We walked into some factory looking room. Gary was looking at the grunt's computers, and everyone else was looking for a prison entrance.

"Well well well, what do we have here?"

I turned around, and I saw the orange haired freak again.

"Lysandre."

"Oh, you must be here for your friends," Lysandre assumed, and we nodded. "You have to battle me first, a three on three Pokémon battle."

"You're on," I smiled. Can't go wrong with doing my favorite hobby.

Lysandre walked over to a table.

"Now, Mega Gyarados!"

"Pikachu!"

"Gyarados, use Blast Geyser!"

"Pikachu, dodge and use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikachu dodged successfully, and ThunderBolt was a direct hit! It's super effective!"

Gyarados - 40

Pikachu - 70

"Gyarados, Blast Geyser again!"

"Pikachu, do the same as last time!"

"A complete rewind just happened folks, because Pikachu dodged again! Gyarados now has negative 160 HP, which means the victor is Pikachu!"

"Whatever. Go, Tyranitar!"

"Come back Pikachu, and come on out Lucario!"

"Tyranitar, use Break Ground!"

"It's a direct hit!"

Tyranitar - 180

Lucario - 50

This is not a good place to be in!

"Lucario, Corkscrew Smash!"

"Dodge Tyranitar!"

"Tyranitar didn't dodge, 60 x 2 = 120, which puts Tyranitar at 60 HP!"

"Lucario, come back. Go, Greninja!"

I smiled to myself. This will be the first time this combo actually works.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

"The shuriken got 4 times, knocking Tyranitar out!"

I pulled out a card from my back right pocket, and smashed it over the Greninja card.

"Oh no," Lysandre sighed. "My last Pokemon is a fire type, too. Whatever, I call quits."

"What?" I jumped.

"I forfeit. I can't beat Ash Greninja."

"Then you're telling me where my friends are!"

"Fine. They're down that corridor, but you can only bring one person with you, because there will be double battles on the way to free them. If you loose a battle, you will never be able to come back."

"Says who? The government?"

"Me. The owner of this cafe."

"Fine," I sighed, looking back at everyone.

Gary, Misty, Brendan, or Calem? I looked at them all. They were all powerful in their own ways, except for Misty. She was powerless.

"Let's go with..."

"Don't pick me, I won't help," Brendan started. "We've never battled together, and I don't want that to be the reason we can't come back."

"Okay then," I replied. "Calem, since we're brothers, it's only right for me to pick you."

"Me?" Calem asked.

"Yeah, you're a good battler. Of course my girlfriend would beat you."

"Oh whatever," Calem said, rolling his eyes. "Let's go!"

We ran down the corridor, leaving everyone else behind.

"Ash," I started, once turned a corner.

"Yeah, Calem?" Ash asked.

"I was just wondering why you picked me," I sighed. "I mean, we haven't really talked these last few days."

"We haven't?"

"Not in... I mean, not like, alone," I replied. "You've been more in touch with Gary lately, I'm surprised you didn't pick him."

"What do you mean? You're my brother, of course I'd pick you."

"I know but..."

"But what, Calem? We're friends till the end, remember?"

"Yeah, But I never thought I was your... 'biggest friend' out of everyone," I admitted. "I've felt like an outcast recently."

"Remember that time when... I don't know what year it was, but I think it was when we were around 9. We were walking around a playground when Dad left us?" Ash asked.

9 years ago...

"Why did he leave us?" Calem asked, sitting on a bench next to the playground gate. "We had so much fun together!"

Calem started crying, and I sighed. I was upset that he left, but not as sad as Calem.

I realized that I'd have to be the older brother, and start taking on challenges and responsibility.

"Calem, listen," I ordered. "We're brothers. We've been through way more together then with Dad. We have a bond that is unable to destroy. We'll get through this together, even if that means finding leftovers in a trash pile. We'll make it out of this, we just need to never give up until it's over."

Calem looked at me with watery eyes, and then wiped his tears away.

"You're right. Brothers on 3?" Calem asked, putting his hand out. I put my hand on top of his.

"3, 2, 1, brothers!"

Present time...

"Right, I'm acting just like I was back then, aren't I?"

"No, you aren't. This time it isn't because of some stupid head who abandoned you. It's about a smart person who you thought abandoned you."

"Whatever, brother," Calem chuckled.

"Never think that I see you as an outcast Calem, because you're the best brother any human could ever have," I smiled, and Calem nodded.

"Time to battle some idiotic grunts," Calem giggled, and then we sprinted down the hallway.

Always respect your siblings, and your bond could be like Ash and Calem's one day.

Or you guys can still beat each other up...