Well, here it is, the thirteenth part of the fifth and final installment in my 'Heart' series on the right day as promised. The international tournaments have been announced so now Ash, Dawn, and many others know what their goals are and it's time to start going for them. That includes our heroes so with everyone now scattered again Ash, Dawn, and May, the only ones still in Kalos, need a plan of action to maximize the first part of their latest journey so it's time make that plan and set it in motion for what is to come. The last thing to address here is something that has come up in some reviews recently and that is Ultra Beasts in Alola. On that front firstly I will say wait for the arrival in Alola to learn more and secondly even if what you are asking is not possible in Champions it may be because it cannot occur in Champions for various reasons but may occur in a planned sequel trilogy I have in mind for the Hearts universe that will delve more into certain phenomena or unique regional aspects that I can't delve into in the main series for various reasons. Anyway, that is all the administrative stuff I have for this Part and there is one questions that I can answer without spoilers so you'll have to wait and see on those and a guest review with a slightly confusing question that I will respond to and do my best to answer. Do please keep your reviews coming as I love hearing from y'all.

To Guest (guest), I am not sure by what you mean about Ash taking more than 6 Pokémon with him. If you're asking can he have more than 6 in his party then no he won't, that is a hard canon rule in the both the anime and games so it will remain. If you are asking will he catch more than 6 then wait and see, I will not spoil how many Ash will catch in Journeys mainly because that number can change depending on things. Lastly, if you mean will he use more than 6 then that will be answered in this chapter. I am pretty sure you're asking the first one, but I thought I'd cover all bases just in case. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

Will Ash catch a shiny Pokémon? Almost certainly no. He already has a shiny Noctowl from Johto and I feel like one shiny per trainer is enough given their rarity and how few get seen in the anime though Ash's Noctowl may reappear at some point. There will be a trainer who gets a shiny in Champions but you will have to wait to see who it is and what Pokémon he or she will catch. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

That is it for this pre-Part note which means that it is once again time to sit back which and enjoy the latest installment in Heart of Champions. Part CCII: Preparations for the Year.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

Part CCII: Preparations for the Year

"Alright, so, what's the plan?" Dawn asked as she, Ash, and May sat in a small parlor room in Ash's new chateaux in Kalos while one of the maids on staff left the room having served lunch to which Ash tucked in while Pikachu and Piplup enjoyed their own meal in a corner that Tracey had provided for them before he headed out to the grounds to tend to the other Pokémon being housed there. "We should decide our initial plans now seeing as this is going to be a rather busy year for us."

It was a few days after the revelations from Charles and the Kalos based Mr. Contesta and both the Pokémon World Championship and the Majestic Festival had been formally announced to the world. Registration for the former was now open and Ash had made sure to secure to confirm his registration by looking it up. He was already slated to be in the PWC and would start the year ranked 6th in the world while the Champions of Kanto, Galar, Unova, Sinnoh, and Hoenn were ranked ahead of him and had all also been automatically confirmed as participants without the need to claim their spots.

Since then Ash knew that had Misty, Clemont, Cilan, Diantha, Lucy, and all the current Gym Leaders and Elite Four in Kalos had formally registered and locked their places in PWC as well. In addition, others around the world who were eligible for it without needing to qualify via the wildcard route had done so as well so that in only a few days now many of the guaranteed slots were filled. Meanwhile, it was already reported that over 300 trainers had registered as wildcards with more growing each day.

Ash was aware that several of his friends and former rivals who didn't have automatic slots had already signed up with Max, Lyra, Tierno, Trevor, Paul, Trip, Stephan, Brianna, Cameron, and Adam already confirming they'd done so. Interestingly people who Ash hadn't viewed as rivals or who had expressed interest in the more standard training path like Iris, Georgia, the Alolan lot they'd met with Iris, and Owen all also signing up for the wildcard slots so it was really going to be a great competition when it rolled around.

