The final chapter of 2017! Boy, I feel like I've published a lot…Anyway, before we start I want to remind everyone that, for one thing, this takes place a year after the wedding, which means 9 years after the Kalos Trilogy and 8 after the Alola. Also, this was written and announced way before Rainbow Rocket was ever revealed to us. That said, enjoy chapter 2 and see you in 2018!


Chapter 2

A Reminiscence

"Whoo! What an exciting and breathtaking bevy of battles we've been experiencing here at the Champion Tournament!" Kalas' excited voice rang across the stadium. It was so loud, it filled even the hallways of the stadium where the competitors waiting to battle were standing. Though, at the moment, Ash was all alone, tapping his foot against the ground.

"You ready, Pikachu? Battle one!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, pumping his fist. Ash grinned, grabbing his cap and tilting it over his face a moment as he did so. The roar of the crowd outside in the stadium was bursting with infectious enthusiasm. The raven-haired trainer had to admit, standing there in the waiting hall and watching the competitor from before making his way down the hall towards Ash with a look of disgruntlement over his loss, that he was just as excited to be there.

He loved to watch the battles, study them and those that were battling, even if they were people he'd already fought so many times before. Being on a vaunted stage with the most famous and touted trainers in all the regions simply helped to enforce that point. Having a lot of his friends around, poised to be potential rivals, or even just support, helped that case. Ash was already surprised at the sheer number of familiar people and high-level trainers that had been invited…even moreso that he had been invited, despite having known about it weeks in advance!

Of course, there was one person who was missing from those who would have been cheering him and the others on. Knowing that, though, Ash reached up, placing his left hand on his heart and gripping it in a fist, his wedding band shining in the light of the stadium hallway's floodlights. She may not have been there, but he knew she'd be watching without a single pause, if she could.

"So, let's do this, then!" Ash said. The crowd erupted with more cheers, and Kalas' voice rose above all of them, making sure to be heard for the next upcoming battle. It was one that Ash, too, had been looking forward to for quite some time…had been outright hoping for it since the tournament had been announced, along with a handful of others.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up is a battle I'm sure that you've been looking forward to! I know I am!" Kalas called. He cleared his throat before going on, every syllable seeming to make him even more excited. "These two legends have made a name for themselves over our era of peace, having first battled each other at the titanic Kalos League nearly a decade ago! Now they meet on the same field one more time! Get on your feet and scream for Ash and Alain!"

Ash didn't say a word to his steadfast partner, resting on his shoulder. He just affixed that battle-hungry grin to his face and walked forward, making his way up the stairs to the stadium's battlefield. It grew in volume with the cheers that filled the whole area, reaching its apex as he finally came to stand in his trainer's box. Once he'd arrived, he looked across the grassy field to where Alain was, dressed in his old colors of black and blue. Clearly, he'd thought that dressing as a researcher for the tournament (or traveling, Ash recalled) was a bad idea. Alain inclined his head, acknowledging him as he reached down to grab his pokeball. Ash did the same.

"Pikachu, I know you usually start us off at a tournament," Ash admitted. Pikachu seemed to shrug and sigh, hopping off his shoulder to drop down to the floor. Ash chuckled, continuing on with, "but I think there's someone else who has been looking forward to this rematch for a long time! Greninja, I choose you!"

"Here it is! The epic rematch! And all on the first round of the tournament!" Kalas was screaming. It was no surprise, given that across the battlefield, Alain had already called his Pokémon out.

"Charizard, time for battle!" With the explosion of light from the pokeballs, both Pokémon emerged on the field: Charizard with a piercing roar, and Greninja with a stoic gaze. So many years had seemed to make them all stronger, seasoned and wiser. Ash's other pokeballs were already twitching on his belt, ready for any other battle ahead; his best were ready to rumble. The referee's flag lowered swiftly, the rules already stated. "Ash, do you mind us going all out from the beginning?"

"Not at all!" Ash said across to his friend and former rival. Alain's hand raised up, pressing his fingers to his keystone, while Ash sent his arm soaring into the air. Looking into the crowd, he could see familiar faces watching their battle raptly, including Clemont and Korrina, the engaged couple observing with excitement (though it seemed more like the latter was strangling the former). In particular, though, Ash caught sight of Diantha, a light smile on her lips. His body was tingling with the hopes of facing off against her one more time. "Let's go!"

The water torrent that had surrounded Greninja broke, forming into the giant shuriken on his back. At the same time, Charizard's own body glowed and changed into the familiar black dragon that had once delivered them a massive loss. Ash smirked a little, feeling the determination in his Pokémon's veins. They weren't losing this time.

"Greninja, use Double Team!" Ash called out. The crowd was already screaming as numerous copies of Greninja appeared across the grassy fields. Alain was grinning too.

"Flamethrower!" Charizard roared, rearing back and letting forth his torrent of blue flame to cut through all of the copies that were converging in on him. Ash flicked his finger across his nose, getting into a near crouch.

"Water Shuriken!" Greninja jumped into the air, grabbing his giant shuriken from his back. He spun and twisted through the sky, above the flames, and came crashing down on Charizard's head powerfully with the watery blade. Charizard stumbled as the crowd cheered.

"Pikaka! Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered, bouncing up and down with excitement. Ash could feel it, too, as Alain called for his next move.

"Thunder Punch!" Charizard recovered, sending an uppercut imbued with lightning snapping into Greninja's jaw. Ash adjusted his jowls, feeling the smarting blow. Greninja flipped back. "Dragon Claw!"

"No way! We're not the same guys that faced Alain in the Kalos League!" Ash called, punching forward. Greninja got the message, his limbs glowing a white-hot color as he flipped around again and nailed a kick on Charizard's head. The glowing green claw came soaring out but Ash moved his body as if to block it. Greninja's fist made a block before his other one spun around to snap upwards. Charizard flew back from the sharp impact to his body.

"Whoo! Look at that! Greninja is on top of the competition!" Kalas called out. Charizard was pushed back, shaking his head while Greninja landed deftly. He didn't look exhausted, but from the subtle shifting of Alain's feet, Ash had a feeling that those few blows had already been enough to deal moderate damage to Charizard. "This, like the battles before, is a high-powered fight. One wrong move could end the match in seconds!"

"Then let's end it in seconds!" Ash said, throwing his fist out. "Cut!"

