Allison Illuminated

11/27/20

::

CALIBER

::

Trainers streamed up and down the grand stairway into Motostoke. The city soared above the Wild Area, alive, its gears churning in the morning air, great billowing clouds of steam towering above the plains and the grand brick palisades. Ash sat on the steps, leaning back against the smoothed brick, watching the clouds as Pikachu watched Kukui's image in the Rotom Phone with even disapproval.

"I'm sorry," Kukui said, his voice carrying over the urban bustle. "I didn't realize you would be so opposed to being tracked – I was honestly shocked you weren't, back then. I should have asked."

Ash sighed. A flock of Swablu soared through a gap in the clouds; he turned, looking across the steps to where the river ran low in the distance. He couldn't stay mad at Kukui, not really, not with the amount of affection he held toward his closest father figure, but the fear still gripped at his heart and he was having trouble moving past it. Oak, Cynthia, Kukui. Adults he loved and trusted with his life. There was nobody on that list he didn't want to know where he was.

"You should have," Ash agreed.

Pikachu nudged his hand, and Ash scratched the back of his partner's head.

In the display, Kukui groaned and reclined back in his desk chair. The familiar classroom peeked out from behind him, bathing in the evening Alolan moon. "It was new tech. The signal tracking needed Rotom tech, both to find the unique frequency and so Rotom's intelligence could control who received it. It's safe, foolproof. You would have to break into my lab or Oak's lab to access it and our security is good-"

"The security is always good. You think the security on the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs wasn't the best in the world?" Why are you trying to justify this? Ash wanted to yell, but he held his tongue. He trusted Kukui. He wanted Kukui to know he was safe.

"Ash. You go missing too often and I was afraid for you." Kukui's voice strained. "I've heard the stories. I've read the old news. I know you've been presumed dead before and you've dropped off the radar for weeks. It was different when you weren't on your own – I was responsible for you, and I made a promise to your mom that'd I'd keep an eye on you-"

Ash narrowed his eyes, still not looking at Kukui. "I've been responsible for myself since I got my license at ten," he said. "Living with you didn't change that. You- You're- You're not my guardian."

"Oh, so I was just the professor who let you live rent-free in his house for a year?" Kukui snapped. "I had a- a- right to know you were safe, Ash! I know you can take care of yourself, but that doesn't mean you have to!"

Lighting sharp, springing up, Ash whipped around to glare daggers at Kukui, who flinched. "Have you been stalked since you were ten?" he snarled, a strange blue film creeping into the edges of his vision. "Have you been captured? Attacked? Spied on? Have you been on the hit list of nearly every major criminal organization in the world? Why don't you see the end of the world and come back and tell me you'd like to make it easier for the next bad guy with a legendary and a god complex to track me down."

"Pikapi!" A light shock hit Ash's side, startling Ash out of his anger – Pikachu stared up at him, ears flattened against the side of his head, arms crossed over his chest.

Ash blinked, deflating back to the steps, and gave Pikachu a tired look. "Thanks, buddy," he murmured, massaging his temples. His aura wasn't supposed to be so reactive. He'd never had enough aura for it to rise so easily to the surface, or if he had, it had been locked so deeply within himself, even his deepest anger had never been enough to bring it out. He remembered Korrina's Lucario, how it had lost itself. Out of control. Feral. That wasn't Ash, that wasn't how he operated, but he felt such an acute sense of betrayal-

"What was that?" Kukui asked, his tone strange. "What happened? Why did your eyes turn blue?"

He took a long, deep breath and released the worst of his turmoil. Zen crept back in – the air was clear, the surroundings lively, the day still young. Serena was waiting for him back at their apartment and he was talking to Kukui, one of the people he cherished most in the world. Pikachu jumped into Ash's lap, sensing his need for calm, and Ash gave him a grateful smile.

"Aura," Ash said shortly, meeting Kukui's eyes through the camera. "It's new. Or old, I suppose, but it's been… waking up since I hatched Riolu. It's nothing to worry about, really – Cynthia said she's going to track down Riley for me so I can get some training, or I can go to Rota for help if it gets bad enough."

Kukui had a gobsmacked expression for a moment, but it melted away into a distant sadness. Ash might not have been the most intuitive when it came to other people, but he could read that expression easily enough. There was some trust lost, between them, and it wouldn't be repaired so easily. "I can't say I'm surprised," Kukui said softly, twisting his wedding band around his finger. "If anyone would pick up an ancient forgotten talent, it would be you. I don't blame you for keeping that out of your file, either. Be careful, though. Alright? Can you promise me that, at least?"

Ash sighed, looking skyward. He clasped his hands between his knees, the brick stairs rising beneath him, searching for answers in the distant clouds. "I always am," he said. "And I forgive you. I just want to know these things." Throat dry, he changed in subject. "How's Burnet? Is the baby coming along?"

"You wanna see her?" Kukui asked, and Ash eagerly nodded. "Burnet!"

When Burnet walked onscreen, her pregnant belly visible beneath her maternity blouse, Ash couldn't help but perk up, grinning at the camera. Burnet beamed back at him, waving and peering over Kukui's shoulder. "Hi, Ash!"

"Oh man, you look great!" Ash chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "When's your due date? I gotta know when I have to come and visit!"

"Just three months from now," Burnet said. "And what a relief that'll be. I can't wait to get this little bugger out into the world. He's got to meet big brother Ash after all, doesn't he?"

"You bet!"

As Kukui and Burnet laughed at his enthusiasm, Ash's thoughts drifted once more. Pregnancy, huh, he thought, leaning back against the stairs. Man, am I glad I'll never have to do that! Ash did like kids though – maybe someday he'd want a kid of his own. He could picture it now, living in a nice little house and taking care of a family of little blond brats- Blond…

Ash turned bright red at the realization that he'd been contemplating starting a family with Serena – and everything that entailed. He shook his head vigorously to clear it. Pikachu shot him a strange look.

