The next day after returning from Saffron City, Ash took things slow, knowing he still had two days before his journey to the Hoenn Region. Currently, he was sitting in Ashly's room, playing Pokémon Tournament with her when he heard his mother's voice calling from downstairs.
"Ash, someone's here to see you!" Delia shouted.
"Coming!" Ash yelled back, pausing the game and setting down his controller. "Wonder who it could be at this time?" He glanced at his sister. "You coming with me?"
"Nah, I'll pass," Ashly said, starting to pack up the console. "Might as well get started on packing my stuff."
"Yeah, you'll need two whole days to get everything together." Ash teased, earning an annoyed push from his sister.
"Ugh, stop being annoying and go already," Ashly huffed, shoving him out of the room.
With a grin, Ash headed downstairs and walked into the hall, where he was surprised to see his neighbor, Leaf, sitting on the couch, casually chatting with his mom, while gently petting Pikachu, who had comfortably settled into her lap.
Leaf, one of the protagonists in the Pokémon games, had a deep connection to Ash in this world. She was four years older than him and had grown up as his friend and neighbor. According to Ash's memories, Leaf had mysteriously vanished from Pallet Town when Ash was six years old, only to return two years ago, just after Ash's journey in Kanto began. No one ever knew where she went, and she never shared the details, so the topic was eventually dropped.
Despite this, their friendship had resumed easily during Ash's breaks between his Kanto, Orange Islands, and Johto journeys. His lack of presence in Pallet Town didn't hinder their friendship much, as his mother said that Leaf herself was never around much, her work as a wildlife photographer keeping her away from Pallet Town for long stretches. Moreover, according to his mother, she was quite good at her job, as her stunning photos, often featured in top magazines, earned her a good living.
Now, even though Leaf had a solid background in Ash's memories, Grey couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Leaf than met the eye. In Grey's old world, the Pokémon franchise was almost 27 years old and had a ton of materials that Grey knew nothing about. For example, the manga series of Pokémon was something that Grey had never managed to get into, so all of his knowledge about them came from Reddit debates he participated in as an esteemed member of the peanut gallery. Even the Blessing of Viridian Forest was something he had heard about from one of such debates.
In the end, however, he decided to put that topic in the back of his head, knowing that there was no use in overthinking things. After all, where's the fun in adventuring if you're overprepared for everything?
Just as Ash shook the thoughts from his head, Leaf noticed him standing on the stairs. "Ash, what are you doing up there?" she called, smirking.
"Nothing," Ash said, snapping out of his thoughts. He entered the living room and greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Leaf! Long time no see. Where'd you go this time? Find anything interesting?"
"I was in Alola," Leaf said, thanking Delia for the coffee she handed her. "I wanted to capture pictures of the Guardian Pokémon, but unfortunately I was unable to find them anywhere. So, the trip was kind of a bust."
"Seriously? But doesn't Alola have loads of cool Pokémon and beautiful scenery for you to capture?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, I got plenty of great shots and already sold them to cover the cost of the trip, but not seeing the Guardians was still frustrating," Leaf admitted, frowning slightly.
"Don't worry, you'll see them one day," Ash said, patting her shoulder sympathetically. "Anyway, what brings you here today?"
"Aww, can't I just stop by to see my dear little Ashy?" Leaf teased, pinching his cheeks.
"Get to the point already," Ash grumbled, rubbing his cheek as he dodged her playful pinch. "You're so annoying when you act like this."
"Hehehe~" Leaf chuckled, seeing Ash's reaction. It warmed her heart to see that even after four years of separation, their interactions still resembled the time before she was... Leaf took a deep breath and punched back the old memories that started surfacing, focusing on the present. "Anyway, two days ago when I returned from Alola, I heard that you're heading to Hoenn soon. So I wanted to catch up with you before you go."
"Oh, in that case, why not stay for dinner?" Delia smiled warmly. "That way, you'll have more time to catch up with Ash."
"Miss Ketchum, I don't want to impose," Leaf said, trying to decline politely.
"Nonsense, Leaf. You're not imposing at all," Delia insisted. "We'd love to have you."
Leaf couldn't resist Delia's hospitality and eventually agreed to stay. As dinner plans were settled, Ash and Leaf continued catching up, sharing stories about their recent adventures.
After some time, Leaf skillfully guided the conversation toward the subject she was really interested in. "By the way, I saw you in Saffron City yesterday," she began, casually twirling a lock of her brown hair. "I was about to call out to you, but you vanished with that... older friend of yours. So, who was it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous grin.
