Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine neither do the original characters which are owned by the Pokemon Company and Satoshi Tajiri
Ash's POV
"Ouch... Just as what I expected from myself...?" Said the person who looked like me. He sharply looked at me before he came close, grinning. "You... base on your reaction, I'm pretty sure you've realized who I am, right?"
I just stared at him blankly before the other person came to view beside him, hitting him hard. "You stupid! How could he know you? Yeah, you look like him and then what? It's not like he's going to believe that right away." He finished, while my so-called look-alike's in seiza(1). My head perked up when he said the last part bringing me to my current thoughts. 'Huh... so the whole thing about my subconsciousness is true.' I took another glance to the two people in front of me, before sighing to myself.
"Umm..." The both of them looked at me, I sweatdropped. "I now understand that we're in my subconsciousness and all but... Who are you guys? More importantly, why are you guys here?"
The person who was doing the scolding a while ago hit him again, before giving me a relieved smile. "I'm Riley and this person beside me is my student and, as you may have realized earlier, he looks like you." His eyes narrowed before his smile fade away. "No, he is you and the pokemon beside him is Lucario."
The moment those words came out of his mouth, my eyes widen, surprised by what he said. "Eh?"
"Hmm..." He folded his arms, deep in thought, he glanced to his student beside who was now giving him a serious look. "Technically, he's you in the future."
I shook my head furiously. "Nononononononononono...! That's just plain impossible!"
The two of them looked to each other before they looked back at me. "Why? Anything can happen here." Said my so-called olderself.
The Riley person, however, had one of his hand on his chin. "Well, you could also think of this as a dream. A dream where all could happen, as that is also not that far from the truth."
I shook my head furiously. "I know I'm usually calm but, things like these are most definitely not my specialty. I took it just fine when you guys said that we're in my subconscious, that he-" points to my look-a-like "is me, or something like that, BUT, my question is why you guys are in MY subconsciousness or my dream or whatever you call it! Last time I check, Mewtwo, Riolu and me were falling into a void..." When I finished, I visibly saw my look-alike's Lucario flinch.
The two of them looked to each other before, my look-a-like scratches his cheeks with a wry grin on his face. 'That kind of thing really irk me, makes me think of them plotting not good.'
"Well... first... have a sit?" Said the Riley person.
I sighed to myself to have my feelings subside for a bit. "I'm sorry but, I'm already sitting. Why don't you teachers have a sit yourselves?" As I said so, I positioned my sitting, facing them with a calm face, with the two of them still flustered. "Please continue what you are saying earlier."
"Ah! R-Right." Riley cleared his throat, his flustered movements and expression all gone, same with my look-a-like, changed with a serious mood. "A-Ahem... Everything here were occurring thanks to aura."
"Aura? Do you mean the same 'aura' within the books and legends from the City of Camaron?" To which I earned a nod from them both. "But I thought, those were only legends."
My look-a-like shook his head. "No, the reason why it is said to be a legend now, were only because only few people were able use it, even back then and even fewer to this age. Among those people is, Riley."
"And you're his student?" He nod to me, before I continued. "If it's something related from the books related to 'aura', I read about it, through Aura, one can have the ability to read minds, to sense others' auras and tracking. Through it all, I never read nor heard about time travelling, that is, if what you guys were telling was the truth."
The both of them blinked to me before looking to each other. My look-alike scratches his cheek once again. "Well... it's not really time travelling, its more like travel through... erm... dreams, if I were to name it. If a person with a certain level of the same wavelength, then it's not far off from the chance that this could happen. And it just actually happened that some things got way more awry than before due to some interference, which is not supposed to be there."
"You mean, something happened in my time that greatly affected your time?" My look-a-like nod to me. "But... I still can't believe that you're me in the future..."
I just earned a series of laughter from Riley while he earned a glare from my look-alike. "Yeah, me neither, I mean... Who could've thought that this kind of kid could grow up into a young man like this!"
"Although, it seems to me that you're enjoying about this way too much, Riley-sensei." Yeah, me too, I guess people can change to we thought the least. After a few moments of laughter from us, we finally calmed down.
