AN: So sorry it's been so long since I updated...again. I actually suffer from depression and anxiety and besides that, I am very busy, but I swear someday this thing will be finished. I do not own Pokemon.

CHAPTER 4

Bright and early the next day, Snowdrop, Victoria, and I set out on the long trek past Santalune and towards Lumiose City, the grand center of Kalos. Even back home, I had heard tales of the amazing restaurants and boutiques that could be found in Lumiose, the largest city in any known region, so despite my (albeit lessening) resentment towards my new home, I was anticipating my first visit to a major city center very much.

There wasn't much variety in the trainers along the route. Everyone either had Pikachus, Corphishes, or annoying Bug types. There was one poor sap of a little boy who was stuck with a Magikarp, though...I sent out Victoria to give him the type advantage and he still lost to a Flame Charge attack. However, after the Flame Charge, Victoria was still glowing…

The younger boy I had just beaten stared in wonder.

"Did Magikarp finally take out an opponent?!" he shouted with glee.

I glowered at him. "No, and that likely won't happen for a damn long time. But I'm not sure what's happening either." After the glowing faded, the Victoria I'd known these past few weeks was no more. She was now much taller, with her lower fur resembling a skirt, the red tufts in her ears now overgrown and lying almost at her shoulders and, to my great amusement, a stick in her tail.

"Wow! It evolved! That's even cooler than my Magikarp beating it!" crowed my former opponent in excitement. I facepalmed. Of course she evolved, stupid. She's got enough experience by now and you remember seeing Dad's Pidgeotto evolve when you were younger and what that was like.

I checked my Pokedex, trying to look more experienced than I felt. "So your species name is Braixen now, I see. And it also looks like you learned Psybeam. Great job, Victoria!" She beamed at my attention and hopped up and down, the stick bobbling in a rather undignified manner. I couldn't help laughing and sharing in her joy.

"Okay, that's enough now, hon," I chuckled, and recalled her. "Thanks, kid," I added, turning to the boy with the Magikarp, who had helped her evolve, and shook his tiny hand. "Pro tip, if anyone ever offers you an Everstone, don't take it."

As I finally walked across the last bit of Route 4, I was greeted by two oddly dressed people all dressed in white, both with purple hair. They introduced themselves as Sina and Dexio, Professor Sycamore's assistants, and invited me to come with them to his lab. I figured it was only fair to thank the man who had already changed my life so drastically, whom I had never even met in person, so I said sure and we walked along South Boulevard. It was impossible not to be distracted by such a bustling city...Pokemon walked along freely, people sat outside of cafes talking about who knew what, everyone was dressed so fashionably...I couldn't wait to explore it for myself! At least, I couldn't until Sina informed me that the majority of the city was shut down due to a blackout. Disappointed as I was, I was happy that I could at least explore Lumiose's main street.

Finally, we arrived at the lab. Thanking the oddly dressed assistants for their help in getting to the lab, I took the elevator to the third floor to be greeted by yet another man dressed in a white lab coat with crazy purple hair. Did he force his children to be his assistants? I sure hope not, for their sake…

"Hello!" the man said excitedly, and ran over and shook my hand. "I'm Professor Sycamore, and it's so great to finally meet you! At first, I only wanted to give a Pokemon to one child in Vaniville Town, the son of a couple of veteran trainers I know, but when I heard the great Rhyhorn racer, Grace, was moving to Kalos as well, I knew you had the potential to be a great trainer of one of my starter Pokemon, too!"

He means Calem, I immediately thought, with somewhat of a chill. All I have to back me up is a Rhyhorn racing mother and a father who...well...not like Calem's parents at all, surely. However, the professor ripped me out of my reverie with, "How about a battle? I want to see how you've been raising the Pokemon I gave you!"

I looked at the professor, utterly perplexed. Surely his Pokemon were far more advanced in both experience and movepool than either of mine. "Don't worry!" he assured me, clearly reading my facial expression. "Just so you know, I'm not that good!"

Yeah, and Shauna isn't the most annoying girl who's ever lived, either, I responded mentally, sending out Snowdrop to fight whoever the first opponent was. The professor sent out a welcome, familiar face in an unfamiliar land - a small green dinosaur with purple markings and a sprout growing out of its back. "Bulbasaur!" it cried almost in unison with me, relieved to see that I had not totally left my heritage behind.

