[Diantha: Oh? We've reached the Kalos region? I wonder if we'll get to see that Battle Bond Greninja again...]
[Lance: Speaking of which... where is Greninja? We didn't see him in Professor Oak's backyard. Yet, when Ash was listing the Pokémon he could contact via Aura earlier, Greninja was on that list!]
[Catlin: Did Ash release Greninja?]
[Lorelei: I doubt it was a simple release. Their bond was so deep; how could he just let him go? Something must have happened—forcing Ash to leave Greninja in a specific place for a specific reason.]
[Sabrina: That seems likely. That's why Ash mentioned contacting him through Aura.]
[Siebold: I just wonder if Greninja is still in Kalos...]
The mere mention of Kalos brought one thing to everyone's mind: Ash's Greninja. During the Kalos League, that Greninja had used the "Bond Phenomenon" to suppress even a Mega Gardevoir. Had it not been for the physical toll on Ash, the outcome of that battle might have shifted the world's power rankings.
But in the current footage, Greninja was absent from the lab. This suggested that Greninja was out in the wild, perhaps guarding something, waiting for the day Ash truly needed him again.
In the Footage—
Ash and Chloe took an early flight to Kalos. Since Kalos is one of the regions furthest from Kanto, flying was the only way to make it to the Battle Festival on time.
To prepare for this event, Ash had brought along some serious veterans! Aside from the newcomers he wanted to train—Gengar, Dragonite, and Riolu—he had brought two others from the lab.
As they chatted on the plane, the conversation turned to Ash's past travels.
"...I have so many friends in Kalos! Especially Clemont and Bonnie. They were my traveling companions here!"
"Bonnie?" Chloe's internal alarm went off. That sounded suspiciously like a girl's name.
"Yeah, Bonnie is Clemont's little sister. She's probably still too young to start her own journey."
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. A little girl under ten... I'm overthinking it. Ash can't have a 'special' friend in every single region, right?
"I wonder how Serena is doing, though..." Ash mused.
Chloe:? Who is Serena?? Are you serious? You really DO have one in every region!
"Serena was a traveling companion, too! Actually, we met when we were really little at Professor Oak's summer camp!" Ash continued, oblivious.
"To be honest, I'd forgotten, but she remembered! She even kept the handkerchief I gave her back then and gave it back to me. Her memory is amazing!"
Chloe: "..." Is your EQ actually negative? This isn't about her memory, you blockhead! She's clearly into you! A childhood meeting, a kept handkerchief, a fated reunion... why does this sound like she's the 'Destined Heroine'?
[Lance: I have a feeling the true rival for Ash's female companions has appeared!]
[Catlin: Don't ignore the signs. She appeared in the very first montage, indirectly kissing him by sharing her water bottle. I saw it—her pink bottle, he drank right from it. No doubt about it.]
[Norman (Petalburg Gym): While I see your point... I think my daughter May's 'stock' is still high. Serena has had very little screen time compared to May. You can't crown the strongest just based on one scene!]
Petalburg Gym, Hoenn: May's face was beet red as she tugged on her father's sleeve. "Dad! Stop it! This is so embarrassing! I'm going to die of shame!!"
Norman looked at her seriously. "May, you're young. You don't understand how this works. If I don't speak up now, a top-tier son-in-law is going to be snatched away! Just watch your father work!"
May: "..." I'm ten! Ten years old! Why are we talking about husbands on a global broadcast?!
Vaniville Town, Kalos: "Mom! No! Don't do it!! I'll die! It'll be social suicide!!" Serena was desperately holding her mother back from the communication terminal.
Grace saw May's father entering the fray and refused to let her daughter lose her "Queen" status. "Let me speak, Serena! If I don't claim your spot as the childhood friend, the world will forget you! When Ash finally matures, he needs to know who to pick!"
Across the world, the "Heroines" were in a state of high alert. While Chloe had the "current companion" advantage, the shadows of the past were looming large.