"So? What else do you want to say to me?" Was what I immediately asked when they calmed down.
"We want you to solve those problems to your waking world where you are in right now." My eyes widen to what he just said. 'Eh? The world where I'm in...?'
Sensing my doubt about the topic, Riley explains the subject to another term. "What we meant was, you are not in your original world, which means the world where you are in now, is the world you are not used to. When you wake from here, you will most probably meet your brother, Red, whom you met in your world. The Red that you've met when you were younger is one of the factors that affected the future." He stopped momentarily to check on me, whether I was able to follow to what he was saying, seeing no problem, he continued. "First of all, there's supposed to be no 'Red' person in our world for he is you, in another term, he is your counterpart in our world. Seeing as he is your counterpart, knowing your character, he has to have a motive for coming to this world and befriending you. If that's the case, then something must've happened to his world that cannot be solved by themselves."
"And that's where you enter," I looked to my look-a-like, who looked at me seriously. "The reason Red came to you, and not to me was most probably because of the gift that I've lost when I was younger. Even if I had the experiences in handling pokemons, that gift of mine was way more precious than my Aura." He looked to his side to where Lucario is sitting beside him.
Hit by realization, I walked to beside Lucario, Riley's eyes following me. I reached out to Lucario's head to pat it, when I heard an unfamiliar voice. An oh so familiar voice ever since the day I've him around Mewtwo... his voice changed a bit, maybe because he already grew up? "Riolu?"
The Lucario in front of me smiled widely, while Riley and my look-a-like smiled to themselves. "Is the same Riolu I know?"
I heard a soft chuckle from my side, my look-a-like laughing to himself. "See? Didn't I told you? And I'm pretty sure you already have an idea to what I'm talking about right?"
"Future..." The both of them flinched. "The ability to see the future... It's what you're talking about, right?"
He nod to me, just as when he was about to voice out something, Riley and Lucario were enveloped in light before becoming transparent. "It seems our time here is up, I leave the rest to you Ash." They vanished in thin air just in time my look-a-like nod to him.
When Lucario and Riley vanished, the air around my (now accepted) future self changed, his earlier cheery and seemingly outgoing attitude changed to serious. Keeping my calm demeanor while my mind's in shambles, I asked my now accepted future self to continue what he was explaining earlier.
"You haven't told anyone about your ability, right? Even mom?" I nod, "Good, you must never tell anyone of this ability of ours, even to our closest friends."
I narrowed my eyes to what he said, "'friends'?" My voice dripping with venom as I said the word. "I have no need for friends!" To which my future self smiled softly to himself.
"Unfortunately, that's going to change over the years, the moment when you become a pokemon trainer or maybe even earlier than that. That aside, from here onwards, you'll have to choose to whom you'll save."
"Eh?" I blinked in confusion as he stare at me.
"I absolutely have no idea to what could happen after you finished your errand at Red's world but, one thing is not going to change. The last summer I spent with Gary before I became a pokemon trainer, was the last summer I spent with him as his little brother." His eyes became distant, most probably recalling his past. 'But... What does he mean?'
"That summer...his family got in an accident." I got a dreadful guess to what he was about to say, and as I wait for him to say so, my chest tightens. "In that accident... there were no survivors... Except for him and his sister which triggered a big change of heart within himself."
Frozen to where I sat, I just stare at him, while he let out a single stream of tear in his face as his eyes dulled. He wiped his tears before continuing again. "But, everything might change. Now that there's an interference, things might change to something better or maybe even worse. The decision is yours and yours alone."
I then took notice of his transparency, as light particles began to disperse, I asked him one last question. "If you are to choose between your life and your so-called friends... who will you choose?"
He gave me one last smile before answering. "You already know, right? Despite your coldness to others, the truth is, you are just afraid."
"Why? Why do you have to always leave all your work to me...Arceus?" With my hair covering my eyes, I just kept quiet for my other visitor.
I can hear Arceus' footsteps getting closer to me, before he completely stopped near me. "'Why?' Because you're the most befitting to do the job. That's why, my chosen."
