I can make you laugh

Thursday Part 3- Is Ash okay?

After Ash released Greninja and Goodra from the hug, he turned back to the group while Pikachu jumped back to continue cuddling his two friends.

"Everyone, these are Greninja and Goodra," Ash smiled, gesturing to the two Pokémon. "Goodra, Greninja, these are my friends and teachers from Alola. Kiawe, Mallow, Lana, Sophocles, Lillie, her brother Gladion, Professor Kukui, Professor Burnet and Rotom Dex."

"Goodra!" Goodra beamed as he waved to the group while Greninja bowed. After Pikachu jumped back to Ash's shoulder, Rotom immediately started to take pictures of the two Pokémon, much to their surprise.

"Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon," Rotom informed the group. "A water and dark type and the final evolved form of Froakie. It creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins and throws them at a high speed, these stars can split metal in two."

"The ninja Pokémon?!" Lana squealed, her eyes wide and bright with excitement. "And it's a water type too?! That's so cool!"

Greninja bowed his head and blushed at the compliment.

"What's a Froakie?" Sophocles asked.

"Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon," Rotom said, showing a picture of Froakie. "A water type. From its back and chest, Froakie can create bubbles called Frubbles, which can act like a cushion and soften the blow of an attack."

"So cute!" Lana cooed.

"Froakie is one of the starter Pokémon that a trainer can choose in the Kalos region," Clemont explained with a smile. "The other two choices are Fennekin and Chespin."

"Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon," Rotom educated, showing a picture. "A fire type. Fennekin can expel hot air that can reach nearly four hundred degrees. It likes to snack on twigs. And Chespin, the Spiny Nut Pokémon. A grass type. Chespin can flex the soft spikes on its head, making them so stiff and sharp that it can cut through stone."

"Wow," Kiawe said. "So that's what Serena's Braixen looked like before it evolved."

"You've seen Serena?!" Bonnie squealed. "When?! How is she?!"

"We meet her and Shauna yesterday in Unova," Lillie grinned. "They said that a judge from here was going to create Pokémon Showcases in the Unova region."

"Are they still together?" Clemont asked. "Serena told me a while ago that they had started dating."

"They're very happy from what we've seen," Ash smiled. Clemont smiled fondly.

"Good for them," he said.

"Excuse me, I'd like to finish my analysis," Rotom scolded in an annoyed tone.

"Sorry," everyone said sheepishly.

"Ahem," Rotom cleared its voice before showing a new picture. "Goodra, the Dragon Pokémon. A dragon type and the final evolved form of Goomy. Goodra is very friendly and one of its hugs can cover its trainer in a sticky slime."

"It's so cute!" Lillie beamed as she stepped forward. "May I touch you?"

"Goodra!" Goodra cried happily as he wrapped Lillie in a big hug. Lillie giggled.

"Rotom's right, he is sticky!" she squealed. "He's so adorable!"

Everyone smiled as Lillie continued to squeal with delight until Goodra let her go.

"Thank you," she beamed, not caring that her dress was soaked with slime.

"Goodra," Goodra smiled before turning around, gesturing over his shoulder. "Goodra, goo."

Everyone stared in confusion as something small, lumpy and slimy slid down Goodra's back before moving towards Ash and Pikachu.

"Goomy," it said shyly, waving its horns from side to side.

"Hello there," Ash smiled as he picked up the Pokémon.

"Pika, pika," Pikachu waved happily. Quickly, Rotom took some pictures before running an analysis.

"Goomy, the Soft Tissue Pokémon," Rotom informed. "And the weakest of all dragon types. In order to keep its body moist, it lives in dark and damp places."

"I wish they'd change that description about Goomy," Ash said as Goomy slid up to his shoulder to touch Ash's face with its horns. "There's no such thing as a weak Pokémon!"

Gladion smiled at Ash's words. He thought that was sweet for Ash to say and apparently, Goomy thought so as well because it gave a small cheer before it started to suck and nibble on Ash's ear. Ash squirmed as he laughed.

"Is Goomy your child, Goodra?" Ash chuckled. "Because I can see and feel the resemblance!"

"Goodra!" Goodra beamed proudly.

"I want to hold Goomy!" Mallow squealed, eagerly holding out her hands. Ash nodded as he pulled Goomy off his shoulder.

"Goomy, my friends want to have a turn holding you," Ash said. "Is that okay?"

"Goomy," Goomy nodded before allowing Ash to pass it to Mallow. Once the little Pokémon was in his hands, Mallow giggled as it started to slide up her arm.

