It was now Ash's third day back in Alola, and it was the first day where Ash, for the most part, felt at ease.

The first day was filled with feelings of confusion and overwhelmingness, having been thrown a surprise of a hero's arrival which he still couldn't quite believe, and the whole fiasco of getting robbed by a Yungoos alongside his strange and stressful first encounter with Lillie.

The second day was one of mixed feelings and business. After some clarity concerning things with Lillie following a talk with Mallow and an originally quite awkward visit to her family, Ash was kept busy for the entirety of the rest of the day.

Firstly, it turned out Guzma, who had shown up at the Professor's hour whilst he was still at Lillie's mansion, wanted to show him how he was in the process of building a small training facility for Team Skull to aid them in learning Pokemon Battles. While visiting the surprisingly impressive facility, the Team Skull members practically begged for the chance to learn from the World Monarch himself, to which Ash happily complied.

Following an afternoon of tutoring, Ash had his promised visit to the Ruins of Conflict with Hala, which led to another encounter with Tapu Koko, and unfortunately for the already tired Ash and Pikachu, an evening filled with even more Pokemon battles.

And now, following two fairly eventful days, Ash decided to take it easy and enjoy a fishing day with Lana, something the two had planned on the night of Ash's return to Alola.

Walking down a coastal cliff path on the west side of Hau'oli City on his way to meet up with Lana, Ash glanced at the wonderful view of the Melemele Sea. Pikachu, walking beside his trainer, noticed Ash getting lost in the beauty of the Alolan view and quickly climbed up Ash's head to take a look himself.

"Pika…" The little mouse couldn't help but say, amazed by the wonderful sight.

Ash briefly glanced up at the added weight on his head and chuckled at Pikachu's awed expression. "Awesome isn't it, buddy?"

A splash of water suddenly erupted from the sea, colliding with the coastal erosion, the water flying to the top of the cliff path, giving the two onlookers an even more unbelievable view as the splash reached their eyes gracefully.

"Woah…!" Ash couldn't help but say, sparkles were seen in his and Pikachu's eyes, as the water seemingly glistened in the Alolan sunshine, giving some of the drops of water tints of green and white.

Tints of green and white that reminded Ash of someone's eyes and hair.

Ash's eyes widened just as the splash disappeared from the coastal view, surprised at himself, as his thoughts had once again managed to drift back to a certain blonde-haired girl.

Ash stood there for a little while longer, his eyes having not moved from where the gush of water was moments ago. Pikachu looked down from Ash's head, and twisted his head slightly, before tapping, well more like slapping, his trainer out of his trance.

"Huh?" Ash quickly blinked and swiftly realized he was staring at nothing, before awkwardly looking up to his best friend and nervously chuckling. "Oh! S-Sorry bud, let's get going!"

Pikachu raised an eyebrow but mostly ignored his trainer as Ash resumed walking down the coastal path. Ash inwardly sighed.

Ash didn't know why, but ever since he visited Lillie's house, more than ever, he couldn't keep Lillie out of his head. Multiple times this morning and yesterday, he found himself thinking about her in the most unrelated scenarios, to the point where Ash was starting to get slightly concerned.

Out of the notable occurrences, there was the moment when he was sparring with a Team Skull member at Guzma's training facility whose Pokemon was Comfey, and the first thing Ash thought of was the time when he and Lillie took a ride on a Comfey after they and Sophocles got shrunk by Faba's strange machine, something which he didn't even know he remembered.

All things considered, Ash didn't know why Lillie now constantly plagued his mind, nor the emotions he felt around her. He had talked a bit about it to Mallow yesterday, but he still didn't quite know how to describe the feeling, probably because he couldn't recall something similar to it before…

Through the mess of thoughts and questions stuck in Ash's mind for the following minutes, he had failed to realize he had made his way down the coastal path, now leading to a seaside reef resembling more of a rocky cove, close to where he was supposed to meet with Lana.

Pikachu, who had been greatly appreciating the scenery while his trainer absentmindedly walked down the seaside path, perked up upon smelling a familiar scent. Scanning further into the reef, Pikachu's face lit up upon seeing a familiar human and Pokemon, and excitedly jumped off Ash's head to greet them, causing the trainer to suddenly break away from his thoughts.

"Woah!? Pikachu, what's…"

Ash stopped himself upon realizing they had made it to Lana's designated meeting spot and quickly noticed Lana sitting on a rock just off the reef, leisurely adjusting one of her fishing rods as Primarina watched over her. Ash smiled, before picking up the pace to catch up to Pikachu.

"Pika-Pikachu!" The electric mouse squeaked running towards the trainer and Pokemon, causing Lana and Primarina to perk up.

Lana glanced towards the familiar sound and a small smile came upon her face as she noticed Pikachu excitedly rush to her as Ash lagged behind. She gave the pair a friendly wave and Primarina did so similarly with one of her fins.

Upon reaching the small rock Lana was sitting on, Pikachu hopped into the girl's arms as Lana happily greeted the Pokemon. "Hey there, Pikachu, nice to see you again!"

"Pikachu~" The Pokemon cooed, just as Ash arrived.

"Hey, Lana! Hope you weren't waiting too long!" Ash said, waving as he greeted her.

"Hey, Ash! Don't worry, we just got here a few minutes ago, I was just adjusting our fishing rods."

"Awesome!" Ash said as he approached Lana's Primarina, the Pokemon clapping her fins together, clearly happy to see him. "Hey Primarina, looks like you've been doing well!"

Primarina seemingly grinned, as she suddenly stood up on her fish-like tail before impressively creating a giant bubble on her snout. Ash slowly walked backwards as Primarina practically effortlessly balanced a massive water sphere on the tip of her snout.

"Woah… That's amazing, I didn't even know it was possible to create water balloons this big!" Ash couldn't help but say as he marvelled at the sight.

Lana giggled at Ash's amazement before saying, "Thanks, but I've seen you and your Lucario create some pretty big spheres yourselves…"

Ash chuckled at Lana's remark just as Pikachu hopped out of Lana's arms and onto Ash's shoulder. The Pokemon then swiftly climbed up Ash's head and tried to copy Primarina's water balloon, going on all fours and raising his tail, building a spherical Electro Web on the end of it.

Primarina excitedly clapped her fins once again after seeing Pikachu copy her. The water and fairy type gracefully twirled around, all whilst keeping the balloon perfectly balanced on her snout, before finally launching the water sphere into the air and making it pop, causing a wonderful glitter effect. Pikachu's eyes visibly sparkled in amazement, before swiftly trying his best to copy, awkwardly spinning on Ash his head and somewhat launching the Electro Web into the air, the Electro Web messily disintegrating into static electricity. Ash sweatdropped as both Lana and Primarina giggled.

"Maybe stick to battling buddy…" Ash said. Pikachu scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.

"Don't listen to Ash, that was great Pikachu!" Lana said, causing Pikachu to smugly look at Ash as the latter held his head. Lana swiftly grabbed one of her two fishing rods and threw it at Ash. "Here Ash."

