Shadowed Eons

by Totem-Mimikyu

[Formerly "A DarknessDescens"] After six years, a reunion has happened, a promise kept. Ash has returned to visit Alto Mare with his Alolan classmates. But what choices must be made once an unknown and seemingly sinister organization pops up? What choices must be made to protect the sanctity of life? And, should it come to it... What sacrifices?

2. A Valentine Reunion: Part 2

Valentine's Day Reunion Part II

Ash blinked a few times, scrunching his eyebrows together as he replied, "Uh… yeah?"

His class didn't have much time to marvel at his lack of eloquence as the girl took a few hesitant steps forward before launching herself at him and hugging him tightly. As his brain recovered from the unexpected action, Ashe noticed something a bit off about the hug. It almost felt as though…

She choked out, "I-I can't believe….You're here. You're actually…." She trailed off, at a loss for words.

Ash stood there frozen, not knowing what to do as he glanced at Pikachu, almost hoping his friend would guide him. Unfortunately, the mouse was preoccupied with walking around the girl, sniffing at her legs. Suddenly, he reared back, eyes widening as he rounded on Ash, rapidly gesturing to the girl. "Pika pi! Pika pikachuu!"

As Ash turned back to the girl, he heard Mallow pipe up behind him. "Sooo, Ash…. Mind introducing us to your… friend?" The rest of the class let out murmurs of agreement as they looked on.

The trainer nodded, trying to think. "Right, uhh…. Let's see…." He racked his brain, trying to think. It wouldn't be Bianca; he doubted the girl would behave like this towards anyone, unless it was-

Eyes flying wide, he snapped his fingers. "I got it! You're- ow!"

Ash yelped as Pikachu jumped up and lightly headbutted the side of his head, knocking his cap off. The trainer frowned as he glared at Pikachu, reaching down, picking his hat up, and dusting it off. "What was that for, Pikachu?"

The mouse pointed at the girl and shook his head emphatically before turning his paw on the class.

Ash stared at his partner before smacking himself in the head, muttering, "Right, should have thought of that. Thanks, Pikachu." The mouse merely rolled his eyes before clambering up his trainer's shoulders and grooming himself. The girl shot him an appreciative look as Ash turned towards his companions with a grin. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet-"

"Tia," Latias blurted, startling Ash. "Just call me Tia," shooting an apologetic look at her crush. He smiled innocently at her as he scratched behind Pikachu's ears, much to the mouse's enjoyment.

The class politely greeted her before introducing themselves one by one. Kiawe stepped up first, almost looming over Latias as he held out his hand. "I'm Kiawe. A pleasure to meet you. Tell me," the dark-skinned trainer said intently, "how much have you battled Ash while he was here?" Collectively, his classmates snorted while Ash and Latias sweatdropped and laughed nervously. Latias shook her head, honey eyes glimmering in mild amusement as she shook his hand. "We uh… never really battled. I'm not a trainer, you see…. But it's nice meeting you as well," she finished politely.

Kiawe sighed in disappointment as Sophocles took his place, snickering. "Hey there, my name's Sophocles! Togedemaru and I like to work on science projects back at home." Hearing her name, the round Pokémon turned around and immediately rolled around the two, electricity crackling through her fur. Noticing this, Pikachu ran over and placed himself in front of her path, resulting in him getting rolled into, shaking his head as the grey Pokémon danced around him. Latias covered her mouth and giggled softly. "Nice to meet you, Sophocles, and you, Togedemaru."

Sophocles nodded and stepped back, letting Lana and Mallow come up. The blue-haired trainer had a mischievous glint in her eye as she introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Lana, and I'm training my Kyogre to be the world's most decorated water Pokémon!" The class sighed and shook their heads, used to her pranking new people. To their surprise, "Tia" just snickered before erupting into laughter, sending pleasant chills through their bones. Lana stared at her as she recovered, not used to someone outright laughing at what most would consider a serious statement. Latias smiled at her, still giggling as she replied. "I'm sorry for laughing; it's just… Lord Kyogre would not let anyone catch him, especially after the incident in Hoenn a few years ago."

As almost everyone frowned and tried to think, Mallow piped up, "What happened a few years ago? Oh, and I'm Mallow, by the way. I help run a kitchen with my dad."