"Ooohh," she shivered. "Cold."

Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, Goodra and Greninja smiled as everyone took turns at holding Goomy, letting it crawl along their shoulders and arms. But just as Lillie was about to hand Goomy to her brother, Goomy sat in her hands and stared at Gladion with wide eyes.

"Um, hello?" Gladion smiled awkwardly.

"Goomy!" Goomy squealed in an excited voice as it launched itself from Lillie's hands. After landing on Gladion's right shoulder, it started to suck and nibble on Gladion's earrings. Gladion yelped in surprise before he started to squirm.

"Stop, that tickles!" he giggled. But Goomy sucked harder, causing Gladion to fall to his knees as he laughed harder.

"Stop, please, I'm ticklish!" he begged, running his fingers along Goomy's back to get it to stop. "And I don't think my earrings are healthy for you to eat!"

"Goodra, goo," Goodra said gently, stepping forward. Gladion sighed in relief as Goodra slowly pulled Goomy off his shoulder.

"Thanks," he smiled as Ash held out a hand to help him up.

"Hey Gladion, you were laughing!" Kiawe pointed out.

"Looks like Ash wins," Sophocles smiled.

"Yay Ash!" Bonnie cheered. "So, what did Ash win?!"

"Sorry to disappoint," Ash shrugged. "But I haven't won."

"Huh?" everyone cried.

"But Ash, Gladion laughed," Bonnie pouted as Dedenne climbed into Bonnie's pocket to rest.

"That is true," Ash admitted. "But the rule is that I make Gladion laugh and Goomy was the one who made Gladion laugh, not me."

Everyone looked at Lillie and Gladion, who both nodded. They groaned.

"Aw, we wanted to see what Ash would do," Lana teased, causing Ash to go red.

"How about we go inside the gym?" Clemont suggested quickly.

Everyone nodded before following the gym leader and his sister to a pair of doors. Once they were close enough, everyone watched as Clemont rolled up one of his sleeves to reveal a thick wristband before holding it near a small scanning machine by the door. Everyone frowned as the doors opened. Maybe that was just a thing with this particular gym.

"Please, come in," Clemont smiled, gesturing to the group to follow him and Bonnie inside. "Once we're inside, we can all meet each other's Pokémon properly and you can all meet my robot, Clembot."

"You have a robot?!" Sophocles cried in excitement.

"I do," Clemont smiled, leading the group to an elevator. "I was struggling balancing being a leader and my passion of inventing. So I invented a robot to help with my duties as a gym leader."

"And then when Clemont and I travelled with Ash and Serena through Kalos, Clembot looked after the gym," Bonnie added happily as they all piled into the elevator.

After Clemont pushed two buttons, the group eagerly rode the elevator up until it opened to reveal a hallway leading to some large metal doors. After jogging forward, Clemont and Bonnie stood beside the doors to wait for the group to approach.

"Everyone, welcome to the Lumiose City Gym," Clemont smiled proudly, moving his wrist over another small scanner. "My gym."

As the doors opened, everyone eagerly walked in before looking around. The room was bright with a large battlefield was surrounded with bleachers. It looked amazing. As everyone continued to admire the room, Ash stood frozen in the doorway; his knees shaking, his stomach clenching and his heart racing. He couldn't move. Why couldn't he move? No, was he... scared?

No! he thought angrily, digging his nails in again. No! You're not scared! You're not weak! You can do this! Move! Move, you stupid bakayarou!

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, patting Ash's cheek while Greninja and Goodra gently touched his arms. But Ash didn't respond. He just squeezing his eyes and hands even tighter as his head spun.

"Ash?" Clemont suddenly called. "Ash, are you okay?"

"Huh?" Ash jumped, snapping out of his thoughts and opening his eyes. Everyone was staring apprehensively. Ash turned red.

Chikushō! He groaned internally, shoving his hands in his pockets again.

"Are you okay?" Clemont repeated.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Ash said, forcing a smile on his face as he approached the group. "The gym looks great, Clemont."

"Thanks," Clemont smiled as he and Bonnie walked towards another set of doors. "Bonnie and I will go get Clembot."

Ash sighed before walking over to the barrier that sounded the bleachers. Once he was close enough, he closed his eyes and placed his hands on the barrier, squeezing as tight as he could while taking deep breaths. He felt tears well. His head, his hands and his stomach hurt so bad that it made Ash want to sink to his knees and sob.

