Author's Note:

Hello all, and once again, apologies for the gap in chapters. Got excited with writing the Bonnie story and had a bit of a block on this one. Some important stuff coming up, though, so hopefully it was worth the wait. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 44: The Absol-ute Best

The break from school had been quite nice so far, with no assignments, no rushing to classes, and no stressing over important battles or performances, or just figuring out what to do next. Well, for Serena, there was a part of her wondering about her future, but she had told herself not to think too much on Hala's proposal during the break. For the Performer, this was the perfect opportunity to just enjoy a couple of weeks with two of her friends and spend some quality time with her Pokemon.

The first week hadn't been too busy so far, and Serena and her friends had taken plenty of time to just stroll through Vaniville Town, hang out with her mother's Rhyhorn, and do a few mini training sessions with their Pokemon. Both Shauna and Dawn were staying with her due to their families being busy with work over the holidays, so Serena had done her best to make Vaniville feel like home to them.

It hadn't been too hard, with Grace having immediately taken to Dawn, and already knowing Shauna. The four of them had plenty of fun at meal times, and Grace wasn't strict about various house rules Serena had as a child, knowing it was their break, so it was quite nice for the three girls. Serena could tell that both of her friends were still a little disappointed they couldn't have gone home, particularly Dawn, but they were still making the best of it.

And today, was a particularly interesting day, as Serena and Shauna had asked Dawn to take them through the rules of Pokemon Contest battling from the perspective of a professional. Obviously they were both reasonably familiar with contests at this point, and each had participated in a couple of minor contest battles but they were eager to know what a Coordinator could teach them. Serena had been quite looking forward to it, knowing that Absol had a bit of a battler's spirit, so she thought letting him try out some contest battles would probably be fun for him.

Maybe Absol and I can learn a few tricks before our visitor comes, Serena thought, checking on the clock in the living room of her mother's house before she and her friends set off outside.

As Dawn led the way out, Serena grew more excited about the day ahead, thinking back on the offer she'd received in regards to Absol back in Coumarine City. Much like learning about contests from an expert like Dawn would be beneficial, learning about what else she could do with Absol from an expert would be extremely helpful in the next stage of their journey together. They'd made a great deal of progress so far, but there was much to be done. Hopefully she'll have some good advice, Serena thought, holding Absol's pokeball and thinking about who would be coming later on.

She was going to have to think about that later, however, as Dawn was now running out into the field where Serena used to do much of her Rhyhorn racing training. Piplup was out in front of her, while she was also calling out her Vivillon to join them. Serena and Shauna both stopped a few feet away from Dawn as the Coordinator turned to face them, her Pokemon lining up in front of her.

"So the most important thing you guys should know about contests, is the big difference in judging compared to performances. We're always judged by a panel of judges, even outside the IPL." Dawn paused there, seeing both Serena and Shauna nodding, both knowing that part already. "The most important thing is how points are awarded, though. In performances, you are part of the show with your Pokemon. In contests, the Pokemon is the star. The focus needs to be on them."

Serena knew this as well, with Fantina having taught this point carefully in their Appeals class, but she knew it was worth having Dawn explain it. Sometimes the differences could be a bit confusing, as the Coordinator still needed to be key to the Appeals or Battle round going well. Being a Performer, Serena had been very cautious about her Appeals exam with Absol, knowing that she needed to make sure he was the focus and that she wasn't involved in the same way she usually was. What she was more interested in about, though, was contest battling, remembering the excitement of her screening battle with Braixen.

Dawn knew that Serena and Shauna were both interested in that, though, and immediately looked to the two Pokemon in front of her. "With battles, you're judged similarly, but your moves need to be able to do damage as well. If you only rely on pretty moves, you may gain some ground, but your opponent will be able to wear you down pretty quickly."

"Being so used to performances, that's probably the toughest thing for us," Shauna pointed out. Obviously both she and Serena had some experiences battling at this point, but on the big stage, it would be difficult for both to remember the important differences.

"Well then we might as well practice, right?" Dawn pointed out, backing up to make space between her and the two performers, Vivillon hovering in the air while Piplup held up his flippers in preparation to battle.

"Ohhh I want to go first, is that okay Serena?" Shauna asked excitedly, already pulling out a pokeball. Serena nodded, backing up as she chuckled at Shauna's excitement. She was happy to see Dawn's demonstration with Shauna before trying out a match against the expert herself. "Go Skitty and Ivysaur!" Shauna called out as her two Pokemon emerged.

Dawn looked interested to see what Shauna would do, having already had a few training sessions with her when she'd prepared for her exam with Skitty. Serena knew Dawn would likely win, but she was pretty sure Shauna could pull off a few unique moves. She'd done fairly well with her minor attempts at coordinating so far, so she wasn't completely new to it.

"Okay, let's get started then!" Dawn called out, stepping back enough so there was space between her Pokemon and Shauna's. "You make the first move when you're ready, Shauna!"

