"Do you think it's part of the challenge that you don't know what the Battle Dome could be just from the name?" Max suggested. "At least if you know the Pewter Gym badge is called the Boulder Badge, you know it's probably going to involve Rock types."

"You say that," Brock grumbled. "My mom's been taking some challenges. Apparently because you can find boulders in rivers it counts."

"...really?" Max asked, distracted. "How does that work?"

"She's a Water type trainer, mostly," Brock explained. "Still, Grass-types do still work, so there's that… and don't get me started on the Marsh Badge and Soul Badge."

"Or the Rainbow Badge," Ash contributed. "Aren't rainbows to do with light and water? So it could be a Water type badge, or maybe a Fairy type one?"

"Now I'm thinking about whether the Balance Badge has a meaning," May admitted. "What do you think, Squirtle?"

"I think I've got good balance," Squirtle replied. "So I could qualify."

May laughed. "That's true!"

"Anyway," Max resumed. "I wonder what the Battle Dome is going to be like… Noland was an inventor and Greta did martial arts training, so maybe whoever it is who runs the Battle Dome is going to have something they do a lot as well?"

As it turned out, the Frontier Brain who ran the Battle Dome – Dome Ace Tucker – did have something that he focused on as well as battling.

Publicity.

Ash was met by more than a dozen reporters as he arrived at the Dome, with Scott showing up for just long enough to say hello before asking Ash to go through the press conference, and then the reporters started asking Ash about how he trained his Pokémon and how he'd met them and which one he thought was his strongest.

Ash did his best to answer all of those questions, which (as Max whispered to his sister) did make him sound a little bit insane, but saying that he didn't know which of his Pokémon was his strongest because they were all getting better all the time did earn him a few approving nods.

Then someone made the mistake of asking to see his strongest Pokémon.

"There you are!" Scott said, as Ash entered the Battle Dome. "Did something go wrong? Tucker's been waiting for half an hour."

"Well, someone asked to see my strongest Pokémon," Ash explained. "I didn't want to miss out on a Pokémon who was my strongest Pokémon, so I just showed all of them."

"I have to say, it was good of Zorua to appear as Absol," Pikachu noted. "It's probably fortunate that he's got one of the generic Pokéballs."

Scott thought about that, then laughed. "I suppose I shouldn't be annoyed… it is going to make sure people talk about the Battle Frontier. If only as context for where you were at the time…"

He checked his watch. "All right, so Tucker's challenge has you trying to defeat two Pokémon in a double battle, and you get the chance to change your team after you know what his is. I already know what he's sending out, they're an Arcanine and a Swampert – that should save you some time."

"Right!" Ash said. "In that case, I know who to use!"

Scott chuckled. "I'm looking forward to an impressive battle!"

Up in the stands, Max was writing some notes.

"So… it's probably a good idea to start with Roxanne or Brawly, if I start my journey in Hoenn," he said. "I can use Shroomish against Roxanne, and Ralts against Brawly, while Mightyena needs a teammate before battling Tate and Liza."

"Right," Brock agreed. "That's a good summary… it's never good to get used to relying on type advantage, but it can get you some momentum."

"I'm not as sure about Johto, if I start there," Max went on. "What do you think about starting with Morty?"

"That's a good one for Mightyena," May agreed. "Other Pokémon can battle Ghost types okay as well, but Mightyena's got it easier…"

"And I feel like I'd want to do Pewter, for Kanto," Max said. "Just so it was with someone familiar… or their family, at least. That would be Shroomish again, though."

He looked up. "Oh – looks like Ash has arrived!"

"Welcome, challenger!" Tucker declared, swooping down to land on his platform. "You will-"

"Did you use Fly, or was that wires?" Ash interrupted. "Rayquaza usually helps out when I need to fly somewhere in a hurry, but I think-"

"Wires," Tucker said, interrupting right back. "Please stop damaging the mystery. As I was saying. You will be showing your abilities in a marvellous Double Battle!"

He held up a pair of Pokéballs. "I will pick my team first! Then you will have the chance to choose who you are going to use."

First Arcanine and then Swampert came out of their Pokéballs.

Ash promptly replied with Clefairy and Unown.

"...you are supposed to think it over," Tucker told him.

