After everything—after the endless leagues, the World Coronation Series, the insane final against Leon that broke the internet, and then that brutal championship match that made the whole planet know his name—Ash Ketchum was finally World Champion. Like, official, no-debate, number-one-in-the-world Champion.
And the second he stepped off the stadium floor, the offers started flooding in. Interviews, parades, sponsorships, the works. But Ash being Ash, he said yes to the one thing that actually sounded fun: a victory tour. No big fancy events, just bouncing around regions, meeting trainers, and giving quick pep talks wherever they asked.
Paldea was stop number four.
Orange Academy had basically begged the Pokémon League to let him swing by for "just fifteen minutes." The headmaster wanted the students fired up. Ash showed up in his same beat-up jacket, Pikachu on his shoulder, jet-lagged as hell from the flight, but still grinning like an idiot because free battles and new trainers were his weakness.
The whole academy was losing its mind. Banners with his face, kids skipping class to line up outside the auditorium, teachers pretending they weren't fangirling too. His story was everywhere now—every channel, every social feed, every kid's bedroom wall. The boy who started with nothing but a stubborn Pikachu and a dream, who lost more times than most people ever battled, and still became the strongest on the planet.
In the third row, Liko was shaking.
She'd watched every single match. Twice. Three times. The way Ash never gave up, the way he screamed his Pokémon's names like they were his best friends, the way he smiled even when everything was against him… it was the reason she even came to this academy. She wanted to be like that. She wanted to feel that fire.
And today she was going to ask him for a battle.
The lights dimmed. Ash hopped onto the stage like it was nothing.
"Yo! Paldea! What's up?!"
The roar that answered him almost blew the roof off.
Ash laughed, scratched the back of his neck, and leaned into the mic with that same dumb, honest energy he always had.
"Listen up! Being Champion doesn't mean you're perfect. It just means you kept getting back up every single time you got knocked down. Every loss taught me something. Every win reminded me why I started this crazy journey in the first place. So if you're sitting here thinking your dream is too big… don't! Just throw that first Poké Ball. The rest? That's the adventure!"
He punched the air. Pikachu copied him with a loud "Pika-PIIII!"
The entire auditorium exploded.
Liko's heart was hammering so hard she could hear it over the screaming. This was her chance. Ash was already waving, already turning toward the exit, security gently pushing a path through the crowd.
Her legs moved before her brain caught up.
She shoved between bodies, ignoring the elbows and the "hey watch it!"s, Sprigatito squeaking in her bag like she was crazy.
This was it.
Right now.
Before he walked out that door.
She was going to battle the World Champion.
Liko's hands were shaking so bad she had to shove them into her skirt pockets so nobody would notice. The auditorium was still going nuts—kids screaming Ash's name, phones flashing like crazy, some girl in the back row straight-up crying. Ash had just finished his speech, that same loud, dorky energy he always had on TV, and now he was jumping down from the stage, waving at everyone like it was no big deal.
Pikachu sat on his shoulder, cheeks sparking a little, waving back with both tiny paws. "Pika-pi!"
Liko's heart was slamming against her ribs. This is it. This is actually him. The guy who beat Leon. The guy who never gives up. The guy I've watched a million times. She'd practiced this moment in her head for weeks. But now that he was walking toward the exit, security guys already trying to clear a path, her brain went totally blank.
Say something. Anything. Don't just stand here like an idiot!
She shoved through the crowd, elbowing past some taller kid who grumbled "Hey, watch it!" Sprigatito poked her head out of Liko's bag and squeaked nervously, but Liko didn't even slow down.
"A-Ash! Champion Ash—wait!"
Her voice cracked halfway through. A couple people turned. Ash stopped, one foot already out the door, and looked back with that confused-but-friendly face he always made when someone called him out.
"Huh?"
The whole hall got quieter. Not silent, but quieter. Liko could feel every single eye on her now. Her face burned. She probably looked like a tomato.
She forced her legs to keep moving until she was right in front of him, maybe ten feet away. Up close he looked… normal. Messy hair, old jacket with a couple patches, that stupid grin. But his eyes were sharp. Like he was actually looking at her, not just waving at fans.
