The next day, Ash and Serena wake up after their nightly escapades in very good condition considering the amount they drunk last night.
Although they have to admit, the biggest reason for that is what happened after they got back to the hotel room. It was a sobering experience between the two to say the least.
The amour couple wake up as fresh as a daisy, almost feeling relaxed now that the competition is over. Today is a day just to enjoy themselves. There's nothing to really worry about in terms of competition or preparation at the moment so they can relax as much as they like.
They plan on going to the Galar region today for the first time of course, and that has Ash super excited. He can't wait to take in the sights and the culture of the new region for the first time. Plus, he can't wait to see what type of new Pokémon he can find.
However, he is also in no rush to get there at the moment as he takes into account his girlfriend's needs. Serena is a little sore from performing all day yesterday, and could do with a slow start to the morning.
While her injuries sustained during the showcase aren't anything to worry about, they still do cause her some discomfort.
They take the morning nice and slow as they both cuddle together for a bit before they slowly start to get ready. Ash takes the lead as he runs his girlfriend a nice hot bath to soothe her pain.
While Serena bathes, Ash makes them and all their pokemon breakfast as they prepare for the journey ahead.
Everyone eats their fill before Ash and Serena get ready to leave. They pack up their bags and do the usual morning stuff that they usually do.
Once they are ready, Ash takes the bags down to reception to send them back to Vaniville town and to return the room key.
In the meantime, Serena makes her way, with Pikachu on her shoulder, to her mother's room to go and say goodbye to her. While Ash did ask if Serena wanted him to come too, she told her boyfriend that her mom had something she needed to speak her about alone.
Ash ends up shrugging it off and doing what he's told, he's learnt by now that there's no point of getting in the way of girl talk. Although, secretly he knows Serena doesn't want him to hear all the embarrassing mom stuff she's going to tell her before she leaves.
Ash returns the key and hands over the bags for transport. He takes a seat in the hotel lobby as he waits for Serena and Pikachu to arrive.
While he waits, he takes out his Rotom phone and begins to look up information on the Galar region. He soon finds himself lost in the pages as he reads up on what the region has to offer.
He brims with excitement as images of the region fill his eyes. A smile coats his face as he thinks to himself "I can't believe that there is another region so close to Kalos. If I had known, I might have gone straight there after the Kalos legaue. I can't wait to visit for the first time. It's going to be even better as well with Serena there."
Ash continues to browse for information on the Galar region until he hears the pattering of nervous foot steps ahead of him. He looks up from his phone to see a nervous looking young boy in front of him, with black straight hair while wearing a blue jacket.
The boy takes a small nervous stutter before he questions "Excuse me sir. Are you Ash Ketchum".
Ash smiles at the boy as he notices his nervous approach. He nods in an inviting manner and replies "Yeah, that's me."
The boy takes a nervous laugh before he exclaims with a hint of excitement in his voice "I thought so. I'm sorry for being so nervous but I'm a huge fan. Your my favourite battler, in fact your like a hero to me."
Ash feels his smile grow in his face as he hears the kids words. It's nice to hear you've been an inspiration to someone, even if that's never been Ash's goal. Being a role model that young trainer's can stride to be like is part and parcel of being a champion. To hear that he is doing that for someone, is a good form of recognition.
Ash shakes his head a little as he replies in a modest tone "I'm not a hero kid. I'm just a guy who tries to do the right thing. I just like to have fun and battle with my Pokémon that's all."
The black haired boy shakes his head frantically and protests "You are a hero though! The way you and Greninja broke out of Lysandre's trap was so cool!"
Ash can't help but chuckle at the enthusiasm in this kid's voice. He shakes his head a little and exclaims "It was pretty cool I'll admit. But it was also pretty stupid of me to get caught in the first place. Try to stay out of trouble and don't get yourself in that situation, that's my advice."
The young trainer smiles and replies "Noted."
Ash smiles at the young trainer taking on his advice. While he may be the most reckless human being in the world, that doesn't mean other people have to act like that too. If he heard some kid tried to copy him and ended up getting hurt, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.
As Ash looks at the kid though, he can't help but feel he looks somewhat familiar. He raise an eyebrow a little and questions "Can I ask you something?"
The kid nods in agreement and replies nonchalantly "Sure, go ahead."
Ash takes a breath before he asks "Were you the kid at Clemont's gym the other day? The one with the Chespin."
Upon hearing Ash's statement, the kids eyes widen in shock as he screams in a panic "Wait, you watched that!?"
Ash chuckles a little at the kid's reaction before he explains "Well not exactly, I walked in with my girlfriend just as the battle was about to end. All I saw was your Chespin take Clemont's last attack."
The boy can't help but feel a little embarrassed as he puts on a sheepish smile. He shakes his head a little as he replies "I can't believe all you saw was me lose."
Ash gives the young kid a reassuring smile before he exclaims in an upbeat tone "Well, losing is nothing to be a shamed of. I'll tell you a little secret not many people know. My first 4 gym battles, I didn't technically win. It wasn't until I rematched LT Surge that I actually won. I think your pretty strong for where you are as a trainer. Keeping working hard and strive to improve with your Pokémon. If you do that, you'll beat Clemont one day."
The kid hangs on every word possible as Ash gives him some advice. At the end, he beams a smile at his hero and exclaims "Thank you Mr Ketchum. I promise you that I'll do my best."
Ash smiles at the kid's enthusiasm and replies in a humble tone "You can just call me Ash."
The kid nods to his hero as he takes a small notebook out of his jacket pocket. He passed it towards the Alola champion and exclaims "Okay Ash, can you please sign my notebook? I promise I'll keep it and cherish it."
Ash place an inviting smile on to his face and replies "Sure."
He takes the notebook into his hands and and grabs a pen from his pocket. He raises an eyebrow towards the young trainer as he questions "So, who do you want me to make this out to?"
The young trainer places a bright expecting smile on his face as he exclaims "You can make this out to....
"Calem! I told you we have to leave!"
Suddenly, the young trainer is interrupted by a loud shout that fills the hallways.
Ash looks up at the sudden shout as he sees someone approaching them. What he sees is a well built tall man, wearing a white suit. His long honey blonde hair is slicked back into pony tail and his eyes are a light shade of blue.
He strides towards the boy with a massive frown on his face. He shakes his head a little in disgust before he shouts "What do you think your doing? I told you to be ready to leave in 2 minutes. I am going to be late to a very important meeting because of you! I am very disappointed Calem!"
Calem shakes his head as he protests "But dad, I wanted to speak to Ash! I told you before he's my favourite Pokémon trainer."
Upon hearing Ash's name, the man takes his hateful glare and aims it towards Ash. He snarls a little at the Alola champion before he exclaims "I don't care who he is. I told you to stop watching his battles. Pokémon battles are a waste of time for you. You need to learn the family business."
Calem frowns at his father's words and complains "But dad, I don't want to run the family business. I want to be an elite pokemon trainer. Ash told me that I'm pretty strong for my age. If you give me more time then I'm sure I'll get there."
The dad gives his son a warning frown as he exclaims "I don't care what this idiot says. I'm your father and I know what's best for you."
Upon being called an idiot, Ash rises up to his feet and fires back "Hey, that's no way to treat your son. Let him follow his dreams and follow his own path. If he doesn't want to run your business then he shouldn't have to."
The man scoffs a little at Ash's word before he replies in a hateful tone "Stay away from my child Ketchum. People like you don't want to get on my bad side. Let me ask you this, how would you know how to be a parent anyway."
