"...Okay, WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?!" Cynthia exclaimed in a furious tone. She had just been walking through the streets of Lumiose City when she saw a bulletin board hanging on a certain base. And Cynthia looked like she wanted to rip down a bunch of bounty posters right then and there. She then noticed a Marine walking her way.

"Excuse me, might I have a word with you?" Cynthia inquired, sounding eerily calm. The Marine perked up and went over to her.

"Yes, lady, is there a problem?" he asked back.

"Yes, there is." Cynthia retorted. She then took down Ash's new bounty poster, which was worth a hundred million berries, and shoved it in the Marine's face.

"WHY ON EARTH DOES ASH HAVE A WANTED POSTER WHEN HE'S SAVED BOTH THE SINNOH AND UNOVA REGIONS?! I DEMAND YOU TAKE IT DOWN, ALONG WITH LUFFY, ZORO, UTA, SERENA, JESSIE, JAMES, AND MEOWTH!" Cynthia yelled out angrily. The Marine turned pale upon hearing that.

"...Uh, sorry, but I cannot do that. All these guys are criminals. Pirates, to be exact. They need to be brought to justice." he admitted. Cynthia narrowed her eyebrows dangerously.

"Boy, do you know who I am?" she questioned the Marine. He blinked and shook his head.

"I AM THE CHAMPION OF SINNOH!" Cynthia declared loudly. The Marine's eyes widened in horror. He instantly ran into the base and upstairs to an office, where J was staying.

"Mistress, we have a BIG problem. The Champion of Sinnoh is here!" the Marine shouted with a salute.

J groaned in annoyance before saying, "Curses. Let me guess, she's demanding the removal of the bounties on Ketchum and his friends."

"Yes, Mistress." the Marine responded. J let out another groan, picked up the phone receiver, and dialed in a number.

She waited until, at the second ring, a cold woman's voice asked, "Yes, J, what is it? I'm already dealing with a headache in the form of Crocodile's defeat at the hands of 'Fire Fist' Ace and the Chief of Staff in the Revolutionary Army, Sabo." J's eyes grew wide.

"WHAT?! SIR CROCODILE, A WARLORD OF THE SEA, HAS BEEN DEFEATED?!" she yelped in utter disbelief.

"Yes." the voice replied.

"...Terrific. And now the Sinnoh Champion is demanding the removal of the bounties on Ketchum and his friends...including Jessie, James, and Meowth." J uttered exasperatedly.

"...Then do it. You should know that going up against Cynthia unprepared is not a wise move. I know your history with Ketchum, J. Why do you think I sent Blueno during your last mission in Sinnoh two years ago? Besides, knowing them, we will have to face Lance, Steven, and Diantha too. That is not a risk I'm willing to take at this point in time." the voice stated sternly.

"...Understood, Ma'am. But then what about the newspapers? No doubt the news had already spread far and wide by now." J admitted.

"Explain that a Marine posted them without permission." the voice answered.

J hummed in understanding before saying, "Therefore, we won't look bad."

"Precisely." the voice replied.

"I will do that then. J out." J confirmed. Once she hung up the phone, she turned to the Marine.

"Here are your new orders. Tell Cynthia that a fellow Marine hung up the bounty posters without permission. Take them all down. Have the newspapers post an apology for the incident in the morning edition. And tell the other Marines to cease their search for those pirates...at least for the time being." J ordered him.

"Yes, Mistress." the Marine concurred with a salute. He rushed back to where Cynthia was.

"Cynthia. We apologize for the inconvenience here. A fellow Marine put these up without permission. He will be thoroughly punished. We'll take these down and have the morning edition of the Kalos News issue an apology. And we'll cease the search for them." the Marine explained. Cynthia raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but nonetheless gave him an understanding nod.

"Good to know. But be warned, the Navy is on thin ice." she replied sternly. The Marine gulped and nodded back before proceeding to take down the bounty posters. Cynthia left and eventually found Dawn and Piplup, who were getting ready to go through Route 5.

"Dawn. Piplup." she called out. Dawn and Piplup turned and noticed the troubled look on Cynthia's face.

"...Did something happen, Cynthia?" the Coordinator asked warily. Cynthia sighed bitterly and told them about the bounty posters and her first interactions with the Navy.

"...Okay, that is shady as heck. Should I tell everyone else?" Dawn inquired while looking serious alongside Piplup.

"Yes. Ash and his friends, including the former Rockets, should know. I'll see if I can get a hold of Steven." Cynthia responded. Dawn and Piplup had to agree with that idea there.

Meanwhile, in Santalune City, Misty was glaring hard at the bounty posters of Ash, Serena, and the former Team Rocket agents.

"HOW DARE THIS 'NAVY' PUT A BOUNTY ON ASH'S HEAD! TEAM ROCKET, THOUGH, I AGREE WITH THEM GETTING ONE!" she yelled out in a fit of rage.

"...Now, now, let's calm down, Mist. You're causing a disturbance." Tracey uttered nervously once he noticed multiple people giving his friend a sideways glance. But Misty either didn't notice or didn't care as she shot a very hard glare at Serena's bounty poster.

"Serena Gabena. I know your face now. You better be ready for our battle because I am gonna prove that you are nothing compared to me and that I deserve to be Ash's girlfriend!" she proclaimed boldly. Tracey groaned, clearly jealous of the attention Misty was giving Ash and Serena. Not too far away, a certain disguised trio was also groaning.

"Geez, the original twerpette is too hyper-focused on Ash and Serena to notice that Tracey wants to be her boyfriend." Jessie lamented.

"Uh-huh. She's not even noticing the similarities between Ash and Luffy." James added.

"Wooooooooobbuffet? (This is annoying to watch, huh?)" Wobbuffet groaned.

"And what the heck is this putrid bounty on Meowth?! He got ripped off!" Jessie exclaimed furiously as she glared at the very low amount on Meowth's bounty poster.

"Agreed. His should be way higher." James concurred with Wobbuffet nodding. And with that, they continued to shadow Misty and Tracey.

Elsewhere, on a plane to Kalos, a small ten-year-old boy had been strolling through the Kalos News online when he noticed the bounty posters. He had short, dark cyan hair and brown eyes and wore black, framed half-moon glasses, a money-green-colored T-shirt with a white collar and buttons, charcoal-covered shorts, and green, black and white slip-on shoes without socks. After Max had told his sister and her boyfriend about the bounties, he was now sharing the online article with his father.

"...Okay, if this is some kind of sick joke, then I sure ain't laughing." May spat out angrily. The boy next to her scoffed. He had green hair and green eyes and was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, a purple jacket, a pair of teal trousers, and black shoes.

"Oh please. Ash, a criminal?! I gotta agree with his girlfriend here. The Navy is INSANE." Drew responded in a serious tone. Despite the situation, May couldn't help but giggle a little bit.

"Okay, I just sent that article to Dad." Max stated.

"Good. Anyway, May, you sure you wanna do the Showcases?" Drew asked, looking a little worried there.

"Yeah, Drew, I am. We need to gather information on the Navy. If what I'm theorizing is correct, they are connected with the Showcases. While Jessie is almost certainly going undercover, she's gonna need help. Serena is doing the gyms. And this Uta girl already has such a high price on her head. Too risky for her. So it's up to either me or Dawn to help Jessie out." May answered.

