Chapter 11

Tuesday, October 11th

Brock drummed his fingertips on the steering wheel of his car to the beat of a song's introduction. As the beat became more defined, Brock began to groove in his seat. Absorbed in his dance movements, Brock failed to notice that none other than Ash Ketchum was knocking on the glass of the passenger door. Without any options, walked in front of the car to get Brock's attention.

Brock unlocked the doors for Ash to join him in the car, and he lowered the music to pose a question. "What were you doing up there, Ash?"

Ash stifled a laugh and decided to leave the question untouched. "Thanks for coming today," Ash got settled in his seat, placing his backpack on the floor by his feet.

"You surprised me when you called last night, I thought something happened," Brock noted with a memory of the last late-night call he received from Ash.

"We saw that battle N had over the weekend," Ash explained pulled his seatbelt across his chest. "Pikachu and I decided that we wanted to get stronger, so we're going to do some extra training out on Route 6."

"I heard the ending of the battle was nuts," Brock pointed out as he shifted in drive and joined the traffic on the street.

"Man, I've never seen something so strong. Zoroark used this move called Focus Blast to counter Rapidash's Flare Blitz. When they met it was just," Ash clapped his hands together and then pulled them apart to mimic an explosion, adding a sound effect as well.

"Man, now I wish I was there to see it," Brock groaned.

"Yeah, you missed a good one," Ash teased.

"Whatever," Brock said as he wrinkled his nose. Ash snickered before he leaned over to open his backpack. Pikachu popped out immediately and he began to climb up Ash's body to perch himself on Ash's shoulder. Ash immediately reached up for Pikachu and set him back down on his lap.

"Sorry Pikachu, we haven't left the city yet. You have to stay down until we do. I let you out to have a little more room," Ash explained to his partner who nodded and go comfortable.

"Ash, whatever happened to that girl you brought to the subway station?" Brock inquired to strike up some conversation. Ash remained silent as he stroked Pikachu's back, and took the time to sort through his thoughts.

"She's alright," He mumbled in reply.

"What's the deal with her? Do you like her or what?" Brock asked pointedly. He was usually blunt with Ash.

"Eh…I mean, she's cool and all," Ash trailed off and returned to his silence.

"It sounds like there should be a 'but' at the end of that," Brock interjected.

"I don't know," Ash said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Dawn is really nice, and I've spent a lot of time with her at school…but when I saw Serena again at the subway station," Ash trailed off again and he removed his hand from Pikachu. His Pokemon glanced up at him and gave him a nudge to resume the grooming, but there was no response. Pikachu rumbled his lips as he realized that Ash was consumed in his thoughts.

Going back to that night, Ash recalled the few minutes that he danced with Serena. It was the first time they did that in months, and he'd all but forgotten the details of it during his absence. The warmth of her breath. The shock of her touch. As soon as they came into contact, the steps came right back to him, and his chest tingled when their dance concluded and Serena smiled at him. It was as if his heart stopped at the sight of that smile. Ash shook his head as he acknowledged that Serena could still tug at his heart even though they ended their relationship a while ago.

"So, you've still got a thing for Serena, huh?" Brock asked him. However, this question dragged Ash back into his thoughts.

Ash met Serena when he was sixteen, almost two years prior to today. At the time, Brock was helping Ash attend Pokemon battles, and they needed a cover story to explain where Ash was to Cassidy. So, Brock brought Ash into his dance crew as a new member and that was how Ash met Serena. As arguably the best of the group, Ash was placed under Serena's tutelage to bring him up to speed and the two of them hit it off immediately. Serena studied dance and performing intensely, and Ash became her test dummy.

She tried every form of dance, which gave Ash a very broad view of the field. He never paid much attention to how people danced, the nuances and details, but Serena showed him everything. As he got the fundamentals down, he began to dance with Serena. At the time, she was studying the salsa and the tango, and she would invite Ash to practice with her on the weekends. This was where Serena proved to be unlike any girl Ash met before.

Cassidy was his guardian, and Ash struggled to view her as anything more than that. Ash knew his mother very well before they were separated, and while he could tell Cassidy has his best interests at heart, it was difficult to let someone else fill the role of his mother.

Casey and Macy were his litter sisters, both of which he adored from the moment he met them. Well…in Macy's case. It took him a while to figure out Casey, and it took her even longer to warm up to him. She was only three when they first met, but she was quirky and particular for that age, not that Ash could blame her. Finally, they made a connection one day. Cassidy took them out for ice cream and got both of them a soft-serve vanilla chocolate cone. Casey hated vanilla ice cream, so Ash would eat the vanilla half of his cone, and give the chocolate half to Casey in exchange for what was left of her vanilla half. That became their arrangement going forward, and Casey started to warm up to him from that day forward.

Then there was the night that Cassidy came home with Macy. He would never forget that night. He was fourteen at the time, and Macy was a small infant, only two months old. Cassidy asked Ash if he'd ever held a baby before, and after his response, she explained everything to him. How to support her neck and cradle her body. Once she was in his arms, Macy looked up at him with her big bright eyes and smiled for him. Ash's heart melted that day.

