Alto evolved half-way to Fuchsia City, after a long day of training. As an Altaria, she was definitely on the larger side for her species, almost five foot when she stood up straight and a wingspan nearly fourteen feet across when she stretched out fully. Her plumage was glossier than ever, shimmering in any sort of light, and her elegant crest flowed down like a waterfall. She was beautiful and had lost none of her sweet disposition.

Alto was a Dragon type now, and Ash was giddy.

Her size meant she could easily fly while carrying Ash, which cut their remaining travel time from two and a half weeks to four days (and that only because Ash didn't have the gear for fast flying).

Flying was incredible. The world spread out below them like a work of art, the clouds above and beside them while Alto soared, and despite the wind chill Ash was instantly addicted to the feeling of the wind and the Altaria's-eye-view. Alto feathers kept her warm, the thick plumage that circled her body helping to keep in heat soaked up from the sun. Pikachu took to burying himself in the fluffy white feathers right behind Alto's neck, much to the Ash and the dragon's amusement.

It was totally worth the shocked exclamations when they landed behind the Pokemon Center, off to the side of the training field. Still giddy from the new experience of flight, Ash slid off her Pokemon's back and happily buried her face in Alto's chest fluff－that was their thing now. Alto crooned at her, nuzzling her face a bit before Ash had to recall her to go inside. His new favorite nap spot out of reach for the moment, Pikachu grumbled but jumped up to her shoulder, pouting slightly. After booking a room, Ash headed to the video phones and dialed the lab's number. Daisy picked up, face brightening.

"Ashka, Pikachu! I didn't expect to hear from you so soon, did you catch a ride?"

"Alto evolved," she explained, beaming, pausing for a moment so Pikachu could return the greeting. "She's fast." After the initial congratulatory squealing had died down, she outlined her plan. "I'm gonna try to challenge the Gym tomorrow, and then I think I'll spend a week or so checking out the Safari Zone. Now that I've got a flyer I can take the time to explore a bit, but I'll let you know before I head for Saffron."

"Fliers are great," Daisy nodded agreeably. "Good luck with your Gym match, Ash. I know I say this every time you call, but you're doing great, and Grandpa and I are so proud of you. This journey has been really good for you, you know? You're happier. And your Pokemon are very lucky to have you as a trainer."

Suddenly bashful, Ash ducked her head to hide behind the rim of her cap. It wasn't often that Daisy spoke so freely about the serious stuff. The older girl only giggled, chatting for a few more minutes before letting Ash go, although not without one last request (read: order).

"Don't forget to let me know when you're off to the Safari Zone!"

XxXxX

Ash had been tempted to go the the Safari Zone directly after earning the Soul Badge (Oberon had done an impressive job against the first two of Koga's Pokemon, and Ash had only switch him out for Pikachu because she wanted to give him a break), but she was fairly certain that Daisy's big sister senses would tattle on her. So she went back to the Pokemon Center, spending the rest of the evening in the open kitchen, baking Poke Puffs and Poffins.

The Safari Zone only allowed trainers to bring one Pokemon for defense, but trainers were allowed to use food to try and lure Pokemon to them. They would have to be submitted individually for testing, of course, but if they were free of any chemicals, drugs, etc, the reception desk would bag them up and let the trainer take them into the reserve. If the trainer would be coming back, they had to leave the treats with the staff until they were re-entering.

A little asking around and Ash had discovered that a new batch of foreign Pokemon had been imported just in the last week, so she ended up baking a ton. She wasn't sure what types of Pokemon she would encounter, so she just over-prepared and decided to take things as they came.

The next morning, she left a message for Daisy and Samuel, and started off towards the Safari Zone. It was less than forty-five minutes outside the city, and it was early enough that no one was outside yet, leaving her and Pikachu to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

Eyeing the fenced-off area with anticipation, she checked the sign outside the reception building entrance, smiling to herself when it confirmed that they were already open. Pushing past the front doors, she eyed the lobby. Photos of trainers and the Pokemon they caught in the Safari Zone were plastered onto the walls, between posters of the rules and different tips. There were chairs off to the sides, and a counter straight ahead that a tired-looking man with severely angled eyebrows sat behind, straightening with a yawn once he saw her.

"Morning," she greeted quietly.

"Good morning," the man replied, already rifling through something beneath the counter. "Welcome to the Kanto Safari Zone, where you can catch rare Pokemon from all over the world. How can I help you today?"

"I'd like to buy a full day pass, and I also have some Poke Puffs and Poffins I'd like to bring into the reserve." She handed over the bag she'd put together that held several of each type of treat she'd made, as well as pulling out her PokeDex to use for her ID.

