Ash grinned as he looked at his badge case that consisted of five badges, he had not expected the wild badge to be counted as an official badge and allow him to carry seven Pokemon now. He was not complaining however, in fact he felt great, his jitters were gone and he could now focus on coming up with some moves and techniques for the contest. Jessilina smiled a bit relieved seeing Ash smile like his normal self again, she had been tempted to call the boss and ask him to consider spending time with Ash. An Ursaring big brother or not, if Ash had continued acting jumpy and terrified she would have called him but she's happy, she didn't have to. She didn't want to face both an angry boss and angry Champion, she loves her life, thank you.
Brock, "Guys, guys, it's hatching!"
Ash, "Ah! Sit down, Brock, everyone give them space."
The Pokemon hatched, "Su?"
Jameson, "A corsula, a water and rock type."
Misty, "So adorable, congratulations Brock!"
Ash brightened, "Is it a shiny? I could have sworn Corsula's pink in colour."
Jessilina nodded, "They are, this one is white."
Ash took out his pokedex, "Corsula, a regional variant from Galar. These Pokemon live in warm seas, in prehistoric times many lived in oceans around Galar. A sudden climate change is said to have wiped out most of it's population. Note: Despite the fact Corsulas are predominantly water and rock types, the Galarian Corsulas are ghost types who can use water and rock type attacks."
Misty, "Holy Mew! Brock, you got lucky!"
Brock nodded dazed, "Yeah, I didn't see this coming."
Corsula looked around, "Su su?"
Seviper greeted the young Pokemon, "Se seviper!"
The chime dinged and Ash went to collect his Pokemon from the front desk with Brock following him, "Nurse Joy, can you check my Corsula over please? They just hatched."
Nurse Joy smiled, "Oh my, of course, congratulations on having a new Pokemon."
Brock blushed, "Thank you Nurse Joy."
Ash greeted Lucario, "Hey feel better?"
Lucario nodded, -Yes, I feel better, are you going to catch Banette? He's older than Phantump and mature too and he wishes to start training so he can protect Phantump.-
Ash got down to Banette's level, "Are you sure? I meant it, when I said there was no hurry. I will do everything I can to keep you both safe, you know that right."
Banette looked at Ash and nodded, "Ban ban nette banette."
Lucario smirked, -He says, he wants to battle just like the older Pokemon and he realized you were paying for his and Phantump's check up from your personal account which is different from the free check ups, a trainer's Pokemon gets.-
Ash sighed and took out a pokeball, "You told them about that huh? Alright, if you really want this Banette, will you join my family?"
Banette grinned and tapped the pokeball which wobbled once, twice and then dinged making Ash smile, "I caught a Banette or rather he got me, come out bud. We need to celebrate."
Misty grinned, "Congratulations to you both Ash, Banette, when will you catch Phantump though?"
Ash looked at the young ghost who was playing with the others, "When he is slightly older, I must confess, if I catch him I'll be tempted to use him. I don't want to do that yet."
Brock gave him an understanding smile, "Still can't get over the fact he was a nine year old boy, huh? Yeah I get it, I would probably have been the same way in your shoes."
Ash sighed, "Yeah, it's not healthy, I know but I'm starting to separate him from a little boy and see him as a Pokemon. But I fear, it'll take me a few months before I can actually you know."
Jessilina, "Hey hey, it's okay. He's just a baby right? You didn't make Lucario battle after he was born for a while right. So treat him like a baby Pokemon, because that's what he is now."
Jameson nodded, "That's right, besides it doesn't look like he wants to battle like Banette does either."
Misty held her poke egg up, "Yeah, once this little one hatches I won't be using them for a year at least."
Brock was watching Banette and Corsula play, "Me neither, I want to spoil them first."
Ash smiled, "Thanks guys, I think I needed to hear that."
Jessilina, "No problem, let's go celebrate now okay, we have a new baby in the family and your win plus your new official Pokemon."
Ash grinned, "Yeah!"
They had a lunch feast at one of the parks in Saffron city away from the hustle and bustle of the main hub bub. It was surprisingly very quiet in the park and Misty wondered why till Jessilina pointed out the psychic barrier between the park and the city. Misty was impressed and half wondered if her Pokemon could create barriers like those, it would be really amazing. Half way though Ash's pokenav rang getting a surprise look from him at the new number, but he picked it up out of curiosity.
Ash, "Hello!"
Zoey, "Alola Ash, the Professor gave my Principal your number and he gave it to me."
Misty perked up, "Zoey? Is that you?"
Zoey, "Misty's with you too? Cool."
Misty, "How have you been? And isn't it late in Alola?"
Zoey shook his head, "Early actually, I'm with my cousin, Sophocles right now."
Sophocles, "Alola, nice to meet you. Zoey's told me a lot about you guys."
