Ash walked through the empty streets of Lumiose City on a starry night, all alone. Not even Pikachu could be seen with him.
Huh. I must be dreaming again. Ash thought curiously. Little did he know, someone else seemed to be having a similar predicament.
Ugh. Of all the places I could be dreaming about, why does it have to be here? Serena brooded with a moan. She'd also been taking a walk in another part of the city...and looking quite annoyed by it. Lusamine had seen Serena limping a little bit after she got home from Olivia's Grand Trial and turned into an overprotective mother, ordering her to lie down and ice her knee, despite her and her Ultra Beast's protests. Otherwise, she would much rather train them than stroll around this stupid city in a dream. However, that all changed when Serena reached a place that, unknown to her, held a very special spot in her heart.
Ash suddenly stopped and looked up at Prism Tower. As he did this, he relived his first and, arguably, most important moment during his Kalos journey.
If Jessie, James, and Meowth hadn't placed that collar around Garchomp's neck, things would have been very different, huh? Ash asked himself. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the formerly evil trio actually did a good thing by making Garchomp run rampage.
Heh, I might have to thank them later, even though I could've died. If not for that moment, there would not be an...us. Ash mused fondly.
Serena, too, shot a look towards the tall tower. Her head started throbbing like never before, causing her to stagger back a bit. Serena had a small smile on her face as she turned her eyes away from Prism Tower and closed them.
"Why am I feeling so nostalgic? I can't remember anything that happened here." Serena wondered quietly with her heart thumping. Ash must have heard her from behind him because he smiled warmly.
And without warning, he started singing, "She is standing right behind me. She smiles at me and turns her eyes. I think I understand her funny game." Serena's eyes snapped wide open, and she recoiled in shock upon seeing Ash gazing at her caringly.
Wait, Ash?!...And he can sing?! Rather handsomely at that... she thought. Serena rapidly shook her head while her face turned beet red. And yet, for some reason she could not fathom, she felt compelled to sing along with Ash.
"When I see him, I'm not me anymore. I turn red, and talk softly. I run out of breath, and my heart beats fast." Serena continued. Ash casually walked up to her, which made her frown.
When he got close, Serena shoved him away slightly and backed off while shouting, "Get away! It's the only thing to do."
"My heart is upside down. I sense a power that pulls me beyond the wall between us. But why? I dare not tell her anything. I want her just for me, her light, her smile, for one night, crossing this wall between us. And yet, when I think of her, I feel sorrowful. I want to run away in the night to see my Performer. I have a heart to duel." Ash went on, sounding sad. Tears began to fall down his and Serena's cheeks, although she had no idea why she was crying.
"You and me. If we could see each other beyond the mirror, forget our masks for one night, let's break off the pieces of this wall between us." they both sang simultaneously. A few seconds of silence ensued before Serena, while hesitant at first, closed the gap between her and Ash.
"I do not understand what I want. I do not want to fall in love. Where does this mysterious feeling come from?" she continued with mixed emotions. Ash smiled warmly before taking his hat off and dropping it on the ground. Serena glanced at him warily...only to be surprised when he gently placed his hand on the back of her head. She flinched, but made no attempt to push Ash off her this time. He leaned forward slightly so that their foreheads were touching.
"A day will come, you will discover the happiness of being two, you and me. When we will hug each other." Ash went on. To empathize this, he wrapped his other arm around Serena's waist as his chin found a resting place on her shoulder. She winced, but then closed her eyes.
"But why, if my heart is elsewhere, do I feel in my soul, a warmth? A thrill that brings me happiness." Serena added uncertainly. Ash then gave her a quick peck on the cheek, which made her eyes shoot wide open and her face even redder than before. As he separated from Serena, she held her hand there, looking very stunned and having feelings that had long since been buried underneath the neurotoxin.
"Yet, I feel it, this whirlwind of feelings that takes hold of us firmly in the sun and in the moon, a unique chance. Magic is stirring. It's strong when I see it. I want to shout it from the roofs, our love that reaches out to us, but I know I should not. This is not the moment. We have to be patient. Be patient." Ash resumed. He and Serena took another glance towards Prism Tower. Ash sneakily grabbed a hold of her hand, which, surprisingly, seemed to put her more at ease.
