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Temporal War

"You seriously met the Champion of an entire Region?" Misty looked at Ash with an incredulous grin as they sat in the passenger area of the jet that had been waiting for them when they reached the Ecruteak City airport. It was a relatively small ship, with a cabin up front and a few seats in a central passenger area and a rear section with a kitchen and toilets for longer flights, but it was one of various such jets kept around the various regions for use by the assorted Pokemon champions and Elite Four in the event of an emergency, and Cynthia had been able to arrange for it to be given to the group for their immediate use. "I mean, Bruno and Prima were impressive, but a Champion is on a whole new level…"

"I met a few, really, but Cynthia was just the one I bonded with best," Ash shrugged. "She helped us investigate some of Team Galactic's plans and even let me stay at her holiday home when I was taking part in a tournament in Unova along with Dawn, Iris and Cilan-"

"Ash, I get that Cyrus already changed things, but you can't just-"

"Look, Brock, I understand you being worried about me changing history, but I'm not giving you any specifics and most of the people I ended up travelling with just… well, it's like with you guys; we basically just met, realised we got on and could help each other, and ended up sticking around," Ash cut Brock off.

"Ash is right," Clemont observed. "It's not like Ash- the younger Ash- is going to remember everything and everyone we mention here unless he makes notes or something like that-"

"Should I be insulted?" Ash's past self asked the young inventor, even as his slight grin made it clear he understood that no insult was intended.

"I'm just being practical," Clemont clarified. "We're from over five years in the future and Ash is going to meet a lot of people; he can't remember every little thing we talk about, particularly when we're not giving you any more than general details and we've made it clear you shouldn't keep track of the details anyway."

"Good point," the younger Ash nodded, looking more curiously at Clemont. "So… you think that everything he did- I mean, everything I did- everything my future self did… will basically happen to me if I just… keep on going after this?"

"So long as we drop you off in the right area to increase the odds of it all playing out like it did the first time around, anyway," Clemont nodded. "I mean, we obviously can't be certain of anything when dealing with time travel, considering the lack of precedent for anything we're dealing with right now, but if we can drop you off at the right place once we've dealt with Cyrus, if you just try and live your life without worrying about whether you'll end up in the right place at the right time for… well, for everything to happen to you like it did to him, you should be fine."

"Like always," Misty muttered.

"What?" Bonnie looked curiously in her direction.

"Nothing," Misty replied in a clearer tone of voice, before she shook her head and looked at Ash with a greater sense of curiosity. "So, what you mentioned about forming a bond with some of Sinnoh's legendary Pokemon… do you think that could have anything to do with what happened to you on Shamouti?"

"Shamouti?" Ash repeated, looking uncertainly at Misty for a moment as he considered the question, recalling those dark few hours as he watched the Legendary Birds at war. "Maybe… I mean, I never thought much about my encounters with the Legendaries in that kind of context, but-"

"Shamouti?" Ash's Kalos friends repeated inquiringly.

"…Isn't that an island out in the Orange Archipelago?" Clemont asked, after exchanging glances with Bonnie and Serena to confirm they wanted him to ask the next question. "What happened there?"

"Just an incident where Ash here was identified as the 'Chosen One' who had to save the world when some screwy Pokemon Collector tried to 'collect' Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres and Lugia."

"What?" Serena, Clemont and Bonnie turned from Misty to stare incredulously at Ash.

"Y-you saved four legendary Pokemon?" Serena stuttered in shock.

"And you saved the world?" Clemont added.

"Well… y'know, things got strange, there was this prophecy that seemed to be about me… everyone was telling me I was the one to do it…" Ash's younger self shrugged helplessly.

"You're in a prophecy?" Bonnie looked at Ash with an eager grin. "Is that why Diancie and Hoopla liked you so much?"

"Who?" Brock, Misty and Ash's younger self looked curiously at the older Ash.

"…Couple of other Legendary Pokemon I ran into during my time in Kalos," Ash shrugged awkwardly, before he looked over at his past self and Misty in particular. "Look, I'm not sure if what happened on Shamouti means anything more than just that one big thing or if it's the real reason I always end up getting involved in all this other stuff that's happened to me since then, but… well, if it means saving Pokemon, does it matter why I do it?"

"…Probably not," Ash's younger self conceded. "We help people; isn't that the main thing?"

