A few minutes after their conversation with Clemont, Serena and Shauna were walking along a more populated street in Lumiose City, in search of cafe where they could relax and catch up for a few minutes. They hadn't really planned on what they would be doing today, but Serena assumed they'd just be shopping and maybe they'd find a park they could practice some performances in. Of course, Shauna was likely interested in learning more about the school, but Serena knew they had plenty of time to discuss that, either throughout the day, or even the next month.
"Oh, there's a good place!" Shauna suddenly exclaimed, as the two performers rounded a corner, reaching a street with a whole array of shops, bakeries and cafes. Serena's eyes followed where Shauna was pointing, and she could just see a small cafe on the other side of the street, with a little patio outside, and a few people sitting out with their Pokemon. "Come on, let's go!" Shauna shouted again, picking up the pace and making her way quickly down the sidewalk on their side of the street.
Serena sighed in exasperation, but sped up as well so that she wouldn't get too far behind her excited friend. As soon as she made it over to Shauna, who had bolted past a few stunned people who'd been walking at a normal pace, the brunette nodded, looked both ways, and then led Serena across the street. Once across, they stood in front of the cafe Shauna had selected, both giving it a quick once over to make sure they wanted go there.
It was a small, old fashioned looking building, with three small tables out front, a curving, red canopy hanging over top of them. In front of the tables, separating them from the street, were short garden hedges, which seemed to give the patio a sense of privacy from the busy street in front of the cafe. Through the window, past the patio, Serena could see a few more tables inside and pictures of Pokemon scattered all over the walls. A few of the people inside even had Pokemon out with them, including a young trainer with a Fennekin which made Serena remember the day she'd received hers not too far from here.
"I think this place looks nice," Shauna decided, glancing at Serena to make sure the latter agreed. Serena nodded, smiling, and then she and Shauna made their way over to an empty table on the patio and sat down, Serena on one side, Shauna on the other. A blonde lady in a brown and white uniform from the cafe, who seemed eager to please, quickly noticed them, greeted them, and then gave them their menus before returning inside the cafe.
Serena was just opening up her menu, eyes immediately scanning over the pictures of macarons, when loud, clapping footsteps were heard on the other end of the hedges. Serena poked her head up above them to see what was going on, and noticed a girl, about her age, with long, pink hair going all the way down her back. She was wearing a black tank top, and a short, pink skirt and pink sandals, along with a small, black bow in her hair. When the girl stopped, turning her head to glance at the cafe, Serena could see her bright, blue eyes, which narrowed when the girl looked on. "Where is that idiot?" the girl muttered, before storming off, clearly in search of something.
"What are you staring at?" Shauna suddenly asked, poking her head up as well, but now unable to see the girl Serena had been watching, due to her having stormed off so quickly. "What was that stomping all about?" she asked, after returning to her original position.
Serena shrugged, also settling back down in her seat. Clearly that girl had been in a rush to find whoever it was she was looking for and wasn't happy about being it. Although, she'd had enough time to disturb the peacefulness of the cafe they were at. Serena let the hint of irritation leave her, and she turned her attention to Shauna, who was watching her curiously. "Sorry, I just got distracted. It was nothing. Nothing important, anyways."
"Good, so we can talk," Shauna concluded, pulling her chair up further and then leaning forward. "What else can you tell me about this school? You must have looked into it a little more since talking to Palermo."
"I have," Serena admitted, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her tablet. She quickly looked up the website for the school and once it was loaded, handed the tablet over to Shauna. "And Clemont apparently made that website," she said with a laugh.
Shauna nodded, smirking a little as her eyes scanned the screen in front of her. "Wow, Professor Sycamore must have put a lot of work into this whole thing," she pointed out, her eyes widening a little. "There are so many classes. Even ones that aren't dedicated to Pokemon."
Serena felt herself getting a little excited by just watching Shauna go over all the different opportunities that the school had to offer. "Do you see anything you like?" she asked, knowing full well that Shauna was likely interested in nearly everything she saw on the website, considering she had a huge grin and her eyes were shining with excitement.
"Yeah, I'll definitely be doing that Pokemon Fashion class. That would be perfect for one of those fashion shows, like they did in the Coumarine Showcase. It could really come in handy to learn how to better design our own outfits." Shauna continued to read through the website for a few more minutes, and then looked up at Serena. "Do you know anything about this Interschool Pokemon League?" she asked curiously.
"Not really," Serena answered, only remembering Palermo briefly mentioning it. She did say I should make sure to get involved, though. I should make sure to know more about it. "It's got something to do with school teams, right?" she asked, leaning forward a bit, so she could hear Shauna's answer better.
"It says here, that it's considered by many to be the highest skilled competition outside of Pokemon Leagues, Masterclass Showcases and Grand Festivals," Shauna answered, as she read off what the website had to say about the IPL. "The Battle Team, is a team of three trainers, and they face off against other schools, with each trainer pitted against one from the other school's team in a series of one on one battles. Each team gets a point for a single win, and can get up to three points for every school battle."
Serena thought of Tierno and Trevor, who were both very capable trainers. With Trevor having a Charizard that could mega evolve, and Tierno's confusing dancing tactics, the two of them would make Lumiose University Battle Team a pretty good team to start off with. "I can't wait to tell Tierno and Trevor about this. I think they'll really like this idea."
Shauna smirked, raising a clenched fist in front of her face, eyes lighting up with confidence. "Lumiose University's already got the best battle team out there. Tierno, Trevor and probably Clemont as well. Two Kalos League trainers and a Gym Leader. We'll be unstoppable!"
Serena hadn't thought about Clemont, but that definitely made sense. She wasn't much of an expert on battling, but there was no doubt in her mind that a Gym Leader would definitely help out with making the Lumiose University Battle Team a success. Of course, other schools probably have good trainers as well, she admitted to herself. "What about the Performing Team?" she asked, glancing down from embarrassment. She probably should have researched a bit more about it, but she'd been more focused on ensuring her routines were well prepared for the beginning of school.
"Did Palermo not mention anything about that?" Shauna asked, giggling a little at Serena's embarrassment about not having done any previous research.
"Well, when she told me about the school, she popped into my house for about ten minutes, and then ran off back here to Lumiose City," Serena muttered, a little surprised at her mini outburst. "I never had time to ask her any questions. If she'd said anymore, I probably would've been more interested and looked it up."
Shauna nodded, looking like she just wanted to move the conversation along, clearly able to tell that the Palermo subject made Serena a little nervous. "Alright, alright," she murmured, looking back down at the tablet. "Let's see..." she narrowed her eyes as she began to read, and Serena could see that her friend looked a little surprised.
"What is it?" she asked, watching in anticipation as Shauna scratched her chin in confusion. "Does it not look good?"
