Author's Note:

Another chapter has arrived! I cannot be stopped! Anyway, this one's got a variety of stuff, so hopefully it's not too wild. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 49: Clemont's First Date

Clemont was excited and nervous as he sat in class, listening to Flint as he gave his lesson on Movesets, using his Infernape as an example. The lesson was definitely informative, giving Clemont a few ideas, and making him consider a few new moves to work on with his Pokemon. It kept making him think of the weekend's upcoming IPL match, though, and more notably, who was going to be visiting.

It was a big match, both for Lumiose's playoff hopes, and for Clemont personally. Going up against Korrina wasn't going to be easy. Clemont didn't even really know how to feel about it. It felt different from something like his battles with his friends in Professor Sycamore's tournament. It felt different from his last battle with Korrina as well.

The battle aside, though, he had missed Korrina since he'd left Shalour City to go back to Lumiose for school. It had been fun spending some time with her and Bonnie, and catching Elekid with her cheering him on had been a real highlight. He did hope this meeting wouldn't just be about battling, though.

His eyes focused on Flint as he let his mind go back to the class, the Sinnoh Elite Four member appearing to be finishing the class off. "So, as you can see with Infernape, it's great to have a powerful fire type move such as Flare Blitz to put his typing to good use and take it to the opponent when you can, however, you need to also have another option or two for when your opponent is ready for a fire type. Infernape uses speed and force, so you can build around those strengths as well."

With that, he gave a few instructions for a small report for the students to do before the next class, and everyone was dismissed. Ash was up in an instant, looking excitedly to Clemont and Trevor, ready to get going right away. It was definitely nice to have Ash back, Clemont couldn't deny that, but it also meant moving a lot quicker than he usually preferred.

The three of them left quickly, Ash leading the way. Clemont supposed he couldn't exactly blame him, as they were expected to be out front of the Pokemon Centre with the others. Although they needed to head to their dorms first to put on their uniforms. Fortunately, Ash's determination to get ready opened up the space they needed to get through the crowds. Of course, once the other students recognized who they were, they moved aside anyway, knowing they needed to get to their meeting.

When they arrived at the Greninja building, Clemont and Ash headed in, telling Trevor they'd meet him at the Pokemon Centre with the others. They hopped on the elevator once they were inside, and once it reached their floor, Ash led the way to their room. Clemont couldn't help but laugh to himself, thinking of how much Ash clearly wanted to get back to battling in the IPL. He probably wanted to put his training to good use, and after seeing his match with Agatha, Clemont couldn't blame him.

As Clemont got into his uniform, his mind went once more to his own upcoming battle. He knew Korrina would obviously be using Lucario, so he was going to have to have something ready to keep up with it. If Grotle was a bit more trained up, he might've had a good chance, with his ability to draw opponents in and strike hard when he had the chance. Clemont wasn't so sure he was ready for this kind of opponent, though. He supposed it was only fair to give Luxray the second chance, however.

He smiled to himself, wondering if Korrina was planning her strategy around what he might use. I've got to keep my guard up in case she tries to find out my strategies, he thought, laughing the idea away quickly, though.

As Clemont stepped out of his room, he noticed Ash waiting to leave and made his way to the door. As they stepped out, they notice Serena and Shauna down the hall, the two of them both in uniform as well. Serena had her new Popplio that Ash had given her out, too, with a pink scarf around its neck that it seemed quite pleased with.

"Popplio got really jealous of Pancham's sunglasses," Serena explained with a laugh, as she and Shauna set off to the elevators with Ash and Clemont. "She doesn't like being outdone in any way."

"She's just extra determined!" Ash said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You look great, Popplio!"

"Pop!"

Once they'd gone down the elevator, and left the building, Ash seemed a little more willing to slow down, now that they had Serena and Shauna with them. Of course, slow for Ash was still a little too fast for Clemont's liking. Fortunately, he was able to keep up well enough, though, and by the time they reached the Pokemon Centre, he wasn't too out of breath.

They were the first of their team to arrive, although Professor Sycamore and their coaches were there. Clemont assumed that Marie was probably there as well, but just in the Pokemon Centre. When they came to a stop in front of their teachers, Professor Sycamore went up to Serena, looking curiously at her new Popplio.

