Hi everyone! Thanks to everyone who has read and/or reviewed C: For anyone wondering, since this site doesn't let me specify a chapter amount, there are twenty chapters over all in Clockwork Heart, and you can consider this fic as sort of a replacement 'episode 0/episode 1' for the XY series. Anything set further into the XY timeline depends on how much energy and time I have haha

And now, onto the chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 6

The first drops of rain startle Ash out of his thoughts. He squints up at the sky. At first, Ash doesn't understand what's going on – it's almost like the time the Gym's sprinkler system was activated by a rogue Flamethrower, except that he's outside right now – but when he realises that it's raining, the robot stares up into the falling drops of water with wonder.

It's not his first time seeing rain – thunderstorms do occasionally come to Lumiose City despite the usually fair weather. In fact, Ash loves to sit and watch them from Clemont's workshop because the view from up there is spectacular; Lumiose City glitters in the rain. However, Clemont and Bonnie don't like to go outside when it's raining – Clemont because he worries they'll get sick and Bonnie because thunder scares her – so this is Ash's first time actually being out in the rain. He laughs in delight and spins around as the street around him starts to empty quickly.

The novelty wears off as the water starts to fall harder and faster, coming down in sheets. Ash darts for nearby cover under the awning of a shop, suddenly understanding why everyone had left so hurriedly before. Luckily, his hat has mostly protected his head from the rain, but the parts of his hair that stuck out are now dripping with water and sticking to his face. Not to mention that his clothes are wet as well. Ash tries shaking off the water the way he's seen Clemont's Pokémon do before, but what works for Pokémon fur sadly doesn't work at all for human clothes. He gives up and leans against the window of the shop, waiting for the rain to die down. Clemont might have made him water resistant, but Ash doesn't know to what extent. He doesn't think Clemont had done it with this sort of thing in mind. With the rain now thundering down with an audible roar – it's so loud that Ash can barely hear himself think – the robot doesn't want to risk frying his circuits again. If that happens, he'll be stuck here, unable to move or do anything. Clemont doesn't even know where he is right now, so who knows how long it would take him to even find Ash in that case, let alone fix him.

Clemont was right , Ash realises with a pang. Lightning cracks overhead, making him jump. He looks down at his hands, water slowly dripping off his hair onto his upturned palms. Going off on my own like this is dangerous. I don't know what I can and can't do, but he must have a pretty good idea. I think… I think he was just worried about what could happen to me, the way he worries about Bonnie all the time. If that was the case, then he definitely owed Clemont an apology.

Ash shivers. The rain doesn't seem like it's going to stop any time soon. Maybe leaving the Tower without telling anyone where he was going hadn't been the best idea…

He watches the rain fall and wishes he were making hot chocolate and curling up under a blanket next to Bonnie to watch TV in an attempt to block the sound of the thunder, or watching the rain fall by the window of Clemont's workshop as he works on whatever invention has crossed his mind this week.

I'm sorry, Clemont , he thinks, tucking hands under his arms. From his spot under the awning, he can just make out the tip of Prism Tower behind the building opposite. I'm sorry, Bonnie. I'll come home as soon as I can!

CRACK!

Lightning flashes again. But this time, it doesn't strike down from the clouds – no, this lightning arcs up from the ground with a loud crack of thunder. Ash almost falls over in surprise and stares as the lightning fades away.

"What was that?!" he exclaims. He hovers at the edge of the awning, torn between going to investigate the strange phenomenon and staying put under the awning where he is safe from the rain.

'It's too dangerous, Ash!' Clemont's voice echoes in his mind and Ash hesitates.It's probably better if I just stay here. I'm sure it was nothing…

Lightning cracks upwards again in the same place as before, lighting up the sky and making Ash frown. There's definitely something fishy going on! The robot darts forward instinctively and then jerks back before he can step out into the rain. Drat, but I don't know if it's safe to go out in this rain! He grits his teeth, staring towards the place he'd seen the lightning flash and scrubs at his head in frustration. "Arghhhhhh! I'm sorry, Clemont! I have to check it out, someone might be in danger!" he yells and darts out recklessly into the rain.

/\/\/\

"Ryuuuu!"