Please stop. He implored his body, removing one arm from the barrier to wrap around his stomach. Please.

Suddenly, he felt a hand gently touch his shoulder followed by a soft "Hey." Ash opened his eyes and turned to see Gladion looking at him, worry covering his face. Gladion blinked as he reached up to touch his face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. "You're looking a little... pale. And your eyes are wet too. Do you want me to get Professor Kukui or Professor Burnet for you?"

Ash shook his head, taking off his backpack before gently putting it against the wall.

"I'm fine," he said as he took Pikachu off his shoulder. "I'm going to the bathroom. Look after Pikachu for me for a moment, please?"

"Okay," Gladion said as he took Pikachu from Ash. He watched in concern as Ash quickly walked over to the restrooms on the other side of the battlefield.

"Pika," Pikachu mewled in a worried tone, looking up at Gladion. Gladion smiled as he rubbed Pikachu's head.

"Yeah, I know," he whispered. "I'm a little worried too. Let's keep a close eye on him. Both of us."

"Pika," Pikachu agreed with an eager nod. Gladion smiled before looking at Greninja. Quickly, he gestured with his head for Greninja to come closer.

"Hey Greninja," Gladion said quietly so he wouldn't draw the attention of everyone else. "Could you go check on him? Just make sure he's okay."

Greninja gave a nod and hopped gracefully over to the restroom, disappearing inside just as Clemont and Bonnie returned with a tall robot with a dent on its head.

"Everyone, this is Clembot," Clemont smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Clembot beamed bowing. "I have seen pictures from the emails Ash sends to Clemont."

Everyone grinned as they studied the robot, though Gladion kept looking towards the restroom, wondering if Ash was alright.

"This is so cool!" Sophocles said as he walked around Clembot, scrutinising every section. "So did you just build Clembot?"

"Designed, built and wrote all the programming myself," Clemont grinned. "He's designed to be just like any other gym leader, or in your case, an Island Kahuna. A supportive instructor and guardian to teach someone how to be a better trainer and how to take care of their Pokémon."

"That's ingenious," Kukui nodded with an impressed tone. "Maybe you should give Faba some pointers on inventing."

"Absolutely not!" Ash called as he walked out of the restroom. Everyone turned to see Ash walking towards them with Greninja following closely. Pikachu squealed as he left Gladion's arms to take his usual place on Ash's shoulder. Everyone frowned. Ash's face and neck was damp and his shirt had water spots on it.

"You okay Ash?" Kiawe asked.

"I'm fine," Ash smiled, grabbing his bag and pulling out a water bottle. "It's great to see you again, Clembot."

"It's lovely to see you too, Ash," Clembot said, bowing to Ash. Gladion frowned, watching Ash take a few sips from his bottle before approaching.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked quietly, touching Ash's elbow. Ash nodded as he swallowed before clearing his throat.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little dehydrated," Ash smiled, sticking the bottle in his bag again. "Um do you have any chewing gum?"

"Sure," Gladion nodded, pulling a stick out of his bag and handing it to Ash, who took it gratefully.

"Thanks," he smiled as he stuck the stick in his mouth and started chewing.

"Why shouldn't Clemont give Faba pointers on inventing?" Lillie asked, a smirk growing on her face. "He might actually make something successful for once."

Everyone laughed while Gladion smirked.

"That idiot should not be in the same room as Clemont," Ash said in a deadpan voice before looking thoughtful. "Although, one of Faba's inventions exploding rather than doing something it's not supposed to do would be an improvement."

Everyone laughed, although Kukui and Burnet were trying not to. Gladion, on the other hand, snorted loudly before covering his mouth to prevent any laughter from escaping. Ash quickly looked at him hopefully, only to get a head shake and wink. Ash pouted before sticking his tongue out, earning another wink and smirk. Meanwhile, Clemont blushed hard as Bonnie giggled.

"Oh sorry, Clemont," Ash smiled sheepishly, giving his friend an apologetic look. "Faba tends to rub us the wrong way and he gives awesome inventors like you a bad rep."

Clemont shrugged as everyone tried to stop laughing.

"Ahem, Clemont, may I look at Clembot's data please?" Sophocles asked as he stared at Clembot with stars in his eyes. "I love data and robotics so much."

"Actually, why don't you have a battle with him instead?" Clemont suggested with a smile.

"Seriously?!" Sophocles asked with joy.

"Ash suggested it," Clemont smiled.

"Really Ash?" Sophocles asked as he looked at Ash.

