I would like to thank everyone for sticking with me so far :) comments are definately welcome and I would like to thank you for reading this story

Chapter 5

To Cilian the journey seemed to be going fine, they had food, no wild Pokémon had attacked them, they were making good pace. It was just that the group were not in very much in good spirits. At least the boys were. Iris was having the time of her life as usual.

Almost as if summoned Iris swung overhead on a vine laughing and enjoying the day. Cilian sighed. Meanwhile he was quite firmly on the ground with the two new ones that looked like they did not enjoy conversation, and Ash who seemed to be firmly buried in some sort of deep thought.

It certainly was making the travelling dull, and for someone who appreciated the spices in life Cilian was not planning to tolerate it for much longer.

“How about we stop in a bit and recharge and take in the view.” He suggested to the group at large. Iris immediately dropped from her vine to the ground below her eyes shining.

“That’s a good idea Cilian, I could collect some fruits!.” Axew appeared from her hair and waved his arms in apparent agreement. Drew and Paul just shrugged, the break not really mattering to them. Surprisingly Ash was the one with an objection.

“Hey Cilian, why don’t we stop by a river or something, it’s not like we are really tired or anything. Why don’t we just keep going till we find a good place to rest?”

Cilian had to admit, Ash had a good point. However it meant travelling with the bland ones until they could stop. He stifled a groan, he really hoped either a distraction appeared or a river did, the whole group was torture.

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Drew may have appeared to be silent and sullen but he sure was not. All the time that they travelled his mind picked out everything that they passed. How the light illuminated that rock, how the beautifly looked taking off from the bushes. All things he was planning to use for combinations.

The terrain they were on was a good one, forest, the occasional plain, then forest and thick bush all over again. He could see now why they were instructed to travel in groups, the whole set up could end up being confusing.

Since Roserade and Absol were the Pokémon he decided to use only on this trip, Drew knew he needed to be doing some serious thinking for how to show those two off. A Dark type and a Grass type people would defiantly expect a dark type move with a grass type move for sure, but that is certainly not how Drew operated. Definitely not. Drew let a smile cross his face, May was not the only one looking for the style that was theirs and theirs alone, he was too. Drew wanted to create something that would have others thinking that it would be illegal if they used it even if it was to be in battle to throw him off.

I want to be able to have people feeling that they could never pull it off like me, that they are inadequate and should never try to match me. It might be vain but that is how good I want to be. Drew glanced over to Paul who was deep in his thoughts next to him. I remember Paul telling me he had used a style that Ash created himself to throw him off and because it was useful, but Ash still threw him off when they last battled. I sure do not want that whatever move I come up with I have to be prepared for others trying to turn it on me. So It has to be deadly as well as the thing to show off my Pokémon, but it has to be different than my usual work. This is going to be harder than I thought.

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Paul was arguing in his head as they trudged alone at their pace. He thought they could go faster but he was not going to offer his opinion. There was no real way to offer it that the new girl and the stuff shirt guy would be able to accept it.

Paul was wondering about his choices of Pokémon for this region. Drew had his Roserade and his Absol, Ash just his Pikachu, the May girl had a Wartortle and a Blaziken, Dawn had her Piplup and her Togekiss, the Misty girl had a default Psyduck and a Marill. And what did he have? His Torterra and his Froslass. Just what was he thinking with just that as his team?

Stop thinking like that. Paul told himself, there was no need to start with the doubts yet. Torterra always gave of its best, and Froslass was the one he needed to work on. They did not seem to have that connection that Reggie and Ash were always talking about. In fact they had no connection at all, he knew that Froslass was trying but it was not up to his standards. He was hesitating at letting it go though. Every time that he wanted to release a Pokémon, he remembered the Chimchar he had released that Ash had taken up.

There was no way he was going to release something that with effort and understanding could become powerful and devastating.

Their first tournament was in two days and they were half a day away by walking. By his walking standards anyway. By the crazy tree swinger most likely the same time. The stuff shirt’s pace he would say they would get there in the morning, providing they got a proper start.

He did not care about whatever the prize was, he wanted to gain strength through Froslass. But maybe the prize would change his mind, he was going in it to win, but that did not mean he could not try to enjoy the thing too.

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Ash and Pikachu lagged behind the group, if Pikachu was unnerved by Ash’s silence it did not let on. It kept it’s gaze on the path ahead and from time to time nudged Ash to let him know about obstacles in the path.

Ash’s thoughts were whirling as he fought to make sense of them. He thought about Misty, the upcoming tournament, Misty’s birthday, how to win the tournament to Misty again.

I just cannot figure why she would not travel with us. Misty always travels with us when we have the chance and she kept hugging Pikachu like if she was never going to see him again. She was more into Pikachu than me. Not that I’m jealous just Misty is my best friend too. There has to be more to that story with Georgio, what is he some sort of stalker? Misty had to tell him she was not interested, I mean he battled her twice just to take her out. What Pokémon did he use to defeat her? Misty is no pushover, I bet I could beat him with no trouble.

