Chapter 77: And To Our Own Way

As Dawn dropped the last item into her suitcase and zipped it up, she sighed, taking in the sight of her dorm room one last time. She was going to miss this place. She was going to miss all of it. Lumiose University had been one of the most exciting adventures of her life, and she was sure few journeys could've led to as much excitement as this one. But, life moved on, and a new opportunity awaited her. She would just have to make sure the next step on her journey to become a Top Coordinator was as fun and exciting as this year had been.

She checked over everything she wouldn't need in her suitcase and left it sitting on her bed to be retrieved later. With her departure preparations finished, she could enjoy her final day. She planned to make the most of it. Some of her friends might be able to visit over the summer break of course, but this was really the last chance all of them had to enjoy their time as a group.

Dawn was out of her room and down the elevator within a couple of minutes, and as she exited the building, Marie was waiting outside for her, working on some things with her Chikorita and Fletchling. She'd been quite pleased a couple days earlier when she'd passed her final exam with her Chikorita defeating a Cyndaquil.

"Hey Dawn!" she said as she noticed Dawn approaching. "I was just working on teaching Chikorita that Counter Shiled move you like. It's super effective with Razor Leaf. Even Fletchling's Ember couldn't get through!"

That surprised Dawn a little. Marie had definitely been quite helpful against the hunters, but Counter Shield took some getting used to. And making it work against a type disadvantage was impressive even for an expert. "Really? Let me see!" she said with interest, stepping back as Marie looked excitedly to her two Pokemon.

"Okay! Chikorita, Counter Shield with Razor Leaf! Fletchling, try to get through with Ember!"

Marie watched happily as Chikorita scurried forward, quickly dropping to her back and spinning. A moment later, the small grass type began to swing the leaf on her head around and around, sending smaller ones up into the air. Her spinning momentum ended up causing the leaves to swirl around like a small tornado. When they reached the top and spun away from her, they drifted down lightly, creating an interesting effect almost like a leafy waterfall. Dawn felt it would've been interesting for contests, actually.

The demonstration wasn't over yet, though, with Marie's Fletchling flying up, apparently trying to find the best opening. When it did, it fired off a trio of small fireballs. Its Ember attack should've easily burned through the leaves, but interestingly enough, Chikorita's leaves seemed protected by a small current of wind that seemed to weaken the flames just enough that they barely singed the leaves.

"Wow, I never thought Counter Shield could be so effective with a grass type before," Dawn said, hands on her hips as she watched, thoughtful. They continued another moment, Fletchling attempting Ember a couple more times, before they stopped, looking at Marie proudly. "You've been practising a lot, haven't you?" Dawn asked, smirking as she looked to her roommate.

"Of course!" Marie said, almost indignantly. "Did you really expect me to watch you guys do all the IPL training and compete in all those awesome battles and contests without wanting to try some things myself? I plan to try out next year!"

Dawn raised an eyebrow at that. She'd obviously seen Marie train, and had even helped her prepare for exams, but she had never realized her friend was so passionate. "You should've told me you planned to try out. I could've helped you more."

Marie laughed at that, recalling her Pokemon as she and Dawn began to walk. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"You can be as dense as Ash." Marie shook her head, amusement in her eyes. "You helped me plenty, Dawn. Not only did you welcome me into your group of friends when we first met, but you took the lead in all kinds of training sessions. Even when it wasn't with me, I watched you helping Tierno and the others with contest battle routines. You're an expert at this stuff."

"Guess I never realized I was doing it." Dawn laughed, thinking of how things had been when she'd first come here. She'd been so shaken by her struggles in her most recent Grand Festival. It had seemed like she'd never get things right again. "It was fun being a team captain. I have to admit, seeing Tierno go from a regular battler with a strange style to a coordinator that could control the stage with his dancing was pretty cool. Helping Serena get a little more into battling was fun, too. And Shauna really came through in the playoffs once she focused."

