Author's Note: Happy New Year, readers! Here's the first chapter of 2021. Enjoy!

I walked out of the Pokemon Center with Pikachu on my shoulder. Today, I would be challenging the gym leader here in Lavaridge Town. But first, I had to wait on the others to join me.

As I looked around, I spotted a familiar sight: my dad, walking by. But his arm was around the waist of an unknown woman, who had her arm around his back. They were holding each other in a slightly-more-than-friends way.

"Dad!" I called as I made my way over.

"Hey, Adam." he greeted.

"Why are you here in Lavaridge Town?" I asked.

"I received word from Antonio and the police about what Team Rocket was doing nearby at Mt. Chimney and I came to see if I could be of any help."

I then went on to explain what had happened while I was at the volcano.

"I'll pass on word to the others about what you've told me. I'm glad that you made it out of the volcano safely, but you need to be careful. Seems as though Team Rocket is after the same thing that Team Aqua and Team Magma wanted."

I then looked at the woman beside my dad. She had pale skin, gold eyes, long, straight, bright red hair that fell halfway down her back. She wore a matching red long sleeve shirt that was off the shoulders, blue jean shorts, and white sandals.

I remembered my dad telling me of a woman who looked like this back in Altomare.

"Are you...Latias in disguise?" I asked.

"Yes, but when I'm human, my name is Lily. And besides changing my physical appearance, I can also change what clothes I wear, too. That's why I'm in something different than what I wear around Altomare." she said.

"Because I can summon Legendary Pokemon using my power, I decided to let Latias accompany me while I'm doing my Pokemon Master duties. It's nice to have someone to talk to besides Pikachu, and Latias has always enjoyed my company." Dad explained.

"My ancestors, the Latioses and Latiases that came before me, originally came from Hoenn. And since Ash now knows that Team Rocket plans to do something to Groudon and Kyogre, I hope that, being a Legendary Pokemon myself, I can offer some possible insight. Plus, I can fly Ash on my back in my Pokemon form, helping him get around the region much faster." Latias added.

I liked that my dad had someone to keep him company and talk with while he did his duties as the Pokemon Master. I also knew that, despite Latias's clear affection for him, he would never act against my mom's wishes when it came to other women.

During his capture during my Kanto journey, my mom had proven that she'd remain faithful to him, no matter what happened. So I knew that he would do the same...at least, I hoped so.

"Adam, be careful whenever you encounter Team Rocket. I don't need you running headfirst into trouble, especially if they're able to succeed in gaining control over Groudon and Kyogre. I can't stay and talk anymore, though. I have lots to do and I'm on a schedule." my dad said.

"I understand, Dad. It was good to see you again."

"Bye, Son."

"Goodbye."

My dad and Latias walked off together.

"Hey, Adam."

Turning, I saw Jason, Megan, Espeon, and Amber walking over.

"Let's get to the gym, guys."

When we arrived at the gym, we saw that it was an outdoor battlefield. The gym leader, Flannery, was standing there, waiting for us.

Flannery was around forty years old. Her hair was still bright red and pulled up into the big spiky ponytails that she'd had when my dad had first battled her. She wore a crop top that was black with red flame on it, and blue flared jeans. A white belt was tied around her waist.

"Well, aren't you the spitting image of your father. He stopped by earlier and said that his son was in town and I should be expecting a battle him today. I hope that you battle as well as your dad does, because if so, you'll be one tough challenger!" Flannery said.

"I am. I learned from the best, after all!" I replied.

Flannery and I went to our places while the others went to the sides and sat down.

"The battle between the gym leader, Flannery, and the challenger, Adam Ketchum, will now begin! Each trainer will use three Pokemon. The battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue. Begin!" the ref announced.

"Go, Meg!" Flannery cried, tossing her Pokeball. A Slugma emerged from the Pokeball.

"Let's show 'em, Blastoise!" I cried, tossing my Pokeball.

I had switched my Pokemon earlier that morning, exchanging Rhydon for Blastoise, since I knew that I'd need an all-Water Pokemon lineup for this battle.

"Use Smog!"

"Hide in your shell, Blastoise!"

Blastoise did so and the gas passed over him harmlessly.

"Rapid Spin!"

"Flatten out, Meg!"

Her Slugma flattened itself to the ground in order to dodge the attack.

"Use Hydro Pump!"

"Dodge it!"

Flannery's Slugma wasn't able to dodge the attack, being a very slow Pokemon, and took the attack head-on!

"Slugma is unable to battle. Blastoise wins!" the ref announced.

Blastoise was my most experienced Water Pokemon, so it was no surprise that he had won so easily.

"Take a rest, Blastoise. Thank you."

