Author's Note:

The Kiloude City quest begins now! I've been looking forward to this, so I hope you guys enjoy.

Chapter 13: The Battle Maison

Ash had noticed a bit of a change in Serena since her contest battle with Absol. While she had been disappointed, as anyone likely would've been, she had been further inspired to train with Absol and her other Pokemon. He'd been inspired himself by it, working extra hard in training sessions and helping her work on their Mega Evolution assignment.

He had been somewhat worried that Serena might feel she wasn't ready for going after the Mega Stone after her loss, but with some encouragement from her friends, led by Ash and Dawn, she'd wanted to plan to head out to Kiloude City as soon as possible. So, in the next couple weeks following their IPL match, Ash and Serena had made plans to head out there, preparing their Pokemon for whatever might get in their way. And, when the next weekend arrived, they headed out to the train station, their friends coming to wish them luck.

"I wish we could come with you guys," Clemont said, as they were waiting at the station. "But we should probably work on our own assignment. My dad's gonna help us out."

Shauna nodded, looking as conflicted as Clemont did. "This is huge for you, Serena. But remember, we're there for you in spirit, even if we're staying behind!"

"Same with us," Tierno added, Trevor voicing his agreement. "Use that rhythm and find the beat for you and Absol!"

"I know you're gonna find it, Serena," Dawn told her seriously. "There's no need to worry."

"Thanks you guys," Serena told them all. "You're all so supportive. I'll do my best."

"Try not to get too distracted with Ash," Shauna then teased, as the train was pulling in. "Remember, you also need this for your project."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked, staring in confusion.

Serena seemed to have gone red. "W-We're going to be fine," she said quickly.

Shauna and Dawn giggled at that for some reason, but there was no chance to get further clarification. The train came to a stop then, and passengers began to board. Ash and Serena needed to move quickly to get on and get to their seats. They said their goodbyes, promising to return successful, before getting onto the train.

When they boarded, they quickly found their seats, fortunate to get a place by the window where they could see their friends. Then, as the train pulled away, they waved goodbye, calling out the window that they would be returning with a Mega Stone. Ash smiled, knowing that this was the moment their quest had truly begun.

It wasn't too long of a train ride, but as they watched Lumiose City grow smaller in the distance, Ash looked across to Serena, seeing her staring out the window with an intense look in her eyes. "Are you nervous?" he asked her, hoping she knew that he'd support her the whole way.

Serena hesitated, continuing to stare out the window a moment, before looking back to Ash. "I am...a bit. We don't even know if the Mega Stone is really there. Someone might've found it for all we know, or Astrid might've just heard a false rumour." She then sighed, looking back out the window. "Even if it is there, we don't know where to go. And, if we find it, who knows what we need to do to get it?"

Ash understood why Serena felt this way, knowing it was definitely a hard road ahead, no matter what. But if he was going to put his faith in anyone to accomplish such a difficult task, it was her. "Serena, you've already come so far with Absol. You two can do anything together, I know it!"

Serena smiled at that, her cheeks reddening a bit. Ash realized it was a bit warm on the train, though. "Thanks, Ash. I'm glad you're here to help."

"Well it is for our project," Ash pointed out, before laughing that off. "I'd want to help anyway, though. Can't have any Poliwags scaring you in the woods, right?"

Serena narrowed her eyes at that. "That happened because you were chasing it!" she retorted jokingly.

"I made up for it, didn't I?" Ash asked hopefully.

"More than made up for it," Serena said, smiling. "Even since we reunited at Lumiose University. You're the best, Ash."

Ash shifted a little uncomfortably at that, rubbing under his nose in embarrassment, before looking down at Pikachu, who was looking at him curiously for some reason. He was happy getting this time with Serena, outside of classes and training. He loved spending time with all of his friends, but this was fun. It felt...right.

He glanced back at Serena, noticing she was even redder than before. He wasn't sure if she was avoiding looking at him, or if something had caught her attention outside, but she seemed very focused on staring out the window. He didn't get it, but something seemed kind of awkward at the moment. It was almost like back at the airport after the first semester break, when he'd left for Pallet Town...

