Author's Note: Since this website is showing increased instability over the past few months, I suggest following this story on AO3.


The skies above eastern Kalos had opened up, and rain was pouring down onto the cities, plains, and forests below. A powerful wind whipped through the air, bending trees and turning the rain sideways at its strongest. Pokémon were taking shelter in caves and burrows, while humans were huddling inside their homes or in Pokémon Centers. Nobody wanted to be the poor fools that were caught in the horrible storm - much like the poor fools running along Route 19.

Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Iris and Brock were racing along the route as quickly as they could, their arms above their heads in a futile effort to shield their eyes from the downpour. After ten minutes in the pouring rain, all of them were soaked to the bone, starting to feel the chill of their drenched clothes clinging to their skin. Their bags were waterproofed, fortunately, but no other part of them was.

Ash groaned audibly as a tall and familiar spire came into view in the distance. "Ah, man! Look how close we are! I can see the top of the Ace Center! We almost made it!"

"I see it, too! We can't be more than an hour away!" Iris added. "We'd probably be there by now if someone had stopped practicing a little sooner!"

"I said I was sorry!" Serena shot back, irritated. "You don't have to- whoa!" She cut herself off as she nearly slipped and fell on a particularly wet patch of grass.

"You two can argue later!" Brock exclaimed. "Right now, we need shelter! Look for any caves or buildings nearby!"

All four of them began looking around for something, anything, that could be used as a serviceable shelter. They were mostly surrounded by trees and flat ground, which would not offer them any caves to hide in, and they knew full well that hiding under a tree in a lightning storm would be risking their lives needlessly. After another few minutes of fruitless searching, Iris spotted something between the trees that caught her attention.

"Guys, this way!" she called out, immediately changing course. "I think there's a building over here!" The others quickly followed her, eager to get out of the rain, and soon they all got a clearer view of where they were headed. Iris had discovered a large, white, rectangular warehouse of some sort, with some of its windows broken and its paint peeling away.

"You think anyone's in there?" Ash asked. "It looks abandoned to me!"

"Who cares?" Iris responded. "Let's get out of the rain first and ask questions later!"

Nobody disagreed with her on this, and so they all pushed on until they made it to the front door of the warehouse. Ash grabbed the handle and pulled with all his might, flinging herself backwards and landing on the ground, as the door opened far more easily than he'd expected. He quickly picked himself up and followed the other three into the building, firmly shutting the door behind them.

Iris let out a relieved sigh, holding her arms and feeling the soaked fabric of her sleeves. "Geez… that's got to be one of the worst rainstorms I've ever seen. Definitely the worst I was ever out in." Axew emerged from her hair, standing up on top of her head as he tried to shake water off of his arms.

"Me too," Ash agreed, as Pikachu hopped off of his shoulder and began shaking the water out of his fur. Ash took a look at his surroundings, straining to inspect the room around him, which was shrouded in darkness due to a lack of overhead lights. The building appeared to mostly be one large, open room, with ceilings that stretched to fifty feet in height. The room was littered with stacks of large boxes, which effectively formed a series of maze-like walls throughout the room. A musty smell lingered in the air, suggesting long-term water damage to the building or its contents.

"What is this place?" he wondered aloud. "Looks like an abandoned warehouse."

"Must be," Brock agreed. "Wonder who was using it… and why they abandoned it in the first place."

"It could have been a company that went out of business," Serena suggested, taking her hat off of head and futilely trying to shake water out of it. "Either way, I'm sure nobody will mind if… if… achoo!" She let out a sneeze, starting to shiver as the cold set in.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Ash asked, standing closer to her.

"I'm fine, I'm just cold." She reached down to her hip and retrieved a Poké Ball, summoning her Delphox into the room. "Delphox, we got caught in the rain. Can you warm us up?"

Her Pokémon smiled gently, holding her flaming stick aloft, and the flame on the end glowed a touch more brightly. She moved the stick in a small circle, as if she was stirring the air, and a warm breeze began to spin around it like a small tornado. Soon, the wind fled the stick and wound its way through the air toward Serena, who had to hold her skirt down as the hot air wrapped itself around her. After a few seconds, Serena's clothes were mostly dry, and her body was much warmer.

"Mmm, that's much better. Thank you, Delphox." Trainer and Pokémon smiled warmly at each other, as the warming wind moved on to Ash. Soon he was warm and dry as well, followed by Iris and Brock. The wind flew upwards into the air as it dissipated, its job done, and Delphox moved her gaze toward the ground. With just a thought, she was able to summon a small and controlled flame on the concrete floor of the warehouse, which the four trainers sat down and gathered around.

