It has been a few days since Ash had returned. Since then, Delia has worked to listen to most of the stories Ash had for her, during which she had to dominate from time to time to let Ash out of the house again. 

Today is the day when she decided to organize a small celebration for messy hair boy. The thing Ash didn't know was that she had invited some of his friends, who just had time as a minor surprise.

Ash POV

I was resting in peace when I suddenly felt electricity flowing through my whole body. I immediately got out of my bed and immediately knew where to look for the source of the electricity. Laughing Pikachu stood in front of me. I wanted to touch him right away when I noticed that my last caught pokemon was laughing right next to him.

It was like a little bear with orange fur all over his body except his mouth and part of his head. He had a light yellow coat around his mouth and a white crescent-shaped coat on his head and between his eyes. He also had small claws at the end of his paws that were sharp enough to tear the fabric, but not enough to hurt anyone.

I figured out what this was about. Pikachu wanted to show how he wakes me when I sleep too long. And from the way Teddiursa laughs, it looks like if Pikachu wakes me up, Teddiursa will be right next to him. I just hope he doesn't join in with an attack either.

"I'll get you for this, you can be sure." I said to Pikachu while getting up from the ground.

"Pika, Pika," he said during his constant laughing.

"Maybe I'll forget to buy you ketchup during our next journey." I said with a smirk because I knew what he was afraid of.

He froze immediately after saying that. Unlike Teddiursa, who began to laugh even louder.

"You should be careful too, because maybe I'll forget to buy some honey too." I said towards Teddiursa.

Teddiursa immediately froze too. During this conversation, I changed into normal clothes. In the process, I realized why Pikachu woke me up like this. My mom was planning a late celebration of my seventeenth birthday for me today. I went straight to the door of my room.

"Come on, you two, I think Mom has breakfast ready for us and she's just waiting for us." I said to my two pokemonum as I opened the door.

In a moment, two frozen Pokemon realized what I was talking about and immediately ran out the door. During those few days, Mom became acquainted with Teddiursa and his favorite eating of honey. Since then, she has always prepared delicacies for both of them with their favorite ingredients. She made me especially doing larger portions than normal, because according to her I gained some muscle, but I'm said to be thinner.

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"Did you invite anyone today?" I asked my mom while helping to clean up after breakfast and preparing on celebration.

"I invited the professor, Tracey, and a few more people." said Mom from the table where she set the table setting.

"Who else?" I asked when someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"You will see. And could you please go open the door?" she said as she disappeared on the second floor.

I didn't understand what she meant until I opened the door. When I opened it, someone hit me in the chest but not too hard. In front of me stood a boy with auburn spiky hair dressed in black.

"Finally Ashy-boy showed up at home." said my child rival. Gary fucking Oak.

"What the hell are you doing here, Gary?" I asked Gary, who just grinned.

"I know you've been out of civilization for almost a year and a half, but you won't even tell me, 'Hi, Gary' or 'Hi, I'm so glad to see you'?" Gary asked as if insulted.

"Maybe I will tell you someday when you stop calling me Ashy-boy. Now tell me why you are here." I said with the thought that he had just come to annoy me.

"Then I will never receive such a welcome, because I will never stop calling you Ashy-boy." he said with a grin "For your question, we are here to celebrate your birthday." he said as he pointed behind him.

For a moment, I thought he meant Professor and Tracey. As if Gary knew what I was thinking, he stepped aside and found out I was wrong. Gary was actually backed by Professor Oak and Tracey, but what I didn't know was that there were other people with them. Next to Tracey stood an orange-haired girl with Eevee on her shoulder. Next to Oak stood a tanned man with brown hair who had been taller for Ash before, but was now the same height for Ash. Between them stood a boy with black hair and large glasses. I didn't know what to say. I was just looking at my friends because I haven't seen some in a long time. But now they are standing here, in front of the door of my house, smiling at me.

I haven't seen Misty since our meeting in Hoenn. When I looked at her properly, I noticed that her hair was slightly longer than when I last saw her. When I wanted to look at the others, it seemed to me that something was flashing at me from her hair. Then I looked at Brock. Not much has changed since our division, when I headed back to the house and he set out to begin his career as a Pokemon Doctor. The only thing that might have been different about him was that he had more muscle. Then I looked at the boy next to them. I almost wouldn't even know him if it weren't for those glasses. Max Maple. The last time he saw him, he was only 7 years old and he wished he could finally become a coach. Now he stood before him, older and taller than he had last seen him.

"What are you all doing here?" I asked the only question that just occurred to me.

"Your mom called us to say you're back and she's having a little party." said Misty.

"And because some of us haven't seen you in too long, we've decided to come." Brock essentially added to Misty with a smile on his face.

"May apologizes for not coming, but she wouldn't be able to get here." Max said with a sad smile.