Kiawe and Burnet winced while Ash grimaced, the trainer recalling Team Aqua and Team Magma and their plans to add or remove the amount of water around the globe. He wasn't particularly pleased with the reminder, but he could hardly fault Mallow for bringing it up. It wasn't as though he had told them of that particular adventure.

He was shaken from his thoughts as Lillie piped up, staring straight at Latias. "Hang on, did you say 'Lord" Kyogre?"

Everyone stopped for a moment before giving Latias curious looks.

Ash doubted the illusion she was using could pale, but it was still clear to everyone that Latias had let the title slip and was very much regretting it. Not one to let a friend hang dry, he stepped forward and laughed nervously. "Well, we're in a city surrounded by water. It would make sense to respect a legendary that lives in the water…." His classmates gave uncertain nods of agreement, not entirely buying the excuse but finding no other plausible explanation. Latias shot him a warm smile, eyes shining as their gazes met, before turning and nodding to both Mallow and Lillie. "Right, sorry about that. Old habits die hard, I guess. But it is lovely to meet you, Mallow. I would love to try that kitchen of yours sometime."

Latias turned to Lillie and met the blonde's gaze as she extended her hand. "I apologize, but I don't think I caught your name…?"

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As Latias extended her disguised claw, the blonde reached out and grasped the psionic energy the dragoness used in public. "Lillie," the girl said, meeting her gaze with an icy one. "Classmate and very good friend of Ash's."

Hearing that, Latias narrowed her eyes as she tapped into her empathetic powers and reached her mind out to Lillie's. Instantly, she was flooded with emotions seeping from the girl, held in check by the blonde's willpower. The dragoness let herself get swept into the stream, feeling it direct itself to…Ash! She narrowed her eyes further, almost scowling as she tensed up. This girl in front of her was in direct competition, even if she didn't know it. Still, she had to be polite. Ash would hardly return her affection if she started being rude or downright cruel to his friends.

Reluctantly, she eased herself and gave Lillie a tight smile. "Nice to meet you, Lillie. I'm glad to hear you get along so well with Ash. I hope you stay friends for many years to come."

She struggled to hold back her amusement as she watched Lillie's eyes flash, becoming almost cold as she squeezed the psionic hand a little harder before letting go. Unfortunately for you, I can't feel that! Latias crowed in her mind, noting Mallow and Lana looking at her with wide eyes. The two glanced at her uncertainly as they shared whispers.

Ignoring this, Latias faced the two professors and smiled sweetly at them. Both were grinning as they introduced themselves. "Heeey!" Kukui exclaimed as he shook Latias' hand, "I'm Professor Kukui. I'm a teacher over at the Pokémon school in Alola. I coach these guys and gals to refine their skills with Pokémon, among other things," gesturing to the class as he finished. The woman beside him looped her arm around his and flashed Latias a bright smile. "And he does it quite well, too! I'm this hunk's wife, Professor Burnet. You can call me Burnet, though. It's so great meeting you!"

Latias returned the smile as she looked at the pair and replied, "The same goes for both of you. I hope you enjoy your stay." She froze as a chill went through her body. She had been too high on cloud nine to ask Ash what he was doing here and how long he would be staying. Swallowing the lump in her throat as the couple looked at her in mild concern. Taking a deep breath, she put on her best smile and asked politely, "Out of curiosity, how…how long will you all be staying?" She regretted asking almost immediately as she beheld the couple's looks of sympathy. A feeling that could only be described as a direct attack from an Ice Beam shot through her body as Kukui replied, "We will be staying in Alto Mare for a day, at most. Our flight out of Johto leaves tomorrow at noon." That cold feeling worsened as she stared at them for a moment before slowly turning and looking at Ash. The trainer met her gaze with a sad and guilty one, lightly scuffing the wood of the docks with his shoes as he shifted uncomfortably.

Latias nodded slowly as she looked back to the professors, careful to keep her grief out of her voice as she responded. "I…see. Well, then, I… I hope we can make your visit as fruitful as possible before you… depart." She backed away and turned towards Ash, doing her best to keep her composure when a voice made them all jump. "Well, I hope you haven't forgotten about me, Tia."

