Hey, everyone! I just wanted to say thank you to those who've reviewed and shared their input for the last chapter. I really do appreciate all of the kind words/criticism to help improve the story.

Anyways, here we go with the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it :) Also, read, review, favorite, follow, you know the drill by now haha. Well then, let's continue this journey, shall we?

"Italicized words in quotes" = Pokespeech or Telepathy

'Single quotations' = Thoughts

Last Time:

Misty glanced up at the taller boy, and was slightly startled to see the medal from the race now being placed over her own head.

"Here, I think this should belong to you. I didn't even prepare for the race, and besides I would feel guilty having an award I didn't earn. Truth be told, you clearly would've won fair and square."

Misty placed her hand over the medal, looking down and observing it, before finally looking back up and displaying a warm smile. "Thanks, Ash," She said, grateful for the sweet gesture.

Ash smiled back. He knew it was the right thing to do.

'If only it would be this easy to return back to Kanto.'

Chapter 7

After countless hours, the group's conversing had finally been drawing an end. They had spent their time catching up, sharing one another's journeys and experiences, as well as sharing laughs with one another at humorous moments that had occurred to them.

With plenty of time to think throughout the rest of the afternoon and during the evening, Ash had finally made his decision regarding revisiting Kanto. He knew it was a must after such a long time away. More importantly, he missed everyone immensely and really had been curious to see how they had all been doing.

"...Hey, you guys," Ash finally said, a bit hesitantly, but clear enough to grab everyone's attention at the table.

As mini conversations in the background were halted, all eyes were shifted onto him. Ash paused, asking himself one last time if this was truly what he wanted. After being completely sure this would be good for him, he spoke again, this time more confidently. "I've been thinking, and I've decided I want to go back to Kanto."

Upon his major announcement, everyone showed an expression of surprise, yet approval of his decision, especially Misty, who instantly broke into a grin.

"That's great, Ash! Everyone will be so happy to hear this!" The orange haired girl chirped.

She was so happy that her friend would finally come back and visit everyone. It had been far too long, and everyone had of course, missed him just as much, unable to remain in touch with him through the years.

However, there was someone at the table who had other thoughts running through their head, a legendary in particular that is. She wore a look of apprehension upon the boy's announcement. She didn't know if she could bear the feeling of loneliness once again without her favorite trainers. Their time together had been a breath of fresh air to her and she never had this much enjoyment in her life since they had arrived. She wanted to say something, but felt it wouldn't be appropriate at a time like this. Instead, she kept quiet, sighing to herself.

Ash and Misty further discussed the topic and ultimately decided on heading over to the Pokemon Center and calling Ash's mom right away to let her know of everything. She was eager to get the news out, and dragged Ash with her out of the house.

Bianca, Lorenzo, Pikachu, and Latias stayed put at home and just waited patiently for their friends to return. They hoped their plan would run smoothly since there was no telling with how things would turn out.

"Are you ready, Ash?" Misty asked softly, her attention fixed to her friend. The two of them stood directly in front of the Pokemon Center phone along with the monitor set up for public phone calls.

The Center was currently filled with several people passing by, and wandering aimlessly, but otherwise being relatively quiet during the evening.

Ash's body remained still, his gaze being set on the two items in front of him, and occasionally alternating between the two.

He nodded, doing his best to remain confident, while reminding himself it should be a good thing to finally speak to his mother again. He reached slowly for the phone before punching in each digit of his home number.

From the get-go, Ash thought of coming by himself, but Misty insisted on accompanying him. She was one to know Ash's mom and how dramatic her reactions could be sometimes. She thought it might be a little easier to calm Ash knowing he has her support with him along the way.

The two waited patiently as the phone rang. It seemed to take ages for the other end to pick up.

'What if this doesn't go well? I know how mom can be when I don't call in months, maybe a year. But for this long? Oh boy...' The teenager thought to himself, thinking of the possible outcomes for the call.

The rings had eventually subsided, and the monitor eventually flashed on, revealing a Pokemon staring right back from the other side.

"Mime, Mime?"

"Hey! Mr. Mime. It's me, Misty!" The girl excitedly greeted the Pokemon.

"Mime, mime, mime!" The Pokemon smiled, clearly recognizing the individual. Mr. Mime didn't seem to notice the other figure's identity. Ash's slanted hat seemed to cover a good portion of his face, and his eyes were slightly directed to the floor.

"Mr. Mime, could you please put Mrs. Ketchum on the line?" Misty asked politely with a bit of eagerness in the tone of her voice.

The Pokemon nodded, walking out of the screen's view.

