On the way to Laverre city and Ash's next gym battle the group rest in a Pokémon centre whilst there Ash grills Clemont on the next gym leader he will face.

"Ash, all I know about the Laverre gym is that the leader is Valerie and she uses fairy type Pokémon." Clemont told him.

"That's it. You only know her name and type preference." Ash said disappointed he wouldn't be able to know what he was going up against.

"I'm sorry Ash but there isn't some sort of gym leaders club where we all go to hang out."

"You're right Clemont I'm sorry." Ash apologised.

"Who's that?" Bonnie asked pointing at a man in his mid-forties who was walking into the Pokémon Centre with a far larger than average Charizard by his side.

"I don't think he's anyone special Bonnie." Ash told her but knew why she had asked. The man had a strange presence about him.

He saw them staring at him. "Can I help you kids?" He asked unsure what they were looking at. As he walked closer they got a better look at him he was tall, muscular and although he wore a hat you could tell he was starting to go grey. His Charizard followed close

"It's nothing, we were just admiring your Charizard it looks very strong." Serena told him thinking quickly on her feet. The Pokémon gave a grunt and nod to show his thanks.

"Thank you, he was my first Pokémon. Professor Oak gave him to me when I was starting my adventure."

"Professor Oak gave me my first Pokémon to." Ash told him as Pikachu jumped from the table to Ash's shoulder and said "Pika."

"So you're from the Kanto region as well." The man said.

"I sure am." Ash told him.

"Pleased to meet you my name's Red, I'm from Pallet Town."

"I'm from Pallet Town to. Pleased to meet you Red, I'm Ash." The rest of the group then introduced themselves to the man.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you however I've had a long day so I need some rest. I shall see you tomorrow." Red then left and went up to the rooms of the Pokémon Centre where travellers sleep.

"Now that I think about I could do with going to bed as well." Serena told them as she spoke she took Ash's hand and tried to lead him away from the table but he wouldn't budge. "Ash, Ash?"

Ash was too lost in thought over the man who called himself Red. "I'll be up in a minute. I just need to make a call first." He sprinted over to the video phones and called Professor Oak, who after a while eventually picked up. "Sorry for the late call Professor but do you remember a person named Red who you gave a Charmander to."

"Of course Ash he was one of the first people I gave a Pokémon to once I became a professor. He and his rival Blue helped me record data for the first Kanto Pokedex." Professor Oak went on to tell Ash about how Red and Blue scoured the Kanto region for all the Pokémon and captured all of them so the first Pokedex could be designed. "Why the interest in Red, Ash?"

"We're staying at the same Pokémon Centre here in Kalos." Ash told him.

"Oh, well tell him I said hi."

"I will professor." Ash replied then ended the call. He then went up to the room he and Serena were sharing where he found her wearing only the violet lace underwear he had bought her in Lumiose City. Her hair was hanging loose instead of the ponytail it was usually in. "Wow." Was all Ash could manage to say.

"I thought you might like my little surprise." She said as she walked over to him and kissed him. She then helped him out of his clothes. She stepped back and took a moment to look at him standing there in his boxers as he had done to her when he first walked in. She saw his slender yet toned body that came from wandering the world on foot. She saw his arms that weren't particularly eye-catching yet when he hugged her she could feel that they were strong and that she would always be safe when wrapped in them. Eventually Ash ran out of patience as he always did and went over to her and picked her up and kissed her, she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him back.

"Did you know Red worked on the first Pokedex?" Ash said.

"Really I'm here in my sexiest underwear kissing you and you want to talk about some old guy you met half an hour ago?" Serena asked, slightly offended she didn't have her boyfriend's full attention.

"No, you're right, forget Red." Ash told her kissing her for a few moments before she broke away and jumped down.

"Well now you've killed the mood." She complained. She then went into the bathroom to change into her nighty. While she was in there Ash thought once again of Red, he wasn't sure but there was something about him. Serena then came out of the bathroom and climbed into bed. Ash could see she was unhappy with him for ruing her sexy surprise. He then went to change and when he came out she had turned the lights off and was trying to go to sleep. Knowing that she was annoyed with him Ash didn't want to upset her more by turning the lights back on to get into bed, he managed to do it but did stab his left little toe against the corner of the bed.

The next morning Ash woke up first as he was leaving the room he saw he gestured for his friend to follow they went down to the courtyard behind the Pokémon centre. Where they found Red and his Charizard. "I spoke to professor Oak last night. He told me you worked on the first ever Pokedex."

"Yeah, I did. I've actually worked on all the Pokedexs so far except Johto and Sinnoh." He told Ash.

"That's so cool so how many Pokémon do you have in total?" Ash asked.

"To be honest, I lost count a long time ago and never really took notice since." Red admitted.

"So what are you doing in the Kalos region?"

"I'm helping professor Sycamore with his mega-evolution research." Red told him

"That's so cool." Ash told him, slightly jealous. "So can any of your Pokémon meg-evolve?"