Meyer hears Ampharos' exclamation as he emerges from the back room of the shop carrying a microwave that badly needs repairs. "Oh? What's the matter, Ampharos?" he asks curiously, setting his load on the counter before going to stand next to the Pokémon by the shop's front windows. Meyer peers outside. "Wow, it's really coming down, isn't it? I don't think we'll be getting any customers today; no-one would be out in this weather!"

"Ryu, ryuu!" Ampharos says urgently, pointing. Meyer blinks, bemused, and turns to look in the direction Ampharos is indicating. He can't see anything out of the ordinary besides the heavy rain. Meyer is turning to ask Ampharos for more explanation when someone splashes past his store, running in the same direction that the yellow Pokémon had indicated. The running figure is soon swallowed by the rain once again.

Meyer looks at Ampharos, who looks back at him. "Wasn't that Clemont's friend?"

"Ryuuuu."

/\/\/\

The rain is pounding down against every exposed inch of him; Ash had never realised that rain could fall so hard or so thickly. It's hard to hear anything as well, the roar of the rain hitting into pavement and bricks drowning out almost every other sound until the world is condensed to one continuous rushing noise. To be perfectly honest, Ash is surprised that he's even still functioning at this point – the rain is so thick, he's practically swimming. He keeps on going, however, trusting in Clemont's skills to keep him safe from the rain. Ash is determined to find the source of that lightning, like someone had been calling out to him for help.

He stops in the middle of the street and looks around frantically, arms held over his head to try and keep the rain off. There's no sign anywhere of the strange lightning from before. Come on, I'm sure I saw it come from around here somewhere! Ash squints, trying to see through the rain but to no avail – the rain is falling thickly enough that it's hard to even see the end of the street. He makes a noise of frustration. If only there was a way I could see properly through all of this rain…

Lightning flashes overhead for a split second, followed closely by a loud rumble of thunder. What would Clemont do? Ash thinks desperately. Come on, Ash, think! He closes his eyes, trying to concentrate. Knowing Clemont, he would probably just pull an invention out of nowhere that did exactly what he needed it to do. I'm not as smart as Clemont, though, and I don't have any of his inventions with me either. Ash sighs, shoulders slumping before straightening suddenly.

Hang on, I'm one of his inventions!

Even if he looks more like a human now, thereare still things he can do as a robot that ordinary humans can't. Ash grins and closes his eyes. Right, I wonder if I get rid of the sound of the rain first…

It takes a bit of work – this is the first time he's done something like this, after all – but eventually the endless rushing sound of the rain slowly fades to background static and he is able to hear all the other sounds that the rain had been covering. The sudden clamour of Pokémon crying out for help startles him enough that he almost loses his concentration. But Ash holds on determinedly, trying to figure out where the cries for help are coming from.

Over there! Between one blink and the next, Ash's world goes monochrome and the rain disappears completely – to his vision, at least. Even though he can't see it anymore, Ash can still feel the rain pouring down upon the arms over his head. He thinks that maybe Clemont had explained whatever this was back when he'd been showing Ash the plans for his upgrade, using words like 'thermal vision' and 'heat signatures' that had gone over Ash's head completely. Wow, this is awesome, Clemont! I don't really understand what it is, but science sure is amazing!

There's a brilliant white patch glowing in Ash's vision in the same direction that the Pokémon voices had come from. That must be the Pokémon! He dashes in that direction, feet splashing uncaringly through puddles as pavement turns to grass beneath his feet and he weaves between bushes and trees and carefully tended flowerbeds. The world is a different place when seen only in black and white, but it's not totally unrecognisable and Ash realises that for the first time today he actually knows where he is. This is the flower garden that I walked through with Clemont and Bonnie!

With that knowledge in mind, Ash runs towards the beacon of light that is still glowing somewhere in front of him. If he remembers the layout of the garden correctly, he should be coming up to the centre of the garden – a wide open space with a fountain in the centre. Ash can hear the sounds of a Pokémon battle up ahead – who'd be having a Pokémon battle in rain like this? – and puts on an extra burst of speed, bursting into the clearing and skidding to a stop.

It is a Pokémon battle – two against one from the look of things, which makes Ash growl in anger. He gets even more enraged when he realises it's two Trainers against a wild Pokémon – or at least, Ash assumes it's a wild Pokémon, because he can't see a third Trainer anywhere near the other Pokémon. In fact, there's no sign of any other Pokémon around other than the ones here in front of him. Was the wild Pokémon the one that had been crying out for help? "Hey, knock it off!" he yells. "It's irresponsible to battle in this kind of weather!"

