Allison Illuminated

5/19/20

::

CALIBER

::

Ash Ketchum was restless.

He'd expected to like his new job working at Professor Cerise's laboratory as a research assistant; at the time, it seemed to make perfect sense. Ash had grown up around Professor Oak and Gary, now a researcher himself, and over the years he'd made close acquaintances with many professors. Kukui in particular he had come to see as something of a father figure during his time in Alola, when he'd lived with him. I should enjoy research. But, Ash had discovered, he didn't.

Oh, sure, he enjoyed seeing new places, like his brief trips to Galar, but mostly he and Goh traveled to cities he'd already been to. He loved Pokemon, but he didn't like… following them, observing them. Pokemon were meant to be free. Unrestrained. Just like he'd always been. His time in Alola had felt like a vacation, and even Ash could admit he'd been in desperate need of some quality educational time. Working at the Cerise Laboratory was different – watching Kikuna and Renji at their work, Ash had come to a strange realization: if I wanted to, I could work at this laboratory for the rest of my life.

He didn't want to.

Battling Leon had been the best. Watching Pikachu change forms – a possibility he'd never considered since his best friend and partner had batted away the Thunderstone all those years ago – was thrilling. Amid traveling across the world and completing tasks for Cerise, Ash had found himself drifting off thinking about the Pokemon World Championships, the thrill of battle, rather than focusing on the task at hand.

There was nothing, Ash decided, that he enjoyed more than battling. Battling came with all of the best parts of his research fellowships – the journey, the Pokemon, the bonding – and none of the bad – the dull reports, the lack of freedom, the constraints of science.

He wanted to battle his way to the Master Class and take the title of World Champion from Leon. He wanted to follow his dream to become a Pokemon Master. He wanted dirt under his feet, the sense of adventure; he wanted to spend his nights beneath the stars and sleep with his Pokemon at his side, not away at the park, only on call for Professor Cerise's missions; he wanted to travel.

Ash took Pikachu aside to make his final decision.

"Are you sure about this, buddy?" he asked, sitting next to Pikachu on a bench outside, watching the ship cruise by on the ocean. "We've got something good here, I think, but I don't feel like it's right."

Pikachu nodded in agreement, sighing. Ash knew his starter had hidden depths – Pikachu had beaten Legendaries and used both Z-Moves and Gigantamax powers. "Pika..."

He's gotta feel just as pent up as I do. "I want to raise Riolu right, you know?" Ash said, voicing a concern he'd had since his newest Pokemon had hatched. "If we were out in the wild, we'd be showing him the ropes, you know? Teaching him how to battle, showing him how Pokemon live out in the wild… But I don't have the time, and now he's all cooped up here!"

Scampering onto Ash's lap, Pikachu gave another sage nod and started to point off toward where Route Six began. "Pikapi pi pikachu! Pikapika."

"Exactly."

Ash came to a decision he knew in his heart had been made days ago.

"What do you say? Up for one more adventure?"

"Cha!"

::

Olivia had told him the importance of learning about the "Outside World" on his departure from Alola. Ash's time with Professor Cerise had made him understand one important fact: he already had a pretty acute knowledge of the world. He had been to more regions than most, seen more Pokemon than almost anyone, and Ash had never met another person who had seen as many Legendary Pokemon as he. But even he hadn't been everywhere, and seeing the world from a research role felt almost surface level, skin deep – or, rather, a deep dive into subjects so specific one never learned to see the bigger picture.

He approached Professor Cerise with a hint of regret, but mostly determination. Pikachu sat on his shoulder; Riolu hung from his arms, chittering happily, and Gengar and Dragonite hung from his belt. A strange poking sensation came from his mind, where Riolu had learned how to extend his aura to tickle his brain. Ash didn't have a better way to describe it. There was the fluttering birth of a connection, conducted with an innocent curiosity that made Riolu truly seem like a baby in Ash's eyes, rather than the brash young fighter who had gone out to challenge the wild Pokemon. Ash had never understood aura, but he felt something for Riolu he hadn't for his other baby Pokemon, a paternal affection, and kept him close often as possible. Pikachu was of the same mind – they made sure Riolu got attention and love, not just practice and exercise. Years of practice raising baby Pokemon – Phanphy, Larvitar, Scraggy, Noibat – had taught him how to treat the youngest members of his team right.

