Ash and Zeraora had been taking classes for a week now. Things have been okay for the two of them all things considered. Half the school still hates him, but the other half still likes him. It has not hurt their studies at all and Bianca has been able to study Zeraora without incident. Things were moving along very well.

However, it was now Saturday. The weekend finally was here and the two were ready to relax. He had already explained things to Zeraora and the Pokemon looked thrilled for some time away from the school. He understood his feelings well, and he enjoyed school but it was still long and boring. The two were all set to relax.

This day however started with him waking up to Lana eating a bowl of cereal. Her face told him the other two were out partying the night before once again. However, he also noticed the other two doors were closed meaning that they were home at least. This would be the first time they had both been home since he had got there. He did not know how to feel about this turn of events.

"Morning. Are they here?" he asked.

Lana nodded. "Yeah. Lilie came with me as she has interviews and Mallow came home with her boyfriend I think."

Her boyfriend was here? "She came home with her boyfriend?"

She nodded. "Sadly yes. He is a bit unpleasant. Not a bad guy but very arrogant."

Ash nodded. "By the way, me and a few other friends will be getting together later to let our Pokemon get to know one another better. You three should come by! It is at the park."

"I will be there. I'll see what I can do about them. Maybe I can get them to stop by also."

"Cool! I am going to get some shopping done." He said.

"Be careful!"

Ash and Zeraora left the apartment together. He wanted to get Zeraora a few things to make his stay a little better. He was not able to for a while due to all the homework. by the time he was done, the shops were all closed. While having a gold membership to the apartment helped, it only covered some things. So the two were very happy to be able to have this time to get the shopping done at long last.

The two made it to the store pretty quickly. As they walked in eyes trained on them. This was to be expected as he had become something of a celebrity since he got Zeraora. The two ignored everyone and started gathering what they needed. Things were quiet until he ran into someone.

"Ash? Is that you?"

He looked to see Chloe walking up with her Yamper. "Chloe! Hey! Shopping also?"

"Yeah, Yamper needs a few things. I can see you need a lot of things."

Ash already got a nice pile of things. A Humanoid Pokemon bed, some food, and an electricity producer were among them. "Yeah, I have a lot of money though so I want to help him."

"I see. Kari is with me also. She is trying to figure out what her Pokemon wants. She has a hard time communicating with her."

"Really? Is she bonding well with it?"

"Yeah! Very well. But she has a hard time understanding."

He looked at Zeraora. "I was able to understand Zeraora right away."

She nodded. "Same with me and Yamper."

"I think I got one!" They looked to see Kari running up. "I think I got one she will like! Oh hello, Ash!"

"Hey, Kari! Hi Purrloin!"

"Your out shopping also?"

"Yeah! Chloe said you needed food for Purrloin?"

"Yes! I think I got one she likes!"

Ash looked at her Small Pokemon. It just gave a quick shrug.

"I see. Hey, you two still coming to the park?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" They said in unison.

The three of them spent a little more time together helping Ash shop. Chloe was a pretty big help as her father was a professor. She had a bit of insight into what might help an electric type more. It took a while but soon all three had everything they needed. Ash bid them farewell and went home to drop everything off.

He walked into his apartment to see a dark-skinned guy his age sitting at the table eating. He had red and black hair styled up. Strange enough he was also shirtless showing off a good build body. Ash assumed he must have been Mallow's boyfriend, she was still not present. He and Zeraora walked up to greet him but he shot a pretty cold look.

"Hmph. You're that Ash kid?" he asked.

"Ahh yeah! Nice to meet you."

He stood up. "The name is Kiawe. I worked hard and did a lot of studying to get into the gifted program. Kind of sucks to hear that some kid who barely made it in got a mythical Pokemon."

Ash was a little irritated. "He chose me!"

He did not seem to care. "What's worst, you're staying in the same room as my girlfriend. I don't like you, but she says your really helping her and her friends. So I will tolerate you for now."

With that, he left. Ash was irritated with the situation. He had no regrets about getting Zeraora, in fact, it was the best day of his life. Though everyone getting angry with him over just having him was starting to grade on him. He really hoped he would not run into him again, he did not like him.

"Well, that was unpleasant," Ash said to his partner. Zeraora seemed to agree.

The two put everything away and set everything up. They just got done when Mallow walked out.

"Hello, Ash! How are you today!" she asked.

"Little surprised to see you."

She giggled. "Yeah sorry, I have been enjoying partying. The first week is always the best ones to go to."

"Have you been getting your work done?"

"No need to worry. I get it all done first." She flopped down on a seat. "The parties will start to die down a bit now. So Lily and I will be around more now."

