Pokémon Gray

by Carlos Shiny

Pokémon Gray. What if Ash had never traveled to Unova before now? Ash, now eighteen and strongest trainer in the world, wants to take an important step in his journey to become a Pokémon Master. It's not about participating in another Pokémon League Tournament or defeating other champions, but doing something new and completely different.

3. Are you not a person who gives up?

Ash and Serena arrived in Unova and met Anita, a sixteen-year-old new Trainer. The girl chose Oshawott as her first Pokémon, while a very particular Snivy joined Ash's team.

Our heroes also met Ivan, also a novice Trainer, but with unorthodox methods. They also learned about Team Plasma and their goals.

Last, but not least, Anita, despite having many doubts, decided to follow the path of battleing in the gym. How will it end? Will Anita win her first medal? Who really is Carlos? All you have to do is read to find out!

You're not a person who gives up like that?

The day of Anita's first Gym battle had finally arrived. The three had spent the night at the city's Pokémon Center. Anita, despite the reassurances, had not slept a wink. He was too afraid of failure to sleep.

Of course, Ash and Serena had reassured her until exhaustion. "It doesn't matter if you win on the first, second or tenth try, we will always support you, and so will your Pokémon. Do not forget." They had told her.

It was half past seven, and the three had gotten up to have breakfast and so had their Pokémon. They were sitting on a table near the window, with the sunlight streaming in and starting to warm pleasantly.

Anita, unlike the day before, Anita had only had a coffee for breakfast. "Are you sure you're just taking that?" Ash asked her, while biting into a giant cream croissant. "Then you won't have enough energy for the battle." He added. "It seems to me that this boy only has two neurons. One thinks about battleing and the other about eating" thought Anita, as she saw him devour that croissant in a couple of bites. "Be calm." Serena reassured her. "Ash always worries about these things." Serena tried not to laugh "In some ways she reminds me of my grandmother. Hey! But you didn't eat anything! You're pale, but you eat meat? You seem to have lost weight since last time..." Ash turned in his direction. "Now let's not exaggerate! I'm just saying that you need energy to battle. We'll talk about behaving like this in seventy years. As long as I have grandchildren, of course." Ash replied, leaving Serena petrified. "All right. Whatever you want, but if I feel bad, it's your fault." Anita got up and went to get a croissant. The smallest. It was filled with chocolate. Not hes favorite filling, but he'd make it work for her. To avoid problems, he would eat it in small bites.

Once they finished eating, the three gave the keys to their rooms to Nurse Joy, said goodbye to her and left the Pokémon Center.

Serena, through the Maps application of her Smart Rotom, was ready to guide them towards the building.

They had to walk almost a kilometer before reaching her. They found themselves in front of a square, slightly smaller than the one the Pokémon Center overlooked, but built in a similar way.

It was made with large slabs of white marble, which reflected the light in an almost annoying way. In the square there were also flowerbeds, made of the same material, full of thick vegetation, a magnet for small Grass and Beetle-type Pokémon.

The Gym was a tall building with a semi-cylindrical shape. It was made of concrete and glass. It was preceded by some concrete columns, made to resemble ancient buildings.

The lower part of the building was decorated in lighter bricks, compared to concrete, and in the upper part there were six arched windows.

The entrance was an extremely high, dark wooden door. It seemed he wanted to instill fear in the visitors. It was overlooked by a concrete balcony. At the top of the roof there was a Poké Ball-shaped sculpture, typical of all Gyms. Ash tried to open the door, pushing it. The thing he found most natural, as there was no sign inviting him to shoot. "Damn! Does not open!" He complained. "Let's try ringing the intercom." Serena proposed. "Yes… right… I hadn't seen it." Ash replied. Anita approached the two and Serena pressed the button.

"Well, it's you!" A familiar voice answered. "I'll open." An electrical noise confirmed the opening of the door. Ash pushed it, allowing the girls to enter.

"But is it a gym or a restaurant?" The floor was made of fake wood, and there were numerous tables with chairs in the room. Each table was covered with a tablecloth that almost reached the floor. The walls, of a warm colour, were decorated with various finishes, giving the place a touch of class. On the ceiling several metal glass chandeliers, also very elegant and refined.

Before they could observe further, they were joined by Carlos. "Hi, Carlos!" They greeted him. "Hello lads. I guess you came here for Anita's challenge." Churches. "Y-yes. At least I think so." He answered.

"Well. Then follow me, I'll take you to the wrestling field. Then, after the battle, regardless of the result, it is the gym's tradition to offer lunch or dinner to those who challenge them and those who accompany them." He explained.

"Looks interesting!" Ash replied. "Is it possible that this one is always thinking about eating?" Anita thought. Meanwhile the three had reached the battleing field.

As per tradition, there were bleachers on the long sides of the field to allow guests to watch the battle. On the left side there was a device that caught Ash's attention.

It was a sort of box, with several cameras inside. Other cameras were present on the gym ceiling and on the walls. "What is that box?" Churches.

"It's the automatic electronic arbitrage system. Thanks to various cameras positioned in strategic places in the Gym, it is able to monitor every single event of the battle and processes and archives it. Finally, determine the outcome of the same. Before the battle it must be set with the parameters of the battle." Carlos explained. Seeing Ash's bewildered expression, he knew he had to explain it to him down to earth. "This device simply replaces the human referee in battles. You just have to tell him if it's a one-on-one battle, two-on-two and so on..." Ash's expression changed. "Understood."

He answered. Carlos, in the meantime, had approached the device. He had opened a door and taken out a wireless keyboard, very similar to that of a computer. "Tell me, Anita. Is this your first Gym battle?" Churches. "Yes." The girl replied. "Do you have one or more Pokémon?" Continuous. "T-two." He answered. "Last question. What was your Starter?" He asked as he finished filling out the form. "O-Oshawott." He answered. "Very good. The electronic referee is ready. We can leave!" Carlos stated. "The Gym battle between the Gym Leader Carlos and the Challenger Anita is about to begin! It will be a two-on-two battle. Whoever manages to make the opposing Pokémon no longer able to battle wins! Furthermore, only the Challenger is allowed to replace her Pokémon. The first move goes to the challenger. Let the battle begin!" The referee declared.

"L-let's try. Oshawott! Go!" The girl sent out the Otter Pokémon, which was back in perfect shape and ready to battle. As soon as he entered the field he made a gesture of pride.

"Umbreon! It's your turn!" Carlos sent out the Moonlight Pokémon. "Mhmm, a Dark-type Pokémon, huh! Maybe a

Beetle type attack can be effective. Let's try it." I think. "Oshawott uses Cut Fury!" The Otter Pokémon ran towards his opponent, brandishing his clam saber. Umbreon was standing still, like a statue.

"Dodge and use Shadow Ball!" Carlos ordered. The Pokémon obeyed, moving quickly and leaving the opponent stunned.

At the same time, a sphere of dark, purple-colored energy was generated from Umbreon's mouth. It seemed to be

surrounded by discharges of energy, similar to electricity. Umbreon quickly launched the energy ball towards his opponent. Anita didn't have much time to think. He had to do like Ash. Improvise. "Defend yourself with Fury Cutter!" He ordered.

Oshawott quickly moved his Scalchop, as if Cutterting the air, sparking the curiosity of those present.

The new Trainer's plan came out as soon as the attack reached the water Pokémon. The energy sphere exploded anyway, with less energy than expected, but it still sent the Otter Pokémon back a few meters.

"Try Acquagetto!" Oshawott covered himself in water, and became a sort of loose cannon for the Gym. It was quite difficult to predict where he would go. "Try to counter it with Quick Attack!" Carlos ordered. Umbreon began to run at great speed, managing to copy Oshawott's every movement.

The two Pokémon collided halfway across the battlefield, and both were thrown backwards. Umbreon managed to land easily on all fours, while Oshawott landed on his face.

Despite the hard impact, the aquatic Pokémon managed to get up, albeit with difficulty. "Do you feel like continuing?" Anita asked. The Pokémon replied in the affirmative. His body seemed to glow. "Very good! So let's try Water Gun!" Anita ordered. A very powerful jet of water was generated from the mouth of the Otter Pokémon which reached and hit the opponent, projecting him violently into the air. "And so this is the true potential of Oshawott?" Anita and Carlos thought at the same time. "Let's end it here, Umbreon! Use Comets!" Warm yellow stars were generated from the back of the Moonlight Pokémon, which were soon launched at the opponent. "Oshawott dodge!" Anita ordered. But it was too late. The powerful explosion that launched the Pokémon towards Anita's side had already occurred, and Oshawott was lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Oshawott is no longer able to battle. Umbreon wins!" The electronic referee declared. "Come on, friend, come back, you did great." Anita placed Oshawott in her Poké Ball. "Now it's your turn! Lillipup!" The girl threw the Poké Ball of her second Pokémon, the Lillipup she had captured recently. "Counting on you! Use Tackle!" The Puppy Pokémon started running towards his opponent, who remained impassive, as if he wanted to get hit. "We have waited too long, Dark Pulse!" From the mouth of the LunaLuce Pokémon came a series of rings of dark energy, their color was a dark purple, almost black. "Dodge, quick!" Lillipup jumped, narrowly avoiding being hit.

