A/N: Hey guys, this is Chapter 20, which is being posted along side Chapter 19. This chapter contained new content as it was never posted the first time around. It also features the rest of the battle between Kira and Vanille. I hope you guys like it, tell me what you think of it.

Pokemon XY

Legends of Kalos

Chapter 20

Mega Battle!

Orseille here we come!

"Kira/Vanille, it's time to Mega Evolve!"

The moment both trainers tapped their keystones, the process of Mega Evolution had begun. A bright golden light burst from their stones, shooting toward the corresponding stones being held by their Pokemon. While Kira had been slightly scared, she could feel all of her trainer's emotions flowing through that golden light.

Her own emotions flowed through her Mega stone, the purplish pink energy flowing out of it. Both lights connected, enveloping the Pokemon in the same light.

Kira felt herself growing taller, being changed by the wondrous energy. The hair like appendages growing from her head lengthened significantly, to fit with her new height. Her arms got longer, claws growing sharper, the sleeve like fur around her arms became a little bigger, allowing her more freedom. She felt a second jaw growing out of her head, both of them becoming larger and more menacing than before. With a firm shout, she expelled the remaining energy, the transformation fully complete.

While Kira was going under her changes, Vanille had gone through her own.

Her ears grew a bit longer, and she grew a bit taller overall. She started throwing punches and kicks as the light changed her form. With a final shout, she finished her evolution. The mega symbol flashed before her. Her legs had gained black fur, with little beige patches, which made it resemble fishnet stockings. Her ears had gained several fluffy segments to it. The fur around her face was in the shape of a large butterfly. She kept shifting her weight from her left leg to her right.

"Wile!" Kira cried loudly, her voice had become a bit deeper as a result of her new evolution. She opened and closed her hand a few times, feeling the new power coursing through her.

"Lopun!"

Similarly, Vanille was feeling a new kind of power flowing through her. Her knew physiology had changed, and she could feel a lot of fight within her, most likely due to her new Fighting type. She threw a few speedy punches forward finishing off with a kick, all in rapid succession, making it seem like a combo pulled straight out of a video game. Drasna clapped loudly, a proud smile on her face.

"Wonderful, the both of you were able to successfully Mega Evolve your Pokemon, and look at them both. They look simply amazing, I can feel their power from here." she said.

"Me too, this is a whole new ball game for us, isn't it Kira?" Alex asked, looking at his Pokemon.

She gave him a nod, still not used to having two jaws. It seemed as if she had more balance now that there were two of them.

"Since it was successful, why don't we get this battle underway already?" Audrey asked, earning nod from her brother.

"Then I'll be the referee, this battle will be a one on one pokemon battle, and the battle shall be over when either Pokemon cannot continue. Give it your all, go ahead and start." Drasna called, announcing the start of the battle.

"Now Kira, start things off by testing their Power, use Sucker Punch!" Alex cried out.

"Mawile!" Kira cried, bursting forward with unnatural speed. Her fist swirled with a shadowy aura, heading straight toward Vanille.

"Take the attack Vanille, and counter with Blaze Kick." Audrey called out.

Vanille moved forward to intercept, using her ears to take the Sucker Punch head on, she smirked bringing her flaming kick upward, slamming it into Kira's chin, sending her flying back. The deceiver Pokemon slammed into the ground, but was easily able to get back up. She spun around, her jaws snapping at Vanille, who watched her carefully.

"So, it seems Mega Lopunny get increased Physical abilities as well as speed and power. She also must have gained the Fighting type from this evolution..meaning we'll have to be careful. Kira, use Metal Burst!"

Kira spun on her heel, forming several glowing balls of gray energy around her, and with a shout, she sent them flying. They burst into shrapnel, causing Vanille to cross her arms in vain, trying to block the attack that quickly overwhelmed her. She cried in pain, being pushed back several feet.

"Vanille, are you alright?" Audrey asked, worried over her partner.

"Pun!"

"That's good to hear, now go forth and attack with Jump Kick."

"Lopun!" the rabbit cried, quickly dashing forward.

She jumped high into the air, aiming her glowing leg at Kira, who hadn't moved an inch from her spot. Alex smirked, a plan already in mind.

"Now Kira, catch her leg."

"Mawile!" the pokemon cried, spreading her jaws a bit.

They both snapped open, just as Vanille was aiming her attack. She quickly chomped down, causing the rabbit pokemon to scream in pain. She fell to the ground, unable to remain standing.