Ash barely had the time to glance at Lana, before he was forced to awkwardly catch the incoming fishing rod. Pikachu hopped off Ash as the latter analyzed the tool. "Woah! Thanks, Lana!"

"No problem! You got your lure, right?" Lana asked, raising Misty's special lure that she had in the air.

Ash grinned as he hopped a few steps to sit on the rock just beside Lana's, before dropping his backpack and pulling out the very same sure Misty also gave to him. "Yep!"

Lana matched Ash's grin, as the pair simultaneously cast their fishing lines into the smaller body of water in the middle of the rocky cove, the one just before leading into the ocean. Pikachu and Primarina watched on for a few moments on the seaside of the rocky cove before amusing themselves with some of the other wild Pokemon on the beach.

Ash stretched out an arm into the sky, checking out a bit of his surroundings as he did so. It was a fairly secluded spot, with only the single coastal path Ash took earlier leading to the cove that almost encapsulated the area below. Off the small beachside behind him and Lana were a few small rock formations, one of which they were sitting on, surrounding the body of water they were fishing at. It seemed like there were quite a few wild Pokemon just hanging around, probably because not a lot of people came here.

"This is a nice spot!" Ash admitted, still glancing at his surroundings while not focusing too much on his lure gently floating in the water.

"Sure is. I found it one day while Mantine Surfing near here and noticed a few wild Pokemon gathering. I decided to check it out afterwards and it turns out it's a decent fishing spot, though I haven't told too many people to not bother the Pokemon hanging out here too much."

"I see, but it's great! Pretty peaceful too..." Ash said, which Lana noted was in an awfully relieved matter.

Lana raised an eyebrow but didn't take her eyes off her fishing rod. "Odd, I wouldn't associate you with peaceful, to be honest…"

Ash frowned, noting it was the second time in two days one of his friends told him that. "Hey! Sometimes I need a break too… I can't always be doing something grand…"

Lana giggled, before replying. "Yeah, you're right… Taking it easy and not worrying about things can help sometimes."

Ash narrowed his eyes, just as Lana's got a bite and started professionally reeling in the catch. "Yeah… Mallow told me something like that too…" He said

"Funny…" Lana started, as it turned out she reeled in a Bruxish from the sea which she then gently placed back in the water. "Mallow also told me that you were worrying too much about Lillie."

"Huh!?"

Before Ash could say anything more, a Pokemon suddenly yanked Ash's fishing line and, due to him not paying attention, he was forcibly pulled into the water, causing a huge splash, the trainer screaming in panic in the process.

Upon hearing Ash's screech, Pikachu and Primarina abruptly glanced at where their trainers were only to find Lana laughing to herself as Ash's head popped out of the water, looking at Lana with a look that could kill.


The sun was shining, the Pipikek were chirping, and Lillie, for the first time in a long while, was feeling bubbly again.

Sitting on a wooden bench on the outskirts of Hau'oli City, Lillie watched on with a smile as people and Pokemon walked along the roads of the coastal city. Adjusting her sunhat, she glanced up at the clear skies and let out a relieved sigh.

Having newly found the motivation to reconnect with Ash after his unexpected visit yesterday, Lillie felt refreshed and ready to finally put her emotions into action. After yesterday's events, she had invited Mallow for a girl's day out, partially because it had been a while, but also because she wanted her help in figuring out the details of how to do what she wanted.

She had also invited Lana, but it seemed like she already had plans with someone else. Lillie was admittedly curious as to with who…

Just as she was about to lose herself in that thought, a sudden shout from someone calling her name grabbed her attention. Glancing down the street to her left, she noticed Mallow excitedly running towards her, waving her hand eagerly. Lillie gave a small wave of her own as Mallow arrived.

"Hey, Lillie!" Mallow said in her typically chirpy fashion.

"Hey Mallow, thanks for coming!"

"No problem! Now come on, I saw some shops with some really cute clothes that I'm just dying to check out!"

Before Lillie could let out a word, Mallow abruptly yanked her arm and dragged her back the way she came from, with Lillie holding on to her sunhat for dear life.

Speeding past the concerned yet amused looks of passersby, Lillie slightly embarrassed said, "M-Mallow, slow down! We don't need to be in such a rush…"

Mallow simply laughed and replied without missing a beat. "Of course we do! We'll miss out on all the cool stuff if we take our time!"

"G-Geez…"

After a few more chaotic minutes of Mallow relentlessly dragging Lillie across Hau'oli City, the former abruptly stopped at a store named "Alolan Fashion" upon seeing a dress through a glass window. She looked at the dress in awe as Lillie held her head, dazed.

Mallow stared at the dress for what felt like ages, before quickly glancing at Lillie, looking to be in deep thought. Lillie raised an eyebrow, as Mallow glanced back at the dress, then back at her, and repeated this a few more times.

"Um…" Lillie said a bit weirded out, as Mallow continued her weird series of actions. "Mallow…?"

Mallow didn't say anything, but this time kept her gaze fixed on Lillie as her eyes narrowed. Lillie took a step back, admittedly a little terrified at her friend's intense stare, but couldn't take one more as Mallow quickly grabbed her arm once more and brought her into the store, where she immediately went up to a shop worker who was busy placing some clothes on one of the racks.

"Excuse me!" Mallow practically screamed, startling the female worker. "Could my friend please try out that dress!" She finished as she pointed at the dress she saw through the windows.

"O-Oh, um…" The shop worker struggled with what to say as she was overwhelmed by Mallow's excitement, until she glanced at Lillie, and saw the blonde-haired girl give an apologetic look. The worker figured out she was probably getting dragged around by her eccentric friend and smiled in sympathy, before saying, "Sure! Follow me."

After getting the dress, Mallow shoved Lillie into the dressing room and ordered her to try it on, to which Lillie somewhat unwillingly complied. A little while later, Lillie came out, clear embarrassment on her face, wearing a complex dress somewhat resembling the one she would usually wear in shape but with colours resembling Lunala with gems and makeshift stars attached. Mallow went mouth agape as she stared in awe.

Safe to say Lillie found the dress too flashy for her liking, though she did think it looked good for a special occasion, but for her style, she wasn't really feeling it.

Nevertheless, Lillie forced a smile as she said, "H-How do I look?"

"Woah… That dress looks awesome!" Mallow said still in amazement, but thankfully for Lillie, Mallow added, "Though, it's probably a bit too much…"

Lillie sighed and said, "Yeah… I think it is…"

"But wait! I found this SUPER cute one while you were changing and…"

As Mallow rambled on and on about a multitude of dresses that she thought would look great on her, Lillie sighed once more and mumbled, draining out Mallow's words, "This is gonna be a long day…"


After his unfortunate swim, Ash tried to get back to fishing but found himself struggling to do so as Lana kept secretly laughing. Well, maybe not so secretly…

"You done?" Ash said in a less than amused tone, as he frowned whilst staring directly ahead.

"S-Sorry, I just didn't expect you to be that startled." Lana said, slowly starting to calm down her laughing fit.

