Welcome to "Pokémon: Sparkling Dreams", the fanfic to commemorate my fifth anniversary in FanFiction, which was last Friday, May 13, 2016. A quick advice: this fanfic has a six chapter prologue already published. I recommend new readers to look it up before you start with this episode, so you will be better placed in the context of the story. You will find it in my profile under the name of "Pokémon: Sparkling Dreams - Prologue". To sum it up quickly, this is my tribute to the Pokémon saga for its twentieth anniversary, a fanfic conceived as the special anime to celebrate these 20 years, after XY&Z and before Sun and Moon. Here, the main characters (Ash and Serena, for example) will be between 16 and 17 years old, while Bonnie and others like her will be 8 years old. Rated T due to the slightly more adult and serious theme, possible conflicts and violent confrontations, swearing and innuendo (high temperature indeed). In addition, at the end of today's episode I will make a quick round of news commenting on everything related to Pokémon Sun and Moon, the anime and how it can affect Amourshipping (pairing very much defended by this writer right here). A tiny little note I wanted to add, apparently there's a problem with the review sync in the entire website. They say that by tomorrow or maybe Wednesday the issue should be solved. However, you can still leave your reviews here and when the site goes back to normal I will answer them. If you want to ask me something, you can also use DM. With nothing more to add, let's get this started.
POKÉMON: SPARKLING DREAMS
Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to The Pokémon Company, Nintendo, Satoshi Tajiri, Junichi Masuda and Terry Wolles.
In loving memory of Pablo Jesús Flores Córdova, aka FandeSerena91. Rest in peace, mate.
ROUTE 1: Pirenia, where the show begins
Crystalline Bay. The first stop for all the trainers participating in Pirenia's Pokémon World Championship. It was a coastal town located at the north of the region, and it was one of the jewels in the territory. It was a fairly small place, but with plenty to see. At the west end of the village there was the Crystalline Harbor, point of destination and origin for most ferries in Pirenia. From there, and from west to east, a spectacular promenade stretched to the horizon, with a beautiful beach in front of it. Shops, bars, souvenir stalls, and other occupied most of the avenue, which was also wide enough to walk smoothly through the crowd. At the very bottom of it, at the east end of the Bay, you could see a huge stone staircase leading to an imposing building: the Crystalline Church. This church had a bell tower on the left and the right side was occupied by a beautiful dome. The whole building had an ocher and yellowish tone, especially given that time of the day, around sunset. Already deep into the town, the highlight was a huge tower jutting above the other buildings: the Pokémon World Championship Registry. This was the starting point, the beginning of the greatest adventure imaginable for Ash Ketchum.
The sun was beginning to set when the San Lorenzo ferry finally arrived to Crystalline Harbor. The hundreds of trainers invited to the tournament began to walk off the ship in order, looking like a multicolored snake print. Among all this multitude of young people with a dream to achieve, there were our heroes: Ash and his trusty Pikachu, his girlfriend and Kalos Queen Serena, his friend Brock and little Bonnie. Once they had their feet on dry land, they couldn't do anything but watch in awe the scenario that presented itself before their eyes. They finally were in Pirenia: a new region, a new adventure, a new dream to fulfill. This time the dream was more ambitious and the adventure perhaps the most demanding and complicated that Ash had faced in his life. But he knew that with the support of his family, friends and especially his girlfriend, nothing and nobody could stop him in his quest to become Pokémon World Champion. After leaving the harbor, the four trainers took a look at the beginning of the Crystalline Bay promenade, and all they could see around them were trainers and more trainers with their Pokémon.
"Oh my, there's so many people here!" Bonnie said, very surprised.
"You can tell..." Serena blurted after a whistle. "And really all these trainers are also invited to the tournament?"
"It's most likely." Brock commented. "What I didn't expect was them to be so many. There may be double or even triple the people than for a Pokémon League."
Ash didn't heard any word of what their friends were saying. He was watching that legion of people, who were presented with the most diverse Pokémon possible: Pyroar, Ludicolo, Scrafty, Konkeldurr, Hitmonlee... there were enough to make a Pokémon safari in the middle of the promenade.
"Ash, wake up, man!" Bonnie shouted in his ear.
The shock caused by the squall was so much that he almost lost his balance. The boy didn't fall, but Pikachu was forced to jump from his shoulder to the ground. His partner looked at the three young men with a look of confusion on his face.
"Sweet Lord, this guy will never change." The blonde girl said, looking at her Dedenne while he responded with a similar expression.
