The award ceremony after the battles were over passed by smoothly and without any disturbance. Ash received the award for being the top winner which consisted of the trophy, prize money of one million pokedollars and two poke eggs. The second runner up received the second runner up trophy, prize money and one poke egg, while the third runner up received only the third runner up trophy and prize money. According to the announcer, the poke eggs were bred by some of the best breeders around the world but they were not sure of what Pokemon it was. Ash was curious about what Pokemon it'll be and he half belatedly realized the two poke eggs would be the fourth and fifth Pokemon he hatched.
Ash gave a smile, 'Close to getting six hatches.'
Lucario, -Soon you'll get the certificate.-
Pikachu cheered, "Pika Pikapi!"
Ash laughed, "By the end of the year I hope so, poke eggs are really rare. It was only through sheer dumb luck, we got the poke eggs that we all have."
Misty joined the Pokemon huddle group Ash was currently sitting in the middle of. She didn't blame the Pokemon of course, especially when one of the reporters got a little too handsy. Beedrill blew her fuse but that's what happens when you annoy a pregnant Pokemon with a protective streak a mile wide. Thank goodness she was part of Beedrill's okay pack to come close, she's quiet terrifying when angry.
Misty, "Enjoying the party?"
Ash smiled, "Yeah although, I'm not used to such huge crowds. I know I should get used to it but... You know."
Brock joined them too, "We get it, you have always been a private person. On another note, I'm honestly quite happy with my personal results during this Conference. I didn't get far in battle but my medical experience was really good."
Misty beamed, "Me too! My Pokemon really did well even against type disadvantage and showed everyone what perseverance and training can do."
Brock nodded, "Also Ash, I'm gonna be part of the medic team during the Kanto Festival, so you can count on me."
Ash lit up, "Really? That's awesome Brock, I'll be in your care."
Gengar approached Ash, "Gengar geng."
Phantump, "Phaaaa?"
Lucario, -We just finished League, we still have the Festival.-
Gengar nodded and pointed at Ash then himself, "Geng gengar gar."
Ash, "You really want to come with me?"
Gengar nodded, "Gengar."
Lucario, -He has been watching us and our interactions. He made his decision based on that, Meema.-
Banette came out of Ash's shadow hugging his waist nodding, "Nette nette banette."
Ash, "Alright if you are sure then, welcome to the family. I think I have a spare pokeball in my bag."
Lucario, -I got it! Ah! It's the Friend ball, we won from the Pokemon contest back on the ship.-
Gengar grinned and poked it catching itself in the pokeball. Misty snorted and Brock grinned while Ash just laughed.
Ash, "Sometimes I just wonder if I'm catching Pokemon or the Pokemon are catching me."
Gengar came out and gave a delighted laugh, "Gengar geng geng geng gengar."
Lucario grinned, -Welcome my friend.-
Agatha who observed the interaction between Gengar and the group smiled, "Looks like they are doing really well."
Agatha's Gengar appeared and nodded, "Gengar."
Professor Oak called Ash after a bit to a private booth, "Ash son, I have some news."
Ash, "What is it Professor?"
Samuel grinned, "The fourth book of Hogwarts Chronicles did really well. The sellers and distribution office plan on increasing the price of the book."
Ash, "They do?"
Samuel nodded, "They sent this contract to verify it with you actually."
Ash, "Well the increase in price is not much. Oh what's this? A sub clause?"
Samuel, "That's for you to fill in son. You can put in a condition on when you want to increase the price. It's your book after all."
Ash, "Well, we can increase it from the fifth book then. The first four books are already sold at a set price. Keep them that way. The fifth book will be thicker than the first four so, it'll make sense it costs more right?"
Samuel, "I suppose so, very well then. Add that in and I'll have Alakazam here teleport me with the contract to the office."
Ash, "You won't stay?"
Samuel gave a hearty laugh, "I'm afraid late night parties are not for me."
Ash filled in his clause and condition before saying goodbye to the good Professor and joining the others. The party went on to late night and despite the hiccups in beginning the Pokemon calmed down and enjoyed their time and the food. The group left the party together and broke up to go to their rooms to rest and relax before they set out the next day. Ash stood by the balcony and looked outside at the city below the plateau they were currently on.
Ash, "We really came far."
Lucario, -Meema.-
Ash, "Hey, is everyone settled?"