Latias recognized Mew's voice and momentarily forgot her melancholy as she turned toward the source of the voice. The disguised feline was leaning against one of the dock's posts, glancing at each of Ash's classmates with a flat smile before resting her eyes on the trainer himself, calling out to him, "Hey, hey, Chosen One! Long time no see! Well, for you, anyway."

Ash stared at Mew in confusion and mild suspicion, ignoring his companions' stares of incomprehension. Kiawe frowned as he asked Ash, "'Chosen One'? Why did this strange girl call you that, Ash?"

Mew seemed to take offense to that, putting her hands on her hips in indignation. "'Strange girl'? Hmph! If it weren't for the fact that I never introduced myself, I'd sterilize your entire bloodline, Ice-cream boy! And your farm Pokémon, too! I have a name, and I'll expect you to use it, got it?"

Everyone in the vicinity looked at Mew in horror, none more so than Kiawe himself, who slowly reached behind himself with one hand and covered his groin with the other. It would almost be comical if the cat had been joking. Unfortunately, Latias had known Mew all her life and knew her friend would carry out the threat without hesitation. With enough begging, she could probably get Mew to undo the act, but she would rather avoid it altogether.

Before Latias could say a word, Professor Kukui moved between Kiawe and Mew, staring at the pink-haired girl with a frown. He crossed his arms over his chest and spoke in a mild but firm tone. "We would love to learn your name then, Ma'am. But please, do not threaten my students again. We do not want to soil our limited time here with calls to the police."

Mew slightly narrowed her eyes as she appraised Kukui before looking at Ash and finally turning to Latias. Eventually, she shrugged as she yawned and pushed herself off the post, stretching her lithe form. Relaxing, she glanced at Kukui out of the corner of her eye, replying in a bored tone. "Fine, whatever. We'll do introductions later because I want to take a nap. See you in a few hours, Lati, and don't forget to get ready for tonight." The cat disappeared in a blink, missing Latias' outraged glare as the cat teleported away.

The dragoness was not blind to the exclamations of shock around her; she honestly didn't blame them. She was concerned when she noticed Kukui looking at her with curiosity and suspicion. While Alto Mare didn't have any true Pokémon professors, being attached to its mother region of Johto, she knew just as anyone what the job entailed. It was just her luck that two of them had overheard Mew. Fortunately, it didn't seem like Kukui, Burnet, or any of the students for that matter, apart from Ash, even knew what a Latias or a Latios was, much less make the connection between her kind and Mew's nickname for her. Something I'm going to have to talk to her about as soon as I get the chance, she thought with a slight scowl. Absolutely no reason for her to risk my exposure like that. Or herself, for that matter.

"Damn you," she exclaimed as she glared at the spot where Mew had been just moments before. Forcing herself to relax, she turned to Ash and the others with a strained smile. "I suppose you'll want to sit down and relax after your ride here. Of course, I don't mind if you decide to tour around the city instead. I merely ask you not to talk about that to anyone outside your class. Either way, I'm going to Bianca's." With that, she marched forward, grabbed Ash by his hand, and dragged him away from the docks, shooting the class a look as she passed. While she didn't want to antagonize the class so as not to annoy Ash or make things awkward for him, Latias almost dared them to try and stop her. She had one day with him, and by Arceus, she'd savor every moment. And to start….

Latias tapped into her illusion, making minor modifications and adjusting the height at which she hovered. When satisfied, she aligned her paw with the illusion's hand and grabbed Ash's hand, slipping her claws between his digits while being mindful not to cut him. It would be tricky like this, but she would sacrifice a lot more for just a few more precious moments with him.

She couldn't help but smile as she heard Pikachu catch up to his trainer and jump onto his shoulders, and thinking quickly, she dragged them off to Bianca's house. She didn't particularly care if his friends followed or not; if they got lost, Latios could look for them from the sky and tell her where they went. Right now, she had a best friend to get to.

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Kukui shook his head as he gestured to his class to follow him, thinking he should have expected something like this to happen. Still, this had to be some kind of record for the boy, at least to his knowledge. They had barely stepped foot into the city, and Ash had already attracted the attention of two strange individuals.

