Not a fan of how Pokemon Journeys turned out? What with Goh dumping his Pokemon into what amounts to a PC box, the rushed Darkest Day arc, Chloe not having a goal for a majority of the series, the disappointing returns of Ash's rivals and companions...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The familiar salty breeze of Vermillion City always gives Ash a wave of nostalgia, and he closes his eyes to reminisce. The last time he had been here, he had just started on his journey to becoming a Pokemon master. He smiles, thinking how far he'd come since then, remembering his recent victory in the Alolan League.
A sudden jerk in his seat jolts him back to the present, and he looks to his left to see a newly-built laboratory. Professor Oak had just stopped the car beside the building, and he turns around to Ash, who's sitting in the back seat. "Well, this is our stop, my boy."
"Right," Ash affirms, opening the side door and swinging his legs over to the pavement, Pikachu in tow.
One of Professor Oak's proteges, Cerise, had recently been granted tenure for his research of the bond phenomenon between people and Pokemon. Along with a promotion to an official Pokemon Professor - a highly respected title in the field of Pokemon research - he had been given a site for his lab in the heart of Vermillion City.
Despite Cerise's close ties with Professor Oak, Ash had never heard of the man, so he was surprised when he received a call from him a few weeks ago.
"Hello?" Ash groggily answered; his phone had woken him up.
"Hello, may I speak to Ash Ketchum, please?"
"This is Ash," he answered stoically, now trying to be formal since the call sounded important.
"Good morning, Mr. Ketchum! This is Professor Cerise from Vermillion City. I'm calling to tell you about an event I'll be hosting at my lab on the day it officially opens to the public. Would you be interested in attending?"
Ash is taken aback by the invitation. Though it's a simple opening ceremony, the fact that it's unveiling a new Pokemon lab is what makes it a prestigious event; the total number of Pokemon labs in the country of Hisui aren't even in the double digits, what with the millions of dollars of technology required to get one up and running. So why didn't Cerise ask someone more noteworthy like Professor Oak?
He isn't sure how to respond. "Wow, that...that sounds amazing."
"So you'll be attending?"
"...Yes, I'll be there."
"Wonderful. In that case, Mr. Ketchum, I was wondering if you could be one of the guest speakers."
If Ash had been drinking something, he would've spit it out. "A-a guest speaker?"
Professor Cerise must have heard the tremor in his voice. "If that makes you uncomfortable, you can simply attend as part of the crowd."
"No, it's not that, Professor. I'm just confused why you're asking me."
There's a sound of surprise on the other end of the line. "Perhaps I am mistaken, Mr. Ketchum, but didn't you recently participate in the Alolan League and become Alola's first Regional Champion?"
