Allison Illuminated

8/19/20

::

CALIBER

::

Their sleeping bags sat side-by-side on the floor of Ash's old tent, pink and blue, pushed together by the chaos of their morning routine. Ash sat cross-legged on top of Serena's bag, pulling his shirt over his head and forcing his hat down over his hair. Sleeping next to Serena felt natural – both for all the time they'd spent traveling together and the way she fit so perfectly into his life, he had gone from camping alone to sharing his tent without a second thought. Their progress across the Wild Area was slower than the first time, but Ash was much happier.

"Riolu!" Skidding at the tent's entrance, Riolu scampered in and came up to Ash, tugging on his shirt. Laughing, Ash picked Riolu up, reaching out to brush their connection with a note of warmth and comfort. He could feel, in the vaguest sense, what Riolu wanted: a hazy outline of Serena, a desire for Ash to [follow].

Ash rose to his feet and let Riolu lead him out of the tent. "Let's see what's got you all excited."

His Pokemon were busy warming up in the clearing around their tent; Pikachu was leading the team through some basic exercises, and he waved to Ash as Ash ducked out of the tent. "Pikachu Pikapi!"

"Good morning, buddy!" Ash called back, waving to his other Pokemon, who chorused a mix of cries and roars. Bayleaf abandoned her power focusing exercise to bound over and tackle Ash, who fell back into the dirt hard, groaning under her weight. "Bayleaf…"

"Bay…" Bayleaf nuzzled his cheek, then mercifully got off. Ash clambered back to his feet, chuckling, and looked around.

"Where's Serena?"

Riolu tugged on Ash's mind again, and Ash looked over – Riolu was pointing into the woods, and Ash received another faint impression of Serena. Not an image, and not quite words; rather, a feeling that Ash knew in his heart meant his companion. Smiling, Ash followed Riolu away from the campsite.

Lake Axewell was bright and alive in the fresh early air. Hundreds of Jumpluffs and Eldegoss drifted over the trees and water on the wind, heading north to the vast meadows at the foot of Motostoke. A curious pack of Zigzagoon watched Ash and Riolu walk by from the bushes; a lone fox Pokemon Ash didn't recognize scampered away on their approach. The wild Pokemon seemed to recognize his strength and gave him a wide berth.

They came upon a clearing.

Serena stood in the sunlight, wearing a pink tracksuit with her honey blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, an entranced smile gracing her lips. She closed her eyes and danced in the Johtonian style, extending her arms up to the sun and swirling gracefully around the clearing, as though she stood on stage, wearing her finest dress, performing for the crowd. Fairy mists swirled around her on a wind whipped up by Altaria, who flitted around her head in graceful circles. Pancham and Delphox danced with Serena, accompanying her, following her lead.

Woah. Ash crept into the clearing and sat down in the roots of a grand tree, watching Serena. He pulled Riolu into his lap. Riolu was captivated, watching with sparkling eyes, gasping in amazement. He tugged on Ash's mind, pointing at Serena.

"I see her," Ash whispered, stroking Riolu's ears. "I see her."

Humming, Riolu tugged harder on Ash's mind. He received another vague impression, almost like Riolu was trying to speak to him, telling him to [watch].

He did.

Serena called out a command, striking a pose, and Altaria, Delphox, and Pancham unleashed attacks at the same time. Pancham's Dark Pulse and Altaria's Dragon Pulse exploded behind her into a cloud of dark and purple sparkles that were swept up into the swirling blaze of Delphox's mystical fire, curling tight around Serena as she continued to dance, falling into a routine Ash recognized, an homage to Ho-oh and the sun. Delphox came before Serena and followed her in dance, guiding the tendrils of glittering flame with her stick, spinning and dipping with Serena. Serena and Delphox danced in perfect unison and Pancham erected a crown of Stone Edges around them, coming to the highest stone as Altaria spiraled around the rock formation, glowing with the violence of a Dragon Dance, the primal energy propelling her in tight circles, as the flames came up to halo Altaria and Pancham.

Serena and Delphox came to a stop. Serena threw her hand skyward, and the halo of fire exploded into a radiant shower of light. Altaria began to sing, a haunting rhythm that sounded eerily like Perish Song and sent goosebumps crawling up Ash's arms. Pancham and Delphox both sank into deep bows, and Serena performed the last moves of her dance, cupping her hands to her chest and calling out to Delphox. A sphere of Hidden Power materialized between her palms, illuminating her face, her beautiful blue eyes, held in place by a Psychic. As Altaria's song reached its crescendo, Serena raised her hands and cast the sphere skyward.

It hovered there, casting an eerie blue glow, sending rippling reflections over the trees as the cascade of power washed over the clearing. Serena looked up at the orb of light and smiled in quiet awe, one hand coming to clasp the ribbon around her neck. She stood in the sun's gaze. Then, at a gesture, the orb drifted out of existence, leaving only Serena, Ash, and her Pokemon.

Ash exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He only had eyes for Serena.

Across their bond, he could feel the wonder within Riolu. Riolu clambered to the edge of Ash's lap, reaching out to catch the last of the sparkles as they drifted to the ground. He turned back and pressed on Ash's chest, pawing for attention.

"…"

"Huh?" Ash tore his eyes away from Serena, looking down at Riolu.

"...Daddy."

The whisper of a voice in his mind caught Ash off-guard. Forgetting how to breathe again, Ash stared into Riolu's wide eyes, so full of trust and adoration, as Riolu leaned into his chest, their connection strengthening. He searched and found Riolu with his aura. "What did you call me?" Ash whispered.

Riolu pressed into him, physically and mentally. "Daddy!"

An amazed laugh escaping his lips, Ash, overcome with a swell of emotion, took Riolu in his arms and pulled him into a tight hug, cradling his Pokemon. He fought not to tear up – he had raised Pokemon from birth, cared for them, traveled the world but he had never felt this before, never with such intensity, and it was all he could do to whisper, "Yes. I'm here, Riolu. Your daddy's here."

[love] [love] [love]

It was only after Ash managed to blink through a film of tears and loosen his vice grip on Riolu that he realized they were glowing again, their auras making a haze around them.

Serena stood before him, a towel thrown over the shoulder of her tracksuit, a smile playing at her lips.

"How long have you been standing there?" Ash asked.

"Long enough. I didn't want to disturb your moment."

Ash glanced down at Riolu. "Thank you."

Riolu yawned, tuckered out, and began to drift off into a nap. Ash gathered him up and rose to his feet. Serena's Pokemon were chatting in a cluster off to the side, which meant there were no prying eyes around them.

"Your performance was amazing," Ash said. "That was the sun dance, right? I remember seeing it in Johto – where did you learn it?"

"Hoenn," Serena said. "There was a traveling monk who taught me. He said that when you dance for a legendary, when you dance in reverence or worship, you have to dance with all your soul, like there's nothing else in the world that matters more than the beauty of what you're creating. And I thought that was beautiful, so I had Braixen and Pancham learn it, back when Delphox was a Braixen. When the sun is shining I like doing it, even when there's nobody else around. It brings me peace."

Ash could see the peace in the ease she spoke of it. He stepped closer, gently resting Riolu at his feet so he could reach out when Serena offered him a hand. Her skin was soft. "It was incredible," he said.

"Thank you."

Ash reached out and put his other hand on her waist like he had when they'd danced. He was hesitant, unsure if he'd gone to far, but her expression softened and she put her hand on his shoulder. Serena ducked her head, bashful, and glanced up at him with hopeful eyes.

"I saw Ho-oh, once," Ash murmured, swaying back and forth with Serena. "It was on the first day of my journey. I was wet and scared and hurt and alone after we'd been attacked by Spearow in a thunderstorm, me and Pikachu, and I didn't know if we'd ever make it past Route One. But then the skies cleared and for a moment it was there, flying off into the distance."

Serena didn't respond immediately; she closed the distance between them, leaning into Ash. It was a different sort of closenesss than what Ash had with Riolu. "What did it look like?" she asked. "The legends say it shines like a rainbow."

"It does," Ash agreed. "I don't think I've even seen such a vibrant Pokemon since. It was like… when you've been underground and you come out on an overlook and you can see the whole world beneath you."

"Wow," Serena hummed.

"I didn't know what it was. Dexter, my first Pokedex, he said it was undiscovered. I didn't put the pieces together for years, and I registered it with Professor Oak, just to confirm that the legends are true." Ash laughed under his breath. "Professor Cerise found out, of course, and when some kid showed up with a rainbow wing he sent me back to the Tin Tower to try and summon Ho-oh. It worked, I think, even though I didn't see Ho-oh. I think that was part of what turned me off about that job, actually. It didn't feel right to summon Ho-oh for such a… simple reason. It deserves to be worshiped, I think, like you were."

Blushing, Serena ducked her head. "I'm no shrine maiden," she said. "I'm only an amateur, really-"

"It was beautiful," Ash said with certainty. "The combos were as good as they were at the Wallace Cup, and the Hidden Power move was inspired. If you ever go to Johto, you should perform that there. It must have taken an incredible amount of practice – you shouldn't undersell that-"

Serena giggled and scratched the back of her neck. "Actually, we were kinda freestyling? Not the dance, the performance."

