Chapter 35

As the group makes their journey back to Fuchsia City, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and especially Brock have been enjoying having Holly travel with them. The two adults talk almost non-stop while they walk together, with the teenagers and Pikachu following behind. All day, Holly will want to hear stories about what Brock has been up to before and after the Hearthome City Tag Team Battle Tournament or be amazed at how great he is at cooking or taking care of Pokemon. Brock himself has been feeling like he's on cloud 9 while traveling with a beautiful and caring woman like Holly, who is sincerely interested in him. Serena also found herself enjoying talking with Holly when she has a chance and has become good friends with her. She feels like she sees a part of herself in Holly from how she is so invested in getting to know the guy she likes, much like how she is with Ash.

Ash himself, on the other hand, is clueless with the way Brock and Holly act around each other. From his point of view, it is strange to watch Brock finally act silly in front of a woman who actually wants him to act that way in front of her. Even though he is glad that his friend apparently found what he's wanted for as long as he's known Brock, he wonders if this is what his mother was hoping he'd open up to wanting with Serena. At times he will glance at the honey blonde girl as they walk and try to imagine himself acting goofy over her like Brock. Each time he does, he shakes his head and mentally tells himself that he would never act like that, not realizing that he has once again missed the point of the matter.

On the sixth day since leaving Neon City, Brock leads the group to a different path than the way to Fuchsia City, which confuses Serena and Holly.

"Uh, Brock, I thought the way to Fuchsia City is this way," Serena says, pointing at the road they just passed.

"Yeah, so did I," Holly says.

"It is, but the Fuchsia City gym is actually out here in the woods," Brock answers while holding out his map.

"Hey, that's right," Ash says, remembering. "The gym is in that abandoned-looking mansion."

"Abandoned-looking mansion?" Serena asks, feeling uneasy.

Ash chuckles likely and says, "Don't worry, Serena. It's not really abandoned. It's all a cover-up for the gym leader, Koga, and his sister Aya who are both ninjas."

"Oh, how fun. I bet Bonnie would be excited to hear that if she were here," Serena says, smiling before she realizes something. "Oh my goodness, I just remembered we forgot to give Clemont and Bonnie a call again when we were in Neon City."

"Oh, you're right. I guess we got too focused on seeing Holly again and training for your contest," Ash says before giving Serena a reassuring grin. "I'm sure we'll find some time to call them before we take a ferry to Cinnabar Island."

"Pikachu," Pikachu says from Ash's shoulder.

"Right," Serena says, agreeing.

The group continues to follow Brock down the path until they come across a tall cliff with a long wooden board that connects to the other side where an old mansion resides.

"Uh, Brock, please tell me we don't have to cross through that thin board to get to the gym," Holly says nervously.

"I'm afraid we do," Brock says.

Holly whimpers and grabs Brock by his shirt, and Brock wraps his arm around her to calm her down.

"Don't worry, I'll be right behind you to make sure you don't fall," he says comfortingly.

Holly gives him a sweet smile and nods, accepting his offer. The two of them begin walking across the board with their arms spread apart. Brock stays very close to Holly, so she knows that he's right there to protect her, which eases her mind as they make it across.

"Well, we better cross too if we want to catch up," Ash says to Serena smiling.

Serena, however, feels as uneasy as Holly was and grabs Ash by the shirt right as he's about to get on the board.

"A-actually, Ash...I-I'm feeling uneasy about crossing too," she admits. "W-would it be okay if you stay right behind me to keep me safe too?"

Ash turns to Serena and grins.

"Sure, no problem," he says. "And don't worry about being scared. When I first crossed this way for my own Soul Badge, I was so scared that I was crawling on the board on all fours. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu," Pikachu chuckles, remembering that day.

Serena also chuckles with her mouth closed, unable to help but feel amused by Ash's story. The two teenagers nod before they begin crossing the board with Pikachu leading, followed by Serena and Ash. The honey blonde girl fights the urge to look down while the raven-haired boy just smiles and stays close to Serena to assure her that he's there. Finally, the three of them make it across just in time to see Holly pecking Brock on the cheek for keeping her safe. The auburn-haired woman turns to the teenagers and gives Serena a wink, signifying that she knew the girl would get the same idea. Serena's cheeks turn pink, and she looks away while Brock turns to the group.

