With the skies cleared and their mission complete, the group finally descended back toward Pewter City, carried by Charizard's powerful wings. Sabrina used her psychic powers once again, dragging a panicking Brock through the air. His screams echoed until they touched down safely—where Brock immediately dropped to his knees and kissed the ground, muttering tearful thanks to the "sweet soil of Pewter." Misty crossed her arms and shook her head with a grin, clearly amused. "Same Brock. Always dramatic."
Ash, Sabrina, Misty, Pikachu, Eevee, Togepi, and a slightly wobbly Brock finally reached the familiar cobbled path leading to Brock's home. The old gym stood just beyond the trees, its stone façade weathered but proud.
Brock paused, looking up at the place where everything began. His eyes softened—part nerves, part nostalgia. "Home," he whispered.
Sabrina glanced at him. "You ready?"
He took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do this."
Ash stepped forward, a smile on his face. "Let's meet your family again—and see what this engagement stuff is really all about."
As they reached the doorstep, the front door opened before they could knock. Standing there was Brock's youngest sibling, Forrest, who blinked in surprise before shouting, "BROTHER!"
What followed was a tidal wave of children swarming Brock. Siblings clung to his legs, arms, and back. Laughter filled the air as the gang was welcomed warmly into the bustling, chaotic house of the Pewter Gym Leader.
But not all was simple in Pewter City. Behind the cheerful welcome, tension simmered in the air. News of Brock's return—and his impending arranged engagement—had stirred up a storm of gossip and pressure. And unknown to the group, another unexpected visitor was approaching Pewter with very specific interest in Ash… and his newest legendary partner.
Scene: Sinnoh Region – Celestic Town, Twilight
The sky above Celestic Town burned gold with the last light of day. The wind was gentle, whispering through the trees that framed the sacred ruins. Standing on a high terrace, overlooking the valley below, was Cynthia—the Champion of the Sinnoh region.
Her long blonde hair flowed in the breeze, but her eyes weren't on the landscape. They were fixed on the horizon, distant and wistful. In her hand, she held a delicate pendant—a small, unassuming stone set in silver. Her fingers brushed over it with the kind of care one gives to something priceless, irreplaceable.
The necklace pulsed faintly with a soft glow, an aura that shimmered faintly gold and electric. As Cynthia caressed it, a tender smile curved her lips—not the kind she wore in battle, but something warmer, more vulnerable.
"Ash..." she whispered softly, barely audible over the breeze.
The pendant thrummed in her hand, as if responding to the name. A flicker of aura—Ash's aura—surged through it like a heartbeat. Cynthia closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the warmth wash over her, chasing away the quiet loneliness that often came with the title of Champion.
Though far away, she could feel him.
And somehow, she knew—wherever he was, whatever battle he faced—Ash was growing stronger. The connection they shared wasn't one of simple friendship or rivalry. It ran deeper than words, etched into the very fabric of their auras.
Cynthia opened her eyes slowly, her gaze softening as memories stirred like gentle tides beneath the surface of her composure. The years may have passed, but some emotions refused to fade. They lingered in the air, in her heart, and in the pulse of the pendant that never left her side.
She could still remember that day—so vividly it felt like yesterday.
The moment Ash had handed her the egg, radiant with warmth and mystery. "I don't know why," he had said, laughing sheepishly, "but I think this belongs with you.
"She hadn't understood it then. But when the egg hatched, revealing the shimmering emerald form of a baby Rayquaza, it all made sense. It was a gift not just of Pokémon, but of trust, of soul. A bond that couldn't be broken by time or distance.
A shadow fell over the ruins as a ripple stirred through the sky. The clouds parted, not with thunder, but with grace—cutting a path through the twilight as an elegant form descended.
With a mighty sweep of its body, the majestic Rayquaza coiled through the sky before settling beside her, a low, affectionate growl resonating from its throat. Its glowing eyes locked with hers, intelligent and loyal.
Cynthia turned toward it with a smile of serene affection. "You sensed him too, didn't you?"
Rayquaza let out a rumble of agreement, lowering its head to nuzzle gently against her shoulder. Its great, serpentine body shimmered in the dimming light, a living symbol of the gift Ash had once entrusted to her. Cynthia ran her fingers gently along its scales.
"You've grown so strong," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly with pride. "Just like him."
The great dragon curled around her protectively, and Cynthia leaned into its warmth, allowing the silence to wrap around them both. She looked once more toward the west, where the stars were just beginning to flicker to life—one of them brighter than the rest.
Her fingers closed tightly around the pendant. The aura within it pulsed again, warm and steady.
"I'll wait," she murmured. "No matter how long it takes. I know he'll come back."
And high above, as night finally blanketed Sinnoh, a streak of green danced through the clouds—Rayquaza's silent watch over the Champion who held more than just its loyalty.
She held hope.
As Cynthia stood in the twilight glow, Rayquaza curled protectively around her, her mind drifted—not forward, but backward.
To the day he vanished.