He heard his class talking to each other in hushed whispers as they gathered their belongings and started following the pair. Ahead of him, Kiawe and Sophocles were arguing under their breath, catching themselves whenever they got too loud. "I'm telling you, that girl is definitely a Pokémon. When have you ever seen a human just disappear like that?" Sophocles hissed to his companion, carrying Togedemaru in his arms. The round Pokémon looked sad at Pikachu's absence but stuck with her trainer loyally.

Meanwhile, the bare-chested trainer voiced his own opinions, adjusting his bag's strap over his shoulder. "I don't know, how about Ash? How many times has he disappeared into thin air?" Sophocles scoffed, "Without the use of another Pokémon, he's never vanished. At least, not like that. I bet you two thousand Pokén that girl is a Pokémon." Kiawe slightly raised his voice, sounding confident as he walked shoulder to shoulder with Sophocles. "All right, I'll take you up on that bet. Two thousand it is. I'll even shake on it."

Kukui snorted to himself as they finalized their bet, almost tempted to join in. He was inclined to side with the rotund boy, although he could not think of any Pokémon outside of Ditto being able to transform into a human. However, Ditto were notoriously lacking in higher brain function, something the pink-haired girl clearly possessed. Deciding he'd instead think about that later, he tried focusing his attention on what the females of his class were discussing, hoping they had found something to gossip about that didn't involve teleporting strangers. To his relief, he found them talking about the redhead in front of the group, albeit in hushed tones so as not to alert her to their discussion.

"So, about that Tia girl…." Mallow trailed off awkwardly, sounding as though she didn't put much thought into what she was saying. However, Lana was more than eager to join in and remarked, "She seems quite attached to Ash. She must have really missed him for all that time."

There was tension in the air as the two girls waited for Lillie's response. Kukui glanced back in time for the blonde to reply in an icy tone, "Yes, it would seem so. I'm… happy he reunited with a friend, no matter who it is." Snowy seemed to recognize her trainer's ire, looking towards her face, seemingly concerned.

Mallow chuckled nervously before murmuring, "Er, right. 'Friend.'"

Lillie said nothing, but Kukui could practically feel the air getting colder behind him.

Deciding it would be best to prevent any possible escalation, Kukui cleared his throat and called out to his class. "Have any of you seen anything you might like to check out later? Maybe a bakery, or a gift shop to pick up a souvenir?" He glanced around as he spoke, seeing thoughtful looks as they considered his inquiry. Kiawe and Sophocles had not been paying attention and talked animatedly about something he couldn't quite hear. I'll just ask them in a bit, Kukui thought as he shrugged.

Meanwhile, Lillie's demeanor seemed to have returned to normalcy as she replied in an even tone, "I believe we passed a gift shop on our way through, next to a café? I didn't get a good look, but there was this lovely-looking pendant on display that would look great on Snowy."

Lana tapped her chin as she glanced at the canals, watching Popplio swim happily alongside them. Looking forward to face the professor, she replied in an uncertain tone. "I don't think so…. Maybe I'll find something in the gift shop Lillie mentioned and find something for Popplio." Hearing her name, Popplio leaped out of the water and landed neatly in her trainer's arms, barking as she blew a bubble. Lana smiled down at her friend while Mallow looked up at the sky in thought. "Hmm, I think…. The bakery looked nice; I'd love to try a pastry if they have any."

Ahead of them, Tia glanced back at Mallow and gave her a friendly smile. "Their pastries are super good, especially their Oran berry ones. The mixed berry pastries are also tasty, although they're a little tart."

Mallow smiled cheerfully as she replied, "Thanks, Tia! I'm gonna have to give both of them a try!"

Tia nodded before turning back to Ash, her hands clasping behind her as she listened to whatever the young trainer was telling her. Kukui frowned thoughtfully as he stared at the girl. He couldn't put the finger on it, but something seemed… off about her movement. She moved gracefully, but with that came a sense of wrongness, like it was artificial.

Should I be overthinking things like I am? She's obviously solid; if she weren't, Ash wouldn't have been moved when she hugged him. She would have gone right through him, assuming she was an illusion…. Is it a disguise of some kind? If so, then what's her actual appearance?

Kukui stopped his train of thought as he massaged his temple, feeling a migraine coming on. Burnet would never let me hear the end of it if she knew what I was thinking. Tia doesn't look like she has a malevolent bone in her body, although looks can be deceiving.

