"... I expect to remain in Fortree for a week in order to acquaint Ash with the city and ensure that the territory is secure…" Steven droned on and on to Wallace as they spoke over the PokéNav. "No, that shouldn't be a problem. Barring unusual circumstances, I can return to Ever Grande City for training."

Wind streaked across Ash's face, all too common at this height, as they stood on a wooden platform high above the rest of Fortree City. Light fell upon them, not yet filtered by the canopy below.

Winona herself stood with folded arms, eyes closed to the breeze playing on her face, while her Tropius stood content, its immense form relaxed and easy as its leaves splayed wide to allow for more surface area for photosynthesis to occur.

By the flickering of her eyelids on occasion, Ash figured she was eavesdropping on Steven's call.

As for Ash… he could only marvel. Tangrowth hung by his side, sprawled out on a nearby branch, several vibes tethering him place, nigh-indistinguishable from the surrounding foliage. He'd taken two looks at his surroundings - one of normal curiosity, then an unusual-for-him double take - before leaping to that branch and settling in a sunbeam with a pleased gurgle of delight.

After weeks of Route 119's overcast skies, Ash let him have it.

They stood nearly three hundred feet up in the air, cradled by branches and cables upon an enormous wooden spire clearly designed after the great trees which dominated the forest which Fortree had been built within.

The spire was easily a hundred feet in diameter, circular, and rose above even the greatest of the old-growth trees which made up Fortree proper. It ascended nearly five hundred feet into the sky, more enormous than any natural tree could hope to be, and platforms for fliers to come and go without interruption jutted out like huge branches, each with a honeycombed entrance to within. A winding ramp connected each platform to the base with a high railing to guard it, although an elevator had been built within the tower for those in a hurry.

It was a beautiful construction. Several trainers with Swellow, Skarmory, Tropius, and even a Charizard had waved them in - clearly recognizing Winona atop her Tropius - and monitored the traffic to and from the platform. Ash couldn't help but recognize the resemblance to the flight platform built in Ever Grande City. Had it been directly inspired by Fortree's, or vice versa, or had this been a common occurrence throughout Hoenn at one point?

While Hoenn was famed for the verdant nature that infiltrated every town, with both the wilds and civilization growing intertwined, in harmony, Fortree appeared to take that philosophy to its apex.

Most other cities compromised. Lush greenery may wind in and out, climbing buildings and crowding the edges, enmeshed with human construction, but ultimately there was some separation of the natural world and the artificial. A line in the sand, where the natural gave way to the contrived and artificial.

Not in Fortree.

It was a small city, particularly for the capital of a territory. Perhaps fifty thousand people could name Fortree as their home. But that mattered little; the city's territory was already sparsely populated at best, as Ash had discovered as he and Steven wandered the vast, untamed expanse of Route 119.

Indeed, most of the territory's population existed within Fortree itself, with the rest living in small villages and cities scattered across Hoenn's heartland. Most of Hoenn's population centers cropped up the closer you went to the coast, particularly Lilycove, and the lands east of Mt. Pyre was properly settled by humanity. This far inland, Fortree was something of an oddity, standing alongside Lavaridge.

It wasn't for everyone, that was obvious. No doubt most Hoennese would find no shortage of deficits; it was too vertical, too wild, too green, too isolated, too subject to weather, too humid, no sea breeze, too bright or too dark. Oppressively integrated into the forest proper, and in turns too loud or too quiet.

But for his part? Ash thought that he might be in love. It was impossible to maintain a proper city without concrete and steel, but Fortree did its best to avert the worst. Modern conveniences were included with each home and building, but almost all of it was obscured or carefully integrated into natural structures.

Most buildings were carefully carved from the large trees that dominated the area. The shortest were a hundred feet high, while truly enormous specimens stretched to nearly three hundred feet, even with the platform Winona had brought them to.

The view couldn't be denied either; a panorama broken only by the trunk at his back, all of scintillating treetops and towering rock formations. It reminded Ash of his flights on Plume, or the roads of Kanto with their thick, dense woodlands, and for perhaps the first time since he'd come to Hoenn, he felt truly at home amidst the great wooden pillars. Their canopy blocked much of the light, leaving a great deal of Fortree drenched in perpetual shadow.

Small buildings were built alongside expertly constructed paths that wound through the various collections of huge trees - some bore the insignias and signs of various shops, but from this height it was easy to see more important buildings such as the Fortree Gym, various Pokémon Centers, and other key sites.

Most homes were simple, practical constructions situated on wooden platforms built amongst the boughs. The average tree would have several homes constructed along the length of its trunk, much like the high tower which Ash and the rest had landed upon. Large trees might have as many as ten buildings built upon their great heights.

A vast, complex web of bridges connected tree to tree, sometimes reinforced with metal, but as a result Fortree was left more vertical than horizontal. It was almost impossible to follow the interconnected strings of rope, wood, and steel which bound each canopy together, but Ash traced the dizzying arrays as best he could.

All in all, Fortree embodied the interrelationship between human civilization and the wild world which pressed down upon it. Even as hundreds of humans strolled easily from tree to tree, heedless of the subtle swaying of the bridges and the rush of wind through the boughs, just as many pokémon flocked from tree to tree.

Enormous flocks of Swellow and Taillow roosted along the enormous branches, intermingled with the odd Wingull or Pelipper that had found themselves this far inland. But other pokémon made their home here as well: Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and even a Pidgeot had claimed one tree, while a few Tropius, lazy with the chill of winter, had huddled together near a large metal platform where a handful of Talonflame and a lone Charizard slumbered.

Fortree was a refuge for humans in the wildest lands of Hoenn, but quite a few pokémon seemed content to make their home here as well. In addition to the aforementioned flying-types, Ash saw dozens of Beautifly and Dustox lazing about and guarding a number of sleeping Silkoon and Cascoon - glued to their perches by adhesive, silken webs - while a sharp-eyed Noctowl eyed them hungrily.

Nine Xatu and a small flock of Natu communed with various psychics on another platform, robed humans watching attentively, and six Skarmory glimmered in the sunlight as they roosted in a nearby bough just above one of the many, many rope bridges.

Humans and pokémon truly lived in harmony here. In so many cities there was some sort of divide. Quite a few pokémon would happily populate areas such as Saffron or Celadon, but they often skulked in alleys or hung away from the main thoroughfares to avoid the press of humanity.

Here? They were as much citizens as the humans. It resonated with Ash, and he found himself smiling.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Winona spoke beside him. She'd apparently grown tired of listening in on Steven's conversation with Wallace. It was difficult to tell while she was mounted on Tropius' back, but Ash found that she was only a little taller than he was. "The forest is our livelihood. It offers us bounty, shelter, and once granted protection against those who would despoil it."

"What kinds of trees are those?" Ash inclined his head towards the enormous trunks which stood far taller than any he'd ever seen. "They're incredible."

"Aren't they?" Winona smiled, pride evident in her expression. She stood on the very edge of the wooden platform with no fear of the potential fall. "Yellow meranti, some more than a thousand years old. A local conglomerate of grass-types has maintained this forest for untold centuries. They were kind enough to offer our ancestors refuge when they came stumbling through."

Ash's eyebrows arched in interest. "Are they still around?"

"Of course," Winona said. She pointed at three Grovyle and a Treecko clambering up the bark of a nearby tree with ease, led by an enormous Sceptile. Several Beautifly fluttered alongside, carried forth by soaring wind. They were gorgeous, but Ash wasn't sure he liked how their proboscises quivered while eying the little Treecko. "There are dozens of caretakers just like them. They're currently led by a Ludicolo, Shimmies-Like-Winding-Water."

Ash blinked. As far as excessively literal pokémon names went, that one was… unique.

"We supply them with everything they need, although the sun provides much of their sustenance," Winona continued, apparently happy to share more with an interested listener. "They hold a place of honor in Fortree. In exchange, they maintain the forests which we share. Shimmies-Like-Winding-Water and her kin dance to call up storms when needed, and send them away to let the sun shine when not."

"It sounds lovely." Ash watched the Grovyle delicately pluck a few unnecessary buds. One tossed it to the Treecko, which happily stuck one of the twigs in its mouth. Some of Glacia's lessons reared up in his head like an Arbok. "Your city is amazing, Gym Leader Winona."

Winona smiled down at the towering trees, the delicate network of ropes and bridges, and the countless treehouses built within the boughs. "Indeed it is. We're honored to host you, Elite Four Ash."

He coughed. "Just Ash, please."

"I hope that you'll extend the same courtesy to me, then."

Ash cracked a smile. "I think I can do that. Don't tell Glacia, though."

The Fortree Gym Leader laughed. "I think that can be arranged."

They stood on the edge together. Ash still wasn't the fondest of high places, but his flights with Plume had numbed him to the sensation of standing on the edge of the abyss. Tangrowth's vines looped tightly around his ankles and calves played a part in it as well.

"Steven tells me that you're a history lover. We have several places of knowledge - memorials, and a museum - that you may be interested in," Winona offered. Ash silently wondered just how much Steven had told her. Or perhaps warned her, given Ash's track record. "Some are devoted to the old days. Others to the Roosting period. It's a shame that you missed the Feather Carnival."

"The Roosting period?"

She seemed pleased that he had taken the bait. But how was he supposed to resist when that precious, precious knowledge was just dangled in front of him like that? Tangrowth gurgled happily from behind as Tropius leaned down to offer him a great sniff. Steven chattered in the background as he and Wallace arranged several 'lunches'.

A fat lie unless one considered 'lunch' to involve Steven attempting to breathe life into a millenia old golem.

"Fortree has always been solitary, but we suffered terrible losses in the petty wars of the last two centuries," Winona elaborated. "Numbers have never been on our side, although the Draconids who joined us as their fiefdoms devoured each other were a welcome addition. Each squad of windriders lost to conflict was a grievous wound. By the turn of the century, our people had retreated almost entirely into the forests. We made ourselves into an island."

"But ended up as part of the League regardless," Ash observed.

Winona chuckled. "Yes, I suppose you're right," she said. "Let us say that the Last War was rather unique in its consequences, compared to those that came before. We've always known which way the wind turns, and for the last half century the wind has followed in Drake's wake."

That sounded accurate. Ash couldn't help but wish to seek Drake out. He'd learned so much of the man, yet he seemed even more a legend in the flesh than Lance. The previous Dragon Master was a giant, even if he'd allowed others to take the helm.

He turned away from those thoughts as he felt Winona's eyes upon him. "Thanks for the recommendations. Is there anything we can do for you?" Ash asked. "I know manpower is a bit tight."

"There are a few things," Winona admitted, although she didn't seem particularly stressed. Her Gym Trainers were naturally suited to covering their wide territory, and given that Route 119, the largest headache imaginable, was largely left to the authority of the Pack… well, Ash supposed she was in a better place than most. "But we can speak of those later. There's no reason to trouble you both on your first day in Fortree. Relax. Take a moment to breathe!"

Ash cracked a smile as Tangrowth gurgled in agreement. His friend was still all sprawled out soaking up the sun's rays. "I'll see what I can do."

"Speaking of needing to relax…" Winona muttered as Steven flipped his PokéNav shut and strolled over to join them. "Is everything settled? I didn't realize Wallace would need so much of your time this week."

"Oh, it's fine. A little trouble with some Rocket remnants, but it's all been taken care of," Steven waved her concerns away. "Sidney's been terrorizing them with Zoroark. I almost pity them."

Winona wrinkled her nose at the mention of the Dark Master. Ash could sympathize.

"But enough of that," Steven smiled down at both Ash and Winona. He towered over them both, although that said more about the two of them than Steven, and swept his hand out across Fortree. "Shall we?"

XX

Winona proved to be quite the host. She'd offered them both fine rooms in the Fortree Gym, once meant for visiting ambassadors and guests of honor. The Fortree Gym was situated in the heart of the city and had served as the seat of the Cloudskim Kings and Queens for several hundred years.

Ash had asked her to elaborate on that while they descended the ramp, and she was happy to explain that when the wars came, scattered remnants of the Draconids had immigrated; local power shifted, challenges were made and accepted by a monarchy made somewhat arrogant by their long tenure, and within a few decades, there wasn't a crown to be seen within a hundred miles of the territory… except for the museum, of course.

It was part and parcel of power in Hoenn. Few ever kept it for long, at least not before the League's time.

The Fortree Gym was impressive. A monolithic stone tower situated not too far from the great sky ramps, it was high enough to stand equal to the great trees. Enormous statues, one of a Skarmory and one of a Charizard, stood guard at its gates. The Skarmory, Ash knew, was the cornerstone of Winona's predecessor, while the Charizard had been a favored companion of the Draconid commander who had overseen Fortree's windriders during the Last War and taken on the mantle of first Fortree Gym Leader.

