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Chapter Text

Staggering out of the portal the blue Mew, Latias, and Victini created, Ash first spotted the warmth the sun was emitting. For the first time in Ash’s life, he can see the world’s sun shining bright in the clear blue sky. Ash glanced behind him to see the portal had immediately closed, forcing Ash to stay in the time period approximately 150 years in the past. He was not alone in his time travel to the distant past since his trusted partner Pikachu had joined him in this one-way journey. Pikachu was at the moment face-flat on the ground, whining about being roughly shoved by Latias and ended up being slammed on the ground. Gingerly, Ash lifted his face-implemented partner up from the ground and held him against his stomach.

“We’re in the past, Pikachu,” Ash whispered. “The past looked so different...the sun is not blocked by black clouds.”

Pikachu nodded his head while staring at the sky and ground in amazement. Ash petted Pikachu as he walked to the nearest town where he could register as a trainer. Fortunately, he was at the outskirts of a small town. He will need some pokemon to stop the major calamities in the world, such as the Kanto’s weather pattern being disrupted. If he’s lucky, he will find and stop the artificial pokemon an organization known as Team Rocket had created. From the stories he heard from his parents, the artificial pokemon was known as Mewtwo. The pokemon was created to be man’s strongest creations. Hopefully, Ash will have to gain some allies in his journey. He may have to manipulate them and lie straight to their faces, but it is for the greater good of humanity. 

As Ash strolled within the small town, he noticed a few odd things. First, children were left unattended outside. There’s little parental supervision for the younger children in the town. He saw a group of kids running together to the man who was selling some type of food item? It looked like shaved ice with different colors of the rainbow, but he could be wrong. There’s not a lot of food options in the future. The settlements rely heavily on gathering food or growing food if your settlements were one of the more hidden ones. Additionally, due to the lack of power, refrigeration was not available for the people of the future. Unless you have an electric-type pokemon, a power source, and an intact frigid, you can’t refrigerate food.  The next odd thing Ash noticed was that the people here are too trusting. How could the adults trust others not to abduct their children to fill the void their original dead child had left? How could they trust others not to steal resources? Ash realized that he has a lot to learn about the past and will need to adapt to it fast. 

“Hey kid, are you looking for the Professor,” an elderly woman tending to her garden asked out loud.

“That’s where I register to be a trainer, right?” Ash asked back.

“Of course, silly boy,” the elderly woman replied. “He’s back from his trip, so you can continue walking forward for your trainer license.”

“Thank you,” Ash politely smiled as he begins walking again.

It took several minutes to walk to the lab, but Ash was at the front entrance of the lab. Ash hesitantly opens the door of the lab to be greeted by an overly enthusiastic male.

“Come here, the other trainers are here,” the male quickly said as he dragged Ash’s shirt sleeves to the room where the beginning trainers are at. “You don’t want to start your journey late.”

After being dragged to the room, Ash saw several trainers in the room with him. The trainer that got his attention was a boy with auburn hair and black eyes. That may be due to the trainer acting overconfident about his ability to be the best trainer. He also sees a man who appeared to be the professor presenting several pokemon for the trainers’ pick. There were several Charmanders, Squirtles, and Bulbasars presented by the professors. Ash waited for the trainers to select their partner before he spoke up.

“Can I register my Pikachu as my starter,” Ash insisted. “He’s been with me for my entire life sir.”

“Ah, yes,” Professor Oak stated. “What’s your name and town of origin young man.”

“Ash Ketchum and I’m from here,” Ash answered, hoping that the professor will not ask him for the specific town he was born in. He may know some stuff about Kanto but his knowledge about towns was practically non-existence. 

“I have never seen you around in Pallet Town,” Professor Oak noted as he registered Ash’s information. “You must be homeschool.”

“Yes,” Ash lied. “That’s the reason you never saw me before today.”

Pikachu gave Ash a blank look as if he was disappointed at how easy it was to trick the professor and how much of a lie Ash’s statement sounded. 

“Does your Pikachu have a Pokeball,” Professor Oak inquired.

“No,” Ash hesitantly answered.

Ash saw the professor pulled out a Pokeball and tapped Pikachu with it. Pikachu was immediately involved in light and was in the Pokeball. After Ash heard a click coming from the Pokeball, Pikachu immediately appeared outside of the Pokeball. Ash did not miss the stink eye Pikachu gave to the professor.

“Now your Pikachu is registered as your starter,” Professor Oak clarifies. “If you have any questions, your Pokedex should be able to answer it underneath the help section.”

Ash honestly has no clue what a Pokedex and the red device was given to him made Ash question his ability to navigate in the past. He will forever hold a grudge against the Mew, Latias, and Victini of the future for making him fix humanity’s fuck ups. He knows Pikachu share the same sediment because Pikachu was pouting. 

Ash was running across the lush forestry overgrown with vines. The previous settlement he was staying at was overrun by angry pokemon and the rage of the creation trio. Ash had his Pikachu hiding inside of his backpack so his partner will not be left behind. He knows that the majority of the people in the settlement are dead or in the process of dying. As much he feels guilty for leaving the settlement that accepted him, ignoring that they only wanted his connection with the sea temple, he needs to focus on his survival first. He should have known better than to place trust in the three psychic pokemon that visited the settlement. Accepting their proposition in traveling to the past had caused trouble to find them. Now the creation trio is killing everyone associated with their plan to change the past so the future won’t fall ruined.

Ash jumped a fallen log but slammed onto Latias’s back. Before he has an opportunity to reorientate himself, Latias forced Ash to remain attached to her back by using psychic and immediately flew to the sky. Ash couldn’t move as Latias flew at a ridiculous pace. He doesn’t remember how long he was on Latia’s back but he knew that it was for at least several minutes. Eventually, he felt Latias getting closer to ground level before she hastily tosses Ash to the ground. He took a few seconds to groan in pain before he lifted his head front t. He did not expect to see the blue Mew or Victini floating right in front of him.

“You left us to die,” Ash whispered. “You knew that the creation trio was aware of your plan, but yet you failed to inform us about this.”

Ash saw Mew’s frown but no trace of guilt or shame. Victini’s kept his face neutral, but there were no signs of guilt or shame on his face. Latias gave a shrug, but she didn’t appear upset.

“What do you want,” Ash shouted. Pikachu’s head emerged from his backpack, looking a little anxious. “I can’t help you no more.”
Ash found himself forced onto the ground by Victini’s psychic, with his back laying on the ground. He was able to observe Pikachu being forced on the ground, but it was his stomach on the ground. When he saw Mew staring directly into his eyes, he saw a hint of guilt in Mew’s eyes before it was replaced with determination. Suddenly, Ash’s mind was filled with information about a time period that was not his own. He saw images of different disasters, the effects of those disasters, and so many other things Ash does not comprehend. Soon, he saw images of different people telling tales of the pokemon involved in the disasters and general details about the disasters. Slowly, the environment resembles Ash’s current, chaotic environment. He doesn’t know how long it lasted, but soon he no longer saw visions. He was out of breath, and his heart was beating fast. 

Mew gave a nod to Victini, and Ash found himself free from the psychic hold. It was when Ash made the startling realization that Mew forcibly projected her memories into him about the past into his mind. She must have done it to Pikachu as well because Pikachu was also out of breath.

“Why are you doing this,” Ash panted as he tries to catch his breath. “The settlement has been destroyed. There is no point in sending us into the past.”

A feeling of dread creeping within as he looked at the three pokemon in front of him. They all had eyes of steel and a face of pure determination. It was at that moment that Ash realized that he no longer has the option to choose. He is going to be forced to follow through with the pokemon’s plan. Even if they must restrain him and pressure him to do what they want. He gave Pikachu a defeated look and sighs. He’s going to be forced to travel into the past alone. 

Chapter Text

Ash didn’t know how he found himself having Misty being his travel companion. He fully expected to travel the Kanto region on his own for a few months before he managed to convince or manipulate someone to follow him. However, saving Misty's life from a flock of Sparrows and vocalizing his intention to take a journey had resulted in him having the red hair girl following him. Ash may have quietly signal Pikachu to destroy Misty's bike while defeating the flock of Sparrows. Why? Ash needed an excuse to get Misty to follow him for a while without revealing too much about his purpose. By insisting that she should join him until he buys her a new bike, he guarantees himself an alley for a few months at least. Not that Misty knows that. She thinks he accidentally destroyed her bike and feels guilty for destroying a piece of expensive property by accident. Yeah, an "accident." 

Overall, he doesn't mind having Misty follow him since it will provide him with the company and an ally to deal with the Kanto's disasters. He's hoping that Misty will be around when he finds Mewtwo and a few other disasters before she gets suspicious or leaves on her own accord. For now, Misty assumed he is just another trainer taking on the gym challenge. That wasn't Ash's original cover, but he realized it's easier to travel to different regions if he stated that he was a trainer. However, that means that he had to pretend that his goal was to become a Pokemon monster. That means actively participating in gym battles and tournaments to make sure he keeps that cover if he doesn't want to raise suspicion. 

Brock was also an interesting character. He strives to become a pokemon breeder and knows how to take care of his pokemon. Ash will admit that his first impression of the guy was not so great because of how Brock was treating him. Then, he learned about the pokemon league, how overworked the gym leader was, and that he was raising nine siblings. When Flint finally showed his face, Ash will admit that he calls the man a “sorry excuse of a good for nothing deadbeat father with no spine,” much to Misty's and Brock's shock. The man should be lucky that he’s not withering in pain because Ash was one wrong move from plumbing the guy. At least the fathers’ of the future made an effort to keep their children alive and support the family! If Flint and his family were from the future, Ash suspect Flint would cost his children's lives. 

Currently, there was a campfire, and Ash was sitting right near it. Brock and Misty also had decided to sit near the campfire with their meals. Ash already finished due to his habit of eating food as quickly as possible. Misty told him to slow down and that the food isn’t going anywhere. Ash needed to hold back from stating that he didn’t have time to sit down and enjoy his meals as they do. That is how you get food stolen or lose time to do your duties for the settlement. Why would someone take the time to eat when they need to shift their attention to ensuring their survival. It was also common for everyone and their pokemon to sit on the ground, leaning back to back as they ate. Lukcily for Ash, niether Brock or Misty question this particular habit when he and Pikachu sat back to back. 

“How’s your family like,” Misty asked, still eating her meal. “We haven’t heard you say anything about your family.”

“My family is great,” Ash replied, starring intensely at the fire.

“I notice you never called anyone when we are at a pokemon center,” Brock noted. “Do they travel for their job?”

“They are always traveling,” Ash replied, thinking about how much his family had moved place to place. 

“You must have some experiences in traveling then,” Misty commented. 

“I have some,” Ash responded. “Right Pikachu?”

Pikachu nodded his head, understanding the implications of Ash’s answers. 

Ash heard the sound of a flying pokemon from behind him, so he sprang up from the ground. He got himself into a fighting position out of instinct while Pikachu prepares to battle the approaching pokemon. When he saw a Dragonite with a bag approaching, Ash immediately relaxed and gave a sigh of relief. It was a false alarm. The pokemon was delivering a letter.

“A letter for me,” Ash questioned. “Why would I get a letter?”

“Don’t just stand there, open it,” Misty urged. “You won’t know what it is without opening it.

Ash gently open the letter and found a weird device. He handed the weird device to Brock and saw Brock activate the device. The deceive was showing a woman dressed in a modest dress and a blank expression on her face. She was delivering a message for the trainers who received this device to head toward Old Shore Wharrf to gain access to an island called New Island. 

“A bold claim to make,” Brock mentioned. “The strongest trainer in the world inviting challengers for a battle at an island fortress.”

Ash could choose to ignore it. As much as Ash enjoyed participating in gym battles and obtaining badges, he needs to stay focused on stopping his future from coming to fruition. He still need to find Mewtwo and the Legendary bird trio. He was about to verbalize that he wasn’t interested in the challenge, but something within his gut told him to go. Something within him is screaming at him to accept the challenge and go to New Island. 

“It’s worth a shot,” Ash shrugged as he downplayed his feeling of urgency. 

The future favors the bold, brave, and reckless. It’s how the people of the future survived the raging rampage of insane legendary pokemon and some of the pokemon that had gone mad in the world. For example, it was documented that Chansey is a helpful and kind pokemon in the past. While it’s true that the Chansey his sister has was a nice pokemon, the wild pack of Chansey his family ran into was outright feral. They were going to kill them if it wasn’t for his father’s Mega Lucario.  Right now, it appears the past shares the same belief.

“It’s too dangerous to take off,” Officer Jenny stressed. “This is the worst storm I have ever seen.”

“We’re going,” a female trainer commented. “ I’m not going to let a storm stop me.” 

Ash scouted the room to see if the other trainers share the same idea as the female trainer. Some of the trainers were preparing to travel through the storms, while others decided that it is safer to stay put. 

“Are you going Ash,” Brock asked.

“Of course,” Ash confirmed. “I’m here anyway, might as well try. I can rent a boat and travel to New Island myself.”

It turns out that Ash didn’t need to rent a boat. He was slightly disappointed in himself for falling for Team Rocket’s disguise, being capsized, nearly drowning in the stormy seas, and struggle to reach the surface. That’s why he was spitting out seawater as the mysterious woman congratulated them for reaching the island. When he asked the mysterious woman about the strongest trainer in the world, he was told to wait patiently as she guides him to the dining room. 

“These must be the trainer who made it through the storm,” Brock stated. 

“I didn’t realize how many pokemon trainers would be here,” Ash said as he looked at all the people and pokemon in the dining room. 

“You are too easily excited Ash,” Misty sighs. “You are too easily amused by everything.”

Ash did not justify Misty with a comment and continued to look at all the pokemon in the room. He also socialized with several trainers that were in the dining room with him. He learned that some utilized water-type pokemon who can go against the waves the storm was producing. Others had utilized flying-type pokemon who are strong enough to handle strong wind currents. After spending some time socializing, the mysterious woman arrives and greeted everyone.

“Here’s my master,” the mysterious woman introduced. “The strongest pokemon trainer in the world.”

Ash saw a purple, bipedal pokemon making an entrance. Now Ash understands why he felt the urge to come to New Island. The pokemon standing in front of them was known as the bloodthirsty pokemon who spares no mercy to humans or pokemon working alongside humans. It was the pokemon that had gone mad Mewtwo. 

Ash remembered having a family that consists of his father, mother, and a set of older teenage twins. His father was a well-built man with brown curly hair that reached to his shoulders. His eyes were green as the emeralds found deep within the earth. His father may be an intimating man, being six feet and six inches tall, but Ash remembered him being a huge softie who shares stories about the dangers of Legendary pokemon and theories how each of them slowly loses their mind to the madness that now plague their mind. His mother was also a tall person, six feet tall with hazel eyes and long black hair. His mother’s hair was three feet in length, but it always manages to stay perfectly straights. As for the twins, one was a boy named Solar and a girl named Lunar. As for the names of his parents, he thinks his mother’s name was Flower, and his father’s name was Cloud.

His older siblings inherited his father’s height, hair color, and eyes. Solar kept his hair short while Lunar allowed her to grow as long as their mother. As for Ash himself, he resembles his mother the most. However, he was short for some reason. He must have inherited the recessive genes because there is no other explanation for his lack of height. 

“If you see pokemon with red markings on their skin, run as far away as possible,” Cloud warned. He made sure to make direct eye contact with all of his kids. “They are in an alliance with Mewtwo.”

“Are the stories about Mewtwo true,” Lunar nervously asked,  fiddling her thumbs while she speaks. “He sounds like an extremely blood-thirsty pokemon.”

“He built an army of loyal followers,” Cloud explained. “He was smart enough to destroy populated areas when the region was experiencing a crisis. Mewtwo was intelligent enough to strike when the birds were captured and the league spent all their time dealing with that shit. “

“So he started small and grew from there,” Solar finished, He was frowning as he gave his answer to his father. “While the Pokemon League was dealing with other world-ending stuff, Mewtwo used as an opportunity destroy the region.”

Cloud nodded his head in approval. 

“What about the other pokemon,” Ash questioned. “Why did Dialga, Palkia, and several other legendary pokemon lose their mind.”

“I don’t know son,” Cloud answered. “I wish I knew why the pokemon our ancestors once worshipped had fallen in madness.” 

Chapter Text

Everything went to chaos after Mewtwo made his introduction. The mysterious woman was released from Mewtwo’s control, which resulted in her fainting. Fortunately, Brock was able to catch her before her body hits the ground. Once the hat fell off the mysterious woman’s head, it was revealed that the woman was the missing Nurse Joy. While Nurse Joy was recovering, Mewtwo started to spew out the bullshit that humans are weak and cruel or that the pokemon caught by trainers are slaves. Ash had to resist the urge to scream out that not all humans are heartless as Mewtwo perceive them to be. Cruel, does Mewtwo want to know what cruel is? Cruel is murdering hundreds of people and all the pokemon associated with humanity! Cruel is mercilessly slaughtering everything that does not share the same philosophy as you!

“Run and don’t look back!”

Now it’s not the time to think about one of the groups he joined in the past. He needs to get ahold of himself, despite his head growing dizzy from looking at Mewtwo. Wiping the sweat of his palms on his jeans, Ash carefully watched Mewtwo as he leads everyone to the stadium the pokemon prepared. He didn’t trust the pokemon intentions at all, but what choice does he have? He doesn’t know what to do at the moment. At least this time, Mewtwo is not outright killing anyone. Still, Ash doesn’t know how much time he has until Mewtwo reached that point or how Mewtwo reaches that point. 

“Is what your late father said was true...that Mewtwo built an army of followers?”

The moment Ash made eye contact with the clones, he got a sickening feeling about Mewtwo’s seamlessly growing army of pokemon that only showed loyalty to him. His dad’s stories were proven to be true, much to his horror. Ash wanted to refuse Mewtwo’s challenge in fear of what would happen to Charizard. His Charizard doesn’t know the Mewtwo of the future. None of the pokemon he caught knew how powerful and sadistic the pokemon is. Ash hastily grabs Charizard’s tail as he begins speaking.

“Charizard, Mewtwo’s insults are not worth it,” Ash pleaded as tears welled up in his eyes. He ignored the voices of his late friends that were briefly heard in his head, alongside the images of his faces.  “You don’t have to fight him. He doesn’t understand the bond between a trainer and their pokemon.” 

Ash knew that he pleads fell on deaf ears when Charizard joined the other pokemon in the battle against their clones. Mewtwo’s taunts toward Charizard were another reason why Chizard ignored his pleads. He saw his pokemon battled his Charizard had with his clones and how his pokemon lost the match. When he saw Pokeball black as coal emerge out of nowhere, Ash became horrified at the device's purpose. Ash tried to retrieve his pokemon back to his Pokeball, but it was too late. Mewtwo’s Pokeballs captured his Charizard and the trainers’ other pokemon. 

“Pikachu, quickly get in the bag,” Ash insisted as Pikachu listened to Ash’s instructions. He has a feeling that Mewtwo has more of his special Pokeballs at his disposal.

Ash made the mistake of making eye contact with Mewtwo. He feels terrified underneath’s Mewtwo gaze. In the future, Mewtwo shows no hesitation in killing humans with his own hands. Now, in the distant past, here Ash was trying to control how much his body was shaking. He should be used to this already so why is he still shaking!

“Everyone, recall your pokemon,” Ash screamed as he still made eye contact with Mewtwo. Now, he’s trying to control his increased breathing. “He’s going to take our pokemon.”

He was proven right when more of Mewtwo’s special Pokeballs appeared and went after the pokemon. The trainers who did not react immediately to his warnings had their pokemon capture by the special Pokeballs. Deciding that he should stop acting like a sitting Psyduck, Ash began to dash to safety with his friends. He had hoped that running away and keeping his pokemon in their respective Pokeballs will keep them safe. When he was knocked down, the Mewtwo’s Pokeball captured his Pokeballs with several other trainers. 

“No,” Ash shouted as he lifted himself off the ground. He saw Brock’s and Misty pokemon being taken from them against their will. 

So many trainers were trying their best to protect their pokemon to no avail. When he heard a trainer scream as he failed to protect his pokemon, his backpack was forcibly pulled off of his back and tossed at the staircase by Mewtwo’s psychic. Knowing what Mewtwo was planning, Ash scrambled to the staircase to protect his partner, best friend, and only family. 

“No, stay inside,” Ash begged as loudly he can.

Pikachu crawled out of the backpack in pain and was immediately surrounded by Mewtwo’s Pokeballs. Ash saw his partner run up the staircases and did his best to follow him. He was at risk of losing his partner! Pikachu is the only living soul in this entire world who could understand his grief, struggle, pain, and the horrors that haunt him. He will not let Mewtwo take his pokemon!

When Ash was close to Pikachu, he saw his partner fall. He didn’t think twice about jumping off the stairs to reach Pikachu. He will deny that he yelled in pure rage and agony when his Pikachu was caught by Mewtwo’s Pokeballs. At that point, his vision was clouded, but he could see the black Pokeball taking his best friend away. He managed to grabs the device for a little bit of time. Even as the device dragged him to the icy cold water, he did not let go. He let himself be hit by objects that were floating underneath the water in a desperate attempt to hold onto the stupid Pokeball.  

Ash doesn’t remember when he let go of the device, but he knows he was in a laboratory of some kind. He ignored Jessie, James, and Meowth as he scanned the area for the device. When he lays his eyes on the machine with all the Pokeballs, Ash grabs a conveniently place crowbar and walks the machine's mechanical arms. He didn’t care if he was gripping the crowbar too tightly as he smashes every mechanical arm reaching toward him. Ash made sure to stomp on the mechanical arms that were trying to stop him by grabbing his feet. He was extremely cautious to not damage any poke balls. After several minutes of destroying the machine’s mechanical arms through destruction of property, he saw the Pokeball containing Pikachu being released. 

Around him, Ash saw more pokemon being released and free from their imprisonment. He has no shame in crying in pure happiness when he saw Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charizard freed. Once Ash had concluded that all the trainer’s pokemon were release, Ash prepares to lead the pokemon back to the stadium to fight against Mewtwo and his clones. While he was standing up with the utmost confidence, he was still terrified on the inside. His heart was beating fast, and his palms started to sweat. He could easily track the pokemon that he was exhausted from destroying the machine and freeing them. Pikachu stayed on his shoulder to give him reassurance that they can defeat Mewtwo with the help of the pokemon. 

Ash walked out of the smoke with a false demeanor of confidence and hope he clearly does not have. Behind him were dozens of pokemon marching, preparing for the definite battle that greet them. Looking straight at Mewtwo, Ash spoke.

“You will not succeed,” Ash proclaimed as he charged toward Mewtwo to throw a punch at the pokemon. “We will stop you from destroying the world.” 

The future Ash came from was an unforgiving world that crushes those who lack the will to face the adversities or the skills to survive an unpredictable environment. One of the ways to survive was knowing about the plant life regarding what plant is safe to eat or use as medicine. Despite the endless grey and black stream of clouds, plantlife continued to grow but not in abundance. He was helping his mother scavenged for berries, roots, and herbs for the group they belong to. The two of them were sitting crawling on the ground to find those materials. He dug up the Energy Roots that were sprouting from the ground and placed them on a basket. The Energy Roots were more for medical purposes due to not having the same medicine as the people of the past. That’s why Ash carefully removed the dirt off the root before gently placing it in the basket. 

“Remember that Heal Powder comes forms the Heal Herd,” Flower explains, showing Ash a large herb that has a yellow-green root. “We grind the roots to get the Heal Powder.”

“Mama, where does the Energy Powder come from,” Ash asked. 

“Energy Powder comes from the Energy Herb,” Flower answered. She placed the Heal Herb in her basket before picking up a herb from the ground. However, this herb’s roots were white. “These are ground up to get Energy Powder.” 

“Why don’t we grind up the Revival Herb,” Ash questioned. He picked up a green herb that had green roots. “Wouldn’t it be easier for it to be stored?”

“No, Revival Herbs are special,” Flower mentioned. She picked up a Revival Herb “For that herb specifically, it loses its some effectiveness when ingested as a powder. Additionally, it make it easier to barter with other groups if they see the Revival Herb.”

Ash knows his mama was an extremely skilled herbalist. From what his mama told him, her mother came from a linage of herbalists who is extremely knowledgeable in herbal medicine. She knows where to discretely plant herbs in locations where no one can look and which herbs are extremely valuable. Ash was always in awe at how easy it was for his mother to find herbs, the conditions to grow them, and how to tell the differences between a herb and a regular plant. Ash always loves learning from his mama about herbal medicine and how to properly use it on people and the pokemon they partner up with. His siblings were more of the fighters who train with their pokemon for battle. 

“Why aren’t they a lot of herbalist mama,” Ash wondered.

“Not many people of the past know about plant medicine,” Flower sigh. She sat up straight before looking at her son. “Many people died in the past, including a lot of herbalists. Some of the pokemon who went mad view them as threats so they were the first one killed.”

“Why are they threats” Ash questioned. “Wouldn’t trainers be threats?”

“We don’t rely on the advance medicine of the past,” Flower pointed. “Not many can track down herbs or berries as easily as I can. Why else was it easy for me to barter for materials when we meet other groups?”

“Is that why the group we are with accepted us so easily,” Ash asked. 

“It was the only reason they allow five strangers to join,” Flower sighs. “Their last herbalist were killed by Mewtwo, alongside several dozen people.”

On that day, Ash understood why his mama would stress about him learning about plant medicine. His older siblings never cared about learning about plant medicine, much to his mama’s disappointment. When she showed an interest, his mother happily taught him everything she knows about plant medicine. He was too young to realize but knowing about plant medicine made him more valuable to the group. From being accepted to a group of fellow orphans to the underground settlements, his mother’s teachings kept him and Pichu alive. It’s much easier to be accepted and respected by many different groups when you are proven to be useful to their group. 

Chapter Text

Mewtwo anticipated Ash’s chargers and produced a force field that knocks him down. When making contact with the force field, Ash lost his balance for a few seconds before coming orientated again. He made eye contact with the artificial pokemon for a few seconds and felt his suppressed fear resurfacing. Despite sensing bile coming up through his throat, Ash charged again and prepared to swing his fist at the pokemon. This time, Ash felt the wind knocked out of him when Mewtwo sends him flying up in the air at an extremely high altitude. For the several moments he was high in the air, he saw the horrific sight of the clone pokemon and the original pokemon fighting each other without special moves. They are all having a widespread melee fight, using their bare fists. 

When Ash begins falling down, he prepared to brace himself for impact. Unexpectedly, a large pink bubble appeared a second before he made contact with the ground. It was likely he would die without an outside source intervention. He saw it plenty of times where an unlucky person fell from a high altitude and died on impact in the future. The sight of splattered remains became a common sight for Ash that it doesn’t phase him anymore. 

“Mew,” Ash whispered, shocked to see a pink Mew. There was that conditioned fear within him due to his experiences with the blue Mew. “What is she doing here.”

The pink mew must be a good-natured pokemon because that pokemon was being targeted by Mewtwo. He watched in horror as the pink mew was dodging an endless stream of shadow balls.  He was so preoccupied with the scene in front of him that he missed the sight of a shadow ball heading toward him. Ash was knocked toward the areas where his Pikachu and the clone Pikachu were at. While his Pikachu stood still and refusing to cause harm to his clone, the clone Pikachu did not share the same sediments. The clone Pikachu didn’t stop with his slapping and scratching, unfazed that his Pikachu refusing to engage in such a fight. 

“Ash, this is horrible,” Misty verbalized, helping Ash up from the ground. “They’re not stopping! They won’t stop with their melee attacks!”

“Neither side won’t stop until one side gives up,” Brock noted, upset but the scene that continues to play in front of him. “If they don’t stop soon, they are going to die from exhaustion and their wounds.”

No, this has to stop. He doesn’t want to see this type of fight continue. What did Mewtwo have to gain from this? Was Mewtwo always this sadistic and heartless toward the nonclone pokemon and humans? 

“Not again,” Ash screamed, watching Mew and Mewtwo summoning a large amount of psychic energy. “You’ll kill everyone here!”

Angered by the selfish actions of Mewtwo and frighten by the emerging memories of the future, Ash ran between them. 

“Stop with the madness,” Ash pleaded, doing his best to hide his fears. As each pokemon sends blasts of energy toward each other, Ash continues to stand at a standstill between the pokemon and his arms outstretched. “Please…”

The last thing Ash saw was the combination of pink and purple blinding lights enveloping him. The lights reminded him how the past’s sunlight had felt on his skin when he first arrived in the past. In his final moments, he wonders why the purple surrounding him seems so familiar. 

Mortified, Pikachu watched his best friend got caught between the crossfire of the pink Mew and Mewtwo. Once the psycho energy dissipates, Pikachu saw his best friend turned into stone.  His best friend was stone, frozen in a state of a combination of fear and desperation. No, it can’t be! They were supposed to survive together and fix the error of the past together. Although they were practically forced against their will to travel to the past, they were supposed to fulfill their tasks together. In desperation, Pikachu runs to his side. First, he tried to use Thunderbolt to get a reaction, any reaction out of his friend. No matter how many tried he uses his Thunderbolt on Ash, his best friend did not move or show any sign of life.  After spending time trying to fix the situation and reverse the damage done, Pikachu begins to cry at the loss of his best friend. At the time, he didn’t care about changing the fate of the future. He lost the one person who raised him since infancy, despite that Ash was better off abandoning him. 

Pikachu heard the pokemon, the original and cloned, in the stadium begin to cry. He was not alone in his grief or the endless streams of tears. As if was a miracle out of an unrealistic fairytale, the tears come together and magically revive Ash. He leaped into Ash’s arms when Ash sits crossed-legged on the ground and burst into tears. He wasn’t left alone in this cruel and unforgiving world. Ash, the human who had been with him since the beginning, was alive. That’s the only thing that matters to Pikachu. 

His mother was dragging him, like the other mothers in his group. He recalled his father carrying his older sister because she has broken her leg minutes prior. Lunar was biting on a piece of cloth to prevent screaming in agonizing pain. As for his older brother, Solar was instructing his pokemon to create barriers to temporarily halt the advancing clone pokemon. His mother’s Audino and Lunar’s Chansey had been doing their best to heal the pokemon who were growing tired from using countless moves and sustaining injuries. 

“Ma, are things going to be alright,” a random young boy in his mother’s arms asked.

“Yes, we’ll be fine,” the mother responded with a cracked voice. “We’ll escape from whatever it is that is chasing us. I pinkie promise.” 

Ash didn’t believe that young mother’s voice. He continued to doubt that claim when he heard a loud explosion from behind. Out of temptation and curiosity, Ash dared looked back to see if he could see the pokemon who were chasing them. All he could see was a growing grey smoke cloud gradually spreading the land. Due to the coloration of the smoke cloud, it was hard for Ash to see the pokemon hidden within the smoke clouds. He could pick out the distorted silhouette of the pokemon chasing them but nothing more. Standing between them and their pursuers were the Mega Evolve pokemon and the fully evolved pokemon protecting the group. 

“Women and children, continue running while we buy some time,” the group chief, an older guy, instructed. “Men, stand your ground with your pokemon as we fight those who dare attack us!” 

His mother immediately let go of his hand in favor of carrying Lunar. It was a bittersweet moment seeing his father gently holding to his sister for the very last time before carefully passing her over to his mother.  Ash saw his father gave his older siblings a peck on their foreheads, whispering such kind and encouraging words with a brave smile that hide his inner turmoil. When it was his turn, his father looked directly into his eyes as he spoke.

“Ash, my little warrior, don’t be afraid,” Cloud whispers in such a gentle voice. “ Your mother and older siblings will be with you.”

It was left unsaid that Cloud was one of the many grown men sacrificing their life to buy time for the women and children to run as far away as possible. Ash knew this but didn’t said anything. Still, the doesn’t mean his heart didn’t ache. 

“I love you and never forget it,” Cloud finished, giving a peck on his forehead. “Now go with your mother and don’t look back.”

His mother begins running alongside the other children and women. Obeying his father’s last word, Ash ran behind his mother as he heard the men instructing their pokemon. After some distance, he can no longer hear the sounds of the pokemon and men left behind. That would have been the end if it wasn’t for the fact that Ash stepped on a covered burrow and fell into it. Ash was one of the few children who wasn’t carried by their mother or an older sibling. His brother, Solar, had tried carrying him with his severely burned arms. However, the pain from blocking a Fire Blast that was heading toward their mother made it difficult for him to carry Ash longer than a few seconds. It was even hard for Solar to hold his hand without pain, so Ash had no one to hold his hand with. Maybe that is why he found himself falling into this burrow. 

The burrow was inhabited, and it looked like there hasn’t been a single pokemon living in it for a long while. Based on the nesting, it looked like this place had been inhabited for a few weeks. The one pokemon egg on top of the nest looked dusty and not cared for. Ash gently placed the egg in his backpack before he attempted to climb out of the burrow. Before Ash manages to successfully climb out of the burrow, he heard the screams of the people from his group. Hesitantly looking up, he saw a blinding light of purple shinning out of the burrow’s exit. Out of fear, Ash quickly climbed back down the burrow and huddle against one of the corners. He held his backpack against his chest in an attempt to soothe himself while he heard deep, incoherent screams of an unfamiliar, raging pokemon. 

Ash hid in the burrow for a long time as he heard a mixture of cries of pokemon, humans, and a voice dripping with malice. Sometimes, the noises would increase in volume, which caused Ash to flinch. He would curl himself in a ball while hugging his backpack. Then, the noises would drop in volume for several moments before picking up in volume again. The cycle would continue to repeat for what felt like hours.

“Mama,” Ash softly cried, before silencing himself out of fear the one responsible for the destruction would hear him. 

At some point, the noises stopped the purple lights that would flash on and off went away. After a long period of silence, Ash bravely climbed out of the burrow. What greeted him was the sight of countless corpses that littered the ground. Women, children, and pokemon were all brutally mutilated with various degrees of injuries. Some of them have dismembered body parts, while others seem to have died from their life-threatening wounds. 

“Mama, Lunar, Solar,” Ash called out, knowing that they are likely dead. “Where are you?”

From a distance, he saw the lifeless form of his mother, sister, and brother. Numbly, Ash motionlessly walked toward his family member’s corpse and fell to the ground. Kneeling pathetically near the bodies of his family members and their pokemon, Ash’s mind absorbed the gruesome sight of his remaining family members. Between the age of five and six, Ash had lost his entire family. For what felt like hours, Ash spent crying in agony at the loss of his entire family and being left alone to survive this ruthless world. 

Ah, the purple light. The incoherent screams continue to plaque his entire mind during those restless nights. It all makes sense now. Ash should have known better to think that Mewtwo had only killed one of the groups he joined after his family's death.  No wonder the lights and voice seem so familiar. Ash had finally learned about the pokemon responsible for his family’s death. Mewtwo was the one who murdered his entire family. 

Chapter Text

Ah, yes. Why don’t you teleport everyone out of the island where you try slaughtering a bunch of children and loyal pokemon! Also, why don’t you add some memory erasing to the mix just to make sure everyone forgets about dying before they can accomplish their dream! Ash doesn’t know how he should feel about magically being teleported out of the castle and back to the harbor. What he does know is that he’s extremely pissed that he was about to be killed by the same pokemon who killed his family! Mewtwo? It was fucking Mewtwo and his army that tore up his group into pieces and dished out so many merciless deaths? 

“Do you remember why we were here Ash,” Brock asked, doing his best to remember why he was at the harbor.  

“No, I don’t” Ash lied, glaring at the raging sea and grey clouds blanketing the area. “If I remember, I promise to tell you.”

“You remembered something,” Misty added, looking amused. “You’re the one who needs constant reminders about everything!” 

“No I don’t” Ash quickly said in an attempt to defend himself. “ It’s just hard to keep my thoughts organized! I have a lot of stuff in my mind!”

Pikachu was nodding his head in agreement, knowing what his friend meant.

“If we can’t remember why we’re here, we could always spend the day going to tourist sites,” Brock suggested, pulling out a map of the town out of his backpack. ‘There’s plenty of shrines, markets, and other tourist traps we can visit.”

“Why would we go to a tourist trap,” Misty questioned. “Brock, we’re better than this.”

“Misty, you dragged Ash and me in the last town to all of the tourist traps,” Brock reminded, staring at Misty as if to dare her to continue.”

Seeing Misty and Brock jokingly argue with each other made Ash feel something in his heart. Was it happiness? Relief? He wishes he could describe a word for his current feeling. Of course, the underlying anger in the depth of his soul stems from remembering how his family died. He had thought he pushed that memory somewhere secluded and buried underneath the less distressing types of memories. Now, the memories and buried feelings are back to haunt him in the present moment.  Ash doesn't think Brock and Misty realize how much they are helping him at the moment. He thought he would feel absolutely no guilt for stringing them alone with his mission and using them for his benefit. However, seeing Brock and Misty playfully argue with each other gives him a sense of guilt. They’re not supposed to make him feel happy, safe, and relieved. 

“They’re like Gravel and Haze,” Ash solemnly whispered to himself. 

Only Pikachu was able to hear what Ash was saying to himself. Pikachu gave a quiet whined before demanding to be hugged by his friend.

“I don’t want them to have the same fate,” Ash quietly continued, gazing at the now chuckling Brock and Misty. “For now, I’m allowed to have a little bit of fun and happiness.”

The universe must be fucking with him because Ash was dragged into a temple by his companions.  An entire temple dedicated to Mew includes a temple, pillars representing each element type, several water fountains, several average size statues of Mews, and a giant, well-cared-for statue of Mew in the center. As Ash entered the temple, he saw several people bowing down in front of the statue and lighting some white candles. Those with lit candles were placing their candles near the statues and whispering a prayer. Seeing all those people bowing and praying to a statue of Mew was giving him such an awkward feeling. He had to hold back from recoiling from the conditioned fear and fleeing from this decorated temple.

“Why Brock,” Ash complained, trying to hide his fear and slight disgust about the temple.  “You know I’m not religious.”

“Neither am I,” Brock shared, unbothered by Ash’s statement. “But I was curious why everyone was fascinated about the temples dedicated to the deities.”

“All I see are polished statues devoid of life,” Ash muttered, wishing to be anywhere else than a temple dedicated to Mew. 

“I find the temple beautiful,” Misty praised. “It’s like I’m in another world. I mean, the whole temple is filled with relics of the past!”

Misty does have a point. Everything in the temple was from the ancient civilizations that had lived on Kanto’s soil. Despite the countless wars, natural disasters, and human conflict, the temple was always left undisturbed from destruction. At least, that was the case until the world went into ruin and everything was practically destroyed in a matter of years. 

“It’s almost like we step through a portal and enter another time period,” Brock noted, appearing impressed by the layout of the temple. “Makes you wonder how much we advanced as a society.”

“Come on Ash, you got to admit that this is impressive,” Misty commented, pointing to the colorful stained glass window that was near the roof. “I mean, look at it! Someone made that in ancient times with their hands and minuscule tools.” 

Staring at the stained glass window, Ash’s eyes widened in horror at the sight of a blue mew that had an angel’s halo on top of it. Despite the innocent smile and look the Mew had implanted on their face, all Ash sees is the manipulative Mew that forced him to live in a new reality.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Ash quickly stated, trying his best to not collapse on the floor. “I’ll be at the Pokemon Market getting some supplies after I’m done because I realized that I have forgotten something!”

Ash was relieved when Brock and Misty didn’t question his reasoning and allowed him to go. He ran past several people, not caring if he accidentally pushed a bystander out of the way. All he cared about was getting out of here and going somewhere safe. What was keeping him focused was the soft noises Pikachu was making to comfort him. Once he was outside of the temple and found a secluded alleyway, Ash allowed himself to fall onto his knees. 

“She’s here,” Ash repeated several times, looking around as if he expected the blue Mew from the future to appear out of nowhere. 

Pikachu tried convincing Ash that the blue Mew was not in the past. He was trying to get Ash’s attention by pawing at Ash’s knee. After a while, Pikachu was able to get Ash to calm down and into a much more grounded state. It took several electric shocks, but Ash doesn’t look like he was in a daze. 

“Why am I reacting like this,” Ash cried, putting his face in his hands. “Why did I think the blue Mew was in the past with me?”

Pikachu wishes he could provide an answer.

“I know I’m free from her influence,” Ash continued. “So why do I panic and collapse when I see anything that represents a blue mew in front of me?”

Pikachu remembers seeing Ash as someone strong and fearless of whatever their time period had to dish out. Ash had continued to get back up and march on after countless deaths, misfortunes, and struggles. Now, Ash is a sobbing mess, and it scares Pikachu. Suppose this is how Ash is like after one incident with Mewtwo and being triggered by an image of a blue Mew. What would happen to Ash’s state of mind as they continue to change the future? 

The egg in his backpack brought Ash a sense of comfort. Even after spending hours walking aimlessly, Ash was motivated to travel through the shaded, overgrown forests. Once the egg hatches, Ash wants the pokemon to be well-fed and somewhere safe for a few days. He also wanted to fill his backpack with a lot of food. Without the support of his family or a group, Ash will have to take responsibility to care for himself and the baby pokemon. 

“Cool, there’s a hidden meadow here,” Ash smiled as he felt a sudden burst of energy. “We can stay here for a few days before we have to move.”

Ash excitedly ran toward the hidden meadow to be greeted at the sight of a pond of fresh water, several apple trees, and a colony of Combees. He knows that the pokemon in the hidden meadow will likely request Ash to offer something in return for staying in the meadow and taking some of their resources. That’s why Ash had a few bags made out of levees prepared. 

“I can offer two bags of heal powder, two bags of energy powder, and some lum berries,” Ash offered as a Vespiquen approached him. “If you let me stay here until a few days after the egg hatch, I can give you these healing items.”

Ash lifted his hands up with the items on top while letting the Vespiquen inspect the items thoroughly. The pokemon sniffed the air and stared straight into his eyes. Ash thought the pokemon would accept what he had to offer but the pokemon motioned Ash to wait. The Vespiquen disappeared for several minutes before returning with a group of Combees carrying a large amount of honey stored in clay jars. The lids were made out of clothes and thin vines. 

“What’s your intentions,” Ash questioned, wondering what the pokemon colony wanted if they’re offering him some honey. “All I wanted is a place to stay, to stock up on some water, and have some apples.”

The Vespiquen pointed to one of the backpack’s pouches containing the revival herbs. So the pokemon was able to tell that he had revival herbs stored in his backpack. Ash was really tempted to deny their offer and search for another place to stay until his stomach growled. Vespiquen was raising one of her eyebrows as if she knew what he was thinking. It’s going to be winter soon, which means it will be harder to look for some Revival herbs and other medicinal plants for a while. 

Then an Eevee appeared out of nowhere with a large, oversize winter coat and fuzzy blanket the pokemon must have found somewhere. Ash was practically feeling the stars of all the pokemon in the meadow, silently daring Ash to say no.

“You want all the revival herbs in that pouch,” Ash quietly said. “Probably for your colony and the pokemon in the meadow.”

Vepiquen nodded her head before placing a heat rock in front of him. 

“Fine, I’ll accept your offer,” Ash agreed, realizing that he must prioritize staying warm for the winter months over the revival herbs. “I thank you for allowing me to stay here for a few days.

In the next hour, the egg hatched into a Pichu. The moment he made eye contact with Pichu, Ash vowed to do anything to ensure the survival of the baby pokemon. He will die before letting anything happen to his only friend. In this cruel and merciless world, he’ll be the pokemon protector, guardian, friend, and caretaker. 

Chapter Text

Pikachu wonders if Ash is projecting his previous feelings of his late friends who have died in their past. Brock and Misty will never be like his late friends, or perhaps the found family they were fortunate enough to befriend. While their traveling companions blissfully fell asleep, Ash was plainly sitting there, guarding them as they sleep. Pikachu would see Ash’s eye’s glued to them as if he was making sure each of them was still breathing properly. As expected, Pikachu saw Ash gently place two fingers every few minutes on each of their throats to make sure their hearts were beating as hearts suppose to.  After spending some time sitting on the ground and checking Brock’s and Misty’s heartbeats, Ash would get up from the ground and take a long walk in an effort to scout the area. The moment Ash stood up for his final walk, Pikachu found himself immediately running toward his friend and climbing up to his shoulder. 

“We need to make sure it’s safe,” Ash told himself,  glancing at every direction. “Safety means that we don’t get hurt. When we don’t get hurt, we survive another day.”

Habits died hard, or that was what Pikachu heard Brock say once sometime last week. Ash can’t stop what he’s doing, in fear that something dangerous will approach them while they’re sleeping. Pikachu tried telling Ash that there’s no wild, rampaging pokemon in the past like the pokemon in their time period.

“Lying about the world is bad,” Ash stated, giving a noticeable frown. “The world is a cruel, dangerous place that crushes those who are fragile enough to break under pressure. No matter the timer period, the world is a dangerous place.”

Pikachu was starting to believe that maybe what Ash was saying doesn’t apply to the current time period they are at. However, he quickly dismissed that thought when Pikachu was reminded of the incident with Mewtwo. He was also reminded that plenty of misfortunes and disasters would occur in this time period. 

“I will need to fall asleep soon,” Ash yawned. “Can’t let Brock and Misty know anything about this, or else they will want to get tied up in this mess.”

No one should deserve this type of burden forced upon them, despite how willing the other person is to have some burdens placed upon them. Perhaps that’s why Ash is subtly keeping everyone at arm’s length while keeping an invisible barrier between him and everyone in this time period. Besides, everyone will eventually leave them...whether it’s willing or unwilling. 

Ever since the incident with Mewtwo, Pikachu couldn’t sleep because Ash would silently be crying while curled up in his sleeping bed. He doesn’t remember a time where Ash had cried during their time period, despite all the people and pokemon they have lost during their travels. In fact, Pikachu never saw Ash truly express sadness. As the days progressed, Ash would act weird when no one was paying attention. For example, Ash would wake up and scratch his throat as if something was choking all the air out of him. When Ash realized that there wasn’t a noose tied to his throat, Ash would immediately remove his fingers from his throat. Then, Ash would place his head in his hands in frustration. Pikachu would see Ash restraining himself from shouting out in fury because Brock and Misty were sleeping nearby. 

“I hate this Pikachu,” Ash bitterly whispered in his hands. “I hate these...feelings.”

Pikachu doesn’t know how to comfort him at all. He wished that he was braver in the past instead of hiding in Ash’s backpack like a simple coward. If he was, then he would be able to visibly witness the horror Ash saw and better emphasize it with his friend. 

“Why did I suddenly remember how my first group died,” Ash continued, forgetting that he never told Pikachu the reason why he was an orphan. “I thought those memories were buried until I learned who I saw in the shadows.

Pikachu always wondered the reason why Ash was alone when he first hatched. He always wanted to ask but was afraid that Ash would get too upset. 

“Pikachu, did you know I used to have a mom, dad, and older siblings,” Ash quietly mentioned. “I didn’t spend too much time with them because they were brutally killed.”

Pikachu doesn’t know if that’s better or worse than the idea of Ash being purposely abandoned by his guardians.

“Turns out, Mewtwo was the mad pokemon who was leading the army,” Ash flatly said, lost in a daze. “He killed every single person.”

Pikachu hoped for Ash’s sake, Mewtwo would never bother them again in the current time period. He also wished that he would see less of Ash’s blank, expressionless face. He didn’t like how his friend’s eyes appeared glassy all of a sudden or how Ash was speaking as if he wasn’t alive full of life.  

As a newly born Pichu, Ash had been taking care of him. Ash immediately wrapped him up in a blanket and handed him an apple to eat the moment he hatched. He vividly remembers the skies being grey, cloudy, and void of warmth and light. Still, Pichu had his own source light in the form of Ash.  He happily ate the bits of apple Ash was feeding him while he took in the sights. Once he was full and done, Ash would begin eating a single apple. As a Pichu, he thought Ash was a light eater, and tiny humans didn’t require too much food. Later on, he would realize that Ash was purposely restricting his food intake to make sure he was full first. Ash would always wait until Pichu was full before he allowed himself to eat what was leftover. However, at the time, Pichu didn’t know better.

“And that’s called a tree,” Ash happily rambled, snuggling Pichu close to his chest. “There used to be something called the sun and moon, but it disappeared forever.”

Pichu liked how happy Ash appeared to be, rambling about random things about the world. It was peaceful and blissful. 

“In a few days, we’ll start traveling,” Ash continued, maintaining the same happy demeanor. “I’ll teach you all sort of things about the world!”

Pichu noticed how Ash became slightly down after he said the word world. 

“But you need to know that the world is a dangerous place,” Ash warned. “The surviving gods of the past became mad...with some of the other pokemon in the world.”

Now that sounds terrifying in Pichu’s opinion.

“But don’t you worry, I’ll protect you,” Ash cheerfully declared. “I’ll protect you from the bad pokemon and people who’ll try to hurt us.” 

Pichu noticed how the local pokemon gave sad smiles at Ash’s declaration as if what Ash was saying was impossible. At the time, he didn’t know the implications of Ash’s words or how harsh it is to live in an unpredictable world where survival is determined by skills, willpower, and stupid luck. Out of everything, Ash had lady luck by his side to have survived so long and miraculously made it out alive of every situation.

“Are you cold Pichu,” Ash asked, looking at the evening sky. “Although we can’t see the sun or moon, the world gets a lot darker and colder when it’s nighttime.”

Pichu was slightly cold, so Ash gave him the heat rock to hold onto. Like with the apples, Pichu didn’t realize that Ash was prioritizing his well-being. When dusk turned into night, Pichu slept warmly thanks to the blanket and heat rock. However, Ash slept with the coat while hugging Pichu tight to his chest. At the time, Pichu didn’t realize that Ash was hugging him in his sleep because the human was cold himself. Pichu will never notice that Ash would freeze while walking to their next destination or sleeping out in the open while he stayed nice and warm for a few years. Pichu would be hiding in the backpack, safe from the elements. When sleeping, he would always sleep curled up in the aging blanket while holding a heat rock, blissfully unaware of how cold Ash was. 

“You’re the most important thing to me,” Ash whispered as he slowly drifted to sleep. “We only have each other, so I will protect you, no matter the cost.” 

Later as a Pikachu, he would understand why Ash would eat everything given to him or why he would eat to the point where he’s absolutely full. He knows why Ash hates being exposed to the cold or why he instinctively dreaded the winter months. Being hungry and cold is not a good combination. 

Chapter Text

Losing a match against Lance brought no feelings of disappointment or frustration, as odd as that sound. Ash has to be realistic about his goals in the past. Being a trainer and competing in tournaments allow him an excuse to travel across the world without suspicion. The exhilaration comes from competing against Kanto’s strongest trainers, and the champion of this region has finally worn off. Now, Ash’s vague sense of emptiness and slight distress associated with the burden placed upon him had returned. Still, he kept everything inside as he gave a huge, wide smile toward the reporters. He pretended that he wasn’t bothered by the bright flashes or the invasion of privacy while he posed to take a picture with Lance. Is this the norm for the past, or is it a rare occurrence?  

“Is this normal,” Ash said as his smile became more strained. “They won’t stop with the pictures and are getting too close.”

Taking a quick glance at his shoulder, he saw how Pikachu was quietly whining and was ducking his head. His poor partner was hiding his head in his arms, appearing desperate to get out of the reporter’s line of sight. Ash thinks Pikachu wasn’t hiding in his backpack because Pikachu doesn’t want to leave him alone. As for himself, he’s struggling to see the world around him. Noises were becoming more muted as he was starting to feel disoriented. 

“Please give us some space,” Lance quickly instructed the reporters, noting how uncomfortable and distressed Ash was getting. “He must be tired from competing. Let’s go, Ash. You must want to take a rest somewhere quieter.”

Ash simply nodded his head while Lance guided him past through the sea of reporters. It was so odd to have someone much older him shielding him from something. One bold report tried to place a camera in front of his face, but Lance was quick to shield him with his long cape. He senses the man placing a hand on his shoulder and directing him to a certain location. Lance’s cape was still in front of him, blocking any nosy reporters from overwhelming him with pictures. When was the last time Ash trusted an adult to protect or care for him? Years? Yeah, it was probably years.

“We’re almost there,” Lance softly spoke, attempting to alleviate Ash’s distress. “Inhale for four seconds, exhale for six seconds, and repeat.”

Ash doesn’t know what Lance had to gain from helping him. Despite not knowing Lance’s motive, Ash was able to follow every direction. He doesn’t what was the purpose of the breathing thing, but after trying it several times, Ash was able to focus a little bit better. By the time he was able to get more oriented to his surroundings, Lance had removed the cape from his lined of sight. The first thing Ash noticed was that he was in a luxury room filled with all sorts of comforts. To be fair, any room with a large window, comfy couches, food on the table, and running power is a luxury for him. 

“I wish we could properly introduce ourselves and get to know each other,” Lance shared as he checked the time. “However, I need to entertain the reporters and fulfill some responsibilities I have been neglecting. “

Feeling guilty, Ash apologized for taking too much of the man’s time. He didn’t notice that he was practically bowing, a habit he tried so hard to break when he entered the past. The children of the past don’t bow to their elders or leaders as often as the children in the future. The moment Ash realized what he was doing, he immediately stopped bowing and stood up straight. 

“Ash, it’s alright,” Lance reassured, trying his best to demonstrate to Ash that he wasn’t bothering.  “I wanted to make sure you would be alright on your own before I left.”

That was strangely...nice. How considerate Lance was toward a stranger. He wasn’t even asking anything in return or asking too many probing questions. 

“Thank you,” Ash genuinely said. “You don’t have to do this, but you did.” 

“No problem,” Lance responded as he began to exit the room. “ I heard you were traveling with Misty and Brock. Feel free to invite your companions and stay for a few hours.”

“How did you know that,” Ash questioned. 

