Lavaridge Town, Hoenn

Day 66 – July 11th

Just as it had been the previous night, Ash's sleep was fitful at best. His guilt over allowing Teams Aqua and Magma to capture Kyogre and Groudon – as well as witnessing Rayquaza's wrath – haunted his dreams whenever he closed his eyes.

Even in the instances where he could put aside said guilt, sleep still didn't come easily. His mind was awhirl with what the crime syndicates had planned for the Legendaries they'd captured, what the next step of his quest should be (a topic he'd discussed the previous day with Pyramid King Brandon in an effort to both prepare and get his mind off his failings), and how Misty was doing.

It was almost annoying, the way his mind kept returning to Misty. Before this journey had started, his focus had been almost single-mindedly centered upon his work; and now, not long after entering what he could only define as a romantic relationship, everything ended up coming back around to his red-haired best friend.

Even as friends, his (conscious) thoughts had never been so centered about her. It was a little disturbing.

That night, when he finally managed to fall asleep, he once again found himself in the vague darkness lit only by purple lightning that he'd originally met Rai in. Just like the first time, the white-haired woman was there to greet him, appearing to levitate in place despite the fact that there was no discernible floor in the dreamscape. "Hello, Chosen One."

"Uh, hey, Rai," Ash managed. He looked around apprehensively, as if in expectation of something to appear from the darkness. "What's the occasion?"

"I have come to inform you that the Sealed Chamber has been undone. Your access to the Legendary Golems can continue unimpeded."

"Oh…alright."

If Rai had eyebrows – and he briefly found it strange that she didn't – Ash imagined that one would've been arched in curiosity. "You seem…surprised…and unenthused."

"I thought you might be here to, I dunno, reprimand me or something. For failing to help Groudon and Kyogre," he added, averting his eyes in shame.

Rai was silent for a long moment, which gave Ash enough time to recompose himself and return his attention to her. "Many things are beyond our control, Chosen One," she placated gently. "What has befallen the Creators of the Lands and Seas is unfortunate, true, but you cannot retain culpability for the actions of others.

"However," she continued, "you should now be aware that there are more perils in your journey than were previously anticipated. The balance of power in Hoenn has been disturbed, and that will create more conflict which you shall have to face. Rayquaza's ire is no small thing, but it does not change your goal; you may in fact find that it is even more imperative for you to bond with Rayquaza now than was originally the case."

Ash allowed her words to sink in before nodding, a glimmer of the same resolve he'd always possessed in his childhood burning in his brown eyes. "Got it. I'll do my best."

Rai returned the gesture. "That is all that can be asked of you." Then she was gone, and Ash was left alone with his dreams.

-l-l-l-

Route 111, Hoenn

Day 69 – July 14th

Things were always easier said than done when it came to his journeys, Ash realized.

Using the crook of his arm to shield the lower part of his face from Route 111's blistering winds, he squinted into the distance despite the Go-Goggles he and Brock had procured back in Lavaridge Town. The small hub was apparently well-equipped for all sorts of travelers, several stores selling gear for the hikers who liked to traverse the Jagged Pass and Mt. Chimney, as well as the adventurers and archaeologists who wanted to brave Route 111's expansive desert.

Not that many tried.

Route 111 spread across Hoenn's central landmass, ranging from just north of Mauville City all the way to the east of Fallarbor Town. The entire area was uninhabitable by humans – though hordes of the Trapinch, Cacnea, Sandshrew, and Baltoy evolutionary lines thrived there – due to a combination of high speed winds and a lack of oases.

Unfortunately, none of that deterred the cockier adventurers (or as Brock had said before they'd departed Lavaridge, the younger Ashes of the world) or members of the scientific community looking to understand how the world had evolved, as the northern part of Route 111 was famed for its Pokémon fossils. Scientists were still working on figuring how water-based creatures such as Anorith and Lileep had flourished in the massive desert; or, more likely, what had happened to turn a once moist area into its now-arid climate.

Of course, the winds and sands made it difficult to get good readings from most equipment, but that was where Brandon excelled. As one of the world's foremost archaeological experts, and more importantly, as Ash's Battle Frontier colleague, the older man's Battle Pyramid was equipped with all the technological innovations necessary to help him in the field. It was him Ash had spoken to about Hoenn's Legendary Golems, and him who had confirmed an unusual energy spike several days prior in the desert's southernmost point, matched only by two other signatures deep on Routes 105 and 120.

