A/N: Despite the fact that this story starts off focusing on Ash's group, that's only for the first part. After that, it focuses on my character, ie me. I rather like self insertions, as they're called... BTW, I haven't watched an episode of Pokemon in way too long, so I don't know if May was with them when they were in the Hoenn Region, so in this story, she won't be here. Remember, this is Fanfiction, meaning anything the author says goes.

And for the record, I'm not sure how people managed to confuse the Pokemon's genders, but every one of them except Kure and Kyu are male. I've refered to Cid, Shadow, Yuan and Justin as either 'him', 'he' or something simmilar that implies they are male.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or anything in this fic except the main character, which is myself and the actual plot line used in this fic, unless I somehow got a metaphorical hole in one and unknowingly made a copy of the canon plot line. If that's the case, then I don't own that, just myself.

Legend:

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Heat of the Pokemon League: Chapter I: Companions in Arms

Ash Ketchum, Misty and Brock had finally defeated Juan and collected the final Gym Badge, and had finally reached the Pokemon League of the Hoenn Region, intent on competing for the title of Pokemon Master. As they finally exited the underwater honeycomb cave network that separated Ever Grande City and its island from the rest of the world. Once they had resurfaced and made their way to shore, they took in the massive complex that was the Hoenn Pokemon League. After looking at the entrance did they notice exactly how far away they were when they spotted several 5 story buildings, including a Pokemon Centre. They were far too weary to say anything and trudged wearily forward, intending nothing more on registering, having a nice bath and kicking their feet up. As they drew closer, the saw that the city was bustling with activity of all sorts. Trainers talking to each other, Pokemon standing around by their trainers as well as people just working, getting everything ready for the big tournament. Finally, they trudged up and inside the giant double doorway, seeing five isles for Pokemon Trainers to register, however, due to the lack of them registering, there were only two isles open, so the group headed towards the closest one. The woman behind the counter smiled at them.

"Welcome to Ever Grande City. May I see your badges please?"

Ash nodded and opened his jacket, showing her all 8 badges, which she nodded at.

"Thank you. May I have your name please?"

"Ash Ketchum."

The woman entered this into a new file, retrieving a photo of Ash and placing it on his file. She then looked up at him once she was finished.

"Please choose six Pokemon you wish to register for the tournament. Please remember that once they are registered, you may not revoke your decision. If you wish to use another Pokemon besides the ones you currently have on you, please feel free to use the transfer terminal in the corner of the room and then come back so we can continue."

Ash nodded and pulled out all six of his balls that were attached to his belt. Pikachu grumbled and looked as Ash smiled sadly at his first ever Pokemon.

"Sorry Pikachu, but it's only for a moment, ok?"

Pikachu gave in and returned to his ball which Ash set down in the last slot. They didn't take any notice of the boy behind them who had just walked in, despite the fact he had all six of his Pokemon out with him and not in their balls. It was common for new trainers to show off their Pokemon in crowded places as he walked up to the counter next to them.

"Welcome to the Hoenn Region Pokemon League registration desk. May I see your badges please?"

The boy nodded and pulled out a small piece of guarded black velvet that had all eight badges lined up into two rows of four. The lady nodded.

"Thank you. Could you please return your Pokemon to their Poke balls so they can be registered?"

The boy shook his head.

"I can't do that. They don't have Poke balls."

This caught everyone's attention in the still somewhat crowded hallway. All eyes turned to the boy. He was about twenty, long black hair done up in a ponytail as well as bangs framing his slightly feminine features. His body was not by any means well built, but his features showed his muscles were well toned. What caught most people's attention though was the massive number of scars on his body. Some of them were small, while others were large. Some were old while he still had several fresh wounds. He had an air of confidence and patience around him that could only be obtained through many hardships and trials.

"I'm sorry sir?"

The man sighed and explained.

"They don't have Poke balls. Nor are they 'mine' in the sense you're talking about. But yes, it was them who helped me win all 8 badges."

The woman looked somewhat shocked.

"They're wild?"

The man shrugged.

"Hard to explain. Yes and no. They belong to no one, but they are not wild."

The lady behind the counter picked up a phone and pushed three buttons before waiting to be patched through.

"Sir? We have an entrant who is using Pokemon that are wild, but are loyal to him... I see... Yes sir. Thank you."

The woman put the phone down and smiled warmly.

"I don't believe we've had an entrant like you for many years, but we have the ability to register them. Please come with me."

The boy nodded and walked through the isle followed by his six Pokemon, which consisted of a Ninetails, an Absol, an Espion, a Houndoom, a Gligar and a Blastoise. Everyone just stared after him and his Pokemon as they followed the receptionist into a side room where he and his Pokemon were let into and the door clicked shut. Ash picked up the last of his Poke balls and let his Pikachu out, who complained quite vocally about being cooped up for so long. Pikachu noticed the look on his friend's face and stared at the door Ash and everyone else was focusing on. He tilted his head to the side and let one ear flop down in curiosity.

"Pi?"

Ash shrunk the Poke ball and reattached it to his belt as the receptionist serving them looked back at them.

