Part LXXXV: Breaking up the Party
It had been 6 days since Ash and Misty, along with Max and a returning May, had arrived in Lumiose City and they were all gathered at Bonnie and Clemont's dad's house for a large group dinner before a good night's sleep. In the morning they were going to head out to Santalune City to challenge gym there.
They were all packed, stocked up and ready for another fun adventure in a new region for some of them. To top it all off Misty had even found a new daily outfit, her first new one she'd ever gone with but now that she was a Top Coordinator, she felt like going with something new. Plus Ash always changed his outfit whenever he went to a new region so she would do the same.
Misty had found it at a store May had recommended during her and Ash's date day in the City a few days ago to truly celebrate their, admittedly late, one-year anniversary and she loved it. Misty's new outfit consisted of a white tank top that didn't show any cleavage, a black vest that had large pockets at the sides and denim short shorts that were pristine and just long enough to be cute on her but not inappropriate just as she did with her miniskirt.
She'd opted to go with the shorts instead of a skirt to change things up a bit. In the same vein she'd switched out her pink moon boots for a pair of hot pink combat boots with black soles and laces that just screamed her style. She'd completed the new items with a jet-black beanie with a pink Poke Ball design similar to the one on her other beanie.
Other than that she kept the rest of her accessories from before. She still wore the yellow clips in her hair, her short pink scarf remained tied around her neck, while her Poketch on her left wrist and her bracelet on her right while keeping the same bag for her things. She'd also made sure that her two newest accessories from her time in Kanto were on full display.
She still wore the silver locket that Ash had given her and where she kept her Cascade Badge from her victory over Dawn as it rested on her upper chest. She also kept the special, black, leather arm band on her right upper arm that held her Ability Symbol snugly in it from her victory over Anabel.
While not physically on her, in her bag, in a special case, Misty kept her third Aqua Ribbon from her most recent victory over May in the Wallace Cup that was more than just their third straight final. They were her trophies and reminders of her battles with special rivals, she would never travel without them as they reminded her of just how special Ash was and how lucky she was to be the one who landed him.
The others had all commented and approved of Misty's wardrobe change. It was both different and yet similar to her previous outfit at the same time and it worked really well for her. It was just like how Ash always slightly changed up his outfits for a new region but kept the same basic principle and style wherever he went.
However, that was just the first interesting thing that had happened during their time in Lumiose City. There was something bigger that had happened, and it was time for it to be brought up to the shock of those who didn't know.
"Bonnie and I won't be joining you on the road to Santalune City." Max said as they finished dinner and relaxed from the great cooking before they had Serena's dessert in a few minutes. "We are heading out to Cyllage City tomorrow."
"You're not coming with us?" May asked her brother, confused at the sudden announcement.
"Cyllage, that's in the opposite direction to Santalune." Clemont added. "Are you sure? That would mean that would likely not travel with the others at all."
"We were talking about this the other day while Ash and Misty were shopping, and May and Serena were doing their own thing." Bonnie said. "I'm so much younger than all but Max and as close as I am with Serena and May, I feel like it would be a little uncomfortable for me to be with you guys as you are all in your late teens. You have much different concerns and needs compared to a 10-year-old girl."
"I am the same." Max said. "I'm only 12 and while I loved traveling with Ash, May and Brock back in the day now that I am a trainer and a rival to Ash, I need to continue to forge my own path here in Kalos. I was always planning on going my own way and Bonnie joining me will make it more fun as it is always best to travel in a group."
"We are close in age so have more in common then you guys." Bonnie said bluntly though they all knew that she wasn't wrong. "And we are both great at Pokémon care and can teach each other on the road. We've traveled before we were trainers, so this makes sense now that we're both of age. Plus, Max has already spent two years as a trainer, so he has experience traveling a region without you."
"I'm still a little uncomfortable with this." Clemont said clear hesitation in his voice. "As your big brother I worry that you will be ok with just Max."
"Yeah, same but for Max and being his big sister." May said. "While I think you two would make a great pair on the road, I can't help but feel concern as your sister Max. I know you've traveled Hoenn on your own for years but that's our home region and I know you'd traveled it before. You've never been to Kalos before."
