Welcome guys, to the final chapter of Pokémon XY: Trying Something New - Book 1. Stay until the note at the end, where I will be going over the future of this series, and an announcement for Book 2 and side stories.

Y

"Top A, or top B? Top A… or top B?" Serena huffed and puffed in front of the mirror of the changing room, as she jumped between the pieces of clothing in her hands. Just as she thought she was leaning one way or the other, the other top reignited her interest once more. "Tooooop A, or tooooop B?"

"Fen!" It took a yip from Fennekin to startle Serena from her indecision. Serena's partner loved shopping as much as her trainer did, but this was getting excessive! "Fenne— Fennekin."

"Of course it matters, Fennekin. This isn't just about looking good." Turning back to the mirror, Serena hummed, before giving up on making a hard decision. Both tops would go into the 'maybe' pile, a pile that was growing increasingly tall. "Clothes maketh the woman, as they say. It's about finding an outfit that defines the trainer I want to be!"

"Fennekin? Fen-fennekin." Fennekin's reply made Serena pause, just as she was holding another sundress up to her body. For the first time, Serena's gaze moved from the reflection of the clothing to the reflection of herself.

"That's a good question— What kind of trainer do I want to be?" Glancing back, Serena looked towards the two heaps of clothing that sat near Fennekin— In one pile were beautiful, delicate tops and skirts, in the other, sporty, bold jackets and the pants to match. One closer to her current style, yet the other alluring all the same.

Just like the tops, Serena couldn't decide.

"Fen?"

"Uuuuugh." Sighing, Serena fell to her knees, before leaning over with a dramatic flourish. "I don't know what to do, Fennekin. I thought the hardest part was going to be confessing I wanted to start, not this."

"Fennekin…" Pouting, Fennekin approached Serena, before resting her head on her trainer's lap.

The two shared a quiet moment, before a voice broke through the silence— A voice from outside the changing room.

"Les vêtements font la femme."

Serena recognized that voice.

"...Diantha?" Serena rose to her feet with confusion ripe in her eyes. Even she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Soon, it became apparent that it was not the person she was expecting, but something else entirely.

A digital advertising board took up a whole wall across from the changing rooms, cycling through all the latest clothing lines the boutique was advertising. It seemed it had audio advertisements as well, as before Serena's eyes stood the source of the voice: An image of Diantha, speaking into the empty air.

"I introduce to you, The Carnation Collection." Almost immediately, Diantha was joined by scores of models, each wearing a gorgeous outfit that was clearly inspired by her own. Her jacket, shoes, and even purse had been divided up amongst the line-up, each given a new splash of color that contrasted with Diantha's clean white. "A new line that exudes not just elegance and beauty, but a strength they cannot ignore."

With a smile that almost seemed knowing, the image of Diantha snapped her fingers, and the advertisement disappeared. In its place was a black screen and a date, the current date.

Silence returned to the changing room, Serena standing quietly with Fennekin at her side. Then, after a moment, she smiled.

"Come on, Fennekin. We've got a salon appointment to make!"

X

The Day Before…

Ash stood in what was becoming familiar stomping grounds for him— the sandy beaches of Shalour. The city itself laid behind him, and ahead of him was the soon-setting sun. A contemplative, forlorn expression held his gaze, as he spoke aloud.

"Where would we even go, Pikachu?" he asked, seemingly to no one. His shoulders were unoccupied, and the beach was quiet— For a moment, at least.

"Pika!"

"Froa!"

Flying across the beach was Pikachu and Froakie, the former's Iron Tail slamming into the latter's Cut! Shockwaves rocketed out from their impact, before it forced the two apart.

Despite the sudden clash, Ash seemed unphased.

"I don't even know what we're looking for," he said with a huff, his gaze locked onto the sunset ahead of him. "I just wish— Froakie, you've gotta go into the roll more when you land! It—"

"Pika!" Pikachu chastised Ash with a sudden shout, just as he landed on his paw and bounced back. "Pikachu, pi— kapi!"

