Once Serena got packed up, she came back downstairs to see the Straw Hats waiting at the front door, with Luffy being the most impatient of the bunch.

"Geez, someone sure is impatient." she stated with a roll of the eyes. Nami chuckled a little.

"It's already hard keeping Luffy still anyway. Add to the fact that he wants to meet Garchomp, and I'd say he's raring to go." she replied.

"Yeah! Let's go, let's go!" Luffy exclaimed eagerly.

Serena giggled before asking, "How do you put up with him?"

"You'll find out the more you're with us." Zoro answered, with Nami, Usopp, and Sanji nodding.

"Well then, you better not keep Luffy waiting any longer, Serena." Grace said as she walked over to the group with Fletchling on her shoulder. Serena nodded and gave her one more hug, which she returned.

"I'll miss you, dear." Grace admitted tearfully once they separated.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll call every once in a while." Serena responded as she walked over to the front door with the Straw Hats behind her.

She had her hand on the doorknob when Grace called out, "Don't forget about our agreement!" That got a chuckle out of the Straw Hats while Serena stumbled.

"Very funny. Goodbye!" she shot back as she opened the door. Unable to hold in his excitement, Luffy instantly ran off in the general direction of Lumiose City.

"Garchomp! Garchomp! Garchomp! Garchomp..." His voice continued to echo the farther he went. Sweat dropped from the back of everybody else's heads.

"Uh...What have I gotten myself into?" Serena mumbled under her breath. Nami heard her and laughed nervously.

"Welcome to the life of a Straw Hat, Serena." she said. After saying goodbye to Rhyhorn and Fletchling, everybody took off after Luffy.

Go find your long-lost love, dear. Grace thought as she shut the door.

One hour later, Serena and the Straw Hats had caught up with Luffy and were rapidly approaching Lumiose City. However, just as they were about to reach it, they heard a roar from up in the sky.

"Huh?!" Usopp gasped as he noticed a shadow closing in on him. Before anybody could do anything, a Pokemon landed right on top of him, sending him crashing on the ground.

"Ah! Usopp!" Luffy, Nami, Sanji, and Serena shouted worriedly. Zoro looked ready to draw his swords if he needed them. However, once the dust settled and Luffy saw Garchomp towering over a terrified Usopp, he grinned excitedly.

"Zoro. Don't attack her. She is mine." he stated with a crack of the knuckles.

"...Roger, Captain." Zoro replied, easing up on the swords.

...What are you doing, Luffy?! Serena thought nervously.

"Don't eat me! I'm not tasty!" Usopp shouted, clearly terrified. Luffy then clenched his right fist.

"Gum Gum..." he started. Luffy suddenly stretched his arm far back, to Serena's shock.

He then reeled it back while shouting, "Pistol!" Garchomp was completely unprepared as the punch hit her directly in the face. She yelped in pain as she was sent flying far away from the trembling Usopp. However, Garchomp managed to land on her feet and skid to a halt before glaring at Luffy.

"..." Serena couldn't say anything as both her eyes and mouth were wide open.

Nami noticed that and patted her shoulder while saying, "Like I said, welcome to the life of a Straw Hat." As Usopp quickly got out of the way, Luffy casually walked up to Garchomp.

"Hello, Garchomp. I'm Monkey D. Luffy. And I'm gonna tame you and make you my first Pokemon." he proclaimed boldly. Garchomp narrowed her eyes.

So it is you. The one from my dream. she mused.

"Uh, Luffy. That's not how it works here." Serena stated, very confused. Nami turned to her and shook her head.

"It's no use. He's too stubborn to listen. Besides, look at Garchomp." she responded while gesturing toward Garchomp, who looked weirdly excited as she got into a battle stance.

"She seemed raring to go. So who are we to stop them?" Zoro inquired. Serena just gaped at the scene that was unfolding in front of her.

She could not help but shake her head as she muttered to herself, "Oh boy, what have I really gotten myself into here?" Garchomp opened her mouth, but Luffy was already ready. He stretched both arms out and swiftly grabbed a hold of her shoulders.

"Gum Gum...Rocket!" Luffy exclaimed. He propelled himself into the air. Garchomp couldn't even move as Luffy nailed her right in the jaw with his head. That sent her staggering while he landed on his feet.

"Gum Gum...Gatling!" Luffy shouted. He brought his fists into Garchomp's jaw repeatedly in a blurry, rapid barrage of strong punches.

"Smart. He's not letting Garchomp fire off a Hyper Beam." Sanji remarked.

"Yeah, but I would worry about more than just Hyper Beam." Serena admitted. True to her word, Garchomp slashed Luffy with her sharp claws, which halted his attack.

"Ah!" he gasped as he got sent flying back quite a bit. However, Luffy was able to flip acrobatically and land on his feet. He looked at his hands that actually got bruised from all the punches he gave Garchomp. Luffy then rubbed his forehead, which was the same way.

"Man, it's like her skin is rough." he said observantly. Serena's eyes widened as she realized something.

"Hey Luffy, that's most likely Garchomp's ability you're having trouble with here. If you keep hitting her with your physical attacks, her Rough Skin will keep wearing you down." she explained. Luffy stared at Garchomp, who looked a little exhausted, before smiling.

"That's what it is, huh?" he replied.

"Ability?" Zoro asked curiously.

Serena nodded while saying, "Every single Pokemon has a type or sometimes two, an ability, and up to four moves." Needless to say, everyone, especially Luffy and Zoro, was intrigued by the new information.

"Well, Rough Skin or no Rough Skin, this is still fun!" the captain exclaimed as he leaped straight for Garchomp. That time, she flew straight to him at a speed too fast for the eyes to see, with a light green aura forming around each of her claws and turning into a claw-like shape.

