I humbly apologize for the lengthy wait, I was busy with Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Great DLC, should have come with numbing cream.

I also apologize for any misspelled words. I was editing this with minimal sleep in order to get it out.

If you're seeing this, it means this specific chapter has been updated to fix grammar and spelling issues, along with a new and important segment at the end. Vital to read.

Also:Guest chapter 1 . May 8

alolan ash and journeys ash suck fucking ass, dropping this shit after the first chapter. delete this dogass story

Single handedly one of the funniest reviews I've ever received. Thank you. That being said, if you're expecting Journeys, sorry. No Journeys. I have my own plans.

"Did you remember to pack your toothbrush?"

"Yes, Grandpa."

"What about your deodorant? And your-"

"Yes, Grandpa!"

Bianca stewed in embarrassment as her grandfather ran through the list of things she had packed for the umpteenth time. She knew why he did it, but it didn't make it any less aggravating, especially given that her traveling companion and guide was standing right there, listening with a knowing look.

It took some willpower to refrain from asking him to cut that expression off, and even more so as he chuckled and asked the mouse perched on his shoulder, "Reminds me of when we first started traveling, right buddy?"

"Pika!"

Ah, that makes sense.

After double-checking that all of her straps and zippers were secure, with Latias' "help," Bianca leveled an inquiring stare as she asked, "Really? How did that go?"

Her curiosity grew as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking anywhere but at her. "Well…my mom was quite persistent about what I packed. Particularly…."

He stopped there, and Pikachu snickered, "Pika-pikachu."

Immediately, Latias started laughing, trying and failing to cover her mouth with a red and white paw, drawing Bianca's attention.

The dragoness' honey-colored eyes focused on Ash mischievously as she giggled, "Well, Ash? Do you remember to pack clean underwear?"

Bianca bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing, although Ash sadly wasn't spared from Lorenzo's roar of laughter, even as he protested, "Of course I do!"

He crossed his arms and turned away, although Bianca could tell he wasn't as peeved as he made himself out to be.

'Well, at least now I know why he was insistent on hygiene,' she thought as she leaned away from her things. Although I'm not sure I would have been as appreciative if he had started asking about my underwear. As she grimaced at the thought, a knock at the door caught their attention, and Latias immediately went invisible.

Bianca and Lorenzo exchanged confused glances as Ash muttered, "Huh, didn't know you guys were expecting someone."

"We aren't," Lorenzo replied as he made his way to the door, turning and glancing at where Latias was visible moments before. "Go find your brother, Tia. He's gonna miss Bianca's departure otherwise."

There was another knock, prompting Lorenzo to grumble loudly as Bianca felt Latias brush past her and race out the back door, "Yeah, yeah, hold your Rabidashes. I'm almost there."

Bianca leaned to the side and peered around the corner as her grandfather yanked the door open, revealing-

"Officer Lospio?" His confused voice was enough for Bianca to get up and investigate. "What can I do for you?"

More like, "What are you doing here," she thought as she stopped and observed the two men, hearing Ash come up behind her.

"Good morning, sir," came the officer's even reply, the ever-present neutral face staring back at her grandfather before his attention focused on her. "Ah, Bianca. Just the one I was hoping to see…."

He trailed off as he noticed Ash standing just off the side, his face somehow becoming even more unreadable. "The young man that saved the museum? It seems you've returned from… Alola, was it?"

"Yeah! You remembered?" Ash's surprised reply came, sounding more impressed than what Bianca felt was warranted.

Officer Lospio gave a short nod of confirmation. "Of course. It's my job to recall even the smallest of details. Not to mention that I don't get many opportunities to… ah, interview people. I tend to remember those few I do. I would be remiss to forget yours, given the circumstances.

Bianca caught a glimpse of Ash as the trainer scratched his chin thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Actually, that reminds me. Whatever happened with uh... What are their names?"

She stifled a growl as her face soured. Her grandfather was much the same. Until now, Annie and Oakley had been a distant thought, pushed to the very recesses of her mind—a warning to be more cautious, but nothing that could spoil her mood.

'And then Ash had to open his mouth,' she thought dryly. 'Is this going to be another recurring issue?'

Meanwhile, Officer Lospio tilted his head slightly as though considering his answer.

"Well," he began carefully, "I can't quite give information like that, I'm afraid. My higher-ups wouldn't be very pleased with me, as you can imagine. However, I can tell you that the last my department heard from them, they were transferred to a prison where they will not be making any escapes any time soon, or at all."

Despite her initial annoyance at the mention of the women, Bianca couldn't help but relax at hearing that. She wouldn't have to be looking over her shoulder every day, and neither would the twins.

At least, not as much. Annie and Oakley were hardly the first to be interested in the DMA, although they were the first to get so far.

"That's a relief to hear, sir," she said with a small smile, pushing the thought to the side. "I had hoped they would be jailed for what they tried to do. Especially after attacking me," Bianca finished with a growl, frowning at the thought of that Espeon and Ariados attacking any other hapless victim. 'Cowards, using Pokemon to directly attack people.'

Officer Lospio leveled a small smile at her, probably the most expressive she'd seen him lately, although it didn't reach his eyes. "Indeed. Rest assured, that particular action of theirs will not go unpunished. Directly attacking humans with Pokemon is highly frowned upon; even in cases of organized crime, I've only seen it used as a last resort," he explained, making them nod. That aligned with what she's heard.

"Of course, I still wouldn't go about testing your luck," Lospio cautioned, staring intently at her. "There's nothing in their honor system, if you can call it as such, that says the trainers themselves can't get involved. So please be sure not to do anything too foolhardy, which brings us to your question about why I am here."

This made her lean forward, and her grandfather tilted his head as the officer focused on Bianca. "I heard from a partner that you were shopping around with a boy last night, and I think I can assume that Ash here was that boy?"

At her confirmation, he continued with a nod, "While that already seems out of character for you-"

She repressed a flush at the comment.

"-it was what you were reportedly shopping for that particularly caught my interest. Were you looking for traveling accessories for Trainer Ash, or yourself?"

She frowned at the odd question. As far as she knew, she wasn't in any trouble with the law and thus could go anywhere she damn well pleased.

Glancing at her grandfather, Bianca opened her mouth to reply when Ash exclaimed, "Those are for her! We're gonna go traveling together, and we wanted to make sure she has everything she needs."

Bianca was just able to prevent herself from shooting a glare his way, annoyed he couldn't keep his mouth shut. 'Has this guy never learned to read a room?'

Officer Lospio stared at them for a moment before slowly nodding. "I see. I must say, I'm mildly surprised to hear that. Naturally, we've had countless people coming and going, but truthfully, I don't think any of us expected the museum's caretakers to be of that number, especially long term."

"I suppose we haven't really given any reason to believe we would be wandering off," her grandfather rumbled in thought as Bianca conceded the point. The museum was a busy place, and while it didn't need to be tended to every minute, it wasn't something that both of them could leave behind for extended periods, even with the assistants.

Officer Lospio inclined his head in agreement. "Indeed, you can see why we were mildly surprised, then…or has the little painter run out of sights to see here?" Although his tone was only moderately teasing, she couldn't detect any true mocking intent.

However, his comment hit a little close to home, making Bianca cough into her fist awkwardly. "I guess you could say that," she mumbled, shuffling her feet.

He merely nodded, adjusting his cover. "I suppose there are only so many canals to see before they all look almost identical. Not like the horizon will be changing anytime soon, either."

Lorenzo chuckled at that, crossing his arms. "You'd be amazed, officer. Just last year, I managed to catch a glimpse of the green flash as I was out by the edges of the city,"

"Yeah, rub it in, why don't you," Bianca pouted as she sniffed. The green flash was an incredibly rare sight to behold; you had to be in the right place at the right time, assuming it would happen at all. Utterly invisible to those anywhere except the very western edge of the city, it came and went before anyone could say, "Look over there!"