Hundreds of other flying-types were represented in carvings upon the Gym's slanted stone walls, however. Ash made a little game of counting them as he strode through its halls. Last time he'd checked, he'd counted up to six hundred and forty two.

Most were native to Hoenn: fierce Swellow, razor-eyed Skarmory, gentle Tropius, sleek Crobat, easygoing Pelipper, and the cloudlike Altaria were especially well-represented. Quite a few Salamence had been etched into the stone walls as well, however, often with a number of Bagon and Shelgon inscribed peering wistfully up at them.

Many were foreign, however. Charizard, Pidgeot, Noctowl, Braviary, Corviknight, Fearow, Farfetch'd, Yanma… the list went on and on. Ash couldn't help but notice quite a few Dragonite and Dragonair as well.

"Pokémon who have served Fortree in the past," Winona explained when Ash asked her about it. "We bury our dead at the base of trees to allow their souls to live on in the bark, but stone has a nice permanence to it."

There were aspects of the Gym that Ash enjoyed, certainly. The history entombed into it, for one. It functioned partly as a museum, and several visiting trainers and their teams followed around a brown-haired young man (Zachary, according to Winona) who spoke passionately about various artifacts preserved across the ages.

Its interior was something of a labyrinth. While the large central chamber was used for Gym duties and the flat top had been adapted into a battle arena, the side chambers branched on seemingly forever, digging deep into the earth, sprawling out through various hollows dug around the thick roots of the great trees.

But while it had its perks, Ash wasn't much of a fan overall, and much preferred the tree houses outside. While the Gym had a history all of its own, it felt separate from the rest of the city. Carved away from the roots and leaves. From the people.

Given its previous inhabitants, perhaps that was the point.

"Isn't it lovely?" Steven asked as they arranged their rooms. Ash's scant possessions had only taken a few moments to unpack from their storage compartments and set up, so he'd popped in with Lairon, who happily floated atop Steven's bed with Magnet Rise and fell with a happy warble, his four feet twitching happily in the air.

Steven winced alongside Ash as several somethings popped and cracked within - the box spring, most likely. That bed was not meant for something as dense as Lairon. Alas, Sneasel had already claimed the entirety of Ash's bed despite being a fifth of Lairon's size. It was absurd how much space he could take up with his lanky arms and legs.

"A little too much stone for me," Ash said, thinking of Mamoru's home of labyrinthine tunnels. Steven peered at him disbelievingly, as if Ash was utterly mad, and simply shook his head. Of course Steven would prefer the rock to the trees. He'd never understand his teacher. "So…"

"So what?" Steven fluffed his pillow, then snagged a monogrammed grey pillowcase that Metagross helpfully levitated up for him and carefully slid the feather pillow into its new home. Metagross took up nearly the entirety of the chambers, but they somehow managed to always shift out of the way of inconvenience.

Ash plopped down next to Lairon, although it was a struggle not to slide into the massive dip left by his friend. Lairon just chirped happily at him as Ash laid a hand against the steel-type. "You haven't mentioned our goal here."

"Our goal?" Steven frowned.

He rolled his eyes. "We always have a goal. Training, connections, assisting the League…" Ash raised one finger after another. "Why wouldn't we now?"

Aren't you human children supposed to be insufferably lazy? Go dig a hole. Commit arson. Make a fool of yourself in front of Glacia. Normal human things.

"I'll have Nidoking and Infernus get right on that." Ash rolled his eyes at Claydol. "Also, I'm pretty sure those are just normal Lance things."

"Correct. Now, I have no doubt that you were listening in to my conversation with Wallace," Steven said drily. Ash didn't bother denying it. Metagross' red eyes were upon him. "I have my duties. You… well, I expect you to continue your training, but otherwise I hope you'll find some time to relax while I'm otherwise occupied."

Ash frowned.

Steven sighed. "And if you must find something to keep yourself occupied, Winona mentioned that she had a few mission board postings that she could use some help with."

He nodded, committing that to memory so that he could check it out later. They'd be posted at the Gym. All he'd have to do was check in with the Fortree Gym clerk and see what was up. Hoenn tended to rely more heavily on contractors than most due to the sheer size and wildness of its territories, and Fortree in particular needed all the manpower it could get.

Its Gym Trainers specialized in scouting out potential problems, but there just weren't enough of them to tackle every single issue that popped up. Rangers would act on most of their reports, particularly if involving serious crime or poaching, but for minor issues such as troublesome wild pokémon, community aid, or other concerns, it was far more practical to hire a trainer.

Some issues were simple enough to be handled by a few trainers with just a badge or two. A trainer with five or six badges, one of those rare serious contenders, could handle most wild pokémon… although Ash knew all too well that there were exceptions to that rule. The incredibly rare Conference-caliber trainer would be an untold blessing to any community they stopped by.

Sometimes, Ash wondered if Steven hadn't reclaimed the Champion's mantle simply because Hoenn was just that desperate for a free agent of his caliber. While Ash had no doubt that Steven (and Metagross, of course) performed their duties exceptionally, it must have been refreshing for him to simply tackle whatever problem needed a Champion's touch without being tied down by the minutiae that the formal position entailed.

To be honest, Ash thought, Hoenn might outright need two Champions right now, or at least an expanded Elite Four. The League was competent, but overworked. Steven and Ash might alleviate some of the strain wherever they went, but there was only so much two people could do.

It was the opposite of Indigo's stability right now. Where Lance was sufficient for governance - or was usually, though the Champion's mantle had left its marks on him recently - Hoenn was under siege from a thousand directions. Perhaps history would even remember this as a period of crisis for the young region, not even accounting for the various Legendary problems.

That line of thought troubled Ash more than he wanted to think about right now. At least he and Steven could hammer down upon the areas of greatest need.

"...Winona says there are always wild pokémon about that need to be captured and transplanted. Mostly exiles that have lost the favor of the Pack," Steven finished. Ash felt a little guilty for zoning out, but nodded along regardless.

"Speaking of the Pack…" Ash trailed off.

"Yes?"

"The Alpha warned me about something that might be after Spiritomb," Ash tapped the Ultra Ball with the specter hidden inside. He watched Steven with sharp eyes. "I wouldn't normally be too worried about a wild pokémon, but it had a name. Harbinger. She said it purges the darkness."

Steven swallowed. Lairon flipped to his side, demanding pets from Ash. "Ah, that."

"What is it?" If an Ever Grande Champion knew of it by name, it must be at least somewhat powerful. At least Steven didn't seem petrified. That would have had Ash worried.

"A hunter that's become something of a bogeyman amongst Hoenn's ghosts. It comes cloaked in shadow, but we suspect it's an Absol. Cameras have a difficult time catching it, but Sidney's gone hunting once or twice. He's always blissfully silent for a day or two afterwards."

Ash cracked a smile. "It sounds like you should send this Harbinger a thank you card."

Part of him felt relieved. He could handle an Absol… he hoped. It sounded as though it specialized in hunting ghosts, but it would find far more than Spiritomb waiting for it, if the thing made an attempt.

"It doesn't come near cities," Steven promised, although Ash put little faith in that. Rules tended to break when he was around. "It's never attacked a human to the best of our knowledge."

Given how little information they had, that wasn't especially comforting. Still, Ash supposed it was the thought that counted.

"I'm not too worried," he said. "Infernus will enjoy the challenge, if nothing else. I just wanted to know what to expect."

"It didn't strike on Route 119," Steven pointed out. "Even while I was gone. Perhaps it isn't interested in a fight."

"Or was just waiting for the right moment." Ash's hand gripped Spiritomb's Ultra Ball protectively. "Then again, it might be anywhere near here. A few minutes on Plume and I'd be days away. I'll just keep Sneasel on watch."

"That should be sufficient," Steven agreed. "The Alpha might have more information if the League makes a trade. She's a cutthroat negotiator." He shook his head ruefully. "I left without my suit jacket once. She didn't even need it!"

Ash snorted.

If the Alpha was a little more human, wizened, hunchbacked, and white-haired she might have asked for his pants instead.

"Claydol! Stop that!" Steven squawked. He was beet red. "Metagross!"

Metagross' eyes flashed azure. Claydol dropped onto the bed, its levitation suddenly cut out.

Oh, the indignity! You can take my metaphorical legs, but you will never take my -

Claydol's voice went silent a moment later. Lairon leaned forward curiously to sniff at Claydol's 'head', then cautiously licked it. When he wasn't immediately zapped by a psychic jolt, he did it again.

"So crass," Steven complained. He shook his head at Claydol, then returned the construct. "Claydol spent too much time around Lance as a Baltoy, I'm afraid. I doubt Drake has been a good influence either. But enough of that. Don't worry, Ash. We'll take care of it. In the meantime, just concern yourself with what sorts of activities you'd like to fill the week with."

As much as Ash wanted to hear some more Lance (and now Drake) stories from Steven, he simply nodded along. He was actually looking forward to checking out the mission board. It would be nice to give his team a way to de-stress that didn't involve training. Sometimes it just felt good to put all that hard work to good use.

"Well, I suppose we'd best be on our way." Steven straightened as he finished the last micro adjustments to his bed. It had been completely redone in Steven's endless shades of grey, and also appeared to have about twice the amount of fluffy mattress as Ash's bed did. "Winona's had nothing but good to say about this restaurant. It's supposed to have an Indigoan bent…"

XX

The next morning saw Ash still absolutely stuffed from their fantastic meal last night. It was everything a smiling Winona had claimed, and they'd been half-asleep by the time they'd finished the medley of sautéed vegetables, delicately sliced berries, the harusame salad dressed with oil and strips of cloned meat, and the fluffy chocolate soufflé so sweet that Ash had felt utterly sick after just a few bites.

He and sugar didn't mix well after more than a year of mainly trainer meals.

Weeks on the road had left Ash and Steven famished for a good meal. They'd eaten plenty, but it was all road fare and didn't go far when they walked miles upon miles each day. Winona had appeared more than a little perturbed by the utter savagery with which they attacked their meals.

Oh, Steven had tried to pretty it up, pretender that he was. He'd dabbed the corner of his lips with his fancy napkin and sipped his wine, but he gave Sneasel a run for his money when the soufflé made its way out.

Who would have thought Steven Stone had a sweet tooth? Then again, he had grown up in a mansion. This fine dining experience was probably his equivalent of Ash stopping by Pallet Town (well, Goldenrod now) for a home cooked meal.

Speaking of Sneasel…

"Are you coming?"

The poor dark-type moaned face down in the bed, sprawled out all over the place. His hooked claws flexed against the sheets, although thankfully they didn't tear anything. Sneasel flopped over after a moment to reveal a distended belly that he patted miserably.

He moaned.

"I told you not to eat so much," Ash said knowingly.

If Ash was stuffed, Sneasel had been crammed full by confection after confection, never having gotten the chance to learn how not to eat sweets after a life on the road with the likes of Ash.

At least the chef (who had appeared starstruck by Steven) had taken it as a compliment. Sneasel managed to eat almost as much as Bruiser.

In fact, Ash was pretty sure that Sneasel had been physically unable to stuff more food down his throat, although that certainly wouldn't have stopped him from trying if Ash hadn't returned him. For his own safety, of course.

The dark type moaned again, somehow more pathetically, and Ash forced himself not to smile too widely at the sight. It would just leave Sneasel even more indignant.

They'd all had their fill. It was a fantastic place, suspended on a vast platform between trees like a tree house out of his childhood dreams, and was large enough for Ash, Steven, and Winona to release all the safe members of their teams (minus Aggron - that might've pushed the weight tolerances a little too far).

Nidoking had his fill of Oran berries (dressed up nice and fancy by the chefs, naturally), Plume received an intricate confection dressed up to look like a Caterpie that she could tear into, Bruiser had been drowned in heaps of marinaded proteins, they busted out a UV lamp for Tangrowth to photosynthesize with, and Oz had devoured a pile of mixed meats and berries nearly the size of Bruiser's.

The chef had been doubtful at Lairon's begging eyes, then reluctantly tossed him an old kitchen knife along with the stack of conventional food. It made a great popsicle for Lairon once he'd nudged Sneasel enough to get him to Ice Beam the blade.

Dazed had hung in the back, scoffing at them.

At least I know I'll have plenty of good dreams to choose from tonight.

He'd laughed along with his dinner companions, and enjoyed a meal and conversation far more engrossing than the kind he'd shared with his fellow trainers at the Indigo Conference, the last time he'd been to a proper sit-down restaurant. Ash had eaten well at the Indigo Plateau, but the experience was altogether different. He missed those meals that he'd shared with the Elite Four, though.

And now, at least one of their number suffered for his lack of restraint.

"Stay here then," Ash teased, rolling his eyes. Sneasel groaned gratefully and flopped back over to be face down on the bed. "I'll pick you up before we go off on any jobs, so try to be functional before then."