"Ah, shoot! Gum Gum..." Luffy couldn't even defend himself as Garchomp slashed him. He yelped in pain that he had never truly felt before and got sent flying really far.

"LUFFY!" everyone gasped. Luffy was about to crash into a nearby building, but Garchomp flew ahead of him and caught him just in the nick of time.

"Ow...man, I'm beat. Who knew there would be even stronger things than the animals and Sea Kings here..." he muttered. Garchomp smiled respectfully as she carried Luffy inside the building.

Serena looked in the same direction the captain and the Pokemon had flown away in.

"Hm...if I'm right, Luffy is most likely at the lab. Which is perfect since we're going there anyway. But geez, I hope he's okay." she stated worriedly.

"Oh, he's definitely fine. Nothing some meat can't fix up." Sanji reassured Serena, with the rest of the Straw Hats nodding. She nodded back before they each took off to the lab. Along the way, Nami noticed a peculiar flag hanging on top of Prism Tower.

She squinted her eyes while saying, "That's curious." Soon, Serena and the Straw Hats reached the lab, where they found Luffy laying on a sofa. His stomach grumbled loudly.

"I'm hungry. Sanji, meat!" Luffy called out once he saw his crew.

"Yeah, yeah. Here you go, Luffy." Sanji replied as he pulled two big pieces of meat out of his pocket. Luffy stretched his arms out and grabbed them before chowing down. When he was finished, he kipped up off the sofa.

"Much better now!" Luffy exclaimed while swinging both arms around. At first, Serena was stunned by just how quickly he had recovered. She then smiled mischievously as she walked over to Luffy, which confused him and the crew.

"Hey Luffy." Serena said calmly when she got to him.

"Yeah?" Luffy asked in a curious tone. Serena reached up and flicked him on the forehead, causing his whole head to bounce back and forth like a punching bag.

"That was for being reckless." she replied sternly. The Straw Hats were even more puzzled since they never saw that side of Serena before.

"Uh, excuse me..." A man trailed off, clearly nervous. Everyone turned to face him. This middle-aged man had black curly hair, bluish eyes, and some facial hair under his ears and wore a blue shirt underneath his lab coat, a brown watch on his left arm, black trousers with a yellow belt which had the buckle shaped like a circle, orange socks, and brown trainers with gray stripes.

"Ah! Hold on, Professor! We can explain-" Serena got interrupted.

"Then explain how Garchomp got damaged! You're not a part of Team Rocket, are you?!" Sycamore snapped back.

"...Who?" Serena and the Straw Hats asked as they tilted their heads in confusion.

"Don't play dumb with me! I'll call the Na-" That time, it was Sycamore who couldn't finish his sentence.

"CHOMP! (HOLD ON THERE, AUGUSTINE!)" Garchomp let out a mighty roar that literally shook the entire building. Before Sycamore could even process what was happening, she stepped up in between him, Serena, and Luffy.

The captain grinned while saying, "GARCHOMP! I see you're all better already. That's good." Garchomp smiled back in acknowledgment and turned to face Sycamore, who looked even more bewildered.

"Garchomp. Gar garchomp. Chomp. (These guys are not a part of that team of assholes. I only got damaged because I wanted to fight Luffy. My apologies for worrying you.)" she stated apologetically with a bow. Sycamore just stood there for a few seconds until he sighed.

"What a relief. My bad for doubting you guys." he said while smiling.

"...Hold up. You can understand what Garchomp is saying?" Nami inquired curiously.

"Well, I am Garchomp's trainer after all. So yes, I can." Sycamore answered. Luffy's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait, you're Garchomp's trainer?! Now I feel bad for punching her so many times..." He trailed off, sounding guilty. Sycamore just shrugged it off.

"It's fine. Garchomp clearly saw something in you that made her wanna fight you. And who am I to doubt my own Pokemon? Anyway, are you all new trainers looking to get their starters?" he asked. Everybody nodded.

After introducing themselves to Sycamore, Sanji added, "And while we're at it, do you know of any way I can store these pieces of meat so that they wouldn't go bad? Luffy gets hungry constantly." Sycamore stroked his chin in deep thought.

"You know, I think I might have something. SOPHIE! COSETTE!" he called out.

"Coming!" a couple of voices responded. Two women wearing standard lab clothes came into the room. One had long blue hair and green eyes, while the other had short maroon hair and brown eyes. Sanji had a heart in his eye as he danced around the two aides, which weirded them, Sycamore, and Garchomp out.

"SOPHIE! COSETTE! You're-" He got interrupted by an annoyed Nami hitting him in the head with her pole.

"Geez, this is getting really old, really fast." she stated as she pulled Sanji away from the freaked-out aides.

Zoro couldn't help but agree with Nami and mumbled under his breath, "Stupid love cook."

"I heard that, Moss Head." Sanji grumbled while standing back up.

"Good. I wanted you to hear it." Zoro retorted. Sanji looked rather irked.

"You want me to cook you up, stupid swordsman?!" he snapped back.

"Just try it! I'll slice you up!" Zoro rebutted. Suddenly, Nami punched them both in the heads, knocking them out.

"ENOUGH, ALREADY!" she shouted angrily. Serena, Luffy, and Usopp just chuckled nervously before turning to face everyone else, who was flabbergasted.

"Don't mind them. They're always like that." she admitted. Sycamore, Garchomp, Sophie, and Cosette nodded slowly.

"Uh...huh." they muttered. Sycamore was the first to recover.

"Anyway, still no news on Chespin?" he asked worriedly. The two aides shook their heads, which made Sycamore sigh.