None of the others hear him, too focused on each other. "Argh, stop being such a nuisance!" one of the Trainers yells. "Pumpkaboo! Shadow Ball!"

"Inkay! Psybeam!" the other Trainer commands.

Both attacks explode against the wild Pokémon. Ash cries out as his world bursts into noise and bright light. He squeezes his eyes shut and claps his hands over his ears, trying desperately to set his senses back to normal human levels before it can cause any damage. The ringing in his sensors fades slowly as the sound of the rain filters back in and Ash opens his eyes slowly, colours and shapes gradually resolving themselves into the world around him. Ouch, I'd better not do that again!

The smoke clears, revealling a small yellow Pokémon sprawled across the ground in bad shape. Heedless of the potential danger of running into a Pokémon battle, Ash darts forward and drops to his knees beside the injured Pokémon. A Pikachu, huh? He reaches out a hand to rest on its head and check the Pokémon's condition. "Was that lightning before yours?" he asks quietly. "Were you the one calling out to me earlier?"

One bleary eye opens as the Pikachu looks up at him. "Piiiii…" it says, shaking off his hand as it struggles to stand. It falters halfway through and falls back down to the ground with a sharp cry.

"Ah! Pikachu! Just rest for now, okay?" Ash says worriedly, hands hovering over the small Pokémon's form uncertainly, trying at least to shield it from the falling rain. The Pikachu bats his hands away with its tail and tries to stand again, with difficulty. Ash's eyes widen as he catches sight of the scar on the lightning bolt-shaped tail. "No way! You're the Pikachu we met here before!"

"Get out of our way, twerp!" Ash hears one of the Trainers behind him call, sounding annoyed.

By this point, Pikachu has managed to make it to all fours. It barely spares a glance for Ash, instead glaring at the two Trainers standing on the rim of the fountain and yelling angrily back at them. "Pika pika! Pikachu!"

Ash glares at the Trainers as well. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" he demands, his outrage matching the small Pokémon he's still trying to shield from the rain and from the Trainers in front of him. "Who are you, anyway?"

The two Trainers – a woman with long red hair and a man with short purple hair – simply laugh loudly at his questions. Ash frowns. Now that he's gotten a better look at them, they aren't like any Trainers he's seen come to the Gym before; they're older than Clemont and are wearing some kind of matching uniforms with a red R on the front. Two Pokémon hover in front of the duo – an Inkay and a Pumpkaboo, according to his internal Pokédex.

"Prepare for trouble!" the woman announces, striking a pose.

"And make it double!" the man adds, striking a different pose alongside the woman. Ash blinks, feeling confused as they launch into a long speech, trading lines between them:

"To protect the world from devastation!

To unite all people within our nation!

To denounce the evils of truth and love!

To extend our reach to the stars above!

Jessie!

James!

Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!

Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!" another voice chimes in. Ash jumps in surprise as a Meowth lands between the man and woman. A talking Meowth?! Is that even possible? Ash huffs a wry laugh to himself. Probably about as possible as a robot that pretends to be human...

"Come on, you guys! That Pikachu's the only one left!" the Meowth berates the other two, pointing a finger in Ash and Pikachu's direction. "Catch it quickly so we can get outta this rain!"

"What do you mean, the only one left?" Ash asks in confusion. Pikachu yells angrily from behind him as the odd trio laugh.

"All the Pokémon in this pretty little flower garden now belong to Team Rocket!" the woman announces, making a sweeping gesture towards a vehicle parked next to the water fountain that Ash hadn't noticed until now. Sitting in the back tray of the vehicle is a large cage with thick iron bars; Ash gasps in shock when he sees the Pokémon from the flower garden piled inside.

"Ah! The garden Pokémon!" he cries, horrified. So they were the source of all the cries for help, not just Pikachu! These three are Pokémon thieves?! "How dare you! Give them back!"

The purple-haired man laughs. "Hahaha, as if we'd give up such an easy prize! This rain was the perfect cover for stealing these Pokémon!"

"It would have been nice to not get wet, though..." the Meowth comments, sounding disgruntled as he holds his arms out to demonstrate just how wet he is. "I look like a drowned cat!"

"But we used up our budget getting the cage specially made and we didn't have enough left over to afford umbrellas, so it can't be helped..." the male thief says plaintively.