"Alright, gang, just a quick warning for the ladies before we go in," he says. "This place is filled with traps, such as secret doors, invisible walls, and some Voltorb hiding underneath the floor that will electrocute you. So be careful going in."

"Are you serious?" Holly asks, surprised.

"Yep, I'm afraid that's just the kind of ninjas Koga and Aya are," Brock says. "We have to be cautious to make it to Koga so you can challenge him."

Holly grows uneasy, and Ash steps up to give her an encouraging look.

"Don't worry. The five of us will make it through," he says. "Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and I made it through for my badge, so the five of us can do it just fine. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu says optimistically.

"Yeah, but it's still pretty dangerous, Ash," Brock points out. "You almost fell off the ledge to your death last time."

"He did what?!" Serena shouts.

Suddenly, the sound of a girl screaming is heard from inside the mansion. Brock, Holly, Ash, Pikachu, and Serena turn over there instantly worried.

"There must be someone inside who fell for one of the traps!" Holly cries out worriedly.

"We gotta go in there and help them before they get hurt!" Serena yells.

Ash and Brock nod in agreement, and together the four of them and Pikachu run inside the mansion. Brock raises his hand in front of everyone to gesture them to slow down as they carefully walk inside keeping an eye out for traps.

"Stay away from the walls. There's no telling if any of them are a trap," Brock instructs.

The group nods in understanding and huddles close to each other while they walk. Suddenly, Serena steps on a secret button on the floor, and a secret door opens from under the floor to reveal an angry Voltorb. Serena only has a moment to scream and step back before Voltorb releases a Thunder Shock, barely missing her. The sudden movement causes her to lose her balance only for Ash to catch her.

"Serena, are you alright?" He asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you, Ash," Serena, answers with a smile.

The moment is quickly cut short, however, with the Voltorb letting out sparks of electricity, causing the group to back away. Suddenly, they hear another scream, and they look at the ceiling.

"It sounds like it's coming from upstairs," Holly says.

"Quick, let's go!" Brock says, pointing at a staircase.

The five of them race up the stairs just in time to dodge another Thunder Shock from Voltorb and run down the hall until they stop to see what's causing the screaming.

"Max, help me up, please!"

In the middle of the hall, Max is kneeling at the edge of an open wall where May is holding on for dear life.

"It's Max!" Brock says.

"And May!" Serena exclaims.

"Looks like she fell into one of the traps," Ash says as the three of them and Holly run over to them.

"Hold on, May," Max calls out while tossing a Pokeball into the air. "Grovyle, help me out, quick!"

The Pokeball opens to reveal a Grovyle that quickly grabs one of May's hands while Max grabs the other. Together, the Grass-type Pokemon and its partner pull May up safely. The Hoenn coordinator sighs in relief before pulling Max and Grovyle into a tight hug.

"Oh, Max, Grovyle, thank you so much!" May whines hysterically.

"May...you're..crushing...my...spine…" Max struggles to say with both him and Grovyle gasping for air.

"May, Max!" Ash calls out while he, Pikachu, Serena, Holly, and Brock run over to the two siblings.

May, Max, and Grovyle turn to their friends, and they smile happily as they run over to them.

"Ash! Brock!" Max calls out.

"Serena!" May exclaims.

The two teenage girls hug each other while Ash, Brock, and Max stop in front of each other.

"I see your Treecko evolved into a Grovyle, huh?" Ash asks.

"Yup, and I have five badges now," Max states proudly while returning Grovyle back in its Pokeball. "And I plan to get my sixth...as soon as we find a way to the gym that's supposed to be here."

"The sooner, the better," May whines. "It's been a nightmare ever since we stepped foot in this place. If Grovyle weren't here, I would have fallen to my death over there."

"Good gracious," Holly says, frowning with her hands on her hips. "How is this place allowed to run as a gym with so many death traps?"

May and Max turn to the auburn-haired woman in confusion before Max asks, "Who are you?"

"Oh, that's right, you haven't been introduced!" Brock exclaims excitedly before standing between Holly and the siblings. "Holly, these are our friends, May and Max. Guys, this is my dear future girlfriend, Holly."

Holly blushes at the title while Max frowns and yanks on Brock's ear hard.

