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Chapter Text

Ash had to put on a ‘disguise’ in order for him to travel without a crowd following him. He really wanted to continue his journey, to become a Pokémon Master. Becoming monarch of Galar made him very famous. He was very young compared to any other champion (minus Iris) and used a Pikachu to defeat Leon. The news spread quickly.

Anywhere he went, people would crowd him, interview him, and ask him for a battle. Ash loved battling of course, but there were SO many people. Even Pikachu zapped some reporters by accident one time. Ash knew it may or may not have been an accident.

He was entering the region of Paldea. It was so vast and beautiful with different regions of deserts, mountains, snowy biomes, and green fields. Ash could barely contain his excitement to go out and explore. But, he would have to do it without bringing too much attention to himself.

His disguise wasn’t bad if he said so himself. A navy blue bucket hat was on top of his head, hiding most of his dark raven hair. Ash put on a white shirt and blue shorts, high dark gray socks, and the same blue and black shoes he had worn before.

Sure, he had noticed that other people wore the exact same outfit, but it seemed like a coincidence at first. Ash kept walking, minding his own business as Pikahcu perched on his shoulder. Pikachu cuddled Ash’s face as the Pokémon smiled.

“Man, I’ll miss Goh and Chloe. They were such great friends…” Ash muttered to his partner. Pikachu nodded in agreement. Ash walked outside of the airport, being blinded by the light as he entered the outside. He shut his eyes and opened them again. Pikachu did the same.

“Woah!” He yelped, staring at the gigantic building that had a Pokéball on it. Pikachu let out a shout of awe as they both stared at the buildings and sights surrounding them. “Isn’t this so cool, Pikachu?” Ash said, looking at his partner. Pikachu nodded as he let out a yelp of delight. Ash closed his eyes with a grin.

Ash and Pikachu decided to walk up to the building with the Pokéball placed on top of it. They wanted to explore and check out all of the amazing sights this region had to offer. With some Pokémon battles along the way, of course.

Something zipped across the sky, flying towards the opposite direction of the way Ash and Pikachu were heading. It almost caused Ash’s hat to fall off and fly into the sky. Ash clutched his bucket hat as his hair whirled around while Pikachu gripped onto Ash’s shoulder. Ash looked up to see a purple-ish figure fly past. Pikachu saw it, too.

“What was that?” Ash mumbled, eyes widening. Pikachu shrugged as he said ‘I don’t know’ in his Pokémon language. Ash looked at the building with the Pokéball and then back at the direction where the figure went. The two could barely see it. It seemed as if it were slightly nearing the lighthouse, about to crash into it. The creature fell straight down after passing the lighthouse.

Pikachu let out a startled yelp, pointing to where it had flown. Ash nodded with a firm look in his eyes. He started to run towards where Pikachu was pointing. Pikachu hopped off of his trainer’s shoulder and started to run beside him.

It took a while for Ash and Pikachu to get to their destination. Ash had luckily found a Squawkabilly Sky Taxi with someone who offered to get him to his destination. Ash agreed and Pikachu followed him onto the ride. The Squawkabillies loved to talk during the ride, always pointing out sights and sounds of the ride. Ash acknowledged their every word, spotting everything the bird Pokémon had pointed out.

The Taxi person seemed confused whenever Ash pointed to anything and then talked about the Squawkabillies. Ash was confused why the Taxi person was confused. Pikachu just perched on the edge of the basket while watching the view from up in the air.

When they landed, Ash thanked the Taxi person and the Squawkabillies. Pikachu waved goodbye to the Pokémon and the human with a smug smile on his face. The duo raced over to the lighthouse, staring up at the top of the structure. “It’s so tall…” Ash whispered with shining eyes.

Pikachu let out a ‘pika’ and jabbed his paw towards the beach below the lighthouse. “Thanks bud.” Ash said with a smile. Ash was careful to look down the cliff as Pikachu hopped back onto his shoulder. He saw two Houndour poke at an injured creature, probably a Pokémon, barking and growling at it. Ash slightly frowned as the Houndour yipped at the unidentified Pokémon.  

The purple Pokémon picked itself up with one arm and roared at the opposing Houndour. The roar shook the ground where Ash stood, making him hold onto Pikachu. Ash and Pikachu yelped in surprise as the ground beneath them broke. As they were falling, Ash’s Rotom phone jumped out of his pants pocket and flew above Ash’s shoulders. The boy grabbed the phone and Pikachu grabbed onto Ash’s shoe as he squeezed his eyes shut. 

Ash and Pikachu opened their eyes to see the Rotom Phone hovering a few feet above the ground, preventing Ash and Pikachu from crashing onto the floor. The Houndour sprinted away with fright. Ash stepped onto the ground, eyes wide. He muttered thanks to his Rotom Phone. Pikachu hopped off of Ash’s shoe, shaking his fur as he got onto the ground. Ash petted Pikachu’s head. 

Ash stared at the unknown Pokémon. The Pokémon stared back at him. The eyes of the Pokémon seemed digital while blinking at him. Pikachu looked at the mysterious Pokémon, mouth open wide. “Pikachu?” Pikachu said, tilting his head. “Are you ok?” Ash asked with a worried look. The Pokémon just kept gazing at both Pikachu and Ash, blinking every few seconds.

“Are you hungry?” Ash questioned, bringing out a sandwich. The unknown Pokémon looked at it. Pikachu pointed to the sandwich, a grin on his face. “Pika pikachu!” Pikachu said, offering the sandwich. The mysterious Pokémon sniffed the sandwich and its eyes widened. It started to gobble up the sandwich with a smile on its face.

The Pokémon let out a happy roar. Ash returned a grin along with Pikachu giving the Pokémon a thumbs up. The Pokémon started to stand up on all fours, slowly walking past Ash and towards a cave. “Huh?” Ash whispered. The Pokémon stopped waking and stood on the center of the beach. 

Suddenly, the mysterious Pokémon transformed into another form with a bright purple flash. It started to float, standing on the air with two legs and using its turbines to hover. Ash and Pikachu gazed with awe. Honestly, they both wouldn’t be surprised if this Pokémon turned out to be one of Paldea’s legendaries or mythicals. Ash was the first to speak

“That’s so cool!” Ash complimented, eyes shining. Pikachu said something with an embarrassed look on his face. The Pokémon remained unaffected by the duo’s comments.

It looked back at Ash and Pikachu before floating over to the cave. “I think it wants us to follow it.” Ash muttered as he started to walk over to the Pokémon. Pikachu followed his friend. The strange Pokémon continued into the cave, darkness engulfing it and Ash and Pikachu. “Woah.” Ash said. The cave was as mysterious as the Pokémon. The mysterious Pokémon’s aura was powerful and caring. Playful, even.

Green glowing plants were on the ground of the tunnel everywhere, power emitting from the mysterious plants. The unknown Pokémon in front of them emitted a strong sense of power too, scaring away some of the other Pokémon species in the cave. Ash and Pikachu followed as the strange Pokémon cut down a rocky wall. 

A couple of Houndour were hiding behind the wall. They ran away with a scared yelp as they saw the strange Pokémon. “Oye! Oh my gosh!” Someone yelled from the top of the cave. Ash glanced around, eyes wide. Pikachu jumped up with surprise. “Hello?” Ash called, still looking around his surroundings. He spotted someone on the edge of an opening to the cave.

“What are you doing down there? You OK?! You’re not hurt, right?” She shouted, waving her arms in the air. “I’m fine!” Ash yelled back. “Thank goodness!” The girl muttered, letting out a breath of relief. She stared at the unknown Pokémon next to Ash. “Is that your Pokémon?” She asked as she pointed to the mysterious large Pokémon next to Ash and Pikachu. Ash shook his head. “Nope! I found it and it transformed to look like this!” Ash explained, his voice echoing against the walls. The girl looked like she was amazed. 

“That’s so awesome!” She exclaimed. “But I probably need to help you get out of here… Come on! Maybe you can try to find a way to climb out of there! If you get close enough I can try pulling you up with one of my Pokémon’s moves!” She screamed to Ash. Ash gave her a thumbs up and kept trailing behind the Pokémon. Pikachu hopped in front of the bigger Pokémon and took his place beside it. Pikachu let out a happy purr and kept walking. Ash gave both of the Pokémon a smile.

The mysterious Pokémon cut down another wall, making more Houndour run away. “Woah! Did you see that? It cut down a whole wall! That was amazing!” The girl shouted, eyes wide with curiosity. “That Pokémon might be as strong as mine! Maybe stronger!” She gasped with wonder. Ash let out a quiet laugh. Pikachu let out a huff, feeling left out. “You’re powerful too!” Ash said to his Pikachu, remembering the time he beat Leon’s Charizard. Pikachu let out a huff in agreement.