They'd only been together for a week! Arceus, he was jumping the gun; but now that Ash knew how Serena felt, it was like the curtain had been peeled back on a lifetime of traveling with girls and listening to Brock moan about his dating woes. He knew things about dating! Hah! Take that, Misty! Who's the dense one now? Once the initial stupefaction had worn off, Ash had become more and more excited about the idea of dating Serena. Which was a thing. That happened. To him. So what – he wanted to think about all the mushy stuff he'd always left to his female friends (and Brock) to worry about, like kissing and dates and love and romance and marriage and kids and-

Ash's brain mildly short-circuited, again, as it really hit him what it meant for Burnet to be pregnant with Kukui's child.

"All good, Ash?" Kukui asked, his words distantly registering in Ash's brain. "You zoned out there for a second."

"Oh man," Ash said.

Burnet frowned through the screen. "Honey?"

"Oh, I'm good. I'm so good. I'm great. It was- talking to you- Yeah!" Ash sprang to his feet, pumping his fist, the wind whipping the ends of his hair. Kukui, Burnet, and Pikachu stared at Ash in complete confusion. He gave them a broad, determined smile. "I'll be the best older brother you've ever seen!" he declared. "Just you wait!"

Bewildered, Kukui gave Ash a thumbs-up. "That's the spirit! I like your enthusiasm!"

"And then I'll have a bunch of my own kids too!" Ash exclaimed.

"Yeah you wi- Wait a second." Panicking, gripping the edge of his screen, Kukui shouted, "You're not allowed to have kids until you're thirty! Use protection! Don't-"

Ash gave Kukui an impish grin – he had been kidding (mostly) but it was satisfying to yank the professor's chain after the tracking issue. "It was nice talking to you!" he beamed. "I gotta go find Serena. See ya!"

The video feed on Rotom's screen blipped out.

Pikachu sighed.

"C'mon," Ash said to Pikachu. "You've gotta admit that was pretty good."

Looking up at his trainer, Pikachu crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Pika…"

"Oh, relax." Waving Pikachu off, Ash started the long trek back to his apartment, Pikachu following at his heels. Thrusting his hands into his vest pockets, Ash watched the steam billow through the sky, smiling to himself. "You know me, don't you buddy? Me and Serena, we got all the time in the world. I won't take things too fast, no way! Cool, calm, and collected. Besides, we gotta focus on winning the Pokemon World Championships! Professor Kukui and Burnet are in love; there's no way we'll get there any time soon, right?"

"Cha…"

::

Ash decided he was in love with Serena.

Rocketing toward Hammerlocke at top speeds, the grand fortress with its arrayed steel spokes towering over the city, they clung to Dragonite's back. Serena had her arms wrapped around Ash's stomach and her knees clenched against his hips. "You know how you're always making suicidal jumps off tall places?" Serena shouted. "I wanna do something really stupid!"

Ash's eyes widened. They were getting awfully close to the city to have room for stupid. "What?" he shouted back.

He twisted where he sat; Loosening her grip on him, Serena shoved her hat into Ash's arms, winking at him. "Ready for some impromptu high-altitude performing?" she asked

"Serena-"

Laughing, Serena drew a pokeball and jumped off of Dragonite into the open air, whooping in joy as she spun away with a flourish. Ash cried out in alarm and directed Dragonite downward after her. Hammerlocke rose toward them at dizzying speeds; all Galar was laid out below them, the glistening rivers, the dark forests, the desert they had crossed on their way from Motostoke. Serena drew her arms to her chest, closed her eyes, and corkscrewed through the air like a figure skater.

"Altaria, I choose you!"

Ash exhaled in relief when Serena landed deftly on Altaria's back, his pure terror quickly replaced by an astonished exhilaration. They accelerated; Serena guided Altaria into a tight spiral around Dragonite, her hair whipping around her face, eyes locked on the ground. She yelled a command Ash couldn't hear, and Altaria pulled out, trailing a cloud of blue sparkles – Cotton Guard, Ash deciphered – in her wake. A slow grin creeping into his expression, Ash shot after her.

Now that he knew his girlfriend wasn't falling to her death, Ash let his fear go. He didn't know Serena's plan, but he could feel her leading him on, hinting at something, and he could see the black specks of people beginning to gather in the streets below. Serena wanted to put on a show, and Ash trusted her. And he was more than capable of playing along.

She might not know what she wants in the future, Ash thought admiringly, pulling a tight barrel roll through a sea of sparkles, but performing is in her blood.

They were flying skyward, now. "Moonblast!" Serena cried, extending her hand up. Trilling, Altaria launched a Moonblast into the open air above the city on a lazy trajectory, then whipped up a quick wind to keep it skybound. The pink sphere hovered, and Serena called, "Dragon Pulse!" The draconic energy, adverse to the fairy orb, whipped a wicked disc around the Moonblast, circling faster as Ash and Dragonite began to circle near top speed around Serena and Altaria. The Dragon Pulse and the Moonblast spun in midair – faster, faster.

Serena cast out from Altaria's back and motioned to Ash. "Now!"

Bracing himself, Ash pulled Dragonite out of the spiral and held Serena's hat closer to his chest. Grace and elegance were traits Ash had never possessed. What he had to add was power.

"Hyper Beam!"

The Hyper Beam hit the Moonblast head-on. The resulting explosion rang through the entire city like fireworks, and the fizzling sparkles descended in grand streamers over Hammerlocke. On the ground below, cheers rang out.

Dragonite roared in triumph; Altaria trilled again. The two dragon types circled each other, drawn together, Ash's gentle nudges falling on deaf ears, suddenly entranced by one another. Ash shot Serena a confused look, but Serena was beaming at him and cheering, and he couldn't fight the enormous blush that crossed his face. The spirit was infectious; he thrust his fist into the air and shouted, "Alright!" Altaria's body began to thrum with the dark crackling energy of a Dragon Dance, and Ash could feel Dragonite respond beneath him, a deep rumble running through his Pokemon's frame. To his astonishment, Dragonite trembled, then began to glow the same. No way…

Together, Altaria and Dragonite's Dragon Dance led them through the clouds and down to the city, circling the grand bastion. Ash and Serena locked eyes, and an amazed understanding passed between them.

And they returned to earth.

Ash leaped off of Dragonite and went to Serena, leaving his Pokemon to stare at Altaria in a new light. Serena's cheeks were flushed from the flight, her eyes alight in exhilaration. The crowd gathered around them, applauding, but Ash only had eyes for her – he took her hat and pulled it back onto her head, stepping close enough so only Serena could hear him. "You retaught Dragonite Dragon Dance," he said, taking her hands.