"I thought you might enjoy having a battle with Clembot," Ash shrugged bashfully.

"Thank you so much Ash!" Sophocles cried as he hugged Ash. Ash smiled, ruffling Sophocles' hair.

"Okay, well seeing how you're a guest, I'll let you choose who'd you like to battle with," Clembot said, activating his arm cannon before shooting three Pokéballs in the air. The Pokéballs flashed, releasing a Magnemite, a Magneton and a Heliolisk.

"Nice Magnemite and Magneton," Sophocles admired as Rotom quickly took pictures. "But who's that?"

"Heliolisk, the Generator Pokémon," Rotom informed. "An electric and normal type and the evolved form of Helioptile. Heliolisk can produce enough electricity to power a large building and it recharges itself by spreading its frills."

"Helio," Heliolisk preened proudly, showing off its frills.

"Ooh, I'd love to battle Heliolisk!" Sophocles said eagerly. "I've never met one before."

"Very well," Clembot nodded. "And who will you use?"

"I think I'll use Togedemaru," Sophocles said, pulling out his Pokéball. There was a flash and there stood the smiling Roly-Poly Pokémon.

"Togedemaru," Togedemaru greeted happily. Bonnie squealed before crouching in front of the Pokémon.

"Cutie!" she cried, picking Togedemaru up and hugging her as tight as she could. Togedemaru gave a squeak of surprise at Bonnie's surprising attack of affection. But she quickly got over it as Bonnie happily rubbed her face into Togedemaru's tummy. Everyone smiled at the joyful squeals and giggles.

"So cute!" Bonnie squealed. "So cute! So cute!"

"Togedemaru, the Roly-Poly Pokémon," Rotom explained. "An electric and steel type. Its ability to generate electricity is weak but its long needle acts like a lightning rod so it can attract lightning and store the electricity."

"Really?" Clemont asked in interest. "Now I'm especially curious about this battle. Let's all go to the bleachers and watch the battle."

"Aw, Clemont," Bonnie pouted. "I want to keep cuddling this cutie."

"Toge!" Togedemaru beamed.

"Bonnie," Ash smiled. "We have all day. You'll have plenty of time to play with everyone. How about after the battle, you can meet all the Pokémon?"

"Okay," Bonnie grinned, putting Togedemaru down before skipping to the stands, followed closely by everyone else. As he walked, Ash quickly pulled out a tissue from his bag. After placing the chewed-up gum into the tissue, he screwed it up before throwing it in the wastebin near a set of stairs that led to the seats.

"Hey Ash, are you feeling okay?" Kukui asked quietly as Ash sat beside him. "I noticed you disappeared for a while before and then you came back a little wet. Is everything alright?"

"I'm okay, Professor," Ash murmured. "I just felt a little ill before so I splashed some water on my face. But I'm okay now."

"Okay," Kukui nodded, pulling Ash into a quick side hug. "Remember, if you're struggling, just let Burnet or myself know so we can give you a Helping Hand."

"Okay," Ash nodded, leaning into the hug.

Behind them, Gladion frowned when he heard what Ash said. Ash was feeling ill earlier? Was that why he disappeared before?

We are definitely having a conversation later, he thought.

"Okay," Clemont announced from the side of the battlefield. "The battle between the Lumiose Gym Leader Clembot and guest challenger Sophocles is about to get underway. Battle begin!"

*****

Despite Togedemaru's speed and ability to attract and hold lightning, only being able to use one move against a Gym Leader's Heliolisk proved to be a downfall. No matter how hard she tried, Togedemaru couldn't stop herself from passing out after the final strike from Heliolisk's Bulldoze.

"Togedemaru is unable to battle," Clemont announced. "So that means the gym leader Clembot has won the battle."

"Well done, Heliolisk," Clembot praised as Heliolisk did a little dance to celebrate. "That was a great battle, Sophocles. Togedemaru's rolling speed is definitely something to behold and the ability to catch lighting before it hits, incredible."

"Once Togedemaru starts moving, you can stop her," Sophocles admitted proudly, picking up Togedemaru and hugging her close. "You were amazing, Togedemaru."

"Maru," Togedemaru cooed.

"You did amazing too, Sophocles," Ash called as he and everyone (except Kukui and Burnet, who decided to watch the kids interact with each other) made their way back down towards Clemont, Clembot and Sophocles. "You and Togedemaru."

