Chapter 2

Ash looked as Ho Oh flew over him and his pokemon, gazing at its beauty, and knew his journey would be more than just a simple journey. It would be one of greatness, because he knew the lore of what happens when you see Ho Oh. He told his Pokemon those words "looks like our quest has become a divine quest." And both his pokemon, Charmander and Nidoran agreed, for they knew the significance of seeing this pokemon, even if they weren't fully sure what it was themselves, because they could feel a heavenly, pure aura from this pokemon. Ash knows though that just because he saw Ho Oh, doesn't mean he can just sit around and do nothing, waiting for his dream of becoming a pokemon master to come to him. No, he must work in order to reach that greatness. It doesn't matter if you are destined for greatness, it doesn't mean anything if you still don't work for it. And Ash will work in order to achieve his dreams. Ash decides to look at his Pokmeon, and says to them "Well, it's time to get to work. And trust me, while the training will get hard, it's worth it in the end if you want to achieve your dreams. Are you ready?" Both his Pokmeon nod, and Ash and his Pokemon will get to work.

Meanwhile, we go back to the realm of the god of pokemon, Arceus. Arceus saw what Ho Oh did, and decided to chat with the Pokemon again. Arceus says "So, it is done." ho Oh nods and says "The boy definitely has potential. I can feel the bond he has with his Pokemon already. It's definitely above what any new trainer would be able to achieve, and yet he has created a bond with his pokemon so easily." "What do you mean?" Arceus asks. "Whenever a trainer catches his pokemon, the wild pokemon will obey that trainer's orders and follow their trainer methods, because any wild pokemon knows the benefits of being caught by a trainer. They can reach heights that they would have never reached if they had remained in the wild. However, the bond between trainer and pokemon will not grow until they have been together for some time. This boy Ash has been with his Pokemon for only around 1 day, and yet, the bond between him and his Pokmeon is the equivalent of 2-3 months." Ho Oh explained. Arceus is shocked, and says "What?!" Ho Oh nods and says "I was shocked when I first felt it, but it is true. Now, this won't be as possible with legendaries, especially ones that have distrusted humans for some time. Unless Ash gets stronger that is." Arceus is stunned. If Ash gets stronger, he might even be able to reopen the hearts of the swords of justice, who have hated humans for some time. Arceus says "I knew he could create bonds with Pokemon easily. I saw it when he was able to get affection from a Dratini he just met at that Oak summer camp, but I didn't think…" Arceus composes himself, and says "I need to get in touch with him soon. I don't think he is even aware of the extent of his abilities. And he needs to know about his destiny" Ho Oh nods, and says "I was wondering when you were gonna do that. He needs to be aware of his destiny as quickly as possible. Because if I'm not correct, it's starting soon, isn't it?" Arceus nods and says "Yes. I sense the presence of a smaller evil in the Kanto region. My visions are starting to come true. First the smaller evils start to appear, each one getting worse than the last. Then, there will be a bigger evil worse than any of those smaller evils combined. And if they aren't stopped, Armageddon. The world of people and pokemon, gone. And I will be helpless to stop it."

A silence follows, and Arceus will say "When he reaches the first town, I will tell him. Ho oh nods, and will say "Good. Let me know when you tell him his destiny. I'll talk to you later father." Arceus nods, and says "Goodbye, Ho Oh." Arceus then breaks the connection he has with Ho Oh, and the bird will fly away, and disappear from view. Arceus meanwhile, will think about his next move.

Back to Ash, Ash decides to look at his Nidoran. Obviously, his Pokmeon knows Peck, Poison Sting, and Leer, standard Nidoran moves, and his gender is male. Obvious stuff. But his egg moves intrigue Ash. Horn Drill, Poison Tail, and Counter. Ash thinks a bit, and realizes one of Nidoran's parents must have been a Rhydon. Interesting. In any case, this Pokemon will become a powerhouse in the future. It also has the ability Poison Point, and will get the hidden ability Sheer Force when it becomes a Nidoking. So it's actual hidden ability Hustle doesn't matter that much.

Ash knows Nidoran needs to learn one move, because it is important for the first gym, and that is the rock type gym, the Pewter City Gym, and the gym leader, Brock Stone. He has a powerful Onix, and Ash will have to train hard and give it everything he's got in order to beat him. But he will beat him. Ash is also training Charmander on a move called Metal Claw, which will also be very useful against Brock's rock types.