"I know but it won't actually be just us." Max said surprising them. "We will be meeting up with a new friend who's a little older than me but still younger than you lot out on Route 5 just outside of the city as he had some things to do out there this week."
"And who is this person?" Both May and Clemont asked curiously, their older sibling nature kicking in.
"He's an aspiring Pokémon breeder called Owen who hails from Ballonlea City out in Galar." Max said. "He's 14 so around same age as Brock was when he met Ash on their first journey together and a good cook with a whole different understanding of Pokémon and how to raise them then we do."
"Tell us more about him." May said deciding to grill Max on this to make sure that he was making the right decision.
"First off we are only doing this because we want to and not because we have to." Max said seriously to his sister taking her a bit aback with his tone. "It's not like you guys haven't done this in the past and as you pointed out May, I traveled Hoenn alone for two years."
"Max does have a point." Ash said in his defense. "Other than my trip to Johto and my two follow up journeys in Kanto, I've always met at least on new traveling companion when I've gone on a new adventure. Even this year is no different as I've never traveled with Serena before. It's all part of the fun of making new friends in a new region on a new journey."
"I know." May said with a sigh of defeat knowing that she had no grounds to stand on given her decision to travel with Ash the day she met him but her instincts as a big sister were still there. "I just worry about you Max, and you Bonnie, you're like a little sister to me so I care about you as well."
"You are my little sister." Clemont pointed out. "So, I worry for you though I do trust May and after all she's told me about Max, I know traveling with him will be fine. Doesn't mean I can't be concerned."
"I know and it means a lot that you care, both of you." Bonnie said with a wide smile. "But this is something we have to do on our own. Besides without Clemont and his Aipom arm around, I can find him a wife with being stopped."
"Max?" Clemont asked going pale.
"I'll keep her in line." Max said with a nod. "Don't worry. I was Brock's chaperone when traveling with him, I can do the same for Bonnie."
"Good then you have my blessing." Clemont said. "But when you return here for Max's battle with me, I expect a full story of your journey so far."
"Of course." Bonnie said with a nod.
"Same with me, I know you can do it Max." May said with a smile. "I saw how your journeys in Hoenn helped you do well in the Conference last month. Just be safe and try to run into us as much as possible. Kalos is large but there are only so many gyms and routes to them so we should meet up a few times."
"Will do." Max said. "Besides, how else can I check my progress without facing Ash several times this year."
"True." Ash said with a nod. "I always face my rivals several times over the year to see how well I am doing so I look forward to it."
"I can't wait for that." Max said with a grin.
"And this will be good for them." Ash said. "Max and Bonnie are similar in both age and their passion for Pokémon; this will help them grow together more than they could with us. Plus 6 is a large number to travel with for a while year so breaking it up is a good idea."
"That's one of the reasons why this is for the best." Max said. "Add in that two of us are challenging guys and that could seriously slow you down waiting for me, especially with Serena doing Contests as well."
"True, I hadn't thought about that." May said. "If you and Ash were challenging gyms together then we would be rushing more with Contests. This allows us to plan one thing per city or town unless that place is catering to everything we need. Both Coumarine and Snowbelle have gyms and are hosting a Contest this year, though the latter is the Wallace Cup, so we'd be in those cities longer than most because of the multiple things to do there."
"Well now that that is settled." Clemont said. "How about telling us some more about this Owen guy. I do want to know what the person you're traveling with is like."
"Yeah like does he have Galarian Pokémon on him." Ash asked excitedly. "If so then I'll have to face him when you guys meet up with us. I've never seen a Pokémon from that region."
"Ok there's a lot there so to start off he's as we said, an aspiring breeder from Galar." Bonnie said. "Max and I were out at the practice field out in the city to take a break and so that I could see Gardevoir again while grooming Dedenne and Fennekin. It was as we were there that Owen showed up and commented on Gardevoir and Dedenne and how they looked to be well raised. He correctly deduced that I tended to follow my heart with Pokémon care while Max was all about the more scientific approach to Pokémon rearing but we'd produced the same results."
"So he knows his stuff." Clemont said. "That is a good sign, but I'd expect that from a breeder."