"Pika?" Pikachu suddenly asked, hopping up on the mini table between the two trainers and looking back and forth between the two. "Pika pikapi?"

Ash and Serena stared at him, before looking up at each other. "What's he saying?" Serena asked, voice sounding a little higher than usual.

"Um..." Ash wasn't totally sure. Pikachu seemed to be suspicious of something for some reason.

"Pikapi," Pikachu muttered, narrowing his eyes at Ash, before twitching his ears in Serena's direction.

Ash felt his cheeks heat up. He tried to ignore whatever it was Pikachu was trying to say, and looked at Serena. "So...what's the plan when we get to Kiloude City?"

Pikachu sighed at that, but decided not to push any further, and settled down for a nap, while Serena answered. "I'm not sure where we should look first, but it might be a good idea to check out the Battle Maison or the Safari. Those seem to be the busiest places outside of the school there."

"They have a school? Like Lumiose University?" Ash asked curiously.

"Yeah," Serena nodded, pulling out her tablet and showing Ash a little page about the city. "Not as big as ours it seems, but it sounds like they're on their way to the IPL playoffs. They probably do a lot of training at the Battle Maison." She gave Ash a knowing look as she said that.

He leaned forward in interest. "Is that like the Battle Chateau?"

"I think so, although it seems like it might even be higher. Looks like a lot of the trainers that train at this one have competed in Pokemon leagues before." She frowned at that, looking worried for a moment. "If any of them are looking for the Absolite..."

"Then you'll beat them to it!" Ash said confidently. "We both will."

Serena nodded, smiling in thanks. "Yeah...yeah, we will."

The rest of the ride went quickly after that, and before Ash knew it, they were looking out the window to the new city, admiring the little houses and farms on the outskirts. It seemed to have a small town feel to it, but Ash could see the larger buildings near the centre that likely held the school classes. There was also a large mansion that couldn't have been anything other than the Battle Maison. To the north, there was a large forest in front of a meadow, with high cliffs in the background behind it, which likely held the Safari.

"It's beautiful!" Serena said as she looked around, once they exited the train and had a better look. "It's a bit like Vaniville Town, but without the Rhyhorn running me over," she added with a laugh.

When they exited the station, they took another look around, trying to get their bearings now that they were actually in the city and needed to decide where to go first. Ash was trying not to look at the Battle Maison, as it was almost too tempting for him. He wanted to decide on where to go based on their best chance to find what they were looking for.

Serena seemed to think it was the best place, however, pointing to the large mansion up ahead. "I think if there's anyone who could point us in the right direction, they'll be at the Battle Maison. At least, that would be the best place to check first."

"Sounds good," Ash said, looking to Pikachu, who seemed as excited as him about seeing what kind of battles went on there. He decided a couple of his other Pokemon would benefit from seeing it as well, and he called out Riolu and Rockruff before they set off. "I want you guys to pay close attention when we go to the Battle Maison, okay?" he said, looking at them both, the two of them nodding seriously. "I bet we can all learn a lot from seeing some of the tough battles that go on here." He glanced at Serena, seeing her giving him an amused look. "Uh...but we're also looking for any information on Absolite or Mega Stones, so if you hear anything about that, get our attention."

"Absol and Popplio, you should come out, too," Serena then said, calling out the two Pokemon as they set off. Absol in particular looked excited and determined as they walked, as though he could sense that the Absolite was, in fact, in the city, or at least close to it.

As they made their way into the busier part of the city, Ash could see that they weren't the only ones with a few Pokemon out with them. Many people around here seemed to heading to either the Safari or the Battle Maison, each seeming to require at least a couple of Pokemon to accompany their trainers. And, if the people weren't going to either of those places, they were rushing to the Pokemon Centre, holding a Pokemon in their arms after an obviously tough battle. There also seemed to be a few students from the school around, some training out in the open. It definitely seemed like his kind of place.

"We'll have to come back to this place at some point," Ash said, looking around with wide eyes. "I bet we could have some great battles, huh Pikachu?"

Serena giggled at that, looking around as well. "It definitely suits you," she said. "Hopefully we can find the Absolite soon and we can spend some more time here." She blushed at that, as though she thought she'd said something strange, but Ash didn't think anything of it.

