This is a fic based on ChrisRainicorn's recently published Pokémon story. It's more so a direct sequel, so if you haven't read that story first then you should! It's called One in a Million and found on her page.

ChrisRainicorn also beta read this chapter and gave input so the worlds aligned better, so a big thank you to her for being awesome!

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Fury Swipes!" Pyrrha threw her hand forward with the command, her Furret rushing towards his opponents with a loud cry.

"Use Protect!" Jaune called out to his Aron. The small Pokémon shimmered with a blue light right as the Furret intercepted, keeping her safe from the sharpened claws. Furret hopped back assuming a battle stance right as a Totadile leapt up from behind him.

"Water gun Totodile!" Nora shouted. The small alligator shot out a spout of water doing double damage to Aron. The small creature was knocked onto her back, unable to flip over without help. "Gotcha now!" The girl laughed. Pyrrha's Furret went in for another round of Fury Swipes, only for an Abra to teleport in blocking his path.

"Intercept with Shadow Ball!" Ren shouted. Abra threw the dark orb before Furret could close the distance. The two attacks collided, the resulting force knocking them both backwards.

The four students were battling in Beacon's training arena after classes, and the teams decided to switch up their partners for this battle. Pyrrha was in the zone, her mind hyper-focused on the action before her, using a Pokémon that rarely saw battle. It was a small challenge for her, one that she didn't encounter nowadays.

"Hyper Voice!" She commanded. Furret didn't hesitate, jumping beside Totodile and letting out a harsh scream. The noise was enough to send Aron and Abra tumbling backwards, and their hit points dropping to zero was enough to call the match.

"Aww, man. You guys won again." Jaune chuckled with slight nervousness. His Aron was quick to start struggling once he used a potion on her. Jaune had to tip her upright again, just so she could scamper off to the other end of the field.

"It was an excellent match." Ren nodded respectfully, scooping his Abra off the ground. The thing had already fallen back asleep in his arms. Furret cooed with excitement at the victory while Totodile did a happy jig.

"Sorry, everyone." Pyrrha twiddled her fingers nervously. She did it again. This wasn't a serious match, simply a way for Jaune, Ren and Nora to level up their weaker Pokémon. She originally wasn't going to try that hard, but using her Furret in combat was so rare she couldn't help herself. She considered him more like a pet than a trained competition battler. He was great for companionship and snuggling after a long day, and usually didn't show interest in fighting like her other Pokémon did. When she explained why she needed his help for today's training, of course Furret was excited to give it his all. Sadly that also defeated the purpose of this match. "Furret is the lowest level Pokémon I have." Said Pokémon chirped and ran up to Pyrrha for neck rubs, the redhead quickly obliging.

"We can consider it the perfect send-off victory before your special trip then!" Nora smiled.

"R-right… the trip." Pyrrha looked away sheepishly. It was a touchy subject. Professor Goodwitch personally recommended her for this advanced level course, saying it would be a very beneficial experience for her, especially since this class wasn't team oriented. She was the only sophomore allowed in this course thanks to her skill and the strength of her Pokémon, which meant none of her friends could join her. That included Jaune, something he was clearly bummed about, though he wouldn't admit to it. He was too good of a boyfriend to make her feel bad intentionally. It was obvious when he thought she wasn't looking though. His whole demeanor was more sluggish, while his Pokémon started working extra hard to get stronger. It's as if they thought quickly leveling was all Jaune needed before he could go with her, but sadly it was far more complicated.

"You leave tomorrow?" Ren questioned.

"Yes." She said shortly, not expecting a reassuring hand to be put on her shoulder. Jaune was watching her with a hint of worry.

"Are you okay Pyrrha? You seem off." He questioned.

"Y-yes… I'm just a little nervous."

'And I wish you could come with me.' She thought that last part to herself. Jaune chuckled a little.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?" He said teasingly. "Pyrrha Nikos is the toughest, bravest person I know. She would never let a little trip get the better of her." She couldn't stop herself from giggling. God, how did she end up with a sweet guy like him?

"I don't know l- OH!" Pyrrha was pushed forward into Jaune's arms. She glanced down to see Furret wrapped around both of their legs and looking at them knowingly. "Rude." She couldn't help but smile at its innocent chirps. The two were bracing each other now and they were mere inches from each other and all she needed to do was lean in-

Totodile squawked loudly making them both jump back. Aron had nipped his tail hoping to play, and the two were now chasing each other around the arena. Meanwhile, Nora watched the couple with a massive grin while Ren bounced Abra in his arms trying to hide a small smirk.