Ash takes in the man's words and tries to come up with a response. However, he is right in some regard that Ash has no idea how to a parent. Right now, he's defending Calem off what he thinks a child should be allowed to do. But having no father of his own, he's not 100% sure he's right in what he's saying, He shakes his head a little as he sighs in defeat before he takes Calem's notebook. He quickly signs it before he hands it back to the young trainer.
The man grins in victory as he places a hand on his son's shoulder. He begins to lead him away as he exclaims "Let's go son. It's time to show you how to be real businessman. Not some child chasing around creatures for a living like that fool.
Calem groans and begrudgingly follows his father.
As the two leave, Ash sits back down as he begins to contemplate what just happened. He looks down at the ground as he thinks to himself "That guy was odd. I don't understand why he's trying to force Calem into his businesses. Clearly he's got dreams of being a Pokémon trainer, so why not let him follow them? Come to think of it, that guy looked a little familiar in a way. Maybe I battled him before or something. Either way, I hope Calem doesn't listen to him and continues to follow his dream. He seems like a good kid."
Ash stays deep in thought as he continues think about that strange incident. However, he is soon snapped out of thoughts as a familiar feeling jilts his body as Pikachu leaps up onto his shoulder.
The electric mouse smiles brightly at his trainer as he shouts "Pika!"
Ash shakes his head and snaps back to reality as he spots his first Pokémon. He gives Pikachu a bright smile before he exclaims "Hey Pikachu, everything go okay with Grace."
Pikachu nods as he gestures to a small cookie in his hand that Grace has gifted him. Ash chuckles a little before he adds "I'm glad your happy buddy."
A few seconds later, Ash looks up as Serena approaches him with a bright smile on her face, while wearing the outfit Ash bought her in Alola.
She waves to her boyfriend and greets "Hey babe, you okay?"
Ash smiles at the majestic sight of his girlfriend approaching him and replies "I'm okay beautiful."
Serena gives her boyfriend an unsure look as she questions in an accusing tone "Are you sure Ash? It looked like you were a little deep in thought just now. Is there anything you want to tell me?"
Ash shakes his head a little as he places a reassuring smile on his face and replies "I'm okay Serena. I was just thinking about all the fun we're going to have today. I'm so excited to see a new region."
Serena giggles a little at her boyfriend's enthusiasm, loving just how happy he is to travel to a new region. She knows he's going to be very excitable today and she wouldn't have it any other way.
She leans down and gives him a kiss on the cheek before she exclaims "I'm glad about that Ash. The train station is only a 5 minute walk from here."
Ash nods as he stands up to his feet. He offers a hand to his girlfriend and questions "Shall we get moving then."
Serena beams a bright smile as she takes her boyfriend's hand and intertwines their fingers. She lets off a small giggle before he replies "Sure Ash, let's get moving."
Ash nods in agreement as the amour couple leave the hotel and head towards the train station, with Serena non the wiser as to what happened in the hotel lobby.
________________________________
The two make their way to the train station and get on the next train to the Galar region. The train ride isn't a long one at all, only an hour tops. Serena takes the window seat while Ash sits next to her. Pikachu perches himself on Serena's lap, giving himself the best view he can of the sights as they pass into the region.
Soon, Serena falls asleep on Ash's shoulder, attempting to get some rest after a hectic last few days. However, Ash and Pikachu dare not to sleep, as they look directly out the window in preparation of seeing the new region.
Before long, the train crosses into the region as Ash and Pikachu gasp in shock and excitement at the new sights.
They look out the window to see the region in all its glory. Vast mountain ranges as high as the eye can see, big industrial cities with a sense of deep history surrounding them. Small urban towns where sheep like pokemon roam the fields around. Open areas filled with a variety of pokemon that neither Ash or Pikachu have spotted before. The sky is a bright shade of blue, as small blue bird like pokemon fly in their flocks.
Ash's face lights up with excitement and astonishment at the sight of a brand new place to explore. He places a bright smile on his face as he exclaims "Wow the Galar region! It looks pretty cool right buddy?"
Pikachu nods in agreement with his trainer and let's off an excited "Pi, pika chu!"
Ash gazes out at the view as he scans the field. He carefully inspects every inch as he exclaims "I wonder how many new Pokémon we can find Pikachu? Man I'm so excited to explore this place."
Serena hears her boyfriend's excited shouts and awakens from her slumber. While it's never nice to be woken up, she must admit this a pretty good way to wake up. Opening her eyes to see her lover's excited grin as his inner 10 year old bubbles inside.
She springs awake as she giggles a little at Ash's childish actions. She gives him a bright smile before she remarks "I'm excited too Ash, it's been so long since I last came here."
Ash frowns slightly at his girlfriend's statement as he questions "You've been here before?"
Serena nods and replies him a small hum "Hm hm, back when I was younger. I came here with my mom for a Ryhorn race. She also took me on a weekend away here about 5 years ago. But I've never been to the city we're visiting."
Ash feels slightly disappointed that Serena has already been to the Galar region without him. He was hoping they could experience Galar together for the first time. Although, he supposes it can't really be helped. It's not her fault her mom took her here as a kid.
Suddenly, Ash is snapped out of his thoughts as the train announcer exclaims "We are now arriving at Motorstoke city station, please make sure to take all your belongings. Have a wonderful day."
The train arrives Motorstoke city as Ash feels himself brewing with excitement. The amour couple grab their things before they exit the train.
Ash stands on the platform and takes a deep breath of the Galarian air for the first time. He adjusts his hat and looks up with a confident smirk on his face as he announces "Ahhh, the Galar region. It's good to be here, Ash from Pallet town has arrived!"
Serena smiles at Ash's clear hunger for adventure. She almost feels a little bad for keeping him away from exploring for last month while he was helping her with her recovery. She shakes off that thought as nonsense as she suggests "It certainly looks different, why don't we take a look around the city for a while. We've got a few hours until Leon and Alain's match begins."
Ash doesn't need a second invitation as he pumps his fist in excitement and exclaims "Your right Serena, let's go!"
Ash takes Serena's hand into his before he runs off towards the city, dragging his girlfriend along with him. He runs as fast as he can towards the city while Pikachu clings on desperately to his shoulde. They both are filled with anticipation for adventure as they approach the city centre.
As Ash pulls her, Serena feels a sharp pain shoot through her ribs. However, the pain caused by Ash's pull is nothing compared the fulfilment she's receiving from seeing his bright smiling face.
She giggles a little before she shouts "Ash slow down! I can't run as fast as you!"
Ash ignores his girlfriend's call as he grins a goofy grin and continues to run towards the city centre. Within a few seconds, he takes them both right into the city centre as he begins to scan around.
His face lights up as he spots new Pokémon all around him, casually living their lives around the city folk. Ash instantly makes his move as he releases Serena's hand and takes off towards the first new Pokémon he sees, with Pikachu on his shoulder.
A approaches a blue bird pokemon first as he questions "I wonder what Pokémon you are?"
He takes out his Rotom phone and scans it with the Pokédex feature, revealing this new Pokémon to be a Rookidee
The Rookidee looks in Ash's direction and gives him a happy chirp, before flying up into the air. Ash and Pikachu both smile at the new flying type Pokémon as Ash questions "Rookedee is pretty cool, don't you think buddy?"
Pikachu nods in agreement with his trainer and shouts "Pika!"
Ash looks around a little more and spots another pokemon that he dashes towards. He approaches a small little rodent like pokemon as he exclaims "Now who could you be?"