"Okay, Ivysaur, use Sweet Scent!" Shauna ordered quickly, clearly excited to get the battle started immediately. "Skitty, when it hits, use Sing!"

Serena was impressed already, seeing Piplup looking a little dazed as the pink dust from Ivysaur's bulb drifted towards Dawn's side of the field, its sweet smell making the Penguin Pokemon lower its guard. Vivillon was clearly ready for it, though, and Dawn wasn't going to let it go on much longer.

"Gust, Vivillon, and Piplup, use Whirlpool when ready!"

As Skitty appeared to be preparing its Sing, Vivillon flapped her wings quickly, a blast of wind shooting forth immediately, sending the Sweet Scent back where it came from. Both Ivysaur and Skitty were too shocked to react, each stumbling from the Gust, before Ivysaur's own attack caused them to become a little dazed, each smiling as they took in the scent. It didn't last too long, however, as Piplup's flippers raised and water began to rapidly swirl above him, before he tossed the vortex forward. It took hold of Shauna's Pokemon, and before she could voice her surprise, her Pokemon were trapped.

"Ivysaur, try to get out with Vine Whip!" Shauna called out, panic in her voice. Serena could see it was no use, though, Ivysaur and Skitty too caught up in trying to stay above the water as it spun them around. Dawn didn't even appear to be done, still preparing to finish off her combination.

"Vivillon, keep using Gust to keep that Whirlpool spinning, and Piplup, hit it with an Ice Beam!"

"Villon!"

"Lup!"

Serena's eyes widened in amazement, watching the two Pokemon working together flawlessly. Vivillon may have been relatively new to all of this, but Dawn had clearly trained her well so far, and her own expertise was shining through the work of the Pokemon in front of her. The Whirlpool seemed to spin faster and faster with each second, and as Piplup's Ice Beam struck it, it shone brightly in the sun, beginning to look like a giant crystal top. Skitty and Ivysaur could still be seen at the top of it, but now they were completely trapped, unable to move at all in the ice.

"Peck, Piplup!" Dawn then ordered, pointing ahead as her partner Pokemon ran forward, beak glowing and extending before he leaped up and struck the spinning ice pool. It shattered upon impact, pieces raining down and sparkling in the sunlight as Piplup flipped backwards, landing in front of Vivillon who blew the pieces further up and away so they wouldn't land on anyone down below.

Serena then looked to Shauna, who watched her Pokemon fall in front of her, stunned by the quick counter and stunning performances by her opponent and her Pokemon. "How...that was so fast," she whispered, staring ahead to Dawn. "I couldn't even react."

Dawn looked a little guilty for her dominant display, but smiled as she quickly congratulated her Pokemon and then turned to Shauna. "Sweet Scent was a good first move, but once you told Skitty to use Sing, I knew I had the chance to go on the offensive. You were focusing too much on making this like a performance. Those moves would look and sound good together, but in a contest battle, they can't be an opening move together, otherwise you'll fall behind."

Shauna looked a little confused, but Serena was sure she understood it enough to get the idea that she needed to focus a little more on the battle side of it. She then looked to her Pokemon in front of her, taking a deep breath as each got to their feet. Skitty, being much younger, looked more tired, but both seemed ready to give it another try, which seemed to impress Dawn.

"Ready to try again?" she asked to confirm, Shauna nodding along with her Pokemon. "All right, I'll go first this time. Piplup, Bubble Beam! Vivillon, String Shot!"

"Skitty, Fake Out! Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!" Shauna quickly countered, narrowing her eyes as she tried to focus as hard as she could. Serena could see Dawn watching closely as well, the Coordinator looking intrigued by Shauna's readiness to try again, and her more offensive technique to start the battle.

It appeared to work, as Ivysaur's Razor Leaf cut through Piplup's Bubble Beam, the bubbles popping and the water glistening in the sun, while Skitty darted forward and leaped up, driving her body into Vivillon before she could use String Shot. Shauna appeared ready to continue, pumping her fist with excitement as she called her next order.

"Skitty, use Sing! Ivysaur, Energy Ball into the sky!"

Serena bit her lip nervously as she watched, seeing Dawn narrow her eyes. It seemed as though Shauna was falling back into her performing habits. "Piplup, Ice Beam on Skitty! Vivillon, blow her back with Gust!"

"Lup!"

Shauna seemed to see her mistake, but it was too late, with Piplup spinning around quickly and striking Skitty with a perfect Ice Beam, the Kitten Pokemon quickly encased within ice. A moment later, Vivillon flapped her wings furiously, just as Ivysaur's Energy Ball began to sparkle in the sunlight, its green light shining upon the Pokemon below. Skitty was sent flying into it, the ice breaking on contact, and the Energy Ball exploding into what appeared to be green fireworks that lit up the shattered ice. Shauna could only blink in surprise as Skitty landed on Ivysaur, the two also looking stunned by another quick counter by Dawn.

