Cynthia stood where she had stood so many times before, on a platform at the end of the largest room in the training complex underneath Indigo Plateau. Over the years, as the training camps became more frequent, she had sought and obtained permission to expand the complex. This room was one of the new ones, designed specifically for ease of addressing large numbers of trainers at once. Behind her, Cynthia had a large group of specialists, in every type of Pokémon. She had assembled a large number of specialists who would do as many of the camps as possible, but she knew that nobody could do them all without it becoming a full time job. That was why she had three specialists of each type, so that it was very unlikely that she would be left short. Sat on chairs in front of her was nearly one hundred trainers, ranging from trainees at gyms to those on her shortlist of trainers that she felt could win leagues in the near future. They all came to Indigo Plateau to learn from the best around.

"Welcome to Indigo Plateau." Cynthia said into the microphone in front of her, her voice echoing around the room slightly. "Some of you have been at one of these camps before, but for some of you this is your first time, so I shall run through the usual procedure. We utilise the facilities kept for the Pokémon Master's personal use, with fields for each type of Pokémon and multiple generic fields. Each specialist will lead sessions on the field set aside for their type, whilst I shall lead sessions on the generic fields. You may attend any session, or simply train by yourself. Behind me are the various specialists for each type of Pokémon; they are all experts with their chosen type. Furthermore, there is another generic specialist on this camp."

Cynthia turned slightly and gestured towards Sonia. Over the last two weeks she had been very impressed with the woman. The first day Cynthia had asked Sonia what Pokémon she had. The response was that she didn't have any, but she instead relied on wild Pokémon who would help her. Cynthia remembered her surprise that somebody who wanted to be trained by the Pokémon Master didn't even have any Pokémon of their own, but she had soon realized why it wasn't a problem. Sonia had told her that she would be back in a couple of hours, and when she returned she had six Pokémon following her. All of them treated Sonia like she was their trainer, but she didn't keep them in Pokéballs. Over the following two weeks, Sonia had worked alongside Cynthia, helping to organize the training camp as well as training the Pokémon that were with her. Sonia's attention to detail was unlike anything Cynthia had seen before. Except from one man - the Pokémon Master himself. Although Sonia was still nothing compared to Ash Ketchum. But her training… Cynthia had found her style to be utterly unique – she had never faced anybody who almost seemed to consider attacking to be a sin. Instead Sonia utilised absolutely anything on the battlefield to her advantage. A lot of the time her Pokémon fought by themselves, as Sonia merely pointed out things that they could use in the battle. She was a master of using terrain to her advantage.

"Sonia Rukan is an ex- Pokémon Ranger." Cynthia announced to the trainers in front of her. "She brings a unique outlook to battling and how to look after your Pokémon. She has converted one of the training rooms to suit her needs, and she will be running sessions throughout the week. Now as I said, these are the facilities reserved for the Pokémon Master. While you are here, do nothing to bring outside attention onto Champion. These have been of benefit to a large number of trainers in the past five years, and if we lose his support they might not be able to continue. On the note of Champion, he frequently observes at these camps and so it is worth bearing in mind that if you can impress him, he may work with you."

There was a ripple of excitement amongst the newer trainers, causing many of the specialists behind Cynthia to exchange looks. Every time it was announced that Champion might appear there was the same response. They knew it was part of the reason why trainers were so keen on coming to the camps. Most of them had at some point seen the Pokémon Master around the camps, but not all of them had spoken to him. Despite their frequent attendance, he was living up to his elusive reputation.

"Otherwise, enjoy the training camp." Cynthia said in conclusion of her usual speech. "Any of the specialists will be able to answer any questions you have."

As one, those on the stage headed for the doors of the room, while the trainers in front of them stopped to consider what they were doing. Those who had been at a camp before were the first to move, whilst the first-timers were much slower. Cynthia strode out of the main room into a corridor. Her preferred training area was at the far end and she headed straight for it. As she walked through she stopped in surprise. Waiting for her was the Pokémon Master. Less surprisingly he was dressed as he always was in public, with his hat firmly placed on his head. It was practically unheard of to see him away from his office or home without it on, meaning that the number of people that had seen his face was very small. And his mismatched eyes. With the return of Pikachu his dark eye was not as dead as it once had been, but it there was still a noticeable difference between the two.