"So this is the Popplio Ash caught in Alola?" he asked, bending down and looking at the Alolan Pokemon curiously. "Fantina says it's showing quite a talent for performing."

"She seems to be a real natural," Serena said, laughing as Popplio nodded to confirm. "I won't be using her in our match against Shalour, but she'll be watching closely to learn a little more about how everything works, and I bet she'll be ready for the next match."

That didn't seem to please Popplio, and Clemont was a little worried the water type might show its displeasure again as it had a few times, but fortunately, Serena seemed able to keep it calm. Clemont had wished he'd had that ability when Grotle was more wild as a Turtwig.

"So, Ash and Clemont," Flint spoke up, taking their attention away from Serena and Sycamore's conversation. "You guys have your strategies set for your battles yet? I know you've been wondering what to do with Korrina's Lucario, Clemont. I take it you'll want revenge for Pikachu, right Ash?"

"Yeah, Pikachu's got this one, right buddy?" Ash confirmed, smiling up at his partner Pokemon.

"Pika!"

Clemont hesitated, but he nodded. "I'm going with Luxray again."

"A Pokemon with something to prove is a powerful thing," Flint said, nodding. "I'm sure this'll be very different from our last match with these guys."

They talked for a couple more minutes, Ash describing a couple of combinations he was working on with Pikachu, before Tierno, Trevor and Dawn arrived. Once they were there, Marie emerged from the Pokemon Centre shortly after. It was exciting being assembled as a team again. Clemont knew they all wanted to win this and get into the race to make the IPL playoffs.

Ash was the first to see the bus that was obviously holding the Shalour College IPL team. Clemont could feel his heart beat a little faster as it came down the road, slowing to a stop in front of the Pokemon Centre. He'd only talked to Korrina a few times since their trip, so he wasn't sure how to approach the fact they'd be battling once more.

When she emerged, followed by the Shalour Performance Team captain, Dusk, she looked right at Clemont, though, excitement in her eyes. She did the now traditional captain's handshake, though, with her and Dusk greeted by Ash and Dawn, while Professor Sycamore and the Lumiose coaches greeted Gurkinn and their Shalour counterparts.

Once that was done, though, the mood was immediately more casual. While the rest of the trainers mingled, Korrina immediately went to Clemont, surprising him with a hug. "Clemont! I've missed you since you and Bonnie left. It seems like it's been so long!"

Clemont laughed nervously, awkwardly returning the hug before she stepped back a moment later. He caught Shauna smirking at him from behind Korrina, and tried to ignore it as he answered the Shalour Gym Leader. "Yeah, I've...missed you...too." He coughed, trying to straighten himself out. "How's Vivillon doing?"

Korrina smiled at that, appearing quite pleased. "Really well! Flying better every day. I think it'll be able to try some attacks soon enough." She then widened her eyes, looking excited. "How about Elekid? I bet he's already close to evolving into Electabuzz now!"

Clemont pulled out the electric type's pokeball, releasing it out in front of him. "Not quite yet, but I think he's coming along pretty well."

"Bee bee!" When Elekid saw Korrina, his eyes lit up in excitement and he ran up to her, giving her a quick hug himself, before backing away, appearing almost embarrassed.

Korrina didn't seem to notice, though, looking happy to see her old helper in searching the Shalour forests. "You look great, Elekid! I hope I'm not battling you tomorrow!"

Clemont gulped nervously at that, but Korrina seemed pretty excited, looking expectantly at him. He decided he might as well go with the excitement of an upcoming battle as well. "I can't reveal my strategy," he said, adjusting his glasses and smirking.

"Maybe I can figure it out tonight," Korrina suggested, suddenly looking a little awkward herself. "I'd like to look around Lumiose City. It would be nice to have a guide..."

Clemont could feel his face heating up at that, but did his best to keep his cool. She doesn't want to go on a...no of course not! Or...does she? What am I supposed to do? He glanced at Ash, who was talking to his opponent for tomorrow's battle, the two of them looking pretty excited about the upcoming match. What would Ash say? He shook his head. Doing what Ash would do in this situation might not be the best thing. He took a deep breath, realizing that this was something he did want. He liked spending time with Korrina, and if she wanted to spend some more time with him...well, there was no reason not to. He smiled. "Yeah, I'd like to do that."

