." Ash smiled, reaching over to place his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Surge has a real habit of doing that to newbie trainers. Hell, when we battled him-"

"Oh, quit sugar coating it!" Max shouted, pulling away. "Your pity isn't making it any better."

"Hm… okay. That settles it," Ash said to himself.

"Huh? Okay, what?" Dawn asked, clearly just as lost as Max was.

"Tell you what. If you don't wanna talk about it, then I'll show you in a battle!" Grinning, he gestured with a thumb over his shoulder. "There's a battlefield over there. I wanna see what you and Ralts can do!"

"Hm… okay!" Max agreed, setting Pikachu down. "C'mon, Ralts. What do you say?"

"Ralts…?" The Psychic-type perked up, and nodded enthusiastically. "Ralts!"

'And Diglett," Ash resumed, calling the mole's attention. "I want you to pay close attention to this battle, okay?"

"Diglett!"

"Okay. Let's do it, Ralts!" Max coached, standing in the trainer's box, outlined with spray painted borders that stretched from one end of the public field to the next. His Pokémon vanished from the spot by his side, and reappeared in front of him; a practical use of her Teleport.

"Alright! Dawn, could you be the referee?" Ash asked, standing in the opposite trainer's box, with Pikachu and Rosa at his side.

"You got it! Prinplup, Buneary, you come too!" She goaded, running to stand off to the side of the field, halfway between the two competitors. "Ash said he wanted to test Ralts, right? Then, this will be a one-on-one match! The battle's over when one trainer's Pokémon is knocked out, or they surrender!" She raised a hand, and gestured it to Ash. "Ash, it's… time for you to send out your Pokémon! That's how they say it, right?"

"Spot-on! Thanks, Dawn." Ash exhaled, adjusting his cap atop his head. "Okay! Rosa, I choose you!" He commanded, gleefully gesturing an open palm forward.

The Riolu entered the fray with a single, impressive leap, standing opposite Ralts. "Rio!"

"...Huh?" Max stared, fiddling with the frame of his glasses. "What gives, Ash? Did you hit your head on the way over here!? Rosa's a fighting type!"

"Yeah. I know." Ash smiled, unfazed. As always, type advantage only meant so much to him. Unbeknownst to him, though, the older trainer was missing one important detail.

"You must be a bit behind on things, so I'll fill you in," Max boasted. Clearly, his humiliation had only done so much to temper his unhealthy sense of confidence. "There was a recent discovery about the Ralts line. They're not just Psychic-type, but Fairy-type, too! And Fairy types are strong against Fighting. So, you've got twice the disadvantage, here. Unless you wanna switch out?"

~Hey! What's the big idea!?~ Rosa snapped, sending Max a dirty look that quickly made him regret opening his trap. ~Don't underestimate me! I'll still kick your butt!~

"Rosa." Ash held out a hand, silencing his Pokémon. He smirked. "It's okay. That advantage just makes this battle that much more interesting!"

"Oh, you think so, huh?" Max provoked.

"Alright! Let the battle begin!" Dawn declared, throwing her hands into the air.

"This one's all ours, Ralts. Psychic!" Max ordered. Before the words even left his mouth, Ralts began gathering psychic energy, outlining herself in a faint blue.

"Vacuum Wave!"

A pressurized air shot smacked into Ralts just about instantly, sending the Feeling Pokémon sliding back. With the benefit of her typings, she shook off the wave as little more than an annoyance.

"Ha! Was that it?" Max smirked, adjusting the frame of his glasses. "You've got some speed, but a move like that won't slow us down!"

"Y'think so?" Ash replied with his trademark grin. That sent a chill down Max's spine. "Continuous Vacuum Wave!"

"Rah! Hah! Rio!" A flurry of pressurized shots targeted Ralts, who did her best to twirl and hop out of the Riolu's crosshairs. Each time, she gathered the power to send her opponent flying, and each time, another Vacuum Wave would break her concentration. How frustrating!

