Ash was seven when he was uprooted from the quaint town of Pallet, Kanto and moved overseas to the bustling city of Laverre, Kalos. He hadn't been happy about it, his friends were in Pallet, his home was in Pallet, and it was the only place he had ever been. He didn't like Laverre City, where there was a lot of people, loud cars, and minimal forests and wilderness. The one shining light in the sudden change was Valerie.
Valerie had also just arrived in Kalos, hailing originally from Jhoto. She was twelve years old and already had Pokemon of her own, an Eevee, a Mawile, and a Mr. Mime, along with an odd pink Pokemon Egg. She wasn't as bothered with her move, she had been on the road at the time, and with her 'oddities' never really made any friends.
Ash and Valerie met at the playground, and because neither of them had friends yet, they were drawn to each other. Ash didn't mind that Valerie rather sketch kimonos than battle, nor did he find her mimicking her Pokemon's speech weird, in fact he copied her. To Ash, Valerie was the coolest ever! And Valerie, well she was rather taken with the little boy. He was adorable, and could babble on for hours, making a pleasant white noise!
When the widowed Ms. Ketchum and divorced Mr. Mache met, it was love at first sight. Mr. Mache, call me Valentine, was something of a romantic, but he was also kind and forthcoming with an open mind, and Ms. Ketchum was an angel of a woman, doting and kind but with a backbone. Valentine adored Ash as much as Valerie did, while he loved his daughter he had also wanted to have a son later on, to play catch with and go to baseball games together, and Ash liked Valentine too. He actually listened to him, and understood when Ash got too excited or overwhelmed to articulate properly. Ash had always been Delia's world, but her world easily expanded to include Valerie. Delia loved talking fashion with Valerie, and taking her shopping or to the spa. Even though Valerie was a rather quiet child, Delia never pushed her to talk, simply liking spending time with her, even if they just quietly sat together in the living room, Delia reading and Valerie sketching.
Ash and Valerie adjusted quickly to being siblings. With Ash now her brother, Valerie had nothing holding her back from dressing him up, and Ash truthfully didn't mind being her mannequin, as long as it wasn't all of the time. He loved it when she would make something for him, it reminded him he was loved, rather it be a pair of pants and a shirt or even a dress, Ash never really complained. And Ash always knew he could babble to Valerie about anything, Ash could talk or complain for hours and she was always there to listen. Not everything was perfect, they were family and fights were bound to happen now and again, but they always pulled through.
Despite being mostly an 'at home trainer', Valerie was a really good battler. Her battles were beautiful and powerful. She loved her Pokemon and trained them well, with Ash's dutiful support of course. When the Kalos Pokemon League took notice of Valerie's talent, easily promoting her to Gym Leader, nobody was really surprised, especially when she turned her Gym into a boutique. It was a lot of work, juggling the boutique and the gym, but with the help of her friends, fans, and family she pulled through.
Ash was always paying attention to Vallerie's battles. As he copied and learned from his sister, his taste in Pokemon turned to take after her as well. He loved his sister's Fairy Types, yes they were pretty and cute, but they were also powerful. Ash's adoration went unnoticed by nobody, nor did it surprise anybody when, on his tenth birthday, Valerie gifted Ash with a very special Pokemon, one Ash helped Valerie hatch and look after; Cleffa.
Ash loved Cleffa. She was still an egg when Valerie moved to Kalos, and Ash learned a lot by helping his sister look out for her. Even after she hatched, Ash was the one that carried her around, looking over her when she was still too young to battle. Truthfully, Cleffa was practically Ash's the moment she hatched, something Valerie held no ill will over. She loved seeing how happy Cleffa was when she was with Ash, and it only made sense to gift her to him when he was finally old enough to have his own Pokemon. What was a surprise was that Cleffa evolved almost immediately after officially entering Ash's care. Not a day after the transfer did Cleffa glow a brilliant blue before evolving into an adorable Clefairy.
With Clefairy's evolution, however, came Ash's journey. Despite living in Kalos, Ash had always wanted to start his journey in Kanto, like his birth father before him. So, with tearful eyes from his mother and father, Ash set off to Kanto to start his journey. It was a tearful event, full of promises to call and visit, and lots and lots of hugs.
