Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon and Harry Potter

BloodyKitsune1997: So here is another chapter and I wanted to tell you all that I have a Ko-fi! I can't put a link in my bio, but it is in my A03, so go check it out! I love you guys a lot. By the way, I've also written an original story, but that is something I am trying to get published via the traditional way. Anyway a lot happens in this chapter!

Also I changed up the ages a bit for my preferences, Ash and Gary are Thirteen while Vali is Nineteen. This will be so things are a little bit easier for me later on in the story, I was planning to have these be their original ages, but forgot by the time I started to write because of being so eager, sorry! First chapter was adjusted to reflect!

*Made small edit in the chapter regarding the Smeargle. Vali has two Smeargle. One that Steven traded her and the one mentioned in this chapter

Chapter 4

As they were walking through the grassy area, Vali had to pause as an intense heat swept through her body coming from the west. Jerking her head, she turned in that direction and watched as the clouds rapidly cleared in the wake of a brilliant rainbow of colors. A wave of awe and dread coiled within the pit of her stomach as the boys stopped to see what she was looking at. Flying through the sky almost in a beeline towards the area they were standing in was the unmistakable sight of Ho-oh, she barely heard the two boys excitedly shouting as they took out their dexs to scan the incoming legendary that likely just looked like a strange pokemon to them.

All she could do was stare at the Legend and remember the warnings that it brought that day five years ago...

Staring down at her through red eyes, the ancient legend that was brother to Lugia boomed out, "During the Chosen One's journey, I will appear at some point to herald his arrival to the world alongside the Lightning Striker! Leaving only a single feather to show my presence, they shall journey one day to the peak where Shadow will judge their worthiness to the title. If they fail, the chosen will fall and the Lightning Striker will be lost to grief. If they rise, the chosen will be worthy of all we hold within this world for Shadow does not trust any longer!"

As the massive legendary disappeared from view, Vali could only watch as a single feather drifted down in front of them. Ash picked it up before she could say a word. He grinned at her, "Vali, it left a feather...Whatever pokemon that was!"

"Yeah...yeah..." Vali tried to keep her voice level, "You should keep that feather safe,"

Ash and Gary both frowned at her meaning she'd failed. Ash's hand dropped to the side, "Vali, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just have bad memories from the last time I'd seen a pokemon like that," Vali shook her head before smiling at them, "Anyway, we should keep going. If we continue at this pace, we'll reach Viridian by noon tomorrow-"

"Yay!" Ash shouted as Gary snorted softly.

"Finally, we'll be able to bathe again," Gary grumbled softly earning a snort from Vali.

"Maybe we'll run into some trainers to battle!" Ash grinned as he started to rush forward as the feather became forgotten.

Mentally shaking her head as Gary took off after Ash with a soft shout, Vali began to follow the two with a slight frown. Elrond spoke softly, "So Ho-oh has made his appearance."

'And Ash picked up the feather,' Vali murmured feeling her heart ache, 'The call of destiny has been sounded and he doesn't even know! We...we aren't allowed to say anything until..."

"Until the ceremony of Trinity takes place," Elrond pressed into her shoulder to offer a bit of comfort, "For now, we must do our best to teach him without a single word towards his destiny. And when the time comes..."

'Guide him as Master told us for we are the teachers among the Bearers and it is our duty,' Vali closed her eyes for a brief moment and took the strength that Elrond offered her, 'Thanks, Eli,'

"For you, My beloved sister. I will fight the world," Elrond hugged her tightly for a second and she opened her eyes to smile at the Alolan Raichu.

It was strange to think of just how far they'd come since she'd caught him as that distrustful pikachu all those years ago during her first journey. Vali almost couldn't believe that he'd grown from that wary little thing into such a strong and faithful partner though wouldn't change him for the world. She hugged him to her chest earning a soft huff of amusement. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, she murmured out loud, "Thank you for being with me, Brother mine."

Pikachu stared at the human that he was supposed to call his trainer and felt a sense of something as they settled down for the night. He knew that the great Ho-oh had gifted the boy a feather which was astonishing as no Legendary gifted a human anything because they were greedy bastards. But for the boy to be given a feather, it meant something though he didn't know what. He frowned deeply and turned away from the boy. Seeing him get the feather paired with those feelings after winning that battle earlier, he felt...Odd.

"Feeling conflicted, Child?" The older Chu asked from his place beside the Fire bearer.