(Note 1: Charmander could learn metal claw in gen 3. For some reason they got rid of it, and for the purposes of this story, I'm keeping it on the Charizard line, especially for the purposes of battling Brock. Also, I came up with Brock's last name, since it makes sense, and he never has a stated last name)

Ash's Pokemon were making good progress on their moves, but Ash definitely needed some more Pokemon on his team. It's good to have more options to battle against trainers like Brock, especially since one of his Pokemon is at a type disadvantage, and even if Charmander does learn metal claw, it's definitely still risky to send Charmander out to battle Brock.

After a bit of training, Ash goes out on the road to Viridian City, and will spot a girl with orange hair, fishing near a river. However, Ash feels as if he's seen her before. Ash then sees her pull a Gyrados on her rod. Ash is shocked, as Gyrados are the most powerful and most intimidating pokemon, in not only the Kanto region, but possibly the world. Ash then sees the girl looking straight at the Gyrados, and wonders if she is insane. However, she then sends out something he didn't expect. A Starmie. The girl then says "Starmie, use thunderbolt!" Ash then sees the Starmie unleash a 4x effective move on Gyrados, and Gyrados is really hurt from that attack. The girl then says "Pokeball, go!" She then catches the pokemon, and Ash stands there in awe, as the pokeball shakes a couple times, and then it clicks. The girl just caught a really powerful pokemon. The girl then releases her pokemon from its pokeball, and then say to the Gyrados "Hey there Gyrados. I'm Misty, your new trainer. Let's grow strong together. So that one day I can become a water Pokemon Master." Gyrados nods, accepting Misty as its trainer, and Ash realizes that this is Misty Waterflower.

(Note 2: I got this name from all the pokemon fanfics, as it makes the most sense as a last name for Misty and her sisters, especially when I don't think Misty's Last name has ever been stated, like Brock)

Ash goes up to the gym leader, and says "Wow, that was amazing. And I knew I saw you from somewhere. You're Misty Waterflower, one of 4 gym leaders of Cerulean City, and the youngest gym leader in Kanto." Misty says "Yes, that's me." Now, Misty has been a gym leader for around a year, and was able to become a gym leader due to her connections to her other sisters, and passing the gym leader test that the league requires anyone who wants to register to become a gym leader to pass. Now, the league is selective with who it chooses to become gym leaders, and one of the last things it would have wanted would be to make an 11 year old a gym leader, but the other thing with Misty was she was a prodigy. Being born into a family of gym leaders is definitely gonna do that to you. So, they allowed her to take the test, and she was able to pass. And not only pass, but get one of the highest scores ever. She even got a higher score than the 3 of her sisters, and they are pretty strong trainers themselves. It's just that Misty is just that powerful. And now she's here, showing how she became a gym leader by taking down a Gyrados with a thunderbolt and catching it.

Ash then says "Let me introduce myself, my name is Ash." Misty shakes his hand, and as she does, she can feels something is definitely different about Ash. He gives off a strong aura. But he doesn't look like he's been a trainer for too long. Misty then says "Could you tell me some stuff about yourself Ash?" Ash says "Well, I'm a trainer from Pallet Town. I am a sponsored trainer form Professor Oak as well." Misty then widens her eyes, and says "So you're one of the trainers who is sponsored by Professor Oak. Can I see your starter." Ash then releases his Charmander, and Misty says "So, this is one of the Pokemon that is given to trainers who are sponsored by Professor Oak. This Pokemon looks very strong. How long have you two been together?" Ash says "I just started my journey yesterday, so one day." Misty is surprised. From first glance, Ash seems to already have a pretty strong bond with his pokemon even though he's only been a trainer for a day. There's definitely something about his kid that screams "Power" and "Potential", and Misty wants to feel it for herself. Misty says "Could you do me a favor Ash?" Ash says "Sure, what is it?" Misty then says "Would you battle me?" Ash is shocked, as he is right now being challenged by a gym leader like Misty, a prodigy, a girl who became a gym leader at 11 years old, and got one of the highest scores ever on the gym leader test. Ash becomes a bit nervous, but MIsty then says "Don't worry, I won't be using any of my more powerful pokemon, just this pokemon." Misty then releases a Shellder. Ash looks at the pokemon, and feels that while it is not the strongest pokemon in the world, it is definitely nothing to scoff at. Ash says "Ok, I will accept your challenge. Though I will challenge your Shellder with my Nidoran, as my Charmander is weak to your Shellder, and Charmander doesn't have any counters to water yet." Misty nods and says "Smart choice."

