Korrina POV

"Twenty-four."

"Twenty-five."

"Twenty-six."

"Korrina!" I let my head drop down and Lucario did along side with me.

"Yes Bonnie?" I asked as I let the blood go in the brain.

"The breakfast is almost finished. You should join us!" As I was about object, mine and my partner's stomachs growled out loud.

I chuckled. "Let us finish this series and we will join you." I gave her a smile and she returned it with hers as she rushed back.

I looked at Lucario and we continued. I took deep breath and continued hanging sit-ups.

"Twenty-seven."

"Twenty-eight."

"Twenty-nine."

"Thirty."

I unhooked my legs and made a quick flip to land on my feet.

As I made my way through, I noticed a familiar figure behind a tree.

"What are you planning Ash?" I asked. I looked back at him as he walked out with Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Did you already do your pre-breakfast run? Because we haven't." I sensed as my partner's gaze went into the tree. Next to Ash dropped his Lucario and Greninja. I raised my eyebrow at him. "They wish to join in."

I looked at my partner. And we were both for it. "Alright, but how about we make race of it." I said as I stretched myself. I noticed a large tree poking over every other. It looked it was a mile away and on top of a small hill.  "Do you see that tree over there?"  when I got his silent nod, I grinned. "Whoever makes it to the tree and back to the others first wins the others desert from Serena."

This got me Ash's raised eyebrow. "No take backs?" 

I grinned. "No take backs." I looked at our pokemon. "What about them?"

Before Ash could reply to me, they all made fist bumps. Pikachu joining in by jumping up slap his tail. "It seems they have made their own bet as well." 

We both got into starting positions. I looked at Ash and he gave me the same look as I gave him, challenging.

"On three, we start." my eyes went quickly over everyone around us. Ash's Lucario seemed to be having race of his life. I saw how competetive my can get with Ash's. And somehow, this rivalty extended to Greninja. So, seeing go over the top at each other could push them forward. "One." I clenched my muscles.

"Two." Ash continued. We both raised up our sides. 

We both looked at each other before looking ahead of us. 

"Three!"

As we said in unison, we dashed forward.

I ran past bunch of trees, seeing as our pokemon past by us. I shouldn't keep them waiting. So I focused harder on my run.

I looked to my right, my eyes met with Ash. We were at even pace. 

But that changed when we slowed down. What neither of us noticed before starting the race was the large area covered with large boulders.

"What your plan?" I heard Ash as we were closing in. "Getting over them could be dangerous. You never know when you could twist your ankle."

I looked to the sides and I could see clear path. "We could go around?" I yelled back. We both looked ahead of us at our pokemon and they had other idea.

There were few trees leading over all the boulders and rocks. Our pokemon went on them and lept right over to anothers.

I heard Ash say: "I say we follow their idea!" before I could protest with him, he already grabbed a strong branch and pulled himself up on top of the tree.

I smirked and did the same thing. But instead, I made a strong swing on the branch and let myself swing toward the next tree. I landed with my feet on tree branch and lept forward another. As I was mid flight, I looked next to me and Ash was slightly behind me. I smirked and continued forward.

I finally saw the end for all the rocks. I saw a bigger boulder, so I jumped of the tree slowed my fall by making mid jump on top of the rock and landed on the ground. I looked forward and I saw that our pokemon were already reaching the tree. 

As I ran forward, I heard sudden screaming behind me. I looked back and there was Ash. He was swinging on vines from the trees. 

"Where the heck did you grab one?" I yelled as he was almost back up next to me.

"Just found one. You would be surprised!" Ash laughed and as he landed next to me and we were both the same distance to our checkpoint. I made extra large steps to reach further so I could ascend the hill faster.

We passed by our pokemon as they ran quickly pass us. I could see them all making all out of it. And I could agree with my partner. I wouldn't be loosing to Ash in this race.

At the same time, we both touched the large tree. Ash and I exchanged a glance, silently saying that this was it. We both turned around and we for it.

And that was the same exact moment when we both fell over. Because neither of us noticed the root of the tree that was sticking out of the ground. 

I couldn't see him, but from the noices he made as I did, we were both rolling down the hill. 

Finally, I landed on my stomach with my chin hitting the ground. I shook my hea as I picked myself up. "You ok Korrina?" I heard Ash.