Drew sighed bitterly before saying, "All right, fine. Just...be careful." May smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks for the concern, Drew. But I'll be fine." she replied, deeply touched.

"...I just got a message from Dad. If you're really gonna go undercover, be careful, young lady. His words, not mine. Mom says the same." Max told May seriously. She nodded in understanding.

"We got a while before the first Showcase. Why don't we focus on your Gym Challenge for now, Max? After all, we're gonna need you to toughen up for the road ahead." Drew admitted. Max gave him a nod.

"Then once we land, I wanna train with Masquerain and Butterfree. Brock did say the first gym was a Bug type Gym." he requested. Drew hummed at that.

At the Pokemon School in Alola, Gary was fuming as he also read the same article from the Kalos News.

"You have gotta be kidding me right now. Ash and Serena...both wanted criminals?! Something doesn't add up...especially the 'Only Alive' tag on Serena's bounty poster." he brooded. Lillie, who was holding her egg, turned to Gary.

"You think this may have something to do with Nihilego brainwashing Serena? Otherwise, why else would they want her alive?" she whispered to him.

Gary raised an eyebrow before whispering back, "You make a good point. I heard from Luffy that he thinks Uta is wanted alive for her connection to Shanks. But then why would the Navy want to capture Serena only to turn her into a mindless slave?"

"...Maybe as payback for something Ash did? After all, either J or Team Rocket's 'Madame Boss' might very well be a higher-up in the Navy. If that's the case, then shouldn't we be in Kalos trying to stop them?" Lillie asked seriously. Gary just gawked at her.

"...You're not implying that we take a plane to Kalos, are you?! You know Gladion would never allow you to go into a literal war zone! Which is what Kalos will become!" he exclaimed. Lillie scoffed at that.

"Yes, I'm serious, Gary. Gladion is not the boss of me. I'd rather help those in need than regret what I could have done otherwise. Also, I don't want my new friends to die when I've only just met them." she retorted. At first, Gary was really hesitant, as he knew firsthand how dangerous J and Team Rocket were and did not want to put Lillie in harm's way...especially since she doesn't have any Pokemon besides the egg.

"...Are you absolutely certain this is what you want, Lillie? You only have the egg. Who knows when that's gonna hatch. Even then, you'd have to train it like crazy in order to protect yourself from the Navy." he admitted.

Lillie smirked a little bit while saying, "That's fine then. I will train until I'm at your level, Gary." She mumbled that last sentence to herself, so Gary did not hear that. But he did notice the smirk and internally groaned, as if he could tell there was no talking Lillie out of this.

"If we're really doing this, then let me get my ace team. Then we'll-" He got interrupted.

"Now now, hold up!" Kukui called out. Gary and Lillie froze as they turned to the stern professor. The other classmates were eyeing the duo skeptically.

"If you're both gonna do this, then Lillie, you'll have to consult with your mother first." Kukui stated. Gary and Lillie both let out groans.

Great. I was hoping to avoid having that talk. Especially about THAT. they both thought.

While Gary and Lillie went to speak with Lusamine, at the Opelucid City Gym in Unova, Dawn was talking to a certain girl via the video phone. She had tan skin, knee-length, puffy purple long hair in a loose huge ponytail and with two pigtails, and brown eyes and wore a cream-colored top with a pink collar and cuffs, a pink skirt with a big ribbon, white leggings which were colored yellow at the ends of the legs, and pink and white shoes with yellow strap.

"...WHAT?! THAT LITTLE KID...A WANTED CRIMINAL?! WHY, I OUGHTA GO TO KALOS AND GIVE THIS SO-CALLED 'PROTECTOR OF JUSTICE' ORGANIZATION A PIECE OF MY MIND!" Iris yelled out angrily. A certain Pokemon growled in agreement. He was a bipedal, draconic Pokemon with long, gray tusks with red tips protruding from the sides of his mouth. He had dark eyes with red irises, a gray face, and a cowl-like feature of green segments on his head, neck, back, and chest. His arms had three red fingers, and his lower body was gray with red speckles on the underbelly. He had red toes and a red tip on his tail.

"Fraxure fraxure. (The Navy must pay.)" Fraxure added. Dawn blinked in confusion at the new Pokemon.

"...Did Axew evolve?" she asked.

"Yep, just yesterday. My only complaint is that he doesn't fit in my hair anymore." Iris admitted sadly. Fraxure sighed bitterly at the last sentence. Dawn and Piplup chuckled, as did Cynthia. Suddenly, a slightly old, but tall and muscular, man cleared his throat. He had white hair, yellow eyes, and a beard which covered his mouth and resembled a toothy lower jaw of a reptile and wore a white shirt with rolled sleeves and a green gem etched onto the collar with two green strings, two shoulder pads with spikes, black gloves, gray pants which were attached by purple suspenders, and black shoes.

"Now...before I let my protégé go off, what's the situation?" Drayden inquired. Cynthia proceeded to tell him the situation. Once she finished, Drayden nodded in understanding and turned to Iris.

"Iris, I think you should go. I'll let the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champion in on the situation." he stated. Iris and Fraxure hummed. Once Drayden had gone away after saying bye to Cynthia, Dawn spoke up.

"So...Iris, do you have a tablet? Because if you don't, you seriously need to get one when you get to Kalos. You're missing out on a lot." she declared knowingly.

Iris and Fraxure had curious looks on their faces as she queried, "Like?"

"Ash getting a girlfriend, for one." came Dawn's instant reply. Iris and Fraxure's eyeballs just about popped out of their sockets.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! THE LITTLE KID HIMSELF GOT A GIRLFRIEND IN KALOS?!" she screeched out in shock. Dawn and Piplup couldn't help but giggle.

"Yep. And it's someone he's known far longer than even Pikachu." she replied.

"...Okay, I am SO getting a tablet right this instance! Call you when I get it all set up!" Iris exclaimed. And just like that, she ended the call and, with Fraxure by her side, rushed over to a nearby electronic shop to get a tablet so she could learn what else she'd been missing.

On another plane to Kalos, Lance, Bruno, Sabrina, and Koga were all glaring at the bounty posters on the Champion's tablet screen.

"I can't believe this." the Champion uttered, completely disgusted.

"Neither can I." Bruno responded, equally upset.

"...If it wasn't clear before, it is now. This Navy clearly has been planning this for years." Koga stated while trying to stay calm.

"Agreed. This is way worse than even I foresaw." Sabrina replied in a grim tone. Lance clicked off the web browser and headed to the Phone app.

"I'm calling Looker. If he ignores this or, Heaven forbid, sides with the Navy, then we'll know the International Police has been infiltrated." he said seriously. Everybody else nodded in total agreement. Lance proceeded to click on a certain contact. He waited until the screen revealed a video of a man. He had dark hair, brown eyes, black eyebrows, and wrinkle marks around his face and wore black penny loafers, brown suit pants, a white shirt with a pink tie, a light brown vest, and an investigator coat.

"Looker of the International Police speaking...Oh? I hear plane engines. Are you G-Men flying off somewhere?" Looker asked curiously. Lance steeled himself for any possibilities.

"Yes. We are en route to Kalos-" He got interrupted.