"Lillipup, try Tackle again!" The Pokémon started running again, now closer to its opponent. The ground flowed quickly beneath his paws. When she was close enough, she jumped and hit Umbreon on the head, causing him to step back slightly. "Throw it with your head!" With his powerful neck muscles, Umbreon threw little Lillipup into the air, without the Dog being able to react in any way.

"And now jump and use Quick Attack!" Umbreon, using the powerful muscles of his hind legs, took a powerful leap. It hit little Lillipup squarely, causing her to fall back.

"Lillipup is no longer able to battle, Umbreon wins. The victory of the match goes to the Gym Leader!" The electronic referee declared.

"Come back. You did your best. I do not. I was wrong to want to rush things so much." Anita commented on her defeat.

"You did your best, you'll see that next time it will be better." Ash encouraged her. "I think it will just take a little more training. As strong as Umbreon seems, it will definitely have weaknesses." He added.

"You say? Do you think…" The girl couldn't finish her sentence. Someone had opened the door, startling her. "So you pretended to be a Gym Leader again, Carlos?" A male voice said.

Three young men entered through the door. They were dressed practically the same. They wore an outfit similar to that of a waiter. They wore a white shirt, covered by a black vest, with three gold buttons.

They had black pants and brown shoes. They had some sort of white apron. "And… who are you?" Ash asked.

The three introduced themselves, in the same order in which they had arrived. "I'm Cilan!" The green haired boy introduced himself. "I am the Gym Leader of Levanto City!" Then the red-haired boy showed up. "I'm Chili, I'm the Gym Leader of Levantopoli." Finally, the blue haired boy showed up. "I'm Cress..." Ash interrupted him. "Let me guess… the Levant City Gym Leader?" The blue-haired boy was disappointed. "Yes... But I would have preferred to say it..." Cilan took care of interrupting his brother's embarrassment. "It's not important. Whatever the case, Carlos will find a way to make amends." The boy sprang like a spring. "Y-yes. I'll take care of it immediately!" He replied, walking away. Anita changed expression.

"I know you two." Cilan introduced them. "You are Ash Ketchum, the World Champion, and Serena Gabena, the winner of numerous Pokémon Contests and finalist of the Kalos Professional Showcase! What an honor!" Anita felt like nothing at that moment. Her traveling companions had a CV to envy, she was a novice Trainer. Of the three battles he had fought, five, counting training, he had won one and lost two. The training, however, had been interrupted before there was a real winner, but she wasn't sure she would emerge victorious.

"I assume you came here to challenge the Gym, right?" The green haired boy turned to Anita. "Y-Yes." The girl replied.

At that moment Anita felt a sensation that was very difficult to explain. It was a mixture of nervousness and frustration. He could accept the idea of losing to a Gym Leader, but not that of losing to someone who pretended to be one. Ash noticed the change in the girl. "So, if he's not a Gym Leader, then what is he? What are you doing here?" Ash asked. "We could define him as our assistant. He helps us in the kitchen, as a waiter and, if necessary, he is also the deputy Gym Leader. So, if one of us cannot compete in the battle, for any reason, we entrust our Pokémon to him, and he will battle in place of the absent Gym Leader." He explained. "I don't think I understand everything." Ash exposed himself. "How come there are three Gym Leaders? Wasn't one enough?" Ash asked. "There, you see…" Cilan replied. "This Gym specializes in three types. I imagine you already know this. Here you are. Each of us specializes in a certain type. I specialize in the Grass type." He explained. "I am a Fire type specialist." Chili added. "And you… you're a Water-type specialist, right?" Cress snorted. "Of course nothing can be hidden from you!" He answered.

Serena put a hand over her mouth, trying to hide the laughter that was escaping her.

"Well… Carlos could repay you by offering you lunch, if that's okay with you. We'll take care of the battle later." Cilan explained. Ash and the girls looked into each other's eyes. "It is fine for me." The boy replied.

"And what do we do for Anita?" Serena asked. "His Pokémon just finished battling. They will have to rest before battling again. We can take her to the Pokémon Center." The boy replied.

The three left the Gym, saying goodbye to the three Gym Leaders with a "see you later".

As soon as they left the gym, Anita's expression changed completely. She became sad and gloomy. This was immediately noticed by Serena. "Everything is fine?" The churches. "No. Yes. I don't know. I don't know if we're ready to face the Gym Leaders. If we lost to an assistant…" He explained.

"Before you give up, you should try. Even if you lost, you definitely learned something. That's what matters." Anita remained silent "I wonder if things are really as you say. What would I have learned in that battle?" I think.

The three arrived at the Pokémon Center, to allow Anita's team to rest. There weren't many people there at that time, so it didn't take long before it was their turn.

Once Anita's team was taken care of, the three returned to the Gym. As they returned, they saw a girl with dark brown hair, wearing a magenta dress and a gray jacket, coming out of the Gym. He was wearing black shoes and Paris shoes

Of the same color. He had a dark backpack, similar to a school backpack.

He was holding something in his hands, very tightly. "It seemed impossible, but we did it!" The girl said, in a festive tone.

"She managed to win the medal. She must be a very skilled Trainer. Unlike me." Serena placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not say that. You will succeed too. I feel that." Anita just smiled at her. "I wonder how she manages to always be so

positive." Anita thought.

The three entered the Gym. They passed the restaurant area, where Chili and Cilan were setting up the tables for the upcoming lunch. "Good morning!" The three greeted the Gym Leaders. "Good morning to you!" They reciprocated. "Now the battlefield is busy, Cress is facing a challenger. As soon as the camp clears, it'll be your turn." Cilan explained.

"On purpose. Now that I think about it, you didn't introduce yourself. What is your name?" Chili asked her. "Right… My name is Anita White"

The girl introduced herself.

Meanwhile, the three had reached the battling field. The electronic referee had just finished announcing the rules. The three, as they sat in the stands, noticed that Cress's challenger was none other than Ivan.

The two had just deployed their Pokémon. Ivan had sent out his Pidove, while Cress instead sent out a Pokémon that Anita was learning to know, a Lillipup.

"The first move goes to the challenger!" The electronic referee decreed. "Alright then! Pidove, Quick Attack!" The pigeon Pokémon moved quickly, hitting its opponent and launching it into the air. Cress did not lose his calm. "Use Take Down as soon as you can!" The Puppy Pokémon managed to land without any particular problems, so it started running as fast as possible, ready to charge its opponent with its whole body. "Fly as high as you can!" Ivan ordered. "Jump as high as you can!" The Gym Leader ordered. Seeing the Little Dog jump, Ivan smiled. "Terribly predictable," he thought. "Use Air Cutter!" He ordered. Thick blades of air were generated from the Pigeon Pokémon's wings and hit the Dog Pokémon squarely, launching it to the opposite side of the battle field, and causing it to crash violently against one of the barriers.

"Lillipup can no longer continue. Pidove wins." The electronic referee declared. "You've done your best, but the last word hasn't been said yet! With the last Pokémon I'm going for broke! He stated as he called his Pokémon back.

Ivan also called back his Pidove. "You just did your job." He commented, making the four spectators nervous. Pikachu in particular. Numerous bursts of electricity erupted from his cheeks. "Calm down, friend. I want to hope that one day he will change his attitude. Or we'll make them change it." Ash reassured him.

"Panpour! It's your turn!" Cress sent out a Pokémon similar to a monkey. It had two large blue ears, a tuft resembling the jet of water from a fountain, a cream-colored muzzle with a tiny nose and a wide mouth. The arms were long and pale, and spread from the shoulders to the hands. The hands had only one thumb, the legs were stubby. The body was predominantly cream-colored, with a small part of the chest being light blue. The tail, rather long, ended with a blue tuft made up of three dots.

Anita scanned it with her Pokédex. "Panpour. Watering Pokémon. Water type. Male specimen. It was an inhabitant of forests and adapted to living in the presence of waterways. It can store water in the tufts on its head. Known moves: Water Gun, Ice Beam, Work Up."