"What's the matter, Ralts?" Max asked. A dumb question, really; his analytical mind caught up with the situation before his mouth did. 'Of course. Even if Vacuum Wave doesn't do a lot of damage, it's breaking up our attack pattern.' If he wanted a chance at fighting back, they needed a quick escape. "Teleport, Ralts!"

Ralts had to be in tune with Max's line of thinking, because he didn't even speak his underlying strategy; she vanished into the rising dust clouds kicked up by the Vacuum Waves.

"They're hiding, now… sense 'er out, Rosa!" Ash coached.

No doubt, Rosa was perfectly capable of finding her foe's aura. But, that required just a moment's concentration. This was more than enough for Max to work with.

"Now, use Psychic!"

The Emanation Pokémon tuned in to the forces beyond the average Pokémon's grasp. With a paw pressed to the ground, she quickly felt the vibrations of Ralts' life energy within the dust. Unfortunately, her search was rudely interrupted by a disorienting rush. With no control of her body, Rosa yelped as she was yanked and thrown high into the air. "Luuuu…!"

"Rosa!" Ash exclaimed, watching his Pokémon soar. "He got 'er… but hey! As long as you're up there, let's use it to our advantage! Come down spinning with your momentum, for Iron Tail!"

Rosa was a tad disoriented, but her trainer's order rang, loud and clear. ~Roger...!~ She allowed herself a moment of recuperation in her flight; it'd take a moment for earth to drag her back down, anyhow. With a shake of her head, she righted herself, and tumbled into a forward somersault. A touch of concentration more, and she covered her tail in a solid steel coating.

"Did he say Iron Tail!?" Max panicked. If that move hit, they were finished! "Teleport, Teleport!"

Ralts shared Max's fears. Actually, she probably felt them a tad more acutely, being right in the blast zone of a coming bash of the Riolu's tail. "Ralts!" She commanded, and instantly vanished.

A 'thud' rippled through the battlefield, as Iron Tail tore a gash in the earth. Dust and rocks were sent flying in all directions, veiling the impact zone from sight.

"Ralts! Are you okay!?" Max checked. To his great relief, he heard a cry of his Pokémon's name. She appeared before him, well away from Rosa's attack. "Phew… Are we sure that attack was from a baby? There's no way we can take that head-on… not yet, anyway." Max's brows furrowed, as he settled on a change in tactics. "Wait till you can spot her, and use Charm!"

A timely command, as the dust was starting to clear away, with the remaining falling rocks that tapped and cracked against the dirt surface. A vaguely blue figure stumbled forward, yanking her tail out of the dirt. Target spotted. Ralts patted her hands to her cheek, conjuring several pink hearts with a coo.

"Use Screech!" Ash called, from the other end of the field.

A harsh, ear-splitting wail assaulted Ralts with absolutely no warning. She had no time to defend herself, or even cover her ears; the hearts rendered by Charm were obliterated by the sound waves, and Ralts, herself, tumbled back. The sound was unbearable, leaving her awareness questionable and her defenses sharply lowered.

"So fast…!" Max winced, covering his ears, in the meantime. "Ralts!"

"Finish it! Iron Tail!"

By the time Max was even a touch aware of what was happening, Ash's Riolu had sprinted the distance between himself and Ralts, even passing her in her charge. Pivoting on her back foot, she reinforced her tail with hardened steel, and swung the weight of her hips around. "Riah!"

Iron Tail hooked into Ralts' abdomen, knocking the breath right out of her frail frame. With a moment's lag, Rosa followed through, slinging her opponent forcefully into the dirt.

At that moment, Max felt déjà vu. The match was over before it even had a chance to take off. "Ralts!" He called out, sprinting onto the field. Ralts lay in a small crater, obviously knocked out. He scooped up the Pokémon with a quivering lip. "Well… guess that's that."

"Ralts is unable to battle!" Dawn called out, dutifully stating the obvious. "Ash and Rosa win!"

Max sighed. He felt a tad too deflated to sass Dawn for rubbing it in. "Well… there's no two ways about it. You're even stronger than before. Even with a baby Pokémon."