And she missed it. A potentially gorgeous painting, unmade because she wasn't fortunate enough to see the sight itself.

She was brought back to the real world when she heard Officer Lospio let out a slight noise of amusement. "Yes, that must have been quite a view. I have yet to see one myself, although I spend most of my time indoors, so that is my own fault. That being said," he suddenly lost what little positive tone he had and turned serious. "I hope that wherever you find yourself, you are safe. Some areas in the world are best left alone. May I inquire as to your destination?"

"Uh, Galar," she admitted, unsure if the region qualified as "best left alone," hoping it wasn't too bad.

"Hm, interesting choice. And a far one," the officer muttered thoughtfully. "I can't say as I've been there personally, but I've heard it is nice. You are also more likely to be trampled by Pokemon there than running into any organized gangs, at any rate. So," he said as he turned towards Ash with a formidable stare, "I expect you to do what you can to ensure that doesn't happen. Shouldn't be too difficult for a trainer of your caliber."

'What did he mean by that?' Bianca wondered as she glanced at Ash, who was suddenly embarrassed.

"Er, right. I won't let you down!" The trainer awkwardly reassured them while Pikachu face-palmed and shook his head.

If Ash was some elite trainer or something, then how did Offer Lospio know about it but not her? 'I'm the only one that actually talks to him, so what's the deal?' She slightly narrowed her eyes but resolved to ask about it later.

The officer gave a slight nod. "See that you don't," he returned flatly before turning back to Bianca. "Well, I do not wish to keep you, and it's time I head off myself. Reports don't write themselves, after all. Safe travels to you both."

He tipped his cover to Lorenzo before turning and swiftly leaving. Lorenzo sighed and shut the door, shaking his head as he faced them. "Why must the police be so interested in our affairs? I swear to Kyogre, no one else is as monitored as we are in this city."

Ash cocked his head to the side, Pikachu mirroring his movement as his trainer asked, "Is it because of the DMA incident? Maybe they're just trying to keep you safe."

"If that were the case, youngin, I wouldn't mind so much. But this has been going on longer than that, I'm afraid. It's just gotten more noticeable since then," her grandfather replied tiredly, making her frown.

"I hadn't noticed…." Bianca trailed off, trying to think.

"With you being practically glued to your canvases, I can hardly blame you for it," came his teasing jab, a fact Bianca couldn't refute.

Shrugging, she glanced back at her rucksack as Ash asked thoughtfully, "Do you think they know anything about Latias and Latios?"

Bianca balked at the thought, picking up the rucksack and testing its heft, and found it acceptable.

"No, I…. Hm," Lorenzo began before stopping and considering the point with squinted eyes. "I…don't think so," he carefully supplied, rubbing his chin. "At least, none of them have asked about the twins, even with their watchful eyes. But if they are trying to locate them, I can't imagine why they don't just ask. Not like we'd tell the truth, but still."

"I guess you're lucky that the Secret Garden is connected to your house," Ash said as she began securing her art bag to the back of her rucksack, only for him to stop and turn as her grandfather chuckled.

"That's more by design than luck, actually," Lorenzo corrected with a smile. "You see-"

'This house was designed specifically to look as unassuming as possible,' came Latios' psychic voice as both he and Latias floated in from the back. 'The more boring it is, the less likely people will guess we're connected to it.'

Latias grumbled as Lorenzo grumbled, "It's not that boring."

'Oh, please, if it were any more average looking, people would assume it was mass-produced. Fortunately, that's the point,' came the retort from Latios, who gently shoved his sister away as she attempted to sneak up on him from behind.

"Hmph. Upstart brat," Lorenzo joked before silence filled the living room. Both twins turned to face Bianca and Ash, their draconic faces conveying a somber acceptance. "Well," she started as she shuffled her feet. I guess this is goodbye for now."

'Yes,' Latios murmured as he moved forward and gently butted her face with his own. 'Thank you for helping to care for me and my sister, even though we often had to do the same for you.'

Bianca giggled, fighting back tears as she nodded. "How could I not? We're best friends, after all."

Latios dipped his head before awkwardly hugging her, wincing as she squeezed him back before slowly pulling back and turning towards Ash. 'I certainly haven't forgotten about you. First, I want to thank you again for what you've done. Both for the city and my family. You have my eternal gratitude. Secondly," the dragon continued, his voice taking on a harsher tone, "you take good care of Bianca, you hear me? Whatever she needs, you're all she's got out there. Whether as a trainer, a friend, or…more.'

Bianca stifled a groan even as Ash nodded seriously, apparently not picking up on the insinuation. "Don't worry, I will. This won't be the first time I've helped out someone on their first journey, although it will be the first time I'm doing it alone. Still, I'll do my best! I promise!" He finished confidently, earning a satisfied nod from Latios.

'Good. Because if you don't…. Well, I can fly faster than most planes. It won't take me more than a week to find you.' While not explicitly stated, his threat hung in the air as Latios retreated, allowing his sister to take his place.

'I'm gonna come with you up until the docks,' the dragoness started, looking between them. 'But I wanted to get this out of the way first.' She immediately glomped onto Bianca and hugged her tightly, making her smile as she reciprocated with a fond giggle. 'I'm gonna miss you, Bi. I've got an idea to help with the distance, but uh…don't know if it's gonna work.'

Bianca shot her a curious look as she pulled back, opening her mouth to ask what the idea was, only for the red dragoness to rush past and hug Ash. 'Ignore the grumpy pants. He's more thankful than he lets on, and he knows you won't do anything to harm Bianca intentionally. He just wants to look tough and give the 'big brother talk.''

'Oi!' Latios protested, only for Latias to ignore him as she released Ash.

Seeing this, Lorenzo clapped his hands and gruffly asked, "All ready to go?"

Bianca nodded as she heaved her rucksack and its attachment onto her back, grimacing at the weight. Adapting to the load would be challenging, but she'd manage.

Hopefully.

"Alright, let's go!" Ash cheered, making the residents snort as Latias' form shimmered, light fading to reveal Bianca's carbon copy, except for the hair.

"What's with the length?" Bianca questioned, staring at the long, swaying locks that hung down to "her" lower back.

Latias placed a hand on her hip and flicked her hair with the other, striking a pose. "What, don't like it? Thought we could change things up a bit before you leave so people don't ask questions."

"Not looking like that, you're not," Bianca snorted. "Makes me look awful. At least change the hair color or something. And do something about the face; it's too similar."

Latias' form shimmered again, the brown changing to a scarlet red, matching her dragon form. Similarly, her face slightly slimmed down, and Latias swirled in place. 'How about now?'

"Wow, you're pretty!" Ash exclaimed, making Latias giggle.

Bianca let out a semi-offended snort. "Gee, thanks."

Lorenzo and Latios shook their heads, the old man muttering, "Boys these days…."

Latios merely complained, 'Do you need to do this now? I already said goodbye. This just makes it feel awkward now.'

Ignoring them, she squinted at her friend. "Hm…. Not bad. You might want to change the eyes, though. Doesn't match up too well."

Latias obeyed, and brown was replaced, this time with Latias' signature honey-gold. She flashed them a smile as Bianca nodded approvingly. "Good, much better. Now you can terrorize people with your own body instead of getting into trouble with my own."

Latias stuck her tongue out as the pair began heading out the door, Ash following closely behind. Lorenzo swirled his keys as he called out behind them, "Hold down the fort while I'm gone." He then closed the door behind himself, marking the last time Bianca would see the dragon for a while.