"Watch this. Charizard let's show Ash how you mega-evolve." The fire type gave a grunt then flew into the air. After a few seconds of hovering it started to glow bright white. It curled into a ball, the light then became so bright that Ash had to look away which is when he saw Red was wearing a small thin chain around his next with a small pulsing orb on it. The light subsided and Charizard uncurled itself. It was now black and blue as opposed to orange and white. Its wings were sleeker and it had blue flames erupting out of each side of its mouth. "Pretty cool huh?" Red asked. Ash stared at mega-Charizard, speechless. "I was like that too the first time I saw Charizard mega-evolve." Red then went on to explain the differences between Charizard and its mega-evolution. The two of them saw Serena almost enter the courtyard before turning back. "I know that look. Kid whatever you did go apologise." Red told Ash.

"She's blowing things out of proportion." Ash complained

Red looked Ash straight in the eyes and told him "You may not want my advice kid but you're gonna get it. When a woman is angry at you, you got two choices; one, you have an argument for the next couple of hours which you'll probably end up losing anyway or two, you go tell her that you were wrong and she was right and that you were an idiot for doing such a stupid thing."

"But…" Ash started to protest before Red cut him off.

"No buts kid. Those are your to choices and if I was in a relationship with a beautiful girl like that I know which one I would pick."

"There's really no point arguing?"

"You could try but you'll just end up annoying her then she'll be mad at you about that. No woman has ever complained that a man told her she was right too often."

"Okay." Ash gave in then went over to Serena, she started to walk away before Ash held her hand looked her in the eyes and told her "Serena I love you, you're the most important person in the world to me. I should have seen the effort you put into that surprise for me, but I didn't and I ruined it. I see now all the little things you do for me and I promise that I will always, always appreciate them." He then hesitantly kissed her worried that Red had been wrong and that she would still be mad at him. However she kissed him back after a few seconds the kiss ended and she buried her head into his shoulder and hugged him tightly, he hugged her back and she once again felt the warm safe embrace of his arms. "Now come on there's something you've got to see." He said leading her into the courtyard. Red then explained to Ash and Serena all he knew about mega-evolutions.

"To mega-evolve two things are needed the trainer needs a mega-pearl most trainers set theirs into a ring or a bangle, I have mind in this pendant." He showed them the necklace that Ash saw glowing earlier. It was a thin gold chain with the pearl set into a silver heart. "The other thing needed is a mega stone. This is Pokémon specific stone that reacts with the mega pearl to unleash the full potential of the Pokémon."

"Do you know of any other Pokémon that can mega-evolve?" Serena asked.

"The only other Pokémon that can mega-evolve are Blastoise and Mewtwo." Red told them.

"We saw a mega-Blaziken in Lumiose City a while back." Ash told them.

"That's interesting. There is a lot I need to learn about the Pokémon that can mega-evolve." Red spoke while thinking about what he had heard.

Just then Clemont and Bonnie came down from their room.

"Hey guys, what are we doing today?" Bonnie asked.

"Well we've been travelling for a while I was thinking we could take a rest day here." Serena asked. "If that's okay with you Ash?"

"Of course. It will give me more time to trade adventure stories with Red." Ash said. "As long as you don't have somewhere better to be Red"

"That sounds great, I'm sort of just wandering the region, in search of people who know anything about mega-evolution."

"I'd like to listen to some of those stories." Bonnie told them.

"I wouldn't mind listening to some of those too." Serena spoke to Ash and then kissed him on the cheek.

"Okay, anything you want honey." Ash told them. The group then spent the next two and a half hours listening to Ash and Red tell stories of their travels. Serena then went to change; her frustration at Ash meant she didn't choose her outfit as well as she wanted this morning. She was about to get undressed when she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door to find Red standing there "Red? What is it?" She asked unsure what he wanted.

"I need to speak to you." He spoke in a very ominous tone.

"Okay? Come in."

"What is Ash's surname?" He asked impatiently.

"It's Ketchum, why?"

"As I thought. Serena there is something I need to tell you and you have to promise not to tell Ash or your other friends." He looked her in the eye to show he was serious.

"Red, your scaring me a little." She told him.

"I'm sorry but you need to know that Ash can never learn of what I'm about to tell you."

"I'm not entirely comfortable keeping secrets from Ash." She was speaking the truth; she loved Ash and felt like she was betraying him by keeping a secret, especially one that seemed to be big from him.

"I understand but you must know that I'm happy my son has found someone so beautiful and loyal."

"Ash…is…your son?" She asked, not believing what she was hearing.

"Yes, he has never met me and I have no idea how much Delia has told him about me."

She spent a minute processing this before saying "You need to tell him." Serena knew she wouldn't be able to keep this from Ash it was just too big.

"No, I can't be a true father to Ash. I travel too much."

"Ash travels to. I'm sure he would be happy to help you in your research."

"He could help me but he should have his own adventure." As Red spoke a tear ran down his cheek. "I can't be the father he needs."

"Red, Ash isn't a kid anymore he doesn't need you to take care of him. I'm sure all he wants is to know you."

