Two days later, Ash and his friends were finishing up a hefty lunch at the Camphrier Town Pokémon Center, thankful for the break after traveling the entire previous day. The confrontation at the Battle Chateau had drained their energy reserves, but they didn't have the luxury of staying and resting as long as they wanted. The group needed to get to Lumiose City as soon as they could, no longer having weeks to spare before Serena and Iris had their Performance Battle at the Lumiose City Showcase, and so they had to pick up the pace along Routes 7 and 5. They had planned to stay in Camphrier Town for a few hours, to recharge their energy and boost their morale, before hitting the road again.
"Well, I definitely needed that," Brock said, standing up and grabbing his plate; everyone else followed his lead. "So what's everyone planning for the next couple of hours?"
"The first thing I need to do is talk to Nurse Joy," Ash answered, looking down and watching as a completely stuffed Pikachu rolled himself into a standing position. "If they can't take care of Houndour here, I'm not sure what we're going to do."
"I hope they can do something about it," Shannon offered. "That trainer must be really missing their Pokémon by now." Ash nodded in agreement, concern lightly gracing his expression.
"I was going to check out Shabboneau Castle," Brock said, answering his own question. "It looks incredible from down here, and I wouldn't mind getting a closer look."
"Shannon and I were going to do the same thing," Iris spoke up. "How about we all go together?"
"Sounds great!" Brock gave her a smile, before turning his attention to the other two girls. "What about you two? You want to come along?"
Serena shook her head. "We're going to find someplace where we can work on Madison's upcoming Performance Battle. I want to see if we can do anything to spice it up." Madison was grinning wide beside her, excited to receive feedback from such an accomplished performer.
"Well, good luck, you two," Ash responded. "Let's all meet back here at three o'clock, alright?" They all nodded in agreement, depositing their dishes before heading back to the Pokémon Center entrance. Most of the group stepped outside to head to their respective destinations, while Ash walked up to the front desk, Pikachu following behind.
"Hello there," Nurse Joy greeted him warmly, with a smile she had practiced over many years, like every other Nurse Joy. "You were here with Greninja, right? He's still recovering at the moment. He just needs a bit more rest."
"Oh, thanks," Ash responded. "Actually, I had a question… can this Pokémon Center take care of Pokémon, like… long-term?"
Joy's eyebrows raised curiously. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I have this lost Pokémon…" he began to explain. "We don't know where its trainer is, or even who it is, and we don't know how long it will be before they come back for it. I was hoping that we could leave it here, and you could take care of it while…?"
"I see…" Her face fell, always hating to deliver bad news. "I'm very sorry, but our Pokémon Center is not authorized to perform long-term care for Pokémon. We don't have the necessary staff or facilities for it."
"Oh…" Ash's face fell as well; he'd expected that answer, but was still disappointed to hear it. "Are there other Pokémon Centers that are authorized?"
She nodded. "There's at least one center in Lumiose City that could take care of the Pokémon. Its Poké Ball would be kept securely in storage, and it would be fed regularly."
"Storage?" The skepticism was evident on his face, as he imagined Houndour being stuck on a shelf in its Poké Ball 23 hours a day. "They wouldn't… train it, or play with it, or anything?"
Joy adopted a lopsided frown. "That's… not really what Pokémon Centers are for, I'm afraid. We specialize in short-term and urgent care."
"I guess not…" Ash looked down at the Poké Ball attached to his hip, wondering if this was the best he could do for this Pokémon.
"It sounds like what you want is a Pokémon Day Care," a voice from his right chimed in. "There's one on Route 7, near the Battle Chateau."
Ash looked over curiously, wondering who was talking to him. His eyes took in a woman who appeared to be in her early 20's, with long black hair tied up into a ponytail that was draped over her shoulder. She wore a low-cut black blouse over a white shirt, and a short, black, lace skirt on top of a pair of white pants.
