It's a quiet evening at the recently opened Cerise Laboratory. Professor Cerise himself was going through data with his research assistants, Chrysa and Ren, hoping to make new discoveries revolving around the magical world of Pokémon. His wife, Talia, was working on a new illustration after washing the dishes from dinner with Mimey. Their daughter, Chloe, was in her room reading with her Pokemon, Yamper. In Cerise Park, one of Professor Cerise's research fellows, Goh, was in his room dreaming about capturing Mew.
However, another research fellow danced with her Pokémon at a different park section. Serena moved her body with a heavenly smile plastered on her face while Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, Poliwhirl, and Absol danced with her. There was no music for the six of them to dance to, but that didn't stop them. All they needed was the passion for performing, even if there was no Pokemon Showcase or Contest to practice for.
"Alright, everyone, let's wrap it up," Serena said.
Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, Poliwhirl, and Absol smiled and nodded simultaneously. Braixen used Flamethrower, Sylveon used Swift, Poliwhirl used Bubble Beam, and both Pancham and Absol fired Dark Pulse into the air. The moves collided several feet above Serena, and they exploded into fireworks of many colors. Serena twirled, and her Pokémon jumped, hopped, and flipped into positions before they all made a final pose together.
"Ta-da! All done!" Serena shouted to an imaginary audience.
The honey blonde girl and her Pokémon stood still, imagining hundreds of people and Pokemon applauding with their spirits lifted high. Serena, Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, Poliwhirl, and Absol bowed before Serena took a few steps to face her dear friends.
"Great job, everybody. That was our best one yet," she praised.
The Pokémon let out calls of cheer, uplifted by her compliment. Serena reached into her pockets, took out her Pokémon team's Pokéballs, and returned them. With Serena all alone, she stretched with a pleased hum and began walking to the park exit, ready for a good night's sleep.
But as she was heading to the exit, she heard the sound of a loud sigh. Serena looked around, puzzled, wondering where the sound came from until it hit her. She smiled and shook her head as she walked to the bushes beside the exit door and looked over to see Ash lying on the grass on a steep hill with his hands behind his back and Pikachu sleeping next to him, cuddled up in a ball. Serena sighed as this was not the first night she found her boyfriend and his partner there.
Her boyfriend.
It had been months since that fateful day at the Johto Grand Festival, and the title still made Serena's heart flutter. Every day, she would wake up and wonder if it was her imagination, but she couldn't deny the truth. Ash Ketchum, the person she had feelings for since they were little, was her boyfriend.
Ash loved her.
He loved her.
Against all odds with his lack of knowledge of romantic love, Ash realized what Serena meant to him. Day by day, she would get out of bed, get dressed, and come downstairs from her room to find Ash there to greet her as he ate breakfast with a look that showed how happy he was that she was there. There were still things he didn't understand about romance, but Serena was patient. As long as he was by her side where she could kiss him, hug him, hold his hand, or anything else to show how much she loved him back, it was enough to prove that she had achieved her goal. Ash belonged to Serena, and she belonged to him forever.
Serena walked around the bushes with a sweet smile until she walked through the gap leading to the steep hill. Her footsteps against the grass snapped Ash out of his daydream, and he sat up and turned his head to see his girlfriend walking over to him.
"Hey," he said quietly, not to wake up Pikachu.
"Hey," Serena said back. "Whatcha doing?"
"Just lying down and thinking about stuff," Ash answered.
"Of course, you are," Serena said with a light giggle. "Mind if I join you?"
"Of course not," Ash said with a smile.
Serena walked down the hill and sat inches away from her boyfriend. She took off her gray felt hat and laid it next to her before she and Ash laid down together. Serena stared into the sky through the skyline to admire the stars before she glanced at Ash. With her cheeks pink, she scooted closer to him until her arm touched his side, and he turned to see her looking at him with her slight blush. The raven-haired boy smirked, knowing immediately what his girlfriend wanted, and wrapped his arm around her. He didn't yet comprehend the significance of the gesture, but he knew that it was something that made Serena happy. Serena let out a blissful sigh with her cheeks still pink, and the two of them went back to looking at the night sky.