With all the hype and intrigue in the PWC, Ash really couldn't wait for it and he wasn't the only one looking forward to the big competition at the end of the year. Dawn and May were just as excited for their competition and with the nature of how qualifications worked things would come down to their plans rather than Ash's.

Thankfully for the girls, the Majestic Festival automatically registered all current Top Coordinators as eligible for it due to the nature of the requirements so they were set the moment it was announced. In that vein, they had both been sent special gold Coordinator cards to show their status as Top Coordinators who were eligible for Majestic Festival qualification.

These cards would allow them to enter any regional Contest they wanted so long as they hadn't won in that region since the issuance of the card, which if they lost there was a record in their Pokedexes of so there was a backup system in place. It was all highly planned out and organized so as to ensure it ran smoothly.

As such they were fully set to go for that and Dawn had already got word from her mother that she too was entering so for the first time Dawn may face her in a real Contest and consider her a rival so she couldn't wait to see how she compared. It was going to truly be the best of the best and with how it all worked they should run into several Top Coordinators, both good and bad ones as Zoey and Harley had both publicly confirmed their intentions to qualify this year, throughout the year to really push them for when the Majestic Festival rolled around at the end of the year.

By contrast, those who were entering normal Contests in a single region were aiming for that one off qualification to the Majestic Festival with Miette and Serena already excited to go for in in Kanto and Unova respectively. Shortly after the announcement, Shauna had sent May word from Johto that she too was aiming for it there while Tierno was trying to qualify in Kanto and Khoury would try wherever he ended up so everyone was really giving their all to reach the Majestic Festival regardless of the route they had to take to get there.

To ensure this, Serena and Miette had already left Kalos for their new journeys, with heartfelt goodbyes of course, and Ash and Dawn knew that they'd see them again in time. This was guaranteed with Serena as they'd meet up in Unova for the Wallace Cup in several months' time, a Wallace Cup that would feature some tough competition as both Dawn and May would enter it for sure but there were rumors that Mollie might enter as well seeing as she won the first Unova Grand Festival.

As for the others, they'd also headed off in the wake of the party. Misty had had her usual goodbye with them before taking Miette and giving her some pointers as they traveled back to Kanto with Lance as he had a private plane so they couldn't pass up the offer. Meanwhile Cynthia wished them all luck and expected to see them before the PWC, hopefully when they were in Sinnoh when they got around to Dawn winning a ribbon in her home region before she and Diantha left to head to Diantha's place in Kalos.

Cynthia was going to stay in Kalos for a bit to spend time with Diantha and see the region before going on a bit of a world tour to train for the PWC while the Kalos Gym Leaders and Elite Four members returned to their respective cities and homes for the upcoming year. The exception was Clemont who had left Clembot in charge of the Lumiose gym while he took Cilan with him to the academy he'd studied at to show it to him and a bit of Kalos to Cilan before Cilan went off on his own.

While Cynthia wasn't going back to Sinnoh just yet, Brock and Lucy had already headed there after Lucy lost a tough battle to Cynthia and got some advice on the Sinnoh League as she'd be competing in it this year. They'd only been able to stay for the day after the party though as Brock had to start work soon and Lucy was eager for her first year as a trainer in a while but Ash and Dawn knew they'd see the couple when they reached Sinnoh that year.

Lastly Gary too had left when everyone else did to see the region and hunt for Blastoisinite for his Blastoise as he conducted his own research in Kalos. That just left Ash's mother and Professor Oak, who both stayed an extra day before they headed back to Kanto and Delia made sure that Ash would visit her with Dawn later in the year when they returned to Kanto for Dawn to win a Contest there which Ash promised that they would do.

Now, after a few days, it was just the three of them and they were going to plan out at least the next stage of their journey and what they wanted to do though that was obvious to them, they had to find nearby Contests so that Dawn and May could win their first ribbons on their paths to the Majestic Festival. Dawn was excited for it and to travel and compete in Contests again while May was looking forward to it but she was already feeling a bit like a third wheel.

