Sora was no stranger to the desert.

He'd been to Agrabah many times; after the first few visits, he grew accustomed to the lack of water and the relatively poor living conditions (outside of the palace, that is). He suspected that this was a common trend on desert worlds; with water being such an important commodity, it stood to reason that those who possessed it would hold wealth and power untold, and their influence would reach far.

Despite all of that, he couldn't help but stare in awe at Phenac City.

While it wasn't nearly as opulent as Agrabah's royal palace, it didn't need to be furnished with jewels and gold coins. No, Phenac accomplished that same sense of lavishness and luxury by flaunting its abundant water. No matter where he looked, Sora was sure to find either a fountain or an irrigated canal running through the city. Access to water was so far removed an issue that it bordered on frivolous. If he was thirsty, all he'd have to do is walk 10 feet to the side and he'd find a crystal-clear stream of cool water. He could easily grab a drink of water no matter where he was.

Probably wouldn't be polite to drink from it in public, though. Alien though he may be, he at least had enough common sense to know that.

"Whoa." Ash's awed voice broke him from his reverie. "So much different from Pyrite."

"Pi-pika…" Pikachu seemed to agree.

He wasn't wrong. The buildings and structures didn't look like they were slapped together using sheet metal and duct tape. Regular, uniform concrete buildings were orderly arranged surrounding the central fountain. Palm trees had been carefully planted at regular intervals, adding a touch of verdant green to the otherwise stark white and sandy beige cityscape.

On that note, there was clearly a plan when this city was designed. The city seemed to be mostly designed in three overlapping circles smashed together and arranged in three distinct terraces. The lowest terrace, which housed the aforementioned central fountain, made up the bulk of the city and seemed to be where most of the commerce and trade was centered. The middle terrace was probably where most of the residences were located, though there was a larger building of unknown purpose in the middle of that circle. Finally, making up the entire upper level was a large domed structure, the sides of which poured forth the water that ultimately flowed throughout the entire city. According to the PDA on his Pokedex, this was Phenac Stadium, where the tournament would be held.

Calling Pyrite Town and Phenac City "different" was a massive understatement.

"So where to first?" Sora asked, eyes scanning over every shop front and market stall.

Ash beamed. "The stadium, of course! We've gotta get registered!"

"We?" Brock echoed.

"Come on!" Ash cried out, having walked off without acknowledging Brock's question.

Serena was right on his heels as she held Toxel in her arms. "Wait up, Ash! The tournament isn't going anywhere!"

"Isn't Ash already a Champion?" Sora asked Bonnie and Brock, who hung back with him as they followed behind. "Why's he acting like this is his first tournament?"

Brock laughed. "Ash is a kid at heart; anytime there's the chance of a good battle it's like he's ten years old again. He's definitely matured since then, but he's still got that excitement for a good battle. His Pokemon are the same way."

"I can tell." Sora chuckled, noting how pumped up Pikachu looked.

As they followed Ash, who was still shivering with excitement – much to Serena's continued fond exasperation – Sora took a deep breath, letting the smell of fresh, running water fill his nose. It was like the smell after a rainstorm; the water itself didn't have an odor, obviously, but the smell of wet permeated the air. It was a welcome change from Pyrite, which smelled like oil and smoke and metal.

"Ooh, they have a Pokemon Center here!" Bonnie exclaimed, finger already extended and pointing at a building with a large Pokeball emblem emblazoned on the front.

"Hmm, definitely want to check that out soon." Brock commented. "I do have a job I'm supposed to be doing here, after all."

"I'm sure Ash will want to go there after registering, anyway." Bonnie said.

They ascended a flight of steps and found Ash and Serena already at what looked like a ticket booth. Pikachu and Toxel were seated off to the side, in the shade, and were idly chatting between themselves to pass the time. Serena made eye contact with them and waved them over.

"Ash?" Serena prompted, drawing his attention.

The Champion perked up. "Oh, right! Since battles here in Orre are double battles, I wanted to see if you all would want to enter too!"

"I've only got Rufflet, Ash." Sora reminded him. "And I've only got a handful of battles under my belt, and really only one outside of training. I'll pass, but I'll cheer you on anyway!"

Ash's expression soured. "Right. Shoot. Sorry, Sora. We'll get you another Pokemon soon."

"No rush." Sora smiled, resting his hands behind his neck. "I'm still getting the hang of this. Probably wouldn't be a good idea for me to take on more than I could chew, you know?"

The unspoken message was clear. Guardian of Light he may be, but as a trainer he was in no position to try to control a Shadow Pokemon. Not right now, at least. Maybe once he got more experience with Rufflet. Maybe then.