“I need to be aware of the current events,” Lance explained, leaving the room. “From the affairs of those associated with the league to current events impacting the region.”

Ash was left alone in the room, wondering how Lance’s effort wasn’t enough to protect the future generations.

Ash was standing uncomfortable while Sabrina was starring at him as if she was trying to figure something out about him. He doesn’t know why Sabrina had access to this room or somehow arrived before Brock and Misty. She just randomly appeared without saying a word. If Ash hadn’t known her, he would have walked away from the situation. Instead, he was curious why she was trying to analyze him as if he was an unknown mystery to her. 

“You’re a distortion of time and space,” Sabrina stated, maintaining her gaze at the surprised trainer. “Before I met you, I saw an endless rain of destruction that plague Kanto.”

Ash could only look at her oddly, wondering what the hell she was talking about. Pikachu also decided that it was a wonderful time to claim a spot on top of his head. 

“The darkness spread to devour the entire world,” Sabrina continued, appearing upset. “Eventually, the destruction and chaos became too much for the world.”

Ash theorized that the gym leader could somehow see the future. Honestly, he should have known. The girl is a powerful psychic, and everything she says is usually taken seriously by the league.

“However, for the first time, the future is unclear,” Sabrina revealed as she began walking around Ash. “The moment I saw you, Ash, I can no longer  clearly see the future.”

“What are you trying to say,” Ash inquired, maintaining the mixed feelings he has about Sabrina’s revelation. 

“I sense something odd about you,” Sabrina replied as she continued to circle around Ash. “All I sense is that you’re a distortion to space and time. You defy the reality we live in.”

Well, she's basically right, but he’s not saying that. 

“Is that all,” Ash responded, confused why Sabrina is telling him this.

“I don’t know why I decided to speak to you today ...  perhaps it was to satisfy my curiosity, ” Sabrina admitted as she begin to exit the area. “I do hope you are the one who changes my original vision.”

Before Ash could ask more questions, Sabrina left him alone to his thoughts.

As his father said, a long time ago, people had hoped that the world would return to its normal state of normalcy. However, that was not the case. The winter season is harder to survive without the luxuries of the past, especially if you’re a young child with nothing more than a backpack, a coat, and makeshift tools he created. Fortunately, there was no sign of snow which means Ash had more time to prepare to find shelter and collect some roots. How was he supposed to survive without his family? He’ll need to find a way to nurture and help Pichu grow. If he’s lucky, he’ll figure out how Pichu evolves into a Pikachu. Unfortunately, all the knowledge regarding pokemon evolution was lost. 

Currently, Ash was digging up some edible roots that are buried underneath the dirt. While using his hands to scoop the dirt, he didn’t notice that he was softly singing a song. He especially didn’t notice Pichu poking his head out of the backpack to listen to Ash’s voice.

“Our future is burning down,
Burning down, burning down. 
Our future is burning down,
My dear children.
Fix it up with dreams and hope
Dreams and hope, dreams and hope,
Fix it up with dreams and hope,
My dear children.
Dreams and hope will fade away,
Fade away, fade away,
Dreams and hope will fade away,
My dear children.”

Ash was swaying his head as he sang a song all children front the future learned. It’s something all parents sing to their children. It gets the point across to children at a very young age. Somehow, he still didn’t notice he was singing a nursery rhyme his mother once sang to him. 

“Fix it up with, warmth and comfort,
Warmth and comfort, warmth and comfort,
Fix it up with warmth and comfort,
My dear children.
Warmth and comfort will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Warmth and comfort will not stay,
My dear children.”

Despite not noticing that he was singing aloud, he did feel Pichu nuzzled his cheek. For a few seconds, Ash stopped collecting roots and edible vegetation in favor of scratching Pichu’s chin. 

“Fix it up with beams and walls
Beams and walls, beams and walls,
Fix it up with beams and walls
My dear children.
Beams and walls will creak and break,
Crack and Break, crack and break, 
Beams and walls will crack and break,
My dear children.”

Suddenly, Ash became aware that he was singing, but he couldn’t stop. Pichu was looking at him with big, wide eyes, silently encouraging for him to sing. It makes sense. His mama always told him that infants love it when someone sings. Pichu was recently hatched so it makes sense that Pichu would get some joy from someone else’s singing.

“Fix it up with prayer and faith,
Prayer and faith, prayer and faith,
Fix it up with prayer and faith,
My dear children.
Prayer and faith is a lie gone astray,
Lie gone astray, lie gone astray,
Prayers and faith is a lie gone astray
My dear children.”

It’s best that Pichu becomes aware of how the future came to be and how life in this dark world will be. For now, Pichu is too young to understand everything about the world and cannot grasp everything he needs to know. He’ll finish the nursery rhythm his mother had once sung to him for Pichu. From looking at Pichu, Ash can tell that the pokemon slowly understood the lifestyle of the future. Still, Pichu was gazing at him with such hopeful eyes. 

“Find a soul to guide a light,
Guide a light, guide a light,
Find a soul to guide a light,
My dear children. 
Suppose the madness will not end,
Will not end, will not end,
Suppose the madness will not end? 
My dear children.
Ignore the pain to stand and fight.
Stand and fight, stand and fight, 
Ignore the pain to stand and fight,
My dear children.” 

What else can Ash do but ignore the painful sensation that comes from clawing the cold, solid ground from food? His fingers are becoming red, and it’s getting painful to continue. However, Pichu and his stomachs need to be somewhat filled. He needs to ignore all the pain he’s experiencing and stand against the world to fight for survival. Dying is not an option. 

Chapter Text

Ash was uneasy the moment he saw packs of wild pokemon migrating toward a certain direction. He knows that whenever pokemon travel in groups in a specific direction, it means that something horrible is going to happen in the area.  The pokemon with the group would also get distressed while pressuring their human companions to leave the fuck out of the area. Being caught in a raging sea storm did nothing to calm his nerves. Instead, it causes him to be panicky because he’s expecting something horrible to happen. While the nice townspeople of Shamouti Island were welcoming them, Ash was scanning the area to find some signs of danger.

“We’re hosting a festival about the prophecy,” Melody explained, which immediately grabbed Ash’s and Pikachu’s attention.  

Ah, Ash was waiting for something prophecy-related. He’s not a huge fan of prophecies because they were unrealistic predictions that always bring disappointment. Case in point, the dystopia future he spent a decade struggling to stay alive and dealing with the endless deaths of loved ones. From the corner of his eye, he sees Pikachu flattening his ears as he covered his face. Ash gently patted Pikachu’s head as he continued to pay attention to Melody to comfort Pikachu. 

“The Chosen One shall help Lugia to save the world and calm the legendary bird,” Melody emphasized. “However, we need a Pokemon trainer to play the role of the Chosen One.”

The moment Ash heard the words Chosen One, he slowly started to step backward in an attempt to not be dragged into playing the role of the Chosen One. At the same time, he lifted Pikachu off of his shoulder and began hugging Pikachu close to his chest. The Chosen One doesn’t have a good reputation in the future, and that’s for a good reason. The Chosen One of the past had failed to save the world from the continued destruction caused by man and pokemon. The thought of pretending to be the past’s Chosen One revolted him because he didn’t want to be associated with a person who failed to fulfill their obligations to the world. 

“Hey, Ash is a pokemon trainer,” Tracey revealed as he pointed to Ash and Pikachu. “I remember watching him battle against Lance before I met Ash in person.”

Fuck you, Tracey. He doesn’t want to pretend to be the Chosen One. If it wasn’t for the law of this land, Ash would have tossed Tracy into the sea. However, that’s not a nice way to treat your friends, and it’s not Tracey’s fault that he knows nothing about his aversion to anything Chosen One related.

“Great, Ash can be the Chosen One,” Melody stated as she approached Ash. “I’ll explain everything you need to do as the Chosen One for this festival.”

Ash winced at the thought of pretending to be the Chosen One. He hugged Piakchu’s tighter as he was shoved by Melody to where they would be hosting the festival ceremony. No one notices Pikachu’s look of despair or that Ash was unusually quiet. 

The tune Melody played was soothing to the ears. Rarely did he get a sense of hope during his timeline or during his time in the past. However, as Melody continued to play a tune, there was a  slight flicker of hope inside of him.  It was unfortunate that Ash had that hope crushed the moment he ventured out to the islands of the legendary birds.

Ash understood why certain parts of the world were flooded to the point they became uninhabitable. He knows that his father’s story of how the trio caused random parts of the world to become too hot to live, too cold to live, or too dangerous to survive. It was because the birds had lost in their rationality in favor of having their minds clouded in rage. He will never know what had happened originally that caused the birds to kill Lugia and cause each other deaths. All he knows is that the birds and Lugia died, which permanently messed up the sea currents. Despite the bird trio being alive, Ash can already see how the sea currents were already influenced by the trio’s rage.  The waters were becoming more brutal to the point that Ash had to save Tracey from falling into the seas. He watched Articuno joining the fierce duel that was causing the waters to mercilessly rock the boat. It was a miracle that Melody was still able to drive the boat without too much trouble.

“So, I need to place the spheres to the shrine,” Ash asked Melody, noticing that they were getting closer to Shamouti Shrine.

“Yes,” Melody confirmed. “We need to stop the world from being destroyed.”

Images of the darkening skies and the lack of life plagued his mind as everyone was holding onto the edges of the boat. The boat unexpectedly to be caught in a sudden typhoon before the boat was conveniently tossed onto land. After getting over the shock of being tossed into the air, Ash ran toward the place the spheres were supposed to be placed. He didn’t care about what the Slowking was saying because he had much more important things to worry about. For example, the moment he sets down the sphere, the legendary bird trio decides that it was a wonderful time to attach the shrine. Ash needed to do a barrel roll with Pikachu to be avoid being hit by Moltres’s flames, Zapdos’s thunder, or Articuno’s ice. He barely had enough time to stand up before he was greeted at the sight of the trio glaring down upon him. Before they had the opportunity to attack him, Lugia made a sudden appearance. 

“That’s Lugia, from the stories,” Ash whisper, eyes widening in awe. “He’s still alive.”

After seconds of Lugia’s emergence, Ash watched in horror as Lugia was violently attacked the bird trio. Ash watched the pokemon crash back down to the sea at some point. He didn’t understand why Lugia was so defeated quickly by the pokemon he was supposed to watch over. He noticed a massive gathering of pokemon who were traveling on the frozen sea. Ash realized that the pokemon he saw earlier was traveling to this specific location. The pokemon must have known that something was going to occur in this. What was odd was that they temporarily stopped moving when Melody was playing the same tune from the festival. 

“Why are you playing the tune,” Ash questioned, annoyed that Melody was wasting time playing a song at a time like this. 

Melody ignored Ash as she continued to play the tune. It took seconds for Ash to realize that the tune was reviving the fallen Lugia. He’s not going to question the convenient miracle as he watched Lugia emerge from the seas for the second time. When Lugia’s body is out of the sea, the Pokemon turns toward Ash. Once Ash made eye contact with Lugia, the pokemon approached where Ash was standing. 

“You must collect the Ice Sphere from Articuno’s island,” Lugia informed Ash by using his psychic powers. “Then bring the Ice Sphere back to the shrine to bring back the harmony of fire, ice, and lightning.” 

“Alright,” Ash confirmed, knowing that the entire purpose in his time travel trip was to stop this type of shit. “We don’t have time to waste.”

Pikachu also chimed in, prepared to calm down the trio’s rage. 

“Child, I forgot to ask your name,” Lugia spoke, realizing that he had forgotten something crucial. “Tell me your name.”

“Ash, my name is Ash,” Ash answered, unaware why Lugia wanted to know his name all of a sudden.

Ash felt a pair of hands placed on his shoulders. Before he had time to process, he was suddenly spun around by Melody to face her direction.

“Alone its song will fail, thus the earth shall turn to ash,” Melody said in realization. “Ash, the Shamouti Prophecy was referring to you this entire time.” 

“You’re the Chosen One Ash,” Misty continued. “That’s why Lugia asked for your name. He needs to confirm that you are the Chosen One.” 

“Ash, the world is relying on you,” Tracey added, missing Ash’s brief look of despair. 

“Ash, you’re the Chosen One the world needs,” Lugia confirmed, blissfully unaware of Ash’s internal crisis. 

Ash clutched his chest with one hand in an attempt to stop himself from panicking. All Ash felt was an overwhelming sense of dread as words of the future’s hatred toward the Chosen One echoed in his mind. 

Everyone heard stories about the failure of the Chosen One who lived in the past. If the Chosen One was successful and fulfill the prophecies, then the world wouldn’t be in this state of madness. The Chosen One had failed to fight against the deities who threaten the well-being of all life that lived on this planet. After the world’s governments had fallen and most of the human population had been killed, the surviving people had created a chant. The chant was supposed to be a mockery of the world’s prophecies that mention anything about a Chosen One stopping a disaster or anything world-ending. People wanted to place blame on something in an effort to make themselves feel better, so it was universally agreed upon to place the blame on the Chosen One who lived in the past. The chant was so popular that it survived for over one hundred years! Even Ash and his siblings love to repeat the chant about the Chosen One’s failure to stop the world’s disasters! 

“Oh Chosen One, Chosen you had failed,” Lunar chanted a phase from the well-known chant. “You were supposed to prevail.”

“Giving up your body, mind, soul, and heart,” Solar continued. “Even as you fall apart.”

“For it was your purpose to become bound,” Ash said, spreading his arms wide open. “To the world’s skies, sea, and ground!” 

The siblings looked at each other, giggling for a few moments before continuing with the chant.

“Chosen one dressed in blue armor and light,” Lunar chanted, but with a dramatic tone this time. “Who was pathetic alright.”

“With an equally worthless yellow pest,” Solar continued, shaking his head in disapproval. “ Had failed to complete the quest.”

“To calm the beast from their emotions and pain,” Ash said, memorizing the lines from the chant. “Causing the madness to regin.”

From afar, his mom and dad were smiling fondly at them. Seeing their parents' smiles had encouraged the siblings to continue with the chant with large smiles on their faces.

“The Chosen One was supposed to be strong,” Lunar recited as she twirled around for a few seconds. “Dancing to the world’s bleak song.

“Suppressing their fears, worries, and cries,” Solar chanted as he dramatically placed one hand on his forehead and placing the other hand on top of his chest. “To prevent the world’s demise.”

“For the world have ownership of their life,” Ash said, struggling to pronounce some words. “Keeping them tied to its strife.”

Flower was silently encouraging the children to continue with the chant. She was smiling as she made gestures for the siblings to continue. Cloud was giving a slight smile as he lovingly hugged Flower. 

“You brought us damnation and deathly gloom,” Lunar angrily vocalized, not hiding her hatred of the Chosen One who lived in the past. “Casting everlasting doom.”

“Due to your selfish need to remain sane,” Solar mockingly continued, sharing the same hatred for the Chosen One. “Despite the blood that had stained.”

“Every corner of the world we live on,” Ash added, sharing his sibling’s hatred for the Chosen One. “Allowing madness to spawn.”

Ash had grown up with his parents and siblings hating the Chosen One. They blamed the Chosen One for their current living circumstances and their need to protect themselves from the wrath of the deities. Due to his family's influence, Ash quickly picked up on the same type of hatred and anger toward the Chosen One.

“  You were supposed to forget your sense of self,” Lunar sang, pretending to faint as Solar caught her. “ To  perfectly mold yourself.”

“To what the world demands you to become,” Solar added, gently placing Lunar to the ground. “ Someone broken, lost, and numb.”

“Paying pokemon and human sins,” Ash chanted, not understanding the entire meaning of the chant. However, the words are drilled into his head. “ As scars decorate your skin.”

Ash stood right next to Solar, preparing to act out the next part of the chant. He took a quick second to glance at his parents. His mom and dad appeared to be enjoying the show his siblings and him are performing. He hopes that they continue to enjoy the rest of their dramatic performance, making fun of the Chosen One.

“Your happiness, dreams, goals, and desires,” Lunar sang in a condescending tone as she continued to lay on the ground. “Is not what the world requires.”

“For the Chosen One does not have a say,” Solar vocalized, briefly covering Ash’s mouth with his hands. After a few seconds, he dramatically lifted his arms up in the sky and wiggled his fingers. “On how they go through their day.”

“For the Chosen One is a voiceless doll,” Ash continued, moving his limbs weirdly and pretending to be a puppet being controlled by Solar. “Whose fate is to serve us all.” 

 
Ash stopped pretending to be a puppet, giggling at the silliness his siblings and he are participating in. Solar trapped Ash in a bone-crushing hug before lifting Ash up to the sky. Being the young child he is, Ash flapped his arms to pretend he was flying.

“If a new Chosen One was to be born,” Lunar started as she gradually got up from the ground. “Let them be informed and warned.”

“Of the old Chosen One countless mistakes,”Solar loudly spoke, tossing Ash to the air and catching his young brother. “That nailed the world on a stake.”

“Dooming us all in a world of darkness,”Ash declared as he watch Lunar silently mouthed the lines of the chant he had forgotten. “To go with the madness.”

Ash didn’t understand much about the chant that was mocking the phrophercies of the past and how the Chosen One had failed to prevent the world from falling into madness. There were some words he didn’know the meaning of, such as inhumane, everlasting, damnation, ownership, and plenty of other big words. However, his siblings had continuously rehearsed all the chant lines to make sure that Ash remembered the words. Ash may not know the meaning of some of the words spoken, but he at least knows the chant per vadium. 

“Hear us Chosen One of the distant past,” Lunar called out to the darkness that consumed the skies. “If you wanted life to last.”

“All the catastrophe should have been dealt with,” Solar verbalized as he put Ash to the ground. He grabbed a twig and pretended to swing like a scythe. “Instead of letting death’s scythe.”

“Reap the lives of pokemon and human,” Ash chanted, struggling to remember the current and subsequent lines of the chant. “Under something inhuman.”

Mom and dad had taught Ash that it was the Chosen One’s fault that they were doomed to live a nomadic lifestyle. Ash saw how sad his mother was when she stated that she wished they lived in a world where they didn’t have to run. His father would tell old stories about how children used to travel around the world without the fear of death following right behind them. Ash immediately agreed that his parents were right that it was the Chosen One fault for everything. That’s why he’s participating in a dramatic performance with his siblings while verbalizing the well-know chant. 

“If a new Chosen One was to exist,” Flower chimed in, which caused the siblings’ dace to lit up in joy. “They are never to resist.”

“The demands of their destiny and fate,” Cloud joined, which caused Ash to jump up and down from joy. “To bring us into a state.”

“Where endless madness, darkness, pain, and death,” Flower softly sang, giving her children a sad smile. “Finally, take their last breath.”

That is all Ash wanted in life. He wanted to be free of the deaths, darkness, pain, and death that plaque their entire lives. As Ash went to position himself between Lunar and Solar, he wonders about a life where the sun can continue to bless the world with its light.

“Oh Chosen One from a long time ago,” Lunar loudly sang, placing a hand on top of Ash’s head. “What failures you have sow.”

“If there was a new Chosen One right now,” Solar continued, placing a hand on top of Ash’s head. After the sibling’s hands were on top of Ash’s head, they pretended to forcibly make Ash bow down. “We would make them bow down.”

“Forcing them to sacrifice their life,” Ash finished, pretending to bow down to an invisible entity. “To stop the world’s endless strife.” 

After the siblings finished their overly dramatic performance, they all fell to the ground and burst into laughter. Meanwhile, Flower and Cloud would give a round of applause for their children’s performance. They entertained the rare moments where Lunar, Solar, and Ash acted like proper children. At the same time, some people from their group watched the siblings’ performance, giving their own round of applause. The other children from the group would run up to the siblings and create a giant dogpile. These rare moments of fun and play encourage Ash to survive in this brutal, merciless future. 

Through Lugia’s announcement declaring Ash as the Chosen One, Ash found himself becoming the person everyone in the future loathed. While Tracey, Misty, and Melody continued coming up with a plan to stop the bird trio, Ash stood in silence as he fought the negative thoughts that echoed hatred for the Chosen One. He became what he was taught to hate and despise. 

Chapter Text

Time and time again, Pikachu was protected from most of the impact. Now, he was slowly drowning in the icy sea waters after Lugia’s body had crashed through the ice. He should have known that Ash would purposely take the brunt of the impact. He could feel Ash’s arms loosen the moment Ash fell into unconsciousness. It didn’t take long before Ash unintentionally let Pikachu go as he sank further down in the seas. Despite not being able to breathe in the water, Pikachu still cried for Ash to wake up. 

“Please wake up,” Pikachu cried out, attempting to swim closer to Ash. 

Pikachu didn’t care that the water was beginning to fill up his lungs. All he cared about was that Ash would wake up. When Ash didn’t respond to his calls, Pikachu began to shake Ash as if that would magically bring Ash back to consciousness. After several minutes of clawing, shaking, and weakening calling out to Ash, Pikachu’s vision was starting to get blurry. Was it always this hard to concentrate? 

“Ash, please wake up,” Pikachu weakly begged, struggling to remain conscious. “We are in this together.”

Pikachu saw a familiar face swimming toward them. Although it was hard to see clearly, Pikachu could tell that it was Misty desperately swimming toward them. Pikachu would have cried tears of joy if he could as Misty placed one of Ash’s arms over her shoulder. He made sure to hold onto Ash’s shirt as Misty began to swim up to the surface. While Pikachu felt somewhat guilty that Lugia was still at the bottom of the sea, there are some more important issues to worry about. At least, important to Pikachu. 

Misty didn’t take too long to reach up to the surface. The moment everyone had reached the surface, Pikachu took a giant breath of air. At the same time, Tracey quickly pulls Ash out of the water and places him on the ice that Lugia’s impact hasn’t destroyed. As for him, he watched Tracey do some chest compression to revive Ash. Pikachu may be a pokemon, but he knows that a ten-year-old child is not qualified to revive a person who had drowned. Still, whatever Tracey did must have worked because Ash was suddenly awake and spitting out the seawater. Either that of Ash got lucky once again.

“Why do I taste salt,” Ash said while coughing. 

Pikachu squealed in joy as he dashed toward Ash. He jumped into Ash’s arms while Ash hugged him tightly. 

Under normal circumstances, a regular person would be resting after a near-death experience. Ash wasn’t like most regular people. He forced himself to stand up and started to run toward the shrine to place the Ice Sphere. He could feel his wet clothes cling tightly as the cold sink into his skin. Ash always hated the cold, and this incident only caused his hatred for the cold to increase. He deserves a break after helping Lugia and preventing extreme climate change. For crying out loud, it’s tough to run on top of ice without slipping. On multiple occasions, Ash had found himself almost slipping on the ice.

“Misty, Tracey, have Articuno, Zapdos, or Moltres made an appearance,” Ash asked.

“No, they have remained defeated,” Misty responded, thinking that Ash was worried about the bird trio.

Ah, so maybe Ash can’t change some things from the past. If he could prevent one disaster, that doesn’t guarantee the survival of the fallen legendary pokemon. Ash thinks he should feel guilt for not saving the pokemon deities. However, Ash felt nothing regarding the possibility that the four legendary pokemon are dead. At least for him, death was the norm of the future. People die. Pokemon die. That was how Ash was able to justify abandoning Lugia to seawaters. 

Once Ash made it to the shrine, Ash cautiously placed the sphere into the shine. The moment Ash placed the final sphere, the shrine began to shine brightly alongside the sphere. For some strange reason, Melody began to play the song. Not really an appropriate time to play a song, in his opinion. He was about to question Melody’s choices until he saw Lugia emerge from the sea and the legendary birds returning to full health. Instinctively, Ash braced himself for impact and shielded himself from any potential moves. Pikachu was preparing to attack the legendary pokemon as well until the two of them realized that they weren’t being attacked. Misty was giving him a questioning look while Tracey appeared confused about why Ash was acting like he would be attacked. 

“I think Lugia wants you to ride on his back,” Tracey pointed out, gesturing to a nodding Lugia. 

“I don’t see why now,” Misty added. “It wouldn’t hurt.”

Ash had some doubts but decided that there was little risk of bodily harm. He cautiously approached Lugia while he watched the legendary bird trio with a keen eye. When he was standing beside Lugia, Ash climbed onto Lugia. Seconds after Ash has settled, Lugia immediately soars toward the skies. However, unlike last time, Lugia was flying at a slower pace. Additionally, the stormy clouds that once covered the sky had disappeared to make room for the golden sun. 

“Pikachu look, it’s the sun” Ash smiled, unconsciously stretching one of his arms to reach the shining sun. “No matter how many times I look at it, the sun continues to bring joy to my heart.”

Coming from a world where the sun’s light and warmth were no more than stories of the past, Ash would always appreciate every day where the world is blessed by its presence. 

Somehow, Ash found himself nursing a girl who was several years older than him. The most defining feature of the girl was her navy blue hair and blueish eyes. The girl had a severe burn on her arm, and her ankle was obviously sprained. What was weirder was that the girl’s Piplup was trying to play with Pichu. Fortunately for the girl, Ash knows some basic first aid because his mother taught him how to deal with different injuries. 

“Wait, you’re alone,” the girl questioned before she coughed. “Aren’t you like a fetus?”

“I’m not a fetus,” Ash responded with a deadpan expression. “And what do you mean alone? Are you saying that you came from a group.”

The unknown girl stared at Ash as if she was analyzing him before shaking her head.

“Yep, you’re a fetus who is somehow alive,” the unknown girl commented, dismissing the glare Ash was giving her. “You need to be introduced to my group.”

“Stranger danger,” Ash spoke as he applied the handmade salve onto the girl’s skin. “You haven’t even given me your name.”

“Fair point,” the girl agreed. “My name is Platinum. Now give me your name, or else I’m going to continue calling you fetus.”

“Ash,” Ash answered. Platiumn’s comment did not amuse him. “And are you sure that your group would be okay with having a child join?"

Platinum gave Ash a severe expression for a few seconds before she burst into laughter.

“A child, you’re kidding right,” Platinum laughed as she gasped for air every couple of seconds. “Please, the oldest ones in the group are Gravel and Haze. They are like, thirteen.” 

“So it’s a group made out of orphans,” Ash inquired, hiding his shock that there were some orphans who were in a similar position as him. 

After Platinum was done laughing, Ash placed one of her arms over his shoulder and began to weakly carry her to her group. Platinum gave him the coordinates to where the group is currently settled while Ash followed the directions. Pichu claimed his spot on top of his head while the girl’s Piplup thought it would be a great idea to hide in his backpack. Ash hoped that the pokemon won’t eat all of his food. After what has felt like hours, Ash begins to see several shelters made out of wood, moss, vines, and twigs from afar. There were also a few treehouses on some random trees.

“Hey, everyone, I got a newbie,” Platinum called out, which resulted in several heads popping out of the treehouse and the shelters. “He’s like, a baby.”

“I gave you my name, so use it,” Ash mentioned, giving Platiumn an unamused look. 

Several children that range in an age quickly approached the two of them. 

“Name Gravel,” a boy who was barely in his teens introduced. “Don’t mind Platinum. She can be annoying sometimes.”

“Wow, rude,” Platinum said, pretending to be offended. 

Ash looked at Gravel to see that he had spiky brown hair, tan skin, and was the tallest out of the group. Another boy next to Gravel was another boy who was barely into his teens and had pale skin, green eyes, and plain red hair. 

“Name Haze,” the boy said as he pulled Platiumn off of his back to carry the girl. “I’ll take it from here since you must be exhausted from carrying her all the way here.” 

The moment Fog carried Platiumn in his arms, and someone had crashed into him, which resulted in him falling onto the ground.

“Pearl, stop knocking people over,” a boy with the same blue hair and eyes as Platiumn yelled. “You’re always in a hurry.”

Ash rubbed his head in pain for a bit before he saw the person who knocked him off the ground. The person who knocked him to the ground was a boy with blond hair and orange eyes. 

“I mean, we live in this reality,” Pearl justified before helping Ash get up from the ground. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” Ash responded, appearing unsure how to react to everything. 

Then, there was a pair of twins who was standing behind the blue haired boy.

“Diamond, who’s this,” a girl with long brown hair and blue eyes asked. 

“Please don’t tell me you kidnapped him,” a boy with short brown hair and blue eyes added.

“Ruby, Sapphire, why would we kidnap someone,” Diamond questioned.

Ah, so this was how a group of orphans act like. Before Ash had the opportunity to speak, two girls was standing right beside him. One girl had blond hair covered in bows and had natural wide eyes. As for the other girl, she had green hair that matched with her green eyes.

“Cool, someone new,” the blond hair girl cheered. “My name is Storm.”

“And my name is Ivy,” the green hair said as she gave a warm smile. 

Ash was immediately welcomed into the group with open arms. He didn’t know how much he missed human contact or the warm feeling of a hug until Gravel gave him one tight hug. Unfortunately for Ash, there will come a day where his happiness will be crushed once more.

Chapter Text

The world was unusually quiet on this mundane night. At least, it was in Ash’s opinion. It was one of the nights where Ash couldn’t sleep due to a mixture of anxiety, fears, and persistent reminders of his past. Behind him, he could hear Misty and Tracy blissfully sleeping. It was as if the people behind were unaware of the fact that they could have died. Lucky them. He wished that he could immediately fall asleep when his head touched the pillow. Unfortunately, Ash can’t force himself to fall asleep. Now, he stocks at looking at the stars and moon. Well, that’s not exactly true. He’s looking at the three plates the people of Shamouti Island gave him after for saving the entire world. Why the fuck did they decide to give a trainer a red, pale blue, and yellow plate as a type of reward. Pikachu was also looking oddly at the three plates and looking at Ash expectantly.

“Dad taught me to read the ancient unknown language,” Ash mentioned, attempting to decipher the faded text of the plates. “It said ‘when the universe was created, its shards became this plat’...or that what I think it said.”

Sue him, he was a five year old when he taught the ancient unknown language. At least he can confidently say the name of each plate. On the very bottom of the red plate, a text stated that the plate was called the Flame Plate. The text’s on the yellow plate states that the plate was called the Zap plate. As for the last plate, the pale blue plate was called the Icicle plate. Now, if only he could figure out if these plates would somehow be substantial in the future or if he should get rid of plates. Maybe a collector would buy them for a hefty price. However, Ash knows that everything that has happened so far was no accident. A simple decision to accept the unknown invitation resulted in stopping Mewtwo. Ash being transported to Pallet town allow him to register as a trainer. Being informed by the gym challenge allow him to gain an alibi. 

“I should probably keep these,” Ash sighs, putting the plates back in his backpack. “Knowing my life, these plates will somehow be important.” 

Ash carefully put the items in his backpack before trying to tire himself out by walking and surveying the area. First, he checked for Misty’s and Tracy’s pulse to reassure himself that they were alive. Next, he surveys the area to detect any possible unseen threats. Sure, the pokemon of the past were much friendlier, but there could still be some unseen threats!

“It’s not fair, it’s not fair, it’s not fair,” Ash muttered to himself as Pikachu cast a worried look in Ash’s direction. “Why does everything keep piling?”

Ash somehow found himself standing beside a lake while unconsciously walking. The moonlight shining upon the area allowed Ash to see his reflection. Looking closer at his reflection, Ash saw the dark bags underneath his eyes and how frazzle he looked. Pikachu also appeared worn out and miserable but to a much lesser extent. Then, Ash saw a younger version of himself and Pikachu. His younger self was a lot scrawnier and fragile. Pikachu was a Pichu who appeared helpless and weak. Ash shook his head as he closed his eyes. After closing his eyes, he rubbed his eyes before opening his eyes again. Now, Ash sees the proper, current reflection of himself and Pikachu.

“I want to give up,” Ash whisper, grabbing several rocks he found on the ground. “I want to run away from everything and live my life as a simple pokemon trainer.”

Ash furiously tossed rock after rock toward the lake in a brief moment of fury. After throwing his last rock, Ash collapse to the ground. Pikachu did his best to comfort Ash by lying on Ash’s lap. Unconsciously, Ash began to scratch Pikachu’s chin.

“But I don’t have that privilege,” Ash continued as tears began to trail down on his cheek. “If I’m forced to be the Chosen One, I can’t be selfish to do what I want.”

Ash hated the past Chosen One for the individual’s lack of action. Everyone from the future was vocal about their hatred toward the Chosen One of the past. If his mom and dad were alive right now, Ash would think that they would want him to fulfill the role thrust upon him. 

“The Chosen One isn’t allowed to have a say,” Ash quietly said, remembering the mockery of a chant from the future. “I need to remind myself that my only purpose is to serve the world and prevent history from repeating itself."

Ash found himself lying on the ground, gazing at the endless night sky. At some point, he must have dozed off because he woke up to the faces of Misty and Tracy sometime in the morning. Tracy had a plate of food ready for him while Misty was kind enough to pack up his stuff. His backpack was behind Misty, which caused Ash to think that his friends must have picked up his stuff for him.

“Are you alright Ash,” Misty asked, appearing unsure of herself. “You weren’t in your sleeping bag this morning.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ash skillfully lied as Misty appeared more relieved.

“That’s good to hear,” Tracy responded. “But if you ever need to talk to someone, you know you can talk to Misty or me.”

Ash could only smile as he nodded his head. While Ash may have lost all of his friends and family during his current time period, he had made friends who cared about him in the past. If he had no one to fight and protect for in his time period, he had at least a few people in that past he could fight for. While Ash may not have a future, Brock, Misty, Tracy, and everyone else in the past all have a future to live for. Ash would make sure of it.

Ash watched Pichu show off a small, oval stone that appeared to be in a weird mixture of grey and light blue. The stone had tiny dots that were in a darker shade than the rest of the stone. He noticed that Pichu loved the stone so much, Ash grabbed a thin, small vine and motioned Pichu to give him the stone. Pichu happily gave the stone to Ash as the pokemon grew curious about what Ash was doing.

“I’m making you a necklace,” Ash smiled, wrapping the vine around the stone in a complicated pattern. “Think of it as a present.” 

Ash managed to wrap the vine around the stone to the point that the stone was still visible, but it was securely wrapped in the vine. Ash finished by knotting the two sides of the vine to create a necklace for Pichu. Once he was done, he handed Pichu the necklace while Pichu cheered in joy.

“Wow, you’re really talented,” Gravel admitted, sitting beside Ash. “Man, we’re lucky that we ran into you.”

“Why is that,” Ash questioned as Gravel ruffle Ash’s hair.

“Dude, you’re a healer,” Gravel responded, ruffling Ash’s hair much to the younger kid’s disappointment. “ You practically healed all of our pokemon.”

“Oh, well, my mom taught me everything,” Ash admitted, ducking his head. For some reason, Gravel’s praise was making him shy all of a sudden. “I’m not much of a fighter, unlike everyone here.”

“Yeah, we notice,” Gravel commented. He noticed how Ash was quickly trying to defend himself, so Gravel immediately spoke. “But it’s okay that you’re not a fighter. We all have our strengths!”

“Really,” Ash said, feeling relieved that no one would judge him for his lack of battling skills. “I’m usually the one who runs away from danger. “

While fighting helps you survive, it can also get you to kill,” Gravel warned, making sure that Ash was paying attention. “So don’t feel bad that you want to run away from danger! It’s only natural.”

“So don’t have s poor image of yourself,” Haze said from behind, surprising both Ash and Gravel. “You’re amazing, so don’t let yourself have a poor sense of self-worth!”

“What the fuck Haze, you know better than to scare use,” Gravel pointed out while Hazewent closer to Ash. “Wait, what are you doing.”

Haze was able to carry Ash while Pichu climbed on Haze's leg to claim his spot on top of Ash’s head. 

“Ash’s my little brother now,” Haze smiled before heading toward where the other children were preparing a campfire. “Plus, you have been hogging him all to yourself. 

“Now hold up, you little shit,” Gravel responded as he followed Haze. “ I’m only doing that because I’m the oldest, and Ash is the youngest out of the group. Naturally, I’ll be the older brother role model.”

Ash heard Haze and Gravel playfully argue for the next several minutes as Ivy prepared to cook that night’s meal. 

Chapter Text

Ash climbed up the stairs toward the small apartment he’s currently renting for himself after realizing that he needed a place of residence in the past. Despite being a literal child, the landlord had no problem renting a small apartment to him as long he could make the monthly payments. Besides, he needs a place to store the random items he has collected in the past few months. He needs a place to store the Winner’s Trophy, badges, plates, and other items he will be collecting but would have no use for. 

“I don’t remember if I need to go to Johto or Hoenn,” Ash said, pulling the keys out of his pockets. “Does Hoenn’s change in weather pattern occur now or later?”

Ash unlocked the door and entered his barren apartment. A mattress placed in the middle of the living room and a small laptop was all that greeted Ash. That’s it. Ash saw it pointless to put decorations or unnecessary furniture in the apartment. However, that does leave him wondering whether he should just toss the badges and everything else where the bedroom is supposed to be. Deciding that he didn’t want to waste time buying a whole display or a drawer at the moment, Ash simply shrugged as he pulled the items out of his backpack. When he grabbed the trophy, Ash held it in his hands as he stared at it. Holding onto the trophy brings Ash a sense of accomplishment. He was still surprised that he managed to defeat Drake in the Orange League and became the champion. 

“Maybe if I win more badges and trophies, I’ll buy something nice to display them,” Ash smiled, watching Pikachu smile in agreement. “But I will leave them neatly on the floor for now.”

After Ash placed the trophy, badges, plates, and cool stuff he found, Ash immediately headed back to the living room and opened the laptop. While Ash may not be the most proficient in using some technologies, he knows how to search for information. Ash spent time browsing through websites that mentioned anything about Hoenn’s current events, weather, disasters, and space discoveries for the next few hours. He needs to know current events regarding when Team Magma and Team Aqua become a problem. Ash’s concerns about the weather patterns and disaster are more associated with signs of Groudon and Kyogre’s inevitable conflict. As for the space discoveries, Ash would need to know when to search for Raquaza to stop the meteorite. 

Pikachu was on his shoulder, pointing to the screen that showed a picture of Wallace. The pokemon was trying to explain that couldn’t they just go to Hoenn when Wallace was no longer the champion. That should be simple enough, in the pokemon’s opinion.

“It’s not,” Ash explained, rubbing his eyes before looking back at the screen.” Remember, Steven originally became the champion after Wallace tragically died. Steven tried to fix Team Aqua and Team Magma fuck ups, but it was too late.”

Ash hopes he never has to see their faces. At least toward Lance, Ash didn’t feel too bad for interacting with a man who originally died after Lugia’s death. The Kanto’s champion had lived his life. From what his dad and mom told him, Lance was one of the few who reached his sixties. However, Steven and Wallace were in their early twenties. They had died too young, accomplishing very little during their times as champions. Sure, they are remembered for sacrificing their lives. Unfortunately, the two of them never had the opportunity to live their youth.

“No Pikachu, I’m different,” Ash reminded while Pikachu gave Ash a judgemental stare. “The lives of Steven, Wallace, and the champions in this era matter. But my life? My life and how I spend for the rest of my life doesn’t matter in the grand schemes.”

It’s true. Ash doesn’t know if he and Pikachu will continue to exist after completely changing history. Would they eventually disappear from existence, or would they be allowed to live? 

That night, Ash found it extremely difficult to close his eyes. Without the presence of his friends, Ash can’t escape from the auditory hallucinations of Mewtwo’s voice mocking his ability to stop him and the clone pokemon. When he does close his eyes for a few seconds, he sees dead bodies of women and children from his first group. The auditory hallucinations would then transform into the voices of the women, men, and children from the first group pressuring him to fulfill the expectations of the chosen one. A voice would tell him that he can’t waste time on silly things such as contests. Another voice would tell him that he needs to get stronger. Occasionally, he will hear the distorted voice of his father telling him that the fate of the future is in his hands. When he hears the distorted voice of his mother, she usually pleads for help and begs Mewtwo for mercy. As for his siblings, the distorted voice of his sister would tell him that he can’t repeat the past Chosen One's mistakes. In contrast, the distorted voice of his brother stresses that his only goal is to serve the world. 

In a vain attempt to stop the auditory hallucinations, Ash covered his ears and buried his head under the pillow. Although it did little to stop the auditory hallucinations of the dead or Mewtwo, Ash continued to remain underneath the pillow. Pikachu soon crawled underneath the pillow and nuzzled his cheek. Maybe when he’s traveling, he will be able to fall asleep faster.

Haze was an excellent water-type trainer with a trio of Squirtle following right behind him. He may be a hot head, but he cares for the well-being of the group. Gravel is an excellent rock-type trainer who is usually the voice and brains in this group of orphan children. He has two Geodude, but one of them has black rocks that look like eyebrows for some reason. Gravel also has a Shieldon who acts all protective over Gravel. 

“I can’t believe you are teaching me how to cook that goop,” Ash complained, looking at the ancient pot with disgust. “This is goop! Goop I tell you!”

“Ash, don’t you get tired of eating berries all the time,” Haze questioned, giving Ash a judgemental stare. “Seriously, eating the same thing repeatedly gets boring real fast.” 

In front of Ash was a huge pot that contained a cursed soup concoction that looked all mushy and brown. Ash is questioning the diet of everyone here. For the past few days, everyone has been eating berries, fruits, and other editable plants they have found. Now, they are making this cursed thing!

“Ash, all I did is pour the sap from the nearby red maple trees,” Gravel stated, pointing to a large bucket of the sap he collected. “We need whatever calories we can get here.”

Ash could see a group of buckets containing sap from the red maple trees near a makeshift, small shed made out of mud bricks. Haze told him that Gravel built it, so they could have a place to store the heavier food items. 

“Is it good,” Ash wondered, looking at the pot. “I will be honest, it looks like shit.”

“I said the same thing,” Haze responded, dismissing Gravel’s blank look. “Apparently, Gravel’s parents taught him that some trees produce syrup that is edible to humans and pokemon!”

“It does not look like shit,” Gravel defended as Ash giggled. Gravel was waving the spoon around for dramatic effect while Haze tried to maintain a serious face. “At least it makes the tart berries taste sweet and much more bearable to eat!” 

When the meal was ready to be served, everyone gathered around the pot. Based on how excited everyone was waiting for Gravel to serve their proportion, Ash decided that he would give the strange mixture a try. Once he was served his portion and Pichu was given his plate, they both took a bite of it at the same time. Pichu squealed in delight as he quickly finished the rest of his plate at record speed. Ash himself was amazed at how something that looked like crap could taste so amazing. Ash ate all the contents on his plate while everyone watched in amusement.

“Told you it wasn’t bad,” Gravel smiled. 

“No offense but it does look like shit,” Pearl pointed out, dodging the spoon Gravel tossed at him. 

“It makes everything brown and goopy,” Ruby added, ducking his head when Gravel threw a random rock he had found. 

“Sorry I judge it too quickly,” Ash said, smiling as he held his empty plate. “It tastes really good. Your ancestors must have been excellent cooks.”

“Probably,” Gravel shrugged. “I would like to think they were pretty cool.”

Ash doesn’t know if he will continue existing after he permanently changes the fate of the future. As a safety measure, Ash decided that he should all of the pokemon he caught at Professor Oak’s lab. As much Ash would love to have them remain on his team, they need to start getting used to him not being around. That doesn’t mean he will release them or not visit them! He doesn’t want his current team to continue feeling pressured to stop the countless calamities of the world without being burnt out or having a life-changing injury. His pokemon from the past deserve a break. They don’t deserve to have the same burden as him. That’s why he’s going to have a new team for every region he travels to. After finishing a region, the pokemon from that region will have a well-deserved break at Oak’s lab. They get to choose to battle other pokemon or take a permanent vacation. He will make sure to visit his pokemon for a week after completing a region! However, the one pokemon who would continue to remain on his side would be Pikachu. 

“I’m sure you would miss your pokemon,” Misty commented. 

“I will,” Ash admitted. “They deserve better.”

“Ash, it’s not an uncommon practice for trainers to create a new team for a different region,” Brock explained, noticing how guilty Ash appears to be.

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Ash answered, taking the opportunity Brock inversely provided for him. 

Ash was about to ask Brock about the Johto region until Misty told them to stop and pointed to something poking out of Brock’s backpack  Brock paused before putting his backpack on the ground and checking the item poking out of his backpack. When Brock pull the item out of his backpack, it was a bottle of pure maple syrup. 

“Why do you have maple syrup,” Misty questioned, unsure why Brock has that with him.

“Forest gave it to me as a parting gift,” Brock explained, looking like he wished he was joking. He wasn’t. “They didn’t like the taste of this brand but didn’t want to waste food.”

“So they gave it to you,” Misty concluded. 

“Unfortunately,” Brock responded.”I don’t know what to do with it.”

Huh. He didn’t see the resemblance before, but now, Ash could see the eerie similarities between Brock and Gravel as well as Misty and Haze. It’s ironic that Ash befriended Gravel’s and Haze’s ancestors when he traveled to the past. Pikachu must have made the same conclusion because Pikachu began to stare at them intensely before nodding approval. 

Chapter Text

As Ash approached Greenfield, he noted the increased amount of crystals covering the area. When he saw a blue castle made of glistening blue crystals, Ash mentally braced himself to alter the course of history again. Placing a hand on his chest, Ash made sure to take several deep breaths to calm himself down. Not a second after Ash managed to calm himself down, Pikachu leaped off of his shoulders and used Thunderbolt toward an approaching pokemon. The Thunderbolt did manage to hit the pokemon, but that did little to stop it. Ash jumped to the side to avoid being run over by an Entei. While Ash jumped to the left, Brock and Misty jumped to the other side. Ash was about to tell Pikachu to use a quick attack, but he heard someone shouting at him not to attack.

“Entei has Nurse Joy unconscious on his back,” a familiar professor voice shouted. “You can’t risk harming her.”

Observing the pokemon, Ash saw that Entei did indeed have Nurse Joy lying unconscious on his back. Entei was circling around Brock and Misty, trapping them in a confined spot. After several minutes of circling around them like prey, Entei stopped and stared directly at them. Ash doesn’t know Entei’s intentions, but Ash wasn’t letting the pokemon harm his two friends. He can’t have them get hurt or die under his watch. Slowly, Ash lifted Pikachu off the ground and placed the pokemon on top of his head. Ash didn’t have a plan when he tiptoed close to Entei, but he was hoping to catch the pokemon’s attention instead of having him focus on his friends. Entei used his hind legs to kick him in the stomach when he thought he had the upper hand. Ash flew several meters away from Entei and landed roughly on the crystal parts. Despite the pain he felt on his tailbone or stomach, Ash mustered enough strength to lift himself off the ground.

“Wait, don’t,” Ash begged, running towards to save his friends. “You can’t take them from me.”

Ash should have known why Entei stopped circling his friends. While Ash was trying to get close, Entei must have hypnotized Brock and Misty. That must have been how Entei was able to capture Nurse Joy. He ignored the stabbing pain in his body as he saw Brock and Misty faint and fall onto Entei. The moment they fell onto Entei, the pokemon dashed off toward the crystal castle. Ash began to chase after the pokemon, not caring if he permanently damaged his body. However, someone grabbed his arm and stopped him from chasing after them.

“It’s too dangerous,” Professor Oak warned, releasing Ash from his grip. “We’ll work together to try to find a method to save them.”

Ash collapsed on the ground, angry at himself for not being quick enough to prevent Misty’s and Brock’s kidnapping. Ash hit the ground with his fist until his hand started bleeding and he screamed incoherent words. It took a while, but Professor Oak was able to calm Ash down enough, so Ash stopped hurting himself.

“We will save them,” Professor Oak assured. “But Brock and Misty need you to be at your full strength. They would not want you to hurt yourself?”

No, they would not. Brock is worried about his injuries, while Misty struggles to look at the harm he has done to himself. Ash didn’t react when Professor Oak put an arm on his shoulder and guided him to where the people had evacuated too.

Ash tossed the phone that was consistently running due to Professor Oak frequent calls. He was climbing up the frozen waterfall, so the phone fell from a high height. Sure, he snuck out when no one was paying attention. However, did they honestly expect him to stay idle as a little girl claims that she’s with her “family.” Ash knows that the girl’s parents are missing. Ash assumed that the girl was trying to replicate a perfect family to replace the family she desperately wanted. Molly was around the same age as him when he lost his family. Still, that doesn’t excuse her for kidnapping people and forcing them to act like all happy families. 

“I hope Brock and Misty won’t get too mad,” Ash said, noticing how blood was seeping out of his gloves. “I shouldn’t have let my anger get the best of me.”

Looking at the castle above him, Ash was filled with determination to save his friends and stop Molly from living in a false fantasy. 

Ash knows that Brock and Misty are capable trainers. Still, he instinctively stood in front of them and shielded them from Molly’s line of sight. Well, shield them as much as he can since he’s the shortest out of the group. 

“Molly, it’s time to go to the real world,” Ash softly said. “Is this what your father wanted?”

At this point, Ash was desperate to convince Molly to see reason. Ash lends his hand to Molly, giving the girl an encouraging smile. He hopes that she will accept his hand. His Charizard can only do so much against Entei, considering that the illusion is fueled by Molly’s dreams and fantasies. From the corner of his eye, he could see how tired Charizard was getting and the damage he’s sustaining from Entei's attack. He doesn’t have much time and needs to hurry up the process.

Molly approached and used on hand to shake Ash’s hand. So Molly has accepted his offer. 

“I want everything to be real again,” Molly told as she faced Entei. 

The moment Molly finished talking, crystal spikes suddenly emerged from everyone. Brock grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him away from the spike that would have impaled him Ash continued to remain still. Molly was barely able to avoid being impaled by the spikes as well, thanks to Entei reacting quickly. When Molly was safe, Entei created a pathway toward a possible exit. Crystal debris began falling upon them as everything began to destabilize. Ash didn’t know why he immediately lifted Molly off the ground and carried her as they all ran for their lives. Pikachu was right on top of her to shield her from anything that could hurt her. He thought he would hate her after taking one of the few people he formed a connection with in this era. However, that was not the case. Perhaps it was because, like him, Molly was alone.

Latias was cruel to bring him and several other people into a crystalized hellscape. She said she would allow outsiders to enter the settlement if they could pass this “simple” trial the settlement leaders prepared for them. Ash thinks the settlement was hoping to weed out those who may not contribute to the settlement. Ash doesn’t know why he wasn’t allowed to enter the settlement with all the other children who didn’t have to do the trial. He also doesn’t understand why he and the group he was with were teleported inside a crystal labyrinth. There were a bunch of stone tablets scattered around the floor. While everyone appeared to be unsure what was written on the tablet, Ash knew that it was written in the Unknown language. 

At first, the recently turned nine-year-old didn’t overthink the crystal palace. However, when one person read the funny text on the stone tablets, dozens of Unknowns suddenly appeared. Ash's first reaction was to run and avoid being killed by the pokemon. He saw a crystal staircase, so he immediately used all of his energy to dash toward the stairs. After reaching the staircase, Ash looks over his shoulder to see crystal spikes littering the floor. Some people appeared to be severely injured, while others were knocked out unconscious by the fallen debris. Some with pokemon were fighting the Unknowns while they made their way to the stairs. 

“Remember, the goal is to escape,” a man behind him yelled, dragging Ash down the stairs. “Focus on your own survival kid!”

“But what about the other people,” Ash hesitantly asked, cowering under the person’s gaze.

“You don’t get it, kid, do you,” the man responded, maintaining his glare.

“No,” Ash quietly admitted.

“We’re the sacrificial pawns,” the man explained. “This is how outsiders are tested. If you survive, you’re welcome to the settlement protected by the last few uncorrupted deities.”

But Ash thought deities unaffected by the madness were gentle, kind, and friendly. Latias can’t be that cruel to test all newcomers by placing them in a life or death situation. Why would a group of people or deities encourage something so barbaric? 

“Resources are limited,” the man responded as if he knew what Ash was thinking. He released Ash from his grip but continued to remain by his side. “They don’t want to feed and shelter someone who would contribute nothing.”

Ash continued running down the stairs, narrowly missing the falling crystal debris. He tried his best to ignore the screams and cries of pain of those unlucky enough to get hit by the falling crystal. Pichu, who was poking his head out of his backpack, was giving words of encouragement. 

“Why did you help me,” Ash asked the man. As he continues to avoid being hit. “You got nothing to gain.”

“There are not a lot of children left,” the man answered. “Especially children blessed by the blue light.”

Ash didn’t have the opportunity to ask the man about the blue light comment because the man order his Staraptor to use brave bird at a large amount of Unknown trailing behind Ash. At the time, Ash didn’t know why the Unknowns were primarily targeting him compared to others. He was unaware that everyone fighting for the chance to join a settlement allowed Ash to become bait and did nothing as the Unknowns circled around the boy. Instead, they all ran and let the boy defend himself. The only one who did anything was the man who first dragged Ash down the staircase. Somehow, the man and Ash survived the crystal nightmare after being trapped in it for 30 hours. With much reluctance from the settlement leaders, Ash was allowed to join the settlement. Despite surviving the trial, the settlement people would look up and down at him as they narrowed their eyes at him. He got used to people expressing their complete disdain for a kid cursing with the blue light. If only he knows what the “blue light” means.” 

In the pokemon center, Ash made Brock and Misty join him in the pillow fort he made in the room. It was large enough to fit a couple of people, so space wasn’t an issue. To the right, there was Misty lying down and smashing her face into the pillow. To Ash’s left, Brock was comfortably laying on his back on top of the blanket covering the floor. Brock would have a pillow, but Pikachu stole the pillow and was sleeping on top of it. Covering them all was a ridiculously oversize, fluffy blanket Ash was able to find in the pokemon center. 

“Ash, I would like the hand you are holding hostage back,” Brock stated.

“Yeah, you have been swinging our hand a while now,” Misty said, temporarily lifting her head off the pillow. 

