After picking up the mysterious clue left on the floor, we decide to open it and take a look. Elena observes, "Some of the words aren't readable... I'm not sure what they mean..."

I step in, taking a closer look at the letter. "Let me see; I think I can read it." Elena nods, passing the letter to me. As I examine the picture and the words, I sigh, "Oh, a mysterious large hole that connects our world to another. This phenomenon was originally discovered by Professor Mohn. The hole connects to worlds where Ultra Beasts live. Some beasts are different from the Pokémon that we are familiar with."

Alice sighs in resignation, "Here we go again... Ultra Beasts..."

Elena observes, "Look at the place, I think it is the Max Lair."

I agree, "You're right. Let's go there and see."

Upon arriving at the Max Lair, we come across Peony and Peonia. Peony greets us with enthusiasm, "Hey there, Chief! Thanks for stoppin' by! I'm finally gettin' a little quality family time with my darlin' Nia."

Peonia, however, remains unresponsive, offering only a grunt. Elena decides to inquire, "Uncle, we found this in the house, do you know about this?"

Peony, appearing puzzled, takes a look at the clue. "Hmm? Did I drop something at base camp? Is that really mine? I don't recall ever writin' it... Hmm? Hang on—isn't that the Max Lair there in that clue?"

Just then, we witness a multitude of trainers rushing out from the Max Lair, causing everyone to be perplexed.

"What happened?" inquires the scientist standing at the gate.

One of the trainers yells, "Creatures! A horde of creatures appeared inside the Max Lair! And we don't know if they're Pokémon!"

The scientist mutters in bewilderment, "What? Has something caused alien beings to appear? And is this somehow connected to that Ultra Wormhole that opened up briefly in the sky?"

As we absorb the scientist's words, Peony chimes in with excitement, "Well, sounds like some new, crazy thing's afoot! And you know what that means, Chief! Bet you a new expedition's approaching! And I know just what to call this one!"

They Came from the Ultra Beyond!

Peonia, clearly exasperated, tells her father, "Dad... you are embarrassing us..." Elena adds with a smile, "We are used to it, Peonia."

Peony just laughs it off, saying, "Ha! How d'you like that one, Chief? Anyway, for now, there's your goal: catch the Pokémon—or whatever—in the photo on that odd clue! Now get pumped for some more adventurin'!"

After that, I speak up, "So there are Ultra Beasts inside this place... we need to stop them before they wreak havoc."

Alice agrees firmly, "I agree. We are going to stop them no matter what."

Since there's no one else doing Dynamax Adventures, we have the entire Max Lair to ourselves. We decide to reach out to Lillie and Gladion, asking them to join us to deal with the Ultra Beasts. The Aether Family is shocked to learn that the Ultra Beasts have infiltrated the Max Lair, but they provide us with Beast Balls to aid in capturing them.

After tossing numerous Beast Balls and successfully calming the Ultra Beasts, we come face to face with the mastermind behind the incursion: a Necrozma from another Ultra Dimension. It turns out that he's here with a grudge against Arceus. Our only option is to battle him and use the technology provided by the Ultra Recon Squad to force him back into the Ultra Wormholes.

Gladion asks, "So that's all of them?"

I nod, replying, "I guess so. Thanks, Lillie, Gladion. You two really helped us a lot."

Lillie offers a reassuring smile, "Don't worry."

As we emerge from the Max Lair, we encounter Peony, and Elena provides him with a report. "You actually caught a Pokémon by using that mysterious clue?! Let me have a look, would you? So this one's Necrozma, the Prism Pokémon? Looks pretty dark and... un-prism-y, eh? What?! Did it come from another world, looking for light? Sounds like you just need to get more time out in the sun, Necrozma, mate! Chin up—you'll be sparkling with energy in no time! The picture of prismatic health! That's that, anyway... Chief, mind letting me see that Legendary Clue?"

