The Kalos Region.
After Ash defeated Ayaka, Bonnie made a dazzling entrance and once again proposed on behalf of her brother, Clemont...
Fortunately, Clemont was ready this time, and his mechanical arm snatched Bonnie up and hauled her back.
Boom-
An explosion nearby caught Pikachu's attention.
Legendary Pokémon radar-activated!
Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and ran toward the sound of the explosion.
"Pikachu!"
Seeing Pikachu run off, Ash naturally chased after it.
In an alley,
Diancie was trapped between the ninja thief Lairt and the female thief Liling.
Fortunately, Lairt and Liling weren't working together. Each wanted Diancie all to themselves.
Seeing the two facing off, Diancie tried to charm a way out.
"I'll be going, then."
The explosion from Flamethrower and Water Shuriken blocked Diancie's escape.
But...
"Stop right there!"
It also drew Ash and Pikachu's attention.
At the sight of Ash, an odd look involuntarily flickered in Lairt's and Liling's eyes.
The reason was simple: they recognized Ash.
More precisely, they knew of Ash through Li Wei.
Both had watched Li Wei's battle against Ash at the Sinnoh League's Lily of the Valley Conference.
They also knew that Ash had just won the Unova League's Vertress Conference this year and was enjoying unprecedented fame.
Besides, Ash always seemed to turn up in the various incidents involving Legendary Pokémon.
So the moment they saw Ash, Lairt and Liling actually took an involuntary step back.
Ash and Pikachu stood protectively in front of Diancie.
"Two of you against one? And you call yourselves Pokémon Trainers?"
With Ash standing in front of Diancie, Lairt and Liling were momentarily at a loss.
Ash seized the opening.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Dazzling golden lightning branched in midair, striking Delphox and Greninja dead-on.
"Now's our chance!"
They were in the city, and Ash had no intention