"Welcome to Battle Cheteau" said the servant, opening the door to the huge hall and stood aside. Ash stared stunned at the large hall, which stood many people in suits. There were all the people of all ages, from young trainers to very old men and women leaning on a stick. Some wore different colors of capes and walked out of the hall through another door.

"So how does it work here?" Ash asked and looked to Clemont.

"In Battle Cheteau, you have same battles like normal battles or gym battles. For winning in Battle Chateau, you do not receive badges or anything like that, but you receive rank points that determine your rank in Battle Chateau." Clemont said.

"And what are the ranks here?" Ash asked looking at all people.

"There are six ranks and they all wear capes defining their positions. White for Baron and Baroness, the lowest rank. Blue for Viscount and Viscountess, green for Earl and Countess, yellow for Marquis and Marchioness, red for Duke and Duchess, and purple for Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, the highest rank." Lumiose gym leader said and pointed sometimes at some people, who wearing exactly the one, he was talking about.

"Do you have rank Clemont?" Serena asked and before Clemont replied, Bonnie answered for him.

"Clemont is Marquis, third highest rank." Bonnie shouted, making Clemont embarrassed.

"Wow, how many rank points do you have?" Kantonian asked.

"Only 100,. It's almost only minimun to have this rank." Clemont said with sad smile.

"But you are still Marquis and that count." Ash said with smile.

"Yeah, Ash is right." Serena joined to Ash.

"I guess you are right guys,"

"So how can I join into Battle Chateau?" Ash asked and servant came as if on call.

"If you wish to join Battle Chateau, please follow me."

"Awesome." Ash said and started to follow him, when he stopped and turned to others. "Serena, will you join us?"

"No, not this time. Maybe next time." Serena said with small smile.

"Ok, I hope you will join us next time." Ash said and left leaving Serena with small pink on her cheecks.

-----------------------------------------------

Ash came to others in white cape, with Pikachu on his shoulder.

"It suits you Ash." Serena said with admirination.

"Thank you." messy hair boy said scratching his cheek with finger.

"So, Ash. Do you plan to challenge someone?" Bonnie asked Ash, who just smiled.

"I already did, I am having battle in few minutes, so I am just gonna wait in waiting room." Ash said and pointed to door.

"So we will probably go find seats to sit there." Clemont said pointing to stands, where some people were waiting or coming.

"Ok, good luck Ash." honey-blond hair girl said with smile.

"Yeah good luck." Bonnie said waving her hands above her.

"Thanks. Let's go Pikachu." Ash said leaving others, who went to find seats.

When Ash entered waiting room, he found out, that there was bar with barman and few people waiting. Ash thought about to just sit on to the bar and wait for him to be call. As he was sitting there, he felt, that someone sat next to him. He looked to his right and saw a man in his 40s with orange hair and a beard that covered his entire chin. The man looked at him in surprise, but then just smiled,

"Well, that's a surprise to me." said the man with a small chuckle.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know you, sir." Ash said politely making man even more suprised. "And how do you know me?"

"How couldn't I remember someone, who saved Lumiose city and my friend's Garchomp. You are Ash unnamed." man said with bigger chuckle. Ash then realized how the man knew him, but was suprised. It was over month, since it happened.

"Yeah, that was me. But I think you are overreacting, I just did what was right." Ash said and scratched behind his head.

"Don't be so polite, boy. Not everyone would do that." the man said in a strict tone.

"I'm not thinking about something like that, sir. I believe everyone is capable of great things, they just need to be sure it's right."

"You may be right, but everyone has their own opinion." man said and Ash just nodded.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name." Ash said, and the man thought for a moment about what to say.

"Just call me friend or Carrothead." man said making Ash confused.

"Why Carrothead?" Ash asked with tilted head.

"My friends call me like this." said man with small laugh.

"Ok...Carrothead."

"Here is your drink sir." Barman said and handed him drink. Man just took glass, that barman has served, and took sip.
"Will you have battle today?" Ash asked, but man shook his head.

"I fought already today and I was just chilling here before my drive will take me."

"Oh ok, I hoped I would see you fight. Maybe we can have a fight, when we will see each other again." Ash said and fist pupmed little.

"Maybe Ash."

"Baron Ash, your battle is next." said woman at the door and pointed with one arm to door.

"Coming! Well friend, it's look like I have a fight. Are you gonna watch me?"

