A/N: The first chapter of the three-chapter arc begins! I just about didn't make this week's release, but I finished the chapter at the last second and now I won't be a day late. Anyway, there are some story lines I want to write about with this specific setting, and that's kind of what this arc is all about, so I hope you enjoy these chapters!

By the way, I won't respond to every new review I get in the author's note unless it's a question that doesn't get answered in the same or following chapter.

Chapter 5: We're in this Together I

Scampering along the cold and unwelcoming concrete sidewalk in the dead of night was a small Pokémon named Pichu. It was being chased from its home in Viridian Forest and eventually ended up in Viridian City.

"Pi… Pi… Pi… Chu?" As it was running, it slowed and turned its head behind it to notice it stopped being followed. At least, that's what it hoped. Now coming to a stop, Pichu scanned its surroundings with a hint of anxiety, in fear that it would have to start running again. The streetlamps lining the sidewalk glowed a warm yellow-orange light, the only warmth Pichu could see on that cold February night as it stood beneath one of them. Just then, Pichu's ears perked as it could hear hurried footsteps, but for some reason they sounded like they were coming from somewhere high.

"Chu? Pi!" Coming from above was the dark silhouette of a man and a bag. Unfortunately for Pichu, not only was its electricity much too weak, the bag also seemed to be shock-resistant, as if its captor planned according to Pichu.

"Heh, now I've got ya." Came the man's hoarse and threatening voice. Pichu was on the verge of tears considering its dire situation. That was, until its ears perked at the sound of electricity rumbling. Its saviour arrived on the scene in the form of its final evolved form: Raichu.

Pichu began to smile when its captor revealed the name of its hero. "Geh, a Raichu? Don't tell me you're its parent?" The man didn't have a hint of fear in his voice, in fact he began to smirk. Tossing a Poké Ball into the air, the form of a Rhydon appeared from the red light as it landed on the ground with a rumble, as if there were a small earthquake. Much to the man's amusement, the Raichu started to smirk as well. Did it have a plan in mind?

"Rhydon, use Bulldoze and knock out that paternal pest." Rhydon sweated a little at the wording, but complied nonetheless, and with a glint in its eye. This didn't go unnoticed by the Raichu, who seemed to know exactly how to counter the attack. Rhydon began lifting one foot into the air and pounding it into the ground, repeating this motion as the ground began to shake violently, however the Raichu had gotten up on its tail and charged an Iron Tail attack to minimize the damage, causing the man to gasp.

"Huh, now this is getting interesting… Use Drill Run!" Rhydon started rotating its body like a drill as it attempted to crash into Raichu, however the Raichu kept using Iron Tail to bounce off of Rhydon to dodge, causing the man's smirk to drop. Rhydon skidded to a stop after realizing it didn't hear Raichu's pained sounds, before turning to see it was hardly breaking a sweat. At this, it growled in annoyance.

"I know how you feel, Rhydon. Use Smack Down!" Rhydon grinned and shot several orange clumps of energy at Raichu, in an attempt to keep it down to the ground. Its grin would drop almost immediately though, as Raichu expertly deflected the attack with its tail still hard as steel. Now frowning, the man had a look of disgust on his face.

"Well this isn't good. Rhydon, use Stone Edge." Rhydon ran its fist into the sidewalk as large pillars of stone glowing blue emerged. The Raichu seemed like it didn't have much of a plan there, so it used Quick Attack to dodge the attack, now coming close to Rhydon. At this, the man's smirk returned.

"Drill Run!" Rhydon initiated the attack like before, as Raichu skidded to a stop just shy of ramming into the enemy who was now on the offensive. Luckily, the Raichu knew what to do in this situation as well, as it immediately stomped its foot onto the concrete with a light thud, with a long rope-like grass forming between the crack of the sidewalk and ensnaring the spinning Rhydon.

"Crap! Return!" Rhydon was struck with the quad-super-effective move and roared in pain, before its form became red again as it was returned to its Poké Ball. Before the man could try anything else, sirens could be heard in the distance. Flashing red and blue lights could be seen, as he started to sweat at the situation. Tossing the bag, he made a hasty escape to avoid greeting the police, as the Pichu slid out of the bag while grimacing at the contact.

"Pi…chu…" It said, as its eyes began to tiredly close.

"So Ash, what sort of strategy are you gonna try with Pikachu when you battle against Gary?" Goh asked as he took a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. The raven-haired boy shrugged as he stuffed a larger spoonful of cereal into his own mouth.

