About a few days later, Ash worked hard with his Pokémon, and along the way, Quilava evolved into Typhlosion and learned Lava Plume in place of Flame Wheel. Gible also evolved into Gabite and learned Sand Tomb, which replaced Dig. Finally, Pignite evolved into Emboar and learned Heat Crash in place of Flamethrower.

One day, Brock walked up to Ash, "Hey man, can we talk? I've been thinking, that a lot of us want to expand our teams as well. I know that Chloe, Risa and your friends from Alola, don't have full teams. Misty's already caught a bunch of Pokémon from other regions, except for Alola, Galar and Paldea. I would also like to expand my teams for the sake of variety. Do you have any recommendations from the Alola region?"

After some time, they had all gathered in the dining room in their shared cottage. Ash and the Alola gang were the centre of attention. The teenager asked, "So… Who wants to go first?"

Misty raised a hand and Lana took that as her cue. She said, "Well, I already have Popplio and Eevee. I've been hoping to catch a Wishiwashi, which is a pure Water-Type."

James raised his hand, "I have my Mareanie, who is a Water and Poison Type."

Then Ash spoke "There's Dewpider, which is… Umm… Do you really want this one, Misty?"

She retorted, "It is a Water Type, is it not?"

He winced, "Water and Bug…"

Her face went pale briefly, before she swallowed. Misty muttered to herself and slapped her cheeks, "Get a grip on yourself, dummy! You're 19! Get over that stupid phobia. You're okay with Butterfree, Leavanny and Heracross. You can handle a Water and Bug Type. Not to mention, some other trainers who challenge the Gym could also have a Bug Type."

Ash waited for her little monologue to end before continuing, "It evolves into Araquanid. Then there's Wimpod, another Water and Bug Type and it evolves into Golisopod."

Lana took over, "Finally, there is Pyukumuku, which is a pure Water Type and then there's Bruxish, a Water and Psychic Type. Do you have any preference?"

Ash held out his Rotom phone and showed her the images of the Pokémon mentioned. The ginger-haired girl tapped her upper lip thoughtfully and then turned to Lana, "How about you and I head to Alola tomorrow and catch them. I'm leaning towards Wimpod and Pyukumuku."

Lana nodded, "Great! I'll try and catch a Bruxish and a Dewpider then. Maybe I'll get lucky and finally catch Kyogre. What about Galar and Paldea?"

Most people's jaws dropped at that Kyogre declaration. Though Ash and the Alola gang rolled their eyes. Mallow reached over and bopped her on the head, "Enough with the fibbing, you!"

Lana simply stuck out her tongue sheepishly, and everyone anime fell.

Ash consulted his Rotom Phone, "Coming to Lana's query, in Galar, there's Chewtle, a pure Water Type and it evolves into Drednaw, a Water and Rock Type. Next up is Cramorant, a Water and Flying Type, which has a few different forms, I believe. Then there's Arrowkuda and its evolved form, Barraskewda. both pure Water Types."

He scrolled and then his fingers froze at the two images on screen, "Whoa! What in the name of Arceus is THAT!"

He turned the phone and showed a bizarre-looking Pokémon. He turned the phone back and read, "It says here that this one is called Dracovish, a Water and Dragon Type. The one after that also looks weird, it's called an Arctovish."

Then he moved on to Paldea, "This one is a regional form, though the name is different. It's called a Wiglet, a pure Water Type. It's evolved form is Wugtrio. Then there's Finizen and it's evolved form Palafin. Weirdly enough, the evolved form looks almost the exact same as its pre-Evolved form, except for a light pink heart-shaped mark on its chest. However, Palafin has an ability to transform into something called a Hero Form. No idea what that is."

He scrolled further, "OOO! This one is interesting. It's called a Veluza, a Water and Psychic and it doesn't evolve. Next is Dondozo, a pure Water Type and no evolution. After that there's Tatsugiri, which has three different forms and no evolution. That's about it for Water-Types."

Mallow revealed that she recently caught Oranguru and a Fomantis in Alola. She also admitted that she left Milcery and Applin in Aina's Kitchen so that they could help her brother with the cooking.

They elected to avoid Paldea until they gave Galar a thorough exploration. Max was leaning towards catching Pikipek, Yungoos and Komala. Bonnie was busy daydreaming over catching a Cutiefly and a Morellull. She was also excited by the Pom-Pom Style Oricorio and felt that Comfey was cute.

Risa revealed that she had a preference for fast Pokémon, so a few days ago she caught a Tauros, a Ponyta, a Doduo, a Sneasel and a Zigzagoon. Sometime later though, Professor Cerise called out to them, "Hey! I thought you all ought to know, there's going to be a Pokémon Trading event in Johto! It starts in three days, so Ash, if you hurry, you can make it!"

