1. Ash's Story (Part 7: Kalos)

Chapter 57: Tangled Fortune

The road toward Laverre City was still damp from the rain around the scary house. Leaves dripped over the path, puddles shone between the roots, and the air smelled like wet grass and old trees. After saying goodbye to Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor for the moment, we continued forward with Laverre waiting ahead. I thought we would simply reach the city, meet Valerie, and start preparing for my sixth Gym battle.

Serena had another idea during our rest stop.

She opened a small guidebook she had bought in Lumiose and smiled at Bonnie. "This book has a little fortune-reading section. Want to try it before we reach Laverre?"

"Yes," Bonnie said at once, leaning over the page with Dedenne in her arms. "Maybe it will tell us we are going to have a super lucky day."

Serena traced the page with one finger, then paused. "It says my fortune is bad luck today."

Bonnie blinked in sudden worry. "Mine too?"

Serena checked again, then laughed nervously. "Yours says the same thing."

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "Fortune readings are not scientifically reliable, so there is no need to worry."

A branch immediately released a heavy splash of rainwater onto his head.

David looked at him for a long second. "That timing was not helpful for your argument."

Bonnie giggled while Clemont tried to dry his glasses. "Maybe the bad luck started with you, big brother."

"It is not contagious," Clemont insisted.

That was when Pancham reached for one of Serena's snacks, slipped on the wet grass, and rolled directly into my legs. I stumbled backward, Pikachu grabbed my shoulder to stay balanced, and Dedenne nearly dropped the berry Bonnie had just given it. The whole thing was harmless, but Serena and Bonnie stared at the fortune book as if it had suddenly become much more convincing.

Pancham sat up, shaking water from its fur, and its meaning reached me through the embarrassed way it crossed its arms. "That was not my fault, and everyone should stop laughing."

"I know," I said, trying not to smile. "But maybe be careful around snacks today."

The bad-luck joke stopped feeling like a joke when we heard angry voices farther down the path. Several wild Pangoro burst from the trees, stomping through the wet ground with fury in their eyes. Behind them, three figures in dark field coats ran between the bushes carrying sacks of berries. The coats were plain, but the red markings on one sleeve made my chest tighten.

"Team Flare scouts," I said.

The scouts saw us and panicked. One of them threw a sack into the air to block the wild Pangoro's path. The bag split open above us, raining berries across our side of the road. In seconds, it looked as if we were the ones holding the stolen food.

The lead wild Pangoro roared at us, and the others charged.

"We did not steal them," Serena shouted, grabbing Bonnie's hand.

"They are not listening," Elline said.

The path exploded into confusion. One Pangoro slammed its arm into the ground, forcing us apart with the splash of mud and roots. Clemont and David were pushed toward one side with Luxray and Rotom, while Serena, Bonnie, Pancham, and I stumbled toward another path. The Team Flare scouts used the misunderstanding to run deeper into the trees with the rest of the berries.

The attack split us faster than I expected. One Pangoro drove Clemont, Elline, and David toward the wetter side of the path, while another blocked the road behind us. Serena nearly slipped while pulling Bonnie away from a falling branch, and Pangoro, still small as Pancham then, shoved itself between them and the danger with all the courage its body could hold.