This is a long chapter, but it seems to be more enjoyable when read together. I think I might start writing chapters like this, longer but update less frequently.
Regardless, here it is! I honestly take all constructive criticism seriously, and I've tried to make this chapter more interesting with less thoughts, more action and dialogue.
The contest stadium was bursting with anticipation as the crowd eagerly awaited for the second stage to commence. Two coordinators were pitched against each other in opposite ends of the battlefield, both of them holding fierce expressions on their faces. One of them was a brunette with a red bandanna tied onto her head, the other a blonde with a pink hat on top of hers.
"On the left we have May from Petalburg city!" Vivian introduced the coordinators by tradition, but there was no need to. May had already made a name for herself from her performance in the Hoenn Grand Festival, and she was a well-respected figure within the coordinating community. Nevertheless, her popularity was reflected by the deafening roar that erupted from the crowd.
May merrily waved back at the audience, but the smile soon faded from her face as she turned back to her opponent. After all, this was a competition, and May wanted to win.
"On the right we have a new coordinator, Serena from Vaniville town!" The spotlight focused on the blonde girl, who gave a polite bow of her head in return. An equally loud cheer erupted for the newcomer. The underdog was always root-able, and the audience wanted to see more from the girl who took the appeal stages by storm.
May adjusted her bandanna as she went into battle mode. After travelling through multiple regions, the pressure from large crowds no longer fazed her. May learned that by putting her focus on what was in front of her eyes, the daunting audience would gradually fade into the background.
However, her opponent wasn't as experienced as May was. She certainly didn't have the same air of confidence demonstrated in the appeal stages, which she manoeuvred through with ease. The expression on her face was one that May recognised too well; it was the same smile she put on to mask her fear when she debuted as a coordinator.
May could sense her anxiety in an instant. As a veteran in the field, it was her duty to support those who were new to the world of contests - and opponents were no exception.
"You'll do just fine," she gave the blonde girl an encouraging smile. "Come on, let's show the audience what a real contest battle looks like!"
Serena seemed to regain a little confidence upon hearing May's words, but she still wasn't entirely convinced. "Thanks. I guess I'll just have to do my best then."
"Go, Braixen!" She launched her pokéball with a determined expression on her face, and the fox-like pokémon burst out in style. Braixen leapt into the air, twirling her branch like a magician as red-hot flames erupted from the tip. She landed gracefully on the ground with a trail of fire behind her, and bowed her head towards the infatuated audience.
"And once again, Serena delivers an extravagant entrance with her Braixen, showing us how beautiful a pokémon can be!" Marian chuckled, as Braixen brandished her branch like a wand.
She sure knows how to put up a show, May thought. But then again, so do I.
"Beautifly, take the stage!" May spun on her heels in one fluid motion, before gently tossing her pokéball into air.
"Beauuuutifly!" The butterfly burst into action with a cry of admission and a radiance of beauty. Spreading his majestic wings like an eagle, he soared around the stadium as the crowd marvelled at his breathtaking appearance. The butterfly pokémon returned and perched on his trainers shoulder, and the two of them faced the audience in a defiant pose.
Well, let's see what she can do. May smiled confidently. She was going to enjoy this for sure.
"Beautifly, use Silver Wind!" May commenced the battle with a light appetiser, trying to get a feel of her opponent's battling style. The first exchange of moves were crucial to success, and she had learnt that from Ash himself.
"May, pay close attention to the first move." Ash's words rung clearly in her mind. "If you look carefully enough, you can find out more things about your opponent than you can imagine. He could be aggressive, someone who tries to overwhelm you with constant attacks. Or he could be passive and laid back, waiting patiently for you to make your move before countering specifically. It helps me a lot in battles, and I'm sure it works in contests as well."
Beautifly obliged immediately; he took off from May's shoulder before beating his wings in rapid succession. The pressure generated powerful air currents which swept across the battlefield, heading towards Braixen in a blur of white and silver.
"Use Flamethrower!" Serena countered instantly. This was her first contest, and she wanted to play her first move safe.
"Braixen Braix!" The fox pokémon nodded in accordance. She calmly pointed her branch at the incoming gust, and a thread of flames shot out from the tip. The flames were neutralised the silvery gust upon impact, dissipating into ashes which scattered harmlessly into the air.
Serena saw an opening, and took advantage of it immediately. "Use Scratch!" Braixen leapt into the air using her agile feet as a springboard, spinning gracefully as she encased herself within the veil of residue fire particles still suspended in mid-air. When she emerged from the cloud, her paws were shrouded in red-hot flames.