"Ah, yes, to apprehend those pirates, right? Good. We could use some more hands, especially after the Navy is ceasing their search for them. And here I thought it was way too convenient for Ash to show up whenever I'm around. Does he have that?" Looker mused. Lance raised an eyebrow at that last question but nonetheless shook his head.

"Not even close. Looker, J is alive." he responded sternly. Looker's eyes grew wide in great shock.

"WHAT?!" he yelped.

"Yep. And she put a bounty on Ash's head for siding with those same pirates you're trying to 'bring to justice'." Lance stated. Looker turned as pale as a ghost.

"I-I-Impossible. Only the World Government has the power to put a bounty on someone's head. And the Navy serves under the World Government. Why would someone like J, who had done some heinous deeds in Sinnoh, be a Marine? Plus, pirates are...well, pirates. Need I remind you about Team Aqua, who is basically a bonafide pirate crew? They are not to be trusted." he uttered.

"These aren't your typical pirates, though. Not many are willing to risk their lives to save a crewmate from the Navy like they did. In any case, it pains me to say this since I do respect you, Looker, but if you're with them...you're against us." Lance declared. And just like that, he hung up, leaving behind a very shocked Looker.

Lance looked at his expectant squad before saying, "It's official. The International Police has been infiltrated by the Navy." Bruno, Koga, and Sabrina nodded in understanding as they realized this mission was going to be their biggest one yet.

At Aether Paradise, Lusamine was frowning as she heard Gary and Lillie explain the nightmare and the situation with the Navy. Once they finished, she faced a certain woman. She had tanned skin, medium-short white spiky hair pointing backwards, and yellow eyes and wore a green headband at the back of her head, a gray vest, black stirrup pants, and green flat shoes.

"New mission, Professor Burnet. Research Nihilego, find Guzma, and figure out whether this Jason Silva guy exists." Lusamine said sternly.

"I'm on it already, boss." came Burnet's instant response.

"...I can see what you mean by work-obsessed." Gary whispered to Lillie nervously. A chuckle escaped her lips before Lusamine turned toward the screen.

"Gary, you have my thanks for helping my daughter with her fear of touching a Pokemon. But if you think you can just take her to a literal war zone, you are sorely mistaken. However, if this is what you both want, then I have three conditions." she proclaimed.

"...And those are?" Lillie asked.

"That egg must hatch before you even step on a plane. After all, you will need your own Pokemon for protection should you go up against the Navy or, Arceus forbid, Nihilego. That's my first condition. #2. Take Gladion. His Type: Null is sure to come in handy in case you do have to face Nihilego. And last but not least, keep me posted every day when you get to Kalos." Lusamine answered seriously. Lillie let out an annoyed groan before nodding in understanding.

"Gladion, huh? Can't argue with that idea." Gary admitted.

"Agreed." Lillie concurred. Soon, another woman came into Lusamine's office. She had purple hair and yellow eyes and wore a pair of pink glasses, a pink sweater bearing the symbol of Aether Foundation, a white outfit with yellow outlined pockets, and white boots with yellow heels, with the outfit and boots having yellow diamond-shaped decorations.

"Boss, I have called for Gladion. He'll be in shortly." Wicke announced.

"Good. Thank you, Wicke." Lusamine replied. Lillie took a deep breath, knowing her brother was going to be overprotective. While they waited for Gladion to show up, almost no one noticed a certain green glasses-wearing scientist sneaking out of the office. However, one boy did spot him leaving and narrowed his eyes.

Okay, that's not suspicious at all. Gary thought warily. Lillie noticed the look on his face and turned to him.

"Something wrong, Gary?" she inquired.

"...I just noticed someone leaving." Gary responded. Everybody else tensed up as they looked around the office.

"...It had to be Faba. Wicke, keep an eye on him." Lusamine uttered, sounding just as suspicious. Wicke gave her a nod and left the office. A few minutes later, a boy walked inside. He had pale skin and blond hair that was cut into squares and styled for his bangs to perpetually obscure one of his green eyes and was wearing a grey hooded shirt with a red decoration on it, some black slashed sleeves, slashed black pants, red shoes with grey soles and black laces, and a red bag around his waist. And he had a certain Pokemon by his side. He was a mammalian Pokemon which had a sleek, black body with four slender legs and crimson eyes. He had two pairs of pointed teeth (one pair in each jaw) which were visible when his mouth was open. He had long, pointed ears and a bushy tail, each with a yellow band around them. His forehead and legs had yellow rings on them.

"You called, Mother?" Gladion asked.

Lusamine nodded before saying, "Yes, I did. There's trouble in Kalos." Gladion just scoffed, as if to say "So? Not my problem."

"We believe an Ultra Beast may show up there." Lusamine added. Now Gladion and his Umbreon were on high alert.

"Now you've got my attention. So what's the situation?" he questioned Lusamine. She told Gladion about the nightmare and how the Navy might try to have Nihilego possess Serena. Once Lusamine finished, needless to say, he and Umbreon both looked appalled.

Shit. If Silvally wasn't there that day, Lillie might have been possessed by a Nihilego?! FUCK YOU, FABA! Gladion screamed in his mind. Once he calmed down, he turned to Gary.

"...Gary, right? If we're doing this, then I'll need to test your strength first. Tomorrow, come to the Pokemon Center after school. We'll have a battle there." Gladion stated sternly.

Gary hummed before asking, "How many Pokemon per side?" Gladion and Umbreon's eyes rose in interest.

"Two." he answered.

"Fine by me. Looking forward to it." Gary concurred with a nod.

"...Then can I-" Lillie got interrupted.

"No. I want Gary alone, Lillie." Gladion said in a serious tone.

Lillie pouted while uttering, "Meanie."

"...Trying to motivate your friend, I see, huh, sweetie?" Lusamine inquired teasingly. A blush formed on Lillie's face.

"Sorry, Lillie, but I don't want him to be distracted." Gladion admitted. Lillie nodded while still blushing. However, Gary had noticed the appalled look on Gladion's face earlier and knew there was more to it than simply not wanting him to be distracted during their battle.

Does he know something about what happened to Lillie? I'll ask him tomorrow. he brooded.

In the basement, a lean man was on the telephone, waiting for a call to connect. He had short grey hair and a short beard and wore large green glasses, a white outfit bearing the symbol of Aether Foundation and having a yellow diamond-shaped decoration on his sleeves, a green undershirt, some green bracers on his arms, and white boots with yellow soles and buttons.

After a few rings, Domino asked, "Yes?"

"It's Faba. We have a potential issue." Faba uttered.

"Explain." Domino murmured back.

"Lusamine knows about the Navy's plans for the Kalos girl." Faba responded.

"WHAT?! HOW?!" Domino screeched out so loudly that he had to pull the receiver away for a minute.

"...Ketchum had a nightmare about an alternate Serena being brainwashed in the same way." Faba muttered shakily. Domino groaned in annoyance.

"Terrific. And they had to drop the bounties on them." she growled.

"Why?" Faba questioned Domino.

"The damn Sinnoh Champion. Stand by for further instructions." she responded sternly.

"Understood." Faba concurred. He then turned to a sleeping Wicke.

"By the way, Hypno nabbed a spy for us before I called. What should we do about her?" Faba added with an evil smirk.

"...Erase her memory of this. If she disappeared, the President will be on to us." Domino admitted.