"Huh?" Shauna jumped a little, looking slightly alarmed by the question, clearly having forgotten Serena was there for a moment. "Oh, no it looks really good, actually. It's just a bit different, that's all."
Serena thought for a moment, trying to remember what Palermo had mentioned about the IPL. There really hadn't been too much to their conversation, so it was a bit frustrating. I really should have looked into it more. I guess I was just more focused on the classes, she thought to herself with a shrug. "Well, how is it different, then?"
"Do you know anything about Pokemon Contests?" Shauna asked, looking up at Serena, a puzzled expression on her face.
"All I know is that they're pretty big in Hoenn and Sinnoh and they're growing in Kanto and Johto as well," Serena answered, trying to think of a time when she'd seen any contests before. She knew they were kind of similar to showcases, but couldn't think of the specifics.
Shauna shrugged, apparently thinking that it wasn't a huge deal to know the details just yet. They could figure all of that out later. "Well, apparently the coordinators and performers are part of the same team," she explained, once again training her eyes on the tablet. "Two performers and two coordinators. One of the performers competes in a theme performance. Then, the other performer does a freestyle performance. After that, the coordinators each have a contest battle. One is a single battle, while the other is a double battle."
Serena laughed a little nervously. "Sounds kind of complicated." She then remembered something about contests, that made what Shauna had told her seem a little strange. "Don't coordinators have to do performances as well?"
"Yeah," Shauna said, reading it over again, "I thought so as well." She paused a moment while she continued to look over the website, then she looked up, looking somewhat excited. "Apparently one performer and one coordinator are allowed to switch between battles and performances. Well, if the coordinator is female, since the performances are meant for Kalos Queen training."
"Oh, well that can be your job if we ever get to that," Serena joked, laughing at the thought of trying to fight a contest battle. She assumed that she'd probably fare better in one of those than in a regular battle, but still knew that battling overall was not her strong suit. "I'll leave any battles to you, Trevor and Tierno if we have to deal with them."
"Don't be silly, Serena," Shauna laughed, closing up the tablet and handing it back over to Serena. "You know you're not that bad at battling. It shouldn't even come to that, though. I'm sure that since it's a new school, Professor Sycamore will be trying hard to recruit coordinators that are comfortable battling. We'll just leave it to whoever signs up for contests," she finished, as a waitress came out of the cafe, heading over to their table to take their orders.
Dawn stared at Ash with wide eyes as he lay in his bed, completely immobile with the exception of his chest rising and falling with his deep breathing. She noticed Pikachu looking on at his trainer, from where he sat to the left of Ash's head, his eyes also wide with worry. Dawn couldn't believe what she had seen happen only a few minutes before. The speed and power of Greninja and how in sync he had been with Ash was phenomenal. It was something Dawn had never seen before. It was exhilarating to watch. She knew that seeing that kind of power was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for many to see. However, she now hoped that she'd never have to see it again.
"Dawn, dear, you're shaking," Delia whispered, looking at Dawn in concern from her position next to Ash's bed. The two were sitting on either side of Ash, who had been rushed back to his house after fainting, Professor Oak saying that they needed to make sure he was in a place that was as comfortable as possible to him. Greninja was still at the lab, and would be taken care of by Oak, Gary and Oak's assistant, Tracey, who had returned with Ash from the Orange Islands a few years back, after meeting him after Ash's victory at the Orange League.
"Huh?" Dawn glanced down and noticed her fists clenched tightly over top of her knees. They were shaking as though it was a cold night in the middle of the winter. "Oh...yeah, well, it was just kind of scary to see that. I never thought a Pokemon battle could make a trainer faint like that."
Delia nodded, looking down at her son with worried eyes. "Yes, well, Ash isn't one to keep things very...normal, is he?" she asked, laughing weakly. Dawn couldn't understand how this woman was managing not to panic at the sight of her unconscious son.
"Shouldn't we take him to the hospital?" Dawn asked, looking at Ash again, eyes widening a bit when she almost seemed to see him frown, as if he'd heard her say that and didn't approve. She ignored that, and then looked back at Delia. "We're not doctors, so how do we know if this isn't worse than just passing out?"
"I understand your concern," Delia answered, smiling a little, her gaze shifting back towards her son. "I trust Professor Oak, though. He seemed to think this was best. I think he knows a bit more about the strange connection between Ash and Greninja than he shows."
Dawn nodded in agreement, thinking back to what had happened after Ash had collapsed, right as Electivire was striking Greninja with a Thunder Punch. Professor Oak had moved so quickly, it had seemed like he was half his age. He'd called for Gary to help him carry Ash, and they'd had Electivire take Greninja to the lab. Oak and Gary had then rushed Ash towards his house, Dawn trailing behind, left to her own dark thoughts about what could be happening. Once they'd arrived at the house, to a mortified Delia, Oak had quickly explained what had happened, and assured everyone that Ash would be alright, but that they needed to ensure he was well rested. He had then rushed back to the lab with Gary, muttering about Greninja and something about a Professor Sycamore.
"How long do we wait, though?" Dawn asked, noticing Ash's eyelids twitching a little as he continued to sleep. "We can't just sit here all day, hoping for him to wake up."
In that moment, Dawn could have sworn that Ash had been awake the entire time and listening to them, because as soon as those words left her mouth, his eyes shot open, and he stared around the room. "Greninja!" he shouted, looking up at Pikachu, then over to his mother, and finally at Dawn. "What happened? Where is he?"
"Ash, it's alright, relax," Delia whispered, reaching her hand forward and holding Ash's arm gently, as though she was worried he'd leap out of bed at any given moment. "Professor Oak wanted to treat Greninja at the lab. He'll be alright. I'm sure they'll all be here very soon."
Ash stared straight ahead, looking at nothing for a few moments, and Dawn knew he was trying to remember exactly what happened right before he had passed out. "It didn't work. We worked so hard to master it, but it didn't work."
Dawn didn't really understand it, but she knew Ash was probably talking about Greninja's special form. She didn't know if she really had anything to say that could help, but she decided to give it a go nonetheless. She remembered back to the battle, and thought of what had happened just before Ash had fainted. Things had been going pretty well for him up to that point, so clearly it had something to do with whatever had happened right before he had passed out. "I guess that Thunder Punch was really powerful, wasn't it?" she asked, glancing down out of nervousness, worried that Ash would think her reasoning was dumb.
When there wasn't any response, Dawn looked back up, and saw Ash looking at Pikachu. It was kind of weird to Dawn, but it looked like they were having a conversation just by looking at each other. From the looks of it, neither of them seemed to happy about it, either. Finally, Ash turned to Dawn, sighing a little. "I guess it did have something to do with that Thunder Punch." He laughed weakly, eyes showing no hint of amusement whatsoever. "We just couldn't take it, I guess."