Ivan also sent out his Pokémon. " Pansage! Go!" The boy sent out a Pokémon similar to the one Cress sent. The body was partially green and not blue and not cream-colored, but slightly darker. The tuft on his head resembled a sort of bush.

Anita scanned it with her Pokédex. "Pansage, Scimperba Pokémon. Male specimen. He offers the leaves on his head to Pokémon with low energy, relieving tension. Known moves Bullet Seed and Scratch."

"The battle can continue!" The electronic referee declared.

"Pansage uses Bullet Seed!" A series of small seeds came out of the grass-type monkey's mouth, shooting out at great speed, resembling bullets. "Dodge and then use Ice Beam!" The Gym Leader ordered. "Devil! It is prepared to face Grass-type Pokémon!" Ivan thought. The ice-type attack froze the opponent, sending Ivan into a crisis.

"Let's take advantage of it! Panpour, use Work Up!" The little monkey closed his eyes and his body lit up blue.

"And now, Panpour, use Water Gun!" The Gym Leader ordered. The attack, powered by Work Up, launched the opposing Pokémon high into the air, causing it to fall to the ground, shattering the block of ice. "Pansage, come on, use Scratch!" The Grass-type monkey stood up and ran. Sharp claws emerged from one of the Pokémon's hands and reflected the light. "Panpour defend yourself with Water Gun!" A very powerful jet of water came out of the water-type Pokémon's mouth and hit the opponent, sending him flying into the air. "Try to land decently!" Ivan ordered.

But it was now too late. The little monkey was sprawled on the ground, defeated. "Pansage is no longer able to continue, Panpour wins!" The electronic referee declared. Ivan withdrew his defeated Pokémon. "You were truly, terrible. I wonder if you deserve to be one of my Pokémon." Having heard that sentence, Ash had a strong desire to punch Ivan in the teeth, but, for the second time in a few days, he stopped himself.

"Pidove, think about it, at least you will give a minimum of decency to this battle." The boy sent out his Pokémon. "The battle can resume, the first move goes to the Gym Leader." The electronic referee declared.

"Panpour, use Ice Beam!" From the mouth of the Water-type monkey came a beam of cold energy, white in color, tending towards blue. "Pidove! Fly and defend yourself with Air Cutter! Blades of air were generated from the Pokémon's wings and hit the opponent's attack. The attack was powerful enough to hit the Pokémon.

"And now we end with Aerial Ace!" The Pigeon Pokémon flew upwards and then launched itself at its opponent, hitting it squarely and sending it flying into the air. "And now Aircutter!" He ordered. Blades of air were generated from the Pigeon Pokémon's wings which hit the opponent and sent him against the barriers.

"Panpour is no longer able to battle. Pidove wins. The winner of the battle is the challenger." The electronic referee declared.

The two Trainers placed their respective Pokémon in their Poké Balls; then, they met in the center of the field.

"As a reward for your victory, here is the Tris Medal!" The blue-haired boy declared, in a solemn tone, as he gave the boy a medal in the shape of a double triangle, with diamonds on which there were gems, one red, one green and one blue. The boy put it in his medal holder.

"And now, if you want, you can stop here for lunch. The house offers." The boy shook his head no. "I'm not interested in your offer. Never to see each other again!" The boy walked away.

Ash followed him with his gaze as he entered the local restaurant. He saw him kneeling in front of a child, who could have been at most eight years old.

He was holding a Poké Ball, and he seemed to be saying something to that child. Something not very clear. After handing it over to him, he left.

"Have you seen? He gave his Pokémon to that child!" Serena commented. "Better for him. Maybe for Team Plasma all Trainers are like him." Ash replied.

Anita didn't comment. And not even Cress, despite being enormously displeased by the challenger's way of behaving. If it had been up to him, he would never have given him the medal.

A few moments later, the trio of Gym Leaders entered the area dedicated to the battle field. "It will soon be time for lunch, what do you plan to eat before the battle?" Cilan proposed. "Carlos cooks." He added.

"It is fine for me!" Ash was pretty excited. "Is it possible that this guy is only thinking about eating?" Anita thought. But... in fact she was starting to get a little hungry too so...

"Speaking of Carlos…" Cilan asked Anita. "What Pokémon did he use against you?" The girl responded immediately, a little

intimidated. "Umbreon." He answered. "So his Eevee evolved. It's not very fair to face someone novice with a fully evolved

Pokémon." The Gym Leader commented.

After the abundant lunch, consisting of land starters, two land first courses, two land second courses, a sorbet, two seafood first courses and another two seafood second courses, the time for the battle had finally arrived.

The three, escorted by the Gym Leaders, had entered the area dedicated to battles. "This Gym, unlike all the others, specializes in three types. Grass, Fire and Water, but you already know that. The Gym Leader you challenge depends on the starter Pokémon you chose." He explained. "That's why Carlos asked me what my first Pokémon was." For Anita things became much clearer. It didn't make any sense to be asked what his starter Pokémon was.

"The Gym Leader you challenge depends on the starter Pokémon." Chili explained. "I chose Oshawott." The girl replied. "Very well, then I will be your opponent. It will be an honor to battle with you!" Cilan replied. "That's why Carlos asked me what my first Pokémon was. Under normal conditions it made sense." I think. He also hoped his blank stare hadn't been noticed.

"Very good, then we can begin. It's your first battle, so I'll only use two Pokémon. If I had had more medals, I could have even reached Full Battle." He explained. "I'll finish setting up the referee and we can leave." The Gym Leader declared as he fiddled with the keyboard.

"The battle between the challenger Anita and the Levantopoli Gym Leader is about to begin. It will be a two-on-two battle. The battle will end when the Pokémon of one of the two Trainers are no longer able to battle. Only the Challenger will be allowed to replace his Pokémon." The electronic referee declared. "The battle can begin!" Following that declaration, the two were able to send out their Pokémon. "Lillipup! It's your turn!" Cilan sent out a Lillipup, a Pokémon completely identical to the one sent out by his brother. "Oshawott, let's show what we can do!" The girl sent out her first Pokémon.

"Let's start with Acquagetto!" The Otter Pokémon covered itself in water, and launched itself low towards the opponent. "Try to dodge!" Cilan ordered. "Try to move as much as possible!" Anita ordered.

The water-type Pokémon obeyed, moving left and right, making it very difficult to tell where it was going. Poor Lillipup couldn't understand where his opponent was coming from, and was hit full on and thrown into the air. Despite this, Cilan didn't panic. "Try to land and attack with Take Down!" The Gym Leader ordered. Meanwhile, Oshawott had landed and was catching his breath.

As soon as Anita saw the Puppy Pokémon running at great speed towards her Otter Pokémon. "Try to defend yourself with the Moscosaber!" the Pokémon complied, holding out its shell with its hands and using it as a shield. The girl's plan worked. Oshawott retreated a few meters, but suffered no major consequences.

"Now use Water Gun!" A powerful jet of water came out of the Sea Lion's mouth and hit the opponent squarely, throwing him into the air. Even in this case the Gym Leader did not lose his calm in the slightest. "Use Work Up!" The Puppy Pokémon's body glowed light brown, and its eyes did as well.

"Oshawott! Strike with Aqua Jet!" The Otter Pokémon's body is covered in water, becoming like a sort of crazed bullet. "Come on, Lillipup, use Take Down!" The Gym Leader ordered. The Puppy Pokémon launched a powerful attack, made even more powerful by the force of gravity. The two Pokémon collided in mid-field, generating a powerful explosion. When the dust settled, the outcome of the battle was clear to all.

"Lillipup is no longer able to battle. Oshawott wins." The electronic referee declared. "Come back, Lillipup. You did a great job." Cilan called his Pokémon back. "If you want you can replace yours too." It reminded her of the Gym Leader. "Dude, do you want to continue or would you rather rest a little?" He asked the Pokémon. "Sha! Sha!" He answered. "Good, then we can continue!" The Gym Leader stated. " Pansage! It's your turn!" The Gym Leader sent out the Grass-type elemental monkey. "The first move is up to the challenger!" The electronic referee declared.

"Oshawott! Use Aqua Jet!" The Trainer ordered. The Otter Pokémon covered itself in water and launched itself at its opponent. "Defend yourself with Whip!" Thick vines grew from the Pokémon's head. He crossed them in front of him to protect himself. "Hey! But it's the same technique Ash's Snivy used!" I think. "But how can I counteract a technique like that?"

"And now throw it!" The vines, compressed by the attack, were quickly released and, like springs, launched the opponent to the opposite side of the Gym. "Oshawott is no longer able to battle. Pansage wins!" The electronic referee declared.

Anita placed her Pokémon in the Poké Ball. "You've been very good. You will see that Lillipup will make sure your work was in vain."