"Stop whining, you two! Catch that Pikachu!" It's the woman's turn to point towards Ash and Pikachu as she snaps at her companions impatiently.

Ash clenches his fists in anger. "I won't let you get away with this!" he exclaims; he hears the Pikachu behind him echo the statement.

The red-haired woman laughs loudly. "We already are!" she retorts in a smug tone.

"A twerp like you doesn't stand a chance against us, so do us a favour and get out of our way!" her partner-in-crime adds with a grin.

"No way!" Ash exclaims, getting to his feet. He doesn't care about the rain that is still falling upon him; spares no thought for his own safety. What matters now is stopping these three horrible Pokémon thieves from getting their dirty hands on the Pikachu behind him and freeing all of the other Pokémon from that cage. As a Gym Leader of Lumiose City, I cannot accept this! Ash thinks determinedly, narrowing his eyes at the human-Pokémon trio opposite him. He falters slightly when he remembers that he's technically not a Gym Leader anymore, not after his argument with Clemont earlier, no matter how much he regrets it now. You quit, remember, Ash?

Ash shakes his head, dispelling those thoughts. He needs to focus now on saving those Pokémon; there will be time to think about his own problems later. I may not be a Gym Leader anymore, he amends to himself, but I'm gonna protect this city in Clemont's name! "I'm Ash, from Kanto's Pallet Town!" he declares to the trio proudly. "And I won't forgive anyone who tries to steal Pokémon!"

"Oh?" the woman says with a smirk. "Then why don't you put your money where your mouth is, twerp! Pumpkaboo!" The pumpkin-like Pokémon pops up next to her, looking ready to battle.

Pumpkaboo… A Ghost/Grass-type, huh? Ash thinks, eyeing the floating Pokémon. His gaze skips over to the other Pokémon hovering in the air beside the man. And the other one is a Dark/Psychic-type combo… I don't think I've ever battled this type of Pokémon at the Gym before! This is kind of exciting!

"A Pokémon battle?" he asks, reaching for the Pokéballs on his belt. "Alright, I accept! I choose –" His fingers close on empty air. "Huh?" Ash says blankly, looking down at his belt to see that his belt is completely devoid of Pokéballs. Oh no! Ash gulps. I left all of Clemont's Pokémon back at the Gym!

"We're waiting~" the three thieves chorus, looking smug. Ash grits his teeth in frustration. I don't have any Pokémon with me… what should I do? I can't battle like this, but I can't let them get away with stealing all those Pokémon!

"Well, if you're not going to bring out any Pokémon..." Ash looks up in alarm at the thief as his opponent commands, "Inkay! Psybeam!"

Ash snatches the Pikachu behind him up into his arms and dives out of the way just as the Psybeam hits the ground where they had been standing. "Whoa! They're not kidding around!" he mutters, wincing as he pushes himself up off the ground. "You alright, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" The electric Pokémon squirms out of his hold and jumps down to the ground. One of its paws gives out as it lands and it collapses into the mud, but Pikachu struggles back up onto its feet. "Pika pika! Pikachu!" it challenges, electricity sparking from its cheeks as it glares at Team Rocket. Ash kneels down beside the small form, noting with worry the way the Pokémon is breathing hard. It must have already been battling these three for a while before I turned up…

"Hey, Pikachu, I understand your feelings," he says softly. Pikachu's ears twitch, but otherwise doesn't respond to Ash's words. "You want to rescue all your friends, right? You fought really hard to defend them before too, I bet." He reaches out a careful hand, wondering if this is only going to get him zapped once again, and lays it on Pikachu's back. The Pokémon's fur is cold and wet and Pikachu shivers under his fingers. "But you're already exhausted and injured, Pikachu, don't overdo it! Please leave it to me!" Ash places his hand on his chest, above where his heart would have been if he was human. "I swear, I'll rescue your friends so please just rest here, okay?"

Pikachu stares at him for a long moment. ' Perhaps something happened to it before that's made it distrust people…' Clemont's words from before echo in his mind and he tries to convey his sincerity and worry to the small Pokémon. "Please. You can trust me," he promises. "Please, Pikachu!"