“Hey heads up-- some pretty rough and rowdy Houndour live in this cave!” The girl added as she tried to make her voice loud enough to reach Ash. “I’m glad you’ve got your bodyguard,” Ash held a giggle while Pikachu almost fell down with laughter, “but watch your back! They’re strong!” She said, putting her hands on her hips. Ash mentally shrugged. “We can take them on, right, buddy?” Ash asked his partner. Pikachu nodded and grinned as Ash petted his head.

“Behind you! It’s behind you!” The girl yelled, putting a hand to her mouth. Ash and Pikachu and the mysterious Pokémon turned around to see a Houndoom walking slowly towards them. It glared darkly at the group, teeth bared. Ash smirked as he looked at Pikachu. “Ready bud?” Ash whispered as Pikachu returned a smug grin. Pikachu nodded, ready to charge. The unknown Pokémon suddenly attacked the Houndoom and roared at it, receiving another roar from the Houndoom. A pack of Houndour came rushing in to protect their pack leader.

Ash sweatdropped at the sight. “Come on, this isn’t a fair fight!” Ash said, crossing his arms. “Pika pikachu pika pikachu chu!” Pikachu yelled to his trainer, still grinning. “You're right, not a fair fight for them!” Ash declared, pointing at the wild Pokémon. The mysterious Pokémon looked at Ash. Ash nodded with a smile on his face. The Pokémon unleashed neon blue lighting around its body before stopping.

Instead, it swooped over towards Ash and Pikachu, using its turbines to hover above the ground. “Heeeeeey!” The girl yelled as she waved her arms around. “Up here! Quick!” She shouted. The mysterious Pokémon jumped up the rocky cliffs in the cave. It was heading towards the girl. When it arrived at the cave’s exit, the girl began clapping. As she praised the unknown Pokémon, it looked at her blankly.

The Pokémon let Ash and Pikachu down. “That was so awesome! That Pokémon is so cool!” The girl exclaimed with a smile on her face. Ash had an embarrassed look. “Chu!” Pikachu whispered as he rubbed his head against Ash’s cheek. Ash scratched Pikachu’s back. “Oh yeah! Introductions!” The girl suddenly yelped. “I’m Nemona, champion of the UVA’s school council!” Nemona said, pointing to herself.

“I’m Ash--” Ash stopped himself, remembering who he was to the world. “Ash… Pallet! Not to be confused with the monarch! Yeah!” Ash said as Pikachu face-palmed. “This is my partner, Pikachu.” Pikachu let out a ‘pika’ at the sound of his name. Nemona waved to Pikachu. They all turned to watch the mysterious Pokémon float towards the grass, a distant expression on its face. 

It let out a sudden roar and another flash of purple appeared. The Pokémon laid down in its original form, a tired look on its face. Ash ran over to it immediately. “Woah! What’s wrong?!” Nemona gasped, running over to the Pokémon. Pikachu patted the mysterious Pokémon with worry. “Maybe it used up all its power?” Nemona guessed, raising one eyebrow. “What is this Pokémon anyway? It looks like a Cyclizar,” Ash hummed at the other Pokémon name, not knowing what a Cyclizar was, “but I’ve never seen one quite like this before…” 

“And now it looks so different from a minute ago. You think it’s OK?” Nemona asked with concern. Ash kneeled down to look at the unknown Pokémon. “I dunno.” Ash said as he stared at the Pokémon. The mysterious Pokémon stared deep into Ash’s eyes. “You can’t tell either, huh?” Nemona muttered. “Well, whatever, I’m just glad you got back up here in one piece.” Nemona added, turning to Ash. Ash gave her a sheepish smile.

“Y’know, that battle was really something.” Nemona suddenly commented. “Huh?” Ash said, looking at Nemona with surprise. Nemona put her hand on her hip. “You and this fella looked pretty in sync facing that Houndoom!” She insisted, pointing to the mysterious Pokémon. “Nah, me and my partner Pikachu are always in sync. I didn’t even tell the Pokémon what to do!” Ash explained with slight confusion. Pikachu hopped onto his trainer’s shoulder.

“What?! You didn’t tell it what to do?” Nemona questioned with bewilderment. “I guess it’s not like you’re this Pokémon’s trainer yet…” Nemona mumbled to herself.  Nemona eyed Ash’s outfit. “Hey… I’ve never seen you around before, amigo.” Nemona said as Ash tensed up slightly. Ash shrugged. “I’m new?” Ash said nervously. Nemona squinted her eyes as she stared at Ash. Pikachu faltered as they had a staring contest. 

“You must be! I’ve never seen you at UVA before! You’re a new student, aren’t you?” Nemona yelled, excitement rushing over her face. Ash nodded quickly as Pikachu shot daggers at his trainer. The joy from Ash’s mood was drained. Nemona was quickly diverted to pointing out that the mysterious Pokémon had perked up. “What am I supposed to do? Tell her that I’m the monarch and champion of Alola?” Ash argued, pulling his face. Pikachu let out a tired sigh.

“You wanna exchange numbers?” Nemona surprisingly shouted. Ash’s neutral expression suddenly changed. “Yeah! Wanna be friends?” Ash asked, smiling. Nemona looked at Ash with surprise. “Yes!” She yelled, shaking her hands. Pikachu beamed as he looked at both of the humans. Ash’s Rotom phone jumped out of his pocket and flew next to Nemona’s phone. Blue light emitted from both Rotom phones.

“I can show you to the school if you’d like!” Nemona offered, happiness showing everywhere. “Sure! I gotta go… check up with my mom though. She’ll wanna know I’m about to go to the new school.” Ash lied, giving up a weak thumbs up. Nemona nodded swiftly and took a step back. “I’ll be right back.” Ash whispered to the mysterious Pokémon. It just stared at Ash.

Pikachu watched as Ash scrambled to grab his phone and dial his mother’s number. The duo headed over towards the lighthouse. Using FaceTime, Ash called Delia. 

“Ash? Honey? How are you? Did you make it to Paldea safely?” Ash’s mother asked immediately after the second the call started. “Mom, could I ask you for something?” Ash said, embarrassment creeping into his tone. Delia eyed her son. “What happened now? Did you lose your extra pair of underwear?” She asked with a worried expression. Ash groaned as Pikachu snickered.

“Is it ok if you enroll me into the UVA school in Paldea because I accidentally told someone a fake identity so I could be a normal trainer and she thinks I’m a new student at that school?” Ash questioned as his mother had an unimpressed look on her face. Delia let out a sigh. She smiled. “Alright Ash. Don’t worry! I’ll have you enrolled within a few minutes. I’m sure the principal won’t mind enrolling the monarch, champion of Alola, orange island champion!” Delia chuckled, putting her hand on her mouth. Ash sheepishly smiled.

“Mom…”

“One more thing, Ash.”

“Huh?” Ash muttered, looking at his mother straight in the eyes. “Do you want the school to know you’re the one with all of those titles?” Delia asked, putting her hands on her hips. She wasn’t stupid. Ash was very humble and modest. He was sure to be crowded by the entire school if word got out that the monarch/alola champion/person who declined a brain frontier title/the Kalos Crisis boy/orange island champion was coming to the school. “Oh yeah! I told Nemona, the girl from UVA, that my name was... Ash Pallet!” Ash said, opening his mouth to form an ‘o.’

Delia let out a tired sigh. “Ash Pallet?” She muttered, shaking her head. She smiled, letting out a small laugh.

“Ok, Ash. Stay safe. And that’s to Pikachu too. I’ll have to call the principal right now so be on your way. Love you!”

“I love you too, bye!”

“Pikachu! Chu!”

Ash ended the call, letting out a breath of relief. Pikachu nuzzled against Ash’s leg. Ash turned to look down at Pikachu before he saw Nemona coming over. Nemona waved a friendly hand, walking along with the mysterious Pokémon. Ash stood back up as someone ran up to the four of them. “Why that little…” Ash heard the other strange boy say. The stranger ran up to the mysterious Pokémon, yelling, “What’re you doing out here?!”

Ash stumbled back, surprised. Had the boy recognized who he was? Pikachu stood in front of his trainer, cheeks sparking electricity. “I’m not talking to you two. You can shove off.” The stranger grumbled, glaring at Nemona and Ash. “Pika!” Pikachu growled, pointing to himself. Ash picked up Pikachu, confusion written all over his face. “Wait, I know you! Aren’t you Arven? You’re enrolled in the humanities track, right?” Nemona exclaimed.

“And aren’t you the son of that Pokémon researcher-- Professor Turo?” Nemona added, crossing her arms. Ash thought of whoever Professor Turo was, putting a hand on his chin. Arven whipped around with an angry expression. “Doesn’t matter who my dad is!” He yelled furiously. Nemona jumped slightly at his response. “The real issue is what in the world this Pokémon is doing out here!” Arven argued, placing his hands on his hips. “And what is this form it's in?!” Arven screeched.