"Thank you, you are now fully registered. Please return here tomorrow morning at 8 am for the announcement of the match ups. Good luck."

Ash nodded and the trio of people as well as Pikachu turned around to look for somewhere to rest up until tomorrow. Most of the people in the building were now beginning to talk about this mystery boy. Ash couldn't help but overhear some of the conversations.

"Why would wild Pokemon serve a human willingly? Isn't it taking a big risk not to capture them? What if another trainer does?"

All these questions and more floated around as Ash, Misty and Brock exited the building and found that some of the people inside had gone out and told others about the boy. After finding a house set aside for trainers in the competition that was vacant, they went upstairs and dumped their stuff before discussing what to do until the time of the match ups tomorrow morning.

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With the Boy

Inside the room, the receptionist booted up a computer terminal and began the registration process again.

"May I have your name please?"

The man nodded.

"Nick."

The woman nodded and entered it into the appropriate field. Many trainers preferred to only give their first names for personal reasons, and so the last name had been downgraded from a requirement to an optional addition. She then pressed several buttons and a small metal panel at the base of the wall in the corner of the room opened and a metal base slid out from the floor, several meters in length on any side that had a metal railing running up the far corner which extended to the roof. At the base, connecting the railing to the wall were two rods on either side. The receptionist looked at Nick.

"Please ask your Pokemon to be scanned one at a time."

Nick nodded and looked down at his companions.

"Anyone want to go first?"

They looked among each other and the Ninetails walked forward.

"I will."

Nick nodded. Ninetails were well known for their ability to not only understand, but to speak the human language.

"Sure thing Kyu."

Kyu hoped up onto the scanner and sat on her haunches, bringing her tails inside the scanner. The receptionist pressed a single button and the two rods emitted a flat blue light which took in Kyu's information. Once they had completed their task, the light shut off and the rods returned to their first position. Kyu hopped nimbly off the scanner and returned to Nick's side, where he smiled warmly at her, which she responded by nuzzling his face. One at a time, Nick's remaining five Pokemon were scanned. After the Blastoise, Justin had been scanned and had stepped off the platform, it shrunk back into the wall, leaving Nick to turn back to the receptionist.

"Registration is complete. Please turn up here at 8 am for the match up announcements."

Nick nodded.

"Thanks."

With that, they walked outside the door, and once again, all heads turned to him. Nick was rather used to this, as were his companions so they proceeded to find some accommodation. However, just as they were about to step out the door, Nick saw something from the corner of his eye approaching Justin. Without thinking, he moved to intercept it. He caught it in his left hand to see that it was a Poke ball. He glared at the mid teenage boy who had thrown it. This had happened several times before, and it pissed Nick off severely every single time.

"Don't you dare try that again. Next time, you may lose more than just a Poke Ball."

With that, Nick began straining his left hand and then shattered the Poke Ball, much to everyone's amazement and shock. The pieces of glass and metal fell to the ground, tinkling and coming to rest. As Nick turned to leave, the boy called out to him.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going! You'd better pay for that ball!"

Nick stopped mid step and turned to face the boy, his normally calm features now showing barely suppressed anger.

"When you grow up I might consider replacing it."

Many could see the boy was humiliated and was starting to reach for one of his Pokemon when an Officer Jenny nearby called out to him.

"It is against the rules for any Pokemon battles to take place outside registered matches inside Ever Grande City. Please follow the rules or you will be forced to forfeit from the tournament."

The boy considered his options and then removed his hand without a Poke Ball, storming off in the other direction. Everyone else was amazed by this newcomer. He had seen an attack that most hadn't even noticed when they had better view of it and then intercepted it and stopped it, as well as shattering a Poke Ball in one hand. Those scars and the speed as well as his strength probably meant he trained with his Pokemon, doing his fair share of the work, which might explain why they stayed loyal to him. The door's closed behind him and his Pokemon leaving people to get over the shock of what had just happened.

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Next Morning, 8am:

All 64 of the competing trainers had arrived in the reception hall, where many non trainers and reporters were anxiously awaiting the match ups, and hoping to talk to some of the bigger contenders. Once everyone was confirmed as present, the big screen lit up, showing a six level tournament bracket. At the very base, the 64 trainer's photo's cycled randomly through positions, before all of them came to a stop, and the match ups were decided. Most trainers glanced around, trying to spot their first opponent. An announcement was made over the loud speaker.

"The matches will begin tomorrow morning at the same time. Please make sure to be present in the trainer waiting room at that time. Until them, please enjoy your day."

The PA system clicked off. Many trainers began walking back to their accommodation, including Nick. However, Nick stopped when he heard someone calling to him from behind.

"Hey, wait up a second!"

Nick stopped and turned to see a trio of people coming up to him. He vaguely recognised all three of them. Finally all of them caught up.

"Can I help you, Mr. Ketchum?"

Ash looked shocked for a second.

"How did you know..."

Nick smiled as he looked at Ash.