"Oh, he does." Max said with a nod. "Not at Brock's level when it comes to pure care, but he's got a good baseline and plenty of tips that we didn't think of. His parents run a daycare in Ballonlea so he's been around Pokémon all his life and has raised them since before he was a trainer so he knows his stuff. Becoming a breeder will broaden his horizons and he already knows more about breeding itself then Brock seemed to, so I think this is his calling. Brock always seemed to be missing something until he started becoming a Pokémon Doctor."
"A breeder should know that kinda stuff and he'd have tips that you could use given how breeders see Pokémon differently to trainers, coordinators or performers." Clemont said. "So why did he come to Kalos?"
"He'd never left Galar before and decided that Kalos was the best place for him." Bonnie said with a shrug. "Other than Galar, Kalos and Unova are the other two large regions with Kalos being the largest apparently so there is so much he can learn here compared to Unova."
"Kalos is the largest and most populous both with people and Pokémon species." Clemont said. "That makes sense to come here if you are looking for size. Galar may have more but the region is a little odd from what I've heard."
"Yeah and he wanted to travel with some people here to really get an experience." Bonnie added. "As I know the region and Max is challenging gyms this works out best for all of us."
"Wait Bonnie, what are you doing this year?" Misty asked, she'd been listening to this as it seemed more a sibling chat, but the entire time Misty had had a nagging thought at the back of her head until it hit her when Bonnie was talking. "If Max is challenging gyms then you should be doing something as well. Having a goal makes a journey so much more filling, even if the falls on that path hurt more than you'd think."
"I'm still undecided but I am going to try a few Contests once I have 2 more Pokémon and enter at least one Showcases when I can to experience both." Bonnie said with a thoughtful look on her face. "You know see which feels better so that I can see if one really calls to me or if I find something else, I truly love on the way. Max took a year to train and didn't Ash do that last year? This is what feels right to me."
"A wise move." May said. "If you are uncertain what you want out of a journey it will help you find it and seeing as you two are not traveling with us the risk of a conflict at a Contest won't happen."
"Though I won't get to face you Bonnie." Serena said. "We will have to battle when you have some experience because I need it as well."
"That would be nice." Bonnie said with a nod. "You're on Serena."
"So you two know what you are doing." Ash said trying to get the conversation back to what he wanted to talk about. "But what about this Owen guy, what are the Galarian Pokémon that he has?"
"Oh you will be in for a treat when you meet him." Max said with a grin. "He wanted to battle me after we made introductions, so I faced his Galarian Linoone with my Gardevoir and won easily. I have another point of reference to confirm that Disarming Voice is now a fairy type move."
"Wait hold up." May said. "Linoone is a normal type, how does that help out in determining that if a normal type move has suddenly become a fairy type move."
"It has a Galarian variant that isn't a normal type." Misty said surprising Max and Bonnie who looked at her. "What? You specified that it was Galarian, so I figured that you were talking about a regional form."
"It does have a regional form." Max said. "It's a dual normal and dark type and to add to it a Galarian Linoone can evolve, something the one native to Hoenn can't do."
"Blaine did mention that some of the Galarian regional forms had that ability." Ash said remembering his lesson with Blaine when Blaine revealed his Alolan Marowak during their battle. "And that unlike Alola, the Galarian variants include Pokémon native to Johto, Hoenn, and Unova at least."
"Wait how do you know of the regional forms?" Bonnie asked confused, she unlike Max wasn't aware of Ash's educational lesson in the middle of a full battle that was taking place in the heart of a volcano. "We only learned of them from Owen when he sent out his Linoone."
"We know because I faced an Alolan Marowak when I had a full battle with Blaine a few months back." Ash said to Bonnie. "It was a surprise to face it but it is a fire and ghost type not a ground type like the Kanto ones. Blaine explained it, the weird phenomenon that happens to some Pokémon that are normal even in Alola or Galar but evolve differently, as well as the oddities in Galar though he hasn't been there, so it was more what he'd heard."
"Oh so you already know." Bonnie said.
"Know yes but we haven't seen one." Ash said. "Go on, Max, what happened in the battle?"
"Well after Owen explained the whole regional forms thing, while our Pokémon waited for us to finish until Gardevoir got fed up and reminded us why we were there, we battled, and I started out with Disarming Voice." Max said. "It was super effective which surprised us all. From there the battle didn't last long and whole Owen landed a Payback but Gardevoir's fairy type seemed to balance her psychic type making it standard effective. I let it land so that she could catch Linoone and land a Hyper Beam to win."
