I am so happy that the stats glitch was fixed! I'd like to thank all of you for 30 reviews, 19 favorites, and 21 follows, as well as about 1.7K views. Some of those views were eaten by the machine, but oh well, they could be glitched anyway given how old this site is.

On a happier note, I hope you all love this chapter. It took a bit longer to get out, but I think the wait will prove to be worth it. You might laugh a lot here. And please tell me what you think.

Current music: That Ain't Me No More - Matt Stell

At first, polling for the general election looked pretty favorable for Ash Ketchum. He wouldn't relax, of course; Serena's constant refrain was that he could never take anything for granted. But for the moment, he was able to feel content as he embraced his new life.

Not much had changed, of course, at least not tangibly. But somehow, being engaged made all the difference in the world. He had something to look forward to, even if he didn't win the election.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't try.

As stated above, Ash held a wide lead in the polls in the immediate aftermath of the convention. Before he responded to his emails, the Democratic nominee would frequently look at the latest polling data, and, seeing that his lead wasn't diminishing, he would grin. And then he'd go back to whatever he'd been doing.

With every day that passed, Ash allowed himself to grow a little more confident. The closer the election became, the less chance there was for something to change the race's trajectory; Senator Rowan was the one who needed a game-changer.

And then, one day, his campaign's momentum came to an abrupt halt.

When he woke up one morning in late September, Ash knew something wasn't quite right. He didn't feel physically ill, but it was as though the walls were closing in on him.

What an odd analogy to use. They're not gonna lock me up if I lose, unless Senator Rowan, if he becomes President, adopts some scary rhetoric.

Still, the stakes were high, and Serena didn't look happy either, which made Ash wonder if his fianceé knew something he didn't. And these fears were confirmed when Serena wordlessly unlocked her phone and showed Ash the screen.

"I don't understand," Ash complained. "I've been pounding the pavement for months, and now he's tied with me?"

"Senator Rowan's been campaigning too, you know," Serena pointed out.

"Well, yeah," her fiancé admitted. "But still. How did the race shift so quickly?"

"I don't know, but the debate's your best chance to turn it back around. It's tonight, you know."

Ash's lungs froze. It literally felt as though ice were coating his insides as he remembered that he hadn't spent nearly as much time as he should have poring over the calendar. But yes - his campaign's private jet was flying him to Driftveil City, the location of the first and only general election debate, that afternoon.

The Democratic nominee sighed. "I mean, I went from leading by a lot to losing by a little. Something went wrong, and it's time to fix that."

A considerable number of hours later, Ash found himself sitting backstage yet again. Unlike the last time he'd been behind such a stage, when he'd kept the ring's package in his pocket, this time he had no tricks up his sleeve.

The coatroom was very chilly, like a meat locker, and Ash could see his own breath as he sat on a stool in said room. Despite this, sweat poured down his cheeks as he scrolled through his texts.

This was it. Ash's last, best chance to switch up the race was right here. In just a week, the first mail-in ballots would be sent out, so the election was effectively underway even before November 5.

His head in his hands, the candidate reflected on how it had taken everything he had just to get here. Over the last year and a few months, he'd been put to the test in more ways than one. Ash's hands shook as his fingers hid his eyes; anyone entering the coatroom at that moment would have thought he was humiliated by something.

"Candidates, please make your way to the debate stage."

That's it. I'd better go.

Ash sprung out of his seat and walked, with perfect posture, down the corridor that led to the auditorium at Driftveil Symphony Hall. His facial expression, however, was likely more akin to a prisoner on death row, striding toward the execution chamber.

As he turned the knob, the door creaked open, and Ash caught a glimpse of the hall's grandeur. In the style of many buildings in Kalos, the ceiling had been painted with a religious scene; in this case, an image of Arceus creating Nexus, as well as other planets in the solar system. The ceiling was probably at least fifty feet above the floor, and the auditorium was easily the size of a football field.