Rolling his eyes, Ash replied, "That was Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader and an old friend."
"Sabrina, huh? So, how did you two just vanish like that?" Leaf asked, pretending to be clueless.
"Sabrina has a special talent, kind of like Psychic Pokémon," Ash explained. "She can teleport."
"Wow, that's so cool," Leaf feigned innocence, though her mind was clearly elsewhere. "So, what were you doing with her?"
"Sabrina took us to her Gym," Ash replied. "Apparently she wanted to ask for a favor from me."
"Oh, what kind of favor?" Leaf asked, acting like a typical gossip-interested teenage girl.
Ash explained the events from yesterday, detailing Sabrina's request regarding the injured Ralts and how she requested Ash to catch it and take it with him on his next journey. Leaf listened carefully, nodding along but clearly deep in thought.
"So, it was like that, huh?" Leaf said quietly, almost to herself.
She didn't push the topic further, satisfied with the information she had gathered. Instead, she shifted the conversation back to lighter subjects, and after a while, Ashly joined them in the living room. Dinner came soon after, and Leaf enjoyed a home-cooked meal with the Ketchum family.
Later that evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Leaf stood at the door, saying her goodbyes. "Thanks for dinner, Miss Ketchum," she said warmly. "It was delicious as always."
"You're welcome here anytime, Leaf," Delia replied with a smile.
As Leaf stepped out into the cool night, she glanced back at Ash, who waved her off. "Good luck in Hoenn, Ash.
Ashe nodded "See you around, Leaf."
With a final smile, Leaf turned and walked away into the night.
******
Standing outside her house, Leaf sighed, her gaze lingering on the bleak and lonely exterior. It was always difficult for her to return here after spending time at the Ketchum family's warm and loving home. The Ketchums had a way of making her feel like she belonged, but in contrast, her own house stood as a constant reminder of the life she had left behind.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside, greeted by the usual eerie quiet. It wasn't like she ever expected anyone to greet her, and she had long made peace with that. After all, she was the one who had turned her parents over to the authorities four years ago. She'd accepted the silence, but it didn't make it any easier to bear.
Shaking her head, she walked into the kitchen, retrieved a glass of water, and sat on the couch, thinking over her conversation with Ash earlier that evening.
"Damn it," she muttered, setting the glass down on the table with a sigh. "It really was something so ordinary." Leaf cursed Sabrina silently. "That damned woman. Why does she always have to make something small seem so mysterious?"
In truth, Leaf couldn't stand Sabrina. If given the choice, she would have avoided her entirely for the rest of her life. But when she saw Sabrina teleporting Ash and Ashly off the street, she panicked, fearing the worst. For a moment, she nearly summoned an assault team to raid Sabrina's Gym, prepared to act on her suspicions. But she stopped herself— Sabrina was not just any ordinary trainer; she was a respected Gym Leader and a member of the Pokémon Association. If Leaf acted without proper cause, the consequences could be catastrophic for both her and the International Police.
So instead of making rash decisions, she decided to send her Mismagius to Sabrina's Gym to check on Ash and his sister while she waited there right outside the mall. In her mind, she had decided that if they hadn't returned within three hours, Leaf had resolved to take action and barge into Sabrina's Gym, guns blazing. Consequences be damned.
Her Mismagius had returned not long after, confirming that Ash and Ashly were indeed at Sabrina's Gym. Despite knowing this, Leaf couldn't take any further action. All she could do was wait and sure enough, an hour later, Ash reappeared outside the mall, teleported back by Sabrina.
Leaf could have approached Ash then and there, but instead, she decided to confront Sabrina privately that night. The exchange had left Leaf with more questions than answers. Sabrina had made it clear that she held Ash in high regard, but her cryptic manner left Leaf uneasy. That's why Leaf had gone to the Ketchum house today, determined to confirm the truth with Ash himself.
And it turned out to be... ordinary. Just as Sabrina had said, it was nothing more than her passing a trainerless Ralts onto Ash.
"Well, at least Ash got something good out of this whole ordeal," Leaf muttered, rubbing her forehead in frustration. She let out a long breath and slumped back against the couch.
Ever since that incident, Leaf had become fiercely protective of the few people she cared about, and the Ketchum family was at the top of that list. Even before the incident, Delia had treated her like a daughter, filling in the emotional gaps left by Leaf's absentee mother and father. And Ash, he had always felt like her little brother. Seeing Sabrina whisk him and Ashly away had nearly pushed Leaf into action, almost creating a major incident between the International Police and the Pokémon Association.