"Alright, I'll take those to the back for testing real quick." The man bustled off through a side door that said 'Employees Only', and Ash's lips twitched when she realized he was shorter standing up than he was sitting on the stool. She felt better about being among the shorter kids in her age group.

It took him a little while to run the tests, but Ash knew she'd brought a lot. She would rather this procedure take all the time it needed than have people able to bring poisoned or drugged food for the Pokemon. Reaching up to scratch Pikachu beneath his chin, she looked over the map on the wall. The Safari Zone was split into four main areas, with the ones farthest from the entrance rumored to host the rarest Pokemon. Which made sense, but Ash wasn't going to rush. She had time.

"These are all cleared to take with you," the man's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she took the bag back with a nod of thanks. "Now, you will only be allowed to take one Pokemon for self defense purposes into the reserve, you cannot attack the Pokemon here; you must convince them to join you with treats or words. You will also be given thirty specialty Pokeballs to use, and these Safari Balls are the only ones you may use inside the Safari Zone. If you'll read over this contract here, fill it out and sign here, here, and here…"

Ash had to appreciate the lengths the place was going to in order to protect the Pokemon. With Team Rocket beginning to resurface, everyone was taking more safety measures. The paper detailed the full version of the rules, and required Ash to give her name, trainer ID, what Pokemon she was bringing and what it's registration number was, a description of the treats she brought (there was a place for employees to sign off, confirming the safety of the food), an agreement to follow all those rules, and of course the waiver that basically said they weren't responsible for trainers acting stupid and getting killed. Nice.

After confirming her ID through her PokeDex, the man handed her a small numbered key on a sturdy chain.

"You can put your belongings and Pokeballs in the lockers over there, and there will be a smaller pack inside with your Safari Balls. Best of luck, trainer."

Nodding her thanks again, Ash did as instructed, tucking her PokeDex into the side pocket of the green cross-body pack. A tube-like sleeve on the outside of the strap contained the Safari Balls, all attached to a cord so she could grab one, tug it free, and let the next one slide down to the opening near her right hip.

"Alright, buddy, you're coming with me for today," Ash told Pikachu, gently tapping his nose as she let herself out the back door and into the reserve area. "Let's go explore."

As eager as she was, Pikachu hopped down to the grass and led the way, nose twitching as he took point. Amused, she followed, eyeing the environment, impressed. She'd read about the work that went into creating the different bio-domes that made up the reserve, but seeing it in person, it was impossible to tell that this place was man-made. From the sprawling trees to the underbrush, it all looked perfectly natural.

"Pika pi," her partner called, having gone farther ahead. Picking up the pace, Ash kept an eye on him as they went farther into the woodsy area. Already she could see some curious Pokemon watching her from the cover of the bushes and trees. A couple Nidoran skittered away from her, but she didn't follow. She would wait until a specific Pokemon called to her, and then she'd try to bribe them into coming with her.

Pikachu guided her around a nest of Dugtrio and Diglett, away from a particularly irritable-looking Doduo, and helped her avoid a sleeping Scyther with wickedly sharp blades arms. He knew she wasn't looking for the typical 'strong' Pokemon, but also he would be the one fighting any angered Pokemon so it was in their best interest to avoid stepping on any toes, so to speak.

Honestly, just exploring the heavily wooded area with her partner was relaxing and fun. Ash felt light, playful even, quietly talking to and teasing Pikachu as they jumped over tangling tree roots and ducked drooping branches. He was enjoying himself too, now that they had the time to forge their own paths and meander wherever they wanted. When they were on the road, they didn't often stray from the beaten path unless something really interesting or important showed up, or to find a spot to set up camp for the night.

A Chansey waddled by, cheerfully waving at them until they waved back. Ash was a little surprised at how… well, calm the Pokemon here were. A few did scamper away when they saw her, but most took a few moments to look and then continued with whatever they were doing before she showed up. She guessed they were used to humans, the Safari Zone was a popular place.

Eyeing a set of large tracks she suspected belong to a Kangaskhan, she shrugged off the thought and just followed Pikachu. She was relaxed and happy, her Pokemon was having a good time, and that was all that mattered.

XxXxX

The Buneary was a surprise.

Around noon they'd stopped by a large lake, Ash leaning back against a tree in the shade while she picked a few Poke Puffs out of her bag to share with Pikachu. There were several Psyduck by the edge of the water, a few Slowpoke puttering around on the grass and in the shallows, all of them slowly making their way over to the pile of Poffins she'd left about three yards away from her. She had a bit of a soft spot for dumb-looking Pokemon.