"Right right, you're the one coaching, not me." Grumbling, Ash turned and crossed his arms, trying to pull his attention from the two's sparring match. It was weird, but it felt like he just knew when Froakie had made a misstep. The urge to help him correct it was overwhelming.

After a while, Ash sighed, and turned his mind back to the topic from before.

"How about you, buddy? Come up with any ideas?"

Skidding across the sand, Pikachu gave the question some thought, before juking to the side to avoid a pounce by Froakie. After a second more, he gave his answer.

"Pika, kapika," he said, before turning and launching an Iron Tail through the air. Froakie was forced to dive back at the last moment, lest he get slammed.

"Unova, huh?" Ash was initially surprised. It only took Pikachu a few seconds to come up with that answer. In the end though, it did make sense. That region wasn't their best performance, after all. "Still…"

Chewing on the thought for a moment, Ash shook his head.

"Unova isn't right. It's a whole region! We gotta start somewhere specific," he answered, earning a reluctant nod from Pikachu.

"Pikachu-pi, Pika." Flipping over Froakie, Pikachu glanced back at Ash before he continued to speak. "Pikachu, kachu, Pi—"

"Froa!" Unfortunately for Pikachu, he had pushed his luck one too many times. With his attention on Ash once more, Froakie took the opportunity to strike, bouncing from his position and launching Pikachu into the air.

"Pika!?" Before Pikachu could react, he crashed into Ash's arms, sending both him and his trainer falling onto their butts.

"Whoa! Good work there, Froakie! You really got him!" Ash called out with a laugh, before readjusting his crooked hat.

"Pika? Pikachu!"

"Hey, distracted or not, he still got the hit in!" Ash argued, before shooting Froakie a grin and a thumbs-up. Pikachu could only grumble as Ash called an end to the sparring, and returned Froakie to his ball.

Now it was just the two of them again. Ash and Pikachu, sitting on a beach, the sun setting before their very eyes. It didn't take long before Ash came to sigh.

"What're we gonna do, buddy?"

"Pika…" At first, it seemed like the two would leave the beach empty-handed, with nothing to show but a bit more training under their belt. Yet, then, a flash of something crossed Pikachu's eyes. His ears perked up, before he suddenly leapt onto Ash's shoulder. "Pikapi!"

"Whoa! What's gotten into you, Pikachu?" Ash said then with a laugh.

Without taking a moment to explain himself, Pikachu began digging into Ash's backpack, sticking his whole head inside as he went to look. After a few moments, he resurfaced, with something surprising in his grasp: aged, folded paper.

"Huh? What's this about, Pikachu?" Ash furrowed his brows as Pikachu handed him the paper, prompting Ash to open it. When he did, he found what was almost like a reflection: the drawing of him, with Pikachu on his shoulder.

An old song played in Ash's mind, and then, an old memory. With that old memory, came finally, a new idea. Ash grinned.

"If we don't know what we're missing, then maybe we should just go and start looking, eh buddy?"

Z

The Day Before That…

The Tower of Mastery had become awfully quiet in the last few days, and today was no exception. Serena was out shopping, and Ash had been avoiding the island ever since his last match. That just left Bonnie and Clemont in the group's lodging, packing up after their extended stay.

Bonnie sat on her bed, a dour look in her eyes as she watched Clemont fiddle with their bags. Though Dedenne tried his best to attract her attention and cheer her up, he had little luck. She just kept watching her brother pack. After some time, she found the strength to say something.

"Clemont… Did something happen? Are Ash and Serena mad at us?" Her question brought Clemont some pause, prompting him to look back at her.

"No, no, of course not," he assured, digging deep into his backpack. After a moment, he pulled out something— What seemed to be a book wrapped in tissue paper.

"Then, why are they leaving?"

This time, Clemont came to a complete stop. Bonnie's question made him turn and face his sister head-on, made him realize just how sullen her face really was.

"Oh, Bonnie…" Stepping away from the bags, Clemont joined his sister's side, putting a hand on her shoulder before he began to speak.