"…Yeah, you're good at that," Misty said, looking at him with a particularly cool stare for a moment before she stood up and walked out of the passenger area.

"Huh?" the younger Ash began to stand up, only for Ash to hold out a hand to keep his past self in his seat.

"I'll take care of this," he said, looking solemnly after Misty. "I… I have a feeling this is something to do with me."

"Huh?" the younger Ash said, looking uncertainly at his future self even as Ash got up from his seat and headed for the rear of the plane, taking care to wave Pikachu aside when the yellow mouse moved to follow him; somehow Ash knew that this was something he had to talk to Misty about with just the two of them. Walking through the door separating the passenger section from the small 'kitchen' and toilets, his gaze quickly settled on Misty as she stood near the plane's toilets with her arms folded and shoulders tense.

"Ash?" she looked at him in surprise. "What are-?"

"What's your problem?" Ash cut Misty off, closing the door to this section so none of the others would interrupt them until he'd finished this talk.

"My problem?" Misty repeated, looking up and staring at Ash with an incredulity that would have seemed genuine to anybody who hadn't known Misty as long as Ash had. "Why do you think I have a problem?"

"Because you've been… off ever since we got off that blimp!" Ash protested, closing the door behind them. "Acting all surprised that I know a champion, storming off when I was just answering your questions about May and Dawn… you know, I understand that this is an unusual situation, but I thought we were close enough friends-"

"Then how come Brock is the one who kept travelling with you in the future and not me?"

"What?" Ash looked at Misty in surprise.

"Yeah, Serena and Bonnie were kind enough to mention Dawn, and then you told me about how you and her met up with someone called May while you were travelling through Sinnoh with Brock, and we all know that… seriously, Team Rocket are a part of your future and I'm not?"

"Hey, it's not like I want those three to keep following me around-!"

"And I get that, but it doesn't change the fact that you made it clear I'm not there any more!" Misty cut him off with an angry stare. "I mean, you talk about how I gave you some ideas about training Water-types, but admit it; that was all just talk, wasn't it?"

"What?" Ash protested, mind racing back over everything she might have heard about the future to test her claim. "Are you seriously- in case you didn't notice, even Brock didn't know that much about Shamouti until you brought it up!"

"Because you have this weird thing about keeping the big events secret to keep Pokemon safe-!"

"Hey, you've done that too-!"

"But you don't have to do that for me!" Misty countered indignantly.

"Look, if I did something wrong, I'm sorry, but I don't know what you think-"

"Of course not, you never really think about anything, do you?" Misty looked at him in disgust. "You skim through over half your battles on luck rather than any kind of tactics, you have to get kicked in the head to get a point we're making and it still falls out of your brain a month later, you dive in to try and help total strangers and you take ages to do anything about getting me a new bike-"

"Hey, I get around to that-!"

"The bike's not important; it's just that…" Misty began, before waving her hands in exasperation. "Arceus, it's been however many years and you're still not mature enough to just say it; you moved on and forgot about me as soon as I left!"

"What?" Ash yelled, unable to believe that Misty could think something like that.

"Well, you've mentioned everyone else who's shown up in your life in the future except me; what am I supposed to think?"

"It wasn't like that; you only left-"

"What was it; did I finally realise you weren't going to improve-?"

"Your sisters made you leave!"

Once the words were out of his mouth, Ash knew he'd crossed a line in terms of the future knowledge he was meant to be sharing with his friends, but he couldn't let Misty go away thinking that he'd moved on from her as easily as she believed he had.

"I've had to say goodbye to everyone I've ever travelled with at some point or other- Arceus, you know what I'm like, you were there when I thought it was the right thing to say goodbye to Pikachu before he decided to come back to me- but what makes you different from everyone else is that you didn't want to leave me!" he said, only realising he'd moved up to her when he registered that his hands were on her shoulders. "Your sisters were going off on some stupid round-the-world cruise and the Cerulean Gym would have been shut down if you didn't go back to take over, you couldn't continue travelling with me when you would have lost your family's gym, and then those three didn't care enough to try and actually put some effort into working at the gym even when they got back because they decided that you were doing such a good job they didn't need to do anything themselves, and you had to put what was good for the Gym over what you wanted…"

"Oh," Misty said, her voice lowering as hostility shifted to a more solemn manner as she looked anxiously at Ash. "So… you didn't want me to stop travelling with you?"

