Three weeks had passed since Ash had told his mother that he was getting married. It was now the last day of school for the year. The classroom was full of chatter, since only a few minutes remained until it was officially summer break. Miss Vickers sat, perched on the edge of her desk with a stack of workbooks beside her, having collected them earlier that day.

Alex and Julia were sitting at their desks, their eyes watching the clock. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. The shrill ringing of the bell went off and most of the students cheered and ran out of the room. Laughter and cheering carried on from the hall, into the open door of the classroom.

But Alex, Julia, Grace, Isla, Trey, and a few others hadn't hurried out of the classroom right away. They walked up to Miss Vickers and one by one, they hugged her and said goodbye.

"Bye, Miss Vickers. Thanks for being a great teacher and making second grade awesome." Isla said, hugging her.

"Thanks for a great year, Miss Vickers." Trey said as he hugged her.

"Thank you for everything, Miss Vickers. I'll miss you next year." Grace said and hugged her.

"Thank you for not only being my teacher, but also someone who was there to help me when I needed it. I'll miss you." Julia said, hugging Miss Vickers tightly.

"For my first school year in Sinnoh, I'm glad that I had you as my teacher. Thanks for making second grade unforgettable." Alex said, hugging her.

Miss Vickers hugged each of them in return and said, "I'll miss you all. Thank you for being such great students and for making my year an enjoyable one. I hope that you all have a wonderful, fun summer, and be safe."

"Have a good summer too, Miss Vickers." said the kids.

"Oh, Alex and Julia, tell your parents congratulations and I send my best wishes to all of you." They had recently told her of their parents' upcoming wedding.

As they left, Miss Vickers placed her hand on Julia's shoulder, stopping her. "I know that the bullying you've experienced is behind you now, but always remember to be yourself and don't let the hurtful words of others upset you. If you ever need to talk, my door is always open."

Julia smiled and hugged Miss Vickers once again. "I know, and I won't. That's the old Julia, and that Julia is in the past. I'm going to be me and only me."

Miss Vickers smiled and Julia waved goodbye before running to catch up to her friends.

Later that day, Alex, Alan, Anthony, Grace, Isla, Julia, and Trey were at Lake Verity, sitting in the shade of the nearby trees, since it was quite warm outside.

Because of the warm summer weather, Alex was wearing jean shorts and a red tee with sneakers. Alan was wearing jean shorts and a blue tank top with sneakers. Anthony was wearing a pair of white shorts and a black tee with sneakers. Grace was wearing pink shorts and a white tank top with white flip flops. Isla was wearing jean shorts and a white tee with a Pokeball on it with sneakers. Julia was wearing cut-off jean shorts and a light blue tee with white flip flops. Trey was wearing jean shorts and a black tee that had a design on it with sneakers.

They had all agreed to meet up after school, since Alex and Julia had to tell them about the wedding plans that their parents were making.

"So what's the news?" Grace asked. Out of all of their friends, Grace was the most excited. Her excitement was influenced by the wedding being at a palace.

"Well, ever since we found out where the wedding was going to be held, Salvia has been emailing us constantly. She's been emailing our parents lists and pictures of different things that she has picked out for the wedding that our parents can decide on." Alex explained.

"They've been given lists and pictures of the gowns for my mom and her bridesmaids, food, flowers, music, decorations, designs, invitations, and who to invite. It's all hectic." Julia said.

"Our parents have been choosing with our help and their moms' help and emailing Salvia their choices."

"All in all, Salvia has been working quickly to put this all together, with some help from some other people that she's hired to take care of each aspect."

"And since Salvia's working so quickly, our parents are planning to have the wedding near the end of July, so in one month's time." Alex said, smiling. "They want to have their wedding during the summer, before school starts again."

"Wow, one month?" Grace asked, shocked. Wedding planning usually took several months, but with Salvia, it was taking no time at all for her.

"In two days, Julia and I, our parents, and grandmas will all be heading to Salvia's palace to finalize all of the major details for the wedding and meet the other people that Salvia has hired to help put it all together." Alex said.