In the Footage—
Ash and Chloe arrived at the Shalour City Battle Festival. The stadium was magnificent, surrounded by a sea of fans. Because they had arrived just as the festival was starting, the crowds were impenetrable.
"No choice, Chloe! We're charging through!"
"Wait—what?!"
Before she could protest, Ash grabbed her hand and initiated a "superhuman" charge. Using his Aura to find gaps in the crowd and his raw physical power to weave through, he carved a path to the registration gate.
After verifying his ID (with a little help from Cynthia's pre-arranged clearance), they made it inside.
"Next match: Entrant No. 256, Ash, versus Entrant No. 165, Sawyer!"
Ash blinked. "Sawyer? He's here too?"
"A friend?" Chloe asked.
"One of my biggest rivals in Kalos! He has a Sceptile that can Mega Evolve! And speaking of coincidences..." Ash pulled a Poké Ball from his belt, his eyes shining. "Sceptile, you want a piece of this, don't you?"
The Poké Ball shook rhythmically in agreement. One of the veterans Ash had brought from Kanto was his Hoenn ace—Sceptile!
Soon, Ash stepped onto the grass field. Across from him stood the green-haired student, Sawyer, notebook in hand.
"Ash! I knew it was you! I was hoping it wasn't just a coincidence!" Sawyer beamed.
"It's good to see you, Sawyer! I'm climbing the world rankings, so let's not hold back. Let's have a battle to remember!"
"The match will be between Sawyer of the Hoenn Region and Ash of the Kanto Region!" the announcer yelled. "Our records show Ash defeated Sawyer in the Semi-Finals of the Lumiose Conference! This is a grudge match! Will Ash maintain his streak, or will Sawyer finally get his revenge?"
The crowd roared. A Top 4 clash from a major League was a rare treat for a Normal Class ranking match.
Both Trainers threw their Poké Balls simultaneously. Two identical flashes of light revealed two nearly identical Pokémon.
The match was Sceptile vs. Sceptile!
[Lance: This is getting interesting. Sceptile vs. Sceptile?]
[Diantha: Ash mentioned Sawyer has a Mega Evolution. A Mega Sceptile... that would be a sight to see.]
[Professor Sycamore: A new discovery! I haven't fully explored the Mega Stones of the Hoenn starters yet. This is great data!]
[Siebold: Who do you think wins? Ash's Sceptile has the feat of defeating Darkrai, but Sawyer's can Mega Evolve. The power gap of Mega Evolution is massive.]
[Diantha: I'm betting on Ash.]
[Lance: ?? But you just said Mega Evolution is a massive gap! Ash doesn't have a Key Stone or a Sceptilite in the footage!]
[Diantha: I know what I said. I just trust Ash more.]
Professor Oak's Lab: The current Ash looked at his Treecko, who was watching the screen with intense focus. "Look closely, Treecko. That's you in the future. That's the path we're going to take!"
"Tree-cko!" the little lizard nodded solemnly. It didn't believe for a second that it would lose, even against a Mega-evolved version of itself.
In the Video—
Sawyer was momentarily stunned to see Ash send out a Sceptile of his own. He knew Ash had one, but to bring it out for this specific match... it was a challenge!
Sawyer's heart caught fire. He had gone from being completely suppressed by Ash to being his equal at the Lumiose Conference.
He had studied Ash's every move. When it came to Sceptile mastery, he refused to believe he could lose!
"Let's show them how much we've grown! Sceptile, Mega Evolve!!"
Sawyer pressed his Key Stone. Light erupted, and his Sceptile's form shifted—its tail becoming a massive, stinger-like tree, its posture more predatory. Mega Sceptile had arrived.
Ash grinned, tipping his hat. "Looking good, Sawyer! But we've faced legends. Sceptile, let's show them the power of a veteran! Leaf Blade!!"
The battle of the forest kings was about to begin!
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