"Serena? Serena! Bree! Wake up!"

I groaned slightly as Jeremy's overly chipper voice penetrated my foggy brain and pulled me from unconsciousness. Bree and I had been staying with Jeremy and Bethany for almost a week now and had spent every spare moment training with our Rapidashes. It had been a little intimidating having a mane of fire flying past my side as I rode Delta around the corral, I had to admit. Still, after a day (and several tests of my flame-proof suit) I had lost my fear of being burnt and was able to concentrate on my racing.

Delta was an incredibly eager pokemon. His stamina was off the charts and frequently I was the one who became tired and pulled him to a stop even before he was getting winded. Riding a Rapidash was much different from riding a Rhyhorn. When riding a Rhyhorn your legs were spread further apart, but it was easier to grip them with your knees to steer them because of their thick hides, even without using the reins. Rhyhorn riding was also a much bumpier and messier experience, since they were lower to the ground the dirt they kicked up from their heavy feet would spray up onto their rider, making it necessary to wear protective goggles.

Whereas riding a Rapidash, I had been amazed at how much farther away the ground was from me once I had successfully gotten into the saddle. Delta's gait, in particular, was incredibly smooth. But almost BECAUSE it was so smooth, I was constantly tensing up, trying to prepare for a jarring bump, and that would cause me to get out of rhythm with Delta's stride and instead of moving up and down with his pace, I was going opposite and smacking my tailbone quite painfully against the saddle.

After that first painful day of a lot of trial and error, I slowly began to relax. As I did, my body seemed to meld naturally into the rhythm of Delta's pace, whether it was a walk, a canter, or a full-on gallop. The more I rode on Delta, the more I realized that I had missed the feeling of wind rushing past me and seeing the scenery as a flash of color as I sped past it. It had only taken one time for Delta to suddenly buck me off after I had jabbed him as hard as my old Rhyhorn to teach me that Rapidashes were a little more sensitive. Within three days of our intensive training, I was not only comfortable but thoroughly enjoying my time racing through the forest on Delta's back. Bethany had commented that she had never seen anyone take to racing so naturally before, and even though I wasn't a newbie or anything, the compliment had made me surprisingly happy.

Bree, on the other hand, didn't have quite as good of luck as I had adjusting to riding. Once I was confident in my own abilities, I did my best to try and tutor Bree along with Jeremy. It had been strange seeing the normally confident Bree struggling so much. Luckily Queen had never bucked her off, but Bree was constantly getting confused about how to guide Queen in the direction she wanted to go and whenever she got past a trot she started getting panicky and would soon bring Queen to a stop.

Jeremy had been incredibly patient with her though and after a while, we began practicing together. I rode Delta as close to Bree and Queen as I could and for several hours Bree just followed me, watching how I moved the reins and practicing bringing Queen up to speed and then slowing down calmly. After that "couple therapy" (as Bree had jokingly called it) she became much more comfortable on Queen's back.

I felt small hands tugging on my wrist while I fought off the last bits of fogginess clinging to my brain as I pulled myself from my dream-like memories. Blinking over groggily I saw Jeremy's grinning face looking at me as he tugged once more on my wrist, gently but insistently.

"M'up," I mumbled incoherently, turning over and rolling off of the futon that Bethany had been letting me use for the week we had stayed with them. Jeremy laughed delightedly and I let out a surprised groan as he plopped down onto my stomach, knocking the wind out of me slightly.

"You're so funny in the mornings, Serena!" Jeremy announced with a laugh, grinning down at me from his perch on my stomach. I gave him a withering glare and I heard a light chuckle coming from behind me. Craning my neck to look up at the bed where Bree had been sleeping, I saw her giving me a sympathetic expression.

"Go easy on her, Jeremy. She's not what you would call a morning person," Bree said while stepping out of bed and coming over to pick up Jeremy around his waist and hoist him off of me. Jeremy laughed and struggled against Bree's hold, but she began to tickle his sides and he was soon shrieking out gasping laughter. My mood lightened as I watched them goof off and I found myself chuckling as I rubbed my tired eyes.

