//------------------------------// // Chapter 48 // Story: A New World, a New Way // by zeusdemigod131 //------------------------------// Bubba- So, I didn’t really do anything to help, but I hope you all like this chapter… now if you excuse me, I need to write mine… Misty had a skip in her step as she followed Twilight into Whitetail Woods. “So you know this Professor guy then?” Applejack asked as she trotted alongside the group consisting of herself, Twilight, Misty, Togepi, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, May, Blaziken, Juniper, and Rainbow Dash “That’s right,” Misty said with a smile. “May knows him too,” she gestured to the Delphox walking along side her. “We both met him through a friend of ours when we went to visit his lab.” “And I know him through work,” Juniper added absently. “It’ll be nice to see him again, it’s been quite some time since his last visit.” “Do you have any idea why he acted so strange yesterday?” Twilight asked. Juniper smiled. “Oak is more of a live in the moment type of guy, I’m not surprised he didn’t think about where the girls should have been when he was teaching them,” Juniper paused. “Though... you said he mentioned others... I wonder who that could be.” “Probably some Ponies... people... Pokémon... some guys he met up with after he got here,” Rainbow shrugged. “You think it’ll be anyone we know?” May asked. “Could be,” Misty said. “You didn’t show up that far away really,” she smiled. May smirked. “Looks like someone’s getting their hopes up.” Misty looked away from the Delphox. “I’m just... excited at the idea of seeing some of my friends again.” Togepi giggle from her position on Misty’s back. “I know who! I know who!” May snickered, and several of the ponies looked at her and Togepi in confusion, but they continued walking. “Hey guys?” Pinkie asked after a few minutes. “Do we know where we’re suppose to meet up with Professor Oak?” Everyone stopped and, after a moment's contemplation, turned to Twilight. “Oh... well, I guess we just go to where we found him yesterday,” Twilight laughed nervously. “Sorry, guess I didn’t think of that.” Several of the ponies chuckled, and Misty rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry Twilight, I’m sure Professor Oak will come to the same conclusion.” Twilight smiled, then looked around to gain her bearings. “I think it was... this way.” Twilight headed in the direction that she was pretty sure the clearing they had met Professor Oak was, and the rest of the group followed. “Do you girls think we should have brought someone else with?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes scanning the tree tops. “Like Iris, or Belle... what if we run into something dangerous?” “Don’t worry so much Shy,” Rainbow said. “It’s Whitetail Woods, not the Everfree Forest, nothing dangerous ever-” Rainbow was interrupted by a crashing sound off to their right. “Ya just had to say that didn’t ya?” “We don’t know that whatever that was wasn’t friendly,” Rainbow defended. “I mean, Iris looks like she could slice any of us in two, but she’s cool.” “You think we should go investigate?” Juniper asked. “Rainbow Dash does have a point.” “See? The Professor agrees with me,” Rainbow said with a cocky grin. “I don’t know,” Blaziken said, shaking his head slowly. “It might be safer just to stay away from it, just in case.” Rarity nodded. “I think you’re getting a little too comfortable Rainbow Dash,” she said. “Some Pokémon can be truly dangerous, and there are still other creatures that can be problematic.” “Which is what we have Fluttershy for,” Rainbow said, patting the pegasus on her head. “All ah’m sayin’ is that we’ve met like five or six Pokémon that were actually bad or wanted to hurt ponies, the rest,” she shrugged. “Misunderstandings.” “Yeah but-” Twilight began. “Nope,” Rainbow held up her hoof. “Not gonna let you overthink it this time,” she spread her wings and took off, heading in the direction of the sounds. “I’m just going to go talk to whoever did that, ask what they’re doing, then come right back here, maybe with a Pokémon or two.” “Rainbow Dash!” Applejack called after her. “Get your flank back here! Ya don’t know what’s over there!” “You think she’s gonna be alright?” Pinkie asked worriedly. “I don’t want Dashie to get-” “YAAHHH!” Rainbow Dash blew past them, then flew back to them. “I was wrong, you were right, we need to leave, now!” Rainbow grabbed Applejack and Fluttershy by their hooves and started pulling them. “What’s the matter?” Applejack asked, smiling coyly. “Somethin’ scare ya?” “Yeah,” Rainbow said flatly. “That!” Everyone turned to see a black, red, and