Author's Note:

Hi all. Yep, long time no update again. I'm not going to bother with explaining it...just a hell of a month. Hopefully on the right track now...but I've said that before. Thanks for the patience, though.

Anyways, a couple of questions about the last few chapters. Just wanted to clarify how I'm thinking when it comes to some of these battles. First of all, Pikachu's loss a few chapters ago. Won't get into whether or not it should have happened, but the idea was Ash not fighting in his right frame of mind, which to me affects the Pokemon's success over something like a power level. However, I made sure Pikachu was hit by a few Metal Sound attacks before that Zap Cannon. He was left very vulnerable. So...this is all part of the reason for a relatively quick turnaround when it came to the battle with Flint, despite Hawlucha being less of an "ace" for Ash. Ash was more prepared, fighting on his terms. And the battle was barely started. Hawlucha had a strong showing, but wasn't necessarily going to win.

Hope that clears some stuff up. On to the chapter.

Chapter 31: Absol-ute Recovery:

Ash could barely sit still as he, Pikachu, Serena and Riolu sat at the back of Reggie's class, anxiously waiting for his lesson to finish. Clemont was with them as well, but he seemed fairly busy trying to control the squirming Skitty, who clearly wanted to be back with Shauna at the moment. Ash felt bad for his friend as he glanced at the Kitten Pokemon attempting to claw her caretaker's hands, thinking of how difficult it had been to separate her from Shauna that morning. Of course, it wasn't like Riolu had been easy to handle so far, but at least he seemed quite fond of both Ash and Serena.

Ash turned his gaze to the baby Aura Pokemon, who was staring around the classroom curiously, looking at the various pictures, notes and Pokemon breeder equipment everywhere. Ash could see that Riolu's body was tensed up, and knew he had to be ready in case the curious Pokemon ran off again. The past week had definitely not been a walk in the park with his desire to see...everything. The only ones who were capable of keeping him back seemed to be Absol and Hawlucha.

The thought of Hawlucha brought Ash's thoughts back to his interrupted battle with Flint. It was definitely fortunate that Hawlucha had been so quick to act, despite already having taken a few hard blows from Infernape and being fairly worn down. Although Ash was fairly sure that battle could have still gone on a little longer, as it had only just seemed to be heating up when Riolu had jumped onto the field. He wasn't too upset by it, however. In fact, he had been happy enough to get a taste of his regular feel for battling. He may not have been quite on Flint's level, but he was seeing things far more clearly, understanding the opponent, rather than fearing and over analyzing himself, and understanding Hawlucha, rather than worrying how Infernape might control the battle.

Ash knew he still needed to be sharper, more prepared and more assertive in his battles as he often had been before. Alain, Anton, Sumato...they were all skilled trainers, but, as Dawn would say, there was "no need to worry." He just needed to approach things the way he always did. Pikachu and the others were always stronger when he and them were on the same page, doing what they loved. And Riolu would be no different. Whether he went down the path of performing with Serena, or battling with Ash, he'd learn to be one with his trainer.

"And essentially, that's how Phione are bred. Make sure to remember that, because it will be on the written exam." Ash nearly stood up from his seat, suddenly realizing he hadn't heard anything in the past few minutes. He looked up at Reggie nervously, relieved to see that he hadn't noticed. However, a quick glance in Serena's direction showed that she had, as she was giving an exasperated shake of her head, while Pikachu sighed, staring up at his trainer from the desk.

Ash then focused on Reggie carefully, ready to listen to every word he could, before noticing everyone packing up their bags as Reggie went to sit behind his desk. "Um...Serena? Uhhh...?"

"We're picking what we're going to have Riolu do for the exam, remember?" she answered, patting the baby Pokemon gently. "You sure you're still okay with the Performance?"

"Oh...right," Ash quickly rubbed his eyes, trying to get his focus back. It didn't matter how well he felt back in battle if he couldn't focus on the outside world at the moment. "Yeah, sure. I mean, he seems to have enjoyed watching you practice, and considering the whole thing with Flint, I wouldn't want him to overdo it."

"Rururu!" Riolu cheered, obviously willing to do whatever his trainers thought was best. He certainly hadn't been hard to please thus far.

"Well...if you say so," Serena said, seeming hesitant. "I'm happy with battling too, you know."

Ash smiled, knowing Serena clearly preferred the Performance. Not that he thought she wouldn't be able to handle herself with the battle, but this seemed like the best option for everyone for the time being. Besides, it worked out well with what Agatha, Flint and Fantina wanted them to work on. Ash had a feeling he'd be able to learn a lot by creating a routine with Serena and Riolu. "Let's just make sure we do our best and let Riolu enjoy it."

Serena was silent a moment, before her own smile came to her face. "Of course," she assured him, while Riolu gave another little cheer.

They waited a couple of minutes as Reggie called up a few students to get their requests for what they'd like to do with their own Pokemon. Ash saw Clemont go up to Reggie's desk, Skitty finally staying still within his arms. Surprisingly, Shauna and he had decided to try a Contest battle, seeing it as a good halfway point between their respective fields. Ash was definitely looking forward to seeing how that played out. Those two had some pretty well trained Pokemon, so he knew they'd be able to pull something good off.

A couple of people were called up after Clemont, and then finally, Reggie looked over to Ash, Serena and Riolu and called them over. "Well, congratulations you two. It took awhile, but it looks like everything went okay with Riolu's hatching."

