The moment Bianca stepped out, she was met with a sight that made her grimace; the sun rising over the horizon, drowning out the stars with its glory.

It was as if the plane had raced the glowing orb across the globe and won, leaving her with an entire day before she could rest. Despite having slept on occasion throughout the flight, she still had to fight back a yawn, a truly damning sensation…

Unfortunately, a proper rest would have to wait, lest she be unable to acclimate to the new time zone.

A grueling task indeed.

From what she could see, Ash wasn't tired in the slightest, merely looking around the city with an almost contagious excitement.

Almost.

Bianca envied his energy and once more cursed herself for not sleeping when she had the opportunity.

Glancing at the trainer as he peered at the various buildings, she cleared her throat and wearily asked, "Where to?"

"Uhh, there should be a hotel somewhere here. I booked a reservation," Ash replied as he glanced at her with a grin, his response filling her with both relief and exasperation.

"'Somewhere here?'" she repeated incredulously. "Ash, this is an entire city. Possibly bigger than Goldenrod City, and we barely saw any of it while we were there. Do you have some idea where it is?" She all but pleaded, not wanting to wander around until the sun came up.

Ash looked thoughtful momentarily as he looked around, leading Bianca to massage her temple. "You don't know, do you?" She asked rhetorically before shaking her head and looking around for someone to give them directions.

Most of the people in the area seemed to be looking around in awe, much like Ash had been. Hardly the appropriate people to ask. Fortunately, the city seemed to have some early risers, and she could spot some people here and there walking about with relaxed, albeit tired expressions in contrast to the bright-eyed visitors.

Her eyes were caught by a somewhat short gal in what she determined was a school uniform with cloud-like hair, stalking through the street with a purpose. Maybe she can help? She might know the city well enough if she goes to school here. Bianca thought as she began to follow the girl.

"Ex-excuse me?" she called out, hoping to get her attention. Regrettably, the girl in question probably didn't expect a stranger to try talking to her, so she didn't stop or look back.

Ignoring a dumbfounded "Huh?" from Ash, she followed the girl with a quicker pace, raising her voice to get the girl to notice her. "Excuse me, miss? School girl?"

At that, her pursuit whipped around with a nonplussed expression, replying in the thickest accent Bianca had ever heard, "'School girl'? Really?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know how else to get your attention," Bianca apologized as she rapidly slowed down.

The girl looked behind Bianca with suspicion, narrowing her eyes before focusing on Bianca.

"You're not here from my father, are you?" She asked with a disgruntled voice.

"Er, father? No, I don't know your father," Bianca answered, confused. What was up with her father?

The girl seemed to relax at that, her expression becoming less annoyed and more amicable. "Alright, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but that still begs the question of what you want. Foreigner, are you?"

Bianca had a hard time trying to work through the peculiarities of her accent, but she nonetheless understood more than enough to nod and reply, "You could say that. I'm Bianca, from an island off of Johto. My friend…." She trailed off, looking behind her toward where she had left Ash, blinking back the fogginess in her eyes. She spotted the trainer not twenty feet away, following her as she pursued the girl. Bianca continued, turning back to the stranger, "My friend is Ash, from Kanto. He says he booked a reservation at a hotel here, and I was hoping you would know where it might be?"

"Peonia," the girl introduced herself with a nod, her expression morphing into thoughtfulness. "Ash from Kanto, huh? Kinda rings a bell."

The trainer in question had finally caught up to them and stood at Bianca's side as he waved cheerfully. "Hi there! I'm Ash from Pallet town!"

Peonia bit her lip thoughtfully as she nodded. "Ash from Pallet town…. I definitely recognize that name."

"Is there a single person on this planet that doesn't know your name at this point?" Bianca snorted in exasperation. "We just got here, and people already know you."

Ash chuckled sheepishly as Peonia laughed softly. "I wouldn't say know , it's just ... Well, probably not too important anyway. So, you said you booked a reservation at a hotel, but you don't know where it is? May I ask which hotel? Wyndon has like four of them, outside of the super fancy one."

"Right! It's called the 'Rose of the Rodlands' or something," Ash replied, only for Peonia to lean her head back with raised eyebrows.

"Rose of the Rondelands? Seriously?" Peonia shook her head at that. "Either you got completely scammed, or you're richer than you let on. Maybe that's why I recognize you. Have you been on TV before?"

"Uhh-"

"I am really sorry to interrupt, but I feel like I'm going to fall asleep at any moment, so could you point us in the right direction? Please," Bianca begged, feeling her eyelids droop before she forced them back open.

"Eh? Oh, right. You definitely look like you need it," Peonia pursed her lips as she glanced at Bianca's face. "I suppose you're lucky enough to have talked to the right person, then. I'm actually headed that way, kind of. If you want, you can tag along with me. Once we get close enough, I can point you the right way."

Bianca sagged with relief, nodding with gratitude. "I'd really appreciate that, thank you."

Peonia replied with a slight nod, gesturing for them to follow. "Come along, then. You'll be able to get that pack off you in no time."

Her generosity caught Bianca off guard, and she couldn't help but blink in surprise as she questioned, "Yo-you sure? I wouldn't want to keep you from…whatever you're doing."

The girl snorted as she shook her head. "Trust me, I wasn't doing anything too important. Plus, it'll help keep my mind off things."

Nodding, Bianca fell in step with her, and the trio began walking towards the hotel. As Bianca adjusted the pack, she couldn't help but wonder about what the girl said. "Hey, uh, if you don't mind me asking…" she began awkwardly, unsure how to broach the topic. "Why did you think we were from your dad? What's up with that?"

Peonia sighed as she combed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "He's…well, he's kinda persistent. He keeps wanting to go out and have a bunch of adventures with me, and I just…ugh," she finished with a shake of her head. "He's so overbearing, you know? Like you would not want your dad to be this pushy."

Bianca stared at the ground at that, pursing her lips. "I don't know, I think I'd like to have parents like that," she muttered with a stony face, pushing down the tight feeling in her chest.

Her tone must have alerted the girl to her dour mood, for she felt twin sets of stares settle on her before Peonia asked, "Why, is he super distant or something? Sometimes I wish mine was like that, if only to have breathing room."

"Trust me," Bianca scowled, staring holes into the road ahead. "You really don't."

Luckily, Peonia seemed to have picked up that the conversation was turning sour, so she quickly changed subjects. "So, Ash from Pallet Town. How on earth did you manage to snag a reservation at the Rodelands? It's not exactly cheap, and even then, snagging a spot still isn't a walk in the park. Especially given the exhibition match today."

At that, Ash snapped to attention, thrusting his face towards Peonia as he practically squealed, "Exhibition match?!"

Bianca couldn't help but snort in amusement as Peonia quickly backed off. "Woah, there, calm yourself," the girl said as she raised her hands as a barrier.

"Sorry," Ash sheepishly replied as he backed off, only for his eyes to resume their sparkle. "But the match! What's the battle like? Who's in it?"

"Oh, so you aren't here for it? I kinda figured you were, but then again…." Peonia trailed off as her eyes trained on Bianca's pack. "Extended stay, eh?"

"You could say that," Bianca replied as she glanced at the currently vibrating Ash. "He was gonna be here alone, but he convinced me to tag along and see the sights, as it were."

"Oh?" Peonia questioned curiously, a certain glee to her tone that immediately alerted Bianca to her train of thought.

" Not like that," she corrected before clarifying, "I've just been running out of things to paint in my hometown, and because he helped me out before, I decided to trust him enough to come along so I can get some inspiration."

"He helped you out once, and you put that much faith in him to travel to a whole separate region?" Peonia questioned with raised eyebrows. "Must have been something pretty crazy."

Bianca let out a dry chuckle, stifling a yawn before replying, "You could say that. Can't tell you much beyond that he really saved the skins of a lot of people. Let's just say the circumstances gave me enough confidence in him."

She could hear Ash mumbling in embarrassment from behind, with Pikachu snickering on his shoulder.

"How sweet," Peonia said with a grin, and Bianca began debating internally whether or not to even bother correcting people at this point. "So," the girl continued in a more curious tone, "not here for the match, and you'll be here for a while. What brings you to our humble region?"

Bianca let Ash handle that one, and he wasted no time in launching into an excited rant. "I'm gonna compete in the League so I can become a Pokemon Master!"

"A Pokemon Master?" Peonia questioned curiously, a sentiment shared by Bianca. "How does that let you become a Pokemon Master? What even is a Pokemon Master?"

"It's…! It's uhh, hm…" Ash began eagerly, only to break off his sentence before it even had a chance to properly start.

Peonia glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow and asked in a disbelieving tone, "Don't tell me you spent a ridiculous amount of money to chase a dream you don't know how to chase, much less not know what it is."

"I didn't do all that," Ash protested in an offended tone. "It's just…I grew up watching all kinds of battles, so that's what I've always wanted to do. I, uh…I guess being a Pokemon Master kind of just…." he trailed off, unable to finish his train of thought.

Bianca felt a flash of sympathy, and Peonia must have felt the same, for she sighed as she responded, "That's not a bad dream, Ash. It sounds like battling is something you're passionate about. Just make sure you actually know your dreams , and don't sacrifice what's important to obtain them." The girl finished with a slight scowl, although Bianca had the distinct feeling it wasn't Ash at which she aimed her vitriol.

Ash was silent momentarily, breaking his silence to mutter, "My dreams…."

"It's not something you'll have to figure out right away," Peonia reassured him in a softer tone. "If you love battling, then you'll love Galar. We're crazy about it here. But just so you know, you'll have to get an endorsement to participate in the League."

"Wait, what?" Ash replied in confusion. "An endorsement?"

