Note: Welcome folks to my first (published) fanfiction, a large scale crossover between the Pokémon anime and Pokémon Manga.

The anime timeline has been altered, representing a version of it where the characters aged naturally throughout the series, though the story events and the majority of the characters personalities and actions have remained unchanged. The lore of both the manga and anime generally remain unaltered, though much has been added for the sake of character and worldbuilding (characters don't simply cease to exist when they are offscreen).

The first Arc of this story is finished, with subsequent chapters being uploaded every Monday. Subsequent Arcs will only be uploaded once they are completed. Roughly 6 arcs are planned, one for each region up to Alola.

The story takes place after the Sun/Moon arcs of both the anime and manga. Journeys is referenced, though the specific events are not cannon for this story, as it is currently ongoing and the corresponding sword/shield chapter of the manga is on indefinite hiatus as of the writing of this story.

Please enjoy. Like, share, comment, the works.


Johto: The Confluence (Arc 1)

Johto prologue

It is said that home is 'where the heart is', but as far as Ash Ketchum was concerned at this moment, home was where the food tasted really, really bad. Though he was getting better, insofar that what he made was now somewhat edible, it was a far cry from anything that anyone would willingly eat.

Dressed in a simple black shirt and blue jeans, he found himself sitting at his sizable dinner table, a fine piece of hard maple furniture picked out by his loving mother. I mean it looks… better this time… he thought, prodding the bowl of stew in front of him. The meat, shredded off the bone from being far to overcooked, meshed amongst the yellowish broth to create what could only be described as a "muddy" texture. At least it didn't smell terribly this time.

"Well buddy… down the hatch!" he exclaimed to his best friend, a small, yellow, furry creature that sat beside his seat as he shoveled the stew into his mouth.

"Pika Pika" the Pikachu said, a tint of concern apparent in his voice. His lightning bolt shaped tail swung side to side in anticipation, preparing for the worst. He wouldn't have to wait long to see how this scenario would play out, as Ash quickly finished his stew. Ash placed his bowl back on the table, his expression blank, almost as if he himself was awaiting any unintended consequences for daring to eat the meal that he made for himself.

"Hey… that wasn't all bad" he said with a sigh of relief, which was mimicked by Pikachu shortly after. He got out of his chair and kneeled next to Pikachu, patting his head with enthusiasm. "See, that didn't taste too bad". Pikachu chuckled, knowing quite well as to how bad Ash's cooking had tasted just a few days ago. He couldn't fully disagree with Ash's sentiments, however. Pikachu knew that Ash could do almost anything that he put his mind to. It was getting his mind to focus on anything that wasn't Pokémon battling that was the problem.

"Hey Pikachu, it's looking pretty good outside, wanna do some training?"

Pikachu cried enthusiastically. It has been a few days since he had trained with Ash, as the young man had spent the last 2 weeks moving into his new house. A small, isolated place near mount Silver in the Johto region, it wasn't the first place that he, nor anyone else really, would expect Ash to move too. That was after already handling the idea of the nomadic trainer settling down. Such decisions didn't really matter to Pikachu. He would stand by his trainer's choices, whether he understood them or not.

"Alright!" Ash said, quickly standing tall, a smile beaming on his face. "Let's get to it…"

His pre-training rush was interrupted by a loud ringing from his pocket. He fished out his smartphone, one of many home-welcoming gifts he received, this one given by the illustrious professor Oak himself. Quickly glancing at the screen, he turned it over to Pikachu.

"It's Dawn!" he said enthusiastically. Ever since he moved into his new place, he had been receiving calls from the many friends that he had made during his 11 years of travel. He had just spoken with Clemont and Lana that morning, both congratulating him on his recent self-domestication.

"Come on up Pikachu, let's say hi together."

"Pika!"

Ash stuck out his hand to let Pikachu crawl up his arm and perched himself on Ash's shoulder. Ash answered the call, turning on the video screen with himself and Pikachu in view.

"Hey Ash! How are things going?" Dawn said over the phone. Ash could only see her face from the camera, the shine of the screen illuminating her blue eyes and dark blue hair in what seemed to be a dimly lit room. Ash could see that she was lying in a large bed, with a bedside table with an old dial-up phone sitting beside it. He guessed that Dawn must have been staying at a hotel somewhere. Whatever region she was currently in must have had a later time zone then Johto, and she was likely just about to head to bed before she called him.

