"This... is my uniform," I said, trying my best to tell as much of the truth as I could so that she wouldn't notice my lies. My mind was spinning, trying to come up with a reason for why I should be here, and Serena's innocent blue eyes filled with curiosity were making me nervous.

"I thought security guards wore something a little more formal," Serena remarked with a chuckle and I tried to laugh along with her.

"Well... I can't really give you details," I hedged, trying to figure out how to explain things in a non-suspicious way. "I work for a company that does a lot of confidential experimentation so they made me this uniform so I wouldn't look like a security guard."

"Oh wow," Serena responded, her eyes going wide with interest and I felt a pang of guilt that she believed me so readily. I cleared my throat and tried to change the subject.

"How long have you and Bree been traveling together?"

"Just a few days after we saw each other last, actually," Serena replied with a small smile. She opened her mouth to say something, but just then a loud voice called her name over the sounds of the exuberant crowd of townsfolk. Serena grinned widely and waved her hand as a small boy who couldn't have been older than 10 ran towards Serena and tackled her mercilessly in a hug. Serena winced from the impact but hugged the little boy happily and stroked his back.

"You did it, Serena! I knew you would win!" the little boy exclaimed happily, squeezing her neck tightly. Serena chuckled at the boy and whispered something into his ear which made him laugh delightedly.

Glancing up from where the boy had run from, I saw a smiling woman walking next to a boy around my age who was using crutches to get around. Nervous energy made my knees start to bounce and I glanced over at Serena and then towards the approaching people.

I really shouldn't be hanging around civilians like this, I thought nervously before boosting myself up.

Serena's eyes locked on mine and I could almost see her silent pleading for me not to leave, which was nearly impossible to ignore. Just as I was about to open my mouth to tell her goodbye, a thin but strong arm wrapped around my neck and I felt myself being yanked downwards which caused Pikachu to tumble off of my shoulder.

"Pikachu pika!" Pikachu grumbled as he dusted off his bottom indignantly. My attention was on Bree though, who was grinning widely at me with what appeared to be a teasing glint in her eye.

"So, who's the hero?" Bree asked while glancing between me and Serena. Her cheeks colored slightly at the question and I gingerly tried to remove Bree's arm from around my neck, but her grip was like iron!

"Yah, you were so great, mister! The way you pulled off Mila Stoak like that was so cool!!" the young boy who had let go of Serena now gushed.

"It was nothing really," I muttered awkwardly, trying once again to get out of Bree's choke hold, but I didn't want to hurt her and she was insanely strong.

"Oh come off it. You popped out of the forest like Tarzan and stopped the idiot siblings, then you helped me with Mila. You obviously know Serena, so spill! What's the story?" Bree asked with a cheerful grin that seemed a little out of place seeing as a girl had just tried to strangle her moments ago.

"Why don't we all go back to Melissa's for some lunch and rest. Serena and Mr. Hero can explain their relationship there," the older woman who was obviously this little boy's mom said with a glint in her eyes, but I saw her gaze slide over to the tan boy next to her whose arms looked like they were quivering slightly on his crutches.

"What about the Festival?! I want to eat takoyaki!" the little boy pouted sullenly and Bree laughed out loud, finally releasing her hold on my neck.

"I do too, Jeremy. Let's go get some takoyaki and then meet everyone back in the inn, okay?" Bree suggested with a conspiratorial wink at the little boy. He let out a whoop of excitement and grabbed one of Bree's hands in both of his, tugging her towards the many stalls set up farther along the clearing. "Don't start the explanations until I get there!" Bree called back to us just before she and Jeremy were lost in the crowd of people making their way back to the festival.

Serena chuckled quietly behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see her glancing up at me with a hopeful expression. After only a few seconds of hesitation I shrugged my acceptance and Serena beamed widely and gestured for me to follow her.

Pikachu reclaimed his spot on my shoulder and I tightened my jumpsuit around my waist to make extra sure that the G logo was completely hidden before following after Serena. She happily introduced me to Bethany and Jackson while we walked at a slow pace so that Jackson could keep up. 

Since Bree had asked us to wait for her, Serena used the time to explain how she had met Bethany and why she and Bree had put themselves in such a dangerous situation. I couldn't help but feel proud of her for competing in the race when she had seemed so miserable when she talked about being a rhyhorn racer. 

As we continued to talk I was surprised at how much happier Serena seemed now. She walked with her head high and her lips were almost constantly pulled up in a small smile. When we got to the stables where Delta and Queen could rest after the race, I watched with a huge grin as a small Ponyta rushed across the hay covered floor with an odd neigh and barreled right for Serena. She hugged it fearlessly, stroking her small flaming mane with a happy grin and whispering lovingly to it.