"Yeah, here in Galar, trainers are required to obtain a letter of endorsement by any relevant official," Peonia admitted. "Sounds like you haven't had to deal with that in other regions, but battling can get pretty intense here. The endorsement letter is there to ensure that only trainers with the capabilities to handle the pressure and dangers of league battles."

Bianca nodded in thought at that, musing over the requirements and implications. If battles were that spectacular, then she could look forward to plenty of moments she could put to canvas. As for the endorsement…. "How's this guy gonna get his hands on one of those letters?" She asked as she jabbed her thumb back at him. "Who can give them out?"

"Well, gym leaders, mostly," the girl said as she thought about it. "Anyone involved with the League, like Chairman Rose," she added with a strange tone. Before Bianca could question it, Peonia continued with a lighter voice, "And, of course, the champion himself. If by chance you meet one of them and impress them, they will undoubtedly give you a letter of endorsement."

"So I just have to impress a gym leader. Well, Pikachu, let's get ourselves an endorsement letter!" Ash exclaimed confidently, the electric mouse sparking his cheeks and crying, "Pi-ka!"

Peonia shot Bianca a look of amusement from the corner of her eye, muttering, "You'll probably have your hands full with that one."

"You have no idea," Bianca sighed tiredly, already picturing the amount of shenanigans he'll get himself into. Or, probably more accurately, the ones he'll get them both into.

The group continued to share small talk and light-hearted jabs, becoming quick friends until they inevitably reached the point of divergence.

"Well, here's where I gotta split. If you take this alley and just go straight, you'll end up at the side of the hotel. Much faster than going around; that place is huge," Peonia nodded as they stopped at an intersection.

Oh, thank Kyogre, Bianca thought as she glanced gratefully at their guide. "Thank you so much, Peonia," she said to the girl, receiving a thumbs-up.

"It was my pleasure. Nice having met you guys, by the way. Given how much you'll be traveling and battling, I don't think we'll see each other again. But if you happen to spot me, don't be afraid to come and say hi," the girl offered before turning to Ash. "And if by chance my dear old dad comes along and asks for me, do me a solid and give him a thrashing in a battle, yeah?"

Ash grinned confidently, saying, "It would be my pleasure!"

Satisfied, the girl waved a hand and turned to leave, only to glance back with a slight frown. "Oh, and do be on the lookout for Team Yell. They're mostly harmless, but they're also annoying to deal with."

"Team Yell?" Bianca questioned. "Who are they? And what do they look like?"

Peonia walked backward as she responded, "Buncha fanatics bent on protecting their precious chosen trainer. They've been mostly quiet in the dead season, but with the League kicking up very shortly, they'll be out in force again. As for what they look like, you'll know when you see them. Trust me. Bye, now!" She then faced back around and walked away at a quick pace.

"Er, alright. Thank you!" Bianca called out, seeing Peonia flick a lazy hand in reply.

As she turned back to Ash, she could see his nonplussed look and curiously asked him, "What's on your mind?"

He glanced at her as the two walked towards the alley, answering confusedly, "It's just…Team Yell. Every region I visit, there's some new team. Team Rocket, Team Galactic, Team Flare…. Can I visit one region without some team something-or-other?" He finished with an annoyed tone, making her snort.

"Clearly not," Bianca remarked dryly, only to frown momentarily. "These teams you mentioned, Galactic and whatnot. You didn't go interfering with them like you did with Magma and Aqua, did you?"

"Uh, well, you see…" Ash began awkwardly, only for Bianca to throw her hand up as they passed through the alley.

"You know what? Save it for later. I'm still trying to deal with what you've told me about your Leagues and meddling in Hoenn. I'm tired, and I don't need you to add on to that," she stated with finality, before grunting as she stumbled.

Ash immediately threw a cautionary arm in front of her to prevent her from falling, although she waved him off, momentarily stopping their progress as she leaned against the alley wall.

I sincerely hope this gets easier, Bianca thought, fighting back the urge to fall asleep. Her eyes flicked to Ash as he frowned with concern and asked, "You sure you don't want me to carry that for a bit? I know we're almost there, but-"

"No, no, I- I just got to get used to this, she murmured, closing her eyes for a moment. As she rested, she quietly asked, "How long did it take for you to get used to this travel gig? Carrying everything you need, and dealing with…everything," she finished vaguely.

There was a beat, then his thoughtful response, "Hmm, Hard to say. It was so long ago…. But it took a couple weeks to get used to it, I think. Then another month or so before it didn't bother me anymore. It also helped that Brock was there. He carried all of the cooking stuff."

A couple of weeks to a couple of months. Yay, Bianca mentally remarked, nodding shortly after as she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Well, that's splendid. So, how are we going to divvy up the weight? I hate to say it, but I'm not exactly on par with you."

"Don't worry about it," Ash reassured her with a shake of his head. "If you can carry all or even most of our clothes, I can get the camping stuff and anything else."

Bianca slowly nodded, chewing over his words before replying, "We'll have to see if that will work, but that doesn't sound bad to me." Clothes were relatively lightweight, and if he only had to worry about camping equipment, travel would be more manageable.

She hoped.

Grunting, she pushed herself off the wall and began walking again, Ash quickly stepping beside her. On his shoulder, Pikachu gave her an encouraging grin and nod before facing forward, and she couldn't help but get a small smile of her own as she pushed forward.

Those two really are twins in all but shape.

In no time, they had left the alley and could clearly see the side of a large building from across another road. It looked to be made of stony brick, giving the structure a rustic and charming appearance. The slanted roof was made of royal purple shingles, and Bianca could appreciate the use of colors in its construction.

While she couldn't see any crosswalks, there was a strangely small population of cars, although the crowds of people walking around made it apparent people simply preferred walking.

Given what she saw from the plane, she couldn't fathom why.

Shrugging the thought away, she glanced both ways before crossing the street with tired yet determined strides.

"Uh, are we allowed to-"

Bianca didn't bother looking back as she interrupted Ash, "If anyone complains, they can bite me."

There was a moment of silence before she could hear Ash quickly catch up to her, walking at her side with unsure steps. "Man, I hope we don't get in trouble for that."

"If they didn't want people crossing the street, then they should enforce it," she merely grumbled, not feeling any urge to follow a law that may or may not even exist. All that mattered was getting into the hotel room and taking a nap.

Damn, I'll have to cut it short, too; Bianca mentally grimaced, wishing once more that she had slept on the plane.

As the two made their way to the front of the building, she sharply glanced at Ash and questioned, "Are we absolutely sure this is the place? Because if not, I'm falling asleep on their lawn anyway, and not even whatever Legendary guards this region could move me from it."

Ash nodded with an unsure chuckle, "I don't think they'd like that very much."

"Pika…"

"I don't think I care all that much," she flatly replied, only to sigh and apologize a moment later, “I’m sorry for being snappish.”

The trainer merely raised his hands and said, "It's fine. I get it. I've…been worse." He laughed awkwardly as they reached the lobby's main doors. Any questions she had about what he was referring to could wait, as the stunning view of the interior was almost enough to fully wake her.

Bianca had trouble deciding what to gawk at first. The golden chandelier was a good option, with many gorgeous crystals hanging from the fixture that sparkled from all the gilded light sources.

Are the candles made of gold as well? Bianca thought incredulously as she gazed around. Despite her slowed pace, her shoes made distinct clacks on the floor, and she looked down to see almost all of it was solid marble, being cut from different colors and arranged into a checkered pattern, although the two large squares leading up to the main desk differed from the surrounding area; a compass rose, and a stylized Scizor, if she had to guess.

Bianca and her Grandfather weren't exactly poor, but never had she felt so underdressed in her entire life up until now.

Ash was more relaxed, although he still did look around with interest before striding forward to the receptionists. She quickly followed suit, trying to ignore the few people who sat rather imperiously in available chairs.

As they approached the desk, the receptionists smiled politely, although Bianca could see a hint of judgment in their gazes, making her eye twitch.

Or maybe that was just a lack of sleep.

"Welcome to the Rose of the Rondelands. We pride ourselves on offering five-star service that is beloved throughout the world," the leading man said proudly, with what she could only deduce was some signature look of superiority only high-class people were capable of. "How can we assist you today?" The man asked, although Bianca had the feeling he doubted there was anything they could or would do for them.

"Hi, we're here for a room? I called in a reservation with you guys," Ash happily replied, either not picking up on the man's veiled arrogance or choosing to ignore it.

"Is that so?" The man replied disbelievingly, giving Bianca the sudden urge to punch him in his perfect teeth. "Well, why don't you provide me a name, and we'll see what to do with you?"

'What to do with us'? Bianca considered herself fortunate that she needed to sleep, or else she would have likely snapped at the man and said something that would damn both her and Ash.

Ash had no such issues, it seemed, and nodded as he responded, "Should be under 'Ash Ketchum.'"

The flash of recognition in the man's eyes as he started typing something on his computer caught Bianca's attention, and she turned her gaze to the trainer with growing suspicion. In the span of a day, she was learning just how much he didn't say anything about himself, and the picture slowly forming in her mind was that Ash was far more than some random trainer who happened to stumble upon her one day.

Deciding enough was enough, she elected to ask him about it as soon as they got up to their room.

Suddenly, the man looked up, any trace of his previous attitude gone as he stared at Ash with new respect and…dare she say, awe?

"A-ah, yes, it seems we do have you listed," he stuttered before turning and fumbling with the computer before reaching across the counter and handing over two keycards. The two accepted the cards, and the man bowed his head respectfully as he stated, "You'll find your room on the top floor, in the first hallway to your left. Please enjoy your stay."

"Thanks a lot!" Ash replied cheerfully, and Bianca mumbled her gratitude before perking up and narrowing her eyes.

"Wait, it's just one room, right? What are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?"

