This fanfiction takes place after JN052. It follows Ash's journey to defeat Leon, Goh's goal to catch every Pokémon especially Mew, and Chloe's search for her future as they travel around the world of Pokémon. They will encounter new friends and new rivals. I hope you enjoy it.
Note: This chapter was rewritten on January 27, 2021. There aren't any major changes to the plot, but it is highly recommended that you reread it if you read the old version of the chapter.
The old version had 1,976 words, and the new version has 3,770 words.
Chapter 1: Return to Kalos! Meeting Sycamore!
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded as he swung his right arm toward his Dragonite. The trainer from Pallet Town was busy training his Pokémon for future Pokémon World Championships battles. He always wore an open blue vest with yellow outlines over his white shirt, and his shorts were a dark shade of blue. His hair was raven-shaped, and he had two distinctive thunderbolt markings on his face. The red hat on his head had the symbol of a Pokéball in the middle, and the symbol had a black outline and a green center.
"Chuuu!" Pikachu exclaimed as the electricity from his cheek shot out toward the Dragon Pokémon.
"Good!" Ash praised as he watched bolts of electricity flash toward Dragonite. "Dragonite, dodge it and use Dragon Claw! Pikachu, counter it with your Iron Tail!"
Dragonite swiftly dodged the Thunderbolt by turning its body. Then, his right fist became enveloped in a green claw-shaped light as he charged toward Pikachu. "Dra!" he cried as he thrusted his fist out toward the Mouse Pokémon.
Pikachu began to run toward the oncoming Dragonite and nimbly leapt into the air. His tail started to glow white, and he twisted his body so that it would hit Dragonite's claw. The impact caused the wind to pick up, and both Pokémon were blasted apart from each other.
"Dragon!" Dragonite panted as it was hovering in the air.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted after landing on the ground.
"Nice job!" Ash beamed while looking at the two Pokémon. "Now, why don't we practice your other moves? Dragonite, use—"
"Hey, Ash!" a voice shouted. "Cerise wanted to see us!"
Ash stopped talking and turned around to see his friend Goh standing inside a nearby building. He wore a grey shirt with a rectangular symbol of a Pokéball in the middle. The edges of his shirt were outlined in red, and his red socks clashed with the black pants and gray shoes he wore. Unlike Ash, Goh had a very different goal in mind. His dream was to catch every Pokémon, but he wanted the Mythical Pokémon Mew most of all since he was a small child.
"Alright! I'm coming!" Ash responded to Goh. His Pikachu quickly hopped onto his left shoulder, and the both of them joined Goh in the Cerise Laboratory.
The Cerise Laboratory was a laboratory maintained by Professor Cerise in Vermilion City. It was relatively new, and Ash and Goh were Cerise's research assistants. The professor had other assistants whose names were Chrysa and Ren. While Ash and Goh collected data from the outside world, the other assistants would help Cerise analyze it.
As they walk into the lab, they spotted a man wearing a lab coat and brown glasses with a young girl standing beside him. The man was the talented Professor Cerise, and the girl whose name is Chloe was his daughter.
Chloe was wearing a dark pink shirt with light pink flowers on it, and she had a yellow jacket around her waist. She was currently holding her Eevee, and a Yamper was lying near her feet. Unlike the boys, Chloe doesn't have a specific dream in mind, but she was still searching for one.
"Ah! There you are!" Professor Cerise said with a grin on his face. "I have a task for the both of you!" He clapped his hands and a screen appeared showing a picture of two stones. One stone was large, while the other stone was smaller. Both stones had a strange symbol embedded on its surface that looked like a helix. The smaller stone had a rainbow color, while the larger stone had different shades of blue.
Before Cerise could say anything, Ash enthusiastically blurted, "Those are Mega Evolution stones! The larger one is a Mega Stone, while the smaller one is a Key Stone!" He had seen both stones before when he travelled in the Kalos region a couple years ago in order to participate in the region's Pokémon League.
Cerise nodded at Ash's words and pointed to the picture with his right hand. "Ash is correct. I am showing you a Charizardite X and a Key Stone. They are both needed to trigger the phenomenon called Mega Evolution," he stated. "I trust that you are all familiar of it?"
The trio nodded. Ash and Goh had seen Mega Evolution with their own eyes before, while Chloe learned about it in school. Noting their responses, Cerise continued speaking, "Mega Evolution is widely used in the Kalos Region, but there are still many mysterious to it. Why do some Pokémon have two Mega Stones? How does Mega Evolution work? One of the researchers specialized in Mega Evolution is none other than Kalos's own Professor Sycamore." He clapped his hands, and a picture of Professor Sycamore replaced the stones on the screen.
