"Who?" Ash asked with genuine confusion in his tone. The raven-haired teenager and his two friends looked at Calem with a look of shock. Even Pikachu was weirded out by it. What was this older boy referring to? "I-I don't u-understand. Am I who? I think you have mistaken me for someone else..."
Calem scrunched up his face as he was deep in thought, while rubbing under his chin repeatedly. He then shook his head at the raven-haired teenager and continued speaking.
"You're Ash Ketchum, the Alola region's champion! Not only the Alola region's first-ever champion, but the youngest person to ever become a champion of an entire region." Calem exclaimed. "I watched your battle on television at a Pokémon Center a couple of years back."
"Oh, you watched that? Yeah, it was a pretty epic battle." Ash noted with a smile as he remembers the first-ever league he has won.
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement with his trainer.
Calem shook his head and smiled. "It was more than epic. The way you and Pikachu used that Z-Move against Tapu Koko left me shook. I've never seen anything like it."
A sheepish grin crept on Ash's face as he rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. He met fans before, but they were usually much younger than him. Calem seemed to be really enthusiastic about meeting him despite being a trainer longer than he has.
"And that is the mysterious Greninja that could transform!" Calem said as he pointed at Greninja. "I heard that you fought against Alain in the Finals of the Kalos League from Professor Sycamore."
"Yep. Guilty as charged." Ash said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't think many people would know all that or even recognize me."
"You kidding? I got mad respect for you. I've been traveling for far longer than you, but you've accomplished so much!" Calem expressed. "I wish I was related to you. Like you could be my lil' bro."
"Looks like you got yourself a fan," Brock said as he elbowed Ash playfully. Misty laughed, while Ash just rolled his eyes at the tan-skinned young man.
"So where are you three going? You know, before those people and that talking Meowth stopped you." Calem questioned with curiosity.
"Well, Misty and I are going back to our respective gyms. I live in Pewter City, while Misty lives in Cerulean City." Brock answered the Kalos native young man.
"Oh wow, you two are gym leaders? That's neat." Calem commented. He then looked over to Ash. "How about you, Ash?"
"Oh, I'm just going to the ticket agency at Viridian City to get a plane ticket to Kalos." Ash replied.
"Hey, I'm going to Kalos too, like in a week or so." Calem said. "I still need to go get my plane ticket, so why don't we go together?"
Ash considered for a moment before answering. "That would be great. Maybe you can tell me a little about yourself while we are there."
"That's a deal." Calem replied. Calem got out a Poké Ball to return Chesnaught inside the safety of the ball.
"So then let's get going," Misty said. Everyone agreed and made their way towards Viridian City in peaceful silence. When the group made it to Viridian City, Ash and Calem said their farewells to Brock and Misty and headed towards the ticket agency to buy their tickets.
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As Ash and Calem were walking towards the Viridian City ticket agency, the two trainers were having a conversation in order to learn more about each other. To both of their surprise, they both have more in common than they had anticipated.
"So Calem, what have you been doing here in Kanto? You mentioned you've traveled to other regions, so you must have a dream to follow right?" Ash asked the 21-year-old young man. Calem looked up at the clouds and thought for a moment before providing an answer.
"Well to answer your first question, I've been battling opponents to rack up points for the World Coronation Series season. I first arrived mostly for sightseeing, you see, I am an adventurer and I don't like the indoors much..." Calem paused to catch his breath before he continued. "As for my dream... I plan on becoming a champion of a region at one point. Like you and Diantha. The first step is to see how far I go in the World Coronation Series Tournament."
Ash and Pikachu both nodded as they listened to what Calem had said. The raven-haired teenager always enjoyed hearing what other people had to say about their dreams. Dreams and goals are diverse and it was astonishing how far people strive to accomplish them.
"What's your dream, Ash?" Calem suddenly asked.
"Well, my dream is to become a Pokémon Master." Ash declared with enthusiasm. "I want to learn as much as I can about Pokémon and travel around regions along with Pikachu and my other Pokémon. I also want to learn about the cultures of the regions I travel to and meet new people."
"Pika-pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked with equal enthusiasm.
