Haha, don't think I didn't catch that call-back to the last chapter in the original, there at the end! Geez, why does Cilan (which I just learned I've been pronouncing wrong. Yippee.) always get to tell the story? Rhetorical question.

Ugh, the first time you bring Emily back into the story and she has to get attacked? Man, that woman has led a pitiful life. Though it was a nice little coincidence that she and TR were living next door. And while I'm undecided on if I'm a RocketShipper or not, them in domestic bliss with Meowth is always cute. And I always love when they gang together with Ash 'n crew, so I'm excited!

It's a little convenient that Paul is already suspecting the pins. I hope that there is good reason for when it comes out that they were used, because, honestly, if I saw pins in any kind of a business, I wouldn't think anything of it, no matter how sketchy of a place it was, where anything could mean anything. But I trust you.

May and Drew having problems?! No! They're supposed to be the dream team! I'm heartbroken. I know they'll recover, but it's sad. I think that Max would be the best Hoenn champion, though. He'd be able to get along with the group, but he isn't directly from the 14...15...16. And he's super smart, aware, and a good trainer. Though it would be nice to get another coordinator in there. I just wish he weren't too young, otherwise, I'd gauge that as my prediction for where it's going.

TR scuttling away from Misty was hilarious. Gotta love angry!Misty. Although, I think that Trip should have piped up sooner. I would not have stayed silent so long if my mom were in the hospital, no matter what kind of big revelations (So happy that the truth with Leaf and Silver finally came out to the group! So interesting to see Ash mad.) are happening all around.

I really like all of the therapy stuff with Paul. And including Caitlin is really cool. Her hair super freaks me out, though.

Onto the next!

Well, I'd forgotten about the Unova base. Honestly, I hadn't even thought of it as a loose end. But you're proving me wrong, yet again! This is why you're such a great writer! It had seemed like a non-issue at the end of The Ash Connection, and here you are bringing it back. Magnificent.

Man, this chapter was chock-full of WishfulShipping. As I've said, I don't like them very much, so I didn't get as much out of the fluff as some might, but it did sate my curiosity. And I'm always happy to see Cilan and his brothers! I like those two rascals a lot. Also, the parallel between Wallace and Winona and Iris and Cilan was nice. Very smart. You tie everything so closely together, it's not even a web. It's just a very thick and beautiful knot. The most attractive knot I've ever seen. And I've seen some handsome ones in my day.

Okay, I feel for Serena. There is no more annoying feeling you can get from your friends than the one you get when they're not telling you something. A couple of chapters ago, Paul, I think, said to Drew or someone, "don't worry about it." UGH! That's what my high school friends used to say to me all the time! So annoying. So Serena finally putting her foot down here was nice. Especially nice was the fact that Misty and Ritchie actually shared.

Then we finally have the grand reunion of Ash and Silver! Ash was so in character here that I practically forgot that he's, what, 23? He's the only one who seems like he's still 10. But I guess that's his whole shtick, huh? Poor Misty. And the Oscar Soul thing with Paul...man, oh man. I hadn't even realized that. That one was so subtle and brief that you miss it completely. You are a genius, Lu, you really are.

And it's best if I just leave it at that, right?
(Usually my reviews have more critiques. This is upsetting.)

I thought I'd just review every chapter to avoid leaving more reviews that are thousands of words long.

I loved Iris and Serena interacting. Serena has been my least favorite character in this story so far. The Kalosian trio haven't been getting a lot of airtime. But Serena's been confusing me thus far. I assume that you're leading up to something there, though. Anyway, you've always done a great job of putting together characters that never met in the anime and making them really dynamic. I liked when Drew and Iris were put together in The Ash Connection, I like that Trip and Ritchie are such good friends, etc. Iris and Serena are so different-and I don't love either of them in terms of source material-but this was nice. And Serena got some more answers, so good for her.

Loving the stuff coming with Silver! I've been missing him almost as much as Ash has! He brings an interesting dynamic to everything, plus Ash has been a little too sidelined for my preference. So this is doubly good.

Then there was Leaf's big reveal. I had forgotten that that was even a loose thread, but I'm still thrilled that you bound it, finally. Honestly, I'm not great at predicting stuff, so I didn't see if coming at all. But really, Leaf is kind of an evil genius. I wish that people gave her more credit for just how smart she is. I get why they don't, though...