"For sure Ash, I want to see, what you have in store for us." Carrothead said with smile and pointed to small screen above bar.

Meanwhile, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont found seats in the stands, waiting for Ash to board. Meanwhile, there was one duel between the two Earls before Ash starts. After defeating one Earl, they both congratulated themselves on a good battle and then left.

"And now we have another match here. A new Baron has joined us today." said referee from battlefield.

"That must be Ash." Bonnie said happy.

"Yeah, that will be probably him." Clemont said with nod.

"Please welcome Baron Ash." said the judge, pointing with one hand to the side where Ash was coming in the white cape.

"Yeah Ash!" Bonnie shouted, getting attention of other specators.

"We have a relatively rare situation here. Baron Ash has challenged for a battle Duke Hennessy , so please welcome Duke Hennessy." said the referee, after which the whole stands started whispering.

"Is he crazy?"

"That will be probably easy win for Hennessy."

"Maybe Baron Ash will suprise us."

"Yeah, maybe he is just new one here."

One of the man looked to Ash's friends haltingly. "I am not sure, if your friend will win it."

"Ash can always surprise, so I would say that Duke Hennessy should watch out too." Serena said with a certain smile.

"We will see." man said and looked back on the battlefield, where Ash and Hennessy were seperate and were other side of the battlefield.

"Haxorus, I need your assistance." Hennessy said and trew his pokeball, revealing big black-yellow pokemon with red claws and red axe at the jaw.

"What do you say Pikachu? Wanna be my first pokemon fighting in Battle Cheteau?" Ash asked and Pikachu only answered by jumping on battlefield.

"Pikachu vs Haxorus, battle begin."

"Let's make this quick, use dragon pulse." Hennessy said nonchalantly and Haxorus opened its mouth and fired beam of different colors directly on Pikachu. Ash just smirked and Pikachu with him.

"Counter with thunderbolt." Ash shouted and Pikachu jumped into the air, where his cheeks began to sparkle, and then fired a bolt of electricity against the dragon-type attack. "Use iron tail."

"Mistake boy, use dual chop."

Pikachu's tail began to glow white, and Haxorus's arms also glowed white. Pikachu did a toss and came in contact with one arm that Haxorus swung.

"You only stopped one arm boy, Haxorus use your other arm." Hennessy said and Haxorus started to swing with its other arm.

"Pikachu block those arms and meanwhile start charging the electro ball." Ash said and Pikachu blocked the other arm and the first. Then, when there was an opening for the shot, he hit Haxorus in the head with an electric ball. Haxorus backed away with grunt of pain.

"You suprised me boy, but let's see how you can handle indirect attack. Use dig." said the gray-haired man, and Haxorus jumped into the air and then buried himself in the ground.

"Then he doesn't stand a chance now Duke Hennessy." Bonnie said excitedly.

"How?" Serena asked confused and looked to Ash, who smirked. She then looked to Pikachu and its tail started to glow again and was waiting for something. He then jumped up and slammed on the ground to his left. When dust revealed, it showed Haxorus panting on its knees.

"Because in my first battle with Ash, I tried to get Pikachu with using dig, but Ash's Pikachu know how cover this problem." Clemont said with smile.

"Wow." Serena said suprised with the way, how to take care of the most worst attack to cover.

"Let's finish this. Use thunderbolt, full power." Ash shouted and yellow mouse like pokemon jumped and shot another bolt of electricity, hitting defenseless axe jaw pokemon. When dust settled, it revealed unconscious pokemon.

"Haxorus is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner and making Baron Ash the winner and becoming rank Viscount." referee said and pointed to Ash. Pikachu jumped back on Ash's shoulder a rubbed its cheek on Ash's. Everyone was suprised, but recovered and startd to clap.

"You suprised me boy, but you showed me, that you can be a really powerful trainer. I am pleased with our battle." Hennessy said, who came to Ash.

"Thank you sir. I really enjoyed this battle." Ash said with smile and then woman came to them with blue cape in her hands.

"Here Viscount Ash, your cape proving your rank of Viscount." woman said and handed blue cape to Ash.

"But how? I thought I will have to fight more to get points enough for becoming next rank." Ash said with confused look.

"Yes, but to become Viscount, you need to have 5 points and for defeating Duke, you get 5 points." woman said and Hennessy nodded.