Two warm bodies rubbed up against my thighs and I looked down and smiled at Shinx and Majestoat, who were both giving me soothing smiles. I rubbed them both on their heads and then forced myself to get up. My body was stiff and sore from the week straight of riding an unfamiliar pokemon, but I knew that there was no time to let myself rest. There was only one more day before the Festival was scheduled to take place and Bethany had announced last night that we were all going to go into town today so that they could visit with Jackson before the Festival.

Jeremy was even more excitable than usual as we ate a quick breakfast and began packing up for the trip into town. Bethany expertly rounded up the Rapidash that we would be riding into town and even though they all looked very similar, I immediately recognized Delta with the proud way he tossed his neck. I walked over to him with a smile, offering my hand as a peaceful gesture and he huffed into my open palm, giving me permission to come closer to him. I had gotten better at saddling Delta over the week of practice and I took the flame-resistant saddle Bethany passed to me and quickly got to work while Bethany stepped Bree through the process.

"Ni-heek! Ni-he-hee-heek!" I felt a grin burst across my face as I looked over my shoulder to see Squeaker running awkwardly from the main section of the herd and towards all of us. 

I wasn't sure if it was because my namesake was Squeaker's mother, but ever since that first day I had met her, she and I formed an instant bond. Whenever I saddled up Delta for some practice Squeaker always came out and ran alongside Delta for as long as her little legs could handle before watching us ride off. Seeing her running up to me now I instantly bent onto one knee and threw my arms out like Jeremy always did. Squeaker barreled into my arms, nearly knocking me over with her enthusiasm and I laughed happily while rubbing my hand through her flaming mane.

It was still crazy to me that I could touch Squeaker's flames without being hurt since I often was sweating buckets by the time I had finished a practice run with Delta. I wasn't sure why she had warmed up to me so quickly, but I loved the little Ponyta dearly and I had grown to enjoy brushing through her flames, which gave my fingers and palm the strange sensation of brushing through a thick, cool mist.

"Is Squeaker coming with us, Mom?" Jeremy asked from his perch on the extra large saddle Bethany had fastened onto her favorite Rapidash, a beautiful female named June.

"She's a little young to make the trip to town, Jeremy," Bethany said with a motherly tone in her voice. I saw her looking over at me and Squeaker with a kind light in her eyes though and I thought it was amazing that she had found a way to make a living surrounded by pokemon that she obviously adored.

"Ni-hee-hee-heek!" I laughed at Squeaker's sudden cry of outrage as she stomped her front hooves in a form of a tantrum. Trying to control my laughter, I patted her soothingly and she looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes.

"It's a long way until the town, Squeaker. I wouldn't want you to get tired and lag behind," I explained gently, stroking the bridge of her nose lightly. Squeaker shook her head fiercely though and let out a plaintive cry while pushing her forehead against my shoulder as if she refused to be parted from me. I looked up at Bethany, not sure what I should do, and I saw Bethany's shoulders relax as she smiled down at us.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to take our time getting there," Bethany remarked, walking over and calmly stroking Squeaker's neck.

Honestly, the more time I spent with Bethany the more amazed I was by her and her ability to bond with each and every one of the Ponyta and Rapidash that were on her ranch. There wasn't a single pokemon here that would burn her with their manes, and I wished I could stay for a little longer to watch her catch a wild Rapidash. Jeremy had described the event to me before and I had been shocked when I found out she didn't use pokeballs, but she would actually run up to them on her own Rapidash wearing a flame-resistant suit and then leap onto the wild pokemon's back. She would keep at this until the pokemon calmed and she would eventually lead it back to her ranch where she spent weeks developing an individual bond with the pokemon and introducing it to the herd.

"Yay! Jackson will love seeing Squeaker!" Jeremy whooped out with joy, pulling me from my thoughts. Squeaker echoed his exuberant cheers and Bethany, Bree, and I all laughed at their antics.

Soon we were back in the forest, following Bethany's lead as she guided June expertly through the twisting forest paths. I was amazed as wild pokemon came up and walked along our procession of Rapidash, striking up conversations in their own pokemon language before melting back into the forest. Squeaker alternated between walking beside Jeremy and me throughout the trip, and I was surprised that even after several hours of travel she wasn't showing any sign of fatigue.