Senator Michael Rowan was already at his podium, waving to the crowd. He wore a navy blue suit and a bright red tie, which emphasized that he was obviously trying to hide his girth. Clearly, he wasn't succeeding.

The host, a middle-aged woman named Brittany Harpoon with relatively short, light brown hair and glasses, sat at her desk just off the stage. She wore a plain yet exasperated expression on her face, as though she felt this boring job was beneath her.

"Good evening, everybody," she muttered. It was absolutely clear that she just wanted to get this over with, and didn't expect either of the nominees to put on a show. Well, if that's what she thought, she was sorely mistaken.

Senator Rowan adjusted his tie, rolling his eyes and glancing at Ash as if to say, Wouldn't you hate to be her?

But Ash didn't take the bait. He remained in his current position, staring off into space, until the host continued speaking.

"We are gathered here tonight to witness the first and only debate between our two nominees. I suggest you all pay attention, because you won't get another chance to witness these two on the same stage again."

Ash barely suppressed a snort. Most likely, Mrs. Harpoon had been angling for a quip about how the two nominees despised each other. Although they'd only spoken directly once, the campaign had still been characterized as incredibly nasty by the press. Which, of course, it was.

"Allow me to introduce our two nominees. First, we have Ash Ketchum, originally from Pallet Town, a working-class community in Kanto that some would have considered a backwater. In fact, if Candidate Ketchum had never become independently famous, the town would still be known for… well, nothing really."

Don't say anything about my hometown.

"Candidate Ketchum, who is twenty-six years of age, first became notable for his journey upon reaching the age of ten. He saved the world, after all - at least, that's what they say. But does being adventurous always lead to being a strong world leader? That is yet to be determined."

The bright spotlight then shone down on Ash, and the Democratic nominee had to squint in order to not experience significant eyestrain. It should have been illegal to have lights this powerful, and yet there they were.

Some cheering came from the audience, though Ash couldn't spot anyone familiar in that crowd. It was just as well, though; seeing someone he knew would only rattle him, make it impossible to concentrate.

"The Republican nominee is Michael Rowan, a longtime Senator from Nimbasa Province. There has been much commentary as to whether Grings Kodai, the runner-up in the Democratic primary, would have won over more voters in that province in a general election. We'll never know.

"But back to Senator Rowan. At twice Ash Ketchum's age, he aims to prove that age is just a number; a number that, when added to another number, equals the age of incumbent President Fiddlesticks.

"In any case, Senator Rowan is known for espousing what some would call Tea Party-esque policies, and he has been dogged with questions about whether this makes him unelectable. Then again, one could say that about Ash Ketchum's age and lack of experience as well. It is our official policy not to take sides in this election."

"That's not true!" Senator Rowan exclaimed. "In fact, it's fake news. All of that is fake news."

Mrs. Harpoon raised her glasses. "What is fake news, Senator?"

"My policies do not make me unelectable. And the media, far from being impartial, is biased against me. Please explain why Ash Ketchum has gained twenty-two percent more free media than I have."

How the hell do they quantify that, anyway? Ash wondered silently, feeling his hands clenched into fists. But he couldn't get physical on the debate stage; that might not ruin the Senator's poll numbers, but it would certainly ruin his.

The host frowned, but also laughed at the same time. "I'm sorry, Senator Rowan, but you cannot make the claim that this election is unfair, nor that the media is the enemy of the people. We're just doing our job, same as you."

"Fine," Senator Rowan replied with a grunt.

"Let's get back on track here, gentlemen," Mrs. Harpoon said. And Ash found himself tacitly agreeing with her on one thing: He couldn't wait for this debate to be over already!

"This is the final debate, the ultimate showdown. So each of you will have seventy-five seconds to answer the question, followed by forty-five for the other nominee to rebut your answer. These are the rules both of you agreed to prior to the debate, is that correct?"

"Yes, they are," Ash confirmed with a nod.

"Yes, they are," Senator Rowan responded, though he winked as he did so. Somehow, Ash felt he had reason to doubt his opponent's sincerity.

