Cinnabar Summer

By Fox McCloude.

Disclaimer: Pokémon and all related characters belong to Satoshi Tajiri and Nintendo. All rights reserved.

Preliminary note: This story is set in the same continuity as "Friends and Rivals Alike" and "Crossroads: Between a Mermaid and a Princess", but reading those is not required.

Cinnabar Island…

If anyone had asked Ash Ketchum what he would have done for his summer vacations, his answer would have been "training". However, two very special girls had other plans, and they decided to forcibly drag him into them. Admittedly, not that he actually resisted a lot.

Ash never imagined that he would return to Cinnabar Island just for some relaxing time, but when Misty and Serena asked him come along, he was unable to say no. For the past months, the three of them had been setting up meetings to enjoy some time together every once in a while, and he'd always be up to it. With those two girls, there was never a single moment of boredom. The only thing Ash wondered was, why did they always chose beach resorts as their meeting spots? Were they doing it intentionally to try and turn him on?

At the time, the trio was at the local beach. Ash was underneath an umbrella, only dressed in a pair of blue swimming trunks, along with Pikachu, while Serena and Misty were playing splash in the water. Despite being in their middle twenties, they were having fun like a pair of teenage schoolgirls, but that wasn't a bad thing. Plus, Ash was enjoying the view: Misty was wearing a red bikini that showed off her ample bust, while Serena wore a turquoise one-piece that hugged her slim figure quite nicely. Around them, Misty had let out several of her Pokémon to shower them with their Water-type attacks: Starmie, Politoed, Psyduck (wearing a floating ring that looked a lot like him), and last but not least, her recently evolved Brionne. She had decided not to let Gyarados out to avoid causing panic among the tourists.

Ash couldn't help but smile as he glanced at his two female friends. The two had grown into a pair of really talented and beautiful women, whose company he enjoyed greatly, so he always looked forward to these meetings they set up. To the common observer, it would almost seem that Misty and Serena were Ash's girlfriends simultaneously, and they weren't too far off: they weren't exactly shy about acting amorously towards him in public just so everyone could see. Ash didn't mind that, but he certainly could do without the jealousy glares he often got from other people, whenever Misty and Serena engaged in those displays of affection.

"Hey, Ash!" Misty called out to him, recalling her Pokémon. She and Serena walked up to him. "Shall we go eat something? I'm starving."

"Yeah, it's almost lunch time anyway." Ash nodded.

"How about we go to the Seaside Shack?" Serena suggested. "Those Casteliacones yesterday were great."

"Yeah, sure, four of them were not enough for you," Misty remarked.

"What about you?" Serena replied. "You had eight, if I'm not mistaken. Then again, that's nothing compared to the twelve Ash managed to eat by himself, right?"

"Actually, they were just ten," Ash defended himself. "Pikachu ate the remaining two."

"Pikachu." The yellow mouse nodded. He clearly had enjoyed the taste.

The trio walked towards the aforementioned shack. The Casteliacones were just for dessert, as they first ordered a full course meal for the three of them. Spending time with Misty and Ash seemed to rub off their eating habits on the Kalosian girl, who had begun to eat bigger portions. Despite this, her figure remained as slim and svelte as ever. How did she manage that, nobody knew. Then again, Misty had done the same for years and never seemed to get excess fat at all, so perhaps she had shared her secret with Serena.

"Hey, Misty, are you going to eat those?" Ash said when there were only a few fries on the tray and tried to grab them. Misty quickly held his wrist and stopped him.

"Of course I am, I was leaving them for last," the redhead said, bringing a cup of barbecue sauce to dip them.

"Aw, come on, Misty, can't I have just a few?"

"Hmm… ask me nicely and I might consider it," the redhead said in a slightly sultry voice. Serena squinted her eyes, but she quickly got an idea of her own.

"Hey, Ash, if you want some fries you can have mine," she said, handing him her plate. "I'll go get you some sauce."

"That's fine, thanks a lot." Ash smiled and began eating the fries.

Misty couldn't help but frown a little, but then smiled. Over the past few months, Serena had grown more accustomed to take the initiative and try and be a little bolder, without losing her sweet and kind demeanor. She had to be careful not to fall behind. The three continued to enjoy their meal, and they could finally get started with the Casteliacones.

