I normally upload on Mondays, but I've been sick for the past week and a half, so my writing schedule's been shot. I didn't want to have 2 weeks with no updates, so here we go!

"Pikachu!"

"Pikapi!"

Louise gaped in shock when she saw her familiar embrace his, well, familiar. Many times Ash had told her about how the bond between a Mage and their familiar reminded him of himself and Pikachu. She had eventually come to believe him. But now, she could see the evidence in front of her. The sound of their voices, the tears of joy in their eyes, the fierce warmth of their embrace. Yes, that was the true bond a master and familiar were supposed to have. She could feel it.

Why, then, did she also feel a pang of jealousy within her?

"Pikapi, pika pika-chu!"

"A lot's happened, Pikachu," Ash replied, as if he could understand the nonsensical syllables. "This place is like Kalos, but way different. Like no other region we've been to before!"

"Pika pika?" Pikachu's spiky ears seemed to drop as the electric type tilted its head to the side.

"I'll explain later," Ash assured him. "Right now, let me introduce you to everyone. This is Duchess Karin, and her daughters Louise, Cattleya, and Elenore." Ash pointed to each person in turn. "Swablu is in Louise's hair." The flying-type poked its face out and trilled a greeting. "And the sword over here is Derflinger."

"A friend of partner is a friend of mine!"

"Pika?" There was a questioning expression on Pikachu's face, but the tone carried a hint of a threat.

"Derflinger calls us partners because I have some runes that his partner gets," Ash explained. "It's kind of like how Lucario thought I was Sir Aaron based on my Aura."

Pikachu's hackles began to relax, until Derflinger piped in, "Doesn't matter who you are, the Gandalfr is always my partner!"

"Pika Pikapi, Pikachu!" Pikachu retorted.

"Pikachu says he's my partner since he was my first Pokemon, and he's right," said Ash. "Sorry, Derflinger."

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu declared proudly.

"Alright, alright, no need to rub it in furball," the sword grumbled.

Pikachu narrowed his eyes and jumped out of Ash's arms. "Pika-chu!"

With a bolt of lightning thicker than its origin, Pikachu made his displeasure known. The mages in the audience were—figuratively—shocked.

"Woah there! That lightning has some kick to it!" Derflinger exclaimed. "I see how you survived the traitor's lightning magic, partner!"

"Derflinger, stop provoking him," Ash said in exasperation. "And Pikachu, buddy, Derflinger may act like a jerk sometimes, but he's a part of the team. He's not your replacement, okay?"

"Pika…" Pikachu sulked.

"Sorry, partner," the sword apologized.

"He's adorable!" Cattleya squealed. She quickly pushed herself to her feet, relying on Eleonore to steady her. "Can I hold him, please?"

Pikachu took a wary step back.

"Wait, Cattleya," Karin ordered before addressing the boy. "Ash Ketchum."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I see that your claims do have some merit. I've never seen a creature quite like that one, and while you are capable of using magic, you are certainly no mage."

"It wasn't that bad for a first attempt, was it?" Ash asked.

"Your use of Wind Magic wasn't the dot class spell, Gust, but an improvised wind spell that used more willpower than a triangle class spell, had the cast time of a square class spell, and was barely able to generate line class spell's worth of force," Karin broke down her assessment. "A normal mage of your experience would've suffered Willpower exhaustion after trying to cast such a spell, but then you repeatedly failed to use the Founder's Summoning Ritual. Again, while using an exorbitant amount of Willpower with no results."

"But it worked in the end," Ash said weakly.

"It worked because you were able perform Joint Casting, a highly advanced technique, with Louise, who has only performed the spell once, and that was the only proper spell she has been able to cast," said Karin. "Your power is an anomaly."

"Pika…" Pikachu growled as his cheeks started sparking.

"Is that a bad thing?" Ash asked.

"We shall see," said Karin. "Now that you have your partner, I will face you as a mage would, in a duel."

Ash grinned. "Awesome! Are you ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered, pumping a fist. He may have been missing a lot of context for what was going on, but if there was thing he was confident about, it was battling with Ash.

"Not right now," Karin stated, taking the wind from their sails. "You've spent more Willpower in the past hour than most mages spend in a day, or even a week. And you've been separated from your partner for weeks. Take the rest of the day to recover. I will face you tomorrow."

The rational part of Ash's mind realized that she was right. "We'll be ready for you!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"I look forward to it," Duchess Valiere replied. She then put two fingers to her lips and blew a piercing whistle. A distant roar answered.

