A Wonderful Journey

A.N:Hope you enjoy!

A Buneary was standing in front of Dawn, while the rest of the gang was standing on the side line, with Brock and Alexia sitting on a rock along with Kirlia and Pikachu.

"Buneary."

"This time for sure, Dawn. Go for it!"Ash said, encouraging Dawn.

"I'm so psyched! Here we go!"Dawn said, readying a Pokéball...

"Hold on! You gotta make your Pokéball bigger first!"Ash pointed out, upon seeing it was true, Dawn was startled as she struggled to keep the ball in her hands and enlarge it.

"She's way too nervous, she need to calm herself."Hestia said.

"You'd better hurry! It'll get away!"Ash warned her, thought this doesn't help Dawn with her nerves.

"All right! I'm ready no! Let's go, Pokéball!"

But as she was in the middle of throwing it, the ball fell right out of her hand in the midst of her throw. Because of that, it ended up hitting Ash directly on the face.

Everyone burst out laughing.

"This never get old."Alexia said, laughing, Ash send a small glare at her.

Pikachu nodded."Pika pi."

The Pokémon were laughing along with them.

"Oops, sorry!"Dawn apologized quickly, as Alexia was laughing in the background.

"Ugh... Watch where you throw that thing!"Ash snapped at her, looking annoyed.

"It was an accident! If you hadn't been yelling at me, my hand wouldn't have slipped!"Dawn shot back.

"You weren't doing it right!"

"Pika..."Pikachu sighed, watching them arguing.

"Look! Don't you get nasty with me!"

"Just get it together and I won't have to!"

"Hum, guys."Alexia called out, as she watches Buneary hopping away into the bushes and out of sight... All the while Ash and Dawn continued arguing...

"With how loud they are arguing, why didn't you called out louder?"

"Piplup! Piplup! Piplup!"Piplup cried out, catching their attention before turning to see the absence of Buneary.

"No! Buneary!"They exclaimed, before Dawn glared at Ash.

"Well, I hope you're happy now."Dawn snapped at him.

"Don't look at me!"Ash shot back.

"Why not?! It's your fault!"

"Your yapping scared Buneary away, you know!?"

"All right, that's enough. There's always next time."Alexia said, getting in between them.

"But it's his fault for why I was distracted, Lexi!"Dawn argued.

"Both of you are at fault, if you weren't so quick to argue for a small mistake Dawn would have a chance to caught that Buneary."Hermione said.

Harry quietly snorted."That's a bit rich coming from you..." Remembering the number of time she would argue with Ron for the smallest thing.

"Says the one who couldn't throw her Pokéball properly!"Ash shot back.

"That's on you!"

"No, that's on you for not noticing it first!"

"You're the one that's even louder than I am!"

"Well you're speaking even louder than you were before!"

"Ugh..."Alexia pinched the bridge of her nose, getting an headache with how loud they're arguing.

A few minutes later.

As they walk down the road, Ash and Dawn continue to argue.

"Just great! I could have a Buneary, if it wasn't for a certain big mouth."

"Oh yeah? I could get me a Buneary in spite of your big mouth!"Ash shot back.

"Next time, butt out!"

"That's if there is a next time."

"I'm catching lots of Pokémon!"

"What a lie, what a lie."A Muggleborn said.

"You won't if you keep doing stupid stuff!"

"Are you calling me stupid!?"Dawn glare at Ash.

"No, but I'm thinking about it now!"

"How can you think without a brain!?"

Many laughed at that.

"That's a good one."Ginny laughed.

"You tell jokes as good as you catch Pokémon!"

"WILL YOU TWO CUT IT OUT!"Alexia finally snapped, startling everyone at her outburst.

"She definitely got that temper from Lily..."Sirius muttered to his friends, who nod in agreement, they've witnessed Lily's temper first-hand and seeing Alexia snap like that reminds them of her.

"If there's anyone to blame, it's BOTH of you for arguing like children because things didn't go your way. What happened in the past is in the past, so if you want to get things done, just don't repeat what happened before."

"Exactly!"Many exclaimed, in agreement.

"But-"

"But NOTHING!"Alexia snapped again, before storming off ahead, while continuing to walk, she suddenly stopped to see something shining in the sky. The others caught up to see the shine too.

"Woah, so pretty!"A first year exclaimed.

"What's that?"Ash asked.

"Pretty!"Dawn said in awe.

"That's Sunny Day!"Brock smiled, catching their attention.

"Sunny Day?"Ash repeated.

"It's a Fire Type move, Fire Types use it to temporarily raise their power."Brock explained, before they turned back to see the shine in the sky.

"All of sudden, I feel so much happier."Dawn said softly.

"Can Pokémon move affect your emotion?"Padma asked.

"Yes, but not every move can affect your mood."Ash replied.

A soft cry was heard from below as they looked down to see a small bud-like Pokémon coming over them.