Ash and Serena had witnessed the scene from the stands. "It seems like he took the defeat better this time." Ash commented. "I saw. It seems very positive to me. But Pansage looks strong. Let's see how he fares." The girl answered him. "I have faith in her." While the two were arguing, the girl had sent out her Lillipup.

"The Gym Leader makes the first move!" The electronic referee declared.

"Good, Pansage! Use Scratch!" The Pokémon Scimperba he started running against his opponent. It had a sharp-shaped hand, with claws that reflected the light. "And what do I do now?" Anita thought. The girl looked quite nervous, unlike when she was battling Oshawott.

"Try to defend yourself with Bite!" Anita ordered. The little dog leaped and, with her jaws open, bit her opponent's hand.

From the Trainer's gaze, it was evident that that choice was not a thoughtful choice, but rather a choice dictated by desperation. This was noticed by the Gym Leader.

" Pansage! Throw it and hit it with Bullet Seed!" The Scimperba Pokémon, with a quick movement of its arm, launched its opponent into the air. Yellow-green seeds began to emerge from his mouth and hit his opponent squarely.

By now Anita was totally panicking. He did not know what to do. "Try using Tackle!" He ordered. The Pokémon had now landed. She had managed to do it in an at least decent way, without any particular consequences.

He started running in the direction of his opponent. "Come on, Pansage, cast it with Whip!" While the little Pokémon launched itself at its opponent, two vines appeared from its head and soon reached it.

It was a matter of moments before the Lillipup was wrapped up and thrown against the barrier. "Lillipup!" The Trainer was quite worried.

"Lillipup can't battle anymore! The Gym Leader wins!" The electronic referee declared. Anita hurried to hospitalize her in the Poké Ball. "We failed. Do I deserve your trust?" He wondered.

The girl and the Gym Leader met in the center of the battle field. "You'll see that next time it will be better." There the Gym Leader reassured me.

In a short time the girl was also joined by Ash and Serena. They had approached her and placed one on her

hand on shoulder. "Haven't I disappointed you?" The girl asked, in a sad tone. "Not at all!" The two replied at the same time. Serena quickly put a hand over her mouth.

He had said the same thing Ash had said again. At the same time. "And then you're not a person who gives up like that, are you?" Churches Ash to the girl. "I don't know." He answered.

"Do not say that. You'll see that with a little training you will be able to defeat him." Ash encouraged her. The Gym Leader, who had heard everything, smiled. "Then it will be my duty, as Gym Leader, to do the same!" He answered.

"I already know who can give you a hand." Ash's tone was quite enthusiastic. Everything was clear, at least in his mind.

"I really wonder what he has in mind but above all what drives him to focus on me, despite the constant disappointments

I'm giving him... what does he see in me?" Anita wondered to herself.

The three had left the Gym and were heading to the Pokémon Center, to make sure Anita's team was healthy after the battle.

While the girl was entrusting her team to Nurse Joy, Ash had headed to the video call station. Anita was looking at him distractedly "is he perhaps carrying out his plan?" I think.

Moments later, Ash had placed the call. He then motioned for the two girls to come closer. Serena approached immediately, while Anita hesitated a bit.

She had moved closer to Serena and almost hidden behind Serena. It seemed that he was afraid of meeting the person who would appear on the screen.

After a few moments, a man of about forty years old appeared on the screen. He had a dark complexion, black, gathered hair and eyes of the same color. He was wearing a lab coat and shorts.

"Good morning Professor Kukui!" Ash greeted him. "Hello there, boy! And the girl next to you is Serena, right?" the girl was speechless. What had Ash told her about her? "You know, Ash told me a lot about you. For the good, of course. He told me about your trips to Kalos, you know? You have done some truly incredible things!" He added. "Well… well… we did what we could. We couldn't leave all those people in difficulty and..." The girl replied. "Do not say that. You truly saved the whole of Kalos!" The Professor increased the dose. "And not only. He also told me about your Showcases and how you decided to participate in Pokémon competitions. Believe me, he didn't miss one!" He added. Serena just smiled. She was overjoyed that Ash thought of her even when he traveled to Alola. "You know, I'd like to arrange for Magnolia and Ash's former classmates to go see one of your performances. Documents permitting." Serena didn't know what to say. On the one hand she was pleased, but on the other... those girls could have been potential rivals. He quickly realized that he couldn't help but accept. "I would really be very pleased!" He replied, with a smile.

Anita began to feel ignored. He didn't want to show it. He was too afraid to do it. He feared their negative reaction.

He decided to move slightly away from where he was. Maybe she did it on purpose, but she was almost completely hidden from Serena. "And who would you be?" The Professor turned to the girl, who had just emerged from behind Serena. "M-very nice. M-my name is A-Anita" The girl introduced herself. "So Ash chose you as a Trainer to help achieve his goal?" He asked, rhetorically. "Y-yes" He replied. "And knowing her passion for battle that burns like a Fire Blast, she will want to lead you to the title of Champion of Unova, right?" The girl nodded her head. "I-I'm not s-sure if I'm the right person. I've lost practically every battle I've been in. I-I wonder w-what he sees in m-me that's so special." Anita was having one of her fits again. "I'm sure that if they agreed to travel with you, Ash must have seen something that many others miss. A strength that not everyone can recognize."

Anita smiled slightly. "I'd like to ask you a question, if I may." The Professor was referring to Serena at that moment.

"Tell me everything." He answered. "I assume you came to Unova to participate in the variety shows, right?" The girl nodded her head. "Know that I, Magnolia, the boys and girls are rooting for you!" He encouraged her. "Thank you." He answered.

"Sorry... but I have a little commitment. Why did you call me, Ash?" The Professor scratched his head, embarrassed. "Well, I had called simply to be able to rotate the team. I would like to pass one of my Pokémon to Incineroar." The boy explained. "No problem." The Professor replied. Ash, in the meantime, had taken one of his Poké Balls and inserted it into the transfer device. Moments later, the Professor did the same.

Within seconds the exchange took place, as agreed. The two Poké Balls disappeared and were exchanged. Once this was done, the three took their leave with the Professor.

"Can we use the BattleField?" Ash asked. "Do not mention it. Go ahead." The Nurse replied.

The three left the Pokémon Center and headed towards Battle Field. As soon as they arrived on the field, Ash smiled slightly. "I think it's time to train Lillipup a little too." He introduced. "And I believe that no master can be better than him! come outside Incineroar!" Ash sent out his Pokémon. It looked similar to a large bipedal feline. Whose predominant colors were red, black and gray. The torso was gray and had a black symbol. The latter consisted of a vertical line and two horizontal lines, front and back. Tufts of black fur formed from bands emerged from the shoulders. The arms were made up of black and red stripes, while the hands were red and equipped with an orange pad and five clawed fingers. The legs were red except for two black bands similar to those on the arms. The feet were red and had three toes. The tail was red and long with a black band and a tuft of black fur surrounding it. At his waist was a belt of red and yellow flames. The lower part of the muzzle was red and had very thick fur, while the upper part was black. The teeth were very sharp. The nose was red and triangular, the eyes had yellow sclera and blue irises. On top of his head the fur turned black again. The two ears, also black, had a red fur pattern that recalled the one on the torso.

Anita analyzed it with her Smart Rotom "Incineroar, Low Strike Pokémon. Fire and Dark type and Litten's final evolutionary stage. Male specimen. It is capable of shooting flames from its belly. A band of flames wraps around his waist like a belt of fire. Known moves: Fire Fang, Darkest Lariat, Fire Blast and Revenge." Once the check was finished, the girl put the smartphone back in her bag. "I don't know how alike that can help Lillipup, but I think Ash knows what he's doing," Anita thought. "Okay… Lillipup! Come outside!" The girl took the Poké Ball from her bag and let her Pokémon out. The latter, as soon as she saw Ash's Incineroar, got scared, hiding behind her Trainer's legs. "Be calm! He just wants to help you!" The girl tried to reassure her Pokémon, although she herself wondered how such a Pokémon could help.

Serena, in a certain way, understood what Ash wanted to do, but she preferred the boy to explain everything.

"You see?" Ash began. "A Pokémon can become stronger by battling, but it can also become stronger in other ways." While the boy explained, the little girl slowly approached Ash's Pokémon.

He had started to smell it. He seemed quite calm and trying to make her feel comfortable. "A Pokémon can also become stronger by learning new moves." He explained. Exactly what Serena expected.

While in Incineroar he had recovered several branches, of multiple sizes.

Once this was done, the Pokémon bowed towards little Lillipup and offered her a hand, inviting her to come up. After initially hesitating, the Pokémon climbed onto the hand of what appeared to her to be a giant.