The man looked at them in surprise before responding, "We are the highest-rating hotel in the region; I assure you, ma'am, there is more than enough room for the two of you."

Bianca hesitated before nodding. "Well, alright. Thank you again," she said with some doubt as she turned and followed Ash to the elevators.

As he pressed the button, which she noted with some derision was also golden, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye and said, "When we get up there, you're gonna give me a run-down, a quick run-down, of why everyone we meet has heard of you."

Ash brought his hand up to the back of his neck and rubbed it awkwardly while Pikachu grew a smug look on his face. "I mean, if you want, yeah," he said as the doors opened, allowing them to step inside.

"I do," Bianca simply stated as the doors closed after them. She glanced at the available buttons, musing, "Top floor, huh?"

Not seeing anything higher, she pressed the stylized "10", and the elevator began its smooth ascent, the travelers sitting in relative silence outside of the quiet yet pleasant classical music playing through the speakers.

Shortly after, the elevator came to a stop, and with a small 'ding,' the doors slid open, revealing a long hallway that was nearly as fancy as the main lobby, with more branching off.

Stepping out of the elevator, the pair glanced to either side, taking in the long walls of gold etching stretched to either side. The carpeting looked beyond expensive, with many designs stitched in that probably took weeks, if not months.

It was hardly unpleasant to look at, yet Bianca couldn't help but snort. "So much decoration for an area people won't be sleeping in. Let's see if the room is as extravagant as everything else."

"Er, yeah," Ash agreed with a nod, glancing at the carpet before stopping and quickly kneeling down. "Hey, check it out! These are Pokemon!"

"What?" she replied irritably. Looking down at where he was pointing, she saw that various Pokemon were indeed making up the stitching, although she didn't recognize the vast majority of them. Unfortunately, she didn't care much for stopping and inspecting every last inch, so she shook her head as she walked by. "As fascinating as it is, I'd like to get to our room now, if you don't mind," she said with a pressing tone, getting his attention.

"Oh, right. Uh, what room was it again?" He asked as he glanced down at the key card.

"Nine-hundred twenty-two," she replied, making Ash's head snap up with scrunched eyebrows.

"Nine-hundred and twenty-two?" he repeated with a disbelieving tone. "Man, this place is huge if it has over nine hundred rooms!"

Bianca had to stifle a laugh at that as she moved towards their designated hallway. "I know this place is obscenely large, but I doubt it has nine hundred rooms. I think they just go up to a certain number on each floor before they add a hundred at the beginning."

He was silent momentarily before replying, "Oh, huh, that's…"

"Odd," she finished as they fell in step. "But I'll admit it works. It distinguishes the floors from one another a lot better than maintaining the numbering across each floor."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Ash hummed in satisfaction as they continued their trek, only to remark, "Man, these doors are super far apart."

Bianca blinked, glancing back before pulling her gaze along the hallway and noting he was right. What was up with that? Unless….

They finally reached their room, the numbers on the door in the same gold lettering as the keycard, albeit larger.

Finally, she thought as she looked around for a card reader of some kind, only to grumble when she didn't see one.

"I swear, I will break down this door if I have to-" Bianca seethed, only to fall silent as Ash reached forward with his own keycard and inserted it into a slot in the handle she entirely missed. A brief moment later, the handle beeped, and the distinct sound of a mechanism unlocking could be heard.

The two stared at the door, Bianca refusing to look at him as embarrassment coursed through her.

The sound of Pikachu giggling permeated the air, and she resisted the urge to glare at him as she turned the handle and pushed her way inside.

Immediately, the reason why the doors were so far apart from one another became apparent, as the view of an incredibly large room almost stopped her in her tracks.

In fact, it could hardly be called a room at all; it was more akin to a house than anything. As she stepped further into their accommodations, a full kitchen became visible on her left, fully cordoned off from what she could only describe as a combination of a living room and a bedroom. Against the wall were two massive televisions, and on the opposite side were two separate beds, either of which dwarfed her own back in Alto Mare. Between them was a rail on the ceiling, her eyes traveling their length until she saw the foldable divider tucked into the wall. The wall perpendicular to the farthest bed looked to have large windows, although the heavy curtains blocked her view of them.

To her right were two bathrooms; from the looks of it, they also put hers to shame with pristine marble countertops and gorgeous tiling on the floor.

Bianca took in everything one last time before slowly turning her gaze towards Ash, who stood with a grin.

"Wow, this place is nice! Look, separate beds! And TVs!" he exclaimed as he and Pikachu jumped forward and landed on the bed closest to them. She followed their movements intently as she slowly made her way to the other bed. She let her gaze drop from him momentarily as she let her pack fall from her shoulders, falling backward onto the bed, letting out a groan.

"Ooh, finally," she sighed with contentment, feeling her eyelids already beginning to drop, only to remember her earlier remarks. Keeping them open, she turned her head back to Ash. She studied him for a moment, fighting back the urge to sleep until she finally questioned, "Alright, spill; how can you afford this place? And why do people know you? You said you've never been to Galar before, but in the first two real interactions you've had with people, they both knew your name. Are you the kid of someone super famous or something? Been holding back on telling your life story?"

Ash glanced back at her with a confused but amused smile as he shook his head and replied, "What? No, nothing like that! It's just that I have a lot saved up from winnings in the leagues and other battles. I don't spend a lot cuz I'm too busy traveling, haha." He laughed, and Bianca nodded a moment later in thought, then pressed on a moment later.

"That's fair, but somehow, I don't think your league accomplishments are why they know you. No offense. I mean, second place is extremely impressive, but…." Bianca trailed off, not knowing what to say.

The trainer looked thoughtful as he mused, "It could be because of my Alola win, but that was really recent. I don't think they could have heard about it this fast, so-"

"Sorry, what?" She quickly sat up, much to the displeasure of her muscles. "What do you mean by 'Alola win?'" Her exhaustion was momentarily pushed aside as she peered intently at him.

"Oh, uh, in Alola, I managed to win the championship," Ash replied, seemingly caught off guard by her reaction.

Bianca continued to stare at him as she slowly spoke, "...Championship. You're…the Alolan Champion? Like an actual legitimate Champion?"

Ash nodded with a bashful chuckle. "Y-yeah, but it was the first ever League in Alola, so-"

"You're the first Alolan Champion? I'm sharing a room with the first Alolan Champion?" Bianca questioned disbelievingly, wondering if she was hearing correctly.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

As he mutely nodded, with Pikachu sitting smugly next to him on the bed, she stared at him before wordlessly falling back on her own bed and facing away. This was far too much to process at the moment.

"...Er-"

"Wake me up in a few hours, please," she interrupted with a mumble, deciding this new bombshell was not worth dealing with before she had the opportunity to nap.

Her eyes were already beginning to close, so his reply went entirely unheard as sleep finally claimed her.

Something was poking her in the cheek.

Oh, not now, Latias, Bianca thought as she lay in bed, irritated at having been woken up. The poking continued, and a loud "Pii-ka" sounded next to her, further annoying her.

"Please, Latias, not now-wait, what?" She began, only to pause in confusion.

"Pika?"

Opening her eyes, she was greeted with a yellow belly, which was definitely not a trait of her friend. As her eyes worked their way up the form, she could make out the shape of a Pikachu standing right by her head, poking her every once in a while.

"AAAAHH!" She shrieked, floundering, and scrambled away, looking around wildly. When her eyes settled on a very startled Ash, she froze in shock before opening her mouth to scream at him to get out of her room, only to close it again once she saw that he was not, in fact, in her room.

And neither was she.

It took her a moment to remember where she was, and she calmed down as the memory of the day came to her. Embarrassed by her behavior, she ducked her head and buried it in her hands, only to look up and ask, "...What time is it?"

"Uhh…" Ash looked around before his eyes settled to her right, responding, "Ten seventeen."

Bianca blinked and followed his gaze to see a digital clock on the dresser next to her bed.

Oh.

Yawning, she slowly rolled out of bed and stretched her arms to the ceiling before letting them drop, only for her to perk up in realization. "Wait, a quarter past ten? What time was it when we got here?"

"I think it was around six-thirty?" He offered hesitantly, apparently having paid as much attention to the time as she had.

After doing some quick math in her head, Bianca nodded satisfactorily before succumbing to a yawn. "Well, I suppose I got what I asked for, then," she snorted softly, turning to Pikachu and saying, "Thank you for waking me up, Pikachu."

"Pi-ka!" The mouse cheered, making her laugh.

"How long were you at it for?" She asked curiously, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She watched with some amusement as the Pokemon made vague gestures that she didn't understand, and she gave Ash a side-eye in hopes of a translation of some kind. Something she still had to ask him about….

Miraculously picking up on her look, the trainer helpfully elaborated, "About half an hour or so."

"You were poking me for half an hour?" Bianca asked, not believing her ears. The mouse nodded with a small "Pii," making Ash sigh.

"You're lucky that's all you got," he said, half-heartedly glaring at the mouse. "If it were me, he'd Thunderbolt me until I woke up."

Bianca stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. "You two are something else," she sighed as she slowly made her way to the bathroom. The carpeting felt pleasant beneath her toes, and once she reached the bathroom, the door closed behind her without so much as a squeak.

"Some hotel," she murmured in slight awe as she began fixing her hair, still amazed that Ash could even get them a spot in this highly luxurious place-

Ah, right.

Letting her hands rest on the marbled counter, she stared at the sink as she recalled the last thing she remembered before being woken up.

Champion.

An actual Champion. Not some small league in some far-off islands no one has heard of, but a presumably full-blown regional League. On the other side of that door was someone on equal footing as the champions from the other regions. Very few people in the entire world were his equal or greater in terms of battling.

And he was currently hanging out in their room, having brought her to some far-off region, ready to explore it like any common trainer.