"As usual, you have a lot of nerve saying something like that so sporadically," the young boy says.

"Actually, he's right," Holly says.

May and Max look at Holly with their eyes widened and their pupils shrunk.

"What...did you...say?" May asks.

Holly chuckles lightly at their reaction and says, "While we aren't officially together yet, I do care for Brock a lot, and I want to be a good battle partner for him. We've even agreed to become a couple officially after I complete in the Indigo League."

"It's true, guys!" Brock whimpers while Max still has a painful hold on his ear. "Holly really likes me!"

May and Max continue to stare at the auburn-haired woman as if she said the weirdest thing in the world. They turn to Ash and Serena with looks that read, "Is this for real?" Serena nods with a smile while Ash chuckles and shrugs as if to say, "I can't believe it either." Finally, Max and May look at each other and smile while Max lets go of Brock's ear.

"Well, then, pleased to make your acquaintance," May says cheerfully.

"The pleasure is all mine," Holly says with a smile before her face turns serious. "Now, how are we going to find the gym leader in a place like this?"

"I think I know," Ash says before putting his hands on the wall on the other side of the wall. "If we're in the right spot, then one of these walls is a secret doo - WAAAH!"

The wall spins, causing Ash to lose his balance and fall into a secret room. The wall closes, and everyone hears Ash yells in panic before several loud thuds are heard against the wall.

"ASH!" Serena screams worriedly and forces the secret door open, revealing Ash hanging against the other side with throwing stars pinned all around his body. The raven-haired boy turns to Serena and gives her an uneasy chuckle.

"I forgot that this was going to happen," he admits.

Serena sighs in relief while her hand is on her ribbon before glaring at Ash.

"Don't scare me like that!" she rebukes. "I thought you were seriously hurt!"

"I'm sorry, Serena," Ash says sincerely.

The rest of the group walk through the door to find a room that looks like a place to practice martial arts. At the center of the room is a woman with green hair wearing a pink ninja outfit giving everyone a boastful look.

"Born from darkness, living in darkness, such as the fate of the ninja," she quotes. "I am Aya, nin -"

The woman stops talking and sees Ash and Brock, and she drops her act and gives them a friendly smile.

"Why Ash, Brock. How good to see you again," she says. "It has been some time since -"

"What is your problem?!" Holly barks. "You could have seriously hurt Ash with those throwing stars!"

Serena, Max, and May nod firmly with an angry looks on their faces.

Aya turns to the group and frowns.

"This is a training camp," she answers. "It's your own fault for letting your guard down."

"Let our guard down, nothing!" May says angrily. "I could have fallen to my death! How has the Pokemon Inspection Agency not shut down this place as a gym?"

But before Aya can answer, a Voltorb enters the room and rolls over to a spot between Aya and the group. Before anyone has time to react, the Voltorb uses Explosion, filling the room with smoke. The smoke clears a few seconds later to reveal a man in a blue ninja outfit.

"Koga!" Ash and Brock say simultaneously.

"Greetings, Ash and Brock," Koga says. "It has been quite some time since we've seen each other. Tell me, what brings the two of you back to our home?"

"I do," Holly says, stepping in. "My name is Holly from the Sinnoh region, and I came here to battle the gym leader here."

"Hey, I do, too," Max demands.

"And you are?" Koga asks.

"My name is Max Maple, and I'm from the Hoenn region," Max answers. "I also want to challenge you for your gym badge."

Koga looks at the two challengers and says, "Very well, I do not permit people to leave this mansion without a battle anyway. Since there are two of you, there shall be a one-on-one battle for each of you. Agreed?"

"Fine by me," Holly says.

"Same here," Max says.

"Very well," Koga says. "Young Max, you shall go first. Aya, free Ash."

"Yes, honored brother," Aya says.

Serena signs in relief again after Aya lets Ash down from being pinned against the secret door while Koga and Max get into positions.

"Venomoth, I summon you," Koga commands as he throws a Pokeball and a Venomoth comes out.

"I had a feeling he was going to use Venomoth first," Ash says with a smirk.

"So did I," Brock says, nodding.

"Alright then, if you're choosing Venomoth, then my Pokemon shall be Rhyhorn!" Max declares while growing his Pokeball.