Ash grinned, "All good things I hope. By the way these are our new friends, Brock, Jessilina and Jameson."
Brock, "Hi!"
Jessilina, "Hello!"
Jameson, "Nice to meet you."
Zoey, "Alola everyone."
Sophocles, "Alola, nice to meet you all as well."
Zoey, "How are you guys doing though, honestly? The Principal said a few bad things happened during your travels. Are you guys alright? Oh expect Serena to call you later Misty, you are in Saffron right, she'll probably call the centre. She was worried."
Ash, "We are better, I promise."
Misty nodded, "Sure, actually since you are in contact with Serena, could you give her my pokenav number? I'll send it to you now."
Zoey, "Got it, are you sure you're okay? Like even from here I can see dark circles under your eyes."
Misty touched her lower eyelid, "That obvious huh? Don't worry Zoey, it's like Ash said, we are doing much better than a few days ago. We can't tell you any details because you are still a student but..."
Ash took over, "What we can tell you is people died, it was not pretty, but we survived the encounter with the killers and we are healing."
Zoey answered quietly, "Oh! Okay, we get it. You will tell us one day though right?"
Misty smiled, "Perhaps, yes."
Zoey, "That's enough for now. I'll mail your number to Serena, Misty, yours too Ash."
Misty, "Zoey thank you."
Ash, "For calling."
Zoey was a bit pink, "No problem, besides what are friends for right?"
Ash grinned, "Right!"
Sophocles, "We need to go to class soon. Say would you mind if there was a class interaction with you guys online? Our classmates have been curious about how different things are between Kanto and Alola."
Misty grinned, "Of course we can, in fact how about once we reach Celadon we do it."
Ash nodded, "Celadon will not have a contest by the time we get there, so we only have to worry about the gym."
Sophocles, "Contest? Gym? You are taking part in both?"
Zoey, "That's my friends for ya."
Misty, "Only Ash is I'm taking part in the gym circuit to prove that I have what it takes to be a Water Pokemon Master."
Sophocles, "That's pretty cool."
Zoey, "We better get going, it's almost school time. Will you come to Alola one day?"
Ash, "Of course Pikachu and I plan for an Alolan Raichu after all."
Zoey brightened, "Awesome call me when you plan on coming, bye."
Sophocles, "Talk to you later."
After they bid farewell they spent the rest of the day till Jessie's appointed battle at the park playing with the Pokemon, relaxing or making last minute adjustments to the strategy Jessilina planned to use. She even introduced her Dustox and Beautifly, Misty was taken by Beautifly and expressed her own interest in having one. Jessilina informed her, she could get one of the two in the Hoenn region as they were the Butterfree and the Venomoth equivalent. It was soon time for Jessilina's battle and they went together towards the gym to cheer her on. This time it was a gym trainee named Theo who was playing Referee.
Theo, "This is an official three on three gym battle for the Marsh badge between the gym leader Sabrina and challenger Jessilina. The first one to win two matches wins the battle, choose your first Pokemon."
Sabrina, "Come Abra."
Jessilina, "Let's go Beautifly."
Theo, "Begin!"
Sabrina, "Teleport."
Jessilina, "Safeguard followed by air cutter."
Beautifly became guarded and shot an air cutter to where he believed his opponent would appear next and hit her.
Jessilina, "Now string shot."
Beautifly followed up the attack by hitting the psychic type with string shot and getting him stuck in one place unable to move. Ash snickered seeing Abra look like a mummy.
Theo, "Um... Abra is unable to battle. Beautifly wins the match."
Sabrina, "Return Abra, let's go Drowzee."
Jessilina grinned as Beautifly nuzzled her, "You were amazing boy, why don't you rest, while the others battle."
Beautifly nodded and settled beside her as Jessilina chose Wobbuffet, "Wobbuffet let's do this."
Theo, "Begin!"
Jessilina, "Wobbuffet safeguard."
Sabrina, "Drowzee, hypnosis."
Jessilina, "Counter."
Hypno's attack did not have any effect on Wobbuffet and if he had not been trained to be immune to psychic attacks he would be confused right now.
Sabrina, "Psybeam."
Jessilina, "Counter followed by amnesia."
Sabrina, "Teleport, thunder punch."
Jessilina, "Destiny bond."
Wobbuffet managed to use destiny bond as the other psychic Pokemon teleported behind him locking them. As Drowzee punched Wobbuffet hard knocking him out, he was knocked out too.
Theo, "Drowzee and Wobbuffet are unable to battle. This match is a tie, choose your next Pokemon."
Sabrina, "Return Drowzee, let's go Kadabra."
Sabrina, "You were great Wobbuffet, rest a bit. Let's go Dustox."
Theo, "Begin."