"Well, well, fancy meeting you guys here." A voice very familiar to Ash and Misty suddenly spoke.

The trio turned around to see a mature-looking woman had approached them. She had long red hair tied in a twirly ponytail, and removed her sunshades to reveal a pair of kind-looking blue eyes. She was quite tall, and the black sling bikini she was wearing did nothing to hide her buxom and shapely figure. If Misty and Ash didn't know better, they wouldn't have guessed that she was close to reach her forties; she barely looked older than the last time they had seen her.

"Lorelei?" Misty said, not realizing she had stopped eating her Casteliacone and had it now plastered all over her cheek. She immediately got up from her chair and ran up to see her up close. "Lorelei! Long time no see!"

"Hello there," the Elite Four member greeted them, still smiling. "Er… you might want to do something with that," she added, pointing at the plastered ice-cream on Misty's face.

The Gym Leader touched her face, and immediately wiped out the cream, completely embarrassed at having done that in front of her idol. Serena, meanwhile, titled her head in confusion, wondering who this woman was and why Misty became excited all of a sudden. One thing was clear, she definitely knew them.

"Um, excuse me for asking, but… exactly who is she?"

"Who is she?! WHO IS SHE?!" Misty suddenly shouted. "She's none other than Lorelei, a member of Kanto's Elite Four and one of the greatest Water and Ice-type Pokémon trainers of all time! And a personal heroine of mine, if I may add."

"Misty, please don't get upset about it," Lorelei said, her voice sounding as calm as water flowing in a river. "Nice to meet you. Your name is Serena, isn't it? Famous Pokémon performer and coordinator."

"Yes it is." Serena smiled, shaking her hand. Now she felt a little more embarrassed that this woman seemed to know who she was. "Pleased to meet you. Forgive me, but how do you know who I am?"

"As an Elite Four member, I'm up to date with the latest league activities," Lorelei explained. "As a matter of fact, I attended the first Kanto Master Class Showcase. That was an impressive performance, congratulations."

"Thank you." Serena blushed.

Lorelei then turned towards Ash. "And speaking of the latest activities, you've been doing well, Ash. You've certainly come a long way since the last time we met."

"Hehe, thanks." Ash smiled sheepishly. Of course he had come a long way since then. He hadn't forgotten how that time in Mandarin Island, Lorelei and her Cloyster easily wiped the floor with him and Pikachu.

"In any case, what are you doing around here, Lorelei?" Misty suddenly asked.

"I'm due for a lecture in a couple days, but I figured I could use my time to relax for a little bit," said Lorelei. "But I was getting a little bored, and my Pokémon could use a little workout for the time being. Any of you would like to have a battle with me?"

The trio exchanged glances. Battling an Elite Four would be an honor to any trainer worth their salt. Serena wasn't as enthusiastic about battles as her friends, and Misty didn't feel up to par to challenge her idol yet. Ash, on the other hand… maybe this could be a great time to redeem himself after that humiliating defeat. With a look of determination, he stepped up.

"I'll do it," he said. "Shall we go outside? There's plenty of room at the beach for us to battle."

"Sure." Lorelei nodded. "Oh, but before that, could I ask you for a favor? I was hoping I could get some Casteliacones, but they're fresh out, so…"

"Say no more!" Misty quickly grabbed two of her own cones, and just as quickly placed them in Lorelei's hands.

"Thanks, I guess." Lorelei smiled. "I didn't mean to get them for free, I was planning to pay you for them…"

"No way." Misty shook her head. "They're all yours, enjoy them to your heart's content!"

Lorelei couldn't do anything but smile in gratitude. Serena looked at Ash, as if asking him if this was normal behavior for Misty. His glance all but confirmed it. Misty definitely wasn't joking when she said Lorelei was her heroine, so of course she was more than glad to make her that little favor, even if it meant sacrificing a couple Casteliacones.

A few minutes later…

After finishing their meals, Ash, Misty, Serena and Lorelei finally found themselves a place to have their battle. At first, Misty tried to scare off the curious people who wanted to watch it, but after Lorelei told her she didn't mind, the redhead relented. In exchange, though, she requested to be placed as the official referee of the battle. Before starting, Ash, not willing to take any chances, decided to go get his Z-Ring and one of his Z-Crystals. He took a while to choose, but ultimately set on the Rockium-Z. One of his friends hadn't had some workout in a while, and now it was a good chance.