Yet…Serena managed to carve out her own special place in his heart. Serena was three years older than him and she already graduated high. She was exposed to the world as a budding young adult, and what she learned, she shared freely with Ash. Every moment he spent with Serena, she was showing him something new, something cool. A different point of view, or just sharing a thought. It wasn't long before Serena joined a very small group of people whom Ash trusted wholeheartedly…and before he realized it, he was looking at her in a different light.

He was paying attention to her now, and everything she did. He began to admire her qualities and laugh at her quirks. Ash didn't want to admit it but…

"Yeah, she's still got a place in my heart," Ash stated.

"Huh?" Brock said as he reached to lower the volume of the radio. "What did you say?"

"I was answering your question," Ash replied with a glance out the window. He then realized that the man-made buildings of Vermilion City were long gone, and in its place was the sprawling woodlands of Route 6. "When did we get out here?"

"Dude, it's been like twenty minutes since you said something. Geez, were you daydreaming about Serena the entire time?" Brock asked with a snicker. Ash's cheeks reddened since had indeed spent the last several minutes letting Serena dominate his thoughts. "Well, we're almost there."

"Great," Ash said as he focused on the purpose of their trip this afternoon.

There were two ways to train a Pokemon in Vermilion City. All over the city were several locations that were used to host battles where trainers could test their skills. These locations varied depending on the time of the day to keep the authorities guessing where Pokemon trainers were gathered.

The other option was what Ash intended to make use of today. That involved going outside of the city to practice against wild Pokemon that lived in Route 6. Ash was surprised as Brock explained this concept to him. He assumed that Pokemon learned to battle through humans, but lo and behold, wild Pokemon without even an ounce of human contact understood how to participate in a Pokemon battle.

It was almost as if…they'd be been battling long before humans encountered.

"Here we are," Brock said as they turned off the main roadway and entered a small parking lot. There was one empty car parked here which Brock parked alongside. Once Brock parked, Ash and Pikachu jumped out of his car to marvel at the tall trees that loomed overhead. It was deathly quiet when compared to the hustle and bustle within Vermilion City.

Brock held back a smile as he watched Ash and Pikachu. Now that they had taken in their fill of the area, they began to stretch. It was amusing to watch them as they almost mirrored the other's actions. A human and a Pokemon that was practically in sync.

"Are you guys ready?" Brock asked once his car was locked up. They gave him an earnest now, and Brock took the lead as he pointed to a dirt pathway that led into the forest. Despite the overwhelming excitement, Ash couldn't find any words to say as they walked. He held the straps of his backpack tightly, and occasionally stole a glance at Pikachu who resided on his shoulder. There was something about this that just felt…right.

Ash couldn't explain it. Was it the touch of mystery, or the possibility that they could encounter a Pokemon at any given moment…or perhaps another trainer was lurking in the bushes in search of a new opponent. It was like he was on an adventure!

A thud echoed through the area and Pikachu's ear twitched. "Pika?" Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and darted off into the thick foliage.

"Pikachu," Ash didn't hesitate to pursue his partner, and Brock shrugged his shoulders before he followed as well. No sense in being conventional with Ash and Pikachu around.

Pikachu was out in front of Ash and Brock, jumping over tree roots and waving through broken branches that rested on the forest floor. Soon enough, Pikachu came to a stop at the edge of a small clearing where a battle was taking place. He remained concealed, careful not to disturb contest. Thankfully, Ash and Brock took a hint and slowed their approach. With all of them aware of the battle, they kept silent to observe.

The trainer was a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties with long dark hair. She was dressed lightly for the hot weather that persisted year-round in Vermilion City, and even in the late afternoon, it was still hotter than most people would appreciate. In front of her was a short Pokemon that wore a skull over his head and wielded a short bone club. Ash raised his eyebrow since he'd never seen a Pokemon that wielded a weapon before.

"Who's that, Brock?" Ash whispered.

"That's Giselle," Brock replied, his cheeks tinged pink as he admired her figure. "She's just as gorgeous as the last time I saw her."

"Not the girl, the Pokemon," Ash said harshly, though he kept his voice low.

"Cubone, just be patient," Giselle called out. "Let Mankey attack first and we'll work off of that."

Ash looked back to the field. He recognized Giselle's opponent as Mankey, so he attached the name Cubone to Giselle's partner.

Cubone exhaled and exercised patience as his trainer instructor. Their plan was to wait for Mankey's impatience to get the better of him, but Mankey was content to wait. He stared at Cubone and bounced on his toes, keeping his arms high. Clearly, Mankey went through his fair share of battles and learned that being overly aggressive would only get you so far.

Ash pursed his lips. It was his patience that was being tested. "Sheesh, I wish she'd attack already. Mankey isn't going to."

"Right, you've never seen Giselle battle before," Brock noted and Ash took a glance at him. Brock wore a neutral expression, now capable of holding a conversation again. "It's obvious that you'd get impatient with her. That's everyone's biggest mistake when they battle her."

"What do you mean?"

"I wouldn't really call it a trap, but Giselle is good at dissecting her opponents. That's her whole style and she's scary good at him. It's probably her woman's intuition," Brock suggested with a chuckle. "She can figure out someone's game plan with a snap of her fingers."

"But how does she do it?" Ash's questions continued.

"She lets her opponent attack first to get a grasp of their overall strategy," Brock explained with a motion to the example right in front of them.