"Incredible!" Vivian exclaimed. "Braixen has powered up her scratch attack with a stunning combination! Talk about taking advantage of your own type." The audience were no less than mesmerised. Gasps of surprise emerged throughout the stands as Braixen raised her paw, revealing the set of razor-sharp claws concealed beneath.
Braixen swung her flre-encased paws at the unsuspecting butterfly in two vicious strikes, sending Beautifly tumbling backwards in pain. A chunk of May's points disappeared from the scoreboard.
"Are you okay?" May was worried for a second, but Beautifly's fighting spirit was exhibited as he was back into the air in no time. "Alright then, use Aerial Ace!" She chose to battle close-quarters, for Braixen seemed to excel at the long range game.
However, Serena was having none of it. "Hidden Power!" She countered accordingly.
"Braiiixen!" Three blue orbs of energy materialised in front of the fox pokémon. With a flick of her branch, she sent them flying towards the airborne butterfly like a barrage of homing missiles.
"Dodge it!" May cried. Beautifly was agile; he sidestepped the first two as they sailed harmlessly past his head, but the third orb landed right on his chest. Beautifly lost balance and crashed clumsily into the ground, and May's points went down yet again.
May gritted her teeth. She was good. Too good at showing off her pokémon's beauty.
I'm going to have to try something else. She thought.
"Beautifly, use String Shot then Psychic!" May unleashed one of her trademark combinations.
The butterfly pokémon spit a condensed ball of string towards the sky, before unravelling itself into a long thread. Serena could barely see what was going on, for the piece of string was cleverly hovering in line with the scorching sun. Taking advantage of the weather was a classic tactic, for it gave the opponent substantially less time to respond.
Beautifly's eyes glowed blue. A mysterious aura surrounded the piece of string as if possessed by a spirit, and it shot towards Braixen in the blink of an eye.
Serena's eyes widened. By the time she saw the thread of string emerge from the blinding sunlight, it was too late. Braixen was caught off-guard; her branch was hanging limply by her side, and there was no time to launch a counterattack.
"Braixen, dodge it!" she cried. Her partner was quick to the command as she manoeuvred to the side, but this was no ordinary string shot. The psychic attack had boosted it's speed, and it caught the edge of Braixen's foot. The piece of string stuck to the ground in a stubborn fashion, refusing to budge at Braixen's subpar physical strength. "Get out of there!" Serena was panicking now, and her fear was exhibited in her Pokémon as well.
"Braixen Braix!" The fox Pokémon responded. She was clearly distressed by the piece of string lodged around her ankle, as if it had ruined her appearance.
Swinging her arm around wildly, Braixen pointed the branch towards her ankle and let loose a thread of flames. The strings incinerated on impact, but the attack on herself had also caused her pretty feet to be charred with fire. Serena's points took a slight dive, albeit she was still above May.
That's it. A sudden sense of realisation dawned on May. She had discovered her opponent's weakness.
Serena might be good at at bringing out her Pokémon's beauty, at winning the crowd's approval. Heck, she might even be better than May in those departments, but there was one thing that she lacked.
She was not a battler. May noticed that Serena panicked under pressure, and her Pokémon didn't like to get dirty. The catch in contests was that there were two aspects of it, and a coordinator had to be competent at both.
On the contrary, May was a competent battler, and her Pokémon were more than willing to put their paws into the mud for a victory.
Throughout her travels across the Hoenn region, May had seen many battles. She accompanied Ash during his badge quest, watched the entirety of the Evergrande Conference, even witnessed the notorious Battle Frontier.
Although May wasn't a participant herself, she wasn't a cheerleader either. While the others watched battles purely for entertainment, May did not waste a second of her time. Instead, she analysed every battle carefully and tried to learn something from it.
At first she focused on the basics: type advantages, countering moves, paying attention to fatigue. As May watched more and more battles, she began to pick up the small details, the ones nobody would notice unless they were looking carefully. When to counter, when to dodge, and when to take the hit. Using the environment to your advantage. Playing mind games with the opponent.
May realised that battles and contests were not mutually exclusive. There were interchangeable skills, and she began to implement Ash's battling style into her own. Unfortunately, she was trying to imitate Ash too much in the Kanto Grand Festival, and Solidad exploited her aggressiveness. Her initial strategy backfired, but May wasn't going to give up.
Ever since, she had been trying to strike the perfect balance. A style which combined her dazzling combinations with Ash's relentless attacks, overwhelming the opponent with pressure before they could even respond.