He pushed it to the back of his mind as Tia and Ash slowed to a stop in front of a two-story house, which prompted Kukui and the class to do the same. As he took in the building's architecture, Burnet slipped between the students to stand at his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. She smiled as she glanced over the house, giving a hum in approval. "What a lovely place you have, Tia! It looks beautiful, and it fits right in with the city. If it wouldn't look out of place, I'd make Kukui here have one built just like it in Alola," she teasingly poked his face as she said that, leading to him shaking his head in amusement. He knew it was just her way of complimenting Tia, something the girl clearly appreciated as she turned around and smiled. "Thank you, you're too kind…but this isn't my house, just my friend's."

Burnet nodded, facepalming as she remembered their earlier conversation. "That's right, uh… Bianca's, you said?"

The girl gave another smile and nodded in confirmation before letting go of Ash's hand and approaching the door.

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Latias approached the door, Ash standing a couple of feet back. The dragoness knocked once and paused before knocking three times quickly. The boy next to her furrowed his brows together in confusion as he watched. The corners of her mouth subtly curved up as she explained, "We figured it would be best to have some kind of 'code' in case anything goes awry after last time…. It's a decent enough system, but it doesn't account for any friendly visitors we might have. My brother and I have been begging Bianca to let us spend more time patrolling this area, but she insists it's unnecessary. Says the time would be better protecting the whole city," she said in a low tone, crossing her arms as she clicked her tongue impatiently. Did Bianca leave for an errand...? Usually, she'd be able to hear someone approaching the door by now.

Ash nodded thoughtfully as he adjusted his cap and lowered his own voice, considerate of their secret. "That makes sense," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "She just wants to make sure everyone is protected, and someone might slip by while both of you are focused around here."

"You know if I had a Pokéball for every time you've abducted trainers, I'd have two Pokéballs," a voice called out from the side. The class jumped in surprise, while Latias beamed as she glanced over and saw her friend standing not ten feet away. "It's not a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice," Bianca finished with her hands on her hips, cocking an eyebrow at Latias. Her collared green shirt hugged her torso, her figure further accentuated by a white miniskirt. The hair protrusions that resembled Latias' own wings stuck out on either side of her beret.

She waved to her friend as she responded, "Bianca! There you are!" Her friend glanced at the people behind Latias, seemingly having not seen Ash. Deciding to change that, Latias quickly spoke, "Look who it is! I found him at the docks!" She gently grabbed Ash by the shoulders as she tugged him in view of her friend, startling the young trainer. Bianca's eyes flew open in astonishment before relaxing into a more neutral expression as she walked, standing in front of Ash and appraising him. "I knew I recognized that voice," she murmured, encircling him with her arms and embracing him for a few moments.

Latias pushed aside a sudden spike of jealousy, unable to begrudge her friend the moment. She watched as Ash glanced over in surprise before slowly hugging her back. "Hey Bianca, uh… how's it going?"

Her friend laughed softly as she pulled back, shaking her head. "It's been six years, and you're still the biggest dork I've ever met. A pretty girl you haven't seen in ages, and the first thing you say is, 'how's it going'?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head with a nervous laugh, nodding in embarrassment. "Er, yeah… but it's great seeing you again."

Bianca rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she smirked. "Well, that's better. I'll take what I can get, I suppose." She then looked at Pikachu and reached out with one hand, cocking her head to the side. "Well, Pikachu? Do I get a hug from you, or are you just going to sit on that dummy's shoulder the whole time?"

Latias giggled as Ash protested and tried to explain how he was not a dummy but was ignored by both as Pikachu eagerly jumped to Bianca's shoulders and nuzzled her face. She scratched behind his ear with a small smile, shooting a teasing look at Ash before resuming her affectionate strokes. "I hope you've been keeping your trainer out of trouble, along with…." Bianca frowned as she glanced around, looking at Ash with a raised eyebrow. "I take it that your other two friends couldn't make it…. What were their names? The ginger and the womanizer...ah, right. Misty and Brock, I believe?"

Ash shook his head regretfully as someone in his class snorted at Bianca's nickname for the taller male. "Unfortunately not. They're back in Kanto. Misty is busy running the Cerulean Gym, and Brock is studying to become a Pokémon doctor-"

"You know Misty and Brock?" Mallow blurted out, shrinking back in mortification as Bianca and Latias turned and stared at her. "Sorry," she apologized meekly.

