Of course, Misty and May didn't stay the whole time.
After all, their top priority right now was their own training.
They could both feel the pressure building.
Anabel and Sabrina had already reached Elite Four-level strength.
Meanwhile, Misty and May still had plenty of room to grow.
So, whether for Ash's sake or their own, the two girls trained even harder than before.
And today was the day Ash would head to the Kalos region.
His ticket was already booked.
Delia, Anabel, and Sabrina stood at the front gate of the yard.
"Ash, dear, is this going to be your last time challenging a League? You've already won the Sinnoh League and taken the Champion's title, haven't you?"
Delia carefully straightened Ash's collar with her own hands.
At the same time, Anabel handed Ash a small backpack.
Sabrina came out of the house holding some specialty treats from the Kanto region.
Yesterday, Ash had already gotten in touch with Professor Oak.
Over in Kalos, Professor Oak had spoken with Professor Sycamore and made the arrangements.
Since the nearest airport to Pallet Town only had flights to Lumiose City, that was where Ash would be flying.
Hearing Delia's puzzled question, Ash just smiled without explaining.
No matter what, both the Sinnoh League and the Kalos League were challenges he had to face.
The Sinnoh League Champion title was already secured—no regrets there.
Next up… the Kalos region.
Alain… just you wait.
Greninja, here I come!!!
——
Ash set off.
This time, he didn't bring any of his other veteran Pokémon.
Only his newly caught Unova partners—Snivy and Tepig—were coming along.
Of course, Meloetta would also be tagging along.
If he left that little troublemaker at home, there was no telling if Team Rocket might just barge right in.
Ash didn't want Delia worrying about that.
Better to keep Meloetta close. Even if Team Rocket showed up, none of them—except that one trio—would dare cause trouble.
And naturally, Pikachu was the eternal, irreplaceable companion always at Ash's side.
It was worth mentioning that over these past two months, even though Ash had been enjoying a more relaxed life, Snivy and Tepig had each evolved once.
Their levels hadn't gone up much—they were still at Level 20—but Snivy had evolved into Servine, and Tepig had evolved into Pignite.
"Anabel, Sabrina, Ash is off on another journey again."
Delia smiled gently as she watched the direction Ash had gone.
Anabel and Sabrina both nodded.
Go without worry, Ash. We'll take care of things here.
——
After a few hours, Ash boarded his flight to Lumiose City.
The plane took off.
The passenger in the seat next to Ash had been absent during boarding, only arriving after the plane was already in the air.
"Ah, finally done with this long tour of Unova, Sinnoh, Hoenn, and Kanto. Not easy at all."
It was a young woman.
Her voice was gentle, and when Ash looked over, his gaze froze for a moment.
This was none other than Alexa—the Pokémon journalist from the original storyline!
In the original events, Alexa was a roving reporter, traveling everywhere to document stories.
Ash had originally met her in Unova.
But since he hadn't traveled through Unova this time, they technically shouldn't have crossed paths at all.
Yet fate still had them meeting—on a flight from Kanto to Lumiose City.
Alexa soon noticed the young man beside her carrying a Pikachu. Being a huge fan of Electric-type Pokémon, she immediately struck up a conversation, and the two quickly became acquainted.
Hearing that Ash was heading to Kalos, Alexa smiled proudly and told him that her younger sister was a Gym Leader there—Viola. She suggested that Ash come challenge her sister's Gym.
And so, chatting the whole way, the plane drew closer and closer to Kalos.
Who knew how much time had passed before the plane touched down smoothly?
The cabin doors opened.
Ash and Alexa were among the last to disembark.
The moment Ash stepped outside, breathing in the fresh Kalos air, both he and Pikachu felt their spirits soar.
"Hey… Kalos, here I come!"
"Pika, Pikachu!"
Standing on Kalos soil for the very first time, Ash and Pikachu couldn't help but shout with excitement.
"Haha, Ash, you and Pikachu really are something else. But I get it—this is your first time in Kalos, so of course it feels amazing…"
Alexa laughed warmly, fully understanding his excitement.
"Alexa, your sister Viola's Gym isn't in Lumiose City—it's in Santalune City, right?"
"Eh? I thought you didn't know. But since you do, that makes things easier. Yep, my sister Viola isn't just a Gym Leader, she's also a Pokémon photographer. She's often away on photography trips, but when you come to challenge her, I'll let her know in advance. I'll even come cheer you on myself."
The two parted ways there.
Ash glanced at Pikachu on his shoulder.
"Pikachu, let's go say hi to Professor Sycamore first."
"Pikachu!"
Finally—they were here. Finally in Kalos!
Ash knew that the Lumiose Gym was currently closed due to a robot built by Clemont, so there was no point in going there. Straight to the lab it was.
Pikachu hopped from Ash's left shoulder to his right, then clambered up to lie across his head.
Before long, they reached Lumiose City's Pokémon Lab.
This was Professor Sycamore's research facility.
Professor Sycamore was a renowned expert in Pokémon evolution.
Today, he was expecting a guest.
"Professor Sycamore, sir, is there someone important coming today?"
In the lab, a young man with short golden hair and round glasses saw the professor standing at the door, waiting intently.
"Brother, let's just wait here, okay? Whoever the professor is waiting for must be really amazing. I can't wait to see!"
Beside the young man stood an eight- or nine-year-old girl—his little sister.
They were none other than Clemont and Bonnie.
Author's Note:
And so, the Kalos arc begins! If you're enjoying the journey, don't forget to leave a review and rate this fanfic on Webnovel—it really helps a lot!
I tweaked the plot slightly—since Ash didn't go to the Lumiose Gym, his first meeting with Clemont and Bonnie had to be changed.
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T/N:
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