"How is Lily's job search?" he asked wondering if she was searching during the weekdays.

"She put in applications to ten places. No word though."

"I see," he said a little worried.

"Anyway, got any plans?"

"Me and a few friends are going to meet up at the park. We plan on letting our Pokemon meet up."

"Oh! Mind if I join?"

"Would love you to come by. I even asked Lana to see if you two could come."

"I'll get Lily to show up!"

"Sounds good! Me and Zeraora are going to go out for a bit before the meet-up. I'll talk to you later."

She smiled and waved as they went out.

As the two walked outside, he noticed something strange. The same man from before was watching him. He was keeping his distance but clearly following him. This was pretty unsettling as sense he had a mythical Pokemon this could mean many number of things. Noticing a police station was close by he stepped in. To his relief, the man walked off.

"Is something wrong?" a woman asked walking up.

"Oh ah some guy was following me, officer."

"You can call me Jenny! I see you are that boy everyone's talking about." She smiled at him and Zeraora. "I'll take a report if you want. It might be someone after your Pokemon, but it might also just be someone going the same way as you. Either way it won't hurt to leave a report."

"Okay Jenny, yeah, perhaps a good idea."

He left after giving a report. Luckily when he left no one seemed to be following him anymore. He decided to believe it was just him to stay calm, but keep a healthy bit of caution. He and Zeraora were able to make it to the park without anything else happening. Much to their delight, they made it early giving them some time to relax. Or so he hoped.

"You there!" He heard someone yell.

Ash looked to see someone from one of his classes. It was a boy named AJ. Word was he was one of the best but the sudden change in the testing had messed him up like it did so many. He was voted most likely to get into the gifted program before things changed. Currently, he was marching up to Ash.

"Ummm can I help you?"

"I want to battle you!"

"What? NO! You know we can't yet!" Ash said recalling the rules.

"Not now! On Monday we will be paring up for battles to show what we learned. Every week! I will be challenging you and you are to accept!"

Ash was a little irritated at this challenge. AJ had the advantage. "You know you hold a type advantage right? You have less to gain from beating me."

Every Monday battles were held to act as reviews, Ash knew this. But what he also knew was for the best grades you would challenge someone who had a neutral typing to you. Having a type advantage gave you a lower but still passing score for winning as it had less to show. On the other hand, if someone with a type disadvantage won then they got a much higher score while the other got a much lower score. Ash could see this challenge was purely out of spite.

"I don't care! You best accept my challenge!" He said. "I want to prove you are nothing special! Just someone who got lucky with a Pokemon."

"Hey, I was screwed over by the test same as you!"

"But I followed the rule and got Sandshrew. You were lucky enough to have a wild Pokemon wander into the enclosure! Skill beats luck!"

Before Ash could respond he left. Seems Monday was going to be very unpleasant.

"ASH!"

Right, when he turned he was crashed into. Something he was familiar with now.

"Hi, Bianca." He said as she lay on top of him

"Sorry." She said as she got up.

The two sat together after they fixed themselves up. Bianca was still holding her egg in its incubator. It was disappointing to see it still had not hatched but She was not impatient. Ash got her up to date on the two unpleasantries that happened. His day was not ruined thankfully but it did feel derailed a bit. Bianca seemed to get an idea for his challenge.

"I know an upperclassman who might be able to help." She said. "I'll talk to him and see if maybe he can help you!"

"Would you really?" He asked.

"Sure! I can tell him what I know about Zeraora and maybe he can get something together. I'll call him tonight!"

"Thanks, Bianca!" He was glad she was studying him.

"Any time Ash! Anything new I should know about him since yesterday?" She had a feeling that nothing changed since she last checked on him but did not hurt to ask.

"Don't think so? Buddy?"

Zeraora just shrugged. He guessed not.

"Good to hear!" she responded cheerfully.

The two sat down and chatted as they waited for everyone else. Within the hour everyone else came. Kari said that Iris tried not to come but she managed to make her show up. All the Pokemon started to play with one another save Drilbur who stayed with Iris. Ash noticed this instantly. Seems this Pokemon really likes her.

"So Iris, seems Drilbur likes you a lot," he said.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," she responded. "I guess he does."

Annabel spoke up. "Iris, me, and Ash wanted to address this. You said you wanted to be a dragon master. yet you seem to be giving up."

"Of course!" Iris said. "No dragon types wanted to join me!"

The other girls looked at one another. It was Mallow who spoke up first.

"That's a pretty dumb reason to give up."

She shot her head at her. "Excuse me?"

"It's a dumb reason to give up. So your first was not a dragon type? That does not mean you can't become one. Also what about Drilbur?"

"What about him-?"

