Hey there everyone. I bet many of you were probably wondering if I'll ever be back huh. Well I do have to apologize for such a long absence. I can't really explain the long absence other than I lost my motivation to write. Thankfully though, it's back and stronger than ever. Anyway, all I'll say is this is a rewrite of The Kalos Trip. I'll explain at the end of the chapter as to why I decided to rewrite this story. Anyway, glad to be back and I hope you all enjoy this rewrite.

Pokemon Trainer Ash

Standing in the spare bedroom of the Ketchum residence, a Kalos reporter known as Alexa was currently discussing her plans for the immediate future. "I'm heading back to the Kalos Region pretty soon. You should join me" she informed her younger traveling companion.

Standing not too far from the reporter, Ash and Pikachu were deep in thought about going on another adventure. It has only been a week since they parted ways with Iris and Cilan but it was clear the two miss their friends dearly. However, Ash wasn't the kind of person to sit around in the same spot for too long. "Are you up for another adventure buddy?" the trainer asks his friend.

Pikachu let out sparks showing his enthusiasm for a new journey. After being with his trainer since the beginning, Pikachu has learned one thing. There is never a dull moment when traveling with Ash. His trainer, for some odd reason, always seems to attract memorable experiences.

Receiving the green light from his friend, the trainer nods to Alexa confirming he is with her. The thought of traveling to another region was beginning to make him a bit restless. However as much as the teen looked forward to another journey, he would first have to let his mother know. Unfortunately, he knew his mom was quite happy with him being home for longer than usual. "Well if it's another journey we're going on, I'll drop by Professor Oak's one more time to say goodbye to all my Pokémon." With that, the trainer and Pikachu vanished as if almost into thin air.

Alexa simply chuckled. There was something about the trainer that made people want to be around him. Perhaps it was the town itself. Since she has been here, everyone has treated her with warm and welcoming smiles. It's clear this has helped shape Ash to who he is. However, there is another person who has contributed greatly, Delia.

Meanwhile, Delia was busy admiring her work. Seeing all the Pokémon Alexa had with her, there was no doubt Ash would want to travel to whatever region she came from. "Well Mr. Mime, I hope Ash likes his new clothes" she set aside the finished garment. She figured it wouldn't be long before Ash announces his plans to travel. Delia was just happy to finish making him new clothes before that happened.

Walking around, Alexa couldn't help but admire the charm the small house gave off. There was one picture however that caught Alexa's attention. In it, she could easily recognize Ash and Delia. There was a third person in it however. The man appeared to be Ash's father. The resemblance was certainly there.

"Oh, I see you're admiring an old family picture" Delia startles Alexa.

In her dazed state, Alexa manages to ask about the man. "That's Red, Ash's father and my husband" Delia replies with much glee. Whoever he was, he certainly captured her heart very well.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say he's just a taller Ash" the Kalos native commented. Although she wanted to press on with further questions, she figured this isn't a subject she should get into. "By the way, I would like to thank you again for letting me stay here. It's a really nice place and Pallet Town is wonderful too" she complimented.

"And thank you for having Ash come visit me first" Delia returned the favor. Judging by Alexa's expressions, she knew she would have to do some explaining. "I'm Ash's mother, I know how reckless he can be" she let out a knowing smile. With that, the two women were left laughing.

Approaching the famous Oak Ranch, Ash fails to read any warning signs about the fence. "OUCH" he lets, being caught off guard by the small jolt of electricity. "Geez, you think Professor Oak would warn anyone about this" Ash sighed.

Pikachu let out a small laughter. He was standing on the sign his clueless trainer somehow missed. "Pi Pika" the electric type point at while taunting his trainer.

"Oh yeah, let's see you try it" Ash hastily responded.

Pikachu gladly walked on the electrified fence as if it was a tight rope, once again taunting his trainer. The electrical shocks from the fence felt like a tickling sensation to him.

"Looks like this fence is doing its job of keeping trespassers out" Misty also taunted her friend by motioning how she stood on the other side.

Ash's mood quickly lightened seeing an old friend. "Hey Misty, it's been a while" he mentioned. Sadly however, he couldn't properly greet his friend as there was an electric fence in the way.

"Geez Ash, Professor Oak has a front door" the orange haired teen was slightly annoyed by Ash's impatience. "I'll meet you at the front with everyone else" she raced towards the lab.

Once at the lab, Ash was surprised to find Tracey there, along with Professor Oak and Misty. "Ah, Ashy my boy, we were all here waiting for you" Professor Oak states. It was obvious from the looks of it that Ash was about to depart on a new adventure and the professor couldn't have asked for a much better timing.

