Ash hadn't expected to see Steven Stone before he left for Hoenn.

Steven had told him to call if he needed anything, and Ash thought he had meant it, but Steven was a Champion. Everyone wanted to talk to him and ask him for help, and they were all way more important than Ash.

Not that he was just sitting around talking to important people. Ash had seen him on the news with his whole team helping clear up the damage that Team Flare had caused, often with Diantha or the Gym Leaders, but always helping.

He had much better things to do than listen to Ash's stupid problems.

And they were stupid. Everyone had nightmares. Clemont did, Bonnie and Serena did; everyone in Kalos was probably having them. And loads of people were feeling uncomfortable in Lumiose City, and Clemont hadn't smiled in days, and Bonnie kept crying, and Serena jumped at every little sound, and all of that was to be expected after everything they had been through.

Ash was fine. There was no need to bother anyone.

Working helped. Ash couldn't go near Prism Tower without feeling like he was going to be sick, but there was plenty to do elsewhere. Whatever Squishy - Zygarde - had done to remove the vines hadn't fixed the buildings and other damage. He threw himself into the clean-up efforts, his Pokémon working right alongside him, and the physical exertion helped him forget for a while.

Pikachu was worried about him, and Greninja and the others wouldn't let him out of their sight, and Ash hated making them worry but he didn't know what else he could do. Clemont and Serena exchanged concerned looks when they thought he wasn't looking, and he pretended he didn't know what they wanted to talk about.

He kept working. It was all he could do.

In the end, Steven found him.

Greninja spotted him first. Ash didn't think anything could sneak up on Greninja now. Pikachu let his Iron Tail fizzle out only a few seconds later and moved to Ash's shoulder in a series of flowing jumps as he turned. For a moment Ash gaped at the sight of Steven picking his way through the rubble, but then Pikachu poked him and he hurried forward.

"Hey, do you need a hand?"

Steven's arm was in a plaster cast now, but he waved off Ash's offer of help. "I'm fine, thank you." A faint smile touched his face. "When you spend as much time underground as I do you learn to keep your footing."

Ash snorted at the thought. Steven's smile widened briefly before his expression turned serious. "How have you been, Ash?"

"I'm fine."

The answer was quick and automatic, and he winced even as he said it. He ignored the look that passed between Pikachu and Greninja, but Steven tilted his head to one side.

"It would be all right if you weren't, you know."

Ash opened his mouth, then closed it again. Steven glanced around and sat down on a reasonably sturdy chunk of wall, and after a minute Ash sat next to him. He didn't know what to say, but Steven didn't seem to be in a rush, and Ash didn't mind the chance to sit and catch his breath.

"I've been dreaming about the Megalith every night."

Ash stared at him. He had had nightmares himself, about this and everything else he had been through, but Steven was a League Champion. He was so much better, and yet…

And he was telling Ash about it.

"No one gets over this sort of thing straight away," said Steven quietly. "No one would think any less of you."

"I know," Ash muttered. Sycamore and Meyer had talked to all of them, and tried to get them to talk too, but Ash hadn't wanted to. He had managed by himself every other time.

Serena wanted him to talk. Clemont had seemed better after Ash talked to him.

Steven was offering, and he was more likely to understand than anyone else.

"I have dreams too," he muttered. "I thought… I keep thinking about what would have happened if we hadn't…"

He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, and Steven nodded. "I understand," he said.

He didn't try to insist it was all right, or offer the same stupid platitudes as most other people had, and something in Ash's chest settled. Pikachu climbed from his shoulder to his lap, and Ash stroked his soft fur and let everything pour out. All the nightmares, all the fear, and the crushing responsibility that he had never asked for but always seemed to be on him anyway, all of it.

Steven listened to all of it. Ash could almost see the questions he wanted to ask, but he didn't interrupt, and he let Ash talk until he finally came to the matter that had been bugging him the most.

"And then there's Alain!"

Steven said nothing, but out of the corner of his eye Ash saw him tense. Ash squeezed his eyes shut.

"I know he didn't know. Lysandre used him. He didn't know what they were going to do. And I…"

He clamped his mouth shut, unable to finish the sentence. Pikachu pressed against him with a questioning chirp, and Steven sighed.