I was shocked at how quickly the time passed with Jeremy's incessant stream of stories that he told us. At some point in the trip he had flipped himself around and was sitting with his back against his mother's so he could talk to Bree and me easier. I couldn't help but marvel at how comfortable he seemed on the back of the large pokemon.

When the town, which Bethany had called Walkerville, came into view I was surprised at how large it was. The town seemed to have sprouted from the very heart of the forest. Trees lined every single street, of which there were many, and I could see people busily setting up booths for the festival that was set to start tomorrow. Nerves began to make my stomach flip-flop as I realized that tomorrow was the day that I would be racing for my life, quite literally, and for the peace of this nature-centered town.

Just when that feeling was beginning to take over every rational thought I had, I felt Delta sidestep without my direction, and I glanced down to see that Squeaker was zigzagging slightly. Realizing that she must finally be feeling the effects of such a long journey for a small pokemon, I levered my weight and dropped down to Delta's side, holding his reins loosely in my gloved hands. Delta whickered at my unannounced departure, but he came to a stop and watched with one eye as I knelt down and laid a hand on Squeaker's back. Her head, which had been hanging so low her nose was almost scraping the ground, jerked up at my touch and she blinked up at me.

"Everything okay, Serena?" Bree called, bringing Queen to a stop behind Delta. I nodded and stroked Squeaker while deftly lifting each of Squeaker's legs and checking to make sure she didn't have anything stuck in her hooves.

"Squeaker was practically falling asleep on her hooves, poor thing," I responded to Bree even as I continued to check over Squeaker. Bethany had taught me how to check the health of a Ponyta and Rapidash, so I felt fairly confident after my inspection that Squeaker really was just tired.

"We only have another mile or so to get to the recovery center that Jackson is staying at," Bethany's calm voice came from beside me, and I looked up to see her making her way over to us with a smile on her face. "You did well checking her for injuries, Serena," she complimented me and I felt myself smile as a small spark of pride rushed through me.

"If you don't mind walking the rest of the way Serena, then maybe Delta would be willing to carry Squeaker the rest of the way," Bethany suggested kindly, turning to look Delta in one of his glassy eyes. Delta nodded his head in silent agreement and Bethany and I positioned ourselves at the front and back of Squeaker. She gave out a frightened whinny when we lifted her into the air, but after a few quick movements, we had draped her across the saddle with her front and back legs on either side of Delta. Once she was situated Bethany warned her softly to not move before returning to June.

The recovery center was located at the edge of town nearly surrounded by large Aspen trees, and to my surprise, there was actually a stable set up. Bethany didn't bother locking the gates of the stalls that Delta, Queen, and June took up. They were free to wander the area and she trusted them enough to know they wouldn't run away. Once we had brushed our mounts and given them some treats, I followed after Bethany as we walked towards the building made out of a curious grey stone.

I was feeling a little nervous to meet Jackson, now that we were so close. Without intending to, I found myself lagging behind the others a little bit as Bethany checked us in at the reception area and led us confidently toward her oldest son's room.

"Oof, I'm so stiff! After this race, I don't want to ride another Rapidash for at least a year!" Bree complained just loud enough for me to hear. 

I rubbed her back sympathetically as we walked along the sterile hallways. I wasn't surprised to hear the occasional moan, but I actually heard more laughter than cries of pain. Everyone we passed, nurses, doctors, and patients alike, all had smiles on their faces and seemed to radiate optimism.

My nerves slowly began to quell as Bethany led us down several hallways before stopping in front of the door. Before she could open it though, Jeremy tugged on her hand, pulling her down so he could whisper in her ear. I heard her let out a gentle chuckle before she nodded and glanced at me over her shoulder.

"Do you mind waiting out here for a moment, Serena?" Bethany asked with a twinkle in her eyes. I blinked in surprise at this request but nodded my consent without speaking.