Liko swallowed hard. Her throat felt like sandpaper.
"I—I've watched every single one of your battles," she blurted out. "The World Coronation Series, the finals against Leon, even that crazy one against Cynthia when you were younger. The way you and your Pokémon fight together… it's not like anyone else. You don't just win. You make them believe they can do anything. That's why I came to this academy. That's why I—"
She ran out of breath. Sprigatito tugged at her sleeve like please don't die.
Ash tilted his head, still smiling but now kinda curious. Pikachu's ears perked up.
Liko clenched her fists so tight her nails dug into her palms.
"So… please! Battle me! Right now! One-on-one, no handicaps, nothing! I know you're about to leave but—I have to know what it feels like to stand across from you. Just once."
For a second nobody moved.
Then the entire auditorium lost its mind.
"OH MY GOD SHE SAID IT!"
"LIKO YOU LEGEND!"
"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
Someone started stomping on the bleachers. Phones shot up everywhere. Professor Friede, who was standing near the door, facepalmed so hard it echoed.
Ash blinked twice. Then his whole face changed—that wild, excited grin he always got right before a real battle. The one that said this is gonna be fun.
"Whoa… you're serious, huh?" He laughed, that loud, honest laugh that sounded exactly like the videos. He scratched the back of his neck, looking almost embarrassed. "I was literally about to head to the airport, plane's waiting and everything… but man, when a trainer looks at me like that? No way I'm saying no."
He stepped forward, jacket flapping, and pointed right at her.
"Name's Ash Ketchum! And if you really want a battle—" He winked. "—then let's do it!"
Pikachu jumped off his shoulder, landed in a battle stance, sparks flying. "Pika-PIIII!"
Liko's knees almost buckled. Half from terror, half from the biggest rush of happiness she'd ever felt in her life. Her hero—the actual World Champion—was standing right there, grinning at her like they were old rivals.
The crowd was chanting her name now. "LI-KO! LI-KO!"
She could barely hear herself over the noise, but she still said it, voice small but burning.
"Then… let's battle, Ash Ketchum."
Ash's grin got even bigger, the same dangerous, happy look he had in every final match she'd ever seen.
"Bring it on!"
The whole auditorium had turned into a makeshift battlefield in under two minutes. Chairs shoved aside, barriers dragged out, phones everywhere recording like it was the finals. The crowd was already chanting "LI-KO! LI-KO!" so loud the windows shook.
Ash stood casual on one side, hands in his pockets, Pikachu bouncing in front of him like he owned the place.
"Alright, Liko," Ash called, voice easy and loud. "I'm only here with Pikachu right now—no team, no holding back if you don't want me to. So if you really want this… let's begin!"
Liko's stomach flipped, but she nodded hard.
"Sprigatito! Go!"
The little grass cat burst out with a fierce "Sprigaaa-tito!" claws out, eyes locked on Pikachu like this was her championship match.
"Leafage!" Liko shouted.
Sprigatito spun and fired a storm of spinning leaves. It looked perfect—fast, sharp, exactly like they practiced every morning.
Pikachu didn't dodge right away. He just tilted his head… and then his whole face changed.
His cheeks puffed out, eyes narrowed into that classic smug dragon glare, mouth pulled into Charizard's signature cocky smirk with the tiny flame flickering at the corner. He even struck the pose—arms wide, head tilted exactly like Charizard after a Flamethrower KO.
"Pika… chaaaaaar!" he growled in the deepest voice he could manage.
The entire auditorium exploded with laughter. Someone in the front row actually fell off their chair. Sprigatito skidded to a stop mid-charge, leaves fizzling out, staring in pure betrayal.
"Spriga?!" she squeaked, ears flat, looking personally offended that this yellow rat was mocking her future evolution dreams.
Ash cracked up so hard he had to hold his stomach. "He's doing the face again! Pikachu, you're such a bully!"