"So, all she does is play defense," Ash concluded. "That won't work against me and Pikachu," The second half of his statement was louder than Ash intended for it to be, and Giselle raised her brow as she realized she had company. With her audience in mind, she clicked her tongue and returned her focus to Mankey.

"Alright Cubone, that's enough waiting," She said and her Pokemon sighed with relief. Cubone lowered his center of gravity and sprung forward. That was Mankey's trigger as he squealed and dashed forward to meet Cubone.

However, Cubone had a different plan in mind as he stomped his feet to skid to a halt. Mankey did the same, though just a moment too late as he stopped too close to Cubone to avoid his attack. Cubone swung his club at Mankey's legs and ripped his feet out from under him which sent him to the ground face first.

"Now follow up with Sand Attack!" Giselle called out calmly. As Mankey raised his head, he was greeted by a face full of dirt, several chunks hitting him directly in the eye. An agitated squeal escaped his lips as he furiously rubbed at his eyes. "Give him a good whack!"

Cubone tightened his grip on his bone club and lashed out at Mankey with all the force he could muster. His club met with Mankey's side and hurled him across the clearing. Ash, Brock, and Pikachu winced as Mankey hit the base of a tree and fell to the ground in a heap. Cubone's strength was nothing to take lightly.

"Cu-bone!" Cubone declared and he raised his bone above his head triumphantly. Giselle however, didn't approve of his celebration and shouted at him to stay focus. Mankey wasn't done just yet as he forced himself back up to his feet and used one hand to rub the dirt from his eyes. Mankey was seething and his fur turned red, exactly what Giselle wanted.

"Get ready Cubone, this is where we'll end this," Giselle stated as Mankey shrieked.

Mankey went down on all fours and charged wildly at Cubone. Fueled by his rage, Mankey was even more predictable and easy to avoid with simple sidesteps. Mankey circled around and charged in again, but the result was the same. "Whenever you're ready Cubone, use Bonemerang!"

As Mankey raced by him again, Cubone turned and took aim. Mankey came around again and as he approached, Cubone hurled his weapon with a ferocious spin. His bone club sailed through the air as though it were a frisbee, but Mankey had enough sense to avoid the attack and continue his approach. Once he was within range of Cubone, Mankey lunged forward and cocked back both of his arms to throw a dual chop.

In response, Cubone raised his now empty hands to catch both of Mankey's wrists. An audible clap echoed through the clearing from the impact, followed by a light breeze.

"Whoa," Ash exclaimed, his brow raised. Mankey was notorious for two things. Their temper, and their strength. An angry Mankey was the best of both worlds, yet Giselle's Cubone stood against Mankey's physical strength without giving an inch. Mankey's eyes grew wide as all his momentum came to a stop, and he was forced to acknowledge the strength of his opponent. Then, without warning, Mankey was struck from behind.

The forgotten Bonemerang attack returned to its launch site to strike Mankey on the back, and he was stunned from the unexpected hit. Mankey's vision blurred and he went limp. Cubone hoisted Mankey into the air with ease and hurled him to the ground one more time, and Mankey remained motionless this time.

"Very nice, Cubone," Giselle said as she clapped for her partner. Defeating an angry Mankey was nothing to take lightly, especially since they went out of their way to anger said Pokemon.

Brock glanced at Ash now that the battle was over, and he did his best to suppress his urge to laugh. Ash's mouth hung open as he stared at them. He lost sight of the Bonemerang attack and forgot all about it as he witnessed Cubone's surprising strength. If he'd was battling Cubone, he was certain he would've lost in the same fashion as Mankey.

"So do you still want to battle her, Ash?" Brock asked him.

A grin broke out on Ash's face. "Heck yeah, I do!" He shouted as he ran out into the clearing with Pikachu. Giselle turned to face them with a narrow stare at his sudden outburst, but that didn't stop Ash as he issued his challenge.

"Argh, damn it! We'll be back for you tomorrow!" Ash barked at Giselle as he kneeled down beside Pikachu's unconscious form. He gingerly scooped up his partner from the ground, careful not to make contact with the areas that Pikachu was hit by Cubone's club. Giselle merely watched as Ash left the clearing with Brock and Pikachu, promising to return with a new strategy the next time they met because…

Pikachu took a beating! They expected a challenge, but battling Giselle was an entirely different experience from just watching her in action, especially since Ash and Pikachu were on the receiving end of that beat down.

Ash sighed as he dropped himself into the passenger seat of Brock's car and he dug through his backpack for the Potion he packed. He was glad to receive so many of these from the Red Skulls. With their goal of training more often, Pikachu would need these to accelerate his recovery from any lingering damage. He couldn't afford to suffer a serious injury now.

"Man, she's really good!" Ash exclaimed as observed Pikachu. He had bruises all over his torso and the discolorations showed through his fur. Ash carefully sprayed the affected areas, and Pikachu fur glistened as the liquid rested on it for a few moments. Then it sunk in further and Pikachu relaxed as his pain subsided.

"Yup, she's no pushover," Brock commented.

"So, what is she ranked in the circuit?" Ash asked curiously. It was odd that he never heard Giselle's name come up before. She was too good to be unknown.

"She's not ranked. She's not even in the circuit," Brock replied as he started the car engine. Ash stared at him, mouth agape.

"What do you mean she's not ranked? She's really stinkin' good! I'll bet she could beat anyone in the circuit, or give them a run for their money at least," Ash declared and Brock shrugged his shoulders. He focused on driving and shifted the car into the reverse to begin their trip back into Vermilion City.

