It was past midnight when Mewtwo answered the calls of Acorn and Aliyah. Giovanni and the others had made it back to headquarters, and they were now in his office/meeting room, waiting for the legendary to appear.

"Are you sure this Pokémon is going to come to us after all that has happened?" N asked quietly. "Or are we just hoping?"

"Veee Eevee Eve," said Aliyah.

"She says dat Mewtwo is sincere and just gotta talk it ova with his crew before he comes," Meowth translated. "Ya know, dem clone Pokémon."

"The real question here is if this is just another waste of time," said Domino. "Mewtwo is a lost cause for Team Rocket if I ever saw one."

"That's enough 009," Giovanni reprimanded. She had been against this idea from the beginning.

The others were silent for a while until they got a call from Giovanni's secretary Wendy.

"It's here," she mumbled.

"Tell it we're waiting," Giovanni responded.

The room went dark and there was a series of blue flashes of light. There was also a noise; a deep humming followed by a loud and ominous bang. The lights continued to flicker for about ten seconds. When it was over, the lighting in the room returned to normal and Mewtwo stood in the center. The Pikachu and Meowth clones were at his side.

"Ny Ny nya?" the Meowth clone asked Mewtwo. 'Was that dramatic entrance necessary?'

"Yes," Mewtwo replied.

"Piii," the Pikachu clone sighed.

Mewtwo looked to Giovanni. "Surely you understand how difficult it is for me to be here."

"I asked you to come out of desperation, not curiosity," said Giovanni.

"Are you really going to help us?" Ash asked, excited.

"If I can," it responded.

"Well, if you're willing to try, that's better than good enough for me!"

"Hm. This situation disgusts me. I'm ashamed of you humans. Pokémon and humans are better off when they do not interfere with the laws of nature."

"Pikaaaachu," said the Pikachu clone.

"Correct, it is…unfair to blame the individuals in this room…just tell me where to go."

"In a cave off the coast of Valencia Island," Rumika said as she handed the radar to Mewtwo. "We tried to communicate with it, but our Mew companions said it was murderous. It hasn't moved, though it has killed large amounts of ocean fish and coral. Maybe some Pokémon too. We don't know why."

"I will go to it now. But you humans should rest. You are weaker than Pokémon. Unlike Pokémon, lack of sleep makes you useless."

"Very true."

None of them had a decent sleep in over 24 hours, and they were starting to fall apart physically, mentally, and emotionally.

"I don't like the idea of you going in alone, unmonitored," Giovanni responded.

"I can keep an eye him," Rumika offered. "I'm used to all-nighters by now."

"Annie and I prefer the night shifts," said Oakley.

"I trust you to handle this. Everyone else is dismissed. Get some sleep. Tomorrow will require your full attention."

Everyone looked to Jessie and James, who fell asleep during the discussion.

"Get up," Cassidy said as she kicked their chair.

"Hey!" Jessie yelled, popping out of a dream.

"Is it over?" James yawned as he rubbed his eyes.

"We're heading to bed. We'll probably be needed tomorrow so get some sleep so you aren't useless," Cassidy said before leaving with Butch.

"Bitch," Jessie muttered.

"Should we get Alex from Delia?" James asked

"She texted me—she put him to bed for us. I forgot to mention it. Let's just take care of ourselves for once."

When they got to their old bedroom in HQ, Lucy and Meowth were already asleep on one of the beds. This room used to be for Jessie, James, and Meowth back when they were still chasing Pikachu, and before and after that too. James and Meowth would take one bed while Jessie slept in the other. Since Lucy joined the team, Jessie and James took one bed while Lucy and Meowth took the other.

"Goodnight," Jessie sighed as she flopped into bed.

Meanwhile, James stood and watched her silently.

"Um, Jess, can we talk?" he whispered.

"Sure," she yawned, sitting up. "What about?"

"I haven't been this scared in a really long time…so terrified it's ridiculous…I was wondering how you were holding up. Are you as shaken as I am?"

"Honestly James, if I'm being truly honest…I don't think I am. And I'm kinda surprised that you are."

James didn't know what to make of the remark and took some time to think about it.