Sneasel squirmed deeper into the covers. Ash just sighed, then left his quarters and made his way to the desk. Steven had 'lunch' with Wallace today, so Ash wasn't surprised to find him absent when he knocked on his door, although he was surprised to find Skarmory standing behind him when he turned back around.

"Oh, hello. I expected Claydol - well, never mind," Ash said as Skarmory blinked at him with her harsh eyes, the blades of her wings rattling against one another. She plucked something from a cabinet, then tossed it at Ash, who deftly caught it in one hand. A pokeball, he realized. Her pokeball. "So you're my escort for the day?"

Skarmory squawked, causing several young trainers passing by in the distance to quail. Ash just snorted. "Well, lovely to have you. I'll try not to get into too much trouble."

He thought Skarmory looked quite disappointed at that, although she followed Ash and Dazed with clinking steps as they strode down the hall to the Gym proper. It was still fairly early in the morning and so largely unoccupied, but quite a few of the Fortree Gym Trainers bustled to and fro, shouting at one another as they divided into various groups.

Some would remain with the Gym to help young trainers, patrol the city, and potentially accept challenges from weaker trainers. Others would assume the mantle of the old windriders and sail off into the sky to seek out trouble; knights errant saddled upon flying mounts. A handful of older Gym Trainers suited up in protective gear, likely going out for serious combat or to act as backup for Rangers.

It wasn't long before Ash came upon Winona barking orders. She was the shortest amongst the forces of the Fortree Gym, but that didn't stop her. Every word was crisp and rose high above the din of her agents: the voice of a commander.

"No more sloppy mistakes! If I hear one more complaint from the villages —" Winona cut her lecturing a few browbeaten young Gym Trainers short as Ash approached.

She brightened, then shooed the grateful boys away. "Ash! I'm surprised to see you awake so early. Altaria and I were practically in a coma when we left the restaurant."

"You should see Sneasel." Ash's mouth twitched. "He's sprawled out on the bed right now. He won't be moving anytime soon."

"Maybe he has the right idea," Winona moaned, appearing distinctly miserable. She shook it off.

"Steven said you had a job for me?"

Winona perked up. "I do. Are you interested?"

Ash nodded. "I've got to make myself useful one way or another, right?"

"You could sit back and enjoy the sights," Winona said, "but I certainly won't complain about a few extra pairs of helping hands… or paws, talons, and claws, as the case may be. Here, check this out."

She passed him a notice. Ash quickly skimmed it over. His eyebrows rose beneath his cap. "Are you sure?"

"It's an important mission," Winona said. "I can't think of anyone better to lead it. What do you think?"

"I - uh, I'll try."

"That's all I can ask," Winona smiled at him. "I can have a Gym Trainer stop by, if that would help. If they think you're sinking, they'll step in. But I wouldn't worry too much."

His throat was dry. Ash's hands twitched towards the pokeballs on his belt. Skarmory's silent menace and utter boredom wasn't much of comfort, but he steeled himself. "I'll do it."

"Whoo! That's a relief," Winona exhaled. "They'll be so excited! Nathaniel is great, but he's very… by-the-books. His pupils learn a lot, but they usually look ready to pass out. They'll hang on your every word."

"I hope so," Ash said queasily. "And if not, maybe I'll just get my team to make some big explosions. That ought to impress them."

It certainly would've impressed him at the beginning of his journey. Jon too, for that matter. Maybe Amelia.

Winona clapped him on the shoulder. "See? You've figured it out already!"

And with that, Winona led him into the depths of the Gym.

XX

Eight awestruck faces stared back at him. Ash fought the urge to squirm beneath their rapt gaze. Skarmory scratched at the stone floor with her talons out of boredom. Ash had tossed her a lump of scrap metal originally reserved for Lairon - Skarmory wasn't interested in eating it, but she loved scraping her beak against it to make an unholy screeching noise.

So that particular distraction didn't last long, especially once Lairon had given Ash the most pathetic look he'd ever seen.

Speaking of Lairon, he'd joined watching Ash with the same exact look as his pupils. It wasn't exactly strange to see Lairon looking up adoringly with his baby blues, but he'd kind of hoped that Lairon would help back him up instead of adding to the staring crowd.

For a moment he opened his mouth, then realized that encyclopedias worth of training had just fled from his mind in an instant.

Ash coughed, regathered himself, and set to work.

"So you all want to be trainers?"

"Yes, sir!" They chorused. Ash cringed. He was only twelve! They were coming to the Gym to prepare for the exams that would earn them their licenses, so they couldn't be more than two years younger than him. Nathaniel, a tall, tan man descended from the local Draconids, would take over for the actual educational portion, but Ash was here to answer questions and offer his experiences.

What experiences he could tell them about, anyways. That list was surprisingly short.

"Call me Ash," he said. Lairon warbled back, happy to agree with him. Ash wanted to groan, but bit it back. "What are your names?"

There were four boys - Marco, Aldo, Agis, and Jack - and four girls - Alicia, Maria, Lola, and Bea. He soon learned that their ages ranged from nine to eleven years - an awkward shock to him; he'd have sworn they were at least a few years younger. Each was set to leave on their journey after this year's Ever Grande Conference came to a close and the new season began.

Not too odd - Indigo worked in the same way, just with a few different, key details.

Different regions possessed their own starting ages, after all - he seemed to recall that Unova and Kalos trainers received their licenses in their mid-teens, provided they had passed the tests, but he didn't know the exact number. Hoenn and the rest of the National League, by comparison, generally deemed the roads safe enough for trainers to leave at the beginning of the season after their tenth birthday, although parents often decided to have their children wait for any one of a hundred reasons.

Apparently, it was the source of quite the explosion of activity in the initial months after the Conferences. The Leagues went into overdrive to ensure the roads were safe: local pokémon were bribed or warned away from causing trouble, patrols increased, and even the criminals knew to keep their heads down and crimes far, far from civilization unless they wanted the fury of the League to come crashing down upon them.

Harassing or hurting a young trainer was the best way to get a Ranger squad sent after you, and was second only to poaching in terms of activities unlikely to lead to a long life.

Humans maintained a justice system, after all. In the wilds, an angry parent had many more options for recourse.

At any rate, these kids were on the cusp of beginning their own journeys, and now he was a part of that process.

Ash engaged them in small talk for a bit - what had attracted them to the life of a trainer, what experience did they have with pokémon up to now, their relative educations - although every second of it was utter torture.

No. He forced himself to be honest. It was awkward and uncomfortable and he relied on Lairon's natural friendliness to bridge the gap, but at least he had an idea of who he was talking to, and he wasn't completely inept at the delicate art of acting like a human being.

This would not be the part of his job that broke him. He had plenty of enough of that going on already. That would just be embarrassing.

After a few minutes of breaking the ice, Ash cleared his throat again. Perhaps the soon-to-be trainers felt some change in the room's energy, because they shut down immediately and peered up at him with hungry eyes.

He hid a twitch. It was like coming back to a nest of starving baby Pidgey. They looked ready to devour any scraps of knowledge that he might toss their way.

"Coordinators or battlers." Ash turned his back to the students. Skarmory had already dozed off, although at least she wasn't imagining which of the little humans would make the funnest noise when she pecked them. "Which is better?"

An eruption of activity exploded behind him as the students processed the question and shouted out a dozen different answers… impressive, given that there were only eight of them. Several seemed to change their mind as quickly as they made it up and hollered a new answer. Two of the boys fell into a heated debate over the merits of both, and Ash simply let them go at it until a small voice slipped past the ruckus.

"Better at what?"

He turned back to face them. "Exactly. Good question," Ash nodded his head at the kid. "What is the challenge? What are you facing? What do you want?"

They processed that for a moment.

"There's more to training than just battling," Ash said softly. "Training is as broad as you make it. Breeders, coordinators, battlers, generalists, specialists… At the end of the day, those are just labels. A coordinator can battle, just like a battler can enter a Contest."

He suspected that he'd end up in that exact situation soon enough. Daisy would have her pound of flesh sooner or later. They'd exchanged a few letters on Route 119, enough for Ash to pick up the hint that Daisy expected to see him very soon.

"Do any of you already have a starter?"

Three hands popped up. Ash inclined his head at one of them - Maria, he thought. She was a little hesitant, but piped up regardless. "My big brother's Swellow laid an egg! Taillow should hatch any day now!"

Ash smiled at her, offered a word of encouragement that left him feeling terribly uncomfortable (although at least Maria seemed happy), and moved onto the next, a tall boy named Marco.

"I made friends with a Gulpin! I named her Gassy, and she's the best! She's super squishy and nice, and she can eat anything. You should see her go…" Marco rambled on. It reminded Ash a bit of Jon, and he suddenly missed his friend terribly. He waited patiently for Marco to finish, happy that he was so excited about his new friend, and moved onto the last.

Lola had dark, searching eyes and the tan, olive skin of the Draconids. She paused a moment before peering back at him. "Bagon," she whispered, as if not wanting the others to overhear. They did, of course, and Ash couldn't blame her reticence when they all muttered amongst each other, fascinated and jealous in equal measure. "Are you really in the Elite Four?"

Ash nodded back, but didn't expand on it. They asked questions, but once he made it clear that he wouldn't be elaborating, he simply waited. Once they'd settled down, Ash continued.

"They're all valid paths, and I hope you think very hard about what works best for you and your partners as you begin your own journeys, but for our purposes here, I'm a little biased towards battling," Ash confessed. "It's what I know best, so that's what I'll be talking about. Hopefully there's a little you can apply no matter what road you take, though."

He released several members of his team with a brilliant flash of light. Nidoking, Dazed, Seeker, and Tangrowth all appeared and were almost immediately mobbed by a swarm of fascinated children, although a few pointed looks from Ash sent them scurrying back to their seats… albeit with new souvenirs in the form of Tangrowth's vines, as he'd almost immediately tried to engulf his new friends in a hug.

"My team," Ash said proudly. Nidoking snorted at the sight of the students, while Dazed shuffled back to the corner to join Skarmory, who'd properly dozed off now. Actually, maybe Dazed was just hungry. "My family. Some of them, anyway. Skarmory's just a friend."

Skarmory let out an ear-piercing shriek at that. Ash wasn't sure if that meant she agreed or not.

"The road is hard," he pronounced, feeling the raspy catch in his throat and ruthlessly pressing through it, emboldened by Nidoking's sturdy presence beside him. "You might see things you don't want to. Encounter things you'd rather not. But your team makes it all worth it."

He shook his head to cast off the dark thoughts that filled his head. These kids didn't need that.

"Whether you're a trainer, coordinator, dance enthusiast, whatever," he met each of their eyes. "Your fundamentals should be what you train the most. I've known trainers who rely on a handful of powerful pokémon to brutalize weaker foes, or set up an intricate house of cards that can be cast down by a strong enough opponent. Another decided to catch every pokémon he could, who wound up training only a few and ignoring most," a smile flickered across Ash's face. "They were some of my best friends, actually."

"If you build on a shaky foundation, you'll plateau. You'll never become what you might be. By the time you're experienced enough to realize what's gone wrong, you'll have to deal with flaws that will be absolutely debilitating as you expand into the higher realms. If you aren't self-aware enough, it might cripple you forever."

His lips twitched upward, well-aware of how hypocritical this next part was going to sound. But it was true, and he hoped that the future trainers would recognize that. They all watched him like Plume eying a juicy Wurmple, fascinated by every word. Most of it was probably just his reputation - if it was Nathaniel telling them this, they'd probably be dozing off already.

Ash wouldn't let his good fortune go to waste.

"My best advice? Kill your ego. Leave it at the door," Ash instructed. Dazed telepathically guffawed, and even Nidoking's black eyes crinkled with amusement. He ignored them, content to let his friends have this moment. He wasn't that bad. He wasn't Gary. "You have to ride the knife's edge. Maintain the utmost confidence in yourself - and more importantly, your team - in battle, then be willing to tear your performance to shreds afterward."

He thought back to his battles in the Indigo Conference.

"It's good to be a skeptic," Ash said. "Act with resolve, but doubt yourself when the battle is over, not during. Think. You aren't perfect. And if you think otherwise, you're an idiot."

One of the girls, Lola, elbowed Marco. The boy stuck his tongue out at her and blew a raspberry, but immediately straightened up when Nidoking rumbled a warning his way.

"The Champions have soared to heights we can't imagine, but believe me when I say that they know exactly how close to earth they really are. If you think you know better than them, then you'd better be ready to prove it!"

At least the Legends were good for that. Lance might have never realized he wasn't on top of the world otherwise… just on top of the League. On top of humanity. Those were very different things.

He surveyed the fresh faces of the students. "Any questions?"

Ash was not ready for the pandemonium that erupted.