When they reached the Battle Maison, they stopped out front, looking up at it with wide eyes. Absol seemed most focused, stepping a few feet ahead and onto the steps leading up to the doors. Ash was sure he sensed something, but he had no idea if it had to do with Absolite being close or not. It probably did, but with so many Pokemon around, Absol probably also knew what a big deal this was.

They entered slowly, gaping at the massive lobby they'd entered into, with people all over the place with their Pokemon. There were transfer machines set up in some places so people could recall various Pokemon from home, and video booths to watch over battles. Ash even noticed a variety of booths to buy different items for training and battling. It made his heart race with excitement just being here.

'You two here to try out the Battle Maison, huh?" a voice suddenly spoke up next to them, and they turned, seeing a man in a suit approaching them. "May I see your PokeDex to ensure you have acquired at least eight badges in at least one region?"

Ash blinked in surprise at that, looking to Serena, who instantly looked worried. "I...I've earned enough badges, but..."

"I've only ever competed in performances," Serena admitted, pulling out her PokeDex nonetheless.

The man nodded, as though this was fairly normal. "Very well," he said, taking her PokeDex and scanning it with something. "You will simply need to participate in a testing battle to ensure you are qualified to accept challenges here." He took Ash's PokeDex next, nodding as he was confirmed to be eligible. "Shall I take you to the testing field?"

Ash looked to Serena, feeling bad for her, but was surprised to see a look of fierce determination on her face. "Yes! I'll do whatever it takes."

"Excellent," the man said simply, gesturing for the two of them to follow him as he walked towards a hallway.

"You sure about this Serena?" Ash asked, looking around at some of the trainers, many staring at them. "Maybe I should just have a look around here and you could check out the Safari?"

Serena shook her head. "No, I need to do this, Ash. Besides, if I can't enter here, I don't deserve to find that Absolite."

Ash couldn't help but admire that, although he was still a little nervous. If someone needed to be as good as a qualified Pokemon League trainer to enter here, the testing battle would likely be very difficult if it was meant to substitute for the eight badges. It seemed being a Masterclass Performer had given Serena the chance, though, so he did feel better knowing that.

When they reached the room the man led them to, Ash looked around, realizing they were at a huge battlefield. It was as big as any Gym he'd ever been to, with bright lights shining down all across the field. It almost made him want to have the testing battle as well. He could tell Rockruff was interested as well, the Puppy Pokemon barking excitedly as he looked around. Riolu, however, looked nervous, knowing this was a huge battle for Serena.

"Please take your position on the battlefield, Ms. Serena," the man said to her, bowing. "Your opponent will arrive shortly. With that, the man departed.

"I wonder who you have to battle," Ash said curiously, looking around. Nobody was around, other than a referee who was making their way onto the battlefield, and someone in the stands who must've been there to make note of who qualified.

"I guess someone who works here," Serena suggested, looking a little more nervous now, but still determined as she looked to Absol and Popplio. "You make sure to cheer me on, okay Popplio," Serena told the water type, who nodded and began juggling bubbles to show her support. Serena giggled at that, before locking eyes with Absol. "Will you battle, Absol?" she asked him.

"Sol!" the Disaster Pokemon said, nodding, before the two of them went to their place. Ash remained where he was with the other Pokemon. Come on, Serena, he thought to himself, watching as a door opened behind the opposite end of the field to Serena. You can do this.

Ash was surprised at the person emerging onto the battlefield, realizing it was someone about their age. In fact, he looked somewhat like Ash, with dark hair, a red hat and a blue coat. His hair was a little straighter, though, and his coat was darker. He definitely didn't look like he was dressed like the man from earlier, though, or the man in the stands, so Ash wondered if perhaps he was someone else who needed to take the test to earn a place here.

He revealed that wasn't the case a moment later, however, speaking up as the referee stepped forward. "Hi there," he called out to Serena, as he pulled out a pokeball. "My name's Calem, and I'm the captain of the Kiloude University IPL Battle Team. The Battle Maison has a partnership with our school where our Battle Team members test out the trainers who haven't earned the badges required to enter here, so long as they've at least proved themselves in another high level competition. You entered Masterclass for performers, right?"