"I've known him for years, be sure that Ash will never lose his desire to fight." Brock added, crossing his arms and smiling.
"That's what makes him so special..." Serena replied, approaching her boyfriend to hug his left arm. "And I don't want you to ever change it."
And immediately she gave him a kiss on the cheek. The Kanto native blushed slightly, while his companions laughed amicably. Pikachu jumped back at his friend's shoulder before dedicating him a sound of approval.
"Wonderful. Here we start our new adventure. I have the feeling that it will be something memorable." Ash said, pointing to the registration tower. "Let's go, we have a tournament to check in."
"Alright!" The other three cried, raising their fists.
And they headed to the World Championship Registration tower. During their path to the huge building, the quartet walked across many more trainers and more Pokémon, leaving Ash's jaw dropped at times. Serena couldn't stop looking at her boyfriend with admiration. She felt the same enthusiasm as him with the fact of starting this new journey, which would also be the first one they officially made as a couple. She knew she had to be at his side to give him support and love whenever he needed it, like the night before with the holomisor phone. She was convinced that with her encouragement, Brock's and Bonnie's, Ash would feel refreshed and could go far in the championship. The inner streets of Crystalline Bay were a little narrow, but allowed cafes to place a terrace. You could also see many souvenir shops, as in the promenade. It was obvious that this was a village really focused on tourism. After a few minutes of walking, our heroes reached the entrance of the Registration Tower. It was a large cylindrical building that rose above all other houses and shops which were at sea level. It was like watching a huge black tube of glass, with a lot of people coming in and out, children and adults alike. The four young trainers were surprised by the appearance of the building, especially with the contrast shown by the entire town.
"Wow, it's completely out of tune with the rest of the Bay..." Bonnie sighed, looking puzzled.
"Yes, it's the same as if you place Luminose City's Prism Tower amid Pallet Town." Ash compared, but the simile left his partners somewhat misplaced.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say..." The blonde replied, moving towards the entrance. "Well, are we going in or what?"
The little girl was also excited about the World Championship. It was the first time in her life she was traveling outside Kalos, and it was to begin her journey as a Pokémon trainer with her friends Ash and Serena. She was hoping, at least, to win one or two matches in the qualifying phase before somebody returned her to reality. But only with Dedenne there wasn't much to do... It was likely she would have to catch some new Pokémon, with Ash's help, obviously. The idea of having more than one Pokémon in her team reminded the Luminose girl of her beloved Squishy. Oh, Squishy... that little green creature that turned out to be one of the forms of the Legendary Pokémon Zygarde. Only Arceus knew where he would be now, after the macabre actions from the Kalos philanthropist Lysandre, which led to...
"Bonnie, are you okay?" Serena asked, who had knelt at the child's height.
The little blonde came out of her trance instantly. She had been standing in the middle of the entrance to the tower. Dedenne gently stroked her cheek to comfort her friend. Bonnie appreciated the gesture by scratching her Pokémon's beard, which was responded with a little squeak of pleasure.
"Yeah, don't worry." The girl said, smiling at her friend.
Serena smiled back and took her hand before everyone entered the Registration Tower. The interior of the building was divided into three different sections: on the left wing was the Pokémon Center counter, with Nurse Joy attending some trainers and their tired Pokémon. The right wing was aimed at a kind of cafeteria, with even sofas. And the central area was the one most populous because there were the counters for registration for the Pokémon World Championship. There were two large lines, and in front were two women responsible for controlling all who confirmed their participation in the tournament. Ash was ready to stand in line, but he felt a very uncomfortable feeling. A dark and sinister force that was very, very close. The Kanto native turned his head slowly to try to discover what or who he was, as he had a bad feeling. And his instincts didn't fail him. It was Brock.
The young aspiring Pokémon Doctor had been petrified, staring at the Pokémon Center counter. His breathing was tense, but rhythmical. His eyes, no matter how narrowed they were, had their perfectly set goal: Nurse Joy. The woman with pristine white uniform, pink hair with two round pigtails, blue eyes and her shiny smile. Ash knew that look, it wasn't the first time he saw it. And deep down he knew that the only thing that those eyes would bring were nothing but problems and a very negative reaction of surprise from his girlfriend and little Bonnie. The raven haired had to act fast before the situation went out of his control. He threw a quick glance at Pikachu, who obeyed and started to run towards Brock. But it was too late. The dark skinned man had pushed a few people jostling at an amazing speed, and was two centimeters away from Nurse Joy's face. He was holding her hands gently, and he should be telling her of his cheesy pick up lines, causing a slight blush to the nurse.
