GS Ball unlocked

Chapter 109, The End

"The fighting seems to have died down."

"The Gym seems quiet too."

Clemont and Korrina successful in dismantling the self destruct mechanism in the tower unbeknownst to the others. Diantha and Wikstrom were too overwhelming for the two Team Union knights and already were escorting them to the nearest cell. With the huge advantage in numbers they also rounded up every single person that was from Team Union. Nurse Joy had her hands full and with the Center as crowded as it is everybody gave a hand in healing of Pokémon who battled today.

"Still no word from Ash and Nina."

Serena should be relieved that the city seemed to be liberated. Instead she was nearly biting her nails in stress of what her crush and battle partner were doing.

"I tried calling them but there's no response. I think the communicator got destroyed."

Bonnie said about them which didn't help Serena at all. Sure she had confidence in both their abilities but seeing the giant water vortex and not hearing anything from them even she started to get worried.

"Serena? You ok?" Shauna talked to her but Serena didn't notice. Putting a hand on her shoulder the current Kalos Queen was startled.

"You've been staring at that road for hours. Come inside."

"I'm just worried." Serena told her when suddenly Bonnie jumped up and down pointing to where earlier Serena was staring. Hearing a loud crowd cheer echo through the city her worries washed away.

"There they are!"

Serena first looked to see if she could find Ash. Seeing him ride his Serperior who used her Vine Whip they tied up a black haired man in the Grass type move and carried him through the streets. Ash hanging over Serperior's long neck barely holding on he seemed exhausted. Seeing Nina ride her Arcanine the two were greeted by a heroes welcome.

"Ash! Nina!"

A huge cheer erupted from the people watching from their homes. Ash put his hands over his ears hoping to drown out the noise but he could feel the vibrations of it and it made him a bit motion sick. Normally he didn't mind and he understood the people were all happy. It just it felt like he had drills going into his skull.

"They did it!" Serena couldn't be happier to see him.

"Of course they did! Like he ever stood a change against the two of them!" Shauna sharing the celebrations was relieved too. Guess Serena would get another chance to tell her feelings to him not knowing she did so already and a date was already planned.

The others of Ash's friends stormed out of the Pokémon Center. Bonnie, Clemont and Korrina all hugged it out seeing them all in one piece.

Diantha taking the forefront saw the man who they tied up. Multiple lines he seemed to be quite heavy with tattoos.

"That's him?" Eyeing the man he seemed to be winching in pain and unable to talk.

"That's him alright." Ash spoke lacking any energy. Serena and Korrina helped him off Serperior. Now on his own two feet he had trouble supporting his weight and only stood straight up thanks to the help of the girls.

"Did you have to drag him around like that?"

Clemont and Shauna helped Nina off her Arcanine. Unlike Ash she was able to stand on her own but not a word came out of her. Nina shrugged her shoulders nodding yes and Ash talked for her why.

"It's tradition. In old times Battle Bond trainers usually tied up and let people walk through the place they did harm too to shame them."

Ash keeping it authentic to what he learned which his battle partner gave him the thumbs up to. Serena wasn't surprised that Nina wanted to keep it as authentic as possible going as far to humiliate the Team Union leader. He had it coming either way.

"I meant topless."

"What are all those marks?" Serena asked about all of Fusion's tattoos.

"I don't know. I asked Nina but she's not talking much."

"How did the battle go?" Shauna asking just how intense it was wanting to know everything they did.

"Please tell us about it!" Bonnie spoke up her voice drilling into his ears. Grabbing his head and plugging his ears with his hands in discomfort.

"I'm having a headache that feels my head is about to burst. This crowd is too loud and I'm dead tired. Can this wait?" Ash nowhere in any capacity to speak in long conversations they directed the attention to his battle partner.

"Can you tell us?"

Nina being in a bit better shape showing lesser signs of fatigue than Ash Serena asked her to tell how it went. Nina opened her mouth and pointed inside her throat. Moving her hand to gag her mouth she put a finger on her lips afterwards to hush others and motioned it on until finally someone got it.

"Did you lose your voice?" Giving Serena the ok sign telling her she's correct.

"Did you get it back? The GS ball?" Serena dying to know if Ash got the thing he returned to Kalos for and what their mentor send them to fetch. Nina nodded yes.

"Can we see it?" Pointing to an imaginary watch on her wrist and nodding no she tried to tell this wasn't the time.

"We'll take it from here. Great job you two!"

Ash feeling the noise grimaced. He wanted nothing more but to be in a quiet area where people only whisper or say anything at all.

Diantha took over the prisoner because he needed to be interrogated about certain things. They needed him for a testimony and to explain any secrets he's been hiding on the location of various Mega Stones like Diantha's Gardevoirite and other things.

Ash and Nina were carried inside the Center. Their friends taking their Pokémon to be healed they brought the pair to a room. Laying them down on the beds they earned their rests. Proverbially tucking them in they fell asleep in a few minutes with Serena refusing to leave their side.

The next few days were all about rebuilding the damage done. Ash and Nina and their Pokémon had fully recovered from their battle. With the two at least in a form of speaking they told how their encounter with the Team Union leader went and how the battle played out. Serena and her group of friends were on the pair every word as they explained how it all happened.