Serena nodded. "I performed against Aria in the finals."

Calem smiled at that, glancing at Ash a moment, appearing curious, before turning his gaze back to Serena. "Well, this isn't performing, so it won't be easy, but you've done enough to prove you can work well with your Pokemon. This is a battling place, though, so you'll need to show you can keep up here. Every challenge made in the Battle Maison must be accepted. We can't let anyone in who can't hold their own. It'd be a risk to their Pokemon. You think you're up for it?"

Serena looked over to Ash, appearing uneasy now that it was laid out in front of her, but he nodded to her, wanting her to know that he believed in her. She then looked across to Calem again, nodding. "I'm ready."

"Sol!" Absol called out from in front of her, signalling he was as well.

"Great!" Calem said, throwing his pokeball out. "Then we're ready, too!"

His pokeball opened up in front of him, flashing brightly, before a male Meowstic emerged. It hovered in the air a moment, its psychic energy creating a blue aura around it, before it lowered itself to the ground, staring ahead at Absol. Ash could see just from its eyes that this was a Pokemon raised to battle. This would be very hard for Serena.

"This doesn't seem fair, Pikachu," Ash muttered quietly, suddenly not so sure about this. "If he's the captain of a Battle Team..."

"Pikapi pika pika," Pikachu answered, narrowing his eyes and flicking his tail towards Serena. Ash followed his gaze, looking to Serena and seeing her looking more fired up than ever. He smiled at that, feeling better instantly.

"You're right. She'll win."

At that, the referee looked to both trainers, ensuring they were both prepared, before raising his arm and swinging it down. "Let the battle begin!"

"Absol, use Psycho Cut!" Serena shouted, looking like she was desperate to be the first to attack, wanting to prove herself.

"Meowstic, Fake Out!" Calem ordered instantly, smirking as though he'd expected Serena's order.

"Mrrow!" Meowstic cried out, darting forward with impressive speed as Absol prepared his Psycho Cut attack, before kicking out at him, striking him straight in the chest.

"Sol!" Absol grunted, stumbling back and wincing.

Ash gritted his teeth, knowing there was very little Serena could've done about a move like Fake Out. Unfortunately, it was even worse, with Calem already ordering the follow up. As Absol was grimacing from the first attack, Meowstic sent a Shadow Ball into his side, sending him falling over, appearing to knock the wind out of him as he struggled to stand.

"Absol!" Serena cried out worriedly. She was looking anxious, clearly starting to worry if she could keep up. She steeled herself for another order, though. "Try and use Double Edge!"

"Sol!" Absol grunted as he stood, tensing his legs and breaking out into a run towards Meowstic.

"Hit it with Disarming Voice!" Calem countered quickly, calm as he observed the field in front of him. Ash could tell he was good. He wasn't taking any chances and was keeping his cool despite Absol's ferocious look.

"Meowww!" Meowstic sang out, raising its little arms up and sending the pink sound waves out towards Absol. Just as the dark type started running forward, he stopped immediately, crying out as the fairy type attack hit him. Ash winced, knowing it was a super effective hit.

"Now, use another Shadow Ball!"

"Mrow!"

"Sol!" As Absol tried to regain his composure from the Disarming Voice attack, he was struck again, falling over as the Shadow Ball exploded against him. It wasn't looking good as he panted heavily, trying to stand, but looking extremely tired.

"Absol..." Serena looked panicked, staring at her Pokemon in fear. Ash could see it in her eyes that she was thinking she was outmatched now. Calem was controlling every aspect of the match, and she had almost no experience with this kind of fighting.

He wasn't going to let her think she had no chance, though. "Serena, you can do this. Believe in Absol, and believe in yourself. It's not over, so don't give up!"

"Popplio!"

"Ruru!"

"Ruff!"

"Pika!"

Serena looked over, eyes wide with worry. However, as she looked to the cheering Pokemon, and then to Ash, he noticed her features calming somewhat. She nodded, and then looked to Absol, who was managing to rise to his feet. "We won't give up, right Absol? Not till the very end!"

"Sol!" he growled out in response, straightening up and staring down Meowstic.