"I can't wait to go because I'll get to meet Salvia's daughter, Princess Sarah, and maybe gain a new friend." Julia added.

"Oh, wow! I would love to meet a real Princess." Grace said.

"Well, you can. Salvia has heard about you guys and said that we can each pick someone to bring with us. But your parents have to be okay with it." Alex and Julia said.

Grace smiled and excitement danced in her eyes.

"Grace, would you like to come with us?" Julia asked.

"Duh! Like you even had to ask." Grace cried happily.

"Not me, summer is only just starting and I don't want to go away so soon." said Alan.

"Yeah, us too." said Isla and Trey.

"Anthony?" Alex asked.

"Sure, why not? It seems like fun, plus you guys are offering." Anthony replied.

Ash's sports car and Dawn's truck pulled through the gates to Salvia's palace and then drove up the path leading to the palace. They parked and they all got out and started taking out their suitcases.

"Remember, be on your best behavior. This is a royal palace." Ash and Dawn said, reminding the kids.

A servant was standing outside of the mahogany doors. "Welcome, Ash, Dawn, and their family and friends." he said, opening the doors and allowing them in.

They walked into the palace and saw Salvia waiting for them. They all bowed before her.

"You don't need to do that. You're our friends, after all." Salvia said to them and they stood up.

Salvia was dressed in a light pink dress with white gloves reaching to her elbows. Her hair was curled loosely and her crown was on her head. Standing beside her was a girl who looked exactly like Julia! The girl looked to be the kids' age and had sapphire blue hair and eyes to match. She was wearing a light blue dress that ended right before her white flats. Her hair was pulled half up and half down and a crown was on her head, too.

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Ash and Dawn. I'm honored to meet you all as well, Delia, Johanna, Alex, Julia, Anthony, and Grace." Salvia greeted. "I would also like to introduce you to my daughter, Princess Sarah."

All of the kids were staring in shock. They were overcome by how similar Salvia looked to Dawn and then how similar Sarah looked to Julia. Julia was the most surprised, it was like looking at her own twin!

Princess Sarah had her hands clasped in front of her and she looked nervous and shy. Salvia looked down and saw her daughter.

"Sarah has yet to meet very many people and she has yet to have any real friends her own age. This is why I invited Alex and Julia and let them invite two friends to come along. I wanted Sarah to know what it's like to have friends and be around children her own age, something that I didn't have the pleasure of experiencing when I was young."

Some servants walked into the room and took their suitcases from them.

"I'll show you to your rooms now." Salvia said as she turned and started walking.

As they followed Salvia, everyone was amazed by the look of palace, minus Ash and Dawn, since they had been there before and had seen nearly everything.

Salvia stopped and motioned to a few doors. "Here we are. I hope that the rooms are acceptable and I hope that you are all comfortable and enjoy them."

Ash and Dawn were sharing a room while everyone else had their own rooms. The rooms looked exactly the same as the room that Ash and Dawn had stayed in when they were there last. As they got settled in, Salvia waited in the hall outside.

"Ash, Dawn, Delia, and Johanna, if you will please come with me so that I can show you where the wedding will be taking place and to introduce you to the wonderful people who have been helping me." said the Queen.

Salvia then faced the kids. "You can all get acquainted with one another. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let us know." The adults then walked away and the children were left alone

"Hi, I'm Alex." Alex greeted.

"I'm Julia," Julia greeted with a smile.

"I'm Grace, it's nice to meet you." Grace said.

"And I'm Anthony," Anthony said.

Sarah gave a small smile. "Come with me, I'll show you around the palace."

They walked around as Sarah pointed out many rooms, including the kitchen, dining room, and ballroom, where they could hear the voices of Ash and Dawn talking to other people about how it should be decorated, amongst other things. Sarah eventually led them out of the palace and into the wide open field behind the palace's large flower garden. A building could be seen in the distance.

