The Omega Omnisphere's Mightiest Pokemon Master

by FS Vula'Purrfectest

Regrettably, only a handful of narratives manage to truly encompass the immense possibilities of Pokemon, and even fewer manage to surpass them. Join Ash Ketchum One Million as he sets out on his quest to conquer the Kalos Region and evolves into his destined role as an Omega Omnisphere Pokemon Champion. This prestigious title transcends even the World Championship accolades.

2. Chapter 2

Disclaimers: I own nothing except any OCs and the AU plotlines. I gain no profit from this story whatsoever and write it purely for fun.

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The chapter is rated for violence, epic battles, and a severely injured Froakie.

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Chapter One: The Much-Anticipated Arrival

Dreams were often incredibly informative and a means to remember what one has long forgotten or buried in their subconscious. It was the mind's way of replaying everything it had learned or thought about during the day and so much more than that to specific individuals. The nature of dreams often varied from universe to universe, from person to person, and could sometimes prophesize potential omens or immanent threats of disaster, like in the Percy Jackson universe, where demigods had very few regular dreams throughout their lives and often dreamt of potential futuristic disasters involving them in some way.

Due to his mind's link with all things in the Omega Omnisphere, all the possibilities mentioned above and countless others often haunted the dreams of Ash Ketchum One Million. He could dream of any past or future event in any alternate timeline or universe at random or even dream of entities about to threaten the totality of existence just in time to put a stop to it. He could even expand his dream self to encompass the entire Omega Omnisphere, attain temporary omnipresence, and observe everything from a third-person perspective while he slept. He also had countless romantic and even erotic dreams involving him and Serena to keep things semi-normal in his completely abnormal teenage life.

Given the fact he had no idea what she even looked like nowadays, his infinitely intelligent and imaginative mind filled in the gaps for him, creating a futuristic version of Serena's whose radiance far surpassed the splendor of any other woman and could even put the Greek Goddess Aphrodite to shame. In his mind, she had grown up to be flawless in appearance, with long honey-colored hair, cerulean orbs as beautiful as he remembered, glazed over with pure love, and a smile set to stun. Somehow, he wouldn't be too surprised if the real deal was just as alluring.

He conceded that he was creating this perfect-looking image of her because of how highly he thought of her and how perfectly cute she had been when they were kids, both in terms of her appearance and shy, easily embarrassed personality. Since she had always been the cutest girl he'd ever known, now it seemed his mind was imagining her adult form as the most attractive, most beautiful woman in the entire Omega Omnisphere, and somehow whether she turned out to be as gorgeous as in his sleep or not, he had the feeling he'd always think of her as the center of his universe, the apple of his eye, or however people preferred putting it. Perhaps he was getting a little carried away; maybe he presumed too much, and as that old saying went, beauty was in the eye of the beholder.

He understood that while he may think the world of her, others would not share his opinion or may feel someone else was better looking. That was truly a fascinating aspect of humanity; even though they were interconnected spiritually and via the emotional spectrum, there was enough diversity between their mostly isolated minds to make every person subjectively unique.

Despite being prone to all these dreams and more, this time, Ash's mind replayed events from last night and thought over all the many problems he was dealing with in this universe. His memories of the past replayed themselves repeatedly in his head like a broken recording video. He remembered all the Legendary Pokémon he had ever encountered and the people who had witnessed those legendary battles and situations. He remembered all the names and faces of the people he befriended during those times; including Melody, Molly Hale, Lady Eileen, Kidd, the people of the water, Tonio, Alice, Kevin, Sheena, and all the other people who had bared witness to Ash's many legendary encounters.

At least the solution to one of his problems came to him in his dreams, and he realized those people would probably be able to handle the Legendary Pokémon they had seen Ash battle or help save the world with. Melody wasn't much of a Pokémon Trainer, but Molly Hale was 15, having been nine years old when Ash was 12 and visiting Greenfield. She had been almost old enough to start her journey, but the prospect of losing her Father and Mother was too much for the lonely girl to handle at the time.

Befriending the Unown and, by extension, Entei had given her something she desperately needed following her Father's disappearance: friends to play with and someone to be there for her. Now, though, she was on her Pokémon journey, and the last time Ash had thought to check on her, she was doing quite well in the battling circuit. She was an elite-level Trainer and had captured every Pokémon she dreamed up during that incident six years ago, apart from one. Entei was the only Pokémon she had yet to capture from that time; her Mantine, Kingdra, Ursarang, mega Ampharos, and Donphan were her five most used Pokémon, yet despite her best efforts in Johto the Legendary Fire-type continued to elude her.

A solution to his Legendary problem came to him in a dream. With his powers and the resources he now had, he would have more than what was required to reach her and other people he wished to contact and give Legendary Pokémon eggs to. He had little doubt Molly would accept an Entei egg, which was laid by the shiny Entei Ash caught during the incident with Zoroark and Zorua. He could probably persuade her to take the other two legendary dogs and maybe even a couple of other Legendary Pokémon eggs he needed to part with

He intended to give the Mewtwo egg in his packsack to Serena when he found her, along with the Mewtwonite he created for it. His dream self had given the matter much thought while he slept, and he felt that Serena would be the perfect Trainer for this Hexa perfect, Unnerve, shiny Mewtwo. Many of the problems he was dealing with seemed to regard his best childhood friend. Serena was the only person he knew on earth he couldn't sense entirely and perfectly, and virtually every power he used to track her current whereabouts failed him.

For all his attempts to track her down, she eluded his every attempt, his aura, psychic, and countless other abilities not availing him in the slightest. She threw him off with her lack of spiritual, emotional, and mental presence. She existed outside of the Omega Omnisphere itself and was immune to all his nigh-omnipotent and some of his Omnipotent powers. Knowing what he knew about Serena and the concept of Arceus's Chosen Champions of the Omega Omnisphere, Ash knew Serena genuinely had the power to exist outside of everything. The best he could do was get a general location, but that was only enough for him to confirm she was still in Kalos, which left a lot of ground to cover. Still, with all his powers, covering infinite amounts of ground was a piece of cake, and he'd do anything to see her again.

He wanted to reunite with her more than anything, but he was still unnerved by the prospect of doing so, and no matter how he may have solved his Legendary Pokémon egg problem, he still had plenty on his plate to contend with.

'Arceus was right, though; as long as I relax, stay focused on my journey, and try not to overwork myself, I can deal with all these problems healthily. My supreme deification should aid in my ability to contend with these mighty tasks. So relax, Ash Ketchum, and let your endless optimism flow through you once more,' Ash told himself inwardly as he finally awoke to see a beautiful sunrise peering through the window to his right.

Almost everyone else was still asleep, but Ash knew at least half a dozen people were using the bathrooms, twenty or so people feigning sleep to fall asleep for real, faking it until they made it. Forty or so Pokémon simply lazed on their seats, the floors, or on their Trainer's laps, and one of the pilots and flight attendants were wide awake as well. The jumbo jet could carry several hundred people if it had to, and just as many Pokémon, though super heavy Pokémon like Snorlax, were ill-advised by the flight attendants to be let loose from their Pokeballs aboard the plane.

Raichu was beginning to stir in his lap as if it sensed its Trainer was awake and following suit. Brock was snoring to his right, and Ash good-naturedly tuned out the images of Brock's dream pertaining to his girlfriend Lucy flashing through his mind and focused on Alexa. He noticed that she was wide awake and quietly scribbling in her notebook. Well, quiet for her or any average human, but Ash wasn't exactly human anymore. If he focused on her and her only, he could hear the constant scratching of her pen on paper loudly enough to give any mortal man a sensory overload, but it was just a mild irritant to him.

As Arceus explained, Ash's brain was hardwired to handle an infinite amount of information; even if that information was instantly uploaded into his mind, he could process it all at once. He could hear, see, taste, smell, and psychically sense almost everything and anything in Totality and was constantly aware of everything, too. But even with all that information, he somehow remained half-sane most of the time.

Deciding to get a proper feel of the city they'd be arriving in, and of Kalos itself, Ash closed his eyes and willed his infinitely vast consciousness to grant him access to the City of Lights and see it without eyes. His mind expanded outside of his body, and he saw himself sitting there on the plane like some out-of-body experience, his expanded mind encompassing the entire plane and moving beyond that. Ash's astral form was moving so fast towards Lumiose City and beyond the plane that it didn't localize and existed in countless different places simultaneously. He was now the space between, above, and all around every living thing on that plane, the cells on their skin and inside their bodies, and he was one with the air, the sea, and the land.

It was truly a fantastic feeling, being one with the world's people; every individual being was still profoundly connected in more incorporeal ways. He was one with the entire world's emotional spectrum, able to tap into the thoughts and feelings of every person on the planet. He was aware of how every individual felt at this Moment in time, how they typically felt around the people they knew or were close to, who they loved and hated most, and what drove them.

Everyone in Lumiose City became as familiar to him in this state as his own best friends, their lives, experiences, and emotions melding with his own, yet not enough for him to lose his sense of self, which, luckily, he never did. He could feel the psychic powers of every Espurr in every dark Alleyway, knew every person in Lumiose City by name and was aware of what each person looked like, what their intentions were, and every aspect of their individual lives, all of which were actually interconnected on a spiritual and emotional level, and right now Ash was one with that connection, he was the supreme force that bound them all together.

This unlimited deity controlled all of the Omega Omnisphere and was one with every being in it. Being all-powerful was terrific, but being able to control the emotional spectrum on an infinite level, as he did, was perhaps one of his favorite superpowers. It afforded him literally limitless emotional capacity. Though that sometimes hurt way beyond measure, it also made him so profoundly human despite all his nonhuman attributes. There truly was no feeling like it, no way for him to accurately describe the intense experiences of tapping into all the positive feelings throughout eternity.

Satisfied with what he saw, heard, and felt, Ash was tempted to go further and become one with the entire planet and maybe even the whole Omega Omnisphere. Still, he had done all that before, countless times in his sleep, and though it was a truly indescribable experience, he didn't want to become hooked on it lest he lose the desire for a body altogether. He wanted to be in a single place and time, to live in the Moment, and though that was a severely limited form of existence, Ash wasn't ready to give up the pleasures and joys only a corporeal body could provide.

His eyes snapped open as he returned to his body, his awareness deadening somewhat inside his mind but always present, like a seductive temptress waiting to beckon him to a life beyond the confines of a single form. He no longer recalled the faces and names of the people he fused with quite as fondly, but the knowledge he gained was still as in-depth as it was while he was outside his body tapping into the world, just a little more cold and intellectual.

Nobody except him and his Pokémon knew of his supreme apotheosis, and just as few people knew that his all-powerful body was merely his avatar, an embodiment of infinite power. Even in the improbable and even logically impossible event that Ash's body was destroyed, he would instantly regenerate from the essence of his existence, which was an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent entity that encompassed the entire Omega Omnisphere and was a nonreligious analog of its progenitor. Ash's true self was exactly as Arceus put it; he was virtually indistinguishable from the Alpha Pokemon itself in its true splendor, a being who transcended the concept of Pokemon and its established Omniverse entirely.

Looking to his right at Alexa again, Ash smiled as she put her notebook down and finally decided to check on him and Brock, her Helioptile still fast asleep in her lap as Raichu greeted its Trainer with a happy 'cha.' Scratching his starter behind the head, Ash spoke aloud for the first time that morning, "Hey, buddy! Hey, Alexa, how'd you sleep? I slept wonderfully and gave my mind lots of time to work out some problems I faced during the night. Say, did you ever hear of John Steinbeck… Of course you haven't… He's not exactly from around here. Ahem, anyway, he once said that 'It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it,'' Ash quoted, causing the brown-haired, green-eyed woman to eye him like he had grown a second head. Ash sighed inwardly in disappointment.

'Man, people in the One-Millionth Pokémon Universe have no sense of poetry, at least not the inter-dimensional variety I've become accustomed to. I suppose it makes sense, though. I'm the only person on the planet aware of other worlds, universes, and seemingly fictional realities. Hell, I'm even aware of my own seemingly fictional existence and the fact that my story is featured in some fanfiction in a distant world, but I digress. The point is, my world needs to get a taste of some cross-dimensional awesomeness like I did that fateful day when I met Arceus,' Ash mused as Alexa merely stared at him, wondering to herself if she'd ever figure the Pallet Town prodigy out.

Every once in a while, he seemed almost normal, but most of the time, he seemed half mad, and sometimes, he even seemed Zubat shit insane. Traveling with him through the Decolore islands had been an exciting experience for many reasons, one of them being his ability to attract danger and excitement to him like Venomoths to the flame and his complete disregard for his safety when helping out the various Pokémon native to the islands. Iris and Cilan told her what happened with them and Ash when they came face to face with five Genesect and a Mewtwo that could change its form, a phenomenon Ash had called mega evolution. It was also then that Ash revealed that this wasn't the first time he'd seen a Mewtwo despite the fact it was a Legendary Pokémon and few people ever saw it once, never mind twice.

In the time she had traveled with Ash, he always had something genuinely fascinating to say, and he saw the world around him in a very unique way, quoting or citing things and people she had never even heard of or read about, a modern-day miracle considering the number of books she had read in her childhood. She had spent the better part of six months trying to riddle out the enigma of Ash Ketchum, and she still wasn't any closer than she had been when they first met.

His Pokémon all loved and adored him to pieces, but in battle, they were truly terrifying to behold and made utter fools out of the type matchup system. Ash's training regimens seemed brutal and militant at the very least. Some people might have considered it a form of abuse if Ash wasn't so good to them and they weren't so committed to their Trainer's particular brand of training. No matter how hard he was on them during their training, Ash never forced his Pokémon to do more than they were willing to, nor did he fail to reward them for their effort. In fact, in the months Alexa had traveled with or happened across him, it seemed he and his Pokémon were connected on some other level.

Ash constantly displayed the uncanny ability to follow his Pokémon's thoughts and feelings, such was his ability to read them that Alexa could almost swear he could communicate with and completely understand what they were trying to say. When she asked him how he always somehow knew what they were saying, he merely shrugged and said he always had a way with Pokémon. He proceeded to tell her about his psychic and spiritual powers, abilities he inherited from his Father, the all-powerful World Champ. Several months later, she discovered his ever-growing arsenal of Legendary Pokémon, something Iris and Cilan were already used to seeing given his penchant for capturing them. They had seen his legends throughout their travels and conveyed to her all the times he had seen and captured various legends of the Unova region.

Alexa had been astounded by Ash's captures, to say the least, but she didn't get a clear idea of just how great a Trainer he was until she visited Oak's lab in Pallet Town and interviewed the esteemed Professor himself. The man was exuberant in praise about his star pupil, the most famous Trainer in all of Pallet Town, and upon seeing his Pokémon at Oak's ranch and some of his less common legends, Alexa could understand why the man was so ecstatic. If nothing else, Ash Ketchum was the most potent Pokémon Trainer she'd ever seen, with more Legendary Pokémon on his roster than most people see in their lifetimes. On top of all that, he had saved the world dozens of times, and all of the Legendary Pokémon he captured admitted that he was the only Trainer worthy of them. Alexa had offered countless times to tell Ash's story to Kalos, to let everyone know what a great Trainer he was, and he finally accepted her offer just before they boarded this plane.

Being a reporter of her reputation meant she had to get all the facts straight, and she had spent hours grilling all the details she could from Ash, creating a timeline and mapping out almost his entire journey from beginning to end. In the wake of learning all that she had, Alexa realized she had stumbled upon the front page story of a lifetime, the likes of which most reporters could only dream of. Ash was putting a lot of trust in her to tell the world about his gifts, wondering what ulterior motives he had for getting his powers, Pokémon, and image all around the world. Still, nevertheless, she was eternally grateful to him for trusting her above all others in her field.

She wasn't going to let him down. She was going to make him out to be the true hero he deserved to be seen as, and nothing was going to stop her from getting the full scoop one of these days. Who knows, if she made a good enough image of Ash throughout Kalos maybe he'd consider leaking some more details of his life and journey to her, not that she didn't already know a ton, she probably knew a hell of a lot more than her brain could properly register right now.

Ash couldn't help smiling as he tried to tune out what Alexa was thinking at this very Moment, stroking Raichu's tail and earning another extremely happy ' cha ' from the Pokémon in an effort to distract himself from the infinite vastness of his own awareness. Alexa was going over the interview he and Professor Oak gave her back at the Oak Pokémon laboratory, and he knew he was probably taking a huge leap of faith letting her tell the world of his many accomplishments over the years, even some of the ones that weren't well-known. Ash Ketchum was known all over the world, his fame second to none and equalled only by a select few, and once this story made it out to the Kalos newspapers he'd probably be the best-known person on the whole planet. He knew how important it was for him to get his image across the world, since there was a storm coming and when it hit, people were going to need a beacon of hope to help inspire them to take up the fight against Omninoir.

For all his powers, Ash knew he couldn't fight this upcoming war with Omninoir all by himself. People were going to need someone to look up to, to guide them into the light, but they also needed to know that Ash couldn't do everything for them, so letting them know exactly what he was capable of and what his self-imposed limits were was the only way for them to know what he couldn't do by himself. He knew he was bending the truth a little, letting people think his powers had limits, but he had his reasons for not revealing the full scope of his abilities. If people knew what he was truly capable of they might not have the capacity to fight their own battles and would rely on him to do everything for them.

His ultimate godhood was kept secret for a reason, and he planned on making his so-called boundaries and constraints very clear in the following weeks, months, and maybe even years, depending on how long he stuck around in Kalos. Alexa seemed to understand the need for discretion on some things. She suspected Ash was still holding some stuff back despite all he told her but didn't press the issue. Alexa knew about his psychic and aura powers, Legendary Pokémon, Father, and even the limitless power-levels of the two abilities she knew about, but promised to be vague in the details of his powers, only planning to say his aura and psychic powers were both a hereditary trait he inherited from his Father at birth. Aura masters and psychics were accepted even today, albeit with slight apprehension, but beings who were bestowed with ultimate godhood and all the powers in the Omega Omnisphere... not so much. Ash was glad Alexa understood that, her thoughts as open to him as any book he ever read.

He had gone over the moral philosophy of using his awareness to always know what people were thinking and feeling, and had ultimately decided to not suppress his sensory or awareness powers. He often wondered if he had the right to have almost total knowledge of what the people around him thought and felt, to basically invade their privacy.

Then again, if he lessened this ability he might not have seen Team Plasma coming the numerous times they attacked him and his friends, or sensed the impending calamity Giovanni planned to unleash by controlling Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus. He also might not have been aware of a great deal of other things that saved his friends' lives countless times over and many other things. So, while situational, his infinite awareness and perception were justified, even if it meant there was virtually nothing his friends and family could hide from him.