"Things are going great. Finally got around to setting up all my stuff, and now I can just take it easy."

"Take things easy? Am I really talking to Ash right now? What's this all about Pikachu?"

"Pika Pika!"

"Hey, we were just about to do some training right before you called!"

"Right, suuurrreee you were,'' Dawn said, her playful judgement apparent in a sly smile that Ash was quite familiar with.

"You know, I still can't believe that you decided to settle down, and all on your own as well"

"If I'm being honest…" Ash scratched the back of his head "Neither can I really."

"So, why did you do it?"

Ash knew this was coming. He had been hearing this question all week, and he gave the same answer every time.

"It just felt right, I guess. Just… I guess it was the right time I suppose."

"I get it. Sometimes change finds you before you find it," Dawn hoped the sentiment made any sense to him. It barely made sense to herself. "Have any plans to travel again? Maybe challenge another league?"

"Maybe. Just… not right now," Ash responded, somewhat half heartedly.

"Hey Ash, you just do what your heart tells you, like you always have," Dawn said, noting Ash's slight change in demeanour. "No need to be concerned, right?"

"I think you meant to say no need to worry,"

"Well…" Dawn attempted not to snicker, though she was relieved that Ash's response held an aura of levity to it. "I know that's when you worry the most."

Ash cracked first; his chuckle being followed closely by Dawn and even Pikachu. Dawn's old catchphrase was burned into his memory from his days in Sinnoh. He couldn't disagree with the sentiment though. It's not like stewing in doubt had helped him much in his travels, and he was quite certain they wouldn't help him now. It would be a lie to say that he never had his moments of uncertainty, nor would it be accurate to say that these moments had never caused him to reconsider his dreams and aspirations. But it was because of his friends, human and Pokémon alike, that he persevered.

"You're starting to sound like your mom you know," Ash said.

"Hey! How could you!"

"It's true!"

"Well, you didn't have to say it out loud Ash!" Dawn said, arms crossed in defiance.

The joint chuckle turned into belly laughing among the trio. Dawn hoped that the next-door hotel recipients couldn't hear her. They could, but that knowledge wouldn't have stopped her anyway.

"Hey Dawn…" Ash was the first to stop laughing, though he still struggled not to trip on his own words as his laughter subsidized. "Thanks for calling. It's good to talk to you."

"Anytime Mr. Ketchum."

"Mr. Ketchum? uuummm…"

"Well, you're out here being so grown up now and all that so… Mr. Ketchum."

"Okay, okay, very funny," Ash could have talked to Dawn for a while longer, but he did promise to do some training with Pikachu, and even he could tell that Dawn's speech was becoming more and more slurred. Just how late was it over there anyway?

"Alright, me and Pikachu have some training to do. I'll see you later."

"See ya," Dawn said as she hung up the phone. Ash reached over to Pikachu, still perched on his shoulder. He rubbed the little Pokémon's head.

"That was fun."

"Pika!" Pikachu responded with a flurry of squeaks and calls.

"Alright, let's get to some training!"


Ash was right, the weather was sublime. Though neither he nor Pikachu minded training during stormy weather, they couldn't deny that training on a warm sunny day was at least somewhat preferable. Even more preferable for training was the sizable field that sat behind Ash's house, essentially constituting as his backyard. Ash watched as Pikachu ran around in the open grass, letting loose after having mostly stayed in doors for the past few days. Ash fiddled with an apple in his hand, tossing it up and down, catching it in his palm like a baseball.

"Alright Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" Ash said, tossing the apple into the air.

Pikachu's red cheeks flared with electricity as he leaped into the air. Punctuated by a slight spin mid jump, he unleashed a wave of electrical energy blasting towards the apple. Bullseye, and the apple was no more. He rushed up to Ash's feet, staring at his trainer for approval.

"Good job Pikachu!" Ash said, kneeling to pat Pikachu on his head. "You still got it."

Pikachu responded with enthusiasm. He never got tired of Ash's well-earned praise. Ash looked over Pikachu, looking over the entire field.