"Who's that?"Ash asked curiously.

"Aww, it's a Budew."Alexia smiled.

"So cute!"Dawn exclaimed, Ash took out his Pokédex to scan and learn about Budew.

"Budew, the Bud Pokémon. In winter, it keeps its bud closed to survive the cold, but then opens it again in the spring."

"I wonder if this is where that Sunny Day came from."Brock said.

"It was."A voice caught their attention as they turned to where it came from. Leaning against a tree was a man that looked kind and calm-collected, he had a gentleman-like figure with long, black hair and a formal hat.

"Hardened words... but reflect hardened hearts, let the Sunny Day soften yours. For when your heart is light... your mood is happy and bright!"The man spoke... He turned to them with a kind and calm smile on his face."Tell me... Don't you feel better now?"

"That was beautiful."Hannah smiled, many nodded in agreement, it was a beautiful poem.

They all blinked before Ash, Dawn, and Alexia looked at each other, sheepish smiles formed on their faces before they looked back at the man realizing what he meant.

"Yeah, you're right!"

"As it should be."The man smiled.

"Budew!"His partner cooed gently.

"Thanks! I'm Ash!"

"Pika! Pikachu!"

"And my name is Dawn!"

"I'm Alexia."

"Kir Kirlia."Kirlia bows gently.

"Hi! I'm Brock!"

"And I am the Pokémon bard, Nando. This is my Budew. We travel the world bringing joy to all!"Nando introduced himself and his partner.

"Awesome..."Ash said.

"You must have a great time."Brock said with a smile.

"Hey, I've got it, Ash! Now I can show you how strong I've gotten."Dawn smiled, turning to Ash, who blinked in confusion.

"What is she up to?"Neville asked.

"How?"Ash asked.

Alexia glanced at her best friend, having an idea where this was going. Dawn turned to Nando with a request in mind.

"Nando? Would you mind battling with me?"Dawn asked him.

"If that pleases you."Nando said kindly, which Budew agreed with a soft cries.

"Why would she ask that?"Tracey asked.

"Because she wanted to prove to Ash, that she wasn't the rookie that he may think she is."Alexia answered.

"Don't forget this'd be your very first battle with another Trainer."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."Dawn assured him, Alexia smirks.

"And that's when we need to worry."Alexia said.

"Shut it."Dawn glare at her best friend.

"Dawn, are you by any chance on a quest to win the Sinnoh League?"Nando asked.

"No, I'm on a quest to win the Grand Festival!"Dawn answered, Nando nodded.

"I see, then a contest battle it is. There's a clearing up ahead that will be perfect for our needs."Nando said.

"Great!"Dawn smiled, before making their way to the clearing.

Later...

At the clearing, Dawn had Piplup's Pokéball ready.

"Kay, first thing first. My Pokémon has to make a gorgeous entrance. All right then, Piplup. Spotlight!"

Dawn's Piplup appeared from the Pokéball, ready for battle. As for Nando, it was clear his choice for the match will be Budew.

"That wasn't really gorgeous."Susan said.

Alexia nodded."You right, which is why Coordinator used Seals during contest."

"What's a Seal?"Daphne asked.

"A Seal is like a sticker that when attached to a Ball will added an effect when a Pokémon is send out, they are mostly used in Contest since it is important to leave an impression when the Pokémon is sent out of its Poké Ball. A few Seals are supplied to Coordinator when they registers for a Contest pass, additionally Seals can be bought at shops and markets."Alexia explained.

"You may have the first attack."Nando offered.

"Thanks."Dawn nodded as she eyed her opponent's Pokémon."All right... We're fighting a Grass Type, so let's do a Flying Type attack!"

Nando: Budew Vs Dawn: Piplup

"Piplup. Use Peck, let's go!"

Piplup rushed forward to strike head-on.

"Please, dodge it."Nando said calmly, which Budew understood and dodged out of the way. The quick dodge left both Piplup and Dawn surprised.

"Woah! That little guy is fast!"Ron exclaimed.

"What happened!?"Dawn exclaimed in surprise.

"That's fast!"Ash said, taking note of Budew's speed.

"Please, Bullet Seed."Nando continued.

"Bullet Seed's a Grass Type move, which could give a Water Type like Piplup big problems."Brock commented, as the attack was shot and getting close to Piplup.

"Yeah, no shit."Someone couldn't help but snorted.

"Dodge it, Piplup!"

This time, it was Piplup's turn to dodge as he was able to evade the Bullet Seed attack in no time, taking no damage from it.

"All right, my turn! Piplup. Use Bubble Beam!"

Piplup launch his attack on Budew, which actually hit, since Budew was in mid-air, there was no way for Budew to dodge it.

"All right!"Dawn smiled, only for it to turn upside down when she noticed the calm and collected look Nando had. And there was a reason for that. Despite the number of bubbles making a hit, Budew appeared from out of the smoke, looking rather content even when she took the hit.

