Bianca sat quietly on the living room couch, nursing a warm mug of coffee when she heard a knock at the front door. She looked over her shoulder, checking to see if anyone else was around to get it. "Oh, who am I kidding. Grandpa is working on a gondola." With a quiet sigh, the young artist stood up and made her way out into the hall. There was another knock that elicited a verbal response from her.

"Hold your Horsea! I'm coming!"

She turned the doorknob and opened up to a familiar face. "Ash! You're here! Why didn't you tell me when you were coming?"

"Then it wouldn't be as much of a surprise, would it?" he replied. Bianca greeted Pikachu before letting them both inside. She escorted them to the living room and went to prepare more coffee. Ash and Pikachu were looking at some drawing scattered on the table in front of them while waiting. The raven haired boy noticed something familiar about one and picked it up.

"This sketch…"

"Hmm, what about it?" Bianca asked sitting beside him. "Here."

Ash's eyes darted to the coffee and put the picture down to accept it. Bianca pulled it a little closer to herself. She smiled warmly as she examined it.

"That's the one Latias gave me before I left Alto Mare," Ash said.

"You knew it was her?"

"I wasn't a hundred percent sure back then, but it sort of, clicked, later on."

Bianca pulled an envelope out of seemingly nowhere and waved it around. "So where are Brock and Misty right now? Your letter says they were gonna be here as well."

"I think they headed to the hotel to drop off our luggage. I kind of just dashed here."

A few minutes of silence passed as the two drank their coffee. Ash looked at some more of Bianca's sketches, admiring the talent shown in them. It seemed like she had improved since they last met. It wasn't long before curiosity overtook him though.

"Do you know where she is right now?"

Bianca shook her head. Ash hung his head low in disappointment. He'd been hoping he could meet her as soon as possible. Patience was something he wasn't great at.

Bianca pat him on the back. "She'll be back soon."

Ash was about to say something, but was interrupted by a booming voice.

"Ash! What are you doing here?!"

Standing in the kitchen doorway was a rotund man wearing overalls. He seemed to be covered in saw dust. Ash stood up and went over to greet him.

"Hey, Lorenzo! Did Bianca not tell you we were coming?" He asked, looking towards the artist.

"No! She didn't tell me anything! Wait, we?"

"Brock and Misty are here as well," Bianca explained quickly.

"Well, where are they?"

"They headed to the hotel to drop of our luggage. They should be here pretty soon though."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the front door.

"I think Ash is a psychic," Bianca said as Lorenzo went to show them in.

"You know, Ash," Misty said, "you should really learn some patience. We were as confused as my Psyduck in a house of mirrors trying to find our way here, and here you are drinking coffee with Bianca!"

Ash scratched the back of his head and apologized.

"At least you made it!"

"No thanks to you."

This sparked an argument between the two of them. Brock tried to stop it, but was immediately tossed aside like scrap metal. Bianca picked him up off the ground and dusted him off.

"Well," Brock started, "they certainly haven't changed. Mind if I make myself a cup?"

He was already in the kitchen before anyone answered him. Lorenzo shrugged. It couldn't be easy being the referee for Ash and Misty, but it made for good entertainment at least. Bianca and Lorenzo stood there entranced by the argument going on between the two while Brock sat in the kitchen, mumbling something about a Croagunk. Bianca's excitement only grew when she heard the front door open and close. She leaned in to Lorenzo.

"Things are about to get even more exciting."

Latias, disguised as Bianca, peeked around the corner to see what the commotion was about. Her eyes went wide, and time seemed to stop. The pounding of her heart seemed to be the only thing she could hear, and for the first time in a long time, her transformation broke. The argument stopped and everyone was staring at her. Ash gazed at her, both shocked and happy. He took a step forward, smiled, and opened his arms.

"Latias."

A/N: Yo, so, update on the happenings. If you read AM:FS, then you might recall me saying something about leaving. Well, that's happening now. Not, now now, but a couple weeks and I'm outta state and outta luck. I won't be touching a piece of technology for a couple of months and and then some. I might put up a couple more chapters for AM:FRR before then, but don't expect anything here for awhile. I'm not going dark, mind you, just off radar for a bit. Guardian Samuel, out.