Ash reappeared just outside his house on Mystery Island, on the lawn that he knew so well after so many years of having it just behind his house. He glanced at Alakazam who was waiting for him, a slight smile on his face as he levitated above the ground.

"You really have improved your strength," Ash remarked. "These long-range teleports are easy for you these days."

"Kazam," the Psy Pokémon said.

"Practice makes perfect."

Ash looked down to see Espeon strolling past him from where she had reappeared, having let herself out of the Pokéball.

"Thank you for the translation," Ash said drily and Espeon rolled her eyes at her trainer.

"Alakazam. Ala."

"He is asking whether we are moving the island back anytime soon." Espeon translated.

Ash looked into Alakazam's eyes.

"It is unlikely. Since you can teleport me basically anywhere now, I don't see the need."

Alakazam nodded and turned. As he started to float away Ash's voice rang out again.

"Assemble the Pokémon. We need to talk."

In a few moments, Ash's entire team was in front of him. He looked around with a wide smile on his face as he looked at the fourteen Pokémon that he knew were among the toughest in the world.

"Mellanie has become Pokémon Master." Ash started. "We will be moving back into human civilization to follow her next actions."

"She will get your name cleared," Pikachu said, Espeon translating instinctively.

"She may." Ash conceded. "But something is up with her. She has changed in our absence. She is harder for us to predict."

Ash looked around at his Pokémon, pride bursting through him as they stood tall in front of him.

"Train tonight. Train hard. Tomorrow we return. I'll explain each of your missions in the morning."

Ash turned and headed inside as his Pokémon immediately broke off and moved further out into the grass. They spread out, adopting fighting positions before they started training in a free for all. It was one of their toughest training drills as each of them had been drilled to be utterly ruthless. In their fight, if anybody was caught it was like moths to a flame as every other Pokémon focused on them.

Within moments Onix took a slight hit from a Sceptile Bullet Seed that Alakazam had redirected. A growl came from the Rock Snake Pokémons mouth which rapidly grew louder as six of his peers immediately fired their attacks at him, taking advantage of his slight distraction. Ash turned in the doorway and watched Onix swing his tail up, using it's greater strength to redirect attacks, giving himself a moment to recover before their attention switched onto a new target. As a way of training his Pokémon in all aspects of their fighting, this never failed him. Each of them was effectively facing up against a dozen opponents who were as strong as them. It stretched their awareness, their endurance and their cunning to its maximum. That and to be the last Pokémon standing held significant kudos.

He turned away again, disappearing into the house. He reached the kitchen and started preparing food, as he waited for the Pokémon that followed him inside to speak.

"What is wrong with Mellanie?" Espeon started.

"I am unsure," Ash said simply.

Espeon glanced at Pikachu who had followed her inside when nothing else was forthcoming. The little electric-type sighed as he hopped up onto the counter next to Ash.

"She will be missing you," Pikachu said, Espeon translating once again.

"I agree," Ash said. "But that doesn't explain everything that has changed."

"She needed you there," Espeon argued.

"She was one of the strongest trainers in the world at just fifteen," Ash said. "She handled the crisis before we left superbly. She most definitely did not need me."

"She did," Espeon argued. "She may have been strong but she was still young."

"And she was mature beyond her years," Ash said calmly. "She would have turned out differently had we been there but she did not need us."

"She did."

Ash turned to see Meganium padding into the kitchen.

"Isn't anybody training?" Ash groused good-naturedly.

"I'm out," Meganium said as she reached out with her vines and plucked Pikachu from the counter side as Ash continued to cook. "Sceptile was relentless and Alakazam supported him. It made survival difficult."

Pikachu laughed as he was put down on the ground. "He has a habit of playing nasty."

"He wants to win," Ash said. "Even after two years, he is still trying to prove himself. He believes that he should be the replacement for Charizard."

A silence fell across the group as they thought about their missing friend. When Ash had first left for exile, his once iconic Pokémon had been used to put down a lot of the in-fighting between Pokémon. Charizard's mere appearance was often enough to prevent many of those fighting from going any further. His power was legendary among almost all Pokémon. Charizard had loved the role of peacekeeper, flying from hotspot to hotspot. Yet he had found himself drawn away from Ash's team, his heart being dragged into two directions as old loyalties tugged at him. His departure from their team had been the final casualty of the war.

"Will you send for him?" Espeon asked quietly.