Ash scans the pokemon and learns that the pokemon's name is Skwovet. He takes a berry out his pocket and hands it to the small Pokémon. Skwovet takes the berry and gives the Alola champion a thankful smile before dashing off into a nearby tree.
This same pattern continues for a few minutes as Ash and Pikachu run up to random pokemon around the city, before scanning them with the Pokédex.
After learning who they are, they both give the Pokémon a little greeting as they make friends before moving onto the next.
They end up meeting a few more pokemon around the city such as: Alcremie, Wooloo, Blipbug, Nickit and the three Galar starters.
The whole time, Serena watches her boyfriend greet every pokemon in sight with a beaming smile on her face. The way he runs around the like a 10 year old just reminds her that despite his fame and success, it'll never change him.
He'll always be the sweet boy she met at summer camp.
He'll always have an inner child in him no matter how much he matures.
In truth though, Serena would never want him to change. Nor would she want him to ever act any differently than he is right now.
While some girls may be a little frustrated by being ditched for some pokemon, Serena couldn't really care less. This is the side of Ash she loves to see and she honestly wants him to enjoy these new experiences. If she was to get in the way for his love for Pokémon, then she'd be changing him for the worst in her opinion.
Plus, he does look quite cute when he's all excited.
She eventually decides to stop watching as she joins her boyfriend to go and see some new Pokémon.
She approaches Ash as he inspects some sort of small green apple like pokemon. She walks towards him with a beaming smile as she too feels the excitement of meeting new pokemon for the first time.
Ash hears the footsteps behind and instantly knows who's coming towards him. He picks up the small apple looking Pokémon and turns towards his girlfriend. He holds the Pokémon out towards the new Kalos queen and exclaims with a beaming smile "Hey Serena, check out this one. It's called Applin."
Serena looks at the small apple like pokemon and takes it into her hands. She smiles down at it and remarks through a small giggle "Your such a cutie ."
Applin smiles at the compliment as Serena nuzzles the apple pokemon against her cheek. The grass type apple's eyes instantly light up with small hearts, pleased with Serena's affection.
Ash looks at the two and let's off a small chuckle as he teases "I think your the cute one Serena."
A small red heat lights up on Serena's cheeks as she replies "Thank you Ash."
The two smile at each other for a second, both enjoying the moment they are having together while exploring a new region.
However, that moment is soon interrupted as Pikachu points in the direction of a small yellow dog like pokemon and shouts "Pika!"
Without hesitation, Pikachu leaps down off Ash's shoulder and runs towards the small dog. Ash's eyes light up as he sees what Pikachu sees. He takes off after his first Pokémon and shouts "Wait up buddy, I want to meet them too!"
Ash runs towards Pikachu to introduce himself to the new Pokémon he's just seen, a Yamper.
Serena giggles a little as she watches her boyfriend run away in his excitement. She looks down at the Applin in her hands and remarks "Well Applin, that right there is my boyfriend. Always looking forward to meeting the next pokemon. While he can be a little excitable and energetic, he really is sweet."
Applin smiles up at Serena, feeling comfortable enough in her arms to just rest there.
Serena watches Ash interact with Yamper and takes a loving sigh as she does. She shakes her head a little as she thinks to herself "He is so caring. Almost too caring sometimes. I really do love him so much don't I. Even when he is being a little childish like right now, at least he looks cute while he's doing it."
Suddenly, Serena is snapped out of her thoughts as she hears a small chuckle next to her. She turns to her right to see an elderly woman stood next to her while giving her a small smile.
Serena tilts her head in confusion and questions in a polite tone "Excuse me mam, but why are you laughing?"
The elderly woman gives Serena a warm gentle smile as she explains "Oh nothing dear, its just my sense of humour. I could help but smile and laugh at your boyfriend's romantic gesture. It's so nice to see a young couple keeping up our traditions."
Serena tilts her head in confusion as she further questions "Excuse me mam, but I don't quite understand. What did my boyfriend do that was so romantic? All I seen him do was hand me an Applin before running off to find more pokemon to meet."
The young woman chuckles a little at Serena's confusion as she exclaims "Oh I see, it was a happy coincidence then. You must not be from around here I'm assuming."
Serena shakes her head a little as she answers "No I'm not. I was born in Kanto but I've lived the majority of my life in Kalos. My boyfriend has lived in Kanto his whole life, although he has traveled a lot of other region's."
The old woman nods her head in understanding and remarks "I love the Kalos region and those lovely performance things they do. I seen a young girl a little similar to you put on quite the performance yesterday. She and her pokemon looked so majestic up on stage. The guy she's dating must be very lucky to have a girl like her. She was honestly outstanding."
Serena suppresses a small giggle as she hears the old ladies statement. While she would love to reveal that she is that same girl the lady is talking about, she decides it's best to remain anonymous to not put her day with Ash at risk.
She places a smile on her face and replies "Yeah, me and my Pokémon actually perform from time to time too. It's one of our many passions."
The old lady chuckles a little and exclaims "Well, maybe you'll be on the tv one day too. But I suppose that does explain the meaning of an Applin does it?"
Serena raises an eyebrow before she asks "No I guess it doesn't. Can you explain that tradition to me please?"
The old lady nods and explains with a bright smile on her face "Sure I can dear. You see back when I was younger, it was a tradition for a man to gift a woman an Applin. Sometimes it would be as a confession of love or even used during a marriage proposal. Other times it was just a gift, to symbolise an infinite love. Not many couples do it these days but it was nice to see once again. Even if you both didn't mean it, I would say it is a sign that you both have a strong love for each other. Maybe it was a plant from Arceus himself to help a young couple out."
Serena can't help but smile as she looks down at the Applin in her hands. While the whole thing was just a coincidence, she can't help but feel warm inside. Ash managed to make a really romantic gesture towards her while being himself. To her that is a sign, a sign that no matter they are doing. There will always be love fluttering nearby.
She looks back up at the old lady and exclaims with a bright smile on her face "That is such a beautiful tradition, thank you for explaining that to me."
The old woman shakes her head and replies "It's no problem my dear, seeing beautiful young couples like you is what brightens up an old lady's day."
Serena smiles at the compliment and exclaims "That is very kind thing of you to say. Thank you for your time."
The old lady gives Serena one last smile and remarks in an over casual tone "It's no trouble Serena. Good luck in your next performance. I think you and Ash are a great couple. But tell him to put a ring on your dam finger already. That boy needs to make you his bride already. I want to still be alive by the time you two get married!"
Serena's eyes widen in shock at the old lady's statement. She takes a step back as she shouts "Wait you knew!"
The old lady chuckles at Serena's reaction as she explains "Of course I did. I may be old but I'm not blind. Your going to make a great Kalos queen Serena and a brilliant wife if you don't mind me saying. Anyway, I won't disturb you any longer. Go and have fun exploring our city with the one you love. Well we may not be the city of love like Lumiose city, I'm sure you two can find a way to have fun."
Serena scratches her head a little nervously as the old woman takes her leave. She takes a second to process what just happened and to calm down her blush from all the compliments about her relationship as she tries to regain her composure.
Once she does, she looks down at the Applin in her hands and exclaims in an appreciative tone "Well Applin, thank you for letting me hold you."
Applin nods to the honey blonde performer as a happy smile comes onto his face. Serena smiles back as she places the apple pokemon back on the ground and announces "Well, your free to go."
Applin hears Serena's words as a frown rises up onto his face. He shakes his head frantically before he leaps up back into Serena's arms.