"Well this is certainly a surprise" the teen mentions. He had not been expecting some of his oldest friends waiting for him in the lab. "By the way, where's Brock?" Ash was searching around hoping to find his other friend as well.

"Last I heard from him, he was traveling in the Johto Region with a green haired person" Misty replied. She couldn't remember his name for some strange reason. The sad part was she had talked to him only a few days prior.

Understanding his busy schedule was keeping Brock busy, Ash motioned for Professor Oak to continue. "Ah yes, you may have or haven't heard, but I'm currently assisting Professor Sycamore in the Kalos region with his Pokémon research" he began to explain. "What I'm responsible for is to create a database of all the Pokémon native to the Kanto Region with all of their vital stats and send it over to him in the Kalos Region" he continued. "Hopefully with this information, he can come closer to figuring out why some Pokémon can Mega-Evolve and why some can't" he finished with his explanation.

This was convenient, considering how he was planning to go to the Kalos Region soon anyway. "So do you want me to take this information to the Kalos Region?" Ash asked, wondering if that is why the professor was waiting for him.

"Oh no, I couldn't ask you to delay your trip for me. That's what Misty is here for" the professor informed the trainer.

Before Professor Oak couldn't continue, Ash began to speak up once again. "Actually, I was planning on going to the Kalos Region soon anyway, so it's no problem with me" he declared.

The news of Ash's next destination didn't sit too well with Professor Oak. He had a rather worried expression as millions of thoughts were running through his mind, namely Ash's safety. The last thing he would want is for Ash to run into him. Shaking those thoughts away, he figured it was best to let him know why he was waiting on the trainer. "It could take a while before I finish" he responded to Ash. "But Professor Sycamore did send these over" the older man grabbed a small chest. Opening it, there rested two stones. One was smaller than the other.

"You want to play marbles?" Ash questioned.

Quickly, everyone, including Pikachu, let out a sigh of annoyance. Although Ash was a skilled trainer, he was still a rather dense person. "Oh look, if it isn't Ashy boy" Gary greeted with a smirk. "I see someone that's in the need of a Pokémon battle" he casually mentioned.

It's been a while since he last saw his rival since childhood. "You're on Gary, just as soon as I'm done with Professor Oak, let's have a battle" he was fired up. As the years went by, Gary's attitude towards Ash has been that of a friendly rival. In the beginning however, things weren't so smooth between them.

Seeing his grandson already in the lab, that at least saved him the trouble of waiting for him to arrive. "Actually Ash, why don't you go ahead and battle Gary" the professor insisted. "If you give this stone to Charizard and keep this one, you should be able to perform a Mega-Evolution" he briefly explained.

"You mean" Ash began to ask.

Professor Oak quickly responded. "Professor Sycamore sent these over in hopes that I knew someone who was close to a Charizard" he explained. "He did have an assistant but from what I remember, it seems his assistant no longer works with him" Professor Oak tried to remember. Shaking that thought away, he figured Ash would be the best candidate, seeing as how he recently traveled with Charizard in the Unova Region.

Grabbing the Mega-Stone, Ash heads outside along with everyone else. "So how does this work?" Ash began observing the foreign orb. This is the first time he has heard of Mega-Evolution, much less performed one.

"It's simple Ashy Boy" Gary held a Pokéball. "You keep the small orb to yourself" he held his stone in his hand. "And you give the other to your Pokémon" he let out Blastoise as he continued to explain.

Sure enough, Charizard showed up on cue. Many of Ash's Pokémon also came to watch their trainer battle. It's been a while since they have seen him in action. They're curious to know how far along their trainer has come since they last saw him.

"Are you ready to battle buddy?" Ash asks Charizard while holding up a blue orb up to the fire type.

The Flame Pokémon gives his trainer a rather curious look. He wasn't sure why Ash wanted him to hold the strange crystal. From the looks of it, neither did he. However looking to their opponent, it was clear this wasn't going to be an easy battle. He would often times remember Blastoise's arrogant smile. This one however was one of confidence. Taking the stone from his trainer, Charizard turns to his fellow Pokémon.

"This battle will be a one on one between Ash and Gary. The first one unable to battle, looses" Tracey quickly explained the rules, implying that he would referee the battle.

"I'll let you have the first move Gary" Ash kindly offered.

"You'll be regretting that" Gary taunted in a friendly manner.

"Battle Begin" Tracey let out.

"Let's start things off easy, Hydro Pump" Oak's grandson issued the first attack.

Fortunately, Ash wasn't the least bit worried. "Slash it away" he reacted.

Extending his claws, Charizard split the double streams of water into halves. The water harmlessly passed by him.