Pikachu padded up slowly being careful of the Flareon that had threatened to gut him if he even looked at the Bearer wrongly. Nodding lightly, Pikachu spoke looking at the elder chu with a frown, "I can't explain it. Seeing the legend bestow a feather on that human is...I can't believe it! I'd understand the Bearer because at the very least she'd have to have done something to deserve it, but not a-"

"A thirteen year old just starting out?" The elder chu asked earning a firm nod, "It doesn't help that you're confused about receiving praise earlier from the battle,"

"My technique was sloppy!" Pikachu looked at the elder in agitation, "Why would he praise me over it? I should've ended the battle far soon-"

"Because that was your first battle together, Child," The elder interrupted earning a confused look.

"What does that matter?" Pikachu didn't understand it.

Letting out a soft chuckle, the elder came closer to him, "It matters because you two are newly bound together and he wishes to ensure your relationship is a good one."

"So...he didn't think I did good?" Pikachu didn't know why it felt like a Nidoran had stabbed him in the chest.

Shaking his head, the elder chu replied, "He thinks you did wonderfully, young one. He'll have believed it even if you'd lost," The elder waved a paw at the boy and Pikachu looked at his 'trainer' to see him taking care of the bird, "That boy cares for every pokemon that he comes across. It is in his nature. You felt that when he showed his aura to you."

Pikachu remembered that kind aura and felt his resolve to eventually leave the boy behind crumble further. He swallowed deeply and looked at the elder, "I...Why did you stay with your trainer?"

The elder smiled sadly, "Because she showed kindness to those that had never seen it," He pressed a paw to his chest, "My original trainer abandoned me and I was a seething mess of rage until she'd gotten her hands on me. Thorin," He waved a hand to the proud Flareon who was curled up beside the Flame Bearer, "Was abused and tried to attack her on sight until she got through his thick skull," Pikachu's eyes widen at that, "One of our other packmates, Idril, nearly died due to her unique coloring. Had she not taken her in, she wouldn't have lived longer than another day or two."

"I see," Pikachu remembered the boy's offer of a choice, "She...offered you a choice?"

"She always has," The elder chu nodded with a smile, "She continues to offer that choice though only one has ever taken it. He wasn't meant to be with us and we all knew it," A sad look overcame the chu's expression, "There are times when she regrets allowing his choice, our sister grieves his lost even as he enjoys the freedom he's gained,"

"What happened to him?" Pikachu hesitantly asked.

The elder chu was silent for a time and Pikachu was about to speak up when he finally spoke, "The Togepi-line are very rare, child. To raise one is a blessing in and of itself, my sister was given the chance to raise a Togepi and she helped him become a Togekiss during the final year training beneath our master. But..." The elder chu's express turned pained, "Boromir is a gentle soul who while very strong dislikes fighting unless he has to. When he asked her, she granted his request with a very heavy heart."

"I...She raised a Togekiss?" Pikachu gasped softly as he'd only heard stories of the pokemon.

"She did," The elder chu nodded slowly with a sad expression, "She carries his pokeball still in hopes of him one day coming back to our pack. He is still considered a member by all of us, but we've accepted his choice,"

"I..." Pikachu shook his head and looked back at the boy wondering if the same would happen for him.

As if sensing his thoughts, the elder chu spoke in a soft tone, "Ash will likely always consider you his even if your intention is to leave, young one. He'll never hold it against you. It isn't in his nature."

"I...see," Pikachu shook his head lightly and stood up not having realized he'd sat down, "I need to think,"

"Take your time, Young one," The elder chu smiled at him, "I'm always here to advise. It is my job among the pack after all,"

"Doesn't it...get tiring?" Pikachu asked before he could stop himself.

Chuckling softly, the elder chu shook his head, "Occasionally, it can be, but I have packmates willing to help. Should you stay, you'll meet them eventually."

Nodding slowly, Pikachu left the elder chu's side and found himself wandering over to the boy. The boy, Ash, smiled at him and offered a hand as the bird eyed him for a few moments. Slowly he sniffed the hand before allowing Ash to pet him earning a grin, he began to relax and jolted when Ash said, "I think I'll ask Vali about grooming routines for you, Pikachu. If that's okay?"

Pikachu hesitated a bit before nodding slowly as he slowly settled beside his...trainer.

Seeing Viridian City up ahead brought a smile to Vali's face, it only took her five minutes to lose that smile when they reached the city gates. As soon as they got within five feet, a Jenny that looked like she'd just passed left the academy pounced on them. The woman shouted, "Freeze! Where do you think your going?"