"Aww, I did it again," Shauna said, scolding herself as she gave her Pokemon an apologetic look. "Sorry, you two."

"No need to worry, Shauna," Dawn told her, smiling as she congratulated Piplup and Vivillon. "You had a good start, and then old habits kicked in. It happens all the time. You'll get the hang of it."

Shauna smiled in thanks before looking to Serena. "How about you try, Serena? Maybe it would be good to see what you can do."

Serena hesitated a moment, but after an encouraging nod from Dawn, she took a deep breath, giving her own nod of agreement. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

"That's the spirit!" Dawn said excitedly as Serena and Shauna switched places. "Who will you use?"

Serena knew the answer immediately. While Shauna's Pokemon were both performance driven, even with Skitty trying a minor contest battle in her exam, Serena had one that had a bit more of a fighter's spirit, and she had Braixen for guiding the performing aspect of the battle. "Braixen and Absol, let's go!" she yelled, throwing their pokeballs forward, the fire and dark types emerging.

"I figured as much." Dawn laughed out, signalling for her two Pokemon to get in position. "All right, Serena, whenever you're-"

Serena raised her eyebrows in confusion as Dawn paused, wondering what could've distracted her. She then decided to follow her friend's gaze, turning around and seeing Shauna do the same. She smiled when she saw what, or who, it was.

"Hey, mind if I join in?" the person standing behind Shauna said, patting the Pokemon next to her.

It was Astrid, and next to her, was her Absol.

Clemont had been pleasantly surprised when he'd found out that his father had arranged a mini trip for their family in Shalour City. While Bonnie was convinced it was so that Clemont could spend some time with Korrina, Meyer had assured him it was due to a request from Gurkinn to help work on something at the gym there, and that Professor Sycamore was hoping to create some kind of partnership with the schools in the field of mechanics that he'd be helping with. Meyer had still made note of the fact that Clemont would have the opportunity to see Korrina, though, and the Lumiose Gym Leader couldn't help but think that was still a huge reason for them being there. As embarrassing as it was, though, he was still grateful.

Clemont, Bonnie and Meyer had stayed back in Lumiose for a few days of the break, before they'd come on a small plane the previous night, and today, Clemont had made arrangements to see Korrina while Meyer would be working with Gurkinn. Bonnie, despite Meyer attempting to steer her away, had invited herself to join the younger pair. Despite his father's apologetic look, though, Clemont didn't mind too much. Bonnie would likely embarrass him a couple of times, but Korrina did seem to like her, so he was sure the day would still be fun.

So, on the morning after their arrival, Clemont and Bonnie were up bright and early, and after a quick breakfast with their father, they set off to find to meet with Korrina near the Shalour Gym. It was fairly quick, even with Clemont lagging behind as Bonnie ran ahead. So, it wasn't too long before they reached the beach directly across from the gym. Clemont could see that the path that led to the gym was open, but it wasn't necessary to cross, as Korrina was already there, waiting for them.

"Clemont! Bonnie!" the Shalour Gym Leader cried out happily, running forward to greet them. Bonnie reached her first, hugging her excitedly before Korrina rushed over to Clemont, surprising him with a hug of his own. "It's good to see you again. Feels like it's been months since the dance!"

"Yeah, it does seem like it's been awhile," Clemont said, laughing nervously as Korrina backed up a step. He could see Bonnie trying, and failing, to hide her smirk. "So, how's it going here?"

"Pretty good," Korrina said, smiling at Bonnie's Dedenne and lightly petting him. "I've been taking care of that Vivillon I told you about. It seems to be recovering, and Nurse Joy thinks it will get better. The only problem is..."

"It's pretty freaked out, isn't it?" Clemont asked, assuming that it was probably much like Serena's Absol in that sense. Only through countless hours to get him to open up had Serena succeeded in making him more comfortable with people, and even now he was still fairly nervous. "Probably pretty afraid of people at this point."

Korrina nodded, looking out at her gym with sadness in her eyes. "I can't believe what these hunters are doing. These Pokemon are getting seriously hurt, and we don't even know how big of an operation this is. It could even be worse than we think."

"We're going to figure it out, Korrina," Clemont told her seriously, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I know we will." He smiled, realizing that Ash's confidence about these kinds of things seemed to be having an influence on him. "Those hunters won't be around much longer."

"Yeah...yeah, you're right." Korrina took a deep breath and then looked towards the city, before returning her gaze to her companions. "How about you guys come with me to visit Vivillon? It would do it some good to meet some more people, I think."

"Oh I want to see it!" Bonnie cried out excitedly. "We'll help make it feel better, right Dedenne?" she asked her Antenna Pokemon excitedly.

"Nene!"

"Yeah, I'd like to see it. Maybe we can figure something out to help it," Clemont said, nodding as Korrina stepped towards the path to lead the way.

"Great, then let's get go-"

"Bee bee!"

