9. The Sevestar Prince

Chapter 27

When Alice learns how Ash tries to hurt himself when he's alone, she realizes that she can't always leave his side. Fortunately, Alice's family is aware of their situation, so she's allowed to stay with Ash for as long as she wants.

Ash has been attempting to forget what Team Rocket did two years ago. With the support of Alice and their Pokémon, he's been working hard to suppress the pain and refrain from harming himself. However, there are moments when he can't resist the urge, and Alice finds herself in tears, trying to make him stop.

Currently, they're in the Hoenn Region, on board the S.S. Tidal en route to Battle Resort. Ash remarks, "Even though we have our own ship, it's fun to share a public one with others."

"I need to use the S.S. Tickets I got from school somehow," Alice explains. "The S.S. Anne was destroyed by Team Rocket in the past, and the S.S. Aqua is fully booked."

"Yeah," Ash agrees. "But we did manage to capture a lot of Pokémon before coming here."

Ash and Alice reminisce about their encounters with various Pokémon. They recall finding a Poochyena on Route 101, a Sableye in Granite Cave, and an Absol near the Safari Zone. After capturing these three Pokémon, they also stumble upon two Mega Stones, one for Sableye and another for Absol.

"Not as many as the Water-Type Pokémon we caught around Sootopolis," Alice remarks. "It's fortunate that we had Palkia create an underwater world for them to reside in."

As they chat, they notice a fierce battle unfolding between Elite Four member Sidney and a trainer. The trainer commands a Gardevoir, while Sidney's Mega Absol takes the field. Alice comments, "That's Sidney, one of the Elite Four members in Hoenn."

"Really?" Ash responds. "Honestly, I never had the chance to meet all of the Elite Four members in Hoenn. I only crossed paths with Drake twice during my journey."

"I see," Alice explains. "In Hoenn, there's Sidney, the Dark-Type Elite Four member; Phoebe, who specializes in Ghost Types; Glacia, the Ice-Type specialist; and then there's Drake, known for his Dragon-Type Pokémon."

"Looks like you really know a lot about us, young lady," Ash and Alice turn to see Sidney walking towards them. Sidney says, "No need to worry, I'm not going to do anything. Ash Ketchum, the World Champion, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," Ash responds. "As expected from an Elite Four member. By the way, you had a great battle just now."

"My opponent didn't show me his full strength, so it was nothing. So, what brings you on this ship?" Sidney asks.

"My wife here got two S.S. tickets, so we're using them up," Ash explains. "And by the way, how's the League doing?"

"I'm glad that Steven picked a good replacement after he decided to take over his old man's business. That reminds me, you've battled both Steven and Wallace before and won. If you don't mind, would you have a battle with me?"

Ash turns to Pikachu and asks, "What do you say, buddy?"

Pikachu nods as the two of them engage in a quick battle, pitting Ash's Pikachu against Sidney's Mega Absol. The presence of the World Champion on the ship surprises everyone, and they cheer on Ash and Sidney during the battle.

Ash feels a lingering unease from the cheering, as he still vividly remembers the nightmare caused by Darkrai and past traumatic incidents. Despite his fears, Ash's Pikachu emerges victorious against Sidney's Absol.

"Good game. You really live up to the World Champion name," Sidney remarks.

"Thanks," Ash says with a hint of relief. "It means a lot."