There were too many horrific events that could unfurl or befall his loved ones for him to hold anything back in that sense, especially with Omninoir gunning for him now. So, his functional Omniscience, peerless perception, and cosmic senses remained fully intact. He knew they were almost in Lumiose City now, and was aware of the fact that they were now flying over dry land instead of ocean water. "Say, Alexa, what do you say we wake up sleepy-head between us in an unconventional manner?" Ash suggested quasi-maniacally, and Alexa's answering grin was just as feral.

"Hey, Raichu," Ash whispered, getting the attention of the one Pokémon he relied on as much as his Alakazam.

'That's my name, don't wear it out. What do you want, Ash?' Raichu wondered, though to Alexa it only sounded like the Pokémon was talking in its usual language.

"Do you think you can wake up Mister Pokémon Doctor beside us?" Ash chortled, and Raichu nodded eagerly with a grin only the Cheshire Cat could love while Alexa burst out laughing at Ash's statement, the orange mouse sparking his cheeks with small jolts of blue electricity in preparation.

"Remember to take it easy on him, Raichu. I don't want you stopping his heart now," Ash reminded his starter, though if he was being honest with himself his suggestion wasn't even necessary. Raichu was so well-trained at precisely controlling its infinite electrical power it could alternate continuously between using power no greater than a level 1 individual of its species to firing off thunderbolts capable of destroying cities, eviscerating entire armies of regular Pokémon, increasing the atmosphere's electron voltage to absolute levels, and even creating thunderstorms capable of destroying the planet. As a fully trained individual of its species, there was no limit to the pure energy within it that it could use to empower its attacks, and Raichu actually had a very versatile move pool on top of that.

Grinning gregariously as Raichu fired a boundlessly underpowered version of its thunder shock attack to wake up Brock, startling several of the other passengers as Brock sat up with a start and shouted aloud with some very colorful swear words, Ash couldn't contain himself and burst out laughing. Nobody else really noticed the electric attack because Raichu was talented enough to keep it low-key, but Brock's swearing sure got everyone's attention. Said Pokémon doctor was now glaring in Ash and Raichu's direction once everyone returned to whatever they were doing before, Alexa giggling behind him and Ash and the lightning mouse stared back at their oldest travel companion, completely unabashed.

"Why in the hell did you wake me up like that?! I was having the most pleasant dream," Brock sighed dreamily, crying Anime tears as Ash chuckled at the cartoonish physics this universe sometimes allowed for, but also at Brock's reaction.

"I bet you were," Alexa smirked teasingly, causing Brock to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"Oh, har har." Brock sarcastically replied.

All humor aside, Ash was glad to have one of his oldest and dearest with him on his journey again. Permanent fixtures were hard to come by in his experience, but Brock came closer than most. The Pokémon Doctor in training had been given a chance to study abroad in any Region of his choosing, so when he learned of Ash's impending journey in Kalos, he didn't hesitate to call the Pallet Town Prodigy and ask to tag along. As much as Brock loved studying to be a Pokemon Doctor, it seemed Ash's perpetual wanderlust had infected him, and he could never seem to stay still for long. Ash couldn't help but feel a smug sense of satisfaction at the thought. The idea that he rubbed off on people was both gratifying and empowering.

Ash had initially been worried that Brock would say or do something amorous to blow his chances at becoming a Doctor, but from what he heard, the older male acted with extreme professionalism even among the pretty nurses and female student doctors. Brock was a brilliant student, and his travels on the field with Ash had taught him far more about the innate characters, lifestyles, and natures of Pokémon than was typical for your average starting medical student. He knew the treatment methods for most of the known species at the present moment, and Ash's own considerable knowledge base on all things Pokémon helped tremendously.

Brock, seeing an opportunity to sneak in some ribbing of his own, elbowed Ash with a cheeky smirk. "Speaking of pleasant dreams, I bet you're hoping you'd run into a certain someone here, huh?"

Ash blushed and felt his heart tick faster, but he didn't deny Brock's claims. As his oldest travel companion aside from Misty, Brock knew more about Ash's background than most, and had been there for much of his more mind-blowing exploits. Misty had been devastated to learn about the straw hat Ash kept in his backpack as a keepsake his entire journey, and the girl it had once belonged to, but ultimately, she learned to let him go when it became clear Ash's heart would not be swayed. It was ironic. In most realities, Ash's myriad permutations were largely oblivious to Serena's doting affections, and in most of the realities where he wasn't, he didn't reciprocate overnight. But for this version of him, Ash knew she'd been his soulmate from the moment he locked eyes with her that day in the forest bordering Pallet Town.

"Ooh, what's this? A possible love interest? Care to share, Mister Pallet Town Prodigy?" Alexa grinned, getting in on teasing Ash as well.

"Sorry, you two, but this Pallet Town Prodigy doesn't kiss and tell. Some secrets are mine alone to keep. However, I won't deny my reasons for coming to the Kalos Region were… twofold." Ash mysteriously replied without missing a beat.

Alexa and Brock snickered but thankfully consented to respect his privacy.

Ash's sigh of playful exasperation was interrupted by the pilot's voice echoing on the speakers throughout the plane. "Attention, passengers! We will now begin our descent into Lumiose City, please fasten your seatbelts and return your Pokémon to their Pokeballs, and thank you for flying with the Kanto airline," the man boomed, his voice reverberating through the entire plane as Ash leaned forward in his seat in eager anticipation.

The plane shook as people returned their Pokémon with all due haste and Raichu clung to Ash's pants with its tiny claws and toes, its godlike strength enabling it to cling to him and yet not hurting its Trainer in the slightest. Ash supposed that rule wasn't really enforced as he let Raichu stay out, knowing how much it hated to be confined to a Pokeball, that it would rather be caught in the plane's turbulence. Besides, getting tossed around in a plane wasn't exactly going to hurt a fully-trained Pokémon. It would take a hell of a lot more than that to damage his starter even in the slightest. Even falling out of the plane at this altitude and falling tens of thousands of feet below wouldn't hurt it. But, nevertheless, Ash allowed it to cling to him and snuggled it to his chest.

Ash was excited and terrified at the same time, excited at the prospect of a new journey and new Pokémon and especially meeting Serena again, who he knew was somewhere in Kalos thanks to his infinite perceptive powers. Even though he couldn't pinpoint her exact location, he was able to get a general idea of where she was located. Though that idea spanned the entire Kalos Region, plus he had used his powers to comb through every region he had been to and all the people who had come and gone to those regions in the past eight years since his journey started, and saw no sign of her. He had spent his entire journey scanning the faces in every crowd at every major battle and contest he competed in, every new city he arrived in he looked for any sign of her dazzling smile or her gorgeous cerulean eyes, but came up empty-handed every time. Still, Ash Ketchum One Million had never been a quitter, and considering his and Serena's catchphrase from when they were kids, he knew he could never give up until the end.

He now knew Serena was still in Kalos, thanks to his powers and thanks to sources of Intel he utilized as the co-leader of the Pokémon G-Men. It was just one of the many favors he asked Lance, and thanks to the former Kanto and Johto league champ, Ash was able to at least verify that the Daughter of the famous Rhyhorn racer Grace Yvonne was still in the Kalos Region. It was strange, his powers were virtually useless at tracking her but with satellite imagery and all other technological and human methods for tracking people down, her image actually came up on the screen of the Pokémon G-Men's mainframe computer. A bit creepy, and stalker-like to any outsider looking in, but Ash never intended to do anything with that information or interrupt his journey beyond making sure she was safe and her loved ones looked after as surreptitiously as possible.

Besides, it had become pretty obvious where she was because of how thoroughly he looked for her elsewhere, and though he had known all along that she moved back to the Kalos Region, he didn't think she would stay there all this time. He was terrified by the prospect of seeing her again. Did she remember him at all and if she did, did she remember him as fondly as he would like? Had she seen or heard the tales of his exploits? Would she give him the time of day if he did reach out to her?

No matter what the case though, he wouldn't let his nerves keep him from seeing her again, no force in the Omega Omnisphere could stop their inevitable reunion now. He determined right here and now that even if she didn't remember him, even if she had fallen in love with someone else, he would always love her unconditionally, and would back off if she was genuinely uninterested. But if she was still single and just didn't remember him, if she was interested otherwise, he was confident he could remind her of what the two of them had meant to each other once upon a time.

He could even reforge that connection from scratch if need be. She was worth the painstaking effort of going to all the trouble in the Omega Omnisphere for. She was worth everything, always had been. She was his first friend, the first person who stood up for him against Gary and his other tormentors, the first person who accepted him and his eccentricities, prodigiousness, and love for all things Pokémon with a soul-searingly sweet smile. He'd never met a kinder, more hyper-empathetic soul in his life.

She was owed the same kindness and respect in return, and everything he'd achieved up until now had been with the irreplaceable auxiliary benefit of becoming everything she could ever want in a friend and partner in the back of his mind. It wasn't the only reason he grew and self-actualized his deepest desires, and he would be damned if he became dependent on her to be his best, but an angel like her deserved a literal God among men for a friend and whatever else she wished him to be. She deserved someone who could give her the Omega Omnisphere, and if Ash wasn't good enough for her, he'd help her find whoever was.

He had allowed his uncertainty and fear to keep him from traveling the Kalos Region back when he first started his journey, but back then, he didn't have any of his power nor anywhere near the number of fully-trained Pokémon he had now, thus his ability to handle himself in difficult and dangerous situations was limited. His Mom would not have wanted him so far away from home in the first stretch of his journey, so no matter how much his heart ached to see her, Ash stayed away from Kalos and stuck to Kanto. He secretly hoped she'd come find him in Kanto instead and they'd travel together like they always planned, but it was wishful thinking. She never showed up, which only strengthened the notion that she had forgotten about him. Even now, Ash was still afraid she wouldn't remember him, but he was done letting fear stop him from reuniting with her. Nothing could stop him from finding out what she had been up to this past decade and more importantly, if she remembered him.

If she did, he would be happy beyond measure. But it would also beg the question as to why she never came back for him while he was stuck traveling in Kanto or traveling any of the other regions. He wasn't exactly quiet about the fact that she was his best friend forever, and every time he had been on the air or his battles had been televised throughout his journey he took the opportunity to acknowledge her, so why? Why hadn't she come to find him yet, why did she not send him some kind of message or sign? This question above all others was the one he dreaded the answer to most, but even that would not stop him. He was done being afraid, he was done with being on his journey without her, and he was done with not knowing where she was, how she was doing, or if she felt the same way he did all these years.

Of course, the situation with Serena was just one of his many problems though, and he was also afraid of this impending doom and gloom situation with Omninoir; a Pokémon that was literally evil in its purest, most eternal form and perfectly capable of making the Omega Omnisphere itself his bitch. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to let some Omnimalevolent primal void keep him from living life to its fullest, reuniting with Serena, and continuing his journey to become not only the World Champ, but also the greatest Pokémon master the Omega Omnisphere has ever known. He was ready, ready to begin preparations for his eventual showdown with the very essence of ultimate darkness. And no matter how difficult the struggle, he would continue to insist that he could save the world, defeat the villain without killing him, and get the girl, all in time for him to conquer the Pokémon World Championship and defeat his all-powerful Father, the current Pokémon master, Fredrick Ketchum.

He became aware of Arceus's presence reacting to his thoughts, his all-powerful voice of sublimity and perfection echoing in his head. ' Ash, keep in mind that Omninoir will have all of your powers and none of your inhibitions. It's going to take everything you have to beat him, assuming that he can even be beaten, ' He advised him warningly, and Ash responded by sending a pulse of pure determination and unyielding refusal to give in through the power of aura.

"I don't care how powerful he is, I'll take him on like I have everything else," he said resolutely, his voice barely above a whisper but laced with limitless power. The plane was now beginning to descend rapidly as Raichu and all of Ash's Pokémon regarded their Trainer with renewed respect and admiration.

' And don't forget we're here as well Ash. ' Raichu declared while still hugging itself to Ash's chest, the rest of his Pokémon adding their support to his starter's from inside their Pokeballs. With his team of fully-trained monsters strapped to his belt, and every omnipotent power in the Omega Omnisphere coursing through him, Ash knew he had all he needed to walk the long and inexorable path laid out ahead of him.

He may require additional help, however, if what Arceus said to him about another Chosen One over a year ago was true. But just for now, Ash was willing to leave tomorrow until tomorrow and forgo his dark premonitions, content to awaiting his arrival in a new region and continuing his journey. "Because after all, it's not the destination that's important, it's the journey getting there. Once I become World Champ, that's the end of the road, but so long as the journey towards Pokémon mastery is ongoing; then I can continue to learn, grow, travel, and train, make new friends, and so on and so forth," Ash stated out loud, earning some very confused stares from Brock and Alexa as they wondered what exactly the Pallet Town Trainer had been musing about the last few minutes. Both of them shrugged however and returned to their own thoughts and longing anticipation for their arrival, blissfully unaware of what the world was about to face or that its only hope for survival was sitting right next to them...

XXX

Meanwhile, somewhere in Kalos...

"Ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you all to the elegant splendor and grandeur of the Pokémon master class performance. I am Monsieur Pierre, guide to your dream of love. Here in Lumiose City, we have gathered once more for the competition that can only conclude with someone basking in the glory of being Kalos queen. We have some amazing contestants competing here, but only one will emerge the victor. Now please, let us all give a very warm welcome to the current Kalos queen, the one who will defend her title to the brink of her abilities, SERENA YVONNE!" The host of every Tripokalon announced at the top of his lungs, his voice drowned out by the level of applause echoing throughout the vast master class arena.

Upon hearing her name called from above, Serena waited underneath the stage with her starter Delphox ever by her side. The overpowering surreality of this place and the fact that she actually had yet to start her journey in the real world told her this was undoubtedly a dream, but she knew better than to work against it and just decided to roll with it. Silently, she promised herself she'd make this dream a reality one day.

Despite knowing that none of this was really happening, Serena still felt immeasurably nervous, excited, and terrified all at once, vowing to do her best here in this dream world so that she could apply any skills she gained here outside the realm created by her current state of sleep. She held her breath as the platform beneath her began to rise, ascending her and the Delphox she had always wanted ever since watching Aria's performances on TV to the stage above, taking her to her dreams.

Finally the platform stopped moving and she and the dreamed-up Delphox took a bow with seemingly divine grace as they came face to face with the enormous, nerve wracking crowds, crowds that were now cheering and screaming her name at the top of her lungs. The sheer deafening volume of their cheers were drowned out by one particular voice, the voice of a person she had known since childhood and could pick out even now in this crowd of thousands, no, tens of thousands of people. Despite his voice deepening or the fact that he had grown from a small, athletic looking eight year old boy to the most gorgeous, endearing young man she had ever laid eyes on, Serena felt an overpowering sense of recognition, knowing who he was immediately.

Ash was in the very front row, cheering her on the loudest alongside her friends Calem, Tierno and Trevor. She knew the dream was probably pitting her friend Shauna against her in this fantasy tournament, but simply reveled in the fact that Ash was in this dream to. He was cheering his heart out for her, a Raichu on his shoulders for some inexplicable reason. Seeing him give her a positive thumb up as the crowd calmed down and mouthing their childhood catchphrase gave her the courage to proceed with her opening act, one she had never rehearsed before in real life but somehow knew here, in this place where all her dreams came true.

She locked eyes with her dream Delphox, and both of them began the routine without having to say so much as a single word to one another. Twirling her flaming stick in her hand like a baton, Delphox fired off octagonal rings of fire straight towards Serena, who didn't even hesitate before jumping through them one by one, performing various acrobatic stunts she didn't even know were humanly feasible, including cartwheels in midair, double front flips, and triple backflips. Eventually their ongoing rhythmic and perfectly synchronized dance changed pace as Delphox elegantly threw her fiery wand towards her Trainer with unerring, precise accuracy, and Serena caught it in one hand with all the skill of the most accomplished Baton Pass Pokémon.

Twirling it repeatedly in hand while dancing with angelic grace on the stage, Serena and Delphox repeatedly played catch with the fire fox's stick, catching it and throwing it to one another while performing various stunts. One time Serena even caught it in midair while doing a triple back flip, landing flawlessly on her feet with the wand in hand while flashing a dazzling smile to the ear splitting roars of the crowd.

Finally for their big finish, Serena tossed Delphox's stick back at it, and without needing verbal commands, the fire fox weaved an elegant tapestry of Shadow Balls wreathed in Mystical Fire, forming miniature accretion discs like black holes gorging on a generous helping of star light. Delphox executed the move perfectly, and within seconds the entire arena was filled with the sounds of cheering as the psychic Pokémon controlled the hundreds of Shadow Balls it fired off in rapid succession, commanding them to move in sporadic, randomized dance-like motions before finishing up with a blinding Dazzling Gleam infused with so much raw power and beauty Serena knew her Delphox was likely a fully-trained, level- Pokémon in this dream. A shower of black, pink, white, and all manner of other colors rained down in a seemingly infinite number of tiny fireworks in the entire arena, a psychedelic patchwork of splendor and radiance utmostly depthless. The crowd went absolutely ballistic as the Kalos queen and her inexhaustible Delphox took a bow for the entire world to see, Ash and her Kalos friends cheering for her louder than anyone else.

Even with all this not being real, it was hard for Serena not to get caught up in the heat of the Moment as she rushed from the stage and rejoined Ash in the crowd, her Kalos queen outfit seemingly changing itself to her normal attire as she and Ash hugged. Her euphoria overtook her as Ash pulled away and stared down into her sapphire eyes, at least a foot taller than her in this realm and perfectly toned and muscular, with amber eyes as gorgeous and filled with raw intelligence as she remembered. He looked handsomer and more appealing than ever, and her dream-self quickly blushed as he flashed his trademarked goofy grin. She quickly became lost in his hypnotic gaze, every molecule in her body screaming at her to kiss him like she had never kissed anyone before.

"You did fantastic, Serena. You've come so far since the day we met, and your Delphox is so strong now. It's astonishing how quickly you fully trained it. I guess all my teachings paid off, huh?" Ash chuckled, and Serena briefly wondered what Ash had to do with her success or the fact that her Delphox was trained to the highest possible level a Pokémon could achieve, but in the end, she just decided to go with it, knowing that dreams often had inexplicable situations and could create scenarios that came at you from out of nowhere. Her desire to kiss him was intensifying with every passing second, and she knew it was only a matter of time before this dream manifested all of her secret yearnings and romanticized childhood love. Here, she could accept that she loved Ash as more than just a friend, here, she didn't have to worry about losing him again. In her dreams, he was the one good, constant thing in her life, and she wanted so badly for all this to be more than just a figment of her imagination.