And she was going to win the battle precisely like that.
[Advanced Adventure Instrumental starts playing :P]
"Beautifly, Silver Wind!" May ordered the attack while Braixen was still busy mourning over her charred leg. The distracted pokémon turned around only to feel the full force of the silvery gust as she was thrown into the air, her light body struggling to maintain balance.
"Flamethrower!" Serena countered. Although the fox Pokémon may be light as paper, she certainly wasn't lacking in the agility department. Braixen twisted in mid-air to regain her composure, and launched a powerful blast of fire at Beautifly's direction.
Unfortunately, May was waiting for this. "Now, Psychic!" she said in a confident tone, swinging her arm passionately to imitate the attack.
Once again, Beautifly's eyes glowed blue. The thread of flames were immobilised mid-air, as if being stopped some sort of invisible wall. Braixen upped the intensity as a giant fireball erupted from her branch, but the scorching flames were no match against the powerful Psychic attack. The butterfly pokémon flicked his head upwards, and the flames bent to his will, flying harmlessly into the ceiling.
"Now's our chance, Beautifly! Spin and use Silver Wind!" May cried.
Her wish was his command. Beautifly took a steep dive and began to spin, gaining momentum by the second as he swooped across the battlefield.
"Beauuuutifly!" The butterfly pokémon had morphed into a blur at this point, and let loose fierce waves of gust from his wings. The combination of the two created a silvery tornado which swept across the battlefield, ripping up parts of the ground as it headed straight towards Braixen.
Serena prepared to counterattack as the tornado approached, but it never hit Braixen. Instead, it completely surrounded the fox Pokémon.
Braixen stood still. There was a look of bewilderment in her eyes as she found herself trapped within the "eye" of the tornado, her escape prevented by fierce air currents which swirled around her to form an invisible wall.
"Braixen has been completely immobilised by a devastating Silver Wind attack!" Vivian exclaimed in astonishment. "What will Serena do?"
Serena clenched her fists. May had found her weakness and began to overwhelm her with relentless combination attacks. Beautifly dove straight into the opening created by the Tornado, approaching Braixen in a magnificent blur of silver. Serena began to panic, for she couldn't think clearly when faced with a difficult situation.
"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" In a desperate last ditch attempt, Serena called for Braixen's most powerful attack.
Braixen took aim and unleashed a fiery body of flames from the tip of her branch. It advanced towards the butterfly in a menacing stance, each of the five pillars burning with ferocity.
However, that wasn't enough to save the stranded Braixen.
"Aerial Ace!" May responded.
The butterfly Pokémon broke from the spin and weaved gracefully in between the pillars as if performing in a circus, before focusing his power into one final attack. Leaving the Fire Blast trailing in his wake, Beautifly dive-bombed into the eye of the tornado in a blaze of white light.
Braixen was struck clean in the stomach with unstoppable momentum. She was thrown into the air before landing on the ground with a hard thud. Meanwhile, Beautifly soared away in style, the white light fading from his body.
"Now that's a hit! The clock is ticking down, and Serena is in big trouble here. Can Braixen get up and make a comeback?" Vivian asked.
The fox Pokémon mustered all her strength to force herself up. The collision had left noticeable injury marks on her body, and she was panting heavily. For a moment May thought she would continue to battle, but Braixen's knees buckled, and she dropped to the ground with a crash.
The familiar horn of rejection blared as three distinct crosses appeared on the judge's panel.
"And... it's battle up for Braixen!" Vivian roared. "May and her Beautifly will be advancing to the second stage!"
A gratifying round of applause echoed throughout the stadium. The audience were cheering for both coordinators, for they had been given a gripping battle from start to finish. Serena's valiant efforts had not gone unnoticed; her name could be heard amongst the roar of the crowd.
May glanced at her opponent. She sat on the floor, patting Braixen as she leaned comfortably against her trainer. "Thank you, Braixen. We tried our best, and that's what matters in the end." The blonde girl gave her Pokémon a sad smile. Although she was undoubtedly disappointed, May saw a sense of pride in her eyes that nobody could take away.
"Braixen Braix." Her partner gave a weak purr of agreement, before shutting her eyes in fatigue. Serena returned the sleeping pokémon to her pokéball, for Braixen had earned a well-deserved rest. Heaving a sigh, Serena looked up, only to find May staring at her with an encouraging smile on her face.
"That was a good battle." May broke the silence. Winning was always a satisfying feeling, but May felt rather guilty at the same time. Her opponent had put up an incredible fight for a beginner.