The day of the event arrived, and Ash was there, along with Goh, Horace and Chloe. Along the way, Goh caught two Pinsir, and traded one for a Heracross. Meanwhile, Ash managed to trade three Tauros, for a Honedge, a Misdreavus and a Mienfoo.

As soon as they got back, Ash gathered all his new Pokémon and began training them. Off to the side, Chloe was watching as he helped Absol and Dewott battle it out. Then he noticed her watching, "Hey! You want to join in? I'm sure Sobble, Butterfree and Yamper will be eager to train."

She waved her arms frantically, "N-n-no thanks! I don't think being a Pokémon Trainer is for me."

He paused and then scratched his chin, "How about being a Coordinator? You can talk to May, Dawn and Serena, if you want. Or even Aria, as she is also planning to enter the Coordinating scene."

Suddenly Dawn's voice called out, "Ash! You can help her too! You do have some experience in Coordinating!"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Oh yeah, right…"

He, Dawn, May, Aria and Serena led Chloe away to a corner of the park, with all of his Pokémon following him. Chloe asked, "So, what's special about being a Coordinator?"

Dawn took the lead, "The idea is to show off a Pokémon's looks in a visually appealing manner. Whether it is in how the Pokémon itself looks, physically, or through the moves it performs."

May chipped in, "The Kalos region's Pokémon Showcases also serve the same purpose. Though I personally find that concept a little sexist. To be exact, the Showcases only feature female trainers and no males."

Aria spoke up, "Yeah, I actually asked my former agent, Palermo, about that. According to her, she had been trying to push for Showcases to follow the Contest path, but some of the higher-ups were a bit too traditional. She got involved in a massive row with them and that ended with them threatening to terminate her contract. I had never seen Palermo so mad in my entire life."

Serena raised a hand, "So what did you mean by Ash having some Coordinating experience?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well… I'm not as good as you guys, but Coordinating has helped me develop some strategy. Hey Dawn! Remember our signature move?"

Her deep blue eyes lit up in delight, "Go for it!"

They cleared a space and Ash turned to his faithful Pikachu, "Okay buddy, you know what to do! Pikachu! Counter Shield!"

With a cry, Pikachu bounded off his shoulder and scampered across the ground. Coming to a stop, he began spinning around on his back like a break dancer. All the while, he shot of a Thunderbolt, which practically cocooned the electric mouse. When he let up the attack and stopped spinning, the Thunderbolt dissipated into sparkles.

Chloe's green eyes were wide, and her mouth was open, "Wow! That was incredible!"

Ash snapped her out of her fangirling, "Hey Chloe, what moves do Yamper, Butterfree and Sobble know?"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Umm… I think he knows Spark, but I'm not sure of the other moves. I haven't checked Butterfree and Sobble's moves yet."

Chloe called over the puppy and he bounded towards her, with his tongue sticking out of his mouth. The girl pointed her Rotom Phone and scanned his moves, "Hmm… He knows Spark, Bite, Nuzzle and Crunch."

Ash sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, "Right… We can work with that for now. Girls, you four have got this, right? With three Top Coordinators and a former Kalos Queen, she's in good hands."

Aria shot him a thumbs up and he wandered off to train his Pokémon. Iris had called the other day, and she was four days away from Lenora's Gym. Once again, he gathered his Pokémon for a strategy meeting. He mused, "Okay… So Lenora is a Normal Type Gym Leader. Obviously, I'm not going anywhere without Pikachu. I'd best go with a few Fighting Types."

He spoke out loud, "Primeape! You're coming too. I'll take the Combat Tauros, Heracross, Emboar and Scraggy. Alright you guys! It's time for some serious training!"

After another week, Ash set off for Unova, following a second call from Iris. The girl had confirmed that she had nearly reached Nacrene city and promised to meet him there. Soon enough he took the next flight to Unova and before long, he found himself in the city and met with the tan-skinned girl.

As they walked, he caught her up on what she had missed in the past few weeks. He then asked her, "So, Brock was wondering if everyone wanted to catch some Pokémon to expand their teams. You interested?"

She replied, "Heck yeah! So far, I only have Fraxure, Excadrill, Emolga, Gible and Dragonite. I need one more for a full team. I was thinking of Druddigon, but they are pretty unpredictable. The Deino line can also be hard to control, once they evolve."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully and then scrolled through his Rotom Phone. Ash spoke, "Right… So there aren't many other options in Unova. But in Kalos, there's Skrelp, which is Water and Poison, but it's evolved form, Dragalge is Poison and Dragon. You could even go for a Tyrunt, a Goomy or a Noibat."

She grinned, "Nice! What else is there?"

