Chapter 10

Mother/Daughter Bonding

"Mom! What are you doing here?"

Sarah came forward and wrapped her daughter in a hug. "Aren't you glad to see me?"

Ella forced a smile. "Of course I am." She returned the hug. "But shouldn't be at your clinic?"

"Oh, Luke can handle it without me for a day," she said with a wave. "It's been so long, I thought I should come on by and see how you're doing."

"Oh, well, why don't we go inside?" Ella reopened the door and led her mother in. After a quick tour, they settled down in the living space just inside the door.

"It seems you've settle in nicely," Sarah said.

They talked for an hour, discussing what was going on back in Pallet Town, Ella's training, and Ella's new life in Safron minus the Underground League. She decided to omit that for the time being.

When Ella checked her watch, it was almost noon. "Oh, would you look at that. I need to go out and do some training." She moved to stand up.

"Would you mind if I tag along?" Sarah asked. "I haven't actually seen you battle in person yet."

"Uh, sure."

They stepped outside into the bright sun. After locking the door, Ella morphed and teleported her and her mother to a field a few miles outside the city. It was a clearing that was big enough for Pokemon battles and completely surrounded by trees, blocking it off from the rest of the world very nicely.

Sarah turned and looked at the space. "Nice choice. You've got open space and enough trees to practice environmental strategies."

"Yeah. It's sort of like my personal training spot." Ella reached to her belt and grabbed her three pokeballs. With a hurl, they were in the air and opening. A Spinarak, a Natu, and a Sunflora appeared in a beam of light in the field.

Sarah looked over each one. "What beautiful Pokemon. You seem to have kept them well."

A little voice from the edge of the field called out happily, "Ella!"

The girls turned. A yellow blur was moving across the field. It was a Pikachu in a full sprint. Ella laughed lightly.

"Who is that?" Sarah asked.

"A friend." Ella held down an arm and the Pikachu jumped up onto it. It climbed to her shoulder, where it began to nuzzle against Ella's cheek. "Mom, this is Teia."

"Teia…that's a nice name."

The Pikachu turned. "Thanks. I'm named after my mother."

"Teia's my little buddy. Sometimes I'll morph her into a human and we'll go clubbing."

"Ella," Sarah said with a light anger. "You know we're not supposed to do that."

"Oh, stop, Mom. It's not like anyone's going to know. Besides, Teia hates battling, so we need something else to do for fun."

"Speaking of battling," the little Spinarak interrupted, "can we get to some."

Ella laughed. "Yeah, yeah."

Sarah stood by and watch as Ella sent her Pokemon through a few routines: attack practice, dodging, straight running. The mother stopped her after fifteen minutes. "What about you?"

Ella turned to her. "What?"

"Well, I know you won't stay on the sidelines. You should be training with them."

"I've actually got a better idea. Why don't you teach me some new attacks?"

Sarah smiled. "I'd love to."

"Take five, everyone."

Ella and Sarah morphed through different forms, trading off attacks. But Sarah had to stop after a while. "It's been too long since I've done this. I need a quick break."

"Ok," Ella replied. Then turning to her Pokemon, "Come on, guys. Let's take a few laps."

Sarah took a seat next to Teia, who was watching everything from nearby. "So you've known Ella long?"

"Only since she moved here," she answered.

"But you don't fight for her?"

Teia shook her head. "No. I'll watch her tournaments, though. But she doesn't let me into the Underground League to watch her there. Not really sure why."

"Underground League? What's that?"

"Oh, something Ella started when she first came to the city. It's how she gets most of her money. Of course, just about every time she goes, she gets some kind of new injury, so I'm not really sure if I even want to go."

That didn't at all sound good to Sarah. Memories of what Sarah was doing a few months ago instantly jumped into her head. Was she doing the exact same thing again?

Sarah looked up at her daughter, who was running with her Pokemon. Was that girl crazy? "Ella, can I talk with you?" Ella looked over and changed course. "Teia, would you mind giving us some time alone?"

"Sure." The Pikachu ran off towards the other Pokemon.

Ella came up to Sarah out of breath. "Yeah?"

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"About the Underground League."

Ella froze. "Who spilled?"

"That's not important. Sarah, are you crazy?"

The girl's face hardened. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

That sealed it. In her mind, Sarah was forming the best possible theory, but what her daughter said had pretty much confirmed everything she suspected. "You couldn't be happy with just being a trainer?" Ella started to turn and walk away. "Don't you walk away from me." Sarah reached out with her mind and Ella froze on the spot.

"So what? You're going to hold me here and force me to stop just like you did last time? Do everything to protect your little baby?"

The field became silent. Sarah suddenly realized what she was doing. This was exactly what had caused Ella to go on this path in the first place. Slowly, she released her hold. "No."

Ella took a stumbling step forward and turned around.

"I won't stop you. It's obvious I couldn't say anything that would make you change your mind anyway." She turned and started to walk back towards the city.

Ella remained frozen. Of everything that she thought could go wrong, this was one that had slipped her mind. And yet here she was, her mother knowing and not stopping her. It felt so…wrong.

Her Pokemon gathered around her as Sarah disappeared into the trees.

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Sarah simply walked around the city until the sun set behind the buildings. The lights of the city almost made it as bright as daylight. But the sights weren't interesting her, as they should have been. The only thing that hung onto her mind was how much she'd let her daughter down. Inside, she felt personally responsible for everything that was happening to her daughter.

And no matter what she did, the girl wouldn't change.

Sarah stopped on a corner, waiting for the walkway to clear, when a low discussion reached her ear. Most of it was meaningless except for two words: "Underground League." She turned and walked, leaning into a small alley. Three men were huddled together, talking about some battle.

Sarah walked up close to them. "Excuse me." The three stopped and turned to her. They didn't seem at all particularly threatening. "I heard you mention the Underground League. I was wondering how I could get in touch with it."

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Sarah walking. That was all that Ella could see in her mind's eye.

But so what? This was her creation, her life. This was what she was doing for herself. There was no way that her mother could understand.

A good battle could get her thoughts straight. Ella waited in the upper room while the first patrons walked in. There was a click behind her and the door opened softly. Bruce, one of the League's attendants, stepped inside. "Madam, you have been challenged tonight."

That didn't really surprise her. "Who?"

"She wishes to remain anonymous until the match."

Ella nodded. "Tell her she's on."

She watched a few matches before walking down below and changing into her Morph Skin and donning her mask. Then she stepped out into the throng. A few people recognized her and gave her some room, but most were too intent on the endgame of the current match.

She waited patiently for it to end and Bruce jumped to the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight marks what will be perhaps the most memorable battle in all of history! The great Mäyto!" He gestured to one side and Ella jumped up, turned and took a bow. "And the one and only…Shaiya!"

Ella shot up and spun. Sarah, her own mother, stood on the other side of the arena, dressed in her own blue Morph Skin. "Hello, Ella."

Ella's knees began to wobble. "Mom! What's going on?"

Sarah turned her face slightly. "It seems I've failed as a mother. My own daughter has no respect for me." Then her gaze came back up and pierced into her daughter's. "As much as it pains me, perhaps you'll have more respect for me as a rival."

A/N: For those of you that have read Twist of Fate, I hope you enjoyed that little Easter Egg. And if you're wondering about that one line about morphing Teia, it's a reference to Mew-Man's story.