"Thanks!" The blonde girl seemed to cheer up. "I learned a lot from our battle today. My name's Serena. I'm from the Kalos region."
"Hi, I'm May." The brunette grinned. She held out her hand, and Serena shook it.
"To tell the truth, I never realised how hard contests really were." Serena confessed. "You see, I'm a Pokémon performer myself. Coming to Hoenn was an opportunity to polish my performing skills by competing in contests, but I never realised how difficult the battling aspect could be."
"Don't worry about it," May winked. "You'll get the hang of battling eventually. It all comes with experience." She had confidence in the rookie coordinator, for she demonstrated flashes of talent during their battle that suggested great potential. For one, the idea of utilising residue ashes to power up a scratch attack was impressive to state the least.
"I hope so." Serena chuckled. She was certainly an optimistic one, for most coordinators would not be so cheery after the first taste of defeat. "Well, I won't give up until it's over!" She pumped her fist into the air.
May's heart skipped a beat. Somehow, those words sounded awfully familiar.
"May," She remembered Ash's words after she had lost her first contest to Drew. "As long as you don't give up, you'll succeed in the end no matter what!" The boy said optimistically, pumping his fist into the air.
May sniffed. "R-really?"
Ash seemed confused. "If you don't try, how can you even succeed?"
"I suppose." May mused, still not entirely convinced.
Ash looked her in the eyes with a confident smile. "There is only one way to fail, and that's not giving it all you've got. Pikachu and I won't stop fighting until the very end, and we'll become the number one Pokémon master in the world. Right, buddy?" The boy turned towards the Pikachu perched on his shoulder.
"Pika Pika!" The electric rodent pumped his tiny fist into the air in an identical manner to his trainer.
Her face was still soaked with tears, but May couldn't help but laugh. The boy was so optimistic, so determined to achieve his goal that the possibility of failure simply didn't occur to him. His mentality on life was just inspirational.
"If Ash and Pikachu can do it, so can I." She thought quietly.
Serena frowned at May's blank expression. "Did I say something?"
May quickly regained her composure. "No, no. It's nothing really. You just reminded me of an old friend." she forced a smile, trying to shrug off the topic.
"That's just what Ash used to say." Serena laughed.
Ash.
May refused to believe that it was a coincidence. She hadn't heard that name in months, but it somehow it had found it's way back to her again. First the mysterious Greninja in Kalos, now a contest opponent in Hoenn? It was sure a small world that she lived in.
"Ash... Ketchum? Funny boy from Pallet Town?" May asked, just to be sure.
"Yea. We travelled through the Kalos region together." Serena confirmed.
"Where is he now?" May pressed on, her curiosity peaking again. The boy travelled so much that it was hard to keep track of where he was.
"Last I've heard, he was heading to the Alola region." Serena's eyes narrowed. "Why are you asking me that?" She questioned in an interrogating tone.
May seemed taken aback by the sudden hostility. "Oh, I thought I might pay him a visit. I just haven't seen Ash in a while." she explained.
"I see." Serena replied flatly. The warm, welcoming tone in her voice was no longer present.
There was a brief moment of silence as neither of the girls said anything.
"So... I suppose you know Ash quite well then." May tried to continue the conversation.
"Yeah! He's, err, my boyfriend." Serena covered up with an awkward laugh, but May seemed a little confused.
"Wow. I never knew that Ash was interested in girls." The brunette frowned, trying to contemplate how much Ash could have possibly changed. Could he be a completely different person now?
Serena gulped. "Well- um-," she turned red in embarrassment. "It's a bit complicated." The blonde girl said quietly as she stared at the floor, fidgeting her thumb.
May was starting to get suspicious, but she gave Serena the benefit of the doubt. She did seemed awfully defensive when asked about Ash, and seemed slightly nervous when she spoke. Nevertheless, May was the type who tended to trust people, and she did so in this case.
"Well, it was good fun battling with you," she concluded. "My friends are waiting for me, so I have to go now. In any case, good luck with your next contest!" She gave a polite wave before skipping off towards the dressing room.
"Yea. You too." Serena mumbled, her eyes fixated on the brunette disappearing from the stage.
Although May won the contest in the end, the thrill of earning a ribbon wasn't as evident this time. In fact, she felt rather indifferent. The brunette spent the rest of her day sitting in silence, contemplating about life in general.
The Alola region. May wasn't too knowledgable about the many regions of the Pokémon world, although her travels had taken her to quite a few. As far as she was concerned, there was Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos and Alola. The first four regions were grouped together into a single, Pangaea-like continent, and she had travelled through every single one of them.