The rest of us listen to Peony's colorful language and exchange knowing glances, clearly amused by his antics. Peony then checks off the Legendary Clue, marking the quest as finished.

Lillie inquires, "Where did you get that clue? Did this man write this clue?"

Peony responds with a hearty laugh, "Gaaahahaha! I didn't write this clue... but let's not let that stop the fun!"

"Em... excuse me! Where did you find that paper, exactly?!" The scientist who had been overseeing the Max Lair approaches us and asks.

I explain, "Well, it was at our base camp..."

Gladion, recognizing the scientist, interjects, "Wait a second, I remember you. You worked with my parents in the Aether Foundation. Does that mean those notes are yours?"

The woman nods and acknowledges, "Ms. Lillie. Mr. Gladion. It's nice to see you here as well. And that's actually from my notes. I wonder how this could have happened..."

Peony chimes in with his usual enthusiasm, "Gahahaaa! Haven't got a single shred of an idea!"

Peonia sighs, "Indeed, I imagine that my father hasn't."

"Anyway, I'm quite relieved that you found that paper," the scientist says. "Not to mention that you've caught Necrozma - the one responsible for that Ultra Wormhole. Please accept these with my thanks as a reward for your cooperation in my research."

She hands us some bottles, and I inquire, "What is this?"

Peonia answers, "This is the Ability Patch: a patch that allows a Pokémon with a regular Ability to have a rare Ability. Thank you so much for this."

The scientist reassures us, "And no need to worry about returning the paper. I've got another copy."

Peony adds enthusiastically, "I've got to hand it to you, Chief! Only you could track down and catch a thing like that with just a single photo to go on! Still, I've got to say... Feels like we've come to the end of a chapter or something, doesn't it? You look ready to keep on going for a while yet, though! Go on then, Chief! Can't wait to hear about all the exploits and adventures you get up to from here on out!"

With our adventures in Galar now behind us, Gladion and Lillie have returned to Alola to address the situation with the Ultra Beasts. Elena also returns to the Rose Tower to work with Dia. We find ourselves relaxing at our house when suddenly, Ash's Rotom Phone rings with an unknown caller. The unfamiliar voice inquires, "...hello, hello? You there? This is Ash's Rotom Phone, right?"

I confirm, "Yes, this is Ash."

"Brilliant! I asked Hop for your number. I'm glad he didn't pull anything funny, like giving me the wrong one..." The voice says, and I press further, "Who is calling?"

The voice identifies itself, "Oh, sorry. Guess I should've said who was calling you, eh? It's me, Leon! Sorry if I took you aback! But rest assured, there can only be a pretty good reason for me to call you out of the blue like this. The former Champion of Galar has a favor to ask of the current Champion... And that's you, Ash!"

I'm taken aback, asking, "Me? What do you want, Leon?"

Leon responds, "Come on over to Wyndon Stadium, and I'll tell you all the details! I'll head that way myself now—and I swear I won't take any detours or get lost!" With that, he ends the call.

When we arrive at Wyndon Stadium, we find Leon waiting there. He greets us with enthusiasm, "Ash, Alice! You made it! Come on! Follow me to the Battle Court! We can talk there. You're ready, right?"

Alice appears puzzled and asks, "We're ready?"

Leon grins and exclaims, "All right! Then here we go! This is what we've all been waiting for!" We follow him onto the field and are surprised to find all the Gym Leaders, including Hop and Victor, assembled there.

Alice calls out in delight, "Victor! You're here!"

Hop and Victor spot us and Victor greets, "Ash, Alice, long time no see. I heard that you two have been in the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra. How is it?"

"It's been a blast," I say, "though you should have come with us as well."

Hop says, "So Leon also called you two here, huh?" Referring to me and Alice, we both nod in agreement.

"What is all this?" I ask, puzzled. "I mean... why are all the Gym Leaders here?"

"Huh? You mean Lee didn't tell you anything? I've been really busy with my studies, so I actually turned Lee down at first, but... Well, that brother of mine doesn't give up easy!" Hop explains.

