Ash was setting up for a BBQ in his backyard, a big grin on his face as he laid out various ingredients and cooking utensils. "Alright, everyone! Today, we're having a BBQ, and Charizard here is going to be our grill master!" he announced enthusiastically, patting ma on the back. I roared in agreement, a mischievous glint in my eye.

Ash then attempted to light the grill with matches, striking one after another but failing to get a proper flame. I stood by, watching with an amused expression, occasionally letting out a snicker-like sound. "Okay, buddy, I think I need some help here," Ash admitted, stepping aside with a sheepish smile.

I stepped up, took a deep breath, and breathed a controlled burst of fire onto the grill. In an instant, the coals were glowing red-hot. "Thanks, Charizard! That's more like it!" Ash said, giving me a thumbs up.

Then Ash was attempting to cook burgers and hot dogs. He flipped a burger into the air, only to have it land on Pikachu's head. Pikachu shook it off with a startled "Hey!" and ran off to join the other Pokémon. "Whoops, sorry about that, Pikachu!" Ash called out, chuckling.

Things started to spiral out of control as more of Ash's Pokémon joined the scene. Squirtle decided it would be fun to spray water at the grill, nearly putting out the flames. "Squirtle, no! We need the fire to cook!" Ash laughed, trying to shield the grill from the water jets.

Bulbasaur, not wanting to be left out, used its Vine Whip to try and help flip the burgers, but ended up flinging one across the yard where it was caught by a surprised Noctowl. "Nice catch, Noctowl!" Ash cheered, while the owl Pokémon hooted proudly, burger in beak.

Feraligatr got in on the action by dancing around excitedly, almost knocking over the table with all the condiments. Meganium tried to keep Feraligatr in check by gently wrapping him with her vines, but the two ended up in a playful wrestling match, rolling across the grass.

Meanwhile, I was trying my best to keep the grill at a manageable temperature but kept inadvertently scorching the food with bursts of fire whenever I got too excited. "Easy there, Charizard! We don't want to serve charcoal burgers!" Ash teased.

Snorlax, attracted by the smell of food, lumbered over and plopped down next to the grill, causing the ground to shake. He grabbed a hot dog in each hand and started munching contentedly. "Well, at least someone's enjoying the food," Ash said with a laugh.

Pikachu, now recovered from the earlier mishap, decided to help out by running around, bringing ketchup and mustard to everyone. At one point, he tripped and accidentally sprayed ketchup all over Ash, who just shook his head and smiled. "Thanks for the help, Pikachu," he said, wiping ketchup off his face.

Despite the mess and the near disasters, everyone was having a great time. Ash even tried to make a fancy flip with a burger patty again, but this time it landed perfectly on the grill. "Finally, nailed it!" he cheered. By the end, everyone gathered around, enjoying the slightly charred but still delicious food. Ash sat among his Pokémon, a huge smile on his face as they all ate and laughed together. I, looking proud of my grilling skills, sat beside Ash, munching on a well-done burger.

"Well, that was an adventure, but we did it!" Ash said with a big grin on his face.

As we continued munching on our slightly charred but delicious food, I felt a sense of satisfaction. Sure, the BBQ had been chaotic, but it was the kind of chaos we thrived on. I glanced around at my fellow Pokémon, their faces lit up with joy and laughter, and I knew they felt the same.

Sceptile, ever the serious one, was the first to break the comfortable silence. "So, what do we do now that the situation in Alola and Galar is handled, and the Pummelo Conference has ended?"

For a moment, everyone fell silent, contemplating the question. The atmosphere grew a bit heavy as we remembered that despite Ash's Champion and Ranger duties decreasing, his responsibilities as Leader of the Sevii Islands Battle Frontier were far from over.

"Simply because Ash's Champion and Ranger duties have decreased, it doesn't mean his duties as Leader of the Sevii Islands Battle Frontier are over for the year." Lucario's words hung in the air.