"She's got her reasons, but believe me, all of the good trainers in Vermilion City know about Giselle," Brock explained. "After battling her, how would rate her compared to N."

"Uhh…" Ash didn't need to think about it very long. "Giselle is pretty good and all, but we still got in a few hits against her Cubone. With N…I can't even imagine us scoring a luck hit yet. He would flat out destroy us."

"I agree with you. Giselle is a very good trainer, but even among the very best trainers, you can divide them up into different tiers," Brock explained. "To start, you've got the Five Kings at the tip-top. Those guys are all by themselves, the strongest among circuit trainers and the best you'll find in any of the four Kingdoms. Below the Five Kings, you've got their closest subordinates. Not all of them are registered in the circuit, but they're all equally strong if you ask me."

Ash thought of Laura and her Rapidash, a tandem that was renowned as one of the strongest among the White Lotus. They put on an impressive showing against N, but in the end, they were clearly inferior.

"And then, the next tier below them is where I'd rank Giselle," Brock concluded. Ash wrinkled the bridge of his nose. He was struggling to make the comparisons, or more specifically, he was struggling to place himself in this ranking.

Giselle just beat him convincingly. Laura would likely beat Giselle in the same fashion. And Ash witnessed Laura get dismantled by N.

"So, I'm at least four tiers beneath N?" Ash concluded.

"That's one way to look at it," Brock said, though he went on to share some of his insights on the best trainers in Vermilion City.

The Five Kings.

Unfortunately, as far as Brock knew, none of the Kings ever faced each other publicly, so there was no definite answer as to who was the strongest. However, based on the opinions of trainers who faced the Five Kings, many of them praised N or described him as the toughest of them all. That opinion spread among trainers throughout the city, and N was placed on a pedestal above the rest of the Kings.

Ash felt a chill as he realized that yet another tier was added to this pyramid. If N was really stronger than the rest of the Kings, defeating him was going to be a greater challenge than he imagined. In the face of such a daunting challenge, Ash's heart was set ablaze.

"Think of Giselle as a gatekeeper," Brock suggested. "If you can't get past her, you don't stand a chance against the other top trainers."

Ash didn't smile, but his eyes shimmered. He would surmount this challenge, no matter how difficult it became.

"We've got a lot of work ahead of us, Pikachu," Ash stated as he looked down at his partner.

Brock didn't need to look at Ash to guess what sort of face he was making. He could hear it in Ash's voice. He was excited and determined…ready for his grand adventure to unfold.

Thursday, October 13th

Nando exhaled and placed his hands on his lap. Then he looked to the man that loomed over him.

With one hand raised to pull at his pointed mustache, this man shut his eyes and hummed the melody that Nando finished playing on the grand piano. Once he finished the tune, silence filled the room and Nando gulped nervously. He wanted nothing more than for this critique to begin, but Juan, his music teacher, just loved to create suspense.

This was the song he ended to play at his upcoming recital, and Nando was anxious to hear another opinion on it.

"Nando…that was magnificent!" Juan exclaimed as he applauded Nando's work.

"Thank you, Mr. Juan," Nando said graciously with a small bow.

Juan was the director of musical education at North Vermilion High. He had an impressive background in music, formerly a professional musician, and was also in possession of an array of awards that he received while he played professionally. Now, as a gentleman in his late fifties, Juan spent time in the classroom sharing his experience with the next generation of upcoming musicians.

His star pupil, Nando, never failed to impress him, and once again, Nando produced a musical arrangement that astounded him. From the moment Nando set foot in his classroom as a freshman, Juan knew that this young man had a gift and Nando's latest creation provided further evidence of that thought. Nando was a musical genius. He could play anything that he touched, his skill unmatched among his peers. Juan was certain that as soon as Nando graduated, he would be whisked in a professional musical career, traveling overseas as he played.

"I must say, your work has been filled with more passion as of late, this piece especially," Juan noted as he sent a sly glance at Nando. "I remember I used to play with such passion where there was love on my mind."

Nando's cheeks reddened as he looked away from Juan, which earned a hearty laugh from the man.

Juan placed a hand on Nando's shoulder to console him. "There's no need to be embarrassed about it. If this young lady inspires you to create beautiful music, there is no shame in that," Juan stated. "One of the hardest emotions to capture in music is love. But when someone can project that emotion through their music, it's an experience that their listeners will never forget. Some of the best songs I composed were during a time when I fell in love with someone while I was in Hoenn."

Juan cooed affectionately as he looked up to recall the face of the woman that he saw in Lilycove City almost thirty years ago.

"It was love at first sight. I followed her around town until I finally caught her in a park where she stopped to take a break. I used the opportunity to serenade her," Juan explained as he danced around the room with an imaginary guitar in his hands. "She loved every moment of it, so I did my best to make sure we crossed paths again for me to play more songs for her. But alas, it was not meant to be."

"What happened?" Nando inquired. Surely if she loved Juan's music, she must have given him a chance.

"She was married," Juan remarked with a straight face. Nando kept silent, unsure of what to say in reply, but Juan stifled his laughter. "Don't worry about that, my friend. She was just one of the many ladies that I met before I got married myself."

