Seth stood across from Mathilde with his eyes fixed on hers and his hands to his side. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, illuminating the rooftops of the homes of Camphrier Town. A loud silence held sway for but a moment before the sound of singing steel rang through the air. Seth thrust his blade forward, only to be parried by Mathilde who followed up with a swift kick which Seth swayed away from.

Mathilde pressed her advantage, her strikes just missing their mark as Seth avoided a few while parrying others, only to take a kick for his troubles. Seth skidded back from the force of her kick and regained his bearings before swinging his blade up to block an incoming strike from Mathide.

"Good! You seem to have been keeping up with your footwork! Been practicing your dancing?" She asked as Seth gave a forceful shove and sent her sliding backwards, smiling all the way due to the excitement she was experiencing.

"You could say that," Seth replied, glidestepping into a forward thrust which Mathilde brushed aside while matching Seth's speed.

Mathilde quickly thrust her blade forth, her strike barely seen by Seth, who managed to lean his head away from it, feeling the wind as it went by. Seth smirked. Now she was getting serious.

I barely saw that one. It's almost like she threw a punch rather than jabbing with her sword. Sadly, I know she's faster than that, Seth thought nervously, putting his arm up to cushion the blow of her kick towards his head.

Pushing her off, he gained some distance and reset himself, Mathilde doing the same, only to pause as the sun got higher. With a smile, she sheathed her blade and prompted Seth to do the same, which he did.

"Bravo my little protégé. You've done well," Mathilde complimented her pupil while clapping her hands.

"If by well, you mean avoiding getting killed at least three dozen times, then I suppose I did, didn't I?" Seth replied with a faint smile.

"For goodness sake Seth. Take a compliment for once," Mathilde frowned.

Seth rolled his eyes.

"That's one thing I have trouble with, you know this," Seth muttered.

"True, you always were the shy type," Mathilde grinned. "Until you met me that is."

"I didn't have a choice in the matter," Seth chuckled, his eyes catching sight of a ring on Mathilde's finger.

"Did he propose or did you?" Seth asked curiously.

Mathilde broke into a nervous sweat.

"Well...I may or may not have pulled a fast one on him," Mathilde replied with a slight laugh.

"You two didn't elope did you?" Seth asked with a raised brow.

"Now Seth, I may be antsy, but I'm not overly eager to, well...you know," Mathilde snickered.

"I call shenanigans," Seth muttered. "I say you jumped his bones already..."

"Was I that easy to read?" Mathilde grinned.

"Your face is as red as a Darmanitan, so yes," Seth replied.

"Oh my," Mathilde giggled. "But seriously, we haven't wed yet. That's not for a few months. I had hoped to invite you to it as my fiance is just dying to meet you," Mathilde explained.

"Is that a fact?" Seth blinked, scratching the back of his head out of habit.

"Mhm. He's a fencer as well, albeit he is a beginner, much like you were, until I broke you in that is," Mathilde giggled.

"I think the phrase you're looking for is 'broke me,' period," Seth riposted.

"Oh come now, I wasn't that bad was I?" Mathilde blinked.

"Four times..." Seth stated. "Four times you broke my left arm and three times before that, my right leg," Seth replied.

"I fixed you up didn't I?" Mathilde replied with a nervous smile.

"After Lucario mended my wounds first," Seth reminded her. "Fortunately mom never found out."

"And she won't have to because you are still alive," Mathilde beamed.

Seth nodded and took a deep breath. It was a rather invigorating experience to cross blades with his teacher again. The two had gone at it for three straight hours. It was just turning turning 6:30 in the morning.

"Well, I'd best be going. My fiance is waiting for me in Laverre City. It was great sparring with you again," Mathilde beamed, stepping towards Seth to embrace him and plant a kiss on his cheeks. "Au revoir," she said as she flickered from view.

Seth smiled faintly. She's always off in such a hurry...

Seth dawned a neutral expression the moment she vanished and turned to face an individual he'd sensed hiding nearby.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you gonna come out?" Seth spoke up.

"Heh...so you sensed my presence. I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from someone who can cross blades with Ironclad Mathilde," came an unfamiliar, masculine voice.

Stepping out from the shadow of a nearby home was a tall, burly man dressed in a martial arts gi. He had salt and pepper hair, and appeared to be middle-aged yet still in perfectly good shape. His muscular arms were a testament of that.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you know who she is," Seth responded dryly.

"Who doesn't know of her? That woman has a body count that would make even the bravest man afraid," the man replied, crossing his massive arms before his chest.

"I'm aware. And I'm sure you know that those were-"

"From war? Of course. She was part of the Kalos Legion and a secret society known as La main d'acier, or The Steel Hand," the man clarified. "She was and by the looks of things, still is the best to ever wield a rapier..."

"You seem to know more than most," Seth replied, fixing the man with a stare.