The bushes to her left and behind her rustled, and she kept still. Slowly, a little brown shape padded closer, and Ash's eyebrows rose.

The Buneary was tiny, probably the runt of its litter, standing about a foot tall including the one upright ear, and had pink fur on its ears and lower body. It looked from the Poffins in the distance, to Pikachu off to the side with a Poke Puff, and then to Ash, beady eyes curious. Very slowly, Ash offered the pink Poke Puff in her own hand, not yet touched, to it. The Buneary considered it for a moment, but its nose twitched and just like that it skipped over and took the treat, eating with gusto and giggling a bit.

Ash wasn't really one for Buneary, but… Serena would probably love the thing. Not to mention the fact that it was a shiny, and thus rare as hell.

Seeing his trainer's interest, Pikachu finished stuffing his face and approached the smaller Pokemon. When it didn't run, only tilted its head a bit, Pikachu squeaked out a greeting. The Buneary replied, and with a few minutes of conversation, relaxed completely. It motioned to Ash, and Pikachu made a reassuring motion, holding his paw out towards his trainer with an expectant look.

"Hey there, Buneary," Ash said with a small smile. "I know somebody who would love to be friends with you."

All it took was Ash promising that yes, Serena could make Poke Puffs too, and Serena would love Buneary's pink fur, for the tiny bunny to agree to be caught. Tucking the first used Safari Ball safely into the bottom of her pack, Ash huffed out a laugh.

"Well, that was easy."

XxXxX

Lance patted Dragonite's snout after dismounting, recalling him in order to enter the out of the way building. He didn't usually come to the Safari Zone, but one of the wardens had asked him to check on the Dratini and Dragonair population, and as the Dragon Master he was pretty much the only one qualified in the region. Not that he minded. Dratini were the only baby Pokemon that could make him say the word 'aw' out loud, and the only ones worthy of such a noise.

Waving off the employee at the front, he was about to just walk right through when a crackling yellow blur smashed right through the back door. It paused for a split second, looking around frantically before its eyes found him and it released the most gods-awful screeching Lance had ever heard a Pokemon make. It darted around his legs and then back towards the door. When no trainer followed, Lance reached for a Pokeball and ran. He hadn't seen a Pokemon so distressed since… actually, not ever. The Rocket's Pokemon were exceptions if only for the fact that there were always drugs and torture involved.

"Dragonite, follow the Pikachu," he ordered as soon as his partner materialized. The Pikachu barely waited for him to get on his dragon's back before it was gone, and only Dragonite's speed allowed him to follow. Lance spared a moment to be impressed by the Pikachu's speed, but only a moment. In seconds they'd crossed the majority of the forest, and now he could see the pillar of smoke rising from a spot close to the Dratini's lake. One second more and they were there, and the young Champion growled when he saw the red 'R' emblem on a group of unconscious grunts, a crashed jeep (the source of the smoke) and…

Oh no.

The Pikachu was crouched at a girl's side, no doubt its trainer. She was propped up against a large cage that… were those bars bent? The girl slowly pulled bloody hands away from the gap, and a dozen or so Dratini swarmed her, chirping in concern. It didn't take long to piece together what had happened. Team Rocket must have sent a team to capture the Dratini, and this girl had put a stop to it despite the risk.

He dropped to the ground, motioning for Dragonite to keep watch on the grunts, and made his way to the girl. The Dratini were reluctant to move away from her, no doubt knowing she was their savior, but Lance was a Dragon Master, and knew how to handle them. With soft but firm words and hands, he pushed them away so he could get to the girl. Her Pikachu was nuzzling her, but not getting a response even though she was sitting up. From the sheer amount of red on her clothes and the ground, she'd been hurt a lot.

"Miss, I need you to look at me," he said, turning it into a command with his tone. It took her too long to lift her head, and she struggled, finally shifting enough so he could see her face beneath the League cap she wore. He sucked in a breath at the bruising on one side; she must have been slammed into the cage at least once. There was blood dribbling down from a head wound, a little from her nose, and her pupils were dilated to the point of only a thin rim of sienna remained framing them.

Definitely concussed, and still bleeding an alarming amount near her ribs. She blinked slowly, uncomprehendingly, and he reached for his PokeNav; a gift from Steven that was about to prove its usefulness. Calling the League headquarters, he glanced around again, but Dragonite didn't move, so there would be no one else around.

"Lorelei, I need a few Ace trainers at the Safari Zone, and a medic ASAP," he ordered as soon as the Elite Four member appeared on the screen. "A trainer stopped Rockets from stealing a nest of Dratini, but she's injured and still bleeding."