"I thought you were okay," Jessie continued. "The last few days you've been acting your normal self, cheery most of the time, especially around Alex, sometimes whiny, like all of us on this mission...I mean, I knew you were worried—you've been worried your entire life, more so since you became a father…oh..."

James began crying. She patted the back of his head as he sobbed into her.

"It can get them so easily. One moment they can be here and the next moment gone. Can you imagine anything more horrible in life?" he asked.

"I can't," she replied. "But there's nothing we can do about it. We are doing our best and it's been working so far. Would you rather have them not be here at all? What happened to living with no regrets?"

"I don't understand how you're so calm."

"I think I've just internalized this more than you have."

"Can we call the kids? I really want to hear them now."

"They are probably asleep. Even if they do pick up their cells, we might just worry them. We'll call in the morning. Misty explained everything to them so they know what is going on. And I know she did a good job. If that twerpette is anything, it's competent. Now let's get our beauty rest."

"Goodnight. I love you."

"Ditto."

XO

The next morning Brock and Cilan made breakfast for Amber and Soledad's birthdays, which were May 19 and May 25 respectively. Though it was already late June, Misty, Ash, Gary, and Dawn knew that the kids would be out of touch during the time of actual birthdays, so they planned ahead and picked a later date, choosing to celebrate when they came around to the Cerulean Gym. Much to Misty's relief, Ash had called late the night before and given them a thorough explanation of his last mission. He made sure to send plenty of birthday wishes Amber's way and gave Amber permission to open her present without him there.

It was a Thunderstone, saved from the time Ash was ten years old, in case Amber decided to ever evolve Pip into Raichu. She did not use it though, and like her father, tucked it away for safekeeping—after all, Pip was content as a Pichu and the chances of him evolving up two more levels were slim. But having the option was nice.

Soledad received a series of rare potions designed especially for fire-types like Chary.

Jessie and James also called their kids and Meowth and Lucy contacted Logan and Lily. The rest of the kids devoured Brock's homemade jelly-filled donuts and onagri and Cilan's cheese omelets relatively carefree. The adults decided it would probably be a good idea to tell everyone else what was going on in one shot after they finished eating. And they didn't want to kill the birthday mood.

"You really are a breakfast conessesseriry or whatever," Jocelyn said as she guzzled down an omelet.

"Flaafy fla!" Flaafy exclaimed, helping himself to his eighth pancake.

Cilan laughed. "I think you mean to say 'connoisseur'."

"Maybe," she replied as she continued to eat her food.

"Pip's in love with your food," Amber told Brock.

Pip looked up at them. The Pichu had crumbs and bits of rice stuck to his cheeks. Jay gently wiped his face, then Pip resumed his feast.

Scarlett was not much different, eating nearly as much as the other two electric-types.

"Pip's hoarding the pastries," June laughed. "Look—he's shoving them in your bow and arrows bag."

"Pip, I told you I already took care of the stash," Amber whispered to her partner.

"Pii…"

"Okay, go on. It's not like I care how clean that bag is anyway."

"I'm glad you like them," said Brock said to the Pokémon. "I got the recipe from Serena. She baked them in one of her performances and won, so you really have her to thank—and Takeshi. He got up early to help."

"Wow, that's so nice of you," June gushed. "I didn't realize you liked to cook."

"Ah, well…I don't cook that much…" Takeshi mumbled. "And, um, I didn't get Amber or Soledad a birthday present so I figured this made up for it."

"It did," said Soledad.

"Uh, sure," said Amber.

"I bet you're great at cooking when you actually do it and all this food is really good. What's your favorite thing to make?" June asked as she leaned into him.

'Was June always this interested in me?' he wondered to himself. June all of a sudden seemed everywhere. "I suppose I can make good Pokéblock. Cyndaquil and my other Pokémon like it at least."

"He's almost better than me," Brock told June. "He'd love to make some for you."

Takeshi glared at his father as if to tell him to cut it out, but Brock was far from doing that.

"All of our Pokémon love it, and it's super healthy for them too," Brock continued.

June thought about how if Takeshi made her food she'd faint from emotional overload. She kept silent because she wanted Takeshi's parents to keep talking about him.