"It's my job as a historian, and a martial artist to know these things. On top of that, I have seen that woman fight. She even gave me a beating I'll not soon forget," the man laughed.

"You fought her?" Seth questioned him.

"Well...more like tried. I was a novice in a martial arts tournament about ten years back. I got paired up with her and needless to say, got my ass kicked," he half laughed.

"Sounds like her alright," Seth muttered. "My teacher isn't one to hold back much..."

"Ah. That's why you were battling her. I didn't know she had a student, more or less took in students," the man replied with a shrug.

"She doesn't. I was an exception as a favor for a friend of hers," Seth admitted.

"So I see. She must have seen something special in you to have accepted you as a student. How long have you trained with her?" The man inquired.

"Ten years," Seth answered casually.

"You have my respect young man. Training with that woman is not something many have gotten the opportunity to do, let alone be called her student," he added. "The very fact that you have survived her training is a testament to your skill."

"Trust me...you have no idea how hard that was," Seth muttered.

"I'd imagine it would be. Hardly any are able to follow her movements, even when she's holding back," the man chuckled.

Seth smirked at this remark. Of course she was holding back. Seth had ten years to her twenty-one years of experience, which meant that she knew a hell of a lot more than he did, and probably had more to teach him as well.

"One day, I plan to cross blades with her when she's not playing around," Seth added. "Not only that, but I plan to battle her as well..."

"Good luck with that my friend. She's one tough customer," the martial artist replied.

Seth nodded in understanding and turned to walk towards the Pokémon Center.

"I need to get back. My friends are probably up by now and getting ready to eat. It was a pleasure talking to you," Seth stated.

"Same to you. Perhaps we shall meet up later. I own a museum here in town. Why don't you and your friends stop by?" The man suggested.

"I don't see why not," Seth shrugged. "Anyway, see you later," he added with a wave as he made his way towards the Pokémon Center.

So Mathilde has taken a pupil huh? That woman never ceases to amaze. I guess this world is still full of surprises after all, the man thought as he turned to make his way towards the museum.

Allie yawned and stretched her arms above her head as she woke. Although the night had been long, it made her quite happy.

"Oh my goodness, Furfrou I had the most wonderful dream!" Allie declared as she awoke and looked over at her companion who was up early as usual. The canine looked up from her bed and tilted her head.

"The time Charles and I spent together was splendid. Last night there was dancing and music. It was so romantic!" She sighed happily.

Furfrou wagged her tail upon seeing how happy she was.

"Now all that's left to do is look at who's next on my list and prepare for that visit," Allie mused, throwing off her covers and getting out of bed.

"Let's see," she hummed, sliding over to the desk in her room to look at the list she had laminated and taped to her desk.

"Ah! It's Thomas. I suppose I ought to give him a call. It's nine o'clock so he might be awake," Allie thought aloud.

Looking down at herself, she chuckled, realizing that her undergarments probably weren't the best thing to make a call in. Opening her closet, she reached for her favorite robe and put it on before sitting down and tying up her hair. Grabbing her holocaster, she found Thomas in her contacts and dialed out.

Within moments, the redhead answered the call, his hologram appearing on her holocaster.

"Princess Allie? What a surprise!" Thomas exclaimed with a bright smile.

"Good morning Thomas. I trust you slept well?" Allie asked curiously.

"Very well indeed princess. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" Thomas queried.

Allie giggled. "If you must know dear Thomas, you are next on the visitation list. Where are you located currently?" Allie inquired.

"I'm currently in Ambrette Town, princess," Thomas relayed to her.

"Ah, perfect! I was hoping to be able to relax on the beach more. I shall meet you at one o'clock," Allie smiled.

"I shall wait here eagerly, princess," Thomas replied happily.

"Magnifique! Au revoir Thomas. See you at one," she smiled, ending the call.

Allie grinned happily and stood up to dash for the bathroom for a nice relaxing lavender bath.

Seth stood before a glass case which held an old rapier from 17th century Kalos. It had the traditional hilt with hand protection and a thin blade that was perfect for thrusting. The sheath looked a little worn, but it was in fairly good condition nonetheless.

"How did I know you'd be in this section of the museum?" Serena chuckled, stepping up beside Seth and crossing her arms.

"Can you blame me?" Seth stated with a slight laugh. "Swords like this interest me..."

Seth replied, his attention remaining fixed on the blade.

"It is rather beautiful isn't it?" Serena added with a smile. "By the looks of things, this most likely dates back to the mid 1600's. Styles of swords like this were sprouting up everywhere then."

"Someone knows their history," Seth smirked.

"What can I say? I'm a bookworm," Serena giggled. "I may not look it, but I am a complete nerd."

"So's my sister. She writes stories and takes a lot of pictures. You two would make pretty good friends," Seth commented.

"I'm sure we would," Serena chirped.

"Hey guys! Over here!" Shauna called out to the group, drawing them to her. "Check this out! It's a Poké Flute!"