"M-maybe we should head to dinner soon." Pyrrha suggested hoping her face wasn't blushing too badly. There was no chance of Jaune hiding it. His face was as red as her hair, and he genuinely looked like he wanted to crawl in a hole and hide.

"T-that sounds like a great idea!" He croaked. Nora couldn't stop herself from cackling at the scene, while Ren just shook his head and looked away.

"Come on you two! It's taco night and we don't wanna be late!" Nora recalled her Totodile and skipped to the door. Ren gave Jaune and Pyrrha knowing looks before following, Abra still sprawled out in his arms. They all headed to the cafeteria, Pyrrha eager to enjoy the last night with her friends before the trip.

Roaring chopper blades and the harsh winds they produced overwhelmed her senses, and all she could do was watch as the landscape below them changed from farmland to more forested mountains. Glynda had given her instructional speech already, briefing the students in what they were doing out here.

"Relax Pyrrha. You look ready to keel over." Coco nudged her and laughed. She, along with her team members, was all in the same class as her, and the fashionista couldn't help teasing her for being the only sophomore.

"Don't worry about me." She smiled.

"Stop that Coco." Velvet frowned. "We're all a little nervous. This is a pretty big step."

"Not for me." Coco smirked. "This will be a breeze, right Fox?" She nudged her partner. He just shook his head at her comments, far more focused on staying balanced in the shaky aircraft. The two started bantering back and forth leaving Pyrrha to her thoughts.

The group was in search of high level Pokémon, of which they were to observe and study much like field researchers for the entire week. Pokémon of such levels were dangerous for normal scientists to simply observe, so trainers were often employed as bodyguards against any aggressive threats. The idea was to introduce trainers to the research field, though it would also require survival tactics and relying on her Pokémon to get around obstacles.

All of the coursework for this class leading up until now had been focused on survival and wilderness training, as well as methods of research and recording data. It was very different from anything she'd done so far at Beacon, but she wouldn't say it was a bad experience either.

So far anyway.

Pyrrha zipped her jacket up so the stand up collar hugged her neck. It was a deep red with bronze accents, easy to spot if a rescue was needed. Her black shorts and tall hiking boots were also meant to make the journey easier, though she could confidently say she'd never been to such extreme terrain before. Her bag was stuffed full with food and camping supplies, and a sleeping bag was strapped tightly above it.

She was ready.

"This is the drop off point." Professor Goodwitch instructed over the howling of propellers. Her Murkrow rested comfortably on her shoulder completely unfazed by the bullhead, looking over all of the students judgingly. "Take your flying Pokémon down into the mountains, find your research subjects, and only send a distress signal if necessary. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Ma'am!" All nine students said in unison.

"Very good. Everyone descends one at a time. Miss Coco?"

"Sure thing teach." Coco soluted before sauntering to the edge of the bullhead. She released her Staraptor from its Poké Ball, the thing sporting a brown scarf matching the one it's owner wore. Grabbing a gold ring from her belt, Coco held it up for Staraptor to grab. "Adieu, everyone!" She blew a kiss to Pyrrha specifically and jumped, the bird carrying her down to the surface. The other classmates left similarly. Fox took his Noctowl to the mountain while Yatsuhashi rode his Tropius. Summoning her Altaria, Velvet turned to Pyrrha and waved nervously.

"Good luck Pyrrha! Text if you need help or anything."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm sure I can handle it." She smiled politely. Velvet was out of the bullhead within a few seconds, the other four upperclassmen jumping shortly after.

"Your turn Miss Nikos." Professor Goodwitch motioned for her to approach. She did so with the poise that was hammered into her growing up. Champions didn't let nerves show. This was a simple task for her, nothing too out of her comfort zone. Professor Goodwitch said so herself, and she trusted her instructor fully.

Releasing her Garchomp from its ball she latched onto her back and the two dove. Wind was making her hair whip in every direction threatening to pull her ponytail loose. The trees below were getting closer and closer while her stomach did a somersault from the free fall. Garchomp opened up her arms letting the wind catch her fins. She couldn't fly necessarily, but she could glide like no other, and the two traveled the circular wind patterns until finally making touchdown in a small clearing.