Goh observed the picture of Sycamore and inferred, "You want us to go to Kalos and talk with Professor Sycamore to gather information about Mega Evolution."
"Yes, my dear Goh," Cerise replied as he clapped his hands once more. "Other than meeting the professor, I also want you all to go to a certain place that has a strong connection with Mega Evolution: the Sundial in Anistar City." The picture of Sycamore disappeared and was replaced by the image of the Sundial, which was a giant pink crystal that was even higher than the tallest buildings.
Ash looked at the pictures with excitement on his face. "Awesome! I can't wait to learn more about Mega Evolution!" he declared as he raised his right hand in the air. "When are we leaving?"
"Today," Cerise answered as he handed the boys two plane tickets. "You'll be in Kalos for a while, but I believe it will be worth it. Ash and Goh, I am counting on both of you to bring us back valuable information. Sycamore's lab is in Lumiose City, so you will be going there first."
Chloe looked at the happy expressions on the Ash and Goh's faces. She had a sudden urge to go, and she couldn't resist it. "I want to go too!" she called out as she stepped forward. Everyone turned to listen to Chloe speak. "Can I please go, dad?" she begged with a face of eagerness. "I want to learn more about Pokémon, and I think this will be a good opportunity for me."
Cerise smiled at her daughter and laughed. "I have a feeling that you'll say that," Cerise chuckled as he handed Chloe a ticket as well. "You learned a lot with your journeys to Galar and Endo Farm, so I approve of you going. I'm not sure what your teacher would say though if the journey is longer than I expect."
Chloe replied with a confident expression and a fierce determination in her eyes, "I'm sure I can negotiate with the teacher. I'll write a report about our adventures like last time, and I'll make up any tests that I missed."
"Sounds good to me!" Cerise accepted as he gave his daughter a thumbs up. "I suggest that you all pack for your journey and bring your necessary Pokémon!"
Chloe smiled at her father's approval and hastily shrieked, "Thank you, dad! I'll be sure to also help collect data about Mega Evolution!"
"Eev!" Eevee happily squeaked while she lifted her tail. She was overjoyed that her trainer got a chance to go on an adventure. It sounded exciting and interesting.
"Alright!" Ash said as he lifted his plane ticket in the air. "Kalos, here we come!"
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he mimicked Ash's movement.
"We will be landing shortly in Lumiose City in the region of Kalos. Please return to your seats," an announcement spoke on the plane in a neutral tone. Chloe was looking out of the window with Eevee, while Goh was searching for information on his Rotom Phone. Ash and Pikachu were sitting in the row ahead of the two.
"Goh?" Chloe asked as she shook his arm. "Have you been to Kalos before? I think I heard you and Ash talk about it. What's it like?"
Goh looked up from his Rotom Phone and warmly replied, "Yep! Ash came here to participate in a Pokémon World Championships Tournament, while I caught a bunch of Kalos Pokémon! The Pokémon here are completely different than the Pokémon in Kanto. I hope to catch even more on this trip!"
Hearing this, Ash turned around from his seat to face the duo and asked with a curious expression on his face, "Goh? What Pokémon did you bring to help you catch? I know Cinderace and Sobble are always with you."
"Good question, Ash," Goh replied while putting his phone away. "Other than the two you mentioned, I also brought Aerodactyl!" He grabbed Aerodactly's Pokéball from his pocket and showed it to Ash and Chloe.
"Aerodactyl?" Chloe wondered as she petted her Eevee who was lying on her lap. "Why did you bring him?" Chloe remembered Goh catching Aerodactyl after it was restored at the Pewter Museum.
Goh answered with a gleam in his eyes, "Before we left, Cerise told me that it was recently discovered that Aerodactyl can Mega Evolve. I was hoping to bond with Aerodactyl on our journey and find a Mega Stone for him!"
"That's so cool, Goh!" Ash jabbered as he closely looked at Aerodactyl's Pokéball, I always wanted a-." But his voice was cut off by the plane's announcement:
"The plane is about to descend. Welcome to Lumiose City! We hope you'll enjoy your stay here!"
Goh quickly leaned toward the window from his seat, forcing Chloe and Eevee to lean back to avoid him. "We're here!" he shouted while his face was pressed against the window. "This is the start of our Kalos journey!"
Ash, Goh, and Chloe were now descending from the plane stairs and heading toward the nearby airport. The airport was full of people and many different types of Pokémon. Chloe and Eevee saw Pokémon that she had never seen before, and Goh was busy daydreaming of all the Pokémon he could possibly catch in Kalos.
"Alright, guys!" Ash happily said as they walked out of the airport. "Follow me, and I'll take you to Sycamore's lab!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu declared as well. He hopped off Ash's shoulder and started leading the way with the others following him.