"I mainly recognised you from the two other people with you, as well as your Pikachu. Not many people travel around with a Pikachu on their head as well as the Cerulean and Pewter City Gym leaders. Rumour has it you're one of the guys to watch out for this time."

All three of them looked at this boy in shock. Nick chuckled and shook his head, giving them a bright smile.

"Forgive me; I'm going off on one of my tangents again. I'm Nick, pleased to meet you."

Nick extended his hand, which Ash took. Ash took it. Nick took Brock's hand and then Misty's before extending a hand to Pikachu, which again shocked the other group. Pikachu took it, and they shook hands. Nick looked back at Ash.

"Now, you wanted to talk to me, correct?"

Ash nodded.

"I was wondering, if your Pokemon are wild, why do they stay loyal to you?"

Nick chuckled slightly before answering.

"I neither have Pokemon, wild or otherwise, nor are they loyal to me."

Nick saw their blank stares and smiled.

"Why don't you come back to my place and I'll explain. That is, unless you're busy."

The three looked at each other and agreed. Nick nodded.

"It's not far from here."

The four humans and their companions made their way to Nick's apartment. Nick swiped his card, making the door slide open and Nick led them in. Nick looked around and then back at them.

"Would you like something to drink?"

They nodded, so Nick went into the kitchen and got five glasses, filling them up with water. He got several saucers and filled two with milk, one with specially prepared blood, and three with water. He took three of the glasses and one saucer out on one tray, and the rest on another. He set them down on the coffee table and handed them out to both humans and Pokemon alike. The Gligar looked hungrily at the saucer of blood and dropped from his position on the roof and landed, sending several loose pieces of paper flying. Nick looked at him reproachfully.

"Cid, would you mind stopping making more work for me?"

Cid gave a toothy grin and chuckled slightly, which was his way of apologising before he started lapping up the blood. The others took their glasses, or those without suitable appendages, Nick put them on the ground for. After taking a sip of his water Nick leaned back. Kyu jumped up onto his lap and curled up, while Nick unconsciously began stroking her back, eliciting a contented pur from her.

"Well, I suppose I should explain why they still hang around me. I started out like any Pokemon Trainer. I was given a Pokemon by my hometown, and I set off. My first Pokemon was Justin over here. When we started, he was only a Squirtle and I was about 15. However, on my sixteenth birthday, we got in over our heads. Both of us were severely wounded during a battle with a wild Nidoking that was rampaging, and I was going to die. The last thing I could do for Justin was to free him. I destroyed the Poke ball, freeing him of his service to me, and I asked him to do what he wanted to do as my final wish. I passed out from loss of blood and woke up almost a week later in Hospital. One of the nurses had said that a Blastoise brought me in, and refused to let anyone near be for quite some time until he realised that if they didn't heal me, I would die. Justin still wanted to come with me, despite the fact I was no longer his master. It was then that I decided that I didn't want to capture any more Pokemon, but offer them the chance to tag along. I quickly came to an understanding that a lot of trainers force their Pokemon to do what they want, often turning them into mindless killing machines. Or others think they should not be allowed to battle, because it's breaching their rights. I think both of these groups of people don't have a clue what they're doing or saying, which is why I hate the term Pokemon, Pokemon Trainer and Pokemon Master."

Ash looked confused.

"Why?"

Nick scratched Kyu behind the ears and gave Shadow, the Houndoom a scratch under the chin. Yuan, Nick's Espion gave him a mock hurt look, which prompted him to give him a scratch behind the ears as well.

"You do know what Pokemon means right?"

Brock nodded.

"Pokemon is short for Pocket Monster."

Nick nodded.

"Exactly. Even the title refers to them as some sort of monstrosity that you can just pull out of your pocket and have it obey your every command. My companions are all with my of their own free will, and can leave me at any time they choose, and I will not stop them. However, they don't. It's because I view them not as tools, not as things that have to be coddled, but as equals in every way, shape and form to myself, which is why I don't order them during fights, I get in there with them and help them train, becoming stronger and strengthening our bond. I would die for them, as they would for me, should the situation require it."

Kyu opened a single ruby eye and looked up at Nick with a slightly reproachful look.

"That's only if the situation arises. None of us will let it get to that."

Nick smiled began stroking one of Kyu's tails.

"Indeed."

Ash smiled at the sight as Nick's companions agreed with the statement. After a bit more friendly talking, they realised it was midday, and they were all somewhat hungry. Nick smiled and chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back off his head.

"I don't think there's enough food here to feed all of us..."

Brock shook his head and stood.

"That's alright. Thanks for your hospitality, Nick. Good luck in the tournament tomorrow."

Nick nodded and stood again, to shake their hands.

"No problem. Ash, I hope to meet you and Pikachu in the finals. I can tell you're a very powerful trainer and companion, both with pure hearts and iron wills to win."

Ash nodded and smiled.

"I hope to see you there too, Nick."

Nick nodded as the trio left the house, leaving Nick and his companions to their own devices.

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Later That Night:

Just as night fell, Kyu came up to Nick and started nuzzling his cheek with hers affectionately. Nick smiled and gave Kyu a friendly light kiss on the nose.