"If I'd been able to do anything to keep you with me, nothing would have stopped me," Ash affirmed, before he threw his head back in exasperation. "God, I could have gone to the gym with you-"

"I wouldn't have wanted that," Misty cut him off, reaching up to tenderly cradle Ash's face, eyes briefly widening in surprise at her own action before she looked at him with a softer smile. "I mean… it's like you said; you have to live up to your own dream… even if I couldn't continue mine."

"You still manage to get out when you can," Ash observed with a brief smile as he placed a hand on Misty's face in return. "I mean, we met up again when there was this Togepi festival in Hoenn, you joined me and the others on my first few days back in Kanto when I was taking this Battle Frontier challenge, we all participated in this tournament arranged by a friend of Professor Oak's, and I try and visit you when I'm back in Pallet before I move onto a new region…"

"But it's not the same?"

"It's not," Ash affirmed. "I mean, May and Dawn were good company who taught me a lot about myself as a trainer while I helped them, Iris was like a strange sister in her own unique way, and Serena's a great friend who's really been supportive… but… well, she's not… none of them are you…"

"Which is a bad thing?" Misty asked, part of her not sure where any of this was coming from even as another part of her wouldn't let herself stop.

"None of them have ever really… challenged me the way you did," Ash clarified with a slight smile. "I had to be a partial mentor figure for May and Dawn as much as I was just travelling with them when I went to Hoenn and Sinnoh, Iris had her own fixed ideas about who and what I was as a trainer and no matter how much time I spent with her in Unova I was never sure if she just couldn't say she thought I was good or saw me as a lucky idiot, and Serena… she's been good company since I got to Kalos, and she's stepped up when she has to, but she just doesn't have your… your edge…"

Even later, neither Ash or Misty were sure who started what happened next. One minute they were staring at each other, each with a hand pressed against the other's face, and suddenly their arms were wrapped around each other, kissing as though their continued lives depended on them taking air from each other rather than the world around them…

"We… we shouldn't," Ash said, pulling back to look apologetically at his oldest friend.

"What?" Misty stared at him, her eyes wide in indignant pain. "You just-!"

"It's just… I mean, even if we stop Cyrus, I'm going to have to go back after this is all over," Ash explained, looking awkwardly at Misty even as a part of him wanted to keep kissing her. "And… OK, the idea of preserving the original history pretty much went out the window when I realised Cyrus was here, but I can't just… I mean, you're younger than me right now, and I… I mean he…"

"He won't get it?" Misty asked, tone softening as she looked thoughtfully at Ash while indicating the door leading back to the passenger area.

"Or at least he'll be stupidly jealous and be absolutely crap at getting it across," Ash shrugged. "I mean, there's a reason I didn't like Rudy and Danny even if I didn't really get why I didn't like them at the time."

"Right," Misty said, chuckling slightly at him despite her solemn expression. "So… when this is over…"

"Be patient with him," Ash smiled in understanding. "But you have to know… he might be crap at realising it, but… well, Pikachu might be first, but you'll always be my closest human friend."

He knew that he shouldn't do even as he instinctively leaned towards Misty, but if he'd already had one, surely just one more to 'seal the deal' couldn't hurt-

The door suddenly opened and the two looked back to realise that Serena was standing there, looking at Ash and Misty as they stood far too close to each other for a friendly relationship.

"Oh," Serena said, a tremble in her voice that made it clear she understood what had just happened.

"Ah," Misty said uncertainly.

"OK," Ash said, moving to stand in front of Serena as he looked apologetically at her. "I'm… Serena, I'm sorry, but-"

"How?" Serena looked tearfully at him.

"How?" Ash and Misty repeated.

"How could you?" Serena said, still looking at Ash as though she was about to break down in tears. "I mean I… I started my journey to see you… we've been through so much… I thought you-"

"I don't," Ash looked regretfully at Serena, reaching over to place his hands on her shoulders while maintaining a respectful distance from her. "I'm sorry if I ever gave you the impression that I… that we had anything more, but even if it's been-"

He paused and moved past Serena, but only to close the door behind her as Bonnie and his past self turned to look curiously at the three of them. Turning back to the two girls, Ash took care to keep his hand on the door handle behind him; if he couldn't lock this door, he could at least make sure the three of them had no interruption during what was bound to be a difficult talk.

"As I was saying," he looked at Serena apologetically, "you've been a great friend, and I've appreciated your support and your company since we started travelling together, but… I'm sorry if it's harsh, but you almost have too much faith in me."