"Of course I'd be… I didn't know Mallow told you…"

"We're best friends, we tell each other everything."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Ash mumbled as he lightly palmed his face, just as he lost another bite on his fishing line. "I wanted to talk to you about it anyways, so I guess this makes things easier…"

"I see. Go right ahead then."

Ash looked at Lana, the latter having seemingly understood this wasn't the easiest thing for Ash to explain, and sighed. He adjusted his hat a little before looking further into the sea and explaining the situation to Lana, from the beginning when he first saw Lillie again and the awkwardness between them to what happened at Lillie's mansion and his mixed feelings about her in general.

Lana carefully took in Ash's words, pretending to silently listen while still focusing on her fishing. Behind her nonchalant facade, she was quite surprised to hear Ash taking all of this fairly seriously, it didn't seem quite like him to ponder about these things so intensely. For the longest time, she thought the only thing ever on his mind was Pokemon, but this situation showed that maybe that wasn't always the case…

Though, she couldn't help but think this was a special case because it was about Lillie.

"And yeah… that basically sums it up. Though, I still haven't told Mallow what happened at Lillie's mansion yet. and I did promise her to keep her updated, whatever she meant by that…" Ash said, finishing his side of the story.

"I see…" Lana said, nodding her head slightly. "I gotta say, Ash, I wouldn't have taken you as someone to take this all so seriously…"

Ash sighed before looking down at his reflection in the water. "I know, I thought after clearing some things up with Lillie directly I'd be alright, but even after I talked to her, I can't help but think about… "

Lana glanced at Ash as he couldn't find his words and saw an expression on his face that she didn't see very often, one that was a striking contrast to the eccentric hotshot Pokemon Trainer that, just a few days ago, was on top of the world. Whilst she didn't think Ash was completely off put by his situation with Lillie, he still was the same passionate and joyful Ash that everybody knew and loved, but it's as if there was just this thing in the back of his mind that was bugging him, like a small headache that keeps coming back after disappearing for a while.

All in all, she could tell there was something about the situation that didn't sit right with Ash. She had her suspicions as to why, and she was sure Mallow did too considering what she had told her, but she did know one thing was almost certain, and that made her smile.

Lana gently reeled in her fishing line and placed her fishing rod beside her, as she looked up at the sky still with a smile on her face, her arms stretching behind her.

Ash looked at Lana and saw her just smiling peacefully, making him raise an eyebrow questioningly. "What's got you all cheerful suddenly?" Ash said with a small chuckle.

"Nothing, I'm just happy to see that you really care about Lillie." She said, still staring at the bright sky.

Ash seemed a bit taken aback, and a little awkwardly replied. "W-Well, of course, I do! She's really important to me! Don't you guys care about Lillie too?"

"Obviously dummy…" Lana said with a chuckle to a less-than-amused Ash. "What I mean is, this wouldn't bother you as much as it does if you didn't truly care about her."

Ash looked stunned and struggled to find a reply. "I… I mean…"

"Let me ask you this Ash: What do you want to happen with Lillie?"

Ash immediately opened his mouth to answer, but words didn't come out, as his grip on his fishing rod loosened. Lana waited patiently for his answer, as Ash glanced in front of him.

"I… I want things to not be the way they are right now. I want it to be normal with each other and not this… weird and awkward tension. I want to chat like we always did, hang out like we always did!" Ash finished saying, a sudden surge of motivation in his tone at his last sentence.

"So basically, like things were before you left Alola?" Lana asked, taking Ash by surprise once more.

"Huh? No… I-I mean… kind of… but not really… that'd be like going backwards…"

"Backwards?" Now Lana was surprised. Considering their relationship back then going backwards to when Ash and Lillie left Alola would generally be considered beyond amazing no…?

"Y-Yeah… like, we both have grown since then and… I…"

Lana's eyes grew wider as Ash stopped talking, both confused and shocked. "Wait, hold on a second! Ash… what do you–"

"WOAH!?"

Ash suddenly screamed, as he suddenly was pulled forward, his fishing line abruptly catching something that seemed to be of great resistance. Ash frantically started reeling in his catch to very little success as Lana watched in worry but internally still pondered what Ash was trying to say just a moment ago.

"J-Just… What is this!?" Ash couldn't help but say still holding on to his fishing rod for dear life. It didn't feel like a single Pokemon bit the lure, but whatever did sure was antsy…

Lana finally snapped out of her miniature trance and quickly looked at where Ash's fishing line was being violently dragged around. She noticed a plethora of shadows in the water quickly making their way to shore, where some Corsola and Wimpod appeared, looking utterly terrified. "What is going on…!?"

Pikachu and Priminarina, who were busy sunbathing, noticed the commotion and the shore they were on suddenly became overpopulated, as an uncountable amount of water Pokemon made their appearance. The two Pokemon looked at each other, confused and alerted, before rushing to their trainers to see what was going on.

Primarina let out a cry as she approached Lana, causing the trainer to turn around, only for her to turn right back as she heard Ash scream once again just as he reeled in whatever grabbed his lure. Her eyes widened as she saw multiple Pyukumuku, Horsea and Wishiwashi attach themselves to Ash's face.

Ash quickly got the Pokemon off of him, only for them to coward behind him, the Pokemon practically shaking in fear. Ash looked puzzled and concerned just as Pikachu hopped on his head. "Pikachu? What's up with all the Pokemon!?"

"Ash, look!" Lana screamed as she pointed further into the ocean. Ash jumped back, startled, as he noticed two abnormally giant Gyrados suddenly jump out of the water.

"Woah, they're huge!?" Ash couldn't help but say, as the Gyrados almost towered over them from a distance. He quickly realized the two weren't friendly, as, just as they entered the cove, the two Gyrados fired off two Hyper Beams in their direction.

Lana and Ash's eyes widened as they and their Pokemon practically threw themselves out of the way to avoid the incoming move. The two beams continued their way past them and collided with the back of the cove, a booming sound accompanying it.

Ash quickly picked himself up from the ground and frustratingly said. "Man! What is it with Alola and all the hostile Pokemon nowadays!?" Noting it was now the second time in three days wild Pokemon seemingly were out to get him.

"Ash! The Pokemon!" Lana screamed as she and her Primarina picked themselves up from the ground, pointing at where the Hyper Beams collided. The moves caused some rocks from above to dangerously fall from above, just above where a group of Pokemon were cowering from the two monsters.

'Oh no.'


Lillie couldn't tell you how much time had passed, and she wasn't sure if she even wanted to know that anyways…

Since meeting up, Mallow had been dragging her around the city of Hau'oli, practically shoving her into every store that even slightly caught her eye.

Thankfully, Mallow had seemingly calmed down her shopping spree, as she and Lillie were now quietly enjoying a meal at the food court. Mallow took the time to dive into some famous Alolan pancakes, while Lillie took the time to breathe and relax a little.

"Mmm! No matter how much I eat these pancakes, they're still so good!" Mallow said in between bites. Lillie simply chuckled.