Vali's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. While she didn't mind most Jenny's there was just something about the newbies that pissed her off something fierce, it was probably because they were all mostly rulebook thumping bitches. She grabbed Ash and Gary pushing them behind her for a moment. Stepping forward while plastering a light smile on her face as Elrond settled himself by her shoulders, she felt Aragorn and Eowyn settle themselves at her sides as she moved towards the Jenny. Clearing her throat, she spoke in her 'I'm a member of the Elite Four don't fuck around in my presence' voice, "Officer, my younger brothers and I were just heading into the city after traveling here from Pallet Town. Is there a problem?"

The Jenny took a step back and Vali felt a bit vindicated at seeing her swallow. She her Elrond chuckle and had to stop herself from grinning. The Jenny managed to get a hold of herself and said, "We've been dealing with pokemon thieves, Ma'am. Unfortunately, we can't be too careful."

"Thieves?" Vali tilted her head wondering why the fuck Giovanni hadn't dealt with them already, "Well, I can assure you all the pokemon here belong to us,"

"May I see your Ids? Just to make sure," The Jenny held out her hand.

"Ids?" Ash muttered under his breath.

Rolling her eyes, Vali pulled out her pokedex as Gary got Ash to do the same. They all handed over their pokedex's to the officer and Vali actually cracked a grin as she watched the Jenny pale when she took in hers. The Jenny handed over the dexs quickly with a pale face, "H-here you go, I'm sorry for the trouble, Elite Four Valkyrie."

Trying not to laugh, Vali offered the woman a light grin, "It's no problem. You were only doing your job," She looked back at the boys as her pokemon snickered, "C'mon, guys. We need to get to the pokemon center," She winked at the officer, "Have a wonderful day, Officer."

"Y-you as well," The officer visibly swallowed.

Walking away, Vali waited until they were out of earshot of the officer before she started to cackle with her pokemon. Ash looked at her in surprise while Gary grinned. Ash asked, "What's so funny?"

"That officer was terrified!" Gary grinned wolfishly, "Does she think you're going to complain to her superiors?"

"Probably," Vali giggled softly, "But I'm not, it would be a waste of time and paperwork which I'm trying to avoid," She shook her head with a snort, "C'mon, we're heading to the pokemon center,"

Leading them into the pokemon center, Vali grinned at the Nurse Joy that was manning the desk, "Hello, Clarity Joy! It's been awhile."

"Vali!" Clarity Joy had done a couple rotations up at the Elite Four's pokemon hospital before deciding it wasn't her cup of tea, "If it isn't my favorite elite, what brings you to Viridian? Is that ass with you?"

Clarity also disliked Lance if only because he tended to rack up the highest amount of paperwork when it came to pokemon battles. It wasn't until Vali had become an Elite and spent time with the Nurse that she'd learned just how much paperwork came with pokemon health care. She let out a laugh and hugged the nurse as Clarity came around the desk. To the surprise of her brothers, she pressed a kiss to the shorter woman's cheek, "Arceus no, I'm on vacation finally."

"Oh, we have got to spend time together," Clarity grinned at her, "Maybe get drinks later?"

"Totally," Vali released the nurse with a laugh, "Though first," She waved a hand towards the stunned thirteen year old's, "Meet my two younger brothers that I've told you about, Ash Ketchum-Black," Ash waved," And Gary Oak,"

"Oh, they're so much more cute in person!" Clarity squealed softly and clapped her hands, "I get it! You're helping them on their journey like you always talked about,"

"Yup!" Vali grinned lightly, "Anywho, we need a pair of rooms. A single for me and a double for them,"

"Gotcha," Clarity nodded and headed back behind the desk, "I'll take the liberty of registering them for the League since I assume they're going for the Gym route,"

"Yup!" Ash managed to regain his voice, "You're close to our sister Nurse Joy?"

Clarity let out a laugh, "We've been good friends for awhile now, Kiddo. Let me get those dexs and any pokeballs you've got, I'll set up treatment for your pokemon."

"A general overview though I'd give Ash's pikachu a deeper treatment since he had a battle while we were heading this way," Vali offered as they all started handing over the items Clarity had asked for.

Ash returned Pikachu while Vali did the same with her own pokemon. Clarity nodded with a light smile, "Alrighty, I can get this set up in five minutes. For the boys, it'll take about an hour to get your pokemon fully examined since this will be the first proper exam on file for all pokemon centers. For Vali," Clarity set all the pokeballs on their individual racks that her partner took into the back, "It should only take about thirty minutes unless something comes up. I honestly doubt anything will pop up, but considering how well I know your pack..."

"I gotcha," Vali waved her off with a laugh, "Smaug and Celina both were playing with some really large amount of Spearow so you might find something,"

"Good to know," Clarity rolled her eyes as she began typing information into the computer.