Calem looked surprised at the determination, glancing over to Ash, and then ahead to Absol and Serena. "You sure want to win this, don't you? What is it you're hoping to do here that you need to win so badly?" He narrowed his eyes, looking at Absol. Something seemed to come to him and he smiled. "I guess I can find out later. After I win! Meowstic, use Psychic to get yourself in the air, and then fire off a Shadow Ball!"

"Absol, use Detect and then hit it with Icy Wind!" Serena countered quickly, looking more like a battler than ever before, eyes locked on the scene in front of her.

"Mrow!" Meowstic cried out, a blue aura surrounding it as it seemed to fly up, its psychic energy giving it the aerial advantage. A moment later, it cried out once more as it sent a Shadow Ball flying down towards Absol.

The Disaster Pokemon was ready, though, eyes flashing as he leaped over it, before suddenly, the fur along his body began to rise. A moment later, a wind blew forth from all around him, snow and ice mixed in with it as it flew up and struck Meowstic.

"Mrow!" the psychic type cried out, its focus breaking and causing it to fall without Psychic holding it up.

"Now, use Psycho Cut!" Serena shouted, following up the successful attack as Calem gritted his teeth, seeing that his Meowstic was vulnerable.

"Absol!" Absol shouted, landing softly, his horn glowing pink before he swung his head, sending the crescent-shaped attack flying forward. "Sol!" The Psycho Cut shot forward, striking Meowstic hard as it hit the ground, sending the Constraint Pokemon sliding along the ground, wincing.

"Keep it up!" Serena yelled, confidence evident in her voice. "Double Edge!"

"Yeah! Go Serena!" Ash cheered, loving how the battle was heating up now, and admiring her turnaround. The Pokemon joined in, Popplio clapping away excitedly while Riolu jumped up and down in joy.

"Don't get too excited!" Calem warned, smiling as he thrust his palm forward. "Psychic to dodge, and then use Disarming Voice!"

Ash clenched his fists, watching as Absol ran forward, head bowed low to strike. However, just as he was about to strike, Meowstic was enveloped in the blue aura again, floating up just in time to avoid the attack. Then, it turned around, opening its mouth.

"Hang in there Absol!" Serena cried out, just as Meowstic send out the pink sound waves.

"Sol!" Absol grunted in response, turning and gritting his teeth as he was hit. His legs shook as though he was fighting the urge to drop from exhaustion.

"Now, use Double Edge!" Serena shouted, locking eyes with Absol as she made the order.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise at the order, wondering how Absol could possibly attack as Meowstic kept up the assault with Disarming Voice. However, as he strained to fight back, his body began to glow in a white aura. Then, he began to run, slow at first, but the more he fought, the more he picked up speed.

"Go!" Serena called out encouragingly!"

"Sol!"

Then, suddenly, the light around Absol expanded, and it was almost like white flames were surrounding him. Both Calem and Meowstic looked stunned, eyes widening as the Disaster Pokemon roared in determination and shot forward. Before either could react, Absol slammed into Meowstic with all his might, breaking through the Psychic focus and sending it flying up into the air.

"Mrowww!" Meowstic cried out, flying up high before beginning to descend towards the ground, just as Absol began to drop.

"Quick!" Calem ordered, pointing ahead. "Use Shadow Ball as you drop!"

"Mrow!" Meowstic confirmed, forming the shadowy sphere in its arms and narrowing its eyes as it fell.

Serena was ready, though, and Ash cheered with the Pokemon as she made her order. "Dodge with Detect and use Psycho Cut!"

"Sol!" Absol's eyes flashed brightly as it flipped in midair, easily sliding past Meowstic as it tried to barrel into him holding the Shadow Ball.

"Meow?" it cried out in shock, rapidly approaching the ground as it held the ghost type attack.

"Meowstic!" Calem called out in shock, wincing as it crashed into the ground, its own Shadow Ball exploding in its arms.

Then, as smoke and dust rose up around it, the Constraint Pokemon attempted to rise, looking up at its opponent, seeing it ready to unleash its final attack. It seemed to smile then, accepting what was to come.

"Sol!"