"And? What is it? What are you keeping? Surely there's more than that, you've never been the type to spill it all at once. My future self was only able to come here because of your permission, if not for your permission, no matter what they try, they'll never be able to come here."
"That's right, but, you now have a reason not to stay quiet. You now have to choose to whom you shall save; both Red and your world or your beloved brother and best friend."
I felt my body tremble in anger as I clench my fist. "I didn't know..." I can hear my voice waver as I continue. "That the 'Original One' is merciless..."
"Merciless? Maybe, maybe not... One can do anything just for the sake of protecting but... one thing for sure... No matter how bad things were, no matter how dirty the job is, no matter what people did to you, you'll always be the forgiving one..."
Just like that, I could no longer sense other presence within my subconsciousness. I let out a dry laugh as I unclench my fist and a bead of tear on my eyes, on the verge of falling. "Why does everyone does whatever they like without asking the person himself?!"
End Ash's POV
Red's House
After Red, Blue, Gold, Mewtwo and, Riolu arrived at Pallet town, Red and Blue went on their own. Gold followed Blue to Professor Oak's lab while Red, together with Mewtwo and Riolu went to his house.
"Hey, what are you going to do after this, Red?" Asked Mewtwo who was hovering beside Red.
They were now resting at his living room after Red had Ash rest on his bed with Riolu at his side. "Hmm... for now, first, I'm going to wait for Ash to wake up. After that, I'm going to reaffirm the situation at Professor's lab. I just left here not too long but, who knows, maybe the situation got worse or got better. Gold just went after me so he got a better grasp of the situation but, we're way too unsure. Those organizations are all over the world "
Mewtwo had his arms folded. "Did anyone else came with you other than Gold?"
Red tilted his head in a questioning manner. "No, last time I checked, it's only us."
Mewtwo kept quiet, deep in thought. "That's weird..."
"Why would it be weird? All pokedex holders were present when we made our plan, and all agreed for only the two of us to go."
"I see, then maybe we have another visitor." Followed by a sigh from him.
Red narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"
"Its nothing, so no need to be so alert. The only person to be alert here is-" Mewtwo got cut off by a crash from upstairs. "That was fast."
"Ash!" Worried about his brother Red quickly went to his room, however, what he saw was most definitely what he's not expecting.
There, was a panic-stricken Mew and a defensive Riolu. Mew was by the window while Riolu was in front of his bed, defending Ash. He could hear Mew talking with Riolu in pokespeech so... he was in lost in what was happening, that is until Mewtwo arrived beside him. "Mewtwo... the visitor you're talking about... was it Mew?"
"Seems that way but, I never thought of her to find us this easily. Could it be... she's furious?"
Red silently turned to him, casting aside the seemingly conversation of the two other pokemon in the room. "Furious?"
Mewtwo nod to him with a bemused smile on his face. "A certain person kept teasing her and then suddenly left her in air."
Red was about to ask him when Riolu got thrown to his face. "What now? If these guys won't stop, they might wake Ash!" He picked up Riolu to stopped him and Mew from further bickering but, to no avail.
Red trying to stop Riolu and Mew, while Mewtwo was watching the scene. This continued for a while until a soft moan came from Ash, and all stopped.
Red went to his side to check on him. "Ash?" He noticed a tear on the corner of his eye, he wiped it away, as he did so, Ash woke up.
With a blurry vision, Ash tried to focus his vision to his surroundings. "Mewtwo? Riolu?" Riolu barked out while Mewtwo let out a relieved sigh. He then noticed two other presence in the room. "Mew and... Who are you?"
Red flushed in embarrassment. 'What should I do? Ash has never seen me in this state! Should I tell him? Should I?! or Not?!'
While his head's in shambles, Ash then took Mew and Riolu in his arms. "Hey, Riolu, Mew, you guys were pretty rowdy while I was out and, Mew followed us here?"
Mewtwo hovered to him. "And? How are you feeling? Did you have an unusual visitor?"
Red stopped momentarily, so did Riolu and Mew, leaving the room in silent. "Yeah... I'm fine and, as always, he pushed to me all his work again and it seems he thought that it's not enough and added another one. Leaving me with two other visitors."