"Takeshi started making Pokémon food when he was really little," said Autumn. "Jay, James, Amber, and Ash would come over and they would all do it together. Of course, back then Takeshi used to like to eat most of it himself, but things have changed…maybe."

"I-I never ate Pokémon food," Takeshi retorted. "Jay and Amber did."

"Well, ya know, we were little…" Jay replied.

"Like last year," said Amber. "And come on—I'm not the only one who liked it."

While everyone continued to eat and chat, Takeshi left the kitchen counter to go get washed up by the sink. His dad was drying off one of the pans they used to fry the donuts. Takeshi noticed that everyone else was distracted. Now was the perfect time to talk to his father about something that had been on his mind for a while now.

"I have a question," he started.

"Then there's only one thing to do," Brock replied. "I'm all ears."

"Um, yeah…remember that time that Amber and Soledad's parents and May and Drew came over and they drank a lot of wine?" he asked.

Brock laughed, a bit anxiously, wondering where Takeshi was going with this, and also because Takeshi looked super determined to find an answer.

"Well, that happened several times…you're gonna have to be more specific," he replied.

"I was thinking about when Amber's mom said that you used to always get a big crush on all the girls as soon as you first saw them whenever you traveled someplace new," Takeshi clarified.

"Oh that. I was just being silly.

"So, you didn't really like any of those girls?"

"I liked them, but I got a bit carried away. I think I was jealous because other teenagers my age had girlfriends and boyfriends and all I had was two friends who were several years younger than me, both of whom seemed to be crushing on each other at some point, whether it was Ash and Misty, May and Ash, Tracey and Misty, Dawn and Ash—while I was sorta alone."

"Oh."

"You're asking because you like June, right?"

Takeshi blushed and looked away. "Don't say it so loud…and how do you know?"

"Because dads know everything."

"Well if you know everything, can you tell if she likes me back?"

"She's liked you since kindergarten."

"No way…But I just noticed!"

"That's because you were too busy looking at Annastasia."

"Oh…uh, what should I do?"

"Just be nice."

"I'm already nice."

"You can tell her that you like her, but you're ten years old, just be her friend. I can tell she'd really like to get to know you more."

"But what if someone else comes along and tries to be her boyfriend? What if she likes that other person more?"

"If you're always worried about what might happen, then you'll miss out on what's happening now. I truly believe that if you spend more time with June, asking her about herself, listening, sharing…it'd make her very happy to know you. And you have to remember to give yourself more credit. You seemed to have had a lot more confidence when you were attempting to woo Annastasia."

"Well…um…, that was because I knew deep down nothing would ever happen. I think it was like you said. I was just being silly…Do you really think all that will work, or are you just making this up?"

"It'll work. Trust me."

"Okay. Um, thanks. I-I'm gonna go back out there."

Cyndaquil and June greeted Takeshi as he reclaimed his spot between them. Brock watched him sit down and then continued to clean the pots and pans in the sink.

"It feels strange eating all this good food here without the whole crew. Where are the rest of the Ketchums and Morgans?" Lexi asked.

"We were going to explain after you all finished eating…" Iris said uneasily.

"Is everything okay?" Nolan asked.

"Everything's fine…sorta," Misty replied. "Do you recall what we said about the fusion Pokémon?"

Most of the children and teens nodded. Michio watched Annastasia quizzically, but her face remained expressionless. He turned away after she caught him staring.

"The big fusion that Giovanni had in captivity escaped and is now in an underground cavern near Valéncia City," Misty continued. "Mewtwo was able to communicate with it, and while it doesn't seem interested in harming people, its behavior has been erratic and dangerous and no one knows why. Mewtwo was able to paralyze it, but the fusion is so big, that only a third of its body was affected—it generated new parts. No one knows what to do next."

'What's a Mewtwo?' Michio thought to himself, not wanting to ask.

"If it won't harm people then how is it dangerous?" Soledad asked.

"Well it has injured many Pokémon, animals, and habitats, not to mention its behavior is unpredictable. Though hurting people may not be its goal, it can very well be an ugly side effect," said Misty.

"What's its goal?" Rita asked. "Did Mewtwo find that out for us?"

