How many ways can people communicate? The majority of people tend to rely on one form of communication, be it speech, sign language, special code, or what have you. What is truly fascinating, is all the different ways that we communicate in a conversation. When you read between the lines, and view the spoken word as only one part of the full conversation, you see the words that go unspoken, the real dance of sight, sound, and touch. The question is, what are we saying...

"Alright Oshawott, Water Gun!"

"Pachirisu, Spark!"

Iris blearily opened her eyes to the sound of rushing water intermixed with a loud chattering noise. She could feel Axew shift beside her, eager to return to his sleep and battle-filled dreams. Groaning, she raised her head and peered out the window.

Ash stood in a small field near the Pokemon Center, his face determined. In front of him, standing on opposing sides, stood Oshawott and Scraggy. Arrayed behind him was the rest of his team, consisting of Boldore, Snivy, and Pignite. Pikachu remained in his customary place beside Ash.

Iris frowned as she checked the clock. The sun's barely up, and Ash is already training? What's gotten in to him? "Uugh, come on Axew. Lets see what's gotten into our suddenly grown up trainer." Axew blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Ax?" (Huh?)

Cilan smiled as he watched the two trainers in their respective practice. Ash was exhibiting a determination and enthusiasm that Cilan hadn't seen since their first battle. Dawn, who was a Pokemon Connoisseur's dream with her unknown Pokemon, showed similar steel and fire to her style.

The differences between them were remarkable. Ash's focus on battling was a familiar sight, having his Pokemon attack different targets with various moves, occasionally pitting them against each other to simulate a real battle, trying to find new methods and strategies to secure victory. Dawn, markedly, focused on combining and disseminating her attacks, seeking new ways to perform. It was an intriguing and refreshing change for both the Gym Leader and Connoisseur in Cilan.

And yet, the similarities were equally amazing. Both Ash and Dawn strove to make full use of their Pokemon's respective strength's, skills, and personalities. Each of them possessed full confidence of both their Pokemon's abilities and their own. Both, Cilan realized, trained and fought in the same frame of mind, devoting their entire beings.

Maybe that's why they connected so easily? he idly wondered.

A small blue and white Pokemon with a large tail raced in a figure-eight pattern, a short trail of blue electricity following it. Dawn stood nearby, her eyes locked on the formation. She suddenly smiled. "Now, Discharge!" Pachirisu leaped into the air, and a fan of electric blue bolts shot down, illuminating the full figure-eight on the ground.

Ash frowned as, once again, Scraggy's Focus Blast flew off course and exploded against the ground. Both he and Oshawott sighed in frustration. "Okay Scraggy, lets try again. Oshawott, Razor Shell. Scraggy, Focus Blast."

Scraggy held his hands together and concentrated. A blue orb of energy formed between his palms, haltingly growing in size. Oshawott pulled his scalchop from his stomach, iridescent blue energy projecting out of it as he rushed forward. Satisfied with the size of the orb, Scraggy thrust his hands forward, launching the orb in Oshawott's direction. The Sea Otter Pokemon readied his sword, preparing to bat aside the incoming attack.

The glowing orb of energy held true to the last second, then nosedived into the ground, throwing up a large cloud of dirt, smoke and dust. Oshawott slid to a stop, coughing as he waved his sword to disperse the cloud.

Dawn looked over in concern. "What's up with that?" she asked Cilan.

Cilan sighed. "Scraggy learned Focus Blast during a battle tournament almost three weeks ago, but he still hasn't managed to be able to control it. It's become almost frustrating for Ash."

Dawn frowned. "I can remember when Ash tried to teach Turtwig Energy Ball. It took a long time too, but eventually he mastered it."

Cilan smiled. "I can believe that. Ash has demonstrated on multiple occasions his skill and persistence when it comes to Pokemon."

Max turned around the corner of the Pokemon Center, followed by Iris. "Hey guys, what's up? Training?"

Dawn nodded. "Yeah. Cilan was just telling me about the trouble Ash and Scraggy have been having with Focus Blast."

Iris nodded. "Ever since the Clubsplosion Tournament, Scraggy has had problems with it."

A fresh explosion drew their attention, and Ash groaned. "Okay Scraggy, lets take a break. We'll try again later." Sighing, he sat down with the others.

Dawn smiled at him as Pachirisu jabbered by her foot. "Still having problems?"

Ash sighed wearily. "Yeah. Scraggy's getting better, but slowly. A little too slowly, unfortunately. I don't doubt that he'll get it eventually, but I'm just wondering when."

Dawn nodded as she scooped Pachirisu into her arms. "You'll do it. I haven't seen you fail at anything you've seAAAHHHHHHHH!" She stood stock still as Pachirisu unloaded a Discharge. Thin smoke wisped from her scorched clothing, and she sighed. "Pachirisu, I thought we were over this. Come're." Stooping to her bag, she began rummaging through it as the EleSquirrel chattered excitedly.

Cilan, Iris and Max looked at her worriedly, then at Ash when he quietly chuckled. He noticed their looks and shrugged. "When ever Dawn practices with Pachirisu, she always gives him a Poffin afterwards. He sometimes gets impatient, though he doesn't usually shock her like this. But then, he's usually already eaten it by now." He looked over at Dawn and Pachirisu, who had already stuffed the whole treat into his mouth, and smirked. "Uh, Dawn?"

She glanced at him in confusion. "What Ash?"

Ash simply pointed at his head, then nodded to the others, who were barely managing to stifle their laughter.

Dawn looked at them in confusion, then paled slightly. Reaching up, she felt her head. Her hair stuck out wildly in all directions, tiny sparks of static crackling between the multi-layered spikes. "Oh, not again!" Spinning around, she whipped her hat off and began digging through her backpack for her hairbrush. "Not again, not again! Why does it always do this!"

Axew was the first to lose control, collapsing onto the ground and rolling in laughter. Iris, then Cilan, then the other Pokemon followed suit. The only ones who managed to restrain themselves were Ash, Pikachu, Dawn's Pokemon, Snivy, and Boldore, though it was hard to tell with him. Failing to find her brush, Dawn spun around and rushed back into the Pokemon Center.

Ash sighed as he clambered to his feet. "Nice, guys. I'll be right back." The others failed to answer, caught up in their efforts to stop their laughter. As he rounded the corner of the building, Ash heard a rapid Bubblebeam, followed by a Vine Whip, and couldn't resist smirking.

Following the sound of angry muttering down the corridor, Ash slipped through the door, warning Pikachu to be quiet with his finger. He smiled as he watched Dawn struggle with her hair, her growling and muttering rising and falling in pitch.

"'Still having problems?'" he said with a slight mocking tone.

Dawn whirled in surprise. "Ash! What, what're you doing in here? Get out!" She tried to jam her beanie down over her hair, without much success.

Ash chuckled. "Stop talking, and sit down." The sudden authority in his voice surprised her into compliance. Taking the brush from her hand, Ash stepped behind and began making slow strokes through her hair. Pikachu grinned. "Pika, pipichu pikachu." (This is going to blow her mind.)

Dawn frowned, struck the bizarreness of the situation. "Since when do you know how to brush hair?" She looked pointedly at his reflection in the mirror.

Ash smiled as her hair slowly lost its static. "I gotta have some secrets, don't I?"

Dawn gave him a disbelieving look. "I have never seen your hair in anything but a total mess, Ash."

He chuckled in response. "Alright, truth is, I got some tips from Zoey. She figured that, eventually, you'd need help when she wasn't around, and Brock seemed convinced that I was the only guy stupid enough to risk it."

Dawn narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"

Ash grinned. "That dealing with you when your hair is a mess can be hazardous to your health. The last time I interrupted you, you threw your hairbrush at me. Now, at least, I can do something to help afterwards."

Dawn glared at him, then loosed a sigh. "Alright, I can be a little tense. But, if you do know how to brush your hair, why don't you?"

Ash shrugged. "Because I don't think it's that important, and by this point I'll probably break the brush before I make any headway. Promise not to tell? Like I said, I gotta have some secrets."