Nando did his best to chuckle. Despite all the time he spent with Juan, it was still hard to understand his sense of humor at times.

"But let me tell something to you. If you play your cards right, and you play this song for your special someone, I promise you Nando…you will capture her heart," Juan assured him as he continued to dance, positioning his arms as if to hold a woman. He performed a dip and once he straightened up, he looked to Nando. "So, will she be attending your recital?"

Nando drew in a deep breath and gave his instructor a nod. Juan gave him a bright smile and he came to Nando to give him a pat on the back.

"Very good," Juan said as he put on a neutral expression. He then motioned to the piano keys in front of Nando, prepared to help him refine his work until it reached the pinnacle of perfection.

Hopefully, through this song, Nando would be able to tell Dawn something he struggled to say.

Thursday, October 20th

"Pikachu, show em' your Agility!" Ash commanded as he swung his arm in front of him.

"Cubone, stay focused, you've seen them do this before," Giselle called out in response. Pikachu tensed his muscles before he rushed forward. He crossed the clearing as nothing more than a blur and he raced around Cubone in search of an opening to attack.

Under Giselle's orders, Cubone kept still with his bone raised. He did his best to keep Pikachu in his field of vision, although this was no small task. However, just this small action was enough to make Pikachu hesitate, wary of the weapon in Cubone's hand.

"Go for it, Pikachu!" Ash hollered. It was clear that Pikachu didn't have an angle to attack from, so their best option was to force something new to happen. Ash was well aware of the fact that this played straight into Giselle's hand, but he was determined to beat her at her own game.

Pikachu dove in at his opponent and raised his foot to attack. Cubone raised his club to block Pikachu's kick, but Pikachu was far from finished as he used that foot for leverage and bounded off of it. This simple action put Pikachu back on his feet and he darted behind Cubone to lash out with his tail this time. Cubone spun around with his bone in hand and blocked Pikachu's follow-up attack.

Ash blinked as their exchange of attacks froze momentarily. Then Pikachu resumed his assault, using his speed to get behind Cubone and attack again. Even though Pikachu was attacking rapidly from different angles, Cubone continued to react accordingly to each attack.

"Alright Cubone, go for Pikachu's feet with Bone Club!" Giselle ordered suddenly to break the stalemate. Cubone only defended up until this point, but now he lowered his bone in anticipation of Pikachu's next attack.

Pikachu attacked again as he pounced at Cubone from his side. Cubone heard the movement to his side and leaned back into a handstand to avoid Pikachu. At the sight of Cubone balanced on one hand, Pikachu came to a full stop right in front of him and gathered himself to attack. He'd never seen Cubone take such an odd position that left his defense compromised. This was Pikachu's golden opportunity!

Cubone however, was the first to strike as he spun on his hand and lashed out at Pikachu with his bone club. Pikachu gasped as his feet were ripped out from beneath him.

The stage was set for Cubone to secure yet another victory. If he could immobilize Pikachu for even a moment, that would be enough time to do some significant damage with his weapon. Giselle gave a shout of 'finish them!' as she saw a few moments ahead of what took place. But she wasn't the only one that caught a glimpse of the future.

The scene slowed for Ash as Pikachu hung in mid-air, his body parallel to the ground. Cubone was already returning to his feet, which would've put him in a tremendous position to attack Pikachu who would hit the ground at the same time. In that brief instant, Ash saw something that he could use.

"Use your tail!" His shout came as Pikachu was displaced. As the order came out, Pikachu acted on it. He twisted his body and extended his tail to the ground which broke his fall. As Cubone was back up on his hind legs, he found that Pikachu was also standing upright, a smirk on his face.

At this range, he couldn't defend himself as Pikachu burst forward. The electric mouse drove his shoulder into Cubone's belly with enough force to launch Cubone across the clearing. He crashed into a tree trunk and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Alright! Great job Pikachu!" Ash cheered as Giselle rushed over to her Pokemon. She kneeled to examine Cubone herself. She heard a groan and saw that Cubone was making an effort to return to his feet. She placed a hand on his back, a signal that he didn't need to continue.

"It's alright, they got us," Giselle said to her companion who relaxed.

"You were awesome, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed as he rushed to his partner who dropped down onto his bottom. Rather than celebrate, Pikachu was grimacing. The leg that was hit by Cubone's Bone Club was already swollen. If they didn't counter Cubone during that last exchange, Pikachu would've been at his mercy. "Hey Brock, can you toss me a Potion?"

Brock gave a nod before he retrieved the item from Ash's backpack. He tossed it to Ash who quickly treated Pikachu's leg. Pikachu sighed with relief as the Potion began to work its magic. Once Pikachu was set, Ash scooped him up and approached Giselle. He offered her the Potion, and Giselle looked at him with her brow raised. It took a moment, but she accepted the spray bottom and treated Cubone accordingly.

"I was surprised," Giselle admitted as Cubone sat upright. Ash and Pikachu perked up as she said this and they waited for her to continue. "I thought yesterday was a fluke, so I have to apologize for the way I acted."

It was nine days since they first met. In those nine days, they battled a total of seven times.

At first, Giselle thought Ash was no different from the average trainer. Quite a few of them came out to Route 6 with the expectation that they could bully wild Pokemon as a form of practice, or rebuild their egos from the defeats they suffered at the hands of better trainers within the city. Giselle always made a point to address anyone who came out here with such an attitude and remind them that a real trainer would respect any opponent they faced. Most of them didn't appreciate her comments, and she never saw them again which was a victory in her book.