Ash has been swinging one of Brock’s and Misty’s hands up in the air and down to the floor. Ash doesn’t know why he was doing it in the first place, but he thinks it was to give him reassurance that they are here to stay. They are here, alive. Brock and Misty are not six feet under like their descendants. If Ash couldn’t save Gravel, and everyone else from the orphan group, the very least he can do is protect their ancestors. Brock and Misty are people Ash would dare call his friends. He’s not using them as replacements because they are their own person. 

“Fine, but I will demand a group hug tomorrow morning,” Ash insisted, releasing his friends' hands. 

“We’re not going anywhere,” Misty reassured. “It’s going to take a lot more to hurt or kill us.”

“But remember, Ash, what you’re feeling right now is what we feel when you risk your life,” Brock continued. 

For once, Ash was able to sleep blissfully without any fears and worries plaguing his mind. 

Chapter Text

Cradling the dying Celebi in his arms, Ash hurried to bring Celebi to the lack in a desperate attempt to save the pokemon. He so desperately needs the pokemon to survive this and help bring reinforcements from the future. He can feel Celebi’s heartbeat getting slower and slower until it is practically non-existence. At the same time, he saw how the pokemon was gradually withering away like rotting lettuce. The beautiful pale green tone transformed into an ugly mixture of brown and olive green. That made Ash run faster across the land, jumping over the fallen debris caused by Celebi when she was underneath the influence of the Dusk Ball. 

“Will Celebi be alright,” Sam asked, following right behind Ash. 

“She has to,” Ash responded, getting more desperate. “She needs to survive.”

Ash needs the pokemon alive. He wanted to beg the pokemon to bring some survivors from the future to the past to help him with his impossible task. Sam, Brock, and Misty had no idea how significant the Celebi was for someone like him. Ash. He had to restrain himself from chucking the pokemon toward the lake when he was close to the lake. Instead of chucking the pokemon, Ash found himself running faster toward the lake. He didn’t care that he slipped into the lake, turning his body so that Celebi wouldn’t be crushed on impact. As a result, his back made contact with the water before Ash found himself underwater. Celebi was briefly sinking down the lake until Ash hastily pulled himself together and gently held the pokemon. 

“Brock, the lake isn’t helping, “Ash panicked, feeling the urge to cry. “She’s dying Brock! Tell me what to do!”

“Ash, look,” Brock responded, pointing to Suicune. 

Looking to where Brock was pointing to, Ash stared at Suicune gracefully jumping across the lake. The water was being purified and restored after being tainted by the pollution. Ash doesn’t believe or respect the gods the people worshipped, but he can at least appreciate Suicune’s effort to help them save Celebi. Ash looked back to Celebi to see that there was no change. Celebi’s heartbeat was considerably fainter now than it was a few minutes ago. While gently cradling the pokemon in his arms, Ash motioned Pikachu to grab the Stirus Berry in his backpack and handed it to him. When Pikachu found the Stirus Berry, the pokemon quickly gave the berry to Ash. 

“Pokemon love berries,” Ash softly whispers, nudging the berry at Celebi’s mouth. “Please eat this berry for me.”

Ash tried several more times to feed Celebi the berry. He was in denial that the pokemon was dead. No, this innocent pokemon cannot be dead. People in the future have spent their entire lifetime finding Celebi in an attempt to travel back in time. The last settlement he was in was not the first nor the last group of people who planned to travel back to the past. It was that his last settlement had the oh so wonderful blessing and support of the three surviving, uncorrupted legendary pokemon. However, they were ruthless and were narrow-minded. Unlike Celebi, the three pokemon didn’t care that people died in their little test that determined if they get the privileged to enter the settlement they supported. 

“No,” Misty whispered, distraught about the outcome. “She was so innocent.”

“She didn’t deserve this,” Sam sobbed uncontrollably. “She never did anything wrong! She was forced to attack the forest.”

He failed to save Pink, but now he failed to save a different Celebi. He was such a failure as a person and as the Chosen One. He couldn’t even save the one deity he liked in the future. Pikachu also looked defeated and upset, crying at the loss of another Celebi. The forest pokemon and Suicune were also crying for their fallen friend. They were all crying out of anguish, and Ash was almost about to join them in their tears. What stopped him from bawling his eyes out was the sparkling light that appeared in the sky before enveloping the entire area in intense light. Looking up, Ash sees a portal appear as several Celebi appear. His heart stopped when he caught a glimpse of a pink variant of a Celebi. He was so distracted by the sight of the pink variant that he didn’t notice the dead Celebi floating out of his hand. All the Celebi formed a circle as the dead Celebi floated to the middle of the circle. Ash doesn’t know how but the Celebis managed to revive a dead pokemon back to life, which caused everyone to burst into a cheer of joy.

Ash felt a sharp pain in his head, feeling the urge to collapse to the ground. Pikachu also experiences the same type of pain because the pokemon is whining. 

“Your work is not done, my dear Ash and Pikachu”

Ash gazes straight into the Pink Celebi’s eyes, wondering how much of the future was changed that caused the formerly dead Pink Celebi to be alive. 

Shortly after the tragic deaths of the children from the orphan group, Ash was once again alone with Pichu and their pink friend. Ash doesn’t know why he took in a pokemon whose wings were battered to the point that the pokemon can never fly. The poor pokemon’s arms were battered and would likely never return to their previous state. Ash thought the pokemon looked like a pink onion, so Ash mistook the pokemon for food. Fortunately, Ash quickly realized his mistake when the pokemon cried out in fear and pain. 

“You’re hungry,” Ash whispered as he heard the pink pokemon stomach growl. 

Pichu had an Oren Berry in his hand and nudged the berry to the hungry pokemon. The pink pokemon weakly eat the berry giving a weak smile when she was done. 

“I’m keeping you,” Ash declared, ignoring the worry of feeding another hungry mouth. “You don’t deserve to be alone, especially in a world of madness.”

The pink pokemon eyes shined brightly as she looked at Ash as if he was her savior. 

If Ash had been smarter, he could have detected Celebi's fever and rapidly growing infection faster. He would have noticed the pixie pokemon's lethargic movement and the dim coloring of her eyes. The pokemon put up a compelling act, deceiving Pichu and Ash with such ease. She tricked them into believing she wasn't hungry, knowing that it was pointless to feed a hungry mouth that would die in a few days. However, she would always eat the Oren berries since those were her favorite. Ash remembered how the pokemon gave Ash a massive smile before snuggling close to the human's chest. Celebi would soak up all the love and attention, savoring every second of them. Ash gave her kindness, empathy, and unconditional love to the pink pokemon. Pichu didn't look at her with disdain or disinterest like the other pokemon. What the most important thing the human had ever done for her was to protect her with his very life.

“I don’t know why the group was adamant about taking you,” Ash groaned in pain.

Ash was lying on the river bank, letting the cool water wash away dry blood on his skin. An hour prior, Ash had to fight people trying to rip Celebis out of his arms. Ash shielded the pokemon as people did whatever it took to get him to release the pink pokemon. He didn’t care that people threw stones at him or that some had tried to stab him as the second person roughly took Celebi out of his hand. Fortunately, Ash escaped with some cuts over his back and arms. Pichu, fortunately, knew thunder shock, which allowed the pokemon to temporarily paralyze the people trying to chase them.

“I don’t think you know why they wanted you so badly,” Ash asked, knowing that the pink pokemon can’t answer his question. “Though, they did call you Celebi. I don’t know what a Celebi can do, but I do know that you’re pretty neat!”

Celebi gave a soft smile as she lay on top of the boy’s jacket. She was happy that there were some traces of the light in a world plaque in darkness and madness. She lay on the grass, grateful to spend the last few days of her life with such a kindhearted boy and the boy’s wonderful pokemon. Although she doesn’t know if the child and his companion know her power's true capabilities, she would think they would not abuse her power for selfish reasons.

That night, Celebi had passed away due to a combination of her injuries, infection, fever, and fragile immune system. She was a runt who was dealt with a horrible hand in life. As she closed her eyes for the final time, she huddled closer toward the boy’s heart, using the very little energy to leave behind a blessing. It was a minor blessing, but if she’s right about her theory of the boy’s blue light, perhaps it could be something that would keep him alive. A pinkish green light enveloped the boy and Pichu in her last breath. 

Yesterday, Ash learned a lot of things. He learned that the pink pokemon he took care of was named Celebi, one of the pokemon most groups were searching for. Heck, the first group he was ever in would hope that they would one day meet a Celebi. Now, he knows why a group the group who hurt him was so desperate to pry the pokemon out of his arms. They were hoping the pokemon could forcibly make them travel back in time so they could change the future. 

“Wait a second, how did Professor Oak know Samual’s name” Ash whispered, turning to face Pikachu.

Pikachu was helping him collect firewood, but the pokemon dropped the wood on the ground the moment Ash made the comment. The two of them look at each other, trying to figure out the mystery.

“His name,” Ash said in realization. “His name is Samual Oak! Samuel Oak is the same Samual who traveled to the future!”

Now, the question is, what is he supposed to do with this type of information? 

Chapter Text

The unwanted images of Latias oppressing him intruded on his mind as he sat frozen on the ground. Frozen in absolute fear, Ash remained on the ground with wide eyes. Levitating in front of him was none other than the heartless Latias. He didn’t expect to run into Latias this early! He thought he had more time before he and Pikachu would have been in the same radius as the legendary! Shaken, Ash turned his head to see how Pikachu was handling Latias’s surprise appearance. Pikachu was slightly shaking, doing his best to maintain a calm composure. What’s making the situation worse was that Latias was curiously looking at them with such an out-of-place smile. Glancing at her eyes, he saw that her eyes were so wide and bright. It was nothing like the calculating and cold look always given to everyone at the settlements. He expected her to scowl at the sight of the outliners of the group, but instead, she continued to smile and circle around them in excitement. Instinctively, Ash reacher one of his hands to clutch Pikachu’s paw while Latias circled around them in excitement. They unconsciously huddled closer, feeling like helpless prey trapped and waiting for the final blow.

After what felt like a lifetime, Latias stopped circling around them like a predator. He let out an enormous sigh of relief alongside Pikachu. After taking a couple of deep breaths, the suffocating feeling went away. Although the sudden dense fogs in his mind make it hard to stay grounded in his reality, Ash could focus enough to stand up with his two feet. He dropped his backpack onto the ground, expecting Pikachu to immediately jump to the opportunity to hide within the safety of his backpack. Pikachu did indeed speed toward the backpack and jumped inside. However, Ash didn’t expect Pikachu to have his head poking outside of it. Not thinking to much of Pikachu’s actions, Ash put his backpack on and scanned his surroundings. 

“Latios, get the intruders,” a spoke ordered, which startled Ash.

Ash knows Pikachu still had nightmares when he was a Pichu. He knows that Pickachu will occasionally cry in his sleep because of the dreams of being subjected to several attacks from the world’s few surviving and uncorrupted deities. Pichu was the weakest in the settlement and a pokemon who would waste resources. Unfortunately, his partner was subjected to the force training regiment. However, Pikachu was not longer the same Pichu. When it comes to Ash, Pickachu would immediately defend his trainer no matter the threat. That’s why Pikachu immediately charged toward the pokemon known as Latios and used a thunderbolt. Ash didn’t even have to say anything. Pikachu acted on his own. 

“Wait,” a voice frantically shouted from afar. 

Ash was five seconds away from getting into a physical altercation with a pokemon and the girl, who was probably the real girl. Ash doesn’t know why Latias was pretending to be the human girl, nor does he know about the pokemon’s ability to transform. Forcing himself to relax, he told Pikachu to stop attacking. Pikachu did listen, but his pokemon was on high alert. Then, he turned to face the direction of the voice. It was actually Lorenzo who shouted at him. Despite meeting the man minutes prior, Ash watched the man who called seconds prior. 

“Explain,” Ash said, watching the man’s movement. “Because I would like some damn answers.”

Ash was told the story of the original Latios, who protected Alto Mare from a villainous trainer and his evil pokemon who terrorized the town. The Latios came to the city and used his power to defeat the trainer and pokemon. Unfortunately for the original Latios, the town’s salvation had cost the original Latios’s life. As tragic as the story sounds, Ash doesn’t feel a hint of sadness. Even when Lorenzo told him how Latios had left behind an extremely young Latias and Latios. No, Ash had felt nothing for them, especially the Latias. All he could think about was how the Latias of the past were completely different from the Latias of his era. Not only in personality but in abilities, capabilities, and look. The Latias in the future can fucking talk to people. At the same time, the Latias from the past can barely utter coherent words. 

Ash knows with every step he takes in the village, people are whispering behind his back. Whispers of the boy cursed with the blue light, whatever that means. Some disagree with Ash’s choice of partner because Pichu is too “helpless” and “coddled.” No, his pokemon isn’t worthless because he’s still in the baby evolution. The only reason no one had tried to pry Pichu out of his grasp was that he was the only one who could craft some medical items. He would craft items such as revives, ethers, elixirs, power-ups, and other medical items for the settlement. Previously, they relied too much on the berry and vegetable harvests to obtain some items such as bitter roots, herbs, and plants that won’t heal the significant injuries. 

“Are you done crafting the batch of revives,” a man covered in dirt asked, poking his head inside the room Ash was occupying.

Ash finished crafting the last revive while Pichu was attempting to help by cleaning up the workbench. Once he completed his work, Ash looked up at the man. Usually, the agriculture guys are one of the groups who treat him with basic respect or don’t criticize his decision to have Pichu as his partner. 

“What is it” Ash stated, unsure why the agriculture guy was here and not in the fields. “Shouldn’t you be in the fields with the others?”

Ash observed how the man appeared to be slightly nervous. The man was looking over his shoulder before looking back at him. It was like the man was worried about something.

“The maiden wants to see you at the front of the gate,” the man spoke with concern and worry. “You should head to the gate before Latias runs out of patience.”

Ash immediately grabbed Pichu and ran toward the front of the gate. Ash doesn’t know why the deity wanted to speak to him. He’s not a battler, so why does Latias wish to talk to him? He’s not a fighter like the other children and adults in the group. He doesn’t know how to battle. All he knows how to do is run as fast as he can, dodging whatever that trying to kill him that day. That’s why Ash cautiously approached Latias when he was several meters away from her. 

“You’re late,” Latias snapped, narrowing her eyes. “Though, I suppose I should keep in mind that your efforts had allowed the casualties to decrease.”

Ash stood there in silence, not daring to make a single sound. When Latias motioned him outside of the gate, Ash followed several feet behind her. He doesn’t know why Latias was leading him to an open field. His confusion grew as Latias motioned him to walk ahead of her. Not wanting to anger a deity, Ash listened and continued walking. Seconds later, he was unexpectedly tackled by his Pichu. Pichu used a quick attack to knock Ash off an upcoming dragon pulse. Laying face flat on the floor, Ash quickly got off the ground and prepared to run for his life. However, he was forced still by a psychic. Staring directly at him was an unimpressed Latias.

“All you can do is run,” Latias complained, shaking her head in disapproval. “You and your Pichu need to learn how to fight.”

“But why,” Ash asked, trying to move but to no avail. “ Why do you want everyone in the settlement to battle pokemon!”

“Because you’re the weak link,” Latias bluntly told him. “Those who cannot fight and defend themselves would only get others killed. You need to be strong to survive against any opponent without sacrificing the life of another.”

Latias was such a hypocrite! She and the other two pokemon do the stupid trial at the crystal palace to weed out the weakest individuals! So many people died in that trial! She wants him to be a fighter that won’t get others killed while she’ll allow a trial to kill those deemed “weak” and “waste of sources.” What leg does Latias have to stand on for pretending to be all high and mighty, telling him that he needs to learn how to battle when the settlement's deities tried to kill him!

“Tell me, why am I here,” Ash said, terrified of the potential response.

“It’s easy,” Latias mentioned, preparing to test Ash’s battle skills. “I’ll personally mold you to be a fighter instead of a runner.”

Ash was released from the psychic hold just in time to duck from the upcoming dragon pulse. Pichu was shaking as a leaf due to the prospect of being forced to battle a deity. Pichu wasn’t able to hit Latias with a thundershock. Pichu tried to hit Latias with a quick attack, only to be brutally knocked by Latias. Pichu forced himself to stand up, only to faint the moment he stood up. 

Later, after saving Alto Mare, Ash realized that it was Latias who was speaking from experience. In the past, Latias wasn’t a fighter, and her brother sacrificed his life for her survival. That must be the beginning of Latias’s transformation from a cheerful, kind pokemon into a cold, ruthless pokemon.

Chapter Text

Ash desperately tried to pull Latios out of the death trap that was the DMA. Ash would happily hurt his body for his time era if the future depended on this pokemon survival. He didn’t care that his fingers started bleeding when he gripped the metal and attempted to bend it so it could allow Latios to escape. He didn’t care that his hands ached because he was uncomfortably pulling Latios out of his metal prison. If stopping Latios’s death can spare the people of the future from Latias’s cruelty, then Ash will do whatever it takes to guarantee the pokemon’s survival. 

“Pikachu, guard the Soul Dew,” Ash shouted, nearly pulling Latios from his spherical cage. “Do whatever it takes.”

Pikachu didn’t need to be told twice to guard the one thing key to the altercation of future events. At the same time, Brock and Misty arrived at the scene with their pokemon out. 

“Brock, Misty, protect the Soul Dew,” Ash called out. “Please, it’s important to Latias and Latios!” 

When Ash pulled Latias out of the spherical cage, he fell to the ground as a legendary pokemon crushed him. Latios didn’t realize that he was crushing Ash until he heard Ash groan in pain. Immediately, Latios levitated off the ground and nudged Ash’s head. Sensing the growing impatience from the pokemon, Ash stood up and turned around to see the state of the Soul Dew. The Soul Dew remained untouched while Latias was guarding it. 

“Where did you get the rope,” Ash asked, noticing how Oakley and Annie were tied up in some rope. “And were they always unconscious?”

“Brock knocked them out when they had their back turns while I was distracting them,” Misty casually mentioned, noticing Ash’s dumbfounded expression. “Wait, you thought we couldn’t defend ourselves.”

Ash looked at Brock before looking at the unconscious criminals on the floor. Pikachu was doing the same, not believing a single word Misty was saying. Brock? The levelheaded, wise, and older brother figure of the group? Ash can’t believe what he’s hearing since he never saw Brock as the person to do that.

“Ash, we do work for the league,” Brock reminded, noticing Ash’s expression. “Gym leaders are supposed to go through regular training and be able to defend themselves against threats.”

“So Misty knows how to fight too,” Ash said in disbelief, pointing at Misty. “But she’s Misty!”

“Well that’s rude,” Misty responded, shaking her head. “And how else did you expect the two rockets idiots to be unconscious on the floor? I tried to get them to pay attention to me so Brock could knock them out.”

Well, maybe that could explain why they live long enough to have descendants. He’s going to ignore the sudden emergences of guilt and regret that decided to emerge. Oh, look, Latios and Latias are cautiously bringing the Soul Dew back to the Secret Garden. Deciding that he wants to do something to distract himself from the feelings of guilt and regret, Ash quickly follows right behind the pair. He could hear Brock and Misty joining right behind him as they were led to the Secret Garden.

“Hey, Ash, explain what’s going on,” Misty called out from behind. “Is there something else we need to do?”

“They’re putting the Soul Dew into the rightful place,” Ash responded, catching up to the pokemon pair. “Also, we’re heading to a place called the Secret Garden.”

Ash didn’t allow his friends to speak since he suddenly dashed all the way to the pool. He was just waiting to see Latios return the Soul Dew to its rightful place. 

“Is everything alright now,” Ash asked no one in particular.

“Yes, Alto Mare is safe,” Bianca confirmed. “It’s thanks to your efforts that nothing horrible happened.”

Brief flashbacks of Pichu fainted on the ground while Ash gently held Pichu in his hands. At the same time, Latias shocked her head in disapproval as she ordered him to revive Pichu again. Ash shook his head in an attempt and tried to remain focused on the conservation.

“Oh, Latias and Latios want to show their gratitude,” Lorenzo commented.

Ash became tensed, standing still as the two pokemon approached him. Latias began to nuzzle his cheek, so happy and carefree. To the left, Latios was cuddling to the side of his waist. Ash gave Latios a head scratch without knowing what to do while giving Latios a scratch underneath her chin. It was tough to remain calm, collected, and fake his happiness from receiving the attention of two deities. Smiling as everyone watched him was one of the most challenging things he had ever done. 

“Latios and Latias really like you Ash,” Brock noted, unaware of Ash’s inner turmoil. “They’re practically glued to you.”

Ash restrain himself from screaming at the top of his lungs. Why must he pet the maiden who treated him and Pichu terribly?”

Ash gently held his unconscious Pichu in his hands as he glared at Latias. How many times does Latias want to train Pichu? Why can’t she accept that Pichu can’t evolve for some unexplained reason? He shook his head, silently pleading that the Latias would end their training regiment and leave them alone.

“Why can’t Pichu evolve,” Latias said with a hint of anger. “He’s the weakest pokemon out of the settlement.”

“It’s not his fault that he can’t evolve,” Ash defended, cowering when Latias gave a cold look. 

“He’s weak,” Latias spatted, getting in front of Ash’s face. “He’s useless and a drain of resources.”

Ash was shaking, not knowing how to react to Latias’s disappointment and anger. He’s doing so much by crafting medical items for their survival! He should be allowed to have Pichu by his side.

“All he knows is thunder wave, thunder shock, quick attack, and tackle,” Latias listed, staring directly into Ash’s eyes. “The other pokemon are at least in their secondary or final evolution with powerful moves to defend ourselves.”

Ash felt Pichu stir in his hands. Not wanting Pichu to hear any hurtful words, he tried to cut the conservation short. Pichu had previously heard others criticize his size, evolution state, and move tool. While Pichu is used to it, Ash doesn’t want Pichu to hear any more cruel comments if he can help it.

“Stop, please,” Ash pleaded, feeling Pichu grasp a finger, “Let us take a rest.”

Pichu struggled to lift himself up and stand. He was no longer lying unconscious on Ash’s hand but standing on the grass. Pichu saw how Ash was underneath Latias’s scrutiny, so he tried to defend his human despite not knowing what was going on. That grabbed Latias attention. 

“What’s that,” Latias noted, noticing the crafted necklace Ash had made for Pichu. “Is that what I think it is?”

Now, Latias was directly in front of Pichu’s face. Pichu tried to stand still while Latias analyzed his necklace. Latias ripped the necklace with her mouth when Pichu and Ash least expect it. Before Ash and Pichu had the opportunity to reach, Latias tossed the necklace into the air before unleashing a dragon pulse. As expected, the necklace broke into pieces. 

“What the fuck Latias,” Ash cried out. He doesn't understand why Latias would destroy something he made for Pichu a few years ago. “I made that for him! “

“I wonder how you survive this long,” Latias wondered, ignoring Ash’s and Pichu’s distress. “Pichu was wearing a handicap this entire time.”

“What are you talking about,” Ash shouted, trying to get Latias to give him a clear answer. “It was a good luck necklace I made for him as a present.”

“You’ll thank me later,” Latias dismissed, levitating back to the settlement. “But for now, go to bed. We’ll need you to craft some medicine for the settlement tomorrow.” 

Despite his sadness, Ash knew better than to argue with a pokemon who doesn’t care for his happiness or mental state. He and Pichu head back to the settlement, distressed that something they treasure is destroyed.

The next day, Pichu evolved into a Pikachu during training battles. That day, Ash learned that Pikachu was wearing an everstone the entire time. Still, Ash and his partner were both distressed about the destroyed necklace. Latias told them to get over it, not caring for their sadness. That was two months before the creation trio invaded the settlement and a month before the trio’s intentions were revealed.

Chapter Text

Ash knows that most people's naivety is a product of living in a world where they didn’t have to survive in brutal, merciless conditions. The unusual amount of compassion and kindness present in the past is almost non-existent in his original period. Perhaps, that’s why, Mewtwo becomes the heartless monster who shows no hesitation in killing pokemon, men, women, and children. What had Team Rocket done to the artificially made pokemon that caused the pokemon to revolt against the world? 

“You know we need to stop them,” Ash whispered, trying to convince himself to act. He was saying that to convince himself that he needs to save the murderer of his family. “You heard what Domino said. They’re after the clones.”

Ash thrashed around his metal restraints, much to the amusement of the woman keeping them trapped. He could survive the rage of countless beasts and the endless minefields set up by humanity. He survived injuries that should have killed him and situations that should have ended his existence right there. Despite all of what Ash’s experienced, he can’t escape from this stupid metal ring!

“Ash, we need to wait for an opportunity,” Brock stated, watching Ash trying to break free from his restraints.

“You’re going to tired yourself out,” Misty added, appearing equally frustrated.

Oh how envious Ash is regarding how calm and collected Brock appeared to be and how Misty isn’t reacting to her anger. He wished he had the patience to wait for an opportunity to present itself. He sure hoped Pikachu was in a much better position than him because they needed to stop the boss of Team Rocket from doing something that would promote the world’s fuck up future! 

“Fight me, you coward,” Ash taunted. “If you think you’re so great, you’ll let me go and fight me!”

Ash was upset that his taunts didn’t work but the woman became visibly pissed off. He noticed how she was slightly shaking and clenching fists as she glared at him. Unfortunately, Ash was tossed and locked in a prison cell with all of his friends. He also found Pikachu, who was captured by Team Rocket. At least Pikachu was doing okay, considering they had been separated for a long time. 

“Did you really have to provoke her into a potential fight,” Misty asked, giving Ash a look. 

“Yes,” Ash confirmed. 

Later, Ash would question why his brain cells wasn’t working properly during his time in the prison cell. Ash began kicking prison cell bars in the hopes that something would break. He didn’t care that his feet were starting to hurt due to all his kicking. He only wanted to stop the potential deaths of countless people, so he’ll do whatever it takes to prevent the most amount of people from dying. 

“Ash, get a grip on yourself,” Brock called out, pulling Ash away from the cell’s side. “You’re not helping anyone if you continue to hurt yourself.” 

Ash would have shoved Brock to the side if it wasn’t for the fact that Brock was a friend. 

“Then what do you expect me to do,” Ash responded, looking unpleased. “Brock, you can’t just expect an opportunity to suddenly falls into our laps!” 

“And you can’t expect us to watch you needlessly hurt yourself,” Brock countered, trying to get his point across. “We will find another way to get out of this mess.”

Before any of the trio could respond, Ash found himself knocked onto the ground alongside the others. Struggling to get orientated, Ash placed a hand on his head as he slowly lifted up from the ground. When he was properly standing, Ash saw the cell bars completely destroyed. 

“If you said I told you so, I will find a way to prank you,” Ash grumbled, purposely not looking in Brock’s or Misty’s direction.

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Misty shrugged.

Despite being years since he last saw his father and the littered corpse of his first group, Ash can still feel the cold sensation of holding their hands as he cries out his eyes. He buried the images of the lifeless forms of his mother, sister, and brother as he forced himself to transport Mewtwo to safety. Oh, how the table had turned! Internally, he’s laughing at the thought of helping a murderer escape from Giovanni. He’s allowing his pokemon to transport and protect Mewtwo from the likes of Team Rocket because Giovanni wants to rule the world. 

“Why are you helping me,” Mewtwo asked, unaware of Ash’s true thoughts. “You have no reason to help me in my weakened state.”

Ash’s breathing got heavier, and his heart rate increased. A part of him wanted Mewtwo to die as a way for the pokemon to pay penance for the pokemon’s actions. Despite the rage spreading through his veins, Ash kept himself in check. Giving a facade of a friendly smile, Ash looked at Mewtwo with a look others would describe as genuine.

“You don’t need a reason to help someone in trouble,” Ash spoke, forcing himself to sound warm and welcoming. “If you see someone in trouble, you should help them!”

His blood boils at the thought that he was put into this position. Clenching his jaws, Ash continued to make his way toward the heart of the mountain. He purposely didn’t look at Mewtwo to reduce the chance of blowing up. Pikachu was looking at him worriedly, knowing the reason for half of Ash’s anger. Ash simply smiled at Pikachu, shaking his head. The pokemon knew that Ash’s family was killed by Mewtwo, but the pokemon was there on that fateful day with the orphan group. 

“You are one of a kind,” Mewtwo continued. “Your belief is not commonly shared by others.”

“That’s not true,” Ash quickly stated. “It’s just that you saw the worst of humanity first. The truth is that many people would help others at this point in history.”

Reflecting back, Ash remembered some of the people who assisted him. They rarely asked for anything in return because people in this era were genuine, kind, and compassionate. Unlike the people from Ash’s original time period, the people were cunning, calculated, and unsympathetic. They didn’t care for others, only for themselves. Ash knew that he was one of those people, considering that he made sure to keep his mother’s teachings to himself. It was the only leverage he had that allow him to survive.

Approaching closer and closer to the spring, Ash hears Cullen’s voice protesting that Mewtwo will contaminate the spring. Ash don't care about the man’s pointless protest. All he cared about was ensuring Mewtwo doesn’t become the mosnter he’s capable of becoming. Using all of his strength, Ash hurled Mewtwo into the spring hoping that Mewtwo would recover. For the next several moments, Ash waited in anticipation for the result. When Mewtwo emerged from the spring all healed up, Ash knew that Team Rocket stood no chance against him. 

“Did we do the right thing,” Ash quietly told Pikachu, appearing unsure. “Should we have saved the pokemon who killed our family and friends?”

Pikachu appeared equally unsure. The time-traveling humans and pokemon watched as Mewtwo stared menacingly at Giovanni’s sudden presence. 

Ash felt loved by everyone in the orphan group. They didn’t care that his Pichu wasn’t skilled at battling or that his pokemon wasn’t evolving. He tried to be useful to the group because they had welcomed him with open arms. At the moment, he was collecting some medical leeks and a specific type of yellow leaves to make more medicine. Alongside him, Haze and Gravel was watching how Ash would collect different kind of plants.

“Why do you say the red poppy plant is something to use for emergencies,” Haze asked, holding a red poppy in front of his face.

“Mom mentioned that it could make you feel like you need it,” Ash explained. “It’s good to make the pain go away, but you can’t use it too much.”

“What happens if you do,” Gravel inquired.

“Mom said you get fevers, muscle pain, and vomiting,” Ash supplemented. “When you use it too much, the medicine doesn’t work really well anymore, and you get really sick when you stop using it. You could also die.”

“So why are you collecting a little bit of the red flower,” Haze followed up. 

“Because it’s for emergency situations,” Ash responded. “And it’s great for bartering.”

It might have been wrong for his mom to barter with other groups about something so dangerous. However, Ash understands why his mom does the things she does. It was all to ensure the survival of herself and the family. She only cared if their needs were met. There’s no room to consider the consequences of your actions to strangers. Strangers won’t keep you alive. At least Ash recalled his mom warning the groups they met that too much use is dangerous. 

“We should probably head back,” Gravel mentioned. “The others will get worried if we stay out here too long.”

When Ash, Gravel, and Haze arrived at their home, there was a large explosion near the camp. Ash found himself knocked to the ground with Pichu. Fearing the worst, Ash got up from the ground to see a swarm of pokemon with red marks covering their body approaching them. Tears started welling up in his eyes at the similar sight of the pokemon who was chasing the group he was born into. It was the same pokemon where the men, including his father, were trying to fight as all the women and children fled. No. It can’t be happening again! They're going to kill more people he love!

“Storm, it’s time to get up,” Ivy cried, cradling Storm’s lifeless body in her arms. “Please, it’s not time to joke.”

The Semisage defended Ivy from the oncoming attacks while Dedenne’s cheeks sparked in rage. While it was hard to see from a distance, Ash could tell that Storm was killed immediately. Ivy must have been lost in her grief and denial to notice the severe head injury on Storm’s head. A large wound on Storm’s head guaranteed a certain death. Right next to the lifeless girl was the debris that killed her. 

“Just leave me and save yourself,” Sapphire shouted as Ruby carried her. “You’re just putting yourself in danger!”

“I’m not leaving my twin behind,” Ruby declared. “Either we live together or die together.” 

Ruby’s Swampert and  Sappire’s Blaziken stood side by side, deflecting the attacks. Ash saw how Sapphire's legs were mangled for reasons he didn’t understand. 

From where Diamond and Pearl were positioned, they were surrounded by the majority of the red-marked pokemon. There was little to no chance of them escaping from the circle of pokemon. Still, despite being in such a predicament, Diamond and Pearl were unafraid. It was as if they accepted that they were going to die at that moment. 

“Everyone, get out of here,” Diamond screamed, gaining the attention of some of the red-marked pokemon. “I’ll buy you some time to run!”

Diamond’s Infernape roared in agreement, prepared to fight for the others could escape. 

“Hello, me and Empoleon here too,” Pear announced. “If you think I’m letting you die here alone, I’ll fine you!”

“How are you going to fine me if we’re both going to die,” Diamond asked.

“I’ll find a way,” Pearl shrugged.

Pearl’s Empoleon made a noise, agreeing with Pearl’s statement. 

“Come on Ivy, we need to go,” Platinum urged, trying to get Ivy to move from her spot. 

Ivy sadly shook her head and turned toward the direction of the red-mark pokemon. Simisage and Dedenne were ready to attack for their own reasons. Simisage prepared to attack due to the rage Ivy felt toward Storm’s death. Dedenne was ready to attack due to death of her beloved human. Platinum knew Ivy was set on fighting and dying with Pearl and Diamond. Platinum forced herself to run away from the red-marked pokemon. 

Ash recalled dashing across the land with his Pichu in the backpack. He was the quickest out of the group. Turning his head over his shoulder, he saw how Ruby was slowing down due to carrying Sapphire in his arms. When Ash temporarily stopped and headed toward Ruby's direction, a Fire Blast was summoned to his direction by the Blaziken. 

“Run while you have the chance,” Ruby shouted. “They’re gaining on us!”

“But what about you,” Ash screamed.

“We’ll buy everyone time,” Ruby called out. “These pokemon are insanely powerful. Just run and never look back!”

Ash wiped his tears as he returned back to running away from the pokemon. All that was left was Gravel, Haze, and Platinum. They didn’t know how long they ran with their pokemon, but it felt like a while. When they thought they were safe, they took a quick moment to catch their breath. That was proven to be another error on the group's part. The ground begins shaking as the roars and cries of pokemon can be heard from a distance. Gradually, the red-mark pokemon cries and roars were getting louder and louder. Some of the decaying trees started to fall to the ground. Ash felt someone roughly pushing him as the sounds of crackling is heard. After the sounds of crackling, there was a thump. Ash's eyes widen in absolute horror at the sight of a tree crushing his friends. His friends’ pokemon were okay but sustained injuries from being hit by other fallen trees. Platinum was most likely crushed underneath the trees since Ash can’t see a trace of her. Haze’s body was nowhere to be seen, most likely crushed underneath the tree like Platinum. However, Gravel was still alive, but his legs were trapped underneath the tree.

“Ash, listen to me,” Gravel spoke calmly. “You need to continue running.”

“But I can’t leave you,” Ash cried out as Pichu whined. “You’re the only one I have left.”

“Ash, please run away and never look back,” Gravel continued. “There’s no hope for escaping on time for me.”

“But,” Ash said but was cut off by Gravel.

“Survive,” Gravel declared. “Survive this cruel and merciless world, so our deaths aren’t in vain.”

From a distance, Ash could see a purple, bipedal pokemon approaching his direction. The violet, intimidating aura the pokemon was radiating was clearly visible from a distance. Behind the purple poke, there was an army of the red-marked pokemon marching toward them. Ash took one last look at Gravel. The older boy gave a reassuring smile despite knowing he was going to die. The pokemon that belonged to his three friends were prepared to fight, knowing it would be their last fight. Ash forced himself to run away from the upcoming pokemon, leaving behind the people he loved as family. 

Ash was setting up the table as Brock and Misty had a conservation about their time being gym leaders. Closing his eyes, Ash listened to the sounds of Brock’s and Misty’s voices. Sometimes, Ash can hear traces of Gravel and Haze. He could picture Gravel and Haze playfully arguing with each other. If things were different in the future, would Ash have still befriended Gravel and Haze? Will he be taking a pokemon journey with Haze and Gravel rather than traveling with their ancestors? 

“I’ll survive,” Ash whispered to himself, watching Brock and Misty converse with each other. “I’ll ensure all of your ancestors don’t suffer the same fate as you guys.” 

Chapter Text

Turning around, Ash watched in silence as he watched Misty and Brock gradually walk away from his line of sight. Ash watched as they continued walking their separate paths toward the direction of the sunset. Unconsciously, Ash placed a hand on top of his chest as he felt a small ache in his heart. A part of him wanted to scream to them that there was something he had been hiding from them. He wanted to apologize for failing to protect their descendants from Mewtwo. However, he was a coward when it came to honesty and truth. It’s probably for the best that they remain in the dark.

“Our job isn't done yet,” Ash spoke, taking a deep breath. “We need to go to Hoenn now.”

Pikachu nodded his head and made a noise to confirm Ash’s statement.

“However, we need to think bigger,” Ash continued. “A traveling companion and or two won’t be enough.”

No, Ash needs something like a network of people who could feed him information. Information like rumors about suspicious activities going on in the world or something unordinary happening in the world. After Hoenn, Ash wouldn’t know which region to head to next. He would be guessing which region he would need to travel to next. However, suppose he has ears listening to potential rumors and speculations. In that case, it might make it easier for him to predict which region to go to next.

“Let’s visit our old friend Sam,” Ash stated. “It’s about time we have a chat.”

It’s a ridiculous gamble, but if he can somehow convince one of the world’s most well-known individuals to help him in any way, Ash would have an advantage. In the worst-case scenario, the professor would think that Ash’s is crazy. If that happened, Ash would continue doing things completely alone.

Professor Oak is a nice person, in Ash’s opinion. The professor let a random teenager enter his lab because Ash was insistent that they needed to talk about something crucial. It must be a slow day for the professor, or the professor may have figured out that Ash’s knows the truth.

“I’m going straight to the point,” Ash blurted out. “Are you the same Sam that traveled into the future with Celebi?”

Ash noted how the professor continued to complete his work, unfazed by Ash’s statement. The professor wasn’t even looking at him! He acting this as if this was just another Sunday!

“Oh, how did you figure it out,” Oak asked, not looking away from his work. “I have never told a single soul about the experience.”

“We never once mentioned Sam,” Ash explained. “But you said that one day we’ll meet Sam again.”

Ash doesn’t know why but the sight of Oak acting like everything happening at the moment is normal was really bothering him. Pikachu watched the interaction between the two humans, waiting for something to happen.

“Is there a reason why you’re here,” Oak inquired. “Or why you wanted to have this specific conservation without Brock’s or Misty’s presence?”

Ash opened his mouth and then closed it. He doesn’t really know how to start the clusterfuck that was his situation. Additionally, he’s unsure of how much he should tell Oak about his plan, situation, and purpose. Clearly, Oak is smarter than Ash gave him credit for. The man knew he was here for a specific reason. He should have planned how he was going to do this.

“You know time travel is a possibility, right,” Ash started.

“Yes, I’m aware,” Oak responded. “After all, I did travel to the future.”

“Well, you’re not the only time traveler in the room,” Ash revealed, giving an awkward chuckle. “I’m actually from the future.”

Oak shuffled his paper before laying them down on his desk. He calmly took a sip from his cup before placing it back down.

“That explains why there’s no records of Ash Ketchum,” Oak commented, earning surprised looks from Ash and Pikachu. He noted Pikachu’s reactions as well. “And based on Pikachu’s reactions, Pikachu is also from the future.”

“You knew we were lying,” Ash shouted, not believing that the professor knew about his fake identity. “But you gave me a Pokedex! You authorized my license! Why would you do that?”

“Why would you need lie," Oak deflected. “Is it associated with why Sabrina is interested in your progress?”

Oh, the psychic is still curious about his existence? Ash doesn’t know how to feel about that. Also, why does Oak know about that?

“It’s a long story,” Ash sighs.

“I have the time,” Oak said.

Ash explained how he came from a future best described as a world of doom. The sunless skies, lack of warmth, and all the other stuff define Ash’s life in his time period. He told how most of humanity has been wiped out due to the deities going mad for reasons Ash hadn’t figured out. He told stories about how people survive in a world where the strongest, toughest, and luckiest survive in a world that would crush you in an instant. Ash shared how the people in his time period lacked compassion, kindness, and empathy toward others. When describing the pokemon, he mentioned how some of the wild pokemon have been consumed by rage, madness, or survival instincts. Not all pokemon were cruel or heartless, but it was something everyone was mindful of. He purposely left out how he had starved countless times or nearly frozen to death on multiple occasions. He’s not going to burden the professor with the knowledge of how Ash cheated death on numerous occasions or the deities who nearly killed him.

When describing the settlements, Ash spoke in a quieter tone. He wasn’t really looking at the professor at this point. Instead, he was looking at a random spot on the all as he nearly explained in a monotone voice how three uncorrupted deities forced him to travel back in time against his will. Ash was hesitant, but he also shared how everyone in that settlement was forced to participate in a trial to be allowed to enter. Oak was frowning when Ash explained how he, alongside everyone in the settlement, was basically treated by the pokemon. Once Ash was done, there was silence. Ash was awkwardly standing there, waiting for a reaction from the professor. After what had felt like hours, the professor spoke.

“I’m sorry you experience such hardships,” Oak acknowledged. “Or that you came from a world that treated you unkindly.”

“You believe me,” Ash said, unconvinced. “This doesn’t sound crazy to you?”

“I have traveled to the future,” Oak pointed out. “You’re story is not hard to believe.”

“Does that mean you’ll help me,” Ash asked.

“I’ll see how I can help you,” Oak answered.

“Then can you tell me how I can befriend the people the right people,” Ash followed up, feeling happy that his plan was actually working. “Or how to gain the favor of so many people like you. If you can’t, you can also provide me with rumors about suspicious activities.”

Oak paused and thought about Ash’s statement. It appears that the boy doesn’t know how certain individuals have already viewed the trainer favorably.

“Lance thinks highly of you,” Oak revealed, which shocked Ash. “You have helped countless people in Kanto and Johto. “

“Really,” Ash stated.

“I would recommend obtaining their numbers,” Oak suggested. “Put the effort to establish friendly relationships and maintain contact with every influential person you help.”

“What else,” Ash continued.

“You’re the Orange League champion, am I correct,” Oak questioned.

“Yes,” Ash confirmed.

“Then start attending galas, charities, and other related events,” Oak recommended, noticing a frown on Ash’s face. “Ash, you would want to start building a relationship with the champions, elite trainers, coordinators, and other influential individuals.”

“But that sound boring,” Ash complained, cringing at the thought of dressing up.

“But it’s necessary,” Oak pointed out, noting how Ash was huffing at his recommendation. “It will be easier for you to form friendly relationships with people from all over the world. Additionally, they would take the opportunity to rant to anyone willing to listen.”

The professor does have a point but still! Ash doesn’t want to get all dressed up or deal with the camera's flashes. That’s one aspect of the past Ash hadn’t accustomed to.

“I see your point,” Ash acknowledge.

“I have something else that will benefit you,” Oak mentioned. “But I will not force you to take the offer.”

“What’s is it,” Ash asked.

“I would like your permission to write a handful of research papers and what you documented about the world’s deities,” Oak revealed. “I’ll spread the word that you have gained my favor and that I’m monitoring the progress of the chosen one very closely.”

How does Oak know about his Chosen One status? Ash’s reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Oak.

“As I said previously, you gain Lance's favor," Oak reminded Ash.

Oh, Ash had forgotten about that. He tends to forget about some things or blank out at the most random moments.

“It will at least pipe the interest of the other professors and Interpol,” Oak continued.

Ash was about to ask Oak why Interpol would be very interested in Oak’s research paper. However, Oak was quick to explain that Interpol would be interested in the Chosen One aspect. As a result, Interpol would be more inclined to support Ash or share their observation with the trainer. After Oak’s explanation, Ash accepted Oak’s offer.

“I’ll provide whatever support I can,” Oak stated. “It’s unfortunate that the world’s future is in one child's hands. I’m very aware that you want to keep this to yourselves, and I’ll accept your decision. I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Ash gave a genuine smile, relieved that someone was going to make his life a little bit easier in his tasks. Although Ash felt terrible for not telling Brock, Misty, or Tracey, it’s for the best. He doesn’t want his friends to carry the same type of burden he carries or be forced to help him in saving the future. Additionally, his friends can’t help him too much, even if they do know the truth. Sure, their gym leaders. They have ears listening to the gossip that occurs in the league. However, Ash will need more than that if he’s going to collect all the information he needs to stop the events occurring in the other regions after Hoenn.

“Oak, this is Sabrina,” Ash started. “Sabrina, this is Oak.”

“Ash, can you get straight to the point,” Sabrina commented. “You said you would explain why you appeared to be a distortion of time and space.”

“It’s a long story,” Ash responded. “Oak already knows, but I need you to promise that you’ll keep it to yourself.”

“That’s a pretty big demand,” Sabrina noted. “I work with the league Ash. I can’t keep secrets unless it’s necessary.”

“Well, I need you to keep this secret,” Ash expressed. “And I need your ability to see the future if I’m going to do everything correctly.”

“Then convince me,” Sabrina stated.

Ash once again repeated the same thing he told Oak. By the end of the explanation, Sabrina decided to keep this for herself not to jeopardize the world’s future. She will utilize her abilities to predict potential disastrous events.

Chapter Text

Reluctantly, Ash did what Oak recommended him to do. At that moment, Ash was staring at all the different people conversing with each other. Pikachu was resting back at the hotel due to the pokemon struggle to cope with the sensory information in such situations as a gala. Ash understood what the professor was saying. Ash had been relying on trainers who were unlucky enough to have their journey intertwined with his purpose. To be fair, Ash needed someone to guide him, so he purposely had Pikachu fry Misty’s bike. As for Brock, he assumed that the gym leader took the first opportunity he could get to start his journey. 

“It’s about time you show up,” a tall man spoke from behind, tapping on Ash’s shoulders to get the trainer’s attention. 

Ash’s heart started pounding as he felt the phantom feelings of hands trying to hurt him because of what they call the cursed blue light. Instinctively, Ash began to grab the unknown person’s wrist before and got into the proper position. The second Ash got into the proper position, Ash used all of his strength to throw the unknown person over his shoulders and slam him onto the ground. The second the person landed on the ground, Ash was about to attack the man before he realized that people weren’t attacking him. No, he was at the gala filled with an abundance of food and drinks for all the guests. The lights were not from the torches they used to navigate in dark environments but from the chandelier’s many lightbulbs. 

“Remind me never to do that again” the man groaned, laying flat on his back.

Horrified, Ash cautiously took several steps back from the man who was clearly Hoenn’s future champion. At least, that is what happened in the original timeline. With the icy blue hair, navy blue suit, and a mega stone Ash could clearly see, the person Ash nearly attacked was Steven Stone. Why did Ash feel like he was experiencing a past event? Why did a single tap on his shoulder trigger the phantom feeling Ash experienced and make Ash believe he was in the cold, dark, ruthless environment that was his era?

“What happened,” a voice whispered with such an accusatory tone. “Did the child finally acted out?”

“This is what I was saying,” another voice scoffed. “A ten-year-old child has no place in the gala, much less being a champion.”

“I can’t believe that a child defeated Drake with no impulse control,” a person commented with such an annoying voice. “He look like he was going to explode at any moment!”

Turning his head over his shoulders, he saw dozens of people approaching closer and closer. The growing crowd began whispering as they not so subtly pointed in his direction. As more people approached the scene, Ash began to feel like a corner pokemon. The accusatory gazes and harsh words were getting to him.

“I thought you were bluffing when you said you could flip me over,” Steven said, purposely lying about the events that had occurred. “I didn’t think a pipsqueak like you had the strength to do that!”

Dumbfounded, Ash stared at Steven as Steven got himself off the ground. He’s acting like nothing happened by the way he was swiping the dust and dirt off his suit! He knew the champion was lying as he gave the crowd of people a polite smile. Ash struggled to verbalize anything while Steven pretended that Ash didn’t that throw him onto the ground due to being startled. For some reason, that appears to bring the trainer some amusement.

“Steven, are you alright,” another voice called out.

Ash noted that Wallace was quickly approaching them. If he remembers correctly, Wallace should be losing his championship title soon. At least, that was supposed to happen. Ash didn’t know how much his actions affect everything in the world.

“Yes, but remind me to never get on Ash’s bad side,” Steven responded. He gave Ash a reassuring smile, much to Ash’s confusion. “No hard feelings about everything that happened, Ash. I should have been more careful.”

“Right,” Ash quietly said, hesitant about everything. He looked at Wallace, seeing that the man was playing along with Steven’s act. “I’ll be more mindful of everything.”

Ash knew what Steven meant in his statement. Steven was referring to himself being more careful about approaching him in the future and not the stupid bet lie everyone is falling for. 

“Why don’t we go somewhere more private,” Wallace suggested, making sure that Ash could clearly see him reaching for his hand. “I have been looking forward to meeting you after Lance let me look at your profile.”

“Sure,” Ash said, letting Wallace guide him out of the crowded room. He knows why Wallace was so obvious in his actions. Ash can’t believe he let himself be tricked by his mind. “I’m sure you guys have some interesting stories as well.”

As he let himself be guided by Wallace, Ash caught a glimpse of all those whispering individuals appearing dissatisfied with how everything turned out. He wonders if the potential rewards of befriending the world’s most influential individuals and gaining an extra set of ears were worth it

He wished he had not left Pikachu behind at the hotel to rest. He feels so vulnerable without Pikachu. He should have returned to his room when Wallace and Steven entered the same hotel he was staying at. No, he allowed himself to be guided into the room they were staying in.

“I’m not mad,” Steven said, which did nothing to alleviate Ash’s guilt. “So please stop looking like a kicked Growlith.”

“I told you should look at the profile,” Wallace warned. “Did you listen? No.”

“How could have to look at the profile helped,” Steven inquired, raising an eyebrow. 

“On the trainer profiles, it mentioned if the trainers were involved in situations associated with the police, criminals, and disasters,” Wallace revealed. “Of course, you have to sneak up behind the kid who got himself involved with Team Rocket a little too much. “

Wait a second, Wallace looked at his trainer profile? Ash was about to ask Wallace why he was looking at his trainer profiled, but Wallace spoke first. 

“We wanted to know who you were after you defeated Drake,” Wallace admitted. “We do this with every new champion in the world.”

That makes sense. Ash assumed that someone would like to know their co-worker and potential allies. Speaking of allies, Ash almost forgot the reason for attending the gala due to his embarrassment. 

“I heard rumors about Hoenn,” Ash started, carefully choosing his words. “Is it true that there is a rise in Team Aqua and Team Magma activity? I heard that they are something after the blue and red orb.”

Ash could have sworn he heard Wallace quietly swear about the office ladies’ gossip and how no one knows how to keep a secret. Ash will assume that he wasn’t supposed to be aware of the orbs the two teams desperately wanted. When Steven whispered near Wallace's ear about Ash being in the room, Wallace quickly composed himself. He pretended he wasn’t cursing at the gossiping people in the league. 

“I will say that if you’re thinking about visiting Hoenn, knows that there is a lot of conflict with Team Aqua and Team Magma at the moment.

That was all the confirmation Ash needed to head toward Hoenn after the gala immediately. 

Survival. It’s a word to describe doing whatever you can to stay alive no matter the amount of shit life throws your way. Survival can make people do some pretty desperate things. Morality, virtue, and basic human decency have been forgotten by some people in this world filled with darkness. That’s why Ash struggled to free himself from the mob of people trying to kill him. 

“Let me go,” Ash screamed, prying their hands off of him with all of his might. “Pichu, run!”

Ash bit the hand covering his mouth and kicked the person behind him when he felt himself being lifted off the ground. The moment Ash dropped onto the ground, Pikachu used Thunder Wave to paralyze the people trying to hurt him. All he could gather from their screams was that there was once previously a woman who had the curse of the blue light. The blue light was said to attract pokemon who had given in to their madness, such as the world's deities. 

He ignored the pain from the freshly made cuts and wounds on his body. At the moment, he only cares about running as far away as possible from that crazy group. Fortunately for him, Ash had only been with the group for a few weeks, so he didn’t form a real attachment with them. He ran through the rockery terrain, hoping to find a spot to rest and hide. As he ran, he gazed up at the dark, cloudy skies. He wondered if his dead family and friends were watching him trying to fight for survival. What would they think of his actions so far? He hoped they won’t get too mad at him because Ash was simply trying his best to stay alive. 

Soon, it was getting very tiring to continue running. Ash stopped and leaned at a random boulder to catch his breath.

“Is it even worth it,” Ash paused. “Is it even worth it to try to stay alive for another day.”

Then, Ash looked at Pichu. Pichu was visibly worried and concerned for Ash. The pokemon’s eyes began to water due to the implication of Ash’s comment. Feeling guilty, Ash hugged his pokemon tighter as he whispered apologizes for his thoughtless comments.

“Our friends died to make sure that one of us stayed alive,” Ash lamented. “It would be selfish if I was to give up when their deaths were the reason I’m here today.”

If Ash can’t convince himself to fight for survival, all he has to do is look at Pichu’s face. It would make him feel guilty for entertaining the possibility of giving in and succumbing to a peaceful death. As long as his partner is alive, Ash would do anything to stay alive and protect the pokemon he raised. 

Chapter Text

Why must he be reminded of the faces of his dead friends by meeting their ancestors? Sitting in Caroline’s and Norman’s home, Ash forced himself to remain calm as he stared at Sapphire’s and Ruby’s ancestors, acting like a happy family. Caroline ensured the table was filled with many different dishes and that the food was plentiful to feed everyone. Max and May sat next to each other, eating the food that was made for that day’s meal. Before returning to the previous conservations, Norman briefly talked to his wife about tomorrow's tasks.

