Hana watched her son buried in research again and finally sighed."Ayato, take a break. At least for a week," she insisted, hands on her hips.
Ayato blinked up from his notes. "A break? Where should I even go?"
"Hollywood," Hana replied with a smile. "Western Kanto. Go enjoy yourself for once."
And so, Ayato agreed.
A Week in Hollywood
Hollywood was loud, colorful, crowded—and exactly the sort of place Ayato rarely had time to experience. He wandered the streets, enjoying the buzzing energy. Posters of famous actors and Pokémon-themed movies decorated every building.
Eventually, he reached a quiet park, where he noticed a girl—around fifteen—sitting alone on a bench. Her shoulders trembled, tears rolling silently down her face.
Ayato approached calmly and offered her a clean handkerchief.
She looked up, startled. Her blue eyes shimmered with tears as she accepted it."Th-thank you…"
"I'm Ayato," he introduced gently.
"I'm… Diantha."
Ayato froze for a heartbeat. Diantha? The future Kalos Champion? The future movie star?He quickly hid his shock with a polite smile.
"What happened?" he asked.
She hesitated, then sighed. "I auditioned for a movie role today… and I was rejected."
Ayato blinked. "Rejected? You?" He leaned closer. "Did you go in using your family name?"
"No." She shook her head. "I wanted to be judged fairly, so I entered anonymously."
Ayato rubbed his chin. "Hmm… that sounds suspicious."
He pulled out his phone and contacted his family's connection network. After a brief investigation, the truth came out.
"The judge chose her own niece for the role," Ayato said, irritation in his voice. "You were rejected because of nepotism, not because you weren't good enough."
Diantha's eyes widened in anger.
Ayato didn't stop there—he forwarded the information to the movie's director and producer. Within minutes, they responded in fury, fired the corrupt judge, and restarted the auditions in two days.
"You can try again," Ayato said with a teasing smile. "And this time, no one can cheat you."
Diantha's cheeks flushed pink. "You… really helped me. Thank you, Ayato."
A Day Spent Together
"Well, I was sightseeing," Ayato said. "Want to come along? I'm planning to go to a great restaurant later."
Diantha hesitated for only a second before nodding."I'd like that."
The two spent the rest of the day exploring Hollywood—shops, studios, photo spots, and a lively street performance. They had lunch together, laughing more and more comfortably as the hours went by.
As evening fell, they parted ways with warm smiles.
A Surprising Coincidence
Ayato checked into the hotel he had reserved, only to see a familiar figure in the lobby—Diantha, with her suitcase. Their eyes widened in mutual surprise.
"You're staying here too?" she asked.
Ayato laughed. "Looks like it."
Even more surprising—their rooms were right next to each other.
They exchanged slightly embarrassed goodnights and headed to their rooms, both feeling that this unexpected meeting might be the start of something special.
And with that, Ayato fell asleep, unaware that fate had just tied another future champion to him.