"Where could he have gone off to? Though, even if we had him and Froakie, that still wouldn't be enough for six new trainers." he lamented. The aides thought about what to do. Then Sophie had an idea.

"Why not ask Professor Oak for five Pokemon? Plus, this would also benefit your research on Mega Evolution too." she suggested. At that, Sycamore perked up.

"...MARVELOUS! I'll be right back then! Also, get six Pokedexes and a large backpack for the meat." he exclaimed before walking over to the video phone. After explaining the situation to Serena and the Straw Hats, Sophie gave them each Pokedexes while Cosette handed a large black backpack to Sanji, who thanked her and stored all the meat in there. Soon, Sycamore returned with six red and white spherical devices in his hands.

The Straw Hats noticed that, and Nami whispered to Serena, "Are those the Pokeballs you mentioned on the way here?" She just nodded to confirm it.

Sycamore pushed the white buttons to enlarge the Pokeballs and tossed them up in the air while exclaiming, "Everyone, come on out!" They all opened, and six Pokemon popped out. The first was a small, quadrupedal fox-like Pokemon. She was covered in pale yellow fur that was longer than her haunches. She had a white muzzle with longer fur on her cheeks, large, dark orange eyes, and a pointed, black nose. When her mouth was open, two pointed teeth can be seen in her upper jaw. Tufts of dark orange fur covered the interior of her large ears. She also had small paws with no visible toes and slim legs. Her tail was fluffy with a dark orange tip.

"Fennekin! (Hello!)" Fennekin called out in a cute tone. The second was a small, quadrupedal amphibian Pokemon that had blue-green skin with darker patches. He had red eyes with white pupils, pointed, ear-like structures on top of his head, and a short, blunt snout with a wide mouth. A pair of small, pointed teeth were visible in the upper jaw when the mouth was open. Each of his thick legs ended with three sharp claws. On his back was a green plant bulb, which was grown from a seed planted there at birth.

"Bulbasaur. (Hi.)" Bulbasaur greeted the group curiously. The third was a bipedal, reptilian Pokemon with a primarily orange body and blue eyes. His underside from the chest down and the soles of his feet were cream-colored. He had two small fangs visible in his upper jaw and two smaller fangs in his lower jaw. A fire burned at the tip of his slender tail and had blazed there since birth.

"Charmander! (Pick me!)" Charmander exclaimed while baring his fangs. The next was a small reptilian Pokemon that resembled a light blue turtle. He had large reddish eyes and a slightly hooked upper lip. Each of his hands and feet on his short arms and legs had three pointed digits. The end of his long tail curled inward. His body was encased in a shell that formed and hardened after birth. This shell was brown on the top, pale yellow on the bottom, and had a thick white ridge between the two halves.

"Squirtle! (No, pick me!)" Squirtle shouted as he pounded the front of his shell. The next was a small, mammalian, quadrupedal Pokemon with primarily brown fur. The tip of his bushy tail and his large furry collar were cream-colored. He had short, slender legs with three small toes and a pink paw pad on each foot. He had brown eyes, long pointed ears with dark brown interiors, and a small black nose.

"Eevee... (Hey...)" Eevee uttered nervously. And the last one was a yellow Pokemon resembling a bipedal platypus. On top of his head were three thick strands of black hair, and he had a wide, flat cream-colored beak. His eyes seemed vacant and had tiny pupils. His legs and tail were stubby, and he had cream-colored webbed feet. There were three claws on each of his hands.

"Psy-aye-aye..." Psyduck started as he held his head. He then set his gaze on a curious Nami.

"...Duck." Psyduck finished, waddling over to her. Before anyone could even react, he hugged one of Nami's legs.

"...Okay, that's cute." nearly everyone said together. However, Sanji was fuming.

"Hey, you stupid duck! Get away from Nami, or else I'll-" He didn't even get a chance to finish the sentence as Nami punched him in the face so hard that he got sent crashing into a wall, which scared Sycamore, Garchomp, and the aides greatly.

"Shut up, Sanji! Nobody asked you!" she snapped at Sanji. Nami then picked up the trembling Psyduck and started cuddling him like a mother would do to her child.

"It's gonna be okay, Psyduck. I'm not gonna let the bad man get to you." she stated soothingly. Psyduck calmed down upon hearing that. He then turned his head to Sanji, who was getting back up, and stuck his tongue out, irking him even more. Nami grabbed her newly acquired Pokedex and used it to scan Psyduck.

"Psyduck, the Duck Pokemon. Psyduck is constantly bothered by headaches. The more its head hurts, the stronger its Psychic powers." it spoke.

"Aw, you poor thing. Don't worry, your mommy will take care of you. Yes, she will. Yes, she will." Nami continued her soothing. Psyduck just smiled contentedly while Sycamore walked over to her with his Pokeball in hand.

"Well then, here's Psyduck's Pokeball." he stated, still a bit freaked out and also thankful he didn't make an enemy out of Nami. She nodded in thanks before grabbing the Pokeball and putting it in her pocket.

"So...who's next?" Serena asked. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji all turned to each other, then back to her.

"Since Nami got the first pick, we decided that you get the next one." the captain replied as they nodded. Serena instantly got what he meant by that.

"Thanks, guys. I'll take you up on that. Besides, I already know who I want anyway." she responded with a smile. Serena walked over to and knelt down in front of Fennekin.

"Hi there, Fennekin! My name is Serena! Do you wanna come with me?" she inquired sweetly.

"Fen! Fennekin! (Sure! Nice to meet you, Serena!)" Fennekin shouted. Serena couldn't help but giggle at her new friend's enthusiasm as she went for her Pokedex.