Lucario nodded, -Mn, come sleep Meema. It has been a long day.-
Ash nodded, "Yeah. With the battle then award ceremony and the paparazzi I'm beat. Well thanks to Beedrill I didn't have to worry about dealing with the last one of course. But still it was exhausting."
The next day they left by various means, Brock had to go ahead of them and help in building up a medic centre. Ritchie and Paul were heading towards Jhoto as the two of them wanted a head start on training their Pokemon. Chloe was going with Brock to Porta Vista as she was volunteering in helping out with setting the stage. Misty went back to Cerulean city and Ash and Gary had headed back to Pallet town where there was a parade waiting for him.
Ash was looking at the rowdy people with a sweat drop, 'No wonder everyone took off. I had forgotten winners get a parade.'
Gary looked at the festive decor, "Wao!"
Delia, "Sweethearts, I'm so proud of you both. You two did really well."
Ash turned to her, "Thanks mom! We worked hard for this, though I'm not sure I want to challenge Red at the moment. I have seen his Champion team. My team and I have a long way to go before we can compete with him."
Gary, "Yeah, although I didn't get very far."
Delia chuckled, "That and you already have to deal with Champion responsibilities, Ash. Gary, we know you were focused on helping your Pokemon. And you are doing really well, sweetie."
Ash gave a laugh, "Yeah, starting tonight I'll be dealing with a lot of paperwork. Drake is dealing with most of it but still, it consists of a whole region. Misty plans on challenging Drake, if she wins against him, she'll have to challenge me to be a Champion."
Gary, "I'm gonna go to Mt Silver to train before heading to Jhoto. I might go to Orange Archipelago after Jhoto. I'm curious about the difference between the Pokemon there and here."
Ash nodded enthusiastically, "It'll be fun to battle you both. I know she is good and if she was not focusing on proving her Mastery on Water types, I have no doubt, she would have made it to the top. I personally think she did really well, in overcoming most of the weaknesses and came really far. And I have seen your battles with your Pokemon, it's so cool. I want to battle your strongest."
Gary grinned, "It'll be an awesome battle."
Ash beamed, "You bet, we will both train hard and have an awesome battle."
Delia giggled behind Ash, "Sounds fun. I'm happy you are having fun Ash. I was honestly a little worried especially when the incident with Team Rocket happened. I am glad it didn't effect your journey too much."
Ash smiled softly, "I'm fine mama. I promise, Yellow has been talking to me and my friends and giving us counseling. I didn't even know, we would need counseling till we were in the middle of it."
Delia, "Most of the time we don't realize we need help till it's too late."
Ash, "We are okay, mama."
Delia, "I know, but as a mother, I can't help but worry sometimes."
Later on Ash learned Misty was ambushed by her sisters too, and they had thrown her a party where all of Cerulean was invited. Gary snickered on reading that message on the group chat, before shaking his head and heading towards Mt Silver promising to watch the Kanto festival. Over the course of the week long celebrations Ash learned a lot of the gossip around Pallet town.
Mimi, a ten year old blue eyed and brown haired child spike with a lot of enthusiasm, "Ash! Ash! You are not going to believe it."
Karin her friend who was twelve years old and had dark hair and green eyes nodded, "Yeah! Yeah!"
Mimi, "One crazy lady tried to disrupt my Uncle's wedding last month by stuffing her dress with a melon and pretending to be pregnant."
Ash blinked, "No way! No one is that stupid, right?"
Karin, "We have pictures, she really did. It was really funny when the melon fell out. As it turns out she was stalking Mimi's Uncle for his money."
Mimi huffed, "My Uncle would never marry a lazy person who doesn't work and wants free money."
Ash sweatdropped, 'So a gold digger was here.'
Vince a eleven year old with blond haired and golden eyes spoke up, "That's nothing, my cousin and her wife are getting divorced."
Jack, Karin's twin with blue eyes spoke up, "Wait V! Didn't they marry just two months ago?"
Vince, "Yeah about that..... How should I say? Um..... Remember the make up artist your mom recommended us J?"
Jack, "Yeah, Anastasia is mom's old college mate."
Vince, "Well the woman my cousin Liliana, married was a simple lady who never did make up or looked anything special. She was a normal looking person with normal looks."
Mimi nodded, "Oh yeah! I saw her with your cousin once last year during Christmas."
Vince, "Yeah, you know marriage is a special day right?"
