Ace

Chapter 32

  My parents were researchers in Mega Evolution and working with Professor Sycamore. They had discovered amazing things, like finding Absolite or realizing that the trainer needed a strong bond with their Pokemon for them to Mega Evolve.

  My mother had the waist-length blond hair I inherited from her, and dazzling green eyes that were the color of fresh grass. She was almost always busy, with paperwork and research and whatnot, but she always somehow found a way to spend time with me. She had her own Key Stone, which she could use to Mega Evolve her Ampharos. She kept it on a silver bracelet which had iridescent metal, so whenever she battled under the sun, her Mega Bracelet would shine a million different colors.

  My father had brown hair, but the deep purple eyes that I have. He was usually the one who went to do all the field work, venturing into forest, volcanos or even the ocean to find Mega Stones.  He would take those Mega Stones back to Professor Sycamore's laboratory and my mother and Sycamore would start their research on them. He kept his own Key Stone too, but, unlike other Pokemon trainers, he didn't keep it on an accessory. Instead, he had this fancy golden filigree case to store it in.

  They both had a lot to do most of the time, so I knew not to disturb them in the middle of their research. That's why I was surprised to see the both of them standing in front of the Lumiose Stadium. Ecstatic, I waved to them.

  "Mom, Dad! I thought you had work!"

  "We'll always find time for you, Astrid," my father laughed. "I hope your first two rounds went well."

  "Yeah, they did! All of my Pokemon did great, but now only 16 Pokemon trainers are left."

  "It seems that all the Pokemon trainers here are really skilled," my mother said, looking around her. "There's that Ash boy who saved Sycamore's Garchomp a few months back. I hear he's from Kanto. That's quite far away from Kalos."

  "And Sycamore's old assistant is here too," my father added. "Alain Protegor. He went out on his journey when he found a Charmander, didn't he? We didn't see much of him when he was here, he was always hanging out with the Pokemon!"

  I stepped back, face flushed and trying to hide the fact that it was. My parents knew Alain. They knew of the powerful trainer who once beat me in a battle. The trainer who I could've had... probably had... ok, definitely had a crush on.

  "Oh, that's... nice!" I said. "I hear he has a Mega Charizard too!"

  "All right," my mother said. "Well, we should be going inside the spectators' stand to watch your next round. We'll be cheering for you!"

  "Thank you!" I waved at them as I ran back towards the stadium. 

  That would be one of the last times I saw that.