Faint "Mimes" could be heard in the background, along with a vague voice in reply. Footsteps could then be heard, each second passing and they grew louder and faster along with the pulse of Ash's heart.

The boy removed his hat and set it down on the table in front of them, brushing his long hair with his fingertips to the side.

"...Hello? Who is this?" A young woman asked, bringing the phone to her ear, and coming into clear view of the screen.

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum. It's Misty, and-"

Misty paused as she saw Delia instantly go wide eyed, fumbling with the phone, and nearly dropping it several times.

"Ash Ketchum!" Delia finally exclaimed after regaining her composure. She brought the phone to her ear once more. "Where have YOU been, mister?!" She demanded, her expression growing more strict.

Ash and Misty sweat dropped. Ash's mom didn't even seem to acknowledge Misty. As soon as she saw her son, her focus immediately shifted towards him. She was feeling a wave of various emotions right now. Happiness, anger, confusion, relief, you name it.

"It's great to talk to you too, Mom," Ash chuckled, jokingly. This was no surprise to him at all.

Delia sighed. "I'm serious, Ash. Where in the world have you been? Do you know how much I've missed you? How all of your friends missed you?"

"I realize that mom," Ash replied, knowing well enough. "And I'm so sorry. I've been so caught up in all my training that I never bothered to stop and call anyone."

"Well that's still no excuse to ignore everyone," Delia reproached. Misty, on the other hand, stayed quiet and watched the interaction between mother and son unfold.

"I know it was selfish of me, but please let me explain everything later. Listen, Misty and I are planning on coming back to Kanto to pay you and everyone else a visit," Ash informed in advance, also checking to see if he had his mom's approval.

Delia nodded, it seemed like an excellent idea to her. "Yes, please come home, Ash. I'd really love to see you again, and I'm sure everyone else would too."

Ash and Misty were glad. Everything so far seemed to be going better than expected.

"Hey, I know!" Ash's mom perked up. "How about I invite everyone over at our place for a big reunion!" Delia excitedly suggested. "I think it'll be a lot more convenient that way, and can save you plenty of trips."

The two teenagers looked to each other before nodding.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty smiled. "Is it ok if we come in a few days time?" They had already talked through it and decided against paying money and taking a ferry to travel. Using their own Pokemon to fly seemed a lot simpler and cheaper.

"Yes, that's plenty of time for me to prepare. I figure it will take everyone around that amount of time to show up anyways, so that's perfect," Delia replied. "And for you young man!" She spoke sternly, wagging a finger at the screen in an all too familiar pose. Don't think you're getting off scot-free. I'm expecting answers from you!" She continued as her eyes began to soften and a smile of relief began to take over.

Ash sighed, realizing how many times he would have to repeat his lengthy story. Not only to his other friends, but to his mom as well. Well, this was expected anyways.

"I know, mom. I promise we'll talk soon. I'll see you in a few days," Ash said assuringly.

Delia nodded. "It's a miracle to finally be talking with you again, Ash. You have no clue how shocked and happy I am. But anyways, I guess this is goodbye for now. I'll call everyone to let them know you're coming. Make sure to travel safe."

The two teens nodded. "Sounds great. See you then," They both said, just as the screen went black.

"Well that could have gone a whole lot worse," Ash muttered.

Misty chuckled at the remark. "Yeah, I agree. Let's head back home, and let everyone know."

As the duo knocked on the front door, Lorenzo promptly answered, and welcomed the two back in.

"Hey guys, guess who's going back to Kanto," Ash announced enthusiastically as they stood in the entryway.

Bianca, Latias, and Pikachu all sat together on the sofa in the living room, and looked up upon hearing Ash's comment.

"That's great, Ash. So how did the call go?" Bianca asked, curiously.

"Actually, better than I thought. My mom had a bit of a reaction, but she didn't nearly flip out as badly as I'd anticipated," Ash answered.

Bianca nodded, relieved herself. "So when are you guys planning to leave?"

"We're thinking maybe first thing tomorrow morning. We're flying, so it'll take us at least a few days to get there," Misty replied. "That was the plan anyway."

"Oh, but so soon? You guys just got here though," Lorenzo cut in.

"I'm afraid so," Ash responded a bit sadly. He too was already starting to feel like he would miss them all a whole lot. Latias on the other hand, sat quietly with Pikachu. She was beginning to feel a bit glum that her favorite trainer was going to leave yet again. The two of them really did have a sort of strong and unique connection with one another.

"Well, no worries. We're just glad you guys decided to visit us. Please don't hesitate to come by at any time again. We're always happy to see old friends," Lorenzo kindly offered with a smile.