"Understood. Faba out." Faba stated. Once he hung up, he turned to his trusty Pokemon. He was a bipedal, slightly humanoid Pokemon that had yellow skin. He had triangular ears with brown interiors, sleepy-looking eyes, and a large nose. On his neck, he had a ruff of white fur. He had five fingers on each hand and held a pendulum that resembled a flat, silver ring in his left. He had three toes on each foot, which also had a pink pad on the undersides.

"Well, Hypno, you know what to do." Faba said.

In Cyllage City's Pokemon Center, a tall, heavyset boy was smirking as he saw Ash's bounty poster. He had black hair in a short back and sides that also resembled the leaves on a Chespin's head and brown eyes and wore a large black T-shirt that had a Vanillite design on it, a yellow watch with a black wristband, orange cargo shorts, a yellow backpack, and matching black and yellow sneakers.

"Good. That punk deserves that for dragging her into this. Criminal." Tierno retorted.

"...Hmph. Pathetic. You think you're better than Ketchum, fatso? Don't make me laugh." another voice spat out. Tierno flinched and turned to see a boy glaring at him. He had mid-length purple hair and black eyes and was wearing a purple jacket with navy blue sleeves, a blue undershirt, dark purple pants, and purple and navy shoes with white soles.

"FATSO?! HEY! WHO THE HECK ARE YOU, A FRIEND OF KETCHUM'S?!" Tierno yelped, clearly offended.

The boy scoffed before saying, "Rival, actually. The name's Paul. And honestly, if that Tobias punk wasn't in the Sinnoh League two years ago, Ketchum would've won it."

"...Honestly? After what I've seen from Ash's League battles, I agree. His battle style is...unique." a woman's voice called out. The boys turned to see her just sitting in front of another newspaper. This tall, slender twenty-eight-year-old woman had light skin, shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes that had dark, wide pupils, a long, thin, defined nose, and very long limbs and wore a revealing cowgirl outfit consisting of a purple cleavage-exposing corset and matching miniskirt, both with white ornaments hanging from them, a gold arm band with white fringes attached to it with the letter N on it, and a white fur-lined coat paired with a white cowboy hat and white high-heeled boots.

"...And who the hell are you?!" Tierno gasped in surprise.

"...So you've studied his battles?" Paul asked curiously.

"Indeed. And from what I saw of your battle with him in the Sinnoh League, you agree as well. I saw your use of the Counter Shield." the woman answered. At that, Paul smirked.

"Well, what can I say? It's a great strategy for both offense and defense." he admitted. Tierno just scoffed and left with a huff.

"...By the way, I never did get your name." Paul stated.

"Nico Robin. Just call me Robin." Robin replied with a smile.

"Pleasure." Paul concurred.

"Oh no, the pleasure's all mine. Now Paul, as a rival of Ash's, I have a question for you. Have you met Straw Hat yet?" Robin inquired curiously. Paul raised an eyebrow in interest.

"By Straw Hat, I'm gonna assume you mean the guy who, eerily enough, looks just like Ketchum, right?" he asked back. Robin just nodded to confirm that.

Paul shook his head before saying, "Not yet, but I am quite curious."

"You too, huh? From what I've heard, Straw Hat is already making a name for himself by catching the shiny Shinx. Not to mention the Chimchar...and attacking the Navy for Uta's sake." Robin responded seriously. Paul's eyes widened in surprise.

"He has a Chimchar now?! Is he copying Ketchum?!" he yelped.

Robin giggled at Paul's reaction while responding, "Doubtful."

"...Also, who's this Uta girl?" he questioned her. Robin frowned.

"We shouldn't talk about her here. Are you here to challenge Grant?" she queried. Paul gave Robin a nod.

"Then when your battle is done, let me treat you to dinner. We can talk about what's been going on in Lumiose City then." Robin added. Needless to say, Paul was both intrigued and skeptical.

After thinking on it a while, he smirked as he said, "Deal." Nurse Joy then came over while holding six Pokeballs.

"Here you go, Paul. Your team is fully healed. Good luck against Grant." she confirmed. Paul's eye rose as he took back his Pokeballs.

"Thanks. But why are you out here and not, you know, behind the counter?" he inferred. Joy tensed up, making both Paul and Robin wary.

After looking around to make sure nobody else was listening, she whispered into their ears, "I've heard some...shady rumors about the Navy." That immediately piqued Paul and Robin's curiosities.

"Go on." they uttered at the same time.

"My sister in a nearby town just recently treated a Ralts whose whole family was attacked by the Navy. That Ralts was the only survivor, and it was brought in by a friend of the boys in the posters." Joy explained. Paul now looked serious.

What the hell have you gotten yourself into this time, Ketchum?! he thought. However, Robin didn't look surprised since she knew firsthand how cruel the Navy could be in their pursuits.

Back in Lumiose City, Meyer had just finished talking to Professor Sycamore and was about to close up the shop for the day.

He heard Franky call out, "HEY! MEYER!" Meyer chuckled as he turned to him.

"Hey, Franky! I haven't seen you in a while. Especially since that race." he responded. Franky couldn't help but chuckle there.

"Sorry, but I've been training my SUUUUUPER team lately!" he exclaimed as he did his pose.

Meyer let out another chuckle while saying, "Still going strong despite the loss, huh?"

"Yep. Anyway, how are things with you?" Franky asked back. At that, Meyer turned serious.

"Still reeling from the Navy putting a bounty on Ash." he admitted. Franky groaned in annoyance.

"I see the Navy is as annoying as ever." he uttered.

Franky then smirked before whispering into Meyer's ear, "By the way, Straw Hat invited me to join their crew as the shipwright. I'm heading over to wherever they are to accept that."

"...I've heard from Clemont that they're heading over to the Ambrette Fossil Lab, as they think one of the Navy's targets might be there: Nico Robin." the mechanic whispered back. Franky's eyebrow rose in intrigue.

"Given her love of history from what reports say of her, that makes sense. Well then, that's where I'm headed. Thanks, man!" he concurred with a nod.

"No problem. Good luck." Meyer responded. And with that, Franky went over to and got on his black Rhyhorn's back.

"All right, Rhyhorn, let's get to a Pokemon Center. We have a long road ahead of us to our next destination: the Ambrette Fossil Lab!" he proclaimed.

"Rhyhorn! (Yes, boss!)" Rhyhorn growled before taking off.

In Vaniville Town, Grace had her hand on the phone receiver. And yet, she was resisting the urge to call her daughter and demand that she come home right this instance. Grace's Rhyhorn and Fletchling noticed that and decided to intervene.

"Rhy/Fletch. (Grace.)" they both said simultaneously. Grace turned to her trusted Pokemon.

"Rhyhorn rhyhorn rhyhorn rhy Rhy-rhyhorn. Rhy rhyhorn. RHY...rhyhorn rhyhorn rhyhorn rhy rhyhorn. (I know you're worried for Serena. We all are. BUT...bringing her home is a bad idea.)" Rhyhorn stated sternly.

"Fletchling. Fletchling fletchling fletch fletchling fletch fletchling Fletchling fletch fletchling. (Agreed. That makes her a sitting duck if the Navy comes calling.)" Fletchling added. Grace's eyes grew wide as she realized her Pokemon were right. After a few seconds, she dropped her hand from the receiver.