"Dragon Claw and Thunder Punch!" Alain called with a grin. Charizard raced forward, one hand glowing with a bright green intensity while the other crackled with lightning. He soared for Greninja, who whipped out his kunai and raced for the Flame Pokémon. The two finally collided, whirling around each other. Charizard swiped and Greninja ducked. The Flame Pokémon moved his leg and Ash saw his chance, one that Alain, after years of pursuing researching as a passion, didn't see. It was still a fun fight, but Ash could tell his passion was no longer about being the strongest.

"At his legs!" Ash and Greninja both bowed low and cut forward, slamming into Charizard's leg. His Dragon Claw nicked Greninja's back as he stumbled, but Ash was already on the move. "Water Shuriken, slam it down!"

"Ninja!" Greninja called, whipping around with his watery blade, and slamming it upon Charizard's head. Steam billowed out as Greninja jumped back. The crowd, like usual, was cheering, and Ash could already tell the short match had come to a stage of being ready to finish. Both Pokémon had advanced that far over the years, and with so many already watching for the quick high-powered battles, Ash knew it was time.

"Blast Burn!" Alain roared out. Ash shifted his foot, his suspicions confirmed. Charizard was back up as the steam cleared, his fist now burning with a fiery intensity as he plunged it into the ground. Ash raised his arm up, the Z-Ring he'd gotten as a gift from Hala so long ago glittering.

"Let's have a different result this time! Greninja, here goes!" he called to his longtime partner. His arms crossed and then uncrossed before flinging out. The orange shuriken appeared in Greninja's webbed hands, whirling around as Charizard made contact with the ground. Said ground split apart, burning and spluttering as it made its way for Greninja, who brought his hands together and held the whirring shuriken above his head. "Scorching Shuriken!"

"There it is! The magnificent, magnanimous, mystical Z-Move! A high-powered clash! How will it go? !" Greninja reared back and then sent the shuriken whirring forward. Its size and stability burned the air around it, causing the Blast Burn to almost shrivel up as Greninja ducked to the side. His shuriken picked up in intensity and then slammed into Charizard, sending him flying across the field and leaving smoke in its wake. Greninja landed on the smoking battlefield, all the grass seemingly burned to a crisp as it all cleared, revealing the end result.

"Charizard is unable to battle! Greninja is the winner! Ash moves on to the next round!" the referee called out. Cheers filled the stadium and Kalas was screaming his lungs out, while Ash ran on to the field, Greninja turning to him and Pikachu as his form faded away. It was only the first round, but Ash felt proud as he slapped his hand against Greninja's.

"Nice battle, Ash," called Alain's own deep tones, and the raven-haired trainer looked over to see him approaching. Once the two were close enough, they reached out and clasped each other's hands, to the obvious approval of the crowd. "A lot quicker than the last one…but then again…"

"We've all grown a lot stronger!" Ash insisted, pumping one of his fists. Alain nodded, retracting his hand now and giving a chance for Ash to return Greninja to his pokeball. Their battle (well, Ash felt it was more a skirmish) complete, even with the crowd still cheering, Alain jerked his head to tell each other to leave the field. Both of them offering a small wave to the audience, the two turned and headed back towards the hallways together, letting the sounds of the crowd and Kalas fade away.

"Hey! Nice battle!" yelled a voice down the hall, and Ash looked up to see the grinning visage of Seamus running up to approach both of the trainers. Ash and Pikachu raised their hands together in greeting while Alain, predictably, said nothing. "Totally different result than the last time you two faced off, huh?"

"Guess so," Ash said, throwing his hands behind his head. Seamus nodded sagely and Alain continued to remain silent. "I'm just glad we got to face off again and even the score. Maybe next time we'll have a real deciding battle!"

"I'll have to work a lot harder," Alain told Ash with a smirk. The roar of the crowd was rising again. "Working in research isn't the most conducive to training for a battle."

"Nor are the peaceful times or teaching, you know," Seamus pointed out. Alain blinked before he seemed to realize that Seamus was joking around with him. He offered a chuckle at that one. "Ah well, even if I lose, I've gotta give a great fight so my students will be proud!"

"Yeah! Just don't blink against Paul, he'll take advantage in a second," Ash insisted to his friend, clapping him on the shoulder. Seamus nodded, steeling his face for the battle that he, himself, was about to face. Ash gave off another chuckle and caught sight of the wedding band on his ring finger, his eyes suddenly going wide with a grimace. "Ah, well, I'd really love to watch your battle, but I gotta make a phone call!"

"Pipika!" Pikachu cheered happily. Seamus quirked an eyebrow but nodded as Ash retracted his hand and decided to go racing down the hallway. He swore he could hear a chuckle emerge from Alain's lips at that, and when he looked back, he saw Seamus stepping towards the stadium, while the earlier black-haired man shoved his hands in his pockets and walked on. He was quite a bit slower than Ash as he blasted out of the hallway and into a more common area with some spectators milling around.

"Look, mommy, it's Ash!" called a little girl. Said girl's mother turned and gave him a smile that he returned with a wave, making the little girl light up. "You battle so amazing!"

"Thanks!" Ash said to her, continually dashing off for the phones. He glanced up to see that Seamus and Paul had begun their battle, the latter's Drapion struggling to give what looked like Alakazam a hard time. Ash looked away to see Mairin waiting at the edge of a food stand, completely oblivious to him. She certainly looked to have grown up, even if Chespie hadn't, still sitting atop her head comfortably. Ash decided to ignore that, flicking his eyes towards the screen when he saw Zoroark there, heaving slightly, looking poisoned. Ash shook his head but slowed his pace as he finally approached the phones.

"Making a call, Ash?" called a voice from the phones next to him, and Ash jerked a little.

"Oh, Sawyer…didn't realize you were there…" Ash laughed out a little. Of course, he had known that Sawyer was taking part, having actually won against Astrid, of all people, earlier that day. Not that she had had any hard feelings; Sceptile looked ready to collapse after his battle with Absol alone. It probably hadn't helped that both had Mega Evolved from the beginning.

"Just calling…uh, well, you know…" Sawyer laughed out. Ash laughed with him, though he wasn't quite sure he could fill in the blanks. He had a guess about just who Sawyer was calling, but he certainly didn't want to assume anything. Not really wanting to have a conversation about his rival's love life (and indeed, the green-haired boy was still his rival in the sense that he had spent years being trained by Steven Stone, himself), Ash turned to the phone and called the number he was probably supposed to have called yesterday by this point.