"Pika," Pikachu praised, jumping from Ash's shoulder. Togedemaru squealed with joy before jumping from Sophocles' arms, crashing into Pikachu. Pikachu grunted as they both landed on the ground before screaming with laughter as Togedemaru tickled Pikachu with her spikes.

"I see Togedemaru is quite fond of Pikachu," Clemont smiled as Bunnelby jumped to his shoulder.

"That's so cute!" Bonnie cried as she picked up Togedemaru again, much to Pikachu's relief. "Oh, Ash, can I meet everyone now? Please, please, please?!"

"Okay, okay," Ash smiled as he pulled three Pokéballs out of his left pocket. "But first...."

As soon as Ash threw them in the air, the Pokéballs flashed, revealing Talonflame, Hawlucha and Noivern. Bonnie squealed with joy, placing Togedemaru on the ground before launching herself at her old friends.

"I've missed you so much!" she cried, hugging the Pokémon tightly. "So has Dedenne!"

"Dedenne?" Dedenne asked, poking his head out of Bonnie's pocket. Seeing his old friends, Dedenne gave a cheer before crawling up Bonnie's back to hug them. Clemont, Greninja and Goodra beamed, stepping forward to greet their friends. Ash smiled, feeling his eyes sting as he watched his friends hug each other. Suddenly, Ash felt someone touch his upper arm, making him jump. Turning his head to the left, he relaxed when he saw Gladion smiling at him.

"Are you okay?" Gladion whispered.

"I'm happy," Ash smiled, quickly wiping his eyes. "It's just...Bonnie and Dedenne were very sad when I left Kalos so it's good to see them happy again."

Gladion nodded, relieved that Ash wasn't sad.

"Ash?" Bonnie called. Ash quickly looked at the little girl.

"Thank you for bringing Noivern, Hawlucha and Talonflame for a visit," she beamed. "But I want to meet your Alolan Pokémon."

"Right, sorry," Ash smiled, quickly pulling out three more Pokéballs out of his pocket before throwing them in the air. "Come out guys!"

Within a flash, Rowlet, Torracat and Lycanroc appeared beside Ash, looking around curiously.

"Rowlet, Torracat, Lycanroc," Ash smiled, kneeling beside them. "These are my friends from Kalos. Clemont, Bonnie, Greninja, Goodra, Goomy, Noivern, Talonflame and Hawlucha."

"Wow," Clemont breathed, moving closer so he kneel in front of the Pokémon. "Incredible. I'm Clemont and this is Bunnelby."

"Bunnelby," Bunnelby waved from Clemont's shoulder.

"I'm Bonnie," Bonnie grinned. "And this is Dedenne."

"Dedenne," Dedenne waved from Goodra's shoulder.

"They're so cute!" Bonnie squealed as she ran one hand through Lycanroc's mane while the other cupped Torracat's cheek. "Can I meet everyone else, please?"

"And I'll bring out my Pokémon too," Clemont smiled as he pulled out two Pokéballs. "Luxray, Chespin, come out and say hi."

Once Luxray and Chespin were released, they beamed at the sight of their old friends before moving forward for greetings and hugs. As they did, everyone else quickly released their Pokémon, much to Bonnie's delight. Everyone smiled as the little girl addressed every new Pokémon with hugs and kisses, listening enthusiastically as Rotom gave the names and the descriptions of each individual Pokémon. At the same time, Clemont welcomed and examined the Pokémon until his eyes fell on Silvally.

"Beautiful," Clemont murmured, carefully walking around Silvally to see every angle. "Is this a legendary or mythical Pokémon from the Alola region?"

Gladion and Silvally blushed hard.

"No, Silvally is an artificial Pokémon," Gladion admitted in an unsure tone. "It was... created to fight Ultra Beasts."

Silvally looked at Gladion before walking over to him. Once it was close enough, Silvally rested its head over Gladion's shoulder, pulling him in close. Gladion smiled, wrapping an arm around Silvally's neck.

"Silvally is amazing. It can-," Ash's sentence was cut off as he started snickering, much to everyone's confusion. Covering his mouth, Ash pointed behind Clemont. Everyone looked in the direction Ash was pointing to see Chespin staring at Tsareena lovingly, much to the fruit Pokémon's confusion. The girls giggled along with Ash while the boys rolled their eyes.

"Oh for Arceus' sake," Clemont sighed with an exasperated head shake before turning his attention back to Ash. "You were saying, Ash?"

"Right," Ash nodded. "I was saying Silvally is amazing because it's able to change its type. And it's so strong! Both Silvally and Gladion are so amazing!"