Ash shook his head. "No. We do not need Charizard at the moment. One day we will and he will come, but until then he should continue to protect those that follow him. That I can understand."

Espeon purred quietly from across the room as Ash looked out of the window to see more of his Pokémon dropping out of the fight outside. He glanced down at her and smiled.

"Tomorrow I will need to go back and see what Mellanie does with her newfound authority." He said. "We need to…"

His voice trailed off as he heard footsteps coming from deeper inside the house. Ash turned and smiled at his mother as she made her way into the kitchen. The years had been hard on Delia Ketchum. The hardships that she had endured at the hands of Cleffa and Sonia, along with the emotional drain that had come from the years of missing her son had taken a lot of the vitality out of her. She looked far older than she was and spent increasing amounts of time in Pallet Town with Samuel Oak. At least she had been with her oldest friend until he had fallen ill. Ever since then Alakazam had been worked very hard, constantly teleporting her to be with her son and with the dying researcher.

"You're going back?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Ash nodded. "I am. If Mellanie does what I suspect she will do, I may be able to return. She will most likely try to clear my name. If she starts it, I will return to Pallet Town."

"I'll come with you," Delia said. "I want to see him again."

Ash sighed. "Mum…"

"I need to." Delia insisted, her usually frail voice surprisingly strong.

Ash sighed and nodded.

"Very well. We'll leave tomorrow morning."


Mellanie stood quietly, waiting. In the stadium in front of her, she saw Cynthia waving to the crowd as they cheered loudly. Although Mellanie had to admit with a savage grin, it wasn't as loud as the first time that Cynthia had lost her title. The events in the intervening years had done enough to Cynthia's standing. She was still popular, but no longer enjoyed universal love. Although Ash's sacrifice three years earlier had prevented civil war between the regions, there was an air of dislike between Sinnoh and the other regions. Hoenn had remained for the most part neutral but Kanto and Johto made their feelings clear as often as they thought they could get away with it.

Mellanie watched Cynthia complete her speech and turn slightly. As the applause for Cynthia died down once more, a hush made its way across the stadium. All eyes were fixed on the door that stood open in front of Mellanie. Watching. Waiting.

She strode forwards, emerging into the battlefield, ignoring the gloomy skies as she approached the centre. Cynthia was waiting for her, the ex-Pokémon Master with a carefully schooled neutral expression.

"Mellanie Rigger, having defeated me, accept my title as Pokémon Master and promise to lead the Pokémon League to the best of your ability, until you are incapable of the role." Cynthia chanted the ritual words, her eyes never leaving her successors face. "Judge fairly, lead wisely and uphold the values on which the league was founded."

"I accept both the title and the challenge," Mellanie answered, head held high. Cynthia then turned and led Mellanie to a small plinth. She picked up the golden badge of the Pokémon Master with all of its symbols and handed it to Mellanie who took it with reverence. Although the badge that Ash had once worn had never been recovered after his exile, she could feel him closer as she pinned the replica to her chest.

Cynthia stepped away, leaving Mellanie to turn and begin her speech, speaking clearly into the microphone that had been set up for her.

"Elites, Gym Leaders Researchers, Trainers, Coordinators. Anybody with an interest in Pokémon." Mellanie smiled slightly to herself as she repeated the words that Ash had once started his own speech with. "I am honoured to stand before you as Pokémon Master. I will give my all to the people of the four regions as I aim to bring an end to any residual strife from the years gone past."

Mellanie took a deep breath. She knew that what was coming would be unpopular but she had spent the last three years training and fighting for this moment. She couldn't back away now.

"Three years ago, Cynthia took power after Ash Ketchum was forced into exile. She has long maintained his guilt, I his innocence. However, without a trial, no satisfactory conclusion was ever reached. I now call on the Hoenn region police to pass all information on the case to their counterparts in Kanto, Johto and Sinnoh. They will review the evidence and determine whether they feel there would be sufficient justification for the warrant that still remains for Ash Ketchum. If there is not, the warrant shall be lifted and he shall be free to return home."

Mellanie felt the triumph rise in her stomach as a ripple of applause broke out. She blinked, looking up at the top of the stadium room. She could have sworn that she saw a flash of light, bright against the grey skies but when she looked closer, nothing was there. Putting it down to her imagination, she launched into the rest of her speech.