"Nice landing GarGar." Pyrrha smiled giving her land shark a thankful scritch on the neck. She growled low in gratitude, taking the chance to survey the area. These were some of the largest trees she'd seen in Vale, the calls and chatter of wild Pokémon mixing with the rustling of leaves making a melodic tune only found in such old woods.

"I saw some meadows near the base of the mountain." Pyrrha commented while pulling up a map on her scroll. "Plenty of Pokémon live in grassy areas, so I think that will be our best bet in finding something." Garchomp rumbled in agreement, and the two walked into the dark woods following Pyrrha's compass. They spotted a few Caterpie happily munching on leaves during the walk, and even came across a Heracross licking some sap from a tree. Butterfree and Ledian were buzzing in the air above her, and she could hear other types trying to call over each other, but their sounds were too intertwined to separate what Pokémon they belonged to. She was sure to give all of them a wide berth of room. Even if she was looking for Pokémon to study, she didn't want to focus on bug types if she could help it. They had always creeped her out, even if she was pretty good at not letting her concern show. Just the thought of sleeping with THIS many insects above her sleeping bag made her skin crawl, and that feeling intensified when passing a few Spinarak making webs closer to the forest floor. Having Garchomp by her side did put her mind at ease. At least a little bit.

Before long their progress was blocked by a wall of thick vines, too much for either her or Garchomp to bite or claw through. She was going to need something sharper to get through this.

"Garchomp, return." She held the Poké Ball up recalling her Pokémon. "Go, Aegislash." She tossed an Ultra Ball into the air with the Pokémon taking form. As the light cleared it revealed the unique coloration that this shiny Aegislash possessed. The dark grey blade with red accenting glinted in the small amount of light penetrating the treetops, and it was quick to turn to Pyrrha for instruction.

"Use night slash on these vines. We need to clear a path." She pointed to the obstacle in question. Aegislash didn't hesitate, flipping into blade form and slicing through the vines like they were nothing more than tissue paper. Stepping forward Pyrrha hummed happily. "Thank you, that makes this far easier." The Aegislash bounced satisfied with the praise, easily returning to its Poké Ball without complaint. She continued onwards, keeping her eyes out for Pokémon despite the thoughts spiralling through her mind.

She just knew Jaune would have loved this trip. The scenery was breathtaking and awe inspiring all at once. Everything from the little movements of bug Pokémon along the ground to the bird Pokémon singing in the canopy above added to the mystery and magic this very old forest seeped with. This was almost romantic, and she couldn't help but pout at what could have been. Perhaps a traveling companion would be better than walking alone after all, and with thoughts of her boyfriend, she could only pick a certain special one. Pulling the Luxury Ball off her belt Pyrrha summoned the Pokémon it held. A shiny Absol stood proudly, its piercing green eyes quickly meeting her own. Jaune had gifted this Pokémon to commemorate a year passing since the two started training together, and she couldn't have been happier. They even became a couple that same night, and she still considered it one of the best days of her life.

"Hello, Absol." She smiled and gave him a kind scratch on the neck. "I was just hoping for a traveling companion. Would you mind walking with me?" The Absol nodded in response, falling into a nice rhythm with Pyrrha as they traversed the root covered forest. It was a quiet walk for a while, the two crossing a small stream and climbing a few downed trees in their path. Absol seemed to sense something was bothering her, giving Pyrrha a questioning nudge on the hand.

"I'm sorry." She smiled tightly. "I didn't mean to worry you. I just have… a lot on my mind. That's all." He wasn't giving up, nudging her arm again wanting her to speak. She brought this on herself she supposed.

"It's just… I know this whole class is individually focused and all, not our regular teams… I just wish Jaune could have come too." Pyrrha sighed. Absol huffed knowingly. "Yeah, he has been really down about not coming, especially since my classmates are here with their partners. Well, 'with their partners' isn't entirely accurate." She grinned a little. During their in-class lectures, she was quick to notice the entire class was made up of partners. Fox and Coco were combat partners, as were Velvet and Yatsuhashi. She was the only one there without a teammate, and it did bother her a little truth be told. Jaune caught onto her distress early on, and attempted to enter the course too.

Professor Goodwitch turned him away, saying he wasn't a strong enough trainer for this class. It bothered him more than he liked letting on. He thrived better with positive feedback, and sadly Goodwitch was an expert on telling harsh realities. Now she was worried about her boyfriend while still having an assignment to complete.