"I'll show you the stables. We have Ponyta and Rapidash that stay there. It's really lovely and peaceful." said Sarah.

As they walked towards the stables, the kids told Sarah about their other friends who hadn't came with them: Isla, Trey, and Alan. They said that Sarah would get along with them very well.

"So what's it like being a Princess?" Grace asked.

"It's tough. I get lessons from my mother on how to be a Princess, like proper etiquette and speech. There are parties, but I don't go to many, since almost no children ever come with the guests. It's how I've been raised, so I'm used to this. Here we are, the stables." Sarah said as they reached their destination.

The kids looked in and saw two Rapidash and four Ponyta. One of the Ponyta came to the door of the stable and leaned its head out to Sarah.

"This Ponyta is my close friend." Sarah said as she rubbed Ponyta's head. "She's still young, the same age as me. I love to go riding on her and she loves having me around. Being around Pokemon is very peaceful for me."

Anthony held out his hand to Ponyta and said, "May I?"

"Of course, but be gentle. Ponyta's mane is made of intense fire and will burn you if she feels scared." Sarah replied.

One by one, the kids rubbed Ponyta's head and neck without getting burned as Ponyta let out a soft, happy neigh.

"Ponyta really seems calm around us." said Grace.

"I think that she can sense that we're friendly." said Julia.

"You really love Pokemon, don't you?" Alex said to Sarah.

"Yes, I find them so fascinating. We often get Beautifly in the flower garden, too. I wish that I could go on a Pokemon journey, seeing all kinds of different Pokemon that I haven't seen before. But my royal status and future duties prevent me from doing so."

"That must be hard to deal with." said Anthony.

"It is. My mother went through the same thing when she was young. She wanted to travel and become a Pokemon coordinator and enter the Grand Festival. Thanks to Julia's mother, she was able to live her dream. For one day, at least. She said that it was one of the greatest moments of her life."

"We all love Pokemon, too. We're hoping to get our own Pokemon when we're old enough and go on a journey to see and catch more." said Alex. He then realized that he was making Sarah feel worse, since he was telling her that they could someday do what she wanted to do, but she couldn't.

"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to..." he began.

"It's fine. I'm happy for all of you to be able to follow your dreams, really." Sarah said in a disappointed voice. "Let's...let's just go back inside."

"So...why did your mom invite us here to befriend you?" Julia asked after a minute of walking silently.

"Like my mom said, I don't have any friends my age. When my mom was my age, she didn't have friends her age, either." Sarah explained.

"My mom's first real friend, her only real friend that she ever had, was Dawn. Sadly, she couldn't stay in touch with her because she was only the Princess and her father, the King, never allowed her time for things that didn't involve her learning and etc.

"My mom grew up raised by her father. She never knew who her mother was because her mother wasn't around while she was growing up. Her father was very strict and wanted her to be raised properly and formally, for she was the next in line to the throne. And since he was like this, he never allowed her to enter Pokemon contests or enjoy her childhood.

"I believe that my mom wants to give me everything that she didn't have while growing up, including friends. My mom is teaching me how to behave like a Princess should, but she's going about it in a slow and kind manner, not like how she was taught.

"And since the King's passing and my mom becoming the Queen, she's been hosting balls and parties. She's being friendly and getting acquainted with her subjects, which is something that she wasn't allowed to do much of when she was a Princess. I, on the other hand, have been allowed to get to know people if I decide to come out and join a ball or party. But it feels strange meeting grown-ups and meeting nobody who is my age, someone that I can talk to.

"Which brings me back to my first point. I believe that my mother invited you all because she wants me to have the kind of life that she was denied when she was young. She wants me to have friends, people that I can be close to.

"I also want to compete in a Pokemon contest someday. At least once, like my mom, and I hope that she lets me."

The kids were shocked from hearing what Sarah had just told them. How could someone live like that?

"No one should have to live like that. I mean, royal or not, kids are supposed to be able to have fun at times." Grace said.

