Note: Hello everyone. I've decided to go back to uploading chapters on Sunday, as it's a bit more convenient.

I would like to address why Ash's usual stompers haven't appeared in this fic. The answer is that I wanted his team to stand out from other fics, which usually give him his A-lister from each respective series. Also I chose my personal favorites.

Anyhow hope you enjoy, and hopefully I didn't miss anything this time (I wonder how many of you caught that I accidently had Emerald refer to professor Birches seeing Ash even though they are absent in the actual scene. I have fixed this mistake now, but still.

Hoenn chapter 3: I'm drawing Aggron!

The light nearly blinded everyone present in the room, with a loud crash that sounded like a ceramic plate being smashed. When they managed to open their eyes, they saw that the machine pulsated with light. After a few moments, the machine simmered down.

"Did it work?" May asked, still covering her eyes with her arm.

"We'll find out in a sec," Emerald said as he pressed a small, unseen button on the underside of the machine. With a loud click a chamber opened next to him, revealing a small, blackened crystal.

"Hmm… not exactly what we needed."

"Let me see," Clemont plucked the crystal from Emerald's hand, eying it closely.

"Something probably went wrong with the sequence. We'll have to make some adjustments and try again."

"I guess we'll leave ya science types to it. Maybe we can go get some…" Sapphire turned to face the other trainers, soon realizing that Ash and Serena had left her periphery vision.

"Hey, where'd they go…" That's when she looked down. She found the two trainers crouched with their knees to their chest, their eyes shut tight and hands placed on their ears.

"Uuuuhhh… Ash...?"

"Are we okay?" Ash yelled, still prone.

"I think we're still in the air!" Serena yelled, also unmoved.

"I feel the smoke in my lungs…"

"These burns will sting for weeks…"

"Ash? Serena?" May poked the trainers back to reality. They frantically looked around the room.

"Oh… we're still here…" Ash said while patting himself over, making sure nothing was singed.

"An everything's in one piece… good…" Serena said, suddenly aware that everyone was staring at them.

"Oh, come on guys. I haven't had an invention blow up in months!" Clemont claimed defensively.

"Months?" Wally exclaimed.

"BLEW UP?!" Emerald was more shaken.

"Like I said. Hasn't happened in months."

We're all going to die. Emerald snatched the crystal back, tossing it into a small container near the side of the room. "Shouldn't take us too long to figure it all out."

"Anyhow, you guys should get goin'. Get ready for the big festival," Wally said, cleaning up

"Ummm… no one's told us about any festival." May said, looking at Ruby and Sapphire.

"Probably shoulda told them on the way here," Ruby said.

"Sorry, got distracted," She shrugged. "Let's get outta this lab and get some lunch. We'll tell ya all about it."

"We'll get back to you guys as soon as we're done. Good luck at the festival." Clemont said as the group left the lab.

Littleroot was no Petalburg, especially when it came to the dinery options. Luckily, the modestly sized and named 'Littleroot Café' was close to the laboratory, and suited the trainers' needs quite nicely. They sat on the patio chairs located outside the establishment, enjoying the fresh breeze arriving from the nearby ocean that separated Hoenn from the other regions.

"Alright, what's the whole deal about a 'festival?'" Ash asked as soon as they sat down, wasting no time.

"Well, in your latest vision from Red, he mentioned the "Draconid tower", correct?" Ruby asked.

"Ya… he did…" With the chaotic introductions, Ash nearly forgot why he was in Hoenn in the first place. His previous visions had been lurid in his memories, sure, but the last one was particularly taxing.

"Well, the Draconid tower sits on the other side of Hoenn. It's an ancient site, and very, very sacred to the Draconid people."

"The Draconid people?"

"They're an ancient tribe from Hoenn. They got alotta experts on dragon type pokémon. They even worship some of em'" Sapphire said. "And they got a tower. Not as fancy as Sky Pillar or anythin', but they don't care to much."

"And it would be sacrilege to approach the temple without their blessing."

"Luckily for ya'll, they're hostin' a festival tomorrow. The festival of the dragon, hosted by the leader of the Draconids herself. And anyone attending may receive the blessing of the dragon, which will give you access to the sacred ground."

"Me and Sapphire have been invited, and we're allowed to bring as many guests as we please."

