"Why Magikarp?" Ash whispered to Pikachu, even as she tossed the bait into the little pool in front of the registration desk. Her starter shrugged, ears twitching, and as soon as she felt a bite she reeled in the Water type.

"A-3," the attendant noted. "Alright, that means your opponent will be… this trainer!"

"Ritchie," Ash read off the monitor. Glancing around, she didn't see her opponent in the area, so she shrugged and headed for the Indigo Stadium. She caught a glimpse of red hair and abruptly darted away, face burning as the previous night resurfaced in her mind.

Lance thinks I'm cute, her traitorous mind whispered gleefully. After Delia had asked his 'intentions' he'd stammered out something to do with her being cute and brilliant, and also maybe a date. When Delia had pressed for more, he'd mumbled that he wanted Ash to fight him at full strength and then beat him, before he'd squeaked out an inaudible excuse and fled. Delia, after a shocked silence, just started laughing, harder than Ash had ever heard her. As for Ash, she just stood there, baffled and confused and flattered and maybe also blushing, but she'd been trying to push the memory out of her mind all morning.

Ash ducked into a nearby alley and pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks. She couldn't focus like this, she had to focus! She didn't come all this way just to be defeated by her own stupid brain telling her she might have a crush! Even IF she did, now was not the time to think about it.

"Pika," her starter jeered, knowing exactly what she was thinking about.

"Oh shut up," she huffed, finally regaining enough control to let her blush die down and start walking again. "See if I let you battle today, after that attitude."

Instantly apologetic, Pikachu whined at her, pawing at her face and pleading. She snorted, ruffling the fur on top of his head. "We'll see. Depends on what this Ritchie kid sends out, I think."

Still pouting, Pikachu buried his face into her jacket collar, tickling her neck with his fur. Giggling, she made her way to the stadium. She was the third match of the day, so it wouldn't be too long until she was called to the field. The waiting room was full of trainers she didn't know and that had already formed groups prior to her arrival, causing her nerves to flare up, and even Pikachu's soothing patting of her cheeks wasn't really working.

Fidgeting with her PokeNav, she paused. Despite… whatever had happened last night… it wouldn't be a bad idea to make some small talk with Lance while she waited.

Right?

XxXxX

"She's never going to talk to me again."

Surge's laughter echoed through the lounge, drawing attention from both Kanto and the few Johto Gym Leaders who'd managed to visit for the competition. Sabrina's face screwed up like she'd taken a bite out of something far too sweet, soft spluttering giggles escaping no matter how hard she tried to stay quiet. Shoving the Champion's PokeNav back towards him on the table, Surge smirked.

"So what, you embarrassed yourself in front of the girl and her mom? Man up!"

"Her mother asked me what my intentions were." Lance continued to lean face-down on the table. "I told her I wanted her daughter to beat me up."

At this, Sabrina lost the battle and started howling with laughter, no doubt seeing the event directly, having to lean against the wall to remain upright. Surge didn't blame her, this was the funniest fucking thing he'd heard in a long time. Add to that the fact that he knew the girl the young Champion was crushing on, and he had enough blackmail material for years.

Bugsy whistled lowly, shaking his head slowly as he tried to imagine the scene. "You have got it bad, Lance. If you like, I can have my bugs dig you a deep hole to hide i－ow!"

Lance turned his face back to the wood, and Surge grinned because the teen had revealed his blush and there were cameras in the lounge. Ignoring Bugsy's complaint about throwing things like children, the giant prepared to dish out some merciless teasing, only for Lance's PokeNav to chime.

The redhead lunged, practically diving across the table to check the device, and Sabrina choked a little, now wheezing and out of breath. Curious, Surge leaned over to read the screen, a dark, malicious smile spreading across his face when he saw who the message was from.

"Get a text from your girlfriend?" He leered.

"Shut up," Lance said absently, a dopey grin on his face. Oh damn, that might be more than just a crush. He might actually have to give the Champion the shovel talk for this one. So long as he could pull it off without the girl knowing, that runt had some freaky psychic shit without actually being psychic.

Still. Blackmail.