"I hope I can be a trainer like you someday," Marie said, looking ahead as they turned a corner. They were planning to meet Shauna, Tierno, Trevor and Serena at the training facilities, before meeting the rest of the group at the arena.

Dawn smiled, glancing to her friend, seeing her determined expression. "So you want to be a Coordinator?"

Marie shook her head, looking a little embarrassed. "I still think I prefer regular battling. But I want to be as confident as you, Ash and the others. Since Ash isn't going to be here next year, I want to do everything I can to make sure Lumiose holds onto that Championship!"

"Well, I bet Clemont will be captain next year. You'll have to prove yourself to him in tryouts." Dawn was amused at the idea, thinking of Clemont running his team through its paces. She was sure he would do well, though. He'd helped Marie a lot himself.

"I'm actually planning to go see him before we all head to the arena," Marie said, glancing over in the direction of Prism Tower. "He said he was going to explain how his gym worked and that I'd be able to train a bit against Clembot over the summer."

"That would be good for you and your Pokemon," Dawn said, nodding. They came to a stop at a crosswalk. "I guess I'll see you later then."

Marie nodded, giving Dawn a small hug. It wasn't a goodbye yet, but there seemed a finality to it. They both knew they were no longer roommates now. They were friends on a different path. It felt different. "Don't let Tierno drag you into too long of a battle. We still need to talk strategy later about different ways to use Counter Shield." She grinned. "No need to worry, right?"

"Right. No need to worry."

Dawn smiled as Marie took off for her meeting with Clemont. She was going to miss her companionship. It was always a comfort to talk to Marie everyday, whether it was about classes, Pokemon or the IPL. Things would be very different without her and the others.

She finished making her way to the training facilities, and as she walked in, she was surprised at how empty it felt. There was normally a hustle and bustle about the place, with students working on getting ready for a variety of battles and other school tests using Pokemon. With it being the last day, most trainers seemed to be packing up and out saying their goodbyes elsewhere.

Dawn found Serena, Shauna, Trevor and Tierno at a battlefield close to the lobby. Shauna and Tierno were practising a performing routine, combing dancing moves with flashy attacks. It seemed to be working out pretty well. Tierno always seemed happy to help someone with dancing.

"Everything going okay?" Dawn asked, stopping next to Serena, who was watching the pair, Absol and Braixen at her sides. Trevor was off to the side, taking pictures. He'd been taking a lot lately, apparently wanting to give everyone some photos to remember the good times they'd had.

Serena nodded, smiling as she noticed Dawn. "Shauna and Tierno seem really motivated to defend the title next year. We only just finished celebrating, but they seem to want to prepare for the first match of next season already."

"We've been a bad influence!" Dawn joked, laughing as she watched the pair, Shauna's Skitty twirling alongside Tierno's Chimchar. "Marie was telling me she wants to join the Battle Team, and she seems just as motivated."

"I guess that's what we can expect from a team that never gives up." Serena looked to Absol and Braixen, before turning her gaze to Dawn. "I hope things will be okay here without us."

Dawn continued watching Shauna and Tierno a moment, thinking about how the two would fare, along with the others staying here. They seemed to be in control as they flawlessly executed their routines. The image of Marie's Chikorita performing Counter Shield also played in her mind. "I think things will be fine. We've all got our different paths, but we'll always be there for each other. No matter what."

Serena seemed to like that answer, nodding to herself. "We'll always be a team."

Dawn liked the idea, clapping alongside Serena as Shauna and Tierno finished another routine. She could be on a journey anywhere in the world, but no matter what, these were her teammates and friends for life.

Lumiose University would always have a special place in her heart.

It was a bittersweet day. That was the best way to describe it in Clemont's mind. On the one hand, today represented all that he'd been through this year at school. And, while there had been many difficult and trying moments, it had been one of the most exciting adventures of his life. To think that only a year ago he'd been watching Ash competing in the Kalos League, inspired by his battling style and wishing he, as a Gym Leader, could work as hard and push trainers to be like that.

