In the last episode, Ash gave Lillie a proper welcome back to the Alola region, from walking by the Pokémon School to eating pancakes at the Pancake Parlor to going Mantine Surfing to visiting Treasure Island! But now, Ash is challenged to a Pokémon battle by Lillie's father, Mohn. How will this end, and what will happen by the end of this? Find out now, as the Journey Continues!

Ash, Mohn, and Lillie arrive at somewhere deep in the forest. They arrive at an ancient battle area deep in the forest of Melemele Island, with Kahuna Hala acting as the referee

"Why would father want to battle Ash in such a private setting?", Lillie thinks to herself, "Something must be going on..."

She decides to wait and see how this goes before making any ill assumptions. This is her father after all

Before beginning, Ash notices that Mohn has a Z-Ring. Mohn explains that Kahuna Hala gave it to him as a welcome back present, and that he won't hold back against Ash. Ash agrees to this

"This will be a private, one on one battle between Champion Ash and Challenger Mohn", Hala says, "are you ready?"

Both challengers nod

"Let the battle between Champion Ash and returning Challenger Mohn... BEGIN!", Hala says

"Pikachu, I choose you!", Ash says, sending Pikachu into battle

"Zoroark, it's time to battle!", Mohn says, sending out his partner, Zoroark

Ash remembers how strong Zoroark was in the Alola league, and tells Pikachu to be careful against it

Ash commands a Thunderbolt, while Mohn has Zoroark use Night Daze. The two attacks collide and cancel each other out

Ash then has Pikachu use quick attack, but Mohn tells Zoroark to use double team. Before Pikachu can react, Mohn has Zoroark send Pikachu into the air with Shadow Claw, surprising Ash and Lillie with its immense power

Pikachu attempts to retaliate with Electro Web, but Zoroark cuts right through this. Pikachu tries to use Iron Tail to his Zoroark, but Zoroark knocks Pikachu back with its speed and sends it to the ground with a point blank Night Daze

"I don't remember Zoroark being this powerful!", Ash says

"Y'know, Champ...", Mohn says, "you may have defeated my partner when you battled my son, but a Pokémon is always stronger when it's battling by the side of its true master. Don't you agree?"

Ash pauses for a moment, unsure of what to say in response

Lillie begins to worry for Ash

"I know Ash is the champion", Lillie says to herself, quietly, "but I've never seen my father battle before..."

Lillie then comes to a realization, one that shoots straight through her heart

"Wait...", Lillie thinks to herself, "is... this some kind of test for Ash?"

She begins to worry what will happen if he looses. Snowy rubs its head on Lillie's leg and stares at Lillie, putting Lillie a bit at ease

"You're right, Snowy...", Lillie says, "we have to have faith in our Ash!"

"Pikachu, are you alright?", Ash asks his partner

Pikachu gets back up and nods at Ash, signifying to him that he's alright and ready to keep battling. Ash then looks right back at Mohn

"I guess you're not wrong... but I'm not Pikachu's 'Master', I'm his partner!", Ash tells him, surprising Mohn, "And whenever I win a battle, it isn't because I alone did great, it's because both me and my Pokémon gave it our all! And that's how we're going to win this battle, and become a Pokémon master!"

"Pika Pika!", Pikachu exclaims

Mohn is surprised by these words, but then snaps back into it

"That's an interesting perspective you've got", Mohn says, with a smile on his face, "I wish you luck in this battle!"

Mohn tells Zoroark to charge in with Shadow Claw, while Ash has Pikachu use iron tail. Before they collide, however, Ash tells Pikachu to use iron tail on the ground. This hits the ground, sending Zoroark back a bit, and then launches Pikachu into the air, catching Mohn off guard. Ash then has Pikachu use Electro Web, trapping Zoroark in the web

"This kid's impressive...", Mohn thinks to himself

Mohn commands Zoroark to break out of it with Shadow Claw. Before he can break out, however, Pikachu slams Zoroark with an Iron Tail. Zoroark attempts to retaliate with Shadow Claw, but Pikachu sends him back with Quick Attack. Ash tells Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, but Zoroark counters this with Snarl

Mohn then commands Zoroark to use double team, and then to charge in with shadow claw, effectively hitting Pikachu over and over without Ash and Pikachu catching which one was real

Ash thinks for a moment, but then tells Pikachu to use a Thunderbolt countershield, removing the shadow clones and hitting Zoroark

"An unexpected strategy", Mohn says, still surprised by that move, "I'm impressed!"

"Thanks!", Ash says, "A friend in the Sinnoh region helped me come up with it!"

