The group was in the lounge, each working on something different. Ash was looking at the information Shauntal had given him. Chloe was studying for school. Serena was looking at prom dresses, hoping Ash's mom could make one. While Goh was looking at any nearby Pokemon reports.
"Alert code purple! I repeat code purple!" Ren's voice boomed over the PA.
"Not again." Ash complained.
"Is it that time already?" Serena said.
"What does code purple mean, and why doesn't Ren just say it?" Goh asked as Ash and Serena began to scramble.
"Code purple means my Grandmother has come to visit." Chloe gulped.
"What's wrong with that?" Goh asked not realizing the blatant issues.
"She thinks I'm a girl with no decency." Ash said.
"She thinks I'm a guy that needs to give him a firm hand to being respectable." Serena added.
"And she doesn't think Seb is good for me." Chloe said.
"Fun, so what does she think of me?" Goh asked.
"Pretty sure she doesn't remember you, and if she does, she probably thinks you're dead." Chloe commented.
"Stupid spiritual journey." Goh said cleaning up his things.
"Goh? Why are you cleaning up?" Ash said as he stopped in front of the lounge with several bags.
"Everyone else is, I just thought…". Goh said but Ash had run off again, and Serena was now passing by on the other side.
A few minutes passed by, Goh had been simply waiting around continuing his research. Ash returned wearing something very different. He was wearing a deep blue knee length skirt, mid thigh white socks, and a white blouse.
"You look, ummm." Goh said not sure of what to say.
"Yeah, congrats I'm not a fan of this too much, but Chloe's grandmother is old fashioned, and isn't a fan of my normal style of dress." Ash said.
"So Ashley is making a comeback." Goh joked.
"No, no, no." Ash said. "Not Ashley, never again."
"Then you might want to think about it, because she's already here." Chloe said.
"Should we just bite the bullet and get this over with then?" Serena asked.
At dinner
"All I'm saying is that Seb is bad news. I just know it." Chloe's grandmother said. "If I were you, I'd find a guy like Calem here."
"Yeah I'm still taken." Serena said cringing inwardly.
"Oh of course." Chloe's grandmother said. "Now Ashley, I see you are finally dressing nicely."
"Ashley, a young lady responds when she's given a compliment." Chloe's grandmother said.
Goh watched in fear as he saw the fork bend in Ash's hand, his eyes faintly glowing.
"Hey Ash, I forgot I really need your help with an assignment due tomorrow." Goh lied. "How about we get started on it now."
As the two left, Chloe's grandmother turned to Serena.
"They're probably cheating on you, she isn't worth it." Chloe's grandmother said.
"I'm pretty sure Ash isn't cheating on me with Goh." Serena said laughing to herself.
Upstairs
"Okay she can't get up here. Now relax." Goh said.
"That woman has always just rubbed me the wrong way." Ash said angrily.
"Tomorrow is Monday, so you have school. Which means eight hours she can't bug you, so just hang out up here until then." Goh said reassuringly.
"You'd think that'd be the case." Ash said eerily.
A week later
"Torkoal use Flamethrower!"
"Fearow use Drill Peck!"
Fearow spun through the flames heading straight at Torkoal.
"Ashley, get inside for dinner now!" Chloe's grandmother yelled, breaking Ash's concentration as Torkoal was hit, losing Ash the battle.
At dinner
"All I'm saying is that I wouldn't have been so careless to use a ranged attack without thinking about what would happen when they got close." Chloe's grandmother said in a helping tone. "You know I could show you a thing or two about battling."
"That! Is! It!" Ash snapped, his dinner launching into the air. "You might know a lot about proper etiquette, and fashion, and cooking, and even sewing, which is great! But you do not question me about my battle tactics!"
"Ash, please don't do this." Chloe whispered.
"No! I've had enough of this! I've spent a week trying to impress someone I don't even like! If it wasn't for you I would have won that battle!" Ash yelled.
"Ashley I am your…". Chloe's grandmother began.
"You are my boss's mother-in-law! And another thing, the name isn't Ashley, it's Ash!" Ash said getting up and heading for the exit.
"Ash! Where are you going?" Serena asked.
"To find Darkrai, and spend a week with him. At least when he twists the knife he stabbed me in the back with I don't have to pretend to be grateful for it!" Ash yelled, stomping out.
"I was only trying to help, she didn't have to act like that." Chloe's grandmother defended.
"You know, Ash was right to leave." Chloe said getting up. "Things aren't done the way you want them to be anymore."
Serena and Goh quickly followed their friends out of the kitchen.
"The youth of today has no manners, perhaps I'm needed here more than I thought." Chloe's grandmother said. The remaining eaters looked on in silence, but knew that Ash was right if not having gone too far.
Outside in Vermillion
"Alright Darkrai! You've never needed an invitation before, come and get me!" Ash shouted, rain pouring down his face.
"Well I was hoping to surprise you, but I guess you've been expecting me." Tobias said, as lightning struck.
"Tobias! Sorry, it's been a stressful week. What are you doing here?" Ash asked.
"I had heard league trainers had been coming to battle you, so I figured I should as well." Tobias said, issuing a challenge.
