"How is she?"

"Better, now that the Feathers have been cleansed, and her Pokemon are with her. Keep a close eye on her, please, we don't want a repeat of this situation."

"To think, there were Rocket agents even in the hospitals… it's a good thing Sabrina was there to expose them. If Ashka's Pokemon had been stolen, I don't think I even want to know how she would have reacted…"

"Me either. I'm just glad we were able to get a Legendary to come fix those feathers… Zapdos was pissed that the Rockets managed to corrupt them, I sort of want to let it have a go at those bastards."

"I'm sure Lance wouldn't protest."

"Ha! It's so obvious he's a goner for that girl, he'd throw them into that grave with pleasure."

XxXxX

'Do you need to sleep more, Ashka?'

Oberon's tail flicked as he waited for a reply, still unable to directly read his trainer's mind. He could now project his thoughts to her when he wanted, but he needed more practice in telepathic communication before they could have totally nonverbal conversations.

Stroking his ears, Ash shook her head. "I've slept enough, for now."

She was currently back in Vermilion City, Surge having put his foot down after the League discovered Team Rocket had fake nurses that had tried to steal both her Pokemon and the feathers of the Legendary birds. She was still hooked up to an IV, but her 'nurse' was a medic Surge had worked with during the war, and being back in the familiar spare room of the Gym Leader's house had allowed Ash to fully relax. That, and Lance had managed to get her to Zapdos, whose lightning purged the corruption from the Feathers while he raged about filthy, grubby human hands always out to take what was not theirs.

She leaned back against the pillows, absently running her thumb along the ribbon Titania had wrapped around her free hand, and thought back on the events of the past month, easy now that the sedatives had been flushed from her system. Her Pokemon, sprawled on and around her, were fully healed three weeks after the Viridian Disaster. She was still recovering, but she should be allowed to get on her feet soon.

The shackles that the Rocket grunts had slapped on her wrists and ankles had torn up the skin beneath them during her two-day struggle to escape after Giovanni had captured her, right after she'd won the Gym battle and refused his offer to join Team Rocket. Because of how deep the gouges she'd made in her desperation were, she would have wide scars even with the use of Ditto cells.

She had a couple long, thin scars on her back to join the older ones on her torso (both sets from shrapnel and psychic-induced explosions), and at the moment she was one big bruise still. But she was alive, and Team Rocket was finished. Lance had assured her of that, when he came to visit her once she'd been safely relocated. His golden eyes had been glowing with a cold sort of satisfaction when he told her that the League had tracked down every branch of Team Rocket in Indigo, and destroyed them.

She was pretty sure that was the only reason Samuel hadn't drop-kicked the Champion out of the room when he had Alakazam track her down and Teleport him to her. The aged professor had been frantic, having heard about Giovanni being a traitor and the leader of a terrorist organization. If Surge hadn't stepped in, she was certain that Samuel would have dragged her back to Pallet Town and forbidden her from ever leaving his lab again.

Even with all that, Ash was more focused on her team.

Her incredible, powerful, amazing team that had fought so hard to protect her, to defeat Giovanni. Her team, who had gotten terribly hurt in the process, who had displayed staggering heart and determination. Her only Water type had even evolved mid-battle, Greninja bringing forth awe-inspiring power in order to drive back their enemies.

She'd spend hours telling them how proud she was, how much she loved them.

And now, she thought with a wince, I have to check in. I am long overdue…

Tapping Serena's contact on her PokeNav, Ash lowered the volume on instinct and waited for her best friend to pick up. It rang for a long time, and she'd almost resigned herself to leaving a message when the screen flickered. Serena's eyes widened, jaw dropping…

… and then she burst into tears, forcing Ash to scramble into damage control mode. It was a solid ten minutes of trying to soothe her sobbing friend, straining to make out the words scattered between heaving breaths.