"This is not just a dream, young child, nor your innermost fantasies, but a premonition," a voice suddenly sounded throughout the arena, completely drowning out the cheers of the crowds and every other sound currently echoing in her head, and just like that the dream changed almost instantaneously. Serena was now standing on a green hill overlooking an endless field of beautiful white flowers, truly a romantic setting as she wished for Ash to be sitting here with her, though he had vanished with the rest of the crowd in the arena, along with the arena itself to be replaced with this and that strange voice.

"Who said that?" she asked in wonderment, feeling an unfathomably mighty force penetrating her dream from the outside world. She could feel the ungodly, otherworldly powers it literally radiated, somehow materializing itself inside her inner world and making her perfectly, totally aware of the fact that this was no ordinary dream.

"I have been called many names throughout the myriad paths of infinity, but your people call me Arceus," the voice responded after several Moments of agonizing silence. Serena's heart started beating rapidly in her chest as excitement, astonishment, and awed incredulity coursed through her all at once, unable to conceive any world where she would ever get an audience with the all-powerful creator of everything in the universe.

"This can't be real," She finally managed with a stammer, and the voice chuckled.

"You'd be astounded by what's real my child, but let us dispense with the skepticism just for now, believe me, I didn't penetrate your defences with any amount of effortlessness on my part. Sure, I may be omnipotent, but that doesn't mean as much as you may think, not against you," it replied, causing Serena to stare ahead in utter befuddlement, still not even entirely sure she was just dreaming or if her imagination was finally getting carried away.

"You lost me there," she finally said, all the while thinking, 'great, I'm having a weird conversation with a disembodied voice while I'm sleeping, and I can't even follow what it is saying.'

The voice that claimed to be Arceus chuckled once again. "I suppose I could have chosen a better time to try and speak to you, but the fact is your immunity to everything is only semi vulnerable when you're asleep, which is when any person is at their most vulnerable, but the situation with you is extraordinary. You possess abilities most other humans can only dream of," Arceus started, but Serena interrupted him, unable to keep her skepticism in check any longer.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't wrap my head around that. I'm nothing special. I can't do much of anything out there in the real world. I'm nearly 18 years old and have nothing to show for it. I haven't even had the guts to go against my Mother's wishes and start my journey until now, when I'm too old for her to do anything to stop me. I'm a coward, Arceus, and a failure as a friend to the most important person in my life. Honestly, I'm barely holding it all together," she sighed frustratingly, nearly on the verge of tears now as her emotions got carried away during her difficult admission.

She felt a stab of sympathy wash over her from the divine presence now making itself at home in her subconscious, and she supposed she should have felt annoyed that it was basically invading her privacy, but she just couldn't. "My dear child, you have suffered greatly in your childhood. Your Mother has acted selfishly and because of that your relationship with her has suffered deeply. You even think you have lost the closest friend you've ever had, but none of these things are gone for good. For all you have suffered, for all you will inevitably suffer in the future, what you gain will eventually make up for all the losses, and the good will one day far surpass the bad, even if you refuse to believe it right now. For all you will face on your journey tomorrow, you will gain abilities no other human before you has ever possessed in the history of mankind," Arceus informed her.

"What do you mean, and why have you appeared to me in the first place? I thought Arceus only appeared to Pokémon Trainers destined to become the greatest Pokémon Masters of their time." Serena wondered with emphatic incredulity.

"An excellent question Serena. I'll keep my answer as straightforward and comprehensible as possible. Your destiny was written long ago, by me and other equally powerful entities. You are one of two Pokémon Trainers we have selected from this point in time to wield abilities as Pokémon Masters that are functionally Omnipotent in nearly every sense and aspect. You and our other Chosen Champion, through countless trials, losses, and battles, will become the greatest and powerfullest Pokémon masters this world has ever or will ever know. A prophecy as old as time itself refers to you two by a title now known across the totality of existence itself; the Omega Omnisphere's Mightiest Pokémon Masters. This is an accolade bestowed only upon a precious handful of Trainers throughout said Omega Omnisphere, and puts any Global Championship trophy to utter shame." Arceus explained with excruciating simplicity, yet Serena was somehow able to understand everything he said, and was growing more disbelieving and uncomprehending with every word he spoke.

"This... isn't possible... I don't believe you. I'm sorry," She stammered in a stupor, numb with overpowering shock and dismay, but still able to muster up enough kindness to feel apologetic for her lack of faith. If even a fraction of what Arceus said was true, her imprisonment in Vaniville Town was probably preferable to what she may be faced with tomorrow when her journey begins. She was petrified with uncertainty and a fear of the unknown, unsure what tomorrow would bring and if she had what it took to really live up to what Arceus expected her to be.

"Why me? I mean, why pick me of all people?!" She finally added once she recovered from her shock, still uncertain about why an all-powerful being from another dimension would ever think her as worthy of such a grand destiny. "I don't think I'm worthy of this Arceus, worthy of being whatever it is you expect me to be. You've chosen the wrong person, how can I even begin to live up to this?!" she continued, now on a roll as Arceus's voice overshot her, and she immediately shut up.

"The fact you do not know whether or not you are worthy of possessing the powers I will help you unlock only proves that you are. Throughout history, those who have strived for power have often become corrupted by it, drunk on the strength they think it brings them. In my own personal opinion, I like to believe those most worthy of having power are typically the ones who do not strive for it, who wear the mantle because they must, and find to their surprise that they wear it well. That is why I find you worthy, so Serena Yvonne, will you accept your destiny, and will you accept everything I believe you can be? I have to warn you though; if you choose to walk this path, there is no turning back. Eternity itself will stretch ahead of you, so weigh your options carefully," Arceus warned her with a dark, cryptic undertone, causing the honey blonde girl to shudder uncontrollably.

Even if she could wrap her head around the immense absurdity of this whole situation, she had no way of knowing how to go about weighing her options. How did she compare the life she was accustomed to with one she could never understand in a million years? What were the pros and cons of living the kind of life Arceus wished for her to lead? How was she going to live up to what he expected from her if she made the choice for it to practically deify her?

"UGH, I DON'T KNOW!" she shouted at the top of her lungs in complete frustration, unable to decide anything in her current state of mind. Arceus sighed, apparently disappointed with her ineptitude at making a decision.

"What if I told you that you'd be an omnipotent God? You already have the power to do all this within you. You have since birth, Serena, but whether or not you tap into this power will depend entirely on you. I'm here to help you with that, but I'm pressed for time. Only hours remain until you awaken, and then it'll be impossible to penetrate your otherwise impenetrably defensive mind," He said gently and patiently as Serena merely gawked at her dreamy surroundings with slacken jaws, the surrounding flowers showering her subconsciously created surroundings with petals.

"You mean to tell me I've had these powers all along?!" She exclaimed questioningly, and Arceus merely chuckled once again, seeming to find her amazed confusion amusing.

"I designed your powers to remain dormant within you until such a time when you needed them and came to accept everything you are. Your powers were created to self manifest whenever your life was in danger, but other than that I wanted you to live a semi-normal life until such a time you desired something more. That time is now, my child," Arceus said in response, and Serena nodded in accord, knowing Arceus was right about that.

Finally, she only really had one more major question. She was now informed of her capacity to become one of history's three greatest Pokémon Masters, and that she herself would possess powers far exceeding those of mortal men. The only question that remained was what exactly those powers were. As if reading her mind, Arceus answered her unasked question before she could say it aloud. "You will possess a near infinite arsenal of powers, including every nigh omnipotent power and nigh omnipotent physiology in the Omega Omnisphere, along with every super-power you can imagine and more at infinite levels."

"You will possess ultimate physical capabilities, control infinite possibilities via limitless probability manipulation, wield infinite amounts of every spiritual and emotional power, and possess limitless teleportation powers enabling you to instantly transport absolutely anything to any point in the Omega Omnisphere, past present, or future, and a virtually limitless number of other powers. On top of all that, you will possess the absolute form of immortality, making it a conceptual impossibility to kill you by any means."

"You will be almost flawlessly indestructible, meaning you cannot be hurt or destroyed no matter how powerful your opponent is; only another Omega Omnisphere busting individual can have the slightest hope of hurting or killing you. You'll also be infinitely skilled in any and all fields, possessing absolute levels of natural talent and thus will have a completely unfair advantage against any other Pokémon Trainer in any and all fields of Pokémon mastery. This extends to battling, and you'll be able to follow the movements of a Level-Infinity battlefield." Arceus finished, and Serena listened with rapt attention, drinking in everything it said with an insatiable thirst.

She still couldn't believe or understand any of this, but if she woke up with the power to make all her dreams and aspirations come true, to reunite with Ash and travel with him like they always planned, and to help other people fulfill their lifelong dreams or just help in general, shouldn't she accept Arceus's offer? Did she even have a choice? She honestly didn't know, and even though it assured her that her powers wouldn't manifest until she fully embraced them, just yesterday she had still considered herself a normal person, and now this?! This was just too much, just too big for her to fathom, and she wasn't sure if she was able to give Arceus a straight answer tonight. She didn't think she had much choice and knew she had to decide quickly, dawn was approaching and her Mom would be waking her up soon, causing Arceus to lose its window of opportunity.

"I'm sorry, Arceus. I'm just not sure I can give you an answer right now. Your offer sounds extremely tempting, but if what you said is even remotely true, then my powers will manifest when I accept them anyways, right?" Serena wondered, remembering what it said about that.

Arceus sighed in disappointment, "I wish it were that simple Serena. Unfortunately things rarely are that simple I'm afraid. There is an impending calamity about to befall this world and only the Chosen Ones have power enough to put an end to it. I'm afraid I can't afford any delays in my timetable Serena. I need an answer to whether or not you're willing to try and embrace your destiny before the sun rises over the fences surrounding Vaniville town. You don't have to give me any answer for certain, yet. You don't even have to say yes or no, I just need to know you're willing to try and learn how to master your powers and more importantly, master yourself," it whispered fearfully, the calamity it described enough to make Serena's skin crawl.

Whatever this doom was, it was enough to make the most powerful being in the universe feel fear, which made it very clear to her that she ought to be just as afraid as it was, if not more so. "So if I don't accept it here and now, I could potentially put the safety of the world at risk?" she finally asked, trying to wrap her head around that fact, knowing her decision was already made if it said yes.

The bodiless voice seemed crushed by its own penitence, "Regrettably, that does appear to be the case Serena. I wish I could say that the situation wasn't as dire as all that, but it is. An entity of unfathomable power and destructive capability is aiming to conquer our universe and every other, and I've been working on a contingency to possibly counter its plans for Omniversal conquest, but I can't do it alone. This is a foe I can only stalemate with at best. My powers and its own on an equal level. I need more than just my own limitless powers to take this creature down, and I'm going to need your help to set my plan in motion. I need Champions to act on my behalf." Arceus explained to her guiltily.

"Even the best-laid plans go awry, Arceus." Serena murmured with a wisdom she inherited from her childhood with the brainiac that was Ash Ketchum.

Arceus nodded in agreement, "Indeed. This upcoming battle with that entity will be a war to end all wars, and in wars, things can sometimes not go according to even the most well laid plans. But like myself and my other Chosen Champion, you're going to have to choose between what is right and what is easy," it said sagely, and Serena's mind was made up.

Stepping forward despite not knowing where in her dream Arceus was positioned, Serena gave it her answer at long last. "I'll do it. I'll accept your offer, Arceus. If everything you've said is true and my decision to become everything you believe I can be is tied to the fate of the world, then I don't really have much of a choice. If there is even the slightest chance my acceptance can save lives and the lives of the people closest to me, then how can I possibly say no?" She replied in earnest. Her determination to stop this entity from hurting her friends outweighed her fear and the enormity of everything she had learned from this very strange and life-altering dream. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if she had just sold her soul, and if these powers she'd tap into would come at too high a price? There was nothing she could do about it now though. She'd made her bed, and no matter how impossible this whole situation was for her to comprehend, she had to sleep in it.

Serena could sense a wave of relief emanating from Arceus, and felt like she had made the right decision, even if she didn't understand half of what it said. What she did understand, she knew she just had to do. Ash always told her to open her mind to insane possibilities; it would help keep her sane during any unexplainable events in her life. It had been just one of the many insightful things he said, and she knew she would never give up no matter what. Whatever this dream was, whatever it entailed, she knew she would never be able to forgive herself if she simply walked away from it all and left her world at this monster's mercy.

"Very good, Serena. Your capital-D Deification will begin the Moment Ash arrives in Kalos later this very day, and will gradually manifest during your Kalos journey. When you wake up, though, your memory of this conversation and your willingness to accept my offer will deaden almost completely. I do not wish for this dream, this single Moment in time to have too big an impact on every decision you make from here on out. So even though you will awaken as a changed woman, you will not even believe it at first and your memory of this dream will eventually fade away entirely."

"You are far better off starting your journey without the knowledge of what just occurred here and now, at least until you are ready to accept everything. As the humans say, ignorance is bliss, and the truth about your existence will become your new reality, your new world only when you are truly ready to accept all that you are. Always remember Serena, though I have governed your destiny to an extent, your life does not belong to me or any other being. You are free to decide who you let into your life, who you are, who you become, and how you go about embracing this higher calling," it promised her, and Serena nodded numbly in understanding, feeling strangely detached from this dream already and the powers now flowing into her from Arceus's overwhelming presence.

"Will I still be allowed to pursue my dream to become the Kalos queen?" Serena wondered, her dream career still just as important to her as it ever was, even with all she had learned tonight she was glad to know her priorities or her ultimate goal hadn't shifted or changed.

Arceus chuckled at her question, "Of course, you will still be allowed to pursue your dream, one of the personal rules I abide by as an all-powerful being is my being forbidden from interfering with free will. All I am permitted to do is suggest that you do not abuse the powers you will amass in any endeavor you undertake. Rest assured, you will know how to use all your powers properly when the time comes, including how to limit them and control every nearly aspect of your existence. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear, or so the old saying goes," Arceus explained reassuringly, and Serena sighed in relief as her dream began fading and Arceus's presence retreated from her mind.

XXX

Vaniville Town, at the crack of dawn...

"Serena, time to get up!" Her Mom shouted upstairs, and Serena groaned in response, now only half asleep as she barely registered her Mom calling up to her. Arceus had retreated from her mind fully, her natural defences evidently too strong for it to easily penetrate anymore, and like it said she could already feel her memory of the dream beginning to fade away. She became aware of her pink comforters failing to cover her bare feet, leaving them slightly chilled as she tried to recall the dream, her efforts to do so becoming increasingly more difficult.

She was just about to try and fall back asleep and hope that dream invading entity would visit her again when... peck . Serena screamed as she sat up rigidly in her bed, the sting of Fletchling's peck attack still fresh on her face as she glared down at the tiny robin Pokémon sitting perched on the foot of her bed. Anger surged through her at the annoyingly adorable sight before her, Fletchling's cuteness not appealing to her incurred wrath in the slightest.

"I told you a thousand times not to wake me up at that!" she shouted angrily before lunging for Fletchling as fast as her body would allow. Fletchling easily dodged her futile attempt, flying just out of her reach as though mocking her inability to fly and landing on her head as she sat back up. Sighing in exasperation, Serena felt her anger abating in favor of mild annoyance, unable to stay mad at the adorable and nimble creature.

"You're just lucky you're so cute and that I don't have my powers yet," Serena grumbled, causing Fletchling to take to the air once again and stare at her in confusion while flapping its wings.

Serena rolled her eyes, "It's nothing, Fletchling. I just had a really strange dream," Serena muttered as her Mom yelled up at her again to hurry up and get ready.

"Coming Mom," Serena shouted back while grumbling inaudibly under her breath; Fletchling retreating from her room, its task now complete as it went back downstairs. "Ugh, not again," Serena added while scrambling in her messy room to get ready, clothes strewn all over the floor and half the contents of her stocked up closet spilled out onto the pinkish carpet.

Changing out of her pink pajamas, Serena stripped down to her bra and underwear while going into her dresser to withdraw her everyday attire and her training outfit. Her double d-cup breasts strained almost painfully in her undersized bra as she thought about the dream from last night, no longer as certain whether or not it was even real.

She could remember feeling like it was real while she slept, but right now as she stood in her room wide awake, the memory of the dream was fading just like the so-called Arceus said it would. She was glad to know she still loved Pokémon performing as much now as she ever did. The entity claiming to be Arceus was right about one thing, if nothing else, she and her Mom had a very strained relationship. She didn't even like Rhyhorn racing, yet her Mother insisted she could be one. Such was Grace Yvonne's selfishness, that she didn't even consider her Daughter's feelings or opinion when deciding what she thought was best for her.

Gritting her teeth in an effort to keep a decade's worth of frustration and anger in check, Serena focused on the positives. Like the fact that she only had one more day until her journey began, before she turned 18 and would be considered a legal adult anywhere in Kalos. She had made it abundantly clear to her Mother that come her 18th birthday she was leaving on her journey whether she wanted her to or not. Grace grudgingly accepted that, though she seemed to push Serena harder than ever during her training with Rhyhorn since Serena told her, much to the honey blonde girl's endless frustration. Secretly, Serena had been planning to run away for the past several years, a plan only her best female friend Shauna knew about, and if it wasn't for the loud, headstrong girl talking her down when she was getting worked up over her Mother, Serena would have left a lot sooner. Her Mom didn't know this of course, but that didn't stop her from taking Serena's training to unbearable levels.

In complete honesty, she'd rather spend her last day here hanging out with Shauna and Calem; but Grace booked every Friday for the two of them to train for hours on end. Quickly sliding into her skin-tight black top and hoisting her skirt up over her panties, Serena found a clean pair of her black over-the-knee socks and sat back down on her bed to put them on, her Rhyhorn racing suit ready to go on the foot of her bed for after breakfast when her Mom would drill her at practice.

"Just one more day, one more day until I'm done here. You've got this, Serena, you can get through one more day without blowing up, then you can leave this place forever," Serena told herself repeatedly after she finished fixing her waist-length golden hair the way she liked it, found her pink felt hat with a black bow, and placed it on her head before looking over to her desk.

Her most precious possession sat there on her desk where it always sat while she was in bed, and she picked it up and gazed at it in admiration. Many people would consider Serena strange for her unusual fondness of such an unremarkable object as a blue handkerchief, but to her, it was almost as precious as the friendship it represented. Smiling was a rare thing for her nowadays, even with Shauna and Calem refusing to begin their respective journeys until she could as well. Serena only smiled like she was now when thinking of Ash.