Bianca's stomach clenched tighter and tighter the closer they got to the docks. Talking with Ash and her grandfather helped, along with the presence of her best friend, but it wasn't nearly enough to ease her nerves.

'I could turn around right now, and no one would blame me,' her gut seemed to say, sounding rather convincing as the smell of the sea became crisper.

Unfortunately for the voice, she was forcing her legs to keep moving. No one except myself, she thought, taking a deep breath as she strengthened her resolve. She did not shy away from protecting the Garden and would not shy away now. Not when there were so many things to see.

Finally, they stopped before a closed-top boat, slightly bigger than the ones that could be seen cruising through the canals occasionally. Sitting next to the wheel was who Bianca presumed to be their "captain," a middle-aged man with a healthy tan and a mustache to rival her grandfather's.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that he noticed, scowling as he stroked his own stache. Her trepidation was forgotten as she exchanged glances with Latias, and they both broke into a fit of giggles at the one-sided square-off.

Upon seeing their approach, the man stood up from where he was sitting and stretched, calling out to them a moment later, "I presume you are Lorenzo and the passengers I will be taking?"

Seemingly getting over the differences in facial hair, Lorenzo nodded and clapped his hands onto her and Ash's shoulders, almost knocking Pikachu off of the trainer as he replied, "I am Lorenzo, yes. These two will be joining you."

The man glanced at them and smiled. "Understood. You're earlier than I expected, but if you'd like, we can depart now."

"Thank you, but…let me say goodbye first, please," she asked, looking towards him as knots formed in her stomach. The man bowed his head in understanding and turned away to give them a moment of relative privacy.

The four individuals stood there momentarily before she launched forward and hugged Latias, feeling her friend wrap her arms around her in return. They traded no audible words, instead talking in their minds.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," Bianca said, feeling her words undercut how much she meant it.

'I know, Bi. I'm gonna miss you lots, too,' Latias replied with a melancholy voice. 'But look on the bright side; you get to travel with a cute boy-ow!'

The dragoness squealed as Bianca grabbed and pulled her ear before snorting back a reply, "That's enough out of you. Quit ruining the moment."

Her grandfather and Ash had been shaking hands when the two embraced, only to look over at the yelp of pain.

"Sisters through and through," Lorenzo chuckled as he shook his head while Ashsmiled ruefully. "Yeah…."

Bianca rolled her eyes, only to sigh a moment later. "How long do you think it'll be until we see each other again?"

Latias pulled back and gave her a wink.

Blinking in confusion at the reply, she opened her mouth to question it when Latias suddenly let go and zoomed over to Ash, giving the unsuspecting trainer a hug that finally managed to dislodge Pikachu.

Caught between wanting to laugh at the stink-eye the mouse gave the pair and pushing the issue with Latias, Bianca didn't see her grandfather reach out and capture her in what felt like a bone-breaking hug.

Catching her bearings, she relaxed and returned the gesture, trying and failing to blink away the tears that gathered at the corners of her eyes. This man had raised her by himself after her parents had passed without complaint, and his efforts would never go unappreciated by her.

And now she had to come to terms with the fact that she was heading out into the world without his care and guidance, relying solely on a boy she had met once mere months prior. Was this how Ash felt when he left his own home for the first time?

Her fingers curled into his shirt as she buried her face in her grandfather's shoulder. "Grandpa, I-I'm not sure I can do this," Bianca whispered, the implications of her decision finally catching up to her. The fears she had been pushing to the side were now making a comeback in the form of fingers that clawed at her insides with a vengeance.

Yet, just as quickly, the feeling faded as Lorenzo pulled back and stared reassuringly at her, her previous confidence gradually taking its place. "I think you and I both know you can. You are a courageous young lady, a trait you inherited from your mother. I don't know if either of you have backed down from a challenge, for better or worse."

She ducked her head at that, feeling like it was his not-so-subtle reminder of her actions all those months ago. She looked back up as he continued, "You are also quite headstrong, and you don't take nonsense from anyone. You got that from your father. Your parents passed on the very best of themselves to their daughter, including a strong sense of self-determination. If you do not want to go out into the world, I will never make you do so. But never believe for a moment that you can't."

Her doubts and fears began ebbing back as she listened, the thought of still having the choice somehow making her feel better about going through with this adventure.

"Is this some sort of reverse psychology ploy to try and get me to go?" she shakily joked as she stepped back, her comment making him laugh.

"Well, maybe, maybe not," came his reply, making her roll her eyes before he glanced towards Ash and Latias and lowered his voice as he continued, "but as much as I'd love to ensure your safety by you staying, I hope you don't come back too soon. It's not just terrain you'll have to contend with."

Bianca sighed as she nodded, also looking back at the trainer as he talked with her best friend, understanding where he was getting at. "You think we may have a falling out while on the road or something?"

Lorenzo snorted as he clapped a hand on her shoulder. "I assure you, it's almost inevitable there will be bickering. Do you know how often your grandmother and I fought, even over ridiculous things?"

Ignoring the not-so-subtle insinuation, she nodded with pursed lips. "Yeah…. I hope it won't be a common occurrence, though."

"As long as you both come from a place of understanding, I'm sure everything will work out," he assured her as he gently squeezed her shoulder. "Now, I believe we've kept the man waiting long enough, not to mention that Ash barely managed to secure another ticket for you. It would be an awful waste of money if you missed it."

They turned to face the boat as one just as Latias and Ash finished their conversation. The trainer grinned at her and asked, "Are you ready?"

Bianca hesitated momentarily before stealing her resolve and giving him a firm nod. "Yes," she replied and stepped forward even as he launched himself forward into the vessel, alarming the driver.

"Careful there, my good man; I would hate for you to be soaked the entire ride, eh?" The man laughed good-naturedly, with Ash nodding seriously as he sat.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'll be more careful."

His reply mildly took her off guard, and she mentally applauded his mature reply as she followed behind, albeit with more caution, and sat across from him.

Although I'm not really sure why I'm surprised, Bianca mused as she hugged her pack close to her body. I doubt we'd still be here if he were a numbskull…more of a numbskull than he currently was, anyway.

Once settled into her seat, she looked towards her grandfather and best friend and saw the sadness in their eyes as well as the affection and pride in their smiles. She raised her hand and called out, "I'll make sure to contact you as soon as possible in Galar—or at least, the Pokemon center."

Her grandfather nodded in approval. "I'm glad. If the Pokemon Centers are anything like the ones here and in Johto, you should be able to connect to the Center here. Our Joy will pass anything on to me or your friends if I'm unavailable."

Bianca nodded, quickly understanding that "friends" was code for "the twins."

Although they are my friends, so is 'code' even accurate?

Shaking off the thought, she nodded firmly. "Understood. Hopefully, it won't be too late when we land, either for you or us."

"If you don't hurry along, you'll be too late to catch your flight!" he half-joked before adding in a more serious tone, "I love you, Bianca. Stay safe."

Tears once more stung her eyes as she replied wobbly, "I will, and I love you too."

With that, the driver unfastened the lines from the chocks and began winding it up and stowing it in a compartment under his seat before sitting upon it and gently pushing forward on the throttle. With the hum of the engine, the boat gradually accelerated away from the docks and away from her family until they were but a couple of silhouettes in the distance.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she finally faced forward, fearing she might lose it again if she watched her home fade away.

As she did, the boat sped along faster than Bianca expected. As a result, she tightened her grip on her pack; the last thing she wanted was for it to fly off the boat and be left with nothing except the clothes on her back and a poor reputation with Ash.

Taking the time to glance at the trainer, Bianca could see him being relaxed outside of the eager expression he wore. Even when the occasional bump came along, he was entirely unfazed, staring forward intently at the rapidly growing coastline.