Standing to the side of the door, I watched as my friends all walked into the room. Before the door closed I heard Jeremy call out his brother's name and a deep male chuckle trickled through the doorway. Leaning against the wall, I glanced around and wondered if I could let Majestoat and Shinx out of their Pokeballs to keep me company. Glancing around I saw the occasional Chancey, but other than that I didn't see any pokemon wandering the hallways. Knowing I would be mortified if Majestoat accidentally got in a patient's way and caused them to fall, I decided to quell my desire to see my darling pokemon and just wait patiently.

Just as I was beginning to wonder if everyone had forgotten about me, I heard the sound of muffled footsteps and the door was suddenly swung open by an excited Jeremy.

"It's the bestest surprise in the whole world, Jackson!" he called over his shoulder, before dashing over and taking both my hands in his own.

"Wait, wha..?"

Before I could ask why I was suddenly a 'surprise', Jeremy tugged me forward and I stumbled after him into the room. Jeremy was holding tightly to my hands, so I followed him obediently and looked up to observe the room. Bree was standing off to the side with an amused smirk, wearing an identical maroon bodysuit to my own, and then my eyes went over to the hospital bed situated in the middle of the room with the headboard up against the wall.

Bethany was seated elegantly on the side of the bed, one of her hands tenderly resting on a young man's arm. As Jeremy continued to tug me forward I felt my eyes lock with the young man's, who looked to be around my age if not a few years older, and after a moment his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in obvious shock. Jeremy tugged me up to the very edge of the bed and then turned around to smile proudly up at his big brother.

"Are you surprised?!" Jeremy asked, bouncing on his feet almost as much as a Spoink. 

Jackson, at least who I assumed was Jackson, was opening and closing his mouth without uttering a word as his eyes got bigger and bigger. I could hear Bree snickering quietly to herself, but I took the momentary silence to observe Jeremy's older brother.

Since he was sitting in bed it was hard to tell his height, but I was surprised to see that instead of the chestnut brown hair color of his mother and little brother, Jackson had a deep auburn color for his hair, which paired nicely with his slightly sun-kissed skin tone that reminded me of Satoshi. He had the same large brown eyes as Bethany though.

"Sweetheart, you're gawking," Bethany chided her son with amusement. Jackson's mouth snapped shut and he audibly gulped before shaking his head and rubbing his eyes.

"This isn't real," I heard Jackson mutter. His voice was incredibly deep, and it made me think that if he were a singer he'd be a base.

That thought was blown away though when Jeremy suddenly yanked on my arm, surprising me so much that I nearly fell on top of Jackson. Planting my hands on either side of his legs I halted my fall, but when I looked up I realized that I was within a foot of Jackson's face and I was sure that my own cheeks were as vibrant red as his were. Bethany and Bree were both laughing unashamedly as I quickly pushed myself away from him and bowed in apology.

"I am so sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?" I asked worriedly, looking from Jackson's very red face down to his legs, which I knew were still not completely healed. 

After a second Jackson jerked, as if his brain had just caught up with the situation, and he frantically swiped both of his hands in the air as if trying to fan away my worry. "N-no! I'm just fine. But... are you... really Serena Yvonne from Kalos?" 

I smiled awkwardly at him and nodded, glancing down to see that Jeremy was openly beaming.

"Are you surprised?!" Jeremy asked once again, seeming to be about to burst from the excitement bubbling through him. Jackson visibly relaxed and laughed, reaching out and tousling his little brother's hair.

"Of course, I'm surprised, Jer! How on earth did you meet my idol?" Jackson asked, sending me a sheepish grin before turning back to look at his brother.

Jeremy launched into the explanation of how Bree and I had come to investigate the burning smell from Bethany's pie, but when he excitedly mentioned that we had been training to participate in the festival race Jackson's happy smile instantly vanished.

"You're doing what?" Jackson snapped, looking between Bree and me with disbelief in his eyes.

"Jackson," Bethany said soothingly, reaching out to stroke the side of his face. Jackson pushed her hand away from him, looking Bree and me up and down and probably just realizing now why we were wearing matching outfits.

"There is no way you can do something so dangerous! You have nothing to do with this," Jackson growled, glaring fiercely at both Bree and me. I was shocked at this unexpected burst of anger, but Bree's face took on a dark expression and she folded her arms, giving Jackson a menacing glare.