Absol's soft growl brought her back to reality. "Sorry!" She twiddled her fingers nervously. "I'm just wondering if there's a way I can help cheer Jaune up." That wasn't a bad idea honestly. Sure, just cuddling together was enough to make his day, but that was so simple and easy to do. He deserved something more meaningful than that. What should she get him though? Another nudge on her arm brought her attention back to Absol. The quadruped spun gracefully in a circle, meeting her eyes again waiting. Pyrrha had to stop for a moment. He was such a beautiful Pokémon. Jaune really should have kept this Absol for himself. Shinies were such a rare find, and he didn't have a full team of Pokémon yet-

"Oh!" She gasped a little at the thought. "You think I should get him a Pokémon in return!" Absol nodded, happy to get his point across. "It's the perfect idea!" It would be like returning the favor for the beautiful Absol he gifted her without a second thought, while also bringing his Pokémon count to six. He could finally have a full team, and she was very good at finding Pokémon with plenty of potential. It was just a matter of selecting the perfect one for him.

"Hmmm…. he doesn't have any flying Pokémon. Perhaps a Trapinch would be a good choice." She thought aloud. It would eventually evolve into a beautiful Flygon, and they'd be able to travel the skies together. But she wasn't near any desert terrain, so she'd have to travel pretty far before finding any. A trip to Vacuo now of all times was out of the question.

Absol pushes her sideways before she could trip on a large root she had neglected to watch for.

"Sorry." She apologized again. "I don't think a Trapinch is a viable option given where they live… but maybe a Dunsparce would do instead?" Jaune had told her before that they are one of his favorite Pokémon. Their dopey eyes, tiny wings and big heads made him feel an odd kinship with them, according to his word at least. She was sure they could be found around here. It wouldn't be too hard to locate a den, catch one and continue with her assignment.

"Dunsparce it is." She nodded to herself. The trees were starting to thin ahead letting more let enter the forest too. They were finally nearing the meadow. This would be a great area to look for Dunsparce too. Maybe she could even use them as her study subjects. The two peered into the meadow seeing a herd of Deerling grazing with two Sawsbuck watching over them. Several Pidgey and Sparrow fluttered around the field chasing after bug Pokémon, and she even spotted a Nickit sneaking through the grass.

"These are lower level Pokémon then I was expecting…" Pyrrha commented. Professor Goodwitch warned that they would be studying Pokémon between levels forty and fifty, but Pidgey should evolve by level eighteen. This couldn't be right. Pulling up her map she examined it closely, finally noting that the meadow was a mile outside of the selected study zone.

"Sorry Absol. It looks like I took us the wrong way." She said thoughtfully taking another look around the meadow. "Though we can still look for Dunsparce here. We don't need to turn around right away." She turned to the Pokémon questioningly, Absol nodding in agreement before stalking into the tall grass. Pyrrha followed suit, hoping this detour wouldn't be in vain.

With a tired sigh, Pyrrha sat heavily on a downed log. That was fruitless. She didn't spot any Dunsparce whatsoever. There was a small stream that she collected water from, along with what appeared to be a game trail cutting through the meadow. Otherwise, she couldn't find any signs of Dunsparce colonies in this particular area.

Absol took a seat next to her, also clearly tired as the sun started to set above them.

"I'm sorry boy." Pyrrha scratched his head. "This was a total waste of time, and it's too dark to travel much further tonight." She didn't like it, but once it got darker it would be unsafe to navigate through the woods. After the trek over massive tree roots just to get down here, she would probably break an ankle within the first few minutes of night falling in that mess.

Unzipping her bag, Pyrrha pulled out a sandwich she made before the bullhead left Beacon, handing half of it to Absol while keeping the other for herself. The two both scarfed down their sandwiches, Pyrrha topping it off with a long refreshing sip from her canteen. After catching her breath she stood up slinging the bag back over her shoulder.

"Alright. Let's clear some grass and make a campsite." Her and Absol turned to the knee high grass of the meadow before them. "Use Psycho Cut." Absol did as instructed, chopping the grass down to only a few inches so they could rest. She wasn't in the mood to make a fire tonight, and all she really cared for was sleeping off her exhaustion. They will be traveling uphill tomorrow, and she knew the climb was going to be a slow and rough one. Rolling out her sleeping bag, Pyrrha crawled into its folds, Absol curling up next to her chest. It was completely dark now, Pyrrha rolling over to hold Absol in her sleep, running her fingers through his course pinkish colored fur as she thought about her quest.