Despite their journey having barely started, if this could be counted as such, the sight of his confidence and self-assuredness was beginning to make her glad she didn't decline his offer. If this had been his first or even second journey, she might not have trusted that kind of confidence. Kyogre knew how many times she thought she could master an art technique, only to be completely humbled the moment she attempted it.

Ash, on the other hand…

"Hey, er…." She began, catching his attention as he turned to her.

"What's up?" He questioned as both he and Pikachu stared curiously at her.

Coughing awkwardly into her fist, she began again, "How…how many times have you done this? Traveling to other regions, I mean."

"Hmm," Ash mused as he looked up at the sky in thought. "Well, there was Kanto, my first journey…I guess the Orange Islands, but I'm not sure if I should count that."

Bianca had no idea what the Orange Islands were, but she didn't interrupt as she let him continue.

"Then Johto, then Hoenn… I think Sinnoh was after that, and then it was Unova, after Kalos after that. Then Alola, and now Galar! So that's like…seven or eight different journeys before this one."

Bianca's jaw dropped before she quickly spluttered, "Seven or eight?! And you started when you were…ten, I think it is?"

"Yup," He replied with a smile as he scratched behind Pikachu's ear. "Did the League in all of them too, although the Orange Islands had a really small League."

"Really? How'd you do in them?" She asked curiously, trying to determine how far he might get in Galar's League. Although I'm not sure how any of the Leagues work, so how would I know?

Then, she thought back to what the officer had said to him at the house. "Wait, is that how people know you? You must have done pretty well, then."

Laughing nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck, looking rueful as he replied, "Well, my first League, I didn't do too well. I got in the top sixteen and got disqualified because my Charizard wouldn't obey me."

A pang of pity shot through her as she winced. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But top sixteen isn't too bad with a disobedient Pokemon, is it?"

"I guess not," Ash replied thoughtfully, brightening up a moment later. "But I did much better in the Orange Islands, and even got Charizard to listen to me. I won that League, although it was a rather small one."

Surprised, she leaned back. "Wow, that's…that's pretty good, even if it was small. So you're…what, Champion of the Orange Islands?"

That got a small laugh from him before he replied, "Something like that? It wasn't an official event, more of a local one. And I didn't do as well in the Silver Conference. Only top eight."

"Top eight?" Bianca choked out, staring at him with wide eyes. "And what do you mean by 'only' top eight? That's a crazy achievement, even if you didn't win! I don't know much about Pokemon battling, but even a toddler knows that a ranking that high is a big deal. That's out of the whole region, after all."

Ash ducked his head with an expression of embarrassment while Pikachu snickered next to him, looking smug. "Er, yeah, I guess we did do better than the Indigo League…. Didn't improve in the Ever Grande Conference, unfortunately. Top eight again. But we managed to reach the top four in the Lily of the Valley conference in Sinnoh!"

All she could do was stare at him in disbelief as he started listing off his accomplishments. From the moment she saw him, she could tell that he was a Pokemon trainer—his confidence, his attire, and of course, his Pikachu. But to think he was this accomplished…. What surprised her most of all was how humble he was about it. He didn't mention any of these Leagues apart from Sinnoh's, nor his placements in each until she asked him. And now that he was, he highlighted his Pokemons' abilities rather than his own.

Top four in Sinnoh, top eight in Unova, and runner-up in Kalos!

"You almost won?" Bianca managed to squeak out, prompting him to grin fondly off to the side.

"Yeah, Alain's Mega Charizard was crazy strong! Greninja came close, but that Charizard…."

As he trailed off, Bianca frowned in confusion. She wasn't well versed in the starters, but….

"Greninja? That's not a Kanto Pokemon, is it?"

Ash shook his head. "Nope! I caught Greninja in Kalos when he was just a Froakie. I actually caught all my Pokemon in Kalos for that region, except for Pikachu, of course."

"You…caught a fresh team for Kalos?" It felt like every sentence out of his mouth upset her view of his career. How did one almost win the League of a region they weren't even native to, with a team caught in such a short amount of time? "Wait, did you have a fresh team for every region you've been to?"

"Yeah, I figured it would be unfair to use trained Pokemon for a new region, ya know? Too strong," Ash chuckled as he stroked Pikachu while the mouse looked up at him with a knowing grin.

"Pika."

"Er, that too," the trainer said as he ducked his head bashfully.

"...What?" Bianca questioned, wondering if she had witnessed Ash actually understanding a Pokemon's words.

Having misunderstood her confusion, Ash ruefully grinned as he confessed, "I may or may not have used Charizard at the beginning of my Johto adventures, and Misty and Brock really laid into me about it."

Bianca put aside the mystery of their communication and frowned at this tidbit. "Really? I didn't think there would be anything wrong with using trained Pokemon."

"It's not against the rules, but like I said, it's really unfair, at least against new trainers. I met one, and Charizard kinda beat all of hers," he replied guiltily as she nodded before she thought of something else.

"Well, what about Pikachu? You use him for every region, don't you?" Bianca pointed out, curious to hear his reasoning.

"Pikachu holds back depending on our opponent," was his response, along with a haughty look from the rodent. "He doesn't really like doing it, but he knows it wouldn't be much of a win if he went all out against everyone. Plus, we don't want to make new trainers give up before they even begin."

From anyone else, Bianca would have assumed they were full of themselves. However, hearing all of his accomplishments and seeing his compassion firsthand, she genuinely believed his intentions were honest and legitimate. How she hadn't heard of him before now was…probably a sign she should have set out and touched grass sooner.

That being said, she was still curious about his latest excursion. "And Alola? Did you-"

"Sir and Madam, we are arriving shortly!" the driver interrupted. Bianca momentarily forgot what she was saying as Goldenrod City captured her attention, the buildings towering over everything beneath them. She subconsciously pushed the question aside for later as she took it all in.

"Wow," she muttered as she stared ahead, seeing the city for the first time. If it weren't for the seaspray, she'd do her best to whip out a sketch at the minimum, feeling a tinge of her passion singing to her.

"Goldenrod City! Man, I forgot how big it was!" Came Ash's exclamation as he grinned. "Last time I was here, I was in a radio show."

"Sorry, a radio show?" Bianca questioned, squinting at him.

"Uh, yeah, heh heh," he laughed awkwardly.

Guess it must have been too embarrassing, she thought with some amusement. He should be glad he didn't mention that to either of the twins. Latias wouldn't let him hear the end of it.

"Anything else?" she questioned as they turned around a jut of land, the docks coming into view as they approached.

"Well, before that, there was the gym battle. Took a couple of tries…Whitney's Miltank is terrifying," Ash muttered, a haunted look in his eyes.

"You've really never had a good time in this city, have you?" Bianca snorted, causing him to fidget in place.

"I mean, it's not that bad; we still got the badge in the end," he replied defensively, straightening up a moment later with a confident look. "Besides, we're only passing through this time. Surely it can't be that bad."

That got a sigh out of her as she blew air out of her mouth. "Well, let's hope you didn't just jinx us."

As she said this, the boat approached the docks, the driver cutting the throttle back as the two prepared to depart.

A few minutes later, they grabbed their stuff and unsteadily made their way onto the docks. Fortunately for Bianca, she had experience with climbing in and out of boats. On the other hand, Ash didn't seem to share this trait.

"Thank you so much for the ride, mister!" he called as he clambered out of the boat, nearly ace-planting on the dock, making Pikachu snicker. He straightened up, unbothered by the close call, and waved at the driver as the man chuckled and returned the gesture before turning the boat and cruising away, following the coast.