Ash was…different. He was brimming with admiration for Cubone and herself as they battled. He was trying to learn from them with each battle, and he did so rapidly. With each defeat Giselle handed him, it was clear that Ash was improving throughout the battle. Then, during their sixth battle which took place the day before, Giselle was stunned when Ash and Pikachu snatched a victory from her. Their battle went down to the wire, and those high-pressure moments where one decisive hit could end the battle were the moments that Giselle prepared for. But something clicked in Ash, and he was able to catch them off guard. They finally won, although Pikachu looked significantly worse for wear.

In response, Giselle stamped her feet, cursed audibly, told Ash he got lucky, and stalked off. She didn't want to admit it yesterday, but Ash improved considerably. How could she accept that he improved so much in such a short time?

Now that she suffered a defeat at his hands a second time, the very next day no less, Giselle knew that his first victory was not a fluke. Once again, he managed to counter her counterattack when it mattered.

Ash scratched the back of his neck and gave a weak chuckle. "You don't need to apologize, it's not like my attitude was any better," He confessed. He was quite loud after some of his losses, though not as…vulgar.

"I'm a little curious, can you tell me what was going through your head as well battled?" Giselle asked him.

Ash was a very strange opponent. It was almost as if she was battling a different opponent each day during their first five encounters. He used all sorts of different tactics, all of which were fairly easy to see through and counter accordingly. But during their sixth contest, Ash was much harder to predict.

It was as if he was battling without a solid plan. He was just acting and reacting…and it was working.

Even when Giselle countered, Ash found a response. He beat her twice battling this way.

"What was going through my head?" Ash repeated as he looked up in thought, then he shrugged his shoulders. "To be honest, I was trying to keep my head empty. My thoughts get in the way more often than not, and it makes it harder to keep up with everything that's happening. When I stay in the moment, I'm able to react faster and I know I can trust Pikachu to get the job done."

"Pii-ka!" Pikachu chimed in with a salute to Giselle.

Giselle tilted her head as she stared at Ash. There were a few trainers that described something similar to her, and among that group was most notably, the King of the White Lotus, N.

"How old are you?" Giselle asked.

"I'll be eighteen…soon," Ash answered, and Giselle's eyes widened somewhat. He was so young!

That explained his inconsistencies. He was probably attempting things he saw in different battles, and once he realized that those tactics were going nowhere, he fell back to his natural intuition and trust in his Pokemon.

A sense of dread filled Giselle. This situation was eerily similar to her first and only battle with N almost two years ago. That was one of the most one-sided battles Giselle ever participated in. N was undoubtedly the strongest trainer she ever faced, and he went on to become the strongest trainer in the city and establish his own Kingdom.

And now, another trainer stood before her that was even younger than N at that time. While his inexperience proved to be a significant drawback, his startling rate of improvement would allow him to challenge the best trainers of Vermilion City and perhaps one day…even surpass N.

"What's your name?" Giselle asked him.

Together, he and Pikachu grinned at her.

"I'm Ash Ketchum, and this is my partner, Pikachu."

An hour passed since the end of the battle between Pikachu and Cubone, and the sun was beginning to set. Rather than return home like she was usually would at this time, Giselle remained to observe Ash and Pikachu as they practiced some of the wild Pokemon in the area. She stood at the edge of the clearing, her arms folded in front of her chest and she scrutinized their every move.

Her observations led to the same conclusion she made earlier. Ash was wildly inconsistent, brilliant one moment and reckless the next. She could see the creativity would spring up from the depths of his mind, but he was clearly a novice. Ash and Pikachu battled at the level of their competition, so while they were a promising due when faced with Giselle and Cubone, now as they battled a relatively unremarkable Meowth, their execution was poor.

They battled at the level of their competition, so while he appeared to be promising in their battle against Cubone earlier, now

"What do you think of him?"

Giselle's head snapped to the side and she saw that Brock was now beside her. She recognized him as the person who accompanied Ash every time he came to battle, though they had yet to speak to each other.

"Who are you, his manager?" Giselle asked.

Brock snorted. "More like…a mentor," He replied. "I'm trying to show him the ropes."

"You're the reason Ash keeps coming back?"

"Well, I thought you would be a good opponent for him to use as a measuring stick," Brock explained and Giselle frowned at the comment. She didn't like the thought of being used to estimate Ash's skill level.

"Why me? There are plenty of trainers in the city that he could battle," Giselle pointed out.

Brock gave a weak chuckle. "The biggest reason…is probably because he doesn't have any money to afford to lose to trainers in the city. A lot of people have turned down battles with him because he couldn't match their wager on the battle," Brock explained.

Giselle gave a nod as she was reminded of Ash's earlier statement that he was only seventeen. She was willing to bet that most of the trainers he challenged were looking down on him because of his age. Who would want to battle a kid with no money?

"I heard that you don't bet money on your battles, and they've started to think of you and Cubone as training partners," Brock went on. "If Ash hasn't told you already, you've been an incredible opponent and he's learned a whole lot from you."

"I can tell. He was changing with each battle, getting better and better," Giselle noted.

