A light descended on the group of Pokémon and the humans as resolve played out. When the light reached the ground, it formed a Pokémon: Arceus. "Whoa, Arceus!" Ash gasped. Arceus peered around, eying Giratina and Dialga, then Ash and Salvia and Pikachu.

"I sensed a disturbance here," Arceus expressed. "Despite being here for the first time, I happen to know what the Reverse World contains. However, it does not explain why Dialga is here and why some humans have ventured into here as well." Salvia would be the first to speak to the telepathic Pokémon.

"Dear Arceus, that man kidnapped me from my kingdom," she claimed to the man Ash was holding down. Seeing Ash was a welcome relief in Arceus' emotion.

"Ah, Ash! It's been sometime. Ever since you've protected me from that emperor, I have held onto that gratitude that you've shown me amongst the Legendary Pokémon." Dialga offered to keep Zero pinned for Ash to meet up with Arceus. Team Rocket saw the Alpha Pokémon, the desire to take it for their boss in mind.

"I don't give a Raticate's tail if that is a legend," Jessie snarled. "It's still a rare Pokémon for us to capture and give it to the boss." Meowth wanted to make sure as he readied a bazooka.

"Locked on target..." it meowed. Pikachu suddenly spotted the Alley Cat Pokémon with the bazooka and fired a Thunderbolt before Meowth could pull the trigger. The three were shocked, literally, and the bazooka's ammo exploded. The bazooka blew up and sent Team Rocket flying.

"Leave it to the twerp's Pikachu to ruin the ordeal for us," James whined. That's when they did something weird.

"Niaga ffo gnitsalb si Tekcor Maet ekil skool!" they yelled as they left. If no one knows what they just said, spell it all backwards. It's the Reverse World, it makes sense a bit. Zero struggled to get on his feet.

"I will not bow down to a Pokémon, even if it's legendary!" he growled. Still being pinned by Dialga, he refused to accept that this was over.

"Are you still in denial that your plans have been vanquished?" he mocked Zero. "Someone like you doesn't deserve to meet a legendary Pokémon, let alone obtain. It is my obligation that I seek punishment for your crimes against us." Dialga released Zero who came charging at Arceus changed the colors to magenta. Zero unsheathed a knife but was halted short. Arceus used Confusion to stop Zero and he was frozen stiff.

"Wh- What have you done to me?" Ash came forward to advise Zero that he was not getting a slap on the wrist.

"This is for endangering everything," he roared. "You've endangered the humans, the Pokémon and the worlds! Not even Newton can bail you out of this mess you made!" Arceus concentrated before he turned Zero into a ball of light. Quickly, he disappeared into the air, his final destination only known to Arceus. Speaking of, it turned to Ash, not willing to deliver the same punishment as Zero.

"Why is it that you're located in the wrong place at the right time, young trainer?" it joked. Ash itched the back of his head as if he didn't know how to answer.

"Like I know when trouble happens." Perhaps but he does find ways to resolve it. "Besides, I came to the Reverse World to rescue the princess here." Arceus smiled to accept Ash's reasoning.

"I was taken by Zero for no apparent reason except to force Sir Ash's hand for some ordinance or another involving Giratina," Salvia addressed. "Although, I do deserve some of the blame by tricking Sir Ash by dressing as Lady Dawn and...well..." Enough said, Arceus scoffed a chuckle. It was humored.

"The best results come at the meeting of Ash," it promised. "He will protect those who are deemed important. Though for him to protect a kingdom's heir is rare since his main concern would be with Pokémon." Ash shot a look at the Pokémon minus Carnivine who was returning to James. Arceus wasn't around when Ash restored their strength.

"Actually, I did provide support for them," he grinned. Turning back to Arceus, Ash had one thing on his mind at the moment: returning back to the Pokémon World. "Anyway, all we need to return to the surface." Arceus acknowledged their wish to get back to Gracidea. He was thinking that Brock, Dawn and Freesia were worried about the two.

