Author's Notes:
Welcome to my first ever crossover fic! This story will be a crossover between two different franchises, that being Kingdom Hearts and Pokemon, but in reality it's more a crossover between Kingdom Hearts, the Pokemon anime, and the Pokemon Colosseum/XD games.
I hope that you're at least somewhat familiar with the Kingdom Hearts franchise and the Pokemon anime, or at the very least the major characters present in each franchise. If you're not familiar with them, I have to question why you clicked on this story, but I'm not one to complain about more views. No prerequisite knowledge of the Colosseum/XD games is required, as this fic will use those games as a backdrop/setting but the story will borrow certain narrative elements from time to time. Any important details that originate from these games will be explained as they occur. Regarding both games, though…
It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up (and playing it/them).
This story takes place after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3 and ignores the games that follow, since I haven't played them. It also takes place several years after the events of the XYZ anime and the Pokemon Sun/Moon anime. We're going to ignore Pokemon: Journeys here since at the time of writing this story that anime is neither complete nor has it been watched by yours truly. Technically I haven't watched the S/M anime either but I know enough of it to catch the major points. Previous anime details aren't going to matter too much in this story, just the Pokemon that came from them.
Most of the major characters have been aged up to at least 18 years old, though there are a few exceptions. That's not to say we're going to be delving into heavily adult themes here, though. To the contrary, this fic will stay true to the original tone & atmosphere of KH and Pokemon with just a dash of the darker setting elements found in Colosseum/XD. Aging everyone up just means that the characters will be approaching romance from a more mature mindset.
In regards to how the characters appear, the Kingdom Hearts crew will be mostly in their original KH3 attire, since this fic immediately follows the events in the game. The Pokecrew will be a bit different, as a significant amount of time has passed since the events in the anime. Their appearances will be described in detail to give you a rough mental picture of how they look in the years since we last saw them.
Also, if it wasn't already apparent by the tags, this is going to be a SoKai and Amourshipping fic. For those of you who might not be up to date on those shipping titles, I'm going to be pairing Sora with Kairi, and Ash with Serena.
That's right. You heard me. Our two wholesome bois are finally going to get together with our two wholesome girls.
If any or neither of these ships strikes your fancy, you have been warned. You should probably turn back now if that's the case. That should have been obvious with the tags, but what do I know? I'm just the guy writing this thing.
I recommend finding some good extended loops on Youtube of some of the songs from Kingdom Hearts and Pokemon Colosseum/XD to supplement your reading experience. It certainly helped me when writing this story. Listen to the KH stuff when the KH characters/locales are the focus and the Pokemon stuff when Pokemon characters/locales are the focus.
This is also a side project of mine and not my main focus (at this time). I can't guarantee how frequently I will update this story, but I will try to remain somewhat consistent.
With that out of the way, I proudly present to you:
Colosseum of the Heart.
Falling.
Sora felt like he was falling.
Watching Xehanort strike down Kairi like that had left a gaping hole in his heart, one which he was certain would never fill or heal. Sure, as a wielder of the legendary Keyblade, he'd always preached about the strength of the heart to anyone he met, across any world he set foot upon, but throughout it all he had someone to return to. Someone whose heart resonated so deeply with his own and shared freely its strength and fortitude, no matter the distance.
And then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.
It should have come as no surprise to anyone who knew Sora. Of course he was going to use the Power of Wakening to try to save Kairi. He knew there would be risks. Sora knew he was usually seen as a reckless and rash person, but at least he wasn't ignorant of the dangers. Even before he chased Xehanort into Scala ad Caelum, he was already dead-set on doing anything and everything in his power to bring her back.
How could he not?
At least he succeeded in bringing her back, though. He would never forget the looks of joy and relief when he returned to the Destiny Islands with a stunned and teary-eyed Kairi in tow. Everyone was there, and for the briefest of moments, everything was as it should be. There, on that sunset beach, without the threat of the Heartless, of the Nobodies, or even that accursed Organization XIII, everyone relaxed and enjoyed themselves.
It wouldn't last.