Clemont blinked in surprise as a bolt of electricity suddenly rushed towards him, striking his chest and knocking him flat on his back. He gasped, the wind having been knocked out of him, before scrambling to get up and looking accusingly at Bonnie and Dedenne. "Bonnie, what was that for?"

"It wasn't Dedenne," Bonnie said innocently, before the two of them looked to Korrina, who appeared to be giggling.

"Clemont, it's just someone saying hello!" the Shalour Gym Leader said, pointing to the real culprit.

"Bee bee!"

Clemont couldn't help but smile as his eyes met Elekid's, remembering how it had helped them back when they were looking for Absol. He remembered Korrina having mentioned that it had hung around and helped her out afterwards, so he assumed that's what it wanted to do this time. He got up a moment later, walking up to the electric type and kneeling in front of it. "Nice to see you again, Elekid? How have you been?"

"Bee!" Elekid announced proudly, thumping his chest with his fist. "Bee bee!"

"I think Elekid's really missed you, Clemont," Korrina said, Elekid nodding at her words. "He seems to wonder where you are whenever I run into him."

Clemont was surprised about that, but he supposed he did have a unique relationship with electric type Pokemon. They always seemed to work well with him on his various inventions, and this Elekid had been quite helpful in working with Korrina so far. He was glad to have it on their side. "Well, it's good we'll get to hang out a bit, Elekid. Do you want to come along to see how Vivillon is doing?"

Elekid nodded quickly, clearly eager to go with them, and with that, the group set off to the Pokemon Centre, Korrina in the lead and Bonnie close behind while Clemont struggled to keep up. Elekid stayed back with him, though, and fortunately they didn't get lost behind the two girls, and eventually they reached the path that led to the Pokemon Centre and saw them up ahead. Bonnie called out for Clemont to hurry up, but Korrina stayed patient, and finally he reached them as they stopped in front of the Pokemon Centre.

"Nurse Joy has Vivillon in the back. We can just go straight in," Korrina said, once again leading the way as they entered.

Clemont, Bonnie and Elekid followed her in as she made her way towards the back, each waving to Nurse Joy as she dealt with a trainer at the front desk. As they made their way through the door, Clemont noticed the various rooms that had different Pokemon being cared for. For the most part, they seemed to be there for routine checkups or minor injuries, but as he looked at them, Clemont couldn't help but think of what it would look like if they found the Pokemon that the hunters were holding. It made him feel sick as he thought about it. When they reached Vivillon's room, he didn't feel much better as he noticed the bug type on its bed.

From what Korrina had described of its condition previously, it must've recovered quite a bit, but Clemont could still see the weakness in the Pokemon's eyes as it looked up at them. It appeared to be glad to see Korrina, murmuring something as she approached it, but it definitely didn't have much energy. And when it saw Clemont, Bonnie and Elekid, it appeared somewhat fearful, only calmed by Korrina's assertions that they were friends.

"Hi Vivillon, I'm Clemont," Clemont told the bug type quietly as Bonnie shuffled up next to him. "And this is my sister, Bonnie, and her friend Dedennne. We all love Pokemon, so you don't need to be afraid of us."

"It's true, Vivillon," Korrina told it, lightly petting it. "They're a couple of my best friends, and they're really nice. You'll love them!"

"Ouch, you're in the friend zone, Clemont," Bonnie quickly whispered. Clemont had no idea how to respond to that, face heating up as Bonnie moved forward towards Vivillon. He let it go, though, deciding that Vivillon was more important.

"Bee bee!" Elekid suddenly piped up, walking up next to Bonnie as Korrina encouraged Vivillon to say hi to her. "Bee bee!"

"This is Elekid," Korrina said as she noticed him. "He helped me to find you and get you back from the Pokemon Centre."

Vivillon seemed to somehow know this, possibly recognizing Elekid's scent or something, and seemed to light up upon seeing him. It nodded its thanks to the electric type, before looking over to Clemont, who finally moved forward to greet it. It appeared to be livening up a bit, but Clemont could still see the fear in its eyes, and that it was still a little scarred.

"Bee?" Elekid suddenly asked, looking to Korrina before pointing to Vivillon. He appeared to pretend to be flap imaginary wings as he pointed over to the bug type a few more times. After a few moments of everyone looking at him in confusion, he gestured to the door and pointed once more to Vivillon.

"I think Elekid wants to take Vivillon outside to get it some fresh air," Clemont said, thinking the idea wasn't too bad, but wondering if Vivillon would be up to it. "What do you think?" he asked Korrina, who looked surpised.

"Well...if Vivillon was up for it, and Nurse Joy thinks it's a good idea, maybe it would do some good," she said, looking to the bug type. "What do you think, Vivillon?"

"Vi...vi...villon," the Scale Pokemon answered, looking nervous, but nodding as it exchanged looks with Elekid and Dedenne.