Gladion immediately hide his face in Silvally's neck while Silvally looked at the ground bashfully.

"Change its type?" Clemont whispered in amazement as he walked closer. "Gladion, please, may I examine Silvally?"

Gladion raised his eyebrows at the question before side-eying Silvally. Silvally looked at Clemont before smiling at Gladion. Sucking in his bottom lip in between his teeth, Gladion gave a hesitating nod. Clemont smiled appreciatively before carefully running his hands along the the artificial Pokémon's sides and back to examine the muscles and fur. As he did, Gladion watched anxiously until he felt fingers graze his knuckles, followed by a soft "hey."

Gladion looked at Ash.

"Clemont would never do anything invasive or harmful to Silvally," Ash smiled. "He's very caring towards Pokémon. He's nothing like Faba."

Gladion smiled, relaxing a little.

"Silvally is amazing," Clemont grinned, running his hands along Silvally's neck. He frowned. "That's strange. I can feel scars along its neck. Was Silvally hurt by a Pokémon hunter or something?"

Gladion felt sadness and anger fill him, remembering when he found Silvally in chains with that helmet in place. As if sensing Gladion's anger, Ash quickly pulled Gladion into a quick but tight hug. Gladion blinked in surprise before closing his eyes, relaxing into the hug. He smiled softly.

He feels so warm. He thought.

"You can tell him," Ash whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Gladion asked, breaking the hug and taking a step back to look at Ash.

"You can tell Clemont," Ash repeated. "He won't judge."

Gladion quietly studied Ash, mulling over his words before looking at Clemont. Clemont was staring at them, curiosity covering his face. Gladion sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth before looking at Ash again.

"You sure?" he asked quietly.

"You can trust him," Ash smiled.

"Big brother?"

Hearing his nickname, Gladion looked over at Lillie and Snowy. She smiled, moving closer to take his hand.

"I'm okay with you telling them, big brother," Lillie smiled as she gave Gladion's hand a small squeeze.

"Vul," Snowy agreed. Gladion nodded before looking at Clemont and Bonnie, who had wandered closer out of curiosity.

"My mother runs a research facility in Alola called Aether Foundation," Gladion explained. "She, Professor Burnet, Faba and another scientist called Wicke study Ultra Wormholes and Ultra Beasts on the other side of them. Silvally was created by Faba to fight dangerous Ultra Beasts. When Lillie and I were younger, she got attacked by an Ultra Beast called Nihilego. Silvally saved her but was punished for it. Faba placed it in chains and put a heavy helmet on to prevent access to its memory discs. So, I saved it and ran away so Faba wouldn't hurt it again."

"Faba also used his Hypno to make me forget the incident," Lillie informed the two siblings. "I was afraid to touch Pokémon for a very long time."

Clemont and Bonnie's eyes went wide with horror at the story.

"What a horrible man!" Bonnie cried in anger. "If I ever meet him, I'll get Dedenne to electrocute him with a dozen Nuzzles!"

Gladion and Lillie gave Bonnie a small smile while Clemont turned back to Silvally.

"Placed in chains for being caring and brave," Clemont sighed, cupping Silvally's cheeks before rubbing circles with his thumbs. "I'm so sorry that happened to you and I'm relieved you were saved and no longer in chains."

Silvally purred while everyone smiled.

"Silvally is so cute," Bonnie cried as she moved closer to Silvally. Silvally gave Bonnie a wide eye look, cocking his head to the side.

"I think you've confused Silvally, Bonnie," Gladion smiled. "It's never been called "cute" before."

"But it is cute!" Bonnie squealed as she reached her hands up, trying to touch Silvally's nose. Everyone smiled as Bonnie pouted, jumping up to try and touch Silvally's face.

"Hold on," Gladion smiled as he grabbed Bonnie's hips, lifting her up on to his shoulders. Bonnie squealed in surprise before giggling and hugging Silvally. Lillie smiled, remembering how Gladion use to do that with her when they were little.

"Silvally is so sweet," Bonnie smiled as she rubbed Silvally's nose. "Thank you Gladion. Clemont, you need to learn to carry me on your shoulders."

"I carry you on my back all the time," Clemont complained.

"But I'm so much taller on someone's shoulders," Bonnie pointed out, stretching her arms up. "Look, I'm even taller than Greninja! I'm the tallest! I'm the tallest!"

Everyone laughed as Bonnie waved her arms around, causing Gladion to yelp as he swayed from side to side with Bonnie's weight.

