"Deerling, finish him off with Take Down!" The brown furred normal-grass type gave a final cry, rushing towards the downed Pidove. The Pidove flew into the air with a cry of pain, lying unconscious once it landed. It's trainer yelled in fury.

"Noooo! I've been a trainer for three years! I couldn't have been beaten by a kid!" The female trainer complained, yanking at her Furret fashioned scarf. Ash frowned at the object, disturbed by the shining beads on the-what he hoped to be- fake head of the scarf. He called his Deerling back, the Pokémon nuzzling the offered hand in joy.

"You've been a trainer for three years, and your Pidove hasn't evolved yet?"

"Like, no! My Pidove is female, and her evolutions are so not cute! Male Pidoves are cuter with there pretty red parts! Ah~ I could just die to have a Pokémon as cute as that!" She looked towards Ash's Deerling with envious eyes, taking a checkbook out of her bag. She took a pen, clicking it to begin writing. "So how much is it?"

"...What?"

She pouted. "How much is your Deerling? He's obviously cute enough for my team, and he's a ton stronger than Pidove. I don't really like his color, but I only have to look at it for the winter."

Ash glared, and Deerling snarled at the talk of being separated from his trainer. The female trainer gave a sniff, continuing with her stare. Ash frowned, answering coldly, "He isn't for sale. None of my Pokémon are for sale."

"That's what they all say, but in the end, all Pokémon have a price. So again, how much do you need?"

"And I'll tell you again and again, my Pokémon are not for sale. The battle is over, so good-bye." Ash returned the still snarling Deerling into it's Heal Ball, turning to go into the forest.

"H-Hey now, let's not make any rash decisions! I can give to 2,000 pokedollars! N-No? 20,000 then!"

Ash moved the shrubbery out of his way and entered the woods.

"200,000! COME ON!"

Ash had disappeared in the forest, returning to his camp.

"FINE THEN! I'LL JUST BUY A MORE BEAUTIFUL POKEMON! MAYBE A CINCCINO!" The trainer shrieked, tugging at a silken skirt with manicured hands. She huffed, waiting a bit to see if Ash would come back. Seeing as the 16 year old boy wasn't coming back to her, she gave a huff. Talking a Holo Caster from her purse, she scrolled through her contacts. Sighing, she casually unwrapped the Furret skin, pulling her skirt and long sleeve shirt off, stuffing them into her purse.

Anna Wader grumbled, smoothing the wrinkles of her newly revealed Team Rocket uniform. Finally, after a pause for the device to connect, the face of Giovanni appeared, looking expectant. "So? Did he accept the money?"

"No sir. He refused it, and then left back in the forest."

"I see. This isn't what was planned, but I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"Sir?"

"Nevermind. Go to Hoenn's headquarters. I'm sure the professor has work that needed to be done."

"Of course."

The projection of the Holo Caster went black once Giovanni hung up, and Anna clicked her tongue in distaste.

"I swear, if that nutty professor is trying to summon Kyogre and Groudon with trumpets again..."(1)

"There you are Ash! ...What's wrong?"

Riley looked concerned as his teenage apprentice stomped into the clearing that housed their little camping site. Ash gave Riley a harsh look, subdued when Riley gave him a mirrored reaction. He sighed, trying to reel back his emotions as he knew Riley didn't deserve any of his anger.

"It's just... That trainer that I battled, offered to buy Deerling from me. It's trainers like that that just get me so..." Ash didn't finish, sitting down at the small set-up table that the group used as a dinner table, lying his head down. The trio had decided that when starting their journey, they wouldn't rely on the two's respective father's money for anything other then necessary supplies like food and potions. Therefore, the three had been living in a modest setting, not that it bothered them much. (Although in the beginning, N was surprised that people could actually survive in such cheep conditions.)

Riley gave a hum in understanding, giving his attention back to the dangerously close to boiling over pot of potato soup he was making. Riley was the designated cook in the group, not that Ash couldn't cook for himself. Ash was just a slow cooker, and didn't have much success cooking outside of an actual kitchen. N on the other hand, was a total mess. The two couldn't trust N to even cut up ingredients, due to N's inability to use a knife properly. Nothing quite turned out edible once N entered the cooking process.

Ash dwelled upon his thoughts for a moment, idly drawing circles with his finger onto the table. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he lifted his head.

"Hey Riley? Do you know when N is supposed to come back? The meeting in Accumula Town couldn't of have taken more than an hour."

"No. He didn't really say how long he'd be gone, just that he'd be back soon. Don't worry about him, he's got Zorua and Espeon to protect him."

"I'm not worried about him! I'm just bored."

Riley gave a snort that said he didn't believe a word Ash said.

"Allright then, whatever you say... You should feed your Pokemon right now, it's just about Lunch time." Riley reached into his pocket for emphasis, grabbing a Pokeball and releasing his Lucario.

The teen gave a warm nod of agreement, successfully diverted from thoughts of N. Taking out his three Pokeballs, Ash released the Pokemon inside with a smile.

"Deerling!"

"Rraa! Riolu!"

"Sylveon!"

The Normal, Fighting, and Fairy type Pokemon all gave crys of excitement, tackling their trainer to the floor. Deerling and Sylveon licked Ash's face with delight, and Riolu happily jumped on his stomach.

"Hahahaha! J-Jeez guys, calm down! Calm down! It's time for lunch!" Ash managed to voice, getting up from the grass with difficulty. The three Pokemon followed Ash obediently as he went into his tent to grab his bag, reaching into a endless pocket(2) to obtain the canister of Pokemon food and bowl.

He left the tent carefully, balancing his handful of items so not to spill them all. Sylveon came to his rescue however, letting her ribbon-like appendages to stretch forth and distribute the bowls to the three Pokemon. Ash let of a held breath in relief, thanking his pink Fairy-type as he filled all three of the bowls.