This had been her concern in Kalos the year prior but Serena had helped alleviate that as four was better than three and Serena too understood May's issues having also lost Ash to Dawn so they could support each other and head off alone if they needed a break or wished to give Dawn alone time with Ash. However, with Serena now growing on her own in Unova, May was left with Ash and Dawn and while she loved both of them she knew things might be uncomfortable at times and so she was prepared to head out on her own if it came to it.

In fact given how two of them were going for the same thing it might actually be more advantageous to do just that as it would allow for them to focus on the requirements at their own pace without bogging the other down. However, with them already in Kalos it made sense to travel together while here as getting the Kalos ribbon first was the logical course of action, and then when either Dawn or May won that ribbon May would decide what next. That was to come and she wasn't going to bring it up until then and Dawn was right they needed to plan what their next move was.

"Well obviously the first port of call is the Kalos ribbon." May said as Ash tucked in, he'd go along with whatever plan they came up with as he didn't need to get ribbons so they had to form the basis of the travel and he'd add his two cents when needed as he did have places he too wanted to go and Dawn at least would factor that into their plans. "We're already here and the new season began yesterday in Ambrette Town so we should go and get our Kalos ribbons while we're based in this region as it will save time coming back for them later. After that we can make plans though there is one region we have to be in at a certain point and thus plan around that."

"Unova." Dawn said with a nod. "And that's in about half a year if I recall as we need to be there for the Wallace Cup so we have to model our plans around that. That means that our time in Unova is a set period. Naturally starting in Kalos makes the most sense, it is where we are right now so we can knock it off at the start. Only when we have our ribbons can we decide where to next and understand the rough time frame it will take to win ribbons in a region though with how we're starting with Kalos that may have to wait until our second region to fully understand it."

"Well I know that I want to hit Alola and Galar first." Ash said through a mouthful of food that he swallowed before continuing. "If that's possible that is?"

"Should be." Dawn said as she pulled out a special Contest calendar she and May had been sent as part of the Majestic Festival registration package to help them better prepare for the grueling requirement should they go for it in the first year alone and looked it over. "So long as we aim to spend about a month or so per region this should be doable. There are plenty of Contests in Kalos so we can hit a few up in need be."

"What are you going to do in the other regions, Ash?" May asked. "Supporting us and other friends is one thing but you've got the PWC at the end of the year and you are the current Kalos Champion so you're going to be busy as well."

"I'm actually pretty free for the moment, the PWC means that many will be aiming for it so a lot of standard duties won't be necessary or Diantha will handle them as a stand in for me." Ash said and he meant it, Diantha had pulled him aside after the party to tell him that he could travel with Dawn so long as he represented Kalos well while she filled in as a former Champion could do so for minor things and Ash swore he would do so. "So I'm going to challenge tough trainers in the other regions and try to catch some Pokémon in Alola and Galar at the very least, maybe the other regions as well depending on how things go."

"That's good." May said. "But I recall that when a Champion is in another region he or she does have some official duties, right?"

"According to Lance, Cynthia, and Diantha, it's not official but it is considered good sport to have at least one battle that is televised in that region." Ash said. "It shows off what the best in another region can do and to add to it, it is convention that I face either an Elite Four or high ranked trainer if it is in Galar in a match that can be watched. I'm more than happy to do that as it will be great practice for me."

"Ash is pretty simple really." Dawn pointed out. "He can basically do what he normally does only instead of 8 Gym Leaders and then entering a League Conference at the end of the year he'll face several stronger opponents and enter the PWC instead. Well that and catch Pokémon and no doubt participate in side events when they come up as well."

"Yeah I figured as much." May said with a chuckle. "And there will no doubt be some other adventures along the way to enjoy as well."

"This is Ash, of course there will be." Dawn said. "And we're overdue a legendary one so I bet that will happen this year and when we least expect it. That is when they normally happen after all."

"Totally." May said. "And all our friends are spread out so we can visit them as well, or conveniently cross paths with them as is more often the case."