"Champion." She said, recovering quickly and moving into the room. "This is a surprise. What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to discuss Sonia with you briefly." Ash said as she drew closer. "Specifically do you feel she is trustworthy?"

Cynthia considered it for a moment. "I have been very impressed with her." Cynthia said. "She is very different in her approach, but it appears to work. Her ability to observe is incredible, she doesn't miss a thing. As for whether she is trustworthy…" Cynthia paused to think for a moment. "She has not shown me anything which says she isn't. She admitted to lying to you, but otherwise she appears to be reliable."

Ash nodded. "At the end of the training camp, I will most likely be taking her with me then."

"As a student?" Cynthia asked in a slightly hushed tone, but Ash shook his head.

"Eventually perhaps. But I will take her into the Wilds and we will look for Samuel Oak. By combining our skills we have a higher chance of success."

Ash turned and started to move away, but Cynthia called after him.

"Champion, I know you are busy but will you join us for a day this week?"

Ash stopped to consider it without turning around. "I have some time spare, and Mellanie is heading to Viridian for the tournament. I will most likely join you for a morning towards the end of the week."

And with that, Ash left the room.

"Hi, I'd like to register for the tournament?"

"Of course. May I take your name?"

"Misty Waterflower."

Misty smiled at the girl behind the desk as she started typing on her computer, before turning to talk to Gary while they waited. They had driven to Viridian City in the morning, ready for the three-day tournament. Misty knew she was entering as one of the favourites, but she didn't mind. If anything the tag of favourite merely gave her a greater incentive to win. She had often spoken to Gary about taking on another regional tournament; she hadn't entered on since the Johto League five years previously. Her reliance on one type of Pokémon was a limiter, especially in the full battles favoured by the regional leagues.

"You're all registered." The girl said, causing Misty to turn back. "The tournament opens tomorrow evening with the groups announced. Good luck."

Misty thanked her and turned to leave. Viridian City was one somewhere that they didn't have somebody they could easily stay with, but her and Gary had booked into a hotel. As they left however, they were cut off by a figure that they recognized.

"Miss Waterflower?"

Misty half-groaned and half-laughed. She knew that voice. It was one of the most celebrated battle analysts in the world. Zane Zito, who's show managed to feature at almost every single tournament in the world. Of course he would be hovering around the registration of a tournament, especially since it was the highest profile one currently underway.

"Zane." Misty said, turning to regard the media star. "I should've guessed you'd be here getting in the way."

Zane put his hands over his heart. "So brutal. What did I ever do to deserve such treatment?"

"Been a massive pain wherever we go?" Gary interjected. Zane let out a loud laugh.

"That's my job isn't it? Come on, I'm always fair to you."

"Indeed." Gary said drily. "What was it you said about me a couple of years ago? Oh yes, that it was good I went into research because I was an old fashioned battler who belonged in a cemetery?"

Zane laughed again. "You aren't bitter about that are you? You are retired and you did rely excessively on power in your battling." Zane got a crafty look in his eye. "Unless you are planning a return?"

Gary shook his head. "Those days are behind me. Misty is the battler, not me."

"Of course." Zane said. "And on that note, Misty, a few words about the tournament?"

"What do you want to know?" Misty asked.

"What are your thoughts on your chances? Do you think you will win?"

"I know I'm good." Misty said. "And I have a good recent record in tournaments. So yeah, I'd say I've got a decent chance. I'll have to battle well though."

"You've only ever entered one regional league, and you went out in the second round." Zane said. "Would you say that these tournaments are as high as you expect to go? Or can we expect to see you looking at regional leagues in the future?"

"Well, they are different challenges." Misty said, trying to keep her voice calm. "A regional league involves matches over an extended period of time, here I could be facing four or more opponents a day. But I'll never rule out anything, a return to the big leagues is possible."