"Yeah," Ash agreed happily, as Riolu stared curiously at Reggie. "He hatched when we got back from Shalour City. Did you hear what almost happened with Flint's Infernape?"

"I did," Reggie nodded, leaning forward to look at Riolu, before gently patting his head. "Good thing your Hawlucha acted so quickly. I expected this one to be pretty hyperactive, but not that much."

"I think he's just curious about everything," Serena pointed out. "He really likes exploring and watching everybody train."

Reggie nodded, silently looking over Riolu as Serena spoke. "Well there's nothing wrong with curiosity. Just be careful, okay Riolu?" Ash was surprised to see the Aura Pokemon give Reggie a serious look as he nodded. "So," Reggie continued, "have you two decided what you and Riolu will be doing for the exam?"

"Yeah," Ash said excitedly, looking up at Pikachu on his shoulder, the electric mouse smiling. "We're gonna try doing the Performance."

Reggie raised an eyebrow at that, looking at Serena for confirmation. "Riolu seems interested, and Agatha and Flint have encouraged the Battle Team to try some different ways of working with their Pokemon," she said, shrugging.

"Well in that case, good luck to the three of you," Reggie said, noting down their choice. "And just so you know, you will be permitted to use one other Pokemon in the Performance to help out."

With that, Reggie sent them off, and Ash, Serena and the two Pokemon made their way out of the room and out of the building. It was somewhat chilly outside, and it suddenly hit Ash how close they were getting towards the end of the first semester and their Winter break. Once their match with Coumarine was over in a couple of weeks, they'd be starting exams soon after, and then he'd be off to Kanto for the break. He was looking forward to seeing his mom, Professor Oak and all his Pokemon. He would miss his friends, though, even if it wasn't for long.

"Brrr...it's getting cold," Serena noted, a gust of wind blowing over the two of them.

"I thought Snowbelle City was the only cold place in Kalos," Ash said jokingly as they started walking. "I don't usually see too much cold weather when I'm travelling. I guess I avoid it pretty well unless I'm in the north."

"The weather's is fairly consistent in Kalos, but we get a little bit of Winter weather around here this time," Serena explained. "I've never actually been in Lumiose City to see it when there's some snow, though, so that will be nice. Maybe Clemont can get us to the top of Prism Tower to see the view."

Ash nodded, quickly glancing around to see if Clemont was around. He supposed the inventor had made sure to set off to get Skitty back to Shauna as quick as possible. It was too bad, since Ash had been hoping to train with him a bit before their practice with Agatha and Flint later on. That made him think of an idea, though. "Hey Serena, you wanna have a battle? It might be a good way to get Riolu to see some differences in how you work with your Pokemon. We have a bit of time before our next classes."

"Oh..." Serena looked away, appearing a little disappointed. "Well, Nurse Joy wanted me to come by for an update about Absol, so I was going to head over to the Pokemon Centre quickly. Maybe if we have some time after that, sure."

"Okay, cool. I'll go with you. I was planning to get the team a quick checkup today anyways." Serena seemed happy with that, so they set off at a quicker pace, eager to make as much of their time as possible.

It didn't take too long to get to the Pokemon Centre. The streets were fairly empty, so their path was fairly clear. When they arrived, Ash quickly noticed Marie heading in through the front entrance and called out to her. She looked quite excited about something, but waited, smiling at Ash and Serena as they approached, her Happiny staring at them from her arms.

"You're here about Absol, right Serena?" Marie asked, stepping forward to pet both Pikachu and Riolu, the latter now being held by Serena. Marie had a glint in her eyes like she knew something was up, but Ash didn't comment, having a feeling it was something better left until they got inside.

Serena nodded, also apparently deciding to wait for answers, and the three of them made their way inside. Nurse Joy was at the front desk, and she looked up as they approached, exchanging a knowing smile with Marie. "Hello you three," she greeted them, noticing Ash with his pokeballs in hand and signalling her Wigglytuff to bring over a tray. "It's a big day today, Serena," she added, looking over at the honey-blonde Performer as Pikachu hopped onto the cart Wigglytuff brought over, Serena placing Riolu next to him. "Would you like to see Absol? We've got some news."

"Sure," Serena said, looking a little excited, but also a bit nervous like she didn't want to keep her hopes up. Ash placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile, though, and she took a deep breath as Nurse Joy led them through to the back.

Wigglytuff led the way putting Ash's pokeballs into a machine with all kinds of weird lights, Marie helping out with Pikachu and Riolu. Nurse Joy then called Serena and Ash over towards the room that Absol had spent much of the last couple of months in. And when they entered the room, Ash could immediately tell something good was happening. Sitting near the door, looking more happy than he'd ever looked before, was Absol. Somehow, the joy in his eyes made him look even healthier than his standard recovery had made him look. Ash could already tell what the good news was, and he looked towards Nurse Joy, waiting excitedly for her to tell Serena.

"I must admit, Serena, hearing about Absol's incident in Shalour City was concerning. I was almost certain that it would have led to a setback." Nurse Joy gave Absol a stern, but also somewhat sympathetic look. "It was dangerous to run off on your own, Absol. I know you were scared, but to truly recover, you will need to face fears that prevent you from overcoming your past."

"It was a little overwhelming for him with all the people and noises at the match," Serena pointed out. "I'm sorry, I should have thought about that. It might've been too soon for him to come with us, but still, I think we all learned a lot from it."