As she took a sip of water, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and saw the name she expected.
"Hello, Chief Anabel. Good evening," Leaf answered the call, her voice naturally shifting to a more professional and stoic tone.
"Good evening, Ghost," Anabel responded on the other end. "I've received your report on the Aether Foundation, and for now, it doesn't seem like anything suspicious is going on there."
"Yes, that seems to be the case, ma'am," Leaf replied. "But I have a gut feeling there's more going on beneath the surface. The Foundation's too... pristine. Something about their operations feels... off."
Anabel sighed. "You may be right, but for now, we can't allocate resources to investigate an organization that's spotless on paper. I have people I answer to as well, and they won't be patient without hard evidence."
"I understand," Leaf said, keeping her disappointment in check.
Then Anabel's tone shifted, becoming more serious. "Besides, I have a bigger assignment for you. And depending on how things play out, it might escalate into an S-class or even SS-class mission if we're unlucky enough."
Leaf's eyes sharpened at the mention of an S-class mission, and she sat up straighter. She knew what that level of assignment meant—dangerous, high-stakes operations, typically with a high risk of death. An SS-class mission, however, was a whole different realm. It often involved powerful, legendary Pokémon capable of altering entire regions or even the world itself.
"What are the details, ma'am?" Leaf asked without hesitation, her voice steady despite the gravity of the situation.
Anabel paused before asking, "Tell me, Ghost, have you ever heard of Team Magma and Team Aqua?"
******
In the blink of an eye, two days passed, and the day had arrived for Ash to embark on his new journey to the Hoenn Region. Excitement buzzed through the Ketchum house, and even his usually laid-back Pikachu was wide awake early in the morning, sharing in his trainer's enthusiasm for their next adventure.
Meanwhile, Delia was bustling around the house, making sure Ash had everything he needed for the journey. "Ash, did you pack extra clothes? And your potions and Pokéballs? You don't want to be unprepared out there!" she called out from the kitchen while preparing packed lunches.
"Yes, Mom!" Ash sighed, shaking his head with an amused smile. "I've got everything. You've already asked me about twenty times!"
Delia emerged from the kitchen, holding a neatly packed lunch bag. "I know, I know, but you're going to a new region, and I won't be there to make sure you're eating properly. So, take this for the trip," she said, handing him the lunch. "Just in case you get hungry before reaching Littleroot Town."
Ash accepted the bag with a grateful grin. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best." He pulled her into a tight hug, feeling a mix of affection and sadness. In the short two months that Grey had inhabited Ash's body, he'd come to genuinely love Delia as his own mother.
Delia's eyes sparkled with tears, though she tried to hide them behind her usual smile. "Take care of yourself, Ash. No matter how far away you are, remember, you can always call home if you need anything."
Ash's expression softened though his voice was more serious. "I know, Mom. I'll make sure to call often."
Just then, Ashly came bounding down the stairs, her own backpack slung over her shoulder and a wide grin on her face. "I'm ready! Hoenn, here we come!"
Ash smirked at his sister. "Took you long enough. I was starting to think I'd have to leave without you."
Delia turned to Ashly, pulling her in for a hug. "You be careful too, okay? Stay close to your brother."
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine!" Ashly replied confidently, then shot a teasing glance at Ash. "Besides, I've got this idiot big brother here to protect me, the ultra-super-cute little sister of his."
"That may be true," Delia said, her voice turning serious, "but don't trouble your brother too much, Ashly."
"I won't, Mom. I promise," Ashly replied with an equally serious tone.
"Good," Delia said, pulling both her children into a final, tearful hug. "Take care of each other, and please call as often as you can."
With heartfelt goodbyes exchanged, Ash and Ashly made their way to Professor Oak's Lab, where he was waiting for them in his car. After a quick drive to the port, Oak handed Ash a sealed packet of documents. "These are for Professor Birch in Littleroot Town," Oak explained. "Make sure he gets them safely."
Ash nodded, carefully tucking the packet into his bag. "Got it, Professor. Thanks for everything."
Professor Oak smiled warmly. "Take care of yourselves and have fun. Hoenn is an amazing region and has tons of new Pokemon to befriend."
With that, they boarded the ship. As the ship's horn sounded, signaling its departure, they watched the shores of Kanto fade into the horizon. The new adventure had officially begun.
To be continued...