Bianca looked around at the young trainers and teachers before turning her attention to Ash and leaning forward slightly. "New friends of yours, I take it?" she asked curiously before lowering her voice considerably. "I trust you didn't tell them anything about the garden or her brother?" As she finished, she flicked her fingers towards Latias, staring at Ash intently. He shook his head somberly, replying earnestly, "Don't worry, I haven't told anyone about it, not even my mom. It's not that any of them can't be trusted, it's just…. I figured it would be kind of messed up if I were to tell them without asking you guys first." Latias nodded in agreement as she looked at her friend, whispering, "I believe him, Bianca. As far as I know, none of them think I'm out of the ordinary, and none of them even batted an eye when we gave them a fake name. It's just…."

As Latias trailed off, Bianca narrowed her eyes and subtly growled, "It's just what? I thought they didn't know anything?" Latias waved her arms wildly as she rushed to ease her friend, accidentally raising her voice. "They don't know anything! It's just 'you know who' went and… vanished in front of them…." She finished, tapping her claws together nervously.

"Dammit," Bianca cursed, looking extremely frustrated. "That cat has always been a loose cannon. If it weren't for the fact that she helped take care of you two…." She shook her head as she straightened up and approached the class, greeting them politely. "Hello there, all of you. Sorry about that. I had to verify something with these two dorks," Bianca jerked her thumb back to Latias and Ash, making the dragoness puff up her cheeks in indignation. "My name is Bianca, as I'm sure you've probably heard, and I've lived here in Alto Mare…well, my whole life, so I'd be happy to show you around sometime. I take it you will be staying a few days…?" She looked questioningly at the two adults, raising her eyebrows.

Latias felt a pang as she remembered what Kukui had said earlier, wanting to cover her ears as the teacher shook his head and replied to her friend. "I'm afraid not, Bianca. We barely managed to squeeze this into our vacation in Johto as is, and that was after an hour of listening to Ash beg. As it stands, we only have one day before we're needed back in Alola." Latias pushed that last statement to the back of her mind as she delighted in the knowledge that Ash had been the one to request the visitation, tempted to throw herself at him once more. Holding herself back, she watched as Bianca started in surprise, her voice filled with astonishment as she questioned the Professor. "Alola? You mean that chain of islands way out in the middle of the ocean?" Beside her, Ash groaned as he nodded to himself, shaking his head. "Yeah, that's Alola, alright…. getting there is so exhausting…."

Several of his class snickered as their friend got dramatic while Kukui rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You think that's exhausting? Try being on the receiving side of your groveling. That's not to mention begging President Lusamine to give us as many days off as we did."

The class laughed again while Burnet teasingly shoved her husband with one hand. "Oh yeah? Try begging her to let me go on vacation with you all instead of herself! I'm amazed she didn't sneak on board with us to keep an eye on Lillie."

The class roared with laughter, some of their Pokémon wincing at the noise. Off to the side, Lillie let out a whine as she shook her head, embarrassed.

Bianca subtly glanced back at Latias and Ash, one eyebrow raised questioningly. Latias didn't have anything to say, not knowing who this Lusamine woman was, while Ash just shrugged as he met Bianca's eyes. She rolled her eyes as she turned back to the class. "I see. Well, I suppose that makes things a little easier. There's a Pokémon Center not too far from here, which should have enough rooms available. You lot should be able to sleep well in there, and it's Pokémon friendly, so you don't have to worry about keeping your partners in their Pokéballs. I'll take you there shortly if you'd like. Should still give you plenty of time to explore a little before you have to leave."

She abruptly turned around and walked back over to her abandoned canvas before pulling out a key from her pocket and unlocking the door. She pushed her way into the house, calling over her shoulder as she did, "In the meantime, feel free to come inside and make yourselves at home, and please set your luggage over in that corner. Grandad shouldn't mind too much when he comes back, should he do so before I take you to the Pokémon Center." Bianca then jerked to a stop, frowning as she looked around Ash's legs before looking up at her face. "Ash, did you spend your entire vacation here without a change of clothes? Where's your stuff?"

Ash opened his mouth to respond, only to close it again moments later, looking dumbstruck. He looked panicked as he shouted, "Oh crap, I forgot it on the ship! Professor Kukui, I gotta go back and get it!"