XX

The next morning placed Ash at Winona's side.

"What do you think?" Winona asked. Skarmory had been left as Ash's partner for the day once again, although the bird seemed desperately bored by the prospect of another few hours spent teaching kids. Ash had enjoyed it, but Skarmory was a little too bloodthirsty for that.

He was fairly certain she'd spent part of that time measuring Leo up to figure out if he would be worth one bite or two.

Ash favored the one bite hypothesis. Skarmory was a big bird and determined besides, although Plume put her to shame. She put most flying-types to shame, though, so there was nothing for Skarmory to be embarrassed about.

That thought did make him very happy that Claydol was off with Steven, though. The construct absolutely would've shared Ash's thoughts with Skarmory for its own amusement.

"A Golem and a Probopass got into a scrap and buried a river in a rockslide," Winona listed off, scanning a few of the notices. "A Bouffalant's strayed from the Safari Zone, and the wild pokémon are upset… risks of a flood, Penna Town needs some muscle for dike-building—"

"I'll take them all," Ash interrupted, a dozen half-plans formulated in an instant as he scanned over the notices himself. Some needed muscle. There were a few wild pokémon that needed to be captured lest they get themselves hurt by the locals. Another village needed a hunter to seek out a few ghosts that were spooking travelers. One old man just wanted someone to talk to for a day.

He paid special attention to that one.

Most of these missions were intended for a trainer with four to five badges to complete. They were intended for a full team of talented, well-trained pokémon.

He could do this, and the rest.

"Are you sure? Some of these are time sensitive."

It would take a few minutes of work with Dazed, Nidoking, and Torrent to get the game plan together, but Ash was confident. "Plume will take it as a challenge," he smiled. "And if worse comes to worst… Bob."

He shuddered, but thankfully the Alakazam didn't pop in. Sometimes Ash wondered if Bob's absolutely appalling personality was just a front so that he didn't have to actually do his job except in the absolute worst of times.

Skarmory gagged beside him. It sounded like someone coughing up a sword.

Even Winona wrinkled her nose.

Ash's interest was piqued. "You know him?"

"Steven's told me stories." Winona sighed and lightly tugged at the lavender hair exposed by her flight helmet. "Very well. I entrust you with these tasks. See Zachary for payment when you return."

"Keep it." Ash shook his head. "I have more money than I know what to do with."

She smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Ash. It will go to good use," Winona promised. She sighed again. "I do appreciate your help. Fortree's a small city with a vast territory. We've learned to manage, but these are hard times. Every small bit helps."

Ash nodded. That was part of the reason he'd been interested in taking up some of these jobs, after all. While it would be a nice break for his team to go solve these minor problems and stretch their legs (or wings), Ash truly hoped that he could offer a bit of relief to the Fortree Gym.

"Happy to help," Ash said. He tracked the senior Gym Trainers, some of whom were probably capable of trading blows with Winona herself. "Where are they headed?"

"Poachers," Winona's delicate face twisted into a sneer. She offered the grizzled Gym Trainers a stiff nod as they dipped their heads to her on their way out. A wide-eyed rookie watched them march past with awe, while his little Swablu had the same expression upon seeing Skarmory spreading her great wings. "Some Rockets, some opportunists. Most know better than to prowl Route 119 - the Pack don't take prisoners, and we don't ask questions. Every now and then you get a brain dead bunch that we have to take care of, though. I'll be joining them shortly."

Skarmory keened mournfully, likely eager for nothing more than to terrify a few underqualified poachers, but Ash shook his head. "Steven will have both our heads if he finds out that we split up."

The steel-type grumbled at that, but nodded.

"I'll tattle," Winona wagged a finger in front of Skarmory's piercing beak. The steel-type looked like she was rather considering snapping it off. "And don't look at me like that, ma'am! You'll never see your boy-toy again if you keep that attitude."

Skarmory appeared displeased by that. There was a story there, but for the life of him Ash had absolutely zero interest in prying. He never thought he'd one day consider the logistics of a Skarmory's love life, yet here he was.

"Well, good luck." Winona fiddled with the straps of her flight helmet, muttering. "For my sake as much as yours," afterwards.

Ash cracked a smile. "I'll see what I can do. Might take a bit off your plate."

"If only I could be so lucky," Winona lamented, then waved him off as some of her hardened Gym Trainers waited expectantly at the Gym's entrance. "I'd best be off."

He nodded and waved as she hurried to meet her trainers, one hand already on her pokéballs. Ash almost pitied the poachers who found themselves at the mercy of the Fortree Gym.

Better them than the Pack, he supposed.

They vanished within a minute. Ash went ahead and plucked off the vast majority of the mission postings on the board - all except for those that would be physically impossible to complete within a few days - and tucked them away in his pockets with a quick nod to Zachary.

Part of him was eager to rush into it and check them over with Nidoking, Dazed, and Torrent immediately, but Ash was all too aware of the prying eyes in the Fortree Gym. A handful of dedicated trainers had begun to filter in and fixed him with rapt looks.

Best to move on.

And so he did. The Fortree Gym had its own air platform. Twin Gym Trainers who guarded it with a Nuzleaf and Plusle dipped their heads as he passed, obviously recognizing him. At least he wouldn't have to worry about being stopped over some red tape.

The Elite Four title made him anxious most of the time - at least in terms of being recognized - but at least it acted as one of the biggest pairs of bureaucratic scissors in the National League. Only full-fledged members and the Champions stood above… and technically Charles Goodshow as well, although the League President largely held a ceremonial role.

Plume materialized with a flash once Winona and her Gym Trainers had cleared the platform, disembarking on the backs of Tropius and a lone Salamence that belonged to one of her grizzled veterans, and cooed at Ash as she took in the lovely sights of Fortree. She offered a respectful nod to Skarmory - while Plume far outshone the steel-type in flight, she'd grown to respect the fierce Skarmory's skill everywhere else.

Ash took a moment to join Plume in her survey. Fortree really was a charming city. He took a moment to admire the grand canopy and towering trunks before they got down to business.

"We've taken a challenge," Ash said, stroking Plume's powerful chest as he prepared her saddle. Her wings spread as she shrieked her own exultation to the sky, drawing the attention of countless people and pokémon strolling on the rope bridges that connected the city's treehouses in a vast three-dimensional network. Quite a few of the forest's caretakers hid away, nervous at the sound of such a fierce predator. "Well, I've taken on a challenge. I doubt you'll break a sweat, eh?"

As always, assuaging Plume's ego proved to be the correct move. She cooed softly and lightly nibbled on his cap, although by now it seemed just one or two chomps away from disintegrating. But he had faith in his cap.

Counting the events of New Island, it had technically survived this journey longer than Ash had.

Surely it could hold up for a little longer.

Rescue missions. Civil projects. Captures. A listening ear.

They had quite a bit ahead of them. Nothing too challenging, but Ash found himself looking forward to the vacation nonetheless.

"Well, let's get to it!" Ash exhaled as he rattled off the directions for the first mission he withdrew. At least they'd been kind enough to offer coordinates…

XX

Twenty-seven missions. That's how many they completed in two days. Skarmory had been bored out of her mind the entire time (except for an occasion where she'd gotten to terrorize a swarm of Volbeat and Illumise that had been bullying a small village on the outskirts of Fortree's territory) but flew steadily behind Plume's side the entire time regardless.

Ash tried to keep his team as intact as possible throughout the process, but at various times he'd been obliged to drop off members of his team to independently accomplish a task.

Torrent carved out new waterways with Nidoking. Sneasel embarked into the darkness with a happy yowl and came back clutching the quivering forms of freshly terrified rogue ghosts. Plume scouted criminal hideouts and reported back. Seeker helped Ash track the Bouffalant while Bruiser convinced it to be caught by Ash so that the League could return it to the safety of the Safari Zone.

Nidoking negotiated peace between rival packs of Mightyena - splinters from the Pack. Bruiser's incredible strength was put to use by a village to help build a new house… although the first few attempts ended with his four hands full of splinters instead of beams of wood.

Thankfully, his grey skin was too tough for him to be injured, although it was the first time that Ash had seen a Machamp properly embarrassed.

The townsfolk had been understanding, however, and had cheered Bruiser on as he managed to haul tons upon tons of materials across the town with ease. Nobody quite trusted him with the actual building, though Ash couldn't fault them for that. To be fair, Bruiser couldn't either.

Each and every member of his team had a chance to shine… well, except for Spiritomb. Releasing it would cause more problems than it was worth, although Ash still made time for his daily sessions with it. It was still reticent to interact with Ash, but it would at least listen as he told his stories and shared old experiences through their connection.

Slow work, certainly, but rewarding all the same.

More than anything, Ash felt a simple surge of satisfaction as he recalled the vast number of mission requests that he'd solved in a matter of days. Other trainers might have taken weeks or months to accomplish what his team had… and that was if they were capable at all.

Young trainers would have failed a dozen times over without help. Ash could dispatch a single member of his team to resolve an issue in an afternoon. It always left him anxious to send them away, but they'd been bound and determined to see their assigned missions through.

And they had. Zachary had nearly wept at the 'mission completed' reports, although Ash had admittedly written them up semi-haphazardly in his rush to move on to the next task. Steven had trained him to do his reports in exhaustive detail, but Ash was not writing Steven-style write-ups for twenty-seven missions. He fully expected his hands to fall off if he even made an attempt.

Winona and Steven were still off taking care of League business, but Ash found that acceptable as he crawled into bed and flipped open his PokéNav. As much as he enjoyed Steven's company, he could use a little downtime right about now.

There were several messages waiting for him as he settled down, but Ash immediately gravitated to Jon and Amelia's. It had been a while since he'd heard from them. Both of his friends had been quite busy out in Johto - they'd just spent months training.

Hey there! We've been kicking ass, taking names, and wrecking shit! You wouldn't believe how much stronger we are now. I WILL ROLL YOU, YOU HEAR?

Amelia here, Jon needs to roll Gary first.

LIES I WILL BE VICTERIUS.

Translation courtesy of me, Amelia: he means victorious.

Anyways, we're off to Olivine! It's supposed to be super pretty and has this cool lighthouse and Jasmine has a Steelix that I'm going to obliterate with Gyarados because Gyarados are the best and are unstoppable! And if you mention our Conference battle I will fly down to Hoenn and punch you in the face.

I hear it's a lovely city. Politoed is excited!

We've earned this vacation! I haven't beat Clair yet but I think she's getting tired of seeing me so maybe I'll grind her down through persistence! That's the Pallet way! Did you know she has a Salamence now? That's some bullshit if I've ever seen it. Why didn't you have to fight a Salamence, huh? But Infernus would probably ride it. I'd pay to see that. Speaking of Magmar and Magmortar, I'm gonna try to find Blaine's Gym since we never figured it out last time. Oh what happened to Michael…

Ash grinned as he read more and more of Jon's ramblings and Amelia's attempts to provide some sort of context for them. He missed those two - hopefully they'd run into each other again soon. He'd find himself at the Silver Conference one way or another. There was no way that he'd miss the chance to see his friends again.

The new year was approaching soon, after all. It was strange to realize that nine months had passed since the end of the Indigo Conference. Time really was a paradox, Ash supposed. It crawled by, yet flitted past in the blink of an eye all the same.

Sometimes it felt like only days ago that he'd faced Michael. Other times it felt as though years had rushed past.

Just a few months until the Silver Conference. Just a few months until the second anniversary of his journey's beginning.

Ash sighed as the wistful mood passed, then scrolled down to a short message from Professor Oak. A thrill of interest and stomach-turning anxiety passed through him.

Ash,

I've returned to Pallet Town. I accomplished what I set out to do - your advice was more than sufficient to guide me to where I needed to go. I'm glad to hear that you're safe and well. Please reach out if you need me.

Best,

Samuel

Ash's hands gripped tight around the PokéNav as he sped through Professor Oak's succinct message. It said all that it needed to. Professor Oak hadn't spelled it out, but the signs were clear as day to Ash.

Agatha was gone.

The Revenant Crone was no more, lost in the sands of Orre.

He thought the world seemed a little darker all of a sudden, but knew that if she ever heard such a fanciful thought that she'd have smacked him overhead with her gnarled cane. For a moment Ash's eyes squeezed shut.

Agatha deserved better. He couldn't help but recall the manic eyes, the grasping hands shaped of phantasmal ash and bone, and a foul disconnect from humanity in the peak of Lavender Tower.

Fuck the Hashimoto.

Dazed's eyes flickered in the darkness of the room, illuminating Nidoking and Lairon who had curled by his bedside.

She was…. well, not kind. Nor compassionate. Nor gentle. But she was strong. Wise. I believe she cared for you, strange as she was. You brought her a measure of peace at the end.

