Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

"Pokémon" – Normal Speech

'Pokémon' – Thoughts

Pokémon – Flashback

Pokémon – Move Names and Pokémon Abilities

{Pokémon} – Pokédex

Ash, the Iron Trainer: The Alternate Hoenn

The Start of One Long Night's Tale

"Can't sleep either dearie?" Ash yawned, knowing that it was still the middle of the night onboard a ferry boat. Pikachu and Serena's Eevee were sleeping on their laps and each also took a yawn. It was a long day trying to get the trainers and Pokémon from the wrecked S.S. Anne to settle on Kalos, almost a whole week. But now they all are going to Kanto, to see how much has the world really aged outside the ruined cruise ship.

"My head is just too clouded that I am having a headache rather than a good night's sleep honey." Serena groaned. "It's all these memories that keep coming and going. Can't you finally take her out so we can get comfortable?" Serena teased her husband and her Eevee & his Pikachu joined her so there was no argument from Ash.

He silently reached for his many Pokéballs and released a certain one that he took along for nights like this. "We need your help, Musharna." And out came a large Pokémon floating in the air and looking like it is deep in sleep already.

Musharna is rounded, bipedal Pokémon that has a tapir-like trunk. Its body is light purple, while its head is a pale pink. It has oval, red eyes with three eyelashes and dark pink ovals on its forehead and cheeks. The tips of its four stubby limbs are dark pink. Dream Mist seeps out of the mark on its forehead. This mist has various colors depending on what kind of dreams Musharna has eaten; it is most often a dark pink. Shapes and forms of the dreams Musharna has eaten can appear in the mist as well.

Of course, when this one heard Ash's voice, Musharna had a good feeling why she was sent out. Chirping while moving above their heads, Musharna got the two trainers to softly laugh at the sight. "Of course, you can. We have a bunch of extra memory luggage that you can dine on. We need to get a clear head to finally sleep."

Pikachu and Eevee hurried over to where Musharna can spread her influence to include them both as well. And soon, Musharna settled down she can sleep in midair and help her trainers sleep as well. Of course, these dreams aren't just baggage. They are memories, like Serena complained about, about a separate dimension and timeline that doesn't exist anymore. Yet it was like yesterday that they were journeying and exploring that region.

XXXXX

It was a week or so after Kalos had a parade and celebration for its next Champion and business was especially booming at a certain, humble mirror and glass shop. "Please be quiet. The new Champion and his fiancé are about to suggest one of my products! If they like my store, then I can sell mirrors to everyone in Kalos!"

Ignoring the ambitious shopkeeper and owner, Ash and Serena were inside, looking at the mirrors for display. "Have you found one that you can give to your mother? You did suggest this place." Ash looked of his age, of fourteen. He was about twice his height from being a ten-year old. His baby fat had all but disappeared, his cheeks were as tight as a drum and his freckles had almost vanished. He had grown out his hair and had it fashioned so that the strands were just grow down the back of neck and not onto his face. He was also wearing something of his old outfit, but suited for teenagers instead of preteens.

Serena also was different. She showed her own share of changes and growths. Now no longer a little girl, Serena was showing up on her chest (already A-size ). Her blonde hair had also grown, and fashioned a lot like Ash's raven hair. Serena's face looked so beautiful that some already mistaken her beauty for make-up; she had to correct every single one of them.

Finally, Pikachu looked the least different. He was slightly larger than when he first met Ash. His hair was a little ruffled up, everyone thought it made him look cuter and somehow tougher at the same time.

"I just can't decide! You all are so cute!" Serena answered, with the vigor and spirit of a girl her age. Then she felt something that made her spine tingle a little, Ash's little finger on her mouth.

"Please keep it quiet about the complements. We don't want our fans to hear us and crowd our way back to your home." Ash said with a smirk and Serena giggled and nodded. They then went back to shopping and Pikachu was just having fun, playing around with the mirrors; he always loved to see what he looked like in the next one. But he was having too much fun and forgot to look where he was going.

"PIKA~!" The yellow rodent accidently ran into a wooden box, slamming his face on it hard. The shop owner, thankfully for him, was the only one who heard that somehow. He had kept quiet about it so that no one will see him flinch or sweat like a pig in nervousness. Meanwhile, Pikachu rubbed the bruise on his cheek and noticed that a panel matching the box had fallen off. Being the curious little thing, Pikachu looked into the box via the open side.