"Fennekin, the Fox Pokemon. Fennekin expels hot air that can reach nearly 400 degrees. It likes to snack on twigs." it spoke.

"...Then I'll be sure to have a lot of twigs on me, Fennekin." Serena said. Fennekin squealed delightfully.

Once Sycamore handed her Pokeball to Serena, Luffy proclaimed, "Me next! Now I have an important question. Who among you guys can swim?" Squirtle perked up.

"Squirt! Squirtle. (That would be me! I am a Water type, after all.)" he answered. Luffy grinned widely.

"Good. Since I can't swim for the life of me, I'll need someone who can carry me over the water or save me when I'm drowning. I need a reliable swimmer in case my crew isn't with me. And you look powerful in battle too. I could definitely use a teammate like you. So...I'm Monkey D. Luffy. And as my first partner...I choose you, Squirtle!" he exclaimed while holding out his fist to Squirtle's level.

He smiled confidently and bumped it with his own before saying, "Squirt squirtle! (Looking forward to working with you, partner!)" Luffy nodded and took out his Pokedex.

"Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon. During battle, Squirtle hides in its shell that sprays water at its opponent whenever it can." it spoke.

"...Whoa, Squirtle, you have some powerful moves!" Luffy observed, clearly impressed. Squirtle smirked as Sycamore gave his Pokeball to his new trainer. The duo then turned toward his crew, who looked stunned.

"Geez, Luffy, we weren't expecting you to use such sound logic like not being able to swim in your decision to pick Squirtle. I mean, you're not wrong, but still..." Nami trailed off. Luffy chuckled a little bit.

Zoro quickly recovered before saying, "Smart, Luffy. Smart. Anyway, my turn." He carefully analyzed his choices. More specifically, Zoro was looking at Charmander's fangs and claws.

I could use those like weapons. he thought. And just like that, Zoro made his choice.

"Charmander. Name's Zoro. You're with me now." he stated.

"Char! Charmander. (Sure! You look pretty strong too.)" Charmander replied. Zoro nodded and went for his Pokedex.

"Charmander, the Lizard Pokemon. When the tip of Charmander's tail burns brightly, that indicates it's in good health." it spoke.

"Hm...impressive moves." Zoro complimented his starter. Charmander had the same smirk as Squirtle while Sycamore handed his Pokeball to the swordsman.

"Well then...guess I'm next. Sorry, Sanji, you get the last one." Usopp said, feeling a little guilty.

"To be fair, you did join Luffy just before I did, so you should pick before me. I don't mind." Sanji responded nonchalantly. Usopp smiled thankfully before turning to the last two starters.

"Hm...now who to choose...who to choose..." he mumbled under his breath uncertainly. Usopp took out his Pokedex to scan Eevee.

"Eevee, the Evolution Pokemon. Eevee is rarely seen, and can adapt to severe habitats by evolving, changing its capabilities and form." it spoke. That immediately piqued Usopp, Luffy, Zoro, and Serena's curiosities.

"Hey Professor, what's this about Eevee evolving?" the sniper asked.

"Now that is a good question, Usopp. You see, almost every Pokemon is capable of evolving. There are Pokemon that evolve through plain old battling, corresponding stones, becoming best friends with them, trading, etc. Eevee is a special case, however. You see, as of now, there are eight different evolution paths you can potentially take with him. I should warn you, though. Once you evolve Eevee or, really, any Pokemon, you can never go back. Well, except in certain circumstances. So think before you evolve." Sycamore explained. Usopp, Luffy, Zoro, and Serena's eyes grew wide.

"Man, now I want an Eevee on my team." the captain admitted while pouting. Zoro and Serena couldn't help but agree with him there.

"Well, the good news is, there are wild Eevees in Kalos. So if you look hard enough, you should be able to get one for yourself." Sycamore replied. Luffy, Zoro, and Serena perked up. Usopp then looked at the nervous Eevee in front of him and compared him to a variety of ammo he uses when he's sniping. Then, having made his decision, he got down on one knee and petted the Evolution Pokemon's head, which calmed him down a little bit.

"Yeah, Eevee, I'm just as nervous as you are in regard to starting a new journey into unknown territory with a mysterious Pokemon I've only just met. But hey, what could possibly go wrong, am I right? Anyway, I'm Usopp. And if you don't wanna battle, I won't force you to. I'm not like those two battle-hungry guys back there." Usopp admitted while pointing a thumb at Luffy and Zoro.

"Hey!" they shot back. Eevee smiled happily upon hearing that Usopp wasn't as battle-hungry as the other trainers he'd seen in Kanto. He leaped up to and rested himself on the top of his new friend's head, surprising him.

"Vee-vee! Vee-vee-vee. (I like you, Usopp! I think we'll get along just fine.)" Eevee proclaimed. Usopp couldn't help but smile back as Sycamore handed his partner's Pokeball over to him.

"...Then I guess that leaves me with...hm?" Sanji stopped speaking as he noticed a purple powder with green sparkles in it falling into his face. Sycamore's eyes grew wide.

"Ah, Sanji! Don't catch a whiff of that Poison Powder!" he gasped, shocked. However, it was too late, as a purple streak appeared across Sanji's nose. He then collapsed belly-first on the floor...and came face-to-face with an annoyed Bulbasaur.

"W-W-Why, y-y-you j-j-jerk..." Sanji stuttered out.

"Bulba bulba bulbasaur. Bulba bulbasaur. (Think of it as me saying hello to my new partner. Also, that was for being rude to Psyduck earlier.)" Bulbasaur responded while nodding toward a surprised Nami and Psyduck. As Zoro snickered at Sanji's misfortune, she had a sly smile on her face.

"I have a feeling you and I are gonna be besties, Bulbasaur." she stated in a friendly tone. Bulbasaur just smiled back.

