Chapter 35

 " That tree is really, really, really tall. " Ash commented, staring at the large tree in the middle of Laverre City. 

" I know. Imagine the view you could see from one of its branches! " Bonnie said excitedly. " Hey bro, if we asked the gym leader, could we get permission to go to the top of the tree? "

" We can try, but I doubt we'll be allowed. " Clemont replied. " That tree has been here long before Laverre city had been made. It'd be a serious crime if the tree were to be damaged. And given how we get in trouble quite often... "

" Most of the time it's not our fault. It's always Team Rocket and their schemes, executed with giant robots. " Serena said. 

" True, but they always follow us. " Clemont said. 

" Not us. Just them. " Bonnie said, glancing at Ash and Pikachu. 

" That's true. " Clemont said, and Serena agreed. 

" Yeah, I never really understood it either. " Ash said. " I love Pikachu more than anyone else, but I don't why they are obsessed with him too. I should probably ask them at some point. " 

" Well, it would make things clearer. " Serena said, sighing. "Because being repeatedly troubled by Team Rocket was something I did not sign up for. "

" I second that. " Clemont replied. 

" Okay then. Well, since we're here, what are we going to do? " Ash asked. " Valerie's fashion show is today, so her gym won't be open till... Wait, when will the gym reopen?"

" Next week. " Serena said. " After the fashion show, Valerie takes a week off before she resumes her gym leader duties. " 

" Seriously?! " An unknown voice yelled out. The gang turned their heads to the person who yelled and saw a guy with green hair, notebook in hand frantically walk toward them. 

" Is that true? The gym won't reopen till next week?! " He asked. 

" Yeah, it is. " Serena said, startled by his sudden moves. 

" That... " The guy sighed heavily. " I had prepared to face her today. " 

" I feel you. " Ash said. " But it's not all bad, this way you can train a bit more and polish whatever strategy you came up with. Go through it again. " 

" That's true. " He agreed. " Well, I guess I'll do that then. Sorry for intruding on you guys like that. " 

" It's fine. " Ash waved off. " What's your name? " 

" Oh, My name is Sawyer. Nice to meet you. " Sawyer introduced. " What's your name? " 

" Name's Ash. " Ash said. " This is Serena... "

" Hello. " Serena greeted. 

" Bonnie... "

" Hey. " 

" And Clemont. " 

" It's nice to meet you all... " Sawyer said, then paused, then exclaimed. " Wait, Clemont? "

Turning his head, Sawyer stared at Clemont who was waving at him. 

" It took you too long to notice. " Clemont chuckled. 

" Wait, Clemont! How can you be here? " Sawyer said in surprise. " Don't you need to be running the gym? "

" My dad's filling in for me. I've already made the notice legal, so there's no problem with me being here. " Clemont assured. 

" That's a relief. " Sawyer said. " It's nice to see you again, though I didn't think this how we'd meet again. "

" How do you guys know each other? " Bonnie asked. 

" I went to challenge his gym when arrived here. I lost but it was a good learning experience. " Sawyer replied. 

" Arrived here? So you're not from Kalos? " Serena asked. 

" Yep. I'm from Hoenn. " Sawyer said. 

" Hoenn huh? Did you go to Professor Birch to pick your starter? " Ash asked. 

" Huh? Yeah, I did. " Sawyer said. " How'd you know? " 

" I traveled through Hoenn before. I met up with Professor Birch before I began my journey and he helped me and Pikachu a lot. " Ash said, remembering his first encounter with the professor and the fiasco that happened that day, gently rubbing Pikachu's head. 

" You traveled through Hoenn before? " Sawyer questioned. " Did you participate in the Hoenn League? "

" I did. " Ash replied. " So, who'd you choose? Treeko, Torchic, or Mudkip? "

Smiling, Sawyer brought out a Pokeball and released his Pokemon, a Treeko.

" I chose Treeko. " Sawyer said. 

" Woah. I've never seen a Treeko before. " Bonnie gushed. 

" They are pretty good too. I have no doubt you both have gotten stronger since our battle. " Clemont said. 

" You got that right. " Sawyer smiled with Treeko nodding his head. 

" Guys! " Serena called out, grabbing everyone's attention. " Let's head to the Pokemon Center. We still need to request rooms for our stay here. "

" How do get to the Pokemon center? " Ash asked. 