But even some matter of concrete knowledge about where they were headed didn't make the journey any easier. Even with the Go-Goggles, visibility was limited, and both Ash and Brock had stumbled into a handful of Trapinch sandpits that they'd been forced to fight their way out of. Talking was a futile exercise, their voices muffled by the scarves they wore and carried away by the wind.

They'd been traveling for hours when Ash finally stopped and stared ahead, making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. The giant rock formation that he'd thought he'd glimpsed previously loomed not too far from their current position. He checked the GPS device containing the coordinates Brandon had given him for the energy spike; the dot seemed to pinpoint the monolith's location.

He glanced behind him to make sure he hadn't lost Brock and pointed straight ahead, waiting until his friend nodded in understanding before taking off for the formation. Ash wondered if it was a trick of his imagination that the winds seemed to pick up the closer they got to their destination, as if trying to ward off uninvited guests.

Both men eventually fell into the shadow of the monolith, using it as a shield from the desert's harsh breath. Ash removed his goggles and placed them on his forehead before grasping the cloth covering his mouth and yanking it down to take an unhindered gasp of air. Brock mirrored his movements as Pikachu jumped out of the bundle Ash had been carrying on his back. "So," Brock said, "I guess this is it?"

Ash checked the GPS and then turned it to show his friend; their location coincided with the blinking dot Brandon's coordinates designated. "Yep."

"Now what?"

The Frontier Brain didn't have an answer for him. Rai had mentioned that the Sealed Chamber had been undone, but the truth was that Hoenn had some of the most complex mythology of the entire Pokémon world, inclusive of the Legendary Pokémon, and the trio of golems was no exception.

Ancient writings from historical texts in Canalave City's library in Sinnoh spoke of Regigigas as the trio's creator and overseer, at a time when the giant creature itself had been worshipped as the closest thing to a god people could understand. After bringing the continents together, the Colossal Pokémon had used its powers to form creatures of its own image from rocks, glaciers, and magma – Regirock, Regice, and Registeel – to represent the dawning of the Stone, Ice, and Iron Ages. But that had been its undoing.

Fearing its power, the ancient people of Sinnoh had used the Legendary Golems to lock Regigigas away in the depths of the Snowpoint Temple, and then, to make sure it couldn't be freed, captured and transported them as far away as they could conceive – Hoenn. From there, Hoenn legend suggested that the natives had built special complexes to hide away the golems until such a time came that they could be truly tamed by mankind. They'd even gone on to construct a secret chamber deep underwater with the aid of Pokémon like Relicanth and Wailord which required unsealing to access the trio.

Ash didn't know what to believe. According to the legend, there was only one trio of golems, but he knew that Brandon had a set, and now he was hunting for another set? Plus, it was always a little dangerous to mix myths from the different regions as each had its own background and origin story that tended to conflict with the others'.

Still, Rai had all but confirmed the existence of the Sealed Chamber – and whether it was underwater or not, Ash had no idea – and she'd told him that only he would be able to gain access to the golems' inner sanctuaries.

Only me… That felt like another reminder that he was the apparent Chosen One, that only he could combat the forces of evil and save the world. But he was just a boy – well, now an adult, he corrected mentally – and he had no special pow—

Oh…could it be…? Holding up his right hand to the stone monolith, he concentrated until a blue glow emanated from underneath his palm. Rock groaned as a slit creaked open in the formation, widening to a three-foot opening that he and Brock would have to stoop through to enter.

Ash blinked in surprise; even though it had been the only logical explanation, he hadn't really expected that to work. Aura was a concept native to Sinnoh, not Hoenn. Maybe the legends surrounding the four Regi Pokémon weren't entirely unfounded after all, as convoluted as they were.

He glanced to the side to find his own expression mirrored on the faces of Brock and Pikachu. "Well, I guess that answers that," Brock managed after a moment. "After you?"

Taking his friend's invitation, the Frontier Brain carefully ducked underneath the entranceway and immediately bit down a curse as he stubbed his toe against something hard. "Son of a…hold on, Brock. Pikachu, can you come in here and use Flash?"