"That's our decision to make, so butt out," Bree demanded with an icy tone, but this only served to fan the flames of Jackson's sudden temper.

"No way! The Stoaks won't care if you're girls! They're ruthless and cruel and you have no business getting in their way," Jackson seethed, his hands balling into fists next to his legs. I noticed that his knuckles were white from how tightly he was gripping his fingers, and I wasn't sure if his hands were shaking from the intensity of his grip or if his traumatic injury during the race was causing him to tremble and he was trying to mask it.

"But Jackson..." Jeremy tried to interrupt, sounding like he was close to tears. Jackson looked down at Jeremy and I saw a look of anguish cross his expression.

"This was your idea, wasn't it, Jeremy?" Jackson accused, sounding pained. I could see Jeremy's lip quivering as he tried to keep from crying, and I automatically kneeled down, pulling Jeremy into a hug and narrowing my eyes at Jackson. He flinched at my expression and turned away quickly, his cheeks a flaming red color.

"Look, dude. I get it, you got hurt and you want to look out for us," Bree said, heaving a sigh and walking over to the edge of the bed to stand next to me.

I shifted to look at her while rubbing Jeremy's back soothingly and watched Bree work her magic. Even though these two didn't know each other, they both clearly gave off older sibling vibes, and I wondered if that was the reason Jackson was suddenly quiet as he listened to Bree with a tight frown.

"You may not know me, but I have been through five different regions and have placed in at least the top 12 in each of their respective pokemon leagues. If I say that I'll protect Serena from whatever bull these Stoak siblings everyone is scared of try to pull, then you better believe that I'm going to do it." 

Jackson opened his mouth to interrupt but Bree raised her hand and glared daggers at him until he slowly clamped his mouth shut.

"I get that you don't want to see anyone else hurt, and I'm sure you were wanting to be the one to take down the Stoaks after everything you've gone through," Bree said while gesturing at his legs covered by a thin blanket. 

Jackson blinked, looking shocked at Bree's words, and then glanced over to the side to look at Jeremy and me. I felt a hand grip my shoulder gently and I looked back to see Bethany giving her son a sympathetic look.

"I... owe it to Serena to beat those murderers," Jackson said slowly, but the raw anger in his voice caused his words to tremble slightly. He then blinked and met my eyes before flushing slightly.

"Oh, uh... I didn't mean you, Serena... I meant..." Jackson stumbled awkwardly over his tongue and I gave him a half smile.

"You meant Squeaker's mom," I finished gently for him. Jackson's cheeks flushed red again and he nodded, looking away from me and focusing back on Bree.

"So what, are you planning to cheat like the Stoaks?" Jackson asked her with a bitter note in his tone. Bree didn't look offended though, instead, she grinned wickedly and shrugged.

"If they're going to fight dirty, I don't mind turning it back on them," Bree announced, her grin getting steadily more evil to the point where it was actually making me feel a little uncomfortable. Then her expression softened and she looked down at me with a smile. "Serena is practically my sister now. I will do anything to keep her safe. And you know she's your best bet to win the race."

Jackson glanced from Bree over to where I was still holding Jeremy loosely in my arms and then he looked up at his mom. I followed his gaze to see her giving him a small smile and a firm nod.

"It was like she was born to race, Jackson. You idolized her for a reason. Let them help," Bethany encouraged quietly. He met his mom's unwavering eyes for another minute before turning and looking down at his legs.

After several tense moments, he finally let out a sigh and tossed back the blanket over his legs. He swung them over the side of the bed and I saw a flash of his ankle as his pant legs shifted, and could only barely hold back the gasp at the angry scar that started at the bulge of bone on the side of his ankle and disappeared up under his pajama legs. Jeremy rushed forward to let Jackson rest a hand on his shoulder as he steadied himself on his legs and then he glanced at me but quickly looked over at Bree.

"Let's see how you ride then."

A/N Hmmmmm Honestly I did not realize this part of the chapter was going to take so long. I'm so long-winded it's a little ridiculous :S Sorry about that! I hope you enjoyed the chapter though.