The thought was almost impossible to fathom, and she had no idea how to even begin processing it.

Opening the door and interacting with him like a normal person would be a good start, she mentally snorted, shaking her head. "Then again, you aren't just a normal person, are you?" Bianca mused before scoffing, "And look who's talking; I'm best friends with two Legendary Pokemon that keep an entire city safe. I can't be called 'normal,' either."

She looked back up at her reflection and made a determined face, muttering, "Alright, time to face the music."

Heaving a quick breath, she threw open the door and stepped outside, her eyes immediately going to Ash.

The trainer was sitting cross-legged on his bed, staring at the television with the remote in hand, rapidly pressing one of the buttons. Pikachu was on his lap, eyes closed, enjoying neck scratches from his trainer.

Hesitantly, Bianca walked by and excused herself with a quick apology, sitting on the edge of her bed as she tried to find something to start a conversation.

Come on, it shouldn't be that hard, she chastised herself. He's the same goofball as earlier, and the same guy from their first meeting. Nothing's changed…except the fact that I now know he's a REGIONAL CHAMPION.

Her eyes flicked between the screen and his face before she nervously began, "Soo…what are you looking for?"

She immediately cringed at the meager attempt at making small talk, although Ash didn't seem to mind, as he immediately replied, "The exhibition match! That girl, uhh…Pe...Penny? She said there was an exhibition match today, and I'm trying to see when it is and where I can watch it!"

"Her name is 'Peonia,'" she corrected. Biting her lip, she curiously asked, "You didn't know about it before coming here? I would have thought you'd look into something like that. Being a champion and all that."

He looked away from the screen, ducking his head and laughing nervously, "Yeah, heh, I…never think about it when I travel. Plus, this is the first time I've come across it."

Really? No comment on the 'Champion' thing? Bianca thought as she drummed her fingers on her leg. Deciding to press further, she cleared her throat and inquired, "Speaking of being a champion…"

Seeing him turn his head her way with an embarrassed expression, Bianca pressed, "Why didn't you say anything about that? Even when you came back? That's… that's an insane achievement. I don't even pay attention to battling, and even I know that being a champion is something very, very few people can claim to be."

"Er, well," Ash began as he fiddled with the remote idly. "I didn't think it was…important?"

Bianca stared flatly at him, watching him squirm under her gaze. "You didn't think telling me that being a regional champion was important."

"...No?" He unhelpfully supplied, and she continued to stare holes into him until she eventually shook her head.

"I have no idea what to do with you, Ash Ketchum," she sighed as she rubbed her temple. "Had I known, I would have at least tried to watch your matches from home. I could have painted something for you…actually, that reminds me. What did you do with the painting I gave you?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, when I sent my stuff to my mom, I asked her to pin it up on my wall," he answered proudly, bringing a smile to her face.

"Well, thank you for that, at least. Maybe when you win this League, I can paint that moment for you," she offered with a small laugh.

He also chuckled, looking almost bashful as he set the remote aside. "We'll have to see about winning, but I would still love any painting you gave me, win or not."

Warmth filled her chest as she gave him a genuine smile. While her family and locals were quick to compliment any art she produced, it almost felt different coming from someone who was so openly honest.

Wait.

She immediately stood up and went to put on her shoes. "Crap, crap, crap," she muttered, much to the confusion of Ash.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he watched her flounder.

"I have to contact my granddad and let him know I landed safely. It completely slipped my mind," she said, cursing herself. "Do you think the hotel has some kind of call center?"

She bit back another curse as he answered, "I didn't see one."

"It's fine," Bianca reasoned as she began making her way to the door. "This city is massive, but we should be able to find a Pokemon Center somewhere nearby."

At least, she hoped. Either she would find one immediately, or she'd be wandering around a strange city until the sun went down. She hoped it was the former, although she was going to be extremely embarrassed if she found out they had passed one.

Pays to pay attention, Bianca thought with a snort, only to turn as she heard Ash getting up and following.

"You're coming with me?" She asked in surprise, to which he nodded.

"Well, yeah," he answered as if it were obvious. "What if you run into those Team Yell guys or something?"

She frowned as she paused with her hand on the door. "I can take care of myself, you know."

"I know, but…." He said with a grimace. "Latios…."

Oh.

Bianca snorted and shook her head as she pulled the door open. "Him and his threats. Alright, I can't argue with that. Besides, maybe you'll have a better idea of where to find a Pokemon Center than I do."

"Why me?" Ash asked, letting Pikachu bound onto his shoulder before stepping outside the room with her.

She raised an eyebrow at him and replied, "Because you actually travel? Alto Mare isn't necessarily a standard for Pokemon Center placement in cities, you know."

"Yeah, but I've never been to this city," Ash said with a quizzical look.

"Fair," she conceded, nonetheless pressing on. "But that doesn't mean you can't help. Plus, you didn't bring anything with you. Take the opportunity to shop for what we need."

Ash nodded in response as she closed the door behind them, and the trio made their way down the hall to the elevators. Jabbing her thumb on the button, Bianca gave Ash a side-eye, glancing at his clothes up and down before asking, "Are you going to change your style anytime? Nothing wrong with your current get-up, but I'm not sure Galar weather is going to be anywhere near as warm as Alola."

"Uh, yeah, probably," he said as the two stepped into the elevator, continuing once the doors closed behind them. "I change what I wear in every region; I just don't know what to wear here."

"Something warm," Bianca supplied helpfully with a small smile. "But I would be shocked if this place didn't have any clothing stores. I'm sure we'll find something for you."

Although I should probably help out in that regard, she thought as the trio descended. I feel like he'd decide to go with something that'll make him eventually freeze to death.

Bianca was confident in the clothes she had packed, but even then, she was going to look for heavier clothes. Excessive caution never killed anyone, probably.

Noting Ash's silence, she glanced over and found him with his chin tucked between his thumb and forefinger, staring at the floor in thought. Bianca had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing when she noticed Pikachu mirroring the movement.

Despite her best efforts to compose herself, she still couldn't help the slight warble in her voice as she asked, "Wh-what's gotten you thinking so hard?"

"Hm?" Ash perked up, only to reply a moment later, "Oh, I was thinking about the clothes thing. My mom always picked out what I wore to each region, so I'm kind of lost on what to get."

Huh, definitely a momma's boy, Bianca thought as she tapped her foot. "So you don't know what to get because you've never had to pick anything out for yourself?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, pretty much," he admitted as the elevator came to a stop. "Since I'll be walking around a lot anyway, it wouldn't hurt to think about what to wear."

The two stepped out of the elevator into the ornate lobby, which was thankfully empty except for the receptionists still posted behind their desks.

As they made their way to the doors, the male called out to them in a polite voice, "I trust, sir and madam, that you will be back for your evening meals."

As they stopped and turned, the man offered, "We will be serving Veluza imported from Paldea, along with Steenee leaves steamed together with ginger."

Bianca had no idea what either of these things were, but Ash didn't seem to care as he nodded eagerly, "That sounds great, thanks!"

The man merely dipped his head, allowing them to continue out the door, although Bianca was a little more hesitant. "Veluza? And Steenee? Are those Pokemon?"

Ash nodded as he shielded his eye from the sun momentarily, an action mirrored by Bianca and Pikachu. "Probably," he said, neither he nor Pikachu seemed bothered in the slightest. "I've never had Veluza, so I'm kinda curious how it'll taste."

"Pika."

Bianca was still a little unsure, having never really consumed Pokemon herself. It wasn't as though she never had the opportunity; it was that there weren't a lot of Pokemon in the Garden she could feel at ease eating, if any. If Bianca decided to start hunting them for her own consumption one day, she doubted they'd feel safe in the Garden. They would probably also smell it on her if she ate any outside of the perimeter.

Now that she likely won't be heading back any time soon, this could be her opportunity to try, if just a small portion. That being said….

"I don't mean to pry, but…how do you manage to eat Pokemon and still be friends with them?" Bianca asked curiously.

Ash tilted his head curiously as he thought about her question. "Hm, well, we never caught any Pokemon out in the wild on our travels. For food, anyway. So I don't look at Pokemon and immediately think of it as food," he confessed. As the pair walked along the cobbled walkway, he continued, "Any time I've eaten Pokemon, they were things like Magikarp, and it just happened to be served."

"I see," Bianca murmured, nodding slowly. "What about Pikachu? Does he eat…?"

She trailed off uncertainly, mildly surprised to find Ash grinning and shrugging. "He'll eat anything he thinks looks good, especially with ketchup. Even just ketchup."

"Pika-pi chuu!" Came the mouse's response, looking satisfied with himself.

Bianca was silent as she considered his answer. She didn't quite understand what made some Pokemon "acceptable" to eat over others. Did people eat Pokemon if they weren't cute enough? If Pikachu had all the same abilities that he did but with a completely different appearance, would he just be another meal on the table?

Or was it intelligence? Was there a certain threshold where Pokemon just weren't smart enough to be considered anything more than dinner?

Getting hung up on this right now probably isn’t the best idea, she decided as she followed Ash as he made his way down the street, quickly falling in step behind him. Feeling refreshed from her extended nap, Bianca took the time to observe the city and its inhabitants,becoming a lot more appreciative of Wyndon’s architecture. She found many of the buildings shared the hotel’s rustic aesthetic, and though they were not nearly as grand, she found them all the more beautiful because of it.

Even the roads had appeal, the cobbling never wavering as the trio made their way through the city. Bianca certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time in the city, if only to capture the sights before her.

She internally cursed herself for not packing a pocket sketchbook, although seeing Wyndon before her made her come to the realization that she would have had to pack many such sketchbooks just to fit the loads of possible paintings she could make.