"Vanille, try to get out of there." Audrey called out.

"Throw her into the air Kira, and then use Flash Cannon!"

Kira howled loudly, swinging her jaws in an upward arc, throwing Vanille high in the air. She pulled her arms back, forming the small sphere of steel energy. With a grin, she jerked her arms forward, the ball exploded, taking the form of a glowing red and gray beam that struck Vanille dead in the chest. She cried in agony, before slamming hard into the ground. The rabbit groaned, trying to get up on her feet.

"Damn, that Mawile is strong. I can tell he's been training hard." Audrey thought, glancing at her brother. He was smiling brightly, with Kira standing a few paces in front of him, fighting fit and ready to go. She wasn't about to lose to her little brother. She had to give it her all. Vanille stood up, brushing the dust off her vest. She quickly took it off, tossing it to her trainer.

"Lopun!" she said, giving her trainer a firm nod. Audrey understood wholeheartedly. The real battle had just begun, and neither were going to give up.

xxx

Yvonne yawned, stretching her tired limbs over her head. She had been following Zera around for at least two hours, as the girl had gone to every store, shop and stand that was open in Geosenge Town, with all of them telling her the same thing. It was nearly one now, and she figured it was time to get going. The brunette walked out of the store, a frown on her face, though she was holding a glowing stone in her hand.

"Well, I wasn't able to find a keystone, but they had a Fire Stone on sale, and you never know when you'll need one of these." she said, placing it in her pack. Yvonne lifted her sunglasses off her face, placing it on the brim of her fedora.

"Listen sweetie, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think we'll find a keystone in this town. We've spoken to tons of people, and most of them don't even know what a keystone is. Face it, we've run aground." She said.

"But I can't give up! Getting a keystone will give us the boost we need to train harder than ever." She said firmly.

"Char char!" Carla cried, agreeing with her trainer.

"Yes, I suppose that's right. But then what will happen if you do get a Keystone? You'll have to track down one of the two Charizardites that can trigger a Mega Evolution. It will take a lot of training for Carla to evolve as well, it will also take you a while to find some Houndoomite if you wish to mega evolve your Houndour when it evolves. Having a keystone now won't solve anything."

"But that's not fair! There are people who have keystones and they don't deserve it...that kid Bryce is one, he's a massive douche bag, how come he gets one?" Zera cried, a pout on her face.

"That's just the walk of life. The path he chose lead him to find his keystone, and there isn't anything you can do about it. Alex got his because someone asked him to research Mega Evolution for her, some Gym leaders have them because of their position and they can find some deposits of keystone crystals and mine them. Face it, finding a keystone here is like finding a needle in a haystack." Yvonne said. Zera tsked, looking away from her angrily.

"Heh, easy for you to say. Your uncle is the regional professor of the Kalos Region, and the leading Scientist researching Mega Evolution, you can ask him for one and he'll easily track it down for you."

"If he could easily track it down for me, then wouldn't you think I would have one by now?" the girl snapped.

A few people had gathered around them, watching their argument unfold. Yvonne wanted to say something, but she was more focused on the girl in front of her to bother.

"My parents are world class Pokemon trainers, both of them have their Keystones with them, and they were going to reward it to me the day I got my third badge, but since I decided to enter Pokemon Showcases, they all but abandoned me. You were there, watching as they killed my dream of ever having one. Yeah, my Absol can potentially Mega Evolve too, but what the fuck would that do? I don't have either stone, so it's pointless for me to worry about something trivial like that. Be glad that for you there is a possibility of finding one, instead of wasting your time searching." she snapped. She quickly turned around, tightening her grip on her tote bag.

"Where the hell are you going?" Zera shouted in anger.

"Route 11, where we promised Alex we would be fucking waiting for him. You wanna travel with us, then hurry your ass up, and if not then fucking stay here!" she said, turning up another street.

Zera grit her teeth, glaring in the other direction. She and Yvonne had had arguments in the past, but this was the first time they had a serious one. Carla tapped her leg, running her little clawed hand over the side of her boot. She looked down, a small smile on her face as she picked up her starter.

"Don't you worry Carla, we'll find ourselves a Keystone at some point. Let's keep looking for one okay?"