"I－hic－I thought s-something… something terrible h-happened to－hic－to you," the honey blonde wailed, before turning off to the side. "Mama, it's Ashy, she called, she's here."

Grace Yvonne was there in a heartbeat, comforting her daughter while leveling Ash with a stern look through the camera. "Good, we were all worried. Mind telling us what the delay was?"

Taking a deep, shaky inhale, Ash found herself unable to look directly at the screen, to face her best friend and her mother. But she had to explain. And it wasn't like anyone had told her not to talk about it…

"After I earned my final badge, I found out that the Gym Leader was the leader of Team Rocket," she began, forcing herself to ignore the shocked gasps, "and he didn't like that I refused to join. It's… it was a tough battle, after I escaped. He's… him and his Pokemon are… well. The Rocket's own 'weapon' turned on them, and thanks to Lance there are no more Rockets. I'm still not allowed to get out of bed, but I should have called you sooner. I'm sorry."

"No, I get it, a lot happened," Serena rushed to assure her, wiping at her eyes. "Arceus, Ashy, I just… you've been having a really tough time since you started your journey, you know? Even the day before…"

"What do you mean?" Grace asked, confused, and Ash's heart ached as she watched the woman hug her daughter.

"... My mom waited until the last minute to protest me going," Ash explained dully. "When I told her how much I wanted to be a Pokemon Master, she basically compared me to the man who walked out on us, told me to not come back, and we haven't talked since. I've only been back to Pallet once, and that was directly to and from Professor Oak's lab via Teleport."

Serena cringed, knowing how much being compared to that man hurt Ash. "You didn't deserve that, Ash, you're nothing like him. That fact that your Pokemon love you so much, and that we're best friends, just proves it."

Trying not to shrug of her friend's words in her sudden discomfort, Ash changed the subject, asking what she had missed. With a knowing look, Serena took the hint and launched into the story of her little survey adventure on Kalos' Route 4, where she and her little Mimi had their first battle against a wild Pokemon and then caught her first and second Pokemon the same afternoon.

From there, Serena introduced her new Spewpa and Ralts, with Ash holding out her PokeNav so her own team could greet the newcomers. As it was Grace's first time seeing Ash's team, she made sure each of her friends greeted the woman properly. Ash was truly happy for Serena, though, the honey-blonde girl didn't really have friends outside of Ash and Mimi, so finding more was good for her. Plus, Ash believed that Ralts' evolutionary line was well-suited to the other girl. Vivillon's, as well, and she was curious about the variations in wing patterns Serena had mentioned. Spending time with Professor Sycamore was really helping her learn a lot.

After the humans finally hung up, the time difference meaning that Ash's call had kept Serena and her mother up way late, Ash sighed.

'That could have gone worse?' Oberon offered.

Snorting, she tossed a throw pillow at his head, rolling her eyes when he dodged with a snigger. She wanted to get up, to move－she had training for the League to do! She'd been on her journey for almost nine months, and she only had one left until the actual League Conference itself began. Her team needed to start training again, if only to ensure nothing had been lost due to the lengthy recovery periods they'd been through.

It took three days for her to convince Surge to at least allow her to oversee her Pokemon's training, and that was on the strict condition that she stay seated as much as possible. While it was frustrating, it was better than staying cooped up in the guest room, and since he'd given her access to a private training room she didn't complain－within earshot, at least. Instead, she focused on getting her Pokemon in top shape for the upcoming tournament. She also got them some last minute moves to add to their move pool.

Oberon got Signal Beam via TM, and Ash had Pikachu teach him Iron Tail. Despite the first move's typing, he mastered it within two weeks, and then devoted his time to Iron Tail, which came easily with the extra tutoring from his teammate. For Titania, Pikachu was also tasked with teaching her Iron Tail. In exchange, Pikachu learned Protect from the two Eeveelutions.