Professor Cerise had taken the news of his departure well, accepting Ash's termination of employment and giving him some warm advice.

"You're a good kid, Ash," Cerise said. "It's been my pleasure working with you these past few weeks, and I understand where you're coming from. Sometimes the best thing a job can teach us is what we don't enjoy. Remember that you can't go adventuring forever, though. You're a young man now, Ash, not a boy out on his first adventure. Someday you'll have to settle down, and I wish you the best of luck in finding your passion."

Ash scratched the back of his head, exchanging a look with Pikachu. He didn't feel old – he was only eighteen! Although, yes, eighteen was a far cry from being ten again. "I still want to be a Pokemon Master, Professor," he explained, a little embarrassed. "There are plenty of careers in battling, aren't there? I mean, I won a lot of prize money when I won the Alola League, and I've got a whole bunch saved up."

Cerise smiled. "Of course. Battling's a noble pursuit. But that's not what I mean by settling down. Someday you'll want a family and kids (Ash made a face) and you won't be able to travel forever anymore. There are solutions, obviously, like becoming a gym leader, but it's worth a thought."

Uncomfortable, the idea of a family such an alien prospect Ash couldn't bring himself to consider it, he changed the subject. "I'll be moving out, then. My Pokemon will come with me – Professor Oak keeps a lot of them at my ranch, so they'll have a great place to call home. Um, Professor, do you want your Rotom Phone back?"

Waving him off, Cerise shook his head. "Keep it. Rotom tech is getting more and more common these days, anyways. Soon enough you'll end up with one commercially anyways. Consider it a parting gift from me."

It was a peaceful parting. Ash promised to relay his adventures, adding the Professor to a long list of people he gave occasional calls, and headed off to pack. Less peaceful was his parting with Goh.

"You're leaving!?"

Ash winced, caught in the act of packing, and shot Goh an apologetic look. His new friend stood horrified in the door to their shared room, Raboot at his heels, staring at the box in Ash's hands and the pokeballs at his belt. Facepalming, Pikachu curled up on the bed and shot Ash a 'you-fix-this' look.

"Yeah," he said, wanting to rip off the bandaid. "I'm leaving. I realized that I was only enjoying this job when I was out adventuring and battling; I need to get back out there and travel again. It's been too long. I'm sorry, Goh."

"But-" Goh's look of disbelief morphed to anger. "That's no fair! You just got here, and I thought we were supposed to be partners! Are you just going to leave me here?"

"Do you want to come with me?" Ash asked in an even tone.

"I…"

Goh trailed off, looking pensive. When he spoke again, his voice was much smaller.

"Not really," he admitted quietly. "I like working here with Professor Cerise and seeing Chloe and Kikuna and Renji every day and traveling all over the place. But I like you too. I don't want you to leave."

Ash's expression softened. He gestured for Pikachu to jump up on his shoulders, which Pikachu did, rubbing against his neck, his tail brushing his back. "I won't be gone forever," Ash said, walking toward Goh. "I've got my Rotom Phone, and I promise you having long distance friends is easy. Some of my best friends live on the other side of the world. Just give me a call and I'll be there. Plus, this job'll take you all over the place; you never know when we'll run into each other."

Goh hugged Ash, surprising him, but he relaxed and hugged him back. He's still young, Ash reminded himself. Just got his first Pokemon and all. He's got plenty of time to make awesome friends, and I'll bet he and Chloe will be great friends someday. "You promise?"

"Yeah," Ash said. "Promise."

::

"Ash!" Delia stopped making dinner when Ash walked into the house, Pikachu and Riolu at his heels, and released Mr. Mime. "You're home! What a surprise! What brings you to Pallet Town today?"

Ash gave his mother a weak smile. "I kinda… quit my job?"