The Pokeball opens, and Max's Rhyhorn comes out roaring to show it's ready to battle. Suddenly, it stops in mid-roar and turns to look at Serena. The honey-blonde girl looks at Rhyhorn nervously before Rhyhorn charges at her with hearts in its eyes.

"Rhyhorn, what are you doing?!" Max calls out. "The battle is over here!"

But instead of listening to its trainer, Rhyhorn tackles Serena to the ground and starts licking her in the face. Serena laughs aloud while everyone but Ash and Pikachu look at the display in confusion.

"S-s-stop it! That tickles!" Serena squeals.

"What is going on here?" Aya asks.

"Rhyhorn, come on," Max commands before turning to Koga, embarrassed. "This is weird. I've never seen it act this way before."

"It's not your fault, Max. I'm afraid all Rhyhorn act this way around Serena," Ash explains. "She was raised to be a Rhyhorn racer back in Kalos, and even though she hated it, the Rhyhorn love to be around her."

"That's all very interesting, but can we please get on with our battle?" Koga asks unamused.

Rhyhorn finally stops licking Serena, and she pets it while saying, "He's right. You better go have your battle, Rhyhorn and listen to Max, okay?"

Rhyhorn smiles and nods obediently before it runs over to stand in front of Max in another battle stance.

"You ready to behave, Rhyhorn?" Max asks cautiously.

Rhyhorn turns to its trainer and nods firmly to show that it's ready to battle together with Max.

"Alright, then we're ready!" Max says excitedly.

"Very well," Koga says plainly. "Venomoth, use Psybeam."

"Rhyhorn, counter with Rock Throw!" Max shouts.

Venomoth fires a multicolored beam at Rhyhorn, who quickly summons several pieces of rock out of thin air and sends them flying right into the Psybeam. The attacks explode on impact, canceling each other out.

"Venomoth, use Stun Spore," Koga orders calmly.

"Dodge it!" Max responds.

Unfortunately, because the battle is in a relatively small room, Rhyhorn's space to dodge the poison moth's attacks is limited. Rhyhorn almost runs into a wall while trying to dodge, and Venomoth takes the opportunity to hit its opponent with the yellow dust. Rhyhorn grunts in pain as yellow sparks appear all over its body.

"Oh no, it's paralyzed," May says.

"Venomoth, use Tackle," Koga commands.

Venomoth begins to charge at its opponent, and Max grows worried with Rhyhorn still in pain from its paralysis.

"Rhyhorn, you gotta fight through it!" he pleads. "Fight back with Horn Drill!"

Rhyhorn grinds its teeth and ignores the pain while Venomoth still flies toward it. The horn on the top of Rhyhorn's head starts to spin, and it waits for the right moment before charging back. The Pokemon collide with each other, but Rhyhorn's attack proves stronger, and Venomoth is sent crashing onto a wall and plummeting on the floor.

"Don't give it a chance, Rhyhorn. Use Earthquake!" Max calls out eagerly.

Rhyhorn raises its two front legs to summon an earthquake, but suddenly, yellow sparks appear, and it groans in pain before falling on its stomach. Max, May, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Brock, and Holly watch in shock while Aya grins, and Koga nods his head.

"Use Psybeam again," he says bluntly.

Venomoth fires a Psybeam, and this time it hits Rhyhorn right in the face. The impact sends the spikes Pokemon running into a wall and groaning in pain.

"Rhyhorn!" Max cries out.

"It is unfortunate that the paralysis took effect when it did," Koga says, nodding with his eyes closed. "Venomoth, use Psybeam again."

Max racks his brain, trying to think of a way to avoid Rhyhorn getting hit by Venomoth's psychic-type attack again.

"I got it!" He says. "Rhyhorn, use Stone Edge now!"

Rhyhorn gets up and stomps on the ground causing blue light pillars to emerge from the ground. One of them hits Venomoth just as it is about to release Psybeam, sending it crashing onto the ground with its wings hurt.

"Venomoth!" Koga cries out, suddenly worried.

"Alright, Rhyhorn, now finish it off with Earthquake!" Max says, smiling.