It didn't take long for the call to be accepted and the image of his beautiful wife to appear on the screen…and Bonnie, it seemed.

"Ash, we saw your battle! Greninja wins! Yay!" Bonnie cheered, Dedenne joining her on her shoulder. She seemed so enthusiastic, that Serena had to work her way back on to the screen, with little success. "It was really awesome finally seeing you able to beat Alain! I'm going to be your next challenger. Maybe Dedenne will finally be able to-"

"Bonnie, I'm sure Ash can tell us more if you give him a chance to breathe," Serena's voice cut across. The lemon blonde pouted a bit, but drew back, allowing Ash a much better look at his wife and the girl by her side. He grinned.

Now that he was truly seeing them, it allowed him to appreciate how mature both of them looked (despite seeing Serena at least once a week, even when busy), though in entirely different ways. Bonnie had certainly grown taller, matching them all in height, with long hair tied into an elegant braid as she wore travel clothes that resembled her past attire, though more fit for someone her age. Serena, meanwhile, was garbed in her beautiful performance outfit, a hand resting on her stomach a moment before she leaned forward.

"Yeah, I beat Alain! Though it looks like Paul's gonna win this next round…not that I'm surprised. He pretty much said he wanted to face me in the finals of this thing," Ash admitted with a rather hearty chuckle. Serena put her hand to her mouth and laughed as some static moved across the screen. "How's your Spectacular thing?"

"It'll be fine. I'm back on in a little bit," Serena admitted, sitting back. "Can't refuse a favor from Aria, after all. But it's good work, just as intended. Lots of girls interested in meeting me. How's everyone else doing?"

"Clemont hasn't battled yet, right?" Bonnie asked, throwing her hands behind her head. Ash shook his head; she reminded him more of himself than her brother. "And not everyone's there, too?"

"Uh, yeah, some people couldn't make it…and neither him nor Korrina have battled yet. Actually, I think they're battling each other…" Ash answered her. Bonnie looked a little displeased with that, but sighed with a shrug, as if it truly couldn't be helped. Given the slight lull in conversation, Ash brought his mind to thinking of all the competitors at the Champion Tournament. It truly was the best of the best, with every member of the Elite Four and Champions here, and then strong trainers such as himself and Paul, and even those "truly exceptional" Gym Leaders, as they were called. Though, there were still some missing.

Gladion, for one thing, had stated he was too busy with Foundation work, despite their financial backing of the tournament, which included keeping Guzma and his band of brothers and sisters in line across Alola and other regions. Even then, though, Ash had hoped to see Kahili or some of the Kahunas, including Hau, but none of them had had the opportunity to make it there. He knew the reason for Kahili and Kukui, of course, but it didn't stop him hoping. Nor had Dawn or May ventured to the tournament, the former visiting with Maylene in Sinnoh last he'd heard, while the latter was off…somewhere (he could admit to not being as aware to her own location). Brock, on the other hand, was easy, given his medical duties in Hoenn. Ash tapped his foot a little, realizing almost all of his best friends except for Clemont either hadn't been invited or had prior engagements. This very thought must have taken up much of his mind, because Serena was calling him out of it.

"Sorry, what?" Ash asked with a sheepish expression. Serena shook her head, but continued to smile.

"I said we should hold a little private celebration of some sort when you get back," his wife told him. Ash's eyebrows flew up as Bonnie snickered in the background. Serena's face turned red as her cheeks puffed out. "I didn't mean it that way…"

"Well, I mean, not like I-"

"Ash!" Serena scolded him, and he just laughed it off again. When she'd settled down, she looked pointedly at him while Bonnie turned away, chasing after Dedenne and what looked to be Squishy. Ash was also pretty sure he heard her Pokédex making snarky comments. "Speaking of that, though, please remember that there was something I wanted to talk to you about. But, like I said, I'll save it for when you get back."

"Hm?" Ash asked, genuinely confused as to why she was bringing this up again, but Serena's smile wasn't telling. Pikachu tilted his head in interest. Knowing he wouldn't get anything out of her, he just shrugged. "Well, you just take care of yourself in those performances, yeah? No wearing yourself out, okay?"

"I should be telling you that," Serena insisted. However, she shared no more words after, simply looking to see that Bonnie was otherwise occupied and then blowing a kiss to him before their connection cut off. Ash breathed in with contentment and looked to Pikachu, scratching him behind the ears.

"That Serena?" called Astrid's voice from nearby, and Ash turned to look at her, holding an ice cream cone. She hadn't changed much in all these years, by Ash's estimation, which was fine to him. He nodded. "She must be real busy in Lumiose, huh?"

"Seems that way. Performer's life is always busy. How have you been?" Ash asked, turning away and joining the blonde woman. Sawyer seemed to have left already, gone to watch more matches, while Ash's stomach was rumbling. On the screens, Seamus and Paul's match had ended with a definitive victory for the latter, though Drapion looked pretty exhausted in the replay. Meanwhile, Clemont looked to be taking the field alongside his fiancée. Ash could tell it would be a tight battle…assuming Korrina didn't use Mega Evolution from the very beginning.

"Been good, other than losing to Sawyer…guy is way too strong for us to keep up," Astrid chuckled out. Ash couldn't offer a reply, keeping one eye on the screen as he approached a food stall for a hearty lunch. Pikachu was already selecting from a row of ketchups. "But, hey, that's how it goes. We're all still on a level to compete with the Elite Four, so we should count ourselves lucky. Amazing how little things change in almost a decade."

"I don't know about that," Ash told her, grabbing his food as the two turned towards the screen to watch the battle between the engaged couple begin. Ash wasn't surprised to see Luxray out against Lucario, though the former had picked up a variety in moves, replacing his old Thunder Fang standby with Ice Fang and biting into Lucario, who retaliated with a Power-Up Punch.

"Huh…hope there's no hard feelings between those two…" Astrid commented, biting into her cone.

"No way. They're both happy with the result," Ash insisted. A figure moving in his periphery showed Seamus coming out of the hallway with a resigned expression as he, too, made his way for the phones. "Though, speaking of…how about you? Anyone to, as Brock says, 'settle down with'?"