"What!?"Many exclaimed.

"How come that attack barely did anything to Budew?!"Anthony asked, surprised.

"Because Budew is a Grass Type, which means any Water Type attack will only do half the damage to them."Alexia explained.

"But how? That was a direct hit!"Dawn exclaimed.

"Did you forget Budew is a Grass Type? A Water Type attack like Bubble Beam will only do half the damage it would normally do because it's not very effective against Grass Type."Alexia pointed out.

"Budew absorbed the attack on purpose and then made that big jump. Brilliant! It even used the smoke from the explosion!"Brock commented.

"If this was a Contest Battle, Dawn would've lost some serious points."Alexia pointed out.

"What do you mean?"Parvati asked.

"Since Contest is all about the beauty and appeal of a Pokémon, which during the battle portion you use your Pokémon move to help bring that out but sadly your opponent can use your own attack to their advantage, giving them the upper hand if they time it right like what Budew did."Alexia explained, many who have been quite fascinated by Contest, hope they would seen one in the future.

"Kirlia?"

Alexia glanced down at Kirlia and nodded."She still does have chance, but..."

"What did Kirlia asked?"Dennis asked.

"She was wondering if Dawn still had a chance to win."Alexia answered.

"Solar Beam, if you please."

Alexia eyes widened at she turn back to the battle, as they all watched Budew began to charge up the attack... But Dawn doesn't seem to worry as she called Piplup to make another attack.

"Piplup! Use Peck, now!"Dawn cried out.

Piplup charge forward to land the super effective attack, but even before he got halfway close... the charging was complete.

Budew unleash the powerful Grass Type attack, which shot fast and blasted Piplup away, dealing a lot of damage.

"No! Piplup!"Dawn exclaimed, watching as her partner was sent flying before he crashed down in front of her.

"Why didn't she told Piplup to dodge?"Harry frowned.

"Because of how quickly Solar Beam charge took Dawn by surprise."Alexia said.

"What do you mean?"Roger asked.

"Normally Solar Beam takes time to charge but since Sunny Day is still in play, it make it where Solar Beam charge more quickly."Alexia explained further.

"So, there's move that will affect other move? That's interesting."Hermione muttered.

Winner: Nando

"Piplup!"Dawn cried out, as she rushed over and held her defeated Pokémon in her arms.

"It appears our battle is over."Nando stated calmly, which Budew agreed.

"But, how did they do Solar Beam so fast?"Dawn asked with a frown.

"It must've been from their Sunny Day and the sunlight getting much stronger from it."Brock pointed out, as they could see how bright and warm the was.

"I see... I'm so sorry, Piplup."Dawn apologized to her partner.

"Piplup, Pip..."Piplup said in reassurance.

"Dawn?"Nando called out, catching their attention as he and his partner walked over to her and Piplup with a kind expression."I wouldn't have guessed it was your first battle, you were so good."He praised her, earning an appreciative smile from her.

"Wow, that's such a nice thing to say. Thank you!"

"You can be sure it was good experience, those two really know how to battle."Brock smiled.

"Yeah, no doubt! It'll help you get a lot stronger."Ash nodded.

Many smiles at how supportive they were.

"Yeah..."Dawn smiled with Piplup giving a small cry of content. Alexia smiled at her best friend.

"I'm off, best of luck!"Nando said before he took his leave, as they all watch him go.

That evening...

"Oh man... I can't catch a Pokémon and I can't win a battle."Dawn sighed.

"Hey, chill out. Have a nice dinner, get a good night sleep... and you'll be fine tomorrow."Ash assured.

"Pika pika."Pikachu nodded.

"Good night's sleep? How do you get that without a bed?"Dawn asked, frowning.

"Hey, look! There's a Pokémon Center not far from here."Brock said, looking at his guidebook. That seemed to brighten Dawn's mood as she smiled.

"Really? Hooray! A real bed in a real room. I can join civilization again!"Dawn pump her firsts in the air in excitement.

"She remind quite alot of Lavender."Parvati said, giggling. Lavender frowns at her best friend.

"All right, Bonsly, let's go!"Brock called out, he throw a Pokémon into the air to reveal... a little timid-like Pokémon that looked like a small plant."Bonsly? We're going to a Pokémon Center and you're going to get checked out by Nurse Joy!"

Many raised an eybrow at how excited he seems to be...

"So that's a Bonsly."Dawn said before taking her Pokédex out.

"Bonsly, the Bonsai Pokémon. Being a Rock Type, it can get weak if its body contains too much water. So it secretes that water from both sides of its body to regulate it."

"So did you bring your other Pokémon, too?"Ash asked.

"Nope. My brothers and sisters are watching them all for me back at the Pewter Gym."Brock said, catching Dawn and Alexia attention.

