Well, this wasn't how Lucario thought today would go, but then again with Ash it shouldn't be surprising someone would fall off a cliff. The jackal Pokémon just didn't think it would be Goh. Out of the two lads he was by far the most cautious, then again recklessness was contagious. Hence forth the reason why he went along with his master's descendant to ensure that the lad didn't fall off another cliff.

The fact that the pup had begged top go along had nothing to do with Lucario's decision.

"Goh!" Ash called out.

"Pika!"

"OLU!"

"Now where did he run off too?" Ash said.

Lucario scanned the island with a skim of aura sight. Goh's pale ghost was visible, and calm if a little shellshocked.

He's alright, near the human settlement.

"Guess we're going that way then," Ash murmured and changed direction.

Are you certain that is the correct direction? From what I saw the Village is in another spot.

"But the school is this way! If Goh's made it back into town. Then he's probably met one of my old classmates by now and they would take him to the school. Besides I got lost in these jungles a lot. I know them like the back of my hand by now," Ash said.

Well, that was comforting. Still Lucario followed the lad through the trees and on the dirt path.

"ASH! PIKACHU!"

Lucario didn't have a moment to even turn around, and Ash was running off to hug a flying shiny red...something...

"Hello Ash!"

"Rotom!" The lad called out.

"I missed you so much!" the red shape said.

"I missed you too."

"How have you been doing?"

"Pika!"

"Awesome!"

Ash's phone then made the pinning noise and started talking like it did when it scanned something. So, this red shape was a Rotom? Lucario tilted his head. Clearly one of the more modern-day forms he wasn't familiar with...then again, all forms of this species were foreign to Lucario.

"Everyone is already at the Pokémon school," Rotom said.

"Oh, that's great! We were just heading in that direction," Ash said.

Then the little flying red thing homed in on him and the pup. Lucario pulled Riolu behind him.

"Ohhh!" the red thing beeped and began to fly around them franticly taking pictures.

Lucario resisted the urge to swat the annoyingly alive pokedex out of the air.

"More data! Lucario's much less the pre-evolved forms are not native to the alola isles! I can update my data base!"

The pup let out a squeak and shoved his face into Lucario's leg. Alright...

Ash is this a former companion of yours?

Rotom froze.

"Yeah, Rotomdex served as my guide to all the Pokémon of alola while I was living here."

"Pika!"

Then perhaps you can tell him to mind personal space before he learns to regret it.

"Got it," Ash said, pulling the flying red nuisance away.

"You can speak!" Rotomdex shrieked, "I need to update my data files! Please explain to me in detail about this skill of yours!"

"Rotom," Ash said, "You should probably slow down, believe me Lucario is not the kind of guy you want to bombard with questions."

You should trust him, you speck, the last time Ash confronted me I threw him into a hot spring. Something tells me you wouldn't last as long should that happen again.

"See what I mean..."

Amanda felt overwhelmed, and she wasn't even the center of attention.

When the professors brought her and her uncle over to the school, her cousin's former classmates had already swarmed poor Goh. She could feel the amount of anxiety bleeding from Goh and it made her feel like she was re-lived the first day of college all over again. Curse her newly discovered empathic powers from her auratic rich soul. She didn't have time for her own feelings, much less other people's.

Still. These kids needed to back off. Like Goh can't even get an answer in.

Amanda felt something brushing against her leg. She looked down to find Umbreon nudging her head into Amanda's leg. The dark type nodded towards the crowd. Amanda sighed; she knew the only to stop feeling like this was to stop the person who she was reading feeling it. Besides Uncle Aaron was too busy with a conversation he was having with the profs. and really bizarre principle, to do anything.

"Okay, maybe you all should let him breathe," Amanda called out, "Not everyone enjoys the swarming-like-an-army-of-beedrill-on-a-honey-high greeting."

The two girls backed off, rather quickly each offering apologies, with the boy following their lead. Goh sent her a grateful smile. Amanda wasn't sure if the relief she felt was her's or Goh's.