Dawn smiled. "Fine, but you owe me." She looked her own reflection over. "Wow, not bad. Could be better, but not bad." Ash grinned again as he handed her the brush. "That's probably the best you're gonna get from me. I'm going to see if Piplup and Snivy haven't killed everyone yet. See you outside."

Dawn watched him leave, thoroughly confused. "Wow. Guess miracles do exist." she muttered.

Ash sighed as he observed Piplup berating Cilan, Iris and Max, who were currently tightly wrapped in Snivy's vines. "Had enough fun yet? Snivy, let them go."

Cilan loosed a constricted breath as the vines around his chest departed. "I admit, that was poor manners of us. We will apologize."

Iris giggled. "But it was pretty funnOW!" She rubbed her head as Piplup landed next to her after pecking her head. "Well it was!"

Ash sighed again. "Fun's over, Piplup. Dawn's in her room, but she should be out in a minute."

"You're about a minute off, Ash." Dawn smiled as Piplup jumped into her arms. "It's okay guys. I sometimes do get a little hung up about my hair." She winked at Ash, who grinned. "Now, as I recall, weren't there supposed to be some battles going on today?"

Max jumped to his feet. "Right!" He paused. "Aw, man, I don't know who to battle first, Ash or Cilan."

Ash chuckled. "Trust me, Max, you want Cilan first. Battling a Connoisseur is a pretty cool experience. You don't want to miss it."

Cilan smiled. "To be honest, Max, I'm facing the same dilemma as you. Both you and Dawn have Pokemon that I've never seen before, and to have an opportunity to do such an evaluation is a Pokemon Connoisseur's dream."

Max glanced between Ash and Cilan, uncertain of his decision.

Battle the older one, with green hair.

Max blinked in surprise. Cilan? Why?

Ralts hummed into his shoulder. I'm curious as to what a 'Pokemon Connoisseur' does. I want to know just how he will 'evaluate' us. Besides, Ash will battle you any time you ask. When will you ever get such an opportunity?

Max nodded. Alright. Cilan it is. "If it's alright with you, Ash, Ralts wants to battle Cilan. She wants to find out just what an evaluation is." He grinned at the Connoiseur. "It won't be easy, you know."

Cilan smiled back at the younger trainer. "I wouldn't expect anything less. I can already taste the match. The blend of youth between you two presents an excellent array of flavours."

Max's grin grew wider, and Ralts smiled in anticipation. "I think you'll find that we've got a few surprises up our sleeves."

He's funny. I like him.

Ash chuckled. "Alright, lets get this battle going. I'm looking forward to seeing this."

Both trainers took up positions on opposite sides of the field, each staring down the other with determined anticipation. Ash stepped forward between them. "I'll call this match. This will be a one-on-one battle, with no substitutions. Alright guys, pick your Pokemon!"

Max glanced over his shoulder to Ralts. "You ready to show him what we've got?" Ralts nodded. "Ralralts!" (Always!) Smoothly, she teleported from his shoulder to the battlefield.

Cilan smiled. "Enthusiasm is always good in a battle. I'm looking forward to this. And there is only one Pokemon that I would ever use for such a special evaluation. Come say hello, my closest friend, Pansage!" Throwing his Pokeball into the air, the red and white sphere cracked in half, spilling white light from within its core. The bright flash, arced down to earth, forming the shape of a green monkey, a small leafy bush on his head. The Pokemon opened his eyes and smiled. "Pan pansage." (Shall we?) He suddenly paused, confused. "Pansage? Pan pan pansage?" (What the? What are you?)

Ralts smiled beneath her hair. "Ral ralts ralts rara." (Nothing you've ever seen before.)

Pansage looked at her curiously. Cilan smiled. "Pansage, this is Ralts. She's from the Hoenn Region, and is Max's partner. We have the honour of giving them their first evaluation."

Ash smiled. "Alright, lets go. Battle begin!"

Cilan gestured to Max. "You can have the first move."

Max grinned. "Ralts, Safeguard!" Ralts held out her arms, and her eyes glowed green, the light shining dimly from beneath her hair. A glimmering green dome formed around her, the waving light distorting her slightly to Pansage's eyes.

Cilan smiled. "Hmm, a soft, gentle flavour, cautious but firm. Pansage, Bullet Seed!" Taking a wide stance, Pansage ballooned his cheeks and fired a rapid stream of bright green seeds. The stream spread out slightly in a cone shape, zipping through the air towards Ralts.

Max furrowed his brow slightly, and pushed his glasses up. "Ralts, dodge it with Psychic!" The light shining from Ralts eyes changed from green to blue, and a soft field of blue light surrounded her. Rising a few inches off the ground, she shot several feet to the side, causing the stream of seeds to miss her by a wide margin.

Cilan's smile grew wider. "A clever use of an offensive move to compensate for Ralts's low mobility. But you have yet to attack us directly, and a recipe that lacks any direct flavour will always fall flat. Pansage, use Bite!" Pansage bent his legs and bared his teeth, leaping towards his smaller opponent.

Max smiled in return. "Ralts, use Psychic again, this time on Pansage!" Ralts thrust her arm out, and the light streaming from her eyes glowed brighter. Pansage froze in mid-air as he became surrounded in blue light, waving his arms frantically. Ralts moved her arm in an up-and-down gesture, sending Pansage flipping high into the air, then crashing into the ground. "How's that for a direct flavour?"

Cilan stared in surprise. "Well, that is a surprise. But we can recover quickly. Pansage, Dig!" Pansage shook his head and dove into the ground, his arms moving in a blur as he disappeared beneath the warm earth. Ralts looked around her, suddenly anxious.

Max, I can't sense him anymore! I can't feel what he's feeling!

Max gritted his teeth. "I know, I know. He's here somewhere, stay sharp."

For several agonizing seconds, nothing happened. Cilan smiled. "I can tell that Ralts is a strong Pokemon, but even she can't fight what she can't see. Pansage, now!" The ground beneath Ralts's feet trembled, and she scrambled to maintain her balance. Max's eyes widened. "Ralts, get in the air, now! Psychic!"

Too late, Pansage erupted from the ground, catching a glimpse of Ralts's startled eyes beneath her hair as his fist socked into her chin, sending her sprawling. Front-flipping away from her, he spun around on one hand and landed square on his feet.

Cilan smiled and snapped his fingers. "And now, it's Evaluation Time!"

Iris dropped her head into her hands, causing Dawn to look at her in confusion. "Here we go again."

Cilan chuckled as Ralts pushed herself to her feet. "A good strategy is like a fine meal, to be prepared and executed with precision and artistry. Your strategy seems to be based upon reaction, waiting for your opponent to make the first move, and then trying to counter it. When you don't take the time to attack your opponent directly, you give them the opportunity to gain the upper hand, from which you then struggle to overcome and gain momentum. Allow me to demonstrate: Pansage, Bullet Seed!"

Again, Pansage blasted a stream of glowing seeds from his mouth. Max gritted his teeth further. "Ralts, block them with Psychic!" Ralts thrust her arms out, and the air in front of her shimmered. Three feet away from her, the seeds slowed to a stop in mid-air. Cilan snapped his fingers again. "Pansage, Rock Tomb, if you will?" Pansage raised his arms over his head, and a large grey stone formed between his hands, expanding until it was easily three or four times the size of his own body. With a grunt, he heaved the massive stone forward. It flew through the air, easily smashing through the molasses-like air in front of Ralts.

Abruptly, the stone broke apart into over a dozen pieces, crashing into the ground around Ralts, throwing up a huge cloud of dust. When the dust settled, Ralts was revealed to be trapped inside a ring of huge stones, each towering over her. Max growled in frustration. "Ralts, try and break out with Psychic!" Thrusting her arms out, a shockwave rippled through the air, crashing into one of the stones. The rock shifted slightly, but remained stubbornly embedded in the ground.

Cilan smiled. "Bullet Seed." Pansage leaped up on top of one of the stones, and blasted a fresh stream of seeds at Ralts. With nowhere to run, Ralts was forced to endure the attack, the barrage peppering her body.