Bianca shook her head as she sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "You know, Ash, this journey will be a lot safer for you if you just watch your step," she commented with a small smile. She watched him laugh sheepishly before his demeanor changed. He stared forward with sparkling eyes. "Wow, I haven't been here in a long time….Welcome to Goldenrod City, I guess."

Bianca turned and was immediately blown away by what she saw, feeling her jaw slowly drop. If the city square in Alto Mare was busy, this was ten times that without effort, and that was just what she could see. The number of people in the bustling city justified the massive buildings, some of whose tops looked like they were doing their best to touch the clouds and beyond. Despite seeing the structures well before making landfall, it didn't do the city justice.

"It's quite…crowded. More than I thought it'd be, at least," Bianca muttered, feeling lost. "Will we make our flight?"

"Yup, I made sure of it," Ash replied as he stood at her side. "We've got plenty of time, a few hours at least. I think."

He thinks. Great. That means no exploring if we're on such a tight schedule.

Nonetheless, she pursed her lips as she brought her belongings close to her. She really hoped they wouldn't be damaged on the way, or stolen for that matter. What was the crime rate in Goldenrod City?

"Well…what now, Mister Adventurer? How do we get to the airport?" She finally asked as she turned to him, pushing aside the thought of her art mediums and brand-new gear being trampled or taken.

"Uhh…" came his reply, and she turned with disbelief to see him looking confused and scratching his head.

Don't tell me, she thought as she hesitantly asked, "You…you do know your way to the airport, right?"

Ash looked around for a few seconds before nodding confidently and strutting along the docks, only to get zapped by Pikachu a moment later.

"Pika-pi Pika!" The mouse tapped his trainer's head and pointed off to the side. Bianca and Ash followed his tiny arm to a building with large, friendly letters above the doors:

"Goldenrod's Guide to Not Getting Lost."

What kind of name was that?

Well, that works, she thought as she gave the mouse an approving nod. "Good eye."

As Pikachu preened, she began walking towards the shop, Ash following just behind her. Fortunately, there was a lull in the amount of people passing by, leaving a relatively clear path.

The inside of the shop was a different story, as there were far more people than she would have liked jamp-packed next to each other.

"How many tourists are there in this city?" Bianca muttered in annoyance before turning to Ash. Could you find a map in there? I'll watch our stuff—er, my stuff," she asked, to which he grinned and nodded.

"Sure thing! I'll be just a minute," he declared, marching in through the multitude of people with a swagger that made her snort in amusement. He's almost an adult, but he somehow acts half his age sometimes. I can't even begin to imagine how he must have been when he was younger, she mused, idly tapping her foot as she waited.

Still, he seems to have a solid head on his shoulders-

"Got it!"

Bianca jumped as his voice sounded right next to her, her items almost tipping over as she bumped into them.

"Holy-! Don't scare me like that!" She chided as her heart rate spiked, putting a hand over her chest in an effort to calm it.

"Er, sorry," Ash replied apologetically, making her ease up with a sigh as she looked down at her belongings to hide her flustered expression. So much for a solid head, she snorted to herself as she straightened up. At least he has the decency to apologize.

"Don't worry about it; I should have been paying more attention anyway," Bianca waved her hand, eager to move past the incident as she turned his way. "Did I hear you correctly? You got a map-…er, why do you have a towel?"

Indeed, he had a towel draped around his shoulders, a wholly unremarkable thing that Ash, for some reason, seemed proud of.

"The guy behind the counter gave it to me, said it was complementary?" He replied in a confused voice that didn't reduce her own bewilderment in the slightest.

"He just gave you a towel for free? Did he give anyone else a towel? Is this what he does?" Bianca questioned as she looked closer at the people leaving the store, only to frown at the sight before her.

Upon closer inspection, she could see some people were not only leaving the store with a towel but also entering it with one.

It was a rather bizarre sight that she didn't know how to process, so she shook her head and sighed, "You know what, never mind. I don't want to know. Did you at least get a map?"

Her reply was Pikachu snatching a rather thick brochure from Ash's raised hand and jumping over to her shoulder, the trainer giving him an affronted look. "Hey, I was perfectly-"

"Thank you again, Pikachu," she interrupted, scratching under his chin with a smile before taking the brochure. She almost missed the smug look the mouse shot his trainer. She bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing as Ash muttered something about disobedient Pokemon and inspected the front of the brochure.

Written at the top in the same large and friendly font as the store's sign were the words "Don't Panic: Your Hitchhiker's Guide to Goldenrod City."

Below that lay a rather charming picture- no, a painting of Goldenrod City in all of its splendor, light glinting off the carefully hued skyscrapers. It was a very impressive work that easily rivaled her own, filling her with a desire to achieve this level of detail.

One day, she promised to herself.

Further below the painting at the bottom of the page was another text box, again written in the same font:

"Become a frood that really knows where his/her towel is!"

She squinted in confusion. What the hell is a frood?

When Bianca opened the brochure, she first noticed the beginnings of the city's layout. Opening it further revealed more of the city, and she quickly found herself struggling as it became increasingly apparent why the brochure was so thick.

"Can you please help me out here?" She grunted to Ash, who quickly obeyed as he took hold of one side.

Giving him a quick nod of thanks, she finished unfurling the entire thing, taking a moment to appreciate what was yet another work of art. While it seemed the art style itself was different, the amount of effort put into it all was no less incredible. Every building, street, and even the lettering was painstakingly hand-drawn and looked color-coded according to the service each provided. Bianca didn't know why someone would take the time to paint all this for a mere brochure, but it was apparent they took it seriously.

She allowed herself another moment to appreciate the dedication before looking around the map. "Let's see, we landed at the docks at about here, which means…" she trailed off, straightening up a moment later with a satisfied hum. "Ah, here we are. Just across the street. As for the airport, that would be…there!" She crowed in satisfaction as their destination was revealed, although quite far from their current location by the looks of it.

"Are we gonna make that in time?" Bianca asked as she looked up at Ash in concern.

Meeting her eyes, the trainer bit his lip in thought, only to turn and look around.

"Uh, probably not," he finally concluded, sounding worried now. "Not walking, at least."

"Awesome," she muttered as she let go of the map with one hand, pinching the brow of her nose. Letting it drop, she sighed. "What about transportation? Like a taxi or something?"

He immediately perked up with a grin, confidence seemingly renewed. "Yeah, that could work! Good thinking!" He turned towards the straight and threw out a hand, yelling "Taxi!" loudly, accidentally dropping the brochure in the process.

"Ash, a taxi isn't going to hear-" Bianca began in an irritated voice as she began to reach down and take the other end in her hand, only to look up sharply as the screeching of tires brought her attention to the obnoxiously yellow vehicle barreling their way, multiple people around them uttering what might have been curses as they quickly move out of the way.

Yelping, she instinctively jumped back, the brochure forgotten as she did her best not to become the world's flattest artist.

Fortunately, the car that she quickly realized was, in fact, a taxi came to a halt in front of Ash with a sound comparable to nails scraping their way across a chalkboard and a rather alarming number of bangs.

As the two of them stood there staring at the cab, trying their best to calm their rapidly beating hearts, Bianca had a brief look at the words "Magma Metro" before the passenger door and trunk swung open, seemingly on their own.

The two slowly turned towards each other. Ash looked as rattled as she felt, only looking away as someone called out, "Looks like they found the defect!"

There were more than a few laughs as the people who had stopped to watch for a moment began to go on their way again, leaving Bianca more confused than irritated at their amusement.

"Defect?" She asked aloud, only to jump as a semi-distorted voice sounded from the taxi.

"Greetings! Please do not use the word 'defect' when describing me! I am a perfectly functioning People and Pokemon Transportation Vehicle, or PPTV for short!"

Wait, what?