Ash frowned, narrowing his eyes at the teenager. “Hey! You can’t insult Pokémon like that!” Ash said, stepping forward. Arven looked at Ash. “It saved Ash from a wild pack of Houndour and Houndoom!” Nemona commented, pointing at the mysterious Pokémon. Ash stared at the strange Pokémon. “I think it wore itself out though…” Ash muttered worriedly, kneeling down towards the mysterious Pokémon. “Yeah! But you should’ve seen it before! It was unbelievably powerful!” Nemona declared.

Arven rolled his eyes and turned to the mysterious Pokémon. “Well, yeah. As it should be. But it can’t fight while it’s like this.” Arven explained, letting out a loose sigh. “The form that Miraidon takes in battle… That’s its true form.” Arven added, still turned towards the mysterious Pokémon. Miraidon kept staring and blinking at Arven.

“Miraidon, huh?” Ash whispered, kneeling towards Miraidon. It seemed to loosen up around Ash. Pikachu waltzed right next to Miraidon, looking at the larger Pokémon with a smug grin. “Agiagias!” Miraidon said, turning towards the lighthouse. Arven shook his head. “You can’t go in the lab. It’s locked.” Arven insisted. Ash raised an eyebrow. Arven turned towards Ash again.

“I don't remember ever seeing you around. But given the uniform... you go to the academy too, do you?” Arven questioned, shaking his fists. Nemona took a step forward. “He’s a new student who just transferred from another school, right?” Nemona replied happily. Ash nodded. “From Kanto.” Ash added, pointing one finger up. Arven scoffed, closing his eyes as he crossed his arms. “Miraidon isn’t the sort of Pokémon that any old Trainer can hope to command. It’s special.” Arven remarked, making Nemona curious.

Ash let out a giggle. “I’m sure I’ve been through many more Pokémon with much worse attitudes. Miraidon just seems misunderstood.” Ash said, standing up again. Arven looked at Ash as if he were crazy. “You think you’re worthy enough to order Miraidon around? Then how ‘bout I test your worthiness?” Arven demanded, putting his hands on his hips. Ash stumbled back, surprised. Pikachu let out a yelp. “What?” Ash exclaimed as Arven grinned. “A Pokémon battle?” Nemona whispered, eyes wide. Arven nodded, closing his eyes. Pikachu winced, squinting as he stared at Arven. “...Alright.” Ash whispered as he glanced at his Pokémon partner. “Chu pika…” Pikachu grumbled.

“I've been feeling all out of sorts, so I'm gonna use this battle to blast these doldrums away!” Arven said, pulling up his sleeves. Arven slapped himself in the face with both hands, releasing an energy of determination. He brought out a Pokéball, grinning. “Skwovet!” Arven shouted, throwing the Pokéball onto the battlefield. Ash smiled, looking at Pikachu. “Go, Pikachu!” Ash yelled, pointing to the battlefield. Pikachu jumped in front of his trainer.

“These memories are leaving a bad taste in my mouth--” Arven declared. “I want it gone!” He added as Skwovet shook his tail. Skwovet let out a squeal when he looked at Pikachu. “Pikachu, use thunderbolt!” Ash yelled as he raised his arm towards the sky. Pikachu jumped up, his cheeks starting to spark. “Pika…” Electricity ran through Pikachu’s body. “Chu!” The Skwovet was hit directly by the attack, the electricity running towards the opposing Pokémon too fast for it to dodge. 

Skwovet squeaked as it fell down, eyes becoming swirls. Pikachu let out a yell of happiness. “Seems you know a thing or two about battle.” Arven grumbled, holding one side of his face. “Great job buddy!” Ash complimented, picking Pikachu up. “Pikachu chu chu pika… (It wasn’t even that hard…)” Pikachu commented, shrugging. Ash gave him a great big smile. “Wow, Ash, that was awesome!” Nemona cheered, clapping her hands. Arven sighed deeply. “I guess I wasn't going to stand a chance using some pokemon I just caught…” Arven mumbled with sadness.

“But if you really think you can take Miraidon off my hands for me, you’ll need this.” Arven handed a Pokéball to Ash. Ash looked at the Pokéball with shock. “It's the pokeball the brute’s been kept in.” Arven added, placing it in Ash’s hand. “B-but—” Ash started, bewildered. Arven ignored Ash’s refusal. “Anyway that thing’s your problem now, not mine. Good luck.” Arven said as he ran off. Ash huffed in defeat.

“What? Oye! Can you not hear me or something? Fine be that way, but you better show up for school! What a weirdo…” Nemona said, huffing. She turned to Ash, sharing a few moments of silence. Ash thought Arven’s aura wasn’t that terrible, but it was mostly worry, hope, and determination. Pikachu hopped back onto Ash’s shoulder.

"Sorry about that guy, amigo. I guess he can be a bit... much." Nemona muttered, looking at the ground. She shifted her gaze onto him. “Do you still want me to show you the school…?” Nemona asked nervously. Ash faced the girl, while Pikachu was staring at Nemona. “Of course!” Ash chirped happily. Nemona smiled brightly.

--

Nemona had offered for Ash to tour around the UVA and see the town around it. It was gigantic and filled with restaurants and little shops. Many people were busy on the streets, although no cars were in sight. Ash and Pikachu bolted up the first flight of stairs, stumbling upon two people backing up someone into a wall. Pikachu let out a surprised gasp, jumping forward.

“Don’t you get it?! If you join Team Star, you can shine as bright as anybody!” A teenage girl said with a happy smile. There was another boy standing next to her, arms behind his head as he held a relaxed stance. The person they were backing up stayed silent and still. “Seriously, what's with you? Don’t you wanna burn bright with awesome friends like us?” The girl with a helmet grumbled, her smile turning into a frown.

The opposing girl turned her head down, looking off to the side. “Not really…” she muttered, eyes closed. Ash took a step closer. “Look-- We've got a quota we're supposed to fill for new members, so just sign up already!” The girl with the helmet shouted, shaking her head with disbelief. “Um… I’d rather not…” The shorter girl said, looking back up at her bullies. Ash scowled and ran up to them.

“Leave her alone!” Ash yelled, spreading his arms out in front of the girl with blue and red hair. The girl behind Ash looked slightly baffled. The other two grunts of ‘Team Star’ narrowed their eyes as they stared at Ash. “Oi! What are you doing?” The female Team Star grunt screamed, pointing at Ash. The other boy just softly facepalmed. “You can’t just force someone to sign up for anything while hanging up on them!” Ash declared angrily. “Pika!” Pikachu shouted, pointing a paw at the two. They seemed slightly nervous.

“Fine! A Pokémon battle it is! You’re asking for it, kid!” The female Team Star grunt screeched with fury. She and her partner sent out a Shroodle and a Lechonk. Ash had seen the Pokémon on his way to the school, Nemona pointing out all of the native Pokémon unknown to Ash. “Pikachu!” Ash said. Pikach lunged towards the two Pokémon. Before the grunts could declare any attacks, Pikachu hit Shroodle with an iron tail. Shroodle crashed into Lechonk, knocking both of the Pokémon out.

The grunts let out startled yelps. “You’ll r-regret this!” The female Team Star member screamed, jabbing a finger at Ash. “Hasta la vistar!” She added. Ash just narrowed his eyes with an exaggerated frown. She dashed away, leaving her partner. The male Team Star member let out a tired sigh. “Sorry. She’s new to the team…” he explained, shrugging. “I’ll have to talk to her about that.” He added. “For now, hasta la vistaaar.” He said with no enthusiasm. Ash waved goodbye and the Team Star grunt ran away.

Ash turned to face the girl with blue and red hair. “Are you ok?” Ash asked nervously. The gi stared at him. “I’m fine…” she whispered quietly. Ash let out a relieved sigh. Pikachu nuzzled the girl’s leg. She gasped and jumped. “O-oh.” The girl mumbled, seeing the electric mouse Pokémon. Pikachu hopped back onto Ash’s shoulder, cheeks sparking with electricity as Pikachu rubbed his face against Ash’s cheek. Ash scratched Pikachu’s back in return.

“Who were they?” Ash asked innocently. The girl tensed up for a brief second. Ash caught the uncomfortableness, guilt slowly seeping into her aura. “Team Star. A group made up of people who used to be bullied. At least that’s what I think…” she explained, slightly embarrassed. “Oh. Well then, introductions! I’m Ash— Pallet!” Ash said happily, almost slipping up his ruse. The girl gave him a small smile. “Penny.” She added, shaking Ash’s hand. Ash gave Penny a great big smile.

