I know many of you were looking forward to the continuation of my other fanfics on here, but this is what I'm posting for now. The rest are on hiatus, but, hey, what can I say other than sorry? I think this is my best fanfic yet, so please let me know what you think! And, yes, just a heads up, there will be many doppelgänger characters :)

Please remember to review and tell me what you think!

After five years of traveling the world to collect Gym Badges and Contest Ribbons, Ivy Ketchum had returned to her home region, the Abuna region. She'd saved her home region for last, because she wanted to be the best she could be when she returned to compete in the Abuna League and the Abuna Contest circuit. Now that she'd conquered the Kalos, Unova, Sinnoh, Hoenn, Johto, Orange Islands and Kanto Leagues and Contest circuits, she'd conquered everything but her home region. She was the best Trainer she'd ever been thus far, the closest she'd ever been with her Pokémon, and she knew it was time to conquer the Abuna Region and all it had to offer for Trainers and Coordinators like herself.

"Home sweet home, huh, Pikachu?" Ivy asked with a grin, to her best pal, Pikachu, who rode on her shoulder.

"Pi, Pikachu!" Pikachu beamed in response.

The two had been partners ever since they started on their journey. Pikachu was Ivy's starter Pokémon, because she arrived late and Professor Yew was all out of the other starters she had to offer; the typical Starters in the region were the eight Eeveelutions. At first, the two struggled to get along, but after Ivy earned Pikachu's trust by saving his life from a flock of angry Beedrill, the two grew to have an incomprehensible bond.

"It'll be nice to see my dad again, huh?" Ivy inquired.

"Pika," Pikachu nodded.

Ivy grinned, as she leaned over the rail of the boat, seeing the Star City docks coming closer and closer. It was her hometown, and it seemed like she hadn't been there in ages. She was looking forward to seeing her father, David, who ran the Star City Gym, which specialized in Ground-types. She was also looking forward to seeing her friend Daisy, a Coordinator whom she'd met while travelling, who'd arranged her schedule so she could travel the Abuna region with Ivy. She was also looking forward to seeing one of her oldest childhood friends, Peter, who was the Gym Leader for the next town over, Mine Town. They'd been friends since they were toddlers, and she couldn't wait to see him again.

"We'll be docking in Star City in about five minutes, folks," announced the captain via a loudspeaker that rang over the boat. "Please start gathering your things from your cabins and prepare for arrival."

Momentarily, Pikachu leapt from Ivy's shoulder, causing the spiked tuft of fur on his head to ruffle in the wind, as Ivy picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulders. Once she did, Pikachu assumed his position on its Trainer's shoulder. They watched as the boat approached the dock, and when it did, they followed the line of other passengers to go back on land. Ivy's stomach fluttered with excitement, at being back home. She'd missed it so much, and she couldn't wait to see everyone.

Ivy, with Pikachu on her shoulder, finally set foot on Abuna ground. Smiles, ear to ear, broke out on both of their faces. With eyes wide with admiration, Ivy and Pikachu walked through the familiar streets. There was the ice cream shop that she frequented as a child, the farmer's market in the park, the big glassy office building, the Pokémon Center, Officer Jenny's Police Center, and her favorite diner that served the best pancakes ever.

She walked all the way down Main Street, then off the road to the right, where she came upon the familiar Star City Gym that, at first, appeared to be nothing more than a glass door and a Pokémon Gym Logo sticking out of the side of a rounded hill. The smile on her face only grew, as she laid eyes on the little wooden house to the right that sat behind a rainbow picket fence.

Ivy couldn't contain herself. She let out a giggling cry of joy, as did Pikachu, and she went into a dead-on sprint towards the small house. She flew through the gate of the fence, up the stairs of the porch, and into the house. Sitting on the couch, with his beloved Sandslash, was Ivy's father, David Ketchum.

As soon as the man saw his daughter, his eyes teared over. He rose, in silence, to see his daughter, as he approached her with his arms open for a hug. The two hugged for quite some time, and then David held his daughter by the shoulders, looking her over. She looked so much more like a woman than a girl, which she'd looked like the last time he saw her. He was so proud of the Pokémon Trainer his daughter had become that it overwhelmed him with emotion.

"Ivy, I'm so happy to see you again," he told his daughter. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Dad," she responded with a smile as her father tugged on one of her long black braids lovingly.

"And, it's good to see you, as always, Pikachu," David added, scratching Pikachu's spiky tuft of hair.

"Pika!" replied the Pokémon, enjoying being petted.

"Phanpy!" exclaimed a small, blue, elephant-like Pokémon as it burst into the room. "Phanpy, Phan!"

"Hi, Phanpy!" Ivy exclaimed in return, falling to her knees to greet her old friend as the Pokémon leapt into her arms. "I've missed you, buddy!"

"Phan!" Phanpy grinned.

Pikachu and Phanpy went on to greet each other lovingly, as Ivy remembered how she raised Phanpy. After two of her father's Donphan produced an egg, she took care of it with love and diligence, and when Phanpy hatched she became his prime caretaker, feeding, cleaning, teaching and playing with him. But, he had to stay behind when she started her journey, because he was still too young to go anywhere, and her father hoped she'd get the same kind of starter all the other kids got, even though that didn't end up happening.

"And Sandslash!" Ivy greeted, as her father's main Pokémon crashed into her with a hug. Laughing, she hugged back, and added, "Good to see you too, Sandslash!"

"Slash!" Sandslash replied, upon releasing the girl.

Chuckling, David said, "The gang's all here."

Over the next few hours, father and daughter became reacquanted with each other, and, of course, the Pokémon joined in the welcoming festivities as well. David ordered take out from Ivy's favorite diner, and the two had her absolute favorite pancakes for dinner. He even provided Ivy with her favorite dessert - the peppermint ice cream from the ice cream parlor on main street. The Pokémon even got their own special Pokémon treats, special PokéBlock Ivy had learned to make while in Hoenn.

When everyone was finished eating, they were so full that they felt like they'd burst. Everyone, except for David, because he had a surprise planned for his daughter. As she wiped her mouth with a white napkin, he rose from the table, retrieving the surprise gift that he had for her. It was an egg, a pink egg spotted with white stars, that sat safely within an egg case with a Pokéball fixed on top. Grinning, he carried it out to the dining room, behind his back so that Ivy wouldn't see.

"What's that, Dad?" Ivy asked, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. It was quite obvious that her father had something behind his back.

"Just a gift for you, honey," he smiled. Whipping the egg out from behind his back, he presented it to his daughter, saying, "I know how much you liked raising Phanpy, so I figured I'd give you the chance to raise another Pokémon."

"Oh, wow, Dad," Ivy muttered in awe, as she approached him and the egg. Carefully, she accepted it, taking it into her arms, and looking down at it with great joy. Smiling up at her father, she told him, genuinely, "Thank you. Thank you, so much."

"Not a problem, sweetheart," David assured his daughter with a smile of his own. "Just remember me when you look at that little Pokémon when you leave for you journey through Abuna."

"What kind of Pokémon will hatch from this egg, dad?" Ivy inquired.

With a grin, her father responded, "That's the surprise."