They stayed like that until he carried on, "I know that one day we will fly. Because, my love, one day you will see that with me, you will become who you are." Ash and Serena turned back to each other.
"I do not understand what I want. I do not want to fall in love. Where does this mysterious feeling come from?" she kept on with a little uncertainty still evident.
No matter how troubled Serena was, that wasn't going to stop her from singing in perfect sync with Ash, "We will be together in the night. Like in the day, when all that glitters. Our love will be to infinity. Despite the wall between us. Love goes from one side to the other. We are, together, a rare strength." A toothy grin crossed his face, and he pulled hard enough for her to step forward. As Serena's body fell into Ash's chest, he proceeded to gently wrap his arms around her. She gazed up at him, feeling dumbstruck while an even more painful headache made her flinch.
Why does this feel so familiar to me? It's almost like I've experienced this before. But where? And with whom? Serena mused.
"For you, I will wait a lifetime. Because, yes, I love you to madness. I will love you to infinity..." Ash finished singing. He then closed his eyes, lowered his head, and pressed his lips into Serena's. She let out a surprised yelp with her mind going into overdrive. And yet, while Serena's intoxicated brain was trying to get her out of there, her subconscious side fought valiantly to make out with Ash. As a sudden rush of memories forgotten by the neurotoxin came to her, she relaxed and shut her eyes while gingerly wrapping her arms around Ash's neck, deepening the kiss. They made out until their lungs told them to separate. Ash unwillingly broke the kiss, but still kept the hug intact.
All Serena could say was "Ash..." Then everything went blank.
Serena shot awoke and swiftly sat up, gasping for air. She felt a slight pain and gazed down to see the ice pack wrapped on her knee. Serena then looked around and saw that she was lying in bed inside the Ultra Space. She turned to see a concerned Tierno and Serenity gazing upon her.
"You OK? You look like you were crying in your sleep." he stated worriedly. Serena quickly wiped the tear stains off her face.
She stared down the ice pack before mumbling to them, "Just a stupid dream. I'll live."
Elsewhere, in Cerulean Cave, Ash had also woken up and was smiling warmly while he got ready for the day.
Kevin noticed that and smirked before saying, "Well, looks like somebody woke up on the right side of the bed. Let me guess...you were dreaming about her again?" Ash just nodded blissfully, earning a chuckle from Gary.
"Ash and Serena, sitting under a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" he chanted teasingly. Ash's face turned scarlet.
"...Technically, it was under Prism Tower. But yeah, good to see you looking fine after yesterday." he retorted sassily. Hau, Mew, Pikachu, Maria, and Latias, in her Bianca form, just shook their heads exasperatedly.
"Seriously, how can they be so positive after everything that's happened so far?" he mumbled under his breath. Ash must have heard the remark because he shrugged.
"Well, anyway, Mewtwo teleported Calem, Grace, and Melody to her home in Kalos. Tobias won't know where they are for the time being, which ensures Melody's safety. Though, Calem did say they'll show up for the meeting in a few days." Kevin stated. Gary winced at the last bit.
"Oh Arceus. I hope Lillie and Gladion don't react too badly to him. We kind of need them on the same page for this alliance to work." he moaned.
"I agree. At least we don't have to worry about Paul and Reggie. They know their dad is still alive and not evil. Though, there's also Jason. He's still out there planning to kill Serena, and we might need his help against Necrozma. And if he sees Calem, we have to make sure he doesn't straight up murder him." Ash replied sternly. Hau nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, you ready to go home for a bit? You remember what we need to do, right?" he asked. The group gave him a nod back before Ash turned to an expectant Mew.
"Teleport us to Professor Oak's lab please." he ordered her calmly.
'OK! Pallet Town, here we come!' Mew replied playfully as Pikachu and Maria jumped on their respective trainer's shoulder. Suddenly, a multicolored glow surrounded the entire group, and they disappeared. Seconds later, they reappeared near the entrance to Professor Oak's laboratory.
"Huh. I could get used to teleporting all over the place like this." Gary admitted with a smirk. Mew rolled her eyes before turning invisible.