Ash had appeared in her life like a comet—burning bright, full of chaotic energy, heart first in every battle and every moment. And just as suddenly, he had been gone—ripped away not by choice, but by fate. Returned to a timeline that didn't belong to her.
Cynthia remembered the way the sky had looked the day he left—stormy, unsettled, as if even the heavens were reluctant to let him go. He had smiled at her with that same reckless grin, even as he faded from view, and said only:
"I'll find you again. Just wait for me."
For weeks afterward, she had searched. Through ruins. Through League records. Through time and myth. But no traces remained—not even whispers. All she had was the pendant and the egg he had left behind.
The ache in her heart had been unbearable at first. She was young then—brilliant, ambitious, but unprepared for heartbreak of that scale. And yet… she hadn't broken. She had endured.
Because Cynthia knew something about legends.They never truly die. They just wait to be remembered.
That's when she began her climb.
First, the League.She trained harder than ever, with Ash's spirit at her back like a silent promise. She studied type matchups, refined strategies, battled elite trainers, and rose with relentless grace. One by one, they fell before her—until she stood atop Sinnoh, crowned its Champion. But even as the world celebrated her strength, she felt no triumph. Only the weight of a promise left unfulfilled.
Then, the ruins. The stones. The past.Cynthia turned to archaeology, seeking clues—not only to ancient Pokémon, but to time itself. She poured herself into her research, often losing sleep as she unraveled the secrets of Celestic Town's mythic history. She hoped, perhaps, that understanding time and aura might one day lead her back to him.
She unearthed relics, translated forgotten dialects, spoke to sages, and even earned the title of High Guardian of Celestic Lore. But none of it could quiet the longing. The one void Ash had left behind.
And yet, she never stopped waiting.
Every year on the same day—the day he vanished—she would return to the same high terrace, clutch the pendant, and whisper his name into the wind.
And every year, the aura responded. Softly. Steadily.
Cynthia's eyes opened once more, blinking away the sting of memory. "So much has changed," she murmured to Rayquaza, whose golden eyes reflected the stars above. "But not my heart. Not that part."
Rayquaza let out a low, soothing hum. The dragon, too, had grown with her—once a newborn wrapped in silk, now a guardian of myth and grace.
The Champion stepped down from the terrace, the pendant still glowing softly at her chest.
"I don't know when," she said, more to herself than to Rayquaza. "But I know he's coming back."
She paused, glancing at the sky one last time.
"And this time… I'll be ready."
As she turned toward the ancient halls of Celestic's temple, her cloak billowed behind her like a shadow of destiny. A wind swept across the valley, carrying whispers—of legends, of stars, and of a name carved into the soul of a Champion.
"Ash."
As Cynthia turned back toward the ancient halls, a sudden warmth pulsed from the pendant at her chest.
She froze.
The necklace trembled softly, glowing more vividly now—no longer just a faint shimmer, but a radiant pulse of golden light. The aura within had shifted. It no longer merely echoed Ash's presence from the past—it surged, alive, as if calling to her.
Her breath caught.
She clutched the pendant tightly, pressing it against her heart as her knees nearly gave way. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring the twilight around her. Her lips parted in disbelief.
"...Ash?" she whispered.
The aura responded again—stronger, clearer. Not a memory. Not a ghost. A connection.
A single tear slid down Cynthia's cheek, but it wasn't from sorrow. It was joy. Pure, unfiltered joy that surged through her like wildfire, chasing away years of quiet longing.
"He's back," she said aloud, her voice cracking. "He's really back."
Rayquaza lifted its head, sensing the change. A gentle, approving rumble came from its throat as it looked to the west—the direction of Kanto.
Cynthia turned her eyes skyward, gazing toward the horizon. The stars were just beginning to show, but one seemed to burn brighter than the rest—steady and golden.
A smile spread across her face, radiant and full of hope.
She didn't need to guess where he was. She knew.
"Kanto," she whispered, laughing softly through her tears. "Of course you'd be there."
The Champion of Sinnoh stood tall once more, her composure returning, but her eyes still glistening. The years of waiting, of silence, of whispers through aura—all led to this moment.
"I'm coming, Ash," she said, her voice now calm but firm, the way it had been in every battle she ever won. "And this time… you're not disappearing again."
With a single command, Rayquaza unfurled its wings. Cynthia leapt onto its back with practiced ease.
Together, they soared into the night sky—toward Kanto, toward the future, and toward the one heart that had never left her own.
Pewter City — Brock's Family Home
Inside the sturdy stone walls of Brock's childhood home, the air was thick with unspoken tension. The flickering light of the hearth cast long shadows on the walls as Brock and his father stood face to face, locked in a silent battle of wills.
Neither blinked.
Brock's father, a stern man with sharp eyes and a commanding presence, held his gaze steady. His expression was unreadable — a mixture of expectation and pride, but also an iron resolve that brooked no argument.
Brock, usually calm and collected, felt his heart pound in his chest. He refused to look away, even as sweat beaded on his forehead. This was more than just a contest of patience; it was a test — a silent conversation in which words were unnecessary.