"This will be a double battle between Elite Four member Lorelei, and Ash Ketchum, the Coliseum Gladiator from Pallet Town," Misty declared. "Each trainer can only use two Pokémon and the battle will end when both Pokémon of either side are unable to continue. There's no time limit."

While everyone around seemed to get pumped up for the battle, Serena remained a little calmer. The Kalosian performer-coordinator couldn't help but notice that her friend seemed quite enthusiastic about being the referee of this battle. Maybe it was her way to be in-between both of them so as to not to have to root for either her idol or her friend. Serena, on the other hand, was firmly on Ash side, and she would definitely root for him all the way.

"I'm curious to see how strong you've become in these years, Ash," said Lorelei, grabbing two Pokéballs. "Cloyster, Jynx, go!"

"Cloyster!"

"Jynx, jynx!"

Two of Lorelei's signature Pokémon, the part Water-type bivalve and the humanoid Psychic-type, showed up on the field ready to battle. Ash briefly studied them, and then exchanged a glance with his partner, as he grabbed one of his own Pokéballs. Pikachu stepped forward on all fours, ready to battle.

"Lycanroc, I choose you!" Ash called as he threw the Pokéball.

"AROOOOOO!" The Rock-type wolf appeared on the field, announcing himself with a howl.

Many were surprised to see this particular Pokémon. Not only because it wasn't native to Kanto, but in its own region of origin it was a very rare sight. In Alola, Rockruff could evolve into Lycanroc, who normally had only two forms: Midday and Midnight, depending on the time they evolved. However, Ash's was a very rare occurrence: he was a Dusk Lycanroc. This form was mostly reminiscent of the Midday form, albeit with orange-gold fur and green eyes, and had a fluffy mane on the neck very similar to the Midnight form. Lorelei herself seemed impressed, and looked forward to see what he could do.

"Begin!" said Misty.

"This is going to be interesting," said the Elite Four member. Her stare suddenly turned into an icy glare. "Cloyster, start using Supersonic!"

"Cloyster!" Cloyster opened her shell and sent out a sonic wave towards Pikachu and Lycanroc.

"Lycanroc, counter using Howl! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Cloyster!" Ash replied.

The Rock-type wolf jumped forward and countered the sound waves with his own, powering himself up in the process. Pikachu charged up his electric sacks and unleashed a powerful discharge on Cloyster.

"Jynx, use Light Screen to protect Cloyster! Cloyster, prepare an Aurora Beam!" Lorelei commanded.

Jynx placed herself in front of Cloyster and raised a translucent barrier, whilw Cloyster charged up the Aurora Beam. The Light Screen reduced the Thunderbolt's impact, but Jynx could still feel it pretty powerful. Then, Cloyster finished charging and fired off a multicolored energy beam at Pikachu.

"Dodge and use Iron Tail on Jynx, Pikachu! Lycanroc, use Accelerock on Cloyster!" Ash called.

"Pika!" Pikachu ran forward and coated his tail in metallic energy as he jumped towards Jynx, while Lycanroc dashed with lightning speed at Cloyster. The attack was so fast, Lorelei only realized what had happened when Cloyster was pushed back.

"Jynx, use Brick Break!" Lorelei called.

Seeing that she could still stop Pikachu, Jynx coated her right punch in orange energy, and moved it to intercept Pikachu's Iron Tail. The clash was evenly matched for a while, but Jynx won out in the end and pushed Pikachu back.

"Now, use Psychic!"

"Jynx, jynx!" Stretching out her hands, Jynx stopped Pikachu in midair, and then slammed him against the ground. They were lucky to be fighting on sand, otherwise that would hurt a lot more.

"Lycanroc, use Crunch on Jynx!"

"Arooooo!" The wolf growled and bared his fangs, coating them in dark energy as he charged against the Ice/Psychic to free his teammate from her telekinetic grip.

"Cloyster, protect Jynx!" Lorelei called.

The clamshell jumped in front of the wolf to shield Jynx, closing her shell to block the attack. Surprisingly, the wolf's fangs actually managed to crack the shell, if only slightly and not too much to be a threat, and Jynx released Pikachu and focused her Psychic attack to send Lycanroc flying to fall on top of the mouse.