"Mag, let's go!" Flannery cried. A Magcargo appeared.

"Feraligatr, let's show 'em!"

"Use Flamethrower!"

"Meet it with Hydro Pump!"

Both moves collided with one another and canceled each other out, creating steam.

"Use Rock Throw!"

"Use Slash to break the rocks!"

As the rocks headed towards Feraligatr, he used his claws and incredible strength to destroy the rocks.

"Rock Slide!" Flannery yelled. This time, the rocks fell from above, surprising Feraligatr and hurting him.

"Shake it off!" I cried. "Use Hydro Pump!"

"Flamethrower!"

"Come on, Feraligatr!"

Feraligatr put some more power into his attack and over powered Magcargo's Flamethrower, landing a powerful hit.

"Magcargo is unable to battle. Feraligatr wins!"

"Great job, Feraligatr. Take a rest for now."

One Pokemon was left and even though he was my newest Water Pokemon, I knew that he could do it!

"Mudkip, let's show 'em!"

"I have to say, you're impressive at battling, just like your father. But let's see how you hold up against my strongest Pokemon. Torkoal, let's go!"

"Use Water Gun!"

"Torkoal, hide!"

Torkoal hid in its shell and barely took any damage from the direct hit.

"Rapid Spin!"

"Dodge it, Mudkip!"

But Torkoal chased my Pokemon down and sent Mudkip flying across the field, once it had landed the hit. Thankfully, Mudkip got up and shook off the hit.

"Let's use Water Pulse, Mudkip!" I cried. But Torkoal once again retreated into its shell and while there, launched a Flamethrower that hit Mudkip. It was clear that hiding was Flannery's strategy in withstanding my Water attacks.

... ...

Despite the type disadvantage, Torkoal was doing considerable damage against Mudkip, due to being at a higher level than Mudkip. Flannery also had her Pokemon keep hiding in its shell whenever I would use a Water attack.

I was stuck and unsure of how to pull this off. I had still Blastoise and Feraligatr as backup, but I wanted Mudkip to earn this win on his own.

Mudkip fell to the ground after taking a hit from Overheat and struggled to get up.

The ref was looking at Mudkip, waiting for him to stay down to declare Torkoal as the victor.

"Come on, Mudkip. We can do this! Prove just how far you've come and how much strength you have as a Water Pokemon!" I yelled encouragingly.

Mudkip cried out as he stood up and began to glow. He grew in size and as the light died down, Mudkip was no more. Now he was a Marshtomp!

Marshtomp immediately shot a blast of mud at Torkoal, showing me that he had learned Mud Shot! Ground attacks were just as powerful as Water attacks against a Fire Pokemon, so we could use Ground AND Water attacks to turn this battle around and win! That's when I realized my plan for victory!

"Marshtomp, use Mud Shot to trap Torkoal!" I screamed. The attack coated Torkoal with mud and with the mud sticking Torkoal to the ground, it was immobilized and unable to retreat into its shell anymore. There was nowhere to hide and no way to dodge!

"Alright, Marshtomp! We can do this! Use Water Pulse!" Blast after blast and direct hit after direct hit landed on-target. Torkoal couldn't do much of anything and was easily defeated.

"Torkoal is unable to battle. Marshtomp wins! Which means the challenger, Adam Ketchum, wins!" the ref announced.

"Yes! Way to go, Marshtomp! And congrats on evolving!"

I removed my Pokedex and pointed it at my newly-evolved Pokemon.

"Marshtomp, the Mud Fish Pokemon and the evolved form of Mudkip. It is able to move and swim more quickly through mud than through water."

After I returned him, I was startled as I felt two people collide with me and hug me.

"Way to go, Adam!" Megan cried.

"Congratulations, Adam! That battle was great!" Amber also cried.

It felt nice to be hugged by the both of them at once, which was something that neither of them had ever done together until now.

"Thanks, girls." I said as they released me.

"Here's your badge. That's was a great battle." Flannery said as she handed my badge to me.

"I'll be battling you tomorrow." I heard Jason say as I put my badge in my case with the others.

As we left the gym and headed back towards the Pokemon Center, we all started talking about our plans for the rest of our day.

"I'm going to explore the town, since I haven't had the chance yet. I love exploring new places." Megan said, curiosity dancing in her eyes.

"I'm going to go somewhere private and practice for my gym battle tomorrow." said Jason.

"I'm gonna stop by the Pokemon Center and let my Pokemon get a well-earned rest. Then I'm going to relax myself. I think I deserve some time off." I said.

"I'm going to stay with Adam." Amber announced.

Megan looked at her strangely, hearing that. I wondered why.