blue, three headed figure crashing through the forest, knocking over trees as it made its way towards them. “YOU!” The Hydreigon roared as it made its way towards them. Misty’s eyes widened. “I think its the same one the Princess blasted.” “Ya think?!” Rainbow shouted. May gulped. “We really should’ve brought Belle or Iris with.” Blaziken growled and stepped in front of May. Despite the situation, and how terrified she was, Twilight decided to do something that was either very brave, or very stupid. “H-hello?” she shakily said as she walked up to the Hydreigon. “I know we didn’t get off to the best start last time, but-” anything else she was about to say never came as she had to promptly teleport away from a Dragon Pulse that was sent at her. “I guess diplomacy is out of the question,” Juniper gulped as Twilight appeared next to her. “Ya jus HAD ta go an check, didn’t ya Rainbow?” Applejack deadpanned. Rainbow Dash just glared in response. Any further conversation was abruptly stopped as the Hydreigon roared and barreled straight towards them. Blaziken was about to meet him head on, but May put her paw on his shoulder, and shook her head frantically, before turning to the others. “Run!” May shouted and the group promptly bolted in the opposite direction. “Oh no you don’t!” Hydreigon growled, before roaring loudly. From the direction they were running towards, heavy footsteps could be heard, causing them to stop in their tracks. “I don’t like the sound of that,” Misty gulped nervously. From the trees, two large Pokémon stepped into view. One was a large green Pokémon with stone like skin and spikes running down its back. The other was a blue, rock skinned humanoid Pokémon with four arms, sporting some kind of belt around its waist. “What is it, boss? Looks like some of them puny Ponies,” the Machamp scoffed. “Oh, don’t let their looks fool ya,” Hydreigon growled. “I got a bone to pick with them.” The Machamp and the Tyranitar shared a look, before looking at them in disbelief. “You serious?” Tyranitar gapped. “These pipsqueaks beat YOU?” “Oh, they had help last time. Too bad for them, the help ain’t here this time,” Hydreigon grinned. The group gulped as they huddled together. “Any ideas?” Twilight asked, trying to keep from panicking. At this point, she really, REALLY wanted to just teleport everyone out, but due to how large their group was, by the time she could be ready to teleport everyone at once, the Pokémon would have noticed, and probably blasted them to pieces. Turning to the rest of her friends didn’t help either. All of them were terrified, and they knew they were cornered like rats at this point. Rarity looked on the verge of fainting, Fluttershy was shaking like a leaf, Pinkie was very much afraid, Applejack looked like she was willing to fight, but clearly not confident of their chances, and even Rainbow Dash lacked her usual confidence at the odds facing them. Misty looked at the opponents they were facing, her mind running several miles per second to formulate a plan, any plan, to keep them alive, while at the same time she kept casting worried glances at Togepi who was hiding behind her, shivering in fear. Hydreigon was pretty much a hopeless case from type advantage alone, with the only one of them possibly standing a chance being Blaziken. The Tyranitar and the Machamp on the other hand… “May, Professor, Blaziken, I’ve got a plan, but you’re not going to like it.” “Does it involve us not dying horribly at the hands and/or claws of violent Pokémon that sound like gangsters?” May deadpanned, to which Misty nodded. “Let’s hear it.” “I doubt we stand a chance against Hydreigon, but against the Tyranitar and Machamp, we’ve got a chance. I’ll take on the Tyranitar, and Juniper takes on the Machamp, since both of us have a type advantage, and if we manage to knock out either one, make a break for it,” Misty explained. “What about me and Blaziken? And the girls for that matter?” May asked. “Well...this is the part you’ll probably hate me for,” Misty chuckled nervously as she looked towards Hydreigon. May and the ponies looked towards where she was looking, and promptly paled. “You’ve gotta...distract it while we deal with the other two…” “No,” Blaziken said, placing a talon on May’s shoulder. “I’ll do it.” Hearing him, May’s eyes widened in fear. “No way. I am NOT letting you fight THAT alone. Alright, Misty, I’ll do it.” “May!” Blaziken said in alarm. However, before he could argue any further, Hydreigon got tired of waiting. “Alright, I think we’ve scared them enough. Get them!” Hydreigon roared, before lunging forward. “Go!” Juniper shouted, as they scattered. Juniper