"Now I think it's right that you know why I decided to make sure that is Incineroar to teach Fire Fang a Lillipup and not another of my other Pokémon." Ash introduced the speech.

Pikachu was perfectly aware of the story and knew how difficult it was for the boy to tell it. For this reason he appreciated the fact that he had decided to tell it on his own.

Before Ash could start talking, the three's attention was drawn to a boy who was struggling. He was a boy who could have been around Anita's age, or a little older.

He had brown hair and eyes the same color. He was wearing a green long-sleeved T-shirt, covered by a light blue, yellow and dark blue jacket, a Canadian jacket and sports shoes.

He looked like he was going to faint at any moment. Ash and Serena rushed to help him, before it was too late. They carried him to the Pokémon Center, holding his arms.

Once inside they immediately made him lie down on one of the long pouf. The Nurse, who had witnessed everything, rushed to the three.

Meanwhile, Anita, who, seeing the two rushing to save that stranger, had asked herself more than a few questions, was

observing the training of the two Pokémon.

Incineroar had taken one of the branches he had procured. His mouth was covered in flames.

At that point he put the branch in his mouth and bit it violently. The branch exploded into several dozen pieces, partially or totally charred.

"That's the Fire Fang move!" The girl thought. "It's a Fire-type move, it could be very useful against a Grass-type Pokémon like Pansage." A second thought quickly joined the previous one.

"It seems truly incredible to me." She commented in a low voice. "Ash didn't ask him to "Teach her Fire Fang" or anything like that. Yet he…" She continued.

Meanwhile, inside the Pokémon Center, the boy was starting to recover. He had gone from lying to sitting. "Thank you for saving me. Without you I would have risked getting hurt." Ash and Serena just smiled. "And of what?" The boy replied.

"Oh… how careless. I haven't introduced myself yet!" The boy patted himself on the head. "Nice to meet you… Ash and Serena, right?" The two nodded their heads. "And you're Pikachu, aren't you?" The boy pointed to the Pokémon on the boy's shoulder. "Pika-Pikachu" The Pokémon showed up. "My name is Gilles." The boy finally introduced himself. "And now excuse me, but I have to think about my idiot brother." The boy got up and started to leave.

Ash held his arm. "You don't want to get this bad again a second time. According to the Nurse, you were taking a serious risk to leave us his feathers." Ash took it back. "Let us give you a hand." He added.

The boy tried to move his arm abruptly, to make Ash let go. "It's none of your business!"

The boy blurted out. Ash stood in front of the boy, so as to prevent him from leaving.

Moments later Anita entered the Pokémon Center. He had had plenty of time to understand what had happened, and to witness part of his Lillipup's training.

The girl almost collided with Ash. She was afraid to ask him what he was doing in front of the door, but seeing that boy trying to go out, she got a little idea. He wanted to stop him from leaving the Pokémon Center, but he didn't understand why. "Alright then. I'll tell you everything." The boy realized that he had no other choice.

In an apartment in one of the many condominiums in the city of Levantopoli lived a very normal family, made up of mother, father and two twin brothers, Gilles and Didier.

The two brothers had a beautiful relationship. When they were little, they often shared their dreams, their desires, what they would do when they became Trainers.

What Pokémon they would catch, how they would challenge Gyms, and everything. They often pretended to be Challengers and Gym Leaders, as they learned to battle with their parents' Pokémon, under their watch, of course.

Of all their parents' Pokémon, their favorites were Scraggy and Pancham.

The first was Didier's favorite, the second Gilles' favorite.

The relationship between the two boys seemed perfect, nothing seemed possible. At school they always sat at desks next to each other, they shared friends, yes they encouraged each other when one of them wanted to hit on a girl and things like that.

There had never been jealousy between the two. For no reason. There had obviously been some arguments, but it was quite normal. They always made up afterwards.

Yet we know. Good things don't last forever.

It all started a few days after the delivery of the first Pokémon to the two Trainers. That day, the two were accompanied by their parents to Professor Araila's laboratory.

The two had just turned sixteen, and it was, therefore, time for the two to choose their first Pokémon. It was a late winter day, and it wasn't particularly cold.

The snow was starting to melt and was forming, with the dirt and earth, a sort of mud, thick and disgusting.

It was the worst phase of the year. Not so much for the arrival of spring, but rather for the inconveniences caused by the melting snow.

Faced with the choice of the first Pokémon, the situation was rather chaotic. "You choose first!" Gilles invited his brother. "No! It's only right that you be the first to choose! The second countered. "I insist!" The first one added more, as he pushed his brother in the direction of the three starter Pokémon. "Do not do that! You don't have to raise your hands for something like that!" Didier growled.

"But will you stop me? You are sixteen now! You shouldn't argue about these things! In other regions, children become Trainers at ten years old, but they are much more mature than you!" His mother took him back.

The two brothers looked into each other's eyes. It was clear that their mother was right. They couldn't always battle about it. "Choosing your first Pokémon is a serious matter. It will be your trusted companion throughout your career as a Trainer. It's not a race to see who gets there first." The Professor took them back.

The two understood the hint and knelt in front of the three Pokémon. Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott. The two looked into each of the three Pokémon's eyes. Luckily the two boys had spotted different Pokémon.

"I think I've made my choice!" Gilles seemed enthusiastic. "Me too!" The brother replied. The two looked into each other's eyes and smiled. "My first Pokémon will be Snivy!" Gilles' choice was therefore the Pokémon Serperba "I'll take Tepig instead!" The brother replied.

Of course, he was aware that, on paper, he would have had an advantage over his brother's Pokémon, but, not being able to know that his brother had chosen Snivy, he couldn't say he did it on purpose.

"Now that you have obtained your first Pokémon…" The tone of the mother of the two was rather strange. "It's time for the second." The father concluded. The parents of the two took a Poké Ball each and handed it to their children.

The father gave his Poké Ball to Gilles and the mother to Didier. "I assume you know what Pokémon is inside those Poké Balls, right?" asked the mother. The two boys nodded their heads.

Two days later, Gilles and his mother were back at Professor Aralia's laboratory. The woman welcomed them immediately, without asking any questions. It often happened that novice male and female Trainers came back to her to ask for advice.

"Good morning." He greeted them. "Good morning to you." They greeted her. "Why are you already back? It's only been two days since I gave you your first Pokémon. Has something happened?" Churches.

The boy simply took off his jacket, very carefully. He paid equal attention to taking off his sweater. He had several wounds on his arms, all from the same source. Some whips.

"So Snivy attacked you?" The Professor asked, rhetorically.

"Could it be her? After all, the Professor had told how Snivy had rejected several Trainers. Yet Gilles seems like a good guy

to me." Ash thought.

In any case, the native of Biancavilla decided not to interrupt the story. If he wanted to help him he had to know what had happened. Maybe she would ask him some questions later.

"Exactly. I tried to send it onto the field, but rather than attack the opponent, it attacked me, for no reason. Yet here at the lab he seemed so nice." The boy replied.

"So you would like to bring her back here to the lab and choose another Pokémon?" The woman asked. "At the moment I only have Oshawott left." He added. The boy nodded his head. "Maybe it's the best choice for both of us." The boy replied.

The Professor did not insist further, allowing the boy to return Snivy and take Oshawott with him.

Once we got home, at least at the beginning Didier didn't take it particularly well. "You only did it to have a Pokémon advantage over mine!" He accused him. "Sooner or later you and Snivy will get along. It would only have been a matter of time." He increased the dose. "Just give it a few days and things will settle down." Or at least that's what Gilles and his parents thought. The truth, however, was very different.

The following days, the two brothers tended to ignore each other. Or rather, Didier tried in every way to reject his brother, sometimes in a rather violent way.

After the forced break for the delivery of the first Pokémon, the thing became known to everyone. Usually the two boys competed to see who would get there first, but not that time. Indeed, it seemed that the two wanted to mix as much as possible with the group, with Didier a little ahead of his brother.

It seemed that the latter was talking to Andrea, one of their classmates. He was a classmate of theirs who was mostly known for not being exactly a nice guy.

He had been suspended numerous times and had failed twice. He was the kind of repeater that few wanted to deal with. He responded badly to teachers and was often unmotivated aggressive towards everyone, which is why it seemed rather strange to Gilles that his brother was talking to him. He had never done this before.

When Gilles arrived in class, he noticed how the desk he had always occupied, the one next to his brother, had been occupied by that very Andrea.

Understanding the situation, the boy could not help but give up and sit in Andrea's place, in the back rows. He couldn't believe that something small like that had caused all of this.

Gilles decided to ignore the matter. He didn't want to make a scene like that in front of the whole class. If they later found out that the reason they were in that situation was because they chose the first Pokémon, they would be ridiculed for life.