"You said you're-"

"A People and Pokemon Transportation Vehicle, yes! PPTV for short. I am a self-driving vehicle designed by Magma Corps to better assist People and Pokemon in their transportation needs."

That's…okay. What kind of corporation named "Magma" runs a transportation company?

"Wow, a talking car! That's so cool!" Ash cheered, already over his brush with death.

"Alright, er, People and Pokemon Transportation Vehicle-"

"PPTV for short!"

"Right, uh, can you get us to the airport, please? We're in somewhat of a rush-"

"Are you sure," the car began in a quieter voice, "that you want to go to the airport?"

"What?" She asked, confused. What kind of question was that? "Of course we want to go to the airport; we have to catch our flight-"

"Why not drive to your next location with your nearest People and Pokemon Transportation Vehicle? PPTV-"

"For short, yes," she interrupted before continuing, "and we really do need to get to the airport, unless you can fly us to Galar?"

There was a brief pause before the car replied in an even quieter voice, "I cannot fly. Please feel free to use me to get to the airport."

"Great, thank you," Bianca responded with a shake of her head, electing to ignore the vehicle's apparent disdain for any transportation outside of itself. She did her best to crumple up the brochure, as there was no way she was going to bother folding it at the moment, and shoved it into a random pocket of her luggage.

As she began pulling her things towards the trunk of the vehicle, she noticed Ash's thoughtful look as he stared at the currently silent car.

"Hey, League Wonder, either help me with my luggage or get in the car," she snorted, making him jump.

"Oh, sorry!" He apologized as he moved to help her, the two taking no time at all to get her belongings into the back before firmly closing the trunk.

"Well, that's that. Now let's get going," Bianca muttered as she walked over to the open door and crawled in, sitting on the far side and buckling her seat belt. As Pikachu and Ash climbed in after her, she glanced towards the driver's seat, curious to see what was in place of a person.

Surprisingly, there was a robot, painted in a reddish-orange hue, with vaguely human proportions. Its head then turned almost entirely around and stared at them, making her violently uncomfortable.

"Greetings. I will now take you to the airport," the robot said in its almost human voice, sounding far more drab than it did previously, before the door closed suddenly. Please buckle your seatbelts if you haven't already."

The robot then snapped its head forward and slammed its foot into a pedal, making her frown in concern.

"Uh, is that-OH KYOGRE, HELP ME!" She screeched, swinging her arms and clenching her hands on whatever she grabbed in fear.

"Owww…. Bianca-" came a wheeze to her side, and she looked to see Ash staring at her with tears in his eyes, prompting her to look down. She had, regrettably, grabbed and squeezed his knee with every ounce of force her fear could grant her. Immediately, she let go and began apologizing profusely.

'Oh my- I am so sorry, Ash, I didn't mean to do that!"

"No, it's-it's fine," he whimpered as he gently massaged the joint, throwing a health-hearted glare Pikachu's way as the mouse snickered at his misfortune.

"Are you sure? That didn't seem like it felt good," she replied guiltily, mentally chiding herself for her carelessness. Absolute idiot, I shouldn't have flailed like that, even if this robot is driving like a maniac.

Ash gave her a small chuckle and grinned. "Yeah, I was just surprised, is all. That felt stronger than some of my Pokemon's moves!"

"I'll take compliments where I can get them," Bianca hissed through clenched teeth as their driver blitzed past other vehicles, missing some by sheer miracle alone. One swerve led her face being pressed against the glass before her entire body jerked the other way, the only thing preventing her from slamming into Ash being her seatbelt.

The trainer in question was also having trouble. He held Pikachu to prevent the mouse from bouncing around the interior like a ping-pong ball. The Pokemon did not look pleased, and his cheeks began to spark, much to her alarm.

"Pikachu, please don't electrocute us all," Bianca begged as she clung to the roof handle like it was a lifeline. "It might make this guy- robot- drive worse."

As the mouse reluctantly calmed down, the robot's head once more spun around to face her, chastising her while clearly not watching the road ahead of them. "I take great offense to that. I'll happen to let you know I have improved greatly!"

Without taking its eyes off of her, the robot performed a near-perfect swerve around a car and continued as though nothing happened. "My creators ensured I would get to any destination their clients need to be at their scheduled time in a safe and timely manner."

"You call this safe?!" Bianca spluttered as their car raced through the streets, the honking of drivers fading behind them with every intersection. "How have we not crashed?!"

"It's quite simple. We have arrived at your destination."

"Wait, what-" was all she could say before the car slammed to a halt, resulting in all three passengers slamming into the cushioned seats in front of them and the rather alarming sound of what sounded like her pack hitting the front of the truck.

As Bianca peeled her face off the seat in front of her and seethed, the robot cheerfully announced, "Welcome to Goldenrod Airport. How would you like to pay for your ride?"

"How about my foot up your-"

"Here," Ash interrupted as he pushed a card forward. The robot grabbed it and inserted it into the center console. A second later, it beeped pleasantly, and the robot handed the card back to the trainer.

"Thank you! Please ensure you take all of your belongings, as Magma Corporation is not responsible for the loss of personal items due to negligence."

Bianca glared at the robot as she unbuckled her seatbelt, rubbing her forehead where she hit the seat the hardest.

"If you have enjoyed your ride with your People and Pokemon Transportation Vehicle, why not recommend us to your friends?"

"Because I want to keep them," she snapped before slamming the door open and leaving the vehicle hurriedly. Ash and Pikachu quickly followed suit, and the three of them made their way to the back of the car and grabbed her pack from the trunk.

Fortunately, it seemed nothing had been damaged, although she'd have to sit down and make sure when they had the chance.

Speaking of….

"When do we need to be there again?" Bianca grumbled as she slammed the trunk with more force than was necessary.

Ash scratched his head and looked around for something. "Uhh..not sure. We should probably get your stuff checked in, though. We might need to hurry."

She nodded and, upon hearing the car peel away from the curb, gave it one last scowl before sighing. "Right, well, let's get on with it. Hopefully, that maniac gave us some breathing room."

"Yeah…" Ash trailed off thoughtfully, glancing back at where the car had left them. His tone piqued her curiosity, and she decided to prod him in the hope of finding out more.

"You ever see anything like it before? You kinda seem like you recognize it or something," Bianca asked as they walked into the airport, relaxing in the cool air the AC provided.

The trainer looked thoughtful as they walked to the front desk through the crowds. "I'm not sure. 'Magma Corps'... I once knew a Team Magma, but-"

"Oh, those nut jobs?" Bianca snorted at the mention of the group, who, along with Team Aqua, caused quite a stir. Alto Mare was fortunate enough not to be entirely caught in the storm that ensued, although they did experience the very edges of it.

"Yeah, they were…they were pretty tough," Ash admitted as they stood in line, Bianca turning and frowning. What did he mean by that?

"Tough? You fought them?"

Ash nodded with a frown as he glanced at Pikachu. "With my friends, yeah. Team Aqua was there, and…. It wasn't a great day. Luckily, we put a stop to them."

"You-you what?" Bianca then turned to face Ash completely, leaning forward intently. "Are you telling me you're directly responsible for locking those eco-wackos away?"

"I mean, it wasn't just me. We only helped a bit," Ash replied as he ducked his head and looked away. "It was mostly Steven Stone. He's the champion of Hoenn."

"Even so, that's…" Bianca trailed off with a shake of her head. "You really are a trouble magnet, aren't you?"

Pikachu snorted as he straightened up on his trainer's shoulder, shaking his head as if to say, "You have no idea."

Ash merely laughed and said, "I've been told that a lot."

"I believe it," came her reply as they finally reached the counter. She regretted that she couldn't ask more about it then. "You'll have to tell me more about that particular adventure later. Maybe on the plane."

