"So, would you like to have a two-on-two or just one-on-one match? It's up to you." Ash said as he crossed to one side of the garden.

"I'd like two to two." said Max from the other side of the garden.

"OK!" Ash said, looking at the two Pokémon by his side, "I think I'll use it, just you." he said to Pikachu and Teddiursa and bent down, "I know this is your first match, so don't worry and put everything you can into it." he said to Teddiursa.

"Tedi!" said little bear like pokemon with determanation in eyes.

"Brock could you do us a referee?" asked Max he pulled out one pokeball.

"Sure." Brock said, stepping between the two trainers. "This will be a match between Ash and Max in a two-on-two fight. The match will end until one side is unable to continue."

"Go Teddiursa!"

"Go Ralts!"

Teddiursa ran forward, while on the other side of the pokebal appeared a small pokemon with a white body and a green hair-like blanket between which were small pink horns.

"You caught Ralts. That's good. They're relatively rare." Ash said admiringly.

"But I didn't find him. Ralts found me." Max replied, looking at the Ralts.

"What do you mean? Have you seen this Ralts before?" Ash said as he thought, "Is this the same one we found when we traveled through Hoenn?"

"Yep! Since our split, Ralts hasn't split apart, at least not psychically. Because he knew exactly the day I went for my first Pokemon."

"Wow so that's great." Ash said with the stars in his eyes.

"Both sides ready?" Brock asked as the two trainers nodded. "Battle begin!"

"I will take first attack. Use disarming Voice." Max shouted.

Ralts took long breath and then let out loud sound.

"Dodge and then use scratch." Ash immediately.

Teddiursa jumped away dogging attack and then charged at Ralts with white claws making contact with Ralts. 

"Ralts are you ok?" Max asked worriedly. Ralts then just stood up and shook down dust. "Nice and now use double team." 

From one Ralts appeard more copies of Ralts looking same. Teddiursa then started to panicked little not sure what to do.

"Don't worry and use baby-Doll Eyes."

Teddiursa closed up eyes and then opened them with the cutest look. Around all copies then glowed blue light.

"Use disarming Voice again!" shouted Max again.

Copies of Ralts then let out again loud sound this time hitting Teddiursa. But Teddiursa stood up not hurt so much. After that copies of Ralts disappeared.

Max immediately realized what Ash had done. Instead of blindly pursuing the possibility of finding the right one and getting full damage, he weakened the possible damage.

"That was clever Ash, but we're not done yet." Max said to Ash.

"We neither." Ash smirked "Use scratch."

Teddiursa then charged speedly at Ralts. Max thought that it will probably again dont as much damage. Ash then smirked about his reaction.

"Teddiursa change it to lick quickly and use it repeatedly." Ash said.

Max's eyes then widened at change of attack and didn't have enough time to do anything because it was to late. Teddiursa started licking Ralts with super effective attack. When Teddiursa backed away Ralts looked tired.

"I didn't expect Teddiursa to use Lick. Very good Ash but we are not ending. Use confusion."

Ralts closed its eyes and opened them with blue color then around Teddiursa started to blue as well and lifted up from the ground and smashed back on the ground. When dust settled Teddiursa was lieng on ground with swirled eyes.

"Teddiursa is unable to continue, Ralts is the winner." Brock announced.

"You did amazingly on your first battle." said Ash as he returned unconscious Pokemon back in pokeball "Nice job Max. Confusion was attack I didn't really expected. Now buddy it's your time." said Ash looking to Pikachu.

"Pika." shouted Pikachu running on the battlefield.

"Battle continue." 

"Use double team." said Max and again copies of Ralts apeard around Pikachu. Ash then smirked and looked to his partner.

"Pikachu use iron tail on the ground." said trainer from Pallet town.

Pikachu jumped in the sky when his tail started shines white and  then slammed down on the ground. Ground started to shake and all copies of Ralts then disappeared leaving only the real falling on the ground loosing its balance.

"Now use electro ball." shouted Ash.

Pikachu's tail started to form on its end ball of electricity. After full charge then trew it Ralts.

"Get out of there!" shouted Max in hope that feeling Pokemon will be able to doge but unfortunately for him, his Pokemon was too tired to get up and got by attack. When dust settled again Ralts was lieng on ground unconscious.

"Ralts is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner." announced Brock.

"Awesome job Ralts, now take a good rest." said Max returning his Pokemon and then taking out second Pokeball "Now Ash I would like you to meet my first pokemon. Go Treecko!" shouted Max trowing pokeball revealing green wood gecko like pokemon with tail made of by leaf.

"So you picked Treecko as your starter? I am not suprised really. When you always saw some Treecko or his evolution you always looked happy." said Ash looking at Treecko.