Ash reappeared outside Pallet Town, the shadow from his hat covering the thoughtful expression on his face. Mellanie had done exactly what he had expected of her. He knew that the police would not take long. Within a week he expected to have his name cleared. Which meant he was so close to being free to do things. Like, walk into his hometown to see his old friends. It was the first time that Ash had been back here for nearly two years after Misty and Gary's wedding. He had promised his mother that if he ever returned he would see them. She had kept them reasonably well posted of his life as she visited and they all wanted to see him again if possible.

Delia Ketchum appeared next to her son, leaning on Meganium for support. Delia let go of the Pokémon and turned towards her son.

"You are actually here," Delia said, unable to hide the tone of surprise.

Ash blinked. "I gave you my word that if I could I would reach out to them. Mellanie has promised to reopen the investigation into me which means soon I will be cleared. There will be no interference this time."

Delia smiled at him as she started to amble her way into Pallet Town. Thankfully few people were around to see their progress and it was only a short while later that they reached the steps to the Pokémon Laboratory. Delia waved away Ash's offer of assistance and climbed the steps with steely determination. When she eventually reached the top she found her son waiting for her with a curious expression on his face.

"What?" she asked.

Ash chuckled. "I think I know where my stubbornness came from."

Before Delia could reply, he knocked on the door with loud, echoing thuds.

A few moments later the door was flung open and Gary Oak stood there.

"Delia!" he said in delight, stepping forward to embrace her. "I didn't think you'd be coming for the World League this year."

"I wasn't going to," Delia said, gently hugging the researcher back. Before she could say anything else, Gary looked over her shoulder to see her companion.

"Ash?" Gary asked in shock as he released Delia.

Ash nodded, removing his hat to reveal his flawless face with his mismatched eyes. "Good afternoon Gary."

"What are you doing here?" Gary asked, struggling to regain his composure.

"Mellanie has reopened the investigation into me. My name will be cleared shortly, meaning there is no longer a significant danger attached to associating with me." Ash smiled. "I thought I'd come home."

"Yes," Gary said excitedly. "Yes, of course! Mellanie has just finished her speech so we'll soon be eating."

Gary babbled as he led their two guests into the laboratory, turning into a living room with the sofas filled with people Ash recognized. A living room in which the buzz of several conversations promptly fell silent as the occupants realised who had just walked in.

"Ash?" came a shriek as May threw herself across the room, colliding heavily with Ash as she tackle-hugged him. Ash took the impact, barely even rocking as he let his arms fall around the girl. After several moments she pulled away and stared up at him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Yes." Ash looked up to see Max watching from across the room, his voice dry with suppressed laughter. "I would like to know that too, but excuse me if I don't throw myself at you."

May turned and glared at her younger brother who simply smirked back at her. Ash smiled around the room as he took in the faces of the people looking up at him. May had pulled away from him and backed across the room, looking slightly embarrassed at her reaction to seeing him again. Unlike everybody else in the room, May had seen Ash since the wedding. A single look at her face told Ash that she hadn't forgotten either. Not that he thought she would have been able to do so.

Max was sat in an armchair with a laptop on one arm and a notepad on the other. The Brainiac had taken a step back from battling although he still entered minor tournaments when the fancy took him. In the last two years, he had set up a company that was taking data analysis on battles to a whole new level. Ash's mother hadn't understood it when she tried to explain it to Ash and he was confident that he wouldn't understand either. He didn't have too though. Max's success spoke for itself, to the point where his programs and analytics were among the most highly valued around. It kept the youngest Maple worked hard but anybody who knew him knew that he wouldn't change it for anything.

Brock had continued to run his breeding centre and work as a Pokémon Doctor in Pewter City. Ash had worried that his friend had fallen into a rut but Brock seemed content with his lot in life. He had even somehow managed to find some girls to date, although nothing had gone beyond a few months. Too often Brock's work got in the way of his relationship, something that Ash himself could understand.

Dawn had, like May, continued her place as one of the best coordinators in history. After a season of dominance which Dawn knew was down to working with Ash for a week, May had closed the gap once again, showing a drive and determination that had been absent in her early career. Over the last season, May had a marginally better head to head record and Max's analysis had Dawn surpassed only by May.