"Look at how much space we have here, Pikachu. Maybe I should ask Professor Oak to send over some of my other Pokémon. They would love it here. Maybe they can even live here."

"Pika! Pikachuuu!"

"I know you would have a lot of fun, being together again with all our friends."

Pikachu began running in circles again. Ash swore that he didn't add any sugar to Pikachu's meal today. Or maybe Pikachu was just that restless.

"That excited, huh?"

"Pika-chuu."

"Alright, come on, let's check out the lake."

Near Ash's home was a large body of water the local inhabitants dubbed lake Moon. There was a local legend that Lugia came to the lake to give birth, but the offspring was dragged out into the nearby river during a typhoon and lost forever to sea. Ash found it an interesting story, though he failed to question the story's authenticity considering the fact that the lake was a closed system that was not connected to any other body of water. He was not the only one however, as people would often come to the lake to pay tribute to Lugia for its blessing. Said tributers were often tourists on their way to Silver Town, often asking for luck as they sought to enter the regional tournaments, most notably the Johto Silver Conference.

Pikachu sprinted out through the treeline, Ash closely following behind. Surprisingly, Lake Moon was not at all what he imagined it would be. Rather than a pristine, crystal-clear lake, the scene in front of him was more reminiscent of a marsh, or swamp. Tall bullrushes choked the edges of the lake, and the summer bloom of algae caused the water to adopt a greenish colouration. A group of Rattata, small purple rat-like Pokémon, sat near the water's edge. Their curved tails were slouched down, implying that they felt safe near the lake. Ash decided to ignore them, at least for today.

"The other side of the lake looks clearer. Let's see if we can spot any water-type Pokémon," Ash said, pointing towards a patch where the algae seemed to dissipate. The pair moved casually towards the patch, not wanting to startle the group of Rattata. Upon reaching the other side they peered into the water. Ash sat down as Pikachu moved closer to the lakeside. The patch was fairly large, and they were able to spot various fish-like Pokémon swimming through the clearing. A magicarp even came up to Pikachu who held his head inches from the waters edge. After determining that they were not an immediate threat, it swam back out into the bloom.

"There are so many Pokémon here. This place is amazing!" Ash collapsed onto a patch of grass that was right behind him, arms and legs spread like a starfish as he gazed up into the clouds. He still wasn't used to this. Not being in a constant rush to the next gym or tournament or whatever. Just being in the here and now. For almost 11 years he had been on the road, travelling to regions far and wide, even exploring regions across the ocean like Unova and Kalos. His goal each time was simple, to challenge the gym leaders and win the regional Pokémon league. Each and every time he battled through the regions, but the league victory was always just out of his reach. Quarter finalist, semi-finalist, finalist, each time he got a little closer to that top spot.

And each time the loss stung just a little bit more. Until Alola that is. What had begun as a simple enrollment at the local Pokémon school ended up being his crowning achievement. Whether by luck or destiny, the schools head professor Kakui had decided to create Alola's first official Pokémon league, citing his intentions to bring back island traditions once forgotten with a modern twist. Just like before he climbed the ranks, some battles won easily, others just scraping a victory at the last moment. For the second time in his life he achieved the rank of finalist. Like always he gave it his all, but deep inside he felt as though it was all for naught. He would lose, as he always did, and leave once again with pleasant memories, great friends, and a bitter taste in his mouth. Yet this time was different. He won, and became Alola's first league champion.

His goal, as always, remained unchanged. In the end, becoming a league champion was just another step in his ultimate goal, to become a Pokémon master! Now what that actually meant was… vague, to say the least. Perhaps it didn't really matter as to whether or not he actually knew what that meant. What mattered was that he believed in his dream, and it's what fueled his desire to travel and explore the world. Well, until recently. After Alola he continued to travel, working with a colleague of professor Oak alongside another trainer who was a tad bit too obsessed with catching every Pokémon he could. Granted, it wasn't like Ash was any less excitable when it came to his aspirations. He helped catalogue Pokémon and research strange anomalies in regions both new and old. And during this time his adage never changed, his will never faltering for even a moment.