Nurse Joy paused, looking at Absol thoughtfully before continuing. "It may have been better to take a few more precautions, yes, but Absol, I think it was good for you to get out into the world. You and Serena have definitely been watching a lot of those performances on TV, so getting to see them for real was a good experience. I understand that it was a little too much all at once, though." She took a deep breath then, and looked at Serena. "That's part of why I wanted you to come today, Serena."

Serena glanced at Ash, who shrugged, curious himself as to what Nurse Joy was getting at exactly. "What do you mean?" Serena finally asked, looking over at Absol, before returning her gaze to Nurse Joy.

"Absol's ready, Serena," Joy finally said, smiling at the stunned look on Serena's face. "I've wanted to be overly cautious with him, due to severity of his injuries when he first arrived, but under your care, he's recovered to the point where, although he might never be as strong as before his ordeal, he can live as normal a life as possible. And in this case, living that normal life, I think, should involve being with a trainer, a loving trainer, that can help him stay active, healthy and work towards a dream." At this, Absol made his way over to Serena, standing by her side, looking up at her with a determined expression. "His physical injuries aren't enough to hold him back, and with you Serena, his mental injuries can heal."

Ash watched this all in silence, surprised at the confidence Nurse Joy was showing in Serena. He supposed he didn't really get how much Serena had been focusing on Absol the last couple months. He'd been in his own foggy state. Now, though, he could really see it. Absol looked at Serena in a way that it had seemed he would never look at another human again. Those hunters had broken him, and Serena had so nearly fixed him. But whatever had caused him to run away during her Performance in Shalour City, they needed to overcome that problem together. And, it seemed that Absol knew it. He trusted Serena to show him the beauty of a world that had been so cruel to him.

Serena finally knelt down, looking Absol in the eyes, finally smiling that smile she could bring to anyone's face during her performances. She slowly reached into her bag, bringing out a pokeball and carefully holding it out to Absol. "Absol," she started, sounding a little unsure now, despite her smile, "do you...do you want to work together? Do you want to perform together, and make the world a happier place?"

The Disaster Pokemon clearly didn't see this as a disaster. He was full of hope for the first time in a very long time. He raised his paw, not needing to make any noise or signal of acceptance, except for one thing. He pressed his paw to the pokeball, the capture device immediately opening up as a red beam of light engulfed Absol. In seconds, the red energy was pulled back into the pokeball, which closed immediately, shaking once before a soft ding signalled that Serena had herself a new Pokemon. She quickly stood up, staring in shock at the pokeball, before finally holding it up in excitement.

"I caught an Absol!"

"Piplup, finish off with Ice Beam and Bubble Beam!" Dawn yelled, jumping into the air as she called out the order.

The Penguin Pokemon seemed to mimic his trainer's actions, jumping up just as his opponent, a speedy little Growlithe, sent a scorching Flamethrower underneath him. He easily avoided the flames and then opened his beak wide, sending the icy beam of energy down towards the fire type. Dawn's opponent, a girl with hair as bright orange as her Growlithe's fur, called out for a dodge. Dawn smirked, having expected just that, and knowing Piplup knew what to do.

"Piiipluuup!" Piplup screeched, landing on the ground as Growlithe slid to the side, the ice forming on the ground in front of Piplup. The Penguin Pokemon then launched himself forward, hitting the ice and sliding as he faced a stunned looking Growlithe. He opened his beak once again and unleashed a barrage of bubbles, each slamming all across Growlithe as Piplup slid by.

As Dawn's loyal partner Pokemon came to a stop, Growlithe staggering back from its own position, a buzzer went to her right, near where Tierno and Trevor were standing, watching the match with excitement. The little scoreboard, a Clembot-style computer judging the battle, on the small training field they were on showed a dominant result for Dawn, with her opponent down to zero points, while she still held over three quarters of her own.

"Yeah! Way to move and groove Dawn and Piplup!" Tierno cheered, as the orange-haired girl returned her Pokemon, calling out a congratulations to Dawn before making her way off the field and out of the training facilities.

Dawn grinned at her friends, kneeling down and high fiving Piplup as he came back to her. "Would one of you two like to battle?" she asked the two boys. She was feeling pretty good now, having won three matches in a row, and still with plenty of time to train before her next class, she wanted to keep going.

Tierno looked like he was about to accept her challenge, clearly interested in seeing if he could repeat his success against her that he had during the tryouts for the IPL, but surprisingly, Trevor was quick to speak up. "I'd like to try out a Contest battle," he said, pulling out a pokeball, glancing at Tierno quickly and then back at Dawn. "I'd like to see if a few things I've been working on with Charizard that Flint has helped me out with might work."

Dawn nodded, gesturing for Trevor to take his place on the opposite side of the field. She could see that Tierno was anxious to get to training as well, but it seemed both of them were curious to see what Trevor might have in store. Dawn hadn't seen him battle that much, but his IPL performances had been less than impressive, even considering that none of them had managed to pull out a win. His efforts in the tryouts had seemed to be fairly impressive, though, so she knew he could at least be a threat if she didn't have her guard up. And fighting a Charizard, even if Trevor wasn't likely to mega evolve it, would be an interesting challenge for sure.

When Trevor finally took his place on the other end of the battlefield, he pulled out Charizard's pokeball, looking a little nervous as his other hand fiddled with the camera around his neck. "Don't go easy on me, okay Dawn. If Charizard and I are going to learn anything from this, it'll be with you at your best." With that, he threw out his pokeball, his Charizard emerging with a roar in a flash of light, hitting the ground with a thud.