"The Pewter Gym? Wait, Brock does that mean you were a Gym Leader before?"Alexia asked.

"That's right! The Gym back in Pewter City. Brock's family lives there and Brock was the Gym Leader."Ash nodded.

"You were? Awesome!"Dawn exclaimed in awe.

Later, at the Pokémon Center.

"Ah... Good evening, Nurse Joy."Brock was the first to greet the nurse that came over to welcome them, while Pikachu greeted her as well.

"Good evening. Welcome to the Pokémon Center."Nurse Joy said kindly, much to Dawn's confusion.

Everyone blinked, surprised at how much she resembled the last Nurse Joy they'd seen.

"Hold on! Are you from Sandgem Town?"Dawn asked.

"Not me. The Nurse Joy from Sandgem Town is my sister."Joy explained.

"Sister? Really?"Dawn blinked in surprise.

Brock showed them a picture of what was MANY Nurse Joy all in one photo...

Everyone eyes widened at the picture.

"What the heck!?"

"They all look alike!?"

Alexia giggles at their reaction since she had the same when she first found out.

"See?"

"You mean there's that many Nurse Joys!?"Dawn asked, sounding bewildered from what she was seeing.

"Isn't it great?! All Nurse Joys are related! Every gorgeous one!"Brock grinned excitedly.

"Wow... you like that."Dawn said.

"My dear! Although all of you are beautiful, your beauty stands out!"Brock exclaimed, holding Nurse Joy's hand, leaving her a little confused.

"Huh... Didn't he do the same thing with Officer Jenny when we met up with her yesterday?"Dawn asked.

"Yeah... There's a question with no answer."Ash smiled sheepishly, with Pikachu giving the same look.

A few moments later...

Alexia and Dawn decide to call their mother. And luckily, they were together in the same room, as Ash and Brock were able to meet them for the first time.

"I certainly appreciate you all looking after my Dawn. I realize of course that she can sometimes be a handful."Johanna said with Glameow in her arms.

"I can say the same for my daughter, she may act calm at times, but there are times when she can be quite reckless, especially if it concern a Pokémon."

"Reminds me of someone."Hermione teased Harry, who blushed.

"Oh no."Ash and Brock smiled sheepishly.

"Come on, mom. There's nothing to worry about."Dawn tried to reassured.

"When you tell me there's nothing to worry about, then that's when I worry the most."Johanna reminded her, with Glameow mewing in agreement.

"Mom, I'll be fine. It's not like I'm always looking for trouble."Alexia tried to reassured her mother.

"I know dear, but after that time you nearly got hurt by a Ursaring after you tried to pet it's baby, I can't help but worried."

"What's a Ursaring?"Tracey asked.

"Ursaring is a bear like Pokémon."Alexia replied.

"And you try to pet it's baby? Are you crazy?!"

Alexia grimaced."I was young back then and still new to the Pokémon World, so I wasn't exactly aware of all the danger of the world..."

"Mom... I'll be fine, I promise. I'm no longer that little girl that would do things without thinking about the consequences."

"I hope so... And boys. Do look after my daughter for me..."

"We will."

"The same goes for me, don't forget that I'm counting on you two."Johanna said.

"We won't."

"Then, you all have a great time! Ash and Alexia. Lots of luck in all of your Gym Battles!"

Ash and Brock waved before the call ended there, as for Dawn and Alexia, they simply sighed at their mothers' concerns.

"My mom... what a mom..."Dawn huffed.

"Why did she have to bring that up..."Alexia sighed.

"Ash? Alexia? Have you two registered for the Sinnoh League? You'll need to."Nurse Joy asked.

Alexia blinked."Ah! I know I forgot something!"

"How come you forgot?"

"We were so focused on helping Pikachu find Ash, that it slip my mind."Alexia answered.

"Ah! Not yet!"Ash exclaimed with Pikachu giving a cry.

"Otherwise, you two wouldn't be able to compete. Let's see here... Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town... Alexia Jones from Twinleaf Town."Nurse Joy smile as she handed them back their Pokédexes."That's all there is to it. You're all set and ready to roll."

James and Lily frown at the fact that their daughter is no longer called Potter, but they have no one to blame but themselves...

"Thanks, Nurse Joy."Ash said, as they get their devices back.

"Can I register for Pokémon Contests here? I'm a Coordinator."Dawn asked.

"You need to do that at the arena, you can get passes there as well."Joy explained.

"Great, thank you!"Dawn smiled.

"Nurse Joy!"

Voices catches their attention and turned to where they could see three kids, with each of them having their Pokémon in front of them.

Many raised an eyebrow when they saw the penguin, and wondered if it was related to Piplup or it was just a coincidence that it look like Piplup.

"Hey, we're back. Would you take care of our Pokémon?"The boy with the Turtwig asked.