Gary moved past Ash towards his seat. He had continued his work as the regional Professor of Kanto. His research had had a break-through the previous year, with his great focus being on Water-Pokémon. He was expanding knowledge of almost every aspect of them at a rate that had many reminiscing of his grandfather. Misty was incorporating his findings into her training, stylising each of her Pokémon's training programme to make it as close to their life in the wild as possible. Her improvements had led to Sam's Elite Four being virtually unbeatable. Misty and Sam's focus had caused the strength of the Kanto Elite Four to increase in the three years since they had formed under their new leader. Few challengers reached Misty as the final member of the Four and even fewer made it past her. Only one trainer had managed it in the last year, only to be steamrolled by Sam who exploited every single weakness that Misty had identified.

Thinking of Misty caused Ash to find his gaze drawn to the red-head who was sat down next to her husband. Husband. Ash still found it hard to think of them as married. He remembered their wedding day. He had snuck into the back as Misty was walking down the aisle. He had barely needed to sneak, with everybody's eyes drawn to the bride nobody had noticed him stood in the shadows. He had watched the entire service before dropping into the end of the reception. He had managed brief conversations with all of his friends except the happy couple. The attention on them had made sneaking up to them impossible, especially with Cynthia in the crowd. Eventually, he had passed them and murmured his congratulations, loud enough that Misty and Gary could hear, but nobody else. They had looked for him, but by that point, he was gone. It was only later that evening that Misty found a letter addressed to her, hidden in her belongings. She had read it several times that night, clinging to it. Ash's mother had told him how much it had meant to her when she next saw the Oak's.

"Would you like to sit?" Gary offered into the silence that had formed. He gestured to a few chairs across the room that weren't occupied and Ash offered one to his mother before claiming one himself.

"Thank you," Ash said. There was a slight moment of awkwardness before Ash spoke up again.

"I assume you were watching Mellanie's speech?"

"Yes," Max said, his attention once again taken by the screen that his eyes weren't leaving. "It finished just before you arrived. She said…"

"I know what she said," Ash said, interrupting. "I was there."

"You were?" Dawn asked, her eyes wide. "How..?"

Ash threw a grin across the room at her. "I have my ways."

"You're still mysterious then," Misty said.

"Well, I could tell you that I had my Alakazam teleport me to the roof of the stadium so that I could watch and listen," Ash said conversationally. "But that would take some of the fun out of it, no?"

"You…" Dawn spluttered and Ash chuckled.

"Yes. You'd be amazed how few people ever look up."

There was a moment's silence and then Brock let out a sharp burst of laughter that released some of the tension in the room. Several others chuckled and the room broke into the conversations that had been interrupted. For a few minutes, Ash listened quietly, before leaning towards Gary.

"No Sam?"

Gary shook his head. "He's at Indigo Plateau supporting Mellanie. Not that she'll…"

Gary stopped himself before he could say anything else, but he could tell he had gained Ash's interest.

"Not that she'll what?" Ash asked.

"I…" Gary stuttered, playing for time before Misty joined the conversation in her typical way.

"Not that she'll appreciate it." Misty said bluntly. "Sam would do anything for that girl and she just ignores him."

"Not entirely true," Dawn said, breaking away from a discussion with Max about the best combination of Ice and Fire attacks for a contest. "She still talks to him."

"Barely," Misty argued. "And definitely not like they used to."

"Well, it can't be easy for him now," Gary said quietly. When attention focused on him he shrugged. "She is technically his boss. Mine too I suppose."

"If Sam is still the young man I left behind, he won't care about that," Ash said. "Although, I must ask. Did they fall out after a break-up?"

If it were possible, the silence in the room was even thicker this time. Ash looked around into it and backed up slightly.

"I only ask because I always assumed they'd end up together. But if they are arguing now…"

"A couple of years ago, yes," Dawn said into the silence that followed Ash breaking off. "They never really told us much about it. But they were drifting apart before then."

Ash nodded and leaned back in his chair, thinking. If Sam and Mellanie had been arguing then it had started after he left. Though it was possible it started because he left. He hadn't spoken to Mellanie since then, with the young trainer not having been at Misty's wedding. She had been invited but clearly decided not to attend. Sam had been through, laughing and joking at the reception in his endearing way. Ash smiled. Sam had become everything he could possibly ask for, a well-balanced trainer who had led Kanto well. Ash had kept a close eye on his former tutee but any questions about his competence had rapidly vanished only a few months into his reign at the head of Kanto. Despite his young age, Sam had taken up where Lance had left off. Mellanie though was a different question.