made a beeline straight for Machamp, while Misty jumped towards Tyranitar, but not before giving Togepi to Fluttershy, the pegasus quickly shielding her with her wings. May and Blaziken went for Hydreigon to distract him for as long as they could. “Water Pulse!” Misty shouted as she fired the attack at Tyranitar. The attack hit, but Tyranitar was still standing. “Hah! That all you got? You’ll need to do better if….why is everything spinning?” he stumbled, the effects taking hold. “Psychic!” Juniper shouted, as she fired her attack at Machamp. However, Machamp was faster, and managed to dodge. “My turn. Low Sweep!” Machamp shouted, but instead of aiming for Juniper’s feet (which is impossible since Beheeyem don’t actually have legs), he aimed a little higher, sending her flying back, and colliding with Misty. “Good job man. My turn now. Stone Edge!” Tyranitar slurred, as he was still confused...only to knock Machamp over. “Watch it, rock brains!” “Fire Spin!” May called out, as Hydreigon was encircled with fire. However, the Dragon-type just laughed. “Is this supposed to do anything?” he taunted, as he barely felt the flames. “No, but THIS will! Sky Uppercut!” Blaziken called out, before delivering a vicious blow to Hydreigon’s chin. The dragon’s head snapped back from the force of the attack, his body getting launched off the ground. Once he managed to right himself again, he glared at them. “You’ll pay for that,” he growled darkly, before opening his mouth. “Hyper Beam!” The beam of intense energy fired, and everyone was forced to dodge as the beam tore a trench into the ground. “An opening! Crunch!” Tyranitar shouted as he lunged for Misty, who had just finished dodging. Fortunately, someone saw him first. Togepi’s eyes widened when she saw Tyranitar aiming to bite Misty in half, and quickly waved her little hands. Metronome! she thought, hoping for something that can stop him. What came was a blast of pinkish wind, a Fairy Wind attack. The attack intercepted Tyranitar, sending him tumbling right into Machamp. “Now! Confusion!” Juniper shouted. “Water Pulse!” Misty added. The two attacks collided with the large Pokémon, confusing them both again. “Hey buddy, did I ever tell ya how much ah love ya?” Machamp slurred. “Tell me later. Let me catch all the pretty birdies first,” Tyranitar slurred back. With the two large Pokémon confused, Misty and Juniper quickly ran between them. “Hey rocks for brains! That all you got? I’ve met Magikarp that were stronger than you!” Misty taunted Tyranitar, before turning to Machamp. “Same goes for you too meat head! Bet you couldn’t catch a Goldeen on land!” “Why you little!” both of them growled at the smaller Water-type. “We'll show you!” “Giga Impact!” “Dynamic Punch!” The two large Pokémon barreled at them with all the intent of a runaway freight train...only for them to jump aside at the last minute, causing the two large Pokémon to slam right into each other. The ensuing explosion sent everyone flying off their feet as the two Pokémon landed heavily on the ground, dazed, but still conscious. Seeing this, Hydreigon growled. “Idiots. This is what I get for associating with those two morons.” “Let’s get out of here!” Twilight shouted, as they all made a dash for safety, May and Blaziken quickly breaking away from their distraction. Seeing this, Hydreigon growled again. “Oh no you don’t! Tri Attack!” he roared as he fired 3 individual beams from his three mouths, aiming particularly at the Pokémon, who due to running away, didn’t see the attack coming until it was too late. Misty screamed when the beam of electricity hit, her new body’s weakness to the element making the pain several times worse than what it would have been had she still been human. May and Blaziken were also caught in surprise when what felt like an Ice Beam hit, but instead of a slight feeling of pain that they expected, it felt almost like they were being doused by cold water, making both of them cry out in pain. Juniper also didn’t fare any better, as despite not being weak to the element, her somewhat metallic body was still very much susceptible to getting burned, which was exactly what the fire element did. The attack only lasted for a moment or two, but when it was over, the three former humans were on the ground, twitching in pain, while Blaziken was on his knee, shakily getting back to his feet. “Get back on your feet, you sad excuses for mons! Dragon Rage!” Hydreigon growled, before firing the attack at Tyranitar and Machamp. The attack did little damage, but it was enough to snap them out of their daze, and get them scrambling back to their feet. “Come on! We gotta