Ash blinked, soaking that bit of information in.

"Huh." He met Serena's eyes, which had become strangely enticing. "Hey, Serena? Do you remember that thing you did on the escalator, back in the airport?"

Serena grinned. "Do I remember? Please, Ash, you couldn't make me forget it if I tried."

"Do you think we could do that again now?"

"Yes."

Ash stepped in and kissed Serena, pulling her into a leaning embrace. Serena's ponytail fell back into the open air. Serena made a low noise of jubilation and relaxed, letting Ash bear her weight, like she'd been waiting for a long time for Ash to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. The implicit trust, that Serena felt safest in his embrace, inspired something in Ash, something he didn't fully understand and had only begun to explore. All he knew was that he wanted this. And he didn't let go.

::

"Alright, who's ready to train today?"

Five Pokemon cried out an affirmative.

Yawning, Oshawott rolled over on the ground and closed his eyes, mumbling something incoherent that Ash didn't bother translating. His eye twitched. "Oshawott…" he muttered. Infernape prodded Oshawott with his foot, but Oshawott didn't get up.

Pikachu crossed his arms in annoyance marched over to Oshawott. "Pi pikachu pika!" he said, prodding Oshawott with his tail. When Oshawott only made a vague noise, Pikachu sighed, rubbed his cheeks, and electrocuted Oshawott into standing up. Oshawott cried out in alarm, drawing his scalchop, but Pikachu had already turned his attention back to Ash.

Ash sighed. "Alright, here's the deal. We've got two hours before get back on the move towards the Weald, so let's make them count. Pikachu and Infernape, pair up. You guys know what to do."

Pikachu and Infernape cried out affirmatives and loped off to practice together. Ash trusted his most experienced members – he could count on them to practice independently.

"Riolu," Ash said, kneeling down to address his youngest Pokemon. Riolu puffed his chest out, raising a paw. "I want you to practice your Force Palm, alright? Get used to the move – run around, get some energy out, attack some boulders and trees. I'll come around and check in on you in a bit, okay?"

Riolu raced off, palm glowing. Ash turned to Bayleaf.

"I want you to keep working on that Leaf Storm and Poison Powder combo, alright? Try to focus on narrowing the Leaf Storm so it's more accurate." Bayleaf cried an acknowledgment and bounded off in the same direction as Pikachu and Infernape, leaving Ash with Oshawott and Dragonite. Oshawott was nervously bouncing from foot to foot, while Dragonite calmly waited for instructions. Ash crossed his arms. "You guys are with me."

Oshawott paled, looking up at Dragonite's imposing form. "Wott…"

"No, really, this will be good for both of you," Ash said, leading them over to an open area they could use as a battlefield. "Dragonite, you've got a lot of raw power you don't know how to control yet since you only recently evolved. That's fine against something big or slow but fighting a small fast Pokemon like Oshawott you're going to get outmaneuvered. I want you to practice your fine accuracy with Hyper Beam."

Oshawott panicked, running around in circles. Ash stuffed down his amusement and gave him a firm look. "And you, Oshawott, freeze up under pressure. You stop listening to me and start listening to your instincts, which will get you seriously hurt in a high-stakes battle." Oshawott stopped, chastised, and hung his head. Ash frowned. "I'm not saying that to criticize you – but you've gotta be willing to work on it! C'mon, you're awesome! I know you're older, faster, and more powerful than Dragonite, why is why we're going to practice this. Dragonite gets to work on his Hyper Beam, and we get to work on your listening. There is zero reason you should actually get hit."

Ash knew he was right. He needed Oshawott to know that he was right too.

The session was long and painful. By the end, Ash was completely soaked and the entire clearing had been torn to shreds – the foliage gone, deep gouges carved in the earth and a pool of mud covering the ground. Oshawott and Dragonite were both filthy and destructive. Ash mentally started to note any battle Oshawott took part in as a massive collateral damage risk. But Dragonite's Hyper Beams had become more powerful and more focused. And Oshawott hadn't gotten hit. Not once.

Exhausted, Ash slumped to the ground, not caring that he was sitting in mud. Oshawott marched up to him and chittered angrily. "Sorry, buddy," Ash groaned, slicking the mud through his hair. "I won't throw you to the dragons again. No more Hyper Beams. But you've got to admit I was right."

Oshawott exhaled in exhaustion and slumped down next to Ash in the mud. He looked up and Ash looked down – which gave him a perfect opportunity to Water Gun Ash in the face.

Ash blinked away the water. "I probably deserve that. And thank you."

"Wott," Oshawott huffed.

In the middle of the clearing, Dragonite toppled over from fatigue and went to sleep in the middle of the mud puddle.

By the time Serena found them twenty minutes later, Ash and Oshawott were sitting cross-legged across from each other, unabashedly having a mud fight. Ash looked up at Serena and received a dollop of mud to the face for his effort. Oshawott collapsed into a pile of snickers. Her mouth hanging open, Serena reached into her bag, pulled out her Rotom Phone, and snapped a picture.

"What's that for?" Ash protested as Oshawott laughed harder.

Serena smirked. "Blackmail. I'm not going anywhere near you until you take a bath, so don't even think about trying to get my phone."

"I'll take a swim in the lake later," Ash said, waving her off. "What's up?"

"There's some news I thought you would be interested in. Doesn't affect us, but then I remembered that you know everyone and you'd like to know. Cynthia's coming to Galar in a few days – she's got her yearly exhibition lined up, and she's going for a rematch versus Leon."

Ash's eyes lit up; he pushed his way to his feet, grinning. "Really?"

Laughing, Serena nodded. "I knew you'd know her!" she exclaimed. "She's supposed to be in Wyndon the whole time, though."

"Oh, man." Ash wiped at the mud on his face. "I haven't seen Cynthia in a few years, not since the Kalos Crisis-"

"Where was I?!"

"Doing clean-up." Ash's face darkened for a moment. "You remember how chaotic that was. She was only there for half an hour, and I was… not in a good place. Forget about that. She checks in on me a lot but we never manage to run into each other. We should totally try to catch her while she's here!"

Serena sighed dreamily and hugged her bag to her chest. "Meeting the Cynthia Shirona. If only I'd known that hanging around you was the way to fulfill all my childhood fantasies I would have tracked you down years ago. Is she as awesome as everyone says?"

"She's even better," Ash said.

"Really? How so?"

Ash grinned, thinking of all the adventures he'd had with Sinnoh's champion. "She's fearless. A lot of the time I end up having to take on dangerous battles alone but when there's real trouble, Cynthia is right there, every time. She was there for the Galactic Crisis and she helped stop the Forces of Nature. Plus, her Garchomp is the strongest Pokemon I've ever met that's not a legendary. And she loves me, and she's easy to bribe."

"Why are you bribing Cynthia?" Serena choked out, scandalized.

"Ice cream. She has the worst sweet tooth."

Laughing, Serena nodded in the direction of their campsite, shooting another skeptical look at his coat of mud. "What are you waiting for, then? Go get cleaned up and give her a call. If we're gonna go catch a champion we might want to hurry up our trip to the Slumbering Weald."

Beckoning for Oshawott to follow and returning Dragonite, Ash's excitement began to mount. "Right!"

::

One of the reasons Ash was quickly coming to love the Wild Area was that, despite the fact that the majority of Galar's trainers came to the Area to train, the expanse was so vast and so uncultivated that one could travel straight across the main traffic-way between Motostoke and Wild Area Station and not see head nor tail of another person.

It meant long, uninterrupted training sessions and idyllic walks through untouched terrain. It meant long nights under an undisturbed starry sky, breathtaking vistas where Ash could watch Serena take in the landscape in awe, her hair blowing in the wind, and a near-endless supply of grottos and creeks to traverse. It meant Ash felt comfortable taking a proper bath in the lake, complete with soap and an angry Wooper he managed to accidentally step on; he left the lake refreshed, tossing on a spare pair of pants as he laid his muddy clothes out to dry.

"Are you decent?" Serena called from behind the bank, where they were camping.

"Yeah!" Ash called back.

When Serena came around the bend and caught sight of Ash, who was lounging on the sunny bank, his towel casually draped over his shoulders, she stopped short. Ash blinked, confused – but then Serena trailed her gaze from his face to his well-toned chest, deliberately running her eyes down the length of his body, and he flushed. Being in good shape was a consequence of living on the road. If his physique made her look at him like that, though…

Two years ago, Serena would have blushed, stammered something, and run off. Now, she let her gaze laze back up toward his face, a sly grin crossing hers.

"Nice."

Ash and Serena stared at each other, then they both burst out laughing. Serena came over and sat next to him in the sand as he clutched his stomach, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Man, did she get more confident in Hoenn. The newfound ease Serena had around Ash made him want to grin like a madman; it colored everything she did in a new light, the way Serena leaned against his bare shoulder, snuggling into his side to watch the lake, and handed him his phone.

"You smell good," she told him, peering over his shoulder as he swiped the phone open and tapped his way to his contacts.

"I'd hope I smell clean," Ash said. "I did just take a bath."

Serena rolled her eyes. "You neversmell clean. You can't go five minutes without getting into a battle or getting dirty, and I heard you trying to wrestle that Wooper. No, it's… I don't know, fresh. Like you."