"No surprises there, now go in with Skull Bash" Gary followed up. He knew Charizard could easily close the gap between them, so he decided he would rather close it himself.

"Dragon Tail"

Timing the attack, Charizard hit the speeding shell into the ground. He trusted his trainer would have a command ready. "Use Flamethrower" he heard his trainer say. On cue, the fire type let out his attack on the vulnerable water type. However, even he knew his opponent could easily withstand the attack.

"Now use Rapid Spin" Blastoise heard his trainer say. Still in his shell, he spun rapidly, aiming at Charizard. He was simply waiting for a certain attack.

"Swat it away with Dragon Tail" Ash responded.

Sure enough, Gary had expected such a move. "Classic Ash, you're too predictable" he smiled to himself. He had no need to give instructions to his Pokémon as he had somehow managed to ready his mind. "Are you ready for this?" Gary asked his partner while holding up his key stone.

The water type nodded in confirmation.

"Well Ash, I can see that you have indeed grown quite strong" Gary began to compliment. "However, let's see how you can handle Mega-Evolutions" he began the process. Rays of light came from both Gary's and Blastoise's stones. They connected, enveloping the water type in a blinding light.

Professor Oak has seen a Mega-Evolution in person just once. This was certainly a treat for him, considering how he would once again witness the strength of the bond between trainer and Pokémon.

Misty and Tracey stood in awe. This was the first time they have ever seen such a transformation. Although the professor had explained this to them in great detail, seeing it in person was a sight to behold.

Emerging from the light, everyone saw a rather strange looking Blastoise. "Ash, allow us to show you the power of Mega-Evolution" Gary said. "Use Dragon Pulse" he issued his command.

Unaware that Blastoise could learn Dragon Pulse, Ash quickly thought of a way to counter such an attack.

"Hold it off with Flamethrower" the teen ordered. Little did he know, Gary's Pokémon had gained a considerable power boost.

"Raaaa" Charizard cried out, unable to hold off the attack.

"Charizard, are you okay" Ash quickly ran to his partner Pokémon.

The fire type nodded. He had not expected the attack to have that much force behind it.

Carefully watching the interactions between Ash and his Pokémon, it was clear that the two had the necessary bond to perform a Mega-Evolution. "Although this does give my Pokémon a significant power boost, it is only temporary" Gary explained in a calm manner. "So, you think you're ready to try it yourself?" he asked his rival, knowing what his answer would be.

Whenever Ash battles a stronger opponent, so does his motivation for coming out on top.

Sensing his trainer's spirit, Charizard was just warming up. Standing up, he let out a deafening roar. He was ready to take on his foe with everything he had.

"Now it's our turn" Ash held up his key stone.

Just like Gary, the two stones began letting out rays of light. They connected and soon enough, Charizard was enveloped in a blinding light.

Professor Oak, along with Tracey and Misty, watch as Ash has managed to pull off a Mega-Evolution. If they remember the requirements to be successful with the evolution, there was no doubt Ash had them. The first was the most obvious, the key stone and mega stone. Mostly importantly however is a strong bond. Ash and Charizard have had a bumpy relationship, but always emerged stronger after every hardship they faced. This moment was simply those feelings becoming a physical transformation.

"Raaaaarr" Charizard let out, emerging from the light in an unusual color.

Surprised by how much the fire type changed, Ash took a moment to think about what just happened.

Watching the trainer take in the moment, Gary sighed in relief. Although he never doubted Ash's abilities, he was afraid Ash wouldn't be able to Mega-Evolve. Thankfully that wasn't the case. Unfortunately, he knew he was no match for his fellow rival. He would have to end the battle quick. "Looks like the great Ash has finally caught up to me, interesting" Gary taunted once more.

Still surprised by the Pokémon standing before him, Ash wanted to test out the power of his Pokémon's new-found strength. "Well I hope you're ready for this" the teen responded. "Use Flamethrower" he let out.

The blue Charizard let out an intense stream of blue fire. Unlike the previous Flamethrower, the power of this one was almost visible. Even Ash's other Pokémon took notice of their new-found strength. One in particular took notice. Sceptile could only imagine how much stronger Charizard was than he was. The fire type managed to beat a legend such as Articuno in his regular form, imagine how that battle would turn out now.

Trading attack for attack, Ash was beginning to get a bigger picture of the power his Pokémon had at his disposal. Although he wanted to continue battling, he realized Gary's true motives for battling long ago.

Sensing his trainer's intentions, Charizard also stood up, signaling to Blastoise the battle was over.

The two Mega-Evolved Pokémon return to their normal forms. "So what do you know, this is temporary" Ash noted.