When Ash had initially left he had launched his energies into ending the conflicts that Cleffa and Sonia had started. By the time that he had been able to turn his attention back to his old tutees, Mellanie had been difficult to find. She had thrown herself at her training, determined to defeat Cynthia. It had taken three years but she had done it. Something had changed in the young woman now though. Ash knew something was wrong when he had watched her battle and Gary had confirmed it, albeit unwittingly. As Ash watched his old friends chat happily a plan began to assemble itself in his mind. Something was clear to him though. He needed to speak to Sam.

Words directed at him snapped Ash's attention back to the room, all of whom were looking at him. He focused his attention on Max who was waiting for an answer to his question.

"Am I here to stay?" Ash asked, pretending to think it through.

"You never answered our question earlier." Max offered by way of explanation. "And now there is a review into your case, which if you're innocent will clear you."

"Both good points," Ash said. "As for the original question of what I'm doing here, I am keeping a promise. I said I would come back when I could and so here I am."

"So…" Dawn interjected, leaving the question hanging.

The corners of Ash's mouth turned up in a slight smile. "When I first came back eight years ago I made sure that I stayed isolated."

"Yeah, why…" Gary started but he was quickly hushed by Misty and a look from Ash.

"After so long I felt you'd all moved on and I didn't want to drag anything up. Many of you seemed to have accepted that I was dead. Now that clearly isn't true. So, yes." Ash glanced at his mother who looked the happiest she had in months. "This time I am here to stay."


It was late that evening that May found Ash in the kitchen of the laboratory, chatting to Brock as they cleaned dishes. What had been planned to be a simple dinner had turned into a contest between Ash and Brock as to who could create the better culinary experience. After the rest of the group had demolished the food, Ash and Brock had sent them away as they cleaned.

"I ended up telling off Forrest for that one." Brock was saying as he scrubbed a plate clean. "Anchoring a Rapidash's foot is dangerous."

"Let me guess, strained tendons around the ankle?" Ash asked as he added a dried plate to the stack waiting to be put away.

"Yes," Brock said. "I always find it amazing how Pokémon can endure powerful attacks yet moving the wrong way can injure them."

"Rapidash are an unusual case though," Ash said, picking up the towering stack of plates with ease and putting them into a cupboard. "The speed they run puts great strain on their legs and if they are stretching injuries can happen easily."

"And telling them to rest is tricky." Brock sighed.

Ash laughed. "Needed though. A Rapidash that can't run is an unhappy Rapidash. And if they rush the recovery it can get worse."

"She recovered eventually though." Brock washed the final bowl and turned away from the sink to see May watching them. "Anyway, are you good to finish up drying?"

Ash chuckled. "Brock, I'm happy to help. I've been doing this myself for years. Go, I'm sure there is a fascinating discussion going on out there."

"You want to come?"

"Eventually. It isn't easy for anybody when I'm surrounded by all of you. One on one is much easier."

Brock nodded and vanished through the door past May. Ash grabbed the last couple of bowls and dried them, hands moving quickly.

"Thank you, Ash."

Ash put the now dry bowls on the pile and turned to look at May whose eyes were wet with brimming tears. He knew what she was talking about. Her ex-husband, Drew.

Two years ago his mother had come back from Pallet Town looking nervous. Ash had instantly known something was wrong but waited. A few days later Delia had explained the issue. Drew had been following May again, determined to win her back now that Ash was gone once more. Despite the divorce that had left Drew with very little from their relationship, he was determined not to let her go. Any residual feelings May had for him had rapidly faded but she hadn't wanted to get rid of him through the legal route. Facing him across a courtroom once had been bad enough, she didn't think she could stand it again. For all his faults she had once loved him. When Delia had seen May, the coordinator had been upset and lost. Her brother had tried to drive Drew away but he couldn't be with her the entire time. Drew only harassed her when she was alone.

Ash still remembered the anger he had felt as his mother explained the story. His scouts had instantly been assigned to watch May with instructions to bring him to them when Drew appeared, regardless of the risk to himself of being seen in the regions. He hadn't had to wait long. Within a few days, he had been summoned by Alakazam. Drew had managed to corner her as she trained on the Oak ranch in Pallet Town. Ash had watched them argue, his anger growing. The ranch should have been somewhere safe for May. When Drew had gotten too close to May, Ash had moved. One moment Drew had been stepping forwards, the next he had been thrown to the ground, Ash standing over him.

"You do not go near her." Ash had snarled. "If she arrives somewhere you are, you get up and leave."

