Pokemon: Randomizer!

Bye Bye Pallet Town!

The next day after returning from Saffron City, Ash took things slow, knowing he still had two days before his journey to the Hoenn Region. Currently, he was sitting in Ashly's room, playing Pokémon Tournament with her when he heard his mother's voice calling from downstairs.

"Ash, someone's here to see you!" Delia shouted.

"Coming!" Ash yelled back, pausing the game and setting down his controller. "Wonder who it could be at this time?" He glanced at his sister. "You coming with me?"

"Nah, I'll pass," Ashly said, starting to pack up the console. "Might as well get started on packing my stuff."

"Yeah, you'll need two whole days to get everything together." Ash teased, earning an annoyed push from his sister.

"Ugh, stop being annoying and go already," Ashly huffed, shoving him out of the room.

With a grin, Ash headed downstairs and walked into the hall, where he was surprised to see his neighbor, Leaf, sitting on the couch, casually chatting with his mom, while gently petting Pikachu, who had comfortably settled into her lap.

Leaf, one of the protagonists in the Pokémon games, had a deep connection to Ash in this world. She was four years older than him and had grown up as his friend and neighbor. According to Ash's memories, Leaf had mysteriously vanished from Pallet Town when Ash was six years old, only to return two years ago, just after Ash's journey in Kanto began. No one ever knew where she went, and she never shared the details, so the topic was eventually dropped. 

Despite this, their friendship had resumed easily during Ash's breaks between his Kanto, Orange Islands, and Johto journeys. His lack of presence in Pallet Town didn't hinder their friendship much, as his mother said that Leaf herself was never around much, her work as a wildlife photographer keeping her away from Pallet Town for long stretches. Moreover, according to his mother, she was quite good at her job, as her stunning photos, often featured in top magazines, earned her a good living.

Now, even though Leaf had a solid background in Ash's memories, Grey couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Leaf than met the eye. In Grey's old world, the Pokémon franchise was almost 27 years old and had a ton of materials that Grey knew nothing about. For example, the manga series of Pokémon was something that Grey had never managed to get into, so all of his knowledge about them came from Reddit debates he participated in as an esteemed member of the peanut gallery. Even the Blessing of Viridian Forest was something he had heard about from one of such debates.

In the end, however, he decided to put that topic in the back of his head, knowing that there was no use in overthinking things. After all, where's the fun in adventuring if you're overprepared for everything?

Just as Ash shook the thoughts from his head, Leaf noticed him standing on the stairs. "Ash, what are you doing up there?" she called, smirking.

"Nothing," Ash said, snapping out of his thoughts. He entered the living room and greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Leaf! Long time no see. Where'd you go this time? Find anything interesting?"

"I was in Alola," Leaf said, thanking Delia for the coffee she handed her. "I wanted to capture pictures of the Guardian Pokémon, but unfortunately I was unable to find them anywhere. So, the trip was kind of a bust."

"Seriously? But doesn't Alola have loads of cool Pokémon and beautiful scenery for you to capture?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, I got plenty of great shots and already sold them to cover the cost of the trip, but not seeing the Guardians was still frustrating," Leaf admitted, frowning slightly.

"Don't worry, you'll see them one day," Ash said, patting her shoulder sympathetically. "Anyway, what brings you here today?"

"Aww, can't I just stop by to see my dear little Ashy?" Leaf teased, pinching his cheeks.