"No. Apparently it is very difficult to communicate with. It is vengeful though. Some of the other Pokémon have said that about it too…But this one big fusion isn't the only problem we're facing."

Misty explained that thousands of other fusion Pokémon that were now loose and that Rocket agents were trying to restrain them. According to Mondo and Duplica, who were in charge of that assignment, and the TR spies, who were in charge of information collecting, many of them had been captured. However, there were still some out there, possibly in hiding, like the Gyarados Amber and Jay had found.

"Does this mean we can't travel anymore?" June asked sadly.

"You can still travel. We have radars all over the place," Misty replied. "But you are to take extra precautions. It is actually a good thing that you place on going to the Coral Gym on Valéncia Island next. That place will have very high security due to the fact that the fusion is located only a few miles offshore. We won't be eavesdropping on you, but there will be enough a lot of Rockets nearby in case of an emergency."

"You really aren't going to force us to stop?" Amber asked.

"We all got together and talked about it," Iris said as she looked to the other parents, who affirmed her words with a nod. "We did dangerous things when we were young trainers too. As long as you are careful and you trust in your Pokémon and each other, we believe that you will be fine."

"You all have come so far since you left home," said Misty. "We want you to continue to grow."

"You're the best," Amber replied.

"I know. Thank's for the reminder."

"Np."

"I don't want to be camping anywhere near that thing," said Michio.

"You will have us to protect you, silly," Jocelyn said as she hugged his arm. "Don't be scared."

"Flaafy Flaaa!"

Everyone except Michio laughed at Jocelyn's comment.

"Pika Pikapika, chu," said Scarlett. "Piii ka, ka."

"She says she can take on any Pokémon," Logan translated. "And that you forgot to give the kids something. Ooh, I wonder what that is."

"It's nothing," Michio mumbled.

"Pi?"

"Not now."

Michio recalled the additional Venomoth illegally shoved in the one good pocket left on his cheap knapsack. He was too shy to present them with over three-dozen eyes and ears and him.

"Anyway," said Misty. "How do you all want to get to Valéncia? Of course, we can drive you, but I'm sure you would prefer traveling the way you were before."

"And Jocelyn still isn't budging on the bike idea…," Jay mumbled loud enough for her to hear.

"That's right! Bikes are way too scary!" Jocelyn insisted. "You will never get me to ride one alive. Never, I say!"

"Flaaaa!"

"I have a fantastic idea," said Amber, grinning widely.

"You cannot fly there on Iris's dragons," said Misty.

"Ptff. Fine. Well, I have a backup idea."

"What is it?"

"We can ride on dad's Tauros."

"Ride them like Ponyta?" Soledad asked.

"Yep."

"That could work," said Gary. "Those Tauros have settled down since Ash caught them a while back, so they are less hyper, but still very strong and obedient."

"I have two Tauros of my own," said Jay. "And they didn't mind when Togetic, Cyndaquil, Chary, Bulbasaur, and Pip rode them the other day."

"There you go. You'll get to the port to Valencia Island much quicker that way, plus you will be closer to nature, so you will be able to meet more people and Pokémon than you would if you drove," said Misty.

"Do you all want to get moving today, or do you want to challenge Misty again for the Cascade Badge?" Annastasia asked.

"I'd rather come back after I get more Pokémon and practice," said Soledad.

"Same," the others agreed.

"That sounds like a wise choice," Annastasia replied.

"We'll pack your lunches while you all get ready to hit the road," said Brock.

"Then we can head down to the lab and pick up those Tauros," said Gary. "I'll call my grandfather and explain our intentions."

Everyone gathered their stuff while the parents packed fresh sushi and rice cakes for the travelers. When they reached the lab, Gary gave each of them a Tauros (Except for Jay and Amber, who used Jay's two Tauros, and Jocelyn, who shared with Annastasia). The twins decided to share one as well.

"This is the weirdest thing I've ever ridden," Michio commented as he sat awkwardly atop the Tauros.

"So, you ride a lot of weird things, do ya?" Rita sniggered. Michio scowled.

"Why are we riding these things instead of Lelen?"

"What are Lelen?" Soledad asked.

