You want to know the most uncomfortable way to wake up in the morning? A thunderbolt lancing through your skin. Do you know how I have to wake up every morning?

"JESUS CHRIST PIKACHU! WHAT THE HELL!?" I shout angrily. My entire body sending tiny lightning bolts flying in every direction.

"Chu chu chu!" Giggles Pikachu happily.

"Don't you laugh at me! For god's sake, this was a brand new blanket!" I can practically hear Paul tearing me a new asshole with how much this will upset our budget. Seriously, I know he's an accountant, but you'd think he'd drop the job while he's here.

I groan and push myself up from the bed, stumbling over last night's clothes and pulling open my dresser drawer. My usual clothes are there, waiting for me to put them on. I sigh and pull on the jacket before taking a moment to consider how hot it was in my- OH SHIT! Note to self, be ready for a fire punch at any time. I glare at Infernape angrily. "You've gotta be kidding me. Really Infernape! Is there any way you can wake me up without hitting me? I get Charizard doing it, but you never did this when I travelled with you through Sinnoh."

"He did it at my behest." Comes a voice from the doorway. I look up to see Silver standing there, smirking. His red hair shimmering behind the steam of a few cups of… Coffee! I rush him and yank one of the cups from his hand, downing it in a matter of seconds. He laughs. "Somebody needed some energy." He says with a grin. I smile.

"You know I'm an asshole without my caffeine." I reply.

"Nope, I think you're just an asshole generally." Says someone from behind Silver.

"Go fuck yourself Lucas, don't you have a bet to lose to Hugh?" I shoot back. He snorts.

"One day I'm gonna win big, and you will be eating those words as I'm christening my yacht with Drumpf Vodka." I groan.

"They stopped making that distilled Ponyta piss years ago dude." Silver nods.

"If the pain you feel when you crack your head open on concrete had a taste, it'd be Drumpf Vodka."

I pull on my hat and walk out the door, all the energy I had as a kid flooding back into me as it settles onto my head. It feels, so nostalgic. I smirk and begin the descent to the bottom floor. Pikachu slides down the railing beside me with a huge grin on his face. I feel myself smile as my hand glides across his back. Much as I yell at him, I can never stop loving this little guy. And he takes full advantage of that fact. As I emerge from the staircase I hear voices arguing with each other. Hugh and Nate again I guess. They argue a lot. Red, the only good chef among us, smiles and beckons me into the kitchen. A giant breakfast of sausage, poached eggs, toast, waffles with a slice of muenster on top of each one, and a stack of pancakes that were glistening with a maple syrup and butter mixture is waiting for me at my place at the table.

"Anything I missed since last night?" I ask curiously as I take my seat. Red nods.

"The mailman came by. There were a few letters for you. I think there's one from your Mom, one's from Brock, and one is from the Pokemon League. We all got one, but I haven't read mine yet. I bet they're all identical. Want to see what it's all about?" I shove another pancake down my throat before replying.

"Yeah. Where's the letter?" He hands it to me, and I feel a rush of excitement as I cut it open. I pull the sheet of paper out to see a very distinctive handwriting.

Dear Esteemed Trainer,

We at the Pokemon League would like to cordially invite you to the Pokemon Upsilon Mastery Tournament at Lily of the Valley Island in Sinnoh, In this legendary tournament, trainers and coordinators from all around the world will attempt to become masters in their selected path. The winner of both categories will be awarded as such: The winning coordinator will be given the position of the world's Top Coordinator and be given an exclusive mansion anywhere in the world, along with a grand prize of a billion pokedollars. The winning trainer will receive the same thing, but instead of world's top coordinator, they will be made an official Pokemon Master.

Trainers who agree to compete will be provided a room, or even a suite of rooms if you come as a group, and all meals will be paid for by the League. This contest will run from November twentieth to December twenty fourth. Then, one week later, on New Year's Eve, the final battle between last year's champions Steven Stone and Wallace Noa, and this years master trainer and coordinator, will compete to see if the champions can maintain their titles. Do you have what it takes to topple the top? We shall see, at the Upsilon Tournament!

-The Pokemon League

I set the letter down and look up at Red. "We all just got invited to compete in the Upsilon Tournament." Red drops his fork in surprise.

"Really? I didn't expect that. I thought it'd just be another job offer. Then again, they did promise us a few months of break time after we took down Team Rocket." I smirk at the memory. It had been way easier than I'd expected to infiltrate Team Rocket's Kanto Headquarters. We just had to show up with Meowth and they believed we were real members. "Ash? Earth to Ash?" Says Red, a note of impatience in his voice.