"Okay, so let's get to the first question," Mrs. Harpoon replied. "And for those in the audience, I want to make it clear that no flash photography is allowed in Symphony Hall, nor is anyone allowed to record the debate. If you wish to watch it again at a later date, it will be posted on Pokélife for all to see.

"I almost forgot; before we can do that, candidates, please shake hands."

Ash's stomach turned upside down at the thought that he would need to shake hands with that slimeball. Nonetheless, like the obedient little boy he'd once been, Ash left his podium and walked robotically over to his opponent.

Senator Rowan's grip felt crushing, like his hand was made of iron. However, his hand wasn't as dry as iron; it felt hot and moist, not unlike a swamp. Ash shivered despite this warmth.

The Senator didn't say anything, but he didn't need to say anything to make it clear that Ash didn't belong at the debate. Or rather, that's what the Senator evidently believed.

"Nominees, return to your podiums. We will then allow the first question to be asked."

Both men did as they were told, and then Mrs. Harpoon picked up a card from her desk. "The first question goes to Candidate Ketchum," she announced.

"Yes," Ash confirmed, standing to his full height.

"Mr. Ketchum, right now there is a war raging in Hoenn, far to the south of Unova. This war has led to a significant refugee and humanitarian crisis, with millions fleeing from the region, putting a strain on the infrastructure and asylum system in the process.

"My question is this: To what extent should Unova be willing to compromise the economy in order to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers from Hoenn? Should we prioritize the well-being of those already here?"

"Those are two questions, Mrs. Harpoon," Ash said, but this was just to stall for time. In reality, the Democratic nominee hadn't been prepared for such a question; he needed time to think.

Many members of the audience laughed, but the host didn't seem to find it funny. She adjusted her glasses yet again before speaking.

"Don't be cute with me, Candidate Ketchum. Don't be funny with me. But yes, I should have phrased that differently. How high a priority should it be for Unova to take in refugees from Hoenn?"

"It should be a chief priority," Ash responded quickly. "It's not Hoenn's fault their region is a war zone. These people… they came here in a hurry, sometimes with just the clothes on their back. We shouldn't reject them just because it'll take resources to support them."

"You're wrong, Ash," Senator Rowan interjected, but the Democratic nominee ignored this. He then glared at Mrs. Harpoon.

"Quite frankly, I say that we should accept ten percent of refugees from Hoenn. That is, ten percent of the total number fleeing the region. It's only fair that we let our fair share move in. And if the Republican Party isn't keen on my proposal, that'll be their problem.

"As for those refugees and asylum seekers already here, I think we should make it easier for them to get jobs. And they should certainly be allowed to vote - regardless of what their legal status is, they're still subject to our laws, and this is supposed to be a democracy, is it not?"

BZZZZZT.

"Thank you, Candidate Ketchum. Your time is up. Now, let us move to Senator Rowan's rebuttal."

Senator Rowan was somewhat overweight, which, if anything, made him appear intimidating. He was a hair taller than Ash, but he might as well have towered over his opponent, judging by the way Ash felt. Of course, the Democratic nominee could not show any weakness, lest he turn off voters who didn't think he looked tough enough.

"Ash Ketchum, I know you've had a comfortable upbringing. You grew up in a nice home in Pallet Town, had two loving parents - ".

"I did not, actually" Ash interrupted, because two could play at that game, couldn't they?

" - which makes me wonder what induced you to turn against Unova. We've got a growing population already here, and with more children of Arceus entering this world, we'll need resources to support them. We can't just let as many illegal aliens come here as possible!"

A few of the audience members gasped. Ash was among them; he could hardly believe that Michael Rowan, as despicable a man as he might have been, would use such language to describe people who had to run away from warzones.

"Pardon my Kalosian, but it's just not right that we prioritize people who haven't adapted to Unovan culture over those who have. Those who come need to assimilate, or else -".