Delia blinked, the spoon slipping from her grin, and narrowed her eyes. "You have some explaining to do, young man."

So he explained everything. Ash explained why he wanted to go back on the road, how he felt about Riolu, and how research didn't feel like the right fit. He talked over dinner and into the evening – recounting his joy after winning the Alola League and the excitement of the World Championship, the loss of something in training his newest Pokemon, and even what Professor Cerise had told him about settling down. When he was finished, Delia looked conflicted, but there was a notable disapproval that worried Ash. His mom was the sweetest person he knew – she never disapproved of Ash. Did she?

"I think Professor Cerise is right," Delia told Ash as Mr. Mime cleaned the dishes. "You do need to start thinking about settling down. It would be irresponsible of me as a mother if I allowed to you wander the world for the rest of your life without ever thinking about your future. When you were a kid, I understood when you would come home for a week at the end of an adventure then set back out again, but I thought we had moved past that when you studied with Kukui all year last year."

"You don't want me to go?" Ash asked, shocked.

"It's not that," Delia said. "Part of being an adult is being able to take care of yourself, honey. If you're really serious about battling, I think it's time you start thinking about how to make it into a career, don't you? And don't you want to find a girl, love?"

Ash blushed. "Mom..."

"You could speak to Misty," Delia mused, tapping her cheek. "Or there was that Bianca girl, wasn't there?"

"Actually I think she was a Latias-"

"Oh, and Dawn is so sweet… Or, if you'd prefer a boy, I hear Gary's in town these days-"

"NO WAY!"

Delia's expression turned dead serious. "And then there's always Serena."

Ash had been preparing another hurdled insult, but it died in his throat; he looked away, fiddling with his pokeballs, to Pikachu's shared depression and Riolu's confusion. "She's busy, Mom," he said, flat. "She's got her contest gigs now. And still hanging out in Hoenn, last time I checked."

Riolu's aura tugged for Ash's attention, asking a wordless mental question – frowning, Ash gathered Riolu up and put him on his lap.

Delia gave Ash a soft smile. "I'm just saying, dear," she said. "Journeys are better when you've got a purpose behind them."

"I'll- I'll keep that in mind."

As it turned out, Delia wasn't going to forbid him from traveling again – but she had conditions.

"You have to have an apartment," Delia said, giving Ash a stern look. "My son will not live out of a tent. Even if you don't use it, I want you to have a home base you can return to that isn't here in Pallet Town. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mom."

"You also need to earn an income. I've given you an allowance in the past, but not anymore." Delia's flat look held no room for argument. "You're a good battler. You won a league. It shouldn't worry you so much."

"I'll be okay," Ash responded. "Really. I've been saving for years, like Brock taught me."

"You're serious about the World Championship?"

"I am."

"Don't be afraid to ask for advice," Delia said. "You've met a lot of people who can offer you help, and don't you go forgetting that the second you traipse off into the wilderness again, you hear me? And no almost dying! No alternative universes! You have to change your underwear! And I want you to-"

Breaking off, Delia pulled Ash into a tight hug, squishing Riolu, who wriggled out from between them with a loud protest. Ash sighed, putting a hand on her back. "Mom."

"Be careful, Ash," Delia murmured. "Please. I love that your enthusiasm and curiosity are endless. But you're too old to be so reckless all the time. I want you to learn and grow from everything you've done, okay?"

"I promise, Mom. Or I'll try. I'll have no choice if the Ultra Beasts come back, or Azelf or Mew or Celebi or Zygarde needs my help, or if Team Rocket gets us all in over our heads, again…"

"Oh, Ash..."

Ash hugged his mom back, because what else could he say? He knew he lived a strange life, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Now he was in a season of change, as surely as a Sawsbuck's coat shifted from Spring to Summer, and he would have to learn how to adjust too.

::

Bulbasaur hadn't expected to see Ash that morning. He doubly hadn't expected Ash's solemn tone or the command he gave. "I want to meet with everyone. Can you gather them?"