The Psycho Cut whipped down, the pink, crescent-shaped attack slamming hard into the psychic type and exploding against it. Meowstic stumbled back as the attack hit it, and Ash could see it trying to stay upright. It seemed to step backwards and forwards a few times, head lolling back and forth as it did so, before it finally came to a stop, still standing, and staring at the ground, while Absol landed in front of it.

Ash gritted his teeth, wondering how it was possible that Meowstic could still be standing. He looked to Calem, who was watching with a similar expression, before looking to Serena in surprise. Ash followed his gaze, and gaped as he looked at Serena as well. She was...smiling...triumphantly. And so was Absol.

Ash then slowly turned his head, eyes widening as he looked at Meowstic. Yes, it was still standing. It even seemed to have a determined expression on its face, as though still prepared to fight. However, its eyes were shut. And, as the referee raised his arm, it finally fell forward.

"Meowstic is unable to battle! Absol is the winner!"

"Hooray!" Serena cheered. "Absol you did it!" She was running forward and embracing Absol in an instant, and Ash couldn't blame her. That was a huge win for her. It was the exact kind of battle that proved the two of them deserved what they were here for.

And suddenly, Ash found himself running forward as well, the other Pokemon with him. Popplio reached Serena and Absol first, joining them in a group hug. Riolu joined in a moment later as well. After a moment, Serena finally stepped back from her Pokemon, smiling at them.

"You did it, Serena! Great job!" Ash told her, while Pikachu and Rockruff congratulated Absol. "I knew you could-"

The wind was knocked out of him as Serena wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Ash! I couldn't have won without you."

He smiled at that, hugging her back briefly, before they both stepped back. "You and Absol are awesome," he told her. "You guys showed you deserve that Mega Stone more than anyone."

"So that is why you're here?"

Ash turned around as Serena glanced up in surprise, seeing Calem standing there, smiling as he held his defeated Meowstic. "Heard the rumour, huh?"

"Yeah," Serena answered, sounding a little uneasy. "A girl named Astrid told me about it."

Calem nodded. "I've met her." He then looked towards the door he'd entered from. "Well, I don't know for sure if it's here or not. My best guess is it's in the Safari somewhere. A few people have searched, but they always give up." He thought for a moment, before chuckling. "I feel like that won't be a problem for you two, huh?"

Ash laughed at that, nodding. "We never give up. That's just how we are."

"Do you know where in the Safari we can look?" Serena asked after a moment.

Calem shrugged at that. "Not really." He then grinned, before gesturing back behind him, towards the door. "You came to the right place to find out, though. There's a trainer here that claims he might know. He'll only tell you if you can prove yourself to him, though." He laughed nervously. "I tried...but he wouldn't tell me."

"So we need to battle him?" Ash asked, looking to Serena, who looked tired after just this fight.

Calem shrugged again. "I'm not sure. He's battled trainers and lost, but...they never get the information either." He laughed again. "Maybe he doesn't actually know, but I guess it's worth a try. His name's Abe." He looked a little more serious as he said his next words. "You might just be able to show him what he wants, though. The way your Absol battled for you...learning Giga Impact like that..."

"Giga Impact?" Serena asked, looking curiously to Ash, who frowned.

"Yeah, that wasn't Double Edge at the end there. It was Giga Impact. I thought I was going to be able to take advantage of its need to recover after that, but it must've done so much damage to Meowstic that he moved just a bit too slow to get his attack off before you could use Detect."

"I thought Double Edge looked a lot more powerful!" Ash said, chuckling. "Good job, Absol!"

"Sol," Absol said, looking pleased with himself.

"That's a special Pokemon," Calem told them, nodding as he looked at the Disaster Pokemon. "He'll be something else when he's Mega Evolved."

James sighed as he stared at the forest behind them, hearing Jessie do the same next to him. The constant searching was exhausting. The constant wondering. The constant fear. The constant hope that they would see Meowth, Wobbuffet and the others around every corner.

"Those stupid bug fanatics are useless," Jessie muttered as they settled down on a rock nearby. "They haven't found anything."

James nodded, unable to disagree. He and Jessie had worked tirelessly after losing Meowth and the others, and they'd even been willing to get help from anyone else searching for these hunters, including the friends of the man that had been with the twerps that day, known as "The Hive". They'd found as much as all the twerpy trainers around, though, and had been unable to help in getting them anywhere close to finding their Pokemon.