The electric Pokémon glances towards Team Rocket again, cheeks sparking before it looks back at Ash. "Pika…" Pikachu says, ears and tail drooping as the Pokémon steps back. Not longer trying to put on a brave face, it's clear to see just how exhausted Pikachu really feels. Ash grins and gets to his feet.

"Thanks, I won't let you down!"

"Well, this is touching, but we have places to be, Pokémon to steal, you know how it is!" the woman calls. The three thieves are heading towards their getaway car and the cage of Pokémon still sitting on it. I've got to set the Pokémon free before they drive away with them!

"Oh no you don't!" Ash yells, acting on instinct. He dashes towards the cage of Pokémon. Ash may not have any Pokémon to do battle with, but if he can avoid the attacks of the enemy Pokémon and reach the cage then he might just be able to dismantle it somehow…!

"Pumpkaboo! Dark Pulse!"

"Inkay, Psybeam!"

Ash dodges the two attacks, trying hard to keep his footing but slides a bit none the less in the mud and wet grass. He wishes he had Magneton or Heliolisk with him to at least give him cover. You know, Clemont, being able to generate electricity myself would have come in real handy right about now! He skids to a stop beside the jeep, climbing up next to the cage.

"Don't you worry, I'll get you out of there soon!" he reassures the trapped Pokémon inside the cage, their worried faces steeling his determination. Ash looks up and down the steel bars, trying to figure out the best place to try and break it. I think maybe… there! He reaches up to grasp a bar, starting to pull on it with all the considerable strength of his robotic nature.

"Hey, hey, we can't have that!" the female Team Rocket member says sharply. "Meowth! Stop him!"

"I'm on it!" the cat Pokémon says, pulling out a remote with a dial knob and a button on it. "This little feature we had added is rather shocking…" Meowth grins, smashing a paw down onto the button.

The cage bars vibrate under Ash's hands for a split-second, which is all the warning he gets before electricity races along the outside of the metal cage, covering both Ash and the Pokémon inside. Ash cries out, not because it hurts but because the sudden appearance of the lightning startles him. Thankfully, Clemont's electric-proofing works wonders once again and Ash sends a mental thank you to the inventor. The robot also can't help comparing this lightning attack to the one Pikachu had hit him with the first time they'd met; compared to that Thunderbolt, this was nothing. Ash is about to scoff – did they really think something like this would work on me? – when he hears the Pokémon inside the cage crying out in pain at the electric attack as well. They're getting hit by this attack too! he realises in wide-eyed horror.

Ash lets go of the cage immediately, and falls backwards from the jeep. He just manages to barely land on his feet. "I'm sorry, everyone, are you alright?!" he exclaims. There's a weak chorus of Pokémon voices in reply.

"Inkay! Tackle!"

The attack catches Ash off guard and knocks him flying. Ash crashes into the rim of the fountain shoulder-first. He hears something crunch and his arm goes numb. The robot pushes himself upright with his remaining good hand and leans back against the fountain, clutching at his shoulder. Ash wonders how badly he's managed to hurt himself as the sensation in his arm flickers between complete numbness and normal functionality.

"Pikapi!" Something small and yellow darts in front of Ash, setting itself squarely between the robot and the trio of thieves. Much to Ash's surprise, it's Pikachu.

"Ah, Pikachu, I told you to stay back and rest…!" Ash protests weakly. "You're not in any condition to fight!"

"Pikachu!" the Pokémon replies fiercely, sparks flying from its cheeks. "Pika pika, pikapi!"

"You… wanna fight together?" Ash says slowly, not sure if he's understanding the wild Pokémon right. He's used to the cooperation of Clemont's Pokémon – his friend has raised all of this Pokémon well – but Pikachu is, after all, a wild Pokémon; not to mention one that seems to be wary of humans. He's surprised that the small Pokémon would even suggest teaming up.

"Pika!" is the emphatic, positive reply.

Surprise or not, there's no way Ash is going to let this Pikachu fight alone. He gets to his feet, testing his arm gingerly. Whatever malfunction had been occurring before to make his arm feel numb, it seems to have fixed itself. "Alright then, partner, let's do this!"

"Ha, this'll be a piece of cake!" the female thief snickers. "Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"

"Pikachu! Stop it with Thunderbolt!" Ash counters. The bolt of lightning strikes the ball of dark energy head on; the collision results in a huge explosion in mid-air that knocks both Pokémon backward. Pumpkaboo is sent flying full-force into a nearby tree. Ash shields his face with his arms against the smoke and water being blown his way as Pikachu lands safely in front of him. "Good work, Pikachu!" he says in approval. "Keep it up, buddy!"

