A Reflective Homecoming: Part 1
By: Bryce Daniel (2015)
"Oh," Nurse Joy said. "Did you just catch that Pikachu? You didn't have it when you came in here before."
"Wait," Ash said. "What are you talking about?"
"Yeah," Serena continued. "This is our first time in this Pokémon Center."
"S-she's talking a-about me," a timid voice said entering through one of the side doors.
"THERE ARE TWO ASHES?!" Bonnie shouted.
"Um, yeah, s-sorry about that," the pale-skinned boy said.
"Don't be sorry," Ash said. "I know you weren't meaning to 'impersonate' me."
"Wait," Clemont said. "Haven't we seen you before somewhere?"
"Well," he said nervously, "Y-yes, you've SEEN me before, b-but only ONE of you has MET me...in THIS world anyway."
"That's what I thought," Clemont said triumphantly. "You are the Ash from the Mirror World…but, um, what are you doing here?"
"More importantly," Bonnie said. "Where's YOUR Pikachu and all of its little friends?"
Mirror-Ash looked down embarrassedly not saying anything for several painful seconds.
"It abandoned him," Ash said as his Pikachu and Clemont's Dedenne jumped onto Mirror-Ash's shoulder nuzzling him supportively. It was first time he'd smiled in ages.
"It - it didn't think I was s-strong enough," he said his smile fading. "So it left me...I-I can still remember that look it gave me as it barked 'PIKA, PIKA PEE-KA' after another quick loss - especially t-the way it was crossing and uncrossing its arms at me."
"Pika" "Dedenne"
"It was," Mirror-Ash said tearing up. "It was t-the absolute worst moment of m-my entire life!"
"Ha," Jessie said disguised as a janitor. "Listen to that stupid twerp as if anyone is stupid enough to fall for such a pathetic sob story."
She looks over at her cohorts and sees them crying in each other's arms.
"Would you two FOCUS," she shouted slapping them both. "Our job is to snatch the twerp's Pikachu not feel sorry for him!"
"Now, now" Serena said trying to wipe his tears with a tissue. "You're crying, Here let me wipe them away-"
"NOOO," he said pushing her away horrifically.
"Oh come on," she said stepping closer and dabbing his eye with the tissue removing the tear… and the make-up he'd applied to cover the black mark surrounding his eye.
She steps back, and asks: "Who could possibly do something like THAT to…o-oh m-my- g-god. I'm so sorry."
"Where was I when this was going on? Surely, even the Mirror-version of me wouldn't let this happen to a friend of his."
"EX-friend," Mirror-Ash said bitterly. "As it was HIS Binding spell that let her do it – he even l-let his 'adorable' younger sister t-take a few whacks at me while I was incapacitated."
"What? That's horrible! I wouldn't do anything like that – and neither would my big brother!"
"That's what Nurse Joy said about her counterpart's 'Pay-or-Pray' policy."
"Wait," Bonnie said. "You mean Pokémon Centers aren't free in your world?"
"That's right: 'No money, No treatment, No exceptions' - even your Nurse Joy was s-shocked by the 'barbaric' practice...t-though she seemed okay with the rest of my story."
"Well," Ash said. "I'm sure she's seen a LOT of pokémon and trainers around here."
"Yes, in fact, there was a Celebi that used to visit the area around my village when I was growing up so the concept isn't exactly new to me."
"But," Bonnie said. "I just thought of something. If your Pikachu ran away, wouldn't you still have your Fletchinder, Frogadier and Hawlucha too?"
"T-the rest of my team were s-stolen from me by your counterparts after the beating because Serena – sorry 'Mirror-Serena' - said s-she didn't want to see my pokémon 'exploited' in those 'gaudy' show-cases…"
"The nerve of that Mirror-twerpette," Jessie seethed. "Doesn't she know stealing pokémon is OUR job?!"
She looks over at her teammates and sees them crying again. "Gah, you two cry more than that crybaby twerp!"
"We cain't help it," Meowth said hugging James harder. "It's soo sad!"
"I can see why you came here," Serena said. "The fact that OUR counterparts would treat you – or anyone else - like that means they CLEARLY were NOT your 'friends.' This whole thing is just sickening."
"I know, I-I can still hear them laughing in my head, t-taunting me for being a 'weak trainer' with a 'girly dream.' T-that's why I came here, to find s-someone brave, smart and capable who could t-teach me how to be a 'strong trainer' and t-the only person I could think of-"
"Was your non-Mirror counterpart," Clemont deduced. "Fortunately for you, I figured I might come across a situation like this so I-"
"Here we go," Bonnie said incredulously. "I hope you like explosions."
"BON-NIE," Clemont whined. "Not ALL of my inventions explode."
"Riiight, just the ones built by you, I think Serena and I will wait back here – you know, just in case."
"Ha," Mirror-Ash said with a bemused smile.
"What is it," Clemont asked.
"I was just thinking how the two of you would NEVER fight like that in the Mirror-World. Mirror-Bonnie was proud of her older brother's accomplishments – even on the rare occasions they didn't work out."