"Visitor? What-" Red got cut off by the sudden appearance of a very furious Blue by the door. "Blue?"
"Hey! What are you doing?! You do realize that we're waiting for you! Red!" Red rambled all over the place before putting a hand over Blue's mouth. "What are you doing! Let go!"
Ash tilted his head. "What's wrong?" Red just nervously smiled to him while holding Blue down. Letting out a tired sigh, he stand up from the bed to Red. "You know, you're obvious, Red-nii."
Blue looked to him strangely while Red was practically frozen on his spot. "'Nii'? Oi, Red, don't tell me... geh!" Blue looked to his assailant, frozen in ice. "HEY!"
Ash sighed to himself. 'Geez, this is becoming more and more of a hassle. Is it wrong of me to ask for a peaceful life before my 10th birthday?'
The three pokemon sensing his feeling, pat his head all at once. "Well... don't think of it too much and, have fun!" said Mew in his head.
"Mew has a point, if you kept on thinking about things way too much, it would be a waste. After all, we're on a different world." Said Mewtwo as he withdrew his paw while Riolu barked out an answer.
Ash just kept silent before muttering an answer. "You're... right..."
Just as he finished, Red glomped him in a hug. "Thank goodness! I really thought that you won't recognize me! But how did you know?"
Blue smacked his head. "That's what you're worrying?! Aren't you surprised that he knew who you are despite your appearance?! Arghh! I'm suppose to keep my cool here!"
"Geez... Blue, calm down! But, Blue has a point, how did you know?" All people and pokemons in the room stared at Ash, except for Mewtwo.
Ash's eyes dulled for moment before being covered by his hair. "It's nothing special, anyone would've realized it was him base on his behavior. That aside, are we in the future? 'Cause..." He pointed to Blue who was beside Red. "That's Gary... right?"
Everyone fell silent before Blue walked up to him. "Unfortunately, I'm not the Gary person you spoke of nor are we in the future." He then picked up Ash to his arms, disregarding the pokemon on his lap. "Sorry but, you'll be coming with us for a while. We'll explain it to you, as thorough as possible and in exchange, tell us what happened inside Team Rocket's base you guys just sneaked in." Ash just gave him a silent nod in agreement. "Then, let's to gramps' lab, those two are waiting for us."
Red followed the two along with the pokemons, when he suddenly remembered what pokemons are with him. "Mew, Mewtwo... could you just teleport to the lab? It would be dangerous if guys walked out in the streets with us."
Mewtwo who already heard the whole story nod to him, he took Riolu in his arms and grabbed Mew's tail before teleporting. "See you later." He gave him a last wave before going out. "Sorry for the wait, let's go." He gave Ash a glance, who was being quiet. 'Just please don't tell me you've gone back to who you are before I met you... When you've finally begun to change.'
When they've arrived at the lab, they saw Mew, Mewtwo and Riolu at the coral. Seeing everything's fine, they went ahead inside, Gold and the Professor were at the living room, nonchalantly drinking tea. "Oh! Red! Blue! Welcome back!"
"Red-senpai! and... Is he still not awake?" He pertain to Ash, who was being carried by Blue, Ash moved his head to look back to Gold. "What the... aren't you awake?" Ash just stare at him before disregarding him and squirmed out of Blue's arms to settle down.
"Ok, ok, I got it! Here." He ran behind Red's legs, hiding there for a while. "Geez, what's your problem kid? You seemed to be having fun with those pokemons of yours for bit back in Red's house, and now, this." Ash frowned for bit, before letting go of Red's pants to sit beside Professor Oak, with Red's eyes following him.
Professor Oak cleared his throat to call everyone's attention. "Ahem! Well... Why don't we all have a sit and start?" The three looked to each other before shrugging and took a sit with the tea being served.
"Now that all's clear," He looked beside him, where Ash was seated. "Ash... that's your name isn't it?" He received a silent nod. "Then Ash, do you know where you are right now?" Ash shook his head, "I see, then, do you know anything about parallel worlds?" Ash looked to him, surprised. "Well, it's not bizarre to realize no that you know about stuffs like this, from what I heard from Red, you're a quite intelligent young-man."