"So, thinking of anything special?" Serena asked.
"Just thinking of what we've been experiencing since we got here," Ash answered. "Meeting Goh, encountering Lugia, watching all of those Bulbasaur and Ivysaur evolve; gets you wondering what we'll encounter next."
Serena's smile grew, saying, "There's never a dull moment for us."
"Nope, and that's just how I like it." Ash said.
Serena turned to her beloved and lifted her head to peck his cheek.
"Me too."
Ash gave Serena another toothy grin before the young couple grew silent again. Nothing was heard as they stared at the sky except for Pikachu snoring lightly. Serena's eyelids started to grow heavy from the comfort of Ash's arm around her until he spoke again.
"I wonder if anyone else is having any adventures right now."
"Like who?" Serena asked.
"You know. Dawn, May, Max, Clemont, Bonnie, Brock, Holly, Iris, Cilan, Misty, Coovers, Timothy," Ash listed. "I bet they're having a great time having new experiences and meeting new Pokemon."
"Maybe they are," Serena said. "Though I can't imagine Brock, Holly, Clemont, Bonnie, and Misty having much excitement when Clemont and Misty are running their gyms, and Brock is still training to be a doctor."
"You never know. An adventure could come anywhere at any time." Ash said.
"That's true," Serena said. "Still, I miss seeing everyone."
"Don't worry, Serena. We'll see them all again," Ash said. "I can see them all getting closer to accomplishing all of their dreams right now."
"Yeah, you're right," Serena said. "Come to think of it, I wonder how Timothy is doing with his dream. I hope he has won another Pokemon League since we last saw him."
"That would be awesome," Ash said. "Of course, if he does, that means he's gotten even stronger, so I'll need to get stronger too."
Serena nodded and turned to Ash, saying, "That's right. You better be prepared if you want to battle him again."
"Don't worry. I will be," Ash assured. "I like to imagine Timothy is getting closer to accomplishing more of his dream right now."
"Shelgon, use Dragon Claw!"
"Poliwrath, push it back with Hydro Pump!"
With a loud roar, a Shelgon, decorated in cuts and bruises, charged from its side of the battlefield to its opponent with the tips of its front legs glowing bright green. Poliwrath took a firm stance, ignoring its body as if it were on fire, and unleashed a stream of water as tall and wide as the swirl on its belly. The Tadpole Pokémon's attack rammed into Shelgon and forced it back, its body too weak to resist the water attack. Shelgon roared in agony as it flew back to its side of the field, set out of bounds, and hit the wall with a mighty crash. It plummeted to the ground with swirly eyes, its body lying next to its trainer's feet.
"Shelgon is unable to battle! Poliwrath is the winner!" The referee declared.
Drake's white mustache covered his frown as he returned his Pokemon in its container. He whispered to the Pokeball, "You fought well," before putting it in his pocket and taking out another one.
"Altaria, let's go!" He commanded.
He threw the ball into the field, and with a flash, it opened to reveal an Altaria levitating with a proud caw. Poliwrath stood firm, but it knew it couldn't fight for much longer. It turned its upper body to look at its trainer, a 30-year-old man wearing a gray shirt with a white H, a purple A, and a black K at the center of the chest, to see him on edge. It took much of Poliwrath's energy to take down Shelgon, with it resistant to all of its attacks, and Timothy knew it. He and Drake had only two Pokémon left in this match, but it would be difficult for Timothy and Poliwrath to stop Drake from retaking the lead.
Timothy felt a poke on his leg and looked to the right side where Electchu was standing next to him. His loyal Raichu gave him an encouraging smile to assure him that they still had a chance to triumph against the final member of the Hoenn Elite Four. Timothy smiled back, silently thanking his partner before turning back to Poliwrath.
"We got this, Poliwrath," he said. "We've beaten Lance's Altaria. We can take down the Altaria of someone who isn't a Champion."
"Wrath," Poliwrath growled with a nod.
"Your Poliwrath can barely stand, young man," Drake said. "How can you expect to seriously damage Altaria, much less take it down?"