"Char." the small fire lizard cried sadly, looking in the direction Yvonne had gone. She knew the older trainer had said quite a lot to her best friend, and he knew they would talk about it. She figured her trainer just didn't want to face it head on at the moment.

xxx

Back on Route 11, near the small makeshift field they had made, Alex and Audrey were still locked in battle, calling out attack after attack, neither side backing down. Vanille had proven quite resilient, taking on some of Kira stronger attacks. Alex nodded to himself, looking at his sister.

"I've gotta admit, Vanille has been very well trained, in the six years that I haven't seen you, you two have grown in strength, and that's good." he said with a smile.

"You've been training hard as well, I'm surprised you and Kira get along this well, especially since you've only just caught her recently." Audrey replied.

"It shows just how much we've trained and how much we trust each other, even if we haven't known each other for long." he said.

"Wile!" (You got that right) the deceiver Pokemon called out.

"Well, just because your riding on your victory over Grant, it doesn't mean you'll win against us." she said.

"Lopun!" Vanille cried loudly.

"Kira, Iron Defense." Alex cried out.

Kira crossed her arms, her body glowing a bright steel color, her defense raising steadily. Audrey grit her teeth, it had been the third Iron Defense Kira had used, meaning her defense had increased quite a lot, and most of Vanille's attacks were Physical Attacks, not counting her Ice Beam attack. However if she used the more powerful one, she would have to recharge. Kira's special defense was high as well, due to her Mega Evolution, approaching this matter wasn't going to be easy.

"Vanille, jump into the air and use Ice Beam on the ground!" She cried loudly.

Vanille nodded and sprung into the air, jumping several feet into the air. She looked at her brother who was watching the Lopunny carefully.

"If I can't attack directly then I'll change the field to suit our needs. That's what a Pokemon Ranger does after all."

Vanille opened her mouth, finding the light blue beam onto the ground, freezing the makeshift field. Kira had to jump to avoid the ice, and she slipped a bit, sighing in relief as she was able to stand still.

"Clever girl, changing the field to her advantage." he muttered.

Vanille landed gracefully on the ice, only to start skating around the field, not taking her eyes off of Kira. The deceiver Pokemon felt nervous, unable to keep her eyes on the pokemon for too long, as she was moving around quite a bit.

"Kira, keep calm. Over thinking will be our downfall, focus on a single spot and use Flash Cannon." Alex called out. She nodded, pulling her arms back to charge the attack.

"Dodge it Vanille, skate around her and make sure she doesn't hit you." Audrey said.

Kira looked at the rabbit, ignoring the taunts that she was throwing at her. A tick mark was starting to grow on the side of her head, and her teeth her grinding together. Her jaws had clamped firmly shut, a clear sign that she was angry. One final taunt from Vanille drove her over the edge, firing her Flash Cannon all over the field in a sweeping motion. Vanille back-flipped over the attack, looking unhurt.

"Mawile!" Kira cried in anger, stomping her foot hard on the ground, only to slip on the ice. Vanille held her paw to her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Shake it off Kira, she's just trying to get the best of you, but I got something for them too, use Flamethrower on the ground, melt the ice." he said.

She grinned, opening her maws wide. She spun on her heel, unleashing two large flamethrowers from her maws, which melted all of the ice on the field, causing a loud cloud of steam to rise over the field, blocking both trainer's view.

"Perfect, Kira use Metal Burst."

"Mawile maw." Kira cried, unleashing her attack into the steam.

Unable to dodge it, Vanille had no choice but to take the attack, crossing her arms and holding back cries of pain as the shrapnel dug deep into her skin.

"Vanille, tough it out and when you can use Hyper Beam!" Audrey cried loudly.

Alex's eyes widened in shock. He wasn't even aware that Vanille had learned such a high powered move. Vanille's eyes glowed a bit as she charged the attack in her mouth, and with a firm shout, she unleashed the purplish black bream. Kira's eyes widened as she too the brunt of the attack, being pushed back to her side of the field. She dropped to a knee, panting a bit. Her form sparked a bit, before becoming still. It wouldn't be long until either Pokemon passed out.

"I'm impressed Vanille has lasted this long, even with the type disadvantage and all the Fairy Winds she took before, she's hung on. And Kira has made me more than proud during this battle."

"Kira, it won't be long now...this battle is starting wind down, and it's time to show them that we're the stronger team."

"Mawile!" (Damn straight!)

"He's gotten so confident, running away from his Rock Star life is the best decision he has ever done. I wouldn't have thought my brother would become this strong...but I haven't given up yet."