"Oh. Thank you?"

"Mm."

I'll never understand girls. Ash held back a sigh. Saying it seemed to make Serena happy, though, so he let it pass without comment and focused on digging up Cynthia's number. Their last text conversation had been when he'd started with Professor Cerise; she'd congratulated him on the job and wished him luck. Fiddling his thumbs over the keys, Ash composed a few short messages.

Ash: Hey Cynthia!

Ash: Heard you were coming to Galar – I'm traveling there rn and thought I might drop by

Ash: Will you have any free time?

"There! That'll do it."

Serena read the texts over with an approving nod. "Mhm. Very casual."

Suddenly, the phone started vibrating in Ash's hands as Rotom announced the call: Incoming Call from Cynthia Shirona.

Ash panicked.

"She's calling?! Now?!"

"Pick up!" Serena exclaimed.

"I can't!" Ash cried. "I'm not wearing a shirt!"

"Ash, what did you do with your shirt?!"

From the lake edge, a very pleased Wooper wearing Ash's shirt like a bandana popped up. "Wooper!"

"Why, you!" Ash thrust the ringing phone into Serena's hands and dashed toward the Wooper.

"No!" Serena yelled. "You just took a bath, you-"

SPLASH.

"Idiot."

Ash missed the Wooper and faceplanted into the shallows of the lake. He burst out of the water, spluttering, and turned toward the Wooper, who giggled and promptly hit Ash in the face with a Mud Shot. Wooper wriggled out of the t-shirt and dove away. Ash, now covered in mud again, took one look at his t-shirt floating in the water, groaned, and flopped back into the water, disappearing into a cloud of sediment.

Serena sighed. "So much for smelling nice…" She answered the phone as Ash resurfaced, putting on her most diplomatic face. "Ah… hi!"

"Oh? Hello… Serena Yvonne? Is that right?"

Eeping, Serena went bright red. "Yes, that's me. Hi, Cynthia, you… know my name?"

"Yes, I remember you," Cynthia said. "You're one of Ash's friends, correct? I saw your performance at the Wallace Cup this year, which was quite impressive. I take it you're traveling with Ash."

"Yes," Serena said, blushing at the camera. "It's nice to meet you. Ash speaks highly of you."

"Is Ash there?"

Ash frantically waved his arms at Serena, shaking his head 'no.' Serena smirked and turned the camera on Ash, letting Rotom float out of her hands and zip over to give Cynthia a better look. Traitor! Ash scratched the back of his neck and gave Cynthia a sheepish grin, trying not to be embarrassed that he was shirtless and covered in gunk. "Hey, Cynthia. Sorry about this…"

Cynthia, who was as perfectly composed as always before the video camera, hid her laugh behind her hand. She took in Ash's appearance, raising an eyebrow. "What did you get yourself into this time?"

He groaned. "I was training with Oshawott and Dragonite and they made a mess and got me all muddy, then Oshawott got me into a mud fight and I had to wash off. But then I stepped on a Wooper and it got mad at me and stole my shirt, and I tried to get it back so it hit me with a Mud Shot."

"The same Oshawott who had a crush on Meloetta? He was quite the character," Cynthia said, eyes sparkling with mirth. "Training a Dragonite is quite impressive. Although, what exactly are you doing in Galar? I was under the impression you were working for Cerise in Kanto?"

Ash cringed further. "I was. It didn't work out."

"Clearly."

Crossing his arms, Ash frowned. "It's not like that. I hatched a Riolu, and it didn't feel right to stay after that happened. I need to be on the road, training him – that, and I've gotten hooked on the World Championships. That's my new goal, to make it to Master Ball tier!"

Cynthia's eyes widened; something Ash said had taken her aback, but he wasn't sure what. She leaned closer to the camera. "That's a big goal, but I'm not surprised at all. Coming for my throne, are you? You're going to have to battle hard to get there."

"Course I will," Ash said. "I'm gonna be a Pokemon Master, after all. It was about time I start taking it seriously. That's why I quit my job – even if I was good at it, it wasn't what I wanted, what I know I need to do."

Throughout the conversation, Serena had been watching quietly; she'd settled back down on the beach to watch Ash talk, frowning in thought, playing with the brim of her hat. The intensity of her regard was impossible for Ash to ignore. He didn't mind though – when she watched him, he felt seen. He was certain that if she was picking up something he wasn't, she would tell him.

Cynthia smiled at Ash. "I suppose you had to grow up eventually."

"What do you mean, eventually?!"

Serena burst out laughing, and Cynthia snorted. "Please."

Ash pouted. "Okay, so maybe I was occasionally immature when I was traveling Sinnoh, but I haven't been like that for years!"

He walked out of the water onto the sand, wiping the mud off his shoulder, and collapsed in the sand next to Serena, but not close enough that she might've gotten dirty. Rotom zoomed out to put both Ash and Serena in Cynthia's frame.

"He has his moments," Serena said, shooting Ash a fond smile.

Ash smiled back. "I try."

"Well, you happened to text at a good time," Cynthia said, reclining in her chair. Ash caught a glimpse of her office, which was as chaotic and messy as ever, filled to the brim with boxes of documents and a pile of stone glyphs that looked like Unown – which made Ash shiver. He'd never had good experiences with the ancient Pokemon. "I'm busy packing up my villa in Undella for the winter, so I've been taking a few days off from my league duties. In fact, I'm not set to resume until I come to Galar, so I will have some free time before my official docket begins. I'll come track you down then – unless you're already in Wyndon."

Ash's smile widened; he could hardly believe their good luck. Cynthia never had free time. Serena looked taken aback at the prospect of Cynthia offering up her free time to them. "Sweet! We're in the Wild Area south of Motostoke – Professor Magnolia's sending us to investigate a legendary sighting-"

"Should I be worried?"

"Probably. It's always something," Ash admitted. "But Serena arrived from Kalos a week ago to travel with me, and we've been taking the scenic route. Dragonite can fly and the trains are faster, but it's all about the journey, you know?"

"I've been enjoying all the sights," Serena said, her eyes flicking to Ash. Ash blushed.

"I'm happy for the two of you," Cynthia said dryly, the corner of her lips turning up. "And that was nearly philosophical. I'm impressed."

"Magnolia also isn't paying me," Ash said.

"Oh, well that's a good reason too, I suppose."

"So you're coming?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," Cynthia said, and there was something soft in her expression. "If you find somewhere open in three day's time, a clearing with space to battle, I will find you. My schedule may be busy, but I can always make an afternoon for you, Ash."

"How will you find me?" Cynthia didn't answer. A suspicion flared, and he narrowed his eyes, trying not to let the fear show on his face. "You're tracking me, aren't you?"

"Yes." Ash sucked in a sharp breath, and Serena reached over and put a hand on his arm. Cynthia frowned. "I thought you knew. It's one of the capabilities of your Rotom Phone – new technology. Every Rotom gives off a unique signal. Kukui and Oak decided they needed to be able to find out where you are in an emergency, given how many of them you get yourself into, and they worked together on the system. It's more sophisticated than the homing beacons that used to get put into Pokedexes because Rotom's coding and sentience means only approved systems can track the signal – which means only people who have permission can track you."

Ash's breathing came faster. "You didn't tell me?" he demanded. "How long?"

"Ash-"

"How long?!"

Cynthia sighed. "Since your first journey into Ultra Space."

"Over a year!" Ash burst to his feet, trembling with anger and fear, and stalked out of Serena's reach before she could grab his hand. "Do you have any idea what kind of danger that could put me in? The people and Pokemon around me? You don't- I can't believe- What if Team Rocket got their hands on that?" Ash whipped around to glare at his Rotom Phone. "What if Hunter J had had that? Lysandre? They- They-"

"Ash Ketchum." Cynthia spoke in a hard tone, slipping into her champion mode. "The only people who have access to it are me, Oak, Kukui, and Cerise. Kukui planned it because he loves you and he refused to watch you put yourself into one situation after another without making guarantees for your safety. And he should have told you and I'm going to give him a lashing that he didn't, but you are in danger far too often and if you go missing we have to know where you are. We are tracking you so you are safe, not to put you in danger. Do you understand?"

Ash held his tongue for a long moment. If he spoke, he was afraid he would say something to Cynthia he would regret. He shot Serena a furious, helpless look. Serena stared back, eyes shining, and he could see the hesitance in her eyes. "You agree," he murmured.

"They should have told you," she murmured back. "But I think Cynthia is right."

Trembling, Ash turned back to the camera and met Cynthia's eyes. "I want Cerise off the tracker," he said in a shaky voice.

"Okay," Cynthia agreed, her expression unreadable.

"I trust Kukui," Ash whispered. "I trust you. I trust Professor Oak. But I want Cerise off the tracker."

"It's done." Cynthia pressed her lips to a thin line, meeting Ash's eyes square on. "For what it's worth, I'm angry too. You're an adult, and you deserve to know these things; I don't care if Kukui sees you as a son, he should have told you. He should have realized how you would take it when you've been stalked by thugs-"

"Hey, Jessie and James aren't that bad-"

"-for the entire time you've been a trainer. You deserve to receive the trust you give us."