"You sound a lot like a certain someone right now…" Lillie couldn't help but say. Mallow glanced at her, raising her eyebrow as a smug look came upon her face.

"A certain someone who thought you were avoiding him…" She replied coolly. The shock on Lillie's face was priceless.

The two ate in silence for a while, as Lillie, embarrassed, started twiddling her fingers while Mallow took the time to finish her food.

Lillie wanted to tackle the almost taboo subject at hand, after all, that was one of the reasons she had invited Mallow here in the first place, but she didn't quite know where to start. Thankfully, Mallow was already on it.

"So, how did it go with Ash yesterday?" She asked first, as Lillie seemed even more shocked.

"H-How did you-"

"He came to the restaurant that morning, he was wondering if something was up with you, so I suggested he should go see you, and it looks like he did." Mallow cut Lillie off, already knowing the imminent question.

"Oh!" Lillie practically gasped, before adding. "I guess I should probably thank you for that…"

Mallow grinned as Lillie continued. The latter explained her side of the things that happened at her mansion, mostly summing up the conversation she had with Ash in her room before he had to leave, as Mallow listened attentively, trying her best to fill in between the lines that she knew Lillie was bound to skip.

"I see…" Mallow first said, taking in Lillie's words as she finished "Well, it's good that at least it seems like you guys have cleared up some stuff. Though…"

Mallow's face turned more serious as she pondered something, something which Lillie wasn't expecting. "I don't get you, Lillie."

"Get me?" Lillie repeated questioningly.

"Yeah. You were clearly the most excited person for Ash's return, I remember you were practically counting the days for him to come back, but when he finally did, you lied your way out of the party, and, from what I got from Ash, you went out of your way to not talk to him."

"I-I know, I know…" Lillie said, as her expression dampened a little. "The truth is, I was too afraid to meet him again, I sort of just… panicked and ran away because I didn't know how to face him…"

"Oh, Lillie…" Mallow admittedly started to feel bad for Lillie, she could tell she regretted doing what she did and was just nervous to see him. After all, she knew what he meant to her…

"But, that's not the case anymore!" Lillie swiftly added, a hint of determination in her voice. "I don't want to unconsciously avoid him anymore, and I-I want to talk to him normally again!"

"Great, that makes the two of you…" Mallow said with a small laugh and a voice just low enough for Lillie to not be able to hear. Raising her voice, Mallow smiled before saying, "That's great, Lillie! That's also why you need to look your best, now come on! Let's check out some more clothes!"

Mallow was already preparing to stand up and leave but Lillie stopped her. "Wait! You mean you've been leading me around because you want me to look good for Ash?"

Mallow blinked, and said as if it was perfectly normal, "Well, yes…?"

Lillie lightly facepalmed before explaining. "I-I'm not trying to impress him! I want to be able to talk to him, and I need your help figuring out how to make that happen!"

"I know. And I will help you do that, but…" Mallow slightly tilted her head, seemingly a little confused. "Don't you want to look good in front of him?"

"N-No!" Lillie awkwardly stumbled out nervously.

"Really…?" Mallow said in a tone that seemed to not at all believe Lillie's words.

"Y-Yes!" Lillie practically screamed, slapping her hands on the table as she abruptly stood up, garnering a few looks.

"You don't want to look good in front of him?"

"M-Mallow!"

"Are you sure…?

"I-I… T-That's not what I am trying to do!"

"Lillie…"

"W-What are you trying to insinuate Mallow?!"

"You're… joking, right?"

"N-No, I'm not! I just-

"For ARCEUS sake Lillie, don't you like him!?"

… … …

The silence of the mall's dining area was only broken when a few strangers passed by and giggled upon seeing a blonde-haired girl's face redden in embarrassment, as her green-haired friend in front of her simply stared at her with a knowing look.

Lillie noticed that basically the entire dining area was looking at them and swiftly shrank into the back of her seat, hiding her face behind her sunhat.

"Is… Is it that obvious?" Her muffled voice said behind her hat.

"Lillie, I'm pretty sure half of Alola knows…" Mallow replied with a frown. "That and probably the entire shopping mall now…"

Lillie shrunk further into her seat, something which Mallow didn't even know was possible. "O-Oh…"

"So… You're able to admit that he's important to you, but admitting liking him that's too far huh?"

"M-Mallow…"

Mallow smiled at Lillie's typically embarrassed self. "Don't worry, Lillie! I'll help you! But first…"

Lillie felt herself be pulled away from her chair and the next thing she knew Mallow was already sprinting out of the dining area. "More shopping!" She exclaimed.

Just as Mallow and Lillie were about to enter the nearby street of the open mall, suddenly, a huge booming sound erupted from the coastal area on the west side of Hau'oli City, causing Mallow to stop dead in her tracks and for Lillie to almost bump into her.

The pair looked at a puff of smoke close to where the sound came from in confusion and slight worry, as a few passersby did the same. "Woah!" Mallow couldn't help but let out.

"What was that…?" Lillie said as she saw the smoke dissipate.

"It's probably just some trainers battling…" Mallow tried to reason.

"Must be some battle…"


"Ash! The Pokemon!"

Ash took one look at where Lana was pointing, and without even realizing it, called out, "Pikachu! Electro Web!"

Thankfully, Pikachu was sharp on command and was already running towards where the wild Pokemon in danger of getting crushed by a giant boulder from above were, and upon hearing Ash's command, quickly built up an electric net on his tail and swiftly fired it towards their direction. The Electro Web attached itself to two conveniently placed trees and caught the boulder just before it crushed the defenceless Pokemon.

Most Pokemon scattered giving the opportunity, but a particular group of Corsola were paralyzed by fear. Ash glanced behind him and saw one of the two Gyrados eye the group of Corsola and immediately got moving.

Just before the Gyrados could launch another Hyper Beam, Ash practically tackled the Corsola as they narrowly avoided being hit by the powerful beam of energy. Ash didn't even have time to dust himself off after hitting the sand as the other Gyrados launched a Hydro Pump in his general direction. Ash shielded his face but made sure to protect the Corsola around him as he braced for impact

"Sparkling Aria!"

Hearing an explosion of water in front of him and not colliding with him, Ash unshielded his face and realized Primarina had intercepted the gush of water using its signature move, leaving nothing but the surprisingly majestic remains of the explosion.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out worriedly as he ran towards Ash, who dismissed his worries with a hand. The trainer stood up, ushering the Corsola he saved to scatter before Lana and her Pokemon joined him, the four of them glancing to watch the Gyrados scream, clearly agitated, as most of the wild Pokemon escaped in terror.

"I know they're Gyrados but there's no reason they should be this mad, right!?" Ash said out loud, noting how even for the naturally chaotic nature of the Pokemon, they seemed awfully angry for no apparent reason.

"Yeah, the Gyrados around here usually just mind their own business…" Lana replied, thinking about why they seemed so mad. "Whatever the reason, we need to calm them down before they cause any more damage to the wild Pokemon!"