Lastly, Erol Adalet. It's fascinating how you made a character so unlikeable in the last story, but how I'm totally on his side in this one. Yeah, he's a dick. Kinda. He lacked some respect and didn't go about his grievances in the right way. But he was against all of the things in the league that they're trying-not very effectively, yet-to fix now. And so that makes him a good choice, so long as he and Iris have full disclosure with each other. I'm really excited to see what happens there.

Onto the next!

Okay, I was planning on, again, waiting for the end of the story to review, but this chapter...was beyond anything else so far, and I have to give you credit for it. I'll try and keep this brief, but knowing me, I probably won't so let's just hop in.

First of all, Iris miscarrying. I have read stories before where there was an unwanted pregnancy in some regard. Wrong couple together or bad timing or whatever. And then the miscarriage is used as a plot device to 'remove the complication' essentially. It's effective, but not very crafty. Anyway, I knew that Iris was pregnant right away. In chapter 1, when Iris said that she threw up, I expected it. And, to be frank, I wasn't a fan of it. Firstly, I just don't like Cilan and Iris together much, and I was salty that they were the first married of all of the young-uns-still salty that Drew and May aren't married, and I'm expecting that proposal soon! And also, as Leaf points out, the timing was awful. So, when it finally came out that Iris was, indeed married. I was already expecting a plot-miscarriage. Well, not expecting it, but suspecting it as an option.

But then you turned me. You made it obvious how wanted and important the baby was. As they say in this chapter and earlier, they were really pinning all of their hopes on this baby. It was the one good thing that had happened in the mad flurry of things you've assaulted these characters with. And so, by this point, I wasn't expecting a miscarriage. Especially with the public announcement so early into the pregnancy. But...you hit us with another hardball, Ms. Lu, right to the face. All of this is my long way (yeah, knew it wasn't gonna be short...) of saying that this is the best fictional miscarriage I could have imagined. Which is simultaneously awful. But, you're a great writer. Best plot writer ever, maybe. You could have written The Count of Monte Cristo.

What made me first think that I wanted to review this chapter was the little thing with Trip. Trip changing their sheets for them...that was amazing. And so touching. Trip felt a little sidelined for the majority of The Ash Connection, save for when things with his parents and him not actually being on the list came out. But it's been obvious in this story how integral he is to the group, and I love him being with Cilan and Iris. But this...that little detail really moved me. He's become an amazing person from the arrogant jerk in the anime. And so realistically so.

But now for the real phenomenal part. Drew. I mean, Drew is my favorite, let's be real. But this was his paramount moment, I'm sure. I've been waiting for it too, ever since we saw the stuff with his dad. And it was the perfect call-back to right at the beginning of The Ash Connection when Drew is the one who connected the dots, saying that Ash was the...connection. This had the exact same ring to it, but stepped up tenfold. As May observes, the irritation with Leaf, his father's death, and the lack of sleep made this moment completely explosive. Really, usually moments like that in a book don't completely come off for me, but this was super well balanced. And I hadn't seen the PLASMA thing coming at all, despite Drew's foreshadowing in the previous chapter. Man, I love him! That moment was the best thus far.

And, while I'm reviewing, I might as well go back to stuff before this chapter, just so that my end-of-story review can be a little more digestible. And so we know what I gotta talk about: Paul's Torterra. I mean, that was the first death, I think, and I really didn't see it coming. Since everyone in the main group was able to make it out of this story-thus far-and the last story without a scratch (looking at your head, Ash!) death was beginning to feel kind of impossible. (Like how I haven't killed off any of my main characters in my own story, despite it being about ghosts. Oops.) But this took me off-guard. I couldn't believe it was happening. And then seeing everything that has followed with Paul has been incredible. I don't like Paul, but you've done the best job with him that I've ever seen. He's still fully in character, but totally relatable. I hate to say it, but the death of Torterra has brought out the best in him as a character. Love it.

I'm sure I could talk more about that, but Imma move on. To the other deaths. It's getting real. And ballsy. Summer and then Karina. I should have seen Karina coming, but I didn't. Not really. They just keep getting so close to making breakthroughs, that I thought they would be able to help her, but...alas...