"Ohhh, ex-CUSE me! Are we interrupting your private little chat?" We turn around and see Klara and Avery also walking towards us.

"Klara?" "Avery?" Alice and I exclaim in unison.

"Hey, you're... Klara and Avery, right? From the Master Dojo?" Hop asks.

"As I would expect from one related to the former Champion, you clearly have an elegant mind and formidable memory," Avery says.

"An elegant...what?" Hop asks, and Alice, Gloria, and I can't help but sigh at his lack of understanding.

"We've been working really hard with my team since you beat us all into the dust before..." Klara says.

"And my efforts were rewarded gloriously! You are looking at the chosen leader of the Psychic Gym and Poison Gym!" Avery proudly announces.

"Does that mean Luna and Gabe decided to pass down their Gym Leader titles to you? No wonder I haven't seen them around." Marnie arrives and greets us.

"Hello, Marnie. It's nice to see you as well," I say, and we exchange a brief hug. "How are your Gym Leader duties?"

"Tiring, but I'm glad that we get to have a Dynamax Stadium of our own," Marnie replies with a nod.

I chuckle and comment, "And it seems you're still the same." Then, I notice Bede, who's folding his arms and observing us.

"Oh, you're here as well," Hop remarks.

Bede, with his characteristic confidence, says, "I am the Fairy Type Gym Leader after all, why wouldn't I come?"

"Anyway, congratulations to you two," Alice says to Klara and Avery.

"Feel free to keep heaping on the praise and adoration! It really is a fantastic achievement!" Klara says with enthusiasm.

"Indeed, you can feel free to praise me some more. It's perfectly deserved, of course," Avery adds with a confident smile.

"That... That really is amazing! I hope you'll keep working hard to become stronger as Gym Leaders," Alice says with genuine encouragement.

"Alice..." The two of them mutter, and Klara chimes in, "Well, you can bet your bottom I'll be going all out in this event! Just you wait and see!"

Avery says, "Indeed, rest assured that I will bring my very best performance to this competition. I will be a fearsome challenger to face down!"

"Suddenly I'm feeling all fired up for this thing! If everyone's taking it that seriously, I don't want to be the one to lose!" Hop says with determination.

"Hee hee! Don't worry—I'll knock you out nice and cold!" Klara says with playful competitiveness. "Just what I like to hear!" Avery adds, clearly excited about the upcoming challenge.

After chatting for a while, we suddenly hear Leon's booming voice, "All right, everyone! Sorry to have kept you waiting! First things first—I want to say a quick thank-you to all of you for coming running when I called! I really wanted to explain this in person because I wanted to be sure I could get across to you all how great this idea is!"

This announcement causes everyone to exchange puzzled glances. "Phew, would you take a look at this guy? Getting all serious on us in your old age, are you? What is this grand idea anyway, Leon?" Raihan teases.

Leon glares at Raihan and retorts, "Hah! Don't you start on me, Raihan! I'm really trying here!"

Victor interjects diplomatically, "Indeed, you should let Leon talk, Raihan."

"See, I've spent my whole life battling with myself to become the greatest Trainer... And then I saw how I grew so strong by competing against my little brother, Hop... and how much it made Hop grow, too. It really proved to me how much further you can go when you're battling against a proper rival!"

Bede mutters something in a low voice that I can't quite hear.

"And now that I've taken over running the League from Chairman Rose... I'm thinking I want to bring even more thrilling battles to our wonderful Galar region! So for both these reasons, I've called you all here today to tell you that... I'm declaring the Galarian Star Tournament open!" Leon announces loudly, and the crowd erupts into cheers.

"The Galarian Star what?!" Marnie asks in confusion, while Piers just sighs and comments, "Doesn't he ever tire of draggin' other people into his nonsense?"