"I thought they would've at least found something after we searched near Shalour City," James said, staring blankly ahead, where the Wetlands lay before them. He was almost tempted to head back to Lumiose City and ask the twerp if they could use his Goodra. That would've revealed they were hiding out nearby there, though, and they didn't want to give away one of their hideouts.

"Nobody's going to find these hunters but us," Jessie growled, kicking a stone. "Even without our Pokemon we're more capable than any of them."

James didn't say anything in response to that, thinking that the reason they'd gotten into this mess was because they hadn't been capable with all the Pokemon they'd had. He swallowed nervously at that thought, thinking of how they'd had to convince Giovanni not to order the Pokemon returned after having no progress made on getting either a Z-Crystal from Alola or a Mega Stone or Key Stone in Kalos. They'd left out the part that they didn't even have the Pokemon, coming up with an excuse for Meowth's absence at the time of the call.

"Where do we even look next?" James asked after a moment. "There's been no sign of them anywhere since we were attacked."

Jessie definitely wasn't herself, only sighing in resignation at that. "I...don't know," she said. "We need to try something, though. We need to find Meowth and Wobbuffet and all the others. We got so little time with our old Pokemon after we got them back..."

James nodded, thinking that was one of the cruelest things about how this had happened. It was never easy when they'd needed to give Giovanni their Pokemon, but at least they'd known where they would be and what they would do. This was terrifying. Their Pokemon could be anywhere now. They could be getting hurt.

"Wooper? Wooper wooper?"

James looked up in surprise at the sound, seeing the amphibious Pokemon staring at him from up ahead. It seemed almost suspicious, and James realized that if any Wetlands Pokemon were nearby, they might remember him and Jessie from back when they'd tried to steal their water supply. "Um...Jess?"

"What?!" she snapped, glaring ahead at the Wooper. "It's just some Wooper."

"I think it's from the Wetlands," James said nervously.

"Who cares..." Jessie said lazily, staring up at the sky. "Not like the hunters are hanging out there."

"Yeah...but I don't think they're fond of us..." James could see the Wooper narrowing its eyes now. It seemed quite suspicious. "Considering...you know...the water thing."

Jessie finally seemed to get that, biting her lip as she looked at the Wooper again. "Oh...right." She raised her hands defensively as it hopped closer to them. "We're not trying to steal anything," she said nervously. "We're just..."

James started to rise to his feet, the Wooper instantly hitting him with a Water Gun and knocking him back down. "We come in peace!" he whined. "We're just trying to find our Pokemon."

"Wooper! Wooper wooper!" Wooper cried out, hopping forward further and glaring at them. Clearly it remembered them. "Wooper!"

James wished Meowth was there to translate, but he had a rough idea of what Wooper was likely saying. "It's true. There are hunters around Kalos, and they stole our Pokemon. They're stealing other Pokemon too and we want to save them." He hoped he was convincing enough, even though the last part wasn't necessarily true. Or...perhaps it was.

"Wooper?" Wooper stopped approaching them, now tilting its head. "Woo wooper?"

Jessie spoke up this time, nodding as though confirming what James said. "He's right. We just want to save the Pokemon from the hunters. We've been looking for them but can't find them." She paused, looking to James. "You don't think...?"

James nodded, thinking he understood what Jessie was proposing. If they'd already been spotted, there was no harm. "Would you help us? The tw- I mean the boy that trained your Goodra friend. He wants to find them, too!"

"Wooper?" Wooper's eyes widened, and then it looked at the two of them curiously, before turning around, hitting its tail on the ground as it looked back at them. "Wooper!" it added, before beginning to hop away.

James and Jessie locked eyes for a moment, before the latter nodded. "It's the only shot we have now."

"Then let's go," James said.

And so, they followed Wooper into the Wetlands.

Author's Note:

So Serena has won an intense battle with...Calem! Now, she and Ash have to enter the Battle Maison for real to find this guy named Abe who can hopefully set them off in the right direction of the Absolite. Of course...all challenges must be accepted, so how will they fare?

And we also got a little Team Rocket scene. Very small, but as you can see...it could be quite significant.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next one.