Now, Ash was one of Clemont's best friends. They'd been roommates, training partners and teammates on a long road to becoming IPL Champions. And in the battle with the hunters, Clemont had drawn on the courage Ash had helped him build to fight, and inspire his other friends to refuse to give in. It wouldn't have been possible without any of the others, either. Serena's courage to save Absol, Bonnie's rescue at the Pokemon Centre, Dawn's leadership afterwards, Gabby's belief in Altaria, Anton's acceptance of what he needed to do, Marie's new strength as a trainer, Trevor's confidence, Shauna's desperation, Tierno's enthusiasm and Korrina's loyalty and love. Clemont couldn't imagine things without any of them now.

Unfortunately, today they would be going their separate ways. Bonnie would, of course, still be there, pushing Clemont to keep up at his work on the Gym, and probably encourage him further with his relationship with Korrina. And Korrina would visit him, and he would visit her. Trevor, Tierno and Shauna would be back next school year, and so would Marie. But Dawn would be off to Jubilife City. And Ash and Serena...they would be off to Alola.

It would take some getting used to, not having them around. They'd become a constant part of his life, inspiring and encouraging him in just about everything. Of course, perhaps Clemont would be able to grow in different ways as they went on separate paths. He would need to take the skills he'd developed this year, and he'd need to be a better Gym Leader and even more of a go to trainer for the IPL team. He couldn't lose the title after just one year.

He sighed, smiling to himself as he emerged from the elevator after checking the top of Prism Tower. Things were fixed up nicely up there, any remaining damage from the hunter battle fixed up pretty easily by his father following the battle. Fortunately, it had all been pretty minimal. Korrina had made sure of that.

Clemont was glad that she'd been able to come back to Lumiose for today, following a brief return to Shalour after the IPL final. She fortunately hadn't needed to do too much, with shorter exams due to the IPL and no recent challengers to the gym with another approaching Kalos League. Of course, she would've made a busy schedule seem like little work as well.

She and Bonnie were waiting for him on the gym battlefield when he entered, the two of them feeding all of the Pokemon. Bonnie always loved doing that, enjoying the practice for when she would be a trainer. She seemed to enjoy it even more with Korrina, who added in a variety of battling stories as they put the food out. Apparently she was telling a particularly interesting story now, about when she'd been trying to win one hundred battles in a row on her way to getting Lucario's Mega Stone.

"I had won about ninety battles in a row, and then I nearly lost to one trainer after having three battles in one day!" she was saying, laughing as Chespin grabbed an extra mouthful of food in front of her. "I'd forgotten about flying attacks being strong against fighting types since I was so tired, and left Lucario vulnerable to a couple nasty attacks. Luckily, he got me to snap out of it and we won once I woke myself up a bit!"

"Do you think you can win a hundred in a row again?" Bonnie asked, looking to Clemont, eyes wide with excitement. "Clemont can barely win three."

Clemont sighed in exasperation at that, but Korrina laughed. "It's definitely tough when focusing solely on gym challengers, who may have a lot of badges and experience and certain rules in place to even things up for them. And the IPL has a lot of high level trainers that could do well in a Pokemon League."

"Well at least now you and Clemont can fight harder knowing you can take care of each other," Bonnie said simply, nodding as though it was as easy as that. Perhaps it was somewhat. Clemont did find himself fighting harder against the hunters with Korrina at his side. Even her support in the IPL final had encouraged him.

Korrina simply nodded at the comment, smiling as she looked to Clemont. "Everything okay up top?" she asked.

"Yeah," Clemont said, making his way over and sitting down with the two of them and the Pokemon. "I think you probably cleared out the worst attackers pretty early that night when you went up with Elekid and Lucario."