Dawn took a deep breath, surprised at the determined look in the Flame Pokemon's eyes. That extra work with Flint certainly seemed to be giving it some confidence. "This definitely won't be easy, Trevor," Dawn assured him, smirking as she pulled out her next pokeball, Piplup taking his place at her side. "Quilava! Spoootttlight!" she yelled, tossing the pokeball into the air, where it burst open, Quilava emerging and rolling through the air, before landing on the ground and spinning to face the much larger fire type in front of him.

"Watch out for Quilava's speed, Trevor!" Tierno called out, obviously deciding he was going to try and coach Trevor through this. "Charizard's strong, but that won't always win the match for you in a Contest Battle."

Dawn narrowed her eyes at that. She knew she needed to strengthen up her Pokemon, despite what Tierno was saying. They'd been overwhelmed a few times lately, including in their match against Tierno. Perhaps battling Trevor's Charizard was a good start in making sure she was ready for anything.

Both Dawn and Trevor waited a moment as Tierno set up the timer on the scoreboard, and as he prepared to get it started, both they and their Pokemon tensed up, ready to battle. Dawn could see a few other Lumiose students gathering near their battlefield, noticing the match about to start, but ignored them, only wanting to focus on the battle. In this case, Tierno was right. Quilava's speed would be an advantage, but she'd have to be careful. Trevor clearly had a few things he was going to try out.

Ding!

"Charizard, start this off with Dragon Claw!" Trevor ordered immediately, pointing ahead as the Flame Pokemon flapped his wings, bringing his claws up just before he charged forward.

"Quilava, Smokescreen! Then out of the way with Flame Wheel!" Dawn countered, smirking as she noticed Trevor's immediate strategy with this battle. Like Ash, he was hoping for a quick, in close strike to get the momentum on his side.

"Lavaaa!" Quilava cried out, flames covering his body as he sent thick, black smoke between him and Charizard, before sending himself within it, rolling through with Flame Wheel. Dawn narrowed her eyes, watching Charizard quickly fly up, hovering above the smoke, proving more cautious than she thought, not charging into the smoke. She glanced over at the scoreboard, seeing Trevor's points had dropped a bit from Quilava's quick evasion, but she knew she'd have to make the next move, as Quilava had to act before the smoke cleared.

"Quilava, Swift! Let's go!" she commanded, watching Trevor for a reaction. Then, as the golden stars started shooting up out of the smoke, the first few striking Charizard in the chest before he flew out of the way, Dawn could see him smirk.

Trevor's points dropped a little more, putting him down to about eighty percent of his counter, but clearly he wasn't bothered with that, as he quickly called out his next order. "Charizard, Fire Spin! Surround the smoke!"

The smoke was clearing as the swirling flames hit the ground, but Trevor's plan seemed to have worked, the flames blocking Dawn's view of Quilava, and leaving the Volcano Pokemon vulnerable with the smoke cleared. She saw her points drop a bit, and she smiled, glad to see Trevor was proving more than just a battler, and also capable of Contest-style strategy.

Charizard roared loudly, and suddenly launched himself down, just as Trevor pointed ahead and made his next order. "Dragon Tail! Use it to hold onto Quilava!" Dawn's eyes widened at that, but she couldn't see through the flames, her eyes watering a bit from the heat. All she noticed was a green glow, before hearing Quilava shout out in surprise, before Charizard burst through the flames and into the air, his Fire Spin withering underneath him. His tail was now wrapped around Quilava, who looked stunned and quite scared to be in the air. "Now spin and use Fire Spin around yourself!"

Another roar from the Flame Pokemon and he began to act, opening his jaws wide, the flames immediately bursting forth. He spun like a drill, keeping his glowing tail wrapped tightly around Quilava, who Dawn noticed just seemed to be holding on for dear life. The flames suddenly began swirling around the two fire types in midair, spinning ever faster from Charizard's efforts. The little green glow from his tail appeared like a green ring at the top of the spinning column of flames.

Dawn clenched her fists, hearing Piplup murmuring in concern for his friend in the air. She was not going to let Trevor take over this battle that easily. This was her stage. Maybe Trevor was stronger in a traditional battle, and that was helping him overwhelm her a little, but she could overwhelm him as well. She still wanted to be a Top Coordinator, and if that was the case, she'd have to get herself out of jams like this, whether it was against Trevor, Dusk, Casey, Tierno, whoever.

She glanced again at the scoreboard, seeing her points drop slightly below Trevor's, and she knew she had to make a move. "Quilava, use Swift!" she yelled, knowing it likely wouldn't do much to Charizard, but knowing it would get her the momentum she needed and move the pieces in place.

"La...va!" Quilava seemed to cough out, struggling against Charizard's hold on him, but still, somehow, managing to release a stream of golden stars that battered against the spinning flames, exploding into golden sparkles that broke through the Fire Spin and surrounded the flames.

"Whoooaaa! Nice one, Dawn!" Tierno shouted, looking up in amazement at the successful Fire Spin disruption. "Better watch out, Trevor."

Dawn could also hear a few of the watching students commenting on her move, noticing the crowd had gotten a little larger with her and Trevor's battle seeming to step up in intensity. Not that it mattered to her at the moment. She was enjoying this, and was ready to see just what else Trevor could do.

"Now Quilava, Flame Wheel and spin yourself out of there!" Dawn shouted, feeling her confidence growing. As Quilava's body was engulfed in flames and he began to struggle against Charizard's hold, Dawn caught sight of the doors opening at the other end of the training facilities, seeing Ash, Serena and Marie entering, the latter spotting the battle and urging the group to make their way over.