BZZZZZT.

The buzzer saved the crowd from having to learn what Senator Rowan proposed for those migrants who failed to assimilate, but it could hardly be anything positive. But Ash wouldn't let the Senator's bigotry go unchallenged.

"How would you feel if you were on the other side of it, Senator?" the younger man enquired sharply through gritted teeth. "If someone implied your very existence was illegal?"

"I didn't say their existence was illegal, Ash. I said that they're here illegally; there's a big difference between the two. They can come here, they just have to go through the proper channels."

Ash could have pointed out that there was already quite an extensive refugee process for anyone who went that route. They were about as vetted as they could possibly be, and yet people like Senator Rowan just didn't care.

"What channels are proper to you, Senator? Do they need to prove that they're the perfect people to make their home in Unova? Or just that they're upstanding moral citizens who will be good enough?"

"Whatever," the Senator responded, rolling his eyes and wagging a finger as if to say, Can you believe any of this drivel?

"Gentlemen, both of you are out-of-control tonight!" Mrs. Harpoon boomed over her microphone. "If this does not subside, we will have to end the debate early, and that's the last thing we want!"

The two nominees gave one another glares of utmost hatred, but this staring contest did not escalate into a shouting match, probably to Mrs. Harpoon's relief (not to mention the audience's.) That being said, Ash's palms felt scorching hot from anger.

"Are we relaxed enough to continue the debate now?" the host asked the candidates.

"I am," Ash told Mrs. Harpoon. Turning to his opponent, he asked, "How about you, Senator Rowan?"

"I am, but I want to make sure everyone knows that this is Ash Ketchum's fault. He started this argument; if he didn't have such lenient policies towards the people of Hoenn, I might never have had to step in, huh?"

Now it was Ash's turn to roll his eyes. That just sounded patently ridiculous, to the point that the younger candidate nearly laughed.

"It doesn't matter who started it" Mrs. Harpoon replied severely, raising her right eyebrow over the rims of her spectacles. "Both of you have gone far out of line, very far. Such a display only serves to check more of our population away from politics, and to weaken the reputation of Unova abroad. Regardless of party, shouldn't we all want a civically minded Unovan populace, as well as a strong global reputation?"

"Yes," Ash said curtly. "Let's just move on."

"Okay, fine," the Senator snapped. "I've got to keep telling the truth, because Ash Ketchum wants to take you all out with bullshit."

With every passing second, Ash grew increasingly convinced that Mrs. Harpoon did not actually intend to adjourn the debate, no matter how far out of hand things got. All the networks were carrying the event, and it would no doubt provide much entertainment over the next few weeks to those watching it online. Ending the debate early would jeopardize her salary.

"Let's continue," Mrs. Harpoon said. "Now, the next question goes to -".

"I've got something else, too" Senator Rowan announced, holding up his right index finger. "It's another immigration proposal - ".

"Your time has entirely elapsed, Senator. If you wanted to unveil this proposal, you should have done so during your allotted time. We will continue with the following question, which is - ".

"We should build a wall," Rowan said simply.

Oh, great, Ash thought grimly. It takes more words to rebuke bullshit than it does to spout it. Rowan's certainly turning this into a circus!

"What do you mean, build a wall?" Ash snapped in disbelief.

"You know what a wall is, Ash. You construct it out of bricks, or steel, and it's meant to keep someone out whom you don't want in, or to protect you from an invasion. This isn't kindergarten camp."

"Well, you're acting like a playground bully right now."

Mrs. Harpoon took her glasses off and wiped them on her blouse. She also shook her head vigorously; perhaps she'd decided that it wasn't even worth it to argue with either nominee. It was plain, however, to see that she wasn't remotely enjoying this.

"Ash, now is not the time for such analogies," Senator Rowan crooned in a rather condescending manner. "Politics and elections are not games, you know; they have real-world consequences, whether you like it or not."

"That's quite right of you, Senator," the younger man muttered, shaking his head and wagging his middle finger at his rival, which resulted in numerous gasps once more.