"Yeah I can't wait to see them." Ash said with a grin. "I say we hit Alola after Kalos then we can see Iris and those kids we met here, learn more about the region and that strange Z-Move thing they have, see how they've grown, and overall have a good time."

"That's not a bad idea." May said. "Kenny won the Grand Festival there and should easily get his next ribbon in the coming days so he'll be gone as he's no doubt gunning for the Majestic Festival which will allow us to avoid him. I of course have to keep an eye out for the other two."

"With the nature of the Majestic Festival it won't be hard." Dawn said seriously. "Top Coordinators will be hot news when they compete for their 8 ribbons so we can track it that way and after the first few wins know where to go to avoid those three, especially because they're no doubt together again now that Brianna is done here. Regardless we'll meet them in the Majestic Festival at the end of the year."

"Then we end it there." May said with a grin. "I know that Serena will win in Unova and so we'll make sure this war ends there. Seeing Ash beat Kenny and Serena show up Brianna has helped me a lot. I know Fate is a bitch so I'll no doubt face Drew again there but this time I'm ready, I'll get my closure by beating his ass on the greatest global stage to show that he's no longer a concern of mind."

"I know you will." Dawn said smiling at her friend. "And trust me, it's a great feeling when that happens. I wanted to remain friends with Kenny but he forced my hand and I beat him in a Grand Festival final. Plus Serena will be stronger as well. It will be good to see how much she's grown on her own in Unova when we get there plus I can see how Emily is doing when we head to Galar after Alola. Well, I want to head there after Alola as it's a region we've not been to so it just feels right that we go to them first."

"So it's settled then?" Ash asked with a smile. "Our first two regions will be Alola and Galar then?"

"Seems that way." Dawn said though May remained quiet as she might go a different route after Kalos but that was for later discussions once one of them had a ribbon under her belt. "It does make sense; we have the time before the Wallace Cup and we need to see those regions. Plus the PWC is in Galar so it will help that you see it sooner rather than later."

"Great and I'll get to face this new Alola Champion if he'll accept a friendly battle when I get." Ash said. "Plus Leon is the Galar Champion, they say he's the best in the world so I'd like to challenge him as well, it will be a good intro to the region hosting the PWC."

"Before the PWC?" May asked. "You sure?"

"I need a warmup." Ash said. "I'm sure going to Galar will at least allow me to see him and get an impression while also learning about this Dynamaxing thing they do and seeing some of the region while visiting. It should be a good time."

"You're both Champions." Dawn said. "I think that's a given that you will meet when you get there. We don't know much about Galar though, or Alola for that matter, so we'll probably have to spend a little extra time there and see and learn more of the region."

"Works for me." Ash said. "And then where? Unova is set of course but there should be time after Galar to go elsewhere."

"I think a lot will depend on the Contests and how long it takes May and myself to win a ribbon in a given region." Dawn admitted and May nodded at that. "There may be ones we don't want to miss and have to go there. I know that both Twinleaf Town and Pallet Town have them planned this year, it will be the first time either town has hosted a Contest and I want to win both."

"They do?" Ask asked confused. "Since when?"

"Since we announced our engagement after you beat Diantha and became the new Kalos Champion." Dawn said reminding Ash that they'd done that as well and the news that the new Kalos Champion was engaged to a Top Coordinator had been big news but it had all slipped Ash's mind between the whole post Champion stuff that he had to sort out and then the announcements of the PWC and Majestic Festival. "They wanted to honor us and this was their way to do so. They're last minute schedule additions though and likely will need a Top Coordinator to take Mr. Contesta's place at them so we won't know when they are until later in the year when it works out but they do give us reasons to go to our hometowns. It has been a while since I was in Sinnoh and I do miss it."

"That they do." Ash said with a grin. "And we can see Misty, Max, Alain, Miette, and all the others in Kanto while seeing your mother, Brock, Lucy, and probably Cynthia in Sinnoh. Plus, when we go to Kanto, it's connected to Johto so we can head there as well either before or after depending on how things work out."