"Thanks, Delphox!" Brock exclaimed, holding out his hands. "You're a lifesaver." Delphox nodded in agreement; she was, indeed, a lifesaver.

"I wish there was just heat in here," Iris muttered. "If we had made it to the city, we'd be in a nice warm Pokémon Center or Ace Center by now." Her gaze drifted toward Serena, who glared back.

"I already apologized for holding us up," she spoke bitterly. "I'm not doing it again. We've been over this."

Iris held up her hands in a show of innocence. "I'm just saying."

"I know what you're 'just saying'!" Serena snapped. "I already got the message! Now you're just rubbing it in because you can! Just drop it already!"

"Well, excuse me!" Iris shot back, standing up. "I didn't realize you could dish it, but you can't take it!"

"Say that again?!" Serena glared angrily at Iris as she got to her feet, while Ash, Brock and the two Pokémon watched the escalating argument with growing dread.

"You heard me!" Iris's hands clenched into fists. "You gave me plenty of grief about Absol and Tyrunt and stressed me out back in Anistar City! But Arceus forbid anyone do the same to Little Miss Perfect, right?"

"That is completely different from this!" Serena shouted, incredulous. "I apologized for yelling at you about Absol! I didn't hold onto a grudge needlessly like a petulant little brat!"

"Oh, yes, you did! And don't you dare call me a-"

"Alright, time out!" Brock's voice boomed as he jumped up and inserted himself between the two girls, gently pushing them away from each other. "What's gotten into the two of you?! You've never fought like this before!"

"She started it!" Serena insisted, not backing down.

"I did not!"

"Guys, relax!" Ash jumped up and ran over to the two girls, attempting to defuse the situation. "We're all kind of tense since we got stuck in that rainstorm. This isn't a good time to argue about anything."

Iris scoffed. "We wouldn't have gotten stuck if-"

"Enough!" Brock barked loudly enough that everyone else was briefly stunned into silence. "Give it a rest. Both of you need some space from each other. We can talk this over once everyone has calmed down a bit."

Serena hmphed. "Fine by me." She turned on her heel and marched deeper into the warehouse, needing a break from her female companion. It didn't take long for Ash to go after her, along with Pikachu. Iris grumbled and sat next to the fire, holding her arms and taking a few deep breaths, while Axew stared down at her face incredulously. Delphox stood dutifully by the flame, watching her trainer walk away, an expression of deep concern upon her vulpine face.


Serena could hear Ash's footsteps behind her, along with the pitter-patter of Pikachu's, as she wandered through the warehouse, stepping around clothing and toys and other knickknacks that had spilled out of some of the boxes surrounding them. She chose not to address him, wanting to create some space between herself and Iris before the inevitable discussion. She had some frustrations to vent that she didn't want the other girl to hear. After a minute or so of walking, her wandering led her to an isolated corner, and she turned and slumped against the wall, letting out a sigh.

"Serena, are you alright?" Ash dared to ask.

"She's getting on my last nerve, Ash!" Serena responded, sinking down into a sitting position. "She can be so frustrating!"

"I didn't know she was bothering you this much." He kneeled down in front of her, trying to meet her eyes, which she refused. "You guys were getting along really well, I thought. You had that Performance Battle and everything." Pikachu sat next to him, looking back and forth between the two as they talked.

"I wouldn't say 'really well'," she grumbled, hugging her knees. "Especially recently, with the whole Tyrunt thing. That really left a bad taste in my mouth."

"Mmm… yeah, I guess." He adopted a lopsided frown. "Is that why you snapped at her?"

"I didn't 'snap' at her!" she insisted, shooting him a quick glare. The surprise and skepticism on his face promptly melted her resolve, and she looked away. "Fine, maybe I did. But she wouldn't let up, for no good reason! I know I screwed up by practicing longer than I said I would. She doesn't need to rub it in."

He nodded in understanding. "Maybe she's just stressed out? With the-"

"What does she have to be stressed out about?" Serena interrupted. "She's not the one who has to compete in front of all of Kalos in a few weeks. All she has to do is walk and catch Pokémon. She's practically on vacation."

Ash paused, taking a moment to make sure Serena had nothing else to say before continuing. "I'm just talking about the rain and running and stuff, that's all. I'm not saying she has it tougher than you."

She sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that." She held her knees more tightly. "Ugh, I don't want to think about this right now. I'm tired, and I'm hungry, and I'm still a little cold and wet."

Ash scooted closer to her, sitting next to her as he leaned against the wall. "I bet you'll both feel better when we get into Fleurrh City. We can have a good meal, a shower, and a nice long rest, and everything will be back to normal."

"Mm. Maybe." She leaned in his direction, resting her head on his shoulder as she let out a sigh.