Meanwhile, Gary stood by, appreciating Ash's kind gesture. "Well I hope this was enough to teach you about Mega-Evolutions" Oak's assistant stated seeing Ash nod, acknowledging what he said.

While watching the two interact, it was clear they had both moved past their ugly and bitter rivalry to a friendly one where the two have an immense amount of respect towards each other. More than anything else, it was obvious how much Ash has matured in his travels. Sure he was still his childish Ash self, but he also showed another mature side while retaining his childish charm.

"So are you going to make your move on him" Tracey playfully nudged the orange haired water trainer.

Although Misty did have a crush on her fellow traveling companion a while back, she had to admit, she saw him as nothing more than a great friend now. She knew she would be unable to get his mind off Pokémon long enough for him to notice her. Either way, she had since moved on long ago. "You and I both know I don't see Ash like that anymore" Misty happily responded as she made her way toward them.

"Professor Sycamore has authorized me to give these stones to any trainer I see fit" Professor Oak explained, allowing Ash to keep the stones.

Quickly thinking, "Are you up for another adventure?" Ash asked Charizard. There was no doubt in his mind that the fire type would love to accompany him on another journey. This time however, they had a new power to master.

"Raa" he gave a thumbs up.

Overlooking the trainer along with his friends, Team Rocket cautiously listen in on their conversation, from the comfort of the roof of Oak's Lab. "Looks like we have a new destination, the Kalos Region" Jessie stated. Their goal was to capture Pikachu, but after witnessing Charizard grow in power, they also had another target as well.

"Yeah, dose twerps are in for a big surprise" Meowth began thinking up of multiple plans. A new destination meant they would have to adopt new ideas to adapt.

James on the other hand was a tad bittersweet. While he wanted to chase Pikachu and that mega Charizard, he was afraid of running into familiar people. Shaking those thoughts away, he shared in his partners joy. "Let's go get them" he happily stated.

"Wwooobbufettt" a blue Pokémon loudly let himself out of his trainer's Pokéball.

"Ssshh" Jessie recalled her Pokémon. Having all the information they needed, they quickly left from the roof of Oak's lab and began their preparations for the journey ahead.

Chatting to one another, they all failed to notice how fast the time was going by. "How about some dinner" Delia made her presence be known. Along with her was Mr. Mime and Alexa. They figured a leisurely stroll to the lab would be a great way to relax.

Seeing as how Ash was planning on leaving soon, they all figured now would be a wonderful time to enjoy dinner with each other.

At the Ketchum household, it's been a while since the house since they have had a lot of guest at one time, let alone Ash. Despite the small size, everyone was more than comfortable being rather close to one another, quite literally. Had Ash's childish nature not acted up, he could've prevented himself from spilling a cup full of water onto the Misty. Other than that small incident, dinner went without a problem.

Sure enough, the topic of when Ash was planning on traveling came up. "To be honest mom, I'm planning on heading to the Kalos Region next when Alexa leaves" Ash made his intentions known. He would be joined by Pikachu as usual and for a change, Charizard.

"That's my Ash, I shouldn't expect anything less from you" Delia let out a sad smile while walking away from the kitchen.

Quickly, Ash was beginning to question if it was too soon to begin traveling again. After all, he has only been home for a week. Judging by everyone else's expressions, this was to be expected. Seeing Delia back in the kitchen with her head lowered, Ash began to apologize. "Tada" she held up a new shirt and cap that would fit Ash, surprising everyone.

"Wait, you knew this whole time" Ash was awestruck. His mom sure knew how to surprise him every time.

"Of course I knew sweetie, I'm your mom" the older Ketchum removed his old cap and replaced it with a new one. "I would never hold you back from your dreams" she stated.

In a quick moment, the two exchanged hugs. Ash felt lucky to have a mother like he does and Delia felt the same as Ash. "One more thing Ash, can you deliver this small package to a friend of mine in Vaniville Town?" she asked, hoping it wouldn't be an inconvenience for the trainer.

Ash took the small brown box. "Of course I will" he replied.

Without knowing, Ash took a box that would lead him to encounter an old friend from his past. At least that's what Delia was hoping for. That and she needed to return what belonged to her friend.

As nighttime came, Alexa stayed in the guest bed room she has been staying in while in Pallet Town. Tracey headed back to the lab while Professor Oak stayed behind to discuss potential problems with Ash in the Kalos Region. "You seem rather calm about Ash going to the Kalos Region" Professor Oak noted. "You do realize his father was last known to be there right?" he asked, hoping to somehow convince Delia to warn Ash.

