Dawn's POV:

"What...what do you mean by we're going to college?", he asked Aunt Delia.

"Come ON! The 3 of you are 17! You'll be 18 in a few months. It's the perfect time to enroll yourselves in college. PLUS, there is a 100% fee waiver for ALL of you since you have excelled in your respective fields. Isn't that great?", Mom told/asked us.

"Can we get the fees as a refund instead of our admissions? At least mine?", Ash asked Aunt Delia who simply gave him a really?-kinda look. May and I groaned in response. The two of us had to place our performing careers on a hiatus due to this. What made it worse was that the Kalos Queen Serena would keep winning without having to blink her eye.

"Where is the college by the way?", Ash asked Aunt Delia petting Talonflame and Staraptor.

"It's in Kalos! It's the Kalos Institute of PokeTech!! Only the BEST college in the world!!", she stressed.

"May and I are gonna have a small contest, alright?", we told the others and excused ourselves. May was wise enough to keep up with me, and not spoil it like she always did.

Ash's POV:

"Is there a hostel in the college?", I asked Mum and she nodded her head.

"The college is in a low dense town called Vaniville Town. It's rather large but as per the description, it has only 4 occupants per 3 acres of land. So, along with the room, you'll get half an acre of land for your Pokemon to roam over", she told me, and suddenly my opinion about the college wasn't SO negative. It was negative however.

"Come here, you!!", Mom told me again engulfing me in one of her trademark hugs. Aunt Caroline and Aunt Johanna went outside to bet on May and Dawn while they were contesting.

"Ms. Ketchum! Please let me go! I confess!! I killed my twin sister! She slept with my boyfriend telling him that she was me! This place stinks so bad!", a woman sobbed from our hidden attic and I gave Mum a look causing her to fidget nervously.

"Surge pulled in another favour, Mum?", I asked her and she nodded her head smiling.

"You can take the girl out of the army, but you can't take the army out of the girl, tough boy", she told me ruffling my hair.

"I mean...I don't get it!! How difficult is to find a guy when his name has been identified? I thought PokeTech has evolved FAR better than this!!", Aunt Johanna came back into the house yelling at someone over the phone.

"Still haven't found him, huh?", Mom asked her and she just huffed throwing her phone on the couch. Aunt Johanna still had to hold on to the Berlitz surname as she had married some guy named Adam Berlitz in some drunken fling, and apparently that guy is the best player of hide and seek in the whole damn world.

"That's why you shouldn't drink, little sister", Mom teased her causing her to glare at Mom. Aunt Johanna HATED to be called the LITTLE SISTER.

"First of all...2 minutes younger to you! Second of all, I quit drinking when I found out that I was pregnant with Dawn! You're acting like I was high on crack cocaine. I'd just grow a bit tipsy", she defended and Mom snorted.

"Bit tipsy? Honey, you found out a completely new purpose for those big and thick candles Lynnie used to buy", Mom countered and it took me a few seconds to comprehend the hidden meaning. Aunt Johanna blushed to a beet red, possibly making a Fletchling run for its money.

"I know right! One time I saw you when you were utilising them. That scar is something which will NEVER fade away", Aunt Caroline countered suddenly coming back to the room.

"You are DEAD!!", Aunt Johanna told Aunt Caroline and began to chase her around the room, and at that exact moment, Uncle Norman came into the room, and groaned when he saw Aunt Caroline in a headlock, courtesy of Aunt Johanna.

"Oh! For the love of.... It's just like handling May and Dawn when they were 5!!", he told Mom while she just looked away whistling. Then, he saw me.

"ASH, my boy! Congratulations! I knew you would win the League, but I'd reckon your battle with Diantha was the best one. I hadn't seen someone agitate Diantha in a battle", Uncle Norman told me bringing me into a fatherly hug. Though he was my uncle, I saw him more or less as a father, and I'm pretty sure I can say the same for Dawn.

"Please don't tell me Dawn and May are coming too", I told Mum suddenly remembering about the college but she shook her head causing me to gulp. I didn't mind spending time with my cousins...individually. They were extremely problematic when they were together as they'd fight EVERY now and then...kinda like the previous generation sisters.

Outside, I saw Dawn holding May in a headlock. May was laughing hysterically though her face was turning purple, while Dawn had tons of mud on her hair. Like mothers, like daughters.

Time Skip

"So, girls! What are your plans?", Mom asked them and they began to ponder.

"Is there a course on Performing?", May asked and Mom shrugged her shoulders.

"I still don't get it! WHY do I have to go to college?", I pressed and Mom rolled her eyes.

"Honey, you're almost 18! It's time you get a solid educational foundation! Plus, Lance, Cynthia and Diantha have studied here. Look where that has got them", she told me.

"Lance became the champion of Johto AND Kanto when he was 17!! Even Cynthia was the Sinnoh champ when she was of the same age. I don't even have to mention that they became champions the same YEAR", I pressed again.