"They aren't leaving, at least not for very long," he explained, giving a small smile as Bonnie looked up at him. "Those two have a great big journey ahead of them, and right now, that journey is taking them in different directions."

"But why can't we go with them!" Bonnie exclaimed. Her voice held the hint of a tremble, one she tried very hard to hide. "Like, maybe we can stay with Ash, or Serena, or— or— maybe we each go with one of them!"

Despite Bonnie's insistence, Clemont gave a chuckle, one that made her pause and listen.

"I couldn't leave you alone for that long, especially if Ash and Serena ended up in different regions," he explained, putting a hand to his chest. "I promised Dad I would make sure you were taken care of."

"...Dad." Bonnie's head dipped, her gaze falling to the satchel sitting on her lap. Dedenne was looking up at her, his eyes seemingly as down as hers were. After a moment of thought, she looked up. "Big brother, when we get back home, can you… teach me more about battling?"

Clemont was taken aback by the request at first. Sure Bonnie had always expressed an interest in becoming a trainer one day, but that was always just 'one day'. Still, after a moment, he smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

X

A Few Days Later…

An old wooden door stood before Ash, with a scratched frame and a knob polished from years of use. The Tower of Mastery had been quiet for days now, and at this late at night, it was even more so.

Ash grimaced as he looked onto the door, thoughts running through his head. Everything else had been sorted out, except for this.

He had to tell her.

"Well, here goes nothing." Pushing through his moment of hesitation, Ash knocked. A few seconds later, he received his answer.

"Oh hey Ash, there ya are! I've been wondering where you've been." The door had opened to reveal Korrina, wearing a far more casual outfit than she usually sported— A simple white and red tank top with the athletic shorts to match. Her hair was down as well, though Ash wasn't one to notice. Without a pause, Korrina stepped back into her room, beckoning Ash to follow. "Well come on in! You'll get a cold out there, or something."

"Pffft, a cold?" Ash snorted as he followed, leaving the hallway behind and entering Korrina's room fully. Almost immediately, he noticed how busy it was.

The room itself wasn't small, far from it, sporting a full-sized bed and more than enough space to still walk around— That was, if it weren't for the sheer amount of other things littering the floor. Dumbbells, free weights, exercise bands, and tons of crumpled paper absolutely flooded the room.

"How else was I going to get you in my room? You've been avoiding me like the plague," she fired back with a grin, walking past the only other stand-out item in the room— A chalkboard of all things. "Anyways, sorry for the mess! Lucario was supposed to help me clean up when he got back, but he's run off I think."

"Going it alone too, huh? Same here. Pikachu ran off when I told him I was coming here for some reason." Stepping over a particularly heavy set of free weights, Ash came to a stop in the dead center of the room.

"Oh, so, it's just you and me?" Upon saying that, Korrina plopped onto her bed and leaned back. She was looking Ash in the eye, her grin unmoving. After a moment of silence from him, however, Korrina pursed her lips and stood up again. "Anyways— Check this out!"

Hurriedly rushing back to the chalkboard, Korrina drew Ash's attention to a frankly indecipherable barrage of writing and scribbles. In the center of it all though, something caught Ash's eye: a drawing of Pikachu.

"Me and Lucario have been working non-stop to figure out a good strategy for your Counter Shield!" Korrina exclaimed, her finger tracing along what must've represented tendrils of lightning, starting from Pikachu and extending out. "We may have broken through it last time, but there's no way we can do that consistently."

"This is so sick!" Soon, Ash began parsing meaning from the chaos. This wasn't just random lines and text, it was play sequences. Move here, juke then, fire off an attack there. There were at least a half-dozen different plays being workshopped, all leading back to the center of the board, to Pikachu. That realization made Ash pause. "Man, you guys have been going all out for us, huh?"

"Of course! If I rested on my laurels, you and Pikachu would catch up with us in no time! Gotta keep it a challenge, right?" Stepping forward, Korrina faced Ash with a hand on her hip and a grin on her lips. "Speaking of which~ When can I expect to see you back in the gym?"