" We just need to walk a bit. It's actually... really close by. " Serena said, looking at her phone. 

" Alright, let's go. " Ash said, then turned to Sawyer. " You wanna come with us? " 

" Sure. I need to extend my stay anyway. " Sawyer said, walking with them to the Pokemon Center.

...

" Valerie! It's been a while since I've seen you in person. " A voice said while walking up to Valerie, her heels clacking. A woman with curled, short brown hair wearing black jeans and a white blouse. 

" Alice! " Valerie smiled, walking up to Alice and giving her a handshake, then hugged her. " It's been a long while. Swamped with work? "

" Haha... yep. Sales have been great. In large part due to you. " Alice smirked. " That little stunt you pulled in Ambrette Town with your boyfriend made sales blast off like a rocket entering space. " 

" That so... but still, that is a night to remember. " Valerie smiled. 

" So, how's it going? Are you happy being with him? " Alice asked, playfully nudging Valerie. " Come on girl, give a few crumbs at least. "

" Hmm... No. " Valerie refused. 

" Eh? Why not? " Alice whined. 

" Because I already have one annoying person hung up on my love life, I don't need another. " Valerie said sternly. 

" I see... " Alice pondered. " Okay, I'll back off. But if you want to talk, I'm a phone call away. However, I do need to warn you of the possibility of late return calls. " 

" Thank you, Alice. " Valerie smiled. " And, I'd like to talk with you about this too, just not now though. " 

" I get it. " Alice smiled. " Sorry for being so pushy, you just gave me quite the shock when you posted. " 

" That was the entire point then. " Valerie smirked. 

" Oh...Oh, ho! So, this is a budding romance then! " Alice smirked. 

" And that's the little crumb you wanted. " Valerie said. 

" Haha... well played. " Alice chuckled. " The stage must have been set by now, let's go check it out. " 

" Okay. " Valerie replied, as the two walked towards the stage. 

" By the way, when can I meet him? " Alice asked. 

" Probably sometime today. " Valerie said. " Just be patient. "

" Alright. " Alice agreed. " Can you at least tell me what he's doing right now? "

" Business. " Valerie responded. 

"... I should just wait. " Alice muttered. 

" Yes, you should. " Valerie said. 

... 

" So... summarizing everything you just said, the ultimate weapon can only be destroyed by its own attack, AZ is still kicking but you don't know how he's still alive, that giant tree is Herbert, and you want to come travel with me. Did I miss anything? " Atsumu asked, looking at AZ's Floette floating in front of him while he sat under a tree. 

' Nope. ' Floette answered. 

" And you understand that I'm trying to find AZ, right? " Atsumu asked. 

' I know. ' Floette said. ' A lot of time has passed. I wonder who he is right now, so I think it's time that I meet him again. '

" I see... Alright, you can come with us. " Atsumu said.

' Yes! ' Floette cheered. ' Hey Decidueye, I get to go with you. ' 

' I know. You were worrying for no reason. ' Decidueye said, as Floette floated up to him while he was lying on the tree. 

' Welcome to the team! ' Spectreon cheered, spoofing right onto the branch Decidueye was lying on. 

' Thanks. ' Floette said with a smile. 

" Hey! " Atsumu called out, gaining their attention. " Floette, since you're with us now and you've never gone into town before, how about we give you a tour? " 

' You mean... you'll be... ' Floette struggled. 

' Taking you to various places in the city. ' Atsumu clarified. 

' Oh! Okay! Yes, I'd like that. Can we do it now? ' Floette asked. 

" No time like the present. " Atsumu said. 

' Can we go to the bakery, please? ' Spectreon pleaded. ' I want a Pokepuff. ' 

" Sure. " Atsumu shrugged. 

' I'm so excited! Finally, I'll be able to see what Sylveon's home looks like. ' Sprectreon said excitedly as Decidueye landed on the ground and Floette floated beside him, right as Decidueye opened a Phantom Force portal. 

...

" I see the Pokemon Center. " Bonnie said, pointing towards it. " Serena, Let's head over there quickly and book rooms. I want to explore a bit before we see the fashion show! " 

" That's fine with me. The Boutique Couture will still be open by the time we're done so we can at least do some shopping. " Serena said. 

" Yes! " Bonnie cheered. Grabbing Serena's hand, Bonnie ran towards the Pokemon Center bringing Serena along with her. 

" Should we... catch up to them? " Sawyer asked. 