"Thank you, Lorenzo. You're always so generous to us," Ash humbly thanked the older man.

Throughout the entire conversation, Latias listened closely, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. She couldn't help but continue to feel the urge to say something. She just couldn't hold it back anymore, she just had to let them know what was on her mind.

"Um...you guys, do you think it's possible if I could maybe come along, too?" Latias suddenly blurted out, causing everyone to look over in her direction.

Everyone remained fairly quiet, which made Latias rather nervous. It was a bit on impulse that caused the legendary to say what she said. With the short amount of time that she was able to spend with Ash and Misty, it had felt more exciting than before. She had remembered all of the times she had to spend alone in the Garden or at home due to Lorenzo's visits to the Museum, or Bianca accompanying her grandfather or running errands on her own.

With their guests, everything didn't feel quite as lonely and boring. She knew she would have to return to her usual uneventful life as soon as the teenagers had left once again. She had a strong feeling that there was a lot more she was missing out on outside of her city, which honestly made her feel depressed at times.

"Latias? What are you saying? Aren't you happy here in Altomare?" Bianca asked, a bit confused as well as surprised her friend would suggest such a thing.

"Well, it's just that I've been really happy lately with Ash and Misty and just the thought of them leaving again makes me really sad. Not that I dislike you guys. Not one bit, but I've always felt so lonely here."

"Latias, you know that we're always here for you," Bianca tried to reason with the Pokemon. She wanted to make sure Latias completely understood her request. Lorenzo, himself seemed to think critically to himself, before voicing his opinion.

"You know what, Bianca?...I'm actually starting to think it might be an okay idea if we let Latias go out and explore what's out there besides Altomare for a bit. I do agree with her that she's been here for far too long."

Bianca was needless to say surprised at the ease of her grandfather's approval. "But what about the safety of the city?" She reminded in a prudent manner.

Lorenzo shook his head, his thoughts growing more firm. "I understand that you're worried, Bianca, but I think Latias deserves to at least have some stress free time from having all that responsibility. We shouldn't coop her here for the rest of her life. Besides, if you think about it, we haven't had any major incidents these past few years."

"Well, that's true, but..." Bianca trailed off. "Latias, are you sure this is really what you want?" The girl turned to her friend.

All eyes were back to Latias as she eagerly shook her head. "Yes, I'm sure. And it's not like I won't come back either. I'll visit again when I can and as often as possible," Latias quickly spoke, trying to assure her skeptical friend. She had always looked out for Latias and was always concerned for her safety.

Bianca looked to Lorenzo, seeking his thoughts. He simply nodded to her in response.

"I actually don't quite mind the idea. If it's what Latias really wants, then I have no objections. I think it'd be really fun to travel with her for a while," Ash finally stated, giving his consent.

Misty and Pikachu didn't object either. Her and Misty were good friends after all, and Misty wasn't really one to hate the idea of spending extra time with friends. Pikachu gave a thumbs up and a "Pika!" in his own response.

"Latias..." Bianca began, looking at the pleading eyes set on her by Latias. "I think... it is about time you should go out and explore the world," The girl reluctantly but finally stated, promptly receiving a tight hug from the legendary disguised as herself.

"Thank you, Bianca! I really appreciate this. I'll make sure to keep in touch with you and visit again soon," Latias chirped, unknowingly squeezing a bit tighter.

"Oof! N-Not so tight, Latias," Bianca managed to squeak out between struggled breaths.

Bianca sighed once the Eon had spared her. "I trust you, Ash," She eventually said, turning towards him. "If there was anyone that I would allow to accompany Latias besides myself and my granddad, it would probably be you. But I must warn you, if you let anything happen to her, I don't think I can ever forgive you," She spoke, her eyes unable to maintain eye contact. She didn't want to began thinking of the possibilities.

"Please don't worry, Bianca," Ash smiled, looking over to Latias. "I'd risk my life for her in a heartbeat," Ash said. It was his duty after all. Not only in his own moral belief to put others before himself, but for his title as an Aura Guardian. And with somebody as good of a friend as Latias, he would never in a million years hesitate to do so.

Latias smiled, turning a bit pink at the Guardian's sweet words.

"I know, I know," Bianca chuckled. "Well would you look at the time," She said, swiftly shifting the topic, and looking over at the vintage clock set about in the living room. "I think it's time we all get some rest. You guys have got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

"Wait! Before we leave and such. I need to say a quick goodbye to Latios. Even if we can't get in contact with him, I want to pay the garden one last visit before we go," Latias said in a restless manner.

As the request had been heard and registered, everyone nodded. They understood well enough and it made sense that the Eon would want to say a final goodbye before leaving the city for her first time.