"...You're both right. Sorry, I wasn't thinking rationally." Grace admitted. Rhyhorn and Fletchling both nodded in understanding. Grace then went to the table and picked up Serena's bounty poster.

As she glared at it, she thought, What does this Navy want with my baby girl? Ash, Luffy, you better keep her safe.

Back on Route 5, Brock had just told the entire group about his conversation with Dawn. And, needless to say, Serena and Chuchu looked LIVID.

"I thought this might happen, but...SERIOUSLY?! ASH AND I WERE GIVEN BOUNTIES?!" she yelled out.

"...Welp, that confirms J is in the Navy." Ash spat out while Pikachu's cheeks sparked.

Meowth just looked stunned as he uttered, "FIFTY?! I'm worth fifty berries?! They must think I'm just a Pokemon or something..."

"...Well, shoot. And everybody's bounty is really high. Besides Meowth, that is." Brock lamented.

"Don't remind me. I should AT LEAST be on the level of Jess and Jimmy. Like, yeesh, twenty-five million berries for both?! I'm almost jealous, to be honest." Meowth admitted.

"...I can understand you, Jessie, and James getting bounties. I can understand Zoro getting a sixty million berry bounty. After all, he did cut down one of J's men. And Ash and Luffy getting one hundred million berry bounties is pretty self-explanatory. But what I don't understand is, HOW THE HECK AM I WORTH SIXTEEN MILLION BERRIES AND WANTED ONLY ALIVE?!" Serena shouted in a literal fit of rage.

"...Maybe to get to Ash." Uta guessed.

"Or to get possessed by that Ultra Beast." Luffy added seriously. Shinx growled fiercely.

"Or both." Bonnie piped in, with Dedenne nodding. Serena flinched and shuddered at each answer. Ash wrapped his arms around her back and looked down.

"Don't worry, Rena. I'm not letting that happen." he muttered. Serena blushed a little bit and smiled as she glanced up.

"Thanks, Ash." she replied.

"...I still haven't gotten used to Ash being romantic." Meowth whispered to Nami. She giggled at that one while Bonnie squealed in delight.

"Anyway, Dawn said Iris is getting a tablet. And she wants in on the chat action." Brock stated. Ash nodded in understanding. They then heard a ding coming from Clemont's tablet. He took it out...and smiled upon reading the message.

"Dad says Franky is headed our way. Also, the info of what happened to Nami's Ralts is spreading like wildfire." Clemont revealed.

"YES! WE HAVE OUR SHIPWRIGHT!" Luffy cheered as he unexpectedly hugged Uta. She had a massive blush on her face, but nonetheless laughed at his energy.

"...Why did I think that was gonna happen?" Nami murmured to Meowth. That time, it was him who had the giggles as Bonnie squeaked even more.

"...Quiet, you three." Serena and Uta uttered at the same time. Usopp chuckled before becoming serious.

"I'm surprised we haven't heard from either Ash or Serena's mom yet." he admitted.

"...I'd rather not." Ash and Serena both said nervously. Their faces then went red upon realizing they spoke the same thing.

"...I can see why you wouldn't. After all, Grace would probably want Serena to return home." Nami responded.

Serena scoffed before saying, "That's the LAST place I need to be right now. I don't need the Navy to come knocking. Nuh-uh, forget that." Sanji puffed out smoke from his cigarette.

"She makes a good point." he concurred.

"True. And I bet Delia would scold Ash." Brock affirmed. This time, it was Ash who had to scoff.

"Not my fault J's in the Navy." he retorted.

"...He makes a good point too." Meowth conceded.

"...So anyway, what about this Iris girl?" Zoro wondered out loud.

"She's set up to potentially become the strongest of Unova's Gym Leaders." Ash answered. Luffy, Shinx, and Zoro raised an eye in intrigue.

"...I highly doubt she'd join the Navy." Serena responded.

"Agreed. Though, what it really boils down to is, does Iris have a crush on Ash? We know the water twerpette does, after all. However, from what I recall about Iris, I am 99% sure she doesn't." Meowth concurred.

"...No, she doesn't. The way we bicker...there's no way." Ash replied with a shake of the head.

"Pika. Pika pika pikachu Pikapi. (Agreed. Iris is not in love with Ash.)" Pikachu confirmed. Serena breathed a sigh of relief...which didn't go unnoticed.

"At least you don't have to use a Fairy or Ice type to protect Ash from Iris." Bonnie stated teasingly.

"BONNIE!" Serena screeched out as her and Ash's faces became redder than a Tamato berry. Everybody laughed at that...except for an annoyed Clemont.

"...We should probably camp out for the night. Too risky to go to a town." he admitted sternly.

"True. But I don't think that issue will remain for long with the truth about Ralts spreading." Ash said.

Serena sighed before uttering, "Thanks goodness."

"...Also, I definitely see why Cynthia would go at the Navy for the bounties." Brock mused.

Ash hummed while saying, "Yeah. J is strong, but she's not dumb."

"True." Meowth uttered.

"...Anyway, we should focus on the REAL issue here. The Navy could be the one pulling the strings in the alternative universe." Nami affirmed. Everybody nodded in agreement. Serena leaned into Ash, who hugged her. Suddenly, his tablet started ringing. As they separated, Ash pulled it out...and raised an eyebrow.

"It's Gary." he stated. Ash pressed the Answer button and waited until Gary and Lillie's faces appeared on the screen.

"Hey Ash. Geez, you can't seem to catch a break, huh?" he groaned. Ash and Pikachu couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.

"Apparently not, Gary." he conceded.

"Well, hey, Lillie and I will be heading over to Kalos to help out with the situation." Gary informed the group. Their eyes went wide in shock.

"WAIT, WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Serena, Uta, and Nami screeched out.

"...Wow. Bold move." Zoro muttered.

"There were some conditions, though. Also, Mother knows everything now. And she is PISSED." Lillie replied. Serena shuddered in fear at the mention of Lusamine.

Ash gently wrapped his free arm around her neck before saying, "Calm down, Rena. I don't think she'd be this pissed if she was possessed."

"Exactly." Lillie concurred. As Serena calmed down, Sanji took a puff from his cigarette.

"So what are the conditions?" he asked. Lillie explained the conditions.

"I do wish I could watch that battle. Gladion is strong after all, but so is Gary." she said sadly at the end.

"...You know, I'd rather you not come to Kalos, Lillie." Ash admitted. Gary actually scoffed.

"That's what I've been trying to tell her. I even flat-out said there is still something we can do here in Alola to help out with the situation. But does she listen? No." he responded.

"Well, forget it, Ashy Boy, Oak Tree. WE ARE GOING WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" Lillie yelled out. Ash and Gary both flinched at the sound of that.

"...Maybe she-" Luffy got interrupted by Nami smacking him in the back of the head so hard that it bounced back and forth a few times.

"No, Luffy, we can't recruit every trainer or person willing to fight the Navy." she retorted. Nami then realized her mistake too late and casted an apologetic glance at a raging Uta.

"...Oops. Sorry." the navigator uttered. Everybody else covered their eyes exasperatedly before Bonnie turned to Lillie.

"Yeesh, you are as stubborn as both Ash and Serena. I can just imagine an alternative universe where you three date each other." the little girl stated teasingly. Ash, Serena, and Lillie blushed bright red while Gary groaned in annoyance.

