Alola, amour!

Chapter 23 ~ Nebby

Ash and Serena walk together towards Pokemon School. Pikachu is on Ash's shoulder in his usual position and Sylveon has wrapped her feelers around Ash's and Serena's arms.

"Beautiful day," Ash says, and Serena giggles. "It's almost always here in Alola," she says with a laugh and Ash grins.

Suddenly he stops. "Pika?" asks Pikachu in wonder and Serena also asks, "Ash, what now?" Sylveon looks at her trainer and this boyfriend in amazement and whimpers.

Ash stares into the woods. "There's something there," he mutters and steps closer. He remembers something that seems to be somehow related to this. He turns to look at Serena. "I'm going to go there," he says, pointing toward the woods. Serena raises her eyebrows.

"Then I'll come along," she says, but Ash shakes his head. "No, I have to go alone, something says so," he explains, but Serena doesn't look happy. "Which supposedly," she says a little more sharp than intended, but Ash only replies "Something."

They yank about it for a moment until Serena sighs. "All right, then go," she says, a little disappointed and Sylveon detaches her feelers from Ash's hand. "Thank you, Serena," Ash says, pressing a light kiss to the girl's cheek and disappearing with Pikachu into the woods.

As Serena continues her journey with Sylveon toward Pokemon School, Ash runs a small path. Something leads Ash deeper into the woods and suddenly he sees something in front of him.

A short distance from him hovers Melemele Island guardian Pokemon Tapu Koko. "Tapu Koko?" Ash mutters in wonder and just as he is moving forward, Tapu Koko rises into the air and disappears.

"Hey, don't go!" Ash exclaims and goes for a walk towards the place where Tapu Koko had just been. Pikachu walks beside him and together they come to a small square that shines a strange light.

Suddenly Pikachu stops and Ash stops too. "What now, buddy?" he asks Pikachu, and these points in front of him. Ash squats next to him and watches what Pikachu shows.

In front of him lies a Pokemon lying on the ground. He hasn't seen it before, but it looks fun. Pikachu tickles it with his nose and it giggles.

Ash smiles and takes the Pokemon in his arms. Pokemon seems to be sleeping all the time and Ash is surprised at how light it is. Like air.

Dream. Suddenly, Ash's mind comes to the strange dream he had seen the night before. It had special Pokemons that looked big and strong and he hadn't seen before. And a promise... He had promised to find and protect this Pokemon, which was now apparently sleeping in his arms. But why? Why was Pokemon so important? And to whom did he make that promise?

The Pokemon in his lap snuffle and Ash smiled. What was that Pokemon? He had not seen it before. Maybe the professor would know...

Professor! School! He would be late for school! And Serena... Ash didn't even want to know what Serena could be angry about. He had had enough taste in the meadow then.

Ash quickly put the Pokemon in his backpack with Rowlet and Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. He then set off running hard towards Pokemon School and hoped Serena wouldn't be quite terribly angry with him.

****
Let's jump back in time back to the moment Ash shows the Pokemon he found to his class:

Ash finished his story and others looked at him in amazement. Oh, had the Pokemon been found that way. "I see," said Professor Kukui. "Then today we can just study this Pokemon"

"Right!" the class said with one voice and the other Pokemon also came to greet the newcomer. They exclaimed happily, but the Pokemon didn't answer anything, it just hovered in the air and seemed to be asleep.