Although it was pretty late by now, the entire group decided to make their way to the Secret Garden one final time before retiring for the night.

The group were now at their desired destination. They all kept quiet, as all of the Pokemon in the garden were currently away sleeping. They made their way through the garden and over to the fountain which contained none other than the Soul Dew.

The fountain itself remained calm, and the Soul Dew sat peacefully beneath the water.

Latias gazed intently at the item, before telepathically stating, "Latios...I'm heading off with Ash and Misty tomorrow morning. I just wanted to pay one last visit and say my goodbye to you. I'll miss you, Bianca, and Lorenzo, but I promise I'll be back again someday," The legendary informed, but was met with no reply. A small tear escaped the corner of her eye, before she reached up to brush it away.

The rest of the group felt sorry for her. They knew how hard everything had been for Latias. Their thoughts were abruptly interrupted as they noticed a sudden change in the Soul Dew. It seemed to be brightening at a gradual rate, before soon transforming into a blinding light, reminding Ash of his past experience with the Soul Dew.

Being engulfed in the light, Latias' form had disappeared, no sign of her presence was anywhere to be seen.

Latias had no recollection of what had just happened. Before she knew it, everything went completely black, and that was now what she was met with. Complete darkness.

"Latias," A clear and firm voice called out.

Glancing up, the legendary was immensely astonished with who stood before her.

"Latios!" She cried out, not expecting at all to actually be face to face with her brother once more. She shot forward in her Pokemon form and enveloped Latios in an embrace.

Latios flinched, not at all expecting the gesture, but smiled, returning it anyway.

"H-How? How is this even possible?" Latias croaked out, still evidently unbelieving any of this was even happening right now.

"I summoned you with what power still remains with me. I could sense your guys' presence when you stepped foot in the Garden," Latios answered.

"So you heard everything that we said, too? What I said?"

Latios nodded. "I did manage to hear most of it. You're leaving with Ash and Misty," Her brother clarified.

"Well, yes. But I suppose you can't come back with us," Latias said, saddened by the fact there was no way of bringing Latios back.

Latios once again nodded, affirming the girl's statement. "I'm sorry, Latias. I'm sure Ash has told you. Trust me, if I could, I would be with you guys, but I'm afraid that's just not possible," He said, the sadness in his tone matching his sister's.

"We all still miss you very much," Latias said sadly.

"I know, sis. Just remember that I'll always be here. It takes a lot of energy to hold these meetings, so I'm afraid I'll have to be going soon. I just wanted to prove to you that I'm still here although maybe not physically."

Latias nodded, her emotional state being cheered up thanks to the reassurance. "I understand. Take care, brother. I'll see you soon, someday."

"You too, sis. I hope you have many great adventures with Ash. He's a very bright human with a whole lot of potential. I wish you all the best of luck," Latios finally stated.

The connection between the two siblings finally began to fade, and sooner than what she would have liked, Latios' presence was gone once more.

Slowly, but surely emerging with the blinding light, Latias was returned to the real world. With the light eventually dying down, and Latias form now physically visible in her Pokemon form, everyone rushed over to her filled with questions.

Ash knew completely well of what had occurred, and Bianca and Lorenzo having a clue as well hearing about the similar situation occurring to Ash.

"It was Latios," Latias softly stated. "I saw him again."

Predictably, everyone bombarded the Pokemon with questions regarding the experience, curious to know for themselves everything that had happened. Latias shared with them every detail of the brief, but memorable occurrence.

After a long night of events having been tossed left and right, the group headed back home to get some much needed rest.

The next morning came around fairly quick, and Ash his friends were all so eager to head on their way back to Kanto.

"Latias... are you sure about all of this?" Bianca asked once more in case her friend changed her mind.

"It's what I've been wanting for a while now," Latias answered firmly, her and Bianca sharing a prolonged hug as well as her and Lorenzo.

The rest of the group: Ash, Misty, and Pikachu shared their own goodbyes as well with hugs to go around, before they finally opened the door to exit the household. Bianca and Lorenzo cordially followed their guests outside.

Ash reached for his belt, and grasped a hold of his Pokeball containing Charizard.

Hurling it forward, his companion was released, letting out a mighty roar in the sky, before looking down to his trainer.

"Hey, Charizard. I've got a huge favor to ask of you. I'm gonna need you to fly us over Kanto," Ash urgently requested.

Charizard was surprised himself, seeming to think to himself. They surely hadn't been back home in ages. Why now all of a sudden?

Being obedient, the dragon suppressed his curiosity, focusing only now on the task at hand. "Sure, you got it, Ash," Charizard replied, lowering himself for easier access to his passengers.