"Same way we've made it this far, Drake; by giving it all we've got," Timothy answered. "We've gotten out of worse situations than this."
Electchu and Poliwrath hummed and nodded in sync, knowing what their trainer was referring to. Two years was not enough for the three of them to forget how close they were to being defeated by Trent Lane, a.k.a. Agent Basker, at the front of Team Rocket Tower. Drake, however, was unamused by Timothy's confidence and decided to finish Poliwrath in one quick stroke.
"Altaria, use Aerial Ace!" He commanded.
In an instant, Altaria vanished into thin air. Timothy furrowed his brow, immediately knowing what was on his opponent's mind.
"Poliwrath, close your eyes and wait for the right moment. Then use Dynamic Punch!" He instructed.
Poliwrath closed its eyes and took a deep breath. The field was silent for a few seconds until Altaria appeared behind Poliwrath. Before Altaria could make a move, however, Poliwrath's fist glowed white, and it turned around to force Altaria's head into the ground with a downward punch.
"Don't hold back! Keep it down!" Timothy shouted.
With both of its fists glowing, Poliwrath beat Altaria relentlessly, keeping it down on the ground.
"Altaria, roll over, and use Dragon Breath!" Drake yelled.
Altaria rolled over before Poliwrath threw another punch, causing Poliwrath to create a hole on the ground. Without a moment for the Tadpole Pokemon to react, a transparent beam of energy with white rings around it shot from Altaria's beak, knocking Poliwrath off its feet.
"Now, finish it with Aerial Ace!" Drake shouted.
"Poliwrath, dodge it!" Timothy yelled.
But before Poliwrath could snap out of its daze, Altaria had disappeared and reappeared in front of its opponent. The Humming Pokemon rammed Poliwrath in the stomach, and with a cry in pain, Poliwrath flew away several feet and landed on the ground, limp.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle! Altaria wins!" The judge declared.
Timothy made another sour face as he returned Poliwrath into its Pokéball. It wasn't a surprise that Poliwrath didn't win, but he hoped that using Dynamic Punch while Altaria was down enough times would eventually take it down despite only being half effective. Still, there were many bruises all over Altaria's body, and its posture was not what it was before. He had a chance to take down Drake's second-to-last Pokémon quicker than Altaria took down his, and he was determined to take it. He won a Pokémon League for the second time in his life. Drake was the final obstacle keeping him from facing the Hoenn Champion and accomplishing another part of his dream. The last member of the Elite Four would not get in his way if he and his Pokémon could help it.
"Alright, Electchu," Timothy said, turning to his partner. "Poliwrath gave you a head start. Let's take down this bird quickly, and make facing Drake's last Pokémon a fair fight."
"Raichu," Electchu said with a grin.
"Alright, let's go, Electchu!" Timothy shouted, pointing at the field.
The man in the "H.A.K." shirt's Raichu hopped onto the field with electricity coming out of its yellow cheeks. Drake sighed through his nose and made his next command.
"Altaria, use Take Down!" He shouted.
Timothy grinned and said, "Knock it back with Iron Tail!"
Electchu's lightning-shaped tail glowed white, and it waited as Altaria charged at it. The mouse Pokemon spun around and hit Altaria in the face with its tail. Altaria crashed to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Now use Electro Ball followed by Thunder!" Timothy commanded.
Without a moment to spare, an orb of electricity appeared from the tip of Electchu's tail, and it threw it at its opponent. The Electro Ball exploded on impact, and while Altaria was in the air, Electchu unleashed Thunder on it, electrocuting the Humming Pokémon until its body couldn't take it. Altaria crashed into the ground, and the judge walked over to it to check on it.
"Altaria is unable to battle! Electchu is the winner!" He declared.
"Alright! Way to go, Electchu!" Timothy praised.
"Raichu!" Electchu shouted triumphantly.
Drake put Altaria back in its Pokéball and took out his last Pokeball before looking Timothy dead in the eye.
"You have devotion, Timothy. I'll give you that," he said. "Truly, the bond you share with your Pokemon reflects your determination."