It took only five minutes for Clarity to set everything up for the boys and hand them their room keys. Vali led the way up stairs as Gary asked, "So what should we do?"

"Well, I'm going to take a shower and start my laundry," Vali stopped in front of their door and gestured to it, "I'd suggest doing the same. You could also call back home and check in,"

"Right," Gary nodded while Ash went to open their door, "Hey, Vali...You kissed that Nurse Joy on the cheek..."

Offering Gary a smile, Vali patted him on the shoulder, "Gary, I'm going to be blunt. I like both genders. Clarity and I are just friends though if you're really that curious."

"O-oh," Gary's and Ash's cheeks both turned pink.

Ash hesitantly asked, "Y-you can like both?"

Nodding with a light smile, Vali told them, "You can. You're allowed to like whoever you want. I don't particularly care and I know Delia doesn't," Ash's eyes widened earning a laugh from Vali, "I found that out a year ago when she kind of walked in on me and a certain friend of mine doing something that isn't polite to speak about in public," She rubbed the back of her neck, "But that's something you can talk to her about if you're really curious, Ash."

"A-alright," Ash nodded slowly.

Gary cleared his throat with an awkward expression on his face, "How come the media's never...taken photo's of you with anyone? I know people have asked and you've never said anything..."

"Simple," Vali smiled lightly, "Elrond and Galadrial sense them long before they ever have a chance of coming close to me. I take every precaution necessary thus leaving them guessing," She grinned teasingly at her little brothers, "Playing pranks on the media is a lot of fun especially when I can release enticing photos that they'll pay a shit load for,"

"That's evil!" Gary grinned back at her, "I love it!"

"And all with the permission of whoever I'm with at the time," Vali laughed softly, "Now go get yourselves settled, I've got a hot shower calling my name,"

After a much needed shower and starting her laundry, Vali's pokemon were ready to be picked up and she gladly did so. Clarity informed her that she'd be off in a couple hours and they made plans to go drinking. Settling down in her room which was big enough to support everyone, she released her team before calling up a certain gym leader. It took a couple rings before a feminine voice called out in a sleepy tone, "Valkyrie? This is a surprise."

Smiling lightly, Vali adjusted her pokenav to look at the screen, "Hey, Roxie. I know we haven't talked much since our meet up a couple months back. Mostly due to the differences in schedules."

Roxie rolled her eyes with a snort, "Yeah that Dragon-boy-toy of your kinda makes it hard,"

Shaking her head, Vali reminded the rocker, "Lance isn't my boy-toy. He's just my champion and isn't even that right now since I'm on vacation."

"Shit, seriously?" Roxie grinned into the camera, "That means you can come to Unova and catch one of my shows' live!"

"Maybe in a couple months once I'm sure my little brothers can handle themselves," Vali replied earning a groan, "They're the main reason I took this vacation, Roxie,"

"Still, you finally get time off and you're on babysitting duty," Roxie flopped onto her bed with a huff, "That sucks!"

"Not really, they're good kids and I love spending time with them," Vali laughed softly, "Anyway, you're still hooking up with Skyla, right?"

Roxie's cheeks flushed immediately, "Yeah. Our anniversaries coming up and I've got pretty much nothing to give her. I could sing her a new song, but that's what I did when we first got together."

"Well..." Vali grinned brightly, "What if I told you I'd come into possession of a King-gene Fearow?" Roxie's eyebrows shot up, "And I was willing to part with it if a certain someone was willing to find me a pokemon?"

"Anything!" Roxie practically pushed her face into the phone, "Damn it woman, you shoulda led with that!"

Laughing loudly, Vali's grin widened as Thorin settled into her side, "I'm hoping you might be able to find me a certain dark-type-"

"You want a Zorua," Roxie cut her off with narrowed eyes, "That's a big ask even for a King, Sparky,"

"I'm aware," Vali shrugged her shoulders, "It was either that or a Larvesta. I know my team though and they're not exactly keen on adding a bug into the mix,"

"Damn," Roxie ran a hand through her white hair, "I look into it though we might need to compromise, Sparky,"

"I'll send you a list of pokemon I'd be willing to compromise with," Vali went through her pokenav and quickly sent over the list, "I hope none of those are too difficult,"

Roxie read through the list and swore softly, "Damn it, Sparky! I...Fuck, Skyla is worth it though."

"You both are really good together," Vali mused earning a laugh.

"She's perfect for me," Roxie grinned lightly before scowling at her, "Give me a week, Sparky. It'll take me at least that long to figure things out,"

"I gotcha," Vali waved her off, "How are things in Unova?"