Zane nodded. "I look forward to seeing you in action at one of them soon. It has been suggested that you are at a disadvantage using just one type? Have you ever been tempted to change? To branch out?"

"I've never considered it at all." Misty growled. "Water-Pokémon are my life, I'd rather lose with them than win without them."

"Interesting." Zane said. "And finally, you have a very good record in tournaments with smaller battles, and a particular strength in tournaments with a 3 on 3 or a 4 on 4 set-up. Is this why you don't enter regional leagues? Are you worried that you might be found out in full battles?"

"I…" Misty started, before another voice cut across her.

"I wouldn't answer that if I were you Misty."

All three of them turned to look at the owner of the voice. Sam Fernandez was striding towards them from across the room, a wide grin on his face.

"Why not?" Zane asked as Sam reached them. "It is an honest question."

Sam let out a bark of laughter. "Zane, you don't know what an honest question is. You were trying to either get her to admit overconfidence or you were trying to get her to admit that she can't cope in a 6 on 6."

Zane to his credit didn't blush. "I was just doing my job." He said. "And on that note, can I get a few moments of your time Mr Fernandez? Assuming you don't hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?" Sam asked.

"I have no idea." Zane said, his face showing hurt. "You've ignored every single request to appear on my show, not even answering to some of them."

Sam grinned. "You starting chasing me when I was fourteen. But sure, I can give you a few minutes."

"Why are you organizing this tournament?" Zane asked.

"Straight to the point." Sam countered. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on running away from you. I have been looking to gain leadership experience, and I was given the chance here. Seemed a good fit for all parties."

"Nothing to do with your alleged challenge of the Kanto Elite Four?" Zane asked.

"What do you mean?"

"It has been alleged that you challenged the Kanto Elite Four, but were unsuccessful. Care to comment?"

"And the relevance to me as an organiser is?" Sam asked.

"It has also been rumoured that you are an organiser because it was requested by Lance." Zane said. "If you had undertaken a challenge of the Elite Four it might make sense."

"Ah." Sam said. "Then yes, I challenged the Elite Four. I was unsuccessful."

"And did Lance have influence on you becoming an organiser?"

"He was the one that suggested that I should get the experience." Sam said. "But no, he did not request it specifically."

"How far did you get with the challenge?" Zane asked.

"It was a private challenge for a reason." Sam answered. "I will not be answering that question. Is there anything else?"

"Nope." Zane said. "Thank you for your time Mr Fernandez, and you as well Misty and Gary. Best of luck in the tournament."

As Zane waved cheerily before turning to harass another trainer, Sam led Misty and Gary away.

"Sorry about that." He said. "We couldn't really keep him away given his reputation. His being here is good for the profile of the competition."

"Don't worry about it." Gary said. "Although I think it is best if he stays away from Misty as much as possible, she's not a fan."

"He just annoys me." Misty growled. "Asking me questions about whether I'm good enough for full battles. Questioning my use of Water Pokémon… It's so…"

"I know." Sam said. "But it is his job, and he is very good at it."

"As a change of topic…" Gary said, turning towards Sam with his voice almost taking on an accusatory tone. "You didn't tell us that you were helping to organize this tournament."

"I asked you if I wasn't allowed secrets." Sam said. "This was one of them."

"So you're helping to organize?" Misty asked.

Sam winced slightly. "Technically I'm in charge. Lance was meant to take charge, but he suggested that I do so instead."

"But you just told Zane that Lance didn't specifically request that you help…" Gary said.

Sam smiled. "That wasn't a lie. He didn't request it. He told them that he wasn't going to be able to make it, and I told them I'd do it. As a relatively recent winner of the Kanto League they were happy to have me."

"Oh very smart." Gary muttered. "Who taught you to get around questions like that?"

"I wasn't specifically taught by anybody." Sam said. "I just learned very quickly after I started to win tournaments that if I didn't keep some things to myself I'd go mad."

Gary chuckled. "If you wanted to keep secrets, then perhaps you shouldn't have won a regional league and become famous?"