get out of here!” Rainbow Dash urged as the Ponies had stopped to help the Pokémon up, which was difficult considering the damage that last attack had done. “Not so tough now, eh,” Machamp grinned. “Cross Chop!” Seeing the attack coming, but not being able to do anything, the group closed their eyes in fear, but the attack never hit. “Bulldoze!” a familiar (to Misty, May, Blaziken, and Togepi) voice called out, before a loud stomping noise was heard, and Machamp was hit with a shockwave. Looking to the source, they saw large grey bipedal rhinoceros, with a spiral horn. However, what really caught Misty and May’s attention about the Rhydon was his eyes, which were squinted rather than wide open. However, what confirmed what they thought was what the Rhydon did next. “Now! Croagunk, Poison Jab!” at his command, a blue bipedal frog with orange cheek pouches and a white midsection jumped into the clearing, before his paw glowed purple, and was promptly driven into Machamp’s gut. Machamp gasped, before a sickly look appeared on his face, and he promptly fell over. “Machamp! You’ll pay for that! Earthquake!” Tyranitar growled in anger at seeing his friend like that. However, before he could actually attack, something else stopped him. “Piplup, Bubble Beam!” came another familiar voice. “Right! Bubble Beam!” a young sounding voice called out, as a flurry of bubbles hit Tyranitar with the force of a machine gun. Tyranitar roared in pain as he stumbled back, but managed to right himself. “Why you little-!” he growled, but before he could do anything else, the first voice could be heard again. “Jump Kick!” From the treeline, a tall, slender rabbit like creature jumped high into the air. What was notable about this Lopunny, was her ear, which instead of falling down on the sides of her head, fell down behind her head much like how hair would, as well as the familiar white beanie that covered her head. That, along with the Pokémon on her shoulder, a small blue penguin, only served to confirm who she was. The Lopunny soon came down, and landed the attack right on Tyranitar’s face, sending him flying back in an unconscious heap. With the two Pokémon incapacitated, and Hydreigon still shocked from how easily they had been beaten, the Rhydon and the Lopunny approached the group quickly. “You okay?” the Rhydon asked worriedly. Looking up at them, Misty couldn’t help but ask. “Brock? Dawn?” Hearing her, both of their eyes widened in surprise, before they recognized both the Togepi and the Blaziken that were with the group. “Misty? May?” Dawn asked in surprise, earning a nod in response. However, before they could say anything more, an angry roar got their attentions again. Hydreigon was REALLY seeing red now. Not bothering with words, he charged up another Hyper Beam, intending to fry them all in one shot. However, just like his friends, he was interrupted mid attack, courtesy of a High Jump Kick to the chin by a Hawlucha who had jumped out of the treeline. “Hawlucha, where’s-” Brock started, but was quickly cut off. “He got us some backup. He should be here right about...now,” the Hawlucha stated, just as another voice rang out. “Charizard, Dragon Claw!” a VERY familiar voice called out, and from the trees, a Charizard came barreling out, his claws glowing with a green aura. “Take this!” he roared, before slashing Hydreigon across the chest, pushing him back considerably. However, the attack wasn’t done. From off Charizard’s back, two yellow rodent like creatures with red cheeks and lightning bolt shaped tails leapt forward, with one of them wearing a red hat that Misty would recognize anywhere. “Alright Pikachu, let’s do it! Iron Tail!” the Pikachu with a red hat ordered. “Right!” the other Pikachu nodded, before both their tails glowed, and quickly changed in color to that of metal. In perfect synch, they flipped in mid-air, and promptly struck Hydreigon in the head with their tails. For a moment, nobody moved as the two Pikachus back flipped and landed on the ground. Then, Hydreigon let out a groan, before falling on his back, his eyes swirls. “And stay down,” Charizard snorted as he landed, while the two Pikachu walked towards the group. The Ponies and their Pokémon companions could only stare in shock, trying to process what they had just seen, before Misty broke the silence. “A-Ash?” she asked, knowing exactly who it was. Afterall, the hat and the fact that he looked EXACTLY like the time he had been turned into a Pikachu was a dead give away. Ash blinked in surprise, recognizing the voice, before nodding. “Hey Misty, its been a while,” he smiled. Misty was about to walk closer to him, but she