With its agreement to an outing, Korrina then gently picked up Vivillon in her arms, before the group headed out of the room to go and find Nurse Joy. When they found her, she quickly agreed to the idea, thinking it would be very good for Vivillon to try to fly again to get its wing strength back. So, within a few minutes, they were heading outside, Elekid excitedly leading the way with Bonnie and Dedenne.

Korrina suggested that the group head back out to the beach, which everyone else agreed with, considering there was a bit more activity in and out of the Pokemon Centre and they wanted to make things easier for Vivillon. So, they headed back the way they had come previously, and before too long, the Shalour Gym was once again in view. Clemont could see the path was a little narrower with the tide having come in a bit, but they didn't need it, and just stayed towards the edge of the beach.

"So Vivillon, do you want to try flying?" Korrina asked, as they came to a stop by the water, Vivillon looking like it was glad to see the outside again.

"Villon," the bug type said, shuffling a little in her arms before jumping and trying to flap its wings. It didn't seem to work very well, the poor Scale Pokemon wincing as it fell back into Korrina's arms.

"It might be a good idea to try from closer to the ground," Clemont suggested, not wanting Vivillon to fall if Korrina couldn't catch it.

Korrina agreed and gently put Vivillon on the ground, patting the sand to show that it was relatively soft if it fell again. "Don't worry about falling, Vivillon. Just keep trying and you should be able to fly in no time!"

"Me and Dedenne will help!" Bonnie told it, she and the Antenna Pokemon crouching down next to the bug type and showing it what to do, jumping up a bit and flapping their arms.

Vivillon surprisingly seemed to appreciate that, mimicking the two as it tried once more, jumping a little higher than it did before as it gave a little flap of its wings. It seemed to still feel weak, though, only moving the sand a little with the minor flap of wings. It tried again a few more times, not making too much progress, but looking happy to have the support, and determined to keep trying. Eventually, Elekid came over to aid in his own way.

"Bee bee bee!" the electric type said confidently, patting Vivillon gently on the back, before spinning his arms and jumping up, actually appearing to hover a moment before dropping to the ground. Vivillon seemed impressed by that, nodding as Elekid appeared to encourage it to try once more.

"Villon!" the Scale Pokemon then cried out, doing its best to flap its wings as hard as possible. It didn't seem like it was too much, but Clemont could see it was more than before, and he and the others cheered as Vivillon went up in the air briefly before falling to the ground, gasping from the effort.

"Hey that was really good!" Korrina said, looking to Clemont and Bonnie, eyes shining with excitement. "That's some good progress!"

"If you keep practising like that, you should be flying in no time, Vivillon," Clemont said, as Elekid looked proudly at the bug type, nodding in agreement.

With some extra confidence after that attempt, Vivillon continued to try, making a little bit of progress each time. It might not have been what some would've considered a fun day, but to Clemont, Korrina and Bonnie, there were few things they'd rather be doing than helping the injured Pokemon. And by the time Vivillon was done, panting from the effort of its many attempts at flying, the difference was night and day, with the bug type now hovering a couple of feet in the air a few times after a few flaps of its wings.

Eventually, it became clear that Vivillon was too tired to continue, however, and Korrina picked it back up, congratulating it on the progress it had made throughout its training session. "Almost there, Vivillon! You did great today!"

"Bee bee!" Elekid said, nodding in agreement, patting Vivillon on the back again. He looked to Clemont, who also nodded, impressed by the electric type's ability to encourage Vivillon. He doubted Vivillon would've put as much effort in as it did without Elekid.

"Should we head back to the Pokemon Centre?" Korrina asked, glancing down at Vivillon, who was looking between Elekid and Clemont for some reason. Korrina seemed to notice the look, glancing towards Elekid as he stepped forward towards Clemont, raising a fist and smiling.

"Bee bee!"

"What's wrong with Elekid?" Bonnie asked, shuffling over to stand next to her brother, Dedenne scurrying up to her shoulder.

Korrina laughed, causing the siblings to look to her in confusion. "Elekid wants to battle you, Clemont! I should've known he would want to. I think he wants to go with you."

Clemont's eyes widened in surprise at that, looking back to Elekid, who kept up his challenging look, but also smiled and nodded at Korrina's words. "Wha...are you sure? Would everything be okay around here without him?"

Elekid looked a little worried about that too, looking to Korrina to wait for her answer. She nodded, though, waving it off as though it wasn't a big deal. "It seems like there isn't too much more to find around here, but we've got Officer Jenny on high alert if there is, and I've got Lucario and my IPL team to help me out if anything happens. Elekid is better off getting some training from you for when the time is right!"

"You think so?" Clemont asked, feeling his heart starting to race with excitement. It had been awhile since he'd battled and caught a new Pokemon, and he knew Elekid was a tough one. This could be pretty fun. Korrina nodded, looking like she wasn't going to let him go without him battling Elekid, so he looked back at the electric type, his own challenging look on his face. "All right then Elekid. Let's battle!"