It wasn't that she didn't love Shauna and Calem, she truly did. In fact, she and Calem even tried dating once, but neither one of them could ever replace Ash, nobody could if she was being completely honest. Having to leave him the day she moved away at 8 years of age was the hardest day of her life, and even Ash's parting words were barely enough to keep her going.

'True friendship never dies,' He had said with a degree of wisdom no 8 year old child should have, but Ash had never been a normal boy as long as she had known him. His uniqueness was part of what endeared him so much to her, and every guy she had dated since moving back to Vaniville Town, she compared to him, all of them falling short of the most important person in her life.

Ash was truly one of a kind, one in a million, and Serena had never been able to let go of him. Even after 10 years, she still couldn't. The thought of him one day reuniting with her was the only thing that kept her going, and she vowed that as soon as she left on her journey tomorrow, she'd track him down and travel with him like they always planned when they were children. She didn't want to be an imposition to him during his travels, especially if he was anything like his Father and already a Champion-Level Trainer, but she could no longer bear the thought of going on in this world without him by her side. She couldn't stand not knowing what he'd been up to these past years, hating the fact that Kalos was so far off the beaten path, completely out of touch with the other regions even today.

Quickly tying her blue handkerchief from Ash around her wrist like a makeshift bracelet, Serena deemed herself ready to face the day as she left her room, in no hurry to begin her Rhyhorn racing training and trying to rein in her endless frustration with her Mom. She and Grace had suffered a strain on their relationship ever since her Mom arbitrarily decided to move them both back to Kalos without even asking for her opinion, leaving behind Pallet Town and Ash, along with the life she had come to love living. She had never really forgiven her Mom for it since. The two of them acted as if nothing was wrong while the tension between them was quite obvious to anyone else, particularly Shauna and Calem when they came for a visit. Either Grace left to hang out with some friends of hers in the neighbourhood when Calem and Shauna came to visit Serena, or the three Vaniville town friends would go hang out somewhere else, usually in the next town for a milkshake or dinner.

She was lost in thought as she made her way down the stairs to the kitchen, the smell of Oran berry pancakes wafting throughout the house as she was only somewhat aware of it, despite the fact it was her favorite breakfast. She was thinking about the dream among other things, but right now some other things in her life had taken the spot as her number one priority. She and Grace hadn't had a proper Mother-Daughter talk in years, and if she didn't resolve at least some of the issues she had with her Mom, Serena wasn't sure she'd be able to come back here once her journey began.

She wasn't even entirely sure she and her Mom could come to some kind of understanding anymore, but she had to try. She would never be able to forgive herself if she didn't at least try to patch things up. If she truly couldn't, however, she was old enough to strike out on her own, come tomorrow. She'd be able to leave this place and never look back, and Pallet Town was only on the other side of the entire world. She arrived in the dining room just as Grace was serving her breakfast, a plate of three Oran Berry crepes with four strips of bacon, two fried eggs, a slice of toast with melted butter, and a healthy dosage of maple syrup poured over the bacon and crepes. Serena inwardly paled while mentally calculating the sheer number of calories in this breakfast and was almost thankful her training would burn them all off. Almost.

"Eat your breakfast quickly Serena. I want our last day of training to be productive before your journey begins," Grace instructed her as Serena felt her temper beginning to flare, knowing she had to come clean with her Mom about everything, lest she lose this relationship forever. Taking her breakfast to the dining room table, Serena sat down in her usual seat while Grace sat across from her, pushing her food around on her plate instead of eating.

Grace watched her Daughter play with her food with a misty expression in her eyes, having rarely seen her so lost in thought before. While it wasn't uncommon to see Serena in an introspective mood, this time she was taking her quiet musing to new heights, and the expression on her face tore at Grace's heart. In spite of what Serena may have thought about her, Grace did actually love her Daughter, and since retiring as a Rhyhorn racer she had a lot of time to mull over her own shortcomings where Serena's upbringing was concerned.

She knew she hadn't been the perfect Mother and had made some selfish decisions in years past, and she knew Serena had never quite forgiven her for making her move from their home in Pallet Town. Grace had tried to justify it by saying she was the grownup and that Serena would learn to appreciate it someday, but she never did. All she had ever wanted was to travel with that sweet boy who had stolen her heart, even if she would never admit it to anyone including herself. She was done trying to justify it, and with Serena's determination to leave on her journey tomorrow, she knew she was going to have to force herself into a very uncomfortable conversation with her Daughter. She wasn't even sure if she'd ever see Serena again once she walked out that door.

"Serena," Grace stated hesitantly, and said girl turned to her with a slight jerk of her head, unable to look at her Mom without scowling for some reason. Fighting to control her emotions, Serena managed to lose the scowl and acknowledge her Mother properly, surprised by how hard bringing up this topic was.

"Yes, Mom?" She replied, her voice barely above a whisper, the tension between them thick enough to cut through with a knife. Fletchling flew around the living room, minding its own business, but Serena could hear the constant flapping of its wings and was aware of her own heavy breathing as well as her Mom's.

"I think we need to talk, sweet heart," Grace finally managed with genuine sincerity, causing Serena to resume her scowl. Now she wanted to talk, when it was probably already too late for her to make amends. Serena couldn't help feeling uncharacteristically angered by that.

"Honestly, Mom, I think it may be too late by now," She bit out harshly, causing Grace to flinch back slightly, yet despite the harshness of her statement, there was a small part of Serena that still wanted to be able to make amends with her only parent.

"Still, I have to try before you leave me for good when your journey begins tomorrow," Grace sniffed, seeming on the verge of tears as Serena stared at her in shock. Her Mom had known all along she was planning to leave and never come back when her journey began. She had been planning it for years now, but wanted to try and mend fences one last time, something she initially thought would be all for naught.

Grace merely gave a watery chuckle at Serena's gobsmacked expression, "Oh, don't look so surprised. I've known about your 'secret' plan to run away for a long time now. As far as I'm concerned, I more than deserve it, given how much of a failure I've been as a Mother in recent years," She cried as tears began rolling down her cheeks. Frankly, Grace was surprised Serena had stuck around as long as she did. But she knew that while her Daughter's patience was almost saintlike, Serena only did so because she wanted to wait until she was 18 and there was truly nothing she could do to stop her Daughter from leaving her.

"The truth is, Serena, I've been dreading this day for a long while now, and since my retirement, I've had a lot of time to reflect and ponder on my failures where your upbringing was concerned," Grace admitted, causing Serena's frown to deepen, though Grace was glad to note she was still listening.

"If you knew you were wrong and acted selfishly without even considering my opinion, then why not apologise to me, why not apologise instead of dragging this out?" Serena demanded, more curious than she was angry for some reason. She wanted to know why more than she wanted to hold onto this grudge, feeling tears prickle her eyes for the first time since this difficult conversation had begun.

In all honesty, Serena half-expected she'd have to argue and fight with her Mom tooth and nail before finally snapping and saying she was leaving and never coming back home tomorrow. She did not expect for her Mother to ever admit she was wrong and the fact that she was, threw the 17 year old girl for a loop.

"Because I didn't think merely saying I was sorry was going to make a difference at this point. It wouldn't take away the pain I caused you or make things alright between us," Grace finally said, and Serena nodded in partial understanding, it actually made sense for her to think like that.

"Still, you could have saved us both a lot of unnecessary stress, Mom. I may not have accepted your apology right away, but you could have at least tried to earn my forgiveness, at least sooner than the day before my journey began. Instead, you wait, you drag out this tension between us and both of us suffer as a result. To be honest, Mom, there is still a part of me that wants us to be able to make amends. I hope when I leave I'll still have a home here and a real Mother to come back home to, but that all depends on you right now. Ever since Dad left us, you've been bitter, jaded, and buried yourself in your career. You never had time for me, and the one decent thing you did for me was send me to that camp, because I finally made an irreplaceable friend and companion. Just when I started getting used to life in Kanto and Pallet Town, you moved us back here, to the house Dad left us stranded in. Did you truly believe that wouldn't have lasting negative consequences on my emotional wellbeing?" Serena whisper-shouted, her emotions pouring out from her so much it seemed to distort the air around them. Both she and her Mom were so wrapped up in their conversation and in their emotions that neither of them noticed the house's lights flickering in response to Serena's emotions or the fact that her blue eyes were glowing with an unnaturally bright light.

"Serena, of course, you will always have a home here. If you could just learn not to hate me, I suppose that is enough for now. But don't think for a second you will ever be unwelcome here," Grace informed her, her eyes red from crying as Serena nodded, waiting for the apology she knew was coming. "Serena, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I acted selfishly and forced you to leave your true home and Ash behind, I'm sorry for abruptly ending your relationship with the closest friend you've ever had, I'm sorry for emotionally tapping out after your Dad left, for leaving you feeling abandoned."

"I'm sorry for not apologizing or acknowledging my own faults sooner, and most of all, I'm sorry I failed you as a Mother. I can only pray to Arceus that is not too late for me to earn back your trust," Grace sobbed with true sincerity, and Serena nodded again, silent tears trekking down her face the entire time she listened to her Mom's heartfelt, profound apology, unable to stay mad at her anymore. No matter her faults, she did love Serena, and she was still her Mother. The honey-blonde Trainer knew now that she had made the right call by trying to reach out to her Mom one last time, instead of stalking out like she originally planned. She had followed Shauna's advice, and it had paid off in the end. She made a mental note to thank the girl next time she saw her.

"Of course, I forgive you, Mom. How could I not after an apology like that? While it will certainly take a while to fully re-earn my trust, I'd never be able to live with myself if I threw away my only remaining familial bond over a grudge I held from my childhood. If you really want to re-earn my trust, you can start by actually listening to what I have to say, think you can do that?" Serena sniffed, glad to see her Mother was beaming with positive radiance. Honestly, if anyone had truly earned her ire, it was her wayward Father. Grace was smiling despite all the tears in her eyes, and it was a true smile, the likes of which Serena hadn't seen since her Father Richard had still been around, and she had to admit it was nice to see.

"Serena, thank you, thank you so much. I promise you won't regret it! I guess I could start paying attention by asking you one thing," she whisper-shouted with pure, over-saturated euphoria, relief flooding her veins like a Kyogre's surf attack as she realized she had a chance to start over with her only Daughter. Serena quirked an eyebrow, her eyes quite dry now as she came to the realization that the hard part of this conversation was over.

"Oh yeah, what question is that?" Serena wondered, a brilliant smile gracing her flawless facial features.

"Do you really wish to take up Rhyhorn racing? Because in all the time I've coached you, I never once asked your opinion on it and listened to what you had to say? Believe me, if you wished to pursue something else I'd completely understand," Grace reassured her, and Serena blurted out her answer before her Mom even fully finished her sentence.

"Yes, holy Arceus, I can't stand Rhyhorn racing, Mom! I know it's your thing, and I like Rhyhorn well enough as a Pokémon and as our family pet, but not racing on it! To be honest, I hadn't really decided what I wanted to do in life until I was 15, but now I'm sure I want to be a Pokémon performer. I wish to compete in Pokémon Showcases and hopefully one day become Kalos Queen, to entertain the masses and dazzle people, to make them smile," Serena squealed excitedly, unable to believe she and her Mom were finally having this conversation. First the bizarre dream she could barely remember happened and now this, would wonders never cease?!

Grace was initially surprised by her Daughter having an actual goal established for herself, having never known Serena to be overly committed to any specific path. It wasn't that Serena didn't have her share of talents. She had lots of things she was really good at; singing, dancing, writing, baking, and many other things she seemed to have almost unnatural levels of talent at. Grace didn't know where her Daughter learned to bake as well as she did, but the few times she had let Serena handle the making of desserts, Grace had been reluctant to admit her own Daughter could bake better than she could. She had worried she'd be out of the job so she kept Serena out of the kitchen most of the time unless she was feeling particularly worn out.

That being said, even though Serena had a lot of Arceus-given talents, she hadn't really considered any one of them as an actual career path and did them for fun. Grace had been initially surprised by Serena's revelation that she had been serious about performing since she was fifteen, but it made sense now that she thought about it. Serena was always into fashion and clothes, perfecting her appearance, and watching the Pokémon Showcase channel every time Aria, the current Kalos Queen, appeared on TV.

Grace had been paying more attention than Serena gave her credit for. She just never seriously considered Serena's wishes or desires all that much, and for that she felt horrible. Now, though, she felt so much better. The guilt was still there, but hopefully, that would fade away in time since she was going to spend the rest of her life making it up to Serena if she had to. Her Daughter was well worth the effort to her, she was worth everything to Grace.

"Well Serena, if performing is what you're going for, I'd say you're already sufficiently trained and have nothing to learn that I can teach you. I was going to try and practice with you one last time, but now that I know you don't care for Rhyhorn racing, I'm not even going to bother. You're free to spend the morning and the rest of your last day however you see fit. Hang out with Shauna and Calem, have a blast, and maybe even have a party before you guys leave tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll give Professor Sycamore a call later today and ask him to send over the three Kalos starters for you to choose from. Who knows, maybe he still has that cute Fennekin you used to play with whenever we took a trip to Lumiose City to visit him at his lab," Grace finally said, and Serena was so happy she felt like she could burst. Quickly getting up from her seat at the dining room table, Serena practically galloped the distance between her Mother and her and threw her arms around Grace in the most enthusiastic hug she'd ever given her.

"Thank you, Mom! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much all this means to me!" Serena squealed, unable to contain her giddiness and excitement at the prospect of having the whole day off her training. If she was lucky, her Mom would never ask her to train with Rhyhorn ever again, and she couldn't believe she would be getting her starter Pokémon tomorrow. This all just seemed too good to be true, yet somehow, Serena knew this was all real.

"Just promise me one thing when you leave Serena," Grace started, and Serena nodded once she pulled away.

"Anything," She said simply, and her Mother beamed at her, the both of them unable to contain their joy, knowing that they could finally start to have a proper Mother-Daughter relationship now.

"Promise me you'll call from time to time, that you'll visit, and be careful on your journey. Also, if you find your Father, go easy on him, he had his reasons for leaving. I don't know who's reason or what that reason is. All he could tell me was that he was protecting us, though from what I have no idea, just promise me that, okay?" Grace pleaded imploringly, and Serena giggled cutely while sticking her tongue out at her Mom like an overgrown child.

"That's actually four things, but yeah sure, no problem. I can't promise I won't want to kick his butt for leaving us, no matter how good his intentions were. Still, I'll try to refrain from doing so if I should run into him, though I'm not holding my breath," Serena promised, and Grace nodded in approval.

"Good, now go have fun Serena, the day is young, and I bet Shauna would love to know you're free to spend the day with her, and Calem too. For an ex boyfriend, you two are actually handling your breakup very maturely and the fact that you remain best friends in spite of what happened means you two will truly be friends forever. Don't let him or Shauna go Serena, friends like them are hard to come by in today's day and age," Grace advised her, and Serena nodded in understanding, clearing her dishes to the sink, slipping on her outdoor shoes, and closing the outside door behind her with a quiet snap.

Grace watched her go with a sigh of relief, unable to believe how this morning started, how she just somehow knew her Daughter and she needed to talk about everything, before it was too late. She offered up a silent thank you to Arceus for giving her a second chance, not expecting a response, but to her astonishment she received one.

"You are most welcome, my child. No Daughter as special as yours deserves to have both her parents ripped away from her. Though her Father may be returning to your lives sooner than you think," an almighty voice echoed, sounding like it was coming from inside her head. Grace merely stared around the room in shock, unable to believe what she just heard, yet given all the things her husband and that friend of his Red got up to, she wouldn't be surprised if Arceus was watching over all of them.

"Wherever you are now Richard, please keep an eye on our Daughter, keep her safe, and keep it in your pants. I know what you were like before you met me and even though you pretty much dumped me, I still think of you as my husband all the time," Grace prayed silently, not sure if her wayward husband could hear her but wanting her worries and concerned to be voiced aloud, so that if any gods were listening they could potentially answer her prayers. Serena had already gone off to Shauna's house, no doubt, which gave Grace plenty of time to call up Professor Sycamore and chat, right before she got down to business regarding Serena's long overdue journey.

Truth be told, Grace felt awful, she felt like she was only holding her Daughter back, and making her wait here 8 years to start her journey was going to leave Serena very far behind most Trainers her age, most of whom started their journeys at the standard age of ten. Quickly heading to her video phone to place a call, Grace got caught up in her emotions again and reflected on all the times she had failed Serena as a parent, realizing that addressing all of her issues was the only way to accept them and move on...

XXX

Back on the Kanto-To-Kalos Airline, Ash was temporarily interrupted from his meditations by the voice of Arceus telepathically pervading his thought process.

'Hey, Ash. I just wanted to inform you that I managed to get through to Serena. She's still living with her Mom in Vaniville town, but is about to start her journey tomorrow,' He informed him, and Ash's gratuitous grin widened with every word the alpha Pokémon spoke.

'Her 18th birthday is tomorrow, I might actually be able to time this in such a way that I give her that shiny Mewtwo in time for it to be an actual birthday present. Though I am somewhat dejected she'll be eight years behind me in our respective journeys, she wouldn't be the first novice Trainer I've shown the ropes , and so help me, once I see her I'm not ever letting her go again,' Ash said mentally in response.

He was somewhat saddened that Serena had been unable to start her journey at the designated age of 10 years, but knew what Grace was like and how strained her relationship with her Daughter had been, up until only a few Moments ago. The plane itself was very close to the airport now, and the aircraft was rocking and quaking as the turbulence caused Ash and everyone else to jerk in their seats. He had been keeping tabs on Grace for the past few minutes, just after the plane began its descent towards Lumiose, but Serena's presence was like a blank slate in his infinitely vast mental presence.

Despite his semi-limited ability to view images of her in his mind, Arceus had managed to enter her dreams while she slept this morning, when her complete mental invulnerability and immutability was nullified to nigh-limitless levels. It managed to convince her to accept its offer of an eternal, omnipotent existence, just like it convinced Ash to. The Pallet Town prodigy couldn't help appreciating how Arceus went about deifying Serena, since it was different to how Ash himself was immortalized. Ash himself had the right mindset and had seen enough impossible things during his resplendent, ethereal journey to accept Arceus's offer right off the Crobat, but Serena's situation was different. Even though she was technically the same age as Ash, she lacked his wisdom and maturity gained from 8 years of traveling, from seeing and accomplishing the impossible.

Ash had cheated death and saved the world over a dozen times, even before his supreme apotheosis was first initiated, even before his aura and psychic powers were awakened and mastered. The incident on New Island with Mew and Mewtwo long predated the mastery of any of his abilities, as did the incident on Shamouti Island with Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno, and Lugia. In fact, numerous major incidents in his life involving Legendary Pokémon happened long before he realized that the reaper could swing its sickle at him all it wanted, before he realized he was far beyond death's stroke.