"Yeah, I know. That was the first place we tried," he explained. "They said they couldn't take a Pokémon with an unknown owner, because what if they never come back? They'd be forced to adopt it, basically."
"Ah, that's a shame." The woman frowned. "It makes sense, though. Well, I hope you figure something out." He nodded glumly, turning to thank Nurse Joy before walking outside, Pikachu climbing onto his shoulder, as the other woman claimed her own Pokémon. He looked down at Houndour's Poké Ball as he held it in his hand, heavily conflicted, absentmindedly wandering further into Camphrier Town.
"It sounds like we don't have many options, huh…" he lamented, coming to rest on a bench. "I guess there aren't a lot of services out there for lost or abandoned Pokémon." He glanced over at his companion, resting on his shoulder. "What would you do if you were me, Pikachu?" His Pokémon gave him a quizzical and unsure look, not having any better ideas, before hopping down onto the bench next to him.
He sat back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, as he contemplated the situation. He knew, logically, that leaving Houndour at a Lumiose City Pokémon Center was the obvious choice. It might not be a five-star resort, but the Pokémon would be kept safe, and its trainer would be able to find it easily. Even so, the idea just didn't sit right with him. He kept thinking that there had to be something better he could do, where Houndour could be well cared for, able to socialize and train and play and all those things that Pokémon deserved to do.
He could feel Pikachu crawl underneath his dangling right hand, trying to provide comfort; Ash gave a weak smile as his thumb rubbed Pikachu's fur between his ears. Even something as simple as this could do wonders for a Pokémon, he thought to himself. He tried to pacify himself by imagining Houndour's trainer coming back for the Pokémon, and the joyous, tear-filled reunion that would follow. He pictured a faceless, unknown trainer playing fetch with Houndour, training with it, bathing it, and pouring it a bowl of food after a long day. As he envisioned this scenario, trying to cheer himself up, he saw his own face replacing that of the nameless trainer, caring for Houndour himself. He quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea.
A strange sound from somewhere close by brought him back to reality after several minutes, and he opened his eyes, looking around for a moment. He zeroed in on a building a block or so down the street, where he could see a mysterious but familiar light glowing through some of the windows. His eyebrows raised as he recognized what it was: it was the light that he had always associated with Pokémon evolution, or Mega Evolution.
He stood up and stepped forward for a closer look, just as the light began to fade, but he wasn't able to see anything meaningful from this distance. A moment later, his curiosity got the better of him, and he motioned for Pikachu to follow him as he started walking down the street.
"This looks like a nice spot."
Serena and Madison came to a stop in front of a large fountain, in a public park not far from downtown. Glancing around, they could see a handful of people milling about, walking by the fountain or relaxing on the grass, but there was plenty of space for the two of them to work without disturbing people.
"Let's see where you're at now." Serena turned to glance down at Madison. "I'll take Barrett's place. He's using a Torracat, right?"
"Right," Madison confirmed. "Who will you use? Delphox?"
"Sylveon will be better, I think," Serena answered. "She's closer to the right size and shape. We can use her attacks to simulate Torracat's fire attacks."
Madison nodded, reaching down and releasing her Roselia from its Poké Ball, as her mentor brought out her Sylveon. The two Pokémon stood across from each other, as if they were on opposite sides of a stage, as the two performers stood in front of the fountain.
"Alright, let's start. Remind me how it begins?"
"Roselia starts with Magical Leaf," Madison explained. "And Torracat jumps and destroys the leaves with a spinning Fury Swipes."
"That's right," Serena recalled, looking down at her Sylveon. "When the leaves come at you, jump and spin and destroy them with your ribbons." Her Pokémon nodded, not needing any more explanation, an expert performer already. Serena smiled and glanced back at Madison. "Go ahead and start us off."
The younger performer turned toward her partner. "Roselia, Magical Leaf!"
Roselia took a graceful step forward, summoning a circle of leaves around her, which quickly flew toward her substitute opponent. Sylveon jumped in the air, spinning around expertly, shredding the incoming leaves with a grace and elegance that had been refined over many years.