However, now I had a bigger problem - Snowdrop was at a double type disadvantage, and I didn't want to look like an idiot in front of the professor. "Um, Snowdrop, try a Rollout attack," I suggested. Snowdrop gave me a look that clearly wondered why I wasn't switching him out, but he started rolling in place to charge up regardless.

"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" the professor responded, but with Snowdrop rolling at such a crazed speed by now, the seed merely bounced off his body due to the intense friction from the Rollout. "Snowdrop, go! Try to take out the Bulbasaur in one hit!" Snowdrop definitely hit the little plant Pokemon hard, but it was still standing with a considerable amount of battle left in it at the end of the attack.

"Vine Whip!" the professor retorted, and Snowdrop squealed in pain as it was continually hit by super effective Grass attacks from the small dinosaur, unable to counterattack with anything that would hurt his opponent. I winced, pulling out the Marill's Pokeball to recall him, but he shook his head vigorously, hissing, "MARILL!"

To my great astonishment, he too began glowing a bright white like Victoria had earlier. Mesmerized, I watched as Snowdrop grew no less round, but quite a bit taller, and with bunny ears now rather than mouse-like ones. "Azumarill!" he cried out with pride, and then turned to smirk at his now much smaller opponent, who shivered a bit at the prospect of battling a fully-evolved Pokemon, even if strong against its attacks.

I suppose I shouldn't be THAT surprised that Snowdrop evolved; he's around the same strength as Victoria and I did get them around the same time...wonder if he's learned any new attacks? Quickly pulling out my Pokedex to consult it, I countered the professor's next Vine Whip with an Aqua Jet straight to the Bulbasaur's bulb, and after a well-aimed Play Rough at its head, the little dinosaur, who had seemed like an enormous threat just 3 minutes ago, was out cold.

"Excellent job, Serena!" the professor called to me cheerfully, recalling his Pokemon. It was almost as if he had not lost. "Go, Squirtle!" he called out next, releasing - what else? - a small blue turtle with large purple eyes.

"Snowdrop, you can stay in to battle this one. Use Play Rough!"

The little turtle was clearly unprepared for a much stronger opponent, as he squealed in pain while being pummeled in all directions by the strong fists and tail of my aqua rabbit. Even while using Withdraw and hiding in his shell, I did considerable damage. After using one sad attempt at a Bubble attack, Squirtle too had been taken down. In response, Professor Sycamore recalled him and released a small, bald orange lizard with a flickering flame at the end of its tail - a Charmander.

Feeling a bit guilty at the large advantage I had clearly had over my previous opponent, I recalled Snowdrop and complimented him on his bravery in battle as always, then released my Braixen. "Fight fire with fire, right? Victoria, take this little one down!"

Both Pokemon looked amazed to see a starter of their same type and, after briefly sizing each other up, bared their fangs at each other, ready to show off for their home regions. I chuckled, but my facial expression did not change from a stoic battle stance as I ordered, "Victoria, Psybeam!" From the stick in her fur skirt, Victoria hurled a pink beam of energy towards the little Charmander, who was not quick enough to dodge and, I noted with enthusiasm, had become confused. Despite Professor Sycamore's repeated urgings to use a Scratch attack, the little lizard merely sat on the floor and repeatedly tried to bite his own tail. Fighting back snickers, I ordered Victoria to use Flame Charge to speed up and then finish the Charmander with another Psybeam, and that was exactly what she did.

Recalling his last Pokemon, Professor Sycamore shook my hand vigorously. "You have clearly become quite the Trainer. Congratulations to your Azumarill on evolving, and your Braixen for winning that last match." I grinned in response; the professor may have been a bit scatterbrained, but he was a nice guy if nothing else.

My companions, Shauna and Calem (it felt a bit generous to call them "friends" at this point) arrived at roughly the same time this incidence occurred. "Wow, Seesee, you beat the professor?" squealed Shauna. "That's incredible!" After apologizing to the professor for keeping him waiting, Calem tilted his head at me, narrowing his eyes in veiled interest. What is that guy's problem, anyway?