“I will entrust my children’s safety in your hands,” Norman stated, unaware of Ash’s internal conflict. “You are the same trainer who almost defeated Lance and gained the championship for Orange Islands.”

Ash has about 99 problems, and Norman’s blind trust in his was one of them. Ash was tempted to jump out of the kitchen table due to his guilt toward the twins. Watching Max annoying May, he can’t help but think about the implications of Max’s death. There is a potential that Ash had met Max’s descendants, but that was very unlikely. 

“Ah, so the other regions are aware of my accomplishments,” Ash commented. “I didn’t know that I was so well known.”

Ash looked at the plate of spaghetti and the fork he hadn’t touched. He forced himself to swallow the bile in his throat as he picked up the fork. He struggled to eat the food the moment he took a bite. The guilt he has for letting Sapphire and Ruby die grows the more he’s around the family. All he could imagine is how much this family must have suffered in the original timeline. Who died? Who survived? Was May the only survivor, or did someone else survive alongside May? 

“It’s not every day someone throws Hoenn’s new champion,” Norman spoked, amused by Ash’s actions. “I admit that you impressed me that day.”

“You were there,” Ash sputtered. Great, now he’s all embarrassed. “I didn’t see you!”

“Most gym leaders were in their own circle away from the main crowd,” Norman explained. “Although, the gym leaders from Kanto, Kalos, and Galar didn’t attend.”

Wait for a second, Steven is the new champion? He didn’t expect Wallace to give up or lose his championship status. The main reason why Steven became the champion of Hoenn was due to Wallace’s death. Did he somehow indirectly cause this? What could he have done that made it possible for Steven to become Hoenn’s champion without Wallace’s death?

“Steven is the champion,” Ash asked.

“He had been the champion for a few weeks,” Norman answered. 

Maybe he’ll get the answers later. All he knows is that he must continue doing whatever it takes to stop the atrocities from malicious people or the rampage from the deities, which are equally flawed as humans. As Ash continues to exist in the living plain, Ash knows there’s work to be done.

Brock was the first to notice that the group had unexpected guests. He was serving everyone a plate of food until he paused at the sound of rustling levees. When Brock shared his observations with everyone in the group, everyone turned toward the direction of the noise. It didn’t take long for the source of the mysterious voice to reveal itself. What arose behind the bushes and trees was a familiar artificial pokemon. May appeared confused, while Max was amazed by the purple bipedal pokemon levitating in front of them. Brock was in the process of serving Mewtwo a plate of food because Brock knows better than to serve regular pokemon formula to a pokemon who had the potential to destroy the world (if only Brock knew). 

“Mewtwo, why are you in Hoenn,” Ash questioned, maintaining his composure.

Pikachu also appeared to be confused and on guard. However, Pikachu’s uneasiness was only noticed by Ash. Ash was hoping he had never seen Mewtwo's face for a long time. 

“To pay you a visit,” Mewtwo admitted, earning a curious look from Max and May. “Afterward, I was going to visit your two companions, but I see one of them is already present.”

“I need to send Misty a heads up,” Brock shared. “She doesn’t like surprises.”

“Ash, Brock, are you going to tell us anything about this pokemon,” May questioned. “And why he appears to know you.”

Ash looked at Mewtwo and shrugged. Internally, Ash briefly saw images of countless dead bodies of his first group as his heart rate increased. Unconsciously, he was swiping his palms sweat on the side of his legs. 

“It’s Mewtwo’s story,” Ash said, struggling to say every single word.

From an outsider's perspective, Ash appeared slightly nervous about discussing someone’s personal story. However, Ash was terrified to be in the same radius as the pokemon who killed all the people he cared about. What a horrible Chosen One he is. A Chosen One wouldn’t be scared of something minor like this. 

“I am a creation from artificial sources,” Mewtwo explained. “I’m mankind’s strongest creation.”

“Which means you were created in a lab,” Max’s concluded.

“We first met Mewtwo when he was being chased by Team Rocket,” Brock supplemented. “Fortunately, we stop Team Rocket from capturing Mewtwo and using him as a weapon.”

Ash had to remind himself that everyone from the incident had their memories erased except him and Pikachu. Ash still thinks that coming from the future must have played a role in his immunity to Mewtwo’s actions. 

“And now you’re here,” Ash continued. 

“I’m curious about the world,” Mewtwo admitted. “ I want to see what the world offers outside of Team Rocket.” 

Ash started to eat his plate of food to distract him from Mewtwo’s presence. Brock was providing some supplementary information as Mewtwo answered any questions about him. Despite eating, Ash observed Mewtwo’s interactions very carefully. For now, Mewtwo was nothing like the pokemon from the future. Still, Ash’s not letting Mewtwo out of his sight. In case Mewtwo slips up, Ash must be ready to fight and defend everyone. As for Pikachu, he knows that Mewtwo should not be taken lightly. 

Walking barefoot on top of a bunch of stones, sticks, dried-up leaves, and dirt can be very tiring. From as far as Ash can see, the land is covered up with dead vegetation and the remains of civilization. No wonder there were crumbled-up messages warning others to not travel in this direction. It wasn’t like Ash had much choice since he was running away from people trying to kill him. Continuing to travel in this direction may appear reckless and stupid, but what choice does he have? He can’t go back because the group may still want to kill him. Also, Ash realized that he was lost.

“We may need to conserve our water and food,” Ash told Pichu. “Let’s try to get out of this dry wasteland.”

Ash doesn’t know which part of the world he is in, but if he had to take a guess, it must be what remained from the Hoenn incident. The battle between Kyogre and Groudon was so intense that parts of Hoenn became a dry wasteland, and other parts of Hoenn were drowned in water. Additionally, if Ash recalled carefully, the battle between Kyogre and Groudon produced a long patch of land that connected Hoenn to Sinnoh. It’s something about the lava and water mixing to form land. However, Ash could be wrong.

“Our best bet is to continue walking,” Ash stated, displeased. “And moved when the sky is a lot darker.”

Although there is no sun to gaze at, the concept of day and night continues to exist. It’s only that the world is a lot less dark during the day, and the temperature is warmer. The night can be described as near absolute darkness and a drop in temperature. Right now, Ash should only travel during the night. 

“I know, you hate the dark,” Ash acknowledged. “But there’s no plant life here! We can’t even wrap clothe around my ankles and collect the morning dew by walking through the wet grass!”

Ash headed toward the rumbled remains of what appeared to be a market. When he entered inside, he was fortunate enough to find a pair of shoes that was a little too big. Still, beggars can’t be choosers. There were also random, assorted items scattered around the ground. Whoever was here before him must have been a small group of people. Maybe the last group of people was running away from a mad deity. Perhaps, they were running away from an abusive group. It could also be that some people in the group outgrew their clothes and replaced their clothing with something more comfortable.

“Oh, you found something,” Ash said, approaching closer to the corner of the destroyed market. 

Pichu was happily picking a lock with the tail of a small cabinet. Ash doesn’t know why Pichu knew how to pick locks with his tail or why Pichu’s tail was a good enough replica of the cabinet key. When the door finally opened, Ash was greeted with the sight of a plastic bag filled with water bottles, very old granola bars, and keys to what Ash assumed was house keys. 

“It’s better than nothing,” Ash sighs. “Let us rest for a bit before we head out.”

Ash wonders how he could survive independently after his friends died and escaped from several questionable groups. Either people ignore him, try to kill him, or try to take something out of his hand like his dead pink pokemon friend. 

Chapter Text

Ash sprinted to the nearest bathroom, biting his tongue and covering his mouth. Pikachu was following right behind him, making cooing noises to calm him down. The people he ran past gave him weird looks, but that didn’t disturb Ash. When he got to the bathroom, he kicked the door open. Then, he began hurling the contents of his stomach into the toilet. At the same time, Pikachu shut the door before making his way to Ash’s side. Ash could faintly sense Pikachu’s comforting pats on his legs. 

“They’re alive,” Ash whispered to himself. He was clutching his heart to ground himself in the present. “Meta Groudon can’t eat and absorb my friends. May and Brock are at the medical ward. They’re alive, not dead.”

Ash collapsed onto the ground, feeling worn out after vomiting. Why did officer Jenny force him to recall the events right after the Meta Groudon incident? Couldn’t they wait to ask all of these questions until we had eaten and slept? 

“Stupid officer Jenny,” Ash muttered to himself. “Forcing me to recall an awful memory while everyone else gets sent out to be checked out by doctors.”

Ash can’t stop himself from thinking about the crimson, glowing abomination that was a childish mockery of the real Groudon. The scene of May and Brock being “eaten” by the abomination was playing in his mind on replay. Ash got the feeling that particular memory was engraved in his mind since May and Brock were the ancestors of his friends. Add the stress and stress hormones to the situation, and that’s how you get a painful memory engraved in your soul! They could have been killed, and it would have been Ash’s fault if the effects weren’t reversible. 

Then, Ash felt his phone buzzing in his pocket while it rang with such an annoying tune. Hesitantly, he grabs his phone and answers the call.

“Who dis,” Ash blurted out, too tired to deal with anything else.

“This is Lance,” the champion spoke, noticing Ash’s mood. “I’ll make this brief. I was recently informed that you were involved with an incident.”

Ash looked a Pikachu while mouthing out, “kill me now.” Pikachu shook his head, preferring that his friend remain alive.

“Yes,” Ash confirmed. “You know. The usual."

“Champions are required to make reports of incidents involved,” Lance explained. “I will send you the paperwork in a few minutes. You don’t have complete it right away, but remember that the paperwork is time sensitive.”

Ah. That would have been nice to know when he was dealing with Shamouti Island, Alto Mare, and everything else he had to deal with. Then he remembered that at those times, no one reported anything to the police. 

“I assumed that you haven’t read the guide given you,” Lance said, exasperated. “You’re fortunate that I was able to complete the paperwork for Shamouti Island and Alto mare.”

Dang, it. Someone must have reported it to the police. At least he was lucky enough to have Lance complete his paperwork.

“Nope,” Ash answered in an overly cheerful voice. “What else did I miss?”

“I’ll send you the guide again,” Lance sighed. “Please read it.”

“Fine,” Ash responded. 

Lance did say that he would make the phone call brief so Ash didn’t have to be on the phone for too long. Ash put his phone away when the other champion hung up and stared at Pikachu. Now he can panic.

“I can’t write or read at the same level as the people in this time period,” Ash horrifyingly said, eyes widening in realization. “Everyone is going to think that I’m stupid!”

Why couldn’t Latias, Mew, and Victini teach everyone how to read and write on par with the people of the past?! He’s going to have to make up for his lack of education in his own time when everyone else is sleeping! 

Ash was not a good person. Crouching down, Ash traveled across the ground to where a supplies pile was. Pichu was trailing right behind him, scanning the area around him. While Ash could hear Pichu’s stomach growling, it was quiet enough that only Ash could hear it. They must be quiet to avoid waking up the group they are planning to steal supplies from. Ash was using the wooden barrels and crates as cover to avoid being seen by others. The people on guard duty talked among themselves, oblivious to the child and pokemon several meters away. 

“Do you believe that we’ll find Jirachi,” a woman spoked, tiredly.

“I fucking hope so,” the man responded. “If you make a wish, the pokemon can make this fuck world go away.”

Ash found an open crate that had preserved vegetables and fruits. Cautiously, Ash looked over the box to see if the guards were paying attention to him. Nope, they were still talking to each other. Ash began to grab one handcrafted clay jar at a time and stuff them into his bag. When he saw that they had bundles of dried fruit and vegetable store in cloth, Ash began to stuff some of them in his bag as well.

“Rumor has it that Jirachi wasn’t able to wake up from it’s slumber,” the woman said. “Legends said that the pokemon must choose a best friend to be awakened during the Millennium Comet.”

There was a pause before the woman continue.

“Unfortunately, Jirachi wasn’t able to find his chosen best friend over one hundred and fifty years ago,” 

“That stupid,” the man commented as he rolled his eye. “What use can friendship have besides unnecessary baggage?”

“It’s just a legend,” the woman reminded. 

When his backpack was filled up, Ash zipped his backpack up. Then, he slowly backed away from the group he had stolen their food from. The further away he gets from the group, the more Ash feels guilty. People in the group would throw accusations at each other when they discovered the missing food. There’s a chance that someone will be the scapegoat, which means the person will get banished or killed.

“Here’s a dry peach,” Ash offered, handing Pichu the fruit. “Eat it so your stomach will stop grumbling.”

Pichu greedily grabbed the dry fruit and began devouring the fruit. Boy was Pichu traveling! Ash was worried about what would have happened if Pichu wasn’t fed. 

There was no fruits or vegetables for miles due to the group he had stolen from collecting every single item. He and Pichu had been starving for the past several days. As for himself, Ash was munching on a dried banana. 

Ash wasn’t a good person considering that he stole food from others for Pichu and his own survival. People will suffer the consequences of his actions either through hunger, death through starvation, or taking the blame for his actions. He hated the disgust he felt inside of him due to his actions. The self-loathing and guilt will continue to follow him for the next several weeks.

Ash saw his friends through the window and happily waved. Brock noticed and gave a wave of his own. Then Brock grabbed the nearest trash can and threw up in it. May gave a weak smile before she collapsed to her bed to sleep. As for Max, he was on the ground, appearing visibly bored. Due to his friends being exposed to radiation from the Meta Groudon, they were all forced to be contained in a medical room. He wasn’t contained with them because the Meta Groudon created by Jirachi did not consume him. 

“How long do they have to stay there,” Ash asked a nurse.

“Several more days,” the nurse explained. “We’re monitoring their symptoms due to their acute radiation sickness indicated by the lab reports. From what we can see, everyone but you are experiencing intense symptoms.”

Ash knows. May have a nasty fever which was the way she had spent the past several days sleeping. Brock got the vomiting, nasua, and fatigue symptoms. Max has a fever but decides that he prefers to lie down on the cold floor. A doctor would be here soon to force him back into bed.

When the nurse left, Ash pulled out his laptop and began to filled out the incident report. Due to his friends and other people being hurt by the incident, Ash needed to write a summary of all the injuries they sustained. He noted down the number of people injured and the type of injuries, and Ash began to theorize some things about Jirachi.

Did Ash change the past by entering the gym, which encouraged Max to travel with May? Max did say that he saw Ash competing in the league and wanted to learn more about his battling style.

Did Jirachi view everyone as unworthy to be his friend in the original timeline, which means Jirachi never awakened?

How much disruption is he causing by simply traveling back in time? 

Does Ash’s presence mean that there will be more unpredictable, life-ending events he needs to deal with?

Ash let out a breath as he refocused back on his paperwork. It was at that moment that concept that his actions have consequences truly sanked. It affects the fate of the future and the people that he associates with. For once, someone beside him had to pay the consequences of his carelessness and actions. Taking a quick glance at his friends, Ash realized he needed to be much more careful about involving his current and future traveling companions. He doesn’t want them to get hurt or die in something that doesn’t include them. 

Chapter Text

Opening his eyes, Ash struggles to see the roof of the pokemon center clearly. He placed a hand on his head and realized that his forehead felt extremely hot. When he went to touch his lips, he felt how dry and cracked his lips were. He was also extremely sweaty, but he would shiver at random intervals. His limbs felt like bricks when he tried to get himself out of bed. For every step he took away from the bed, it became much harder to maintain his coordination. Why does his body feel like he got hit by several of Latias’s dragon pulses while getting hit by Victini’s flamethrower simultaneously? 

Pikachu was tugging at his pant leg as the pokemon pointed back to the bed. The pokemon was trying to pull him back to the bed, making noises of frustration, when Ash refused to budge. Ash would have stuck out his tongue, but he didn’t even have the energy to do that. 

He briefly heard the faint chatter from the other side of the door before the door swung open. In front of Ash were his friends holding several plates of food the pokemon center was serving. Funnily enough, they look kinda funny when they’re slightly blurry. 

“Ash, are you alright,” May asked,  leaving a few plates of food on the nearest table. “You look a little pale.”

“You look like shit,” Max blurted out, earning him an audible gasp from his sister. “You should go back to bed.”

“Ash, I think you should rest for today,” Brock suggested.

Ash experienced a sudden wave of dizziness, making it hard for Ash to locate the sound of the person speaking to him. Wait, who’s speaking to him? It sounded like Brock.

“I’m fine,” Ash said, breathing through his mouth. “I don’t need to rest.”

Ash weakly took another step forward while Pikachu loudly protested. He felt a familiar tugging at his pant leg again. After a few more steps, Ash felt all the energy drained out of him, and losing the strength to support himself. His eyes rolled back as he felt himself falling to the floor. He closed his eyes as he became unconscious.

The sounds of plates shattering onto the floor could be heard in the room. As the food was spread all over the floor, several dishes broke into dozens of pieces. A few feet away, Brock crouched as he carried an unconscious friend. Brock barely had enough time to catch Ash in time. Ash’s head would have hit the floor if it wasn’t for his intervention. He carefully stood up as he cautiously carried his friend back onto his bed. Brock could hear Pikachu loudly sobbing as the pokemon continuously wiped his tears. 

“May, tell Nurse Joy that we need a doctor for Ash,” Brock told the coordinator. 

May immediately sprint out of the room to find the nearest nurse Joy. When Brock gently laid Ash onto the bed, Pikachu climbed onto Ash’s bed at record speed. Brock has never seen a pokemon with such a reaction before. Pikachu clutched Ash’s shirt sleeve as the pokemon buried his head in Ash’s side. 

“Will he be okay,” Max quietly asks, realizing the gravity of the situation. “I didn’t think he was this sick when I said he looked like shit.”

“He’ll be fine,” Brock assured. “People tend to get sick. Ash is no exception despite all the death defying situations he seems to get into.”

Brock and Max stood in silence for an eternity before a doctor arrived. As Brock expected, each Pokemon Center has a physician on staff in case of emergencies due to the dangers of traveling. Brock took a step back as the doctor examined Ash. During the examination, Brock learned more about Pikachu’s protective nature. 

Pikachu lifted his head and hissed at the doctor like a feline pokemon would do. Sparks were emitting from the pokemon’s cheek, warning the doctor to not get too handsy on Ash.

“Pikachu, this is a doctor,” Brock explained softly and calmly. “Doctors can help people feel better from their sickness.”

Pikachu took a few steps back but continued to glare at the doctor. The doctor remained unfazed and finished examining Ash’s symptoms and obtaining his temperature. Once the doctor was finished was finish with the examination, the doctor turned to Brock.

“Your friend has a nasty fever,” the doctor said. “Although it’s not to the point of hospitalization, you may want to monitor him in case his symptoms become intense.”

Brock, May, and Max thanked the doctor before the doctor left the room. Meanwhile, Pikachu returned to claim his spot right beside Ash.

“Gravel,” Ash weakly muttered, stirring in his bed. “Gravel, where are we?”

Brock grabbed the juice pouch he had prepared and headed toward Ash. He glanced at Pikachu and noticed how sad the pokemon appeared to be.

“You look older Gravel,” Ash mumbled, struggling to open his eyes. “Where is the rest of the group.”

Brock prompted Ash to sit as he gestured for Ash to drink the juice pouch. Ash slowly grabbed the juice pouch and began drinking the juice pouch.

“I’m Brock,” Brock corrected, which caused Ash to tilt his head.

“Gravel, this is no time for games,” Ash scolded, appearing upset. “Sapphire, tell Gravel to stop playing games with me!”

When May realized that Ash was talking to her, May became confused.

“Ash, I’m May,” May said, unsure how to respond. 

Ash became annoyed and glared at everyone in the room. When he sees Max, it is Ash's turn to be confused.

“Who’s the new kid,” Ash asked, staring at Max with curiosity.

“I’m Max,” Max answered, pointing to May. “I’m her little brother.”

Ash squinted his eyes in Max’s direction. He doesn’t appear to believe Max’s statement initially until he thinks of something.

“Sapphire, you didn’t tell me you have another brother,” Ash commented, giving a weak smile. “Though, your brother's name is kinda weird.” 

“Ash, her name is May,” Brock reminded Ash.

“Stop it, Gravel,” Ash yells as much as a seriously sick person can yell. “Now tell me, where’s everyone? ”

Brock could have decided to play along because Ash was delirious from his flu. He could have made Ash eat some fruit and ended their conservation. However, Max was the first person to react.

“Who’s Gravel,” Max questioned. “And what do you mean by everyone?”

Ash laid back on his bed, turning his head toward the people in the room. Specifically, he looked at Brock.

“Gravel, you are like my big brother,” Ash supplemented, thinking Brock was Gravel. He then frowned before he continued. “If my big brother was alive, he would have liked you.”

If Ash wasn’t delirious and feverish, he would have noticed how uncomfortably silent the room became. May’s gave Ash a sorrowful gaze. Max appeared sad and wondered if he should have ever asked that question. Brock maintained the same expression, hiding how sorry he felt for Ash. He doesn’t like the implications of Ash’s words. There was a sudden unsettling feeling inside of him, but he couldn’t pinpoint the reason. 

“Haze is such a hot head,” Ash smiled, unaware of the room's atmosphere. He then turned to the person he thought was Sapphire.“Sapphire, you and your brother are troublemakers. Pearl is clumsy, Diamond is smart, and Platiumn is very sassy. Ivy is a great cook and Storm is very creative.”

“You must have a big family,” May commented, trying to lighten up the mood.

“We were family,” Ash agreed, gradually closing his eyes. “As orphans, we only had each other,”

Ash drifted off to sleep, leaving everyone stunned at his comment. As the sick trainer slept, the three people in the room looked at each other. There was a tense silence that lingered in the room for a while. No one knew what to say until May broke the silence.

“He’s an orphan,” May spoke, looking at the sleeping trainer. “It’s no wonder he doesn’t talk about his family.”

“Ash did mention that his family traveled a lot,” Brock added. “But that as much he would speak about them. They may have died several years ago.”

“He could be lying about that,” Max mentioned. “What if he doesn’t remember too much about his family? He could also be lying to blend with everyone.!”

“That sounds like something Ash would do,” Brock admitted. He’s no idiot. He’s aware that Ash is a secretive little shit. “It could explain why Ash would always deflect the conservation.”

Ash stirred in his sleep, whimpering and frowning in his sleep. Aware of Ash’s distress, Pikachu immediately began to nuzzle against Ash’s cheeks. The pokemon began quietly cooing in the trainer’s ear as if he was a human, softly talking Ash down from the dreams that plaque Ash’s sleep. Moments later, Ash stopped whimpering and was faintly smiling. Pikachu nodded in approval before claiming a spot near Ash.

“Ash’s and Pikachu’s relationship is very sweet but unusual,” May noted, smiling at the interaction.

Brock observed the interaction between Pikachu and Ash. He has never seen a trainer and pokemon interact in such a matter. As strange as it sounds, Brock would have assumed that Ash’s and Pikachu’s relationship resembles more of a close sibling relationship. 

“Who’s going to tell him,” May asked. “He did say some things that seem very personal and guarded information.”

“Flip a coin,” Max suggested. “Tails, we tell him, and heads, we pretended this never happened.”

“No,” Brock stated.”We need to be upfront with Ash about what happened today.

Much to the reluctance of the sibling, they agreed that Brock was right.

Ash wanted to die. He cannot believe that he almost blew his cover! He’s supposed to be on a mission to save the world from becoming his dystopia future! Why did he mention Gravel, Sapphire, and everyone from the group? Oh gosh, he can’t look Brock and May in the face! 

“Bye, world,” Ash said with the most serious expression. “I’m going to find the nearest cliff to jump off.”

“Ash, no,” Brock warned. 

“Ash, yes,” Ash countered.

“We won’t ask questions about anything you said,” May quickly mention. “Brock only wanted to tell you because he wanted to be honest with you.”

Ash paused, unable to form words. Did Brock want to be honest with him? For some reason, honesty was an absurd and abnormal concept to him. He wasn’t used to honesty due to his harsh and unforgiving life in the past. 

“Honest,” Ash repeated, hesitantly.

Ash was honest when he said he enjoyed battling with others because of his free will. He was sincere when he said he enjoyed his friends' company despite using them to help them navigate the world. For crying out loud, he told Pikachu to fry Mist’s bike on purpose because he needed a guide! He uses Brock’s desperation to travel to his advantage because the guy is one of the smartest people he has met. 

Then again, was he lying to himself about using his friends like a bunch of tools in a way to put some distance from them? Had he become such a good liar that he could tell a convincing lie to himself and trick himself into believing it? 

“We’re friends,” Brock explained. “As friends, I don’t want to hide anything from you.”

“So if you ever need anything, please tell us,” May added. 

“Friends support friends,” Max pointed out. “No matter the reason.”

Ah, being loved and supported by so many people felt great. Still, he feels a little bad for indulging himself in the friendship he built. Ash is such a horrible person for not telling them everything. If he was a good person, he wouldn’t have formed close friendships with everyone knowing he would one day cease.

“Thank you,” Ash smiled. “This means so much to me.”

He will make the future a world where his friends can live happy, carefree lives. Mark his words, he’s going change the future into a world without everlasting darkness or madness. 

Chapter Text

Ash heard the phrase time would heal all wounds but how were his wounds supposed to recover when those same wounds continuously reopened? Every week, he was exposed to one life-ending situation after another. To make matters worse, he’s starting to experience frequent muscle pain, headaches, and frequent hunger. 

“You have the worst luck,” Steven noted, looking at Ash in pure disbelief. ‘How do you get yourself involved in these types of situations.”

Ash watched how Steven began to pace around in circles, muttering how much it would cost to repair LaRousse City. As the champion walked around, he pulled out his phone and began pressing on his phone screen. Occasionally, the champion would pause and look up from the screen of his phone. Then, Steven would make an array of noises Ash had never heard from him before. The champion would look even more defeated before returning to his pacing and calculating the dollar amount of the damages the city suffered. 

Ash kinda feels sorry for Steven. To be fair, the damage caused by Rayquaza and Deoxys was significant. Buildings were reduced to rubble, most of the wind turbines were destroyed, and the city’s central electric infrastructure needed drastic repair. The parts of the city that wasn’t destroyed by destruction and chaos caused by Rayquaza and Deoxys were without power or water. Supplies were already limited due to stores and homes being destroyed by the debris and aftershock the pokemon produced. 

May leaned to Ash’s ear and quietly whispered. “Are we going to ignore Steven’s near mental breakdown?”

“It’s his fault for arriving late,” Ash responded without hesitation or shame. 

Pikachu nodded in agreement, not caring how others may view his response. 

Steven remembered a group of trainers behind him when he was done with his calculations and having a crisis. He looked at them with wide eyes and a mortified expression. Ash quickly pulled out his phone and took a picture of a mortified Steven. Who knows? The picture could be potential blackmail material.

“Let us pretend you didn’t see that,” Steven suggested, speaking with a hint of desperation.

“So you do lose your cool,” Max commented. “Everyone says that you’re always so calm and collected.”

“I do not lose my cool,” Steven gasped, unintentionally proving Ma’s observation. 

“Then why did you pace around in circles,” Ash asked with the most innocent expression and tone Ash could muster.”And why did you make all those sounds?

Steven began sputtering about the damages being close to fifty million dollars, not including the cost of the workforce's productivity loss. Brock set up a fire, made some popcorn, and had four large bags filled to the brim with popcorn. As Steven sputtered and justified his reactions, Brock casually passed the popcorn bags to everyone. At this point, Brock treated Steven as some background noise. 

“But we were the ones who almost died,” Ash said, keeping up with his innocent facade. “You weren’t there when Rayquaza and Deoxys were fighting against each other, destroying everything that crossed their paths. 

May grabbed a fistful of popcorn and shoved the popcorn into her mouth. She watched Steven’s and Ash’s interactions as if it was a scene in a poorly written comedy. Max was doing the same while Brock contemplated how his life had reached the point where this was something to be expected.

Steven opened his mouth and began to voice more justification for his actions until he was hit with a realization. He remembered precisely who was before him and what Wallace mentioned about Ash’s trainer profile. Then, he recalled how easily Ash was startled at the gala and how this kid had an extreme reaction. 

The guilt Steven felt was enormous due to Steven perceiving himself as insensitive to Ash and how this kid was traumatized by the events he had to deal with at Kanto, Johto, and now Hoenn. Here he was complaining about finances while four kids risked their lives to save thousands of people and got traumatized in the process! 

Ash, who was purposely being a little shit, didn’t realize the error of his ways until Steven started to do a one-eighty.

Steven took several steps forward to ensure he was in Ash’s line of sight until he was right in front of Ash. Before Ash could ask what the fuck Steven was doing, Steven scooped him into a hug. Bewildered, Ash remained motionless as Steven lifted him off the ground and began swinging him around.

“I’m so sorry,” Steven apologized. “I didn’t realize how hard it must have been for you and your friends.”

Max, confused by the turn of events, quietly asked Brock a question. “What happened.”

“I don’t know,” Brock admitted, unsure what happened. 

Steven continued, not noticing how tense Ash was getting. “Here is me being insensitive about everything that had happened to you. You must be traumatized again. No thanks to me!”

Ash could hear May giggling from afar before she was scooped into a hug. Max tried to escape by throwing his bag of popcorn at Steven’s face. Sadly, Max’s aim was shit, so Steven could also scoop him into the hug. Brock was safe because Steven couldn’t hug more than three people simultaneously. 

“How come Brock avoided the hug,” Max complained, trying his best to escape. 

Steven didn’t grace Max with a response. Ash wondered did his day began with stopping Rayquaza and Deoxys from destroying each other and ended with him being trapped in a hug he didn’t want. 

Ash found a secluded house covered in overgrowth and moss. Nature appeared to have taken over the place, leaving no uncovered spot. Undeterred, Ash ran to the house in hopes of finding something useful. He may have to rip the vines apart with his bare hands to get through the door, but at least he could get inside eventually.

“It’s so big and pretty,” Ash spoke in awe, pointing to the chandelier and designs of the ceiling. “Even covered in dust and webs, it so beautiful…”

Ash was memorized by everything he saw inside this huge building. Dust covered every inch, but everything remained primarily intact. Almost everything looked so grand and marvelous in this room. What caught his attention the most was an enlarged picture of two men dressed in suits, holding hands together as they said their vows underneath an arc structure. It was hard to decipher their faces because part of the picture was covered by an old stain. There was also a guy dressed as a preacher and holding a book. 

“They looked so happy,” Ash noted, feeling a bit sad for the pair in the picture. “It’s sad that the world went to shit and ruined their happiness.”

Spending the next few hours searching around the vast building, Ash eventually found something useful in one of the rooms labeled as “donations.” It was a nice set of gently used clothes! The best part was that the clothes were made of sturdy materials, nothing like those made of pokemon wool!

“Yes,” Ash cheered. “New clothes!”

Ash carefully picked a few oversized hoodies, shirts, pants, and socks into his backpack. They were made with good material, unlike the clothes hastily constructed out of pokemon’s wool. If he’s really careful, they will last a few years. 

While putting everything away, he felt his partner tugging his pant leg. Crouching down, Ash asked what Pichu wanted to tell him. Pichu pointed to the book that was cast aside in the corner of the room. Understanding what Pichu wanted, Ash got up and walked to the corner of the room. Once he was close enough, Ash picked up the book.

When Ash opened the book, he debated if he should read what he assumed was the man’s diary. Then, he realized the guy was dead, so he might as well read it.  

The first several pages were about his married life and gushing about his husband. Eventually, the tone went from a man in love to a man losing everything important to him. There were snippets about the horror that occurred in Kanto and Johto. However, the snippets were overshadowed by paragraphs describing the grief of losing his husband. It was heartbreaking to read about Steven losing his husband, father, friends, and co-workers to many world disasters. To make matters worse for the guy, he was pressured to take on his late husband's role without having the time to grieve. The last page ended with describing how the world appeared to be ending.

“I think we’re done here,” Ash told Pichu, slamming the book shut. 

As Steven gave a tour of his villa, Ash internally screamed at the twisted irony. After what Ash called the hug incident, Steven invited them to his villa, which was nearby at an isolated location. At first, Ash thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until Ash saw a familiar enlarged picture. 

“Dad said you were always a sap,” May said, pointing to the picture. “Did you really need a stupidly large picture of you and your husband?”

“How dare you not appreciate my husband,” Steven gasped in mock offense. For dramatic effect, he places a hand over his chest. “Wallace is great, fantastic, and the love of my life!”

Oh, Ash knows that. Why did Ash read the journal he found at that time? How was he supposed to know the villa he broke into belonged to Steven Stones? The only positive thing he could see from his situation was that at least Ash saw the fruits of his effort. 

Chapter Text

Ash bit his tongue as he forced his legs to continue sprinting after the grunt who appeared to be affiliated with Team Magma. His legs began to feel heavy, and it was a bit painful to continue running. Pikachu was left behind to deal with some of the grunts at the museum who were purposely trying to create a distraction. Fortunately, Ash saw the grunt’s poor attempts to sneak out of the museum with the Red Orb. 

“Rumor has it that the region was destroyed by magma and aqua.”

Putting his hands into his pocket, Ash searched for the one item he used in uttered desperation. When his hand sensed the smooth handle of his tool, Ash hastily pulled out his weapon. Pushing the switch, he flicked his knife and kept it close to his side.

“The magma burned everything it touched, transforming half of the region into a dry wasteland.”

Ash waited for the grunt to falter in their movements, watching the grunt's every movement. When the grunt paused to catch their breath briefly, Ash took the opportunity to strike. Locking his eyes on the grunt’s calf, Ash swiftly threw the knife at the grunt’s calf. The moment the knife landed inside the grunt’s calf, the grunt lost his grip on the red ord in their hands. As expected, the grunt screeched in pain and dropped the red orb. The grunt collapsed onto the ground and held his bleeding calf. 

“The aqua drowned everything it encased, leaving half of the region submerged in seas. 

For every step Ash took to reach the red orb, his legs became heavier and heavier. Still, no matter how hard it was to move his muscle, he was motivated to get that red ord. The profanity and insults the grunt spewed out of his mouth didn’t bother him. Did the grunt expect him to continue running to where Ash collapsed first? No. Ash will resort to more physical and aggressive options if the situation demands it. Although he’s not the type to resort to this method, Ash knows that specific conditions will force him to respond violently. 

“Nature's violent forces destroyed everything in its path, dooming the region for all eternity without hesitation.” 

When he was close enough to the red orb, Ash fell to his knees. While his legs finally gave out, he could still reach his arms to grab the red orb. The moment the orb was in his possession, Ash sighed in relief. For now, no one had a key to control the unpredictable forces that were elements of nature. 

“And so, the deities the past once worshipped had turned on its subjects.”

Ash waited impatiently to be released from the interrogation room. For the last hour, he was forced to sit in this dull room and answer many repetitive questions about the incident. No one seemed pleased about how he chased someone to exhaustion or how he used his pocket knife to injure the grunt. Oh well. What can they do?

When Ash debated whether he should just walk out of the room, the door swung open. Steven walked inside the room and searched for the person responsible for retrieving the red orb. He was in disbelief when he realized the person was nonother than Ash.

“Why do you keep getting into this type of situation,” Steven sighed in exasperation. “This has to be a bit much for a Chosen One.”

“The world hates me,” Ash stated as if it was a fact. “It want to see how much I can handle before I crack under pressure.”

Pikachu solemnly nodded in agreement, knowing the truth about Ash’s statement. Steven, who didn’t know the truth, thought the pair were being dramatic. He raised his eyebrow at their antics which encouraged Ash never to tell Steven about the truth. Steven was young, but the champion appeared a little to invest in his well-being. In his opinion, that's just weird, considering that most people in his timeline don’t act like this. 

“No more chasing terrorists,” Steven ordered, pointing his finger at Ash to further emphasize his point. “Leave this to the professional.”

“But I am a professional,” Ash countered. “Lance told you that I’m the Chosen One which the residents of Shamouti Island further support.”

Steven looked defeated, having nothing to say to counter Ash’s statement. Ash thought Steven would give up, wish him a good day, and leave. It was either that or Steven would try to pointlessly try to continue their debate to the point he completely tired himself out. Instead, Steven took a different approach.

“Just remember that you have people who care about you,” Steven mentioned, which caught Ash off guard. “Your friends, Drake, Lance, and I included.”

“You,” Ash questioned, tilting his head in confusion. “Wasn’t our first interaction me throwing you down to the floor?”

“My fault for sneaking behind a kid with PTSD,” Steven commented. “Do we need another talk about this not being your fault?” 

“No,” Ash answered. 

Ash was tempted to ask Steven what PTSD meant but decided not to. He doesn’t want to say something that will encourage Steven to resume their prior conservation. Despite not knowing the meaning, Ash feels it is related to their latest conservation.

Regret, he was filled with regret. Why did he travel through a dry wasteland with little water, vegetation, and signs of life? The ground was covered with cracks, indicating that the water had evaporated. Some of the cracks would be narrow, which wouldn’t pose much of a threat. However, those several meters in depth or width cracks pose a problem. He would need to brace himself to run and jump over the ground fissure to make it to the other side. 

If Ash recalled correctly, his dad mentioned that Groudon was responsible for drying part of this region. Supposedly, people of the past refer to him as the God of Land. The Pokemon can summon intense droughts, or so the stories told. It must have been those droughts that evaporated all the water from the ground. Without water, the ground shrink, which causes the ground to condense and crack. 

Pichu patted Ash’s cheeks, grabbing the boy’s attention. The Pokemon pointed to the skeletons sprawled across the ground. When Ash noticed the skeletons had backpacks, he headed toward the skeletons. Crouching down, he began rummaging through the bags to see if he could find anything useful. He found several waterskins, one jar of preserved fruit, and a rope roll. While it was sad that these people were dead, Ash needed the supplies to survive in this wasteland he mistakenly entered.

Pichu gave a slight whine, feeling bad for the dead. Ash knows Pichu is an innocent Pokemon with unusual empathy for living in a world like this. Pichu also shows an unusually high morality, which Ash doesn’t understand. 

“We have to,” Ash quietly said, pushing down his feelings of guilt. “To survive, we need to take everything useful.”

Ash failed to notice Pichu staring at him sadly, watching Ash hesitate to put the items they scavenged into his backpack. Pichu watched as Ash made all the hard choices that determined whether they could live another day. If only the purple Pokemon didn’t find them and slaughtered everyone in the orphan group. Then, they could still live happily since they were with people who loved and supported them. 

“We’ll find a way to get out of here,” Ash reassured. “We’ll find another boat and try our luck landing in another region.”

Pichu shook his head as memories of the Kyogre incident flashed. Memories of struggling to stay above water as Kyogre tried to drown them hundreds of feet below the seas. He hated how his desperate gasps for air were met with water-filled lungs. If it wasn’t for Ash’s determination to stay above water during the storm, they would have died that day. 

“Or we could build something floating above the water,” Ash said. “If we’re lucky, we’ll find the Serpent Pass!”

If Ash recalls correctly, it’s a narrow strip of land created in one of Groudon’s and Kyogre’s battles. However, his dad always said it’s a path a person should take as a last resort. Rumor has it that the Pokemon inhabiting Dragon’s Pass are vicious, cruel, and ruthless. Still, Ash would instead take his chances than remain stuck in a dry wasteland.

With a disapproving gaze, Ash watched Steven and Wallace pray to Hoenn’s deities. In front of the praying couple was a golden statue of Kyogre and Groudon. Surrounding the figures was a circle of flowers people put to show their respects to their local deities. Hearing them pray for rain and sunlight made Ash want to scream. When May began to join in the prayer, Ash imagined Sapphire’s and Ruby’s voices screaming at the top of their lungs at their ancestor.

“Who do you pray for,” Max asked, interrupting Ash’s thoughts. “We had always prayed for the weather trio.”

Ash recalled the sickly pink Celebi he held in his arms long ago. The Pokemon was kind, gentle, and innocent. If Ash had to choose one Pokemon to pray to, Ash would pick Celebi. It was the Pokemon Ash would acknowledge as a Goddess, considering that Celebi never did anything to him or Pikachu.

“I don’t pray,” Ash answered without hesitation as Pikachu nodded in agreement. “But I wouldn’t mind praying to Celebi.”

Max gave Ash an odd look, unsure how to respond to Ash’s words. Ash pretended not to notice Maz’s look, hoping Max would stop asking these questions. 

"Xerneas is another goddess I can respect," Ash whispered, tone near silent. "For she has tried her best."

It was tragic that she was one of the few who wasn't corrupted, unlike the others in the aura trio. The world like making the pure-hearted goddess suffer, sending them to their deathbeds. 

Chapter Text

Ash saw Max barreling into the room, interrupting Queen Ilene's story about Sir Aaron.

“I saw a Mew teleporting with Pikachu and Meowth,” Max informed everyone. “I don’t know where Mew had taken them to.”

When those words slipped out of Max’s mouth, Ash felt the world around him spin. He grabbed his chest and felt the overwhelming doom spread throughout his body. What did Max mean that Mew teleported Pikachu to an unknown location? Does that Pikachu somewhere far away from him? Does that mean he’s utterly alone in a world unknown to him? 

“I can’t….I can’t” Ash gasped, feeling like he was being choked. 

He sucked in breath after breath, desperately craving for air. How come he felt the air he was breathing in was empty of oxygen? He needs Pikachu. Where is his buddy?” Why is everyone just standing around, doing nothing, and stealing the oxygen he needs to breathe? 

“Ash,” a voice called out.

The voice fell on deaf ears. It was hard to see and hear. Blood pounded in his ears as he heard a ringing noise. Who was calling him? It was hard to see when the world spun, and the people before him looked disfigured. Why are his eyes seeing the world around him like he is looking through a fish-eye lens? 

“Try to calm down,” a young boy’s voice suggested.

“You never tell someone having a panic attack that,” a female voice scolded.

Ash wanted space. He wants his Pikachu. Taking a step back, Ash frantically waved his hand at the people as if it could shoo them away. 

“Ash,” a familiar voice called out. Unlike the other voices, the tone of this voice was calm and soothing. “Tell me what you need right now.”

Ash began to claw his throat as if there was a noose on his neck. He could hear himself taking shallow, rapid breaths, but that wasn’t enough. He needs more than that.

“Air,” Ash said, struggling to maintain his composure. 

“Listen to the sounds of my voice,” the person stated. “Follow the instruction as I modeled the steps. Can you look at me so I can show you?”  

Looking in the direction of the voice, Ash sees a familiar-looking teen. Though he knew the trainer before him, he struggled to verbalize the trainer’s name.

“Place one hand on your heart,” the voice instructed, placing his hand on his chest.

Ash placed the palm of his hand on his heart.

"Watch me inhale for four seconds,” the voice continued. 

The figure inhaled, holding his breath for four seconds. Ash copied the person’s actions.

“Slowly exhale for four seconds,” the voice calmly said.

The figure slowly exhaled for four seconds, and Ash did the same. Together, they continued to repeat the activity several more times. During random moments, Ash would hear the voice saying that Ash could get through this. After what had felt like an eternity, Ash felt drained but aware of the world around him. Out of exhaustion and sadness, Ash fell onto his needs.  

Ash spoke up at the person who helped him through the panic attack. “Pikachu is gone.”

“Yes,” Brock confirmed. “But we’ll find him.”

“I need him by my side,” Ash empathized. “Pikachu means so much to me.”

He knows it’s unhealthy and borderline co-dependent to be so reliant on Pikachu. However, it was his Pokemon that motivated him to continue living. He found himself the will to live because someone needs to take care of the Pokemon. At the time, Pichu was a helpless baby in their ruthless world. The guilt of leaving the Pokemon he viewed as a family member alone in that merciless world was the one thing that stopped him from taking his own life. Now, Ash’s alone, and he’s barely holding it together. If he doesn’t find Pikachu soon, he’ll break.

“I know where they went,” Ilene shared, gesturing for everyone to follow her.

Although his body felt weak and heavy, Ash followed the queen to a balcony overlooking the land. From a distance, Ash could see a huge tree. 

“The Tree of Beginning is a complex rock formation,” Ilene supplemented. “It’s said that it can revive and sustain the Earth. “

“Like the food we eat,” Ash asked out of curiosity.

The lack of edible plant life was said to be the result of the death of the Tree of Life. Considering that both the Tree of Life was said to be at this location base on the story he heard from people, Ash can confidently bet that the two trees are one of the same. However, that does leave one question. What does his presence change about the situation? The Tree of Life originally died because too many people sought refuge at the Rota. Specifically, too many people ventured to the Tree of Life, hoping that it would protect them from the outside world and create a camp for survivors. However, it was said that the tree began to die, and the world had lost its ability to produce vast resources to sustain the world’s life. 

“Everything,” Ilene answered. “The tree’s symbiotic relationship with Mew allows the Earth to produce the fruits we eat, the vast amount of water to drink, and other natural resources.

Through gritted teeth, Ash provided a response. “Oh really?”

First, it was saving fucking Mewtwo. If saving the Pokemon who killed your family and the group of orphans you befriended wasn’t bad enough, then Ash doesn't know what can be considered bad. Now Ash has to save a Mew because it was connected to the tree! Why does a stupid Mew have to be connected to the one complex system that provides endless resources to the world? 

Ash jumped to the left, avoiding a blast of scorching fire aimed in his direction. He hissed in pain when he felt a burning sensation on his skin from the hot air that hit him. He doesn’t know how long he can continue evading Groudon’s wrath. The Pokemon trailing behind him would not rest on its pursuit to kill him. He fears the last thing he’ll see will be a gigantic shadow looming over him.

“I need to live,” Ash cried out, tears streaming down his face. “I can’t die yet. I promise Gravel that everyone's death will not go in vain!”

Ash kept on running, dodging out of the way of the endless fireballs. Embers that sprouted from the Fire Blasts engulf the random, dried patches of dead vegetation surrounding the area. At some point, all Ash could see was an orange sea of fire consuming the area. It was getting harder to breathe as the heat started getting to him. 

Pichu, overheated from hiding in the backpack, pops his head to see a world of orange. Pichu began to whine about their grave situation out of fear and worry. 

For a moment, Ash could have sworn that he heard a primal scream from behind, begging for someone to save them from the madness that consumed their mind. It sounded like a human desperately asking for help for a brief moment. Daring to see if a human was nearby, Ash looked over his shoulder to see that Groudon had temporarily stopped his pursuit. The Pokemon stared straight into his eyes with an expression that was difficult to read. Naturally, his body began to tremble in fear. 

Not risking the opportunity, Ash turned his back and sprinted to the narrow strip of land he saw from a distance. It appears very far, but Ash could reach it on time. There’s no way Groudon would chase him through Dragon’s Pass, considering that Groudon could be consumed by the sea water on each side of the land. The narrow strip of land also had large mountains that Groudon couldn’t quickly destroy. 

“I’m going to run,” Ash quietly told Pichu. “I will not stop running until we reach Dragon’s Pass.”

Pichu made his worries clearly known. He doesn’t like the idea of Ash pushing beyond his limits. His human was running on fumes and would soon collapse from exhaustion at some point. 

“I’ll worry about the consequences later,” Ash stated, ignoring the sting pain of the burns covering his body. “For now, hold on tight.”

Ash sprinted toward Dragon’s Pass, steering clear of the growing inferno. As he ran, he heard the faint, desperate voice for the healing salvation that was a blue light. Ignoring that voice, Ash kept on running. His lungs were screaming for air, but that did not stop. His legs began to feel like jelly, but that didn’t stop him. He wanted to cry out in pain due to the burns he got. Still, Ash continued running. 

He didn’t stop until he made it to Dragon’s Pass. Due to exhaustion and stress, Ash fainted ten minutes into running on Dragon’s Pass. 

In another merciful universe, Ash would tell the story of how he met Pikachu and saved the Pokemon from a flock of Spearow. He would have gotten into an argument with Lucario about Lucario’s belief that humans and Pokemon can never become friends. However, in a crueler universe, Lucario witnessed how much Pikachu means to the trainer in this universe. Clearly, there is some level of love and care if the trainer would have a panic attack when he heard that his partner was missing. 

“He means that much to you,” Lucario noted.

Ash remained looking toward the tree, visibly distressed that the group had to stop and rest. He would have continued traveling with resting or eating, but he knows his friends are not used to that.

“He’s my entire world,” Ash whispered. “I can’t live without him.”

Lucario knows that the child standing right beside him means every word. The boy truly believed that he would die without his partner. There has to be more to it, but the Pokemon can’t figure it out. Who was this child standing beside him, and what type of life did the child live? 

Lucario had plenty of questions he wanted to ask, but he will never have the opportunity. 

Chapter Text

The Pokemon, Lucario, was wary of humans. Where Ash’s initial reaction was to be angry beyond belief, Lucario’s words uncovered the vulnerability he buried underneath his hardened shell. Sure, Lucario would lash out in anger, but Ash knew the Pokemon was coming from a place of anger and confusion. All he sees in Lucario’s eyes is the hurt of being abandoned by the one he viewed as a friend and the confusion about entering an era where he doesn’t belong. 

“What do you miss about the past,’” Ash asked.

Ash could sense the Pokemon intensely staring at him, primarily due to being off guard by the question. To be fair, Ash did admit minutes ago that he’ll die without Pikachu by his side. Now, he’s asking Lucario a question.  

“The past,” Lucario followed up.

“Yeah,” Ash confirmed. “It must be hard to wake up hundreds of years into the future.”

He doesn’t know why he’s putting effort into befriending the Pokemon beside him. At least, that is what Ash thinks because Ash never put the effort to purposely make friends. Most of his friendships were due to others putting hard work into developing the friendship or asking if they could tag along. It was others who took the first step, not him.

“I do not miss the conflict,” Lucario revealed. “But I do miss the scenery. “

“Everything looks so different,” Ash emphasized. “It’s the same world but not the same look.”

Memories of Platinum’s open invitation for Ash to join their makeshift family were dragged up for reasons Ash doesn’t understand. He doesn’t know why he spoke his following words to the Pokemon.

“But you can join me,” Ash blurted out, letting his thoughts spew out of his mouth. “After finding Pikachu, you can join me in my travels. Together, we can learn about the world.” 

Why did he just say that? Why does he want to befriend this Pokemon so severely that he invites Lucario to join him on his journey? 

“You will invite me in your travels,” Lucario responded, caught off guard by Ash’s invitation.

Ash smiled genuinely, turned to face Lucario, and nodded.

“I think we could be friends,” Ash spoke, fully believing his words. “I think you may be the one who can understand me the most.”

Ash knows that he would never belong to this era, no matter how much people try to befriend him or how much respect he garners. Perhaps, he sees a bit of himself in the Pokemon that was sealed for centuries. Both of them are walking in an era that wasn’t their own. 

“I would like to get to know you,” Lucario said, seeing that Ash was genuine in his offer. “And I would like to meet the Pikachu you speak highly of.”

Ash knew it was difficult to accept that he was living in a world where he didn’t belong. However, he had at least Pikachu to confide in about his feelings and fears. Lucario don’t have a human or Pokemon by his side, which makes him sad for the Pokemon. This Pokemon will be living the rest of his life alone and unsure how to cope. While Ash wasn’t the best person, and he’s bound to disappear, he would like to help the Pokemon live in a world that was nothing like the Pokemon’s past.

The words about the “cursed blue light” echoed in Ash’s mind. Seeing how the Time Flower displaying Sir Aaron’s delivering his aura to Mew brought up bad memories of people spitting out hateful words. Was the “curesed blue light” aura all along? Did people hate him because he possessed aura? 

“Let me help you,” Ash insisted, putting on Aaron’s glove. “If I have the same aura as Sir Aaron, then I should be able to help you.”

Together, they should be able to heal the tree and the Pokemon that lived here. If they worked together, the tree would survive and continue producing endless natural resources. People and Pokemon won’t starve or fight each other to live another day.

Ash felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from going further. He looked over his shoulder to see that it was Kidd. He noted that she disliked what he was going to do. 

“You’ll be sacrificing yourself,” Kidd warned, staring at him with concerned eyes. “You’re a child. You have so much to live for.”

Ash stopped being a child when his family was murdered in cold blood. Being a child was a concept that only existed in this era, not from the era he originated from. The moment you are born is the moment you learn how to survive. Kids were taught to put the needs of the majority over themselves. 

“The tree will die,” Ash bluntly told Kidd. “If the tree dies, then the world’s resources will dwindle.”

Ash shoved Kidd’s hand off his shoulder and approached where Lucario was standing. When he was standing on the opposite side of Lucario, Ash pushed down his hatred for the pink Pokemon levitating between them. As much as he wanted to scream and lash out at Mew for all the pain its species had caused, he knew he can’t allow his intense hatred to cloud his judgment. Realizing he’s forced to save another Pokemon who hurt him was a bitter pill to swallow.

He held up his hands and closed his eyes. It took all of his concentration, but he was able to summon a small blue orb in front of him. Feeling the sphere on his palms, Ash opened his eyes and channeled his aura. He was glowing blue, the same blue color everyone had called cursed. Quickly, the two auras combined and surrounded the deity. 

As the minutes passed, channeling his aura took a lot more energy. Powerful waves of pain continue to rush through him, making it difficult for him to stand up. When the pain became too much, Ash bit his tongue and continued forcing himself to feed Mew the aura the tree needed. He was becoming light-headed, and his body was beginning to feel weak.

Ash hears something moving before he senses something hitting him. Exhausted and in pain, he didn’t have the strength to hold his ground and fell to the floor. Opening his eyes to see who hit him, he saw it was Lucario who shoved him aside. 

“Leave the rest to me, Ash,” Lucario called out, looking back at the trainer. “The aura is with me!”

Mustering whatever strength he had left, Ash tried to get up. However, Ash could at most, prop himself up into a sitting position. He watched as the aura surrounding Mew turned into a Green sphere. The orange light disappeared, replaced by the tree’s old green light. No longer the area was crumbling around them. Instantaneously, Mew began to heal, and its feverish look was gone. The same could not be said for Lucario. The Pokemon fell to the ground and leaned on the green crystal. 