A little bit later, both trainers stand on opposite ends of the river, their pokemon ready to battle. Misty can tell that while Nidoran isn't as strong as Charmander, it is definitely strong, especially for a Pokemon that was caught yesterday. So Misty will not underestimate it. Misty says "Get ready Ash, I will not go easy on you." Ash will say "Same here."

The battle begins, and Ash will say "Nidoran, Poison Sting!" And Nidoran will unleash the poison sting, and Misty will say "Dodge it Shellder!" Shellder will do just that, dodging the poison sting. Misty says "Use Water Gun!" Shellder will then fire off a water gun at the Nidoran, and ash will say "Dodge it Nidoran!" Nidoran will dodge it but barely. Ash can already tell this will be a hard battle, especially against someone like Misty. Ash then says "Nidoran, get in close, and use peck." Nidoran obeys, and Misty says "Shellder, Icicle Spear!" Shellder then unleashes its icicle spear. Nidoran tries to dodge the spears, but will end up getting hit by one, and is sent tumbling on the ground. "Nidoran!" Ash exclaims. Misty then says "Use Tackle." Ash tells Nidoran to dodge, and Nidoran gets up, but it gets hit by a tackle, and Nidoran is on the ground again.

Misty is curious, as this is the test of any trainer: how far will they go to win. Any normal trainer here would give up the match and take care of their pokemon, and that's a fine decision to make. Any terrible trainer would mistreat their pokemon, and force it to battle when it can't even battle anymore. However, only a select breed of trainer will be able to know when their pokemon can fight and how much strength and energy they have in them, continue the fight, and raise themselves up to another level. Is Ash that select breed? Ash then says "You got this Nidoran, I know you can do this!" Nidoran then gets up, and then Ash says "Alright Nidoran, let's show her what we can do!" Misty smiles, as this battle is going to be kicked up a notch.

Ash then sees Nidoran give him a look, and Ash smiles, and then says "Nidoran, use Double Kick!" Nidoran then does just that, using the move it had trained itself for around a day to be able to use it. But don't let that fool you, it worked hard to learn it. And now in the heat of battle, is now able to use it. Nidoran then dashes towards Shellder at a speed it is not expecting, and hits Shellder straight on with a double kick. Misty is surprised but excited. Battles like these are why she's a gym leader. Ash then says "Nidoran, use peck!" Nidoran does just that, and hits Shellder straight on with Peck. Misty then says "Shellder, Water Gun!" Shellder then hits Nidoran with water gun, and Nidoran is sent back flying, but lands back on the ground. Ash then says "Nidoran, use Poison Sting!" Nidoran fires it, and Misty will say "Shellder, dodge it!", but Shellder will not be able to dodge it in time, and gets his. Then, all of a sudden, purple electricity envelops around Shellder, and it has a purple blush on its face. Misty realizes right away that Shellder has been poisoned.

Ash then sees this opportunity, and says "Nidoran, Double Kick!" Nidoran goes in, and Misty says "Dodge it Shellder!", and Shellder will be able to dodge one kick, but not the other. Misty is amazed, as Ash has pushed her this far. But she is not gonna lose, not here. Misty then says "Shellder, it's time we took this battle up a notch!" Shellder nods, cries out, and Ash and Nidoran know that Shellder is ready for round 2.

Misty says "Shellder, tackle!" Shellder then dashes and tackles Nidoran, and Nidoran is sent flying, but is back on its feet, but iis panting. Misty then says "Shellder, Water Gun!" Shellder does as commanded, and fires off a water gun. Ash would command Nidoran to dodge, but the water gun hits before he can even make the command, and Nidoran is once again on the ropes. Ash then says "I'm not losing here. NIdoran, can you still fight?" Nidoran nods, and Ash says "Okay, Nidoran, Poison Sting!" Nidoran then unleashes a Poison Sting, but Misty then says Shellder, Withdraw!" And Withdraw is able to stop Shellder from taking a lot of damage. However, the Poison is taking its toll, as Shellder is getting weaker and weaker. However, Nidoran isn't looking too good either. Both trainers know the battle is coming to an end.