Serena watched the performance carefully as it continued, her eyes studying every last detail, every tiny movement of Roselia's dance, even as she was issuing more commands to her Sylveon. Madison stood by her side, commanding Roselia in turn, her eyes moving back and forth between the Pokémon and Serena, wishing she could know what the experienced performer was thinking.
As she looked back toward Roselia, she paused as she saw a young couple standing and watching their practice session, curious looks on their faces. She lost her focus for a brief moment before regaining it, continuing to call out attacks, albeit a bit less confidently than before. She glanced back toward her mentor, studying her expression; it wasn't clear if Serena hadn't noticed the couple watching, or if she was just completely unfazed.
"This is looking great!" Serena exclaimed, as the routine came to an end. "This is shaping up really well." She glanced down at the younger performer. "You're a natural at this, you know? Great choreography."
"Thanks!" Madison grinned wide. "Do you have any ideas for what to change?"
"I had a few thoughts…" Serena started describing the changes she had in mind, walking over to Roselia and using her hands to visualize how she wanted certain attacks to be performed. Madison did her best to pay attention, trying to ignore the fact that three more people were now watching their discussion from a short distance. She didn't know if they recognized Serena from television, or if they were just intrigued by her performance, but either way she found it intimidating. Having people watch her finished performance was one thing, but her practice session felt like a raw and vulnerable moment for her, one that she would rather not have an audience for.
Minutes later, the two girls wrapped up their review, and their Pokémon took their places opposite each other once again. Madison began the performance for a second time, commanding her Roselia, the confidence disappearing from her voice as she tried to ignore the watching passersby, which were growing exponentially in number. Eventually, once the crowd grew to two dozen people, she had to speak up.
"Serena… there's a lot of people watching us…" she spoke quietly.
"I know," Serena replied, not taking her focus off of her Sylveon. "Just ignore them."
"I don't know if I can do that…" Madison could feel their eyes on her, even as she looked away.
Serena grinned. "Well then, perform for them! Give them a show!" She gestured toward her Pokémon with a flourish, her voice raising so everyone could hear it. "Fairy Wind, Sylveon!"
Sylveon had a sudden spring in her step as she generated her air blast, feeding off the energy of her trainer. Madison watched in surprise for a moment, a bit bewildered by Serena's sudden change in demeanor, but she quickly turned her attention back toward Roselia, deciding to give Serena's approach a try.
"Jump and shoot back with Petal Blizzard!" she called out, trying to force strength into her voice, which was easier than she expected. Her Roselia leaped into the air, twirling a bit before forming a ring of petals around her, shooting them toward Sylveon. Her eyes ran over the onlookers once again, seeing that their expressions had changed from curiosity to delight. She could feel her heart starting to beat faster, excitement starting to well up in her, as a grin spread across her face.
The two performers continued to issue orders to their Pokémon, who half-battled and half-danced in a well-choreographed routine. The energy of all four of them continued to rise, as they gradually transitioned from practicing to performing, showing off for their impromptu audience. Madison could feel her nerves transforming, changing from a nervous sick feeling in her stomach to an electric charge shooting through her and giving her goosebumps.
Eventually, the two Pokémon finished their Performance Battle, hitting their final poses side by side, as Serena and Madison extended one arm each toward the crowd. The audience of onlookers began to applaud, thoroughly impressed, and Madison could feel her heart swell as she looked at their admiring eyes. Serena grinned wide, holding the edges of her dress as she curtsied to the crowd.
"What did I tell you?" She glanced toward Madison. "It's the greatest feeling in the world."
Madison beamed and nodded, feeling like Serena was coaching her in more ways than she could have imagined. "Yeah… it really is." She turned toward the crowd and gave a formal curtsy as well.