"Pikachu?" Ash noticed that his buddy was out of sight, for the time being. "Don't get lost and don't break anything, you will be the one to pay or…" Ash walked around to look for his 'starter' Pokémon and saw both him with the open box, staring inside deeply. "…It? Something caught your eye?"

Pikachu didn't respond and just pointed with his tiny fingers into the box. Following that direction, Ash saw something that stole his breathe away too. "Wow." Ash could only mutter and took out what was the most beautiful and mystic mirror that he had ever seen.

The outline was all about ocean waves, forest trees, sturdy mountains; the pattern of a land that held nothing but natural wonders and adventures. The mirror itself was almost magical and Ash could have sworn that the mirror acted a lot like the surface of a pond. "That mirror is really lovely Ash." Hearing his girl's voice, Ash got out of his stupor. "Where did you find such a pretty one?"

"Pikachu found it actually, inside a wooden box under this table." Ash said honestly and Pikachu, after climbing up his trainer's backside, nodded. Serena did the same and looked a little puzzled.

"Now why would anyone want to keep such a treasure out of sight?" Serena asked out loud, both trainers saw that the shop owner was too busy telling everyone of his ambitions to expand his mirror business to be of any help. "And how come the mirror is vibrating? It is like when a pebble is dropped into a pond."

Ash had the feeling of déjà vu go down his spine and was about to point this out when Serena tried to press her finger on the mirror. Once she did, the mirror started to glow, causing Ash to drop the mirror on the ground. Instead of the mirror shattering to the impact force, it covered the two trainers and Pikachu with the strange glowing light.

XXXXX

It was another day of beautiful weather. Like every other day in this tropical region. With its lush forests, pure ocean trails, sturdy mountains, a small desert and a volcano that has been asleep for decades, it was almost paradise today. Today, in the region of Hoenn.

But like all days, this one will still be different. Just not in the way anyone can imagine. And it all begun with a strange glow up in the air, everyone in Hoenn saw it. Most took it with awe, some with shock and others with fear. The police force moved in to prevent any riots or mass panic among the crowds. Meanwhile, scientists and news crews have moved to get a closer look.

Yet another surprise had arrived, "Look! Something is falling out of the glowing thing!" A woman from the crowds pointed out when she happened to look up at that moment. Soon, every set of eyes was looking up and saw the same thing;

Three objects were falling from the area of glowing matter and were deceasing around the speed of meteors! If they don't get crushed on the ground with that amount of force, they will burn up through all that atmospheric pressure. What's worse, people with eyes in the sky saw a boy, a girl and a Pokémon falling to the ground below!

Orders from the police, the scientists and the government agents reached out for the emergency squads to try and soften their blow. Just maybe the firefighters and construction workers can set up layers of nets to take in all the force so the rapidly-descending people and Pokémon can land safely.

Thankfully, they did that procedure just in time. The boy, girl and Pokémon landed in a cloud of smoke but more importantly, with little injuries and a few spots that can be easily fixed. But when the rescue squad got closer, to examine the bodies better, the girl and Pokémon were out cold. It was the boy, barely holding on, that rose from the ground and spoke.

"My name…is Ash Ketchum…I'm… a Pokémon trainer…" That was all he could say before pain and exhaustion had caused the teenaged boy to fall into unconsciousness. The last thing he saw was the Pokémon by his side, a Pikachu!

XXXXX

When Ash finally opened his eyes, he almost didn't recognize his surroundings. He didn't feel dirt or grass covering his skin or even his old clothes. Instead, Ash noticed that he was in a white room and in a bed with thin sheets, with a gown instead of his outfit. 'Must be a room in the Pokémon Center.' Ash thought to himself, slowly getting from the bed and pillow.

"Hello young man." Ash heard that voice, just as the door creaked open. The boy recognized the woman by her voice, her stature, her uniform and her hair color. This was a Nurse Joy, just like Kanto and Kalos. "We wanted to know if you were awake to hear the good news."

"It better be good…because I don't see Serena or Pikachu…" Ash muttered, before feeling a little sore in the throat. He was given a glass of water and a cough drop from Nurse Joy, and he gobbled them down.

"Your Pikachu is doing just fine and I assume that the girl who fell along the both of you is named Serena." Nurse Joy said and Ash widen his eyes as soon as he felt the coughing medicine do its magic. He then nodded sadly,

"I have no idea how, we did notice us feeling rather light when that strange mirror pulled us in." Ash finally was able to speak comfortably and Nurse Joy had a confused look on her face.