"That's another name for an Alolan Rapidash. They are not native to Kanto," Gary explained.

"Fascinating."

"Why don't they just call them 'Rapidash'?" Takeshi inquired.

"Lelen are water and dragon-types instead of fire-types, so to avoid confusion, they have a different name despite being identical in every way but type—like Sandopan, that resembles a Kantonian Sandshrew but is an ice and steel-type. But, that's a different story. Michio, Tauros is what we have available to ride."

"Lelen would be fun," said Annastasia. "I befriended some during my time in Alola. At least we have saddles for the Tauros. That will make them much easier to manage."

The children, teens, and Pokémon urged the Tauros forward. Annastasia was a skilled rider, as was Rita, Nolan, Amber, Jay, and Soledad, all of whom had done it before, but the others had a bit of trouble.

"Are you all going to be okay like that?" Iris asked them. "You look a bit uncomfortable."

"I think we just need to get used to them," June replied.

June's Tauros was walking her in circles and she was so nervous she could barely breathe.

"Maybe walking will be better," said Cilan. "Most of the Tauros have not been ridden for several years, and when they were, it was never for long distances."

"I think this will be in everyone's best interest," said Annastasia. "The children will learn new skills this way, we will get there faster, it's safer than being on foot or on bikes, and if it doesn't work out, we can always send the Tauros back using the portable Pokeball teleporter. Plus, once they get the hang of it, everyone will have fun."

"Yeah. Like she said, it's more fun this way," Amber said as she patted her Tauros.

"Ruuuuuuuuus," it mooed.

"Pi Pichu!" Pip cheered as he buried his face into the fleece.

Lily, who was sharing with Logan and Squirt Gun, gently scratched the bull Pokémon behind the ears. It mooed again.

"They're saying they want to go," she explained.

"Ruuuuus, ruu."

"They said they will try their best to be smooth."

"Thank you," Annastasia told the Tauros. She turned to the parents. "We should get going."

"Bye!" they responded. "Be safe! Listen to your elders!"

The group returned the farewell, then followed Annastasia down the road.

"I'm not sure if I know how to do this," said June.

"The only way to learn is to try," Annastasia replied. "I believe in you."

"It'll be fun," said Jocelyn. "Tauros are not scary at all!"

"Flaaafy!"

June didn't comment on how the main reason Jocelyn and Flaafy felt so brave was because they were sharing a saddle with Annastasia and Nolan respectively.

"We'll pass through Golden Village, which is about five miles this way, and that's where the port is," Annastasia explained. "The ferry ride will take about two hours. Then we will take the Tauros to the closest campsite and spend the night there. Questions?"

"Um, what happens if one of us falls off?" Takeshi asked.

"I'm trained to handle almost any emergency, and as long as you don't fall asleep, you won't fall."

Amber smiled deviously. "What if someone smashes their head on a low-hanging branch and the blood and guts spr—"

"—nope," Annastasia interrupted. "Won't happen, and don't talk gory."

"Amb, why'd you say that? Now I'm scared," said Jay.

"Jay, you got this," said Nolan. "Everyone does. And we can all trust Annastasia to help if someone gets hurt. And there's me, Lexi, and Rita too—we're your care squad."

"Lexi, if you have Flygon, and A, you have Bleu, then why aren't you riding those Pokémon?" Soledad asked.

"I want us to all stick together," she replied.

Bleu, Lexi's Flygon, and the groups other flying Pokémon soared above them.

"Though, having Flygon would be more comfortable," Lexi mumbled to herself. "Tauros are clunky to ride."

Nolan noted how Lexi was sliding around in the saddle. She had never been great at riding as a kid and turning sixteen didn't make her suddenly improve.

"Let me help," said Nolan. He took her reins, drawing her Tauros closer to his. He made a clicking noise with his tongue and the Tauros picked up its pace. "There we go."

"That's all?" Lexi asked in disbelief.