"Wow! Chimchar... Turtwig... And would you look at that?"Dawn exclaimed in awe before taking notice of a Penguin Pokémon that looked a little like Piplup."A Prinplup! Doesn't it evolve from Piplup?"Dawn asked, coming over to the kids before turning to the girl that was Prinplup trainer.

"Oh, so that's what Piplup evolve into? I was going to ask why that penguin look like Piplup."Terry said.

"Right, it just evolved yesterday."They girl nodded, giving Dawn the chance to take out her Pokédex and scan it.

"Prinplup, the Penguin Pokémon and the evolved form of Piplup. A strike from its wings can be harmful, as it searches the oceans for prey."

"Wow..."

"Well, Dawn..."

A familiar voice caught their attention, they are surprise when they noticed a familiar man coming into the Pokémon Center.

"Nando, what a surprise."Dawn greeted him.

"Yes, it is. A pleasant one."Nando said kindly, before heading over to the counter where Nurse Joy hand him back his Budew.

"Here you go, your Budew is feeling 100 percent."Joy said.

"I am in your debt."Nando said.

"Are you staying at the Center, too?"Dawn asked, to which Nando shook his head.

"No, there are several things I need to ponder elsewhere. And so... Good evening."

With that he took his leave.

"What's he pondering?"Ash asked curiously.

"Nando divides his interests equally between Gym Battles and Contests. I think he's trying to decide between the two."Nurse Joy explained.

"If he's undecided why doesn't he try both? To see which one interest him the most."Cho said.

"Yeah? With a strong Budew like his, he should always choose Gym Battles."Ash smiled.

"No way! It's Contest! He sure knew how to show off his Budew."Dawn chimed in.

Many groaned having an idea where this was going...

"Oh boy, here we go again..."

"The Gym is the way!"

"He should choose Contests!"

"The Gyms!"

"I think they should let Nando decide for himself, instead of forcing your opinion on him."Susan said.

"That's exactly what I say."Alexia said.

"Contests!"

"The Gyms!"

"Contests!"

"Guys! Maybe you should just let Nando decide for himself."Alexia suggested.

"That's fine!"

The two of them rushed out of the Center, while glaring at each other.

"Not this again..."Alexia groaned.

"Dear Nurse Joy-"

"Oh no, you don't."Alexia grabs Brock's ear before dragging him away.

Everyone laughed at how comical that was, even Ash laughed, this remind him of Misty, and how she would deal with Brock shenanigans.

"Goodbye...! And good luck."Nurse Joy call to them as they left the building.

Later...

It didn't take long before Brock and Alexia to catch up with Ash and Dawn. Ash had sent out Starly to search from the skies, while they search around on foot. But as they continued to walk around in the woods, there was no one to be found.

"There's nobody here."Ash said.

"That's weird, wonder where Nando went?"Dawn frowned.

"Starly!"

Starly's cry caught their attention as they looked to see Starly flying down to them.

"Hey, did you see Nando, Starly?"Ash asked, to which Starly responded with a sad chirp.

"If he was here, Starly would've seen him."Brock frowned.

"Thanks for looking. Starly, return."Ash said before calling his tired Pokémon back.

"Sorry Dawn, we gonna have to camp out here."Ash said.

"What? We're not going back to the Pokémon Center?"

"By the time we get there, the sun will be out."

"Yeah... Guess you're right."Dawn groaned in disappointment.

"You always do this. You go running off without once thinking what the consequences might be."Brock said, lecturing Ash.

"Right..."

"Worry not! We've got five hots and a cot."

"What you need is what we've got."

Two voices caught their attention as they turned to see a man and woman looking like they were staff members of an inn right behind them.

"Hey! Isn't that Team Rocket?"Dean pointed out.

Alexia frowned."I wonder why we never notice it was them..."

"What do you mean by that?"Tonks asked.

"Everytime Team Rocket does one of those scheme, we never seems to recognize them not until their disguise are blown..."

"How come?"

Alexia and Ash shrugged, even Pikachu and Gardevoir were unsure.

"The Rickety Roof Inn!"The two announced, presenting the building.

"An inn? In the forest?"Ash asked.

"Pika?"

"You see, we love consumers, it's people we can't stand."The woman said in a sweet tone.

"But since you fit neither category, you can stay for free."The man added kindly.

Alexia frowned unsure about this sudden deal...

"Well, it's late, and they seem so nice."Brock pointed out, while Ash and Dawn agreed with him.

"Yeah."

"Seriously? None of you are suspicious? That deal is way too good to be true."Marlene said.

"I did find it, suspicious."Alexia said.

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I could have made false accusations, since there was no proof to the contrary."

"Nice isn't the word."They said in unison before another staff member came up with a small case in his hands.

"And look. Check out this custom fitted case to schlep your Pikachu in."The staff member said.

"How didn't that raised red flag?"

"Maybe because pet carrier exist, and they could have thought the case was something similar."Seamus pointed out.