"Oh yay! Can I help take care of it if you win?" Bonnie asked excitedly, as Clemont pulled out a pokeball and Elekid jumped back to make some space between them. Korrina also shuffled back, watching with anticipation, Vivillon looking interested from her arms.

"Of course you can, Bonnie," Clemont told his sister, laughing at her grateful look. "But I've gotta catch him first, and that won't be easy."

"Bee bee!" Elekid said in agreement, narrowing his eyes. He was clearly ready to battle, so Clemont prepared to throw his pokeball.

"Grotle, come on out!" he shouted, his grass type emerging in a flash of light in front of him. His gluttonous grass type seemed surprised to be called upon, but as he looked ahead to Elekid, he got into battle position. As tough as he could be to handle sometimes, Clemont knew Grotle was loyal, and he was perfect for this battle.

"Good luck, Clemont!" Korrina called out, winking to him as he glanced towards her. He blushed, grimacing as he noticed Bonnie giggle to herself upon seeing it. He dismissed it quickly, though, looking back to Elekid and readying himself for the battle to start. And, a moment later, the electric type made the first move.

"Bee bee!" the Electric Pokemon cried out, jumping into the air and raising its arms, shining golden stars firing out from them towards Grotle. Clemont and his grass type were surprised, Grotle stumbling backwards from the attack, shaking his head. Clever, Clemont thought, smiling. He knows his electric attacks won't do too much damage.

Clemont was even more determined to win, now, thinking that this was his kind of Pokemon. "Grotle, hit him with Razor Leaf!"

"Grotle!" the Grove Pokemon shouted, sending the razor sharp leaves spinning towards Elekid, the electric type jumping back and sending out Swift once more to block them. The attacks clashed between them, mini explosions occurring as they did so. Clemont knew they needed to do better than that, though, and quickly ordered his next attack.

"Fire a Leech Seed!"

As Grotle aimed towards Elekid, narrowing his eyes, the Electric Pokemon seemed to know he would be in trouble if that attack hit, quickly jumping up and over the flying seed that sped towards him. However, it was just what Clemont was waiting for.

"Bite!"

"Groootttllleee!" Grotle cried out, jumping up and grabbing onto Elekid as he began to drop back down to the ground. The electric type looked surprised, wincing as Grotle bit him, but it wasn't over just yet.

"Now, use Mega Drain!" Clemont ordered, hearing Bonnie cheer as they trapped Elekid.

Grotle didn't fail him, a green glow around his and Elekid's bodies as he began to sap the opposing Pokemon's energy. Elekid cried out, trying to struggle free, but it was no use, Grotle holding him tight with Bite, while taking more and more energy by the second. He still had one last ditch effort in him, though, and he pulled it out.

"Bee bee!"

"Grawww!"

Grotle's mouth opened immediately as Elekid kicked out, knocking the grass type's head aside with a Low Kick. The Electric Pokemon had another move ready, though, electricity surrounding his body before he unleashed it, jumping onto Grotle's back. The Thunderbolt brought Grotle to his knees, and Clemont winced, knowing he needed to act quickly or Elekid was going to take over.

His eyes lit up as an idea came to him, and he glanced back to Korrina and Bonnie, smiling to let the worried girls know he had a plan. When he looked back to the battle, he called out his next order. "Grotle, Razor Leaf straight up!"

"Grotle!" The Grove Pokemon did exactly what he needed to, bracing himself and then firing a barrage of leaves upwards, forcing Elekid to leap up and off of him. Clemont was quick to follow up the order, though, knowing he had Elekid right where he wanted him.

"Leech Seed!"

"Bee bee?"

The seed fired up, striking Elekid in the chest and immediately covering him in vines. He dropped to the ground in front of Grotle, and Clemont could see the green glow that signalled his energy being sapped. He just needed one last attack.

"Grotle, finish this with Mega Drain!"

"Grotle!"

With both Leech Seed and Mega Drain taking his energy, Elekid didn't have it in him to struggle free. As Grotle's body glowed green, the Grove Pokemon standing straighter as he absorbed more energy, it was clear that Clemont had earned the victory. "Pokeball go!" he shouted, tossing the capture device forward as Grotle stepped back, stopping his attack.

Clemont watched in nervous anticipation as the pokeball hit Elekid, opening up and pulling him inside. As soon as it closed, it began to shake. Once, twice and then a third time. Clemont was almost sure it was about to open when it finally stood still and dinged to signal the capture.

"All right!" he shouted, Korrina and Clemont cheering for him as he walked up to Grotle, congratulating him on his good battle. He then picked up the pokeball, smiling at it before clicking it open and calling out his newest Pokemon. After quickly freeing the tired electric type from the vines that still covered him, Clemont looked to him, and knelt in front of him. "Elekid, are you sure you want to come along with me?"