"Heating up," Roxie laughed with a grin, "Our seasons hitting right in the middle. Skyla and I are getting slammed, she's practically crashing at my gym whenever she can. It's been great! I've been getting a couple good challengers though nothing too promising yet,"

"Well, I hope you get something really good soon," Vali ran a hand through Thorin's fur and noted that the Flareon needed a good bath, "We didn't even get a good challenge before heading on vacation. Lance decided it would be a good idea to basically battle cock-block us as revenge for leaving,"

"Oh that mother fucker!" Roxie growled earning a snort, "Is he suicidal?"

"Apparently," Vali rolled her eyes, "Thankfully, I have my ways around it,"

"How?" Roxie looked at her curiously.

"Let's just say a certain champion is making a 'surprise' visit to Kanto with some of her gym leaders since their season is over," Vali grinned as Roxie burst out laughing.

"Damn, you get to fuck around and he can't say shit!" Roxie laughed loudly before cursing, "Shit, I think Skyla woke up. I've gotta go, Sparky,"

"Give her my love," Vali grinned earning a laugh.

"Sure thing," Roxie mock kissed the camera before ending the call.

Dropping her pokenav onto the bed, Vali rolled over to wrap an arm around Thorin as Elrond commented, "That went well enough."

"She didn't outright say no," Balto added as Smaug snorted from his place curled around the base of the bed.

"But it wasn't a yes either," Smaug pointed out.

"Still we'll get a new packmate!" Pippin grinned as he jumped onto the bed behind her and laid his head onto her hip, "Not a bug either,"

"Arcues, I hope not!" Celina and Eowyn both shuddered while Arwen snorted.

Rolling her eyes, Vali rubbed Thorn's ears as Aragorn added in his own two cents, "Whoever we gain, I will be happy if they learn to respect our rules and laws."

"Agreed," Came the resounding call from all over the room.

Smiling lightly, Vali laid her head on Thorin's back as she murmured, "I love you guys."

"We love you as well, Sister," They all rumbled.

Gary got out of the shower and found Ash frowning at his hands. Tilting his head, he rubbed the towel through his hair as he asked, "Ash? What's wrong?"

"Gar, I...What Vali said kinda bugs me a little," Ash looked up at him with a lost expression.

"What do you mean?" Gary frowned at him.

"I...Well, I don't really get it," Ash's nose scrunched up, "I love Vali, Mom, Harper, Siri, and even Professor Oak. I love you too...I just..."

Gary understood what Ash was having trouble with, "Ashy, you love us in the family way. You don't know what non-family love feels like."

"Non-family love?" Ash gave him a confused look, "What's that?"

Gary wondered why he had to be the one to deal with it. He didn't quite understand what it was either though he'd had a couple crushes before. Dropping the towel around his neck, he replied, "Non-family love is something else, Ash. It feels different. I can't really explain it properly since I've only had a couple crushes before."

"But...you've felt it?" Ash asked blinking those big brown-red eyes of his.

Nodding lightly, Gary headed to his bag to grab a shirt, "Yeah. I've crushed on a couple girls though it faded pretty quick when they revealed that their true colors."

"So...How will I know when...it happens?" Ash asked sounding unsure.

Shrugging his shoulders, Gary tried to think about how he'd felt, "I...I just wanted to be around my crush a lot. My heart kind of raced and it felt like there were Butterfree in my stomach," He looked at Ash with a frown, "You'll know...I think?"

"You think?" Ash tilted his head in confusion.

"Ashy, I don't really know how this works. I only knew I'd started crushing on people because Gramps explained it or well, he'd had Alakazam do it," Gary flushed as Ash's eyes widened, "To be honest, Vali really helped me a lot last year when she came home and I talk to her about it,"

"So I should ask Vali?" Ash asked earning a shrug.

"Honestly Ash, I think you should wait until there's someone you think you might like," Gary suggested earning a frown, "Worrying about love and junk when you're not even crushing on anyone is kinda stupid,"

"Still..." Ash frowned a bit, "I just...why haven't I felt that way towards anyone?"

"No idea," Gary shrugged, "If you really want to know, I guess ask Vali. She might know, but it's probably nothing,"

When Vali got hungry, she grabbed her brothers and headed down to the cafeteria. Noticing Ash's confused expression, she glanced at Gary only to receive a shrug. They ate their food in relative silence until the boy's were called to get their pokemon. Ash tugged on her sleeve, "Vali? Can we talk in private?"