"Baby or not, Rosa's put in work." Ash walked onto the field, shrugging his shoulders to welcome both Pikachu and Rosa to hop up and board each one. He gave his trademark smile, and offered Max an outstretched hand. "I can see Ralts has gotten stronger, too. Good battle, Max!"

There was a moment's hesitation, but Max ultimately took Ash's hand, pulling himself up by it before following through on a shake. "Yeah… thanks."

"C'mon. You still sound down in the dumps. Don't be a sore loser, Max," Ash chided.

"Yeah, you're right… It's just… agh!" He groaned, recalling Ralts to her Poké Ball, rather than let her hang limp. "How'd you do it!? Every one of Rosa's attacks was so fast! I called mine first, but yours always came out before they did!"

"Well, for one," Ash started, tapping his index finger against the side of his cap. He was probably gesturing to his noggin. "I know you and Ralts have a close bond that lets you understand each other. Rosa and I have something a lot like that."

~That's Papa for you!~ Rosa chimed, leaning into his cheek. ~He ALWAYS gets me!~

Ash smiled, brushing against his surrogate daughter. "But, there's more to it than that. It all comes down to Rosa's abilities."

"Her abilities?" Max echoed, prompting him to elaborate.

"For one, Vacuum Wave is one of those priority moves. It comes out really fast, at the trade-off of being fairly weak. So, even if it doesn't land a finishing blow, it's great for getting the jump on someone. And then her Screech? Well, that comes down to her ability: Prankster."

"Prankster…?" Max blinked. "...Hey, I've heard of that one! It means that non-damaging moves get a jump in priority, right?" He paused. "But I thought Riolu had Steadfast and Inner Focus."

Ash shrugged. "Riley said it's a 'hidden ability.' Whatever that means. Anyway, you get the point! She runs a few disruptive moves, when the real punch comes from her Iron Tail! And thanks to Dawn and her Clefairy," he gestured to the coordinator, as her Fairy partner wasn't present, "I knew that Steel-type moves pack a punch against Fairy-types!"

"...Wow." Max hung his head. He felt totally defeated. "You had everything worked out. I never stood a chance, did I." He felt a hand on his shoulder. This time, he didn't pull away.

"Battle theory is all well and good, and I know that being a brainiac is your specialty. But, when you get down to the nitty-gritty, there's no substitute for good old-fashioned experience. Especially against a Gym Leader. Those guys don't pull any punches."

All words that Max was forced to absorb, and accept. Swallowing his pride was no easy to task; especially after it'd just been wounded, twice over. In fact, he didn't find the courage to speak, until he felt something brushing against his shin. Down at his feet, Diglett sat.

"Diglett!" The Pokémon's black, beady eyes shone up at him. It bounced up and down with a cry of its name.

"I think Diglett is trying to cheer you up," Ash chuckled. "He looks like he's ready to get back to it!"

As childish as Max was, still… he wasn't lacking in sentimentality. His lip quivered, before he responded in an outburst. "Okay, Ash!" He pointed at the older trainer. "This battle didn't count as the one we promised, got it? I have to get stronger for real, first!"

"Alright, alright," Ash laughed, amused. "Hey, if that's the case… why not tag along with us?"

"With you…?" Max sniffled. "You mean it!?"

"Sure! It's been a long time since we've traveled as a group. How about it?" Ash smiled, mirrored by a chirp of agreement from Pikachu.

"Mmmm…." Max trailed off with a hum, folding his arms. Being by an old friend's side again did sound awfully nice. He missed Ash's company, as much as he did Brock and May's. And the teenager was a great source of inspiration. But, on the other hand…

He was starting to understand his sister's need for going her own way. It was easy to just ride on Ash's coattails. Especially when he backed up his kindness and confidence with real skill. But ultimately, that'd be a bit of a handicap. Wasn't he supposed to be stepping out of people's shadows?

"...No thanks." Max shook his head, smiling. "I should really head to Pallet Town, honestly, and get my starter from Professor Oak. I, uh… kind of jumped the gun with Surge; I haven't even registered in person yet!" He laughed, sheepishly scratching his cheek. "Battling you made me realize… Well, you were right. I need to rack up experience the right way! And I know going all the way back there would just slow you down."

