Ash ran out of the bank. Just as she was about to take in the sights, a feminine voice called out to her. "Ash! Over here!" Ash turned to the voice, shocked to see the person here.

"May?" The coordinator from Hoenn was standing across the street, waving. She was wearing the same outfit she wore when Ash saw her in the Sinnoh region. Her Skitty, ran towards Ash energetically. Ash knelt on the ground to pet her. "It's good to see you too Skitty."

"Skit!" Skitty called energetically. May ran towards her.

"Ash!" May greeted. "It's good to see you."

"You too May." Ash smiled. "I assumed that you're also going to Hogwarts?"

May nodded. "I'm shopping for supplies now."

"Azurill?"

May looked down at the pokémon in Ash's arms. "Awww!" May grabbed up Azurill into her arms and rubbed one of it's cheeks to hers. "You are just so adorable! I can't stand it!"

Azurill enjoyed the attention she was getting. "Azurill…" the pokémon said in a purr. She always enjoys when someone pays her attention and cuddle her. Cuddles always feel so warm.

"Hey Ash!" Gary and the others had caught up with them. "Wait up!" Ash and May watched them all run towards them- except for Snape and Liepard.

Delia scowled. "You can't just run off like that Ash!"

Ash rubbed her head in embarrassment. "Sorry about that." Ash gestured to May. "But look who I ran into."

May waved. "Hey everybody."

Delia and Gary smiled. "May!"

"It's so good to see you," Delia said. "I didn't know that you were going to this school as well. Are you here to get supplies as well?"

May nodded. "Yeah, Professor Sprout was so nice to escort me around and I also brought… wait where's…?"

"MAY!" Everyone turned to looked at an annoyed Max stomping towards them. He was being followed by an older, shorter woman with a brown robes and a squat hat covering her frizzy gray locks. "Why don't you control your pokémon like any other trainer?"

May smiled nervously. "But look who Skitty found."

Max finally seemed to notice everyone else. "Ash! Gary! So you're going to this school too?"

Ash nodded. "Yep, we both are." Ash pointed towards Snape. "Professor Snape is our Potions Professor at Hogwarts."

Snape nodded at the new comers. "How do you do."

"Nice to meet you Professor Snape," May said.

Snape nodded his head to her. "Ms. Maple." Snape looked at the plump woman behind the incoming student. "Hello Pomona."

The woman smiled. "Hello Severus. It's good to see you. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Snape nodded. "Of course," he said smoothly. Snape turned to the group that he had been guiding. "This is Pomona Sprout; she is the professor of Herbology at Hogwarts and the Head of the Hufflepuff house."

Delia smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

Sprout nodded. "It's alway nice to meet future students and their parents." She turned to Snape. "We were just going to begin shopping for supplies, before this Skitty had run off. Have you all begun gathering your supplies yet?"

May laughed slowly, embarrassed that her pokémon "We just finished up at Gringott's," Snape stated. "We were just going to pick up school robes and then go for their wands. Perhaps you would like to join us?"

"Oh can we?" May asked Sprout.

The Herbology Professor smiled warmly. "We would be happy to Severus." With that the group went into the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, which according to the sign had been established in 1654. Ash, Gary and May managed to find all of the required books needed for their first year at Hogwarts. Snape and Sprout also got a History of Hogwarts for them. Snape had handed another book to Ash. She took the time to look called the Founding Families of Great Britain: Their Ancient Noble Houses and All About Them. Ash looked at Snape in askance.

"The book may give you more information about your father's family," Snape answered smoothly.

"Thank you," Ash stated earnestly.

"It was nothing," Snape said, waving away her thanks. "Now I suggest you consider buying other books besides what is mandatory? I find that they may give more helpful information that will help you understand the theories mentioned in classes."

Ash, May and Gary decided to take his advice. Since they weren't sure what they were going to find. They all decided to get a book on wizarding etiquette; according to Gary, that would help them when they wanted to spend their free time outside of school in the wizarding world. They also got books that offered supplementary information for the subjects that they would be taking at Hogwarts. Gary had also grabbed a book that mentioned pokémon moves as potion ingredients.

Ash on the other hand had grabbed a book about that was about a different kind of pokémon battling that was found in the wizarding world; one that included a witch or wizard battling alongside the pokémon. Ash didn't always like reading, but she certainly wanted to try this out.

May had gotten a book called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newton Scamander. They also found other books that would help with the schoolwork that they would be doing. Max took the opportunity to grab as many books as he could; already trying to learn as much about the Wizarding World before he started school. There was no way he was coming unprepared.

Once the group got everything they needed, they left Flourish and Botts decided to go to Madam Malkin's Robes of All Occasions in order for them to get their robes. This trip was a little shorter and not as exciting as the last one (except for maybe May, who tried to buy the whole store of clothes, urgh). They quickly waited for their bodies to be measured and robes prepared with magic and got out as quickly.

"I'm so happy that's over," Ash groaned.

"Pika!"

"Rill!"

"Yeah," Gary agreed. "I know it's necessary for the uniform, but Arcerus…"

"What are you two talking about?" May asked, outraged. "All those clothes? I wish I actually had enough money of my own!"

"Unfortunately the Hogwarts stipend was not made for shopping sprees," Snape commented drily. Liepard yawned in a bored fashion.

"I know," May said, shoulders slumped. She did not seem to understand that Snape was mocking her. "It's not fair."

Sprout smiled warmly. "There's always next time dear," she pointed out. "You can alway just open your own account with Gringott's for next year and come back."

May brightened up. "That's right!"

Max smirked. "Just don't spend all your money at one place. I don't think mom and dad will like that."