Max growled. "Ralts, use Energy Ball!" Crossing her arms in an X-shape, Ralts concentrated. Her eyes glowed a bright green, and tiny sparkled of green light formed out of the air and ground, gathering between her arms and chest. She winced as the continuing stream of seeds battered her arms and head, but stubbornly concentrated on her attack. More twinkling lights gathered between her arms and chest, forming a shining green orb of energy. Throwing her arms out, she fired the orb at Pansage. Taken by surprise, the acrobatic monkey leaped off the rock, barely dodging the speeding orb.

Cilan smiled again. "That was good, but not enough. Pansage, Dig, please." Again, Pansage disappeared into the ground, leaving a large hole behind.

Ralts shivered slightly. Max, I can't sense his anymore. Every time he goes underground, I lose him.

Max gritted his teeth. "I know, I know." Come on, Max. You've watched all sorts of battles, you've seen this move before. You can figure out how to counter it. What do you know. Pansage can move quickly underground, that much is obvious. Ralts can't just use Psychic to dodge, Pansage will still be able to reach her, she can't get high enough. If you knew where Pansage was, you could possibly pull him out of the ground. But how do you find him?

Dawn watched the battle with worry. "Max hasn't had many battles, I don't know how he will handle this."

Iris shook her head. "Cilan is a little strange, but he knows what he's doing. He not just a Connoisseur, he's also a Gym Leader. He's testing Max, trying to find out what he can do."

Ash grinned. "Come on, Max, you can do it! You and Ralts are an awesome combination!"

Iris glared at his back. "Ash, you're the judge, not a spectator! You're not supposed to cheer for him"

Ash chuckled. "i can't help it, Iris. They're both my friends, I have to cheer for them both!"

Dawn smiled. "That's my Ash." Iris turned and looked at her oddly. Her Ash? What does that mean?

Max growled under his breath. Come on, Max. You can find a way out of this. His eyes widened. Wait. I've got it! Ralts! Can you hear me?

Yes. What are you going to do?

We need to catch him off guard. That's the only way we'll beat him, so only listen to my thoughts. We can do this, Ralts. Now, use Calm Mind!

Ralts nodded, and took a deep breath. A soft humming sound came from her throat, and a blue light shimmered from her eyes. Her horns glittered and glowed, the light spreading over her body, wrapping around her in a calm aura.

Cilan frowned. "Hmm, what's this? A new flavour perhaps? And yet he didn't say anything. What is she doing? What are they doing?"

Max focused entirely on Ralts. Can you find him? He should be getting closer. There's only one place he can come out if he wants to hit you, and that's right underneath you.

Ralts took another breath, emptying her thoughts and worries, allowing all the emotions around her to sweep through her mind like a gentle wind. All creatures possess emotions. These are the true spices of life that you seek, Cilan. Everyone's eyes widened as they realized that she was broadcasting to all of them. But what you have failed to realize, is that emotions are what I draw my power from. Sadness, anger, hatred, these make me ill. Happiness, joy, love, these give me strength. All creatures possess emotions. She looked straight ahead, and Cilan got an unnerving feeling that she was looking at him. And with them, I can find all creatures!

Max smiled. "Now we'll show how strong we are, and how strong our connection is!" Ralts threw her arms open, and a rippling shockwave ripped through the ground as she unleashed her psychic power. The shockwave sped outward, tearing the rocks around her from the ground. Four feet away, the earth cracked and broke, and Pansage rocketed from the ground, surrounded by blue light. Flying through the air in a gentle arc, Pansage smashed back into the ground, then cried out in pain as each boulder that had previously surrounded her smashed into him, guided by Ralts thoughts.

Max smiled. "There's a reason as to why Ralts are known as the Emotion Pokemon, Cilan. Ralts, Energy Ball." he said calmly as he pushed his glasses up. Ralts launched herself into the air, crossing her arms as another orb of green light formed in front of her chest. Throwing her arms out, the ball sped downwards, crashing into Pansage's battered body and exploding, unleashing the full amount of energy contained within on him. Cilan stared in shock and surprise. "Pansage, no!"

Ralts slowly lowered herself to the ground, and the dust settled revealing an extremely battered Pansage. Slowly, the Grass Monkey Pokemon pushed himself up, and he glared across at his opponent, who was easily half his height. Cilan smiled and shook his head. "I'll admit, you are much stronger and much more skilled than I had first thought. But now is time for the main course. Pansage, Solar Beam." Pansage raised his hands to the sky. A tiny yellow light formed between his hands, expanding slowly expanding into a ball of light.

Max grinned. Don't worry Ralts. He may think that this is the main course, but you and I both know that this is the end. Use Calm Mind again. Ralts nodded. Right. Again, Ralts took a deep breath, and that low humming sound issued from her throat. A blue aura formed around her, this time shifting and waving with each thought and emotion that she perceived.

Iris stared at the unusual sight. "What's going on? Max isn't doing anything at all, he's not even giving commands."

Ash grinned. "I know what he's doing."

Dawn looked at him curiously. "You do?"

Ash nodded. "I've seen this once before, when I was in the Kanto Battle Frontier. One of the Frontier Brains, Anabel, used Psychic Pokemon. She also has this awesome ability to understand what Pokemon were feeling, to understand their emotions. She was so skilled with it, that when she battled, she didn't need to speak any commands to her Pokemon. She was so in tune with what they were feeling, it was like they were one person. Her Pokemon understood what she wanted them to do, without her needing to say it. It made her an incredibly strong battler, because you couldn't predict what she was going to do."

Iris stared at him. "And you're saying Max can do that?"

Ash shook his head. "No, Max can't do that. But Ralts can. Remember what Max said, and what Ralts herself said? She's an Emotion Pokemon, she can sense emotions. Ralts and Max are syncing perfectly, to the point that Ralts can understand what he wants her to do, without him needing to tell her. Thats how she was able to hit Pansage, even when he was underground. She could feel what he was feeling, and used that to locate him."

Iris looked between Ralts and Max in awe. "But, what do you think that light is? What move is Ralts using?"

Dawn swallowed. "I think that's Calm Mind. It's a move that some Psychic Pokemon can use to make themselves stronger, by focusing their thoughts and calming themselves. I've never seen it done like this, though."

Cilan smiled. "This battle is truly exciting, Max. I have to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I've never battled someone who was so close and so in tune with their Pokemon like you are. It brings a new and totally unexpected flavour, like a special secret ingredient in a true masterpiece. I look forward to seeing how close you and Ralts become in the future." His smile shifted in to a grin. "But for now, that bond of your will not be enough to overcome our will and determination. Pansage, it is time to bring our full strength to the course. Solar Beam!"

Pansage lowered his hands and thrust the orb of light forward. A bright beam of pure, concentrated light erupted from it, blasting towards Ralts. Max smiled. Brace yourself. Use Psychic to catch and trap the attack. Your power's been strengthened enough. I know you can do it, Ralts. We can and will win this!

Ralts opened her eyes and held out her arms, as if accepting the attack. The air in front of her chest shimmered slightly, and the beam smashed into her, driving her backwards. Bright light flashed outwards, forcing the others to look away, blinding them. Finally, the light faded. Everyone looked, and stared in absolute shock.

Ralts stood several feet away from her previous position. Shallow tracks had been carved in the dirt, marking where she had been pushed by the attack. Hovering between her arms and chest was a large orb of bright light, almost the size of her head. The surface of the orb glowed blue, shimmering as the yellow light contained within roiled in fury. The blue aura from her Calm Mind shimmered and flickered, presenting all-too intimidating sight, further enhanced by her meagre foot and a half of height.

Max smiled. I knew you could do it! You know what to do.

Your emotions are strong. She raised her head backwards, until Cilan and Pansage could see her brightly glowing eyes. But ours are stronger. The orb of light hovering in her arms and shimmering around her body turned iridescent green, shining like a star had become trapped in her arms. Blue light suddenly surrounded Pansage, as Ralts immobilized him with Psychic. And their's are stronger still! Throwing her arms out, Ralts fired the massive Energy Ball at the helpless Pansage. The powerful attack smashed into him, unleashing the barely contained energy of the Solar Beam, amplified by Ralts's own power, in a single powerful explosion.