Until last year, something… changed. He wasn't sure what, why, or how, but the wanderlust that had gripped his heart for years had seemingly left him. It wasn't a sudden change, no grandiose, traumatic or enlightening event that caused him to suddenly rethink every aspect of his life. It was gradual, like his calling had suddenly vanished. He no longer beamed when asked what his dream was, the righteous conviction that he would usually give seemingly sapped out of him. He knew he didn't want to simply return home for a bit of placid living, but he felt like he needed an anchor, something to keep him down but still keep him busy. After his tenure under professor Cerise he had made enough money from his research expeditions as well as his championship earnings to find a nice, sizable household in the Johto region.

Seconds passed into minutes, which then passed into almost an hour. Ash's mind became a foggy haze as he almost drifted off to sleep.

"Pika!"

Pikachu suddenly hopped right next to him, chirping excitedly. Ash peeled his eyes open, feigning a smile. The interruption was quite rude, but he found it nearly impossible to stay mad at Pikachu for any amount of time. He was his best friend, his loyal travelling partner ever since he left Pallet town. Granted, he did wish that the small Pokémon would let him nap peacefully for a few hours.

Ash didn't realize that Pikachu's enthusiasm was the last thing that would be keeping him awake, as a jolt of water swelled from the lake and rained down on the pair. Pikachu leaped up and down in joy. Ash stayed down, his smile not dissipating even as he realized that the peace he sought would likely only be found at his bed back home. His grin widened at the sight in front of him.

"Totodile!" Ash yelled as a small, blue reptilian Pokémon leaped into his arms. Its red fins and sharp teeth would suggest that the Pokémon was a fearsome little predator. But Ash couldn't feel safer as he hugged the scaly Pokémon tightly, even as it thrashed about. He was somewhat shocked that one of his Pokémon had wandered away from the professor's lab all the way to Johto, but he would never turn his nose up at being with one of his loyal friends. He stood up, still giggling profusely, with Totodile leaping onto the floor and looking up at Ash expectedly.

"Totodiiiile!" Totodiles high pitched rasp was unmistakable.

"How did you get here buddy? The professor must be worried about you" Ash responded.

Totodile leaped up and down, squealing excitedly before rushing into a bush near the edge of the lake. The little blue Pokémon quickly returned carrying a large white box. He handed it to Ash expectedly, his small arms just barely raising it over his head.

"What's this?" Ash grabbed the box from Totodile, who continued to hop excitedly. Pikachu looked up with interest as well. Getting a better look at the box, he noticed a red bow planted in its center, and a note sitting right in the corner, with a name scribbled in elegant handwriting.

"To my dearest Ash Ketchum, love Mo…"

In a moment, his heart stopped, and time ceased to be.


Ash was no stranger to bizarre, out of body experiences. During his travels he had been introduced to the spiritual aspect of the Pokémon world on numerous occasions. Some could argue that it was becoming a common occurrence. This felt different, however. During these experiences he usually felt normal. Well, perhaps he felt a little more weightless than he would in the material world, but nothing like this. He felt cold. Not like the cold one would feel when standing out on a freezing winter's day. It was like he was in a despondent vacuum where warmth and light ceased to be.

This must be… am I…

Not exactly.

Ash's thoughts were interrupted by… his own thoughts? No, there was someone else here, someone in this world, or was he inside his own mind? His vision was useless here. He couldn't even tell if his eyes were opened or closed. All he saw was a darkened, purplish black haze as far as the eye could see.

Who are you? Where are we?

Well, it's complicated… turn around.

He turned, or at least he thinks that he turned around. It didn't really feel like he had any control over his own form. The only indication was that a human-like figure came into view.

Huh… are you some kind of Pokémon?

Not exactly. Well… not at all.

The figure stepped, or floated, closer to Ash. His figure and visage became clearer. Finally, Ash managed to get a good look as to whoever this person was. It was quite a bit surprising as to how familiar this person looked.

It was himself, well, sort of. There were some obvious differences in appearance. His eyes were a dulled red, and his spiky black hair hung more towards the front of his head then the back like Ash's. He was also slightly less tanned than Ash, and he wore a large red jacket over a black shirt and blue jeans. Despite these minor discrepancies, it was like looking into a mirror

Hey you're me! Ash said… er… thought?

You don't sound too surprised.