His confidence was shaken quickly after that, though, as a voice suddenly cried out from behind him. "Korrina! Has Clemont asked you to take care of him yet?!"

As Bonnie rushed up from behind him, Clemont's eyes widened and he turned around, noticing his dad standing on the sidewalk, looking slightly apologetic. "Sorry," he said, chuckling as Bonnie hugged a laughing Korrina. "Bonnie wanted to see you guys." He then glanced away, seemingly avoiding eye contact. "And...er...I've got an errand to run, so if you wouldn't mind watching her..."

"Dad!" Clemont said in exasperation. "We-"

"Oh! Bonnie! Do you want to hang out with me?" He turned back around to see Shauna appearing next to Korrina and Bonnie. Fortunately, Bonnie had grown fond of her during their project with the egg, although she seemed hesitant, glancing at Korrina. Shauna then bent down and whispered something in Bonnie's ear, and they both giggled. That made Clemont suspicious, but as she straightened up, Shauna, gave him a thumbs up.

"Can I go with Shauna?" Bonnie then asked Meyer.

"Sure thing. I can pick you up at the dorm later then." Meyer gave a wave and then set off, giving Clemont a knowing look before doing so.

"How embarrassing," Clemont muttered, shaking his head before looking to Korrina again, flustered as he saw her giggling with Shauna and Bonnie. This is why Ash stays so focused on battling.

Shauna couldn't help but be curious about what Clemont and Korrina were going to do. She hadn't planned on following after them once she'd heard them talking about going out together, but once Clemont's dad had shown up with Bonnie, and it seemed the only way to give Clemont and Korrina a chance to go out alone, it seemed the only reasonable option.

"Do you think Korrina's going to keep my brother?" Bonnie whispered to Shauna as they set off, Shauna letting Serena and the others know she was going to be hanging out with Bonnie. Serena had seemed to figure out what was really going on, though, looking exasperated.

"Maybe, but I guess we need to make sure Clemont doesn't screw up, right?" Shauna answered, Bonnie giggling in response. "But Clemont's made it this far," she pointed out. "I think he can do this."

Bonnie didn't look so sure. "I don't know...Clemont needs a lot of help with this stuff. I don't know what he'd do without me."

"Nenene," her Dedenne murmured in agreement.

Shauna laughed, hearing the fondness for her brother in Bonnie's voice. "Well, we won't let him mess it up. But, we can't interfere while it's going well, so we can't be seen."

Bonnie nodded, and she was very careful to follow Shauna's lead as the two of them trailed after Clemont and Korrina. At a few points, Shauna wondered if Clemont suspected them, noticing him looking back at various points. Fortunately, she and Bonnie were able to slip around a corner each time before he noticed them. She couldn't help but wonder if some of the people around were thinking they were up to something bad, but nobody bugged them.

As the evening went on, things got a little boring, and Shauna was pretty close to suggesting that she and Bonnie head back and leave Clemont and Korrina be. She could see that Clemont's sister wasn't too thrilled with what they'd seen so far, either, with the walk around the city apparently really just being "a walk around the city".

However, as Clemont and Korrina stopped up ahead, and Shauna and Bonnie paused so as not to get too close, they overheard the two gym leaders.

"This has been pretty nice, Clemont," Korrina said, sighing contentedly as she looked up at Prism Tower in the distance. It was now lit up with the sun having gone down. "Anything you want to do next?"

Clemont blinked, looking unsure. "Well...I guess...are you hungry?"

Shauna exchanged a look with Bonnie. "Clemont's a real gentleman, isn't he?"

Bonnie shrugged. "We'll see." She looked pretty amused, though.

Korrina thought for a moment, before looking out towards the exit of the city, the edge of the forest just in their view. "We could walk somewhere quieter." She patted her backpack. "I've got some snacks we can have later."

Clemont agreed and the two set off once more. Shauna wasn't too interested in heading to the forest at night, but before she could suggest going back, Bonnie was up ahead. She sighed, following after her, and before she knew it, the two of them were hiding behind trees as they followed Clemont and Korrina.