Pansage flew out of the smoke, bouncing several times off of the ground. He struggled to raise himself for a moment, then passed out and collapsed.

Ash smiled. "Whoa." He raised one hand. "Pansage is unable to battle, leaving Ralts the winner. That means that Max wins the match!"

Max pumped his fist and happily grabbed Ralts as she teleported into his arms. "Alright, Ralts, you did it! We won! You were awesome!"

Cilan smiled as he strode over to Pansage, who wearily opened his eyes. "Your performance was impeccable, Pansage. You deserve a long rest. Thank you." He held out his Pokeball, and a thin stream of red light collected Pansage. Cilan rose to his feet and turned to Max and Ralts. "Max, you have my thanks. The combination of you and Ralts is truly amazing, with a completely unique and unexpected flavour, unlike anything I have ever seen before. It was a joy and a pleasure to see such a connection between Trainer and Pokemon. My only wish is to see what that connection will like in the future, and I hope it only grows stronger. I do have a question, though." Cilan's brow furrowed slightly. "Ralts, what did you mean when you said 'their's are stronger still'? Who were you talking about?"

Ash looked at his partner. "I kinda want to know that myself, Ralts."

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, what was that about?"

Ralts remained quiet for a second. Max, you know who I was talking about. We know how she feels, and he feels something, but he doesn't know what. We cannot tell them, they must find out on their own.

Max nodded. I know, Ralts. "She doesn't know. There were a lot of emotions running through her, she couldn't feel who they were coming from."

Ash frowned. "I don't get really get it, but, oh well." He smiled and turned to Dawn. "We should actually get going. I take it we've got a long ways to go?"

Dawn frowned at him in confusion. "What? What are you talking about Ash?"

He grinned at her. "What, you think I'm going to miss that World Tournament? No way."

She laughed. "Oh, I should have guessed. I don't actually know where it is, but I'm sure if we asked at the Pokemon Center, we could find out."

Ash nodded. "Right. Max, is okay if we battled later today? I'm sure that Ralts needs a rest after that battle."

Max looked at his partner. "Yeah, that's okay. We should get going I don't want to miss seeing that tournament either." He smiled up at Ash, a determined glint in his eye. "But you and me are definitely going to have that battle."

Ash grinned and gave Max a thumbs up. "Of course. I can't wait."

Iris sighed. "You two are such kids. Come on, lets get going!"

Both Ash and Dawn laughed at her impatience.

Several hours later, after walking for most of the day, Ash sighed. "Man, Undella Town is a long ways. How long do you think it'll take us to get there?"

Cilan glanced at his map. "It'll take us a few days, at least. Undella Town is on the east coast on Unova."

Dawn happily looked around her, Piplup snoozing on her head. "I can't get over how incredible this place looks. It's so different from Sinnoh and Hoenn. Not to mention warmer than Sinnoh too."

Iris glanced at her curiously. "What do you mean, warmer? How cold does it get in Sinnoh?"

Dawn smiled. "It kind of depends where you are. Sinnoh is farther north then most other regions, and we have a mountain right smack in the middle of the region, Mt. Coronet. It's so huge, it literally divides the region in half. It's almost impossible to get lost in Sinnoh, because you usually know which side of the region you're in, and you can always see the mountain." She leveled a cool smile at Ash. "And yet, you somehow still managed to get us lost now and then."

Ash chuckled. "Hey, it wasn't always my fault. Sometimes you got us lost too, as I remember."

Dawn smiled again. "Anyway, the east side of Sinnoh is a bit warmer that the west side, but that's mostly because of the humidity. Most of the rain collects on the eastern side. But there is a particular route, north of Mt. Coronet, that is constantly snowing. I mean, all the time."

Cilan smiled. "I highly doubt that it snows constantly, Dawn. It sounds like an exaggeration to me."

Ash shook his head. "She's not exaggerating, Cilan. When I was getting my seventh Gym badge in Sinnoh, we had to head up to Snowpoint City, at the northern most tip of Unova. There was only one safe path up there, and it snowed all the time we were there." He glanced over at Dawn. "Though it didn't snow around Lake Unity, for some reason. In fact, there was hardly any snow there. Do you think Uxie had something to do with that?"

Dawn smiled nervously, and pulled Ash off to the side. "Ash, are you sure you want to mention Uxie? I mean, do you think that's safe for it?"

Ash smiled gently at her. "Dawn, Uxie's fine, and these are my friends. Cilan and Iris would never do anything to hurt any Pokemon."

Dawn looked at him, then at the confused pair nearby, then back at him. "Alright, I trust you Ash. But we'll probably need to explain the whole legend."

The pair rejoined the group. "So, who's Uxie?" Iris asked.

Dawn smiled. "It's kind of a long story. In Sinnoh, there's a myth, about how the region was created. According to Sinnoh myth, all existence was created by a single Pokemon, called Arceus. After creating the universe, Arceus created three dragon type Pokemon, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Dialga represented and had control over time, and it was said that time flowed with Dialga's heartbeat. Palkia represented and controlled space, and existed opposite to Dialga. Together, Dialga and Palkia created and stabilized reality as we know it."

Ash nodded and knelt to the ground, drawing a triangle on the ground. "Dialga and Palkia live in their own dimensions, each of which are purely their own power. Giratina, though, lives opposite of both of them. Giratina lives in the Reverse World, a world that is the exact opposite of ours. In the Reverse World, Giratina is the only living thing, or at least it was until a few years ago, when it was discovered by Newton Graceland. He spends a lot of time there now with his Sheildon, studying Giratina and the Reverse World, and how it's connected to our world."

Dawn smiled as Ash drew three different shapes at each corner of the triangle. "Arceus also created three other Pokemon, the Mirage Pokemon, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. Uxie represents knowledge, and according to legend, gave humans the ability to learn and remember. Mesprit represents emotion, and gave people the ability to feel."

Ash drew new shapes at each corner of the triangle. "Azelf represents willpower, and gave people the motivation to do things. Together, these three Pokemon represent spirit, and can balance out either Dialga or Palkia."

Cilan and Iris studied the drawing closely. "Wow. But, what does that have to do with Lake Unity?" Iris asked.

Ash smiled. "Metaphorically, this triangle represents how all these legendary Pokemon are connected. When Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina are at the corners, Arceus is in the center. Together, these three Pokemon can almost equal Arceus's power. When Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf are at the corners, either Dialga or Palkia are in the center, and the power is balanced. But this drawing isn't just metaphorical."

Dawn nodded. "Sinnoh itself also forms this image. The circle in the centre is Mt. Coronet, where according to Sinnoh myth, Arceus created the three dragon Pokemon and the universe in turn in a massive explosion. The three points of the triangle are formed by the three Sinnoh Lakes, Lake Acuity, Lake Verity, and Lake Valour. Each lake is a portal to a special dimension, in which each of the Mirage Pokemon live. Uxie lives in Lake Acuity, Mesprit in Lake Verity, and Azelf in Lake Valour."

Cilan looked at the pair. "You seem to know an awful lot about this. And you're not always speaking as though this is a myth."

Dawn and Ash looked at each other. "That's because it's true." Dawn commented.

Ash nodded. "All these Pokemon we mentioned? We've met them."

Both Cilan and Iris stared at them. "You have?"

Dawn nodded. "When I first started my journey, before I met Ash, I saw a mirage of Mesprit. Later, Mesprit kept appearing in my dreams, like it was asking me for something."

Ash smiled. "While we were journeying through Sinnoh, I saw a mirage of Azelf, and later, our friend Brock saw a mirage of Uxie. Some time after that, we discovered that each respective Pokemon had chosen to bond with us. Uxie chose Brock because of his knowledge of Pokemon, being a Breeder. Azelf chose me, because of my motivation. I never stop moving, I love battling, I haven't met anyone with the same determination as me, and that appealed to Azelf."

Dawn smiled. "Mesprit chose me because of how much I cared about Pokemon, and people in general."

Ash sighed. "Anyway, eventually, things went wrong. This organization called Team Galactic kidnapped the Mirage Pokemon, so that their leader, Cyrus, could use them to take control of Dialga and Palkia, and use them to create a new universe. When the Mirage Pokemon were kidnapped, they appealed to us, even teleporting us straight to them to save them."