"Okay, that's enough for both of you!" Mrs. Harpoon exclaimed. "And I really mean it! Don't fight over something so petty as that, do you understand me?"

Ash and Senator Rowan stared daggers at one another, but neither man said a word. This was not because the fight had blown over; on the contrary, tensions remained so high, and the anger so intense, that neither man knew how to express it safely.

"Okay then. The audience is asked to disregard the comment about building a wall, as well as the argument between the two nominees, when deciding who did better in the post-debate straw poll."

That's quite laughable. They can base their vote on any reason, or for no reason at all. There's no way to enforce Mrs. Harpoon's guidelines.

"The next question is about the treatment of Pokémon in Unova. More specifically, what should be done about police brutality towards non-humans? Senator Rowan, you get to respond first; you have a minute and fifteen seconds."

"Thank you" the Senator replied, clearing his throat. Turning to the audience, he said, "You know, it's a tough situation, it really is. One of the most violent we've ever seen from the standpoint of rioting. And when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

More gasps, including from Ash Ketchum himself, ensued. Even Michael Rowan, as awful as he could be, wouldn't dare to say such a thing.

And yet, those words had just come out of his mouth. It wasn't something one was supposed to say so casually, so flippantly, as if those words slid off the tongue just like water.

That phrase brought to mind images no decent person should want to conjure up. It evoked a past that no decent person should want to return to. And it made Ash shiver. It wasn't a Lillipup whistle; it was a Tauros horn.

"Senator, sir?" Ash enquired. He found himself unable to raise his voice, as much as words this provocative deserved a loud, angry response. But again, the Democratic nominee could not express such fury without breaking regional, provincial, and local laws.

"Don't interrupt me! Just stand back and stand by, will you? Anyway, looting our local businesses, attacking our finest men and women in blue, just isn't going to fly in Senator Rowan's Unova. But Ash Ketchum's Unova would welcome the destruction of our cities, and would turn a blind eye to the men and women who are hurt by riots in the streets. There's just no way to get around that."

BZZZZZT.

"Your time is up, Senator."

"That's not fair, Mrs. Harpoon! He stole time from me. I should get it back!"

"And that's not how it works, Senator," the host responded bluntly. "I don't make the rules, either; I just enforce them," she continued over the start of the Senator's objections.

The Senator grumbled a bit as Mrs. Harpoon continued. She turned to Ash with raised eyebrows.

"Now, Candidate Ketchum, it is your turn to respond. Please remain civil, however."

"No problem," Ash told the host. Turning to his opponent, he said, "Now, Senator, I know you don't want to admit what's in your head. In fact, none of us know this, nor should we; what you think about is your own business. However, we all know what just came out of your mouth, and you owe an apology to Pokémon everywhere.

"Now, the focus should be on me, so here goes: I can't pretend that I have all the answers to the police brutality problem against Pokémon. I'm not saying that everything will be magically solved on day one of the Ketchum presidency. But I will not deliberately inflame tensions further; that should be a low bar to clear."

BZZZZZT.

"That's it?" Ash hissed. "That's all I've got?"

"Yes, we're moving into the lightning round. I forgot to let you all know that," Mrs. Harpoon replied.

"But we agreed on the rules ahead of time! You can't just pull the rug out from under us whenever you feel like it!"

"That's what being President is all about, Ash," Senator Rowan sneered. "You've got to adapt to the situation at hand, no matter how surprised you might be. If you're thrown off by the pressures of a debate, then you should consider whether you're even capable of sitting in the Crimson Chamber."

"He's got a point, Candidate Ketchum," Mrs. Harpoon told the Democratic nominee. "Anyway, in the lightning round, each candidate will have forty-five seconds to answer their question, and each rebuttal will only be given thirty seconds. Do either of you have anything to declare before we continue the lightning round?"

"Yes," Ash muttered. "I declare that this format is stupid."