"Very well. Giratina can return you back home. And Ash?" What could the Alpha Pokémon want now? "Thank you...for protecting us." Just a simple thanks. Ash and Salvia bowed before boarding the Reverse World's guardian for the ride and recalled his Pokémon . With one mighty roar, a vortex had opened up back out into the normal world The group entered the vortex before emerging out the other side with Brock, Dawn and Freesia fast approaching. Giratina converted itself to land form and rested as Ash and Salvia hopped off.

"Ash!" Brock and Dawn called out. Ash and Salvia waived them all over, thankful that they're okay. When asked about the whereabouts of Zero, all Ash did was look to the sky and mention the judge and jury of a single Pokémon. All this excitement from today easily exhausted hero and his Pokémon, and the princess so the maid and butler allowed them to stay the night for the trainers to recover before heading back to Lake Valor. All the beds in the world at night couldn't rest the young hero. Same couldn't be said for the Pokémon, though. Perhaps it was the adrenaline from all that happened today with Zero and Salvia and the Reverse World. Whatever the reason, Ash couldn't sleep. He stepped out of the loaned room and into the foyer. Apparently, neither was the royal girl.

"All the excitement still on your mind, Sir Ash?" Salvia questioned. Ash turned to the princess wondering why she's still up. Princesses need their beauty sleep too.

"Princess..." he stuttered. Salvia walked up to Ash with something on her mind. "Is something wrong?" Salvia hesitated to mention any issue that might upset Ash.

"I...I heard from Sir Brock that you still have to earn that last gym badge in Sunnyshore City but you still need to cheer for Lady Dawn in the Grand Festival fast approaching." Ash knew the ordeal. Volkner was repairing the tower.

"Volkner said that the tower's repair should be done by the time the Grand Festival ends." It would mean that Ash could do both but it still bothered Salvia.

"Well, the reason is that I want to have you stay here, after the Sinnoh Tournament and be my prince. It's...It's haplessly difficult for me to understand but...you're the only one who protected me when my life was in danger. You're the knight in shining armor and I've unwillingly became your damsel in distress. My heart has never wavered as much as it had these past few days but..." Ash began to figure out Salvia's difficulty in wanting to accept a commoner like Ash but he was there for her when she was in trouble whether it was the successful Draco Meteor or Zero's kidnapping.

"Princess...I don't think I can fulfill that spot. I- My quest is to be a Pokémon Master and there's still so much I have to see. I know that there are more regions I want to walk on, more trainers I want to battle and more Pokémon I want to capture and train. It's not that I don't like you...I just have so much to accomplish." Deep emotions and deep confessions. Salvia felt dejected but understood Ash's ongoing quest.

"I see. I guess I cannot force your hand to stay." Ash realized that he may have broken Salvia's heart by following his dream instead of being by her side. Then again, was he really one for romance? Yet Salvia had something else. "Perhaps if you desire, you can still become my prince and continue to journey around the world for more Pokémon." There's an idea. Ash never thought that he could still journey and be attached to Salvia.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea. I guess you can call on me if you're in trouble again." Salvia felt trusted that she could rely on Ash if any problems came up but instead of nodding, she kissed Ash on the lips...and didn't want to let go. Ash couldn't tell if this was an acceptance...or that she really, really loved him. After some hours of sleep, he, Brock and Dawn and their Pokémon headed out to Lake Valor. Ash had a piece of jewelery on his ring finger: a pinkish-red ring with a sapphire gem. Did Salvia propose to marry him? Dawn thought so as she saw the ring.

"I didn't know you were into jewelery, Ash," she teased. "Did you and the princess do something while we were sleeping?" Ash's cheeks bled red in blushing embarrassment. They- They did?

"All we did was talk!" he strongly denied...somewhat. "She wanted me to be her prince. To be honest, I've started to understand what love means. I mean- Jenaro and Ariene for instance." Brock dipped his head in shame. Was that a girl he proposed to be his girlfriend?

"Lemme guess, one that Brock let go?" Dawn and Piplup had a laugh at the embarrassed expense of the breeder. "Although, Ash, you're better at getting girls to like you than Brock and yet you're not even trying to do it, it just happens." Uh oh! Could Ash be two-timing Salvia? Brock didn't care about Ash getting Salvia. It's the principle of the matter that Dawn pointed out. Was it that Ash did better to get women to befriend him? Was it Croagunk and any other Pokémon which prevented his advances? Either way, he was ashamed at all of it.