"Ash, since when did you become an expert on the romantic?" Astrid joked, nudging him in the side. Ash nearly dropped his food, but steadied it and decided to finish it before Astrid knocked it away entirely. She also, however, sighed as Lucario Mega Evolved, following an Electric Terrain enhanced Wild Charge. "No, there isn't…I think. It's complicated."

"What's complicated?" Ash asked in genuine puzzlement. Astrid wouldn't answer, looking over to Seamus, now approaching from the phones.

"Maybe she's talking about how I can't get through to the kids in Nova Town," Seamus pointed out with a shrug. Ash furrowed his brow; his call had worked just fine. "Oh well, Chris and Rocky are probably putting them through their paces, and that works for me. Though Merry really wanted to share the result. Even losing, she worked really hard for that battle! Right, Merry?"

Astrid stiffened a bit, but managed to finish her ice cream cone entirely as Seamus' pokeball rocked subtly with pride. Ash looked to his female friend and then spied a table at which to sit upon, all while Lucario and Luxray made a major clash in the stadium that sent sparks raining everywhere on the screen. Knowing the result of the match was probably decided, Ash turned towards the table and led his friends over to it, only pausing for a moment so that Seamus could grab some food, himself. Once they were seated, waiting for Clemont and Korrina to come back (the screen showing the Shalour Gym Leader as the victor), Astrid finally began speaking again.

"So, you guys hear about some of the stuff that supposedly went down in Johto earlier today?" she asked, crossing her legs as she leaned forward. Pikachu hopped on the table, feasting on his ketchup bottle while Ash looked at the blonde. Seamus was paying little attention, fixated on the match of Diantha against Alder taking place.

"No, what happened?" Ash asked in interest. Astrid leaned further forward, her eyes sparkling with a slight bit of mischief.

"Not a lot to tell," Astrid finally admitted with a wink. Ash frowned at her, all while Seamus slammed a hand on the table while calling Alder an idiot. "Just some rumors passed around that there was this big explosion in a town at an abandoned building. But there's no report on it or anything, just media speculation. It was just this morning, anyway…or something like that."

"Still kinda weird news, right?" Ash asked, getting a vocal acknowledgement from Astrid. On one of the screens, Diantha's Gardevoir had locked down Bouffalant's horns, grappling tightly with it. The sound of footsteps indicated that Korrina and Clemont had arrived by this point, the couple discussing something about their battle. "I mean, with all sorts of peaceful times, and the Foundation and ARC and all those people…when was the last time any of us fought a big battle?"

"Years," was Korrina's reply, clearly breaking away from her conversation to flop into a chair. Clemont, meanwhile, took the seat next to Ash, and the raven-haired trainer flung his arm around the young man. "But what are we talking about?"

"Explosion in Johto," was Astrid's reply. Seamus groaned out loudly, and Ash looked up to see that Diantha had defeated Alder. For some weird reason, Ash wasn't all that surprised, and it made his blood pump more than usual. Clemont, disengaging himself from Ash, placed a hand on his chin.

"Natural gas explosion or something?" the inventor asked. Ash snuck a look at him; he definitely seemed fine with the result of the earlier battle, and Ash could see the gears turning in his head. That was just like him, especially given all of his famous inventions, a lot of which had been backed by the Foundation.

"No idea. Only weird part, and not a single media outlet could agree on whether it was real or not, was that just a little bit ago, there was a rainbow overhead, but no rain. Weird, huh?" Astrid said, offering her own chuckle to the mix. Seamus was still relatively silent, now eating quickly, since the match was over. Ash twisted around to see whether Diantha would be emerging from the halls, or if her status as Champion would prevent it. However, his mind also picked up on what Astrid had said and he looked to Pikachu.

"Rainbow…I wonder…" he muttered out, though not enough for anyone to hear him. "Oh, well, hope everyone was okay or whatever."

"We'll know that whenever all the news places get their acts together, don't you think? Well, that or Miss Malva decides to report on it," Astrid commented, tapping her forehead. Ash shrugged, not really having an answer for that. He had no idea how those sorts of places thought, other than knowing he wanted to avoid them as much as possible due to his own sometimes unfortunate fame. Though he did trust Malva, the powerful trainer always in the best interest of providing accurate information, to the point that she willingly chose against participating in the tournament before the announcement.

"Probably just a coincidence, I hope," Clemont noted. Ash could hear the inventor's stomach begin to growl, and it made himself consider getting more food. In fact, as he looked to his friend, both seemed to determine that was actually a good idea as they stood. "Korrina, do you want anything?"

"Ice cream!" Korrina cheered out far too happily. Clemont shook his head, but decided to oblige his fiancée's request. The two turned and left from the table, aiming for the ice cream stand. Pikachu, to Ash's surprise, abandoned his ketchup to join him as they walked towards it.

"You spoke with Bonnie, right?" Clemont asked, prompting Ash to nod his head. "She'll probably scold me after that battle, but I think I did pretty well against someone with Mega Evolution."

"You were awesome!" Ash insisted, already getting excited again, despite the somewhat somber news from earlier. If he was honest, the news Astrid had shared with them sounded a little disturbing, but he felt that was mostly thanks to the rumor of the rainbow overhead. It stirred something in his mind which he hadn't thought about for a long time. Regardless, he pushed it away at the sight of someone rather familiar. "Diantha! Good match!"

"Thank you," the elegant Champion spoke, approaching them. Ash said nothing more, watching her draw near; she, like so many others, hadn't changed all that much, unless one counted the lines on her face, from years of her position. "Alder was still a challenge. You all have had wonderful battles, too. Ah, a raspberry cone, please."

"Comin' right up, Champion!" the man at the stall said. Diantha, who had called her order as she approached, finally came to a stop near Ash and Clemont with a tired smile. The inventor seemed to be the first to pick up on this.

"Everything all right, Diantha?" he asked, adjusting his glasses a bit. Diantha offered another smile in his direction before expelling a breath.

"Oh, it's nothing," she said, running a hand through her hair. Now that Ash was closer to her, he could see that she looked tired, though he supposed it had to do with how much planning had gone into the tournament over the last few weeks, given the heavy media coverage surrounding it. "Just some rumors going around the League."