"Yeah, what about you?" I asked and looked to my side and he looked fine as well. Just some dirt and leaves sticking to him.

"I would say. Let's see..." and before I could react, he was rushing off again. "Looks like I am fine!" I heard Ash.

I smirked. "Oh no you don't!" I yelled. I wouldn't let him win this way.

I ran right behind him. We both climbed the tree fast on top. As I was jumping for another tree, I heard the crack of tree beneath me. My eyes widened as thoughts raced through my head. I knew under me were bunch of boulders and stone. That would hurt.

That's when I noticed branch that was slightly above me on the other side of the same tree I was standing on. I forced my brain to move my legs so I could leap for the branch. It wasn't strong enough to hold me for long. But it gave me the best chance to leap ahead for the next safe one.

When I landed on the stable one, I let out the breath of relief. I grinned and continued forward, ignoring the thoughts of falling down on the ground.

I looked forward and saw Ash ahead of me. 'If he is going to pull off the same thing as before, I am not going to win.' went inside my head. As I lept, I saw the vines he mentioned. 'It's stupid idea...Fuck it!' I thought to myself and lept for it.

I grabbed the vine and let out a scream as I let the gravity swing me forward on the vine. As I swang by Ash, I heard him yell: "Copying me?"

It made me smirk.

As I was getting on another vine, to swing on. As I turned around, I saw Ash started doing the same. 

"So much for running!" I yelled back at him as he was aproaching me.

"You chose the destination!" he yelled back at me. I laughed and grabbed another one.

I could already see the clearing where we were having breakfast. This would be my win.

As I grabbed for the final vine that would get me there, it was with some resistence. But before I could thing about it, I was in full swing.

I looked back and I couldn't see Ash anywhere. And he wasn't ahead of me so that meant I lost him in a dust.

"Victoryyy is mine!" I yelled out laughing.

"No, it's mine!" I looked around confused until I heard leafs rustling above me.

"Ash!"  I yelled out.

"The one and only!" That!s when the gears started to shift in my head.

"You are not swinging on the same vine as I am, are you?" I yelled out to him.

"Maybe? I don't know. I grabbed the closest one I could see!" I heard him. 

That's when I heard tearing of my vine. "Please tell me your vine isn't tearing as well?"

"Uuuuh, I think it does!" Ash yelled back

And before either of us could say anything more, we heard the sound.

*SNAP*

The next thing I knew, we were both lying on the ground. I couldn't see anything because of my hair. So I had to reach up pull them from my face. I could feel the leafs and twigs inside them.

As I looked around, our pokemon were standing over us with Serena, Bonnie and Clemont looking at us worriedly.

"Are you alright?" Serena spoke first. I know she meant both of us, but her mind was mostly on Ash probably. I laughed inside.

"Aughh, ok with me. What about you Korrina?" Ash spoke out to me.

"Same here. More importantly, who won?" I asked as I picked myself up.

"You both made head dive at the same time, so neither of you." Bonnie said. I didn't need to look at her to know that she was smirking.

I looked at Ash and we both laughed out loud.

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As we were packing, I saw Clemont again deep in his invention. So I walked up to him.

"What's the project?" I spooked him as he didn't expect me. "Sorry."

"No need. I-I was just focusing on my work. Well... part of it." I raised my eyebrow as I looked at the part. It looked like some sort of ventilation.

"I have been wondering about that. I heard from others that you used to make much more new inventions. Almost new one every single day. So what changed?" I asked as I sat down oppose to him.

I watched him as thoughts ran through his head and I wondered what they could have been. "This is project I have been working on for some time. And it takes so much of my time and focus that sometimes I forget to make other stuff." he said, laughing nervously.

I looked at him suspiciously. He was way too much worried around me. Like I could see through him. "Nothing dangerous like a weapon?" I asked lookig at it.

His eyes widened. "No no no. Nothing like. Opposite actually." he told me. This seemed to melt the nervous outside he had now. "I don't want to spoil anything until it's ready. But!" he said excitedly, suprising me with his sudden burst of energy. "It will be one of best machines I could have ever made. Machine that will help people AND pokemon."