"But…" Drew had stammered. "I… She… We're…"

"You are not married anymore."

"I love her." Drew had protested weakly.

"And she doesn't love you. If I catch you near her again, you'll miss getting off this lightly."

Ash turned away, leaving Drew to scramble to his feet. Drew scoffed at Ash's back as he walked away.

"You don't scare me, coward. You are nothing without your Pokémon."

Ash stopped and turned slowly. Drew gulped as he felt Ash's fury as a palpable force.

A moment later Drew found himself hoisted into the air and slammed against a tree. Ash's hat tilted up slightly from the force, giving Drew a clear look at his face for the first time.

"I asked nicely," Ash growled, his eyes burning with fury. "This time I'm telling you."

Drew looked down into Ash's face and screamed. A damp patch had rapidly spread over his trousers as fear released his bladder.

"May didn't know that I would come." Ash hissed. "And I can come from anywhere. If you come near her I will know."

Ash let go, leaving Drew to drop to the floor. As he cowered below the towering figure of the ex-Pokémon Master, Ash slammed a fist into the tree. It keeled over from the force of the strike, causing Drew to scream again.

"Next time that will be you."

Ash turned and met May's gaze. She looked shocked but not unhappy to see her former husband cowering on the floor, the smell of urine starting to emanate from him.

"He will not trouble you again May."

"Ash…" May had started but he held his hand up.

"I suggest you find somewhere else to train today May. Drew looks like he might take some time to move on from here."

Before May could say anything else, Ash vanished in a flash of light.

"He never came back after that you know," May said, her voice is a whisper.

Ash chuckled as he put the bowls into the cupboard. "That doesn't surprise me. I think I scared him off."

"You did," May admitted, her voice still quiet. "You did what nobody else could."

Ash turned to look at her for the first time. "I've been doing that for a while." He said. "It was time I did it for a friend."

May let the work float between them, considering it. "Is that what we are Ash? Friends?"

"It is what I wanted three years ago," Ash admitted. "Being alone has its benefits but I miss things like today. So yes, I want to be friends again."

May slipped forwards, arms wrapping around Ash who embraced her back.

"We want the same," May said into Ash's chest before she pulled back and looked up into his face. "You are the reason why we are all friends now. It would be right for you to be back among us."

Ash smiled down at her. "To friendship then."

He turned and headed for the door, following the sound of happy conversation. Before he headed through he glanced back at May.

"And you're welcome."

A/N

So, some serious changes in Ash. Gone are the days of total isolation for him – in his middle age (if anybody is keeping up, it has been nine years since the Lost Master started, making Ash 31) he wants friends. I confess while I was writing this I found it quite amusing how none of the group seems to be in relationships with the exception of Gary and Misty. I then thought about it more closely – Brock is a failed romantic who is too dedicated to his work for anybody he has yet found to put up with him long term. May was married and that fell apart with Drew going completely off the rails. Dawn, like Brock has completely dedicated herself to her career. She is also younger and so less focused. Max is again similar and still an irritating Braniac. Let's face it, putting up with him would be difficult. For them to have reached the top of each of their chosen professions so young is a testament to their dedication but that level of focus leaves little room for relationships. As for the reason for their focus… I'm sure you can work it out.

As for ages, it has been a VERY long time since I explained how they've all ended up at whatever age they are. Effectively from the start of the show in Kanto, I took each region to be a year (Including the Orange Islands). At the start of Kanto, Brock was fifteen while Gary, Misty and Ash were all ten. May and Dawn were ten when they started in Hoenn and Sinnoh respectively, but Ash would have been older (He had been through regions and thus years by that point.) I needed something to mark the passage of time since the makers of the show seem determined for Ash to be a ten-year-old until the day of the apocalypse. A full list of ages of Ash and his friends is below. I know my ageing isn't perfect but this is definitely a case of me utilising artistic license to make it approach a real world where people actually get older.

Professor Oak - 71

Delia – 50

Brock - 36

Ash, Misty, Gary – 31

May – 27

Dawn – 26

Max – 24

Sam, Mellanie – 19

Anyway, we are making progress through the early stages of this one. Coming up are a couple of chapters that are long overdue in terms of what they explain. Not the next one but the one after that. Instead of doing a "Missing Years" for between this one and World Divided, we are going down a different approach…

Until next time. Should be Friday.

Iama2p