Ash walked through the door of the building, Pikachu on his shoulder, and he immediately took a look around, finding himself on a rectangular balcony surrounding a lower floor. The strange light had faded long before he arrived, but it didn't matter, as he didn't have to look very hard to find the source. He stepped forward to the edge of the balcony and looked down to the floor below, finding a Pokémon battle arena. He was shocked to see the black-haired woman from the Pokémon Center there, facing away from him, and in front of her was a winged, white-furred, black-horned Pokémon that he quickly recognized as a Mega Absol.
"Dark Pulse!" the woman called out, her voice low but forceful. Ash watched with rapt attention as her Absol opened its mouth, forming a ball of purple light that erupted into a beam of energy, raking across the ground and kicking up an enormous amount of dirt and dust. The woman stood with her hands on her hips, not saying anything as the attack cleared up, while Ash watched in amazement. He still found Mega Evolution to be absolutely fascinating, even as he rivaled its power increase with Greninja and the Bond Phenomenon. He continued watching as she called out several more attacks, which Absol executed with gusto, unleashing an incredible amount of strength. After a couple minutes of this, her Pokémon stood down, taking a brief rest.
"So, are you just going to stand up there and watch?" she called out, glancing back and up at him. He jumped a bit before shrinking down, sheepish.
"Sorry…" He started walking along the balcony, toward a staircase that would take him down to the battlefield. "You and your Absol are amazing! Those attacks looked super strong." He walked down the stairs, his eyes on the Mega Absol that was now watching him descend. "I'd love for my Absol to be that strong someday."
The woman's eyebrows raised. "You have an Absol, too?"
Ash nodded as he stepped onto the battlefield. "I caught it less than a week ago, but we've bonded a lot since then. He's a great battler."
"Well, let's have a look," she suggested, though it sounded more like a command. "You've seen mine, let's see yours."
Ash grinned and reached for the Poké Ball at his hip, tossing it out and releasing his own Absol, as Pikachu hopped down to the ground to get a closer look at whatever was about to happen. The Pokémon immediately took notice of the Mega Absol in front of him, causing him to stand up straight, both amazed and intimidated.
The woman's eyes ran over Ash's Absol, nodding thoughtfully. "It's a bit small, but it looks healthy. Good sheen on the coat." Her eyes flicked up toward the trainer opposite her. "Alright, show me what you've got. I want to see what your Absol can do." Beside her, Mega Absol took up a defensive stance, ready to take on whatever Ash's Absol had to dish out.
"You got it!" Ash looked down at his Pokémon, feeling pumped already. "Absol, use Shadow Ball!"
Absol opened his mouth and started charging up the largest energy blast he could, wanting to impress this stranger and her powerful Pokémon. Once he had charged it up as much as he could, he shot it out directly at his opponent. Mega Absol brought its wings in front of itself, taking the brunt of the attack as it exploded against its wings. Once the energy had cleared, Mega Absol was still standing there, unfazed and mostly unscathed.
Absol looked a bit downcast at the lack of impact, as did Ash, but the other trainer seemed impressed. "Not too bad. Keep it up."
Ash nodded, deciding to try another approach. "Get in close and start using Slash! Aim for the head!" Absol ran forward toward his opponent, extending its claws and swinging away with his right paw, then his left, trying to get a clean hit in. Mega Absol was able to dodge backward and from side to side, avoiding each attack, refusing to go on the offensive without the command from its trainer. After one close brush with Absol's paw, Mega Absol leaped back and away, creating some distance.
Ash watched the Pokémon leap away, seeing an opportunity. "Now! Hit it with Quick Attack!" His Pokémon dashed forward as quickly as it could move, closing the gap just as Mega Absol landed, slamming into it with his horn. The woman's eyebrows raised in surprise, as Ash's fist clenched in excitement, a grin spreading across his face.