She knew her main focus needed to be on finding Pokémon to research, but her mind couldn't help falling back to her side quest. Perhaps a Dunsparce wouldn't work out, seeing as finding them was proving rather difficult. But what would be a good substitute? Jaune had always loved her Aegislash since meeting it during a training session. It was shortly after they became partners, and she could still remember how much his eyes sparkled at its shimmering beauty, and the many many questions he had about it. A Honedge would definitely make him happy. The only problem was the methods to get one.

They are literally departed souls that inhabit the swords used to slay them in life, so the only real place to find them was very old ruins and battlefields. That's how she found her shiny Honedge, which eventually evolved into Aegislash. There weren't any battlefields around here that she knew of though, so that entire idea was a bust too.

Maybe she should leave it up to fate instead? Focus on her main goal, and if the chance arose to catch Jaune a Pokémon, she'd take it. Otherwise it wasn't meant to be. That would give her the best peace of mind at least.

"Goodnight, Absol." She yawned. "We'll be ready to move first thing tomorrow morning." She couldn't wait any longer to find her subject of research, and hopefully the new day would bring better successes.

A wet nose to her cheek earned a groan in response. Pyrrha tried pushing the offender away, but he seemed too persistent to give up.

"What is it?" She groaned, peaking an eye open. The moon was full and visible, darkly illuminating that area just enough for Pyrrha to make out her Pokémon's face. He growled low, pushing a paw to her mouth and listening intently.

It was then she heard the sound of footfall, and it was close. Her eyes snapped completely open. She quietly crawled out of her sleeping bag, looking to Absol for instruction. He could see better in the dark then she could, and the last thing she wanted was to step on an aggressive Pokémon.

Absol looked in the direction of the noise. He was low to the ground ready to pounce, but nothing about his posture was aggressive. Just very on edge.

Creeping slowly forward, she parted the taller sections of grass, seeing what had Absol nervous. At some point a flock of Galarian Farfetch'd and Sirfetch'd had hunkered down in the grass only a few feet away from her, the majority of them sleeping peacefully while a few of them walked around standing guard. She pulled back, trying to keep her breathing steady. These were some strong Pokemon, she could tell by the ease they slept and how unconcerned the ones on guard were. Even with her high level team, this would be a hard fight to escape if it came to that. For her to survive an onslaught of forty Farfetch'd and Sirfetch'd, and when this close to the flock too.

She looked over to Absol and slowly moved back, not bothering to retrieve her lantern or sleeping bag. Hopefully she could grab those when the flock finally moved on. The two krept back to the forest edge, either the Pokémon on guard not noticing or not seeing them as enough of a threat to raise the alarm. She picked a tree at least ten yards from the clearing and settled, unable to get farther without tripping on a root. She crouched down ready to move if needed, and Absol stood guard in case the bird Pokémon approached.

It felt like an eternity. She wasn't able to fall back asleep, and her legs were getting sore from being in that same position for too long. She slowly adjusted, freezing at the noises her boots made against the dirt. In her head, she knew it wasn't loud at all, but the long bout of silence along with her nerves made every small shift of dirt seem like a siren. Absol caught onto her worry, walking over and nuzzling her hand reassuringly.

Right. She wasn't alone. Even if the battle would be tough, her Pokémon would never let her down. The sky was gradually lightening from black to a dark blue, the sun slowly peeking over the mountaintops. She exhaled and let her shoulders relax a bit, deciding to stand up before her legs fell asleep. On the way up she spotted something. Despite the dim light, she could vaguely make out what looked like a movement of yellow.

Farfetch'd didn't come in yellow though. She couldn't think of many Pokémon with the nerve to approach a high level flock like this, so what was it?

Against her better judgment she decided to investigate. Sneakily, she and Absol crept closer to the Pokémon, Pyrrha careful to feel around the ground to avoid tripping. Peering through the bushes both of them were taken aback.

"W-what?" She gawked, unable to believe what she was seeing. The large leak held erect and proudly was unmistakable though, even with the odd coloration. It was a SirFetch'd, a proud one with shimmering golden feathers. It's leak had some yellowing near the base of the stem, indicating it wasn't young, though definitely not a senior either. Scars and scratches speckled it's face and leaf shield revealing a long life of combat, and it wore its experience with pride.

It was beautiful.

And it was perfect.

She found the Pokémon she wanted to give Jaune.