The winds blow and the inn begins to fall forward... revealing a simple cardboard drawing that resembles the building. Dust filled the area for a bit, it wasn't long before it cleared to reveal... Team Rocket.

"You were supposed to build a hotel, not a back lot movie set!"Jessie snapped at Meowth.

"Let's see what you build with two bucks!"

"Team Rocket!"

"Twerps! We can name call just as well as you can."James snorted.

"Listen! Is that a voice I hear?"

"It's speaking to me, loud and clear!"

"Floating on the wind..."

"Past the stars..."

"In your ear!"

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace!"

"Dashing hope, putting fear in its place!"

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet!"

"When everything's worse, our work is complete!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Meowth! That's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place!"

"Team Rocket!"

"We're in your face!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime! Mime!"

"Why do you keep chasing Pikachu?!"Dawn demanded.

"Why are you a twerp?"Jessie mocked her before James took out a Pokéball.

"Carnivine! Time to come out and play!"James said, throwing the Pokéball in the air to reveal... a green trap-like Pokémon... and bite its Trainer right on the head...

Everyone were taken aback by James Pokémon attacking him.

"Ooh, that had to hurt."Seamus grimaced.

"Why did his Pokémon attack him?"

"It simply showing his affection for his Trainer."Alexia said.

"By biting his head?"

"Pokémon show affection in different ways."

Alexia and Ash's Pokémon all cry in agreement, as Flaaffy jumped into Alexia arms rubbing her head against her chest.

"No! Time to play, not time to bite!"James complained, wincing from the painful bite.

"What's that?"Ash asked surprise.

"They must have a new Pokémon."Brock guessed, while Ash took out his Pokédex.

"Carnivine, the Bug Catcher Pokémon. It uses its sweet smelling saliva to catch its prey."

"Guys, leave this to me! Piplup, use Bubble Beam!"Dawn called out, before she threw Piplup Pokéball, allowing him to launch the initiative attack. But as the attack was launched, Carnivine noticed the attack coming before it jumped off of James and caught the Bubbles in its mouth. The bubbles instantly popped once it closed its large, sharp mouth.

"The Bubble Beam's gone!"Dawn gasped.

"Water Type attacks don't have that much of an effect on Grass Type like Carnivine."Brock pointed.

"Lucky for us, Bite for you!"James snorted, having his Pokémon aim to bite at Piplup, who chirped in alarm.

"Piplup!"Dawn cried out, as Alexia nodded to Kirlia, but before she could intervene with an attack, a familiar Pokémon spiraled out of nowhere and slammed Carnivine away.

"Wait! Isn't that Budew?"

"Yes, it is! Does that mean Nando is near by?"Ginny wondered.

The sudden intervention caught all of them by surprise while Team Rocket were knocked back the moment Carnivine crashed onto them.

"Budew!?"Ash called out in surprise.

Budew then shot Bullet Seed at Team Rocket, which exploded onto them and sent them all flying into the air.

"Where did that thing come from!?"Jessie snap.

"I can't stand little green Pokémon!"Meowth whined.

"Something about big green ones rub me the wrong way, too."James groaned.

"I don't blame him, getting bite on the heard by one..."

"We're blasting off again!"

Team Rocket disappeared into the night sky...

"Such a shame."A familiar voice said, causing the gang to turn and see that it was Nando coming over."I was having such a pleasant evening before they showed up."

"I trust you're all right?"Nando asked.

"We're fine!"

"Thanks you for helping us."Dawn added.

"You know... We actually came out here looking for you."Ash explained.

"Me? Why?"

Later...

With a warm fire built at the center of the group campsite, they explained to Nando of why they've been searching for him after hearing from Nurse Joy that he was pondering of what path to choose from.

"You're correct, I'm feeling torn choosing between Contests or Gym Battles."Nando explained.

"But Budew's so strong, just perfect for the Gym."Ash pointed out.

"No way! Budew's moves were made for Contests!"Dawn disagreed.

"If I enter the Sinnoh League, I need to win battles in each of 8 Gym locations which give me 8 Badges. On the other hand, in order to appear in the Grand Festival, I have to win a Contest in each of 5 arenas, which will give me 5 Ribbons."Nando pointed out.

"Why couldn't he just do both? Correct me if i'm wrong, but couldn't he just participate in Contest in between Gym battle?"Ginny asked.

"Can you even participate in the Grand Festival and the Pokémon League at the same time?"Harry asked.

"Yes, since the Pokémon League happens after Grand Festival, and since there's multiple Contest happening during the year you won't have to worry about missing one."Alexia explained, Harry smile softly being able to talk to his sister and hope he will be able to get to know more about her as they continued the viewing.

"Sounds like to me the Gym's your best bet."Ash said.

"Sounds to me like the Contests are the way you should go."

"Gym Battles!"

"No! Contests!"