Kanto was an experience. Ash had immediately been flooded with nostalgia, and made Pallet Town his first step to visit his father's grave sight and say hello to Professor Oak. He hadn't expected to bump into Gary, nor find himself with an armful of brunette the moment their eyes met. Apparently Gary had missed him a lot, a sentiment that Ash shared before both 10 year olds broke out into joyful tears. Once their tears dried, they of course had a Pokemon Battle, Clefairy vs Squirtle. It was a close battle, but Ash won in the end due to his extended time spent with Clefairy. After the battle, the two boys split up, promising to meet each other in the Pokemon League. After his battle in Pewter, he became rather close with Brock, Brock was a natural Big Brother, and Ash was a natural Little Brother, and Ash always had a natural charisma that just caused People, Pokemon, and Danger to flock towards him. The two ended up traveling together, and Brock was a great friend and support for Ash, who was admittedly feeling a little homesick. Through Kanto Ash caught a Jigglypuff, Mr. Mime, a Maril that somehow ended up in Kanto, and a Pikachu, he even found a Togepi egg that he was able to raise up. The Pikachu was a bit of a problem, it hated Ash's guts, and shocked him whenever it could, making it impossible to get close to it. He had toyed with the idea of releasing it, afterall if it hated him it would probably be happier in the wild. Before he could, however, Professor Oak reached out, wanting to trade him a very special Pokemon that, apparently, could really use some love. So Professor Oak got Pikachu, who he was able to reach an understanding with, and Ash got introduced to Mimikyu, who was standoffish, but a major sweetheart that really did just need affection and understanding. Through Kanto, Ash managed to evolve Clefairy into Clefable, and Jigglypuff into Wigglypuff. With his team, they were able to do very well in the Pokemon League, but they weren't victorious, being beaten out by a more experienced trainer. It was a hard blow, and admittedly Ash was disheartened for a little while, but after arriving back in Kalos, and getting greeted with warm hugs and assurance, he eventually got over it. Brock had traveled with him, and immediately fell in love with Vallerie. Ash, who was used to both people's actions, simply watched on as Brock tried to flirt and Vallerie responded with Sylveon chirps. It was hilarious, and Brock eventually gave up.
Before heading off to Jhoto, Ash decided to leave Mr. Mime and Merrill in Kalos. Merrill really liked Vallerie and tended to follow her everywhere, and it was much the same with Mr. Mim and Ash's mother, who absolutely adored Mr. Mime, whom she affectionately called Mimey. Ash felt comfortable leaving them at home, and was soon on his way to Johto. Johto was a bit calmer than Kanto, but it still had its ups and downs, and brought the addition of Eevee. After helping the Ecruteak Dance Theater, a place Vallerie talked to him about in length, the women of the Theater gifted him an Eevee. Eevee was a handful, and a troublemaker, but Ash really loved him, as did the rest of their team. Other than Eevee, Ash didn't catch anyone else, but still did pretty well in Johto, even if he didn't win.
Hoenn was a bit of a mess. Vallerie was becoming more popular due to her fashion boutique, and as such needed more help at the actual gym, and sometimes models. As a result, he would sometimes be called home to cover for her, or Vallerie would travel to Hoenn for him to act as a model for a few shoots. May, a girl he had met in Hoenn, absolutely loved Vallerie, something Vallerie took full advantage of by asking her to model occasionally alongside Ash, May of course leapt at the opportunity. Other than the travels back and forth, Hoenn, and later the Battle Frontier was, for the most part, fine.
Sinnoh was much the same as Hoenn, except that Dawn was actually gifted a Kimono from Vallerie to advertise in Sinnoh, and Dawn was not letting up on that deal, she gets a free dress, Vallerie gets free advertising. Ash did actually dabble in contests besides Dawn in Sinnoh, wanting to make a point to Zoey, a Coordinator that Dawn became rivals with, that didn't think you could get far doing both Contests and Battles. It personally annoyed Ash, so he worked to prove her wrong, it also advertised his sister's male line, but that's neither here nor there. He didn't win the Grand Festival, but he did rank pretty high for it being his first time, nor did he win the Sinnoh league, though his loss was highly controversial, but again he got pretty high. Zoey did eventually relent in her thinking, and even planned to try Gym battles when she went to Johto for their Contest season.
After Sinnoh, Ash was stuck between going to Galar, or Unova. Unable to decide, he flipped a coin, and went to Galar. Galar was different, as trainers needed to be endorsed by a high ranking trainer. It may seem like Nepotism, but he reached out to Vallerie, who easily sent him an endorsement letter so long as he promised to journey through Kalos for his next journey. In Galar, while traveling alone for the first time in a long time, Ash was able to evolve Togepi into Togetic, and Eevee into Sylveon, before adding a rather rambunctious Impadimp onto his team. Placed pretty high in the Galar League, but in the end he lost in the final two. It sucked, because he was so close to winning, but Togetic crumbled just a second before his opponent's Copperajah.