"But why are you here Max? I thought you'd be together everywhere." I asked, because in Hoenn she kept watching over him.

"After I got my starter, we decided to travel separately. I decided to try the Kanto League and she decided to explore the Galar region." said Max, pointing to his belt where he already had two pokeballs.

After his answer, I had no idea what to say, and we would probably stand there until someone broke the silence if it weren't for my partner, who ran between my legs.

"Pika Pi !!" he shouted with excitement as he jumped toward Misty.

"Hi Pikachu, I'm glad to see you too. I missed you, you little soft ball," Misty said as Pikachu caressed her in her arms.

"Tedi?" I heard Teddiurs say behind me. I turned to see his head peering nervously from the corner of the door.

"Ash, is this your Teddiursa?" Brock asked as he noticed Teddiurs.

"Yes he is. I caught him in Mt. Silver." I added as I bent down to take him in my arms.

"He is cute. I hope he doesn't turn out to be like that we met at Johto." Misty said, thinking how cute Teddiursa was, but he just wanted to steal food from us. 

"I'm pretty sure he is 100% better. He was really young when I found him." I added as I scratched Teddiurs's ear a few times, where he liked it best.

"How did you even find him?" Max asked with a questioning look.

Before I could answer, Professor Oak intervened.

"I think you can ask all the questions inside. I think Delia is waiting for us." He pointed a finger behind me, where my mother stood with a birthday cake in her hands, smiling at us.

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NO POV

Everyone except Delia and Professor Oak were sitting in the living room trying to start a conversation. Ash was currently trying to convince Teddiursa that there is no one to be afraid of while others were watching him.

"Don't worry Teddiursa, they're all friends and my friends won't hurt you." he said to Teddiursa, who was still hiding behind Ash while the others watched.

"Ash, why is Teddiursa so afraid?" Misty asked, sitting next to Tracey.

"It is always like that and I'm not sure why. But fortunately I know a way to solve it." he said as he suddenly ran into the kitchen, so little bear pokemon hid behind chairs. In a moment he was right back with the honey in his hand.

"Ashy-boy, what do you have the honey for? Wasn't the sweet cake enough for you?" Gary asked Ash, remembering that he had eaten most of the cake.

"It isn't for me Oak Tree." Ash said as everyone immediately laughed at the nickname except Gary.

"Oak Tree? Have you come up with this nickname now?" Gary asked.  Ash grinned and nodded. "You're finally starting to act like me. Keep going and you'll find the girl in a minute."

"If you think for a few years, I agree." Misty said, leaving Gary offended.

"Okay, who wants the first Teddiursa?" Messy hair boy asked.

"I'd like that cutie," Misty said excitedly at the thought of cuddling with Teddiursa.

"Okay, so hold that teaspoon of honey." Ash said, turning to "Look Teddiursa, Misty has honey for you." Ash said toward Teddiursa.

Teddiursa peered out from behind the chair toward Misty and noticed the honey she was carrying and slowly approached her. When he was close enough, he ate honey and, with a smile, just climbed up on Misty and sat down in her lap. Misty jerked a little because she wasn't expecting such a change in behavior at once, and something flashed again, and this time Ash was sure he didn't think so. But before he could ask, Max spoke.

"So how did you actually catch Teddiursa?" Max asked.

"I found him weak and relatively malnourished in the winter." Ash said with pleasure to tell the whole truth.

"How about telling them that Ursaring almost killed you?" Delia's voice came from the kitchen.

"WHAT ?!"they all shouted at the same moment with a surprised look on their faces and looked at the raiven hair trainer.

"Maybe I found Teddiursa when he was under Ursaring attack and took Ursaring's slash when he wanted to use it on Teddiursa." he said with less uncertainty as to what to do next, "Right after that I forced Ursaring to pull back, and luckily my jacket was ruined only." Ash added, hoping to improve the situation.

Suddenly, he got punched by Misty in the shoulder, who was upset. "I didn't save you from drowning during our journey around the Three Islands just to get you killed by a wild Ursaring."Misty said with justification.

"Please, Misty, you're too scared." Ash said, remembering his original question, "And Misty, what's in your hair? It shines a lot, and I wondered what it was."

Misty just smiled and reached into her hair and pulled out a rubber band to which was attached a small crystal stone.

"It is called the keystone." she replied as she handed the stone to Ash.

"Wow it looks great. What's that for?" Ash asked with a questioning look as he scanned the stone from all sides.

"It is for mega evolution." the professor spoke as he came out of the kitchen with Delia, coffee in hand.

"Mega evolution? What is it." Max asked.

"It's a phenomenon during which if a trainer has a keystone and his Pokemon designated a stone called a Mega Stone. This can unlock another form of evolution. It should be added that the trainer and his Pokemon must share a very strong bond to establish a perfect mega evolution. If so, the pokemon will not only change its appearance during the match, but will become even stronger. Some Pokemon may even change their type during the Mega Evolution. After a match during which the Mega Evolution is used, the Pokemon will return to its original form. " said the professor in a way that often answered this question.