"Look here, son! It would be best if you go, okay?", she told me and I nodded my head unable to argue further. Then May switched on the television and I wished she hadn't. It was an interview of Red Xavier....my so-called father, and his son...my ass of a step-brother, Calem Xavier.

"So, Calem, I hear you are joining the Kalos Institute of PokeTech! That's a different decision"

"Yes, well, my dad went there and thus, it's been my dream to go there. Look where that has brought him up! I hope to follow his footsteps and bring glory to my family"

"So, Red, what is your opinion about Ash Ketchum? He has 7 trophies in his kitty, 6 of them being of official tournaments, not to mention that he has battled all of the champions making short work of their elite four"

"Well, he is good, but you know what they say! The weed grows faster than the seed. It may seem beautiful at first, but then we realise it's worth. He's got good skills, but a HORRIBLE attitude. I don't care if this is viewed by his family too! I'd tell this personally to their face"

May simply wrapped her arm around my shoulders and brought me into a sideways hug, while Dawn did the same. I took a deep breath and accidentally crushed my spoon unknowingly, venting out some of my anger on the hapless piece of metal.

"Ignore him! We know who's the best", Dawn whispered into my ear while May nodded her head.

Suddenly a plate flew and hit Red square in the face, and shattered. I turned around to see the rage filled expression of my mom.

"F***ING B*****D!! WHO THE F**K DOES HE THINK HE'S CALLING A WEED? ALL HE KNOWS IS TO DRIVE HIS D**K INTO THE FIRST C**T HE SEES!! YOU KNOW NOTHING ELSE YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF MAMOSWINE DUNG!!", Mom yelled and Uncle Norman somehow managed to prevent her from shattering the television. I can't say Aunt Johanna and Aunt Caroline were calm either, as the rule of no profanities at the table was CLEARLY violated by my aggressive mother and aunts.

"Excuse me", I told them excusing myself from the table and went out to vent out my anger on a lightning struck tree. I kept punching it as hard as I could, tears of anger flowing down my face. But in my anger, I didn't notice a small portion of a sharp bark that was open, and I accidentally punched it causing the bark to lacerate the skin between my middle finger and ring finger. I grunted in pain, and in a jiffy, Mom came out with some bandaids and alcohol swabs.

"Hey, mom?", I called her and she looked up with bloodshot eyes.

"I'll go", I told her totally determined to annihilate my dear brother, and we shared our traditional evil smirks which could send shivers down the spines of our worst enemies.

2 Days Later

"We're in KALOS!!!!", Dawn and May shrieked when we arrived at the Lumiose City airport.

"Geniuses", I mocked them causing them to glare at me and pinch me.

"I hope there's a Contest soon! I want to catch up to the Kalos Queen as early as possible! She's nearly gained an unassailable lead!", May lamented and the second we stepped out of the airport, we were swarmed by reporters.

"Dawn, out of the 3 Best Contestants, you are the third! Do you think you stand a chance to gain the lead?"

"May, is the Hoenn Prince here? Will you be teaming up with your boyfriend this year in the Doubles Contest?"

"Ash, how do you feel when the FAMOUS Red Xavier has called you worthless in front of 15 million people?"

The reporters fired questions and at that moment, I lost it. I released Aggron.

"AAAAGROOOOOONNNNN!!!", he came out yelling at the reporters. He was intimidating on his own, and that the fact that he was ALWAYS angry, or that he had Mega evolved, didn't help them, as they scattered away within the blink of an eye.

"Thanks, tough guy", I told him petting him, and he gave me a smirk which I returned after which, he went back into his Pokeball.

An hour or so later, we reached Vaniville Town, where I saw my lodging. I had to share it with another person. What's worse, was that I didn't know the person with whom I'd be sharing the room. May and Dawn were lucky though! They shared the same room.

The second I unpacked my stuff, I released all my Pokemon into the pasture causing them to jump...or in another case, sleep in joy. I forced a necklace on all of their necks, which consisted of a spherical pendant with my initials on it. People from all over the states came here, and I didn't want any mix ups among my Pokemon. Even I didn't want to make them wear that, but safety first, right?

A few minutes later, a flyer came into my room which mentioned that there was a welcoming party, and all of the freshers had to attend it. I absolutely HATED parties, and the sole reason behind why I went to these functions was for May and Dawn. I heard two squeals from the nearby room which was at least 80 metres away from me. So, that's where May and Dawn lived.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door, and I guessed that my roommate would be here. I opened the door, but to my biggest surprise, it the one person with whom I'd NEVER share a room with, even in my WORST nightmares....my best friend, Gary Oak!

"What's up, Ashy boy?", he asked me holding the victory sign and I groaned. These 4 years are gonna be rather long.

To be continued...

A/N: Thanks for reading!