"What about you two?" Ash asked. "They're giving out a prize to the winners…"

"What about Serena?" Bonnie smirked. Sora rolled his eyes; teasing was this girl's default state. "Shouldn't you ask her first?"

Ash tilted his head, clearly confused. "I already did? She and I are already partnering up."

Sora's eyebrows shot up, as did Bonnie's and Brock's. The Pokemon doctor was the one to follow up, strangely enough. Bonnie just looked gobsmacked.

"I guess I could use the practice." Brock shrugged. "What do you say, Bonnie? Wanna give this a shot?"

Whatever mischievous energy the blonde had quickly morphed itself into competitiveness. Sora almost took a step back at the fierce aura she was putting off. She clenched a fist and thrust it into the air. "Let's do this, Brocko!"

Brock guffawed. "Haven't heard that nickname in a long while! Alright, let's get signed up, but afterward I want to hit the Pokemon Center. I have to check in and report back to my superiors."

"Serena and I should probably call Palermo too." Bonnie lamented. "Why is there so much paperwork?!"

"Oh don't you start." Serena chided as she and Ash walked over to join them. "I'm the one actually filling out the reports! Anyway, Ash and I just finished registering if you two want to sign up."

Sora watched the eldest and youngest members of their group walk up to the registration booth and sign up, and while he was interested in whatever Ash and Serena were now talking about, he couldn't help but wonder. Yes, he'd seen his fair share of Pokemon battles since arriving on this world; he'd even participated in a couple of them himself. However, the prospect of an official tournament – despite how much the others were downplaying this since it wasn't a proper League conference – Sora found himself itching to watch.

This was going to be great!

"I thought you said Pokemon Centers had nurses?"

"...They do." Brock said, glancing around the lobby. While there were trainers and Pokemon scattered around, there was no one stationed officially, by the looks of it. There was a small placard up at the front desk, too far away to read at this distance. "Usually. Looks like they left a note."

Sora followed, noting that the others looked just as perplexed as to why this Pokemon Center wasn't staffed.

Brock picked up the small sign at the desk and summarized. "Looks like the nurse was called away and her replacement won't be here until tomorrow."

"That's convenient." Serena remarked. "At least they'll be here for the tournament. I'd hate to see a tournament without medical treatment on hand."

"Still, it's unusual." Brock thought aloud. "If not an outright breach of standard protocol. You always make sure there's adequate coverage if a nurse or doctor has to do a remote call. Even if it's just an intern – which isn't usually a good idea to begin with – there needs to be someone present at all times."

"Bet that's not gonna look good on their report, huh Brock?" Ash joked before he paused. "Wait, what are you doing? Brock, you don't work here."

Brock looked up from behind the front desk for all of a moment before diving back into clipboards and computer work. Sora blinked; when did he get back there? "I am now."

"Brock, you don't work here." Ash reiterated, crossing his arms disapprovingly. Pikachu mimicked his trainer with a solemn "Pika".

"It's only for the rest of the night." Brock shrugged before diverting his attention to those in the lobby. "Alright, I can only do this for a few hours. Whose Pokemon need medical attention?"

Sora had to dodge out of the way as, without warning, the front doors opened and a small horde of trainers came pouring through. Brock yelped with surprise before he organized and coordinated with practiced ease. Before he knew it, Sora bore witness to an orderly queue as Brock systematically processed each person.

"Well, he's going to be busy for a while." Ash chuckled. He looked over towards Serena, who was seated on a couch nearby. She kept making baby noises as she played with Toxel. Sora smiled, and he wondered how Kairi would react to Pokemon, especially to one as unequivocally adorable as Serena's newest teammate. "How's he doing?"

Serena smiled up at Ash before retrieving her Pokedex. "He's progressing faster than I thought. At this rate, he'll be ready to purify before Metang is."

"That's weird." Bonnie commented. After a moment of clear consideration, she shrugged. "But I guess it makes sense when you really think about it. He's a baby, so he's a lot more impressionable. Metang's so different."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Ash, it's a battle junkie." Bonnie deadpanned. "Every fight you throw it into, it's like a rampaging Tauros."

"Hey, they're not that bad!" Ash objected.

"Metang or Tauros?" Serena asked.

"Yes."

"Anyway…" Bonnie drawled, kicking her feet idly as she sat next to Serena. "What should we do now? The tournament's not until tomorrow."

"Hey, maybe we should get in some practice with Toxel." Ash suggested. "You're planning on using him for the tournament, right?"

"Uhh…" Serena stammered, looking a little uneasy. "I guess? He's still a baby…"

"Serena, I saw him tackle a Heartless and win. I think he'll be fine." Bonnie said. "Ash is right. You should get some more practice with him!"

"Okay, but against who?" Serena asked. "All of Ash's Pokemon are too strong for him, and Brock's – "

Rufflet's Pokeball abruptly opened with a flash of light. An instant later, Sora's faithful fledgling flier was perched on his shoulder. He spread his wings and squawked defiantly.

"...I guess that answers that." Ash laughed. "It'll be good practice for Sora and Rufflet, too. They should have training fields out back. You both in?"

"Ooh, can I go against you, Ash?" Bonnie bounded up from her seat. "I wanna get some training in, too!"

Ash smiled, and Sora could see that competitive fire in his eyes. "Sure thing, Bonnie! Metang's been itching for a battle!"

Bonnie's eyes widened and her face paled. "I've made a mistake, haven't I?"

"Yup." Serena and Sora answered in unison. Bonnie made a break for it, only to get caught by the back of her shirt by Ash.

"Brock, we're heading out back to train!" Ash shouted as he dragged a resigned Bonnie with him.

Sora stifled a laugh as he heard Brock squawk indignantly behind the mob of trainers. Bonnie perked up a little, as if realizing something.

"Wait! We can't train because Brock's busy!" She tried to argue. Oh how quickly she changed her mind when Ash's Metang was in the picture. "He won't have the time to heal our Pokemon!"

"You're forgetting something important, Bonnie." Ash had an almost feral grin on his face. "Sora can heal them, so not only can we train, but we can train harder!"

All concern melted away from Bonnie's face, while Dedenne seemed to blanch at the implication.

"Oh, right! Let's do this then! We've got a tournament to prepare for!"

For a tournament, the atmosphere here was rather… muted, for lack of a better term.

Oh, there were certainly people excited for the coming matches. Sora was one of them. What struck him as odd, having witnessed the audience hype of Olympus's colosseums, was that not many among the audience looked particularly enthused. If he didn't know any better, most of the crowd was cheering out of obligation more than anything else.

Were all Pokemon tournaments so muffled?

"...llo?" A voice boomed out over the stadium. A few annoying thump-thump noises resounded through the stadium as the announcer tested his microphone. "Is this thing on? …oh, we're live? Well, uh… welcome, citizens of Phenac City, to a special tournament."

Sora glanced over at Brock and Bonnie, who were up here in the stands with him for the time being. They weren't slated to fight until later.

"Geez, who is this guy?" Bonnie griped. "It's like they found some random guy off the street and stuck him up in the announcer booth!"

"He's…" Brock began, clearly choosing his words carefully. "...not the greatest at this, is he?"

"No!" Bonnie continued, feeding off of Brock's unenthusiastic criticism regardless. "I swear, my brother could do a better job, and he's a mess when it comes to stuff like this!"

"I take it this isn't normally how these things go?" Sora asked.

"Sora, I'm gonna give you a piece of advice here." Bonnie said, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "If something here in Orre seems weird or off, it probably is. Things are much better in the other regions."

Sora wasn't sure what was more off-putting: how irritated some of the locals seated nearby looked at that declaration or how resigned others looked, as if accepting the truth in her statement.

Hopefully they'd show him "normal" society someday. Orre was terribly disappointing so far.

"Normally the announcers have a bit more… energy, and they usually know how to hype a crowd up." Brock explained. He shrugged. "I'm guessing this guy's new to the job or they had to find someone to cover for the regular guy. There's no way the stadium would be this busy if he was the original announcer."

"Ooh!" Bonnie started digging in her pack for something. She retrieved her Pokedex and pulled up a video before leaning towards Sora. He looked over her shoulder; what looked like footage of Ash in a battle was playing. He could hear the announcer for this battle, and the difference was night and day. "See? This is Ash's announcer for the Alola League."

"Incredible!" The recording shouted, and the roar of the stadium in the video was deafening. Sora noted a few curious eyes and ears behind them listening in. "Melmetal shows us exactly why he's one of Ash's heaviest hitters! Not many steel-types can take a Sunny Day boosted Fire Blast to the face and survive! Again, our champion shows us that sometimes, the best defense is a strong offense!"

"So – who's up first…? – right, our first challengers are Ash and Serena versus Flitz and Greb. Start whenever you're ready, I guess." The announcer drawled in stark contrast to the video on Bonnie's Pokedex. Light, if his friends weren't down there, he'd be tempted to take a nap with how unenthused this guy was.

Ash and Serena threw forth their pokeballs, summoning Corphish and Toxel to the battle. Their opponents answered with what looked like a small blue mouse that seemed to bounce on its own bulbous tail and… a two-headed bird? He pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the two unfamiliar Pokemon while the two forces started to brawl.

"Azurill, the Polka Dot Pokemon. Azurill's tail is large and bouncy. It is packed full of the nutrients this Pokemon needs to grow. Azurill can be seen bouncing and playing on its big, rubbery tail."

He noted how it seemed to enjoy bouncing on its tail, just as Toxel lunged at it with a Nuzzle. Apparently practicing against Rufflet did the little Shadow wonders. Sora's hand shifted, pointing the Pokedex at the bird this time.

"Doduo, the Twin Bird Pokemon. By alternating raising and lowering its two heads, it balances itself to be more stable while running. The two heads never sleep at the same time. Its two heads take turns sleeping, so one head can always keep watch for enemies while the other sleeps."

Sora was reminded of that old adage: "Two heads are better than one." Given how uncoordinated the twin bird and its trainer were, he began to doubt that heavily. Ash and Serena were thrashing them, to put it mildly. He almost felt bad for their opponents.

Almost.

"Vise Grip!"

"Huh. Looks like Ash's Corphish has Azurill trapped. That's gotta suck."

"Now Crabhammer!"

Sora winced as the Ruffian Pokemon started slamming the trapped water mouse about with a Crabhammer attack. His eyes wandered over towards Toxel, who was adorably nuzzling a stiffened and paralyzed Doduo.

"Now throw Azurill at Doduo!"

"Cor!"

Azurill was summarily launched at the paralyzed Doduo mid-Nuzzle, causing both Pokemon to freeze in place from the shock.

"Acid!"

Toxel disengaged and sprayed the two down with a sickly purple liquid; however, he looked about ready to charge forward without a command. Sora frowned as he saw Toxel's normally stable and muted shadow aura spike just then, something he'd seen Metang do on more than one occasion during training. Their nature as Shadow Pokemon would flare from time to time, and nothing short of their trainer snapping them out of their bloodlust would reign them in.

Fortunately, Sora had been quick to teach his friends the visible signs – the ones they could see, at least.

"Toxel, no! Snap out of it!" Serena called out.

Toxel, thankfully, came to his senses and looked rather bashful and embarrassed at his blunder. He scooted back to his trainer's side of the battle just as Corphish descended from on high to deliver a devastating Crabhammer.

"Azurill and Doduo are unable to battle! Corphish and Toxel win!" The referee – who thankfully had more enthusiasm for the sport than the announcer did – declared.

"That was fast." Sora commented, earning sagely nods from his companions.

"Can't say I'm surprised." Brock said. "Corphish and Toxel may be unevolved, but if there's one thing you'll learn about being a trainer, Sora, is that unevolved Pokemon can be just as strong as an evolved one."

"Like Pikachu!" Bonnie added. "He's not fully evolved, but he's considered Ash's strongest!"

More than a little shocked, Sora looked over at a very smug Pikachu, who was currently seated just past Brock. Both he, Dedenne, and Rufflet were seated politely and sharing some snacks as they watched the battles below. "Really? I would have thought Charizard was his strongest."

"Pika!" The electric mouse cried out, scandalized.

"No offense!" Sora quickly corrected, waving his hands placatingly. "But even you have to admit, Pikachu, you don't look as intimidating as Charizard does. There's a reason that jerk back in Pyrite underestimated you."

"Ka-pika." Pikachu shrugged as if acknowledging that fact.

"It's pretty common for a trainer's starter to be their strongest Pokemon." Brock explained. "Pikachu was Ash's starter, and since then they've been inseparable."

Given the kind of adventures and shenanigans Ash and Pikachu had been through, Sora supposed it made sense that the yellow mouse was as strong as he was. Fighting off world-ending catastrophes would make anyone a strong and battle-hardened warrior. He exchanged a knowing look with Rufflet; while he and his little eaglet were still getting to know each other – they'd only known each other for a couple weeks, really – he knew that their friendship would be a strong one.

That would come in time, though. For now, his job was to keep his friends' seats safe. Brock and Bonnie were up soon, and Ash and Serena were likely on their way back to the stands. Rufflet, taking advantage of the commotion, jumped onto his shoulder.

"That might be us soon. Think you're up for it?" Sora asked with a challenging grin.

He was met with the closest thing his beaked Pokemon could make to a smile. "Let!"

"Good." Sora chuckled. "Watch carefully, bud. I know I will."

"How's Toxel?" Sora asked offhandedly as he, Ash, and Serena watched Blissey slap around something called a Pineco. Bonnie and Brock outclassed their opponents just as severely as Ash and Serena had, so while Sora was paying attention, there wasn't much to be learned except how strong they were.

Serena pulled out her Pokedex and displayed Toxel's heart gauge. "Pretty close! I'm lucky he likes to cuddle; getting him to open up would have taken longer if he was more standoffish."

"...Yeah, I don't think Metang's the cuddling type." Ash sweatdropped.

"Would you have if it was?" Serena asked.

"I mean, I don't know. Maybe? I'm not against cuddling, I've just never had much opportunity." Ash shrugged. "I do enjoy hugs, though, so I guess I'm a cuddler?"

"Good to know." Serena nodded sagely, with just a tinge of red dusting her cheeks. Sora bit back a snicker but shot the performer a conspiratorial wink. That only seemed to deepen her blush, but at least he wasn't as bad as Bonnie.

Light above, that pre-teen could be downright malicious in her teasing.

Ash blinked at the sight, and Sora could see the gears turning in his head. After a moment, he turned his attention back towards the battle, but his eyes were unfocused. Whether he was deep in thought about the fight below or about what just transpired, even Sora didn't know.

Sora took a page out of his friend's book and turned back to the battle. Bonnie's Phantump looked a little slower than the Zubat it was facing off against, but neither Phantump nor Bonnie looked particularly bothered by it. She called for a Will-O-Wisp, and a flurry of purple motes of fire made contact. Zubat's trainer didn't look entirely pleased with the development.

"I thought poison and flying types were good against grass?" Sora asked, mildly confused as to how Phantump was doing so well.

"They are, but type matchups aren't everything." Serena nodded. "This one likes to go against the flow all of the time. Right?"

Ash blushed and rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "Guilty as charged. Sometimes playing at a disadvantage is just what you need to get your opponent to underestimate you."

"Pokemon battling is just as much about psychology as it is about strategy." Serena added.

That… was a bit of a foreign concept to Sora, if he was being honest. It ashamed him to admit as much, but most of his conflicts were resolved with liberal use of his Keyblade. Maybe his time here on this world would help him become a smarter fighter rather than just a stronger one. He smiled; there was always something new to learn, it seemed.

"Hey Sora…" Serena's volume was a bit more muted than before. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is…"

Sora followed her outstretched finger towards the corridor leading out of the stands and into the lobby. Quick movement and a pair of beady yellow eyes were enough to put him on edge. Without another word, Sora promptly stood up and made for the lobby, awkwardly shuffling past other audience members with quick and hurried apologies.

"Come on, Pikachu." Ash's voice whispered from right behind him. "Serena, stay – "

"If you think I'm letting you go without me, Ash Ketchum, you've got another thing coming."

Sora grimaced; he would have preferred both of them stay behind, but causing a scene right now would have been a bad idea. The last thing they needed to cause was a panic. They needed to take care of these Heartless before they were noticed or they became too large of a problem.

"There!" Serena called out as they entered the lobby. On the far side of the corridor was about a dozen Shadow Heartless, which were thankfully the least dangerous and most basic to deal with. They were scurrying to and fro between the abandoned concession stands, the owners thankfully absent and likely in the stadium watching the battles.

Sora shot forward, Pikachu and Rufflet hot on his heels. In an instant, his Keyblade was brandished and the trio dived right in.

"Rufflet! Hone Claws!" Sora commanded right before swatting away two Shadows. His little buddy was going to need some extra power to deal with Heartless. Pulling punches – or talons? – served no one any favors here. "Then give us a Tailwind!"

"Rufflet!" Came the screech in response.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash ordered as he and Serena followed behind. "Come on out, Gabite! Can you keep us safe, buddy?"

More than a little relieved that Ash thought to protect Serena and himself, Sora renewed his assault. As he jumped into the middle of the pack and cast Aero, he felt his Pokemon's Tailwind feed directly into the effect. The bubble of biting winds seemed to increase a little in speed and size, buffeting the Heartless away more than they usually would.

Neat!

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, plunging headfirst into a Shadow. It went flying into the air from the impact, only for Rufflet to swoop down immediately afterwards and defeat it with a Wing Attack in a fantastic display of teamwork.

"Great job, guys!" Sora beamed.

"GAB!" Gabite growled as the land shark hit a Heartless away with a Rock Smash. He bit down on another one and thrashed it around like… well, a shark.

"Get back!"

Sora's eyes bulged out at what Serena was swinging around. Was that a staff? That looked like one of Donald's staves, the kind with a red magician's hat at the head! Where did she get that?! Regardless, it seemed to work as she sent a Shadow right into Toxel, who gleefully doused it in acid. Ash, on the other hand, managed to land a solid punch on an approaching Shadow, pushing it back just in time for Gabite to chomp down on its head.

"Time to wrap this up!" Ash declared. "Volt Tackle!"

"PI-KA!" Pikachu agreed fervently, his little body already alighting with electricity. He began to dash around like a lightning bolt, crashing into Heartless after Heartless. Each exploded in a puff of smoke and shadow as it was defeated.

The fight ended just as quickly as it began, in hindsight, but it was no less stressful for it. Shadows were certainly the weakest of the bunch, but let them grow in number and they become an near-unstoppable tide of darkness.

Sora walked back over to a fairly winded Ash and Serena, the latter of which was still grasping the staff firmly. Ash still had his fists clenched, ready to deck the next Heartless to sprout up.

"Are you both okay?" Sora asked after quickly healing everyone. He put away his Keyblade, lest anyone stumble on them while they chatted in the empty lobby. His eyes locked onto the staff. "Also, where did you get that?"

"It dropped on the ground after Gabite took out one of the Heartless." Serena explained with a shrug. "I didn't want to be totally defenseless, so I picked it up. What is it? It looks like something Delphox would use."

"That…" Sora pointed at the weapon. "... is a Magus Staff. My friend Donald used to use one just like it. He's a magician, so he uses staves like that to cast his magic."

"Well, it definitely helped me, even if I didn't use it for magic." Serena gave it an experimental twirl in her hands.

Sora quirked an eyebrow. Most people would have fumbled a trick like that, but she pulled it off perfectly. "Well, hold onto it for now at least. It's better than nothing. We should get back before they notice we're gone."

"Right." Ash nodded as they walked to the stadium seating. "But Sora?"

"What's up, Ash?"

"Sometime after the tournament's over, can we talk? I've been thinking about something lately." The champion asked.

"I… wanna be a part of that conversation too." Serena joined in, looking at her staff for a moment before locking eyes with Ash. "I think I know what you're thinking and I want in."

Sora gave a noncommittal shrug. For now, the Heartless were gone and they had friends to support, not to mention a tournament to finish.

"Here we are, the finals. Looks like it's Ash and Serena against Brock and Bonnie, not that anyone's really surprised." The announcer droned on, and Sora rolled his eyes at how unenthusiastic the man was. Literally anyone could have done a better job at this point. It was almost comical. "At least they'll have a fair fight this time around."

Sora perked up as his four friends took to the field and held up one Pokeball each. He looked to his side, where Pikachu and Rufflet sat looking just as eager for the action to start.

"Can't wait to see them go all out." Sora grinned at Pikachu. "I'm surprised he's not using you, though."

Pikachu shrugged. "Pi-pika-pi, pika."

Sora blinked. "Light, I wish I could understand you sometimes. I don't know how Ash does it."

That must have been funny, because Pikachu was rolling.

The sound of four Pokeballs opening brought Sora's attention back to the field. Ash and Serena called on Metang and Toxel, while Bonnie and Brock brought forth Tyrunt and Toxicroak. Sora opened his Pokedex and quickly looked at the type chart. The two Shadow Pokemon seemed to grin at the challenge, while the other two had a look of challenge and apathy, respectively.

Toxicroak was nothing if not consistently uncaring.

"Wait, if steel is weak to fighting, but psychic is strong against it, does that mean Toxicroak has an advantage against Metang or not?" He asked, more to himself than anyone who might have been listening. "Light, types are hard. How do you guys do it?"

"Ka-pi-pi."

"...That was not helpful."

Pikachu and Rufflet snickered.

"Metang, Metal Claw on Tyrunt!"

"Block it with Poison Jab, Toxicroak!"

"Toxel, Nuzzle on Toxicroak!"

"Ancientpower, Tyrunt!"

The audience collectively sat back in their seats at how explosive the battle became. One moment, the four trainers were quiet and staring each other down. The next? Everything happening all at once. Sora grinned as he sat on the edge of his seat, eager to watch and learn. Rufflet was right beside him on his shoulder, watching like a hawk.

Metang and Toxicroak clashed in the middle with their claws and fists, both unwilling to budge an inch. Toxel, on the other hand, bounded forward and latched onto the frog's leg. Toxicroak seemed to stiffen as small electric sparks ran up and down his body. A flurry of rocks collided with Serena's Pokemon, forcibly ejecting it from the scuffle.

And the crowd loved every second of it.

"Arceus, look at them go!" The announcer gawked, for once sounding excited about the match. About time, really. "That's what we're… err, what they're really capable of. Looks like they were holding back this whole time."