Sora knew it wouldn't last forever and at the time could already feel himself slipping away. Making the most of what time he had left, he'd led Kairi onto that palm tree trunk, the very same one where just a day prior they both had shared a Paopu fruit. Any self-respecting resident of those islands knew that sharing a Paopu fruit was a symbol, a promise, that two people would remain in each others' lives forever.
If only that were true.
Using what time he had left, Sora had sat on that tree trunk with Kairi sitting beside him. Perhaps it was the looming spectre of death hanging over him, but he'd felt particularly bold in those last minutes. Holding her hand firmly, yet gently, Sora had looked her in the eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say. Needed to say. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him. Above all, he wanted to tell her something important.
His time was short, so that's exactly what he told her.
"I'll come back to you."
He'd hoped that saying those words would comfort her. The pained smile he saw in return was enough to tell him that she believed him, despite how much it hurt. He so wanted to feel closure then, to feel that everything would work out in the end. As his body faded into oblivion, he wanted to feel like he could make good on that promise.
Instead, he was left with the feeling of falling.
He'd felt this before, in those dreams so very long ago, but this time it was different. It was similar, yet different to those wide stained glass platforms that foreshadowed the journey he would undertake to save his friends. He realized it was almost like the Power of Wakening, but not quite. This wasn't quite as controlled. Rather than toe the line between dreams and death like he had when using the Power of Wakening, Sora felt himself plummeting, falling out of reality.
It was strange, really.
There were no words to describe the sensation of nonexistence washing over you. Feeling every fiber of your being slipping away from everything you ever knew. Everything you ever experienced, ever loved, ever hated simply no longer applying to you. Knowing that literally everything in your life thus far was now suddenly foreign.
Sora couldn't tell how long he'd been falling. Was it minutes? Hours? Days? Months? Apparently nonexistence applied to the concept of time as well. He could have been falling for years at this point and wouldn't know any better.
Falling.
When he thought he was getting used to this new and somehow familiar sensation, he felt something press against him. Not on his body, necessarily, but on his spirit. His heart. The pressure alone became unbearable. He would have screamed out in pain were he still in control of his faculties. He wasn't even sure he had a body at this point, only that it wasn't responding to his commands.
Just as the pressure became too much, it suddenly stopped. He could feel something rip. Thankfully, it wasn't his heart, that much he knew. It was as if that unseen, invisible barrier had been torn asunder and now he was falling again.
But now he was falling differently, somehow.
Wind. That was the first thing he noticed was different. It ripped across his body and roared in his ears. Then a warm feeling across his face. No, not just warm. He opened his eyes, only to shut them once again just as quickly upon seeing the great blinding ball of fire in the sky. The sun. It was warm and inviting, yet somehow scorching and unforgiving all the same. He could have sworn he heard screams of terror and panic below him for just the briefest of moments.
Then his fall came to an end. For a moment, he felt pain across his back. It wasn't much, but it was enough for him to register that he was still alive. Apparently he'd landed on something, but he didn't have much time to ponder it. He heard several voices coming closer, sounding alarmed and also curious.
The next thing he felt was nothing as he blacked out.
"Sandslash is unable to battle! The challenger has no more remaining Pokemon. Champion Ash Ketchum wins!"
In the years since his departure from Kalos and subsequent victory during the Alola League, Ash Ketchum had matured into quite the strapping young man. Now eighteen years old, those years of training alongside his Pokemon had given Ash a toned, yet lean physique, broader shoulders, and a matured height of about five feet, ten inches. His raven hair was slightly shorter but much the same as it had been, mostly disheveled but not unkempt.
He still sported his signature red and white cap, as well as a sleeveless, red-hooded blue vest, underneath which was a simple form-fitting black tee. Now that he spent most of his time in Kanto, Alola, and the Orange Islands, he'd long since abandoned his jeans in favor of a pair of dark blue cargo shorts and a pair of simple black sneakers.
He'd learned the hard way not to underestimate the blistering heat of a tropical sun.
