𝒳

In a few days' time, you'll find me at Lake Acuity. Be there, and this time, show me the trainer I faced two years ago.

The blare of a fog horn startled Ash from his stupor. All at once, his surroundings came back to him. He was sitting on a bench, at the Pokémon Center, in Canalave City. Behind him sat a window to the outside, and a view of a ship pulling into port in the distance.

In just a few hours, he'd be boarding that boat, and be on his way to Snowpoint City.

"Jeeze." Shaking his head, Ash settled back down in his seat. There was so much on his mind and— Something in his hand?

Latias's Poké ball.

Ash looked down at the ball, as his mind drifted back to its train of thought. Paul's words echoed in his mind.

Whether you realize it or not, Ash, you were holding back.

"What the hell is he talking about? I wasn't holding back— I never hold back." His gaze drifted up to the ceiling, before back down to Latias's Poké ball. "...right?"

"Aaaaand, spotlight!"

"Pip-Piplup!"

Before Ash could even begin to dwell on his question, a new voice entered the fray— Two of them in fact.

Dawn stood tall before Ash, bright and sunny, striking a pose befitting a contest star. And like one of her appeals, she had two things on hand: her trusty partner Piplup at her side and a brand new outfit.

"Whoa!" Gone was the single-piece top and skirt, replaced now by a stylish vest and skirt, the color steel gray. Pink highlights adorned the outside, from the symbol of a Poké ball on her skirt to the sleeves of her puffed shoulders. Tying it all together was a new haircut, and a pin adorned to her vest: A perfect rendition of her partner, Piplup.

"Heh, how do I look?" With a wink, Dawn broke from her pose, letting Ash be the judge for himself. Piplup, of course, let his approval of her look be known loud and clear.

"Piplup pip! Pip-piplup!"

Ash certainly didn't disagree.

"Wow, you look great!" he exclaimed, standing up to give Dawn a once-over. Her whole outfit had completely changed, from her new shoes to the lack of her iconic beanie. "Man, I gotta ask, what's the occasion! You didn't do all this just to see me off, did ya?"

"Pffft, I got that cheerleader costume out for you a couple times, and you think I'm always dressing up for you now?" With a playful shove, Dawn pushed Ash back onto his seat, pulling a hearty laugh from her old friend. Snorting, she went on to give her real reason. "To tell you the truth, Ash, I haven't really… made much progress, since we went our separate ways back in Sinnoh."

Ash paused at that, as Dawn stepped back and explained.

"I thought I was just adjusting to traveling on my own, but, I stalled out. I wasn't getting anywhere." Looking down, Dawn found her partner Piplup, standing at her side. There was worry and a tinge of disappointment in his eyes. To it, Dawn returned her winning smile. "So I figured, I needed a fresh start! And what better way than to start a new journey than with—"

"—A new look to commemorate it?" Ash surprised Dawn with his answer, before she grinned even wider.

"Exactly! How did ya figure?"

"A friend of mine back in Kalos, she did and said something similar!" His thoughts drifted to the airport, where he and Serena parted ways. The same thought he had back then came through now. "You really do look great, Dawn."

"Heh, thank you!" With a bit of redness to her cheeks, Dawn struck one final pose to end off her presentation, heralded on with another call from Piplup. After that, she promptly plopped onto the bench at Ash's side, and began again. Piplup dragged himself up to join her a moment later. "So! That's my deal. What's going on with you then?"

"Huh?" Ash paused at the sudden question, but found no hesitation when he looked to her. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Ash. You've been sulking in this place for hours now. I know you've got something on your mind." Dawn's confidence surprised Ash. Was he always this easy of a read? Or was Dawn just that good at reading him in particular? She continued. "Still thinking about what Paul said, huh?"

Ash couldn't help but snort. Whatever the case was, she was right on the money.

"Yeah, I am." Rubbing his neck, Ash let his gaze fall, down to the Poké ball in his hand. "Usually I'd shrug something like this off, but… I can't this time. Cause I know Paul is right."

A pang of self-doubt rang in the back of his mind.

"I'm missing something." It seemed those were the magic words for Dawn, because her eyes widened as soon as she heard them. Sitting up, she pressed further.

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know." Even Ash was frustrated with that response. This was the very question he'd left Kalos to try to answer, wasn't it? Here he was, though, and he wasn't any closer to his goal. His frustration swelled. "Ugh, I'm still on vacation."

Ash slouched in his seat and pressed his palms into his eyes, before letting out a groan.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What're you talking about?" Dawn pursed her lips, as she pulled him back up by the arm. When Ash grumbled, she pushed further. "Okay, sounds to me like this has been going on way longer than just this trip. So I wanna hear it, from the beginning: What's been happening to you, Ash?"

Ash grumbled, for a moment considering giving a bitter non-response, before he held himself back. Dawn deserved better than that. Stuffing his hands into his pockets and slouching, he began.