"Gotcha…" Ash quickly adjusted his cap, before stretching his arms and legs, which Lana and Primarina admittedly questioned. "So, if it's a battle they want, then it's a battle they'll get!" He finished with a smirk.

"I feel like you're enjoying this too much considering they are terrorizing herds of wild Pokemon…" Lana expressed, slightly concerned if Ash realized the chaos they could cause.

"I can't help it… You know battling is kind of my thing…" Ash cooly responded, still with a smirk plastered on his face.

Lana and Primarina both frowned, unbothered by Ash's sarcasm, as Ash mentally prepared himself. He was clearly itching for some battling, which was understandable…

After all, battling always kept his mind off things.

"Let's do this, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

"Primarina, Sparkling Aria!"

The two moves were quickly launched towards the two rampaging Gyrados, a bolt of yellow electricity and an orb of water courtesy of Ash's and Lana's Pokemon. The two giant Gyrados dove underwater, avoiding the moves, only to come up right after and dive straight for the two opposing Pokemon on the shore, their teeth glowing white which the trainers assumed was the move Crunch.

"Dodge it!" Shouted both Ash and Lana, thankfully fast enough for their Pokemon to avoid the dark type move with relative ease, though what Ash and Lana weren't expecting was that the Gyrados weren't only targeting their Pokemon, as the pair of rampaging Pokemon simply continued their way to the trainers themselves.

Ash and Lana acted fast and dove out of the way again, realizing they were apparently also part of the fight. Lana glanced at Ash, the latter now having a more serious face as he realized this was not a laughing matter and nodded.

"You take one, I take one!" Lana said, wanting to separate the two giants to make this an easier fight.

"Got it!"

"Primarina! Into the water, lead one away!"

"Electro Web on the other one Pikachu!"

Primarina quickly dove into the seaside water leading to the ocean just as Ash's Pikachu launched an Electro Web to trap one of the Gyrados on land. The Gyrados closest to the ocean saw Primarina make haste to the water and wanted to pursue her, though it weirdly struggled to do so, as it seemingly got stuck on something. The other Gyrados just beside it was left to simply take Pikachu's Electro Web, the net trapping most of its body on the ground.

Though what surprised Ash and Lana was that the two Gyrados glared at each other, almost as if they were mad at one another, before completely ignoring Pikachu as they both went to pursue Lana's Primarina in the water simultaneously.

Primarina, already a ways away from shore, looked back only to find out both of the Gyrados were on her, moving almost in sync. The Pokemon barely had time to react as the two launched a Hydro Pump each, which Primarina narrowly avoided as she started doing laps around the body of water in the seaside cove.

Ash, Pikachu and Lana hopped on some rocks just on the edge of the water and gasped as the Gyrados relentlessly chased Primarina together, completely ignoring the other Pokemon involved in the fight.

"Why are they only focusing on Primarina!?" Lana couldn't help but ask, as she saw her Pokemon do her very best to avoid any incoming move from the Gyrados.

"They're moving almost as if they were a Zweilous, why…!?" Ash also wondered, noting how they didn't seem to want to separate… or more like they couldn't. Something seemed off…

Primarina, in order to avoid a Hyper Beam, decided to jump out of the water. What the Pokemon wasn't expecting though was the Gyrados to jump with her, and one of them launched another Hyper Beam which this time she couldn't avoid, causing her to be sent crashing into a rocky wall of the cove.

"Primarina!" Lana screamed out worriedly, as she saw her dear Pokemon be launched into a wall, and fall heavily on some rocks.

"Lana, look!" Ash warned, pointing at the two Gyrados still in the air. Lana glanced at where Ash was indicating and her eyes widened, as Ash said. "They're stuck together by some prickly seaweed!"

Indeed, the two Gyrados' lower bodies were tangled up between multiple long pieces of spiky seaweed, which seemed firmly stuck on them. It definitely didn't look like the most pleasant feeling ever…

"They must be in pain, that's why they're mad… we have to get it off of them!" Lana deduced, to which Ash already had a plan.

"On it!" Ash quickly looked at a Pikachu, the Pokemon nodding, and Ash looked back at the Gyrados who were staring down a hurt Primarina as she struggled to pick herself up. "Quick Attack!"

Pikachu quickly surrounded himself in a white aura, before dashing at a speed that Lana was just barely able to notice past the seashore and jumping on a few rocks, attempting to get closer.

The Gyrados heard Pikachu make his way toward them, jumping on a multitude of rock formations to get closer, but despite this weren't able to react as Pikachu was simply too fast, and the nimble electric type rammed into the two in quick succession, stunning them, before jumping past the two.

"Iron tail! Slice the seaweed!"

Upon hearing Ash's orders, Pikachu quickly turned around mid-air and his tail turned to steel, diving straight for their lower body, aiming to slice the multitude of prickly seaweed. Pikachu managed to cut off a few pieces but was abruptly sent flying as the Gyrados both launched a Hurricane, causing the mouse to be sent flying into the air.

"Pikachu!" Ash screamed as his Pokemon fell helplessly toward the water. Thankfully, Primarina had recovered and quickly caught Pikachu before he could hit the water. Pikachu, relieved, thanked Primarina, but the latter couldn't reply as the Gyrados were relentless and launched a pair of Hyper Beams which forced her to keep moving.

The Gyrados kept firing the same Hyper Beams, constantly chasing Primarina and Pikachu, the latter now riding on top of the former, in a circle. The beams collided with the walls of the cove as the Gyrados fired off the move continuously, forcing Ash and Lana to duck to avoid the moves themselves.

"This might be trickier than I thought…" Ash admitted as the Gyrados finally ceased fire, giving the trainers and their Pokemon some breathing room.

"You think?" Lana voiced sarcastically, before saying. "Primarina and I can give you an opening, can you two do the rest?"

"You bet!"

"Let's see what the World Monarch's got then…" Lana said, causing Ash to frown slightly. "Primarina, Icy Wind!"

Primarina opened her mouth and light blue sparkles appeared from inside, as she launched a chilling gust towards the two Gyrados. They were unable to dodge the move and the pair visibly flinched when part of their body froze a little.

"Now, Aqua Jet!"

The water and fairy type coated itself and Pikachu in a veil of water and rushed the two Gyrados with speed, something which Pikachu was not expecting and so held on to Primarina's back with urgency.

The Gyrados fired a pair of Hydro Pumps, both of which Primarina expertly dodged before the latter rammed into the pair with force, causing the Gyrados to recoil back, and then Lana shouted, "Go for it, Ash!"

"Alright! Jump Pikachu, then use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu quickly jumped off Primarina's back and soared above the pair of giant Gyrados, before expertly launching a Thunderbolt directly at the two, hitting its mark with ease.

"Electro Web and then Iron Tail!" Ash ordered next.

Pikachu, still falling from the sky, launched an Electro Web at the heads of the Gyrados, electrocuting them and causing them to frantically shake their heads trying to escape. Meanwhile, Pikachu landed on their backs and resumed cutting the prickly seaweeds that stuck them together. He almost got them separated but the Gyrados finally broke through the Electro Web and were not pleased with the little mouse on their backs.