"Pika, pika pikachu…" Ash didn't need to understand Pokémon speech to know that Pikachu was trying to say "Get off of me!" or something to that extent.

"Arooo…" The wolf finally came to, and glared at his two opponents. "Grrrrrr!"

"Your Pokémon have spirit, I'll give you that," said Lorelei. "But I think it's time we settle this. Jynx, you know what to do! Cloyster, Spike Cannon!"

"Lycanroc, Rock Throw!"

Cloyster unleashed a barrage of spikes, which Lycanroc countered with a similar rain of small flying rocks from his tail. The attacks were evenly matched. Cloyster began upping the rate of fire, and Lycanroc followed suit, with neither side yielding. Ash, however, noticed that Jynx was creating a green energy sphere in her hands, and quickly recognized that attack. An Energy Ball, surely to be aimed at Lycanroc while he was focused on holding off Cloyster's barrage of spikes.

"Jynx, fire the Energy Ball at Lycanroc!"

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash shouted in the last possible second.

"Pikapikapika, CHUPI!"

Pikachu jumped high and spun his tail to fire his electric sphere, aimed to intercept Jynx's attack. The collision caused both of them to explode, forcing Lycanroc and Cloyster to jump back and cease their attacks.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

"Pikapikapikapika, PIKAAAA!"

The yellow mouse coated himself in electric power and jumped at Cloyster. If Jynx's Light screen was still on, their best bet was going for physical attacks. Cloyster was unable to close her shell fast enough, and Pikachu managed to hit dead in the center for massive damage. The bivalve Pokémon gave off sparks, evidencing paralysis. The Elite Four member's eyes widened for a split second, but she wouldn't let this stop her.

"Jynx, use Energy Ball and Psychic!"

"Jynx, jynx!" Once again, Jynx began preparing her Grass-type attack, as her eyes glowed and her hair rose around her. As before, the intended target for this attack was Lycanroc.

"Dodge it!" Ash called.

"Arooo!" The canine jumped out of the way of the Energy Ball, but Jynx used her psychic powers to make it change direction and come back from behind. Lycanroc was unable to move fast enough and the ball hit him hard.

"Now bring him closer and use Draining Kiss!"

Jynx extended both arms pulling in the still stunned Lycanroc, as her lips started glowing in pink energy.

"Pikachu, block that attack using Iron Tail!" Ash cried out.

Pikachu coated his tail in metallic energy and jumped between Lycanroc and Jynx, placing his tail in front of the lips of the Ice/Psychic-type. Cloyster tried to attack Pikachu, but the paralysis kicked in and prevented her from moving. Pikachu's surprise attack not only disrupted Jynx's concentration, but she also disliked the taste of the Iron Tail and actually began trying to wipe her mouth in disgust. As the telekinetic grip broke off, Lycanroc landed on all fours, and immediately charged in with an Accelerock, ready to deliver payback, and Pikachu, still with his tail coated in metal, jumped against the paralyzed Cloyster to deliver a strike of his own.

"Cloyster, Withdraw!" Lorelei called.

Cloyster managed to close her shell and a protective layer covered it. Her defense was all but impenetrable, that was what most thought, but Ash was willing to do anything ti took to pierce through that shell, and he knew exactly how.

"Thunder!" he called.

"PIKAAAAAAA!"

While he was still in midair, Pikachu summoned a lightning bolt, to fall not on Cloyster, but on himself, specifically on his still-coated-in-metal tail. The Thunder attack went right to it, supercharging it and Pikachu went down ready to deliver his strike, aiming at the very same spot where Lycanroc had managed to sink his fangs before. And despite the defensive power boost, the unthinkable happened: the combined attack managed to pierce through Cloyster's shell, actually breaking off one of its spikes and leaving a huge cracked hole on it. For the first time in the encounter, Lorelei gasped in shock, and Ash decided to press onward.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Aim for the hole!"

"PIKA! CHUUUUUUUUUU!"

Pikachu unleashed a massive discharge, attempting to get it straight at Cloyster's weak spot. However, Jynx quickly jumped in between and took the electric blast, tanking it as hard as she could while she prepared to counterattack.

"Jynx, use Blizzard!" Lorelei called.

"Jynx, JYYYYYYYYNNNX!"