There was a long moment of silence.

"Thank you for telling me, Cynthia," Ash eventually managed.

"I'll see you in three days, okay?" Cynthia said. She offered him a sad smile, her platinum bangs falling over her eye. "We can talk more then."

"I'll see you then." Ash wished he were wearing his cap; he felt exposed and raw in his state of undress, with no way to hide his face and no way to avoid the camera's glare. "Bye, Cynthia."

"Goodbye, Ash."

The video feed cut off, leaving Ash and Serena alone on the beach. Ash turned to Serena, his mind spinning, the mud caking to his skin in the summer heat. Wordless, Serena stepped forward and pulled Ash into a hug.

"I thought you didn't want to get dirty."

"You need a hug. My clothes will survive."

Ash closed his eyes, hugging her back. "It's not Kukui's fault either," he said. "Arceus, Kukui wasn't there for most of it, and I wasn't exactly forthcoming about every incident I've gotten into in my life. He doesn't get the teams; the worst we faced in Alola were a bunch of out-of-control Pokemon and a corrupt scientist. He and Burnet want what's best for me; I know that; it's just…"

"It's alright," Serena said. "It doesn't have to make sense. You feel what you feel."

"Thank you."

Serena pulled away, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. She had a streak of mud across her white blouse, ruining her perfect, clean outfit, but she only had eyes for Ash. "Of course."

::

Pikachu leapt into Ash's arms with a happy 'cha,' curling up and gazing up at his trainer. Ash gave him a weak smile and snugged deeper into the crook of the mossy tree trunk, staring up through the foliage at the starry sky. The moon shone down on them, cold and distant. Pikachu, as sensitive as ever to Ash's moods, brushed his shoulder with his tail, frowning in concern. "Pikapi…"

"I'm alright, buddy," Ash murmured. He ran his fingers along Pikachu's tail in the way he knew Pikachu liked, and his partner gave a delighted 'cha.' "Sit here with me, for a bit."

They sat and listened to the sounds of Kricketots in the night. In the background, the noises from their campground dwindled as Serena and their Pokemon headed off toward bed. After a while, Pikachu drifted off in Ash's arms, leaving Ash alone and awake, lost in his thoughts.

It was strange, not having Team Rocket trailing his every move. Nice. Peaceful. But at the same time, Ash couldn't help but look over his shoulder at every turn, wondering whether he'd truly lost Team Rocket when he'd moved to Galar, whether their new promotion meant they no longer had the time to chase after Pikachu, or if they were waiting, planning their next move. And it was, Ash hated to admit to himself, kind of lonely. Jessie and James had always been there – and now that they weren't, Ash was afraid maybe they would start to actually accomplish crimes and harm people without him around to stop them. In some twisted way, they needed each other. Ash was their moral compass, and they were there when Ash needed them. With Team Rocket gone, Ash had lost one of the few constants in his life, stable parts that he didn't have many of to spare.

When had he started trusting Team Rocket? When had he started believing they would always be there?

"If you go missing, we have to know where you are." Was Ash in that much danger of disappearing? The answer, he knew, was yes. He was. How many times had he come within a hair's breadth of dying? Too many.

Ash looked at Pikachu, his other constant, and hugged him tighter. He would do anything to protect Pikachu, and that scared him sometimes. He had done anything. Ash had jumped off of Lumiose Tower headfirst to catch his oldest friend, with no safety net and no backup plan, fully expecting to hit the ground, because he couldn't let Pikachu die. Then he'd done it again in Alola. And in the back of his head, even as he'd written it off to his friends and family, Ash knew that it was wrong that he was so ready to risk his own life all the time. But Pikachu was all he'd had for his entire journey. Pokemon, people, they came and went but Pikachu was always there. Even that was a miracle, a mirage; Ash had held Pikachu in his arms as he had died to Yveltal's Oblivion Wing, and it had taken Xerneas himself to resurrect him.

This fear, his fear of being tracked, of his position, his role, being used against the Pokemon he so often swore to protect, it wasn't rational. He trusted his professors and Cynthia. There was a difference between trust and trust, though, and Ash wasn't sure when he'd begun to believe that everyone around him would eventually leave.

But Serena hadn't. Serena had come back to him. And that made all the difference.

Ash slipped into his aura, as had begun to become a habit, and relaxed into the stump as the forest turned to a sea of light. Pikachu shone with brilliant, iridescent color in his arms, which confirmed what Ash had long known – when Xerneas healed Pikachu, he had left a far greater mark than simple life. Pikachu moved like a Pikachu five years younger and fought with an intensity other members of his species could not possess. Maybe Team Rocket had overstated Pikachu's uniqueness once, but now Pikachu truly stood apart from the rest of his kind. He was touched by legends, like Ash.

In the campsite, his Pokemon slumbered. Riolu's aura hummed happily when Ash's passed over, smoothing out. Ash found Serena in their tent, where she was asleep, and watched her from afar. She was a luminous being. Overcome by a great fatigue, Ash wrapped her presence in his own. Close but away. There but not there.

He leaned back against the tree trunk – catching his breath – and watched the stars.

::

The fire tended, dinner busy stewing in the pot, Ash left the curry to bubble and picked his way across the campsite to the tent. They were camping on the lakeshore tonight, in a small meadow tucked at the base of the bluff. Sharpedo, Oshawott, and Dragonite were in the middle of an elaborate game in the water – Sylveon and Bayleaf had taken it upon themselves to ensure that everyone else was properly groomed. Riolu was resisting, trying to escape Sylveon's insistent feelers, much to Sylveon's chagrin. Grinning at the sight, Ash left Riolu to be mothered and ducked into the tent.

"Ta-da!"

Serena knelt proudly at the side of the tent, where she'd been fiddling with her makeup kit, and displayed their sleeping bags with her hands. Ash stopped short and stared. She had unzipped both bags and laid hers on top of his, spreading both out flat. "What did you do with our sleeping bags?"

"I thought we could try something different," Serena said. She grinned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "What do you think?"

"Well, it might make it a bit harder to sleep inside of them if they aren't zipped up, but-" Ash stopped short and turned bright red, taking a second glance at their sleeping bags. They were placed on top of each other. Like a blanket and a mattress. Which would mean there would only be one bed. Which would mean- "You want to sleep together?" he blurted out.

Serena turned red like a tomato. "I- You- I mean- Yes- Eeep!" She covered her face with her hands.

Ash tried picturing sleeping next to Serena. He was a restless sleeper, but he always slept better when he had something to hold onto. He would curl up and hug her from behind, because she always slept on her side, and the thought was cozy, and maybe she would roll over and kiss him again, because that had been nice, and maybe Ash would finally get to see if she was as beautiful without her clothes as she was with them-

Why are we suddenly naked?! Panicking, Ash waved his arms frantically, saying, "I mean, that would be- I- Great! I mean, I'll totally sleep with you! That's all we'll do! Sleeping! I'm really good at sleeping!"

If it was possible, Serena became even more mortified. She let out a little moan of despair that really had the opposite effect on Ash it was supposed to. "I didn't mean it like that! Or, erm, I mean- No I didn't mean!"

"Like what?" Ash asked.

Serena groaned and flopped down on her stomach onto the bags – their bed – and buried her face in the puffy folds. "Like sex," she mumbled into the down.

"Right."

There was a long pause.

"You… do know what sex is, right?" Serena asked cautiously.

Ash wanted to die from embarrassment – no, he was pretty sure he already had died. "I do…" he moaned. "Brock gave me the talk years ago."

"Oh, good," Serena said faintly. "I… Arceus. I figured, since we're dating and all-"

He blinked. "We are?"

Serena stared at Ash for a long moment, then rolled over onto her back and put a hand on her forehead. She let out a long sigh. Following her lead, Ash laid down next to her – this is what it'll be like when we're sleeping together – and stared at the tent ceiling, his mind trying really, really hard to process what was happening.

"I'm sorry," Serena managed after a few moments. "I got ahead of myself, didn't I? I've been so happy and excited about this, whatever it is, that I forgot to talk to you to make sure we were on the same page. Yeah, I kind of figured that we were dating. I mean, you kissed me and it was incredible, and we've been traveling alone together, and I… I really like you, Ash. I do."

"You do?" Ash breathed. He wanted to hear more – no, he needed to hear more, because even though he knew it, and maybe had known it for a long time, he didn't understand, not yet.

"I do," Serena said. She rolled over so she could meet his eyes, putting a hand on his chest in a way that felt intimate and made Ash comfortable, made him want nothing more than to stare up into her eyes and listen to her speak. "I think I always have. I've admired you since we were kids, and when we were together in Kalos you were so bright and passionate and determined, and I haven't been able to look away since. I think… I think I've been in love with you for a long time, Ash. If you'll have me."

His words failed him. Ash had never been good about putting his feelings about people into words anyways. There was nothing he could come up with to describe to Serena how his chest exploded with joy as she spoke, so he acted on his instinct; he leaned up and gave her a deep kiss, pulling her to him, bringing their bodies together. Serena followed his lead, kissing him back passionately, digging her fingers into the wild hair beneath his hat.

She broke away gasping. "Is that a yes?"