"Like what?" Clemont asked as the man at the stand finally finished gathering their ice creams and handing them over. The inventor made sure to balance both of his, while Diantha daintily took hers.

"Oh, just that we've been out of communication with ARC today. Communication issues are plaguing parts of the League, it seems," Diantha insisted with a shaking of her head. Ash held his ice cream over, allowing Pikachu a lick at it, one that soon turned to outright eating, while he surveyed her in contemplation.

"I made a phone call just fine," Ash told her, though that didn't seem to be what was most disturbing to her. She did shoot him a look of thanks, in any case, for the reassurance. "Guess that's not what it's about…?"

"I don't actually know what it's about," Diantha said, licking softly at her ice cream as the small trio made their way over to the table of trainers. As they did, Ash caught sight of Paul, the ever-surly trainer offering him a nod. Ash nodded back, but decided to not call out; they always were the kind of people that let their actions do the talking in the end. Diantha, however, was talking again, putting Ash's attentions right back on to her once more. "We Champions may be heavily involved with the way things are run and facilitated, but while I brought ARC into the League, they no longer fall under my personal jurisdiction. Cynthia or Lance are typically in charge of that these days, and I just handle all the administrative stuff."

"It's been working well enough for years now, so it must be something right," Clemont observed. He barely got a nod as a response from the Champion. "But then, why would it bother you that you're not in communication with them?"

"Oh, Lance and Looker borrowed them for something or other, last I heard. Lance said he didn't want to share it until he had more confirmation," Diantha finally answered them. Ash wasn't sure what to think or say, knowing these kinds of situations were far over his head. "He just mentioned in passing that he hadn't heard a report from them today while they finished establishing a new base or something, and it just adds onto the stress. Life of a Champion and all that…"

"Ever thought of retiring?" Ash asked, though he knew full well what the answer was. It was the same kind of answer he would give: being a Pokémon Trainer was never a job you just stopped doing. In fact, she offered a laugh as response to that.

"Not quite yet. There's still some energy left for me yet, and I think Kathi Lee would kill me if I outright quit, even if it was to focus on acting," she said, and they finally reached their table. Seamus appeared to have left the seat, clearly attempting another call at the phones, but coming away looking just as annoyed as last time. Regardless of that, they all took a seat yet again, no one batting an eye at the fact that the Champion of Kalos was sitting with them. It certainly spoke to how far all of them had come. "Though, I have been thinking of a successor to the position for some time…though none of my Elite Four are very…ambitious, ha ha."

"Wikstrom and Drasna seem the most fitting. Ooh, thanks!" Korrina said with enthusiasm as she grabbed her ice cream. Diantha shrugged at the mention before elaborating on that action.

"They're strong trainers, and each would be a suitable replacement, but for Drasna looking to retire, herself and I just can't see Wikstrom leading the newer generation, no offense to him. I have considered Malva, but she never seems willing to commit to that kind of position, same with Siebold," Diantha said, her tone measured. Ash propped himself up on his elbow. He could tell that she had been thinking about and considering all this for quite some time now, considering how well-voiced it was. "These would never be decisions to be made lightly, and there are so many options with phenomenal trainers such as yourselves…and no doubt you'll be fostering the newest generation yourself, soon."

"Um…uh…" Clemont suddenly hacked out, while Korrina blushed a deep crimson. Ash couldn't figure why they were so embarrassed, given they were already engaged to be married and simply hadn't set a date yet. Surely the thought of a new generation wasn't so far beyond them. It wasn't beyond Ash, either, given his talks with Serena, but neither of them had discussed anything definitive.

"We're working on it," Korrina admitted with a nervous giggle before she promptly shoved her entire cone of ice cream into her mouth, allowing herself to remain silent. Seamus had finally finished approaching the table now.

"They just don't want to pick up…well, I'll show 'em!" the blond insisted, throwing a fist into the air and drawing Astrid's attention to him. She looked downright amused. "If they don't want to talk, stupid Christopher, then I'll just let 'em stew overnight."

"I take it you can't reach your school?" Diantha asked, quirking an eyebrow. Seamus was taken aback, but transferred his fist to have it run his fingers through his hair.

"Ah, yeah…probably busy teaching or something, and Chris has his kid and all, so…" The blond seemed embarrassed, given his laugh, though Diantha merely nodded and moved on. When she'd turned away from him, Seamus gave Ash a wide-eyed expression, and the trainer laughed, Pikachu joining in with him.

"So, Champion, I have to ask, any stock in the rumors from the media this morning about the explosion in Johto? Seems like it's all they're focused on," Astrid questioned, leaning in. Ash couldn't help but roll his eyes at the woman's inability to let the topic go, though he figured that she was likely bored, now that she was knocked out of the competition.

"Mm, couldn't say. Not my purview," was Diantha's curt response. She was almost done with her ice cream now, but Ash couldn't sense any dishonesty or evasiveness in her voice. "Media relations are typically handled by Steven and all that investigative stuff is-"

"Lance?" Ash asked. Diantha nodded. He sat back in his chair, hearing the cheering crowds at the result of whatever new battle was playing out in the stadium. It was looking late out, the sun beginning to sink on the horizon on the first day of heavy battling. Ten years ago or so, he never would have thought he'd be sitting here, chatting with a Champion, herself, potentially set to battle against her in the coming days…nor did he think he'd understand the structure of the current League system as well as he did.

Not that Ash liked involving himself in politics. He was into that about as much as Pikachu enjoyed having his electric sacs tugged upon. He just knew enough how things worked…mostly because Lionel was always accompanied by Aidan, who always talked business. It made Ash's encounters with ARC a bit bittersweet, though he did wonder how they were doing, if they weren't making contact with the League.

Now's not the time to be thinking about that! Ash insisted, shaking his head a bit. They were here for a tournament, after all, not a social call. This became all the more evident by a slight ringing from Diantha's bag. The Champion, having fully finished her ice cream at the sound of it, dug into said bag and pulled out the small phone. She excused herself silently and stepped away, just out of earshot. Ash, feeling lazy as Pikachu decided to finish off their own cone, looked over to the Champion.

"You're sure…?" came the hushed whispers of Diantha's voice, and Ash had to wonder just what was going on. "No confirmation, though…and they haven't…? I see…Just…keep a watchful eye and…you know what, I'll stop by the office. Mmhmm."