Iris looked at both of them completely absorbed. "Did you succeed?"

Ash grinned at Dawn. "Eventually. We weren't able to stop Cyrus from creating his new world, but he disappeared into it, completely abandoning the organization he had built up. We were able to free the Mirage Pokemon, and then help them bring Dialga and Palkia back under control."

Cilan studied them. "What happened to Team Galactic?"

Dawn sighed. "The four Galactic Commanders were arrested by the International Police, who had been tracking the organization, and Team Galactic itself was disbanded."

Iris suddenly frowned. "But, how did you meet Giratina, and Arceus?"

Ash chuckled. "That's an even longer story, that we'll tell you later." He swiped the dirt drawing with his hand, wiping it away. "Right now, we should probably find a campsite."

A buzzing on his wrist drew his attention, and he frowned. Dawn looked at him curiously. "What is it Ash?" Pikachu poked his head out of Ash's backpack and yawned. "Pika?" (What's going on?)

Ash pulled back his sleeve, then chuckled again. "I had completely forgotten about this thing." A watch-like object was strapped to his wrist, a picture of an older woman in a lab coat on the screen. Dawn frowned. "That's not your Poketch, Ash."

Ash grinned and tapped the screen. "Hey, Professor Juniper, what's up?"

The image of the woman flickered, turning into a video. "Hello, Ash. How are you?"

He smiled. "I'm doing good. I ran into some old friends of mine, and I've gotten my seventh Gym badge. Uh, can I ask why you're calling?"

"Well, Ash, we're actually on our way to Undella Town for the World Tournament, and my Cross Transceiver detected yours. Looks like you're not too far from our camp. How many are in your group, still three plus Pokemon?"

Ash glanced up at the group. "Five, actually. I met up with two other friends. Where's your camp?"

"Based on what I'm looking at, you're about 2 miles southwest of us."

Max borrowed the map from Cilan, taking a quick reading off the sun. He pointed off into the trees. Ash grinned. "Right, we gotcha. We're on our way. Oh, and Professor?"

"Yes Ash?"

"My friends are from Sinnoh and Hoenn, so you may need some special food, especially for one friend in particular. I hope you've got enough food to feed him." He pointed at Dawn's set of Pokeballs and winked. Dawn covered her mouth to smother her giggle. "Also, please tell me Bianca's not with you?"

Professor Juniper frowned at him. "No, she's not. Why?"

Ash sighed in relief. "No reason. See ya soon." He tapped the screen, causing it to go blank. "Whew, that was close."

Dawn looked at him oddly. "Ash, why don't you want to see this 'Bianca' girl?" Please tell me she's not his girlfriend!

Ash chuckled. "It's not that I don't want to see her. Every time we run into her, she literally runs into me and knocks me over. And for some reason, I always end up landing in water."

Dawn smirked as she tried not to laugh. "Really? Wow." Whew, good, not a girlfriend. Besides, if she was she would be traveling him, instead of running into him. What was I thinking?

Ash smiled. "Yeah." He glanced at Iris and Cilan. "Somehow I doubt she's ever going to slow down. Okay Max, since you seem to know where we're going, lead the way."

As they started walking, Iris gave Ash a strange look. "Ash, why did you point at Dawn's Pokeballs when you mentioned food? I know you have a huge appetite, but what does Dawn's Pokemon have to do with it?"

Dawn smiled. "I believe Ash was referring to Mamoswine. He's one of my Pokemon, and has a bigger appetite than Ash does. I've never seen anyone eat as much as Mamoswine, not even May's Munchlax."

Max snorted. "Then you clearly haven't seen Ash's Snorlax eat. He could empty an entire city of food, and still be hungry."

Cilan smiled. "I'm sure he's not that bad."

Ash chuckled. "No, he's serious. Snorlax are known for being huge eaters. When I first met Snorlax, I was in the Orange Islands, with Misty and Tracy. Snorlax was on a set of islands known for their orchards, and was eating everything in sight. He got through three islands of fruit fields before I finally caught him. After that, I couldn't keep him with me, because I just couldn't afford to feed him. Thankfully, Professor Oak was able to come up with a food additive that made Snorlax feel full, so he was able to keep him under control. Whenever I ask for Snorlax for more than a few hours, he sends me some."

Cilan stared at Ash with a look of slight fear. "Wow, I can't imagine trying to feed something like that."

Ash grinned at him. "You're lucky then." He suddenly smirked. "Man, I remember when I was in Johto, I used Snorlax in a Pokemon Sumo competition. The prize was a year's supply of Pokemon food. I had to return Snorlax to his Pokeball after every match to keep him from taking it all. When we won, he ate all the food in one sitting, and then promptly went to sleep."

Iris looked at him in surprise. "How often did that happen? Snorlax falling asleep I mean."

Ash laughed. "Every time. That's the other thing about Snorlax, they have two favourite activities: eating and sleeping. And once a Snorlax is asleep, they will stay that way for hours, and it's almost impossible to wake them up." He chuckled. "Not that you want to. The worst thing you can do is wake up a Snorlax in the middle of its nap. My Snorlax in particular hates a Dream Eater attack. It wakes him up every time, and he will pulverize whoever did it. He's one of the stronger members of my Pokemon."

Dawn giggled. "Of course, Snorlax's eating habits do make him predictable. Remember when you brought him to Sinnoh for the Lily of the Valley League Tournament?"

Ash burst out laughing. "Oh, yeah. Team Rocket had tried some stupid scheme, and I ended up loosing almost all the Pokeballs that I had sent over from the lab. Snorlax, he went straight for the kitchen, scaring the chef's in the process." He smiled. "But, overall, Snorlax is a good Pokemon. If you manage to be able to feed him, and not disturb his sleep, he's a nice guy."

Cilan was still a little shaken at the thought of trying to feed such a gargantuan appetite. "Can we maybe talk about something else? Maybe something with smaller food requirements?"

Dawn smirked at Ash. "Well, Ash does have a Pokemon with a smaller appetite, and he's much easier to feed. I think Iris would like him, actually."

Iris perked up slightly. "Oh, why's that?"

Ash grinned. "She's talking about Gible, and you would like him because he's a dragon type."

Iris immediately stepped right up next to him. "You have a dragon type? Oh, you have to tell me about him! Is he cute?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "See? I told you, she would go nuts about him." he commented to Dawn, who giggled. He pulled out his Pokedex and opened the entry on Gible. "This is what Gible looks like." On the screen stood a small dark blue Pokemon, approximately two feet tall and egg-shaped, with a red belly. A tall fin with a notch in it projected up from his head, and on either side were attached two ovoid objects. Four short limbs and a stump of a tail grew from the round body. A rather large mouth was open, revealing several sharp teeth. Iris looked at the picture with interest.

"The Land Shark Pokemon? Oh, he's so cute!" She suddenly glared at Ash. "Why didn't you tell me about Gible sooner? I want to meet him!"

Ash laughed. "I didn't mention him because I knew you were going to obsess over him. Besides, I don't think such a meeting would go well."

Iris's glare softened to confusion. "Why? You know I love dragon types, I come from the Village of Dragons, Gible and I would get along great."

Dawn smiled as Ash shook his head helplessly. "You would probably get bitten the moment you got close to him."

Iris looked at her. "Why? Gible doesn't seem like a mean Pokemon."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "He's not. Gible, as previously mentioned, has a large appetite, and he's also not all that bright. As a result..." she trailed off.

Ash picked up the sentence. "As a result, Gible will bite anything. I had toothmarks on my head for months after getting Gible, because he kept latching onto my head. Seriously, my hat still has holes in it. He can't even tell the difference between what is food and what isn't. He also doesn't like to let go once he has something in his mouth. He once nearly drowned because he was too busy chewing on a rock."

Dawn giggled. "I lost track of the times Ash had to stop Gible from eating his food dish along with his food. Sometimes he could get there in time, sometimes..." she trailed off again.

Ash hung his head. "Not."

Cilan quickly stepped up beside Max and held his stomach. "I think I'm going to be ill."