"Or perhaps I should just have become the Pokémon Master?" Sam said slyly. "Anyway, while it is good to see you guys, I have to dash. I have a meeting to get to."

Sam gave Misty a quick hug, shook Gary's hand and was gone. Gary turned to Misty.

"He really has grown up fast. He acquits himself so well."

"I know." Misty said. "And he is so confident. I wonder how far he will go."

"Well I think I know what job he won't reach." Gary said. "For all that he is a superb trainer, especially given his age, I suspect that he won't ever be able to face the Pokémon Master."

Misty laughed. "If he has any sense he won't fight him. It ends badly. Anyway, what say you we go and find our hotel room? I would like to be settled in before we this tournament starts."

Alakazam stood on the cliff, his mood dark. In all of his life, he knew he had been strong. He had only ever found one Psychic Pokémon who wasn't a legendary and was stronger than him. Espeon. And that had been a long time ago, he was far stronger then. The feeling of uselessness was not one he was accustomed to. But he had been searching for Professor Samuel Oak for months now and had found absolutely nothing. It was a failure on a scale that he had never had before. Despite his incredible IQ, Alakazam could not see a way around the problem. His trainer had relied on him, and he had failed in his job. Although Ash had never said anything of the sort, always thanking Alakazam for his efforts, Alakazam knew he had let Ash down. He had let everybody down. He wasn't the only scout who had felt the shame either. When Ash had called them off, Ninetales had refused to clean her coat. She had ruined it before the mission as a way of helping herself blend in, but refused to clean it when they returned. She didn't consider the mission over until they found their target. Beautifly had seemed down as well, often hiding high in the trees around Mystery Island. Alakazam could sympathise with her. They all wanted solitude to deal with their humiliation.

Alakazam sensed movement behind him and turned to watch Pikachu bounding towards him. Alakazam groaned inwardly. He had come all of the way out here to be alone, but he could not be rude to another one of the team. He would not let himself take his shame out on them.

"Are you alright?" Pikachu asked as he reached the cliff.

Alakazam didn't answer directly. "I am merely contemplating anything we could still do to find Oak. Any measure we were yet to undertake."

Pikachu glanced at Alakazam. "All those brains and you can't even think of a decent lie?"

Alakazam stared at Pikachu who had returned to looking out over the ocean. "I would never fabricate a tale to deceive another team member."

"No." Pikachu agreed. "None of us would. We rely on each other. We are a team."

Silence broke out between the two Pokémon. Not an uncomfortable silence, but not an altogether easy one either. Alakazam seemed to slip into a meditative trance, whilst Pikachu followed the path of a bird across the horizon. As it vanished from view Pikachu spoke.

"Ash doesn't blame you."

Alakazam snapped out of his trance. "He should. He gave us a mission and we were found lacking. Nobody ever fails him."

Pikachu let out a snort of laughter. "You really should have seen him years ago."

"Why?" Alakazam asked, his voice curious.

"If you'd known him, you'd stop beating yourself up." Pikachu said. "Remember, I knew Ash as a child, long before he met any of you. I met him before even Charizard."

"I've heard a fair number of tales." Alakazam said. "So I know a bit about what kind of person he was. But carry on with your point?"

"Ash as a kid was… one of a kind." Pikachu said. "He always gave everything, and it made us do the same. Back then we got into a lot of battles." Pikachu chuckled slightly. "I won more than I lost. But we lost plenty back then."

"And you are going to tell me that Ash never minded." Alakazam said. "Ash would never resent his own Pokémon for not triumphing. Yet it isn't that Ash is disconcerted with our lack of results. We hold ourselves accountable for our failure."

"I was actually going to say that I don't really remember the defeats. They meant a lot at the time, and were hard to get over. But years on, I have forgotten them all." Pikachu said. "I remember the day that I fought in the Orange League. It was fifteen years ago, yet I remember that battle. Fighting a Ditto, before having to see off a Dragonite. It was one of the toughest battles that we ever fought in. But we were triumphant. And this was less than a year after we failed at the Kanto League."