"Oh, sorry Red. What'd you say?" I ask, scratching my head as I realize I was daydreaming again.

Red looks at me carefully to make sure I was paying attention, then asks, "Are you going to go to the Upsilon Tournament?" I bite my bottom lip thoughtfully. I hadn't entered a tournament since the Kalos league. But this one was way bigger. Nearly four thousand trainers were selected each time. The chances of winning were minuscule.

"I… Don't know." I say at last. "Have you ever competed?" Red smiles and leans back in his chair.

"Oh yeah, Silver, Blue, and I all competed. Crazy shit went down, I was one of the final eight actually, but I got beaten by Steven Stone. That Metagross of his is insanely powerful. It took out three of my strongest Pokemon before Blastoise finally knocked it out." I whistle. Red's Pokemon were not to be trifled with. Red smirks before continuing, "Still, it was a ton of fun. The last couple hundred trainers all had a unique style of battling. Not to mention the battles themselves were completely different from anything I've ever experienced."

I raise my eyebrow. "What do you mean they were different? Were people using moves in different ways?" Red shakes his head, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet up on the table.

"Well, yeah. Of course they were using moves differently. But what I'm talking about is more the entire battle. From the battlefield, to the type of battle, even the gravity! Then there was this team of psychics they had on hand that would randomly reverse type effectiveness. It was absolutely insane, and actually the reason I won in one of the matches. Somebody had used Foul Play on my Espeon right when the type advantages were swapped, so it didn't do any damage. Which pretty saved my ass."

I feel the old excitement begin to bubble up inside me. If I win this tournament, I'll fulfill my lifelong dream. Though if I'm honest, I'm surprised Pokemon Master is an official title. I'd just made it up as a kid, but I guess it's a real thing. Huh, who'd have thought. Shit, I'm daydreaming again aren't I? I guess that happens a lot when you're my age. You don't know what you want to do with your life just yet and there's so many poss- No! Focus Ash! Reds looking at me, isn't he. I open my mouth to say something, but a loud BURR makes me jump up from my seat.

"Jesus Christ! Really Nate?! Really?" I yell without having to turn around. The snorting laugh behind me already told me who it was. "Do you even have a shred of self control? For fucks sake! I ask you not to use an air horn right next to my head and what do you do? Use an air horn, right next to my head!"

Nate laughs again. The smirk that was no doubt on his face seeping into his voice as he replies, "I didn't do it next to your head. I did it right behind your head. There's a difference."

I glower at him. "No there isn't you dumbass! Don't try and weasel your way out of this one. I'm gonna kick your ass. I grab Nate by the collar and hoist him up, grabbing the air horn in his hand and hauling him outside. He knows exactly what I'm doing and screams in terror. I tune out his cries for mercy as I walk into the grassland surrounding our house. They should be here. Where are the… Oh there they are! Looks like they've seen me… I grin at Nate's terrified face, and whisper, "Tauro." Before tossing him into the rushing crowd of thirty Tauros. Ah… The sound of venge- oh no… Those were his balls. God, I deserve to be trampled after that. I take the charge as well, feeling an immense pain as they bull rush me. Wait… Fuck, I made an awful pun just there. That was just abysmal.

Pikachu and Hugh are laughing their asses off, while Red is trying to hide his smile. I try and push myself to my feet, sweat trickling down the back of my neck as the agony of one hundred and twenty hooves stomping down on me fades. I look to see Nate moaning and clutching his junk. He's obviously not as used to this as I am.

"So Ash, are you gonna read the other letters, or what?" Yells Red. I nod, my back making an ominous cracking noise as I stretch. I'm gonna feel that in the morning. I return to the kitchen and plop down onto my chair. My eyes lock on the letter from my mom before I grab it and tear it open. A note and a letter fall onto the table. I pick up the note first

Dear Ash,

I've managed to get in contact with Serena, her letter is enclosed in this envelope. I know I can't write much on this sheet of paper. So I'll just put on what's important. I love and miss you.

Stay Safe

-Mom.

I smile. Even though it's been nearly a year since I've seen her, not a day goes by that I don't miss my mother. She's done everything in her power to keep me safe over these last few years. While I was being hunted by Team Rocket, she was helping the G-Men cover my tracks. It's partially thanks to her that I'm still alive.

Next, I reach for the folded piece of paper on the table, before pausing. The last time I'd seen Serena, it was through a closing train door as I was pulled away from the train station in Kanto. She'd shouted something as the train pulled away… But the closed door and the noise had made me miss it. Since then, I've wanted to know what she said. Hoping beyond hope that it was the three words I'd imagined her saying at least a thousand times. I steel myself and grab the letter.

