"Huh? Where am I?" Ash woke up late in the afternoon and looked to see that he was in his Hotel room with no one in sight. Or that's what he thought.
"What the hell was that?" Ash looked forward to see Paul glaring at him looking like he was ready to tear him apart. "We've been friends for 15 years and we have battled countless times. Tell me: WHAT WAS THAT FORM GRENINJA USED TO BEAT HAXORUS!"
"It's called the Ash-Greninja form. It happens when our bond reaches its limit and a change happens within Greninja that changes his appearance to the point where he looks like me. It happened once, hundreds of years ago between a man and his Floette giving it a new flower to hold on to. That flower was dubbed the Eternal Flower because the way it came about gave the Floette eternal life. This form synchronizes me and Greninja so that I can feel what he feels and because of that form, Greninja is one of my biggest power houses." Ash explained the form's background to Paul who looked at him with so much disbelief, he was holding back a laugh. "The bad part about is what it does to our bodies, it gives Greninja an awesome power boost but when he gets hurt I feel that pain too and when our emotions overload, we collapse."
"So you expect me to believe that-"
"I don't expect you to but I want you to know that you're one of the only people I know can bring that form to its truest potential but recently I've felt like I can't even bring those feelings out anymore...today's was from pure anger when I saw-"
"May?"
"How did you know?"
"Well when you passed out, Gary and Leaf rushed from the stands with Brock and they brought you here to rest after some doctors checked to see what was wrong with you. May came in after they left and she didn't know that I was still here."
"Did she say anything?"
"She said something about when you wake up to give her a call, you still have her number."
"Why would I want to talk to her anyWAY!" Ash got out of bed and when he stood up straight, he felt a painful sensation in his stomach and saw an enormous bruise in the middle of his stomach.
"The doctors were surprised you got something that huge from doing nothing, they were also surprised because Greninja had the same."
"I told you, all pain he feels I feel. I never knew it meant bruises too."
"So what are you going to do?" Paul asked opening a bottle of water and looking out the screen door at the stadium.
"About what?"
"May. Dawn and Serena are obviously over you because they didn't even care about showing up but May did. Ketchum you need to focus, you're a Pokemon Master! Act like someone who deserves that title!" Paul slapped Ash when he said that and left making him sigh and grab his phone looking for May's number.
"Oh man I hope this isn't a mistake." He found her number and dialed it waiting for her to answer. He sighed in relief hearing it go straight to voicemail. "Listen May, Paul told me what you wanted me to do so here I called you." Ash left his message and hung up walking outside and entered the elevator thinking about his battle. 'This is worse than my battles against Sawyer and Wulfric all those years ago.' The second he arrived at the first floor, he was met by several Paparazzi being held back outside by security yelling for him.
"ASH WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT BATTLE TODAY?!"
"WHY DID IT TAKE YOU THIS LONG TO BRING THAT MYSTERIOUS GRENINJA BACK INTO THE WORLD?!"
"Oh crap." Ash walked away through the back of the Hotel thanks to some of the staff and walked towards the Pokemon Center. When he arrived there, he saw several young trainers with their Pokemon making him smile as he walked to the battlefield in the back. Ash smiled seeing the battlefield and sent out his team that he used earlier in the day. "Hey guys, look I'm sorry for today. Especially you buddy." Ash apologized to the three especially Greninja making them smile and nod.
"Ninja."
"Char."
"Sceptile."
"Thanks you guys." He hugged the three and was beginning to return them to their Pokeballs when he heard someone walk up to him.
"Well well, it's been a while." He turned around to see Tierno from his Kalos Journey who managed to slim down a lot and was currently as tall as Ash making him smile.
"Tierno!"
"So these are your strongest Pokemon huh?" Tierno walked up to the three and pet them while Ash was looking at him confused.
"As cool as it is to see you again bud, what are you doing here?"
"What do you think? I'm in the tournament! Sadly my battle wasn't today. But I'm here because of you."
"Me?"
"Look buddy, when we first met: you were an awesome trainer with an amazing rhythm. I mean look at your Greninja, you two use a form no-one can use normally. But today, your rhythm was SO off. That's why I challenge you to a battle!" Tierno raised a Pokeball in Ash's direction making him look at it then smile.
"Alright let's-"
"But not with these guys. Ash as powerful as they may be: don't you have anyone else you can use that you've never taken out since you became a champion?"
"I mean I do but-"
"Come on then. Let's pick them!" Tierno grabbed Ash by his shoulder and took him inside to the PCs to get his Pokemon from home.
"Are you sure Tierno?"
"Of course, these Pokemon will bring your rhythm back to the way it was. LUDICOLO, IT'S DANCE TIME!" Tierno threw his first Pokeball releasing his Ludicolo who immediately began to dance with Tierno following his movements.
"Alright...SWELLOW I CHOOSE YOU!" Ash threw his first new Pokeball sending out his Swellow who immediately perched itself on Ash's shoulder. "It's been a long time but now let's see if we still got it."
"Swellow!"