"Why don't I go and get you something to eat?" Delia suddenly asked, standing up and pushing her chair back a little. "You must be pretty hungry." Ash's stomach must have heard the question, because it rumbled immediately after his mother spoke. Delia smirked a little at that, while an embarrassed Ash laughed. "Would you like anything, Dawn?" she asked, starting to head towards the door.
"I'm alright, thanks," Dawn answered, tempted to get up and leave the room as well, not knowing what she would be able to say to Ash with nobody else there but Pikachu and Piplup, who was sitting quietly under her chair. She couldn't really do that, though, and just watched as Delia left the room.
Ash quickly started to sit up in his bed, wincing a little and holding his head, signalling that he was still feeling the effects of whatever had just happened with Greninja. "So, I guess you've gotta head back home pretty soon, huh?" he suddenly asked, positioning himself so he was sitting with his back to the wall, right beside Pikachu. He looked at Dawn expectantly, and she realized that he'd likely noticed that she'd been making some small preparations to do just that, despite not mentioning it. He's not completely dense, she noted, shaking her head a little.
"That's not a big deal right now," she answered, pointing at Ash. "You just got knocked out, so maybe we should focus on that, don't you think?"
"I'm fine," Ash argued, shrugging as though that meant that nothing was wrong with him. "Besides, I'd feel better if I knew what was going on with one of my friends. I'm not the only one struggling with what I'm gonna do next."
Dawn nodded, starting to understand what Ash meant, even if he didn't. He'd been doing a lot to help Dawn over the past month, and she was aware that it seemed to help him deal with his own recovery from his disappointment. When Dawn left, he'd have to figure out what to do next. After what had just happened, that reality was probably making him a little nervous. "I can't stay here forever," she started, looking down at Piplup as he emerged from his position under her chair. "I guess I'll go back to Sinnoh, and then look into competing in another Grand Festival. I haven't tried Hoenn yet, so maybe I'll go there."
"Hoenn?" Ash paused a moment, looking deep in thought. "Yeah, Hoenn's a cool place, with a lot of interesting Pokemon to see." He looked a Pikachu, and then back up at Dawn. "Think your battle skills are all set and ready to go?"
"Of course!" Dawn answered, trying to sound as confident as possible, holding up a fist in a show of strength. "We've been training really hard. I can't lose now."
"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Ash said, exchanging a small smile with Pikachu. He then looked at Dawn curiously. "Is there something specific about Hoenn that you're interested in?"
Dawn shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed about her reasoning for choosing Hoenn. Well, really just embarrassed that she felt like she had to choose any place at all. "I don't really know, to be honest," she finally admitted, deciding to just come clean about it. "You know, I think I just feel like I have to pick something. Don't you feel the same way? We can't just train forever."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Ash said quietly, taking a deep breath and looking towards the window in his room. "It's weird, though, because I enjoy travelling, battling and collecting gym badges. It's just, I feel like I want to try something else. Obviously I still want to battle, but getting those eight badges wherever I go next, after going so far in Kalos, doesn't sit right at the moment."
"I feel the same about contests right now," Dawn admitted, turning around as she heard a noise from outside. Glancing out the window, she was shocked to see Professor Oak, Gary and Greninja, all walking along the path towards the house. Clearly Greninja was recovering just as Ash seemed to be. When she turned to face Ash again, she could see that he had noticed the trio approaching as well, but he nodded, signalling for her to continue with what she was saying. "I guess there's nothing to do, but to get the ribbons, or in your case badges, and then compete in the real thing."
"Maybe we'll figure out something else that works. There has to be something that we can do, if we're trying to change things up a bit." Ash looked like he was trying to believe his words, but it wasn't really working. He finally just shook his head, and then quickly hopped off his bed, standing up, Pikachu leaping up onto his shoulder. "Come on, let's go see how Greninja's doing," he suggested, turning and heading towards the door of his room.
Dawn turned and glanced out the window one more time. He's right. There has to be something we can do. We don't have to always do the same thing. Dawn then stood up, smiled at Piplup and nodded for him to come along, and then the two of them made their way out of the room, following Ash downstairs.
Once Clemont had parted ways with Shauna and Serena, the inventor had quickly started making his way towards the gym. He wasn't exactly planning on doing more work, but he wanted to check up on Clembot and see if there had been any challengers at the gym. If his settings had worked, Clemont knew that no trainer incapable of acquiring at least four badges would have been able to win. Clembot wasn't unbeatable, but Clemont had definitely done enough work to make the robot a difficult opponent.
It was definitely worth a quick trip to Prism Tower to see how things had gone. Clemont would be able to analyze the battle data and see if he needed to make any adjustments. Right now, he wasn't even thinking about it in regards to his gym. No, he wanted the programming perfect so that the screening battles for Lumiose University went as smoothly as possible.
As Clemont walked along the busy Lumiose City street, he suddenly felt any exhaustion he had, leave him right there. He'd been working hard on his various tasks, but he really was enjoying it. The thought of participating in the whole thing excited him as well. He really thought that this was going to make him a much better Gym Leader, inventor and overall, a better person. The hard work was necessary.
Once he reached the end of the street, Clemont looked around at the circular courtyard that surrounded Prism Tower. There were quite a few people hustling and bustling around. Some were rushing to stores or their jobs. Others were just relaxing and socializing. Clemont's eyes then moved towards the tower, and he noticed that there seemed to be someone waiting there.
Near the entrance to Prism Tower, was a tall, pink-haired guy, leaning against the wall of the tower, his arms folded across his chest. He was wearing a collared, black shirt, and long, pink pants. Around his neck was a pink bandanna and covering his eyes, were black sunglasses. He looked to be quite bored, and was staring up at the sky, while tapping his foot against the ground. Clemont instantly felt a little nervous as he walked along the courtyard. Something about this guy being in front of his gym made him feel uneasy.
The uneasiness only intensified as Clemont drew nearer and nearer to the gym. The guy in front of the tower moved his head as Clemont approached, and even though he was wearing sunglasses, Clemont knew he was being watched. The inventor couldn't help but return the stare, his being a curious one rather than what seemed to be bored interest from the other side. Clemont took a deep breath finally, and then turned his head, deciding it was better to ignore the little staring contest.
This turned out to be a trigger, though. As soon as Clemont turned his head and continued to walk towards the entrance to the tower, the pink-haired guy slowly sauntered over to block the Gym Leader's path. Clemont continued to walk, watching this person closely as he stood still, again folding his arms across his chest. He didn't smile or anything. No, he just watched, waiting for Clemont to get close.
When Clemont finally did approach, that's when the stranger spoke. "Clemont?" he asked, sounding bored and tired as though he really didn't want to be there, despite the fact he'd clearly been waiting for Clemont.