“Lucario,” Ash cried out, weakly crawling toward Lucario. 

When he made it to the Pokemon, Ash knelt in front of the Pokemon. He held onto the Pokemon’s paw, trying to comfort the Pokemon on what appeared to be the Pokemon’s dying moment. 

“Why,” Ash asked, tears threatening to spill out. “We could have done it together.”

“You don’t deserve this fate,” Lucario rasped. “You’re so young and have so much potential. I can’t let you die.”

Lucario’s free paw fell to the floor, opening the time flower next to him. A memory began to play for all to see. Like Lucario, Sir Aaron leaned against the crystal, visibility in pain. The aura guardian had a sad expression as he apologized to Lucario. Despite knowing that it was a memory that was playing, Lucario weakly acknowledged the aura guardian’s apologies. 

Ash wanted to look away, but he wanted to be there for Lucario’s final moment. He made himself look at the scene of Sir Aarons explaining why he locked Lucario in his staff, knowing full well that the Pokemon would suffer the same fate if he hadn’t. Sir Aaron was smiling as he was dying. Even near death, the aura guardian shared how his memories with Lucario would be treasured and how the Pokemon was his closest friend. Lucario, in turn, responded that he failed to live life to the fullest like Sir Aaron wanted him to.

“You didn’t fail,” Ash blurted out. No, he refused to let this dying Pokemon think that he had failed. “You’re a true Guardian of Aura…just like Sir Aaron.”

“Thank you Ash,” Lucario smiled, wincing in pain immediately after. Seeing the tears streaming down Ash’s spake, Lucario weakly continued. “I’m sorry that I will not join you in your travels. Sir Aaron is waiting for me.”

Ash watched as Lucario’s body faded away, desperately holding onto Lucario’s paw until his hand phase through the paw. Soon, what remained were sparkles of energy. Lucario’s aura and Sir Aaron’s trapped aura from crystals began to rise up, combining into one large sphere. Light began to shine, growing bright to the point that Ash shielded his eyes. When he can no longer feel the light's intensity, he opens his eyes. 

There wasn’t a trace of Lucario, the time flower, or the crystal. He could hear Mew levitating and celebrating her newfound health. All Ash wanted to do was yell at the Mew that it was all its fault for causing him to suffer so much distress.

Placing his head in his hands, Ash began to sob uncontrollably. Now that Lucario was gone, Ash allowed himself to cry in frustration. Why does the world like to make him suffer? Why did Lucario sacrifice himself for someone like him? What could he do to redeem himself for the death of Lucario? Nothing he could do could make up for his failure.

“No one was supposed to die,” Ash said between sobs. “ I don’t know how much I could take it.”

Now, he had to live with the fact that he had Lucario’s blood on his hands. 

Chapter Text

Somewhere along the way, Brock forgot that these experiences were not typical. Spending a few regions traveling with Ash made “helping out a legendary” into a typical monthly experience. Everyone’s concept of normalcy eventually became warped and corrupted by the situations that terrify a regular adult. Even himself have failed to see that his perspective on the norm and what is out of the ordinary is beginning to get skewed the more time he’s on the road. 

Kidd made him have that abrupt reality check of everyone’s situation. Specifically, Kidd’s reactions to how he and everyone else are handling the aftermath. His realization may be because a gorgeous teen like Kidd was noticeably worried for everyone, but that’s beside the point. She told him it wasn’t her place to describe everything that had happened with Mew, Lucario, and the tree but that she wanted to express her worries. Occasionally, she would subtly frown when she glanced in Ash’s direction. As expected, Ash would be oblivious to her glance and continue acting in his cheerful way.

“This is not the first time it has happened.”  Kidd’s words returned to him suddenly, and Brock could tell that Kidd was feeling sick with the realization. He recalled her frown deepening, which reminded Brock that this wasn’t supposed to be the norm.  “Tell me, Brock? How many life-threatening situations must one experience to act as if nothing has happened?”

For him, he lost track at some point at Johto. He can’t say for everyone else, but he knows that everyone stops questioning and go along with the flow a little while after they have been on the road. The only exception is Ash, who seems to act like this is an everyday occurrence for him. The trainer acted carefree and bright, even after a terrifying ordeal. When Brock begins to doubt Ash’s well-being, Ash quickly proves his doubts wrong.

It’s hard to admit, but he would have been another person who had been fooled if he had not seen the cracks that began to form on the mask Ash puts on. Since when did Ash have a show he put on? Did he always have that mask, or did Ash begin having one at some point in their travels? Why did it take so long for him to see how Ash was a master of acting and lying?

He doesn’t think Ash notices, but Brock can see Ash beginning to slip up in his act. Forced smiles, eyes that see too much of the world, and a dazed look were all Brock needed to know that he had to do something. 

Tonight, Brock couldn’t sleep. Tossing and turning for hours, he gave up the thought of sleeping. Prompting himself from the sleeping bag, Brock could see Ash’s empty sleeping bag. May and Max were blissfully sleeping, unaware that Ash and Pikachu were missing. While he found the situation odd, he wasn’t too worried for Ash. He would have been worried if Ash had left Pikachu behind, knowing that Ash was too far apart from the Pokemon. 

Perhaps deep inside of him, Brock sensed something was wrong. It could be that his subconscious was so bothered about the situation that he couldn’t sleep peacefully.

Getting up silently, he began to stroll around the area, hoping to find Ash. He followed the trail down a hill to see if Ash was at the nearby lake or tree. He knows that Ash loves lakes and plant life, so it wasn’t uncommon to find Ash at places with those. Expectedly, he was able to find Ash. At the bottom of the hill, he could see Ash lying down on a patch of flowers. Though it was hard to tell from where Brock was standing, it seemed that Ash was staring absently at the stars.

Not wanting to startle Ash, Brock purposely ensured Ash could hear him coming down the hill. Ash seemed not to notice him until Pikachu’s ears perked up. Pikachu lifted his head and made direct eye contact with him. Ash remains lying on the flower patch, but he lifts his arm to wave at him. Taking that as an invitation, Brock walked toward where Ash was and sat beside him.

“Can’t sleep,” Brock started. 

Ash nodded but said nothing. That didn’t surprise Brock. 

“How are you,” Brock continues. 

“Fine,” Ash said after some moments of silence.

Brock cast Ash a disbelieving look, knowing that Ash was lying. He decides to take a different approach. If Ash wants to play tough, Brock will demonstrate that showing some vulnerability is okay. 

“I’m not one hundred percent fine, “Brock admitted, getting a disbelief look from Ash. “I seem fine, but I can’t forget the suffocating feeling of being engulfed in a red blob.”

Ash sat and turned back to look at the stars as he stroked Pikachus fur. Pikachu glanced at Ash, then at him, and back at Ash, waiting for one of them to continue conservation. Ash would open his mouth but struggled to find the right words. Somehow, with some encouragement from Pikachu, Ash can speak.

“I wasn’t truthful when I said that Lucario is with a friend,” Ash revealed with a look of guilt. “I left out an important part.”

Brock sense that he will feel like a complete idiot by the end of their conservation. He must have missed something which was his fault. 

“The tree was dying,” Ash explains, scratching one of his arms. “To save it, the tree needed aura. However, Lucario’s aura wasn’t enough. Remembering that I have the same aura as Sir Aaron, I thought I could help Lucario.”

He doesn’t know much about aura, but Brock knows that Ash may have done something utterly reckless without regard for his well-being. 

“I was supposed to be strong enough,” Ash continues, borderline hysterical at this point.”We combined our aura to save the tree from deteriorating but…Lucario…Lucario pushes me at the last moment. Like the story of Sir Aaron, Lucario sacrifices his life.”

Brock didn’t want to make it worse for Ash, so he did the first thing he could think of. He put one arm over the crying trainer’s shoulders.

Ash covered his eyes as he began sobbing. Pikachu hugged the younger boy, doing what he could to comfort the other boy. He lifted his arm and embraced Ash’s shoulders in a one arm hug. Knowing that Ash may need this, he did nothing when Ash began crying into his chest.

“First it was my family,” Ash cried, unaware he’s speaking his thoughts aloud.”Then it was my childhood friends. Now it was Lucario. How many people are going to die.”

Brock could have asked what Ash had meant about his family’s and friend’s death. He could have asked if Ash’s overprotective nature toward him and their friends stemmed from his previous experiences. He could have questioned Ash that his need to play the hero was due to witnessing the deaths of loved ones. If he was an absolute jerk, he could have called out the lies Ash told him.  

However, he wasn’t a jerk, and Ash is his best friend. Sure, he has a lot of questions about Ash. He believes that Ash has a lot of trauma and refuses to tell anyone, which Ash has the right to. He suspects, no, knows that Ash had lied straight to his face about his past. Everything Ash is crying about right now is the tip of an iceberg, and Brock wonders if he’ll ever know about the rest. 

So he’ll wait. He’ll wait until Ash is ready. Hopefully, Ash will one day realize he doesn’t have to carry the invisible burden alone. 

Chapter Text

Ash wonders if, in the original timeline, Hoenn met its demise in the same manner. Familiar darkness from his childhood engulfed the island and seas, bringing a sense of impending doom. Gazing at the skies above him, he sees dark clouds obscuring the sun. The winds became more merciless, picking up speeds. The sounds of the waves crashing on the sand brought up memories he would have liked to forget, considering that the cruel waves from the sea had almost killed him on multiple occasions. There were also locals screaming and pleading for the raging Gods to have mercy. 

His body began to tremble from the phantom sensations of water flooding into his lungs and his body being submerged in the bitterly cold sea. Memories of his desperate attempts to reach the surface as the rough waters pushing him back underwater plague his mind. Then the unwanted memories of performing CPR on his partner flash across his eyes, causing tears to well up in his eyes. He would have lost his partner if he had been a few seconds late or a little more fragile. 

Cold droplets hit him across his face, returning his focus to reality. Pikachu hops onto his shoulder, ready to take on the two Gods fighting. From the corner of his vision, he sees sparks emitting from the Pokemon red cheek pouches. The irony was not lost on Ash. He knows that the Pokemon he protected from danger is now the one doing the protecting. However, there were a few things that Ash didn’t understand about Pikachu. 

Where did Pikachu find the bravery to stare down at Gods while here he was trembling in fear? When did Pikachu start acting more like a protector, not a Pokemon who requires protection? What happened during their time in the past that caused Pikachu to experience dramatic shifts in character and actions? How did he miss all the signs that Pikachu was changing alongside him the more they spent in the past?

“We need to stop Kyogre and Groudon,” Ash spoke, expression filled with worry. “Brock, you said we need to weaken the duo so their body can reject the orb, correct?

“That’s all we need to do,” Brock confirmed. “However, we can’t fight these Pokemon alone.”

Ash is starting to see how Hoenn fell into ruin. Two individuals thought they could control Pokemon with titles such as “God of the Sea” or “God of Land.” The two idiots believe Pokemon with grandiose titles will bow and listen to their commands. How foolish of them. It’s people like them that lead the world into ruin. Ash would have never been here in the first place if people like them didn't exist, and his era would have been peaceful.

“We’ll have to do something,” Ash insists, gesturing to Kyogre’s and Groudon’s ongoing brawl. “If we let them continue, then Hoenn is doomed!”

“That’s easier said than done,” May points out in frustration. “It’s not like we’ll magically get an army of Pokemon to assist us!” 

After May’s comment, a ferocious roar came from above the skies alongside cries of flying-type and water-type Pokemon. Hesitantly, Ash glanced at the sky and saw Rayquaza descending to the ground rapidly. As the Pokemon approaches, he notices that the Pokemon look different compared to the Deoxys incident and the Pokemon’s future version. A bright emerald aura surrounded the Pokemon, almost hurting his eyes to look at the Pokemon. The serpent’s body was a lot longer, and there were golden, glowing tendrils from his lower horns and the tips of his tail. The parallelogram fins became more like the dorsal fins he saw on shark-like Pokemon. 

“I think we have an army of Pokemon now,” Max mentions, looking at all the flying-type Pokemon in the sky. 

“And the God of Skies,” May adds, sounding shocked. “I thought we’ll never see Rayquaza again after the Deoxys incident!” 

Honestly, he would have preferred never to see the Pokemon ever again. Sadly, that wasn’t the case since the Pokemon landed right the fuck behind him. Ash could feel the Pokemon’s intense gaze despite not facing the Pokemon’s direction. Pikachu, already on high alert, began growling at the Pokemon. 

“Are you an ally or an enemy,” Ash said, speaking his thoughts aloud. The words escape his mouth before he can stop them. “Will you stop or contribute to Hoenn's damnation as your followers pray for a divine intervention?” 

Ash turns red with embarrassment, realizing he spoke his thoughts aloud. He sheepishly smiled at his friends while they gave him strange looks. Brock was giving him a concerned look, and Ash was starting to regret becoming vulnerable that one time. Great. His best friend will think that the deities play a role in his trouble. He could see the gears turning in Brock's head, but that was something he would worry about in the future. 

Suddenly, the Pokemon coiled around him until Ash could only see a wall of green. Daring to look up, his eyes met with Rayquaza’s. The serpent was staring down at him, observing his every movement. The Pokemon didn’t appear hostile or angry with his bold statement. That’s a surprise because this Pokemon tried to kill him while traveling across the serpent’s pass.

“What do you want,” Ash asks, maintaining eye contact with the Pokemon. 

He’s terrified. He’s worried. He’s confused. There are so many emotions he’s feeling right now that he can’t tell what his primary emotion is. 

“He’s cursed, it’s best to stay away from him.”
“You have the blue light that represents death.”
“The child that glows blue will bring death to us all one day.”
“Latias gave you a lashing for glowing blue?”
“Let’s hope keeping you around wasn’t a mistake.”

Ever since Lucario’s death, he had been researching aura so he won’t risk repeating history. He can’t deal with that guilt. He doesn’t want any more blood stains on his hand. So he spent countless nights researching the history of aura and learned that powerful aura guardians have aura that attracts Pokemon. Their aura was so powerful that the individual could use it to heal or provide strength to Pokemon. 

“You want my aura,” Ash whispers in realization, eyes widening. “You need a boost to defeat both Groudon and Kyogre, so you’re asking me to channel my aura to you.”

The Pokemon nodded, uncoiling so Ash’s view was no longer blocked by an emerald wall. Pushing down the bile creeping up his throat, he clenched his fist as he went on top of Rayquaza. His friends were about to join him but Rayquaza roared as a warning. He was about to scream at the deity until a large group of flying-type Pokemon approached his friends with large bags filled to the brim.

 Once the group landed, Ash could see different healing items popping out of the bag. Some items were man-made, such as potions, while others could be found in nature. It took a few seconds, but Ash was then hit with the realization that Rayquaza wanted his friends to focus on healing the Pokemon. 

“You want us to focus on treating injuries while the Pokemon fight,” Brock spoke without a hint of fear, making Ash envious of his friend.

The serpent nodded his head in confirmation. Ash let out a breath, knowing that he had no choice but to ride Rayquaza alone. 

The serpent pass is a narrow patch of land and mountains that stretches from Hoenn to Sinnoh. Ash knows because his dad used to tell stories about how one group was forced to travel across it when the deity referred to as the devil chased after them. Appearance wise, it is a paradise. Fruit trees were plentiful, and freshwater ponds could be found somewhat easily. Even at the highest point of the mountain, there was something edible to eat and a source of water to drink from.

The dangerous part is the serpent that roams high above the mountains. To travel across the other region, one must travel through the Seperant Pass, meaning one must climb the mountains. One could walk around the mountains, but it highly increases the chances of Kyogre killing the person because there are only ten feet of land between the sea and the mountain edge. Sea storms were also common, so the waves could easily make someone lose balance and fall into the sea. 

“Get burned to crips or get eaten by the serpent,” Ash spoke, debating if he should continue or turn around.

Pichu shrugged, not knowing what option had the highest chance of survival. However, the Pokemon notices the fruit trees from a distance. Hungry, the Pokemon pointed to the fruits. 

“I guess we’ll take our chances with the serpent,” Ash states. “Let’s just hope we won’t run into it.”

Chapter Text

Trying to hide his nerves, Ash cautiously climbed on the serpent as he internally reminded himself that he was in the past. However, the internal statements he told himself did very little to reduce his urge to throw up. The deep breathing exercise Oak taught him is doing very little to stop his pounding heart or trembling fingers. His instincts tell him that being near this Pokemon is unsafe and that he will die an excruciating death if he doesn’t get the fuck out. 

“Lucario…please guide me on what to do,” Ash quietly asks, tone filled with desperation as he looks at the stormy skies. “If you’re watching from the heavens, please help me use aura without fear to help the serpent save Hoenn.”

A phantom feeling of a gentle paw on his shoulder was suddenly felt. Ash suddenly whips his head back, only to be greeted by nothing. What he did notice was Brock, May, and Max doing their best to tend to the Pokemon’s and people’s injuries caused by the sea and land deity. It hadn’t been more than 10 minutes, and dozens of injured people and Pokemon were getting treated by his friends. He knows that his friends are likely crushed under the pressure and stress of tending to the wounded as the numbers increase. The three of them were ready to aid the serpent, only to be demanded by the deity to tend to the injuries.

Here Ash was, being a coward while his friends had more courage and bravery than he could ever have in a lifetime. His friends trust the serpent’s judgment without realizing how their blind trust in such a ruthless deity makes him tremble in fear. Still, he can’t fault them for doing so, considering how their experiences of the world are vastly different than his. 

“Peaceful thoughts,” Ash told himself, turning his head to face the back of the serpent’s head. 

Closing his eyes, he envisions the quiet nights he spends with his friends throughout Kanto, Johto, Orange Islands, and Hoenn. The calm silence, except for the sounds of culinary hitting against the bowls, clear skies with twinkling stars, and the air of calm, were some of the things he remembered. Eventually, after seconds of these peaceful thoughts, his heartbeat slowed, and his fingers went from trembling to slight twitching. 

Opening his eyes, Ash concentrates on the feelings of the aura within him and channels it onto the serpent. Palms laying flat against the Pokemon, the aura was being channeled to the deity. He could see the blue hue from his aura seeping out of his hand and onto the deity. After a while, the serpent would glow primarily in emerald with some spots of blue. 

Satisfied, the serpent roared as if to tell Ash to stop his action for the time being. Ash stopped, knowing that the deity would want him to sporadically channel his aura in battle. Pikachu, silent this whole time, motioned him to grip the Pokemon tightly. The second his hands gripped the deity, the serpent immediately took flight at a ridiculous speed, and the air harshly hit his face. Ash had one hand holding onto his cap while his other hand was holding on to the deity. 

“Be mindful of the island residents,” Ash told the Pokemon, noticing the specs of people on the island. They look so tiny from where he and the serpent are in the sky. “I don’t want my friends to get hurt or the natives of that island.”

The serpent turned his back and gave Ash an offended look. Ash simply blinked, swallowing the lump in his throat. When the Pokemon huffed and faced forward, Ash sighed in relief. For a second, he thought the Pokemon would lash out in rage. At this point, the serpent was much more considerate and moral than its future self. 

Ash wonders if the deity’s sense of morality extends to the two individuals responsible for this disaster. He frankly doesn’t care about the possessed leaders of Team Aqua and Team Magma. Let Archie crash while riding his mini helicopter, or Maxie drown in the merciless seas if he falls off Groudon’s head. He knows it’s hypocritical of him to think of that, considering he doesn’t want any more crimson to stain his hand. Personally, he believed that the two leaders brought this to themselves, and if they died, then it would be from their stupidity. 

However, he does care for his friends and the strangers he has not met. It’s their blood he doesn’t want to be shed. For the two fools who tried to control the land and sea, that’s a different story.

“Kyogre and Groudon are a few miles apart now,” Ash shouted, growing worried. Looking below, he sees that Groudon is dangerously close to his friends, island residents, and Pokemon. “Whatever you’re planning to do, do it now!”

If Kyogre and Groudon were to deliver a powerful blow to each other, that would mean that everyone's land would be guaranteed to be caught in the crossfire. They were close to the seas, meaning they would easily be caught in the waves and pulled into the seas. Groudon may stumble and fall, which may crush the people close enough to the Pokemon. 

“You’ll need to hit them now,” Ash said with a raised voice. “Don't just float! Do it something!”

The Pokemon he was riding charged up and immediately struck down Groudon and Kyogre at lightning speed. Surveying the area around him, he sees that the Pokemon was knocked away from the people and Pokemon. They were visibly hurt by the deity’s attack but still kicking, and boy, were they pissed. Though he was a good distance from them, Ash could feel their intense gaze. 

“We need to do more,” Ash points out, agitated by the land and sea deity’s sturdiness. How come they weren’t weakened enough to break the orbs’ possession on the two Pokemon?“ 

The serpent gave a small roar, demanding for more aura to be channeled to him. Taking several deep breaths, Ash gave the deity as much aura as he could. As time progressed, he began to feel the familiar pain shoot through his body. It was hard to continue, especially since his pain increased in severity. 

Eventually, the deity roared to indicate to stop. Ash happily listened and stopped channeling his aura onto the Pokemon. Then, the Pokemon glow brightly again in the same emerald color and prepare for another strike. Ash continues to hold onto the Pokemon. When Kyogre and Groudon used a hyper beam, the serpent would do several barrel rolls to avoid being hit by the two. He had almost lost his grip on multiple occasions while being upside down thousands of feet in the air. 

After the barrel rolls, the deity dropped out of the skies at high speed to hit Kyogre and Groudon. Despite being hit twice by sky deity, the two Pokemon remain standing. So, the cycle repeats on and on, making the pain of channeling his aura onto the Pokemon more unbearable. When he was not using his aura, he began feeling a throbbing pain that would linger throughout his body until the serpent demanded him to use his aura. While he was used to pain, he was not used to the motion sickness that made him have the urge to hurl. After the tenth set of barrel roles the Pokemon did to avoid the Hyper Beams, Solar Beams, and Hydro Pump aimed at them, Ash had to bite his tongue to stop throwing up.

Internally, Ash screaming for the deity to hurry up because he don’t know how long he can continue doing this!

From what had felt like hours, the deity finally had landed a critical hit with its green strike, causing the Pokemon to be weakened enough to escape the orb influence. Weakly, Ash took a peak to see Archie being caught by a random Gyarados by the collar of his outfit. As for Maxie, he was lying unconscious on top of a Lapris that had just popped up out of nowhere. 

Taking a glance at the sea deity and land deity, they appeared to be snapped out of their possession and visibly done with everything. While they look pissed at each other, they don’t have the energy to bicker. The oversized fish returned to the sea while Groudon managed to make himself scarce. 

Speaking of oversized Pokemon, the serpent effortlessly descended back from the skies as if it were nothing. Ash would have glared at the Pokemon if his body didn’t feel burning pain that did not dull after the eleventh time he channeled his aura onto the Pokemon. Seeing his trainer's poor state, Pikachu began to demand the deity to land next to where Ash’s friends were stationed. 

Listening to Pikachu’s request, the Pokemon gracefully landed right beside where Brock, May, and Max had set up a makeshift clinic. Pikachu began begging for one of Ash’s friends to come and help Ash. He doesn’t want Ash to suffer anymore. His poor partner had suffered enough during their time in the air.

“Ash,” Brock said with an expression filled with worry. He approached closer to where Ash was and saw that the trainer was unusually quiet. “Ash, if you’re in pain, tell me where it hurts so we can help you.”

Ash blankly stares at Brock, blinking in response to Brock’s statements. He forced himself to get off of the deity and walk toward Brock. After taking one step, he felt pain shooting throughout his body. He hissed at the pain as black spots clouded his vision. Everything became unbearable, and he didn’t know what to do. With exhaustion catching up and his adrenaline wearing off, Ash collapsed.

Brock was quick to catch Ash before the trainer hit the ground. The moment Ash was caught, he fell unconscious in Brock’s arms. The last thing he heard was his partner's cries and Brock shouting orders to someone. 

Chapter Text

When Ash wakes up in a white, sterile room, he realizes he must be in some type of hospital. He tried to deal with the bright lights but squeezed his eyes shut after a few seconds. The lights were making his head hurt, and he wanted them off. 

“Pika?”

Ash groaned, rubbing his temples. “Pikachu, can you dim the lights?”

The weight on his stomach was gone, indicating that Pikachu had left to do what he was asked. After hearing the sounds of Pikachu’s tiny paws leaping off the ground, the room’s lights began to dim. He could fully open his eyes without pain. Looking to the side, he saw that the clouds had dissipated and the full moon was out tonight. 

“Hoenn is mostly dealt with,’ Ash whispers, appreciating the sight of the moon. “Though, I wish I didn’t have to help the serpent who tried to eat us.” 

Pikachu hopped back onto the bed and claimed his spot on top of his stomach, forcing Ash to remain laying on his bed.

“Mom and Dad named my big sister after the moon,” Ash spoke as Pikachu listened intently. “After spending so much time in the past, I can see why. The moon is so beautiful…it’s worth protecting.”

The sun and moon are two things that shine light upon this world. Everyone in this era takes it for granted while he learns to appreciate the simple wonders that didn’t exist in his time. He'll continue pushing forward if he can continue seeing the sun, moon, white clouds, and different flora in this era. However, he fears how much of himself he has to sacrifice for the benefit of others. Will his body break, or will the cracks in his mind spread further? 

His eyelids were becoming heavy again, and the urge to sleep was calling to him. Closing his eyes, he imagines his entire family eating together in a world without darkness. Tonight, it was blissful dreams instead of the usual nightmares he experiences. 

Ash slightly opened the door and poked his head outside of his room. Behind him, he hears Pikachu protest about his plan to escape from the hospital room. If it weren’t for Pikachu, he would not be debating whether to bolt out of his room or stay put. The fatigue he was experiencing earlier was barely there. Right now, he wants to escape the confines of his room, find his friends, and shove food in his face.

“The sun is barely rising, so everyone should be groggy,” Ash notes, surveying the hallways of the hospital rooms. 

He took several steps to the right, only to bump straight into someone. Pikachu laughed slightly, amused by how quickly Ash’s plan failed.

“I told you he would try something like this,” Brock comments, placing the back of his hand on Ash’s forehead. ‘While his fever is gone, he should not be out of bed or breaking out of the hospital.”

His mouth opens, unable to resist the urge to respond back. “That’s the first thing everyone should do.”

Brock gave him an unamused look and motioned Ash to return to his room. Ash pouted and reluctantly stepped inside his room and sat on his bed. His friends followed right behind him, leaning against the wall beside the door so he couldn’t try to escape. Well, everyone but Max. The kid is sitting on the floor for some reason.

“So,’ Ash starts, looking at each one of his friends. “What the fuck happened? I was getting off the serpent and then woke up here.”

 “You were helping Rayquaza with a mild fever,” May explains, briefly looking at Brock before resuming eye contact with Ash. “Whatever you did with your aura, it made your fever worse.”

Was that why his body was so weak? He thought that he was over-exerting himself and pushing beyond human limitations. Was it so hard for him to collect himself because his body was fighting a fever? Maybe it did play a small role because his fear of the serpent is intense. 

“Brock had to carry your unconscious body to where the air ambulance was,” Max adds, frowning at the memory of the event. “We tried to help until the air ambulances arrived.’

“I’m sorry,’ Ash apologizes, feeling crushed by the overwhelming guilt he’s experiencing.

“Don’t apologize for something that wasn’t your fault,” Brock spoke, leaving no room for argument. “You were one of many who needed medical attention. There were others with injuries we can’t properly treat.”

Still, if he had been stronger, Brock wouldn’t have had to overwork himself. 

“Your fever reached the medical emergency threshold,’ Mays mentions with a serious tone. “Your  temperature reached 106 degrees, so that’s why you lost consciousness.”

Ash may not know much, but what May said sounded bad. He knows that people lose consciousness when their emotions are too much, very dehydrated, and super sick. His fever appeared so bad that he needed to be at the hospital. Now that he realizes this, he wonders if that is how people in his era died.”

“You were in the hospital for two days,” Max reveals. “Pikachu refused to leave you alone.”

“The doctors stop trying to separate Pikachu from you after the third electric shock,” Brock said, glancing in Pikachu’s direction. Pikachu had no shame and was, in fact, proud of his action. “I threaten to ban ketchup if he refuses to eat the food given to him.

Ash gave Pikachu a disbelieving look while Pikachu had a guilty expression. Pikachu was not eating! Was Brock playing an elaborate prank on him? Pikachu always eats everything given to him and never refuses food once. He distinctly remembers Pikachu always demanding food to eat and the Pokemon’s stomach growling frequently. 

“Pikachu,” Ash quietly spoke, arm reaching toward the Pokemon. He began scratching the Pokemon's ear, which Pikachu happily cooed. “ You know that I will never leave you alone in this world. Somehow, I will always come back to you.”

As bad as it sounds, he and Pikachu need each other to be whole. If one of them were to die, the other would no longer have any motivation to continue. They live for each other happiness and well-being in addition to their own. While they may have friends in this era, the friends they made will never understand the reality he and Pikachu live in. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he realized he had solved another world disaster. Lance mentioned that being a champion means he’s responsible for completing paperwork for any incidents he may be involved in, no matter the region.

“Fuck,” Ash shouted, startling May and Max. “I’m going have to do a lot of paperwork because of pirate cosplayer and egotistical nerd.”

“Already started it for you,” Brock states. “I also informed the league about your condition, so they are providing you more time to complete it.”

Brock’s presence was a saving grace for him, and Ash is grateful that someone like Brock decided to tag along with him for another region. Extra time to do paperwork? Have parts of it been completed already? That’s fantastic! That put a little less stress on his plate.

"I will do anything for you,” Ash blurted out seriously. Pikachu nodded in agreement. “Maybe not kill for you, but I’ll do anything else. Just say the word. “

"Knowing you, you’re being completely serious,” Brock comments. “But don’t worry about it. I only ask you not to push yourself like this again if you can help it.”

Ash knows that Brock is asking for the impossible without realizing it. If only his friends knew that every action he takes, it’s for their and the world’s benefit. It would be a lot easier to tell everyone the truth, but that’s not an option. Maybe it’s a selfish reason, but he wants to have a lot of happy moments. He wants to have friends, enjoying the happiness he gets from spending time with others. The championship of others reduces the chances of him getting nightmares or letting his feelings get the best of him. He loves seeing the happiness of others, especially of the ancestors of his friends. 

It will be hard for someone to be happy if they know the person they hang out with will disappear. Perhaps they will perceive befriending someone like him as a waste of time and energy. Despite knowing that the friends he made are not like that, he does have doubts. Also, he doesn’t want his friends to experience sadness or worry too much about him.

“That’s a tall order,” Ash said jokingly. “But I’ll try my best.”

It's not for himself but for the friends he has made so far. It's the very least he could do for lying to them about his true intentions. 

Chapter Text

Letting out a sigh, Ash braces himself to enter the indoor venue. Honestly, he would rather be training than socialize with people whispering things about his age. Without Professor Oak reminding him to build connections with the world’s champions, elites, and league officials, he would have continued his gym battles.

Gently pushing the door open, he walked into a brightly lit room that made him shield his eyes. Carefully, he stepped forward as the door shut itself shut. On his shoulder, he sensed Pikachu tugging his hair as the Pokemon tried to get his cap. Not wanting his Pokemon to be uncomfortable, Ash tilted his head to the right to make it easier for his partner to grab his cap. Pikachu happily cheered and lifted the cap off of his head. Moments later, the Pikachu placed the cap on to shield himself from the artificial lights. 

If Pikachu is happy, he can tolerate the temporary loss of his cap and the discomfort of being in a room with artificial lights. It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that it was nighttime, making the intensity of the lights harsher. He thinks that if the curtains were opened to let the moon's natural light shine, it would have made it more bearable for him to be here. 

He looked around, eyes taking in his surroundings as he desperately tried to find a familiar face. Lance, Steven, Oak, or someone he had met. His gaze lands on different groups of individuals bragging about their achievements or business. It’s not hard to miss how everyone pretended to listen as they waited their turn to brag. He wonders why these events have to invite wealthy, self-centered business people and socialites. 

After minutes of aimlessly walking, he noticed a person from the corner of his vision. Realizing that he was present, he began tapping on the shoulders of his companions. One by one, each of them turned their head to stare at him with intense gazes. 

“Hey, do you see the kid over there? It’s the kid who rode Rayquaza.”

“Who knew the Orange League brat would amount to something?”

“That kid may be going places. We may want to befriend the kid for our own benefit.”

“Stopping the God of Sea and God of Land from a rampage must have been horrifying. Glad it wasn’t me.”

“Rumor has it that the kid received blessings from the Hoenn’s God trio.”

Shit! He was hoping that they would be too self-centered to acknowledge his presence. The loud chatter in the room shifted to hushed whispers about his incidents involving the world’s Gods and stopping eco-terrorist groups. People were obviously pointing at him, whispering in a companion’s ear something that was clearly about him. He slowly spun around to see if there was a way for him to bolt out and escape from everyone’s gazes. However, he realized that everyone had circled around him as if he was some spectacle on display. 

On his shoulder, Pikachu tried to reassure him and help him calm down. He barely sensed paws trying to get his attention, but that wasn’t enough. Pikachu can’t help when his vision begins to blur or the squeeze his heart feels from being on display.

The hushed voices were worse than the loud conservations the people were having. His plain suit feels near suffocating on him, and his lungs demand some oxygen. He tried to move from his spot, but his feet were glued to the floor. So many eyes were on him, and the cruel words from his last group echoed in his mind. The words cursed, freak, an extra mouth, and parasite were said repeatedly in his mind, making it harder to deal with so many people. They whispered and said things that reminded him of his life with the group the surviving deities align themselves with.  

“Ash, my boy,” a familiar voice called out. 

The voice sounded familiar, so he turned in the direction of the voice. From a distance, he sees Oak barely at arm's length with a plate of food. Noticing the distance, Ash thinks that Oak must have spoken with Steven because the Professor was careful not to get too close to him. Professor Oak likely must have been told about the story of the one time he flipped Steven over his shoulder. 

“Oak,” Ash quietly answered. 

He blinks, feeling more at ease that there is someone he knows in this stupid event. His vision clears, and he feels somewhat safer than moments prior. He quickly made it over to the Professor, relieved that he was going to escape from the people’s gazes. When the Professor put an arm on his shoulder, Oak made people move aside and guide Ash to a door. No one dared say anything to the Professor, and quickly stepped aside for them to go through. 

Unaware of the trainer, Pikachu glared at everyone at his new spot on Ash's head. Even with a cap on his head, Pikachu appeared threatening, with his cheeks sparking with electricity. Oak let Pikachu do what he wanted as he guided the trainer to an exit out of the venue. 

“I told Lance to wait for you,” Oak told the trainer, voice dripping with disappointment. “I told him you’re anxious when surrounded by people and bright lights. I’m disappointed that he was easily distracted by the masses.”

“It’s not his fault,” Ash states. He remembers people always demanding the champion’s attention on news outlets. “He has a large following, and he can’t escape from the claws of self-centered people who try to use him for their own benefit. Luckily, Lance is smart and knows how to deal with those people.”

One day, he’ll also be able to handle those types of people. He likes to think that he’ll be as confident as Steven or as powerful as Lance. They must have their demons, considering that they were champions, but unlike him, they knew how to subdue them while he could barely keep them hidden.

“True,” Oak acknowledges, opening a door that leads to an outdoor balcony. “Unfortunately, I can tell you are speaking from experience.”

Ash opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he saw Steven, Wallace, a blond woman, and a classy woman with a designer purse. At least there were two people he knew and trusted. As for the other two, he can’t say the same. He’ll watch them closely until he knows he can trust them.

“Are you okay,” Steven asked, rushing toward him. “I heard what happened two weeks ago! Why does the world hate you so much?”

“We have been over this already,” Ash responds, awkwardly smiling. “The world hates me, and I’m apparently the Chosen One, which I think was a mistake.” 

“Don’t say that about yourself,” Steven said, shaking his finger. “You need to have more self-worth!”

“And you need to stop being a sap,” Ash counter, cracking a smile. Turning to Wallace’s direction, Ash continued. “By the way, why did you and your husband never tell me you were married. I had to find out with Steven after the Deoxys incident. I thought you were only dating!”

“But I thought we were obvious,” Wallace answered, giving Ash a confused look. “It’s common knowledge at Hoenn. We held hands right before you when we first met you!”

The former champion underestimated how much people would try to make two guys and gals who are clearly an item seem like really good friends. In his time, Ash heard stories of Wallace and Steven being “really good friends.” Embaressly, he thought it was a case for a long time. 

The blond gave a fake gasp. “How could you! How could someone do something so scandalous like hand-holding?”

“You act like we made out in front of a child,” Steven spoke, unamused. 

Wallace approaches Ash while Steven and the blond banter with each other. 

“The one my husband is arguing with is Cynthia,” Wallace clarifies. He then points to the classy woman. “The one with designer clothes is Diantha. In case you’re wondering, they are champions.”

Diantha waved at him. He hesitantly waved back, not knowing how else to respond. How else could he react to the woman who may potentially be the fallen heroes he heard folktales about? Expectedly, most died tragic deaths. 

Chapter Text

Apparently, the fallen heroes from the folktales he heard were just as flawed and unhinged as everyone else. Case in point, Wallace and Steven pointed out all the times Cynthia and Diantha almost got caught making out by the public. Cynthia and Diantha reminded the husbands that at least they weren’t lightweights that couldn’t hold their liquor. 

Ash just stood and watched the champions. He would be lying if he said he didn’t have high standards about the fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for their people. Wrongly, he assumed that they would be mature, noble, collected, calm, and logical. His mental image of them is tarnished, and Ash could never take them seriously again. 

He wonders how Lance acts when other champions surround him. Does he have the brain cell of the group, or is he just as bad as the rest of the champions? 

“I have to meet up with my colleagues now,” Oak said, interrupting Ash’s train of thought. 

“You’re leaving me with them,” Ash asks in a hushed voice. “Do you not see how they are?”

“You will need to establish rapport if you want to obtain information from them,” Oak reminded Ash, tone near silent. “If you start putting yourself out there, the correct people will come to you about conflicts occurring in their region.”

Ash stood, staring at the professor in disbelief. He gets that he will need to socialize, but why does Oak have to leave him alone? His friendship with Misty, Brock, May, and Max was accidental! These are adults! How would one start a conservation with people in different age ranges? Also, what if they are a negative influence, and he becomes just as unhinged as them?  

“Use their assumptions about children to your advantage,” Oak suggested quietly. “They all love children, so they are more likely to be responsive. They will not suspect your intentions at all.”

With those words, Oak left him alone on the balcony with four champions. Hearing the sound of the door shutting, Ash knew he would have to spend at least an hour awkwardly socializing with the same people from the folk stories he heard in the past. The Prince was obviously Wallace, considering how flashy the former champion appeared. The Knight was Steven, considering the Prince and Knight were said to be from the same region as Groudon and Kyogres. As for the two women, Ash has no idea who they can be from the folk stories or if they are even the same champions mentioned in the folk stories. It all depends on the region the two ladies were from.

“Hey,” Cynthia said, snapping Ash out of his thoughts. “I think we forgot that we have company over here.”

“You mean you and your girlfriend forgot about Ash,” Wallace states, pulling Ash into a side hug. “Because Steven and I will never forget about our favorite wanderer!”

Ash briefly stiffens when Wallace’s arm wraps around his shoulders. His brain repeatedly screamed danger until realizing he was safe sank in. No beasts were trying to kill him, nor were the three deities roughing him up. It was just an arm of a flamboyant guy trying to make him feel included. 

“Don’t pretend you were too absorbed in our conservation,” Diantha points out, adopting a joking tone. “Someone narcissistic like you would only care about himself and maybe your husband.”

“How dare you say that about my husband,” Steven gasps dramatically, placing a hand over his heart in mock offense. “Wallace, my Prince, is the love of my life! He’s nothing like that.”

“My knight is here to defend my honor,” Wallace smiled, dramatically placing the back of his free hand over his head. “How lucky am I to have such a wonderful husband.”

Ash frowned at the sight of the playful banter between the couples. It hurts to see how happy the couple are, knowing their future could be if he fails to stop the world from falling into darkness. It is different to hear stories of people and to actually meet those people. It makes their stories much more tragic, considering that he met the tragic heroes from the folk stories. The fallen heroes were no longer faceless people from oral stories. Still, they were real people with whom he would build a relationship.

“You guys look so happy,” Ash spoke, speaking his thoughts aloud. “I hope you guys live a long, happy life.”

Steven visibly brightened at his statement, causing Ash to realize that he spoke his thoughts aloud. Ash quickly diverts his eyes to a random spot on the floor, cheeks reddening from embarrassment. Cynthia’s and Diantha’s comments about him being a sweet kid did not help with his embarrassment. Wallace’s vocalizing that he and his husband were his favorite champions worldwide was also not helping with his situation. This a bold assumption, but Ash only has himself to blame for creating that assumption. 

Why did he just say that to his co-workers slash future allies? He has to break that habit, or he might accidentally say something incriminating one day. This is not how he plans on building a relationship with these people. 

“You’re an adorable little troublemaker,” Diantha notes, slightly chuckling. “I wish we had the opportunity to meet sooner.”

“We have been waiting to meet you,” Cynthia adds genuinely.

And wasn’t that a surprise for him to hear? All the adults he interacted with in life looked at him with disdain or suspicion, except the agriculture guys from the last group and his original group. Instead of looking at him as if he were a pest, there are adults whose eyes hold warmth and adoration for his existence. Oak wasn’t lying when he said the champions loved children. 

“You have,” Ash quietly said, looking at the blonde.

Unintentionally, Ash looked so young by the way he looked at Cynthia. Pikachu sitting on his shoulder with big, wide eyes also emphasizes Ash’s age. It reminded everyone that the Orange Island champion was a child, not a teenager.

“Lance told us so many things about you,” Diantha mentions, pulling out her phone. She searched for something until she found what she was looking for. “Here, look at this.”

Ash peaked to see what Diantha wanted to show him. On the screen was a group chat with a message telling Steven and Wallace to watch for him and that he has the potential to do great things. Lance also insisted that the husbands contact him if they needed extra support. There was also some praise for all of his accomplishments.

“Oh,” Ash trailed off. “He actually likes me…”

Someone with whom he barely interacted actually likes him as a person. Lance, the guy people refer to as Leader in the folk stories, respects him. That guy views him positively, unlike the adults from his past.

“You need to work on your self-worth,” Wallace points out, shoving Diantha’s phone to the side. Diantha was not amused, but Wallace didn’t care. “You’re quite talented for your age!

“And you stop several catastrophes,” Steven adds,

“Don’t forget that it’s not every day you receive blessings from the Gods,” Cynthia continues, visibly impressed. “Most would wish to receive blessings from the Gods.”

Memories of the residences of the island giving him three plates flash across his mind. Unlike the first three plates given to him by the people from Shamouti Island, these plates were in different colors. One was blue as the seas, the other was brown as the planets’ dirt, and the last was blue as the afternoon skies on a clear day. For some reason, the residents thought that these came from the weather trio, but Ash doubts that. The people of Shamouti didn’t say the plates they gave were from deities, only that someone found them years ago and decided it was worth keeping. 

“You mean the Splash, Ground, and Sky Plate,” Ash shares. “They have a bunch of ancient languages written on them.”

“That’s it,” Diantha asks. She expected the blessings to be grander, not something like a slab with ancient text. “The rumors must have been overly exaggerated.”

Sadly, the overly exaggerated rumors had led to misinformation, and now everyone believed that he had received blessings from the weather deities. He didn’t know what was worse. How fast misinformation could be spread or the thought of receiving blessings from the likes of Kyogre, Groudon, or Rayquaza.

Sitting on the ground in a small circle, Ash waited as everyone quieted down. When everyone at the orphan group quieted down, Gravel coughed as he prepared to start tonight’s storytime.

“A long time ago, there was a fallen hero known as The Leader from a land called Kanto,” Gravel began as people listened intently to what he was saying. “It was said that he could tame dragon-like Pokemon. This man was the champion of his land, so when the world began to fall into darkness, he defended his people with the help of dragons and other dragon tamers.

Gravel paused for dramatic effect, building up the suspense for the next part.

“He was one of the fallen heroes who saved as many humans and Pokemon as possible,” Gravel continued. “While his name had been lost through time, it was said his name was of a weapon. People said the power of his name gave him the ability to fight and defend humanity.”

“Oh,” Storm called out, raising her hand. “I know this. Can I say the next part!”

Gravel shrugged, giving Storm the go-ahead. Storm smiled, visibly excited to share what she knew of this fallen hero.

“He lived the rest of his life to search for humanity’s salvation,” Storm shared. “While he and his large group never found salvation, it was said that he raised many dragons to protect humanity and gave the dragons he raised that were not a part of his team to other groups. Those dragons were said to be trained to travel across the harsh environment and create links between groups.”

“And that is how he became the unofficial leader of humanity,” Gravel finished. “He commanded many groups, advising on letters he sent to the groups across the planet. It was said that when he died, the population of humanity greatly diminished since no one had a fraction of his leadership skills or mental fortitude to deal with all the pressure.”

“Do you know other stories of The Leader,” Ivy questions. “I know quite a few if anyone is interested.”

“What about the other fallen heroes,” Pearl points out. “They are twelve other fallen heroes.”

“You’re right,” Diamond nods. “The Knight, the Prince, the Lady, the Protector, the Elder, the Dragon, the Shepherd, the Angel, the Fool, the Teacher, the Loner, and the Star.”

“We won’t have time for all of them tonight,” Platinum complained. “There are a lot of stories about the fallen heroes.” 

For the rest of the night, everyone shared the stories they heard about The Leader. They all agreed that they would tell the stories of the other fallen hero on another night. 

Chapter Text

Ash learns to hate the clear blue waters of the sea. It’s home to one of the most ruthless deities who tried to kill him a few times. Stray too far into the sea, and one will snatch by its claws. The sea will do everything it can to drag one to depths of the sea floor, submerging the poor soul in freezing cold waters as the light above dims. 

He lost count of how many times he fell victim to the freezing waters. Before time traveling,  he didn’t have a choice but to venture into the cruel seas or a stretch of land that was near the waters. It was all done solely for survival since the alternative was to die. Naively, he thought the trend would end when he was forcibly made to travel to the past. Oh, how much of a fool he was. 

“Where’s the last crystal?” May panicked, frantically searching for it. “We need it to save Samiya!”

The Sea Temple continued to rumble, shaking the loose debris inside. Checking his surroundings, Ash saw the waters rising higher and higher. His eyes darted to the left, right, and back again to the left. No, he couldn’t find the last crystal. All he sees is the rush of water spilling into the room. 

It had only been in the treasure room for a few minutes! How could the water begin to flood the platform this soon? He thought they had more time to put all the crystal the pirate pulled out! However, he made a fatal error in underestimating how fast water can travel and flood a place.

He shook his head when he sensed the phantom feeling of lungs screaming for oxygen. No, he has no time or luxury to panic right now. He, Pikachu, and May are in grave danger and must get out of there pronto. It sucks that the Sea Crown is incomplete despite his and May’s best effort to restore it by placing the crystals where they belong. 

“We need to leave,” Ash insisted, grabbing May’s wrist. “This room is going to get flooded in a matter of minutes.

He forcibly drags May away from the Sea Crown, ignoring May’s and Manaphy's protest. When he senses May faltering, he harshly tugged her and ran faster to the edge. A part of him wanted to scream at May for being so foolish to stay behind and let themselves get killed for a missing crystal. He was about to lecture her until a blue glint from a water fountain caught his eye. He paused, releasing May’s wrist out of his grip. 

“Check if Lizabeth’s sub is at the edge,” Ash orders as he runs to the water fountain. “She said she would be nearby for emergencies.”

He came to a halt when he reached the water fountain. His eyes widened in realization when he saw that the blue glint came from the last crystal. Reaching to grab the crystal, he was about to pick up the crystal until he heard a scream.

“She’s not here,” May shouted, tone laced with fear. She looked at Ash with a scared expression on her face. “What are we going to do?”

Sapphire’s and Ruby’s ancestors are going to drown. May will have the same painful death as the twins if he does nothing to save her. He can’t fail them twice. Ignoring the crystal, he searches for anything that can be used to keep her from drowning. After moments of desperately looking for a way to save May, he sees a pod that looks big enough to contain May. Making his way to the pod, he quickly opened it to ensure it was empty. Great, there’s enough room for May, Pikachu, and Manaphy.

“Hey,” Ash called out, grabbing May’s attention. “I got an idea!”

He motioned May to come where he’s at. Getting the message, May sprinted to his location and noticed the pod. She looks between the pod and Ash. The look she gives to Ash shows she knows what he plans to do. 

“You can’t expect me to go inside alone,” May said in disbelief. 

“I do,” Ash states, visibly guilty. May and probably Pikachu will hate him for this, and Brock is going to lecture him, but that is a problem for the future. “I’m sorry, but you’ll need to get inside.”

He doesn’t hesitate when she shoves May inside the pod, ignoring her angry protests. Manaphy seems to get the message since the Pokemon willingly got inside the pod. Glancing at Pikachu, who had his back turned, he closed the lid just enough to leave a small opening. When the pod was close to being shut, he grabbed Pikachu’s waist with both hands. Pikachu makes a noise of surprise as he is caught off guard by Ash’s action. Taking advantage of Pikachu’s lapse of focus, he shoved Pikachu inside the pod before slamming the pod shut. 

“I’m sorry,” Ash apologized with a sad expression. “But I can afford anything to happen to you guys.”

Like he has always done countless times, Ash ran. He ran as fast as he could to the crystal and picked it up. His younger self would have fled from danger because of self-perseveration and survival. Now, in the present, he’s actively running into danger. Even if that danger is the cold, merciless seawater, Ash deludes himself, hoping his fears of the sea will not get the best of him.

Already, he feels like he’s drowning with every step he takes to the Sea Crown. 

Wrapped tightly in a blanket, Ash was sandwiched between Lunar and Solar. He was safely snuggled between them as his father sat on a different log to tell a story. They sat on a log several feet away from their dad, staring impatiently at their dad. 

“Like all stories, the truth has been lost in time,” Cloud began as the kids gave their undivided attention. “A long time ago, there was an ancient society connected to the ocean. Not much is known about them, only that they have built a temple that blends in the water.”

“I wish we could go there,” Solar comments. “If we can go to the temple, he can avoid the deities trying to kill us.”

That would be nice. Living a life without fear. He wishes they didn’t have to constantly move or scavenge for food so living in a temple wouldn’t be too bad. The only downside is having fresh water to drink. Maybe they can boil the seawater to capture the steam. He has seen some adults do with empty water bottles, heat from the fire, and some other stuff. 

“You need a special crystal mark to access the Sea Temple,” Cloud continued, pulling out a strange bracelet with blue crystals. “Only the People of the Water have access to these crystals.”

“You did not just tell us that we are descendants of an ancient society,” Lunar said, mouth agape. 

“I think he did,” Ash responds, looking at his sister. 

“Did your parents tell you stories about the People of the Water,” Solar asks, eyeing the bracelet. 

“Yep,” Cloud confirms, taking amusement out of his kids’ reaction. “The stories I’m told came from my family, which originates from a warm place where the sun shines, providing endless warmth and light in the day, and the moon shines alongside the stars at night. Of course, the place was surrounded by the sea.”

“I wish we knew what a sun, moon, and star look like,” Lunar states, gazing at the sky above. “I don’t like the cloud’s darkness or the cold it brings.”

It was wonderful to hear stories about the Sea Temple, the People of the Water, and rumors of a Pokemon known as the “Prince of the Sea.” His dad mentioned that he suspects that the Pokemon died from being weak or killed off by one of the many deities that had gone mad. 

“It was said that the Pokemon who hadn’t lost their minds were overpowered and killed by those who did,” Flower interrupted, bringing a large basket bountiful in berries and fruit. “The poor prince must have been the one who was killed.”

Flower approached her children, giving them each an apple, two Sitrus berries, and three small edible flowers. Ash and his siblings look at each other before scarfing down the food as quickly as possible.

“Remember to bury the scraps,” Flower reminded, tone turning serious. “We don’t want the rest of the group to know that you ate your fill.”
“Where are the other ladies,” Cloud questions, looking over Flower’s shoulder. “I thought they went with you.”

“Getting a head start in weaving cloth since they don’t want to do all the heavy lifting,” Flower answers, giving her husband a quick peck on the cheek. “As much I would love to stay with my family, I don’t have much time since the ladies expect me to carry their load to the storage tent.”

Ash watched as Mom left with the basket toward the storage tent. If mom is back, it’s almost the teenagers' turn to scavenge for materials. It would most likely be for wood, stone, and plant life that would be useful for creating stuff. At the same time, it’s about time for Dad and the other men to break down the materials and build tools and other things they need. 

As for himself, he’ll be sticking by Dad’s side to learn everything about being a man. One day, he will be just as resourceful and brave as Dad. 

Chapter Text

Coldness sweeps into his flesh and bones, making Ash fight against his body to continue moving. The artificial light from above filters its light down through the water, mocking him for his need to breathe. However, the seawater will submerge even the untouched artificial light if Ash doesn’t push beyond human limitations. 

Ash’s fingers grip loosen, allowing the crystal to slip and fall to the depths of the treasure room. Seeing the crystal fall far out of reach, he let his anger get the best of him. He screamed in frustration, but the water gagged his screams. Water fills his mouth and throat as his lungs incessantly burn. He immediately regrets reacting to his anger as the water in his made his lungs demand oxygen. 

