He felt like he was going to die. He couldn't hold his breath any longer, and each second he managed to was a miracle. He was unsure exactly how he ended up in this room filling with water, but finally, he managed to unlock the door, though it was coded. That was definitely a trick he'd find useful.

"Ash?"

"Father! Father!", he screamed with his remaining energy, trying to ignore the fact that everything was swirling.

"Ash? What's wrong?"

The last thing he remembered of that day was feeling a gloved hand stroke his wet hair, while he was warm and tired.

"Is he alright? I don't...Ash!"

"You did well, my son", praised a deep, sinister voice, "As you always will"

"ASH!"

He felt himself gasping for breath, finding his vision and realizing a boat of people staring at him.

"Are you alright? You didn't answer"

"I-I'm fine...just thinking"

"Oh. Well, in that case, we can ask. It's getting dark"

He looked at the sky. Stars were beginning to shine and the moon was enjoying its time. It was indeed getting dark.

"Shouldn't we have been back to shore, like, hours ago?"

"Well...", he sighed, "I might as well tell you, since you already know. I was going to say it was business, but since I have nothing to hide, I have a concert in Korea. It's scheduled right after my new comeback so that people can see it performed"

"Wow! Can we get free tickets? Backstage passes?"

"You already know me, anyway...but, sure. Whatever. But you must know that fans of Han-Jiu don't know that I'm also Satoshi Tajiri"

"Right. My mouth is sealed. Unless it's on yours..."

"Do you always have to be so weird, Serena?"

The translator flickered off without warning, alarming Clemont to examine it.

"Looks like it's out of battery...", he muttered, carrying it away.

The ride was mostly silence, except Serena and Shauna getting excited about visiting Korea, until Clemont came back.

"Hey, uh...why don't you let me tutor you?", he offered to Ash, "You know, so the translator isn't that much of a need"

In the next few minutes, Ash had mastered the majority of letters in the alphabet, and had a wider range of vocabulary to use to talk back instead of just understanding. He was struggling a little, even after having a few native languages, which seemed adorable to Clemont. Especially since he couldn't manage to shake off the accent, which he didn't mind. At one point they were in hysterics, gasping for breath.

"I know, it's a weird word", Clemont chuckled, "It does break a few grammar rules"

"It's not just weird. It's stupid", said Ash, feeling more confident with his sentence, "Why it needs 'U-E-U-E' when there is already 'Q'?"

"I know, right?"

A few small giggles went by, when Clemont seemed pleasantly lost in thought, staring at Ash with admiration in his eyes.

"Hey...", he started, "I know that before you said you'd stay away from me after we figure out this dream. But...I think I wanna stay friends with you"

Ash's face lit up at the thought. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"...Really?"

"Yeah. You're...kinda similar to how you were in my dream. You're brave, kind, and smart, in your own way. The only difference I can really think of is that Ash Ketchum had an American accent"

"...Yeah. I really wish that part was real"

"But you're doing great, you know? For your...fifth language?"

"Nihongo, Zhongwen, Hangugeo, Guangdong hua...yep. This is my fift...my fifth. That word is stupid also"

"Guys!", Shauna called out.

"We're here!"