Timothy gave his opponent a proud smirk.
"Well, it's like a friend of mine likes to say: don't give up until it's over," he said.
Drake hummed and gave a short nod of approval.
"Noble words to live by. Your friend must value their dreams as much as you do," he said.
"Heh, you could say she values her dream more than I value mine in a way, but I will achieve mine all the same," Timothy said.
"We shall see," Drake said before he threw his Pokeball into the air. "Salamence, come on out!"
The Pokeball opened, and a Salamence came out, letting out a battle cry, making Timothy furrow his brow. Salamence wasn't resistant to any of Eletchu's attacks, but it likely was more powerful than its pre-evolved form and was Drake's final Pokémon.
But before Timothy could develop a strategy, Drake rolled up his left sleeve to reveal a bracelet containing a keystone. Timothy's face fell, and he turned to Salamence to see a necklace around its neck containing a Salamencite. Drake touched the keystone, and both it and the Salamencite began to glow. Timothy and Electchu covered their eyes as several bright beams appeared from the stones and connected with each other. With a bright flash, Salamence roared again in its Mega Evolved form.
"You really want to face Steven? Then show me the bond with your partner can overcome mine," Drake said. "Salamence, Dragon Claw!"
"Electchu, block it with Iron Tail!" Timothy shouted.
Electchu's tail glowed white again, blocking a set of glowing claws, but Mega Salamence quickly slashed it with its other paw. Electchu squealed and flew several feet away with large cuts on its stomach.
"Now, use Flamethrower!" Drake shouted.
"Electchu, dodge and use Electro Ball!" Timothy called out.
Mega Salamence unleashed a large stream of fire, and Electchu jumped away just in time. It threw another electric ball, hitting Salamence square in the chest.
"Salamence, use Dragon Rush!" Drake shouted.
"Dodge and hit it with Thunder!" Timothy shouted.
Streams of bright blue aura formed around Mega Salamence's body until it covered most of its body with a shadowy black aura inside the bright blue aura as it grew. Mega Salamence charged toward Electchu again, but the Mouse Pokemon jumped away and hit it with Thunder.
"Don't let up. Use Thunder again!" Timothy shouted.
"Stop it with Flamethrower, then use Zen Headbutt!" Drake commanded.
The Pokemon used their respective attacks, and the attacks exploded into a black cloud of smoke. Suddenly, Mega Salamence burst through the smoke and rammed Electchu on the stomach, knocking the wind right out of it. Timothy's heart sank at seeing his partner on the ground and massaging its belly while its opponent loomed over it.
"Come on, Electchu. You can do it!" Timothy called out. "We're almost there! I know you can do it!"
Electchu clenched its teeth and pulled itself up to give Mega Salamence a hard glare. The Mega Evolved Dragon Pokémon scoffed in disinterest as it waited for the next call.
"Salamence, use Zen Headbutt again!" Drake commanded.
"Electchu, wait for the right moment and force it to the ground with Iron Tail!" Timothy instructed.
With its tail glowing a third time, Electchu patiently waited until its charging enemy was close enough. With a jump and a flip, Electchu slammed Mega Salamence's head into the ground, and Mega Salamence flipped over and fell on its back in a daze.
"Now, use a combo of Iron Tail, Electro Ball, and Thunder!" Timothy instructed.
"Move away, Salamence!" Drake ordered.
But Mega Salamence was left dazed that it couldn't move before Electchu slammed its tail into its stomach. The Raichu wasted no time hitting Mega Salamence with another Electro Ball, followed by the most powerful Thunder it could muster.
When Electchu finished its combo, it was panting heavily while its opponent still laid down on its back, covered in scratches. Timothy grew more afraid of the situation because of his friend's condition. Even though Electchu has landed more hits, getting hit by its mega-evolved opponent's attacks was taking its toll. The man in the "H.A.K." shirt considered trying to finish Mega Salamence off using Electchu's final move, Hyper Beam, but he didn't want to take the chance, considering how long it took for Electchu to prepare the attack. He concluded that if Electchu was going to win, he had to keep Salamence incapacitated.