The Mouse Pokémon complied eagerly, jumping atop the rock his trainer had hit and summoning electricity to his cheeks. A dim glow lit the monolith's interior, revealing a floor littered with rocks the size of soccer balls. "Watch your step," he warned Brock as he picked his way across the floor to the opposite wall, Pikachu leaping to a rock in roughly the center of the room.

"What's over there?" Brock asked, following his friend's path.

"A message," Ash responded, inspecting the small divots chiseled into the wall's surface. "It's Braille."

Brock peered over his shoulder, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I thought Braille was written as bumps, not holes."

The Frontier Brain shrugged. "Well, they're not gonna glue bumps to the wall, are they? It should read the same way whether it's bumps or holes."

"Fair enough. Can you read Braille?"

Ash let out an amused chuckle. "No. Luckily," he continued, reaching into his pants' pocket and pulling out a folded sheet of paper, "I don't have to. Brandon said a lot of ancient people used Braille to communicate and figured this might come in handy," he added, answering Brock's unspoken question. He began to trace his fingers along the divots, muttering numbers, rows, and columns to coordinate with the alphabet he held in his hands. "Hm…Brock, can you stand directly behind me?"

"Sure."

"Okay, if you're looking at my back, take a step to your right." The older male obeyed, then did so again when Ash directed him to after a momentary pause. There was another lapse of directions before Ash continued, "Okay, take two steps backwards." He turned and found his friend standing before one of the rocks that decorated the floor. Pointing, he commanded, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail on that rock."

"Pika!" Jumping into the air with his tail glowing a bright white, the Electric-type brought his appendage down upon the rock. He released a small cry as a roughly two-foot by two-foot area of earth collapsed beneath him, revealing a steep staircase that wound down into darkness.

Ash and Brock – who had stepped out of the way of the rodent's attack – leaned over the newly-revealed entrance. "You okay, buddy?"

"Pi…"

Ash picked him up as he descended the stairs, placing him upon his shoulder. "Can you light the way for us?" Pikachu's cheeks gave off sparks again, and Ash rubbed his Pokémon's head in a gesture of gratitude. "Thanks."

They walked down in silence, gazing about in wonder. Compared to the small antechamber built into the monolith, the underground was immense. The stairs led into a veritable labyrinth of craggy corridors that towered over the group. Ash and Brock called upon Swellow and Crobat to scout ahead and make sure they were taking the appropriate path as they walked along, their footsteps the only sound in the cavern.

Ash was lost in thought as his feet moved seemingly of their own accord. He should've been having an awesome time, enjoying such a grand adventure, and instead he felt a little lost and almost…lonely. The latter idea was absurd, since he was traveling in the company of Brock and Pikachu, but it was there nonetheless. And even with all the challenges they'd gone through just during the day – crossing the desert, solving the riddle to enter the ruins hidden beneath the monolith, and even the upcoming battle – his heart wasn't fully in it like it had been at the beginning of the journey.

Sure, part of it could probably be attributed to having lost Groudon and Kyogre, not to mention Charizard getting thrashed by Rayquaza, but somehow that didn't paint the full picture. Right before everything had gone downhill, he could remember walking through the Ilex Forest in search of Celebi and finding amusement in the fact that Misty was still as terrified of Bug Pokémon at age 25 as she'd been at 10.

He groaned to himself as his thoughts cycled back to his red-headed friend. The centrality of his mind was getting a little ridiculous. Finally resigning himself to turn to the one person who somehow knew more than him in this area, Ash ventured, "Brock?"

"Yeah?"

The Frontier Brain hesitated before continuing, knowing that Brock's track record didn't exactly lend to faith in the field of romance, his supposed engagement to Erika aside. Despite that, he pushed forward. "When you and Erika started dating, did you ever, I dunno, have trouble getting her out of your head?"

Brock nodded as if he'd expected this very question. "Ah, the honeymoon phase. I was wondering when it would happen."

"Honeymoon? But Misty and I aren't married!"

"Yet," Brock muttered under his breath. Aloud, he said, "It's not quite the same thing. You know how people on their honeymoon can really only focus on each other? That's what it's like when you begin dating someone. You're always thinking about that person, and you want to spend all your time with him or her. That's all."

"So, this is…normal?"

"Sure. I guess you miss Misty?"