From that distance, Gilles couldn't know what they were talking about. They could have been having a normal casual conversation, or they could have been bad mouthing him.

Didier tried and managed to avoid talking to his brother both at recess and at lunch, trying to sit as far away from his brother as possible. He wanted to try talking to us, but he knew it wouldn't solve anything.

The strangeness continued even during the return. Usually the two boys always returned home together, but not this time. Gilles took the usual route to reach home, the route he had always taken with his brother since they were children. The brother had decided to take another path. Longer.

"Has he decided to accompany Andrea?" Gilles wondered. Not that he cared that much, as much as he loved his brother, he was now old enough to fend for himself. He didn't want to worry about it.

The parents didn't seem particularly concerned about it either. They were aware of what had happened between the two, but preferred not to intervene. They wanted them to fix it themselves.

The following days the situation remained almost unchanged, with the two brothers still continuing to ignore each other and each going about their own business.

With each passing day it seemed that the two were moving further and further away, while, at the same time, Didier was getting closer and closer to Andrea and moving further and further away from his brother.

He came home later every day and some days he didn't even come home. One thing that all his returns home had in common was the terrible condition of his clothes. Abraded, torn, dirty. It made you wonder what he was doing to get ruined clothes like that.

Another anomaly was that he often got up listlessly and looked tired, as if he wasn't sleeping.

Another strange thing was that there wasn't a day in which Didier didn't ask his parents and grandparents to borrow money, first small sums and then increasingly larger sums. The promise to return them was enough to make him borrow them.

One day, Gilles decided to follow his brother. He had returned home at a decent time that day. He had spent the afternoon playing video games and eating junk food, ignoring his Pokémon, letting his parents take care of them. Which annoyed his brother quite a bit. Being a Coach

It also meant being responsible for your Pokémon.

Despite the precarious situation between the two, the brothers were forced to share a bedroom. Of course, during the night they made sure to have each other's backs, even when they slept.

The two brothers went to bed a few moments apart. Didier seemed to want to wait for his brother to do so before fleeing. He waited about half an hour. It was something he had learned to do, it was the time it took his brother to fall asleep. Once the half hour had passed, Didier got out of bed and left the room. He tried to do it as silently as possible. He certainly didn't want to be discovered. He walked down the hall from the apartment, and took his jacket from the coat rack. The door was open, so he just had to be careful not to make any noise when opening it.

He went out and started down the stairs. Their apartment was on the fourth floor out of twenty, so he could use the elevator, but he didn't want to make any noise.

He went down the stairs trying to be quick, but silent. He didn't suspect in the slightest that he was being followed.

A few moments later, Gilles also stood up and began to follow his brother. Since their apartment building was in an alley, the boy didn't have much choice in which direction to go.

Gilles followed his brother along the alley, later he also followed him into the main street, always being careful not to be discovered. He tried to hide behind walls and poles and things like that.

In those moments he felt like he was a sort of secret agent or something like that, like in the films he loved to watch, with his brother, but which he had stopped watching for some time.

In that case, however, it was a serious situation. Very serious.

Having dispelled that thought, the boy continued to follow his brother.

He crossed several streets, avenues and squares of the large city of Levantopoli. Gilles had to be very careful to avoid being discovered, he always had to try to maintain a certain distance.

He was curious, but also worried, although he didn't show it. Didier was his brother, after all. He really wanted to understand what was happening to his brother and what it had to do with Andrea.

The crossing of the city lasted a seemingly endless time, Gilles had no idea how far he had walked. In his haste he hadn't brought the Smart Rotom with him. He feared he was lost.

In any case, Gilles soon noticed the fact that he was in an area of the city that he did not know well. A collection of neighborhoods in the city he had only heard of, known as the Great Shack.

It was the most infamous area of the city, full of ruined buildings and dark alleys. Gilles had shivers. He wouldn't have dreamed of visiting those areas during the day, let alone at night. He feared that some intruder, or in the worst case scenario, a murderer might emerge from one of those ruined buildings. Gilles wondered what could push his brother to that dangerous place.

Didier stopped in front of an apparently abandoned building. The facade, once a beautiful pink, was ruined. It was missing plaster and was covered in mold. The windows were leaning. Some had broken glass, others were completely missing. Didier looked around nervously. He had the feeling that someone was following him. Before sneaking into the building. Gilles hid behind a wall, still without the slightest idea of what was happening.

After looking around, Didier entered the building. Perhaps his suspicions were unfounded. Inside the building there were several not exactly recommendable people. If his parents had discovered that he was associating with those people... Gilles approached one of the broken windows. He couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but it was clear that an exchange was taking place. Didier handed over some money to one of those people. As soon as that person received the money, he smiled slightly.

Having done this, Didier left that building. Gilles had to move quickly to avoid being discovered by his brother.

He tried to restrain the urge to enter. He knew he was taking a big risk.

He followed his brother home and waited for the latter to say yes and lay down, before doing the same. "It should be enough to make up for my mistake." The boy said. He thought he wasn't heard.

"Repay what mistake?" The boy wondered. Certain. He knew his brother had gotten into a bad situation, but he wondered what all that money was for.

With that thought pounding in his head, Gilles fell asleep.

His plan was to follow his brother again the next day, when he returned from school. Before falling asleep he had developed a theory and wanted to test it.

If they had put money aside, it meant that, one way or another, they would spend it. A few hours later, it was time to get up and get ready for school. The breakfast cups and the coffee pot had been prepared the day before, to make life easier in the morning.

Unlike other days, Didier didn't show up for breakfast. He had already gotten up and gone, who knows where. During breakfast, Gilles and his parents had spoken little. Very little.

"I might get home from school a little later." Gilles began. His parents didn't tell him anything. They just hoped he wouldn't end up like his brother.

Little did they know that his purpose was different, and much simpler. He just wanted to know what his brother was doing and why he asked for all that money.

After getting ready, Gilles headed towards the school. Immediately, the boy noticed that his brother was also present.

He was with the usual group of people he frequented. They were standing aside, close to the exit, as if they had come there with the sole and sole purpose of leaving, skipping school.

And so it was. Didier and that group of guys abandoned the school, with Gilles who followed them in turn. He tried, like the previous time, to maintain a certain distance, to avoid being discovered.

After following them, and having once again reached the infamous areas of the city. Finally the boy was able to understand why his brother had asked for all that money.

"You managed to make it up to me." One of those boys said, giving him a vigorous pat on the shoulder, which made them take several steps forward.

Gilles mentally connected the words said by his brother and those of that boy. From those words, evidently, Didier had broken or damaged something and he had to repay him.

They had traveled a little further and met up with some other people.

Unlike those who made up the group, he had no idea who they were. Not him

They didn't seem like reliable people at all. If it were up to him he would have run away immediately, but the desire to find out what was happening pushed him to stay.

One of the boys from the first group handed the envelope containing the money to one of the people they had just met. The latter put it in his bag.

A few moments later he walked away. None of those present seemed to care, as if it were part of their plan.

After about ten minutes, the boy returned, carrying a heavy-looking bag.

"I wonder what could be in there!" Gilles wondered.

The boy's doubts did not last long. One of the boys who had come with his brother, dove headlong into the sack, pulling a crowbar out of that sack.

"Hmmm, Yes. Seems pretty solid." Comment.

A few moments later he put it back in the bag, and examined the second object. It was a small bag made of sturdy, dark-coloured material, closed by a large zipper.

The boy opened it and took out the objects inside. Gilles was unable to identify those objects well. They looked like knives or screwdrivers.

"These lock picks also seem to me to be of excellent quality. You know how to give value to people with our money." In making that compliment, the boy particularly emphasized the word "ours". Although, as far as he knew, that money was his parents' and grandparents' money.

So the brother wanted to return the money by stealing? He could accept everything, but not being the brother of a thief.

It was too dishonorable.

In those same moments, Gilles noticed a Pidove fluttering around. "He doesn't have these worries! He lives in this city and only has to worry about finding food. Maybe one day he will be caught by some trainer and…" Sploof.

The boy's thought was interrupted by a rather unfortunate event.

That Pidove had shit on his jacket. "Archeus Stoutland! You shit on me! If I catch you…" He shouted. Blowing his cover.

If until then no one had noticed his presence, that curse he had made it known. He could hear the heavy footsteps of all those people heading in his direction.

Including his brother. He was the one at the head of the group and he looked rather angry. He could try to escape, but he was only against so many other people. Most likely one or more of them could have reached him.

As athletic as he was, it was likely that someone was more athletic than him. Maybe his overthinking had trapped him.

