BONUS CHAPTER

(Just decided to write this on a whim...enjoy!)

~ Vaniville Town ~

Three days have passed since the destruction of Prism Tower. The incident has officially been recorded as "The Prism War", and will go down in the history books for years to come. Already, Clemont and Bonnie have been planning to redesign and rebuild the landmark to restore Lumiose City to its former glory. Clemont had ordered the necessary supplies, and even rallied a group of volunteers to help out, with Bonnie being a self-appointed manager. That, however, is not what they were doing now.

Now, at Serena's house, they were celebrating their victory. Celebrating the safety of the Kalos region, and the apprehension of Team Magma and Team Aqua. Everyone who fought-minus Zinnia-was there, even the Champion of Kalos herself, Diantha. Professor Sycamore was there, too.

Needless to say, it was probably the grandest parties anyone there had ever experienced. They held a battle tournament, a mini contest, a showcase competition, and even a Rhyhorn race. Food, of course, was plentiful in all kinds, much to everyone's (especially Ash and Chespin's) delight. Those who hadn't had time to get acquainted with one another before the Prism War now had a chance to do so, and before long all of Ash's former companions had become one, unified group of strong, determined trainers of all kinds.

Ash? Ash had one hell of an adventure in store for him, and he knew exactly where it was going to be. But coming back to Kalos and seeing Serena again (not to mention escalating their relationship) had planted a small seed of doubt in his thoughts. He didn't know how to go about it exactly, but he was planning on asking Serena to go with him to his next destination.

Ash sat under a tree next to Pikachu. They were watching Gary's Blastoise battle against Max's Gallade when Serena walked up and sat beside them. "Hey, guys...mind if I join you here?" she asked.

Ash smiled and nodded his head. Pikachu decided to leave the two trainers alone for a bit and scurried off to find someone to play with. Ash and Serena both chuckled and blushed slightly.

"This party is great, Serena," Ash said, and he was right. Everyone was having an amazing time.

"You can thank my mom for that," Serena replied cheerfully. "She did all the planning. She even wanted to have a piñata, but I had to remind her that we're not nine anymore."

Ash laughed, which warmed Serena's heart. His laugh had always been soothing and comforting to her. It was one of the many qualities she loved about him.

He cleared his throat and said, "So, I was think-"

But Bonnie interrupted him. "Ash! Serena! Come over here and have cake with us!" she shouted, hollering and waving her arms to get their attention. Knowing she wouldn't stop until they agreed, Ash and Serena both got up and joined the rest of the group for cake. Clembot was cutting a huge, three-layered chocolate cake into perfectly congruent pieces and handing one to each person and Pokemon.

Ash thanked Clembot for his slice and ate halfheartedly. The cake tasted great, but he couldn't stop thinking about what he wanted to ask Serena.

After about a minute or so, Misty cleared her throat and tried to get everyone's attention. "Hey, everyone! I have something I want to say." Everyone quieted down and listened intently, curious. "I...I've decided to step down as a Gym Leader," she said. "I want to travel again...see new things again, battle new Pokemon again...Brock, Ash, I miss our adventures together. I know you two have your own lives now, but I'm taking myself back to that time. I love being a Gym Leader, but I want to see the world. My first destination will most likely be Sinnoh, because I want to see the beautiful lakes there, and then maybe Unova...I don't know for sure yet, but that's all part of the experience."

Everyone was excited for her, but at the same time concerned. "Who will take over the Gym in your place?" May asked.

Misty replied, "I can have one of my sisters fill in for now, until I find a permanent replacement."

Alain raised his hand. "I also have something I would like to say," he announced, and everyone turned their attention to him. "I will be traveling to Kanto, where I will enter the League and collect the eight badges there. After that, I will want to have a rematch with Pallet Town's Champion," he said, pointing at Ash. "Mairin will be coming with me," he added.

Suddenly, everyone was chiming in with their future plans. May and Drew decided that they were going to explore Kalos for a few months, as did Paul and Gary. Brock was going back to Saffron hospital, while Dawn and Kenny were choosing to travel to Hoenn together.

Serena smiled and felt pure joy for her friends and their exciting plans. Even after this long, exhausting battle...everyone is still ready to continue their journeys, she thought. They all still have something new and life-changing ahead of them, and they always will...because that's who we all are. Well, that's who they all are...can I say the same for myself? What do I want to do next?

And that's when Ash held his hand up to get everyone's attention. At that moment, dozens of conversations were going on at once, but seeing Ash's hand got everyone quiet fairly quickly. Whispers flew here and there, everyone waiting in overwhelming suspense as they looked to their friend. Their leader.

Ash cleared his throat. He looked a bit nervous as he said, "I'm glad to hear about everyone's plan for the future. It all sounds so incredibly amazing...and I honestly wish I could experience it with each and every one of you. And I want to tell you all that I, too, have a big adventure ahead of me. He pulled out a map out of his bag and opened it up, showing it to everyone. It showed four large islands, each with distinct features and a brief description. The map was titled, "Alola".

"Whoa," Bonnie said, her eyes wide with curiosity and amazement. Such was the reaction of many others as well.

"That's so cool, Ash!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Be sure to take lots of pictures," Cilan said. "I'd imagine that four different islands can provide you with quite astounding views."

Serena's lips curled into a big smile. "Ash...that looks incredible. I'm sure you've thought of all the new Pokemon you'll encounter there," she said, a hint of sadness in her eyes. Of course...he's leaving again, she thought, but tried to put her cheeriest face on for him. She didn't want to ruin this moment by making him feel guilty for leaving. "I wish I could go there with you," she said.

To her surprise, Ash asked, "Why don't you?"

Serena froze for a second. Did he really just ask me...to come with him? she wondered.

Ash chuckled. "I would really love it if you came with me to Alola, Serena," he said. His face made it seem like he had been wanting to say that for a long time. And he had.

It was safe to say that Serena had never felt happier in her entire life. "Of course I'll go with you, Ash!" she shouted, and threw her arms around him. They embraced each other, and everyone smiled. May and Iris both teared up a little. "Well damn...Ash is really grown up now," Iris said.

Grace felt an overwhelming sense of joy for her daughter. "Just be careful, Serena. Don't get separated from Ash, now, okay?" she said, at which Serena rolled her eyes.

"I'll be fine, mom," Serena reassured her. "I'll be with Ash, so there's nothing to be concerned about. If anything, I'll have to be keeping an eye on him," she said, and everyone laughed.

Alain patted Ash on the back. "I'll have to admit, I'm a bit jealous...but I have my own goals. Just don't forget about our rematch, alright?" he said, chuckling. Though he was much older than Ash, Alain considered him one of the best friends he'd ever made.

Pikachu hopped onto Ash's shoulder and cheered. "Pika, pika pi!" he said. Ash smiled and said, "Yeah, buddy, we're leaving Kalos again...but this time, Serena's coming with us!"

Serena couldn't stop smiling; now she not only knew what she was going to do, but she was going to be with the person she cared for the most out of everyone. Together, they were going to be an inseparable pair.

"Next stop...the Alola region!"