"Sounds like an interesting matchup." Ash said thoughtfully. "A normal and dark type, a combo I didn't know could occur as it isn't common for normal to pair with anything other than flying, battling against a psychic and fairy type. A well-balanced duel I'd say."
"Wait normal types aren't commonly dual types?" Clemont asked Ash confused. "Here we have multiple dual normal types. Fire, electric, ground, and flying all have pairings with a normal type in at least one Pokémon or evolutionary line with the first two having normal as their secondary types."
"Huh well that is new to me." Ash said. "I know of flying as that is the common one, but the others are new to me. I believe that Bibarel is a normal and water type, Girafarig is a normal and psychic type and I think Deerling and it's evolved form are normal and grass types, but I thought they were the only ones."
"Until fairy types appeared." Misty said recalling something that Professor Oak had said after Ash's reveal of the type. "I think he said that Jigglypuff and its evolutionary family added fairy to their normal types rather than change from pure normal to pure fairy for some unknown reason. You know because this new type just has to have oddities to it."
"Huh must be some form of regional origin thing." Clemont said thinking on it, the phenomenon sounded like something one of the Pokémon Professors might be interested in. "Diggersby is the only known normal and ground type while Litleo is a normal and fire type and Helioptile normal and electric, the latter two includes their respective evolved forms and normal is their secondary types not their primary ones."
"Well I want to see all the new Pokémon here." Ash said causing them all to laugh even the ones who barely knew him. "New type combos like this are part of why I love traveling."
"Of course you do Ash, you wouldn't be you if you didn't." Misty said with a smile at her boyfriend. "But let's let Max and Bonnie finish. You did want to know if their new friend had any Galarian Pokémon."
"Thank you Misty." Max said. "Anyway, Owen had offered to cook us lunch after our battle and chat while he showed off his Pokémon. We talked about his Pokémon and Bonnie helped feed them as he made curry from local ingredients for us."
"Curry?" May asked confused.
"Yeah, it's a Galarian dish, basically all they eat apparently." Max said. "It's odd, they have dozens of varieties of it, Owen himself knows 30 unique recipes but they're made mainly with ingredients found in Galar. He is hoping to make more while here using local ingredients but that is about all he can make. He did say that no two will be the same unless he replicates a recipe so we will have plenty of variety on the road."
"Huh well I'm always game to try new foods." Ash said helpfully, his stomach growling in agreement at that.
"It was good." Bonnie said with a smile. "A little on the sweet side as he used sweet berries and macaroons but Kalos is known for its sweet cuisine and it paired well with the curry base even if the texture was odd. As he cooked, I got to feed some of his Pokémon and see them interact with Gardevoir, Dedenne, and Fennekin. They are all very different so I know I will learn more grooming techniques with them as some of them don't have fur or feathers."
"What does he have?" Clemont asked curiously. "Given your description one has to be a bug type as that is the obvious type that doesn't have fur or feathers. Carapaces are hard to work with though and I don't have any, so I have no idea how to care for them."
"I can give you some tips before you head out if you want." Misty said helpfully. "My Pinsir gleams thanks to my work. She's beautiful and she knows it."
"Not a phrase you usually hear but I've seen your Pinsir Misty, it is something else." May said with a small shake of her head. "I still don't know how you found a Pinsir that is shy and timid."
"She was attacked before I met her and that scared her." Misty said. "I showed her a new path and Oddish wanted to come with me, so she did as well. It turned out great for us and she does enjoy a good battle if she has Vileplume with her."
"You are right Clemon." Max said getting them back on topic. "Owen has a Weedle that hangs out around his neck whenever it is out. Apparently, it was a runt that Owen fortunately stumbled upon when looking for berries between here and Santalune and helped it out. He caught it but it's still adjusting I think so it was one of two Pokémon we couldn't interact with."
"The other was his Milcery." Bonnie said happily. "It's basically this adorable cream-colored blob but it was a recent hatchling so Owen has to feed her personally and be careful with her so I couldn't hold her yet. She didn't come out until after lunch. She's a real cutie pie."