"Yeah.  Me and Treecko are working almost on everything together. He is also awesome during battles. So I hope you will see it now!" shouted Max enthusiastically.

"I hope too." said Ash.

"Battle continue!"

"Pikachu use thunderbolt!" Ash said taking first attack.

Pikachu's cheeks started to sparkled and then released bolt of electricity at Treecko.

"Counter with bullet seed." Max said with quick reaction.

Treecko leaned back and then leaned forward shooting out of its mouth small seeds countering bolt of electricity.

"Nice and now use pound Treecko." Max shouted immediately after first attack.

Treecko jumped in the sky towards Pikachu while making flip with its tail towards.

"Counter with iron tail!" shouted Ash.

When two pokemon collided with their's tail they were fight who will backed away first. The first one was Treecko who was pushed back and hit with iron tail.

"Don't let them hit you more. Use quick attack!" shouted Max in panic.

Ash then smirked at this reaction. Because Max thought it will best to act quickly.

Treecko was surrounded by white power and charged at Pikachu making contact but when he jumped away sparks started to flow through his body. Max groaned when he realised that Treecko is paralyzed by Pikachu's ability. Ans when he thought that he at least made some damage to Pikachu, he looked at Pikachu who looked like nothing happened.

"What the hell?" Max asked with questioning look.

 "Let's finish this with thunderbolt!"

"Counter with bullet seed!" spectacled boy shouted in panic.

Pikachu sent out power attack towards Treecko who was about to use his attack when sparks appeared around its body stoping from using attack. With nothing to block thunderbolt, attack made contact with Hoenn starter creating cloud of dust. When dust cleared it revealed Treecko lies on ground with swirled eyes.

"Treecko is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner making Ash winner of the match." Brock shouted ending the match.

"Great Pikachu!" shouted Ash walking to his buddy.

"Pika pi!" yellow mouse like pokemon shouted towards trainer and jumping on his shoulder.

When was Ash about to say something to Max, he noticed that Max was on his knees before Treecko with his head looking on ground.

"Max are you ok?" Ash asked worriedly. But before he could asked again, suddenly he shot his head up with stars in his eyes.

"Wow that was awesome. I have defeated your Tediursa but Pikachu is so powerful. Now I need to train more if I want to be better. Thanks for battle Ash and I am looking forward next battle." said Max 

Ash was stunned for a second but then he recovered and smile and took his making handshake. After they ended handsheake, they looked to see others around them.

"That was one of the battle Ashy-boy. Pikachu didn't even look like he was tired." said Gary.

"Yeah Ash, you really got more stronger from last time we saw. When we will see each other again, I would like to have battle together. What do you say Eevee?" said Misty cheerfully.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee.

"Thanks Misty, but I'm not strong enough yet, not yet." said Ash looking away.

"When Treecko hit Pikachu it looked like Pikachu didn't even feel it and Pikachu took Treecko down even electric type attack aren't  so effective on grass type and even with that Pikachu took down Treecko on two attacks. And if this is with all pokemon you took with to Mt. Silver then they have to be even stronger. And you? You looked like you knew for the whole time you knew what to do. So if I think of it, when you will start with league in Kalos, then I am sure you win it this time. So stop saying that you aren't strong enough." Brock said angrily.

"I think you trust me too much, but I'll have to find out if I'm strong enough." said Ash.

"When you will know you are strong enough?" asked Trycey.

"Probably never because when I will get stronger, then someone stronger will apear and show me that I am not strong enough." said Ash coldly now. 

"Pika..." Pikachu said looking sad at his trainer.

Everyone wanted to say something but then from inside Delia came out.

"Ash I got for you plane ticket for tomorrow."said Delia cheerfully.

"Wow, you had a really good luck Ashy-boy. To get ticket on plane without reservation is really rare." said Gary.

"Well I had problems with getting it, but then your friend Alexa called that she heard that you were back home and she thought she might be able to help with the tickets, because she probably knew you wouldn't be staying too long, because you would go to a region where weren't before. When I said to her that you want to go to Kalos, she said that it is great even for her because she was planning on coming to Kalos too. Your plane is leaving tomorrow morning" said Delia.

"So it looks like your talking to everyone is sometimes worthwhile, Ashy-boy," said Gary with smirk "but make me promise." he added suddenly.

"What do you wanna to promise me?" Ash asked cunfused.

"Find a girlfriend." said Gary with bigger smirk. After that he was hit in the head .

"Oh let it be already Gary. You already said it many times. Also you can say after you find a girlfriend." Misty said annoyed.

"Ouch, was that necessarily? I just asked for promise." Gary said as he ran his hand over his head. "Also he is now coming to Kalos, the region of LOVE." he added with emphasis.