"Electchu, use Iron Tail again!" Timothy shouted.
"Salamence, block it with Dragon Claw!" Drake shouted.
Electchu jumped and flipped to attack Mega Salamence's belly again, but Mega Salamence blocked its tail with its claws. With a shove, Mega Salamence sent Electchu flying in the air and began to roll back to its front.
"Electchu, use Thunder now!" Timothy shouted.
"Salamence, use Dragon Rush!" Drake commanded.
Electchu unleashed another power beam of electricity that hit Mega Salamence before it was ultimately back on its feet. The dragon Pokemon clenched its teeth and glowered at Electchu as it took damage. As soon as Electchu finished its attack, Mega Salamence zoomed toward it, its body covered in aura again. Electchu only had a moment to react before Mega Salamence slammed into it, sending it crashing into a wall.
"Now, finish it with Flamethrower!" Drake commanded.
"Electchu, dodge it!" Timothy shouted, his voice dripping in fear.
Electchu stood up and shook its head to snap out of its daze, only to see a large stream of fire heading straight for it. The Mouse Pokémon could do nothing but scream until Mega Salamence finished using Flamethrower and stood still for a minute before it lost consciousness and fell.
"Electchu!" Timothy screamed.
"Electchu is unable to battle!" The judge announced. "Salamence is the winner, and so the winner of this match is Drake!"
Drake hummed and gave Salamence a nod of approval as it reverted back to its normal form. He returned his Pokémon back into its Pokeball and turned to Timothy, who rushed to Electchu's side. Timothy picked up his partner with both arms, resisting the urge to shed any tears. Drake walked over to Timothy, got down on one knee, and placed his hand on Timothy's shoulder.
"You battled well, Timothy," he said. "Not many people come so close to beating my Salamence in its Mega Evolved form."
Timothy said nothing or looked at the member of the Elite Four.
"You don't need to be so disheartened. You can always try again." Drake said.
"I know," Timothy said. "It's just that I was sure I would make my way to Steven and beat him. It's my goal to win every Pokémon League and defeat all of the members of the Elite Four and Champions. I've accomplished part of my goal by winning the Johto League and making my way to beating Lance in one go. After finally winning the Hoenn League this year, I was so sure that I was going to do the same here."
"I understand," Drake said. "It's hard to come so close and yet so far. Do you intend to try to battle your way to me again once your Pokémon are healed?"
Timothy paused for a moment, his eyes still on Electchu. Then, he stood up while still carrying his Pokémon partner and faced his opponent.
"I don't know," he said. "Reason would dictate that I do, especially having already battled everyone else in the Hoenn Elite Four. But it may be good to hold off trying to make my way to Steven and travel again to make my Pokémon stronger. Maybe I'll win a different league and have better luck against their Elite Four and champion there."
Drake looked at Timothy puzzled and asked, "Have you battled in other leagues besides the Johto and Hoenn Leagues?"
"Dozens of times," Timothy answered. "Johto, Hoenn, Indigo, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos: I collected my badges for them long ago, and I compete in them every year while my team and I grow stronger."
"Impressive. You truly are devoted to your dream," Drake said with a smirk. "However, I couldn't help but notice you missed one."
Timothy looked at Drake as though he had said random words.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I mean, you listed every Pokémon League I know of except for the one in the Galar region." Drake answered.
"The Galar region? How have I never heard of that place before?" Timothy asked.
"Oh, it's not uncommon for there to be places you have never heard of before, Timothy," Drake chortled. "After all, we live in a vast world with our Pokémon."
Timothy looked away from Drake in thought and accepted that he was right. After seeing so many Pokémon he never knew existed when Team Rocket had control of all of the Psychic type Pokémon in the world, it was clear that there were far more Pokémon in the world than he might ever know. Something that would excite his rival, Ash, no doubt. After another moment of debating with himself, Timothy smiled and turned to Drake.
"Alright, then that's what I'll do," he said. "Exploring a new region and collecting badges for the first time in years might just be what I need. It would be a nice change of pace if nothing else."