He reached down and rested his hand on top of hers. "Do you think you want to go back now?"

"Not yet," she answered. "Just let me clear my head for a bit." He nodded, not saying anything else, just sitting quietly with her as she relaxed. Pikachu jumped up and settled into her lap, and she reached down with her free hand to scratch the top of his head.

Back at the fire, Iris and Brock continued to sit in silence as they warmed themselves up. Brock had broken out his cooking supplies, and was whipping up a small meal with whatever ingredients he had left. Iris was watching him intently, studying how he prepared ingredients, how he tasted the meal in progress and added a dash of this or that. Delphox continued to maintain the flame, keeping it warm and in control, as she glanced idly around the warehouse.

"So, you want to tell me what that was about?" Brock eventually asked, not looking up from the meal he was cooking.

"Hm?" Iris blinked. "What what was about?"

"That fight you just had with Serena," he clarified. "You two have never gone off on each other like that."

Iris sat back, grumbling. "I wouldn't call that a fight…"

"You were getting angry and yelling at each other. What would you call it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, someone needed to knock her off her high horse."

Brock sat up straighter, nearly forgetting to finish adding salt to the dish. "What do you mean, high horse?"

"I mean the way she acts like she's better than most people!" Iris insisted. "Like she never does anything wrong. Like she's above us because she's a famous performer or whatever."

"I never got that impression from her," he replied, grabbing his tasting spoon. "She's just really considerate of others. She thinks before she speaks and acts."

"Oh, and I don't?"

"I didn't say that." Brock managed to keep his cool as he responded. "I'm just saying, it's not like she acts like she's better than everyone. She's just cautious and conscientious and whatnot." He dipped his tasting spoon into the pot, grabbing a small morsel, and popping it into his mouth for a taste.

"She wasn't cautious and conscientious when she was yelling at me earlier," Iris retorted. "She went from zero to angry in half a second. What was I supposed to do, just take it?"

"Well, you were grilling her about practicing for too long," he observed. "But then you both just started shouting."

"Whatever." Iris folded her arms and sat back. "This isn't the first time she's gotten on my case, you know. You didn't see her giving me a hard time after the Mienfoo thing."

He raised an eyebrow. "You mean the thing where you tricked Ash and got a super rare Pokémon out of him? Did you think people wouldn't give you a hard time for that?"

She glared at him for a moment, growing even more frustrated with how this conversation was not going her way. Brock turned his attention back to the meal he was cooking. "Look, I think we're all just a little stressed out right now. This rainstorm threw all of us for a loop. We'll all eat something, then the rain will pass and we'll finish walking to Fleurrh City, and we'll all feel better. Maybe the two of you can talk then."

He turned his head toward Serena's partner Pokémon. "Delphox, can you lower the fire so this is simmering?" Delphox turned her attention away from the warehouse ceiling and looked back at the fire, which shrank down in an instant. Brock thanked her as he continued stirring, while Iris continued to sit contemplatively.


Thirty minutes later, the four travelers were gathered around the fire, with Axew, Delphox and Pikachu sitting nearby. Brock was ladling stew into bowls, handing out meager portions to the hungry travelers, all of whom were disappointed at the size of their meals. They kept their mouths shut about it, not about to turn down any food when their stomachs were grumbling.

Once the final bowl had been handed out, Ash grabbed his spoon and eagerly dug in, taking a bite. He grinned wide at the taste, savoring the spoonful before swallowing it down. "It tastes great, Brock! Great job!"

"Thanks, Ash," Brock replied. "Sorry the portions are so small. We're all out of food supplies now. I was going to restock when we got to Fleurrh City."

"That's alright, Brock," Iris chimed in. "We all still appreciate it." Serena nodded, not voicing her agreement, and all four of them began eating their stew. The food didn't last long, and their bowls were empty a couple of minutes later, along with their stomachs. As Brock began collecting the bowls again, the sound of Ash's growling stomach echoed through the warehouse.

"Sorry…" Ash looked down, more embarrassed than usual at his hunger.

"Don't be sorry, Ash." Brock stacked the bowls and set them aside. "I wish there was more to eat."

"It's not your fault, Brock," Iris said, her eyes briefly glancing toward Serena before looking away.

Serena noticed Iris's glance, her eyebrows raising. "And whose fault is it, Iris? Go right ahead."

"Serena-" Ash began, but she silenced him by slapping her hands against her knees.

"No, we're hashing this out right now!" she exclaimed. "Go on, Iris! Remind everyone how it's all my fault that we're stuck here! Since we haven't heard it enough already!"

"We had a plan!" Iris fired back, incensed. "We were going to leave at a certain time to avoid the bad weather and have a nice relaxing evening! And look where we are now!"