Elekid didn't hesitate, holding out a fist, and bumping it to Clemont's. He was now, a Lumiose Luxray.

"Astrid!" Serena smiled as she ran over to the girl, her friends following her over. "I'm so glad you came. Thanks for coming!"

"No problem," Astrid said, patting her Absol as she glanced over at Serena's. "When you asked me about training tips for your Absol, I couldn't resist the idea of coming over to see how it worked in person. Besides, I'm spending the break going around and battling anyways, so it's not out of my way at all." She then looked over to Dawn and Shauna, noticing their Pokemon were out as well. "You guys doing some training?"

Dawn nodded, picking up Piplup as he waddled over to her. "I was teaching these two about contest battling. Serena and I were just about to have a practice battle."

Astrid looked interested in that, looking to Serena once more. "How much battling has Absol done since you got him?"

"Serena and Absol made it to the semifinals in Professor Sycamore's tournament," Shauna chimed in, Serena blushing at the impressed look they all gave her. "It took Ash to finally beat them."

"That's the tournament where Professor Sycamore was giving a Key Stone to the winner, right?" Astrid asked, looking thoughtful.

Serena nodded. "Yeah, Ash ended up winning it. He's got a few Pokemon that might be able to mega evolve, so I'm sure he could put it to good use."

"Too bad you couldn't win in the end," Astrid said, lightly touching her earring that held her own Key Stone. "Might've been able to find an Absolite Mega Stone, and then you could've mega evolved Absol. I heard a rumour about one possibly being in Kalos, although it would be dangerous to try and get it."

Serena shrugged at that, not too worried about trying something as difficult as mega evolution right now, even if the idea was intriguing. She was sure that Ash would do well with the Key Stone he won. All she wanted to do was make sure she was training Absol to be at his best. "We'll worry about that some other time. We just want to get closer and grow stronger together."

Astrid nodded, although she didn't seem convinced that was enough. "Finding a Mega Stone would be an excellent way to do that. It's a journey that few people and their Pokemon can accomplish. It's how my Absol and I grew so close. You learn a lot about one another."

"How did you find yours, Astrid?" Dawn asked, sounding quite interested.

"I'd heard a rumour of different Absol acting strangely in the Hoenn region, near Victory Road on the way to Ever Grande City. We decided to check it out, and we had to climb a mountain, go through caves, and battle some really strong Pokemon. It was like we were being tested, and then eventually, we reached a stone at the end of a cave that was shaped like an Absol. The Absolite was right there. There were more Pokemon there, but they had stopped battling us by then, and we knew we had passed their test."

Serena laughed nervously, thinking that sounded much too tough for her. "I don't know if we're ready for something like that just yet."

"Don't be so sure, Serena," Astrid told her confidently. "You never know unless you try. We weren't sure until we'd done it, so you might be able to do it as well." She then looked to Dawn, eyes narrowing as she smiled. "Mind if I take over as Serena's opponent, Dawn? I'd like to see just how strong she is."

Dawn's eyes widened in surprise at that, and she looked to the equally surprised Serena. "Um...well...if it's okay with Serena."

"I..." Serena hesitated, looking back to Astrid who smirked, folding her arms as she waited for her answer. It wasn't Serena who answered, though.

"Sol!" She looked down to her left, seeing Absol at her side and looking ahead challengingly, tensed up as his eyes met the opposing Absol's. "Absol!"

Serena couldn't help but smile at that, looking to Astrid as a breeze blew across the field, their hair blowing in the wind like it was some kind of movie. "You're on!"

Shauna and Dawn seemed surprised Serena was accepting the challenge, but as they noticed her and Absol exchanging a determined look, they gave her words of encouragement before she and Astrid put some distance between themselves for the battle. Dawn decided to step up to the sidelines to be the referee, while Shauna and the rest of the Pokemon stood back to give some space.

"So a one on one battle?" Astrid called out as the two trainers got into position, each with their Absol in front of them. "Your Absol against mine?"

"Sounds good," Serena answered, taking a deep breath as she looked to Absol, the Disaster Pokemon nodding back to her. She hoped he was capable of battling such a strong opponent, even if he'd done well in his battles so far. Her own abilities were going to be put to the test as well, though, and she knew she had to be sharp for both of them.

"All right then, whenever you're ready," Astrid told her, clenching her fists as she readied herself for the battle.

Serena nodded, taking a moment before beginning the battle. "Absol, Dark Pulse!"

"Counter with your own!" Astrid shouted immediately, the two Disaster Pokemon unleashing their jets of purple and black energy. They clashed in the middle of the field, exploding on impact and shooting dust and smoke out around them, causing Dawn, Shauna and the Pokemon to back up quickly, coughing.

Not a bad start, Serena told herself, glad that Absol's attack hadn't been completely overwhelmed, although she did notice that Astrid's was clearly a little stronger, pushing Serena's a little further back with its attack. "Okay, use Double Edge!"