Lana was about to call for Primarina to help Pikachu but got cut off by Ash, raising his arm in front of her to stop her before she could speak. "Don't worry Lana, we got this! Pikachu, block them with Iron Tail, then tire them out by dodging!"

Pikachu grinned as the two Gyrados tried to bite Pikachu with Crunch, but much to their annoyance, Pikachu swatted away their faces with Iron Tail. The Gyrados keep trying to use Crunch, but Pikachu would expertly jump over, block or evade both of Gyrados' moves in an impressive display of maneuverability and reaction time.

"Woah, Pikachu's awesome…" Lana couldn't help but say, as she was left stunned by Pikachu's impressive movement, something which Primarina was equally surprised by as she watched from a distance.

Ash grinned, before throwing his hand forward "Now… Up in the air and use Thunderbolt! Then Iron Tail one last time!"

"Pika-Pikachu!"

After dodging a few more moves, Pikachu quickly jumped up high, making the two Gyrados' faces' collide, and in one motion launched a powerful Thunderbolt, electrocuting them. The paralyzed Gyrados couldn't do anything as Pikachu used the momentum from falling to finally slice all the prickly seaweeds attached to the two Gyrados with a final Iron Tail, finally setting them completely free. Though still agitated and having not yet realized they were set free, the Gyrados charged up a Hyper Beam and a Hydro Pump, ready to attack.

"Electro Web!"

Before the Gyrados could launch their moves, Pikachu, even before Ash had finished speaking, had launched another Electro Web, a softer one this time, to stabilize the Gyrados and stop their moves. The Gyrados struggled against the web, still angry, but Lana had a plan to calm them down.

"Now's our time Primarina, soothe them with your voice!" Lana exclaimed.

Primarina approached the Gyrados, standing up on its tail on a nearby rock, and proceeded to sing a calming melody with its voice. The Gyrados, once Pikachu's Electro Web had vanished, were mesmerized by the soothing sound and finally calmed down, quickly realizing they were now set free.

Pikachu hopped off the Gyrados' back and onto Primarina, who had now stopped singing. Pikachu smiled at the pair of Gyrados and seemingly explained the situation in Pokemon language. The Gyrados seemed to understand, and alongside Pikachu and Primarina, approached Lana and Ash on the shore.

"Great, you're free now Gyrados!" Ash exclaimed, as the Gyrados looked as if they bowed their heads to thank them, which looked a bit odd considering their angry faces didn't change expressions whatsoever…

Lana then noticed that the wild Gyrados still had some scratches and bruises from the seaweed and quickly checked her small bag, where she proceeded to grab a few potions and apply them to their injuries. The pair of Gyrados winced in pain, but let the trainer heal them.

"This should do it…" Lana said, finishing up treating their wounds. The Gyrados looked at each other, then looked back at Ash and Lana, seemingly expressing their gratitude once more, before taking their leave. Ash, Pikachu, Lana and Primarina all waved them off, as the two Gyrados left the cove, this time in a more relaxed manner.

"Phew! Glad that's over with!" Ash let out a sigh of relief, as Pikachu hopped on his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek. Ash replied by scratching the bottom of Pikachu's cheek. "You were awesome, buddy! You too, Primarina!"

Primarina happily clapped her fins together at Ash's praise, before Lana spoke up. "Ash, you and Pikachu were amazing! I know you two were good, but man you're even better in person!" She said passionately.

Ash chuckled and embarrassingly scratched the back of his head. "Thanks!" Was all he said, but in his mind, Ash silently thanked Guzma and Tapu Koko for prepping him yesterday. After all, those were the first time he had battled since Leon…

"You have to teach Sandy how to dodge like that!" Lana practically demanded as Ash and Pikachu looked at each other a little uneasy.

"S-Sure, another time…"


"Phew… It took some time but we checked out most of the stores!"

"Took some time? Mallow, it's almost sunset…"

"Hehe…"

Lillie sighed but also let out a chuckle, as Mallow playfully laughed it off. It had taken a while, but the two girls managed to make rounds around most of the popular shops that they, well mostly Mallow, wanted to visit. They had ended up buying some clothes and accessories, but most of it was random stuff Mallow came across and the little amount of things that were for Lillie were things Mallow had practically forced her to buy despite knowing it didn't really suit her.

Though, despite Lillie's mostly dejected mood on the outside, she had enjoyed the day out quite a lot. Yes, half of the day consisted of her being dragged around by her friend almost as if she was a Rockruff being taken on a walk, but it was fun nonetheless, and a nice distraction for her. They visited some shops sure, but there were a few events scattered around the mall and nearby Hau'oli City that they checked out, like a magic show by an admittedly sketchy-looking character and a few exterior performances of some traditional Alolan dances which were impressive, to say the least.

All of that led them to now, where Mallow and Lillie were enjoying a peaceful walk through a now less populated Hau'oli City, more specifically the market street where a fair few carts and stalls were still open. Among one of these, Mallow spotted an ice cream truck that was too much for her to resist.

"Ooh! Lillie, let's try out some of that ice cream before they close!" She excitedly said, pointing to the nearby ice cream truck.

Lillie chuckled, quietly asking herself if Mallow still had the mentality of a child, before saying. "Sure, Mallow!"

The two quickly went and got the ice cream, after which they decided to find themselves a spot and simply talk before they would eventually go there separately. Funnily enough, the pair decided to sit on the very same bench where the two had met up in the morning.

The two quietly ate their ice cream and simply enjoyed their company for a little while, as Lillie also took the time to go through all the stuff they had bought. Eventually, Mallow finished her dessert and stretched her arms.

"Man…! Today sure was fun, we should do this more often!" She admitted, also having greatly enjoyed her girls' day out.

"Yes! Hopefully, Lana could come along too next time!" Lillie added gleefully.

Mallow glanced at her friend with one eye, a devilish smirk growing on her face. "Hmm… While we're at it we might as well invite Ash~"

Lillie felt her cheeks redden, not expecting the sudden tease from Mallow, and clutched the bottom of the dress nervously, clearly embarrassed. Mallow saw this as her opportunity.

"You know…" Mallow started, standing up from the bench and turning around to face Lillie directly. "If you wanted to make something happen with him, why invite me? You could have just invited him instead. It would have been a great opportunity for you two to go on a cute little dat-

"M-MALLOW!" Lillie screeched, abruptly standing up, feeling her face get even hotter, as Mallow cracked up.

"Relax… I'm just kidding." Mallow said in between laughs, as Lillie sat back down, annoyed.

"E-Either way… I should probably start by talking to him normally again…" Lillie spoke up, something which Mallow wasn't expecting.

"Yeah, that would probably be a nice start…" Mallow smiled, before adding. "Thankfully though, your good friend Mallow came up with an idea to help you both!"

Lillie perked up, intrigued. "Really? What is it?" She asked, a hint of eagerness in her voice that Mallow couldn't help but find adorable.