Like he promised, Ash stayed in Kalos for his journey, eventually deciding to travel alongside Clemont, a childhood friend, and his sister Bonnie. If Vallerie was bad in Hoenn and Sinnoh, she was worse in Kalos, calling him home whenever she could for him to take her place as temporary Gym Leader. It was so often that he couldn't do anything, but it was a bit annoying when he was so close to another gym and had to turn around to get back to Laverre City. If he didn't know better, he would think she was preparing him to actually become the Gym Leader.
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Ash chuckled as he watched his Pokemon play in his sister's training room. Impidimp, his newest catch, giggled mischievously as he ran from an angry Mimikyuu, with Wigglytuff trying desperately to calm the raging dual type. Togetic was flying around the raptors of the Gym, dodging the beams with grace while Sylveon jumped beam from beam after her, using his feelers to try and tag the flying Pokemon. Clafable, however, was more than content to sit beside him, watching the chaos her companions were causing while Ash scratched behind her ears.
Their relative peace came to a halt by the door opening, revealing a stressed looking Kali, her black Valari styled dress slightly rumpled, and her face coated in sweat. "Your sister needs you right away sir." She explained briefly.
Standing quickly, Ash followed the girl down the long hallways, his mind racing with thoughts of what his sister could possibly need him for so urgently. "Valarie are you okay?" He asked upon laying eyes on the taller woman. While most couldn't often tell his sister's emotions, due to her being so laid back and floaty, Ash could read his sister easily from years of experience with her odd personality, it had even rubbed off on him a bit over the years. By the slight crease in her brows he could tell that she was stressed.
"Brother," she greeted politely. "I seem to have made a great mistake. I am needing to be in a meeting but a challenger is booked, would you mind taking over for me?"
Ash sighed. "Again? Your assistant has done this 3 times already."
"Pretty please, I'll bring you something delicious on my way home." She begged, her hands folded in her lap.
Never one to turn down food, he agreed. "Alright, but please talk to Angelica so this doesn't keep happening, I still haven't battled Wulfric because I keep having to cover for you."
A small smile fell on the woman's face. "Thank you Ash, I will return in three hours time." She promised, happily patting his head like he was her Sylveon, having grown used to the treatment, Ash let her, watching her leave out the door with a final wave a few moments later.
He heaved a heavy sigh. "I swear she does this on purpose." He grumbled mournfully, seeing as she had called him many times since he had come home to Kalos, regardless if he was wrapped up in another gym battle. He could only hope it wouldn't happen again until he at least beat Wulfric.
"Here is your uniform sir!" Katherine called as she walked up to him, a folded pink and white suit in her hands.
With a resigned look, he grabbed the bundle of clothes. "Thanks Katherine, when is the challenger going to be here?"
"He is scheduled to arrive in 20 minutes." The blonde explained.
Ash fished two Pokeball's from his belt. "Would you please get my Pokemon ready for me? I don't have enough time to change and get them to Nurse Joy."
"Of course, leave it to me!" With a big grin Katherine scampered off, leaving Ash to walk to the changing rooms.
Valerie, as a fashion designer, was adamant that he looked the part when he covered for her. Because of that, she had personally designed his outfit: A pink tail coat with white accents and signature long pink sleeves that went over his hands, a pair of comfortable, black skinny pants, and knee length black combat boots with pink laces, and finally two hair clips that looked quite a bit like Clefable ears. Everything was comfortable, so it wasn't like it bothered him, and he had long since become used to being dressed up like a doll.
After changing Ash walked back to the training room, where he returned his remaining Pokemon, save for Mimikyu, who hated Pokeballs and was more comfortable sitting in Ash's arms or on his shoulder. Mimikyu nuzzled against his cheek, taking his spot on his shoulder. Chuckling at the little Fairy-Ghost, Ash clipped his other Pokeballs to his hip, hiding them with the tail coat that went down past his knees.
"Here are your Pokemon sir, ready for battle." Katherine chimed, holding out the red and white balls for him to take.
"Thanks for the help Kathrine." He thanked, carefully clipping the Pokeballs to each wrist so he'd have an easier time grabbing them with his oversized sleeves. "Ready to play gym leader?" He asked his little buddy.
"Kyu!" Mimikyu purred, nuzzling against Ash's cheek.
