Chapter 7
"So Ash, have you tried the Sevestar League?" Gary asks as they are sitting in the dorm room with Chloe, Goh, Dawn, and Leaf (Which is Serena in disguise).
"The Sevestar League? Why are you asking about that?" Ash asks with confusion.
"You have participated in the Leagues, both East and West, but what about the League in this Sevestar Region?" Gary asks.
Dawn says, "Gary is right, you should try it as well."
Ash sighs and says, "It is not that simple. As you can see, here in the Sevestar League, there are 18 gyms before facing the Elite Four members."
"18 Gyms? That is 10 more from the normal ones..." Leaf says.
"And each Gym Leader will be using a full team of six Pokemon." Ash says, "No, five Pokemon and themselves."
"What do you mean by that?" Dawn asks.
"First, the leader will be using a Pokemon that has a unique ability, then the second one will be a Pokemon with the Z Crystal. The third one will be capable of Gigantamax, the fourth one will be capable of Mega Evolution, the fifth one will be themselves as the Warrior Tasks, and finally, they have Legendary, Mythical, or an Ultra Beast, depending on which one they want to use." Ash says. "That's not all, they will choose one Pokemon to be given the power of the Star Badge, which makes that specific type super effective against all the other types."
"That is six times the trouble..." Goh says. "No, it should be seven times the trouble..."
"That's right. The Sevestar League is said to be the strongest league, even though this region is in the center, which might have conflicts between East and West common, but all the Leaders in this league won't prefer East than West, or vise versa."
"Are they nuts?" Gary asks. "If the Leader is from the East, won't they hate the challengers from the West?"
"That's why they can become the Gym Leaders." Leaf comments. "I mean, they have to have the heart to accept both sides...and if you think about it, the Champion of this Sevestar League will be strong as well."
"But nobody knows who he or she is...all we know is that nobody is capable of reaching him...He is the strongest Champion and the one that chooses the leaders." Chloe adds.
"That might be correct." Ash says as he is in deep thoughts.
That night, Ash and Serena, who is now back to her original form, sit by the river as they watch the stars, Serena asks, "Ash, about what you said about the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four, as well as the Champion. How do you know all about it?"
Ash says, "I told you right? I want to change the world, a world where East and West can live in harmony. That's my goal as an Aura Guardian."
"You did tell me about that...but what does it matter?" Serena asks.
Ash sighs as he takes out the Pokedex, he has Serena reads it, and she widens her eyes in shock after seeing the words "Sevestar Champion"
"Ash? You are the Sevestar Champion?" Serena gasps in surprise.
"I am. If you want to know the truth...this Sevestar Region is created by my ancestor Sir Aaron, the conflicts between East and West have occurred several centuries, so he hopes to bring peace. But the conflict never stops...but I am not going to give up." Ash says. "I want to do what my ancestor can't do."
"But what about your brother?" Serena asks, "Won't he think the same thing as well?"
Ash frowns, "I don't know what my brother is thinking of. He only opens his heart to my mom. As for my dad...he isn't there when I was younger."
"I'm sorry to hear that..." Serena sighs. "But if you think about it, why are East and West fighting with each other?"
"Family education...a lot of people in the East or in the West taught their children that East is their enemy or West is their enemy, and some people, like Chloe and I, are influenced by how other people react."
"Just like me and Lillie..." Serena says, "I know that Gladion hates the East just because you defeated Calem, but what he doesn't know is that you two are actually the same person."
"Yeah. During these years of traveling, I have been looking for people who agree with my plans of changing the world for the better. And after conquering the League, I have been doing my ancestor's will to exchange the leaders into the people I found with potential, and then I have been training them with all kinds of things. Warrior Tasks and Knight Challenges are new to this region, my mother and I were the ones who invented them."
"Seriously?" Serena gasps in shock. "Are you serious about that?"
"I am serious about it." Ash says. "Warrior Tasks are invented because of her past...my mother told me that she was weak at that time and she wants to become stronger just like Pokemon. As for the Knight Challenges, it is just for the power boost."
"Okay...so about the Elite Four and Gym Leaders that you picked, are they here in this RPA High as well?" Serena asks.
"To be honest...there is only one in the school. The other 21 prefer self-learning." Ash says.
"One? Who is that person?" Serena asks.
"She is in the West Dorm, just like you. She is in my opinion the strongest Ice Type Trainer in existence." Ash says with a smile.
"So she is the Ice Type Elite Four member?" Serena asks.
"Of course." Ash says, "But because she is staying at the White Dorm, that's why we have some special communication ways."
"I see..." Serena says as they decide to end the day by going back to their respective dorms.
As the next day arrives, Ash is standing in the principal office, he is facing the president, which reveals to be his mother, Aurora Delia Ketchum.
Ash asks, "Mother, why are you calling me here? Did I do something wrong?"
Aurora says with a stern tone, "I want to know, according to your brother, you have been leading the Grade 1 students for a fight against the West, is that true?"