Azalea their brown haired and eyed friend who had been playing with Ash's Venasaur answered, "Of course we do."
Vince, "Well Miss Anastasia decided to make her the most beautiful woman for her special day. Everyone was shocked at the transformation even my cousin. Then after marriage she realized she was a "bomb", so to speak and started to have affairs with other guys and girls. My cousin was heartbroken when she found out and now they are getting divorced."
Haruka a twelve year old blond with brown eyes, "My sister got divorced for a similar reason."
Everyone, "Huh? Yuri cheated on her husband?"
Haruka waved her hand, "No, no! The opposite actually."
Jack was flabbergasted, "Is that why we don't see Hiroko around the Professor's Lan anymore? Why would he cheat on your sister though?"
Azalea looked confounded too, "Yeah, we all know she worked hard for him."
Haruka looked at Ash who was listening curiously, "Oh yeah! You were on a journey that time. Well as you remember my sister was pretty fat and plump. But a month after you left she started to work out with her Pokemon and loose weight. During the big day she looked like a model with all the right sizes."
Ash took the picture Haruka took out, "Wao! She looks like she's a supermodel and her husband cheated on her?"
Haruka nodded, "Yeah, during the Wedding day, she surprised everyone and everyone started to congratulate Hiroko on landing a "hot babe", it went to his head and he thought he could get any girl he wanted."
Ash's Pokemon who were around them looked at her incredulously and Haruka only sighed, "I know... I felt the same way. Anyway a month after the marriage one of the ladies who worked under the Professor's called my sister to complain about him. She confronted him after he returned home and he told her, he was all that cool and suave and stuff and that he could get any girl he wanted and went to divorce her. My sister was heart broken and Professor Oak was furious."
Ash sweatdropped, 'I didn't think Professor Oak would one day be caught in a TV serial level drama.'
Haruka, "Everyone was pissed off at Hiroko from his family to friends and work mates. They all knew my sister was chubby and no doubt worked her ass off for him and he just up and divorced her. Professor Oak of course let him go, especially after what he did and a few weeks ago before you came introduced her to a guy from Sinnoh called Victor."
Ash, 'Ah! Yuri and Victor.... Why does that sound familiar?'
Vince, "Where do people get such inflated ego from?"
Ash, "Who knows?"
Ash looked at his Pokemon, "Hey guys and girls, if I ever start becoming egoistic. Please hit me!"
Jack, "That's a good idea. I'll tell my Pokemon to do the same thing in the future."
Karin nodded, "You said it bro."
Mimi, "I think we all should do that. Ash, what about your eggs?"
Azalea leaned in, "Do you know what Pokemon they are?"
Ash smiled, "I'm afraid not, I was told it'll be a surprise."
Mimi sighed, "I can't wait to have my own Pokemon."
Ash smiled at the younger kids encouragingly, "I don't have a doubt you will be great trainers, work hard with routine breaks. And who knows maybe one of my Pokemon may decide you are a good match for their kid."
Jack perked, "Really?"
Ash nodded, "Beedrill is having three poke eggs this time and Pidgeot and Fearrow have decided to settle down to have their own little chicks."
Vince's eyes sparkled, "We'll work hard."
Azalea, "I think Beedrill is cool."
Ash, "Gary's Umbreon and Jolteon are having pups too from what I heard. And honestly it's up to the parent Pokemon to decide if the human is worthy. Unlike breeding centre Pokemon, a trainers Pokemon is more choosy."
Karin, "Understood."
Rose called them, "Kids dinner."
Rose turned to Ash as the younger ones left, "Thank you for agreeing to watch over them. They really look up to you and Gary."
Ash smiled, "It's not a problem Aunt Rose. I don't mind and they had interesting stories to tell me."
Rose gave a wry smile, "Their families have been through quite the drama. Meeting you is no doubt the highlight of the day."
Ash, "Pidgeot, Fearrow, Butterfree and Beedrill came keep an eye on them. I'm pretty sure Beedrill has been eyeing Azalea and Vince for a while. She has been watching them."
Rose beamed, "Oh! Having care for a Pokemon from an egg is a good learning experience. I can talk to their parents about it."
Ash, "I appreciate it, Aunt Ro."
[A. N.: I may or may not have ranted a bit in the end.
Yes that happened in real life.
No I didn't use the person's real names only anime characters.
It feels good after letting it out.
Next chapter is the Grand Festival!
Also 1M reads. I am so happy.]