AN: Requested by @NegaiChampion. Sorry if the characterization is weird, I haven't actually watched much of the Unova anime (I'm more of a game fangirl tbh). Regardless, I hope you like it!

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Iris had never expected Ash to return to Unova. She'd thought when he'd left for Kalos, it had been for good. It was what Ash Ketchum did. Left behind one region for another, leaving a trail of broken hearts.

So when Ash Ketchum appeared at the doorway to the champion's room, she was certainly surprised to see him. "Ash! What are you doing here?! I thought you'd finally gotten out of my hair!" she said, teasing him.

Ash grinned a familiar, brilliant grin. It was a bit like staring directly into the sun. "I came to visit, of course."

"But you never go back to regions you've already explored!"

"Yeah, I do," Ash said and stuck his tongue out at her.

She grinned, shaking her head. "You are such a kid, Ash." She reached out a hand to ruffle his hair, but returned it when she realized he had somehow gotten taller than her.

"It's been way too long, Iris," Ash said as he pulled her into a bear hug. Iris nodded against his shoulder. It had been way too long. "I missed you." It was so quiet she could barely hear him.

Iris hadn't expected that. Ash Ketchum hadn't seemed to miss anyone else... he'd barely talked about his other travelling companions when he'd been looking to conquer Unova.

She didn't say any of this. Instead, she just whispered, "Missed you too."

And then Ash tore himself away from her and the tender moment was over. His brilliant eyes took in the Unovan Champion's room. "You're the Champion now, huh? What's it like?"

And he turned to her, looking like the excited child he'd been all those years ago, and Iris suddenly wanted to grab him and kiss him. Instead, she said, "Well, being champion is not exactly what I thought it'd be. You have to wear a lot of fancy clothing, for one. And do a lot of paperwork when you could be training your Pokémon."

"Do you like it? Being Champion?" Ash asked, and a thoughtful, un-Ash-like expression passed over his face. It reminded Iris that years had passed between the now and the day he left Unova.

Iris grinned. "Despite all the annoying things you have to do, it's pretty great!"

Ash looked downwards to meet her eyes (she was still getting used to the fact he was taller than her) and said sincerely, "I'm glad someone finally recognized how good a trainer you are."

Iris blushed at that, and hoped he didn't notice. He didn't give any indication he did. She internally sighed in relief. Some things never changed.

"So..." she said. "I'm on break right now. You want me to show you around the league? See what's changed, what's stayed the same."

"Sure!" Ash said, excitement spilling out of his face like sunshine.

Iris grabbed his arm, and pulled him after her.

As they sprinted down the hallway, she looked at him. She remembered panicking after he'd said, "I'm going back to Kanto." She had thought it had been over for them. But as she led him through the halls she'd found herself in, she realized that it wasn't over. Not at all.

It was just the beginning.