"I didn't do that much," Korrina said with a laugh, shuffling closer to him and nudging him playfully. That brought a smirk from Bonnie. "You were the one rallying the city to save everything else from burning down."

"Maybe, but Bonnie was saving the Pokemon Centre," Clemont pointed out, Bonnie sitting up straighter at the comment. "She's the real hero."

"Maybe the news should focus on you, right Bonnie?" Korrina said, laughing.

"Of course!" Bonnie said, folding her arms as Dedenne scurried up to her shoulder. "I think they should write a story about me. It would be cool!"

"It''d have to be a long one," Clemont said, chuckling as Bonnie seemed to get excited by the idea. "There's a lot to tell about you."

As Bonnie explained all the things she'd want included in any reports or stories about her, Clemont noticed the door to the battlefield opening once more. Bonnie paused as someone entered the room. It was Marie, looking around the gym in awe, before her eyes rested on Clemont.

"Marie, I almost forgot!" Clemont said, remembering having promised to get her better acquainted with things at the gym and to have Clembot schedule some training sessions with her.

She smiled, entering and making her way over. "I know you've shown me the gym before, but I still get excited coming in here. It would be so cool to have a real gym battle."

"Hey, whenever you're ready, you're welcome to challenge me," Clemont said, smiling in amusement.

"Maybe once I earn a spot on the IPL team," Marie said defiantly. Clemont was surprised at the comment. He'd expected she wanted to try out. This was the first time she'd voice her intentions outright to him, though.

"You'll need to be ready for tryouts," he said, smiling as he looked to Korrina. "We've got really tough competition, so we need top tier battlers on the team."

"I'll be ready if you can get me some training sessions with Clembot or even you yourself." Marie looked determined, pumping her fist just like Ash.

"I'd be glad to," Clemont said honestly. He paused, noticing the door opening once more. Clembot entered, looking to him.

"Sir, there is someone here to see you," the robot said. "He is with Ms. Korrina's grandfather, and the two of them are saying they would like to discuss...an opportunity."

Clemont frowned, looking to Korrina in confusion. "Your grandfather? What could this be about?"

"I don't know exactly," she said, shrugging. "I know my grandfather has been talking about trying to get me involved in something more than gyms but...I didn't know what it could be. Maybe this has something to do with it?"

"Well, the man with him is named Scott, Ms. Korrina," Clembot said, turning his head mechanically to her. "Apparently he represents some sort of high tier Pokemon trainer organization. He mentioned something about...Brains?"

"That sounds...strange," Clemont said.

"Must be something about science and battling?" Korrina murmured questioningly.

"I guess we should find out." Clemont smiled, taking Korrina's hand. "Maybe this will be the opportunity we've been looking for."

Meowth, Jessie and James gave one final salute to Giovanni, basking in his praise for their "vanquishing" of the hunters. They'd been nervous about reporting to him, considering he'd wanted them to collect the dark Mega Stones, but he seemed pleased enough to have a potential rival out of the picture in Kalos. And after their explanation of the inconsistency in the altered stones, he didn't seem quite as interested.

Instead, they'd been offered a new mission. They would be off to Alola shortly, to expand Team Rocket operations there and work on acquiring Z-Crystals. It was quite the show of trust. Clearly Giovanni was close to promoting them and making Meowth the top cat.

"Do you think the boss would be mad if he knew we helped the twerps?" James asked nervously, sitting on a stump in the clearing they were in. They'd made a small hideout close to the bug Pokemon trainers' research location. It was empty with many of them by the city since the battle.

Jessie sniffed, pretending not to be bothered. Meowth could see her nervous glance at the transceiver they'd used to contact Giovanni, though. "We had to make do with what we had. The hunters were the bigger problem for Team Rocket."

"And they helped us get our Pokemon back," James pointed out. "That was nice of them."

Jessie narrowed her eyes, but then shrugged. "I suppose we owed them for that, too."