Seeing a couple of cafes along the way, Bianca couldn’t help but wish the twins were here to try out all the various pastries people were munching on.

Then she reconsidered, remembering just the kind of personalities the twins had. If they were here, she doubted there would be much of Wyndon left standing, for even Latios fell victim to carelessness once a prank war had begun.

Not to mention all these cafes Latias would demolish, Bianca snorted to herself, catching the attention of Ash.

His inquisitive glance cleared as she clarified, “Just imagining what it’d be like if our friends back in Alto Mare were here to see this.”

“Friends?” He questioned, looking confused. “Which fri- Oh! Right, haha,” he laughed with a nod. “Yeah, they’d probably love it here!”

“Yeah, they would,” she murmured fondly as she imagined them in a more mature light, soaring through the streets, leaving gusts of wind in their wake. Feeling a bit of sadness well up in her, Bianca shook off the thought, not wanting her good mood to be brought down to earth.

She distracted herself by looking at the stores they passed, making a mental note of any that could be of interest. Suddenly, she heard Ash exclaim with a loud voice, “Hey, there’s one!”

Turning, she followed his arm as he pointed down the road, seeing a plaza.

And in that plaza was the very building she was looking for.

While the structure itself was different than the one in Alto Mare, there was no mistaking that distinct white building with a thick red line at the top terminating in a familiar flat top, and a large pokeball adorning the center above the double doors. It seemed all Pokemon Centers shared those specific design philosophies, something she deeply appreciated.

“Oh, thank Kyogre,” Bianca breathed in relief. “I guess there really was one close by.”

The two quickened their pace, the occasional grouping of people getting between them before they joined back together. In no time flat, they were stepping through the building’s double doors.

“Wow, this place is a lot different than the one in Alto Mare,” Bianca said, impressed at the size of the interior. In addition to the familiar main desk that looked unoccupied, there was an entirely separate area that looked like a whole shopping center, bottles, potions and pokeballs stacked on every shelf. Despite the significant line at the counter, the shop never seemed to run out of supplies, thanks to a Gardevoir coming along and restocking anytime a shelf got low.

To the left of the main desk was a cafe, or at least appeared to be a cafe. There were various bottles on the shelves behind the man behind the counter, with an unknown but adorable purple and white Pokemon with downturned head fluff keeping him company.

Yet as pleasant as the aura in the lobby was, Bianca was a woman on a mission.

Fixing her eyes forward, Bianca marched towards the front desk. She spared a glance at the hallway to the side, although frowned, seeing no one there. Stopping in front of the desk, she was about to call out when she heard rustling, and she looked down to see someone in a nurse’s uniform kneeling and picking up a few items off the ground.

“Er, would you like some help with that…?” She offered, only to recoil as the person peeked their head up before standing and fixing up their uniform.

“Ah, no thank you, I was just a little clumsy, is all,” the identical copy of Nurse Joy said with a smile. “How may I help you today?”

The woman’s smile slightly fell as Bianca merely stared at her, looking concerned as she didn’t reply. The nurse trailed her eyes to Ash as the silence stretched on, although Bianca couldn’t help but feel massively confused.

She finally managed to find her voice, albeit barely as she asked, “Er, Nurse Joy…?”

The woman, now confirmed to be Nurse Joy, nodded as her face morphed into one of understanding. “That’s right. I take it you don’t travel much beyond your hometown?”

“You could say that,” Bianca admitted as Ash chuckled. “I knew Nurse Joy- er, my Nurse Joy- had relatives, she talks about them occasionally, but….”

“You weren’t expecting us to look just like her?” Joy lightly laughed as Bianca nodded mutely. “No, I understand. It doesn’t happen too much anymore, but we still get people like you. May I ask which city you live in?”

Bianca didn’t see much harm in giving that away, replying, “Alto Mare.”

The woman’s face lit up in surprise. “My, my, you really are far from home, aren’t you?”

“Very,” she replied wearily, continuing with a sense of urgency, “which is actually why I’m here.”

“Oh, you must be looking for a computer to call home! Just arrived, then?”

Bianca grimaced at that, feeling guilty as she confessed, “Well, I actually landed like six or so hours ago. I was supposed to call as soon as I arrived so my granddad knows I’m safe, but…I completely forgot and fell asleep in our hotel room.”

“I understand,” Nurse Joy sympathized, although looking concerned as she asked, “But it must be quite late by now in Alto Mare. Is your grandfather awake?”

She shook her head and sighed, “Probably not, but our Nurse Joy is a workaholic. She’s up more often than not, particularly at night. Granddad said she’d probably be available.”

“That woman, I swear,” Nurse Joy exhaled in exasperation, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Alright, feel free to come on back. We have a couple of computers available for you. Of course, they never get much use, but I’m glad we never got around to getting rid of them.”

“Thank you so much,” Bianca breathed out as Nurse Joy gestured for them to follow. Curious at something the nurse said, she turned and asked, “Why don’t people use them? Surely there would be a couple people in a city this big.”

Ash and Pikachu scampered after them, the trainer quickly supplying, “Yeah, in the places we’ve been, there were usually a couple of people on the computers.”

“I suspect that was some years ago,” the Nurse smiled as she glanced back. “Recently, the call centers have been made somewhat redundant by the new mobile phones.” They turned into a doorway leading into a modest room, with a couple computers sitting against each wall.

“New mobile phones?” Ash asked curiously as Bianca made her way over to a computer. She tuned out the conversation as she sat down at one and looked over the system in front of her. It was quite similar to the ones in Alto Mare, and she felt comfortable as she quickly accessed the call features.

Biting her lip, she searched through the pre-installed contacts for Alto Mare, however, she didn’t find anything. Frowning, she tried searching by region, clicking on Johto and looking through the list. Immediately at the top was Alto Mare, and she threw her hands up in exasperation. Why didn’t it pop up when she searched by name?

Rolling her eyes, Bianca maneuvered the cursor to “call” and clicked, waiting with baited breath as it began ringing. She could vaguely hear the conversation peter off as Ash settled in front of another computer, presumably making a call of his own.

However, her attention fully focused on the screen as the call connected, and a sleepy voice came through the speaker, “N-nurse Joy speakingaaahhh. Mm, how can I help you?”

Suppressing a snort at the yawn, Bianca greeted her, “Hello, Nurse Joy, it’s me, Bianca.”

“O-oh! Hello, dear, what can I do for you?” The nurse asked, sounding more awake.

“Hey, I just wanted to call and let someone know I’ve arrived safely,” Bianca said with pursed lips, still feeling guilty that she hadn’t called earlier.

The nurse questioned with a quizzical voice, “I knew the plane ride was long, but I didn’t think it was that long.”

Bianca winced at that, although she should have known she wouldn’t be able to slide under the radar that easily. She shifted her feet awkwardly and confessed, “Er, see, the thing is, I uh…kinda forgot to call when I landed…?” She trailed off, tapping her fingers together.

“Oh, dear,” Joy said, and Bianca had the sense she was shaking her head. “I won’t tell your grandfather, but you really must remember, sweety.”

“I know, I know,” Bianca sighed, staring at the ceiling as she crossed her arms. “I just…couldn’t fall asleep on the plane, so when we landed, I was really tired, and calling home was the last thing on my mind.”

“I understand,” Joy said sympathetically, sounding like she was stifling a yawn. “I get like that too, sometimes.”

Bianca shifted awkwardly as she saw Nurse Joy, the one in Wyndon, come up next to her and frown at the computer. “Er, about that…” She started timidly, only for Wyndon Joy to interject.

“Yes, so I’ve heard, cousin,” the nurse said waspishly, waiting for a reply from the other Joy.

There was silence until Bianca’s Joy suddenly exclaimed, “Well, I suppose it’s time for me to head off, I’ll make sure to let Lorenzo know you’ve made it, bye!”

“Hold on a minute-!” Wyndon Joy began hotly, only for the call to end abruptly. Joy then scoffed, turning away. “Damn that woman. I’ll call her later, and make sure she stays on this time!”

Bianca chuckled unsurely, only for her attention to be caught by Ash as he heard him say, “We’re going to be headed out tomorrow. I’m gonna spend the rest of today getting the stuff we’ll need. Brock gave me a bunch of recommendations, so I’ll see if Wyndon has any of them.”

“Okay, dear, but I still wish you at least brought something with you. You can’t always rely on a region having what you need, you know,” a motherly voice sounded from the speaker. “What if they don’t have underwear you like?”

Bianca couldn’t help but snort loudly, recalling what Ash said about his mom and her “obsession” with him having clean underwear.

“Mom!” he protested, making Bianca let out a full laugh, finding it highly amusing to see the interaction in person.

Unfortunately, her laugh must have been audible to his mom, as a moment later, his mom said, “Who was that, Ash? Is that the young lady you told me about? You better take good care of her!”

Ash sighed as he rubbed the side of his head, looking exasperated. “Yes, that was Bianca, mom. And I’ll do my best.”

Bianca raised her eyebrows, although she withheld herself from informing them that she could take care of herself. The poor trainer didn’t need any further embarrassment.

Not that she’d withhold from that in the future.

“Good,” his mother replied, mollified. “May I please speak with her?” She continued in a soft voice, surprising Bianca.

Ash turned his head towards her and said, “My mom wants to talk with you, if that’s alright.”

“I heard,” she muttered as she shrugged. “But yeah, I don’t see why not.” She stood and pulled her chair along next to Ash and sat down, politely introducing herself, “Hello, Mrs Ketchum. I’m Bianca, it’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Bianca, but please, call me Delia,” his mom greeted her, bringing a smile to her face. “Ash tells me you’re traveling with him; I must ask, what made you want to follow my little trouble magnet to another region?”