Clemont is passionate for his craft. But I have never seen this much. It made me smile.

"Well, we will be here when you prepare it." I said, picking myself up. "Anyway, I came by tell you that we are almost done packing. So you should pack it up as well."

Clemont looked around and realised our plan now. "Oh yeah. Thanks for letting me know." I smiled at him and walked off.

As I was packing some of my stuff, I noticed Bonnie's Dedenne next to me. So I figured she would be right next to me as well.

"Came in to help me out?" I asked, packing up my sleeping bag. Augghhhh, always annoying to stuff it inside those small bags. Whenever I stick one side inside, it's like another pops out and I get into infinite circle of stuffing it.

"Nope. I will leave this up to you." she said and when I looked up, she was grinning. 

"So why stick around?" I asked, smiling.

"To know if you pulled something out of him about that project of his. I have been curious ever since I noticed him working on it." I smirked. She might have been 2 years older from the girl I remembered a few months back, but she still as curious as she was back then.

"Probably nothing new like he told you. Just that it will help everyone." I told her and I could already hear her facepalming herself.

"Auggghh, what is it!" I laughed at her. I picked myself and pat her on top of her head. She looked up at me.

"Trust me, it will be much more better surprise if he is so passionate for it." she started pouting at me. "If you want to learn more, helping him get all the necessary stuff for building it could give you idea of what he is making." I said with smirk. She smirked back at me.

"Thanks for the tip." she said with smile.

"Would you help me out with my sleeping bag now?" she laughed, but helped me out.

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As the evening was getting closer, we made another stop where we could sleep.

Ash and Clemont were in middle of making us a dinner and Bonnie decided to explore the forest around.

So I was left alone with Serena to prepare table for us and food bowls for our pokemon. We were both in comfortable silence. Only speaking when we needed each others help.

"Are you ever scared Korrina?" Serena broke the silence and with question that caught me completely off guard.

I laughed nervously. "Of course I am. Everyone is. Being scared of stuff is what makes us who we are. That goes to pokemon as well." I told her with smile. I push strand of hair from my face

"No, I know that. But I mean being afraid of failure with what you do. Doing stuff you enjoy and people know you for." that's when it hit me.

"Are you scared of the upcoming showcase?" I asked her. At my words, she froze.

"Maybe, I am not sure. I already got two keys, but I also know that it will be even harder. And people will expect much from me. And I don't wish to fail everyone counting on me and-" I let out a sigh. I placed bowls on the ground and walked up to her. 

Her pokemon tried to break her out of her mumbling, but she wouln't budge.

So when I stood in front of her, I did the fastest thing I could think off.

*Slap*

Serena looked at me with wide eyes. I let my hand drop and let out a sigh. She rubbed her cheek. I took a deep breath and grabbed her by shoulders. "You already had this conversation with Ash. If you fail, it just give you means to grow better. We all know this feeling, anxiety. You think neither of us was scared when we started with our goals? You think Clemont wasn't afraid when he started his first invention? Ash when he was loosing his first gym fight? Me fighting my first gym challenger with Lucario for the very first time? Bonnie with her very own adventure she was thrown in without her even planning it? No. Because we always knew that we have friends along with us to help us through it. People and pokemon. We as a girls get it even harder as people tend to look down us as inferior. Which is why we have to work even harder to proove those people wrong. Swaying worthless words around without any actions gets us nowhere. When you can do that, the anxiety of failure is something left in the dust." Serena watched me stunned. I never tend to go like this, but I will never leave friends in despair. "So chin up. Because we a have world to change." I said, turning us both toward the setting sun. I pointed my finger at it. "And we will show them all!"

I turned my head at Serena and she nodded her head at me. "You are right." she said with smile.

Serena's Kirlia started to dance around us. I have heard they start dance when their trainer is happy. Serena deserves it. She might be clumsy sometimes, but she does everything great. I felt the same fear when we couldn't form our mega bond again. Fear of loosing ourselves. So understand how Serena can be afraid like this for no reason.

"You know, if keep being such a nervous wreck, you might as well get yourself a pokemon that could reflect it." I laughed and Serena giggled as well. As I looked toward her basket of sweets, I saw something near it. A brown big fluffy tail.

A.N.: Let's go into the new year with new determination.