"Hah, well, it's funny you ask." Ash scratched the back of his head, stalling for time as he pulled his gaze away from Korrina. Soon though, he found his confidence with a breath. "It's, gonna be a while, before I challenge you again."

Now it was Korrina who paused, her eager smile falling away.

"What do you mean?" Her excitement seemed to evaporate right then and there, as she took a step forward. "Don't tell me you're gonna go challenge the other Gym Leaders first! I thought we had something special, Ketchum!"

"It's not like that! I just, need some time to sort things out." Ash looked away as he said that, a feeling almost like shame bubbling up in his voice. "Korrina, the whole time I've been training to battle you, I've felt like I've been missing something."

It was a struggle to say the words, like Ash was pulling teeth once more. In an instant, it was like he was back on that beach with Serena. Yet still, he pressed forward. This was just another thing he had to train to do.

"I think, it's something I've been missing for a long time now. I'm not sure what it is, but I know if I want to keep growing stronger, I have to go find it," Ash explained, tightening his grip with each word, until his hand was a trembling fist. Then, however, he released the pressure, and raised his hand forward. "If I don't want to be stuck where I am now, I need to go find it."

A moment of silence took the room, as Korrina and Ash stood there, looking at one another. A thought seemed to be working its way in Korrina's mind. Then, she stood straight, her eyes widening.

"I… Oh, huh." Korrina looked down for a moment, before taking a hesitant step forward. "I didn't realize it was like that, Ash. Just— Wow."

Korrina then did something that surprised Ash. She pulled him into a hug.

"You're, not disappointed?" Ash noted, quickly realizing how tightly Korrina was squeezing him. Without letting go, she began to speak.

"No, of course not. Ash… You and me are a lot alike. Stubborn to a fault," she said with a snort, only then loosening up on him. With her hands still on his shoulders, she continued. "I don't know if I could make the decision you're making, but if I had to, I know it'd be… hard."

"Really hard, heh." His chuckle gave Korrina a smile, if only a small one.

"Ash, promise me that when you're ready, you'll come back to Shalour first thing," Korrina's request brought Ash a moment of pause. His reservation quickly disappeared, however, when she continued. A cheeky smile took her face. "I don't want anyone to take a swing at you before me!"

"Hah! You've got it!" In an instant, Ash felt the fire between the two reignite, as he broke into his old, wild grin. "You and Lucario better not stop getting stronger either then! Cause when we get back, we wanna beat you at the top of your game!"

Taking a step back, Ash offered his hand forward, a hand Korrina took without hesitation.

"I'd like to see you try! It's a date!"

With that, Ash's business was done. He'd told Korrina everything he needed to tell her. Now everything was set for tomorrow. That thought, however, brought another to Ash's mind.

Everything was set for him.

"Oh hey, one more thing—"

XY

The Next Day…

"Man, usually I'm the one cutting it this close." Ash crossed his arms, a bit of uneasy impatience working its way through his body. Ahead of him, the airport's central clock read the time: 8:15 PM. His flight would be leaving soon, but he wasn't ready to go yet. He still had to say goodbye. "I know Serena's excited to challenge her first gym, but could she at least see me off first?"

"Pikapi, Pikachu." Pikachu tried to ease Ash's grumbly disposition, to little effect. He was going to need a little help for that.

"She'll be here," Clemont called, joining Ash's side with Bonnie at his heel. Despite not being the one getting on the plane, his backpack seemed more stuffed than Ash's was. "Trust me, Ash, she wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Yeah, you're right." Clemont's assurances let Ash loosen up, as he snorted and slipped into a snarky smile. "She's probably just doing her hair or something."

"A little more than that, thank you!"

All at once, the whole group turned, facing the one and only Serena standing proudly before them. With a turn and a confident strut, she secured her hat to her head.

"Ta-dah! What do you think!"