"That's his gift if you ask me," Brock said, and Giselle sent a glance his way. "He's a quick study, learning what he can from the battles he gets to see every now and then. I think he's kind of similar to you in a way."

"How so?"

"I was telling him this after the first time we watched you battle. You break down the strategy of your opponent and respond accordingly. Ash will…kind of read into what you're doing and throw a wrench in your plan," Brock explained to her and she raised her brow at that piece of information. So, she wasn't the only one who noticed his intuition.

"How many battles has he been in? Giselle asked.

"Not many, and he doesn't train a lot either," Brock went on. "Not that he doesn't want to train, he really does, but he's still in high school and he has a job. It's not easy for him to find time to train. And if he does make the time to train, maybe once in a blue moon he'll actually get to battle another trainer."

Giselle looked at Brock, one eyebrow raised.

"I wouldn't believe it either if I was you," Brock said with a chuckle. "But I'm telling the truth. He's come a long way with just a little bit."

"…It's not that I don't believe you, it's just," Giselle paused as she looked back to Ash and Pikachu in the clearing. "If he practiced consistently, and worked on the basics, he could become a really good trainer. Maybe even the best in Vermilion City."

"Hoo, that's bold," Brock said with a smirk.

"That's just my opinion, but based on my experience, there are two types of trainers that rise above all the others," Giselle said and Brock paid close attention. "There's the calculating type, the trainer who studies whatever they can to understand their Pokemon, the matchups, the strategies, anything that they can get their hands on," Giselle took a breath. "These types are meticulous in how they plan for their opponents and they have set plans to account for any surprises during the battle."

"It kind of sounds like you're describing yourself," Brock said through pursed lips. Giselle shot him a leer and he kept any further comments to himself.

"And then there's the genius type," She said with a nod toward Ash. "They don't need to think or plan. As the battle unfolds, they're just able to see things before they happen, like they get a brief glimpse of the future. Then…just like you said, they'll throw a wrench in your plan."

Brock nodded approvingly; he liked the sound of someone calling Ash a genius. "Do you think he can become as strong as the Five Kings?"

"If he figures it all out, I think he can succeed them."

Friday, October 21st

May took a seat at her usual lunch table and squirmed for a moment. Since she was alone, she arched her back and stretched her arms out. Then with a groan, she rolled her shoulders. These actions did not go unnoticed by Dawn and Nando as they arrived.

"Are you okay?" Dawn asked as she took a seat beside May.

May twisted her torso from one side to the other. "It's weird," She answered. "I slept through the night, but it feels like I slept on a lumpy old mattress."

"Well, I hope you get a good night of sleep before my recital on Sunday," Nando commented as he set down his backpack and guitar case beside his seat. He silently watched as May wrinkled her forehead in deep thought, and then her eyes grew wide.

"That's this Sunday?!" She exclaimed.

Nando snorted. "Yeah May, I told you to put it in your calendar, didn't I?"

May's cheeks turned pink as she remembered when Nando said this, and she gave a guarantee that her memory would more than suffice. Clearly, that wasn't the case…

"I'll be right back," Nando said and he returned to the cafeteria to make a trip to the restroom. As he reached the entrance, he passed Ash who was making his way out to meet the group. They shared a nod but said nothing.

"I can't believe I forgot," May muttered as she slapped her hands against her cheeks and groaned audibly. As Ash arrived at the table, he made a face at Dawn and motioned to May in search of an explanation for her behavior.

Dawn giggled before she filled him in on the details. "Nando has a piano recital this weekend and he invited us to come…but May forgot," Dawn explained.

Ash pursed his lips. "Did you write it down anywhere, like on a calendar?" Ash inquired.

May flushed red. "What's with everyone and these stupid calendars?!" She shrieked and threw her hands up.

Dawn laughed openly at May's expense, while Ash was taken aback by her sudden outburst. When May saw his face, she began to apologize profusely.

"I take it you made plans or something, May?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, Drew invited me to go out with him on Sunday. There's no way I can say to him right now," May explained and Dawn nodded.

Drew and May officially began to date last month. It wasn't public knowledge, not yet at least. May only shared this with her closest friends. She wasn't sure who Drew might have told, not that it mattered to her. She was having a great time whenever they got to hang out after school and on the weekends. It was everything that she hoped for.

"I'm going to feel so bad for missing his recital now, and I really wanted to see him play," May related to Dawn as she leaned on her shoulder.

"Don't worry May, I'm sure Nando will understand," Dawn assured her.

"But only had two tickets and now one of them is going to waste," May muttered before she looked to Ash, and a devilish grin broke out on her face. "Hey, Ash, why don't you go in my place?"

"To what?" He asked, his voice muffled as he looked up from his lunch. Dawn held in a laugh at the sight of his distended cheeks as he chewed. In fact, Dawn noticed that Ash was eating a lot more lately, and his appetite was something to behold, impressive in some ways and gross in a whole lot more.

"Nando is part of a piano recital this Sunday," May repeated for him as she concluded that he wasn't really listening to them once he started eating.

Ash swallowed everything in his mouth and hit his chest twice. "He can play the piano too?" He asked. The list of musical instruments he saw Nando play continued to grow almost daily, and yet another was added to that list.

"We keep telling you that Nando can play anything," May said with a proud smile. "So, do you want to see a live performance? Because I can promise you that it will be better than anything you've heard him play so far."