"You're rather affectionate today, Kyu."

Kyu opened her eyes and looked Nick in the eye.

"We've come a long way together..."

Nick nodded in agreement, remembering several of their battles and times alone over the years.

"Yeah we have..."

Nick knew all of his Pokemon and how they reacted, and it was clear that Kyu was very uncomfortable with something.

"Kyu, what's up?"

Kyu looked straight down at the floor and stopped nuzzling him. Nick them noticed that all of his other companions were no where to be seen. Whatever was bothering Kyu was big. Very big, considering she asked them for some time alone with him. Nick kneeled down to face level with Kyu when the conversation thus far came back to him. Nick's eyes widened considerably before he stammered out.

"Kyu... Please tell me that you don't..."

Kyu looked up at Nick, seeing the hurt and disbelief in his eyes. She cringed and looked straight back down. Nick took a deep breath.

"Why?"

Kyu didn't understand and looked up, seeing Nick was looking at her questioningly.

"Why?"

Nick nodded.

"I won't stop you from leaving, but I would like a reason..."

Kyu's eyes narrowed in confusion before it hit her how he had arrived at that conclusion. Kyu shook her head furiously, sending her silky bright yellow shock of hair flying.

"No, I didn't mean I wanted to leave you! I meant..."

Kyu looked down again, but Nick could see that she was thoroughly embarrassed about something, and then it really hit Nick as to what she wanted to say. He blushed furiously.

"Kyu... Are you trying to tell me that you... Have feelings for me?"

Kyu's head whipped back up, seeing Nick blushing furiously and looked to the side.

"I'm.. I'm sorry... I shouldn't have brought this up..."

Nick shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up.

"Kyu, it was the right thing for you to bring this up... We're close friends, best of friends even... I care for all of you, but society still strongly detests Human/Pokemon relationships, and it's still illegal in many places..."

Kyu looked down, but looked back up when she heard Nick chuckling.

"Too bad for them that you're not a 'Pokemon', are you?"

Kyu smiled slightly, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Thank you, Nick..."

For a while now, Nick and Kyu had been drawing closer, almost more so than with his other companions. He'd been strugling to supress his rising feelings for her, fearing she wouldn't reciprocate and it would end up in her leaving the group. Back in the present, Nick nodded and slowly brought his head forward, as did Kyu. Finally, Nick's lips met Kyu's muzzle. Both of them froze, these new feelings washing over them. Due to his long stretches out in the wilderness, Nick had never been able to spend enough time in civilization to consider a serious relationship. Kyu had gone through several heats since maturity, but had never found a male Ninetails to pair with, meaning she was still a virgin. Both of them however, were more focused on the other at the moment. Kyu slowly slipped her tongue into Nick's mouth, making Nick stiffen slightly before slipping his own tongue inside Kyu's muzzle. Kyu had a much longer tongue than Nick did, and she used that to her full advantage, wrapping it around Nick's own tongue. After a minute of exploring each other's mouths, they slowly pulled back. It was then that Nick realised what had brought all this on. Kyu was in heat. Her odour was finally strong enough that even Nick could smell it. Despite the species barrier, her scent still had the desired reaction, making Nick's blood rush to his loins. Kyu smiled as she detected this change in Nick, his own pheromones instantly being picked up by her sensitive nose. Kyu began panting as she looked at Nick.

"Nick... You don't treat me like a tool or a defenceless creature, but as your equal... There are so few humans who do that, which is why I... I wish to mate with you..."

Nick's eyes widened considerably before nodding slowly. He stood up.

"Very well Kyu, however, not here; In my room. I don't want people seeing us... Yet."

Kyu nodded and followed Nick into his room, where he shut the window and drew the blinds, which triggered a small glow lamp on the ceiling. Kyu shut the door with one of her tails before hopping up onto the bed. Nick seemed hesitant for a second before he started stripping, throwing his clothes over the back of a chair, leaving him in just his boxers. Nick made his way over to the bed and sat down on the edge. Kyu could tell he was unsure about this, and brushed a tail over his cheek. Nick smiled slightly, closing his eyes and leaning into the gentle caress.

"Nick..."

Nick opened his eyes and saw Kyu looking straight at him.

"If you don't want to do this..."

Nick shook his head and brought his lips to Kyu's muzzle again, locking them in another deep kiss. Kyu slowly pushed Nick back onto the bed and leaned over him, the hunger in her eyes impossible to miss. Kyu lightly brushed one of her tails over Nick's stomach, making him shiver violently. His stomach had always been sensitive to another's touch, and this time was no different. Kyu licked her lips as she saw his boxers begin to struggle to contain his growing erection. Kyu used another of her tails to pull his Boxers down and gasped in surprise. For a human, Nick's member was massive; at least 8 inches and still growing. She lowered her nose to it and took a whiff of his penis. The smell of his arousal was absolutely overpowering. Kyu couldn't help but give it a lick, making Nick shudder and moan, rising to his full height. Kyu's eyes widened as Nick's member stood before her.

"Oh my... I didn't think humans were able to grow this long..."