Alto really buckled down and took her training to a whole new level, learning and mastering Dazzling Gleam, Rain Dance, Aerial Ace, and Tail Wind in three and a half weeks. Oberon helped Houndoom learn and perfect Hypnosis and Dream Eater, also giving his younger teammate tips on combining the moves and making them more effective.

Greninja mastered his Water Shuriken and Night Slash, and then took the initiative to ask Pikachu to teach him Grass Knot (Ash really thought the move was underrated, pretty much every trainer that competed seriously used big, heavy Pokemon that were very susceptible to the move). Ash was impressed with her Water type's determination; despite being the last Pokemon to join her team, he was now on the same level as her first three Pokemon, who she'd been training the longest.

As far as the order of strength went in her battle team, it was Titania, Oberon, Greninja, Pikachu, Alto, and Houndoom. Not that any of them were weak, far from it, but in spars the first four always came out on top. She couldn't wait to have them battle other opponents; she hadn't really battled other trainers for a while. Not since before her training trip to the wilds, in any case.

The days crawled by, until only a week remained until she had to report to Indigo Plateau and register to compete.

XxXxX

"Alright, runt, you got all your stuff?"

"Yes, Dad," Ash muttered with a roll of her eyes. "I'm good to go. I'll be meeting up with Professor Oak after I register my team."

"You really don't want to give me the power to ground you, runt."

"Give you the…? Ooh my mew. J-just… you didn't hear anything. You're going crazy. I never said anything."

"I'm flattered, runt, but if you spend any longer sulking in that corner you're gonna be late."

"Shit!"

XxXxX

"Sylve?"

Ash glanced down, smiling at Titania when she curled a ribbon around her hand. "Almost done."

"I just need your Trainer ID to confirm your registration," the woman behind the counter chirped, eyes trailing lower in clear curiousity. Amused, Ash gave Titania's ribbon a gentle tug, causing the Sylveon to hop onto the counter, her free ribbons pulling out her trainer's PokeDex and handing it over. "Oh! Why, thank you very much!" The woman's eyes sparkled as she accepted the PokeDex. "If you don't mind me asking, what type of Pokemon is this? It's beautiful!"

"She's a Sylveon," Ash explained, in too good of a mood to mind the extra interaction with a stranger, scratching Titania behind the ears, "the Fairy type Eeveelution. She appreciates the compliment."

Titania cooed, allowing the woman to pet her for a moment after she returned the PokeDex. "Syl, sylveon."

"How darling! I might just look into getting an Eevee, in that case. You're all set, here's your information and competitor dorm key. Please be at the trainer entrance at nine in the morning tomorrow, and best of luck in your battles!"

"Thanks." Pocketing the pamphlet and dorm key, Ash picked up Titania, leaning her head against Pikachu's as she retreated from the crowd of trainers. She was one of the youngest, apparently, many new trainers not having gotten all their badges in time.

She'd taken League transport to Indigo Plateau on Surge's insistence, splitting off at the front of the Pokemon League Village. Or more accurately, as soon as the car had slowed enough, she'd thanked the man and jumped out of the car, slipping away into the foot traffic. He'd probably call and yell at her later, but Ash was too pumped up to care.

This was it. She was here, at her first League Conference, she qualified in her first year as a trainer, she was ready.

Following the map on the pamphlet, she made her way to the dorms. The large, grand buildings were more like luxury apartments, organized by age group, gender, and name. If you were part of a traveling group, you could ask to be assigned to a dorm suite with them, but since Ash was on her own she only needed a single. Quickly finding the building number, she located her assigned room and unlocked it.

Even the singles were suites, she realized, hardly noticing her two current companions jumping to the floor to explore in her shock. Walking in there was a large living room, complete with a plush couch, huge plasma screen TV, and half a dozen massive cushions, with a full kitchen to the left. On the far end was a door that opened into a bedroom, and a quick look showed a master bathroom with a tub the size of a small Jacuzzi. There was also a desk across from the king-sized bed, with a computer Ash realized was probably connected to the League's network and would be where she could research her opponents. The ceiling in all the rooms were high enough for pretty much any Pokemon to stand easily, so she quickly released the rest of her team.