His hands clenched around the PokéNav. "I only met her four times."

Dazed shuffled closer.

And consider the mark those meetings left upon you. Why is it so difficult to believe she might have taken something from them as well?

He closed his eyes. "It's just… I…"

Thick yellow fingers brushed through his hair comfortingly.

Some meet as fleeting ripples, some as crashing waves. Do not value your relationship by something so arbitrary as the number of times your paths crossed.

Ash exhaled, his breath the only sound in the room. "They'll remember her," he said weakly. "Agatha wouldn't have left this world easily."

Dazed inclined her head.

The Revenant Crone would have left her mark on the desert sands. Part of Ash despaired at the thought of her wading into combat, circled by black shadows and unearthly powers at her fingertips, but then he realized she would've worn a Gengar's grin all the while.

She'd been so terribly weak when they parted in Lavender. Her skin like parchment, her bones brittle, and her life stolen by her grandfather's cruel experiment. Her will was the only thing that hadn't been consumed upon the pyre of that eldritch flame.

Ash tried to imagine Agatha lying in a pile of blankets and fluffy pillows, attended to by a horde of frightened doctors and nurses, and snorted. As much as his heart ached to imagine it, Agatha never would've chosen such a comfortable end. She was a warrior in heart, if not in body, and it was a warrior's end that she would've demanded with the last of her strength.

One last blaze of glory.

One last chapter in her tale.

And what a tale it was.

His smile was brittle, but present nonetheless as he peered up at Dazed. The snores of his team brought some sense of comfort as he flipped off his PokéNav and stowed it away on his bedside table. Ash could check the rest of the messages later.

"You won't leave, will you?" Ash's voice was small. Fragile. He hated it.

Dazed's yellow-furred fingers brushed through his black hair again.

Never. We are yours, Friend-Trainer, as you are ours.

He smiled, his eyelids suspiciously heavy. Yet Ash welcomed it.

"Dazed…" he mumbled through the haze of sudden exhaustion that fogged his vision and filled his limbs with lead. "I think I need to dream tonight."

Of course. You are not alone.

"I know," Ash said, and with that he descended into the unfamiliar land of dreams.

He remembered ash and bone in a dark valley. A pale Ninetales. A gnarled wooden cane. Mocking laughter.

And above all else, a pair of mismatched eyes, black and blue.

XX

"Remember what we talked about?" Ash muttered into Bruiser's ear. The Machamp nodded, his chiseled muscles taut as a wire as he gazed across the battlefield at his foe. "He's been a little cocky, hasn't he? Why don't you show him what you can do?"

Bruiser cracked two of his knuckles. Infernus grinned back, flames licking at his lips, and raised a great cannon in return. He was more ecstatic than Ash had seen him since the fight with Durand, honestly, and Ash couldn't even blame him.

He was in the same position.

But Infernus had been in bad sorts since Team Floral Explosion had taken out their frustrations on him. It was anathema to Infernus' very being, but Ash suspected he actually felt guilty… although whether it was for his bullheaded battlelust or for costing himself a victory was up for debate.

He'd only resisted a little when Team Floral Explosion had thrown him into another team fight… this one a lone, exhausted Infernus against Nidoking, Sneasel, Seeker, and Tangrowth. Admittedly Seeker (who had just thrown a Supersonic and flitted away to hide) mostly just wanted revenge for all the times Infernus has irritated her, and Tangrowth had to be convinced by Sneasel promising him an entire day of hugs, but it had been poor odds regardless.

Infernus had given as good as he'd got, but even that effort had been cursory at best. He hadn't even done his best impression of an erupting volcano - if that wasn't a fat, crimson flag waving in the air, Ash didn't know what was.

"Hurry up!" Sidney prodded from the sidelines, yawning. "You think this is how I want to spend my day off, you little shit? Kill something already!"

The Dark Master cackled as Infernus sneered and blasted him with a Flamethrower that would have melted stone to a pile of slag. Six Grumpig and a Kirlia did their absolute best to restrain it, but looked ready to pass out with the effort.

"Gonna have to do better than that!" Sidney laughed. "Try harder! I didn't even break a sweat. Aren't you supposed to be some kind of freak that'll give Flint's monster a run for her money? Prove it, you jumped up —"

Please don't…

Came the wavering request of the exhausted Kirlia, although Ash doubted Sidney could even hear it with Zoroark leering over his shoulder. To be fair, Ash wasn't even sure if that was Sidney.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be a prick?" Ash growled, turning to glare at Sidney as he lost his patience. Was he trying to get roasted alive? Infernus wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Even Ash might only lose a few minutes, and most of that would be for the paperwork he'd have to complete.

The insufferable man made a big show of picking his nails as Zoroark made a show of its head twisting three hundred and sixty degrees with a sickening squelch. Ugh. "Nah, Miss Glacia's upstairs. You're my only option until she leaves for her mission."

"Lucky me," Ash groused.

Sidney nodded sagely. "Appreciate it while you can, kid. How do you think I feel? There I was, minding my own business —"

Yeah right.

"— when good ol' Steven Stone, octogenarian heartthrob, busts down my door with his robot psychic puppetmaster glaring at me behind him. 'Sidney, I'm busy exploring Champion Wallace's special secret vault, can you watch my little disaster magnet wreck our battlegrounds?' No regard for Absol's feelings, I tell you! Poor girl practically pissed herself when she felt you teleport in."

Ash wrinkled his nose, although he did feel a little bad for Absol. He'd never met her, but if she reacted anything like the average psychic then she was in a bad place. Part of Ash wanted to pester Sidney about the Harbinger, but that would involve talking to Sidney.

That was to be avoided at all costs.

Bruiser looked like he wanted to toss something lightly (aka hard enough to rip right through the psychic barriers) at Sidney, but Ash shook his head at both him and Infernus. It was best to just have their battle and then get out of Ever Grande City.

They'd almost managed to have their battle in Fortree, too. Winona had even been excited for it, especially since Steven was gone again today. But she'd taken one look at Infernus and Bruiser when Ash had released them, gaped, and shook her head.

"Not in my city!" She'd said, and that was that.

So here he was in the training grounds of Ever Grande City. Winona had been generous enough to offer the use of her teleporter, a kind-eyed Xatu who had gone catatonic the moment it saw Ash, and then a backup Alakazam instead. Anything to keep Bob out of her city.

"Come on," Sidney whined, kicking his feet like a petulant child. Ash had no doubt that it was all for show. One day he was going to lock Sidney, Gary, and Clair in a room and see who came out alive. "I'm bored."

Ash was tempted to just sit here with the dirt and silence, but that would just leave Sidney more opportunity to needle them. Infernus was this close to throwing an Overheat at the man, and Ash wouldn't want the psychics maintaining the barrier to get stressed out by the roasted Elite Four.

They didn't deserve that.

"Ready?"

It was an unnecessary question. Bruiser nodded instantly, eyes locked on his foe. His finesse had advanced by leaps and bounds these past few weeks thanks to his constant knitting and dexterity exercises. He rarely broke his tools anymore, and Ash hoped that in a month or two he would be ready to pet Seeker again.

Infernus could take it. If anything, he'd just grown more and more excited at the prospect. He'd been in a spectacularly good mood since Ash had told him that today was the day, and he'd been even more energetic than usual: Infernus had pestered every teammate he could into training with him, and Ash had seen true joy (albeit marred by bloodlust) in Infernus' eyes as he witnessed various members of the team clawing their way to match him.

Oz certainly played a big part in that realization, even if Storm Surge was still at the point where she required a bit of set up. But it was a far cry from the relatively one-sided rivalry that she'd held since Infernus evolved atop Mt. Ember.

"Three. Two. One…" Ash counted off as he jogged off to the sidelines. He chose the opposite side of Sidney, naturally, but held back a groan as reality came dripping down like streaks of black paint to reveal Sidney and Zoroark standing right next to him. They knew him too well. "Begin!"

Crack.

Infernus wasted no time. He vanished in the space of a second, warping through space-time to emerge right behind Bruiser's muscled shoulders. His body blazed white, enormous waves of heat radiating off to scald and sear Bruiser, gnawing at his leathery skin, and Infernus grinned as he leveled a cannon at the Machamp's back…

Only to gawk as one of Bruiser's shoulders shot out at lightning speed, grabbed Infernus' fiery shoulder with enough force to make the Magmortar grimace, and hurled him across the arena. Infernus tumbled a dozen times, slamming into the earth again and again before finally coming to a stop. Bruiser had been ready for him.

He staggered to his feet, beaming as his fires flared hotter and hotter. Ash winced at the sight of Infernus' left arm hanging limp at his side. It was dislocated at best, shattered to a pulp at worst. That cannon was absolutely useless unless Bruiser came from below. It would take more than a lava bath to fix that, but it didn't stop Infernus' joy at the promise of a good fight.

All that from a gentle (for Bruiser) squeeze.

Infernus raised his sole remaining cannon, flames flickering around him as his body heat surged to new levels and stirred Ash's Feather to life, golden fire overpowering the crackles of electricity and rainbow tinge.

He roared in challenge, then leapt forward as Bruiser tensed and shot forward in a hulking grey blur. They tangled together for a moment, though a single kick from Bruiser sent Infernus flying ten feet away with a crack like thunder. Bruiser was careful to keep their engagements brief - his skin was tough enough to stand Infernus' fiery skin for a second or so, but any prolonged exposure would deal serious damage.

The Magmortar landed heavily upon his back, wheezing. Bruiser had probably bruised a few of his ribs with that strike. Infernus was tough as nails, often feeding off of pain to push himself to new heights and return damage tenfold, but Bruiser's strength had surpassed willpower.

Mental toughness was an incredible asset - and probably the only reason Infernus was still willing to fight after those brutal blows - but anything less than rock or steel would crumble like sand beneath Bruiser's fists.

Bruiser was considerate enough to let Infernus haul himself to his feet, although every breath came as a gasp. Definitely some messed up ribs. Part of Ash wanted to end it here, but Infernus wouldn't be satisfied until there was a true victor.

Still, Bruiser's point had been made: Infernus would not win in hand-to-hand combat. The battle would be finished the next time he laid a finger on Infernus.

Despite it all, there was nothing less than joy in Infernus' eyes. He raised his good cannon and braced himself as he unleashed an enormous Flamethrower that threatened to engulf Bruiser whole, although he bore it with a shimmering green Protect that shielded him from the worst of the flames.

In that moment of blindness, Infernus struck. He maintained a steady stream of blazing flame from his good cannon, then began to spew thick clouds of black smoke from his wounded arm. Even Infernus couldn't raise it without breaking his focus from the pain, but the Smokescreen soon swelled up to obscure Infernus. His glow was bright enough to radiate through it, but at least Bruiser couldn't see his fixed position.

Soon enough the Flamethrower died and was replaced by endless clouds of noxious black smoke that strangled the center of the battlefield. It crept at the edges, licking at the psychic barriers, but wasn't able to pass by.

"And here we were thinking that we were about to get a show," Sidney yawned. "Boring!"

Ash spared Sidney an evil look, but that just fed his sick sense of humor. Zoroark had vanished, painted over by black smears of dark power. It was either standing right behind Ash or had gone off to cause mischief. At least even Zoroark probably had the good sense to stay clear of the battlefield.

Bruiser and Infernus settled into a slow, poking fight that must have bored Infernus to tears. He kept far, far away from Bruiser's iron fists and insane strength, although the sheer speed at which Bruiser could leap around the battlefield meant that there were several close calls.

Teleportation bridged the gap, though, and Infernus played smart. He set Tephra traps, laying his miniature volcanoes where Bruiser would likely cross through the Smokescreen. He flung Flamethrower after Flamethrower to wear down Bruiser's defenses. He hurled Fire Blasts to test Bruiser's Protect.

A half-dozen streams of flame exploded forth from Infernus' good cannon, branching out and attacking from multiple angles. Bruiser was forced to engulf his entire body in a rippling green Protect sphere to hold it off, although that was the last Protect he managed before visibly sagging.

From there, Bruiser was forced to move. And move he did. He was hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of chiseled muscle, thick sheets of connective tissue, and nigh unbreakable bone, but a brief spurt of Rampage was enough to send him exploding across the battlefield to hunt Infernus again and again.

It wasn't the most exciting battle to watch, but things ramped up with every turn. Infernus' teleportation grew slower, inviting Bruiser's punches to stray closer and closer each bout. Yet his flames scorched Bruiser on occasion and left patches of raw pink flesh on his chest and arms.

Both panted, growing fatigued as each dodged the others' attacks. Bruiser would annihilate Infernus with a single solid blow - let alone one backed by Rampage - but he was almost as vulnerable to Infernus' fire. Any sustained attack that landed would cripple him, leaving him exposed to future attacks and slowing him enough that Infernus wouldn't have so much pressure on him.