"Wow, so you have a Pokemon that can mega evolve?" Ash asked with new enthusiasm in his eyes.

"Yes, but not just me." Misty said in a tone like it was nothing.

"Who else?" asked boy from Hoenn

"Us." Brock and Gary said at once, and Ash and Max just looked at them with widened eyes.

"What kind of pokemon do you think Mega can evolve?" Ash said with a flame in his eyes.

"We won't tell you yet," Gary said with a smirk on his face, feeling that he had an advantage again for that day.

"Why not?!" Ash said annoyedly, "How is it possible that I've never heard of it, and where did you get the stones?" Ash asked with a question that was one of many he had.

Everyone except Max and Ash looked at each other nervously.

"Why won't anyone answer me?" Ash asked with a puzzled look.

"Ash, mega evolution occurs most in the Kalos region." Misty said uncertainly, not knowing what would happen.

Within a moment, the energy boy suddenly fell silent and looked toward the ground. Everyone was trying to think of ways to improve his mood, except for Brock, who knew that changing the subject wouldn't help Ash.

"Ash, you have to stop thinking about it already. It was-" he didn't even have time to continue when the boy from Pallet town spoke.

"A year and six months." he said in a sad voice.

"One more reason to let it be. You've been blaming yourself ever since, but we've all told you. It wasn't-" he didn't finish the whole sentence again when he was interrupted again by a seventeen-year-old boy.

"You weren't there, Brock, you weren't in that position. You didn't have to watch what you liked disappear. I did, and it was just my fault because I couldn't do more. I wasn't as strong as a trainer and as a person." Ash said in an angry voice.

"Ash, you're the best tranier I've had the honor of meeting. That's why I admire you so much and why I started in Kanto and not with myself in Hoenn. I wanted to become a strong coach like you." Max said with a determined look.

"In that case, the same things await you as me. The loss of every league and the people who will tell you that you'd better give up on the plan you have and the type you train." said Ash, who turned to Max so he could change his mind that following his path would be pain.

"Ash, you're the person who taught me that battling is never about winning, but that you'll enjoy working with your pokemon and sharing their joy. I don't care if I lose or get lessons about how bad I am, because the next the thing you taught me is never to give up. " Max said with determination.

Ash just stared at the spectacled boy in surprise. He did not know that he had such an impact on Max during the journey through Hoenn and Battle Frontier. He thought he would just watch him fail and just watch him not make mistakes like him. Now it is he who speaks to his soul about not giving up.

"Max is right, Ash. And he's not the only one you've had an impact on. You've taught me not to take other people's opinions unless I agree. You helped Tracey find a new way to draw and find a job with Professor Oak he loves. Brock thanks to you learned the informations about Pokemon and found out his new goal, which he would never find in his gym. And I am not even talking about the people you influenced during all the journeys we had with you."

Ash just stared in disbelief at his friends, who were looking at him with smiles on their faces. It didn't change his mind about what had happened, but at least it improved his mood.

"Thanks guys." Ash said with a smile on his face.

"That's why we are friends. To help you. So you can talk tu us about things that bother you." Gary said out of nowhere.

"Since when do you count me as a friend?" he asked Gary with a smirk.

"Always you idiot, but don't think that means I'll stop calling you Ashy-boy," Gary said with a more grin.

"Sure, because I wish I could." Ash said as he rolled his eyes over Gary. "I know where I am going next." he added after a moment's silence.

"Where?" Delia asked, afraid that he would go again somewhere where she would not be able to connect with him.

"Kalos." Ash replied immediately. "I want to get to know the new Pokemon and really experience what it's like to be able to Mega evolve."

"I knew you'd say that." said Pewter city gym leader.

"How?" Ash wondered.

"The look in your eyes when you learned about Mega evolution. It's been a long time since I've seen you like this." Brock said with a smile.

"I am going to book your tickets now." Delia said enthusiastically, "I think tomorrow might be an option." Delia added.

"Before you run away again, there's one thing that needs to be done," Max said with a determined look.

"Hmm?" Ash looked thoughtfully at Max as if he had forgotten something.

"The last time we saw each other, you promised me a match. When I will be trainer and I want him now rather than waiting for us to meet again someday." said the boy Hoenn confidently.

"You have your match." Ash said, looking at his new rival.

Aaaand done. This time it is longer. I will try to make longer chapters, but it will mostly depends on story part in that chapter. Anyway I hope you will survive my story. Also I wish to all good luck in this harder time, but if we will just be careful, then we will be alright.

Also you want to know what happened in past with Ash, then I will tell you this: you will have to wait or read it in latter chapters :D.