Thankfully, getting her bag checked in was a quick affair that took mere minutes, and because it was relatively lightweight, the fee was minimal. Bianca watched the bag pass through the small hole and prayed it would be alright before they thanked the clerk and stepped away from the counter.

"Now that that's out of the way, how much time do we have?" She asked him as they stepped away from the lobby.

Ash looked around momentarily before finding a large screen some distance away. However, reading it was downright impossible with it being angled away from them and crowded by a particularly dense throng of people. She was barely able to lurch forward in time to follow as he quickly moved ahead to read the screen,

Even as they slowed to a stop, Ash stared at it with rapt attention before announcing, "Looks like we gotta be there in an hour."

"The flight leaves in an hour? Didn't that car practically run red lights to get here?" Bianca asked, now frantically looking around inside the packed building. Could they even get to their plane in time?

It's a good thing I got my bag checked in when I did, she thought with a flicker of relief.

Ash appeared unconcerned, however, and shook his head, replying quickly, "No, no. The flight leaves in like two hours; we'll be there with time to spare!" He then cheerfully strolled forward and called something else over his shoulder, although this was difficult to hear, thanks to the distance between them and the sheer amount of people and conversations moving around them. Frustrated, she pushed forward through the crowd and stayed close as they began making their way through the crowd toward where she hoped they would find their gate.

At her insistent tugging on his shirt, he turned curiously to look at her, and she almost shouted over the noise, "Are you sure we're going the right way?!"

He nodded and said something that sounded like "Yup!" and pointed up at a sign hanging from the ceiling that read:

- K1 - K3 1G - H5 -

-A1 K1 - K4 -

- O1 - O2 H1 - H5 -

S1 - S4 ^ Z1 - Z3 ^

U1 - U7 ^ T1 - T2 ^

It didn't make much sense to her, and she turned to look at Ash, confused.

Catching this, he spoke in a loud yet friendly tone: "Different planes and stuff! We're G2, which is the closest, according to the sign, anyway."

It cleared things up for her a bit, but there was still something that needed clarification. "Okay, but why isn't it in alphabetical order? What's with all the random letters?"

"Uh, Region names, I think? 'G' for Galar, 'A' for Alola, and so on," was his response, and she felt mildly ridiculous after hearing it. I should have gathered that when he said we were going to the 'G' gates, she huffed as she shook her head.

"That...makes sense. Alright, well then, let's get going." Bianca looked up at the sign again and confirmed which way they should head before grabbing Ash's sleeve and dragging him along.

At least, she tried to. He was much more solid than Bianca gave him credit for, and the action jerked her back; his steadying hand grabbed her shoulder to prevent her from falling.

"Woah, careful!"

No kidding, she thought sarcastically before letting go of his sleeve. "Thank you for stopping me from falling. Now come on!" She insisted as she walked towards the gate again, Ash following close behind.

—-

Bianca clutched the armrests on either side of her, paling at every minor bump she felt. It was a little scarier than she thought it would be. Especially following a relatively relaxed, if not dull, wait at the gate. Why they had to be there an hour before they could actually board the plane, she didn't know, but it at least gave her some time to calm her nerves.

Now, she was essentially locked inside a soon-to-be flying can, roaring across the runway. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, the plane began tilting up before lifting off the ground entirely, causing a whole host of nauseating sensations.

The feeling in her stomach was comparable to that of the times Latios and Latias took her on the occasional flight, except so much worse. Her stomach felt like it was left behind on the runway, and she could feel herself pressed into her seat.

Despite the lack of wind peeling her face off, she would skip this in favor of the twins any day.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ash's voice came from her side, and she turned to see his concerned face. She returned it with a tight smile, remarking in a dry voice, "I suppose it's too late to ask if we can just sail to Galar instead."

He chuckled as he scratched behind Pikachu's ear. "'Fraid so," he replied in a sympathetic tone. "Don't worry, though; these things are pretty reliable and much faster than any car or boat!"

'But is it safer?' Bianca couldn't help but wonder, only to notice the pull on her body had significantly lessened. Turning to look out the relatively small window, she could see the plane had somewhat decreased its incline, much to the relief of her nerves.

She slowly allowed herself to relax, feeling most of the tension in her body leave as she continued to gaze out of the window.

Seeing the structures get smaller and smaller as the plane continued its mild ascent was a surreal experience for her. The highest the twins had ever taken her was maybe two hundred feet off the water. And now here she was, many times that and climbing higher still.

In the span of less than twenty-four hours, she went from an artistically inclined city girl to a nervously reclined airborne girl, all in the name of following a guy she met precisely once before.

Just what had her life come to?

Hardly matters now, Bianca thought to herself with pursed lips. 'I won't waste this opportunity, even if the circumstances are a little absurd.'

Regardless, she had little choice now but to gaze out of the window and watch as her home region gradually faded from sight.

The many hours that followed were filled with the occasional small talk, broken up whenever one of the two of them fell into a short nap.

Well, short for her, at least. Ash slept like a log. The entire middle of the flight was spent by him lolling in his seat this way and that, drool slipping from one corner of his mouth every so often. It was truly impressive, although that meant they'd have to delay their talk on why he seemed to attract trouble wherever he went.

Outside of that, the ride was enjoyable at times, and seeing the clouds themselves beneath them was awe-inspiring. She was almost disappointed when she could feel the plane begin its descent.

That disappointment was short-lived in favor of that same nauseating feeling as the plane broke through the clouds, and she could see the ground and the buildings that inhabited it become rapidly more visible in a rather unfortunate reversal of their initial take off.

As she looked further off, a patch of white caught her eye, and she saw a series of mountains draped in snow looming menacingly in the distance.

Bianca's grip on the armrests tightened uneasily, looking away from the peaks as the plane rapidly approached the runway, practically skimming over the tops of buildings during their descent.

Paradoxically, she almost wished the flight had lasted longer to delay what she knew would be a bumpy landing.

Suddenly, the captain's voice came through the speakers overhead pleasantly, "Alright, folks, give a warm welcome to Wyndon as we land in three…two…. and one!"

She jolted in her seat as the plane finally touched down on the ground below, causing her to bite back a curse, feeling her stomach complain again.

I hate these stupid things, she mentally seethed, wondering how Ash was so calm beside her as the plane gradually slowed down, only to remember how he must have traveled to and from Alola in the first place.

'Of course he's used to this, what am I thinking? Still, it would have been nice to get a heads up.'

However, another look determined he was still knocked out cold. Of course, she snorted. She gave him a gentle jab with her elbow and spoke in a loud tone, "Wake up, Mister Tour Guide. We're here."

However, the boy didn't budge, leading Pikachu to mutter to himself before giving the boy a small shock. It did the trick as the trainer spasmed in his seat, looking around with freshly frazzled hair. "Whatsitz?"

"We're here, Ash," Bianca reiterated as she glanced out the window again. Now that they were safely on the ground, it was mildly difficult to judge what to expect with the region, as her window was still facing the main runway. Any buildings in view were far off in the distance, and farther still were the mountains.

She sighed as she turned away from the window and waited for the plane to pull into the gate. She very much hoped that they would be staying far from the mountains. While the occasional gust from the sea in Alto Mare could make her shiver, she was well aware that the chill would be incomparable to the freezing temperatures that came with high elevations.

Although I might never have to if they take any longer getting us off this plane, she internally grumbled, feeling antsy as the plane moved at a crawling speed toward the gate.

Ash was buzzing with excitement next to her, idly scratching Pikachu behind his ears as he all but bounced in his seat. In contrast to her impatience, he seemed more cheerful about the wait, a trait Bianca wished she had shared.