The stand-in Gym leader made his way to the main battlefield of the Laverre Gym, pushing down the bubbling excitement that built in his gut at the thought of battling. Battling was ingrained into his very blood, and no matter how big the battle, be it during a tournament or simply battling someone on the street, he couldn't help but feel excited. It was a way he could express himself and communicate with people and Pokemon alike. Be that as it may though, he did try to control himself when standing in for his sister, being a trainer, and being a Gym Leader were two different things, and being a Gym Leader required a certain decorum, no matter how outgoing or wild the Gym Leader may be. That didn't mean he held himself back, every challenger he took on was given the same treatment that Ash would give his rivals. As a Fairy Type trainer in general, he had a point to prove. Fairy Types were not dainty, delicate beauties that only belonged in Showcases, and Contests, they were untapped powerhouses capable of bringing Dragon Types to their knees. Besides, he couldn't dishonor his sister's gym, it meant too much to her.
Ash waited outside the battlefield for a few moments, listening to Katherine greet the challenger before he walked in. "Introducing the stand in Gym Leader, Ash." Katherine called out, motioning to him as he walked out.
"Hello, and welcome to the Laverre Gym!" Ash greeted, grinning at a familiar green haired boy. "My sister had a prior engagement so today I will be your opponent."
"A-A-A-Ash?!" Sawyer squeaked in surprise.
"Hey Sawyer." Ash waved at the young trainer he had met at the Pokemon Center just that morning, though his sleeves hid his hands. "Are you ready to win your next badge?"
A wave of emotioned filtered over the boy's face before settling on determination. "I am!" He nodded fastly.
A wide grin spread on Ash's face. "Good to hear it!"
"The Gym Battle between Stand In Gym Leader, Ash, and the Challenger, Sawyer is about to begin!" Katherine started. "Each trainer is allowed the use of two Pokemon, and the battle will be over when one side's Pokemon are unable to continue. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokemon."
"I'll throw out My Pokemon first." Ash offered, enlarging his Pokeball in his hand. "Togetic I choose you!"
"Toge!" Togetic purred, flapping her tiny wings excitedly.
"Uh in that case I'll use Bagon!" Sawyer threw out his Pokemon.
"Bay Bagon!" The small blue Dragon Type growled.
"In that case," Kathrine raised her hand, swishing it down as she yelled "Begin!"
"Bagon start out with Headbutt!" Sawyer ordered.
Bagon roared, taking off towards the small white Fairy Type and jumping towards her.
"Counter it with Steel Wing!"
Togetic's wings flashed a brilliant silver, and she fell into a nose drive, meeting Headbutt head on with her wings. Both Pokmeon were stationary for a few moments, their moves clashing until gravity took hold of Bagon and he fell to the ground, landing on his feet.
"Now quickly use Encore Togetic!" Togetic started glowing a shimmery white and a ball of power built up between her paws before firing towards Bagon. Baygon tried to dodge but the light overtook him, leaving him glowing a shimmery white.
"Oh no! Encore makes a Pokemon repeat their moves!" Sawyer worried. "Bagon try to use Fire Fang!" Instead of Bagon's fangs being overtaken with flame, like they were supposed to, Bagon bolted towards Togetic again, trying to headbutt her out of the air.
"Ascend!" Togetic flapped her wings, ascending out of Bagon's reach. "Now use Fairy Wind!"
"Toge!" With each flap of her wings glittery gusts of air shot forth, wrapping Bagon up and flinging him around.
"Ah Bagon no!" Sawyer gasped when Bagon fell to the floor, eyes in swirls.
"Bagon is no longer able to battle!" Katherine called, holding a flag up towards Ash. "Please send out your next Pokemon."
"Mi Kyu!" Mimikyu purred from Ash's shoulder, cheering on his fellow Pokemon.
"Thanks Bagon." Sawyer thanked as he returned Bagon to his ball. "Treeko its your turn!"
"Treeko Tree!" The green gecko Pokemon crooned, a determined gleam in his eyes.
"Lets get Togetic out of the air with Bullet Seed!"
"Tree!" Treeko nodded sternly, opening his mouth and letting out a stream of seeds.
"Block them with Steel Wing!"
"Toge!" Wings flashing silver again Togetic started batting the seeds away, but the volume of seeds became too much, and hit Togetic head on, sending her falling towards the ground.
"Great now used Razor Leaf." Leaping into the air the gecko swiftly sent out sharp leaves, hitting Togetic before she could regain her balance and knocking her out.
