Updates are going to be very sporadic, because work is ridiculous, but I hope you enjoy it.

Ash had dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Master for as long as he could remember.

It hadn't been easy. Ash was pretty sure Leon had never had to drag Charizard around with rubber gloves. Or had one of his Pokémon fall asleep in a League Battle. Or lost to a guy who didn't even know how many Pokémon were allowed in a League quarter-final.

But he had made it. He had travelled the world, battled his way through eight regions, too many enemy teams, and met more Legendary Pokémon than he had ever dreamed of. He had friends he trusted with his life, both human and Pokémon, and he had made his mom proud.

Ash was the Monarch of the World Coronation Series. He had defeated Regional Champions from Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Galar. It was as close to being a Pokémon Master as he could imagine.

And he had absolutely no idea what to do next.

He would have duties as Monarch, of course. There would be tours, and exhibition matches, and Ash had no doubt that his friends and rivals would be more than ready for rematches soon, but as excited as Ash was something was still missing.

Ash had travelled through eight different regions. He loved battling, and always would, but he loved the travelling too. Being out in the wild with his friends, meeting new people and Pokémon…there was nothing like it. Nothing was stopping him, but he would have things to do once the next season of the World Coronation Series started. He didn't have the luxury of going wherever he wanted whenever he wanted anymore.

Pikachu rubbed his head against Ash's hand, and Ash shook himself.

"Sorry, buddy. Just thinking."

Pikachu gave him a long look, then hopped up to tug at the curtain, and Ash sighed. He still didn't know what to do, but lying in bed wasn't going to help him find the answer.

Ash was just tugging his shirt over his head when the doorbell rang. He didn't pay any attention, until his mom called up,

"Ash, it's for you!"

Ash cast a quick glance out the window, and breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of news trucks. He had been interviewed way too many times over the last few days. Pikachu leapt up to his shoulder, and Ash took the stairs two at a time, only to stop short when he saw who was at the door.

"Steven?"

The Hoenn Champion turned a warm smile on him. "It's good to see you, Ash. And you Pikachu," he added.

Pikachu waved with a cheerful squeak, and Delia stepped aside to wave Steven inside. "Come in, please. Would you like some tea?"

"Thank you," said Steven. "That would be lovely." He turned back to Ash. "I was hoping you might be free for a chat."

Ash snapped his mouth shut and nodded. "Yeah, I am. What's up?" His mom raised an eyebrow, and Ash felt his cheeks burn. "Oh yeah. Let's sit down."

Steven was polite enough not to smile as Ash led him through to the living room. Pikachu padded over for a scratch before returning to Ash's lap, and Steven leaned forward.

"First of all, congratulations on your victory. It was an incredible match."

"Thanks," said Ash. "It was an awesome battle."

It still didn't seem real. He, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, had beaten the unbeatable champion. Not only that, but he had beaten Cynthia and Steven too, trainers he had idolised for years.

"It certainly was," Steven agreed. His eyes gleamed as he met Ash's. "And I can't wait to battle the reigning Champion in the future."

Ash grinned even wider. "That would be great! I can't wait to battle you with my full team."

Their battle in the Masters Eight Tournament had been fun, but nothing beat a full six-on-six battle. Steven's own smile deepened. "That will be something to look forward to." One of the Pokéballs on his belt rocked in agreement, and he glanced down at it with a smile before shaking his head. "But that can wait for another time. The reason I'm here is to ask if you have any plans for the next couple of months?"

Ash blinked, but shook his head. "Not really. I was gonna catch up with the rest of my Pokémon, but that's it. They haven't said if they want me to do any Monarch stuff yet. Why?"

"I'm glad to hear it," said Steven. "Have you ever been to Paldea? Or heard of the Terastal phenomenon?"

"No, and no," said Ash, shaking his head. "I think Gary has, but I haven't. And what's the Terastal phenomenon?"

Steven's eyes lit up, and Ash had a sudden rush of foreboding. "Oh, it's fascinating. It's similar to Dynamaxing and using Z-moves in that it's specific to the Paldea region, but what's interesting is how it changes both the Pokémon's appearance and Type."

"Like Mega Evolution?"

"Similar," Steven admitted, "except any Pokémon can Terastallize, and not all Pokémon of the same species have the same Tera Type." He pulled his DexNav from his pocket and turned it so Ash could see the screen. "And they look like this."

Ash had to admit that Pokémon encased in crystal was unique. "That is pretty cool."

Belatedly he realised he was talking to a man with a known obsession for rocks and gems, and that 'cool' might not quite match his enthusiasm, but Steven just nodded vigorously as he put the device away. "It is. I've been meaning to investigate for a while, but I've been a little busy."

Ash grinned at the memory of their battle, and Steven chuckled as he caught his eye. "Indeed. In any case, I've been in touch with the professors who have been working on Terastallizing for months, and I finally have time to visit in person."

Ash's stomach filled with a familiar flurry of butterflies. Steven nodded. "I would welcome some company, if you're interested."

"You bet I am!" said Ash. A new region, new Pokémon, and a cool new battling style? Pikachu had sat up on his lap, and Ash could feel his excitement. He couldn't wait. "When can we leave?"

Steven laughed. "I can book us a flight in a day or two." His smile faded slightly. "There is another reason why I'm inviting you."

Ash tilted his head to one side. "What?"

Pikachu's ears twitched, and Steven hesitated for a moment. "The last time I spoke with Professors Sada and Turo, they mentioned they had encountered a very unusual Pokémon."

"Unusual?" Ash repeated. "What do you mean?"

Steven ran his hand through his hair. "I don't actually know," he admitted. "They didn't give me many details. But considering your track record with unusual Pokémon, I thought you might be interested."

"Definitely," said Ash, with a nod. Pikachu chirped agreement, and Ash ruffled his ears. "If I can help, I will."

"Thank you," said Steven. He gave Ash a warm smile. "After everything we went through in Kalos, I can't imagine anyone I'd rather have by my side when we investigate this."

The trust sent a fierce rush of pride through Ash's body. Steven was an awesome trainer, and one of the smartest people Ash had ever met, and Ash had never imagined he would need to ask Ash for help, but Ash wouldn't fail.

"I want to help," he repeated. "I won't let you down."

"I know," said Steven, and the absolute conviction in his voice left Ash sitting straighter. Steven looked at him, and his smile faded slightly. "But I also know you've been through a lot, Ash. You really don't have to get involved if you don't want to."

A lump came to Ash's throat. It was one thing for his mom and Professor Oak and his friends to care about him, but he barely knew Steven. They had fought together and against each other, but Steven didn't need to care about him.

There was nothing but sincerity in Steven's eyes, and Ash managed to smile.

"I'll be okay," he said. "We can handle it together."

There weren't many people he would rather have by his side for this either. Steven had been there in Kalos, and Ash knew exactly what he was capable of.

Steven held his gaze for a long moment, before finally nodding.

"All right, then. I'll make the arrangements. Does the day after tomorrow work for you?"

Ash's face hurt from smiling. He would visit his friends, but Goh and Gary were busy with Project Mew, and Chloe was working with her father, and they didn't need Ash hanging around waiting for them.

Pikachu looked up at him, eyes shining, and Ash hugged him. He couldn't wait to get started.

Thanks for reading! Any feedback would be appreciated.

Updates will be irregular, but in the meantime if anyone has any thoughts as to whether Ash should travel with Koraidon and Miraidon, I would be very interested to hear them.

Pairings are currently undecided, but will definitely not be Ash/Steven.

Edit: Okay, I'm currently leaning towards having both dragons travel with them, and the pairing being Ash/Nemona.