"Quilavaaa!" Quilava suddenly shouted out, snapping Dawn's attention back to the air. The Volcano Pokemon was squirming his way out of Charizard's hold, both of them in almost a standstill as they fought midair. Finally, though, Quilava broke through, sliding past Charizard's curled, glowing green tail and spinning back towards the ground, looking like a ball of flames.

When the Volcano Pokemon hit the ground, he skidded backwards, sliding backwards towards Dawn as he dodged a quick Heatwave attack ordered by Trevor. Dawn narrowed her eyes, seeing Charizard closer to the ground, preparing another Fire Spin as Trevor tried to increase the pace of the battle, falling into the trap that many standard battlers did in Contest battles. It was only a matter of time now, and Dawn knew just what to do to frustrate Trevor even more.

"Quilava, spin and use Swift! Counter Shield!"

"Lava!" Quilava shouted out happily, clearly enjoying himself now that he was free of Charizard's hold. He spun quickly, sending the golden stars up to clash with the incoming Fire Spin in a swirling golden spiral. The attacks collided with golden, red and orange sparks shooting out like fireworks and raining down on field. Quilava came to a stop and stared up at his opponent, ready for the next stage of the battle.

"Now, Flamethrower, full power!" Dawn ordered, hoping to draw Trevor in one more time.

He quickly fell for her trap, pointing forward and ordering a Heatwave attack straight down to meet Quilava's Flamethrower head on. Charizard roared loudly, flapping his wings and buffeting those below with a small gust of wind. Then, he and Quilava sent their fiery attacks towards one another, the two meeting midair, creating a scorching heat around the battlefield.

"Now-"

"Stop and use Dragon Claw!" Trevor acted quickly, surprising Dawn with his quick move. Charizard was just as fast, ending his attack and swooping down past Quilava's flames and striking him with a glowing green claw, sending the Volcano Pokemon flying back. "Trap it with Dragon Tail, one more time!"

"Smokescreen!" Dawn ordered quickly, but it was no use, as Trevor was quick to order a hard flap of Charizard's wings to clear the smoke, getting a gasp from the growing crowd. Tierno seemed the most shocked and excited, complimenting Trevor's "great sense of rhythm". Dawn wasn't done yet, though, knowing she needed to act quick to keep Quilava at a distance. "Roll over him with Flame Wheel!"

"Quil quilava!" Quilava's movement was impressive, the flames shooting up around him as he leaped forward to engage Charizard, who approached quickly with his glowing green tail. The Volcano Pokemon timed it perfectly, narrowly rolling past Charizard's tail and then up over the Flame Pokemon's head.

"And now Swift!" Dawn ordered, knowing she had the match now.

With Charizard's back turned to Quilava, stumbling forward from his missed attack, the finisher was easy. Still in midair, Quilava sent the golden stars raining down on Charizard's back, causing the larger fire type to slam into the ground with a thud.

Bzzz! Dawn pumped her fist, looking over at the scoreboard and seeing Trevor's points drop to zero, and her own counter at about forty percent. She knew it was a closer match then that, though, and looked at Charizard, wondering just what it could be capable of after a bit more training.

After some applause for the battle, the crowd began to disperse, heading off to train on their own or watch other battles going on. Dawn just sighed in relief, glad that she'd been able to pull out the win. She'd been struggling far too much against more direct battlers lately. It felt good to control the flow of a Contest battle a little more like that.

She smiled as Quilava came rushing towards her, looking ecstatic about his victory over the more intimidating fire type. Dawn wasn't so sure how the match would've played out if it was a regular battle, but she was definitely impressed with her fire type's performance. He'd been in top form for this battle.

"Hey guys, great battle!" Ash's voice suddenly broke through her thoughts, and Dawn looked up to see him and the others making their way towards her, Trevor checking on Charizard off to the side with Tierno. "Too bad we didn't see all of it, but wow, looks like Quilava and Charizard are a lot stronger," he commented, Quilava straightening up at his praise, looking quite proud.

"Yeah, some of those moves were really beautiful, Dawn!" Serena said excitedly, admiration in her eyes. "I'd really like to learn how to pull off moves like that during a battle. Even for a regular Performance, I could probably use some of those techniques."

"Sure, I'd love to practice more with you," Dawn said cheerfully, Piplup nodding next to her. She then glanced behind Serena, looking around for her now often present companion in Absol, only seeing Riolu at her side, between her and Ash. "Hey, where's Absol? Is he doing okay?" she asked, directing the second question towards Marie.

The young Joy smiled, a knowing look in her eyes as she nodded towards Serena. "I think Serena's got something to show you guys," she said, catching the attention of Trevor and Tierno who made their way over, the former recalling Charizard back to his pokeball.

Dawn glanced at Ash curiously, wondering if he knew what was up, but he just smiled, waiting for Serena to speak up. "Well," the Performer started, looking a little nervous as her friends stared at her, "Nurse Joy...she had some good news today." She paused, opening her bag and reaching inside. "It's not going to be easy, but she says that he can start training with me." With that, Dawn knew exactly what Serena was talking about, and a huge smile came to her face as the Performer took out a pokeball and held it up. "Say hi to the newest member of the team...officially."

The pokeball then opened up, a light flashing brightly as Absol emerged in front of his new trainer, standing taller and prouder than he'd ever looked since he'd arrived here in Lumiose City. Dawn and the others looked on in shock for a moment. Of course, she'd expected Absol would eventually join Serena's team, but to think of how far he'd come and for him to already be in a position to officially be a part of her team, it was truly remarkable.

