Here it is: The longest chapter of All the President's 'Mon so far. And it's a doozy. A lot happens, so hopefully there's at least one thing you can say about it. Ultimately, the worst thing a reader can feel as a result of reading a chapter is nothing.
As soon as this website's views come back online, I'll give you all an update on that. I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed. And if you should want to chat with me off of this site, find me on Discord at SnowLabrador #7822. Got that? Great. Now, enjoy the chapter!
Current music: I Fought The Law - The Clash
Despite his euphoria, or perhaps because of it, it didn't take long for Ash to fall asleep again after that. He and Serena did switch beds, though; for what reason, Ash couldn't quite articulate. After all, nobody would need to know if they slept together.
In fact, isn't that what they'd expect? The exact details of the relationship between Ash Ketchum and Serena Courtland weren't public knowledge, but the existence of said bond was. Would anyone really care?
In any case, once Ash drifted off again, he slept soundly. Not like a baby, since that's a rather poor analogy, but when he awoke at a far more reasonable hour, the candidate felt better-rested than he had in some time.
For a few moments, he lay awake, wondering what exactly the root of this new happiness was. The slight haze of sleep still remained for this brief time, but then it all came rushing back.
"Good morning, Serena," Ash told his girlfriend in a slightly singsong voice.
Serena yawned and then turned over to face the candidate. "Good morning, Ash. What's got you in such a good mood today?"
"I'm the nominee, honey," he said, unable to think of a better way to word the news.
"Oh, yeah!" Serena exclaimed, practically jumping off her bed once more. As it was, she sprang out of it and motioned towards the bathroom door. "Should I get dressed?"
"Huh? It's still pretty early; can't we order room service?"
Serena snorted. "Are you kidding? Ash, the whole of Unova is waiting to hear from you! They're not gonna want to wait just because you'd rather have breakfast in bed!"
Ash couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, I guess that's fair."
Still, as the candidate prepared himself for the day, including reciting the speech Brock had written for him just in case Ash was nominated, nobody could say Ash didn't have a spring in his step. In fact, he bounced around the room like a Bunnelby as he made sure everything was ready for the speech.
"You don't need to recite it over and over, Ash," his girlfriend insisted. "It'll be on the teleprompter for you."
"Yeah, but nobody likes teleprompters," the candidate muttered.
Serena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I don't like hearing the speech's first paragraphs a million times before you actually say it."
"But I did say it."
"Whatever."
A few minutes later, Ash led the way down the stairwell towards the ballroom. In light of yesterday's food fight, the hotel had added extra security to said room; police officers stood in front of all entrances, and Ash had to demonstrate that he carried nothing that could be used as a weapon.
"That Pokéball counts as a weapon, you know," one of the cops muttered.
Ash frowned. "Really?"
"Nah, I'm just pulling your leg," the officer replied with a snort. "Go right on through, Candidate Ketchum. We're all rooting for you."
Well, thanks. I guess that's supposed to make me feel good. And it does, but it also adds to the pressure.
Although it was early in the day, the ballroom was already jam-packed with spectators. Ash's stomach fluttered at the thought of being surrounded by the crowd who, less than twenty-four hours ago, had thrown food at him. Hell, his left hand still bore the scar of that episode.
Nonetheless, he reached the stage without anything bad happening. He turned around, hoping to see Serena behind him. But his girlfriend was nowhere to be found, evidently having turned in a different direction.
Ash's heart sank. The small box remained in his pocket, where he'd placed it before leaving the hotel room. But keeping track of it would only do so much good if the other person involved was not present.
Brock was also absent from the stage. It appeared that Ash's campaign manager had elected to take a less visible role today, which was most likely inconsequential. Of course, even something small like that could give Kodai an opening.
No, it couldn't. Kodai isn't the nominee - you won the primaries, Ash! Stop worrying about something that didn't happen!
Ash almost had to pinch himself to make sure that this was truly real. He stood before Unova's Democrats as their standard-bearer for the election, and that was incredible. His party had put its trust in him, and he could not abuse it.
"Good morning, everyone, '' the candidate began, speaking into the microphone as he cast his gaze around at the crowd. Ash smiled nervously, as there was a wide spectrum in terms of where his mood might end up, ranging from "Cloud Nine" to "I wish I'd never been born."