Sabrina, "Confusion!"
Jessilina, "Confusion."
The two moves cancelled each other.
Jessilina, "Silver wind."
Sabrina, "Teleport."
Jessilina hummed, "Watch first then poison powder."
Dustox observed the movements in the air through her bug eyes and the moment she saw movement attacked with poison powder hitting Kadabra with the poison.
Jessilina, "Toxic."
Sabrina, "Kadabra recover."
Kadabra recovered from one poison attack but the second was still affecting him.
Jessilina, "Now hidden power."
Sabrina, "Thunder punch."
The electric punch hit Dustox just as she released her attack right at Kadabra's face and hit him hard. Dustox flew around wincing as the electricity flew through her but Kadabra was out for the count.
Theo looked at Jessilina in interest as she announced, "Kadabra is unable to battle, Dustox is the winner. Jessilina is the winner of the marsh badge."
The group cheered as Jessilina accepted the badge from Sabrina and thanked her Pokemon for their hard work. Sabra was looking at the group as they group hugged Jessilina and she made up her mind.
Sabra tugged on Ash's jacket making him look at her with surprise, "Will you?"
Ash, "Hello Sabra, I didn't see you there, aren't you mostly with Sabrina?"
Sabrina, "She usually is. What's wrong baby sis?"
Sabra, "I wanted us to be friends."
Misty smiled, "We would love to, is that why you always come to watch us during training?"
Sabrina, "She does? Oh I didn't realize... I'm so sorry Sabra, I didn't mean to ignore you."
Sabra smiled at her, "It's fine sis, I know gym work is very important to you and you are also in charge of the city's safety."
Sabrina sighed, "Still I shouldn't have ignored you, dear one. No wonder father was insisting on me taking a break. Perhaps I should for a bit."
Jessilina grinned, "Well how about we get a ladies night out together while Misty takes Sabra. It has been a while since we did that."
Sabrina looked at Jessilina and nodded, "That's not a bad idea."
Sabra cheered, "Yay!"
Misty leaned against Ash, "OMFG, she's adorable."
Ash nodded, "Yup, and she looks like Sabrina."
The two looked between the adorable little girl and the older woman before turning around and squealing making Brock and Jameson sweatdrop at their antics. They separated into four groups after getting the Pokemon healed at the centre. Jessilina and Sabrina went off to a bar, Ash had no doubt while Brock went with Misty and Sabra to order their dinner from one of the restaurants. Ash stayed back with Jameson to talk to the older man, he had seen him and Jessilina a few days ago walking around in disguises and he wanted some answers and he figured Jameson will give him some at least.
Ash, "Alright then Jameson, talk."
Jameson, "What do you mean Ash?"
Ash sighed, "What were you and Jessilina doing dressed up as mechanics and snooping around the building near Silph Co? Look I don't mean to pry but that was not exactly normal. Are you guys in some sort of trouble or something? Do you need help?"
Jameson, "Well, first of all, no we are not in trouble. Second we were actually investigating some of our people you could say."
Ash blinked, "Huh? What for?"
Jameson sighed, "We got reports they have been up to unsavoury acts and behavior, there is no proof of course so we have been going around snooping and observing them instead."
Ash, "That's a bit much, isn't it? Why not hire a proper investigator?"
Jameson smiled, "We would but like I said, they are rumours so it could be nothing. And I prefer this not going out."
Ash nodded slowly, "I won't pretend to understand how the business world works, I never learned about it. But if you need any help, we are here to help you out."
Jameson laughed ruffling his hair, "Thank you Ash, if you were older I would hire you."
Ash pouted, "But I don't know a thing about business."
Jameson, "It's all in experience and I'm sure with time you would be able to do a great job at it."
Ash smiled at that, "You really think so?"
Jameson nodded and said nothing else as the others returned with their food. It was the Saffron City speciality, and all of them dug in with Sabra chatting about the things she did with her sister and how her life was at the gym. Misty gave her an understanding look, she could relate to Sabra asked she grew up around three overprotective sisters and knew it was a bit difficult sometimes. Especially when the responsibilities became too much and they didn't have time to spend with you at all. After dinner they walked Sabra home and were greeted by Sabra's mom who was a very sweet woman. Her father was very gruff but thanked them none the less for watching over their youngest. Ash and Misty left after promising Sabra that they could play the next day and she was always welcome to watch them train provided she doesn't interfere with it. Sabra smiled happily before wishing them good night and saying she would see them tomorrow.
[A. N.: Right about Sabra, I'll be honest the fact that she was the consciousness of Sabrina still freaks me out.
Also reading a theory that went, 'if Sabra was her consciousness was Sabrina in a psychic induced coma?', did not help in the slightest either.
I decided to make her Sabrina's younger sister instead.]