Max simply shook his head and smiled. "Remind me not to tell you about my sister's Munchlax."

Finally, the group arrived at Professor Juniper's campsite. Three tents had been set up already, along with a diner table and a ring of stones for a camp fire. The group stood at the edge of the clearing, surprised at the simplicity.

Max looked around. "Whoa. Professor Birch doesn't usually bring this much gear with him. Most of the time he just has a camera and a notebook."

Ash smiled. "Hello! Anyone here!" he hollered.

The flap of one of the tents opened, and Professor Juniper stepped out. "Ash! Cilan! Iris! Welcome to our current base camp. My assistants are just out getting some fire wood. How are you?" She paused for a moment. "And who are your new friends?"

Dawn grinned at the tall Professor. "Hi. My name's Dawn. I'm a Pokemon Coordinator, from Twinleaf Town in the Sinnoh region. It's very nice to meet you." She glanced upwards. "And if he would wake up for a moment, you could meet my partner, Piplup." Reaching up, she prodded the Penguin Pokemon in the side. Blinking sleepily, Piplup yawned and stared forward. He blinked as he realized he was looking at someone's chest, then looked up. "Pip?" (Wha...?) Shaking his head, he slid down to stand on Dawn's backpack. "Piplup." (Hello.) He waved up at the Professor.

Max rolled his eyes. "I'm Max, and I'm just a normal Trainer. I'm from Petalburg City, in the Hoenn region. Nice to meet you." He reached around and cradled Ralts's head, who leaned back to get a clear view. "And this is my partner, Ralts."

Ralts continued to stare at the Professor's chest. Unh, she's too tall. I can't see her face. She vanished in a flash of light as she teleported onto Juniper's shoulder. "Ral ralts." (That's better.) She tilted her head back again as the Professor looked at her in surprise.

"Well, it's nice to meet you all too. These are some very interesting Pokemon you have." She smiled as Ralts teleported back to Max's shoulder. "Come on, my assistants will be back soon. Cilan, I must admit, I'm looking forward to trying your cooking again. Though I am curious as which 'friend' Ash was referring to that I should be concerned about." She glanced at Max. "It wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"

Max smiled and shook his head. "Nope, not me."

Dawn giggled. "You'll meet him in a moment. Right now, what can we do to help out?"

Cilan smiled. "Well, since I seem to be the appointed cook, all I need is a fire, and I can get started."

"I think we might be able to help with that." The group turned and looked as a pair of men in lab coats, each carrying armfuls of wood, walked into the camp. Juniper smiled. "Ah, good, you're back. Greg, Charlie, you remember Ash and his friends. These two are Dawn and Max, from the Sinnoh and Hoenn region respectively. Set those down there, and we'll get everyone set up."

Within a few minutes everything was ready. Iris and Max helped set out sleeping bags for everyone, while Cilan, with the help of Dawn, started on a meal. Ash and Pignite were working on the fire.

Cilan smiled as he stirred the pot. "So, what exactly are Poffins? I noticed that your Pachirisu seemed especially fond of them."

Dawn smiled in return as she sliced up a set of carrots. "Poffins are a kind of baked treat, invented in Sinnoh. Coordinators use them to help improve the condition of their Pokemon. They're also really good treats in general, and I'm pretty good at making them myself." She paused for a moment as she thought. "Actually, I'm getting kind of low, and I think the ones I do have are starting to get stale. How about I teach you how to make them tomorrow?"

Cilan bowed his head to her. "I would be delighted. A good chef is always eager to learn new recipes."

Max settled down next to the fire. "So that's a Pignite, huh?" He looked across at Ash, who seemed preoccupied. "Ash? Hello?"

Ash blinked and turned to Max. "Huh? Oh, sorry Max. Musta dozed off or something." He turned and looked across at Dawn. Okay, so it wasn't entirely true. I don't know what's going on, but I can't take my eyes off her. She's even more beautiful than I remember. When did she get so damn beautiful?

"Ash!"

He blinked again. "Yeah, what is it Max?"

Max sighed in exasperation. "I would like to know about your Pokemon. I can tell that Pignite is a fire type."

Ash grinned. Man, what is getting into me? "Sorry. Yeah, Pignite's a fire and fighting type. He evolved from Tepig a while back, and he's one of the stronger members of my team." Pignite snorted happily at the complement, and blew another short stream of fire from his nose into the camp fire.

Max smiled. "Cool. He looks tough as well. What other Pokemon do you have?"

Ash grinned. "Hang on a second." He turned around. "Hey, Dawn!"

She looked up after sliding another row of sliced vegetables into Cilan's pot. "What?"

Ash smirked at her. "Whaddya say we let everyone out, huh? I'm sure the Pokemon would like the fresh air, and it'll give Professor Juniper a chance to see what Pokemon you and Max brought with you."

Dawn smiled happily. "That's a great idea." She laid the knife down. "Excuse me Cilan. This'll just take a second." Pulling her five other Pokeballs from the holder on her waist, she grinned as she tossed them into the air. "Come on out guys! We've got a bunch new friends to meet!"

The five spheres that hovered in the air cracked open, illuminating the camp as her five other Pokemon appeared. Quilava stretched out his long body, and flames erupted from the vents on his head and rear. Buneary flexed her ears and straightened her vest. Pachirisu spun in circles, chattering excitedly, only to be hushed by Togekiss. Mamoswine towered over the group, his eyes widening as he took in the campsite. Piplup rushed over to the group, taking up a position next to Buneary.

Buneary noticed Ash, and immediately looked around. "Bun buneary?" (Where's Pikachu?) She squeaked when Ash's partner looked up from beside Ash. "Buneary!" (Pikachu!)

A look of panic crossed Pikachu's face. "Pika pikachu pika chupi!" (Oh come on, not this again!) The pair rushed around the camp, Pikachu ducking and weaving around bags, tents and legs, Buneary hopping in hot pursuit.

Dawn laughed. "Buneary, come here, leave Pikachu alone. You're going to get your vest dirty!" Buneary skidded to a stop, hopped over to Dawn's bag, carefully folded her vest on top of it, then took off in pursuit of Pikachu again.

Ash sighed. "Sorry, guys. Buneary's had this huge crush on Pikachu ever since they met." He stood up and pulled four of his own Pokeballs from his belt. "Your turn, guys. Come on out!" Tossing the balls into the air, the camp was illuminated again as the streaks of light formed Snivy, Oshawott, Scraggy, and Boldore. Pikachu shot underneath Boldore, who raised a leg in surprise. He received a second surprise when Buneary, who wasn't watching where she was going, smacked straight into him. Snivy sighed and extended a vine, both to help Buneary to her feet and to restrain her. Pikachu collapsed on the ground. "Pika." (Thanks.) Snivy sighed resignedly. "Snivy." (Don't mention it.)

Max grinned. "Wow, Buneary must really have a serious crush on Pikachu." He pulled a pair of Pokeballs from his own belt. "Our turn, guys." He tossed them into the air, a pair of flashes formed the shapes of the slumbering Slakoth and stoic Golett.

Ash grinned. "Whoa, you have a Golett? Man, that's awesome. He's shiny too."

Max smiled happily. "Yep. He's the first Pokemon I caught on my own. He also has this rare ability called No Guard."

Professor Juniper looked up from her close examination of Togekiss. "Golett has No Guard? You are lucky, Max. Finding a Pokemon with a hidden ability is extremely rare."

Cilan and Iris both smiled. "We should probably let our own Pokemon out, give everyone a chance to meet everyone." Cilan commented as he pulled his three Pokeballs out. "Say hello, everyone!" Three flashs of light formed into Pansage, Crustle, and Stunfisk. Crustle slumbered inside his rock shell, while Pansage happily greeted the newcomers.

Iris pulled out two of her own Pokeballs. "You too guys!" A pair of flashes formed into Emolga and Excadrill, who immediately noticed the sizeable Mamoswine. The pair stared each other down, then Excadrill turned away and inspected Golett, who gazed sightlessly.

Pikachu waved to Emolga, bringing her over to Pachirisu. "Pika pika pikachu, pika pichu." (This is Pachirisu, he's an electric type like us.)