"I thought you'd be more mad that I didn't warn you I was going to jump off of Dragonite," Serena said, giving him a soft, private smile tinged with embarrassment.

"That would be hypocritical of me," Ash said, and they both laughed. "But yeah, I guess you could have warned me."

She blushed. "It was spur of the moment."

Shaking his head, Ash, with only a cursory glance at the crowd, overcoming his momentary hesitation, gave Serena a kiss, which she eagerly returned. She reached up and threw her arms around his shoulders. Ash eased into the kiss. It boggled his mind how soft her lips were, how good her strawberry shampoo smelled, the way she responded to him so easily in little luxurious exhalations and curling touches.

Ash broke away for air. "Have you always been so impulsive?" he breathed.

Laughing, Serena gazed into his eyes, somewhere between sheepish and giddy. "Always," she agreed. "I used to be too shy to act on them, though, so really it's your fault." She brushed his cheek with her index finger. "You should be glad I traveled alone when I was in Hoenn – I would've constantly given my traveling companions heart attacks."

"Mm," Ash hummed, and went in for another kiss.

"Well, look who it is! That was quite the show, Ash. You really showed these people a champion time!"

Ash and Serena broke apart, and turned to see Leon cutting through the crowd, flanked by a man he didn't recognize. Ash could tell they were important, though; the murmurs directed at the man on the right made that clear, even through the exclamations at Leon's presence. Leon was poorly dressed as always. His companion, though, wore a fine gray suit and had well-coiffed hair and a lazy smile, although there was a cunning glint in his eyes that put Ash on edge. Who is he? Ash wondered, putting on a friendly face for Leon. "Leon!" he exclaimed. "Good to see you, man. How's it going?"

"Isn't it a fine day?" Leon asked, spreading his arms wide. He made a fist and struck a passionate pose, earning 'ooh's from the crowd. Ash recognized his champion persona – the man was different in private than on TV. I don't blame him; there are a lot of people here. "I've got a battle later today and I'm rearing to go! And man did seeing that performance make me pumped! You've got style, Ash, and I've been watching you climb up the rankings. I'm counting down the days till you can give me a proper match."

Ash gave Leon a confident smirk, tipping the brim of his cap. "You bet."

"And what a treat was it to see Serena Yvonne perform in person!" Leon exclaimed, turning his attention to Serena, who stood proudly at Ash's side. "My friend Sonia – have you met Sonia?"

"I have," Ash said.

"Absolutely adores contests. I actually think I make her jealous cause I'm friends with Aria, and now she'll be even more jealous I've met you." Leon grinned sheepishly, shrugging. "Small world, huh? I didn't know you and Ash were going out."

"It's a recent development," Serena admitted, taking Ash's arm. "But we've been friends for years. I'm glad you liked it – I was worried when I saw you that you might've thought the fireworks was an attack, or something." She laughed, scratching the back of her head. "The explosion was louder than I was expecting."

Leon waved her off. "Harmless fun," he said. "How can I argue with giving the fine citizens of Hammerlocke a free show?"

The crowd cheered. Leon grinned and struck his signature pose, and they cheered more. Ash watched Leon, admiring him the more he watched him work his fans. He's always having fun. It's amazing, even though I don't think I'll ever be so happy-go-lucky.

"Truly, that was marvelous." The unknown man stepped forward, clapping for Ash and Serena. Serena glanced at Ash when he tensed, taking a little step forward to put himself in front of her. "You've both recently moved to Galar, yes? Then on behalf of the Pokemon League and this region, I'd like to welcome the both of you. I am Chairman Rose, and, I can't lie, I've been waiting a long time to meet you."

Ash stiffened further. He had alarm bells going off in his head about that man and somehow he doubted that both Champion Leon and Chairman Rose had happened to see his performance. His plastered grin became even faker; he shifted closer to Serena. "It's nice to meet you!" he exclaimed. "You have? How long? Did our performance take you away from something important?"

Rose waved him off. "Oh, not at all. I was simply inspecting the power plant here, routine check-ups, and when I heard the fireworks I simply had to see what was happening. I run Galar's premier power company, you see: Macro Cosmos."

"You run Macro Cosmos and the Pokemon League?" Serena asked incredulously.

"Macro Cosmos?" Ash asked.

"I know that company," Serena said. "They've been trying to break into Kalos for years – and failed, of course. Kalos prides itself on having all publicly owned and free utilities, and it's quite illegal to try and sell necessities like electricity and tap water. Diantha would never let it happen."

Chuckling, Rose scratched the back of his neck. "So you know of some our less successful ventures," he said, giving Serena an easy smile. "Can you blame us for trying to expand? Besides, our power grids are world renowned for their security – we aided in the reconstruction after the Kalos Crisis when all of Lumiose City went dark, of course." That earned a reaction from both Ash and Serena, but Rose pressed on, his expression turning pensive. "All for the good of the people, of course. We're concerned with the future of the Galar Region first and foremost, and this power plant is the most important in the whole region. If you don't mind me asking…" Rose's sharp eyes flicked to Ash's back, where Zacien's sword was strapped behind his pack. "What's that you've got there?"

Nope. Absolutely not. Ash grinned sheepishly, patting the hilt of the sword. "Sorry, man. Professor business. Professor Magnolia would murder me if I let her research leak to the public before it's ready, and I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to be on her bad side."

Rose laughed, nodding. "No, no, of course not. I can't say I fancy getting the wrong end of Magnolia's stick." Leon winced in a way that said he had definitely felt the wrong end of Magnolia's stick before.

The lie hadn't stuck. But it hadn't needed to. The distrust was already sewn, and Ash had sent Rose the message he needed to, whatever the man's game was – you can't mess with Ash Ketchum.

He geared up for more confrontation, but Serena came to his rescue. "We really have to get going," she said, shrugging apologetically. "I made the both of us late. I'm glad you enjoyed the performance, Chairman, Champion Leon. Maybe we'll see you around?"

"For sure," Leon said. "I gotta get to know you guys better. Give me a ring, we'll find time."

"Sure thing, Leon," Ash easily agreed. He liked Leon plenty – and now that Rose was on his radar, he wanted to know exactly the relationship Rose had with Leon.

