After the celebration was mostly over, Ash was just contemplating where to go next when a man in a loud shirt and sunglasses entered the arena.

"Excuse me?" he asked. "Ash Ketchum, right?"

"That's me!" Ash confirmed.

Pikachu waved as well.

"It's lovely to meet you, Ash," the man said, offering his hand, and Ash shook it. "My name is Scott – I'm, ah, associated with an organization called the Battle Frontier, in Kanto. I don't suppose you've ever heard of it?"

Ash had to think, then shook his head. "No, sorry."

"Well, that's exactly why I wanted to meet with you!" Scott said. "You see, I'd like you to take on the Battle Frontier challenge – it's intended to be a challenge for skilled Pokémon trainers to really stretch their capabilities!"

"Are you sure it's a good idea to have Ash do it?" Brock asked, from where, Bulbasaur, Lotad and Swablu were doing some of the washing-up. "Battle Frontier…"

He held up a plate to Swablu, who sang a pure note and vibrated all the dirt off. "I think my dad mentioned that, once."

Scott gestured at Brock. "And you can see why we need more publicity. Besides, there's three possibilities."

The man began to tick them off on his fingers. "Firstly, you might have a real challenge. That tells me that we've got it right, and you'd have a lot of fun as well."

A second tick. "Secondly, if it's easy, then that tells us we need to improve. And thirdly, if something completely unexpected happens, at least we'll get more public attention than we would otherwise."

Ash didn't have to think about it for long.

"That sounds great!" he said. "It's in Kanto, huh… it might be nice to go back to Kanto, I haven't been there in a while."

"Excellent!" Scott declared. "You'll need to battle six Frontier Brains with their own focus, and once you have all six you'll get the location of Brandon's Battle Pyramid. That's the final challenge!"

He opened his PokeNav. "Do you have a phone number?"

"I've got a Pokédex?" Ash replied, getting Ibid out. "Mew gave me this one. He's pretty helpful!"

Scott beamed.

"This is a good idea," he announced. "I have the best ideas."

"Kanto," May said, thinking. "Do they have Contests in Kanto? Because if they do, that would be great!"

She frowned. "If they don't… I don't know. Maybe I'd do a gym challenge to see what it's like?"

"I wouldn't mind you doing a Gym challenge in Kanto!" Max suggested, then looked distant for a moment. "Ralts would be interested too!"

"They have Contests in Kanto," Brock supplied, and Max tried not to look disappointed.

"Hey, Max, don't forget," Ash pointed out. "When you can go on your journey, you can explore the whole thing together with the Pokémon you've already met and any new ones you meet along the way. That includes Ralts, since he'll be old enough by then."

Max nodded. "Yeah, good point..."

"It sounds like that's where we're going, then!" May said. "Where should we go first?"

"I should probably go and visit my mom," Ash frowned, thinking about it. "I can let her know I won the Hoenn League! And I can show Professor Oak all the information Ibid picked up, too."

He considered their options. "I guess… the fastest way to get there is going to be getting help from Dragonite and the other Dragonite. Maybe Dragonite and Dragonite, if May uses Dragonite."

"I'm not translating those names into unique ones!" Vulpix called. "No way, no how! I'd have to keep twenty-nine equivalents straight in my head!"

Unfortunately, and perhaps inevitably, it wasn't quite as simple as just flying there by Dragonite.

Max and May both had to arrange things with their parents (who were quite happy with the idea, but glad they'd got in touch), and then Max had to sort out that he was taking another several months to travel around with a group of Pokémon trainers instead of being in school.

If Ash had known that was an option, he probably would have taken it.

"Which is why it's a good thing you didn't know," Pikachu said. "Am I wrong?"

"Well, no," Ash said, scratching the little Electric-type. "Otherwise I wouldn't have met you!"

Pikachu gave a pleased squeak and leaned into the scratch. "That was meant to be a joke about you being a goof… I wouldn't have anyone for a trainer but you, Ash."

Four Dragonite landed outside Professor Oak's lab, and Tracey Sketchitt came out the door.

"Ash!" he said. "And Brock! It's great to see you both… and to meet Max and May for the first time, as well."

"Does this mean we technically count as famous?" Max asked. "Beyond what May gets for her top-four Grand Festival finish, anyway."

Tracey shrugged. "I'm a Pokémon research assistant and you're travelling with the biggest ball of chaos in the world, who happens to technically live here. My perception is a bit skewed."

"Ah, there you are!" Professor Oak added, coming out of the lab. "Now, ah… hold on a moment. Since you two are new to the Lab, I wanted to do a proper introduction."

The friends watched, confused, as Professor Oak walked over to the area between them and the main body of the ranch, then spread his arms.

"Welcome!" he announced. "To Oak Ranch!"

A Dragonite roared, obligingly.