"Oh? Is that jealousy I hear, Gary? Don't worry, your girlfriend isn't gonna ditch you." Bonnie added. Now Gary's face was as red as Lillie, Ash, and Serena's.

"Bonnie, that's enough." Clemont lamented. In response, Bonnie stuck her tongue out at him.

"...Geez, you sure can pick your friends, Ashy Boy." Gary muttered.

"...Hey, it's not my fault Bonnie does this all the time." Ash shot back with a scoff.

"ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH TEASING! CAN WE GET BACK TO THE SITUATION AT HAND?!" Lillie snapped at them. Everybody else winced.

"...Agreed. Now Gary, you said there's something you can do in Alola to help out with the situation here. Did you figure something out?" Zoro asked. Lillie let out a groan, not liking where this was going.

"Yeah, I think there's a Rattata in the Aether Foundation. And no, I don't mean the actual Pokemon." Gary admitted.

"...So who's the mole?" Luffy asked seriously.

"Our head scientist, Faba." Lillie answered. Serena turned to Ash, who shook his head.

"Never heard of him." he said.

"Me either, but this Faba guy feels like he should be in Team Rocket." Meowth added.

"...If he's sneaking around, I agree." Gary concurred with a nod. Serena hummed before turning to Lillie.

"Let's say you three do make your way to Kalos immediately after the egg hatches. Who's to say Faba wouldn't try to possess your own mother with Nihilego? After all, he knows his way around the Aether Foundation. So if that happens, we'd have a much bigger problem on our hands." the honey-blonde girl stated with a very serious expression on her face. Lillie shuddered a little bit at the possibility.

"...I know, Serena. But the Navy is clearly the bigger threat here. My mind's been made up, and nothing is gonna dissuade me otherwise." she replied sternly. Everybody else groaned.

"...There really is no point in arguing with her, is there?" Ash muttered to Gary exasperatedly.

He chuckled nervously before saying, "Nope. Although...how about a compromise? Professor Kukui knows about the nightmare. He knows Guzma. And his future wife works for the Aether Foundation. So...how about he goes undercover and spies on Faba?" Everybody else agreed to the plan. Suddenly, Ash's tablet dinged.

"...Looks like Dawn sent Iris's contact info." he confirmed once he read the message.

"...Guess she really wanted in." Serena stated.

"Well then, you're gonna have to fill her in. Not only do I have that battle to prepare for, but we now need to talk to Professor Kukui too." Gary responded, with Lillie nodding.

Ash nodded back as he said, "Will do. Good luck with Gladion." Gary hummed in thanks and ended the call. Once that was done, Uta turned to a very nervous Nami.

"YOU AND I ARE GONNA HAVE A TALK ABOUT HITTING OUR CAPTAIN! IS THAT CLEAR?!" she yelled out angrily. Nami just chuckled. Zoro shook his head with a slight smirk. Serena and Chuchu giggled while Bonnie, Dedenne, and Meowth laughed. Ash, Pikachu, Luffy, and Shinx let out a chuckle as the boy sent an invite to Iris. He looked toward Serena and Brock, who knew that it was time to bring her up to speed. The Pokemon Doctor in training sent messages to May and Max, and soon, everybody except for Gary and Lillie entered the group chat.

Traveling Companions...and Oak Tree II

------------------------------------------------------

Iris: Oak Tree? Really, Ash? You're such a little kid.

Ash: Force of habit from childhood...

May: I'm surprised Gary isn't here to agree with Iris there.

Serena: He's actually training for a battle with his girlfriend's brother.

Max: Oh?! Training to impress her, huh?

Serena: That and those three will be on the way to Kalos once Lillie's egg hatches.

Dawn: EXCUSE ME?!

May: WHAT?!

Max: Wow. Bold move.

Iris: I take it there's more going on in Kalos than just the bounties, Ash having a pirate lookalike, and him getting a girlfriend.

Ash: Yeah. Remember the stories I told you about J?

Iris: WHAT?! THAT BITCH LIVED?!

Ash: Unfortunately.

Dawn: And she was with the Navy the entire time.

Iris: Oh great...

May: It only gets worse. The Navy is planning to eradicate the entire Ralts and Riolu lines.

Iris: EXCUSE ME?!

Serena: And to top it all off, J programmed a substitute Gym Leader to eliminate any and all Pikachus. And since Ash and I both have a Pikachu...

Iris: Ok, that settles it. Fraxure and I are coming ASAP!

Ash: Fraxure?

Dawn: Yep, Axew evolved.

Iris: He can't ride in my hair anymore.

Serena: He rode in your hair?

Iris: Yep.

Iris: Also, Serena, that Pikachu you have...is it Chuchu?

Serena: Yep.

Iris: Huh...I wondered why Ash never used his female Pikachu In Unova. Would have thrown everyone off.

Ash: She was only mine until I found Serena.

Iris: Oh? Then can I take that as confirmation that she is your girlfriend?

Ash: IRIS!

Serena: IRIS!

May: Yep.

Max: Yep.

Dawn: Yep.

Brock: Yep.

Serena: HEY!

Ash: HEY!

Iris: LOL! Aw, ain't that adorable!

Ash: ...Just wait until you get a boyfriend, Dee-Dee.

Dawn: ASH KETCHUM!

Serena: Yeah, Dee-Dee, just you wait.

Dawn: NOT YOU TOO, SERENA GABENA! STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!

Iris: ...Um, May, care to explain?

Dawn: NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!

Brock: Now now, settle down...

Ash: Remember your big fear, May?

May: Yeah?

Ash: That wasn't your fault. But this...this was 100% Dawn's fault.

Dawn: DON'T YOU DARE!

Ash: So Ursula, one of Dawn's rivals, had a Plusle and Minun that she specifically trained for a double performance. Terrified her so much that she blacked out with her hair sparkling like a diamond. As it turns out, in kindergarten, Dawn held a Plusle and Minun so hard that she got electrocuted with her hair sticking out and glittering. It was Kenny and the rest of the class who started calling her Diamond Dandruff, or Dee-Dee for short.

Serena: 🤣🤣🤣

Iris: ROFL!

May: LOL!

Max: LOL!

Brock: *facepalms* Good grief...

Dawn: ...I. Hate. You. All.

Serena: Love you too, Dee-Dee.

Ash: Love you too, Dee-Dee.

Iris: Love you too, Dee-Dee.

May: Love you too, Dee-Dee.

Max: Love you too, Dee-Dee.

Dawn: ...Oh, shut up.

Brock: ...Man, do I feel right at home...

Ash: Anyway, we got good news from Gary. Lusamine is not evil. In fact, she's the one who suggested her son go with them to help out with the Navy.

Max: ...Then odds are, it's either a Lusamine from an alternative universe or our Lusamine being possessed in the future. Though, with a lack of knowledge on Jason Silva, I'm willing to bet it's a Lusamine from an alternative universe.

May: Agreed.

Iris: ...Do I even wanna know?

Ash: Honestly? No. No, you don't.

Serena: But we'll tell you anyway. Ash had a nightmare where I get kidnapped by Guzma's Darkrai on Lusamine's order, possessed by a Nihilego, and killed by Jason.

Iris: YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! WHAT THE HELL?!

Ash: Exactly. It's the craziest journey I've ever had.

