Ash and Cal found the girls waiting for them at the bottom of the hill. When they saw the two boys they beckoned them over and began making jokes about how they'd planned on leaving them if they hadn't shown up when they did.

The boys accepted the heckling gracefully, knowing full well that they deserved it for making their friends wait so long. Jokes out of the way the group set off through the forest, desiring to get as much distance between them and the lodge as possible. As they walked Cal kept glancing at Ash, waiting expectantly for him to deliver his news to the girls. But Ash seemed to be lost in his thoughts, staring blankly ahead as he shuffled down the path.

Aura was the first to notice the boys peculiar actions and slowed down to investigate. She placed herself a foot to the left of Cal, approximately directly between the two boys, and fell in step with them. She looked ahead at Diana, checking to make sure that her friends involved in their conversation, before striking one up with Ash.

"What's up with that far outlook, you trying to think of a way to make up for keeping me from getting one of the Pokémon?" She said with a poke to his ribs.

"Huh," Ash said as life returned to his eyes. "Oh, sorry Aura I was thinking, what did you say?"

"I was just wondering if you planned on apologizing for keeping those Pokémon from me and Diana," she repeated with a hard look in her eyes.

"You knew about that," Ash said somewhat surprised.

The hardness of Aura's eyes melted and was replaced by amusement. "Of course we knew, we're not dense as some people," she said in a playful manner.

"Sorry about that," he said regretfully.

Aura dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand. "Forget about it, we know you had the Pokémon's best interests in mind."

Ash smiled guiltily, "Truth is I wasn't even thinking about it until you brought it up."

She then leaned slightly forward so she could see Ash's face better. "Oh? Then what were you just thinking about?"

Ash flinch at the realization that he'd been caught in a verbal trap. Truthfully he'd been thinking of how to present the letter to his friends but he had yet to figure out how and began stuttering to stall for time.

"I...er, um... I was, ah..." Ash discretely glanced around for a scapegoat and foolishly chose Cal. "I was wondering why Cal keeps looking at me," He said having noticed Cal watching him.

"Really?" Aura said sassily, letting Ash know just how little she believed him. "Cal, why do you keep glancing at Ash?"

"I'm simply curious about when he planned to tell us about the letter he got from Nancy and was looking at him for any indication of him doing so," Cal said flatly as he ratted Ash out.

"Really?" Aura asked with genuine interest, "What's the letter about? Come on, spill, I wanna know."

Ash sighed and sent a scowl Cals way before answering Aura. "A few weeks ago I was asked to meet someone in Hoenn but I wasn't able to make it. He still wants to meet up with me so he sent me a letter with a new time and place."

Aura nodded. "Okay I follow you so far but why is that making you act so... I want to say pensive but it doesn't seem quite right, thoughts?" She asked and turned to Cal.

"Contemplative?" Cal suggested.

Aura shook her head, "No that's not quite it either."

"What about grave?"

"Serious! That was the word," she exclaimed excitedly.

She turned back towards Ash and reiterated her question, "Why's that letter making you act so serious?"

"Because the meeting place is on Dewford Island, in three days time," Ash stated flatly.

Aura stared at him blankly for a few seconds, waiting for him to further explain. But when none came she looked away from him and tried to decipher what he meant. As she continued to think her gaze landed on their friends and one thought rose to the surface. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth curved into a comprehensive O as the time of Ash's meeting set in.

"Their contest is in three days," Aura stated, keeping her voice level. Her eyes remained fixed on their friends ahead but she could tell Ash had just nodded, confirming what she had just thought as true. She heard Cal mutter a surprised, "oh", and felt his gaze fall to the dirt path they were walking down.

The three trainers walked in relative silence, speaking not a word and simply letting their minds churne. The sound of their whirring minds drowned out their friend's chatter and the occasional cry from the forest, granting each trainer their own private part of the world for a brief moment. Eventually, Cal broke the trios spell of silence, asking the question he had found no answer to.

"So what are you going to tell them?"

Ash shook his head, "I've no idea what I'm gonna say," he turned to face Cal, "It's not like l can just tell them, 'Hey guys I'm going to hop on over to Dewford for a few days. Don't worry I'm just going to meet an old friend, we probably won't be targeted by an evil organization again'."

"Yeah that wouldn't go over well," Aura said humorlessly.

Cal groaned and folded his arms behind his head. "I bet if this were a Pokémon Battle you'd have come up with something by now," Cal muttered with annoyance.

"What did you say?" Aura asked, a flicker of a thought forming in her mind.

"Eh? Nothing really, Serena said his mind moves like lightning when he battles, so I just thought if the problem was a Pokémon Battle he'd have figured it out by now."

Aura's face illuminated with joy as her flicker of thought caught and roared to life. "Cal you brilliant simple man."

"Thank you?" He responded

"I know exactly what to do!" she said excitedly quickening her pace to catch up with their other friends.

Ash reached out to stop her, fearing whatever had made her so happy, but missed and had to watch in horror with Cal, as Aura snatched up the girl's attention. They couldn't hear what Aura was saying to them but the expressions of their friends only sought to further terrify Ash.

She spoke for barely three minutes but to Ash, it felt like hours as he watched Aura mouth, mime, and signal to their friends. At one point Dena seemed to glare in his direction and he considered running back to the lodge to try his luck with the attacking poacher organization. But her fearful look faded and was replaced by a rather perplexing look of longing and disappointment.

The conversation ended with a collection of reluctant nodding and the girls slowing their pace until the boys were walking among them. Ash glanced fretfully at his friends, unnerved by their seemingly placid faces.

"So," Serena inquired, "we heard you were planning on heading to Dewford?"

"Yes," Ash said calmly, some primordial instinct was warning him to show no fear.