For a moment, Ash thought that Brock would tease him for admitting it, but it seemed like he was genuinely curious about the answer. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Good." Brock smiled at him when Ash turned to give his friend a questioning look. "You've been friends for so long, I was wondering if you'd even have a honeymoon phase. But if you miss her after only a couple days of being apart, then you obviously care enough about her to see how far this'll go. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Ash fell silent at his friend's words, tossing them around in his head. No matter how he twisted it, they were still Ash and Misty, the best friends who fought and pushed each other's buttons and encouraged each other no matter what. She'd known him as a beginning trainer, throughout his battles to become a Pokémon Master, and as a Frontier Brain, and throughout all that she'd supported him.

And what had he done to support her ambitions over their friendship? Small things here and there, but nothing significant in the past number of years, as he'd been engrossed in his title of Island Expert and his research into the myths of the world's Legendary Pokémon. He felt a little bad for how one-sided their relationship had been in recent years.

"I always looked for you, you know…at the Pokémon League Summit."

"…Maybe we can go together?"

"I'd really like that."

Maybe… Ash thought, an idea taking form in his mind.

After another 15 minutes, the trio finally reached the end of maze, which opened to a blank wall that looked too smooth to be natural. Swellow and Crobat were returned to their Pokéballs as Ash approached the wall; channeling aura to his hand, he placed it upon the obstruction.

Just like with the monolith's entrance, the wall shivered before splitting down the center and creaking to the sides to reveal an inner sanctum, where a pile of mostly tan-colored rocks sat. As Ash and Brock stepped over the threshold, a series of yellow dots arranged in an 'H' pattern on one rock glowed brightly. A sound similar to that of a landslide echoed around the room as the pile of rocks stretched up from its crouched position.

Regirock was shorter than Ash had expected, though its hulking, stony body and lack of proper facial features gave it the appearance of looming over both males despite not matching them in height. Its body was made of smooth rock with strange orange coloring making up some areas and the entirety of its shoulders, which jutted up above its rounded head. As the Rock Peak Pokémon remained motionless, seemingly staring at the trio invading its resting place, the rocky wall that had granted them entrance slid shut, trapping them in the ruins.

"Well," Ash commented, turning back to face Regirock, "guess now there's no choice but to fight our way out. Let's go, Sceptile!"

The King of the Forest appeared in a flash of light, staring down the Legendary Pokémon with his usual confidence. "Sceptile, start things off with Bullet Seed!"

Yellow pellets erupted from the Grass-type's open maw in a display of one of his signature attacks. In response, Regirock held out its arms as white orbs rotated around its body on invisible axes. They materialized into a series of sharpened stones that were thrust out towards the incoming assault, nullifying both attacks. More stones followed to pepper the Forest Pokémon, but Ash called for the Hoenn starter to dodge with Agility.

Sceptile immediately took to bouncing off the walls of the inner chamber, using his superior climbing and gripping abilities to cling to the smooth stone surfaces. His opponent tried to manipulate its Stone Edge into following, but the speed difference between the two was too great; boosted by Agility, Sceptile was barely more than a blur to Regirock's vision. "Great, now use Leaf Blade!"

The pair of leafy protrusions on Sceptile's wrists burned a bright green before melding together and elongating into two curved weapons. In the blink of an eye, the Forest Pokémon appeared at Regirock's back – using the Rock Peak Pokémon's spinal spikes as a foothold – and brought his trademark attack down upon the Legendary's shoulder blades.

Regirock didn't even seem fazed by the assault – not that it was easy to tell given its lack of facial features – instead choosing to twist its body and swing its arm back in a wild Hammer Arm. Sceptile used his perch on the other creature's back as a jumping point, leaping high into the air and digging his claws into the ceiling. Once there, he glanced down and unleashed another Bullet Seed barrage at the Rock-type's head that seemed as ineffective as his previous attack.

Ash watched his Pokémon continue to evade the Legendary's assaults, unleashing Bullet Seeds at infrequent intervals, his brain working for a solution. Rock- and Steel-types were always a little weird to fight, as Ash's normally head-on strategy typically couldn't break through their defenses; neither Brock nor Misty had ever let him forget his matches against the former, where he'd been at a distinct disadvantage, even putting aside the fact that he'd been a rookie trainer. Granted, his Pidgeotto had managed to stay out of Geodude's grasp for the most part due to her speed and flight, but for all intents and purposes, that battle had been a draw.