"...Uh, is Sanji okay?" Serena inquired worriedly.

"Hm? Oh, he's fine." Luffy answered nonchalantly. True to his word, and to the shock of those not in the know, Sanji popped right back up with the purple streak gone from his face.

"Oh, please. This is nothing compared to all the outdated food I had to eat as a kid." he remarked sassily. While Bulbasaur looked at Sanji with a bit of respect, Serena placed her hand over her face.

"I swear, you guys are not normal." she mumbled under her breath, clearly exasperated. Nami and Usopp couldn't help but chuckle nervously as Sanji pulled out his Pokedex to scan Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon. A young Bulbasaur uses the nutrients from its seed for the energy it needs to grow." it spoke.

"Hm. Sweet moves you got there." Sanji stated, also impressed. Bulbasaur just shrugged before his trainer turned to Sycamore and grabbed the last Pokeball.

"By the way, Professor, what was that Pokemon that saved Ash?" he inquired curiously.

"Ah, you know Ash?" Sycamore asked back. Sanji shook his head and gestured toward Serena, who was blushing.

"No, but she sure does. We're hoping to reunite the two separated lovebirds together." he admitted with a teasing smile.

"S-S-SANJI! SHUT UP!" Serena stuttered out as her blush turned crimson. The Straw Hats had to stifle their laughter. Fennekin's eyes sparkled.

"Fennekin?! (You know Ash?!)" she squealed happily.

"Um...yes, I know Ash." Serena responded nervously. Unable to contain her excitement, Fennekin started dancing all over the place, which befuddled everybody there...except for the two aides.

"Isn't that great, Fennekin?! You get to see Froakie again!" Sophie exclaimed, clearly happy for the Pokemon along with Cosette. Sweat dropped from the back of Fennekin's head as she stopped what she was doing. She slowly turned to a smirking Serena with a mareepish look on her face.

"Now I get it. You wanna see Ash's Froakie again, do you?" she questioned Fennekin teasingly. She laid down and placed her paws over her face to hide her embarrassment. Serena just giggled.

"...Then thank Arceus Blaziken Mask's Mega Blaziken saved Ash. I wouldn't wanna think about what would happen otherwise." Sycamore replied gratefully. That immediately piqued Luffy, Squirtle, Zoro, Charmander, Sanji, and Bulbasaur's interest.

"So that's what that was? A Mega Blaziken?" the cook asked.

Sycamore nodded while saying, "Have you ever heard of Mega Evolution?" Serena and the Straw Hats shook their heads.

"Well then, allow me to explain. With evolution, a Pokemon can evolve either once or twice, or sometimes doesn't evolve at all. For example, Garchomp here is the third and final form of a Pokemon called Gible." Sycamore explained while petting his Garchomp's nose. Luffy raised an eyebrow at that.

"So essentially, if I want a Garchomp, I should find a Gible, make it my partner, and evolve it twice. Is that what you're saying?" he inquired.

"Exactly! And the starters you received also have the capability to evolve once or twice." Sycamore answered. That got everybody's attention.

"Wait, you're saying even my adorable Psyduck can evolve?!" Nami exclaimed excitedly.

"...Duck?" Psyduck asked, totally lost. Sycamore nodded before putting both hands in his pockets.

"Yep. However, only a select few Pokemon can attain Mega Evolution...like the final evolution of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle." he stated. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and their Pokemon's eyes widened in surprise.

"Whoa! We can have our own Mega Pokemon! Awesome!" the captain shouted in an excited tone. Zoro nodded with a confident smile.

"So how does Mega Evolution work?" Sanji inquired.

"Well, first things first, you will need to fully evolve your Pokemon and have a strong bond with them. Now I'm about to give you something. Whatever you do, don't lose them." Sycamore responded as he pulled out four shining small stones with a DNA symbol on them. He gave the blue one to Luffy, the green one to Sanji, and the bright orange one and the dark blue and black one to Zoro. The swordsman raised an eyebrow that time.

"Why do I get two?" he asked.

"Now that's a good question, Zoro. You see, your starter has access to not one, but two Mega forms. It is very rare for one Pokemon to get two Mega Stones. That's one of two things you need to Mega Evolve. The other thing you need is a Key Stone that you, the trainers, need to activate the Mega Evolution. However, the Pokemon can only carry one Mega Stone, so when the time comes for you to be able to Mega Evolve, you must pick one for Charmander. Also, the circumstances I mentioned earlier? When the battle ends or if a Mega Evolved Pokemon faints, they go back to their previous form." Sycamore explained.

"Hm...Thanks for the advice, Professor." Zoro replied as he put both Mega Stones in his pocket.

"Ah, that's not fair! Why does Moss Head get two Mega Stones but we only get one?!" Sanji exclaimed, clearly annoyed. Bulbasaur and Squirtle couldn't help but agree with him there. Zoro and Charmander smirked a little bit.

"Well, Charmander is clearly special, heh, idiot cook?" he shot back. Sanji was fuming even more. However, before he could say anything, Luffy beat him to it.

"Eh, who cares. Zoro, Sanji, I challenge you to a three-way battle!" he proclaimed boldly. Zoro, Sanji, and the Pokemon blinked before smiling confidently.

"You're on!" they both shouted.

"If you're gonna battle, then please use the battlefield by the Gym. I've already had enough of Pokemon wrecking my lab after yesterday." Sycamore admitted nervously. Sweat fell from the back of Garchomp's head. She then turned around and, with a look at Luffy, walked out to the backyard and over to a certain Pokemon.

Sycamore led the entire gang over to the battlefield by Prism Tower. When they got there, Usopp, who had noticed Eevee's apprehension, turned to Serena.