True to what Serena had said, her whole outfit had transformed. Gone was the tall red skirt and black sleeveless top— Now Serena sported a pink blouson dress, with a bold red jacket over it. Her old hat was gone too, the red flat top being replaced by a salmon-colored fedora. Of course, the most stunning change was her hair. Her long locks had been carefully trimmed and cut, before curled into soft waves that framed her face.

Taking a step forward, Serena approached the stunned group.

"So, do you like it?" she asked with a giggle.

"Your dress is so pretty!" Hopping away from her brother, Bonnie began orbiting around Serena, oohing and awing as she took it all in. Clemont, meanwhile, seemed to agree with his sister in more ways than one.

"You're— It's Stunning!" he exclaimed, hiding a bit of redness in his cheeks. "You always astound me with how well you can put together an outfit, Serena."

"Heh, thanks Clemont, thanks Bonnie." Serena took all the praise in, a light blush of embarrassment on her face as she did so. Soon, though, it faded, when she faced the final two in the group— Ash and Pikachu.

"Pi-pika!"

"Yeah, you look amazing, Serena!" Ash pumped his fist as he said that, Pikachu calling out in agreement soon after. Serena couldn't help but giggle at the pair's charged energy.

"Thanks, you guys." A small, sincere smile took her face as she fell quiet, until she found something to say. "Before I left home, all those weeks ago, I picked out a new outfit, something to commemorate the occasion. Now that I'm starting a new journey, I figured something else was in order."

Ash grinned.

"I'll say! You're—" At that moment, the airport intercom came to life, grabbing the group's attention.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are now boarding our final flight for the evening. All passengers, please make your way to the boarding area."

"Aaand that's our cue." Scratching the back of his neck, Ash looked to the rest of the party. Just like that, it was time to say goodbye. Ash snorted as he crouched down. "Well, I better make this fast! Bonnie—"

Bonnie stepped forward, a bit of nervousness to her before she stood straight. Ash couldn't help but smile at that.

"Don't give your brother too hard of a time, okay?" he asked, the request almost seeming like a challenge— one Bonnie was intent on failing.

"No promises!" she said with a giggle, before sharing a laugh with Ash. While those two had their moment, their partners were having their own.

"Dedenne? Den!" Dedenne popped out of his bag, crawling up onto Bonnie's shoulder to meet his equal. "Deden, dedenne!"

"Pika!" With a crackle of sparks and one final cheekrub from the two, Dedenne and Pikachu said their goodbyes as well.

After Bonnie and Dedenne came Clemont. He stepped forward, a hand digging through his bag and a determined, if kind, expression on his face.

"Ash, before you go, I have something for you," he said, pulling out something Ash didn't recognize. It almost looked like a Pokedex: A red, pocket-sized device that could flip open. "Since you'll be traveling outside of Kalos so much, I wanted to make sure you'll always be able to contact us! So, introducing—!"

With a dramatic flourish, Clemont hoisted the device into the air.

"The Clemontic Gear Cellular Telecommunications Phone!" he declared, all sense of restraint gone from his voice. "It can receive calls from any phone or Pokémon Center! And since it's connected to your Trainer ID, your friends can always find you!"

Clemont's explanation hit Ash all at once. It was a cellphone!

"Oh wow, that's amazing, Clemont!" Ash called, sparkles in his eyes as Clemont showed off his invention. With a flick, the phone came to life in Clemont's hand, displaying the logo of the Lumiose City Gym in the background. "Man, this'll be perfect!"

While Ash and Clemont reveled in their mutual love of the latter's inventions, Serena and Bonnie could only just watch, their faces somewhere between bemused and bewildered. Bonnie, in particular, was crossing her arms and grumbling about her brother's choice of redundant naming again.

"I've also tested it extensively, so there's no worries about this one exploding." With that comment, Clemont handed the phone over. "I promise, heh."

"Ah man, thanks Clemont! I—" Ash paused then, as something caught his eye. Clemont's hands— There was a layer of soot and grime all over them. Clemont had been staying up late the last few days, and in that moment, it occurred to Ash as to why. "Clemont…"

Before Clemont could react, Ash pulled him into a tight hug.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm gonna miss the occasional gadget blowing up in my face!" he confessed, before separating. He watched as Clemont's initial surprise turned to a smile.