"Sure thing," Vali nodded with a light smile, "After you get your pokemon, we can head up to my room and talk,"

Gary quickly assured them that he was fine being left alone. He wanted to call the lab and Delia about their journey so far. After getting the boy's pokemon, Ash and Vali headed up to her room. Vali took a seat on her bed and gestured for Ash to join her. He cuddled up against her almost immediately. She smiled lightly at him as he murmured, "Thank you, Vali."

"No problem," Vali hugged him, "Now, what's up?"

"Vali..." Ash frowned softly, "I...Well, I think I might be broken?"

Frowning deeply at those words, Vali looked at him unsurely, "Run that by me with an explanation, Ash."

Ash played with the bottom of his shirt, "Vali, I'm thirteen years old. I've never had a crush on anyone and yet...Gary-"

"Gary has?" Vali cut in gently earning a nod, "Ash, you and Gary are two very different people," She smiled softly at him, "Little brother, I didn't crush on anyone until I was sixteen and even then, I didn't go out with anyone until I was seventeen."

Ash's eyes widened at that, "But you-"

"Are completely different than you or Gary," Vali laughed softly, "Ash, people develop differently as I know you learned in school. When it comes to things like love, it's a whole different kind of ball game especially since people like me tend to be a bit...dense," She flushed lightly, "I may seem like I'm confident and all that when in reality it's the complete opposite,"

"So...I'm normal?" Ash looked at her hopefully.

Giggling softly, Vali shook her head, "Ash, no one is normal least of all us. We decide what is normal for us, so if you want to call this normal, you're more than welcome to."

"Alright," Ash smiled as he sagged against her in relief, "Thank you, Vali,"

"No problem," Vali squeezed him lightly, "Anything else you wanted to know?"

Ash shook his head for a moment before pausing and asking in a soft tone, "What's going on with you and Lance?"

"Nothing," Vali rolled her eyes, "He's a very good friend same with Steven. Why people seem to think we're together I'll never know,"

"Okay, but what about Cynthia?" Ash asked with a curious grin.

Flushing lightly, Vali grinned lightly, "Now that is a different story, Kiddo. We tried things out, but because of certain problems in our schedule we couldn't exactly be together."

"Really?!" Ash looked at her with wide eyes.

"Yup," Vali nodded with a soft laugh, "But any time we meet up well..."

As thoughts of the last few times they had managed to meet up in person ran through her mind, Vali flushed darkly earning a low groan from Elrond. Ash gave her a look of confusion, "Vali?"

Shaking her head, Vali told him, "Let's just say, we take our personal time very seriously. Anyway," She hugged him lightly, "How about we head downstairs and call Delia?"

Ash nodded slowly, "Okay."

Since the boys wanted to stick around Viridian for a little while, Vali set it up so they'd stay at the pokemon center for a week before moving on. She spent time with Clarity and a couple other friends that had decided to pop in after hearing she was in town. Ash and Gary battled other beginner trainers that were just starting out. Ash grinned as he stood across from a young female trainer with Gary acting as the referee. Gary held up a hand, "Are you both ready?"

"Ready!" They replied earning a smile from Gary.

"Begin!" Gary slashed his hand downward.

"Rattata go!" The girl shouted throwing her pokeball out.

"Pikachu let's show them what we can do!" Ash called out and Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder.

As Pikachu hit the middle of the field, the girl's Rattata appeared and Ash was a little stunned to see it was an Alolan variant which meant they'd be dealing with dark-type moves alongside the regular ones. Inwardly grinning at the thought, Ash focused as the girl called out, "Rattata use Bite!"

"Pikachu dodge it with Quick Attack into Thunder Punch," Ash quickly called earning a cry of agreement.

Rattata rushed towards Pikachu who was already blurring into a Quick Attack. As Pikachu dodged the darkly furred rat, he slammed an electric coated fist into the other pokemon's side earning a cry of pain. Rattata slid to the side for the force, but didn't go flying like Ash had seen many of Vali's opponent's. The Girl he was facing quickly shouted, "Rattata use Quick Attack as well if they're going to be speedy!"

"Pikachu, let's turn this into a race and Quick Attack into Thunder Punch again!" Ash grinned at the girl.

As the two pokemon blurred away, a cry of pain echoed through the air as Rattata was sent skidding back once again by Pikachu's electricity covered fist. Ash was definitely going to be working on Pikachu's speed even more though it wouldn't be his sole focus. But he definitely loved how quick his starter was, Pikachu panted softly as Rattata slowly got up only to stumble a bit with a layer of static roving over its body. Mentally grinning, he knew that they only needed a few more hits to knock the other pokemon out especially with Rattata dealing with a status condition now.