"Ash isn't a child anymore. Sure, I wish he wouldn't go, but I'm confident he can handle anything" she proudly stated. Still though, it was her desire for Ash to avoid his father Red, who was last known to be where Ash is going to next. The mother wishes she could warn her son about potential encounters, but even she knew it would be pointless to convince him otherwise.

While Delia and Oak were discussing potential problems with Ash's upcoming trip, Misty decided to spend the night, see as how Cerulean City was somewhat a long walk away. Lucky for her, that had an inflatable mattress so she could avoid sleeping on the ground. "Hey Ash, can I talk to you for a moment?" she seemed rather serious.

"What's up Misty?" the teen in question wondered why his friend had a serious tone.

Getting his attention, Misty would have to word this correctly. She did not want her friend getting any wrong ideas. "I've heard about how out of control your journey can get at times. Can you promise me you won't do anything too reckless while you're in the Kalos Region" she worried about her friend. Misty couldn't shake off the feeling something unexpected was waiting for Ash. If it wasn't for Professor Oak's worried expression earlier in the day, she wouldn't have suspected a thing.

The Kanto teen himself couldn't say everything was one hundred percent okay. Even he himself had a feeling that something big was being hidden from him. Unfortunately, there would be no way of knowing until he gets there. Ash leans over the side of his bed to talk to the orange haired teen. "No need to worry, I promise we'll be back in one piece" he made a promise to his friend.

Seeing the trainer only mere inches away from her, she blushed slightly considering they were nearly face to face. Of course Ash was too dense to realize any of this. "I'm holding you to the promise" she playfully flicked his forehead.

"What was that for?" the teen questioned. One moment she was worried about his safety, the next she was testing it.

"Do I need to say more" she began. "If you leaned over just a little bit more, we would be sharing a bed" she teased the trainer. But now that she thought about it, why did she agree to share a room with Ash.

"Whatever, you're the one who wanted to sleep in here" Ash responded in a matter of fact manner. Soon enough, the two fell asleep.

A bright and early day was always a fresh start. Unfortunately for Misty, the morning wasn't too bright. She wanted to see her friend off, along with Professor Oak and Delia so she had to get up early just to make sure her friend didn't sleep in for his flight.

"Please get him safely to the Kalos Region" Delia asked Alexa.

"Leave everything to me" she reassured her friend.

"And Ash, please don't forget to take that package to Vaniville Town. My friend already knows you're going to the Kalos Region so she knows you're coming" Delia informed her son. Taking a glance at Ash, she admired how much he has grown in the time he has been traveling. "Nice clothes by the way" she commented.

Ash let out a simple laugh. Despite his mom making his clothes, she acted as if Ash had picked them out himself. Pushing that aside, it was time for him to say goodbye. "Well mom, I'll see you later" Ash went up to hug his mom.

Rather surprised by his son's sudden affection, Delia return the warm embrace. He usually leaves with a simple goodbye and runs off.

Letting go, Ash turns towards his orange haired friend. "And I haven't forgotten about our promise" he walks in for a hug as well.

Stunning everyone once again, Ash was much more affectionate than usual. Has something happened in the brief time he has been home? "I'll be seeing you in the Kalos Region too" she reminded him about her task for Professor Oak.

Letting her friend go, Misty let out a cheeky smile. Had this been a few years ago, her crush on the teen would've misread this simple interaction. Thankfully she was past this. Even more, she was grateful Ash kept her promise as one of his top priorities.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you were going there too" he let out an embarrassed laugh. "Let's go buddy, our new adventure is just over there" Ash and Pikachu run off towards the plane. "See you later everyone."

"There's the Ash we all have come to know and love" Delia watches her son run off.

It's true, this is a rewrite. One of the biggest reasons I lost motivation for writing was because the last story was a mess. I had so many plot lines trying to connect at once, that I had forgotten what goes where and with who. I simply didn't want to dig in through the pile of a mess I made and gave up.

Another reason I gave up on The Kalos Trip is too much reader input. I tried to satisfy every reader to the point where it led me to creating a huge mess. Add to the fact that I changed a few names halfway through, added too many OCs, and gave the crew too many Pokemon, a mess was bound to happen. I do apologize for letting things get out of hand.

Anyway, enough with apologies from me. I'm here to start fresh and write this story as I intended to write it. It is a rewrite as well so a lot of the story will follow the same plot. There will be lots of changes however. For one, the chapters will be much shorter than the last time. I've come to realize the readers know much more than I assumed, which led to the rather long chapters. With this change, I can write these chapters much faster and hopefully catch up to where The Kalos Trip left off soon.

Anyway, I hope to get another chance from the readers. It feels good to write once again and finally fulfill the promise to finish this story. Once again, thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from everyone.