And without Bruiser's constant pressure, Infernus could recover. Perhaps set up a nice lava bath, a few more Tephra chambers, an Earth Burn or two…

But then it happened.

As they glared at each other after yet another near miss, something shifted in Bruiser's demeanor as he appeared to come to some sort of realization. His eyes sharpened. His reptilian mouth bared his teeth in a savage grin to match Infernus's. His stance widened in anticipation, bloodlust shattering his normal calm.

Bloodlust to match Infernus's.

All rational thought lay forgotten, tossed aside in pursuit of mad victory. Blood pumped through Bruiser's mighty limbs, pulsating through the great veins, and power like nothing Ash had ever seen coiled through Bruiser's body.

Bruiser did not roar his challenge to Infernus, he howled. Two of his huge fists came pounding down on his thick chest with enough force to break stone while his other two remained upraised, ready for Infernus.

As for Infernus…

Well, he howled right back. His eyes were wide, wild, full of excitement… Ash recognized the expression all too well. How could he not?

It was his.

Infernus had found a worthy opponent. More than that, Infernus had found an opponent just as eager to unleash their full strength as he was! How could he hold back?

No, Infernus was lost in his desire to slake his desperate lust for battle. For competition. For victory! For the feel of blood pounding in his ears and his opponent roasting beneath his flames.

Bruiser snarled with those wild eyes, beckoned Infernus forth, and his friend accepted the challenge.

Crack.

Infernus materialized just in front of Bruiser, who stood nearly a head taller than him now. His good cannon was already angled up at his foe, filled with raging flame that would sear the flesh from Bruiser's bones while golden sparks coalesced in his open maw, a Hyper Beam ready to be unleashed…

All the blind rage vanished from Bruiser's eyes in an instant. His body still pulsated with power, but the tension drained to leave easy, relaxed movements. The fury that permeated him a moment before was gone, simply an illusion ready to be cast aside at a moment's notice.

Realization - disappointment - flickered across Infernus' face, but it was too late.

One mighty hand gripped Infernus' good shoulder as gingerly as Bruiser could manage, although Ash had no doubt that it would bruise. Infernus' Hyper Beam sputtered out as an open palm slammed into his gut and forced every bit of air from his lungs, shattering his focus.

Another snapped forward to backhand Infernus, although this was as delicate a motion as Bruiser could manage. It still landed with a crack like thunder and sent Infernus' head snapping to the side.

With that done, Bruiser simply let Infernus go.

Infernus sputtered as he staggered backward and fell onto his back. His good cannon attempted to raise and fire a desperate Flamethrower at Bruiser, who was scorched red from those brief few seconds of contact, but he was so out of it that the flame went far and wide to scorch at the ceiling instead of Bruiser's mountainous frame.

"Enough!"

His friend wheezed and spat a pathetic trickle of fire at Bruiser, who simply took a single step backward to avoid it. Sidney jeered.

"That's enough!" Ash's voice cracked like a whip. Infernus groaned back, but collapsed entirely on his back. He stared blankly at the ceiling. Everywhere Bruiser had touched or struck was already a rich purple as molten blood formed bruise after bruise. He stepped forward to inspect his friend, heedless of the horrible heat that blazed from Infernus' skin.

Infernus had been brutalized.

One shoulder had been mashed to a pulp, although it was nothing that a night or two in a Pokémon Center wouldn't fix. His ribs were a mottled purple mass, likely broken. The left side of his face had been pulverized by Bruiser's backhand. Ash didn't think anything was broken, but the tough flesh was torn and split by Bruiser's knuckles. Molten blood dribbled from Infernus' slack jawed mouth.

Bruiser hadn't come out unscathed - his chest and left arms were left raw and red by Infernus' flame, and his entire front had been scalded - but Infernus was certainly worse for wear.

"That's all?" Sidney mocked from the sidelines. "I've heard stories about you, Magmortar. You rode a Salamence in the Indigo Conference like a bucking Taurus! Ol' Bertha claimed you went toe-to-toe with Cynthia's Lucario last time we were drinking together. They say you destroy the battlefield or get knocked out trying. And look at that! Can't even handle a little love tap. Every Master on the Eastern Continent has been making plans for this? Ha! I —"

"Shut up."

Bruiser strode forth with a face carved from stone, but it was Ash who spoke first.

Sidney blinked, then grinned as his cruel eyes narrowed dangerously. A pool of ink rose from the floor and manifested into Zoroark, except Zoroark had scarlet blood on its muzzle and ichor on its claws. Darkness flooded the room.

It was banished by gold. Molten flame gushed from beneath Ash's shirt as Fire burned hotter than it ever had, casting him in violent, flickering light that pulsated with every beat of his heart. The temperature spiked until Sidney was forced to take a step back. Zoroark's illusions were seared away in an instant, banished by Fire as it flooded outwards.

Ash took a deep breath, stoked the flames hotter, and then released it all with an exhale. His temper cooled, though his next rasped words were hot.

"I don't care what games you play, but you leave my team out of them."

Sidney and Zoroark gawked as one. For once, Ash felt certain that he wasn't dealing with an illusion.

He turned his back to them. They were irrelevant now. Ash took another breath and stoked Fire hot as he looked over Infernus' beaten body. Despite his injuries, Infernus had heard Sidney's words loud and clear. Impotent anger wracked him, urging him forth, but a look from Ash stilled him.

Ash took a step. Then another. And another.

Finally, he stood over Infernus. Blazing heat still came off him in waves. Choking smoke filled Ash's nostrils. His skin burned, though Ash couldn't tell if it was from the Fire in him or the flame without.

"You're strong, Infernus. Terribly strong. But so are your enemies now… your friends too," Ash added. Infernus turned his swollen face to Bruiser and snorted. It was almost a laugh, despite Infernus' low mood.

He crouched low, ignoring the heat. Ash would have been overwhelmed without Fire rising to let him match Infernus for these precious seconds.

"I love a good fight as much as you do. But we're facing the best. We can't just rely on raw power and determination anymore. If we're fighting the best the world has to offer, then we have to fight like it," Ash said quietly. These words were for Infernus' ears alone. "If I can't rely on you to control yourself, then I can't trust you to fight these battles for me. I want to share that with you! I want to taste victory and watch our enemies be seared to a crisp beneath your flames!"

His words came strong and swift, emblazoned by the naked desire that he saw reflected on Infernus' bruised and beaten face. Despite it all, they shared a grin. Ash rose back to his full height and felt Infernus' rising spirit.

"That's our way," Ash said, stoking the flame. "That's our future!"

Ash felt Fire flare like never before, offered himself as kindling, and felt the golden Feather upon his chest ignite like a bonfire. The air around him was cold, so terribly cold, and Ash wanted nothing more than to share his light, to radiate his essence into the void and spark life and motion and change.

Instead, he offered his hand to Infernus.

"Will you walk that path with me?"

Infernus' eyes watched Ash as if he were the only thing in the universe in that moment. He shuddered, uncharacteristically anxious as he eyed Ash's proffered hand, but at last took it. If Ash weren't Ash, he doubted that Infernus ever would have been confident enough to risk it.

Blazing hot claws clenched around his, digging into his skin despite Infernus' attempt at being gentle. Ash ignored the pain, more fascinated than anything at the rare sensation of touching Infernus. It was hot even through the haze of Fire, but he was not burned.

One of his hands brushed down against the pokéballs on his belt. Bruiser stepped closer, though he couldn't stand Infernus' heat after their battle.

"Come on, Infernus," Ash said as Infernus gingerly rose to his feet, every motion eliciting a wince. His arm still hung limp. "Let's go join the team."

XX

They only had a few days left in Fortree, so Ash was determined to make the most of it. He took an entire day of rest - minus a few hours of light dawn training, naturally - and ensured that he took some time just for himself and his team.

Taking care of Fortree's missions was satisfying, but they'd earned some rest.

So he made a day of it.

In the morning, he perched with Plume, Sneasel, Lairon, and Tangrowth atop one of the highest branches in the city. They had the perfect vantage point of the bustling city below and watched humans and pokémon alike cross the treetops and rope bridges for an hour, chatting and sharing stories all the while.

Tangrowth waved hello to countless people and kept a comforting grip on Ash and Sneasel - and Lairon, although Lairon had no fear of heights and was way too comfortable peering over the edge for Ash's liking.

Logically, he knew that Lairon could just use Magnet Rise to hover or glide while Plume or Tangrowth snagged him.

Of course, logically Lairon shouldn't be up in the treetops at all. He was not arboreal. Passing Mankey, Grovyle, and perched Swablu looked at him as if he were utterly mad, and Ash couldn't completely disagree.

At least Sneasel was content to just dangle from the branch with Tangrowth's vines tightened around him. He had just enough leeway to take lazy swipes at a few Treecko and Nuzleaf running up and down the branches, although they dodged easily and usually retaliated with a reproachful Bullet Seed to Sneasel's forehead.

In the afternoon, Ash took Dazed, Nidoking, Bruiser, Seeker, and Oz to the Fortree Museum that Winona had mentioned. They'd marveled over old artifacts such as the great spears wielded by the windriders and their armor woven from thick sheets of tempered bark bound by tight string. It had a long history and had never been plundered or sacked like many of the cities in central Hoenn.

Fortree had fallen on hard times in the past, but their willingness to work with nature and foster the wild had ensured that the city itself was impregnable. They'd manage to hold tight to their treasures as a result.

Crowns of polished teak and mahogany hung suspended from the rafters, the ruling symbol of the Cloudskim Kings. Each was unique, fashioned specifically by the Woodminders who maintained Fortree as a symbol of their acceptance of the new liege.

Swords shaped from Skarmory feathers and shields of firm wood armored with shed Salamence skin filled other rooms. Still more held various pieces of furniture or expert craftsmanship with little plaques describing the piece's history and identity. Dozens upon dozens of chambers were filled with various relics, descriptions of conflict, and thousands of years of history.

The oldest eras were scant, yet Fortree had been well-insulated during the fall of the Volumo Empire. It had suffered terribly - all of Hoenn had - but it had the most surviving history of any city in Hoenn thanks to its isolation and the shelter of its forests.

Naturally, Ash and Dazed devoured all of it. The rest of the team were interested, but they lacked the same voracious passion for tales of the elder days.

When they were each satisfied, Ash had returned to the Gym and retreated to its depths.

In the dusk, Ash communed with Spiritomb. He had so much to share - the thrill of brushing Infernus' skin with his own, his fury at Sidney, the bone-aching grief of Agatha's passing, his joy at sending messages back and forth with his friends, and a hundred other little scraps.

He fed it all to Spiritomb in the darkness of a Fortree vault. Part of Ash hated sharing anything negative with Spiritomb. He wanted to just parse out all the bad and gift Spiritomb joy and happiness and light… but that wasn't the real world, was it?

Spiritomb had shut itself away for its own sanity. Ash would be doing it a terrible injustice to feed it dreams of a world too perfect to exist. The world was a place of light and dark in equal measure.

It was still silent, although at least it wasn't utterly catatonic as it had been originally. Spiritomb flickered every now and then. Occasionally its keystone would tremble. Lavender gas would spark from its core, waver, then retreat back to the safety and numbness of the keystone.

Sometimes he wondered if it was all for naught, but there was progress… even if it was minute. Ash knew that this was a marathon, though, and with every passing day Spiritomb responded just a tiny bit more. It wasn't always positive - sometimes Spiritomb's shell cracked and it thrashed and raged and spewed venomous grief at him or reminded Ash of those awful, empty days beneath the earth - but it was something.

Ash bore it all without complaint. Spiritomb had centuries, perhaps millennia, of darkness to vent.

That didn't mean he wasn't exhausted when he crawled out of the vault over an hour later. Night had fallen fully now, but at least Bruiser had been at his side and managed to finish a nice shapeless pair of trousers that he'd been working on for the last few days.

It might fit on one of Norman's Slaking, but that might be pushing it. They were more of stapled tarps than anything. Bruiser was proud of them, though, and that was all that mattered. He'd only broken six needles this time!

On his way back, Ash smiled as he skimmed over a message sent by his mother earlier that day. It seemed like she'd finally advanced enough to safely see Molly and Spencer more often, and practically wept with joy when she recounted an afternoon not too long ago where Gary had come to visit her in Goldenrod.

He was more than a little jealous, but Ash was happy for them all the same. His mother seemed in far better spirits now, finally beginning to ground herself fully in this world, and Ash knew that Gary had missed her as well.

Not that Gary would ever admit it.

Ash was lost in thought, then frowned as he caught sight of a slim, short woman in a fancy purple dress racing frantically across the other side of the Gym. How could she even walk in those heels? They were so impractical… What was she supposed to do in a fight with those, stab the enemy?

Actually, Ash would rather like to see that.