"If you're going to respond, please finish chewing first." Chloe said with an unamused look. She couldn't begin to explain how annoying that somewhat harmless habit of his was, though that's all it ever was when it wasn't directed at her.

He nodded and swallowed the sugary, enriched breakfast food. She hadn't started mentioning this habit until now, but he was reminded of how his mom had that same complaint about him, as well as his table manners in general.

"I didn't really have a strategy when I battled Misty yesterday, I kinda just did things as I went along." He said with a shrug, as Chloe shook her head and frowned at his answer. Of course he didn't have a strategy, he wasn't a seasoned battler after all.

"You know, somehow that makes that draw all the more cool." Goh noted as he took more spoonfuls of his breakfast. Chloe couldn't help but agree to some extent, but it did also worry her a little. Sure, she wasn't as clever as Ash is in the heat of battle, but she could tell there was importance in strategizing.

Since the three had a bit of time before they could be on their way to school, Chloe decided to turn on the TV in the kitchen, which apparently was on the news channel the last time it was used. The program had just finished the weather report and moved onto other stories.

"In other news, authorities in Viridian City were called over a noise disturbance, but when they arrived at the scene there was only a wild Raichu carrying a fainted Pichu, presumed to be its child, along with a bag investigators had picked up with very familiar insignia stitched on, believed to resemble the Team Rocket insignia" At this, Chloe frowned in worry. Hadn't they been taken down a second time a few years ago?

"Team Rocket? That's crazy, there's no way they'd be back after being knocked down not once, but twice." Goh stated. Two years ago, Team Rocket had announced their return on the radio in Johto since being taken down three years prior, but the takeover of the Radio Tower in Goldenrod City was apparently cut short by a young boy who hadn't been on his journey for very long up to that point. At least, that's what Goh read about during one of his many research sessions at his parents' house. He did doubt some of the credibility of the details, since it's hard to believe a kid could stand up to a criminal organization like that, but considering exactly that happened to the same team years before by a child of the same age, it didn't seem all too false.

"I don't know Goh, that R does seem pretty similar." Chloe remembered how the R insignia looked, as she had caught a glimpse of a Team Rocket member that was photographed on an old newspaper article her dad kept back at her house. He seemed to like collecting newspapers, which she was now grateful about since she could contribute to the conversation. The insignia itself was that unmistakable shade of red, but the outlines were also coloured like a rainbow, which was a strange detail. Perhaps it was an attempt to confuse investigators? It certainly confused her at least.

"Either way, if more activity starts being covered by the news, it could start getting dangerous." Professor Cerise said as he entered the kitchen. He wore a soft, but worried frown, which was replaced by a smile as the three greeted him.

"At this point, I wouldn't really worry too much, but I'll keep an eye on the news anyway. Oh right, you kids should head off now." He said while tapping his watch. Ash just barely finished his cereal before they had to leave, but Goh wasn't as lucky.

As the group walked to school, Ash talked about what he would try during his battle with Gary. He assumed Gary would try to counter any basic techniques Ash might use, so it would be a safe bet to think outside of the box if the situation calls for it.

"Remember how he used Squirtle's shell to deflect Staryu's Swift attack?" Chloe asked. Ash nodded, having an idea of where she was taking that question. "Do you think he'll try that strategy if you have Pikachu use Thunder Shock?"

"Probably. I'll have to think of what I should do if he tries that…" He trailed off and assumed a thinking pose while walking, placing his hand on his chin. He could try something risky, but the problem with that is that it's obviously risky, and could cost him the battle. Thinking back to battles he's watched on TV, there wasn't a lot he could take from considering how inexperienced he and Pikachu were. Just then, Chloe poked Ash's shoulder to get his attention.

"Err, let's say that he does have Squirtle retreat into its shell to block off the Thunder Shock attack… I once learned that water conducts electricity, which is how Pikachu's Thunder Shock attack travelled through Chinchou's Bubble Beam attack when you battled Misty," He thought back to that and realized that he did something he considered oddly scientific, though he was only copying something he saw on TV like he said that time. "So if you manage to get Squirtle to become drenched in its own Water Gun attack, the wet shell could absorb the electricity!" She finished with a hint of pride in her voice.

"That's a great idea! Thanks Chloe!" Ash thanked her with glee. She smiled at this and nodded, though she was all giddy inside at the praise. She tried every so often to squeeze in her thoughts regarding the topic of Pokémon battles so she could have something to say, and it paid off this time.

Goh looked at Ash, and then to Chloe, before walking a little closer to the latter. Being sure he was out of earshot of Ash, he whispered to Chloe.