"Um...yes, that's me," Clemont answered, going for a friendly greeting by giving a small smile and holding out his hand. "Hi, it's nice to meet you...um...?"
"Anton," the stranger muttered, looking displeased about saying his name. He glanced at Clemont's hand, and then looked back up, not making any movement to shake hands. Clemont quickly pulled his hand back, getting the sense that his uneasiness was not unjustified. After an awkward pause, Anton spoke again. "You're the...Gym Leader?" he asked slowly, yawning a little as he turned his head and looked at Prism Tower, before returning his gaze to Clemont.
Clemont nodded, starting to realize what this was about. He had a suspicion that this guy was a challenger, and this all but confirmed it. "I take it you've been waiting to challenge me? I do have Clembot, my robot substitute, running the gym in my place right now."
"Oh, yes," Anton sighed, twirling a strand of his pink hair. "Well, that rust bucket wasn't much of a challenge. I sincerely hope you are much better than your...substitute." He paused and looked around the courtyard, almost as if he was analyzing everyone there. Finally, he looked back at Clemont, who stared back with his continuously confused expression. "I suppose you aren't much of a trainer, though. Not if you rely on toys to fight for you."
Clemont was never one to respond to jabs like that, and he refused to let this guy be the one to make him do so. He took a deep breath, and then pointed to the gym. "If you want to challenge me, that's fine. I'm pretty busy, though, so we'll have to get started quickly."
Anton looked almost insulted by that and frowned, reaching up and tilting down his sunglasses to look at Clemont with his dark, blue eyes. "I find it amusing that you can even call yourself a Gym Leader," he said quietly, before readjusting his sunglasses and turning towards the doors of the tower. "My Pokemon aren't at all tired after easily defeating your robot, so this probably won't take very long, anyways."
Clemont gritted his teeth and followed his insulting challenger inside. If this guy didn't think much of Clemont and his gym, why bother challenging? He took a deep breath and just tried to ignore his irritation as he followed Anton down the dark hallway which led to the gym entrance. For someone who had only been here once before, Anton seemed to know exactly where to go. Once they reached the door, a robotic voice boomed out of the speaker next to it.
"Greetings challenger! I apologize, as our gym is unable to operate at the moment," Clembot began to explain. "We shall be up and running in the morning once our Pokemon have rested."
"It's alright, Clembot," Clemont called out, stepping forward and past Anton. "Anton has come to challenge the gym again, but would like a battle against me instead."
"My apologies, sir," Clembot announced, although Clemont didn't know why he'd be apologizing. "Very well, I will open the door." At that, the doors started creaking open, immediately filling the dark hallway with the light of the battlefield.
Clemont quickly started walking ahead, going straight towards his spot on the battlefield. He was feeling surprisingly determined. He'd had rude challengers before, but something about Anton really made him motivated to win. This was probably just the kind of challenge he needed. He wanted to be a better Gym Leader and he needed to be able to show people like this what it meant to be a trainer.
When Clemont reached his side of the field, Clembot was waiting for him. "Sir," the robot began, staring ahead at Anton, who was now in his position on his side of the field, "that challenger was here a short while ago. He already won. He refused his badge."
"It's alright," Clemont said, giving a reassuring smile to Clembot. "Anton just wants to see everything the gym has to offer, I guess. How about you referee for the match?"
Clembot nodded, and gave the inventor a mini bow. "Very well, sir, it would be my pleasure," he announced, before straightening up and then making his way over to the side of the field, in between the two trainers.
Clemont took a deep breath as he prepared for the battle to begin. This wasn't exactly what he wanted to when he'd decided to head to his gym, but he supposed it was good to keep his battle senses sharp, especially if he had any interest in battling at Lumiose University. He quickly pulled out his first pokeball, and then looked across the field to see that Anton had also selected his.
"Are you ready to begin?" Anton asked, his voice once again sounding bored, like he wished he was in another world. "I hope Lumiose City has more to offer than...that," he said, nodding his head towards Clembot, who didn't react at all.
Clemont narrowed his eyes and held up his first pokeball. "I'll show you what we have to offer," he assured the cocky challenger. He then tossed out his pokeball, and the white light flashed in front of his eyes, before a small, green and brown two-legged Pokemon with a green shell on its back that extended up to its head, with four spikes at the top. Clemont smiled a little as Chespin excitedly jumped up and down, surprised to be in a gym battle, but clearly happy to be involved. Usually Clemont stuck with his electric types for his gym battles, but they would have all been tired out by Anton. Clemont had to trust Chespin, here, though. The little grass type could be a little wild at times, but he did show up in important moments. "I'm counting on you, Chespin," Clemont told the spiny nut Pokemon. "I know you can do this."
"Interesting," Anton murmured, watching the excited Chespin a moment. "Well, my first will definitely be able to handle this. Hitmonlee, time to fight!" he shouted, tossing out his pokeball as he moved his arm outward across his chest. Another flash of light, and the fighting type emerged. It was a brown, humanoid Pokemon with short arms and long, powerful legs. Its head and torso seemed to be connected and it had a somewhat ovoid shape. Its angry eyes stared ahead at Chespin, and Clemont noticed the grass type take a nervous step backwards.
"It's alright, Chespin, you can do this," Clemont assured his Pokemon.
"Chespin-ches!" Chespin cried out with a nod, taking his original position as he stepped forward and attempted to spread out menacingly.
With both Pokemon now out, Clembot stepped forward and raised one of his arms with a creaking sound. "This will be a three on three battle between Anton, the challenger, and Clemont, the Lumiose Gym Leader. If one trainer loses all three Pokemon, the other will be declared the winner. Only the challenger may substitute Pokemon. Do you agree?"
Clemont nodded, ready to get the match started, but Anton apparently wasn't as ready. "I don't agree with the last rule. I think both trainers should be allowed to substitute or neither of us. If you aren't substituting, I won't."
"Fine, it's your choice," Clemont muttered, waving for Clembot to signal for the match to start. He was really ready to get this over and done with. The robot nodded and then raised an arm again, before swinging it down and calling for the match to begin. Clemont immediately made the first move. "Chespin, Pin Missile, let's go!"
"Pin-pin-ches!" Chespin shouted in agreement, jumping back and lowering his head, the spikes at the top glowing bright green. After a brief moment where the attack charged up, Chespin unleashed it, and about a dozen green projectiles fired out from his head, leaving a white trail of light behind them as they headed for Hitmonlee.
There was no panic from Anton or the fighting type, though. Instead, Anton simply raised a hand up and said, "Deflect with Close Combat," before waving his hand in dismissal.
"Monlee!" Hitmonlee answered, before one of its long legs raised up, just as the missiles approached him. Then, with tremendous speed, Hitmonlee's leg started kicking out at the incoming attack, shooting up, down, left and right, exploding each missile as he made contact, and looking completely unharmed.