XxXxX

Ash tuned out the announcer's voice just enough so that she could mentally scream at herself. Why had she sent a wink face? Had she attempted to flirt? With the Champion, of all people? What was wrong with her today?

Ugh, I'm channeling Daisy, she groaned internally, shaking her head and gazing out at the plan field. It was much larger than the others, and minimal, but this was the Indigo Stadium. Now if she could just focus on that fact, rather than the semi-risky message she'd sent minutes before, that would be great.

The referee declared the start of the battle, and she sent Greninja out. Her opponent, Ritchie, sent out a Butterfree called Happy. Ritchie was saying something, possibly to her, but she couldn't quite hear it above the ringing in her ears.

"Greninja, please win this, I'm so out of it right now," she pleaded softly, just enough for her friend to hear her and give her a confident nod. She relaxed slightly at that. "I'll try my best to help, but do what you need to if I'm not saying anything."

She was glad there were no microphones down here. That would be terrible.

Ritchie called out something, and his Butterfree started to shed powder from its wings. Some kind of status move, then.

"Wide Bubble," she instructed, nodding to herself when Greninja did so with perfect aim, causing the powder to collapse to the ground. So long as her Pokemon kept their face away from the ground and didn't kick anything up, they'd be fine. "Ice Beam, hit the wings."

"Gre!" Taking a breath, Greninja blasted out the freezing energy and nailed the Butterfree on its left wing and side, sweeping the beam across to get the rest. It didn't freeze it solid, but Butterfree was now squealing and stumbling on the ground, unable to move properly.

"Pound," she added.

Greninja let out a short laugh before doing as told, one quick blow to Butterfree's head taking it down for the count. He moved back as the bug was withdrawn, waiting for his next victim－opponent. Opponent, just because he was ridiculously eager to battle didn't mean he was seeking victims. Or so she was pretty sure, her head wasn't quite on straight.

Ritchie sent out a Charmander next, which nearly made Ash yell at him. Who the fuck used an unevolved, base level Pokemon in a League Conference? (A part of her soul seemed to shuffle awkwardly. She ignored it). Sighing, she decided on mercy, unable to cause a Charmander so like hers any more damage than necessary.

"Aerial Ace it to finish," she said, noting the Charmander's speed as it dodged a few swipes before attempting to land a hit with Flamethrower. Greninja simply leaned away and then resumed his assault once the flames flickered out. To its credit, it took nearly six full blows before the Charmander finally collapsed.

Another flag raised her way, another beam of red light soon followed by a new Pokemon. This one was a Pikachu, and she couldn't help but grin.

"Free reign," she called out once the referee told them to continue, and she could feel Greninja's dark glee at that. He and her own Pikachu were rivals, after all, so he knew how to deal with the small, agile Electric types. Plus, he hadn't yet been able to get a solid lead on their little contest of spars, so he could get a feel-good win in this one.

Greninja ended up toying with Ritchie's Pikachu for about a minute under the guise of 'seeing all its tricks' before nailing it with two consecutive Night Slashes. Ash decided to see if she could teach him one or more of the elemental punch moves, to give him some more variety. It was worth a shot.

With her lone match of the day won, she quickly swapped with the next trainer and slipped away into the stands to find her group. Maybe she could finally get her brain under control, as she really did not want her path to end in the Top 8. She was going for as high as she could possibly go.

XxXxX

"How do you two feel about advancing to the Top 8 round?" Caroline's blue eyes flickered between Gary and Ash, and the gathering of friends and family eagerly awaited their replies.

"All according to plan," Gary said easily. He looked at his rival/sister expectantly, nudging her shin with his foot to get her attention when she just stared blankly at him. Frowning at how that startled her more than normal, he glanced at Daisy, Serena, and Calem. They seemed just as concerned. Ash had been acting weird ever since that morning, and while she'd won her match it was obvious that something had happened. "Oi, Ashy-girl, what gives? You getting sick?"

She blinked Noctowlishly, shaking her head slightly. "No, sorry. Just have a lot on my mind…"

"Does it have anything to do with this guy you've been messaging?" Max asked curiously, causing Ash to nearly fall out of her seat as she whirled. Her face went bright red and she spluttered as she tried to get back her PokeNav, which she had let Max fiddle with as a sort of bribe to keep him from talking her ears off.