'Ash, whenever you want to teleport, call out for me. Kay?' she inquired seriously.
"Yeah." Ash concurred. He then noticed Gary spacing out.
"Gary, you OK?" Kevin asked worriedly. Gary just sighed bitterly.
"How the hell am I supposed to confront Gramps about hiding the fact that he and Dad married Team Rocket executives, one of whom could have killed my Lillie flower?! I mean, I will never stop getting angry when I think about my good for nothing mother who almost ripped my heart out of my chest!" he hissed out venomously. The group glanced at him solemnly.
"Yeah, admittedly this Oak situation is fucked up. If it was me, I won't know what to even say to that." Ash stated worriedly. Gary sucked in a deep breath.
"Let's just get this over with." he responded before walking over to the door with everybody else following him. They went inside and found a boy drawing a picture of a Rockruff. He had olive green hair and brown eyes and was wearing an orange headband, a short sleeved, green shirt with a darker green border on it, dark red shorts, socks, and purple and bright orange shoes with a white sole.
"Hey, Tracey, Rockruff!" Ash called out. Rockruff heard her trainer's voice and instantly ran over to him, startling Tracey. She jumped into Ash's arms and rubbed the rocks on her neck against his cheek.
"Ha ha! Good to see you too, girl!" Ash added while giggling. After doing it to Pikachu too, Rockruff then lunged over to Gary and repeated the same process, making him flinch. Hau eyed her curiously.
"I see you have one too." he mumbled to himself, thinking of Jade.
"Geez, Ash, you startled me!" Tracey exclaimed, clearly surprised to see Ash there.
He chucked nervously and rubbed the back of his head while replying, "Sorry about that. Hey, is Professor Oak here?"
"Yeah. I'll get him. Though, just to warn you, he's a little on edge right now with what happened in Johto and the Orange Islands." Tracey admitted grimly. A similar expression crossed the entire gang's faces as he walked upstairs. A few minutes later, Tracey returned with Professor Oak and another man. He had fair skin, blue eyes, spiky white hair with sideburns, and a moustache and wore a gray jacket over a white shirt paired with a light blue vest, a gray tie, dark teal pants, and gray shoes. Ash, Kevin, their Pikachus, Latias, and Gary gasped upon recognizing the man.
"Professor Rowan?!" the boys shouted simultaneously. Rowan simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"Ah, Ash, Kevin, and Gary. I don't know how you're actually here, but good timing! I was just about to contact you three." Oak replied seriously. The group quirked an eyebrow.
"About what?" Ash inquired curiously.
"Come outside for a few minutes. This Information might cause some rage, and he'd much rather keep the damage to a bare minimum." Rowan ordered them strictly. Oak was nodding his head fervently, which piqued everybody else's interests. Moments later, with Rockruff back in Ash's arms, they were at the backyard, sitting in lounge chairs.
"Professor Rowan, what are you even doing here? I was just about to call you too." Kevin questioned Rowan sternly. At that question, Oak pulled out two Pokedexes that were eerily similar to Ash's Kalos one.
"Well, to tell you the truth, Pyramid King Brandon sent me here to update your Pokedex information. Since you've both beaten him in the Battle Frontier, you are given a choice over whether to hold an unlimited amount of Pokemon or not. However, you seemed to be fine with holding six Pokemon, so we decided to save that idea for a time when we need it. But with the situation the way it is now, we'd advise you to take the extra spots." Rowan explained firmly. Ash, Kevin, their Pokemon, and Gary's jaws dropped while Hau smirked a little bit.
"Hold up! If Brandon sent you, then he must have told you about the situation in Alola." Kevin responded. Rowan nodded to confirm that fact.
"He also told me everything too. About Serena, Leaf, the Shadows...and Daisy..." Oak trailed off upon seeing the hateful glare on Gary's face.
"...To be honest, I'm not comfortable with talking about Mom after what happened that night. That incident with Lillie left a bad taste in my mouth. And I've been reliving that nightmare enough times as it is." he admitted grimly. Needless to say, Oak was interested in the name "Lillie".