As they slowly made their way to the lab, Chloe was digesting the beautiful scenery, and Goh was carefully looking for any wild Pokémon. On the other hand, Ash was thinking about his time he had been in Kalos. "I made so many memories here," Ash pondered as he began to remember his journey here. He recalled rushing to Lumiose Tower and meeting Clemont and Bonnie after being thrown out of the Gym. Most of all, he was thinking about the time he met Froakie and how Serena helped him with his first Gym after his defeat. "I miss Greninja," he thought. "I hope he is doing well with Squishy."
Eventually, Pikachu stopped, and they were standing outside of a large building. "This is it!" Ash cried out as he looked at the building's exterior. "No doubt about it, this is Professor Sycamore's lab! Let's go in!"
"Time to collect some data!" Goh cheered as he opened the door and stepped into the laboratory. Inside the laboratory, the walls were a dark shade of blue, and there was red carpet covering the green tiled floor. As they walked ahead, they saw a man with blue spiky hair wearing a lab coat. Next to him was a large Garchomp and three smaller Pokémon that Goh and Chloe didn't recognize.
The man turned around after hearing footsteps and watched he trio. "Ash? Is that you?" he gasped after staring at the raven-haired boy with his Pikachu. "Are you one of the researchers Cerise sent?"
Ash gave a smile and answered, "You bet! It's going to see you, Professor!" He approached Garchomp and gently hugged it. "It's also good to see you, Garchomp!" Ash babbled.
"Garr!" Garchomp happily voiced. It remembered how Ash rescued it after Team Rocket placed a device on itself, causing it to go on a rampage in the city.
"I shouldn't have been surprised when I heard that the researchers were from Kanto," Sycamore laughed while seeing Ash and Garchomp hug each other. He then noticed the two people standing behind Ash and promptly said, "I'm sorry! Where are my manners? My name is Professor Sycamore, and you two must be the other research assistants."
"My name's Goh," Goh replied as he extended his arm toward Sycamore.
"I'm Chloe," Chloe shyly spoke. "And this is Eevee!" She gestured toward the Pokémon in her arm.
"Eevee!" Eevee exclaimed at the professor.
"Nice to meet you all!" Sycamore spoke as he shook Goh's hand, "It is an honor to meet other people interested in Mega Evolution. Before we get started, tell me what you know about Mega Evolution so far."
"Can you tell us about the three Pokémon on the ground first?" Chloe quickly inquired before Goh could answer Sycamore's question.
Sycamore smiled at Chloe's question and glanced at the three Pokémon. He lectured, "These three Pokémon are the Starter Pokémon of the Kalos Region. The grass-type is called Chespin, the fire-type is Fennekin, and the water-type is Froakie."
"Interesting," Goh remarked as he pulled out his Rotom Phone to scan the three Pokémon:
"Chespin, the Spiny Nut Pokémon. Chespin can flex the soft spikes on its head, making them so stiff and sharp, they can even pierce through stone."
"Cool!" he exclaimed. Then, he proceeded to scan Fennekin:
"Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. Fennekin expels hot air that can reach nearly 400 degrees. It likes to snack on twigs."
Chloe gasped, "That's very hot!" Goh nodded at Chloe's words and moved his phone to the last Starter Pokémon:
"Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. From its chest and back, Froakie creates bubbles called Frubbles, which act as a cushion and soften the blow of an opponent's attack."
Goh muttered as he put away his phone, "They all look so cool! I hope I can find and catch some in the wild."
After Goh and Chloe were finished observing the three Pokémon, Ash faced Professor Sycamore and explained, "Mega Evolution is a phenomenon that causes a Pokémon of its final evolution form to evolve once more. The transformation is only temporary, and it requires a strong bond between the Pokémon and trainer." He remembered Sycamore giving him a similar explanation at the start of his Kalos journey years ago.
Sycamore smiled and walked toward a computer. "Good," he said as he began typing on a keyboard. "What Ash is correct. Currently, there are 45 Pokémon that can Mega Evolve, and only one of them is known to have two different Mega Stones. Do you know what Pokémon that is?"
"Charizard," Goh chimed in. "It has an X and Y Mega Stone." The research he did on the plane taught him that, he was proud of remembering it.
Sycamore nodded at Goh's answer. "Yes. It is quite interesting how Charizard is special, but that's not the only interesting thing. Some Legendary Pokémon can Mega Evolve as well!" he exclaimed as he pulled out pictures of Mega Rayquaza on the computer screen.
"Really!?" Chloe asked as she looked at the image of Mega Rayquaza. She knew how powerful Rayquaza was from school, but a Mega Rayquaza would be even stronger.
"Eevee!" Eevee shrieked as she looked at the picture of the giant dragon Pokémon. It looked intimidating, and Eevee hoped she would never run into one.