Pikachu glances over his shoulder at the robot, a fierce grin on the small Pokémon's face. "Pika!"

"Alright, let's attack before they can recover!" Ash says enthusiastically. He quickly scrolls through a mental list of the moves that Pikachu might know before calling out, "Quick Attack!"

Pikachu darts forwards with incredible speed, closing the distance in a split-second between itself and the remaining Pokémon still floating uncertainly in the air. The electric Pokémon leaps, smashing into Inkay before the squid-like Pokémon can even begin to dodge. Inkay spirals backwards, much to the dismay of its Trainer.

"Oh no, Inkay!"

"You're incredible, Pikachu!" the robot exclaims in starry-eyed awe. Both Pikachu's Thunderbolt and his physical attacks are super strong! Ash had been worried that Pikachu was too exhausted to be able to put much force behind any physical attacks, but it appears that isn't the case. Just as well; with this rain, Ash wants to be extra careful about throwing any electric attacks. He and Pikachu might be fine if the rain ends up conducting the electricity, but Team Rocket won't be – not that Ash cares about that – and much more importantly, neither will the Pokémon that are still trapped in the cage. Hang in there, everyone! We'll free you!

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices the female thief's Pumpkaboo make its recovery from being blown into the tree. I can't give it time to recover! "Pikachu! Tackle!" Pikachu runs, leaps… and misses, passing straight through Pumpkaboo's body towards the tree behind it. Ack! I forgot, Pumpkaboo's part Ghost-type!

Pumpkaboo's Trainer laughs. "Whoops-a-platformy! That Pikachu can't land even a single hit on my Pumpkaboo!"

"Maybe not, but we can do this!" Ash retorts. "Pikachu!" he calls. "Bounce off the tree towards Inkay! Double-force Tackle!"

It's a tricky manoeuvre that requires a sense of good timing and Ash is once again concerned that he's asking too much of the electric Pokémon in its injured state. However, it seems once again he needn't have worried – despite being such a small Pokémon, this Pikachu has a large fighting spirit. At Ash's words, Pikachu manages to flip in mid-air, landing on the tree and pushing off again in the direction of the decidedly non-Ghost type Pokémon. If it hits, this double-force Tackle will have a lot of damaging power behind it.

Unfortunately, despite catching his opponents off-guard with such a turnaround comeback manoeuvre, Inkay's Trainer recovers in enough time to order, "Inkay! Foul Play!"

Inkay dodges the Tackle, wrapping tentacles around a flailing Pikachu and flinging the electric Pokémon down into the mud. Pikachu hits the ground with enough force that the Pokémon bounces before sprawling to a stop in the mud.

"Pikachu!" Ash yells in terror. "Pikachu, are you alright?!" There's a pang inside him as he sees the Pikachu struggling to get back up and he darts forward, focused only on getting to Pikachu's side. I shouldn't have asked him to battle! he berates himself, the horrible clenched feeling inside his chest squeezing tighter. From behind him, he hears Team Rocket call out another attack:

"Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!"

"Psybeam!"

"PIKACHU!" Ash yells. Pikachu will be hurt even more badly if that attack hits! He dives forward to shield the small Pokémon as Pikachu struggles to move out of the way, sweeping Pikachu into his arms and curling up in a tight ball. It's not a moment too soon; the combined Psybeam and Dark Wave combo slam into Ash's back a split-second later, making him cry out in pain. Tucked in the protective circle of his arms, Pikachu pats at his chest worriedly.

"Pikapi!"

Ash opens one eye. "I'm okay, buddy, don't worry," he says weakly. "No matter what they throw at us… I'll definitely protect you!"

"Pikapi…"

Team Rocket watches as the robot uncurls and gets to hands and knees, still shielding the Pikachu with his body. "Tch! Stubborn twerp!" Jessie says in annoyance. "Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!"

Ash squeezes his eyes shut, digging fingers into the mud as he braces for the attack to hit. Pikachu looks up at him with worried eyes. No! I won't let them hurt Pikachu or the others any more! he thinks fiercely.

In the middle of a flower garden tucked away in Lumiose City, something explodes.

"Pikapi!"

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn~

Thanks for reading! C: