"We did a good job," Max told us back at the hotel, as we all gathered in his room. He was trying to be cheerful, but I could fee through out bond that he was very sad and frustrated. "Top 8 on our first try... not bad at all. We made it farther than Ash did on his first conference!" I looked down in shame as tears began flowing down my trainer's cheeks. "We... hic... did... hic..." I gathered him in my arms as he descended in a full out bawling. "I'm sorry! I should have been a better trainer!"

"No!" Banette screeched, being able to communicate with our trainer through the telepathic bond I've created between all of us. "It was my fault! I lost on the first Dark Pulse I faced!"

"You were facing a pseudo-legendary pokemon," Serperior sulked, coiled around herself in a corner. "I lost against a Ferrothorn of all pokemon!"

"Silence," I commanded, shutting everyone. "It was my fault. I was the one who was felled last. We lost after I fell."

"No! Gallede it was not your fault!" Max tried to comfort me in my arms.

"Stop all that whining!" Meganium snapped, making us all look at him surprised. He might be a Meganium like his mother, but his attitude is all his father's- cool and silence. He has never raised his voice or snapped at anyone, even with his love for battling and hunger to grow stronger. "You defeated an arceusdammit Hydreigon, you don't get to whine! You were tired!" He glared at all of us, standing tall and proud. "We made it this far and worked hard. We gave it all we had and we still lost... it's frustrating and I want to scream to the sky. But I am also proud. We faced strong opponents and defeated them. We were defeated this time, but we will try again next time and win!"

"Well said Meganium," Gigalith praised him. "We will train to become stronger, and win the next time!"

"We will!" Raichu cheered, levitating around the room energetically.

"What do you say partner?" I asked our trainer gently.

Max whiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt and stood up. "Let's do this! Let's train and succeed!"

Behing Max's back, I looked at Meganium and shared a smile with him. I was grateful to my friend and teammate.

That night we all went to sleep, cuddling in Max's bed. The next day, we parted ways with the Maple family. Norman and Caroline were very proud of Max and were waiting for him once our journey through Unova finishes. My mother and sister were out of their Poke Balls and were enjoying embarrassing me in front of my teammates. I allowed it, because I, secretely, was enjoying their praises and teasing. The loss was still fresh and it stung. After parting ways with them, we headed back towards Nuvema Town, more specifically, Professor Juniper's Lab. On our way there we met with a terrified girl, named Natasha. She was petrified of crossing a bridge because she was afraid she had made it unsafe by tapping on it of all things! Though Max attempted to prove the bridge is safe by crossing first, he ultimately had to come back and bring her across with him.

"Being careful is fine, but sometimes you just have to go for it!" As Max offered some advice to the grateful Natasha, I noticed a thoughtful look on Ash's face.

I did not know what he was planning until we made it to Professor Juniper's Lab and met Natasha once again. The poor girl looked so awkward as she was trying to choose her starter pokemon. Her brain was clearly working overtime as she imagined the worst nightmarish scenarios possible. It was literaly giving me a headache! Evolving into a Gallade was the best option I could have chosen. Being a Ralts had been hard, feeling other's emotions took a toll on you. I don't know how my sister and mother do it. The only bond I kept was the one with my trainer and that was enough for me!

At the end, with Cilan's advice, Natasha chose a cute Tepig. Ash then suggested they all have a Tag Battle so she can get used to her new pokemon. However, he did not offer to participate, he had Max partner up with Natasha!

"What?! Why me?!" Max hissed/whispered at Ash, as the rest were heading to the battlefield behind the lab.

"You haven't battled since the Conference ended Max," Ash told him with a small smile. "You should follow your own advice, and go for it!"

So, that was what he was planning, I thought to myself, as I waited on my trainer's decision.

"Have I truly been that afraid of battling again?" Max murmured, mostly to himself but Ash still answered him.

"Not afraid of battling, but afraid of losing," Ash told him softly. "But losing is part of being a gym trainer and battling."

Max nodded his head thoughtfully, before guiding me to the battlefield where I had my very first battle in weeks. It was not the best, both Cilan and Iris were clearly going easy on Natasha, but it was a memorable experience. I could feel Max healing slowly through our bond as he taught Natasha how to battle and guide her pokemon throughout the match. By the end of it both Natasha and Max had won. Natasha by defeating her first pokemon battle with her starter. Max by moving on from his loss and gaining the needed courage to take the next step. The next day he gathered us all to train for the Kalos Pokemon League.

Yes, we were going to Kalos next. That is, after all, where Ash is heading next.

As for our training it was so intense that it had us collapsing after every session. What was even worse was that Max had told us that we were joining Ash and Trip in Kanto for their boot camp. What's so bad abut that? Well, it seems that the boot camp was even worse than Max's intense workouts. The only one not giving up half way through was Meganium, who was used to the training sessions his mother and father give him. Ash and his pokemon are so intense and crazy!

Luckily, for us, there was not so much training one could do on a ferry without bothering the other passangers. So, we did not train every day. Why are we on a ferry? Oh, right! I forgot to explain that! Back at the lab, Professor Juniper had gotten a call from her father, Cedric, who had informed us that the White Ruins—an archeological site that may have information about the Legendary Pokemon Reshiram—have been discovered near Icirrus City. Of course we had to go check it out! It might be what Ash needed to finally take down Team Plasma! So, after saying goodbye to Natasha and the professor, we boarded a ferry bound for Aspertia City. Not before, Professor Juniper advised us to look up a Gym Leader named Cheren, who had just become part of the 13 pillars of Unova, that lived there.

It seems like Lenora's nephew has finally stepped up, allowing her to close her gym and focus on her other passions- her work with the People of the Valley has been doing great, and now she can do even more!

Everything was going fine and normal, which meant that something big was about to happen.

What we, Max and I, did not expect was to find a weird green-haired guy leaving Ash's room on the ferry. We both stood still on the corner as the guy headed our way. What was going on? That was not a guy from Ash's Unova Ghost Team! Yet, he was in Ash's room! Was he cheating on Garry?! No! Impossible!

The noise of chuckling snapped us out of our trance. We looked up to see the guy laughing at our breakdown.

"I think you guys are misunderstanding something," the green-haired guy said. "Hi, my name is N and Ash was simply helping me out with something. He is a dear friend of mine."

"Did you both go through a life-alterning situation?" Max asked, as if it was a normal day occurrence- which keeping Ash in mind, it was.

"You could say that," N chuckled. "You see I consider all pokemon my friends, I am able to hear their inner voice," N smiled softly at me and for just a second I could feel it... he was telling the truth. "My goal is to learn the mysteries of why pokemon exist in this world and to make pokemon's lives better... however, I used to have some skewed views on pokemon battling. I believed that it was not ok to make friends fight each other. Let's just say that Ash set me straight."

"He scolded you, didn't he?/He scolded you, didn't he?" Max and I asked together with a raised eyebrow.

"He did!" N laughed. "Ash taught me that battling deepens the bond between friendships and rivals. That their desire to get stronger makes them closer. It was ok not to like fighting, but to impose my views on others was wrong as well."

"That sounds like Ash," I smiled.

"So, were you visitng him to thank him?" Max asked him.

"Oh, no," N smiled mysteriously. "I am thanking him in another way."

With that said, he continued walking around the corner of the hallway and disappearing from our view.

"What a strange guy," I commented.

"Compared to Ash?" My trainer inquired amusedly.

"No one compares to Ash," I deadpanned.

We both paused a second, before we burst out laughing.

But seriously, what a strange guy, I thought quietly. Who is he? And how does he know Ash?