"There we go again..." Ash blurted a frustrated sigh, as he headed towards the counter, he never wanted to do this, but it is what it is.
Serena and Bonnie watched from the line with and curiosity what had happened to their two companions. They were even more surprised to see Ash pulling Brock's ear to carry him away.
"I'm sorry, Nurse Joy, my friend is still a little affected by jet lag..."
This was the excuse given by the Kanto native to the nurse, gritting his teeth as he stretched Brock back to the line. The young aspiring doctor was complaining of pain, but Ash ignored him. Pikachu's trainer dragged the man across the floor to bring him back together with Serena and Bonnie.
"Ash! Stop now, please! You're hurting me!" The boy from Pewter City exclaimed, gesticulating.
"What in the world are you doing?" Serena asked, scandalized.
"I know him better than anyone, it's the only choice I had." Ash commented, releasing his ear. "When he sees Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny or any other woman her gets loose. The only thing stopping him is a good stretch of ears. It's better to prevent than to cure."
"Oh, dear... First Misty, then Max, then Croagunk, and now you, Ash?" Brock asked, holding his hurting ear. "You should give me a chance, friend..."
"He's right, Ash. It's not such a big deal." Serena said, helping Brock to rise up.
"I saw him flirting with thousands of women in four different regions. I know what I'm talking about." Ash replied, crossing his arms.
"Guys… I think Ash is actually right..." Bonnie added, pointing to the end of the corridor.
There was Brock, after repeating the same movements from the counter of the Pokémon Center. And the person in charge of registering participants for the World Championship was a woman. And not just any woman, but a real beauty, even from the eyes of Serena and Bonnie. She had long straight hair and matching blue eyes, wearing a similar uniform as flight attendants with a golden PokéBall badge on the left chest flap. Brock had lost control, his narrowed eyes now looked like two giant hearts, as he held the woman's right hand and said another of his many horrible pick-up lines:
"You never know where they come from or what you'll find, but what I have discovered is the girl of my dreams."
Ash and company hurried out to stop their amorous colleague, but once they got there, what happened was quite unexpected. A few meters away from reaching the Pewter City trainer, Dedenne jumped from Bonnie's shoulder and wrapped himself to Brock's vest, before releasing a tremendous electroshock. The young Pokémon caretaker began to tremble, while his friends looked to the scene perplexed. Ash had the feeling he had found in Dedenne the perfect substitute for Croagunk to stop the crazy flirter. Almost a minute later, the little electric mouse stopped its offensive on the Kanto man, and he fell to the ground completely round and knocked out. The girl was well stunned, as she didn't expect at all that outcome, in the same way as others.
"Dene! The Pokémon cried, before returning to her owner's shoulder.
"Erm... Good job, Dedenne... I think." Bonnie said, still not quite sure on how to position herself.
On the one hand, it was a little sad to see the aspiring Pokémon Doctor on the floor, quite burned. But on the other hand, Ash was right. That man was a real womanizer, a walking danger so to speak, so they had to stop him. Besides, it wasn't the first time Dedenne did a good job electrocuting someone. The little blonde still remembers the shock that her Pokémon dropped to Lillia, that girl who tried to marry his brother a while back. Brock was still fuming on all four sides, while Ash and Serena helped him to get to his feet. The registry girl took a few seconds to react but, as the other people in the line had "offered their site kindly" to Ash, Brock and company, she began with the formal greeting.
"Welcome to the Pokémon World Championship register in Crystalline Bay. My name is Dalena, and I am responsible for formalizing your registration in the tournament. Do you have any questions before we proceed?"
"I do have one." Serena remarked. "How is it that we have to enroll in the league even before battling in the first gym? In any other region the procedure is different..."
"I'm glad you asked." Dalena said. "Pirenia's Pokémon World Championship is not like any other league in any other region of the world. This territory is known to be one of the best to train and make your Pokémon stronger, so every year many people travel here for the sole purpose of strengthening and discover this magnificent region. Our league has the same standards of demand, even from the first official gym. That's why from the time the World Championship was introduced, a special rule for its participants was included: the only life.
"Only life?" The four youngsters asked at the same time.