Rhyhorn raises its two front legs, but this time it successfully slams on the ground causing the ground to shake and hurt Venomoth, causing the poison Moth Pokemon to fall on it's back with swirly eyes. Koga stares at his fallen Pokemon until he smirks with his eyes closed and returns Venomoth to its Pokeball.

"Well done, you have beaten me," he says, taking our a scroll and unraveling it to reveal a Soul Badge. "You have rightfully earned this Soul Badge."

"Thank you!" Max says excitedly as he rushes to take the badge from Koga and presents it to Rhyhorn. "Nice job, Rhyhorn. Now I only need two more badges."

Rhyhorn roars proudly before Max puts it back in its Pokeball. Holly then steps in with an eager look on her face.

"Alright, now it's my turn to get my own Soul Badge," she says determinedly.

Koga nods and takes out another Pokeball.

"For this second battle, I will use Scyther," he announces while throwing it into the air, and it opens to reveal a Scyther.

"Oh yeah, Otoshi mentioned that you have a Scyther," Ash comments.

Koga nods while Serena looks at his Pokemon confused.

"Scyther?" she asks while taking out her Pokedex.

"Scyther, the mantis Pokemon," her Pokedex says. "Its claws are as sharp as swords, and it is a powerful flyer. This Pokemon is rarely seen by humans and is almost never captured."

"Wow, it sounds like a very tough Pokemon," Serena says.

"Not to worry," Brock says confidently. "Holly will win and get her Soul Badge, no problem."

Holly turns to Brock and gives him another sweet look.

"Thank you, Brock," she says before taking out a Pokeball. "Now, come on out, Probopass!"

The ball opens, and a Probopass appears.

"Huh? Is that your Nosepass evolved?" Brock asks, surprised.

"It sure is," Holly says with a smirk.

"Hold on, Nosepass and Probopass?" Serena asks confused as she takes out her Pokedex again and types in the word Nosepass.

"Nosepass, the compass Pokemon. Its nose can point north like a compass needle. Travelers can use Nosepass to check directions," her Pokedex says before she scans Holly's Pokemon. 'Probopass, the Compass Pokemon and the evolved form of Nosepass. Probopass uses magnetic force to control three mini-noses at its sides."

"Huh, what a strange-looking Pokemon," Serena says.

"Maybe so, but Holly has the advantage," Brock says with a smirk.

"How so?" Serena asks curiously.

But before Brock can answer, Koga points at Probopass and shouts, "Scyther, use X-Scissor!"

Scyther crosses its scythes, and they glow purple before it flies toward Probopass and slashes at it in an 'X' like fashion. Holly appears to be unfazed with her opponent suddenly making an attack, and Probopass lets out a grunt, but it doesn't appear to be damaged.

"What? But how?" Koga asks with both him and Aya looking at Probopass, shocked.

"Let me have Brock answer that for you," Holly says with a smirk before turning to Brock. "You were about to say, Brock?"

"As you wish, my lady," Brock says, giving the woman he is fawning over a bow like a gentleman, much to Holly's amusement. "I was going to say that Scyther is a bug-and-flying-type and most of the attacks it can learn are normal type, all of which Probopass is resistant to in some degree or another because it's a steel and rock type. At best, that X-Scissor only did half the damage."

"Half the damage? That's outrageous," Aya says bitterly.

"Quiet, Aya. This just means we need to take this battle with a different approach," Koga says. "Scyther, use Sword Dance, then follow with another X-Scissor!"

Scyther crosses its claws across its chest and spins rapidly, causing it to glow red.

"Uh, oh, that means Scyther has raised its attack," May says.

"Yeah, and that probably will make X-Scissor more effective," Max states.

Scyther then prepares for another X-Scissor that is stronger than the last one and charges at Probopass.

"I don't think so," Holly says. "Probopass, use Zap Cannon!"

Probopass creates a large, yellow ball with a red center in front of its nose and fires at its opponent. The ball hits Scyther directly, and it sends it crashing onto the floor with scratches all over its body, surprising Koga and Aya.

"Now hit it with Earth Power!" Holly calls out confidently.

"Wait, don't do that!" Brock shouts.

Unfortunately, Probopass' body already starts to glow yellow, and the ground starts to shake causing cracks on the floor. The cracks hit Scyther, but it doesn't appear to do anything to the mantis Pokemon.