"You're not the only one who stalled out," he explained, the mere confession like pulling teeth. "I don't know when it started, but I haven't had my head in the game. I keep trying, but I just keep losing."

Ash hated those words, hated the way they sounded on his tongue. It felt like whining.

Yet, he knew better than to keep burying those feelings. With a sigh, Ash continued.

"I have a rival back in Kalos, named Korrina. She's a Gym Leader. No matter what Pikachu and I tried, we just couldn't beat her. We kept giving it our all, but every single time, she did the same and came out on top." Sitting up, Ash looked to Dawn, and found genuine concern in her eyes. "We kept giving it our all, and it still felt like we were missing something."

"And that's why you left Kalos." As always, Dawn was right on the money. Ash nodded.

"It took a bit of time, and a really bad night, but a friend of mine convinced me I needed to go find answers. That's why I was in Johto when you called."

"Is that the same friend with the good taste on how to start fresh?" With a bit of a cheeky grin, Dawn managed to pull a small smile from Ash, one she pounced on. "Have you found anything yet?"

Ash's smile fell, as he shook his head.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for. But whatever it is, Paul seems to see it." Frustration rose in Ash's voice, as he crossed his arms. "Man, why does that guy have to pick now to be a pain in my ass. This is the one time I'd want a stupid lecture from him."

A moment of quiet took the two, as Ash skulked and Dawn processed his words. After a moment, she spoke up.

"There was something he did say, near the end," she pointed out, pulling at Ash's attention once more. His gaze had fallen to the Poké ball in his hand again. "He said that great trainers should use everything they have, every advantage they can get their hands on."

Ash did a double-take.

"What's that gotta do with anything? I always use everything I've got." The premise was ridiculous. He was Ash Ketchum. He gave everything 110%!

Regardless, Dawn stuck by her claim.

"Ash, what's Pikachu's ability?"

"It's Static. What's that have to—"

"And what's Froakie's ability?" This time, Ash had to pause, as he failed to find the fast, quippy response he wanted. His mind blanked. He had no idea. Seizing on his silence, Dawn continued. "What about Hawlucha's?"

Again, no answer. Ash furrowed his brows.

"I… don't know." With that confession, it seemed Dawn had found her own answer. She sat forward and took Ash's hand, as Ash frowned. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm getting at this. Ash, you're a stellar trainer. Your Pokémon move like nothing else, and you can overwhelm just about anyone with how fast you think! But—" She squeezed his hand. "It sounds like you're neglecting some things, leaving them on the table. And you never would've done that two years ago."

Dawn fell quiet then and let Ash process her words.

All at once, the battle with Paul replayed in Ash's mind. The entry hazards, the switch moves, Gumshoos's Stakeout ability, Pursuit, Red Card— Paul had touched upon practically every aspect of battling Ash could think of, while he had barreled straight through it all. Power and speed nearly won Ash that match, yet Paul's strategy clinched the victory.

It left him with one question above all.

"Why the hell am I battling like this?" he said in exasperation, surprising Dawn with his matter-of-fact tone. "Why haven't I been— When's the last time I even took advantage of Static?"

He looked to Dawn, pressing his next point to her.

"I forgot about Counter Shield until just a few weeks ago, Dawn. Counter Shield, our move." Was that it, his answer? Had he been missing the in-depth strategic battling he'd excelled at for so long? The kind of battling that took advantage of every mechanic, every aspect that a Pokémon had to them? If that was the case then— "How the hell did this happen?!"

Ash fell silent, his gaze falling to the floor and to the Poké ball still tightly stowed in his hand. He had an idea, and it seemed Dawn did as well.

She looked off to the side, exchanging a look with Piplup before pursing her lips.

All at once, Ash and Dawn spoke in unison.

"Unova."

Ash groaned and buried his face in his hands. Last year hadn't been a great time for either of them. Ash preferred not to dwell on it, but now he couldn't help but.

"I swear, I still don't know what was up with me back then…" he muttered under his breath, as Dawn gave him a supportive pat.

"It was an off… year, for the both of us," she confessed, looking off to the side. That was an understatement if there ever was one.

It made Ash snort and let out a sigh. Whether it was of relief or frustration, even he couldn't say.

"You've got that right." With that, he leaned back in his seat and returned to his thoughts.

He'd found it, his answer. The thing he needed to beat Paul, the thing he needed to beat Korrina. It wasn't enough to give it his all. He had to take advantage of everything he could, everything—

"Alright mister, fess up. What's going on with that Poké ball? You've been staring at it this whole conversation." Dawn once again pierced Ash's train of thought and made him pause. She was right. He was holding up Latias's Poké ball.

Why was that again?

"It's, a Pokémon I considered sending out against Paul," he explained, recalling his dilemma from the other day. "I figured she'd be pretty strong, but decided against it."

"Why?" Ever willing to get straight to the point, Dawn asked the question Ash had yet to ask himself. At least this time, his answer came easier.

"Well, she never really agreed to that sorta stuff."