Ash nodded, grinning like an idiot. He felt like an idiot, for not drawing that connection, and in that moment he resolved to make it right. "Yes," he said, meeting her eyes. "I- Um, oh Arceus, I'm clueless. Serena?"

"Yes, Ash?" Serena said.

"Would you like to go out with me?"

Laughing, Serena collapsed against his chest, hugging him tight. "Yes," she breathed, the tension melting from her body. "Arceus, yes. I would like that very much." She pressed her forehead into his shoulder. "Can we stay like this for a bit?"

Ash hummed. He wrapped his arm around her, hugging her tight. "Yeah. Whatever you want."

They rested together in the tent for a long while, accompanied by the afternoon wind and the sounds of Pokemon. Infernape would be taking care of the curry, he decided. It would be okay for them to stay here, like this. Just a while longer.

"I've been writing that speech in my head for a really long time," Serena murmured, massaging at Ash's shoulder. "I was afraid I'd never give it. And now that we have, all I can wonder is why I didn't speak up years ago, that night in Coumarine City."

"You needed to go to Hoenn," Ash said. He watched the light enter through the mesh tarp-covered windows, making mesmerizing patterns on the roof. "I'm glad you did, too. It's like… You're still you, but you're more you. Does that make sense? It feels like you know who you are now."

"Doesn't feel like it," Serena said.

"Doesn't mean it's not true. And, Serena, I'd like to. Sleep with you, I mean. M-maybe not that way yet-"

She breathed a laugh, shaking her head into his chest. Her immediate dismissal was a relief; Ash had already had his whole world blown open once in the last fifteen minutes, and he wasn't sure he could handle another revelation. "I don't think either of us are ready for that yet."

"But this?" Ash closed his eyes. "I could stay like this forever."

::

"Do you think she's coming?"

Ash paced back and forth, so excited that standing still was impossible – the idea of standing still was impossible. Serena watched him go back and forth, cuddling Pikachu in her arms. "Of course Cynthia is coming," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's only one thirty. She'll be here."

They had chosen the great plateau that rose above the northern shores of Lake Axewell, a great jutting expanse of grass and summer wildflowers that rose sixty dizzying feet above the waters in verdant glory. The entire Wild Area unfurled below, forty kilometers north to Motostoke. The sky, rising in enormous fashion, was bigger on high, sprawling over Galar with the majesty of a thousand cumulonimbus clouds, as far as the eye could see, beyond the places where trainers were supposed to go. In the eye of nature everything seemed bigger. Moments passed like days – Ash could not bear to wait, when every step he took carried him one step closer to the World Championships, a dream that hinged on Cynthia's timely arrival before he lost his mind and flew out on Dragonite to find her.

"I can't wait!" Ash exclaimed, bouncing on his heels. "It's been so long! And I know she'll have lots to say about my plans to train for the Pokemon World Championships, and I can't waste one second!"

Serena giggled, watching the sky. "You're so excited. When you said you were friends with Cynthia, I had no idea you were this close."

"She's the best," Ash replied honestly. He followed her gaze to the clouds, adjusting his hat, one hand falling to brush his five pokeballs at his belt. "I have nothing but respect for her."

It happened without warning. One second, the sky was an endless expanse of blue; the next, a black blur shot toward them at supersonic speeds, roaring through the clouds with explosive force. It hurdled toward the ground, spinning with ferocious velocity – Garchomp landed on the edge of the plateau as a sonic boom tore through the air, impacting the ground with a wave of force that sent dust shooting outward, striking a vicious pose, its clawed wing shielding its body, golden eyes glowing with the energy of flight.

Ash held onto his hat, bracing against the shockwave. Serena's hat blew clear off her head, and she had to go chasing after it, wincing at the volume of the sonic boom.

Leaping off of Garchomp's back, her black coat flowing out behind her, Cynthia landed on her feet. Her platinum blonde hair whipped in the wind she'd kicked up, blowing to the right of her dark choker and her crystal teardrop necklace. When she walked, it bespoke power. Her gray eyes, shaded by her bangs, held a calculating intelligence and an unyielding resolve, and when they fell on Ash and softened, he stood straighter. Cynthia smiled.

"Cynthia!" Ash broke out into a run and collided with Cynthia into a big hug. Cynthia laughed and hugged Ash back, wrapping him up in a tight embrace that lasted for a few warm seconds.

"You've gotten tall!" she said, holding him out at arm's length to get a better look at him. "I feel like last time I saw you, you still only came up to my shoulder."

Ash grinned, running his finger under his nose. Sure enough, he was tall enough now that he could almost – almost – look Cynthia in the eyes, although she still had a solid four inches on him. It made her less imposing and more commanding, as though removing his kiddie blinders only sharpened the Champion image that Cynthia embodied. "It's so good to see you."

Serena came over. She delicately put her hat back on and patted down her hair. "You know, it's generally polite to warn people when you're going to hit them with a sonic boom," she sniffed, putting her hands on her hips and giving Cynthia a pointed look.

Cynthia laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her head. "Sorry, sorry, force of habit. You never know when a flashy entry will make a difference."

Quirking her lips, Serena gave Cynthia a long, evaluative look – Ash had to hide his snickering at the fact that Serena was judging Cynthia, not the other way around, and Cynthia stood calmly and let her, thrusting her hands in her pants pockets and flaring back her jacket to reveal a line of luxury balls. Finally, letting out a little huff that Ash knew meant she'd accepted her, Serena stuck out her hand. "Serena Yvonne."

"Cynthia Shirona." The two women shook. "It's nice to meet you, Serena," Cynthia said, an elusive smile gracing her lips. "I've heard a lot about you."

Serena held her head up high, shining with a contained pride that Ash could read, but gave little indication of the fangirling she'd shown him earlier.

"Likewise."

Cynthia looked to Ash. "I like her."

"Me too," Ash grinned.

They exchanged pleasantries and swapped travel stories, traversing the grand plateau toward the little depression where Ash and Serena had struck camp. It had been several days since last rainfall, and the grass was crisp and brisk beneath their shoes. Pikachu leaped out of Serena's arms to Ash's shoulder, standing tall at his side as he chatted with Cynthia. Once they'd sat down at the old logs around the dying campfire, Cynthia having happily eaten a plate of their leftover stir fry, their conversation turned to the World Championships.

"What brought this on?" Cynthia asked. "What made you decide you wanted to go for the crown, after all this time? Tell me everything."

"I won the Manalo Conference," Ash said. "I'd been striving for the league for the longest time, and I kept getting closer and closer – when I actually accomplished it, I guess that put me at a crossroads. I had to take a real hard look back at everything I've done and I realized that my real dream was never about the league but about being able to protect people and Pokemon, being the best, and that I could be doing so much more to make that a reality. I've always let other people set me on my paths and it landed me that job, but when Riolu hatched, I realized I know what I want – and once I knew that, and already had the way to accomplish that, I couldn't stay. So I came here, to train."

Cynthia leaned forward, intent. Ash got the distinct sense he was being tested. "And what have you been doing you weren't before?"

"I used to start with a clean slate in every new region," Ash said, glancing down at his pokeballs. "I would only bring Pikachu and I'd train a team from scratch. I got really good at that, given that I won a league, but then I would leave my old team behind even though we'd gotten strong. Now I'm traveling with old friends, for the most part, and I'm focusing on building on what they've already got. My plan is, once we've gotten our coordination down and we go back over movesets, we'll start working on strategies, tactics, that stuff. All the strongest trainers have core teams they can rely on no matter what – and I want that."

"Who do you have?"

"Pikachu, Infernape, Bayleaf, Oshawott, Dragonite, and Riolu."

She nodded, humming in thought. "Good type distribution. But more than half your team is underevolved. Why did you choose them?"

"Well, I let them choose me, really," Ash said. "I wanted only my friends who were willing to push past their limits and make it to the top with me. Pikachu and Riolu were obvious, and Dragonite is one of my new catches. Infernape might be my strongest, at this point, and I know he wasn't going to turn down a chance to go back on active duty. Bayleaf… Bayleaf is the most loyal, caring Pokemon I've ever met. I think she would follow me anywhere. And Oshawott… Oshawott is a loose cannon, I won't lie. He's crazy powerful for a basic Pokemon, but he's got more issues than I can count. I guess he just has that spark. He wants it."

"To push beyond our limits…" Cynthia leaned back against the log, looking up into the dizzying sky. "I see. So that's your fighting spirit."

"Yeah," Ash agreed.

"I want to see it."

As Cynthia rose to her feet, Serena frowned, poking at the ashes of the fire with a stick. "What do you mean?"

A change came over Cynthia – in an instant, she went from calm to steely, adopting her Champion's persona. "Fighting for mastery isn't the same as fighting in a league," Cynthia said, looking down at Ash, who shivered. "Those of us in Master Ball tier are playing a different game. The difference in power from one trainer to the next can be as great as the difference between Great Ball and Ultra Ball tier – and if you don't come at it with everything you've got, you will fail. Do you know what it means to be the best of the best, Ash? To fight off constant challengers and emerge without a single loss?"

Ash rose to his feet as well, tipping his cap. Pikachu cried out an affirmative. "I don't," he said. "But I will."