"They really do like their dragons…" May whispered to Serena.

"So we have to go to this festival, and then...?" Serena asked.

"Nothing fancy. Just enjoy yourselves and don't cause any trouble. You don't even have to get dressed up," Ruby said.

"Sounds great. Wouldn't mind the break," Yellow said.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Sounds like you're excited." Ash said.

"Piiiiika."

"So… what are ya all about?" Sapphire asked Ash.

"Huh?"

"I heard ya like battling. Also heard yer pretty good at it too, bein' the Alola champion and all that."

"Well, I'd like to imagine that I've got some battling chops."

"How good are ya really, though? Red was the best of us. I'm sure you've heard it a dozen times now, but only cause it's true." Sapphire's tone was intense, perhaps more so than even she intended.

This feels familiar. Ash guessed that he shouldn't be surprised that some of the other dexholders would also want to test him on his skills.

"I guess you're gonna challenge me to a battle?"

"Got that right!" She nearly leaped out of her chair. "One on one. Keep it short and sweet. Should be all it takes to see if you got the stuff."

"Sapphire, please leave him alone," Ruby tried to intervene, though even he knew his efforts would be futile.

"You sure you're up to it Ash?" May asked, though his intense gaze already gave her the answer.

"Well, I'm not gonna back down from a challenge," he said as he got out of his seat in turn. "Where we doing this?"

"Right here, right now." Sapphire said, motioning towards the dirt road that sat beside the café.

"Ash…" Serena lightly grabbed his wrist. Something about this seemed… off.

"I'll be alright. It's just a battle." He said to her, the intensity in his voice toned down. She released her grip, though she wasn't quite convinced.

The trainers made their way to the empty road. It was only now that Ash truly noticed his opponents almost feral demeanor. Sure, she clearly had a wild side, but her eyes were full of a focused determination.

It was the eyes he used to have. The ones that wished to constantly battle, constantly improve. The hunger that he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"Yer ready, Ash?"

"Pikaaa?"

"Not this time Pikachu. Just sit back for this one," Ash said as he tossed a pokeball from his belt.

"Go, Tyranitar!"

The large Pokémon glared at its opponent. He was ready for a fight.

"Usin' one of yer big boys huh?" Sapphire jeered as she tossed her pokeball. "Well, let's match strength for strength. Go, Rono!"

From the ball appeared a large Aggron. The grey-metallic Pokémon held a similar posture to Tyranitar, though it showcased a larger head bearing massive horns.

"Aggron!" The Pokémon bellowed at its opponent. Tyranitar simply glared at its opponent.

"I'll let ya have the first move, Ash."

"Alright. Tyranitar, use crunch!"

Tyranitar charged at its opponent with brazen fury, its jaw glowing with a lucid glow.

"Rono! Take the hit!" Sapphire commanded, her tone stern and without hesitation.

In an instant Rono raised his arm, taking the brunt of the attack with his forearm. He didn't even flinch as Tyranitar locked on.

"Now spin 'im right round Rono!"

Rono locked his right foot into the ground before rearing back, jerking his body into a 180 rotation that lifted Tyranitar right off the ground, slamming it back down with a force that nearly shook the earth.

"Tyranitar!" Ash yelled as the smoke from the impact cleared. Tyranitar looked worse for wear, slowly getting back to its feet.

I fell right into her trap. Didn't even make her work for it.

"Alright Rono. Now use a metal claw!"

Rono's large claws glowed a metallic white before slashing right into Tyranitar's hide, sending the other Pokémon down to the ground again. Once again, Ash's hesitation had cost Tyranitar another hit.

It's like the Blue fight all over again… yet this felt worse. His mind spun with a deluge of thoughts. But this wasn't right. He knew better than most that you had to keep your mind in the present. You couldn't afford to angst over your recent failings.

Like how your fighting spirit has disappeared…

Like how you've admitted that you're in love, and have no idea what to do next…

Like how you've let down so many people over the years with every loss…

And how even when you've won, you've failed to inspire who-knows how many other trainers…

"Yer taken too long Ash! Rono, finish him with a hyperbeam!"

Right. Still battling.

His Tyranitar was in dire straits. This single hyperbeam would probably end it right there.

I might have lost. But I'm not gonna lose without getting a single hit in.