The night in the Poké ball workshop replayed in Ash's mind. Latias had asked if she could join him on his journey as a companion, to see the world outside Alto Mare. The fact she was even in a Poké ball was a mere formality, something he'd suggested to keep her safe. That, and the fact Ash could tell she had some stage fright issues. In any case, it remained the same.

"She just wanted to come along for the ride."

"Did you ever ask her if she was interested in battling?" To that, Ash confessed no and Dawn pressed ahead. "Then how do you know she wouldn't like it then! Come on, Ash. Since when did you ever make assumptions about your Pokémon?"

Ash balked at the accusation, before he paused and snorted.

"Maybe around the time I stopped battling with my head on straight." Him and Dawn broke into a laugh over that, a nice bit of respite after what had been a difficult conversation. Soon though, Ash found his resolve to keep going. He looked down at the Poké ball in his hand, and grinned. "I know what I'm going to do now, Dawn. I'm going to ask if she wants to battle with me."

"Aaaand?" Dawn smiled, waving Ash along onto his final conclusion.

"And, I'm going to get back what I lost. I'm going to find what I've been missing!" He stood up, vigor and determination hot in his veins. Looking up to the ceiling, he called out. "I'm going to battle using everything I've got!"

𝒳

With his answer finally in hand, the hours passed for Ash in the blink of an eye. It was soon time for him to part ways with Canalave City, and begin his new journey to Lake Acuity.

He stood at the loading dock, staring on at the bridge that would lead him onto the ship. Before him stood his future and behind him was his past— His friends.

"You sure you don't wanna come along? I'm sure we can sneak ya into our room!" Ash wheeled around and gave Dawn a cheeky grin, throwing out one final offer to continue their reunion. Unfortunately, fate had different plans.

"Sorry Ash. I'd love to travel with you again, but I've got my own journey to get back to." With a giggle and a hand on Ash's shoulder, she reaffirmed her own plans. There was a flight to Johto with her name on it. "Still! I'm sure we'll find plenty of chances to meet up again! We can't exactly be keeping those two apart for long, after all."

"Oh?"

Indicating over her shoulder, Dawn pointed Ash's attention to a less-than-surprising pair: her Buneary and his Pikachu. The two had been spending the last few days together, and it was time for their goodbyes as well.

The two stood about a dozen paces away, whispering something in hushed tones as they held hands. Buneary was teary-eyed, whilst Pikachu held a strong, encouraging expression. All at once, Buneary pressed her lips to Pikachu's cheek, freezing him still as she subsequently pulled him into her embrace. They held that embrace for a few fleeting moments until, with one final goodbye, they parted ways.

The two ran back to their respective trainers.

"Hah, I guess you're right!" Ash welcomed Pikachu back onto his shoulder, not even giving his partner a second to breathe before he shot him a cheeky grin. "Man, took you two long enough, huh buddy!"

"Pi—!? Pika! Pikapi, pikachu!?" Like you're one to talk!?

Ash had a laugh at that, calming Pikachu's ire before he looked back to Dawn. They shared a quiet moment, before the blare of the boat's horn signaled it was time to go.

"So! See ya around?" Gripping the brim of his cap, Ash readied to go.

"Of course! You've got my number now, so give me a ring whenever!" She made a motion with her hand, affecting a phone pressed to her ear.

"Totally!" With that, there was just one final thing to be checked off before he and Dawn parted ways: Their old tradition.

A glint in Dawn's eyes was all Ash needed to fall back into the familiar motion.

Without a hint of hesitation, the two brought their hands together for a signature high five.

"Good luck!"

𝒳

"Aaaand we're here!" Ash felt the weight slip off his shoulders as he stepped through the door of his accommodations. It was a tight fit— a single bed pressed up against the wall with a chair at its side —but it'd be more than enough. "Let's get settled in."

"Pika pika, pikachu!" Pikachu bounced off Ash's shoulder, as he tossed his bag onto the chair and went for the bed. Yet, before Ash could take his place, someone else came to stake their claim.

"Finally!" Appearing from her Poké ball in a flash of light, Latias plopped onto the bed. Immediately she stretched to take up its entire length. "Wow, that's soft!"

"Latias!?" Ash paused and laughed, watching his newest Pokémon enjoy what surely must be the laps of luxury. "Making yourself comfortable?"

Latias stuck her head out from under the blanket and nodded.

"Mhm! I've never had a bed before— the softest place you can find to sleep at the Garden was the grass, and I never got the chance to sleep over with Bianca or Lorenzo. That Poké ball is cozy, but this is also really, really soft and—" Latias shook her head clear from her runaway ramble. "You should get one of these!"

Ash laughed and pulled the cover off her.

"Scoot over and I'll try, this is the only bed we've got." He paused then, a thought from earlier working back into his mind. This was as good a time as any. "Hey, Latias. Could I ask you something?"

Latias looked up at him with a smile, before nodding her head.