Serena places a confused look on her face as she questions "What's the matter Applin, don't you want to go and see your friends?"
Applin shakes his head before he gestures towards Serena's bag. The honey blonde girl's eyes widen as she shouts "Wait, are you saying you want to be my gift like the old lady said? You want to come with me on my journey!"
Applin let's a large smile drift onto his face as he nods in approval of Serena's words.
Serena giggles a little in excitement at the prospect of capturing her first Galarian Pokémon as she exclaims "Well, I'd love to have you join us Applin."
She reaches into her bag and takes out an empty pokeball. She takes said pokeball and taps the small apple pokemon on the head with it. Applin turns into a red light as he enters the pokeball. The pokeball spins a few times before a ding sound rings out, symbolising Applin has been caught.
Serena beams a smile as she holds the pokeball up to her face. She grips it a little tighter as she whispers "Welcome to the team Applin."
Just at that moment, Serena hears footprints steaming towards her as she looks up from the pokeball. She spots the familiar sight of Ash running towards her with an excited grin on his face.
As he approaches, he excitedly exclaims "Sorry I ran off Serena. But we got to meet Yamper."
Serena giggles a little at her boyfriend's clear excitement and replies "It's okay Ash, I'm glad you're having fun."
Ash feels his face light up into a smile as he takes in Serena's words. He loves her so much that he can't even describe it. 90% of people would probably have had a pop at him for his actions over the last few minutes. But not Serena, she loves him for who he is and that is something he'll always appreciate.
However, as he smiles at her he notices that something seems to be a little different from when he last saw her. He gets that point across as he questions "Hey Serena, where did Applin go."
Serena internally giggles as she prepares herself for her boyfriend's reaction. She holds a pokeball out in front of her and exclaims in a happy tone "He's right here Ash!"
Ash's eyes widen at the sudden revelation as he screams "Wait you caught him!?"
Serena giggles a little as a smile lights up her face. She shakes her head and exclaims "Well yeah, although you technically gifted him to me. Let me explain."
Serena goes on to explain to Ash what the old lady said to her and how Applin's are usually given to a person by a lover as a sign of infinite love.
Ash can't help but smile at the happy coincidence as he chuckles a little and exclaims "Well, that sounds like destiny to me Serena. I guess I made that confession by just being myself."
The honey blonde performer nods in agreement with her boyfriend and adds "It's a sign Ash, a sign that we are meant to be. The love that we share will always be present no matter what it is we are doing."
Ash chuckles a little at Serena's words before he nods in agreement. He shakes his head a little before he exclaims "Well Serena, I must admit I'm a little jealous that you caught a Galarian pokemon before me. However, I'm really proud of you at the same time."
Serena beams a smile at Ash's kind words before she replies "Thanks Ashy!"
Suddenly, Serena gets a light bulb moment as she suggests "I know! Why don't we head to the nearest route and see if we can find you a Galarian Pokémon too!"
Ash smiles a little at Serena's idea, but soon shakes his head. He takes a peaceful sigh as he exclaims "As fun as that sounds Serena, I think I'm all Pokémon'd out for now."
Serena's eyes widen in shock as she shouts "Wait what!?"
She honestly can't believe what she just heard her boyfriend say. There's no way he's being serious. He can't seriously be turning down the offer to go and search for more Pokémon? Is he feeling okay? This isn't the Ash Ketchum she's used to.
Ash chuckles a little at Serena's surprise as he explains "I know it's a shock, but I've seen enough new Pokémon for now. As much as I love exploring and battling, I can do that tomorrow. What I love doing most though, is spending time with my beautiful Kalos queen."
Serena can barely contain herself as she hears Ash's words. She's not sure if he's serious or not but she definitely loves the sentiment. She questions that very thing as she exclaims "Ash, I love that your trying to be nice to me. But you don't need to do this. If you want to continue exploring then I'll still be happy."
Ash shakes his head a little as Serena finishes her words. While he's glad she always thinks about what he wants to do, that's not what he actually wants at this moment.
He gives his girlfriend a loving gaze as he explains "That is what I want Serena. I want to spend time with you. I know it sounds funny because of how excited I get around pokemon, but you are what I love the most. Plus I've learned something recently about myself. I need to be balanced in my approach. If I train and explore to much then I'll end up getting burned out. Then I won't be at my best on the battlefield. I'll be sloppy and make mistakes in fatigue. That's why I need to take it easy and relax more. That way when I do battle, me and my Pokémon will be calmer when we face strong opponents. The best way to relax for me, is to spend time with you."
Serena feels her heart dancing at Ash's sweet words. That is the perfect response for her. While she will never be the type of girl to take Ash away from doing his favourite things, she does appreciate when he drops those things to be with her. As long as he's happy and he feels he's got a good balance, then she can't complain.
She gets that point across as she replies to her boyfriend with a small smile "Okay Ash. But as long as your happy. If you are then I'm happy too."
Ash smiles back and exclaims "Of course I'm happy Serena. Anyway, there's a lot more things to check out in a new region than just new Pokémon. There's new cities, new food, new people, even new..."
Serena cuts her boyfriend off as she shouts "New places to shop!"
Ash chuckles a little at Serena's sudden excitement as he continues "Yes Serena, even new places to shop. Why don't we go take a look around the city. He can stop at a few tourist attractions and such. Hopefully we can meet a few people too. We can take a look at some stores if you want and grab some lunch afterwards?"
Serena beams a childish grin at all the fun things she and Ash could be getting up to. She instantly leaps towards him and gives him a big hug. She looks up into his eyes and replies in an enthusiastic manner "That sounds great Ash!"
Ash smiles down at his girlfriend and exclaims "I'm glad about that beautiful, so are you ready to go?"
Serena enthusiastically nods and confirms "Definitely!"
Ash chuckles a little as he takes Serena'a hand into his. Serena leans her head on his left shoulder while Pikachu perches himself on his other shoulder. The three of them walk off together as they prepare to explore Motorstoke city.
They take walk through the streets until they happen to stumble across the shopping district. Naturally, Serena is very excited about this discovery as she instantly drags her boyfriend inside a few stores.
She buys a few traditional Galarian outfits that look great on her in Ash's opinion. She also buys a few accessories as well, and some things for her pokemon to wear during showcases.
While Shopping definitely isn't Ash's favourite activity, he's certainly not complaining about watching Serena try on a bunch of different outfits. He loves watching her wear a variety of clothing and he's always at a loss for words at just he stunning she is. He knows Serena enjoys showing her outfits off to him too, even throwing him a few playful teases as she does.
Also while she's changing, Ash takes the opportunity to see a few new Pokémon as well. As people pass in and out of the shop, he scans their partners on his pokedex and even gets to interact with a few of them.
So while he may be stuck inside, he's still meeting new Pokémon and his girlfriend is happy as well. He's truly playing 4D chess.
As a thank you for buying her an outfit back in Alola, Serena decides to buy Ash his own new outfit to wear around the Galar region.
The main colour scheme is black white and gold as he wears a black pair of trousers with with a small gold streak down the side. On his top half he wears a white jacket, with slightly rolled up sleeves, which he keeps slightly un zipped at the top. The jacket has another gold streak on the side too, perfectly matching the one on his bottoms. Underneath his jacket, a tight black under shirt can be seen peeking out from above the slightly unzipped jacket. Naturally, a hat of the same 3 main colours tops his head as his messy raven hair pokes out from underneath. He wears a black pair of sneakers on his feet and a pair of black fingerless gloves on his hands to top off the look.
