What's up everyone, I'm back with a brand new story that I hope to be my best one yet. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Champion's Plea

Never had the beautiful actress Diantha been defeated in battle; not since she had claimed the title of Kalos Champion. The exemplary bond she shared with her Pokemon, most notably with her Gardevoir, displayed the perfect synchronization and battling prowess people and Pokemon could ever hope to achieve.

It is for this reason that it had been quite a shock to Diantha and her numerous adoring fans when she had been defeated by Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town.

The battle had been spectacular, one of the most intense battles of the century. Ash could replay the images in his mind; every trivial detail from the suspenseful exposition to the breathtaking finale.

He and all of his Pokemon had worked so hard, and they were all well-supported by their friends Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena...especially Serena. He couldn't have thanked her and the two siblings enough; they truly were and still are some of his closest friends.

But despite all that, and despite having finally won a league, Ash had declined the title of Champion. Staying in one region and having challengers come to him wasn't quite his style. He still had his goal in mind: to become a Pokemon Master. No one knows for sure exactly what his definition of such a title is, but he made it clear that winning one league was just the beginning.

The only people who weren't surprised by this are the two most important adult figures in his life: Delia Ketchum and Professor Samuel Oak.

Watching the battle on television had been a stressful ordeal for Mrs. Ketchum. She wouldn't have been able to bear seeing Ash lose a sixth time; not after all the effort he had put into training. So when Diantha's Mega Gardevoir had fallen without getting up, she had cried tears of joy for her son. On top of that, watching Ash declare that he would not be replacing Diantha as Champion had made her even more proud.

Within the next five years, Ash continued traveling the intricate world of Pokemon with his beloved Pokemon partner, Pikachu. He returned to the Battle Chateau and climbed the ranks, all the way up to Grand Duke. He also visited his old Pokemon friend, Goodra, who was thriving happily in its homeland with Florges and the other Pokemon living there.

Ash didn't forget about the other regions, either. He traveled through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova, visiting his old traveling companions and other friends there. He even paid a brief visit to the Orange Islands, where he participated in multiple exhibition matches. After all, everyone was dying to have a battle with the one who defeated Diantha, who was arguably the most powerful champion in the world.

Now? Now, Ash is just relaxing in his home region, the beautiful land of Kanto. After several years of straight traveling, he decided that he needed to take it easy for a little while.

– –

~ Cerulean City, Kanto ~

"Wow, Oshawott is so cute!" Misty exclaimed, petting Oshawott on the head. The Sea Otter Pokemon relished the attention.

Ash smiled. "Yeah, I thought you'd like to see some of my Water-type Pokemon. Here, check this one out!" he said, tossing a Pokeball into the air. In a flash of white light, out came Greninja, who stealthily landed on the ground, hardly making a sound.

Misty marveled at Greninja's strong and slim body, admiring its long tongue and swift movements.

"Wow, Ash...you've certainly been busy since we last traveled together," Misty said, smiling at her old traveling companion. I wonder if he's met any girls on his travels...or if he even has an interest in them yet, she thought to herself.

Back in the old days, Misty used to have a mild crush on Ash. Gradually, however, her feelings had slowly dwindled to what she believed her relationship with Ash should be: friendship. Nothing more. Still, he was like a little brother to her, and she constantly worried about him.

Ash nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, definitely...I've met a whole bunch of Pokemon and people that I wish you could meet! Plenty of other Gym Leaders like you, and even a Pokemon Performer..." his voice trailed off as he mentioned that last part. I wonder if she thinks about me as much as I think about her... he silently wondered.

Misty noticed a hint of melancholy in his voice. "Oh, I've never heard of Performers. What do they do?" she asked casually.

"Well, they compete in Pokemon Showcases, where they do a bunch of things to show off the aesthetic aspects of their Pokemon. Ultimately, they're all trying to become Kalos Queen, who's basically the best out of them all," Ash briefly explained. His interest in Pokemon Performing was relatively limited; the only reason he ever cared for them at all was because of Serena.

Misty nodded, trying to seem nonchalant about the subject. "So, what's her name?" she asked.

Ash looked up and blinked a couple of times. "What? Who's name?"

Laughing a little, Misty rephrased her question. "The Performer you traveled with. What's her name?"

Ash was about to answer when he heard his Holo Caster ringing. He took the device out of his pocket and initiated the recording. In seconds, he was looking at a Holographic form of Diantha, the Champion of Kalos.

"Who's that?" Misty asked.

Ash remained silent as he listened to the call.

"Hello Ash, I'm sorry, but I don't have a lot of time to explain. Siebold has just intercepted a member of Team Aqua snooping around the coast of Geosenge Town. We forced him to tell us what he was doing, and...well, it doesn't sound good. For all we know, the entire Kalos region could be...well, nevermind. Just, I need your help. You're the true Champion of Kalos, Ash, you really are...we need you."

And with that, the hologram vanished.

– –

~ Shalour City, Kalos ~

It's a cool, calm morning as the sun is just rising above the horizon. Gym Leader Korrina and her lifelong partner Lucario are currently on their daily morning run, jogging at an impressive pace alongside the beach of Shalour City.

Suddenly, the Aura Pokemon stopped running and stared at the water intently, as if waiting for something to pop out.

Korrina stopped running and looked over at her Pokemon. "What's wrong, Lucario?" she asked.

Without answering, Lucario continued to stare at the calm water. It closed its eyes and held up its paw towards the water.

"Lucario, what are you doing?" Korrina asked.

Lucario released an Aura Sphere straight towards the water without responding to Korrina. It made a splash, scattering a few Magikarp and Luvdisc away. But the sound it made was unnatural. It had hit something. Something hard.

Korrina scanned the surface of the water, trying to get a glimpse of anything beneath it.

Within seconds, an entire submarine floated up to the surface, with a large dent on its exterior. Korrina and Lucario both took a step back.

"What the hell is a lone submarine doing out here?" Korrina said as she cautiously kept her eye on it.

Then, as if on cue, another submarine surfaced just next to the first one. Soon after that, another one came up next to that one.

Before long, there was a dozen of them, all lining the water surrounding the Tower of Mastery. Strangely dressed people started getting out of them and walking onto the sand, each one with at least one Pokeball in his or her hand.

Korrina stood her ground, unwilling to back down. "Okay, just who are you guys? And what the hell are you doing in my town?" she shouted. Lucario stood by her, steadfast and ready for a fight.

A woman who seemed to be the leader among them stepped up. "That's none of your business, girl. Well, actually, I suppose it is...after all, we'll be occupying this town from now on, but nonetheless...you should just run now before things get ugly," she said arrogantly, her smirk infuriating the Shalour Gym Leader.

Korrina gripped her hands into fists. "Like hell I will! Lucario, Mega Evolve!" she said as she placed two fingers on her Key Stone. Streams of light appeared between her and Lucario as the latter began to transform, growing larger physical features. As the light faded, the symbol of Mega Evolution hovered in the air as Mega Lucario stood firmly between its trainer and the strange people.

Aqua Admin Shelly smirked again, tossing her Pokeball into the air. "You should've run when you had the chance, sweetie...but now it's too late."

– – – –

End of Chapter 1. What'd you guys think? Good? Bad? Is it worth continuing? Let me know your thoughts in the reviews! Sorry if this seemed short, but I am hard pressed for time at the moment. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you'll stay tuned; this story is about to get a lot more interesting.