"Understood," the older woman replied, already turning to organize the necessary individuals. "I'll send a medic first."

"Thank you." Hanging up, he studied the girl. She was still staring at him, not even recognizing someone was in front of her, which was not a good sign. Fortunately, the familiar surge of psychic energy behind him let him know that help had arrived. Twisting towards the source, he nodded at the paramedic and her Alakazam while stepping back to give them room.

"Do you know how long she's been like this?" The woman asked, already searching the girl's body for the source of all the blood.

"Not much more than fifteen minutes," Lance answered. With how fast the girl's Pikachu was, it was almost impossible for it to have been any longer. It would have left for help as soon as possible after its trainer got injured. "Which hospital will you be taking her to?"

"Indigo's. She's going to need Ditto cells, and we'll have to work fast. Alakazam says she's got internal bleeding in her brain. We'll take her and the Pikachu now."

And then they were gone, Teleported for emergency treatment. Taking a deep breath, Lance picked up the green bag that must have been the girl's, and turned back to the Rocket grunts with a dark scowl before controlling his expression and going to check on the young dragons who had scuttled towards the water at the paramedic's arrival. He'd calm and check on them, first. Dragonite could handle any Rocket that woke up.

He would probably strangle them if he got too close.

So he called out Ptera to destroy the cage, once he'd reassured the Dratini that they were definitely safe. Every single one of the little dragons wanted to know where the girl was, how she was doing, and Lance found himself intrigued. It was rare for such a large number of young dragons to be so concerned over a stranger, savior or not. As a Blackthorn he was the exception, and with his gift to understand their language he was something of a favorite human to most, but the girl was not part of the clan.

By the time the Ace trainers arrived, he had already received a report on the girl's status; stable, but she would need at least a full week of rest. Lorelei also demanded that he get her pack and Pokemon from the Safari Zone and bring them, because the girl was going a little stir crazy already－despite barely being awake－and her team was the best bet of distracting her. Relieved and amused, Lance did as told.

He had quite a few questions about this girl, and also several choice words. What she'd done was brave but incredibly dangerous, especially with only one Pokemon on hand. As Champion, he sort of had to give her the 'thank you but you can't be doing this' lecture.

XxXxX

Surge scowled as he stalked down the hallway of Indigo's infirmary. Not even a full two weeks, and the runt was already injured again! By Rockets, again, and didn't that just piss him off to no end. Runt was lucky Lance had dropped by, and that her Pikachu was so fucking fast. Of all the damned stupid things to do… going after a full team of Rockets with only one Pokemon…

"Oi, Lance," he barked, drawing the younger away from where he'd been looking through the glass panel of Ash's room door. "How's the runt?"

If the Champion was surprised at his presence, he didn't show it. "She'll recover fully in a matter of a week or two, although she was bad-off initially. The Ditto cells worked better than they expected, due to her having been treated with them before. All things considered, she was lucky."

"She's got the worst luck," Surge grumbled, peering into the room. The runt was asleep, her Pokemon surrounding her－how the fuck did that tiny cotton ball evolve into that massive Altaria? And her Houndoom was a fucking beast, what did this girl feed her team? "Let me guess, she was close to climbing the walls so you had her Pokemon distract her."

Snorting, Lance nodded, eyeing the much larger man speculatively. "That's right, she was in your care after that SS Anne incident. Yes, she was determined to be on the road again until her Houndoom sat on her legs. I didn't expect the Houndour Bugsy traded her to get so large, even with evolving…" he murmured, almost as an afterthought.

Bugsy? When did that nerd meet Ash? His question must have been easy to guess from his face, because Lance just shrugged.

"Apparently, they met in Pewter. Ash managed to catch a monster of a Scyther, but she decided she didn't have the experience for it. Since Bugsy was already looking for that same one, she asked him to take it, and he traded her a young Houndour for it. He was very pleased."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Kid's a freak when it comes to bugs."

Shooting him a mildly disapproving look, Lance didn't reply, checking on the runt one more time before stepping away. He paused for a moment.

"As a sort of thank you from the League for dealing with the Rockets, I'll be taking her to Blackthorn City for a week or so of vacation. Just don't tell her it's also to ensure she doesn't try to get back on the road too quickly."

Blackthorn City, huh? Surge smirked, eyes narrowing as the young Champion－not much older than Ash－left the infirmary, pace unhurried but purposeful. But as he turned the corner, Surge could see that his face was as red as his hair. Oh, this would be fun.