"So, what do you think?" Professor Oak added. "Does it have the right sort of feel to it?"

Max waved his hand. "Pretty good… it could do with a Pokémon in the background, though."

"Good thought," Professor Oak told him. "Now, then… I know you're a Coordinator, May. Do you want me to register you for a Kanto Contest Pass? They're not the same as the Hoenn ones, you know… oh! And I could probably sort out a starter Pokémon for you if you want. I usually give out Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charmander."

May pondered that.

"I've got a Bulbasaur," she said, thinking. "And I've already got a flying Fire-type and a Water-type, too, so I guess it's whether I connect better with a Charmander or a Squirtle."

She glanced at her brother. "Or whether Max connects better, I guess?"

Professor Oak chuckled. "I suspect Max is going to get a chance to get a starter of his own from me, in future."

"...working out which Pokémon is my starter is going to be weird," Max said, thinking.

"Excuse me, milord?" Dragonite said, coughing respectfully. "But we wondered if you would address Parliament."

"Oh, huh… sure," Ash decided. "Oh, is the Crystal Onix still here? I haven't checked if she went back to the Orange Islands recently."

"She's still here," Dragonite told him. "Quite good at Twister."

"Crystal Onix?" Max repeated.

"Yes, she's… well, we're fairly sure she's a Ground/Ice Type with Dry Skin," Professor Oak said. "Fairly sure, but not completely sure."

Some way to the north, in Viridian City, Giovanni picked up a suitcase.

The phone he was holding rang one more time, then beeped, and he held it up to his ear. "It's me."

Persian yawned, then jumped down from his perch, and Giovanni listened for several seconds.

"No," he said. "This isn't about our old business. This isn't about your career. This is about the fact that you live in Alola and you know where the good hotels are… I'm coming over for a holiday."

He pressed the lift call button. "There's a trainer who's in Kanto right now, and I don't intend to be in the same region as them if I can help it. As far as anyone else is concerned, you invited me over for a visit."

Another pause.

"I know it's short notice. I'm calling in that favour. Yes, that one… have you understood how seriously I am taking this yet?"

The lift went ding, and Giovanni wheeled his suitcase into it.

"I'll be there this evening."

"That was so much easier than it usually is, matching a trainer with a Pokémon," Tracey said, as May left the lab with her new Squirtle. "I feel like we should be using one of Ash's Pokémon to help under normal circumstances."

"Lokoko could do it," Brock suggested. "If she wants to, anyway."

Tracey and Professor Oak looked at one another.

"Professor, we're idiots," Tracey groaned. "Actually, I'm an idiot and you're a distinguished researcher who leaves those details to his assistants."

Max sniggered.

"So, where are we going first?" he asked. "Does Ash actually know where the Battle Frontier arenas are?"

"That's… a good question," Brock admitted. "Hmm…"

Professor Oak considered.

"Well, you should stop by at Delia's, first," he advised. "But once you've gone there, if you don't have any Battle Frontier locations yet you could always visit Rota. There's a yearly tournament there, and I'm sure they'd love to have the Hoenn Champion visit… I think it's only a few days until the tournament is held, in fact."

Brock rubbed his chin. "Rota, huh? I bet the tournament there is full of great Pokémon trainers… and maybe even noble ladies!"

He swept his arms wide. "I could meet a princess at a dance! And mrrffle muurf."

"Thanks, Bulbasaur," Max told the Grass-type.

Bulbasaur gave Max a respectful little nod.

Then they saw Ash was on his way back.

"...Professor?" Tracey said, quietly. "I'm scared."

"I'm scared too," Professor Oak agreed.

"Hi, Professor!" Ash said, jogging the last little distance towards them. "I didn't know you had such a rare Pokémon around here! She's interested in joining my team, so that's great!"

"Ash has a Pidgeotto," Max said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What does that even mean at this point?"

"It's nice to meet you," Pidgeotto said, bowing from her perch on Ash's right forearm.

Then Mew teleported in.

"Excuse me?" he said. "Do you mind if I have a few words? There's something I'd like to check."

"...a few words?" Pidgeotto repeated, slightly confused. "Like what?"

Mew answered by turning into a Houndour, using Magnet Rise to stay hovering, and sniffed at Pidgeotto. Then he turned back into a Mew, and his shadow flicked out at Pidgeotto to no effect.

"Surprisingly, you might actually be a Pidgeotto," he said. "Though, then again-"

Celebi teleported in, briefly appearing so close to on top of Mew that they looked like a totem pole.

"Hmm…" she squeaked, holding her hands out to make a portrait frame that enclosed Pidgeotto from her point of view. "Yup, that's the one!"

She flew up to Pidgeotto, and tapped her on the beak. "Ta-da!"

Pidgeotto's eyes crossed slightly. "I don't feel any different."

