Lily of the Valley Island.
This was the sacred ground where every Sinnoh League Conference was held.
And this year, the Sinnoh League Lily of the Valley Conference would once again unfold here in full glory.
The opening ceremony was scheduled exactly one week from now. In the meantime, people from across the world were beginning to gather.
Fans.
League staff.
Participating Trainers.
Representatives from other regional Pokémon Leagues.
And, of course, a flood of reporters.
TV stations from Kanto, Hoenn, Unova, Kalos—even Sinnoh's own channels—had sent their best. Every detail of the event needed to be captured and broadcast to the Pokémon world.
To ensure Trainers could get instant care for their Pokémon, five Pokémon Centers had been set up on the island.
Nearly every Nurse Joy in the Sinnoh region had been temporarily assigned here just for the event.
By the time Ash and his group arrived, the island was already bustling with activity.
___
"Uh, Dawn, Anabel…" Ash scratched the back of his head. "Misty is coming later. Anabel, you've met May before—but you'll be meeting Misty for the first time."
Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, giggled mischievously and gave his trainer a playful nip.
"Pika-pika!"
Dawn and Anabel had only ever heard of Misty through phone calls. This would be their first time meeting face-to-face. An interesting opportunity, to say the least.
Just then, a tall girl with golden hair and mile-long legs waved as she approached.
"Hey, Ash."
Elesa—known as Elesa the Spark of Nimbasa!
"Whoa, it's Elesa! She's here too?!" Dawn and Anabel instantly recognized her.
Elesa, famous for her glamorous stage presence and three hit Pokémon-themed songs, was a celebrity among Coordinators and fans alike.
Realizing they were fangirling a little too loudly, both girls quickly covered their mouths.
Ash stepped forward, smiling. "What brings you here?"
"Something to do with Pokémon Evolution tech. It's not just Unova—broadcast crews from Kalos, Hoenn, and other regions are here too," she said, slipping on her sunglasses coolly.
Little did she know that the real reason for all this media buzz was standing right in front of her—Ash himself.
Ash introduced everyone properly, letting Elesa meet Dawn and Anabel. Even though they knew Ash was acquainted with famous figures, seeing Elesa in the flesh still left the two girls slightly flustered.
__
After checking into the hotel Ash had reserved, another video call came through.
Misty had arrived.
And the moment she saw Ash?
She launched herself straight into his arms.
Yep. That familiar embrace. That familiar scent. She hadn't changed at all.
Dawn and Anabel exchanged curious glances. Even Elesa raised an eyebrow at the scene.
"Misty, these are—"
Ash didn't even get to finish before he spotted someone else standing a little further behind Misty.
May!
So this was their surprise.
For a few seconds, the atmosphere in the room froze completely.
Luckily, Ash had booked out the entire hotel floor—no outsiders, no disturbances.
Misty, May, Anabel, Dawn, Elesa… five girls all looked around at each other.
Ash could feel the weird tension brewing in the air like a storm.
And right then, the door swung open.
Breaking the silence.
Ash had left instructions at the front desk: anyone who mentioned his name should be let in immediately.
The next arrivals?
Brock and Lucy!
"HAHAHA! Ash, you think I'd miss the Lily of the Valley Conference? Not a chance!" Brock burst in with his usual energy.
But the moment he saw five pairs of eyes turn to him in perfect unison…
He froze.
Silently, Brock raised his thumb toward Ash and mouthed: You absolute legend.
Thankfully, with Brock and Lucy stepping in, the awkward tension was quickly dispersed.
__
Soon after, Tyson and Gary also arrived.
But the biggest surprise?
Ash's mother, Delia, had made the trip herself!
The energy in the room shifted once more.
Delia looked around, slightly puzzled by the sheer number of girls present—but she gracefully pretended not to notice and simply walked in with her backpack.
"Ash, Professor Oak figured you might want to use some of your older Pokémon for this tournament. So we packed up quite a few Poké Balls and I brought them over myself to cheer you on!"
Ash let out a soft laugh.
"I mean, they could've just used the Pokémon Center's transfer system, but okay…"
Still, he felt deeply moved by her effort.
"Thanks, Mom. Actually, this is perfect—everyone's here, and now they'll all get to meet."
__
Outside the hotel, a massive field awaited, complete with battle arenas.
The entire group followed Ash out without complaint—after all, this was his show.
On the way, Gary elbowed Ash, then nodded toward the five girls with a smirk that said: You're something else, man.
Tyson, meanwhile, had been Ash's friend since the Ever Grande Conference.
He hadn't been competing in Leagues lately, choosing instead to focus on mastering his inner self.
But when he heard Ash would be entering the Sinnoh League, he didn't hesitate to fly over.
__
"I've only seen Ash's new Pokémon in videos so far."
"I wonder who all his older partners are?"
The girls chattered excitedly. Elesa, for now, was purely curious—she wanted to see the full lineup for herself.
Ash picked up the backpack his mother had carried over and began releasing the Poké Balls one by one.
"Alright, everyone, come on out! Meet your new friends! The Lily of the Valley Conference is your time to shine!"
Click. Click. Click.
One after another, beams of red light lit up the field.
"Ivysaaa!"
The once-little Bulbasaur, now a proud Ivysaur—the longtime guardian of Ash's Pokémon back at Oak's lab.
"Kurooo!"
Heracross, the mighty Bug King.
"Moo!!"
One of Ash's Tauros, charging out in full energy.
"Bayleef!"
Still as affectionate as ever, the clingy Bayleef ran straight for Ash.
"Hoohoo!"
The rare Shiny Noctowl, soaring gracefully.
"Swellow!"
Ash's ever-reliable aerial scout.
"Crawdaunt!"
Now fully evolved, the once-fiery Corphish stood proud.
"Feraligatr!"
The powerhouse gator roared with ferocity.
"Donphan!"
Phanpy had evolved at Oak's ranch into a full-grown Donphan!
"Rapidash!"
His first catch after arriving in this timeline—the once tiny Ponyta now a blazing Rapidash.
"Snorlax!"
The chonky beast himself, always napping, always unstoppable.
And then… came the newer recruits.
Infernape. Gabite. Shiny Metagross. Lucario. Gliscor. Torterra. Floatzel. Electivire…
A formidable lineup of strength, speed, and spirit.
Ash stood tall among them all.
"Everyone…"
He looked out at the vast collection of partners, old and new.
"Let's climb to the top of the Sinnoh League—together!"
PS: Writing this chapter and seeing all those familiar names again...
Can't help but…. What a journey it's been.
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: p@treon.com/PokePals