"LUDICOLO USE RAIN DANCE!" Ludicolo did a quick dance making clouds roll in and begin to rain on the field making Swellow fly off Ash's shoulders and fly around trying to avoid getting its wings too wet. "HYDRO PUMP!"
"DODGE USING AERIAL ACE!" Swellow closed its wings and was enveloped in a white light dodging the high pressure water and opened them again flying towards Ludicolo ready to strike.
"ICE BEAM!"
"Ice Beam?" Swellow and Ash gasped as Ludicolo smirked and fired the blue beam at Swellow freezing it. "SWELLOW!"
"FOCUS BLAST!" Swellow tried to escape the block of ice as Ludicolo aimed the blue ball at it making Ash grit his teeth.
'I have to find a way for-wait! Is that my problem?' Ash was ready to call for a move and realized what he was thinking was putting Swellow in harm's way. "SWELLOW SPIN!" Swellow looked at Ash with confusion until it saw the determination in his eyes and began to spin gaining speed as it did. Ludicolo threw the ball in Swellow's direction making Ash grin seeing his plan about to work. "SPIN OUT OF THE WAY AND INTO LUDICOLO!" Swellow dodged the attack and moved to the left making the attack miss and it hit Ludicolo straight in the chest breaking the ice allowing it to fly back up into the air putting all of its trust in Ash even more.
"HYDRO PUMP!"
"Fly into the clouds!" Ash pointed up making Swellow fly high and quickly into the clouds making Ludicolo miss his attack making Tierno smile. "DOUBLE TEAM THEN USE BRAVE BIRD!" Several copies of Swellow appeared flying down at Ludicolo making him fire Hydro Pump at all of them surprising the two. Suddenly Ludicolo was hit in the back by a blue fire covered Swellow sending the Grass/Flying-type into the air feeling the damage from the super effective hit. "NOW USE AERIAL ACE!" Swellow hit Ludicolo again knocking him out making him fall to the ground at an alarming rate. "CATCH IT!" Swellow caught Ludicolo before he hit the ground and gently set him down allowing Tierno to return him.
"Thanks Ash, Ludicolo return."
"No problem. Swellow return too." The two returned their Pokemon and sent out their next ones.
"GO RAICHU/CORPHISH!" The two came onto the field with Raichu and Corphish smiling at each other not wanting to lose.
"RAICHU USE CHARGE BEAM!"
"DEFLECT IT WITH CRABHAMMER!" Corphish's claw glowed blue and caught the attack from Raichu and sent it up into the remaining clouds from Rain Dance making it begin to thunder.
"No way, your groove is still different."
"It is but I'm not like I was a while ago. You just made me realize something, I've been a little too overconfident to the point where I forced an Ash-Greninja transformation but not anymore!"
"Alright then! THUNDER!"
"DODGE USING THE WATER ON THE GROUND THEN JUMP UP HIGH!" Corphish slid across the floor dodging the attacks sent by Thunder before jumping in the air as the attack surged through the water.
"Use Dig!" Raichu dug into the ground as Corphish landed making the two trainers smile. "Now use Thunder underground!" Raichu fired Thunder underground making it fly out of the hole and split up in the air hitting the water again this time electrocuting Corphish. "Now come up!"
"When he gets out, use your new move: USE RAZOR SHELL!" Raichu appeared underneath Corphish sending it up in the air but it spread its claws out making blue blades appear out of it and hit Raichu with them sending him backwards. 'This must be what Paul meant: to be one with my Pokemon and not let my personal problems ruin that.'
"USE THUNDER ONE MORE TIME!"
"END IT WITH GUILLOTINE!" Raichu began to charge up Thunder but was stopped by Corphish grabbing him by the neck and then slamming him into the ground knocking him out.
"Oh man, I guess that's that." Tierno returned Raichu surprising Ash as he returned Corphish as well.
"Why?"
"Your adoring public must have heard us battle and are heading here right now." Tierno pointed at a group of reporters inside the Pokemon Center making Ash smile and shake his hand.
"Thanks buddy, I'll never forget this."
"Me either."
"Ash!" Ash walked into his Hotel room to see Leaf there worried making him smile. "Where have you been!"
"Sorry, I was figuring something out. I actually wanted to talk to you." Ash closed the door and locked it before heading to the glass door of his balcony and closing the curtain.
"What about?"
"Well...it's about the other night."
"Look Ash I thought we agreed that-"
"There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?" Leaf sat down on his bed as Ash stood in front of her.
"When we slept together, I thought it was because we missed each other and felt lonely at the moment...turns out: I still like you."
"Still?"
"I used to like you when we were kids but now I know I still do...in fact I think I-" Ash was cut off by Leaf wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips against his.
"I know what you're gonna say. I love you too, I always have." The two stayed in each other's arms as outside the door, Gary had just heard the whole conversation.
"Man, I guess I owe Gramps and Ms. Ketchum 500 Pokedollars now. Have fun you lovebirds, I'm gonna be an uncle aren't I?" Gary walked away from the door chuckling to himself as he got to his room.