"Exactly. In the Pokémon World Championship it happens the same as in video games with permanent death option: you lose one official battle and you go back home. It doesn't matter if it's the first gym, the third, the eighth or the knockout tournament. No playoffs, no wildcards, no prequalifying matches, no second chances. In Pirenia defeat means automatic elimination from the tournament."
Ash and his friends were shocked to hear Dalena's words. That was when Ash, Brock and Serena understood the words from Professor Oak, saying the Pirenia tournament was not a normal one either. That was the twist to the difficulty of any previous adventure: the loss of the possibility of a second chance. That didn't exist there, with possible attempt of rematch. Losing any gym battle before the finals would mean the end of the odyssey, the end of the game, it would be over.
"I understand that it can be a very tough condition, but it has a reason for being like this." Dalena continued. "In the Pokémon World Championship there can and should only participate the best trainers on the planet. But this is just between you and me...
Then, the blue-haired girl waved them to come closer. The boys nodded and approached to Dalena, who spoke with whispers.
"This year the organizers have invited a huge number of participants, I've heard out that there are over a thousand people invited, so any way to set the cut is needed. The Only Life standard has existed since the creation of the tournament, and there have been times when this has caused that in the finals competed less than ten trainers. And clearly those experts deserved to participate in the finals, as they were considered the best in the world. But this year is the first in which there are so many people invited to the championship, so it's possible that the jigger in gyms is wilder than ever.
"That's just crazy..." Ash whispered, while Serena held his hand and squeezed it tight. "This means that the margin of error is zero, and if we fail there is no turning back."
"I don't understand why there have to be so many participants. What do they want filling such a prestigious tournament with people without control?" Bonnie asked.
"If I tell the truth, I have no idea, but I guess they wanted to expand the boundaries of the championship and they have exceeded themselves." Dalena said.
Concern invaded the spirit of the four youths. First, there was the fatal Only Life rule that could end Ash's dream with just one defeat. And second, the number of applicants to become World Champion could be a huge obstacle if they happen to reach a hypothetical final tournament.
"Well, enough of concerns, you have a long road ahead." The stewardess commented and proceed with the registration. "Do you want to compete individually or as a group?"
"What do you mean by that?" Ash asked, with the same face of curiosity as his peers.
"In this championship there are two types of registration: individual or group. The latter can be done if two or more people want to compete in the preliminary stage together. You would compete for the eight badges as if you were a single trainer. The victory of one in a gym is a victory for all, besides being a more agile process by not having to battle the four compulsory matches against the leader. But there are a couple of conditions: first, the four would have to fight at least one gym leader. The second rule is that the Only Life remains valid and one defeat sends the entire group back home."
Ash, Serena, Brock and Bonnie got together and made a small close group to discuss how to register themselves in the tournament. The group option had its pros and cons. On one hand, it could be easier to divide among the four the task of getting all eight badges, and so they could better manage fatigue and weariness of fighting. But on the other hand, a single loss in a gym would mean that all four would be eliminated, without the possibility of a rematch. That complicated the chances for both Serena and for Bonnie. The first because Pokémon battles were still her weak point, despite all the training she did the previous days; and the second one because she didn't even have experience as a trainer.
"Do you think it's a good idea?" The Kanto boy asked. "I see several downsides here..."
"Ash, I prefer the group registration." Serena said, without a doubt. "I know I'm not very good in Pokémon battles, but I promised I'd help in any way possible so that you win this tournament. And if that means getting into fights against gym leaders, take for sure that I will. Ash, I'm willing to do anything and give everything for you."
"Me too!" Bonnie screamed. "I may have never fought in a Pokémon battle, but I'll do my best and train very hard to help you, Ash. Dedenne is ready to do anything and everything to reach the finals! And if there's not enough with Dedenne, we will capture more Pokémon and I will make them invincible!"
"I agree." Brock added. "Ash, we have come here to get together to the final phase, and whatever we have to do to help you fulfill your dream of being Pokémon Master and win the world championship, don't hesitate for a single second, we will do it."
Ash looked at his teammates with a twinkle in his eye. The simple fact that they had joined the quest to have a great time together was already worthy of admiration, but also willing to help him fulfill his dream and redeem himself... that left him speechless. His smile was a clear example of this, he even looked like he was about to cry.
"Thank you, guys. You don't know how much I appreciate this... You are the best."
"No, you're the best, Ash. And we know that you're going to demonstrate here in Pirenia." Serena said, hugging her boyfriend and kissing his lips sweetly.