"Then in Alola, Turtonator is a Fire and Dragon Type. Drampa is a Normal and Dragon. I think you'll like the Jangmo-o line, they are pure Dragon. Moving on to Galar, there is the Applin line, which is Grass and Dragon. Then there's two weird-looking Pokémon called Dracozolt and Dracovish. There's Duraludon, a Steel and Dragon Type. Then there's the Dreepy line, a Dragon and Ghost Type. Paldea has got Cyclizar, a Normal and Dragon Type. There's also the Tatsugiri trio, all are Water and Dragon. Finally, there's the Frigibax line… Uhh.. Are you sure you want this one, Iris?"

She shot him a weird look, "Uhh… Why?"

He winced, "Dragon and Ice…"

Her dark skin turned pale and she shuddered, "Ooof! I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Now come on! Don't want to keep Lenora waiting."

It took them 15 minutes to find the Gym, and Iris allowed him to challenge first. Sure enough, Lenora was waiting for him. The dark-skinned woman grinned, "Well, I'll be! A little Pidove told me that you were challenging the Unova Gyms again."

Ash grinned, "Got that right! I wasn't particularly satisfied with my Gym run. Though I'm not interested in taking on the League again."

She nodded and fished out a Pokeball, "Good enough for me! Here's hoping you're ready! Stoutland!"

Ash called out, "That takes me back! This time though, we're not having a mirror match! Scraggy! I choose you!"

Lenora smirked, "Going with a Type Advantage, eh? Hope you're not going to allow that to carry you through."

He replied, "Wouldn't dream of it, Lenora! I've been training my Pokémon hard for this!"

Lenora's husband stepped up as the referee and he announced the rules. Ash had the first attack, and he wasted no time, "Scraggy! Start things off with a Leer!"

Scraggy raced up and shot a fierce glare at the dog. The intimidation tactic lowered Stoutland's defence. Stoutland countered with Shadow Ball, which hit its target. Scraggy was not to be deterred and countered with a massive Headbutt.

However, Lenora ordered a Roar, sending Scraggy back in his Pokeball. In his place, Primeape was sent out, and he looked like he meant business. Meanwhile, Lenora sent out her Watchog and started off with a Mean Look, trapping Primeape on the battle field.

Ash grinned and spun his cap around, "Okay Primeape! Start off with a Cross Chop!"

Watchog answered back with a Low Kick, and the two attacks collided. Then Ash called for a Rage Fist, which sent Watchog flying backwards. He went for another one, but Lenora ordered a Confuse Ray. Unfortunately, it's aim struck true, and Primeape was now confused. The Pig Monkey Pokémon began wildly swinging with Rage Fist.

Somehow, its wild attacks connected with Watchog a couple of times. And then it happened… After another Rage Fist, Primeape's body was engulf in a bright light.

Lenora raised an eyebrow, "Huh… Primeape has a third evolution? Who knew!"

Ash and Iris' jaws were on the floor. When the light died down, Primeape looked a lot different. He raised his Rotom Phone, "Annihilape! The Rage Monkey Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Mankey. When its anger rose beyond a critical point, this Pokémon gained power that is unfettered by the limits of its physical body. This Pokémon is a Fighting and Ghost Type."

As Ash recovered, Lenora cracked her knuckles, "This is going to be fun!"

The battle raged on, and Watchog was relying on Thunderbolt and Confuse Ray. Eventually, a Close Combat pummelling, knocked it out. Then it was Stoutland's turn. He started off with a Shadow Ball, but Annihilape was able to dodge.

Ash then ordered a Mega Kick, which connected. However, Stoutland managed to nail Annihilape with a Thunderbolt. That was enough to knock him out, leaving Ash with his Scraggy. The teenager wasted no time and ordered a High Jump Kick, which sent Stoutland flying backwards. Confuse Ray did nothing, and Scraggy finally knocked out the Big-Hearted Pokémon with a Focus Blast.

When Ash was declared the winner, Lenora approached him, clapping her hands. She smiled, "I don't know about you, but I definitely see a massive improvement! Honestly, if you ever change your mind about taking on the Unova League, you'd be unstoppable!"

Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "I'm flattered, Lenora, but I'm not going to underestimate any opponent."

She clapped his back jovially, "Now that's what I'd like to hear! I've seen far too many trainers get cocky after beating me. Now, I suppose your friend Iris is challenging me tomorrow?"

Up in the stands, Iris nodded vigorously and Lenora shot her a thumbs up, "Great! I'll expect a great battle from you tomorrow."

As they left the Gym, Ash asked, "So, do you need help coming up with a strategy? And do you want me to stay back and watch?"

Iris shrugged dismissively, "Nah, it's okay. I like this arrangement better."

She shot him a sly look, "Gives me some peace and quiet from your typical brand of Ash Ketchum lunacy. Cause you're such a kid!"

He playfully shoved her, and she shoved him back, "I'll see you in Castelia City in a few weeks."