His maturity had always vastly outstripped other individuals his age, including Serena's, and he knew his travels and the knowledge and wisdom he amassed gave him certain advantages Serena never had during their respective deifications. The plane gave another unexpected massive jerk, startling Brock, Alexa, and several nearby passengers while Ash merely laughed. The Pallet Town Trainer had never been on a plane before but had plenty of experience flying on his Charizard, Lugia, Mega Pidgeot, and countless other flying types. Compared to that, to that feeling of wind and power rushing past his face while dozens of miles above solid ground and flying countless times the speed of sound, flying on a plane was nothing, the wind turbulence didn't unnerve him in the slightest.

He was the most excited he'd been in a long time arriving in a new region, for many different reasons. For one thing, Serena was confirmed to be in this region, and he was longing to see her again, a million different possible scenarios of their eventual reunion running through his mind. Secondly, he was planning to go all the way in a Pokémon league for the first time since the Johto Championship League finals against Lance, which he barely managed to win. Since Kalos was the last region in the entire Pokemon World, he was planning to take it by storm like he had his home region and Johto, and from what he heard, Diantha and the Kalos Elite Four were incredibly strong, all with teams of fully-trained, Level- Pokémon and several mega evolutions in each.

Then there was his love for traveling and for seeing new places; and Kalos was as beautiful as they came, as well as the most romantic region in the entire world. Among these things were just so many other, little reasons that had Ash leaning forward in his seat, longingly anticipating his arrival in the place he knew would not only be the last stretch of his Pokémon journey, but also the last region he'd need to conquer before backtracking, beating Unova, Sinnoh, and Hoenn's Pokémon leagues and finally fulfilling his dream by taking down his Father in the ultimate World Championship Battle between Father and Son. He hadn't forgotten the war with Omninoir, but right now he didn't dwell on it, refusing to become an instrument of it or a puppet of fate in any way that could rain on the parade he was having now.

Another turbulence, and Ash nearly shouted aloud in ecstasy as the Pilot's voice echoed throughout the speakers on the plane. "Ladies, gentlemen, and Pokémon, we are just now landing in the Lumiose City airport, please do not forget your belongings or your Pokémon and thank you for flying with the Kanto Airline 757," the young man's voice reverberated throughout the plane as one final jerk and the unmistakable lurch of the plane touching solid ground threw everyone around in their seats.

Raichu was currently snuggled against Ash's chest, not wanting to get tossed about on the plane and get Ash in trouble for not returning him or worse, enforcing that rule and making him return it. Staring at his Trainer gratefully, Raichu realized how truly lucky he was to have a Trainer like Ash, recalling memories of their journey together with fondness and adoration. He had been bred from Red's Raichu, and longed to surpass his Legendary Father in power, fame, and fighting prowess, a feat Raichu was paving admirably at so far.

The feeling of a plane's wheels gliding over the airstrip was similar to a car driving across the road only so much smoother, faster, and more exhilarating. In short, Ash was having a blast, having always been a man of speed. No longer needing to cling to Ash like his life depended on it, Raichu returned to his spot in Ash's lap, his actions mirroring the Trainer's as his stood forward sharply, his tail and head erect and looking straight ahead at the seats in front of them. His ears perked back, evidently finding the freedom of flight as joyous as Ash himself did.

The plane slowly ground to halt over the course of five minutes, though to Ash, it felt as if every Moment was excruciatingly long indeed. Relativity could be a bitch sometimes. Finally, the plane stopped entirely and Ash unbuckled his seat belt with all due haste, Brock and Alexa smiling at his childlike enthusiasm with fondness, the both of them unable to contain their own joy. Alexa was just glad to be home after months away, and she couldn't wait to get started on the gigantic story she planned to write about Ash's journey so far, already hashing out the details and planning to describe every legendary capture he made in full detail.

Brock was just excited to be on another journey with Ash, and he was determined to prove himself as a Pokémon Doctor in his time abroad.

He chuckled endearingly while watching Ash impatiently try to bud ahead as everyone slowly got out of their seats. The usual pandemonium of getting off a massively crowded vehicle applied in this situation as much as it would on a bus, a passenger train, or a cruise ship, all of which Ash has taken. With a touch of fond remembrance, Brock couldn't help seeing Ash as the same enthusiastic kid he met almost eight years ago, even now after all the crap they'd been through together. The Pallet Town Trainer, his little brother in everything but blood, still had some childlike tendencies and wonder left in him, and that brought another smile to Brock's face.

Finally the crowd was starting to disperse, giving them enough room to follow Ash and Raichu, who pretty much flew out of their seats, throwing all caution to the wind in their haste to take their first step onto Kalosian ground. Raichu climbed up onto its favorite perch of Ash's shoulders now that he was standing up for the first time in over 12 hours, standing at his full height of 6 and a half feet, the lightning mouse determined to avoid the footfalls of the teeming masses of people and Pokémon alike.

Finally it was their turn to exit the plane and Ash's excitement bubbled under his skin, building without any end to a virtually infinitely intense crescendo as he stepped out onto the giant stepladder to take his first breath of fresh air in the Kalos Region. So much was riding on his victory over Omninoir in the upcoming, all-encompassing war and his foiling of its plans for becoming the Omniarch, but right now Ash's first priority was pretty much everything but that.

The grandiosity of the metropolitan scenery that greeted him upon exiting the plane was incomparable, the Lumiose City airstrip offering a perfect view of the massive surrounding city that was known all over the world as the largest, as well as one of the most beautiful. Skyscrapers dotted the horizon in a haphazard tapestry of monolithic proportions, kissing the heavens and basking in the newly risen sun, a burnt azure afterglow casting the slightly overcast ambiance in a series of pinks, oranges, reds, and other invigorating hues. The air was mildly balmy but blustery enough to keep one from sweating too profusely, a welcome contrast to the blistering heat mirage emanating off the airport's asphalt as exposure to the direct sunlight torched it. The tall buildings offered an oh-so-sweet reprieve from the ball of golden-white fire now incandescing the city of lights.

"Helllloooooooo Kalos, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town has arrived!" Ash exclaimed with all the maturity of a typical ten year old child, earning him several stares from several passengers having already exited the plane as well as Brock and Alexa coming up behind him. In spite of him channeling his inner child, Ash glided down the stairway with flawless grace and astounding agility a person as tall as him should not possess.

This feat was a tribute to all the hard work he put in training alongside his Pokémon prior to gaining his powers plus the superhuman skill level in all fields he now possessed. He was currently limiting this power, keeping it from reaching its full, limitless capacity due to his righteous sense of fair play; however he designed these power limiters to instantly lift in any event that could spell doom for his entire world and by extension the entire Omega Omnisphere.

His ability to handle all situations and matters flawlessly and to always find a way out was not anywhere near as limited. In fact, aside from his skill levels being limited, Ash's ability to always have the needed knowledge, skill, power, etc. to deal with any situation no matter how precarious was unmoored. Nothing was truly unwinnable to him, or impossible, infeasible, unstoppable, etc. His skill level was limited now but his boundless intuitions told him to ensure those limitations were lifted immediately in any situation he couldn't handle otherwise.

He had gotten pretty good at channeling his inner child, especially since Unova was when he started downplaying his skills in an effort to fool Iris and Cilan into believing he wasn't some all-powerful, Anti-God smiting entity that made the Omega Omnisphere itself his bitch. Iris bought it and even called him a kid from time to time, though she did that less and less as their journey progressed and eventually ceased altogether once it became clear just how great a Trainer Ash was. In the end, he had the last laugh, and Iris was forced to admit that his maturity vastly outstripped her own, and she hugged him goodbye with strictly platonic intentions, Cilan adding his own commentary prior to Ash's departure from Unova.

Iris's relationship with Ash was purely one of friendship. There weren't any strings attached, and, for that, he was grateful. It was definitely more than he could say about Dawn or May, both of whom had gigantic crushes on Ash, even to this day. In Serena's memory, he had broken a lot of hearts over the years, and whether or not she displayed the same loyalty and conviction to what they had so long ago, he promised himself years ago to always love her.

He had a lot of time to think about his previous companions back in Kanto, and had to force his mind back to the present, drinking in the sights as he and Raichu ran towards the airport terminal, certain customs applying here due to the number of people who smuggled illegal items into Kalos. Getting his passport ready from inside one of the smaller pouches in his Packsack, which contained a pocket dimension of infinite capacity and items worth more than the sum total of any currency, Ash reinforced his own security measures.

Relieved that none of his warning bells were going off, Ash deemed it safe to entrust his packsack to the head of security at the Kalos air terminal. He held out his passport for her to see as she took it from him with raised eyebrows, recognizing his Pokémon Ranger's jacket and evidently wondering if he was old enough to even qualify. Ash merely replied with a kind, genuine smile while Raichu sighed in annoyance on his shoulder and the both of them waited for Alexa and Brock to catch up.

Evidently the electric mouse Pokémon was tired of waiting in line, and even though he and Ash were already at the front of it, this was already taking longer than either he or his Trainer liked. After verifying Ash's passport and his credentials as a top agent of the Pokémon G-Men, an official Pokémon ranger, and Champion-Level Trainer, all of which were added to Ash's Trainer card and Pokedex recently, the lady proceeded to speak up for the first time.

"I welcome you to the Kalos Region, Ash Ketchum. Is your backpack all you have with you?" the woman asked in a strictly business tone, and Ash nodded calmly, not intimidated in the slightest by her no nonsense disposition as she raised an eyebrow once more. Ash fought the impulsive temptation to make her face stay stuck in that position for an hour or two.

"I like to travel light. Not that I'm opposed to heavy-duty training, of course," Ash replied with a charming smile, not wanting to hold up the crowd any longer than he had to but knowing that it could take a while to verify all his credentials.

The lady nodded meekly and asked for his Pokedex if he had one, explaining that it could make this whole transaction a lot quicker, and Ash nodded quickly before reaching into his backpack and summoning his Pokedex into his hand from the infinitely vast pocket dimension. After handing her the Pokedex, Ash watched her with rapt attention as she placed it on the touch screen scanner that inputted Ash's data into the computer, confirming everything his Trainer Card and Passport said about him in seconds flat. The lady's eyes widened Momentarily upon glimpsing Ash's past records, but quickly recovered like the professional she was and handed him back his Pokedex.

"Now, sir, if you'll just place your backpack on that conveyor belt over there, you'll be free to go once the x-ray machine confirms your pack is safe. It is standard procedure, of course, and once done, you'll find the exit three doors down the adjacent hall to my desk," the lady informed him, and Ash nodded while resisting the urge to grin mischievously. He didn't like making a habit of using his powers to cheat the system, but some of the weapons of infinite destruction in his backpack may become a necessity in the near future, and even if he had to get rid of them in some future date, he could just conjure infinite more, such were his unlimited powers of creation.

"Of course," Ash smiled enthusiastically, waiting on bated breath as his backpack checked out in the x-ray machine, completely fooling the computers and everyone present about what it contained. Raichu grumbled impatiently on his shoulder, clearly eager to get their journey started. "Just relax, buddy. We can't leave without Brock and Alexa anyways, so we still have to wait a little longer," Ash informed his partner, causing the mouse to cry anime tears of frustration.

'Damn it, Ash! First, we sat on that plane for 12 hours, and now this?! I want to kick some ass!' Raichu whined in Pokespeech, causing Ash to chuckle as the lady called for the next person, two security guards flanking her desk in any event of misbehaviour or violence. One of them passed Ash his packsack after thoroughly scanning the contents with his own two eyes, not realizing that the pocket dimension was only accessible to him and that anyone else going through his stuff would only see his Pokedex, tent, sleeping bag, some food and water, and his keepsakes, including the unremarkable pink ribbon he wore around his wrist in every major battle he fought, his most precious item.

Deciding to sit in the waiting area until Brock and Alexa caught up, Ash saw a vending machine along one of the walls in the massive terminal, the view of the city majestic but the sight of food making his stomach growl in content. Ash had outgrown the human need for sustenance, the provisions in his backpack mostly for his friends and for him in case he wanted to eat. For him, eating and drinking were only a want and not a need, his body no longer required sustenance and yet he still loved food as much as he ever did, if not more so.

The best part was, he could eat as much as he wanted now and never get fat, he could even conjure unlimited amounts of food and eat it all, and he wouldn't gain a pound. The only reason he still ate at all was due to sheer habit and pure joy and delight, for the taste and the indescribable pleasure it brought to his infinitely acute cosmic senses, and to keep up appearances, but other than that, eating and drinking were no longer a necessity for him.

Paying for a couple of chocolate bars and a Pepsi with his Pokedollar bank card, which contained infinite funds, Ash put his wallet back into his ranger jacket's zipper pocket and watched his oh so coveted items fall with a dull plunk towards the bottom of the machine. Quickly pulling them out and peeling open a chocolate bar wrapper, Ash's senses threatened to overwhelm his mind as pleasure beyond that of human capacity filled his taste buds, the chocolate bar bringing him more joy than it could any mere mortal as he became aware of Brock and Alexa's presence in the crowd, sensing them before he saw them making their way towards the end of the line where that intimating lady was situated.

Another few minutes passed him and Raichu by as Ash munched on his Crunchie bars, his starter taking a bite every now and again as the rest of his Pokémon relished the thought of being able to stretch their legs soon, their eagerness radiating from within the 30 Pokeballs and Master Balls attached to his champion team belt. Finally after what felt like hours, but was probably only ten minutes or so, most of the people from the Kanto airliner had come and gone, leaving only Alexa, Brock, and a few others, the both of them somehow the last people in line.

Ash quickly caught Alexa's eye and waved at her as she talked with the lady, the two of them obviously familiar with one another and the fact that Alexa was a Kalos native since the esteemed reporter took far less time to have her identity and passport verified than Ash himself did. Nevertheless, Ash was considered a guest here, and in spite of all his impressive ranks, titles, and occupations, that only meant it took longer to verify him and he figured he should have just handed her his Pokedex right off the bat.

Brock took longer than Alexa but shorter than Ash to verify, and within Moments they were all set to hit the road and see the sights Lumiose City had to offer. Raichu sighed in relief as Alexa and Brock approached him and Ash at a leisurely pace. "Wow Ash. You sure are a hard man to keep up with. We were almost at the back of the plane and yet you managed to fight your way almost to the front," Alexa grinned at him, causing Ash and Raichu to rub the backs of their heads sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I got a little overexcited," Ash chuckled in embarrassment, Raichu mimicking his actions to a T, causing Alexa and Brock to laugh at the shared similarities between the two of them.

"Anyways, Ash, I bet you're excited to be here now, aren't you?" Alexa asked as the three of them plus Raichu started making their way out of the terminal. Ash merely stared at her as though wondering if she even had to ask that question, and Alexa smiled. For all of his abilities as a Trainer and all of his maturity, intelligence, and incredible knowledge base, it was nice for her to see that, in some ways, Ash still retained some of that charming childlike wonder and enthusiasm. He seemed to constantly radiate positive energy, and lots of it, to the point where it was almost impossible for her or anyone else around him to feel down and depressed. Ash had such an uplifting vibe to him, it was intoxicating, and his optimism was as infinite as his powers as a Pokémon Trainer. She couldn't help but wonder if there was truly anything out there that could bring him down a notch or two, but she was beginning to seriously doubt it.

"Do you even have to ask?! What's more exciting to a Pokémon Trainer than a new regional Pokémon league to conquer and new Pokémon to catch?! I did tons of research on Kalos Lore and all the known native Pokémon around here, and I must say I'm very impressed with it all. The number of Kalos native Pokémon is small, but all of them are unbelievably impressive in the battling circuit and from what I've read, I've got to get my hands on a Gooey Goodra, a Gale wings Talonflame, and a Protean Greninja, all of these being perhaps the only Pokémon with those abilities. The only other Pokémon aside from Greninja that can get Protean as an ability is Kecleon, if I remember correctly, and from what Professor Oak described, Kalos is a region where lack of numbers is made up for by incredible type diversity, truly one of a kind Pokémon species, and other perks I plan on utilizing in time for the Kalos league," Ash finally replied as they were exiting the terminal and seeing the humongous city up close for the first time.

Ash and Brock, who had never been to Lumiose City before, had vastly different reactions from Alexa, who merely smiled at both of them. Brock merely gazed at the massive skyscrapers, twenty story hotels, and countless different cafes, five star restaurants, and various stores leading up and down the winding junction of city streets with slacken jaws. It put every other city they'd ever seen to shame. Even Ash, who had already scanned this place with his infinite awareness and perception, couldn't help whistling appreciatively upon witnessing this place firsthand, with his own two, all-seeing eyes. "Wow, this sure beats Saffron city back home, huh Brock?" Ash finally asked, and Brock nodded in accord.

"And every other humongous city we've ever been too; whether it was Goldenrod, Mauville, or Sunnyshore, this place blows them all away! What about Castelia city, Ash? How does it compare?!" Brock inquired, having never actually been to Unova or its biggest city but knowledgeable enough to have a general idea how big it is. Ash took a Moment to consider his answer, and then proceeded to shake his head, him and Raichu exchanging glances as if coming to some unspoken agreement.

"Castelia city doesn't even come close, you guys. It's official, Lumiose is now the biggest, most impressive city I've ever been to," Ash finally admitted, stunned into awed silence upon tapping into his infinitely vast consciousness and using it to scan the city from side to side, getting a proper feel of it, its total population, and attaining all the information tourists would want to know.

"That's right, Ash. Lumiose is revered as the largest city in the world, in all six of the main regions, it is home to..." Alexa started, but Ash interrupted her, coming out of his omnipresent trance.

"Over fourteen million people and Pokémon, including another few thousand Espurrs or so in the alleyways alone, trumping Castelia city by at least a million," Ash finished for her, not only knowing exactly what she was going to say the instant her mind told her what to say, but also knowing the statistics himself thanks to his Momentary perfect mental awareness of the entire city.

Alexa nodded at him, numb with shock, causing Ash to chuckle in spite of himself, "I read the post cards, the brochures, and did all of my research on the Kalos Region before coming here, remember? That includes any tourist information, all the sites I could visit, and everything like that experienced travelers love seeing," Ash reminded her, and she had the good grace to look sheepish, eyes widening and cheeks flushing at her own forgetfulness, looking quite adorable if he was being totally honest.

They continued walking down what Ash knew was the Centrico Plaza, the place where Lumiose tower and the Lumiose City gym was located. He did plan on challenging the Gym Leader there when all was said and done, but first he had some errands to run, like registering for the Pokémon league, but also visiting Professor Sycamore and having his national Pokedex upgraded yet again to include the Kalos Region Pokémon. It was both irritating and enjoyable to know that every time he was close to catching every Pokémon registered in the national Pokedex, news of another far away region would reach his ears and he'd have yet another Pokémon league to conquer and more Pokémon to catch.