Ash looked back to Clemont and Astrid, the both of them seemingly just as interested in the conversation at hand. Diantha, for her part, made her way back over. Astrid straightened and addressed her. "Everything okay?"

"Mm, not sure," was Diantha's answer. Ash frowned, reaching over to pat Pikachu, whose own tense body indicated his shared feelings with his trainer. Her eyes weren't smiling. "Just some news I wish I hadn't heard, but nothing definitive as of yet. Unfortunately, it means I'll have to go into work to see."

"Oh, all right, then," Ash said. Diantha offered them one more smile, and then a wave, before she was off yet again. More cheers from the stadium indicated that the latest battle was won, and Ash had to wonder how close it all was to wrapping up. He was about to lament the number of missed battles when he heard Pikachu yawn loudly. "Guess that means it's time for us to head back to our room."

"Sounds good to me," Clemont agreed, himself coming to a standing position, as well, at the suggestion. Korrina still looked a little flushed, but stood nonetheless and brushed her skirt off, skating around the table to take hold of her fiancé's arm. Before he or anyone else knew it, Korrina was dragging Clemont off, looking a bit like a kidnapper. While she did so, Astrid gave a loud yawn while Seamus stretched.

"I'm gonna get some sleep, too. You better put up as good a battle as you did today!" Astrid insisted, pointing directly at Ash, who chuckled a little. Following that, she stood, spun right around, and walked off. Seamus finished stretching and offered a light shrug before doing the same. Ash had nothing left to say and departed in an opposite direction, deciding to go for a stroll around the facilities before turning in for the night. He debated calling Serena again, but figured she would probably be asleep or just exhausted from her own activities that day.

"Oh, well," Ash muttered under his breath. Pikachu reclaimed his place on Ash's shoulder as he threw his hands behind his head and strode to the orange-tinged exterior of the area they were staying at. It was a location all too familiar to Ash, causing him to pause at the edge and smile. He had been so pumped up on the adrenaline of battle that he hadn't fully acknowledged it. "Wonder what dad thinks of all this, huh, Pikachu?"

"Pika…" Pikachu said with a shrug, but there wasn't anything else to say. They both just shared the memory of that day so long ago. Ironically enough, it was also the day Ash had encountered the boy now approaching him. The two of them stopped, neither saying a word, until Ash found what he wanted to say.

"How've you been, Paul?" Ash asked him. Paul didn't answer, leaning against the entrance of the stadium lobby. Only when he was looking directly at Ash did he answer.

"I've been fine," was the response. Ash would have frowned, except for remembering that Paul wasn't one for small talk…ever, really. "Reggie is, too."

"Uh-huh…you had a good battle with Seamus today," Ash said, trying to goad the purple-haired man into conversation. Naturally, he didn't take the bait.

"It was good enough," was the curt reply. That seemed like a resounding "battle was amazing" in Ash's book. He did keep watching Paul, though, waiting for whatever reason he had come to speak with him, now that he was alone (he never expected his rival to come speak in any truly social setting). "You know we'll face off in the finals, right?"

"I thought we sorta already promised that," Ash admitted. Paul jerked his head and started to walk off, but paused. Ash quirked an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"Cynthia approached me," he finally spoke, quieter than normal under the sound of the crashing waterfalls. "She's…talking about stepping down. Wants to put her passions into ruin investigations."

"She approached you for it? That's great!" Ash insisted. Paul scoffed almost instantly, and a bit predictably. That made the raven-haired trainer sigh a bit, looking to the continually setting sun and the rainbow created from the misting overhead. A small twinge on the back of his neck made Ash feel like they weren't the only two there, standing outside, despite no one being visible. Not that it mattered once Paul was talking again.

"Yeah, sure…I just wanted to let you know," his rival told him tersely, before waving his hand sharply. "I guess building the future is sooner than we think."

Ash couldn't say anything about that. Mostly, it was because he could only guess as to why Paul had told him, and other than the sadness in his rival's voice, as though it spelled the end of their eternal tug-of-war between each other, he didn't have any solid guess. As Paul walked away, though, it certainly cemented that truth inside him: the world was moving on. Time had ticked forward, and while it had merely brought them all with it, Ash knew he was already witnessing a changing of the guard. Champions considering stepping down, a whole new generation of kids taking part in Leagues and going on journeys, and they were at the center of that storm of change.

Putting his hands in his pockets and walking around the building, Ash realized how different things could look sooner than later. In every way possible, things were changing. Bonnie was a huge proof of that. His footsteps stopped, looking up at the stained glass that had once been shattered nearly a decade ago. For some reason, the man who had precipitated that took the forefront of his mind; now that the guard was changing, would Dalton be proud of the world they and their generation would create? It almost made him wonder if their generation was even ready for that responsibility. If he was ready, and what he could do to help usher it in…

Taking his eyes away from the stained glass as he resumed his walking, Ash once more caught sight of the rainbow over the falls. That, too, brought him back to what Astrid seemed to be obsessing about: the explosion in Johto, and the odd rainbow overhead. It reminded him of the very first day he had become a trainer, and Ho-oh.

"Wonder where Ho-oh's been all these years…?" Ash mused aloud to his best friend. Pikachu's ears twitched a little, sounding just a bit interested in the topic as they continued their walk. "I mean, when was the last time we saw it? And I'm pretty sure we've seen it more than most…"

"Chu…" Pikachu agreed sagely. It was certainly a mystery; just another one to add to all the things swirling around and colliding upon one another in the changing age. It made the setting sun seem almost…metaphorical…and that was when Ash wondered when he started thinking that way, of all things.

"Ah, who cares? Pikachu, you're up tomorrow and we're gonna win!" Ash proclaimed, throwing his fist to the sky. His other pokeballs radiated with enthusiastic energy and excitement for the battle ahead. Spinning around on his feet as Pikachu cheered alongside him, Ash began running off towards his room and the peacefulness of a good night's sleep, even as the feeling of his hairs standing on end never fully went away.


The next morning, Ash awoke rested and with just as much anticipation as the day prior, wondering who he'd be facing off against that day. There was a bit of unrest in his veins as he stretched, looking out over the waterfalls that morning and feeling that same sensation as the evening prior, like he was being watched. However, he figured that, in the end, it really just came down to a combination of hunger, missing Serena, and ultimate anticipation. Knowing that, the raven-haired trainer finished his stretches and decided to get breakfast, with a quick stop to make sure his Pokémon were in fighting shape before he did so.