Ash and Misty smile, and shout their final commands. Misty says "Shellder, water gun!" Ash sees this and says "Dodge, and use Double Kick!" Nidoran dodges, and is going in for the double kick, but MIsty smirks, as she was waiting for that. Misty says to herself "Wait for it." Seeing Nidoran get close enough, Misty shouts "Shellder, Icicle Spear!" Ash widens his eyes in horror, as there is nothing he can do but watch as Shellder fires off a close range Icicle Spear, which sends Nidoran flying. Niodoran tumbles to the ground, and to be on the ground, not moving. It also has swirls in its eyes. This means that Nidoran has fainted. Ash sees this, and puts his head down. He was up against Misty, but he still wishes he had beaten her. And he was so close too.

Misty says "That was a great battle Ash. I definitely see why you are a sponsor of Oak." Ash smiles and says "Thank you. And they don't call you a prodigy for nothing. You had me on the ropes multiple times. If I hadn't been able to compose myself and Nidoran wasn't able to use Double Kick, I would have lost a lot earlier." Misty nods, and says "You definitely have a lot of potential. Just keep working, and you will reach it." Ash then says "Thank you. And next time when we battle, I won't lose." Misty smiles, and says "I'll look forward to it." Ash then looks at his Nidoran, and it is sad that it lost. Ash then says "Cheer up Nidoran. This is only your first battle, and it was against a trainer like Misty. We'll get stronger, and we will beat her next time we face off against her." NIdoran smiles, and licks Ash's face, and Ash laughs a bit.

Misty then says "Here, let me heal your Nidoran." Misty would then give the Nidoran some potions. Nidoran was healed, and Nidoran thanks Misty. Misty then says "Say, we are only like a day or 2 out from Viridian City by foot. Now, I could easily go back on my bike, but, how about I help with your training for a bit, and we could make it to Viridian City the next day." Ash says yes immediately, as training with a gym leader is definitely something he can't pass up. And for the next couple days, Ash would train with Misty, and his Pokemon would get stronger in the process.

During that time frame, Ash would learn why Misty was fishing on route 1. "I was trying to get away from my Sisters." she said. Ash was kinda surprised, as he didn't expect to hear this from her. All reports about her said she and her sisters were pretty close. "I guess everything is not what it seems," Ash thinks to himself. Misty then says "For a long time, I thought I wanted to become a gym leader. And when I had accomplished that, I really believed it was a dream come true, that this was something I would do for the rest of my life. But slowly, I realized that it wasn't the case. I grew tired of the same old song and dance. It didn't help that I was winning a lot, to the point that my own sisters had told me to 'play down to my competition', and actually give challengers a chance to win. It went against everything I was taught about being a gym leader, which is to give it everything we got, even if we are using lower level pokemon." Ash took note of that, as he knew that gym leaders used different teams to combat different trainers depending on how many badges they had. This was to prevent all battles from being washes if the gym leaders used their strongest pokemon. Though that didn't mean that the battles themselves would be easy, because the gym leaders would go all out with the pokemon they would use, no matter how weak they were.

Misty then said "There was also the fact that my sisters started focusing more on their performances rather than battling. They are strong trainers themselves, but they over the years had seemed to lose interest in battling. We had initially talked about being gym leaders together and a challenger choosing one of us to fight, or maybe have the challenger only get his badge if they had beaten 2 out of the 4 of us. And I loved those ideas. But they never came to fruition. Instead, I'm stuck doing all the work, and they just do their performances. And when I was beating all these challengers, some would request for my other sisters, because I was 'too hard'. Those challengers would even file complaints, which would then eventually get me in some meeting. And I told them I was just doing my job, and also told them what was going on. They believed me, because they knew my skill and they also weren't gonna go hard on me, because I'm young, so I had that to my advantage. However, this would further strain my relationship with my sisters. I got into fights with them about his a lot, and I was growing tired of all the bullshit."

Ash would cringe at the curse word, because his mom punished him for using the word so hard that Ash's butt hurt for like a month, and his mouth tasted like soap for 3 weeks, but he was more interested in what Misty was telling him. Misty continued, saying "Eventually, around a week ago, I just left. I told them to deal with the gym themselves and just left, not looking back. And that's how I ended up here, training some upstart trainer while looking to hopefully one day achieve my new dream: become a water pokemon master." Ash looks at Misty in awe, as she seems to have quite the dream. If she wanted to be a water pokemon master, she would have to be the strongest water trainer out there. Not only catching a lot of water pokemon, excluding legendaries, but also beating other water trainers around the world, including gym leaders. It's easier than becoming a Pokemon Master, because you don't have to win every pokemon league and beat every champion and do everything else that is required in order for you to be a pokemon master, but it's still not easy. But if anyone can do it, it's Misty.