From Jynx's open mouth, out came a massive artic wind current. Made it all more impressive because they were fighting in a beach, in the middle of summer, and yet everyone close by still felt the cold. Pikachu was pushed back, while Lycanroc managed to hold firm with his claws, trying not to get blown away. In doing so, however, another problem came up: Jynx increased the Blizzard's force, and by holding firm, a layer of ice began covering the wolf. If he got frozen, he wouldn't be able to move, let alone attack.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle on Jynx and stop the Blizzard!" Ash yelled.

"Pika! Pikapikapikapika PIKA!"

Pikachu charged in to attack Jynx, but his attempt was intercepted by Cloyster, who fought back the paralysis and jumped in-between using a Take Down attack. The bivalve pushed fiercely, but ultimately Pikachu won the battle on type and force, sending her backwards, giving off sparks and unable to move.

"Cloyster is unable to continue!" Misty declared. Serena noticed that she seemed a little bitter at having to announce that. Nevertheless, the fight was still on and Ash still had to beat Jynx to win.

The situation seemed uncertain. Pikachu had managed to take Cloyster out of the picture, but in doing so, he had taken a lot of damage from the Take Down, as well as the recoil of his own Volt Tackle. Jynx was still mostly fine, and with Lycanroc frozen, he wouldn't be able to help much. Even with the summer heat, the ice he had been encased into would take a while to melt and enable him to properly move.

"It's been a good match, Ash. But now it's time to end it. Jynx, use Psychic and Draining Kiss!"

"Pikachu, Agility and Quick Attack! Move around and don't stop!"

This was a desperate move, but surprisingly, it actually worked. Jynx needed to focus on Pikachu to use her psychic powers, but using that Agility/Quick Attack combo, Pikachu was moving so fast that the naked eye was barely able to keep up with him. Of course, this was but an attempt to buy time, while Ash tried to think of something. Lycanroc still tried to break free of the ice, unable to help his partner. Shame that he didn't know any Fire-type attacks.

Then Ash looked at his wrist. Maybe… could he use the energy of the Z-Crystal to have Lycanroc break free by raw power? It was a long shot, but he had nothing to lose now. This was all that he had left.

"Lycanroc, get ready!" he said as he raised his wrist and assumed his stance. "This is it, my power is your power!"

"AROOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Lycanroc received the Z-Ring's energy, and just as Ash had hoped, it worked wonders to break the ice and free him. Meanwhile, Pikachu was still going around the field, trying to avoid getting caught by Jynx's Psychic attack. However, the tiredness was catching up to him and during that split second, Jynx managed to get a telekinetic hold of him. Just as Jynx lifted Pikachu in the air and tried to drag him for a Draining Kiss, Ash began executing the poses for the Rock-type Z-Move, and clenching his fists, gave Lycanroc all the energy.

"Continental…"

Lycanroc jumped high in the air and began summoning a large amount of rocks to himself. The surprise made Jynx lose her concentration and she dropped Pikachu, giving him the chance to get away as he saw what was coming. The rocks all merged together to form a giant boulder, and Lycanroc kicked it down, sending it at Jynx, who just stood there in sheer terror.

"CRUSH!" Ash shouted.

"Jynx, use Psychic and stop it!" Lorelei yelled in desperation.

Jynx raised her arms and tried to focus, but it was too late. A mix of the incoming boulder's size and her own terror at the idea of being crushed under all that weight made her unable to properly focus and defend herself, and the boulder irremediably fell on her. Lycanroc landed on all fours, breathing heavily as he had used the last bit of his strength on that Z-Move. Pikachu was equally exhausted. When the dust finally cleared, rock pieces were scattered all over the place, and Jynx lied on the ground, covered in gravel and completely defeated.

"Jynx is unable to battle! Lycanroc and Pikachu are the winners! Victory is for Ash!" Misty declared.

"We won… we won! We actually won, yeah!" Ash pumped his fists and jumped in victory.

Pikachu gave a V-Sign, while Lycanroc howled triumphantly, Ash kneeled down to rub their heads for a job well done. Lycanroc went on and affectionately licked his trainer's face. Ash laughed; in battle he was a fierce beast, but out of it, he was still that loving and playful puppy from when Ash first found him. The girls' reactions were priceless too: Serena cheerfully jumped in joy, celebrating Ash's victory like it was her own, while Misty seemed torn between seeing her friend win and her idol lose. Seeing that Ash had Serena on his side, she felt she should go for Lorelei just this once. The Elite Four member returned both her downed Pokémon and silently congratulated them, giving a smile, while the people around gave a lot of cheering an applause for this exciting battle.