“This is my partner Pikachu!” Ash added, Pikachu walking across his arm to shake Penny’s hand. “Pika pikachuuu chu!” Pikachu said, his ears peeking up. Penny looked at Pikachu blankly. “He says nice to meet you.” Ash offered, nervously grinning. Penny seemed slightly bewildered before shrugging it off. Ash suddenly jumped up.

“Oh yeah! I gotta meet up with someone. See you around!” Ash yelled, dashing away. Pikachu held onto Ash’s arm with a surprised yelp. Penny simply stared, waving goodbye as Ash ran away. “What a weird person. He’s so powerful though…” Penny mumbled to herself. Her eyes widened, looking at her Rotom phone. She narrowed her eyes and looked back up. Ash was out of sight.

“Aaand this is UVA!” Nemona declared, pointing to the building he had seen before with the gigantic Pokéball. Ash and Pikachu looked at the huge building with awe. “So cool!” Ash whispered, eyes wide. Nemona chuckled. “I know, right? The Pokéball represents how we live with Pokémon and grow with them.” Nemona explained joyfully. Ash and Pikachu looked at each other with a grin.

“Anyway we should get you checked in with the principal, Director Clavell.” Nemona insisted, opening the entry to the school. Ash nodded. “Also, Pokémon have to stay in their Pokéballs indoors.” Nemona added, staring at Pikachu with concern. Ash tensed up along with Pikachu. “…Pikachu doesn’t like going in his Pokéball though.” Ash whispered, darkness starting to cover up his face. Nemona gazed at Ash and Pikachu with concern.

“Maybe we can get that checked up with the principal. I’m sure he’ll understand.” Nemona offered with a hopeful smile. Ash shook his head up and down with a grateful expression. Pikachu let out a happy ‘pika’ as Nemona started to walk in the school. Ash followed the UVA’s school council champion, Pikachu bobbing up and down his shoulder. As Nemona entered the elevator Pikachu hopped down onto the floor. She pressed the button that led to the principal’s office.

As they arrived, Director Clavell was sitting at his desk, a bewildered look on his face. Nemona looked at her principal with worry. “Director Clavell…? Are you ok?” Nemona asked, concern written on her face. Her principal shook his head. “Y-yes. Apologies.” Clavell said, eyes still wide. Nemona bit her lip. “Alright…” she muttered to no one in particular.

Clavell snapped his head towards Ash and Pikachu. “The new student, perhaps?” Clavell whispered. “Yep! Ash Pallet.” Nemona cheerfully introduced, making Clavell seem even more shocked. “Director—?”

“If you could, may you leave us? I will have a talk with our new student.” Clavell interrupted Nemona. Nemona seemed surprised as she took a step back. “Of course.” Nemona muttered, running out of the room. When she left, the sound of her footsteps gone, Clavell stared at Ash directly in his eyes. Pikachu jerked back. “Ash Ketchum?” Clavell echoed, making Ash nod with embarrassment. Clavell let out a long breath, still shocked.

“Your mother was persistent to enroll a few minutes before you showed up.”

“I know. It was my last-minute idea. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I’m just surprised the monarch with various other titles would enroll in UVA.”

“Yeah… you put my name as Ash Pallet, right? Sorry, I just don’t want to be recognized that easily.”

“Yes, Ash Pallet.”

“Thank you.” Ash whispered, smiling softly. “Of course.” Clavell responded, eyes finally becoming their normal size. Ash tugged at his bucket hat. Pikachu wagged his tail and jumped onto the principal’s desk. “Is it ok if I let Pikachu out of his Pokéball indoors?” Ash questioned. “Of course.” Clavell said again, still slightly shocked. Ash rubbed the back of his neck. “Pikachu!” Pikachu said with happiness. “He says thank you.” Ash added. Clavell only nodded.

“Thanks again!” Ash waved goodbye along with Pikachu as they exited the room. Clavell left out a breath of air he didn’t know he was holding. He stared at his desk in silence.

“Ash Ketchum… the monarch, champion of Alola, Orange Island champion….” He mumbled under his breath. “ And his Pikachu…”

--

“How’d it go?” Nemona asked as Ash and Pikachu exited the principal’s office. Ash gave her a thumbs up. “Great, actually! He said I could have Pikachu out of his Pokéball.” Ash replied as Pikachu shook his fur. Nemona seemed surprised by his response. “Lucky you! I’m honestly surprised he was so nice to you.” Nemona said, eyes drifting off to the side as she was caught in curiosity.

Ash, Pikachu, and Nemona walked into the elevator. “Now that that’s settled, wanna go to your new room?” Nemona questioned, smirking widely. Ash and Pikachu looked at her with surprise. “My new room?” Ash echoed as Pikachu jumped on top of his bucket hat. Nemona just grinned.

“Yep! The Director gave me the number to your room in the UVA! Exciting, isn’t it?” Nemona explained with joy. Ash’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth. “That’s so awesome!” Ash gasped. “Pika pikachu!” Pikachu chirped, closing his eyes. Nemona stepped out of the elevator as it came to a stop. Ash and Pikachu followed her into a room that seemed particularly large. Nemona stared at the room, wide-eyed along with Ash and Pikachu.

“It seems… big.” Ash commented, facing the ceiling. Nemona blinked rapidly for a few seconds. “Bigger than the regular rooms… Director Clavell must see something in you. Maybe it’s because you're new? I’ve never met anyone from Kanto who speaks fluently in Paldean. Maybe he feels bad for you. Not that you're not cool enough or anything, amigo!” Nemona guessed, shrugging. She clutched one side of her face as she stared at the room. Ash had a dreaded feeling that knew why his room was so grand.

“Man, this place really is big. Has your name on here and places for posters… You can decorate this room to your liking however you want!” Nemona exclaimed, her aura being as bubbly and as joyful as always. “It’s certainly something.” Ash commented, Pikachu staring at Ash with a smug grin. Ash just let out a huff as he looked at Pikachu. “I’ll leave you to it, then.” Nemona declared, grabbing the door knob. She waved a friendly hand and smiled. Nemona left the room, leaving Ash and Pikachu.

“OhmygoshPikachu.” Ash echoed, eyes wide. He rushed over to his fluffy bed and fell straight onto the bed. Ash let out a sigh of relief. “If I’m treated like this from Director Clavell, imagine how students would view me! I’d be swarmed and I’d have all of their attention.” Ash shouted, grimacing. Pikachu patted Ash’s head. “Pika pikachu chu chu pi. Pikachu pipi chu pika. (Don’t think about it too much. You deserve it anyway.)” Pikachu informed his trainer. Ash smiled softly. “Thanks buddy.” Ash responded, making Pikachu smirk.

Pikachu jumped onto Ash’s stomach, making his trainer let out a yelp. “Awww.” Ash muttered, defeated. Both Pikacch and Ash laughed. “I can’t wait to explore Paldea with new friends.” Ash echoed, smiling. Pikachu cuddled himself and laid on Ash’s stomach. “Maybe we’ll see our other friends while we’re here!” Ash exclaimed excitedly. “Pi pika pikachu. (I can’t wait either.)” Pikachu whispered. Ash nodded, still grinning.

--

Later on that day Nemona challenged Ash to a battle with her ace, Tauros. She got one-shotted in an instant.

Ash froze along with Pikachu, eyeing at the fainted Paldean Tauros. Pikachu let out a startled yelp and Ash gulped. Was Nemona going to suddenly connect the dots? “I told you I wasn’t really a newbie to battling…” Ash incoherently mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Nemona remained silent for a few seconds before squealing at the top of her lungs.

“That was so cool! You are so cool!” She screeched, jumping up and down. Ash and Pikachu’s sighs of relief were heard from a distance as Director Clavell watched, shocked. Pikachu sent a knowing look at the director. Ash just laughed.

Chapter Text

Ash and Pikachu woke up to silence in their bedroom. It was abnormally peaceful waking up in an actual room when they got so used to camping. Ash and Pikachu had only gotten used to sleeping in the beds in the laboratory of Professor Cerise, not other beds like the one they were currently in.

Pikachu shook his yellow fur and nuzzled Ash’s face. Ash scratched Pikachu’s neck before getting up to look around. Ash let out a soft sigh as he stood up. Pikachu hopped onto the stand right beside the bed. Pikachu shook his fur to make himself more awake.

Ash stared at his room for a brief moment before glancing at the clock. He took one glance at the clock with Pikachu. 

“OHMYGOSH-- WE'REGONNABELATE--!”