"Da twerp has gotten himself quite a group of friends," Meowth murmured, thinking of the battle with Aggron. "Dat twerpette girlfriend of his was really strong."

James smiled at that. "Ah, the twerp is really growing up. It seems like just yesterday he was sending us blasting off at the Pokemon Centre in Viridian City."

"That twerpette is hardly impressive," Jessie muttered, folding her arms. She still held a grudge about the tournament Sycamore had run where she and Meowth had been thoroughly beaten.

"I think we're going to have to deal with her more if we're ever going to get Pikachu," James pointed out, looking worried.

"We should grab that Absol while we're at it," Jessie said, nodding in satisfaction at the idea.

"Doo-oo-oo..."

Meowth jumped looking over to where his horned friend was standing. Skiddo and some of his counterparts were staying in the area near their hideout. It seemed to be where many of them had come from in the first place. He seemed anxious about what Jessie and James were discussing.

"Hey pal," Meowth said to him, heading over to him and patting his shoulder, "it's no big deal. Ya see, Team Rocket needs ta get all da powerful Pokemon it can get. We ain't like those hunters. We just need ta help our boss and keep things...secure."

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo bleated out, looking thoughtful. He trusted Meowth and Meowth felt the same, really. The two of them with Wobbuffet had been a great team. Skiddo probably was wondering if Team Rocket's duties were similar to how they'd taken on the hunters. Perhaps they were sometimes if they found a rival organization.

"Hey I've got an idea," Meowth then said, looking to Jessie and James. "How about a new member of da team?" He turned back to Skiddo. "We could use dat head of yours, pal. Your horns are something else!"

"I second the nomination," James said with a nod. "We might not have found you and the others without Skiddo."

"I suppose he could be useful," Jessie admitted. "Very well."

"So how about it, pal?" Meowth asked, grinning at Skiddo.

Skiddo studied the three of them. Meowth had been wondering for awhile if Skiddo was considering this. He'd been unsure of Jessie a few times, but he trusted Meowth and clearly seemed to feel Team Rocket wasn't so bad if they went after hunters. He smiled.

"Doo-oo-oo!"

Meowth patted him on the shoulder again, grinning at Jessie and James. "Skiddo's gonna need a special place in our motto."

Serena left Dawn and the others with Absol and Braixen at her sides. She smiled as she left the training facilities, glancing back as though still able to see Dawn giving one last coordinating lesson to Tierno. The Performance Team would be in good hands with him and Shauna. It was still weird to think of not being on their team, though.

A smile came to Serena's face as she crossed the street a moment later. No, they would always be on the same team. These friendships would last forever. These memories would last forever. There was no reason to think that just because she, Ash and Dawn were moving on elsewhere that this group wouldn't still be a team. They'd be there for one another no matter the distance.

As she continued to walk, she looked to Braixen and Absol, wondering what would be in store for them and her other Pokemon when they went to Alola. It seemed like a great opportunity for them to grow as well. With the new Pokemon and places in Alola, they would be able to experience things they'd never be able to encounter in Kalos. And, she couldn't help but wonder what kinds of things Z-Moves could offer to performances. If she was fortunate enough to get a chance to try them, she was sure they could figure out some interesting combinations.

Performing in general would be very interesting in Alola. It was essentially just starting out there, and they would be able to make it unique to them in so many ways. In fact, Serena hoped it would be different than what performing was like in Kalos. It would do so much more for performing as a whole if it could have a unique flair wherever someone went to perform. With what Lusamine and Lillie had told her of Alola, it would be able to offer all kinds of different experiences on stage.

The ideas swirling in her head excited her. She couldn't wait to get started. It would be challenging of course, especially if she wanted to try out different styles, but that was the fun of it. She wasn't going for the same adventures she'd had here in Kalos. She was going to try something new. For Ash, it was much the same. As great as Lumiose University was, there was only so much Serena felt she could learn in one place. It might've been different for some of her friends, but for her, she had to move on.