"I guess all the battle studying you do is really paying off, huh?" He asked with a sly grin. Chloe turned to him and tried to give him her usual deadpan expression, but she just couldn't keep a small blush from forming on her face.

"What's it to you?" She said while turning away with a slight pout, causing Goh's grin to grow. He noticed that Chloe seemed to behave rather interestingly around Ash, though he didn't really think too much of it. This was more out of a general disinterest in romance, which makes sense since he was only ten years old.

The three friends had arrived before the first period began, getting seated as they awaited other students. The first one to arrive after them was Gary, followed by his grandfather.

"Oh, good morning you three!" Professor Oak greeted with a friendly wave, as Ash returned the greeting while Goh and Chloe waved back. He wasn't expecting them to get there before he did, but it was a nice surprise.

"OK, there's something I must discuss with the class before Training Class begins, but I'll begin as soon as I've taken attendance for the rest of the class." An announcement? What could he possibly announce? Ash wondered if it had to do with his question a while back about playing with their Pokémon after school.

One by one each student had arrived, with Janine appearing at desk 2 in a puff of smoke before uttering an annoyed groan and returning to her seat. Following her was Harold, a boy with long, wavy hair that was a dazzling shade of magenta and reached down to his back. How Ash hadn't noticed the bright student before was beyond him. This continued with the rest of the students, as Ash stopped paying attention to resume thinking about what the announcement could be.

"Janine?" Professor Oak called first, going by number order, as Janine raised her hand with a "Present.". As attendance began, Ash was pulled from his thoughts so he wouldn't accidentally ignore the teacher.

Once Professor Oak got to Sanelia, he made sure to look up from the sheet to see her arm. Quite early on he realized the only way he could mark her as present would be to see her arm, but what she did instead surprised him.

"H-here." Professor Oak was well aware of how shy she could be, especially because of how it affected her speaking volume, but he smiled when she was able to announce her presence clearly enough. He wondered what could have happened to her for that to become the case, but he put that thought aside for now to face the students with a serious look.

"Alright, now that I've taken attendance, I have an announcement to make." He started, as he stood up from behind his desk and towards the middle of the front of the chalkboard. Excitement welled in some of the students at his words. He paused for a moment to gather the anticipation a little more, before continuing.

"Starting today, clubs are open for Normal Class students to join or form, you don't even need to be in the same class as the other students within them." A few students erupted into cheers, while most of the rest simply expressed excitement less loudly. Clearing his throat, he took a small stack of papers from the desk and handed them to Sanelia.

"Take a sheet and pass the stack over to the next student. On these sheets are a list of the clubs, where to find their rooms, and whether or not they can be joined." It didn't take long for Ash to receive the stack and take a sheet of his own, before passing it onto Vivienne. Most of the clubs didn't really catch his eye, mainly because he thought that joining one would take time away from studies at the lab or smaller excursions with Goh on weekdays. That was until his eye caught a very particular club. Before he could check the join status, Chloe poked his shoulder.

"Hey Ash, which club were you thinking of joining?" Chloe asked. She wasn't sure if she wanted to join a club, even after scanning the list. In her opinion, there wasn't much point in joining an astronomy club when she could look at the stars on her own time, or read some of the books at her father's lab. She wasn't very interested in physically intensive sports, so that ruled out a few more clubs too. Though there was one club she was sure Ash would at least consider, that's why she asked first. More so out of sheer curiosity, with no ulterior motive.

"I didn't finish looking at the list, but my eyes did stop at one club that looked interesting," Her eyes lit up as she knew she was on the mark, as she mentally praised herself. "The Floral Club!" Well that praise was for nothing.

She tried not to give him an incredulous look at his uncharacteristic choice. "Wh-why's that?" Ash's smile dropped a little, before he shook his head lightly and responded a little dryly. "You make it seem like it's a problem."

All of a sudden her face became cold with worry at his response. "O-oh no, that's not what I meant, sorry." She turned back forwards as embarrassment found its way to her face. He just wanted to see how she would respond to that, it's not like he held it against her or anything.

Ash placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn to him a little. "It's OK, I know why you asked, it doesn't seem like me to pick such a club, but I have a reason for that." He had a warm smile on his face, which indicated to her that he wasn't bothered by her initial reaction, which had worn off at his words. A smile formed on her face as she nodded.

Before she could make a response, Professor Oak cleared his throat in preparation to speak, catching the attention of the rest of the students. "OK, once everyone has finished looking at their sheets, let's head to the garden to begin Training Class."