" Nah. " Ash and Clemont responded. 

" They can handle themselves just fine, so we can take our time too. " Clemont said. 

" Oh okay. " Sawyer said, then pondered for a bit. " Hey, Ash. " 

" What's up? " Ash asked. 

" Can we... have a battle, right now? " Sawyer asked. 

" Sure. " Ash said. 

" Oh, I unders... Wait, did you just agree? " Sawyer asked. 

" Yeah, I did. Why? " Ash asked, curiously. 

" Well, I thought you'd be tired right now since you've just arrived so you wouldn't want to battle. " Sawyer said, nervously rubbing his neck and looking in a different direction. 

" Well, I am tired, but I still have it in me for at least one battle for the day. " Ash said. " So don't worry about me and give me everything you got. Okay? "

" Okay! " Sawyer exclaimed. 

" That's the spirit. " Ash smiled while Clemont chuckled. 

Pikachu yawned on Ash's shoulder, causing Ash to smile and rub Pikachu's head. Pikachu sighed at the touch, leaning into it. Pikachu eye's closed, before they abruptly shot wide open. Jumping down from Ash's shoulder, Pikachu early looked in front of him. 

" Pikachu... " Ash muttered, surprised by Pikachu's sudden movement. Sending a glance at Clemont who sent a nod back, Ash looked in front of him. 

" Hey...? Why did we... stop? " Sawyer asked nervously, put off from the 180 in demeanor. 

" Pikachu. Are they hostile? " Ash asked. 

" Pika... " ' Maybe... '

Ash took a deep breath, reaching for another Pokemon as Clemont brought out Luxray from his Pokeball. 

" Luxray. What do you see? " Clemont asked, pointing forward.

Luxray used his ability to see through objects, but couldn't see anything, so he shook his head towards Clemont. 

" Luxray can't see anything. " Clemont said. 

" Yet something is coming towards us. " Ash said. 

" Oh, it's you guys. " Atsumu said, causing Ash, Clemont, and Pikachu to flinch. They recognized his voice anywhere. Turning their heads, they blinked and saw Atsumu standing in front of them, with Decidueye, Spectreon, and a Floette hovering near them. 

" Sup. " Atsumu greeted, raising his hand, a calm smile on his face. " How're you guys holding up? "

" We're... doing well. " Ash said, then glanced at Pikachu who was staring at Floette, and Atsumu noticed. 

" Hey, Pikachu. " Atsumu called out. Pikachu turned his head towards him and Atsumu said, " You can relax. She won't be harming anyone. " 

' You sure? ' Pikachu asked, glancing at Floette and then back at Atsumu.

" Yep. " Atsumu said. 

Pikachu stared for a bit longer before he nodded and relaxed. Spectreon went forward to greet him and the two started to talk. Floette watched from the side with Decidueye. 

' Aren't you going to go introduce yourself? ' Decidueye asked.

' I'll... take things slow. It's for the best.' Floette said, a sad look in her eye as Decidueye sighed, which Spectreon heard. 

" So, did you arrive here today? " Atsumu asked. 

" Uh... yeah. We did actually. " Ash said, while Clemont returned Luxray to his Pokeball. " What about you? "

" I've been here for a couple of weeks. " Atsumu said, chuckling. " I needed a break, yet it was pretty eventful. " 

" Hey Atsumu, that Floette... her flower is unique. " Clemont said. " What kind of flower is it? " 

" No idea. " Atsumu shrugged, then turned around and waved to Floette. " Hey Floette, could you come here? "

Floette heard his voice and looked at him, before floating over to him. 

" Floette, this is Ash and Clemont. Ash, Clemont, this is Floette. " Atsumu introduced. 

" Hey. " Ash said. 

" Hello. " Clemont said. " You have a very beautiful flower. Can I take a closer look at it? " 

" Flo. " ' Sure. ' 

Floette held her flower in front of Clemont. Clemont took out a pair of goggles and put them on. Looking at the flower, and analyzing it, Clemont tried to find out what type of flower it was, but he couldn't find any matches. 

" Sorry, I don't what type of flower it is. I got no matches. " Clemont said. " Though, it is a very beautiful flower. " 

Floette smiled at his compliment. 

" What the hell is happening?! " Sawyer yelled, gaining everyone's attention. 

" Hey, this dude with you? " Atsumu asked, turning to Ash. 