Holding back a smirk even as he relaxed, Gary quickly leaned over and snatched the PokeNav－how had Ash gotten one, anyways?－out of the boy's hands. He scrolled up through the messages, jumping up to dodge the grabby hands of his pseudo-sister as his grin got even bigger, although he narrowed his eyes at the notion of Ash actually dating anyone.

No. She was too oblivious, vulnerable in terms of romantic relationships because of it, and no way in hell was he just going to let some guy waltz in and take advanta－

He finally reached a message with an attached image from the mystery man, and it took a few moments for him to recognize the Champion of Indigo. When he did, he slowly looked over to Ash. She wilted just a little at the look on his face, clearly awaiting some sort of teasing.

"No," he said firmly, raising a finger to point at her to drive his words into her dense skull. "Not allowed. I swear to Mew, Ashy-girl, if you've been dating the Cham－"

"SHUT UP!" She lunged at him, forcing him to stop talking and start running, and he could hear the panicked edge to her voice. "I'm not dating anyone, give back my PokeNav!"

She doesn't even realize he's been flirting with her, Gary thought, incredulous.

Then again, if she did date Lance, he would have a better chance at getting training tips…

XxXxX

Top Four.

Somehow, eleven-year-old Ashka Ketchum was about to battle to decide whether she'd achieve fourth place or move forwards in the Indigo Conference. Gary had been defeated last round by a conference veteran, but only by a thin margin, and she was now about to face another veteran with a large number of Pokemon to his name. She didn't know what to expect, because he'd been using the same strategy she was; hit hard, hit fast, and don't show your hand until the last possible moment.

On her shoulder, Pikachu shifted restlessly. Her last match had been the first true challenge in the entire conference, and she'd been pushed enough to use Pikachu, Greninja, and Oberon, although none had fainted or been deemed unable to battle. This match, though, she and her team were sure that they'd be pushed like they'd never been before.

From what little information there'd been on her opponent, one Chris Dogen, she knew that he'd been a trainer for nearly ten years. He came from Sinnoh, had been offered a Gym there but had rejected it in favor of traveling, and he'd participated in seven League Challenges, slowly creeping his way from eighth to his most recent second place, in the Lily of the Valley Conference. The only Pokemon he'd used so far in the Indigo League were his massive starter Empoleon, a powerful Luxray, and a Lucario that rivaled her own team's speed. From past League records, he had a Sneasel (or Weavile, by this point), a Tangrowth, a Mamoswine, and a Rhyperior, but his trainer page showed he had many more to pick from that he'd just never needed to use.

Here, it was becoming clear, was where Ash herself had dropped the ball. She had wanted to focus on building a small team of massive strength, but in doing so had left herself open to an easier defeat at the higher levels of competition; only Alto and Titania had yet to be revealed to the public, and there had been plenty of time to research the other four members of her team. She'd have to fight smart to win this match.

"Red Trainer, send out your first Pokemon!"

Ash had the bad luck of being chosen to start off the match, but she didn't let her nerves show. With a short nod to herself, she threw out Greninja's Pokeball, the tall Water type immediately shifting to a battle-ready stance. Ash watched as Chris released his Empoleon, the massive Water/Steel type landing on the field with a loud cry. Letting out a slow breath, Ash was glad Chris hadn't started with his Luxray; Pikachu was one thing for Greninja to battle, but Luxray had a lot more muscle power to back up its electricity.

She studied the Sinnoh starter carefully in the few seconds she had before the referee told them to begin. The Empoleon was powerful, there was no doubt about that, and experienced. Bright, intelligent eyes glittered across the field, sizing up Greninja, but the Empoleon never once shifted or gave away its thoughts. It remained calm and calculative. Such a Pokemon was not to be underestimated, as it had a decade of experience under its belt.

"Be careful, Greninja," she warned, excitement bubbling up to her throat. "This is going to be a battle to remember!"