"You're right. You don't." Cynthia nodded in approval. "That's good. Arrogance only makes it that much harder to train the way you need to. That's why I'm going to show you exactly what you're up against. Follow me, both of you."

They left the campsite and went out to the grassy expanse, where Cynthia walked a battlefield's length apart from Ash and stopped. She reached for her best and took out a pokeball, tossing it casually in her hand.

"We're going to battle?" Ash asked in an awed tone. He'd watched Cynthia fight before – he'd watched the way she'd dismantled Paul without a second thought. He was under no illusions of being stronger that the Sinnoh Champion. If Cynthia was challenging him…

"You need to experience this," Cynthia said. "It's not a lesson you can learn outside of battle – and I know you learn better by doing. Here's how this is going to work. You're going to send out a Pokemon, then I'll send out mine. We'll do six one vs ones."

Ash's eyes widened further. "Your entire team?"

Cynthia smirked, sending him a challenging look. "Do you want to be Master Ball tier or not? If you're going to be the best, that means you'll have to go through me in a full six on six. Why not start now?"

Something clicked in Ash's head, and he understood what Cynthia was doing. This wasn't a battle he was meant to win, and certainly not one to go into believing he would win. If Cynthia wanted to fight him, she expected him to learn something from the loss – not humility, since she'd already said he wasn't arrogant. Something else.

"Why not," he repeated. "I do want it. I'm Ash Ketchum and I'm going to be a Pokemon Master, and I'm not going to stand down. I'll take whatever you can throw at me!"

"That's the spirit," Cynthia said. Serena cheered and Ash struck a battle stance, ready to pick a Pokemon. Cynthia beat him to the punch, though. "Now, send out Riolu first."

Ash's eyes widened. "What? No! He's just a baby, he can't go up against-"

"Ash," Cynthia interrupted. "Would I do anything to hurt your Pokemon?"

"No."

"Then I need you to trust that I know exactly what I'm doing."

Biting his lip, Ash considered Cynthia from across the grassy battlefield for a long moment, warring with himself over his parental instincts. Slowly he drew Riolu's pokeball from his belt and tossed it onto the battlefield. "Riolu, I choose you!"

Riolu appeared in a flash, crying out and striking a battle pose. Immediately their minds connected; Riolu had a rush of excitement and determination at the [battle]. Cynthia smiled, tapping her lips with a finger. She drew one of her own pokeballs and tossed it out, and a Shellos appeared on the battlefield.

"A Shellos?" Ash asked, surprised.

"Gastrodon was the first Pokemon I ever caught on my journey when I was ten," Cynthia said, watching Shellos in fond remembrance. "She fought with me for twenty years, but she's old now, and I let her rest at my home most days. She asked me to train her daughter to be as strong as she was, so I've been training Shellos whenever I have free time. I'll send her back home tomorrow, when I switch her out for Lucario for my battle with Leon." Shellos cried out in agreement.

"Awesome. Ready?"

"Ready."

Ash turned his cap back and narrowed his eyes. He wasn't going to hold back. "Vacuum Wave!"

"Ancient Power!"

The attacks collided, sending shards of rock across the battlefield – Riolu was already in motion, Quick Attacking through the smoke to land a Force Palm on Shellos, just like they'd practiced. "Now, Double Team!"

"Not so fast." Cynthia held up a finger. "Muddy Water. Then Body Slam."

Shoot! There was no terrain or elevation – the battlefield was as flat as could be. Ash frowning, thinking fast, and concocted a quick plan, reaching out with his mind to Riolu to show him an image of what he wanted. Riolu barked and crossed his arms, tanking the Muddy Water, then used Quick Attack to dodge the Body Slam and dart around Shellos. Ash cried, "Now!" and Riolu leaped into the air.

"Ancient Power," Cynthia commanded once more.

Ash grinned in triumph.

The rocks shot toward Riolu, who twisted in mid-air, his paw glowing, and force-palmed the leading rock, creating a shower of smaller rocks and dislodging the others. He Quick Attacked from rock to rock, staying in the air far above where Shellos could reach, and dove toward Shellos. "Now! Force Palm!"

"Clever," Cynthia said. She gave Ash a cool look. "Very clever, to use Ancient Power to your advantage. But not enough. Acid Armor!"

Riolu's attack made contact with a sheen of toxic slime. Shellos cried out, but Riolu stuck to Shellos' slimy skin, unable to get free.

"Now Body Slam!"

Shellos rolled over on top of Riolu, trapping Riolu underneath. Ash winced as Riolu cried out in [pain], bristling, his aura lashing out in anger. He gritted his teeth, trying to come up with a way out. "C'mon, get out from under there," he muttered.

"Is that all you've got?" Cynthia mocked. "Are we done already? I expected more from you, Ash. Stop holding out on me and show me what you're hiding!"

Ash saw blue.

His aura sight flared to life, and he sank into a more feral stance, his hands clutching into fists. The world around him exploded with light. Underneath Shellos, Riolu's aura burst to life; with a fierce cry he threw Shellos off, tossing it skyward with a Vacuum Wave, leaping after, and Ash commanded Riolu, "Force Palm!" and struck out his own. Shellos slammed into the earth – before it had a chance to rise, Ash called, "Again!" and Riolu came down-

Cynthia reached out and returned Shellos. "That's enough."

Riolu landed lightly; their auras faded. Ash blinked as he came back to himself and found both Cynthia and Serena staring at him. "What? Did we win?"

"That was like Ash-Greninja," Serena said in a hushed tone.

"So I was right," Cynthia said. "Your hatching of Riolu does mean what I thought. It's said a Riolu will only hatch for a human who is powerful with aura – it's a very rare occurrence, and I don't believe there's been a recorded instance since before I was born. Even with my training and an age advantage, Shellos was no match for Riolu. Has this happened before?"

"Once," Ash said. "I was fighting a kid on Route Two and we synced like that. The battle ended pretty fast after that, too."

"He glows when they sit together," Serena offered.

Cynthia nodded, more to herself than anyone else, and met Ash's eyes. "You need training," she said. "For that, specifically. I'll speak to Riley. I have a Lucario but I can't do any of that – I don't have the aura. But we can work that out later. Let's move on."

"Alright," Ash agreed. "Pikachu-"

"Not Pikachu." Cynthia laughed when Ash glowered at her and Pikachu sparked in annoyance at his heels. "I want to see Pikachu last. Send out somebody else."

Ash tried really, really hard not to yell at Cynthia. She's doing this to test me, he reminded himself, reaching for his belt. She's testing my patience! "Bayleaf, I choose you!"

There was definite amusement in Cynthia's eyes, and Ash twitched as she drew another luxury ball. "Roserade," she announced, and Ash muttered a curse under his breath as Roserade appeared across from Bayleaf. Bayleaf shared his apprehension, eyeing the poison-grass type. She's enjoying this.

Bayleaf lasted approximately thirty seconds. Leaf Storm, Aromatherapy, and Poison Powder were all useless against Roserade, which left Ash to figure out how the hell to land a Body Slam. Bayleaf kicked up a smokescreen of dust and both her powder moves, sprinting into Roserade with a Body Slam – which was the moment Ash remembered that Roserade had Poison Point. Poisoned with low visibility, Bayleaf tried to retreat back toward Ash, which gave Roserade a chance to coolly track her trajectory, raise one rose, and blast Bayleaf with a wicked Sludge Bomb that took her out cold.

Ash sighed and returned Bayleaf, massaging his forehead. "Now that's more like what I expected from this battle," he muttered, switching out pokeballs.

Cynthia looked on impassively. "Next."

"Oshawott, I choose you!"

Oshawott faced off against Spiritomb, who floated menacingly in the middle of the battlefield, glowing with eerie green light. Predictably, Oshawott panicked at the sight of the ghost Pokemon. Ash couldn't even blame him. Spiritomb was terrifying. Before he could get Oshawott under control, Cynthia, who clearly smelled blood in the water, smirked and commanded, "Scary Face!"

Spiritomb loomed. Oshawott went white.

"Oshawott!" Ash complained. "Get your head in the game and give her a taste of what you've got! Hydro Pump!"

Shaking himself out of his fear, Oshawott saluted Ash and unleashed an absolute torrent of water onto Spiritomb. The blast carved a deep channel through the ground, making a little pond where there'd been flat land before. When the water settled, Oshawott struck a pose and held up his scalchop in victory.

"Cute," Cynthia said. "Only you didn't hit Spiritomb." She pointed to the ground, where the Odd Keystone laid in the grass out of the line of fire. "And now you've lost."

Out of nowhere, Spiritomb Sucker Punched Oshawott in the face. Oshawott dropped like a rock.

Ash groaned in despair and returned Oshawott. That was worse than Bayleaf! Man, is she out of my league right now! He gritted his teeth, digging in his heels. He wouldn't let Riolu be his only victory, not when Riolu was the weakest and youngest on his team. If Cynthia wanted to stack the deck against him, he'd throw that back in her face. He took his next pokeball and unleashed it. "Infernape!"

Infernape roared, beating his hands against his chest – and when he caught sight of Cynthia as his opponent, rather than back down, his eyes widened in excitement. Ash caught Cynthia's expression changing again, taking on a serious edge, and he roiled in anger for Bayleaf and Oshawott. She didn't take them serious at all. He swore to himself, then and there, that the next time Cynthia faced him, he would make her take all his Pokemon seriously.