The same scenario was playing out here. Even though Sceptile could continue to avoid the Rock Peak Pokémon's attacks, there was no offensive benefit to doing so. The Forest Pokémon was a mostly physical attacker, and this far underground, using a special attack like Solar Beam would leave too many opportunities for Regirock to strike while it charged up.

As much as he hated the idea – and as much as the Grass-type's pride would protest – Sceptile might not have been the best choice for this battle. Normally, the first Pokémon he called out was always the right choice, because he trusted what his gut instinct said. But in this case…if he wanted to break down the Legendary's impressive defenses, then Sceptile was probably the wrong companion for the job; he would have to erode them with the Rock-type's biggest weakness.

"Sceptile, return. You're just not gonna cut it this time, buddy," he apologized to the Pokéball. Then he grabbed a different one. "Let's see what you can do!"

Crawdaunt's smaller stature filled the void the Forest Pokémon left behind, the Rogue Pokémon opening and closing his tan- and scarlet-colored pincers in a show of might. Ash grinned a little at the crustacean's bravado; out of all his Hoenn Pokémon, Sceptile and Crawdaunt were the most prideful, often challenging each other even in their primary forms. The Grass-type's early evolution to his final form had often irritated Corphish, and after much effort, the lobster-like creature had finally managed to reach his full potential, resulting in much more friendly (and competitive) clashes between the two as time had gone on.

Now the Frontier Brain was counting on his Pokémon's enthusiasm to help finish the battle, despite the Water/Dark hybrid having the same focus on physical strength that Sceptile did. "Crawdaunt, hit Regirock with your Bubble Beam," he commanded.

"Craw!" agreed the crustacean, opening his pincers wide and unleashing a torrent of light blue bubbles at the Legendary Golem.

Just like with Sceptile's Bullet Seed, Regirock launched another hail of pointed stones to counter the ephemeral orbs, tearing through them with ease and forcing its opponent on the defensive. At his trainer's behest, Crawdaunt crossed his arms before his face and summoned a green barrier that the Stone Edge broke against harmlessly.

Ash nodded to himself. Where Sceptile had the speed to avoid Regirock, Crawdaunt had stronger defenses with his massive pincers, Protect, and Harden, giving the Rogue Pokémon more endurance than the Grass-type. As if that wasn't enough, Crawdaunt seemed to take his failings as a challenge to fight back harder, meaning that every attempt to attack that Regirock foiled would inspire the lobster-like creature to succeed even more.

The Rock Peak Pokémon raised its arms high above its head, its entire body gaining a thin layer of light blue aura. Then it brought down its appendages, smashing the ground with Superpower to create fissures and rocky spires that zigzagged towards its opponent. "Crawdaunt, move and use Swords Dance!" Ash commanded, even as he, Brock, and Pikachu dashed to the corners of the chamber to avoid the assault.

Crawdaunt scuttled to the left, his spindly arms and massive claws going through a series of complicated movements that left mesmerizing afterimages in their wake. When a stalagmite jutted up from the ground in his path, the crustacean's claws glowed white and slammed through it in a hasty Crabhammer that shattered the rock and sent pieces of shrapnel in Regirock's direction.

The golem released a whine of annoyance as it was peppered with its own element, though Ash didn't think it was actually hurt. It held its bulky arms out and electricity sparked along them, focusing into a small orb of yellow lightning at the ends where its hands would be; within a second, the Rock Peak Pokémon fired it off as a thin laser at the Water/Dark hybrid.

"Crawdaunt, dodge and use Harden!" Ash commanded, and the Rogue Pokémon took off once more, scuttling among the obstacles littering the floor. Regirock's Charge Beam followed him, shearing through the upper parts of the stalagmites its Superpower had created and sending debris spraying out towards the crustacean, where it bounced harmlessly off his reinforced carapace. "Alright Crawdaunt, use Night Slash to get in close!"

The lobster-like creature's claws became encased in a violet-black aura as he tried to maneuver around the terrain to get closer to Regirock. While Night Slash probably wouldn't do much damage to the rocky golem, like many Dark-type attacks, it required some measure of haste to pull off successfully, which Ash hoped would momentarily mitigate Crawdaunt's lesser speed (especially in comparison to Sceptile).