And since this has somehow managed to be completely about death, let me move on once again. To perhaps the most important and flattering point of all. You taught me something major about writing today. In my own story, the pace was very slow for the rising action. But once it started coming to the climax, information was being hurled out so fast that I doubt readers will be able to keep up. And I didn't know what to do. But you just taught me what to do. How you've mastered information coming out at just the right pace. Every they take a step forward, they have to take a step back. That's why, even though we, as readers, have so many of the pieces in our brains, it's taking so long for the characters to figure it out. We knew that Virus X was the problem for a long time. We knew that Drew's dad was murdered for a long time. Etc. But you keep on throwing these impossible obstacles at our characters so that the outpour of information is slow. I don't feel like I'm explaining myself well, but hey, you're the artist that crafted it; you must know.

Okay, this is embarrassing for a single chapter review, so I'm just going to hide my head until we get to the end. Thank you for writing such an amazing story! (PS, I could hardly sleep after Torterra died. I HAD to find out what happened next!)

Yes, more Leaf rage and scolding. I find it funny just how bossy she is, and I can't wait for the many more moments throughout the story I get to see it again.
I'm backtracking a little, but Grimsley resigned, and now Chris' servants refer to Drew as Young Master. Damn Lu, it's almost like you have Sun and Moon references in here, though this was finished far before the games' release. Are you in kahoots with Gamefreak or something?
Plus, I always live for Paul and Zoey's interactions, as well as Zoey and Dawn's. Zoey looks out so much for Dawn and she's so snarky with Paul, it's hilarious.
I really am glad all the characters are back together. I get the vibe that though they all have that bond, they rarely are in the same place at the same time. The Kalosians being around is cool too. I can't remember if that big dinner Ash wants actually happens, but it's a cute idea to me anyways.

I know this fic was finished months ago, but as I'm rereading, there are just parts I REALLY want to talk about, so I'm going to write all of it down at the end of each chapter starting with this.
The scene where Leaf is chewing everyone out is definitely one of my favorites, because everyone's having a big, "Oh shit," moment because she's arguably one of the most powerful people in Napaj, since she's the champion of two regions. It's just a funny scene to me, and I love when Iris stands up for Georgia as well.
Paul and Dawn's breakup never ceases to upset me as well, but there's not much more to say on that. I appreciate the dynamic of their relationship and how it isn't super steady like the rest of the groups' are, because that's exactly how Ikari supposed to be in my opinion.
And lastly, though this was probably in past chapters more, I keep catching onto how much Iris says, "Best wishes." I love the references in this fic.

This story was so well-done! Every character is very much in-character with only a few exceptions. Your interpretation of Leaf Greene was absolutely amazing and though an OC, she quickly became one of my favorite characters. The plot for this one was handled amazingly and kept me engaged constantly despite a very long build up. The conclusion was extremely satisfying, and I hope to continue reading your works about the world of Pokemon!

Congrats again Lu! The ending was amazing and well-suited, just perfect. I'm even more excited for the last installment of this trilogy you created! So glad that you feel accomplished and have people who support you all the way through the end. Until the next fic!

I am late to the reviewing party, but that chapter was simply amazing. Leaf's decision seems logical politically and geographically. Although there wasn't a lit of details about managing two regions and if one needed independence or other stuff like that.

I wholly agree with Leaf's decision and even May's. The surprises never fail to really surprise me because the outcomes were unpredictable in a good way.

And of course, the couples. Dawn and Paul are now expecting with May and Drew engaged. Can't wait to read the epilogue. Congrats on writing a superb fanfic!

Jumping around so much makes a story confusing to a reader.

Well I must say, I've been reading the entire story up to this point, and I'm impressed. It's pretty well done. So well in fact, that you managed to convince me to log back in to my old FF account that I haven't used in years just to post a review of this. What impressed me the most is that you managed to really capture the slow-moving trainwreck that is ikarishipping, with Dawn stubbornly clinging to a relationship that's just flat out dysfunctional, and Paul stubbornly refusing to open up to his girlfriend.

Also, on a lighter note, since Misty no longer has to remain impartial I'm really hoping the pokeshipping picks up some speed in later chapters.

Both of these stories have been absolutely amazing! I can't wait to see what you will do with the 3rd book. You and your editor are both amazing in working out and telling this great story thank you so much for writing it

I nearly cried when I read this will be a trilogy. Yas. Thank you. Omg.