At his response, Serena glanced sideways at him and caught hold of his gaze. Her eyes seemed to be begging him to tell her everything, to tell her about Steven, his mission, the letters, all of it. His eyes held strong and refused to answer her pleas, fearing without knowing why that she would only be in more danger if she knew. With pleas unanswered Serena gave up and smiled briefly at him.

"Alright, just checking," Serena said casually as if him leaving were no big deal. She then turned to Dena and Diana and gestured for them to follow her to the left side of the road. They silently fell in behind her, casting wary glances at Aura and Cal as they passed.

Soon the six trainers were traveling in two triangular groups of three occupying both sides of the road. Serena leading the three on the left while Aura headed the trio on the right. Neither party said anything to the other until they reached a sideways T in the road. Both groups stopped at the intersection to read a dark wooden sign placed on the top of the T.

The sign had four arrows and three names written in white ink. The first arrow pointed downwards, most likely for the tail part of the T, and indicated the direction of Petalburg City. The next two arrows both pointed right, with one extending slightly longer than the other. The shorter arrow had the words Petalburg Woods below it, while the longer arrow had Rustboro City scribbled beneath it. The fourth and final arrow had no words attached and simply pointed left towards a picture of a boat.

The two groups read the signs for nearly three minutes, due in no part to any difficulty understanding the simple pictures and words but because they were unsure of where to go. Ash knew they had two options. They could all travel with him to Dewford and miss the contest, or they could send him on his own and run the risk of him getting stuck in another situation without them there to help him.

Neither option was ideal but a choice had to be made. With a sigh of anguish, he began to say his goodbyes knowing that he wouldn't be seeing them for awhile.

"Guys I-" he started to say only to be cut off right away.

"It's fine, Ash," Serena said calmly, "we'll see you in a couple of days, right?"

"Uh-right," Ash said with uncertainty. He truly had no idea when he'd see them again but felt that a few days seemed appropriate.

"Then there's no need for goodbyes, just see you soon."

Ash smiled fondly, he never enjoyed goodbyes. "Alright, I'll see you soon, Serena."

Serena happily returned his smile, "See you soon, Ash."

"Pika," Pikachu cried from Ash's shoulder, waving farewell to Serena.

Serena giggled and rubbed the electric mouse Pokémon behind his ears, "I'll see you soon too, Pikachu."

"Cha," Pikachu cooed happily.

Taking back her hand she turned to their friends and began to walk towards Petalburg City, casting a simple "Come on, let's go," over her shoulder as she walked away.

Diana and Dena smiled at their friends and said their farewells.

"Catch you later, Cal," Dena said as cheerfully as she could.

"You too, Dena," Cal replied with equal joy.

"Arrivederci, Aura," Diana said with a playful smile.

"Das ve dahña, Diana" Arua replied with a slight bow and a tip of an imaginary hat.

They then turned and jogged up to Serena, leaving their three friends standing alone by the sign.

"We best be off too," Aura said with a tug on the straps of her backpack.

"We?" Ash said, perplexed by her choice of pronouns.

"Yes we, Cal and I are coming too," she said matter of factly.

"I am?" Cal asked. This was news to him as well.

"Yes, you are," Aura said, her patience starting to wane.

"Okay, I'm not complaining but why?"

"Yeah, why?" Ash chimed in, "And what exactly did you say to them?" He gestured to the fading figures of their friends.

"I'll answer both questions at once," Aura said in an almost bored tone, "I told them you two had to go to Dewford to challenge the Gym. And that it would be easier for everyone if you challenged the Gym now so we wouldn't have to double back later."

"There's a Gym in Dewford Town!?" Cal exclaimed in excitement.

"Yes, Cal. They have a Gym there," Aura said with a shake of her head. "Honestly you should know these things, you are a trainer after all."

"Oh, right," Cal said meekly.

"Well that explains why Cal's coming and why they let me go, but why are you coming?" Ash asked.

"Oh, that's simple. I told them I'd be chaperoning you in case something happened," she said with no effort to conceal a grin growing on her face.

"I don't need a 'chaperone'," Ash griped .

"Yeah, and you didn't need a 'babysitter' at the hospital. Oh wait, you did," Aura replied with a smug smile.

"Touché," he mumbled. He then sighed and pulled on his own backpack straps. "Alright, looks like we're heading for Dewford, so, you ready?" He asked as he looked between his two traveling companions.

"Ready as I'll every be," Cal said with an enthusiastic grin.

"I've been waiting on you two," Aura smirked.

"Then let's get a move on, we don't want to miss the ferry," Ash said as they set out, leaving their friends and the danger behind them.

——————————————————————-

-First I'd like to thank you all for being so patient with me and this story, I know it's been rough waiting. And I know you guys were expecting a super long chapter because I was taking so long but I just couldn't write an more for this part without ruining it.

-Second I'd like to inform you all that I'm not, (I repeat not!) discontinuing this story, (I'd never do that).
I just had a huge mental boulder to climb over for this chapter and a bunch of Irl stuff that kept me from completing this chapter. Most of that stuff is over though and I think now that I'm past that mental boulder I can write more easily and frequently.

-Third my hopes are to get two to three more RR chapters done and then work on the eight or so chapters I have planned for Zygarde and the Bond Phenomenon (I'm honestly super excited to write them!).

-Fourth (and almost final) I recently saw that this story made it into the top 1000 Pokémon stories on Wattpad, and I wanted to thank all of you for reading, commenting on, and supporting my work. You guys are the best 😁

And finally, a special shout out to these people for providing me with invaluable feedback and inspiration, my stories wouldn't be the same without you guys. Ash-GreninjaGirl R0ck3t_FiRe Jcking17 & MisterLooneyTune