"You're also very bony," Gladion said, wincing as Bonnie wiggled. "You're bonier than Lillie!"

Lillie stuck her tongue out at her brother while everyone laughed.

"Down you come," Clemont said as he pulled his sister off Gladion. Gladion sighed in relief while Bonnie pouted.

"Thanks," he said, rubbing his neck.

"So, what are Ultra Beasts?" Bonnie asked. "Are they like Pokémon? Are they cute?"

"Professor Burnet can explain them better," Ash stated before looking at the stands. "Professors!"

Seeing Ash gesture to them, Kukui and Burnet made their way down the stands towards the group.

"Yes Ash?" Burnet smiled.

"We're telling Clemont and Bonnie about Ultra Beasts," Ash explained. "Because you're the expert, would it be okay if you explained what they are?"

"Of course," Burnet nodded before at Rotom. "Rotom, may I have some pictures please?"

"Happy to help," Rotom saluted before bringing up some pictures of the Ultra Deep Sea, where the Nihilego resided.

"Ultra-Beasts are a species of Pokémon that resided in an interdimensional realm called Ultra Space," Burnet explained. "And in the Ultra Space, there are a variety of worlds and dimensions that can only be accessed through an Ultra Wormhole. This is one of the worlds that we've discovered. It's called the Ultra Deep Sea and it is home to an Ultra Beasts species we've named Nihilego. Oh and this is another world. It's currently unnamed so we call it Poipole's world due to the population of Poipole," Burnet ended as Rotom showed pictures of Poipole's world.

"Beautiful!" Bonnie cooed.

"Incredible," Clemont breathed.

"Do you have any pictures of Ultra Beasts?" Bonnie asked hopefully. Rotom flew down to Clemont and Bonnie, showing them the different Ultra Beasts, their types and what they did.

"Some of these are so cute!" Bonnie squealed.

"And a handful," Kiawe groaned. "I swear the only one that wasn't a huge problem was Poipole."

"Which one is Poipole?" Bonnie asked eagerly.

"Poipole, the Poison Pin Pokémon," Rotom said, showing a picture. "A poison type. This Ultra Beast's head is filled with a paste-like poison, which it can shoot out of the main spike in the middle of its head. They are incredibly clever and artistic, but they can also be a little cheeky. They are also very protective of their families."

"Especially Ash's," Mallow giggled.

"Ash caught one of these creatures?" Clemont asked with interest.

As everyone happily told Clemont and Bonnie stories about the cheeky Pokémon and its love of drawing and Pikachu, Ash went quiet. He silently moved to Kukui's side and took his hand. Kukui looked at him before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Ash closed his eyes as he relaxed into his teacher's side.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"No problem," Kukui smiled.

"Ash?"

Ash opened his eyes to see his friends looking at him with concern. Ash smiled softly.

"I'm okay," he said. "Just missing Poipole."

Everyone nodded, sympathetically.

"We miss it too Ash," Lillie smiled.

As everyone looked at Ash sadly, Bonnie frowned. She didn't like her friends being sad. As she silently looked at everyone, wondering how she could cheer them up, an idea formed in her head. She grinned.

"Hey Ash," she said excitedly. "I know you've been separated from Greninja for a while but do you think you two can still do your bond phenomenon thing?"

"Bond phenomenon?" Kukui asked, confused.

"Oh yeah," Bonnie said excitedly. "When he evolved from Frogadier into Greninja, he and Ash gained some sort of power where Greninja looks like Ash and they can battle together. It's so cool!"

Everyone gave Ash a confused look, causing him to blush and hide his face in Kukui's arm.

"Wait a minute, where have I heard that term before?" Burnet said thoughtfully before her eyes widened. "I remember! I read about it in a research paper published by Professor Sycamore. Remember Kukui? I showed it to you."

"One moment," Kukui said, pulling his phone out of his pocket before scrolling through some saved papers in his internet history.

"I know I had it saved... Ah, here it is," he said, opening an research article. "'Bond Phenomenon, a transforming evolution created from trust between trainer and Pokémon.' Wait, Ash, this was you and Greninja?!"

Ash blushed harder while Greninja looked bashful.

"Yeah, that's us," Ash admitted.

"Ash, can we see?" Burnet asked hopefully.

"Um..." Ash said uncertainly.

"Please?" Bonnie begged. "Please, please?"

"Oh Ash, could we?" Lana asked hopefully. "I'd love to see Greninja battle! Right guys?"

"Yeah, sounds interesting enough," Sophocles shrugged while the other nodded.