With her mind so focused on thoughts of new performances in Alola, Serena barely noticed as she nearly walked into a crowd of people ahead of her. She paused, staring blankly at the crowd, before realizing they were gathered out front of the performing theatre where the IPL finals had been. Serena wondered what all the fuss was about, and slowly made her way to the side with Braixen and Absol, looking over heads to see what was going on.

Finally, she saw, and her eyes widened as she noticed Aria of all people giving a small performance in the square out front of the theatre. It wasn't one of her flashiest routines, with no big stage and fancy costumes, or even multiple Pokemon, but Serena still found herself completely drawn in. As Aria and her Delphox danced through rings of fire, it was like watching a glorious sunset, seeing an incredible sprawling view from the top of a mountain, or seeing the finest piece of art in a museum all at once.

"We're going to be like her one day," Serena whispered to Absol and Braixen as they watched Aria perform. "And one day, we'll challenge her in the Masterclass Showcase once and for all!"

"I'm looking forward to seeing that matchup."

Serena's eyes widened, and she turned around in surprise, seeing Palermo standing behind her, eyes ahead as she watched Aria perform. She smiled, though, eyes briefly shifting to Serena. "Ms. Palermo...I..."

Palermo laughed lightly, continuing watching Aria. "So...Alola, correct? I think you will do well there. You can learn much from the people and Pokemon there. I expect your performances will change a great deal as you study there."

"You think that's a good thing?" Serena asked, confused. "You suggested I come to Lumiose in the first place, though."

"And look at what you learned in just one year." Palermo eyed Serena's Pokemon. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of Absol's Mega Stone, before glancing to Serena's Key Stone a moment later. She nodded to herself, before looking back to Aria. "You're much stronger. Not just with battling skills, although I think it was extremely valuable experience for you to compete in that final match against that talented young Gabrielle. This connection with your Absol is quite remarkable, and I can see it's no different with your Braixen. That level of respect and love from a Pokemon is something few performers can demand."

"I don't demand it," Serena said hesitantly, looking awkwardly at her Pokemon. They just looked back at Palermo, seemingly interested in what she had to say. "I just...I don't know. I just want them to be happy. Happy with me as we perform together and bring joy to others."

"I suppose that is a large part of why you are successful with them," Palermo said with a smile. She paused, looking as though she wasn't sure about what she would say next. Then, she spoke. "How is that young man you've become so attached to? Ash Ketchum? I hear he'll be off to Alola as well."

Serena blushed. That was certainly not something she'd expected Palermo to ask her about. "He...um...well..." She shook her head. She wouldn't let this fluster her. "He's doing well. He and I are...together. We made the decision to go to Alola separately, but I'm extremely happy he'll be coming with me."

Palermo seemed...amused. "He's a fine young man. He's been a good influence on you, and I think it's been the same the other way. You complement each other nicely from what I've seen. Not that I know much, but I saw how you each looked to one another for encouragement in your battles. It's a good thing to have someone to depend on like that. You're a wonderful performer, Serena. I expect you'll be even greater with the supporters you have behind you."

With that, she departed, moving away from the crowd, heading towards a limousine parked at the side of the road nearby. Serena watched her go, still finding the brief encounter to be a little strange. Palermo seemed to have that effect on her. She never quite knew what the woman expected. But, she felt good about seeing her again, before the next stage of her journey. Palermo was right in what she'd said.

With the support Serena had, she could do many great things. She couldn't wait to see what they would be.

Ash stood out front of the arena, Pikachu on his shoulder, smiling as he listened to the sounds of people around him. It was a busy day, with Lumiose University's classes now officially over until the next school year. Students were packing up, saying their goodbyes and making their way towards the airport or wherever they were heading to next.