"Hitting Kanto and Johto one after another is just common sense." May said. "That is a given so things to plan around for sure. However, what must come first is our plan for Kalos as that will be the first region we win ribbons in. To maximize time in other regions we're going to want to be efficient but at the same time it should be fun."

"Then let's go somewhere we haven't been before." Ash said. "But, er, where works? I, um, don't actually know Kalos that well."

The girls slapped their heads at that. Ash may be the new Champion of Kalos but he clearly had no idea about the region even after a year in it. Well that was fine because May at least knew a place that none of them had been and that included her first year here. So long as there were some good Contests in the area it would work and to make things better it wasn't too far from here and led to a Contest that was going to be earlier this year than last year.

"The Wetlands." May said as she lowered her hand. "We should go through them to Laverre City. That Contest is going to be in a months' time this year so we should aim for it as well as try to hit a Contest before it."

"Why is it that early?" Dawn asked confused. "It was well into the year last year."

"It was too much of a hassle to do it during Fashion Week this year, according to Valerie it really taxed the city." May said. "And Elesa's arrival didn't help. Valerie wants it done early to kick off the fashion season this year instead. She'll still do costumes though, she really enjoyed that part."

"Oh then that works." Dawn said. "But we should hit a Contest before then. Is there a good one that is also doable?"

"Hang on I'll check." May said as she consulted the calendar and looked for it before grinning as she found the perfect one. "Yes though it's an odd one for sure, one of the special ones that was set up as part of Kalos being an expansion region to ensure that they had enough but they're actually well liked and the original regions are considering adopting them apparently."

"It is?" Dawn asked. "How so?"

"It's called the Haunted Contest and is not set to be held in a city." May said as she found the Contest's listing and read the details for it. "Rather it will be in an area to the north of the Wetlands and the woods after them that is purported to be haunted, there's even a mansion there that can confuse travelers but as it's in an area none of us have been too I can't say though Max might be able to, he traveled through the Wetlands last year. It's suggested that to be in theme a ghost type is used at some point though it's not required. Other than that standard Kalos Contest rules apply, great that means dressing up again."

"Really?" Dawn asked with a grin at the idea of dressing up and the suggestions for the Contest. "Well I have just the two for it."

"Oh this will be good then, your two are something else especially if Mega Evolution is allowed." May said. "I've got two as well and Phantump would be a great appeal Pokémon. Alright this will be our first Contest and then we go onto Laverre for the Contest there. We should win one each but we are a little rusty so who knows."

"Agreed." Dawn said. "So we're going to have to practice along the way though I must ask, what are the Wetlands?"

"Yeah we've not been there but I'm sure that I've heard of them before." Ash said. "We've mentioned them while here, right?"

"Probably, at the very least I'm sure Max has as I think his Simisear is from there, and they're a notable area to the north of Lumiose City along the standard route that connects it to Laverre." May said as she put down the calendar while Ash helped himself to what was either his second or third helping of lunch neither girl had been paying attention to his food consumption during the chat. "It's officially called Route 14 in Kalos but everyone just calls it the Wetlands as it's a massive swampy area that will be the first we come across but apparently it's not all there is, rather it's only a portion of the journey between Lumiose and Laverre."

"A portion?" Ash asked. "So it's not the whole distance."

"It's a long route, it will take us a good week just to get from here to the end of the swamp that gives the Wetlands its name." May said. "And that's using the service you have access to to cut the walking time to Lumiose City from this chateaux."

"We'll actually need to use that." Dawn said. "We need supplies and outfits for the Contests, along with new outfits for the year, and that is the best place for it."

"Yeah I want to properly travel when I'm in a region but I don't mind using the service to at least get to Lumiose City." Ash agreed. "We can use it to get there and spend the day there to get supplies before moving on. The Wetlands sound cool and the perfect place for an adventure to occur."

"Knowing you Ash you'll find it whether it's there or not." May said. "Likely something that involves saving it and probably a new Pokémon to add to your roster."