Crawdaunt moved forward in what was probably considered a dash for the crustacean, using one of his large claws to bear the brunt of the current that Regirock's Charge Beam carried. When he was only a couple feet away – and too close for the Rock Peak Pokémon to continue its electrical assault without causing some sort of friendly fire-induced recoil – Ash called out, "Now, Crabhammer!"

The Rogue Pokémon's claws lost their dark aura and instead turned bright white just before he leaped up and slammed one glowing appendage into the Legendary Pokémon's face. Regirock released a loud groan and staggered back a step from the force of the blow, straightening its posture just in time to take Crawdaunt's second claw to the shoulder. Chips of rock flecked off its body, a testament to the power of the Water-type attack boosted by the crustacean's earlier Swords Dance.

Regirock recovered quickly, its arm glowing white and swinging across in a violent Hammer Arm that caught Crawdaunt in the side and sent him careening into the wall. Ash grimaced as a spider's web of cracks appeared at the point of impact, though Crawdaunt righted himself in the next moment and clacked his pincers in a show of bravado. For a second, the Frontier Brain considered allowing the Water/Dark hybrid to continue the battle – if nothing else, Crawdaunt still seemed ready to go – but one glance at the field that had been Regirock's sealing place told him that that was a bad idea. The Rogue Pokémon had little in the way of athleticism (although he could jump and run for short bursts when the occasion called for it), and despite his physical strength, typing, and boosted power, the innumerable fissures and stalagmites that decorated the field would provide more of a hindrance than a benefit. As much as he hated the idea of switching again, his specialty was in analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Pokémon in different environments, and this was not one conducive to the Water/Dark hybrid's fighting style.

It was a good lesson in trusting his gut's first instinct, Ash mused as he recalled Crawdaunt. "You're up again, Sceptile!"

This time, when the Forest Pokémon appeared, he shot his trainer an indignant look, as if to say he never should have been withdrawn in the first place. Ash shrugged. "Sorry, buddy, you live, you learn." Sceptile huffed in response, and the Frontier Brain commented, "But hey, Crawdaunt actually did some damage, so can't say it didn't work."

Sceptile's reptilian eyes narrowed and his teeth clamped down on the twig in his mouth. Without waiting for a command, the Forest Pokémon jumped atop the nearest stalagmite, bounding from one rock formation to another when Regirock started throwing Stone Edges at him. After about half a minute of this, the Rock Peak Pokémon decided to change its tactic, breaking off one of the stalagmites nearest to it and hurling it at Sceptile. Ash shouted for the Grass-type to counter with Leaf Blade, and the reptilian creature dove into the Rock Throw, slicing through the boulder with ease. Regirock couldn't react in time as Sceptile closed in with an extra burst of speed and slashed it in an 'X' shape across the torso. Then, with the agility borne of the King of the Forest, he once again jumped off the Legendary Pokémon and dug his claws into the ceiling for purchase.

In search of its quarry, Regirock looked up, giving Sceptile an ample shot at the dotted 'H' pattern on its face with his Bullet Seed. When the Grass-type attack connected, the Rock Peak Pokémon visibly recoiled, staggering backwards and letting out another groan of pain as it did so.

Ash didn't know why it was so surprising that Regirock's weakness seemed to be its face, but if he was going to deal any significant damage to the bulky creature, Sceptile would have to focus solely on that area. "Keep it going, Sceptile," he urged.

The Grass-type grunted in understanding, unleashing another Bullet Seed at his adversary. Regirock brought its arms up to block the assault, then formed a Charge Beam that whizzed at Sceptile. The Forest Pokémon scrambled along the ceiling, avoiding the laser-like attack as dust and debris rained down on the battlefield. Ash was almost afraid that the Electric-type attack would end up bringing the ceiling down on them all if Regirock's assault continued, but fortunately, Sceptile jumped down and dashed towards the Legendary Pokémon, weathering the damage with aplomb. Bringing his bushy tail to bear, Sceptile threw his weight into a Slam attack that barely budged the Rock Peak Pokémon. Ash decided to take advantage of the battlers' nearness and called for his Pokémon to use Leaf Storm.