"Oh, and Miss Yvonne," Rose said, turning his attention to Serena, oblivious to the way Ash bristled. "Galar is always on the lookout for performers and coordinators, and Aria is always so protective of her performers. I heard you're a free agent these days, and the league is always on the lookout for quality talent. If you ever want a job, feel free to call the league and let us know. I'm sure we can work something out."

Serena hid her flinch, leveling Rose a cool look. "I'll keep it in mind," she said, "but I'm afraid I'm a bit of a free spirit these days, Chairman. Aria couldn't keep me in Kalos, and I'll take her mentorship over a corporate position here any day." Her eyes drifted deliberately to Leon's cape, which overflowed with ugly sponsorship decals. Leon cringed. "I'm sure you understand."

Something ugly flitted across Rose's face. "Of course, dear," he said, voice slick. "All you need to do is call if you change your mind."

Serena gave him a sweet smile.

::

"I don't trust Rose."

"Neither do I."

"I didn't like that at all." Ash paced on the battlements of the bastion near the armory, which was their intended destination. "He knows too much and he has too much power – I don't like that he was interested in me and I don't like that he was interested in the sword and I really don't like that he was interested in you. And maybe I'm reading too much into it but damn it if I haven't played this game before." Ash grit his teeth, trying to keep his emotions under control. "He reminds me entirely too much of Lusamine or Lysandre."

"Yeah. No. I believe you. I agree with you," Serena said, and Pikachu nodded in agreement. Ash threw a furtive look back over his shoulder, worried for a moment that somebody might be eavesdropping. He dropped into his aura sight for a moment and breathed in relief – the only life forms nearby besides them was the blacksmith working in the armory, a flock of Rookidees, and a Grimer seeping down a nearby gutter. "What do you want to do?"

Ash reached back to put his hand on the hilt of the sword. "I don't want to let this out of my possession," he said. "If he knows about the sword – which he clearly does, even though I marked it above his classification – he'll know where we're bringing it. I say we don't live it here."

"And then do what with it?" Serena asked. She leaned back against the battlements, frowning, and crossed her arms.

"We could bring it to Rota."

"Rota- Ash. Yeah, Rose is creepy but that doesn't mean we have to go all the way to Rota to get the blade restored and evaluated."

"Why not?" Ash asked stubbornly. "Rota is as safe as anywhere in the world, and I need to get there eventually anyway to ask about aura. We have the money and no set agenda. Queen Ilene would like you."

"Right, but we're here now." Sighing, Serena pushed off from the wall and put a hand on Ash's shoulder. Ash ducked his head but met her eyes anyway, trying and failing to keep the tension off his face. "I know your trust issues got worse while you were in Alola," she murmured. "But we can't go flying around the world off an intuition, Ash, not even your intuition."

"I'm usually right," Ash muttered.

"You are," Serena agreed. "But Rose hasn't done anything. He might never do anything – for all we know, he's a well-meaning chairman who happens to be a bit too reminiscent of some people we'd rather not remember. We'll get the sword restored and that'll be that. And, you know what, if it goes missing we'll get it back. We always do. And we'll have a prime suspect to investigate."

Ash sucked in a breath through his teeth. He didn't like it but he knew Serena was right. "What if he has Leon in his pocket? It won't matter than we have the rights of things if the law won't take our side."

Serena sighed again and pulled Ash into a tight hug. "Cynthia. Diantha. The international police. We have allies, Ash, it'll be fine."

Her embrace was comforting. Closing his eyes, he let her soothe his anxiety, its irrationality becoming clear as he calmed down. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, breathing in her scent.

"It's okay."

They broke apart, and Ash glanced at Pikachu. "I would have talked myself down eventually," he said, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the ancient stone. "I know I'm being paranoid but it's hard to help, sometimes. I- I don't want to lay it on you-"

"You're not," Serena said in a resolute tone that left no room for disagreement. She gave Ash a fierce look; stepping back into his space, she placed her palm on his chest. "We're in this together, and I'm here for you. That's what dating means, right? I know we're new at it, but I'm glad I can be here to help talk you down and not leave it all to Pikachu." Pikachu laughed, scratching his head sheepishly and looking away. Serena gave Pikachu a fond smile. "Not that you're not excellent at that. But… You can trust me." Serena looked back at Ash, her blue eyes holding an intensity that captured his attention. "I know you already do. You wouldn't have let me jump off of Dragonite, otherwise. I want you to see that."

"Zacien told us to protect the sword," Ash protested weakly, knowing he was helpless in her gaze.

"You're right. Us." Serena took a determined step forward, coming even closer to him, inhaling deeply. "Let me stand by your side. I can shoulder your burdens with you; I can be strong when you can't, and all you have to do is let me."

Ash dropped his eyes. "I can't ask you to do that."

That earned a soft huff. "Too bad. You can't ask for what I'm offering you freely. That's not how the heart works." Serena lifted his chin and smiled at Ash. "I want this," she whispered. "I told you. I want to be strong for you, more than anything."

Something clicked in Ash's memory, and suddenly he was awash with memories from Kalos. Memories of Serena seeking him out in the crowd, cheering him on at battles, and looking to him during her performances. All the times she was the one who stopped Team Rocket and stood in the front lines against Team Flare. He remembered when he caught sick and Serena battled Jimmy in his stead, dressing up in his clothes so he wouldn't have to turn away a challenge. Oh, Ash realized. That's what Serena's love looks like. It was so simple – and yet it had taken him years to see it. In that moment of realization, though, it meant everything.

"Okay."

Serena kept smiling, but it changed definition. Not in the way she looked at him; that had hardly changed since he'd known her. No, he saw the hidden layers, the warmth cached away for his eyes alone. "Okay?" she echoed.

"Okay. I trust you. We'll restore the sword here." Ash leaned in for a quick kiss, then turned to the armory, drawing the wrapped sword from his back. He held it up, the paper shadowed by the midday sun. "But the second it's ready, it's staying with me."

Serena laughed. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, I think you'll look dashing walking around with a sword at your hip all the time."

"You bet!"