"This is Ash we're talking about." Dawn said. "Expect him to do at least the adventure part so we need to factor that in as well. This Haunted Contest is when exactly?"

"Two and a half weeks from now." May said. "It will take us 10 days to get through the Wetlands and the forest to the north starting today and factoring in things and that's taking into account a small Ash related adventure in the Wetlands. A bigger one may add a day or two so it will be a little tight but we can do it I feel. From there it's less than a week to Laverre so we'll be there in time regardless. I want to hit that Haunted Contest first of course as it would be a good practice if nothing else but it's not as important as making it to Laverre and there will be more Contests near Laverre as they're going to pick up real soon."

"True and we have the time." Dawn said. "The Majestic Festival is in 10 months' time in Hoenn. That could even be our last region if it comes to it and we'd get there in time so long as we plan to spend no more than a month in any region after we leave Kalos which should give us some wiggle room for other issues which may arise."

"Agreed." May said though if she decided to go off on her own it would speed things up considerably so it really was looking like a good idea that she head off on her own after she or Dawn won a ribbon in Kalos. "And with the Wallace Cup being where Serena is we know that Unova will likely be a region we spend longer than a month in but with Johto and Kanto connected those two combined shouldn't take more than 6 weeks to sort out so it's a good balance."

"True and I'd like to see a bit more of Unova when we visit it." Dawn said. "I only saw a little while I was there."

"I've not been, same with Alola and Galar so I'm going to spend some extra time in those regions." May said. "At least I want the cushion so that I have the option to do so which Kanto, Johto, and to an extent Hoenn should allow."

"Yeah and there's a lot to learn in Alola and Galar that could add some time in those regions." Ash said. "So I want to learn all about those phenomenon and get the gear I need for them as I have a feeling the gear will be useful in the PWC seeing as all three phenomenon are allowed in it though only one per battle."

"We've spent over a year in Kalos at this point." Dawn said. "So if we can get it done fast that would help us though we shouldn't rush at the same time. I need to get the practice in but going with Spiritomb and Banette in the first Contest will help I feel."

"There's also the new rules with Mega Evolution." May said. "It's going to be allowed but only once in the entire Contest and can be in the appeal or battles so we have to factor that in as well."

"Agreed so I'm bringing Pinsir in my team as well though she won't have her Mega Stone for this as you can't have two in your party according the Professor Sycamore." Dawn said. "And if she's there then I'm taking Vileplume as well, they're a pair. I caught those four in Kanto so it's fitting that they be the four I return to Contests with."

"Let me guess, Togekiss is last." May said. "Given we're heading to Laverre she makes the most sense for you."

"She does so why not plus I know Valerie loves her so it will be nice to have her for Laverre." Dawn said. "That said I do want to catch new Pokémon and train them during the year but that is for after Kalos."

"Same." May said. "Though I do intend on training all my new ones since I became a Top Coordinator in Sinnoh in the art of Contests."

"Well that is a given." Dawn said. "Qualifying for the Majestic Conference won't be easy so we need all we have be they old, post winning a Grand Festival or new to be in their best form. If I don't win the Haunted Contest I'm going to bring in Malamar and Machamp to replace Banette and Spiritomb for Laverre and start the training process for them."

"A good idea." May said. "I only really have 4 who need to learn and I'll have Blaziken of course so I'll round it out with Beautifly as she's a good mentor for the more artistic aspect of Contests while Blaziken is more combat focused these days. Plus he's my starter and only Pokémon with a Mega Stone so I need to have him around regardless."

"It's so nice to be planning Contests again." Dawn said with a smile. "I'm really glad they created this; I'm can't wait to get back in a Contest. I really miss them and after becoming a Top Coordinator there really isn't much more to do unless you want to compete as one."