XxXxX

May could only stare with mixed fear and awe as she watched Ash's battle. She could barely believe that the Greninja currently fending off Empoleon's Metal Claw with a Night Slash was the same Greninja that had played house with her and her new Eevee just last night. He was so strong! Even though Empoleon was so much bigger, he was even faster, and he kept knocking all of Empoleon's attacks off to the side.

She didn't really know much about battling, but even she could see that this was a high-level battle. Both Pokemon were throwing out so many different attacks she could barely keep track, and craters were being left behind any that missed and hit the ground! There was so much water on the field, with all the rain falling－she hadn't even known Pokemon could make it rain!－and then a bright green vine tripped Empoleon, giving Greninja the chance to land a bunch of super fast attacks.

Eevee was shivering in her lap, as if frightened by the battle. May couldn't blame him, but an idea was slowly forming in her head. When Ash first gave her that talk about taking things at her own pace, she'd mentioned that some trainers just traveled. May knew that her parents wouldn't let her travel alone, not when she was just starting out, but… Ash had said she'd be challenging Hoenn's League after Johto. Just two years from now, and coincidentally when she would be old enough to become a proper trainer.

If Ash had already agreed to travel with Serena when she went to Kalos, maybe she would let May tag along when she was traveling through Hoenn. Ash was obviously strong enough for it to be safe, so her parents would have no reason to say no, right?

XxXxX

"I don't believe it." Calem gaped down at the battlefield, as Ash's Greninja managed to take out Chris' Luxray before finally fainting himself, exhausted from battling two powerful Pokemon in a row. "And she said Greninja was only her third strongest?!"

As Oberon appeared on the field opposite a solemn-looking Lucario, the whole stadium looked on in confusion as the Lucario seemed to stare straight past its opponent to Ash, and then bow lowly. Chris seemed just as baffled as the rest of them, even more so when Ash bowed back.

"That Lucario must have sensed Ash's aura," Serena explained to their group. "I know she's been training with it."

Making a mental note to ask more later, Calem struggled to follow the extremely fast-paced battle on the field. Oberon was Teleporting everywhere, at a speed that even the aura-sensitive Lucario was having trouble keeping up with. A Metal Sound only slowed the Espeon down enough for the Psychic type to fire off a Disable and a Confusion that only partially worked. Still, it was enough to buy the Espeon time to prepare a Hypnosis that put the Lucario under in less than five seconds.

Oberon then whittled away at Lucario's health with Dream Eater, Shadow Balls, and barrages of Swift. Every time Lucario managed to wake up, he'd hit him with another hypnosis. A brutal, but effective, tactic. But Ash hadn't won yet, and the anticipation had him on the edge of his seat.

He really couldn't wait till she came to challenge the Kalos League.

XxXxX

"Let's do this, Alto!"

Ash grinned wildly as her dragon flared her wings proudly, drawing gasps from the spectators. Chris' ridiculously fast Weavile had defeated Oberon, Houndoom, and Pikachu, leaving her two aces as the only things standing between him and victory. With Pikachu resting near her feet, Ash couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a difficult battle that wasn't life-or-death, and the thrill was rushing through her body, pulse roaring in her ears as she fell deeper into what could only be euphoria.

"Dazzling Gleam into Rain Dance!" She called out. Alto's agreement rang out across the air, her body enveloped in a pinkish-white light that radiated outwards until Weavile screeched in pain. While it recovered, the massive Altaria let out another cry, summoning a rainstorm below her as she flew. "Coat it with Toxic!"

The attack was quickly absorbed by the rain clouds, soaking through and hitting Weavile almost instantly. There would be no avoiding the poison when it was literally raining from the sky. Ash let Alto avoid battling up close and personal with the partial Ice type, waiting it out and letting Toxic do its work.

"Weavile, use Ice Beam on that Rain Dance!" Chris shouted.

Eyes lighting up as her opponent's Pokemon froze the rain clouds, causing them to fall and shatter on the ground, Ash was practically vibrating with glee. This, this was the type of battle she longed for!

"Now use Hail!"

