The Legend of Ash Ketchum

3. Permissions

Ash watched his mom's bewitching garden through the lone window in his living room. He had his hands wrapped around a glass of piping hot cocoa, relishing the warmth from its steam on this cold pleasant evening. The bird Pokémon in the garden chirped in tandem like a symphony of nature's orchestra. He took a light sip, devouring the delicacy of his favorite drink.

"So, Ash, your mom says you've decided on your next journey," his uncle Lance, the current Champion of Kanto region and his mother's elder brother said. He was the only relative that Ash had and the lone father figure in his life. The role of a champion, although authoritative, came with a heavy demand for time, as a result Lance was always busy, therefore these occasional visits were quite special to his mother as well as him. "Which region is it?"

"Kalos, Lance," him mom chimed, walking in with a tray in her hands. She placed it on the centre table and offered one of the two tea cups to her brother.

"Thanks, Delia," Lance said. He took a sip of the tea, shut his eyes, and shook his head in satisfaction. "Mmm... is it you or something you add? Your tea is the best I've ever had."

Delia took a seat next to Ash and sipped on her tea. "If you like it so much you should consider visiting more often."

"It's not like I don't want to. You know the duties of a champion; I hardly make time for myself."

"I understand."

"Hey, mom, where's Pikachu?"

"He's out shopping with Mimey, but I'm sure he went only to get free samples at the store." Delia giggled. "He's such a cutie, Ash. I'll miss you both when you'll be off to Kalos."

Ash covertly rolled his eyes. Yeah, sure he went for the samples.

"Anyway, Ash, the Kalos gyms are one hell of a challenge. Have you planned on how you're going to face them?"

"About that—" Ash grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm not going to Kalos." He turned away, avoiding eye contact.

"What?" Delia exclaimed, nearly spilling her beverage. She placed the cup on the table and frowned at Ash. "What do you mean by: not going to Kalos? You couldn't wait to get there until yesterday. What about Serena? Her graduation is in less than a week, you're going to miss that too?"

"I know, mom, but right now I have to train. Train like never before and get really strong. For that, I must postpone my journey. Missing Serena's graduation sucks, but this is something I have to do and I'm sure she'll understand."

"Think again, Ash. You can train in Kalos too. How long do you think you can sit at home and train?"

"I never said I'll be staying home, mom. I'll be training at Assumption Island."

"Assumption Island?" Delia cocked her head. "What's that?"

"If I may intervene," Lance said, placing his empty cup on the table. He crossed his arms and continued, "Assumption Island is an independent island located between Kanto and Orange Archipelago." He narrowed his brow and put on a rigid face. "Who told you about that place, Ash?" he asked. He gave an impression that he knew a lot about this island. It wasn't unexpected, given his position, it would be surprising if he didn't know. However, Lance's expression and change of tone suggested a lot more than just knowing.

Ash stuttered. "I-I heard about it somewhere." The last words out of Mew's mouth were to keep their conversation a secret, Ash had no intentions of going against the legendary's wish even if it meant lying to the Regional Champion.

Lance leaned forward and furrowed his brow. "Is that all? Trainers don't usually go there."

"Why is that, Lance?" Delia asked.