"Let's just get to Lake Valor before Brock decides to get away from all of us in humiliation."

("Yeah, he's already low enough,") Pikachu agreed. All proceeded to Lake Valor to the Grand Festival.

(Weeks later, sign in Kanto)

Ash and Brock reached a fork on the path back on their home region. After Ash saved Salvia, he, Dawn and Brock proceeded to see Dawn compete in the Grand Festival which she lost in the Final Round against a rival by the name of Zoey. Then Ash defeated Volkner despite someone screwing around the Sunnyshore Tower again. Team Rocket never learns. Ash competed in the Sinnoh Tournament which was the Lily on the Valley Conference and ended up finishing in the Top Four, losing to a potential master in Tobias who had a Darkrai and a Latios. He was so fear, only Ash was able to defeat both of them while everyone else couldn't beat Darkrai. Despite the overwhelming loss, Ash was proud that he made it all the way to the Semifinals to begin with. On the way back to Twinleaf Town, Dawn got a notice that a modeling agency was interested in her and her Pokémon. It was also the last moment that Ash, Dawn and Brock chose separate paths.

"Well, I guess this is it," Brock said. He dropped the bags of souvenirs to shake Ash's hand as...Dawn? What's she doing here? What about that modeling agency?

"Yeah," Ash acknowledged. "Take care...Pokémon Doctor Brock." Brock chose to become a doctor for the Pokémon like Nurse Joy. Which one?

"You too...Pokémon Master Ash." Regardless of that crushing loss, Ash's dreams of mastery never diminished. They broke their shake before going their separate ways. "See ya." With that, they traveled their different roads. Dawn, if that was her, kept her low profile as she trailed Ash with Pikachu. As they traveled, they skipped across a stream vie the rocks. They made it look too easy. When Dawn tried the same thing...

"Ah!" she yelped. SPLASH! Rump, meet stream. Ash and Pikachu turned to the yelp spotting who they thought was still back at Twinleaf.

"Dawn?" he gulped as he ran to help her.

"I guess that's three." Three? The moment she said "three," Ash realized this wasn't Dawn. In short, she was out of place.

"Salvia?" The princess donned herself in Dawn's clothes again. "What are you doing out of the Gracidea Kingdom?" Salvia wiped her butt clear of the stream water and anything else.

"You're the only one I trust outside my butler and Freesia. After I saw the tournament, I disguised myself as Dawn and told Freesia that I sought travel to other lands. Of course, considering that you're by my side." She wanted to travel with Ash and Pikachu. For Ash, this was rather sudden. He just got back in his hometown and hadn't really focused on new adventures.

"Slow down, Princess. I was gonna see Prof. Oak and know if there are new areas to explore." Salvia relented, now knowing that Ash hadn't had a chance to exhaust his journey through Sinnoh. Ash wasn't quitting. He just needed to see new lands.

"What lands have you explored besides Sinnoh?"

"Here in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and the Orange Archipelago." This was a problem Salvia noted.

"That's all the lands around here. I say we go meet this professor of yours and search for a new land together. Besides, a knight in shining armor is not without his damsel in distress." Realizing that the knight in shining armor referred to him with the addition of the damsel in distress being Salvia, Ash itched his cheek, unsure whether to go by her word or not. Pikachu thought a traveling partner wouldn't be so bad.

("Come on, Ash,") he teased. ("A traveling partner sounds like a good idea for the next adventure.") Pikachu wasn't referring Salvia as a princess but as a companion for the next travel.

"Pikachu doesn't see a problem and neither should I," Ash accepted. "Welcome aboard, Princess."

"Thank you, my knight," she cooed as she really let Ash have a wet one on the lips. Sensing a fall coming, Pikachu hightailed it to a tree and just as he predicted, Ash and Salvia fell to the ground, Salvia on top. While a new adventure seemed on the horizon, the sun of the recent adventure, the real sun and Ash's days of being single appeared to have set. Even Pikachu sighed in relief that Brock wasn't around to see it, just some Pidgies and Rattatas. It's like they never saw love with humans before.

("Let's hope they save the real adventure in the bedroom,") he huffed a sigh.