"I know all that!" Serena's hands were clenched into fists. "I know I screwed up! I apologized for that! The boys accepted that! Why can't you?!"

"Because I'm cold, and hungry, and tired! And I shouldn't have to be!" Iris shouted. Ash reached out to place his hand on her shoulder, wanting to calm her down, but she smacked it away.

"What do you want me to do, then?!" Serena leaned forward, her back straight, trying to make herself look more imposing. "You want me to snap my fingers and Teleport us into Fleurrh City? I would if I could!"

Iris did the same, squaring her shoulders, her eyes boring into Serena's. "What I want is for you to-"

In one fluid motion, Delphox leapt to her feet, snatching the fire out from underneath Brock's cooking pot and flinging it into the air. Everyone jumped and turned toward her, shocked into silence, assuming that the fox Pokémon had simply had enough of the escalating argument. The trainers jumped a second time when the flames exploded in midair, and a high-pitched squeal rang out through the warehouse. They all watched as the faint outline of something fell through the air toward the ground, slowly emerging into existence, looking like a rock with a sheet tied around it.

The instant Delphox's flames connected with the strange apparition, Serena and Iris slumped as tension seemed to leave their bodies, and a strange light left their eyes. They both reached up to hold their heads at the same time, slightly dizzy, feeling like they had both just come back to themselves after going away somewhere. Neither Brock nor Ash noticed, however, as their attention was focused on the mysterious being that had just appeared out of thin air.

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed, getting to his feet. "What's that? Is that a Pokémon?" He immediately reached for his Pokédex, holding it out and scanning the mystery creature.

"Shuppet, the Puppet Pokémon," the machine reported. "It feeds on dark emotions such as anger, resentment and jealousy in order to grow steadily stronger."

"Is that… a Ghost-type…?!" Serena took a fearful step back, feeling disoriented and a bit dizzy even before she laid eyes on the Shuppet. She had never been a fan of Ghost-type Pokémon during her first journey, and five years of travel had done little to change this.

"Anger and resentment…" Brock muttered, starting to put a few pieces together. He and the others watched as Shuppet flew back up into the air, clear anger in its eyes. The Pokémon opened its mouth and gathered a large amount of dark energy into a Shadow Ball, before firing it off at Delphox with a loud cry. Everyone jumped back to avoid getting hit by the attack, while Delphox herself intercepted the Shadow Ball with her own fire-based attack, and the two cancelled each other out in midair.

Ash was quick to jump into action, as always. "Pikachu, hit that Shuppet with a Thunderbolt!" Pikachu quickly shot off a bolt of electricity that arced toward the rogue Ghost-type. Right before the attack connected, a strange portal of purple energy appeared underneath Shuppet, who fell into it and vanished into thin air. The Thunderbolt continued on, connecting harmlessly with the ceiling of the warehouse and dissipating. Seconds later, the portal re-emerged to Pikachu's right, and Shuppet flew through it to tackle the yellow mouse. Pikachu cried out in pain as he was sent tumbling across the room.

By this time, Serena had come to her senses, and was ready to get in on the action. "Delphox, attack with Flamethrower!" Delphox quickly raised her wand, and a long stream of flames erupted from it. Shuppet tried to disappear into another portal, but it wasn't fast enough to avoid the flaming assault. The Pokémon was knocked away, but quickly righted itself and flew up into the air again. Its eyes flashed as it focused its energy, and Delphox prepared herself for another attack. Nobody noticed the shadow of Shuppet traveling along the floor, until it popped out of the ground and slashed Delphox with an overlarge claw. Delphox cried out in pain, stumbling forward onto one knee.

"Electroweb, quick!" Ash cried out. Pikachu summoned a ball of electricity on his tail as fast as he could, spinning around and flinging it at Shuppet. The ball stretched into a wide web, one too large for Shuppet to dodge, and the Ghost-type was wrapped in the web and given a painful shock.

"Now, Fire Blast!" Serena commanded. Delphox raised her flaming stick again, focusing for a moment before a gigantic, five-pointed flame emerged from the end. The trapped Shuppet was unable to avoid the attack, which exploded against its cloth-like body. A high-pitched squeal left its mouth as it fell painfully to the ground, landing on a pile of strewn and discarded toys that was spilling out of one of the boxes. It groaned as its body sank into a child's doll, before it began glowing with a bright blue light.

The whole room watched in shock and horror as the light enveloped both Shuppet and the doll underneath, the two gradually merging into one being. Spindly arms and stubby legs grew out of the creature's body, as the back of its head extended like a sock that had been pulled upon. Finally, the glow subsided, and the newly-evolved Pokémon rose into the air with a vengeful smirk on its zipper-clad face.