" Uh... yeah, he was coming with us to the Pokemon Center. " Ash said. 

" Who are you talking to!? " Sawyer exclaimed. " Are you playing a prank on me or something?! "

" They aren't. " Atsumu said, causing Sawyer to flinch as he turned to see Atsumu. 

" Who are you? And... where did you come from? " Sawyer asked wearily. 

" Name's Atsumu Miya and I walked here. Though I was doing something to have my privacy. " Atsumu said. " Which is why you couldn't see me. I didn't make you aware I was here. Sorry about that, it must have been weird to see those two talk to the wind. " 

" Y-Yeah. It was. " Sawyer said, taking a deep breath and releasing it. 

" I didn't even notice. " Ash whispered. 

" Neither did I," Clemont replied. 

" Oh yeah, where are Bonnie and Serena? " Atsumu asked. 

" They went inside to book rooms. " Clemont said. " Valerie's fashion show is today, so they wanted to get ready for it and try to do a bit of shopping. " 

" I hope you guys enjoy it then. " Atsumu said. " Anyway, we'll be leaving now. " 

" You need to leave right now? " Ash asked. 

" Yeah. Need to Floette a few more places before the Fashion show begins. " Atsumu said. 

" Then I guess I'll see you soon. " Ash said. 

" Guess so. " Atsumu said, then turned to his Pokemon. " Hey guys, we're burning daylight. " 

' Going have to go now. ' Spectreon said. ' Nice to see you again. ' 

' You too. ' Pikachu said, raising his paw as Spectreon raised hers and the two did a paw bump.

' Hey! ' Pikachu called out to Floette as she floated by. ' When we meet again, I'd like for you to join us. ' 

' ... You sure? ' Floette asked. 

' Yeah, I am. ' Pikachu said with a smile. 

Floette smiled. 

' That would be nice. I'll hold you to that. ' Floette said. 

' Fine with me. ' Pikachu said. 

Floette waved goodbye and went with Spectreon to meet up with Atsumu and Decidueye who had waited for them. The group then continued their walk, going further and further away from the Pokemon Center. 

' Thank you. ' Floette said, a grateful smile on her face. ' Both of you. '

' Don't worry about it. ' Spectreon said which Decidueye nodded his head to. 

Atsumu smiled. 

" By the way, our next stop will be the Bakery. You each get 2 items each. " Atsumu said, making Spectreon get extremely excited. 

' Wait, really?! We each get 2 items? ' Spectreon asked. 

" Yes, you will. " Atsumu smiled. 

' Let's go! ' Spectreon cheered, making Floette giggle while Decidueye had a smile on his face. 

...

Returning to the Laverre Gym, Atsumu headed directly to Valerie with some pastries in hand. Floette was with Decidueye and Spectreon who had taken her to give a tour of the Gym and meet up with Sylveon. 

Walking into a room, Atsumu saw her speaking with someone and went towards them. Valerie and Alice kept talking as Atsumu placed the bag gently on the table, which gained Alice's attention. 

" Excuse me. We're having a conversation here. " Alice said with closed eyes, trying not to let her irritation get to her. 

" You all set? " Atsumu asked, turning to Valerie. 

" Yeah, I am. " Valerie said, opening the bag. 

" How are you feeling? " Atsumu asked. 

Valerie took out the Chocolate Croissants and said, " Hey Alice, take one? "

" Huh? " Alice muttered, opening her eyes with a sigh. Taking the croissant, Alive caught a glimpse of the person sitting next to Valerie and her head towards Atsumu with a shocked look as Valerie took a bite of her croissant. 

" I feel great. " Valerie smiled. 

" That's good. " Atsumu smiled, before leaning in and giving a small peck to Valerie's cheek. 

" All the best. " Atsumu said, getting up and walking away from the table. 

Alice's jaw dropped, her eyes watching Atsumu leave before turning to Valerie who had a massive blush on her face while smiling. 

" Valerie, are you sure you aren't dating? " Alice asked. 

" We aren't right now. " Valerie said, chuckling. " But I think it's about time that changed. "

Atsumu walked down the halls while blushing, thinking about what he had done and the woman he had done that to. 

" Val is amazing. " Atsumu muttered to himself. " Maybe... No, I will try asking her out. "

...