"I see you've all been waiting in this room for me. Patiently, I might add, patience being a virtue I wish I possessed more of. Thank you for being here, Unova Democrats. Together, we will defeat Michael Rowan and send Ash Ketchum to the Crimson Chamber!"
"Now, in case you didn't know, I'm Ash Ketchum. I don't believe I need to reintroduce myself. Now…".
Although Ash had his script right in front of his face, he still found it difficult to follow. And it wasn't like he'd never been good at public speaking - in the aftermath of his quest, he'd given so many talks that it wasn't even funny.
But this time, it was different. The box felt heavy in his pocket, as did the gazes of hundreds if not a few thousand Unovans, all of whom were counting on him. Needless to say, a lot more pressure was added as a result.
The candidate cleared his throat as he glanced back at the script. "Before we begin, I just want to assure you all that your trust in me was not misplaced. I have what it takes to win the general election - quite frankly, I've already spread my wings, and now I must learn to fly."
There were many laughs, including from Ash himself. It seemed that Brock had inserted a lighthearted touch into the speech, which the Democratic nominee appreciated. The atmosphere was tense enough as it was.
"For the last year, I have traveled thousands upon thousands of miles across the region of Unova. I have held dozens of events in different cities. More than that, I've met countless people and Pokémon along the way.
"I cannot possibly acknowledge everyone, and yet I want to do so badly; everyone in Unova will be treated equally when I'm President, and that includes Pokémon. Even after all this time, I haven't lost sight of the reason I ran for the nomination originally.
"It all started roughly a year ago. And yes, I know that it feels like it's been much longer than a year, but we've only made one revolution around the sun on this giant space rock. And please forgive me for going over this story all over again. I know it's a tale as old as time, and you've heard it on numerous occasions."
More laughter. If his supporters saw Ash as self-deprecating, so much the better. Everyone likes a candidate who's not afraid to make fun of themselves.
"I was in the apartment with Serena Courtland, the love of my life. We were doing the dishes, and when a Pokémon game show came on, I knew I had to put a stop to it. As President, I will not have absolute power to do so, but I will use my platform to advocate for the end of this practice.
"Why, you might ask? Well, Pokémon are our friends, and they deserve to be treated with dignity. Just ask Pikachu."
With that, Ash reached into his pocket that didn't contain the box and produced a small red sphere. He pressed the button and, in a flash of blue-green light, there was Pikachu!
"Say hello to Pikachu, my best non-human friend. During the travels of my youth, I learned so much about Pikachu, and it wasn't long before I knew I could count on him. Pikachu, say hello to the Unova Democratic Convention!"
The yellow mouse squealed with what seemed like delight. "Pika pi! (I love it here! I'm so proud of you, Ash! You're the best!)"
"Now, the words from Pikachu might mean nothing to you. They certainly mean nothing to the humans in power here in Unova. Ever since this region's founding, our original sin has been that we do not see Pokémon as our equals. Tonight is the beginning of the end of that."
Ash smiled, though tears filled his eyes. These were tears of happiness, though, not distress. It was time to deviate from the script once more.
"So will Serena Courtland come to the stage? Don't be shy, Serena!"
As he caught a glimpse of his girlfriend out of the corner of his eye, the candidate chuckled. "My girlfriend isn't shy at all. In fact, she's one of the strongest and bravest women I've ever known. She's been by my side this whole campaign, and I have no doubt that she'll be there for my presidency as well.
The young man's palms sweated profusely. He knew what was coming, but he'd kept it from Serena ever since purchasing the box. And though he had a mental image of how this was supposed to go, there was every chance Serena might derail it. And the scene on the UDC floor would become even more chaotic than yesterday's, if that were even possible.
Nope. Running for office involves taking a risk. This is a leap of faith, just like so many other things in life. If she doesn't want to take the next step with me, then I'll deal with that.
Serena jogged up to the podium, a look of utmost concern etched on her face. It was plain to see that she hadn't expected to be called to the stage and wondered if everything was all right.
"Are you okay, Ash?" she enquired frantically, her eyes narrowed. And Ash gulped, because it was now conceivable that she'd say no.