"Then you can go talk to Brock, for him everywhere is love where is pretty girl with short skirt." Misty said towards Brock.

"Hey I am trying better now." Brock said angry.

"Sure and it is not by good work of Croagunk." Misty said rolling over her eyes.

"Anyway I think it is time for us to leave. It is getting pretty late." Tracey said looking on setting sun.

"That is true. I should start to make my way back to Pewter city." Brock said looking towards to his path that led to his home.

"Me too." Misty added.

"I am not sure if you will make it Cerulean city before dark." Tracey said worriedly.

"What else I can do? I didn't bring a tent with me."

"You can sleep with us in the lab." Tracey said nervously, "We have a couple of rooms available so you can sleep there. You too Max." Tracey added like he forgot that Max was there.

"If the professor has no problem with that, I'll be happy to sleep in the lab. What about you, Max?" Misty asked.

"Same with me, but I have also tent with me so I will be ok if you won't have enough space." said Max.

"I will probably go with you to the lab. I need to put there some of my pokemon." Messy hair boy said.

"You mean all except Pikachu like always?" Tracey said with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I said need some of my pokemon put there, not all." Ash said angrily.

"Ok sorry, it's just you almost everytime put in lab all pokemon except Pikachu." said Tracey backing little.

"Ok now can we please hurry up little? I have some packing for tomorrow and I have to go to bed early to get some sleep. So let's go." Ash said while running to laboratory.

"Did anyone tell him we locked the lab and that the professor had the keys? "Tracey said with a questioning look at the others, who just shook their heads." Well, he will wait there a while before we get there. "

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

It's the next morning and Ash is ready to go, waiting for Alex, who has offered to pick him up. Ash was just leaving the room because he had forgotten to take the empty Pokeballs as he walked around his mother's room and heard something fall in her room. When he came in to find out what had happened, he found his mother sitting on the ground next to an overturned chair.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Ash asked as he approached her to help her to her feet.

"I'm fine. I was just looking for something at the top of the closet. I found it there when I suddenly lost my balance and fell." Delia said as she ran one hand over her butt.

"What were you looking for, Mom?" Ash asked with his head tilted to his side.

"This." she said, pulling out her other hand, which held a red cap with a white semicircle that was a little dusty, which Delia noticed and immediately wiped off the dust. Ash's eyes widened immediately.

"That's ..." Ash couldn't even answer as his words stuck in his throat.

"His hat." Delia said for his son.

"But why were you looking for it? I haven't seen that hat since he died." Ash said with a voice that began to break.

"Because," Delia said, placing the cap on Ash's messy hair, "he said that when you were about eighteen, he would like you to wear it. And I think now is the best time."

"Are you sure he wants this?" Ash asked as a tear began to escape.

"I'm pretty sure. And do me a favor when you're in Kalos. Please try not to kill yourself. I don't think I could handle losing both of you." she said, wiping the tear that ran down her face with her finger.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll try." Ash said with a slight laugh.

"At least something. And I hope you can at least keep an eye on him." Delia said as she bent down to stroke Pikachu's head.

"Pika!" said Pikachu, tapping one paw on his chest.

After Delia stood up, there was a car horn from outside.

"It must be Alexa. Looks like you have to go." Delia said.

"Yeah." Ash said with a nod, but before he could turn, his mother hugged him tightly.

"Be careful and try to call me from time to time. After more than a year, without hearing you, I don't want to." Delia said, hugging Ash harder.

"I will." Ash said, hugging his mom back.

"Now go, don't let Alexa think about the transfer to the airport." Delia said as she first broke the hug.

"Sure. Come on Pikachu, we have a long way to go." Ash said to Pikach, who jumped on his shoulder as he ran down the stairs. "Bye Mom!"

"Bye huney." Delia said as Ash ran out the door.

"Hi Alexa!" Ash greeted the reporter and his friend energetically.

"Hi Ash. Are you ready to go?" Alex asked as Ash got into the car.

"Sure!" Ash replied, meanwhile his partner jumped into the back seat where Helioptile sat.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu shouted to generator pokemon.

"Helioptile!" Helioptile greeted.

"So can we leave?" Alexa asked.

"For sure. Kalos, I'm coming!" Ash said with a new flame in his eyes. And with that they set off. Ash was.

Ash thought about a lot of things. He thought of the new Pokemon and the people he would pass. He wondered what Mega evolution looked like and how he would be able to learn to use it. One of the things he thought about was the one he didn't want to think about much longer, but he made one thing clear. Whatever it takes, he won't leave Kalos until he visits him, because he owes him, he owes him with his own life.

Meanwhile, a girl with honey-blonde hair and a fox pokemon will wake up with the help of a tiny robin pokemon.