::

"This is pure Pokemon steel." The armorer set the blade down on the table and shook his head in amazement. "Where on earth did you find this? I'd think it a Honedge, or even an Aegislash, if the quality of the steel weren't higher than anything I've ever had the pleasure of sampling. I mean, this is pushing the highest quality ever recorded, and that was a Heatran. It must have taken a millenia to rust this much, I'd say. Either that, or the steel's got some kind of property that's causing it to oxidate faster. Reckon I'll have to make some progress to find out."

"If you see how rare it is, then you'll know why we're worried," Ash said, holding tight to Serena's hand. "We don't want to publicize this – this is official professor business. That's a one of a kind artifact and we can't afford it falling into the wrong hands. Can you be discrete?"

The armorer – a rather round, jolly man with a big orange beard – scoffed at Ash. "Boy, I've been dealing with professor business since before you were born. My family used to work metal for kings and their courts, and peeping to the wrong people was enough to get you executed. Nobody plays games in my workshop, you have my word, not unless they want to find themselves staring the wrong way at my Mega Metagross." The man flicked a keystone embedded into his hat and winked. "You have my word. It's payment enough to get to work such a treasure. A man only gets to take art like this on his anvil a few times in his life."

Ash relaxed, his easy grin resurfacing. He liked the armorer, and knowing he had firepower on his side put him more at ease. "Wow," Serena said, leaning in for a better look at the keystone. "How'd you get the keystone? I thought Galar gave up on Mega Evolution when Dynamax was invented."

"You're Kalosian, aren't you," the armorer deadpanned.

Serena made an affronted noise.

She got a knowing grunt in return as Ash hid his amusement. "Been in my family for generations; so has the Beldum line. Don't go disregarding our history just cause Macro Cosmos and them's put a fancy new coat on it all, now." The armorer gave Ash and Serena a knowing look. "Galar goes deeper than the surface, we do. You kids seem sharp; I'd keep that in mind when you go exploring. You'll learn a lot more with your eyes open. Now go on; shoo; I've got to get to work."

"Thank you!" Ash called, turning to leave. "We'll be back soon as you call!"

The armorer grunted and threw a rough 'course' back over his shoulder.

::

"Here we go-zz!" cried the Rotom Drone, spinning in a happy circle in midair. Ash knew the PWC opening spiel by heart, now – it used to be that the refs for important battles would spice up their scripts based on who was fighting, but ever since in-person referees had been set aside in favor of Rotom tech, the lines were always the same. ""This official Pokemon World Championship match between the challenger Ash Ketchum, ranked #512, and the defender, Sue Lugic, ranked #482, will now commence! Each combatant may use two Pokemon; the match will start when both contestants send out their Pokemon!"

His opponent of the day giggled as he mouthed along with the drone, making exaggerated hand motions, and then bowed along with Pikachu. Sue wore a Goomy shirt and a pair of Poison-type barrettes, and she had an easy smile. "Oh, you're funny," she laughed, thrusting her hands into her jean pockets. "The TV didn't do you credit at all, Ash Ketchum. I might even feel bad when I snap your win streak, you know."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Ash boasted, and Pikachu struck a ready pose, cheeks sparking. "I remember you – you were at the Lumiose Conference and the Vertress conference, right? You're the slug girl – and I still haven't lost a PWC battle. You'll have to put up a better showing against me than you did against Alain!"

Sue hummed, tossing her net ball with a cocky smirk. "The one you lost against?"

"I-"

"And I made it to quarters at Vertress, and I remember a certain someone losing to Cameron…"

"Hey!"

"Now, if only you stopped swapping out your team all the time-"

Ash spluttered. "At least I don't only train slug Pokemon!" he shouted, falling for the bait completely.

Sue gave Ash a haughty look, flipping her blonde hair back over her shoulder. "I'll have you know I train centipedes too," she sniffed, her enthused smirk giving away that she was teasing. "Also primordial oozes. There's quite a lot of diversity there, I'll have you know."

"Oi, Ash!" Serena called from the sideline, where she sat cross-legged in the middle of a knot of tree roots, brushing Delphox's tail. "Stop flirting with Sue and start the battle already!"

Turning bright red, Ash stammered out a response. "I- I wasn't- But- I wasn't flirting! This is trash talk! Battle business! She's gotta know she's going down!"

Giggling, Serena exchanged a glance with Sue. "Definitely flirting!" Serena called back.

"I was flirting," Sue agreed, giving Ash a sly grin.

Unable to muster a response, his mouth flapping like a Magikarp, Ash gave up. He crossed his arms and pouted at Pikachu. "They're being mean to me."

Pikachu shrugged. "Cha."

"Oh, not you too…"

Losing her facade, Sue broke out laughing, clutching her chest, as Rotom started beeping in irritation that they hadn't yet sent out their Pokemon. "Oh man, you're too easy," she crowed. "Seriously. You're almost as bad as my girlfriend and she's dense as a rock." Sue shot a glance at Serena. "Don't worry, princess. I'm not stepping on your toes here"

Serena rolled her eyes. "I'm hungry, idiots. Don't make me sit here all morning."

"Sure. Goodra!"

As Goodra came out onto the battlefield, pumped up and ready to fight, slime dripping down its short forearms, Ash relaxed as they finally entered the safe terrain of battling. He could handle a Goodra – but women were another matter entirely. His choice of Pokemon was easy. "Dragonite!"

Dragonite roared onto the battlefield, and they both went into action.

"Rain Dance!"

"Dragon Dance!"

Serena groaned and reached for her umbrella; the rain clouds rose fast over the battlefield, pouring down over the packed dirt and sinking into Goodra's gooey skin. Dragonite rose into the air, glowing with reddish black energy, roaring in satisfaction as the power boost hit. Ash gave Sue a savage grin as she cursed. "Don't let him keep charging! Ice Beam!"

"Dodge!" The ice beam went wide. "Hyper Beam!"

Rearing back, Dragonite's eyes glowed as he unleashed a massive Hyper Beam. It gouged through the rain, vaporizing the water, and barely stopped in an explosive collision with a Hydro Pump, which exploded in Goodra's face. The opposing Pseudo-Legendary went staggering back; Sue gaped at Ash.

"Arceus, Ketchum," she breathed. "Where the hell were you hiding this kinda firepower the last time I saw you battle?"