"It's a secret! But let's just say, you're in for quite the day tomorrow!" Mallow said, raising a finger to a confused and slightly concerned Lillie.

Mallow giggled for a brief moment before her face turned slightly more serious, something which Lillie also noted in her tone. "But, there's one thing that, even after all you told me today, still bothers me about… you know, your whole situation."

"What… is it?" Lillie asked, admittedly a little nervous at what she was gonna say.

"You know how…" Mallow paused, seemingly pondering her words as she took the time to sit back down next to Lillie. "... you keep going on about how you want to 'reconnect' with Ash, but you also very clearly like Ash, and I don't know if you realize that they aren't necessarily the same thing…"

"... Huh?" Was all Lillie said, as she was too taken aback to say anything else.

"I mean… I'm not saying it should be one or the other, you can want to reconnect with him and still love him, but if you insist on 'going back to the way things were', doesn't that make your relationship go… I don't know, backwards?"

"Uh… I-I…"

"I know it might not be clear what I'm trying to say…" Mallow acknowledged as she glanced at the floor. "But I feel like, if you want things for you and Ash to genuinely work out, shouldn't you focus on making things… even better than before, instead of just wanting to go back to the way things were…?"

There was a small pause of silence, after which Lillie said, in a low voice, "I think I understand where you're getting at... but I think for now I should just focus on making sure I can talk to him without things being awkward…"

"I know, and I agree… but I want to make sure you know that…" Mallow looked at Lillie, and Lillie caught her glance and saw a sincere expression on her face. "... No matter how much you try, things can never go back to the way things were exactly…"

Lillie opened her mouth, almost as if she wanted to say something or argue against it, but realized she couldn't. Mallow saw her inner conflict and put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "You and Ash have changed so much since then, and it's not just you two either, it's the stuff around you. You've reunited with your family and are still starting anew, and Ash has become the most renowned Pokemon Trainer in the world. You've grown more confident, more mature, and Ash has as well."

"Y-You're… you're right…"

Mallow suddenly realized she had maybe taken the conversation a bit too seriously and didn't want to scare Lillie of things she shouldn't. Mallow smiled, wanting to comfort her. "Look… I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into. Things aren't completely different, after all, Ash still acts like a kid, and you still get shy and embarrassed like always."

Lillie chuckled and said while laughing. "Hey! Don't act like you've gone and become all perfect!"

"Of course not… I was already perfect!" Mallow said with a peace sign, to which Lillie rolled her eyes. Mallow stood up, more calmly this time and finished by saying. "Lillie, I just want to make sure you're not living in the past, and you like Ash for who he is now, and not for memories of the past, I'm sure Ash would want that too!"

"I see, thanks Mallow…" Lillie said, clasping her hands together as she looked at Mallow with thankful eyes. "But don't worry…"

Lillie stood up, looking at Mallow directly. "I love Ash for who he is now… and I don't think that will ever change! I've realized that… as he grows, I just keep finding more reasons to appreciate him!"

"Lillie…" Mallow awed, before closing her eyes and saying. "I guess that's one thing that's stayed the same!"

The pair shared a laugh, a very comfortable one for both of them. After a while, Mallow thought it was about time she took her leave.

"I think I should get going, it's getting pretty late, and I still have things to prepare for tomorrow. I'll text you the details later, so make sure you're ready!"

"Okay! See you tomorrow, Mallow!" Lillie said with a wave.

"Bye-bye!" Mallow waved as well, running down the street.

Lillie watched Mallow leave into the distance for a little while, thinking about what she had told her. She really was grateful to have her as a friend.

Figuring she should be getting home before her family gets worried, Lillie started walking back home, with half of her thoughts wondering what Mallow was planning, and the other half filled with thoughts of a certain raven-haired boy.


Ash and Lana were currently making their way back to Lana's house, walking back up the coastal cliff path during the final moments of sunset after wrapping up their day at the cove. Ash would say it was an enjoyable walk, had it not been for Lana trying her best to contain her laughter for the majority of the walk following some more… unfortunate events…

"Lana…" Ash said in an annoyed voice, as Lana's quiet laughing fit continued. "You really enjoy making fun of me don't you?"

"I can't help it…" Lana said, still giggling. "When you get punched into the water by some Pyukumuku it's hard not to laugh!"

"Ha, ha. Very funny…"

After dealing with the troublesome Gyrados, Ash and Lana's day was less eventful thankfully. They had tried fishing for a little while longer, but due to the wild Pokemon being sent into a frenzied panic by the pair of rampaging Gyrados, it wasn't very successful as most of them simply stayed away from the cove. The two trainers then busied themselves through mindless activities, like a few practice battles that only fueled Lana's desire to learn more from Ash and Pikachu, and playing a game of Pokemon Volleyball with a few of the wild Pokemon that were still present, one them being a Pyukumuku that when Ash accidentally stepped on replied by punching him into the water, making everyone go into a fit of laughter.

All in all, despite some mishaps, it was a fun day for everyone involved.

"We should do this again sometime, and invite everyone while we're at it!" Lana suddenly exclaimed, having clearly enjoyed her day out.

"Yeah, definitely! I missed doing this with you guys!" Ash repeated similarly, before adding. "It's a great way to relax and just hang out!"

"And also distract yourself from Lillie…" Lana abruptly added, catching Ash off-guard.

Ash paused a bit, stopping in his tracks briefly, before admitting, "Yeah… That too."

Lana smiled, as she stopped walking as well. "You know, you're the one who keeps saying to tackle things head-on."

"I know… I just, really don't want to mess things up with her…"

"You really care about her, huh?"

"Obviously, she's always supported me and, ever since I met her, she's always been there for me no matter what…"

"I mean, considering you practically saved her life on what? Like three occasions now? And you practically got her whole family back together, I sure hope she does…" Lana responded with a chuckle.

Ash shook his head. "Nah… I was more so just there to support her when she needed it, just like she was for me!" He said humbly.

"Sure…" Lana said, though not necessarily agreeing with his statement and thought he was just being humble.

Ash chuckled before looking at the ground. "It's amazing to me how despite all she's been through, she's so full of passion and desire to greater herself, upbeat and optimistic… and that just makes me want to always… protect her, support her and care about her…"

Lana stared at Ash, amazed, as he talked, having not been expecting him to feel so strongly about Lillie. Lana smiled, "Ash."

Ash perked up and looked up at Lana, where he saw her smile turn more into a smirk. "How about next time, you tell what you just told me to Lillie herself. You do realize what it sounds to me… right?"

Ash blinked multiple times, almost as if he just realized what he had said, and was surprised by himself. "Huh!?"

"Nevermind…" Lana shook her head, starting to wonder if Ash truly was a lost cause. "Come on, let's get going before it gets dark." She said as she resumed walking, leaving a very confused Ash behind.

"... What? H-Hey, Lana! Wait up!"