Ash bit his lip as he looked at Greninja. Greninja was bouncing on his toes, looking at him with a mixture of determination and hope.

"You want to have a battle?" he asked. Greninja nodded eagerly. Ash sighed. How could he deny such a request?

"Okay then," Ash smiled. "Who would you like to battle?"

Greninja immediately pointed at Silvally.

"Silvally?" Ash confirmed as Greninja nodded. "Okay. Gladion, want to battle against Greninja and me with Silvally?"

Gladion felt his heart flutter. He loved battling Ash. He always provided such a challenge. But a chance to battle with a Pokémon he hadn't met before? One with a special bond with Ash? He'd be foolish to decline.

"Um, sure," he smiled shyly. Ash beamed. As his eyes shone, Gladion felt joy and relief as Butterfree filled his stomach. Ash was starting to look like his normal, exuberant self again.

Guess all he needed was a battle to perk him up again. Gladion thought.

"Professor Kukui?" Ash asked. "Would you referee for us, please? I'd ask Clemont to but I have a feeling he's going to want to do some scientific stuff."

"Can't help it," Clemont grinned. "Data from Ash and Greninja is fun to collect and I am especially eager to witness what Silvally is like in battle."

"Then I would be honoured," Kukui grinned.

"Bonnie will lead all of you to the staircase," Clemont told the others. "In the meantime, give me a few minutes. I want to grab my wrist monitors. Oh Gladion, which one of Silvally's legs is the best one to record pulse rates?"

"Right front leg," Gladion answered.

"Great," Clemont said, kneeling down and patting his leg so Silvally would place his foot on him. Silvally gently rested his right foot on Clemont's leg, being careful not to flex its claws while Clemont used his hand to measure Silvally's ankle.

"Perfect," Clemont smiled, patting Silvally's foot so Silvally would take it off. "I'll get the monitors and my laptop while you all take a seat."

"Actually I'd like to collect some data too" Sophocles said shyly. "May I borrow some if your equipment?"

"Of course," Clemont smiled. "Two scientists are better than one. Follow me."

Ash smiled fondly as he watched his two friends eagerly talk about the different types of data that could be collected during the battle as they walked towards Clemont's laboratory while the rest of the group made their way to the bleachers, except for Kukui, Gladion, Silvally, Greninja and, for some reason, Pikachu.

"Pikachu," Ash whispered. "You want to sit with the group or next to me?"

"Pika," Pikachu said, patting Ash's cheek. Ash nodded.

"Okay, you can be beside me during the battle," he said just as Clemont and Sophocles came back, Clemont now carrying a laptop and some metallic bracelets.

"We're back," Sophocles announced excitedly holding out his palms to show the monitors he chose. "I chose these ones for you guys. Hold still."

Standing on tiptoes, Sophocles gently placed a monitoring pad on Ash, Gladion, Silvally and Greninja's foreheads. Once they were firmly in place, Sophocles walked towards the bleachers to set up his laptop while Clemont secured the bracelets around Ash, Gladion and Greninja's wrists before kneeling down to place the last bracelet around Silvally's ankle.

"Okay, my bracelets will help monitor your heart rates," Clemont explained, standing up and opening his laptop. "And the pads Sophocles picked with monitor your brain activity, focusing on your emotional states during the battle. And the two of us will be recording the results on our laptops. Does that make sense?"

The two boys and the Pokémon nodded.

"Great," Clemont nodded, pushing a button. "And... I'm connected. Sophocles?"

"All ready here," Sophocles called from his seat."

"Okay, good luck," Clemont smiled before walking over to take a seat beside Sophocles, which was right in the middle of the front row, giving them a perfect view of both sides of the battlefield while allowing everyone behind them to see the data results on the screen clearly.

"And I'll be recording everything via video," Rotom announced.

"Okay, you two ready?" Kukui asked. Ash and Gladion nodded as they took their positions at the opposite ends of the battle field.

"Hey Gladion?" Ash called as Pikachu jumped off his shoulder to stand beside him.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you don't take it easy on me!" Ash grinned while Greninja nodded in agreement. Gladion's eyes widen before he smirked.

"Do I ever?" he teased, causing Ash to blush. The girls giggled when they saw Ash's heart speed up on the monitor.

"This is going to be fun," Lillie giggled as she looked down at Snowy. "Right Snowy?"

"Vulpix!"

Notes: "Bakayarou" is Japanese for idiot or asshole
"Chikushō" is Japanese for oh shit!