"Hey Serena, do we need anything before we leave for Santalune City?" he asked.

"Hm...now that you mention it, we do need Pokeballs for catching Pokemon and Potions for healing them on the go. If you go over to the Pokemon Center, you can take care of all your item needs there, as well as heal your teams for free. Here, I'll give you some money. This should cover everybody. I suggest getting five Pokeballs and five Potions for each person." Serena answered as she gave Usopp 15,000 Poke. He smiled and nodded before looking up at Eevee.

"Hey Eevee, do you wanna walk around Lumiose City before we head over to the Pokemon Center?" Usopp questioned his Pokemon.

"Vee! (Sure!)" Eevee exclaimed happily. And so, while Sycamore was drawing a third trainer's box on the battlefield with some chalk, Usopp told the crew to meet them at the Pokemon Center before they walked away.

"Okay, I'm all set!" the professor stated once he finished.

"Sweet! Now let's...hm?" Luffy stopped as he caught sight of a little nine-year-old girl running over to Nami. She had shiny golden-blonde hair tied in a side ponytail with an orange band and sky-blue eyes and wore a brown short-sleeved top with a soft black ribbon tied into a bow on the neckline, knee-length black compression shorts covered by a puffy white mini skirt resembling a cloud, pink colored Mary Jane shoes, and a yellow shoulder bag that was holding a sleeping bipedal, orange, rodent-like Pokemon with a round body. He had round black ears with pale yellow interiors, black eyes, a tiny nose, and a prominent upper incisor with a slight point. On each cheek was a circular, dark orange marking with two black whiskers. The upper whiskers had branches and resembled antennae, while the lower whiskers were simple. There was a thick black stripe down his back and he had a pale-yellow belly. He had stubby limbs with three digits on each paw and a long, thin black tail with a tuft of fur on the tip.

"Hey Miss!" the girl called out to Nami. She became curious and turned toward her.

"Uh, yes? Is there something I can do for you?" Nami inquired. To her and everybody else's surprise, the girl knelt down on one knee and held her hand out to her.

"You're a keeper! Please take care of my brother!" she shouted with stars in her eyes.

"...HUH?!" Serena and the Straw Hats yelped, none louder than Nami and Sanji.

"...Duck?" Psyduck said, very confused. A pissed-off Sanji was about to storm over to the girl when a mechanical arm shot out of a certain backpack-like cybernetic contraption and grabbed her before pulling her back to its red-faced owner. This short and skinny boy, who looked about sixteen, had fair skin, blue eyes, and messy medium-length bright yellow hair with a lightning-bolt shaped tuft on top and wore large round glasses which obscured his eyes, a yellow-collared skin-tight blue jumpsuit with yellow stripes on the knees and bottom cuffs, and black shoes with white soles.

"BONNIE! I've told you not to do that a million times!" the boy exclaimed, clearly embarrassed.

"But Clemont, who's gonna take care of you when your little sister is out competing in the Gym challenge in a year?" Bonnie retorted. Clemont just sighed before turning to the group.

"Sorry about that. Bonnie always does that even when I tell her not to. Please don't take her seriously." he admitted. Sanji and especially Nami calmed down upon hearing that.

"Even if you weren't serious, I should still give you an answer so as not to leave your brother hanging. Sorry, but I'm not interested in a relationship, Bonnie. However, I'm sure you'll find a keeper for him before next year." she replied kindly.

"...Hey now, don't encourage her..." Clemont uttered. Bonnie, who was initially shocked that her proposal actually got rejected, snickered before eyeing Serena curiously as he put her down.

The honey-blonde girl chuckled nervously while saying, "Sorry, but I'm only interested in Ash, so..." Clemont and Bonnie perked up at the mention of Ash. She then smirked deviously and ran over to Serena, surprising her. When Bonnie got to her, she knelt down on one knee and held her hand out.

"Then you're a keeper! Please take care of my friend Ash!" she shouted with stars in her eyes.

"WHAT?!" Serena yelped with her face now scarlet.

Meanwhile, Ash, who had just caught a Fletchling, was walking along the trail to Santalune City with Pikachu and Brock. The man also held a bipedal, mammalian Pokemon in his arms. He was primarily light brown with darker arms and three triangular markings around his face. He had oval, brown eyes, a triangular, red nose, and rodent-like incisors. His arms had three fingers, while his feet had two long claws. Covering his back was a tough, green shell, which extended from his head to halfway down his tail. The tip of his tapered tail was orange. There was a small, off-center hole in the shell on the back of his head and, around the face, the shell had four leaf-like spikes. On the back of his head was another spike split into three pieces.

Suddenly, Ash stopped as he sensed a disturbance in his aura.

"Pika?/Ches? (Huh?)" Pikachu and Chespin gasped simultaneously.

"Ash? You okay?" Brock asked in a concerned tone.

"Hm? No need to worry! I'm just fine!" Ash proclaimed. Brock and Pikachu just gave him an "I don't believe you" look.

"When someone says that phrase is when I worry the most." he commented, with the Mouse Pokemon nodding. Ash looked very annoyed by that. He then shrugged and continued walking with a confused Pikachu, Brock, and Chespin following him.

Ash frowned as he thought to himself, Strange. I haven't felt this kind of disturbance in my aura since...seven years ago at Professor Oak's Summer Camp.

Back in Lumiose City, Luffy, Nami, Sanji, and most of the Pokemon, including Fennekin, were roaring in laughter at the scene occurring in front of them. Even Zoro, Charmander, and Clemont had a chuckle.

"...I just had to open my big mouth, didn't I?" Serena mumbled to herself, very embarrassed.