"I think we can leave them be now, Bonnie," Shauna said, glancing back towards the lights of Lumiose City. "We don't want it to get too late."

"It's fine," Bonnie argued. "Clemont needs me to watch out for him anyway." She took a step forward, and then paused, looking down at her feet as a noise was heard from underneath them.

"Kuna."

"What was that?" Shauna asked, looking around curiously.

Bonnie then gasped, and Shauna followed her gaze, seeing what she was stepping on. The younger girl quickly stepped away, hugging Dedenne tightly in fear as she looked at the angry Pokemon on the ground. "Oh no..."

"Ka...ku...na," the Pokemon murmured angrilly, rolling slightly.

"It's a Kakuna," Shauna said nervously, looking up and wondering if she should call out to Clemont for help. Unfortunately, he and Korrina already seemed to be gone. "I hope it wasn't with any..."

"Bzzz!"

It was a faint sound, but it wasn't too long before the Kakuna was calling out a bit louder. It was joined by a few others in the area as well. Then, a moment later, a Beedrill emerged from the bushes, rushing towards Bonnie. Shauna was reaching for a pokeball, knowing it was going to be too late, but fortunately, Dedenne was ready.

"Neneee!"

The Beedrill dropped to the ground, twitching, but Shauna knew it wasn't going to be long before another came. "We have to run!" she told Bonnie quickly, the other girl nodding before they took off.

"Bzzz!"

They veered off course as a couple of Beedrill emerged from the trees ahead of them. Shauna managed to get find an opening to the left and ran, avoiding one as it struck out. She called for Bonnie and continued to run, twisting and turning as a few more Beedrill emerged. Fortunately, she managed to find an open path and was able to pick up some speed, and before too long, the buzzing Beedrill were only heard in the distance.

Shauna stopped, realizing she was at the edge of the forest and on the path leading back into the city. She sighed in relief and looked to her side. "What a relief. I hope Clemont and Korrina are-"

Her eyes widened, and she turned around, staring in all directions.

"Bonnie?!"

Ash and his friends were making their way back from quick training session with their coaches, when they noticed Shauna running towards them, looking completely flustered. Serena immediately went up to meet her, the others catching up as she managed to catch her breath. Then she quickly told them what had happened.

"Do you think she would've found Clemont and Korrina?" Serena asked, the group immediately setting off towards the forest. "If she was scared, she might've called out for help and found them."

"I don't know," Shauna said, panting as they ran. "It all happened so fast. She could've gone in any direction. I almost got lost just trying to get away."

Ash quickly reached down to get Dartrix's pokeball, figuring that they needed eyes in the sky to help them look. "Dartrix, I choose you," he called out, the flying grass type emerging in a flash of light. "Dartrix, we're looking for Clemont, Korrina and Bonnie. I need you to keep an eye out from the sky, okay?"

Dartrix nodded immediately, taking off over the trees as the group reached the edge of the forest a few moments later. When they entered, they slowed down, cautious for any signs of Beedrill, Kakuna or Weedle. It was getting fairly dark now, and Ash was wondering if Clemont and Korrina had found themselves in the same predicament as Shauna and Bonnie.

As they walked, the group reacted to every snap of a twig or rustle in the bushes. It didn't seem like anything was around them, but Ash couldn't help but feel like there was something hanging around behind them. He'd been feeling that a lot since returning from Alola, though, and he wondered if it was just his nerves over wanting to perfect things with Greninja.

After a few minutes, Shauna had grown pretty nervous, calling out for Bonnie louder and louder as they went. They also called out for Clemont and Korrina, but they didn't seem to be having any luck. However, as they were about to turn a corner and continue further on, Dartrix swooped down from above, looking frightened.

"Darooo!" he cried out, gesturing in the direction he'd come from. "Hooo!'

"You found them?" Ash asked, relief in his voice. He looked in the direction Dartrix was pointing to, but a moment later, he realized that it was more than that.

"RUN!"

It was Bonnie, bursting through the bushes at full speed, her Dedenne clutching tightly to her shoulder, while she ran. Behind her, a couple dozen Beedrill were chasing her, and Ash was pretty sure he heard more buzzing in the distance. As relieved as he and the others were to find Bonnie, they had no chance to say so, and they immediately took off after her as she ran.