"You won't yet," Celebi assured her. "Don't worry about it."

"Rude!" Mew huffed. "Do I teleport in right on top of you?"

"No, but only because I see you coming," Celebi retorted. "You'll ask me to help out, so I did. Done."

"Citation needed," Mew huffed. "I was just about to check if that Pidgeotto is actually a Ditto, Mew or other shapeshifter."

"Yeah, don't worry, she's not," Celebi said. "Anyway. Bye!"

The Time Travel Pokémon vanished in a flash of blue light.

"It was nice to see Celebi again!" Ash said. "It's a pity she couldn't stick around to say hello to you again, Professor."

Oak looked at him.

Then at Brock.

"How often does something like this happen?" he asked.

"So often that it sometimes seems to just blend into the background," Brock answered.

Then Celebi popped back in again. "Oh, yeah, I forgot! I was going to do something nice for you as thanks, Professor… oh, I know! Quick question, what's the nicest food you ever had?"

Oak looked a little lost. "...um… there was a cake we sometimes got from the corner shop near where I grew up?"

"Great!" Celebi said, and vanished again.

Two seconds later she reappeared with a large box of cake and a Growlithe.

"I also got you a puppy," she explained. "You can study her. She's rare!"

Growlithe tilted her head, blowing fur out of her eyes. "Um… what just happened?"

"That doesn't look like any Growlithe I've seen," Max said, as Ash took the cake from Celebi and put it on a nearby table.

"Excuse you?" Growlithe asked, bristling. "I'm just like any other Growlithe! I'm Fire and Rock type, same as normal."

Tracey got a chair in place just as Professor Oak sat down hard.

"You know…" Pidgeotto said, folding a wing as she thought. "I don't think there's any Pokémon that's Fire, Rock and Normal. I can't think of any, anyway."

Pikachu glanced up at her.

"Welcome to the team, you'll fit right in," he said.

In the Ketchum household, Delia looked up.

"Oh, it looks like Ash and his friends are on the way," she said. "Mimey, would you be a dear and clean up?"

"Mime!" the Mr. Mime agreed, and conjured a barrier. It spread out to encompass the entire room, completely permeable to matter, then compressed back down again.

The second time it was solid to dust and only dust, and Mimey compacted the result down into a sort of marble before brushing it out the door.

"It's lovely to see you, dear," Delia said, giving Ash a hug. "Look at you, my three-times Pokémon League champion! And Pikachu, of course!"

Pikachu flicked his ears happily, jumping down from Ash's shoulder onto the table.

"And I remember you from last time, Brock," she added. "But you haven't introduced me to your friends. Max and May, I think?"

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Ketchum," May said. "Is this your Pokémon?"

"I'm actually technically in hiding from the circus," Mimey said. "Long story. I ran away from the circus to join a home."

"That's not the usual way of doing things," Max observed.

"Oh, Ash, before I forget, there's some letters for you," Delia added. "One from Mr. Lance, and one from Mr. Stone."

Max asked if Lance was Lance's first name, last name, or only name, and as they wondered about that Ash opened the first envelope.

"Uh… this is your back honorarium for acting as an honorary member of the G Men?" he said, a little confused. "It's a really big number… operation Climatologist? I… think this must be for helping stop Team Magma and Aqua."

"That's nice of him," Delia said, as Ash opened the second envelope. "Are they like that Team Rocket you keep talking about?"

"I guess a bit?" Ash said. "...wow, I didn't know you got that much money for beating the Grand Champion and refusing the position…"

He looked a bit lost. "I actually don't know what to do with this much money."

"Shopping?" May suggested.

"I don't think I'd ever need enough stuff for that," Ash admitted. "I'm not complaining, just… confused."

"Oh, that reminds me," Delia said. "I've not had as much to do, now you've left home… I was wondering about setting up a cafe here, for everyone who passes by to pick up their starter Pokémon or visit Professor Oak."

"You running a cafe by yourself?" Ash said. "I guess you could do that, Mom…"

"Well, I was actually thinking about seeing if I could recruit from your Pokémon while you're not using them or training them," his mother said.

A Safari Ball on Ash's waist opened.

"Speaking as the Chancellor of the Exchequer," the Dragonite thus released began. "I am enthusiastically in favour of this idea. It would greatly improve the financial situation of the Ryuunited Kingdom, which currently stands at We Don't Actually Need To Buy Anything Except Board Games But We're Still Dragons So We're Sad About The Small Hoard."

"That's a very specific term," Pikachu said.

"I would quite like to be able to use numbers, yes," Dragonite agreed.

"I guess if my Pokémon want to help out, that's great!" Ash smiled. "I wouldn't want to stop them if that's what they wanted, after all."

AN:

Yep, it's the Battle Frontier.

Giovanni's reaction is… understandable, really.