Our Promise, Our Future

Chapter 83: The Last Step

Hello everyone! I am now back with the next chapter! This was a little delayed cause I was experiencing some writer's block, but I finally managed to start writing again. This chapter, like I said, won't have too much going on and might even be shorter than the others (although half of the chapters in this arc are around 10k words so that's saying something), however important stuff will be happening. But hey, I am known to just keep writing and writing until I'm forced to stop, so this opening A/N might not age well. Go enjoy now!

It's been a little over a week since Ash defeated Leon and became the World Monarch. And if Ash thought becoming the Alola Champion was super tiring, he was in for a major shock when he became World Monarch.

Paperwork, meetings, guest appearances, live events, swarms of fans asking for pictures and autographs, everything that made becoming Alola Champion seem like being reminded to eat something, which he barely even had time to do that.

While extremely tiring, he could manage this, but what really tired him out, was multiple girls asking him out or giving him their phone numbers, some even loudly saying they loved him and calling him hot. He tried to politely refuse their advances and tell them he was dating Serena, but this unfortunately didn't stop them.

He tried not getting Serena involved, as she has also been stressed from her duties as a new champion, and didn't want to burden her with ever more stress.

Most of their friends headed back home, the only ones remaining being Kukui, Burnet, Grace and Jake, all of whom were relaxing at the hotel.

After finishing some paperwork Ash laid down on the couch that was in his new office. He let out an exhausted sigh.

"So tired...." He moaned.

"That's an understatement..." Pikachu moaned as he rested on Ash's stomach.

"When you're the strongest trainer in the world, you're bound to do more than just battles" Greninja said as he leaned against the wall next to the couch.

"Not helping buddy..." Ash said.

"Please tell me we're done for the day..." Pikachu asked tiredly.

"We have to go to another meeting" Greninja said.

"Dammit...!" "Dammit...!" Ash and Pikachu both said.

"It's with Professor Magnolia" Greninja said.

Ash and Pikachu looked up.

"Professor Magnolia? About what?" Ash asked.

"I don't know. Delphox told me that she needed to speak with all of us about something" Greninja explained.

"All of us? Like, the three of us?" Ash asked.

"And Serena and the others" Greninja added.

Now Ash was intrigued by this. They all left the office and headed downstairs, surprised to see Serena and the girls waiting for them.

"Hey Serena" Ash said with a smile.

"Hey Ash" she said happily. That changed after seeing the very visible bags under Ash's eyes. 'He looks even more exhausted than I was...'

"You okay Serena?" Ash asked.

"Huh?? Oh yeah, just uh, happy to see you today" she said.

"I'm happy to see you too. Greninja said Professor Magnolia wanted to see us" Ash said.

"Yeah, although I don't know what it's about" Serena said.

They all decided to go to her lab to find out. They made their way up to a private open area of the building. Ash let out Latias.