Ash knew one thing for sure: If Serena declined him, there would be no coming back from that. The campaign would be over, and he'd be handing over the country to someone who didn't care about the well-being of Pokémon. He wasn't playing with house money; he was gambling the future of Unova.
But it was worth the risk.
"I'm better than okay," Ash replied, his lips curling up into a grin. He hoped the grin looked welcoming rather than menacing, but there was only so much that could be done about that.
Now's the time.
Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out the box. It was then that Serena's gray eyes glowed almost silver. She clearly knew, or at least suspected, what was happening as she clamped a hand over her mouth.
The candidate dropped to one knee. "Serena Courtland, you are the love of my life. More than that, you're my best friend. The period of butterflies should be over for me, but it isn't. And why is that, you might wonder?"
The crowd was now silent. This hadn't been expected at all, and would probably be all Unova talked about for a good week. Nobody wanted to ruin the moment, not for anything.
Serena, too, had tensed up. Her face was practically glowing with anticipation, and one look into her eyes made Ash absolutely certain.
"Because I'm still in love with you. In fact, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old with you. Even when we're far apart, you'll always be in my heart. And this might sound cheesy, but -".
"But what?" Serena enquired. By now, she was practically sobbing too, but again, not out of dismay.
Ash popped open the box, revealing the ring inside. He then glanced up at his girlfriend's face, and she was clearly speechless. It didn't matter that she'd expected this; nothing can truly prepare you for a proposal.
"Serena, will you marry me?"
She didn't even hesitate. "Of course I will, Ash!" she exclaimed, extending her arms and wrapping them around the candidate, who now became her fiancé.
Just like Ash had mentioned, he wasn't past the butterfly stage. In fact, they fluttered around his stomach anew, a million multicolored Butterfree bouncing around the walls of his intestines and other parts of his gastric system.
The audience might have seen this event with their own eyes, and thus been sure that it had indeed occurred, but that didn't mean they weren't still shocked. On the contrary, many gasps could be heard from the stage, as well as a significant amount of clapping.
When the applause subsided, and Serena had slipped the ring onto her finger, it was now official. But even amidst his jubilation, Ash still had a job to do; namely, to finish his speech and convince this crowd that the delegates had made the right decision.
"Now, I can assure you all that this wasn't scripted. I really love Serena Courtland with all my heart. But even after a moment like that, there is still an election coming up in November. And we'll all have to work hard to ensure that when that day comes, I receive enough votes.
"So why vote for me? Well, like I've already said, I believe in the dignity of Pokémon. My opponent, Senator Michael Rowan, does not. And, whether you voted for myself, Kodai, or someone else in this primary, I don't want to relitigate it. I might not have been everyone's preferred candidate, but I'm a vastly better decision than Senator Rowan.
"Make no mistake about it," Ash continued. "This is the most important election of our lifetimes. While war is raging on in Hoenn, while the cost of living is skyrocketing all over the world, while inequality is only growing, we cannot afford to stay silent. We must make our voices heard."
The crowd cheered, and Ash couldn't help but feel satisfied as well. So far, the ring on his girlfriend's (no, fianceé's) finger had not yet short-circuited his brain. He could still speak in coherent sentences, as excited as he was about falling into bed with Serena later and planning the wedding.
"So, on November the fifth, or before if you're voting early or by mail, make sure you get your ballot in. Regardless of what Senator Rowan might claim about the process, there is no evidence of widespread fraud. You need to trust the system, even if it doesn't work for so many of us."
Ash took a deep breath. He was approaching the end of the remarks Brock had prepared for him. It hadn't been a terribly long speech overall, even if there had been some policy proposals listed. However, the unexpected proposal was likely to be all anyone remembered from it.
"Please. Make sure I win this election. The future of Unova, and perhaps the world, depends on it. Today, we celebrate, but tomorrow, we press onward. Defeat is not an option; I'm going to win the election, and I will accept that result!"
With that, Ash turned around to find that Serena still stood behind him on his left. On his other side, the familiar yellow mouse Pokémon remained. Both of them were grinning with evident delight.
Ash took Serena's hand in his left, Pikachu's paw in his right. Hopefully, this moment didn't look manufactured, but so what if it did? Didn't all politicians stretch things a little?
All at once, the trio raised their hands in the air to a great deal of applause. And Ash's heart warmed considerably.