Pikachu dropped the Charizard face for half a second, winked at Liko, then immediately switched to Squirtle—cheeks round, eyes half-lidded, tiny shell shrug like "what're you gonna do about it?" Then—boom—back to Bulbasaur, vines wiggling from his imaginary bulb while he stuck his tongue out.
"Pika-pi-ka-pi!" he taunted, hopping from one mimic face to the next like it was the easiest thing in the world.
Sprigatito's fur puffed up to twice its size. "SPRIGATITO!!" she yowled, absolutely furious now.
Liko's face was burning red, but she couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out. "S-Sprigatito, ignore him! Quick Attack!"
Sprigatito charged like a green bullet. Pikachu kept the Bulbasaur face on for one extra second just to rub it in, then blurred sideways at the last moment. Sprigatito shot past and slammed face-first into a chair, tumbling in a heap.
Pikachu landed, dropped the mimic face, and went full Charizard pose again—chest out, one paw raised high. "Pika-PIIII!" Here! Right here! You can hit me if you try harder!
The crowd was dying. Someone screamed "DO THE CHARIZARD FACE AGAIN!" and half the hall started chanting for it.
Ash cupped his hands around his mouth, still grinning. "He's messing with you on purpose! Use the chairs! Box him in! Don't let him keep playing clown!"
Liko was breathing hard, half embarrassed, half fired up. "Okay—Leafage around the chairs, then Bite straight through!"
Sprigatito launched a whirlwind of glowing leaves, trying to trap Pikachu while she dashed behind them. For two whole seconds it actually looked like it might work.
Pikachu's ears twitched. Then he leaped straight up, did a lazy flip, and when he landed he was back to the Charizard face—smirk, glare, everything—while casually waving one paw like too slow.
"Pika… chaaaaar~"
Sprigatito screamed in pure rage and lunged.
Pikachu finally got serious for half a second. One gentle Thunderbolt—bright yellow spark—zapped her mid-air. Not hard. Just enough. Sprigatito spun like a top and flopped onto the floor, eyes swirling, tiny "Spriga…" before she went still.
The referee teacher raised her hand. "Sprigatito is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!"
The auditorium detonated—cheers for Liko, laughs for Pikachu's comedy show, phones flashing like crazy.
Liko dropped to her knees beside her partner, chest heaving, eyes stinging. She hadn't landed a single hit. Not one.
Ash walked over, Pikachu hopping back onto his shoulder. The Champion scratched the back of his neck, smile softer now.
"Hey… you good?"
Liko nodded even though her voice shook. "I couldn't even touch him… and he was making stupid faces the whole time…"
"Yeah," Ash laughed. "That's Pikachu for you. He only does the face thing when he thinks the opponent's got heart. Means he was having fun." Pikachu leaned down and gently booped Sprigatito's forehead with his nose. "Pika-pi," he said softly—like a "good try, kid" and an apology all at once.
Liko wiped her eyes with her sleeve, laughing despite everything. "He really looked exactly like Charizard… Sprigatito's never gonna forgive him."
Ash grinned that big, bright Champion grin and held out a fist.
"You kept swinging. You listened. You didn't quit even when he was clowning on you. That's what matters." He winked. "Next time I'm in Paldea? Bring more Pokémon. Because I won't let Pikachu do the faces then… much."
Liko bumped his fist, still holding her fainted Sprigatito close.
Her heart was still racing. Her face was still burning.
But for the first time since she joined Orange Academy, she didn't feel like a kid who was just watching heroes on TV.
She felt like someone who'd just taken the first real swing at becoming one.
The auditorium was still buzzing like a beehive on steroids—kids yelling, phones out, teachers trying (and failing) to herd everyone back to class. Ash had just fist-bumped the referee teacher, thanked her for the quick setup, and was already slinging his beat-up backpack over one shoulder. Pikachu hopped onto his head, tail swishing, looking smug as hell after his little comedy routine.
"Welp, that was fun," Ash said, grinning at the chaos. "But I gotta jet—plane's waiting at the airport, and they're probably already mad I'm late again."
