"WHAT THE HELL?!" Gary's sudden outburst from his shock woke the two up making Leaf cover her chest as Ash jumped out of bed trying to find some pants. "Y-YOU JUST LEFT YOUR EX AT THE ALTAR AND YOU JUST BROKE UP WITH THREE GIRLS A FEW MONTHS AGO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"

"Now Gar, I know how this looks but it was in the moment and it was late. She was sad a-and one thing led to another!" Ash put some pants on and tried to explain it to his best friend who was looking away while Leaf tried to find some clothes.

"Ash Ketchum, you know not to do something like this so why would you? What if it was anyone else but me?!"

"What are you doing here anyway?! You said you would be here at 10!" Leaf put on her clothes from the night before and looked at Gary mad making him glare back at her.

"IT'S 10:30!"

"Look Gar, things like this happen. You slept with Misty the day I rejected her."

"And?! I liked her since we were in Johto the first time!" The two followed Gary down the stairs as he was raging at the current situation. "Are you two nuts?! Ash, you know I've never liked gossip and drama networks and magazines, and this is going too far. What happens when they find out? Oh god I can imagine the headline: "Master of Pokemon or Moving on? Pokemon Master Ash Ketchum gets over exes quickly and sleeps with old friend who ended relationship only three days before!" Are you kidding me?!"

"You're making a big deal out of nothing. We slept together so what?" The three went to the backyard as Leaf reaching her limit grabbed Gary by the arm stopping him.

"Look I'm trying to watch out for the both of you. I'll admit, I was a bit shocked and I'm sorry for over reacting. Can you just answer me one thing?"

"Sure."

"Did you at least use protection?"

"Uhhhhh."

"OH COME ON!"


"I hate you two." The three walked into the Viridian City Airport late into the afternoon with Gary still mad about the morning.

"Has he been this grumpy lately?"

"Not really." The three went to a Kiosk and got their tickets quickly and had their bags checked and sent to the plane as they walked to their terminal.

"Can you two just promise me one thing, while we're there: no public affection, no telling anyone else but me. And finally, no sleeping together." Gary pulled the two to the side and whispered to the two what he wanted them to do making them both blush.

"Hold on, we're not together or anything!" Ash was the first to defend them waving him his hands while Leaf looked away.

"Yeah and if we were, we couldn't keep that promise if we wanted."

"Try. Come on, boarding begins in five minutes."


"Pikachu come on out." It was nighttime during the flight and Leaf and Gary were soundly sleeping next to Ash making him smile and take out Pikachu's Pokeball releasing the electric mouse.

"Pika?"

"Are you ready buddy? Paul is waiting for us there and we're gonna take him on, no matter how strong he is now right?"

"Pikachu." Pikachu flexed his arm acting as if he was really strong making Ash smile.

"But...that's not what I need your help with. Max called me yesterday saying he wants to talk to me about Serena, Dawn, and May but I'm worried that they're going be there too. And before last night I would have been excited if they were but now I'm not so sure...Did I ever tell you I used to like Leaf before I left on my journey?"

"Piika?"

"I know but it was more of a secret thing, I really liked her and last night they came back up but I'm worried...did I like the three of them for 13 years hiding my feelings for Leaf instead...do I love her?"

"Pika-Pi. Pika." Pikachu pointed at Ash's heart smiling making him smile and hug him.

"Thanks buddy, I can always count on you."


"Hello Unova! Ash Ketchum is finally back!" The three arrived in Unova and Ash stretched his arms outside of the airport yelling a cheer accidentally getting the attention of some paparazzi who immediately crowded the three of them.

"Ash are you here for the Championship?"

"Are you a secret guest for the finals?"

"Are you dating this girl here?"

"Gary are you and this girl dating?"

"Thanks a lot Ashy-boy!"

"Sorry force of habit!" It was beginning to get overwhelming but an old friend managed to scare off the Paparazzi with his Electivire firing Thunderbolt above them.

"Well well if it isn't Ketchum himself?" The three turned to see Paul wearing a completely black version of his old clothes with his hair cut and kept under control with a small shag.

"Paul!"

"Gary too. This sure is going to be fun."

"I know, I'll be sure to take you on in the finals Paul."

"I'm counting on it." Ash and Paul smirked at each other before the three's ride arrived waving at them.

"Hey Ash come on!" Gary and Leaf threw their bags in the back of Cilan's car and hopped in the back while Ash had a private conversation with Paul.


"So what were you two talking about?" Gary asked Ash while they were driving to Driftveil City taking a highway that was built making the drive around 3-4 hours.

"You know Paul, he scoped out the competition and one of my biggest fears have been realized."

"What? The three of them are there?" Gary asked making him, Cilan, and Leaf laugh until they realized how serious Ash was. "Oh damn, I am so sorry bro."

"It's fine."

"So why did they end it Ash?" Cilan asked looking at Ash with worry making him chuckle.

"I don't know and have a reason not to care anymore."

"How so?" Cilan asked making Gary kick Ash's seat making him realize what he said.

"U-Uh, I'm sure they've moved on."

"Okay then."


"Finally!" The four walked into Ash's Hotel Room and put their bags down beginning to talk as Ash pulled out his phone and looked for Max's number.

"So how many people are there?"

"Several hundred maybe thousands! It'll take days, maybe even more than a week for it to reach the final round!" Cilan sounded excited while Ash snuck away to the balcony calling Max.

"Hello?"

"Hey Max it's me."

"Hey Ash, at your hotel already?"

"Yeah, I'm at the Cadrill Hotel top floor. You know, the one with the Excadrill statue in front of it."

"I'll be there, meet me at the pool in like 10 minutes."


"Maxie!" Ash was sitting at the pool using his phone when he saw a tall man with black glasses and his Oxford Blue hair spiked in a mess walk into it making him smile figuring out who it was.

"Ash! What's going on man?"

"What's up with you? Last time I saw you, you were a small fry with dorky glasses."

"I was only 17. So I guess you wanna know why it ended?"

"Since it seems you're the only person who wants to tell me, go ahead."

"I guess it all began a year ago. May told me to never tell you but remember when you went to Alola for a few weeks with Gary for his research?" The two sat on some beach chairs looking at the water while Ash began to remember what he was talking about.

"Yeah?"

"Well while you were gone, they...cheated."

"They what?" Hearing that, his heart began to sink while he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"May went out with Drew...Dawn with Kenny...and Serena with Alain...they seemed like normal hangouts but according to May...their nights ended with them together. I'm sorry man, I guess that's why they ended it suddenly. They had feelings for them too I guess."

"I-It's fine. Thanks Max, I'll see you at the Championship Monday." Ash pat Max's back and walked away before the younger boy could stop him.


"Ash you're back! We ordered Room Service and we ordered your favorite!" Cilan smiled as Ash walked slowly into the room and pointed at a covered plate making him smile a little.

"Thanks...I'll eat it in a while. I just wanna be alone right now." Ash's response surprised the three of them as he went back on the balcony looking at Driftveil City. But what really caught his attention was the colossal Stadium with shining lights and a Pokeball on a Jumbotron right in front of it. 'I hope I see you three...I loved you. Treated you like queens and always put you first before everything, even my own career. I'm going to show you what happens when you do what you did to me.'