"Milcery?" Misty asked. "I've heard of that Pokémon. It's one of the newly classified fairy types, right? I think Professor Oak said that it was a pure normal to pure fairy change."
"Correct." Max said with a nod. "It's a female specific Pokémon, one of two Owen has, and as you said, a normal type until it was reclassified recently thanks to the work of Opal, the Ballonlea retiring gym leader, in confirming it. She's pushing to have the gym reclassified from psychic to fairy, but it will take time due to her retirement."
"I heard of that." Ash said. "So Milcery, definitely not a Pokémon I have seen before. What is his other female specific one?"
"A Hatenna." Bonnie said excitedly. "She's just as cute. She's this small pink and light blue psychic type that is just adorable. She's really shy but she should grow in confidence as she evolves and Gardevoir has already taken a liking to her. I think she sees herself as Hatenna's mother figure now."
"The last one is an Owen's other main battle partner, a Passimian." Max said and the others just blinked at him having never heard of that Pokémon. "It's a fighting type that is originally native to Alola but there are a few areas of Galar where they're present as well, including near Ballonlea apparently. It's basically a monkey like Pokémon that likes to train and is muscular but it's hard to explain. If you battle him he'll likely use it or his Linoone who's his oldest Pokémon."
"Sounds like he knows his stuff and has some interesting Pokémon." Ash said thoughtfully. "He is a bit like Brock though maybe not so much with the ladies."
"I hope not, I think I will have my hands full with Bonnie and he said he wasn't really looking for someone right now." Max said with a laugh. "Though Brock found a woman which surprises me. I don't think she'll let me forget that I didn't realize she was into him."
"It was bound to happen someday and Lucy clearly loves him." Misty said her brain still failing to understand how Brock had gotten a girlfriend, let alone a fiancée as Lucy now was. "And she's one hell of a battler."
"Yeah accomplished what so many of us couldn't." May said just a confused as Misty at the improbability of Brock succeeding in love, it just didn't comprehend after all they'd seen but focusing on the other interesting thing about Lucy, her win over Misty. "She beat you in a battle Misty. Apparently, you can be beaten if it is a normal battle with no deeper meaning to it as Mollie also beat you."
"I got lucky against Anabel; I think 9 times out of 10 I would have lost to her." Misty admitted. "But Mollie and Ash beat me in Contests last year so I know I can lose. I got my revenge on Ash at the Wallace Cup but Mollie still alludes me. Her, Zoey and my mother, all opponents I haven't beaten yet."
"Well someday you will." Ash said and Misty blushed at his confidence in her. "I know you will."
"Wait I'm confused." Serena said. "We know of Brock from May, though a girlfriend is new. From what I heard he wasn't exactly the smoothest with the ladies."
"Fiancée." Ash corrected. "That one surprised us all."
"Oh yeah from what I know that would be a surprise." Serena said. "And I know of Mollie, she's a nice girl from when we met, but I think I'm missing something."
"Same." Clemont added.
"Where to start." Ash said. "A lot of this is from Misty and mine's year in Kanto."
"Well why don't you tell us the full story of your year together in Kanto." May said. "I'm sure that not even Max and I have heard it all and this is the last time we will all be together for a while."
"Oh good idea but first let me get dessert." Serena said getting up and rushing to the kitchen for the dessert she'd baked them. "A story like this is best over food."
"Well it all began after Ash's last party when an Oddish grabbed me by the hair in Viridian Forest." Misty began as Serena returned with the dessert and they began to eat the delicious baked goods.
The rest of the dinner was a nice affair as mainly Misty, with some help from Ash, recounted their full adventure from the previous year as they others listened to the whole tale from start to finish for the first time. It was an interesting one that was tame by Ash's standards but explained a lot and was a good way to end their time together before they went their separate ways in the morning, or in Clemont's case staying behind.
After the story ended, they all retired for the night, spending it in Clemont and Bonnie's dad's place, they were all eager for the year to come. Tomorrow Ash, Misty, May, and Serena began their own journey while Max and Bonnie went their own way and Clemont fully embraced his duties as a gym leader. Ash couldn't wait. Tomorrow his quest to win the Kalos League finally began.