I've met other me's before. Ash's journey had introduced him to some truly bizarre worlds and scenarios. He was quite aware that there were other Ash's out there in the ethereal void, whatever that was. But this one was different. His other copies looked more like him, but he could almost feel the thoughts and feelings of this one.

The names Red, nice to meet you.

Names Ash. What's going on?

I'm afraid that I don't have much time to explain. But something big is happening right now. Something that will change our world forever. You'll see soon enough.

Wait… Ash's mind spun. This was a lot to take in at once. What do you mean? Why am I here?

I don't have time to explain right now. But you must go to Heart Village.

Heart village?!

It's a small village on the opposite side of Mount Silver. You will learn more when you get there.

Learn more?

I wish I had time to… no… he's here.

Ash couldn't believe that he could feel any colder than he already did, but a shiver ran through his currently non-existent spine.

Who… is he?

Before he could answer, Red's form morphed right in front of him, his features twisting and distorting until he seemed to merge into the mass of black and purple that once again consumed Ash's vision and mind.


"TOTODIIILLLEEE!"

"PAKAPI!"

Ash lay unconscious next to the lakebed, his body completely limp. He would almost look dead if his eyes weren't wide open, continuously darting in random directions. Pikachu and Totodile panicked next to their fallen trainer. No amount of nudging or pulling seemed to wake him up. Pikachu prepared to lightning bolt, a usually certified method of getting Ash into a neutral, if somewhat painful, state of being. This time however, Pikachu hesitated. He had seen the trainer knocked out on plenty occasions, the results of a life battling and fighting the good fight, but this felt… different. Inexplicably different. His ears lowered as he contemplated what to do. In his stewing he almost didn't notice that Totodile had become uncharacteristically focused on the lake. Totodile's posture was also odd, leaning forward, like a predator stalking its prey.

"Heart Village, Heart Village…" Ash mumbled, his eyes now closed shut. Pikachu rushed over to Ash again as Totodile continued to glare at the water.

"Pika!" Pikachu called out again and again to no avail. Nothing else was working, he had to do something. He began charging up electricity.

"Totodile!" Pikachu heard Totodile yelp as a massive figure launched itself out of the water. Its large serpentine figure, blue scales, and gaping maw full of sharp teeth left it unmistakable. A Gyarados! It launched right over Totodile who leaped up into the air to intercept it. Pikachu didn't know what this Gyarados was doing here, but at that moment he didn't really care. All he knew was that it was charging right in their direction.

Pikachu released the charging thunderbolt intended for Ash directly at Gyarados. He figured that he caught the other Pokémon off guard, but the Gyarados countered, releasing a massive hyberbeam. A beam of glowing white energy unleashed from the pokemons mouth and intercepted the lightning bolt. Pikachu's vision flashed white as the colliding energy beams exploded on impact. When his vision came back, the Gyarados was… gone. But where could it have gone?

"Pikacha… where…" Pikachu turned to Ash, who had suddenly woken up, thought still seated on the ground. While looking physically fine, Pikachu could tell that the trainer was exhausted. He didn't know what to do, he just knew that he had to defend Ash. He frantically looked around for Totodile, who was also out of immediate sight. Ash hobbled to his feet.

"Pika!"

"I'm alright… Pikachu" Ash said in bated breaths. Pikachu could tell that he was shivering profusely. They had to get home…

"TOTODILE!" Ash screamed as he began to limp towards the lake. Pikachu followed closely beside him, staying alert for the Gyarados or any other potential threats. It was only when they got to the edge of the lake that Pikachu also saw Totodile, face down and limp in the water. Ash leaped, or more accurately fell, into the waist deep water, pulling out Totodile and cradling him in his arms.

"Totodile?!" Ash looked over at Pikachu "We have to get him home. We can call nurse Joy when we get there."

"Pi…" Even before he could respond, Pikachu realized too late that they wandered into a trap. Leaping from the water the Gyarados was now only a few meters away from Ash and his Pokémon. Pikachu leaped into the water to intercept the Gyarados but it was too late. The massive serpent arched its back and swung at Ash with its long tail. Ash and Totodile collided with Pikachu in midair, launching the three out of the water and onto the lakeside grass.

"Pikachu… totodile…" Ash whimpered as he witnessed the Gyarados collecting energy into his maw. It was the last thing he saw as his sight faded to black once again.