“And what is your quest? A lot of people get asked that, but I think it's interesting to see where their hearts are."
—May, unwittingly asking an Armor-Piercing Question
The first of the extra chapters. This one covers Aaron's (and to a lesser extent, Ian's) involvement in the Wallace Cup.
The chapter kicks off with Aaron's and Ian's interesting performances. Meanwhile, Lake Valor is abuzz with people enjoying the prestigious Wallace Cup. May is traversing through them, lost in thoughts about how to handle the tournament. She sets out to go train. As fate would have it, May meets up with Aaron during a training session with his Pokemon. The two get to know each other, but May allows Aaron to learn a little about himself as well.
This chapter contains examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Question: May asks Aaron what's his quest. Poor Aaron is too aimless to provide an answer.
- Didn't Think This Through: Pokemon journeys are all about going to see new places, gaining new experiences, meeting new people, and learning more about yourself. Almost everyone on one is more than content to settle with challenging the Elite Four or participating in a league conference. Aaron, however, rejects such a desire, calling it increasingly one-dimensional and is fatalistic enough to not even bother seeking out Elite Fours. So, why is he even on a journey? Why does he want to win? The answer: he doesn't know.
- Dramatic Irony: To help Aaron do some soul-searching or possibly inspire him, May accounts Ash's unwavering passion in becoming a Pokemon Master. Presumably, May has no clue that Aaron has already met Ash. It's also never said if Aaron knew about Ash's overarching goal.
- Flat "What": Beautifly rambles about Skarmory and Empoleon sparring. Glaceon and Wartortle say this. Beautifly bemoans Skarmory getting hurt by Magneton. Glaceon says this again.
- Goal in Life: Much to his mortification and despair, Aaron comes to the realization he has none.
- Meet Cute: This is May's and Aaron's first time meeting each other. There's something endearing at how May tries to help Aaron out with his Goal in Life. Then there's Skarmory's comments to Aaron about checking her out.
- Old Shame: Magneton recalls some not-so-proud moments of its time in Johto, particularly on the topic of Pokemon Contests.
- Shout-Out: Empoleon and Wartortle reference Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Happy Feet while insulting each other.
- Took a Level in Badass: Aaron's Prinplup has recently evolved into an Empoleon. The attitude hasn’t changed at all.