"Looks like our dreams aren't that different," Calem commented. "If I didn't leave the house when I became ten, my mother would surely have forced me to follow in her footsteps." Calem said with a shudder. "Or I would have had to... I shouldn't think about that..."
"I guess, you could say that," Ash replied. "Well, actually I do have a second dream." Calem looked at Ash with a curiosity which prompted Ash to go on.
"I plan on asking this girl I know to be my girlfriend when I get to Kalos." Ash stated. This statement caused Calem to snicker. Ash then looked at the sky. He didn't know why, but telling Calem his second dream felt right. He didn't know why.
"I see, so the Alolan Champion here is in love." Calem said with a smirk. Ash slightly let a blush appear on his cheeks, but nodded in response.
"I don't mean to pry, but tell me about this girl. Maybe I can give you some advice on how to approach her." Calem said casually.
"Well, for starters we met when we were young children here in Kanto at a summer camp. When the camp was over, she left for Kalos and we didn't reunite until I started traveling around Kalos. I asked her to travel with me and a couple of other friends and she agreed to do so. Ever since our reunion, I started developing an infatuation with her that slowly grew to love." Ash explained with a fondness in his eyes.
"I see it in your eyes. Love is a very interesting thing, Ash. I say you just let yourself be in the moment. From there all your nerves should vanish and it will all seem natural." Calem proposed. "After all, that's how I asked out my girlfriend."
"You have a girlfriend?" Ash asked with a slightly surprised tone. He may not know much about this Calem fellow, but he was quite interested in how he handles his love life. Maybe he could learn from Calem's experiences.
"I do. I met her in Kalos when I first traveled around my home region with my Chespin. Her name is Emma and she is such a fantastic girl. She loves Pokémon and sometimes I believe that she can even understand them, literally." Calem said with a sigh. "However, we don't see each other as much since I travel around a lot. But once I see her again, I am going to embrace her like no tomorrow."
"I am sure you will see Emma again soon." Ash said with a reassuring smile as he placed a hand on Calem's back. Calem was slightly taller than Ash, which was noticeable. Calem looked at Ash for a second, before smiling back.
"You're right, Ash. I believe that you will get your dream girl soon." Calem said with a fist pump. The two continued to converse, with Ash even telling Calem about the key stone ring that he plans to give to his lucky lady. Calem commented by saying that Ash must be very dedicated to the girl, which caused Ash to blush, which gave Calem the opportunity to tease Ash further.
"Looks like we are here," Calem said as he noticed the Viridian City Travel Agency Facility. The two entered the double doors and were greeted by air conditioning. "Ahhh~ I love air conditioning. One of the only things I like about being inside." Calem remarked with a sigh of content.
"Hello you two, how may I help you?" the receptionist greeted kindly as she noticed the boys. Ash and Calem greeted her back and decided among the two who should go first.
"Hey, Ash. You can get your ticket first." Calem said politely and took a step back to check something on his phone.
"Okay, thanks." Ash replied as he walked towards the booth.
Ash realized that this will be his first time in a while since he went to the traveling agency. While he was working under Professor Cerise, it was the professor who normally did everything regarding travel for him, Goh, and Chloe. When it came to his travels, he either took a cruise or an airplane.
"So young man, where do you plan to go?" The receptionist asked the raven-haired teenager.
"A plane ticket to Kalos please." Ash answered. "If possible, I would like a flight nine days from now scheduled for the early morning." This caused Calem to look up from his phone in surprise.
"Hey, that's the flight I'm planning to take," Calem said to Ash. "Talk about a coincidence."
"Really? Then we can get there together!" Ash said with a smile.
"That sounds good to me!" Calem smiled and fist bumped Ash.
"Okay, so two tickets for Kalos in the economy class flight, both set for nine days from now at 6 a.m Kanto Central Time." The receptionist mumbled as she typed on her computer. "Okay, I need to scan both of your trainer ID cards please."
Ash and Calem both pulled out their Trainer ID cards. When the receptionist scanned Ash's, she looked in her monitor in shock with her jaw practically dropped. Ash and Calem looked at her in confusion.