"She is right boy. You defeated me, so you are becoming Viscount, so take on that cape, so you won't look so much as beginner." said Hennessy and playfully punched him on shoulder.

"Thank you sir." Ash said and took off white cape and took on blue cape, making stands to start clap.

After he came back to waiting room, he was greeted by Carrothead with clapping and smile on his face.

"Good battle Ash. I am suprised you were able to defeat Hennessy so easy." he said with amazement in his voice.

"Thank you but I am suprised we defeated him so fast." Ash said with one hand scratching his head and looked to Pikachu, who only shrugged.

"I still didn't heard your last name and also where are you from? I would be sure to notice someone as talented as you are." man with orange hair said, making Ash little uneasy.

"My full name is Ash Ketchum and I am from Kanto region." Ash said with small smile.

"Then you must be son of Red Ketchum. Then I am not suprised to see something like this from you." Carrothead said and Ash flinched a little.

"Yeah, I am." Ash said quietly and frowned.

"Why so sad boy? Aren't you proud to be son of so strong trainer?"

"It's not that, it's just I-I..." Ash was trying to say, but wasn't able to find next words to say or were stucked in his throat. He was about to say something next, but was stopped by Carrothead, who placed his hand on Ash's shoulder.

"It's ok Ash, we can discuse this next time. You can call me whenever you want on Holo Caster." man said with understanding expression face on his face.

"Oh, thank you and I'm sorry. Also I don't have Holo Caster, I have only pokedex to write messages or phone from Pokemon center." Ash said scratching his back.

"Oh is that so, then here take this." Carrothead said and handed him a card. When Ash looked on card, there was two lines of numbers on it and there was red edging on the sides and gold corners.

"Is that-"

"Yes, it's my number if you wanna write me or call me." he told to Ash, who only smiled, and started to leave. "I hope we will see each other soon Ash."

"I hope too, bye." Ash told him and man with orange hair and beard left him by side door.

Serena, Bonnie and Clemont were only waiting for Ash to show up. After a while Ash appeared from door with normal clothes on him. Bonnie ran to him energetically.

"You can always suprise Ash! We didn't expected you to challenge Duke on your first day here and you even defeated him, like he was nothing and you Pikachu looked so cool on that battlefield." Bonnie shouted with admiration at Ash and Pikachu. Ash only smiled at her and Pikachu tapped his chest.

"Yeah, I thought so too." Clemont joined to Bonnie, but Serena just shook her head.

"I wouldn't thought anything else." Serena said with small laugh.

"That's true. Bigger challenge, the bigger fun it is. I wanted to challenge also some Grand Duke, but they said there was no Grand Duke or Grand Duchess to fight." Ash told to others, who only laughed at his sentence.

"What did you take so much time anyway Ash?"Bonnie asked with curious look.

"Oh I met someone in waiting room. He was really friendly." Ash said and everyone looked at him suprised.

"And why didn't you bring him, so we would meet him." honey-blond hair girl asked raven hair boy, who just shrugged.

"He had to go after I came back from battle."

"Oh ok, so wanna continue our journey?" Bonnie said and ran forwards others.

Meanwhile man with orange hair was sitting in his car, driven by his driver

Meanwhile, a man with orange hair was sitting in a car driven by his personal driver. He pulled a Holo Caster from his pocket. He pressed a few buttons, and after a moment of blinking, a hologram of a fat man appeared in front of him, only part of his head covered in hair.

"Yes sir?" man said from Holo Caster.

"Xerosic, I have new orders for you." said with small smile.

"Oh. I am listening."

"Stop searching for that boy I told you to look. I found him today and he really suprised me."

"He must be really something, if he impresed you sir."

"Yes, he is." 'Carrothead' said with bigger smile.

"And what was his reaction on you Lysandre?"

"He doesn't know me, so he acted to me like I was normal man. One more reason to get him for our plan."

"Ok. Any new orders sir?" Xerosic said with writing to his computer.

"Yes, start working more on plans R and Z. To plan Z we need both powers and we and didn't even got half of it. Chespin only got small part of it, so we need most power we can get. And with our problems to find Z1 and Z2, we need to make sure to do it on time."

"Yes sir and with plan R, we are now working on the biggest obstacle, but we think we will able to do it as well."

"I am happy to hear that. That is all." Lysandre said and with Xerosic's bow, Holo Caster turned off. Lysandre only took si of alcohol he had on his minibar with satisfaction.