Iris: I'm off to the airport then. DON'T GET KILLED, LOVEBIRDS!

Ash: IRIS!

Serena: IRIS!

-Iris has left the chat-

May: Well, I think we can confirm that Iris won't go after Serena due to jealousy. Unlike Misty.

Brock: Thank goodness.

Serena: That's a huge relief.

Ash: Agreed. Anyway, I had something else to discuss, but with Gary, Lillie, and now Iris offline, it wasn't the right time for that. So we'll talk about that when we're all together at a later time.

Serena: Agreed.

Brock: Agreed.

May: Agreed.

Max: Agreed.

Dawn: Agreed.

Max: Anyway, we're about to land in Kalos. And I wanted to get some training done with Drew's Masquerain and Butterfree in preparation for my first Gym battle before we have dinner.

Ash: Then be careful. The Gym Leader was planning to catch a new Pokemon.

Max: Understood.

-Max has left the chat-

-May has left the chat-

Dawn: I'm gonna go too. BUT...whatever you do, DO NOT TELL THOSE PIRATES ANYTHING ABOUT THAT!

-Dawn has left the chat-

------------------------------------------------------

As the trio logged off, Ash and Serena were both smirking deviously.

Brock noticed that and groaned before saying exasperatedly, "You're really gonna tell them? Not gonna lie, I kind of miss the 'old dense' Ash."

"What? I'd say it's fair play for the teasing. Plus, it was fun playing the dense idiot." Ash retorted sassily. While Serena giggled, Brock let out another groan. The trio then returned to the group. Luffy and Zoro were having a training battle with their Eevees while Bonnie acted as the referee. Clemont and Sanji were preparing dinner. Usopp was setting up tents and sleeping bags for all of them. Nami and Uta, who had finished berating her, were setting up the tables. And as some of the Pokemon were either watching the battle or sunbathing, others, like the Pikachus, Noctowl, Croagunk, and Meowth were gathering either some wood for a fire or some berries.

Ah, this is peaceful. Ash thought with a smile. He then turned to Serena and just sighed.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"...Just admiring the view." Ash admitted. Serena blushed a little bit there. Luffy noticed the trio and nodded to Zoro before they called off the battle. After depositing the berries they had collected, the Pikachus returned to their favorite spots: their respective trainer's shoulders. Soon, dinner was ready, and everybody was eating...and laughing at that story about Dawn. Except for Brock, that is.

"...Not gonna lie, I kind of want a Plusle and Minun now." Bonnie wheezed out.

"I can't believe she did that." Clemont uttered with a shake of the head.

"I'd wondered why she freaked in that Contest. Now I know." Meowth stated while snickering.

"Afraid of two mice? That's insane." Zoro concurred. Uta was still laughing.

"Now I'm surprised she actually caught her Electric type." Luffy admitted.

"Yeah, really. You'd think she'd avoid that type." Usopp added.

"True. Though, there was a time when May was afraid of Bug types. That didn't stop her from catching a Wurmple and evolving her into Beautifly. In fact, May came to appreciate them. Unlike Misty." Ash responded. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"You said Misty's heading to Santalune City last you checked, right? I wonder how she'd react to Viola's Surskit, given the Bug and Water typing." he mused.

"...You know, that is actually a good question." Brock replied.

"...So what was May's issue you mentioned?" Serena asked curiously.

"May once found herself surrounded by a school of Tentacool while swimming. As she called out for help, her mom pulled out a Pokeball and actually tried to catch her because of her blue swim cap resembling that Pokemon. Harley found out about that from Max and tried to exploit it to win their first Contest battle." Ash answered. Nearly everybody winced and placed their hands or paws over their faces.

"How'd her mom not notice that?!" Meowth wondered out loud.

"...Okay, that was NOT May's fault." Zoro lamented.

"Yeah, we can't blame her for fearing Tentacool. Also, fuck this Harley guy. He sounds like a total scumbag." Uta spat out furiously.

"Agreed." Luffy said, equally furious. Before Ash could say anything, he and Froakie both sensed an aura nearby and turned to see his egg glowing.

"Whoa! Already?!" he gasped in surprise as the Bubble Frog Pokemon, Charizard, Noctowl, Fletchling, and the Pikachus' eyes grew wide.

"Wow, that was quick." Brock muttered.

"Pika pika pikachu pi pikachu... (Fastest time for an egg hatch since we received it...)" Pikachu piped in. Ash hummed as he took the glowing egg out of the case and put it down for all to see.

"...Thank Arceus Fraxure isn't here." he admitted while pulling the Pokeball off. Pikachu and Charizard chuckled nervously at that one.

"Huh?" Serena inquired.

"When Scraggy's egg started hatching, Axew got so excited at the prospects of becoming a big brother that he knocked it over. If Pikachu hadn't caught it when he did, that egg would have landed in some sharp rocks." Ash explained with a shudder alongside Pikachu and Charizard. Everybody else flinched.

"Yikes. I knew Axew was young, but he should've been more careful." Meowth said.

"Yep." Serena concurred.

"...Anyway, let's just focus on the incoming birth here." Zoro stated sternly. Brock nodded in total agreement and shifted into Doctor mode. Suddenly, the egg began to crack and glow even more intensely, momentarily blinding everyone.

"AH!" they all gasped in surprise. As the glow died down, a newly hatched Pokemon stood where the egg once was. He was a small, blue, canine Pokemon. He had a black torso and legs, a blue tail, and a yellow collar. He had rounded bumps on the backs of his forepaws. He had a black "mask" and red eyes. He stood on his toes instead of his entire foot. He had developed two black appendages that hung down from his head, which was currently rising as he sensed the auras around him.

"...Rio? (...Hm?)" Riolu mused curiously as he turned to both Ash and Luffy.

...Huh. I knew Riolu was good with aura, but does its confusion mean that Luffy has aura equal to the original twerp? Meowth thought. Ash bent down to Riolu's level.

"Hi Riolu. I'm Ash. I'm the one who detected your aura. So that makes me your trainer, right?" he inquired. Riolu focused really hard on Ash's aura for a few moments...and could tell that he spoke the truth there.

"...Rio riolu riolu rio Riolu. (...Yes, you are indeed my Master.)" he confirmed.

Riolu then turned to Luffy before adding, "Rio riolu rio riolu. Riolu rio riolu riolu rio riolu. (But this is quite bizarre. I sense a similar aura in him too.)" The boys had confused looks on their faces while everyone else eyed them suspiciously.

"...Hm, we're not sure why. But we'll figure it out eventually. And, um, can you not call me Master?" Ash queried, sounding a bit annoyed at the end. Serena couldn't help but giggle, which prompted Riolu to look at her.

Upon seeing just how close she was to his master, he asked innocently, "Riolu riolu riolu? (Master, is she your mate?)" Ash and Serena both blushed scarlet.

"Quick on the uptake, ain't he?" Meowth observed as he and everybody else laughed.

"ALL RIGHT, KNOCK IT OFF!" Serena yelped in embarrassment. That just made them laugh even more. Ash placed a hand on Serena's shoulder, calming her down.

"Relax, Rena. He's young." he muttered to her. Serena gave Ash an understanding nod.

"Anyway, doc, you wanna give Riolu a checkup before I catch him?" he questioned Brock. He nodded and went right to work with Blissey and Croagunk. A few minutes later, Brock faced Ash.