"Well, too bad. There's no opting out now."

Still, the younger candidate was incensed, and steam rose out of his ears. At such an important spectacle, why would they change the rules so abruptly? Ash knew what he'd agreed to, and it certainly wasn't this mess.

"The next question is also about police reform. Candidate Ketchum, you have been accused of expressing support for defunding the police. What do you have to say about that? You have forty-five seconds."

"That is a bald-faced lie!" Ash bellowed, his blood simmering in his veins. "In fact, it's grade-A fake news. Why would anyone think I'd support such a policy? I would advocate for reallocating funding from the police department to move to other social services for Pokémon, such as -".

"So in other words, you support defunding the police," Senator Rowan interjected. "Just say it, Ash. It's not that hard."

"I sure as hell do not. Why do you guys have to make things up? Is it fun to slander me?"

"It's not slander if I'm just telling the truth," the Senator insisted. "And I am telling the truth, which is that you, Ash Ketchum, aren't fit to serve in the Crimson Chamber!"

BZZZZZT.

Ash shot the Senator a look of pure, murderous fury. He wasn't literally going to murder his opponent, but it was tempting as hell to yell at Senator Rowan for depriving Ash of his precious seconds.

Not only that, but Ash wanted to shout at Mrs. Harpoon that none of this was fair. That if there was going to be a lightning round, she should have at least had the decency to inform them beforehand. Of course, there was no going back now.

"Okay," Mrs. Harpoon said breathlessly. "Despite that spectacle, Senator Rowan, you still have thirty seconds for your rebuttal. You have half a minute, so use it wisely."

He talked just as much as I did during my time. Why should he get more time?

"Ash Ketchum, it doesn't matter what you claim about your positions. You can't run away from your past as easily as you might want to, because for better or worse, only Celebi can travel through time.

"More importantly, you do support defunding the police. All those Pokémon gangs will have carte blanche on the streets of our major cities, and you won't get any help from the Ketchum administration. In fact, he'll roll out the red carpet -".

BZZZZZT.

Senator Rowan blinked, as though his memory had just been wiped with a snap of Mrs. Harpoon's fingers. He glanced blankly around the auditorium, but he didn't say anything else. Perhaps he'd decided to acquiesce to the rulebook after all.

"Okay, that was your rebuttal, Senator," the host told the Republican nominee. "I would like to thank you for respecting your time limit this time, and I'd like to thank Candidate Ketchum for not interrupting his opponent."

Ash couldn't help but snort. That's a pretty low bar, isn't it? And yet, we kept failing even to meet those standards.

The debate continued at a breakneck pace. Of course, this is exactly what they'd been told would happen as soon as the lightning round began.

Despite Ash's best efforts, he was swept off his feet multiple times when the questions did not conform to what he'd prepared for. He'd rehearsed everything he could control, of course, but that only got him so far.

With each answer, he was all too aware of the myriad lights and cameras all around him. They added so much pressure to perform, to tell the audience what they wanted to hear. And the audience was far more massive than this auditorium - it consisted of anyone who watched the debate, or even heard secondhand what had transpired during it. You just couldn't screw up.

"I'm telling you, Mrs. Harpoon, this format is fraudulent," Senator Rowan muttered after the buzzer cut him off for the umpteenth time. "Who decided that we only needed forty-five seconds?"

"I don't make the rules, Senator," Mrs. Harpoon repeated. "I just enforce them. Please don't ruin your goodwill with the spectators, because you're turning this whole thing into a circus."

A bit too late for that, isn't it?

"That was quite the clown show" Ash would recall the following morning as he ate from the breakfast buffet with Serena.

"No kidding," his fianceé responded, daintily taking bites from a croissant. "I don't know how you stayed calm during all of that."

Ash snorted. "Calm? Honey, I yelled on multiple occasions. And you didn't even see that I wanted to punch that jerk so badly. I don't know how I managed to not do that."