"That is a remarkable memory." Alakazam said. "But I am yet to see the pertinence of your point."

"My point was simple. Ash knows that you gave it everything. If you hadn't, you wouldn't be here, you'd be out searching. So you can blame yourself as much as you like. But he won't blame you at all. The Ash I remember from all of those years ago is still there. He has changed somewhat, but his core is still there. If you keep beating yourself up, he'll look after you, and convince you that it isn't your fault. But do not feel bad that you couldn't manage something that was beyond you. Everybody has their limits."

Pikachu turned and started to walk away to leave Alakazam with his thoughts, but the Pokémon called after him.

"Nothing is beyond us." Alakazam said.

Pikachu slowed slightly as he glanced over his shoulder. "Then when we find him, you can make that true. But until then come back and be part of the team. We share the pain."

And with that, Pikachu was gone.

Cynthia stood in the doorway, looking into the room. She was finished for the day and had decided to come and watch Sonia work. She had been surprised when Sonia requested that she be allowed to change one of the rooms, but she had to admit, she had done a good job. The room mirrored the kind of terrain that might be found in remote parts of the world, away from humans. She had chosen the largest room, which had originally held mixed field, a field four times larger than normal ones as it was made out of four different types of field. However, under the terrain Cynthia knew that it was just a normal field. You would be hard pressed to tell though, to anybody else it looked like they were at the bottom of a canyon with a forest at the top and caves dotted along the sides of the canyon. Halfway down it looked like there was a sudden drop, before the far wall made up the end of the canyon. At the mouth of the canyon there was a group of trainers in front of Sonia who was clearly about to start another session.

"I'm a little different to what you're used to." Sonia started. "Most people here learned how to battle as trainers. They fight in stadiums on mostly plain fields. Sometimes they will battle on a different field, but the majority of trainers won't use it properly. I never had that luxury, as a Ranger I had to fight wherever I found myself. Remember, before they were captured your Pokémon lived in the wild. One of a Pokémons great strength is their ability to utilise terrain. Training them to fight on plain fields is something that is a hate of mine. You are ignoring one of their greatest assets in a fight."

She turned to gesture to the room behind her. It was a superb mimicry of rugged terrain, with trees dotted around. There was a reasonable amount of cover where Pokémon could hide, but also parts of the terrain that could be used in a battle.

"In there are six Pokémon." Sonia said. "They are all hidden, like wild Pokémon are likely to do when they find a trainer. Anybody want to volunteer to try to ferret one of them out?"

The trainers in front of her all looked at each other nervously. None of them wanted to attempt it. Cynthia smiled and stepped forwards.

"I'll do it."

Sonia turned to see the Sinnoh Leader. "Of course. Just the one Pokémon Cynthia. Only one of those in there will face you at a time."

Cynthia nodded and held out a Pokéball. Garchomp appeared with a growl, looking around. As he saw the terrain in front of him, he glanced back at Cynthia slightly nervously.

"As you study Pokémon, you start to read them." Sonia said. "In particular you can tell when a Pokémon is unhappy or upset about something. Garchomp is a fearless battler and a well-known Pokémon, but he recognises the dangers associated with the terrain in front of him. In the wild he would most likely live somewhere like this, meaning that he knows how easy it is to hide here. Even though he can fly, in this room he would be severely limited. In this situation, a weaker Pokémon might be more afraid to enter, but if you look closely, Garchomp appears to be up to the challenge."

All eyes turned to the Pokémon who did indeed look like he was growing more determined by the moment. Sonia gestured to Cynthia who stepped forwards. "Garchomp, can you smell a Pokémon?"

Garchomp reared up on his hind legs and sniffed the air. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then came crashing down with a roar. He leapt forwards, landing on the side of the canyon, his claws digging in to give him grip. There was a cave up ahead which he moved towards, his wings spread to give him extra balance. As he reached the cave, he clambered above it and then glanced at Cynthia waiting. She had followed him into the canyon, staying at a short distance. At a nod from his trainer Garchomp dropped into the entrance of the cave and roared into it, a terrible, echoing sound that made a couple of the trainers at the entrance take a step back from power of it. Garchomp stormed into the cave, but a few moments later there was another roar and he came back out, looking frustrated.