Two of the bigger boys had lifted him by the arms. He didn't know what they were called. For him, they had been just two of the many multiple failures who attended school.

One of those boys stuck his hand in his bag, annoyingly. He tried to squirm, but he was stuck. The boy, after taking the two Poké Balls from his bag, stopped rummaging.

"Well… well… well… It seems that the boy has some Pokémon…" A few moments later, he locked eyes with one of the older boys.

"I think taking one of his Pokémon might be enough." Comment one of the boys who had him pinned down. Everyone else looked into each other's eyes. It seemed they were considering that proposal.

The silence was broken by Didier. "For me it can be done… after all it has a Pancham. And without a Dark-type Pokémon, it's destined to remain a Pancham. With me... or rather... with us, he would become a very powerful Pangoro and could help us in our... work" The boy motioned to his partner to pass him the two Poké Balls.

Didier was very clear about what the Rascal Pokémon's Poké Ball was. It was older and more ruined than Oshawott's. Didier handed the boy Oshawott's Poké Ball, letting him know that he could return it without any problems.

Once this was done, Didier triggered the Poké Ball's opening mechanism, allowing Pancham to exit. He also released his Scraggy from the Poké Ball. "Now you are my Pokémon. You see… Scraggy is a Dark-type Pokémon. You should evolve into Pangoro." The boy was rather disappointed that the Pokémon did not mentioned in any way to evolve, to the extreme disappointment of all those present.

Gilles took advantage of the distraction of those present to try to escape. "Pancham! Use Stone Edge!" The boy ordered.

The Pokémon threw a powerful punch on the ground, causing huge blue boulders to emerge from it and surround it.

This made Didier and all the people around him move back but it wasn't enough to make those guys let go. He had to come up with something different. He felt his limbs become numb.

"Pancham! Jump and hit them with Metal Head!" He ordered. The Pokémon jumped. As he jumped, the molecular structure of his head changed, becoming harder than steel.

First Didier, then all the others in turn were hit by the Pokémon in the chest and made to fall to the ground on their backs.

Some of them hit their heads.

This caused most of the group to be knocked out, but not the two boys holding him down. Which, in fact, had tightened their grip even further.

"Come on, Pancham! Attack with Thunder Punch!" The boy ordered.

"Cham?" The Pokémon looked worried. He knew that if he attacked those two, he would also hurt his Trainer. And he wasn't about to do it.

"On! What are you waiting for? It doesn't matter if you hurt me!" The boy shouted, making the Pokémon realize he had no choice. He jumped at one of the boys holding his trainer down and threw a powerful electrified punch at him.

"AAAAAH!" Gilles and the two boys shouted. But, finally the boy was free.

The two boys were stunned and had let go. Gilles was also a little burnt, but basically in good health. Recall his Pokémon into the Poké Ball and ran away. He managed to escape before his captors resumed.

Gilles was unsure what to do. After all, no one had done anything yet. Even if he had said to

someone who had procured that material, that he knew of, not they were committing any crime.

In any case, Gilles' intrusion into his brother's affairs caused two effects. The first was that his group of friends tried to make his life more complicated in every way possible.

The second effect was more evident. Gilles continued to shadow the group his brother was part of, but each time, Didier was absent.

It seemed that Didier wanted to avoid detection. Perhaps he thought that his brother, after not finding him for so long, would give up.

And Didier's prediction did not turn out to be wrong. Gilles had not followed that group of people for several days.

Reason why Didier had started again to be absent from school and return home battered. This set off alarm bells in Gilles' head, it meant that his brother had regained his control activity.

It could have been the ideal moment to catch him red-handed and…

"And that's how I got here to you." The boy explained.

Ash, Pikachu, and the girls looked at him like he was an alien. He was truly a determined guy if, despite everything, he still wanted to reconnect with his brother.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but… while Gilles was telling his story a police car passed." Anita interrupted them.

Everyone's expression changed, becoming much more worried.

"And then what do we do with Lillipup?" Anita asked, visibly worried about her Pokémon.

"Be calm." Ash reassured her. "Incineroar is very strong. He will know how to protect her from any danger." Anita felt calmer after the expert Trainer's words.

Despite this, the situation they were experiencing was not the best.

A police car that he darted on the streets of the city, it meant only one thing. Didier had been caught during one of those

thefts and was about to suffer the consequences.

On the one hand it was fine with him, it was right that his brother suffered the consequences of his actions and that he carefully reflected on the reasons that had led him to make that choice.

On the other hand, however, he still believed that his brother could retrace his steps if someone, more convincing and disinterested than him, spoke to him.

The four of them exited the Pokémon Center and headed in the direction Gilles was heading earlier.

The boy's hope was that at least his brother had somehow hidden himself or something. Of course it was quite unlikely, those things usually happened in movies and video games.

In real life, few would have dreamed of hiding in garbage cans or similar. Or, even more so, to hide in some alley, risking being trapped.

Racing made little sense, they would never recover the great advantage that the police car had accumulated, they might as well take it easy.

Not having many ideas about where Didier could have gotten himself, Ash and the girls decided, voluntarily or not, to follow Gilles.

They wandered around the city far and wide, to no avail.

"At this point I think they got him. On the one hand, I'm fine with it. But on the other hand... what kind of brother would I be?" Gilles wondered.

Ash placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I do not believe. If he's used to those things, as you say, he'll be hiding somewhere. Maybe it will have already been released… who knows." Anita tried to reassure him, even though she was the one who believed it least of all.

After several unsuccessful searches, while passing through one of the many streets of the city, they noticed something was wrong.

One of the dumpsters seemed to be moving suspiciously, scaring everyone.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on that dumpster!" Ash ordered.

The electric mouse generated a very powerful electric discharge that hit the dumpster squarely, causing it to explode.

Those present had to protect themselves to avoid being hit by the discharge of waste generated by that explosion. Rubbish bags of all kinds and waste of all kinds were projected onto a large circular area.

In the middle of the waste, a boy, half burned and evidently unconscious.

"Did you kill him? Now they'll arrest you too!" Gilles was obviously worried. Luckily for him, after a few moments the boy recovered.

I try to get up and run away, but was immediately blocked by the two boys. No matter how hard he tried, dragging a hefty quintal wasn't at all easy, especially since the two had supported themselves.

"And what do you want from me? You know full well that you blew your chances." Despite these words, neither of them showed signs of letting go.

Didier had to consider himself lucky, unlike his companions, he had not been caught. Maybe dealing wasn't so bad after all.

"Look, I know very well why all this happened." Ash was very careful to make himself heard.

The boy stopped trying to free himself. Was that guy pretending or did he really know something? Although reluctantly, the boy decided to put Ash to the test.

"I know well that the cause of your argument is her." The boy took his Snivy's Poké Ball from his bag. As soon as the Pokémon came out, he immediately recognized his former Trainer.

He locked eyes with the latter, before turning in the direction of Ash and Pikachu. Gilles felt uncomfortable, Ash hadn't told him that he was now the trainer of that Snivy.

Didier was even worse off. His brother had spilled the beans to a complete stranger.

But what could he do? Attack him with one of his Pokémon? That stranger was Ash Ketchum. Just one of his Pokémon would totally annihilate his team.

He couldn't help but accept the comparison.

"Now that I see that you are Snivy's Trainer, I understand how she really felt. I understood why she had rejected me.

He didn't think I was worthy." Gilles' disappointment was palpable.

"Do not say that. You weren't the first Trainer to refuse. I myself saw her reject one. Then… well… he asked me to battle and I understood everything." Ash replied, leaving both brothers stunned.

"Did you understand what?" The two brothers asked.

"What he really wanted. He wants to get stronger. And I think he's learned to understand if he's dealing with people who want it or if their goals are different. Am I wrong?" The boy asked.

"Come on! Come on!" Snivy confirmed her Trainer's words.

"And wasn't that your wish?" Didier turned to his brother accusingly. "On the contrary. It was what we promised ourselves

everyday. So how come Snivy rejected you?" He added.

The brother didn't know what to answer. It was clear that that question had devastated him.

"I'm a boy like many others. Comets. After all, There are millions of people like us in the world. Just as there are millions of Pokémon like my Oshawott or your Tepig. Or even Pancham and Scraggy. They are Pokémon who have chosen... who have agreed to live with us. Even with all our limitations. And then there are Pokémon like Snivy. Who are not satisfied. Because my "wanting to get stronger" isn't enough." Gilles explained himself, leaving his brother speechless.

Or better. Didier had something to say, but... he didn't want to confirm to his brother that, at that moment, he felt the exact same sensations.

They were both aware that even if they and their Pokémon trained day and night all their lives, they would not achieve the same results as Ash and his Pokémon.