Professor Oak was privy to all the information and the full version of the national Pokedex long before Ash's time, and Ash himself had been prepared for his entire journey since long before he even turned ten, learning everything he could in every field since the day he could walk and talk, such as learning how to cook from his Mom and amassing all the knowledge Professor Oak was capable of teaching him.

The aged Professor actually admitted to teaching Ash everything he knew at the time, his astonishment with Ash's brainpower and his ability to learn new things knowing no bounds in the years that followed. So Ash knew all along that Kalos would be the last region, the last upgrade to his national Pokedex, the last stretch of his Pokémon journey. Still, it was nice of people to tell him about these things, these places he pretended to never hear about before, even in spite of the fact that he'd been planning to go to these places all along, something his Mom always seemed to understand.

During each interval between regions, Ash would take the time to visit his Mom and all his Pokémon at Oak's lab, sometimes for weeks at a time, but he always had a plan for the next region for him to conquer, and even had the foresight to go in order from Kanto to the Region furthest away from it, the one all the way on the other side of the world, the infamous Kalos Region. All of this he had already known from a very early age, known that there were actually 721 Pokémon species altogether in the national Pokedex, yet every time he played the dumb, clueless kid flawlessly. He felt great joy from messing with people for some reason, for making them believe him to be some run of the mill kid with a bit of brains and no idea where his future was headed. But Ash knew that his destiny was set in stone, that his induction into the World Championship Tournament and his epic final battle with his all-powerful Father was only a matter of time.

People always laughed at him or tried to humor him when he said he'd become the new Pokémon Master, that he'd defeat Red and become the new world champ. They thought he was just some kid with a pipe dream, but none of them knew the real Ash. Even those who knew who his Father was still didn't think he'd ever beat his old man, but like in Greek Mythology where Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon managed to overthrow Kronos, the son would one day surpass the Father in this world too, though at least Fredrick Ketchum wasn't some evil Titan Lord of Time. Ash had been planning all of this since he could talk, since he first discovered how smart and unique he was compared to Leaf, Gary, and the select few other kids he grew up with in Pallet Town.

Now here in Lumiose City, Ash would receive the final upgrade to his national Pokedex, each Region's Professor controlling a certain portion of the national Pokedex's data, all the information that corresponded with that Region and all its native Pokémon, and updating that data as new information came along. Professor Sycamore and all the other Professors seemed as fascinated by Ash as Professor Oak himself was. Even though the Kanto Professor had gotten used to some of Ash's more fascinating captures, the Pallet Town Trainer couldn't count on two hands the number of times he'd almost given Oak a heart attack upon realizing that his sponsored student had caught yet another giant or Legendary Pokémon. Yet in spite of all the shock the aged Professor endured at the hands of Ash, he was still as young at heart and as healthy as ever, even now at past fifty years of age.

Upon visiting Oak's Laboratory after his journey in Unova, Ash and Professor Oak had discussed the possibility of Ash taking all several hundred of his Pokémon with him on his journey, and Ash had promised to think about it. Truth was, his Pokémon all missed him constantly and wished to accompany him indefinitely. In all honesty, he missed them as well. He was more than capable of properly caring for and training them all, and not being able to do so was the only reason most Trainers were only allowed to carry 6 Pokémon.

Some Champion-Level Trainers were permitted to build teams of as many Pokémon as they wanted and to carry all of their Pokémon with them. Ash himself had every fully evolved and legendary non Kalos Pokémon, with the exception of Ho-Oh. He would need a humongous bag to carry that many Pokeballs, even when shrunken down to their miniaturized forms and rendered light as a feather, but once again, he was lucky enough to own a backpack with infinite space on the inside. He would need time to weigh all his options, but Professor Oak reassured him he was done actively researching Ash's Pokémon.

So Ash had a decision to make about whether or not he wanted all 300 or so of his total number of Pokémon, more than two thirds of them being fully-trained Level- Pokémon now. In spite of filling the National Pokedex several times over, nearly all of Ash's Pokémon were now fully evolved, with the exception of his Mega Slowbro, which, like his Slowking, was actually infinitely fast due to being fully-trained. So his total number of Pokémon obtained actually didn't match the number of species registered in the entire Pokedex.

For now, though, he was just content carrying his current Champion-Level team and adding his new Kalos Region Pokémon to it, having already gotten Lance's permission to carry all his Pokémon with him. Ash could now carry more than the standard 30 Pokémon permitted for a Champion-Level Trainer to have on his roster at any given time. As a matter of fact, he could now carry as many as he wanted. Such was the immense clout of the Pokémon G-men, whose leader pulled some strings for his top agent. He knew it was only a matter of time before he decided to carry all of his Pokémon at Oak's lab with him, to continue their training and prepare all of them for the inevitable showdown with one of the most dangerous creatures in the Omega Omnisphere.

"So Ash, do you know where to go from here to find Professor Sycamore's lab? I still need to return to the Lumiose Press Building and publish your story," Alexa informed him, jarring Ash out of his reverie as his cosmic awareness informed him of the fact that they were now standing outside the Centrico Plaza Pokémon Center.

"Yeah, Brock and I should be okay, eh Brocko?" Ash replied with his trademarked goofy grin that flashed all of his perfect teeth while Brock nodded in agreement. Yet another benefit of Ash's new powers, always looking like a Greek god, supernaturally attractive on a near flawless level, recently, Ash had learned to appreciate this power more and more even despite toning it down. He was already contemplating the many applications of being able to look more annoyingly gorgeous than Adonis, the most attractive man in all of Greek Mythology, or be some kind of male version of Aphrodite.

Alexa blushed as Ash watched her part from their group and walk a little further down the avenue, disappearing up an alleyway that Ash knew was a shortcut to where she worked. Ash couldn't help smiling at her eagerness to tell his story to the world, he had given her the story of the century with that article about him, and as far as reporters went, she was at least clean. Some of those vultures he heard about, read about, or seen in movies came to mind when thinking of reporters and newspaper writers but Alexa wasn't what one would call a stereotypical reporter and interviewing media worker.

He knew he wouldn't regret his decision to trust her with his story. He just hoped it was as well received by the people as he and Alexa expected when she let him look over her notes and the rough draft of the paper on him she intended to publish. It was one thing to tell the world of his insane, mind-boggling accomplishments. It was another to gauge the potential reaction of the world population before that story was ever read, and frankly Ash was still a little nervous.

He had been using his infinite awareness to get an idea of how the general population may potentially react to someone like him but he had no way of knowing how most of those people would react to such a situation if they had never been in a similar one before, and a lot of them haven't been, not yet. In simpler terms, for all he was capable of perceiving and despite being tapped into the goings on throughout all of eternity, Ash was still limited by what he knew and understood, and even with his impressive knowledge base there was still a lot he didn't know. He couldn't foresee any events he directly participated in either, a trait Arceus said was one of the few unbreakable limitations their powers had.

He knew he was taking a huge leap of faith letting the whole world know just what Ash Ketchum had been up to since the age of ten, and despite all his powers, he still wasn't completely sure this was the right move. But Arceus and all his other Pokémon supported his decision, so surely it wouldn't be too bad, would it? Not wanting to tempt whatever aspects of predestination were applicable to him by dwelling on this question, Ash focused on what was going on outside his internal mind, his awareness of everything taking a back seat in favor of his eyes, ears, and his other primary senses.

Raichu grumbled anxiously on his shoulder as Brock was just getting around to looking at him oddly. The Pallet Town Trainer quickly realized his brain was probably processing thoughts millions of times faster than any human, because he thought so many things in such a small amount of time.

"You coming, Ash? I need to check in with the Lumiose Hospital, but after that, I should be free to accompany you for a while," Brock announced as Ash and Raichu nodded. The both of them followed Brock through the automatic doors leading to the all too familiar settings only slightly less homey to Ash than his own home in Pallet Town. Honestly, the number of nights he'd spent in Pokémon Centers were too numerous for him to even bother trying to count, and even with his eidetic memory perfectly placing every night he slept in these places, he wasn't even sure there was a calculable number for it anymore.

The layout of this Pokémon Center was much the same as the ones in Unova, a small motel full of rooms, attached to the main building and snaking down a hallway adjacent to Nurse Joy's desk at the back of the main lobby. The Pokémon treatment rooms behind the door nearest her desk, the Pokémon healing machine flanking its other side, a fancy machine that could fully heal any low-level Pokémon of all minor injuries. The cafe and sitting rooms were near the doorway and gave a view of the street through the windows at the front of the building, and the kitchen directly across the center from the cafeteria that served three meals a day.

"Welcome to the Pokémon center, you two. Do either one of you need your Pokémon checked up?" Nurse Joy greeted them in her usual warm manner. Brock, to Ash and Raichu's surprise, spoke up in a clear, calm, professional voice.

"I think we'll be alright. Thank you, Nurse Joy." He replied, before he turned to Ash and added. "I should get going, Ash. Keep in touch, alright, and keep me posted on all your exploits. Show the Kalos Region what you can do!" He exclaimed, hyping Ash up as the two clasped hands in a warm handshake and Brock rushed off, evidently to find the local Pokemon Hospital. He made a mental note to keep tabs on Brock, and instructed one of his stealthier Level- Pokémon to watch out for the older male. His Mewtwo from the Decolore Islands was more than happy to channel her inner ninja and stretch her legs, disappearing in a whirl of immeasurable speed that defied the space-time Pataphysics of the Omega Omnisphere itself. Her transformation into her Y Mega Form before she vanished was predominantly habitual at this point, any Myriational gains she might've gained from it before she hit the ultimate level cap rendered meaningless now.

Nurse Joy nodded once more, eyes widening a fraction of a centimeter upon seeing the 30 Pokeballs and Master Balls securely fastened to his Champion-Level belt. "I am actually here to register for the Kalos league, Miss," Ash added in perfect Kalosian French, and Nurse Joy bolted with shock upon realizing an obvious non-Kalos native could speak its first language so fluently.

"Right away sir, if you would be so kind as to hand over your Pokedex," Joy instructed in equally clear French, blushing slightly as the young man flashed her a toothy grin with maximum boyish charm, his amber eyes shining with an unnaturally bright light while passing over his soon-to-be-updated National Pokedex, once he paid Sycamore a visit, that is.

Joy took his Pokedex with her usual kind smile, placing it on the high-tech touch-screen sitting on her desk, the both of them as well as Raichu watching as Ash's information was displayed on the giant screen monitor behind her desk, his picture appearing on it and a mechanical, robotic voice informing them that Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town was now registered for the Kalos league, number of Kalos badges standing at exactly zero.

"There you are, Mister Ketchum. You're all set for the Pokémon league challenge. Please take this customary badge case, and just know there are only 8 official Pokémon gyms in the Kalos Region," Joy informed him while a Wigglytuff brought him his badge case.

"Wiggly, Wiggly, Wigglytuff," it greeted him happily, and Ash nodded in response to its greeting without thinking, though luckily for him, Joy didn't notice he was speaking with Wigglytuff and just assumed he was nodding at her statement.

"Understood, Nurse Joy. Say, I've been meaning to ask you or one of your family members this for a while now. Do you ever have difficulty finding a semblance of diversity and individuality in your life, what with every one of your cousins running the same job and looking almost identical to you and every other nurse Joy in the world?" Ash wondered in a conversational manner after accepting the Kalos badge case from Wigglytuff, while also wondering to himself why there were only the standard 8 Pokémon gyms in this region.

Nurse Joy beamed at his query, evidently having never really been asked that question before and pleased to be able to answer it. "Yeah, it almost always feels like I'm part of a matching set. Though I'm sure my cousins feel the same way sometimes, which is just another one of our many similarities I suppose," she replied sweetly, and Ash gave a wild, almost maniacal grin.

"Ah, quite the conundrum, if I do say so myself; trying to find some way to separate yourself from the rest of your kin in even the simplest, most surreptitious manner while part of you embraces the common bonds that ties you and your family members together. Such conflicting emotions are mutually self contradicting, yet one cannot deny that contradictions exist in our world," Ash word-vomited, causing Joy to stare at him in apparent fascination, before she recovered and mentioned that she should probably get back to work.

Ash smiled at her again before joining Raichu at the cafeteria by the windows. He had a hankering for French toast with maple syrup, the French romantic atmosphere of the Kalos Region seeping into his cosmic scaled senses and his infinitely perceptive mind. It was amazing how such abstract notions could be considered an atmosphere, yet thanks to his mastery of aura on an infinite level Ash knew there were forms of energy most humans were not acutely aware of, yet could sense on a subconscious, almost extrasensory level. Examples of this included when people could somehow sense they were being watched, or sneezing when someone was gossiping about you behind your back, or how people believed that you could dream of anyone who was thinking about you at that exact Moment during your sleep.

The human mind was far more powerful and tapped into various energies than most people were even consciously aware of. In fact, Ash would go so far as to say that everyone had a certain level of psychic potential, but whether or not they tapped into that potential at any point in their lives would depend entirely on how open-minded they were.

He was jarred out of his silent musing by a waiter coming to take his and Raichu's order, the man taking Ash's request to get his starter a boatload of ketchup with admirable professionalism before turning to Ash himself. "And what for you, Monsieur?" the man asked in a thick French accent, which Ash understood perfectly due to his Omni-Linguality.

"I'll take three XXXL orders of fries and four full pound cheeseburgers, oh and a bottle of ketchup for Raichu," Ash requested while the waiter's jaw dropped and Raichu chuckled, having had years to grow accustomed to Ash's insatiable appetite and knowing his psychic and spiritual powers enhanced his metabolism to superhuman levels. He also knew that Ash's body no longer required sustenance of any kind, though secretly the Pallet Town Trainer still saw himself as a human in a lot of ways. He was still not completely used to the fact that he didn't need to eat or breathe oxygen like humans, and still did both out of sheer habit, much like his Raichu or any of his other 200 or so fully trained Pokémon. They all ate food only for pleasure and not out of necessity.

"Of course, Monsieur! Your order will be ready in ze next half hour or so," The man informed him with uncertainty, clearly unsure as to whether or not any human was capable of eating that much food in one sitting. For all intents and purposes, he was probably right to assume that it wasn't, but once again, Ash had to remind himself that he wasn't really human anymore. "Thank you, Mister. I'm sorry to shock you with the incomprehensible depths of my appetite. Rai, Raichu, Rai, cha, Rai Raichu," Ash replied in English, French, and Raichu's Pokespeech simultaneously; the French waiter and his Electric-Type starter were able to hear him speaking in all of their first languages simultaneously. None of them were aware that Ash was speaking a universal language understandable by all sentient beings at once, regardless of their ethnicity, cultures, customs, etc.

Ash thought all of this in the time it took for the waiter to finish taking their order and return to the kitchen to inform the chefs of his order, the Pallet Town Trainer ordering enough food to practically feed a third world country. He hated to admit it, but compared to people like Totality's Almightiest Heroes, he was still a rank amateur at using these powers of his. From what he had heard, some of them had been at it for infinite amounts of time, a literal eternity of saving the Omega Omnisphere, of being among the greatest heroes ever conceptualized or imagined by any mind.

If he ever got a chance to meet them, he'd love to know how they achieved some of the impossible feats they did, and maybe get some advice on how to deal with his current situation with Omninoir. He'd appreciate some clarity on his moral dilemma regarding any minor misuse of his powers to get what he wanted in life without actually stripping people or his Pokémon of free will or the opportunity to better themselves. In fact, there were all kinds of questions he wanted to ask them, so many things he still had to learn, and TMH could probably give him many of the answers he sought for the past year.

It wasn't that Arceus or Mew weren't good at giving him some much needed counsel, but in spite of being gods, they were never human at any point in their lives. They were Pokémon, and they didn't always understand the complex emotions of humanity. Totality's Almightiest Heroes, on the other hand, were all capable of utilizing human forms and some of them were even Omnipotent demigods with a certain amount of human blood in their veins, enhanced to infinite levels by the godly side of their parentage but still somewhat human. Ash had a feeling that if he were ever given the honor of meeting them, they'd be able to give him some sound advice regarding most of his current issues and the apparent pointlessness of his kind of existence.

'You alright, Ash? You seem like you've got a lot on your mind?' Raichu asked him in between mouthfuls of ketchup, jarring Ash out of his reverie for the second time since he entered this Pokémon center.

"Yeah, I'm alright, just thinking about a lot; all the Pokémon I'm planning on catching, about Serena, and about going all the way in a Pokémon league for the first time since Johto," Ash replied airily, and Raichu nodded mutely, giving Ash a chance to gather his thoughts.

"I honestly don't even really know why I bother anymore. It's bad enough over 200 of my total number of Pokémon are fully trained to level-, but Mew and Arceus alone are Omnipotent in every sense of the word when fully-trained, and powerful enough to curbstomp every other Trainer's Pokémon in the totality of existence. Is there really any Trainer on this earth who can really battle me at my best, or compete with the literal gods I've assembled on my current Champion-Level team?" Ash continued in a pensive manner, not boosting but instead genuinely curious if there was any point in pursuing his dream.

'Sounds to me like you're getting ahead of yourself Ash; you're not exactly world champion yet, are you?' Raichu sagely said, not really asking a question as Ash furrowed his eyebrows.

"I may not be my Father's successor yet but I might as well be. Honestly, being able to use Pokémon who are naturally obscenely powerful whenever I want to completely own the competition makes me feel like achieving my goal is ultimately meaningless. What's the point in all of this training if I could just use my Ascension Form Arceus, Mew, Mega Mewtwo, Mega Rayquaza, Primal Groudon and Kyogre, Kyurem, and my other most powerful Legendary Pokémon to stamp out all my opponents as easily and effortlessly as squishing an ant with a boot? I guess that's what has made me so introspective lately. I just don't know what to do anymore, I don't know if there are any more suitable challenges for me to overcome as I am now. Being limitless has become the ultimate limitation." Ash admitted truthfully.

In truthfulness, listening to Ash admit all this caused Raichu to ponder a lot of things he'd never even considered before. Ash always seemed so positively radiant and filled with endless optimism, that he didn't stop to think how the young human male might have been secretly worried or that even Ash Ketchum was prone to doubting himself. It would make sense for Ash to be worried about his ultimate goal being meaningless now that he had Pokémon who could, by their fundamental nature, boundlessly achieve absolutely anything and everything in an instant.