"It's all right to be angry with him, Ash."

Ash's head snapped up. "But it's not! He didn't know! He never would have helped them if he had! Once he saw what they were doing he turned against them, he helped us save everyone, he's…he's a good guy!"

Steven held his gaze without flinching. "I know. He fought hard, and without him I don't know if we would have been able to win." Ash nodded firmly, but Steven wasn't finished, "But without him, they wouldn't have been able to do what they did in the first place."

Ash gritted his teeth. Steven continued, gently but implacably, "You and your friends were put in danger because of him. Hurt because of him. Intentions matter less than the end result, Ash."

"He never wanted to hurt anyone-"

"But he did."

Ash fell silent. Steven sighed, and tilted his head unto look at the sky. "He's not like them. He's nothing like Lysandre. But it's okay to be angry with him for what he did do."

Pikachu pressed against Ash's cheek, and Ash sucked in a shaky breath. He had felt so angry, and then even more guilty for being angry, and he had got so tangled he didn't know what to feel.

"Are you angry with him?"

Steven took a moment to think, and Ash found that strangely reassuring. "I'm more angry with myself," the Champion admitted. "Alain was a traumatised teenager trying to help a friend. I should have been able to see through Lysandre's lies, for both our sakes." He shook his head and refocused on Ash. "But then I didn't have as personal a connection with him as you did. And he didn't hurt me, or my friends."

Ash sighed. That was less helpful than he had hoped. Steven watched him a moment longer, a sad smile touching his face. "I'm sorry," he said gently. "I can't tell you what you should feel. I can promise you that whatever you feel is valid. You don't have to justify your feelings to me, or to anyone else."

Ash turned to stare out over the city. He could still see the marks of Zygarde's passage. It would take months to repair all the damage, and the scars would take far longer to heal.

Alain had helped cause it. Alain had helped stop it.

Ash groaned, and rubbed his hands over his eyes.

"Fighting was much easier than this."

Steven gave a startled snort of laughter. "It always is. Dealing with the aftermath is the hard part."

Ash pulled a face, and smiled when Pikachu chuffed a laugh. His friend swung off his shoulder and into his arms, and Ash hugged him tight.

"I don't want to be angry with Alain. He messed up, but he fixed it." Steven nodded, and Ash let out a long breath. "But I guess I am. A bit. I won't be forever," he hastened to add. "But…yeah."

Steven gave him a warm smile. "Feel better?"

Ash thought about it, and was surprised to find himself nodding again. "Yeah, actually. That did help." Relief left him light-headed. "Thanks."

"My pleasure."

He sounded like he meant it, and when Ash looked at him he didn't see any lie either, and Ash finally relaxed. Steven gave him a small nod, then straightened. "Actually, Ash, there was another reason I was hoping you would call."

Ash felt his cheeks heat a little. "Sorry," he began, but Steven was already shaking his head.

"I do understand why you didn't, but I was hoping to ask you a favour."

Ash blinked. "You want a favour from me?"

He couldn't think of a single thing he could do for Steven that the Hoenn Champion couldn't get anywhere else, but Steven just smiled. "I do. You see, I was very interested in what I saw of your Greninja's unique ability. I was hoping for the chance to experience it in person."

Ash's jaw dropped. Sparks shot from Pikachu's cheeks, and Greninja's head snapped round, and Ash finally found his voice. "You…you want to battle me?"

His voice came out a little higher than he had intended, but he couldn't help it. Steven Stone was one of the best Pokémon Trainers in the world. He had fought Champions like Lance, Cynthia, Diantha; he could battle the Elite Four whenever he felt like it, he could challenge any trainer in the world if he wanted, and yet he wanted a battle with Ash?

"Of course," said Steven. He was leaning forward now, grey eyes bright with excitement. "We've known for a long time that the bond between trainer and Pokémon can lead to extraordinary things, of which Mega Evolution is one of the more dramatic examples, but I've never seen anything like what you and Greninja can do. And having fought alongside you, and seen the recordings of your League Battles, I would love to experience your strength firsthand."

Ash continued to stare. That was the sort of thing he said when he challenged strong trainers. For a Champion to want to fight him so badly just didn't make sense.