The girl they were facing grimaced as she called out, "Rattata are you still good to go?" The Rattata let out a loud cry of agreement and stamped it's paws, "Alright! Use Quick attack and Bite!"

"Pikachu let's keep going with our combination!" Ash retorted hearing a cry of agreement from his partner.

As Rattata took off, Ash noted it was moving a bit slower now allowing Pikachu to lash out at it far quicker. Seeing Rattata get hit, he grimaced a bit as Rattata ended up getting knocked backwards a bit this time and took a bit to get up. Panting heavily, Rattata glared at Pikachu as the girl shouted, "Rattata, I believe in you! Use Quick attack into Bite!"

"Pikachu, I want you to end this with Thunder Shock," Ash called out earning a nod.

As Rattata stumbled slightly during it's quick attack, Pikachu lashed out with a powerful Thunder Shock and knocked the Rattata out. The girl let out a low sigh as she returned her pokemon and pressed a kiss to the ball. After whispering softly to it for a moment, she turned to smile at Ash, "Thanks for the match, we were outmatched, huh?"

"Not really," Ash shook his head as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder, "Just a bit unlucky when it came to speed, I'd suggest training Rattata on speed and you'd be golden. The Raticate-line as a whole are known for their speed, but it takes a bit for them to get there especially once they evolve,"

"True," The girl smiled lightly at him, "You two did amazing. We should battle again sometime. Are you staying in Viridian long?"

"Just a week, we're trying to hit all the gyms before the Conference," Ash replied earning a hum of interest.

"Oh, you're gym battlers! That makes a ton of sense," The girl let out a low laugh, "I guess that makes sense now,"

"What track are you heading for?" Ash asked curiously.

The girl smiled lightly, "I'm still planning to take on the gyms since contests don't really appeal to me, but I'm honestly planning to become a Connoisseur like the Trio gym leaders of Kalos."

Gary made an interested sound, "Oh man, I've heard that you can't even eat at their restaurant without having to battle them."

"That's if you're a Gym path Trainer," Vali's voice sounded from close by causing all three of them to look towards the side to see her walking up with Thorin at her side and Elrond floating beside her shoulder, "If you're not, you can get in, but much like Elite Four Siebold their restaurant is very popular meaning it's best to get a reservation," She smiled warmly at them, "They have very good food though, so I highly recommend their restaurant especially as Siebold tends to have a far longer wait time when it comes to reservation times. Granted," She cupped her chin, "I could probably swing a reservation if I really wanted to since he does owe me one for the article I did during my trip to Kalo-"

"Fire Empress Valkyrie!" The girl Ash battled breathed out in shock, "Y-you're here,"

Vali let out a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of her neck, "That I am, you are?"

"Alicia Koli! I'm from Verdant Gully!" The girl looked ready to pass out and run around screaming all at once, "T-this is so cool,"

"Well, Miss Koli," Vali smiled warmly at the girl, "Could you do me a small favor and not spread it around too much about me being in town? I'm kinda on vacation right now?"

"V-vacation?" Alicia squeaked out.

Nodding lightly, Vali pointed to Ash and Gary, "I'm kinda watching over these two boys that you just met. Mainly to ensure they don't run into too much trouble, ya know?"

"Y-yeah," Alicia nodded slowly.

"So mind keeping it quiet, yeah?" Vali grinned lightly.

"I-I can do that," Alicia smiled weakly.

"I'll even give you an autograph," Vali offered earning a wide-eyed look.

"REALLY?!" Alicia nearly shouted earning a laugh.

Within seconds, Alicia was handed over a book and Vali was scribbling out something before the girl darted off. Shaking her head with a low laugh, Vali turned to the two as Gary muttered, "One minute she was pretty decent then turned into a damn fan girl the next. What the hell?"

"It happens a lot," Vali shrugged lightly.

"I can't believe you really gave her an autograph," Ash frowned lightly only for his frown to deepen as Vali let out a deep sigh.

Leaning down to run a hand along Thorin's back, Vali gained a tired expression, "One thing they never really teach you is that you've got to keep up with good publicity no matter what. With how the trainer net has been growing, a bad piece of publicity can end your career as a trainer further down the line when you need certain types of sponsors," She smiled as Thorin licked her cheek, "To be honest, it's fucking tiring sometimes especially when you've built up a certain image. I've got some leeway when it comes to certain things, but if I've still got to be careful."

"So professional training is going to be a crap show, huh?" Gary asked with a grimace.

Snorting softly, Vali shook her head, "I've already got a PR manager set up to keep your guys' images pretty much safe for the moment. So long as you don't do something completely stupid, you'll be fine."