Anton seemed to study the field a moment, and then he made another dismissive wave towards Chespin. "A Blaze Kick, please, Hitmonlee."
"Hit-mon-LEE!" Hitmonlee grunted out, stepping back with one leg and then kicking off hard. Clemont could only watch in stunned silence as the fighting type launched towards Chespin with a flaming leg outstretched in front if him. A moment later, and poor little Chespin was struck hard by the attack, right in the middle of the chest.
"Ches!" Chespin cried out in pain, as he was launched backwards, flying right past Clemont and smashing hard into the wall, before slowly sliding down.
"Chespin is unable to battle!" Clembot declared, raising an arm towards Anton and Hitmonlee, who had leaped back to stand in front of his trainer. "Hitmonlee is the winner!"
Clemont gulped, immediately feeling the nerves start to get to him. Chespin wasn't his strongest Pokemon by any means, but one hit shouldn't have knocked him out, super effective or not. He raised up his pokeball, and turned, facing the slumped over Chespin. "Thank you, Chespin," he whispered, as he recalled the spiny nut Pokemon. Clemont quickly put Chespin's pokeball away, and then pulled out his next choice, ignoring Anton's bored stare. "Alright, let's catch up now," Clemont said, holding up his next pokeball. He threw it forward, sure that his next choice would be able to put up more of a fight. "Let's go, Bunnelby!"
"Bunnelby!" the grey and brown rabbit Pokemon shouted as he emerged, kicking the ground and lowering his thick ears in preparation for battle. He was one of Clemont's most trusted Pokemon, and definitely didn't want to let his trainer down.
When Clembot signalled for the match to resume, Clemont quickly made the first move, a plan already formed in his mind for defeating Hitmonlee. "Quick, get underground with Dig!" he ordered, thrusting his arm forward with the command.
As Bunnelby burrowed undergound, ears twirling around like a drill, Clemont quickly looked up at Anton, seeing the pink-haired trainer watching the field with narrowed eyes. Once Bunnelby was completely underground and nowhere to be seen, Anton made his order. "Up in the air with Bounce," he called out, voice eerily calm."
"Monlee!" the fighting type answered back with a nod, before lowering himself to the ground, and then kicking off hard, launching himself high into the air, near the ceiling.
"Now, strike the ground hard with Blaze Kick," Anton called up to his Pokemon. Clemont could just see Hitmonlee nod, and then it pointed its leg straight down and it ignited in flames. Then, it's rapid descent began, and Clemont knew he'd have to meet it head on.
His eyes scanned the field and Clemont smiled, just seeing a tiny hint if movement and knowing Bunnelby had positioned himself perfectly. "Now straight up, Bunnelby, and catch Hitmonlee's Blaze Kick with your ears!"
"Bunnel-BEE!" Bunnelby shouted, shooting straight up out of the ground in the centre of the battlefield, ears braced for contact. Clemont's fists clenched as he saw Hitmonlee descend quickly and just as his foot was about to make contact, Clemont started to doubt his plan.
There was no reason to doubt, though, as it went just as Clemont had hoped. Bunnelby did cry out in surprise as the powerful Blaze Kick struck his ears and sent him crashing down below. However, he managed to hold on tight to the leg above him, and Hitmonlee plummeted as well. With Bunnelby having lined himself up with the hole he'd dug below, he went straight into it, pulling Hitmonlee's leg with him, the fighting type only stopping once his leg was fully in and his body was unable to move further.
"Hit-hitmonlee?" Hitmonlee cried out in surprise, staring down at the hole he was stuck in. Clemont couldn't help but feel a rush of satisfaction in seeing a hint of surprise on Anton's face as well, although it was very brief.
"Now, Bunnelby, up and use Mud Shot, followed by Double Slap!" Clemont shouted, pointing upwards as though Bunnelby could see him from underground. The digging Pokemon responded quickly, though, the ground shaking behind Hitmonlee a moment before Bunnelby emerged, dirt shooting up around him.
"Bunnel..." the rabbit-like Pokemon shouted, as he pulled back his ears, three brown orbs appearing above them. "BEE!" he finally shouted, swinging his ears forward as the globules of mud were launched towards Hitmonlee's back.
"Lee!" Hitmonlee gasped out out in pain as the attack made contact, covering the fighting type's back in dirt. It wasn't over, though, as Bunnelby was quick to act on Clemont's next order, leaping forward with his ears ready to strike. In an instant, Bunnelby was right behind Hitmonlee, and he didn't waste any time in striking out, first with one ear, and then with the next.
"Keep it up, Bunnelby!" Clemont encouraged his determined Pokemon. "Don't let up!"
Anton chuckled a little, the sound not matching his demeanour at all. His lips were pursed, and Clemont could see his eyes narrowed, as his head was lowered, his sunglasses tipping down a little to show his eyes a bit. Suddenly, the pink-haired trainer smirked, and he raised his head back up, the sunglasses shifting back over his eyes as his head moved. "Bulk Up!" came his simple command.
As Bunnelby continued to pummel Hitmonlee's back, Clemont noticed an immediate change in the fighting type's demeanour. He winced from a few more hits, but Hitmonlee tensed up his body and took the beating. Within a few seconds, Clemont could see the kicking fiend's muscles bulging, and could almost feel the raw power emanating from it. As he looked on, Clemont could see that each strike from Bunnelby appeared to be doing less and less damage.
"Now, break free with Close Combat!" Anton ordered quickly, ready to take advantage of Hitmonlee's increased strength. The fighting type did just as asked, and within a few seconds, Clemont could see the ground shaking underneath Hitmonlee.
"Quick, Bunnelby, get back and then go back in with Wild Charge!" Clemont shouted, knowing there was little point in keeping up with the barrage of Double Slap attacks.
"Mon...LEE!" Hitmonlee shouted, as dirt exploded around him, his leg shooting out from the ground. He then spun around, standing up straight and then kicking outward quickly. Bunnelby just barely managed to leap back in time, and only because he was already moving from Clemont's order.
The rabbit-like Pokemon didn't back down as Hitmonlee moved towards him, though. His body was instantly covered in electricity as he lowered his body in preparation to leap back towards Hitmonlee. "Bunnel-bunnelby!" Bunnelby shouted, as he took a deep breath, and then leaped forward, just as Hitmonlee began to rapidly kick out in all directions with Close Combat.
Clemont held his breath as he watched the gap close between the two Pokemon, seemingly in slow motion. Then, with explosive force, Bunnelby's electricity covered body met with Hitmonlee's supercharged kick. Sparks of electricity shot out in all directions and the ground shook with the force of the impact. The power of the attacks seemed almost even, and Clemont smiled in satisfaction. His pleasure was short lived, though, as Hitmonlee's leg shot back from the brief stalemate, and then swung forward again. Bunnelby was shocked by the quick movement, and his body shifted forward once Hitmonlee's leg went back, making him vulnerable to the second kick. Clemont winced as he saw Bunnelby's eyes bulge from the pain, and then his body was launched backwards, slamming hard into the ground, leaving a trail of kicked up dirt behind him as he went skidding along the ground.