Ash looked on as his challenger solemnly walked forward and comforted his Alolan Sandslash, gently petting its head while evidently steering clear of the icy spines. Both trainer and Pokemon looked dejected at the loss, and the boy looked to be on the verge of tears.
The raven-haired man walked forward, all the while holding out his arm so Pikachu could run back and return to the safe and comfortable perch that was his shoulder. He looked over to his faithful companion, who looked mildly scratched and banged up, but was otherwise in no immediate danger. He gave a quick nod before focusing his attention back on the saddened duo in front of him. Ash felt Pikachu shift on his shoulder and start digging around in his backpack. As Ash finally approached the boy and his Sandslash, he reached up and took the Sitrus berry Pikachu had procured from his backpack and had in his tiny paws.
"Thanks, buddy." Ash said, flashing the electric mouse a smile. Slowly, he lowered himself and took a knee next to the Sandslash, holding out the berry towards the boy. "That was a great battle, Jason. You and Sandslash should both be proud."
The boy, Jason, sniffed and gingerly took the berry from Ash's hand. A faint smile crossed his lips as he fed the Sitrus berry to his Sandslash, who slowly started to eat the berry. "Thank you, Mr. Ketchum, sir. In the end it wasn't enough, though."
That was still an odd sensation, being called 'Mister'. Sure, he was 18 year old now - almost 19, actually - and technically an adult, but it was still baffling to be regarded as one.
Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder to comfort the Sandslash while Ash placed a hand gently on Jason's shoulder. "I know it's easy for me to say this, but don't be sad. Do you know how many times I lost before I became Champion?"
Jason looked up at him with watery eyes. "You? You lost?"
"Of course!" Ash said, sporting his signature grin. "So many times. It took me a while to realize this, but I'm going to give you a piece of advice. Something I learned the hard way, and something you'll learn too in time."
"W-what?" Jason asked, his Sandslash finally finishing the berry and standing back up. Both trainer and Pokemon stared intensely at Ash, waiting on his every word.
"You learn more from losing than you do from winning." Ash said as he stood up. Pikachu scurried back up his shoulder while Ash held out a hand to Jason. "So long as you never give up, you can only improve."
Jason's eyes brightened at the advice as he took Ash's outstretched hand. The raven-haired champion pulled his challenger up to his feet, causing the entire stadium to roar in approval. Much to the young boy's evident surprise, the stadium was cheering his name just as much as they were cheering Ash's.
"See?" Ash asked, looking Jason in the eye before gesturing to the crowd. Jason's smile threatened to overtake his face at that point as Ash gave him a friendly pat on the back. "You won the Alola League Conference and faced the champion on your first try! They're proud of you, so you should be too!"
Ash turned and began to walk out of the stadium, but before he left he looked over his shoulder and called out. He flashed a smile and gave Jason a thumbs up. "Don't give up until it's over!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out in agreement, giving his own thumbs up to the boy.
As Ash walked into the tunnel and the roar of the crowd softened to a dull murmur, he let out a sigh. He took off his cap to wipe the sweat off his brow before placing it back on his head. He frowned. While that battle had been physically tiring, his victory over the boy felt hollow. For three years now, Ash had defended his title as Alola League Champion and every time defeated his opponents. He'd even been called back to the Orange Islands a couple of times to defend his title as Orange League Champion when somebody managed to beat Drake.
Yet every time his victory seemed empty.
He didn't understand. As champion of two regions - albeit one being a minor league - Ash felt he'd achieved his goal of Pokemon Master. The only other person on the planet with that kind of claim to fame was Lance, who still held onto his title of Champion of Kanto and Johto.
What was missing?
"Just couldn't help yourself, could you?" A voice chuckled out from further into the tunnel.
As Ash's eyes adjusted to the darker interior, he finally got a glimpse of who was waiting for him. It was a tall man in his late 20's - maybe early 30's - with spiked scarlet hair and fair complexion. Aside from his navy blue tunic and stoic demeanor, perhaps the most striking feature of the man was his flowing black cape. This was a man Ash had many encounters with in the past, even before he became champion, and fortunately all had been favorable.