Frantically, he scrambles his way to the top of the treasure room. He broke through the water’s surface, coughing as much water out of his lungs. He took many gulps of air, satiating his lungs' need for oxygen. When he gazes upward, he notices that his head is inches from touching the ceiling. 

Fear hits him like a speeding truck, and Ash grimaces at the thought of dying alone. No! This can’t be his final moment! He has friends waiting for him! Even though he knows he will lecture big time, he still has to eat Brock's cooking. He needs to see May perform contests and cheer her on! He needs to compete in the league cause Steven and Wallace once mentioned they wanted him to see him battle! Oak promises to give him updates about the world’s status, so he needs to get those updates. Most importantly, Pikachu awaits him, and Ash knows his partner will be angry about his reckless behavior! 

 “I fucking hate the deities responsible for ending the world,” Ash mutters, taking one last breath before diving back underwater.

His body tries to fight against him again. His lungs demanded oxygen, and his limbs began to feel heavy. He was moving much slower than before, and it was hard to get him before. It wasn’t too tricky minutes ago, so why did it suddenly become a challenge? He kicked his legs and sped up his underwater strokes to reach the crystal. The temptation to breathe grew stronger for every inch closer to the crystal, and Ash had to push down his instinct to inhale air. 

He was close. His fingers barely grazed the crystal, and he heard Manaphy’s relaying his, Pikachu’s, and May’s words. There were traces of frustration in May’s and Pikachu’s voices, but they wished for his safe return and encouragement to restore the Sea Crown. Manaphy, whose tone was out of character, vocalized something important. Ash could have sworn that he thought Manaphy was speaking directly to him in human language, but that must be his mind playing tricks. It almost sounds like the Pokemon was saying he’s gifting Ash strength. 

Feeling a burst of energy, Ash got the strength to lift the crystal from the ground and swim toward the Sea Crown. His taste for oxygen hadn’t left, but his limbs didn’t feel too weak. Sure, his body does feel numb, tingly, and heavy, but he’s not fighting against his body. He can ignore his body’s sensations and focus on setting the last crystal inside the hole. 

An audible click could be heard, and he was surrounded by yellow. Surprised, he opened his mouth. He didn’t realize what he had done until he remembered that he was underwater. Wait, he can breathe inside of the yellow light. Was this the work of the crown, or was this something else? Was the newfound energy he felt also the work of the crown? Who knows? 

“Now to find the pirate,” Ash said, visibly done with everything. “It’s his fault for my near death.”

Might as well take advantage of the strength and energy the yellow light is providing him. He has misplaced aggression to release anyway.

Ash, his friends, and the circus family were together after providng Officer Jenny with their official statement. By the time everyone was done interviewing, they were exhausted from doing anything. Unanimously, they agreed to stick together until they went their separate ways in the morning. They will eat one last meal together before calling it a night. 

“You received Manaphy’s blessing,” Meredith informed May, setting her plate aside. “Though, I don’t think you were the only one.”

Ash’s sensed the woman’s gaze on him, and he had recalled Manaphy’s words hours prior. When the Pokemon spoke to him, was it to provide a blessing? 

“You’re talking about me,” Ash asks, pointing to himself. “You think I got a blessing from Manaphy?”

“Can a regular person do what you did at Sea Temple,” Shep cuts in. 

Ash opens his mouth to argue against the grandfather’s point, but nothing comes out. Shep’s words were a painful reminder of how lucky he was to survive swimming in the freezing water and restore the Sea Crown. 

Glancing at Pikahcu, he sees Pikachu crossing his shoulders. He can feel the disappointment radiating off of Pikachu. Oh boy, his buddy is still mad at him for leaving him in the pod. Ash guessed the happiness and relief from reuniting wore off after Manaphy left. Pikachu’s mood had not changed since the Pokemon’s departure.  

He’s not even going to bother to look at Brock or Max. Max was very upset with him when he learned what happened. Apparently, Max is no longer sharing his candy stash with him until he thinks about his actions. As for Brock, Ash bet his life that the trainer will give him one hell of a lecture after the moment the circus family goes on their merry way. May anger dissipate quickly, and she has mostly forgiven him. 

“How can you tell,” Max’s questioned, looking at May weirdly. “She looks the same.”

“The People of the Water are connected to the ocean,” Kyle answers. “You can consider Manaphy as the main deity we worship.”

Ash made eye contact with the father and felt he was under a magnifying lens. The father continued to stare at him, analyzing his features. He doesn’t like it one bit.

“And Manaphy only provides blessings to descendants,” Kyle finishes, maintaining eye contact with Ash. “For reasons we cannot explain, we can sense when someone receives blessings from Manaphy.” 

Of course, they figure out his connection to the People of the Water. Like the circus family and May, he had the same dreams of the Sea Temple and Manaphy. However, he played dumb because he didn’t want to attract attention to himself. Despite his best efforts, the circus family figured it out. 

“Why didn’t you tell us you were a descendent,” Meredith asks, words far from accusatory. “We would have believed you.”

“I didn’t want to be perceived as a liar,” Ash responds, squirming under the attention he’s receiving from everyone. “And Jackie wouldn’t have believed me and think I was lying to join the expedition.”

The Pokemon ranger would have doubted his claims and thought he was lying for May’s benefit. Also, Ash is not the type to give strangers personal information. What’s the point when they go their separate ways? His friends are the expectation since they always try to maintain contact despite his tendency to do the exact opposite.

“Then I think it’s fair that we give you something,” Meredith comments, taking off her bracelet. “Here, I would like to give you this.”

The mother got up from her seat and placed the bracelet in his hands. 

“But it’s yours,” Ash protested. “I can’t take it.”

“You deserve to have an item to connect you to the People of the Water,” the mother states, leaving no room for argument. 

Starring at the bracelet given to him, he sees the similarities between this and Dad’s. Dad’s bracelets were worn out, but this one seemed untouched by time. Some of him didn’t want to take it, but it would be rude to deny a kind gesture.

“Thank you,” Ash said, carefully putting the bracelet in his pocket. 

It should disturb him that a deity was blessing him, but it was from Manaphy. Not once had he heard of a Pokemon matching Manaphy’s description wreaking havoc, killing all forms of life, or causing disasters. No, this Pokemon must be like Pink the Celebi. Small and fragile, Manaphy probably didn’t survive long and died. He wonders if Manaphy had survived up to his period, would the Pokemon be kind like Pink or ruthless like the Trio of the settlement?

Probably kind. Ash was there when he saw the Pokemon and May interact with each other. A Pokemon like Manaphy would have never turned out like the settlement’s deities. 

Chapter Text

Ash knows better than to interrupt Brock as the older trainer calmly expresses every action Ash has taken that has worried and frustrated everyone in the group. To the left of Brock, Max sat on a log as he ate, grabbed a fistful of chips, and shoved it to his mouth. By the look on the kid’s face, Ash can tell that Max is enjoying Brock’s lecture. May, who has already forgiven him for his actions, wisely chooses to distance herself from him. 

“I have to hear from May that Manaphy gave you his blessing to stop you from drowning,” Brock continued, looking upset. “I know you care about Pokemon, but you must stop discarding your life so easily.” 

Ash uncomfortably stayed at his spot and looked at the ground. It had been long since he felt like a child being scolded by his parents. The worst part is that this was the first time Brock had actually lectured him about his reckless actions. He’s not used to being scolded by someone, especially by a friend. The worst part is that now, out of all times, he’s experiencing a hurricane of emotions inside him. 

He’s upset because Brock doesn’t seem to understand that everything he has done was out of necessity. He’s angry at himself because he opens his mouth only to say nothing when the temptation to spill the truth comes. He’s sad because he knows there’s no escaping from his predicament, and he sometimes wants to close his eyes for eternity when things get too hard. However, he doesn’t listen when his mind entertains the thought of giving up and taking an eternal nap. He has Pikachu to take care of.

It may have been idiotic of him, but Ash couldn’t help it. He looked up from the ground and made direct eye contact with Brock. 

“I’m apparently the Chosen One,” Ash starts, keeping his hatred of that title in check. “As you can tell, I’m forced to deal with this type of shit! I have no say if I want to be involved or not.”

“That’s not the point, Ash,” Brock responds, taking a deep breath. It won’t do them any good if one of them starts yelling. “This is about your reckless tendency to jump into danger without any consideration for yourself or others.” 

No one seems to get that he’s perfectly fine with whatever injuries he sustained. Please, he survives raging fires, the hunger pains, and the pain inflicted by cruel people. Don’t get him started on how the three deities from the settlement didn’t care how the other humans treated him like a cursed object. People had actually thrown stones at him! Mothers and father had shoved their children out of his line of sight, spewing hurtful things about his existence. No one cared about him in his era since he ran into the group of orphans, and he learned not to say anything when he was physically harmed. 

Brock needs to understand that he’s just used to it. However, that requires his mouth, mind, and heart to cooperate. It’s an ongoing battle within himself. To tell or not tell about his displaced status. However, Latias's warnings linger in his mind, crushing the idea of vocalizing the truth. He shivered when the cold tone of the Pokemon’s voice echoed in his mind, telling him that developing “friendships” in the past era would only hinder the mission.

 “No one cared before,” Ash emphasized as Pikachu whined sadly. “Those who did care are gone! After their deaths, not a single person cared about me! Everyone is too happy to let me do whatever they want if it saves their hides.”

Not like his mother, who often did everything to protect him and his siblings. His father wouldn’t entertain the idea of someone hurting him or his siblings, even if the three of them were the oddest in the group. Solar and Luna loved him very much to the point of giving them a bit of their food portions. As for the orphan group, they treated him as someone worth cherishing. Then, for many years, he spent time alone with his partner. No one in the world would bat an eye if they were to drop dead. 

“Do you see any of us happy,” Brock asks, voice growing steadily louder. “We are far from happy when we see you have little regard for your life. I don’t know the type of people you hung around with before we met, but we aren’t those same people.”

Which sucks sometimes! It makes everything harder for him! Sure, he misses the companionship of genuinely good people! He loved it when he trained together with his friends. Every meal shared is something he treasure because he gets to fill up his stomach as he spends time with everyone! What makes this hard is that Ash knows he will die. Change enough of the future, and everything from the future will disappear. It doesn’t matter how much he hurt himself or what permanent damages he sustains if he is destined to disappear.

Brock worrying about him is just a waste of time and energy. His friendships are temporary since, at some point, they will leave him, or he will go without warning. It’s only a matter of time. 

“Would you be happy if I copied your actions,” Max cuts in, surprising Ash. "Or if May was the one who almost drowned trying to save the temple?”

“No,” Ash shouts, visibly upset at the thought of one of them risking their lives. “Why would I ever feel happy if one of you got hurt? Who do you take me for?”

“Then why can’t we be upset,” May interrupts loudly from her spot. “Why aren’t we allowed to care about you to the point of being upset…being angry about everything. 

Brock’s and May’s faces had an unreadable expression, which made Ash feel nervous. Max looked at him sadly—the same look Max had when Jirachi fell back into his slumber. 

“I will never understand the struggles you experienced in your past,” Brock admits, voice calm and patient. “And trust me, I know it’s going to take years at best for you to believe us but trust me when I say that all of us care about you.”

“Then why are you lecturing me in the first place,” Ash asked, struggling to get to the point. 

“Do you think we want to find you dead,” Brock answers, causing Ash to wince. “Ash, you’re practically like a brother to me. I don’t want to find you dead one of these days.”

“Wait,” Ash hesitantly said. “I thought you were mad because I went off alone to do my thing? You know, the whole reckless thing you were talking about.”

“Partially, but that’s not the primary reason,” Brock reveals. "I should have been clearer. I’m upset that you treat your life with little value. At times, you act like you’re disposable.”

Ash watches Brock pause as the older trainer tries to find his words. This was new to them, and none of them knew how to proceed. When the older trainer collected his thoughts, he continued. 

“I honestly don’t know why I choose now out of all times to lecture you about your actions,” Brock explains, letting out a breath. "Maybe I’m frustrated about my lack of control over the situations. I know I’m upset at myself that I didn’t do more despite knowing there was nothing else I could do.”

“I know I want you to stop scaring us,” May states, approaching the trio. “ It sucks that you hung around with people who treated you like Tarous crap.”

“Hey, I didn’t exactly say that,” Ash quickly said. 

“It’s implied,” Max shrugs as Ash looks at him. “What? I’m seven, but not dumb.” 

Ash was hit with the realization that he said bits about his past again. Why is revealing tidbits about his past easier than the whole truth? Why are his friends smart enough to pick up details about his past and make accurate assumptions about it? 

“I hope that one day, you can see the value of your life,” Brock continues as Max nods in agreement. “If I was too harsh on you, I apologize. I just don’t want you to think that you don’t have to do your role as the Chosen One on your own. I’m normally upset and worried when you dive in recklessly to do something, but today, it seems that I hit my limit, and I needed to say something.”

“You know it’s a hard habit for me to break, right,” Ash told his friend, shaking his head. “We all know that I will repeat it all again.”

“We know,” May acknowledged, unbothered. “When it does happen again, we’ll tell you how we feel, lecture you, and remind you that we care about you.”

“If no one, including yourself, values your life, then we’ll be the ones who value your life,” Brock states, leaving no room for argument. "In time, when our actions and words prove that we hold true to our belief that your life is valuable, then maybe you’ll start valuing your life too.” 

One day, he may believe he’s more than the cursed Chosen One that his era learned to despise. However, today is not the day. 

Chapter Text

Ash awkwardly stood at his spot as the blinding flashes of the cameras swarmed him and two other contestants. When the white flashes were getting too much, he lifted his trophy slightly to block his face partially from the cameramen’s line of sight. Why does he always forget that getting a third place or higher always results in reporters shoving their microphones up to his face or the bulky camera trying to capture his reaction? He wouldn't be competing in different leagues if it wasn’t for his need to stay relevant and collect information about future disasters! These thoughts, a jumble of frustration and self-doubt, swirled in his mind. 

“Ash Ketchum,” a female reported called out to him. “We would like to ask you a few questions.”

Lies, she is telling lies. Ash has seen how people from the media try to swarm Hoenn’s most famous people. Three simple questions become ten as the question gradually becomes more personal and invasive. He doesn’t like that type of attention. 

Ignoring Ash’s lack of response, the reporter continues. “Can you confirm you received Groudon’s, Kyogre’s, and Rayquaza’s blessing?”

He didn’t need to look to know that the two other constants were now staring at him, most likely due to the reporter’s comment. He can feel the gazes of so many people, whom he absolutely hates. The trophy in his hand is doing very little to block him from everyone’s eyes. Pikachu, who knows his dislike for this type of attention, is trying to use his body to shield the camera to his side. 

“I wouldn’t know,” Ash quietly answers.

The world around him is starting to feel hot. The noises, attention, and lights were becoming too overwhelming to handle. His eyes desperately searched for an exit, but many people crowd around him and the other constants. 

If he hadn’t won first place, would he still receive the same type of scrutiny from the press?

“But you were the one who rode Rayquaza,” the female reporter loudly states, getting close to Ash’s comfort. “Surely, you must have been at least blessed by the God of the Skies.”

He didn’t know he was trembling until the trophy slipped through his shaking fingers. When the trophy hit the ground, the media outlets took it as an opportunity to invade his physical boundaries. At this point, the two other constants smartened up and kept their distance. They must have picked up on how these people were acting like scavengers and decided to get out of the line of sight. That’s good for them and horrible for him. 

“I received no blessing,” Ash verbalized as he struggled to focus.

The world is spinning. It’s getting harder to stay still and focus when he is becoming lightheaded. What frustrates him is that something simple, like dealing with the media, makes him feel this way, but he is not being forced to help the deities of this era. 

“Did Kyogre blessed you for saving him?”

“Did Groudon provide you his blessing for saving Hoenn?”

“There is no need to lie! Rayquaza must have given you a blessing for aiding him!”

“Just tell us a little what the Gods bless you with!”

“Is it the Gods’ blessings that allowed you to win the Ever Grande Conference?”

Now, that last question almost made him want to scream. Whoever said that was basically insulting him. Even now, people doubt his capabilities as a trainer? He was naive to believe that people would grow to respect him after becoming the Orange League champion. Is it his age that makes people constantly question his abilities and skills? 

“Are you implying that I didn’t make it here out of my own merit,” Ash questioned, his eyes filled with a steely resolve. “Because I would like you to know that the deities play no role in my victory of the Ever Grande Conference.”

He knows he’s much younger than the other participants of the Hoenn league. The three deities from the settlement mentioned that a place once called Kanto was the only region that allowed a ten-year-old to travel. From what Ash noticed, most of the Kanto natives choose to stay in the area for a few years. He was the outlier, and he continued to travel to different regions after a couple of months of staying in a region.

“You’re the youngest out of all the participants,” a male reporter points out, preying on Ash’s insecurities. “Out of everyone, you have the least life and battle experience.”

“Hardly anyone acknowledges the Orange League,” another male reporter added, tone condescending. “This begs the question, how did a preteen beat experienced trainers?”

“The only thing that could explain your victory is that you received a blessing from one or more gods,” the female reporter concluded, proud of her assumptions.

He carved his path to victory with his own hands, not with blessings from the weather trio. Manaphy gave him a blessing that Ash still doesn’t fully understand. Still, he can confidently believe it plays no role in his victory today. 

“Hey,” a voice called out, earning everyone's attention. “I don’t appreciate you causing my fellow champion any trouble.”

That voice he can recognize that voice from anywhere. He turns his head toward the voice and sighs in relief when he sees Steven strolling to where he is standing. Behind the champion, Wallace was trailing behind. He could only watch as the couple confidently walked, holding their head high as many people began questioning them. They didn’t even bat an eye or acknowledge the words being hurled at them. 

“Hello, Ash,” Steven greeted, giving Ash a genuine smile. “I’m sorry for arriving late.”

Ash just realized that, for once, Wallace wasn’t soaking in the attention like he usually does. No, this time, Wallace is next to Steven’s side. It took several seconds, but he realized they were creating a wall between him and the people. 

Steven leans close to Ash’s ear and whispers. “Let’s get out of here before anyone realizes what we’re doing.”

Ash nods as Steven grabs his hand. Wallace notices and begins to pose for the cameras. As the reporters were distracted by Wallace, Steven dragged Ash as they bolted together to the nearest exit. 

“Lance told me about how you hate the limelight,” Steven mentions, checking over his shoulder to see if they were being followed. 

That’s so nice of Lance to do so. He gets why the people from his era referred to the guy as the Leader. 

“Thank you for saving me from that,” Ash smiles.

“We champions have to look out for each other,” Steven responds, noticing Ash’s happy look. “I can’t have them discredit your effort like that.”

This man pulling his wrist was not the same man from the dairy he read years ago. No, this is an entirely different person with a big heart and room to care, protect, and fight for the people in his life.  Moments like these make him realize that his suffering allows others to live a life without pain, agony, or misery.

So, he will continue walking forward and fulfilling his mission. He wants people like Brock and Steven to continue living happy lives in a world not plagued by madness.

Ash covered his mouth, hoping that the serpent could pick up the sounds of his breathing. He was high in the mountain parts of Seperant’s Pass, where a serpent was said to reside and consumed all who dared cross. Although there was little vegetation so high in the sky, there were shrubs that provided enough cover to hide if he was to hide within.

It’s itchy to hide within several branching, woody shrubs covered with threadlike leaves. Ash crouched on the ground as the long branches concealed him from the serpent’s wrath. If Ash needed to run away for the serpent, Pichu was in his backpack. He hoped he wouldn’t need to run since this was the third time he had tried hiding from the serpent. It had been like twenty minutes, yet the serpent continued to try to locate them. 

There was an abrupt roar, and it took everything not to jump out of the shrubs. The serpent is growing restless and is trying to scare him out of his hiding spot. No matter what, he’ll continue hiding in the shrubs until the serpent is out of sight. It may take hours or days, but he could wait. The monster of the skies will eventually grow bored and search for a different prey to consume. He doubts that the Pokemon would try to eat the shrubs due to the threadlike leaves, like how it ate the vines Ash was hiding underneath previously. Mad, the serpent may be, but there is no way it will try to eat something that can potentially get stuck in its throat.

From afar, Steven watches Ash play with his Pokemon. The kid sure had talent and nerves of steel. Most adults would falter if they had to experience a fraction of what the kid had to deal with in Hoenn. It makes him upset that he can’t do more to help. 

“Thanks for trying to help Ash back there,” May said, watching her friend play with his Pokemon.

Ash was now throwing some leaves from the levees pile. The trainer’s Pokemon were throwing leaves at each other as they smiled and laughed alongside their trainer. The site is a harsh reminder that this kid, around eleven years old, has dealt with the rage of Gods on multiple occasions. 

“He’s a good kid,” Steven comments, chuckling when he sees Ash was hit with a fistful of levees from Sceptile. “They had no right to corner Ash like that or question his capabilities as a trainer.”

“They see a target and pounce,” Brock comments, upset at the thought that occurred earlier in the day. “It doesn’t help that they were preying on his insecurities about being a young trainer.”

“Hoenn age is thirteen years old, unlike Kanto,” May mentioned. “Even at that age, it’s hard to be taken seriously sometimes.”

Imagine how hard Ash has to work to be treated as seriously as other trainers. Ash will have to deal with this type of treatment for a few more years. 

“Ash doesn’t do well with attention, does he,” Steven abruptly said, reminded of how the kid looks like a Deerling in headlights. 

“Understatement of the year,” Brock states as May agrees. “He mentioned that his last gala appearance was worse because of the attention.”

“It’s not mandatory to attend,” Steven explains. “We would understand if an eleven-year-old would like to skip most events.”

“I think he attends because he wants others to take him seriously,” May guesses. “Wasn’t he ranting about how some people in the first gala he attended were talking smack, Brock?”

“Don’t get me started,” Brock groaned. “Rumors circled in the gym circuit that thankfully never reached Ash’s ears.” 

Ah, Steven heard some of the rumors. Though the majority didn’t believe the rumors, people love to talk negatively about others to make themselves feel better. Hopefully, Ash will never hear the rumors. It’s terrible that people would label him mentally unstable when the kid clearly suffers from PTSD. 

“That's why he has friends,” Steven mentions. “He has people like you to help him when things get too rough.” 

Max popped out of the pile, startling Ash and the Pokemon. Steven hopes that Ash gets to experience more moments where he’s allowed to be a kid. 

Chapter Text

Ash blinked at Oak, questioning if he misheard the professor. On the table, Pikachu stops midway in his attempt to steal Oak’s breakfast and stares at the humans. 

“Professor Rowen wants me to help him in his research,” Ash shouts in shock as Oak’s words sink in. “I never met the guy, but I know he does not specialize in mythology or those stupid deities.”

“You continue to amaze me with your verbal hatred of the Gods and Goddess of the world,” Oak notes, amusement laced in his voice. “Though your circumstance warranted your hatred for the world’s Gods after the trail of destruction they left in your era.”

It’s nice to openly discuss his hatred for the deities people love to worship. He swears that every person in the world is a religious follower of one deity. Even Brock and Misty appear to pay their respects to one who happens to be Mew out of all fucking deities. That Ash was unimpressed by his friends' choices was an understatement. Oak also pays his respects to a deity, but the professor is very considerate not to discuss religion when he’s around openly. 

Ash knew there was a reason why he told Oak the truth about his displaced time traveler status! 

“But why does he want to do more research about the Sinnoh’s deities,” Ash questions seriously. 

“It’s actually several professors that want your assistance,” Oak clarified, gauging Ash’s reaction. “Many of my colleagues have expressed their interest in having you assist them in collecting data about their region’s legendaries.”

Ash stares at Oak, mouth slightly agape from the news. So, it’s not just one professor who wants him to help document his observation about the deities of the world. Several professors from across the globe wanted his help. He tried to think back on everything he had done to gain the attention of several professors. Could it be the research paper Oak has been writing? No, Ash only provided details about Lugia, Celebi, the weather trio, and Manaphy. 

Wait, there are rumors about him obtaining blessings from the weather trio. To this day, everyone questions whether he had received blessings from the weather trio. Whenever he tried to deny it, people always thought he was lying. 

“Does this have to do with the rumors of receiving blessings from the weather trio,” Ash asks as he gets visibly annoyed. “Cause if that the case, then Professor Rowan can shove his offer right up his-”

“It’s more of your Chosen One status,” Oak quickly corrects. “Being my assistant on paper also attracted attention from my colleagues.”

“Is that, like, a big deal,” Ash questions as his annoyance fades away. “Being your assistant?” 

Oak laughs, and Ash wonders if he has said something funny. What’s so funny about his question? He may not be from this era, but he knows enough that professors usually have assistants. For crying out loud, Tracey is Oak’s assistant, too! He sees professors on TV and the internet with several assistants!

“Let me tell you a secret,” Oak said, catching Ash’s attention. “I usually don’t take assistants without a strict vetting process, especially those under eighteen. You and Tracey are the exceptions, not the norm.”

“So why did you,” Ash asks, visibly confused.

“Tracey had the potential for someone so young,” Oak answers. “As for you, Ash, you said it yourself. You are in the past to prevent a bad future. Making you my assistant allows us to remain in contact without raising suspicion.”

Ash pays close attention to how Oak has been working behind the scenes to ensure he has the resources to stop the world’s disasters. This entire time, the professor had been submitting research papers about the information he had collected about the deities from Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. He wasn’t in his teens and was credited as a personal field assistant in all the research papers. 

Apparently, Oak never had a personal field assistant in his entire career, and it’s a huge fucking deal that a kid was a field assistant for the world’s most respected professor. That stirred the professor’s community, and all of Oak’s colleagues have been paying attention to Oak’s recent publications. Somehow, the professor was given funding to continue with the setup, which allowed Oak to provide Ash with an allowance.

“So that’s why I get money from the International Pokemon Research Insitute,” Ash blurted out, interrupting Oak’s explanation. “They’re paying me to suffer!” 

“Rowen and the other professor will pay you for your contribution,” Oak explains, shifting topics. “However, I specifically brought up Rowen’s offer because of the rumors about what occurring at Sinnoh.”

Ash placed a hand on his heart as he resisted the urge to bolt and hide from the threat that wasn’t there. Quietly, he whispers to himself that he is safe and that his feelings of despair will go away. The deities of space, time, and the distortion world are not here. He’s not running for his life from the Time’s deity’ Roar or dragged to hell by a purple, misty portal. 

Ash frowns, shaking his head to eliminate the imaginary shadows resembling the three deities plaguing his line of sight. Oak, knowing Ash’s current mental state, calmly states statements such as "Concentrate on your breathing” and “Stay in the present."

When his feelings of dread and panic had passed, Ash collapsed onto the ground. After fighting his instinct to flee and avoiding a panic attack, he was tired.

Ash frowns as he stares at the professor with tired eyes. “I know about the rumors already. Cynthia had spoken to me about it when she visited my apartment.”

That was why he headed to Sinnoh in the first place. He can vividly remember the conversation he had with Cynthia, Wallace, and Steven the day prior. 

Ash woke up and jumped out of his mattress when he heard the doorbell ringing. Pikachu was one second away from electrocuting whatever threat awaited them, but the Pokemon quickly calmed down when he realized that they were at the apartment Ash was renting. 

Not fully awake, Ash groggily walked to the door and opened it slightly. He didn’t care who was at the door. Whoever was at the door woke him up from his sleep. He was actually getting a whole night’s rest without nightmares or waking up randomly throughout the night. It was a rare occurrence for him, and the person on the other side of the door ruined it for him!

“You look like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” Steven joked as Ash glared at him. “It’s ten in the morning in Kanto!”

Ash opens his mouth before he can stop it. “How the fuck do you have this much energy.”

Steven gasps, mentioning something about a child swearing at him as Wallace laughs at his husband's plight. Cynthia smiled, amused by the scene, but quickly turned her attention to Ash.

“May we enter,” Cynthia asks as the husband banters. “I have something to tell you that must be discussed in person.”

At that moment, Ash realized that his apartment was barren and void of character, which would raise some questions. He’s going to have champions, the heroes from the folk stories he heard in his youth, enter his very depressing-looking apartment. 

“Sure,” Ash hesitantly said, glancing back and forth between Cynthia and his apartment. “ I would like to remind you that I'm legally emancipated, so I lived here on my own.

Ash let the trainers in, internally begging that no one question his apartment. Then, he realizes he has no chairs, couches, mats, or anything his guests could sit on. He kinda wants to crawl up into a hole and embrace the darkness because he’s totally embarrassed! 

“You live like this,” Wallace questions, gesturing to the living room. “Ash, you need to add some life to your apartment!”

“I’m on the road ninety-nine percent of the time,” Ash justifies, cheeks burning.

Of course, asking them not to mention anything was too much. All he wants is for them to go straight to the point. There has to be a reason for the unexpected visit of two champions and one former champion. 

Suspecting that Ash was getting impatient, Cynthia started the conservation.

“I would like to start by saying I’m aware that it’s unfair that you’re forced into the role of the Chosen One,” Cynthia acknowledges, her expression becoming a bit more serious. “A child should never be put into such a role, and I’m sorry we can’t do more to lessen your burden.”

Ash was shocked, but he quickly masked his feelings. He needs them to take him seriously and view him as close as possible to an equal. Finally, his efforts pay off, and a champion comes to him with information. Oak said this would happen if he attended galas, and he was happy that the professor was right. If he were to do anything to remind them that he’s not in his teens, they would backtrack, and they wouldn’t involve him in world affairs. 

“Are you here because something is happening in your region,” Ash inquires, making sure he’s careful about what words he says. “Or are you here because it’s related to me being the Chosen One?”

He can’t jump too quickly in offering assistance to help with the disasters that will occur in Sinnoh. He must act naturally, or else they will question his motives. 

“There are rumors of an unknown group stealing meteorites and loitering around the lakes where the Lake Trio resides,” Cynthia explains. “We suspect the group is attempting to recreate the prophecy involving the Lake Trio.”

Ash leaned against the wall as Cynthia briefly summarized Sinnoh’s prophecies centered around the Chosen One. A prophecy about the Chosen One, a seamstresses, and a healer befriending and bonding their hearts with the Lake Trio. It is an ordinary prophecy, but when Cynthia reveals that it’s theorized that the Lake Trio can summon the Creation trio, Ash excuses himself to the bathroom.

Pikachu knew what was happening and quickly went to his shoulder. Once Pikachu was on his shoulder, Ash walked to the bathroom as calmly as he could, his outward demeanor betraying his true feelings. When he closed the bathroom door, he rushed to the toilet. 

Kneeling on the floor, he vomited into the toilet. Pikachu stays at his spot on the shoulders, rubbing circles on the trainer’s back. 

Ash thought he had more time before he had to deal with the Creation Trio. He doesn’t know if he can handle facing off with the same deities who slaughtered the last settlement he was at. 

As the cries and screams of the lives the Creation Trio had slaughtered came back to him, Ash sat on the floor and hugged his knees. He rocked back and forth, muttering that he had no choice but to do his role. He was the Chosen One, and he was taught that no one cared for the Chosen One’s wants and needs. His only purpose in life was to serve and protect the world because that’s all that the Chosen One is good for.

Yet, in the back of his mind, he hears the voices of his friends from this era telling him the exact opposite. He wants to believe the voices but cannot, no matter how hard he tries. 

Chapter Text

Ash looks at Dawn’s face, and for a second, he sees Platimun staring back at her. Dawn shares the most similarities with her descendants from everyone he has met so far. They have the same face, the same partner, and the same hairstyle. The faces of his friends have never haunted him until now. 

“I’ll lead the way,” Dawn insists as she grabs his wrist and drags him along. “If you’re heading to Rowan’s lab, I can show you where it is.”

Tired of aimlessly wandering around an unknown region, he lets Dawn pull him in whatever direction she pleases. He listens intently as Dawn happily shares her aspirations, dreams, and role models. They have only known each other for an hour, yet she talks to him like they have known each other since childhood. It is simultaneously a comforting and guilt-ridden experience that can’t be precisely described in words.

“I need to show you the rural routes since you’re kind of well-known,” Dawn continues, glancing over her shoulder to check up on Ash. "And since Mom is close friends with Rowan, I know you don’t like having too much attention.”

“You guys know what,” Ash sputters, caught off guard by Dawn’s comment. “Why does Professor Rowan or your mom know this already!”

Dawn stopped in her tracks, turned around, and made direct eye contact with the trainer. For a second, she looked confused about what he was talking about. Then, she comes to a realization during their awkward staring.

“Professor Oak didn’t tell you that he told Rowan and some people from the Sinnoh league about you, did he” Dawn guesses as Ash nods in confirmation. 

Oak is great for giving him the resources and helping him build connections with influential people, but couldn’t the guy give him a heads-up? He doesn’t like being caught off guard, unaware of important things, or someone talking about him when he isn’t there.  Maybe it’s how the settlement treated him and openly shared their hatred of him, but he despises it when people talk behind his back or without him around to hear what they have to say.

However, this is the past, and he’s gradually learning that not everyone has a horrible or selfish personality. Oak probably doesn’t mean anything malicious or harmful, but the professor’s actions irked him. 

“Hopefully, it’s good things,” Ash nervously asks.

“Yep,” Dawn answers as she resumes leading the way to Rowan’s lab. 

Dawn briefly stopped, motioning for Ash to walk. Realizing he was standing like a sitting Psyduck, Ash hurriedly caught up to Dawn. Together, they strolled through a wooden pathway that appeared to be abandoned. He spent the entire walk listening to Dawn talk about her childhood memories and laughing about the funnier memories. When she notices that he hasn’t shared anything, she always asks about his battles and the differences between the regions he had visited.

It took him a while, but Ash realized that Dawn never asked him about his childhood or family. She was extremely careful to shift the topic of conservation when she wanted him to talk. He doesn’t know why, but he felt that Oak was somehow responsible. If the professor told people about his dislike of having the spotlight on him, then it isn’t too far off that the guy told everyone to avoid discussing his upbringing. 

“So I was wondering,” Dawn spoke up. “After you’re done with your business with Rowan, do you want to stick together for a bit?”

Suddenly, it wasn’t Dawn’s voice speaking to him but Platinum’s. He debated if he should take Dawn’s offering, considering she brought up so many painful reminders of her descendent. As if sharing the same physical characteristics wasn’t enough, both of them made the first move to offer him an invitation. One was an invitation to join a makeshift family group, and the current invitation he was presented with was to become a traveling companion. 

Honesty, he shouldn’t accept it. This will increase his overprotective tendencies, and he will have another person to worry about. He will add more things to his pile of guilt, already crushing with an unrelenting force. However, he hates to spend time alone. Sure, he has Pikachu, but unwanted memories of the cruelties and horror plague their thoughts. Both want to push them away and take a moment to enjoy living in a tranquil world that was in the past. It was much easier when he and Pikachu had traveling companions such as Brock. 

It also wouldn’t be fair to Platinum if he didn't take up Dawn’s offer. He spent time on the road with Brock, Misty, and May, who happened to be his friends' ancestors. Besides, if Dawn is anything like her descendant, then he should expect her to attract trouble like Combees to honey. 

His decision may also have been influenced by Piplup’s continuous effort to convince Pikachu to take the offer. Seriously, Piplup and Pikachu were having their own conservation while he had his with Dawn

“Sure,” Ash smiles, and Dawn’s face lights up. “It’s better to travel with friends than alone, am I right?”

Up ahead, Ash could see Professor Rowan’s lab. Ash and Dawn looked at each other, silently communicating with each other. Then, they bolted to the lab to see who would reach it first. 

Ash climbed over a tree to pick the fruits hanging on the branches. It was a huge apple tree filled with apples ready for harvest. It was a good distance from the orphan camp, taking a while to reach the tree.  Luckily for him, all they needed to do was walk through a forest and follow the trees with a carved-out X to get the tree.

“Ash,” Platinum called out from the other side of the tree. “Today, we’re going to feast like kings!”

Carefully, Ash took a peak to where his friend was at. Platinum was tossing plenty of apples to the baskets below. Ruby’s Swampert and Sapphire’s Blaziken were helping with carrying all the baskets. In between throws, the Pokemon would eat the growing mushrooms in the area. Apparently, it wasn’t the poisonous kind, which was good. 

“Apple juice, apple jam, apple sauce, cooked slice apples,” Ash excitedly listed. 

“If the sugar canes Ivy planted is ready for harvest, we can make sugar,” Platinum adds, giddy with excitement. “We can have sugar apples!”

According to Platinum, sugar cane takes a long time to grow. Having a grass type and fire Pokemon speeds up the process, but anything more than a week is a long time for all of them. 

“Then we can sing and dance until we are tired,” Platinum continues. 

“You do love to perform,” Ash mentions as he tosses several apples to the basket. “Especially when you act out the folk heroes of the past.”

“In another life, I would be a performer,” Platinum sighs as her Piplup on the ground agrees. “I would wear the prettiest clothes and have Piplup stand beside me. Piplup would captivate everyone watching with his moves, showing off his charm for the world.”

Ash doesn’t know why, but Platinum's words remind him of folk stories about Prince. In the past, Prince would perform in front of many people. During the performances, Prince would demonstrate his Pokemon’s beauty and potential using an elaborate set of moves.  A simple Hygro Pump used for attacking could be transformed into something to marvel at and awe at. 

“I heard stories about Prince being a performer in one of the folk stories,” Ash recalled, scrunching his face as he thought. “As the story goes, Prince and his Pokemon would do the most beautiful performances to demonstrate the bond of their friendship to Knight.” 

“Well, I think Prince and Knight were more than friends,” Platinum confidently states. When Ash gives her an odd look, the girl continues, “Think about it: In all the love stories we hear, it’s always someone making a grand gesture demonstrating their love.”

“Whatever the truth was, it’s lost in the distance past,” Ash comments as he turns to face the baskets.

Noticing that all the baskets were filled, Ash scaled down the tree. Moments later, Platinum soon follows. Deciding that they collect as much as they could carry back to camp, they made their way back to camp,

Ash looked at the new set of clothes given to him, unsure how to respond. He rarely receives gifts from people, especially from adults. On the table, several items that were supposedly his to keep were placed: a new hat, several pairs of the same clothing, and a new pair of shoes. He didn’t expect this when he went to speak to Professor Rowan about taking up his offer to provide him with information about deities.

“I told Mom not to be obvious,” Dawn sheepishly states, looking at the stuff Ash received. She then turned to face Rowan. “Rowan, why didn’t you try to stop her?”

“I did,” Rowan said as Dawn looked at him in disbelief. "I stopped her from giving him a new backpack, phone, and gift basket.”

Ash blinks at the strange interaction happening in front of them. They seem close based on Dawn's not referring to the professor by his title and Rowan's appearance like a tired grandpa trying to prove his point to his granddaughter. 

“Wait a second,” Ash cuts in, and the gazes of two people return to him. “Why would Dawn’s mom give me stuff.”

At that moment, Dawn chooses to remain silent, pointing to Rowan. Expecting Dawn to make him explain, Rowan speaks.

“We were made of your emancipated status,” Rowan explains. “Johanna always has a soft for children, especially orphaned children.”

“Oh,” Ash said, gazing back at the items. “That was very kind of her. She didn’t have to be so nice…”

If Rowan notices how quiet Ash becomes, he doesn’t mention it. Instead, he provides more details about his requests. Ash patiently waits as the professor informs him what information he is searching for, such as physical descriptions, moves, and observations about the Pokemon’s behavior. 

After the professor’s explanation, Ash accepts Rowan's offer and makes his way to the door. Before he stepped outside, Rowan gave them a warning.

“There have been reports of increased activities of an emerging criminal group. Be careful and always be alert.”

Trust him. Ash knows he always needs to be alert. 

Chapter Text

Ash crouched and praised his Starly, Aipom, and Pikachu for defeating their opponent’s Pokemon. Especially his Starly and Aipom since they are still new to battling trainers. Pikachu deserves some praise, though, since he believes praise is important to raising and training his Pokemon. With how vocal his Pokemon was on the attention he was giving them, he almost didn’t hear the sounds of footsteps approaching him. 

“This is the winner of the Ever Grande Conference,” a voice scoffed, sounding extremely disappointed at everything that had occurred. “I expected more from someone Steven deemed worthy, but you turn out to be quite pathetic, Ash.”

Ash forces himself not to flinch when he hears similar words repeated in this era. He quickly scrambles to get up from the ground and turns his head to make eye contact with his opponent. Unlike the neutral expression the stranger initially gave him when he challenged him to a battle, Ash is met with disappointed eyes that remind him so much of Latias. 

He takes a step back, and he can almost hear Latias giving a tongue-lashing about his pathetic character. His heart squeezes painfully as he hears the words from the three deities. Latias’s, Victini’s, and Mew’s cold words began to repeat in his mind.

If it wasn't for Pikachu, Ash would have frozen in his tracks, letting the other trainer get away with his comment. His buddy angrily growled at the opponent, bringing Ash’s focus and attention to respond to the trainer. Starly and Aipom, who picked up on his distress, join Pikachu. Starly stayed by Pikachu’s left, and Aipom took the right spot. He doesn’t think his team noticed, but they formed a barrier between him and the other trainer. 

“You still lost against me,” Ash points out, making himself look a lot more confident than he actually was. All but Pikachu seem to notice it. “Paul, was it? Let me ask you this. Why are you calling me pathetic?”

He thinks he knows the answer. Latias repeatedly tries to make him abandon his buddy because she views Pichu as a waste of space. That usually results in him threatening to leave the settlement, which means no one would know how to locate or cultivate the medical plants they desperately need. Victini would laugh at his face, calling him pathetic for having what he describes as a “childish” mindset. Mew was the worst with how she publicly humiliated him by using him as an example of not to be. She would make him and Pichu stand in everyone’s line of sight as she shamed them for being so weak. He made sure to cover Pichu’s ears when she began to harshly criticize his decision to keep a “weak” Pokemon. 

It all comes down to brute strength, doesn’t it? That’s why the deities and almost everyone in the future treated him as the black Wooloo in the flock. Unfortunately, Ash never thought that similar people like the ones who humiliated and hurt him lived in the past, too.

 “You’re not going anywhere with raising Pokemon half-assed,” Paul responds, and Ash doesn’t know if the trainer purposely avoids answering the question. “If you’re not taking being a trainer seriously, why are you even trying to compete?”

Oh, how lucky is Paul living without worries of madness and everlasting darkness that will come if Ash does nothing to prevent it! Can someone like him, an orphaned displaced in time, be allowed to live his limited time without judgment? Ash wants to have fun by competing in all the leagues the world has to offer because it brings him happiness he never gets to enjoy for the first ten years!

“And you’re not going anywhere with brute strength alone,” Ash states, casting the trainer a judgemental look. “Sure, brute strength is important, but so is the bond with your Pokemon.”

The close bond with his buddy allowed Pikachu to evolve from a Pichu. It was one of the first things he learned when he arrived in the past. Chansey, Eevve, and some Pokemon need a high level of friendship to evolve. Sadly, most people from the future forgot how one’s bond with Pokemon plays a role in evolution and working together as a team.

“Bond,” Paul scoffed. “What nonsense are you spewing?”

“It’s a shame that you never realized the importance of a bond,” Ash continues, ignoring Paul’s comment.  “Sometimes, it’s the only weapon at your disposal.”

“A bond is not something you can use to win battles,” Paul responds, disinterested. 

“But Pokemon are not soldiers for you to command,” Ash mentions, raising his voice. “They are not soldiers you can mold to your specific image!” 

He’s not a soldier. He refuses to be shaped into a perfect image of a fighter by the likes of Latias, Mew, and Victini. No matter how much they lashed, hurt, or injured him, he will refuse to let them change his values and character. He’ll continue to be kind as Mom, affectionate as Dad, gentle like Luner, and friendly like Solar. If people have a problem with it, they can shove it right in their ass. 

“Ash,” Dawn carefully called out, snapping Ash out of his memories. “Why don’t we head back to camp. Brock must be done making breakfast.”

Suddenly, he realized how tightly he was balling his fists. Blood was dripping to the ground beneath, decorating the ground with scarlet droplets. It took everything in him to not shout at Paul’s analytical gaze. Great, someone is trying to pick him apart because he lost it for a minute. In the brief lapse of his facade, something seemed to catch his trainer’s interest. Heck, the look on Paul's face was one of neutrality. 

“We’re going,” Ash told his Pokemon, turning his head away. “We got better things to do than deal with this jerk.”

Ash stormed off to where Dawn was, avoiding eye contact with everyone. He only needs a few minutes to calm himself down. Then, he’s going to plan on how he’s going to deal with future interactions with the asshole. It’s naive of him to think he will never run into Paul ever again. 

Head hanging down, Ash stood as Mew used her telepathy to tell everyone how much of a useless, pathetic person he was for choosing to avoid a fight. Pichu was unconscious in his arms, covered in injuries because his partner was forced to fight against the three deities on his own. 

A part of him feels relieved Pichu won’t be subjected to the critical gazes of the people or cruel comments being hurled toward them. Then, an awful feeling washed over him because he shouldn’t wish for Pichu to be unconscious. The conflicting emotions have become a daily occurrence ever since he entered the settlement. He’s starting to believe it was a mistake, and sometimes, he wonders if it would be better to run away. 

“This is someone who you should not strive to be,” Latias points out, giving Ash a look of disgust. “He’s the very definition of pathetic.”

But he was not pathetic! He wants to tell them to stop calling him pathetic but knows it would result in everyone shouting him. It would be best to keep his head down and get over with the public shaming. He had grown accustomed to the harsh words and disapproving states of most people in the settlement.

“He can’t fight to protect himself or others,” Victini shared mockingly. “His partner is a little mouse who can’t do more than produce sparks. The boy is a tiny child who can’t do more than run away, cry, and cower in fear.”

“Can’t even fight to defend himself,” Mew added as she leaned close to Ash’s ears. “If only you would eliminate the pest you call your partner. You and the settlement would be better off if you did.”

Ash closes his eyes as if it would block out the shouts of the people. People were pressured to listen to the deity, referring to Mew as a merciful Goddess for allowing a pathic kid to enter the settlement.  He didn’t hear any agriculture guys shouting at him to listen to Mew, which was as much support as he would get from the guys. Personally, he doesn’t blame them for choosing to remain silent and not defend him against the deities’ words. They do enough by treating him kindly when they are alone from prying eyes.

“He’s all I have left,” Ash whispers before he realizes he’s speaking his thoughts aloud.

“What did you say,” Mew asks, daring for Ash to respond.

“Pichu is all I have,” Ash angrily said, opening his eyes. He began to speak louder. “Like it or not, Pichu is my only family. I would rather be tossed out of the settlement with Pichu than be separated from him!”

He met every word of it, and everyone around him seemed to notice it, too. Are they just now realizing how much his bond with Pichu means to me? How much do they actively dismiss his existence just to realize that? 

“Unfortunately, we must tolerate your stupidity,” Latias states, unfazed by Ash’s reactions. “I would have granted your wish if you did not possess your vast knowledge of herbalism and talent raising plant life.”

“Your only use is foraging and cultivating medicinal plants,” Victini admits, leaning close to Ash’s other ear. In a low voice that only Ash could hear, he continued. “And if you try to run away, we will find and drag you back, and well, who knows what will happen to Pichu.”

Ash clutches Pichu tightly to his chest, too terrified to look anywhere but the ground.

Ash walked to where Dawn and Brock had set up camp. He carried a small basket of berries and medicinal plants as Pikachu comfortably sat on his shoulder.  Several trees provided him cover, so he’s confident they won’t notice him. 

Dawn was setting down the plates as Brock began pouring soup into bowls. He was one second away from shouting, but Dawn’s questions abruptly stopped his intentions. 

“Do you know anything about Ash's home life,” Dawn asks, tone laced with concern. “Near the end of his conservation with Brock, it sounded like he was speaking from a personal experience.”

So Dawn was more intelligent than he initially thought. 

“Don’t hold against him, but he would lie straight to your face,” Brock answers, not sounding a bit upset. “I am trying to figure out Ash’s past for a while now.”

“So he’s cagy about his past,” Dawn comments, briefly thinking about Ash’s behavior earlier in the day. “Brock, I think he was with horrible people who treated him poorly.”

“You’re not the first who came to that conclusion,” Brock revealed, placing the first bowl down.  “It could explain a lot about his behaviors and character.”

His behavior? What is Brock talking about?

“But Ash won’t tell us anything, will he?” Dawn sighed, seeming reluctant to accept the situation. 

“And he has every right to keep everything to himself,” Brock said, pouring soup into the second bowl. “However, I wish Ash would understand that he has people at his corner, but that will take years for him to understand.”

Ash quietly walked away before Brock or Dawn went out to look for him. In the back of his mind, he wonders why he deserves friends who care for a person like him. 

Chapter Text

Ash is floating in the air, dressed in the same clothes he went to bed with. He scans his surroundings and sees what he can describe as a cloudy blue backdrop.  Interestingly, the clouds were either baby pink, light blue, or cream. Another thing he noticed was how painfully silent everything was, except for his breathing. 

He had to be dreaming because he was wearing his pajamas, and Pikachu wasn’t beside him.  However, he feels the intense stairs of several pairs of eyes. Out of instinct, he looked over his shoulder and saw nothing but the dreamy clouds plaguing this landscape. What he saw did not alleviate his worries. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Now, he’s absolutely terrified because he doesn’t know who or what is with him, concealed by the endless clouds.

His heart began to beat too fast for his liking. Placing a hand on his heart, he tried to calm himself down. His mind was screaming at him to bolt to somewhere familiar, safe, and close to Pikachu’s side. This was beginning to feel too real to be a simple dream his mind had created. If he felt like he was on the verge of scampering to safety, he had to be awake and taken somewhere against his will because there was no other explanation. 

He has to get out of here. It’s not safe to stay here any longer. Forgetting he was floating in the air, he took one step forward. Then, he realizes how he continues to remain at his spot no matter how much he tries to take a step forward. Was something trying to torture him? Was something trying to break his already fragile mind? 

“Have no fear, Chosen One,” a female voice calls out. 

Ash freezes when he hears something calling him “Chosen One.” The pounding in his heart gets even faster and louder. It felt like his heart was about to burst open. With his free hand, he covered his mouth to stop the bile creeping up his throat. It took a few seconds to swallow down the bile, but once he did, he tried doing the deep breathing exercises Brock had been making him do. He was not too fast to go into a panic attack, but he was not too slow to allow his worries to get the best of him. 

“Chosen One,” a neutral tone of voice spoke. 

He thought he wouldn’t hear anyone calling that after Shamouti Island. All of his friends and Oak knew never to call him the Chosen One. Just this morning, Brock told Dawn, with his permission, never to say that phrase. 

“Please, call me Ash instead,” Ash begged, not caring if he sounded pathetic. “Call me anything but that!”

“If that’s your wish,” a mature voice acknowledged. 

“Look up,” the female voice told him. “You’re facing down.”

Ash didn’t realize he was looking down, considering that what was supposed to be the floor and sky all looked the same. Mustering the little courage he had, he slowly lifted his head up to see three fairy-like Pokemon. They share similar characteristics, like being small, grey, and having gems on their two tails. However, that’s where the similarities end. One had a cyan face with a red gem encrusted into its forehead and a cone-shaped head with strange protrusions on each side. Another had a magenta face with four long, drooping appendages. A similar red gem was encrusted on the forehead. The last one had a yellow face, and it looked like it was wearing a yellow helmet. Unlike the other two, this Pokemon had its eyes closed. 

“Who are you,” Ash asked, feeling a little less terrified.

“I’m known as Azelf,” the blue-faced Pokemon started, staring at Ash intensely. “I’m known as the God of Willpower due to my ability to manipulate an individual’s will.”

“I’m Mesprit,” the pink-face Pokemon continued, eyes filled with curiosity about the human. “I’m the Goddess of Emotion due to teaching the first humans how to feel sorrow, pain, joy, and the emotions all life experience.”

Shit, can Mesprit tell how terrified he was? Wait, was she the female voice who told him to have no fear? Dang it! Mesprit probably knew how scared he was. What kind of Goddess Mesprit is for doing nothing while he was on the verge of a panic attack or fighting his instinct to flee!

Mesprit tilted her head, and Ash wondered if he was so easy to read or if it was Mesprit’s natural ability to pick up people’s emotions. He would probably avoid the Emotion deity the most out of the three. 

“I’m known as the God of Knowledge,” the yellow-faced Pokemon spoke. “You may call me Uxie, Ash.”

Ash's nerves may have eased a bit, but he was still weary of the deities. Being in the same presence as the deities makes him want to be cautious around them. 

“Why are you three here,” Ash inquired, making eye contact with each deity. “You must be here for a reason if you’re appearing in my dreams…or I think it’s my dreams.”

He fights the urge to make himself appear smaller. He doesn’t like how they are staring at him or facing him in Uxie’s case. It was like they were looking straight into his soul, reading him like an open book. He hates it.  

“To see if you’re the Chosen One for this era,” Uxie explained as he begins to circle around him. “Fortunately for the world, Lugia was right when stating that you are the era’s Chosen One.”

Didn’t he just tell them to not call him Chosen One? He has to keep a hand on his heart to keep himself grounded in the present. 

“You have obtained the Prince's Blessing and Forest’s Blessing,” Azelf emphasizes, bringing his face close to Ash. “Only the Chosen One can obtain more than one blessing.”

There’s that word again. Blessing. He thought he would hear the last of it back at Hoenn. It has to mean something if the deities in front of him mentioned it. He hopes he doesn’t have blessings from the Weather Trio because he doesn’t want something from deities who tried to kill him. 

“I told everyone to stop calling me the Chosen One,” Ash reminded, becoming annoyed.

“Now we have found you, we must tell you what we know,” Mesprit disclosed, ignoring Ash’s comment. 

“The world is at risk of falling into everlasting darkness and madness,” Uxie warns, sounding much more serious than earlier. “We have yet to uncover why, but we know Arceus’s disappearance plays a role.”