"Bunnelby!" Clemont cried out in concern, taking an instinctive step forward as he saw Bunnelby wincing and struggling to stand.
"Bunnel..." the rabbit Pokemon groaned, managing to raise himself up, standing weakly and staring ahead at Hitmonlee, who despite the many attacks from Bunnelby, looked ready to continue. Bunnelby wasn't giving in, though. With a deep breath, he managed to straighten up, and then looked to Clemont, ready for another order.
Clemont nodded, understanding Bunnelby's desire. From the smug look on Anton's face, the Lumiose Gym Leader felt his own desire to win increase, and knew why Bunnelby was set on taking this to the limit. He had to be smart, though. Anton seemed to prefer keeping the fight in close. To win, Clemont and Bunnelby needed an indirect approach. "Alright, use Dig!" Clemont shouted, immediately focusing on Hitmonlee and Anton once making the order.
"It didn't work last time, and it won't work this time," Anton taunted, smirking as he watched Bunnelby burrow underground. His head moved a little, and Clemont knew that underneath those sunglasses, Anton's eyes were scanning the field. "Use Bulk Up again," he said quickly, his head still shifting as he watched the field.
"Up and use Mud Shot!" Clemont shouted, pleased that his plan had worked, at least so far.
"Bee!" Bunnelby shouted, shooting up out of the ground, about ten feet away from the tensed up and flexing Hitmonlee. The three orbs of mud appeared right over the rabbit Pokemon's head and he pulled his ears back, before swinging them forward with full force. As Hitmonlee spread out his arms and legs, he watched with narrowed eyes while the orbs of mud shot towards him. They struck three times in quick succession right in the middle of Hitmonlee's chest, and the fighting type winced each time, taking a step back on the third hit.
"That's the risk of using Close Combat," Clemont called out to Anton, as Bunnelby landed softly and prepared for his next order. "Hitmonlee's special defence is lower, which made Mud Shot more effective."
"There's also a risk in showing your Pokemon, despite it having been well hidden," Anton shot back, raising his arm up. "Blaze Kick, now!" he shouted quickly. "Finish this!"
"Monlee!" Hitmonlee shouted, and with incredible speed, just as he'd done earlier against Chespin, the kicking fiend shot forward, kicking off with his left leg, and extending his right leg forward. It ignited in wild flames, just before making contact with Bunnelby in the middle of the chest. The rabbit Pokemon was launched across the field and skidded along the ground in front of Clemont, before rolling over in front of him.
"Bunnelby is unable to battle!" Clembot declared, raising his arm once again towards Anton and Hitmonlee. "Hitmonlee is the winner!"
Clemont sighed, but managed to steel himself as he recalled Bunnelby to his pokeball. The digging Pokemon had done well, so they couldn't be too disappointed. "Thanks, Bunnelby," he whispered, as he put the pokeball away and then pulled out the next one. "Alright, Anton," he called out, holding up his next pokeball, "this is your toughest challenge yet!" Clemont then threw out the pokeball, knowing that he could win with this Pokemon. "Go, Luxray!"
As the light flashed, revealing the black and blue, electric lion, Clemont watched Anton closely. The pink-haired trainer seemed completely unfazed, clearly not worried about Luxray at all. "Hitmonlee has managed to defeat five Pokemon in a row, as he defeated the robot's Pokemon as well. I doubt your Luxray can do very much."
"We'll see," Clemont muttered, as he watched Clembot give the signal to resume the battle. The inventor made sure to act quickly, immediately wanting to put Anton and Hitmonlee on the defensive. "Luxray, use Swift!"
"Deflect with Close Combat!" Anton countered quickly, smirking a little as he looked across the field at Clemont. "Don't expect that you can fight this battle from a distance."
Clemont ignored him, and watched closely as Luxray lowered his body to the ground, curled up his tail behind him, and then spun around, swinging his tail forward and unleashing a stream of bright, golden stars towards Hitmonlee. "Ray!" he shouted, as he finished his turn and watched the stars shoot towards his opponent.
"Mon...LEE!" Hitmonlee shouted in response, taking a step forward, and then raising his leg up in front of him. As the stars approached, he started kicking out at an incredible speed. Then, just as they reached him, his kicks exploded them on contact. He didn't miss a single one, striking up and down, left and right, and destroying every single one with a puff of smoke shooting out with each kick making contact.
"Now, Hitmonlee," Anton called out calmly, "strike with Blaze Kick!"
Clemont narrowed his eyes as he saw Hitmonlee lower his body, his leg already starting to glow red, a few bursts of flame shooting up along it. In close fighting was clearly in Hitmonlee's advantage most of the time, but he'd been fighting a lot, according to Anton. Even just in this battle, he'd done a lot. All those times using Close Combat, even with using Bulk Up to recover his lost defence, Hitmonlee couldn't be as strong defensively as he should be if he was fresh. "Luxray, counter Blaze Kick with Thunder Fang!"
As Hitmonlee kicked off hard, immediately extending his flaming leg, the fiery foot heading straight towards Luxray, the electric lion roared in anticipation. "Luxray!" the gleam eyes Pokemon cried out, as electricity starting shooting out of his jaws. Then, with full force, Hitmonlee's foot approached, and then Luxray lunged forward, biting down with his electricity-covered fangs. The electric lion grunted in pain from the Blaze Kick, but Clemont could see clearly that Hitmonlee felt the effect of Thunder Fang as well. Its eyes were narrowed as it grimaced in pain.
"Now, use Electric Terrain, before tossing him forward and using Wild Charge!" Clemont yelled, fists clenched in anticipation for the attack. He could see Hitmonlee trying to break free, even attempting to kick Luxray with his free leg. However, the electricity shooting out across him from the Thunder Fang attack seemed to weaken his attempts, and Clemont could see that very little was happening with each kick, and that Hitmonlee was growing weaker and weaker.
Luxray could see this too, clearly, as stood up straight, and immediately answered Clemont's order. He gave a muffled roar, and then electricity starting shooting out from his body and it quickly began to spread along the field. Sparks of electricity seemed to dance along the dirt and Luxray seemed to be getting an extra boost from it. Clemont then nodded, despite Luxray not looking at him, and then the gleam eyes Pokemon acted on his next order. He pulled back his head, Hitmonlee's body jerking back from the movement, and then swung forward, releasing the fighting type and sending it soaring through the air. Luxray moved quickly, though, desperate to hit with full force as soon as possible. He charged forward, his body engulfed in electricity, and he closed the gap in a second, slamming hard into Hitmonlee.