Emolga smiled and winked at the small blue and white Pokemon. "Emol emolga." (Hi there.)

Pachirisu smiled back. "Pachipachipa!" (Ohwowyouarereallycuteit'snicetomeetyou!)

Emolga looked at the excited Elesquirrel blankly, then turned to Pikachu. "Emol?" (What?)

Pikachu rubbed his head sheepishly. "Pi, pika pikachu pika." (Yeah, he's kinda overcharged, if you know what I mean.)

Togekiss fluttered over. "Toooooooooooge, togekiss." (I'm sorry for Pachirisu, he's kind of excitable. Even we have trouble understanding him sometimes.) She laid her wing on Pachirisu's head. "Tooge toge togekiss." (I told you you need to slow down, dear.)

Pachirisu nodded, his large tail twitching. "Pachipachipachipachipachipa!" (Iknowbutthere'salotofnewPokemonhereandI'mjustsoexcitedtomeetthem!)

Emolga gave him another blank look. "Emol emolga ga emol." (You really are overcharged, aren't you.)

Ash knelt in front of Quilava. "So Cyndaquil evolved into Quilava, did he? You look a lot stronger now. I bet you could seriously rock a battle." Quilava smiled as Ash rubbed the fur on his head. "Quilava, lavalava qui." (It's great to see you too Ash.)

As the other Pokemon ran their own introductions, Professor Juniper smiled. "Well, I would have to say that this is a record. I'm glad you guys decided to join us."

Dawn and Max nodded. "It's great to be here two, Professor." Dawn answered. "Getting an opportunity to see so many different Pokemon, Pokemon that I've seen before, it's really cool."

Ash grinned. "Hey Max. While we're waiting for the food to get ready, why don't we have that battle now?"

Professor Juniper smiled. "Always raring for a battle, aren't you Ash."

Max smiled at her. "It's not just that. The last time Ash and I saw each other, we were traveling through Kanto with Brock and my sister, May. When we each went our separate ways, Ash promised me that when I became a Trainer, we would have a battle, me and him."

Ash clapped the younger Trainer on the shoulder. "And I always keep my promises. Of course, I also promise not to go easy on you, you know. I fully intend to win."

Max grinned up at him. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Lets make this a full battle Ash. I want to get an opportunity to use all my Pokemon."

Ash nodded. "Of course." He turned to Professor Juniper. "Would mind judging for us Professor? It'll give you a chance to see what Ralts and Slakoth can do."

Professor Juniper nodded. "I would love to."

Max ran over to his Pokemon. "Obviously, you know who I'm going to use, Ash. And you have to use Pikachu."

Pikachu jumped up on Ash's shoulder as he examined his team. "Hmm. Alright. I'll use Scraggy and Boldore. You ready guys?" Scraggy pulled up the loose skin that formed his 'pants' and clenched his fist. "Scraggy!" (Bring it!) Boldore calmly stepped up next to him. A surprisingly high voice issued from somewhere inside him. "Boldore." (I'm ready.)

The pair set up in a clearing, their Pokemon arrayed behind them. Max managed to rouse Slakoth, who blearily looked out. "I'll use Slakoth first. You ready?"

Ash nodded. "Boldore is ready to go." The hefty Ore Pokemon gazed across at the Slacker Pokemon. "You go first."

Max smiled. "Slakoth, try a Slash attack." Slakoth pushed himself up, his eyes narrowing. The pair of claws on his left hand glowed, and he lunged forward with surprising speed, raking them across Boldore's face. The rock type Pokemon didn't even budge.

Ash smiled back. "Boldore, Sandstorm." Boldore stabbed one spike-like foot into the ground, and a whirlwind of side spun up around the pair of Pokemon. Slakoth flew backwards, bouncing off the ground. His eyes took on a sleepy look.

Ash grinned. "You'll have to do better than that, Max. Boldore is a rock type, and he has massive defensive abilities. It'll take more than a Slash to break through him. And I happen to know Slakoth's ability, Truant. So I get a free attack. Boldore, Rock Blast!" The ridge of rock between Boldore's ears glowed silver, and several crescent shaped blasts of energy shot out. The blasts smashed into Slakoth, sending him bouncing even further backwards.

Max smiled. "I've taken Slakoth's ability into account, Ash. You know me better than that. And I know how best to counter a rock type. Slakoth, Brick Break!" Slakoth's eyes took on an aggressive look, and he pushed himself up again. This time his whole arm glowed white, and he leaped forward again, swinging his arm down like a hammer.

Ash grinned. "Boldore, intercept it with Rock Smash." Boldore's leg glowed red, and he raised it into the air, stabbing forward. The two attacks struck each other, each trying to overpower the other. The competition ended shortly, and Boldore thrust his leg forward, sending Slakoth bouncing along the ground again. Once again, Slakoth took on a sleepy look.

Max gritted his teeth in frustration. "Man, Boldore is powerful. Slakoth was completely overmatched." Ralts hugged his leg. Perhaps Golett would be more suitable. It possesses much more strength, and he's a ground type, a better match against Boldore. Max shook his head. "No, I'm saving him."

Ash continued grinning. "I'll tell ya, teaching Slakoth Brick Break is a good strategy. He's going to be a real wrecking ball when he evolves into Vigoroth. But he still can't compete with Boldore's power. Boldore, Rock Blast again!" Again, Slakoth was battered by multiple shots of energy, sending him tumbling along the ground.

Max groaned. "Slakoth, can you keep going?" Slakoth wearily pushed himself up, his eyes once again becoming energetic. "Slaaaaaakoth." (I'll sleep after this.) Max grinned. "Don't count Slakoth out just yet, Ash. We've got one more surprise. Slakoth, Endeavor!" Narrowing his eyes, Slakoth leaped forward, clamping his claws onto Boldore's two front legs. Red light streamed from Slakoth's body through his arms into Boldore, who suddenly sagged, massively tired.

Ash frowned. "Endeavor? What does..." His eyes widened. "Oh no, Boldore!"

Iris turned to Cilan questioningly. "What does Endeavor do again?"

Cilan smiled with admiration. "Endeavor is a move inflicts the same amount of damage on your opponent as you have received. Slakoth's taking a pretty powerful beating from Boldore, so he's feeling really weak."

Dawn watched closely. "And now, Boldore is just as weak. Wow, Max must have chosen to learn Endeavor to take advantage of the fact that Slakoth's Truant ability causes him to take large amounts of damage from not being able to attack as often."

Ash chuckled. "Man, I did not see that coming, Max. That was a cool strategy."

Max smiled proudly. "How do you think I beat Roxanne's Geodude, and weakened her Nosepass? I am a Gym Leader's son you know. I take battle strategy seriously."

Ash grinned. "But you forgot something, Max. You may have weakened Boldore, he can still deal out some powerful attacks. Boldore, Flash Cannon!" Boldore steadied himself on his three legs, and concentrated. Energy flowed from the core inside his body, causing the crystals growing out of him to glow. A silvery point of light formed between his eyes, rapidly growing larger. Ash's grin grew wider. "Boldore has a large core of energy inside his body, and he uses it to make really powerful attacks, especially his Flash Cannon attack. Boldore, let him have it!"

Max's eyes widened as he realized that Slakoth was still standing directly in front of Boldore, and that his Truant ability would stop him from being able to move fast enough to dodge. "Slakoth, no!"

A bright silver beam blasted outward, catching Slakoth full in the chest. The powerful attack shot him backwards across the field, blurring past Max, and finally smashing into a tree at the edge of the clearing. The beam dissipated, and Slakoth slumped forward on the ground, utterly dazed.

Professor Juniper raised her hand. "Slakoth is unable to battle! Boldore wins!"

Max rushed over and picked up Slakoth. "Aw, man." He sighed. "It's okay, Slakoth, you did awesome. Take a long rest." Slakoth smiled, and promptly shut his eyes. Within seconds his breathing softened, signalling his departure to dreamland. Max laid him by his backpack, then returned to the battlefield. Max sighed, then grinned at Ash. "Okay, so I may have messed up there. But it was a good strategy."