"Whenever you feel the Tauros starting to slow down, remind them to keep their pace with a little tap of your foot and/or a click of your tongue." Nolan demonstrated. His and Lexi's Tauros sped up momentarily. "If you want to slow down, relax your body." Nolan demonstrated and the Tauros slowed down. "Don't jerk the reins back, that can hurt them. If the Pokémon doesn't react the first time, you can gently pull back the reins, but do it very softly. They are more sensitive than they seem, so no matter what, don't jump around in your saddle, kick, hit, or scold them—it's mean and a good way to get you thrown off."

"That makes sense."

"Uh, yes," said June. 'I'll try.'

"What about steering? I'm doing it just like you are but my Tauros isn't behaving."

"It's not the Tauros' fault," Nolan replied. "I think you're pulling too hard. The point is to guide the Tauros, not to drag it around. Watch me." Nolan urged his Tauros to spin, barely touched the reins. "It also helps to use your foot to push them in the direction you want them to turn. But you also have to be very careful with that. You don't want to do too much."

"Okay, I'll try," Lexi replied, mimicking Nolan's actions.

Annastasia turned around and noticed that all the struggling riders were taking his advice. Rita was beside her. She nodded her head towards Michio.

"He's having a rough time. You should go help him," said Rita. "I bet he would love that oh so very much."

"Probably not," Annastasia replied, picking up on her hint but ignoring it anyway.

Five minutes passed, and while everyone else's riding had improved, Michio was still dealing with a Tauros that was slow, grumpy, and ready to make Michio's face meet the ground.

Annastasia told everyone to follow Rita for a while. She rode up to Michio.

"You need some help?" she asked, stifling a laugh as he nearly fell over.

"No," he asserted.

The Tauros continued to move in circles while everyone but them progressed forward.

Scarlett jumped off of Michio's saddle and sat down between Jocelyn and Annastasia.

"It seems like Scarlett would rather ride with us," Jocelyn said as she scratched Scarlett's ears.

"No offense Scarlett, but it's already crowded on here," said Annastasia. "Would you stay with Michio if I can get him to ride properly?"

"Pika chuuu," she nodded.

"I am riding properly," Michio argued. "This fucking Tauros is giving me issues."

"Hey! Papa doesn't like it when you use that word!" Jocelyn gasped.

"I'm not taking riding lessons."

"Why not? Onēsan took riding lessons before. Now she's my teacher."

"We don't have time for your attitude," said Annastasia. She reached forward and grabbed his reins. "Jocelyn, can you grab a rope out of that saddlebag for me?"

"Sure!"

"Hey…what's going on?" Michio asked.

The girls ignored him. Jocelyn handed a skinny rope to Annastasia which she then tied to Michio's reins. She let go of his Tauros and urged hers to walk forward. Scarlett jumped back into Michio's saddle before the two Pokémon stretched too far apart.

"Look! Michio's Tauros is following ours!" Jocelyn said as they trotted forward.

"That was the plan. The rope will guide it and help it keep its pace. He will still lag behind us, but he likes the back anyway," Annastasia responded.

Within two minutes, Annastasia and Jocelyn had caught up with the others. The others giggled when they realized why Annastasia had taken a break from leading.

"It looks like Michio's all alone on a leash," Lily remarked.

"How embarrassing," said Logan.

"I'd call it cute. Or kinky."

"He's not all alone; Scarlett's there," Annastasia said as the cats and several others laughed.

Rita coughed to get the attention of the group.

"You all look great on your Tauros. Did you know that Tauros are known for running, not trotting?"

"It's true," said Nolan. "And once they get going, it's hard to get them to stop."

"And it's fun," Annastasia added with a wink.

"Are you saying we can race?" Amber asked excitedly.

"Pichu!?" asked Pip.

"I don't see why not, so long as you're careful," Annastasia replied. "Soledad's father gave me their herding whistle, so if we cannot get them to stop, we can use that as a backup. So, you all interested in trying it out?"

"I thought we were in a rush…" June murmured. "Don't we have to catch that boat soon?"

"We're making excellent time," Rita responded. "Plus, races are supposed to be quick."

"You don't have to do if you don't want to," said Nolan.

"I'm definitely gonna race," said Amber. "And win!"

Amber slapped Jay on the back as she laughed. He smiled, knowing she was probably right.

"Can we race too, Onēsan?" Jocelyn asked with pleading eyes.

"Fla?"