They weren't as quick as they needed to be, running as a group with little room to maneuver around the trees and bushes. Ash stopped a few times, ordering Pikachu to fire off a Thunderbolt to slow the Beedrill down. They managed to knock a few down, but unfortunately a few of the ones he'd heard in the distance were catching up, replacing the ones they took down. A few times, Ash was sure a few fell down on their own, but he supposed that was just wishful thinking.

At one point, when Ash stopped to fight, Tierno joining him and calling out Chimchar, Ash heard the others cry out in surprise up ahead. As Pikachu and Chimchar sent a Thunderbolt and Flamethrower out towards their attackers, he heard a couple of familiar voices, and sighed in relief. Unfortunately, though, it wasn't all good news.

"This forest is full of Beedrill!" Korrina cried out, her Lucario standing behind her, looking ready to fight. Clemont's Elekid was also ready, looking in the opposite direction with wide eyes.

"They're coming from everywhere!" Dawn shouted, bringing Ash's attention to the direction they had been running, Bonnie stopping immediately and running back, Clemont hugging her in relief.

"We're going to have to fight!" Ash told them, Dartrix flying down to hover above Pikachu and Chimchar, while his friends who hadn't called out their Pokemon now did so. As the rest of the Beedrill surrounded them, Absol, Charizard, Piplup, Ivysaur and Chikorita were out, with Bonnie's Dedenne readying himself as well.

"We have to get as many as we can with each hit," Korrina said, looking around. "If we get one at a time, we've got no chance."

Ash nodded, locking eyes with Pikachu and Dartrix, before pointing ahead. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Dartrix, Ominous Wind!"

With that, the Beedrill swarmed forward, Ash's friends calling out their attacks as quickly as they could to answer. It was a mess of sights and sounds, with dust and smoke shooting up all around them and Beedrill falling and flying everywhere, while they buzzed loudly and the trainers and Pokemon yelled and cried out.

As Ash commanded Pikachu and Dartrix, he couldn't help but think this didn't just result from Bonnie and Shauna stumbling onto a Kakuna. There were too many upset Beedrill around here, and they'd targeted Clemont and Shauna as well. They almost seemed scared, rather than outright angry.

Eventually, the swarm thinned out enough for Ash and the others to see more clearly. He called a few more attacks, making a few more Beedrill flee, but most seemed to be fleeing of their own accord with their companions taking off around them. Most, but not all.

"Ash, watch out!" Serena suddenly called out.

He turned his head in surprise, seeing the black and yellow shape rushing towards him from his side, the sharp needles aimed at his face. It was too late for Pikachu, or any of the others to do anything. He put his arms up to defend his face, and waited for the impact.

"RRRUUUFFF!"

He waited a moment, unsure of the sound he'd heard, and then, he lowered his arms and looked up. To his surprise, the Beedrill was taking off, buzzing loudly. "What hap-"

Ash's eyes widened, looking down in front of him, at the Pokemon staring back. "Ruff!" it barked, wagging its tail.

"Rockruff? No way! What are you doing here?" He laughed, unable to stop the smile that came to his face. He looked to the others, who were staring back in surprise. "This Rockruff was in Alola. He hung out with Professor Kukui all the time."

"How did he get here?" Clemont asked, looking confused.

"I guess he followed me...hey have you been following me since the plane?" Ash asked, turning to Rockruff, who glanced down in embarrassment. Ash laughed it off. "I don't know if you should've done that, Rockruff, but you sure did help us out here. Thanks for that."

"Rrruff!" the Puppy Pokemon barked happily, leaping into Ash's arms.

Ash pet him for a moment, before suddenly, Rockruff tensed up, his nose pointing into the air. He sniffed, and then squirmed out of Ash's arms and walked a few feet away, sniffing more fiercely. He wasn't the only one, with Serena's Absol following soon after, looking tense and afraid. That made Ash's heart beat faster, and he looked at the others, wondering if they feared the same thing.

None of them spoke, but they could see it in each others' eyes. They slowly followed the two Pokemon, Rockruff leading the way without looking back, while Absol appeared to make sure that the others were staying with them. He focused mostly on Serena, who nodded in encouragement. Ash looked to Pikachu as they followed, ready to battle once more if they needed to.