(Tell me this outfit isn't an upgrade over the pyjamas he wears in journey's)
Overall Ash loves Serena's choice of new outfit, and thinks it looks really cool on him. He's extremely grateful to her for her help. He did feel a little out of place wearing his usual Kalos gear around Galar so it is a nice change of pace. While his mom usually is the one to choose his outfit for a new region, he's sure she'll have no problem with Serena taking the reins from here.
As predicted, Serena thinks that Ash looks really hot in his new threads and loves the way everything matches so well. The faint outline of his body underneath certainly doesn't hurt either in her opinion! Especially with that tight black shirt underneath!
After changing into his new outfit, Ash and Serena head into town for some lunch. They end up checking out a small local bakery where they share some freshly baked goods with themselves and their pokemon. As a first taste of Galarian cuisine goes, they both would rate it as a solid start.
After that, the two walk through the city hand in hand as they take in the sights of Motorstoke city. While it's quite the industrial city, it's also one filled with history as the amour couple take in the views.
However, soon something a little odd catches Ash's eye. He looks into the distance and spots a curious sight. A large wooden sword, expertly crafted to perfection with the perfect size and weight, wedged into a large rock.
But that's not the weird part. The weird part is that the sword itself glows with a similar faint blue aura to Ash's own. Looking directly at the sword, Ash feels himself being drawn towards it. The aura surrounding it calls out to him as his eyes widen in amazement.
Ash stops waking and points towards the sword. He shakes his head a little in disbelief as he questions "Serena, can you see that sword? It's glowing."
Serena looks in the direction of her boyfriend's point. She squints a little as she exclaims "I can see the sword Ash. But it has no glow to it. It just looks like a regular old wooden sword.
Ash raises an eyebrow and remarks in a bewildered tone "Really? That's strange. I swear I can see it glowing Serena."
Serena takes in her boyfriend's words and feels herself becoming a little confused. While Ash has pranked her in the past with little teases, it's never anything like this. She decides to take her boyfriend's word for it as she replies "I believe you Ash. Let's go take a closer look."
Ash nods in agreement before him and Serena head towards the sword. As they approach, they notice a middle age man, stood in front of the sword while wearing some sort of traditional knight armour.
They both approach the man as Serena questions "Sorry to bother you sir, can you please tell us why this sword is here."
The man nods and exclaims "Yes I can young lady. This sword is a legend in the Galar region. It has been implanted into this rock for centuries. It is said that one day, the sword will dislodged by the worthy one. He will be a the one to save the Galar region, when the darkest day comes once more."
Ash takes in the statement and feels himself being drawn in by the tale. He raises an eyebrow and questions "What is the darkest day?"
"Well, perhaps I can explain that!"
Ash and Serena hear the sudden voice and both turn around towards it. As they turn around, they spot a woman in her mid twenties with ginger hair, stood behind them while twirling a strand of her hair.
Serena tilts her head in confusion and questions in a polite tone "Excuse me madam, but who are you?"
The woman smiles at the couple in front of her and introduces "I'm Sonia, the assistant to the regional professor Magnolia. She's my grandmother."
Ash smiles warmly as he replies "Well it's nice to meet you, I'm A..."
Sonia cuts him off as she exclaims with an excited look on her face "Your Ash Ketchum, the champion of the Alola region, and your Serena Yvonne the new Kalos queen. Can I just say.......SERENA I'M A HUGE FAN !!!!!"
Ash and Serena sweatdrop as Sonia rushes towards them both with a note pad in hand. She holds it towards Serena as she shouts "Serena! Please can you sign this!"
Serena takes a second to get over the sudden excited greeting before she places a warm smile on her face. She takes the notepad into her hand and replies "Sure!"
She autographs Sonia's notepad before handing it back to her. Sonia lets off a little squeal before she shouts "Thanks Serena!"
Serena smiles back, always very appreciative of her fans support. She nods to the assistant professor before she replies "No problem Sonia."
Ash shakes his head a little as he decides to move the subject along. He places an interested look on his his face before he questions "Anyway, what is the darkest day?"
Sonia takes a second to regain her composure before she places a serious look on her face. She takes a breath before she explains "It all started 300o years ago. The legendary pokemon Eternatus, came through the void due to a massive energy spike in the region. It was a freak event, or so we thought. You see Eternatus is a Pokémon that needs energy to maintain his strongest form. He brought destruction as he rampaged around the region, trying to suck up all of Galar's energy. Of course the strongest knights of the land and their pokemon tried to fight him, but they were too weak. Their fought valiantly but they were ultimately slain by the legendary pokemon. All hope looked lost as it was becoming clear that Eternatus would make this region his own domain. But that's when it happened. A strong staff wielding knight from a fair away land came to the rescue with two Pokémon of blue by his side. Using their combined power, they managed to send Eternatus away into the darkness. However, the knight knew he could not seal away the beast forever. In his own words, 'I do not have the strength or the will, to seal him away for good.' So the knight set about his plan. He convinced the pokemon resembling a sword to give up his completed form, in turn creating the rusted sword you see today. He stuck the sword in this rock and sealed it shut using his powers. The prophecy reads, a trainer with the same powers as his own will take the sword one day. He will be the one to stop Eternatus, once the one with too much greed forces him to rise again. He will fight alongside a Pokémon of blue, and send him back to the depths for as long he can. Since then, many have tried but failed to claim the sword. But I believe in the prophecy. One day someone will grab the sword and wield the power once again. The darkest day will one day strike, science is all the proof we need. Once it does, this warrior will be our only hope."
Ash and Serena listen to the whole explanation intently as they take in Sonia's words. After a few seconds, Ash blinks a few times and exclaims in an astonished voice "That's quite the tale."
Serena's mind fills with worry as she hears about the power. She knows all to well at this point that Sonia could easily be referring to aura. She knows all to well who could potentially be this hero. She shakes her head a little and mutters "Surley all that can't be true."
Sonia places a hand on her hip and replies "I believe it, the legends don't lie."
Serena takes a second as she lets her worry leave her body. If Sonia is referring to aura and they do end up involved, then that's just part of the territory. She wouldn't trade their special gift if it meant not being involved with these sort of things.
Ash will always find a way to get involved anyway, it's just who he is. He's a hero in her eyes who will fight for those who can't fight. That's one of one million reasons why she loves him so much and she not going to stop him from doing that.
While this prophecy does worry her, she's not going to let it effect her. After all the dangerous stuff she and Ash have done together, she knows that they'll both make it through if they work together and do the right thing. Their love will see them through in the end, as long as they never give up!
Meanwhile, Ash hears the tale and only feels himself being drawn even more towards the sword. The aura around it continues to swirl as he feels it calling out to him, ushering him to go over and grab it.
Ash let's his instincts take over as he approaches the middle age man. He looks past him at the sword and questions "Mind if I try and grab the sword?"
The man scoffs a little at Ash's statement, clearly having heard this over a thousand times. He rolls his eyes a little and replies in a dismissive tone "If you want to waste your time then go ahead."
Ash nods and steps forward towards the sword. He stands before it and takes a deap breath as he rolls his sleeves up. He takes his hands and places them around the sword, holding it with a strong grip. Ash begins to pull the sword as he scrunches up his face. Very soon, he begins to pull with all his might as the aura around the sword begins to fluctuate.
The sword begins to shake a little as it threatens to break from the rock. Ash's will to succeed takes over as he thinks to himself "One last pull, here we go!"
