Gold's POV

There was no sunset today. After a quick dinner Eevee and I decided we could make it through the forest before nightfall. Despite it still being very bright out when we entered, almost an hour in we could barely see our faces.

It's now been much longer and I don't even know if we've made any progress. The trees are too thick to see or push through. They form a maze I can't even cheat to find the exit.

"We might as well stop and try to set up camp," I say to Eevee who is riding on my shoulder. 

That could be difficult though considering I can't even see the ground it's so dark. But I also know I'm not going to find a way out of here. "If only you had some flames Eevee," I sigh.

I kneel on the ground and try to rummage through my bag based on feel. Unfortunately I'm not the best at it. I prefer my eyes.

"Vee," The fox Pokemon gets my attention. 

I try to look at her but the only thing that catches my eye is a dim red glow. "Sshh," I crouch down, zipping up my bag. "I didn't know there was anyone else in here."

The glow gets closer as we approach quietly. I'd rather figure out what it is before I go in there introducing myself. 

"Is it a Pokemon Eevee?" I whisper.

The glow brightens and I can make out what is in fact a Pokemon. It has ghostly white fur, with red tips. It's also a fox-like Pokemon like Eevee, but has a lot more fur. Its two sad orange eyes look at us.

"Uh hi," I wave but the glow weakens and the Pokemon disappears. "Well..."

"Vee!" Eevee yelps and I hear her crash into the ground with a thud.

"Eevee!" I yell, not in a certain direction since we're back to total darkness.

The strange Pokemon brings back its glow to show itself smirking. Thankfully this will let Eevee see her target.

"Quick attack!" I shout.

Only for Eevee to pass right through the Pokemon and tumble along the ground, not expecting to literally pass through a solid Pokemon. What? 

I bring out my Pokedex and it picks up the Pokemon before the glow dims again. "Zorua," I read. "A normal and ghost type. This particular form of Zorua was first discovered long ago in a faraway region during a great disaster. It has recently reappeared in Elemente to forewarn another great disaster."

"Lovely," I mutter. "I don't know how I'm going to beat this thing if normal moves have no effect."

"Zor!" A shriek of a pain fills the forest. It's glow comes back to reveal a confident looking Eevee. 

Maybe she learned a new attack.

"Again!" I point towards Zorua.

Eevee's jaw glows and chomps down on the ghost type. Bite attack, super effective.

Zorua crumbles.

"Here we go!" I throw a pokeball at the fallen Pokemon.

It hits Zorua and a flash of light pulls it into the metal ball. Unfortunately that was our only source of light and now I can't find the pokeball.

"Eevee come to my voice," I say and eventually I feel her hop on my shoulder. Then I accidentally kick the pokeball with my feet and manage to pick it out of the darkness. "Come on out."

The brief flash of light illuminates my new Pokemon, clearly tired from the battle. I use its glow to find the berries in my bag that Al gave me while we were waiting around. "Here," I smile and hold my hand out.

"I'm sorry for catching you out of nowhere but I need a lot of strong Pokemon," I say as it eyes the berries cautiously. "We have a long way to go but you would be a great help."

It nods and eats the berries. Eevee introduces herself and the two talk in their Pokemon language.

"Now what are the chances you can get us out of here?" I ask.

It turns around and leads the way with its red glow.

Look at us go.

Serena's POV

My heart is thumping as we get lead through an ominous skyscraper. President Triton's assistant periodically turns to smile and check that we're still there. I forget the exact floor we're on but the elevator ride was long and took us several dozens of stories high.

Everything about this place is intimidating.

Even when we flew into the Capital, it was the biggest city I've ever seen. High-rise after high-rise line the city, window lights sparkling in the night sky. It was well after sunset when we got here but everything was lit up. Truly a city that never sleeps.

On the outside, the entire building is encased in purple stained glass. Which I'm learning is a Triton trademark. The inside is a little more toned down with the purple, but still very rich. Every red-carpeted hallway is lined with pictures, rooms with fancy name-plates lining each side.

Eventually we get to a guarded door. A name plate says 'President Triton' but I feel that is self-explanatory. 

They let us in and President Triton turns from his wall-to-floor window to greet us.

He's quite sharply dressed and would fit in well in Kalos. He's wearing a black suit, accented with purple. He has a clean pale face that contrasts with his slicked back purple hair. What's most surprising is he seems powerful but not scary.

"Welcome Ash and Serena," He greets with a big warm smile. "I hope Amanda got you here smoothly."

"She did," Ash smiles and the woman leaves the room.

"It's nice to meet you President Triton," I hold out my hand, hopefully not shaking too much.

"Alex is fine," He waves and shakes Ash's hand too. "I get tired of all the formalities."

"The Monarch is the same way," I point to Ash and giggle.

Ash reddens. "I can't wait to explore the Elemente region!" He exclaims in his usual tone.

"I'm glad you were so enthusiastic on coming," The President chuckles. "I really didn't think we could put this together so soon."

"We love adventure," I look at my travel partner. "Even though someone hasn't really told me much."