"Lance!" Ash cried out with a smile, his previous solemn attitude vanishing swiftly in greeting his fellow champion. His eyebrow raised as Lance's question finally sunk in. "What do you mean?"
"You swept his entire team with just two Pokemon, Ash." Lance chuckled out as he pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning on. "Could've thrown the kid a bone at least, let him get to your last Pokemon."
"That wouldn't have been right, Lance, and you know it." Ash replied, his smile lessening somewhat. "These challengers give their all to take us on. For us to give anything less than 100% would be disrespectful."
Lance smiled. "All too true. Glad to know being a champion hasn't gone to your head, kid."
Ash's smile returned, understanding that his fellow champion was simply testing him. He walked up to meet the red-haired man in the hallway. "So what brings you by, Lance? It's not like you to visit Alola."
Lance started walking down the hallway and motioned for Ash to follow. "The champions are meeting, so I actually came to fetch you. I'm hosting the meeting this time, over in Kanto."
Ash tilted his head in confusion. That was odd. The champions only ever met once or twice a year, and that was usually to discuss inter-regional politics or to talk about their upcoming League tournaments and conferences. Ash recalled that the most recent meeting was just last month to discuss his own conference coming up, as well as that of Leon's in Galar. Another meeting like this was very strange, indeed. There was only one explanation for it.
"What's wrong, Lance?" Ash asked bluntly, if not amiably. "Something's wrong if we're holding another meeting so soon."
"Nothing major, Ash." Lance assured him. "Just League business, you know how it is."
Ash wasn't quite convinced. Somehow this meeting seemed urgent, or at least more than what Lance was letting on. In any case, as he and Lance left the stadium they each pulled out pokeballs and brought forth their best Flying-type Pokemon. Already a small crowd was starting to notice the presence of the two champions. The sounds of cameras and flurry of flashes was already starting to get uncomfortable.
"Let's go, Dragonite!" Lance called out, summoning forth his trusted dragon and mounting it.
"Aroooo!"
"You too, Pidgeot!" Ash followed, the subsequent burst of light revealing his oldest Flying pokemon. He too went to sit atop his flier.
"Pidgeo!"
The assembled crowd let loose a cacophony of "ooh's" and "ahh's" as Ash and Lance took off atop their fliers. Without any further words from either of their trainers, both Pokemon rocketed off, already knowing where to go.
Normally the trip would take half the day to fly from Alola all the way to the Pokemon League Headquarters in Kanto, but both Dragonite and Pidgeot were experienced and capable fliers. Their trainers were equally so, able to stay firmly seated through the entire speedy voyage. It only took a few hours for both champions to fly over to Saffron City, where Lance was apparently hosting this impromptu meeting.
Ash looked over the cityscape that was Saffron City. Easily the largest city in Kanto, Saffron was the central hub of most activity for the region. It had been quite some time since Ash had visited; he'd had little reason to between his duties in Alola and the Orange Islands during League season and relaxing in Pallet Town during the off-season. Despite that, nothing seemed to have changed during his absence. Skyscrapers still littered the skyline, including the towering behemoth of an office building known as the Silph Co. headquarters. The hustle and bustle down below never seemed to cease, and the current sunset bathed the city in its signature saffron glow.
Ash smirked; that was probably where the name came from.
Ash soon spotted the building they'd be meeting at. Tucked to the side, near the outskirts of the city was a large, official-looking building emblazoned with the Pokemon League logo. Security seemed to be pretty tight here, given the numerous security checks he and Lance had to go through in order to even set foot on the property. Soon enough, both trainers returned their fliers, thanking them for the speedy trip, before walking inside.
After walking through several hallways, they finally came to a large meeting room. Inside was a large circular table surrounded by eight chairs, six of which were occupied by some fairly notable figures in the Pokemon world.
Seated at the head of the table was one Mr. Charles Goodshow, the current president of the Pokemon League Committee. Despite his position, the short, bearded elder always seemed to be dressed in a red sweater, a pair of cargo shorts, and a backwards navy cap. It was clear that Mr. Goodshow was always a kid at heart, given his upbeat attitude. Between that and his voluminous white hair and thick beard, he was always a hit with the younger trainers. While not a champion in his own right, he'd overseen countless League tournaments and conferences in his tenure as president and was just as famous as the champions who sat nearby.