"I'm going to halt you there for a moment." Sonia said. "Garchomp, you've just given a perfect demonstration. As a Pokémon who recognises this terrain you detected a smell and immediately went to where you thought it was coming from. Your trainer is doing well to let you do what you do best, you have the instincts to hunt down a Pokémon here. However, you are out of practice. Pokémon in the wild, particularly those in remote places are likely to lay false scents to make looking for them much more difficult." She turned towards the trainers observing. "You are most likely wondering what this has to do with battles. Scents are irrelevant when you can see your opponent. However, if you cannot, it gives your Pokémon another way to find their target. Furthermore, whilst Garchomp has done well to try and root out his target, he has forgotten something else."

Cynthia spun to look at her Pokémon who met her eye with a confused look on his face. She looked around, trying to see what they had missed. Then Sonia's voice rang out again.

"Whenever you're ready Geodude."

There was a slight rumble from the canyon wall above Garchomp. A rock started to fall from the side of the cliff, a smaller rock moving above it. A smaller rock that had arms.

"Garchomp, MOVE!" Cynthia shouted, the panic clear in her voice, but it was too late. Garchomp couldn't fly away; taking off would mean flying into the rock, while he wasn't quick enough over the ground. Garchomp reared up, throwing himself towards the rock. His claws wrapped around it, and as he fell to the ground he dug his feet in. Garchomp roared with the effort, but he was able to hold the rock at bay. Suddenly a blue glow surrounded the rock. It moved back up the cliff to where it had come from and Garchomp was able to escape from its path. Sonia stepped forwards, gesturing for Garchomp to come towards her. The Pokémon retreated from the canyon, past his trainer who was shaking slightly to Sonia who knelt down next to him and scratched him along his back. Garchomp started purring slightly as Sonia started to speak again.

"Cynthia is a superb trainer who could beat most of you without too much difficulty, but she is still capable of mistakes. Yet when the terrain turned against her, Garchomp was able to adjust quickly to avoid injury. Wherever you are, there is potential to utilise the terrain around you. If Garchomp went back into there, he would not make the same mistakes. Pokémon can learn very quickly, especially when their instincts are involved. Garchomp's instincts from the wild are old, but he could relearn them quickly. Even on a plain field, there are things that can be used. Note how Garchomp was able to walk on the face of the cliff. In a stadium he could use the walls to dodge an attack, whilst staying in control of his movements. The worst dodge is one that takes the Pokémon into the air, unless they can fly. Can somebody tell me why?"

Cynthia looked up from where she was knelt next to her Pokémon having followed Garchomp, but Sonia shook her head slightly. "Not you Cynthia, one of those watching."

"Because if they can't fly, they can't dodge?" One of the trainers at the back guessed. Sonia nodded.

"If a Pokémon is in the air, they are locked into a path of movement. Using ranged attacks they can adjust slightly, but they are at their best dodging when they are back on the ground."

She stood up, and moved away from Garchomp back towards the trainers. "Now, who else wants to try and find a Pokémon in there? Remember to observe everything around you."

Alakazam floated deeper into the woods on Mystery Island, before levitating himself higher into the trees. He landed on a branch, his legs crossed, before looking further up into the tree. Perched delicately on one of the smallest twigs in the tree was Beautifly.

"We need to talk." Alakazam said. Beautifly flapped her wings slightly, lifting herself off the twig, before she glided down towards Alakazam. As she approached he smiled to himself slightly. Her ability to remain silent was remarkable. It was her great strength in the scouts. Ninetales could sniff a trail out from miles away, Alakazam could detect any kind of disturbance and almost any Pokémon hidden around them. Beautifly could get anywhere, with almost zero noise. They made a good team. As Beautifly settled on the branch next to him, she looked up at Alakazam.