"Vanille, when you can go in with Blaze Kick, don't give up until Kira is out for the count!"

"Don't let her attack you Kira, get in close and use Flash Cannon full power!"

Kira raced forward as fast as she could, though the pain coursing through her body was hindering her, it was nothing more than white noise. Her focus wouldn't waver, especially now.

Vanille could only watch as her opponent surely but surely made her way toward her.

Unable to move from the Hyper Beam, all she could do was wait. Kira finally stopped in front of her, charging the attack that would finish her off. Finally feeling her body again, she fell back as the Flash Cannon whizzed by her face. Using her arms to pull off a handstand, she charged a double Blaze Kick, which she barreled into Kira, sending her flying back. The deceiver Pokemon grit her teeth and quickly stood up, her fist glowing with a shadowy energy.

Vanille grinned, as she pulled her fist back, ignited into flames. They raced forward, shouting loudly as they threw their attacks. For a brief second they passed by each other, and in the blink of an eye landed on opposite sides of the field. No one moved for several tense seconds. Vanille grit her teeth in pain, the fire on her fist disappeared and she fell to the ground, passing out. She glowed brightly for a brief second, returning to her normal form.

"Lopunny is unable to battle, Mawile wins the match. The battles goes to Alex." Drasna announced.

Alex sighed in relief, feeling a little weak kneed. Kira dropped to her knee, her mega form disappearing shortly afterward. She had been holding herself for as long as she could, and finally being able to rest was a relief to her. Alex knelt next to her, a wide smile on his face.

"Kira, you did amazing out there. You handled Mega Evolution quite nicely and you unleashed some powerful attacks. With practice, we'll be able to perfect this new form so you don't get tired when using it. You couldn't have made me any prouder." he said.

"Mawile maw!" (Thank you, lets train hard!)

He gave her a nod before returning her to her Pokeball, placing it back in his pocket. He saw Audrey doing the same with Vanille, the Normal type put her vest back on, and tried standing up, only to fall back onto her knee. After a few words were traded, she allowed herself to be returned to her Pokeball. Alex noticed that it was a worn looking Love Ball, the same one that their mother had gifted them when her egg had hatched. He smiled warmly, remembering that day fondly.

"She's so cute momma, and fluffy!"

"Buneary Bun!"

"Mom, what kind of Pokemon is she?"

"Well Audrey, this Pokemon is called Buneary. They're a species of Pokemon found in the Sinnoh region. I got this egg from a friend and I'm so happy you two took care of it enough to hatch it. Now promise me you'll take good care of her." she said, handing them the Love Ball, a smile on her face.

"We will momma...big sis, let's name her Vanille. Her fur is fluffy and white and reminds me of Vanilla ice cream!"

"Of course it does...hmm, Vanille seems like a good name...alright, from now on your name is Vanille."

"Bun!"

"Good job Alex...I see great things from you." Drasna said, pulling him out of his daydream. He shook his head a bit, clearing his mind. He focused on the older woman, giving her a smile.

"You think so?" he asked.

"I know so...you know you remind me of someone I know very well, a certain Champion who had the same spunk as you." she said with a wink.

"Thanks a lot for letting me use your Keystone, Drasna. It means a lot to me that you gave me the chance to battle my brother." Audrey said, handing the old woman the stone back.

"Anytime child, you both battled hard and even though Alex was the winner, both of you have quite a lot to improve." the elder trainer said confidently.

"We'll train harder than ever before, and who knows? Maybe one day I'll be facing off against you in the battlefield Drasna. Then I'll show you just how much we've trained." Alex said firmly.

"I shall await your challenge. As for those tickets for the title match...I'll have someone get back to you with them, you have a Holo Caster yes?"

"Yeah, just got one recently." he replied.

"Good, I shall relay the message to you through the PSS."

"Hey Alex...whoa Audrey what are you doing here?"

The three turned to see Yvonne, walking steadily toward them, a smile on her face, though when she saw Audrey, she quickened her pace.

"I'm on a mission in the area and just happened to run into my brother here." She replied.

"Pika Pika." Electra cried, pointing at Alex and then herself with her small paw. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Fine, it was Electra that found Alex, we sorta started hanging out for a bit, then went on this whole trial thing and he ended up getting Kira's Mega Stone, with the help of our friend here." She said, gesturing to the old woman.

"Heh, Mega Mawilite eh? What a lucky find, I suppose I have you to thank too...holy shit you're Drasna of the Elite Four." Yvonne said, backing up a bit. She quickly bit her tongue, bowing apologetically.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to swear."