"Rayquaza is one of the Legendary Pokémon that can Mega Evolve, but it doesn't require a stone. We don't know how, but research is still underway. We also believe that there may be others." Sycamore shared as he turned toward the trio once more. "Do you have any questions?"
"I heard my father mention about the Sundial," Chloe fretted with a nervous expression on her face. "What's its connection with Mega Evolution?"
Sycamore looked sad for a moment and sighed, "We don't know. We are still trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, this is all I know about Mega Evolution for now. There are unconfirmed theories, but there's not enough concrete evidence to prove them." His face had a troubled expression, and he was scratching his head.
Goh also looked disappointment and faltered, "Oh. That's all? I was hoping for more information." Goh already knew most of what Professor Sycamore said, but the new information was too little. He didn't want to disappoint Professor Cerise.
Sycamore saw the expression on Goh's face and suddenly lit up. "You could go to Anistar City to check out the Sundial yourself," he suggested as he changed the picture of Rayquaza to the Sundial. "You might be able to learn something new if you see it for yourself," the professor continued as he approached the trio.
Goh immediately brightened up after hearing Sycamore's idea. "Alright! We could travel there, and I could search for a Mega Stone for Aerodactyl on the way," he declared as he thrust his arm up in the air. He was excited, and he was thinking how powerful a Mega Aerodactyl would be, but his thoughts were interrupted by Sycamore words.
"I know a place where there might be an Aerodactylite, but it's on the opposite side of Kalos away from Anistar City. It's called the Glittering Cave, and it's next to Ambrette Town," Sycamore responded while he adjusted his lab coat. Once again, Goh had an upset expression on his face. He wanted to search for one, but he knew that researching Mega Evolution was his priority and that there might not be time to go to the cave.
Ash saw this and patted Goh's back. "Cheer up, Goh! We'll go to Anistar City first, and if we have enough time, we'll go check out the Glittering Cave. If not, we'll try to persuade Cerise." Ash encouraged.
"Pika! Pi!" Pikachu emitted as he also encouraged Goh to not feel bad.
Goh sighed, but he nodded at Ash's idea. "Okay, but let's go there quickly! I guess I'll try to bond with Aerodactyl more catch more Pokémon on the way," he hastily said as he pulled out his Rotom Phone to search for a map of Kalos.
Sycamore looked at the group and smiled. "Sounds like a splendid idea! It's not that far, and Ash already went to Anistar City before. He could be your guide!" he proclaimed as he pointed toward Ash.
Upon hearing that, Ash nervously chuckled. He wasn't that good with directions, and Serena helped him last time. He didn't remember the exact route to the city, and he was worried that Goh and Chloe would pressure him. Thankfully, Goh already pulled up a map of Kalos and divulged to Ash and Chloe, "We need to take Route 16 and pass through Dendemille Town first. Then, we continue on to Route 17, Anistar City is at the end of it!"
After thanking the professor, the trio left the lab and made their way to Route 16.
"This is just like, old times! Right, Pikachu?" Ash asked to his partner with a nostalgic expression on his face. He thought of the fun times he had with Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena. "Who knows! I might just see them again the future," he thought.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu responded. He and his trainer had a lot of fun in Kalos, and they made new friends and new rivals on their adventure.
"Ash!" Goh shouted as he and Chloe looked behind at Ash and Pikachu. "Are you going to stay there, or are you coming with us!"
"Sorry!" Ash swiftly said as he ran to catch up with them.
As Sycamore watched them go, he suddenly remembered something. "I should have told Ash more about his bond with Greninja," he muttered to himself while he frowned. "How could I have forgotten? I guess I can tell him that next time I see him." Sycamore stepped inside the lab and closed the door to continue working on his research.
As Ash, Goh, and Chloe walked away from Sycamore's lab, they failed to notice two figures observing them from the rooftop of a nearby tall building. One of them said, "It's that boy with the Greninja. Should we take care of him?" She was speaking to a blue hologram, waiting for the man on the other side to respond response. The man was wearing in full orange, even his hair and glasses were orange. There was an ominous expression on his face.
"No," the man answered. "But keep an eye on him. Is he alone?"
The other person shook her head as she watched the trio through her binoculars. "There are two others, but I don't recognize them from the Kalos Crisis. However, the other boy looked kind of familiar from somewhere else."
The man chuckled a menacing laugh and replied, "Interesting. Do some research on that, and don't make a move until you are given further permission."
"Yes, sir," the two figures responded as they turned off the hologram.
Once the hologram was off, the man spun around his chair and tapped his fingers on his desk. The man had an undeniable expression of rage and pure hatred on his face. He harshly said to himself, "Ash Ketchum, you and your friends will pay for ruining our plans."