"By the way, Lumiera, what's this disc for? The one that that guy from the park gave me?"

Darque took out the weird disc from her backpack.

"It's a Technical Machine, or TM for short. If you use it on a Pokemon, it can learn a certain move. For example, this one here is...Swords Dance?! These are pretty rare nowadays...It's for Pokemon that use cutting moves in battles." Lumiera proceeded to explain how TMs worked.

Darque was really happy that her sister would accompany her on her adventure. She actually was expecting her to do this because she couldn't imagine that she would ever leave her alone. Lumiera was also happy because she knew that she would always worry as long as Darque would travel without supervision.

It's always cooler to travel in company, anyways.

The bus finally stopped at the Contest Hall bus stop. Ash and the girls got off the bus. The Contest Hall was clearly seen in about 50 metres. Ash proceeded there in solitude.

Darque stretched her arms in relief after sitting in the bus.

Lumiera led Darque towards the entrance.

Ash went towards the entrance too. At the same time the door opened and a random boy exited the contest hall. He was a small boy standing up at about 135 centimetres. He had short black hair which was combed back neatly revealing his forehead. He had a small slash scar near the top right of his face on his forehead reaching up to his hair. He was small and lean with little kid muscles. His eyes were a small rounded dark brown. He was wearing dull grey jogging bottoms and a pair of branded red trainers. His shirt was a black shirt with a white pokeball design on it's back with a dark red hoodie with a picture of darkrai on it's back. He needed glasses to see. His glasses were black with a narrow frame and rectangular lenses.

When he saw Ash, he looked at him in disbelief. Suddenly he ran up to him and said.

"WOW! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! THIS MUST BE FATE!" The boy waved his hands in a weird way.

"Eh..?" Ash responded.

"Do you not remember me? I am Zadock Axton, the pride of Oreburgh City! We both competed in the same Kalos League event! Although I must admit that I got eliminated very early on by the most skillful Alain Le Bleu... and you lost to Alain too. It was so close, too! I was rooting for you in the finals. Ahem...I was hoping that you would not refuse to take a photo with me, myself and I. "

"Sure, I guess." Ash shrugged. He was certainly not happy about meeting this guy he wasn't familiar with but he wasn't mean to the point where he would not take photos with his "fans".

"That will certainly be most fine." Zadock took out a camera and looked for someone to hold it. His eyes stopped on Lumiera who was watching this epic meeing with Darque standing nearby.

"O young lady in blue clo-THes, would you plEAse bE So KinD to take a photo? Of this Distinguished DiGnifiED young man and I?" Zadock addressed Darque, slightly bowing.

"No probs. Hey, Ash you're sure famous, arentcha?"

"Yeeah..." Ash was kinda displeased but he was starting to brighten up. After all, deep in his heart he was still the happy boy we all know, even if the betrayal traumatized his soul. The girls saw this and smiled. Darque took the photo.

TO BE CONTINUED