"I know that Pokémon…" Ash spoke quietly to nobody in particular. "That's… a Banette… right?"

Nobody had the time to answer them, as the Banette let out a ghostly yowl and raised its arms, which glowed with a purple aura. Several of the crates around them began glowing as well, rising and hovering in the air for a moment, before hurling themselves at the four travelers. All of them screamed and dove out of the way, barely avoiding the crunching and splintering of old wood as shrapnel flew around the room.

"Everyone, run!" Brock shouted. "We need to get out!" Nobody questioned his commands, all of them running for the door, not looking back at the enraged Banette as it grabbed more ammunition from around the room. Brock made it to the door first, throwing it open and dashing outside, followed by Ash, Serena, the Pokémon, and Iris. As the last one out, Iris slammed the door shut and leaned against it, just before several more crates crashed into it, nearly knocking her off her feet.

She let out a sigh as she turned and slumped against the door, with Ash on one side of her and Serena on the other. She held her Axew tightly in one arm, loosening her grip as she relaxed, and he began climbing back into her hair to resume his favorite perch. All four travelers, along with the three Pokémon, took a moment to catch their breath and reflect on their narrowly escaped fate.

"That was too close…" Serena spoke, holding one hand over her chest, feeling how her blouse was once again being soaked with rain. "And now we're back outside in the storm…"

"Better out here getting wet than in there getting battered by an angry Ghost-type," Iris replied.

"I wonder if that Shuppet was messing with the two of you," Brock observed. "The Pokédex said that Shuppet feed off of anger and resentment, right? Maybe this one learned how to mess with people's minds to make their resentment grow."

"Hey, that makes sense!" Ash stood up straight, glancing toward the two girls. "That's why you were so angry at each other. You never would have been fighting like that normally, right?"

"Er…" Serena turned her head to glance at Iris, who did the same back at her. Both of them looked uncomfortably away after a moment, feeling ashamed. Even if Shuppet had stoked the flames of their anger toward each other, the seeds of their resentment were very real. Shuppet wouldn't have been able to exacerbate anything that wasn't there in the first place. The two of them stood in silence for a moment before Serena spoke.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Iris," she said quietly. "I've just been really stressed about the Master Class, and… I guess I took it out on you."

"Serena…" Iris responded hesitantly. "I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about practicing. I… guess I was just enjoying the fact that someone else screwed up for once."

Serena smiled, her heart feeling lighter after lifting the weight of guilt off of it. "Still friends?"

Iris smiled back warmly and nodded, stepping closer, and the two girls embraced each other tightly. They stayed together for several moments, feeling as if they were gluing their cracked friendship back together after their impromptu shouting match. From Serena's other side, Brock watched the touching scene with a smile on his face. All of them were already soaked with rain once again, but they felt warmer all the same.

Serena opened her eyes, looking toward Ash, and the smile instantly fell away from her face as she saw the expression on his. She knew that expression well. He was planning something very specific, and she already know that there was going to be no dissuading him from his terrible idea.

"Hey, Iris!" he exclaimed, causing the girl to turn around in surprise. "You want to pay me back for that Tyrunt? Help me catch that Banette!"

Iris's eyes shot open as wide as they could. "Help you what?! You're out of your mind, Ash!" A devilish grin spread across her face in the next moment. "Let's do it!"


The warehouse door slowly creaked open, as Ash and Iris snuck in quietly. Pikachu was at Ash's feet as always, while Iris's grumpy Dragonite stepped in last. Axew was still hiding in his trainer's hair, scared though he was. Iris closed the door as quietly as she could, not certain they could hide their presence from Banette, but not wanting to take chances all the same.

"So what's our plan?" Iris whispered.

"The plan is to fight and capture Banette," Ash responded.

Iris rolled her eyes. "I know that. How do we do that?"

"I don't know yet. We'll figure something out."

"Ash…" she groaned. "We can't just go in guns blazing. We're surrounded by things that Banette will use as ammo against us. We have to be more strategic, or else it's going to just throw us around."

"I have a couple of ideas already," he answered. "If we can just take it by surprise, we can get an edge on it."

"I think it's going to be the one taking us by surprise," she replied, looking up toward the ceiling of the warehouse. "I don't know how we're even going to find it…"

"Just keep your eyes open," Ash warned. "We're both strong trainers. It can't fight us both off forever."

"I am keeping-" Iris began, before her Dragonite suddenly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into him. She yelped and flattened herself against his large body, just as a Shadow Ball shot right past where she had been moments ago, bursting against the ground.

"Whoa!" Ash and Pikachu jumped back reflexively, turning their attention toward the sky. "Pikachu, throw an Electroweb into the air! Let's try and find it!"