Dear Ash,

I know that you stopped calling over the past year and a half because Team Rocket was actively hunting you, and I've forgiven you for that. I know it's been awhile since we talked face to face… But don't worry! I will find a way to reach you. When I do, let's have coffee, or go get dinner, or something! Whatever the two of us want to do. I just want to go on a date with you.

Ash… before I left Kalos, I kissed your lips. I know we've talked about it before on the phone, but I've never asked you the question I wanted to ask. How did you feel? I want you to tell me, but not through any love letter. I want you to tell me face to face. So you'd better have a good answer ready.

I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kiss you.

-Serena

Red is looking at me expectantly. Allowing me to digest the information before asking, "Well… What'd your mom say?" I try to talk, fail, then try again.

"The note was from my Mom, but the letter was from Serena." Red straightens in his seat, and Hugh turns to look at me in surprise. When I don't keep going, Hugh pushes me.

"Well don't leave us waiting, asshole! Let's hear it!" He says excitedly. I shake my head.

"No, sorry Hugh. I kinda want to keep what it says to myself." Hugh nods.

"No worries, I get where you're coming from." He gestures to the final letter, the one from Brock. "How does Brock even know where we are? I thought only the G-Men knew that."

In the living room, a stern voice yells at Hugh. "Brock was a part of the G-Men for that operation. So we're all the other Kanto gym leaders. They know where Ash is, but they were asked not to visit. Sending a letters alright though."

Hugh nods again, "Oh, ok! Thanks Paul!" While they're talking, I glance over Brock's letter. My eyes widening in surprise.

"He wants some help in Kalos. What the hell is he doing there?"

"No idea, but maybe you can ask him." Red replies as he stands.

I raise my eyebrow. "You leaving, Red?" He shrugs.

"We're running low on oran and pecha berries, and since they're way cheaper in Kalos, I figured I'd drop you off in Lumiose and head to their supermarket." Red pauses and looks at me uncertainly. "He is in Lumiose right?"

I nod. "Yeah, he said he was staying at that big hotel they have there. Hotel Richi-something." I sigh. "He certainly isn't sparing any expenses. He's got to have been there for a few days already. It takes a while for a letter to get anywhere near Mele Mele." I glance at Red. "How long until the Upsilon Tournament? I figure if Brock's been there for a few days, then we may need to stay for a few more."

Red shrugs. "The tournament isn't for another two weeks. You've got some time. What Pokemon are you gonna bring?" I pause for a moment. What Pokemon should I bring? If I bring Latias or Giratina I'll draw to much attention. Same with if I bring a Pokemon that's rare in Kalos. Not for the first time, I wish I still had my Greninja. Maybe I'll run into him on this trip though… and I may as well have another spare space incase I come across a new Pokemon, or if he wants to come with me to help out in the tournament. "Well… What Pokemon?" Asks Red again.

"Pikachu, obviously." I say finally. "Gallade, incase we need to teleport. Talonflame, because she knows Kalos pretty well. Clawitzer, because he's been getting bored lately. And… Heracross. We may come across some Heracrossite while we're there. So I want to have him ready just in case."

Red grins. "You really think that Greninja might rejoin you?"

I shrug. "I don't know, but it's best to be prepared, right?"

Red nods. "Fair enough, go get your Pokemon, and we'll be off." With that, he turns and walks out the door, heading in the direction of the field. I shovel one last bite of pancake into my mouth before following him. I can see Nate struggling to his feet. It's pretty satisfying if I'm honest. Pikachu sits calmly on my shoulder, his cheeks electrified with excitement.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm walking through the streets of Kalos's largest city. A small bag slung over my shoulder with clothes and a towel. My eyes lock onto the towering hotel Richissime. "I wonder what it looks like on the inside." I mutter. Pikachu smirks and jumps over to my other shoulder, shaking off some of the dirt that covered his yellow fur. I smile at my best friend and push through the door.

The lobby is enormous, with enough space to fit a few hundred people comfortably. But today, it's nearly empty. Which surprises me, and puts me on my guard. I reach into my pocket to reassure myself that my pokeballs are still there. There are three people standing at the front desk. Two of them are excessively attractive young men, and the other one is an equally attractive woman. I raise my eyebrows and walk calmly up to the front desk.

The woman is the first to speak. "Hello sir, and welcome to hotel Richissime! Do you have a reservation? Or would you like to book a room now?"

I shake my head. "Actually, I'm here to see the gym leader Brock. Is he here, or has he gone out?"