"Haven't you heard?" Ash asked, swiping under his nose. "I'm coming for Master Ball tier. Had a few revelations, got my A-Team together, and now nothing's gonna stop me."

"Oh yeah? Prove it."

"Hyper Beam!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Fly through the smoke – use Hurricane to disorient Goodra!"

Sue and Goodra threw their arms up as the smoke from the collision of the beams blew into their faces, lashing into Goodra's form with destructive velocity, blowing the dragon type back. The haze settled – and Dragonite's glowing eyes shone through the gloom. "Dragon Pulse!" The pulse blew Goodra out of the mist and straight across the battlefield toward where Ash was, leaving Dragonite haunting the smokescreen between Sue and her Pokemon.

"I can't see anything!" Sue cried. "Goodra, are you okay? Double down on the Rain Dance!"

Ash smirked. "Dragon Dance again!"

Goodra paled as Dragonite spiraled up into the gathering clouds, which washed away the haze. So did Sue. "Ah, shit."

"Dragon Pulse!"

Dragonite's attack crashed into Goodra with enough destructive force to crater the ground around Goodra's feet. Goodra went flying back through the rain and collapsed at Sue's feet, unconscious. Serena and Delphox cheered; Sue recalled her Pokemon, shooting Ash a lopsided grin. "Nice job," she said. "You set up on me. But this one's not over yet!" She drew a second net ball and cast it onto the battlefield. "Muk!"

Muk slimed into the center of the battlefield, belching noxious fumes at Dragonite. The blob of toxic sludge seemed entirely unconcerned to be staring down a hypercharged Dragonite. Ash grinned; he wondered how his own Muk was doing. Sue had good taste in Pokemon. "Ready?"

The only warning Ash got was the way her eyes promised sadistic retribution, but, really, he should have seen it coming. "Minimize!"

Ash groaned as Muk started seeping away into the ground. "Oh, you're joking. Dragonite, don't let it! Hyper Beam!"

"Acid Armor!"

Ash sucked in a sharp breath as Muk tanked the Hyper Beam, continuing to seep away into the earth. He knew this strategy. He knew what Sue wanted him to do, but he'd never land an effective hit on Muk unless he sprung the trap. "Get in close and use Dragon Pulse!" Ash called. "Put as much damage down on Muk as you can before it gets hard to hit."

Shooting through the air, Dragonite came in low along the ground, rocketing toward where Muk rested in Goodra's crater. Purple energy charged in his mouth; he unleashed it directly onto Muk as Sue cried, "Toxic!"

The poison bubbled beneath Dragonite's skin, and Ash sighed. Can I even blame her? A Toxic stall is as good as any way to take down Dragonite, especially since we're not on the clock.

"You're fighting dirty," he called.

"True." Sue tilted her head, considering Dragonite, who winced in poison-induced pain as he winged away from Muk. "But I want to win. It's not unbeatable – if it was I'd be Master Ball tier. Any champion could take me down easy, right? So where does that leave you? Minimize!"

"Go in low again for another Dragon Pulse."

"Gunk Shot!"

The wave of poison forced Dragonite to veer off and wing his way around the stadium, the poison slowly spreading through his system. At this point, Muk was mostly underground, slowly beginning to disperse over the battlefield. Ash grit his teeth – he needed to end it. "Dragon Dance one more time. Muk can't stop you."

"Gunk Shot again!"

But Dragonite was too fast. He rose high above the battlefield, where the Rain Dance had cleared, and circled, waiting for direction. Ash took a second to consider the situation. He glanced at Serena. She had her eyes locked on him, and there wasn't a shred of doubt on her face. It gave him confidence and an idea.

"Hey, Dragonite!" Ash called. Dragonite, wincing in pain, swooped around to look down at Ash. "If Muk wants to spread out over the battlefield, then we'll just have to take out the battlefield! Got it? I want you to start at the center and Hyper Beam the ground until you force him out, alright?"

Dragonite roared in acknowledgment, angled down, and unleashed a blinding wave of energy onto the battlefield. The subsequent explosions rocked the forest, sending shockwaves through the trees and dust and smoke billowing high into the sky. Ash watched the battlefield in terse silence as his Pokemon slowly and methodically obliterated it, waiting for Sue to recall Muk. After about fifteen seconds of pure destruction, Sue called, "Stop! Stop, you can stop now."

Dragonite held his fire, his entire body rigid from exhaustion and poison. As the dust cleared, Muk became visible in the center of the crater, spirals in its eyes.

"Muk is unable to battle! Ketchum leads 3-1!"

Whistling, Sue recalled Muk. She looked at Ash with newfound respect. "Alright, then," she said, scratching the back of her head. "I'm beginning to think all that at the beginning wasn't just hot air, Ketchum. Always thought you were just a kid but I guess you're really going pro, now."

"Thanks," Ash said, shooting Dragonite a concerned glance as his Pokemon landed. "You battle full-time, right?"

Sue nodded. "Yup. I'm not the best but I make an honest living, I suppose. I get to travel and see the world, go wherever I want; I spend all of my time with my Pokemon. I win enough exhibition battles, get the odd sponsor, and I make enough to scrape by." She blushed, shooting a wry glance at her pokeballs. "I make most of my money these days off of a line of Slugma and Goomy plushies these days, honestly. My brand. They sell well in Unova – Castelia and Nimbasa and whatnot."

"Huh." Ash glanced at Serena, who seemed equally interested, then back at Sue. "Wanna get lunch with us after this?" he asked. "I'd love to pick your brain on how professional battlers make money. We're in our own apartment for the first time, and, well, I've won a bunch of tournaments and the first Alola league last year but our savings won't last forever."

"Sure," Sue agreed. "But shouldn't we finish the battle? Your Dragonite's still poisoned."

Dragonite snorted at the implication that he couldn't take the poison, but his wings drooped and Ash knew Sue was right.

"It's your move."

"Magcargo!"

