United Destiny: The Hero and The Hybrid

Chapter 4

Serena blinked, making sure she had heard that correctly. After coming back with Lucario to her friends, they told her about this trainer they had seen... The trainer with a Darkrai. "Are you sure that he had a Darkrai?" All of them save for Popplio and Lucario gave her a nod in confirmation.

Serena turned to Gardevoir, locking eyes with her. "You said we shouldn't use Mega Evolution unless we have to."

Serena could tell what she was getting at. Reaching into her bag, Serena pulled out a pendant similar to the one she had on her, but visibly bigger, holding a larger spherical stone. "Yeah and a Darkrai does warrant it." Serena knew that Gardevoir could hold her own, without it but it was better to be prepared. The embrace Pokémon took the Gardevoirite and placed it around her neck as the Mega Stone rested on her chest.

Braviary had a chuckle at this. "Well, now that we have our secret weapon primed and ready, we have other opponents to worry about." He turned his gaze to Serena. "Have they announced the first round matchups yet?"

"No, the preliminaries winners are shuffled up randomly into matches," Serena explained. After her victory, she had asked the Nurse Joy about it.

"Hey, Serena!" Bonnie came racing up to her older friend with a panicked look. "I just heard someone is using a Darkrai! An honest to Arceus Darkrai!" The younger girls eyes soon gazed on the Gardevoirite, which quickly dispelled her panic. "Oh, you already know?" Serena gave her a nod.

"Yeah, we already told her." Pancham crossed his arms.

"Dearie, I just realized, the Lily of the Valley Conference is televised, correct?" Milotic's voice had a natural elegance to it just as Braixen and Serperior had a natural regal tone. "As soon as Gardevoir mega evolves, it would become popular knowledge that Mega Evolution exists."

"Yes, I know." Serena then silently wondered if her mother was watching the Sinnoh League right now and maybe her father. 'Probably not, he never had much in the way of time for me.' A bit of a sad truth, growing up she never got to see her father much, whether it was because of her mother, who she knew had grievances with him, or his work.

At that moment Ash and his friends walked into the center. Just like Serena, the raven-haired teen had heard about the Darkrai, only from Barry instead of the television. Unlike Serena, however, he also heard from Barry that the trainer who used the Darkrai only used the Darkrai for his gym battles. Naturally, Ash was trying to think of a counter for such a Pokémon if he ever faced it.

He spotted Serena and walked up to her. "Hey Serena, have you heard, one of the trainers has Darkrai!"

Serena wondered if she should expect Clemont to tell her about the Darkrai next. "Yeah, I know."

"Do you have a way to counter it?" Ash wondered, looking at Serena's team.

"Well technically, I have two." Serena knew that Lucario had a type advantage and with Copycat they should be able to copy Dark Void and send it back. However, he was the alternative to Gardevoir, who she knew had a better chance against Darkrai.

Dawn turned her eye to the pendant around Gardevoir's neck. "If you don't mind me asking, what is that?" Both Ash and Brock turned their gaze to the pendant around the embrace Pokémon's neck as well.

Ash frowned. After moment and glanced at Serena. "It looks like the one around your neck." He started to wonder about something from earlier when Paul had asked if Serena knew about a higher evolution. 'Does Serena know how to do it?'

"It's a friendship pendant. Gardevoir was Serena's first catch back when she was a Ralts, and they along with Braixen have been through everything together. They're basically sisters," Bonnie explained.

Serena had a small blush as the tree of them looked at her, especially Ash, who seemed amazed. Bonnie wasn't technically lying. She made the pendants after they first achieved Mega Evolution together. Plus, it was true that the three of them had decided on becoming sisters.