The woman shakes her head. "No sir, he's still here. He is in his room. If you would please follow me, I'll take you to him." I begin to follow her towards the elevator, and glance at Pikachu, noticing he looks on edge as well. Just another reason to watch out, I guess. The woman pushes the elevator button, and its doors open instantly. We walk in together and as the doors close I can see her breathing get a little faster.

"You mind if I ask where everybody is? I expected at least a small crowd downstairs, but except for you three it's completely empty."

The woman shudders. "Yes, it's rather concerning, no one came down today. We've tried to enter almost every room in the hotel, and none of our key cards work. We're all very worried, particularly because some of our staff is missing as well."

"Why haven't you reported this to the police?" I ask. "Surely they'd look into this."

The woman nods. "They are right now. Officer Jenny is on the seventh floor with two private investigators the owner has contracted. We're hoping they'll be able to get to the bottom of…" She pauses as I press the seventh floor button. "What are you doing?" She asks in surprise as our elevator begins to ascend.

I shrug. "Brock's a friend of mine, and if he's in trouble, then I'm going to try to help him. So I figure I'll go ask the detectives what they know about what's going on."

The woman looks at me as if I'm crazy. "Sir, with all do respect. What do you know about solving cases like this?"

I smirk. "Not much, but I know enough about battling. And in case shit hits the fan, they may want some help." The door opens and I walk into the hallway, saluting the woman behind me and turning to the left. Pikachu's cheeks start to crackle win electricity as he stares down the empty hallway. I can hear voices coming from down the hall, but rather than go all the way to the next corridor, I pause and stare through the peephole of the nearest door. It's hard to see through the darkness, but I notice something moving around inside the room, and whatever it is doesn't look human.

I glance at Pikachu and whisper, "Iron Tail." As quietly as I can. Pikachu nods and, with all the subtlety of a rampaging Wailord, cuts the door right off its hinges. There is a loud Thud as the door crashes onto the ground. I sprint in and turn on the lights, revealing a cloud of unusual pink mist. Footsteps thunder down the hallway as three people enter the room behind me. I ignore them and pull out Talonflames pokeball. "Talonflame, clear out this mist with Tailwind. Pikachu, keep an eye out for whatever was moving around in here. It's probably hiding in the mist."

Behind me, Officer Jenny yells at me to put my Pokemon away and get on the ground. I just smile and walk forward, into the mist. That'll freak their shit right the hell out, at least until Talonflame blows away the mist. As if on cue, the mist is blown away, revealing me and a very unhappy looking Munna. I guess I just interrupted its feeding session. It glowers at me before using Shadow Ball. Pikachu is in front of me in an instant, using Iron Tail to deflect the Shadow Ball back into the floating psychic type.

The Munna hovers for a moment, then falls to the ground, knocked out. I turn, looking at the people behind me. "This building most likely has a Munna infestation. They probably migrated here from somewhere. I suggest we find out where."

Officer Jenny stares at my face for a moment before recognizing it. "You're that kid! The one who climbed Prism tower! What are you doing here?"

I shrug. "My friend Brock was staying at this hotel and he asked me to come see him. I'm glad I listened, otherwise he'd probably be stuck here for a while." I glance at the Munna and walk towards its unconscious form. "Something's not quite right about this situation though."

One of the detectives, a young woman with black hair and an Espurr on her shoulder looks at me in mock surprise. "No! A flock of Munna randomly migrating to Lumiose city and taking over an enormous hotel! I thought that was common."

"It's a pod." Says the other detective casually, pushing his hat up to uncover his face. He looks pretty handsome. Black hair and coffee skin mix together to form a rather attractive face.

His partner looks at him, confused. "What's a pod?"

He grins. "The Munna. You said a flock, but that'd denote they're birds. They're more like whales to me, so it's a pod."

The girl glares angrily at him, pounding her fist into his arm. "I don't care whether they're a pod or a pack. What matters is that they're here."

I nod. "She's right. We need to focus on what's wrong here." I turn to Officer Jenny. "Munna don't usually migrate like this. It makes me think that they might have been driven out of their normal home. So maybe if we drive out whatever's taken over, we can get the Munna to move away."

Officer Jenny nods. "Sounds good. Any chance you can figure out where they were living before they came here?"

I shake my head, "I don't need to. We can just ask this Munna." I gesture to the pink ball lying on the ground. "It can tell us where to go, and my Gallade can teleport us there."

Officer Jenny smiles. "I am glad you showed up. I've actually got some progress now." She turns to the two detectives. "Emma, Calem, I'm going to stay here. You go with this man to help stop whatever took over Munna's home."