Nick chuckled sheepishly as Kyu took in his nearly 10 inch length.

"One of the advantages of never being in a relationship and having no other outlet..."

Kyu smirked as she gave it another lick, making Nick shudder violently again. She could no longer take it and sat up, turning around and lifting her tails, offering herself to him. She panted as she looked back at him.

"Nick... Please mate with me now..."

Nick was unable to miss Kyu's heavily pheromone laden scent that reached his nose from her hindquarters. Her lips were swollen, showing her extreme arousal and need. Nick moved forward and took his position behind Kyu, placing himself at her entrance. He hesitated for a moment, thinking this over. Kyu however, couldn't take it anymore, and used her tails to hilt Nick's throbbing cock inside her, making them both cry out. It may have been due to the fact that Kyu was a fire based Pokemon, but her cavern was searing hot. Both moaned in pleasure as Kyu's muscles tried to adjust to Nick's length, clutching at it. Nick began breathing in Kyu's ear as he whispered to her.

"God Kyu... You're so hot it almost burns..."

Kyu looked back up at Nick, kissing him lightly before pushing back against him, despite the fact he was already hilted, coaxing him to continue. He responded by slowly pulling out and shuddering as more of his member came into contact with the relatively frigid night air, making him instinctively push it back inside quickly. Both of their breaths came shorter and faster as they raced together towards their climaxes. Nick gripped Kyu as he thrust vigorously into her.

"Kyu... I'm gonna cum..."

Kyu began whining as she picked up the pace before she felt Nick's cock lengthen slightly and harden further as he thrust into her as far as he could, gripping her tightly as he reached orgasm.

"Kyuuuu!"

He cried out her name in the haze of euphoria he was experiencing while he climaxed, blasting his pearly white ropes of seed into her womb. Kyu froze and howled out, tearing wildly at the sheets as she was brought to the edge and over by her mate orgasming inside her and quivered violently as her walls contracted around Nick's shaft, milking him of every little drop of essence it could while saturating him in her own juices that flowed out of their joined sexes, coating their crotches and thighs as they collapsed on the bed together, Nick still firmly hilted inside her. Both off their rapid rates of breathing slowed quickly, leaving them in the afterglow. Kyu was the first to speak, whispering so softly that anyone else in the room would have missed it if they weren't paying attention.

"Thank you Nick..."

Nick softly kissed the back of her head and leant his head on her shoulder.

"Thank you as well, Kyu... It sounds cliché, but I've never felt anything like that before..."

Kyu's lips turned upwards slightly, Nick's comment only just registering in the haze that was her mind.

"After all the times out in the wild where you lasted for up to half an hour, I'm kind of disappointed..."

Nick groaned. He had intended for his self pleasure sessions to remain a private affair, but apparently, it was common knowledge, at least to Kyu.

"Who else knows?"

Kyu let out a slight barking chuckle that all Ninetails and canines in general were known for as she answered.

"Just you and me."

Nick sighed in relief. However, there was one more issue to sort out.

"Kyu... How long will the smell of sex linger on us for?"

Kyu saw where this was going and instantly regretted initiating this.

"To humans, it will be gone after a good shower, but other Pokemon will be able to tell until the day we die. It will grow fainter with time, but for the next week or so, any Pokemon that comes within 10 feet of us will be able to smell it, assuming there's no wind."

Nick cursed under his breath.

"We just have to hope that other Pokemon know how to keep a secret..."

Instinct told him to pull out off Kyu, but there really was no point now so he stayed there, although with that sobering thought his member began to return to its flaccid state. Both of them groaned at the loss as Nick's member finally slid out with a wet sucking noise, leaving the small amount of his seed that had not made it inside her womb to dribble slowly down her thigh. Nick took his hands of her chest and ran them down her flank, making sure to brush a finger over each nipple on her underside before sliding underneath her and pulling her on top of him gently, sharing their body warmth as their breathing slowed and they finally drifted off to sleep.

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Next Morning

Nick's alarm brought both of them back to reality. The alarm was set for 4:30 am. It was a habit of his that he would always wake up this early to prepare for the day. It usually only took several minutes for the first of the sun's rays to peak over the horizon about this time of year, and he enjoyed watching it, despite the fact he was one who was rarely idle. Despite the fact his alarm had just gone off, Nick was almost fully alert and ready to go. Kyu's left eye opened slightly and she smiled down at him, giving him a kiss.

"Good morning, Nick."

Nick hugged and kissed Kyu before smiling up at her.

"Good morning, Kyu."

Kyu got up onto all fours and turned around, stretching while she faced the horizon where the sun was threatening to rise at any moment, giving Nick a perfect view of her sex. Kyu gave a foxy grin over her shoulder at Nick and waved her hips at him provocatively.

"Don't miss me too much..."