Still, what was she all dressed up for? Weird.

Ash shook his head and moved on. Adults were strange.

Their rooms were just a quick jaunt away, so it was no time at all before Ash and Bruiser made their way over. He exchanged a few smiles and waves with the Fortree Gym Trainers manning the grounds overnight, then hesitated before heading into his room to pass out.

It had been a while since he'd gotten to speak with Steven. He'd been so busy with Regirock and Wallace this past week that Ash had begun to dearly miss their fireside conversations and midday chats. Going from spending almost every waking hour with Steven to just a few fleeting conversations was a tough adjustment.

He knocked on the door, waited patiently, and then felt a warm mental presence brush his mind.

Ash, come on in!

So he opened the door, took in the scene within, and blinked.

"Steven?"

"Agh!" Steven jerked as he fumbled with his suit cuff in front of the mirror. Except this wasn't his ordinary Ariados-weave suit. Actually, this wasn't a suit at all.

It was a tuxedo.

Ash blinked again, barely noting that Steven evidently did not give the clear for Claydol to let Ash in. At least Steven had pants on.

To the disappointment of —

Metagross, who was currently ironing out a few creases in Steven's tuxedo jacket with an expert application of phenomenal psychic power, paused briefly to mute Claydol, then returned to their task. Another brief touch from the strongest trained pokemon in the world fixed up Steven's bowtie.

"I, uh, have a meeting with Winona," Steven said stiffly. "Critical security matter. Urgent."

Well, this was obviously a conversation that Steven hadn't had time to prepare for. Bruiser nodded sagely behind Ash, although whether he believed Steven's words or was just being polite was anyone's guess.

"At eight o' clock? In a tuxedo?" Ash pressed, then looked pointedly at Claydol, who was still muted by Metagross. "And why is Claydol levitating flowers?"

The silver flowers - and Ash meant that literally, they weren't actual flowers with silver petals, they were flowers made of actual silver - 'stealthily' levitated behind Claydol, who spun lazily in the air.

"Flowers?" Steven stammered. "I don't see any flowers!"

It's a team effort! We've shaved Steven multiple times today. He even gave it a go himself.

Claydol exclaimed, re-brandishing the bouquet forth with little regard to Steven frantically shaking his head. Yeah, he definitely hadn't prepared for this.

Aggron dug up the metal. Skarmory unleashed all her pent-up bloodlust to peck them into shape. And I, Master Artisan Claydol, sculpted them into the gorgeous configuration you see now.

Ash ignored the small fortune dangling in the air and looked past Claydol to smile at Steven, who looked as if he wished to curl up into a tiny ball to hide from this conversation. At least Metagross had his tuxedo looking excellent. Not that Ash was much of a judge for such things. A nice cape like Lance's really would have brought the whole thing together, in his opinion.

"Have a nice date, Steven."

Steven's eyes widened as he opened his mouth to stammer out another excuse, but something seemed to calm him. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and some of the red drained from his cheeks.

"Thanks, Ash," Steven smiled. "I do appreciate it."

A small part of Ash - perhaps the bit of him that had spent too much time around Gary the last year or so - was tempted to make a joke about 'sacrificing an arm or leg for the colony' but stilled his tongue. He didn't want to embarrass Steven, especially not when he could see the nerves rattling in his mentor's skin.

Ash recalled his visit to Indigo Plateau post-Blackthorn and the conversation he'd had with Lance in his vast office. Back then, Lance had teased him about… well, Ash didn't want to go into that, then immediately brought up twice as many embarrassing stories about himself.

That was who Ash wanted to be, he decided. Not Gary. Not that part of Gary, anyways.

"I'll let you go," Ash said, waving Steven off as he and Bruiser turned to leave. "Good night, Steven."

"Good night, Ash."

XX

You wouldn't believe the shit in Johto, Ashy-boy. Weak trainers everywhere! And they don't shut up, either. If I hear about that damn Rattata again I'm going to scream. But at least I've officially conquered this stupid region… minus her. You know who I'm talking about.

Every other Gym Leader, BAM. I wrecked their shit. You fought Clair at her easiest, you prick. That stupid Salamence was just the beginning. I went back in with Diamond and the boys, and you know what she whipped out of that stupid blue suit? A Druddigon! Where did she even get that on such short notice?

Stupid inbred dragon -

Ash skimmed past that bit.

Anyways, I'm scouting around. Gonna do a loop of Kanto again, kick the teeth in of whatever unlucky bastard's stuck in the Viridian Gym in two weeks, and maybe go challenge the Orange League to have a bit of a vacation.

Got a few fun techniques to test out on those scrubs. I tried to think 'gee, what stupid stuff would Ash try' and it's actually working out great. Stopped by to see your mom too, you know. She's doing great. Seems really happy out in Goldenrod. She told me that I'm her favorite now and that she's rooting for me in our next rematch.

Smell ya later!

Ash put it down, smiled, and made a few mental notes.

First, he needed to let Lance know about this whole rivalry between their mutual ex-rivals. He'd get a kick out of it.

Gary needed someone to push him. Clair seemed happy to fill that void.

Second, he needed to keep close tabs on Gary and ask Lance to temporarily relocate Clair to take over the vacant Viridian Gym for a few weeks. Honestly, Ash might even ask Clair directly. If she knew the purpose behind it, she'd probably leap at the opportunity.

…Clair probably needed to get out of Blackthorn anyway. She'd been stuck up in the mountains for too long.

He read through Will's massive essay on his current projects and updates, then Karen's attempt at catching him up on the Plateau's affairs. Indigo had finally calmed down a bit with the Rockets fragmenting entirely, and now they actually had some room to breathe.

She didn't mention Agatha. Perhaps Michael and Professor Oak hadn't told them yet…

He couldn't stop the flush of pleasant warmth as Karen pestered him about his health, made sure Steven hadn't been driving him too hard, and asked if he had any books that he was interested in since he was 'always stuck out mucking it in the boonies'.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come in!"

The door swung open to reveal Winona and Steven. He blinked at them - both seemed happy enough, so presumably the date last night hadn't ended in an all-out brawl. Not that he'd expected it from either of them, but he was happy for them nonetheless.

…Ash also wasn't about to pry for details, though. He wasn't that happy for them.

"Sorry for intruding," Winona said. Ash sat up straight in his bed the moment he realized that they were both in their regular gear. Had something happened? She read the alarm on his face and shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong."

"Winona and I have been asked to investigate some security matters," Steven said, his expression pleading for Ash to not say a word about his lame excuse from the previous night. Winona nodded next to him. "There have been a few unusual fluctuations in weather and geothermal patterns throughout Hoenn the last few weeks. We've been dispatched to the Weather Institute to inquire and gather any useful data."

"Plus a few Rocket hideouts have been discovered," Winona added with a too-cheery tone to her voice. "So we'll fix those up as well."

While Ash wouldn't mind going out to hunt Rockets - what if Silver had found them? - he suspected that Steven wasn't going to let him tag along on this one. There had been no news about the boy in any of the reports that Ash had browsed. Despite himself, Ash had felt a little worry beginning to creep in.

Nidoking chuffed softly at his side and laid a clawed hand against his shoulder. Ash smiled back at him.

"With me gone, the Fortree Gym needs someone to take charge." Winona stepped forward. She took an ornate version of the Feather Badge from her flight suit and offered it to him with a smile. Ash took it dumbly. "Will you guard my city? Will you protect her with your life? Will you guide its trainers?"

Ash felt completely unprepared for this, but nodded.

It was so, so stupid that he was still in his pajamas for this.

Despite the heaviness of the badge he'd pinned to his plain white sleeping shirt, Ash felt a dangerous grin slip onto his face. Winona seemed a little perturbed, while Steven just shook his head.

A day of nothing but battle! What else could he ask for?

"I'm questioning my judgment now." Winona looked at him oddly. "I feel like you just took off a mask."

"He's just excited," Steven said smoothly, then nodded at Ash. "I have faith in you, Ash. Everything will go wonderfully!"

Ash and Steven both paused to knock on the nearest wooden item, then Steven turned to Winona. "Shall we?"

"Let's go," Winona agreed, although she shot one last suspicious look at Ash before she followed Steven out of Ash's room. "Talk to Zach if you have any questions!"

He gave them a few minutes to leave, then hurriedly got dressed. Plain shorts, one of the nicer shirts that Karen had bought him, and his trusty hat. What else could he need?

It wasn't long before Ash made his way to the front desk and returned Zachary's friendly wave.

"Hey there, Mr. Gym Leader!" Zachary greeted him. He glanced at the Feather Badge pinned to Ash's shirt. "I guess Gym Leader Winona already gave you the heads up?"

"She did," Ash said. "I'm guessing there's all kinds of rules you'll have to tell me?"

"Not as many as you'd think," Zachary said. He thumbed through an incredibly thick binder stuffed to the brim with notes, files, and various subfolders, so Ash doubted that claim. "Don't burn the place down, basically. Otherwise the League has us on a pretty long leash. It's great!"

Don't burn it down, huh? Ash would have to play it safe with Infernus.

"In that case…" Ash trailed off, the beginnings of his plan growing into something more. Something beautiful. Something fun. He grinned ferally. "Can you get a reporter here? I have an announcement to make."

Zachary blinked, but nodded. "Uh, sure. We actually have a broadcast station here, if that would work. Is this an emergency?"

"Just for fun," Ash said with a smile. Nidoking snorted behind him. "Let's go!"

The Gym Trainer was clearly perturbed, but went along with it regardless. In no time at all, Ash was standing in front of a camera that would broadcast his alert (on a non-emergency feed, of course) to trainers across all of Fortree. Once his message got out, Ash had no doubt that it would spread far, far beyond Hoenn's borders.

"Ready?"

Ash gave Zachary a thumbs up. He reflected that this was perhaps the first time that he'd chosen to be on camera. First time for everything, Ash supposed.

Nidoking towered at his side, eyes hard and challenging. His tail thrashed behind him. Ash himself straightened. He flattened his grin into a thin line.

"You're good to go."

Ash folded his arms behind his back and stared directly into the camera. Karen and Glacia's advice for public speaking burst through his mind, and he imagined what Lance would do. They all had a natural charisma, a command that shone through no matter the audience.

Brevity was key. His challenge was simple. Honestly, so was Ash. He didn't need to dress this up.

He just needed to do what he came here for.

"Gym Leader Winona has placed me in charge of her Gym challenges while she attends to her duties," Ash said simply. "I'll be accepting challengers for the next twenty-four hours. If you want the Feather Badge, come try me. I'll be waiting."

With that, he nodded at the camera. Zachary paled as he shut the feed off.

"I'm going to have to marshal the Gym Trainers," Zachary said grimly. He looked like a man on his way to his own execution. "Give it an hour and Fortree will be drowning in challengers. I hope you know what you've done."

Ash grinned. "I know exactly what I've done."

And he couldn't wait for it.

XX

Five hours.

Five hours since his call had sounded across Hoenn… and beyond.

Five hours of battle.

One of Fortree's psychics had kept track of the challengers for him. So far, he was just shy of defeating ninety-eight challengers.

Not good enough!

Part of him wanted to climb for that higher number, but his desire to pass along advice or commentary crippled those numbers a bit. That wasn't even getting into the registration required by the Fortree Gym. Ugh, red tape.

They came in an unrelenting wave from almost the second he'd cut off the broadcast. It was largely a horde of rookie trainers or those who had already been in Fortree at first - they'd been completely unprepared, driven more by excitement than good sense, and Ash had crushed them.

He wasn't just steamrolling them, however. Not entirely. It would have been easy to just have Infernus roast every challenger with less than five Badges in the blink of an eye, but the purpose of this wasn't just to beat down everyone who approached.

No, a Gym Leader's job was to teach. To challenge. To push trainers beyond their limits.

For rookies, Ash would normally give Seeker or Lairon a chance to shine. To be honest, Lairon was far beyond their level now, particularly after his evolution, but having a few young rookies or those with a few Badges challenge him with their teams all at once could give him a good workout.

Lairon and Seeker quickly grew exhausted with the sheer number of opponents that they went through. Seeker had a number of defeats, although she seemed desperate to overcome her fatigue and throw herself back into the fray. Ash never let it go too bad on either side - when a winner was clear, he called it.

He cycled out several other teammates as more powerful challengers came in from all around. Infernus made a few appearances for those with a full set of badges, though those were few in number. The vast majority of trainers never managed more than five or six at the most. Anyone with seven or eight were the cream of the crop.

Torrent was more versatile - his incredible command over water allowed him to treat his foes more gently, and he made for a fantastic test of a water-type's abilities. It normally took a full team of high-tier pokémon to have a hope of overwhelming him, but Torrent's power seemed unending.

