"Thanks for offering to help with this part Ash." Peony said.
"No problem, as long as we are waiting to find out where Keldeo is, I can multitask." Ash said. "So where are we headed exactly?"
"Well I talked to the locals, and apparently there are two garden plots the king was known to use in legends." Peony said. "We'll be heading to the southern of the two first."
"So why me? No offense to the others, but I'm sure my dad would have joined you." Ash pointed out.
"I wanted to talk with you Ashton." Peony said calmly.
"Wait. Who told you!" Ash panicked.
"No one, but I know I had a nephew, not a niece." Peony said. "Nia thinks I don't pay enough attention to her, or care, the thing is I care so much it only seems like I know very little." Peony sighed.
"If you're trying to mend mine and my dad's relationship, just stop." Ash said, hurdling over a log.
"I won't push it." Peony said. "Do you want to talk about how you're now Ashlynn?"
"It was a choice, and it felt right at first." Ash said, remembering that day in Alola. It had all started as a silly mistake, putting on Lillie's uniform by complete accident.
"What do you mean at first?" Peony asked.
"Almost immediately I panicked. I didn't know what it meant, or why I felt that way after the initial time." Ash said. "But I had friends that helped me realize it was okay." Ash said, remembering how Burnett was more than accepting of him, and Chloe even helped him come out to the others.
"Are you happy like this?" Peony asked.
"Yeah, I guess I am." Ash said sitting down for a second. "That isn't to say there's been times I wished I never started or it made things worse." Ash said, thinking about falling into the gorge, loosing his memories, Darkrai's manipulations.
He could see Cobalion and Pikachu not too far off. With the swordsmen on their side, it was safer leaving the base right now. "Mind if I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's on your mind?" Peony asked.
"Why am I only now finding out about you, I mean I get my dad wasn't around, but I had no idea you even existed." Ash said.
"I was the one who initially gave your father the idea of reclaiming his title, by the time I realized what I had done, your father had been gone for years. I couldn't bring myself to visit, knowing that I was the one who broke your family." Peony said, tears falling from his face.
"Do you think if he was there, growing up, I'd be different?" Ash asked honestly.
"You know, before you were born. He wanted nothing more than for a little girl. Someone he could shower with affection, his little princess that he could take to his matches. If you gave him the chance, he might be more accepting than you think." Peony said.
"He called me a freak when he found out this was me." Ash said.
"I don't have all the answers, but I know he is sorry for everything." Peony said. "Over there, the garden!"
At the plot
"I had no idea you were this well rounded." Peony said, as Ash carefully worked on the garden.
"Mom has one back home. I grew up working on it with her." Ash said. "What about Nia, where's her mom?"
"Nia never met her mother. It's always been just the two of us." Peony said.
"Oh, I guess that's something we have in common." Ash sighed. "We should be set, but it takes months for carrots to grow, and we have days." Ash said standing up.
"Ash, look." Peony said. The two turned to see a purple force wash over the garden, as carrots began to emerge.
"Well, not the weirdest thing this trip." Ash said, reaching back down. "Ahh!"
"Ash! What happened?" Peony panicked.
"Something hit me! Wait the carrots!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu, find whatever took them!"
"Aggron you help out too!" Peony said.
The trainers were on high alert, looking everywhere for the thief. Ash saw for just a moment, a blur rush by him. "Pikachu there! Use Quick Attack!"
Pikachu leapt at the blur, only to fall right into the dirt.
"He can't keep up with Iron Tail, and Thunderbolt is too risky." Ash said thinking. "But I don't need to hit them. Snivy come on out and use Attract!"
The blur slowed down, a strange dragon like Pokémon appearing in front of them.
"Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked pulling out his phone.
'Snivy, the grass snake Pokémon.' Ash's phone chirped.
"The other Pokémon." Ash said with annoyance.
'Drakloak the Caretaker Pokémon. It's capable of flying faster than 120 mph. It battles alongside Dreepy and dotes on them until they evolve.' Ash's phone explained.
"Wait, if it battles with Dreepy, where's the Dreepy?" Ash asked, seeing a small dragon shoot out at Snivy. "You're not the only one with that trick. Kangaskhan I choose you!"
Kangaskhan popped out in front of the Dreepy, the attack doing nothing.
"Alright! Kangaskhan use Crunch!" Ash called out.
The attack caused Drakloak to drop the carrots to the ground.
"Use Crunch again!" Ash called out.
Kangaskhan clamped it's jaw on the dragon, only to be shot by the Dreepy.
"Can't believe I'm doing this now, but I don't have time to keep fighting you. Pokeball go!" Ash shouted. As the Pokeball hit the ground, a galloping was heard.
"Ash! Be ready, I think our steed is coming!" Peony said.
A purplish horse ran between the group nabbing the carrots before continuing.
"I've got it!" Peony shouted leaping onto the Pokémon. "Get the other horse, I'll wrangle this one in no time!" Peony shouted to Ash.
"Yeah, no big deal." Ash said gathering his Pokémon. "I just have no idea where it is, or where I am in relation to it." Ash said, seeing the storm worsen. "And where did Cobalion go off to?"