Sanji wheezed as he stated, "For that, Bonnie...I forgive you...for pulling off that stunt on Nami." Serena shot him a glare while Bonnie giggled.

"Think about it, will you?" she asked as she stuck her tongue out and winked. Needless to say, Serena was a blushing mess. Once everyone settled down, and after introducing themselves, they finally noticed the sleeping Pokemon in Bonnie's bag.

"Who's that Pokemon?" Luffy inquired while he pulled out his Pokedex to scan him.

"Dedenne, the Antenna Pokemon. Dedenne communicates long distance with other Dedenne by sending radio waves through its antenna-like whiskers." it spoke.

"Isn't he adorable?! Big Brother just caught him for me." Bonnie squealed delightedly. Luffy smiled and giggled.

"I see. That's good." he concurred. Luffy then faced Clemont curiously.

"By the way, where is Ash anyway? Serena isn't the only one who wants to meet him." the captain wondered out loud.

"Actually, we were just looking for him ourselves. We never got to thank him for saving our city. But we think he already left for Santalune City." Clemont admitted with a sigh. Bonnie looked a little sad too.

"Hm...well then, we are actually going over there ourselves for the first Gym. Would you like to join us?" Luffy questioned the siblings. Clemont and Bonnie perked up.

"Are you sure? We don't wanna impose on you guys." he asked back.

"Well, when Luffy asks someone to join him, he doesn't take no for an answer. Trust us, we all know. Besides, Usopp wouldn't mind it either." Nami responded, with Zoro and Sanji nodding.

"Yeah, the more the merrier, I always say." Serena added. Clemont and Bonnie looked at each other and nodded before glancing at everybody else.

"Then we accept!" they both exclaimed with a bow.

"Good. Glad to have you!" Luffy shouted. He turned to Zoro and Sanji.

"Get in position! It's time to have our three-way battle!" Luffy declared confidently.

"Roger!" Zoro and Sanji replied at once.

"Then I'll be the referee for this one! Especially since only I know what the rules for the three-way battle should be because I made them up." Serena proclaimed. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and their Pokemon nodded. They all got into their trainer's boxes, with Serena and Fennekin taking up the referee's spot. Nami, Psyduck, Clemont, Bonnie, Dedenne (who had woken up just in time), and Sycamore watched the battle curiously.

"This will be a three-way battle between Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. You must use one Pokemon each and can attack any of the opponent's Pokemon at any time. There is no time limit. The battle will continue until one Pokemon is left standing. Understood?" Serena asked professionally. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and their Pokemon gave her a nod.

"Then all of you, send out your Pokemon." Serena stated.

Sanji lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth while saying, "Bulbasaur, let's get cooking!"

"Bulbasaur! (Yeah!)" Bulbasaur exclaimed as he ran onto the battlefield.

Zoro crossed his arms and said, "Charmander, stand by for battle!"

"Charmander! (Let's do this!)" Charmander roared, also getting on the field.

Luffy swung his right arm around and pointed his finger forward before shouting, "Squirtle, I choose you!"

"Squirtle! (We got this!)" Squirtle shouted while running to the field. Clemont and Bonnie recoiled in surprise.

"You heard that too, right?! Luffy just used Ash's phrase!" the little girl yelped.

Clemont nodded before mumbling to himself, "Is that a coincidence?" Serena put her arm up in the air.

https://youtu.be/daFi4MScfl8

"It's Bulbasaur vs. Charmander vs. Squirtle! Now let the battle...BEGIN!" she shouted as she brought it back down, signifying the start of the battle.

"Dragon Dance." Zoro said calmly. Charmander's body became surrounded in orange energy as he spun around on his back several times. Sanji squinted his eye.

"Hey Moss Head, this is a battle, not a dance-off! Bulbasaur, use Poison Powder on Charmander!" he exclaimed. Bulbasaur aimed his bulb at Charmander and released a purple powder with green sparkles in it from its opening. However, Zoro looked undeterred.

"Dodge it and use Fire Fang." he commanded his Pokemon. Charmander effortlessly moved out of Poison Powder's path, which left everyone except for Zoro stunned by how fast he was.

"WHAT?! Did you increase Charmander's speed or something?!" Sanji gasped.

"Not just his speed, idiot cook." Zoro retorted. Sanji and Bulbasaur yelped as they saw Charmander practically flying toward him with his mouth surrounded in red-orange fire.

"Aw crap. Bulbasaur-" Sanji couldn't finish his order on time as Charmander bit down on Bulbasaur, releasing sparks of fire.

"BULBASAUR!" he shouted worriedly.

"Dragon Dance increases Charmander's speed and attack power. Couple that with Fire Fang, and I don't think Bulbasaur's getting up anytime soon." Clemont commented. Needless to say, Sycamore was impressed...and happy he didn't get on Zoro's bad side.

"Poor Bulbasaur..." Bonnie uttered. Dedenne couldn't help but agree with her there.

"Yeesh, Zoro didn't hold back at all..." Nami replied as she placed her hand over her face.

"Psy-aye-aye-duck." Psyduck muttered. Charmander jumped away from Bulbasaur, who looked badly burned and down for the count.

"...Geez, Zoro...Bulbasaur is unable to battle." Serena announced while she and Fennekin winced a bit.

"Good work there, Charmander." Zoro complimented his starter. Charmander smiled proudly as Sanji wordlessly returned Bulbasaur to his Pokeball. He then shot a glare at Zoro.

"I will get you back for that one day, Moss Head." Sanji mumbled.

"Heh. Next time you want a battle, you know where to find me, idiot cook." Zoro responded confidently.