"Yeah, never mind Leaf, Serena, Serperior, Delphox, and the other Shadows out there now." Kevin concurred with Ash and their Pikachus nodding. Latias growled in anger. Oak seemed quite nervous for some reason.
"Actually, speaking of Shadows, Ash, could you call out Charizard? He needs to know something." he inquired. As if on cue, Charizard popped out of his Pokeball, looking stern.
"...OK, maybe this is a bad idea." Oak mumbled under his breath.
"Well, someone will have to break the news to them eventually. And I'd feel better if they were prepared for it." Rowan whispered to him. Oak sighed before steeling himself for the inevitable rage.
"OK, so Liza called earlier. There was an attack on Charicific Valley just recently." he began. Everyone let out a horrified gasp, none louder than Charizard.
"Oh no! Are they OK?" Ash inquired, clearly concerned for Liza and especially his partner's mate. Oak, however, shook his head.
"I'm afraid not, my boy. You see, Cassidy and Buck of Team Rocket made Charla into a Shadow Pokemon." he replied nervously. Oak was about to say something else, but he got cut off by a massive roar from Charizard, shaking everybody up immensely. The Lizard Pokemon was beyond furious at the revelation as he shot straight up, emitting a major shockwave that knocked them all down. He started shooting more scorching and massive Flamethrowers than he usually uses into the sky. The entire group could feel the rise in temperature of their surroundings, and it terrified even Ash and Pikachu.
"Charizard, please stop!" he begged his friend as he tried to calm him down. But Ash failed to do so miserably. Charizard couldn't even hear his voice since he was so blinded by rage and rampaging wildly. Rockruff jumped down from Ash's belly in terror. Thinking fast, he grabbed Charizard's Pokeball from his belt, enlarged it, and held it out to him.
"Charizard, return!" Ash yelled out desperately. A red beam of light shot from the Pokeball as it quickly traveled through the air and made contact with the angry Charizard. Immediately, he was sucked into it. The Pokeball shook vigorously, but Ash was quick to respond.
"Charizard, I know exactly how you feel about those assholes. Cassidy and Bitch tried to take Serena away from me once. You want to save Charla. I want revenge for them indirectly helping Faba erase my memories of her. They, along with the rest of Team Rocket and the Aether Foundation, are about to witness true terror from us. They won't know what will hit them." he uttered with his aura flaring up. That seemed to work as the Pokeball stopped shaking. Everyone let out a relieved sigh while Ash placed it back on his belt and calmed down his aura.
"Well, that could have gone badly." Gary stated, still shaken up.
"Definitely. Though, Kong would have a similar reaction to Serperior every time she gets caught." Kevin admitted with a grimace. They all got back up on their feet, although the professors were struggling due to their bad backs. Once everyone stood, Ash and Kevin walked up to Oak and Rowan, respectively.
They held out their hand and said simultaneously, "We'll take that Pokedex please."
"Smart choice. After all, since you both have six Pokemon currently, anything you catch after that would have gone to us. And if it was a Shadow Pokemon..." Oak trailed off as Rowan shuddered. The brothers took their updated Pokedexes from the professors and placed them in their pockets.
"Thanks for this, Professor. Now...where's Bulbasaur?" Ash asked, walking through the backyard and looking around for his Kanto grass type starter. He found him talking to a Poliwhirl, which piqued his and Pikachu's interest.
"Hold on...that Poliwhirl..." Ash mumbled.
"Pika..." Pikachu added, as if trying to remember something. Kevin and Gary noticed the Poliwhirl too and gasped.
"Say, isn't that the Poliwag that led you to Serena at camp?" Gary asked. Oak actually chuckled a bit.
"Indeed, it is! She's been here all this time. Almost like she's waiting for someone." he answered. Ash and Pikachu's eyes widened as tears started to fall down their cheeks at the thought of Serena and Sylveon, respectively.
Poliwhirl's been waiting for her all this time. they mused at the same time. The duo, along with Latias and a confused Rockruff, slowly walked over to Bulbasaur and Poliwhirl. The Tadpole Pokemon saw them first and became curious.
"Poli?" she inquired, pointing a finger at the group. Bulbasaur turned around, and his eyes gleamed when he saw Ash and Pikachu.