There was a collective groan, followed by a flurry of noise as everyone started talking at once. We had all but forgotten about the upcoming battles against Trip and Paul. Most of us loved battling – it was in our nature, and Ash's various roles kept us all engaged and excited.

"Man, I was looking forward to some downtime," Glaceon said with a playful pout, frost surrounding him.

"Don't be such a baby, Glaceon," Jolteon scolded, sounded just like her mother. "We love the action, remember?"

Pikachu jumped up, his eyes sparking with excitement. "I can't wait to face Paul again! It's always a tough battle."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Battling was in our blood, and Ash being a region's Champion, a Ranger Captain, and the Terrain Ranger of the Sevii Islands Battle Frontier, meant there was always something to do. Despite the workload, we were never exhausted. Ash's team was large, and everyone played their part, keeping us entertained but not overworked.

"I guess we should start preparing," Infernape said, ever the practical one. "We have to be in top shape for those battles."

"Yeah, but it's not just about battling," I added, thinking about our patrol routines. "The Flying-types patrol the skies of the Orange Islands, and the Water-types handle the waters. The rest of us pop in and out of the various islands whenever the rangers call for backup."

Typhlosion nodded, still holding a half-eaten burger. "It's true. We've become so efficient that we don't really need Ash to guide us through patrols or Ranger Missions anymore. We can do it on our own."

Everyone murmured in agreement. It was a point of pride for us that we had become so capable.

"Remember that time we handled that poacher ring on Pinkan Island without Ash?" Noctowl hooted, recalling one of our proudest moments. "We worked together perfectly."

"And what about that rescue mission in the Whirlpool Islands?" Meganiun added, her eyes gleaming. "We coordinated like pros."

The conversation gradually shifted to other topics, but the underlying excitement and anticipation for the upcoming battles remained. I listened as my teammates discussed training strategies, shared tips, and reminisced about past battles. I looked around as Muk was munching on a hot dog, while Torkoal and Crawdaunt shared a plate of burgers.

It was then that I decided to break the silence. "So, does anyone know who Ash has chosen to battle against Trip and Paul?" I asked, my deep voice rumbling with curiosity.

Bulbasaur, always the one with the latest information, nodded. "Ash has already picked the team for the battle against Trip. But he hasn't decided who will face Paul yet."

"Who's battling Trip?" Mawile, Skarmory, Zangoose, Froslass, Kricketune, and Magcargo all raised their hands, indicating they were chosen for the battle. Mawile added with a grin, "I'll be the Mega Evolution Pokémon for the battle."

A collective groan rose from the rest of the Pokémon. Disappointment hung in the air, and Charizard could feel the frustration emanating from his teammates. We all loved to battle, and being passed over was a tough pill to swallow. I felt a surge of irritation myself.

"This is so frustrating," Incineroar muttered, his ears twitching in annoyance. "I know we can't all fight at once, but still..."

I grumbled, my wings twitching with barely contained frustration. "Ash better choose me for the battle against Paul, or I'm going to be seriously angry."

Annihilape placed a calming hand on Charizard's shoulder. "I understand, Charizard. We all want to be part of the action, but Ash knows what he's doing. He'll make the right choice."

I took a deep breath, trying to cool my temper. Annihilape was right, of course. Ash always had a plan, and I trusted my trainer completely. But the competitive fire inside me still burned brightly, and the thought of sitting out an important battle was infuriating.

Mawile, sensing the tension, tried to lighten the mood. "Come on, guys! Look on the bright side. You get to relax and enjoy the show. And you know Ash will need you for other battles."

I nodded, appreciating her attempts to lift the team's spirits. "You're right. We all have our roles to play. And when it's our turn, we'll give it everything we've got."

Ash often said we were more than just a team – we were family. And like any family, we had learned to support each other and work together seamlessly. We didn't need constant supervision anymore.

As I looked around at my friends, I felt a surge of pride. We were strong, capable, and ready for anything. "Alright, team," I said, standing up and spreading my wings. "Let's finish up this BBQ and get back to training. We've got some battles to win and patrols to handle."