"Parallel Worlds, you say? You mean, THOSE parallel worlds?" Asked Ash who was still surprised.
Professor nod to him, while the other three occupants of the room just stared silently at the two. "Yeah, the world where you live and this world are two different worlds, despite having the same land. You are still in the pokemon world, you are still at Pallet town, however, the people here are all strangers to you."
"They say, Palkia has the ability to warp space though, rather than warp space, it was more likely alternate reality. If what you are saying is true, then I'm in an alternate reality of my world." Professor Oak nod to him, while the other three occupants of the room calmly sip tea.
"You truly are a wonderful young man, Ash. Now, back to business, I think you already met Giovanni, right?" The three opened one eye to look at Ash.
Ash tilted his head in question,before nodding. "Yeah, we broke into their hideout near the Tree of Beginning."
Blue and Gold spilled their tea in shock while Professor Oak, despite being shocked, kept his cool. "I see, can you tell us what happened there?"
"If that's what you're going to ask him then, please let me explain it in his place." All occupants of the room, except for Ash looked at Mewtwo who was by the window.
"By all means... go on..." Muttered Professor Oak so, Mewtwo hovered to Ash's side, who smiled a bit to him.
'Just what did that guy told you?' thought Mewtwo to himself when he glance a bit to Ash's side. "Then, let us begin."
Flashback
"We're here and all but... how are we going to free those pokemons, Ash?" Asked Mewtwo who was hovering beside him, behind the trees.
"I'm still not sure if their boss already came back or not but, since that guy seems to be in a hurry back then, and it quite some time had already passed, I think he's back. And now that he's back doesn't mean anything to our current situation, we've got to have those pokemons free as our top priority for now."
Riolu and Mewtwo had their eyebrows raised. "And just what is your top priority, when freeing those pokemons is not the first?"
Ash looked at him saying, 'seriously?' but, nonetheless answered. "Simple, for fun, since I'm here and all. You already know I can't just sit tight with all of this in front of me, even if I said I'm only to strategize."
Riolu dryly looked at him. "Ri-ri-riolu?" Ri-ri?" (seriously? Of all?)
Mewtwo let out a sigh, casting a glare momentarily to Riolu, who flinched to him. "Anyway, what's your plan?"
Ash had his arm folded in thought. "The most that I can think of, from all the information you told me from Riolu, most of the pokemons were being held underground, the labs were in the ground floor up to second floor and, the office of the boss at the third. It would be better to have those pokemons underground be freed before going to the labs. We could use the temporary chaos to our advantage, that's how it is most of the time anyway."
Riolu looked at him dryly. "Ririo, riolu..." (and he just skipped it)
Mewtwo sighed to himself. "Then I'll go by myself, Riolu will go with you, although it would much faster to have us scattered to move on their own. It would be dangerous for you to be alone so Riolu will go with you, got that?" Riolu nod to him, while Ash just continued to stare at him. "What? Is there something more?"
"Yeah, since all of us are going together underground to free those pokemons, and go to each other's way to the labs... Maybe we should destroy the labs while we're on it... Whatever those guys are planning, they're nothing good, that's for sure."
Mewtwo and Riolu looked to each other, shrugging. "I guess so..."
"Right? So, I've been thinking, Mewtwo should go free the pokemons while Riolu and I will hide near the labs in the midst of confusion later on."
Mewtwo's ear twitch, his eyes darkening in irritation. "YOU'RE THE ONE TO FREE THE POKEMONS! As if I'll let you do the most dangerous job of all!"
Ash folded hi arms in retaliation, "And as if I'll let you have all the fun!"
Riolu shook his head before walking beside Ash, dragging him off to the basement through the air-vents. "Ririo~" (see you!)
Mewtwo sighed to himself as he watch the two, making himself invisible while waiting for them. The wait however, didn't last long for just about... 15 mins of wait.
Without any more delay, Mewtwo started his part after he heard the warning and the scientists and grunts runs off all over the base. 'At last...'
