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

V Zoey's P.O.V

"Zoey! Did you watch the Johto Grand Festival final?" I was bombarded by Dawn as soon as I got to the breakfast buffet.

"I did," I chuckled, receiving her with a hug. "May is finally a Top Coordinator, now it's our time."

"You got it!" She exclaimed with a beaming smile. "Let's meet at the finals!"

"It's a promise then," I replied, as Dawn stepped back.

"It's not like you have any chance of fulfilling it," we heard Ursula's haughty voice say beside us. She looked so smug with that cocky smirk of hers. "Dee-Dee here is facing me first, and no luck will save her from me."

"I never needed any luck to take down egocentric pricks," Dawn's reply had me choking in disbelief. I looked at her stunned and then at Ursula, whose whole face was red in anger. "Especially, not one that uses her pokemon's delicate evolution to win a competition. Ash is quite disappointed in you," Dawn informed her with a pitying look.

"Why would I care what a brute of a gym trainer thinks of me?" Ursula snapped at her, with a shrilly tone.

Now it was Dawn's turn to look at her in disbelief, she shook her head and told her in a pitying tone: "You poor girl, you don't know."

"I don't know what?!" Ursula was starting to go off the rails, eyes blazing in anger.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Ash suddenly appeared behind Ursula with a glare in his eyes. "You evolved two pokemon in a high-stress situation simply for entertainment! Gym battles and competitions all around the regions would have banned you for what you did!"

"Let's get out of here," Dawn whispered, dragging me away. I allowed her to do so, but my eyes never strayed from the shocking scene. I've never seen Ash act like that... he sounded like my mom! Ursula had deflated completely, her gaze was on the floor almost like she could not get herself to look up and meet his gaze. Ursula said something, which froze Ash. "Oh, no..." Dawn murmured in worry.

"What?" I asked her confused.

But then I realized what she had meant. Ash exploded! He began his rant all over again, but this time instead of frustrated and disappointed, he looked furious!

"That girl messed up bad!" Jessie laughed, as she took a seat at our table, with her husband and Meowth.

"Do you know what she said that got Ash this angry?" I inquired.

"She is planning on using one of her newly evolved pokemon on her first battle round," James answered before taking a bite from his eggs.

"She... she can't be that cocky..." Dawn muttered stunned. "The first thing Ash taught me after Veliplume evolved for the first time, was to allow her to get used to her new size and power. To leave time for her to heal and recover from her evolution. Why in Lugia's name is she using her newly evolved pokemon?"

"Because no one would expect her to, and no one knows what kind of new combos she is planning," Meowth deduced.

"Shit!" I turned to Dawn, eyes widening. I've never heard her curse before. "Ash will eat her alive!"

"Well, it seems that Ash is not going to eat her. He is coming this way," I informed them, causing them to panic.

"Abort! Abort mission!"

"Hide me, Zoey!"

"Does anyone have pancakes? Maybe if we feed the monster he won't eat us!"

"Have mercy on me Arceus!"

"What the..." I exchanged weirded-out glances with Glameow.

Why are all my friends so strange? I asked myself, sweatdropping.