He wasn't the only one below, getting food. Alain and Mairin appeared to have been up as early as Korrina and Clemont, the two couples (or so it looked to Ash…he was never sure on Alain and Mairin's status) seeming to have an easy conversation. It wasn't quite the same for Seamus, who looked just as annoyed now as he had last evening.

"Still can't get through?" Ash asked of the blond, violently stabbing a plate of crepes. He looked up with a scowl and a growl that all but confirmed Ash's own guesses regarding the matter.

"They just don't want to pick up! I think I'm going to ask Clemont to use the IRCS at this point!" he screamed out, knocking over a jar of syrup and sending it spilling across the table. Pikachu took the opportunity to lick it up before a nearby waitress intervened. "I thought I'd let them stew, but I didn't think it would make them mad at me, and I don't really want to head back yet."

"Then I guess the IRCS is your best bet, huh?" Ash asked, seeing a plate of pancakes delivered to him, already topped with some accompanying foods. He thanked the waitress and began to dig in while Seamus seemed to be involved over a debate of what to do, continually looking over at Clemont. Ash decided to ignore the surly and annoyed expressions, just watching the hall as he shoved food in for the upcoming day's matches, despite none of the matchups having yet been announced.

The most particular of note was Diantha, who was accompanied by Cynthia and Lance, the three talking in hurried and rushed tones. He wasn't able to hear much of it, at least not enough to make any definitive conclusions, and Pikachu was too busy scarfing food to notice, even with his ears twitching at attention. They looked concerned, probably owing to whatever had upset the Kalos Champion the day prior, though their presence here indicated it probably wasn't that bad of a situation. Ash did muse on whether or not Astrid's observations had merit, though.

"You ready for today's battle, buddy?" Ash asked with a grin, leaning in towards Pikachu, who finished up his food hastily.

"Pika pika chuuuuuu!" Pikachu cried cheerily, slapping his cheeks rapidly. Ash laughed, giving his partner a high five, and when he looked up, the Champions had disappeared. It made him think about his brief conversation with Paul the day before, but he soon shrugged it off at the decision to make his way to the stadium. Seamus, too, had stood, rapidly striding over to Clemont, his voice carrying across the entire area.

"Hey, Clemont, you have administrative access to the IRCS, right? Mind doing me a favor?" he was yelling out. Clemont looked taken aback, but at a peck on his cheek from Korrina, he decided to answer with confidence.

"Sure, let me just get my portable enhancement version from my room. You're calling Nova Town?" the inventor asked, having obviously picked up on the source of Seamus' trepidation. Glad to see it was an easy decision, Ash cleaned up and made a straight beeline for the stadium, Clemont's voice fading as he did so with a, "Not surprised, as no one there has the same abilities or permissions to…"

As the roars of the crowd hit upon his ears, drowning the duo's voices, Ash did think about calling Serena and seeing how she was doing that morning, but figured she would be far too busy with her Showcase endeavors. He definitely didn't want to take away from that. Irked Serena was a Serena he may have gotten used to in their married life, but not one he wanted to deal with right before an intense battle. Knowing that she'd be fine with it all, he proceeded to the stadium and took a seat with the rest of the remaining competitors as they filled in, keeping his eye on each of them. Before long, Kalas' voice was once more filling the air, overriding the crowd.

"Welcome back, folks, to another exciting day of a huge tournament, the Champion Tournament! We've whittled down our competitors yesterday to another batch of strong contestants, who will now be engaging one another in an epic set of battles!" Kalas called, as usual whipping the entire crowd into a major frenzy with his words. Even Ash found himself getting excited. "Without further ado, let's show the randomized matchups for today!"

With Kalas' words, Ash turned to the biggest screen in the stadium, looking at all of the cards with the competitors' faces. They turned over, mixing around like always until they righted themselves and flipped around, lines drawn between them. Ash and Pikachu's expressions quickly changed to one of surprise, and they weren't the only ones.

"Well, well," was Kalas' own surprised voice, "it seems today's first battle is another rematch; one that was memorable in its own right a few years back. Let's welcome our first battlers for the day to the dirt field: Ash Ketchum and Champion Diantha!"

"Perfect!" Ash said, clenching a fist as he stood. Across the way, where all of the Champions were huddled together in conversation, Diantha stood as well. She looked perturbed, but Ash could see her eyes light with fire as she looked across to him and smiled. Knowing they were both ready, Ash turned away from his seat and made a quick run for the halls to the battlefield. Passing through them once more, Ash got a shiver this time, his memory of that day prickling at the hair on the back of his neck. Pikachu seemed to feel it as well, though Ash wondered if, just maybe, it wasn't the memory at all, but rather the disturbed sound of other footsteps in the corridor.

Nevertheless, he shook his head, deciding that it was mere anticipation, and he quickly ran towards the battlefield with numerous cheers and excited screams. To his expectation, Diantha was already down below, standing across from him, though not saying a word. It was really just like her, as he'd learned from all his battles with her over the years. In front of her, no less, her partner Pokémon had already been chosen.

"Knew she'd go with Gardevoir. Either way, Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash said. The crowd seemed to roar in approval of his choice, making Ash reach up to turn his hat back. That made them cheer even more; over the years, and to Ash's surprise, it turned out that he, Pikachu and their mannerisms were just as popular as their status at winning battles. The referee quickly called out the usual basic tenets of the battle, though Ash just watched Diantha, knowing that surveying her was just as important as watching Gardevoir to winning the battle.

She looked more reticent than usual before a battle, her eyes not revealing anything, switching back and forth between fired up and clouded. It concerned Ash a little, the shiver passing down his neck again, this time with a more distinct feeling. He looked up, seeing Cynthia and Lance still huddled, holding a tablet as they pointed to something. Ash shook his head.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash called, clenching his fist and throwing it up. Pikachu shuddered a bit and raced forward swiftly, like a bolt of white lightning. He barreled right for Gardevoir, while Ash watched Diantha. She imperceptibly nodded her head, and just as Pikachu reached Gardevoir's location, the Embrace Pokémon vanished. "Iron Tail!"