"You don't like that?" Misty looked at Ash in surprise.

"And that's a bad thing?" Serena asked tearfully.

"It is when I'd be constantly feeling like I had to measure up to your view of me," Ash clarified, looking regretfully at Serena. "I appreciate your faith in me, but Misty… she believes in me, but she also challenges me when what I am might not be enough. She's always pushed me to be better than I was, she's had her own unique style of encouraging me even when she's criticising me, and… again, this isn't meant as a criticism of you, but I feel that I can help her achieve her dream more than I can help you achieve yours because it's just… easier for me to adapt to that."

"You're picking her/me because it's easier?" Serena and Misty said simultaneously.

"I just meant that I get Misty's goal and feel we can help each other more easily than I can help you with yours, and I am not making any kind of… choice because it's easier!" Ash countered. "I'm making a choice because I… when I look into the future and imagine what I want to happen… even after travelling through four regions without her, it's always felt wrong that I'm not seeing everything with Misty, when I never even really remembered Serena until we met up again in the Santalune Gym."

"Oh," Misty said, looking between Ash and Serena with a conflicting expression on her face as she took in the gleaming tears in the corner of the other girl's eyes.

"I am sorry, Serena," Ash continued, walking up to stand in front of the girl whose heart he'd just broken. "I never wanted to hurt you, and I'm sure you'll find someone who can feel that way about you… but it can't be me."

"Because you already gave her everything?" Serena asked, sniffing as she rubbed at her eyes.

"Before I even knew I'd done it," Ash affirmed.

"…You know something, Ash?" Serena looked at him with a tearful smile. "There are times when it really sucks that you're such a good person."

With that she gave him an impulsive hug and then walked off into the plane's bathroom, giving Ash and Misty an awkward wave before she closed the door behind her, even as her gleaming eyes made it clear that she was about to start crying.

"Huh," Ash said, nodding slightly to himself in realisation. "So that's why I liked Tierno more than Rudy."

"Who?" Misty asked.

"Tierno's a trainer I've run into a few times in Kalos," Ash answered. "I just realised that they both liked teaching their Pokemon dance moves as an addition of their battle style, but I… I mean, Tierno never really got to me in the same way that Rudy did, and it's…"

"Me?" Misty asked with a tentative smile, as though uncertain how she should feel about this revelation. "Why would- oh."

"Worked it out, huh?" Ash grinned at her, even if the grin didn't reach his eyes like it would have done under normal circumstances. "Tierno's not exactly great at showing it, but he does like Serena… and I was never that bothered about it from him, but when Rudy showed the same kind of interest in you…"

"Really?" Misty looked at him sceptically. "I didn't really get the impression you'd even noticed that he was-"

"Just because I had no idea how to show that I was jealous doesn't mean I didn't feel it," Ash clarified, smiling briefly at Misty once again before he turned back to look solemnly at the bathroom where Serena's faint sobs could be heard once again. "I never meant to hurt Serena, and I'll always think of her as a good friend, but I just… I don't…"

"You can't make yourself feel something, Ash," Misty leaned over to give his hand an affectionate squeeze. "If she's the kind of friend you think she is… she'll come around."

Ash noted that Misty didn't say that Serena would 'get over it', but it was probably for the best; even with his limited emotional experience, based on what he'd seen of Serena's reaction to his news he doubted that she'd 'get over' what he'd just inadvertently done to her any time soon.

I just hope she gets past it enough to fight with us when we get to Ilex Forest; if Cyrus is after Celebi, we'll need all hands on deck

Walking back into the passenger area just behind Misty, Ash resumed his seat, trying to ignore the knowing smile Brock was giving him in favour of discussing strategies with his past self for what they might use if Cyrus attacked them.

Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to get grilled by Brock about what just happened if we survive this?

Even with that anxious thought in his mind, when Ash looked over at where Misty sat and watched his past self with a thoughtful smile on her lips and an affectionate glow in her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to regret a moment of what he'd just done.

He still wanted to stop Cyrus and get home, but if travelling through time had been what it took to get a chance to kiss Misty Waterflower, he'd take that trip however many times it would be needed in order to share that moment with her at least once.


AN: Well, I hope that lived up to everyone's expectations, but for those who prefer action, I can assure you that the main confrontation will begin in the next chapter