Usurper

Chapter 2: Reunions

Just an FWI: Here are the ages

Ash: 18

Goh: 14

Serena: 17

Lumiose International Airport: Terminal C Gate 22

07:12 KLST (Kalos Standard Time)

Ash stepped off of the plane and yawned, the earliest flight to Kalos left at midnight in Kanto and he couldn't sleep on planes very well. He began to stretch out and began thinking about where the best place to snag some breakfast would be. While his comically large appetite had decreased ever since he stopped growing in height, Ash could still appreciate some good food. He began walking towards a bakery that he overheard a young couple talking about. A few meters away, he saw an escalator and turned beet red. He had some very mixed feelings about that escalator. Ash walked towards the bakery and bought a muffin for himself and Goh and a large coffee for himself. Caffeine had been a habit that he'd picked up in Alola and was trying (unsuccessfully) to lower his consumption of it. As he munched on his muffin, he recalled some memories from his Kalos journey. Without a doubt one of his favorite adventures he'd ever been on. There was Greninja which was the whole reason why he was even IN Kalos! There was so much action here and this was where he really started to mature as a person and learn more about things besides Pokemon battling. Finally, there was HER, Ash felt butterfrees in his stomach simply thinking about her. Before Kalos he had traveled with girls and if pressed severely he'd admit that he found May and Dawn pretty. But he never had "feelings for a girl" until Serena. Simply thinking her name brought a small smile to his face. She had it all, from her amazing attitude to her cute accent. He had her phone number but every time he was about to send anything, he backed down and made up excuses in his head.

Ash realized he was smiling a little too much for someone in the airport at this time of day and he toned it down. He still had a job to do as much as he enjoyed Kalos.

Three hours later

After dealing with baggage claim and finding a taxi who was willing to take them to Sycamore's lab and battle downtown traffic, Goh arrived at their destination tired and ready for some rest. In contrast, Ash was practically glowing. He was so excited and ready to meet Greninja. The door opened and the two trainers stepped inside. Only for Ash to trip on a ledge that he didn't see. As he picked himself up in embarrassment, a loud cry could be heard from inside the lab. Greninja burst through the nearby wall and tackled Ash. Ash began to laugh "Hey Greninja! Long time no see! It's so nice to see you" Greninja stood up "Gre Gre!" his Kalos ace looked overjoyed to be looking at him again. Just then, as Ash stood up again Greninja began to fire a beam out of his mouth and Ash began to chill up. "Wow! Seems like you learned Ice Beam!" Ash said through chilled teeth. "Greninja Gre Gre Gre!" the frog motioned towards Ash's belt. Ash laughed and grabbed an empty poke ball "You wanna come back?" Greninja responded by jumping into the ball and catching himself. Three bumps later and Ash had reclaimed his old buddy. He instantly released Greninja and hugged him. "It's great to have you back on the team!" Goh coughed. Ash straightened up and made eye contact with Greninja. "Look buddy....I already have 6 slots on my team filled... and if you want to make the team for the finals, you're gonna have to beat my current #6." Greninja took this news surprisingly well. "Gre Gre!" Ash smiled at him "Alright buddy.... I'm gonna find us a battlefield and you'll get to fight for a slot on my team." Greninja nodded and was returned promptly. Goh looked at Ash confused "Where exactly are you gonna find us a battlefield in a busy city?" Ash grinned l know just a spot

15 minutes later..

Clemont was gone at a Gym Leaders conference, so Clembot had control of the gym. Bonnie was monitoring it and enjoying her day, when suddenly a door slammed and Ash ran in the gym. "ASH!" Bonnie yelled recognizing the raven haired trainer anywhere. The new trainer ran towards him and gave him a brief hug. "CONGRATS ON YOUR WIN! Big brother and I were cheering the whole battle!" Ash smiled at her "Thanks Bonnie!" The blonde girl then asked why he was here. After briefly catching up with her and explaining the situation she gave her permission to use the battlefield.