"Tyranitar! Roll over!"

He didn't exactly understand Ash's reasoning, but Tyranitar did as Ash commanded without a second thought. Now was not the time for hesitation. The hyperbeam missed him by a hair's breadth as he maneuvered his massive bulk over. The impact of the hyperbeam left a massive crater right in front of Rono.

I bought some time. That Aggron will need to recharge from that hyperbeam.

"Now roll over again! And aim your tail right behind his legs!"

"Once again Tyranitar spun around, his bulky tail slamming into Rono, sending the other Pokémon tumbling toward, his head slamming right into the giant hole. Just as Ash planned.

But now what? Should I go right in? Or maybe create some distance and use a hyperbeam of my own...? No, I can't let this slip by me.

"Now! While he's trapped! Use dragon claw!"

"Too slow again Ketchum! Iron defense!"

Tyranitar's attack was easily deflected as Rono became sheathed in a metallic coating. All he succeeded in doing was lodging the Aggron out of his predicament.

"One more hyperbeam Rono! Now!"

Again? Already?!

"Get outta the way Tyranitar!"

A second to late was all Sapphire needed. The beam nailed Tyranitar head on. In an instant, the large Pokémon found himself on the ground, knocked out.

He lost. Badly.

"Jeez. Guess he's been really outta it, huh?" May said, back at the table.

"He wasn't this bad against Blue though…" Yellow said.

"Ash…" Serena's voice could barely be heard by the others at the table, save May, who gave her a sympathetic glance.

Ash scrambled towards his Tyranitar. At least he wasn't critically injured. A good night's rest and a potion or two would do just the trick. Ash's pride however…

"You did a great job Tyranitar." He placed Tyranitar back into his pokeball. "Get some rest."

"Well, I would hardly call that a fight." Sapphire said, her arms crossed.

"Ya…" Ash could barely respond.

"I've been told yer a decent enough battler, but that ain't what I saw out there today. Any trainer worth their salt knows to keep their head in the moment. But yah look like yer heads up in the clouds!"

"Guess today just… wasn't my day."

And now you're making excuses, too.

"Listen. I don't know if yer as good as Red or not. It doesn't really matter to me quite frankly. But you of all people know what's going on, so you better…"

"Do I?"

That caught her off guard.

"Hey Saph…" Ash and Sapphire hadn't even noticed that Ruby and the others had walked up to them. "Maybe you should lay off him a bit. It's just one battle."

"You know how things are right now Ruby. This things gonna start getting bad, soon. We can't afford to get sloppy. What if things start goin' south one of these days and Ash here can't get it together when it counts?"

"Maybe he is just having a bad day! One lost battle doesn't mean he's gonna let us down!" Serena's voice was far weightier than Sapphire had ever heard it. Guess she should have expected it, considering what she saw that morning. Her planned rebuttal was interrupted by Ruby's hand on her shoulder. He didn't say anything, but his sympathetic stare said it all.

Guess I would'n be so different, huh?

She bit her tongue. Besides, the message was quite clear.

"Hey, it's alright," Yellow said to Serena. "We all know that Ash is capable. Things are just a little tense right now."

They didn't object. She of all people understood what was at stake.

"I'm headin' back to the lab for a sec." Sapphire turned around. No one tried to stop her. "I'll see y'all later."

As she stood there the trainers were left in awkward silence.

"Piiikkkaaaa?" Pikachu looked up to Ash, the trainer staring at the ground.

"It's alright Pikachu. I just…" he turned around. "I need a few minutes to myself. Can you stay with Yellow for a bit?"

"Pikaaaa…" With his ears lowered he went with the other trainer.

"Ash… we can talk if you…" Serena's voice had softened, though the slight treble was obvious to everyone present.

"Thanks but it's fine. Just need a sec to clear my head." And he too walked off.

Every Pokémon trainer worth their salt knows that nature provides. It was easy enough to understand. Those who have spent their years on the road quickly learned to appreciate clean rivers to bathe in, or the occasional freshly plucked berry, ripened by the seasons and ready to be eaten by those with a keen eye. During his adventuring years, Ash had also come to appreciate the amount of free space he could utilize to train out in the wilderness, practicing techniques without concerning himself with things like property damage.