Ash had noticed that the situation between the two brothers, despite both knowing the truth, continued to look at each other badly.

Over time he had been able to mend numerous feuds. Even more complex than this. In all cases he had adopted the same modus operandi, after having brought the people involved face to face with the facts.

And that case would have made no exceptions.

"Now that you're here, facing each other, how about a battle?" Ash proposed.

"A battle?!" Both Anita and the two brothers didn't quite understand the boy's proposal.

Serena, who, unlike the three, had already witnessed similar events, knew that Ash's method was very effective. He had also formulated a hypothesis as to why this was happening.

Of course, before becoming a theory, the hypothesis had to be confirmed, and that could have been the right situation.

"You don't have much to lose. At least try it." The girl encouraged them.

"Okay…" The two boys replied, not very convinced. Ash was already ready to referee the match. "No more pleasantries. It will be a one on one battle. Whoever is able to defeat the opposing Pokémon wins."

Although a little hesitant, the two boys lined up facing each other, in what had become an improvised Battle Field.

"Very good! Pancham! It's your turn!" Gilles sent out his Pokémon. "Scraggy go!" The brother sent his own into the field. It looked like Ash's plan was paying off.

From the Poké Ball by Didier came out a Pokémon simile ad a bipedal lizard. Its body was predominantly yellow. The head was darker than the rest of the body, except for the jaw. The legs were heavily covered with skin. The tail was very large and darker than the rest of the body. The belly was red and had three thin horizontal black stripes, the hands had three rounded fingers. The large eyes were located on the sides of the head. It had two small nostrils and an arched mouth. There was a small red crest on its head

The two boys had both chosen the Pokémon that had been given to them by their parents.

"Let's start! Pancham go with Metalhead!" Gilles ordered. The structure of the Rascal Pokémon's head changed, becoming as hard as steel.

"Scraggy! Headbutt! Soon!" Didier ordered instead. The two Pokémon started running against each other, up to the center of the improvised Battle Field.

Contact between the two was inevitable, and due to the energy released by the impact, the two Pokémon retreated several meters.

Despite this, neither Pokémon looked like they wanted to give up.

A few moments later, in fact, Pancham had returned to the charge with a Thunder Punch. The Rascal Pokémon's arm, charged with electricity, was ready to lash the enemy.

"Scraggy! Bite the punch with Crunchy!" Didier ordered. The Pokémon did so, quickly reaching its target and biting the electrified fist.

Now the battle had turned into an endurance race. Would Pancham or Scraggy have succumbed first?

"Soon! Attack with Metal Head!" Pancham He hit his opponent with a violent blow to the head, causing him to let go. He appeared to be immobilized.

He had also let go and Pancham now had his hands free.

"Let's end it here! Thunder Punch!" Gilles ordered.

"Come on, come on! Try to defend yourself!" Didier ordered.

The Pokémon, which had recovered in the meantime, had time to pull the rubbery skin that covered the lower part of its body upwards.

Although the rubbery skin had cushioned the blow, the punch thrown by the Rascal Pokémon had been truly powerful and theI had thrown from the opposite side of the road.

Despite the violence of the impact, the Pokémon had not yet given up. It still held the elastic skin taut.

"Scraggy, attack with Fly Kick!" Didier was aware of the danger of that move. He knew well that if he didn't hit the target, the Pokémon would get hurt, but he had no choice.

The Skin Changing Pokémon jumped, and its knee glowed with an orange aura. Ready to strike the enemy.

Gilles remained wait-and-see. He was perfectly aware of the secondary effect of that move.

"Now dodge!" The boy ordered.

The Rascal Pokémon moved about a meter to the right, not allowing the opponent's attack to hit. Scraggy, planted on the ground, let out a cry of pain.

"Very good! Let's close it here! Pancham! Use Breach!" The Rascal Pokémon obeyed. He attacked his opponent with a powerful arm strike, which sent him back to the opposite side of the court.

Scraggy was knocked out.

"It doesn't matter that you won. You gave it your best!" Didier placed his Scraggy in his Poké Ball.

"As for you…" The boy turned to his brother. "I have to apologize to you. I was terribly childish." Gilles was about to approach his brother and show him that he had accepted his apologies, when a familiar sound startled those present. They were the sirens of a police car.

"I knew it! They betrayed me!" Didier complained, even though, deep down, he knew he couldn't trust him.

The sedan, dark, long and with a rather pronounced wedge shape, stopped right in front of the entrance to the alley, so as to make any escape attempt impossible.

A woman got out of the sedan. He wore a tan uniform and wore some badges. There was no doubt, although his clothing and hairstyle were very different from those he wore, Ash and Serena were used to it, but there was no doubt, it was Officer Jenny.

"Good morning, Officer!" There they greeted each other.

"Good morning to you, guys." The woman smiled back. Suddenly his expression changed, becoming more serious. "Didier. You're under arrest for theft." The woman took some handcuffs from her belt and handcuffed the boy.

He was a little shocked but he expected it. After all, he was guilty and couldn't say or do anything to defend himself. He didn't put up the slightest resistance even when the woman put him into the back seat.

"Just now that we had made peace…" Gilles commented in a heartbroken tone. On the one hand he knew it was right, but

on the other…

Hearing those words and having understood that the subject was not very dangerous, the Officer moved away from the car to talk to the boy. From his expression it seemed he wanted to give good news.

"They also told me why he joined them and, I have to admit, it's a really stupid reason. He does not

he must know, but he will only be in for a week. I think a week in the cooler is enough for him to learn his lesson. But now I better go. Until we meet again!" The woman took her leave and returned to the car. The others greeted her in turn.

"Now excuse me but I really have to go!" Gilles greeted them. "I have to go home. My parents must be worried. Next time we see each other I'd like to battle with you, Ash!" Gilles took his final leave with the group. "And we will be ready to accept it, isn't it Pikachu?" Ash asked the question rhetorically.

Moments later she joined the girls in saying goodbye.

Now the three were heading towards the Center Pokémon, where Incineroar and Lillipup were still training. Judging by the expression of Pokémon Shockingly, the little girl had made progress.

Without anyone saying anything, the little girl took one of the few remaining branches in her mouth. She grabbed it tightly from her mouth. They generated flames that enveloped the entire surface of the mouth.

With a single bite he managed to break and incinerate the branch.

"Wow, what power!" Anita was surprised. He couldn't believe his Pokémon was so strong. "Well… with a master like that…" Commented to Ash with a smile.

Shortly after, the boy's expression changed. She knew well that, one day, it would evolve into Southland and…

"I'd say you've trained enough for today. It should be enough." Comment Ash.

"Yes, maybe it's better for them to rest. And the same can be said for us." Serena added. Anita just nodded. She was actually a little tired. And if he wanted to challenge the Gym again the next day, he had to be fully concentrated.

Anita couldn't sleep that night either. And, like the previous day, she managed to eat breakfast with difficulty, after being

convinced by Ash.

The three reached the Gym at a good time, with Cilan already waiting for his challenger. "I knew you'd be back soon." He welcomed her. "I imagine you trained with Ash." Comment.

The girl remained silent. He certainly didn't want to blurt out his strategy, or the Gym Leader would probably come up with something to counter it.

"Follow me." Cilan invited them. The three followed him to Battle Field. Everything was ready for the battle. Ash and Serena sat down in the stands, and shortly afterwards they were joined by Carlos, who sat next to the boy.

Meanwhile, Cilan was fiddling with the electronic referee.

"Let's see if I remember correctly... you are Anita, it's your first battle in the Gym and your first Pokémon It's Oshawott, right?" The Gym Leader asked. "Y-yes." He answered.

"Then we can begin. As a Gym Leader I can't refuse a challenge." Anita didn't know what to answer. Before that he hadn't visited any other Gyms.

"The battle between the Gym Leader Cilan and Anita, the challenger, now begins. It will be a two-on-two battle, however only the Challenger will be allowed to replace her Pokémon. The battle will end when both Pokémon of one of the two Trainers will no longer be able to battle." The electronic referee announced.

"Lillipup! It's your turn!" The Gym Leader sent out his first Pokémon. Followed, a few moments later by the challenger. "Oshawott! It's your time!"

This chapter is also a bit short, but I preferred not to write something too repetitive. Let's say that this chapter, apart from the first battle in the Gym, which if you have read, you know how it went, is a sort of "filler" and as such is an experiment, both on a narrative and idea level.

For this reason it is not exactly how I wanted it to be and, over time, it will undergo several smoothings.

To this I add that yes. There will be chapters where Serena will be more of a protagonist, unrelated to the Variety shows. They will be chapters in which she will be the heroine of the situation.