Ash then says "if that's what you want to do, then go for it, you don't have to be a gym leader if you don't want to." Misty's eyes widen, but then she smiles, and says "Thank you Ash." Ash then says "It kinda sucks, it would have been awesome to battle you again as a gym leader." Misty then says "Yeah, I kinda get what you mean", and then an idea pops in her head, but she'll tell Ash about it when they get to Viridian City. Ash would also tell her about his encounter with Ho oh, and Misty definitely reacted in a normal way: freaking out and looking at Ash in shock. Misty would then say "I knew there was something special about you." Ash would then blush in embarrassment and say "Yeah, I guess so."

2 Days Later

After 2 days, Ash and Misty have reached Viridian City. Ash is pretty happy to be here. He has heard that the gym leader of Viridian is named Giovanni. Not much is known about him, but he never accept a challenger with less than 7 badges. Ash sees the Viridian gym as the final obstacle to getting to the Indigo Plateau, and cannot wait for the day he faces off against him, as he has heard he is really strong. Ash then says "I guess this is where we part Misty. Good luck with your journey of becoming a Water Pokemon Master." As Ash is about to head to the Pokemon Center, Misty grabs Ash by the collar, and says "Oh no you don't!"

Ash is surprised, while also annoyed, and asks "Hey, what's the big idea?" Misty then says "Sorry for grabbing onto your collar like that, but I'm not leaving you just yet." Ash is surprised, and asks "What do you mean?" Misty then says "While it is true that I want to become a Water Pokemon Master, I don't think it would be great for me if my last battle as a gym leader was against a weak opponent, and then eventually ended with me crying and leaving the gym for who knows how long to achieve my dream of becoming a water pokemon master, no no no, that just won't do." Ash then asks "What are you saying?" Misty then smiles, and says "I'm gonna travel with you all the way to Cerulean City, and then once we reach the gym, you will have your rematch." Ash is excited, as this means more training with Misty, and that means he should be ready to take on Brock in no time. Misty then says "I cannot wait to see how much stronger you will become by the time we have our rematch.. I may be training you to one day beat me, but based on what I've seen from you, I think I'm okay with that." Ash says "That's not entirely true, because you will also get stronger as a result from training me." Misty then smirks, and says "Perhaps." Ash then says "Alright, I'm gonna go to the Pokemon Center, and then go on Route 22 to catch a Mankey." Misty then says "I'll go with you to the Pokemon Center, then go look around the city and get some stuff from the Pokemon Mart. We'll meet back at the Pokemon Center." Ash and Misty nod, go to the Pokemon Center to get their mons checked, and they are declared to be in a clean bill of health.

Ash then decides to go onto route 22, and as he planned, he caught a Mankey. It was a tough battle between him and his Nidoran, but Nidoran was able to use peck and double kick to weaken Mankey, and Ash was able to catch it. After healing it, Ash would then tell Mankey "Hey Mankey, I'm your new trainer, let's grow strong together. I will work hard to raise you into a powerful Primeape, and hopefully one day you can help me achieve my dream of becoming a Pokemon Master." Mankey looks at Ash, and feels a warmth from Ash that is incredibly inviting, and thinks this Ash kid is pretty alright. He also has a feeling he will become a powerful primeape if he goes with Ash. Mankey goes up to Ash, and does something neither he nor Ash expected. He gives Ash a hug. Ash is shocked, but embraces the Pokemon. However, that would not be the only pokemon Ash would catch.

On route 22, as he returns his Mankey, he sees something he didn't expect to see: A Murkrow, on a tree branch, looking at him. Ash knows that it is possible to see Johto Pokemon in Kanto, and knows that it is possible to see a Murkrow on route 22, since it is on the way to the Indigo Plateau, and the Indigo Plateau is not far away from the Johto region, but seeing Murkrow here is rare. And Ash has found one only 3 days into his journey. Ash composes himself, because it is one thing to be able to find a Murkrow: it's another to be able to catch one. Ash sends out his Charmander. Murkrow doesn't leave, and instead wants to challenge Ash and his Charmander.