"This life suits you," I commented without thought, grinning down at Serena and the Ponyta. She blinked up at me with a surprised expression and then she grinned broadly.

"Thank you, Satoshi. That means a lot for you to say that," she said happily and I gave her a thumbs up.

"You seem to be comfortable around pokemon, young man. Are you a trainer as well?" Bethany asked me from the stall she was unsaddling Queen in. I looked over at her and grinned a little awkwardly.

"I tried to make it as a trainer. Right now I'm just working though to save up some money so I can give it another go," I breathed an inner sigh of relief at how naturally the lie had spilled from my lips, then I took the opportunity of the conversation Bethany had started.

"I think it's really cool that you own a Rapidash ranch. Where do you go to find all of them?" I asked with genuine interest, but also with my plan to potentially find Neptune a Ponyta of her own in the back of my mind.

"There are several wild herds of Rapidash and Ponyta all throughout the forest," Jackson responded instead of his mother. 

I turned my attention to the guy, who would have been taller than me if he weren't crouching over his crutches. From what Serena had said he was still recovering from an accident caused by Kaeo and his siblings during a similar race.

"This time of year you'll probably find at least one of the herds in the Roselia Meadows," Bethany added while hefting the saddle off of Queen's back and slinging it over the side of the stall. She looked over at me with a smile and asked, "Are you interested in catching a Ponyta?"

"Kind of," I replied, glad that I had come up with a plausible lie to answer Serena's earlier question. "The lab where I work does a lot of confidential research and they sent me to gather some new research subjects. I was just thinking a Ponyta might be something they would be interested in."

"What kind of research? They don't do dissections or anything do they?" Jackson asked, a hard tone in his voice. My face immediately tightened into an aghast expression and I swiftly shook my head.

What kind of sick people would dissect a pokemon? I thought to myself with a shudder and looked back at Jackson to see he had relaxed at my reaction.

"Of course not. It's a research facility that tries to improve pokemon lives, not end them," I stated, trying to sound indignant and as if I was actually proud to be working for the fictitious facility. Jackson shrugged and muttered something about just checking before Bethany chuckled, pulling my attention back to her.

"Jackson is very protective of our Rapidash, so forgive his sharp tongue. I am sure that any Ponyta that was raised by you would be happy at their new home," Bethany said with a kind smile. Her blind faith in me actually caused a twinge of guilt to rush through me since I was thinking of handing over the pokemon I caught to Neptune... but I forced myself to smile and bow my head slightly in thanks for her kind words.

Just then, Bree popped her head into the stable with Jeremy trailing behind her. We all made our way to the inn where they were staying and once Melissa had served us a delicious meal of potato curry the questions began raining in. I mainly sat back and listened to Serena explain how we met, although I was a little surprised to hear that she had thought of me as a hero when I had helped with the Ursaring that had attacked her. It didn't take long for our story to come to an end though and everyone seemed satisfied knowing that Serena and I were just friends who had a habit of bumping into each other in random forests.

"So YOU'RE the one who gave Serena her starter," Bree surmised with a grin. "She told me all about you, but I never had a face to go with the name. Nice to meet ya officially."

Bree extended her hand to me and I immediately reached out to accept it, giving her a firm handshake and a smile of my own. Serena let out a gasp and then reached for her hip where her pokeballs were all kept.

"Speaking of which, Satoshi. Roisel evolved! Her name is Majestoat now," Serena explained with a large grin before releasing her. I blinked as I saw that the little pokemon had grown to be just a little bigger than Pikachu and she was now sporting crystal claws and several metal pieces across her body.

"Maje majestoat," the evolved pokemon said with a whistle, jumping down and greeting Pikachu like an old friend, rubbing her head up against his belly and causing him to laugh out loud.

"Wow! Serena, that's awesome!" I exclaimed excitedly, reaching down and petting Majestoat's furry head. She looked up at me with a grin and hopped up onto my lap before placing her front paws on my shoulder and sniffing my face feverishly to the point where it tickled.

"Okay okay, stop that!" I laughed, grabbing the precocious pokemon around the waist and lifting her high above me so she couldn't tickle me anymore. She wriggled with a whistling laugh in my hands and everyone around the table laughed along with her. Once she had calmed down a bit I set her back on my lap where she snuggled against my chest briefly. Seemingly satisfied, she then hopped down and returned to Serena where she wrapped herself around her neck and laid her head down on her shoulder.

"She looks awesome, Serena. Nice and healthy too," I complimented her with a grin, looking from Majestoat's unusually calm face to Serena. She was smiling radiantly at my compliment for her starter and even though I had reservations about giving her the pokemon Neptune had ordered me to get rid of, I knew if I had the choice to make again I wouldn't do anything differently.