Nick groaned as he could feel himself starting to rise to the occasion, quite literally. He hopped up off the bed and walking into the attached bathroom to take a shower and begin his usual morning rituals. By 4:45, Nick donned his clothes and walked outside and took a seat in the garden, watching the sun just beginning to crest over the far distant mountains off the Hoenn region mainland. He felt rather than heard Kyu approaching to his left where she sat down and nuzzled him lightly, which Nick leaned into. Kure the Absol jumped agilely down off the roof and grinned at both of them. She was still 20 feet away from them, but she was approaching fast. At 15 feet, she finally spoke.

"Most of us had trouble getting to sleep last night with you two rutting. At least the building itself was soundproof..."

Both Kyu and Nick blushed deeply, making Kure roll on her side and start laughing hysterically. Kyu was the first to recover.

"What gave us away?"

Kure recovered enough to lay on her stomach and grin at them.

"Your reaction to my guess and the overpowering smell of each other on you which I just picked up. And don't worry; none of us would endanger either of you like that. You're secret's safe with us."

Nick looked around the garden and saw what she meant by 'us'. Cid, Shadow, Yuan and Justin were all present at various parts of the garden, close enough to hear the conversation. Nick was absolutely shocked that he didn't notice any of them earlier.

"I'm really out of it..."

Kure smirked.

"Most humans are after their first act of mating. Let's just hope you get back into it before it's time for your match."

The others showed their signs of agreement. Nick checked his wrist watch, seeing that it was now 5 am. Although he didn't do it often, he decided it would be a good idea to try an hour and a half meditation with his Pokemon. The rules of the Tournament stated that only one Pokemon was allowed on the field at any one time except in dual battles, and humans were only allowed on in extenuating circumstances. This prevented Nick from getting in there and helping his companions like he normally did, and so he had long ago sought a way to compensate for this. His answer came from a travelling Psychic that never revealed her name. Over the course of almost three quarters of a year, Nick had learnt to be able to sync his mind with that of his companions to the extent he was able to create a psychic connection to them that allowed him to use their senses and offer advice telepathically. However, this also meant that whatever damage they took, he did as well. It was risky, but only as risky as getting in there himself. Nick looked at all of them in turn.

"Ok guys and girls, this is going to be just like the Gym Battles. We have to sync. Considering how out of tune I am at the moment, I think we should spend an hour and a half meditating and realigning the connection."

No one disagreed, so they all came out from their specific places in the garden and they sat, or in Justin's case, stood in a circle around Nick. The link could only be done with one Pokemon at a time, so Nick slowed his breathing and began going through the basic meditation exercises needed before he could start on the syncing.

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By 6:30, Nick and his companions had finished successfully syncing and were now ready to start the day. Nick slowly opened his eyes from his seated position and looked around at his friends and companions.

"All of you know why we're here. We've come a hell of a long way together, gone through thick and thin. If we ever needed to put on our best performance, it's now. We have a point we need to prove to not just those who we fight or those in the audience, but to the entire world. When I reached into the deepest parts of your minds, I saw a tiny speck of fear that we won't make it. Whatever you do, do not crush that speck. That speck is the line between unfounded arrogance and complete confidence in ourselves. However, do not let the speck grow to more than that. We have to focus on what we're here for, not lose sight of the bigger picture because we made that speck of fear into a mountain of despair that obscures our vision. I have complete and utter confidence in all of your abilities, as well as my own. Let's go and show them what we're made of."

Another thing Nick was damn good at was motivational speeches. He could almost come up with them on the spot, and they did the job each and every time. All of them nodded and got up, ready to face whatever was thrown their way. With that, they made final preparations, grabbed their stuff and headed off to the arena.

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As they approached, they met up with many more trainers who were thinking along the same lines as they were. Eventually, they spotted Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu just coming out of their house and joining the ever growing travelling band of trainers. Ash waved to Nick.

"Hey Nick!"

Nick raised a hand in greeting as most off those nearby turned to listen in on the conversation.

"Morning, Ash. Sleep well?"

Ash shook his head.

"No, I was too excited. What about you?"

Nick put a finger to his chin and looked up at the sky.

"Hmmm... That's a tough one... I can't remember..."

Misty looked at Nick in a deadpanned manner.

"What do you mean by that?"

Nick smiled as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I don't remember... I was asleep at the time..."

Most trainers groaned at the extremely dry piece of humour, but Brock smiled and Misty chuckled slightly. Ash looked around at the varying people's reactions with confusion. Misty sighed and looked at Ash disappointedly.

"Ash, did you ever learn anything besides how to become a Pokemon Trainer?"

Nick smirked and waved his hand apologetically.

"Please forgive my somewhat tinder dry sense of humour."

Realisation suddenly hit Ash and he made it known.

"Oh, I get it now..."

Brock placed a hand on Ash's shoulder encouragingly.

"A dry sense of humour can often be the hardest to understand. They rely more on clever plays on words than references which most people find funny."

Ash nodded slowly as they reached the gates of the stadium. They saw hundreds of people on either side of the barriers, cheering for whomever they happened to be following, as well as many with homemade logos. There were many reporters for all forms off media. At the front, one off the official staff members looked up from her watch.

"Our deepest apologies, but the trainer room will not be open for another 30 minutes, so please feel free to wait here or use the Ever Grande facilities until the Trainer Room is open. Again, our apologies."