"Toxicroak, Brick Break!"

The Toxic Mouth Pokemon broke the stalemate with a well-placed punch, sending Metang flying back. At Ash's command, the Iron Claw Pokemon charged forward with a Shadow Blitz. Toxicroak went skidding back, but his opponent was relentless. The two started trading blows like a couple of boxers, one more aggressive and frantic in its approach while the other was more measured and precise.

Toxel and Tyrunt, on the other hand, were playing an elaborate game of cat and mouse. Tyrunt, being the larger of the two, kept lunging forward with a Bite or Dragon Tail attack, only for Toxel to duck to the side and retaliate with a quick spurt of Acid. The little baby Pokemon wasn't infallible, however, and seemed to be more than a little scuffed up from the occasional collision here and there.

Many would have had difficulty keeping up with the action, but not Sora. Years of attention to detail on the battlefield meant he was in the unique position of being aware of everything happening in the brawl down below. His sharp eyes spotted the early signs of fatigue in Metang, who'd been going full throttle the entire fight, and in Tyrunt, who was steadily being overwhelmed by Toxel's hit-and-run tactics.

This was going to change quickly, and in a major way.

Yet it was neither Metang nor Tyrunt who faltered first, but Toxicroak.

"Croa – !"

A spark of static electricity danced up the frog's body, and his muscles went rigid at the absolute worst time. A particularly incensed Metang crashed into the paralyzed frog, sending him sprawling. One more Metal Claw took Toxicroak out of the match entirely, and the referee was quick to declare Brock's Pokemon no longer fit to continue.

"Tang!" Ash's Pokemon cried out triumphantly, bashing its claws together. The crowd absolutely ate it up, and their cheers renewed.

"Let's finish this, Toxel!" Serena shouted. "Just like we practiced! Ready?"

"Tox!"

"Now! Tearful Look!"

Toxel stopped what it was doing and gave what was arguably the cutest and most pathetic puppy-dog eyes Sora had ever seen. It was enough for Tyrunt to pause for a moment in what was either sympathy or confusion, but that's all that was needed. Toxel erupted in tears and let out a wail of disgruntlement, but rather than spittle, what came out of his mouth was a glob of acid. Too confused by what was happening, Tyrunt wasn't quick enough to dodge the corrosive blob and took a direct hit to the face.

"TY!" Tyrunt cried out as it scrambled to shake the material off its face. It finally managed to do so, only to be met with a Metal Claw from Metang, sending him into the land of unconsciousness.

A beat of silence followed, and then the crowd lost it. Sora found himself swept up in the festivities and was cheering just as loudly as the rest of them. Pikachu and Rufflet were on his shoulders shouting out their support as well. Even the announcer seemed stupefied by the match.

"That was crazy. Ash and Serena are the winners of the tournament! Umm… thanks for coming, everyone. Ash, Serena, your prize is waiting for you at the front."

Brock and Bonnie took their loss gracefully enough, crossing the field to retrieve their Pokemon and shake their friends' hands. Brock even threw an arm around Ash's neck like a brother would and gave him a light noogie. Ash laughed it off while Serena and Bonnie high-fived. Together, the four left the stadium floor.

"Come on, you two!" Sora beamed at his tiny passengers. "Let's go meet them outside!"

"A Dawn Stone?" Bonnie asked, sounding rather unimpressed. Sora simply stared at the fist-sized stone with curiosity. "That's all?"

"Well, that and some prize money." Ash shrugged. "It was also kind of a small tournament, too."

"Are you going to use it?" Brock asked.

"What's it used for?" Sora asked before Ash could answer.

"Certain Pokemon only evolve when they come into contact with special stones." Brock explained, pointing at the stone clutched in Ash's hand. "That's one of them."

"Well, I was going to give it to Serena, actually." Ash said, presenting the stone to the blonde.

"H-huh?" Serena stuttered. "Wait, why me?"

Ash shrugged. "I have no use for it, and I've never been one to force my Pokemon to evolve unless they want to. Just ask Pikachu."

"Pika!" The electric mouse crossed his arms and shook his head.

"If one of my Pokemon, now or future, ever wants to evolve using a stone, they'll let me know." Ash continued. "Until then, I think you could use it more than I could."

"But I don't have a Pokemon that uses a Dawn Stone." Serena objected.

Ash smiled. "Also, I just wanted to gift you something. Sue me."

Serena, predictably, blushed. Sora met Brock and Bonnie's eyes and bit back a snicker. Bonnie looked at him and grinned. He shot her a wink, remembering the bet he had with her about when those two would get together.