"Riolu is healthy as a fiddle." he confirmed. Ash hummed in thanks and pushed the white button to enlarge the Pokeball he'd been holding for a while.

"I'm doing the Kalos League with Serena, Luffy, and Zoro. But that's not all. There are certain bad guys who are gonna try to eliminate your evolution line, along with Ralts's evolution line and the Pikachu species. And they are definitely planning to do something awful with Serena too..." he uttered with a scowl. Ralts shivered before being picked up and comforted by Nami. The Pikachus sparked their cheeks viciously. Serena looked scared, but despite that, she managed to calm Ash down by placing her hand on his shoulder. And everybody else was livid, with each Fire type wanting to roast the Navy. Above all else, Riolu was appalled. Ash then held his Pokeball out to him.

"But we're not letting that happen! We'll end the Navy here! And we need your aura powers to do it! So join me, Riolu, and I'll unlock your full potential!" he exclaimed confidently. Riolu didn't even have to think about it as he tapped the button on the Pokeball. It opened, and his body got turned into red energy and sucked inside.

The Pokeball closed, and while Ash stared at it, it rolled once...

Twice...

Three times...

DING!

A smirk crossed his face before he said, "Welcome to the team, Riolu."

"...You know, Ash, after the incident at Cameron Palace and the third encounter with J, I always figured you would get a Riolu eventually." Brock admitted with a chuckle alongside Steelix, Croagunk, and Blissey.

Ash and his veterans chuckled back as he replied, "Better late than never, huh?" Serena and Chuchu giggled while they rubbed her egg gently.

"...I hope mine hatches soon." she uttered before sighing.

"I know. You're gonna be a great trainer to Togepi, Rena." Ash declared. Serena blushed at her crush's confidence in her abilities to raise her future Pokemon.

"It will be great practice for when you're a mommy, Serena." Bonnie stated teasingly. Serena's blush went way up, and Ash's face became the same shade of red as hers. Clemont frowned while everybody else laughed.

"...Never change, Bonnie. Never change." Nami concurred.

I would love to have kids with Ash someday. But we are a long way away from that. Serena thought. Unknown to her, Ash was thinking the exact same thing.

A chuckle escaped Brock's lips as he muttered to a sniggering Meowth, "Ash not being dense is a refreshing change." The Scratch Cat Pokemon had to agree with him there as Pikachu snickered.

"...So Pikachu, when are you and Chuchu gonna mate?" Ash whispered to his starter. Pikachu flushed scarlet.

"PIKAPI! (ASH!)" he yelled out, clearly embarrassed.

Serena couldn't help but giggle before whispering to Chuchu, "Yeah, when are you two having baby Pichus, heh?" That made her Pikachu blush so hard.

"PIKACHU KACHU! (NOT YOU TOO, SERENA!)" she hollered loudly. Luffy, Uta, Brock, Froakie, Fennekin, Charizard, and Skorupi wisely shut up. Ash and Serena giggled at their Electric types' embarrassment. Soon, Zoro became serious.

"I know Cynthia had said the Navy is ceasing their search for us. But that doesn't mean we can slack off on our training. After all, there is still Sabrina's vision to worry about here." he admitted.

"...True. Then in that case, now would be a good time to see what Riolu can do and train him up." Ash replied.

"Agreed." Serena concurred. Everybody else nodded before Nami turned to Usopp.

"Think you can make a new weapon for me? Similar to my staff, but with weather-related abilities." she muttered. Usopp raised an eyebrow and gave Nami a nod. And with that, he started working on her request while Ash began training up his Riolu.

At the Kalos Airport, a plane landed on the tracks and stopped. As the door opened, people started flooding out of it. A man in the crowd walked over and started scouting out the area. He then noticed two people holding up a certain sign and smiled evilly as he went to them.

"...Hello, Cassidy and Botch." the man uttered.

Back in Luffy's dimension, two men were just sailing away from a certain island on a boat. The first one was a tall muscular young man with curly black hair, black eyes, childish freckles, a huge tattoo on his back of purple bones formed on a cross behind a purple skull with a white mustache, and another tattoo on his upper left bicep that spelt "ASCE" vertically, with the S being crossed off, who wore an orange hat with two blue smileys, one frowning and one smiling, a string of red beads sitting above the rim, and two long orange side straps hanging down the sides and meeting at a large medallion of a bull's skull with orange tassels, a red beaded necklace, a Log Pose on his left arm, a red and white striped bracelet around his wrist, an orange elbow guard, black knee-length shorts with an eyelet-studded orange belt, a blue pouch belted around his left leg, a short second belt with a large red "A" on the silver buckle over his right hip which he left unfastened and threaded the free end along the back of his shorts, a green sheathe hanging at his left hip with a dagger in it, and black boots.

The second one was another tall muscular man with slightly long curly blond hair, round black eyes, and a scar over his left eye and was wearing a large black top hat with a pair of blue goggles wrapped around it, a long black jacket with a buckle on the left sleeve, with a blue shirt and vest, a frilled cravat, brown gloves, and a simple belt holding a pair of loosen light-blue pants with black boots.

"...Man, Ace, I still can't believe you effortlessly burned through Crocodile's sand with your Flame-Flame powers. You sure have gotten stronger since the last time I saw you ten years ago." he admitted, clearly impressed.

Ace chuckled before saying proudly, "Well, Pops helped out a lot. Plus, Sabo, I was offered the title of Warlord after having beaten one once. But I turned it down. Being the Government's lapdog doesn't suit me, after all."

"True. I bet Whitebeard wouldn't have allowed it either. Still, I do see your point about him being a big help to your growing strength. ALTHOUGH...I heard you matched Jimbei while you tried to go after Whitebeard." Sabo responded with a raised eyebrow. Ace let out another chuckle.

"Yeah, back before I actually joined Pops. Me and Jimbei, we fought for five straight days to a draw." he admitted. Sabo just gawked at Ace.

"...Still as reckless as ever, I see, huh?" he asked with a deadpanned expression. At that, Ace smirked.

"I wouldn't be talking if I were you, Mr. Right-Hand Man to Dragon." he retorted sassily. Sabo groaned in annoyance. Ace laughed a little bit before turning serious.

"Speaking of, when did you plan to tell Luffy before this all happened?" he inquired.

"I wasn't gonna. You know Dragon is the most wanted man in the world. If they saw his right hand with a rookie pirate..." Sabo trailed off.

"...they might trace the connection. I see what you mean." Ace finished while nodding.

Sabo sighed as he admitted bitterly, "And that's ONLY if I remembered Luffy while we were both in Loguetown. Curse my amnesia from the time that Celestial Dragon shot my ship down..." Ace hated to admit it, but he made a good point there.

The attack from the Celestial Dragon really did screw things up. If that didn't happen, the three of us probably would've been a united crew. But then again, I probably wouldn't have met Pops, Marco, Thatch...and Teech. he thought. Ace scowled darkly and clenched his fist. Sabo noticed that and decided to change the subject.

"I wonder where Princess Vivi had gone off to. Her father must be worried sick by now." he stated.

"...Hm, good question. Shall we go investigate the place where she was last seen? Someone in what remains of Crocodile's Baroque Works might know something." Ace suggested. Sabo nodded and sailed his ship back the way they came.