May stuck her tongue out at her younger brother. Everyone laughed at the siblings' antics. All except Ash, who was watching a battle happening in the streets. She ran closer to the battle in order to get a look at the action, slowly pushing through the crowd that had surrounded the battle. Two pokémon along with their trainers were battling against each other. Ash recognized the pokémon with its back to her to be a Torterra, but the other one she hadn't seen before. It was a pale green, serpentine like pokémon. It had brown, amber colored eyes and it's lower face and neck were white. The pokémon had fanges, pointed yellow ear tips and it's lower body was a darker green. "Who is that pokémon?" Ash pulled out her pokédex.

Serperior- the Regal Pokémon. Serperior's glare can halt its opponent's movement. It increases the solar energy it absorbs.

"So that's a Serperior…" Ash took the time to look at Serperior's trainer, an adult male with long, blond hair; he seemed to be around the same age as Professor Snape. The man was wearing expensive looking robes and was holding his walking stick in one of his hands and another, shorter stick in his other hand. Must be his wand, Ash thought aloud. They were all . "Look at all this action," she said wistfully. She took a look at Torterra's trainier, who has his back to her… was that who she thought it was.

"ASH!"

Uh oh.

"How dare you run off without saying anything young lady!" Delia pushed past the crowds with the others. "What were you thinking?!"

"I'm sorry mom," Ash said meekly. "But I really wanted to catch this battle.

Gary took a look at the battle and whistled. "Well look at all that? The trainers are battling too."

May looked confused. "What's going on?"

"This is how battles are done in the Wizarding World." Everyone turned their attention to Snape and Sprout. "Wizards are more hands on about battling than Muggles are and actually duel along with their pokémon. Wizards attack each other as well as combative pokémon with spells. There is actually sport for this at Hogwarts."

Max looked giddy. "That is so cool!"

Sprout looked at the adversaries. "I recognize Lucius Malfoy over there," she said absently, "but I'm not exactly sure who is opponent is..."

"Go Paul! Go!" Ash yelled cheering. Pikachu and Azurill cheered as well.

"Paul?" The others repeated. They looked at the shorter, younger looking boy who seemed to be exchanging spells with his opponent, while the pokémon were exchanging blows. No one seemed to be giving even an inch.

"Lumos!" Malfoy yelled. "Serperior use Solar Beam!" The end of Malfoy's wands lit up so brightly, it was almost as bright as the sunlight. The audience had to shield their eyes from the match. Serperior opened it's mouth and its attack was released and coming at both Paul and Torterra.

"Protego!" Paul yelled. "Torterra finish this with Hyper Beam." Torterra's Hyper Beam met the Solar Beam head on. There was an explosion and everyone had to shield their face from the debris that was kicked up.

Eventually, the blast died down. Ash and the others saw that both pokémon seemed to be worn out, although Torterra looked as if he took the brunt of the damage. Serperior merely looked winded. Both Paul and Malfoy pulled out their pokéballs and returned their pokémon. Once that was done, they walked towards each other and shook hands. Malfoy then took his leave with boy that looked like a younger, miniature version of himself and left.

Ash was impressed by the battle. "That was amazing!" She said. "We need to try that Pikachu!"

The electric mouse pumped his little fist. "Pika!"

"Hey Paul!" Ash ran towards her Sinnoh rival.

Paul turned towards the voice with a severe frown. "Oh," he groaned lowly. "Why does it have to be you…"

"That was an awesome battle!" Ash practically gushed.

Paul shrugged. "It was a lost."

"It was still awesome."

"..." Paul turned away from her, with a blush on his face.

"I didn't know you were a wizard," Ash stated. "Does that mean that you're going to Hogwarts too?"

"I'm in my second year," Paul said.

"Really? Which house are you in?"

"He's one of my snakes." Professor Snape, Professor Sprout, Delia, Gary, May and Max had walked towards them. "That was a good battle Paul. It seems your time in Sinnoh has taught you quite a bit."

"Thank you sir," Paul said. With a nod, he turned to walk away.

"Hey Paul!"

Paul paused and turned towards Ash, waiting.

"Let's battle! Right now!" Ash asked.

Paul snorted. "You don't even know how to battle this way."

"All the more reason to try it out firsthand," Ash responded. Pikachu and Azurill yelled in agreement.

"Do you even know any spells to add to the battle?" Paul asked rhetorically. "I don't even see a wand in your hand."

Ash sweated. "Um…"

"I didn't think so either," Paul said. "You can't take me on now. It'd be too easy a win."

Ash growled in frustration. It wasn't fair that she couldn't battle now.

Paul studied the frustrated expression on Ash's face. For some reason, he didn't like seeing it.

"... ask me again after Christmas break."

Ash looked up at him, confused. "What?"

"Ask me to battle you when we're both at Hogwarts, after Christmas break," Paul said, turning towards her. "That would be after the first semester is over. It should be plenty enough time for you to learn how to battle the wizard way and get your pokémon ready. At least then we'll be on more equal footing."

Ash smiled. "I'll battle you then."

Paul nodded. "Until then." He walked away from her.

"Bye Paul!" She waved at him. "See you at Hogwarts!"

Paul just continued walking away and didn't even acknowledge the girl. He had too much to think about. He didn't understand what the hell had possessed him to even make that offer to the girl. In the beginning, he had considered her to be a weakling and a joke. Why did he care whether or not she challenged him.

She did prove herself during the Lily of the Valley Conference by defeating him. Maybe that was when his opinion of her had changed. Maybe it was even before that, when he had witnessed what the girl was able to do with the Chimchar that he had released. She was a strong opponent and rival. That battle could prove to be a challenge.

Paul wouldn't let himself acknowledge the warm feeling he got in his stomach when Ash smiled at him.