"I'll explain it later, 'kay?" Chloe could only nod before she glanced back at the sheet. She was sure he wanted to join the Battle Club, but now she was curious about why he didn't even consider it, at least that was what she assumed.

With the Pokémon now comfortable with their human partners, Professor Oak officially allowed friend groups to hang out. Ash, Goh and Chloe were seated at a bench, watching their Pokémon play.

"I wanna join the Pokémon Research Club! At least, I would if they were recruiting new members…" Goh said with a pout, causing Chloe to giggle. She then turned to Ash, who was smiling at Goh with sympathy.

"So Ash, are you gonna explain why you're choosing the club you talked about earlier?" She asked, causing Goh's ears to twitch.

"Huh? Ash has already picked a club to join?" The boy in question nodded at his question, before scratching his cheek.

"Well, yes. I was planning on joining the Floral Club." At this, Goh's jaw dropped while Chloe shook her head at her childhood friend's reaction. Goh quickly recovered though.

"What? Why? I thought you would pick the Battle Club?" Chloe wondered that too, but thankfully she didn't have to ask as Goh beat her to it. Ash furrowed his eyebrows like he was stuck on a difficult math question.

"Why would I join that club? Battle Theory is plenty for me, and I could just ask you two to have practice battles with me." His eyebrows softened as he gave them a smile. Goh rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed by his initial shock.

"OK, that makes sense, but I still don't get why you're joining that club, it kind of sounds boring." Chloe lightly punched his arm, causing him to turn to her and say "What?". Ash chuckled in amusement at the interaction, before shaking his head.

"It simply sounds fun, and I've seen my mom tend to her garden back at home. I helped her sometimes and found it kind of enjoyable. That's all there is to it." Chloe smiled at learning about that side of him, though it's not like it didn't come as a surprise. Goh simply shrugged and chuckled.

"I see… Well, it does seem like it could be a little relaxing, which would be a good balance from exciting Pokémon battles." Ash grinned and nodded, happy that he understood.

"By the way, I'm hoping I can join the Pokémon Research Club when they start accepting new members. Though, I guess I can still do field studies with this guy if I want to learn about Pokémon." Goh said while draping an arm around Ash's shoulder, causing him to chuckle.

"Um, I was kind of considering taking a look at the Floral Club too, but I didn't know Ash was interested in it." Chloe spoke up. Goh shook his head in mild amusement, while Ash smiled.

"Why don't we pay them a visit later, then?" Ash asked the maroon-haired girl. She nodded at this, before the group of Pokémon returned to the bench with an exhausted look from all of the running around they were doing. Most of it was Eevee trying to start a game of tag with Pikachu, who was seemingly rudely not cooperating much to the Normal type's annoyance. Eevee would then initiate the game with Scorbunny, which would appear to get Pikachu fired up to play, much to Eevee's joy. Had the three trainers been paying any attention to them, Ash would likely misunderstand Pikachu's behaviour.

"Actually, since there are no other clubs that interest me, I think I'll join you two in taking a peek at the Floral Club." Goh chimed in, much to Chloe's disapproval. Though she didn't react negatively to his words in case he would be annoying towards her about it. Ash, on the other hand, was happy about it.

"The more the merrier!" Chloe couldn't help but shake her head and smile at his enthusiasm. 'I guess Ash is right.' She thought, as Eevee hopped onto her lap to get pats on the head. Then, a familiar voice was heard, signifying it was time for the next class.

"Alright students, let's head back now! I've got something else to talk about regarding Training Class once we get to the classroom." He shouted to be sure all of the students heard. At this, Ash wondered what could be happening. Were they going to have to become separated again like when their Pokémon were still getting used to having a Pokémon trainer?

"Starting on Monday, Training Class will be held here in the classroom, as we'll move onto other topics of Pokémon care, including things like grooming." He announced once he was sure everyone was seated.

"Oh nice! I'm sure Eevee is going to enjoy getting her fur brushed." Chloe looked at Eevee's Poké Ball and smiled, as it shook as if to acknowledge her feelings.

"Alright class, remember that there will be a test on Monday next week, so be sure to study!" Lottie exclaimed as the students left the classroom. Ash was sure he would get a good mark, and if he had any doubts he could always ask Chloe or Goh for help.

The trio made their way to the school garden, and then walked down a dirt path that led to what appeared to be a greenhouse next to a smaller building. On a banner hung up above the door to the building read "Floral Club" in cute pastel green and pink, with a messily drawn flower on the "F". Beneath the windows on the sides of the doors were two wide flower beds with flowers that looked happy and healthy.