"Now, as a reward for beating me, I would like you to have one of the Pokemon I battled you with! Another rare starter from the Kanto region for you, so to speak." I was speechless at the professor's generosity, but I already knew which one I wanted - the one whose familiarity made me feel comfortable in battle. And who, to boot, was a Grass type, which was not something I yet had in my party.

"Thank you so much, Professor. I'll take the Bulbasaur you offered, and I think I'll call him Ivy." After healing the Bulbasaur with some medicine on hand, the professor handed me his Pokeball, and then offered the other two to Shauna and Calem, who both shyly picked one and thanked the professor again for helping us along on our journey.

Releasing the Bulbasaur, I happily informed him that his new name was Ivy and he was going to be my third Pokemon. Ivy looked none too pleased, I assume because he had just been defeated in battle. I hadn't ever considered a Pokemon not wanting to be part of my team - probably because so far, all the ones I had had chosen to come with me. "I'll take you out for a few special training sessions over the next few days to get you caught up," I assured the little dinosaur, "and if you want, you can eventually have a rematch with Snowdrop. I'm sure it'll be a much better match after you and I get stronger together." Ivy nodded sharply and, not knowing what else to say but hopeful that we were now in a good place, I recalled him.

"Since you chose Bulbasaur, I'll give you this Mega Stone. Hopefully everyone else will show up soon," Professor Sycamore added, handing me a green-and-violet marbled stone, and then handing Shauna and Calem similarly patterned stones. I stared at mine in wonder. What will I be able to help Ivy do with this, I wonder?!

True to form, everyone's favorite test-taking nerd and dancer burst through the doors at that moment. "Hi, Professor Sycamore!" Tierno called cheerfully.

"What's this?" asked Trevor in confusion. "Everyone is already here."

"Wonderful! Everyone's all here!" exclaimed Professor Sycamore. "I would like to say a few words: be the best trainer you can be, and make sure to have fun with your Pokemon! I also would like to ask for your help in solving Kalos' mystery of Mega Evolution, which occurs in battle. That's why I gave out those stones just now - they are important clues!" Everyone's eyes, including mine, grew wide with curiosity and excitement.

"Mega Evolution? What do we do about the Pokedex?" Trevor questioned worriedly. I resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Trevor, my boy, if that's what being the best trainer means to you, then by all means, go out there and complete it," the professor replied gently.

"Best trainer...if only that involved dancing, then I might have a chance," muttered Tierno.

"Well, I think that mastering Mega Evolution will set me apart from other trainers and make me special!" exclaimed Calem. He seemed very fired up by the idea, and we couldn't help but share in his enthusiasm.

"You should check out Camphrier Town if you're investigating Mega Evolution for me," the professor suggested. "That town has a lot of history! I also want to advise you, first and foremost, that you will meet many people with many different ways of life and thinking on your Pokemon journeys. Accept them even if they may conflict with your own views. Think about what's really important to you. Then your horizons will truly broaden."

After thanking the professor for my new Pokemon, my mysterious new stone, and the words of wisdom, the squad and I got up to leave. As we made our way downstairs, however, I was stopped by a very tall, well-dressed man with long, fiery orange hair flowing down his back.

"Oh! You've received a Pokedex from the Professor!" he exclaimed. "So you are one of the chosen ones." Chosen ones? What is this dude on? I thought. It's not like we're part of some prophecy or anything...

"My name is Lysandre," the orange-haired man explained further. "I've tried to learn as much about Pokémon as I can to help build a brighter future. The professor has taught me so much. Oh, I see you have a Holo Caster!" he exclaimed further. "Knowledge is power, after all. Put it to good use. Now listen! It is vital that this world become a better place. And the people and Pokémon chosen to make the world better must work tirelessly to achieve this goal. Well, I'll be off. Please give Professor Sycamore my best. My desire…it is for a more beautiful world!"

Well, that was awfully weird, I thought as the man walked out of the lab. He was pretty passionate about his beliefs. Maybe this is what the professor meant by accepting the views of those who are different than us.

My companions followed downstairs, but I only noticed when Calem snapped me out of my thoughts by tapping me on the shoulder. "Hey, there's something I want to talk to you about. Meet me at Cafe Soleil, okay?" And with that, he was off and down the street.