Unova and Kalos were isolated as separate islands, both incredibly far from other regions. May did visit the latter once, but it was a rather short trip, and it didn't go as they planned. She chuckled to herself, the memory of Ash's Greninja and Zygarde resurfacing in her mind. There was nothing in Unova that particularly appealed to May, and the Kalos region was still too dangerous to travel in.
The last one left was Alola. May had only heard stories about that region, rumours circulating amongst the common folk. The sunny beaches, the clear oceans, the blue skies. She heard that there were incredibly strong trainers called Island Kahunas, and there was a rite of passage for trainers in Alola to partake in. Apparently, it was called the "Island Challenge". There were rumours about a ring exclusive to the Alola region, a ring which allowed trainers to execute attacks with astounding power.
"May, you've been awfully quiet today." Her brother prodded her with his fork, while Solidad, Drew and Harley continued eating.
Max waited for May to tell him off. She was usually bossy about his brother's table manners, but this time there was no reaction. May continued to stare at her lap in deep thought.
Max glanced at the others for answers, only to get a shrug in return.
Suddenly, May sprung from her seat as if she had a Eureka moment, giving her poor brother a heart attack.
She eyed her friends with a confident expression, and took a deep breath. "I've decided. I'm going to the Alola region."
"What?" Max exclaimed in shock, dropping the fork he was holding. "You're going on a journey again?"
Drew didn't seem too happy either. He remained silent, but May could see him gritting his teeth. Harley merely raised an eyebrow, and Solidad smiled. It was as if she knew that May was going to leave all along.
"It's been great fun travelling with you guys," May began her speech. "We've trained with each other, competed against each other, and pushed each other to become stronger coordinators. I am grateful to all of you because of that."
May gazed at the night sky, as if looking for her future. "But sometimes, things don't go the way you want them to. I feel like I haven't been progressing much as a coordinator lately. That's why I need a chance of pace, something that can kick-start my career again."
She took a brief pause before continuing. "There is something waiting for me in Alola, I can feel it. A new adventure. A new region. A chance to visit an old friend again..." the brunette trailed off.
Solidad placed her hand on May's shoulder. "Follow your heart, May. Follow your heart, and you will never go on the wrong path."
"Thanks, Solidad." May loosened up at her friend's encouraging words.
"Well, at least you won't be nagging me every five minutes." Max added, fixing his glasses in a smug manner.
May smiled at her brother, tolerating his jokes for the first time. She turned back towards her friends. "When I come back, I'll become stronger than ever, so don't let your guard down!"
"Boo Hoo," Harley pretended to sniff as he pulled out his handkerchief. "Little May is leaving her friends to find her knight in shining armour, Blah Blah Blah. Why don't you bore me some more. I'm out of here." He stood up and strode out of the restaurant. Drew followed suit without saying a word.
May crossed her arms and huffed. "I swear, that Harley..."
"Don't worry about him. I'm sure deep inside, he cares about you just as much as I do, and the same goes for Drew. Besides, it's getting late. I think we should head to bed soon." Solidad said.
May agreed, for she was getting tired as well. Solidad paid for the bill, and they returned to the hotel for the night.
May rolled around on her fluffy white bed, unable to fall asleep. She kept wondering if she had made the right choice. On one hand, her instincts told her to leave. She wanted to see Ash and go an adventure again. On the other hand, she would be abandoning her friends. It was quite the dilemma indeed.
Follow your heart. Solidad's words echoed in her mind over and over again. Solidad was the oldest and most experienced, and she always gave May good advice when she needed it. But what did her heart want? May scratched her head out of frustration, trying to think clearly.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the creaking noise of the door opening, and a small ray of light crept into the room. There was a gentle knock on the door, and May instantly sprung out of bed. Why would anyone come in so late?
It was Drew.
"May, do you mind if I have a word with you?" The green-haired boy seemed rather unusual. There was no smirk on his face, no smug comment directed towards her coordinating abilities. He came in his plain green pyjamas, and he had not bothered to fix his hair. Totally not Drew style at all, but May wasn't going to judge when her friend needed help.
"Of course." May flicked on the bedside lamp, before plopping on the side of her bed. She motioned for Drew to take a seat.
"I just want to say-" Drew struggled to find the right words. "I don't think you should go to Alola." He blurted out.