Bianca snorted at the description, much to the consternation of Ash. “Well, I suppose I’ve been struggling with my art for some time,” she confessed as she fidgeted. “I kind of got tired of painting my city over and over again, so when Ash came back to visit after he won the Alolan League that he failed to mention until earlier today, my grandpa convinced me to give it a shot.”

“Ah, right, you’re the one who painted such a lovely picture for Ash,” his mom cooed, embarrassing Bianca. “I made sure to pin it above his desk, like he asked. But Ash,” she continued with an edge to her voice. “Why didn’t you tell your friend about your win? I’m sure she would have loved to know about something like that!”

“Trust me, I wish he told me as well,” Bianca snorted.

Ash shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Bianca and his mom tag-teamed him, replying defensively, “I didn’t think it was that important! We’re in a different region, and I want to look ahead, not back.”

Bianca rolled her eyes, reluctantly acquiescing. “In terms of excuses, I’ve heard worse,” she dryly remarked. “But it still would have been nice to know, and it’s something that would have come up anyway. You saw how those people recognized you.”

“Yeah, but…I didn’t know they’d find out this fast,” he replied, only for Delia to sternly interject.

“Ash Ketchum, you of all people should know how fast word travels about this kind of stuff, with the amount of times I’ve caught you watching those battles late at night!”

Bianca couldn’t help but laugh at this tidbit, picturing a younger Ash sitting on the edge of a bed and staring at the television with rapt attention. Then she remembered how he was after she woke up, searching through the channels in hopes of finding the exhibition match. Some habits just never die, it seemed.

Meanwhile, the trainer in question was sagging in his seat, looking defeated. “Yeah…I’m sorry for not telling you, Bianca,” he apologized, genuinely sounding remorseful.

It caught her guard, but she quickly waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. At least it wasn’t a criminal record or something you were hiding…. You aren’t, are you?” Bianca jokingly asked, although Ash didn’t pick up on that as he rapidly shook his head.

“No! No, I’m not a criminal or anything!” He replied fearfully, as Pikachu snorted from atop his shoulder.

Bianca shrugged with a small smile. “I thought not, given your track record of butting into would-be terrorist acts, but it never hurts to ask.”

“Ash Ketchum!! You better not be running into those gangs again!” Came the warning tone from his mom.

“Mom, we just got here!” he whined. “We haven’t run into anyone, especially not a gang!”

“Except for Peonia,” Bianca casually pointed out, although she quickly discovered how much of a mistake that was when Delia cut in again.

“Peonia? Is that another lady friend? Young man, you should be getting to know Bianca here before you go off chasing other girls!”

Bianca buried her face in her hands, kneading her temple before looking up and saying, “It’s not like that, Mrs- er, Delia.

His mom replied, “Don’t be so sure, young lady. I’ve met the girls he’s brought home after every league. You’d be amazed how many of them wanted my sweet young boy.”

Suppressing a sigh, Bianca wearily responded, “Regardless, I highly doubt you’ll have to worry about that with me, ma’am. I’m just here to paint some scenery; making sure this guy doesn’t get himself neck-deep in trouble is just a professional courtesy.” She finished with a playful look towards the trainer in question, who merely crossed his arms and pouted.

“I don’t get in trouble…that much,” Ash muttered, only to correct himself as Bianca raised an eyebrow. Pikachu also looked down at his trainer with a flat look, rolling his eyes after.

“Anyway,” Bianca continued as she turned back to the computer. “If Ash has my back, I’ll have his. I may not have any Pokemon, but I pack a mean punch.”

Delia laughed. “I believe you, sweety. Thank you. And Ash, you better keep an eye on her anyway. You never know who you might run into that isn’t afraid of using their Pokemon against people.”

Bianca flinched at that, remembering the Espeon and the sheer agony it brought upon her. The memory kept her silent as Ash quietly replied, “I know, mom, don’t worry; Pikachu and I will do our best.”

Even something as simple as that did wonders at calming her nerves, and she took several deep breaths as she pushed the memory away. “Thank you, Ash,” she muttered quietly.

Delia didn’t seem to pick up on it, and she pleasantly continued, “Alright, dears. I understand you have shopping to get back to. I wish I was there to help you, but I trust that you’ve been on enough adventures to know what you’re doing.”

“Thanks, mom. Love you!”

“I love you too, dear,” Delia replied lovingly. She continued in a warm tone, “And farewell to you, Bianca. Safe travels to you both.”

“Goodbye, Delia, and thank you,” she responded politely, before Ash hung up the call. Glancing at him, she murmured, “You have a good mom.”

The trainer grinned as he stood up and stretched. “Yeah, she’s the best. I still wish she’d stop bringing up the underwear thing, though.”

Bianca’s mouth turned upwards in amusement before she stood as well. “I suppose we should get your things, then.” She turned towards Nurse Joy, only to find the woman absent. She must have gone back to the front desk, she reasoned. Remembering the short path they took, she led the way back to the lobby. As she turned towards the desk, she confirmed that Joy was indeed there, and was engaging with a couple of teenagers.

“Thank you, Nurse Joy,” she quickly said, the Nurse glancing her way and giving a quick nod and smile before turning back to the teens.

The two made their way to the exit, and Bianca’s eyes once again tracked over to the “cafe” and its occupants, especially to the Pokemon. She nudged Ash and nodded towards the Pokemon, asking, “Have you seen any of those?”

Following her gaze, he immediately perked up upon seeing the Pokemon, zoomed over faster than she could blink, and started gushing, “Oh wow, what Pokemon are you?” He started turning to look over his shoulder, only to slump and whine, “Oh man, I wish Rotom Dex was here, or one of my old Pokedexes.”

The man behind the counter chuckled as the Pokemon looked confused, tilting its head to the side as it stared at Ash with shared curiosity. “You must be new to the Galar region,” the man said with an accent that Bianca decided she’d better get used to. “This sweety is an Indeedee. She’s friendly, so you don’t have to worry about her biting you or nothin’.”

“Wow, an Indeedee. She’s so cute!” Ash cheered, smiling at the Pokemon as she cupped her cheeks and squealed, “Dee!”

The man laughed heartily and said, “Don’t go stealing her heart, now, I can’t have her running off and leaving me with my work alone.” The Indeedee pulled the fluff from the side of her head and covered her eyes, clearly mortified.

Bianca snorted in amusement as she shook her head, putting her hands on her hips. “You know, you really shouldn’t go flirting with random girls, Ash, if you can’t at least man up.”

Ash was at a loss for words, while Pikachu was laughing up a storm as the Indeedee quickly fled behind the counter and out of sight. The man also roared with laughter, slapping his belly in a way that reminded Biana of her grandfather before he calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye. “Oh, that’s too much. We get the occasional trainer that interacts with Indeedee here, but compliments are still her weak spot. I’m Jack,” he introduced himself as he reached across the counter with a hand.

“Ash Ketchum, sir!” The trainer replied as he met him in the middle and shook his hand firmly, Jack giving him a nod of approval.

“Pleased to meet such a polite young man. And who is your friend here?” Jack asked as the two let go, before he offered his hand to her as well.

“My name is Bianca,” she said with a smile. “It's nice to meet you.”

Jack grinned back before tilting his head, inquiring, “What brings you two to Galar?”

Bianca gestured towards Ash as she replied, “He’s here to get another win under his belt, and I’m here to hopefully paint a bit.”

“Ah, the artsy type, are you?” he smiled wistfully. “My wife used to draw a lot, too, before arthritis made it almost impossible.” Jack sighed ruefully as he shook his head. “Bodies are just meant to eventually break down, I suppose. Nothin’ we can do about it.”

An image of her grandfather being too weak to walk and falling down flashed through her mind before she shooed it away quickly. He still has some years left in him before that happens, she tried to reassure herself, doing her best to focus on Jack as the man turned back to Ash.

“What’s this about another win? What kind of competition are you looking to enter?” he asked, Ash beginning to fidget.

“Er, the Pokemon League, once I get that endorsement letter, at least,” Ash admitted.

The man leaned in, interest gleaming in his eyes. “Oh, a future competitor? Well, that’s nice- wait,” Jack began, only to stop as realization settled in. “Did you-?”

“Well, I suppose it’s time to go,” Ash interrupted with nervous laughter, turning to leave only to stop as Bianca placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, now, he’s just curious. Why all the secrecy?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, finding it odd someone would hide a status like his.

The trainer bit his lip as he turned back to the man, looking around before nodding. “Yeah, I’m the Champion of Alola,” he admitted, allowing a small amount of pride to enter his voice.

Jack stared at him for a moment, leaning in closer before shaking his head with another chuckle. “Unbelievable,” he laughed as he looked down at his feet, presumably where his Pokemon was still hiding. “Did you hear that, Indeedee? The Alolan Champion himself complimented you, ya lucky gal.”

There was a shy and inquisitive “Dee” from behind the counter, making the man chuckle again before turning back to Ash. “Well, I can’t say I ever expected to meet a Champion today. But I wish you the best of luck, young man. Especially if you enter the World Coronation. Leon is no joke.”

“World Coronation? Leon? What and who are they?” Ash asked eagerly, catching Bianca’s attention as well.

Jack merely shook his head and smiled mischievously. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll hear about the Coronation when you register. The league officials are much better at explaining such a massive event than I am,” he smirked, giving Bianca the sense he was just being dramatic. “As for Leon…. Well, I suppose you didn’t get a chance to see his match today. It ended…oh, an hour or so ago? If you’re looking for a battle, he’s the one to beat.”

Ash nodded and stood up straight. “Alright. It’s time for me to get registered so I can beat Leon!” He said with a determined voice, only for Bianca to interject.

“You still need an endorsement, Ash,” she pointed out. “And we still have to go shopping.”