The fighting type grunted in pain, and was then sent crashing along the ground, his opponent leaping back in satisfaction before panting from the recoil. Clemont watched closely as Hitmonlee struggled to rise from the ground, however, it was clearly too much. With one last push, he managed to get to one knee, but then his eyes rolled up, and he collapsed.
"Hitmonlee is unable to battle! Luxray is the winner!" Clembot declared, waving an arm to Clemont and Luxray, somehow sounding excited despite being a robot.
For a moment, Anton did nothing, staring at the scene in front of him, or so Clemont assumed, since he couldn't see the other trainer's eyes past his sunglasses. Finally, Anton raised up Hitmonlee's pokeball and returned it, before pulling out his second. "Not bad, I'll admit that," he muttered, holding up his next pokeball. "This battle ends now, though. I can't have you thinking you were close." He then threw out his pokeball, a smile coming to his face as he watched it soar out in front of him. "Scizor, go!"
With a bright flash of light, the red, bug and steel type Pokemon emerged, landing softly in front of Anton, and standing completely still, looking somewhat bored. It was a two-legged insectoid Pokemon with a red, metallic exoskeleton. On its back, were grey wings, which seemed to be retracting back and forth from his back. The most intimidating features were its angry, yellow eyes and the massive pincers that Clemont was fully aware, could do serious damage.
On Clembot's signal to resume the battle, Anton made the first move. "Bullet Punch," he ordered, smirking as he watched his Pokemon. Clemont didn't even have time to react. Before he could even realize what was happening, Scizor was in front of Luxray, his pincer held back like a fist, glowing in a bright, white light, before he thrust it forward, slamming it hard into Luxray's chest. The electric lion was launched through the air, shooting just past Clemont's left side, and he slammed hard into the wall behind the inventor.
"Luxray!" Clemont shouted in concern, turning with wide eyes to see the gleam eyes Pokemon struggling to his feet, but looking like it was taking every ounce of strength to do so.
"One more attack should do it, Scizor," Anton announced, and Clemont could hear the infuriating confidence in his opponent's voice. "Finish this with Fury Cut-"
At that moment, the doors to the gym right behind Anton swung open, revealing a girl with long, pink hair, a black tank top and a pink skirt. She looked to be about Clemont's age, thus a couple years younger than Anton appeared. Anton, spun around at the sound of the opening doors, and sighed loudly when he looked at the girl.
"What are you doing here, Gabby?" he asked, irritation evident in his voice. "I told you I was going to be busy today."
"I told you not to bother. You'll get your chance to battle in Lumiose City soon enough. We came here for a break, not to battle," the girl, Gabby, angrily retorted. "You are such an irritating brother, sometimes." Her eyes then moved to Clemont, who's eyes widened in shock at her stare. If she was Anton's sister, Clemont assumed she had the same manners. However, she just sighed and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry that my brother had to bother you. We're leaving now."
"I have a battle to finish," Anton argued, turning back to face Clemont, eyes moving towards his Scizor. "We're just about to win."
"No!" Gabby shouted, running forward and grabbing Anton's arm. "We're going now, whether you like it or not. Get Scizor back in his pokeball."
Anton paused a moment, glaring at his sister for a few seconds. Then, he finally just sighed, and then held up Scizor's pokeball. "Scizor, return," he muttered, before looking towards Clemont, his sister now letting him go. "You did fairly well, Clemont," he said, although his voice seemed somewhat mocking. "You're not a very good Gym Leader, but you did manage to surprise me a little."
Clemont didn't say anything in answer, and just watched in stunned silence as the two pink-haired siblings turned and made their way towards the doors of the gym. Anton entered through first, disappearing from sight, but Gabby stayed back a moment. "I guess we'll be seeing you again, soon." She smirked, before turning around and beginning to head through the door. "See you then."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Clemont asked, not understanding what she meant. It was too late, though, and Gabby and Anton were gone, leaving a shocked, tired and confused Clemont behind. What was all that about? he asked himself, staring at the other end of the battlefield. He turned his head, and glanced towards Luxray, who was slowly limping towards his trainer, looking pretty badly beaten up after that strike from Scizor. "Hey, Luxray, you doing alright?" Clemont asked, kneeling down as Luxray reached him.
"Lux-luxray," Luxray croaked out, still panting a little.
Clemont nodded, pulling out Luxray's pokeball. "Take a long rest, Luxray. You deserve it." Luxray gave his trainer a grateful look, before he was recalled to the pokeball. He was clearly exhausted and Clemont could see why. Just from that short exchange with Scizor, Clemont could see just how powerful Anton was. Luxray was pretty much defeated by that one hit. I really do need to get better, Clemont told himself, realizing he'd been pretty badly embarrassed by Anton. And I will get better. Anton will see just exactly what Lumiose City has to offer.
Ash and Dawn got downstairs, just as Professor Oak, Gary and Greninja were coming through the door. Ash immediately rushed up to his Pokemon, holding him by the shoulders. "Greninja, are you alright?" he asked, eyes widening as he looked at the frog-ninja Pokemon.
"Ninja," Greninja croaked out, nodding. He then placed a webbed hand on Ash's chest. "Gren?" he asked, looking concerned himself.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash answered, laughing a little. "Especially if you're fine." He looked around Greninja, to where Gary and Oak were standing. "Thanks for helping Greninja out. Sorry I worried you."
Gary gave Ash a thumbs up, smiling as though it was no big deal. "It's all fine, Ashy boy. As long as you're good to go, now. That's all that matters."
"Ash," Professor Oak began, stepping forward so that he was standing next to both Ash and Greninja. He looked at the two of them, and then his eyes moved over towards Dawn. "I think we should talk. I have a proposition for you, and perhaps Dawn as well, that I think, considering what has happened, could be something you will find useful."
Ash exchanged a confused glance with Dawn, but then looked back at Professor Oak and nodded, a smile coming to his face. He had no idea what the old Pokemon researcher was talking about, but if he had an idea to help Ash with what was happening with Greninja, Ash was all ears. "Sure, Professor Oak, that sounds good to me."
"Well, you'll have to talk at the table. Ash needs to eat so that he can get his strength back," Delia's voice suddenly broke in, as she emerged from around a corner, holding a plate with a couple of sandwiches on it.
Ash nodded, having no issue with that, as he heard his stomach growl in agreement. He quickly followed his mother towards the dining room, everyone else following behind him. Ash quickly took a seat, Gary sitting next to him, Dawn and Oak sitting at the other end, while Delia sat at the head of the table. Greninja stood behind Ash, arms folded in a guard position. Ash didn't know if the frog-ninja Pokemon was nervous about sitting at the table like a human, or if he just didn't like to sit, period.