The yellow bulbs on Sceptile's back flashed brightly before a whirlwind of leaves engulfed the pair. Foliage whizzed around Regirock, some of the leaves eroding away at the golem's tough exterior and creating razor thin slashes in its stone body. "Bullet Seed again!" Ash shouted, and another round of glowing pellets struck Regirock in the face just as the Legendary Pokémon swung its limb around in another powerful Hammer Arm.

Sceptile released a loud cry as he went sailing backwards into the wall. The Grass-type impacted with a loud thud just as Regirock fell to one knee with a groan, the multiple attacks to its face finally showing results.

Ash took advantage of the Rock Peak Pokémon's momentary weakness, throwing a Pokéball that struck the top of the Legendary's bowed head. It disappeared in a flash of red light, and after several tense seconds, the shaking stopped. Ash released a breath of relief before going over to check on the Forest Pokémon. "You alright, buddy?"

"Scep," grunted the Grass-type, prying himself loose from the stone wall. He took the twig that was an almost permanent fixture from his mouth and rolled it along his knuckles. "Sceptile, scep."

"Yeah, I know, I shoulda stuck with you," Ash commented, rolling his eyes. The reptilian creature crossed his arms as if to say, 'Damn right'. "That pride will come back to bite you one day," advised the Frontier Brain as he recalled Sceptile.

"Like you're one to talk," Brock commented, stepping around the loosened rocks and fissures. "Pokémon adopt the bad habits of their trainers."

"Everybody's a critic," Ash muttered as Pikachu jumped up on his shoulder; he patted his trainer's head, as if to say that it was okay.

"So," Brock continued, watching Ash pick up Regirock's Pokéball, "what's next?"

The Frontier Brain stared at the red and white sphere for a long time, searching for answers in its curved surface. Finally, he said, "How 'bout a break?"

-l-l-l-

Cerulean City, Kanto

Day 78 – July 23rd

The doorbell to the Cerulean Gym echoed in the building's atrium and through to the pool area, where Misty was eating lunch in the bleachers. She sighed to herself as she rose from her spot and stretched; despite the fact that the opening of the gyms and the Indigo League wasn't slated to start for at least a week (certainly not until after the Pokémon League Summit), many younger trainers native to Cerulean City often wanted to challenge her with Pokémon they'd caught in the area to test themselves before leaving. In an effort to serve as a good role model for those just starting out, she always accepted; not to mention that many of the kids who came from Cerulean typically had Water Pokémon, of which she was well-renowned as the local expert.

Still, while she loved battling and training and bonding with her Water Pokémon, there were some aspects of being a Gym Leader that were so repetitive and exhausting that she sometimes wondered why she continued to do it.

The doorbell rang out a second time, and Misty muttered, "Yeah, yeah, just a sec," to release some of her annoyance at not being granted the time to finish her meal. When she finally opened the door, a polite (if forced) greeting on the tip of her tongue, her voice died in her throat, cerulean eyes widening at the sight before her.

Ash waved a hand in greeting, a smile spreading across his features. "Hey, Mist, how's it going? Can we come in?"

Misty could only nod dumbly in response, prompting Pikachu to release a short cry and jump into the redhead's arms. She caught him without really thinking about it, though the Mouse Pokémon's soft fur helped bring her back to her senses. "Ash…you're here. What happened to Hoenn? And where's Brock?"

"Brock decided to go to Celadon to see Erika – did you know they're getting married? – and Hoenn is…on hold. I decided to come visit."

Misty blinked. "Why?"

"I missed you." The sincerity in his words – despite how casually he'd said them, so matter-of-factly – caused Misty to smile. Maybe it had taken 15 years, but Ash finally seemed to realize that there was more to life than just traveling the world and Pokémon training, and she was reaping the rewards for her patience.

"Uh, excuse me…I'm supposed to be having a battle here?"

Both adults turned to see a younger male – 12 years old, if Misty had to guess – standing in the still-open doorway, glancing confusedly between the pair. "Right," she agreed, "come on in. Ash, you can—"

"I'll watch," he interjected as everyone walked into the pool area. "Come on, Pikachu." The Mouse Pokémon jumped atop his shoulder and waved to Misty as he and his trainer made their way to a spot in the bleachers. She watched them find seats and settle down before returning her attention to the challenger before her.