"Holly, Scyther is immune to ground attacks. Earth Power won't do a thing," Brock says.

Holly turns her face to Brock and rubs the back of her head, feeling embarrassed.

"Oh...I didn't know that," she says awkwardly. "I thought it was the perfect move to use since it was on the ground."

Brock gives her a small smile and says, "That's okay. Just stick to whatever electric and rock-type moves you have."

Holly smiles back, feeling better and gives Brock a nod before she commands, "Probopass, use Rock Slide!"

Probopass' body becomes surrounded in a blue outline, and several large boulders appear and zoom toward Scyther. But the mantis Pokemon easily dodges all of the attacks without Koga needing to tell it to.

"You may have taken my Scyther off guard earlier, but you won't be able to hit it again with its great speed," Koga says.

"Yeah, nothing can beat Scyther's dodging skills," Aya boasts.

Holly raises an eyebrow and smirks, saying, "Let's find out. Probopass, use Magnet Bomb."

The eyes on Probopass' mini-noses glow orange and fly towards Scyther. The mantis Pokemon dodges the mini-noses easily, but they quickly turn around and fly towards the opponent, causing Scyther to try to fly away even though it's in a small room only for the mini-noses to keep following it.

"What?" Koga says, shocked.

"Oh yeah, Probopass' mini-noses will follow their target until they get close enough to attack," Holly states. "It's not impossible to avoid getting hit, but I doubt Scyther can with the small space it's flying in."

Sure enough, Scyther attempts to make a sharp turn to avoid the mini-noses, but the movement gives the noses enough time to come close enough to explode. Scyther is sent flying to a wall with a loud slam and plummets to the ground with swirly eyes. Koga and Aya stare in shock before Koga smirks with his eyes closed and turns to Holly.

"Congratulations," he says. "It appears that by taking advantage of my Scyther's weakness against your Pokemon and Aya's boasting, you too have beaten me in combat."

Holly smiles brightly as Koga takes out another scroll and unravels it to reveal another Soul Badge. He walks over to the auburn-haired woman and gives her the badge saying, "Henceforth, you are also worthy of taking a Soul Badge."

"Thank you," Holly says kindly before taking out her badge case and puts her Soul Badge inside it before turning to Max. "Now, I only need two more to go too."

Max smiles and nods.

"Then I take it you're going to Cinnabar Island next?" He asks.

"Sure am," Holly says. "For my gym battle and Serena's next contest."

"Really? That's great!" May says excitedly. "We can all go together!"

"Sounds great," Ash says, smiling.

"Count me in," Brock says, giving a thumbs up.

"And Serena, I can see how you're doing with your coordinating," May adds.

"That sounds great," Serena says with a gleeful smile. "I already have four ribbons now, so I hope you get to see me win my fifth one."

"Four ribbons already? It sounds like you've really been improving," Max says with a friendly smile.

"Then I wish you all well on your respective goals," Koga says, stepping in with Aya.

"As do I," Aya says.

"Thank you," the group says all at the same time before Koga guides them safely out of the mansion, and they begin walking to Fuschia City. When they make it to the board that connects to the two cliffs, Holly and Serena both become uneasy and stand closer to Brock and Ash.

"I forgot we have to cross this thing again," Serena says.

"Me too," Holly says.

"Fear not, ladies. Ash and I will guide you again," Brock says, giving Holly a flirtatious look while Ash gives Serena a friendly nod.

"Actually, we don't need to do that," Max says in a matter-of-factly tone that catches everyone's attention. "Kirlia, come on out and use Psychic! "

He tosses a Pokeball and a Kirlia comes out, and its eyes glow blue, surrounding everyone in a blue outline. The psychic type Pokemon sends them floating to the other side and lets them down safely.

"Great job, Karlia. Now return," Max instructs as he returns his Pokemon.

"Wow, what a great idea, Max," Ash compliments. "So does that mean Ralts also evolved?"

"That's right," Max says, smiling. "In fact, since Karlia is a boy, I'm debating on whether or not I want to evolve it as a Gardevoir or a Gallade."

"Either one sounds like a good choice," Brock says. "Timothy's Gardevoir, Shockwave is pretty powerful, but with the right training, your Karlia could be pretty tough as a Gallade."

"I know. That's what makes the decision hard," Max whines childishly.