Steven, Champion of Hoenn.
Cynthia, Champion of Sinnoh.
Diantha, Champion of Kalos.
Leon, Champion of Galar.
Iris, Champion of Unova.
Ash smiled and gave a wave when he saw Iris. While he considered himself friends with the other champions, his friendship with Iris was forged through a shared adventure they'd had when they were younger. When he learned she'd inherited the title of Champion from Alder two years ago, Ash couldn't help but feel pride in his old friend. He and Iris were two of the youngest regional champions in history, actually.
"Ash!" Iris exclaimed, interrupting whatever conversation the other champions were having as she waved enthusiastically in return.
Ash chuckled. And she called him a kid.
"Good to see you again, Ash." Diantha said with a smirk. "Congratulations on keeping your title."
"Thanks!" Ash replied with a smile. "It was a hard-fought battle, though!"
"Oh please!" Iris said with a smirk and a scoff. "We saw you completely trounce that kid on TV. I almost felt bad for him, honestly."
Ash and Lance took their seats after they made their rounds to greet and shake everyones' hands. Once that was out of the way, Mr. Goodshow cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming on such short notice." Mr. Goodshow began, his eyes surveying over all those assembled. "I'm sure you're all wondering why Lance and I have called this meeting, so allow me to get right to the point."
Ash looked over towards Lance, whose attention was focused on the president. So apparently Lance had a hand in calling this meeting. Ash subtly shook his head. He had a feeling there was more to this than the Dragon-type specialist was letting on.
"We are looking to expand the Pokemon League to other regions." Mr. Goodshow continued, tapping on a console in front of him. A projection of the world map was shown on the tabletop, with each of the nine major regions highlighted. Other neighboring regions were also displayed, but the lack of highlighted borders made it abundantly clear that these regions were either largely uninhabited or did not have any sort of League presence. "It's become clear to us that we need to start building better relationships with our neighboring regions, and we feel the best way to do that would be to establish diplomatic ties to these regions and hopefully set up League activities there as well."
That made sense to Ash. Pokemon tournaments and conferences were a great way to bring people together in the spirit of competition. Contests and Performances were similar, but obviously had more cultural meaning to their home regions and probably weren't as applicable. It was in his participation in Pokemon League tournaments so long ago that brought him across many regions and helped him establish so many friendships. It was because of that that he had been able to call all those seated around him friends long before he became a regional champion himself.
"That makes sense to me." Cynthia said, slowly nodding her head. "Right now, we're in a very good place to start branching out."
"True." Steven added. "We haven't had any particularly catastrophic events unfold recently, save for that business over in Galar, so we could stand to expand a little."
Ash watched Leon visibly flinch at the mention of "business over in Galar." That had been a fairly nasty scuffle, he'd heard. He didn't know the specifics, but he did know that Chairman Rose, who'd previously been in charge of the Galar branch of the Pokemon League, was involved in what could have potentially been a world-altering event. Thanks to Leon and the help of some young trainers, however, that matter was solved and Rose was now serving time in prison.
Ash counted himself lucky that nothing major had happened in Alola or the Orange Islands during his tenure as Champion.
"The only trouble we're still having is with Team Rocket, honestly." Diantha said, sparing a glance in Lance's direction. "Though I understand the G-men have that situation under control."
Lance cleared his throat. "Yes, we've been able to keep their activities restricted to Kanto at least. Giovanni is a slippery one, to be sure, but we've got them on the defensive so the likelihood of them spreading to other regions is minimal, in our opinion."
"With that in mind…" Mr. Goodshow continued, bringing the conversation back on track. "We're thinking of starting with the region of Orre."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"You're kidding, right?" Leon said, speaking for the first time during the entire meeting so far. "I mean no disrespect, but Orre's a wasteland. Outside of the major cities like Phenac, any sense of law and order is out the window. It's basically anarchy over there. You want to start there?"