"Of course, I completely understand if you don't want to," Steven continued. "It's been a difficult couple of weeks-"

"What? No!" Ash exclaimed. "I'd love to battle you!"

Greninja nodded firmly, and Ash knew him well enough to catch the anticipation in his frame. Steven's eyes lit up. "Excellent. And I suppose it's only fair to ask if there was a particular Pokémon of mine that you would like to fight?"

There was only one possible answer to that. "Mega Metagross, please!"

He was half-expecting Steven to laugh, Metagross was his ace and must have fought some of the strongest Pokémon in the world, but Steven just grinned. "I'm glad you said that. They've been looking forward to it as much as I have."

Ash bounced to his feet. "This is gonna be awesome!" Then he paused and glanced round. "Maybe not here though."

That was the last thing this area of Lumiose needed. Steven laughed. "Certainly not. Don't worry, Claydol knows Teleport. I've trained with Diantha before, and I know somewhere we can go where we won't be disturbing anyone."

"Great!" Ash cheered. He looked around, but Professor Sycamore had been telling him to take a break for hours. Greninja nodded to him and returned himself to his Pokéball, and Pikachu jumped up to his shoulder, and Ash turned back to Steven. "We're ready to go!"

Steven smiled back, and sent out Claydol. "I can't wait."

An hour later, surrounded by several new craters on the already battered mountainside, Ash rubbed the back of his neck.

"I really should have taught you a Dark type move," he said. "Maybe Night Slash?"

Greninja nodded rather ruefully, but he seemed content enough. Ash felt the same way. It had been an awesome battle, and while Steven and Mega Metagross had won, Ash and Greninja had pushed them hard. In the end, Miracle Eye and an incredibly powerful Hammer Arm had been too much for them, but it still been an awesome battle.

Steven had seemed to enjoy it too, but when Ash looked over he found the Champion ashen-faced and leaning against Metagross. He straightened when Ash approached though, and shook his hand.

"Thank you for a fantastic battle, Ash," he said. "Your Bond Phenomenon is incredible! I've never seen anything like it."

"Thanks!" said Ash. "So is your Mega Evolution. Metagross is so strong!"

"We have known each other for a very long time," said Steven, with a fond smile. Metagross gave a low hum, then Steven winced and rubbed his temples and Ash frowned.

"Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," said Steven, with a smile. "Really," he insisted, when Ash continued to eye him. "An echo or two from the Mega Evolution."

Ash frowned. "I didn't know that happened. Korrina never mentioned it."

Steven held his gaze for a long enough that Ash started to wonder if he'd crossed some unspoken boundary, but even as he opened his mouth to apologise Steven relaxed. "It's not just a Mega Evolution thing," he allowed. "Metagross and I share a psychic link, and have done for many years."

Metagross gave a low hum, and Steven rested a hand on the corner of their cross. "It's important to both of us, but it does complicate things."

Ash nodded slowly. "I get it." He rubbed his ribs, where the ache of Greninja's injury still lingered. "That must be hard."

"It's worth it," said Steven, with a fond look at Metagross. The steel behemoth rumbled an agreement, and Ash smiled.

"That is pretty cool." He hesitated, but Steven had answered all his questions so far. "Does it happen with all Psychic-types?"

Steven shook his head. "It depends on how strong they are, and on the strength of their bond with their trainer." He gave Ash a long look. "You've never trained a Psychic-type?"

"Not yet," Ash admitted. "Most other types, but not Psychic."

Steven hummed. "I recommend it. They're very versatile Pokémon." He paused. "What about a Steel-type?"

Ash shook his head. "None of those either," he admitted. "It's never been the right time, I guess. Or the right Pokémon."

"I know what you mean," Steven murmured. His gaze turned appraising, but before he could say anything else there was a ping from his pocket. He pulled out his PokéNav, and winced. "That's Augustine wondering where we are."

"Oops," said Ash sheepishly. He had been so excited about the battle that he hadn't thought to tell anyone else. At least Steven had been equally eager. Steven put the PokéNav back in his pocket, but paused before sending out Claydol.

"I really enjoyed our battle," he said. "And our conversation." He met and held Ash's gaze. "I mean it, Ash. Call whenever you need or want to."

Pikachu nuzzled happily against Ash's cheek, and Ash smiled. Maybe he would take Steven up on that