Mewtwo showed up after the award ceremony, late at night once everyone else had gone to sleep. Ash, getting the powerful Psychic type's mental message, scrambled up from her balcony, carefully making her way to the roof the dorm. She was met with open arms, swept into Mewtwo's hold.

He purred, pressing his muzzle against the side of her head. 'It is good to see you well, old friend.'

"You too, Mewtwo. Are you… everything all right?"

'Indeed. I have taken care of everything I need to, and I plan to stay with you for a while. Articuno sends her greetings.'

Sighing, Ash allowed herself to bury her face in Mewtwo's thin but silky fur. She'd tried not to think too much－about the various encounters, Sabrina's words, her own instincts on the subject－but it still exhausted her, always turning over and over in the back of her mind. "I still don't get why so many Legendaries even care I exist."

'Someday you will understand,' Mewtwo said firmly, like this fact had been woven into the very fabric of reality. 'There is no need to hurry, however. Let things come as they will. Rest now, old friend, I know this… tournament has been hard on your nerves.'

Ash snorted. "That's what I get for honing my aura senses so much, right?"

'You've yet to have time to decompress from the stresses of your journey, actually, but I'm sure that having such a chaotic source of sensory input doesn't help.'

"Only because there's so many. Even a regular town isn't this packed…"

'Humans are strange creatures,' Mewtwo hummed, no other explanation given.

Shrugging, Ash relaxed into Mewtwo's grasp, content in the silence. She was relieved that he was alright after the fiasco with Team Rocket. Something in her said that this was a far better alternative than what else could have happened, and for the first time she felt like she'd managed to avoid something. It was kind of a relief, as for so long she'd felt trapped by the power that had both helped and caused her so much trouble.

Mewtwo was right, though. She hadn't really had time to decompress from her journey, not completely. Maybe… maybe going to Rota, like Zapdos had recommended, would help, the kingdom probably had records left from when they regularly hosted and trained Aura Guardians. She could probably get permission to read over some texts or old books if she displayed her current aura abilities－it was a bit of an open secret to those who knew of aura that Rota still had a form of education for whatever aura users they happened to pick up or become aware of.

Serena and the others would probably like to see the old kingdom too, it was a popular if rather out of the way place for tourists and history buffs to visit. She'd done some reading, and it looked like a beautiful place. It would be nice to have some pictures there of her team and her friends.

Mewtwo let out a low rumble of amusement as half-formed plans steadily dropped into the peace of sleep.

'I'm sorry we couldn't do more, to save you both… Please keep watching over each other. The young one… that part of you needs it still.'

Part of Ashka's soul flickered in response.

XxXxX

"So, the festival in Rota?" Delia prompted at the dinner table, several minutes after her daughter had gotten distracted answering a question about Eevee for May. They were having one last big dinner together before the group started splitting off－the Maples to go home to Hoenn, Grace off to the event she'd be presenting at, Gary to train, the professors back to their labs, and Ash, her mother, and friends to the kingdom of Rota.

"Oh, yeah, they have it every year, there's a tournament and then a ball after," Ash explained, quickly getting back on track. "The palace also has some public gardens, I read they're pretty amazing, so I thought we could go for at least the week, that way we'd have some time to explore the city around the palace too."

"That sounds lovely!" Delia exclaimed, eyes bright even as Ash could see her mind start to make a list of everything she wanted to see or do while they were there. It was nice to see that spark firmly back in place in her mother, who had been looking sickly still.

Lance had forwarded the results of the Alakazam's medical scan to her PokeNav, and Ash had been relieved to see that while Delia hadn't been taking the stress well, most of it was just that－stress. Once she'd settled down and gotten back up to a healthy weight, she should be fine. Now it was just a matter of getting Delia to eat enough and properly rest. Which, much to Ash's chagrin, was a job an a half on a good day; her mother just wasn't the type to sit still when there were things that could be done right that moment. She was hoping the vacation to Rota would help on that front.

"I hear that tournament is pretty epic," Calem piped up. "They have a full Colosseum, right?"

"That's right, and historically it holds a lot of important to Rota's Aura Guardians. Its where most of them passed their apprenticeship and final mastery trials. Ash, are you thinking of asking around for training resources while you're there?" Brock questioned.

She nodded, gently brushing her fingers through Titania's fur. "I've pretty much done all I can on my own. From what I've heard, I can request an audience after the tournament so I can prove I can use aura, and then submit a request to look at some of the records and old journals they have stored there. If it gets approved I might stay longer, just to get a better grasp on my aura."

There was also the fact that Zapdos had recommended it, and the Legendary had mentioned looking into healing, which was definitely something she wouldn't mind learning, considering all the trouble that found her. It would ease her mind to know she was able to help her friends if needed.

"Well, I hope your request is granted," Professor Sycamore commented, setting down his glass. "I'm sure it will be fascinating to read about the history of Aura Guardians… Kalos has had a fair few, but most records have been kept by their families who are quite protective of them, and even potential apprentices can be tested for years before being allowed to read them."

"That's kind of why I'm going for Rota," Ash chuckled awkwardly. "At least the Aura Guardians based out of Rota are more willing to teach adepts, and grant them access to materials. Lance said they tend to ask anyone who learns there to come back for certain formal occasions, but they don't require an oath or anything."

Which was why Rota was one of the most popular locations for those who could wield aura to gravitate towards, really, as they could actually learn there without getting caught up in 'Family business' like some of the enclaves in Sinnoh or Kalos ended up trapping new adepts in to expand their ranks. It wasn't like they were trying to build armies or anything－they were still Aura Guardians, after all－but according to Bruno a large number of students was a sign of prosperity and gave a certain amount of prestige. Aura Guardians could apparently get rather competitive if they came from that sort of apprenticeship.

Surge had been passing on messages from the Elite Four member ever since she asked for more resources about aura, and those had been among the random bits of information. Ash herself had simply decided to ask at Rota, and hope she didn't run into a 'recruiter' in another region, as Bruno had warned they could get pushy sometimes, especially when an adept showed serious potential.

The conversation slowly pulled away from Rota into what the plan was for after, both Ash and Gary aiming to enter the Johto League once it opened for the season in four months. In the meantime, the trainers were all debating where they should go next. Serena would have to go home with Grace, but she still asked questions about the different places that were suggested, wanting to learn more about the other regions.

In the end, it was Professor Oak who solved Ash's plans, by asking if she would be willing to take a strange Pokeball his colleague had found to the Orange Islands after she'd come back from Rota. Misty and Brock announced they would go with her. Daisy decided that she would be exploring some of Kalos with Calem as her guide, dropping by Vaniville Town in order to teach Serena more about Coordinating.

Gary was aiming for solitude out in the wilds past Pallet Town while he trained up his team some more, and sought out new Pokemon before he registered for the Johto League. The Maples would be going back to Hoenn, May and Max planning to help out at Norman's Gym so they would be better prepared for their own journeys－and May had requested to join Ash when she did go through Hoenn, which had been approved by her parents.

'Sounds like we'll be busy for a while, then,' Oberon mused, sitting on Ash's knees.

'It'll be fine,' Ash thought back, patting his side gently. She may not have won this League, but she'd been damn close, and there was still much more she could do for next time. For now, though, she looked forwards to visiting Rota with Delia and her friends. It had been a while since she'd been on a real vacation.