"It's the most well-established region that we've come across." Lance said with a shrug. "They've already got the foundation of a competition-type system over there with their colosseums. Adapting those to League standards would be relatively easy."
"There's also the matter of their technology." Mr. Goodshow added, pressing another button on the console, changing the projected image from a map to a picture of an impressive looking tower in the middle of a desert. "Despite their environmental hardships, their technology is impressive and worth noting."
"Okay, but they're not going to just welcome us with open arms." Leon countered. "Even disregarding the crime syndicates present there, what do we have to offer them?"
"Pokemon." Mr. Goodshow stated rather bluntly. Everyone except Lance looked at the president with expressions of confusion or incredulity.
"What do you mean?" Iris asked. "They do have their own Pokemon, right?"
"Not really." Lance replied. "Because of the arid environment as well as other factors that I'd rather not go into right now, their wild Pokemon populations are barely surviving. Even those Pokemon already adapted to those conditions are rarely found, so the ecosystem's an absolute mess."
Ash frowned and looked down contemplatively. A region without wild Pokemon would be incredibly sad, if not outright boring. He'd lived surrounded by Pokemon his entire life, and their role in nature and society was incredibly important. He couldn't even begin to imagine the kinds of hardships the people in Orre went through on a regular basis with crime syndicates on the loose and very few Pokemon to help them in their daily lives.
"We should help them." Ash said abruptly, shifting his gaze upward to meet those of his colleagues.
Mr. Goodshow smiled as he looked at Ash. "That's exactly our plan, my boy. This plan isn't a power grab or a ploy to expand our influence, contrary to what it might have seemed like when I brought up the idea. We want to help the people of Orre. Lance has already told me stories of Orre refugees that come to Johto seeking shelter or a better life."
Lance nodded solemnly. "That's why I brought up the idea to Mr. Goodshow."
"... So how exactly are we planning on doing this?" Iris asked hesitantly, glancing about the room. The other champions, save Lance, looked just as perplexed as to how to accomplish this.
"The first thing we need to do is establish official diplomatic contact." Mr. Goodshow explained. "To do that, we need to send an envoy, an ambassador on behalf of the League."
"I'll do it!" Ash suddenly exclaimed. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure why he shouted that out. Maybe he wasn't as mature as he once thought. Now he understood why his friends always called him reckless and brash. Realizing that he would effectively be abandoning his duties as champion, at least in the short term, Ash quickly thought up a way to fix that issue. "I can ask Kukui to cover for me as acting Champion while I'm away."
"Such a kid…" Ash heard Iris mutter as she shook her head.
Mr. Goodshow laughed heartily. "That's why I like to hear, my boy! We were actually going to ask you or Leon if you wanted to serve as ambassador since your respective League conferences are done for the season. Not to mention, if you run into any trouble, you've got quite the track record for putting a stop to it."
"I'm glad you volunteered, Ash." Leon chuckled before his expression turned more serious. "I'm still dealing with the aftermath of what Rose left me in Galar. I'm afraid I have too much on my plate already."
Ash smiled. It had been a while since he'd done any sort of real traveling or exploring. Years, actually. He'd been so caught up in his responsibilities with the League that he'd forgotten the joy of seeing new places and meeting new Pokemon. He obviously wouldn't be doing too much of the latter, given where he was going, but the sentiment was there nonetheless.
He paused in his train of thought.
"Wait, track record?" Ash asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"My boy, you're famous for shutting down criminal organizations and stopping the many world-ending calamities that came with them." Mr. Goodshow said with a chuckle.
"It hasn't been that many…" Ash muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully.
"Teams Magma and Aqua. Groudon and Kyogre." Steven added.
"Team Galactic. Dialga and Palkia." Cynthia interjected.
"Team Plasma? Zekrom and Reshiram?" Iris continued.
"Team Flare. Zygarde." Diantha said.
"And don't think we didn't hear about your involvement with the Ultra Beasts either, Ash." Iris scolded.