“Oh, yeah,” the trainer realized, making Bianca snort. He then turned towards the exit and marched towards it, exclaiming as he went, “Time to go shopping and get endorsed and beat Leon!”

Bianca looked towards the ceiling in exasperation, muttering out loud, “This guy…. Did he seriously forget how to get endorsed?”

Jack smiled sympathetically. “Looks like you’ll have your hands full with him.”

“Trust me,” she said with a sigh as she looked back down at him. “You aren’t the first to have said it, and you probably won’t be the last.”

“Nonetheless, I once again offer the two of you luck,” he said as Indeedee climbed back up onto the counter and looked around.

“Dee?” The Pokemon said sadly as she realized Ash had already left, drooping as Jack gently rested a hand on her head.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll see the young man again,” he reassured her, the Pokemon slightly peking up.

Bianca smiled at the two and bowed her head for a moment. “Thank you, sir. I’ll make sure my friend is taken care of, and I’ll offer him your luck. Goodbye,” she replied as she made her way to the exit after Ash.”

“Farewell, young lady!” Jack called out, Bianca waving a hand in acknowledgement before the sliding doors opened for her, letting the sun bathe her face with its rays once more.

Blinking the light out of her eyes, she looked around for her wayward companion, grimacing at the large throngs of people that blocked her view. How am I supposed to find that blockhead with these crowds, she grumbled internally, cursing Ash’s habit of rushing off. Would it kill him to be more patient?

Suddenly, she saw a small flash of yellow and black over the heads of the some people, and she turned to see the very tips of what looked like Pikachu’s ears. Faced with limited options, Bianca elected to have faith and pursue the yellow thing, and hope she wasn’t following some stranger.

Fortunately, it wasn’t that difficult to push past people, quickly apologizing to those she bumped into as some shot her affronted looks. It took less than a minute to clear the crowds and catch up to who she could confirm to be Ash and Pikachu, much to her relief.

“Ash Ketchum, this better not be a common occurrence every time we get to a city,” Bianca growled as she fell in step next to him, watching him flinch in guilt as she shot him a small glare.

“Oh, dang, I’m sorry,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. “I kinda thought you were behind me….”

“And you didn’t think to check to verify that?” Bianca massaged her temple before letting out a breath. “I suppose that’s better than flat out forgetting about me at all, but you still need to pay attention. I’m not sure whether it’s skill or luck that you’re still alive, given your tendencies to run straight into trouble at the first opportunity,” she dryly remarked, making Ash laugh awkwardly.

“I like to think of it as a little bit of both,” he replied with a small grin.

She stared at him for a moment before giving up and turning forward again. “I swear, if I have to spend my entire time here, babysitting this guy…” she muttered under her breath, Ash thankfully not hearing.

Pikachu, on the other hand, did hear it, and stifled his laughs before shooting her a sympathetic glance that perfectly conveyed a sense of, “trust me, I get it.”

Bianca took a moment to bask in the knowledge of having an ally against the antics of Ash Ketchum before looking around the plaza. “Well, what’s the first item on your list?” She asked with a quick glance at the trainer.

Ash looked thoughtful as he tapped a finger on his chin, pulling a list out of his pocket a moment later and musing, “Let’s see…. How about we get the camping stuff first, and then clothes?”

She raised an eyebrow at that, wondering if he had thought things through. “I should have clarified that I meant clothes. Do you really want to lug a bunch of gear into the clothing departments?” She questioned, mouth twitching in amusement as realization dawned on his face.

“Oh, yeah,” Ash said, before brightening up. “Well, in that case, my first item will be shoes!”

Bianca blinked before shrugging. Shoes wouldn’t have been first on her list, but if he needed new shoes, then who was she to argue?

“Alright, then let’s find a shoe shop,” she replied amicably. “Do you see any stores that fit the bill?”

“I think I saw one on our way from the hotel…?” Ash trailed off uncertainly, making her pleased. If he was right, then all they had to do was retrace their steps.

It was mildly annoying that they had to go back the way they came, especially given the high possibility of walking almost every step of this city, but at least it gave her the opportunity to look for any crafts stores. If she could find one of those, then her days of worrying about sketchbooks were over.

Suddenly, she felt a mild crawling sensation on her neck, and she shivered at the feeling of being watched as she whipped around, looking for the perpetrator. At first, it seemed that no one around them was paying them any attention.

That is, until her gaze caught a man with a cap in a similar style to Ash’s pulled heavily over his head, barely twenty feet away. Even with the deep shadow, she could see his gaze locked onto Ash, a strange beard cut close to his dark skin, terminating before the chin. His eyes then flicked over to her, and realizing he’d been caught, quickly turned away and vanished down an alley.

Bianca scowled and turned back to catch up with Ash, pulling on his sleeve to get his attention.

“We’re being followed,” she hissed as he glanced at her, seeing his eyes immediately light up in alarm.

“Followed? By who?” He inquired, making her shake her head in frustration.

“How am I supposed to know!? I just got here, same as you!” Bianca snapped, still feeling spooked. “It’s some guy with a baseball cap. He left once he saw me looking,” she added as Ash started to turn to look around.

“Hm, do you think he wants to battle?” He asked once he looked back towards her. She opened her mouth to give a scathing comment, only to close it again as she considered what he said. Was it possible that their mysterious stalker wanted a piece of the Alolan Champion?

Biting her lip, she carefully replied, “Maybe. But…we’d best keep an eye out anyway.”

Ash nodded, and the two swiftly continued on their way, now armed with the knowledge of being followed by a mystery man.

“Well, whatcha think?” Ash asked as he stepped out from behind the curtain, allowing Bianca to inspect his latest fit.

She carefully looked him over, nodding slowly in approval. “I like it,” she commented, reaching forward and straightening his hat. “Very you, although also more green than I expected.”

It was true; everything from his shoes to his cap had green in it. Each of his black shoes had what looked like a green ‘L’ shape atop them, green trimming in some spots of his blueish-gray cargo pants, a green horizontal stripe through a white t-shirt, and green trimming along the edges of his blue hoodie. The entire outfit came together with a red cap, decorated with a blocky black “C”, a bit of green in the very center of it.

She had no idea why he had requested the tailor change the trimming color, or why Ash felt the need to drag her along shopping for camping gear while they waited the several hours for the job to be done.

Either way, it worked in her favor. At one point while Ash was ogling the cooking pots, Bianca spotted what she hoped to be an art store, and was rewarded for her faith upon stepping inside, taking a deep inhale at the various smells she missed. Clay, paint, and Pokemon hair brushes weren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they were certainly hers, and she took full advantage of what the store offered.

By the time she joined back up with Ash as he left the cookware shop, she had gathered a few spare brushes, a small sample of watercolor paints, two pocket-sized sketchbooks, and two hard tipped charcoal brushes that were supposedly made from pieces of a Pokemon.

Overall, it killed what little funds she had left, but at the very least she could be sure she wouldn’t be caught trying to dig through her pack upon seeing a worthy scene.

I’m going to have to see if Gramps minds sending over some money from my savings, she had thought as they made their way back to the tailor.

In a stroke of small fortune, the job had been done by the time they arrived, and Ash wasted no time in trying to strip on the spot before the tailor could shout at him to get into the changing room, Bianca covering her eyes in embarrassment while Pikachu looked ready to shock his trainer.

However, now that he was actually dressed, she could certainly appreciate the effort put into the outfit. It wasn’t necessarily fancy, but it looked both good and durable, and Bianca almost wished she had saved her own shopping until this point, too. Although there was something that caught her attention.

“Is it just the one outfit? What happens when you need to change clothes?” Bianca asked curiously, although the tailor reassured her by holding up a bag of clothes.

“Not to worry, madam, we made him several more just for that purpose,” the tailor said, mildly confusing Bianca.

“We?” She began, only for a yellow and green plant-looking Pokemon to come waddling out from a side room, chirping “Lea!” as it waved a leaf-like arm at her.

Even as she opened her mouth to ask about the Pokemon, Ash was once more enthralled, crouching down and almost shouting, “Wow, a Leavanny!”

“Indeed, young man. This guy right here is quite skilled at his job, and your clothes would have likely taken at least a day or more if it weren’t for his talents,” the tailor explained as the Leavanny deeply bowed. “Leavanny aren’t native to Galar, so I assume you must be from another region? Unova, or Paldea, perhaps?”

“Nope, Kanto!” Ash cheerfully corrected before admitting, “But I did travel through both those regions, and caught a Leavanny in Unova! He was a Sewaddle at the time, though.”

“Ah, quite getting some miles under your belts, I see. Well, I assure you that you’ll see many more before those clothes start to wear off, I promise you that much,” the tailor warmly replied as she took off her glasses and carefully wiped them. “I do wish you safe travels, you two.”

“Thanks!”

“Thank you very much, ma’am.”

The two of them gratefully responded as they left, Ash struggling to carry his things, much to the exasperation and amusement of Bianca.

“Here, at least let me take care of your clothes,” she offered, taking them from an overburdened Ash.

“Thanks!” He said again, and she nodded in reply as they meandered down the road. Bianca wasn’t sure, but she could feel the prickling at the back of her neck again, although each time she looked around, there wasn’t anyone suspicious in sight. Feeling a little uneasy, she merely concentrated on the road ahead. She wasn’t quite sure what else was left; for Ash’s benefit and her own, she hoped they got everything. Nonetheless, she had to ask.

“Well, what now?”

But before he could respond, a loud and cocky female voice echoed out, “Now you hand over that Pikachu, new Twerpette!”

“Huh?” Was all she could muster as she wondered why the voice sounded like it was coming from up above, only for Ash to sag and whine pitifully, “Oh, come on, aren’t we done with this you guys?”