Cynthia threw her fourth pokeball. "Togekiss!"

Ash saw Cynthia's game now. She was putting him in situations where he had every disadvantage to see how his Pokemon stacked up in the face of impossible odds. By all rights, an Infernape should have no chance against a Togekiss. But he understood the converse of what Cynthia said through battle – a champion's Pokemon always should have a chance, no matter the odds.

Already he was rethinking his training plans. Cynthia was right; what he had been doing before wasn't enough. In the meantime, though, contented with knowing the lesson Cynthia was trying to impart, Ash relaxed and let himself enjoy the battle.

"Flamethrower!"

"Counter with Flamethrower!"

"Now! Flare Blitz!"

"Take it and use Thunder Wave!"

"Protect!"

"Nasty Plot!"

Ash cursed as Cynthia pulled off the boosting move and Infernape fell back to earth. He'd gotten the Flare Blitz in but his chances of winning the battle had just dropped. Thunder Wave was dangerous, too – so long as he avoided that, he had a chance, but if Infernape got paralyzed he was done.

"Air Slash!"

"Dodge! Make her come to you!"

"That's fine," Cynthia called, extending a hand. "Get as close as you need to get a hit! Air Slash!"

Ash bit his lip as Infernape ducked and weaved around the Air Slashes – dodging wouldn't last for long. He had an idea but saying it aloud would ruin it. If he could reach out with his aura and show Infernape like he had with Riolu, it could work. And they'd already synced up once, hadn't they?

He reached out and did his best to project an image to Infernape: a counter-shield, designed to trap Togekiss in rather than out. Infernape would have to tank an Air Slash, but he would get one really good Flare Blitz shot. He pushed.

And, to his amazement, Infernape did exactly what he had in mind.

Togekiss cried out in pain as it went hurdling back toward Cynthia, nearly crashing into the ground before righting itself. Cynthia grinned, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. "Your assessment of Infernape wasn't wrong!" she called as Infernape struggled back to his feet, battered but triumphant. Ash felt that pride; tanking a post-Nasty-Plot Air Slash was no joke. "You've trained well. How did he know to do that?"

"I don't know!" Ash called back. "I think I used my aura?"

Cynthia's eyes widened, right as Infernape roared and his Blaze exploded to life. Then she laughed under her breath and narrowed her focus. "Impressive. Still, you won't last another hit. Let's end this. Aura Sphere!"

"Flamethrower!"

"Nasty Plot!"

"No you don't! Flamethrower, again!"

"Dodge! Now, Air Slash!"

"Dig!" Infernape burrowed under the ground, leaving Togekiss lazily circling overhead, as Ash concocted a crazy, last-ditch plan. "Close Combat!"

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at that. She waited for Infernape to explode out of the ground and rush Togekiss in mid-air to call, "Air Slash!"

He had only a moment's window. "Protect! Use the Protect to drive Togekiss down to earth!"

The Air Slash exploded against Infernape's shield – Infernape put his full weight behind the shield and drove it into Togekiss like a Body Slam, sending them both crashing toward the ground, where the Protect shattered on impact, leaving Togekiss dazed and grounded and Infernape badly weakened.

"End it!" Cynthia cried. "Air Slash!"

"Flare Blitz!"

Togekiss hit Infernape dead-on, but Infernape was already on top of it. They collided; when the dust settled, both Pokemon were knocked out.

Ash and Cynthia returned their respective Pokemon at the same time as Serena burst out cheering. Pikachu cried out in excitement and Ash pumped his fist, ecstatic. "You just took down one of Cynthia's Pokemon!" Serena hollered. "Holy cow, Ash!"

"I know, I know!" Ash exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Infernape!"

Cynthia was grinning too. "Acceptable," she said, chuckling at the irony. "I didn't expect anything less, given that I've watched you take down legendaries. If you say Infernape's your strongest, I'm inclined to believe you. Shall we continue?"

Ash pulled his cap back around to the front to block out the dying sun, nodding. "Hell yeah. Dragonite, I choose you!"

"Glaceon!"

Dragonite stared at Glaceon with barely concealed trepidation.

One well-placed Ice Beam later, Ash recalled Dragonite with a good-natured sigh, clipping the ball back to his belt. He was still grinning, even after watching his pseudo-legendary get one-shotted. "Guess you can't win them all. Pikachu?"

Pikachu sprang onto the battlefield with an excited cry. Cynthia drew her final pokeball, an ultra ball, and rolled it with her fingers. "Garchomp, go!"

Garchomp reappeared, roaring in triumph, rearing back and spreading his wings for the sun. Pikachu stared Garchomp down fearlessly, looking back and giving Ash a nod. Ash nodded back. "Thank you for battling me," he said to Cynthia. "This is fun!"

"I'm enjoying this too," Cynthia admitted easily, thrusting her hands back in her pockets. She leaned on one leg, her dark headband waving in the wind. "I might not get many challengers when I'm in Unova, but this is still one of the more enjoyable battles I've had in months. But I think it's time we end it, don't you? Dig!"

"Iron Tail the ground!"

Pikachu launched himself skyward as Garchomp disappeared underground, shattering the ground and dislodging the land shark. Without a command, Garchomp retaliated, slamming into Pikachu with an overpowered Dragon Claw, launching Pikachu back into the sky.

"See if Electroweb does anything!" Ash called. If he had the trapping move, he could still use it even though the electricity didn't affect Garchomp. Pikachu launched the web down onto Garchomp, and they both groaned when it fizzled ineffectually against Garchomp's body. "That's fine. Let's get creative – Iron Tail the ground again!"

"Draco Meteor!"

If the battlefield had been a grassy field once, it wasn't anymore. Pikachu's Iron Tail sent enormous chunks of rock hurdling skyward and Draco Meteor rained explosive fire down on the battlefield. "Climb them with Iron Tail!" Ash cried. Pikachu darted through the fire and brimstone as Garchomp took to the sky, their battle reaching its fiery climax. Garchomp rolled, ducking a meteor, and unleashed a Flamethrower that Pikachu narrowly avoided by launching a rock into Garchomp's face, sending Garchomp reeling and giving Ash an opportunity. "Now! Full power, use Quick Attack and Iron Tail together!"

Pikachu slammed into Garchomp at top speed, hitting the much larger Pokemon hard enough to halt him in him tracks and send him hurdling to the ground. Garchomp collided with the broken earth in an explosion of dust – but rose to his feet and shot back toward a now-unprotected Pikachu, who had no more boulders to keep himself afloat.

Cynthia pointed at Pikachu and yelled, "Dragon Rush!"

Garchomp slammed into Pikachu at full speed, knocking him high into the sky. Pikachu cried out in alarm as he flew toward the edge of the plateau and the sixty foot drop to the lake below, then louder as Garchomp swung behind him and readied a move.

"Dragon Claw!" Cynthia cried.

Pikachu shot downward at a sharp angle at the vicious attack. Moments before hitting the ground, he was caught by a Psychic, suspended in midair, knocked out. The dust cleared, revealing Serena and Delphox walking onto the battlefield. "That's the match!" Serena said.

Sagging in relief that Pikachu hadn't taken the fall, Ash jogged over and scooped Pikachu out of the air, cradling him in his arms. Pikachu opened his eyes and gave a weak 'cha' before promptly falling asleep. "You did great, buddy," Ash told him, sweeping his ears back.

"That was an excellent battle, Ash," Cynthia said, coming over with Garchomp. She stuck out a hand, which Ash shook. "Your instincts are as good as always, and I am truly impressed with both Infernape and Riolu."

"You did oneshot half of my team," Ash said, giving her a wry smile.

Cynthia waved a dismissive hand. "They all had potential. If you only just started training this team, it's to be expected that there are variances in skill and power. And I am a champion. Do you understand why I wanted to battle you?"

"You wanted to show me the odds I'm up against," Ash said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "You purposefully picked matchups that put me at a disadvantage to force me to think outside of the box – because if I want to reach the level you and Leon are at, I need to be able to win because of my Pokemon, not the Pokemon I'm up against."

"In essence, yes. But there's more to it than that. When you're champion, every Pokemon you have has to be able to function as a unit." Cynthia gestured to Garchomp. "Every Pokemon on your team should be able to pull out an impossible victory like Infernape and have creative and unorthodox strategies like Pikachu. Power is important but it's not enough to win – it's not even half the battle. You've always been powerful, Ash. I watched you take down a Darkrai and a Latias when you were fourteen and face down the creators of our world. Oshawott has the most raw power on your team, yet he's the weakest fighter. If you want to achieve my rank, if you want to become a Pokemon Master like you say, then it's up to you, as a trainer, to unlock the potential within each of your Pokemon." Cynthia gave Garchomp another look, her eyes filled with the deepest affection, and turned back to Ash. Her bangs fell into her face. "That is our highest calling."

"I think I understand," Ash murmured.

Cynthia gave a quiet laugh, giving Ash a fond look. "You don't. But you will."

"You think?"

"I know it."

