Pokemon: I Fall Apart

Ch 13 Elite 4

Bye mom! Bye Fletchling! Bye Rhyhorn! I'll miss you guys! I promise I'll call home soon!"

Grace and her Pokemon were more than glad to return Serena's gesture as they all gave their own farewells. The older brunette then wiped off a single tear from her eyes as she gazed at the slowly disappearing form of her daughter in the distance.

Steeling herself, Grace then cheered her hardest. Alongside her, both Fletchling and Rhyhorn were doing their best as well. "Go get 'em Serena! No matter what path you choose on your journey, just remember that I'll always be proud of you!"

On top of the hill that oversees her house, Serena couldn't help but beam at her mother's encouragement. "Thanks mom, that means a lot! I swear I'll be the best at what I can be once I find my own dream! I promise!"

And with that, she was off making tracks. 'Ready or not Kalos, here I come!'

Grace then smiled brightly at her daughter's back before going back to the confides of her own home. Once inside, the older brunette finally realized that her only daughter was gone.

Feeling lonely, Grace began browsing through the family photo album with a small smile on her face. A brief look of sadness then marred her expression as she gazed at a certain photo graph. 'If only Mark was still here, he would've loved seeing Serena off...'

Clenching her fist, the female racer then shook her head as she absentmindedly turned the paged over. 'The past is in the past. I can't change it. The best thing I could do is build a better future for Serena...'

The next page was bittersweet in its own way as it showed Serena's first day of training at Rhyhorn racing. 'I remember barely talking to Serena after Mark passed on. I was too busy grieving in my own way. Then one day, she suddenly told me that she wanted to be a Rhyhorn racer...Looking back, I knew it was a lie deep down but I couldn't face it, instead I took the easy way out.' Grace then felt tears threatening to fall down as she did her best to hold it in. 'I-I should've tried harder to reconnect with Serena...'

The older brunette then wiped her eyes as she did her best in strengthening her resolve. 'Geez. Here I am still crying over spilt milk when I already promised Serena that things are going to be different from now on!'

Grace then smiled warmly as she reached a picture of a younger Serena and right beside her daughter was a certain raven haired youth. Both of them were lying under the shade of a tree asleep with Serena's head resting on the young boy's shoulder. 'I have to thank you some day Ash. Even now of all times, you're still a positive influence on her. Thanks to you, Serena finally had the courage to go out and find her own dream.' Hey Professor Oak, I'm here! It's me Ash! Gary told me you have something important to say to me?"

A bead of sweat then rolled down the back of Ash's head as he saw a haggard looking professor Oak emerge from the stack of research papers on the floor. "Uuuh...Professor Oak? Is this a bad time? I could come back later if you want?"

Professor Oak then stifled a yawn as he slowly ironed out the small kinks in his back. The so called Pokemon prof was quick to wave off the raven haired youth's offer. "Ahaha. It's no trouble at all Ash. In fact, I bet you're just as eager as me to finally get some answers so I think it's best we settle this now my boy."

Ash's brown eyes then lit up in understanding as he recalled all of the good prof's work in the last few days. "You mean, you finally figured out what happened to Charizard during the Sinnoh league finals? That's awesome professor!"

In response, one Samuel Oak was quick to pull out an electronic tablet of some sort and began showing off what he was able to dig up with his fellow regional professors. "It's the latest scientific breakthrough that a colleague of mine just discovered a few months ago. His name is Augustine Sycamore. He's a Pokemon evolution major just like professor Elm. I believe he called this particular phenomena-Mega evolution."

Ash was in awe as he gazed at the numerous pictures that showcased ancient stone tablets which depicted Pokemon such as Beedrill, Gardevoir, and even a Tyranitar transcending into a higher form. "Whoa...this is amazing!"

The raven haired youth's reverie was then briefly cut short when the good professor showed him the next set of pictures. It showed what looks like a human raising his right hand high into the air, on said hand's wrist was a bracelet with a brightly glowing jewel at its center. "Unfortunately, this is another thing that has stumped me ever since last night. It would seem there are two requirements in order to achieve mega evolution. First is a strong bond between human and Pokemon. The second is a special keystone and a corresponding evolution stone."

Ash's eyes then widened in realization as he slightly unzipped his jacket and pulled out a white necklace with a strange orb carved at its center. "Are you talking about this professor?"

Said leading authority on Pokemon then dropped his jaw in disbelief as he stared at the small trinket hanging around the raven haired youth's neck. "Great scott! How long did you have this keystone Ash?!"

The pallet town trainer then shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. "Well the 'keystone' is something my mom gave to me for good luck." Ash's expression then shifted into a more melancholy look as certain memories came to mind. "And the evolution stone was from Serena. She gave it to me as a memento before she moved away with her family when I was twelve."

Seemingly content, professor Oak was more than glad to hear some mysteries cleared up for the sake of his curiosity. "Ahaha! Who would've thought huh Ash? I can't believe the secrets of mega evolution were just at the tip of your fingertips ever since day one! I really can't believe your luck sometimes my boy! And here I thought, meeting a rare Pokemon was the highlight of your very first day as a trainer! Your luck is just impeccable!"

Another bead of sweat then rolled down Ash's head as he sheepishly scratched the back of it. 'I don't even think being lucky is the right word for me anymore. Especially with all the stuff I keep going through the past years...Heck! I already met Arceus and I'm still having trouble believing it!'

Ash then cleared his throat as he was more than eager to change the subject. "So uuh professor Oak, is that everything? I also have something I want to discuss with all my Pokemon before I head back for lunch."

A metaphorical light bulb then hovered over the older male's head as he remembered the other important news he has to deliver to his protégé. "Oh, I almost forgot with all the excitement! Ash, since you're a trainer under my sponsor, the league already notified me that you can challenge the elite four of Sinnoh any time now. You just have to make sure to notify the league officials in advance so they have time to gather everyone before officially starting."