Ash and Pikachu, to their surprise, were not late to class. Mr. Jacq, their new homeroom and biology teacher. Pikachu stuffed some toast into his mouth as Ash did the same. They both swallowed it down quickly as Mr. Jacq gave the both of them a perplexed expression.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ash.” Mr. Jacq greeted them, giving them a warm smile. Ash smiled back, almost choking on the toast as he did. Pikachu patted Ash’s back. “Anyway, I take it that class is about to start. You’ll wait here until I inform everyone that they’re getting a new classmate.” Mr. Jacq explained, getting nods from Ash and Pikachu.

He walked into his classroom, leaving the two in the quiet and empty hall. Ash took a deep breath in and stared blankly at the classroom door. He could hear the commotion of wonder from his new classmates as Mr. Jacq told them they were going to have a new classmate. Pikachu babbled and rubbed his cheek against Ash’s. 

Ash scratched Pikachu’s chin before touching the door handle and opening it. He gave the class a big smile. He waved to everyone. All the students, minus Nemona, gave Ash bewildered looks. Pikachu tilted his head, confused at the reaction.

“This is Ash Pallet. He comes from a different region and is very new here, so please, treat him well.” Mr. Jacq informed the class, gesturing to the new student. Ash waved weakly to his classmates. Pikachu narrowed his eyes at the students giving Ash shocked looks. Those classmates turned away and resumed their normal expressions.

Ash walked up next to Mr. Jacq. “Why don’t you tell us about yourself, Ash?” Mr. Jacq said with a warm smile. Ash gave his teacher a nervous smile and nodded. He and Pikachu turned to face the class.

“My name is Ash-- uh-- Pallet if you haven’t heard. And uhm, my favorite color is dark green? Oh!” Ash held out his arm and Pikachu climbed up to Ash’s hand. “This is my good friend Pikachu! He’s the best and he’s really powerful!” Ash exclaimed happily. Pikachu purred at the compliment. 

The other people in the classroom were awed at Pikachu, Nemona grinning wildly. “It’s true! He’s so powerful that he beat my star Pokémon with one move!” Nemona exclaimed, pumping her fist into the sky. The class gasped and everyone gave each other looks. They all stared at Ash.

Ash rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve been a trainer for a long time, my power level would have to be like the teachers here!” Ash waved his hands around frantically. Mr. Jacq gave Ash a knowing look and smiled. “Come on, Ash, you can go take a seat now.” Mr. Jacq said, gesturing to Ash towards a seat next to Nemona.

Nemona waved to Ash excitedly. “I can’t believe we get to sit next to each other! Isn’t that exciting?” She whisper-yelled. Ash nodded frantically in agreement with a beaming smile on his face. Pikachu rubbed his face into Ash’s cheek. “Pikaaaa.” Pikachu let out a soft purr. 

Pikachu was given a pat on the head by Ash. Nemona refrained from hugging the life out of the adorable yellow Pokémon. Instead, she let out a squeal of excitement from seeing the cuteness of him. She resumed to face the direction most of the class was facing.

“Hm.” Ash watched as Mr. Jacq started to teach. He didn’t want to pay attention. Besides, it was all about Pokémon and Ash already knew a lot about Pokémon. Except… maybe this new thing.

“Terastallize. Or tera, for short.” Mr. Jacq pointed to the board where a set of crystals were drawn. “These are tera shards. They can power up Pokémon depending on what type of tera shard they are, or what type of terastal your Pokémon gets.” Mr. Jacq explained, gesturing to the crystals.

Ash and Pikachu leaned closer to the front of the classroom with awe on their faces. “Woah…” Ash mumbled, his mouth open wide. Pikachu pointed to a shard and pointed to himself. “Pikaaa, pikachu chu pik chuu. (Ashhhh, I want one of those.)” Pikachu whispered to his friend.

Ash nodded in agreement. “Me too, buddy,” Ash said, his mouth hanging open. Nemona giggled at the sight of the two in awe. “I’m guessing you two have never seen a tera shard before?” Nemona asked, more a statement than a question. Ash and Pikachu nodded in sync, their eyes still shining from the sight of the shards.

“Right, you’re new to Paldea… Anyway, I’m sure Mr. Jacq will explain and I’ll add fun information if it gets too boring for the both of you.” Nemona beamed at Ash. Ash gave her a quiet thumbs up, grinning brightly. 

Mr. Jacq snapped some gloves on. He took a pink crystal from the table before him and presented it to the class. “You see, students, this shard here is a fairy tera shard. If your Pokémon’s default terastal is fairy, this shard here,” Mr. Jacq tapped the crystal, and sparks of fairy dust sprinkled from it. “Will help strengthen your Pokémon.”

The teacher turned to the class, his glasses reflecting light. “But, scientists have recently discovered that gathering enough tera shards of a certain type can change your Pokémon’s terastal to said type.” Mr. Jacq informed his students.

The bell rang throughout the classroom and Mr. Jacq relaxed. “That’s all for class today, I’m anticipating the next class!” Mr. Jacq exclaimed happily, giving Ash a sweet smile. Ash smiled back.

Ash tilted his head, thinking. Classes were way shorter compared to the ones he had in Alola. Maybe Alola was a special case, or maybe this academy was. Ash shrugged to himself. It’s not like he really went to school in Kanto. His mom homeschooled him.

“I hope you enjoyed your first class,” Mr. Jacq said, looking at Ash. Ash nodded in response. “I did! It’s so cool to learn about this terastall thing!” Ash exclaimed, raising his arms in the air. Pikachu did the same at the same time with a pika.

Mr. Jacq laughed at the sight of the two doing the same action. “It seems like you and your Pokémon have a great bond.” Mr. Jacq leaned closer to Pikachu, hands behind his back. Ash scratched the top of Pikachu’s head.

“He’s my buddy, my friend. We’ve been together since the start of my journey!” Ash explained with enthusiasm. Mr. Jacq raised a brow. “Journey?” He repeated. Ash gulped, tensing up slightly. “If you don’t mind, could you tell me what your journey is?” Mr. Jacq asked with curiosity.

Ash shook his body and hesitantly nodded. “Journey to… to… uhm, become the Champion of Paldea!” Ash announced, pointing at himself. Pikachu was about to face-palm but stopped midway.

Since Ash was already the Monarch, basically Champion of Champions, people wouldn’t expect him to go even further, right? Leon stayed the Monarch and didn’t do official challenges for other titles, so people would most likely expect Ash to do the same. (Those people not being Ash’s friends, of course.)

Mr. Jacq made a noise of excitement. “That’s interesting! I’m sure you know the Champion of our Academy here is Nemona, so I can’t wait to see you two compete to become the Top Champion!” Mr. Jacq said, patting Ash on the back. Ash tilted his head.

“Wait, what?” 

“Yep! It’s my dream to be the strongest trainer ever! I wanna be just like the Monarch!” Nemona declared, punching her fist into the air. Ash and Pikachu turned their heads around to look at Nemona. Ash cleared his throat before whispering, “The Monarch?”

Nemona grinned brighter than ever before. “Uh-huh! I looove all of his battles. I’m sure you two would get along super well if you ever met the Monarch!” Nemona shouted, stomping her feet on the ground quickly. Nemona blinked and stopped moving around.

“Wait… you look like the Monarch… Like really similar.” Nemona tapped the top of Ash’s head. Ash stayed still, not wanting to make anything obvious. His acting wasn’t always the best at convincing people. He let out a weird-sounding laugh.

Ash shook his head. Pikachu made an x using his fuzzy arms. “You must be a big fan of him! I mean like, the hairstyle and the Pikachu?” Pikachu blinked in surprise. “You’re like his twin or something!” Nemona gasped, staring at Ash intensely. Ash and Pikachu sweatdropped.

“THAT MUST BE IT!! You’re a huge fan of the Monarch, Ash! HA, you even have the same name as him!” Nemona slapped her knee while laughing. “You could be his doppelganger if you had the lightning cheeks, the outfits that are always similar to each other, and chestnut eyes!” Nemona explained.

Ash forgot that he put contacts on to avoid being recognized. Thanks to Nemona, he would get even more paranoid and make some touches to his look. Ash brushed his shoulder, his shoulder high and tense. He laughed shortly.

“You caught me!” Mr. Jacq was quietly listening to their conversation. “I’m a huge fan! Especially the Pokémon battles, right?” Ash fumbled with his words here and there, rubbing the back of his neck. Nemona nodded her head in agreement.

She squealed, bringing her hands close to her face. “Someone else who’s a fan of the Monarch! I’m so happy!” Nemona whispered-shouted, about to burst with excitement. Pikachu let out a giant sigh, flopping onto Ash’s shoulder. Ash laughed weakly.

“Anyway you two, you should get going to your next class.” Mr. Jacq made a gesture of pushing with a soft smile on his face. Ash coughed into his fist. “Right! Yeah, come on Nemona, let’s go!” Ash grabbed Nemona’s hand and sprinted out of there.