When Rockruff finally came to a stop, the scent trail having led them to their destination, he stopped, frozen in terror. A moment later, he backed away and then ran to Ash. Absol was too afraid to even do that, simply crouching and laying still on the ground.

"The hunters," Ash whispered, fury in his voice.

All around them, were empty cages, with blood and fur scattered between them.

Meowth, with Jessie, James and Wobbuffett, hid in the bushes, not making a sound as the twerps ran off. It sounded like they were going to be alerting Officer Jenny to the scene that was in front of them, and for once, Meowth was glad that the police would be here. Of course, he and the others would need to be gone by then. They wanted to know what this was before they left though.

"This...is..." Jessie said slowly, stepping out of the bushes and looking around at the mess of cages around them. "I..."

"I don't like this," James whimpered, backing away from a cage quickly as he noticed some blood near the front of it. "We should go."

Meowth stared around, eyes wide with fear. They'd been watching the twerps closely since returning to Kalos, but there hadn't been a good chance to make any attempts at stealing Pokemon or trying to get the boss a Key Stone or Mega Stone. They had been planning to go after Pikachu when they'd seen the twerps head into the forest, but the Beedrill had gotten in their way. After that, they'd found...this.

"You don't think da boss treats Pokemon like dis, do ya?" Meowth couldn't help but ask. Part of him, deep down, knew the answer, but he'd never let himself admit it.

"Of course not. Team Rocket has standards!" Jessie argued, although there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

"it doesn't matter what the boss does. Not right now," James pointed out, staring around nervously. He looked sick, and Meowth couldn't blame him. "Should we report this?"

"We need to take care of it," Jessie said, shaking her head. "We need to stop it."

Meowth perked up at that. As terrifying as the scene in front of them was, it was true. It needed to be stopped. It wasn't that they wanted to help the twerps, or be good guys, but they needed to prove villains weren't...like this. And they needed these hunters out of their way to take over Kalos.

As he opened his mouth to answer, he heard a noise in the distance. Jessie and James seemed to hear it as well, and the trio quickly darted behind some bushes, Jessie pulling Wobbuffett behind them, and holding her hands over his mouth to keep him quiet. A moment later, they saw a man.

It was a man in a suit, with purple hair, and intimidating black eyes. He appeared quite business like as he walked around, inspecting the cages and looking around, as though he knew people had been around. Meowth was sure he was going to find them hiding, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be a good thing if that happened. Fortunately, the man was distracted as his cell phone rang and he picked it up.

"Yes, this is Raphael," he answered gruffly, looking around and sighing in exasperation. Whoever was on the line seemed to be asking a question. "Yes, it appears as though our transfer station wasn't cleared out in time. Some kids from the school have found it. They'll be alerting the authorities now."

Meowth exchanged a look with Jessie and James. He could see Jessie wanted to attack, and he was tempted to as well. Of course, this man wasn't likely to go down easily, so he felt it was wise they didn't act on that impulse.

"The hideout should be secure. Someone should check it just in case." He paused again, looking around before appearing to begin walking away. "Yes, start the experiment. We caught those Pokemon for a reason. I don't care what it does to them. Do it."

His voice trailed off, further instructions for whoever was on the other end of the call being given. Once his voice had faded completely and been gone for a few minutes, Meowth looked to his companions. They looked as shocked as him.

"We gotta deal with this guy and his group," Meowth said, narrowing his eyes in determination. "The boss would want us to." He knew he had to say that. They wouldn't report this to him until it was taken care of.

"Right." James nodded, swallowing nervously. "We can't let them get away with...this."

"Even if it means teaming up with the twerps," Jessie added, glaring in the direction the man went.

"For the glory of Team Rocket!"

And for the Pokemon these jerks are hurting.

Author's Note:

So Clemont had a date...but you know...it can't be that easy. The bigger thing is the hunters are back! And Team Rocket is not having any of it. Good guys Team Rocket is the best Team Rocket. With Ash back, the IPL in its stretch run, and the hunter activity picking up, the rest of this story will be hectic and fast paced. Hope you're ready for it.