"He really seems to like you! A lot! You know if you fail and get kicked out he will be taken back right?"

Iris looked like she wanted to say something but there was no good response to that realization.

Kari spoke up next. "You came in here with an expectation. But when it did not work out you gave up didn't you?"

Iris looked down. "I don't know. I don't want to give up but, every known dragon master started with a Dragon type."

Ash placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well be the first to have not started with one."

There was silence for a long time before she responded.

"I would like to go back now. I have a lot to think about. Come on Drilbur."

They watched as she left. Ash helped bring the mood back up and they spent the day having fun. Ash noticed that even Lilie seemed happy, he had not seen her smile for a while. Zeraora seemed to be in good spirits also. While he knew not what they were talking about the Pokemon were having a very good time at least.

After spending time together everyone got ready to head back. Well, save Mallow and Lana who went to another party. Lilie had an interview in the morning so she was skipping that one. Ash was about ready to get going also but was stopped by Kari.

"Hey Ash, would you mind walking me home today?"

"Something wrong?"

"Chloe said she had something to do and I just would like to have some company on the way back is all."

"Well, I guess that's alright, you good with that buddy?"

Zeraora nodded, and with his approval, they headed to her apartment. They chatted a bit more about one another, he learned her brother was going to be a gym leader in a few days. Ash hoped maybe they could have a battle sometime after hearing this. He also learned that she had recently broken up with her boyfriend, who flunked out of the exam to the point he was no longer allowed any retakes. They talked till a raindrop hit Ash's head.

They looked up to see clouds appear out of nowhere. A heavy down poor started, odd as there was to be no rain today. They guessed a battle was happening and someone used rain dance. All three of them started running to get out of the rain. Sadly by the time they made it to her apartment, they were soaked to the bone.

"Welp, this ain't good..." Ash said as they got to her door.

"I'll say, I guess we need to have raincoats on us around here," Kari said trying to get the door open.

They quickly got inside, letting Zeraora shake off his fur as best he could first.

"Hey ash, go ahead and dry off in the bathroom. It might be a bit short but I got a robe you can borrow while your cloth go through the dryer."

"Oh! Umm Okay." ash responded a bit nervous.

He and Zeraora went into her bathroom, something that also made him nervous, and changed out of his wet clothes. Using, who he guessed was Chloe's, hair dryer he first got Zeraora dried off. He then dried himself off just as Kari knocked. She passed the robe in and as she said, it was indeed a bit short, still, it got the job done. He stepped out to see her in her PJs.

"I'll go ahead and run them through the dryer. I'll try to make it fast." She said.

"Thanks," Ash responded as she walked off.

He walked around looking at her place. There were photos set up with her and, he guessed, were friends and family. One had an older spiky brown-haired boy with a brown-haired girl on either side of her. Another had an older-looking woman that looked a little like her and an older man who had a resemblance to the older boy, he guessed parents. The last noteworthy one was her with another boy. His hair was pretty spiky also but he also wore a flame pattern jacket. Was this perhaps her ex?

"Something got your eye?"

He turned to see Kari walking up. "Oh! Just check out the pictures. That your brother?"

"Yep, that's him and his Fiancee. Tai and Mimi. He specializes in Dragon types and she is a cook. Working on getting her own TV show."

"I see. Dragon trainer huh? Maybe he could offer some insight for Iris?"

"I did not think of that. Good idea."

"So ah this guy, is he...?"

"Yeah, that's Davis. My ex."

"I see. How did it happen if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, when I passed and he flunked out he took the opportunity to break up with me. Don't be mad, Honestly, the flame of our relationship flickered out a long time ago. We were both looking for an out but felt like we had dedicated so much at this point we shouldn't give up on it." she said with a long sigh. "Ash, can you keep a secret?"

"Sure! What's up?"

"I did not want to be a trainer. I don't know what I want to do. I just did this because he was."

"I see. You don't like Pokemon?"

"Oh no! I like them. In fact, I bonded with purrloin very fast! I don't know what to do now is all."

"I see. Well, I would be happy to help you figure that out!"

She gave a smile to him. "Thank you, Ash."

"Hey, no problem!"

The two talked while they waited for his clothes to dry. The rain let up not too long after they talked so he just needed his clothes. After they were done he dressed and got ready to go. Kari was a bit bummed to see the two leaving but Zeraoras food was back at his apartment. She bid him farewell and he left.

He got home not long after to find only Lilie's home. She was already asleep though so he just spent the night relaxing with Zeraora. The two were able to play on the switch for a bit, to his amazement Zeraora caught on to how it worked fast, before getting tired. After getting ready the two went to bed, hoping the day to come would give them what they needed.