Grinning as they immediately let out cries of delight and swarmed the fancy dorm to explore, she decided to relax a bit. Sending a quick message to Samuel from her PokeNav, Ash made her way to the tub for a long soak in a bubble bath. Once she was settled in the hot water, she noticed something she hadn't seen from the doorway. Off to the side, opposite the tub, was a five-foot circular pool, and she called for Greninja.

"Check that out," she said when he peered around the door, lifting her head above the tub's edge. She grinned when Greninja made a delighted noise and immediately sank into the water, bubbles appearing around his partially submerged face. "This place has pretty much everything."

'It even has heat lamps for Fire types,' Oberon's voice echoed in her head, an image of Charmander and Houndoom basking beneath a pair of said lamps following the words. He rounded the doorway to the bathroom, trotting over to jump into the tub's edge. He eyed the soapy water speculatively for a moment, dipping his tail in it while Ash look on, amused. 'How deep is it?'

"Like… two feet," Ash replied, rolling her eyes when he decided that draping himself across her shoulders would be a good idea. Sinking a bit lower in the water, she smirked when he grumbled and shifted until only his head was resting on one of her shoulders, the rest of him casually stretched out and floating. "Dork."

'You love me,' he accused playfully.

"Pika pi!"

Ash closed her eyes, considering. She hadn't been expecting guests… It was probably only because she was so tired that she replied, deciding that she didn't care and she had enough bubbles to cover the important stuff anyways.

"Have Titania let them in," She called, listening as the door to her dorm opened and a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Ohh, you're even cuter in person!" Serena squealed, no doubt already all over the Sylveon. "And there's Charmander－hi buddy!－and Houndoom, and Pikachu, and Alto! Ash, where are you? Ah, Mama, Calem, you just wait here for a sec."

Ash's eyes flew wide open, tiredness a distant memory as she recognized the voice. Footsteps, and then Ash saw her friend enter the bedroom, turned the other way.

"In here," she sang out with a smile. Serena whirled, eyes widening when she realized that Ash was actually in the bath. "You guys can hang out wherever."

"I didn't think you the type to leave the door open," the honey-blonde mused, eyes practically sparkling as she inspected the bathroom's quality. She eyed the tub, then held up her finger in a 'wait' motion before walking back to the bedroom's doorway. "Mama, we'll be a bit, she's got a bathtub the size of a small pool and after that trip I want to soak too."

"There's enough space for your mom," Ash offered.

"Ohh, like the hot springs? Mama, come too, Calem you stay and keep the Pokemon company!"

"Wow, demoted to Poke-sitter already. Just kidding, you gals have your girl time or whatever it's called, I think I'm gonna take a nap on this lovely couch that's calling my name!"

"I never expected dorms to be so fancy," Grace exclaimed as she entered the bedroom, closing the door behind her. "Hello, Ash."

"Hi, Mrs. Yvonne. It's good to see you guys. I didn't know you'd be coming!"

Serena beamed as she returned, shedding her clothes with surprising speed. Her trainer belt she set on the counter, and then stepped into the tub next to Ash with a slight splash, wrapping her friend in a massive hug. Giggling, Ash did the same, drawing her knees up both to give Grace room and give Oberon a place to rest. The Espeon curled up in her lap with his front paws on her knees, supporting his chin as he enjoyed the warm water and positive emotions that flooded the room.

"Just Grace is fine, Ash. And it was Serena's idea," the woman added, also dropping her clothes off to the side and getting in, sending the two Pokemon in the room looks of amusement. "She wanted to support your first League Conference."

"Thank you," Ash murmured, leaning her head against her friend's shoulder, feeling herself truly, fully relax for what felt like the first time in months. There was small talk being made, but she didn't mind; the quiet voices and soft laughter was soothing on her worn-down nerves and bone-deep exhuastion that she just couldn't seem to get rid of.