"Um... is everything alright, ma'am?" Ash asked with concern. The lady's expression worried him. What if she found something wrong with his Trainer I.D? Was it expired? No, it can't be the case. He renewed his license less than a year ago.
"Yes, everything is fine, sir. You are Ash Ketchum, right? Alola region Pokémon Champion." The receptionist asked with a smile on her face.
"Yes. Are there any problems?" Ash asked while tilting his head. Pikachu mimicked his trainer's actions. "I have to get on this flight or else my plan is going to fail... maybe I can schedule for an earlier flight." Luckily, there was no need for any drastic actions.
"No problems at all sir. Since you are champion, you have access to the Champion Private Class on the same flight. Only the champions and Elite 4 can have access to this special area of the airplane." The receptionist explained. "Would you like this upgrade?"
"Of course, I'll take it," Ash said as he let out a sigh of relief, knowing that there aren't any problems that would delay his plans. He was about to take out his wallet, but was immediately stopped by the receptionist before he could even take out his credit card or any cash.
"There's no need for that sir, those in the Champion Private Class section don't have to pay." the receptionist explained with a smile. "Fees and benefits are all paid for by the International Pokémon League Association."
"Oh, okay," Ash murmured as he put his wallet away. He then turned to Calem and then a thought hit him. He turned back to the receptionist and asked, "Excuse me ma'am, but may a friend join me in the Champion Private Class seats?"
The receptionist nodded. "Yes, of course. Let me change Mr. Yvonne's seat and add him to the Champion Private Class seating." The receptionist did just that and then minutes later, handed Ash two premium plane tickets, which Ash took gratefully. He then handed one to Calem.
"Thank you, come again anytime boys." The receptionist called out as the two young men expressed their gratitude and left the facility.
"Wow, I don't know what to say Ash. Thank you, so much. I have the money to pay you back if you want-" Calem said amazed. However, he was stopped by Ash's hand.
"Don't worry about it. We are friends, right? I got to put the benefits of being champion to good use." Ash assured with a smile.
"Haha.. you sure do have a lot of perks as the champion of a region," Calem said as he laughed.
"Say, what are you going to do when you reach Kalos anyways?" Ash inquired. He realized Calem never said what his purpose of going back to Kalos was.
"Well, I got to go home and train for the World Coronation Series Tournament," Calem said. "Some of my Pokémon are at Professor Sycamore's Laboratory, so I need to go train. But first, my mom is making me go with her to watch my little sister's performance in something called a Pokémon Showcase."
This caused Ash's eyes to widen. "Hey, I'm going to attend the Pokémon Showcase in Lumiose City as well. I am going to meet up with my friends to watch one of my other friends perform and give her all our support. You know the girl I mentioned earlier? She will be performing for her third Princess Key."
"Well, I bet my sister is going to win the entire thing!" Calem said with confidence in his voice. "From what mother tells me, apparently my little sis is a master performer."
"Well, my friend made it to the Master Class three years ago and almost beat the reigning Kalos Queen at the time. I have confidence in her." Ash said as he smiled thinking back about Serena's performances. She may have had her ups and downs, but what makes Serena so great is that she never gives up till it's over. Words that Ash gave her when they first met.
"Anyways, how about we go to the Showcase Theater together. I can go meet up with my mom and then you can go meet up with your group of friends. We can sit somewhere in the audience together, cheering on my Lil' sis and your future girlfriend." Calem suggested.
"That sounds like a plan," Ash said with a grin as he fist bumped Calem again. "It's always nice to meet new people."
"Awesome! I guess I should be going to the Pokémon Center right now. I still have a couple of errands to run before our flight. So I'll see you then?" Calem said as he extended his hand for a handshake.
"For sure," Ash said. "We should exchange numbers since we're friends now. Also, it would help a lot so we can locate each other at the airport."
"Okay, here's mine." Calem said. The two trainers exchanged numbers and contently looked at each other.
"Alright, I better get home. It's been nice meeting you Calem and thanks for the help against Team Rocket." Ash says with a wave before walking away towards the outskirts of Viridian City. Pikachu waved a goodbye too.