"Don't take too long out there, and we can get right back into it."

"Hah, you hear that, Serena? We better not keep 'em waiting!" Ash laughed and looked over to Serena, as she approached.

"Heh, I'll try my best to not get too stuck," she said, joining her friends. Soon though, Clemont stepped aside, and it was just Ash and her remaining. The two shared a look. "Ash."

Putting on a confident face, Serena offered her hand forward. Despite not saying a word, her meaning was obvious to Ash.

"You do your best out there, okay?" Ash grinned and shook her hand. "Cause from here on out, you and me aren't just friends, we're rivals."

The fierceness in Ash's declaration seemed to catch Serena off guard. Yet just as he predicted, she recovered and nodded.

"I'll make you proud, I promise." Serena's vow was firm and unyielding, and to Ash, it was just what he was looking for.

"That's the spirit!"

Y

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie watched as Ash walked into the bustling crowd ahead. At first, the sight of Pikachu on his shoulder kept him recognizable. Soon, however, he disappeared. Silence stood in the group, before Serena spoke up.

"I can't believe he's gone." It was an impulse thought said aloud, but she received sympathy from the others regardless. She felt Clemont's hand pat her shoulder.

"He'll be back before you know it," he said, joining her side and giving her a smile. "We'll all be."

"Yeah…" Despite his attempts to cheer her up, Serena's small frown did not fade.

A few quiet moments passed, before Clemont spoke up once more.

"Your bus will be arriving soon enough, so we should make sure we're not too pressed for time," he said, stepping forward and digging through his bag as he did so. That caught Serena's attention.

"Oh, Clemont, I really appreciate it, but I already own a cell—" Serena paused. Whatever Clemont had pulled out, it certainly wasn't a phone. It was far too big, and wrapped in crinkled tissue paper and a pink satin bow.

With a smile, Clemont handed it to Serena to unwrap.

"A journal?" Serena turned the gift over in her hand. It was a solid, robust thing, with a strong binding and a cover bound in cloth.

"When a trainer begins their journey, they can learn so much in the very beginning, that they can't keep track," Clemont explained, a pep to his voice like he was talking about one of his inventions. "Keeping notes of it all will help you challenge the first two Gyms."

Reaching forward, Clemont touched the journal in Serena's hands, before opening it.

"And this will probably be the best help I can offer you starting out."

Printed onto the back of the cover was a brightly colored table, with eighteen rows and columns. Across the top and sides of the table, Serena could recognize the various types of Pokémon she'd met so far: Fire, Water, Electric, and a few more. The contents of the table itself eluded her completely though. It was just squares of white, green, red, and black.

"What does it mean?"

"It's a type chart. It shows you which types are Super Effective against each other. You've already got the basics, of course, but knowing the nuances of this will be vital to your journey." Clemont traced his fingers over the chart, as he quickly explained how to read it. "I thought you could begin reading it on your way back to Santalune City."

Serena closed the journal as he said that, and in that moment, caught the words embossed on the back. It read 'The Mall of Kalos.'

Clemont had gotten this all the way back in Orsay City.

"Just how far back were you thinking about this!" Serena laughed, before surprising Clemont with a sudden, yet still welcome, hug. "Thank you. I know this'll be a great help."

After a few moments, the two separated.

"Of course, that's not the only assistance you'll be getting. Feel free to call and ask for advice whenever you need!" Clemont added with a laugh. "I just know me and Ash will have an answer between the two of us."

"I'll keep that in mind!" Just then, the PDA in Serena's bag began to rumble. She was getting a message, and she knew what it was about. "What's it that you said, Clemont? About being pressed for time?"

After dismissing the alert for her bus, Serena crouched down to meet Bonnie head-on. Despite the gloomy look on the girl's face, Serena cut through it with a ruffle of her hair.