His patience was rewarded a few minutes later when the door was unlocked and opened. A flight attendant grabbed the microphone off the wall and brightly announced, "Welcome to Galar! Please take a moment to gather your belongings from the overhead compartments, and we will shortly allow you to disembark one section at a time."

—-

It was about time, Bianca thought to herself as her luggage came into view around the carousel. To her relief, everything appeared present and intact. Her canvas tube was still strapped to her pack, the pockets were all firmly closed, and there didn't appear to be any damage.

That is, until Ash reached down and heaved it off the carousel, and she saw the many scrapes on the bottom. Sighing, she shook her head in disappointment. She had just gotten that yesterday, and there was already damage, albeit minor.

It can't be helped, I suppose. At least it isn't too bad.

"Thank you, Ash," she said, reaching for the proffered pack and grunting. She carefully maneuvered it on her back, ensuring the straps were pulled tight enough. Once confident they were secure, she turned to Ash with an uncertain expression.

"Well, here we are. I guess we...head out?"

"Yeah, that sounds good!" he cheerfully replied, leading the way from baggage claim to the exit. Pikachu turned from his spot on Ash's shoulders and gave Bianca a thumbs-up. The gesture helped her relax, and she returned it with a smile.

Just as they reached the main lobby of the airport, the intercom buzzed again, and the voice pleasantly announced:

"Welcome to the Galar Region. We hope you enjoy your stay!"

'So do I,' Bianca thought as she exhaled slowly before following Ash outside.

Tucked into the mountains deep in Kanto was a considerable fortress, dark and sinister.

Unlike the surrounding area, the interior of the building was humming with activity. People in black and white uniforms walked to and from rooms, all with a large red R over their sternum. Some were purposeful, and the carefree meanderers appropriately avoided them, knowing the consequences of getting in the way.

One stood out from the crowd, however: a man in a desert uniform with short blonde hair who towered over everyone in the vicinity. He wore a cocky grin as he moved through the building, not paying attention to the many people that were shoved aside with his every step.

His gait allowed him to reach the elevators swiftly, and upon reaching them, jammed his thumb on the button, his digit dwarfing the switch considerably.

With a gentle ping, the doors slid open, allowing him to walk through and hit the bottom-most button. Instead of moving, a cold robotic voice sounded from the panel, "Please state identification and password."

"Surge," the man stated loudly. "Password, "Romeo Alpha one Charlie Hotel Uniform Romeo Zero Charlie Kilo Sierra.'"

"User confirmed," the elevator said again, descending deep below the compound.

After a minute, the elevator came to a clean stop, and opened its doors with another ding. Walking through, Surge made his way through the brightly lit hallway towards the door at the end. As he got closer, the sound of screams and wails of pain became audible, causing him to grimace.

"Looks like he's still at it with those two, those poor bastards," Surge grunted as he reached the door and gave it a couple of solid bangs with his fist.

A small rectangular slot opened up momentarily, revealing a set of crimson eyes that peaked out at him. The slot closed, only for the door to open a moment later, allowing him to hear the sounds of pain better and revealing a woman in a white dress and uniform hybrid, with hair as vibrantly red as her eyes.

"Surge," she greeted nonchalantly as she stepped aside to let him through. "It's been a while. How are things in your gym? Still playing with small fry?"

"Ha! Don't put them down so quickly, Ariana," he grinned as she closed the door behind him. "It seems my reputation has finally made the babies train before facing me. I actually get a decent fight or two every month!"

Ariana let out a small puff of air in amusement. "How exilerating. In any case, the boss is waiting for you."

"Good mood, or bad?" Surge asked curiously as he stopped in front of a large mohagany desk.

Ariana was silent for a moment as she considered her reply. "He's...not necessarily in a bad mood," she finally said, making him nod slowly.

"I see. Thank you," Surge replied as he continued on his way. If Ariana's words coupled with the concurrent screaming were indication, the torture going on in the next room was likely personal. If that was the case, he would have to be exceptionally cautious about what he said.

Opening the next door revealed a large room bathed in the light of a fireplace. On the far wall, or rather, making up the far wall, was an exceptionally large aquarium, with multitudes of Pokemon swimming about in it. In front was an even larger desk than the previous one, the outline of a chair visible as its occupant turned to face the considerable body of water.

In the middle of the room were two kneeling figures, occasionally spasming as a Electrivire stood over them and delivering shocks to the two of them with its twin tails.

Poor bastards, he thought as he moved past the barely recognizable figures, doing his best to ignore their muted pleads for help and mercy.

Surge stopped half a dozen feet in front of the desk, announcing in a loud voice, "Sir, I have arrived as requested. How may I be of service?"

There was a moment of silence before a cold voice echoed from the chair.

"Cease," came the command, and the Electrivire seemed to immediately stop with its shocks, leaving groaning noises sounding from behind Surge.

There was another beat of silence, until the voice sounded again. "Welcome back, Surge. I trust your engagements in Vermillion have been taken care of with the appropriate measures?"

"Yes sir," came Surge's respectful reply. "Required more talking than I hoped to use, but there will be no issues moving forward. If I am proved wrong, I am prepared to use less diplomatic solutions."

"Good," came the even reply, sounding far more relaxed. The chair then spun slowly to face Surge, and he was met with the boss, along the Purrloin on his lap that he idly stroked. "I rather dislike it when wishful gang members feel inclined to overstep their boundaries. Isn't that right, you two?"

"P-please-ahhHHHH!" A voice begged from behind Surge, only to end in a scream as Electrivire jabbed the owner with its tail again, the gym leader not daring to turn and look.

"In any case," Giovanni continued as though nothing had happened. As stated in our previous correspondence, I will need you here for the next couple of weeks. Your training will be crucial for the team we will be sending out shortly."

"Yes sir! I won't let you down," Surge said with a firm nod, getting a wry smile from his boss.

"How nice it is for people to follow direct orders."

Surge could only assume he was making a rather pointed jab at the unfortunate souls behind him, and he couldn't help but wonder what prompted them to disobey as blatantly as they did.

Suddenly, the phone on the boss's desk rang, making Giovanni's brow furrow as he reached forward and pressed a button.

"Yes?" The man asked with a note of impatience.

"Apologies, sir, if I caught you at a bad time," came a cold, yet bored voice. "However, I have news you will certainly want to hear."

There was a beat, then the voice went on for a few minutes, Surge's eyebrows raising bit by bit until the caller finished speaking. Huh, no kidding, he thought as he glanced at Giovanni.

The man's face was nigh on unreadable as he stared at the phone for a moment, clearly deep in thought. No one dared interrupt the silence, save for the labored breathing of the two victims.

Finally, Giovanni nodded and replied, "Thank you for that. Your surveillance and swift actions once more prove your dedication. Please await further orders.

The voice said, "Yes sir", and Giovanni once more leaned foward and pressed a button on the phone, ending the call.

Most interesting, Surge remarked to himself as he awaited ordered.

"Well," his boss finally said with a thoughtful look. "It appears some changes might be in order. Surge-"

He straightened up further.

"-begin training that team. The sooner they learn, the better. Your services may be required again once you are done."

With that, Giovanni once more turned towards the large aquarium, a clear dismissal as any.

"Yes sir," Surge replied before passing the poor bastards once more and out of the room, deep in thought. If what the agent on the other end of the phone said was true, which it most likely was, then things were about to get even more interesting.

Author's Note: Please let me know what you think of the chapter in your reviews. I aspire to inprove.

Also, the first person to guess the specific reference I used for the PPTV gets to choose a cameo to appear in the next couple of chapters, so long as they either aren't planned to appear anyway, or their presence interferes with the plot.

Oh, and I wanted to address kne review I got about Team Magma: they'll be properly seen shortly, don't worry. Just need a bit more set up for them.