Magcargo appeared on the battlefield with a flash and the temperature of the battlefield immediately rose, the fire-type's oppressive heat pooling out from the enormous hole their battle had carved. Ash recognized the Pokemon as Sue's ace – he'd watched it battle before. What can it do… Shell Smash, right? She'd be stupid to use that so early, so she's gonna stick to offense to take Dragonite down as soon as possible; definitely no toxic stalling. Fire and rock, so if she has STAB it'll be rock… Stone Edge? Maybe Rock Tomb or Ancient Power? My best bet is to keep distance and height, probably, but sooner rather than later the poison's gonna slow Dragonite down… Right!

"Ready?" Ash called, and Sue nodded. "Hyper Beam!"

"Protect!"

The supercharged Hyper Beam broke around the Protect, Magcargo resting unmoved beneath its protective shield. Dragonite lost some altitude, wincing in pain at the poison, and Ash grit his teeth. That's annoying. She's gonna force me to get close – with Protect she's too skilled not to be able to dodge and stall the poison out. "Come in lower!" Ash called. "Stir the ground up with Hurricane, then Dragon Pulse when you get an opening."

Sue grinned, letting Dragonite come in low. At the exact moment Dragonite unleashed its Hurricane, she shouted, "Stone Edge, now!"

Magcargo took the Hurricane to the face – but the Stone Edge exploded out of the earth and ripped into Dragonite's softer underbelly, knocking him clear out of the sky. Ash recalled his Pokemon before he hit the ground.

"Dragonite is unable to battle! Ketchum leads2-1."

Cheering, Sue pumped her fist in the air, shooting Ash a shit-eating grin. "Ha!" she crowed. "You're not curb-stomping me today! I don't care if you ought to be Ultra Ball tier or whatever, Ketchum, cause I'm gonna make you work for it."

Ash hummed, drawing Oshawott's pokeball and flipping it in his hand. "We'll see about that," he said. "Oshawott!"

Oshawott appeared on the battlefield, puffing out his chest, raising his scalchop in the air triumphantly. "Yeah Oshawott!" Serena cheered. "Get her! You got this Ash!"

His opponent was less impressed. Sue put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at Ash. "Really?" she said. "You bring out a Dragonite for your first Pokemon and you follow it up with your Oshawott? Give me a break. I thought you were taking this seriously."

Oshawott and Ash both cried out in indignation. Jumping forward, Oshawott started chittering at Sue, gesturing angrily at her with his shell. Ash forced himself back to cool in time to notice the devious gleam in Sue's eyes, and he cursed. She's gonna rile him up. Damn, she fights dirty. "Cool it, Oshawott!" Ash shouted. "She's trying to wind you up."

"Oh yeah," Sue challenged. "Cause I remember the last time you sent out Oshawott against a Pokemon way out of his league. Remind me what happened when you tried to tackle a Hydregion, again? I mean, I get it, but even double STAB's not gonna be enough when you're trying to fight my Magcargo with an unevolved starter Pokemon."

Ash hissed through his teeth. "Oshawott, calm," he growled, clenching his fist as Oshawott looked ready to burst a gasket. "You'll show her."

For a moment, Sue shot Ash an apologetic smile so he knew she was having him on, but it was lost when she gave a dramatic laugh, fiddling with one of her poison hair clips. "I mean, honestly," she said. "What are you, Oshawott, straight out of Juniper's lab? I could-"

Oshawott lost it. Leaping into the air, he unleashed his most powerful Hydro Pump, plowing around Sue's lazy 'protect' command and gouging into the earth around Magcargo, filling the crater's bottom with muddy water. Ash saw the way Sue's eyes widened in shock and admiration, but he knew Oshawott didn't.

"Oshawott!" Ash barked. "What did we talk about with listening to me? Stand. Down."

"I mean, that's just a lot of hot water, isn't it?" Sue mused, yawning and fanning herself. Puffing up red in outrage, Oshawott rounded on Ash and furiously babbled at him, talking over Ash's attempts to placate him – and took a Flamethrower to the back; weak and ineffective, the move was little more than a taunt from a smug Magcargo, who said something in its language that seemed to have similar effects as Sue's words.

Ash bared his teeth in furious frustration, frustration that was quickly becoming aimed at Oshawott as much as Sue. "Come on, Oshawott," Serena murmured on the sideline. "Listen to Ash…"

Unfortunately, predictably, Oshawott didn't. Rather, he took off at a furious clip in an Aqua Jet, rocketing toward Sue, and Sue laughed in vicious delight. "Protect." Oshawott bounced off of the Protect, howling in fury, and reared back for another Hydro Pump. "Dodge, then Shell Smash." Magcargo easily dodged the second Hydro Pump and leaped out of the way, shell cracking, fiery energy flickering around its frame. "Hey Ash!" Sue called mockingly. "Aren't you gonna come and put your Pokemon back on a leash?"

"Oh, that's it!" Ash shouted at the same time as Oshawott shrieked in outrage and leaped at Magcargo with a Razor Shell. Magcargo unleashed a Stone Edge, which Oshawott narrowly dodged, hitting the ground hard. "LISTEN TO ME!" he bellowed, to no avail. Magcargo began charging an attack that looked dangerously like an Earth Power, and Ash knew he was out of time. Fury rising in his chest, Ash fell into his Aura, the world snapping blue, the Pokemon and humans around the battlefield lighting up in brilliant colors, and reached for Oshawott.

[LISTEN]

Several things happened at once: aura whipped to life around Ash, Oshawott froze and faced him, the ground beneath Oshawott exploded, sending him flying into the air, and Sue cried out in alarm. As Oshawott shrieked in pain, a veil of water, similar to his Aqua Jet, erupted around his body, and he landed, pained, before Ash, taking on Ash's battle pose. Ash felt Oshawott's [fury] and he fed it with his own rage, whipping out his hand. Oshawott rocketed forward with his Aqua Jet, taking a sharp turn at Magcargo's Protect and unleashing a Hydro Pump into Magcargo's unprotected flank, sending Magcargo flying-

The connection snapped sharply. Oshawott shrieked in pain, losing control of his ability as his Torrent erupted around him, and Ash doubled over on his side of the battlefield- His head was screaming- Pikachu was shouting- Serena was at his side-

"What are you?"

Unsteadily, Ash teetered back to his feet, clutching the side of his head. Serena steadied him, her eyes sharp with concern, murmuring, "Are you alright?" Ash shook his head. Across the battlefield, mouth agape, Sue stared at Ash in confusion, somewhere between fear and awe, slowly backing away from the battlefield. Oshawott was unconscious. Magcargo, heavily damaged, swayed where it stood, a shock away from unconscious.