As Ash ran to catch up with Lana, Pikachu who had been silently listening to their conversation walking behind the two, shook his head. "Pikapi…"

Even he knew his trainer was hopeless…

A few minutes of walking later, Lana, Ash and Pikachu arrived at Lana's house on the beachside. Ash noted the place on the outside practically hadn't changed, but he didn't think it needed to anyways, it looked nice and cozy and gave a great view of the Melemele Sea.

Lana seemed almost hesitant to open the door, something which Ash was about to comment on until she finally opened it and Ash saw what seemed like two blue blurs suddenly sprint to the front of the house and tackle Lana into a hug.

"Lana!" The two children which Ash now recognized said in perfect unison, as Lana struggled in their intense hug.

"H-Hey, you two…" Lana said, somewhat enthusiastically. The two little girls separated from Lana once they saw someone else standing behind them, causing their eyes to glisten.

"Ash…!"

"...and Pikachu!"

Ash felt his whole body recoil as the two girls tackled him into a bear hug, similar to Lana, as Pikachu quickly hopped to Ash's head to avoid being in the way. Ash admittedly struggled to breathe, but nevertheless patted the two girls on the head.

"H-Harper and Sarah! Glad to see you two doing well!" Ash said.

"Mhm!" The two girls said in unison once more with a perfect smile, as Ash finally struggled out of their embrace.

"Oh, Ash!"

Ash looked back at the door upon hearing his name and saw a taller woman whom he recognized as Lana's mother, standing at the door frame holding Lana's Eevee in her arms. "What a pleasure for our very own Champion to visit us! How have you been?"

"I-I've been pretty good, thank you!" Ash said, admittedly a little embarrassed, as he waved hello to the Eevee in her arms. "Hey Sandy, nice to see you there!"

"Vui-vui!" Sandy waved back, as it jumped out of the arms of Lana's mother and went to greet Pikachu, the latter having jumped off Ash's head to greet the Eevee back. Sarah and Harper quickly walked to their mother and tugged her dress excitedly.

"Mom! Mom! Lana finally brought her boyfriend back home!" The two twins said, causing Lana's mother and Ash to smile awkwardly, as Lana slapped her face aggressively.

"No… for the last time you two… Ash is not my boyfriend…" Lana said, annoyed, the sound of her voice muffled by her hand in her face. In her mind, she couldn't help but add. 'Though, he might be someone else's soon…'

"Is your dad home, Lana?" Ash then asked, partially snapping Lana out of her annoyed trance.

"No… He is probably out fishing somewhere as usual." Lana said as she grabbed her and Ash's fishing equipment and practically shooed her family back inside.

"Ash! Would like to join us for sup-" Lana's mother tried to ask as Lana continuously shoved her, Harper and Sarah inside, only for Lana to cut her off assertively.

"No Mom. Ash is busy." Lana said, once again annoyed. She only turned around to face Ash once her family was fully indoors. "By the way Ash, are you busy tomorrow?"

"Well, I don't kn-"

"Cool, then I'll text you some info later tonight, we're organizing something special tomorrow!" Lana cut Ash off with a big smile, not leaving room for disagreement.

"U-Uh… Sure Lana…" Ash finished while laughing, figuring it would be better to simply agree than to argue with Lana of all people.

"Awesome! Today was really fun by the way, I'm glad we did this, Ash!"

"Yeah, me too!"

"Alright, I still have some stuff to plan, so I'll see you tomorrow then Ash!" Lana said with a wave of the hand.

"Okay, see ya then!" Ash replied similarly as Sandy and Pikachu said their goodbyes as well, with Sandy rushing inside just before Lana closed the door.

"Something special tomorrow huh?" Ash said out loud, as Pikachu hopped on his favourite shoulder. "Sounds like fun, don't you think, Pikachu?"

"Pika-Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, throwing a paw in the air, before Ash started running back home, wondering what exciting stuff was in store for tomorrow.

Back inside Lana's house, Lana sighed upon closing the door, and Harper and Sarah looked at their older sister with frowns. "Hey! Lana! We wanted to talk to Ash and Pikachu more!" The twins whined.

"Lana, sweetie, it's not every day we get the chance to have the World Monarch visit us…" Lana's mother added, also disappointed they couldn't have the chance to talk to Ash longer.

"Why are you guys making it seem like this isn't the same guy that cheated during an oral presentation for school just a year or two ago?" Lana said with a frown of her own, though she took a second after saying that to fully grasp the fact that, yeah, the guy she once knew as the person that had cheated during an oral presentation for school was now the world's strongest trainer and subsequently a celebrity in his own right.

"Geez, how things change fast…" She mumbled to herself, laughing. "Don't worry… I'll convince Ash to come for dinner some other time." She finished, to which her family seemed content. After all, she still needed to pester Ash about teaching her some pointers on how Sandy could battle as Pikachu does.

Lana excused herself to her room as Harper and Sarah indulged in a game of tag with Sandy and her mother went back to presumably prepare supper. Immediately upon entering her room, she closed the door and quickly dialled Mallow on her Rotom Phone.

The phone rang for not even a second when Mallow's face suddenly appeared on the screen, looking as bubbly as ever. "Hey, Lana!"

"Hey, Mallow. How did your day with Lillie go?"

"It was fun! I just came back like an hour or two ago, she seemed to have a good time, and I learned a lot about the situation at the same time. How about your fishing day with Ash."

"It was great, though a few troubles here and there, but fun… I also think I learned more about what's going on from his perspective." Lana admitted, before switching topics. "But we can talk about that later, is everything ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep! Kiawe and Sophocles are free, and I also asked Professor Kukui to prepare the day! I just need to tell Lillie at what time to show up at the Pokemon School!"

"Great! Ash just left, so I'll tell him to do the same a bit later." Lana confirmed on her side as well. "Shouldn't we tell the others why we're doing this in the first place though?"

Mallow tilted her head and placed a finger on her chin, thinking. "Well… I told Kiawe and Sophocles some of it, but most of it they already knew, like how Lillie felt… I just left out the details of what we know from Ash and Lillie themselves, and Professor Kukui told me he already had a grasp on the situation from how Ash was acting. I don't think we need to tell them much more than that, after all this isn't just for them, I want it to be fun for everyone involved!"

"Yeah, you're right, it shouldn't just be about them, and we wouldn't want to force it too much anyways…" Lana said before a smile crept on her face. "I have to admit, I'm pretty excited!"

"Me too! It will be like the good old days!" Mallow agreed excitedly. "And I'm really hoping this helps the two of them out as well!"

"Yeah, Lillie and Ash are lucky to have us as friends aren't they?" Lana joked a mood that Mallow matched.

"I know right!"


A/N: hey! Just wanted to pop in to apologize for the month break between every chapter, I know it can get annoying but I really don't want to rush anything and post something I'm not happy with. That being said, thanks for reading up to here so far, I do greatly appreciate it, and I'll hopefully be back with another chapter soon! In the meantime, feel free to let me know what you think about the story so far or ask me in PMs about the progress of the next update, though as always, I can't promise anything, I can be quite slow sometimes haha.