"Tooooge~" Togetic mewled, eyes swirly as she laid on the ground below.
"Togetic is unable to battle," Katherine held up a flag in Sawer's favor. "Please send out your next Pokemon."
"You were great Togetic." Ash praised Togetic once she was in her Pokeball and Mimikyu let out a sad chirp. "Clefable, I choose you!"
Out of the Pokeball popped a Clefable, her ears twitching and alert with a prepared gleam in her eyes. "Fable."
"Treeko use Razor Leaf!" More leaves swirled around the Hoenn starter, shooting towards Clefable.
"Defense Curl Clefable!"
"Clefa ble!" Clefable squeezed her eyes shut and curled in on herself, protecting her vital areas against the sharp leaves."Clefable!" She grinned proudly and stood up easily as Razor Leaf tapered. Off.
"How?!" Sawyer worried.
"Clefable is no pushover. My buddy can take on way more than that!" Ash matched Clefable's grin. "Hit him with your Pound Attack!"
Clefable wasted no time jumping into the air and jumping onto Treeko, using her tail to pound the starter into the ground. Treeko growled in pain, the weight of the bigger Pokemon making it difficult to move. Just as Sawyer was about to call out another move the starter started to glow a vibrant blue. Startled, Clefable jumped away, allowing Treeko to evolve in peace. Treeko's legs became longer, his arms too, while his tail became bushier and three large leaves grew from his arms.
Sawyer's jaw dropped as the light consumed Treeko's form, stretching and reshaping it. When the light faded, a taller, sleeker Pokémon with leafy arms and a vibrant tail stood in Treeko's place.
"Groo-vyle!" the newly evolved Grovyle cried, taking a ready stance.
"Treeko evolved into Grovyle! Incredible timing!" Katherine announced, her voice filled with excitement.
Sawyer grinned. "Way to go, Grovyle! Let's turn this around with Quick Attack!"
"Groo!" Grovyle dashed forward in a blur, slamming into Clefable with surprising speed.
"Clefable, counter with Moonblast!"
Clefable staggered but quickly steadied herself. She raised her arms as a glowing orb of pink energy began to form between her hands. With a powerful cry, Clefable unleashed the Moonblast, sending it hurtling toward Grovyle.
"Dodge it with Agility!" Sawyer called out.
Grovyle zigzagged across the battlefield, narrowly avoiding the Moonblast as it exploded harmlessly behind him.
"Great work, Grovyle! Now use Leaf Blade!"
With a flash of green energy, Grovyle's arm blades glowed brightly as he charged toward Clefable.
"Defense Curl, now!" Ash called.
Once again, Clefable curled into a tight ball, bracing herself for the impact. The Leaf Blade struck her directly, but thanks to her defensive posture, the attack didn't do as much damage as it could have.
"Perfect timing, Clefable! Now, follow up with Metronome!"
Clefable uncurled herself, her fingers glowing as she waved them back and forth. The air around her shimmered as the move's random energy began to take shape. Suddenly, a column of fire erupted from her hands—Fire Blast!
"Groo?!" Grovyle barely had time to react as the powerful flames engulfed him. When the fire dissipated, Grovyle staggered back, visibly weakened.
"Finish it with Moonblast!" Ash commanded.
Clefable summoned another pink orb of energy and launched it at Grovyle. This time, the attack landed squarely, knocking Grovyle out cold.
"Grovyle is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Ash, the stand-in Gym Leader!" Katherine declared, raising a flag in Ash's favor.
Sawyer knelt beside Grovyle, gently patting his partner's head. "You did great out there, buddy. I'm proud of you." He returned Grovyle to his Pokéball before standing and facing Ash.
"Thanks for the battle, Ash. You're amazing!"
Ash grinned, walking over to shake Sawyer's hand. "You did great too, Sawyer! Grovyle evolving mid-battle was awesome. Keep training, and I'm sure you'll win next time."
Sawyer nodded, determination shining in his eyes. "I will! And next time, I'll be ready to take you down!"
As Sawyer left the Gym with his spirits high, Ash let out a long sigh, his earlier excitement giving way to exhaustion.
"Well, that was fun," he muttered, rubbing Mimikyu's head as the Pokémon chirped happily on his shoulder.
Katherine approached him with a sly smile. "Another win for the Ketchum family. Valerie's going to be thrilled."
Ash rolled his eyes playfully. "She better bring me something extra delicious for this."
With the battle over, Ash headed back to change out of his gym uniform, already wondering when his sister would call on him to cover for her again.