"It's alright dear...surely I would have reacted the same. I'm so sorry, I would love to talk more, but I really must be going. Good luck on your journey Young Alex. Training Fairy types won't be easy, but I'm sure you'll get stronger. However don't underestimate me either, if we ever face each other on the field, don't think you can dominate me and my dragons...take care." the woman said, finally taking her leave.

"Thanks a lot for all your help Drasna. I can't thank you enough." Alex said with a smile.

The woman let out her Garchomp, and got on it's back, and with a single command, it took off into the distance. Yvonne whistled loudly.

"Damn, that thing looked strong, and check out it's speed too."

"Hey, where's the cute brunette that's always with you? I was finally able to find her that Growlithe she wanted, though my friend couldn't find any Vulpix for her." Audrey said.

"Yeah, where is Zera anyway?"

Yvonne frowned, glancing away from the two trainers. She rubbed her arm, adopting a rather sheepish look on her face.

"Me and Zera had an argument earlier and I sort of took off. She was too busy trying to find a keystone in Geosenge Town, even though we went through every store. She thinks Mega Evolution is all there is to battle, just because it's all the rage here...I just told her like it was and left. Apparently finding a keystone was more important to her than coming here with me." She said firmly.

"Yvonne! Did you seriously yell at her?" Alex snapped.

"Oh don't you start giving me shit as well."

"I'm not giving you shit. Goddamn it, you can't just yell at someone whenever you want to get your point across. Remember back in Lumiose city when we yelled at each other? That didn't solve anything, we were just pissed off teenagers and handled it poorly."

"There was difference between us then and us now. I was under a lot of stress, that was the reason why I snapped at you." she admitted.

"And you don't think Zera is under any stress? She has to skip out on two Gyms, one because her type is weak to water, and the second because she already has that badge. She was to wait until we return to Lumiose city in order for her to battle someone. That must be putting her under some crazy stress." he said.

"I'm stressed too. I had to skip a Pokemon Showcase, and now I have to deal with my parents not accepting me for who I am what I decided to do with my life, I can't have someone telling me that what their doing is the right way to do something when I know it's not." She said.

"How do you know it's not right? Maybe finding that Keystone will get her the confidence she needs to handle skipping out on two gyms. Maybe it will make her feel better, by giving her a goal she can work toward, just like I am working toward my goal of becoming a strong Fairy trainer, and your goal of becoming the Kalos Queen." he said.

"Pfft, whatever...if you want to go into town and find her, then by all means. I'll be heading off to Orseille city so I can get ready for my next Showcase. Later." she said, starting down Route 11.

"Arceus, you are such a bitch!" he snapped angrily. She stopped and turned around, glaring at the younger trainer.

"What did you just call me?"

"Guys for fucks sakes, stop acting like a bunch of fucking kids, or do I need to detain the both of you until you fucking learn not to argue like this in public?" Audrey snapped, looking between her brother and his friend.

"You don't have the power to detain people. You are just a Ranger." Yvonne said, crossing her arms.

"Actually sweetheart one of the things they teach you in the Ranger Academy is basic law and how to handle criminals, I have the same power as an Officer Jenny, so if I deem it necessary, I can cuff your ass, maybe to that road sign over there." she said, pointing her thumb to the blue sign with the number 11 on it.

"Audrey, there's a different way to handle this...let's just all calm down and start thinking logically." Alex said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"What you two need is to either apologize like normal human beings, or rent a room and have some make up sex, whatever works for you."

"What?" Yvonne cried, shellshocked that the older woman would even make that type of suggestion. Alex rolled his eyes.

"Let's take this seriously. Yvonne, I'm sorry for yelling at you, but I am right, yelling at people isn't the solution, it just makes you a shitty friend. So please, apologize to Zera and make up, I don't like seeing my friends fight." he said, tone slightly sad.

The girl sighed and pulled a Pokeball from her tote bag, throwing it into the air. It snapped open, releasing her Vivillon. The pokemon landed on her hat, as she wrote a quick note and tore the paper from her notebook.

"Find Zera and give her this, I'll wait for you to come back here." she said.

"Viii viii." the pokemon cried, flying off toward Geosenge. Alex sighed, shaking his head.

"I guess that's one way to handle it." he muttered dryly.