"Chu pika!" Pikachu cried, his tail instantly brightening and swiping around. The attack slammed into Gardevoir the second she materialized, being driven into the center of the dirt field. Diantha showed no surprise, though she was wearing a faint smile that showed her appreciation of the hit.

"Shadow Ball," was the next command. Gardevoir instantly righted herself, forming a Shadow Ball and sending it flying out at Pikachu. Ash nodded his own head now and Pikachu jumped to the side, the attack barely missing him. Diantha raised her head and Gardevoir continued firing Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball, as if trying to keep Pikachu away as much as possible.

"Counter that with Electro Ball!" Ash called, throwing his fist outward now. Pikachu dodged to the side and leapt up into the air, forming a crackling ball of electricity at the tip of his tail. He waited less than a second, his charge time significantly faster than usual, before he flung it right at Gardevoir. Her Shadow Ball also flew out, colliding with the electrical projectile and then exploding with steam around the battlefield. Ash narrowed his eyes, keeping them peeled for when Diantha herself would next appear across the way, though he gave another command. "Counter Shield!"

"Moonblast," Diantha said stoically. Ash brought his fist down and clenched it. He should have known she was setting up for that. The smoke whipped away as Pikachu was spinning on his back, sending torrents of electricity out. Gardevoir was a small distance away, having charged up her Moonblast before firing it at Pikachu. It collided with the shield, straining against it before breaking through and slamming into Pikachu, albeit in a weakened form. He went flying through the air, righting himself.

"Iron Tail! Spin into it!" Ash commanded. Pikachu began to spin forward as Gardevoir remained still. Ash paid close attention to Diantha, waiting for the move he knew was coming. Sure enough, as Pikachu was about to make contact with Gardevoir, Diantha nodded. The Embrace Pokémon vanished once again, but Pikachu knew exactly what to do. He spun out of his roll and whipped around, sending a quick cascade of Electro Balls at Gardevoir where they impacted with popping noises and small little sparks, driving her back.

"Whoo! Just like in his first official match, Ash is taking the Champion to task! He may be small, but Pikachu is one force to be reckoned with!" Kalas called out. Pikachu landed, grinning back at Ash, who grinned right back. They were really moving in sync today. Diantha was even already reaching for her necklace, looking as though she wanted to try and end the battle more quickly than usual. There was a certain savagery there; one that Ash could tell was not normal, though he couldn't tell why whatsoever.

"Pikachu, be on guard, something's off," Ash said quietly, enough for his partner to hear. That prickling was returning. Diantha's stance was changing. There really was something very off. As she seemed about to Mega Evolve Gardevoir, and Ash was about to call his next command, he looked up and saw Clemont running towards the Champion section of the stands.

No…it wasn't just him. Seamus was with him, with both of their eyes so wide that they looked like they'd pop out of their heads. Ash stepped forward, and Diantha turned, looking up. There was a pause in which things must have been said, some news shared. Her lips were pursed, and she looked to be shaking. She raised her hand.

"I forfeit the match," she called loudly, and murmuring filled the stadium. Ash's brow furrowed. There was no indignation, but just a sense of worry amidst the muttering.

Something was very, very wrong, and he wanted to know just what it was.

Knowing that, Ash ran forward, Pikachu joining him the second he was nearby. Diantha didn't waste a beat in calling Gardevoir back quickly, walking to the edge of the stadium towards the Champions. Ash picked up his pace and called to her. "Diantha! Diantha, what was that about? Hey!"

"I'm sorry, Ash," the Kalos Champion spoke, pausing as she stopped at the edge. Ash finally caught up to her as the confusion in the stadium reached its peak. He looked at her, and could see her quivering lip. He shook his head. "I really wanted to battle you, but…"

"Forget about that. We can battle later. Just tell me what's going on!" Ash demanded of her, only it wasn't Diantha that answered. It was Clemont, and he looked more pale than usual.

"Ash, we just tried contacting Nova Town…" Clemont told him. "It…"

"They were attacked yesterday, but we're such a small town that the news…it didn't reach…it…The school is gone," Seamus choked out, looking like he was close to vomiting at the thought of all of it. Ash stopped for a moment, disbelieving of the words being spoken. He snapped his gaze to Diantha, as people in the stadium began to stand. Kalas was speaking, trying to regain order, though Ash couldn't hear the words spoken. That only explained half of it. The second half was finally explained by Diantha a moment later, even telling Ash just why she had called off the match.

"We finally received word this morning…and it proves Clemont's news isn't a coincidence," Diantha stated sharply. "That explosion in Johto was an attack on ARC…and as far as we can tell, there were no survivors."

Ash felt his heart drop. The tournament was already over for him as soon as it had begun.


Author's Note: So, the plot's pretty much gotten off to a start here. Yes, the tournament: in this case it was staging rather than a major part of the plot. I hope that will become obvious in time. Nonetheless, there're a lot of little things to chew on within this chapter either thematically or plot-wise. I'd like to think I presented it effectively enough, but this is still just the warm-up! That's right, it'll get even more intense as we go. I hope you enjoyed the skirmishes, though.

But what am I talking about! There are so many to thank: 7roop3r, AmourshippingSatoSereCanon, Citylover96, Coppa-Cola, Dazzling-Monblast, DrTheris, Kevin the Amourshipper, Maurice Elias A. Nigma, Paleb05, Rokudosatoshi, RougeClyde, Taks0708, bankerrtx01, dillonsoma, jolgan2748, legoboy20 and miga330 for favoriting; 77xfire, AegisImmortal18, ArtisticFoxCat1, JLombo55, Mr Chipote, SpectreLass, TheEnigmatic97, ViolaFlute, princelotor81 and remisolleke for following; with a great and hearty thanks to the splendidAmourshiper35, FrivMasterAnthony2, FantasyLover88, Tenzalucard123, MythGirl the Pokemon Master, AdvancedAlto, Darren1138, Rajiv A. Rajaram, Alexandria Prime, Gehatik, ChE clarinetist, fanatical99, ultimateCCC, aliensinnoh, Eldergi, potat lasaro, Omegaz, M, kcg998, StacheKing, thatsmybusiness43, Dark Hero12, Ooobserver, XDiamondX90, AmourshippingCanon, TheShapeH31 and 6 guests for reviewing! I hope you'll continue to support me throughout this final chapter of the Ancienverse. To do that, please leave me a Review and Dare to Be Silly.