Arceus…that’s sound familiar. Maybe he heard it somewhere from his era or during his journey in the past. He’ll ask someone about it later since he knows little about this era. 

“And we fear his lack of presence will play a role in the inevitable corruption of his twelve companions,” Azelf revealed as he cupped Ash’s face in his paws. “But you are here to fulfill your role. The many disasters you have dealt with and will face in the future are tied to the gradual corruption of Arceus’s companions.

Ash had to stop himself from recoiling when Azelf placed his paws on his face. Gently, he removed Azelf’s paws from his face. Ash let the words sink in as he remembered how most of the surviving Gods had gone mad. Are they one of Arceus’s companions? Was it the corruption Azelf spoke of that caused some Gods to rampage, destroying everything in its path. 

“If the situation is grave, Arceus himself is at risk of corruption.” Mesprit continued, pausing for a few seconds before continuing. “However, we hope Arceus’s disappearance isn’t due to potential corruption.” 

“How do we stop the madness,” Ash asked. 

“We don’t know,” Uxie admitted, and Ash had to resist the urge to scream. Ash would have noticed how the Pokemon was withholding information if he had been in a clearer state of mind. “There are so many missing pieces that it will take time to find all the sources for the companions’ corruption and trigger for the world falling into darkness.” 

Nothing can ever be easy for him. He is left with more questions than answers and the heavy burden of figuring out the source of the Pokemon’s corruption. Arceus’s disappearance sounds like a big deal, too, but he has an unsettling feeling that there is more to it.  

The world around him began to blur, and it was becoming hard to focus. Clouds began to circle him, and the three deities levitated around him. What was going on?

“Your friend is waking you up,” Azelf noted, slightly disappointed. “We will talk to you more in person when we can.”

Ash prefers they don’t, but he doesn’t have much choice. Deities think they can do whatever they want because they are all-powerful, and people worship them. 

“Best you keep them close and prepare them,” Uxie suggested, and Ash has an inkling there is more to the statement. “For your two friends had caught our eye.”

“Who will be the other chosen,” Mesprit wondered aloud. “And by whom they will be chosen? One had already been Chosen by the Sea Prince.”

Sea Prince…he heard the People of the Water referring to Manaphy as the Prince of the Sea. What’s going on? What are they not telling him?

“Hey,” Ash shouted as the world around him began to fade. “Tell me what you meant about the chosen and my two friends. What do you mean by one being chosen by the Sea Prince?”

He deserves to know everything if they are requesting his help. How come they are omitting some details? 

“Like Arceus needs companions to govern, a hero needs companions to support them,” Azelf said, his words becoming difficult to decipher.”Whether you like it or not, it’s been foretold in the prophecies for this era for you to have companions.”

Ash tried to demand more answers, but no words came out. Then, he found himself falling down as the deities stared down at him. 

Ash woke up in a panic, nearly headbutting Dawn as he jumped out of his sleeping bag. He frantically surveyed his surroundings to make sure he wasn’t in the strange, cloudy place. After his nerves settled down, he sheepishly apologized to Dawn for almost hurting her.

“We were getting worried when you wouldn’t wake up,” Dawn admited, relieved to see Ash awake. “ We almost had Pikachu shock you.”

The deities’ words come back to him, and he asks himself if one of them is watching them. Turning his head to where he smells Brock’s cooking, he sees Brock casting him a concerned look.

“Did you have a nightmare,” Brock asked, his attention on Ash. 

“No,” Ash verbalized, unsure if he should tell his friends about his “dreams.”

He smiles, carefully putting up his usual facade so his friends won’t worry. Whether they fell for it or not is something Ash doesn’t know. Either way, they shifted topics and discussed their plans for the day. As they ate and talked, a voice in his mind warned him to watch for his friends. Whatever the trio and deities in the world had in store, he refused for anyone but himself to be dragged into this fuck up situation. 

Hopefully, it’s not too late. 

Chapter Text

Ash stares at the vast building he was looking for, wondering if it will have the knowledge he is searching for.  Ever since the trio visited him in his dreams, his mind was plagued with questions. First, who was Arceus? This was the first he had ever heard the name. Was it a God, and if so, God of what? Next, who were the trio, and what role did they play? Lastly, what did the trio mean when a hero needs their companions? 

Paranoia worms its way into his mind at the thought of indirectly dragging his friends into his mess. It’s hinted that he got someone tangled in his mess, most likely May, due to her connection with Manaphy and Mesprit mentioning a Sea Prince. Just to be safe, he will keep his distance from his friends back in Kanto and Hoenn. If he doesn’t interact with them, then the risk of them being dragged into this clusterfuck will be reduced. After Sinnoh, he must keep his distance from Dawn and Brock for their safety. For now, he will watch over them and do whatever it takes for them not to receive a blessing from the trio. 

“This sucks,” Ash groaned in misery, forcing his legs to climb up the stairs to a university’s library entrance. “I have to go to the library to do some research! It’s boring!”

“It’s not like we have a choice based on what you told me about your dreams.”

Ash whips his head to where he hears the voice, only to see Pikachu nodding in agreement. Huh, that’s weird. For a second, he thought he heard someone speaking to him. As it turns out, it was nothing. Maybe he’s tired from the few hours of sleep he had been getting. Those few hours were far from restless, considering all he saw in his dreams were snippets of his past and snapping jaws of different deities. 

Pikachu tilts his head, blinking at Ash in confusion. Then, Pikachu places a paw on his cheek with apparent worry in his eyes. His partner began to gently squeeze his cheeks as if he was trying to comfort him.

“I’m alright, bud,” Ash reassured, scratching underneath Pikachu’s chin. “It's my head playing tricks.”

“Pika?”

“I’ll try to sleep more,” Ash continued, knowing he won’t be getting a whole night's rest for a long time. 

Pikachu gave him a look of disbelief, silently daring Ash to continue boldly lying to his face. 

“I said try, emphasis on try,” Ash said, cracking a small smile. “ This is why I didn’t make any promises of sleeping!”

Opening the door to the library, Ash quickly became quiet as he stepped inside. If he recalls correctly, libraries have rules about everyone being silent and not creating a disturbance. Scanning his surroundings, he sees it’s almost empty beside the elderly and the workers. Probably because it’s ten in the morning, and he knows some kids attend school. Adults are working, and the university students who use this library are supposedly on break…whatever that means.

Remembering Brock’s instructions on how to check out the book, he looks for a desk with a person standing behind a computer. When he spots a woman with glasses, he walks toward the woman. He politely requested to check some books about a trio of legendaries, Arceus, and prophecies. 

“Are you a little too young to do research in mythology,” the woman asked, raising an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be reading something more suited for your age?”

Ash bites back from saying how she’s too old to pick on children. Despite not liking the woman’s attitude, he has to remain civil to get the woman to give him books.

“I’m Ash Ketchum,” Ash spoke, forcing a smile on his face. “I wanted to learn as much as possible to be a better champion for the Orange Islands. You can look me up if you don’t believe me…I can wait. 

Ash kept his forced smile on his face as he cringed internally. He could hear Pikachu snickering about dropping his name to get what he wanted. Gosh, he sounds so entitled, just like the snotty parasites from the galas he forces himself to attend. 

“I have verified your identity,” the woman mentioned, her voice neutral. “Please wait as I create an account and give you your library card.”

He stood there patiently, emphasizing he was a champion when the woman explained how he was restricted to only parts of the library. It physically hurts him to namerop his own name to access materials as a university student. This time, Pikachu burst out laughing, and Ash gave Pikachu a mock betrayed look.  

“Ash, is that you,” a voice called out behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, Ash sees Cynthia dressed in informal attire. She seems pleasantly surprised to him at the library. Ash doesn’t know how to feel about someone outside his friend group being so happy to see him. It’s something he’s still growing accustomed to. 

“Cynthia,” Ash waved, brightening up at the sight of a familiar face. “What are you doing here?”

“I would like to ask you the same,” Cythina responded, approaching the trainer. “I didn’t expect to find you in a library.”

“Where else am I supposed to get some books,” Ash joked, noticing how the woman was paying close attention. “I was hoping to learn more about Sinnoh’s mythology and the prophecies you mentioned. “

A voice in the back of his mind tells him he’s manipulative and awful for what he’s about to do, but the world’s future is at stake. Remembering what Oak said about the champions’ soft spot for children, Ash feigns an innocence he had never had in the first place.

“You inspired me to do more research in mythology,” Ash lies, making his words sound as genuine as possible. “You, Steven, and Lance are all so cool! I want to be more like you and all the world's champions! How can I be a good champion like everyone else if I don’t try to learn?” 

While he likes the champions he listed, they are not why he’s researching mythology. However, he learned that people are more likely to help or listen to what one says if one praises the person. 

“Ash,” Cynthia softly smiled. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Guilt briefly wells up inside of him before Ash internally scolded himself for having such feelings. His actions and words are justified when the world’s future is at stake. 

“However, I was wondering how I can access the same stuff as the university students,” Ash wondered, pretending to be disheartened. “The nice woman here won’t let me have access because of the rules…”

“I’m sure we can make an expectation for you,” Cythina revealed, making eye contact with the woman. She places a hand on Ash’s shoulder, missing how the trainer momentarily flinches. “A league representative can override the restriction if the representative deems it necessary.”

It continues to entertain him how fast a person can shift their mood if someone prominent or influential is nearby. The woman did an exact one-eighty, saying all the right words to please Cynthia and ensuring the library card they gave him gave him access to the restricted works. 

“Thank you so much,” Ash said, snatching the library card. “Now, where can I find books about what I’m looking for?”

After hearing a few minutes of directions, Ash politely thanked the woman and began walking to the other side of the library to start researching. Fortunately, he’s allowed to check out the books and drop them off in another library in Sinnoh.

“Ash, wait,” Cynthia spoke from behind. 

“Sorry,” Ash apologized, realizing he had forgotten to thank Cynthia for everything.”I didn’t mean to forget not to thank you!”

“Thank me, oh no, that’s not why I came looking for you,” Cynthia stated. “I’m here to help you with your research.”

“Help me,” Ash blinked, unsure of Cynthia’s reasoning.

“Ash, you will be primarily reading scholarly articles and academic books,” Cynthia reveals, noticing Ash’s puzzled expression.  “They can be difficult for students and adults to understand. I’m afraid you won’t understand most of the vocabulary.”
 
Ah. That might be a problem. A huge problem. Ash knows that compared to the rest of the world, he’s severely lacking in plenty of basic skills children his age should know. He taught himself how to read and write because people from his time had almost completely forgotten it. If it wasn’t for Mom’s attempts to preserve the teachings in the past, he wouldn’t have known the bare basics to survive in the past. Even now, he continues to teach himself the basic skills of everyone in this era. 

Brock is kind enough to teach him the basics without question, probably knowing that the excuse given to him was another lie spewing out of his mouth. Still, Ash trusts Brock about his poor writing and reading skills. On the other hand, Cynthia is another person he must maintain a relationship with. Will she judge him for his lacking skills? Will she view him differently if she realizes how behind he is compared to the rest of the world? 

“I’m not the best at reading or vocab,” Ash quietly mentioned, adverting his eyes. “If you don’t judge me, then I guess you could help…”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Cynthia assured, and Ash could tell the woman was being genuine. “It’s more the reason for me to join you for today. I don’t want anyone to feel discouraged from pursuing knowledge.”

Together, they picked the books Ash needed about the trio. To say it was excruciatingly difficult to understand the material was an understatement. His brain was pounding by the first hour, and he only understood the basics due to Cynthia. 

“We should do this again,” Cynthia commented as she wrote notes for Ash. “We can virtually meet once a week if you’re interested.”

“Sure,” Ash agreed. “I would like that.”

If only to understand more about the world's deities and prophecies. 

“So, how did you spend time today,” Dawn asked, noticing how drained Ash appeared to be. “You look awful.”

“I read academic books and scholarly articles,” Ash yawned, making Pikachu yawn.

“You know, this isn’t what I imagine you doing with your free time,” Brock admitted. 

“Just doing research so when I’m dragged to another mess, I’m better prepared,” Ash dryly shared. “I’m so lucky Cynthia showed up and made things easier for me to understand.”

“You hung out with Cynthia and didn’t tell me,” Brock exclaimed, shooting him a look of disbelief. 

Suddenly, Ash is reminded that Brock tends to flirt with women. That’s probably the most normal thing that happened to him all day. For some reason, this made him laugh. He enjoys moments like these, where worries and fear are cast aside for feelings of joy and amusement. 

“We only study Sinnohian mythology,” Ash happily said. “Though, Croagunk would probably poison jab you if you try to flirt with her again.”

“Don’t remind me,” Brock groaned. 

Together, they walk a path leading to their destination. Ash would have noticed the unsettling presence nearby if Ash hadn’t been lost in his conservation with his friends. 

Chapter Text

When he closed another book he had borrowed from the library, Ash couldn’t help but let out a disappointed breath. In most prophecies, he read for this region, a boy dressed in blue and an electric-type Pokemon always comes to resolve the conflict. However, the prophecies don’t make sense. He’s from the future, so the prophecies make no sense to describe a person who doesn’t exist in this era. 

“And that’s not the worst,” Ash quietly told Pikachu. “For Sinnohian prophecies, some of the described supporters who match Brock and Dawn.”

Glancing over his shoulders, he sees Brock and Dawn deep into their slumber. At first, he was in denial when Cynthia told him about a prophecy of a healer and a clothier. Then, he was reminded how much Brock helps to heal Pokemon and how knowledgeable he is in medicine. Dawn is a Pokemon Coordinator, but she makes custom outfits for her Pokemon. On some occasions, Dawn would make accessories for herself, which cemented the fact that the prophecy was talking about her. 

“Sinnoh is where the Gods who slaughter the settlement came from,” Ash added, covering his face with his hands. “And I will be dragging my friends into hell.”

A pit of dread inside him begins to form at the thought of facing Diagla, Palkia, and Giratina. He doesn’t want to be dragged into the distortion world by shadowy tendrils, not again. It took who knows how long to slip through the devil’s grasp and wander aimlessly in a realm not suited for life. If it wasn’t for the skeleton remains of other unlucky individuals to scavenge for supplies, he would have died in hell.

If there was a time when he believed in miracles, it was how he managed to find a small portal to crawl himself out and return to his plane of existence. 

“I can convince Dawn to practice battling with me,” Ash said to himself, liking his idea. “I could say it’s to help her to come up with new ideas for her contests.”

Ash truly respects the Pokemon Coordinator profession, but there was a reason why he hadn’t heard of it until he traveled to Hoenn. It’s about charming and dazzling the crowd. Even in the second round, each person is focused on appealing to the audience, and not too much is focused on defeating the opponent. It’s a bonus but not a requirement. 

If Dawn were to survive this, he would have to get her to improve her battling skills. Before he traveled back in time, Dawn probably had the skills to survive because of Platiumn’s existence. However, with some parts of history changed, Dawn may no longer have those skills. It will be up to him to get her to improve her battling skills to protect herself and to make sure she doesn’t have the need to accept a blessing. 

“Brock can be a little harder to trick,” Ash sighed, and he was starting to feel bad for his intentions to trick the older trainer. “He’s too smart for his own going…maybe I can make it related to my cursed role.”

It’s not a lie but more of a half-truth. Brock always seems ready to help, and he already suspects something. Sure, the older trainer will search for any traces of deceptions and lies. However, if Brock believes it will lead closer to the truth, he will go along with it. Ash knows Brock is going along with the lies he told, so this would be no different. 

“I ask him to help give me pointers,” Ash told himself. “And sprinkle in how I need to be prepared to do the supposed role of the Chosen One.”

 Yeah, that might be a believable half-truth. However, a nagging thought is at the back of his mind as he tries to devise ways to approach the topic with his friends. It was not until he heard an abrupt squeal from Pikachu. Ash turns to face his partner, only to see Pikachu covering his mouth. The Pokemon has his eyes widen, staring at the source of his squeal. Ash didn’t say anything, but looking into Pikachu’s eyes,” he could see three Pokemon in Pikachu’s irises. 

“What are you doing here,” Ash demanded, seemingly distressed at the sight of the trio. 

No, this is too soon. When they told him to expect an in-person visit, Ash didn’t expect it to be this soon. Why did they come out tonight when everyone is blissfully sleeping? 

“We told you we will meet in person,” Azelf reminded, ignoring the boy’s distress.  “Don’t tell me you forgot what we discussed?” 

Oh, he vividly recalls what the trip told him in his dreams. Suddenly, he is urged to stand up and shield his sleeping friends from the trio’s line of view. From behind, he could hear someone stirring in their sleep and a few sleepy mumbles. For a second, he was scared that one would wake up and ask questions. He stood still, waiting for something to happen as he formulated different excuses to give his friends.

“Do I need to put them to a deep slumber,” Mespirt asked, eyes darting at the sleeping individuals.

“No,” Ash harshly whispered, eyes narrowing at the Pokemon. “You can’t do whatever you want just because you want to deal with an inconvenience!”

“Fine,” Uxie reluctantly agreed. “For now, we will leave them be.”

“Great,” Ash dryly responded, crossing his arms. “So tell me, why are you here?” 

It hurts him to be somewhat civil to deities who think they can do whatever they want. He’s beginning to wonder if all fairy-like Pokemon are born as inconsiderate assholes who think the world should bend to their will. Mew, Victini, and now the Lake Guardians. He would have thought all of them were bad, but there are exceptions like Celebi. Oh, how much he missed Pink despite the short amount of time they had spent together. 

“Tonight, we are here to educate you,” Azelf told the trainer. Come, follow us.”

Ash didn’t want to follow them somewhere secluded. He was about to refuse, but Mesprit shot him a quick, warning look before Ash could protest. Reluctantly, he followed the Lake Guardians. He glanced at his friends, hoping they would remain asleep. 

Ash swung his fist at a tree, gritting his teeth after everything he was told. Azelf, Uxie, and Mespirt were using him without considering how it would impact him or everyone else.

“You’re not dooming any of my friends,” Ash shouted as his blood boiled. “I don’t care what the grand prophecy says, I’m not getting any of them involved. They can’t…they can’t experience a fraction of what I had gone through.”

When Uxie revealed how some of Arceus’s companions had been having short fits of madness sporadically in the past decade, Ash was faced with the realization that everything he had done so far was for nothing. Something had triggered the madness, and the first few dominoes began to fall. Based on Mesprit’s explanation, it’s a guarantee Arceus’s companions, whom the lake trio called the deities of the planet’s creations, will lose their minds. It's not a question of if but when. 

“We have discussed you must continue to search for the plates scattered throughout the world,” Uxie disclosed, unfazed by Ash’s burst of anger. “As you search for the plates, we will locate the triggers yet discovered.”

“Like that so fucking easy,” Ash snapped, running a hand through his hair. “A plate for every type! That eighteen plates! I will need to search for the remaining twelve plates across the planet! The worst part is that there are other triggers you haven’t uncovered! 

Oh, don’t get him started with the implications of the other parts of the prophecies. Twelve companions for a deity and twelve companions for the hero. A deity that rules over all and a human who must be a hero. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the implications. What pisses him off of how matter-of-fact the Lake trio sound. 

“Then, you want people my age to fight a crazed deity,” Ash continued, bordering on hysterics. “A hero’s companion must fight the deity's companions…that’s going to destroy them.”

There was a list worth of things he had to do to prevent a doomed future. He must locate twelve plates scattered worldwide, which will take a few years at best. He must give Arceus the plates, hoping the deity hasn’t lost his mind. If that wasn’t a burden already, he must find the unknown triggers for Arceus’s twelve companions' madness. 

Ash would do everything on the list, but the one thing he would not do was get any of his friends involved. Whatever desires he had to tell any of his friends the truth had gone out of the window. At first, he was focused on making sure his current traveling companions survived their encounter with the creation trio. Now, he’s worried and focused on making sure they stay uninvolved in the prophecy. 

“So,” Uxie responded dismissively. “It’s been foretold, so it must come to be.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Ash yelled, seething. “Prophecies can be wrong!”

If prophecies had been accurate, he wouldn’t be here. Someone else would have suffered the crushing burden placed upon them. He wouldn’t be standing here alone with three deities at night, yelling at their faces. Someone else would be dealing with the nightmares, the words echoing in his mind, and the thought of an eternal slumber that would randomly pop into his mind. He would be living his life blissfully unaware of the worst of the world has to offer. His family will be alive, and he won’t feel so alone.

“You’re here, aren’t you,” Mespirt pointed out, giving her companions a look. “Despite your circumstances, you are here.”

“Although reluctantly, you are fulfilling the duties that come with it,” Azelf added, his tone neutral. “What you are doing now is ensuring the world comes out with fewer casualties, heartache, and destructions than if you remain uninvolved."

Yes, he did change Mewtwo’s view on humanity. Now, thousands of people don’t have to witness their friends and family be slaughtered in cold blood like he does. Yes, he prevented Lugia’s and the bird trio’s deaths, meaning Kanto and the Orange Islands didn’t have a climate crisis. That means millions of people didn’t die from starvation, storms, or riots. That was only a fraction of what he had done during his time in the past. However, the world could still crumble around him if he doesn’t stop. 

That was a bitter pill to swallow, and Ash suddenly wished he could trick himself into believing he could handle everything thrown at him. 

“Wait a second,” Ash said, realizing what Mesprit had said. “What do you mean when you say ‘you are here’ and ‘despite your circumstances’?”

No, it can’t be that they know. Mesprit used an odd choice of words to describe his situation. It almost sounds like they…

“I can read through one’s memories,” Uxie revealed as Ash’s heart sank. “I haven’t seen all of your memories, but I know you were sent here from the future by three uncorrupted Gods.” 

“Like I said, despite your circumstances, you are here,” Mesprit continued. “For reasons unknown to us, it’s decided that someone from the future will be this era’s Chosen One.”

“No matter how much you try to deny it, everything that the prophecies state will come to fruition,” Azelf stated as if it were a fact. “Even if the world initially fell into ruin, you came from a doomed future to ensure the doomed future never comes to be.”

“Either by external forces or their own decisions, twelve more will fulfill their roles,” Uxie continued. “And you, Ash, will play your role as the world’s savior whether you like it or not.”

The worst part, they are serious. They know he won’t stay idle after forming many meaningful connections with people and his Pokemon. Even at the cost of his existence, Ash knows he will need to stop his future from happening. 

“But I can try to make sure others won’t get involved,” Ash bitterly laughed, staring directly at each one. “I can make sure no one else receives a blessing from one of you or another deity who wants to participate in the prophecy.”

“Well then, we wish you luck in your pointless endeavors,” Mesprit sighed, shaking her head. “But know that you will be wasting your energy. 

“You humans always seem to confuse me,” Azelf mentioned, curious about the boy. “You and your partner are okay with your inevitable death, but allowing others to accept blessings that allow them to go beyond human’s capabilities is where you draw the line.”

“It’s a curse,” Ash retorted.

“On the other day, we will give you our blessings,” Uxie stated, shifting topics.

“I don’t want it,” Ash declared, anger laced in his voice.

“Yet you accepted the Sea Prince’s blessing and the blessing of the last Forest Guardian of your era,” Mesprit pointed out, appearing a little too happy. 

A part of him wants to ask what blessings Pink and Manaphy granted him. However, he could no longer stand in the same vicinity as the Lake Trio. On another day, he will be in a clearer state of mind to ask what blessings Pink and Manaphy granted him. 

“You don’t have a choice,” Azelf bluntly commented. “But we will allow you to refuse your blessings for today.”

Reminded of the chant about the Chosen One, Ash collapsed on the ground and began to weep. It wasn’t fair! None of this is fair! Why must he meet the demands of destiny and fate? Why must he be forced to sacrifice his mind, body, soul, and life to stop the world’s endless strife?

He cried in frustration as the Lake guardian left for who knows how long. He went to firmly hug Pikachu close to his chest, whispering apologies for dragging Pikachu into this clusterfuck. Knowing there was nothing he could do and say to make Ash feel better, Pikachu snuggled close to Ash’s chest. 

Together, they cried about their past, present, and future burdens. Still, as long they are together, they will support each other. Even when their time runs out, they will be together until their final moments.  

Chapter Text

Lying and acting are delicate arts Ash hates with a burning passion. It feeds the guilt eating him up from the insides and fueling the lingering feelings of confusion that suffocate him. Sometimes, his mask slips and others can catch a glimpse of his true feelings. Whoever is lucky enough to sneak a peak can see what he’s truly capable of, which scares him. He doesn’t know why it scares him, but he dislikes the feeling of fear very much. 

“Hey, Brock, I usually don’t question you, but why are you letting Dawn drag me around like a rag doll,” Ash asked, looking over his shoulder to give Brock an unimpressed look. “Pikachu and I need to train!”

“You and Pikachu have been training a week straight,” Brock pointed out, unfazed by Ash’s reactions. “Dawn decides to take the initiative to help you relax after growing tired of seeing you resemble a walking corpse.”

His eyes met Brock’s as the older trainer narrowed his eyes, almost daring Ash to say something. To say what, he didn’t know. All he could pick up from Brock’s reactions was that the older trainer must suspect something had happened but knew the truth could not be forced out. Considering how he hides the truth like a magician hides their secrets, their actions are sweet and thoughtful. Still, he preferred to be training with Pikachu so they could prove to the Lake deities that he was strong enough to do everything alone. 

“Brock thought a trip to the amusement park would be a bad idea,” Dawn explained, oblivious to what was happening behind her. “He said it’s too soon to take you somewhere that resembles the death spiral you experienced when you rode Rayquaza.”

Ash glares at his friend, mostly out of annoyance that Brock is right and how well his friend seems to know him. Brock shrugged, and there was no trace of guilt on the older trainer’s expression. If Ash had to pick words to describe his friend, it would have been unbothered and patient because Brock seemed to be taking the glares and annoyances without issues. 

A part of him thinks Brock is playing a painfully long waiting game.  The older trainer detected the lies spewing out but continued to act as his usual self.

“It was a gamble, but I think you are going to love it,” Dawn happily stated, tugging Ash’s wrist harder. “I know how much you and Pikachu love food, so I got us a spot for a food-tasting event nearby!”

Okay, so it wasn’t only Brock who keenly noticed his interests. It makes sense she was observant, considering she’s a coordinator and Platiumn’s ancestor. For an average person in this era, that’s great. For someone like him? That throws a wrench into his plans! They are top-toeing around him, knowing he won’t outright say what’s wrong. That’s a problem because he knows that if they learn about the prophecy the lake deities had told him, his friends will accept their prophesized roles. If it means removing the burden he carries, they will carry part of it without hesitation. That can never happen. 

“Food-tasting,” Ash asked in confusion, his gaze back toward Dawn. “What is that? Do you eat food?”

“You’re kidding, right,” Dawn questioned, stopping dead at her track. She turns around and blinks at Brock in disbelief. “Brock, you never took Ash to a food-tasting event despite knowing Ash’s love of food?”

“In his defense, Brock is a great cook,” Ash commented, looking between Dawn and Brock. “So we never even thought of going out of our way to eat out.”

“Still,” Dawn continued, acting like Brock committed a severe crime. “It’s okay to take a break from cooking and have someone else make it for you.”

“Are you saying my food is awful,” Brock jokingly mentioned, lips tugging outward. “I’m truly hurt, Dawn.  I really am.”

Ash stood at his spot as he made some dramatic ooo noises, which seemed to amuse Brock and earn him a brief, mock betrayed look from Dawn. After some playful banter, they eventually return to walking to their destination. As it turns out, the food tasting was conducted outdoors, and all the food tables were underneath tents. 

“After this, we’re going to a music and meditation event to help you learn to relax,” Dawn smiled, holding a poster about the event. “It’s good for us to learn how to relax, considering the crazy stuff we get ourselves into.”
Fuck. Ash dislikes the idea of attending an event where he meditates, but the proud look on Dawn’s face convinces him to keep his thoughts to himself. She put a lot of work into planning the day, and he doesn’t have the heart to tell her how much he doesn’t want to go to the event. It didn’t help how his friends’ faces were replaced for just one moment with Gravel’s and Platiumn’s faces. 

Wincing at the taste of the tart taste of an unripe berry, Ash resisted the urge to spit out the food out of his mouth. Beside him, Storm covered her mouth with her hands to stop herself from spitting out the berry. Ruby and Sapphire dared each other to eat the tart berries to force themselves to consume more. Ivy, who can eat almost anything, ate the tart berries like regular, delicious-tasting berries. Platinum and Diamond claimed not to be hungry, but their stomach growled loudly. Still, they insisted they could wait until Gravel and Haze were done. Pearl was swallowing his berries, not even chewing them. 

“Gravel, when is the syrup be down,” Ruby complained, holding a berry between his fingertips. “I don’t think I could eat another berry!”

Gravel, whose attention was on the pot was stirring, looked at the group. On the other hand, Haze continues to stare at the fire. The redhead’s job was to ensure the fire didn’t get too big and that just enough materials were added to fuel the flames. 

“It takes a while,” Gravel sighed, exasperated. “Just wait or eat the unripe berries.”

“Be lucky it’s not tree bark or grass we’re eating,” Haze added, eyes not leaving the fire. 

Sapphire gagged. “Yuck! I forgot we used to eat tree bark!”

“Beggers can’t be chooser,” Ivy chimed in, eating another berry. “Besides, we haven’t eaten much of those since Ash joined the group.” 

“It’s no big deal,” Ash said, flustered by all the attention he was getting. 
“It is,” Gravel stated, his tone gentle and warm. “You need to give yourself more credit, Ash.”

Gravel focused all his attention on watching and stirring the pot, ensuring the syrup wouldn’t be ruined. That left Ash the center of everyone’s attention, making his cheeks turn red as his eyes dart to face the ground. Ash wonders if this was on purpose or coincidental on Gravel’s part. 

“I wish I could be as cool as you,” Storm commented, her words genuine. 

“It’s really nothing,” Ash insisted, struggling to accept the praises.

“You taught us how to forge different kinds of edible seeds, nuts, roots, and mushrooms, Diamond pointed out, acting like it was one of the best things ever. “Oh, and don’t forget how some flowers and leaves could be edible!”

“Too bad we can’t eat them today,” Pearl continued, briefly looking at where they store their supplies. “We need to eat the berries, or else they will go bad.” 
 
“At least it fell onto a syrup-making day,” Plaitumn mentioned, looking at the pot Gravel was stirring like the world’s greatest gift. “Or else we would struggle to eat all these berries.”

If Ash were given an opportunity to speak to Gravel’s ancestors for one minute, he would thank them for passing on the ability to make syrup and cook delicious food out of random ingredients. Here is Gravel telling everyone how much he appreciates someone like him for his forging skills! However, Ash thinks Gravel should be getting credit and praise for his cooking skills!

“It’s a gift we have such a great cook and forager,” Ivy commented as Storm nodded in agreement. 

“It truly is,” Platinum agreed. 

Ash was then dragged into a hug initiation by Sapphire, which became a giant group hug from everyone except Gravel and Haze. Still, he caught a glimpse of them smiling. 

Ash stops dead at his track, his fingers inches away from grabbing the door handle. He took a minute to step outside and get some fresh air. Never could he expect the three deities to visit him. Haven’t they caused him enough internal turmoil already?  Mesprit must know how her and her companions’ presence negatively impacts him. 

“Such thoughtful friends you have,” Azelf spoke behind him, his tone carefully neutral. “They noticed your distress and took action to find a solution.”

“Whose fault is that,” Ash snapped, refusing to look at them. “You told me everything I don’t want to hear, imply you will force me to receive blessings, and try to drag my friends into this clusterfuck!”

“We do what we must,” Uxie justified, acting as if he had predicted such a reaction. “If we become villains in your eyes, then so be it.”

“It’s difficult for a child to understand,” Mesprit verbalized, uncaring of Ash’s reactions or well-being. “However, children’s limited perspective of reality makes them so interesting to observe.”

The nerve of all of them! They treat him like an innocent, optimistic child who has yet to experience the world’s cruelties! Here the deities are, acting like they know everything and are above someone like him! 

“We took enough of your time, so we will go straight to the point,” Uxie announced. “We have decided to allow your friends to decide on their own to accept the blessing.”

That’s a suspiciously kind thing for the lake deities to do. There must be a catch to it. As much as Ash hates to admit it, the lake deities are painfully intelligent. They are ten steps away and are manipulating everything behind the scenes. 

“Why,” Ash questioned, doubtful that the decision was made based on pure inventions.

“Because we know now they will accept the blessing of their own free will,” Azelf responded, sounding fully confident. “Your friend here and other regions care for you too much. If they know they could carry a fraction of your burden, they will accept anything if it means alleviating a minuscule amount of your responsibilities.”

How…how did Azelf and the rest know about his friends in other regions? Are they communicating with other deities? Who else is involved? Have the three deities waited for him to arrive at Sinnoh to state the beginning phase of their plan?

“They won’t,” Ash remarked, trying to trick himself into believing his words. “They have their own lives to worry about.”

Unfortunately, Ash knows that the lake deities are correct in their assumptions. Today’s events prove it, and Ash hopes he can prevent them from accepting the blessing. For their sake, Ash will do everything he can to keep all of his friends oblivious by refining his acting and lying capabilities. 

Chapter Text

Sometimes, Ash forgets how he was officially Professor Oak’s assistant and how he has been providing information to the professor. Everyone in the scientific community knows about him and what he has contributed. It’s why a handful of scientists want to pay him to help with their research about their region’s local deities. However, it should only be the scientific community who knows about him and no one else.  Absolutely no one else should know about his involvement except for those high up in the league and Interpol.

So, someone tells him how the likes of Team Galatic became aware of his name, assistant title, appearance, and unfortunate run-ins with the world deities!? He only knew the strange, space-themed people surrounding him were from Team Galatic due to Professor Rowen's warnings of the group. The older man gave him a detailed description of the organization’s uniform and underhand tactics used to reach their goals. Examples included coercing people to give up items, create machinery, or give up large amounts of funds.

“You’re the boy credited from the research paper,” a blue-haired teen commented, approaching him.

Pikachu seemed to be on guard, ready for the perfect opportunity to attack. Ash shook his head when sparks were emitting from Pikachu’s cheeks, signaling the Pokemon to stay put. Pikachu seems upset until Ash darts his eyes to motion to the many grunts surrounding him. His partner needs to understand how there are simply too many people to handle on their own, and the Pokemon he caught in Sinnoh is too inexperienced to defend themselves against a group of this size. 

Getting the message, Pikachu stayed on his shoulder and glared at the blue-haired teen. It’s painful for both of them to stand idle and wait to see how things play out. 

“How would you know that,” Ash questioned, knowing it was pointless to play dumb. “You don’t look like one of Professor Oak’s colleagues.”

The blue-haired teen got dangerously close, looking him up and down when he noticed how short the trainer was. Ash knew better than to step back or show any signs of weakness. He must act confident and unfazed by the ambush despite feeling the opposite. At the same time, he needs to buy time to formulate a plan to get out of this bind. 

“You’re a runt,” the blue-haired man scowled, and for a moment, he doubted he had found the correct person. “I would have thought this was a trick to deceive Team Galactic if I did not have a photo.”

The teen took out a photo and showed it to Ash. Ash’s face paled when he saw his face staring back at him. How past technology could capture a person’s face and appearance is scary. There is no chance of error compared to the sketches people of his era used. 

“What is the purpose of ambushing me,” Ash questioned, staring at the teen when the photo was no longer in front of him. 

“You will be coming with us,” the teen stated, motioning for a grunt to come closer. “Your talents will be better serve for Team Galatic’s goals.”

No, it wouldn’t, but Ash knew he needed to shut his mouth. Even when a grunt grabs both of his wrists and handcuffs his arms, he continues to remain silent. If that wasn’t bad enough, Ash felt something poking at the back of his head. Not wanting the temp or the person behind him to do who knows what, Ash reluctantly chooses to obey the blue-haired teen's orders. 

He was told to walk, so Ash walked. Pikachu occasionally growled but stopped when the person behind him hardly jabbed the item on the back of his head. Usually, that would keep Pikachu silent and cooperative.

“Your name is mentioned alongside recent information about the Lake Guardians,” the blue-haired teen said, glancing at the trainer behind him. “Why would Pokemon of their caliber choose to associate with someone like you? I do not know.” 

A cold chill runs down Ash spins, and he’s hit with the realization that Team Galatic must have stumble or stolen a Sinnohian scientist's notes. He has been sending information about the Lake deities to Professor Rowen, much to the trio's displeasure. Additionally, he knows how Professor Rowen sent the date to his colleagues for peer review and other reasons he didn’t understand. 

Choosing not to respond, he decides to remain silent. The walk to a helicopter stretches on for what feels like an eternity, but Ash assumes it has only been a few minutes. The blue-haired teen grabbed him by the collar of his shit, dragging him to the helicopter.

He felt absolutely sick. He swallowed the lump in his throat, not wanting to give the blue-haired teen any reason to get progressively violet. Even in this era, some people want to use him for their purposes. First, it was the settlement, and now it was a criminal organization.

“Saturn, watch out,” a grunt called out.

The following things happened too fast as everything escalated ten-fold. A Shadow Ball flew past him, inches away from his face. It would have hit the blue-haired teen, Saturn, if the teen hadn’t narrowly avoided by jumping out of the way.

Turning his face to see the source of the Shadow Ball, he sees something that had haunted him in his nightmares. Levitating from a distance was an all too familiar Pokemon, enveloped in psychic energy. Mewtwo looked enraged, giving off the most intimating aura Ash had ever felt in a long time. 

If Ash wasn’t lost in his memories of his family’s and friends’ deaths, he would have noticed how Mewtwo’s fury was directly focused on Team Galatic, not him. The rage rising inside the artificial Pokemon was due to a group of humans threatening to harm the boy who taught him that not all humans are evil and corrupt.  

But all Ash saw was the Mewtwo who slaughtered his family and friends. 

Sitting on a chair, Ash huffs as the agen across from him continues to ask the same repetitive questions.  This situation would have been a lot more bearable if it hadn’t been for Mewtow hovering over him, acting unusually out of character. He has many mixed feelings toward the Pokemon, considering that the Pokemon had slaughtered so many without remorse in his era. However, the family’s murder has got him out of a challenging situation.

Why did Sinnoh have ten times more the mental distress compared to the other regions?

“How many times do I have to tell you, Looker,” Ash groaned in annoyance, appearing absolutely done. “I didn’t know how Saturn and a few of the grunts managed to escape! I was too busy trying to escape with Pikachu and Mewtwo. We didn’t notice the helicopter departing until it was too late.” 

The events that had transpired were a big blur, probably because he was several feet from Mewtwo. A thick fog clouded his mind at the time, numbing his senses for some time. He doesn’t recall what he did, but he knows he at least pleaded for Mewtwo not to do more than injure the grunts before he entered the muddled mindscape that was his mind. 

“That will be enough,” Looker sighed, finishing up writing down his notes. “We will add attempted kidnapping and assault to their growing list of charges. Potentially theft if we could gather evidence of how they stole a professor’s documents.”

“Maybe get some evidence with potential poaching of the lake deities,” Ash suggested, recalling how Saturn mentioned the trio. “Saturn did mention them by name and something about using me as hostage to lure them.”

A very blurry and muffled recollection, but he’s sure it happened. It was around the same time the blue-haired teen tried to shove him into the helicopter before being shocked by Pikachu.

“Excuse me,” Looker quickly responded. “Saturn said what?”

“Use me as a hostage to lure Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie,” Ash repeated, giving the agent an odd look. “Didn’t you hear the first time?” 

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier,” Looker asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You didn’t ask,” Ash answered, acting as if it was obvious. 

From the corner of his eye, Ash sees Mewtwo looking amused. The artificial Pokemon is not alone in his amusement; Pikachu also looks amused. Ash wishes he understood what the two of them find so entertaining. 

“I will be asking you a few more questions,” Looker insisted, exhaustion clear in his voice. 

“No,” Ash whined, dragging out the word. “Brock and Dawn are waiting for me in the Pokemon Center. I have dozens of text messages from them asking when I will be done with the questioning!”

Pikachu remains at his spot, shocked to see Ash acting like a kid from this era. Complain, sure. Ash does that often. Whine, on the other hand, is something Ash rarely does. In fact, the Pokemon is struggling to recall when he heard Ash whine. 

“I will give you twenty minutes to text your friends about the change of circumstance,” Looker offered, hiding his true intentions of how desperately he wanted a break. “Will resume with the questioning after your break.”

Ash quickly pulled out his phone and updated his friends about his situation. He promptly got invited to a group chat consisting of Dawn and Brock, titled the Sinnoh gang. There, Dawn sent him random, cute pictures of Pokemon.

It was a pathetic attempt to alleviate his fears, but Ash took a selfie of himself, Pikachu, and Mewtwo before sending it to the group chat. Seconds later, Brock messaged him to ask why Mewtwo was there and if he was involved in whatever trouble Ash had yet to explain to the gang.

“I’ll explain everything to them tomorrow,” Ash shrugged as his phone vibrated. 

Maybe Mewtwo will grow bored after the questioning and leave. That would be great for his fragile mind because he couldn’t handle anything else for the next day or two. Perhaps he needs an extra long nap and a lot of food. Yeah, that would be nice. 

Chapter Text

The universe is a cruel, fucking joke that loves to laugh at his expense. No matter where he goes or what he does, Ash has to deal with painful reminders of his past that continue to haunt him in his sleep and bring a sudden sense of dread at the most random moments. 

“Mewtwo likes to visit on occasion,” Brock explained, watching Mewtwo ascend to the skies. “Ash saved him from Team Rocket.”

“Oh, that’s why Mewtwo seems to like Ash so much,” Dawn said, turning to face Ash. “He was hovering over you and making sure you were taken care of.”

Ash said nothing, smiling tiredly in response to Dawn’s words. It’s best that he acted as if he was simply tired from his near kidnapping and questioning for now. If he is to speak one word, he fears the sparks of anger lingering inside him will come out. He’s not going to make the mistake of underestimating his friends’ ability to pick up on the little things and form theories that are treading dangerously close to the truth. All it takes is a few words and moments of emotional intensity to come up with another conclusion that will lead them to the eventual truth.

“Speaking of hovering, Ash, I heard you were required to have a legal guardian,” Brock mentioned, shifting topics. 

Ash groaned, putting his head in his hands. Why did Brock have to remind him that he was legally obligated to have a legal guardian if he traveled outside Kanto and Johto? It seems everyone ignores his emancipated status because he’s not in his supposed home region. 

The joke's on them. Ash doesn’t even know his origins, and it will be impossible for Looker to find any information about him. Thankfully, Oak is on board with feeding Interpol false information about his past. However, Oak didn’t account for how much of a soft spot the higher-ups in Interpol had for the classic aboard child who grew up alone until one day stumbling into a town story.

“Can’t believe you have a detective as your legal guardian,” Dawn chuckled, noticing the mocked, betrayed look Ash shot her. “What? You have to appreciate the irony of having a guy who specializes in investigations as the legal guardian of someone with loads of secrets.”

Out of pettiness or impulsivity, Ash doesn’t know; he swipes the muffin from Dawn’s hand and eats it. He scarfs down the entire muffin in less than one minute, all while making direct eye contact with Dawn. Brock seems surprised by his reaction, while Dawn is too stunned to mention anything. After he finished the muffin, they snapped out of it. 

“You know what, it was worth it,” Dawn commented as she gets over Ash’s actions. “ I couldn’t resist the opportunity to poke fun at your situation.”

“Can’t believe I have a detective as a legal guardian,” Ash sighed, trying to get used to having a legal guardian. “I was doing perfectly fine on my own!”

“Blame the bureaucracies,” Brock stated, attempting to improve Ash’s mood. “ Most regions won’t allow emancipation unless the kid is sixteen years old. You, Ash, somehow found a legal loophole to be emancipated at age ten.”

Technically, Oak found the legal loophole to allow him to be emancipated. Ash simply followed the professor's strict instructions when he had to go to court to be legally emancipated in Kanto and Johto. It probably has to do with the two regions being sister regions. He doesn’t know enough about this era to explain his emancipated status confidently. 

“And now I’m stuck reporting to the local police department of every town I enter,” Ash complained, disliking the added responsibility in his place. “Also, who does Looker think he is? He and Interpol are treating me as if I can’t take care of myself!”

From the corner of his eye, Ash caught a glimpse of Brock, who gave him a knowing look. He tries to pretend he didn’t see how Brock's gaze tells Ash he’s wrong. Out of everyone, Brock seems to be the most worried for him. Ash doesn’t know what he did to deserve such worry or unconditional support from someone, but he can appreciate it on occasion. Right now is not such an occasion.

“Ash, you’re not even twelve,” Dawn mentioned gently and carefully, not to set Ash off. “I sometimes don’t know if you realize that.”

“I am twelve,” Ash quickly corrected, acting as if it would improve things.

Ash knows what their friends are thinking of. They treat him as if he is some little kid who is stumbling his way through this game called life. In a way, he is. However, he has survived independently for years and has made it so far with all his limbs attached. He doesn’t need the same type of support as other people his age. He took care of himself when he was alone or in the settlement. Not once did he stoop so low as to ask for help from anyone after everyone from the orphan group died.

“You’re twelve,” Brock asked abruptly, obviously surprised. “I missed your Birthday again?”

“Yes,” Ash responds without a hint of hesitation or guilt. “It seems you’ll have to guess my birthday again next year!”

Back in Kanto, Misty and Brock had repeatedly asked him about his birthday. Not knowing how to respond, he panicked and told them he wanted them to guess his birthday. It was a cruel thing to do, especially since no one really had a birthday in his era. If one is born in spring, like him, they would be a year older when summer, fall, and winter pass. Personally, he doesn’t know what the big deal of celebrating one’s birth is, but that’s not a mindset other people in the past seem to believe. 

“Ash,” Dawn shouted, sounding scandalized. “That’s a very evil thing to do to your friends!” 

“At this point, Misty will throw a birthday party for you when you least expect it,” Brock said, unfazed by Ash’s unimpressed look. 

Oh no, that sounds exhausting. He doesn’t have the time or energy for a surprise party. 

“I would prefer if she doesn’t,” Ash admitted, awkwardly chuckling. “Can you convince her not to?”

“I know better than to stop Misty,” Brock said, dismissing Ash’s plea. 

Pikachu, sensing Ash’s dread, gave the trainer a consoling pat on the back.

Oak did wonder how long it would have taken for someone to notice Ash’s emancipated status. Expectedly, someone was bound to question why a child under thirteen lives independently. What he couldn’t predict was Interpol getting themselves involved or Team Galactic’s attempt to kidnap the poor child. 

“Ash is an interesting young lad,” Oak explained, sipping his tea. “Spend an hour with the boy; you will notice he’s different from most kids.

Looker caught him at a bad time, but it was better to have this conversation now rather than later. Ash may insist he doesn’t need assistance from others, but Oak knows that is far from the truth. If anything else, Ash should receive financial support and someone to check on him to ensure the boy’s basic needs are met. 

“Why did you let a minor without any records be registered as a trainer,” Looker questioned, keeping his frustration at bay.

“Kids like in Ash’s circumstances are less likely to transition successfully into adulthood,” Oak explained as he scanned his data from today’s study. “If I could help it, I would like to avoid Ash falling through the cracks.”

“What are his circumstances,” Looker asked, borderline demanding. 
 
“I don’t know the full story myself,” Oak admitted, continuing to look at his research. “But he had been failed by so many adults.”

Oak is not going to break the boy’s fragile trust in him. Who is he to spill Ash’s secrets to someone the child views as a stranger? He’ll give a mixture of misleading and truthful information but nothing more. 

“Failed by adults,” Looker repeated, inviting Oak to provide more details.

It’s the unfortunate truth. Ash’s painfully low self-esteem and the lack of value in his life didn’t come out of nowhere. Most likely, it stemmed from the settlement Ash had told him about. The adults and surviving deities should have supported the boy, but instead, they treated the child like an abomination. 

“Arrange some time in your busy schedule to spend time with the boy,” Oak suggested, taking another sip of the tea. “If you are as smart as your superior claims to be, you will see the signs.”

Oak knows Ash is strong, much stronger than everyone will ever know. However, at the end of the day, Ash is simply a child. If Interpol wants to appoint an agent as Ash’s legal guardian, that’s fine by him. The boy could use any support and connections he can get, considering the burden the child is forced to take.

Chapter Text

When Ash woke up, he immediately sat up, gasping for air. He placed a hand on his heart as if it would help him with the oxygen his lungs desperately craved. His mind screamed to inhale as much air as possible because he didn’t know if this was the last time he could breathe properly. Making the feeling of impending doom much more realistic, his body felt like the lava had dosed it. 

“Ash,” a voice calls out to him.

His heart is beating fast, too fast for his taste. He clutches the hand on his heart as if he could physically grab ahold of the organ. Something he needs to do something to stop this feeling. It’s as if someone placed a restrictive collar on his neck, tightening it around it to near suffocation. 

Unaware of his own actions, the hand not on his chest reached toward his neck. His trembling fingers clawed his neck, attempting to remove something that only existed in his imagination. No matter what, nothing is working. The doom and dread still linger, and he can’t do anything to escape it. 

Suddenly, his body felt a shocking, stinging sensation out of nowhere. It took a moment for him to register what had happened. Blinking his eyes, he sees himself in a white, sterile hospital room.  Huh, he thought he was still on the Time-Space tower with Dawn, attempting to get the Space and Time deities to stop their fighting. 

Ash thought he was dying because he had failed to save Alamos Town from disappearing to who knows where. Another dimension? Space? Ash doesn’t know. What he can tell is that the more the town disappeared, the harder it became for everyone to breathe.  Those with breathing problems, Brock calls them people with underlying issues, were collapsing onto the floor. 

“It's not the preferred method to get someone out of a panic attack, but I appreciate it, Pikachu,” a voice commented as Ash realized it was Brock. 

Blinking, Ash’s vision was bright and clear. He could see Brock standing, looking concerned and worried. Pikachu was on top of the bed, on the verge of tears. It didn’t take long for the Pokemon to rush toward him, crashing into his chest. Feeling relief, Ash hugged his Pokemon tightly as Pikachu cooed in joy. His partner! He’s so happy to have Pikachu in his arms to cuddle and show affection.

“Pikachu, be careful around Ash,” Brock warned, watching the pair interact. “Ash is recovering, and the doctors need to monitor him for potential brain damage.”

Lost in his joy, Ash almost missed what Brock had said. It took moments to process what Brock had said fully, but when it did, Ash slowly turned his head in Brock’s direction. 

“Brain damage,” Ash repeated, struggling to wrap his mind around the implications of Brock’s words. “What do you mean by that?”

Brock pauses to gauge whether Ash can handle this conservation. It’s difficult for the older trainer to decide whether to speak about it now or later. As the silence lingers between them, Ash becomes impatient with the lack of response. The younger trainer was about to dismiss everything, but Brock spoke.

“Let’s start by explaining what happened to everyone on the ground,” Brock stated, noticing Ash’s dwindling patience. “ First, from what I’m told, Alamos Town was transported somewhere in space. Under normal circumstances, we would have died immediately, but due to Palkia’s and Dialga’s fight interfering with basic principles of space, Alamos Town was not completely depleted of oxygen.”

Okay, the reduced amount of oxygen could explain why everyone struggled to breathe when the Space Deity brought its fight with Dialga to Alamos town. Only those who were fit and healthy could move, while the rest of the population struggled to move and breathe. 

“As more of Alamos Town disappeared, the harder it became for everyone to breathe,” Brock continued, pausing to take several deep breaths. Although everything had returned to normal, Brock’s mind occasionally told him to take a deep breath when he remembered the events that transpired at Alamos Town. “Everyone, including Pokemon, was deprived of oxygen.”

The phantom sensation of drowning in the cold, merciless water came back to him, which almost made him spiral down to another panic attack. As if Pikachu can predict an upcoming panic attack, Pikachu squeezes Ash’s fingers and makes a noise of reassurance. Fortunately, it was what Ash needed to stay grounded in the present. He’s so lucky to have a partner like Pikachu.

“How does this connect to me having brain damage,” Ash asked, wanting Brock to get to the point. 

Wait, Dawn was with him when they climbed up the stairs together. He vaguely recollects that they were the ones who ascended the flight the stairs with trembling limbs, struggling to remain focused. They managed to reach the top of the tower, locate the tower’s music machine, and place the Oracion’s music disk in it. He thinks Dawn notices something strange about the music machine needing power, but that’s where his memories get incredibly hazy. Actually, now that he thinks about it, there are spots in his memories that are blank. 

“Severe oxygen deprivation can lead to brain damage in severe cases,” Brock explained, noticing Ash’s confused expression. “What I’m trying to say is that you and Dawn experience a severe lack of oxygen because of the high altitude, extremely strenuous movement, and the depleting amount of oxygen.”

If Ash hadn’t known Brock for over three regions, he would have missed the fear in his friend’s voice. Maybe Brock hadn’t noticed, but Ash had. When the fear came and left, he didn’t miss the haunted look in the older trainer’s eyes. Wherever it happened, it had disturbed Brock. 

This had never happened. Actually, it should not have happened. Brock has always been the steady presence that helps from the sidelines, away from the danger involved in disasters. Ash made sure Brock or any of his friends didn’t get too heavily involved because he didn’t want them to suffer. 

“Do you know what happened,” Ash asked, slightly scared to learn the truth. “We’re still here, so it can’t be too bad.”

For the first time, Ash notes how hesitant Brock seems to speak his mind. Brock, who usually speaks his mind, seems reluctant to share what happened.  

What happened, and why couldn’t he remember it clearly?

“You lost touch with reality,” Brock quietly told the younger trainer, giving Ash a concerned look. “We found you struggling  to walk, carrying Dawn in your arms.”