"Battles!"

"No! Contests!"

"All right... Keep that up, then. We won't be able to hear the forest sing."Nando chimed in, catching their attention.

"Forest singing? What he's talking about?"Blaise asked.

"You will see."Alexia smiled.

"The forest... singing?"Alexia asked in confusion, but he was then they began to hear it... The chirping from the Kricketot... the group of singing Buneary... the hooting from Hoothoot and Noctowl... there were plenty of wild Pokémon all singing their tune, giving off a peaceful aura...

Everyone eyes widened when they heard it, as the younger students watches in awe seeing all those Pokémon singing in harmony.

"Wow!"

"Its beautiful."Luna said softly.

"All the forest Pokémon are singing at once.."Dawn said softly.

"The forest really does sing..."Brock hummed.

"It's gorgeous! I never noticed it before, now I'll always hear it."Dawn agreed.

"Yeah, sleeping outside's not so bad after all right?"Ash said with a smile.

"Right, we wouldn't have been able to hear all of this if we were back at the Pokémon Center."Alexia smile softly.

"I'm sorry, Ash."

"Huh?"

"All the complaining I've done... I guess things haven't been going so good for me and I've been taking it all out on you."Dawn admitted.

"You know, I haven't exactly been Mister nice."Ash said.

Alexia and Brock smiled, watching the two make up with one another.

"I promise I'll do a whole lot better."

"Yeah, me too."Ash nodded."You know, right around when I left Pallet Town, I saw a flying Pokémon that was glowing like a rainbow! I'm sure it was a Ho-Oh! It was like nothing I'd ever seen before."He said softly.

"That sound amazing!"Colin said, already wanting to take a picture of it.

"What's a Ho-Oh?"

"Ho-Oh is a Legendary Pokémon from the Johto region."Ash answered.

"Huh, funny... Dawn and I saw something similar. Except it was a Pokémon from the lake."Alexia, catching his attention and the others.

"Really? You two as well?"Ash asked.

"Right! Back at Lake Verity..."

As Alexia mentioned it we see a flashback of it...

"Think of the Pokémon out there, there are so many... Wonderful and strange."Dawn hummed, closing her eyes peacefully.

"What is usually hidden... You now have the eyes with which to see... The forest's song allow it to be... a gift for you, and me... Let our hearts be grateful that the mysterious world of night Pokémon shows itself... ever so selflessly!"

Alexia continued to enjoy the moment for a little bit... until she stand up having something on her mind.

"Nando? I was wondering if you'd have a Pokémon battle with me, too?"

"Huh? Why do you want to battle Nando?"

"The best way to learn and gain experience is by battling, so it was a good opportunity for me and my Pokémon."Alexia answered.

The sudden battle request caught everyone by surprise. As for Nando...

"The honor would be all mine, Alexia."Nando smiled kindly.

The next morning...

"All right! We're ready, Nando!"Alexia smiled as her and Nando began to face off with one another.

"You have the honor."Nando said.

Nando: Budew VS Alexia: Vulpix

"Here we go! Vulpix, use Flamethrower!"

All the students were excited to see her battle again, and many were already starting to cheer her and Vulpix on.

"I wonder who's going to win."Harry said.

Vulpix quickly launches a torrent of flames toward Budew.

"Use Bullet Seed, please."Nando said, having Budew launch the seeds to stop the incoming fire, but Vulpix attack overpowered the Bullet Seed before hitting Budew directly.

WHAM!

"Budew!"Budew shrieked, skidding back from the super effective attack.

"That dealt alot of damage!"Ash exclaimed.

"Pika!"

"Please, Mega Drain."

As soon as Budew recovered from the super effective attack dealt to her, Budew began to glow... throwing some sort of green energy that caught Vulpix and sent her flying.

"Vul!"

"Vulpix!"Alexia exclaimed, watching her Pokémon knocked to the ground by the impact of the Grass Type move, as Vulpix slowly stand up.

Everyone widened when they saw Budew healing itself.

"What the-!? How did Budew heal itself?!"Roger exclaimed.

"Brock does explained it, but Mega Drain heals Pokémon using it by half the damage it inflicts. And since Vulpix resists Grass-type attacks, this is why Budew didn't heal much."Alexia explained.

"How did Budew heal!?"Dawn asked, sounding surprise to see Budew regain some of their energy.

"See, when you use Mega Drain, half of the damage that's been done to your opponent goes back towards healing the Pokémon that made the move."Brock explained.

"Vulpix, you okay?"Alexia asked her Pokémon.

"Vulpix!"

"Great... In that case, use Energy ball!"

The order take everyone by surprise at first as Vulpix launched the attack, but instead of aiming it directly at Budew, the Energy Ball hit the ground in front of Budew, creating a small smoke cloud. Nando looked taken aback from how the attack was executed before...

"Quick Attack!"

WHAM!

