Ash's Bayleef Destiny Arc: Chapter 3 - Bayleef: The Light of Destiny

Absol, Roserade, and Flygon stood in front of a fountain that was at the center of downtown

Veilstone, as Flygon was still eagerly excited after the day's adventures. "Those meteorites were simply incredible!" He exclaimed, "I only wish I had a camera... And was a human scientist..." "We all have our dreams, don't we, Flygon, old buddy?" Roserade replied, "Too bad you're still a Pokémon. A flying Dragon-Ground type Pokémon to be exact." "Hey! Just because I'm a Pokémon, doesn't mean I can't achieve my dreams!" Flygon yelled back, "You just watch me, Roserade!" Absol look annoyed, "Will you two calm down already and look if you can see Bayleef anywhere?" Roserade and Flygon soon joined him as they scanned the square, but could not find a trace of Bayleef around. Absol became concerned, "I knew this would happen... I should have stayed with her!" Roserade wrapped his flowery arm gently around him, "I'm sure she's fine. She's probably touring around where the gym is, after she kicked some major butt over there." Flygon was a little concerned, too, "That may be, but... We did tell her to meet us here by now. It does seem awfully strange that she wouldn't show up like that. She could have just lost track of time and forgot, but who knows..." Absol's face became more determined, "Whatever the case is... I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't let anything happen to her, and I'm going to fulfill it! Time to find out where this gym is, and, once we find it, we'll probably be close to finding Bayleef!" Roserade nodded, "Alright. I just hope you know what you are doing there, Absol." "Roserade... She is the light in my darkness, and I intend to make sure that her light will never fade... I swear this on my life!" Absol declared, "No matter what it takes... No matter what obstacles lay in my way... I will grasp that light and hold on to it! Let's go...!" Flygon gave him a thumbs up, and both he and Roserade soon joined him as they searched for the Veilstone Gym.

"I admit Lucario..." Bayleef said, as she followed him along the wooden floors that ran along the outside of the gym, "I've seen a few gyms in my time, but... This, by far, has to be the most beautiful one I've seen." "Awe... Bayleef. You're too kind." Lucario replied, "This gym has been around for generations and, of course, has been remodeled over time. We do like to make it look and feel like a place of tranquility and harmony for both trainers and their Pokémon. Maylene and I trained here for years before she became the gym leader. I can still remember the early days of my training, as a young Riolu, right over there beneath that oak tree." Bayleef smiled, "I take it that tree is special to you and Maylene then." Lucario smiled back and nodded, "Indeed it is. More than you know... We kept coming back to that spot, day after day, training for hours to improve our skills and make our Aura bond even stronger. Heh... I even evolved there into Lucario, and, at the time, it was the happiest day for both her and I. Thus, that tree will always hold a special place in our hearts... Forever... So, do you and Ash have any special place or memory?" Bayleef looked up at the sky, "Well, there are a few I can pick from to be honest. I guess, though... I can go with the day I first met him... I was one stubborn Chikorita back then. I refused to give up during battles, even when the odds were pretty much stacked against me. After Ash's Pokémon had pretty much given me a good beatdown, he and his friends took me to the nearby Pokémon Center. However, Team Rocket kidnapped me, and Ash tried to rescue me. I was still stubborn with him, but he was persistent... And got me out of a major snowstorm... Keeping me warm, along with his Pikachu... After that... I developed affections for him, which I never thought I would get for anyone... Let alone a human... And joined Ash's team... The rest... Is history." Lucario smiled brightly as he looked at her, "I guess we're lucky to have the trainers we have." "Lucky?" Bayleef chuckled, "Nah. Fate and destiny found the right trainers for us." "Speaking of destiny..." Lucario continued, "Come back inside. Just trust me." Lucario opened the door for her, as she walked back inside.

Inside the gym, Meditite and Machoke were busy training with punching bags and weights, when they saw Lucario and Bayleef re-enter. Meditite looked over at Machoke and asked quietly, "Do you think he's going to ask her here and now? If so, what do you think of the possibility of having little ones here in the gym?" Machoke pondered for a second before responding quietly, "By the looks of it, he most likely is going to do it. As for your second question... I don't know how I feel about that. It would be different. That's for sure." Lucario walked Bayleef out to the center of the gym's battlefield. "Bayleef..." He said calmly, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you." Bayleef looked a little confused, "What is it, Lucario?" "When the burst of energy happened, at first, I didn't know what it was." Lucario replied as he held her paw with his, "Now I do... Bayleef... Your Aura... It's-"