"I did," Ash answered. "Scott let me know, he said it was to save time."

Tucker sighed.

"I'm not sure I can perform under these conditions," he said, then took a deep breath. "Anyway! Begin!"

"Unown, Wish!" Ash called. "Clefairy – Gravity!"

Clefairy's fingers lit up, and she levitated herself into the air. Arcanine darted forwards, lunging for the Fairy-type, and she used a gravity-dodge to flick herself sideways out of range of the attack.

"Bring forth your surging wrath!" Tucker ordered. "Swampert, use Water Pulse! Arcanine, move like the blazing wind – Aerial Ace!"

The Fire-type lunged, but Clefairy had been given ample warning he was going to be doing something and beaned him in the muzzle with a Meteor Beam.

Unown, meanwhile, had not only finished Wish but had moved on to a longer move. They flicked through D-E-C-O-R-A-T-E, directing it at Clefairy and surrounding her in a strawberry-shaped aura, then Ash called for Psychic and Unown began spelling that out as well.

"Arcanine, light up the stage!" Tucker said. "Swampert, strike like the sea! Solarbeam and Surf!"

"Moonblast!" Ash called. "Both of you!"

Clefairy got there first, lighting up in a brilliant silver flash of light, and when Tucker's combined attacks formed a tornado infused with focused sunlight Clefairy's Moonblast stopped the worst of it from getting through to the two of them. Unown was slower, having to cancel their Psychic with a ? before beginning the new move, but the staggered activation worked to keep them both safe – and by the time the glow faded Clefairy was already flicking her fingers for a Metronome.

The Metronome flashed, then turned into a slightly different ball of light.

"...isn't that Assist?" Max asked.

Clefairy was suddenly holding a sword.

"Hold on," Brock muttered, squinting at Ash's belt and counting under his breath.

As he did, the Fairy-type shrugged and began flying all over the place – alternating between blocking Arcanine's lunges and swiping at Swampert – and Unown started spelling out something else, this time something that began with S-P-E.

"Clefairy, Unown, then there's a Timer Ball… a Level Ball… and he's got Rayquaza and Pikachu…yeah, I think all of Ash's Pokémon who know Sacred Sword or Secret Sword might just be back at the ranch. That Assist – if that's what it was – called one of Ash's moves."

"Now that's a weird situation," Max said. "But then, what isn't?"

Arcanine abruptly slowed down mid-jump as Unown finished Speed Swap, and Ash called out another instruction. "Soak Swampert!"

"Why would he-" Max began, then blinked. "Oh. Hold on, I think I know…"

Clefairy's Sacred Sword had shattered after Arcanine caught it with Psychic Fangs, and her next Metronome had given her Tailwind (which was useful but not especially damaging), but then she got Echoed Voice.

"Zut alors!" she called out, the blast of sound hitting both Arcanine and Swampert, and then both Pokémon focused on her. This time it was a blast of flame from Arcanine that coiled around into a Fire Spin, trapping her in place, and a Sludge Wave once she was stuck.

Gravity twisted around her, protecting her from the worst of the effects. Then a Thunder attack blasted down outside the Fire Spin, and both of Tucker's Pokémon yelped at once.

"Keep it up!" Ash called. "...wait! Clefairy, you've got Me First, right?"

"Oui, oui," Clefairy confirmed.

"Unown, Prismatic Laser!" Ash called. "Clefairy, Me First!"

Unown spelled out P, then R, and by the time they'd done that Clefairy was already using the move. It hit Swampert with a brilliant flash that illuminated the arena, sending the currently-a-pure-Water-type shooting backwards, and he shifted his weight enough to slide to a halt before hitting the wall.

"Watch out for their tricks!" Tucker said. "Arcanine, Swampert, combine your might to form a mighty blast of steam!"

"Unown, F!" Ash said. "L-"

Clefairy was already using Me First.

The result was complete chaos. Clefairy rammed her opponents eight distinct times, launched blasts of flame and light at them (two each), flared with eye-stinging brilliance, threw a berry at Arcanine, said something which sounded like a backhanded compliment, surrounded herself and Unown with flowers and then healed them both with a minty fresh scent.

Then the floor collapsed underneath Tucker's Pokémon.