With his Pokemon eating with gusto- Riolu all but shoveling the food down his throat, Sylveon having to hit his back occasionally with Deerling looking on in amusement- and the bag of food put away, Ash couldn't help but think back on just how he'd gotten his team.

Riolu had been his first Pokemon partner, hatching from his egg when Ash was 9. Sylveon had been a gift from his father, who had given both Ash and N a Eevee once N's coronation had occurred just six months ago. Ash had his suspicions that the Eevee pair had been a offering of sorts from Giovanni to Ghetsis, especially once Ash noticed how angry his father had been when N had been gifted a Zorua and Ash had not received one. Ash didn't feel it was needed, but Giovanni had been so angry, he'd sent Ash on "research" missions with a various grunts, keeping him away from N (And inadvertently Riley as well.) for a month. By the time Ash had come back, N was there waiting for him with a smile, and Giovanni had avoided Ash. Ash didn't know what had happened to make his father change his mind, but neither N nor Riley had told him.

Ash was wrenched from his thoughts as a low keening cry was heard, a Lilipup and Purloin watching his Pokemon eating with envious looks. Smiling in amusement, Ash went back into his tent to fill an extra bowl with food for the wild Pokemon. Walking reasonably close to the bush hiding the Pokemon, he left the bowl for them, the Pokemon waiting for him to return to his seat before leaving their bush to munch on the food. Ash smiled at how happy the Pokemon looked, a couple of Patrat joining them.

"Here you go Ash, fresh from the pot! Be careful though, it's hot." Riley placed a bowl of steaming white soup, leaving a plate of ripped bread to be used to dip. Ash looked at the man confused.

"What? But don't you always say that we should eat togeth-!"

"I back everyone!"

N appeared from the forest, looking happy as he reached his friends. Ash looked back to Riley in amazement, but by the tell-tale flicker of blue in his grey eyes, Ash realized the man had used his aura to sense N's arrival.

"You still have much to learn, Ash."

With a smug smile, Riley returned to his makeshift kitchen, going to fill a bowl for N and himself, Ash glaring at him. N released his only two Pokeball confined Pokemon to the group of Pokemon, before sitting at the table with a skip in his step, looking overjoyed with something. Ash waited for his long-time friend to spill the beans, as Ash believed N was never much one to keep secrets for long.

"...So N? How did it go?"

N blinked a few times, smiling to himself. "Oh, the enlightenment went fine. The townspeople were reflecting on what Ghetsis had to say, and that's enough for now." N gave Riley thanks as the man returned and handed him a bowl, smile still in place. Time passed comfortably, though Ash was still confused. Finally, near the end of their lunch, Riley voiced what had Ash grasping at straws.

"If the meeting went just fine, then what has you so happy N?"

N politely finished his last spoonful of soup before answering, smile even wider.

"I met someone today. A trainer."

Riley and Ash looked at one another in amazement, before looking quickly back to the 17 year old.

"...and?" Ash prodded. N had never before been happy at meeting a human being, much less a trainer. While the tea-haired teen had toned down his dislike for trainers (By being with Ash and Riley and having two captured Pokemon of his own) he never sought them out or associated with them willingly.

"She's special. I can feel it."

Ash's excitement suddenly dropped.

"I talked to her Pokemon. She was in the crowd at the enlightenment, and her Snivy was really against everything Ghetsis was saying. It interested me, because Snivy are known to be difficult to their trainers, but that one was saying it wouldn't leave his trainer no matter what. It really was astounding. So I challenged her to a battle."

Yet another first for N to do, Riley and Ash noted, the later with growing dread.

"She won against a Purloin that'd been assisting me, and both she and her Pokemon looked so happy together. It was almost like they were in total sync, but Snivy had told me he'd only been with his trainer for three days."

Here N gave a sigh of wistfulness, and Ash's stomach plummeted further.

"And her name, was Touko White." (3)

(1) I'M SO SORRY. TRUMPETS NEEDED TO BE ADDED SOMEWHERE IN THE STORY. I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. ALPHA/OMEGA HOENN REGION! *SPAZZES*

(2) Endless Pocket: A pocket made standard issue in all Trainer Certified back backs that allow for a literal "Endless Pocket". It's a way for traveling to be made realistic, with having to lug around a tent, sleeping bag, supplies, and everything else into something mobile. Whatever is in this "Endless Pocket" is made feather-light, but usually only one pocket is a "Endless Pocket". Usually the rest are simply regularly made. Developed and Marketed by the Devon Corporation.

(3) I know I'm using english names and everything, but I refuse to call Touko Hilda. Just... no.

So the official name of N x Ash is Unknownshipping? BLEH. And N x Looker is a thing? Like what? Why couldn't these pairing names be switched? I've never heard of N x Looker before, so I think Unknownshipping would fit it quite well... LET N x ASH BE IDEALSHIPPING. PLEASE! *Sobs Grossly* I'm going to keep the pairing name "Idealshipping" in the summary, in the hopes that it might catch on... *Rolls on the floor*

Ahem.

Anywho, this story is number three on the most followed for the tags Ash Ketchum and N/Natural Harmonia Gropius. I would be so proud about this, if it wasn't only because there's so little of it out there... IN CELEBRATION OF THIS, I wanna give you guys, the fans (? Are you guys fans? I'll just call you readers. Not sure if you guys like this or not.) choices! Review a Pokemon you'd like Ash, N, or Riley to have, and I'll pick out the one that'd best fit the plot! (Or popularity. If all of you guys say N should have a Ratatta, N is getting a Ratatta...Please don't say you want him to have a Ratatta...)

In the end, still proud of you guys for making it happen! *Throws pies at you*

Updates galore! See y'all next time!

~Cecile