Unexpected battle!

"You did well out there!" Mindy commented, walking over to Chloe who was hunched over on the bench in the lobby, sweat dripping down her face as she thought about the last match, her grip tightened and her breathing slowed a bit before looking up at her.

"So, how was your first match?" Mindy pondered, sitting by Chloe's side. She smiled to herself, her hand reaching to idly play with her orange hair. 

"It was, fun." She muttered, her heart still pounding from the experience, looking into her free palm as she recalled the memory.

"Being watched by thousands, fighting such high-stakes battles–" She reached into her pocket, pulling out Minchinno's pokeball, watching as the light from the room bounced off its smooth red surface. 

"It's all I ever wanted–" She leaned back and groaned softly her eyes to the ceiling. "Honestly- the adventuring part isn't for me, I just want to battle."

Mindy smiled and watched as she ranted, her phone ringing and breaking the moment between them.

"H-hold on– I gotta take this!" She stammered, running out of the room. Chloe watched on in confusion but soon shrugged her shoulders before getting up herself.

"I'm finally at home…" Her hands clenched into fists, and her face beaming with a bright smile.

"A place where I belong!"

_________________________________________________

Both me and Khalid ran for the hills a huge smile on our faces as we got closer and closer to our new destination, jumping over logs and huge rocks, sliding down steep paths, nothing was stopping our momentum! Zorua and Eevee ran alongside me, their gazes also set on the path ahead.

"Hey Khalid, how far are we from the next village?" I asked as we ran, looking at him for any sign of an answer.

"It's not that far it's a three-hour walk, but since we've been running—" He paused to get some air, the village coming into view as he spoke. "We'd get there in two."

The village was infamous for its transportation service, being centered in the middle of the map, they have taxis that go from saffron all the way to the islands. 

"So I guess this is where we part for now, huh?" I smiled, stretching out my hand for one last fist bump.

"Haha, yeah, you do have your badges to chase after all." he muttered, I stretched out to him, our fists colliding as we stared each other in the eyes, a determined smile to see each other in the future.

"Yup, and you need to get back to Hoenn, right?" Khalid nodded at my words.

Eeve and Zorua remained by my side, looking up to Khalid with bright faces and smiles. 

"I'll miss you both too," He kneeled to both of them and petted their heads.

"The next time we all meet, you best believe we're having a battle." He announced, looking up at me with a grin.

"Right!" I agreed "And by then I'll be way stronger!"

"Haha, you better be." he got up from the ground and waved goodbye and started to walk away.

"Oh! And make sure to say sorry to that Chloe chick, alright?!" He shouted off from a distance, my face turning deep red as I remembered the situation, my hand reaching up to claw the sleeve of the other.

"Oh– right..."

 My frown swiftly turned into a smile, taking in a deep breath as I shouted after him, my hand covering the corners of my mouth.

"I will! I'll fix it, don't you worry!" 

"I'll apologize and we'll be friends again! Don't worry!" By the time I was done, he was out of sight, a soft smile remained on my face, and my hand fell limp to my sides. Zorua turned behind her, her tail stuck up high as she started growling.

"You ok, buddy?" I pondered but she wouldn't stop, I heard a deep sigh. 

"Seems like you've made some new friends…I'm glad," My breath hitched when I heard that voice, quickly turned to see who it was only to be met with dead green eyes, their hue long dimmed of life. He carried himself however he felt like, his hands in his pockets, his shirt out of his pants, not to mention he was way older than me.

"W-why're you here….Jeffery—"

The crowd of people simply walked past us like there was nothing happening, but I couldn't get it, I couldn't wrap my head around it at all.

"Oh yeah," He groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he spoke to me.

"I'm supposed to be dead in your timeline…"

"Timeline…" I repeated. The only time I heard about the timeline was– after Bill mentioned it to me…scratch that, how does he know about his own death, and which timeline is he from?!

"Can't wrap your little head around it? Ayuna?" He pondered, looking at me with a mocking smile.

"You've been making quite the commotion on the timelines recently."

"Everything that happened so far—" His gaze grew serious, sharp, and cold towards me. "It's all been your fault, you know that?"

"Hopping from timeline to timeline, seriously how careless can you be?"

"As your best friend, I guess I'll have to be the one to set you straight."

"What's going on, why are you doing this?!" I asked, stepping back a bit as he grabbed his pokeball out of his pocket.

"Why? Because I want my best friend back."

"No matter the cost, I'll see him alive again, even if Chloe had forsaken me!" He tossed his pokemon in the middle of the road, and a Gengar appeared out of the ball. I stepped back, both Zorua and Eevee stepping forward and growling at the enemy.

"Six years, Ayuna, that's how long your counterpart died for, even if it's your fault, I hold no grudge, I just want my friend back, you understand right?"

He groaned softly murmuring something to himself, "I forgot my uniform at home, but oh well– No time now, fuck the rules-" 

"Well? Which one you sending first?!"

"Im not above fighting an unready trainer!" 

"Ether way, you're coming with me...."