"A mirror? Not even the Legends in Hoenn speak of such a thing." The woman inquired which got Ash's attention once again.

"Hoenn? Is that where we are?" Ash asked and Nurse Joy nodded. "Darn, I was planning on checking out the other regions, but only after going back to Kanto for my journey in Kalos."

"Actually…" Nurse Joy stopped Ash's muttering, "While you fell into a coma for several hours," Nurse stopped to see Ash looked surprised again, she could just have sworn that it made the boy look even cuter. "We did inspect all your belongings and checked your history out. There are no records of a trainer named Ash Ketchum or Serena in any region." Ash was speechless and could only try to wrap his head around this reality.

"That's right, our science division has told us officials that you three came from another dimension, similar to this one." Nurse Joy brought forth the icebreaker of news which got Ash to look lifeless. Not even he could dream of visiting a separate dimension, one where both he and Serena were complete strangers. Now Ash really wished that both of them had found a mirror present for Serena's mother; one that was safe.

Later that day,

"ASH!"
"SERENA!"

The hallway of the Pokémon Center shook when the couple finally got back together after so long apart. "Ash!" Serena was always the more emotional than her boyfriend and vented her extreme relief with intense kissing. But Ash was a forward-type of guy and also not a boy to let gets get out of hand, ending the smooching to hold Serena's hand in his chest. "They are saying that…! That…!"

"We are complete strangers in another dimension." Ash answered her. "It was painful, I know. But we are not alone on this! We are everything but alone. That's what's more important." Serena didn't have any words left with her mind clouded with emotions but she nodded in what Serena will call the most comfortable place, in Ash's arms. "Besides, we are keeping him waiting."

Serena gently got out of Ash's embrace to look around before seeing what her boyfriend meant. It was Pikachu, at their feet, with his own tapping the floor in an impatient tone. "Oh! Sorry Pikachu!" Serena answered him with a sheepish tone while Pikachu just raised his eyebrow.

"…Now that we all have been checked out, clothed and allowed to leave our rooms…" Ash said to break the dense atmosphere, "How about we check out Hoenn? We don't how long we are going to stay here, might as well start getting to know this region." Nobody answered for a moment but Serena took Ash's arm and Pikachu climbed up his shoulder, getting comfy with a huff. This was a clear sign that they agreed with him, so Ash walked for the exit of the Pokémon Center; but they got their first surprise of Hoenn when they heard the scream of a man being chased.

XXXXX

"Help! I can't lose this little guy!" A man, apparently in his thirties or forties, was running through the grass fields on a Hoenn route. He was wearing a lab coat over a blue shirt and green shorts that had a belt run through the straps. He was also wearing dirt brown sandals and was carrying a satchel over his shoulder.

Then he came across a tree. Too bad that his obvious girth only allowed this man to grasp a branch, not able to pull himself up. Down below was a small but fierce looking Pokémon that was soon joined by tens more. "Somebody! Anybody!"

"No need to shout, we heard the neighbors complaining about all that racket." The man turned over to see Ash and the gang standing on a slope that allowed them to be eyes-level with him. "So how did you get into this mess, sir?" The man just laughed embarrassedly,

"Never mind, can you give me a hand with these little ones barking at me?" Ash looked at his friends and they all shrugged,

"Pikachu, Discharge." Ash simply commanded and his Pokémon cried out before creating a wide-spread attack of electricity that torched every single one of the Pokémon that were barking at the man in the tree. Most were paralyzed as well and fell to the dirt like statues, the rest fled for the time being. "You can get down now, none of these Pokémon will hurt you for a couple of hours."

The man was starting to lose his grip so the trip down was painful but also a major relief. "You sound confident about that, young man. Not even our Champion is like that with his Pokémon. Have you and your Pikachu trained that much?"

"To make your day better, then yes." Ash answered as he skidded down the slope to where the man was, with Serena following suit. "Now, my name is Ash Ketchum and this is my girlfriend Serena. Your turn." Ash said those last couple of words with a hand reached to grasp the man's and help him get on his feet.

"My name is Birch, I am the Pokémon Professor of Hoenn." The man answered, shaking Ash's hand with glee and vigor. Ash had to pull his hand out, to save what little nerves he can feel in that arm.

"Nice to run into the Pokémon Professor, that means you have access to the starter types here in Hoenn right?" Ash was proving his maturity, no longer overexcited at the chance to meet new Pokémon anymore. Or is that he is good at hiding the fact that he is excited.