He was quickly distracted by this thought, though, as Professor Oak started speaking, clearly wanting to move along with what he wanted to discuss. "Ash, you were unable to get an opportunity to discuss your bond with Greninja to Professor Sycamore, correct?"
"Uh...no," Ash answered, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I probably could have at the Kalos League, but I got pretty busy with training. And...I guess I thought we weren't going to have any more issues with it. Ever since Snowbelle City, we've been able to control the form perfectly."
Oak nodded, looking as though he understood. "Well, I understand that, of course. And as you made it to the finals, I can see why you wouldn't have wanted to distract yourself. Although, you know better than most, that you can never assume you've learned everything there is to learn about Pokemon. Even more so with this bond with Greninja. There is a lot of mystery behind it. I think it would be wise to discuss it with Professor Sycamore."
"I guess that makes sense," Ash admitted, turning and looking at Greninja, who nodded in agreement. He then looked back at Professor Oak, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "Um...do you want me to call him?"
Oak shook his head, this time looking a little embarrassed himself. "Well, Ash, you see, Professor Sycamore actually called me about this right after the Kalos League. He told me to make sure that you had a break, but that he was hoping to discuss the bond with you at some point." Oak paused, scratching his chin a bit as he considered what to say next. "He wasn't just calling about that, though. He was calling me about...a project he was working on. A project that I actually think you could make use of when it comes to this. You as well, Dawn," he said, giving the coordinator a quick look.
"What kind of project?" Ash asked, becoming interested. If it could help him and Greninja, and if it was something he could focus on until deciding what to do next, then maybe it was just what he needed.
"It's a school," Oak answered, watching Ash carefully, clearly interested to see the latter's reaction.
"A what?" Ash asked in surprise. That was probably the last thing he'd have expected Professor Oak to suggest. "Wait, you think I should go to...a school? Does Professor Sycamore think I should?"
"Well, I don't think the thought ever occurred to him," Oak said, smiling a little at Ash's shocked expression. "He wanted me to get in contact with a potential teacher for his school." He waved his hand dismissively and leaned forward. "That's not important right now, though. Ash, listen to me, I really think this school is a good opportunity for you."
"And me?" Dawn chimed in finally, seemingly only just coming to terms with the fact that Oak had suggested the idea to her as well. "Can you tell us what kind of school this is?"
"Right, I should probably get to that," Oak said, relaxing a bit in his chair. "Well, Professor Sycamore has been working on what is called, a Pokemon university. It is a school, for battlers, coordinators, performers and many other trainers hoping to pursue some kind of Pokemon profession. It's designed to give more of a social aspect to a Pokemon trainer's journey, as many people travel for long stretches, completely alone. It's a perfect place to grow as a trainer and person."
"And I could still battle if I went there?" Ash asked, having picked up on Professor Oak mentioning that the school had battling. "Are there good trainers there?"
"Yes and yes," Oak answered happily, seeming to pick up on Ash's interest. "Battling is a large focus of the school, as is coordinating," he gave Dawn a knowing look, "and also performing, which is somewhat like coordinating. There is even what is called, the Interschool Pokemon League," Oak explained, looking at Ash excitedly. "Many trainers that compete in that, go on to be some of the highest ranked trainers in Pokemon Leagues, Grand Festivals and Masterclass showcases."
Ash was surprised, but he was actually beginning to get excited by this idea. If he could get the opportunity to battle against strong trainers, maybe this would be a nice change. The kind of change he'd been wanting. There was, of course, one thing that concerned him. "So, if this is a school, does that mean I'd have to go to classes?"
"What do you think, Ashy boy?" Gary asked jokingly. "Schools have classes, so it's kind of part of the package."
"Hm..." Ash looked up at Pikachu on his shoulder. The electric mouse seemed to be having the same doubts as him. Sitting in a class seemed so out of place for the two of them. They were so used to always being on the move. Then again...they'd been hanging around with Professor Oak doing a lot of research activities lately. It wasn't exactly boring, and Ash did enjoy learning more about Pokemon. Maybe...maybe it made sense.
"I think it's an interesting opportunity, Ash," Delia suddenly said, bringing Ash's attention to her. "I...I've loved having you around the past month, but I know you. You want continue your journey and continue to grow. This might not be a typical journey, but I think it might just be the change in scenery that you need." She paused and glanced towards Greninja, before looking at Professor Oak. "Professor Sycamore can help with...what happened, right?"
Ash didn't say anything and looked at Professor Oak, waiting for his answer. Ash actually agreed with his mother that this school might be an interesting change of scenery, but he had the feeling she was more interested in having Professor Sycamore watch over him and Greninja. Finally, Professor Oak answered the question. "Oh yes, I believe that Ash, Greninja and Professor Sycamore would all benefit. This is why I suggest it, Ash. You can still battle, you can still train, you can work on this bond and you can have an entirely new experience altogether."
"I think it sounds kind of fun," Dawn chimed in, and Ash was surprised to see her looking excited, which seemed strange after her anguished look a few minutes ago. "I've been so torn on what to do next. And I think it's been the same for you, Ash. Obviously the idea of sitting in a classroom is kind of weird, but it's a school dedicated to Pokemon. There's no way it could be boring."
"Yeah, sounds kind of fun to me as well," Gary added, nodding at Dawn's words. "I don't think it's something for me, but when it comes to this Interschool Pokemon League, I think that's exactly the kind of thing you should get into, Ash. And haven't you said that travelling on your own gets kind of lonely. Tons of people will be there."
"Including me!" Dawn said enthusiastically. "I really like the sound of this. Maybe I can check out that performing stuff as well. Come on, Ash, it'll be fun. And this way, we'll have a friend there when we go."
Ash nodded, his mind going through all the different things that could happen if he went to a school. He knew he wouldn't be a perfect student, but he did know a lot about Pokemon, and was always interested in learning more about them. He smiled at Pikachu, who smiled back, showing he was warming to the idea as well. "Well...if you think it's a good idea, I guess I could give it a try. At least for now."
"Excellent!" Professor Oak exclaimed, pulling a pamphlet out of his coat pocket. He placed it on the table, his eyes shining with excitement. "Professor Sycamore will be ecstatic. Ash and Dawn, I think Lumiose University will be proud to have you."
Ash smiled, leaning forward and looking at the pamphlet. On the front, was a picture of Prism Tower, with a Luxray roaring in front of it. Lumiose University, Ash read, Join the Lumiose Luxrays and earn your degree in Pokemon! "The Lumiose Luxrays?"
"I believe that's their mascot," Professor Oak said with a laugh. "Each school has their own."
Ash chuckled a little at that, looking up at Dawn, who didn't seem too impressed. "Well, I guess we're about to become Lumiose Luxrays," Ash said jokingly.