The honey blonde walked over to one of the smooth flat rocks that was near the town entrance and sat down, crossing her legs. Audrey ran a hand through her hair, trying to straighten it up a bit.

"Anyway...little brother I have a huge favor to ask of you." she said.

"Which is?"

He took his hand, placing Vanille's Pokeball in it. He looked at her in confusion, only to be greeted with a sad frown.

"Me and Vanille talked about this, ever since we found that Lopunnite deposit back in Ambrette Town. I'm not a pokemon trainer, and I can't take the time to make her strong. I love her with all my heart, but sometimes she becomes a hindrance to my missions. It would be ideal for her to train under a Pokemon trainer like you. Someone who could make Mega Evolution work."

"Audrey, I can't. Vanille has been with you since you were young, we hatched her together...I can't just take your best friend from you like that. I love her too...she's the last connection I have to mom, and taking her away from you...it wouldn't be right. I know you don't have the time to train her, but handing her off to someone else isn't the answer either. You two need to work together, to make Mega Evolution work." he said, placing the Pokeball back in her hand. She looked at it dumbly, before glancing at her brother.

"You truly think I can bring out the best in her?"

"Of course. You've trained her well up until now, and you've done the same with Electra here, after all you said she evolved from a Pichu, if you didn't train her well, she wouldn't have evolved." Alex said, glancing at the electric mouse on her shoulder.

"I...suppose you have a point. Alright, I'll take your advice and train her as well as I can...maybe we can battle next time and prove to see who the stronger mega is." she said, placing the Pokeball back in her pocket.

"Heh, we all know I'll win that battle." he said. She playfully punched his arm, causing him to cringe in pain.

"Right, you barely won this last one. Little brother...don't ever change. You are genuinely smiling now, laughing...having a good time, you aren't the person you used to be, and for your sake, I hope he doesn't show up into your life ever again."

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He didn't move for a few seconds, finally wrapping his arms around her, returning the gesture.

"Good luck in your next battle...I would walk with you a bit of the way, but I've wasted enough time, if I don't get back on track soon, HQ won't let me hear the end of it." she said, letting him go.

"It's alright sis...good luck on that mission, I know you'll do well." he said.

"Nothing a Pokemon Ranger can't handle. Take care of him Yvonne, and don't pout so much, your face is too pretty to stay like that forever." the redhead said, wiving the younger girl a wink.

She took off, running toward Geosenge Town. Alex shook his head as he watched her go.

"Man, my sister really has become a different person!"

"What did she mean when she said, she hopes he doesn't show up in your life again?" Yvonne asked, glancing at him curiously.

He knew what Audrey had meant when she said that, but since Yvonne didn't know about his secret life, he decided to tell her something else. He grinned and looked away from her.

"Pretty sure she was talking about my father. Like I said before the guy is a total douche so if he saw me training pokemon, he would flip his lid. Not that I care though, he has no power over me anymore, especially since I turn seventeen in a couple months." he said with a shrug.

"That's true, here in Kalos the legal age is seventeen, so even if he comes to get you he can't do shit about it." she said.

It wasn't long until Vivillon returned, holding a rolled up piece of paper in her tiny little hands, she floated down a bit, handing it to her trainer, before taking her usual perch on Alex's head, much to his dismay. He didn't mind though, as she wasn't that heavy of a pokemon, nor did she move to much like Swirlix did. Yvonne unrolled the paper, skimming over the words. She glared at it, before handing it to Alex.

"Sorry, but I'm too busy trying to find that keystone. You two can head to Orseille with out me. We'll meet up there instead, Alex if you're reading this, then I'm sorry, but this is my choice."

He folded the piece of paper, handing it to Yvonne who placed it in her tote bag. She stood up, starting down Route 11 only to look back at her friend who hadn't moved an inch.

"Aren't we going? She told us to go on ahead."

"It doesn't feel right Yvonne, we've been traveling together since we met in Santalune. I can't just leave her here." he said.

"Even if you wanted to go get her, she wouldn't come. She's made her decision and when she doesn't find that keystone, then she'll come to Orseille city, now come on, we have to cross the Kalos Canyon and make it to Avignon before nightfall." she said, continuing her walk.

He slumped his shoulders and followed after the honey blonde.

It had been silent for a while after leaving Geosenge Town. Alex felt bad for leaving without Zera, but what Yvonne had said was true, she wasn't going to come with them unless she found herself a keystone. He had subconsciously been holding his own tightly in his hand, wondering just why she wanted one so badly.