It was like that for most of his team. Groups could absolutely challenge them individually, and part of the reason that Ash had managed to run through so many trainers was that he would challenge several at once. He didn't always demand their full teams - this was a marathon, not a sprint - but his team embraced the challenge as well. Once he'd just asked a particularly cocky trainer to land a single hit on Plume to receive the Feather Badge.

Needless to say, they'd failed.

But a trainer didn't have to defeat him to receive the Feather Badge. Strength wasn't the only measure of a trainer. To those who demonstrated inventiveness, cleverness, or who showed true aptitude for battling, Ash was happy to award the Feather Badge. Some didn't even want it - they'd just come for a crack at him, and those were usually his favorites.

He didn't really expect many to win, although as the hours went on more and more of his teammates succumbed to exhaustion and needed to be cycled out for an hour or two. What Ash did expect was for them to give it their all. He wanted his challengers to pull every dirty trick in the book to try and snatch victory from the jaws of an Elite Four member.

To reduce the strain on his team, he'd occasionally have two of his teammates double battle against a full team of six. Infernus could take on hordes of opponents at once with his wide flames, though the psychics had to work overtime to prevent his raging flames from sweeping off the great heights of the Fortree Gym and scattering off into the boughs.

Ash had been pleased to see Leo and his friends, the rookies that he'd met so long in Slateport, come as challengers. Leo had even earned the Feather Badge for a particularly nasty trick he'd pulled with his Loudred against Lairon, and now his group hung on the sidelines and cheered Ash on… although occasionally they switched over to supporting a challenger who put up a particularly good showing.

Such as his current challenger.

"Rex, Psyblock!" Joshua Brooks snapped from across the windy battlefield. His own Nidoking, a bit smaller and leaner than Ash's, spat a Shadow Ball at Nidoking, though Nidoking was canny enough to swerve out of the way. As Ash had come to expect in their battles, however, there was always an extra layer to it.

Nidoking's attempt to psychically wrench Rex's neck out of position was snuffed out in an instant as an unearthly haze flooded the poison-type - Curse. It immediately neutralized Nidoking's subtle psychic abilities, which had enabled him to beat past Joshua's snarling Arbok.

Naturally, a Sludge Bomb immediately hammered into Nidoking's chest and sent him staggering backward beneath its noxious weight, although his innate resistance ensured that he sustained only minor damage. Ash had released Nidoking as a challenge to the poison specialist, eager to test his abilities now that it had been so long since the Conference, but found himself regretting that choice.

Joshua Brooks would have done wonders against a fighter like Tangrowth or Sneasel. He looped techniques within techniques, focusing upon layering them in vicious ways that left a smile on Ash's face. Unfortunately, most of them went to waste against Nidoking.

Nidoking flicked the sludge away, irritated, and roared as he spat a Flamethrower to catch Rex's next Sludge Bomb, which dissipated in a thick cloud of poisonous mist. There was no safe way to use most of Nidoking's ground-type techniques up on the Gym's peak, so he was fighting at a major handicap.

"Close the gap," Ash ordered. "End this!"

His friend followed his command to the letter. Nidoking charged in, flicked each projectile cast by Rex away with his psychic abilities, swerved past the scattering of Toxic Spikes that Rex spat all over the battlefield, and ducked the layered techniques woven within. Ice Beams, Thunderbolts, and Poison Stings broke against Nidoking's hide, though slowed him badly, and the two met with a roar.

… Only for Nidoking, weary from dozens of previous battles and his duel with Brooks' wily Arbok, to dash his horn through air. Rex split into three illusory copies, each as distinct as the next, and for a moment it was impossible to tell which was which.

A few months ago, this would have left Nidoking stuck. He would've been forced to physically strike each. Now? Nidoking sensed the Distorted shadow of Rex, that gap in the world impervious to his psychic powers, and wheeled around to smash his tail into him.

But he was too slow.

Rex struck before his fatigued foe could bring himself to bear. His fierce claws slammed into Nidoking's spiky back and sent him stumbling forward, then roared as his horn shone a brilliant white: Megahorn.

Just as it threatened to pierce Nidoking's thick hide and tear a hole in his flesh to expose his flesh to Brooks' favored toxins - Brooks had been trying that the entire battle, likely one of his preferred strategies to dealing with an opponent with hide or physiology that could resist poison - it was blocked by a shimmering Protect that left Nidoking gritting his teeth with exhaustion.

Rex slipped away with surprising agility for a Nidoking, pressed his advantage even as Nidoking prepared to unleash his own techniques to finish this —

"That's it," Ash beamed. "I've seen enough."

Rex collapsed, wheezing. He'd put up a good showing, but he had been driven to his final limits by Nidoking. Most of his best techniques were undoubtedly useless against a fellow poison-type. Nidoking had been exhausted, but he'd been cognizant enough to block each and every attempt by Brooks to tear gaps in his defenses.

Toxins were Brooks' territory. He wasn't about to let Brooks go to work on Nidoking - Ash hadn't thought many poisons or venoms would be effective on his friend, but Brooks had seemed confident enough in his strategy.

"Rest easy, buddy," Ash said, he said as he returned him. He'd send him down to be treated at the Pokemon Center soon, but for now Nidoking just deserved a rest. "Good work."

Brooks approached him with a sheepish smile. Ash returned it happily.

Joshua had given Nidoking a good challenge. While Nidoking was somewhere near the realm of Master-level, it had still been a great battle. He hated that Nidoking had neutralized most of Joshua's best showings, but even still it had been plain as day to see his improvement.

The specialist had been smoother. Quicker. His team reacted like a well-oiled machine in the face of a mightier opponent.

"Good match," Ash inclined his head to Brooks and offered his hand. Brooks beamed as he took it. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I bought a Teleport to come battle you," Brooks admitted. That must have cost an arm and a leg on such short notice. "It was worth it."

"It was a good battle," Ash said. He smiled at the boy. "I'm glad you came. I thought about using Bruiser for old time's sake, but he's struggling a little with control at the moment. Freshly evolved."

Brooks shuddered at the thought.

"I hoped I'd do better this time around. I've worked so hard…" Brooks trailed off. "You inspired me in the Conference. You and your friends, the Pallet Four! I've studied. I've worked my team to the bone. We've come so far, but your team has shown me that we still have a long way to go."

"You'll never find the end to that," Ash smiled wryly. "I haven't. But it was good to see you, Josh. You would have gone higher in the Conference," he tried to inject all his sincerity into that, because he truly meant it. "You deserved better."

"It takes some of the sting out to lose to a Finalist." Brooks grinned. He extended his hand for a second time. "But next time…"

"Perhaps things will be different."

They shook hands again. Ash tipped his hat to Josh, pressed the Feather Badge into his palm, and waved as he headed down to make the long, long climb down to Fortree's base.

He'd gotten more confident as well, Ash thought. Between that, and his clear improvements in all other areas, Koga would work wonders with him. Maybe he should put a good word in for him…

XX

Fifteen hours in. Three hundred and sixty-seven challengers. Ash was running on autopilot now, as was his team. They were exhausted, even with the cycling. New challengers poured in by the minute, many possessing at least six badges.

Strong enough to challenge his half-unconscious team. Cunning enough to prey upon his weakness. Ash had no doubt that quite a few had waited a few hours just to increase their odds.

He respected that, even if Ash knew that he would've tried to be the first one busting down the doors in their shoes.

But this last challenger? He was strong. His paperwork claimed that he'd placed high in the Indigo Conference last year, managing to reach the Top 64, which automatically placed him on Ash's radar. That placed him in the top percentile of all trainers in Indigo, and it was clear that he'd only pushed himself harder.

He'd actually lost to Michael - Ash vaguely remembered Jon mentioning something about the purple-haired boy, actually - so Ash supposed that they had that in common.

But he'd come swinging out the gate, and Ash had deemed him powerful enough to handle Infernus. When Infernus combined his insane stamina, lust for battle, and the fact that he'd been by far the least used of Ash's teammates in this marathon…

Well, Paul had put up a fight, but he'd only managed to land a few solid blows on Infernus. He was strong, probably good enough to place in the Top 16, but Infernus was far, far beyond that level now.

Infernus had shredded through Paul's team. With the battle done and his Ursaring steaming on the ground, Ash saw that the boy was stunned, but not angry. His jaw was slack - it didn't take a genius to realize that he was shocked at how easily he'd been brought low.

Ash approached him. He'd been a good battler. Strong. Confident. His strategies were tight. His tactics were pragmatic. Each member of his team was ferocious, and most foes would crumble beneath that sort of intense assault.

"You work hard," Ash noted. Most might have missed it, overcome by Paul's ferocity and pragmatic tactics, but he could not. Discipline carried Paul's team far. His techniques were fine. His team snapped to his commands.

But there was something missing.

Something precious.

"Yes," Paul grit his teeth. He glanced away from Ash's steady gaze. "I expected them to do better."

That one sentence told Ash all that he needed to know. His easy smile flattened. He turned away from Paul, but didn't ignore him.

"You're strong," Ash said quietly. He motioned for Zachary to usher in the next challenger. "What kind of Master do you want to be?"

"A Master of All. Like Champion Cynthia."

"You'll never reach those heights," Ash said flatly. He heard a sharp inhale behind him. "Do you know why?"

"What?" Paul asked, flabbergasted. Surprised. Even a little hurt.

"Every Master loves their team, and their team loves them back. You'll only be a Master's shadow if you don't learn that." Ash thought of Durand's mutual adoration with her beloved team first, then flitted to George Grey.

So strong, so quick-witted, so brutal. Yet only a fraction of what he might have become. A true elite, far beyond most trainers, but he would never become a Master. All one had to do was remember Grey allowing Eelektross to burn beneath Infernus for his own amusement to recognize that. Jacqueline Durand would never.

"What?!" Paul repeated, still stunned. The Sneasel at Paul's side drank up Ash's words like water, staring at him (and Ash's Sneasel, who was looped around his shoulders and lazing about) with fascination.

"You've earned the Feather Badge. You're strong. Skilled. Intelligent," Ash flipped the Feather Badge to Sneasel, who snagged it out of the air with ease and pressed it into Paul's slack grip. "But when you really understand… find me. You can be so much more, Paul. I'd like to see that version of you one day."

Paul accepted the dismissal, then vanished without a word.

The next challenger - a young woman he could see from the corner of his eyes - sniffed inelegantly beside him. "Geez, he looked like he just sat down on a Cacnea! Sore loser?"

Ash frowned, a little dazed as the hours caught up with him. "He just has a lot to think about."

There was something familiar about that voice… Ash turned, then snorted.

She could've given Steven a run for his money. A giant bucket hat covered her fiery locks, complemented by an enormous pair of sunglasses. Her neon orange shirt was adorned with images of ill-matching Altaria, their snowy white plumage standing out like a sore thumb against the bright background, and she wore a pair of bright green sandals that practically glowed like radiation.

"Flannery?" He asked, momentarily so flabbergasted he wondered if his fatigue had verged into hallucination. "What are you wearing?"

"Shh! I'm incognito," she declared proudly, spreading her arms wide, then realized what he'd said. "Grandpa gave me some tips on how to go undercover! He said no one in their right mind would recognize me."

"That's the truth," Ash said dumbly. Flannery would have been better off taking fashion tips from Metagross… wait, was that what Steven did? Ash was no fashionista, but even he could tell that her outfit was positively ghastly. He shook his surprise off. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" Flannery raised a bright pokeball in challenge. "I'm here to battle you! I couldn't turn a challenge like that down."

He should have expected this, honestly. Still, Ash couldn't help but grin brightly at her. "You realize that was for normal trainers, right?"

"I'm normal! Mostly," Flannery added. He wouldn't call the youngest Gym Leader in Hoenn 'normal' by any means. Well, not counting Tate and Liza. They used their parents' team, and were psychics besides. She smacked her thigh impatiently. "Come on! What are you waiting for? Let's do this!"

He rasped out a laugh and inclined his head to Infernus.

"You're right. Let's stop wasting time. Infernus, go!"

Flannery's eyes glittered with delight as she released her first pokémon, and Ash felt a little lighter as the battle began.

A/N: I can't believe I made the deadline, but I did! Two in a row. It was very, very close, but thanks to the help of Val, Jain, and Raptor and their willingness to spend their nights getting the edits and suggestions done so quickly, I was able to pull it off. You can thank them for not having to wait another day!

I have little to say other than that I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was a ton of fun and there were a lot of scenes that I've been waiting ages for. A few conversations in the Discord also really amused me - Paul and a few other characters had been planned to come back for a while, so I was super happy to see people requesting them in a thread last week.

You DO NOT want to know how much of this chapter was written today. Procrastination is a nightmare.

Anyways, thank you for reading! I truly hope you've enjoyed the chapter and would love to hear your thoughts!