Over the years, Ash had gathered many Pokemon, but for all he cared deeply for his Pokemon, he knew they weren't all equal in his eyes. Some were only faint memories from his childhood: Primape, Pidgeot, Butterfree. Others had drifted away over the years, finding mates, starting families, leaving the Oak Ranch – and Ash – on good terms to pursue their own goals. Most of Ash's Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn teams, along with a good portion of his Unova team, were gone. His Alola team didn't even stay in Kanto.

Ash hadn't come today for a social visit. He had arrived to put together a team for his next venture – a team of Pokemon he already possessed, not a nebulous collection of new catches yet to be assembled. His mind was fixed on the thunderous power Leon had possessed. He wanted a strong team.

Champion caliber.

Many of Ash's strongest were among those who had gone their own way. Charizard led the Charizard Valley. Greninja was protecting Kalos with Zygarde. Two years back, Sceptile had gone to start a family, and Torkoal had as well last year. Goodra was at his marsh. Naganadel had returned to Ultra Space. Nebby – Solgaleo – was a Legendary, a Pokemon Ash could never in good conscious have brought to a trainer battle, even if Nebby had let him catch it.

He would never become Tobias.

Bulbasaur took most of the morning to gather everyone, even with Noctowl and Staraptor's help. Ash smiled at the sight of so many of his old friends. From his original team, there was only Bulbasaur, Kingler, and Muk, plus a sole representative of the Tauros horde – alongside Pikachu, of course. Bayleaf and Noctowl stood for Johto; Corphish and Glaile were the last guard from Hoenn. Sinnoh was nearly intact – Infernape, Torterra, Buisel, Staraptor, and Gliscor were all there, with only Gible absent. Unova, the period of Ash's training journey that Ash regretted most intensely, was a patchwork: Oshawott, Snivy, Scraggy, and Palpitoad were around, and the rest were not. I should have done better by them, Ash thought, thinking of all his Unova friends who had returned to their native region. Hawlucha, Talonflame, and Noivern, his flying trio, had formed a tightknit family over the last two years, and were inseparable. His Alola team was, of course, absent. And Ash released Dragonite and Gengar to stand with the rest of his Pokemon.

Riolu napped on Ash's lap. Pikachu, sitting next to Ash, had a deliberative expression on; Ash trusted his partner as his second in command, and knew Pikachu was thinking the same thing he was.

Who would come with him?

Pikachu and Riolu made two. He could carry six. Professor Oak had been adamant that he could not break the six Pokemon rule – it was set in stone. So he had to chose.

"Alright guys." Ash's Pokemon silenced and paid full attention to their trainer. "Listen up. Here's the deal."

Ash set a snoozing Riolu down on the ground and got to his feet, adjusting his cap. "This trip is going to be different from other trips," he said. "Before, it was all about winning gym badges and getting to the league, but now we've won a Pokemon league." Cheers abounded, even though Ash's big win in Alola was old news. Ash grinned, but the grin slowly faded. "Here's the thing. I still want to become a Pokemon Master. And winning the World Championship, it's going to be different. I realized that I can't keep constantly catching new friends if we want a shot, a real shot, at making it to the Master's division. This is my whole life's dream, and I want to make it a reality. That means doing things different, right? I know though that I'm not always around, and that you guys have dreams that aren't always the same as mine."

A rumble went through the crowd. Some looked determined. Others apprehensive.

"I won't lie to you guys," Ash said. "We've met a lot of gym leaders, champions, and I know it's not easy. You guys have families here." A nod toward his Kalos trio. "Some of you like the peace and quiet better than traveling." He looked to Torterra and Kingler. "And some of you are older. You've lived at the ranch for a long time, and you might not want to battle anymore. I totally respect that, guys. You're still my Pokemon even if you don't want to head on the road with me." Gliscor, Glaile, and Staraptor exchanged knowing looks. "And this won't be easy training. We're going up against Leon, and he's the best in the world right now. I've gotten older too, and I want to start thinking- or, erm, well, my mom wants me to start thinking about this as a career more than just for fun. If you don't want to come on full-time, you can still sub in, battle, all that. But I need a core team. Pikachu and Riolu are with me. I need four of you who are willing to push every boundary you have to make it to Master Tier."