"Don't worry about it, Max. You'll know what you will want Kirlia to evolve into when the time comes," Ash says encouragingly.

"Pikachu," Pikachu says, agreeing.

"Well, in any case, I'm glad Karlia is there to bring us over here safely," May says.

"Yeah, me too," Serena and Holly say at the same time even though they secretly would have liked to use crossing the board as a means to be close to Ash and Brock, respectively.

"Alright now, let's not waste any time, everyone," Brock says. "Let's catch a ferry to Cinnabar Island at Fuchsia City."

"Right," Ash, Serena, May, Max, and Holly says at the same time.

Thus, with Brock leading, the extended group start walking through the forest to Fuchsia City. As they walk, Holly walks closely next to Brock and wraps her arm around his. The young man blushes and gives Holly another silly grin, and Holly responds with a flirtatious look as they lead the group together. Serena smiles fondly at the two adults and secretly imagining herself walking together like that with Ash while Max and May look at Brock and Holly, feeling uneasy.

"That is going to take a while to get used to," Max whispers to his sister.

"I know what you mean," May whispers back before she says with a smile. "But at the same time, they look cute together. I'm happy for Brock that he found someone."

"Yeah, me too," Max says. "At the very least, Brock won't cause any more trouble with Holly by his side."

May nods in agreement while the two of them follow their friends through the forest.

********************************************************

It is later in the day, and the sun is starting to set. Koga and Aya are out in the woods practicing their ninja moves with Aya's Venonat and Koga's Venomoth, Golbat, and Scyther. The ninjas and their Pokemon run, climb trees and practice disappearing with one of their Voltorb using Explosion.

But while they are practicing, Aya hears three sets of footsteps coming close by and prepares to throw several throwing stars in that direction.

"Show yourselves," she demands while making a fighting stance.

Suddenly, a rose projectile in the pattern of a Serviper's skin flies past Aya, barely missing her cheek and hits the tree next to her. Aya turns to look at the projectile and lowers her guard, knowing who threw it.

"Hello, Queen Lucy," she says.

"Aya," Lucy says plainly while she reveals herself and walks over to the pink ninja with her Cyndaquil and Skitty walking beside her

"Queen Lucy," Koga greets with respect in his voice. "Out for a stroll?"

Lucy nods and says, "My darlings wanted to play out in the forest before dinner time. And judging by the way you are training with your Pokemon, it seems you were defeated by another challenger."

Koga nods with his eyes closed and humbly admits, "Two challengers, as a matter of fact. But they both gave me a good battle, and I could ask no more than that win or lose. Plus, we got to see two old friends of ours named Ash and Brock.

At the sound of the last name, Lucy's eyes widen, and her cheeks turn pink.

"Brock was at your gym?" She asks.

"Indeed," Aya answers for her brother. "They came to our training camp with their friends, Serena, May, Max, and Holly. The latter two were the ones who challenged Koga."

Lucy can't help but smile at the mention of May and Max, glad that Brock is apparently traveling with the two other traveling companions he was with when she first met him.

"I assume you are friends with them, as well?" Koga asks, noticing Lucy's smile.

"You could say that," Lucy says, thinking about what she discussed with Brock. "Although, I haven't heard of this Holly. Sounds like she's a new friend."

"You could say that," Aya repeats, thinking of the way Brock and Holly looked at each other during the auburn-haired woman's gym battle.

Lucy nods, not catching Aya's drift, and says, "It's a shame I was not around. I would have liked to say hi to them."

"Hmmm," Koga says with a nod. "Perhaps there will be a next time."

"Yes, of course," Lucy says before she looks up in the sky. "Anyway, I should get back. My sisters and my other Pokemon will be waiting for me, Cyndaquil, and Skitty so we can all eat dinner."

"Very well. Good evening, Queen Lucy," Koga says as he and Aya give Lucy a bow.

"Good evening to you too," Lucy says before turning around to head home.

The two ninjas continue their training with their Pokemon while Lucy walks through the woods with her two Pokemon. Her cheeks are still pink while she thinks about how close she was to see Brock again.

"At least I will still get to see him at the Indigo League," she says to herself while Cyndaquil and Skitty walks close to her. "I wonder how much he's dreaming of seeing me again."