Ash nodded. "Yep. He's going to be a really powerful Pokemon. All you gotta do is train. Who's next?"

Max gestured behind him. "That would be Golett. You ready?" Golett stepped forward, the unintelligible grating of his voice echoing from within his body. The Automaton Pokemon was an intimidating sight. His dark grey and black body was barely visible in the dim light as the sun sank below the horizon, and were it not for the green energy the glowed in his eyes and body, he might have been invisible entirely.

Dawn shivered slightly. "I would hate to have to meet him in a dark alley. Talk about scary."

Ash grinned. "Golett looks tough. I'm looking forward to this battle."

Max simply smiled. "Looks like I go first. Golett, Iron Defense." Planting his feet wide, Golett leaned forward and planted his fist in the ground, forming a tri-pod with his body. The rocky surface of his body took on a shiny gleam, reflecting the flickering light from the fire.

Ash smirked. "Still dedicated to defense, huh? Boldore, Rock Blast!" Planting his three feet, Boldore fired a volley of blasts at Golett.

Green light shimmered around Golett's body, immobilizing him. The barrage of Rock Blasts thudded into his body, exploding against him, enveloping him in smoke. As Boldore stopped firing, the smoke cleared, revealing an unmoved Golett. Barely a mark marred his body.

Ash frowned. "Whoa, he is tough."

Max grinned. "Golett, Iron Defense again." The shine on Golett's dark body became more pronounced, the reflection of the fire growing slightly more clear.

Ash's frown deepened. "Boldore, Flash Cannon." A bright silver beam blasted from in front of Boldore's face. Again, a green light covered Golett's body, stopping him from moving. The powerful beam smashed into his body, but still failed to move him.

Now it was Max's turn to smirk. "Ya know, Ash, I like your style. You come straight at your opponent with everything you've got, never giving an inch. You always have some trick up your sleeve, sometimes by plan, sometimes on a whim." His smirk turned into a grin. "But that's not my style. I improve my Pokemon's defense, to wear down my opponent, then deliver a powerful attack to bowl them over. I'm happy that I caught Golett, because he suits my style perfectly." He threw out his hand. "Golett, Dynamic Punch!" Golett's eyes glowed brighter, and the light surrounding his body faded, reappearing around Boldore's body, immobilizing him. Golett pushed himself up, his fist becoming covered in a red glow. Running forward, Golett swung around and smashed his fist straight into Boldore's face.

A cracking sound echoed through the air, and Boldore was thrown backwards by the blow. Crashing into the ground, he carved a trench several feet through the dirt before coming to a rest. The crystals on the bottom of his body grew dim, and his legs collapsed to the ground.

Professor Juniper raised her hand. "Boldore is unable to battle. Golett wins!"

Iris stared in shock. "Whoa, down in one hit?"

Cilan shook his head in disbelief. "Amazing. Golett's power is incredible. He shrugged off Boldore's attack like they were nothing, and then delivered a powerful blow to end the fight. This is definitely a new and interesting flavour."

Dawn shook her head. "Boldore had been weakened from his fight against Slakoth, that's why Golett was able to beat him so easily. If Boldore had been fighting fresh, Golett wouldn't have had so easy." Come on, Ash, I know you. You can beat Max. You always find a way to win. She gazed at him worriedly.

Ash stared at the fallen Boldore, surprise stamped across his face. "Damn." he uttered quietly. Walking over, he patted the ridge of rock on Boldore's face. You did great, Boldore."

Golett walked over and grasped a pair of ridges on Boldore's body. A hollow grating sound filled the air, and he pulled Boldore from the ground, rolling him onto his feet. Boldore's legs wavered for a moment, then steadied.

Ash smiled. "Thanks, Golett." He turned to Boldore. "Thank you, you battled really well. Why don't you go rest by the fire." Slowly, Boldore joined the other Pokemon, settling down right against edge of the ring of stones, his back to the flames. Ash stood and faced Max, then chuckled. "Alright, I gotta admit, Max, I underestimated you. Golett is really tough, and he fits you perfectly." Turning, he grinned. "Pikachu, what do you say we handle this together?"

Pikachu smiled and clenched his small fist. "Pika pika, pikapi." (You and me, Ash.) Bounding out onto the make-shift battlefield, he gave Golett a determined look.

Max grinned as he pushed up his glasses. "Your move."

Ash smiled. "Pikachu and me, we can handle anything. Thunderbolt!" Focusing, Pikachu clenched the electric sacs in his cheeks, causing a field of electricity to form around his body. Golett leaned forward and planted his fist in the ground, waiting for the attack. Green light surrounded his body. Pikachu concentrated further, and a crackling bolt of electricity blasted towards Golett, crashing into his body.

Golett didn't even flinch. Max smirked. "Golett is a ghost and ground type. Which means the only move that Pikachu can use is Iron Tail, because Thunderbolt, Electroball, and Quick Attack won't have any effect. Golett, Shadow Punch."

Green light surrounded Pikachu's body as Golett straightened. Violet energy covered Golett's fist, forming a copy of his fist as he swung it forward. The shadowy fist smacked into Pikachu's face, hurling him backwards. Bouncing several times on the ground, Pikachu came to rest, then struggled to his feet.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Pikachu, you okay?" Pikachu ground his own teeth, and sparks of electricity crackled from his cheeks. "Pika, chu." (It's, on.) Ash growled. "Alright, Iron Tail!" A silvery metallic sheen covered Pikachu's tail, and Golett planted his fist in the ground again, immobilized by green light. Leaping into the air, Pikachu spun around and slammed his tail into Golett's shoulder. A ringing sound filled the air, and he bounced off.

Max's smirk grew more pronounced. "And thanks to Iron Defense, Iron Tail doesn't do much damage either."

Pikachu landed on the ground, more sparks coming out of his cheeks. Ash gritted his teeth. Man, I can't get past this guy.

Max held out his hand. "Golett, give a Rollout attack!" Green light locked onto Pikachu's body, and Golett jumped into the air, wrapping his arms around his body as he spun at high speed. Crashing into the ground, he shot towards Pikachu at breakneck speed, who was straining against the light that trapped him. Plowing into Pikachu's smaller body, Golett sent the Mouse Pokemon flying. Pikachu crashed into the ground, then slowly climbed to his feet. Green light surrounded Golett's body, causing him to spin in place.

Iris bit her lip. "Doesn't Rollout attack continuously, getting stronger with each hit?"

Cilan nodded. "Yes, it does. I'm afraid I don't know how Ash will be able to overcome this. Golett's power is formidable, as is his defense. And with his No Guard ability, Pikachu won't be able to dodge or block Golett's attacks."

Dawn anxiously bit her lip. "Come on, Ash. You can do this." she whispered.

Ash gritted his teeth. Come on, come on. There's gotta be something, there's always something. How do you dodge something when you can't move while they're moving? Glancing to the side, he noticed Dawn looking at him. Huh. I never noticed how firelight reflected off of those hair clips of hers. It kind of makes them look molten.

Dawn felt herself transfixed by Ash's gaze. Gosh, I can't get enough of those eyes. It's like he always knows what I'm thinking. Like sun-warmed earth. And the way his hat sits just right on his head, how he hides behind it when he doesn't want you to know he's sad. How he smiles when he's up to something. How could I not have realized how much I loved him?

Ash could feel his mind drawing a blank, her blue eyes drawing him away from reality. How is she able to do that? What is it about her? She can alway's guess when I'm doing something, even before I know. He blinked. Wait. Before I...

Dawn sucked in a breath as she saw a familiar grin appear on his face, for just a fleeting moment. He winked at her, and she felt like someone had sucker punched her. He's got something, I know it. I know that look. "Go get him Ash!"

What does Ash have up his sleeve now? What clever inspiration has Dawn inspired in him? Who will win, Ash, or Max? When will I ever get around to the thrilling and lovingly romantic first climax of the story? Will I stop talking now and get on the next chapter?

Guess you will have to wait, because I wanted to try a cliffhanger while I prepare the next chapter. Sue me. This was getting kind of long. Thirty pages in Pages is a lot.