"Aw. Bummer!" Ash gave a half-smile, tilting his head. "Hey, I understand. I'm glad you've got your heart set! In that case, though," he pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "you can take a detour through Diglett's Cave. It'll take you right to Viridian City. Then, you can make a cut straight for Pallet Town!"

"Well, duh!" Max boasted, shrugging a hand with the smarmiest of smirks. "Obviously, I knew that, ahead of time! It's not like I'd come to Kanto and be that unprepared."

To which, Ash's shoulders sank, and Pikachu and Rosa's, with him. "Well, I know one thing. Your attitude sure hasn't changed…"

"Piiiiika."

~Know-it-all.~

The day came and went, with the sun now dipping behind the horizon. Gleaming orange coated the skies, framing the group and their Pokémon as they stood at the closest bus stop to the park. Ash and Dawn had agreed to see Max off on his most convenient route to leaving Vermilion; for that, the child was grateful. As much as he'd grown, he still found traveling on his own a little lonely.

"So…" Max trailed off, rocking on his heels. The bus was taking a little longer than expected, leaving an awkward silence lingering between them. "What're you guys doing next?"

"Well, I'm gonna take on Lt. Surge, at the Vermilion Gym!" Ash boasted, pumping a fist. "And I'll be sure to catch a win for your sake, while I'm at it."

"And the day after tomorrow, I'll be getting my first ribbon, at the Vermilion City Contest Hall!" Dawn chimed in.

"Hah, right." Max nodded, mirrored by the Ralts in his arms. "You guys better win! I need you both to be top contenders, so me and my sis can have some proper rivals."

"Awww, you are proud of your big sis!" Dawn cooed, leaning forward to rest her hands on her knees. "Even someone as tough as her needs someone to keep her skills sharp, right?" While Max had the feeling her prodding came from a place of understanding, rather than teasing, he found it no less embarrassing. And it came with some pretty great timing, too, as the bus rolled in and stopped with a hiss.

"Er, yeah! Whatever!" Max stammered, spinning around to scale the bus's steps. "Whatever you say, Dawn! Er, see you guys! Ash, don't forget about our battle!"

"Hah, I wouldn't even think of it!" Ash laughed, waving to his younger friend. "G'bye, Max!"

"Pikachuuu!"

~See ya!~

"See you later, Max!"

"Prinpluuup!"

Their voices were muffled behind the closing doors, pardoning Rosa's, which went straight into Max's head. He watched the group shrink and fall into the distance as he scaled the steps, shuffling his way into an empty seat with a sigh. "Well, that's that… won't be seeing them for a while."

No more playful jabs, or words of wisdom from Ash. No more comments, ranging from tactless to insightful, from Dawn. No more playing with their assortment of Pokémon… just the glowing sunset, the low rumble of public transport, and the occasional rattling of his window, when they passed over a bump in the road.

"Ralts…?" Sitting in Max's lap, the small Pokémon looked up at him. Though she obviously couldn't see past the mask covering her eyes, the message was clear. ~Is everything okay?~

"...Hm? Yeah!" Max laughed off, patting the top of her head. "I'm fine, Ralts. I'm just thinking… it's gonna be just the two of us from here on out, you know? Us, Diglett, and whoever else we catch. No one else to pick us up when we stumble."

Silently, the Pokémon nodded in understanding. He was sure he could tell what she was thinking. (Though, maybe that was her doing.) Was he content with that?

"...Yeah. It'll be fine!" Looking down at his first ever partner; the one they'd spanned years waiting to reunite; he couldn't help but grin. "I'm just gonna start from scratch. And then, I'll be the best trainer I can be!"

Seemingly content with that answer, the Pokémon hummed. "Ralts~!"

Soon, his stop would come, and he'd be back to traveling on foot. But, this time, he wouldn't be tailing someone else, or god forbid, waiting to have his own Pokémon to do it with. He'd take in this adventure with his own two eyes.