"Pikachu spoke to me." Alakazam said. Beautifly moved her head slightly, but didn't say anything. Alakazam wasn't surprised, she was so dedicated to her silence that she barely uttered a word.

"He divulged information about Ash from years ago. Something that we never really discuss. How Ash was before he came into our lives. Back when all of his Pokémon were loyal. Pikachu caused me to discern something. Ash doesn't blame us. This we knew. But Pikachu caused me to comprehend that it isn't solely our shame. As a team we share in our triumphs. They will share in our failure if we let them."

Beautifly tilted her head slightly as she finally met the eye of Alakazam. A hint of a smile crossed her face and she leaned forwards. Her body dropped away from the branch and she started gliding away. As a breeze rustled its way through the trees Beautifly rode it, moving upwards without ever flapping her wings. Alakazam slipped off the branch and slowly dropped towards the ground before levitating after Beautifly. The Butterfly Pokémon flapped her wings once more and lifted herself high into the tree-line, before gliding towards the ground. As they reached another clearing, Beautifly landed gently on a knot on the tree trunk, perching there before gazing down towards the ground. Ninetales was sat on her haunches, having watched her colleagues in the scouts float into the clearing.

"What?" Ninetales said.

Before Alakazam could say anything, Beautifly stepped off the knot and dropped onto Ninetales shoulder. She murmured a few words into Ninetales' ear. As she finished both of them turned to look at Alakazam.

"We should convene a team conference." Alakazam said.

Ninetales gracefully moved to her feet, Beautifly still on her shoulder. She met Alakazam's gaze and nodded before padding away towards the house.

Ash was sat watching his Pokémon train in front of him at the back of his house. Next to him was Espeon and Pikachu.

"When she is finished at the training camp, we will be taking Sonia into the Wilds." Ash said. "She may have a different view that could help us."

"Do you think she will be able to find Professor Oak?" Pikachu asked.

"I'm not sure." Ash answered. "What I do know is that she is an avenue we are yet to explore and we cannot afford to leave it that way. Cynthia thinks we can trust her, and that is good enough for me."

"You've become more trusting." Espeon noted. "Years ago you would never have even considered taking her."

Ash chuckled. "It was always going to happen. With humans around, and Pikachu back, I could never be a complete hermit."

"It doesn't suit you." Pikachu said. "Although you do mysterious power well."

Ash laughed again. "Thanks Pikachu. Now you two, head off and do some training. Pretend you could still use the practice."

Espeon pushed herself to her feet and stretched. "You know I don't need it."

"Yes you do." Pikachu retorted. "Next time I fight Charizard I intend to win, and if you want our home to still be here afterwards you'd best be ready for it."

As they headed into the training area in front of them, Ash smiled. Without the problems he was having with Professor Oak his life was happy. Whenever he was able to spend time on Mystery Island he could see his Pokémon relax. They became more teasing, and happier. When they were out on missions they were thoroughly professional, but over the last five years he had seen them become more fun-loving. He knew why. Having younger trainers here, trainers who didn't just focus on getting stronger meant that they were introduced to games. Each of Ash's seven students had brought something unique to the training, and his Pokémon had all learned from it.

Ash felt movement behind him and twisted slightly to see his mother coming out to sit next to him. As she lowered herself onto the ground he smiled at her.

"Come to watch the training?" he asked.

"You know I'm not big on battling." Delia said. "Although I admit, that is beautiful." She pointed out to where Espeon was training with Pikachu. Pikachu was firing a series of electrical attacks which Espeon was turning into a shield around her. As Pikachu upped the strength of the attacks, sparks flew away from the glowing shield of energy that encased Espeon. As Ash and Delia watched, Espeon started to pull from the other attacks in the area, adding fire and water to the shield. The result was a glowing ball that completely surrounded Espeon. As attacks hit it, they either bounced off, causing sparks to fly in the air, or they caused mini explosions along the outside. The entire effect was of a small, carefully controlled firework display. Ash watched for a few moments more, pleased with the control of his two Pokémon.