Against powers like those of a high-level Mew or Arceus, what chance did any other Trainer on this planet have? He knew that Ash's Arceus had gone to great lengths to demote himself and his powers in the eyes of the entire human race. Hell, his descendent from the Jewel of Life incident was young enough and lacking enough in experience to demote the powers of his kind all by itself. What most people didn't realize is that there was more than one Arceus, more than one of every Legendary Pokémon. The Arceus that Ash captured was the Original One, the one who forged the universe from out of nothing, who created the original powers and all the Pokémon in existence, including the first Mew and all other members of its kind. Due to being the Original Arceus, Ash's was fully-trained and thus was Omnipotent, but only a handful of people knew any of this, and Ash was planning on making its supposed boundaries very clear.

It was an elaborate plan, and Brock and the other humans he knew still didn't fully understand why Ash was going to such lengths to get his image, his Pokémon, and his powers around Kalos, and by extension, the entire world, but they'd learned long ago to trust Ash's judgement the way Raichu did. When Ash was ready to tell them the full story, about what was really going on, he would when he was ready, on his terms not on Brock's or anyone else's. For now though, Raichu vowed to give Ash some much-needed backup any way he could.

'Look Ash, I've been with you from the beginning of this crazy, wild ride, and I can honestly tell you that you need to keep pursuing happiness, and remember that nothing in life is truly pointless, not if you learn something from it. You once told me that, remember? You may be the most powerful Pokémon Trainer ever to walk this earth, but that doesn't mean you're unbeatable, and it's a big Omega Omnisphere out there. Nothing is impossible, Ash! You taught me that, so don't think for a second that you being beaten by anyone is an absolute impossibility, because, in case you've forgotten, you're not the only Omega Omnisphere Champion out there! Hell, you're not even the original one!' Raichu exclaimed with all the simplistic, straightforward insight one could expect from a Pokémon. Still, whether he knew it or not, Raichu helped Ash to better deal with his own existence, and the Pallet Town Trainer knew he could always count on the electric mouse to lend him a helping hand when needed. For all his abilities, even Ash sometimes needed a little help, and he needed to remind himself that in spite of his supreme godhood, his humanity was his real power and what made these powers of his worth having in the end.

"Thanks, Raichu! When did you get so smart?" Ash chuckled while Raichu snickered beside him, and the waiter brought them their orders at that precise moment. Ash's order was so ridiculously huge that they had to slide two tables end-to-end to fit it all in one place. Without any further preamble, Ash and Raichu began tucking in with all the table manners and subtleties of a ravenous group of Snorlax.

Ash and Raichu grinned amusingly before they competed in yet another of their famous eating contests. Despite the difference in size, Raichu's metabolism was as infinitely fast and strong as Ash's, never burning through its limitless energy levels but enhancing its capacity for food intake to infinite levels. Sustenance may no longer be a requirement, but Ash and Raichu's limitless powers ensured they could still eat as much as they want without ever having to worry about feeling too full or even getting fat, while at the same time never truly feeling hungry. They were permanently, immutably satisfied, standing somewhere between hungry and stuffed like a turkey for the rest of their lives, never one or the other, just right. For them, food was not a necessity, but rather a pleasure. And the best part was, it would never, ever be a guilty pleasure, no matter what they ate or how much they ate.

Long story short, Raichu fared every bit as well as his Trainer as he literally dove into one of the bags of French fries, which were practically the size of garbage bags and filled to the rim with golden brown, deep fried pieces of heaven. Ash and Raichu stopped asking where they put all their food a long time ago, but they couldn't help but wonder if there were infinite solar mass black holes inside their stomachs.

Lunch beyond that point was an uneventful affair, and Ash won his eating contest with Raichu, his absolute Invincibility rendering him unbeatable at all forms of contests, even against the electric mouse. Raichu had long since squirted an entire bottle of ketchup down his throat, smacking his lips and giving a contented 'Chaa,' mimicking his Trainer's actions and taking only a few seconds to digest everything before they were ready to go.

XXX

A few minutes later, in the same location...

'So where to now, Ash?' Raichu inquired, wanting to focus on continuing his journey with his oldest travel buddy. Ash considered Raichu's query with a longing sigh, not sure what his path in life was and wishing his future was as free and unencumbered as Brock's.

The older male and Alexa knew Ash was bending the truth about Arceus and Mew's full capabilities and understood his reasoning for doing so, but would they still understand if Ash admitted to being in the same boat himself? They knew his willpower, spiritual energies, and psychic powers were infinite in depth, magnitude, and range, but while this may afford him with various absolute super powers, they did not in fact gain him total Omnipotence, at least not all by themselves.

Ultimate power was actually a highly abstract notion, and could vary in definition from universe to universe, from person to person. Ash himself had every form, every possible and impossible variant alike of ultimate, absolute, or unlimited power. Ash was all-powerful in every sense and aspect, so he understood better than anyone how abstract the term itself could be and how many countless limitless powers there were, out there in the whole stinking Omega Omnisphere. He had explained this to Brock and Alexa, and both seemed to get the gist of what he was trying to convey, but Ash had the feeling there were things about him, about what he could do that they'd never fully understand.

Quickly reminding himself that Raichu was asking them where they should be heading, Ash's gaze shifted toward Prism tower, which was barely over a kilometer from where they now stood in the Centrico Plaza Pokémon Center. It caught an imposing figure above the skyscrapers themselves, seeming to pierce seventh heaven itself, perfectly visible even above said neighboring skyscrapers. "I say we go check out the Lumiose City gym right now, then pay a visit to Professor Sycamore after, what do you say, Raichu?" Ash wondered excitedly, and Raichu flashed him a toothy grin, clearly in full support of that idea and eager to prove to Ash that he hasn't lost his edge.

Without any further preamble Ash and Raichu were off, already at Prism tower over a kilometer away in an instant. In the very heart of Lumiose City, Ash and Raichu both let out a low whistle, quite impressed with the vastness and majesty of the gigantic, thousand-feet-tall white tower standing before them. The sunlight glanced off it and bathed it in a brilliant golden halo, the first 50 stories made up of pane glass windows, which one could use to see inside the many indoor tourist shops and attractions. The Lumiose City gym was actually just one of the many owners of this amazing piece of architecture. All around them, the Centrico Plaza was made up of white marble tiles, the sidewalks or roads or whatever they were casting a blinding glare as the sun hit them just right, making any normal human go snow blind.

There were people and Pokémon everywhere, and to Ash's all-seeing eyes, he saw indoors and scanned the entire interior of the vast tower before him as well as the sites and scenery around him and his trusty partners. "You guys gotta see this!" Ash exclaimed in a loud, emphatic voice, speaking to all of the 29 Pokémon tucked away in Pokeballs and Master Balls attached to his belt.

'Yeah, it's pretty impressive. That's all I can say. Maybe Ash will let us stretch our legs in time for the gym match,' Raichu announced in Pokespeech, addressing his fellow team members. He always knew what they thought thanks to the unbreakable telepathic link Ash maintained between him and all of them. Not a single thing said or thought by any of them would be hidden from the others unless they wanted them to be.

Inside his Pokeballs, Ash could feel every one of his Pokémon trying to plead their case on why they should get to battle instead of the others. Arceus and his shiny, Level- Mew kept a tight lid on their excitement, but Ash could sense they were as excited to see the sunshine and the daylight as the rest of his team. Ash momentarily felt a little guilty for not letting them out sooner. He quickly realized that was silly, because after all this was probably the one place in the entire city where all of his Pokémon could be let out in broad daylight and still be comfortable, especially since his giant Dragonite, Primal Groudon, Kyogre, Mega Rayquaza, and many other humongous Pokémon were on his current roster.

'So Ash, what type of Pokémon does this gym specialize in?' Ash's giant Dragonite wondered conversationally, speaking up for the first time since they all arrived in Kalos. All his Pokémon sensed he was going to be choosing some of them for the up and coming gym battle at the top of Lumiose tower.

"Electric, if I remember my studies correctly," Ash answered, no doubt in his mind he was recalling correctly as Raichu rolled his eyes at his Trainer's false humility.

Anyone who knew Ash Ketchum One Million at all knew he had total recall about every detail of his life, no matter how small or minute, his mind was absolute in willpower. His memory was completely eidetic, and on top of all that, his intellect and psychic powers were equally flawless and infinite. So why did he act like his mind wasn't as perfect as it was, simple, because playing dumb was oftentimes a very strategic ploy. It would give any opponent who didn't know him a disadvantage when they found out the hard way that they'd seriously underestimated the unlimited powers of his brain, and the absolute intellect of the young man standing before them. So yeah, he'd gotten pretty accustomed to playing down himself and his vast talents, and did a pretty good job at it too. By the time any opponent on the battlefield realized how stupid they'd been to underestimate him, it was already too late.

'So, Electric-types, huh? Let me at 'em, Ash! I'll stomp 'em real good,' Groudon reassured him, and Ash contemplated the idea of using any of his fully-trained Pokémon in any run of the mill gym battle, wondering if that was even at all fair or if he was taking far too much advantage of all the experience he'd gathered as a Champion-Level Trainer?

Ultimately, he was only here to check the gym out for now, and maybe challenge it later with some new Pokémon he'd caught in Kalos. In all honesty, winning gym matches would be far too easy with even just one of the Pokémon on his current team, never mind 3 or however many were permitted by this gym's rules of engagement.

"Don't worry guys. I'll let you all out for some fresh air soon enough, but if I use any one of you in a gym battle the end result would be meaningless. I mean, there wouldn't be any challenge in it for you or for me. I'll tell you what, if all goes well when I beat the first gym in Kalos, I'll start hunting for some potential Champion-Level Trainers for us to mow down, but until then, I wanna use the gyms to train any new Kalos Pokémon I catch, and I want you guys on board in case things go sour or just be there to help my new Pokémon train." Ash explained guiltily, hating the fact that he was restricting his current team's opportunities for battles but also wanting to give his new catches a chance to shine.

Lord knows his Mew, Arceus, or two Mewtwo in either their Mega Y or Mega X forms could curb stomp pretty much any competition, but add to that his Original Dragon Kyurem, Mega Rayquaza, Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Giant Dragonite, and his other mega evolved, legendary, or giant Pokémon and he had what could be considered a Supreme Pantheon of deities, a collection of gods capable of controlling the various forces of nature or even reality on an almighty level. Hell, his Arceus and Mew were so powerful that they shat on pretty much everything and anything else in totality.

'Oh, man, I was kinda hoping this Gym Leader would be strong enough to handle me, if only just a tiny bit,' Groudon whined like an overgrown prehistoric child.

"I'm sorry, Groudon, and I'm sorry guys, but you're all just too strong for just any Gym Leader. I won't take the easy way out by using Pokémon that are naturally obscenely powerful. I'm sorry, but that includes you as well, Raichu. I don't think it would be fair to any new Pokémon I catch for all of you to take the spotlight and shine when you've all done so before. But don't worry, I always pull through for you guys in the end, don't I?" Ash promised them, his infinite awareness telling him that two people were approaching the entrance to the tower where he stood but he just stood there, ignoring it while he was wrapped up in his own head.

'Ash, it's okay. We understand how you feel about using us against weaker opponents. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we understand what it feels like to walk as gods among men, or as the Zeniths of an entire species or race,' Arceus wisely advised him, and all of his Pokémon agreed, albeit some of them did so grudgingly, but all of them understood Ash's position and his reasoning.

"Thanks for understanding you guys," Ash whispered with a grateful smile, his attention being drawn from Raichu and his other Pokémon as a loud, childlike voice spoke up, very clearly and abruptly addressing him and his orange starter.

"Oh it's so cute! Quick Clement, come look at this humongous Raichu!" The voice said as the little girl it belonged to came around the corner into the sheltering, shady entryway, appearing in full view for the first time since she spoke up only seconds ago, having noticed Raichu and Ash before they noticed her, or so she thought. She was a small child, probably no more than 9 years old and bobbing up and down on her feet in anticipation and excitement, gazing at Raichu with adoring, sparkling light blue eyes that reminded Ash fondly of Serena at that age. Her yellow blonde hair was short and stuck to the side with a darker yellow pin holding it aloft at the scalp.

Her choice in clothing was quite stylish, but then again, everything in Kalos was true to its stylish stereotyping. A brown tea shirt with a simple black ribbon attached to the collar line, a yellow satchel strapped to her shoulder, a white puffed-out skirt, most likely flannel or some similar material, and brown shorts that stopped just above her knees. Her pink dress shoes completed the ensemble. She was short as well, barely coming up past Ash's waist, but she radiated enough positive energy and enthusiasm to nearly send Ash's aura off in reactive waves, her energy so easily shared with other people it was hard not to feel elated when she was around.

"Hi, there! This Raichu is my companion!" Ash informed her, causing the girl to look up from Raichu to its Trainer for the first time, making her blush in embarrassment as she realized she hadn't even properly introduced herself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mister! The name is Bonnie, nice to meet you!" She quickly introduced, clearly ashamed of her lack of manners as she held out her hand for Ash to shake in the usual fashion. Instead, Ash greeted her in the typical Kalosian way, by planting a quick kiss on her knuckles, realizing that it was quite often custom to kiss both cheeks but not wanting to make the young girl too uncomfortable.

Instead, the girl merely smiled gaily at him as though she didn't have a care in the world, a light blush adorning her cheeks but little more than that to indicate she was even slightly uncomfortable with the greeting Ash extended to her.

"And you as well my dear, the name is Ash, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. That one down there, as I'm sure you already know, is my starter Pokémon Raichu. Say hi, buddy," Ash greeted in response, surprised by how much maturity he could sense coming off the girl as Raichu jumped on his shoulder and introduced himself.

"Raichu, Rai," He grinned toothily, causing Bonnie to squeal in excitement.

"Oh my gosh, he's so cute! I can't stand it, I'm gonna die," She cried out in childlike awe and wonderment. Ash chuckled at her overactive enthusiasm as he offered for her to pet and even hold his Raichu, quickly informing her that his starter loved being patted on the tail and that it was no stranger to cuddles or even new people holding it.

Bonnie got so excited she literally jumped for joy on the spot, opening up her arms big and wide as Raichu jumped into them, sighing in content as Bonnie started petting it down its back, almost tipping over from the weight of Ash's starter as another voice sounded from in front of them.

"Bonnie, how many times have I told you not to pester people like that?! It's not polite!" The voice of a teenage boy called out to them, causing Bonnie to spin around with Raichu in her arms, holding it to her chest with her small arms, unable to even fit them all the way around Raichu's midsection.

"Relax, big brother! He doesn't seem all that bothered by it, and besides, he's probably here to challenge your gym anyways!" Bonnie replied, sticking her tongue out as the boy joined the two of them underneath the tunnel-like entryway, which seemed to bore into the base of the tower itself.

A bespectacled boy ran up towards them, huffing and puffing, evidently trying and failing to keep up with his little sister, as was often the norm in Ash's opinion. He could see now that the boy resembled Bonnie in appearance, with the same yellow blonde hair and light blue eyes, but that was where the similarities ended. For one thing, the boy was wearing a blue jumpsuit which completely contrasted the style his sister was sporting, and on top of that, he was carrying a huge, clunky packsack on his back that Ash ventured could carry a good amount of odds and ends inside of it. Though, of course, it would never compare to the tricked out one Ash himself prized, the one he wore on his back at this very Moment.

"I'm terribly sorry about my sister, Mister. She gets like this every time she sees a new Pokémon." The boy apologized while Bonnie pouted at him for thinking her behaviour reprehensible, but Ash merely waved off his apologies.

"Hey, no harm, no foul. I was just contemplating adding some new team members to my party before I checked this place out anyways. And, as you can clearly see, Raichu is good with kids," Ash responded quickly, glad he was able to rescue Bonnie from reprehension while indicating Raichu who was currently snuggling against Bonnie's chest as she patted him, climbing up onto her shoulder and jumping from her back onto Ash in one fell swoop once it became clear she was done.

"I'm Clemont, by the way, and you've already met Bonnie," Clement announced formally, taking Ash's hand in a firm shake. The Pallet Town Trainer felt a strange sense of kinship with the two already, despite the fact that it had only been a few minutes.

"Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, nice to meet you guys. Also, Bonnie, I'm not necessarily here to battle the Gym Leader. Truth is, none of the Pokémon I have on me right now are fit to participate in a gym battle, at least not one of this magnitude," Ash admitted, remembering his promise to let his Pokémon out for some fresh air soon.

"Why do you not think you're ready to handle a Gym Leader yet?" Clement wondered; giving Ash a calculating glance as the Pallet Town Trainer chose carefully how to word his response, realizing he was actually speaking to the Gym Leader right now and not wanting to offend him or his battling skills. If what Bonnie said was true, then Clement was Lumiose City's very own Gym Leader, and frankly she didn't have the aura of a person who could lie, or at least not one who could lie well, and even if she could, he'd know right away if she wasn't telling the truth.

"Ugh, that's not actually what I meant, Clement," Ash answered somewhat hesitantly, the rest of his response drowned out by Bonnie's voice overshooting him.

"Clement, look at his Pokeball belt! He's carrying over a dozen, no, twenty Pokémon with him and none of them seem to be disappearing. Why is that? I thought a Trainer could only carry six Pokémon with them at any given time?" Bonnie inquired curiously as Clement's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch, evidently impressed.

"Impressive! A Champion-Level Trainer so near my gym, you don't see that every day," Clement stated, and Ash chortled sheepishly.

"Hehe, guilty as charged," Ash chuckled as Raichu snorted and Bonnie cast the dozen or so Master Balls on Ash's belt a wry glance, looking like a person who couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Ash, can I see the rest of your Pokémon, pretty please?" She pleaded, contemplating whether or not she should get on her knees and beg while Ash looked over at Clement and sighed.

"I suppose I could let my Pokémon out for some fresh air. What are your gym's rules of engagement, Clement?" Ash wondered in defeat, unable to refuse Bonnie when she was looking at him with those Lillipup eyes and pouting at him as cutely as she could muster. He really was a sucker when it came to little kids, especially ones like her who were not only cute but knew it, too. Those kinds of children killed him every time.

Clement decided to respond with a question of his own, "Well before we get started, how about you show me how many Kalos gym badges you currently have?" he queried in response, and Ash flashed him a big zero sign, sighing in disappointment for he knew where this was headed.

"Then I'm afraid I can't battle you as the Gym Leader, I'm sorry. Only Trainers who have gathered four Kalos badges are permitted to challenge the Lumiose City gym and Champion Trainer or not, I don't make exceptions," Clement stated matter-of-factly and Ash nodded understandingly, much to Bonnie's disappointment.

In all fairness, Ash should have seen this coming. With the number of people in this city who would most likely challenge gyms, Clement would hardly get a moment's peace if he didn't restrict the challengers in some way, and he probably wouldn't get much of a challenge from most rookie Trainers anyways.