Ash hopped on, followed by Misty sitting directly behind him.

"Hey, Latias. Are you going to fly with us or on your own?" The teenager asked curiously.

"Oh, I think, I'll just fly by myself. I don't think Charizard would prefer carrying the extra weight, anyway," Latias replied.

Ash nodded, and Charizard sighed a breath of relief. The legendary sure knew exactly what he was thinking.

Latias, turned once more to her friends, Bianca and Lorenzo, a few tears beginning to flow from her eyes. Her sadness was intensified by the fact that she was now leaving her best friends behind. Aside from the fact that her life was rather uneventful, she was no doubt going to long to see those two again. It was, however a good thing for her to be leaving for a little while. This was a new chapter in her life that she was definitely willing to take.

Sharing last minute goodbyes and waves over at each of her friends, Latias transformed into her Pokemon form, readying herself for the journey to Kanto.

Now that everything was taken care of, the group set off.

Over the duration of the next few days, everything remained rather unexciting. The group had stopped occasionally in open areas and camped during the nights to get their sleep, while also enjoying one another's company. Ash would release his Pokemon to get some fresh air, play, and get acquainted with Latias. Ash and Misty were able to spend a huge amount of their time talking and bonding more with one another to kill the boredom.

After what seemed to be a quite a while, they had finally made it to Pallet Town.

Hopping off of Charizard, Ash took a good look at what was now his hometown after so many years.

"Everything still looks the same," The boy chuckled, glancing around the area. He could still see all of the homes in the neighborhood, as well as Professor Oak's lab in the distance. "The view sure does grow on you, though."

Misty followed Ash's lead, and leaped from the orange dragon, Ash returning Charizard as soon as she had done so.

"So this is your hometown," Latias remarked, looking around, beginning to transform into her human form.

Ash nodded. "Hey, Latias. You still remember what we talked about, right?"

Latias nodded in response. Ash as well as Misty had thought it would be best if Latias remained unknown to be a Legendary at least for now. It was just to be on the safe side in case the news that a Legendary in the house seemed to be a bit overwhelming to their visitors. They would explain Latias' identity eventually to everyone once everyone was settled down. It just felt a bit too over the top. They'd be sure announce it to everyone once the time was appropriate.

Latias agreed on pretending to be mute and utilizing sign language, while Ash "translated" whatever he telepathically received from her. It seemed to be a legit enough plan anyway.

Everyone made their way back to the Ketchum Residence in curiosity to who would be showing up to the reunion.

Stepping up to the front door, Ash slowly reached for the doorbell and pushed it, hearing the ring echo from inside the house.

After a little while, the door opened to reveal a tall, familiar looking young man. "Ash, Misty?"

"Hey there, Brock," Ash grinned. "It's been a while."

"Pika!" Pikachu greeted happily from Ash's shoulder.

The two friends brought each other in for a hug, Brock patting his friend's back firmly.

"Hiya, Misty. Good to see you too," Brock looked over at the other familiar face, glad to see she had shown up as well. It had been a while since he had last seen her, too, but not nearly as long as Ash.

"Same to you, Brock," Misty warmly smiled as well.

Brock's attention was then fixed to the other girl, who remained quiet.

"Hey! Wait a minute, aren't you..." Brock trailed off, rubbing his chin, and furrowing his eyebrows. He knew he remembered her from somewhere, but just couldn't place his finger on it.

"It's Latias," Ash reminded his friend, the Eon giving a small wave. "We were in Altomare, and she decided to come along with us. Could you please do us a huge favor and not mention who she is to everyone? I think I'm just worried the news might be a little much for everyone. I'd like to explain everything, including my story and whereabouts to everyone all at once, rather than in chunks to people individually," Ash requested, preferring to save as much of his energy for today.

Brock shrugged, not particularly caring too much. "Yeah, sure. I can understand that."

"Thanks, Brock," Ash sighed, thankfully. "So, what's going on? Is everybody here yet?" He asked curiously, attempting to take a peek past the older boy.

"Yep, everyone's here. Come on in and see for yourself. Everyone's just dying to see you again," Brock said, stepping aside.

Ash, as well as the others complied. They set foot in the home, and made their way inside, looking to see whatever awaited them on the other side.

Another chapter finished! I think I'm starting to get somewhat back into the groove of writing. I've been having a blast with it, and working super hard. Hopefully it's all up to par, I always try my best.

Anyways, I'm sad to say but, this is all for now folks. Do make sure to stay tuned for what happens next chapter! Feel free to drop me a review and let me know what ya think.

Peace!