Ash flexes his muscles and pulls harder as he uses all his strength to accomplish his goal. A blue aura swirls around the sword frantically as it continues to shake. Suddenly, Ash's persistence pays off as the sword loosens . With one last big tug, the sword pops free from the rock as the blue aura surrounding it instantly dissipates into thin air.
Ash holds the sword above his head as he beams a victory grin. He lets off a small chuckle before he nonchalantly exclaims "Ha, see easy."
Sonia's eyes instantly widen in shock as she sees the sword come free. She shakes her head in disbelief before she mutters "No way, he's the one?"
Serena beams a smile at Ash's grin, not worried about the potential implications of Ash's actions. Truth is, she could see his aura responding to the sword as he pulled it free so she had a feeling he was going to succeed. Seeing him pull the sword free isn't a surprise to her at all. If anything, she's proud of him for being the one.
A small blush coats her cheeks as she exclaims in a teasing tone "My man's strong! Those gym sessions have been paying off in more ways than one!"
Ash laughs a little at his girlfriend's sudden statement. He expected her to be a little more surprised or worried but after spending so much time with him, he guesses these things just become a little more normal.
He scratches his head a little nervously before he replies in an equally teasing tone "Well I guess they have. I have to do something to try and keep with your good looks Serena."
Serena giggles a little at her boyfriend's playful comment, feeling really bubbly at him saying she's got good looks.
Sonia shakes her head in disbelief as she thinks herself "So Ash is the one, the one who is meant to save us from the darkest day. It's not Leon, that's impossible. I'm shocked. He has the power of the great warrior? I can't wait to see what else he can do."
The amour couple continue to giggle a little until the middle age man stamps his feet against the ground. He shakes his head and snaps "That's impossible! There's no way an outsider can wield the sword of Zacian!"
Ash shrugs his shoulders and replies nonchalantly "Well I just did, so I guess they can."
The man becomes even more wound up by Ash's comment as he shouts "No! I will not allow you to take this sword! As it's keeper it's my job to pass it on to it's rightful owner! First, you must beat me to earn it!"
Ash shakes his head a little as he questions in a confused tone "Beat you?"
The man nods and explains in a serious tone "Yes, beat me using that very sword. You will face me in a fencing match, first to three points keeps the sword."
The man reaches down and takes a long silver sword out of it's sleeve. He points the sword directly at his opponent and questions "Do you accept the challenge."
Ash takes a second to think about the sudden challenge before a small smirks rises up onto his face. He looks the keeper dead in the eyes and replies in a confident tone "Your on!"
Serena instantly gasps in shock as she hears Ash accept the challenge. A frown instantly rises up onto her face as she complains in a worried tone "Ash! What are you doing!? You've never done this before in your life! Your going to get hurt!"
Ash turns towards his girlfriend and gives her a reassuring smile before he replies "Don't worry Serena, I've got this. I don't know why, but having this sword in my hand. I feel comfortable, like I've done this thing before. It's familiar to me in a way."
Serena shakes her head a little as she moans "But Ash, what if....."
Sonia cuts her off as she exclaims with a smile on her face "You don't need to worry Serena."
Serena can't quite believe what Sonia just said to her. Not worry about Ash? Well that's one of Serena's favourite pastimes. In fact, it's kind of her job. She frowns a little as she questions "Sonia, why do you look so confident? My boyfriend is about to have a sword fight with some sort of keeper dressed in knight armour! He's a Pokémon trainer not a sword fighter!"
Sonia chuckles a little at Serena's stress before she explains "Because Serena, if Ash is truly worthy of wielding the sword. Then he'll have no problems here."
Serena takes a small sigh as she concedes to Ash's reckless approach with no way to be able to stop him now. Once he's made up his mind, he's very difficult to convince to stop. She takes a position on the sidelines while cuddling Pikachu in her arms for comfort.
Ash moves to one side of a makeshift duelling ground while the man stands on the other side. Sonia takes a place between the two as she acts as a pseudo referee.
Ash looks across to his opponent and questions in a smug tone "So, you ready to lose then?"
The older man shakes his head at Ash's attempted banter as he replies "I'm ready for you to give back our sword."
Ash smirks a little and exclaims "Well then, let's begin!"
Upon hearing Ash's statement, both men rush towards each other and begin to fence. They both step towards each other with purpose as they begin to clink their swords together.
Ash uses his sword widely, swinging with one hand like a maniac. While his method may be uncharacteristic, it's certainly energetic.
Meanwhile, the keeper uses a much more traditional technique as he moves in a very trained and methodical way.
After going back and forth for some time, Ash swings the sword widely, striking nothing but thin air as the keeper dodges his swing. The keeper soon swings his sword forward as he counters with a quick slash to the stomach. The sword connects with Ash's midsection, causing him to take a step back.
As Ash gets slashed, Serena exhales in a panic and shouts at the top of her lungs "ASH!!"
Ash hears his girlfriend's shout and instantly looks back towards her. He gives her a reassuring smile before he exclaims "Don't worry, I'm okay. He didn't even rip my jacket."
Serena takes a sigh of relief as she feels her stress levels calm down a little. While the sword Ash is facing is just a fake, it's still nerve racking watching your love one get hit with a sword!
Sonia places a Serious look on her face as she announces "Score 1-0, first to 3 points wins."
Serena decides to help her worry by trying to encourage her boyfriend. She cups her hands around her mouth before she shouts "Come on Ash! You can do it!"
The keeper chuckles a little before he mocks "You see, I told you it was just luck. There's no way a guy like you can wield the rusted sword."
Ash puts his head towards the ground as he thinks to himself "As much as I hate to admit it, this guy's right. He's going to win because he's more experienced than me at wielding a sword. But it's strange, I still feel as though I've done this before. Something very similar at least. There's got to be some sort of advantage I can use."
Ash thinks about it for a second before he gets a light bulb moment. A smile beams up onto his face before he exclaims in his head "Now that's it!"
He springs his plan into action as he closes his eyes and begins to focus his aura. His vision starts to shift as he feels a connection beginning to rise up. He takes one last breath before he states through aura "Greninja, I need you."
________________________________
Meanwhile in the Alola region, Greninja leaps through the trees of a dense forest as he fights off a bunch of negative energy vines.
He keeps destroying vine after vine with his purple blade in his hand. However, no matter how many he takes out, they just keep coming.
It looks as though he's definitely found a cluster of them, a problem he found common in Kalos. When the vines were like this, he needed to call on Zygarde's 100% form to clear them out successfully. Unfortunately, that's not really an option right now with Tapu Koko and Solgaleo already occupied with their own areas.
Greninja jumps off a tree and slashes a vine with his dark purple sword of aura, landing in a clearing in the forest. Suddenly, he's surrounded by hundreds of vines that spring up from the ground.
Greninja realises that there's no way he can deal with this on his own right now. He looks at the vines surrounding him as he scans around for an exit.
He spots a small gap to exit through when suddenly, his mind blacks out. A small rain drop hits the ground before his and Ash's faces combine to together as one.
Greninja starts to feel a strong connection rise up as he hears a voice in his head "Greninja, I need you."
Greninja hears his trainer's statement and instantly nods in agreement with him. With both their thoughts and feelings alined, Greninja looks up into the sky as a familiar feeling begins to take over.
"NINNNNJAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Play the Ash-Greninja theme.
Suddenly, a massive vortex of water shoots up around Greninja, breaking through the dense forest. The vortex around Greninja slowly compresses before forming into the shuriken on his back. Greninja folds his arms over as he takes on the appearance of his trainer, completing his transformation into Ash- Greninja.