Liko was still kneeling by Sprigatito, who was starting to stir in her arms with a groggy "Spriga… tito…" But the second Ash turned toward the side exit, she scrambled up like her shoes were on fire. No way she was letting this end here. She'd just battled the World Champion. The Ash Ketchum. She was glued to him now, whether he liked it or not.
She fell into step right beside him, Sprigatito cradled against her chest like a security blanket. Her legs were still shaky from the adrenaline crash, but she matched his pace, half-jogging to keep up. The crowd parted for them—some kids snapping pics, others whispering "That's the girl who fought him!"—but Liko didn't care. She was stuck to Ash like tape on a new Poké Ball.
"U-Um, Ash—Champion—wait, I mean, that was… I mean, thank you," she stammered, words tumbling out. "I know I lost bad, but… you weren't going easy, right? Pikachu was really trying? Even with the faces?"
Ash glanced down at her, that easy laugh bubbling up again. He slowed his walk a bit so she could keep up without dying. "Nah, I wasn't holding back. Not really. Pikachu just gets bored if it's too one-sided, so he starts clowning. You saw the Charizard bit? He's been doing that since he was a little squirt. Thinks it's hilarious."
Pikachu puffed out his chest on Ash's head and did a tiny version of the face again—smirk, glare, the works. "Pika-chaaa~" Sprigatito glared up at him from Liko's arms, ears flat, like she was plotting revenge.
Liko giggled despite herself, cheeks still pink. "Sprigatito's mad at him forever now. But… how did you know all that stuff? Like, telling me to watch his tail, use the chairs? I felt like you were right there in my head."
They pushed through the academy doors into the bright Paldea afternoon. Sunlight hit the orange-tiled roofs, and the salty sea breeze from the coast ruffled Ash's jacket. Security was waiting outside—a couple League guys in suits, looking impatient—but Ash waved them off like "five more minutes, guys." He kept walking toward the parking lot where a sleek black van (probably the League's) idled, Liko still right on his heels, not even pretending to give him space.
"Years of getting my butt kicked, that's how," Ash said, shrugging. He kicked a pebble down the path, hands in his pockets. "Back when I started? Man, I was worse than you. First battle I ever had, I sent out Pikachu against a wild Pidgey. Thought I was hot stuff. Pikachu shocked it once and… boom, over. But I didn't even know what type advantages were. I just yelled 'Pikachu, Thunderbolt!' like it was magic."
Liko's eyes went wide. She was hanging on every word, Sprigatito's head peeking up like she was listening too. "You? Losing? But you're… you're the Champion! How did you even get from that to… this?"
Ash scratched the back of his neck, staring out at the academy grounds like he was seeing old memories play out. The van driver honked lightly, but he ignored it.
"Trial and error, mostly. Lost to Brock in Pewter City—first Gym. Got crushed. Then Misty in Cerulean, same thing. I'd run in, all hyped, and my Pokémon would get wrecked 'cause I didn't listen. Pikachu hated me at first, y'know? Wouldn't even battle for me. But after a while… you start seeing the patterns. The way a Pokémon's eyes shift right before they dodge. How the wind changes the path of a leaf attack." He grinned sideways at her. "Kinda like how I saw you hesitate on that second Leafage. You were thinking too much. Next time? Just feel it."
They reached the van. The door slid open automatically, and Ash tossed his bag in first. Pikachu jumped down to the seat, curling up like he owned it. Liko stopped short, biting her lip. This was it—the end of her five minutes of glory. But she couldn't move. She was still glued there, like if she blinked he'd vanish.
Ash paused, one foot in the van, and turned back. "Hey, Liko. You got heart. Real heart. Most kids your age would've quit after the first face Pikachu pulled. But you kept swinging. That's how it starts. I was ten, running around Kanto with a backpack and a dream. You're already at an academy—way ahead of me."
He reached out and ruffled her hair quick and rough, like a big brother. "Keep training. Next time I'm back in Paldea? You better have a full team ready to throw down. No more one-on-one with the clown rat."
Pikachu "Pika!"-ed indignantly from inside.