"Wow Serena, that's great!" Trevor exclaimed, holding up his camera and taking a quick picture of Absol, which the latter fortunately seemed okay with. "So you can start working on performances together."

"That's the plan," Serena answered, kneeling down next to Absol and putting her arm around him. "Nurse Joy says it will be good to keep him active now, and expose him to more people and Pokemon in a safe way."

"This is so awesome!" Dawn almost shouted, remembering the little taste of Absol's performing skills he'd demonstrated back when he'd slipped out of the Pokemon Centre to follow Serena. It was definitely going to be interesting to see what he could do after some training. "We've got some time left before our next class, so how about you two try some things out?"

There were some murmurs of agreement from the others, including an excited cheer from Riolu, and Serena and Absol exchanged a glance, both knowing they couldn't resist their first chance to truly train together. "What do you say, Absol?" Serena asked, standing up and looking at the Disaster Pokemon.

"Sol!" Absol answered confidently, stretching out both of his back legs, wincing a little as though still a little nervous about them, but seeming all right, except for looking a little bit stiff. He was ready to go, though and trotted over to the middle of the battlefield, which would be his makeshift stage for the time being. He clearly wanted to give this a try as soon as possible.

Dawn and the others then made their way off the field, standing at the sidelines and looking up excitedly as Serena approached the middle. She pulled out another pokeball, calling out Braixen to join Absol on the stage. Dawn knew that was a good choice, with Braixen's experience sure to be a help to Absol.

"Braixen," Serena said to her partner Pokemon, straightening up as she prepared to start a small routine, "let's start slow for Absol, okay? We want to teach him everything we know, but it'll take a bit of practice, so we need to help him out as much as we can. I know you're the best one to join me in doing that."

"Braixen brai!" Braixen agreed happily, smiling over at her newest teammate, plucking her branch-wand from her tail as she got ready. Absol gave her a small nod of appreciation, but he definitely seemed more interested in getting things started. Dawn just hoped he wasn't too eager.

"All right then," Serena called, her voice shaking a little with nervous energy. Dawn didn't blame her. Working with a new Pokemon could always be a challenge, but this was definitely a unique case. "Braixen, start off with Flamethrower! Jump back and aim up. We'll try something you and Pancham have done a few times. Absol, you use Dark Pulse, and aim for the same spot."

"Sen!" Braixen shouted, flipping back gracefully and aiming her wand upwards. A streak of flames shot out quickly, slicing into the air and bathing the stage in a warm, orange glow.

Dawn immediately turned her attention to Absol, though, curious to see his first bit of action. He hesitated a moment, seemingly considering trying to leap back like Braixen, but deciding to just take a few slow steps instead, before aiming upwards and sending his swirling purple and black jet of energy towards Braixen's flames.

Everyone gasped at the strength of the attack, the effort Absol put into it quite evident. Unfortunately, it didn't pull off the elegance that Serena must have intended, the Dark Pulse slicing through Braixen's Flamethrower and extinguishing it on contact, their combination ending as quickly as it started. For a moment, the three on the stage were quiet, staring at the failed attempt, a few wisps of smoke in the air, until Serena looked over at the disappointed Absol.

"Don't worry, Absol, it was just your first try. Let's try a couple more times."

They ended up trying about six times, along with a double attempt as Absol, growing more frustrated with each attempt, missed Braixen's flames and nearly struck the lights on the ceiling before sending a much weaker shot that simply didn't reach the flames at all. Each attempt seemed like Absol was trying to fix what went wrong with the previous one, resulting in more and more confusion and frustration on his part. His attacks would miss, be too powerful, be too weak, or simply look too simple. Dawn had no idea why it was seeming so difficult for him, considering the small display he'd given in the theatre the day he'd first shown interest in performing. However, while it seemed frustrating for him, and could have been for Serena and Braixen, they kept trying, Serena continually supporting Absol's attempts and not losing patience once.

"Just take it easy, Absol," Serena urged gently, as Absol sent a frustrated Psycho Cut to the ground. "Here, just watch how Pancham does it."

With that, she quickly called out the Playful Pokemon, explaining to him what they were doing, and calling for the Dark Pulse and Flamethrower combination again. Pancham wasted no time in pulling it off perfectly with Braixen, first joining her in creating a shower of purple and red dust that sprinkled the stage, shining in the bright lights of the training facilities, and then making the attacks swirl around each other, as if dancing upwards like they had a life of their own.

Absol watched each combination carefully, studying both Pancham's and Braixen's movements, clearly eager to succeed in his next attempt. Unfortunately, once again on his first try, he overpowered Braixen's flames, extinguishing them on contact. He growled in frustration, pawing at the ground like he wanted to fight with his own attacks somehow.

"Maybe Absol's gotta approach performing a little differently," Ash spoke up, only heard by those at the sidelines, as Serena had Pancham demonstrate for Absol again. "His style might be different. He's got a bit more of a fighting spirit, so maybe his power needs to be expressed more."

Dawn thought on that for a second, her brief battle with Trevor playing through her mind. While she'd managed to eventually control that match, Trevor had certainly made things difficult for her, and it hadn't simply been Charizard's brute strength. Trevor had managed to express Charizard's strength through some unique combinations, trapping Quilava and forcing Dawn to go on the defensive. It hadn't been quite like a standard battle, but it was a way for him to put the match more on his and Charizard's level. If she understood what Ash was saying, he thought Serena needed to make the Performance fit Absol, and not make Absol fit the Performance.