"Ashka?" Serena's voice was startled, but a little awed. "Your, uh, chest is glowing."

"Feathers," she mumbled.

It took a moment, but then her friend made a noise of realization. "Right, you told me about that. I didn't know they glowed, though."

At some point, she figured she drifted off, but she remembered either Serena or Grace taking Oberon from her lap before the other washed her hair, massaging her scalp. They scrubbed her down with one of the soft washcloths, hands lingering around her wrists and ankles and back, and eventually guided her out of the tub and dried her off. Their hands were warm, gentle, making it easy for her to allow sleep to overtake her as soon as she was laid down onto something soft and horizontal.

XxXxX

"Team Rocket did that to her, didn't they?"

Grace didn't look over at her daughter as they dressed, Ash already in pajamas and tucked into bed, her Espeon blow-dried and snuggled beneath her arm. She thought about the question, the scars on Ash's body.

"Most likely," she finally replied, after getting herself under control. There were a lot of things she wanted to know, but knew better than to ask; after being told about what Ash's own mother did, it was a wonder Ash trusted her at all.

A wonder Ash trusted anyone, really.

Children, no matter how far away they ended up traveling, needed their parents. Ash, no matter how good of a trainer, or how responsible an individual, was still an eleven year old child. An eleven year old child whose mother had taken out what was clearly marital issues on her child, and told said child to not come back.

Seeing the extent of Ash's injuries, Grace suspected that the girl might have taken those words even harsher than they came across. She would have to talk to Professor Oak－Serena said that he was basically like Ash's adoptive grandfather－about having Ash see a therapist. If she was having subconscious suicidal tendencies (like approaching trouble without proper precaution) it needed to be addressed as soon as possible.

With Serena decided on taking a nap with her friend, Grace shut the bedroom door behind her and greeted some of Ash's Pokemon. At their questioning glances towards the door, she explained that their trainer was taking a nap, and then sat down next to her nephew, who had called out his Glaceon for the Sylveon to meet. Both Eeveelutions had taken over his lap, purring as they chirped at each other. Calem looked delighted.

He glanced up when she was settled, eyebrows furrowing when he saw her expression. "Everything okay?"

"Just worried about Ash… she's been through a lot. I should talk to Professor Oak, I think, about… oh, Serena mentioned Ash was supposed to meet him today, but she's asleep…" Grace absently reached for her cell phone, to call Professor Sycamore and hopefully get the number she needed. While she did that, she listened as her nephew debated with himself on checking out Ash's Pokemon with his PokeDex. A few moments later, he sighed.

"Hey, Sylveon, can I scan you with my PokeDex? Serena's always going on about how well Ash trains you guys."

"Syl," the pretty Fairy type nodded regally, sharing a smug look with Glaceon.

"Sweet."

His PokeDex beeped, before a feminine but mechanical voice spoke. "Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokemon and an evolved form of Eevee. Sylveon affectionately wraps its ribbon-like feelers around its Trainer's arm as they walk together. Wrapping its ribbon-like feelers around its Trainer's arm enables it to read its Trainer's feelings.It sends a soothing aura from its ribbon-like feelers to calm fights, and it will unflinchingly charge at Dragon type Pokemon that are many times larger than itself. This Pokemon is female, has the Pixelate and Cute Charm Abilities, and knows the following moves:

Quick Attack, Swift, Baby-Doll Eyes, Fairy Wind, Moonblast, Disarming Voice, Protect, Draining Kiss, Shadow Ball, Aromatherapy, Toxic, Dig, and Iron Tail."

"Holy shit," Calem squeaked. The Sylveon lifted her nose, every inch the proud Pokemon, and Grace just stared, phone halfway to her ear.

She'd known Ash was a good trainer, but that many moves…?