"I AM 'proud' of my big brother… it's his 'inventions' that could use some work."
"And their names," Serena added as the girls laughed.
"Gah," Clemont said hunching forward defeatedly. "See what I have to put up with on a weekly basis?"
"Oh come on, Clemont, we're only teasing you."
"Does this mean we can try out my new invention yet?"
"Sure," Serena said. "…But maybe we would be better off doing it OUTSIDE."
He pulls a bulky helmet type device from his Clemontic Gear and puts it on Mirror-Ash's head.
"WOW," Ash said his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I can't speak for magic, but science is sooo COOL!"
"It's a bike helmet," Bonnie said skeptically.
"It is NOT a 'bike helmet!' It is my specially designed hat designed to encourage happy thoughts while discouraging negative ones – I call it my 'Positivity Enhancing Neurological Integration System."
"Uh, Clemont," Serena said covering Bonnie's ears. "You might want to rethink that name…"
"Huh, why?"
"It spells 'penis,'" Mirror-Ash said making the device light up and play cheerful music.
"See, Bonnie, no explosion? Now try to think about something positive – like say your mom."
"NO - OW - STOP, THAT H-HURTS – OW! I WON'T WRITE POKEMON POETRY EVER AGAIN - OW - I SWEAR, J-JUST S-ST-STOP - OW! I-I'M BEGGING YOU, P-P-PLEASE!"
Suddenly, the device exploded, and the whole awkward scene was over.
"Yep," Bonnie said wearily. "Like I said, one explosion, right on cue…"
"B-but at least he seems happier now…"
"Just out of curiosity," Serena said as the group recovered. "Was there anyone in your world who DIDN'T abuse you?"
"Y-you mean besides 'Normal-Ash?' Well… there was Paul, nicest kid I ever met; Gary, my b-best friend in the entire world…un-til he got to Johto and now he won't give me t-the time of day; Burgundy, her advice was ALWAYS spot-on; Iris, and, of course, Team Ro-"
"Thank you for your kind words," Jessie said gleefully as a pair of metal arms descended from the sky and stole Pikachu off Ash's shoulder and tossing it into a small metal cage. "Now, prepare for you trouble, you crybaby loser."
"Oh no, you don't," Mirror-Ash said taking on a black aura, his eyes turning blood red and reaching for a pokéball that wasn't there. "Fletch-"
"And make it double," James continued. "Without your pokémon, this battle's a snoozer."
"To protect the world from-"
"HE might not have any, but WE do! FLETCHINDER, use Flame Charge on the arms!"
"You too Ches-"
"No! Use Bunnelby - it can jump higher, and it can break the cage with its ears - PLUS it can catch Pikachu in midair as it falls."
"Fine, Bunnelby, go and smash the cage Pikachu is in!"
"You cannot do this to us," Jessie shouted.
"We're not even finished with our motto yet!"
"You're NOT finishing this mission either! You're darn lucky I'm not turning you in to Officer Gio-"
"Jenny" Ash corrected.
"Sorry, I f-forgot which world I was in. The Jennys were a gang of criminals in my world controlled by-"
"You can explain it later," Ash said impatiently. "Fletchinder use Razor Wind on the balloon!"
"Don't even THINK about it, you uppity twerp. Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"
"You too Inkay, come out and use Psybeam!"
"DODGE IT QUICK, now Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
"Now, Bunnelby, use Mud Shot on Inkay!"
"And Fletchinder use Peck on the balloon – AWESOME, now, Pikachu, wrap this up with Thunderbolt!"
"Great," Jessie said exasperatedly as they shot off into the distance. "Now I'M crying!"
"Welcome to the club," James added.
"And you know what dat means…"
"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"
The group heads back inside the Pokémon Center where Ash immediately heads to the phone bank against the far wall.
"Professor O-AAAAAH"
"Rotom," he said pushing the plasma pokémon out of his shot. "I told you not to interfere with my calls like that!"
"Yep," Mirror-Ash muttered. "That's him all right."
"Sorry about that, Ash. Now what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, you see, a few weeks ago I ended up traveling into an alternate dimension."
"More aptly, it's a rare week when you DON'T."
"Well, yeah, well you see everything in that world was the exact opposite of what it is here."
"Um, okay, I'm listening."
"Obviously, I made it back… but apparently, I wasn't alone," he said stepping out of the camera range and revealing his doppelganger behind him.
"Um, hi, p-professor, Ash told me a lot about you. Y-you already seem nicer than the Oak I met in MY world, and Ash said I s-should ask you about my problem."
"What problem," Oak asked as Ash holds a drawing of a pikachu over his counterpart's right shoulder. "…Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, that must have been quite hard for you-"
"How did he know that," Serena whispered.
"Simple, because he's Professor Oak," Ash answered.
"…And if y-you can't," Mirror-Ash continued doing his best not to ruin Serena's make-up. "I - I'll understand. He also said my – I mean HIS - mom might like to hear some of my Pokémon Poe-"
"You write Pokémon Poetry too," Oak beamed, and Mirror-Ash instantly knew he was the right world…