"You're right what is he now? Sixteen?"

"He's eighteen."

"Eighteen, really? That long." The middle aged man sat down on the bed and placed his head in his hands for a few seconds. He then got up and went over to Serena and hugged her tightly. "Thank you Serena. You're a smart woman, Ash is very lucky to be in a relationship with you."

"Your son is pretty great, I'm lucky to have him too." Serena then led him back outside where Ash was telling Clemont and Bonnie one of his stories from Sinnoh. When he saw them he stopped sensing that something was wrong.

"What's wrong Serena?" He got up and hugged her, she hugged him back tight.

"Ash there's something Red has to tell you."

"Ash…your mom and I were in a relationship when I got back from Hoenn about nineteen years ago…" Whilst he spoke he was visibly sweating and rubbed the back of his neck.

He didn't have to finish. Ash knew what he was about to say. All Ash did was get up and walk into the fields behind the Pokémon Centre. He ignored the several attempts Serena made to make sure he was okay. She was about to go after him when Red stopped her. "He needs time to process this."

Ash wandered for a while not really thinking of where he was going. He just wanted to be alone.

Serena spent the next few hours procrastinating. She wanted more than anything to go after him but she knew that Red was right. However she couldn't help herself. She went out into the fields in search of him. He was in the middle of a grove sitting crossed legged and staring into the distance.

"How long have you known?" Ash asked before she could see how he was coping.

"What?"

"How long have you known that Red is my father?" Ash repeated

"Ash as soon as I learned I convinced Red to tell you. I must have known 10 minutes before you, at most." As Serena spoke to him she started crying. She had never seen her boyfriend like this. He was so distant and in his own head.

When Ash heard her sobbing he got up and looked at her. He forgot all about his problems and the only thing he wanted was to cheer her up. He walked over to her and hugged her tighter than ever before, she nestled her head against his chest. He looked her in the eyes as he said. "Serena it's okay. I love you more than anything, and nothing, no matter how screwed up anything in my life gets, is ever going to change that." He held her face then kissed her. She was still crying when the kiss ended. "Is something still wrong?" He asked concerned about her.

"Ash, you scared me." She said. "We're in a relationship now. You don't have to deal with things on your now. You can't just run off when something like this happens. You come find me and we work through it together."

"Okay."

"Then if needs be we'll run off into a field and mope together." As she said that the two of them smiled and she kissed him. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. Ash only gave a shake of his head. "Okay." They spent the next twenty minutes holding each other without saying a word before Red showed up.

"I have nothing to say to you." Ash remarked as he saw him. Serena took a moment to look at the two of them together, she could see the similarities. They were both tall, had the same jet black hair, though some of Red's was grey, and were muscular, although Ash was thinner and not as broad as his father.

"Good, 'cos I've got a lot to say to you." Red sat down opposite Ash. Serena thought she should leave the two of them alone to talk but as she started to get up Ash gave her a pleading look and a slight shake of his head and she sat back down. "Like I said earlier your mom and I met after I'd finished in Hoenn. I was 22 she was 21. I'd returned to Pallet town for a break that's when I met her. She was working in the town bakery. We fell in love and spent the next fourteen months together. Then professor Oak offered me the chance to go to Unova, it was a chance I couldn't turn down. I got into a big fight with your mom about it. She told me I should stay with her and I didn't know why at the time. She knew I was an explorer of the world and that helping out the professor was my job. However when I got back I learned why. She was three weeks pregnant, with you Ash. The day I left she tried to tell me but I was running late for my flight so I couldn't hear her out. I spent the next three and a half years in Unova."

Ash sat in silence for a minute before he asked "Why didn't you see me when you got back?"

"I tried but your mom told me that the day I left for Unova I chose my adventure over family and I couldn't change back."

"Don't think that because you told me this I forgive you."

Red got up and went over to Ash and Serena. "Ash I just wanted you to know my side of the story. Not so you'll forgive me, but so you never make the mistake I did. You've got a lovely girlfriend; she's smart, beautiful and loyal to you. Whatever you do don't throw that away like I did." With that Red began walking back to the Pokémon centre but paused to say "Serena, please take care of him."

"I will." She promised

With his answer Red left them to be alone.

After ten minutes Ash decided he was done moping. He took Serena by the hand and led her back to the Pokémon Centre, where they found Clemont working on some invention and Bonnie watching him and playing with Dedenne. When Clemont saw them he walked over to Ash and handed him a folded up piece of paper "Red left this for you."

Ash opened it and it had a message on it which read

Ash, I know you may never want to see me again but if you do I'd be happy to see you. I've decided to give you some space to make up your own mind.

Red

P.S. When you fight the Elite four, and I know you will, if you want some advice on how to battle them you can ask me .

He then listed his address, a place on the same road as Professor Sycamore's lab in Lumiose city and a phone number. Ash scrunched up the piece of paper and put it in his pocket.

"What does it say?" Serena asked

"I don't want to think about Red or any of this messed up situation right now. What I do want to think about is you." Ash said as he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her in close and kissed her passionately.