"What do you mean by 'completely stupid'?" Ash asked curiously.

Grinning slightly, Vali took out her pokenav and messed with it for a few seconds before showing the screen to them. Ash and Gary both looked at it for a few seconds before starting to laugh hysterically. The image was of Lance shirtless with messy marker drawings covering his upper body. The man was handcuffed to an equally shirtless Steven who looked like he'd pissed off a Smeargle based off the paint coating him. Surrounding the two of them were empty solo cups though a bit of amber liquid could be seen in one of them near the pictures corner, a Smeargle with bright orange and pink paint coating it's tail was dangling from the rafters above the duo while a Jigglypuff could be seen sitting on a pool table in the corner.

With a smug smile, Vali turned her pokenav back towards her, "That is a completely stupid move, my darling little brothers."

"When the hell did that happen?" Gary wheezed out.

"My sixteenth birthday," Vali hadn't managed to get all the details out of either of the two.

"Wait, wasn't that when you took a trip a Sinnoh?" Ash asked earning a nod.

"After I got this rather charming bit of blackmail, I took my rather pleasant six month trip to Sinnoh," Vali still had the rather wonderful collection of texts and voice records from when the two champions had tried to get her to delete the photo.

Gary tilted his head, "Who's that Smeargle? Or that Jigglypuff?"

"The Smeargle is Noldor. He is currently in Alola working with my Editor on some of my portfolio pieces. Once they're done, he'll be back with me," Vali explained earning a pair of confused looks from the two, "About four years ago, he came into my care after I helped bust a gigantic poaching operation in Johto. At the time, the rehabilitation centers that could take him were full, so I took him in. When it came time for him to be released or adopted out to someone else, we'd already bonded which kinda helped since my other Smeargle was getting a bit lonely and needed some help taking all the photos I need,"

"Wow," Ash breathed out.

"As for the Jigglypuff," Vali giggled softly, "That would be Lance's little buddy that he 'accidentally' caught three months before that birthday,"

"Wait he has a Jigglypuff?" Gary asked with an incredulous look.

Giggling loudly, Vali nodded as Elrond shook his head, "He does! The little shit apparently managed to knock out all his pokemon save for one, so Lance decided to pick it up since the all powerful dragon master needed a good training partner. Little did he know it hates to fucking battle and only did it because Lance interrupted it's nap!" She still remembered the absolute fit Lance threw when he'd figured that little detail out, "And it hates him with a burning passion. Any time he even releases it, he's either going to get bitten or hit with some kind of attack."

"Why does he keep it around then?" Gary looked at her in shock.

"Because he's like the dragons that he trains, Gar," Vali grinned at Gary, "Stubborn to a damn fault when he wants something, he's determined to get that thing to help him train,"

"I'm surprised that it hasn't left yet," Ash frowned slightly, "If it hates him that much,"

"That Jigglypuff is filled with spite when it comes to anything that has to do with Lance and enjoys causing him suffering," Vali chuckled a bit, "It's stuck around this long mostly to keep Lance from getting a proper training proper. I almost think they like each other just a bit after so long,"

Glaring at the damn pink blob that still wanted to spite him after four fucking years, Lance growled under his breath as it blew a raspberry at him. Watching it flounce off after decimating another Rydon that he'd intended for his Shelgon to take down, he wanted to fucking throttle that fucking thing. But no, it would be pokemon abuse and get him into trouble. Grumbling softly, he looked at Shelgon as it let out a low rumble of confusion at him. Patting the hard outer shell lightly, he muttered, "Let's go find something else to battle, Gyrion. I'm sure that stupid piece of crap hasn't knock out everything."

Gyrion let out a low groan and rubbed against his leg carefully before starting to move in the opposite direction of the damn Jigglypuff. If there were one regret Lance had, it was catching that stupid pink glob. He never should've caught it or kept it. No matter how strong it was. He didn't care if it could take out his champion level dragons. It wasn't worth the trouble.

Ash's Team:

1. Pidgeotto

Female

2. Pikachu

Male

Gary's Team:

1. Weepinbell

Male

2. Squirtle

Male

Vali's present team:

1. Balto/ Arcanine

Male

2. Smaug/ Charizard

Male

3. Elrond/ Alolan-Raichu

Male

4. Eowyn/ Houndoom

Female

5. Aragorn/ Vulpix-King-Gene

Male

6. Pele/ Camerupt

Female

7. Celina/ Pidgeot

Female

8. Thorin/ Flareon

Male

9. Arwen/ Rapidash

Female