::

After the sun had set, Ash sat by the fire, tending the dying embers. He smiled to himself as he did, replaying the battle in his head. Losing should have stung. But his battle hadn't felt like a loss. No, he had won, maybe in more ways than one.

"Ash."

Cynthia sat down next to Ash on the log. "You're leaving?" Ash asked quietly, giving her a sidelong look.

"I am," Cynthia said. "I have to be ready for my duties tomorrow, which means making it to the Wyndon Pokemon Center tonight. With the hit you gave Garchomp, it'll take a bit longer than usual."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments.

"Do you think I can do it?" Ash whispered.

He stared into the fire, afraid to meet Cynthia's eyes as she answered. "Of course I do," she said. "If there's anyone who deserves to make it to the top, it's you, Ash. I believe in you – and I know there's a whole lot of other people out there who do too."

Cynthia pulled him to her side, giving him a squeeze. Ash rested his head against Cynthia's shoulders.

"Thanks, Cynthia."

"Anytime."

::

Ash and Serena stood before the gate to the Slumbering Weald. They were unimpressed.

"That's it?" Serena said. "One measley little wooden gate is the only thing between the extremely dangerous woods and Postwick? No wonder a bunch of ten year olds ran into a legendary."

"I'm honestly not surprised," Ash sighed. "This town is so far off the beaten path anyways, it's a wonder that anybody put a gate up at all. I've seen worse. Shall we go in and explore?"

Serena swung the gate open and bowed. "After you."

The Slumbering Weald was a deep and mysterious forest, due to the pervasive mist that suffused every tangled corner of the woodland. Strange outcroppings of moss and roots littered the grassy path. Skwovets and other small fry hung around the entrance, watching Ash and Serena curiously, but the deeper they got into the tangle, the more the Pokemon became strange and exotic. Ash saw Orbeettles and Corviknights, and even a stray Munna – when he did a double-take, it was gone.

"Is that… a Weezing with a top hat?" Serena asked, her voice strained.

Ash looked where she pointed. Surely enough, there was a Weezing floating by with twin top hats, emitting the strange pink mist. "Bizarre," he said. "Must be a regional variant. I guess that's what's pumping out the Misty Terrain."

"Do you think Cynthia's battling right now?"

"Not yet. I bet she's stuck in some horrible procedural ceremony or a meeting."

"You're probably-"

They stopped short – there was a Pokemon in front of their faces. Blood rushed to Ash's ears; his ears rang. The Pokemon was doglike, with strange blue fur with pink accents. There was an unearthly intelligence in its narrowed eyes, and a strange illusory quality to its presence. Ash nearly stumbled under the aura the dog outputted, which bowled through his fledgling sensory capabilities like a truck.

"Well," Ash said, shifting closer to Serena. "I suppose you're our rogue legendary."

The dog bowed. "Come."

They followed.

Deep into the woods, the dog led them, through gullies and over creeks, to a place where the mists faded away into sunshine. An ancient shrine stood on the riverbank like a gateway, with two ancient rusting pieces of metal at its foot. As they got closer, Ash could see they were a sword and a shield. He knelt at the foot of the shrine. The sword was long and sharp, even through the rust, and seemed to complement the shield; but it was the sword that called to him.

"If you can speak," Serena said, a quiet reverence in her tone. "May we know your name?"

"Zacien." Zacien turned to Ash, and bowed. "Chosen. Well met."

"What can we do for you, Zacien?" Ash asked, bowing in return. "When you appeared to Gloria and Hop, they were overwhelmed by your presence. We'd like to help."

"Not I. Zamazenta. My brother."

"They met your brother?" Serena asked.

Zacien dipped his head. "Yes. My time is short. You must take my sword."

Ash gave a sharp nod. Kneeling, he reached down and picked up Zacien's sword, feeling a rush of aura as he did. Holding it, he implicitly understood that the sword was more than mere steel – he held a piece of Zacien's essence in his hands. "Woah," he breathed. "What should I do with it?"

"Restore it. Wield it. Keep it safe." Zacien pressed Ash's fingers over the blade with his nose, stepping back. "The responsibility lies with you and your mate. There is a storm coming. The shield will find the girl when she is ready; see that she is so. When the darkness comes, you will know when it is time."

"That's awfully cryptic," Ash muttered, making both Serena and Zacien laugh. Zacien's laughter came in sharp barks, and his eyes glittered with amusement. "You don't have anything else to say to me while you're here? No, of course you don't – you're going to make me do all the legwork of figuring it out myself, aren't you."

Zacien gave the wolf equivalent of a smile. "Take care, Ash Ketchum. My presence is required elsewhere."

Before they got a chance to ask another question, Zacien was already gone, faded away where he stood.

He turned to Serena, who laughed, shaking her head in incredulity. When they turned back to the shrine, they found the shield had disappeared as well. "Here we go again, I guess," Serena said, sighing in good-natured resignation. "What's up with that sword anyways? Why do we have to protect it – and from who? Couldn't Zacien have told us that, at least?"

Ash held the sword up to the light. Even through the rust, it gleamed. "I don't know," he said, considering the blade. "But if I know anything, it's that we'll find out."

"Danger does have a habit of finding you," Serena agreed.

The Rusted Blade thrummed in Ash's hands.

::

[A/N] Stuff happens.

The Ash/Cynthia battle is kind of funny because on one hand, it's a total curbstomp, while on the other, Ash actually does really well. 1-4-1 is not bad against the second best trainer in the world. I enjoy writing scenes where Ash gets to simultaneously be a badass and lose in miserable fashion.

Alternative chapter title: Ash Ketchum Fulfulls Every Man's Dream Of Being Stepped Upon By Cynthia Shirona.

Kiss! Dating! Bedsharing! Nope, not a slow burn. As far as I'm concerned, Ash and Serena did that dance in XY and I don't need to rehash it. I'm really more interested in their actual relationship and how they support each other than the lead up to it.

A major theme here is trust, which really begins to emerge here in this chapter.

Oshawott is still the heart and soul of this fanfiction lol. Riolu and Ash are unlocking some cool

aura shit, and Infernape seems to be the easiest of Ash's other Pokemon to use his aura with. Kukui put the parental controls on Ash and Ash is sulking. Serena is great at performing. And what does Ash need to do with the Rusted Sword? Why does Zacien need his help? All this and more… next time!

By overwhelming demand, here is a list of exactly where all of Ash's Pokemon have ended up:

With Ash: Pikachu, Riolu, Oshawott, Bayleaf, Infernape, Dragonite

With Kukui: Lycanrock, Incineroar, Rowlett, Melmetal

With Oak: Bulbasaur, Kingler, Muk, Tauros, Snorlax, Noctowl, Glaile, Corpish, Torterra, Buisel, Staraptor, Gliscor, Snivy, Scraggy, Palpitoad, Hawlucha, Talonflame, Noivern

With Cerise: Gengar

With Delia: Mr. Mime

In the Wild/Elsewhere: Squirtle, Charizard, Heracross, Quilava, Totodile, Donphan, Sceptile, Torkoal, Pignite, Leavanny, Krookodile (I HC that the starters are at breeding centers since they're so rare)

Released: Swellow, Gible, Unfeazant, Palpitoad, Boldore, Greninja, Goodra, Naganadel

Thank you so much to Amourshipper35, Yanks1678, Sak83, HeWishesToBe, MadTitan9, crazydude13, misterbruh, littledipper06, ValarPrime98, MasterRevan. Talyia, rektbyasian, The Vigilant Spider, AmourshipperRAFID727, The N01 Master, Joker555888, Hall

Gowrt, fishlord17, MjrGenMatt, Z, DaBoot.123, Hurtturnip, Bloodgalore, championmuru, Marshadow Lover, InfamousPlayer, A_Simple_Girl, Demiblue97, BestEverNoob, Midlstrit, kimirice, Klosa, and 12 guests! Also, thank you for 100 favorites! You guys are blowing me away with your incredible support!

To respond to some reviews:

Reader – The ban on Mega Evolution and whatnot is my rule. I'm with the anime in spirit, but I'm editing the World Coronation Series into my Pokemon World Championship. I like the idea of 'unlocking' the higher level battle mechanics at Ultra Ball Tier: Megas, Z-Moves, and Dynamax. Gives the story a nice sense of power scaling.

Talyia – I'm definitely going for a sister/friend/mentor type role for Cynthia here. Sorry Rayshippers, but it's gonna be platonic in this one. Their relationship will be a focal point, though, so you should still get your fill here.

The N01 Master – Greninja may feature at some point, but most likely not in a battling role. We'll see.

Hall Gowrt – Goth Boi will def show up at some point!

Guest – Male? Male. Sharpedo is male. Pancham needs the company anyways.

DaBoot.123 – They'll all feature at some point, although they're not gonna be Ash's nuclear option in this story.

The great – Right on time, baby.

I'm very happy with this chapter. Please remember to review, favorite, and follow! I'll be starting college in a few days, and I'm anxious out of my mind but also so excited. Not sure how much time I'll have to write, but I can guarantee there will be a chapter in September – either Galar VI or a shorter interlude. Either way, I'll see you guys again on the 19th!

Cheers, Allie

NEXT TIME: Ash and Serena meet Chairman Rose, and Ash loses his patience with Oshawott