Yes, becoming a champion had been amazing. All the standing ovations he'd received at different parts of his post-journey speaking tour (his "victory tour", if you will) had been incredibly exhilarating. But today was different.
Maybe it was due to the dual triumphs. He'd gotten the nomination, and he'd gotten the girl, both in one go. But there was still more to it than that.
It could be, Ash thought to himself, that today is the start of something new. Exactly what that "something new" is, that's anyone's guess.
The emotional high of winning the nomination, which was better than any drug-induced high he could dream of (not that Ash had ever used drugs), didn't wear off for at least a week.
Every morning, during the first few seconds of post-sleep haze, Ash would feel euphoric, though be unable to understand why he felt this way. And then it would all come flooding back into his mind like a cascading waterfall.
The first day after clinching the nomination, when Ash had returned to wakefulness, he'd glanced over and seen Serena lying on her side. She looked cute when she slept, but there were other things that the nominee found endearing as well. Most notably, her smile when she was awake; it could probably turn a glacier into a lake of lava within seconds.
It was a couple of days before Ash got used to the idea that he and Serena were now engaged. Yes, they'd been lovers for several years, but the engagement added an official aspect to it all.
At first, it was the little things that reminded Ash that they were meant for each other. That his "leap of faith" would continue to pay dividends in the future.
For instance, Serena rarely raised her voice anymore. Every evening, when Ash would lament the exhausting schedule of events, or complain about the media, his fianceé would no longer snap back about how he should have expected this. She wouldn't imply that he was an idiot.
Instead, she'd empathize with him, saying that she understood him completely, and they'd leave it at that. It wouldn't completely solve the problem, but it at least made the constant campaigning more bearable.
Another thing Ash noticed was that he found himself more understanding of Serena when she did get annoyed, whether it be with him or something else. Seldom did the couple have an extended argument, even if the topic at hand was their time in the public eye.
On some level, Ash feared that this couldn't last. Every couple had a honeymoon period during which everything seemed perfect - eventually, it would be over, and life would go back to "normal." Or rather, as "normal" as it could be when you were such a public figure. But nothing lasts forever, so Ash knew he'd just have to appreciate it while he could.
After a while, the changes to their life became more drastic. Soon, they were talking about the wedding, debating whether they'd hold it in Pallet Town, where they'd both grown up; Crown City, where they'd first made their life as a couple; or somewhere in the Alolan Islands, where they'd get a chance to unwind from public life.
All of the options sounded good, but Ash knew full well that they couldn't dwell too much on the distant future. They had to focus on what was in front of them right now; the campaign was simply the highest priority.
One week after the UDC had concluded, Serena sat down with Ash for breakfast. This is what they always did, of course; if they were going to be husband and wife, they'd better start acting like it. But today was different.
"I know you're still ecstatic, Ash," Serena told her fiancé. "And I am too. But you can't let yourself lose sight of the campaign. We haven't held any big events since the convention."
"So? What's wrong with that?"
"What's wrong," the blonde woman replied, "is that you can't be seen as an invisible candidate. You've got to show up in those communities that have been left behind, to make them know you've got their back. At least campaign in some of the swing provinces!"
Ash sighed. He'd known that the period of bliss would end, eventually. He just hadn't expected it quite so soon.
Scrolling on his phone, Ash pulled up the schedule of events. "It says here that I'm meant to go to Nimbasa City next week, give a speech at their autodrome. That's a swing region this election - I need to win over former Kodai supporters who are skeptical of me."
"Indeed, you do," Serena told Ash. "But forget about next week. You should go there this week, because every day you cede the ground game to Senator Rowan is a day you fall further behind in this election."
"But am I behind? Last I checked, I was roughly tied in the polls; I'm up in some and I'm down in some."
His fianceé merely shrugged, so Ash sought a second opinion.
"Yes, your polling numbers suggest that you're no worse than even money to become President" Brock said over the phone. "But it's also too early to spot a trajectory; you might be gaining in the polls, or you might be going backwards. Make no mistake, though; every day without an event moves the needle a little more against you."
Serena was insistent that Ash get back in the spotlight, so he decided to put out a notice for a rally in front of a Pokémon center. In fact, it was the same Pokémon center at which he'd held his first such rally; he chose this location deliberately for old time's sake.