"Bulba!" he exclaimed happily, dashing over to Ash. As Bulbasaur launched himself into his arms, Pikachu went towards Poliwhirl.
'Hey, little sis. It's been a while.' he greeted her happily. Poliwhirl gasped upon recognizing that nickname.
'Big bro, is that you?!' she questioned Pikachu, clearly surprised. He nodded to confirm that fact. Poliwhirl then turned towards Ash.
'Then that must be...' She trailed off. As Bulbasaur jumped out of Ash's arms after having his moment with Ash, the trainer bent down and stared into Poliwhirl's eyes.
"Hello, old friend. It's been far too long since the last time I saw you." he stated happily. Tears of joy fell down Poliwhirl's face as she lunged for Ash, wrapping him up into a hug. He chuckled while returning it. Bulbasaur and Rockruff looked downright confused, which Pikachu and Latias picked up on.
'This Poliwhirl is a very old friend of ours from the time before Ash became a trainer. She's the one he was chasing when he met the girl of his dreams.' he explained. Bulbasaur squinted his eyes.
'Girl of his dreams? Funny, Talonflame, Hawlucha, and Noivern were calling this one girl, Serena, that, which drives Bayleef crazy. She still thinks she's the one who should be with Ash after all this time. Plus, she doesn't believe anything Garchomp says about what is going on in Alola. She keeps saying that there is no way Ash is this angry over a girl.' he admitted, almost sounding bitter. Latias narrowed her eyebrows before looking around. She saw Bayleef swinging razor sharp green leaves at a tree.
Ash, can I go talk some sense into Bayleef? Latias inquired telepathically. Ash couldn't help but smirk a little bit.
Go right ahead. he spoke into Latias's mind. She smirked back and walked over to Bayleef. Pikachu noticed that and had to resist laughing, which caught Bulbasaur's attention.
'What are you smiling about?' he asked curiously.
'Oh, you'll see.' Pikachu replied casually.
'Hey, Bayleef!' Latias called out neutrally. Bayleef stopped her Razor Leaf training and turned around. She was surprised to find a girl looking at her.
'Um, yes?' Bayleef questioned her.
'Come with me. We need to have a girl-to-girl talk.' Latias responded sternly. Bayleef quirked an eye.
'And who are you?' she demanded.
'Just a concerned friend. Now come on.' Latias responded cryptically while turning and motioning for Bayleef to follow her. The curiosity got the better of the Leaf Pokemon as she followed her. After several minutes, they reached a spot that Latias knew was very special to Ash. She smiled warmly while twirling around to face a confused Bayleef.
'Bayleef, do you want to know why I led you here in particular?' she inquired knowingly. Now Bayleef looked even more befuddled.
'Yeah please. Why did you lead me here?' she questioned Latias suspiciously.
She smirked before answering, 'Well, if I know Ash as well as I think I do, this spot right here is very special to him.' Bayleef let out a gasp and flashed her eyes in jealousy.
'How do you even know that much about Ash?! Who even are you?!' she exclaimed. Latias's smirk only grew wider, to Bayleef's chagrin.
'I'm surprised you don't remember me. Remember Alto Mare?' she asked back. Bayleef's eyes widened in shock as she backed away slightly.
'N-N-No, y-y-you c-c-can't b-b-be...' she stuttered out. Latias's body suddenly glowed white, blinding Bayleef a little. When it stopped, her jaw dropped at the sight of the Eon Pokemon out in the flesh.
'LATIAS?! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING HERE?! YOU BETTER NOT BE STEALING MY ASH FROM ME!' Bayleef shouted furiously while getting into a battle stance. Latias just sighed and shook her head.
'No, you dumb idiot. I'm here to tell you to stop having an obsession over him like I did before I joined his team. It's unhealthy for you and wrong for him and his true love. And I already had this argument with a certain blue haired Team Skull bitch.' she retorted. Bayleef flinched.
'Wait, WHAT?! You joined Ash, and yet you're not after his heart?! Color me surprised. Why did you join him, if not for that?' she inquired, in disbelief. Latias suddenly became sad.