"Follow it up with Night Slash!" As Mega Absol got its bearings and looked back, Absol slammed his glowing, purple paw into the side of its head, knocking the Mega-evolved Pokémon back and staggering it. Absol watched with immense satisfaction as Mega Absol worked to get back to its feet, ready for his trainer's next command; Pikachu cheered Absol on from beside Ash's feet.
"Absol, use Payback!" the woman commanded. Moments later, her Mega Absol was surrounded by a potent purple energy, as the damage it had absorbed was converted into potential attack power. Absol couldn't react before the energy shot forward, battering the Pokémon with a quick series of powerful blows that exploded in small bursts against his body. Absol was blasted helplessly across the arena, overwhelmed by the might of Mega Absol, landing on his side and skidding to a stop at Ash's feet.
"Absol! Are you alright?" Ash kneeled down next to his Pokémon, lifting him up and holding his head in his arms, as Pikachu stood underneath and tried to help the Pokémon stand. Absol groaned, opening his eyes and looking apologetically back at his trainer, substantially weakened from the powerful retaliatory attack. His Mega-evolved opponent had showed itself to be far more powerful than he had been ready for.
"You need to work on your Absol's defense and stamina," the opposing trainer explained, walking forward and resting her hand on Mega Absol's back. "But its strength is impressive for its age and size. Same with its speed. I can tell you two are bonding well." Her Pokémon exhaled and closed its eyes, the Mega Evolution fading away as it reverted to its normal form, looking taller and stronger than Ash's Absol even in this form.
"Thanks." Ash gave her a polite smile, grateful for the feedback. "Your Mega Absol is amazing. Do you have your other Pokémon here, too? I'd love to have a full battle with you!"
The woman shook her head as she pulled out her Absol's Poké Ball. "No, thanks."
"Huh?" Ash's face fell, as she returned her Pokémon to the Poké Ball and attached it to her hip. "Why not?"
She started walking past him, toward the staircase leading up to the balcony and out of the building. "If you want a battle with me, come to Fleurrh City and challenge me at my gym."
"Gym…?" A lightbulb went off in Ash's brain as he made the connection, his face lighting up. "Ah! You're Athena!"
"That's right." She turned her head and glanced back at him, a smirk on her face and one hand on her hip. "And you're Ash Ketchum, the three-time Pokémon League champion. So I'm expecting a great battle when you show up."
Ash grinned excitedly. "Don't worry, you'll get one!" She turned away, walking up the stairs and outside, as Ash looked back down at his Pokémon, who was maneuvering himself into a sitting position. "You were great too, Absol. Taking on a Mega-evolved Pokémon like that is really impressive."
Absol leaned in and nuzzled his trainer happily, causing Ash to laugh as he ran his hand through the fur on Absol's head. Looking back at Absol, he could see his Pokémon was a bit roughed up, a bit battered, but it was as happy as a Pokémon could be. This was what a Pokémon needed, Ash thought to himself. Pokémon needed to be active, to be cared for and exercised and battled with, and to be taken care of at the end of the day. In that moment, he came to an important decision.
He stood up and returned Absol to his Poké Ball, then scooped Pikachu up into his arms, before climbing the stairs and making his way outdoors, heading back to the Pokémon Center. He had a Pokémon who needed care, and a call that needed to be made.
Later that day, all six trainers were returning to the Pokémon Center, converging in the lobby. They greeted each other warmly, each of them having had a fulfilling day and wanting to hear about everyone else's.
"Serena! Madison!" Ash called out, as they walked in and joined the other four, who were all sitting in a corner of the lobby. "How did practice go?"
"It was great!" Madison exclaimed, somehow still filled with energy. "My Performance Battle is going to be better than ever now!"
"Madison's a natural," Serena added proudly. "I barely had to do anything."
"I've never seen a Performance Battle before," Shannon chimed in. "I bet that practice would have been fun to watch."
Serena grinned. "How was the castle?"
"It was great! Very pretty. Lots of interesting antiques and artifacts there."
Brock nodded in agreement. "The architecture is amazing. It has this unique, old-world feel that I've never seen anywhere else."