Minutes dragged on like hours.
The silence was finally broken—not by a word, but by a well-timed cough.
Ash stood awkwardly in the doorway, scratching the back of his head. "So… uh… this looks intense."
Both Brock and his father blinked at the same time, as if awoken from a trance. The atmosphere lightened immediately. Brock exhaled deeply, his posture easing.
His father stepped back and let out a low chuckle. "Still stubborn as ever, I see."
"I learned from the best," Brock muttered, half-smiling as he turned to sit on the couch.
Ash, Misty, Sabrina, and even Pikachu and Eevee quietly settled in the background, sensing this was a family moment.
Finally, Brock broke the silence again. "Dad… can I ask something?" His tone was more serious this time. "Why did you agree to an engagement for me? With someone I don't even remember meeting?"
His father paused, face turning thoughtful. He slowly sat down across from Brock and folded his hands. "It wasn't about obligation, son. It was about gratitude—and kindness."
Brock furrowed his brows. "Gratitude?"
His father nodded. "Years ago, you helped a man and his daughter. You probably don't remember it—you were so busy back then, taking care of your siblings while I was… off finding myself."
There was guilt in his voice, but Brock didn't interrupt.
"He was a traveling craftsman. Came to Pewter with barely enough coin to eat. You offered him shelter in our gym's spare room. You shared food with them, helped heal his daughter's Pokémon. Do you remember?"
Brock's mind raced… and then, faintly, he recalled a little girl with sunburned cheeks and a hurt Feebas. He remembered laughing with her in the kitchen while cooking stew. Her name? He wasn't sure. It was hazy.
"The girl," his father continued, "never forgot you. She always talked about the kind older boy who shared berries with her when her stomach growled. You were her hero."
"I was just being nice," Brock said quietly.
His father nodded. "Sometimes that's all it takes. Years later, her father returned—doing better financially, thanks to a stable job. He came to see me. Told me how much your kindness meant to them. And his daughter… still remembered. Still wanted to meet you again."
"And… she asked for a marriage agreement?" Brock asked, eyes wide.
"She insisted. Said she didn't care if it took years. Said she'd wait."
Brock leaned back, mind spinning. "I… I completely forgot. With all the gym duties, the kids, my travels…"
Ash stepped forward with a small grin. "You've been a bit busy saving the world, too."
Brock looked down, stunned. His memories now just fragments of a time he'd buried under years of responsibility. But someone hadn't forgotten. Someone had been holding onto a piece of him all this time.
His father placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not asking you to marry her out of duty, Brock. I just wanted you to understand why this happened. You can make your own decision."
Brock nodded slowly. "I think… I need to talk to her."
Brock's eyes were still on the floor, lost in a swirl of rediscovered memories and shifting emotions. His father, Flint, gave him a moment before speaking again, his voice gentler now.
"I've arranged for you two to meet," Flint said. "In Fuchsia City. Neutral ground. No pressure, just a simple reunion."
Brock looked up sharply. "When?"
"A week from now."
Brock rubbed the back of his neck. "I… I can't leave Ash right now. He's about to enter the Kanto League Championships. We've come too far together. I want to see it through."
Flint chuckled softly. "You really are stubborn. Just like your mother." Then he nodded. "Alright. I'll let them know. You'll meet her after the League."
Brock looked relieved, but still unsure. "Thanks, Dad."
From the corner, Misty, who'd been quietly watching, suddenly perked up. "Wait a second," she said, leaning forward with curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "You've told us everything except the most important part—what's the name of this mystery girl?"
Flint glanced at her, then over to Ash, and finally back to Brock.
"Her name," he said with a small, knowing smile, "is Lucy."
The name hung in the air like a sudden breeze.
Ash's eyes widened just a fraction. His mind flashed to a pair of calm, confident violet eyes beneath a curtain of long black hair… and a Seviper never far behind. He remembered that powerful Frontier Brain, the one with a silent grace and strong heart.
Lucy.
He didn't say a word, but inside, a knowing smile curled on his lips. Fate had a funny way of making circles complete.
Ash thought with a smile, "So this is one of the butterfly effects caused by my reincarnation, huh? Even before Brock met Lucy during our Battle Frontier days, she was already connected to him. Well, who cares?" He was genuinely happy for Brock. Ash knew that, one way or another, Lucy would've developed a crush on Brock eventually. So why not help his best friend Brocko finally pull this girl and become a married man? Hehe, he chuckled inwardly.
Wow—150 chapters! We've come a long way on this wild journey, and I couldn't have done it without YOU, dear readers. Whether you've been here since Chapter 1 or just joined recently, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with the story.
🔥 Things are heating up with Ash's return, Brock's unexpected engagement twist, and now Cynthia's emotional moment—what lies ahead will change everything.
If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a comment and drop a Power Stone! Your support fuels the story and helps it reach more amazing readers like you.
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Let's hit the next milestone together! Chapter 151 is on the horizon—and trust me, it's going to be epic.