Around The World (Re-Write)

I'm A Big Fan Of Yours!

I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS IS, IN ALL SENSES, A REDO OF THE ORIGINAL AROUND THE WORLD THAT I STARTED SOME TIME AGO. I WASN'T HAPPY WITH IT, SO I'M TRYING AGAIN, ENJOY!

"Hi Ash! Hi Pikachu!" Delia Ketchum waved at her son through the videophone as she sat in her chair at the house.

"Hi Mom!" Ash grinned as he waved back, his voice was then followed by several others greeting the older woman as well.

"Pi Pika!"

"Hi everyone!" Delia smiled at her sons friends, "So then, do you have your ticket Ash?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded his head, his smile fading slightly, "picked it up just a bit ago."

"Well the-" Delia began to speak but was cut off by a knocking at the door, "Oh, I'll be right back."

Delia dissapeared from the camera as she answered the door and Ash was left with his friends.

"So you're really leaving then?" Bonnie asked him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Ash frowned, and everyone else visibly saddened at the confirmation; even if they already knew it was true.

A moment later Delia was back in frame, "I have to go Ash, there are some people at the ranch. I can't wait to see you when you get home!" Then Delia was gone as the call ended.

Ash had been through a lot. Between the loss in the Kalos League, Greninja leaving to help protect Kalos and Ash himself having to prepare to leave for Kanto; he had a lot on his mind as he told the others he needed to take some time to walk around the city on his own for a bit.

As Ash walked out of the door, he looked up the imposing image of Prism Tower ahead of him. Memories flooded his mind, memories of his battle with Clemont for the Voltage Badge. It was where the Battle For Lumiose ended and then shortly after the fight to save the world began.

After the fight was over, everything went by so fast and it all led up to Ash letting Greninja go free. Ash fought back tears at the thought, but then he shook his head and kept walking. He passed by Lysandre Cafe, which was still surrounded by police tape. Even if Lysandre had been arrested, they still had to locate the other members of Team Flare that hadn't been captured.

When Ash finished walking, he was standing in front of a fountain. He sat down on the edge of the fountain and just closed his eyes. Then, some time later he heard a voice,

"Mind if I sit here?" 

Ash opened his eyes and was met with the smiling face of Professor Augustine Sycamore.

"Oh, Professor," Ash nodded, "go for it."

"So," Augustine sat himself down beside the trainer, "what's on your mind?"

"Whaddya mean?" Ash turned his head to look at the professor.

"Well it's obvious that something's bothering you." Augustine began, "I've only known you for this past year but I know that you're not the type to sit by a fountain with your eyes closed like that."

"Heh," Ash rubbed the back of his head, "I guess you caught me..."

"So then tell me, what's wrong Ash?"

"Where do I start?" Ash looked down at the cobbled ground, "Did you know I've been competing in Leagues around the world since I was ten? I'm seventeen now and I've never even won a single one. This year here in Kalos was the closest I've come to winning and I still lost. And then, I-I had to say goodbye to Greninja last week. Squishy needed his help to defend Kalos and I couldn't stand in the way of that but, now-now he's gone. And I leave tomorrow afternoon, I'll be going back to Kanto and leaving all of this behind."