"I've got a name you know." I comment dryly.

She sighs. "Sorry, it's been a few years so I've forgotten. What's your name again?"

"Ash Ketchum." I say with a grin, pushing my hat up and smirking.

The detective, who I assume is named Calem, snaps his head up suddenly. "You're Ash Ketchum!? You mean the kid that's helped bring down six evil teams?! Including Team Rocket!?" He steps forward, his face splitting into a warm smile. "You're a fucking legend! It's an unbelievable honor to meet you! I've been such a big fan of yours for so long! I was rooting for you in the Kalos league, and I was so excited when you won I-" He grabs my hand and begins shaking it vigorously, speaking so fast I couldn't really make out his words anymore. His partner punches him and he stumbles away.

"Sorry about him. He's a big fanboy of yours." She leans over and starts to whisper into my ear. "He's got a poster of the G-Men with you in the front, he has all your action figures too." She leans back and smiles. "I'm Emma Bosnic, and that idiot is Calem Xavier. The former champion of Kalos until he stepped down to work with me full time."

I smirk. "Nice to meet you both. Though I'm gonna be honest, I didn't know I had action figures." A noise behind me causes me to turn. Munna is beginning to come to. I walk towards it and pull out an Oran berry, offering it to the Pokemon. It sniffs the berry suspiciously before taking a bite. I watch it's strength slowly recover as it looked at me expectantly. "Munna, I want to know where you used to live. Did something drive you out of there?" Munna tilts itself up and down, which I take as a nod. "Tell my Gallade then. He's going to teleport us there and drive away whatever attacked you. When we get back, please tell your friends to leave and go back to your old home."

A few moments later, Calem, Emma and I are standing at the top of a mountain. "Holy shit it's cold!" Says Emma unhappily. Wrapping her arms around herself and shivering. Calem and I smirk, we are both wearing rather comfy jackets, while Emma is dressed in blue jeans and a grey tank top. Both of our smiles freeze over as we here an extremely unpleasant noise echoing from below us. We look down, meeting the gaze of an enormous Pokemon with piercing blue eyes. It's flying towards us, it's red and black wings spread, looking similar to an enormous Y. I recognize almost immediately.

"That's Yveltal! What the hell is it doing here?" I yell as it passes above us, spinning as it did. Yveltal glowers down at us before using Oblivion Wing. It slams into the ground where we had been just a second before. I stare up at the destruction Pokemon, noticing something wrong with its back. "So, I'm not the only one who sees crystal growing on its back right?" Without waiting for a reply I send out Heracross and Clawitzer. "Heracross, use Rockslide. Pikachu, Clawitzer, bounce on the rocks and attack with an Electro Ball and Aura Sphere. Try and make them meet, so Yveltal can't dodge it. Go!"

My Pokemon rush to obey. Pikachu and Clawitzer bounce upward onto the rocks and launch a super orb at Yveltal. It cries out in pain as it impacts, and it's obviously done some damage, but it glowers back at us again before trying yet another Oblivion Wing. It never gets the chance to fire, however, as a rain of green spikes shoots up from the ground and pins Yveltal the mountainside. A split second later, a rush of blue shoots past me and cuts through the crystal on Yveltal's back. The blue pokemon stands and looks back at me. It's tongue wrapped around it's neck like a scarf. I recognize him instantly. A Greninja. My Greninja.

Guess who's back! Yeah, I know. What the fuck took me so long? Doesn't matter. This is the first chapter. I know what you all are thinking. What the fuck is this? This isn't a tournament?! What the hell! Well, hold your horses kids. I'm getting to the tournament. But I feel like I should let people see how this older, more mature Ash acts. Plus, I want Ash to have his Greninja back for the tournament. Link Evolution is going to play an important part of this story, as I'm going to be developing Hyper Evolution around it, and two other evolution types. Mega Evolution… And a surprise.

So, I guess now I should give a few hints, huh? Alright then. Lemme give the titles for the next few chapters I have planned.

Chapter Two, Ash and Greninja, a Mountain Top Reunion.

Chapter Three, Shalour City Rematch, Ash vs Korrina.

Chapter Four, The Truest Bonds, the Trials For the Mega Stones.

Chapter Five, Battle Begin! Mega Steelix vs Mega Heracross.

Chapter Six, Darkness strikes again, A life in peril?

Chapter Seven, Clawitzer's Breaking Point, Reinforcement have arrived?

Chapter Eight, A return to Mele Mele, Prepare for the Upsilon Tournament!

And yes, I will do be doing a small gleam what I'm planning at the end of every chapter, so don't miss it.