Aah, the epilogue, the very last chapter, I can't believe it, time has gone by so fast!
Ash really deserves this moment, without being worried, and fortunately there was no reason for anyone else to be worried. It's definitely a new begin for everyone, and it's just a beautiful ending of this story.
Getting Paul to socialize is probably indeed like pulling teeth haha, and I wonder what Ash thought about, perhaps that he shouldn't forget his friends? Or something with Paul...? Aww, so that's what Reggie brought, that's such a wonderful little touch. I'm glad Paul accepted and I'm just really happy he's doing so well in general.
Anyway, the scene with Misty is as always sweet and amusing :P
And my suspicions were right, Max is going to take on the Hoenn League, and I think Wallace will find him a very suitable replacement, if it ever comes to that (which I hope).
And someone is calling Zoey... Aha, she wanted to be a reporter, didn't she? Glad that that worked out, or at least I think it will.
Heh-heh, Leaf did win. And wonderfully so, might I add. You go, girl! :D
And I liked the last scene, calling back to the first story like that, and the last sentences, about the almost... They still miss Silver, so that means there'll be a sequel...? *hopefully reads Author's Note* Yes! :D A trilogy, that's great! I'm so excited for the spin-off and the next story, of course!
Thank you so, so, so much for writing this story, it was an amazing ride and I enjoyed it immensely. I'll be very much looking forward to more, and I wish you good luck with everything, and hopefully we'll see more of you soon! Keep writing! ! !

Oh wow, the last two chapters of this story, aah! Okay *takes deep breath* time to do this.
I feel bad for Burgundy, and I really can imagine how it would be to try and defend yourself, try to explain why you feel that you should be in the program instead of someone else, and that's a lot of pressure. Fortunately there's Cilan, and his wonderful report. I'm really glad Burgundy is allowed in the S class program, though I would have been surprised if she hadn't been admitted, since this is a story and most stories have happy endings :P
And Ash's big battle! I can definitely imagine Ash still doubting whether he's doing the right thing, battling against Leaf and all, and I really liked the conversation with Misty, that bit about the good luck kiss made me grin. Oh, this is so exciting! Leaf definitely won't go easy on Ash, and I liked that Ritchie first told them that they'd stay friends no matter what happened. And Leaf does not want to lose, yeah, it would perhaps be healthier for her if she did, but then again, she worked so hard for it and she is a good leader... I would have difficulty deciding who I wanted to cheer for, too. I was a bit afraid Ash was going to fall for that Dig tactic from Furret, but he did well. Until Ampharos came out, at least. This is so exciting!
But, but, but, a draw? I've gotta agree with Bonnie (as will many other do, perhaps), but I think Leaf is planning something. And no one seems to know what to do with a draw, which is slightly amusing to see XD Ritchie did make the right calls, though, I agree. Leaf is definitely planning something, I think there'll be more than just handing Ash the title... Splitting Indigo? That's... actually a really smart solution, and I hope everyone else accepts it. I've always wondered why those two were put together, anyway.
Hm, it's logical that others would be confused that Dawn and Paul are... well, spending time with each other again. Sure, they have the same group of friends, but Dawn coming with Paul to an event like this is pretty big :D May and Dawn still had some business to settle, eh? Dawn with Paul, I think, but May... I don't know, Drew is perhaps also tense for another reason. I don't know, had May and Drew equaled the outcome of the battle to something else, perhaps if May should accept Wallace's offer...? Yeah, I was right about that, but what is going to do now... Oh, May, that's really a great answer, I like it, and I'm really happy with her decision. And Dawn is pregnant?! I had not seen that one coming, whoa... I like it, though. I liked Paul's conversation with Iris, too.
Ritchie is nervous, unsurprisingly, I definitely would be as well. And Trip's words that someone was going to feel worse than him are not really comforting haha, though they are funny XD I like their friendship.
The scene with Leaf, Paul and Iris was sweet.
Max is a buff for Championship battles, eh? I wonder if he'll be in one of those battles himself, sooner or later...
And Lance obviously wants Leaf to win. I wonder if the case he's working on has anything to do with the story, but I really don't know. He seems content, though, with her decision.
I had to grin at Chili's and Burgundy's reaction at the draw, googling it seems like a smart idea XD
What a great way to end this story, really perfect, I couldn't have thought of a better way. Sorry if my comments are a bit messy, I was reviewing as I was reading the chapter, and I might at times have been too excited to write something down properly haha.
Anyway, thank you so very much for writing this story, I'll go read the epilogue now, and keep writing! ! !