"Of course. Though we'd have to release Michio first. And we'd still have a disadvantage since we are heavier. But maybe we'll be lucky and win anyway," Annastasia replied.

"You're the best!" Jocelyn laughed as she hugged her neck.

"I'll enter," said Takeshi.

"Me too," Jay said hesitantly.

"What about you, June?"

June froze. "Takeshi will think I'm such a loser if I don't do this. I shouldn't be afraid though. They are just Tauros. What is the worst thing that can happen?' She pictured herself getting trampled. Bad idea, bad idea!'

"Are you okay?" Takeshi asked. "I never did it before either, but one time Amber's dad challenged my dad to a Tauros race and it was really fun to watch. They were both drunk too, but I think it will be fun to try even without the beer."

"I don't know if I'm good enough to start racing," June responded, trying to come up with an excuse. "And I'm feeling kind of nauseous."

"Oh. Well, you shouldn't do it if you're sick. But I think you're a good rider and that maybe if you feel better later you can try it."

Takeshi steered his Tauros towards the temporary starting line that Lexi had set up.

"Are you sure you don't want to try it?" Nolan asked Lexi.

"Never," Lexi responded. "My goal was to be able to trot on one, and I did that. I'd rather help Michio be the judge."

"If you say so," said Annastasia. "Everyone who wants to race, line up now!"

Amber, Jay, Lily and Logan, Annastasia and Jocelyn, Rita, Nolan, Soledad, and Takeshi lined up behind the sand-drawn line that Lexi provided. She and Michio stood off to the side along with the non-racing Pokémon. June was standing at the opposite side of the 'judges' on her Tauros.

"What's wrong, June? Are you going to race?" Soledad called.

"I…um, yes," she decided. "Yes, I'm coming."

June walked her Tauros to the end spot beside Takeshi.

"I thought you were sick," said Takeshi. "Are you feeling better?"

"I…yes," she replied.

"On your mark…," Lexi started. Everyone picked up the reins and adjusted their footholds. "Get set…Go!"

Nine Tauros screeched and mooed as the racers took off, leaving a cloud of dust on the dry road.

"Woo hoo this is awesome!" Amber yelled as she took the lead.

"Yeah it is awesome, for us," Lily said to Amber as she, Logan, and Squirt Gun pushed passed her on their Tauros.

"No fair! That Tauros doesn't even have a human on it!"

"Pi!" Pichu complained.

Lily stuck her tongue out at Pip and Amber as their Tauros raced ahead of the others.

"Oh no, we're in the back!" Jocelyn whined.

"We aren't that far behind," said Annastasia. "I told you we'd have a disadvantage with the extra weight."

Soledad and Takeshi were head-to-head with Amber, with Jay less than a foot behind.

"You're going down, Amb!" Takeshi taunted.

"Ptff. You're the last person I'd lose this race too," she retorted.

"This really is fun!" I should have gotten into racing sooner," Soledad said as her Tauros took the lead.

Jay was about to comment, but someone from behind them cried "Help!"

"June!" said Jay. "Uh…"

Jay and Takeshi slowed their Tauros. It was difficult to hear with all the Tauros mooing, Pokémon chanting, talking, cheering, and pounding of the hooves on the road, so Soledad and Amber missed the sound and kept going.

June clung to her Tauros desperately. Her eyes were closed and she called out for help again. Her Bulbasaur was using Vine Whip to help keep them attached to the Tauros, but they were slipping. Jay and Takeshi tried to stop their Tauros, but then they remembered that Tauros didn't stop easily, and it would take that special whistle to get them to halt.

"Hey, June!" Jay called to her. "Keep your eyes open!"

"And hold on with your legs, not just your arms!" Takeshi added.

The two boys' Tauros down matched June's pace. They were on either side on her.

"I shouldn't have done this. I was terrified. I should've said no!" she cried.

"It's okay, June," said Jay, trying to sound confident. "You are still on."

Jay looked around for his sister. It was so dusty and he could barely see more than a few feet ahead of him. Besides, he didn't want to spend too much time looking around—it was time to take action.

"Should I jump off?" June asked, still frightened.