"So who's with me?"

Almost before Ash had finished the question, a very excited, impossibly energetic Bayleaf bounded through the crowd and threw herself at Ash, tackling him back into the grass. Ash laughed, because of course Bayleaf would come with him, and hugged Bayleaf back, rolling her off him with old practice. "Bayleaf!" Bayleaf declared, nodding at Pikachu and lifting her gaze proudly to the rest of the crowd.

Less excitedly, but with no less certainty, Infernape loped his way over. Ash's grin grew – Infernape was, to his mind, his strongest active-duty Pokemon left (beyond Pikachu) and he was ecstatic the ape hadn't gotten sick of life on the ranch like Sceptile. "Hell yeah," he muttered under his breath, giving Infernape a fist bump. Infernape shot him a confident look and went to Bayleaf's other side. "Alright." He lifted his voice. "That's four. Who else?"

Ash let his attention fall on his other two new teammates, knowing he'd sprung the news on them without much warning. They had signed up for his researching gig too, not a romp across an as-of-yet undecided region. Gengar didn't look happy at all – he hadn't looked happy since Ash had left his old haunt at the lab. Dragonite, on the other hand, looked at his wings, then Ash's other Pokemon, an experienced and hardy bunch, and nodded to himself. He stepped up to Ash.

Ash's grin widened. Pikachu, Riolu, Infernape, Bayleaf, Dragonite… One more.

The one more didn't come. For five minutes, Ash stood and watched his old Pokemon shift and think Some withdrew, leaving a pack of Pokemon, mostly younger, milling about, talking to each other and shooting glances at Ash and his new core team. After the wait had grown hard to bear, Pikachu skipped over to the center of the group and started talking.

Patient, knowing their decision could change the course of both of their lives, Ash settled down cross-legged, leaning back against Bayleaf, playing with Riolu across their little fledgling connection, and spoke to Infernape in low tones about his loose ideas for training and how to make the team battle-ready. Dragonite, whom Ash didn't have years of experience with, hung back awkwardly, shooting Gengar uncertain looks, but the ghost type didn't budge.

A rustling. Something's happening.

Pikachu stepped away from the deliberating group and walked back over to Ash; Ash caught uncertainty in Pikachu's eyes. From the group stepped Oshawott. Since Unova, Oshawott had mellowed, but he still drew his shell and gave Ash a determined "Osha!"

That's… not what I was expecting. Ash had been sure another of his Sinnoh friends – Staraptor, or maybe Buizel – would have volunteered. Oshawott had never been his strongest Pokemon or his best trained. "Hey, Oshawott, are you sure?" Ash called cautiously. "You know this won't be easy, right? We're going to be doing some tough training against tougher opponents, and I-"

Oshawott interrupted him, offended. "Osh Osha Oshawott! Oshawott! Wott."

Laughing in disbelief, Ash shrugged and beckoned Oshawott over. If Oshawott wanted to go for it, who was he to say no? "Alright then. That's the six of us, then! Awesome. Everyone else… Group hug?"

Later, Ash would get the candid shot Oak sent him of all his Pokemon dogpiling on top of him and frame it, keeping it on his bedside table. In the moment, he mostly focused on not getting crushed. Guys!

This is a great team. I can see it…

Pikachu and Infernape stood at the front, unchanged. A far more powerful Dragonite loomed over the battlefield. Side by side, Meganium and Samurott were ready for battle. And, at Ash's side, proudly wearing a mega stone, Lucario stood next to Ash, the crowd chanting his name.

Champion.

::

Ash had never moved before.

Packed, yes. Changed residency, yes. Moving was different – it involved packing up keepsakes in cardboard boxes and folding bedsheets, cataloging his old keepsakes to decide what was worth taking. His award shelf hadn't been so empty since the Indigo League.

Pikachu and Riolu sat together on the bare mattress, cheering on Ash's efforts. Infernape and Dragonite helped him move the boxes around, and Oshawott was 'helping' by rooting through his closet and digging out old trinkets better left forgotten. His room was downright crowded with Pokemon.