“Vamonos!” She whooped, raising her other hand into the air. Pikachu held onto Ash’s shirt tightly while screaming.

They could barely hear Mr. Jacq’s shout of, “No running in the halls, please!” 

----

Ash was sitting inside the classroom, a class where Nemona wasn’t whispering in his ear from time to time because she didn’t have this one, staring at the wall while absentmindedly petting Pikachu. He let out a sigh as the words the teacher was saying passed through his head. The lesson wasn’t that appealing to him because it had nothing to do with terastallizing. Just with stuff he already knew as in what types were super effective against others.

The bell rang and the teacher stopped talking, a bit startled by the sudden ringing. “Alright, class is dismissed for lunch.” The teacher stated, gesturing to the door. Ash sprung up with excitement. Lunch involved food and Ash and Pikachu loved food.

The trainer and the Pokémon rushed down the halls, not running but speed-walking, towards the lunchroom. When Ash arrived, he found that other students were sitting down at long tables with their lunch boxes and trays, munching on their food.

To his left was where the lunch ladies were preparing food for those who didn’t bring home lunch and to his right were more students already eating their lunch. He looked around with awe as some students passed by him to sit down at the tables. Pikachu pet Ash’s cheek.

Ash glanced at Pikachu. “What is it, buddy?” Ash asked curiously. Pikachu pointed to a person straight in front of him. The person was standing beside a long table where the lunch ladies were setting the food. Two Combees were huddled near the pots on the table.

The raven-haired boy hummed and walked up to the familiar figure. The person turned around, sensing Ash’s presence and his eyes widened. “It’s you! Wait, you remember me, right?” Arven asked, standing in front of Ash casually.

“From the lighthouse? Oh yeah! I beat you in that Pokémon battle with Pikachu.” Ash remembered. He raised his arm to have Pikachu stare at Arven smugly. Arven slumped, unimpressed. “No need to rub it in.” He grumbled.

Arven gave Ash a smile, despite his grumpy attitude. “But I’m glad you remember me. A little know-it-all, aren’t you?” Arven grinned. Ash let out an awkward laugh. “Thanks, I guess?” Ash muttered, a bit confused.

“You seem to have a reputation already at this school. Defeating the UVA Champion and being best friends with her already.” Arven crossed his arms. Ash rubbed the back of his neck at the mention of the brief battle between him and Nemona.

Arven walked around, pacing. “I usually don’t attend classes here, but today’s a special occasion since you’re here.” Arven explained, looking back at Ash. Ash tilted his head and pointed at himself. “Me?” Ash repeated while Pikachu also pointed at Ash, confused.

Arven nodded with determination. “Of course! You seem to know a lot about battling and you’re powerful enough to knock Nemona’s Pokémon out.” Arven extended his hand out to Ash. “I need you to help me fulfill my dream!” Arven announced.

Pikachu and Ash stared at each other before looking back at Arven. “What?” Ash echoed with a slight deadpan look on his face. Pikachu had the same expression as Ash on his face. Arven let out a small relieved sigh. Ash wondered what that was about.

“My dream, to be a great cook. If I’m being honest, I’m an alright cook, especially with sandwiches. But, the other day, I found this book.” Arven took out a purple book from his bag and opened it. Ash couldn’t catch what the title of the book was.

Arven flipped to a page and put his finger on it. “I was reading it and I found out about these plants called the Herba Mystica.” Ash opened his mouth with surprise. That sounded mysterious, and like an adventure he would want to go on.

“There’s five of them. They supposedly have the power to immediately heal a Pokémon, provide nutrients to boost a Pokémon’s power, and even prevent aging!” Arven exclaimed, fascinated. “It can even strengthen the immune system!” Arven whispered as he stared at the book with amazement.

Ash and Pikachu exchanged curious looks and leaned closer towards the book. “That sounds so cool!” Ash yelped, eyes shining. Arven nodded in agreement. “This book also says that they’re guarded by a Titan Pokémon. A really huge Pokémon, most likely enhanced by the herb. So, it’ll be difficult to collect the Herba Mystica.” Arven added.

“Here, take a look.” Arven lended Ash the book. Ash took it, raising it up to Pikachu’s eye level so that they could both stare at it. A drawing of an unknown Pokémon was on the left page, while on the right it had text.

Monsters of Area Zero 

As we descended further into Area Zero, we began to catch glimpses of mysterious Pokémon-- though we wondered if these compact, cruel beasts were indeed Pokémon at all. One of our team suffered a brutal blow from such a beast and was mortally wounded, forcing us to retreat for a time.

Ash and Pikachu stared the book with wonder. Ash noticed the drawing resembled a Donphan, except that its tusk looked like a metal treadmill and it looked angrier than a usual Donpahn. Ash turned the page.

Monsters of Area Zero.

A member of the survey team captured this photograph by chance. I notice a passing resemblance to the Pokémon known as Donphan, yet differences such as its texture and the way it moves suggest it is biologically separate-- to say nothing of its treads of iron.

The trainer gave the book back to Arven, noticing its title as he handed it back. Violet Book. Huh. Ash thought as Arven accepted the book and put it in his backpack. Arven cleared his throat. 

“I, uh, would take those herbs by myself, but… I’m not really good at Pokémon battles.” Arven admitted, turning his back to Ash. Ash wondered if Arven was embarrassed about it as Arven turned to face the floor.

“And I, uh… Don’t really have friends with strong Pokémon to lend me a hand either.” Arven muttered. “And I would never hear the end of it if I asked that student council girl…” Arven added, brows furrowing. Ash felt a little bad while Pikachu plopped onto his stomach on Ash’s shoulder.

Arven turned, facing Ash and Pikachu again. “But it’s a miracle, you come out of the blue and beat her in a single attack!” Ash winced. “You’ve got to help me out, you’re perfect for this!” Arven claimed, waving his hands.

Ash looked at the floor. Pikachu let out a few murmurs. “Pika, pikachu pi pikachu chu. (Ash, do you wanna help him?)” Pikachu asked, tilting his head innocently. Ash bit his lip and thought about it.

He really wanted to help Arven. Sure, Arven seemed like he had other intentions, but he could look into those intentions while traveling with him! And if those intentions were bad, Ash would beat him. If they were good, Ash wouldn’t have to go on a world-threatening adventure. 

Ash remembered trusting Alain only for it to end with disaster. People screaming, fire burning, and him feeling the cries of help from the Zygardes that were put against their will to destroy, burn, and tear apart. Lysandre grinning like a mad man at the sight as he plunged to his death.

Ash tightened his fist at the memory. His gaze met the floor. Ash looked back up at Arven. “Ash? Are you alright?” Arven asked, a worried expression on his face as he reached towards Ash. “Yeah! Yeah.” Ash responded.

Arven crossed his arms again with a nod. “You don’t have to answer now.” Ash was thankful for that. “I’ll just send you the coordinates of the nearest Herba Mystica.” Arven’s Rotom Phone flew out of his backpack. Ash hastily brought out his.

Rings of light emitted from both phones with a beeping sound. “I’ll message you later. But, for now, do you wanna eat lunch?” Arven asked, a bit embarrassed. Ash and Pikachu nodded eagerly.

“Of course! I’m starving!” 

“Pika pi pikachu! Pi pika!” 

Arven smiled with them, just glad that he managed to make new friends for the first time in a very long time.

----

Arven had left Ash and Pikachu in the lunchroom. They had eaten lunch together, but Arven left saying something about his grade for his next class that was really and since he didn’t attend the class much. Ash understood and waved goodbye to him alongside Pikachu.

Ash and Pikachu finished their food and stood up. After taking their trash out, they went to the door. Ash took a step towards the door— 

“Ro-to-to-to-to!” Ash’s eyes went wide and he scrambled for his phone. He hastily brought it out. Ash and Pikachu narrowed their eyes at the unidentified call. Ash was about to decline the fall when his hand slipped and pressed accept.

“Oops.” He muttered. “…This is Ash, correct?” A mysterious voice said, the voice sounding like a girl’s who was edited to sound deeper than the original. Ash cleared his throat. 

“Uh… yeah. This is Ash. Pallet.” A few moments of silence. Ash darted into the bathroom and locked the door. Pikachu was on his shoulder. “Who is this?” Ash whispered to the phone. “My name is Cassiopeia.” The voice responded.

Ash hummed in response. “I hacked into your phone to contact you. I come to you with no foul intention.” Cassiopeia said, her voice unwavering. Ash sweatdropped at the ‘no foul intention’ part of Cassiopeia’s claim.

Twice in one day he was indirectly asked to trust a person, which was fine. It was definitely fine. Ash wasn’t suddenly remembering every betrayal he had experienced when he had placed his trust in someone. And those people played the part of being his friend, too, so that didn’t help.