"Aren't those used for waking up sleeping Pokémon?" Tierno asked as he looked down at the display case.

"Yup! It's most widely used on Snorlax though since they sleep a lot," Shauna explained to the group.

"That's a rather special flute," came the voice of the owner as he walked into the section the group was in. "It was given to me as a gift from a friend," he informed them.

"Do you play it?" Trevor inquired.

"Sometimes, yes," He replied. "But these days, I rarely have a use for it," he shrugged.

"It says here that it was used in a certain festival of sorts, involving a Snorlax," Seth inputted. "Wasn't that started by Lord Shabboneau?"

"Yes, but he has been gone for ages, hence why this castle is but a museum now," the museum owner replied.

"It sounds like it was rather troublesome. Waking a Snorlax is no easy task," Seth stated.

"That much is true. I've had my fair share of hardships as far as that is concerned. Anyhow, feel free to look around a little more. We close at four today," the owner added before walking away.

The queen slipped into her daughter's room after she had left for her next adventure in order to deliver the new dress she had tailored for her daughter at her daughter's request. It was rather extravagant to say the least, leading the queen to wonder what it was for. As the queen walked over to Allie's closet, her eyes wandered over to the list on her desk.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she decided to take a look at the list her daughter had made.

"As suspected, Charles was first. I suppose that shouldn't come as a surprise given the amount of attention Allie received from him," she mused, looking to the next few names.

"What's this? Seth is listed as fourth? Huh. I wonder what could have possibly convinced Allie to do such a thing," she giggled into her hand.

"Hopefully she behaves. But knowing my Allie, she most likely won't," she sighed, shaking her head as she entered the walk-in closet to put the dress away before exiting Allie's room.

I hope you have a plan Seth. As you know, my daughter is a handful. But you're a smart young man, you'll think of something, thought the queen as she made her way down the hall and out onto the balcony.

Allie arrived in Ambrette Town and was relaxing on the beach with Thomas. To show off her figure, she wore a bikini with a top that resembled two Ultra Balls. Her bottoms were matching as well. She sported sunglasses and a sun hat, and was laying on her back on a towel.

Thomas opened the cooler and pulled out two bottles of sparkling mago berry juice and handed one to Allie.

"Mago berry? You have good taste Thomas," Allie cooed, snapping the top off and taking a swig.

"I remember you telling me that you liked them, so I went and bought a few," Thomas shrugged.

"Well, it was a nice surprise. By the way, if you've acquired your badge already, why did you come back here?" Allie inquired curiously.

Thomas smiled and reached for his bag. Opening it, he pulled out what appeared to be a fossil of sorts.

"I searched high and low for this. But I managed to get my hands on something that could bring back an Aerodactyl," Thomas beamed with pride.

"Extraordinary! When shall we do it?" Allie inquired.

"Before the day's end. Say...one hour from now?" Thomas replied.

"Hmmm...perhaps two? I'm rather famished. I simply must have something to eat," Allie remarked.

"Two hours it is then. Shall we go eat?" Thomas responded, standing to offer the princess a hand.

"Yes, let's," she said with a bright smile, taking his hand so he could pull her up.

The duo headed back to Ambrette Town to dine, and soon after, the Fossil Lab.

"Well, this has been fun. That museum was so interesting!" Shauna exclaimed.

"I concur," Trevor nodded. "There were so many cool artifacts. I might just go back."

"You and me both, Trevor," Serena chimed in.

"Hey Seth, any word on meeting up with Allie?" Shauna asked curiously.

Seth quirked a brow at the question and shook his head.

"Not a clue. All I know is that I'm fourth on the list, so it'll be pretty darn soon," Seth replied.

"Yikes! That is soon," Tierno inputted.

"Too soon if you ask me. I'm honestly not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing," Seth muttered.

"Don't sweat it bro. Just focus on your journey and getting that next badge!" Tierno said enthusiastically.

Seth smiled and nodded.

"I suppose you're right. She might not get to me for another week or so. In the meantime, I'll stay focused on training until then," Seth responded.

"Sounds like a plan," Serena stated. "Hey Trevor? How much farther until we reach Ambrette Town? I wanna hit the beach."

"It'll be about three hours from now. Sixteen miles is pretty far so it'll take us a while," Trevor reminded her.

"That's fine by me. It'll give me a chance to catch something else in time for the gym battle," Seth replied. "And I think I know exactly what I have in mind," Seth grinned.

The group continued down the road that passed by the Parfum Palace walkway. It would be a while before they reached Ambrette Town.

Another chapter in the books. Seth and Mathilde have a little spar which is always fun to see. Thank you to all who have read this book and supported me so far. I am going to come out with content each week as my schedule is slightly more freed up than it previously was. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to vote and comment if you wish. I accept constructive criticism and any suggestions that are made.

See you all in the next chapter!