Kukui shared a look with his wife, who smiled, pulled the trainer's pack off her shoulders, and handed it to him. "Try not to forget this again, 'kay kid?" At that moment, the Rotom Dex flew a ring over the trainer's head, waving its little red arms, practically screeching, "Ash, you must be more careful! You're lucky Rowlet can't fit inside while it's packed full like that!" The trainer shuffled his feet, thanking Burnet as he retrieved his bag, "Thanks, Professor. It won't happen again, I promise."

Bianca stared wordlessly at Ash before shaking her head and stalking inside her house, muttering under her breath. Latias covered her mouth and snickered while many behind her facepalmed. Kiawe shared a look with Burnet, who bit her lip as her shoulders shook from the effort of containing her laughter. Ash pretended to ignore them as he marched into the house with his bag behind Bianca, Latias following as she continued to giggle. She made sure to leave the door open behind her for the class, letting them file in with their bags in hand.

Once everyone was inside, Latias moved to the kitchen to help Bianca as the girl prepared snacks. Upon reaching her friend's side, however, she found herself stumped. Arceus, she cursed to herself, frowning at the counter in frustration. I can't use psychic because that would raise questions we shouldn't be answering, and I can't grab things very well with my paws, either!

She let out a puff of air, catching the attention of her friend as she set a kettle on the stove. Turning, the girl caught Latias' eyes and raised an eyebrow, wordlessly asking what was wrong. Latias subtly jerked her head toward Ash's class and tapped her disguised claws together as she stared at the kettle. Confusion was etched on her friend's face before it morphed into understanding, then sympathy as she leaned in. "Don't worry about it, Latias; I've got it taken care of."

Latias nodded, still feeling like she should be helping. Bianca then smiled mischievously before casually raising her voice. "Besides, if this isn't enough, I'm sure we can find some restaurant willing to throw some food into Ash's bottomless stomach."

The class, of course, had heard her and roared with laughter while Ash sweatdropped as he sat in his chair. Latias was unfortunately out of the loop and glanced between her crush and everyone else, wondering what was so funny.

Seeing this, Bianca was quick to explain as she adjusted the kettle on the stove, wearing a smirk. "In the time he spent in Alto Mare previously, Ash and his friends stayed at the nearby Pokémon Center and would often eat there. I only say this because after they left, Grandad and I stopped by the Pokémon Center to pick up some medicine, and what do we hear?" She paused as she moved to the cabinets and started pulling down cups, chuckling as their visitors stared, enraptured by her tale. "We hear the staff gossiping about a certain capped trainer and his Pikachu trying to eat the place clean! I wouldn't be surprised if those two were responsible for half the food ordered that week alone."

The class laughed even harder, exchanging knowing looks with one another. The trainer in question didn't look annoyed, although he did have the decency to look embarrassed. "What is this, Pick-on-Ash Day?" he muttered as Pikachu sat on his shoulder with a smug look, apparently amused that his trainer was taking all the heat.

Bianca smiled as she walked into the living room, closely followed by Latias, carrying a circular platter atop which many teacups balance. She spared him a glance as she started handing them out, her lips twitching with suppressed laughter. "Of course not, today is Valentine's Day, after all," she seemingly comforted as she served him last. As he took a step back, she walked back into the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "It's Pick-on-Ash Year."

Latias rolled her eyes at her friend as Ash drank his tea in silence, his red cheeks betraying his lack of indifference while the class shared another laugh at his expense. She walked behind his seat and rested her head atop his, looping her arms around his shoulders. The room became very quiet then, many of his class averting their gazes. A few glanced at Lille as they sipped their tea while the girl in question met Latias' eyes with an icy stare.

The door opened at that moment, and a portly older man stepped in, huffing as he caught his breath. He started in surprise as he took in over a dozen pairs of eyes turning in his direction, a few of which belonged to Pokémon. Latias smiled brightly and waved a disguised paw at her caretaker and honorary grandfather. As he opened his mouth, presumably to greet the class, he glanced down and saw Latias' perch. He squinted as he stared at the trainer before speaking in a wondering tone, "Unless my eyesight is getting worse than I thought…. Ash, is that you?"

