Hey Everyone, Today's the day for a brand new chapter. Everything is going well right now. My mandatory quarantine should be over soon, and the holidays are around the corner. So that's good.

Anyways, enough with my personal life, on with the story.

Chapter 15: Detached

(The Next Day)

Today was the day Ash returned to work at the Alola League. While it was bittersweet for the new couple, Stella knew that it was needed for him to return and Ash knew that Stella was not only capable of defending herself with her near perfected moveset, but she also had the trust and friendship of all of his Pokémon. Still, they couldn't help but ponder the thought of missing each other dearly. "Ash-kun wait! Eon!" Said Stella. "What is it Sweetheart? I'm going to be late for work." Said Ash. "I made you lunch. Since you're gone for most of the day, I figured that you would at least need something to…" At that point Ash grabbed the lunch and quickly hugged her in gratitude. "Sweetheart, thank you. I honestly wouldn't know what to do without you sometimes." "You've helped me a lot, and even that seems like an understatement. I wanted to return the favor in some form, even if my efforts pale in comparison to yours. Eon." "No. Don't think of it like that. I'm really grateful for this and it'll help greatly throughout the day." "Thank you Ash-kun." "You're welcome Stella. I'd best get going now." "Bye and, I love you Ash-kun." "I love you too, sweetheart, and see you when I get back." Ash then leaves his house and gets on Charizard's back to get to work with Pikachu in tow. As Ash left, Stella desperately wanted to run up to Ash and hug him, but she knew she couldn't, since the action alone risked jeopardizing the case.

(At the Headquarters of the International Police's Alola Branch.)

"I see you have been working tirelessly for the past couple of hours." Said Prof. Alva. "I know I have been. But substitute hours for weeks." Said Mateus. "Have you been working on that case while the summer festival was going on?" "Yes." "Not even a single break?" "Nope. I've been gathering information, checking up on progress and talking back and forth with the Aether Foundation as well as the higher ups for the past two weeks." "Why both, old friend?" "Well, I've been speaking to the Aether Foundation in regards of Stella's DNA test. Which, by the way, is almost completely finished. As for the higher ups, they briefly considered having someone else watch Stella, but after I showed them all of the progress that I had noted up until that point, they swiftly decided that staying with Ash was in her best interest." "A wise decision." "You can say that again." "By the way, I saw an article over the weekend, regarding the past and I asked Officer Jenny, who pointed me to the file of the event. What's this?" Professor Alva then places a file on Mateus' desk. Mateus then looks at the file with shock in his eyes. "Goodness. It's been so long." "Do you know what it is?" "It's my first case. I'd never thought I'd see this again, and I'm guessing that you're curious. Do you mind if I see the article as well?" Professor Alva gives Mateus the article. "It's exactly right. Ten years to the date of this file." "What happened?"

(Mateus then recalls the events of ten years ago.)

"I was a rookie detective. Finally making it into the ranks of the International Police after years of hard work. I was in Kalos, since at the time, it was standard protocol for rookies to spend six months in another region to gain experience in the field. I wasn't even there a week when I was handed my first case." Said Mateus. "It was a missing person case, wasn't it?." Asked Prof. Alva. "Yes. Now, I'm not going to list the exact details out of professional courtesy, but I guess you already know from reading the article." "That is true."

(Mateus' thoughts then shifts him to a house he was investigating.)

"A family called us to report that their daughter went missing while they were gone during the day. They told me they searched the perimeter of the property, but they saw no sign of her." "You went to work right away." "Of course. Finding that girl and bringing her home safely was priority number one. We found a Pokémon that belonged to the mother, which tried to chase the vehicle but failed. We quickly deduced that the vehicle used was an 18 wheeler truck, likely to disguise the kidnapping as a logistics operation. Thanks to the accounts of the eyewitnesses and the video cameras, by the end of the day, we were not only able to determine the look of the truck, but its driving path as well." "What happened then?" "We made a few discoveries that changed the outlook of the case. The truck was found, but it was too late. We found the girl's clothes stained with blood. With the way it was spread out, it was obvious that they tortured her violently before disposing of the body in a way where we couldn't find it. From that point on, the case was handled by the Homicidal Investigation Unit." "Were you a part of the investigation after it was handed over?" "Yes. But I was also the one who had to inform the parents that their bundle of joy was no more. Trust me, having to hear the cries of parents after you tell them those words is one of the saddest things you'll ever hear." "I'm guessing that was the worst part." "No. While we were investigating the aftermath, we found that there were several holes in the scheme of things. One, the girl was clearly mutilated, but there wasn't any vicious wild Pokemon in the area. Two, after doing all that damage, there had to be a trail of blood wherever it was moved, but we weren't able to find a body within 10-15 miles. Three, it was clear that what had happened required an extra set of hands or tools, but the truck was completely abandoned." "What were your conclusions?" "The fact that this only happened to one child, has led us to deduce that the family was clearly targeted. As for the crime itself, either whoever did it was really good at fooling us or there's more to it that meets the eye. The lack of new evidence from that case and an identifiable suspect, has lead me to think the former. I learned two things that day. First, not every case will have a happy ending. Second, to properly live life, you must hope for the best, but also be prepared for the worst." "I see." "It's tough to be reminded of these memories, but they do you make you who you are."

(Hours Later, Inside the Alola League Headquarters.)