"It's allowed but seen as extremely disrespectful." May said. "Solidad's reputation really took a major hit when she competed in Johto right after winning the Kanto Grand Festival though with Drew and Harley on that circuit I didn't mind her being there. She stepped away after losing to Drew in the quarterfinals but now she'll be back and she's a real challenge. Not to mention the likes of Robert, Yuma, and as much as I hate to admit it Harley. They're going to crop up this year so best to be careful. There's also Dr. Abby, she was who really inspired me at one point in Hoenn and I doubt she'll stay away now that she can compete again."

"True and lets not forget that Zoey will be there as well." Dawn said. "Along with Mollie and of course my mother. I've never beaten any of them, those three will be the true challenges for me so I can't wait to face them in Contests or the Majestic Festival if we all make it."

"This will be so much fun." May said happily. "Competing again and for the first time we're truly rivals. The Wallace Cups were one off events, now we're going for the Majestic Festival and the Supreme Coordinator title at the same time. All of us will be because so many from our time have won it all since I started."

"Yup, as I know Mollie's won one but she's not the only one." Dawn said. "Nando won it in Johto last season as well and lets not forget that Serena, Miette, Shauna, Emily, Khoury, and Jessilina are all on different circuits this year as well. They could all make it while Tierno is in Kanto with Miette so one won't but with the Majestic Festival on the line they're going to have a great rivalry. I'm so happy the Contest Committee decided to do this."

"As am I." May said. "And the timing is perfect for Ash because of the PWC as well which will be in Galar the month after the Majestic Festival so we'll all just go straight to it after the Majestic Festival ends."

"Oh I can't wait for that." Ash said. "I wasn't sure what came next after becoming a regional Champion other than some duties and traveling a bit to face other strong trainers but now I have that final goal, the best in the world and I'm going to win it."

"On that Ash." Dawn said. "What are you going to do about Pokémon this year?"

"What I do every year." Ash said with a grin. "Start my journey fresh with just Pikachu and train up who I capture along the way."

"Pikachu." Pikachu said with a nod.

"But what about the PWC?" May asked. "And other challenges along the way? You're going to have to use strong Pokémon them as well especially because knowing you I'm sure some of the challenges will be full battles."

"Of course I will and I'll switch teams in and out for the various challenges so that all my Pokémon get training for the PWC, that device Dr. Akihabara sent with Professor Oak will be really useful this year." Ash said to which Dawn nodded as she intended to make use of that device as well. "While I will catch and train up Pokémon this year I do want all of my Pokémon to participate in the PWC and training for it so we all need to be ready. However, that is for when I leave Kalos, I'll take a full team to the Wetlands."

"What team?" Dawn asked.

"The team that won the Lumiose Conference of course." Ash said. "We need to properly celebrate that so they'll be with me in the Wetlands and through the rest of my time in Kalos unless something changes along the way."

"Sounds like a plan then." May said as they finished their lunch, well the girls' finished their first lunch Ash had had at least 4 helpings by this point. "So let's set to it and make sure we know what we need for our final trip through Kalos before we take on the world."

Ash and Dawn nodded at that and they set about preparing and planning for what they'd need. May was still hesitant about staying and leaning towards leaving when the right time came but until then she was going to have fun and they'd have to be ready for what was to come.

Little did they know that their first major adventure was just around the corner for the Wetlands contained a secret that affected one of Ash's Pokémon, a secret they'd learn when they entered the Kalos Wetlands. That would be the kickstart to their latest journey with the two great competitions waiting for them at the end of it.

I think I'll end this little setup chapter here with a tease of what is to come and the plans in place for at least the Kalos arc of Champions. This is officially the start of Gen VIII in the Heart Series as the journeys to the PWC and Majestic Festival have begun and for the moment May will be with Ash and Dawn as they set off but will that last? Time will tell as the final period set in Kalos in the Hearts series now begins. That is all that I have for y'all so I will end this Part off here. As always if you like my work then please favorite (both this story and me in general to be notified of any new content I post), if possible leave a review as I really like hearing what you think of my work and your suggestions that help complete this story (and respond as best I can) and just in general keep enjoying my work. Until next time.

Stringdog