"It's no problem, happy to help Ash. I'll see you soon!" Calem called out to him as he walked the other way towards the Pokémon Center.
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Timeskip...
It's been nine days since Ash met Calem and today is the day that the two will go on a flight that will take them to Lumiose City of the Kalos Region. During the nine-day period, Ash used the time productively to train with his Pokémon and set up a training routine that the Pokémon can do, while he is away. His Totodile, Gible, Bayleef, and Boldore all evolved into Croconaw, Gabite, Meganium, and Gigalith during the time respectively and Ash couldn't be prouder of his Pokémon. Not only that, some of his Pokémon even learned some new moves while training. Each day, Ash practiced the bond phenomenon and made sure he worked with his Pokémon that can mega evolve, including Heracross who will be getting his stone later. Gary would help Ash train constantly and Ash even invited Calem to train with him and Gary sometime, who accepted the offer. Now, Ash is on his way to Viridian City to meet up with Calem so they can go on their plane to Lumiose City.
"Okay, looks like I brought everything needed for the trip." Ash said as he looked through his belongings. He double-checked to make sure the key stone promise ring was still in his possession.
"Chu~" Pikachu was humming as he looked around his surroundings in the comfort of Ash's shoulder.
"Let's see. I decided to bring Greninja, Talonflame, Hawlucha, Goodra, and Noivern so they can revisit Kalos with us. I bet they miss the region, especially Talonflame, Hawlucha, and Noivern. Don't you think so, buddy?" Ash mumbled to himself and the last part to Pikachu.
"Pika pi." Pikachu squeaked with a nod in agreement.
Ash simply rubbed Pikachu's head with a smile, and then continued to walk ahead until he reached the outskirts of Viridian City. Ash's Rotom Phone then beeped, meaning that Ash got a new text message or some type of notification for some type of ad. He had received the former.
Calem_theWanderer: Hey Ash, want to grab some coffee or pastries before heading to the airport? I'll be at the Viridian Coffee Shop.
Pokémon_Master10: That sounds great. Pikachu and I skipped breakfast, I'll be there in a few minutes.
Calem_theWanderer: Great. Hurry up before I eat all the pastries. XD
Pokémon_Master10: Save some for us!
Pokémon_Master10: CALEM
Calem_theWanderer: Relax man. I was kidding. Besides we might get some good food during the flight since you got us Champion Private Class seats.
Pokémon_Master10: Almost forgot. LOL. Anyways OMW
Ash and Pikachu met Calem, who appeared to be stuffing his face with pastries. After their quick breakfast, the two trainers headed to the airport and boarded their flight. A male flight attendant with Lavender colored hair and a female flight attendant with long magenta colored-hair guided them towards the Champion Private Class seats. The two people looked familiar to Ash, but he decided to dismiss it as he couldn't place his finger on it. When Ash and Calem got to their section, they were amazed.
"Wow, look at all this!" Ash gasped in shock. The Champion Private Class was spectacular. It was very spacious, it had cushions, seats were portable, and there were private bathrooms. Pokémon were allowed to be released within the Champion Private Class as well, according to one of the flight attendants that guided them there.
"Right? It's so spacious! Looks like we are the only ones in this section of the plane..." Calem said in wonder as he looked around the Champion Private Class area. "Look! There's a fridge!" Calem exclaimed as he rushed over to the fridge to see what was stored within it.
"Hello, this is your captain speaking. We will be taking off in a few minutes so please be sure to wear your seatbelt and remain in your seats. Be sure to enable airplane mode on your devices and Pokédexes." The flight captain announced on the intercom. Ash and Calem both took their seats a couple of minutes after checking out their area.
"Please stay in your seats. The plane will be taking off momentarily." The Captain spoke again through the intercom. Sure enough, the plane started moving down the runway and slowly, but steadily, ascended to the air.
Ash stared out the window of the airplane. The blue-colored sky reminded him of his crush's beautiful cerulean blue eyes that could captivate him at any moment.
"I'm coming, Serena. Please wait for me a little longer..."
To be continued...