Murkrow then unleashes a Wing Attack, and Ash will tell Charmander "Charmander, use Ember" And it scores a direct hit on the Murkrow. Murkrow is down on the ground, but is not out of the fight yet. Murkrow goes in for a pursuit, so Ash tells Charmander "Use Smokescreen!" Charmander does this, and will cover the Murkrow in smoke. The Murkrow loses sight of the Charmander, and then Ash will say "Use Ember!" And through the smoke, the ember hits, and Murkrow then all of a sudden has a flame engulf it. It has been burned. Ash sees this as an opportunity to try something. Ash says "Charmander, use Metal Claw!" Charmander complies.

Now, Charmander has been working hard to learn Metal Claw. It has been kinda hard, but it has almost mastered Metal Claw. The problem is it takes longer to gather the power to use Metal Claw, which means Charmander can't use the move unless it is in specific circumstances. Such as now. Charmander charges its Metal Claw, and it takes a bit, but Murkrow is still getting hurt by the flames. Charmander then is able to charge the Metal Claw, and goes in for the attack. Murkrow is able to get out of the flames, only to turn around and see Charmander come at him with glowing steel like claws. Charmander jumps up, and is ready to strike. Murkow then counters with pursuit, and both moves collide, however, Metal Claw eventually gets the advantage due to the momentum it gained from jumping, and Murkow is blown back, and is on the ground.

Ash deems this to be the right time to throw a Pokeball. He throws it, and after 1 shake, 2 shakes, 3 shakes, it clicks. Ash has caught a Murkrow. Ash is so excited. First though, he has to heal the Pokemon. Obviously. Then, he talks to the Pokemon, and says "Hey there Murkrow. I'm your new trainer. I hope that you can one day become a powerful Honchkrow, and we will become strong together. I have a dream to become a Pokemon Master, and I know that you will one day achieve that for me." Like Mankey, Murkrow feels a warmth coming from Ash, and feels that this kid can actually make him into a powerful Honchkrow. So, he goes up to Ash, and hugs him as well, and all Ash can do is smile.

Then, Ash will hear the voice of someone he didn't expect to hear. "Well, I gotta say Ashy Boy, that is a really good catch." Ash then turns around, and sees it is none other than Gary. Ash says "It's been awhile Gary." "Only 3 days, but I guess you could say that." Ash says "So, how has your journey been for you so far?" Gary says "It's been going good. What about you?" Ash says "Trust me, you wouldn't believe what I've been through so far." "Well, you caught a Murkrow." Gary says. Ash then smirks, and says "What if I told you I saw Ho oh." Gary scoffs, and says "Yeah right." However, Ash then shows Gary his pokedex, and Gary's eyes widen in shock, as Ash has pulled up Ho Oh's page, and a label over the pokemon image that says seen.

Gary says "Holy shit, do you know what this means?" Ash cringes, and Gary says "Oh come on, just because your mom punished you one time doesn't mean you have to cringe every time you hear a swear word." Ash then snaps back with "When you have your mouth taste like soap for 3 weeks, and your butt hurts for like a month, talk to me. Until then, I don't want to hear it!" Gary scoffs and says "Whatever."

Gary then realizes something "Have you talked to your mom yet?" he says." Ash says "I was gonna do that after catching my Mankey." Gary then says "You better do that. You don't want her to be worried or anything." Ash nods. Ash then says "Oh yeah, I also met a gym leader along the way." Gary then says "Who?" Ash then says "Misty Waterflower of the Cerulean City gym." Gary then says "No way! She's a really strong trainer, How'd you meet her?" Ash then tells Gary about meeting Misty, excluding all the personal stuff about her sisters and her wanting to be a water pokemon master. Gary then says "So you got some training for a gym leader?!" Ash nods and says "Yep." Gary then says "That's it, now I really need to battle you!"

Ash then looks at Gary in bewilderment, and then Gary says "I was thinking about this the moment I saw you catch that Murkrow, but now that settles it. I was getting stronger, training, catching pokemon, the works. And you come along and not only see a pokemon that hasn't been seen for 100s of years, not only do you catch a freaking Murkrow, but you also have gotten training from someone who is seen as a prodigy. Here's what you are going to do: you are gonna go talk to your mom, heal your pokemon, and then tomorrow, you are going to challenge me to a battle. And then I will show you that just because you have gotten all this training and have these cool pokemon with you, that you are not better than me." Ash narrows his eyes and says "You can try. But you will fail." Ash and Gary then have lightning come out of their foreheads. Ash and Gary have always acted like this. At one moment, they can be friends with each other, but when anything involving their strength and skill as a trainer is brought up, their rivalry kicks back on. And it is a toxic and heated rivalry.