The following day found Ash standing in the park adjacent to the Pokémon center, sweating beneath the sweltering heat. Crown City in late July was no place for anyone who preferred the cold, that was for sure.
As the nominee sipped from a water bottle, he gave a thumbs-up sign to one of his employees. This employee was a teenage boy, which was another decision that had made so much sense when he'd first chosen it. Team Ketchum had to appeal to the youth vote, after all, and what better way to do that than to speak their language?
The field didn't populate as quickly as he'd expected. At first, this seemed perfectly normal; he had just announced the rally yesterday, so lots of people wouldn't be able to attend on such short notice. Even so, the sheer numbers (or rather, lack thereof) of people on the green made Ash gulp.
From the limited news the Democratic nominee had consumed over the last week, it seemed that Senator Rowan, a distant cousin of Sinnoh's own Professor Rowan, had been capable of filling whole stadiums. The Republican had been pounding the pavement relentlessly, running multiple ads on all the major TV stations, and raising obscene amounts of campaign cash to cover it all.
That's okay. I don't need to break any records for crowd size. I just need to break the voter turnout record.
Besides, I'm just getting used to holding rallies again. Yeah, that's totally it. Just need to grow comfortable again with public speaking.
"Good afternoon, everyone. And boy, is it a hot one today!" Ash exclaimed, wiping more sweat out of his black hair. (If the heat had one silver lining, it was that his hair didn't stand on end.)
The Democratic nominee cleared his throat. "I am pleased to be here today; Serena and Pikachu are backstage working the grill, but you'll be able to talk to them shortly. In fact, you can go there now if you want, though don't you want to hear what I'll say?"
"Yes, we do!" came the general cry from the audience. Ash chuckled before continuing.
"Now, as all of you have no doubt heard, I recently offered a ring to the young woman working the grill. She accepted that gift, and now we're even closer than we were before. So, to all of those who have wished us well, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. And, for the record: We are doing well.
"Of course, none of this is to say that everything's perfect. We still have our disagreements, but those are just part of life, even when you're engaged. But that's hardly why most of you are here, are you? Do you want to hear some policy proposals?"
Most of the crowd nodded in agreement. Ash smiled, feeling validated by this; these people had come to the rally because they believed in his message. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Well," Ash continued, grinning even more widely as he reflected on the process of telling Brock what to put in this speech, "it's no secret that not everybody who wants to be a trainer can be a trainer. This is the unfortunate reality of our current system in Unova, and it's time to bring this situation to an end.
"To that end, I would call on the Unovan Congress to pass a bill that would subsidize trainer's licenses for the low-income children of Unova. If a family earns less than a certain income threshold, their children would be automatically eligible for a license at a greatly reduced rate, decreasing with even lower incomes."
Ash surveyed his audience. Judging by their reactions, including nods and claps, it seemed that many, if not most, of them agreed with this proposal. But it was one thing to state your opinion; it was quite another to formulate a coherent argument in its favor.
"Why is this policy necessary? Why do I do what I do? Why do I even bother running for this office? Well, I believe that those children from less fortunate backgrounds could greatly benefit from having another outlet in life. It would show these kids that there's more to life than drugs, or being in a gang. The forgotten boys and girls of Unova would be forgotten no longer.
"Moreover," Ash continued, "I grew up in Pallet Town as the son of a single mother. My father had left the family for a millionaire, having shown his true colors as a gold digger. But that's enough about that; I came here to explain myself, not to bash my dad."
There were a numerous chuckles, and even a few chortles, but Ash wasn't done yet. After nodding and potentially throwing his hair out of whack once more, he resumed his talk.
"Pallet Town is… well, it's best known for being my birthplace now, is it not? But before I became famous in my previous life, you know, it was a working-class town, generally not considered a pleasant place to live if you could afford better. But it was home to me. It's where I met Pikachu, and ultimately Serena Courtland, my two best friends. Sorry, Brock - you're number three."
More laughter. The crowd was eating this up, so Ash kept going.
"I say this because many of my fellow Pallet Town residents did not grow up with the same opportunities as me. Compared to the average resident, my mother and I remained well-off, even after my father left and took half the assets with him. Sorry, did I say I'd stop bashing my father? Well, I lied.
