Freedom is all Ash ever wanted. His wild dream of becoming a Pokemon Master was just a pathway to that goal. The ability to choose how to lead one's life and who to lead it with, it's powerful. Although it seems like such an impossible, faraway goal, it was his nonetheless. Ash believed his life would truly begin when he became free. In that sense, he was still an infant.
Ash was currently lying in bed in his room in Pallet Town. He was thinking about everything that has happened in his life so far and the incredible journey he's experienced. If you told any of his old friends about how he was currently passing the time, they would be baffled. Although he would never admit it, Ash thought a lot more than many would think, especially lately. He'd reached a bit of an internal deadlock. It seemed that every single second of his life was spent on the move. He hadn't had absolute stability in a very long time. It was seriously affecting his mental health. His emotions and feelings have been starting to shoot all over the place. It may be because of the lack of normalcy in his life, but Ash knew better.
He wasn't stupid enough to overlook the beautiful honey-blonde that constantly occupied his thoughts. Serena was amazing. She was kind, pretty, supportive and essentially perfect. Ash had an odd infatuation. Ash was dense, but he could still pick up on hints, and he was pretty sure she liked him too. It honestly would've been perfect had it not been for one thing. Cowardice. Ash Ketchum was a coward. He was a passionate man that was incredibly devoted to his dream, but so was she. He knew that they would only get in each other's way. They were about to part, Ash to Kanto and Serena to Hoen, and Ash was content with the lack of change in their relationship. Little did he know that everything would change in the few seconds it took for Serena to run back up that escalator. She kissed him and thanked him. He was confused, but there was nothing he could do to respond, and she left. Regret was the feeling running through Ash on the plane ride home. That kiss changed something within him. He could only think about the potential life he and Serena had together. His path to freedom was becoming his cage. It was frustrating. All of these ridiculous emotions were hijacking his mind. Ash quickly rolled out of bed and stood up. He had come to a decision. He was going to take a break.
It had officially been two years since Ash had returned from Kalos. It didn't mean that he was entirely out of practice as a trainer. He was still working hard with his Pokemon from Professor Oak's lab and trying to hone his skill. Still, it was a very long time since he had caught a new Pokemon or travelled to another region. He was currently on his way to do the latter. After a long conversation with his mother, he decided it was time to put himself back out there. He wasn't sure whether that would mean he would go back to becoming a trainer, but he missed his old life. He was sitting in a plane headed to Alola. It was a tropical region made of four islands. From the pictures he saw, the region was stunning, filled with beaches, palm trees and incredible food. The most intriguing thing to him was the fact that Alola had no major Pokemon battling tournaments. Ash wasn't sure what he would do when he got there, but he was always the type of guy to just go with the flow. He would go wherever the Alolan breeze would lead him.
Ash sighed. There were still 10 minutes before they would be let off the plane. He looked at Pikachu. The little mouse Pokemon was sleeping calmly on his shoulder. Ash smiled, thinking he should relax a bit. In truth, Ash was nervous. He wasn't sure if he was making the right decision, but he just didn't feel comfortable rotting away at home. He wasn't really good at anything outside of battling, and he couldn't keep himself away from Pokemon forever. The seatbelt sign flickered off. Ash and Pikachu made their way towards the exit.
"Well, buddy, this is the beginning of our new adventure." Ash exclaimed proudly. Pikachu responded by raising his tiny fist in the air. Ash giggled as he took a look around him. Awe would not be enough to describe the state Ash was in. It was beautiful. Ash had spent so long visiting so many regions, and yet he had never seen a sight so breathtaking. Pikachu nuzzled Ash's cheek, breaking him out of his stupor. Ash pulled out the map that his mom gave him before he left. He recognized the red circle on the map. He found the airport they were at and navigated a path to Professor Sampson Oak's lab. Ash and Pikachu quickly departed, not wanting to waste any more time.
Ash and Pikachu arrived at a clearing in Ten Carat Hill. According to the map, his destination was just a bit further. Ash peaked over a bus. There it was. It was a group of gigantic buildings that spanned over the entire area. He walked out of the bush towards the large buildings. Ash came to a halt as he heard a low rumbling.
"WHOOSH." Three Tauros zoomed past Ash in quick succession. He sighed, they had just barely missed him. Ash kept his eyes on the Tauros as their supposed race came to a close. He noticed that people were actually riding the Tauros, something he'd never seen before. He moved to introduce himself to the riders but was stopped in his tracks once again. His eyes locked with those of a green-haired girl who had just hopped off her Tauros. Ash was caught in another trance. She was gorgeous.