Time seemed to crawl unbearably slow.
That night, Ash's mind raced endlessly.
He had already contacted Anabel and arranged to have all of his Pokémon sent over from home. What he didn't expect, however, was that under his mother Delia's lead, Anabel, Sabrina, Misty, and May would all be arriving in Lumiose tomorrow.
Even though he knew his strength had grown to the point where victory was within reach, Ash still couldn't sleep.
The creak of a door opening broke the silence. He stepped outside.
Clemont's home was quite large—unsurprising, considering his lifelong devotion to science and invention had given him a comfortable life.
On the lawn of the spacious yard, Ash lay down, staring up into the vast starry sky.
It hit him—already two or three years had passed since he awakened with the memories of that parallel world.
"Whoosh!"
A shooting star streaked across the dark sky.
"They say if you make a wish when you see a shooting star, it will come true, Ash."
"Yeah. Let's wait for the next one together. This lawn is special—Bonnie and I love lying here and watching for meteors. In fact, I discovered through science that this exact spot has a unique position—every so often, a whole stream of shooting stars crosses the sky above us."
"That's right," Bonnie giggled. "This lawn is my favorite place."
Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie had all joined him, knowing that tonight Ash's heart would be restless.
The four of them lay there in pajamas, side by side on the cool grass.
"Pika, Pikachu pika!"
Pikachu curled up beside Ash, also gazing at the night sky, chattering in his own voice.
Only Ash could understand him. With their bond, they no longer needed Aura or special powers to know what the other was saying.
"Yeah, Pikachu. It hasn't been an easy road, but we've become so much stronger than when we first set out. Tomorrow, here in Kalos, the Kalos League finally begins."
"Pika!"
"Ah! A shooting star!" Bonnie suddenly shouted.
The group lingered outside far into the night, only returning to their rooms when it grew very late.
When the first rays of dawn broke the next morning, Ash and his friends were already on their way—to the grand venue of the Kalos League.
The Kalos League Conference would be held at the specially built Lumiose Conference Hall, right in the heart of the city.
There were over 120 registered participants this year.
Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie had already secured seats in the stands.
And by sheer coincidence—or fate—Delia and the four girls had also found seats not far away.
"Hurry, hurry! The opening ceremony hasn't started yet. Let's see who spots him first!" Misty said excitedly, carrying drinks in both hands and a bright orange-red backpack on her shoulders.
She had just bought the drinks from a rather suspicious trio of vendors. For some reason, she felt like she'd seen that odd group before…
"Hehe, Ash doesn't even know we're here. Once he takes first place, we'll show up together and give him the surprise of his life!" May said, her mischievous side peeking through for once.
Anabel and Sabrina simply smiled warmly, keeping their thoughts to themselves.
"Look, it's starting! Over a hundred trainers are entering the field. The opening ceremony must be about to begin!" Delia clapped her hands, eyes fixed on the center of the arena.
Indeed—over one hundred trainers marched proudly across the central stadium, each accompanied by one Pokémon at their side.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and viewers watching from around the world—welcome to Kalos's grandest annual event, the Kalos League Conference, live here at the Lumiose Conference Hall!"
"And now, please welcome the Champion of the Kalos region—Diantha!"
As Diantha stepped gracefully onto the stage, every camera lens turned to capture her.
"Thank you, everyone, for gathering here today. To all the trainers competing in the Kalos League Conference—enter this tournament with your best strategies, your strongest Pokémon, and your fullest confidence. With that, I declare the Kalos League Conference, Lumiose Conference—officially open!"
Thunderous applause roared through the stadium, waves of cheering rising higher and higher. Diantha's popularity in Kalos was unrivaled—truly the region's brightest star.
"Wonderful words from Champion Diantha. And now, everyone, turn your attention to the big screen overhead! There, the matchups for the first round will be revealed—each of the 120 trainers will learn their very first opponent!"
The host dramatically swept his hand toward the massive display.
Every trainer on the field—including Ash—lifted their eyes to the screen as the sound of rapid churning echoed across the stadium.
Thump-thump-thump-thump…
The pairings locked into place. Trainers scanned the list, searching eagerly for their first rival.
Ash found his opponent—a girl trainer. The two exchanged a polite nod.
Nearby, Sawyer discovered his own matchup. Tierno and Trevor had also located their first-round opponents.
And not far away, Alain had identified his rival for the opening battle.
Different thoughts burned in each of their hearts.
Sawyer's eyes fixed on Ash: Ash-senpai, I want your recognition. My Pokémon and I have grown so much stronger. In this Kalos League, I hope we can battle once more.
Alain clenched his fist: Ash, you were the first person who ever felt like an unscalable mountain. But this time, my Charizard and I will give everything to defeat you!
And Ash himself? He was already thinking ahead.
Who should I send out first… to lead the charge?
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