Ash shrugs and says, "I won't deny that it was not false. Those first-grade Westerns have been provoking the first-grade Easterns, and the first-grade Easterns are easily provoked as they just want to fight them. I have to be there or else who knows what they might have done."
Ash's face turns dark and he says, "And if my brother has some complaints about it, why doesn't he just talk to me face to face?"
Aurora sighs, "You know how busy he is, he is the first seat in your Eastern Dorm, and he has a lot of things to do."
"Not this excuse again." Ash says, "Ever since our father perished, he hasn't talked to me a thing, the only time is in the Sinnoh League, where he told me I was weak compared to him!"
Aurora sighs, "But still, he is not your only sibling, you have 5 more that you deeply cared about, right?"
"But besides Golly, he is the only blood-related sibling that I have!" Ash sighs.
"You have to remember, it is because of him that you are able to get into the Number 10 seat." Aurora says. "Speaking of which, I also have some bad news for you. I know you have been prepared for the Top 10 Tournament, but you are not going to participate in it."
"What?" Ash yells in shock. "What do you mean by that? I know that each of the top 10 will choose 8 members to partake in it...but why am I not in the 8 of them?"
Aurora says, "That's because the council agrees that the judges of this year's festival are going to be the Sevestar Champion, the Sevestar Queen, and me." Aurora says. "Which means...you are going to be a judge instead."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I have been waiting for revenge against my brother for ignoring me and my siblings, and now I couldn't do it then?" Ash yells.
"Revenge isn't anything, Ash. You are the Chosen one of Arceus, don't you forget what your goal is?"
Ash grits his teeth as he can only agree. Then he leaves without turning back. Aurora sighs as she says, "Looks like your brother is still mad about you."
Tobias suddenly rises from the ground with the help of Marshadow. And he says, "I admit, he has rights to hate me. But even if he goes into the tournament, he won't be facing me because I am not participating as well."
"Oh? Then what about the Number 1 of the West? If you don't participate, then he can't participate as well." Aurora says, "That's the rule."
"He won't mind. I know N and he is a person who dislikes Pokemon battles." Tobias says. "His bond with Pokemon really opens my eyes, and I can see Ash inside him in some way."
"I know, so when are you going to have a face-to-face talk with Ash?" Aurora asks.
"Maybe we will have our sibling talk sooner or later." Tobias says with a cool voice. "After all, this school is very bipolar, knowing him, he might do something that you did in the past again..."
Aurora asks, "Are you worried?"
Tobias gives a wry smile, "What do you think?" Then he also leaves the office as well.
"What do you mean you aren't participating in the Top 10 Tournament?" A lot of people gather around Ash, and they are mostly first-grade students. "You are the Champion of 8 regions! Why aren't you battling?"
Ash says, "As I said, my mother said that I am just a first-grade student, and I should give grade-2 or 3 students a chance to show their strength."
Ash is feeling his anger rises as he thinks, "Damn Mother...I can't reveal my identity as the Sevestar Champion, and now you want me to make up excuses for my friends..."
Chloe says, "But by the rules, if Ash can't participate in the tournament, that means the Number 10 of the West, which means Serena, can't compete as well."
"At least the Number 1 isn't participating as well." Ash mutters, which causes them to get shocked.
"Even Tobias is not entering the tournament, why?" Goh asks.
"I start to wonder it is because that my brother can't compete in the tournament, so he wants to drag me down..." Ash says in a dark tone, which scares everyone present.
At the same time, in the White Dorm, Serena is also bombarded with questions, and Clemont says, "How dare that Eastern Dorm! They force you to drop out of the tournament because that Ash Ketchum can't compete!"
Kiawe says, "Indeed, who do they think they are? We can understand if N doesn't want to compete, but they choose Ash Ketchum not to compete? That is belittling us First Grade!"
Gladion coughs and he says, "But still, that is their Number 1's choice, we can't do anything to change it."
The others are sad, as Serena just walks out of the dorm.
"Wait, Serena!" Lillie manages to catch up to her and she says, "I don't believe that the Eastern Dorm will just drop Ash Ketchum out of the tournament that easily. I think there is something else going on."
Serena asks, "What do you mean by that?"
Lillie sighs and says, "Because you are also the same seat as Ash, as you both are Number 10. I also heard some rumors that the principal is going to ask the Sevestar Champion and the Sevestar Queen to be the judges."
"What?" Serena gasps in shock, she is the Sevestar Queen, which means that the principal wants Ash and herself to be the judge of the matches, which is something that she isn't expecting.
"How do you know about this?" Serena asks Lillie, who gives her a smirk as she shows a hidden badge below her jacket, "I'm the Ice Type Elite Four Member of the Sevestar Region."
"What?" Serena gasps in shock.
I'll end the chapter here, and as you can see, Ash is not happy that his chance to get revenge on his brother failed because of his mother. Not only Ash is the Sevestar Champion, Serena is the Sevestar Queen, even Lillie is a part of the Sevestar Elite Four member. I hope you like this chapter.