The answer was obvious, it was a cool way to bond with your Pokemon, and it would also make you a very powerful trainer. For as long as he had known her, Zera hadn't struck him as the type to worry about strength, he certainly didn't care about it, so long as his Pokemon we're happy with him.

They finally made it to the canyon. At the highest point, Alex and Yvonne could easily see all of the crevices and pathways that ran deep through the canyon. The wind had picked up significantly, blowing their clothes back, and for Yvonne, her hair. Both teens had to hold down their hats as to not have them fly away. The older girl stuck her hand in her tote bag, pulling out her black Town map, after a few seconds of typing, she pulled up the map of the area.

"Alright, if we take the right path and follow it, we'll be near Avignon Town, come on." She said, leading him downhill, toward the canyon entrance.

Alex looked around, seeing a few trainers flying around in flight suits, they were most likely the Sky Trainers that Yvonne had mentioned in the past. They were so high up they didn't even see them. He saw a couple Pokemon in the midst of a battle, flying high in the sky. One of them being an orange and gray avian with a black tail, and the other being a large bat like pokemon. He took his Pokedex out, aiming it at the avian pokemon first.

"Talonflame, the Scorching Pokemon, and the final evolution of Fletchling. When attacking prey, they can fly at speeds of 310 miles an hour. In the heat of battle, it will spray a shower of embers from the gaps between its feathers.

Noivern, the Sound Wave Pokemon, their large ears are capable of producing large sound waves, which they can blast at their pray. The like to come out on moonless nights, in search of prey."

"A Fire/Flying type and a Dragon/Flying type...those two Pokemon are really cool." he said, admiring the flying Pokemon.

He wished to be up close to see them duke it out, but he was also focused on reaching the next town. He noticed Yvonne had been waiting for him at the foot of the canyon, before the entrance to one of the large openings.

"I saw you looking at those Pokemon, you know if you wanted to see them in action you could have just told me." she said.

"No it's alright. We have to make it to Avignon before nightfall so it's fine." he said, taking the lead.

"Alex...do you think Zera will forgive me for yelling at her?" she asked. He gave her a nod, flashing a grin.

"Course she will, it's Zera. You two have argued way to many times in the past and have hugged it out like siblings. She'll come around, and when she does then you both will talk it out." he said.

"You think so?" she asked, head tilted in thought.

"I know so, Zera is as hotheaded as you are but she has a good heart, she'll accept your apology, count on it." he said, giving her a thumbs up. Yvonne giggled, shaking her head.

"Thanks, I needed a bit of reassurance. You're a great friend you know?"

"Eh well, when you travel with women, you have to get used to their antics and emotions. I got your back, just as I know you have mine. Now come on, it's blazing hot in here and the breeze is gone." he said, pushing her forward.

xxx

Back in Geosenge, Audrey waited patiently until Nurse Joy came back, with Vanille by her side. The rabbit Pokemon cheerfully greeted her oldest friend, hugging her tightly.

"You're Lopunny is all better. I do recommend not battling for a while, since being in her Mega form wore out her stamina a bit. With practice she'll get used to it." Nurse Joy said, handing her the Love Ball back.

"Thank you Nurse Joy." she said.

"Any time, our Pokemon must always be in top shape, especially with our specific career paths." she said.

"You got that right." she said, pocketing the Pokeball. She quickly looked up, wanting to get some information for her mission.

"Speaking of that, have you noticed anything going on in town recently? Involving any orange dressed individuals?" she asked.

"Nothing particular...there were some people hanging around the west part of town fitting that description. They also seemed to be quite interested in the monument in the center of town." she said.

"Interesting...thank you for your information, I'm sure it will be of great help." she said.

"Anytime, I have no issue helping you out...if you need anything else, please feel free to approach me." she said kindly, before heading to the desk, immediately speaking with the trainer that had been waiting at the counter.

"Well you two, at least we have that to go on. We're gonna have to get some information on this towns history to see if we can make a connection."

"Lopun!" Vanille cried in agreement.

"Pika Pi!" Electra mirrored, pumping her small paw into the air.

The doors to the center slid open, and a familiar brunette came in, holding her starter Pokemon in her arms. She had a frown on her face as she walked, completely unaware that the Pokemon Ranger had been standing in her way. She brushed past her, setting Carla on the counter, as she pulled out two other Pokeballs, wordlessly handing them to the nurse after returning her starter to her ball. Audrey cleared her throat, catching her attention. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise, a small smile working its way onto her face.