"Dragonite, shoot an Ice Beam up at the ceiling!" Iris called out, stepping away from her Pokémon. Both Pikachu and Dragonite complied, as Pikachu flung a web of electricity wildly into the air, while Dragonite shot a freezing-cold beam of ice energy out of his mouth, up toward the ceiling. Neither attack seemed to hit its mark, colliding with the ceiling of the warehouse instead.

As Dragonite was searching the air for any signs of movement, a large, dark hand emerged out of a shadow on the ground and raked its claws across his back. He cried out in pain as he stumbled forward, and Iris bit her lip nervously. As Ash and Pikachu were contemplating their next moves, a Shadow Ball emerged from the air and shot forward, colliding with Pikachu and sending him tumbling backwards.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, before his instincts kicked in. "Throw an Electroweb in the direction Shadow Ball came from!"

Pikachu righted himself in midair, landing on his feet as he started forming the Electroweb on his tail. An instant later, he flung it up into the air, towards the source of the Shadow Ball. This time, the web wrapped itself around an invisible target and lit itself up, delivering a powerful shock. With a cry of pain, Banette re-emerged in the middle of the web, frantically trying to claw it away.

"There you are!" Iris shouted, as Banette managed to free itself from the Electroweb. The Ghost-type growled and raised its arms, and a circle of blue flames surrounded its body. Each of the flames shot down toward the ground, aimed at either Pikachu or Dragonite.

"Dragonite, stop that Will-O-Wisp with Ice Beam!" Iris commanded. Her Dragonite took in a deep breath and expelled another freezing beam, sweeping it back and forth through the air. His aim was true, and he managed to intercept and destroy all of the wisps before they could burn himself or Pikachu.

Even as that attack was being swept away, Banette was preparing another. Its body shone with a dim purple light, before a ray of blood-red energy rings shot out in front of it.

"Dodge it!" both Ash and Iris shouted to their Pokémon. Both Pikachu and Dragonite prepared to evade the attack, but at the last second, another purple portal emerged in front of the energy ray, consuming it whole. As the Pokémon watched in confusion, another portal opened up to Dragonite's left, and the Night Shade attack emerged and struck a direct hit on Dragonite's side.

"Dragonite, no!" Iris watched as Dragonite was knocked away into a nearby crate, which set off a chain reaction of tumbling boxes. Several of them fell down on top of Dragonite, trapping the Pokémon under a pile of rubble and dealing even more damage.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt, quick!" Ash commanded. Pikachu grunted and shot a bolt of electricity out of its body, much too fast for Banette to dodge, and the Ghost-type received a healthy and painful zap. It quickly retaliated with another Shadow Ball, which Pikachu was barely able to dodge, landing on a nearby box.

"Again! Charge it up this time!" Pikachu nodded, flexing his muscles as he gathered a large amount of electricity, preparing to deal a powerful strike. Banette grinned and began dropping down through the air, disappearing into another portal.

Ash grinned, as he saw the opportunity to spring his trap. "Now, Pikachu! Use Thunder Wave, all around you!"

Pikachu smirked and swung his tail around himself in a circle, flopping onto his back as he did so, as if he were breakdancing. The electricity that he had built up was discharged in a glowing ring that slowly expanded throughout the room, crackling threateningly. As Banette emerged from a portal behind Pikachu, its eyes went wide as it saw the attack approaching, and it tried in vain to turn itself around. The electric ring swept through Banette's body, wracking it with pain, and the Ghost-type dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Small bolts of electricity continued to arc across its body as it groaned.

As Ash and Iris watched Banette struggle with its new paralysis, Iris turned as she heard a loud growl to her side. She watched as Dragonite emerged from the pile of rubble, throwing a large crate off of himself, before turning toward Banette with an angry glare.

"It's paralyzed, Dragonite! Now's our chance!" Iris declared. "Hit it with an Ice Beam!" Dragonite was only too happy to comply, spitting out another freezing beam toward his foe. Banette tried to fly out of the way, but a wave of paralysis left it unable to move properly. The Ice Beam connected easily, dealing substantial damage and covering parts of Banette's body with ice.

"Finish it off, Pikachu!" Ash called out. "Use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu leaped backwards into the air, creating some distance, before landing on the ground and charging toward Banette, gathering electricity around him as he went. The paralyzed, half-frozen Banette could only watch as Pikachu slammed his body into it, delivering a powerful shock and sending it flying across the room, where it slammed into a wall. Banette remained stuck to the wall for a moment before falling to the ground, where it made no attempt to get back up.

"Alright, let's go!" Ash reached down to his hip, grabbing an empty Poké Ball and pressing the button on the front to prep it. "Poké Ball, go!"