“Pikapi” Pikachu’s warning came just in time for Ash to avoid a log lying half on the path. It was distraction enough for Ash’s thoughts to go fully to the tournament ahead.

I may just have Pikachu but I know I can bring in another partner if I have to. We have no problem with the small stuff, it’s the big stuff we have problems with. But we are going to give our all like we always do, because that is who we are.

Ash lifted his head brown eyes shining fire burning in his heart. “We are so close Pikachu, so close.”

“Piika Pikachu.” Was the response on top of his head

“When we stop I’m going to need you to help me with some training.” Pikachu looked down into Ash’s eyes confused. Usually Ash just said that they were going to do some special training. Not that he wanted help with special training. It was just him and Ash who was Pikachu going to be helping Ash train?

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Iris spotted a river flowing late in the evening. If they kept going, they could make the town but a rest was in order. Axew was hungry and she was too. Swinging down she let Cilian know and he gave her a relieved sigh. She expected that behaviour from Ash not Cilian but Ash was behind silent like the two new guys he knew.

“There’s a river ahead, lets stop there for the night and then walk into town for the morning.” Her words brought no real response to the guys. Paul just grunted, Drew gave her a small smile but that was it. Ash nodded in agreement with Pikachu on his head obviously taking a nap.

“Well I’m off to find some fruits; I’ll meet you guys at the river.” Iris said before swinging up to the trees again. She was willing to bet that the other group was not having so much silence as they travelled. May sounded like so much fun. She could have dealt if it was just Ash all quiet, but all three of them down there was a little scary the way they were lost in their thoughts

“Maybe they are just anticipating the tournament and competitions Axew.” She said as she spotted a few trees that looked promising.

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Dinner was simple, sandwiches fruit and chilli but it was good. Ash and Pikachu had disappeared during preparations and had disappeared again after the last dish had been washed. Paul sat with his Torterra behind him as he contemplated his Forslass, Cilian sat reading a tour guide book while Drew and Iris sat near the fire talking.

“All those rare Pokémon in the Unova region sure sounds interesting. The thought of using Pokémon that others have never heard of or even seen in a competition knocks me out.” Drew said looking at the flames

“It works both ways Drew. It’s so rare to see the Pokémon that are so familiar to you. The Pokémon yo find so commonplace we in Unova find as exotic and fascinating. Trust me when I say this whole things is as much an adventure for me as for you. Battling Pokémon whose moves and abilities you have no idea of is really exciting and scary. Iris replied playing mindlessly with Axew in her lap.

“I don’t know about the scary part.” Drew said flicking his hair back. “But I do know that a strong Pokémon from the Unova region might help me get my edge back.”

“Or not, how would you deem a Pokémon’s strength? Not by looks alone or attitude or by the type it is right? You do not find strong Pokémon Drew you raise them.”

“Right.” Drew said a little embarrassed. “I know you raise Pokémon to be the best they could be but some Pokémon when you first meet them have that spark in them that you know you can make them the greatest. That is what I mean; when I meet that Pokémon that radiates that power I won’t let it go until its full potential is revealed.”

Paul shifted uncomfortably nearby, the only indication that he had been eavesdropping on the pair by the fire. His gaze travelled back to his Froslass whose true potential had not yet shown. At least now he knew which Pokémon he was using for the tournament. The reason was to bring out its full potential not to make it stronger.

“Froslass.” The ice Pokémon met Paul’s gaze. “I’m using you to help me win the tournament.” The Pokémon appeared full of excitement, as it started flying and twirling above his head. Paul merely grunted at the display.

A grunt behind Paul had him lifting his head to meet Torterra’s gaze. “Reggie may have a point about bonds.” He spoke to Torterra, Torterra at least always gave of its best and was one of his few Pokémon who had his respect. Torterra also understood him and what drove him.

Froslass zoomed over his head causing a gust of cold to blow over him, but it did not bother him he was used to worse. If a few moments of apparent merry making helped Froslass in it’s improvement then who was he to stop it. After all it was not that bothersome, just a little cold and if he was a different person it would be amusing.

If he was like Dawn maybe, then the whole display would become funny. “Blue” He whispered the sound not even moving past a few feet.

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Ash was feeling happy, he almost got two things done in one go. Pikachu was on his head mumbling all confused about the exercise but soon it would understand what Ash was aiming at.

“We really improved your speed there didn’t we buddy?” Ash asked practically vibrating from the excitement and the cold. Maybe it would have been a good idea to bring something that could help him warm up, but as every he had just run ahead and jumped into the whole situation.

“Piiiiiiiika Pika Pikachu.”

“I know you don’t get it yet buddy, but soon you’ll see.” Pikachu was very tempted to send a thunderbolt through Ash, after all he was already soaked to the bone from jumping into the river. Pikachu just could not understand why ash had him trying to dart on the surface on the water and then diving into it. It was more than trying to improve speed and every Pokémon in the river that Ash mistakenly troubled he looked at eagerly like if they could offer a battle for him. Human especially Ash were weird creatures.

“Come on Pikachu race you to the camp! Ash yelled out in excitement causing Pikachu to squeak in excitement before running back to the camp, tomorrow would be another day.