Within the confusion, Mewtwo started to shoot aura spheres toward the computers and facilities all over the place, quickly teleporting to the next floor to have more jobs done before Ash comes. 'I really hope that when this ends... all will be fine...'
That's when he heard it, one of the grunts reported back from the boss' floor, and broadcasted it through the base. "All personnels are to evacuate and destroy all of the projects once you've copied the important parts! We are to relocate the HQ for now! I repeat..."
Mewtwo shivered to his thoughts of what was happening. 'All of these... are some sort of preparation to something... I...' He got taken back from his reverie when he saw a Poliwag and Kadabra from the corner of his eye, the two shot off a water gun and psychic to one of the computers.
The attack called the attention of the grunts who were by the computers, trying to save some of the datas on their disc. "Those damn pokemons! Get them!"
Mewtwo quickly took his move, he hovered to them, teleporting them outside. He heard Ash's voice from the building calling to him. "Mewtwo!"
"Ash! What are you doing here?!" Ash grabbed his arm back inside the building, with Riolu tailing behind. "Mewtwo! teleport me back to the second floor labs! Quick!"
As Ash seemed to be in great hurry, he teleported themselves to a storage room near the labs. "I know we're in a hurry but what's happening here?" Asked Mewtwo as they covered themselves again.
"They were planning to use the tree's system for their own good, however, things didn't went as planned. The tree's system went on rampage due to excessive foreign objects inside it, the security, the Regis got caught by the syndicate, which made it a lot worse. Now that things are done and everything, they were planning to let the tree to destroy itself, through it's so-called security measures. Have Mew be teleported this instant inside the tree's core! The pokemons of the tree are all helping us to save their home."
Mewtwo and Riolu smirked to themselves, both thinking the same thing. 'And he said he don't care...'
Sensing their thoughts, Ash sharply glared the two. "Yes, I really don't care about these pokemons, but I don't planning on watching several living beings die in front of me." The three helped the other pokemons get out of the now-burning building, to safety after they finish deleting and burning the files to nothing.
When they were about to exit, Giovanni appeared before them. "The lot of you seemed to own me this time, almost all of the files within the lab may be lost but, not all." He flashed them three discs, "These discs may be more of importance than to what you think of so, I guess you lose despite of your winning~" With that, he jumped off the floor to the heli waiting for him outside.
End of Flashback
"After that, we ended up here by some unknown force..." He looked around to see Professor Oak's shaken despite his calm appearance, Gold giving Ash a silent approval, Blue whistling out, Red... being the brother he is... worried sick at the same time, proud of his little brother. Ash being Ash, silently eating a cookie on his seat.
Professor Oak let out a sigh. "You certainly had one heck of an adventure my boy and, I'm surprised that you aren't shaken up by much."
Ash looked away, mumbling something to himself, which didn't do unnoticed by Mewtwo, Mew and Red. "As if there's anything new to that..."
Red gave him a worried gaze, looking back to Professor Oak, only to him talking back to Blue and Gold. Sensing his reverie, the Professor tapped his shoulder giving him a go. "Go on, have some fun with him for a while, might as well have him see your pokemons on the way."
Blue gave him a shooing gesture while Gold gave him a thumbs up. Smiling to himself, he picked up Ash on his arms on the way to the pokemon corral.
'Alright, let's go Ash! I'm going to show you something amazing! There's a lot of pokemons here, much like the pokemon corral in your world! But I'm sure, here got more something amazing!" Red continued his chatting with a struggling Ash in his arms, a tailing Mewtwo behind, Riolu hiding in the shadows, Mew hovering above them.
The three people left on their own train of thoughts on the picture. "Are those guys going to be ok?"
Gold shrugged weakly to himself. "Don't know... Red-senpai's with them... so... they... should be?"
Author's Notes~
Yay~ end of chapter~ thank you for reading I hope you liked it!
If you have questions about the story, please don't hesitate to ask it, either through PM or through the reviews. I'll try my best to answer them all :).
(1) Seiza- a formal seating, an upright kneeling position that is traditionally used in Japan