Ash sat up. "What all happened while you guys were there?"
Brock shrugged in response. "Nothing, really. It was a fun tour, but that's it."
"We sort of expected that something interesting might happen while we were there, but no, not really," Iris concurred. "Nothing wrong with that, though."
Ash nodded, standing up. "Well, are we all ready to hit the road again?"
"Wait, Ash. What about Houndour?" Serena asked. "Did the Pokémon Center take it?"
He shook his head, smiling. "Nope. I'm going to be taking care of Houndour."
"Huh?" Iris stood as well, giving him a confused look. "You're keeping it? Can you do that?"
"I'm not keeping it, keeping it," Ash explained. "I'm just going to look after it while we wait for its trainer to contact us. Once they do, I can send Houndour to whatever Pokémon Center they want." He stretched his arms behind his back. "But until then, I'll feed it, care for it, play with it and all that. Make sure it's happy, you know?"
Serena smiled proudly at him, touched by his selflessness as always. "That's really sweet of you, Ash. I bet Houndour is going to be a lot happier with you than it would be here."
"I hope so." He smiled back at her, before looking around. "Alright, everyone, ready to go?" They nodded in response, ready for more traveling, and soon they were back on the road, beginning the final leg of their journey to Lumiose City.
Late that night, all six of them had set up camp and eaten a filling dinner courtesy of Brock, and they were now retired to their tents, starting to drift off one by one. In Iris's tent, Shannon was lying in her sleeping bag, eyes half-closed, as Iris slid into hers.
"Today was great," she mused quietly, exhausted and already on the verge of sleep. "I've really missed the two of us hanging out like this. It's too bad we won't be able to do it much longer."
Iris nodded somberly, lying sideways in her sleeping bag to face her friend. "Are you sure you can't stay longer? You have to leave when we get to Lumiose City?"
"I'm sure," Shannon answered. "I've been gone a bit longer… well, a lot longer than I told them I would be. The Pokémon I was taking care of are getting restless. They're practically begging me to come back and calm them down." She frowned. "I'll be able to watch your Performance Battle, but I can't stay beyond that."
"Responsibility sucks," Iris replied, frustrated and sad that her reunion was getting cut short. "It feels like our journey is just getting started, and you're already leaving."
"I know…" Shannon rolled onto her side as well, their eyes meeting. "I remember when you went on your first journey, I was so jealous… I wanted to go with you so badly. It would have been so much fun, the two of us traveling around Unova together."
"Yeah…" Iris agreed quietly, imagining it herself, as she stifled a yawn. "You went on your own journey eventually, right? You asked the elder about it when we visited the village."
Shannon nodded. "I did. I traveled around Unova at first, then I went to Sinnoh after that. It was amazing, being able to get out and see the world, but… I really wish I could have had someone to share it with." She looked down. "That's why I waited so long to try going on another journey. There was just something… missing. It didn't feel right."
Iris watched as Shannon looked down, lament clear in her eyes, feeling her heart sink. She instinctively reached out, grasping Shannon's hand and holding it tightly in her own. "Let's do it, then. Let's go on a journey together. Just the two of us."
Shannon looked back, her eyes lighting up. "Really? You're serious?"
"Of course I am!" Iris exclaimed in a hushed tone. "I'm not sure when, but as soon as we both can travel. We'll pick a region and we'll go there and see every last bit of it. It'll be the perfect journey we've both wanted."
Shannon's expression settled into a warm smile, touched by Iris's eagerness to travel with her and make her happy. "I'd love that, Iris. I can't wait."
Iris smiled back, her tired eyelids drooping just as Shannon's were. They continued to talk over details about how they might travel, where they might go and what they might do, as they both drifted toward sleep. Throughout their discussion, their hands remained clasped together, neither girl wanting to let go and lose this warm and comforting touch. They eventually drifted off side by side, both of their fingertips gracing the other's palm as they slept.