Greninja stands in front of the vines with a serious look on his face, now with the power to take them on. He looks dead ahead of his target as he begins to communicate with his trainer.
_____________________________
Back in Galar, Ash stands in front of his opponent as he communicates with his ninja frog Pokémon through their shared aura.
He sees Greninja's current situation and exclaims "So your under attack by a mass amount of negative energy vines, and you need my strength to help fight them off."
Greninja nods and replies "Yeah, and by the looks of things, you need my help to beat this guy in a fencing match."
Ash looks directly at his opponent in front of him and exclaims "You've got it Greninja, you ready."
Greninja looks at the vines in front of him and nods as he confirms in a serious tone "Ready."
Ash places a serious look on his own face as he shouts "Use night slash!" Greninja forms his blue sword like blade of aura in his hand and rushes towards the vines. He dashes at high speeds, slashing one in half before quickly moving onto the next one.
Meanwhile, Ash's sword begins glow with a unnoticeable faint blue aura, while some of the rust starts to wear away. Ash follows Greninja's movement in complete sync as he rushes in, dodging his opponents strike before following up with his own as he slashes the keeper right in the stomach. At the same time, Greninja swings his blade in complete sync with his trainer, slashing another vine in half.
The keeper feels the full force of Ash's strike as he tumbles backwards and crashes into the ground.
Sonia's eyes widen in shock at the sudden change in Ash's abilities. She shakes her head frantically and questions "What's happening to Ash, and why's he shouting attacks?"
Serena beams a bright smile and excitedly exclaims "He's using Ash-Greninja!"
Sonia eyes grow even wider with shock as she questions "Wait what!? How's that even possible!? Isn't his Greninja really far away!?"
Serena giggles internally at the shock on Sonia's face. She shakes the off as she smiles proudly towards her boyfriend and explains "Yeah, but their bond is so strong that they can use the form no matter how far the distance. The two of them are always connected. Right now, Ash and Greninja are in perfect sync."
Sonia shakes her head in disbelief as she mutters "That's astonishing. How can something like this even be achieved?"
Greninja stands in front of more sprouting vines in Alola, while Ash's opponent gets back to his feet.
The keeper looks on in disbelief as he questions "What the **** was that mate."
Ash places a massive smirk on his face as he replies in a cryptic tone "That's my specialty."
Sonia snaps out of her shock a little as she remembers that she is actually meant to be refereeing this bout. She raises a hand in the air and announces "The score is 1-1, please continue."
Ash wastes no time getting back on the offensive. He takes off towards his opponent while he shouts "Use night slash!"
At the same time, Greninja rushes in towards a few sprouting vines with two glowing blue swords of aura in his hands. He dashes from vine to vine, striking everything in his path as he takes out as many as he can with great skill and speed on display.
Meanwhile, Ash and the opponent trade blows back and forth as they try and land a decisive hit. That is before, Ash makes his move. He blocks a wild slash before he spins around in unison with Greninja, striking his opponent with the back of blade. The keeper stagger back and loses his balance as he falls to the ground.
The keeper smashes the ground in frustration, before he gets back up to his feet with anger on his face.
Greninja leaps back and looks at the large amount of vines still surrounding him as he prepares for his next move.
Sonia extends her hand in the air and announces "The score is 2-1, match point Ash. Continue!"
The keeper makes an aggressive move as he instantly rushes towards Ash with his blade high in the air.
Meanwhile in Alola, the vines make their move as around half a dozen come hurtling towards Greninja.
Ash sees both situations unfolding right in front of him and knows exactly what to do. He smirks a little as he commands "Now jump Greninja."
Greninja bends his knees before he jumps high into the air, avoiding all the approaching vines as they all crash into one and other.
Meanwhile in Galar, Ash watches as his opponent nears. He waits until the perfect moment before he moves in sync with Greninja. He soon bends his knees and leaps high into the air with ninja like agility, jumping above his opponent as he hangs in the air.
The keeper's mouth hangs open in shock as he mutters "What the..."
Ash places a serious look on his face as he prepares to end this duel. He looks down at his opponent and shouts "Now use night slash!"
Greninja nods in agreement with his trainer as he too hangs in the air. He holds his two blue sword like blades of aura in his hands as he spins towards the ground, slashing through multiple vines in the process.
Meanwhile, Ash copies Greninja's actions in unison as he hurtles himself through the air and towards his target.
When he reaches the keeper, he slashes him across the chest with aura glowing intensely around his blue sword. The keeper flies back through the air from the impact of the slash before he smashes straight into the ancient rock Ash pulled the sword out from. He let's off a groan of pain before he slumps back in defeat.
Sonia places a smile on her face as she announces "The score is 3-1. That means that Ash is the winner."
Ash shakes his head in disagreement as he shouts "No, it's not over yet."
Sonia raises her eyebrow in confusion as Ash closes his eyes shut.
He looks through Greninja's eyes to completely focus on his battle. He looks around the forest to to see a large number of vines still present, despite the near hundreds already wiped out.
Ash places a serious look on his face as he commands "Let's wrap this up Greninja, use double team!"
Ash-Greninja nods his head as he creates dozens of clones of himself. The clones all gather around the real Greninja as the vines surround them in a circle.
Ash decides to put his plan into action as he shouts "Now Greninja, use water shuriken!"
Greninja nods as he takes the massive water shuriken off his back. He bends his knees before he leaps high to the air, getting directly above the vines.
He hoists his massive shuriken up into the air with his right hand as he prepares his final strike. Suddenly, all the clones follow Greninja's actions as they leap up into the air before merging back into the water shuriken. The shuriken continues to grow and grow as more clones merge with it, before becoming big enough to throw.
Greninja moves his arm back and screams "NINNNJAAA!" He releases the shuriken which travels in a circle around Greninja, completely wiping out the vines in the area.
Greninja lands back on the ground with elegance and power as he stands his arms folded, facing the other way from the shuriken. Suddenly, the shuriken strikes the last remaining vine, causing an explosion. The explosion fills up the clearing for a few seconds before it clears. When it does, all the vines are completely wiped out as the massive shuriken reforms on Greninja's back.
With all the danger now averted, Ash smiles as he continues to keep his eyes closed. He let's off a small chuckle before he exclaims "Thanks Greninja, you were awesome."
Greninja nods in agreement with his trainer and replies "No, thank you. You've saved me a lot of time with how we cleared that out so quick. Who knows, I may finish quicker than we hoped if I continue at this pace."
Ash beams a smile at prospect of Greninja finishing clearing out the vines quicker than expected, before he replies in a happy tone "Well, in that case I'll leave you to it. I need you back as soon as possible if we're going to achieve our dreams."
Greninja nods and replies in a serious tone "And your going to need to be strong, for both of us."
Ash nods in agreement with his ace pokemon before he exclaims "Yeah, I'm training hard don't worry. Take care Greninja, any issues then you let me know asap."
Greninja places a smile on his face as remarks "I will, stay safe."
With that statement made, they met their synchronisation die out as Greninja reverts back into his regular form. He takes a small complicated sigh before he leaps back up into the trees.
Meanwhile, Ash opens his eyes and smiles at the communication he just had with Greninja. While that little duel was nothing like being able to battle alongside him again, it was still a fun experience. It leaves him wanting more and looking forward to the day he finally can finally step out onto the battlefield with him again.
However, his smile soon turns into a confused frown when he gazes up into the distance. Up on the mountains surrounding the city, Ash spots a blue dog like pokemon looking down at him.
