Chapter 143: Hallucination

"Ash, wake up!"

In a daze, Ash heard a familiar voice. His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Misty's beautiful face right in front of him.

Misty was leaning over him, her hands placed on either side of his head. Seeing that Ash had woken up, she smiled sweetly, lowered her head slightly, and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his lips before gently pulling him up.

"This is..." Ash murmured, still half-asleep.

He blinked and looked around, recognizing his surroundings as his bedroom. The layout seemed slightly different, but it was still his room.

Then, his eyes fell on Misty again.

Something felt… off. Misty looked more mature—like she was in her twenties. She had an air of confidence and grace that was slightly different from the girl he remembered.

"Hurry up! You're so slow. Dawn and May are already waiting for you. Didn't you say we were going to the airport to pick up Serena and Lillie?" Misty took a few steps toward the door, then turned back, her hands on her hips as she huffed impatiently.

"Dawn… May… Serena… Lillie…?" Ash repeated, still dazed.

Then, like a floodgate had opened, memories rushed into his mind.

He was the strongest Pokémon Trainer in the world now—the Kanto Champion.

During his journey, he had met many incredible people, and somehow, those friendships had deepened. Though he wasn't married, his closest female companions had all become part of his life, living together under one roof.

Serena had returned to the Kalos region to judge the Triple Crown Satellite Competition. She was now the undisputed "Queen of Kalos" among Pokémon performers. Lillie had accompanied her on the trip, and now that the competition had ended, the two of them were returning to Kanto.

"Let's go!"

Shaking off his lingering drowsiness, Ash walked to Misty's side, and together, they headed downstairs. In the open-concept kitchen next to the living room, Dawn and May were preparing breakfast.

"Finally awake? Ever since you became the Kanto Champion, you've been getting a little too lazy," Dawn teased, one hand on her hip while the other held a spoon. She looked more mature than before, exuding a natural charm like that of a caring wife.

"It's not my fault! My work keeps me busy. It's rare for me to get a day off," Ash grinned as he sat at the table, his tone playful.

"Here!"

May placed a cup of coffee in front of Ash, then lightly tapped his forehead with her slender fingers. Pouting slightly, she said, "You're always so spoiled. On your day off, shouldn't you be making breakfast for us instead?"

"Next time, I promise!" Ash laughed, taking a sip of his coffee. His eyes widened in delight. "Wow! May, your coffee-making skills just keep getting better!"

"Of course!" May grinned proudly before returning to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on breakfast alongside Dawn.

A Strange Feeling

After finishing their meal, Ash washed up and stepped into the backyard. Since becoming Champion, he had purchased a large plain behind his house as a sanctuary for his Pokémon.

"Pika! Pika-Pikachu!"

Ash barely had time to take in the fresh air before Pikachu came bounding toward him.

Ash instinctively extended his right arm, expecting Pikachu to jump onto his shoulder like always.

But Pikachu… didn't.

"Pika?" Pikachu tilted its head, looking at Ash strangely. It made no effort to jump onto his shoulder, which left Ash momentarily confused.

"Come on," Ash urged, motioning toward his shoulder.

But Pikachu simply scoffed, turned its head, and trotted off.

Ash stood frozen, feeling a strange sense of unease. Something wasn't right.

Since when did Pikachu dislike riding on his shoulder?

Rubbing his temples, Ash tried to shake off the weird thought. "Why did I even think that…? Pikachu has never done that before."

He greeted his other Pokémon before deciding to take only Pikachu with him to the airport. The rest would stay behind.

The Drive to the Airport

"Misty, don't you have to go to the gym today?" Ash asked as they drove toward the airport. Dawn was at the wheel, skillfully navigating the streets.

"What gym?" Misty looked at him, confused. "You mean the Cerulean Gym? I haven't been there in ages. My sisters are running it just fine without me."

"Oh… right…" Ash mumbled, scratching his head.

He knew that Misty's sisters—Daisy, Violet, and Lily—had become strong Trainers, reaching Great Ball-level rankings. They hardly needed Misty's help anymore.

But still…

Why does everything feel so strange today?

He gazed out of the window, a deep sense of unease settling in his chest.

May, who had been quietly observing him, finally spoke up.

"Ash? Are you okay? You look… off. Are you feeling unwell?" she asked, concerned.

"No… it's nothing," Ash replied quickly, forcing a smile.

But the uneasy feeling didn't go away.

A New Pallet Town

Pallet Town had changed a lot over the years. With Ash becoming the Champion and Gary Oak taking over Professor Oak's laboratory, the town had grown significantly.

There were high-rise buildings now, and the once small, quiet town had turned into a proper city.

They still called it "Pallet Town," but in reality, it had evolved into "Pallet City."

Reunion at the Airport

At exactly 10 AM, at the airport's arrival terminal, a beautiful blonde woman stepped out, her fair complexion glowing under the bright lights.

"Alola! I missed you guys so much!" Lillie called out excitedly as soon as she spotted them.

Walking beside her was a stylish young woman with honey-colored short hair. Though she didn't say anything, she smiled and waved.

"Alola, Lillie!" Dawn and May immediately rushed forward, helping them with their suitcases.

"Welcome back, Serena!" May said as she hugged her warmly.

"Thanks! But you're the ones doing the hard work, taking care of that lazy king at home," Serena teased, shooting a glance at Ash.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Lazy king?"

Serena smirked. "Yeah, you."

Ash scratched his head sheepishly. "Hey, that's not fair…"

Serena crossed her arms. "Hmm? You don't seem very excited to see us back."

"What? No way! Of course, I'm happy!" Ash quickly reassured her, hugging both Serena and Lillie.

An Unexpected Surprise

"Oh, by the way!" Lillie suddenly said. "Iris is coming over the day after tomorrow. You better be home when she arrives!"

"Huh? Since when?" Ash blinked in surprise.

"She wanted it to be a surprise," Lillie giggled.

"Seriously? I didn't hear anything about this…"

"Of course not! If we didn't remind you, you'd probably be out training somewhere and miss it entirely," Misty sighed, shaking her head.

Everyone laughed, but Ash couldn't shake the odd feeling in the back of his mind.

Something… wasn't right.