Going forward and beyond {Path of the Aura Ranger: Book I}

IV Zoey's P.O.V

Having won my fourth ribbon I've decided to return to Snowpoint City to rest for a little while, especially after hearing from Dawn that she would be coming to my hometown. This is why I decided to pay a visit to Candance's gym and give her the heads-up. I know from experience that gyms tend to be attacked by fans and the media whenever The Saint was in town. Now that his popularity reached new heights after the festival in Alola... I'm kind of worried about my city as a whole.

"Congratulations on winning the Icicle Badge," I heard Candance congratulate a trainer. "It's a well-deserved win." I was able to notice who was Candance talking to, as I stepped closer to the battlefield. It was Dawn's friend, Paul! "Zoey! What a surprise what brings you here?"

"Hi, Candance, Paul," I greeted them, receiving a node from Paul and a cheery wave from the Gym Leader. "My friend just contacted me and told me that Ash Ketchum is reaching Snowpoint City today, I just wanted to inform you so you could get prepared for the whole mess that will create."

"So, it's finally my time..." Candance murmured looking down, before jumping up and looking at me with eyes burning with a fire I did not think an Ice Master would have. "I will finally face off against The Saint! Ash Ketchum, here I come!" She screamed rushing out of the gym.

"Where is she going on?" I asked out loud, mostly to myself, but unexpectedly got an answer from Paul.

"Most likely to the entrance of the city, to wait for Ash," he pocketed his badge into his case, before turning towards me. "I was not aware there was a contest here."

"There isn't, I am just here to visit my family and take a rest before going back out for my last ribbon," I answered with a smile. "What about you? I thought you were traveling with Ash and Dawn."

"I was, but they were making a lot of stops. I could handle the contest, as I've never watched one live... but the ping-pong competition? I said my goodbyes and continued the journey here on my own." Paul explained, sharing an unexpected amount of information with me.

"Are you staying to watch Ash's battle?" I asked him curiously.

"I was already thinking of taking a couple of days before going back on the road," Paul hummed. "I will be here to watch the battle, I just hope that the gym won't be crowded."

"Fat chance!" I laughed. "After the news of Ash being in the city spreads the place will be filled with people."

I decided to accompany him to the Pokemon Center to get his pokemon healed up, before returning to the Pokemon Gym early to reserve some good seats for all of us. I spent it asking him questions about his training methods and battle strategies, finding it quite interesting how different he was from Ash. Which earned me a glare from Paul and a huff of 'why are all coordinators the same, you people should understand that comparing a normal trainer to Ash Ketchum is madness on its own!'. I chuckled, blushing a bit, he was right about that. Ash is crazy, and so I am for expecting other gym trainers to be like him.

Surprisingly it took them a couple of hours to get here, especially after Dawn had sent me a text telling me that they were close. However, as expected they took a detour to the Trainer's School, so Ash could teach a class to Candance's senior class. A class they brought to the gym to observe the gym battle between their teacher and The Saint, which would be refereed by Mr. Honcho, the head teacher at the Trainer's School.

Dawn waved at us excitedly as she approached us to the bleachers with a smile. "In Shelter Town, we got new clothes from mom!" Dawn exclaimed excitedly, twirling around to show off her new coat and scarf, before sitting down between Paul and me. "We also met this girl Marilyn who wanted my Buneary and had a weird definition of cute. But she ended up being a pretty cool girl at the end, we exchanged contact info and everything!"