'The super rank match between Ash and Tobias will now begin. This will be a three on three match, the match will be decided when neither trainer has any Pokémon able to battle.' The Rotojudge declared.
"Darkrai come out!"
"Noctowl I choose you!" Ash called.
"Darkrai use Dark Void!"
"Noctowl use Sky Attack!"
As a dark bubble enveloped Noctowl, nothing happened as the Pokémon flew right out, attacking Darkrai.
"Your sleep tactics won't work on Noctowl, I'm a bit of a pro at fighting Darkrai." Ash joked. "Now use Moonblast!"
"Darkrai use Ice Beam!"
Back at the lab
"Guys come look at this." Chloe said. She had pulled up the live footage of Ash's battle on the monitor.
"I thought Ash was kidding when he said he was going to find Darkrai." Goh said in shock.
"It's another trainer, this is live world coronation footage.
"Noctowl use Moonblast!"
"Darkrai use Ice Beam!"
Noctowl's wing was clipped by the ice beam as she began circling towards the ground.
"Noctowl return!" Ash called out. "Come on out Swampert!"
"Darkrai use Dark Pulse!"
"Swampert use Hammer Arm!"
Swampert leapt out of the way of Darkrai's attack, slamming his fist down on the mythical Pokémon.
Back at the lab
"She's not going to win like that." Chloe's grandmother commented from the door.
"No offense, but you don't know Ash." Goh said coldly.
"No offense, but I've been around enough to know these things, she's far too emotional, she can't win. I should go talk to her." Chloe's grandmother said.
"No. You won't." Serena said blocking her path.
"Do not get in my way child. I know what I'm doing." Chloe's grandmother argued.
"Like you did earlier?" Goh pointed out. "Did it ever occur to you that you interrupted that last battle, that maybe Ash even wanted Fearow to close in?"
"Enough both of you!" Chloe's grandmother scolded. "I am your elder, and you would do well to listen to me, perhaps my visit needs to be more permanent." She said pushing past Serena.
"Swampert use Waterfall!"
"Darkrai use Dark Void!"
Swampert launched himself up with a burst of water at Darkrai, pinning the Pokémon upon landing.
"Now use Waterfall!"
The blast of water sent Darkrai into a thankfully deserted building.
"Darkrai return." Tobias said. "You've become far stronger since our last match, I hope that wasn't only directed at my first Pokémon though."
"Nope, just have a lot of pent up anger." Ash said, cracking a smile.
"Very well. Latios use Luster Purge!"
"Swampert use Rock Slide!"
Chloe's grandmother had not expected Ash to have ventured as far as he had. She was easily lost in the dark streets of Vermillion.
"Grandma!" Chloe shouted as Corvinight landed.
"Good, you can help me find that wayward girl." Her grandmother said.
"I'm not here to take you to Ash, grandma, I'm here to take you back to the lab." Chloe said.
"I think not, she needs my advice. You all do." Chloe's grandmother said. "Now either help me find her, or go back to the lab. You'll catch a cold out here."
"Swampert use Earthquake!"
"Latios use Psychic!" As Swampert was lifted into the air, his struggles meant the end of his battle.
"Swampert return." Ash said. He had long been completely soaked, but he was finally having fun. "Alright, time to win this. Pikachu use Quick Attack!"
"Latios use Giga Impact!
"Quick switch to Double Iron Tail!"
Pikachu flipped around midair, the speed from his first attack, boosting the force of his second, countering Latios's attack. Bringing the match to a one on one.
"You're the only trainer to have beaten Darkrai. Now you've even beaten Latios, but you will not beat my third." Tobias said calmly. "Raikou, come out."
"Pikachu start off with a Discharge!"
"Raikou use Weather Ball!"
The attacks absorbed one another, canceling out the opposing forces.
"Ashley, there you are!" Chloe's grandmother said.
At the simple sound of her voice, Ash's aura already kicked in.
"Stop this now! You need to control your emotions if you want to win any battle, if I didn't know any better I'd say…". Chloe's grandmother began.
"JUST SHUT UP!" Ash screamed, as lightning illuminated his figure. His aura overflowing with power. "YOU WANT TO SEE EMOTIONS! WATCH THIS!"
"Pikachu use Volt Tackle!" Ash's voice echoed.
"Raikou use Extremespeed!"
Pikachu had reached Raikou before the other could even take off, pushing the legendary backwards.
"Now use Agility!" Ash called out.
"Raikou use Weather Ball!" Tobias said amidst a slight panic, he'd never seen even a legendary with this much power.
Pikachu ran literal circles around Raikou as the legendary tried striking him.
"Now use Double Edge!"
"Raikou use Aura Sphere!"
Pikachu slammed into the Aura Sphere sending it hurtling back, with him right after it.
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"
"Raikou use Thunderbolt!"
The two attacks collided, a blue energy surrounding Pikachu's as it pushed Raikou's back defeating the legendary.
As his number ticked up, Ash fell to the ground exhausted, the blue aura dissipating around him.
The next day
"I think I should talk to her." Chloe's grandmother said. "Once they get back from school that is."
"Mom, I think you've done enough." Talia said. "They may do things differently than the way you did, but they are doing just fine."