So we all parted ways and Amber and I walked to the Pokemon Center in a comfortable silence.

After I dropped off all of my Pokemon, including Pikachu, Amber spoke.

"I have a suggestion, Adam. Lavaridge Town has a lot of natural hot springs, due to being so close to Mt. Chimney. The heat underground from the volcano naturally heats up the groundwater. Soaking in one would be a great way for you to relax after your gym battle, since you wanted to unwind anyway." Amber suggested.

"That's a great idea, Amber! I've never been to a hot spring before."

"Me neither, so would you mind if I join you?" Amber asked shyly.

"Of course not. You're welcome to come, Amber."

So we made our way into town, to where the nearest hot spring was, and went into the building.

"Hello there." the lady at the front desk greeted us.

"We would like to use the hot springs, if possible." I said.

"Well, you two are in luck. Nobody is using it currently and there are no scheduled reservations for the next two hours, so you're welcome to stay until then."

She told us the price and I handed her the necessary money and paid for Amber as well.

"Thank you Adam." she said softly. "That's very kind of you."

"Well, isn't that sweet of your boyfriend? It's so nice of him to do that for you." the lady said.

Amber blushed and nervously said, "Uh, we're...just friends."

"Yeah, just friends." I added.

We then went to the changing rooms to change into our swimsuits. Then we went to the backyard of the building and saw a large natural hot spring pool that was big enough to fit at least ten people. Steam was rising from the water and a tall wooden wall surrounded the area, giving guests privacy.

"It looks really relaxing." Amber said.

I nodded my head in agreement.

We slowly slid down into the water, letting our bodies adjust to the temperature so as not to burn ourselves. The water was up to our shoulders by the time we were both able to sit on the bottom.

"Could I sit closer to you?" Amber questioned.

"Sure, whatever you want. We're here to relax, so do whatever makes you the most comfortable." I answered.

She scooted over towards me and we both sighed in content deeply. Amber leaned her head back against the wall of the pool while I closed my eyes and allowed the heat to melt away all of my stress.

"Seeing you battle in person was really something. You really improve and get stronger with each challenge that you face." she said softly.

"Thanks, Amber. I've been training and trying to get better each day. But you improve as well, with each contest that you compete in." I replied.

"Thank you. I do try to keep getting better."

"Well, I noticed your potential as a coordinator and your prowess right from the beginning, when I first saw you compete, back in Kanto."

We then sat in silence for a while with our eyes closed, just content in enjoying the hot water and the quietness.

After some time, I opened my eyes as I felt something against me. Looking to my right, I saw that Amber had either consciously or unconsciously wrapped her arms around my right arm and had her head resting on my shoulder. She was smiling comfortably with her eyes closed.

Looking at her, I thought back to my realization of forming an Aura Bond with her. When I realized that it existed between us, it caught me by surprise, since I didn't know that our feelings went that deep. So now, I wondered what her real feelings for me could be. I wanted to ask her, but it would be rude to pry into her feelings.

Still, the fact that the Aura Bond existed between us at all was proof that we were close...but just how deep did it go? And if I couldn't ask her about it, then who COULD I ask to clarify it?

I shifted slightly, as I began to feel uncomfortable because I was confused. I gently pulled out of her grip and faced away from her with my back to her. I heard the water shift so I knew that she'd sat up. I couldn't even look at her without my head spinning and I didn't know what to think.

Was I feeling the same way about her that I did for Michelle? No, Michelle had never made me feel weird, she always made me feel warm and happy. That was how you were supposed to feel when you loved someone, not feel mind-strained and conflicted. I was unsure and uncomfortable and now I had to figure things out. How did I feel for her? If it wasn't love that I was feeling, then what is it?

"Is something wrong?" Amber questioned, noticing my back turned to her.

"No." I replied, not wanting to worry her.

She then did something that I never expected she'd ever do to me. She wrapped her arms around my chest from behind and laid her head against my shoulder in a comforting way, pressing her chest up against my back.

"If there's anything on your mind, you can tell me, Adam. I want to be there for you, just like how you've been there for me in the past, and saving my life." she said in an almost loving tone of voice.

I felt her Aura and could sense that there was something on her mind. Something that she was holding back and not telling me, along with a little bit of fear in her heart. She was nervous about something that she didn't want to tell me about. Her fear was playing on that nervousness. But she was being truthful about wanting to help me, however. It was obvious that, like me, Amber had a lot on her mind, too.

I'd never had a girl hold me so closely before. Sure, I had had hugs before...but they'd never felt so...intimate. Still, I had to admit to myself that it did feel really nice. So I decided to let her continue to hold me like that, wanting her to feel comfortable. It seemed like this was making her calm down, with her nervousness disappearing.