"Good," Drake said as he patted the young man's back. "I hope it will be good for you. Until then, I hope we will get to battle again someday."
"Count on it," Timothy said with a competitive grin. "And you will not stop me from making my way to Steven when we do. You have my word on it."
"We shall see," Drake said, grinning back before turning around to walk to the door on his side of the battlefield. "Until then, best of luck to you in the Galar region, Timothy."
"Thanks, Drake," Timothy said as he walked to the exit from his side of the room with Electchu still in his arms.
Timothy carried Electchu to the Pokémon Center and handed it to Nurse Joy along with the Pokéballs of the rest of his team. As she entered the back room with his Pokémon, Timothy went to the nearest computer and looked up flights to the Galar region. After buying a ticket, he sat on a bench and waited for half an hour until the back door opened to reveal Nurse Joy coming back with Chansey pushing a cart carrying Electchu and Timothy's Pokéballs.
"Your Pokémon are just fine now," Nurse Joy announced.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy." Timothy said as he took the Pokeballs and put them in his pocket.
Electchu hopped off the cart, and they exited the Pokemon Center, waving at Nurse Joy and Chansey as they left. The man in the "H.A.K." shirt and his partner walked a few feet from the Pokémon Center and stopped before Timothy turned to Electchu. It was hanging its head, crestfallen. Timothy got down on one knee and rubbed his partner's back.
"Don't worry about it, pal. It was a close battle. We just need to get stronger, and then we'll make our way to the top, no sweat." he said.
"Raichu." Electchu said glumly.
Timothy looked at his partner sadly and pulled it into a side hug. After a moment, he broke the hug and stood up to take out his five Pokeballs. Timothy tossed them, and the rest of his team appeared in front of him in a flash. Poliwrath stood in front, followed by Gengar, a Braviary named Blitzwing, a Lucario called Odyssey, and a Gardevoir named Shockwave. The five Pokémon looked at their trainer, puzzled about what they were doing close to the Pokémon Center, which made Timothy hesitant to give them the news.
"I'm sorry, everyone," he said. "Drake beat us by one Pokémon. We're not going to face Steven today."
The Pokémon looked at their trainer in shock before they slumped in disappointment. Their reaction made Electchu uneasy, still feeling it was its fault for losing the battle.
"Don't be so glum, guys. We can try again whenever we want. It's not like we have to compete in the Hoenn League again. We just need to get stronger, and we'll achieve our goal in this region before you know it," Timothy said. "In the meantime, I have other news I want to share."
Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Gengar looked at their friend curiously, and Timothy paused before he continued.
"After the battle, Drake told me of a place called the Galar region," he said. "Apparently, this place also has a Pokémon League, and after thinking about it, I thought it would be a good idea for us to collect badges and encounter Pokémon we've never seen before for a change. When's the last time we got to do that?"
Electchu thought about it and said a series of "Rai," "Chu," and "Raichu's" that made its partner roll his eyes.
"Okay, we never saw Mewtwo before until after we got the Gieldanstone, but what about going to a new region where we haven't seen new Pokémon before?"
Timothy's Pokémon party talked among themselves again before they turned to him and nodded in agreement.
"Well, there you go," Timothy said. "I know this all sounds like we're putting my dream on hold, but maybe this change of pace is just what I need. And who knows? Maybe I'll win the Galar League and take down the Champion in one go. Either way, we can use this time in a new region for all of us to grow stronger together. So, who's with me?"
"Gengar!" Gengar said with a wide grin.
"Brav!" Blitzwing cawed proudly with its wings spread out.
"Luca," Odyssey said with a smirk.
"Gardevoir," Shockwave answered with a nod.
"Poliwrath!" Poliwrath roared, flexing its muscles.
"Raichu!" Electchu shouted with its paw in the air.
"Thanks, you guys," Timothy said as he took out his Pokéballs again. "Let's give it everything we got."
Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Gengar called in agreement before they went back into their Pokéballs. With the two of them alone again, Timothy closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning to Electchu with a smirk.
"Alright, pal," he said. "Let's get going. We have a plane to catch."
"Raichu!" Electchu shouted.