The sound of footsteps behind them had Dawn turn around, and she was surprised to see Fantina approaching, looking pleased to see the group hard at work, or at least supporting Serena in her hard work. Ash and the others soon noticed the Hearthrome Gym Leader, also looking surprised to see her around the training facilities at this time. Before they could say anything, though, she spoke up, looking at Ash briefly before resting her gaze back on Serena, who was now explaining how Pancham controlled his Dark Pulse, although not seeming like she truly knew how to.

"Oui, I believe you are right, Ash," Fantina murmured, smiling as Absol again tried to emulate Pancham and failed. "Zat Absol has proven itself a feisty battler, even if he has not been fighting a traditional battle. Zer is definitely great strength within him."

"Fantina?" Ash asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I was at ze Pokemon Centre," she explained, watching Absol's next failed attempt. "Nurse Joy let me know zat you were coming here to train with Absol. I was curious to see how he looked. It seems he's as much a battler as most of your Pokemon are, Ash."

"Do you think he can use that in a Performance, though?" Dawn asked, trying to think of how she might use Absol in something like an Appeals Round. "His style seems to be different from Serena's, even though he seems to admire how she and her other Pokemon work together."

"It's like two dancers out of sync," Tierno pointed out, sounding surprisingly serious with the remark.

"Perhaps Serena just needs to understand Absol's spirit in a different setting," Fantina suggested. "She has been so focused on his healing, zat she sees him as more delicate than he truly is. Ze battle spirit is strong in him, however, and for ze two of them to move forward, zey must bring it out. I think it will prove useful in zer future performances."

"You think Absol needs to battle?" Ash asked, looking dumbfounded. Dawn had to admit it seemed a little strange, too. Absol had only just been cleared by Nurse Joy. On the other hand...he must've been cleared because he was ready. Even for something like this.

"Oui! You know as well as I, Monsieur Ketchum, that a battle can help a trainer and their Pokemon understand one another far better. Absol is ready. He just needs to believe it, along with his trainer." With that, Fantina stepped forward, calling out to Serena, the latter looking up in surprise as the Hearthrome Gym Leader stepped up onto the battlefield (as Dawn was fairly sure it wasn't a stage anymore). "Madame Serena," Fantina called cheerfully, "I have a little challenge for you."

"You want...to battle? Battle...Absol and me?" Serena was stunned, and definitely unsure about how to proceed. She and Absol had only been doing some harmless Performance training, with very little strain on him. She wasn't very interested in risking him hurting himself in a battle. Particularly against a strong opponent like Fantina.

"Oui," her Performance coach replied. "I understand your concerns, but from what Nurse Joy has told me, Absol is physically recovered. He may not be at full strength, but he should be capable of fighting in a training battle at ze very least, if only to get his confidence back."

"I don't know," Serena whispered, glancing at Absol, who was watching Fantina curiously. Her eyes then went to her friends, seeing Ash look surprisingly unsure himself, clearly not knowing how safe it was, but also in agreement that a battle would be useful in helping Serena and Absol to figure out one another's styles.

"Nurse Joy knows what she's doing Serena," Marie pointed out, bringing Serena's attention to her. "If Absol thinks he can do it, he can. He can't ever fully recover without testing his strengths. He might not be the strongest he's ever been, but he's a fighter, like Fantina says."

That seemed to be enough for Ash, who nodded after a few more seconds of thought. "Absol's shown himself to be strong, Serena. He got a lot of that strength from you. Maybe you can keep that going even further."

Serena took a deep breath at that, unable to hide the smile at Ash's words. She looked once more towards Absol, seeing her newest Pokemon looking determined to see what they could pull off together. He had enough confidence to try this out, so Serena knew she needed to give him the chance, as well as herself. They were a team now, and their journey towards success might mean a few setbacks, but they had to try. "All right, Fantina. I guess...I guess I accept."

As Serena braced herself on her side of the battlefield, watching Trevor make his way to the side as the acting referee, she thought of the first day she'd seen Absol. It had definitely been a tough road to recovery, but it was remarkable how far he'd come. It made her nervous to put him into a battle so soon, but she also knew that if he'd come this far after all he'd been through, his future was wide open.

"All right," Trevor suddenly called out to both Fantina and Serena, "this will be a one on one battle between Fantina and Serena. The winner will be declared when their opponent's Pokemon is unable to battle. Do you agree?"

Serena and Fantina nodded, the latter finally calling out her Pokemon, predictably her Drifblim. Serena knew it was Fantina's best, from what Ash had told her, so it immediately had her on the defensive, ready to wait for an opportunity to strike, rather than attack head on. She held her breath as she waited for the match to begin, just hoping that Absol would be okay. Then, finally, Trevor called for the battle to start.

"Willow Wisp," Fantina ordered immediately, waving her hand forward as though she was a conductor.

As ready as Serena thought she was, that quick action by Fantina froze her. What was she doing? Absol couldn't do this. It was too dangerous. She wasn't a skilled enough trainer to keep him safe in a battle so soon after he'd gotten out of the Pokemon Centre. She could barely register it as Drifblim's body glowed blue, and a blue flame went flying out towards Absol.

"Sol!" the Disaster Pokemon shouted out, bringing Serena's terrified gaze towards him. She then noticed his eyes suddenly glow red, just as he slid to the side, ducking past the blue flame as it struck the ground he'd been standing on, quickly withering away.