"This must be the place." Ash said, as he was about to knock on the door.

"Really, what makes you think that?" Goh asked sarcastically. He would not get a response though, as the door opened to reveal a somewhat taller girl. She had short, curly brown hair that barely touched her shoulders, and wore the same female uniform as the Normal Class, however the yellow tie had a single horizontal red stripe going through it, signifying she was in a higher class.

"Hello! The name's Floria, and I'm the leader of the Floral Club! Did you come here to join?" She asked with a bright smile. She had the same energy Ash expected Lottie to have when he first met the peppy teacher. He and Chloe gave a nod, while Goh kind of shrugged.

"Well I am at least, Chloe and Goh here are just taking a look." He said. Floria's smile lowered a little, perhaps in disappointment. She stepped aside and ushered the three to step in, as they accepted the invitation. Inside the building was pretty cozy looking, with handmade flower decorations on the wall and a few posters related to garden care as well as treating Grass type Pokémon. There were four other students and someone who seemed to be a teacher, however Ash has never seen them before in his classes, but he figured that was because they teach Great Class students.

"Our club is but a humble one. We study plants, Grass type Pokémon, and how to care for flowers," Floria started explaining. "In fact, we've tended to pretty much most of the flower beds you see across the school, including the two outside of our clubhouse." Ash recalled seeing the mass of flowers just after the school gates. They certainly were quite neat, but he didn't really pay them much attention before now.

"Lemme introduce the gang! After Floria is-" She was cut off by the girl next to her, who had long green hair tied with a hair tie styled like a flower with pink petals into a loose plait at the end and draped over her shoulder. Like Floria, the tie on her uniform had the same stripe.

"The name's Jamie, and I'm the vice leader of the club!" She extended a hand to Ash, who shook it with a sweatdrop at her energy. She extended a hand to Chloe next, who had a similar reaction. After another handshake with Goh, she stepped aside to reveal the male student. He had short light-grey hair parted at the sides and dark grey eyes, but this time his uniform was the same as Ash and Goh's, which visibly made Ash a little confused.

"Hello, my name is Jack, it's a pleasure to meet you." He said with polite smile and a small bow. Were all of the members of this club this… unique? Ash greeted the boy nevertheless, before Goh asked the million dollar question.

"You're from the Normal Class right? How come we never see you?" His smile dropped a little, but returned after he realized Goh's class might not have explained everything properly.

"Oh that's simple. You must be from Normal Class A. See, there are three groups of students in the Normal Class, going from A to C. I'm from Class B." Before he could make any further comments, Floria him aside, allowing the fourth member to introduce themselves.

"Howdy? I'm Hana!" She had honey blonde hair tied into pigtails and was the same height as Ash, and had a Normal Class uniform as well. "As you can see, we're in the same grade, but I'm from Class C." Ash nodded, before he started to introduce himself too.

"Alright, it's nice to meet you all. My name is Ash Ketchum, and I'd like to request permission to join your club!" Floria smiled at how he didn't beat around the bush, before her smile dropped and she wore a more serious expression.

"I'm glad you're interested in joining, but in order to become a member you have to win against moi in a practice battle!" She did a little spin and posed with a v-sign next to her head. The three of them sweated at the action, before Ash shook his head and gave a determined expression. This in turn made Floria grin, before she was handed a sheet to give to Ash.

"I'm never a fan of paperwork, but you should go over this form first, and then we can work something out on Monday." She handed him a single sheet of paper that had some spaces to fill, including his name and reason for wanting to become a member. Then, she turned to Chloe.

"You wanted to join too, right?" She asked her. Chloe's initial plan to join wasn't totally decided on, but she took a form anyway and nodded.

"Yes, I wanted to join too." Floria nodded and turned to Goh with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry there…" Goh revealed his name, before Floria continued. "Goh, if Ash and the girl next to him become members then we'll hit the member limit." Goh shook his head.

"It's fine! I only came by to take a look anyway, I'm considering joining another club once they start accepting members." He explained, causing her to frown a little.

"Oh, is that so? Whatever then. Hey Teach, can you referee our battle next week?" Just then Ash realized he was already going to battle someone then, but he couldn't bring it up yet until the opportunity to speak arose.

Their teacher, who was also the club advisor, had black hair reaching her shoulders, with a red hairband over her forehead, and wore a traditional red kimono that was crossed left over right. "That's Miss Erika to you. And I don't see any problems with that arrangement." The pause allowed Ash a chance to speak.