'Bayleef, let me tell you something. I felt Ash's angry aura all the way from Alto Mare. That is why I'm with him. He and Greninja were in the midst of destroying a Mythical Pokemon that did something so terrible when I felt it. I'm sure even Garchomp felt that from his Pokeball. Ash is so furious that he even beat up Brock.' she explained. Bayleef's eyes went wide in sheer terror.
'Brock?! Why did he do that?' she gasped.
'Well, I'm sure you've heard the rumors from Garchomp by now, right?' Latias asked back. Bayleef yelped as a realization hit her like a brick.
'Wait, no, Ash is not so angry over a girl. I refuse to believe it...' She trailed off as if trying to deny it. Latias sucked in a bitter breath.
'It took me a while to fully accept it too, but the truth is that Ash is madly in love with Serena. I've seen his memories of her. This spot right here is where they met as kids at summer camp. Ash just never mentioned her because a certain son of a bitch erased their memories. He surely would have asked Serena to come with her in Kanto if not for that incident. And yet, they were able to reunite in Kalos. I'll say this, though. Serena is perfect for Ash, and I'll fully support their relationship when he saves her from the Ultra Beasts. And I suggest you do the same. If you truly love your trainer and want him to be happy as much as I do, be supportive of them. Especially now when we're all trying our very best to save her.' she stated passionately. Bayleef looked surprised by the fact that Latias could see Ash's memories. Silence enveloped the area as the Leaf Pokemon struggled to process the fact that he had indeed fallen in love.
She then sighed bitterly before saying, 'Latias, could you do me a favor and show me these memories? I'd like to see who Serena is and just how important she is to Ash.' Latias smiled in understanding.
'Sure. I don't think he'd mind at all. Look into my eyes.' she responded. Bayleef hesitated for a few seconds, but stared directly into Latias's eyes. Hers glowed purple as the Leaf Pokemon's pupils became the same color. She flinched as she felt a rush of memories coming to her. Bayleef's eyes widened when she saw everything from how Ash met Serena in the very spot they were at to when Faba erased their memories to their reunion and journey in Kalos to the kiss at the airport to the current situation they were in. Once the glow stopped, tears started falling down her cheeks.
'...You weren't kidding. Damn, that's some passion Ash has for Serena. I better not get in the way then. Now that I know what he's capable of, who am I to judge his heart?' Bayleef uttered, still shocked over the revelation. Latias glanced at her with a caring smile.
'I know. It shocked me too the first time I heard Ash talk about Serena. I could literally feel the love he has for her. And who are we to deny what he wants? It'd take a special bitch like Miette or Lusamine or Palermo to even attempt to break the unbreakable bond between them. And we are not them bitches!' she exclaimed nastily. Bayleef actually growled angrily at the mention of the trio.
'They will pay.' she muttered under her breath, shaking in fury. Latias nodded firmly.
'And we will make them pay. So...partners?' she asked while holding out a hand. A dark green vine slowly came from under a leaf around Bayleef's neck. She gently wrapped it on Latias's hand.
They shook them while Bayleef said, 'Partners.' Suddenly, her body started glowing light blue. Latias let out a surprised gasp before smirking.
Moments later, back with Ash, a group of Pokemon, including thirty Tauroses, a Muk that smothered him, a Glalie that froze him with Ice Beam, and a Talonflame that used the Flame Body ability to defrost him, all stood around their faithful trainer. Kevin, Maria, and Hau sweated nervously upon seeing that.
"...Are they always like that?" Kevin whispered to Gary. He actually chuckled a bit.
"You have no idea." Gary responded. Kevin and Maria gulped at the sound of that. They then noticed Ash's Infernape and Garchomp eyeing them curiously.
"Um, why are Infernape and Garchomp looking at me like that?" Kevin inquired. Ash couldn't help but smirk a little bit.
"Well, I'm assuming they've heard of the legend that is Kevin-Kong and Predator, right, guys?" he asked back knowingly. Infernape and Garchomp grunted in agreement. Kevin smirked back as Kong and Predator's Pokeballs vibrated.
"You two want a battle against us, don't you?" he questioned Infernape and Garchomp challengingly. A confident smile crossed Ash's face as his Pokemon roared.