"I sure do!" Birch proclaimed and reached into his satchel, "Now greet the Starter Pokémon of Hoenn!" Birch said with enthusiasm and released three young Pokémon from three standard Pokéballs in hand. And Ash scanned every single one of them;

{Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon. Numerous tiny spikes cover the bottoms of Treecko's feet, allowing it to walk on ceilings and walls.}

Treecko is a small, green, bipedal reptilian Pokémon. It has yellow eyes with long, narrow pupils. Treecko's hands and feet each have three digits covered with tiny spikes. These spikes allow it to scale vertical walls with ease. Its stomach and throat are red. It also has a line across on its stomach resembling a pouch. Treecko has a large, dark green tail with two separate lobes that it uses to sense humidity. This ability allows it to predict the next day's weather.

Treecko is a bit of a rarity in the wild, and is more common in captivity. However, when in the wild, Treecko lives inside overgrown forests. It makes its home in tall trees, and will attack anyone that comes near its nest. Because of its territorial nature, it is known to be the protector of the forest's trees. Treecko is known for its calm and collected personality. It will never panic under any circumstances, even when faced with a bigger foe.

And,

{Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon. Mudkip uses the sensitive radar receptors on its head fin to determine what's going on around it. In a pinch, it can brandish enough power to crush rocks.}

Mudkip is a small, amphibious, quadruped Pokémon. It has a blue body with a light-blue underside. It has a large head with a blue fin on top and a light-blue tail fin. It has black, beady eyes and orange, star-shaped gills on its cheeks. By using the fin on its head, Mudkip is able to detect changes in air and water currents as well as bodies of water. Its fin can also point in a certain direction. Mudkip is capable of moving or crushing boulders larger than itself. Its large tail fin propels it through water with powerful acceleration.

And finally,

{Torchic, the Chick Pokémon. Torchic sticks with its Trainer, following behind with unsteady steps. This Pokémon breathes fire of over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, including fireballs that leave the foe scorched black.}

Torchic is a small, chick Pokémon with stubby, downy, yellow wings. Its body is covered with orange feathers. There is an orange and yellow crest on its head that resembles a flame. Its two thin legs and short beak of are a light brownish yellow, and the feet have three toes in front and one in the back. A male Torchic will have a small black speck on its rear that is not present in females.

Somewhere in its belly, this Pokémon has a place where it keeps a flame. This internal flame causes Torchic to feel warm if hugged. When attacked, it will shoot fireballs of 1,800 °F at its foes, leaving them scorched black. It dislikes darkness, as it cannot see its surroundings. Torchic will follow its Trainer with unsteady steps. While Torchic are rarely found in the wild, it is known to inhabit grasslands.

Serena almost fell in love with Torchic and the little Chick Pokémon bonded with her like a magnet. That left Ash with Treecko and Mudkip, not that the boy complained. "Thanks Professor but do you know of a good place to the spend the night. Not one of us wants to be in a hospital bed for one more night." Ash then asked of Professor Birch and both Serena & Pikachu nodded fiercely.

Birch scratched his chin, "I live in a very remote area, with only my lab and two houses." The Pokémon Professor replied and then answered, "I am good friends with my only neighbor and I think that I can ask both of them and my wife to take you youngsters in."

XXXXX

It turned out that Birch did have only one neighbor along with his house and his lab. Birch did get more than an earful from his wife about making the nearby town hear his banshee-like scream, rather embarrassing. Birch found only comfort in his lab while his wife and the housewife next door took in Ash and Serena, separately and respectably.

With a good night's rest and the rest of the afternoon & evening to bond with the young starter Pokémon, morning came shortly. This meant, to the trainers and Pikachu, it was time to get started on their next Pokémon Journey.

The first one they encountered were the Pokémon chasing Professor Birch as soon as they exited the Pokémon Center;

{Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon. Its biting strength is superior to other Pokémon, and has the endurance to chase opponents down until completely exhausted.}

And,

{Zigzagoon, the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon. Zigzagoon is extremely curious and so ends up walking in a zigzag path between things that interest it.}

But both Ash and Serena decided on the same Pokémon to catch and add to their teams. They each caught a Wurmple,

{Wurmple, the Worm Pokémon. Wurmple live primarily off of sap from trees. The suction cups on its feet keep it from slipping.}

Wurmple is a small, caterpillar-like Pokémon. Its body is mainly red with a cream underside and face. It has large yellow eyes with dark pupils. It has one sharp yellow stinger on its head and two of them on its rear. It has a tall, erect, red spine behind its forehead and a similar, smaller spine behind that. It has small spikes running down the top portions of its body and five pairs of stubby white limbs.