Ash then says "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." Gary nods, and both go their separate ways. Ash would head to the pokemon center, and would call his mom, and would tell her about his journey. Ash's mom would tell her son she is very proud of him, and that he has definitely had a very eventful journey. She says "You better tell Oak about Ho oh. This is definitely huge news." Ash then says "I know. I was gonna talk to him after I called you." Ash and his mom would talk for a bit more, and then would say goodbye to each other.

Ash then talks to Oak. When Oak hears Ash met Ho oh, Oak says "Do you understand how huge this is?" Ash nods. Oak says "I wonder if the legend that those who see Ho oh are given a blessing that can last a lifetime." Ash then says "Well if me getting a Murkrow is anything to go by, I guess the legends are true." Oak then says "You're not wrong. You always find new ways to amaze me Ash. Keep up the good work." Ash nods and says "Thank you I will." Oak then hangs up, and Ash will get his Pokemon, and they are all given a clean bill of health. The Pokemon Center always has ways to heal pokemon. It can heal many pokemon from simple battle injuries with the technology they have, and the Nurse Joys are great. Yes Nurse Joys, there are many. A lot actually.

Ash then sees Misty enter the Pokemon Center, and she is not alone. She is with a girl Ash is very familiar with: Leaf Evergreen. Ash then says "Hey Leaf!" Leaf says hi back, and both will hi-five each other. Leaf says "I can't believe you met and trained with Misty. And you also almost beat her in a battle." Ash blushes in embarrassment and says "So, she told you about that huh?" Leaf nods and Misty says "I got to say, you have nice friends. I met her at the PokeMart and she's fun to talk to." Leaf then says "I was kinda nervous though, because I was standing in the presence of someone like Misty." Ash then asks "What have you been doing since your journey started?" Leaf says "Oh, the usual stuff. Catching Pokemon and all the other fun stuff that comes with being a trainer." Ash nods, and says "Same for me I guess, besides me training with Misty, and some of the other stuff that has happened so far." Ash then tells Leaf about what has happened so far, up to the potential challenge with Gary.

Leaf is stunned and says "You met Ho oh?!" Ash nods and says "Oh boy, no wonder Gary wanted to challenge you. He's pissed." Ash nods, and Misty says "But you will beat him, right?" Ash then says "Yeah I will. I know Gary has probably become pretty strong since he started his journey. But I am not losing my first battle against Gary, no way." Misty says "That's the spirit." Leaf would then say "You know I will be rooting for both of you to win, because I can't choose between you two. All I will say is good luck." Ash then smiles and says "Thank you Leaf." Ash would then look at the time, and sees it is getting late, and him, Misty, and Leaf will go to bed, in separate rooms in the pokemon center.

Ash meanwhile would take a look at his new Pokemon. Mankey had the standard moves for a Mankey, Karate Chop, Scratch, Taunt, and Leer. But it also had the egg moves Close Combat and Night Slash. INot as plentiful in the egg moves department, but they are definitely strong moves. It's ability is Vital Spirit, and it's Hidden ability is Defiant, both of which are strong abilities. Murkrow was revealed to be a Female, which would be the first on Ash's team. And not only that, but it has Super Luck and the Hidden Ability Prankster. Both huge abilities to have. Not only that, but it has 4 egg moves. Brave Bird, Sky Attack, Confuse Ray, and Perish Song. What is this Murkrow on? Now, it does have 5 moves itself, in Haze, Peck, Wing Attack, Astonish, and Pursuit, but those are standard, and are nothing compared to the other shit Murkrow had. Ash seeing this tells his pokemon that they are pretty strong, and will then go to bed. And then, as he is sleeping, his mind drifts into something he has never seen before.

He is in a heavenly hall. And sitting at the end of the hall is a Pokemon. Ash recognizes this Pokemon right away. It is Arceus. The god of both people and pokemon. Arceus says "Finally, we meet young Ash." Ash says "Am I dreaming? Because this feels like a crazy dream right now." Arceus shakes his head and says "No. This is real." Ash then says "No way. There's no way I'm talking with the god of all Pokemon and people right now, am I?" Arceus nods his head and says "Yes you are." Ash then says "Well, I guess I should ask this: why do you want to talk with me?" Arceus then says "I am here to tell you about a vision I have been having in my head over and over again." Ash then says "A vision?" Arceus nods and says "Yes. My vision says that there will be a time when the world will be in danger. That there is something that will come that not even I can stop. That when the is evil emerges, the world will end."