"I'm going to miss you, Bonnie. I promise, as soon as we're all back together, I'll take you on a girl's night out!" she exclaimed. "We can visit boutiques and try on clothes and everything!"

"Okay! But when you do, you gotta teach me about all the stuff you're gonna learn about being a trainer!" Bonnie's request was a bit of a surprise to Serena, but she took it in stride with a smile.

"Heh. Okay, you've got it!" Standing straight, Serena turned to Clemont once more, pausing as she locked eyes with him. A kind smile crossed her lips. "See you around?"

"As soon as possible!"

X

"I'm sorry, sir, but it's currently 20:30. You missed your flight by about twelve hours."

"Come on lady, I'm not that dumb. The clock only goes up to twelve!" Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing. His flight was about to leave, and now he was being told it left half a day ago! "It's 8:30 and my ticket says 8:30!"

"Pikachu! Pika, pikapi— Pikachu!" Pikachu was doing his best to support Ash, but it was having little effect on the airport staffer.

With a frustrated sigh, the woman began again.

"Sir, this airport uses a twenty-four-hour clock. Your flight was at 8:30 AM, and it is currently 8:30 PM." Her voice was firm and her words clear, and with that, Ash finally understood. His eyes fell to the desk between them.

"Oh. Oh." His moment of numb contemplation turned into panic. "We missed our flight?!"

"Pika-Pikachu?!"

With Ash's hot-headedness gone, the airport staffer seemed to grow far more sympathetic. In an instant, she began typing away at the terminal in front of her.

"Listen, if you can get there fast enough, you can still make your connecting flight out of Lumiose."

"But that's halfway across the whole region! How can I—" Ash turned and came to pause, the sight of a mural hanging over the terminal catching his eye. It depicted a woman in pilot garbs, riding on the back of a Pidgeot. "Where can I find the nearest video phone?"

X

"…Ash? Ash, is that you, my boy?" A hazy and static image buzzed on the screen, before focusing in on the recipient of the call. Now Ash was face-to-face with the sight of a haggard, old friend. "I always appreciate the ring, Ash—"

The man took a moment to loudly yawn.

"—But isn't it a bit late?"

A realization hit Ash all at once.

"Ack, sorry Professor! I forgot about the time difference!" Ash slid down his seat, a sheepish look to his face as he realized his mistake. Soon though, he recovered and sat straight. "I'll be out of your hair in just a second! I just need you to send someone over really quick."

Professor Oak blinked, the request seeming to catch him off guard.

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem, my boy. Who did you have in mind?"

X

A column of fire filled the sky above the quiet airport, and with it, came a great and powerful roar. Yet, it wasn't the cry that stood out the most in the night, but the laughing call that rang out underneath it.

"Let's go, Charizard! First stop, Lumiose, next stop— Alto Mare!"

And like that, Pokémon XY: Trying Something New - Book 1 has come to a close! It has been a long way from the museum to the airport, from that beginning in our heroes's journey to this temporary goodbye.

For now, Trying Something New will be going on hiatus while I finish Book 2. I can't say when it will be complete, but I am hoping to have it ready sometime later this year. In the meantime, I will be releasing two side stories for the series— One covering what's gone on in Alto Mare over the years, and the other being a one-shot about Ash and Korrina.

If you want to stay updated with all future books and stories, I recommend following me here and on my twitter, Mieruhochun!

With that out of the way, I wanted to talk about Book 2 and what it'll be covering. As you know, Ash is heading back to Alto Mare, seeking to find the part of himself he's been missing— The thing that has kept him from defeating Korrina and accomplishing so much more. This is only one stop in a series of destinations he'll be taking across Book 2. Meanwhile, Serena will begin her challenge of the Kalos League Gym circuit, facing Viola and Grant and taking her first steps towards becoming an expert battler.

Our heroes will return in Book 2 of the TSN Series— Pokémon XY: Finding Something New

For now though, this is goodbye... For a little while! We'll all see each other really soon—

When the journey continues!