"Interesting...", Mohn mutters to himself

Ash commands another Thunderbolt. Zoroark dodges this and charges in with Shadow Claw. Pikachu dodges Shadow Claw by jumping in the air. Zoroark is about to use Night Daze, but Pikachu traps it with Electro Web

Pikachu follows up with Iron Tail, but just as it breaks out of Electro Web, Mohn has Zoroark slam Pikachu in the body with Shadow Claw, and slams him back down to the ground with Snarl, lowering its special attack

As Pikachu struggles to get back up, Lillie grows increasingly worried. By this point, she can't remain silent anymore

"Come on Ash, I know you can do this!", Lillie shouts, surprising everyone around her

Lillie immediately covers her mouth in embarrassment, as she did not mean for that to be said out loud

Mohn stares at her for a moment, but then smiles

"Well... my daughter wants you to win", Mohn says, snapping Ash back into reality, "did you plan to disappoint her?"

Ash is surprised by Mohn's reaction to his daughter cheering him on over her own father, but then he gets fired up

"Not without giving it my all I'm not!", he says, as he raises his left hand in the air, with his Z-Ring growing bright

Mohn smiles, and decides it's time for a Z-Move as well

Ash and Pikachu perform 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, while Mohn's Z-Ring shines so bright it blinds everyone for a moment, and he and Zoroark use Black Hole Eclipse

10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt blasts right through Black Hole Eclipse and lands, creating a big explosion

Ash begins to cheer, until he sees Zoroark still standing in the middle of the explosion. Everyone is confused, until the Zoroark standing in the middle disappears and the real Zoroark lands from the air, surprising everyone

"What the-", Ash says in reaction it this

He then sees Mohn chuckling a bit, before looking right back at Ash

"A little advice, kiddo", Mohn tells him, "when you're battling someone you've never battled before, you might want to keep your eyes open!"

He then raises his Z-Ring into air, and what they see surprises everyone. Mohn's Z-Ring didn't contain the Dark Type Z-Crystal at all... it was the Ghost Type one!

"A Ghostium Z???", Ash says, shocked by this

"Yeah!", Mohn says, "Zoroark is the illusionist Pokémon, and a little trick we picked up on was that we could use an illusion to mimmic a Z-Move happening!"

"Of course, it wouldn't be real nor would it do damage", Mohn continues, "but if my goal was to fool my opponent..."

Ash's eyes widen, as he realizes what this means. Mohn still has a Z-Move he can use

Mohn and Zoroark perform a real Z-Move this time, that being Endless Nightmare. Pikachu tries to dodge it all, but in the end falls victim to its tiredness, taking the Z-Move and ending the battle. Hala declares m Pikachu unable to battle, and that Mohn has won the battle

Ash rushes over to Pikachu, while Lillie covers her mouth, frozen in distress by Ash's defeat, unsure of what will happen next

"Good job Pikachu, you were so amazing!", Ash says, as he picks up his injured partner

"Pika pika...", Pikachu smiles

"So, this is the man who earned the title of Alola champion", Mohn says, as he walks up to Ash, "the man my family has told me all about?"

Ash begins to look down in shame, but Mohn puts his hand on Ash's shoulder

"You're every bit of the man I'd hoped you'd be!", Mohn says, with a big smile on his face

Ash and Lillie are both flabbergasted by this response

"What do you mean?", Ash asks, "I lost the battle."

"Ash, was it?", Mohn says, "From what my family had told me, they were in a difficult place before you came along. Lillie was scared, Gladion was isolated, and Lusamine was too work-focused..."

"I have no doubt that my absence had much to do with these problems...", Mohn continues, "so when I heard that someone had came into their lives and helped make them better, you can imagine that I'd want to get to know that person and thank them, and what better way to do that than through a Pokémon battle?"

Mohn sees that Ash is surprised, and then looks at Lillie for a moment, seeing her surprised face too

"Heh, sorry if I came off a little intense back there", Mohn says, with a sheepish look on his face, "it's still natural for a father to get wary if a kid they haven't gotten to know takes their daughter out for a whole day!"

"But from the way you and your partner battled, I can tell that you truly care for your Pokémon and the people around you", Mohn continues, "and that you never give up until the absolute end!"

"When one thing doesn't work, you try the other and make the best of it, and you always give it your all! And even if you lose, you let your partner know how much you appreciate its efforts afterwards.", Mohn says, as he pats Pikachu in the head

"You're a passionate, good-intended and admirable person", Mohn tells him, "and I know you'll win this W C S thing I've heard you were competing in."

Mohn offers his hand, and Ash accepts and shakes it

"Thank you for the battle, and the praise", Ash says

"No problem", Mohn replies

Mohn sees past Ash and sees that Lillie is making her way to the field right now

"Don't worry kiddo, you've got my approval", Mohn whispers into Ash's ear, before walking away

Lillie makes her way up to Ash, and the two look at each other for a moment. Ash looks at Pikachu for a moment, and then back to Mohn

"Hey Mohn", Ash says, grabbing Mohn's attention, "let's have another battle someday!"

Mohn smiles at him and waves, before heading back home

Sometime later, we see Ash and Lillie on the beach, sitting together while Pikachu and Snowy play in the sand. Ash appears to have said something that makes Lillie laugh. The two then look at the sunset in front of them

"I've really missed the sunset here in Alola...", Lillie comments, "it was always so pretty!"