"Oshawott is unable to battle!" the Rotom Drone cried. "The match is tied 1-1!"

Dead silence met the pronouncement.

"Wh-What was that?" Sue breathed, taking a fearful step onto the battlefield. "How did you do that? What was that light? Th-that wasn't battling, that wasn't in the rules, I- I don't know what that was."

There was a dull thrumming in Ash's head. He was having a hard time thinking through his anger, a rage which had become overpowering, subsuming his rational mind in aura and instinct, and he had not fought but acted. His head had never hurt so badly. Ignoring Sue, he drew Oshawott's pokeball, recalled Oshawott, and reclipped it to his belt without another word. Wordlessly, he gestured to a concerned Pikachu. "End this."

"Ash?" Sue echoed.

Ash turned to Serena and gave her a quick kiss. It did nothing to assuage Serena's concern, but it did get her to stand back, giving him the space to return his attention to the battle. "It'll be fine," he murmured to her, and then called, "I'll explain later. Can you battle?"

"But-"

"Can you battle?"

"Y-y-yes," Sue stammered. She took a deep breath, obviously rattled, and sank back into her battle stance. "Are you good to continue, Magcargo?" Magcargo gave a weak affirmation, and Sue looked back up at Ash. "We're ready."

Ash narrowed his eyes, powering through his migraine. His head throbbed. He needed to end the battle five minutes ago. "Quick attack."

"Protect!"

"Circle until the shield fails," Ash said. He felt cold, right now, his emotion deadened, and rather ruthless. Sue cursed, glancing at Magcargo as Pikachu ran a tight circle around it.

"Drop it and use Earth Power!"

"Thunderbolt."

The instant Magcargo dropped the shield, Pikachu was on it with a vicious Thunderbolt that electrocuted Magcargo before it could begin its attack. Magcargo collapsed, and Pikachu scampered back to Ash, running up his shoulder in concern.

"Match! In a 1-0 victory, challenger Ash Ketchum, ranked #512, defeats defender Sue Lugic, ranked #482! Congratulations Ash!"

In the stunned silence that followed, Sue recalled Magcargo. She tentatively picked her way around the crater they had created, joining Serena at Ash's side. Ash shook her hand absently when she offered it, inclining his head when she murmured, "Good battle."

"You too," he murmured, but his attention was elsewhere.

Oshawott's pokeball sat heavy in Ash's hand, red on white. He stared down at it, an internal conflict coming to a head. He tapped the button and the ball shrank in his palm.

Ash clenched his fist around the pokeball.

Something's gotta give.

::

[A/N] Right on time baby!

Oh man, is there so much hinted-at worldbuilding in Sword and Shield that never gets explored. Am I gonna explore it? You betcha. Galar is way too cool a setting not to get a better treatment than Game Freak doles out, for real.

I don't know about y'all but I knew Rose was gonna be the villain in Sword from the instant I saw him, and, honestly, Ash's gotta be getting a sixth sense for these things by this point. I wanna see the dynamic where Ash doesn't trust the very obvious villain of a series for once, y'know? Hell, Rose isn't even that bad compared to Lysandre or Giovanni or Cyrus, but that doesn't mean he isn't kind of a creep. Poor Leon deserves better.

I love a more adventurous Serena. It just fits her character so well. She's still everything from XY, but she's come out of her shell and she can backtalk Rose and pull off crazy performing stunts and generally be a badass, because let's be honest, that's what she deserves in life.

Burnet and Kukui's baby will be making a star appearance at some point, because little kids are adorable.

This chapter (obviously) took a while, but that's how it goes when you're putting out 10k chapters. I hope I've made your wait worthwhile, fam. I'm pretty pleased with this. And I got a ton of work done on my original this fall, which now sits over 300k, because I'm ambitious and incapable of writing short fiction haha. This one's novel length too! Cheers to that!

There are either two or three chapter left in Galar, and then we move on to Sinnoh! I'm so excited :).

As I anticipated, the text scenes got a mixed reception – some people adored them, some people hated them. I had a lot of fun writing them for one so I don't mind. Also, it's good to keep in mind for both FFN people and AO3 people that the Pokemon fandom is very different between the two archives and I'm an active participant in both. Consider this a synthesis of the best of both worlds – both the new AO3 style (3D games, Galar, light fluff and character explorations of Ash's trauma, the dreaded textfic :P) and the old FFN style (2D games and anime, aura, battling, and tournaments, more realistic explorations of the Pokemon world, etc). I love both and I think that there's a lot to be gained from joining the schools.

Thank you to Amourshipper35, DaDragon562, xxBurlesquexx, Reader, misterbruh, Rajiv A. Rajaram, crazydude13, Hurtturnip, Temple27, Hall Gowrt, Ri2, TheStrongestChosenOne, the great, UnKnownGuy2006, Name16, fishlord17, Noble phantom, championmuru, SSGSS GOHAN, HumbleInternetUser, A_Simple_Girl, lesbiananimeism, Uranium235, InfamousPlayer, Chapelseed, WR41T6, and six guests for reviewing! Your support, as always, blows me away. Also, 200 favs on FFN is pretty bomber!

Some responses:

DaDragon562 – You're fairly on the money with the first one, although I can't say it'll play out the way you're thinking ;)

Guest #1 – yeah yeah either way Ash still gets made fun of for it

Ri2 – Paul is hilarious and I like the idea of Ash forcing him into a friendship haha. Also with the Goh/Cerise thing their relationships are different. Cerise was more of a mentor who Ash never really got to know well enough to trust, whereas Goh is a friend who Ash wants to keep in touch with. You don't see Professor Sycamore on that gc for example.

championmuru – oop nope that's just me misspelling things. You're onto something ;)

Guest #2 – Let us all take moment in silent remembrance of my upload schedule…

I hope my American folk had a lovely Thanksgiving and that everyone stays safe, healthy, and warm this winter! Y'all are the best. Remember to leave a line and tell me what you thought :)

Cheers, Allie

NEXT TIME: Team Rocket?! Also Bede is a colossal asshole and Ash and Lycanroc go on a romp