"The finish line is up ahead. I can see it!" Takeshi exclaimed, pointing forward. "You just have to hang on a few more moments. You got this!"

Takeshi smiled widely and their Tauros's paces naturally increased.

"Your right, I got this," said June.

In the meantime, Amber took the lead. Though Lily, Logan, and Squirt Gun had a weight advantage, they were annoying their Tauros, and it bucked to try and knock them off. When they got to the finish line, Amber beat them by a nose. Lexi blew the whistle, indicating for them to stop.

"Ha! I beat you even with a disadvantage!" Amber bragged.

"Pi Pi Pichu," Pip said as he mocked the twins.

"Whatever. It's not like you won anything," Lily replied.

"Yeah, why do extra work for a useless title…" said Logan.

"Squirt Squirt Squirtle!"

Soledad, Rita, and Nolan came in third, fourth, and fifth, then Jay and Soledad tied for sixth, Takeshi and June took seventh and eighth, and Annastasia and Jocelyn were last.

"Uh no!" Jocelyn cried to Flaafy, who was waiting for her at the finish line with freshly-picked dandelions. "We were so close."

"Flaaa," Flaafy said sympathetically as he handed her the flowers.

"Thanks."

"Jocelyn, you weren't close at…never mind," Jay sighed.

"So, who won?" Annastasia asked Lexi.

"Me!" Amber replied. "Are you really asking that, A?"

"Well, you used my Tauros," said Jay. "So, I helped you win."

"Fine, I'll share the prize."

"Okay."

"So, A, what's my prize?"

Annastasia tossed Amber a lollipop from her bag. "Here."

"Thanks."

"What about me?" Jay asked Amber. "I thought we were gonna share the prize."

Amber took the lollipop out of her mouth and offered it to Jay.

"Wanna few licks?" she asked.

"Ew gross. I don't want that," he responded. He scrunched up his nose and pushed her hand away from his face.

"Sure?"

"One-hundred percent."

Amber shrugged and popped it back into her mouth.

In the meantime, June was trying to find Takeshi. She spotted him talking to Jay while they gave their Tauros some water. She and her Tauros walked towards them.

"Thank you for helping me," June said to Jay and Takeshi. "I probably would have fallen if you didn't intervene."

"I was no problem. But why were you so scared? I thought you wanted to race," Takeshi responded. "And you're good at it."

"Um, I gotta go…" Jay said before distancing himself from the pair. Like most of the other members of their group, he was well-aware of June's crush and didn't want to be the third wheel.

"I actually didn't want to race," June whispered once Jay was gone. "I was too afraid. I wanted to…um..."

"I know what you mean," Takeshi replied.

"You do? Really?"

"You wanted to get over that fear. You didn't want it to bother you for the rest of your life, so you figured you'd take it on. You didn't think you would panic though. Good for you for being brave."

June smiled; Takeshi missed the point, but what he had to say was better. Just the fact that he was talking to her at all was improving the situation.

"Thanks," she murmured, blushing.

'I still have a long way to go before I can impress a kid like Takeshi, who seems to like girls like Rita and Annastasia—fearless, powerful girls who have control over their lives,' she thought to herself. She looked over at Jay, who was making Amber, Pip, and Togetic laugh with some kind of theater impression. 'Why can't I be more like Jay? It's so easy for him to be himself.'

"Anyway, it's no big deal," said Takeshi. "I mean, it's so awesome that you tried it, and that's a big deal, but the fact that you failed isn't a big deal—I-I mean, you didn't fail…but…um, well, If you want to try again one day, there will be plenty of chances. Not saying that you don't already know all this…"

June loved to see him act nervous but assumed it was because Annastasia was nearby and could possibly overhear them.

"Thanks," she replied. "What you said made me feel better. Um…Let's rejoin the others. We still have to catch that boat."

June and her Tauros trotted forward.

"I wonder if I did that right," Takeshi whispered to Cyndaquil. "What do you think, Cyndaquil?"

"Cynda quillla?"

"Right, I suppose you wouldn't know any more than I would. Anyway, she's right; we have a boat to catch."

XO

IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

· Meowth and Lucy stir something in Jessie

· Michio has angst…on a boat

· And no one is killed