Bianca looked around then up, catching sight of what looked like a Meowth hot air balloon as a male voice responded, “You know the drill by now, Twerp.”

“And da drill is you give us your Pokemon!” A scratchy voice continued as the balloon slightly descended, allowing Bianca to see the inhabitants; a woman with violently long red hair, a man with short blue hair, a Wobbuffet, and a Meowth, which she supposed explained the balloon.

As she stared in bewilderment, the woman posed in the balloon in a dramatic and mildly flirty manner, chanting, “Our voices call out to those far and near.”

The man joined in with the same gravitas manner, “The trio’s arrived to bring everyone fear!”

“Stealing your pals is what we’re all about.”

“You can’t do a thing, so don’t bother to pout!”

This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen in my life, Bianca thought as the four individuals jumped down from the balloon, only to frown at the white uniforms and large red ‘R’s adorning their chests.

Could they be…?

The woman struck another pose as she exclaimed, “A dazzling red gem, shining visibly to all…it’s Jessie!”

The man followed suit with his own introduction, “The fiercest wave, standing taller than tall…it’s James!”

To her astonishment, the Meowth then joined in, actually speaking in the common tongue, “Two paws full o’ razors, makin’ anyone fall…me, Meowth!” The Meowth then unsheathed his claws to demonstrate his point, grinning as savagely as his compatriots as they continued their…whatever this was.

“Surrender to us now, and we promise not to bite,” Jessie trailed off, allowing James to step in.

“Or face our wrath and certainly lose….”

Meowth piped up again; “For we’re Team Rocket…”

“Here to win the fight!” They all finished together as they posed into an ‘R’ shape, the Wobbuffet saluting as he chimed in for the first time, “Wobbuffet!”

There were a variety of emotions making their way through Bianca’s mind as quite literally everyone was staring at the bizarre sight before them, although she couldn’t tell if anger at seeing actual members of Team Rocket, or confusion over their routine were the most prominent. The latter won out as she noticed Ash and Pikachu giving deadpan expressions to the strange troupe, reminding Bianca of what Ash said before the presumed criminals began their idiocy.

“Ash, do you know these clowns?” she asked as she jabbed a finger at them, clearly offending the group as they growled.

“Watch who you’re calling ‘clown’, new Twerpette!” Jessie shouted indignantly.

“Yeah, whoever you are, you don’t go around calling people names!” James agreed, as though his companion didn’t just call her “new Twerpette.”

The Meowth also chimed in, gesturing threateningly at her, “Our business is wit da Twerpette, so bugga off!”

Bianca could only stare down at the hostile Pokemon, only gracing him with a confused, “A talking Meowth…”

“Yea’, got a problem wit dat?” The Meowth challenged.

“I have a problem with Team Rocket,” she replied shortly as she glared at them. “Again, do you know these people, Ash?”

The trainer nodded in defeat, looking more annoyed than she was as he replied, “Unfortunately, yeah. They’ve been following me since my early Kanto days, trying to steal Pikachu.”

“You’re kidding,” she snorted, feeling a strange flicker of familiarity at the statement, only to blink in bewilderment as Ash shook his head wearily.

“I wish. But they just won’t leave me alone,” he responded in a defeated tone, making the Rocket agents scoff.

“You should know better than to assume we’ll give up catching that Pikachu, Twerp!” Jessie said, before barking out, “Wobbuffet, go!”

The Wobbuffet in question called out his name and swiftly obeyed, jumping in front of the group and making as threatening a pose as a blue sack of flesh can make.

“Seriously? What about all these people? Aren’t you worried about them?” Ash shouted indignantly, receiving an approving nod from Bianca at his compassion. She was glad he was mindful of the civilians, even with his battle hunger.

Finally detecting danger, the people around them quickly backed off, although not very far as Bianca observed they were staring at the imminent battle with rapt attention.

“If they know what’s good for them, they’ll clear off!,” Jessie retorted, before ordering, “Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat!”

The Wobbuffet obeyed, gaining a rainbow aura just above its skin. Bianca had no idea what that was going to accomplish, up until Ash sighed in resignation, “Pikachu, Thunderbolt.”

It was probably the most lackluster order she had ever heard in her entire life, although Pikachu didn’t hesitate to obey as he jumped from Ash’s shoulder and shouted, “Pikkaaa….CHUUUU!!!”

The mouse let loose a large bolt of electricity from his body, and it zoomed towards Wobbuffet, who strangely didn’t move and tanked the shot.

To her astonishment, Bianca saw that the attack had little effect, and was even more surprised to see that the shot then ricocheted off of Wobbuffet and made its way back to Pikachu with the same blinding speed.

Ash looked completely unbothered by this as he quickly barked, “Catch it and send it back!”

What?

Bianca watched in fascination as Pikachu started spinning as he fell back to the ground, sparking right before his own attack struck him, and then seemingly gathering all that energy into a ball at his tail before launching that back at the Wobbuffet.

She waited for that attack to bounce back as well, but when she tracked Pikachu’s electric ball as it hit the blue Pokemon, she noted that the Wobbuffet had lost its rainbow aura, and thus was hit square in the chest. The attack then detonated as it made contact, blasting all of the Rocket agents into their own balloon, which then exploded in turn and sent them flying into the sky, their voices barely visible as they called out, “Team Rocket’s blasting off again!”

There was a twinkle of light, and then they vanished, leaving the only trace of their presence a scorched and slightly damaged road, a lightly panting Pikachu, and a bored Ash.

And an enthralled Bianca.

She had seen him battle back at the museum, of course, when he and his friends saved Alto Mare. But never had she seen such a strange counterattack- and one that beat all of them at once. Granted, Wobbuffet was the only active battler, but it was still impressive. Was this the kind of tactic he used in Alola?

The crowd seemingly agreed, all starting to cheer and shout, crowding in around Ash and thanking him for beating back the would-be thieves, heavily embarrassing the trainer.

It took almost five minutes for them to disperse, although she didn’t begrudge him the moment. How could she? Thinking quickly, she dug out a sketchpad and pencil from her shopping bags and began rapidly drawing a rough scene of what she witnessed. It wasn’t exactly a masterpiece when she “finished” the sketch, but it would certainly do.

As the two of them continued on their way, where they hopefully would not be bothered again, she quietly muttered, “That was…really cool. I’m not a battler, obviously, but even I know that was a strange thing you pulled off there. Where’d you learn how to do that?”

“Hehe, well,” Ash laughed as he fixed his hat. “From a lot of battling, mostly. Not so much early on, but…after my first few losses in the leagues, I had to learn how to think outside of the box more. We’re not always the strongest team, so we have to make up for it with creativity.”

Bianca slowly nodded, mulling over what he said. It certainly made sense to her. Artists had to pull similar moves to be noticed at times; when faced with a superior artist, one had to sometimes rely on unorthodox methods to stand out. In that regard, she could see the similarities between them.

Still.

“Makes sense…but what about those guys? You never mentioned them before,” she said with some annoyance, before stopping. “Wait, you did. Back then at the museum, you said something about Team Rocket members that always tried to steal Pikachu. That was them?”

“Yeah, that was them,” he confessed as he stopped as well, looking oddly fatigued at the thought. “I had hoped that this would be the one region where I wouldn’t see them, but I guess there’s nowhere Pikachu and I can hide to get away from them.”

Ash looked strangely unbothered by this as he continued back to the hotel, Bianca quickly catching up. “You could have said something,” she pointed out, wondering why he failed to inform her, even if he had assumed he wouldn’t have been followed.

“They only target people with Pokemon, and mostly people with strong Pokemon,” he wearily replied. “And since they think Pikachu is the strongest, he is always their main target.”

“You’re telling me that out of all the Champions’ Pokemon, they go after an electric mouse that only just recently won a League?” She asked in disbelief, only to quickly add as Pikachu turned and raised an eyebrow at her, “No offense.”

The trainer threw his hands up in exasperation, although Bianca could tell it was aimed at her when he all but shouted, “Tell me about it! Not that I want them to go after other people’s Pokemon, but why Pikachu specifically?”

She snorted softly as the hotel came into view, remarking as she thought of something, “And what do they plan to do if they actually manage to capture him? It’s not like he’d obey their commands.”

“Pika-pi, kachu,” the mouse confirmed as he shook his head, while Ash shrugged. “Who knows? But we’ll be ready for them regardless, right, buddy?” He finished with a confident tone, with Pikachu responding in kind.

“Pi- ka!”

“Such a great bond you two have!” A loud voice echoed from an alley, making them jump away. As Bianca turned to squint through the darkness, a familiar figure emerged.

Pointing a figure at him, she shouted, “It’s the stalker!”

This barely got any attention, and the figure quickly shook his hands in front of him, hissing, “Wait! I’m not a stalker! I’ve just been trying to follow this young man.”

“Oh, so you’re a pedo,” Bianca shot back, making the man splutter.

Anyone that had been looking their way didn’t bother interfering, allowing the man to continue, for better or worse.

“No, no! By the hero, no. I just heard there was a new champion in the area, and I wanted to check it out for myself. And I wasn’t disappointed!” He laughed jovially, at least not sounding hostile. “That battle was brief, but extremely exhilarating! Do you mind if I accompany you to your hotel? I have some things I’d like to talk to you about,” He offered, making Bianca raise an eyebrow.

“Are you asking to follow two young adults to their hotel room without even having the courtesy of telling us your name first?”

“Yeah, who are you, anyway?” Ash chimed in, with Pikachu lightly sparking his cheeks.

Seeing as he likely wasn’t going to be given any ground, the man acquiesced, lightly tipping his hat up and letting them alone see his face clearer. “I ask that you keep quiet about this. I don’t want any attention right now.”

He took a step closer and offered his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Alolan Champion. My name is Leon, the current World Monarch.”