"DEW!"

"All right, Vulpix!"Alexia grinned, with Vulpix letting out a proud cry.

"That was a good strategy using the smoke created by Energy ball to make a sneak attack."Tonks said, Alexia smiles and thanks her.

Although... Budew, managed to tank the hit before she let out a loud cry, and by doing so, she began to shine brightly!

Everyone frowned.

"What is happening to Budew?"Cedric asked.

"Hmm, Budew is evolving."Ash said.

"Really? That's amazing!"

Many were excited to see their first evolution as they turn back to the screen and watches the evolution in awe.

"Huh?"

"What's this?"Nando asked as Alexia looked in surprise while everyone watches in awe.

"What's wrong with Budew?"Dawn asked.

"Nothing! It's evolving."Brock pointed out.

"No way...!"

Budew was starting to grow a little bigger, developing arms with a blue rose at one side and a red rose on the other...

"Roselia!"Said the new Pokémon as Ash blinked in surprise.

"Wow!"Many students exclaimed in awe.

"Watching a Pokémon evolve is always an amazing sight."Alexia smiled, many voices their agreement after witnessing it.

"Aww, Roselia is so beautiful!"Hannah said, excitedly.

"Roselia? Budew evolves into Roselia?"Ash said in disbelief.

"You didn't know?"Ron asked, confused.

Ash shakes his head."Nando's Budew was the first one I encounter."

"Pika pi?"

"Woah... That's amazing!"Alexia said.

"An interesting development to say the least. Roselia, Sunny day, please."Nando smiled. With no hesitation Rosalie raised her rose arms, unleashing a ray of light that caused the morning sun to shine even brighter than before.

"Wait Sunny Day? But wouldn't it make Vulpix attack stronger?"Percy asked.

Alexia nods."Yes, which it's a huge gamble on Nando part."

"So it's all or nothing for Nando."

"Pretty much."

Alexia narrowed her eyes having an idea on what Nando was planning.

"Now if you please... Solar Beam!"

The charging was quicker than how it originally was, meaning that at any second the attack will be launched. The gang was surprise to see Alexia had a calm face, as she was waiting for the right moment.

Everyone is surprised that Alexia hasn't given Vulpix any orders yet.

"What are you waiting for!?"

Alexia smirks."You will see."

Many frowned, wondering what she was up to.

"Fire, if you please!"

Under Nando's command, The Solar Beam was launched, threatening to blast Vulpix away...

"Use Quick Attack, Jump High in the air!"

At the last moment, Vulpix quickly jump high in the air, as Solar Beam's made the impact just few seconds after Vulpix jump, managing to dodge the attack completely. Rosalia and Nando watches in surprise as Alexia grinned, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

"All right, Vulpix... Use Flamethrower!"

Vulpix unleash a more powerful torrent of flame toward Rosalia, who didn't have the time to dodge before she was struck directly by the attack!

"Roselia!"Nando gasped, watching his partner fall to the ground in defeat, having swirls all over her eyes.

Winner: Alexia

Everyone cheered, the Potters couldn't help but be proud of their daughter.

"That was brilliant!"Harry smiles proudly at his sister.

"That was pretty good for your first battle."

"That wasn't my first official battle, in the past I did participate in a tournament before officially become a Trainer."Alexia said.

"Wait, really?"

Alexia nodded."Yeah, it was a small local tournament, I made it to the second round before losing. But it was an amazing learning experience for me and Kirlia at the time."

"Gardevoir!"

"Alexia did it!"Ash exclaimed, while Dawn and Brock smiled.

"Well, that's the end. It seems we lost."Nando admitted defeat.

"And that means we won."Alexia smiled softly, before crouching in front of Vulpix."Good job! I'm so proud of you Vulpix."

"Vulpix!"

While Nando took his partner in his arms.

"A brilliant effort... You deserve a nice, long rest."Nando said, calling Roselia back to her Pokéball."And now to Alexia and Dawn... I offer you both my thanks. I finally know what I must do."

This got everyone's attention, wondering what he'd decided.

"That's great!"

"Have you decide to enter the Sinnoh League with Roselia?"Alexia asked.

"You're going for the Grand Festival, right?"

"I've decided to do both."The answer caught everyone by surprise."I enjoyed battling you two so much, I wouldn't dream of giving up on either one of them. And so for now, I bid you farewell 'till we meet again."Nando said calmly.

Many smiled at his decision, as many understand how difficult it is to make this kind of decision.

"Sounds great!"

"Till we meet again!"

"Pikachu!"

After the little farewell with Nando, the gang began to head to a different direction as they continued their way towards Jubilife City.

Alexia's Team:

Kirlia (F) -Psybeam, Magical Leaf, Teleport, Double Team-

Vulpix (F) -Flamethrower, Energy Ball, Double Team, Quick Attack-

Eevee (F) -Undecided-