Ash and Pikachu turned to where the roar came from. Flying from over the castle walls was a creature neither of them had seen before. It had the body of a male Pyroar, but easily twice if not thrice the size. Its wings were massive and covered in brown feathers: golden brown on the underside next to the golden fur of its body, but a darker brown, like tree bark, elsewhere. As it got closer, its tail became apparent. It was longer than Ash stood tall, with a wickedly sharp stringer on the end.

The beast landed on the ground with surprising softness despite its massive bulk. Without a word, Karin leapt on to its back, and the beast flew away back over the castle walls. Ash and Pikachu silently stared with open-mouthed shock, even as the creature's disappeared from sight

The moment was not to last, however,

"What is wrong with you?!" Lousie exploded.

Ash and Pikchu turned to Louise. "What's wrong?" Ash asked.

"Did you forget that my mother is famous for being a square class mage? She's a prodigy who's led the best squad in the Tristan military. Why would you duel her?"

"Honestly, Pikachu and I try to get all the battles we can," said Ash. "We've battled Champions from across the regions. Besides, she's the one who challenged us. And we aren't going to turn down that opportunity!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, pumping his fist.

"So cute!" Cattleya said, reaching out towards the electric-type.

Pikachu hopped around Ash's leg to put his partner in between him and the strange lady. "Pika?"

"She's fine, Pikachu, the blonde is the scary one," Ash assured him.

"That's rude of you to say," Eleonore said with a glare.

Pikachu quickly reassessed the threat levels of the strangers. When Cattleya reached down and opened her arms, he looked into her eyes, seeing warmth and wonder. He stepped into her grasp, and allowed himself to be picked up without protest.

"Your fur is so soft," Cattleya cooed. "Aren't you just the cutest thing?"

"Sister, keep in mind that it just used triangle class magic," Eleonore said.

"Cute doesn't mean harmless," Cattleya responded. "Oh, Ash, I really need to show you all of the other creatures I take care of!"

"That sounds awesome!" Ash replied enthusiastically. "Louise said you take care of a bunch of different creatures. I want to see if any of them are Pokemon like Pikachu and Swablu."

"Pikapi, Pikachu?"

"Pokemon are rare here, buddy," Ash said. "Aside from a flock of Swablu, Altaria, and I think a regional variant of Altaria, I haven't seen any other Pokemon."

"Pika?"

"The manticore Duchess Karin was riding is a magical creature. They're similar to Pokemon, but they have slightly different Auras and abilities."

"Ash, I haven't said anything because it's hard to tell anything with you," Louise began. "But do you understand what Peeka-shu is saying?"

"Of course! He's my partner, after all!" Ash replied with a grin. "We've been through a lot, so understanding each other is easy."

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered with a fist pump.

"You're so cute I want to just pinch your cheeks!" Cattleya squealed.

Ash sweatdropped. "That wouldn't be a good idea, Pikachu—"

"Builds lightning in his cheeks before releasing it through his body?" Cattleya guessed.

"—yes," Ash said, flatfooted. "How did you know? I thought you haven't seen a Pikachu before?"

"I know a lot about animals and magical creatures," Cattleya replied with a smile. "I can notice the signs your partner makes when he feels threatened, and sparks forming around his adorable red cheeks is one of them."

"Cattleya, while I understand your fascination, don't you think there are more pressing matters?" Elenore asked.

"Right," said Louise. "Ash, you and Pikashu need to prepare. I see that Pikashu is stronger than Swablu, but my mom is even stronger."

"Don't underestimate Pikachu," Ash said. "We're no pushovers."

"My mother makes other square class wind mages look like triangle class," Louise deadpanned. "Even she holds herself back, this won't be as easy as facing Commander Wallace."

"Then we'll just have to train extra hard!"

"Pika pika!"

"I believe mother expected you to take most of this time to rest and recover," said Eleonore. "She doesn't want to face you while you're dead on your feet."

"Having Pikachu back has given me all the energy I need!"

Pikachu squirmed from Cattleya's grip to hop onto Ash's shoulder. The boy stroked the Pokemon's head in response, shifting to the base of Pikachu's neck when he remembered that his old hat covered the top of Pikachu's head.

Louise felt like something in her mind clicked. Several times she had noticed Ash reach over his shoulder, only to awkwardly tap Derflinger's handle or rub the back of his head. Now, the gesture made much more sense. "Your stamina is incredible, but not infinite," she said sternly. "You need to rest at some point."