Wurmple has suction pads at the tips of its feet, which allow it to cling to glass or tree branches without slipping. It can spit a white silk that turns gooey when exposed to the air. It can release poison from its tail spikes, which can weaken and poison foes. Wurmple lives in forests. It eats leaves and pulls bark off trees to feed on the sap.

Now Serena will be grossed out by the Wurmple and Ash will be just fine with the new Pokémon, but there is still one good reason they both caught one. Because Wurmple is one of the few Pokémon species to have 'branch evolutions'. And while most Pokémon that can evolve do it through experience, through stones, the environment and a couple through a certain Pokémon also on hand. But Wurmple evolve in a way both of them never imagined; their evolved forms all depend on their personality values.

Personality values of Pokémon are often overlooked but they can have a considerable impact on the Pokémon's characteristic, such as gender or size. According to the Pokédex, there are two final evolutions of Wurmple that are almost entirely different. There is,

{Beautifly, the Butterfly Pokémon and one of the final evolutions of Wurmple. Beautifly have long, thin noses which can extend to suck the pollen out of flowers.}

Beautifly is a butterfly-like Pokémon with two pairs of wings. It has large blue eyes and black antennae with rounded tips. Its face, underside, and four stubby limbs are gray, while the rest of its body is black. The main body of its wings is black with large, yellow markings, and smaller red and blue markings. The upper pair of wings is larger and has a line of yellow along the top edge, while each of the lower wings have a long, round-tipped extension on the bottom. The female's wings have smaller red spots than the male. Beautifly has long and curled black proboscis that it uses to drain body fluids from its prey. Additionally, this aggressive Pokémon will jab at foes with its proboscis if it is disturbed while collecting pollen. Beautifly lives in forests.

And,

{Dustox, the Toxic Moth Pokémon. Dustox is one of the final evolutions of Wurmple and is drawn toward bright light. When flapping its wings, it will scatter a poison dust.}

Dustox is a moth-like Pokémon with two pairs of wings. It has a purple egg-shaped body with a jagged fringe on its rear. Its tattered, green wings are wide and flat, forming a disc-shape around its body. They have red markings in the form of rings and streaks, a darker green line around the edges, and contain a toxic dust. This Pokémon has two pairs of red, stubby legs and yellow, stylized compound eyes. There is a pair of fuzzy, yellow antennae on top of its head, which are smaller on the female. These antennae are used to seek food. Dustox is nocturnal and is instinctively drawn to light. Swarms are attracted by the bright light of cities where they wreak havoc by stripping the leaves off roadside trees for food. It lives in forests.

"I am definitely going for Beautify." Serena said with a stern tone, as if to break up any trace of an agreement or remark from anyone, especially her boyfriend.

"Sure, I can see battle potential for Dustox." Ash responded, wise to Serena's tone. And Pikachu was smart to keep his mouth shut, both trainers have been around him long enough to have a good idea on what the Pokémon says. "But who is over there?" Ash then pointed out and then the image of a stranger moving among the grass on the route was revealed. Then the figure crashed into a tree;

"OWW! I hate Pokémon!"

End of Chapter 1

*Here it is! The sequel to Ash the Iron Trainer. The original was Ash's adventures in Kalos, starting from the middle of his Kanto journey from the Anime. Now this one will be a big recollection of what happened to the pair and Pikachu in the tent of mirrors.

I took inspiration from an episode of Pokémon XY series, the one where Ash finds himself in a parallel universe in which the character's personalities and roles are complete opposites. I am using this context of universes within mirrors to connect the Hoenn of Pokémon ORAS with the Universe of the Anime. After all, GameFreak did admit that they created a different Hoenn than the one in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald.

Still, tell me what you think. I did get Ash the Iron Trainer done before my Spring 2017 semesters starts so I am hoping to publish this chapter too. Good thing I have until next Tuesday, that is when my first class of the semester starts. I'll be extra busy from that day forth, I have no idea when or what my next update will be. Thanks for all the support! *

Pokémon on Hand;

Ash – Pikachu (Male), Aegislash (Male), Bisharp (Male), Mawile (Female), Durant (Female), Yveltal (Genderless), Treecko (Female), Mudkip (Male) and Wurmple (Male).

Serena – Delphox (Female), Marowak (Male), Kangaskhan (Female), Xerneas (Genderless), Torchic (Male) and Wurmple (Female).