He flung the ball through the air, watching as it spun and arced toward the incapacitated Banette. The ball connected with Banette's head, opening up and sucking the Pokémon into itself as a cloud of red energy. Everyone watched as the ball fell to the ground, shaking and spinning several times as the button on front blinked red, struggling to keep its occupant contained. Moments later, the ball came to rest and emitted a chime, and Ash's face lit up.

"Yes! We got it!" He ran over to the ball and picked it up, lifting it triumphantly over his head. "I just caught a Banette!" Pikachu cheered happily by his trainer's side, as Iris and Dragonite made their way over.

"That thing really put up a tough fight," Iris said, as she brushed a bit of dust off of her shirt. "That's one strong Pokémon you've got there." Axew popped up out of her hair to inspect Ash's new Poké Ball curiously.

"It sure is." Ash cradled the Poké Ball in his hands as he turned toward Iris. "Thanks for helping me catch it, Iris. This would have been a real challenge if it was just me."

"You're welcome, Ash," she responded. "So… are we square now? I mean, you said before…"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, we're square. Two Pokémon for Tyrunt is more than fair, if you ask me." Iris smiled and relaxed, feeling a long built-up tension leaving her body, as she heard the sound of the warehouse door opening.

"Ash? Iris?" Serena's voice rang out, along with her footsteps. "Did you catch it? It sounded like you were celebrating."

"Yeah, I did!" Ash turned and jogged over to Serena and Brock, who were once again soaked with rain, and Delphox, who was still perfectly dry. "Take a look!" He held out the Poké Ball for them to see, as if they could see the Pokémon inside it.

"Nice job, Ash!" said Brock, as he inspected the capture device curiously. "But… that's your seventh Pokémon, right? Isn't it supposed-"

Just as he was speaking, the Poké Ball turned into a sphere of red energy, before it shot out of the nearest window like a bolt of lightning. Everyone watched it fly away, surprised.

"…Supposed to be sent to storage?" Brock finished.

Ash chuckled. "I guess so… why'd it take so long for that to happen?"

"It's probably because of the rain," Iris suggested. "Maybe it couldn't connect to the storage network because the storm was too intense."

"I guess that means the storm's clearing up," Serena added, walking closer to the window. There was still some rain falling, but the clouds had thinned out substantially, and they could see glimpses of sunlight peeking through. "Come on, guys. We should get going so we can get to the city before nightfall."

The others all nodded in agreement, and after one more quick-dry courtesy of Delphox, the travelers were off once again, making their way toward Fleurrh City at a brisk pace.


"Hah! So now you have to travel with the Ghost-type that was pestering all of you? That should be interesting."

"Ugh, Mom…" Serena groaned, her head in her hand, as she watched the laughing face of her mother on the other side of the video screen. "You know how I feel about Ghost-types…!"

"Yes, sweetie, I know," Grace responded. "I'm sure Ash will do his best to keep Banette under control. You know how much he cares about you."

"I know he will," Serena replied. "I just don't need anything else stressing me out right now. The Master Class is doing a great job of that all by itself."

"You're going to do amazing, Serena. You're one of the best performers in Kalos. Just trust in yourself, and trust in your Pokémon. I know that 'don't stress out' isn't very helpful advice, but… don't stress out."

"Mmph… easier said than done," Serena grumbled.

"Oh! That reminds me," Grace said. "I called in a refill for you. You should be able to pick it up at the Fleurrh City Poké Mart tomorrow."

Serena smiled warmly. "Thanks, Mom. I'll make sure to swing by and get it. I'm pretty sure I'm running low."

"Well, we can't have that. If you forget it, let me know and I'll have it sent to the next city you travel to."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Serena stood up. "I'm going to get some dinner in the cafeteria. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Alright, sweetie. Love you, take care!"

"Love you too, Mom! See you!" Serena smiled as she hung up the phone, stretching her arms before turning toward the lobby of the Ace Center. Her eyebrows raised as she saw Ash was still in the middle of his phone call, Pikachu on his shoulder as always, with Iris and Brock standing behind him and listening in. She stepped closer, wanting to hear this conversation also.

"…Me a bit of warning before you send me a troublemaker like this," an older man's voice was saying. "We had the corral all settled down for the day, and suddenly we have this prankster showing up and wreaking havoc! Tracey and I had to chase it down to put it back in its Poké Ball."

"Sorry about that, Professor," Ash offered, with a shrug and a sheepish smile. "It wasn't really planned… I just saw a strong Pokémon and I wanted to catch it."

"Well, I hope you can get this thing under control before you send it back again," Professor Oak replied. "Now then, who are you sending back in exchange for Banette?"