"Louise, how much do you know about Ash's stamina?" Cattleya asked innocently.

"He once went for two hours—"

"Oh my!"

"—against Commander Wallace at Newcastle!" Louise finished proudly, not noticing Cattleya's disappointment.

"Casting magic is different from physical exhaustion," said Elenore. "Training the body strengths the mind, but the mind tires much faster than the body. You need to sleep."

"Nah, I'm fine!"

Louise suddenly had a devious idea. She waved at Cattleya before putting her hands over her ears. Confused, her sister did the same. "Swablu!" Louise called out. "Use Sing!"

"Swa?" Swablu chirped, looking down at its nest.

"Ash needs to sleep. Sing him a lullaby!" Louise insisted.

"Swablu, take a nap!" Ash countered.

"Swa?" Swablue looked confused as it shifted its attention from its nest, to its trainer, and back to its nest.

"Don't confuse the poor thing," Cattleya admonished the two. "If Ash doesn't want to sleep right now, you don't have to resort to infighting to get him to take a nap."

"Fine…" Louise grumbled.

With a smile, Cattleya pulled out her want and pointed it at Ash. "Sleep. Levitation." A cloud of white and blue sparkles formed around Ash's head, narrowly missing Pikachu. Before the boy's body could fall, gravity ceased its claim on him. His body floated in the air as Pikachu hung on in shock, using his tail to ensure Ash's old cap remained on his head.

Still smiling, Cattleya said, "Let's find him a nice guest room to sleep in. And find some snacks for his friend. He's come all this way, after all."

As Pikachu clung to Ash's unconscious body, the Pokemon couldn't help but wonder if Ash had drastically underestimated the soft-eyed woman.

(line break)

"Are you sure that's the best way to wake him up?"

"It's what I normally do. It takes a few tries though…"

"Pika pikapi pika-chu!"

"I have no idea what you're saying."

"He sounds confident, I say let him try."

"Do you know what he said?"

"No, but who else would know how to wake up Ash but his partner?"

"I'm his partner too!"

"Pikachu!"

"Never underestimate the bond between a mage and familiar!"

"Are you talking about yourself or the sparking mouse, girlie?"

"Pika-chu!"

"Aaah!" Ash yelped as he tumbled out of bed, somehow tangling himself in the sheets and hitting the ground face first. His body went rigid before following his face over the side of the bed and onto the floor.

"Is he hurt?" Cattleya asked worriedly.

"He's fine," Louise dismissed the concern. "He's a slow riser."

"I'm not that slow," Ash groaned as he wormed his way out of the blanket cocoon. "I was just having a great dream. Pikachu was there and…" Ash's eyes widened as he realized that surrounding his bed were Louise, Cattleya, Derflinger, and Pikachu. "Pikachu!"

"Pikapi!"

Ash tried to embrace his partner, but ended up stumbling with the blankets and bowling him over instead.

Cattleya giggled. "He's such an endearing boy," she said. "I see why you like him."

"He's my familiar, why wouldn't I like him?" Louise asked with a huff. "Even if he can be difficult at times."

"Speak for yourself," Ash shot back. He pulled himself out the blankets as Pikachu struggled to stay balanced on the boy's head. "You fuss over your hair and clothes almost every morning."

"And you always try to walk out of the room looking like you just woke up!"

"That's because I did just wake up!"

"You certainly have your energy back," Cattleya tittered.

"Yeah, I told you that I would be fine," Ash replied. "Hey… wait a minute." He pointed an accusing finger at her. "You put me to sleep!"

"Guilty as charged," Cattleya confessed cheekily. "I was worried you'd collapse in the halls, so I thought it would be best if you took a quick nap. Don't worry, it's still only the afternoon, so you have plenty of time to practice together. Besides, this gave us a chance to get acquainted!"

"Pi Pikachu," Pikachu said with an exasperated sigh as he shot a dirty look at Louise.

"Why are you mad at Louise, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"We had some time to chat while you were napping," said Cattleya.

"I tried to explain that the summoning was an accident," Louise said defensively.

"Pi! Pikapi Pikachu pika!"

"Accidents happen, Pikachu," said Ash. "It's not like this is the first time we've been through this."

"Pi…" Pikachu agreed sullenly.

"Wait," Louise interjected. "What do you mean, this isn't the first—"

"Besides, Louise was the one to help me bring you here," Ash continued. "I couldn't have done it without her."