Ash's preparations were already made. He was enjoying his last few hours here, before he would be departing as well. He wanted to enjoy the last bit of time he had with his friends here as one big group. After so many months of constantly seeing them and always going to class, training sessions, battles or performances with them, it was certainly a strange thought knowing this was the last day of it.

"It's gonna be really different, isn't it Pikachu?" he asked his partner Pokemon, looking up at his best friend atop his shoulder. "When we set off on our journey so long ago, I never would've thought we'd end up at a school. And look at what it's brought us! We've made some great friends here. And I reunited with Serena and...things are just never going to be the same after this."

"Pika..." Pikachu said, nodding in agreement.

"It's a good thing, though," Ash said, grinning as he stared up at the stadium ahead. "I think in another world, we were meant to be surrounded by friends as we travelled around everywhere. But here, we were alone for a long time. Something tells me we couldn't have stayed away from our friends no matter what, though. I think we were always meant to be friends. I mean...look at Serena and me. We somehow went from meeting in the woods as little kids to..." He blushed, but Pikachu just smirked in response. "It's been a great year, hasn't it, buddy?"

"Chaaa!" Pikachu squeaked out in contentment.

The two of them continued to stare at the stadium a few minutes as they waited. Ash could remember walking up to those doors about a year before. He'd been so confident back then, coming off a huge victory over Wulfric at the Snowbelle Gym. He and Greninja had seemingly mastered their special form and he had felt unbeatable. How wrong he had been. But...he was glad to have had the lesson he'd been given in defeat. It had led to him becoming so much more connected to not only Greninja, but all of his Pokemon, and to people as well. He was happier than he'd ever been.

"What are you thinking about?"

Ash smiled, turning as he heard the voice that now always set his heart racing. His eyes met hers, and he felt a jolt of energy surge through him that had nothing to do with any electric attack from Pikachu. Ash answered Serena honestly. "I'm thinking about you. You and all our friends. I'm just...so glad I came here and had this experience."

Serena beamed at his answer, stepping up next to him and taking his hand. She had Braixen and Absol with her, and the two of them moved forward to give them some space, Pikachu hopping down to join them. "I'm glad as well," Serena said after a moment. "Even though you didn't remember me at first."

"I'm sorry about that," Ash said, shaking his head at how dense he'd been. "How could I have forgotten?"

"You're mind is always on Pokemon and battling," Serena joked, nudging him playfully. "It's hard for the rest of us to get through."

"You've got no problem with that now," Ash said, kissing her lightly.

Serena's cheeks reddened a bit, but she looked quite pleased. "You're going to have to visit me in Vaniville Town this summer."

"Well...yeah," Ash said. "We have to plan for Alola."

Serena sighed. "Not just for that, Ash."

Ash grinned, chuckling at her reaction. "Of course I'll visit. And you have to come to Pallet Town, too. I want you to meet all my Pokemon, and I bet Professor Oak would like to see you again!"

"As long as no Pokemon chases me in the woods," Serena muttered.

"You're not scared of a little Poliwag anymore, are you?"

"I just need you there with me," Serena said simply. "In case I fall."

"That seems fair."

They stood there silently for a couple of minutes, and then, for some reason, Ash felt the urge to move. "Let's go have one last look at the arena," he said, leading Serena towards the front doors of the stadium, Pikachu and the others following as they approached.

If Serena was confused, she didn't let it show. Ash guessed that she just knew him well enough to know this was bound to happen. He'd need to have one last look at where so many key battles had been fought. This place was where he'd both lost and won a championship match. Something about that made it special to him.

They made their way through the hallways fairly quickly. There were a couple security guards, but they seemed to recognize Ash and Serena, not bothering to stop them. Before long, they reached the entryway to the arena, Ash leading the way to the front row.

They stood there in silence a moment, looking out at the battlefield that although having been cleaned, still bore marks from Ash and Anton's battle. Ash could see where Pikachu had landed his finishing blow on Vivillon, where Lucario had charged towards Marowak and where Greninja had unleashed his mighty Z-Bond Shuriken. He could see where Greninja had fallen a year before. He could see where he'd stood, embracing the victory his team had earned. He could see where he'd all but collapsed, frustration bubbling over yet another Pokemon League loss. A year had changed so much.