"Well, I guess you have more self-restraint than you're giving yourself credit for" Serena told him. "And that's what leaders need, so as long as you didn't get physical with Senator Rowan, they were going to like you."

Brock, on the other hand, wasn't so confident.

"It'll take some time before we know what effect the debate had on the polls," Ash's campaign manager told the couple over the phone. "It could be that you got a boost. But the post-debate poll indicated that the audience thought both candidates did poorly."

Ash gulped in an effort to suppress his exasperation. "How could they think that? It's not like… no, it is like that."

"What do you mean, Ash?" Serena asked.

"I mean that Senator Rowan turned it into a ten-ring circus. To the extent that I lashed out at him, it was only because I couldn't help myself. He made it awfully tempting, to be honest."

"Maybe he did," Brock told the couple. "But like I said, we'll have to see what the first few horse-race polls after the debate say. Don't forget, Ash, your polling numbers weren't looking great right before that debate - we'll see if you moved the needle."

"Anyone who's thinking rationally", Serena argued, "will understand that Ash was only doing what he needed to in order to rebut what his opponent spewed. They say it takes more words to refute bullshit than to spew it out."

Ash pictured Brock scratching his chin as he replied in the following way: "That's what I'd like to think, but I'm not optimistic about that. We're talking about swing voters, after all - they're hardly the most rational creatures around."

"You're right," Serena admitted, putting her head in her hands. "It's just… I don't want to think that he might be rewarded for that display. It's just unthinkable, you know?"

"Just because something is unthinkable doesn't mean it's not true," Ash pointed out, putting his head in his hands. "Oh my Arceus, this makes me sick."

"Well, you can't control what happens in the debate," Brock coached his friend and client. "What you can control, however, is how swing voters react to it. And we'll go full throttle, contacting them right up to November 5. We'll squeeze every single vote we can out of the cities, and nab some out of the backwaters, too."

"Nothing can go wrong with that plan," Ash said, more to convince himself than anyone else. "Isn't that right, Pikachu?"

"Pika pi! (Of course it is, boss!)" came a squeal from nearby, and the candidate couldn't help but beam from ear to ear. Yes, it had been a trying year and then some, but they'd arrived at the home stretch.

Ash enveloped Pikachu in a hug, and he didn't even mind the mild shock he received from doing so. The yellow mouse was just so huggable, electricity notwithstanding, that all Ash's worries seemingly melted away, even if only for a few seconds.

"There's only one thing that can ruin this momentum," Brock muttered eventually. "And I'll pray to Arceus that it doesn't happen."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, Brock? An October surprise?"

Brock nodded grimly. "That is exactly what I am talking about."

Everyone present knew what an October surprise was. Very often in a campaign, a headline appeared a few weeks before Election Day; depending on what the headline was about, a candidate might go from leading by a lot to losing by a little.

"We can't control the October surprise, though, can we?" Serena asked Brock.

"Well, we'll do what we can in its aftermath," Brock responded. "Again, we can't prevent Senator Rowan's camp from playing dirty, but we can manage the response to it. And like I said, I'm sure we can do it. If they find something damaging on Ash, then we'll fire back with intel on the Senator."

"Do we have more intel on Michael Rowan?" Ash enquired, leaning forward and perking up his ears.

"Not yet," his campaign manager told him. "But that doesn't mean we're giving up. If winning this election is truly a moral imperative - as I believe it is - we'll do whatever it takes."

Over the next few weeks, Ash fervently hoped that there would be no October surprise. The momentum was shifting back in his direction, as evidenced by the polls moving in his favor, but that meant next to nothing until Election Day. Seemingly any news event might upset this momentum.

So Ash prayed for stability in his poll numbers. He literally prayed, too - he would not retire to bed without appealing directly to Arceus for nothing bad to happen in the next few weeks. Of course, Senator Rowan was probably doing the same; whose prayers mattered more?

Well, it was clearly not Ash's prayers.

Because three weeks before Election Day, when early voting was already well underway, this stability was nuked from orbit.