"Hey Zoro, aren't you forgetting someone? Squirtle, Aura Sphere!" Luffy shouted. Zoro and Charmander turned to see Squirtle putting his hands together. He focused his aura into a single point, forming a big blue ball of energy. Squirtle then fired it at Charmander.

"Dodge it. Then use Thunder Punch." Zoro stated. However, when Charmander sidestepped the Aura Sphere, it suddenly stopped, moved backward, and, to the surprise of everybody except for Luffy and Squirtle, hit him in the back of the head. The Lizard Pokemon gasped as he collapsed belly-first on the ground.

"Huh?! I could have sworn Charmander dodged that!" Zoro exclaimed, befuddled. Luffy and Squirtle snickered while a confused Nami turned to Clemont.

"Aura Sphere never misses, no matter what. Trust me, I would know." he explained, mumbling the last sentence to himself. Nami narrowed her eyes but decided to drop it for now since Charmander was getting back up.

"Water Pulse!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Thunder Punch!" Zoro retaliated. Charmander ran straight for Squirtle, who had his mouth open as he created a big light blue sphere of energy from it, with his fist surrounded by yellow sparks, which grew into a ball of electrical energy. Just as the Tiny Turtle Pokemon fired his attack, his opponent punched him in the face. Charmander then took the brunt of the attack as it exploded into a wave of water.

"Charmander!" "Squirtle!" Zoro and Luffy shouted worriedly at the same time.

"...Now THIS is a battle. Holy shit." Sanji remarked, clearly impressed...and a little intimidated. Bulbasaur's Pokeball nodded weakly, which made him a bit relieved.

"...Wow." Serena, Nami, and Bonnie said together, with their, Fennekin's, Psyduck's, and Dedenne's eyes wide open.

"...You're kidding me, right? THIS is the power of new Pokemon trainers?!" Clemont uttered in surprise.

"MARVELOUS! This is just MARVELOUS!" Sycamore shouted excitedly. Once the dust settled, they all saw Charmander and Squirtle struggling to stay upright.

"Ah, Squirtle! You okay?!" Luffy inquired worriedly.

"Charmander, can you still go?!" Zoro asked in a similar tone. A few seconds passed before the two Pokemon managed to get back up. Charmander suddenly roared mightily as the fire on his tail grew larger and his body became surrounded by the same element. At the same time, Squirtle gave a loud cry as his body became surrounded by a light blue aura for a few moments. Then his eyes flashed light blue.

"Ah! That's the Blaze and Torrent abilities!" Clemont exclaimed. Sanji heard him and quirked his eye while he went over to him.

"Blaze? Torrent? Bulbasaur has Overgrow as his ability. Is that the same thing as the other two, with the only difference being the type it powers up?" he questioned Clemont curiously.

"Yep, you guessed right, Sanji. As the names imply, Overgrow powers up Grass type moves when you're in a pinch. Blaze does the same thing for Fire type moves. And Torrent for Water type moves. These abilities are very common among starter Pokemon." Sycamore answered for him. Sanji nodded thankfully before turning back to the battle. Serena and Fennekin were keenly interested in seeing the Blaze ability in action.

"Well, Luffy, it's been fun. But I think it's time we end this. Dragon Dance into Fire Fang!" Zoro yelled out. Sanji winced as Charmander once again became surrounded in orange aura while spinning around him on his back several times. He then flew toward Squirtle at a higher speed than before, with his mouth ignited in even more red-orange fire. However, when Charmander was about halfway to him, Luffy made his move.

"Water Pulse! Let's go!" he shouted determinedly. Squirtle once again opened his mouth and, this time, formed an even bigger light blue sphere of energy than before from it.

"WHOA! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT WATER PULSE!" Clemont gasped.

"GOOOOO!" Luffy and Zoro exclaimed at the same time. Squirtle fired his giant Water Pulse just as Charmander bit down on him, releasing even more sparks of fire. It then blew up in a big wave of water that caught the Lizard Pokemon unaware.

"AH!" Luffy and Zoro gasped.

"...If either of them are left standing, then I will be surprised." Sanji stated.

"Yeah, no kidding, Sanji." Nami replied while nodding in agreement. Everybody else's eyes were wide open. As the dust settled, Sanji's prediction turned out to be true, as Charmander and Squirtle laid side by side with swirls in their eyes.

"Squirtle!" "Charmander!" Luffy and Zoro gasped as they ran over to their fallen partners.

"Charmander and Squirtle are both unable to battle! Therefore, this battle ends in a draw!" Serena announced.

"That was a MARVELOUS battle! Just MARVELOUS! And to think I almost turned them in..." Sycamore exclaimed excitedly, mumbling the last sentence to himself.

"Man, what a battle..." Clemont murmured.

"Wow, who knew these two cute Pokemon could be so strong already?! Are we sure this is their first battles?!" Bonnie shouted with stars in her and Dedenne's eyes. Nami and Sanji couldn't help but chuckle nervously. Once Luffy and Zoro returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs with gratitude, the swordsman held it out.

"Good battle, Captain." he concurred. Luffy giggled as he bumped his Pokeball on Zoro's.

"Yeah! Let's do this again someday!" the captain responded. Clemont, Bonnie, and the Pokemon still out looked confused, which Nami noticed.

"I'll tell you guys once we hit the road to Santalune City." she whispered. Clemont and Bonnie nodded in acknowledgment. And so, after saying goodbye to Sycamore and a visit to the Pokemon Center, where the siblings met Usopp and Eevee and Nami had to pull the flirty Sanji away from the local Nurse Joy, who healed the tired Pokemon and registered Luffy and Zoro for the Kalos League, the group was finally on their way to Santalune City.

And in Serena's mind, she was thinking, Ash...I can't wait to see you after so long!