"Oh!" Ash exclaimed, jolting everyone at the sudden increase in volume. "I meant to mention earlier, but during that battle I got a notification on my Pokedex. Metang's ready for purification!"

"Wait, really?" Serena asked, whipping out her own device. "Well, Toxel's close. Where were we supposed to go again?"

"Agate Village." Brock answered as his eyes scanned his Pokedex. Sora pulled out his and followed along. "It's about a two day journey northwest, by my estimate. Maybe three. You never know if a sandstorm's going to blow in."

"Can we check in with the Professor anyway?" Bonnie asked.

"You just want to see those Teddiursas again, don't you?" Serena asked pointedly.

"...Maybe. Still wouldn't hurt to check in with him!"

"I've got it." Sora said, eager to help out in some way outside of sensing Shadow Pokemon and fighting off Heartless. He dialed the professor and waited patiently. After a few moments, the professor – or his forehead, rather – came into view.

"Oh! Well hello Sora! I see you've got everyone else with you as well!"

"Hi Professor!" Sora greeted in kind, ignoring the poor camera angle. "We just wanted to check in with you."

"Metang's ready to purify and Toxel's close!" Bonnie blurted out in excitement.

"Splendid! Wait, Toxel? Did you catch another Shadow?"

Serena let out the Pokemon in question and held him up to the camera. Toxel looked a little bashful as he was met with a new and unfamiliar face.

"Wow! You rarely ever see Galarian Pokemon out here. Good find!" Krane said. Sora sighed a little in relief as the good professor pulled back away from the camera for a more comfortable angle. "I assume you're going to Agate soon, then?"

"That's the plan!" Ash beamed.

"Excellent! I'll inform Eagun that you'll be stopping by. He'll show you how the ritual works."

"Eagun?" Ash asked.

"He's the village elder. In fact, I think you'll get along well with him, Ash."

"How come?"

"You'll see." Krane smiled, but there was no mischief or malice behind it. "By the way, I wanted to inform you of a software update that we launched yesterday for your Pokedexes in particular."

"What update?" Brock asked.

"You know how, if you go over your allotted six Pokemon, that any additional captures get routed to your personal storage? Or, in Ash's case, past his allotted seven and the extras go to Professor Oak's lab."

"Right." Ash nodded. Sora tucked away that information for later. At least now he knew why Ash wasn't carrying around several dozen Pokeballs. Wait, he got seven allowed?

"Well, any additional Shadow Pokemon you capture past your limit will be routed here instead." Krane explained. "We'll be able to conduct some research – nonintrusive, mind you – on any extra Shadows you capture while you're not actively working to befriend and purify them."

"That's probably for the best." Ash nodded. "I doubt any new captures I made would get along well with the rest of my Pokemon. Not immediately, that is."

"Exactly." Krane pointed at the camera. He looked off screen for a moment, as if noticing something. "Oh, I'm afraid I must be off. Do give me a call once you purify Metang! Good luck!"

"Bye Professor!" They all waved.

Sora put away his Pokedex and rested his hands behind his head. "Next stop, Agate?"

"Yep!" Ash pumped his fist and started walking towards where they parked the jeep. "Agate, here we come!"

Sora, for one, was curious if there would be any similarities between this purification ritual and what his Keyblade was capable of. Were it not for the fact that Shadow Pokemon were an entirely new phenomenon for him – in multiple ways – he would have tried opening their hearts himself. He didn't want to accidentally harm them, though, so until he could get solid proof that it would work, this purification ritual was tried and proven to work.

He was whipped out of his thoughts when Bonnie suddenly stopped mid-stride. Everyone turned to look at the now wide-eyed Kalosian, only to jump back when she screamed.

"Dang it! I forgot to ask about the Teddiursa!"

"Good kids." Krane sighed as he ended the call. He pressed the button on his office phone, placing his secretary on speaker. "Yes?"

"Are you expecting visitors again, sir? There's a vehicle approaching. Sebastian's already on his way out to meet them."

Krane thought carefully, stroking his chin. "No, can't say I am."

He looked out the window. A large red and white van was approaching fairly quickly. Whoever it was was in quite a hurry, apparently. Sebastian and his Machamp waited patiently outside as the large vehicle came to a stop. Krane hummed thoughtfully.

"I wonder who that could be…"

A/N:

Sorry for the wait, everyone!

After concluding my Sword Art Online fic, I decided to take a bit of a break from writing. It took me a little bit to find my motivation and creative muse again for this story, but this one is what I'll be focusing on (for the most part) until it's done.

Anyway, until next time!