"That was a great battle, Lorelei. I'm a little sad you lost, though."

"Don't be," said Lorelei. "I didn't have a match as exciting as this in a very long time. Ash has certainly come a long way."

"That he has," Misty admitted.

Both of them approached Ash, who was still playing like a kid with Lycanroc. Serena couldn't resist to join in and stroke the wolf's fur. For a Rock-type Pokémon, it actually felt quite fluffy, and it didn't take long before the friendly canine turned his displays of affection on the Kalosian girl. Ash then saw Lorelei approaching, and decided to leave Lycanroc to Serena for a bit.

"Congratulations, Ash," said the Elite Four member, extending her hand. "It's clear you've taken the lesson I gave you to heart."

"Of course." Ash shook her hand. "You haven't lost your touch yourself. You made us work for that victory."

"After this, I definitely need to up my game for the upcoming Intercontinental Champion Tournament," said Lorelei. "Are you going to take part? I'd certainly love a rematch with you, at your full power if possible."

"Well, first I need to earn my right to take part," said Ash, scratching the back of his neck. "There's only one open slot for the Battle Frontier, so we'll have an inside tournament to decide who's going to represent us."

"I see." Lorelei nodded. "Well, in that case, I'll be rooting for you. If I don't see you in the Intercontinental Tournament, I'll be extremely disappointed."

"And you won't get the chance to kick his ass and get revenge for this one," said Misty.

"Hey!"

"Umm… guys? Little help here?" said Serena, getting everyone's attention.

Ash, Misty and Lorelei turned to Serena. Lycanroc was on top of her, licking her all over her face. She liked that he was such a friendly Pokémon, no doubt about it, but… he was being too friendly at the moment. Misty and Lorelei exchanged a little chuckle, while Ash waited for a bit to tell Lycanroc to give Serena her space. Lorelei finally had the chance to check him out up close.

"So this is the famous Dusk Lycanroc," she said, petting the wolf's neck. He seemed to enjoy her touch. "I'm impressed. He can be fierce and strong, but once the battle is over, he's a really friendly Pokémon."

"In that sense, I think he's a lot like you," said Ash.

Lorelei smiled as she continued to pet Lycanroc. Misty then went on "nothing-more-to-see-here" mode to scare away the curious, while Ash and Serena just watched. The Elite Four member had been quite pleased with the result of this battle. Ash's victory proved he had learned the lessons she tried to teach him that time. Pokémon were a clear reflect of their trainer, and Pikachu's and Lycanroc's performances were proof of how strong they had grown. And she was certain they would grow stronger. When the Intercontinental Tournament came, they'd definitely be a force to be reckoned with.

That night…

Unlike Ash's previous visit to Cinnabar, finding a place to stay was pretty easy this time. Lucky for them, Blaine still had his side job running the Big Riddle Inn, and even offered a discount when he saw the trainer had brought company, although only after Misty answered his riddle. They were going to stay the entire week, but Blaine would only charge them five days, all services included.

After such a long day of training, and that battle with Lorelei, Ash wanted nothing but to relax, and decided to go to the hot springs with Pikachu before going to sleep. There was a problem, though; unlike their previous visit, and since the fence that separated the male and female sides had been broken one too many times over the years, Blaine changed it to make it a mixed bath. Knowing the implications, Ash wasn't too keen on the idea of bathing along with the girls, so he decided to sneak in on his own while they were still out shopping.

"Ahh… I had forgotten how great this felt," he said, resting with a towel over his head.

"Pika…" Pikachu nodded as well. The electric rodent hadn't had bath like this for years. It felt great after that hard battle they had in the afternoon.

"You did great today, Pikachu," said Ash. "But if what Lorelei says is true, we need to train much harder."

Recalling their previous encounter, Ash was sure that the Elite Four member didn't go full-out when she battled him. The first time they fought, Lorelei's Cloyster easily tanked all of Pikachu's attacks, and brought him down with two hits. This time, while they fared better and won, Ash was certain that it was all due to a mix of Pikachu and Lycanroc's teamwork and his unorthodox maneuvers that managed to throw Lorelei off-guard, and of course, pulling off Lycanroc's Z-Move in the nick of time for a decisive blow. Still, while some would call him dense and clueless, Ash had actually grown a lot more observant and better at reading people, especially his opponents in battle. He could tell when they didn't use their full strength, and while Lorelei did take him more seriously than when he was a rookie, he was sure that at least two or three of the openings he had to counterattack were intentional on her part.