"Psycho Cut!"

Once more, Serena's Absol started the attack, rushing forward as a white aura surrounded his body. A moment later, however, Astrid's Absol's horn was glowing pink and a pink crescent-shaped attack went flying forward, aimed right at Serena's Absol's feet. "Sol!" he cried out in surprise, the attack breaking some of the ground underneath him and sending him stumbling forward. That seemed to be the opening Astrid needed.

"Megahorn!"

"Absol!" Astrid's Pokemon cried out, horn now glowing green as he charged, eyes narrowed as he focused on his opponent.

Serena knew she needed a quick counter, and did her best to think as quickly as Ash, her eyes lighting up as an idea quickly came to mind. "Detect!" She felt proud as she noticed the look of surprise on Astrid's face, Absol's eyes flashing as he ducked out of the way of the Megahorn, leaving Astrid's Absol open to an attack. "Dark Pulse!"

"Sol!"

"Quick, Megahorn! One more time!" Astrid ordered, the dark energy forming in Absol's jaws. Her own quickly responded, though, his horn green once more and he slashed it down, blocking the swirling black and purple attack as it rushed towards him from close range. Serena's eyes widened, seeing they were trapped as the attack continued, expanding as it clashed with Megahorn.

Boom!

The Dark Pulse exploded at close range, sending both Pokemon flying backwards, each sliding along the ground towards their trainers. However, Serena could see Astrid's was in better shape, more used to attacks like that. She wouldn't give up, though, knowing that she still had some tricks up her sleeve, and that Absol was determined to win.

"Double Edge, and be ready for a counter attack!" Serena ordered, knowing they needed to be careful of Astrid trapping them again.

Astrid didn't seem to be thinking that way this time, though, ready to have their Pokemon clash head on. "Megahorn!"

"SOL!" the two Disaster Pokemon cried out, tensing up before taking off towards one another. Serena's Absol charged ahead with everything he had, a white aura over his body once more, while Astrid's sped forward at the same pace, its horn glowing green. They clashed again, and strained against one another, before Astrid's gave one hard push and sent Serena's stumbling hard into the ground.

"Shadow Claw, go!" Astrid ordered quickly, her Absol immediately turning towards Serena's its claw covered in shadows as it slashed down.

"Sol!"

Serena winced, seeing her Absol cry out as it was sent flying once more. She knew there was no counterattack to be made, Astrid's Absol already moving to finish the match. "Dark Pulse!" came Astrid's command as her Absol rushed forward, its mouth opening to send the purple and black jet of energy out towards its opponent. A moment later, Serena's Absol hit the ground, and Dawn's call was easy to make.

"Serena's Absol is unable to battle. Astrid and her Absol are the winners!" the Coordinator shouted, before rushing over with Serena to check on the Disaster Pokemon.

"Absol, are you okay?" Serena cried out, kneeling next to him as he slowly lifted his head up. She was relieved as he gave her a small smile and nodded. "You fought really well. That was a really tough opponent and you gave it everything you had."

"That's for sure!"

Serena looked up at those words, seeing Astrid and her Absol approaching, the two of them looking impressed with their opponents. "You guys are an awesome team. Serena, I bet you could do pretty well in a Pokemon League. That Detect move was really clever. I could see the performance training as well. Absol moves really smoothly."

"You think so?" Serena asked, feeling somewhat proud of that as she looked to Absol. "I guess we've been working pretty hard since Absol recovered."

"I think you two have a lot of potential." Astrid absentmindedly touched her Key Stone earring once more, looking to Serena's Absol. "I think you should look into the rumour I mentioned. It might be good for you two."

"You mean...?" Shauna started to ask, looking both excited and afraid as she and Serena met eyes.

"The Absolite," Astrid answered, nodding. "I think it might be in Kiloude City."

Kiloude City, Serena thought, wondering if it was worth it. It would be a lot of work, but maybe it would be a good way to bond more with Absol. If her friends could help her, she was sure she could find it. She remembered the beauty of Astrid's Mega Absol, and couldn't help but imagine her own looking like that, their hearts connected to bring out the transformation. Mega Absol...

Author's Note:

First off, I just need to point out that I got so caught up in writing the dance that I didn't bring up Astrid offering to help Serena. I apologize...that made the first part kind of awkward here. Hopefully the rest of that worked out well enough, though, and now Serena has an interesting and exciting task ahead. I wonder what it may lead to...

And as for Clemont...he's now got an Elekid! I thought it would be a good fit for him, and he's helped out Korrina enough, so I think it's time he moved on. And he's got some more battling to do in the future anyways, so we'll see how that all goes. Hope you like the add.

Anyways, next chapter we have Ash going to Alola, and I know some of you are looking forward to that, so hop on the hype train! And for those who are readers of the Bonnie adventure story, that'll be out in the next couple days or so. Bonnie's first gym battle! Lots to look forward to I hope. See you all in the next one.