May seemed surprised. Sure, any friend would be sad to part ways with one another. On the other hand, she was going to return to Hoenn eventually. Alola was just a journey, her home remained in Petalburg City nonetheless. If May was ever going to become top coordinator, she would want to win the Grand Festival on her home soil, with her family cheering from the stands.
"Why not?" May questioned.
Drew had a look of concern in his eyes. "I don't like that boy." He said flatly.
"Who?" May asked, but she realised immediately that it was a stupid question. There was only one boy she knew in Alola.
"You know who," Drew sighed. "Ash."
May frowned. She never noticed any conflicts between the two. Ash was always enthusiastic when meeting Drew, and although Drew put on his arrogant face every time he met Ash, he never insulted him. There was a sense of mutual respect between the two, as they were both experienced trainers in their respective fields.
"Ash is a great friend of mine. You know that." She defended.
Drew shook his head. "He acts nice and all, but being so enthusiastic all the time makes me uncomfortable. This might sound strange, but I don't think Ash is the person who you think he is."
He took a deep breath. "I've met these type of people before. They pretend to be your friend and act like they care, but turn their back on you when you need their help the most."
May was shocked to hear Drew speak of her friend like that. Sure, some people might dislike Ash because of his personality. He did have flaws, but trust was the very least of his issues. May knew that Ash would never, ever turn his back on his friends.
"Ash is not like that." May said quietly. "You don't know him at all."
Drew clenched his teeth. "I just don't want anything to happen to you, that's all." He seemed genuinely upset, and May felt bad for him. She was glad to have a friend who cared so much.
"That's very nice of you," She softened up, knowing that Drew was just worried about her. "But I've made up my mind already."
"Then I'm going to Alola with you." He pressed.
"Thanks, Drew." May smiled. "But I don't need your help. I'll do just fine on my own." She politely declined the offer, for one of the reasons why she wanted to leave Hoenn was because she wanted a change of pace. May wanted a fresh start, and although she enjoyed Drew's company, having him around wouldn't achieve that.
"I'm still going to keep a close eye on you." Drew insisted stubbornly.
"Fine." May gave in. "I guess I can't change your mind."
The green-haired coordinator heaved a sigh. "Thank you, May. I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed. Good night." He got up from his chair and began heading towards the door.
"One more thing." Drew stopped; he reached for his pocket and fished out a small object. With a classy flick of his hand, he tossed it backwards before striding out of the room like his usual self.
May caught it. It was a rose, with a rather sweet scent. She blushed as Drew disappeared from sight, still holding the rose in her hands.
Gently placing it on the table, May flicked the lights off and snuggled under her covers.
The Alola Region, Ula'Ula Island
As the sun slowly set over the horizon, a boy leaned lightly against the railings, looking over the vast ocean. His hair was black and messy as if left unattended for weeks, and there was a Pikachu resting peacefully on his hat.
The two of them watched as the gentle waves occasionally crashed against the shore, sending droplets of sparkling water flying into the air. Nevertheless, the rest of the ocean was calm as the setting sun. The water was clear and fresh, preserved by nature and untouched by humanity. They felt the cool Alolan breeze press against their faces, the tropical Alolan scent dominating the seaside.
"This is a really beautiful view. Isn't that right, Pikachu?"
"Pi?" His companion awoke from his slumber and looked around in confusion. A faint smile appeared on his face as he appreciated the breathtaking scenery.
"Pika." He responded dreamily, still tired from his previous nap. He enjoyed sitting on his trainer's hat. It was just the right size and shape.
The boy sighed. "I wish someone was here to see this as well. It sure is boring at times when it's just us two." He gazed at the endless ocean, imagining the faces of his friends appearing before his eyes.
He smiled and glanced upwards at the direction of his Pikachu, although he couldn't quite see him due to the hat. "Well, at least we've got each other. That is something that will never change."
"Chaaa." Pikachu yawned. He had already crawled back into his sleeping position. The boy smiled as he gently removed the Pikachu from his cap, before tucking him into a mouse-sized sleeping bag. Careful not to wake him up, he positioned his own sleeping bag next to his partner's, and snuggled comfortably into the warm shelter.
"G'night, buddy." The boy shut his eyes and entered the dream world as the two of them lay side by side, facing each other like a pair of inseparable friends. Till death do us part, as they say.
Well, it sure took a bit longer than I thought to actually get the story going, but the adventure begins now.
A question for the plot: Do you want May to participate in contests in Alola or help Ash in his trial quest (participate in the trials and fight the Totem pokemon together, but Ash battles grand trial alone). I like the idea of the latter, but I might change my mind if you guys don't like it.