"Pika pika," Pikachu said with a nod.

"I'm still not sure who we're going to get back to Kanto, but we'll figure it out together. All of us. Sounds good, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!"

"Partner, I hate agreeing with the little girlie here, but sometimes, you make less sense than a drunk poet."

"I reluctantly concur," Louise grumbled. "And don't call me girlie!"

"Ah! But you don't deny the 'little' part!"

Ash sighed and grabbed the sword from where it was resting against the side of the bed. "Derflinger, you really need to stop annoying people so much," he said as he put on the sword's sheath. "It's not good for team morale."

"You argue with her all the time!"

"It's different."

"How?"

"Louise doesn't threaten to turn me into scrap metal."

"…well, I can't argue with that one."

Pikachu facepalmed. "Pi pika."

"Right, time for practice!" Ash said. "Where's a yard we can use?"

Cattleya beamed and pointed towards the room's biggest window, which was as large as a door. "I made sure to give you a guest room that was attached to an unused courtyard," she said. "We don't have any other guests at the moment, so this space is free for you to use as you like."

Ash and Pikachu went up to the window. The courtyard was mostly open, with a scattering of small trees lining the perimeter walls. A perfect place for a Pokemon battle.

"Let's go!" Ash said, trying to push against the window.

Pikachu, standing on Ash's shoulder, noticed a handle on the side of the window. He jumped on it, causing the door to open, and Ash to stumble onto a small balcony.

"Don't fall over," said Louise. "It'll only take a minute for us to take the steps down."

"Every minute counts!" Ash called out in response.

Then he jumped.

Pikachu followed only a split second after.

"Ash!" Lousie cried out.

The boy made excellent horizontal distance, landing on the branch of one of the small trees and branching hopping his way down to kill momentum before leaping to the ground. Pikachu landed comfortably on his shoulder, and the two waved up at their audience.

"He's going to give me a heart attack," Lousie grumbled.

"Oh, my," said Cattleya, covering her mouth with a hand. "That was impressive! Is he always this… lively?"

"Unfortunately…"

While the sisters decided to remain on the balcony, Ash and Pikachu readied for their practice.

"Alright, Pikachu. Normally, you do the battling while I call the shots, but this time, we'll both be fighting."

"Pikapi pika?" Pikachu looked skeptically at the sword on Ash's back.

"Derf eats magic. And Pokemon moves, kind of," Ash explained. "And I've been learning how to fight. These runes on my hand give me a boost." He drew Derflinger by the hilt, causing the marks on his hands to glow. "I've also been practicing some moves with my Aura. I've gotten pretty strong."

"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu got on all fours and began building electricity in his cheeks.

"So you've gotten some practice too? Great! Let's see how hard we've been training! Pikachu, I challenge you!"

"Pikachu!"

The two split up to opposite sides of the field.

"Are they… fighting each other?" Cattleya questioned.

"For some reason, this is how he trains," Louise replied with a sigh.

"Swablu, come out and watch a battle!" Ash called.

The blue Pokemon stuck its face out of its nest without leaving its warm confines.

"You ready, Pikachu?" Ash asked as he readied Derflinger.

"Pikachu!"

"You can't swing Derflinger around unsheathed!" Louise called out. "You'll cut him in half!"

"Don't worry, Pikachu's an electric-type, so steel isn't very effective."

"What?"

"He'll be fine," Ash simplified. "If he can face a legendary dragon, this should be easy. Right, buddy?"

"Pika!"

"What?"

"Let's go!" Ash called out as he raced towards Pikachu. The mouse Pokemon moved in the same moment, dashing over the ground with surprising speed for his stubby limbs.

The two met in the center of the courtyard, right in front of the balcony. At the last second, Pikachu jumped into the air and gained a silvery glow in his tail. The tail and sword met in a metallic clang. To Louise's surprise, Ash was the one pushed back by the exchange.

Ash recovered quickly, bringing Derflinger in a low sweep. Pikachu hopped high over it, forming an orb of electricity on his tail and throwing it back as he disengaged. Ash continued his momentum in a spin, bringing Derflinger for a second slash. This cut split the Electro Ball in two, with the halves falling on either side of Ash as he dashed forward with a blue haze around his body.

Pikachu landed on the ground and dashed forward; this time much faster than before as white streaks formed behind him. Rather than swing Derflinger, Ash held the sword to the side as he held his right hand out and called out, "Barrier!"