"Oh, I wanted to show you this too," Serena said happily, pulling another pokeball off her ring and releasing the shinx from the last time we had seen each other.

"You did catch it!"

Her Shinx looked up at me with narrowed eyes, still acting suspicious. I stifled a chuckle when he walked over and plopped directly on Serena's lap protectively.

"You mentioned that you and Pikachu could teach Shinx a move if I was able to catch him..." Serena said timidly, glancing down at the top of Shinx's head and then flicking her gaze back up to me with a hopeful glint in her blue eyes. I grinned excitedly and pushed away from the table, holding an arm out so Pikachu could climb up to my shoulder.

"Sure thing! We're going to need some space though," I agreed happily. 

Training the grunts had been stressful for me in a way (since I knew the higher the level they were the more difficult it would be to defeat them) but teaching Serena would be a delight! I reached out and took her wrist, pulling her gently but insistently up from her spot. She held Shinx in her free arm and ran after me as I led her outside and towards the pokemon center which had a practice area out back.

"Wait up you two!" Bree called, jogging along up to us with a conspiratorial grin. "I'm curious what move you're teaching her. If it's something I can use do you mind if my Ampharos learns it too?"

"Not at all. I'm not sure if Ampharos can learn what I had planned to teach Serena, but he's welcome to try!" I said with a grin.

"Are you ready to learn a new move, Shinx?" Serena asked the small pokemon in her arms. Shinx let out a sound that was a mix between a mewl and a yip before jumping out of Serena's arms and walking over to Pikachu who had also jumped down from my shoulder.

"Good deal," I said, looking over at Bree who had just released an Ampharos.

There were several agents in the IIA that had Ampharos as one of their main partners because of its high special defense and attack capabilities, but as the large yellow pokemon waddled over I was surprised that I got a cuddly, easygoing vibe from him rather than the intimidating one I was used to. I shook off my surprise though and smiled down at Serena's Shinx who looked like a little soldier standing at attention and awaiting his instructions.

"Let's show them first. Okay, buddy?" I asked Pikachu while smiling widely. Pikachu raised one hand, knowing instantly which move I was referring to. Sparks of electricity began to spill from the tips of his ears down to his feet.

"Magnet Rise!" I commanded with excitement.

This move had taken literally MONTHS for Pikachu to learn, and as far as I was aware he was the only Pikachu who could use this move. But when I had seen it used by a Steelix in battle I begged its trainer to teach Pikachu. I watched with satisfaction as the electricity gathering around Pikachu's legs began to intensify. He slowly began to hover off the grassy field, at first just a few inches, but eventually, he was hovering at my waist level with crackling and snapping electricity beneath his feet like a false floor.

Serena gasped and clapped enthusiastically, looking beyond impressed. Bree's reaction was more subdued, but at least she didn't look disappointed. Pikachu showed off by running above the ground on his electric floor in a large loop around me and the two girls. Shinx's serious mask broke and he chased after Pikachu, calling out to him with obvious excitement. As the two smaller pokemon ran in circles, Ampharos tried to follow them with his eyes but he appeared to get dizzy and fell onto his backside after a bit, looking tired.

"That is incredible, Satoshi! How is Pikachu floating like that?" Serena asked, her eyes still wide with wonder.

"I don't understand all of the details really," I admitted with chagrin. "Basically Pikachu charges up electricity of opposite polarities and then uses it to float up above the ground. It's a lot easier for steel type pokemon since they can use their natural magnetism to serve as the opposite charge, but it is possible for some electric types if they can figure out how to make the opposing charges at the same time."

"That sounds pretty complicated," Serena said with a small frown, glancing over at her Shinx who was still eagerly following after Pikachu up above him.

"It is. But with Pikachu helping, I bet both Shinx and Ampharos can learn it!" I said with an easy grin. Serena gave me a hesitant smile and we jumped into it.

After several hours that passed by as quickly as if they were seconds, Ampharos had fallen asleep from the effort of trying to get his large body off the ground. Shinx, however, was nowhere close to giving up. Pikachu patiently showed him yet again how to create the electricity that dripped down his fur like water to collect and mingle with his normal electric power at his feet. Majestoat had long since gotten bored and I'd lost sight of where she got to... but she announced her presence just as Pikachu lifted himself off the ground again as an example for Shinx. She leaped out of nowhere to tackle Pikachu, dragging him back to the ground with a startled yelp.

"Majestoat! That wasn't very nice; Pikachu is trying to teach Shinx a new move," Serena scolded gently while dragging her off of Pikachu, who looked a little sheepish about the fact he had allowed her to sneak up on him in the first place. I chuckled, rubbing his ears and earning myself a nice shock from all of the electricity that was still running across his little body.