"How could your mom live like that? She never got to do anything fun." Julia said softly in disbelief.

It seemed like Salvia was trying to make sure that Sarah didn't end up like she did. She wanted Sarah to grow up differently, enjoying her childhood.

As Sarah spoke about Salvia's past, they made their way back into the palace and were heading up the stairs.

"This is my room." Sarah said, opening one of the doors.

They followed her inside and were shocked. Her room was huge! The walls were light and the floor was a soft white carpet. Blue curtains hung from the windows and were pulled back, letting in sunlight. There was a twin size bed pushed against the left side of the wall with blue sheets on it and two big, fluffy pillows were on the bed. A dresser that was made of dark wood was near the door. A desk was pushed against the wall opposite the door with a chair. The desk was stacked with books and papers. A bookcase was near the desk and full of books. Quite a few pictures of different Pokemon were hanging from the wall. Two glass window doors lead out to a balcony. In the corner of the room were stuffed dolls. There were also two other doors in the room which were the bathroom and closet. The closet door was slightly ajar.

Grace walked over and looked inside. It was like being in a clothing boutique! Sarah had countless outfits and dresses. Grace spun around and looked at Sarah.

"You have so many dresses! They're all beautiful!" Grace cried.

"You and Julia can try some on. We're all about the same size." Sarah said.

That gave Julia an idea. "Hey, why don't we put on a fashion show for fun? We can try on dresses and Alex and Anthony can take pictures of us." Julia suggested.

"That will be fun!" Grace cried.

Sarah nodded her head.

"Okay," the boys agreed.

"My mom's camera is in their room. Can you go and get it?" Julia asked.

Alex and Anthony nodded and left the room and the girls decided to change into the dresses. After Alex and Anthony returned, the fashion show started.

Laughter filled Sarah's bedroom as the girls walked out. Grace had changed into a dark pink dress that had short sleeves to cover her shoulders and she had added white gloves. Julia was wearing a purple dress that was held up by thin straps with short black gloves.

"Oh, wow!" Grace cried as she spun and looked at her reflection in the large mirror that Sarah had in her room.

"Wow, this is wicked." Julia said, giving a small twirl.

"You girls look amazing." said the boys.

Alex and Anthony took turns taking pictures with the camera as each of the girls posed and twirled. After the first pictures were taken, the three girls retreated back into the closet to pick a different outfit.

Julia emerged first. She was now in a black dress that had a red ribbon around the waist. Her hair had been pulled from the ponytail it had been in and her hair fell over her shoulders. Grace walked out next, dressed in a white dress that had ruffles from the waist down and her hair had been pulled back into a side braid. Sarah walked out dressed in a yellow dress and her tiara had been removed from her head. If someone was looking at Julia and Sarah, it would be hard to tell which one was which without the tiara.

Grace was having the time of her life doing this. She was surrounded by countless dresses and it was an amazing experience for her. Julia was happy too, and was smiling along. Sarah had never had this much fun in her life and it was made even better by sharing the experience with the others.

They walked out once more. All three were dressed in a similar dress, but different colors. The dresses were loose and held up by thin straps. Grace was in a cream color dress, Julia was in pink, and Sarah was in dark blue. Grace had also grabbed a scarf that she had spotted and was in the process of wrapping it around her neck.

"Fabulous." she said, tossing it around her neck and Alex had snapped a picture of it.

"Wow, Grace. You really know how to pose and show off your style. It comes so naturally to you. So beautiful." Alex said, amazed.

Grace blushed at Alex's words, causing everyone else to laugh.

"I've never had this much fun in my life!" Sarah cried, smiling.

"Well, you all look fabulous, especially you, Princess." said Anthony.

It was Sarah's turn to blush. She had never been paid a compliment like that before, least of all from a boy.

"Why, thank you. And it's 'Sarah' to all of you." she replied.

The kids could see that Sarah was going to be one of their new friends in no time. She was going to gain the friends that she had always wanted.

To Be Continue....