"Oops," The raven haired trainer scratches his cheek.

"Well that is partly my fault," Alex motions for us to take a seat in very comfy desk chairs. "I'm not sure how much you know about our region but it has been a long time since people have been allowed to travel to, from, or around Elemente."

My eyes wander off while he explains the same stuff I was able to read on the internet. Fancy wooden cabinetry lines the walls, holding plaques and various antiques. One cabinet is dedicated to a bunch of colourful rectangular stones. I count 13 in total.

"I have started making efforts to test the waters and see if Elemente is ready to open back up," He explains as I tune back in. "I do regret keeping the region on lockdown this long but it was necessary. Soon enough we'll have league and contest circuits again."

"Really?" My interest is piqued again.

"Can I compete?" Ash asks of course.

"Unfortunately I still have some work to do," I watch his eyes glance away at one of the cabinets. "But I want to get people excited again, it's been awhile. After watching you win the World Coronation Series I just know you can help bring the battling spirit back."

"Oh yea," Ash matches the President's energy. For the guy in charge of a super strict region he's fairly normal.

"And Serena when Ash asked if you could join him, I figured you could display your coordinator talents as well."

This could be a great time to practice with no distractions. I'm feeling better about this trip. "Of course," I nod.

"So who do I get to battle?" Ash asks.

"You see Ash," Alex smirks. "Elemente may be isolated but we have some of the strongest battlers of each Pokemon type specialization. There's no shortage of strong trainers that can give you a tough challenge."

"Awesome!" Ash pumps his fist.

"Each District has a leader," He explains. "Most are actually my military leaders so they'll be raring for a battle."

"Beating the best at every type is quite the challenge," I add. "Sounds right up your alley Ash."

"I'm going to beat them all," He puffs out his chest.

" Unfortunately not all districts will be as cooperative so I am afraid you may not get to face all 18," The man says and Ash frowns. "It's also quite a big region so getting around will take a long time."

"Are we only allowed here for a certain amount of time?" I ask. 

"Not exactly," He answers. "I figured you only had a couple weeks. We've organized a helicopter to help you get around."

"That's not as much fun as walking," The adorable trainer pouts. "How are we going to meet the people and Pokemon of Elemente?"

The President stops talking, his hand under his chin. He spins and faces the window. Only the moon can be seen in the night sky, light pollution hiding all the stars.

"You make a good point," He sighs. 

"We don't have any commitments," I add. "If you're willing to let us experience Elemente our way, no one is better than lifting people's spirits than Ash. I don't know if you watched the Kalos League Final from a couple years ago but Ash had a whole region cheering for him."

I might have fangirled a bit too much, my cheeks are warm.

"Hmm," He looks between the two of us. "I don't know how safe it would be to let you guys travel alone. There's no telling how people will react to an outsider."

"We'll be fine," Ash assures him. 

"I can call people with my Pokedex so I'm sure we can let you know if we get into any trouble," I try to persuade him. Please let Ash and I travel alone together. Guard entourages and helicopters are not a romantic experience.

Also a region full of Pokemon with every type would be a great way to improve my contest team. I could finally take some time to work on my skills rather than rushing between competitions.

"He's also the world's strongest trainer," I wink.

"You make a good point," The President stands. "You know what? Let's do this. I can't allow tourists into Elemente until I can assure their safety so maybe you two can help ease the transition. You will need to make sure my team is aware of your travels every step of the way."

"Of course," We say together.

"Along with the gates to each district, there are gatekeepers all over the region you can check in with," The President states. "Did you guys bring any travelling gear?"

"Not exactly," I cringe slightly. This was almost a good plan.

"No worries," Alex smiles. "We can get you anything you need tomorrow. I'll have Amanda take you to your hotel and get you setup tomorrow. I have some work to attend to tomorrow but I'll make sure to let the Normal District leader know you're on your way."

"Awesome!" Ash exclaims and we stand as well.

Maybe this won't be so bad.

Green's POV

I missed Route 11. The tall spruce trees, fresh air, and peace and quiet. After talking to Al who surprisingly still remembered who I was, I easily passed by the route. Not much excitement except for a few flying Pokemon who didn't come close enough to try and capture. 

It's already pretty dark but I wanted to make it to the entrance of Maple Forest to setup camp. That way I can use the morning daylight to see when I'm passing through it. I think I remember the way through but definitely not in the dark.

I can see the tall maple trees coming into view through the spruce ones. There's a nice flat area where I can make a fire and make a late dinner. I haven't ran into Gold so he must be passed the forest.

"I wonder how Gold is doing," I look down at my adorable Pokemon who is walking alongside me. The moonlight and stars make it pretty easy to see despite it being late. My eyes are also adjusted by now.

Litleo looks up and smiles at me, not a thought in his little brain. 

"I guess you don't even know who Gold is," I start talking to myself. "He has an Eevee who I'm sure you remember from the lab. Once we catch up we'll probably travel together."

"At least I think so. We never really setup a meeting spot but the route is pretty linear so I'm sure we'll find him."

"As long as he doesn't get sidetracked."