Right now he found a newfound appreciation for the space. Once again, nature provided, giving him the space to be away from everything and everyone in equal measure. He sat at the edge of a small lakebed, located just at the edge of Littleroot town. A nice, secluded spot surrounded by scenic trees and small Pokémon milling about their day.

Despite the tranquil surroundings, a flurry of different thoughts swirled around his mind. He could hardly focus on… anything really. The more he tried to latch on to his anxieties, the further he dug down, lost in an eternal pit that he couldn't climb out of. He's been here for nearly an hour now, and all he has done is sink, further and further…

"Woop?"

The cheery voice startled him from his stupor. He turned, realizing that a Wooper had investigated his presence. The small, armless blue Pokémon smiled intently at him, the purple feelers on the side of its head bobbing up and down with excitement.

"Hey there."

"Woooop!" The Wooper quickly ran away from him, using its stubby legs to dig into the mud. It used its head to retrieve a small stone, quickly running back to Ash and placing a stone next to his foot.

"Oh… ummm…" he picked up the stone. It was… clearly a stone. Completely unremarkable, not different from any other stone one could pick up around the lake.

"Woooper!"

With enthusiasm like that, it was hard not to be grateful.

"Thanks. I'll keep it safe," he placed the stone in his pocket. The little Pokémon ran off, perhaps to search for more forlorn souls. Once again, Ash was left with just himself and the sounds of nature. At least until another voice once again interrupted his melancholy.

"Couldn't have picked a better spot really. Though I'd say the other side of the lake would give ya a better view of the forest."

It was Ruby, and it seemed that he had come alone.

"Oh, hey…"

"Now, I know you wanted some time alone, but you've been gone for a while now. I know how it is. We all need some time to ourselves, especially us men when we get into our feelings." He sat down a few meters away from Ash. "But I don't think the silent tough guy act really gets us anywhere, ya know?"

"Tough? Me? Heh… can't say I'm feelin' all too tough right now."

"I mean how can ya? You got beat down pretty hard back there."

"No kidding."

"And in pretty poor fashion too. At least lose with some flare if you're gonna go down so easily."

"I thought you came here to help."

"Who said I was?"

Fair. Ash shrugged, choosing to stare off at the lake. He could play along for a bit longer, he guessed.

"Ash… Sapphire doesn't sugarcoat her words, nor does she ever say anything without a reason."

"I know, and she's right. My head wasn't in the battle today. I know I need to stay focused on the fight."

"That's a good start. But I think it's gonna take a bit more than some self-reflection next to some dingy, gross lake. These sorts of answers don't come easy, you know."

"Sounds like you can relate."

"Hmmf." Just when I thought I was being subtle.

"Well," Ruby gripped the edge of his hat. "Life has a way of throwing you a few curve balls."

With a quick motion Ruby took off his hat. Ash was surprised by what he saw. Right beneath his finely kept hair were two giant slash marks sitting right on top of his left eye.

"See these? I got them in a scuffle with a Salamence back when me and Sapphire were just kids. Sure I managed to chase it off, but it left its mark."

"Woah… at least you got outta there alive."

"Please, it barely stung, though in the moment I couldn't see the blood crawling down my face." He took a deep breath. "And I guess I looked pretty fierce too. At least Sapphire thought so. She couldn't even stand to look at me afterwards, or at least I thought."

"Doesn't sound like Sapphire to me."

"Sure doesn't. But that day changed the both of us. We met again, years later, and those memories and feelings were still there. But I… hid them. I buried them deep down and kept them there for years."

"Why?"

"Same reason you couldn't pay attention in today's fight. All those thoughts swirling around in your mind, you lose sight of what's important. You start telling all sorts of lies to yourself, like all I have to do is focus. Sadly for me, I have these marks. A constant reminder of the truth, cut straight into my head."

Ash didn't respond. Ruby smiled warmly at the other trainer.

"I think we all have them, you know. Reminders. The things you can look at and know the truth. I'm sure you'll find yours." He pointed at the scars on his head. "And no matter what it is, you'll find the beauty in it, I'm certain."

Ruby placed his hat back on. Ash simply laid down on the grass, his focus shifting to the clouds.

"Hey Ruby… thanks for checking up on me."

"Anytime."