promptly fell over as her injuries made themselves known as the adrenaline started to wear off. Seeing that, Ash quickly ran forward, using his body to brace hers, while Brock helped her from falling over completely. “Easy there, you all took a real beating already,” the Rhydon said, before turning towards the trees. “Chansey, its safe to come out now,” he called, as from behind the tree a Chansey walked out. “Oh dear,” she gasped as she saw the state Misty, May, Blaziken, and Juniper were in, before quickly approaching them and placing her paws on them. “Heal Pulse,” she said as she started healing them. She kept the flow going for a few moments, and by the time she was done, most of their injuries had vanished like they were never there. Ash smiled as Misty got to her feet. “You guys alright?” He asked, walking over to Misty. “We are now,” May said. “Thanks for the save Ash.” Ash blinked in surprise again. “May? Wow, talk about good luck, I can’t believe I found both of you.” “Yeah, it’s certainly a happy coincidence,” Misty said, she smiled at Ash for a moment, but was pulled from her trance as someone cleared their throat. Misty turned to see Twilight and the rest of the ponies standing behind her. “Oh, right,” Misty turned back to Ash. “Ash, these are some of our friends.” “Hi, I’m Princ-” “Oh my gosh!” Rainbow Dash shot past Twilight and hovered right in front of Ash and the rest of the Pokémon. “That. Was. Awesome! You were all like. “Take that!” And they were like. “Oh no, not the face!” And then...” she shook her head. “I’m Rainbow Dash, it’s great to meet you.” Ash, though slightly taken aback by Rainbow at first, smiled. “I’m Ash Ketchum. This is Pikachu,” Pikachu waved at the mares. “Charizard, and Hawlucha,” Hawlucha took a bow, while Charizard just nodded. “Brock and Croagunk,” The Rhydon smiled, while Croagunk just... sat there. “And Dawn and Piplup.” Dawn waved, while Piplup put his flippers at his sides and smiled slightly. “It’s nice to meet you all,” Twilight said. “As I was saying, I’m Twilight, you already met Rainbow Dash, and this is Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy.” The Ponies all waved. “Well, I’m glad you’re alright,” Ash said. “The Professor said you were coming with Professor Juniper,” he looked up at the Beheeyem. “Can’t say I’m too surprised that you’re a Beheeyem actually.” Juniper crossed her arms. “Everyone keeps telling me that.” Ash chuckled and turned to Charizard and Chansey. “Do you guys think you can take those three,” he gestured at the unconscious Pokémon. “Somewhere far enough away that they won’t cause any trouble?” Charizard thought for a second, then nodded before grabbing the Hydreigon and, after a moment of struggle, taking off with it. Chansey just saluted, picked up the Tyranitar and Machamp, and walked off with them. The ponies all watched in shock as Chansey walked off with two Pokémon twice her size, their faces reminiscent of when Spike and Twilight had seen Rainbow clear the sky in ten seconds flat. “So,” Ash clapped his paws together. “Now that you’re all here, why don’t we head back to our campsite?” “Campsite?” Pinkie inquired. “It’s more of a base camp,” Brock said. “We set up here and all our Pokémon like this place, so it’s a win-win since we’re near a town.” Ash nodded, then smiled. “That reminds me, guess who else we ran into? Tracey! And my mom! They’re back at camp with Professor Oak and our Pokémon.” Ash ran off a little bit, then turned back. “Well come on,” he called. “Don’t you wanna meet everyone?” “Ash...” Misty deadpanned. “You said you found some of your Pokémon, not the entirety of Professor Oaks lab!” Ash chuckled. “I guess I should have been a little clearer huh?” “Maybe a little,” May chuckled as she looked around the campsite Ash and the others had set up. There were Pokémon EVERYWHERE. A Swellow, a Staraptor, a Shiny Noctowl, an Unfezant, and a Fletchinder were perched in the trees, and a Sceptile was snoozing on one of the branches. Literally a dozen other Pokémon, ranging from ones like Geodude and Venonat, to ones like Emboar and Gliscor were walking around the camp. A Smeargle with a black ink tipped tail and a Leavanny whose head leaves curved backwards and down instead of up and was accompanied by a Mr. Mime were going around to all the Pokémon, seeing if they needed anything. “Did you actually find all of your Pokémon?” Misty asked curiously. “Well, not all of them,” the Pikachu admitted. “Muk is still missing, and so are my Tauros.” “But otherwise?” Misty raised an eyebrow. Ash smiled. “Guess I’ve just been lucky.” “You always were,” May mumbled under her breath remembering just how lucky Ash could get sometimes, especially when dealing with Pokémon. “So is Samuel around?” Juniper asked. “And if so, could you take me to him? Because I’ve been looking forward to seeing him again.” Dawn nodded. “Sure thing Professor,” The Lopunny stepped forward and gestured for Juniper to follow her. “He should be this way.” Juniper smiled. “Thank you. Come on Twilight, and anyone else who wants to learn a new thing or two.” Twilight and Juniper followed after Dawn, though curiously, no one else did. “I’m going to go introduce myself to everyone,” Pinkie said with a grin, hoping off, she stopped in front of a Quilava and said. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie, what’s your name?” “She seems... friendly,” Brock commented. “She is,” Misty nodded. “Very friendly... with everyone... and I mean everyone.” The Rhydon smiled. “Speaking of friends,” he turned to May. “We found some of yours.” “Max?” May asked hopefully. Brock frowned. “No, some more of your Pokémon. So far we’ve found Venusaur, Glaceon, Wartortle, and Munchlax.” May was disappointed that she still hadn’t found her brother, but smiled at the prospect of finding some of her Pokémon. “Well, I’m glad they’re alright... could you show me to them?” Brock nodded. “They’ve been worried sick about you, kept saying they just hoped Blaziken was with you.” Blaziken smirked and May grumbled to herself as Brock led the pair off. “I’m going to go... introduce myself,” Fluttershy said meekly before walking over to a Froakie and introducing herself. “And I... shall go with her,” Rarity said, elbowing Applejack in the side. “Huh? Oh uhh, me too.” The pair smiled and trotted off. “And I’m going to...” Rainbow trailed off. “Go... talk to those birds.” The Pegasus took off, smiling awkwardly at Misty. “Well, that was kinda weird,” Ash commented. “Right, Pikachu?” Pikachu nodded, then smirked. “Hey Misty? You mind if I take Togepi and take her to some of the others? I know they’ll be happy to see her again.” “Oh! Can I go Misty?” Togepi asked. Misty smiled and laughed. “Of course you can,” the Vaporeon crouched down and let Togepi off her back. “Just be careful.” “I will!” Togepi called as Pikachu led her off. Misty smiled for a moment, then her smile slowly shifted into a look of horror as she realized what had just happened. All of her friends, including Pikachu, had just left her alone. With Ash. “So Misty,” Ash began. “Looks like we’re alone huh?” “I... I guess so,” Misty gulped. “Well then, I guess now would be the perfect time,” Misty’s eyes widened and she leaned forward, her ears strained so she could hear him say- “For us to catch up a bit! I haven’t seen you in... Misty? Why do you look like a kicked Growlithe? Misty?” It was a short time later and May was sitting on Venusaur's back, petting Glaceon with a smile on her face. “I’m glad to see you May,” Glaceon said. “We were worried that you would get yourself hurt.” “It was sweet of you to worry,” May said with a smile. “But you guys know I can take care of myself.” None of her Pokémon said anything for a moment, resulting in an awkward silence. “Oh come on!” May cried. “I wasn’t that helpless was I?” Blaziken chuckled. “No May, you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. We just worry about you is all.” May smiled slightly. “Soo,” Wartortle said curiously. “What have you two been up to since we got here?” “And how are ya takin’ ta bein’ a Delphox May?” Venusaur asked. “It was... tough at first,” May said with a sigh. “But Blaziken was there when I woke up, and he really helped me through everything.” Glaceon smirked. “Oh I bet he’s been a big help, hasn’t he?” May raised an eyebrow at Glaceon. “Yeah... he’s been training me, and he’s just been there for me all this time.” “Aww,” Wartortle cooed. “How sweet.” May sighed and looked away from her Pokémon. “Don’t be embarrassed May,” Blaziken said, putting a claw on her shoulder. “They use to poke fun at me all the time.” Glaceon and Wartortle giggled, and Venusaur rolled her eyes and chuckled softly, Munchlax, on the other hand, noticed the look Blaziken was giving May, and how she was acting. “Hold up a minute,” Munchlax said, looking at Blaziken. “Did you actually tell her?” Blaziken nodded. “Yeah... just a few days ago.” Glaceon looked up at her trainer and cocked her head. “And you’re... okay with that?” “Well...” May began. “We’re just... testing the waters, seeing how things go.” Glaceon, Wartortle, Venusaur and Munchlax stared at them in disbelief for a moment, then Venusaur smiled. “Well, it’s about time,” she said with a laugh. “He’s been pinin’ for ya for a long time now.” Blaziken