"The Galarian Star Tournament will be an elimination tournament in a battle format! I want all of you here to pair up with the strongest partner you can think of... then pool your power and work together to try to win your way through the tourney!" Leon announces.

"Okay," I say. "It seems like we are having a Multi Battle format for a Champion Tournament."

"Indeed," Alice agrees.

After hearing the opening ceremony from Leon, we find ourselves in the lobby. Some Gym Leaders have other businesses to attend to, and the tournament is limited to the first 16 trainers who registered. In light of this, I decide to pair up with Marnie for our first battle, and Alice and Victor agree, opting to watch from the seats in the stands.

Marnie says, "Thanks for choosin' me for this tournament. Morpeko seems real pleased to get to battle alongside your team, too."

"That's good to hear," I reply, and Pikachu nods in agreement. "So let's see who we're battling first..."

We check the tournament chart and discover that our first opponents are Milo and Nessa.

"Milo and Nessa..." I remark, recalling our early encounters with them as Gym Leaders during the Gym Challenge. Marnie nods as we make our way to the battlefield. The emcee announces our presence, and Milo comments, "Just our luck to be matched up against the Champion's team in round one, eh?"

Nessa responds with determination, "Come on, Milo. Don't tell me you're throwing in the towel already! Together, I bet we can sweep aside any opponent - even if it's the Champion!"

Milo gets fired up, saying, "You can say that again. In that case, guess I'd better really put my back into it and show off a little!"

Marnie adds her own resolve, "You're not the only one showin' off! I'll show you all the true strength of Spikemuth Gym!"

After exchanging a friendly handshake, we head to our respective sides of the battlefield. Marnie offers her determination, saying, "Ash, we're gonna win this... together!"

"Of course, we are," I reply confidently as we face off against Milo and Nessa. The Gym Leaders send out their first Pokémon, Shiftry and Golisopod, while Marnie and I send out Scizor and Morpeko.

The four Pokémon stand ready, locking eyes with their opponents, and the referee yells, "Now let the match begin!"

And I will have to cut off the chapter here, and as you can see, the Galarian Star Tournament is finally here! I decide to go with the game version to let Ash pair with Marnie for the first battle. I hope you like this chapter.

Ash and Alice's Pokemon:

Venusaur x2, Charizard x2, Blastoise x2, Butterfree x2 (One Pink), Pikachu, Meowth, Machamp, Rapidash (Galarian), Slowbro (Galarian), Gengar, Kingler, Weezing (Galarian), Lapras, Eevee, Snorlax, Articuno (Galarian), Zapdos (Galarian), Moltres (Galarian), Meganium, Typhlosion (Hisuian), Espeon, Slowking (Galarian), Mantine, Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Milotic, Absol, Infernape, Lucario, Abomasnow, Gallade, Samurott, Audino, Darmanitan (Galarian), Garbodor, Zoroark, Stunfisk (Galarian), Greninja, Meowstic x2, Aegislash, Hawlucha, Decidueye, Lycanroc (Dusk), Mimikyu (Shiny), Melmetal, Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon, Greedent, Corviknight, Orbeetle, Thievul, Eldegoss, Dubwool, Drednaw, Boltund, Coalossal (Shiny), Flapple, Appletun, Sandaconda, Cramorant, Barraskewda, Toxtricity x2 (Amped, Low-Key), Centiskorch, Grapploct, Polteageist (Antique), Hatterene, Grimmsnarl, Obstagoon, Perrserker, Cursola, Sirfetch'd, Mr. Rime, Runerigus, Alcremie x9 (Each Flavor), Falinks, Pincurchin, Frosmoth, Stonjourner, Eiscue, Indeedee x2, Morpeko, Copperajah, Dracozolt, Arctozolt, Dracovish, Arctovish, Duraludon, Dragapult, Zacian, Eternatus, Urshifu x2 (Single Strike, Rapid Strike), Zarude, Regieleki, Regidrago, Glastrier, Spectrier, Calyrex, Kleavor