No longer would this arena represent failure and frustration. Not because Ash would forget the loss here, or how he'd felt. In fact, it was because of that. Because of how he'd grown from that. Standing next to Serena, he embraced the fact he'd felt so crushed after that battle with Alain. He'd overcome that feeling. Thanks to her. Thanks to Clemont. Thanks to Dawn. Thanks to Trevor, Tierno, Shauna, Marie, Korrina, Bonnie and even Anton and Gabby.

He heard a noise behind him, and he and Serena turned, seeing their friends emerging from the entryway they'd come from. Clemont, the scientific genius who'd cleverly defended the city with robots. Dawn, who'd led the defence of the Pokemon Centre and guided her friends to exciting new paths. Tierno, who no longer had the strange dancing battle style in the Kalos League, but a powerful method for coordinating. Shauna and Trevor, who kept fighting when times were tough. Marie, who was a valuable member of the team, even without battling or performing. Even Bonnie and Korrina, who came to their aid at the scariest of times.

What a team they were. What a family they had become.

"Ready to go, Pokemon Master?" Serena asked, smiling at him as he looked to her, nodding towards their friends.

Ash grinned back, nodding. "Let's go."

Pokemon Master. It was his dream. A dream he would accomplish without a doubt.

He could accomplish anything with friends like these.

And to our own way...

La Fin

Author's Note:

And so, after four years, we finally complete Lumiose University. I tell you...this was tough to write. I don't know why it got so hard with certain parts but...oof. It was a grind at times. Got too stubborn with certain plans, got too ambitious with others and got overwhelmed with a variety of things. Probably lost a bit of GCTO's beginner's luck I might've had a bit of.

But still...finishing a story feels good, and I'm glad I could entertain those of you that stuck around and enjoyed it. I did have much more fun writing part 2, and it certainly felt good reaching some of those highlights at the end. Hopefully my next projects go a little smoother, but I'll still celebrate this one for now.

As for what went on in the story, I don't know what to say, really. I know Ash's moodiness early on dragged for awhile, and the IPL losses got to be a bit much. Probably tried to give the minor characters a little too much focus. I did enjoy some of the ideas with the IPL, though. The school team idea always intrigued me for a school Pokemon story. The hunters were kind of a basic enemy, but I liked using them for Absol's story, which I feel was the highlight of this whole thing. My first thought when planning was of the moment where he Mega Evolved in the final battle against Gabby, powering through his old leg injury. It was just cool giving Serena her game Mega, too, haha. And Ash, well, he struggled at times, but it was fun adding a little more to his Greninja bond. I think the anime explanation ends up being a nicer, simpler version, but it's fun to go a little fanfictiony with it.

As of now, no sequel is planned. The motivation would need to really build up for that. I certainly have things set up for one if I ever decided it, though, so never say never. Just very doubtful. I think things have a satisfying conclusion, though, so hopefully that's not disappointing.

My main focus now will be on the Bonnie story. If you haven't checked it out, it's Generation Z - Hoenn Alone and it has Bonnie starting her journey in Hoenn. It's a reboot of a similar story started in the GCTO era. I think it's my strongest work so far, and if you want the old Pokemon adventure feel that hasn't quite been around since XY ended, I think it has more of it than SM and Journeys. It should be updated fairly regularly soon.

Other than that, I'll probably do some oneshots soon as well. A variety of things. Some very crazy. Might need to do a GCTO one at some point...

But anyway, that's enough for now. Again, thank you all for sticking with me through this story. You have no idea how much it means to me getting all this support. You're the best, and if you don't read any more of my stuff, I'm glad you could enjoy this.

So farewell Poliwags. See ya later.