"Awesome! Absol knows Detect, Serena! He'll be tough to hit with that!" Ash informed her. She nodded, looking at Absol's legs for any sign of pain. They still looked a little stiff, but if his quick movement said anything, he could make it work. And so could she. Just a deep breath, Serena.

"Okay Absol, let's do this together! Dark Pulse!" Serena finally shouted, truly participating in the battle now. Absol seemed to gain further confidence in that, straightening up and the sending the dark, swirling energy quickly towards Drifblim. Fantina was quick to call a defensive strike, though, an Ominous Wind attack shooting forth in a wall, clashing with the Dark Pulse and exploding on contact.

"Now, use Willow Wisp again!" Fantina shouted, clearly looking to keep Serena on her toes, with no time to come up with a strategy.

"Use Detect again!" Serena countered, smiling as Absol's eyes glowed again, as he leaped over the blue flames this time, landing on his legs with no sign of discomfort. "Now-"

"Psychic! Send ze flames back!"

Serena was too stunned to act, shocked that Fantina was using a move that should have no effect. She noticed too late, however, seeing the blue glow around the flames as they suddenly came flying back towards Absol, striking the Disaster Pokemon in the side and sending him staggering to the right. For a moment, he gritted his teeth, but otherwise looked fine. Then, suddenly, flames shot up along his back, making him roar in pain.

"Absol!" Serena shouted in concern, about to call an end to the battle, almost sure they'd made a stupid mistake in doing this.

"Sol absol," the dark type called back quickly, the flames dying down as he took a deep breath. Serena was surprised, seeing that he had no interest in stopping just yet.

"You can do this, Serena!" Ash called out, Pikachu and Riolu cheering from his shoulders. "Absol's a quick thinker. He may not have his speed just yet, but he can react as fast as you do. Just know where to place your strikes and you'll be fine."

Serena sighed, knowing she had to be sharper and quicker. Just like Absol. She just tried to remember how she and Braixen had battled during the screening when they'd first arrived here at Lumiose University. Serena was obviously more used to Braixen, and understood her more, but this was still similar. Even if this was a regular battle, many of the same things applied. Most notably, the need to react faster. Something which would definitely help during a Performance if she made a mistake that needed to quickly be fixed.

She looked up, watching Drifblim hovering, waiting for Absol to make the next move, and knew Fantina was willing to be more patient now that Absol was burned. Serena knew she was at a disadvantage, but perhaps she could still make it work. "Absol, use Psycho Cut!"

"Counter it with Ominous Wind!" Fantina ordered quickly. Serena smiled at that, knowing just what to do next as Absol's horn glowed pink and he sent his first crescent shaped attack outwards. He sent a few others out, just as Drifblim's purple wind came out to clash with the projectiles, the attacks exploding on contact. However, Serena was already in action, ready to use Absol's instincts.

"Use Detect and get past Ominous Wind!"

"Sol!" The Disaster Pokemon bent low, testing his legs quickly before running forward. He wasn't fast like Pikachu, but Serena was relieved to see that his legs didn't seem to be holding him back too much. His eyes flash as he reached the purple, smokey wind, and then he leaped upwards, flipping just over the top of the attack, putting himself above a stunned Drifblim.

Serena tensed a bit, seeing him midair, but she pushed that aside, trusting that he'd be okay. "Dark Pulse! Then Psycho Cut!"

Absol already had the attacks ready, his horn glowing pink, ready with Psycho Cut as he unleashed Dark Pulse on Drifblim, who tried to evade, but was struck in the side and sent crashing to the ground. Absol then landed, wincing a little as his legs hit the ground, but ignoring it and straightening up to send Psycho Cut forward. However, just as he was unleashing the attack, flames shot up around his body, holding him in place as he grunted out in pain.

"Ominous Wind, Drifblim. Once again!" Fantina called gracefully, looking like she was enjoying the battle.

Serena winced as the eerie purple wind shot forth, striking Absol and sending him sliding backwards. He lay in front of her a moment, appearing to catch his breath, and then stood up, panting. He was determined to keep going. It was a little more stressful for her, it seemed, but she trusted Absol's instincts. She could see what he was capable of, she could understand how he moved. He wasn't at full strength just yet, but Serena could see why Fantina had proposed this battle. Absol's movements weren't quite like her own, or how her other Pokemon worked, but they could still fit a Performance. Serena just needed to adapt, similar to how she'd adjusted to Sylveon's love of dancing.

"Are you all right with continuing, Serena?" Fantina called out, looking curiously at her and Absol?

"I think so," Serena answered, smiling at Absol as he turned to look at her, eyes flashing with excitement. "We're definitely ready to continue."

And as she called her next attack, Serena knew she and Absol were already becoming a formidable team. Aria, Miette, Gabby...they would all need to watch out. And the audiences they'd be performing for, they were all in for a treat.

Author's Note:

So there we have it. Absol's officially on Serena's team. I don't know if it seems too fast, but I'm kind of going by the logic that a Pokemon would heal faster than a regular animal...considering they can be beaten up by each other on a regular basis. And at this point, although still not perfect physically, Absol's focus is more on a mental recovery. Also, didn't want the full battle against Fantina, since it was more about testing a few things out for Absol.

As for the Dawn and Trevor battle, it wasn't as important, but I wanted to show a little more progress for Trevor and hint at a little thing upcoming for Dawn. Hopefully it was enjoyable.

Thanks for reading. I'll make sure the next chapter isn't too far away.