"Does this...feel nice?" Amber whispered hopefully.

"Yeah, it does." I answered truthfully. "Letting the hot water melt away your stress as you're hugged comfortingly by a close friend..."

We sat in that position in silence in the hot water, just lost in the moment, and enjoying each other's presence.

Eventually, a bell rang. Our time in the hot spring was up. We each took a shower, dried off, and got dressed. We then made our way back to the Pokemon Center, where I grabbed my Pokemon from Nurse Joy and Pikachu climbed onto my shoulder.

"I'm gonna make a call to my mom in Pallet Town." I said as I walked back over to Amber.

"Okay, I'm gonna go to our room and take a nap. That time in the hot spring made me so relaxed that I feel sleepy." Amber replied. "Thank you again for letting me join you today. It's the most time we've ever spent together. I really enjoyed today."

"I enjoyed you being there with me, Amber."

With a small wave, she walked off.

I walked over to the video phones. I first needed to call Gary to exchange my Pokemon. I had sent Rhydon back for Blastoise for my battle and wanted to swap them back now.

After I did so, I decided to call my mom. I knew that she would be able to offer some advice and help me with sorting out my complicated feelings.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mom."

"Adam! Hi!"

She appeared in the screen, then asked, "What's wrong?"

I must have looked distressed.

"Well...recently, I discovered that I've made an Aura Bond with Amber. Now I'm wondering just how strong her feelings for me are, since an Aura Bond requires BOTH people to have a close relationship in order to exist. I didn't ask her about it because I thought that it would be rude to pry into her personal feelings. Mom, I can also sense that there's something on her mind that she's holding back and not telling me. Today, we hung out, and I could sense fear in her heart, too."

"Amber... She's the girl who's Antonio's daughter?"

"Yes. I saved her life from Team Rocket last year, remember?"

"Adam, it seems like she may like you and care for you. How do YOU feel about her?"

"I don't know, I'm confused. With Michelle, I was always warm and happy, not conflicted. But today, I could feel warmth and happiness radiating from her Aura. It was so strong, and with positive emotions."

"Adam, it seems like she likes you...as more than a friend. That warmth and strong feelings that you felt were her being happy while being around you. She got to spend one-on-one time with you for a change."

"But what about the fact that she's hiding something, and that I could sense fear in her?"

"She's afraid of your possible rejection. And afraid of telling you how she feels."

I then explained what had happened today at the hot springs to my mom. About how she had held me and how it had felt nice. But I felt so confused and conflicted instead of warm and happy like I always did around Michelle.

"So if it's not love that I feel for her, then what is it, Mom? I don't know what I'm feeling for her. When I felt love for Michelle, it never made me feel confused. It made me feel happy instead."

"You need to think of any and all interactions that you've had with Amber over the years. You need to figure out if you could like her as more than a friend, or if she's just a friend or a sister. Your mind is confused and your heart is unsure. Therefore, you don't know how to act around her. You need to do some deep soul-searching. But try not to act too weird or she'll think that she's done something wrong and she'll pull away from you."

So Amber was possibly in love with me, but was holding back from directly telling me or showing me because she was afraid of me possible rejecting those feelings. And I wasn't sure if I felt the same way about her as I did for Michelle, since Amber didn't give me the same warm, happy feeling in my heart that Michelle did.

"Well...I guess it's up to me to figure things out. Anyway, she didn't say it directly, but given her actions today, it seemed like she was silently trying to show me...that she's in love with me."

"I think the reason why your heart is conflicted is because it subconsciously remembers how you put your heart on the line for Michelle, and she ended up rejecting you. It's afraid of opening back up like that to someone again. But it's up to you to decide, Adam. I've explained all that I can to try and help you figure things out. The rest is up to you."

"Thanks, Mom. I need to go and think about things."

"Any time, Adam. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom. Bye."

Author's Note: Adam has a brief meeting with his dad, who has brought Latias along as a companion on his quest. Is this a faint hint that Ash could be looking for a new woman in his life?

Plus, Adam easily defeats Flannery to win his fifth badge, with Mudkip evolving into Marshtomp in the process!

And Adam and Amber spend some relaxing quality time alone in a hot spring, where Adam's feelings for Amber become conflicted and he senses her feelings for him through their Aura Bond. It seems that she loves him, but is too scared to tell him.

Luckily, thanks to his mom, Adam is able to make sense of his feelings and Amber's. But what will the future hold for him and Amber, now that these new feelings have come to light?

Let us know if you have any guesses for what will happen next and stay tuned for another year of adventures for our heroes in 2021 in the continuing story of Pokemon NG!