"Not to mention that business over in the Orange Islands with Lugia, Mr. Chosen One." Lance said cheekily.
"Pika pika chu-pi!" Pikachu added, drawing a few laughs from the others.
"Okay, okay!" Ash exclaimed, holding his hands out to stop them. "I get it! It's not like I go looking for trouble though."
"In any case, you're arguably the most qualified here to make friends over there, Ash." Diantha said with a smile. "You made friends with all of us even before making Champion, after all. You're a natural diplomat."
"She has a point, my boy." Mr. Goodshow said. "So you can understand why I'm glad you volunteered."
"You won't be going alone, mind you." Mr. Goodshow interjected, though his smile never faltered. "We've enlisted the help of the PCC and the PMA with this. If we're going to go through with this, we need to cover all facets of League society, not just battling."
Ash took a second to recall what each of those acronyms stood for. The PCC, or Performer & Coordinator Coalition, was responsible for the management of the various Pokemon showcases and contests throughout all of the regions. It was a relatively new organization and was technically a subsection of the Pokemon League, though it operated mostly independently.
The PMA, or Pokemon Medical Association, was the agency that oversaw the management of Pokemon Centers and the medical professionals associated with them. Admittedly, Ash didn't know a whole lot about it, as that was usually Brock's thing, but it was a necessary organization nonetheless.
"That makes sense." Iris said, resting her index finger on her lip in thought. "If things are that bad over there, we need to make sure people and Pokemon are happy and healthy too if we want this to work."
"And no matter how strong a trainer you are, traveling alone through that region isn't a good idea." Lance concluded.
Ash smiled and raised a fist with determination. "I won't let you down."
"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, raising a fist in solidarity with his trainer.
"Glad to hear it!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. After pressing another button on the console, he tented his hands and looked around the room. "Now, onto other matters…"
Compared to the beginning of the meeting, the remainder was relatively uneventful and, if Ash was being honest, boring. There was talk of commerce, politics, and other issues that never really appealed to Ash. He was more of an action-oriented person and never much of a planner, if his battle style was anything to go off of. This was easily one of the things about being Champion that he didn't much care for. That, and paperwork.
Oh, Arceus above, the paperwork was almost worth quitting over.
An hour or two later, the meeting of the Champions finished and everyone started to leave the meeting room. Ash said his goodbyes, got some good-natured jabs and ribbing in with Iris for old time's sake, and before he knew it he was out the front door. It was night time already, and Saffron City had lost its signature amber glow, instead swapping it for a serene moonlit white that was surprisingly calming. From this distance, the bright city lights on the skyscrapers almost looked like stars, adding to the celestial appearance of the city as it was bathed in gentle moonlight.
"One more thing before you go, Ash…" Lance's voice rang out from his left. The Kanto/Johto champion stepped out of the shadows.
"Gah!" Ash shouted before placing a hand over his heart as if to calm it. "Arceus, Lance. It's like you live off of hiding in the shadows and scaring others."
Lance chuckled, his arms crossed in a way that, frankly, made the champion look even cooler than he already was. If that was even possible. He unfolded his arms and handed Ash a folder. "This is everything you'll need to get to Orre. Boat tickets, relevant information, etc. We'll contact you within the week about who you'll be meeting with and who will be accompanying you while you're in Orre."
Ash nodded and opened the folder, casually thumbing through the contents. He wasn't about to read through the whole thing right now, but he wanted to see if anything popped out to him on a cursory glance.
"Take the next week to prepare." Lance continued, recrossing his arms and walking away. He glanced over his shoulder at Ash. "Orre's not a friendly place, Ash, so don't go there empty-handed."
Ash nodded as he looked westward. Somewhere out there was a whole new region for him to explore. He had a mission. Maybe somewhere out there, he'd find what was missing, something that would make his life as Alola Champion worth having. It definitely wasn't going to be the ideal location to find whatever it was, but stranger things had happened. Ash looked at Pikachu, who wore a similar look of determination. His partner's cheeks crackled with latent electricity; apparently the mouse was just as excited as he was.
"Orre, here we come."