"I'm going to send back Amaura. For now, anyway."

"Oh! Wonderful!" Oak's face brightened up instantly. "This will be a great opportunity to study an ancient Pokémon. Good choice, my boy!"

"Heh… thanks." Ash reached into the pack sitting by his feet, opening the miniature cooler and taking Amaura's Poké Ball out of it. "Remember, he likes the cold."

"Yes, of course. We'll be able to accommodate him, for certain."

Ash nodded and released Amaura from his Poké Ball, setting the device down on his lap for a moment. Amaura looked around in confusion for a moment, before his trainer got his attention.

"I'm going to send you back to Professor Oak's lab for a little bit, alright?" Ash explained, leaning down and looking into his Pokémon's eyes. "I just need to make a little space on my team. He's going to take great care of you, you'll play with some other Pokémon, and I'll call you back soon, alright?"

Amaura smiled and gave an affirmative cheer, excited for what sounded like a fun vacation. Ash smiled as well, returning Amaura to his Poké Ball before placing it on the nearby transfer device. "Alright, Professor, it's ready."

"Good. I'm initiating the transfer now."

The transfer device hummed to life, and five seconds later, Amaura's Poké Ball was converted into energy and vanished into the machine. Everyone watched as the machine continued working, and after a few more seconds, a different Poké Ball took its place. Ash reached out and took the ball into his hands as the machine's hummed slowed to nothing.

"Got it! Thanks, Professor." Ash stood up, still holding the ball in both hands. "Have fun studying Amaura, alright?"

"Don't worry, I will," Professor Oak replied with a smile. "Take care, Ash!"

"You too!" Ash responded, before reaching out with one hand and ending the call. He turned around to face his friends, who had looks of curiosity and apprehension on their faces. From Ash's shoulder, Pikachu leaned down to sniff at the ball.

"Alright, Banette, come on out!" He pressed the button on the front of the Poké Ball, and the device opened up, depositing a large mass of red energy into the room. Instead of forming into a Pokémon, however, the energy simply vanished into thin air.

"Wh… huh? What happened?" A baffled Brock reached out and waved his hand around in the area where the energy had been, but he felt nothing. "Where did it go?"

"Was the ball empty?" Serena wondered aloud, starting to grow nervous.

"It can't have been empty," Iris replied. "We definitely saw something come out of it."

Serena was about to speak again, when she felt a pair of clawed hands coming to reset on her shoulders from behind, sending a chill down her spine and freezing her in place for a moment. She let out a shriek and dashed forward, hiding behind Ash and gripping his vest tightly, as a cackling noise rang out. Banette popped into existence right behind where Serena had been moments ago, snickering into its hand.

"What on Earth was that for?!" Serena demanded, keeping her distance.

"Well, Professor Oak did say it was a prankster…" Iris said, trying her best to keep a straight face and not laugh.

"Why me, then?!"

"You said you didn't like Ghost-types," Brock suggested, a hint of a smirk on his face. "Maybe Banette thinks you're an easy target."

Serena groaned. "Did you really have to catch this thing, Ash?" She let go of his vest, taking a step back.

"Sorry, Serena." Ash turned his head slightly to face her, the only one not visibly amused by Banette's scare. "I'll do my best to keep it from bothering you, I promise."

"Ugh… just keep it away from me while you're training it, alright?" She stepped away. "I'm going to get dinner. Come find me when you're done with it." She walked out of the phone room as quickly as she could, not wanting to give Banette another opportunity to spook her.

As she stepped into the lobby and turned toward the cafeteria, she was startled by a loud squeal from nearby. "Oh my gosh, look! It's her!"

She quickly looked toward the source of the noise, expecting to see a fan of hers rushing in her direction, a sight that she had gotten used to over the course of her journey. What she hadn't expected was a small crowd of girls racing over, at least five or six strong, with others joining them and growing the mob.

"It's really you!" "Your dancing is incredible!" "Can I get your autograph?" "You're so pretty!" "Do you know Aria in real life?!" "Who does your hair?" "Can we see your Sylveon?!"

"Hold on, hold on…!" Serena held up her hands and took a step back, not used to this level of mass attention outside of a showcase. "There's so many of you!" The girls quieted down for a brief moment before resuming their onslaught, not giving Serena a chance to breathe. As she tried to zero in on one question at a time, her eyes glanced around the room, and she swallowed as she saw just how many pairs of eyes were on her. This was far above the level of attention she normally got.

As she scanned the room, her eyes snapped to the television in the corner. Her heart briefly stopped as she saw the three figures dancing on the screen, amidst a pink CGI backdrop - Shauna, Aria, and herself.

The music video the three of them had made had finally been released.

The madhouse had begun.