"I can't say I'm not interested," Ash said with his brow raised. Nando's performances were top-notch in a casual setting, so Ash was curious about how well he would play in front of an actual audience.

"Great, I'll give you my ticket then," May said early, and Dawn bit down on her lower lip as she realized what May was doing. Setting her up with Ash again. "Oh shoot, I left it at home. I can drop it off for Dawn tomorrow and she'll meet you there with it, how about that?"

"Anything works for me," Ash said as he put on a smile for May. "Just tell me where I have to be."

"They're using the concert hall at the V-S-P-A," Dawn explained.

Ash nodded as he recognized the acronym. The Vermilion City School for the Performing Arts. One of the many centers of educations that filled the central part of the city. Ash never had the opportunity to visit a college campus, so he was intrigued at the thought of seeing one for himself. "It starts at three o'clock, but Nando recommended that we get there early if we want good seats."

"So, what, you want to meet at like two o'clock…?" He asked and Dawn gave a nod. Ash pulled out his phone and opened his calendar to set a reminder for the event. Then he turned his phone screen to May and shot her a smirk. "See May, that wasn't so hard."

"Ash, you suck!" May proclaimed as he laughed.

Dawn remained quiet, impressed with herself. She kept her cool this time and made the arrangements to meet with Ash herself this time. She was wondering when she would get a chance to hang out with him again after their little date to the block party earlier in the month.

She couldn't wait for Sunday to arrive.

Sunday, October 23rd

It didn't need to be said that Nando was nervous. His legs were shaking, his chest was tight and his stomach felt like a block of lead. Seated backstage at the concert hall of the VSPA, Nando continued to wipe his hands on the handkerchief he brought, but his palms were still sweaty.

Nando wasn't always this nervous before he performed, but this recital had more significance than his other performances. According to one of the sponsors of this event, he invited multiple talent scouts to attend. This was a valuable opportunity to impress them and get his name on their radar for a potential contract once he graduated from high school. Despite the future implications of this performance, there was something in the present that weighed heavily on his mind. Someone very special to him would be in the audience, the person who inspired the composition that he would perform today and he couldn't wait for her to hear it. Nando wanted this to be nothing short of perfect.

'Being nervous is healthy Nando. It shows that you care about your performance and that you want to do well.'

Juan shared those words with him, and it always helped to put Nando at ease before he went on stage. However, it didn't achieve that effect today. The mere thought of a mistake terrified him. He didn't want to mess up, not in front of this audience…not in front of Dawn.

"Excuse me, is someone named Nando back here?" One of the attendants called out from the entrance of the room. A few of the other participants began to murmur and check the time to see if the show began.

Nando rose from his seat and raised his hand to get the attention of the attendant. "That's me," He called out as he approached them.

"There's a young lady here to see you," He replied.

Nando's heart skipped a beat at the mention of a 'young lady.' Did Dawn come to check on him? The attendant stepped aside for Nando to step out into the corridor, and he found Dawn waiting there for him. His breath was snatched from him as he saw Dawn's appearance. She wore a semi-formal dark dress and jacket, and her hair was tied into a braid and then wrapped into a bun with a sparkling hair clip to hold it in place.

"Nando!" She exclaimed once she caught sight of him. "Wow, you look incredible! I've never seen you with your hair pulled back."

Dawn leaned over to admire Nando's clothes. His collared white shirt, black dress pants a checkered bow tie were all picture perfect. And his long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, save for his length bangs that fell to the side of his face.

"Th-Thank you, Dawn," Nando said as he regained his composure. "I'm glad you're here."

"You and me both, I can't wait to see you on stage," Dawn replied. "Do you mind if I record your song?"

"Not at all," Nando responded. "Did you find some good seats?"

"Yeah, we're at the front row of the upper level. Look for me if you need a smiling face," Dawn said as she placed her fingertips against the corner of her lips. "Are you feeling nervous?"

They made eye contact, and Nando's shoulders finally relaxed. He smiled at her.

"No, I'm ready to blow everyone away," Nando stated, his voice firm.

Dawn returned his smile. "Great! Good luck there, I'm rooting for you!" Dawn raised a hand for her usual gesture of encouragement. A high five. With the action completed, Dawn gave him a wave and turned to head down the corridor and return to the seating area. Nando watched her closely as she left and bowed partially.

"This performance is dedicated to you, Dawn," Nando said in a whisper. He enjoyed the silence in his mind. This brief encounter with Dawn relieved all of the tension he was experiencing. He had peace of mind now, and he was certain that this would be his best performance yet!

A/N

I'm back! I know that it's been a while but just as I promised, I have several chapters to upload for everyone. I intend to post them just a few days apart from each other, so be on the lookout for the next update shortly. To those of you who waited patiently for these chapters, I can't thank you enough. The wait will be worth it, I promise you that!

A lot of time and work went into these chapters, and I'm really excited for you guys to see what direction this story is going in. My usual praise goes out to MjrGenMatt for his help with this chapter.

Another topic I haven't really gone into is how I intend to write battles. As I've said before, this is a work in progress for me. I know there are all sorts of ways to write them beyond the command/action formula that we know from the games and anime. I'll figure it out as I go but if you have any tips feel free to let me know.

I'll be seeing you guys real soon and I can't wait for you to read the next chapter!