"Are we- Oh my! Is the packing going well?" Delia came to Ash's door, Bayleaf at her heels, and surveyed the relative order. "Do you need any help, Ash?"

"Nope, I think we're all good up here," Ash said. "Bayleaf, you helping Mom out alright?"

"Bay!"

Ash beamed at Bayleaf and looked back to his mom. "Really, I think I'm ready. Dragonite and I will fly over to Celadon tonight and stay at the Pokemon Center, then tomorrow we'll be on a plane to Galar!"

Delia smiled. "I know the circumstances are different, but I love how excited you always are to see a new region. Do you have a travel plan, once you're there?"

He shook his head. "Not really. We've got to find an apartment in Motostoke, obviously, but Galar's known for its conservation areas, right? I kinda was planning on exploring and training, maybe seeking out some PWC matches to get my rank up. I'm sure we'll figure it out. Galar has gyms, too – I'm not planning on getting all the badges, but I'd still like to challenge a few."

Placing a neat pile of folded clothes on a box, Delia pulled back and surveyed the empty room. "It's hard to believe my little boy is finally moving out," she said, wistful.

Maybe once Ash would have protested being called a little boy; now, he shook his head, following her gaze. "This time feels different, huh?"

"I know I had to force you into this apartment idea," Delia said. "But I really hope it sticks. I really do. There's nothing like having your own place to go home to at night, especially after a long day of battling. Part of me wishes that you didn't have to travel halfway around the world, to another continent, to do it, but I know I shouldn't complain..."

"I love Sinjoh, Mom, really," Ash said earnestly. "Kalos has a special place for me, though, you know? I loved when I traveled the continent, and Galar's just across the channel. They say you can see Shalour City from the southern coast. I really liked what I saw when I went with Goh, and I want to get to know it better. It won't be forever."

She hugged him fiercely. "Oh, look at you. All grown up, getting your first apartment… I'm so proud that you're taking your life in your own hands. You're going to do wonderfully in the World Championship, I just know it."

Ash hugged Delia back. "Love you too, Mom."

::

Five pokeballs hanging from his belt, his hat sitting over his wild hair, Pikachu sitting proud on his shoulders, Ash Ketchum took his first proud step out of the airplane and into Galar. A Rookidee winged past overhead.

"Hey, Galar! Here I come! I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I'm gonna be the next World Champion!"

Turning his hat backward, Ash strode confident down the steps onto the tarmac, ready for the challenge ahead.

I'm ready.

::

[A/N] Here we go.

It's been a hot second since I've written an Amourshipping story, guys, and I'm so excited to be back with my hands-down favorite ship. I've wanted to write a real coming-of-age story for Ash for a long time, but the anime never twisted quite right for it. I love the idea that Kalos is the capstone of the "adventure" section of Ash's life, and I think heading off to Alola for some education is great character development for Ash. The new anime is a perfect jumping off point – Ash has shown real maturity and has a high-level team. But I have a hard time seeing Ash being a good researcher, and I can only imagine his drive to compete in the PWC taking over his research life. Thus, this fic is born.

Here's a rough timeline for Ash's ages at various points:

Kanto + Orange Islands: 10

Johto: 11

Hoenn: 12

Battle Frontier + Sinnoh: 13

Sinnoh + Unova: 14

Unova: 15

Kalos: 16

Alola: 17 + 18

For future readers, the divergence point is at Pokemon Journeys Episode 22, or Episode 1107 overall.

To all my old Pokemon fam, hello again! Serena's Sister is basically dead – I love it dearly as my first true long work of fiction ever, but it's a hot mess lol. Since then, I've written four or five novel length works, depending on how you count, and I have a hard time going back to my early work. Anyone still curious how my outline goes, feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll give you the deets.

If you're here cause of Chosen By Arceus? lmao you're adorable thank you for your patronage.

What can I say? I love this show. I've got some fun ideas for this one, so stick around.

Cheers, Allie