Ash pushed back a scowl. “What do you need help with?” Ash asked like the helpful boy he was. Cassiopeia let out a small noise of surprise. She probably didn’t expect Ash to know she was calling Ash for help. Ash expected it since Arven did not too long ago.

“Well, Ash, you know about Team Star, correct?” Cassiopeia questioned cautiously. Ash hummed, signaling that he did. “Great. Just for some background information, Team Star is a group of troublemakers from the school, formed by an unknown academy student a while back.”

Ash narrowed his eyes at the ‘unknown academy student’ part. “They cause many headaches for the school and try to bring other students down to their level. And I refuse to sit idly and let them get away with it!” Cassiopeia announced to Ash with determination in her voice.

“So, what do you need me to do?” Ash tilted his head. “I’ve created a plan called Operation Starfall. It’s to bring down Team Star.” Cassiopeia explained. Ash giggled. “Nice wordplay.” He complimented with an innocent grin as Pikachu made noises of agreement.

“Thanks.” Cassiopeia said, although reluctant. “I’ll need allies. I suspect you will be a very great one. We would need to discuss this operation later in fuller detail, though.” Cassiopeia declared to Ash and Pikachu. “Oh. Well—” Ash started to say. Cassiopeia interrupted by saying, “No need for an answer right away.”

Ash let out a relieved sigh. Thank goodness people in Paldea were very considerate about decisions. “Till then I’ll leave it to you, bye.” Cassiopeia stated. “Bye!” Ash and Pikachu yelped. Well, Pikachu tried to say, only a pika coming out of his mouth. 

Ash held his phone close to his chest. Pikachu gave Ash a look, worried. “I wanna trust them, Pikachu. I do.” Ash muttered, eyelids drooping. “Pikaaa pikachu pi (You don’t have to).” Pikachu brought his hand up and patted Ash’s cheek with his soft furry hand. Ash grasped Pikachu’s hand with gratitude.

“I know, buddy. But I’m gonna. I have a feeling this time is gonna go better than the others! Like Goh! He was such an awesome pal to hang out with.” Ash beamed at the thought of Goh. He missed his old friends a bit, but it was fun to start new adventures and make new friends. Like Nemona.

Pikachu nodded in agreement. “Pikachu pi pi chu (I trust you, Ash).” Pikachu whispered with a small smile. Ash laughed and scratched Pikachu’s chin. “And I trust you, too, buddy.” Ash added.

The school bell rang from the hall. Ash and Pikachu shrieked. “AH! We gotta get to class!” Ash screeched and burst out the door. Pikachu held onto his shoulder like usual as they managed to make it in time to their next class. 

“Hey, Ash!” Nemona’s voice called out to the raven-haired boy. Ash whipped around to find Nemona walking up to him. “Guess we have this class together, too!” She gave him a wide smile and he gave one back. “I guess so!” Ash responded happily.

Nemona grabbed Ash’s hand and rushed inside the classroom. “Come on, let's get you a seat quickly before other students take them all!” 

“There aren’t assigned seats?”

“Not in this class!”

“Everything’s so weird here at the school compared to Alola…”

“YOU’VE BEEN TO ALOLA?! You’ve got to tell me all about that!

“Oh hey, look, class is starting!”

“Pika pika pika. (You idiot).”

Chapter Text

Ash looked at himself in the mirror and let out an exasperated sigh. “Pikachu… how am I supposed to convince people I don’t look like the famous, popular monarch? Egh, so many people would crowd me if I got revealed…” Ash shuddered at the thought. Pikachu hopped onto the sink.

“Pi… pika pikachu pika pi chu chu pika. (Maybe… you should do something with your hair.)” Pikachu pointed to a red rubber band. The Pokémon picked up another rubber band next to the red one. Pikachu stretched it in his paws until it flung off of his paws. Pikachu and Ash screeched in surprise.

Ash shook his head, flinging his hair around. “You’re right, buddy!” Ash grabbed the red hair tie and started bunching hair together. He wrapped the rubber band around his air and took a look at himself in the mirror. “Ehh…” Ash mumbled, fumbling with the hair tie. Pikachu’s ear tilted down.

Pikachu hopped onto Ash’s head and helped Ash with tying the back of his hair. Pikachu’s tail flicked by Ash’s nose. “Ah, Pikachu! That tickles!” Ash yelped, throwing his partner off of his face. Pikachu let out a noise of surprise and landed on top of the sink. Pikachu grumbled at Ash.

“Sorry, buddy! Your tail is just so cute and softttt!” Ash giggled. Pikachu let out a huff, saying that his hair was not cute or soft. Pikachu looked at Ash’s hair again. 

“Chu, pikachu pi, chu pikachu. (Here, sit down, I’ll tie it.)” Pikachu declared, holding up the red hair tie. Ash gasped in awe and nodded eagerly.

Ash plopped down onto the floor. Pikachu ran up to Ash’s shoulder and made sure his tail didn’t get in his trainer’s face. The yellow Pokémon held parts of Ash’s hair and thought. Then, he clumped it together, leaving some parts of Ash’s hair untouched, and started twisting the rubber band around the hair.

Ash wanted to wince at the tugs of his hair but stayed still. Pikachu finished, the hair tie making a snapping sound. “Pika! (Done!)” Pikachu announced happily. Ash sprung up, Pikachu still on his shoulder. 

“Yay! How do I look?” Ash turned to the mirror. 

There was no hair hanging by his shoulders, the hair tied up to the level of his nose. It was gathered neatly, with only a few hair strands poking out. Instead of having a bunch of hair poke out like usual, Pikachu smothered it back into a stubby ponytail. Now, his hair only poked out a bit.

“AH, I love it, I love it, I love it!” Ash stomped lightly on the floor with excitement. “Thanks, Pikachu!” Ash shouted enthusiastically. Pikachu grinned in response, proud of his work. 

“Pika pika! (No problem!)” Pikachu replied happily. Ash rubbed Pikachu’s fuzzy head.

“Come on then, we gotta get to classes! I heard we’re having a special event tomorrow!” Ash announced, putting on the makeup that covered the lightning symbols on his cheeks. Pikachu saluted and went to grab his gloves and hat.

After Ash finished, he walked out of the bathroom. Pikachu handed him his gloves and hat, which he happily put on. Pikachu grinned at his partner and Ash grinned back. “Are you excited for school?” Ash asked Pikachu. Pikachu nodded happily.

“Alright, then,” Ash scrambled on the floor to get his shoes. He slipped them on easily. “Let’s go!” Ash declared, bursting out of the door as Pikachu yelped about his school supplies. Ash would’ve done a spit-take if he were drinking something.

He quickly swiped his bag full of necessities for school while Pikachu was on it. Pikachu softly punched Ash’s shoulder. Ash let out a playful yelp. “I dunno what you’re talking about, I didn’t forget anything!” Ash said with a toothy grin. Pikachu rolled his eyes.

“Ok, now let’s go!” Ash shouted, arms stretched out. 

“Pika pi! (Let’s go!)” Pikachu repeated. Ash and Pikachu burst out of the door, ready to go, only to crash into a familiar figure. Ash, Pikachu, and the other person yelped as they collided.

Ash opened his eyes to find out that the person he had crashed into was the principal of the school, himself. Ash almost screamed, embarrassment hot on his cheeks. “Principal Clavell! I am so sorry!” Ash shouted, bowing as an apology.

Clavell pushed up his glasses and stood up. Ash offered a hand to the principal only for him to wave it away. Clavell stood up straight, hands behind his back. “It’s fine. I was just checking in on how everything is for you at the school.” Clavell stated.

“It’s going well! Pikachu and I are looking forward to learning about that crystalizing
 stuff!” Ash grinned, Pikachu doing the same. Clavell sweatdropped. 

“Terastallzing.” Clavell
 corrected, gesturing to a shining ball that resembled a Pokéball. Ash stared at it with awe.

“That looks like the Pokéball that people use to crystalize Pokémon!” Ash gasped, eyes shining. Clavell nodded after correcting Ash that it was terastallzing. “I am gifting you this for your journeys here in the Paldea region.” Clavell explained formally.

Ash eyed the Tera Orb. “Is it cuz I’m the monarch?” Ash asked quietly, eyebrows furrowing. Clavell shook his head, seemingly unbothered by Ash’s wariness. 

“Of course not! Your mother specifically ordered me to not give you special treatment just because you defeated the undefeatable.” Clavell explained and Ash let out a relieved sigh.

Pikachu patted the back of Ash’s head, trying to comfort his partner. “This Tera Orb is given to you because all students at the Uva Academy are to receive one if they do not own one already. We teach terastallizing in our class about Pokémon battles.” Clavell added.