Pikachu tried hitting him with Quick Attack, only to crash against a blue circle. Pikachu tumbled back, only to be hit by a swing from Derflinger.

To Ash's surprise, the blade cut into Pikachu's skin. Not deep, but enough to leave a bright red line across his side. "Pikachu!" Ash cried out. "Are you hurt?"

"Pi?" Piakchu glanced at the wound along the side of his body. "Pika."

While the Pokemon didn't seem concerned by the injury, Ash looked hesitant to continue the fight. "I don't want you to get seriously hurt," Ash said.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu protested.

"I do know some water magic healing," Cattleya offered. "As long it's small, I can patch you up. Just try not to break any bones, those will take weeks to heal, and a more trained professional to speed up the recovery time."

Ash relaxed a little bit at that, but still looked hesitant to continue the bout.

"Pika, pikapi, pikachu!" Pikachu argued.

"Yeah, we've had battles before, but it feels different when I'm actually hitting you," said Ash. "But… you're right. We've got a tough battle coming up, and we can't afford to hold back this much." Ash turned his cap around. "If you're sure, Pikachu, then bring it on!"

"Pika!" Pikachu dashed toward Ash with Quick Attack, and then started building electricity in his cheeks. "Pika-pika-pika-pikachu!"

Ash brought Derflinger in front of him, guarding with the flat of the blade. "Barrier!" he called out, pulsing out with his Aura. The Aura flowed into Derflinger, manifesting into an oval shaped shield that covered the sword's length. Pikachu's Quick Attack-empowered Volt Tackle cracked and then shattered the Barrier, leaving only Derflinger standing between Ash and his Pokemon. Derflinger drank up the excess electric energy cackling across Pikachu's body, but Ash was still sent skidding back.

"Hm, didn't know Aura could be used like that," Derflinger mumbled. "Feels almost familiar."

Pikachu landed on the ground, moderately disoriented from the recoil of Volt Tackle and the unexpected resistance from Ash. "Pika, Pikapi," he said with a wince.

"You're strong too, buddy," Ash said. "Show me what you're really made of!"

Pikachu decided to respond with his signature move. "Pika-chu!"

To the Pokemon's surprise, Ash opted to leap out of the way, and then held a hand out. A blue orb slowly formed in his palm, until it was about the size of his head. "Aura Sphere!"

"Pika!" Pikachu swatted the middling-sized orb back with Iron Tail.

Ash returned it with Derflinger.

Pikachu struck it back harder.

Ash's eyes blazed blue as he returned it with equal vigor.

The small aura sphere continued to pick up speed as Ash and Pikachu continued deflecting the attack back to each other. The pattern was only broken when Pikachu shifted the angle of his body, impaling his tail on the orb. Then, electricity started to surround it.

Ash paused in surprise. "Well, that's new," he commented.

Pikachu mirrored Ash's earlier action, turning the cap on his head backwards with a grin. "Pika!" The pokemon cried as he ran towards Ash, the Aura Sphere surrounded by Electro Ball, while being held at the end of an Iron Tail.

"Partner, for the love of all magic, what is that?" Derflinger asked.

"Electro Aura Tail, I guess," Ash replied, with a proud grin. "Get ready, Derflinger, I think this is going to be the strongest attack yet!"

"Suddenly, your craziness makes sense," Derflinger remarked. "I'll eat as much as I can, but even with that shield trick we may not hold up!"

"We'll never know unless we try!" Ash declared. His entire body blazed blue as he pushed as much of his Aura as he could into Derflinger, making a shield that he braced into the ground for extra resistance. "Give us all you got, Pikachu!"

"Pi, Pikapi!"

The three-move combo crashed against the vibrant blue shield.

Then Ash was knocked unconscious for the second time that day.

Ash has gotten much stronger and used to fighting, but there's a difference between fighting/hurting some people you just met, and your best friend. He also is outclassed by Pikachu in everything except durability. The runes are a big help, but even if they were taking the fight 100% serious, Pikachu still has a winning matchup.

I was going to put more drama on Pikachu squabbling with Derf and Louise, but there's loads of time for them to get annoyed with each other. They've got a duel to prepare for! Speaking of that duel, originally this chapter was going to be merged with the Duel chapter, but the pacing felt off and this chapter is large enough to stand on its own.

Lemme know what you think about this chapter! Once this arc is done, I can finally release some "pokedex entries" thanks to Cattleya. Remember, reviews are food for a writer's soul! (but if you want to pay for me grocery bill, I do have a Ko-Fi)