Set one year after the events of "Embers", Greyson Arche and his Pokémon Partner, a Charizard nicknamed "Titus", continue pursuing their dream of competing in Pokémon leagues worldwide. While exploring the vast expanse of the Prasino Region along with teammate Lycanroc, Greyson seeks to build up his team. Meanwhile, a rampaging Araquanid brings a performance enhancing drug into the spotlight of news media worldwide. It is not long before the drug finds its way into every corner of the Pokémon world, leaving nowhere safe from its reach. Elsewhere, An extremist group known as "The Church of the Soul" makes its way into mainstream conversation, believing Pokémon are demons sent to corrupt humanity. Miriam, daughter of the church's leader, befriends one of these demons, setting in motion a series of events that resurfaces past events and old enemies. "Ashes," like its predecessor, tells a darker tale than many Pokémon fans might expect and is not suitable for younger readers. Triggers such as graphic violence, blood, religious extremism, and adult language will appear without warning. Reader discretion is advised.

So. Here are the facts as you see them. Fact number one: Giulia is going to be on the train for Genova in two days. She's going back home--because Genova is her home, apparently, and you're still grappling with the idea that there are places outside your island and Portorosso, BIG ones, they keep telling you, all over the globe--where she'll spend the next nine or so months going to school. Fact number two: You and Luca now own your very own Vespa. It's not road-ready yet, and it might not be for a while, which is fine actually because it turns out now that the Paguros aren't going to send Luca away to the bottom of the ocean, you're going to have to whittle them down into giving him permission to run away with you. Fact number three: That's not even really a plan that makes sense, if you think about it for more than a few minutes at a time. Fact number four: You haven't forgotten that Luca doesn't actually want to run away with you anymore. He's just pretending he never said it.