In the past months, he had decided to up his game in the Battle Coliseum. His Key Stone and Mega Stones for several of his Pokémon were valuable assets, as well as the Z-Moves for Pikachu and many of the others, but there was always the limit of only being able to use them once per battle. Greninja was the exception, as he was the only one who didn't require an item for additional power, but the physical and mental strain forced it into a last resort option. Ash only had one Key Stone in his possession, but Professor Oak had a spare one that he had intended to give Gary, before he declined. If Ash could use it, that would increase his amount of available Mega Pokémon per battle to two instead of one. Along with Greninja, and a Z-Move user, that would make a very solid team. When he returned to Pallet Town, he'd tell Oak about it.

The doors slid open, snapping Ash out of his train of thought, and revealing his two female friends. They were back already? Both of them were wearing nothing but towels, and Ash quickly grabbed his own to cover himself on the lower parts.

"Couldn't you have waited until I got out?" he complained.

"What's the matter?" asked Misty. "Don't you want some company?"

"It must feel very lonely in here," added Serena.

"I'm not alone," he said, pointing at Pikachu. "Well, I'm was about to get out anyway, so you can have the springs for yourselves."

"Hey, there's no need for you to leave." Misty smiled, as she turned around and began to unwrap her towel. "We've got something we'd like to show you. Ready, Serena?"

"Not really, but if I must…" She too grabbed her own towel, and unlike Misty, she didn't turn around.

"Hey, wait! Don't tell me you're planning to…" Ash quickly covered his eyes, but it was too late, the two girls dropped their towels. In the end, he couldn't resist to take a peek…

"Haha, you fell for it." Misty giggled.

The girls weren't actually naked under the towels; they were wearing strapless bikinis. Misty had a blue one with white flowers, while Serena wore a pink one with blue ribbons on the chest and the hips. Misty turned around again and stuck out her chest, winking and posing with one hand on her waist and the other behind her neck to show off her physique.

"What do you think?" Misty asked. "We just bought these new bikinis."

"I still think it's a little too small for me," said Serena, blushing in embarrassment.

"No way, it just bares the right amount," said Misty, pushing her to get them both into the hot water. "Really, Ash, you didn't really think we'd bathe with you naked, did you?"

"You almost got me for a moment." The trainer shrugged. Both the girls quickly surrounded and wrapped their arms around him and got as close as they could. The trainer couldn't help but feel their skins were extremely silky and smooth as they rubbed against him. It felt… really pleasant.

"Still, that doesn't mean we can't engage in some… friendly skinship, right?" Misty rubbed her finger around his pecs. They weren't exaggeratedly big, but they definitely were strong and solid.

"Yeah, we're all close friends here, aren't we?" Serena whispered into his ear, as she played with his hair.

Ash just remained where he was, unable and unwilling to move. These girls just loved to torture him, and the worst part, he enjoyed every single moment of it. Even knowing that they were competing, it looked more like they were teaming-up to seduce him together, which only would make harder for him to choose one over the other. No matter how hard he tried to resist, or if he tried to play along, in the end, he was always the loser.

But then again, with them, that little game was the one thing he could actually be happy for losing.

FIN

Author's Notes:

Well, how's this for a little extra? Yeah, Crossroads is already over, but I figured throwing this little bit in during the timeskip would make no harm. When I started writing it, I originally thought of having Ash battle Lorelei, but I essentially gave that role to Alain and Gladion, and I didn't find a good place to insert the hot springs scene. However, there's a Summer Contest in DeviantArt, and I decided to try my luck with a story this time, given that I've been more focused on writing than drawing as of late, so this way I have an entry and don't waste those ideas. Lastly, the inclusion of Ash's Dusk Lycanroc came as a bonus, after I saw the preview for the episode, I LOVED that form. I definitely want one of those for my Alolan team.

In any case, hope you enjoyed this little oneshot. Maybe it's not gonna be the last one I write in this continuity. See you next time!