Ash closed his eyes and enjoyed that little moment. The few kisses he had given to his girlfriend since they started dating always helped him clear his mind. They were the best to cleanse his consciousness of bad memories and think positive. Once they parted lips, Ash, Serena and company returned to Dalena and confirmed they would enroll as a group in the Pokémon World Championship. The stewardess was delighted with their decision, and proceeded to give them several forms. They were not anything special: they had to fill them with name, age, birthplace, Pokémon with which they would start the gym phase and so on. It was something very routinely, even a little boring for some. Like Bonnie, not used to these bureaucratic processes, which made her drop more than a sigh as she wrote. The last form was to register the group itself, with the names of its members and a specific name for the group. Serena didn't think twice, and before Ash and the others had time to say a name, she took the pen and wrote two simple words: Sparkling Dreams.
"What's that?" Ash asked.
"Sparkling Dreams. Shining dreams, bright dreams… Our dreams." Serena said, so solemnly. "Bonnie's dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer. Brock's dream, to be a Pokémon Doctor. Yours, Ash, to become a Pokémon Master. And mine... to be always with you, honey."
That last sentence flushed the pair of lovebirds, before the honey blonde continue.
"These are our brightest, most dazzling desires, the ones we want the most to come true. I see them every night when I look up to the sky and see all those shining stars. There are our four dreams. And they are going to end up becoming a reality. I'm completely sure."
Bonnie, Brock and Ash smiled tenderly. It was a good way to see four dreams to fulfill, and the first of them could be Ash's. They had no problem accepting the group name as Sparkling Dreams. Dalena collected all documents and sealed them one by one, before giving a small box to Ash.
"Perfect. With this, you are officially enrolled in the Pokémon World Championship. Here is the badge carrier, I hope that you succeed and get all of them without any problems. Oh, and before I forget, you will also need a PokéDex."
And from under the counter, the hostess showed them four devices that they would take over. It was a red and rectangular gadget with rounded edges, a large screen and a single button, with the design of a PokéBall.
"In Pirenia the Pokédex is literally a multifunction smartphone, with so many facilities for trainers. From a complete register of the more than seven hundred species of Pokémon scattered around the world, a map of the region and, as I said, telephony functions to maintain contact with your family and closest friends. There is good coverage beyond the cities and towns, so there should be no difficulty. I hope you can get to see them all without problem..."
"Don't worry. You'll see how we travel throughout the region and reach the finals unbeaten." Ash pointed enthusiastically.
"That's the spirit!" The stewardess answered. "Now you have it all ready to go to Pirenia's first gym, in Solius City. It is located at the south of Crystalline Bay, and perhaps you will have to walk there for a few days, so you could take the opportunity to take a break here now to see more of the village before parting. As you have already seen, we have everything."
"That's true." Serena commented. "What do you recommend us?"
"Well, you can see the promenade, the beach, some interior shops... but what you cannot miss is the Crystalline Church. It's simply spectacular. You won't waste your time."
"So, a church..." Brock muttered. "Interesting, there are not many churches in major cities in other regions. In addition, a little escapade for a quickie wedding would be fine..."
Another suggestion by Brock, who made Dedenne charge his cheeks again. Seeing him, the young man from Pewter City recanted.
"Okay, okay, it was a joke, just a joke..." He said nervously and gesticulating.
The electric type Pokémon nodded and stopped the electricity load, prompting a sigh of relief from Brock. Bonnie let out a little giggle as Ash thanked Dalena for all the information she had given them. Once they departed from the attendant, the four young trainers were ready to leave the tower. But suddenly, Ash stopped short. His eyes showed disbelief, even terror. His body trembled slightly and his eyes were bulged. Among the crowd gathered in the tower, the raven haired had seen a person. But not just anyone, was someone who brought back very bad memories of his adventure in Kalos. It was a tall man, with bluish gray hair and blue eyes. He wore a blue scarf with a dark jacket, two T-shirts (one blue and one white) and gray trousers. Ash couldn't even believe he was there, even that he had probably been invited to the tournament. Serena was very concerned to see her boyfriend so stunned.
"Ash, honey, are you okay?" She asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.
Pikachu also shook a little his trainer's leg, scared. Ash's face didn't change, he couldn't even move a centimeter of his body from the surprise, but he could pronounce the name of that person who had caused him so many headaches and nightmares.
"Alain..."