Nick shrugged and turned to see more than one reporter eyeing him keenly, hoping for an interview. Nick looked at Ash.

"I'm going to talk to the audience and media for a bit. I'll see you in there."

Ash nodded and watched Nick walk away with his Pokemon towards the fans and several reporters. Microphones were immediately shoved in his face and a torrent of questions were blurted out, far too think and fast for Nick to understand. Nick held up a hand, asking them to hold up which they did.

"I may have excellent hearing for a human, but even I couldn't make out a single word off that. One question at a time please."

A woman in an expensive suit with short brown hair asked the first question.

"It's unusual to see Pokemon Trainers with their Pokemon out just before a fight. Do you have a reason for doing so?"

Nick nodded.

"They don't have Poke balls, nor are they my Pokemon. It was them who helped me win the eight badges though."

A male reporter with a black ponytail asked the next question.

"That would mean they're officially classified as wild Pokemon, correct? If so, why do they stay with you?"

Cid took that opportunity to jump from Justin's shoulder onto Nick's and start talking, which Nick translated.

"Cid's saying they stick around me because I do my fair share of the work and- Oh come on, I do not."

Cid let out a wheezing laugh before jumping back onto Justin's shoulder and grinning toothily. Nick turned back, shaking his head in disbelief as he translated the last part.

"He also said I'm known to make people gag with my appalling sense of humour, which he thinks is a riot."

Most people chuckled slightly at this. Nick continued to answer questions for another twenty or so minutes before the reporters thanked him for his time At that point, he saw many people thrusting out various pieces of paper and Pokemon memorabilia to be signed. Not many trainers were signing them, but Nick decided to give it a go. He walked up to a young boy who couldn't have been older than 12 trying to get anyone to sign his book. He looked up at Nick hopefully and Nick smiled back at him.

"Want me to sign it?"

The boy nodded furiously and thrust out his book eagerly, but he had no pen. Nick smirked.

"No pen?"

The boy looked down when Nick decided to try and unorthodox way of signing.

"Pass the book here for a second."

The boy did so and Nick reached into his pouch of items to search for what he wanted, pulling out a tube of paint and a paint brush. He screwed the lid off and put a dab on his fingertip, when he realised his next problem. Justin did as well, and spat a tiny blob of water at it, saturating Nick's finger. Nick gave Justin a thumbs up with his free hand and then dabbed the paintbrush in the paint, before writing his signature in the boy's book. After Nick finished, he handed the book back to the kid who was smiling widely at him.

"Thanks Mister!"

Nick laughed before putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't call me mister, it makes me sound old. I'm only 20, so Nick's fine."

The boy smiled again and nodded. Nick went about signing other's books, Poke balls, Shirts, pants, and just about everything but the kitchen sink. Finally, the PA system crackled to life and an announcement was made.

"The trainer room is now open. All participants please follow the staff members there."

Nick finished signing a girl's Ultra ball and then broke away, resealing his tube and cleaning his paintbrush with Justin's help before putting that away as well. They walked in through a set of double doors, through several corridors and finally into a spacious area that was obviously the trainer's room. On the walls were framed photos off all of the previous Pokemon Champions and their Pokemon, reminding everyone what they were fighting for. Nick took a seat while his companions stood around him. Kyu unconsciously jumped up into his lap and he began stroking her back, making her shiver and pur in delight. It was then that Ash and Pikachu came inside and saw Nick, taking a seat next to them. Nick looked at Ash for a moment before focusing back on his companions, but still speaking to Ash.

"Your first match shouldn't be too hard. I've fought your opponent before a while ago. Her Pokemon mainly consist of water types or water hybrids when we last fought. However, that may have changed."

Ash took this advice to heart. Once the last of the trainers had taken a seat, a judge came in to address them.

"Welcome to the Hoenn Pokemon League Tournament. This will be a 6 round knock out tournament. The generic set of Gym rules still apply here, which are on the wall behind you should you need refreshing. However, there are additional sets of rules for the League battles. With each round you pass, you may use one more Pokemon per battle. For the first round, you may only use one, and should you make it there, six in the finals. This is due to time constraints. You will be informed which element stadium you will be competing in 10 minutes before your battle. At that point you must follow the staff member assigned to you to a private waiting room. There, you will have five minutes to choose which Pokemon you will use in the upcoming battle. Once those five minutes is up, you must leave your other Pokemon behind and enter through the lift into the arena. Once both trainers are in the arena, I will give you permission to engage. Once your allotted Pokemon are unable to fight, I will close the match. That is all. Are there any questions?"

No one said a word. The judge nodded and looked over them one more time.

"I wish all of you the best of luck."

With that, the judge left the room. The trainers waited impatiently for almost 10 minutes before the first match was announced. Both trainers stood and left with the staff members who came to get them. Soon after, the match appeared on the big screen at the front of the trainer's room. The battle was short and vicious. One trainer had chosen a Jolteon, hoping to harness the extra energy from the lightning arena, but didn't count on her opponent using a Golem, which nullified any and all electric attacks. The battle was short, ending in a victory for the Golem and his trainer. The matches went by until it was finally Nick's turn.