blushed and turned away. May laughed quietly. “Oh, you two are just soo, cute!” Glaceon said with a smile. Now May was blushing as well, and the rest of her Pokémon were smiling and laughing. “Don’t worry you two,” Wartortle said. “We’re just teasing,” he smiled and added. “Mostly.” Misty sighed. She had spent the last hour catching up with Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Tracey, who had been turned into a Smeargle. And while it had been nice seeing all her old friends, Misty still felt... unfulfilled. “Why can’t... what is... uggg!” Misty flopped over onto her back, unable to find the right words to describe her frustration. A soft laugh interrupted her self loathing. “Oh I know that feeling,” Misty looked up to see Delia Ketchum, now a Leavanny, standing over her. “Do you mind if I sit?” Misty flopped back onto her stomach. “Sure Mrs. Ketchum,” Misty said with a sigh. She smiled and sat down next to Misty. “You know you can just call me Delia, Misty. After all, we’ve known each other for years.” “I know but... you’re one of my best friends moms, it just seems... weird to me.” Misty shrugged. “But I can try.” “Thanks Misty,” Delia said with a smile. “So, how have you been?” She glared down at the Vaporeon. “It was more than a month since you last came to visit me.” Misty chuckled nervously. “Sorry Mis...um, Delia, my sisters hopped on another cruise and I got stuck running the gym solo again.” Delia laughed and shook her head. “I’m just joking Misty, I know you’re a busy woman,” the Leavanny sighed. “I just get lonely is all. Don’t get me wrong, Mimey and Oaky are great company but... well, A.) I do like to talk to other girls every so often and...” she sighed again. “When Ash took his place as a Frontier Brain, I thought he’d be around more. Guess the job was busier than we all thought.” Misty looked down and sighed. “We all did,” she sighed, remembering the times Ash informed them that Scott had asked him to scout out different regions to set up more Battle Frontier Facilities. The longest he had been gone was when he had to go to Kalos for nearly a year. Heck, he had been there for so long, he had even been able to compete in the Kalos League (she remembered snickering at that bit of news thanks to the deja vu it brought about) before his job was done. Delia smiled slyly and patted Misty on the back. “Don’t worry Misty, I don’t think Ash is going to be going anywhere for awhile, so you two will have a lot more time to... catch up.” Misty blushed lightly. “That’s... great! I love Ash- I MEAN I LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH ASH! I MEAN...” Misty stopped talking as Delia was now laughing hysterically on the ground next to her. Misty plopped down on the ground and covered her eyes with her paws. “Why me?” She asked aloud. “Oh don’t *hehe* don’t worry *snerk* dear, I’m sure Ash loves you...” Misty’s eyes widened and she turned to Delia, hope in her eyes. “Your company,” Delia finished. Misty blushed crimson and fell down, covering her face again. Delia laughed and picked up the Vaporeon. “There there Misty, everything’s going to work out for you two,” she leaned down and whispered. “I’m rooting for you.” Mage sighed to herself as she floated in the center of the boutique, reading. Currently, Belle was in the kitchen, hopefully not trying to cook anything, and Gene was upstairs, but everyone else was out and about... though Webber might have been in the attic. At least the book was good, the plot was only so so but it was pretty descriptive so- *knock, knock, knock* “I got it!” Mage shouted, the Mismagius set down the book, a romance novel she’d found in Rarity’s closet, and floated over to the door. Sticking her head through it she said. “Sorry, Rarity is-” Mage’s eyes widened as she saw who was standing at the door. One was a Ninetales she didn’t recognize, but the Shiny Arcanine beside her Mage couldn’t not recognize, and that gave her a pretty good idea of who the Ninetales was. “Well if it isn’t Mage the Prank Queen,” Abby said with a small smirk. “What’s the matter, Skitty got your tongue?” “Abby?” Mage asked. “You’re a... be right back.” Mage floated back through the door and turned towards the kitchen. “Beeellle!” Pokemon: Rhydon(Brock) Leavanny(Delia Ketchum) Smeargle(Tracey Sketchit) Lopunny(Dawn) Ninetales(Abby Trombley) Arcanine(Kasia) Piplup Croagunk Fletchinder Noctowl Sceptile Venusaur Wartortle Glaceon Munchlax Venonat Emboar Gliscor Oh, and a lot of you have been waiting for me to introduce Abby and Kasai, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I'll have a little info at the start of the next chapter.