Kiawe was another story. The teenager was passionate, and Amanda found his frustration very misplaced. The spike of confused anger that Amanda picked up was enough to make her wince. And she would forever blame what happened next on it.

"Hey, maybe battling isn't something Goh enjoys as much as you!" Amanda snipped.

And now that anger was pointed at her. Dang this guy was more hotheaded than rapidash.

"And who are you?" Kiawe asked.

"Amanda Gen. Hi I'm Ash's cousin," She gave a cheeky grin.

Kiawe narrowed his eyes. Thinking really hard there, aren't you buddy.

"Ash's cousin huh? Then I challenge you next!"

Amanda raised a flatly confused brow, "I'm sorry what?"

"As Ash's family and current rival, it's my job to ensure that you both are strong enough to challenge Ash so he can achieve his goals!"

Goh looked confused; Amanda didn't even have to read him. There was so much wrong with that sentence...Thank Arceus that Ash walked into the room after that.

With the children wonderfully, distracted with each other, Amanda tuned back out of the situation and into her work once more. She bit her tongue to keep from releasing a breath of worry. She was running out of code to decrypt...and still didn't have any idea one where Riley was. There was still hope that Clemont found something on his end, but Amanda was a cynic at heart.

Someone cleared their throat above the desk she was sat working at, and she froze. Glancing up she saw he uncle looked down on her with a plate of in hand.

She took the plate offered to her and thanked him. Amanda might not feel close to him, but she knew when manners were needed.

"How are you fairing?" Uncle Aaron said.

"This place is hot, sunny, and the people here have no context of personal space or air conditioning," She mumbled.

"So, not well then?"

Amanda shrugged.

"You've found anything else?"

"No."

She heard her uncle sigh...then choke and cough.

"Are you dying?" She looked up at him.

"The food is delicious but it's a lot stronger them I'm used to in terms of flavor," he smiled.

Curious, Amanda took a bite off her own plate. It was good. She could admit that.

"Couldn't use more spice, but not bad," she said and she felt almost gleeful at the horror her Uncle was experiencing from that statement.

The party continues calmly, until...

"Hey kiawe let's have that battle we promised each other!' Ash said.

"Sure, but first I want to battle Goh and Amanda," Kiawe said.

"Excuse me?" Amanda said.

"Who me?" Goh said.

"I'm the only one who can determine if your two are good enough to be along Ash as rivals! To help him on his quest you have to be strong!"

"Kiawe what are you talking about?" Ash said.

"Don't you think you're getting worked up," the girl with green hair said.

They were both ignored.

"Goh, Amanda let's do this!" Kiawe said.

"Alright," Goh said.

"Goh?" Ash questioned.

"He called me out, I might as well. I've got a stubborn streak too."

Okay, maybe this kid had more guts than Amanda thought.

"Amanda?" Goh turned to her.

"Pass."

"What?!" Kiawe said.

"I said pass. I don't want to battle you, nor do I have too. It's not going to mean anything anyway. I'm not Ash's rival, we're barely family as it is. And once all this is over, we're never going to see each other again. It's not my job to 'aid him on his quest' whatever the heck that means," Amanda said.

"Battling is the way trainers and Pokémon prove how strong they are together! Don't you want to show your strength with your Pokémon?" Kiawe said.

"Battling is A way, not THE way. Besides, I have nothing to prove to you," Amanda stated.

"You should just stop Kiawe," Goh cut in before Kiawe could further blow up, "She's from Ryme City. You're not going to convince her."

"So? What does it matter where she's from?"

The boy with blond hair spoke up, "Pokémon Battles are outlawed in Ryme City, Kiawe."

"What? Why?"

Everyone looked to Amanda, she just stared back blankly, "I'm not part of its government, don't ask me why."

Amanda shut out the rest of the convo. Kiawe was starting to get on her nerves...at least she got to watch Goh yell him out during the bloody battle. Uncle Aaron's and Lucario panicked expressions after the Z-move were also very entertaining...She snapped a picture.

A/N:

Well, here is next chapter. Don't worry, Amanda will get to be on the battle-field soon enough.