"I wonder what Calem wants to talk about. Why couldn't he just use the Holo Caster?" Trevor asked Tierno, somewhat resentfully.

"No clue, but it seems hush-hush. I AM curious, but we should probably stay out of it," Tierno replied. I sent a harsh glare in their direction and they both shut up pretty quick. Trevor darted out the door and down the street - I think the poor thing had had enough social interaction for about a week.

"Hey Seesee, to get to Camphrier Town, leave the lab, turn left, and then go straight," Tierno offered timidly. "That Cafe Soleil that Calem mentioned is that way too."

I felt a twinge of guilt that they felt left out, seeing how Tierno tried so hard to earn my approval back. I put a hand on his shoulder and genuinely thanked him for his help, and he seemed to brighten up before dashing off in the same direction Trevs had. Shauna, oblivious to the tension as always, simply announced that she would be going to the PR Video Studio (and no, I don't know what any of that means) and that she would see us soon.

After about a 15 minute walk, I made it to what looked like a cafe with a red roof, but what further confirmed it was the correct location was Calem lounging outside at a table. "Come with me for a second," he beckoned, and the two of us walked inside only to stop dead in our tracks.

"Oh, it's Lysandre and...is that Diantha?!" he practically squealed. I gave him a withering look before he quickly explained, "Lysandre is the head of Lysandre Labs, which created the Holo Caster, a video messaging device. You already know about Diantha, right? She is one of the most famous movie stars in the world, after all. I wonder what the two of them are doing here together."

So that's why he was so excited I had a Holo Caster. Typical egotistical male. As the conversation grew more heated, though, we didn't have to pretend not to be eavesdropping.

"You played a young girl so wonderfully in your debut on the silver screen. Wouldn't you rather remain young and beautiful forever and always play such roles?" Lysandre practically bellowed.

"What a strange question...why would I want to play the same old roles forever?" Diantha replied. "Youth may be beautiful, but it's not all there is to life. Everything changes. I want to live and change like that, too. So I look forward to playing different roles as I get older."

Lysandre pressed, "You were chosen to be a movie star, correct? Isn't it your duty to be ever beautiful? Everything beautiful should stay that way forever. I would make this world unchanging and eternal so all beauty will last forever. I would end the world in an instant so that beauty never fades."

A cold chill ran down my spine at that last statement. I'm beginning to think this guy is a few Pokemon short of a full team…

In that same instant, Lysandre turned to notice me, and I tried my best not to look rattled. "Oh, hello, Serena. This is Diantha, one of the most accomplished movie stars in Kalos. She moves the multitudes with her excellent acting, which is to say, she dedicates her life to making other people happy. Oh! If only everyone were like her, what a beautiful world this would be! If you'll excuse me." He pushed past us without another word and left the cafe.

Clearly trying to pretend nothing had happened, Diantha politely inquired, "And who are you two?" She was an extremely elegant woman, with brilliant blue eyes, dressed in a satin white romper with a coat over it that gave her the appearance of having wings. What really drew my attention was the multicolored pendant around her neck, however…

"I'm Calem. It's a pleasure. And this is-"

"Serena, right?" Diantha interjected. "I heard Lysandre call you that. You both have lovely names. Oh, and you're both Trainers! Don't your Pokémon look happy? I'm a Trainer myself, in my off time. I look forward to us battling someday!" she exclaimed, and took her leave, waving behind her as she exited the cafe.

"Hmm, I guess Pokémon Trainers all battle each other, no matter who they are," Calem mused. "Oh, yeah. I wanted to ask you something, neighbor," he added. "How about you and I compete and see who ends up stronger? I know we set off on our journey just after you arrived in Vaniville, but we are neighbors, and having a competition with you sounds like fun...I won't lose though. Just so you know."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're on, Calem. I don't plan to lose either, so may the best trainer win."

He smiled, narrowing his eyes right back. "I knew this would be interesting. May the best trainer win indeed. I'll see you very soon." With that, he too turned on his heel and left the cafe to explore the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, I was left with a lot to think about. I was sure Calem would make a great rival, who would always push me to greater heights. But what was up with Lysandre and his rabid desire for beauty? What was the secret to Mega Evolution? Why was I on this journey, like Shauna had asked me after we left the Santalune Forest? I would find the answers to all of these questions, in time.