"Nick and Brittany, your match will begin in ten minutes in the Psychic Arena."

Nick nodded to no one in particular as he stood, both his and Brittany's guides came in and took them to their 'thinking' rooms. Once the door was locked, Nick turned to his companions.

"Reverse Psychology isn't going to work... It's been done too many times already. However, I think I may have an idea..."

All of them leaned in to listen to what Nick had to say.

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Both contestants' boxes were slowly raised up into the arena. Nick could already hear the commentator whipping them up into a frenzy. Finally, the door to the arena opened and the noise hit them like a solid force.

"And now here we have the next two fighters, Nick and Brittany. According to news reports, Nick should already have his Pokemon out because they don't have Poke balls. So, what has he chosen..."

Nick kept up a stony face appearance as he finally rose into the arena as did Brittany.

"Nick has chosen his Gligar, Cid! An interesting choice to say the least! Now, what will Brittany chose?"

Nick could tell his theorising and predicting had been correct from the scowl on Brittany's face he just managed to make out from this distance. Brittany activated her Poke ball and threw it into the arena.

"I choose you, Heracross!"

Brittany's Poke ball clicked open and left Heracross on the field. Nick could not have hoped for something better. He had reasoned that she would predict he would choose Shadow, which would mean Heracross would extremely effective against him. However, what Brittany didn't count on was that Nick had expected her to think this and choose Cid, a flying and ground type Pokemon, which was extremely effective against bug type Pokemon and decent against fighting types. Nick smiled and closed his eyes as Cid perched himself on Nick's outstretched arm and closed his eyes. Cid was surrounded by a faint amber aura while Nick was surrounded by a faint sky blue aura. Many people began murmuring as the two auras quickly merged into an off green colour before they stopped and Cid flew off Nick's shoulder and glided noiselessly into the arena. To test the link, Nick moved his left shoulder ever so slightly, which Cid mirrored and nodded. The judge gave the signal for the match to begin. Brittany obviously wasn't taking any chances and sent Heracross straight in.

"Heracross! Body Slam!"

Heracross screeched and charged forward, intending to stop Cid before he could take off. Without a spoken order, Cid flew up into the air, just missing the Heracross by less than a meter and used the time it was taking to recover to dive bomb it. What it didn't expect though was for Heracross to whip around and sock him one right in the stomach. People gasped as both Nick and Cid clutched their stomachs and flew backwards, despite the fact that Nick had not been hit himself. People cringed and cried out as Nick slammed into the back railing and bent back at an almost unnatural angle before falling to the ground. Both of them quickly got to their feet and continued the fight, despite the savage blow.

"Heracross! Horn Attack!"

Heracross lowered its head and charged in, screeching out a battle cry as it lumbered in with surprising speed. Nick however, did not plan on making the same kind of mistake twice. Cid jumped up into the air and wrapped his wings tightly around his body as he began to turn rapidly. Brittan smiled. If he tried to attack her like that now, both of them would without a doubt die. She was shocked however when Cid went straight down into the ground and began burrowing into it, leaving nothing but a hole in the arena floor to show he'd ever been there. The commentator was at a loss.

"It seems that Cid has somehow managed to dig its way under the floor! This is unprecedented! A flying Pokemon using dig!"

It was then that Nick spoke for the first time.

"That's because Cid is not a Pokemon."

Brittany looked at him in a manner that clearly said 'you're nuts' until he explained.

"Cid is more than a Pokemon. Cid is my friend, my equal, my companion. There is no way we can lose here. We have far too much riding on this. Cid. Let's do it; Great Gale."

Heracross was still madly searching around for any sign of Cid until he felt something moving below him. By that stage, it was far too late. The ground exploded outwards in a shower of wind and stone, ripping into the Heracross and sending it sprawling. Cid then flew lightly out of the hole and landed beside it, hopping from one foot to the other, grinning like an idiot and cackling madly. The Heracross gave one last look at its opponent before slumping to the ground and returning to its Poke ball, completely exhausted. The judge announced the official results.

"Brittany's Heracross is no longer able to battle, making Nick and Cid the victors."

Cid flew back up to Nick and landed on his outstretched arm, rolling around so as to hang upside down and struck a dramatic pose that ended up looking somewhat silly because he couldn't extend his wing past Nick's body. Nick laughed and the crowd cheered as both contestants were lowered back down to the waiting rooms. Nick was instantly latched onto by Kyuu which sent him stumbling back and forcing a somewhat unhappy Cid to flair around madly screeching as he tried to regain his balance, but ended up falling on his head. Everyone in the room cracked up, and even Cid saw the funny side of it and joined in, celebrating their first victory.

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A/N: There we go! First chapter done! Like it? Lump it? Don't mind it? Please leave a comment. Remember, comments make me happy in the pants... Kind of... Anyway, I'll get around to the next chapter when I get the chance. Shouldn't be too much longer than a fortnight at the latest, assuming nothing out of the ordinary happens.

Unryu.