Appearing next to Decidueye, Atsumu sat down at one branch of Herbert's that provided an excellent view of the stage. The giant crowd surrounding the stage created a lot of noise, which went silent extremely quickly once they saw the lights dim. One light appeared, shining down on one woman, the one and only, Valerie. 

" Welcome everyone. I hope you all are ready because you'll be taken on a journey tonight. A journey that will show the brilliance of the night and everything it embodies. Without further ado, let's get started, shall we? "

Multi-colored lights up the stage and the first song blared on the stereos. One by one, the models strutted onto the stage wearing their first assigned clothing of the show, the runway being lit up and fans crowding the area, the show began!

One by one, the models strutted down the runway, the flashing lights caused by the numerous photos being taken, the cheers that shook the ground. Floette watched alongside her new friends, cheering the models on with them. A large smile was on her face, she laughed wholeheartedly for the first time in centuries. Decidueye smiled.

Atsumu looked down at the show, his eyes would briefly look at the clothing the models were wearing before they immediately shifted back to the artist that made them. Atsumu smiled when he saw Valerie smiling on stage. As he watched the show, he felt like doing something for her. So, he left when the show neared it's end. 

The show soon came to an end, much to many's mild displeasure. They wanted the show to go on for a bit longer, but they left regardless, satisfied. Valerie sighed heavily backstage, feeling exhausted. She was then engulfed in hugs by Laura, Sophia, and Ellie who showered her with compliments about the show. 

Alice came around and talked with Valerie for a bit, but watched as Valerie's eyes kept glancing around. 

" You looking for a certain someone? " Alice asked, with a smirk. 

" Yeah, I am. " Valerie said, before getting a message on her phone. 

" Well then... " Alice said, wrapping an arm around Valerie. " Why don't you leave things to me while you go find your soon-to-be boyfriend? "

" You sure? " Valerie asked. 

" Yes, I'm sure. " Alice smiled. 

" Thank you. " Valerie smiled, hugging Alice before heading out. 

Walking into the gym, Valerie went down the halls to the kitchen. Her eyes widened when she saw what was there. 

" Yo. " Atsumu greeted, walking up to her while various cakes were placed on the table with cups of hot chocolate. 

" Hey. " Valerie greeted back, walking up to him.

The two met in the middle and embarrassed the other in a hug. 

" You were amazing out there. " Atsumu whispered. 

" Thanks. " Valerie replied. " Where you anyway? "

Atsumu loosened the hug and gently placed his hands on Valerie's hips while Valerie wrapped her arms around his neck. Their foreheads gently pressed together as Atsumu answered, " Watching from atop Herbert. "

" Herbert? " Valerie muttered. " Who's he? "

" The giant tree. " Atsumu said. 

" That's his name. Since when? " Valerie asked. 

" When his creator gave it to him. " Atsumu said. 

" Herbert's creator is still alive? " Valerie asked. 

" Long story. I'll tell you another time. " Atsumu smiled. 

" You better. " Valerie chuckled. " This wouldn't have been possible without you. Thank you. "

" All I did was stay by your side though. " Atsumu said. 

" Exactly. And that's why I found it in myself to do this. Thank you for staying by my side. " Valerie said sincerely. 

" No problem. And thank you for staying by my side. " Atsumu said sincerely to which Valerie smiled. 

" Hey, what was that kiss before the show? " Valerie asked. 

" A little bit of revenge, and a lot of wishing you good luck. " Atsumu said. 

" Considering how well things happened, I'd say it was effective. " Valerie smiled. 

" Yeah... hey Val... " Atsumu said, making Valerie look at him. " I like you. I like you a lot. " 

A blush appeared on Atsumu's face when he said it and Valerie blushed when her brain understood what Atsumu told her. Atsumu watched her reaction closely, waiting in anticipation before feeling two hands cupping his face before he was pulled into a tender kiss. 

The kiss lasted for a few seconds, then Valerie spoke, " I like you too. I like you a lot too. " 

Atsumu grinned before pulling Valerie into another kiss, which made Valerie giggle with joy. 

" The hot chocolate is going to get cold. " Atsumu said when the two stopped. 

" Alright, but we are continuing this later. " Valerie said, giving Atsumu a quick peck before heading over to the table. Atsumu smiled walking over to the table as Valerie sat down to enjoy the snacks. 

__________________________________________________________

Sup everyone

It's been a while, how are you all doing? 

Here's the next chapter. 

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Have a nice day.