Author's note

At 90 chapters and mostly consistent uploading this story has had a lot going on fairly quickly, so in case you forgot here's a look back at everything that brought our heroes to this,

"You know, when Marlon said the badge gates, I didn't picture, this." Rosa said, seeing the pillars lining the path adorned with all the badges of Unova.

"Look there's the Basic Badge." Ash said, thinking back to his first gym battle.

Flashback

"One more time! Riolu use Force Palm!"

Riolu dove under Stoutland, striking the large dog from below as his eyes glowed a faint yellow, knocking out the normal type.

"Back then we weren't even sure you'd keep Riolu all this time." Rosa remembered back to the fight.

"Yeah, but now Lucario is an invaluable member of my team. Also I remember having a harder fight to get you to teach Lillipup Work Up than the actual gym battle." Ash joked.

"Yeah, yeah." Rosa said. "Hey isn't that the Toxic Badge?" Rosa changed the topic seeing another pillar.

"Definitely one of the more interesting fights, especially considering Snivy won me that battle in the end." Ash reminisced.

Flashback

"Snivy use Tackle!" Ash called out, as the grass type ran across the stage, slamming into Scolliopede as the poison type had leftover paralysis from the fight against Pikachu.

"Seriously, of course I missed a gym battle like that." Elliot commented.

"That's also when we met Crispin, and shortly before we met you." Rosa said.

"Snivy also didn't win that battle on his own, if it wasn't for Pikachu's ability Snivy would've gotten knocked out too." Ash said. "But yeah then we did meet you is Castelia City."

"It was a while before you even fought Burgh though, first you caught both Darumaka and Braviary, and then we met Victini." Elliot remembered.

"We also learned Ash had Zekrom at that time." Rosa said.

"Technically you two learned that, we took the trip because Brycen had a suspicion that the Dark Stone was Zekrom." Ash said. "After all that though, we did finally get to fight Burgh, where Braviary really showed off his stuff."

Flashback

"Braviary use Wing Attack one last time!" Ash called out.

Braviary dove down striking Leavanny as the bug type began bending back up to standing straight up, only to be knocked right back down.

"That was also around when we found that Hugh had rescued Tepig." Rosa remembered as the trio continued. "Hey the Volt Badge from Elesa!"

"Nimbasa was a mess." Ash admitted.

"But it's where Snivy evolved into Servine and where you caught Trubbish." Elliot reminded.

"It's also where we were all kidnapped by Team Plasma and N revealed himself to be their king." Ash said. "Not to mention that Elesa's gym was difficult."

Flashback

"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu pushed himself back up as Zebstrika rushed towards him, the electric mouse sending out a final bolt of electricity causing the zebra Pokemon to collapse on the ground.

"It's also where we ran into the Lillipups." Rosa shuddered.

"I don't know why you're complaining, they hated me and you were their ringleader at one point." Elliot pointed out.

"I'd rather forget that part of my past." Rosa said with another shudder.

"It wasn't all bad, if it wasn't for that you and Lillipup wouldn't have evolved." Ash said.

"Just Lillipup evolved though." Rosa said.

"No, not just Lillipup, you grew into a more considerate trainer and friend after all of that went down." Ash said.

"And not long after that we had Minccino and Larvesta officially join the family." Ash said with a smile.

"And then we met Dewott." Rosa said.

"I still wish I could have saved him before he was lost, but with his help I did manage to earn the badge from Clay." Ash said, seeing the pillar with a Quake Badge.

Flashback

"Dewott use Aqua Jet!"

Dewott and Excadrill rocketed towards each other, water colliding with metal before both were launched back, Excadrill slamming into a wall as Dewott skidded to a stop on his feet.

"Personally I'm still not a fan of his daughter, she was needlessly rude to Elliot." Rosa said with a huff.

"You did defend me though, and I'm still thankful for that." Elliot commented. "Even if you did lose you fought for me, and that meant a lot."

"Like I said, you did evolve from your experience, seeing the Lillipups, the old you never would have been like that for Elliot." Ash reminded.

"Please stop reminding me of how terrible I was." Rosa groaned. "Can't we talk about anything else?"

"How about how awful Skyla was." Elliot commented, seeing the Jet Badge pillar.

"She wasn't that bad." Ash admitted.

"I think you're mixing your emotions of feeling terrible about Darmanitan and how she fought, her Pokemon never landed during your battle." Rosa reminded.

"Not only was it after Darumaka evolved and that fight against N, but it was also around when Riolu learned Aura Sphere though." Ash said, as he thought back to the fight against Skyla.

Flashback

"Braviary use Crush Claw!"

Braviary flew around Swanna, grabbing the water and flying type in his talons, throwing them to the ground with all their strength.

"And because I showed Skyla just how tough a real battle could be, she promised to do normal battles going forward." Ash reminded. "That was also around when you caught Klink and Porygon evolved."

"I am curious if she followed through with that, the last time we saw her was when she dropped us off at Lentimas Town." Elliot said thinking back.

"And then because of that storm we met Solosis." Rosa pointed out.

"Again, it was Solosis who caused that storm, not the other way around." Ash pointed out.

"You know a lot happened between then and when you fought Drayden." Elliot said thinking back.

"No kidding, Servine, Trubbish, and even Solosis evolved, along with your Klink evolving and fighting Drayton." Ash said.

"Then it was finally time for your long awaited fight against Drayden." Rosa said, seeing the Legend Badge pillar.

Flashback

"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out.

Pikachu leapt at Drayden's Haxorus, the dragons tail colliding with Pikachu as the two were engulfed with electricity, locking the two together before Haxorus fell in defeat.

"That was fine, but it wasn't long until Team Plasma attacked the city and kidnapped my mom just to get to me." Ash said.

"But you saved her, and escaped, and because of that not only did Riolu evolve but you rescued two Pokemon they had taken." Elliot reminded, as they passed by the final pillars, including the one with the Wave Badge.

"And there it is, the Unova League arena." Ash said, seeing the building in the distance.

"We have to assume Team Plasma is already there in wait." Elliot said.

"No doubt, but after what happened in Opelucid City they won't act until they're certain N has won." Ash said. "So all I have to do is make sure that doesn't happen."

"We're with you all the way Ash." Rosa assured, as the trio headed up the stone steps to Vertress City.