"In all seriousness, I'm fighting for the little guy. Senator Rowan might talk the talk, but he isn't going to walk the walk. If he gets into office, you know he'll suck up to Big Oil, the Big War machine in Hoenn, Big Pokéball, the Silph Company… you name the special interest, and there's a good chance he's in their pocket. Hell, he even supports industries I've never heard of.
"So are you going to vote for someone who's going to drain the swamp, or someone who's the swamp monster, the Garbodor, who will rip you off and won't care one bit?"
The crowd went wild, and Ash pumped his right fist in the air as well, gazing as far up as he could without staring directly into the sun. It was almost as though he were appealing to Arceus for the divine right of the President of Unova.
Ash snorted with slight laughter. He knew he'd probably get some flack for comparing his opponent to a pile of garbage, but you know what? He didn't feel the least bit guilty about that.
Just like defeating Kodai had been, winning the election against Senator Rowan had become a moral imperative. He was either going to emerge victorious, or he would lose trying.
Bringing up his mother had also reminded Ash of the last conversation he'd had with her this past February. During that chat, Delia Ketchum had reminded her son to go scorched-earth on his opponents. If he felt that strongly about becoming President, he had to be willing to burn the Unova region to the ground.
The next few months would put his determination to the test. The campaign would only grow more vigorous, and the smears more vicious.
Ash's latest rally ended up going viral on the Internet. No matter where anyone was in the world, it was trending to some degree. It appeared that all anyone could talk about from that event, moreover, was the comment in which Ash had essentially called his Republican opponent garbage.
"That had better work," the Democratic nominee told Serena one afternoon, when the pair were just relaxing in their apartment. Pikachu sat on the ground a little off to the side, playing with a chew toy.
"What do you mean by work?" Serena replied.
"I just mean… I hope the voters don't think I'm too vicious. I know there's always a chance it could turn people off."
His fianceé snorted. "Ash, you do realize that anyone who would be so offended that you insulted Senator Rowan is probably already voting for Senator Rowan, right? You're not going to win over those people."
"I guess you're right," Ash admitted. "It's just… I'm worried about it, all the same. Anything can be used against you when you're running for President."
Serena stood there for a few moments, during which she was most likely pondering what the best response would be. Both of them were interrupted, however, by the phone ringing yet again.
Ash sighed. This afternoon was supposed to be one of his days off from campaigning, during which he would rest and rejuvenate himself for the next week or so. But it seemed that someone had decided to butt in on his bliss.
"I have to get it," the nominee said softly. "I wish I could spend more time with you today, but…".
"I get it," Serena replied. "I still love you, Ash. But you'd better get the phone."
As soon as Ash saw the phone number on the caller ID, he gasped. The number came directly from Michael Rowan's Senate office.
Many scenarios ran through the Democratic nominee's mind, few of them good. Of course, his phone number was by now public information, so it was a wonder that more people hadn't decided to send prank calls his way. At the same time, whenever it happened, it was still startling.
Ash picked up the phone. "Hello?"
There was silence on the other end. Well, not exactly silence; papers were probably being shuffled in Senator Rowan's office, but no words were spoken.
Must have been a butt-dial, then, Ash thought with a snort. But that would be quite a coincidence; I'll give it a bit longer.
Sure enough, "a bit longer" is all it took for a voice to make itself heard. "Is this Candidate Ash Ketchum?"
"Uh, yes," the Democratic nominee responded through gritted teeth. "Not that I'm not pleased to talk, but… what do you want, exactly?"
More silence, though again, this didn't last very long. Then, the voice, evidently belonging to an intern or secretary of the Senator's, spoke up again.
"The Senator would like to speak with you, Candidate Ketchum."
Ash raised an eyebrow, even though the woman on the other end (and yes, he felt sure it was a woman) could not see him do this. "Why does he want to speak with me? I'm his opponent in the election, and it's been a pretty nasty one in case you couldn't tell."
"He just wants to talk about something," the woman repeated. "Please don't question it until you hear him out."
Wow! Is he dropping out of the race or something? That would be quite the surprise, and I don't know if I could handle it.
Why couldn't I? That would make me President right away without having to win a general election. It would be handed to me on a silver platter, so why reject it?