Ash waved at Lorenzo as he set his empty teacup down on the table, careful not to disturb Latias. "Hey, Lorenzo, it's me. Been some time, hasn't it?"

Bianca snorted as she sat on Ash's chair's arm, sipping her tea. "Please tell me you're not this bad at greeting people on a day-to-day basis, Ash." Before the boy could respond, Rotom Dex flew to the middle of the room and faced Bianca and Latias, appendages in a relaxed position. "Ash is usually very polite when greeting people, unless it's Team Skull or Team Rocket."

Latias felt a cold pit in her stomach at the mention of Team Rocket, the memory of that night flooding into the forefront of her mind, almost causing her to lose her grip on the illusion. Bianca's expression melted into one of anger, staring down at Ash with a hint of concern. "Team Rocket? I didn't know their reach extended that far…. Is that why you can't stay longer? Is this President Lusamine expecting you to deal with that band of scum?" Bianca finished in a near growl, shooting looks around the room. Her face relaxed as they all vehemently shook their heads, Ash replying as he looked up at her. "Nah, it's just these three Rocket grunts, really. Well, two, I suppose, the third one is a talking Meowth…plus, they have a Wobbuffet that hasn't left their side in years…." He trailed off as he rested his hand on Pikachu's back before continuing. "They're not as bad as many other Team Rocket members; they're just a nuisance. We almost always beat them super-fast, usually after they try stealing Pikachu."

The class shared a few nods, sighing as they remembered the various antics they had dealt with. Latias partially relaxed, subconsciously holding Ash a little tighter. She jumped when Lorenzo cleared his throat, looking around the class. "Disregarding that abhorrent gang of thieves, I suppose introductions are in order. I am Lorenzo, and it is my pleasure to meet you all. Bianca here is my granddaughter, while this young lass is Bianca's closest friend. Or rather, one of them." He nodded in Latias' direction, raising an eyebrow in a silent question. She shook her head in response, and he nodded in understanding. Ignoring the looks of curiosity he was receiving, he clapped his hands once. "Well then, before I get to know the rest of you," He turned to Bianca as he pressed on, "I'm sure Bianca and…Tia would love some time to catch up with Ash, yes? I'll get things cleaned up in here, you three go on. If that's okay with your chaperones, of course."

Ash's companions exchanged glances, shooting looks at Lillie and Kukui. The blond sat there silently, looking at her teacher while ignoring her classmates' stares. Kukui slowly nodded as he studied Lorenzo before turning to Ash. "Well, you're free to go with your friends there, Ash. Make sure not to stay out for too long; this is a class trip, after all."

Lorenzo chuckled as he moved out of the way, clearing the path to the door and shaking his head. "Tia and Bianca will be back with plenty of time left in the day, I'm sure. They don't want to miss tonight's event after all," Lorenzo winked at the two girls as he chuckled. Latias tapped her paws together again, feeling anxious, while Bianca sighed as she stood up. "Don't worry, Gramps, we won't be gone very long. Probably," she added in afterthought. As everyone started frowning, Bianca quickly added, "Joking. I'm joking. We'll be back within an hour or two. Later, Gramps, See you later, Ash's friends."

Bianca moved to the door and pushed her way out, leaving behind a quiet class. Rotom turned away from the door, displaying a couple of question marks on his screen as it exclaimed, "She didn't even ask us for our names!" Latias sighed and removed her head from Ash's, grabbing hold of his shirt and dragging him to the door after Bianca. Before walking out, she turned to the class and nodded to them politely. "I do apologize for that, she's not overly fond of strangers. I'll make sure she sits down and properly meets you all once we come back." She waved at them all before opening the door and taking Ash with her into the streets of Alto Mare.

Merry Christmas! As promised, a chapter before Christmas... or on Christmas if you are outside of my timezone at the time of publication. Unfortunately, this chapter was rushed more than I thought it would be. I'm giving it a once over before I post, just to make sure the more atrocious mistakes are no longer present.

That being said, this was written by me, so there's gonna be mistakes anyway.

Admittedly, I'm still getting used to writing again, so I feel like I screwed up characters a bit. Feel free to point out my mistakes, because I know I've likely made many.

With that out of the way, don't be a stranger to writing a review. It helps me write better, and lets me know what I have to work on.