"Steel Wing to shield yourself, then use Moonblast!" She countered, holding back a wince as the sharp chunks of ice pelted her friend. Alto pushed through it, charging up several Moonblasts and flinging them at the exhausted Weavile. It still managed to dodge, only being clipped by the last one, yowling at the slight impact. The extended assault had brought Alto much closer to the Dark/Ice type Pokemon.

Seeing his chance, Chris was quick to direct his Pokemon. "Icy Wind!"

Swearing silently, Ash narrowed her eyes. "Dragon Pulse!"

"Altaa!" With a defiant shriek, Alto dove directly into the Ice Wind and came out the other side to deliver a point blank Dragon Pulse, finally taking out Weavile, if leaving her much weaker than Ash would have liked. Alto quickly shook the ice and snow off her feathers, launching herself back into the sky to wait for her next opponent. Two more. Two more Pokemon, and she would win. She only had Titania left after this, but Alto wasn't down and out yet.

"That dragon's weak, Bouffalant, we can take it!" Chris yelled, releasing a truly impressive specimen. The Bouffalant was massive, horns sharp and gleaming in the light. It's hooves gouged into the dirt with little effort, a hint to its strength.

"Long range, girl, start with Perish Song!" Ash commanded, smirking when Bouffalant was unable to avoid getting tagged by the red glow. Chris realized that his chances of winning were dropping with that move, and he grit his teeth.

"Double Team, then Hyper Beam!"

Ash waited till the last possible moment. "Mirror Move!"

It was pure luck that Bouffalant had dropped its Double Team the instant it set the powerful beam of light loose, allowing Alto to send her own Hyper Beam directly into Bouffalant's. For a long, tense moment it seemed they were evenly matched… and then the attacks exploded, forcing Ash to shield her eyes. She reached out with her aura senses, exhaling heavily when she realized that it was a double knockout. Once the smoke cleared, the referee called it.

One more.

"Alto, return." She rubbed her thumb across the surface of her friend's Pokeball. "You did amazing. Alright, it's all up to you Titania!"

"Sylve!" Titania held herself like the Queen she was on the torn-up battlefield, looking down her nose at the Mightyena Chris called out. The Sylveon's reveal caused a wave of murmurs to break out in the stands, and the announcer was quick to comment on her rarity.

"Double Team and then Take Down!" Chris ordered his Pokemon, voice sharp and face grim. Both trainers knew that this was it, this was their last chance to win.

"Fairy Wind." Ash's voice carried easily to her partner, who complied instantly. Titania whipped up the Fairy type energy with as much force as she could, knocking Mightyena back and destroying the copies. The Dark type howled, baring its teeth. "Disarming Voice!"

"Oh no you don't, Hyper Beam!"

"Protect!" Ash called, squinting against the bright light of the attack as it crashed against the green barrier Titania threw up at the command. When the light died down, Mightyena was closing in fast. "Dig! Then Moonblast!"

Diving into the ground, though Ash was sure to get an earful later about daring to get the proud Fairy type's fur dirty, Titania all but vanished. Mightyena remained vigilant, ears twitches and paws light as it tried to predict where Titania would surface. After a tense minute, Mightyena barely had time to widen its eyes before an angry Fairy type rocketed out of the ground directly beneath it, delivering a direct hit with a Moonblast to its soft underbelly. Mightyena landed heavily on its side, struggling to get up at its trainer's urging.

Hope welled up in Ash's chest, but she would take no chances. "Drain Kiss!"

Titania, with all the grace of royalty, delicately leaned over to press her nose to the top of her opponent's head, a pink glow surrounding them both. The super effective move was the last straw, and Mightyena collapsed to the ground, unmoving. A second ticked by, then another.

"Mightyena is unable to battle!" The referee declared, and suddenly Ash realized that the crowd was cheering. "Victory goes to the Red Trainer, Ashka Ketchum!"

"We won," she whispered, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Titania, you did it!" She carefully picked up Pikachu and leaped over the box railing, scooping up her friend and murmuring praises while Titania nuzzled her face, and that of a still-sleeping Pikachu.

Ashka Ketchum, trainer of barely one year, had secured Third Place in the Indigo Conference. But she had no intention of giving up there.