"A battle between your Infernapes and Garchomps? Now that's a battle I got to see! Not to mention Ash-Greninja vs. Kevin-Kong!" Gary exclaimed giddily. The brothers chuckled while Greninja and Kong's Pokeballs shook excitedly at the prospects of a fun battle between two Bond Phenomenon users.
Ash was then about to speak to his Pokemon when Latias called out, 'Yo, guys! You won't believe what just happened!' Everyone turned to see her human form walking towards them. However, to their surprise, a completely different Pokemon was by Latias's side, looking very confident.
"No way! Bayleef evolved?!" Gary shouted, in awe.
"Awesome, Meganium! Looking good!" Ash praised his now fully evolved Johto Grass type starter. Meganium couldn't help but blush a little. She then noticed Bulbasaur looking quite dazed by her new form. Meganium decided to have a little fun and walked up to him. When she reached Bulbasaur, she bent her long neck down and shot him a wink. His face turned scarlet, causing everyone else to laugh.
'I see somebody has a crush...Then again, you've always had a crush on her since she was a Chikorita.' Pikachu stated teasingly and quietly for only Bulbasaur to hear.
'...Shut up, Pikachu.' he mumbled under his breath.
'What was that?' Meganium asked innocently. Bulbasaur became flustered by the cute look on her face.
'Err...' He got saved by a cough from Ash.
"Save your love making for later, you two. We're having a serious conversation here." he said in a mock serious and more teasing tone. The entire group of Ash's Pokemon roared in laughter as Meganium's face became the same color as Bulbasaur's. Even Kevin, Maria, and Gary joined them. After the laughing died down, Ash turned stern.
"All right, gang. Now I'm sure Garchomp told you everything he knows about what's been going on in Alola, right?" he inquired. Garchomp let out a loud roar in agreement.
"Good. Oh, and Garchomp, sorry about ditching you earlier." Ash stated apologetically. Garchomp simply shrugged his shoulder, as if saying he already forgave him.
Ash smirked while saying, "Good. Now I have a proposal..."
Many minutes later, at the Ketchum residence, Delia and Yellow were sitting on the sofa together, talking to a boy and a girl. He had pale skin, black hair with sideburns growing out, and brown eyes and was wearing a white beanie, a black headband with a thin scarlet semicircle, a skin-tight red and black T-shirt with an odd zipper in the collar, a Mega Ring on his left wrist, a green backpack, black and dark gray slim fit knee length shorts, and white and green slip on sneakers. The girl had long brown hair with two braids on the sides of her head that were pulled back and tied in the middle of the back of it and chocolate brown eyes and wore a necklace with a Key Stone attached to it, a yellow sleeveless shirt with a pink Pokeball logo in the middle, a Z-Ring on her right wrist, yellow shorts with pink stripes running down the side, and a pair of pink tennis shoes. A white Eevee was laying on top of her head while a Pikachu sat on her shoulder.
"I'm so glad you two finally made up!" the girl squealed delightfully. The boy rolled his eyes and yawned, clearly uninterested. Delia chuckled.
"Why, thank you, Cindy. And Brendan's just like you described. Totally quiet." she responded.
"What about those cousins you have?" Brendan suddenly piped up.
"My sons?" Delia asked. Cindy nodded.
"Brendan might be the opposite of Ash and Kevin, but one thing they have in common is that they love a good battle. He kept on begging me to battle one of them." she answered with a smirk aimed at Brendan.
He started to retort, "Because you won..." Suddenly, there was a pounding on the front door.
"I'll get it!" Cindy called out. She walked over and opened the door.
There was a few seconds of silence, followed by an extremely loud shout of "Ash?! Kevin?! Gary?!" Delia, Mimey, Yellow, and Brendan ran over to find Cindy hugging Ash tightly.
"C-C-Can't b-b-breathe..." he gasped. Kevin and Gary let out a nervous chuckle, knowing that they are next.
"Oopsies. Sorry." Cindy replied nonchalantly. She let go of Ash and hugged Kevin a bit more gently.
"Hey!" Ash moaned with a pout. Cindy's Eevee, Snow, and her Pikachu, Spark, who had both jumped off her, laughed their heads off. Brendan eyed the trio curiously, seeing them as potential rivals.