Ash and Pikachu let out a gasp. They started to squeal with excitement. “Pokémon battles class! Aw yeah!” Ash yelled, pumping his fist into the air. Clavell smiled weakly. 

“Please keep your voice down in the halls.” Clavell murmured, gesturing to the hall around them.

“Sorry, sorry.” Ash and Pikachu apologized to Clavell and bowed again. Ash straightened himself and looked at Clavell. Clavell was giving Ash a sheepish smile.

“No need for any more apologies. You should head to class now, young… Pallet.” Clavell raised an eyebrow. Ash rubbed the back of his head.

“I’m no good with making stuff up on the spot.” Ash admitted, embarrassed. Clavell gave Ash a knowing smile and laughed. Clavell nodded in agreement then gave Ash a knowing look.

“Unlike your battles.” Clavell remarked and started to walk away. Ash blinked, wide-eyed. 

He watched as Clavell strutted away. Ash hummed, feeling glad that Clavell wasn’t going to shower him with unwanted attention. Also, he got complimented by the principal on the first day, which was pretty cool if he didn’t say so himself.

“Pika pika pikachu pikachu. (Your Rotom phone is buzzing.)” Pikachu whispered to Ash. Ash jumped up and almost sprinted down the hallway. He walked at a fast pace, and found another bathroom to stuff himself in. He closed the door and took out his Rotom phone.

Ash let out a relieved sigh when he saw that it was just a voicemail from Nemona. He was glad Pikachu remembered to change his contact information whenever he exchanged numbers with someone. His contact name would be Ash Pallet and his profile picture would be Ash and Pikachu, Ash in his Paldean outfit without the noticeable features of the monarch.

The trainer opened the voice mail and pressed play. “Hey, Ash! Could you meet me in the staff room? I wanna talk to you, amigo! Hasta luego!” Ash closed the voice mail and smiled. 

“Guess, we’ll make a stop in the staff room before going to class, huh, buddy?” Ash said to Pikachu.

Pikachu purred merrily and hopped off of Ash’s shoulder. Pikachu opened the bathroom door and the two of them started to make their way to the staff room. Ash and Pikachu had to keep reminding themselves that they couldn’t run in the halls.

They found their way to the staff room and entered it. Pikachu leapt through the door and turned, waiting for Ash. Ash put his arm next to Pikachu and the Pokémon climbed it, making his way to Ash’s shoulder.

“Very well, Champion Nemona. I trust you to handle this in my stead.” A voice rang out, noticeably more powerful than the other voices in the room. Ash peered at a figure next to Nemona. Nemona was chatting with her, looking excited.

“Sure thing! You can count on me. In fact, I bet this is gonna be fun!” Nemona declared, punching her fist into the open palm of her other hand. “I’m glad to hear it, good day, then.” The person turned and started to walk away from Nemona with her eyes closed. Nemona gladly waved goodbye to her.

The person who was talking with Nemona saw Ash and almost walked into him since her eyes were closed. Ash’s shoulder briefly brushed the taller woman. “Oh, pardon m--” The woman’s eyes flashed with recognition as she looked at Ash. The spark slowly disappeared when she got a better look at his face.

“You certainly look like a certain someone.” She remarked with an eyebrow raised. Ash sheepishly grinned as Pikachu shrugged, trying to play it off. 

“I get that a lot.” Ash muttered, rubbing the back of his head. The person let out a soft laugh and continued walking away. The stranger smirked at Ash as they exited the room. Ash tilted his head, confused. 

Nemona saw Ash and ran up to him, squealing with excitement. She wrapped her arm around Ash, hugging Pikachu and Ash at the same time. “Hey, Ash! Pikachu!” Nemona shouted happily. Ash beamed and returned the hug.

“Who was that you were talking with? She seemed cool!” Ash complimented with a smile. Nemona nodded in agreement. 

“She is! That lady is… well, everyone calls her La Primera!” Nemona exclaimed.

Ash and Pikachu tilted their heads. “La Primera?” Ash muttered, Pikachu repeated the same words. They exchanged a glance at each other, confused.

“She's strong, she can do pretty much ANYTHING, she's got cool practically coming out of her ears! She’s basically a role model for Pokémon trainers to look up to.” Nemona had a dazzling smile as she talked about La Primera.

“But she’s little to compare to the monarch, the one you resemble so much.” Nemona joked, gesturing to Pikachu. “The monarch and La Primera-- they’re everything I wanna be, or what any Pokémon trainer would wanna be, really!” Nemona claimed.

Ash couldn’t help but smile embarrassedly. Nemona’s mouth formed and ‘o’ as she realized something. “Oh, right! That reminds me, remember when you were asked by Mr. Jacq what your journey was?” Nemona asked, putting her hand close to her mouth.

Ash nodded slowly in response. “I’m so glad you’re gonna try to be a Champion, like me!” Nemona squealed, on the tip of her toes. “So I’ve got a whole spiel for you about the Champion ranks.” Nemona declared, clasping her hands together.

“They're pro-tier battlers. Their moves keep crowds absolutely on the edge of their seats! Of course, you have to prove yourself to the Pokémon League to officially get the title of Champion. And to do so, you have to do more than just take classes from this school.”

Ash nodded as Nemona rambled. “So it’s like the other regions? I have to collect, uh, eight gym badges, right?” Ash asked curiously. Nemona gasped loudly. 

“SO YOU’VE BEEN TO OTHER REGIONS THAN ALOLA?” Nemona whisper-screamed.

“Pika pi. (Oh, Ash.)” Pikachu shook his head disappointedly. Ash stumbled over his words, trying to find an excuse for his slip up.

“I didn’t mean to!” Ash whispered to his Pokémon partner. Pikachu stuck his tongue out at Ash. He deadpanned and turned back to Nemona.

“Oh, you have got to tell me all about the other regions. At least at a later time. I mean, I feel bad for you, always moving around so much, but still, that’s so amazing! I’ve been stuck in Paldea my whole life.” Nemona let out a small sigh.

“But, living in one place isn’t so bad. I’ve made a bunch of friends and I’ve gotten real good at Pokémon battles.” Nemona stated proudly. “Not as good as you though.” Nemona quickly added, looking at Pikachu. 

Pikachu waved his arm as if to say, ‘you’re too kind.’

Nemona cleared her throat. “Anyway, Paldea does have one special thing before you can battle the Elite Four. You have to go through a special test called the Champion Assessment,” added Nemona.

“Then after all that, you can become the Champion! It’s basically every Pokémon Trainer’s dream! The coolest title anyone could get!” Nemona declared, fixing her glove. Ash tilted his head. “Not everyone’s dream is about Pokémon battling.” Ash said.

Nemona perked up. “Really?” She asked. Ash nodded and thought about Goh. His dream was to catch every single Pokémon, then eventually Mew. 

“Yeah, some people’s dreams can be related to catching Pokémon,” Ash thought of Serena and Lisia. They were off to become the best of the best in Pokémon Contests. “Or getting the best rank in Pokémon Contests.”

Intrigued, Nemona put her finger on her chin. “I never thought about it. Huh. I’ve only ever seen Pokémon Contests on live streams.” Nemona claimed, eyes wide. “You’re full of surprises, Ash!” Nemona commented and laughed.

Ash chuckled, but stopped as soon as Pikachu hit his neck with his furry elbow. Ash grunted and gave his Pokémon partner a half-hearted glare.

“So I was wondering if you’d like to collect gym badges with me! As rivals! We challenge each other and see who can get badges first and then make our way to the Elite Four and then the champion!” Nemona explained, beaming. Ash smiled, Nemona reminding Ash of himself. Her bright and energetic enthusiasm did make Ash trust her more than the others who had asked to join them on their other quests.

The bell suddenly rang, making Ash and Pikachu jump up. Nemona perked up at the sound and she looked at the exit door. “We gotta get to class, oh man, I can’t believe lunch break is over already!” Nemona exclaimed, grabbing her items and heading towards the doorway.

“Nemona—!”

“Tell me if you agree after school! See ya, BYEEE!” Nemona had already exited the room, leaving Ash with the other school staff. He waved goodbye to Nemona even though she had already disappeared from his sight, feeling overwhelmed by all of the requests.

Ash groaned and slowly started to make his way to the next class, Pikachu patting his back. 

“Oh man, what am I gonna do…?” Ash whispered to Pikachu, hands grabbing his face. Pikachu sighed and shook his head.

“Pika pika pikachu pi pi. (Say no to all of them.)” Pikachu stated firmly. Ash inhaled a deep breath and exhaled, closing his eyes. Pikachu lifted one ear up, confused about what Ash was doing.

“You’re right I GOTTA SAY YES TO ALL OF THEM!”

“PIKA?!?”