"But I do, 'cos I'll be having a practice battle with someone on that day, and I'm not sure I'll be able to have another battle unless the schedule allows it." He revealed, as Miss Erika shook her head.

"It's fine Ash, what time will the battle start?" Ash kind of shrugged, as there wasn't really an arrangement made with Gary about when exactly they'll begin the battle.

"Uh, well it wasn't actually decided, but I think he'll want it to start as soon as it can, so probably during lunch break?" He guessed, which was good enough for Erika.

"OK, well then the deciding battle between you and Floria can start after school, but she could have a battle against your maroon-haired friend there first." She said, as Chloe smiled and introduced herself.

"My name is Chloe Cerise." Erika nodded, before turning to Ash again. He gave a nod as well.

"That'll work!" Floria clapped her hands together and grinned, as the other members gave their own positive reactions.

"Well thank you three for stopping by! See you on the battlefield on Monday, Ash and Chloe!" She waved at the trio as they left while saying their goodbyes as well.

"You know, studying Grass type Pokémon might not amount to much to either of your benefits considering neither of you own Grass types." Goh started as they walked down the road.

"It may not matter in that way, but it'll help if I battle Grass type Pokémon that I'm familiar with." Ash replied. Chloe nodded in agreement.

"Besides, it should come in handy in the future if he catches Grass type Pokémon to battle with." With the strong cases made, Goh sighed in mock defeat.

"Alright alright, you win." As he was chuckling, the three came to a split, with Chloe typically splitting up since she lived further away from her dad's lab.

"OK, I'll see you two soon. Bye!" She waved as she took the left path. As she walked away, Goh felt his phone start to vibrate.

"Oh huh, my Mom sent me a text message?" He noticed his Dad was also in his contacts list. Did the school have something to do with that? Either way, he pulled up the message and read it.

"Oh, looks like my parents want me to drop by their apartment? Ash, you can go on ahead to the lab, I'm gonna head back to the school and wait for my parents to pick me up." Goh stated, as Ash's phone startled the two boys with a sudden call notification.

"Incoming call from Delia! Incoming-" Ash quickly picked it up, as his mother started talking. "Hi sweetie! How are you doing?"

"Oh hi Mom! Everything's all good here. By the way, how are you calling me?" Ash asked, as she giggled.

"That's simple! Your school gave me your phone number, so you can call me anytime and give me updates on your studies!" She sounded absolutely delighted, which made Ash smile. Though they were apart, they could still communicate from afar.

"Well, it's been great at school so far," Ash started, as he noticed Goh left for the school, prompting him to start walking back to the lab. "I got a Pikachu as my partner Pokémon on the first day, and now I'm gonna join a club next week!"

"Oh that's wonderful! I hope you're treating Pikachu well!" Ash scratched his cheek at this.

"Mom, just what do you take me for? Of course I've been treating him well, we're practically best buddies!" He said with a light chuckle. His mom laughed a little too, she was just trying to tease him.

"Well that's good to hear. I hope you haven't been getting up into trouble either, dear." He rolled his eyes at that.

"Of course not Mom, in fact I made a new friend recently! Her name is Sanelia, and she wanted me to help her become friends with her Pokémon named Seel." He couldn't see it, but Delia started to smirk at that.

"Ohh, so you're already making friends with girls huh? Oh my little Ash is already growing up!" Ash frowned at this, unsure of where she was getting at.

"Uhh, right. Oh yeah, the club I wanted to join was the Floral Club! I remember watching you tend to your garden, and I thought it would be fun to join a club about it." As he was speaking, he entered the lab.

"That's surprisingly mature of you, Ash. Just remember to put lots of love and care into the flowers you grow, OK? Take it from me, a master gardener!" Ash chuckled at that, and nodded.

"Sure Mom, I'll make sure to do that. Anyway, I gotta go, I wanna try to read some of the books in the lab again, especially the ones about Pokémon." Delia sighed with a hint of sadness before she gave an affirmative sound.

"OK, I love you sweetie. Take care! Call me every once in a while, alright?"

"Got it. Bye mom, I love you too." He hung up the call finally, before making his way to a bookshelf to retrieve the same book by Professor Rowan that he was trying to read a while ago.

Next time: We're in this Together II

A/N: Some of you may notice who Floria is a reference to, but for those who don't get it, I urge you to go back and replay Pokémon HeartGold or SoulSilver. Either way, I hope you look forward to next week's chapter!