In the corner of the main lobby of the Pokémon Center, Ash sat quietly, staring at the screen of the public computer. He had his head propped up against his hand as he slowly read the text on the screen. His hand was starting to cramp having been in the same position for so long, but he had gotten used to it now. Looking back, this is how he spent the first few days in Geosenge. He would wake up, get dressed, head down to the lobby, greet Nurse Joy, and proceed to the computer. After a couple of hours, Latias would always make herself present in the lobby to check in on him and bring him a drink. The young champion felt a little guilty, secluding himself from his wife in pursuit of information, but using the web was certainly a good choice. Having been a rather famous and influential man before showing his true colors, the web was full of information regarding him. Ash discovered he had run a small café in Lumiose city and had indeed invented the Holocaster. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms back as he finished a paragraph and swiveled around. There had been a steady stream of people coming into the Pokémon center mostly looking for a room to stay in. The festival was only a few days away. He noticed Latias turn the corner into the lobby and waved to her with a smile. She walked over and sat beside across from him on a light green couch that hugged the wall.

"Found anything yet?" she asked curiously.

"I've found quite a bit. Not a lot that can help us, but it's certainly giving me some insight. I'd say our best shot of finding anything is trying to find his old research labs. I mean, there's got to be more than just that one." He said referring to the lab that had been underneath the ultimate weapon.

"Well, do you have any idea where one could be?"

"Actually, I do. I'm not entirely sure, but he ran a small café in Lumiose city. If there is a lab there, it might not be publically known, but we know some people who might be able to tell us."

"Serena?"

Ash nodded.

"I called her earlier, but she didn't pick up so I left a voicemail. Until then, I suppose we just have to wait for the festival."

"Are you looking forward to battling Diantha?"

Ash swiveled back to the computer making an audible sound of uncertainty. He shut it down and shifted himself over to the couch.

"I'm not sure I am. It was fun battling Korrina, but she's a gym leader. Diantha is the champion and to be completely honest, I probably wouldn't win against Lance with how rusty I am right now. I have a feeling that I can't win this one."

Latias smiled and put her hand on his leg in a reassuring manner.

"You can't win them all, Ash."

He chuckled and nodded.

"And you know why that's funny?" he asked.

Latias thought about it for a moment, but finally shook her head.

"It completely destroys the idea of being the best there ever was. No matter how much you try, someone will always come along and beat you. There's no definite solution to the problem and no one can truly claim the title for themselves. That's more or less why I settled with obtaining the title of Champion."

"I never thought about it like that." Latias replied. "Have you ever thought about getting back out there?"

"I'd be lying if I said no. Some of the best moments of my life came from that journey. I met so many friends and even the love of my life." He said poking her in the side. "Even now I wonder where they're all at right now."

"Ever thought about visiting them? I'm sure they'd appreciate it and I'd love to meet all of the friends you made."

"I'm sure you would, but a lot of them are on their own journeys. We'd have to track them down first before we could meet them. I can definitely introduce you to the ones who are in one place most of the time. The Frontier Brains would be a nice start. I'm sure you'd get along nicely with Anabel."

"Anabel?"

"She's the Salon Maiden, and one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced. It's quite difficult to counter a move when you can't hear her shouting the commands."

"She can use telepathy?"

Ash nodded.

"It's not exactly telepathy alone. It's more of a heightened empathy link. She can sense emotions and communicate with Pokémon."

"That's… kind of difficult to believe."

"You're talking to a guy who had a board meeting with the almighty Creator."

"You have a point there."

Ash felt a vibration in his vest pocket. He slipped the Holocaster out and saw a message icon. He opened it and quickly read its contents. Latias leaned against his shoulder and read it as well.

"Looks like you were right." She stated. "There is a lab at Lysandre's café. And she even gave us instructions to get in. Does this mean we're going back to Lumiose city?"

Ash nodded as he tucked away the Holocaster.

"After we finish up here, we'll head to the lab and see if we can find anything."

"What sort of things are you looking for?"

Ash shrugged.

"Anything that can point us in the right direction or at least tell us what he might be planning. For now, all I know is that he's a threat to the world and I have a feeling he plans on doing something soon. We have to find him, and stop him, before that happens." He replied, recalling the destruction of the landmass from his dream.

They sat in silence for a while. The traffic in the lobby had slowed down considerably. News that they were out of rooms must have spread amongst the visitors. The lobby itself had become silent as if it was morphing to suit their wants. Ash glanced outside the window and saw the sun hanging low in the sky, signaling the day was coming to a close soon. Staring at the lowering sun, he wanted to feel homesick. He wanted to, but he had traveled for so long that home was just another pit stop along the way. Even now, as a married man, life somehow found a way to make him leave home. Standing up, he stretched his arms again, this time accompanied by a yawn.

"Tired?"

Ash nodded.

"I'm going to hit the hay early today." He replied leaning down and giving her a quick kiss. "See you in the morning."

"Good night."