The night that changed everything

"What a day!". These should be the thought of Clemont that night sitting in the balcony of his penthouse to enjoy some breeze from the Lumiouse night.

He was now sipping absently his scotch and smoking an Alolan cigar he bought during a trip in that exotic place so far from his comfortable homeland tasting the aroma while thinking about the day.

He was waken up by a call from his sister Bonnie to have breakfast together with their father Meyer since she was back from Hoenn and wanted to catch up with him. He knew that he should be head to the gym and to his company office after that so he was obliged to wear smartly and after climbing down from his bed he put his blue suit on and headed off for the meeting.

It was on his way back from the nearby cafè with his siter that he saw him, The Ash Ketchum fiercely battling against no other than the Kalos Champion herself.

And the calm, smart businessman felt it. He felt his enthusiasm, his straightforward attitude, his charisma, and his voice broke.

All of sudden he called the company and took the day off.

He wanted to see him, to see that boy again, the only one that put everything he had conquered on the line for him. Because he believed in him.

Sprinting like he has never sprinted before, he dashed through the stadium complex in hope to catch Ash Ketchum, his beloved sister after him, ecstatic to see him after more than three years.

But he never found him. He should have expected this from him.

A wild crowd of reporters was desperately trying to find Ash and question him about the match and his hopes for the next one in the top four against the Sinnoh champion that would be held in two days.

But there was no sight of said boy anywhere.

Sighing to himself, Clemont went away and, against his will, decided to go and check the latest apps his company was developing.

For a 20 years old boy to own a company with employees and to afford a penthouse in the centre of the most expensive city in the world, you have either to be rich or to be so incredibly smart to change the world itself with your great inventions.

And the last was Clemont's case, but it wasn't the only reason he achieved so much at a such young age.

The other reason is Ash Ketchum. He was the boy that changed his life. He had showed to the little, scared inventor a world of determination and recklessy and he managed to change in the soul the blonde gym leader.

With a new resolution that came with the end of their journey together, Clemont started his new life, managing to help Lumiouse and the whole Kalos region to stand again after the whole Team Flare breakdown.

It was after 6 months that he took the next step: Open his software and robotic company.

Even if he was celebrated like a hero in the aftermath of the Kalos crisis, literally no one believed that an 18 years old boy could found and maintain a technological company in those times with so many other companies out there.

And so now, he was alone. He managed to invest money and gather a sum that could help him realize his dream but that wasn't enough.

After a year of pleading every single wealthy man in Kalos in vain and after so many nights awake working extra harder to pay every bill and trying the best to maintain what he had achieved he was broken.

He couldn't work harder and, since he was completely burned out, poor Clemont wasn't able to think about anything new and it was now only a matter of time before the financial breakdown.

One day everything changed. Professor Sycamore told him something that was meant to change his life: Ash had won the first ever Manalo conference and had become the first Alolan champion.

For the first time in months, he cried tears of joy and decided to call the Ketchum household.

"My God, Clemont, is it really you??!"

"Ash, aren't you supposed to be in Alola?"

"Oh well, I came back the last week. Wait a minute… How did you know this? I never told anyone where I went"

"Professor Sycamore called to tell me about your great win over the Alola League and I wanted to congratulate you about this! I'm so happy for you Ash, you clearly deserved it"

"Jeez man, thank you so much! I had a blast out ther…. Clemont?"

"What?"

"Why you look so sad?"

Clemont then proceeded to tell Ash his last year. He really didn't want to, Being the so composed and rational boy he was, but Ash had always had that way to encourage others and Clemont was left with no other choice but to open his hearth. At the end of his story, he was forcing himself not to cry in front of him but Ash's next words changed everything:

"No prob. I'm gonna give you my money!"

"WHAAAT?? NO WAY ASH, YOU CAN'T…"

"Hey Bro, you just finished to say that no one would give you money, no one believes in you. Well, I will give my money to you because I believe in you!" said Ash grinning widely

Tears escaped Clemont eyes and he tried to cover his face but Ash went on:

"You know? From all my previous league placements I earned something, and I really don't need money. Besides I'm staying home for some time so I couldn't care less. I know that my money will help you so it's no big deal. When I'll come back to Kalos, and you will be the Chief of a big company we could have a battle. That's what I really want, so be prepared for when I come, eheheh" was the last thing that Ash told him rubbing his nose.

And then the conversation ended.

From that point his life made a turnaround: his genius came back and his first invention, a map software that works without any kind of GPS, was such a huge success that was implemented in every technological device included the Rotom phones.

In only two years "Clemontic RobCom" became one of the most successful companies in the world, and, even with his now upper-class society spot, Clemont stayed humble and helped his friends and family with everything he had.

He was there for Bonnie when she started her journey and even when Serena came back to Kalos to enjoy the holidays before heading off to Sinnoh.

But he was never able again to call or even have information about the man who saved his life: Ash ketchum.

Coming to the balcony with him was his sister Bonnie. She was the opposite of Clemont: always enthusiast, full of life and reckless. In a way she was like Ash, but unlike him, she started her journey with a competent attitude alongside her Dedenne and a Froakie, a Pokèmon she chose for her admiration of the Kantonean trainer.

Having witnessed one of the best versions of Ash, Bonnie took Kalos by storm and made all the way up to the Final 4 in the Lumiouse conference before heading off to Unova and then Hoenn.

"Big Bro, do you think we will be able to find Ash before his next match?" said the little girl

A "Mhh" was the only thing that Clemont could muster in that moment of peace and reminiscence.

Not so far away, a boy with his Pikachu were walking under the Marvellous Kalosean night.

"Mhh Pikachu, do you think some of our friends are watching the same sky?"

"Pi, pika pipika pikapika"

"Again, why Pikachu, are you going on speaking about Serena? What about Clemont, Bonnie, Brock or even Dawn?"

"Pika pika,chu chaa pika"

"Yes, and then you wake up with Dawn's Buneary"

"PIIII????"

"Ahahah Pikachu, just joking. U know what? I'm fine until I'm with you, buddy"

In that moment Pikachu's tail glowed silver and he leapt off from Ash's shoulder to counter a Water shuriken.

There was a loud splash and Ash found himself wet from head to toe.

"What the hell was that?"

From the obscurity of the trees in the park a shadow emerged revealing itself…

"Gren"

Ash stood there, bewildered and then he realized.

With wide eyes he dashed toward the figure tackling it in a big hug, Pikachu following.

"GRENINJAAAA!!! IT IS REALLY YOU, I'M NOT DREAMING, AM I?"

"Pika piiikaaaa"

Indeed, it was him, the powerful water type ninja had finally finished his errands with the vines and was ready to come back to his trainer.

"You can't even imagine how happy I am to have you back. Right now we are competing in a tournament against other trainers from all over the world and yesterday we fought against Diantha, winning it. Now, two more battles and then we will face off the strongest one, Dandel, the World monarch" Ash told his Pokèmon.

"…And I want also your help. With Pikachu and you by my side, we can win it fair and square!"

"Pi, pikachu!",

"Grennn"

"Awesome!!" said Ash before fist bumping his old friend and hugging him with teary eyes.

"I missed you"

The group was chatting while walking to Prism tower when suddenly a jolt of light came down from the sky enveloping Ash, Pikachu and Greninja making them disappear. Then a loud explosion that created a hole in the park and shock waves. The ground trembled for a few seconds, then the light vanished, and the night came back, now no more silent, but full of rings and people waking up from the shock.

In the hole, only a red cap.