Ash looks at Arceus with wide eyes of shock. The world can't end, he just started his journey. Arceus then says "However, there is hope. For I see that a human will stop this evil, and the world will be saved. I don't fully know how, but it does happen." Ash then says "Okay, if that's the case, who is this human?" Arceus then says "I'm talking with him right now." Ash then realizes what Arceus meant when he said that after some thinking. "Wait, me?" Ash says. Arceus just nods. Ash says "But I'm not ready to save the world. I just started my journey, and I only have 4 pokemon with me, and I have no gym badges, and..." Arceus then says "Calm down my child. This evil will not come for a while." Ash breathes a sigh of relief. Arceus then says "However, there will be smaller evils scattered throughout all the 8 main regions of the world. And each one will be worse than the last. Then the evil that will cause Armageddon will be worse than all those other evils combined"

Ash then starts to worry again. Arceus then says "This means you need to work to take down the smaller evils and then take down the bigger evil when the time comes." Ash then says "Can't you take out these smaller evils? Then all we would have to worry about is this bigger evil." Arceus shakes his head and says "No, that would be risking causing Armageddon to come quicker. Plus, it would violate one of the laws I have set for myself as a god." Ash then says "Wait, you have laws?" Arceus nods and says "I have powers that one could only dream of. Godly power that could stop many things from happening and kill all the evil in the world, making the world pure. However, I choose not to, because if I cross that line once with my power, I could theoretically become Armageddon myself. Because at the end of the day, while I am a god, I am also a pokemon. And if any normal pokemon could misuse power like this, so can I."

Ash looks at Arceus with amazement. He does have a point. Guess Arceus is the god of all Pokemon and People for a reason." Arceus then looks to Ash "Now, let me explain this to you: It was not a miracle that you saw Ho oh: Ho oh came to you, because it saw the same thing I saw: That you are a human with both the battle tact and strategy to not lose and become the most powerful trainer possible, while creating deep bonds with your pokemon, deep enough to the point that your pokemon would die for you, because you would do the same for them. A human who can come up with strategies on the fly and have the power to make any one of your dreams come true, while also knowing when to not misuse that power, and stick to your morals no matter what. And a human who has the guts to never give up, while also being able to inspire others to push themselves to be better in order to achieve their dreams. That is you Ash. You are the only one with the potential to be all that, and so much more. That is why you are the one who will save the world one day from Armageddon."

Ash thinks for a bit, and says "Question: Will I still be able to achieve my dream to become a Pokemon Master?" Arceus nods, saying "Yes. In fact, I think that since being a Pokemon Master means that you become the pinnacle of a Pokemon Trainer, I think in this case it is required." Ash nods and says "I never thought in a million years that this would all be happening to me at once. And I don't fully know if I'm ready for this, but if it means preventing Armageddon, then I guess I have no choice. Who can deny the words and the request of a god?" If Arceus had a mouth, he would be smiling.

Arceus then says "I'm so sorry for thrusting all this upon you. It's not right that someone so young has to take all this responsibility. I promise you when this is all over, I will give you a reward." Ash says "Okay. Thank you Arceus." Arceus then says "It's time for you to wake up now, and for our conversation to end, for it is starting." Ash knows what he means: a smaller evil is coming. Ash then sees the hall dissolve all around him. And then, he wakes up.

Ash wonders to himself "Was that a dream?" Then he hears a voice "No it wasn't." Ash recognizes it as Arceus' voice. "I thought you would think it is a dream, so I am telepathically communicating with you. I also have one more thing to tell you: Be careful of who you tell all this to. Do not tell this to anyone except to someone you trust with the information. If you go around telling people about Armageddon and other things, Armageddon will come faster. That or people will think you're crazy. And make sure to tell those people to keep that info to themselves, for those same reasons I just told you about." Ash nods.

Arceus then says "Goodbye for now my child. We will talk again soon. But you have some work to do, because it is starting." Ash then asks "Yeah but when…" And then all of a sudden an alarm breaks out through the pokemon center. Ash hears this and only a couple of words escape his lips. "It has begun." What will happen next? Find out as the Journey continues