Ash watched as Misty went over the battling instructions with the challenger, elbows resting on the row behind him. Far away from the pressure of his journey, he felt more relaxed than he had in a long time, certainly not since his battle against Lugia, where there had been no high-speed chases, no time constraints, no interference by criminal syndicates he'd long thought dispersed. Starting with the capture of the Legendary Beasts, he'd just been going nonstop against riddles and obstacles both internal and external, and now he was just taking a little time off to decompress and allow whatever he and Misty had to play out.

Down below, Misty called upon her Staryu while her opponent released his Krabby, and then the battle commenced.

The Frontier Brain followed the clash with the eyes of an eager spectator, though the water arena inhibited some of the competition from view. From what he could see, though, Misty had grown into an even stronger trainer than when they'd last battled for the Cascade Badge almost 6 years prior. She took full advantage of her Pokémon's environmental suitability, using Staryu's impressive agility to outmaneuver Krabby and strike effective hits. Granted, he could tell that her opponent was a fresh trainer who didn't yet have anywhere near the same experience that Misty did, but he could see the applicability of her tactics to a battle that would be more evenly matched.

By the time her victory was secured and she was bidding goodbye to the challenger (with some advice on raising Water-types), Ash's thoughts had returned to wondering just how far she'd gotten in her goal to become a Water Pokémon Master. There was little doubt that she could put up a fierce fight against the likes of Sootopolis City's Juan or Pastoria City's Crasher Wake, but to become a true master of a single type required knowledge of each species within that type – which generally involved ownership of said species – and being stuck as the Cerulean Gym Leader for 9 months of the year probably didn't give her much time to explore. Kanto had a wide variety of Water-type Pokémon – especially at the Seafoam Islands and in the surrounding routes – but in relation to the rest of the world, it was a fraction of the amount.

Given how long it took for him to achieve his own goal while actively being able to pursue it, Ash wondered if, given what Misty had told them over their date in Goldenrod, she even had time to become a Water Pokémon Master.

As he found out over the next couple of days, the assessment of her duties that Misty had informed him of was mostly accurate, and even slightly understated. Between scheduled battles with Cerulean natives vying to test their suitability for entrance into the Indigo League, Misty worked on making sure all the fish and Pokémon in the aquariums were fed, trained her own Pokémon and took them to Nurse Joy's when necessary, maintained the gym and her house, and cared for herself on top of all that. Watching her go through all those motions, Ash was glad that his Pokémon were capable of fending for themselves on the island they'd settled on and that only his lab required any sort of upkeep, thus limiting the amount of time and work he had to put into maintenance.

He helped Misty where he could, and the grateful look she shot him when he volunteered his time made him think that the amount of work she had to do was just a little too much for one person to bear. Of course, bringing up that subject again was out of the question (for the moment, anyway), and so Ash made do with just trying to ease her burden, if only temporarily.

It also made him feel a little better about the give-and-take of their relationship, especially with how long Misty had apparently been waiting for him in the past.

Just one more reason why he'd chosen to return to Kanto not long after Misty herself had gone back.

Three days after his arrival found Ash leaning against the railing at the foot of Cerulean Gym's staircase, examining his nails. Hurried footsteps reached his ears, drawing his attention as Misty made her way down the stairs. "Ash," she called, "I've got to head out to Indigo Plateau for the Summit. Are you going to be okay here alo— Ash?"

The Frontier Brain turned around from his position to find the redhead paused in her descent, staring at him in mild confusion. He'd forgone his usual casualwear and lab coat for a long-sleeved, blue button-down shirt, black slacks, and dress shoes. "What…are you wearing?"

Ash blinked. "You don't like? I was planning on wearing it to the Summit."

"The…you're going?"

"You said you'd like it if we went together," Ash told her.

"Well, yeah, but…I didn't think you'd come to this one. Aren't you supposed to be in the middle of your journey?"

"This is more important. So," he continued, offering her a hand, "wanna go to the Summit with me?"

-l-l-l-

Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. I've finally gotten a full-time job, and between that, my personal life, and my other stories, this has just fallen by the wayside. I restructured the chapter layouts in the hope that everything will be more manageable for me, though we'll see.

Let me know what you think (if you're still there). Also, PLEASE do not ask me when I will update. I have no answer due to my busy schedule, and I'd prefer not to give estimations that will only prove false. Thanks for the support during this long update time.