Professor Sycamore left his laboratory with his assistants to join in the celebrations. Congratulating everyone over a job well done the researcher tried once more to get the silver haired girl to share some more about Battle Bond with him. A defiant no was still the response leaving him hanging. Trying to get closer on a personal level to her Nina wanted nothing of it ignoring his every word. She promised Ash she wouldn't say anything bad to them.

Since Ash and most of his friends already had received the medal of honor for saving the Kalos region they wanted to organize a ceremony to hand out more to Palermo's men who volunteered and Nina. The silver haired girl not much for awards did accept that one only to rub it in the face of the hunters who started her path of becoming a Battle Bond master.

"Look dad. And you said I'd never amount to anything."

Everyone in the city pitched in restoring things how they should be. People and Pokémon working to restore their homes back to the state it was a few days earlier.

Diantha tried to get the location of Team Union's first base out of Fusion, Mixture and Unit but they wouldn't speak. The Gardevoirite that was stolen not on his or any former Team Union personnel the Champion still had her own quest to fulfill.

Palermo asked the Champion to accompany her on a very special mission to someone who does know but might not tell them. Having received the recording of Fusion's confession to Clemont about what really happened she was going back to the fallen Kalos Queen and present the evidence.

While Palermo's men helped and also provided help and entertainment Nina also helped a bit with her musical showings. It seemed one of her burdens fell off and she finally could enjoy her performances a little again. Maybe she was inspired by the prospect of seeing Archer and Vivi react to her successful mission because she seemed so happy.

Spirits were high, the work nearly complete and the biggest show was about to start. Serena, Shauna and Aria were all going to perform on a stage created in front of Korrina's Gym. The beachside was the lowest point in Shalour City and pretty much nearly everyone would look down on the stage from their homes or the hill. Young and old had gathered to see the three Performers in action. The eyes of the whole region were on them to create a celebration that lasted in the eternal memory of the people who sent through all the misery here. They earned it by sticking together and not giving up so Serena saw it as her duty to give a performance that rivals her Master Class outings.

"We hope you enjoy the show!" The three and all their Pokémon gathered were greeted by a loud cheer. It seemed the crowd were waiting for it as much as they did.

"Braixen, Flamethrower!"

"Delphox, Mystical Fire!"

"Ivysaur, Solarbeam!"

All three attacks combined in the air creating a vibrant display of color. The crowd were drawn in by the dancing the three did. Not having seen that style of dancing before the crowd were enthralled by the moves. All three flowing with a grace they didn't experience before the crowd started to dance too due to how much fun they all seemed to have.

Except one.

"Did she have to teach them to those two?" Nina didn't mind teaching Serena the Battle Bond Oricorio moves. She did however mind that she shared them with her Performer friends.

"I think it's great she shares it."

"Like she can do anything wrong in your eyes."

"Let's just dance with them! Come on!" Bonnie grabbed Nina's hand and pulled her into the busy crowd.

The exhibition was a huge success. And finally things started to look normal again.

In the meantime everyone tried to figure out what the tattoos on Fusion's body meant. Some words on him were unreadable and nobody could figure out what was written on him. The words were in an old language which contained some words Nina recognized telling them it's the same language she and Primarina do their Sparkling Aria but it would take a while to translate. When Ash and Nina would go to their mentor they'd show him and see if he can figure it out.

"Will it take long for the two of you to come back?"

Ash and Nina had packed to go to Snowbelle City. Taking a helicopter from Palermo once more the two trainers were going to their special place outside of the woods there.

"Can we go with you?" Bonnie asking Nina to see the place too. Clemont agreed saying that Clembot can take care of the Gym a bit longer and he'd love to see an old Battle Bond shrine the one the two were going to.

"Sorry. But it's a place only Battle Bond trainers are allowed to go." Nina said ending all arguments immediately.

"So. Will I see you in Cyllage City?" Ash asking Serena if that's the place they'd meet again.

"Yeah. I want to be with Palermo when she goes to Francine with the evidence." Serena wanting to be there having unfinished business with her predecessor. Ash thinking that the cleanup from Team Union is nowhere near done yet.

"Will you wait for us or?" Last time Serena asked him and Nina for support when seeing the fallen Kalos Queen.

"No. We got this. You two just finish what you're set out for."

Giving him the response he wanted Ash and Nina waved goodbye to them for now. Them promising to Clemont and Bonnie to meet them again in Lumiose City and calling more often.

Korrina and her Lucario went to Nina saying they had unfinished business with their battle and that the silver haired girl will be welcome back in the Shalour City Gym to get a ending to it that satisfied them both. The next time they will not hold back and play with each other like before. Nina's response was a quiet one still not sure what to think about Mega users and wasn't going to make a judgement call until she figured out her exact relationship with Madeleine and the Mega Altaria in her possession.

"Will I see you soon?"

"You will."

Getting into the helicopter with it going airborne Ash saw Serena and his friends getting smaller and smaller Ash had one final thought about Serena before she'd disappear from view entirely.

"The moment I get back we're going on that date. I've kept you waiting long enough."

And so the story I worked for over three years finally comes to an end. Took me two new generations to complete but hey. Blame my personal life for it.

Now for the sequel. I'm taking about a month or two to make a buffer. So wait a bit for the next one since I'm taking a small break on Amour.

But I will be back for part two.

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and here's to more in the new year.

*raises glass*

See you around.