The Pokémon look mysterious and intimidating in terms of stature, but also incomplete. It looks like it's missing something. It just doesn't look, complete.
Ash gazes up at the pokemon with wonder on his face as he mutters to himself "Who is that Pokémon?"
Suddenly, Ash's sword stops glowing with an invisible blue aura and it begins to rust back over. A few seconds later, the mysterious pokemon leaps away into the woods in a flash.
Ash continues to stare up at where the pokemon was just occupying as he raises an eyebrow in suspicion. He shakes his head a little before he whispers to himself "That was weird, why was that Pokémon just watching me like that?"
Suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted by the familiar feeling of his girlfriend's bone crushing hugs. Serena practically tackles Ash into a hug from the front as she embraces her man. She looks up into her boyfriend's eyes with a beaming smile as she shouts "Ash, you were amazing! That was so cool!"
Ash chuckles a little at Serena's actions as he embraces her back. He smiles down at her and nonchalantly replies "It was no big deal really."
Serena giggles a little at Ash's cheeky remark. She decides to give him a small reward as she rises to her tippy toes, before she leans in and pecks his lips sweetly.
Sonia walks towards the couple with a bewildered look on her face. She shakes her head a little before she exclaims "No big deal? The legendary sword resinated with you, you were fighting as if you were one of the ancient warriors. Not just that, you moved around like an actual ninja! What was that?"
Ash and Serena break apart a little as Serena hugs Ash from the side. The Alolan champion scratches the back of his head a little nervously before he explains "That was the bond phenomenon. When I synchronise with Greninja, it increases my strength as well as his. While I'm not even in the same league as him in terms of speed and agility. I can copy a few of his moves as well, although the power boost he receives is a lot larger than mine. You see, he was fighting off some wild vines in the Alola region and needed my strength to help him out too. We just connected at the perfect time I guess."
Sonia takes a second to take in Ash's point before she states in a shocked time "So it isn't a myth, it really is real. The bond phenomenon does have no limits in terms of distance."
Ash nods and replies "Yeah that's right, me and Greninja can call on each other from wherever in the world."
Sonia takes a few notes as she thinks to herself "That truly is the greatest thing I've ever seen in person, and Leon thinks his Gmax Charizard is unique. This is the purest strength I think a trainer and Pokémon can produce."
Ash and Serena both look in each other's eyes and share a giggle. If only she knew that Greninja wasn't the only one who could connect with Ash from anywhere on the planet, then her mind would well and truly be blown.
They both are snapped out of their thoughts as Pikachu leaps up onto Ash's shoulder and let's off a congratulatory "Pika!"
Ash turns his head towards his first Pokémon as a smile appears on his face. He pats the top of the electric mouses's head as he exclaims "Hey buddy. You know something? After that battle with Greninja, I'm feeling fired up for more action. What do you say? Should we go and find our first opponent to take on in the Galar region?"
Pikachu nods in agreement with trainer's point as he pumps a fist in the air and shouts "Pika pika!"
Serena instantly giggles as she hears Ash's plan. It's amazing to her how forgetful and carefree he can be. It's honestly a mystery how he managed to survive in Alola for a few months without her.
Ash notices his girlfriend's reaction as he raises an eyebrow in suspicion. He scratches his head nervously as he questions in a bewildered tone "Um Serena, what's so funny? Do I have something on my face?"
Serena takes a second to catch her giggles as she desperately tries not to lose control of herself. In the end, she succeeds as a smirk appears on her face. She shakes her head a little before she quizzes in a playful tone "Ash, you can be so silly sometimes. Did you already forget why we're here?"
Ash takes a second as the cogs in his mind begin to spin round. After a few seconds, he remembers exactly why they came to Galar in the first place as he exclaims "Oh yeah, we're here to see Alain and Leon battle!"
Serena smiles at Ash's small triumph as she hums "Hmm hmm, that's right Ash."
Suddenly, a pinging noise flutters into the air as Ash revives a notification on his Rotom phone. He reaches down into his pocket and takes out his phone. He stares at it for half a second before his eyes widen in panic.
"WAIT THE BATTLE STARTS IN 20 MINUTES!!!!"
Serena face palms a little at her boyfriend's childish nature, before she replies "Yeah, we're going to miss it if we don't leave now Ash."
Ash places a massive frown on his face as he remarks in a downed town "Shoot, I was looking forward to seeing a Gigantamax Pokémon in action too. We need to go fast!"
Sonia looks at the sadness on Ash's face and suppresses a giggle at how one of the world's strongest trainer's can have such a childish side to him. She shakes her head a little as she cryptically exclaims "Don't stress Ash, you two have got nothing to worry about. I think you'll get there with plenty of time to spare."
Serena raises her eyebrow as she questions "Why's that Sonia? The map says it's a 25 minute walk from here."
Sonia smirks a little towards the Kalos queen as she explains "Well it's a good thing we don't need to walk then, because I'll drive us there."
Ash turns his head towards the assistant professor and questions in a hopeful tone "Sonia, are your watching the battle too?"
Sonia nods as she places a smile on her face and replies "That's right, now lets get going. We don't have all day.
The amour couple both take a sigh of relief as they realise that they have no worries about being late to the battle.
Serena places a grateful smile on her face as she replies in a polite tone "Wow, thank you Sonia."
Ash pumps his fist in the air and exclaims "Well then, what are we waiting for? Motorstoke city stadium here we come!"
With that, Ash takes off as he runs as fast as possible towards Sonia's car with Pikachu by his side.
The two girls look at each other and share a laugh at Ash's excitement. They both suppress their giggles for a second as Sonia questions "He can be a little energetic can't he?"
Serena shakes her head and replies "Tell me about it. Call me crazy, but I love how he can be childish sometimes. I find it cute."
Sonia chuckles knowingly and exclaims "I've been there Serena. As long as you love each other, then who's got the right to question it?"
Serena smiles at Sonia's comment and nods in agreement. The excitement Ash has shown so far today has been incredible to see. It makes Serena so happy that he has enjoyed himself so much and that there is still plenty more to come.
With them both in agreement, the two girls run off and catch up to Ash as they make it to Sonia's car. They all climb into the car and buckle up, before driving off towards Motorstoke city stadium to watch the big battle between Leon and Alain.
______________________________
Well that's it for this chapter.
So, what do you think of the introduction to Galar?
It's been a long time coming so it was nice to finally set a chapter here.
Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of Galar as a region but I'm going to try and adapt its characters and culture into something better.
Of course, it's not the only region we will be visiting in this story but it is the only one that Ash hasn't visited so far in this story.
Well apart from Paldea but I still haven't touched those games or the anime.
All I've done is play some 6v6 OU singles.
Anyway I'm getting off topic.
This chapter is a little shorter than usual but it was planned to be.
Well short compared to recent chapters.
It's still 13275 words if you would like to know
But a lot of things still happened.
Ash's incident in the hotel lobby with Calem.
Serena catching Applin.
Ash and Serena meeting Sonia for the first time.
Ash obtaining the rusted sword.
A little Ash Greninja cameo.
In the next chapter, Ash and Serena, along with Sonia, reach Motorstoke city stadium to watch Alain and Leon's battle.
What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force?
What types of people will the Amour couple meet at the stadium?
How will Ash react to seeing a Gigantamax pokemon for the first time.
Find out that and more next time.
So as usual.
Please vote and comment below as always.
Your support is greatly appreciated and keeps me motivated to update this story ASAP
Have a nice day and I'll speak to you all soon.