Ash was reminded vaguely of Norman and how he had refused to battle Ash as the Gym Leader too, but then decided to battle him just for fun, a battle Ash and Raichu easily won, much to his and his Vigoroth's surprise.

"Oh, come on, Clement, can't you make an exception just this one time?" Bonnie whimpered imploringly, playing her cuteness to an almost unbearable level, and Ash couldn't believe he was falling for it despite his infinite awareness telling him how good she was at playing this up. He actually felt sad, guilty, dejected, and all that jazz for being unable to show her the many fully-trained Pokémon he had on his roster, but quickly thought up a solution once he remembered Norman.

"Say, Clemont. I know you're not permitted to battle any such Trainer as the Gym Leader, but why not battle me for fun? Honestly, my Pokémon are getting kind of restless and I'm not exactly pressed for time. What do you say?" Ash suggested, watching Bonnie as her eyes began to sparkle while she gazed at Clement with her big blue peepers, giving Ash the distinct impression this was her ultimate weapon of choice to get what she wanted from people. Clement smiled at the loophole Ash was exploiting for his little sister, glad he was correct in his initial assumption that Ash was a kind-hearted Trainer, willing to go to great lengths so Bonnie could see his Pokémon in battle. He knew he wasn't supposed to battle any Trainer if they didn't have any gym badges, but like Ash pointed out, that rule only applied when he was battling as the Gym Leader, and it just so happened there was a battle field not too far from where they stood.

"You know, there are a few battlefields about ten blocks or so from here, on South Boulevard. I daresay we could use one of them for an exhibition match or something. Plus, I'm not supposed to be opening the gym for another couple of hours, anyways. So, I've got time to kill too. You're on, Ash!" Clement challenged him, and Bonnie started jumping for joy.

"Hooray, my big brother and Ash are going to battle! I can't wait to see all of your awesome Pokémon, Ash!" Bonnie shouted in exclamation, running laps up and down the sidewalk, passing Clement and Ash by several times over and causing Raichu to get excited as it too jumped down and joined Bonnie in her pacing.

Clement and Ash walked at a much more leisurely pace, but beneath their calm exteriors both Trainers were eager to gauge the other one's strength, and Clement knew just by looking at Ash that he would be in for a grueling match, one he probably wouldn't even win. He was just going over what Pokémon he was going to use when a gruff voice called out to Ash. "Hey, Ash! there you are man, wait for me," Brock called out from behind him, and Ash slowed his pace to a crawl, allowing his oldest travel companion to catch up as Brock finally made his entrance, huffing and puffing but still managing to walk beside Ash.

"Hey, Brocko! You're finished checking in with the Lumiose Hospital already?" Ash asked. Brock nodded while flashing him a grin.

"Yep. They were very accommodating and eager for me to continue my studies out on the field. I decided to come find you, and figured you'd naturally gravitate toward the Prism Tower Gym."

"Your hunch was right on the money. Am I really becoming that predictable?" Ash chortled sheepishly, earning a snicker from Brock in turn, who noticed the other two for the first time.

"Who're they?" Brock immediately asked upon seeing Clement and Bonnie leading them away from Prism tower.

"Brock, man, you really gotta keep up. This is Clement and Bonnie, Clement's the Lumiose City Gym Leader and Bonnie is his little sister," Ash pointed out as if it were obvious, wanting to ruffle Brock's feathers a little bit as the older boy huffed indignantly.

"Well, excuse me, not everyone is as fast or as quick on the updates as the grand Ash Ketchum," Brock replied sardonically, and Ash snickered in response while Clement and Bonnie merely listened in interest.

"Sorry, you guys, this is my old friend Brock, aspiring Pokémon doctor and former Pokémon breeder, knows lots about Pokémon and really knows how to cook," Ash said, introducing his friend as Clement and Bonnie walked up to meet him.

"Nice to meet you, Brock. I'm Bonnie, I'm nine years old, only one year away from getting my first Pokémon," Bonnie giggled, shaking Brock's hand as the older man smiled down at her.

"Nice to meet ya, and don't worry Bonnie, it'll happen before you know it. I think I actually once said that to someone before, uh, who was it again Ash?" Brock wondered, and Ash smirked, knowing that Brock had never been able to win in any argument that challenged the Pallet Town Trainer's memory.

"It was Max Maple, you clown. Man, am I the only one around here who remembers the little details?" Ash guffawed, and Bonnie giggled alongside him, already taking a liking to poking fun at Brock. Ash couldn't stop smiling for some reason, and he knew that Bonnie would fit in their little group just fine.

"So, Ash, I would appreciate some details. What's going on, when did you guys meet? Why are we heading away from Prism tower? I thought you were going to check out the Gym, maybe challenge it if you deemed it strong enough to give your Pokémon a run for their money," Brock said, bombarding Ash with questions as the Pallet Town Trainer focused on answering them while keeping an eye on Clement and Bonnie. Raichu was currently running circles around the little girl, sticking his tongue out at her and engaging in a quick game of cat and mouse, and clearly the mouse was winning. Not for lack of trying on the cat's part, because Bonnie was obviously a very persistent little girl.

"I only just met them a couple of minutes ago. It turns out Clement doesn't accept battles from challengers with less than four Kalos gym badges. So, I offered to battle him just for fun and he took it. Bonnie really likes Pokémon from what I can tell, and I've already taken a shine to her. She seems like a really sweet kid, kinda reminds me a little of Max, honestly, when he wasn't being a brat. Anyway, I know it's only been about a quarter of an hour or so but I feel like I already know them, does that seem weird?" Ash asked. Brock merely shook his head at Ash, unable to believe how quickly he had acquainted himself with two complete strangers.

"Ash, honestly man, you're the only person I know who could make such fast friends with two completely new people, and frankly, it's impressive. It's almost like you have this... sixth sense about people, like you know whether or not they can be trusted," Brock snickered, giving Ash that knowing look while pointing out his powers in a not-so-subtle way.

"Ash, what does he mean by sixth sense? And why did he emphasize only those two words," Bonnie inquired curiously, practically materializing on Ash's other side as the Pallet Town Trainer looked down at her, mouthing the words 'tell you later' to her. She nodded and resumed chasing Raichu, unaware that they were already at their destination, a rather large sports park with about half a dozen or so Pokémon battlefields, none of them being used at the Moment.

"Well, as I'm sure you can all see, we're quite capable of doing battle in peace and quiet right now," Ash pointed out, ever the one to state the obvious as Brock nodded and Bonnie gleefully anticipated what Pokémon Ash was going to use, already knowing her brother's team off by heart.

He had a Level- Heliolisk, which he evolved from Helioptile just recently, a Level- Magnezone, a Level- Ampharos, and a level 38 Bunnelby, his newest capture. Her brother had also befriended a Shinx when he was still a kid and even helped design the Kalos Power Plant grids, so he was quite the accomplished Trainer and person in general. Still, she was curious as to which Pokémon he was going to use. Bunnelby was too untrained to have even a prayer of defeating one of Ash's Pokémon, assuming what he said was true. So that left Magnezone, Ampharos, and Heliolisk as his best options. The question was, which one would he use and more importantly, how would Ash counter him? She was dying to find out.

Ash smirked upon sensing where Bonnie's thoughts were headed, having gleaned the information of Clement's team from her mind and already knowing who he was going with. Quite frankly, Raichu was the only Pokémon he planned on revealing in battle to them, wanting the two siblings to have time to get over the inevitable shock they'd endure upon glimpsing the rest of Ash's Pokémon and not wanting Clement to be intimidated during the match.

"Hey Brock. Do you wanna referee, for old time's sake?" Ash called out to his friend who was already taking his designated spot to the side of center field, Bonnie sitting on the bench beside him with longing anticipation, unable to stand the wait anymore as Raichu ran to Ash's side on his end of the battlefield. Clement took the spot opposite him, both of them staring each other down.

"Alright Ash! What are the rules of engagement?" Brock called out to him, Ash testing the wind while he responded; wanting to get a feel for the field of sand he was battling on.

"One on one, no substitutes, no time limit. Sound good to you, Clemont?" Ash replied briskly, and Clement nodded before selecting his one and only choice, wanting to take this opportunity to train his newest capture up.

"Alright Ash! Let me introduce you to my newest catch, come on out, Bunnelby!" Clement shouted while tossing the signature red and white Pokeball into the air. Upon hitting the ground, the ball snapped open in a flash of white light, revealing the silhouette of a small Pokémon as the light faded and the ball flew back into Clement's hand, fully closed up again, leaving a small brownish grey rabbit-like Pokémon in place of the white light.

"Bunnel...by," he cried, pausing to take a look around as Clement called out to it.

"Bunnelby, I know this is our first battle together, but try to bear with me, okay?" Clement said confidently, reaching out to his newest catch as Bunnelby gave an affirmative nod and assumed a battling stance, watching Ash from their side of the field as Raichu ran out onto it without even having to talk with Ash.

"Raichu versus Bunnelby! Battle begin!" Brock declared, waving his hands to signal for the match to start. Using the power of telepathy, Ash instructed Raichu to suppress its infinite powers and only use the offensive powers of a level 50 individual of its species, to make it a close match and to give Bunnelby the opportunity to train itself up. "Alright Raichu; let's start this off with a thunderbolt," Ash instructed aloud, waiting on bated breath as Raichu delivered an infinitely underpowered thunderbolt, at least compared to their usual standards.

Despite holding back, the air was still crackling with static electricity as Raichu leaped twenty feet straight up into the air, its whole body glowing neon blue as it launched a five foot wide arc of blue lightning, sending it sailing towards Bunnelby at breakneck speeds. Bonnie's heartfelt cheers for her brother and Ash were drowned out by the rush of battle surging through both Trainers and Pokémon, as well as the deafening clap of thunder that accompanied Raichu's thunderbolt upon closing the distance between itself and Clement's newest capture.

"Bunnelby, quick, use your ears to kick up the sand and intercept the attack," Clement quickly retaliated, and Bunnelby immediately obliged. His ears worked overtime as they punched the ground repeatedly like two miniaturized fists, a wall of sand erupting from the ground and intercepting Raichu's attack, just like it was supposed to. Unfortunately for Bunnelby and Clement, Ash had already switched tactics and ordered an Extreme Speed before they could even properly react, the lightning mouse covering the distance between itself and Bunnelby in the blink of an eye, its body flashing a blinding white as it slammed into the rabbit Pokémon, creating a shock wave that cratered the earth while sending Bunnelby sailing at Clement's feet, struggling to get back up.

' Only one move and I'm already losing. Man, Ash is strong, and by battling him this way I understand him and Raichu better. But I'm not about to give up! ' Clement thought determinedly, doing his best to motivate Bunnelby to get back up and grateful beyond measure when it did.

"Alright Bunnelby, now use Double Slap on Raichu," Clement commanded quickly, wanting to get on the offensive and end this quickly before Raichu could recover.

Bonnie sat on the park bench watching the match with wide eyes filled with awe and fascination, Brock sitting beside her and grinning at her obvious enthusiasm. "I would've thought a Champion-Level Trainer would be a lot stronger than this, Brock. I mean, Ash and Raichu should have KOed Bunnelby the moment they hit it, at least if what I've heard about Champion-Level Trainers is true," Bonnie stated questioningly, already strongly suspecting that Ash and Raichu were holding back, the question was, how much were they holding back?

Brock chuckled at this, perfectly understanding Bonnie's skepticism and wanting to clear it up for her. "Ash and Raichu are toying with them, Bonnie. Trust me, that little ball of fur there, I've seen it defeat champion Lance's strongest Pokémon, twice, and it has emerged victorious over a number of both Legendary Pokémon and the signature Pokémon of Elite Four Members, including Agatha's mega Gengar and even Drake's mega Salamence, which was fully trained and one of the only Pokémon Ash ever faced that managed to tie with his Raichu. The point is, compared to all that, this barely qualifies as a warm-up, and don't think for a second that Ash and Raichu aren't severely restricting their powers and pulling their punches in this match," Brock explained to her, having already picked up on how intelligent she was and glad he was able to clear all this up for her.

"Are they really that strong?" Bonnie asked dreamily, and Brock actually laughed at that point.

"Bonnie, I can say without a doubt that they're stronger than you can possibly imagine," he answered, unable to stop laughing for some reason. He found the idea of Ash being weak a ludicrous one, it was like imagining a non-violent-tempered Misty or a non-beautiful Nurse Joy, it just didn't make any sense to think like that. Well, maybe in some distant world or reality, somewhere Brock would never want to be if he was being completely honest.

Bonnie continued watching the battle with renewed faith in Ash and Raichu, knowing that they weren't using anywhere near their full strength. Hell, she wasn't even sure if there was an actual upper limit to the strength of a fully trained Pokémon. Well, there was only one way to find out, and with that thought in mind, Bonnie continued cheering her heart out for Ash and Clement, wanting to be the judge of whether or not Brock's opinion of Ash was truly true.

Ash watched in earnest as Bunnelby repeatedly slapped Raichu with its long ears, which worked just like arms and even had their own miniaturized fists, truly a fascinating physiology. Raichu merely stood there and took the blows head on, the double slaps not even phasing it as Bunnelby drew back and prepared to launch it again, but Clement had different plans.

"Use mud shot, Bunnelby!" He instructed, and Bunnelby immediately complied, summoning several gobs of mud above its ears as it hopped up and volleyed them towards the lightning mouse, causing both the Pallet Town Trainer and Raichu to grin before the mouse Pokémon dodged them with practiced ease.

"This was fun Clement, I gotta say it was quite fun, but the time has come for Raichu and I to end this battle. Use Meteor Mash, buddy, and follow up with an instantaneous Iron Tail in the event that Bunnelby manages to dodge," Ash ordered enthusiastically, causing both Bonnie and Clement to gasp outright as Raichu moved so fast a small sonic boom was left in its wake, the shockwave knocking Brock and Bonnie off their seats in the bench as Bunnelby was left unconscious in a smoking crater faster than any normal human brain could process it. That attack hit with the exact force of a Level 50 Raichu with a 6 Omni-Boost. There was no way any Level 38 Pokemon was getting back up after that.

"Bunnelby, are you alright?!" Clement asked as Brock got up and declared the match over and Ash and Raichu the victors. Everyone sweat-dropped when they realized the entire battlefield was one big pit of dirt, rocks, and earth, there was nothing left standing in the vicinity after that whopper of an attack. The entire park had been leveled, but at least the city was accustomed to this sort of thing happening around here and had a team of construction Pokémon ready to fix it right up again just in case.

Ash and Raichu smiled at each other before walking over to Clement and his fallen Pokémon, "Hehe, sorry about that, Clemont. I guess we got a little carried away," Ash chuckled, going into his backpack quickly and pulling out a Full Restore.

"Here, take this, it'll fully restore any Pokémon almost instantly. It's a very powerful and expensive medicine but I think in this case you more than deserve it. You and Bunnelby did amazing, Clemont. Don't think for a second that you don't deserve to be Gym Leader," he added, and Clement nodded upon accepting the Full Restore, surprisingly he was smiling.

"Hahaha! Not bad Ash, not bad at all! That last attack really threw us for a loop, but I've seen attacks from my Heliolisk, Magnezone, and Ampharos that were just as good," he chuckled, spraying the medicine all over Bunnelby's body and watching in amazement as it opened its eyes, its cuts and bruises all healing and knitting themselves in a fraction of a second as it jumped to its feet, clearly wondering how the hell it had been knocked out so quickly.

Brock and Bonnie came over to them, Bonnie laughing and giggling euphorically along the way as she pranced right up to Ash. "You and Raichu were awesome! I bet that wasn't even a fraction of your full power, was it Ash?" She wondered, and Ash grinned as he got down on one knee, now at her eye level as Raichu jumped down and congratulated Bunnelby, all of them having thoroughly enjoyed watching the match or participating in it.

"Bonnie, let me tell you something about fully-trained Pokémon. Raichu here was absolutely holding back his full power, and considering that even casual blows from my buddy here are more often than not measured in yottatons of force, that's probably a good thing. Fully-trained Pokémon have potentially Omniverse-bursting strength. All of their capabilities are enhanced to infinite levels, including Raichu's electrical energy, its physical capabilities including its strength and speed, which enable it to move at similarly incalculable velocities, physics and the G-force be damned."

"On top of all of that, Raichu's special ability is lightning rod, and that is likewise enhanced, rendering it immune to all Electric-type attacks and enabling it to absorb and contain infinite amounts of electricity in its body. So, yes, we were holding back a lot. Raichu was using only a finite amount of its full energy. Do you understand now why I was hesitant to use any of my current team in an actual gym battle?" Ash explained intelligently, and Bonnie nodded dumbly, stupefied as she processed the enormity of the older boy's statement.

Clement got up and dusted himself off before returning Bunnelby to its Pokeball, deciding to add his own two cents worth. "I'd heard rumors that fully trained Pokémon had incredible powers but I'd never really thought much about it until my own Pokémon reached Level-. Is it true that while all fully trained Pokémon are Level- not all Level- Pokémon are fully trained, because I know my Pokémon can still get stronger, there has to be a way," Clement asked, wanting to clarify if his own high level Pokémon still had the capacity to grow some more.

Ash grinned at him, "That's the spirit, Clemont! Honestly, I like that optimism! Level- is supposed to be the ultimate limit, and I'm still not sure my team and I have anything left to aspire toward, but if there's a way to surpass infinity, I'm determined to find it." Ash replied, and Clement grinned.

"Are you familiar with set theory? Mathematics has proven, quite successfully I might add, that some infinities are quantifiably larger than others. I've always speculated there exists a way to apply that irrational indeterminacy to our training regimens. I just haven't figured out what that method is yet." Now it was Ash's turn to grin. He was liking Clemont more and more as Bonnie muttered something that sounded suspiciously close to 'nerd alert.'

"If you ever discover that secret first, you have to share it with me! I've been struggling to find ways to take my game to the next level for years!" Ash responded in kind as Clemont nodded briskly in response, the both of them bonding as Brock chuckled and Raichu shrugged. The lightning mouse was content with his power as it was now, but he wouldn't say no to more either. However, the concept of set theory was lost on him.

Clement was just in the middle of offering to show Ash and Brock around Lumiose City and introduce them to his and Bonnie's Father, Meyer, when Ash's infinite awareness started going off in his head like a bunch of warning bells. Quickly scanning the vicinity, Ash became aware of three hostiles rapidly approaching them, all of them having ill intentions for their group. He barely had time to register all this before they appeared, and an intimidating male voice spoke out to them. "You there, with the Raichu! Relinquish all your Pokémon to us at once, or feel the wrath of the newly resurrected, new-and-improved Team Flare!"