About half a minute later, a rather nasal voice sounded from the other end. "Hello everyone."
"It's just me," Ash replied, his skin crawling at the fact that he was talking to Michael Rowan. Senator Rowan, his opponent, the man he'd insulted on stage!
"Ah, Mr. Ketchum. Forgive me for not being there right away. I was dealing with something in the other room."
Ash frowned, not sure he wanted to know what dealing with something meant. Not that it mattered, of course.
"I would also apologize for not contacting you about this before. I'm sure there are fine people on both sides of this campaign, of course, and that we can negotiate in good faith about this. Because that's what the people of Unova deserve."
"What are you talking about, Senator?" Ash asked, already feeling uncomfortable. The sooner this call came to an end, the better.
"The debates, Mr. Ketchum. We have to come to an agreement on how many debates there will be."
"I don't get it," Ash muttered. "Didn't the parties decide on the debates before?"
"That was for the primary. Do I have to explain this? The primary debates are organized by the parties; the general election debates are organized by an independent commission. But we have to agree on how many there will be."
Why are the candidates supposed to do this? Why not the campaign staff? This is just so awkward, having to talk to that slimy man.
"To be honest, Mr. Ketchum, the fact that you don't know how this all works makes me think you're unfit for office. How can you be President when you have such ignorance about the election process?"
Ash elected not to answer that question; fortunately, Senator Rowan did not press him any further. Instead, the Senator moved on to the matter at hand.
"So we need to have at least one debate. That's the law. And if we can't agree to a time and venue, then they'll assign one for us."
"Fine," Ash muttered. "Then why can't we just let them give us that? No offense, but I'd rather not talk to you until I absolutely need to."
"Don't worry, the feeling's mutual," Senator Rowan responded. Though Ash could not see the Senator's face, he envisioned that Michael Rowan probably had his nose turned up in the air. Debating Ash Ketchum, a 26-year-old kid who'd never held elected office, was well beneath him.
With that, Ash hung up the phone. Then, with a great sigh and yawn, he returned to the living room, which is where Serena was waiting for him.
Ash's fianceé didn't even need him to tell her what was wrong. Her arms were already outstretched, and the Democratic nominee entered her embrace gladly.
"Who was it?" Serena asked, eventually. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."
Ash gulped. Not because he didn't trust Serena; if he didn't, he wouldn't have proposed to her at the convention. Rather, he simply had no idea if she'd believe him or not.
"It was Senator Rowan," the candidate admitted.
Serena gasped. "Why would he call you? To stalk us?"
"Not exactly. Well, maybe that was his other motive too. You never know with that slimeball. But he wanted to talk about the debates. Apparently we're supposed to agree to at least one, and if no deal can be made, then they'll choose the date, time, and venue for us."
"I'm guessing you ditched the call right then and there."
Ash nodded. "This isn't elementary school, and it's not a playground argument either. This is about normal versus crazy, and Senator Rowan is definitely crazy."
"I never said it was either of those things," Serena replied, shaking her head vigorously and dislodging some of her hair from its usual style. "I agree, though; if you don't want to talk to him before the debate, then don't. The sparks are going to fly that night, regardless."
At that moment, Pikachu ran into the room and jumped into his owner's arms. Ash was jolted by a slight electric shock, but managed to keep his balance as he caught his pikachu.
"Awww, you know exactly how to cheer me up!" Ash announced in a tone of adoration. "Thank you, Pikachu."
"Pika pi! (It's no problem, boss!)"
"We'll figure it out, Ash," the candidate's fianceé assured him. "You're going to win this election, I can feel it. Don't ask me why I'm so confident; I just am."
In the back of his mind, Ash knew exactly why Serena felt so confident about this. When you've tied the knot - or at least, committed to one another that the knot will in fact be tied - you've made a promise to one another to believe in the other person, no matter how hard things end up getting.
"I know, Serena," the nominee told his romantic partner. "It's difficult to be optimistic, I'll admit that. But one thing I can promise you is that I'll be with you every step of the way."
With that, the couple embraced one another again. In each other's arms, they stumbled into their bedroom, where they fell onto the bed and started cuddling.
I made the right decision, Ash told himself. I made the right decision. It was almost a mantra; he kept repeating those words, as though doing so would ensure that they came true.