Ash was in the middle of a league meeting with Molayne, Olivia, Acerola, and Kahili, who comprise Alola's Elite Four discussing potential rule changes, and it was safe to say that Ash was clearly bored. "Therefore, in an effort to provide a more balanced and streamlined approach to the league, I propose that we adopt the Endorsement Letter rule from Galar's Pokémon League." Said Molayne. "While your proposal is mostly sound. You must keep a few things in mind. First, Galar is an Island region while Alola is an archipelago. Second, the endorsement letter rule requires an endorsement from a public figure, meaning not every person can get an endorsement. With the first thing in mind, this creates some challenges. Third, how do we implement this rule in a way that grandfathers in trainers who are already active in their Island Challenges while also avoiding confusion to those who simply wish to go on a Pokémon Journey?" Explained Kahili. "Kahili does bring up a few good points, implementing this rule is bound to cause some problems with those who are interested in attempting the Island Challenge. I also fear that it could turn many people away." Said Acerola. "The Island Challenge is vital to Alola's culture and by extension, The Alola Pokémon League. Implementing an Endorsement Letter rule can only bring more harm than good." Said Olivia. "Very well, we've all voiced our thoughts on the matter. Let's hear what the champ has to say about this." "Thank you Molayne. You all have placed your thoughts. Before we get into a vote, I suggest that if we do agree to this, we hold a separate vote with the Trial Captains before we move forward in the matter." Said Ash. Everyone then nods their heads in agreement. "Alright then, let's vote. All those in favor raise your hand." Molayne proceeds to raise his hand, being the only one to do so. "With a vote of 4-1 against the adoption of the Endorsement Letter rule, this proposal is defeated. How many rule change proposals do we have left to cover, Kahili?" "None. That was the last one." "Alright then, meeting adjourned." Ash and Pikachu were happy to fly back home on Charizard's back and quickly went outside to do so.

(Back at Ash's home with Stella.)

Stella was hard at work learning and studying alongside her Fennekin and Pancham. Some of Ash's Pokémon also stay by her side while studying, as they love to give her company. Stella knew that Ash would likely be home at some point, so she decided to wrap up her studies for the day and decide on what to do for dinner, as she was also hungry herself. Heading to the kitchen, she considered making pasta again, but decided against it since they would be having the same thing they had last night. Wanting to make something different, Stella looked to Delia's cookbook for inspiration. "What could I make? Eon?" Asked Stella. "Pan Pancham Pancham? (How about this one?)" Cried Pancham. "Macaroni and Cheese? I think that's a good one. What about you Fennekin?" "Fenn Fenn Fennekin Fennekin, Fenn. (I think it's a good one too, Sis.) Cried Fennekin. At that point, Ash entered his home and found Stella in the kitchen. "Oh. Good evening Ash-kun. I was just deciding what to make for dinner. Eon." "What are you planning to make?" "Macaroni and Cheese. I know it's a pasta dish again, but I was studying up until now, so I didn't have a lot of time to think of what to make." "It's fine Sweetheart. I'll enjoy whatever you make. Speaking of which, that was a mean spicy sausage curry you made today." "Mean? Did I hurt you with lunch? Eon?" "No, no. In cooking, 'mean' is used to describe something good. I enjoyed having that curry for lunch today." "Oh okay. I saw something on your TV last night before I went to bed and I made sure to note the recipe. I know it's not your mother's but I wanted to try something new." "You did great sweetheart." "Thank you Ash-kun." Ash then left the kitchen to watch his Pokémon while Stella made dinner for the two of them. After some time, Stella called Ash back into the kitchen to eat. "So Ash-kun, how was your day today? Eon?" "Boring for the most part. We had a meeting going over proposals for rule changes." "No battles today?" "No. Pokémon Battles don't happen every day. Some days you're just hoping for a battle, either from a member of the Elite Four or an Island Challenger, but they seem to never happen. The job gets boring sometimes, but it pays well and I love what I do." "I see. Eon." "Anyways sweetheart, how was your day?" "Good. I organized my room, made lunch, cleaned yours with the help your Pokémon, checked a few new recipes on TV, and a lot of studying." "Sounds like you did a lot more than I did." "Yes. Although I do hope that we can go out and explore. D-don't get wrong, I like it here, it's just that…" "You want to see the outside world." "Yes. I know your Pokémon are very nice and supportive. But being here in the same place every day and not being able to leave can feel repetitive. Eon." "I think I know what you're thinking. Is my home starting to feel like that lab?" "In some ways, Y-yes. The feeling is similar. I know you give me some freedom, but it just feels like the feeling of being stuck in one place forever hasn't completely left me." Ash listened to his girlfriend's words with open ears and was shocked at what he was hearing." "That's completely on me and I'm sorry. I know I'm limited as to what I can do, but I will do everything I can to help you get over this, sweetheart." "Thank you Ash-kun." After they finished eating their dinner, Ash decided to start telling Stella about Alola and the other regions and his experiences there. Something that Stella was fascinated about. However, they realized that they were both beginning to get tired and decided to call it a night. "Good Night Ash-kun. Eon." "Good night, Sweetheart."

*End of Chapter 15*

I can't believe that I'm saying this but, we're 75% done with the story!

I also have an announcement: Due to a lack of questions, I have decided not to do a Q&A section at the end of the story.

Regardless, I hope you have a nice weekend and are doing well during these trying times.