"Audrey, what a coincidence running into you here." she exclaimed.

"Uh yeah...you could say that. So, why is a cutie like you frowning so much?" she asked curiously, though she already knew the reason. She sighed, shaking her head.

"Me and Yvonne had an argument earlier today and it ended up pretty bad, she and Alex headed of to Avignon Town without me. Sorry, if I had ran into you earlier, I would have let them know you were here." she said.

"I already saw them today, and I pretty much know what went down. Yvonne was pretty upset, but she was more upset that you didn't show up. Alex sent me a message fifteen minutes ago saying they were a quarter mile from the next town." she said.

"Oh."

"Listen, neither of them are mad at you. I think Yvonne took what you were doing a little to personal and just exploded, she'll explain it all in person, so don't worry about it. If you head out now you'll probably make it to Avignon before it's too late." she said.

"Sorry, I'm not heading there right now. I've decided to stay in Geosenge for a while longer. Maybe I'll head over to Avignon later this week." she said.

"But...isn't Yvonne's Showcase in like two weeks? How long do you plan to stay here?" Audrey asked curiously.

"I don't know!" she snapped angrily, turning around. Her shoulders shook a bit, as her hair covered her eyes.

"Do you wanna know why I'm making this a big deal?" she asked, looking back at the redhead.

"If it helps me understand, then yes." she said. Zera took a deep breath, getting ready to explain.

"Back in Cyllage city, when I faced against Grant, I didn't win my battle...nor did I win the badge. My entire team was wiped out, just by facing his Onix. While Yvonne and Alex were training hard, I was off working on a few moves before challenging him again, I challenged him four times in a row, without anyone knowing and all four of those times ended in a loss.

Grant saw my perseverance and ended up giving me the badge, I didn't win it. It was the first time I got schooled by an older trainer, the first time in six years I lost a gym battle. I felt so useless, like I had let my team down, and when I heard Geosenge sold rare stones, I made it my personal mission to find a keystone, so that I could make my pokemon stronger, not just for myself but for them as well." she said.

Audrey honestly felt bad for the girl. She assumed this was the first time she had spoken to anyone about it, just by her tone of voice. She was sure if Alex had heard this, he would have said something to cheer her up, but she didn't exactly know what to say. Instead she just wrapped her arms around her small frame, hugging her tightly.

"Oh sweetie...I know this must be hard for you, but bottling it up isn't the answer...you should have told Alex and Yvonne. They would have understood you and even helped you out. They're your friends." She said.

"I wasn't ready to tell them, but this was eating me alive. I guess it just came out the wrong way...I'm sorry." she said, hugging the girl tightly. Audrey patted her head, a warm smile on her face.

"It's alright, but it isn't I you should be apologizing too."

"I know...but I'm not ready to even talk about this with them right now. I think I'll just train around here for a bit before heading to Orseille city. It will make me feel a little better." she said.

"Well, if it will make you feel better, one of my friends in Kanto was able to catch you a Growlithe." she said, pulling a Timer ball from her pocket. She placed it in the girl's hand, patting her head.

"Did you seriously get me a Growlithe?" she asked.

"Yup! Go on, I'm sure it wants to meet its new trainer." she said, backing away from the girl a little bit. Zera pressed the center button, maximizing the Timer Ball in her hands.

"Okay, come on out Growlithe."

The ball snapped open, releasing the fire type pup for the first time since it's capture. It looked up at it's new trainer, a curious look on it's face.

"Growlithe."

"It's so cute." she said, taking out her Pokedex. She scanned the pup with it, gaining it's information.

"Growlithe, the Puppy Pokemon. These Pokemon are very protective of their trainers. They will often times repel any predator with barks and growls."

"It knows a bunch of good attacks too. Thanks a lot Audrey, I'll take great care of it." she said.

"I know you will...well, I have to go. I hope you train hard, and just because you lost a battle, it doesn't mean that you failed as a trainer. It means that you have much to learn, and you should use that loss to fuel your desire to win." she said. Zera nodded firmly, giving her a confident look.

"Don't worry, I'll give it my all and I won't ever let something so trivial bring me down again."

"Good, have fun. If we run into each other down the road, then let's have a battle." she said, taking her leave. The brunette watched her go, a smile on her face. She was going to work hard, and become a great Pokemon trainer.