Gary pushed Kevin aside a little while exclaiming, "Me next!" Cindy's reaction to that was a kick in the shin. Gary collapsed on his knees, holding his private area in pain.
"Ow! Does the Princess not miss me?" he groaned. This question was met by a punch in the face from Brendan, knocking Gary out momentarily.
"Nobody calls my girlfriend 'Princess' but me!" he shouted venomously as the other boy lied on the ground, totally befuddled.
"Uh...Gary, are you OK?" Cindy asked worriedly while shooting a glare towards Brendan, who simply shrugged. Gary nodded.
"Y-Yeah, I'll be." he stammered a little shakily. Cindy chuckled lightly.
"I also noticed that, a. you didn't call me 'YOUR Princess', and b. you didn't even attempt to kiss me! Now that's a first." she stated, intrigued by the change in Gary's behavior. He snapped back to attention and stood back up with a slight wince.
"Whatever you do, do NOT say that by Lillie!" Gary replied seriously.
"Who's Lillie?" Cindy asked, very confused now.
"Gary's girlfriend." Ash answered slyly. Cindy snickered at the revelation.
"Well, well, well, I see you finally got a girl who stayed longer than a night stand!" she responded teasingly. Gary was about to retort, but Yellow cut him off.
"What in the Reverse World are you doing here, Hau?! Where's Leaf?!" she screeched out in confusion. That drew Cindy and Brendan's attention to the other two. She identified Latias's aura almost instantly and rushed over to her, very surprised.
"Bianca?! Aren't you supposed to be protecting the Soul Dew?!" Cindy whispered into her ear. Needless to say, Latias was stunned by the fact that this girl was able to figure out her identity that quick.
'Um...' She trailed off.
"The current Latios and Latias are doing just fine on their own, so Bianca decided to travel to Alola to have some fun. But she got caught in the mess we are in right now. And actually, Yellow, that's why we're here. We got a question only you can answer." Ash explained for Latias. She shot him a thankful smile. Yellow gave them a nod.
"I'm not telling you anything until you tell me where Leaf is!" she demanded sternly. Kevin, who had been unusually silent during the entire conversation, sighed bitterly.
"Uh...Guzma's Darkrai put us to sleep, and they kidnapped Leaf. We found out that she's being mind-controlled by Necrozma..." he started. Yellow shuddered upon hearing Necrozma's name while Delia, Mimey, and Cindy put their hand over their mouths in horror. Brendan, Snow, and Spark let out a gasp.
"...And we think Serperior is a Shadow Pokemon now." Kevin finished, looking a little worried. Yellow, even though she wanted to, did not murder him like everyone thought she would.
"O-Okay, what is the question you want to ask me?" she asked, surprisingly calm.
"Yellow, do you remember where you put the book I gave you?" Hau suddenly spoke up. Almost the entire group glanced at him, confused.
Yellow nodded while saying, "Yeah, I hid it in the Village of Dragons." Ash let out a surprised gasp.
"Iris's hometown?!" he inquired. Yellow hummed in agreement. Ash was going to say something else, but he got interrupted by Brendan.
"We're coming along with you!" he stated confidently.
Cindy finished her boyfriend's thought process for him: "It sounds like an adventure, and that's what I want!" Snow and Spark gave them a nod to that. The brothers and their Pokemon shook their heads.
"Nu-uh. No way." they replied at the same time. The couple, along with Snow and Spark, stared them all down.
"We are going, and that's final!" they exclaimed simultaneously. Eventually, Ash, Pikachu, Latias, Kevin, and Maria had to give in.
"Oh, fine. But only if you can beat us in a double battle!" Kevin shot back with his brother nodding.
Brendan's face lit up as he shouted, "You're on!" His girlfriend and her partners couldn't help but shake their heads.
"Only because I want to escape the boredom of castle life. Don't tell Mom, because she's going to kill me." she said warily. Ash and Kevin just sighed before one of them gazed up to the sky.
What Delia, Mimey, Yellow, Brendan, Cindy, Snow, and Spark heard Ash say next surprised them to no end: "Okay, now that that's settled, hey Mew, can you teleport us to the Village of Dragons?"