"I might have a lead on Professor Oak." Ash said quietly. "A woman came to me before the problems in Cerulean City. She was… different. She seems to have a similar relationship to the Pokémon in the wild that I have. Between the two of us, we hope to be able to get new information."

Delia fought to keep her face calm, to make sure that not all the emotion crept out. "Thank you Ash." She said sincerely.

Her son turned to meet her gaze and he just nodded. He had seen how much it meant to her.

Time passed in near as Ash started to meditate. Delia just sat on the ground next to him, watching the Pokémon train. Every few minutes he would call out something to the Pokémon and they would change. He never opened his eyes, but always seemed to know what each of his Pokémon were doing. It was a remarkable skill. Ash had confessed to her that he had learned how to use aura but she didn't really understand it. She knew that Ash liked quiet as he trained, but something he said began to play on her mind.

"Ash?"

He opened his eyes, instantly focused on Delia. "Yes?"

"This woman. How was she different?"

"I'm not sure." Ash admitted. "Espeon was very taken with her. In our first meeting she was able to fool Espeon and Pikachu. Then she was in Cerulean City. She was the reason why the Pokémon retreated."

Delia smiled slightly. She had a suspicion she knew where this was going.

"Then after Cerulean we had another formal meeting." Ash said. "And she admitted to spying on me training when I train in the Wilds. She wants me to teach her."

"Will you?" Delia asked.

"I'm not sure. Cynthia thinks she is trustworthy, and if she can give me a lead into the search for Professor Oak, then that is a big plus in her favour."

Delia studied her son. She had gotten to know him very well once again in the five years she had been living with him. And she could tell that there was something different here.

"Do you want to train her?" Delia asked, trying a different tact.

"If I can trust her, she has a unique perspective on…"

Delia sighed. It was very tough getting Ash to turn off his public persona, even when he was at home. If they were discussing anything that involved his role as the Pokémon Master, he would always slip into the character of Champion.

"Ash, forget about whether you actually will or not." Delia said, interrupting him. "Forget about whether you can trust her. If you could, would you want to train her?"

Ash took a long moment to think about it. "Probably. Yes, I think."

"Why?" Delia asked. "You've shut yourself away for so long. Why her?"

"She is the first person who will understand my relationship with wild Pokémon." Ash said quietly. "She is very similar to me. Not an equal in strength, but a similar personality."

"And you want to get to know her better?" Delia asked.

"I wouldn't say no." Ash said with a slight grin. "For all my travels, there are still places I haven't been. And if she could help me find out why some Pokémon are turning against me that would be very useful."

"So it's just curiosity? Nothing else?"

"What else would…" Ash said, before he realized. "You think I like her. You are still holding hope that I might find a girlfriend for you to humiliate me in front of?"

Delia laughed. "A mother can dream Ash."

Before Ash could say anything else, the scouts appeared on the edge of the training area. He held a hand up to his mother and rose to his feet in one smooth movement. The Pokémon around him stopped training as they turned to face the disgraced scouts.

"Alakazam." Ash said. "Are you here to end your self-enforced exile?"

"We are." Alakazam said. "We desire to express our sincerest…"

Ash held up a hand. "No more apologies. You did your best. You searched everywhere you could. You went into territory of Pokémon that are hostile to us. We did everything we could to find Professor Samuel Oak."

"You will forgive us so easily?" Alakazam asked.

"There is nothing to forgive." Ash said. "Remember, we are more than just a team. We are a family. And we take our losses in the same way we take our victories. Together."

Ash turned to the rest of his Pokémon, spreading his arms to encompass them.

"This is a valuable lesson to remember. We are family. As a family we have been through so much. And I want you to remember, no matter how low it gets, no matter how dark it seems, you will always have your family. If you are in danger, we will always find you. The bond that binds us is unbreakable."

Ash let his arms drop to his sides. "I love all of you. And I know that you love me. So never think that I would hold anything against you. That I could ever hold anything against you. There is never an apology required."

He turned and headed back to his seat on the edge of the training area. "Now, get back to training. We have another mission coming up, and we all need to be as strong as possible for it."