"We've been at it for a while now. Why don't we take a break and head back to the inn? It'll be time for dinner soon anyways," Bree suggested from her spot on the ground next to her sleeping Ampharos. I blinked at this statement and looked up at the sky, shocked to see that the sun was indeed beginning to set. Unconsciously I bit my lip, wondering where all of the time had gone. When I glanced back at Serena she had a sad, knowing expression on her face and she gave me an unconvincing smile.

"You have to go, don't you?" she asked sadly. I swallowed past a lump in my throat but nodded.

"I wasn't really planning on taking such a long break," I admitted unhappily. 

Honestly, I wished that I could stay longer and be here for when Shinx mastered Magnet Rise... but I worried that Neptune would grow impatient and send grunts to come after me if I was gone for more than a few days. From what Bethany told me I would have to travel most of the day to get to Roselia Meadows where she thought I would find some wild Ponyta, so I really didn't have any time to waste.

"Well... thank you very much for stepping in to help Bree and me like you did," she said, putting on a bright smile for me. It kind of hurt that she didn't ask for a way to contact me, but apparently she had learned that I wouldn't respond even if she did, so I was also slightly grateful for her being so kind.

"It wasn't anything big. I'm glad I could help out," I said, forcing a smile and a cheerful tone of my own. "If I have time we should really have a battle next time I see you, Bree. Your pokemon are all really impressive!"

Bree chuckled at my enthusiasm and gave me a cocky grin. "Come at me whenever you're ready, kid," she said with a sly tone. I laughed at that and squatted down so I could look at Shinx, who looked exhausted after all of his efforts.

"Keep working at it, Shinx. This move could really help Serena in her contests, so I'm counting on you to learn it, okay?"

"Shinx shi shinx," the little pokemon barked out in a weary but determined voice. I tousled the tuft of fur on his head, earning me a second shock in just five minutes and I chuckled to myself, rubbing my tingling hand against my thigh.

"Do you think you'll be able to make it to any more of my contests?" Serena asked as I stood back up. I pulled up my mental picture of the contest schedule that I'd memorized and felt myself frown. Most of the remaining contests were pretty far from Mt. Coronet, and I didn't know if Neptune had any plans to let me out on my own again for a while...

"I'm not sure," I responded reluctantly. "I don't get much holiday from my work."

"Oh. I understand," Serena said with obvious disappointment. 

I grimaced to myself and noticed Pikachu was looking up at Serena silently, but by the tilt of his ears, I could tell he was reluctant to leave her as well. Even so, we had a job to do, and I would never forgive myself if I messed up in this mission and Neptune carried out her plan to destroy the world and everyone who wasn't a grunt.

Stay focused, Ash. You can apologize to her later.

Deciding to not let this drag out any longer, I picked up Pikachu, letting him crawl on my shoulder, and then gave Serena a brief hug goodbye. I was surprised when she clung slightly to my shirt even after I let go, but after a breath, she let go as well and gave me a smile. With a polite bow to Bree, I turned and walked across the practice field.

Not being able to resist, I turned around and cupped a hand on the side of my mouth so my voice would project farther. "Have Shinx try Magnet Rise in a rocky area. It might help," I called out to Serena's fading figure as I continued to walk backward. Serena raised her hand and waved at me.

"I will! See you later, Satoshi!" 

With a small wave, I turned again and purposefully made my way out of Walkerville. It wasn't long before the peaceful town and Serena were far behind me. Just when I was about to put her from my mind though, my traitorous mind brought the image of her friend Aryan into my head. I grit my teeth as I stumbled, stubbing my toe badly against a rock I hadn't noticed in the path. Taking a few moments to let the throbbing pain dull, I stood back up and frowned. Neptune hadn't mentioned Aryan since I had given her his name and Serena hadn't seemed worried so I assumed that nothing had happened to him yet... But I dreaded the day Neptune would decide to take revenge on him.

Just focus on getting this pokemon, Ash. I told myself sternly. The sooner I complete Neptune's assignment the sooner she'll promote me and I can take her down. Then I won't have to worry about her hurting Aryan or Serena.

With that decided I marched on through the forest towards Roselia Meadows and, hopefully, Neptune's new pokemon.

A/N Hey! So just to level with you all when I was deciding on Serena's team before I even started writing the story I was looking through what moves Shinx could learn for contests and I saw Magnet Rise which I thought would be SUPER neat to use in a contest and I thought "Ash's Pikachu is super cool so he could learn Magnet Rise even if other pikachus can't"... BUT Shinx actually can't learn Magnet Rise, only Luxray can >.< But I have been planning for this for forever, so I am going to ignore the rules and say that Shinx can indeed learn Magnet Rise, but it is just in this fic. If you play the games unfortunately a Shinx cannot learn Magnet Rise. So that's it. Sorry about that!