Liko laughed, eyes stinging a little, but she nodded hard. "I will. I promise. And… thanks. For everything."
Ash hopped into the van, door starting to close. "No problem. See ya around, future Champion!"
The van pulled away, tires crunching on the gravel. Liko stood there in the parking lot, waving like an idiot, Sprigatito waving a tiny paw too. Her heart was still racing, but for the first time, the academy didn't feel so big and scary.
It felt like the start of something huge.
The van was already idling in the academy parking lot, engine humming, the League driver tapping the wheel like "dude, we're on a schedule." But Ash was still standing outside the open door, one foot on the step, Pikachu lounging across the backseat like he owned the ride. Liko hadn't moved an inch. She was literally glued to his side, Sprigatito half-asleep in her arms, staring up at him like he was the only person left on the planet.
"So… you really sucked at the beginning?" she asked, half-laughing, half in disbelief. "Like, worse than me?"
Ash snorted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Worse? Kid, I was a walking disaster. Let me tell you about the Sparrow Incident. Or, well… Spearow incident."
Liko's eyes lit up. She leaned in closer, almost bumping his shoulder.
"Day one. Literally the first hour after I left Pallet Town. I'm all cocky, backpack half-empty, Pikachu refusing to stay in his ball and shocking me every five minutes. I see this wild Pidgey and I'm like 'easy first catch!' Throw the ball… miss completely. Pidgey just flies off laughing at me. So I'm pissed, right? I pick up a rock and yeet it at this random Spearow that's minding its own business on a fence."
He made a throwing motion with his arm, face going all dramatic.
"Bullseye. Right on the head. That Spearow turns around, eyes glowing red, and lets out the loudest screech I've ever heard. Next thing I know, the entire sky is full of angry Spearow. Dozens of them. Maybe hundreds. They're diving, pecking, chasing us through the whole route. Pikachu's zapping like crazy, I'm screaming like an idiot, running for my life with tears in my eyes. I genuinely thought I was gonna die on my first day as a trainer. All because I got mad and threw a stupid rock."
Liko's mouth fell open. "You… you started a Spearow war?!"
"Yep. Total fuck-up." Ash laughed, but it was the kind that said he still cringed thinking about it. "Pikachu hated me even more after that. I almost quit right there on the side of the road. But then… we made it to Viridian Forest, barely alive, covered in peck marks."
He paused, grin softening into something real and warm.
"And that's when I caught my first Pokémon. Caterpie."
Liko tilted her head. "Caterpie? Like… the little green worm one?"
"Exactly. I'm exhausted, Pikachu's half-dead from all the zaps he used, and this tiny Caterpie just crawls out of the bushes. I throw the ball… and it clicks. First try. No fancy moves, no drama. Just click. I remember picking up the ball and staring at it like it was made of gold. My hands were shaking. Pikachu even stopped being mad for a second and looked at me like 'huh, you actually did something right.'"
Ash's eyes got that far-away sparkle, the same one he had during his speech earlier.
"Man… that feeling. It was the best thing in the world. Better than any trophy, better than winning the World Championship. Because it wasn't just a catch. It was proof. Proof that even after screwing up so bad I almost got murdered by birds, I could still do this. I could still be a trainer. Caterpie evolved into Metapod like two days later, then Butterfree, and he was with me through everything after that. But that first click… I'll never forget it."
He looked down at Liko, still standing there like she'd grown roots.
"You'll get that feeling too, y'know. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But one day you'll throw a ball and it'll click, and you'll realize all the losses and all the stupid mistakes were just the road that got you there."
The driver honked again, longer this time. Ash sighed and finally stepped into the van.
"Gotta go. Plane's gonna leave without me." He gave her one last messy hair-ruffle. "Keep training hard, Liko. And next time I see you? Tell me about your first real catch. I wanna hear how awesome it felt."
The door slid shut. The van started rolling.
Liko stood there waving like an idiot, Sprigatito waving a tiny paw too, both of them grinning so wide it hurt.
She'd lost the battle.
But somehow… she felt like she'd just won something way bigger.