Only Bonnie reacted to that. Brock didn't even knew this kid, and Serena saw him fighting only once with Ash before becoming Queen of Kalos, but the little blonde knew the whole story. She had lived the entire story, all by herself. And the first thing she felt was anger. She wanted to run into that young and throw all her anger and hatred towards him.
"Where is he!? Where!? Let him come here, I will make sure that idiot remembers who I am!"
But Ash grabbed her dress and stopped her short. The girl shook him and screamed to the Pallet Town trainer to let her go, but he ignored her. In the end, Bonnie desisted, but couldn't prevent some tears to fall from her eyes as she gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Squishy..." She whispered, very distressed.
Neither Serena nor Brock understood what was happening, they looked both confused while Ash tried to calm the child down.
"What's happening here?" The honey blonde asked. "What happens with Squishy? What has to do with that boy, Alain?"
Ash turned and looked straight into Serena's eyes. His face was similar to Bonnie, full of moodiness and frustration, but much more content.
"It's... it's a long story."
Sweet Lord, we started strong, with a good shocker! XD Anyway, perhaps in terms of emotions and tension is not so similar to the first chapter in the prologue, but it's a nice start as well.
Moving to the news round, we finally have the first information from Pokémon Sun and Moon.This month's CoroCoro pages didn't show anything (what a surprise :O), but thanks to the official Pokémon website we already know the starters, the legendary, the region and the characters. The starter Pokémon for the seventh generation are Rowlet (a Grass/Flying type owl with an Exorcist girl complex), Litten (a Fire type kitten just as serious as Kimi Raikkonen) and Popplio (an adorable Water type circus seal). The cover legendries also appeared in last Tuesday's video, they are still unnamed but they are presumably Solgaleo and Lunaala. The first is a lion that seems slightly inspired by Digimon, while the second seems a mixture of Noivern, Yveltal and Olympia. XD If I had to choose, I'm decanted by the Sun edition and the Fire starter, as I have done almost always.
As breaking news, a really interesting thing that happened less than an hour ago (FanFiction Exclusive *-*) is that the possible types for the three starters' final evolution leaked, through the source code of Pokémon's Japanese website. Checking the images that correspond to Litten and Popplio's types, the "icon_03" and "icon_06" are missing, and those are presumibly the extra type for both Litten and Popplio's final evolution hidden in the site. Putting those nicknames while looking for their website direction, reveals two intrigubly interesting images. (I hope you understood the searching process, sometimes I'm a little bit of a douche explaining myself XD). If those are correct, the types in the end would be: Grass/Flying, Fire/Ground and Water/Fighting.
Also related to the Pokémon appearing in the game, on Friday a video from CoroCoro's YouTube channel (the first thing they really show in three months XD) showed new images of gameplay and what appears to be a new Pokémon. His appearance reminded me of a Skiddo or Gogoat. On the region, in the end it is inspired by Hawaii [Too bad, I hope South Kalos is saved for the eighth generation :(] and it will be called Alola. And yes, I've sung "Alola Oe" at least a hundred times by now... :P And as for the characters... it's complicated. At first glance, the character looks customizable and very generic in the trailer, which would bring a hope that Serena continues with Ash in the Sun and Moon anime. It's no secret that Amourshipping is the most interesting pairing that Pokémon has generated, and is very popular among the community. Without going any further, Twitter in Japan has had as trending topic the hashtag SatoSere several times this year. So it would be really strange and troll by TV Tokyo to fill the TV screen with so many clues and hints (as it happened in his day with Phinbella in Phineas and Ferb, the first pairing which I defended to death) and then nothing happens. They risk losing many viewers and fans defenders of the couple of Ash and Serena. By comparison, the Amourshipping right now is in the ICU, stable, but in the ICU. The hope for most of us is that it gets out of the ICU and is canonized. And in the background I have a hunch that this will happen sooner or later.
Regarding the anime, a picture emerged on the Internet as an apparent leak of the August 25 episode (presumably entitled "Serena's confession"), in which happens something similar to Professor Oak's Summer Camp but with the roles reversed in the situation, that is, Serena helping Ash. Unfortunately, I think it's a fake leak, since it has not been confirmed at all by Serebii. But it would be what many fans were waiting, as I mentioned above. What it has been confirmed is a possible character development for Ash after he goes missing at the Winding Woods (May 26) and even more incredible... Goodra returns on June 9! :D So we have some interesting weeks ahead. :)
This brings us to the end of today's episode. See you next week to find out what happened with Alain and Squishy. Take care! ;)