Evening already, huh… time seemed to just fly by these days, at least to Sapphire. There's been a lot to handle since the merging. Most would assume that she was used to it. Having spent much of her formative years living in the wilderness while assisting with her fathers research, she knew better than anyone that living with nature meant living at your own pace. It was all too easy to simply disconnect from the rest of the world, being at peace with yourself and your thoughts.

Guess it was easy to fall into old habits, as she sat on a bench outside of the Birches lab. She wasn't lying when she said she was heading back to the lab earlier, but she didn't really intend to actually do anything. After her display after the battle with Ash, she needed a moment to cool off. She figured that the others would probably want little to do with her right now anyhow.

She didn't mind. She knew she had to say what needed to be said. If Ash was as good as Serena and May suggested, then he'd come around in no time.

"Hey, have room for one more?"

Sapphire turned to see May, standing idle by the bench. Serena, Yellow and Pikachu were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, sure." Sapphire slid over. May promptly sat beside her. "I'm surprised yer here. Where are the others?"

"Yellow and Serena went off to find something to get for dinner. I decided to come see how you're doing."

"Me? Ain't you worried 'bout Ash?"

"Of course. But you didn't sound so great after the fight either."

"Obvious, huh?" Sapphire sighed. "It got pretty tense back there. Senior Yellow's right of course. These are crazy times and were all a lil' stressed out. Still, I don't take anythin' back."

"Oh it's fine. Well… maybe you could have toned it down just a bit."

"Hmmf. Maybe just a little." Sapphire pondered for a moment. She didn't really want to dwell on that right now. "How's ya little brother doin?"

"Max is doing alright. I gave him a call the other day. He just got his fifth gym badge in the Kalos region." May almost shuddered to think that her "little" brother was almost a young man by now.

"It's kinda funny. I didn't have any siblings growin' up. Neither did Ruby. What's it like?"

"Honestly, it's really weird. Sometimes there's your best friend, and sometimes your worst enemy. Most of the time, they're both." She shrugged.

"Right, I get it." At least she tried to. The reality was that she didn't get a lot about May. They were so different, in almost every aspect of their lives. They've spoken to each other numerous times over the past few weeks, trading stories about their many adventures and aspirations, yet Sapphire still felt that there was an impermeable wall between them. She knew that they didn't exactly have to click to work together, but still. It was herself, right? Or at least another version of herself depending on whichever budding theory about the merging you decided to latch on to.

"My turn for questions. How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How did you put up with Ruby pretending to forget about your confession for all those years."

"Coming back swingin', huh?" Sapphire chuckled. "Didn't think I was gonna go down this road again today."

Of course she and May had already discussed their personal relationships to each other, but the conversations never went all that deep. May knew the details however. That the pair had confessed to each other while the Hoenn region faced a crisis, and that Ruby had denied that the confession ever happened for years.

"Not sure how I did it really. For a while I could barely stand to look at 'im. But… he was still my best friend, ya know? Felt like he was the only one who truly understood me sometimes." Sapphire leaned back on the bench, facing the clouds. "What a jerk, right? But I guess we have a thing for 'em, huh?"

"Oh Drews not that bad."

"Fair." Sapphire chuckled. She'd only spoken to Drew once, through a video call with May. Though combined with the stories that May told about her initial journey throughout the Hoenn contest circuit, she could at least confirm that he was headstrong, to put it lightly. Granted, it was a trait they seemed to all share, so perhaps it was simply something in the Hoenn air.

"Anyhow, he came around to confessin' to me. Took another crisis to do it though. Well… and me gettin' ticked off with him for one to many lies did the trick to."

"Ruby's quite the handful, huh?"

"He's lucky he's worth it."

They were interrupted by the sound of ringing coming from May's pocket.

"Hello? Oh. Hey. Alright, we're coming." May placed the phone back in her pocket. "It's Serena. They just got dinner. She told us to meet them back at your place. I'll message Ash and Ruby, let them know."

"Hey… May…" Sapphire hesitated as May stood up. Was it alright to be this on the nose…?

"Yes?"

"I'm glad I have someone to talk about this stuff with, ya know?"

And I hope you see me as a friend… The thought barely left Sapphire's mind before May reached out her hand, hoisting Sapphire up.

"Anytime. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Right. Now let's see if Serena's taste in food is as good as yours."

"It's not."