"I know, right?", Ash replies, "Nothing beats the sun in Alola..."

The two gaze into the sunset for a moment, but Ash is ready to say something

"Hey... Lillie?", Ash says, grabbing Lillie's attention, "I want to tell you something, something I've wanted to tell you for a while now."

"I'm listening...", Lillie says, while putting her hand on Ash's and giving him an engaging look

Ash takes a deep breath, and then exhales before being ready to speak

"Lillie... when we first met in Alola, you've always been someone I really enjoyed spending time around", Ash said to her, "You were always so gentle, so sweet, so kindhearted. And even when you weren't able to touch Pokemon, you still found ways to show your kindness and generosity to them."

"And since then, you've grown and changed so much! You've become so strong and courageous, and you're such a fun person to hang out with!", Ash continues, causing Lillie to become a bit flustered by his words

"You're not that scared little girl who needs some knight in shining armor anymore", Ash continues, "and the fact that you've mastered Z-Moves, Mega Evolution, and finished off Spectrier when the rest of us couldn't only proves it!"

"You've become someone pretty amazing", he says, as he grabs Lillie's other hand and holds them together, "and I'm starting to think that I really, really like that someone!"

Lillie is stunned to hear this, as are Pikachu and Snowy, who are watching this confession unfold before their own eyes

"Ash...", Lillie says, quietly and stunned by his words

"Lillie...", Ash says, as he braces for impact before saying, "I love you, I always have, and I always want to! And I think it would be so cool if we took this... us... to the next level. What do you say?"

There comes a moment of silence. Ash begins to doubt himself, but Lillie responds...

"Ash...", Lillie says, grabbing Ash's attention, "that's... that's how I feel about you too!"

Ash is surprised to hear this, but at the same time, is also extremely grateful

"You... it is?", Ash asks

"Of course it is!", Lillie tells him, as Snowy jumps onto her lap

"When I couldn't touch Pokémon, I felt really sad", she said, as she was stroking Snowy's fur, "I love Pokémon so much, so the thought of me being so scared of them really hurt. But you never gave up on me!"

"Throughout that entire process in my journey, you were always by my side, encouraging me and cheering me on!", Lillie continues, "You, more than anyone else I know, have helped me... have fought for me... and have inspired me to be who I am now!"

"I mean, can you imagine how things would've ended up if I'd never met you?", Lillie says to him, "Without you, I never would've had the courage to master Z-Moves, become a strong battler, and go out to find my father!"

"Of course I feel the same way about you...", Lillie tells him, while giving him a soft smile, "there is no one on earth who deserves my love, my admiration, and my gratitude more than you."

Ash is surprised by her reaction, and stares at her at awe for a moment

"Wow, I... I don't know what to say!", Ash stutters, before his face transitions from a glare at awe to an assured expression

"But I know what I want to do", he continues, "right here, right now! But only if you want."

Lillie pauses for a moment, but then gives him an assured look

"I'm ready when you are!", she replies

The two gaze deeply into their eyes, while the sunset flares bright with its orange glow in the horizon, the wind blows and petals begin to fly, as Ash builds up the courage needed to do this

Ash then nods, signifying a 'yes'. Their eyes glow up, and in that moment, two then lean in and they share a mutual kiss

This lights an explosion in both of their hearts, lit with a feeling that neither of them had known before. Ash had been kissed before, but never with such passion, such sincerity, such truth between both sides. It was incredible, impossible for one to put into words

Ash and Lillie break from the kiss, and they stare at each other, stunned by what had just happened

Ash lets out a quiet chuckle, Lillie then does the same. Before they knew it, they were sharing a laugh out of pure joy and fulfillment

The episode ends with the newly found couple with their arms around each other and their heads leaned on one another, gazing at the sunset together with Pikachu in Ash's shoulder, and Snowy on Lillie's lap

The End

Writer's Talking-

When I originally wrote Operation: Aether, the plan was to rewrite episode 111 into an AU of Journeys, where they didn't go too far into the episodic nature of the series and had given their stories more time to unfold. While that issue was not at all detrimental to that episode in particular, I thought it'd be cool to see if I could incorporate the rest of the Crown Tundra's lore into an arc centered around this and make it potentially even better

But then, like the Aureliashipper I am, I got love on my mind and I wanted to make an AU to my AU and make it a "how could Aureliashipping have became canon?" sorta deal, and valor and behold. I like to think it came with a lot of benefits, like showing new sides to Ash & Lillie and giving good moments to others like Gladion and Mohn, seeing an approving older brother and giving the long lost father more characterization through a sort of fathers test. I like to think shipping can make things better if done right, and I hope I did a good job with it

I hope you all enjoyed this story, both the original and this shipping version, and I will see you all next time, be it my Hisui anime thing or something I want to do in the meantime of planning it. Tootles!