Ash doesn’t remember that. No matter how hard he forces his mind to recall the events, it becomes blank.

“Palkia and Diagla had left, but you kept on screaming about how they were going to kill you,” Brock continued, carefully watching Ash’s reactions. “When anyone tried to get near you, you would scream how we were illusions out to lower your guard. Despite being exhausted and on the verge of passing out, you bite and snarl at anyone approaching you.”

A part of him wanted to accuse his friend of lying. There was no way he would have lost his mind so easily, especially after what he had gone through. However, deep down, he knew Brock was telling the truth. If there are deities that would cause an extreme reaction, it would be those two deities. 

“I’m not going to pry, but you were shouting how you will not let any more of your friends die,” Brock revealed, his voice calm and nonjudgemental. “Dawn was unconscious in your arms with Pikachu, Piplup, and Pachirisu on top of her, also unconscious.”

Not knowing how to react, Ash put his head in his hands. How could he be so weak to allow one life-threatening event to trigger such a crazy reaction? Arguably, he survived worse and didn’t have such a reaction to them. He lost his friends and family. He had been in the same vicinity as his family’s killer, Latias, Victini, and Mew. He had experienced people treating him like a monster. So why? Why did he have such a reaction now?

“Someone had to stealthily use their Pokemon to knock you out with a Sleep Powder,” Brock continued, trying his best to keep everything simple. “No one liked it, but you and everyone else needed medical attention. We can’t risk you or Dawn sustaining any more injuries, especially when you and Dawn are suffering the most.”

Oh, so that's how he was in the hospital bed. However, if he was here, then where was Dawn?

“Dawn has woken up and is being checked by a doctor,” Brock mentioned as if he read Ash’s thoughts. “However, due to your episode, the doctor wanted to keep you in a separate room in case you have another episode. They would also like to evaluate you for mental illness associated with psychosis despite your age.”

Great. Everyone thinks he's crazy and a threat to the public. How could this get any more embarrassing?”

“Your legal guardian has been contacted,” Brock added, handing Ash a pillow.”He will need to sign the paperwork to let you out electronically.”

Ash accepted the pillow and screamed into it. 

Ash jolted from his sleep when he sensed a powerful presence in the room. It was a familiar presence, and he would have been an idiot if he was to forget it too soon. Turning his head to the corner of the hospital room, he sees a familiar shadow of the Pokemon who risked his life for everyone. 

“Darkrai,” Ash smiled genuinely, relieved that the Pokemon was alive. “I’m happy you’re alive!”

Darkrai approached closer until he was a few away from the hospital bed. Pikachu, who awakes because of Ash’s actions, smiles at Darkrai. 

“I’m sorry,” Darkrai apologized, giving a slight bow. “I should not put you in the position to stop Diagla’s and Palkia’s fight.” 

Ash stared at Darkrai, mouth agape. A Pokemon, a deity, had apologized to him. A deity whose domain is nightmares had come out of his way to apologize to him! This has never happened in his life, and a part of him wonders if he’s dreaming. Pinching himself, he realizes that he wasn’t dreaming.

“I’m sorry I judged you too quickly,” Ash responded, feeling guilty for labeling Darkrai as an evil Pokemon. “I, out of all people, should have not judged you.”
An outcast repeating the same type of horrible behavior is very ironic. Here Ash is, judging the Pokemon for being someone different and strange when he was once the other end of the judgemental stares of the settlement people. He has no excuse for his behavior, and he has to accept responsibility for his behavior. Even if Darkrai is a deity, the Pokemon is leagues above most other deities he had met in this era—more human, more empathetic, and considerate. 

“Thank you. Most are not kind to the Darkrais,” the Pokemon said, catching Ash’s interest.

“There are more,” Ash inquired, believing Mew and Celebi were the only exceptions. 

“I’m one of several offspring of the Prime,” Darkrai disclosed. “As an offspring, I’m not as powerful as the Prime. I have a fraction of his power and cannot provide blessings.”

Oh, that is something he didn’t know. He doesn’t know how he should feel about this.

“However, I’m not here for a simple conversation,” Darkrai continued, looking apologetic. “Ash, I’m here to inform you about my father’s intentions. In my conscience, I cannot leave you in the dark.”

Oh, Ash has a bad feeling about this. 

“My father will make himself known to you in the future,” Darkrai warned. “It may be months or years before he lets you know of his existence.”

“Why,” Ash asked, wanting to know why such a warning was issued.

“He will make you have nightmares to learn more about your past,” Darkrai revealed. “It’s common knowledge in our circles that you are protecting your companions from us, which I do not fault for a human to do. Knowing this, he would like to see potential candidates for blessing in your nightmares since he knows you won’t be willing to give that information.” 

That’s so underhanded of them! 

“If you are adamant about keeping your companions in the dark, be careful who you befriend,” Darkrai stated as he prepared to depart. “I know he will look for a candidate who is easily manipulated and puts the life of a loved one above their own. If you befriend someone like that, know he will target them.”

With that, Darkrai left, leaving Ash alone with his thoughts. 

Chapter Text

From Brock’s perspective, Ash is someone shrouded in mystery, and the longer he’s with Ash, the more questions he has about Ash’s past. 

At first glance, Ash appears to be another ordinary trainer in a sea of trainers with similar dreams and aspirations. What begins to separate the trainer is the limitless compassion, kindness, and humility the trainer possesses. It’s rarely seen in this unpredictable world of reality because everyone else only focuses on their self-interest. 

The next thing that separates Ash from the rest, including himself, is the different feelings that flash through his friend’s eyes. Some days, Ash’s eyes plead for something, but Brock doesn’t know what his friend would be pleading for. It’s hard to help Ash if the trainer doesn’t use his words to ask for help. On other days, Ash would go through the day with tired, blank eyes as if he were exhausted. He would act as if he were fine, but at this point, Brock knows that Ash would be lying through his teeth and adopts a carefree attitude to reassure him. 

It doesn’t work anymore, and at random moments during their travel, he will see a glint of sadness in Ash’s eyes before the trainer gives him a cheery smile.  Obviously, this always bothers him the most because he knows something is hurting the trainer, but his friend refuses to vocalize the truth.  Even after being discharged from the hospital for having a mental breakdown, Ash refuses to disclose one detail of what may have possibly triggered it.

It’s simultaneously frustrating and heartbreaking to witness because, for now, he’s as helpful as an audience watching a main character in a play slowly unfold and break apart. 

“You sure you don’t want to take it easy,” Dawn carefully asked, glancing at Ash. “No one would blame you if you want to spend several days relaxing.”

As expected, Ash put up an act and smiled. “No, I want to go to the next gym and battle! Maybe we can pick berries if we stumble into berry patches.”

“Berries,” Dawn repeated. She then decided to roll with it and continued. “Why berry patches?”

“I’m craving some berries covered in maple syrup,” Ash revealed, and this time, the smile on his face is authentic. “Pikachu and I used to eat those all the time! You would put maple syrup in a pot and cook the berries in it!”

Pikachu hums in agreement, his mouth salivating at the thought of eating such a treat. Brock wonders how long Pikachu and Ash have been together and if they both have demonstrated similar reactions because he doesn’t miss how many similarities they share. Both have similar triggers of happiness, anxiety, and fear that go beyond being a close bond between the trainer and Pokémon.

“Brock, do you know what Ash is talking about,” Dawn inquired, becoming interested in the treat. “It sounds strangely delicious.”

“Please,” Ash jumped in, his words near begging. “It has been a long time since I had it, and I could never make it as good as Gravel and Haze!”

Gravel and Haze. Brock has heard those names once or twice, but they are ingrained into his mind. The younger trainer rarely said who he was friends with in the past, but Brock initially didn’t think too much about it. Then, Alamos Town happened, and Ash shouted disturbing things when he lost touch with reality. He knew Ash’s childhood friends were dead, but now, he had a sinking feeling that Ash watched everyone he loved die with his two eyes. 

What are the series of events that lead a kid to have a mental breakdown? What had happened to Ash’s childhood friends, whom he knows for certain are dead? Who hurt Ash to the point that he has a poor sense of self? How can he help his friend when he continues burying himself in a pile of secrets?

“It’s called a Compote or stewed fruit in simple terms,” Brock explained, almost caught off guard by Ash’s burst of excitement. “The dish originated from medieval times in the Kalos region due to the belief that it can balance one's body.”

He didn’t give Ash a definitive answer, but the younger trainer is practically excited at the thought of eating such a dish.  Seeing this, he knows he will have to make the dish because he rarely sees Ash this excited for something that is not battling. If it’s not battling and Pokémon that bring his friend genuine happiness, it will be food.

“Now, if there were some apples and mushrooms, everything would be perfect,” Ash mentioned, and Brock wished he knew what Ash was thinking at this moment. “Steamed mushrooms and cooked apple slices always go great with the syrupy berries.”

“Huh,” Dawn blinked. “Didn’t know you liked apples and mushrooms so much.”

“Only apples,” Ash corrected as Pikachu nods in agreement. “Mushrooms only taste good if there are other foods to eat it with!”

Ash only reveals things if they don’t put him in a vulnerable position. If forced to share more than surface-level information, his friend has mastered the art of deflecting and redirecting. In fact, Brock knows Ash is doing that, albeit not on purpose this time. It's just another reflex for his friend, but a challenge for others. 

“I can make something with apples if we stumble into an apple tree,” Brock offered, knowing he had made the right choice when Ash’s walk had a slight jump. “Do you have any other suggestions?”

He knows everyone is avoiding the obvious Copperajah in the room, preferring to act like they weren’t traumatized from nearly suffocating to death. No one questions the random spells where one of them pauses and checks their surroundings because they have the phantom feeling of oxygen deprivation. The phantom feelings of his chest constricting on his part, a deeper breath than usual on Dawn’s end, and the moments of disorientation when Ash stands still for too long. 

“Apples with sugar,” Ash happily responded. “Or we can blend the apples together to make juice!” 

Logically speaking, Brock knows he should be taking the first step. He’s the oldest, so he should be the one prompting everyone to speak. It’s unhealthy for them to avoid the subject and repress the memories to the recesses of their minds. If they do, it’s going to bite them back in the future, and they will experience long-term consequences for ignoring unresolved trauma. Just look at Ash. Despite not knowing much about his friend’s past, he knows that the person Ash is today is the product of a problematic past. 

However, he’s just a teen himself. There’s only so much he could do, but for now, he waits. 

Dawn finds it awfully suspicious that no one cares about a group of teens jumping headfirst into danger to save the world. From what she observed, this is a common occurrence for Brock and Ash, but Ash seems to be in the center of everything, while Brock is left behind on the sidelines. 

“This isn’t normal,” Dawn blurted out, helping Brock set up the table. “Not only is Team Galactic after Ash, but you’re telling me there is a prophecy about him being the Chosen One.”

“Unfortunately,” Brock confirmed, setting different small dishes incorporating apples, mushrooms, and berries. “A cursed title disguised as something grand.”

As a little girl, she and her peers would pretend to be a bunch of heroes charging headfirst to defeat a monster. Those were simpler times when the reality of the world hadn’t hit them, and not one drop of innocence was spilled. 

Now, she experiences things that could best be described as nightmares, but unlike nightmares, she actually almost died. She would have never had a chance to fight for her dreams, and she would have left behind her family and friends. 

“Why don’t you do more,” Dawn questioned, her tone dangerously close to accusatory. “If you were with him for this long, why haven’t you done anything?”

She stopped and took several breaths to compose herself. Projecting her anger onto someone else won’t help the situation, and she has to remind herself that Brock is only a few years older than her. What could he do if he’s just a teen like her? 

“You can’t forcibly help someone,” Brock sighed, unbothered by Dawn’s outburst. “There’s not much we can do for someone who doesn't vocalize their need.”

And wasn’t that the truth? Unless Ash takes the first step to spill the burdens he carries to them, they can do little to help him. She may not have known him for long, but Ash quickly became one of her closest friends. He didn’t downplay her interests and was respectful toward her. Unlike Kenny and Leona, he doesn’t call her Dee-dee when she tells him how much she dislikes the nickname.

“He’s supposed to have a guardian, but he hasn’t done much,” Dawn continued, recalling how there was supposed to be a detective acting as Ash’s guardian. “It’s like the world is setting him up to be alone.”

“Looker is his guardian on paper,” Brock explained, continuing when Dawn stared at him. “But that’s only due to Team Galactic's keen interest in Ash. They don’t want him to be kidnapped again, so they pulled some strings to have one of their people be his guardian.”

“Well, that’s stupid,” Dawn complained. “He’s acting like a glorified caseworker at this point.”

“Most likely,” Brock agreed. Dawn was about to open her mouth, but he was quick to speak. “Yes, I know it’s unfair that an agent has guardianship of him because of his Chosen One status. They only want to check in with him and make it easier to accomplish his role, but don’t consider his emotional needs.”

Unfortunately, he’s right. Her friend’s basic needs might be covered, but Ash needs someone like Mom. If it’s not a parent, a therapist, or a professional who can deal with people like Ash. At least she has a Mom to talk to about her troubling experiences, but Ash has no one, it seems.

“I wish we could do something, anything,” Dawn commented, glancing at Brock. “Don’t you too?”

“We can hope,” Brock responds, finishing his tasks. “But I would do anything to alleviate a fraction of his burden.”

For a second, it felt like she was under someone’s intense gaze. She was about to ask Brock if he felt the same way, but it went away as quickly as that feeling came. 

Huh, must be her imagination. Oh well. She needs to find Ash and tell him the food is ready. 

Chapter Text

Standing behind Cynthia, he listened as the champion deciphered the text on one of the walls.

“A foreigner with nothing but his name shall travel through the seas before the waves of calamity hit the sands,” Cynthia started, taking a moment to translate the next part of the prophecy. “Reaching to the sands, the foreigner will meet the natives across the vast land.”

Ash stares at the written text in the ancient language, wondering if this was one of several prophecies the Lake deities were referring to. They mentioned a hero, but the prophecy Cynthia has been reading so far indicates nothing about a hero or the hero’s companions. 

“To keep the sand beneath him untouched by the waves, the foreigner shall alter the winds to help the natives,” Cynthia continued.  “As the foreigner continues to alter the winds, six suns and six moons will trail behind him.”

What is that supposed to mean? How can there be six suns and six moons? Also, how can a regular person change the direction of the wind? Perhaps the guardian of the sea and the serpent, but that’s about it.

“When the final wave threatens to touch the sane, the foreigner will have what he needs to alter the direction of the winds of calamity,” Cynthia finishes, noticing how Ash unconsciously began to step forward. “Ash? Are you alright?”

No, he’s not alright. He’s trying to uncover all the triggers leading to his doomed future, but so far, he has found nothing of use. The answer may be hidden in another prophecy, but he has no patience to stumble into another one. He wants to resolve all conflicts and disasters as quickly as possible so that his friends don’t have to carry a heavy burden. 

Over the past few days, Dawn and Brock mentioned that they had once sensed an intense gaze on them. He thought nothing about it the first time, but after the third time, Ash could have sworn he saw three familiar figures lingering in the background. Unseen by his friends but visible to him. 

His friends think it’s the local Pokémon, but he knows the truth. It’s the Lake Trio, and they are waiting for the opportunity to entrap them to fulfill a specific role. 

“It makes no sense,” Ash stated, tilting his head in confusion. “How can someone alter the winds? Why did the prophecy mention six moons and six suns when there is only one of each?”

Cynthia slightly chuckled, acting as if it were the most amusing thing she had heard all day. Ash wonders why all the champions around him act like this because he’s certain that there are many better people a champion can spend their time with. Even now, he’s surprised Cynthia chooses to explore the ruins with him of his own free will. 

No, he didn’t ask. The champion took one look at him and suggested they check the ruins.  Of course, he was hesitant, but Cynthia reassured him that it wasn’t any trouble for her, and now they were here. 

“Prophecies are often vague and use symbolism to describe the future,” Cythnia explained, stifling another chuckle when Ash pouted. “The six suns and six moons mentioned in the prophecy could be referring to something else.”

“Like what,” Ash inquired, not realizing he was pouting.  

“Who knows,” Cythnia continued, giving some thought to it. “Ah, I remember most cultures associate the sun as masculine and the moon as feminine.”

Ash gave the champion a blank look, not having a single clue what Cynthia was going on about. Why can’t he be as smart as the champion? What does he have to do to reach her level? Unlike him, the woman is poised, talented, and intelligent. 

“If my theory is correct, the prophecy refers to six males and females,” Cynthia clarified, sensing Ash’s confusion. “The suns could represent six males, and the moons could represent six females.”

No, no, no, no, no! The prophecies are beginning to sound like one of the prophecies the Lake Trio had told him. If the foreigner is supposed to represent him, then that would make thirteen people in total." 

“That’s a good theory,” Ash acknowledged, forcing himself to smile. “Please tell me more if you uncover more about this prophecy or discover another one!” 

Because he will need all the advantages he can get, and the more information he gathers, the less the Lake Trio can manipulate him. The friendly Darkrai was blunt about the three deities' intentions to shape him in their own image and manipulate the circumstances in their favor. In fact, Ash would say that the Lake Trio withholds part of the truth for reasons. 

Yeah, that’s probably the case. It’s better for them to have him act like an uninformed puppet that's easy to control and mold than an informed one who actively resists. 

“It's nice to speak to someone so interested in mythology,” Cynthia admitted, her words genuine. “If I could inspire someone to seek knowledge, then I have done my role as a scholar.”

“If you have the time, can you tell me what you know about the Lake Guardians,” Ash asked, putting up an innocent front. “I want to know everything about Sinnoh’s mythologies.”

Referring to the Lake Trio as guardians left a bad taste in his mouth. He never viewed the deities as anything more than flawed beings who are over-glorified and stupidly selfish. There are exceptions, such as Celebi, Manaphy, and that one Darkrai, but everyone else doesn’t deserve such a grand title.

If this world weren’t wearing rose-tinted glasses, he would have openly criticized the world’s deities by now. Unfortunately, everyone views the deities favorably, and he’s left to stew in his hatred for flawed beings.

“The three guardians consist of Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie,” Cynthia revealed, and glanced at another ancient tablet. This time, it depicts three beings with similar characteristics. “Before I explain in detail, be mindful of how Sinnohians are very religious. The Lake Guardians are one of the regions, if not the world’s most respected Gods.”

The world may think that, but he knows how they truly are. The trio are unempathetic, selfish, and entitled because they don’t care about anything but themselves and must make everything go their way. Now, if only the world could view them for what they truly are. 

“Samuel Oak disclosed your dislike toward the Gods,” Cynthia shared as Ash’s cheeks reddened from embarrassment. “You are allowed to have your own beliefs, but know others won’t tolerate it if you’re vocal about your dislike toward any Sinnoh deity.”

From there, Cynthia was quick to shift topics and started explaining the lore of the Lake Trio. Keeping his anger in check was difficult, and he pretended to know very little about the deities. Still, he played the part of an interested child who only wanted to expand his limited knowledge.

First, the champion focuses on Azelf. The deity embodies will and is called “The Being of Willpower.” In the past, people feared it because it was said it could control an individual’s will and enter the individual's body. This is disturbing because if there is anything he hates most in the world, it’s people trying to control him. If that wasn’t bad enough, legend had it that the Pokémon is capable of manipulating the will of others into its own. 

After hearing that bit about Azelf, he doesn’t want to be around it for longer than a few seconds. Suddenly, he has the urge to buy something to swat the Pokémon if Azelf dared get too close to him.  No, he doesn’t care that the deity can give humans the determination to face challenges. Clearly, it wasn’t enough to save the world if he was forced to travel in the past to deal with the past’s issues threatening the world’s peace. 

Next, the woman described Mesprit as a deity that embodies emotions. Expectedly, the Pokémon is referred to as “The Being of Emotions,” but Ash personally views the deity as a being who messes with his emotional states. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if the legend of Mesprit throwing people’s emotions into disarray and draining their emotions was true.  Just look at him. He gets emotional every time she and the others are around him. 

Lastly, Cynthia explained Uxie as a deity who embodies knowledge. As “The Being of Knowledge,” it’s worshipped because it gave humanity the ability to adapt, learn, and solve problems. At first, Uxie doesn’t disturb him too much until Cynthia mentions how Pokémon is heavily associated with memories. What made Uxie disturbing to downright terrifying was the rumor of the deity wiping a person’s memories. 

The next time he sees the deities, he will put a good distance between himself and Uxie because there is no way in hell he will allow Uxie to do anything with his memories. 

“Wow, I learned so much,” Ash commented, maintaining his forced smile. “I didn’t know about their roles and the legends associated with them.

Ash doesn’t think the champion needs to know the truth. He knew what each deity embodied, but not the legends associated with them. However, thanks to Cynthia’s explanation, he knows what the Lake Trio is truly capable of. He’s even more distrustful and weary toward the deities, and nothing could ever change his poor view of the deities. 

“In another time, I’ll share what I know of the creation trio,” Cynthia offered, becoming concerned when she saw how Ash’s face paled. “Ash?”

“Hungry,” Ash lied, struggling to verbalize a simple word.

He has to make his mind remember that he’s fine by biting his inner cheek and repeatedly scratching his pointer finger with his thumb. The champion in front of him is oblivious to everything, guiding him to the exit as she asks if he wants to stop and get some ice cream.

When scratching and biting weren’t enough to keep him sane, he clung to the memories of his parents telling him everything would be fine. Those memories quickly became the mantra he repeated over and over again to keep himself tethered to reality for the rest of the day. 

Chapter Text

When Looker met Ash for the second time, he was hit with the unsettling realization that the boy resembled more a seasoned veteran exposed to the cruelest part of the world. The twelve-year-old boy, if that is even his true age, acts like a typical child. The trainer laughs, socializes, talks, and indulges in his interests. However, Ash isn’t quite a child with everything he’s been through across four regions. A regular child doesn’t get entangled with kidnappings, near-death experiences, and get involved in so many world-ending events. In a fair world, a child wouldn’t have to be exposed to the world's dark corners, where exposure would shatter an innocent child’s idealistic perception. 

But not everyone lives in a fair world, and there are countless victims to prove that point. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, especially when there is a traumatized child sitting across the table, awkwardly picking his food with a fork. He thought the boy would open up to him in a private setting away from others, but Ash simply chose to speak a few words and sentences about surface-level topics. 

The distrust and hesitancy are written clearly in Ash’s eyes whenever he meets the boy’s calculating gaze. It’s not a look he’s familiar with from the people he helped in the past, and definitely not from children. 

“I’m aware the arrangement is set up to monitor your well-being,” Looker acknowledged, maintaining eye contact with the boy. “However, I do not want you to think you can’t contact me outside of our scheduled calls and in-person meetings.”

“I don’t want to trouble anyone,” Ash politely responded, placing his fork to the side. “Interpol only assigned me a guardian because of Team Galactic, nothing more. Thank you for the offer, though.”

The response was polite, but Ash did a poor job of keeping his distrust in check. He doesn’t know if anyone else has picked up this tidbit, but the trainer is clearly wary around adults. Looker noticed how the trainer carefully chose his words as his eyes observed for clues to predict the other individual’s next move.

That begs the question: What could have happened to Ash that made the boy develop a sense of distrust toward adults? It’s not all adults, but a significant number of them. The exceptions to the boy’s weariness are the champions, the professors, and most of his friends' guardians. 
“You won’t be troubling me,” Looker calmly responded, his words genuine. He put his hand up when Ash was about to interrupt him. “Yes, it’s true you became my charge because of Team Galactic’s interest in your connection with the Lake Guardians. However, I do want to get to know you better. You’re a good kid and deserve some stability in your life.”

An untrained mind could have easily missed it, but Looker caught Ash flinching a little when he mentioned the Lake Guardians. The boy’s face briefly paled, almost like he was losing his composure. Then, the boy quickly composed himself as if he didn’t have such a reaction. 

Now, the boy gives him a confused look that gives Lokker a familiar feeling of Deja vu. It reminds him of the children of the world’s notorious criminals who acted so lost at the idea of being treated kindly and warmly by others. Ash was showing signs similar to those of the criminals’ children, which adds more layers to the boy’s past.

It’s unfortunate, but Looker concludes that Ash was hurt by the people who were supposed to care for and protect him. The boy's orphan status may be true, or it could be a lie fabricated to keep himself safe. Nothing can help discern the truth, but what he does know for sure is that adults hurt Ash at some point.

 “Huh,” Ash uttered as his genuine confusion grew. “You won’t tell me what to do or how I’m supposed to act? You’re not going to be those types of people thre-... I mean, trying to change something about me as a person.”

Oh, Arceus, it’s worse than what Looker had initially thought. He didn’t miss the small slip from the trainer, especially not a slip-up like that. He'll keep quiet about his concerns for the boy’s sake and to maintain the minuscule rapport established between them. Besides, he has an opportunity to reassure Ash that he won’t be like the people who hurt and failed the kid in the past.

“No, you’re perfect the way you are,” Looker stated truthfully, his heart aching at seeing a child looking at him as if it was the first time he had heard those words. “Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn’t deserve to have you around. 

The trainer’s Pikachu stared at him with a look he could not decipher. It’s a lot more difficult to read Pokémon than people. However, he could note the glimpse of hope in the Pokémon’s eyes. Looker will take it as a positive.  

“I’m perfect for the way I am,” Ash repeated, struggling to process the information. “I am Perfect. P, E, R, F, E, C, T, perfect.”

 The trainer’s reaction did nothing to ease Looker’s concern. However, it did get Ash to speak up slightly during their meal, which started establishing their rapport. With the combination of time, patience, and increased interactions, Looker hoped he could learn more about the child before him.

Honestly, Ash doesn’t have anything against the champions, Interpol, or any adult with a fancy badge. If Oak vouched for them, he would take the professor’s word because he is the only person he trusts with his secret. Sabrina knows his secret because of Oak and her psychic ability, but that’s not enough to warrant his trust. 

Looker is one of those people he can trust solely because of Oak. He likes to think the agent is a good guy because he is always willing to share his food with others. Few people did that in his era because food was scarce, and the proportions were always pathetically small. Offering someone one’s measly food proportion was an act of genuine kindness to another human being. That is why he likes Brock and anyone who repeatedly gives him food. 

Looker gave him food, which put him on his imaginary good person list. The agent even gave his Pokémon food before he stepped out to answer a phone call. What a busy guy the agent is.

“While it’s not Brock’s cooking, it’s still food,” Ash pointed out, motioning to the food the agent left for them. “Staraptor, Grotle, Buizel, Gliscor, and Monferno, come on out!”

Looking at his Pokémon dig in, Ash saw some similarities between himself and Monferno. Even after several meals together, the fire type seems hesitant to participate in something as simple as eating a delicious meal with everyone. He knows he was sort of acting the same as the Pokémon when he joined the orphan group. Actually, everything right now is giving him memories of his time with the orphan group. Heck, Pikachu was acting like Platinum because of the way his partner gently encouraged Monferno to eat and smile with the rest of the gang. 

“You get used to the feeling,” Ash mentioned when Monferno glanced at him. “It took me a while to get used to eating meals together with Brock and Misty back at Kanto.”

And that was the truth. Displaced, alone, and scared in a world where he didn’t belong, Ash was prepared to spend another several years alone before his inevitable death. Then, he met his first friends and Pokémon friends. They all sat together, which made the meals they consumed much more fulfilling than they actually were. 

“Don’t know how Paul did things, but I like to eat with my Pokémon,” Ash continued, getting up from his seat and combing his fingers through Monferno's fur. “I like the warm feeling I get when I do, even if it felt weird the first couple of weeks.

Occasionally, he feels weird when doing simple things with everyone. However, that’s only because he finds it all surreal. Never in his wildest imagination did he think he would have friends again, even if his friends wore the faces of his deceased ones.

“Speaking of Paul, he’s wrong about everything,” Ash stated, keeping his anger at bay. “Brute strength should not be the sole thing that decides if you’re strong. Sometimes, it’s not the solution, or it worsens the situation.”

He doesn’t possess brute strength or a harsh mentality like most of the settlement. Still, he possessed knowledge about medical plants and edible plants. He’s the only one who can cultivate plants, produce crops with high yields, and ensure that the plants he grows survive in a world of darkness. He’s not strong in the traditional sense, but in terms of survival. Not everyone could survive a cruel world or several massacres, but he did! 

So Paul was wrong about everything he said about Monferno. The fire type is not Paul’s version of strong, but there are other ways to be strong. Monferno is strong because he works hard and is motivated to control a potentially dangerous power. 

“So let's prove everyone wrong by showing that we can be strong in our own special way,” Ash declared, quietly and gently. “You, me, and everyone on the team!”

He didn’t know when he stopped combing through Monferno's fur and began hugging all of his Pokémon, but here he was in a big group hug. His Pokémon nuzzled him, demanding his attention like hatchlings freshly hatched from their eggs.  Obviously, he gave them the attention they rightfully deserved because all of his Pokémon are really the best.

And if an agent wearing a brown trench coat happened to walk in the room to this sight, Ash would be too absorbed with giving his Pokémon the love they deserve to notice. 

Chapter Text

Ash wanted to throw up, cry, kick, and scream at the world for damning him to carry such crushing responsibilities, all because he matched a vague description of this era’s Chosen One. He wished it could have been somebody else, anyone else who was older. A person who has nerves of steel and a hardened heart so they wouldn’t crack under pressure maintains a perfect facade of being fine. 

He’s not that person and will never be that person, no matter how much the world wants him to be. The Lake deities want to shape him into their version of the Chosen One, and if it’s not that, they want him to follow through with the prophecy, damning him and several of his friends.  Then, there is this region's evil organization. Team Galactic has become increasingly invested in his capture, believing he’s the key to their planned scheme. 

“You’re right, Saturn,” Jupiter commented, her stare making Ash’s skin crawl. “He looks a lot less impressive than in person. Why would the likes of the Lake Guardians be interested in a child like him?” 

All because he has been supplying Rowen’s assistance with information about the Lake Trio, he has three commanders surrounding him. They separated him from Brock and Dawn, simultaneously making him feel relieved and terrified. He’s relieved they won’t be on the other end of the commanders’ threats, but terrified that he will be alone.

“Our leader would have plenty of use for a kid like him,” Mars added, motioning to the nearby grunts to close in on Ash. “A child favored by the Lake Guardians, potentially blessed by one of them with a grand power. What a waste would it be to let him roam free?”

Ash kept a close eye on his surroundings, checking for any potential way to escape his predicament when the opportunity presented itself. He looked left, right, behind, and in front of him, hoping for an opening to appear. Unfortunately, everyone came in prepared because there was no gap he could sprint to, and the commanders brought their own equipment. Probably to threaten, hurt, and restrain him.

Now, he’s becoming more frantic. He can’t let himself get captured. He can’t be molded into a tool like how the three maidens tried to shape him into their ideal soldier. 

“Krow? Murkrow.”

Looking up to where he heard the noise, he saw a group of Murkrows and Honchkrows simply staring at him and everything happening on the ground. The biggest Honchrow in the group made eye contact with him as if he were waiting for something. 

Deciding to risk it, he shouted at the top of his lungs. “Help! They are trying to hurt me!”

Suddenly, the group of flying types dived to the ground and began to attack the grunts. The Murkrows were primarily focused on the grunts and their Pokémon. At the same time, a few Honchrows targeted the commanders who were a moment ago waving handcuffs and guns at him. One particular Murkrow, a shiny one, fled through the chaos and into the forest. 

Whatever was happening right now, Ash decided he needed to scramble out of there. He knows when to fight and run, depending on the situation. Knowing how his Sinnoh team will get overwhelmed in fighting the Pokémon of dozens of grunts, he chooses to run. 

“Get the brat,” Saturn ordered, his voice loud enough to be heard from the chaotic ruckus. “Capture him through any means necessary!”

Adjusting the straps of his backpack, he weaves through the hands reaching towards him and the bodies attempting to tackle him to the ground. A few hands managed to snatch his shirt, but Pikachu quickly shocked them. For those bold enough to put their hands close to his head, he bit their fingers hard. He doesn’t care if it’s unsanitary, especially if life and freedom are on the line. 

“Gol. Golbat!” “Zubat. Zu!” “Dus. Dus. Dutox!” “Drif! Drif”

Daring to look over his shoulder, he sees a horde of Zubats, Golbats, Dustoxs, and Drifloons emerge from the forest, looking visibly pissed. Moments later, the wild Pokémon surrounded everyone from Team Galactic at every angle. The tables were unexpectedly turned, and now, Team Galactic was surrounded by an angry group of Pokémon. The people adamant about capturing him by any means necessary are on the other end of many attacks from the angry wild Pokémon.

“Run, little one. We have it handled.”

The suddenness of the unfamiliar voice startled him, almost making Ash trip on air. The reassuring tone of the voice sounds out of place in a setting like this, especially when everyone around him is so corrupt. A part of him wanted to try to find the source of the voice, only to understand what was happening around him. Then, he realizes he can’t waste an opportunity granted to him. 

The fear he feels toward the criminals threatens to consume him if he is to stay any longer, so he picks up the pace and does what he does best.

He runs away from danger, and this time, he will look for friends so they can all survive another day. 

Ash punched the air with a fist, failing to hit his target. Azelf simply moved to the side, unfazed by how a human narrowly landed a successful hit. Mesprit watched the scene, waiting for what she perceived as a measly outburst to end. Uxie, who was waiting patiently, flew close to Ash and tightly wrapped his tail around his wrist. 

He opened his mouth to tell Uxie off for touching him, but only a small cry of pain escaped his lips. Uxie had his two tails tightly constricted around his wrist to the point he thought he had lost sensation in that hand, and, as if to warn him, the deity yanked him forward. 

Tripping over his feet, Uxie released Ash’s wrist and allowed the boy to fall face-first to the wet grass. Getting on all fours, he ignored the impatient huffs from one of the deities. 

“Are you going to behave appropriately, or are you going to throw another temper tantrum,” Uxie spoke, unsurprised and unamused by Ash’s outbursts. “We do have to discuss what occurred last night.”

“You watched me and my friends get chased,” Ash spat, his voice full of anger. “You did nothing as I was threatened by three commanders! Instead of giving a shit, you watched me flounder and struggle to find my way to get out of that mess!”

Ash continued to look at the ground. His fingers gripped the wet grass below him so tightly that he felt a light stinging pain in his palms. He tried to steady his breathing, attempting to drown his anger. It lingers, fueling his urge to punch the deities in the face. However, as much as he liked to try to deck one of the stupid deities in the face again, he feared they would do something more painful than tails constricting the blood flow of his wrist. 

“Everyone made it out alive,” Azelf stated, his voice neutral. “The injuries you sustained are mild compared to your past injuries.”

“But you let us get hurt when you could have done something,” Ash argued, refusing to make eye contact with the deities. “Brock has a multitude of gashes and cuts from shielding Dawn when they were tumbling down a hill! Dawn may miss her next performance if her injuries don’t recover in time! They are being checked out by doctors this very moment.”

“Everyone gets hurt,” Uxie responded, borderline dismissive of Ash’s words. “It’s part of life. Ash.”

Suddenly, he was enveloped whole by pink light and couldn’t move his body. He couldn’t even open his mouth to spit curses towards the deities as the psychic energy forced him to stand on his two feet. When he stood and forcibly looked at them, the pink light instantly vanished.

Oh, so they got tired of him not making eye contact? They couldn’t stand someone his age not showering them with undivided attention and unconditional positive regard. How high and mighty the deities are!

“You could have told me about Manaphy’s blessing,” Ash pointed out, his voice rising in volume. “I shouldn’t have to learn details about the blessing by throwing me straight first into danger!”

“How else are you supposed to learn how to utilize the Sea Prince’s blessing,” Mespirt said, speaking to him like he was a child who didn’t know better. “His blessing allows you to connect and bond with Pokémon easily. What better experience than using it during times of peril?” 

It was because of Manaphy’s blessing that the wild Pokémon were so quick to help him. Just looking at the group of Murkrows and Honchkrows allowed him to form a bond with them easily. They were ready to help when he screamed for help, and the wild Pokémon they recruited were just as ready to fight Team Galactic if it meant he could escape. 

His heart stings when he realizes that the wild Pokémon he interacted with for less than a minute showed him more care than the settlement. 

“You deities never understand,” Ash verbalized, not bothering to hide his frustration. “It’s all wrong! We could have easily died!”

“But you didn’t,” Uxie stated, flying close until his face was mere inches away from Ash. “You survived and will continue to survive until you fulfill your role.”

“Your friends would have suffered fewer injuries if you had told them about the blessing,” Azelf continued, and boy, did Ash have to restrain himself from throwing another punch. “But you stubbornly choose to hide the truth about the prophecy from them.”

“I will not let them die because you want them to be a part of a stupid prophecy,” Ash declared, clenching his fists. “I will keep them away from accepting any blessings!”

“But it’s already too late,” Azelf cut in, approaching close enough to whisper to his ear. “The Sea Prince blessed a friend of yours back in Hoenn. What was her name again? May was it?”

Ash felt dread pool in his gut as the deity’s words sank in. How could he forget about May? She had received a blessing as well, which meant there was already an invisible string dragging her into this clusterfuck.  

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Ash quickly said, as if he was trying to reassure himself. “Manaphy was only a baby when he provided his blessing.”

Honestly, he couldn’t fault the Pokémon for what he did. The Prince most likely didn’t know any better since he was only a few days old. Still, he wished the Pokémon hadn’t loved him and May so much that he blessed them. Now, May is at risk of being tricked by a deity into believing she has a grand role to fulfill. 

“Believe what you want,” Mesprit simply said, giving Ash an indescribable look. “But do know it’s pointless to avoid a prophecy from coming to fruition.”

“You will carry the mantle of the Chosen One, and you will have twelve of your friends join you,” Uxie stated as if it were a fact. “You’ll continue to obtain blessings to ensure your human body can withstand what’s to come.”

Mesprit looked like she had something to add, but the sounds of someone calling his name. The voice got louder, and it seemed like the person was approaching their location. Noticing this, the three deities gave him one last look before teleporting out of sight. 

Letting a sigh of relief, he collapsed onto the ground. After everything, the adrenaline thrumming through his veins left. He feels exhausted, especially after dealing with the Lake deities and learning about Manaphy’s and Pink’s blessings.

Now, he knows why the three maidens were insistent on keeping him despite disliking him as a person. They knew he was blessed by a Celebi, which allowed him to grow any plant life, no matter the poor conditions. Suddenly, his ability to grow crops with high yields, make anything grow, and cultivate sturdy plants makes sense. 

It’s a touching blessing to receive, and he’s thankful for it because it was obviously given to him with good intentions. 

“There you are,” Zoey called out, approaching Ash. “I have been looking for you.”

Ash blinked. “Shouldn’t you be back at the Pokémon Center? I thought you were crashing there until tomorrow morning.”

“I was, but then I realized you haven’t come back,” Zoey commented, giving Ash an odd look. “You have been gone for a few hours, so Nurse Joy asked if I could check up on you.”

Oh, it had been that long? Deciding that he needed to rest, he gave his friend a tired nod of acknowledgment. If he could sleep without any nightmares, maybe he could have a few hours of peace. Besides, he will need to be well rested for any future problems.

Chapter Text

Recently, Ash has debated whether he’s putting all his friends in danger. He hadn’t expected to grow close to anyone when he first arrived in the past, but Misty and Brock wormed their way into his life. Out of survival, he intended to use them to learn everything about the past and help him grow accustomed to living in a world without everlasting darkness.

Then, without him knowing, they became more than tools to assist him in his survival and earn the title of friends. It became less about seeing them as tools to use at his disposal and more about him needing them for some semblance of happiness. By the time Tracey came along, he had stopped adopting the mindset of using his traveling companions as tools.

Now, he’s entertaining the idea of distancing himself from everyone, even if going through his intentions pains him. His friends’ lives are at risk, and he can’t keep putting them all in danger like that. Sure, they all had been in danger when they became friends, but he didn’t want to make it worse for them.

However, his Sinnoh’s companions had a different idea when he suggested they go their separate ways after staying in the Pokémon Center. He expected pushback and arguing from them, but not their vocal disagreement with his idea.  They were adamant about staying with him, and when he tried to get them to understand that he would get them seriously hurt one day, that only made them even more determined to stay with him.

“Ash, if we were to get hurt in the future, it wouldn’t be your fault,” Brock assured, his voice calm and collected as if speaking to a wounded animal. “It would be the one who inflicted harm, not you.”

“Never think that it’s your fault,” Dawn added, and it wasn’t hard for Ash to miss the sadness leaking into her voice. “ I don’t know why you want to blame yourself for everything, but don’t blame yourself for things out of your control.”

Their genuine concerns, care, and unconditional positive regard all fucking hurt. He doesn’t know why his friends' supportive and kind actions make his heart feel like thorn-covered vines are squeezing it occasionally, but it does. 

If this is his reaction to his friends’ words, then something is definitely wrong with him. He wasn’t like this with Pikachu when Pikachu would comfort him or try to cheer him up. It’s only to everyone he calls his friends that he feels something indescribable in his chest, and the dark thoughts in his head get a tad bit louder.

“Team Galactic won’t stop going after me,” Ash warned, desperate for them to understand his perspective. “The three commanders target you two on purpose because they know about our friendship. What to say they won’t stoop any lower and do something worse than chasing you two?”

He lived in a time where survival of the fittest was the norm, which means people would survive by any means necessary. While he never stooped so low as to take another person’s life, he heard that a lot of people came from groups torn apart by senseless violence and power-hungry individuals. 

This time, things are different but also not. Ash may be in the past, but he’s not naive or innocent enough to believe that those types of people don’t exist in the past. They simply take on a different form and mask it much better than the people from the future. 

“Your fears are valid, but you can’t let fear control every aspect of your life,” Brock said, keeping his volume low and calm. “I know you are trying to protect us, and you wholeheartedly believe that this is the best way to protect us, but have you thought about what we want?” 

Ash opened his mouth, trying to find the words to rebuke Brock’s comment, but ended up not uttering a single word. He hated to admit it, but he hadn’t thought about the possibility that his friends knew his intentions to protect them. They don’t know about the prophecy or the lake deities. Still, the two of them are under the assumption that he is protecting them from Team Galactic. 

He can’t believe how simultaneously right and wrong they are in their assumptions. In any other circumstances, he would have chuckled at the irony of the situation.

“I can’t speak for Brock, but I want to stick by you until the league and Grand Festival have ended,” Dawn insisted, refusing to back down. “And if you dare try to put some distance between us, I will find another opportunity to put a dress on you!”

Momentarily, Ash sees Platimun staring back at him with a look best described as a worried older sister. Dawn’s voice wasn’t her own and was replaced with that of a fellow orphan. Beside her, it wasn’t Brock looking at him but Gravel. 

He could have sworn he heard their voices scolding him for viewing himself so negatively and treating their ancestors meanly. As weird as it sounds, it was like their spirit traveled to the past to scold him and remind him of something. Of what, he didn’t know.

“You guys won’t give up, will you?” Ash asked, reluctantly giving up his plan to separate from his friends…for now. “Even if I’m cursed to be the Chosen One and a walking danger magnet, you two still want to hang around with a guy like me.”

“Of course,” Dawn responded, acting as if it were the obvious answer. “Did you forget all the fun we had together?! So what if a couple of bad guys tried to hurt us? It’s not like they are invincible!”

“Like Team Magma and Team Aqua, Team Galactic will eventually be stopped,” Brock reassured, noticing the look of uncertainty on Ash’s face. “I don’t know if you know, but Interpol has been cracking down on more of Team Galactic’s activities. Several smaller factions had been busted as of now.”

It took several seconds for Brock’s words to register in Ash’s mind, but when they did, Ash gave Brock a look. The older trainer’s comment caught him off guard because why does someone like Brock know what’s going on with Interpol? This type of information is not available to the public, and media outlets usually report suspicious activity in the organization. 

As for himself, Ash only knows what’s going on due to his mandatory phone call with his legal guardian. Most of the time, he tells the detective what he did with Brock and Dawn. On some occasions, Looker would attempt to engage in small talk and tell him what Interpol had been up to.

“How do you know this?” Ash questioned, his words far from accusatory. He was genuinely curious. “Cause the last time I spoke with Looker, he told me the public doesn’t know all this.”

“Were you not informed how Interpol is monitoring us?” Brock stated, noticing the confusion on Ash’s face. “Dawn and I are also targets, but not as much as you are.”

“Word got out about how I saw Mesprit before I picked up Piplup,” Dawn revealed, which caused Ash to get sick in his stomach. “I told Brock about it, but forgot you were already sleeping at the time.”

Ah. As it turned out, he had already failed to protect his friends from Team Galactic. It was pointless to distance himself because they were already targets. Dawn was a target for Team Galactic long before the group got more extreme, but that doesn’t explain Brock. Why would an organization target Brock?

As if Brock read Ash’s mind, the older trainer continued. “It’s theorized that you will eventually see Azelf or Uxie due to being the Chosen One.  Since there are three lake guardians and three of us, most concluded that I would also see a lake deity.”

Internally, Ash lets out a sigh of relief since Brock and Dawn are completely oblivious to the lake deities' visit and how Professor Rowen is keeping his word and not telling his friends about the research involving the trio. No, he doesn’t care if the professor is disappointed because the man has no idea how cruel the three deities can be. 

Still, he’s upset that he was kept out of the loop! Shouldn’t he be the first person to know all of this?

“Well, this sucks,” Ash complained, appearing tired of everything. “A group of adults is targeting a group of teens!”

“You mean two teens and a preteen,” Dawn corrected, cracking a smile when Ash gave her an unimpressed look. “What, you’re the youngest. You don’t even know how much of a cinnamon roll you are!”

‘What does that even mean?” Ash asked, sounding confused. When Dawn begins to chuckle slightly, he continues with his questioning. “Dawn, seriously, what do you mean by a cinnamon roll? I’m not a sweet pastry!”

When Ash turned to Brock, he expected to get a clear answer from the older trainer. Instead of a clear answer, Brock patted his shoulder and handed him one of the cinnamon rolls he got from the vending machine earlier in the day. 

“Fine, keep your secrets,” Ash muttered, opening the plastic bag. “I will one day learn what it means.”

Eating his pastry, Ash can’t help but wonder if this was their attempt to lighten the mood. If it were, it could explain why Brock let him choose what was for lunch and why Dawn asked him what his favorite snacks were so her mom could send him some. 

He hoped they would forgive him when this was all over.

Chapter Text

Ash huffed, shaking his head to clear his mind. He’s in public with Dawn and Brock at the newly opened museum dedicated to Sinnohian mythologies. So far, he has seen several ancient paintings devoted to local deities, items of worship, pottery with deities engraved, and pieces of literature dedicated to the author’s idolization of a deity. 

Everyone, and unfortunately, his friends too, misplaced their respect for deities who wouldn’t hesitate to use their followers as pawns. Dawn’s praise for the Lake Guardians made him want to scream, but he held his tongue. Brock, who is usually mindful of his dislike of deities, was complimenting the deeds the Sinnohian deities did in the past.

“Can’t believe they spend government funding to open this,” Ash muttered under his breath, glaring at the stone tablet grandly portraying the lake deities. “What's the big deal with the deities in this region?”

Due to being surrounded by art dedicated to deities, Ash was hugging Pikachu tightly to his chest. Having someone who understands his fear and hatred of most deities near him made this impromptu museum visit a bit more bearable. He can ground himself with Pikachu in his arms, remembering they will be together no matter what happens in life and when they eventually die. 

“We should check out the orbs being displayed at the center of the museum,” Dawn suggested, picking up her pace. “I heard they only display the orbs for today before they are transported back to a professor studying them.”

Ash would rather do anything else than see one more picture of the lake or creation deities. Seeing some shiny rocks is much more tolerable than everything he has been doing with his friends. Heck, he’ll even take on dealing with the rocket trio, who are still obsessed with capturing his Pikachu. 

“Let’s do that,” Ash agreed as Pikachu nodded. “I could even take some pictures and show them to Steven the next time I see him at a gala.”

“We can finish our trip after that,” Brock added, glancing at Ash. “After all, it seems this trip sap all the energy out of a certain someone.”

“We all know I prefer to do anything that doesn’t remind me of my…status,” Ash spoke, carefully choosing his words. “Besides, I’m not going to be the type of friend who doesn’t compromise.”

“Aww, thanks, Ash,” Dawn smiled, and Ash could tell how happy the girl was from that comment. “I promise to help you train your Pokémon when we’re done!”

Ash smiled back as he followed Dawn’s lead. It was a long walk to the attraction, especially since it was midday and public places were pretty active during this time of day. The area was filled with people, and several times he had to weave in between strangers because many people seemed to miss him, following behind his friends. 

It was oddly weird to see many people in one place, and no matter how many times he saw dozens of people in one setting, it was bittersweet to see so many people alive. Every tournament was a reminder that his doomed future hadn’t come to fruition, and this could have been the life everyone could have been living if it hadn’t been for the mistakes of the past. 

“It’s getting a lot less crowded,” Dawn noted as she checked her surroundings. “You would think there would be more people checking out a display available for one day.”

Huh. Since when did the crowds of people go away? Was he really that lost in his thoughts not to realize they had walked so far and the lack of people in the hallway? Also, Dawn has a point. Where are all the people? Wouldn’t most people want to see something displayed for a limited time? 

“It could be the giveaway the museum is doing,” Brock commented, walking beside the coordinator. “I remember seeing a sign of a giveaway of several jewelry sets from their donors.”

“That means more room for us to browse the attraction,” Dawn cheers, motioning her friends to hurry up. “ We can take a lot more pictures without bothering anyone.” 

Eventually, they made it to the attraction and were greeted with the sight of two orbs in a gallery pedestal display. They were displayed in the middle of the room, and it could be the lighting and presentation, but the two orbs outshone every other piece of art hanging on the walls and displayed on the ground. It was a nice view, which was what Ash liked about the trip. 

Unfortunately, the world wouldn’t give him one moment of peace, no matter where he was. 

It started with something crashing through the stained-glass window in the hallway behind them. Caught off guard by the noise, Ash quickly turned around to see what was happening. As far as he knew, only the three of them were alone in this room, and the hallways had been empty for the past twenty minutes. 

Ash's stomach churned with a sense of impending doom. He senses something is about to go wrong, and he's unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire. 

“Dawn, call the authorities,” Ash ordered, quickly handing Dawn’s phone back to her. “We’re about to be dragged into something dangerous and far out of our league.”

Before the crash, he took pictures on Dawn’s phone because the coordinator wanted to post photos on her social media accounts. Now, he’s giving the coordinator her phone back as he summoned his Pokémon to assist him in what he knows would be a full-out battle. 

Brock, acting on his instincts, also summoned his Pokémon to assist with whatever was about to come. His Pokémon could pick up what was happening and were ready to battle on command.

“Oh no,” Dawn breathed, her eyes widening in realization. “Those are Team Galactic grunts.”

When the coordinator uttered those words, Ash felt his body trembling. His heart was beating fast, too fast, and he couldn’t make himself stop. This had never happened before with his past confrontations with Team Galactic, so why is his body acting like this now? 

Pikachu, who sensed his trainer’s discomfort, tried his best to ease the boy’s fears by rubbing his cheek on Ash’s chest. Sometimes, it would help Ash calm down, but other times, it would not. This time, it did not help Ash calm down, but the trainer was more focused. 

“They must be here to steal something,” Ash whispered, his volume loud enough so only his friends could hear. “Once we know what they want to steal, one of us will have to grab the item and run as fast as we can until the police come. The rest will stay and hold Team Galactic off until help arrives.”

He heard the sounds of many footsteps near them, approaching closer to where they were standing. A painfully familiar voice was barking commands for the grunts to find something called the Lustrous Orb and Adamant Orb immediately. It took a few seconds for Ash to figure out that the items the voice was referring to were the two orbs behind them.

Brock realized the same and glanced between the orbs, Dawn, Ash, and the hallway. Dawn was still on the phone, explaining how Team Galactic was breaking into the museum. The coordinator must have figured out the orbs were the target because she also told whoever was on the other side of the phone that the group was planning to steal the two orbs. 

“Ash, I will hold off Team Galactic with Dawn,” Brock explained, seeming so sure of himself. “You will grab the Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb and run as fast as possible.”

Dawn begins to tell the person what Brock said as footsteps get louder. Ash, not liking the idea, violently shakes his head. He hates the thought of leaving his friends to deal with Team Galactic as he runs away! It’s just so very wrong! 

“Brock, no,” Ash protested, suddenly sounding much more serious. “When they realize it’s you and Dawn, they will become even more ruthless.”

“And you’re the Chosen One,” Brock bluntly told Ash. “Once they know your presence, they will make another attempt to kidnap you. As the oldest, it’s my role to protect you and Dawn first.”

It could be how Brock said it or how it sounded like Gravel was speaking to him, but Ash begrudgingly agreed with Brock’s plan. The plan wouldn’t be one hundred percent awful if he were careful. Ash knows he’s a fast runner, so he knows he can outrun most of Team Galactic. Pikachu is quick and powerful, so his Pokémon can simultaneously keep up with him and fight if the situation demands it. Additionally, the grunts would have to split up if he were the runner because they wouldn’t want to risk the chance of the runner escaping with their target. 

“Ash, you need to go now,” Dawn panicked, still on the phone. “The responder told me to tell you that you need to run to the entrance of the building. The police are already on their way. We will hold off Team Galactic as you run.”

Ash grabbed one orb with one hand and the second with his other. Before sprinting, he told the rest of his Sinnoh Team to help Brock and Dawn fight against the grunts. When he caught sight of a familiar teen with dark blue hair, Ash sprinted as fast as he could despite his trembling body.

It’s hard, but Ash must trust them to fend off the grunts. He hoped this plan would go smoothly.