Champion, Scientist, and Traveler
"Ready Ash?" A 25 year old Ash Ketchum walked onto a battlefield now wearing a rehash of his outfit from Hoenn lacking his hat letting his long and messy raven hair almost block his eyes as he walked up to Lance of the Kanto Elite Four.
"I dunno Lance, are you ready to fight me?"
"You sound confident, I'm going to strip the title of Champion of five regions from you!"
"THEN BRING IT ON! CHARIZARD I CHOOSE YOU!"
"Professor Oak! Something's wrong in the chamber!" A scientist ran into a room making the man wearing a pair of goggles and mask over his head inside stop what he was doing and take his protection off revealing a 25 year old Gary Oak who was in as desperate need for a haircut as Ash was.
"What is it?"
"An overcharge of electricity caused-" Gary's subordinate shut up seeing Gary take out Electivire who simply put one of his tails in a socket making the power surge for a second.
"Better?"
"I'll go check."
"INCREDIBLE! ASH HAS DEFEATED FIVE OF LANCE'S POKEMON WITH HIS ONE MEGA CHARIZARD!" Lance grabbed his final Pokeball gritting his teeth as Ash and his Mega Charizard X stood with determination in their eyes.
"DRAGONITE GO AND USE DRAGON CLAW!" Dragonite flew out of the Pokeball and tried to slash Charizard who simply caught the attack charging up his own attack in his mouth.
"Sorry Lance but even that almighty Dragonite can't beat Charizard. DRAGON RAGE!" Charizard opened his mouth unleashing a blue flame upon Dragonite sending it back to Lance barely able to stand.
"Dragonite!"
"THUNDER PUNCH!" Before he could order an attack, Lance covered his eyes as an explosion of dust hit him as Charizard flew quickly to Dragonite delivering a devastating punch to the head. As the dust left Charizard, now back to normal, towered over Dragonite who was now unconscious in front of his trainer.
"DRAGONITE IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! CHARIZARD WINS AND THAT MEANS THE WINNER OF THE CHARITY BATTLE IS ASH FROM PALLET TOWN!" The crowd roared in excitement as the two went over and shook each other's hands as Charizard helped Dragonite up shaking his hand as well.
"Great...1,480 wins and none of them's been a challenge since Paul..." Ash entered his house releasing his Pokemon in his backyard watching them all run around and play as he stood sighing in contemplation before walking into his living room only letting the light the moon was letting in illuminate it. He looked at each of them smiling until he reached one...his last photo before his break up with Serena, May, and Dawn. Before he could go upstairs, there was a knock on his door making him go see who it was. He let out a sigh of relief seeing it was Gary and invited him in. "Hey Gary, what's up?"
"Nothing much, just...getting bored."
"I think I know what you mean." Ash took a seat in the chair next to Gary who flopped on the couch and looked at his hands. "Being a Pokemon Master is boring. So many wins and nothing's been as challenging since Paul a few years back."
"I can tell, Grandpa always made science look so fun but now that I'm head researcher...I have nothing to do that excites me anymore."
As the two talked inside, a female figure walked up to the door and was about to knock on the door but stopped at the last second feeling hesitant.
'...should I?'
"Maybe it was our bad break-ups that did this to us."
"Maybe...but your fallout with Misty was better than having to be dumped by three women."
"Look...I know it's hard to remember but can you tell me what is it that caused the break-up of a century."
"I...can't explain because I don't know."
"What?"
"I did the best I could, I took one here, the other there, the other all over. I just remember a call one day...it was all three saying they want out...right as I was about to propose."
"Ash maybe your next adventure isn't involving Pokemon, for all you know...it could be right at the door." Gary pointed at the front door as a joke making Ash smile until they heard a knock making Ash stand up leaving Gary looking at his hand. "And a million pokedollars will fall from the ceiling...I'm waiting." He looked up still in disbelief waiting for money to start falling like confetti.
"Who is it?" Ash hesitantly unlocked the door and opened it to see someone he hadn't seen for more than a decade...Leaf. "L-Leaf..."
"Hi Ash. May I come in, gonna start raining soon."
"Yes of course, you want anything?"
"No thanks. Hi Gary."
"Hey Leaf. LEAF?!" Gary raised his hand still looking at the ceiling until he realized what he said looking at the girl in disbelief.
"W-what are you doing here?"
"You were the only person I could run to..."Leaf sat down rubbing her arm making Ash turn on the light and look at the red mark on it,
"W-Who did that?"
"My ex-fiance. That's why I ran to you...I ran out on my wedding."
"Wait what? Why?"
"I dunno, something just told me he wasn't the man for me as I finished getting ready to walk down the aisle."
"My god..." Ash ran into the kitchen and came back with a bag filled with ice and put it on her arm. "How did he do this?"
"I was in my apartment packing up and right as I was about to leave...he said he wouldn't let me go and grabbed on tight. I slapped him and ran as fast as I could."
"Well if you want...you could stay with me." Gary held out his hand offering it to Leaf but she shook her head beginning to cry.
"I can't...I would just run away again...I ran away from my journey...from home...from you two...from my wedding...what can I do?" Leaf was answered by Ash hugging her burying her face in his chest.
"Keep running but to us...we'll help you..."
"Sorry boys for intruding, but Gary shouldn't you be at work? Or Ash at your girlfriends' contests?" Leaf was wearing one of Ash's robes making breakfast for the men who stood in the kitchen munching on loaves of bread making them sigh.
"They all dumped me a few months ago..."
"I feel like quitting so I called in sick this morning."
"Aw. Well fate sure has brought us back together!"
"How so?" Leaf turned around pointing at the two as a familiar electric mouse stole the ketchup bottle behind her while the two looked at each other in confusion.
"You guys help me with my issues, I help you two with yours."
"Doesn't sound like a bad idea."
"No no it doesn't."
"PIKACHU!" The two laughed seeing Pikachu run out the window with the Ketchup bottle in his hands while Leaf looked at him in disbelief.
"Relax, I have Brock on speed dial in case he needs his stomach pumped...again."
"Actually Ash there's something interesting you should know." Gary and Leaf whispered to each other for a second before looking at their friend as he dug into his cabinet and began to eat out of a box of cookies.
"What?"
"Well...there's this championship coming up and-"
"I need to make an appearance there?"
"No of course not. It's not a normal tournament though. Elite Four from EVERY region with gym leaders and former champions too, but anybody can join! There's no max capacity of trainers but either way we signed the three of us up this morning."
"Why me?"
"Paul was the first to sign up." Hearing that name Ash stopped eating and walked outside to see his Pokemon sleeping or playing.
"Ash?"
"What? I gotta practice if I'm going to take him on."
"He still is the same little boy he was all those years ago. Wait, Leaf weren't you cooking?" Gary and Leaf were smiling as all of Ash's Pokemon ran towards him until the young Professor got the feeling like something was burning.
"OH NO!"