Clefairy stared, then exchanged a glance with Unown. (She got the better of it – Unown had only one eye, but it was quite large.) "De quelle attaque š'agissait-il?"

"How should I know?" Unown answered. "I'd only heard the first two letters."

"...batarnak," Clefairy sighed.

"That was a fun battle!" Ash decided. "And we found out more things for Professor Oak to work on!"

"That he can only research using the very specific powers of your unique Unown," Brock pointed out.

Ash shrugged. "Unown is around there most of the time… I sort of assume some of the time is spent training, and some of it's spent relaxing. It's up to Unown if they feel interested in helping out."

They walked along in companionable silence for a bit, heading west towards Saffron City again – the Battle Pike had turned out to be near Fuchsia City, and going via Cycling Road sounded interesting to Max and May – until Brock sent out his Lombre.

"What's up?" Lombre asked, seeing the lack of anything interesting going on. "Oh, I get you. Wanting a chat, huh?"

"That's right," Brock agreed. "I thought it'd be a good opportunity to see if you're getting on okay… though I didn't think it through enough to remember that I can't easily carry you any more."

"Don't worry, amigo, stretching my legs is fine by me," Lombre said. "And, I've got to admit, I prefer a supporting role. I can do battle, but I'd rather lend a helping hand."

Mew appeared next to him with a squeaky pop. "So, moves that help your teammate!" he said. "What do you think about decorating? Or perhaps taking up Acupressure?"

"Isn't it called acupuncture?" Max asked.

"What?" Mew said, shocked. "No! It's about pressure points, not puncturing someone… oh, what about Instruct? That's a good one too, it can really help another Pokémon out…"

After some shopping in Celadon City, the friends headed for Cycling Road proper, and they were about halfway there when a Celebi popped up in front of the friends.

"Thanks!" she said.

"Uh… you're welcome?" Ash replied. "Is this about the thing with the Lake of Life, or is it something else?"

"Well, thanks for that too," Celebi told him. "But I'm thinking about something else – you, specifically!"

She pointed her finger at May. "Seriously, you did me a big favour. So I'm going to make it up to you and your team!"

"Who specifically?" Max asked, no fool. "I don't think May has done it yet, unless she didn't mention it, so if you let us know who she needs she'll be sure to have the right Pokémon."

"Hmm, well, Eevee was there," Celebi pondered. "Adorable Pokémon, by the way."

"...did we just get spoilers for reality?" May's Arcanine said. "I am clearly not used to life with you lot yet. I met you by crashing into an Entei and I'm not used to life with you yet."

"Oh!" Celebi said. "Eevee hasn't hatched yet! Then I know how to help out!"

She clapped her hands, a blue glow flashing around them, and after a second's thought May took her backpack off to open it and get the egg case out.

The egg was already glowing, and hatched a moment later into an Eevee just as Celebi had retrodicted.

"Oh, but that doesn't really count," Celebi said. "It's really just making sure things go right…"

"I've got an idea!" Mew suggested, and whispered in Celebi's ear.

"Gotcha!" Celebi agreed. "Okay, so… May Maple. Do you know the difference between knowing the future and destiny?"

Ash held up his hand.

"I guess… if there is a difference, then the future is what's going to happen," May said, cuddling her new-hatched Eevee and gently stroking them – trying to work out with soft fingers where they liked to be scratched. "And it doesn't have to, and it could be different. But destiny is what should happen."

"That's close enough," Celebi confirmed. "And one cool difference is that it's a lot easier to tweak the future if it aligns with destiny."

She reached behind her back, there was another little blue flash, and the Time Travel Pokémon handed May a little blue orb with a smaller, red orb in the middle. "Here you go!"

May had to juggle her Eevee slightly to take the orb. "Thanks, I guess?"

"That's very polite of you!" Celebi said. "Oh, yeah, and one more thing."

She tapped the little blue orb. "There you go! Get Mew to contact me once you know what it is and I'll undo that."

"Were you responsible for my Pidgey, by the way?" Ash asked.

"Oh, you so are," Mew said. "Actually, if I haven't asked you yet, I'm asking you now. Go sort out his Pidgey please!"

AN:

Yes, I found a way to make Clefairy and Unown a broken team-up.