An Alola Surprise!

An Impromptu Performance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serena's POV

Serena awoke to the roar of distant blasts sending minor tremors through the ground. She initially feared that a proximate volcano had erupted and that lava would engulf her bedroom at any minute, so she reached for her Pokémon for comfort only to discover that they were not there. Serena blinked, her heart rate increasing rapidly as she glanced around worriedly for her friends.

Have they already evacuated without me? she thought.

Another explosion was heard, this one much more close by as she let out a scream. Serena threw her covers off and peered out the window. What she saw immediately deluged her with a mixture of surprise and relief as a rueful smile replaced her frightened expression.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ash's POV

"All right, Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" Ash cried.

"Gren, Greninja!" The frog-ninja Pokémon slashed downwards with its leg like the blade of an axe, colliding with the hardened tail of the electric mouse. The sheer power of both moves sent shockwaves of energy pulsating across the ground.

"Chu-pika!" Pikachu yelled, neither Pokémon letting up an inch.

"Nice job out there you two! Keep it up!" Ash encouraged. The young trainer and his team had risen early that morning before school to engage in vigorous training in preparation for the league. With Greninja back on his team, Ash was more determined than ever to win, and would put in every ounce of training possible to ensure his victory.

"Pi, pi, pi, pika chu-pi!" Pikachu raced towards its opponent, darting back and forth between Water Shurikens as it picked up speed.

"Syl, Sylveon!" a soft voice called from the sidelines of the battlefield.

"Pika?" The Electric-type stopped in its tracks and turned towards the source of the cry before it was promptly met with a Water Shuriken to the face.

"Pika!" it screamed, sent flying across the dirt. Greninja winced, having inadvertently utilized a distraction against its opponent, and rushed over to help its friend stand.

Ash wheeled around in time to see a remorseful Sylveon profusely apologizing to Pikachu for disturbing its battle. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Ash approached the ribbon Pokémon and rested a hand on its back.

"Sylveon? What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"Syl..." she trailed off, encircling her feeler around Pikachu's wrist softly and pointing her other one towards Greninja.

"Oh, you wanted to watch us train?" Ash said, his eyes still burning with his passion for battle.

"Sylveon!" she replied before looking down dejectedly and wishing she hadn't interrupted.

"Pikachu's fine; isn't that right buddy?" Ash reassured.

"Pikachu!" the yellow mouse confirmed, in even higher spirits now that Sylveon was here.

"Brai-Braixen!" Serena's starter Pokémon made herself visible from behind a stocky tree trunk and approached the group, trailed by a bipedal panda Pokémon.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, startled, spinning around to face the new arrivals.

"Gren," Greninja said in greeting.