I just found out Ash finally won a Championship recently. It's something I never thought I'd hear, but it happened, and this is the best time to give Ash his well-deserved rest as the main character. He's been a great protagonist across the years, but I think it's time to say goodbye.
Anyway, that's just my opinion. Enjoy.
Ash had a strange dream the other day. All he saw was water. Its blue hue covered his vision and a weird feeling of floating encapsulated him. He didn't feel uncomfortable in the slightest, but rather a bit comfortable. The coolness of the water felt comfortable, like a light wind blowing on a hot day.
That was it. Ash couldn't remember anything else. The water, while it only appeared as the setting of his dream, felt like it was calling out to him in some way. He shrugged his head at the weird thoughts flowing through him.
There were a lot of things he had to consider if he wanted to take the dream seriously. From the fleeting memories of the strange dream, he tried to piece together something. Ash might have looked like a paranoid person over their astrological reading for the day.
But he had a special relationship with his dreams. Strange ones like these always had one thing or the other to do with his life, in many ways. It was like seeing the future.
And so, the thoughts bothered him well into his day. Pikachu had started to grow worried. The little Pokemon called out to Ash often, asking what was on his mind, But his trainer brushed it off with an excuse. This made him worry even more.
The Pokemon had to think of something. And as Ash headed out of the room, an idea popped into his head. Who else could ask him other than the one and only Kalos Queen?
He jumped off Ash's shoulder and ran towards Serena's room. The black-haired boy decided to do some early morning training like usual, but Pikachu said he would come later.
Knocking on the door, the electric mouse eagerly awaited an answer. A sleepy Delphox opened the door, saw Pikachu, and was startled. It was expecting Ash but got his best friend instead. And he was far shorter.
Delphox asked why Pikachu was there, her voice laced with concern. The electric mouse looked worried. Pikachu was quick to the point. With various expressions and body movements, he left an uncomfortably vivid image in the fox's mind of what had happened.
Pikachu then explained what he wanted from Delphox- to be specific, her trainer. Delphox's eyes widened as if Pikachu had said something shocking, which he hadn't.
"Pika?" The mouse asked, tilting its head. Delphox shook its head, trying to wipe away strange thoughts in its head. Pikachu had said some things that she agreed with.
Delphox had started to understand that her trainer's presence had some sort of effect on Ash, let it be small. And if he was hurting, it was best to let her deal with him.
It seemed that Delphox had misunderstood the situation into one that was far more serious than it was. With a heavy face, she nodded and let the mouse in.
They both walked into the bathroom, where Serena was brushing her teeth. Her hair was damp, and so were a few parts of her pajamas from the dripping water. She had just taken a shower.
She was quick to notice the two. "Hm? Delphox and Pikachu?" she said out loud, "Wait! If Pikachu's here, then is Ash here too?!" She yelled. With haste, the girl covered up her hair with a towel and tried to dry it quickly.
The fox calmed down her trainer. She explained the situation, although much more grimly than Pikachu. Even the mouse was confused by her tone.
Serena wasn't very fluent in the Pokemon language if she were honest, but she got the gist of the story, "So something did happen yesterday, and he's still acting weird.."
The two nodded. Serena's face was covered with concern, unsure what to say. "I'll see what I can do."
There were a few concerning, yet confusing factors here. If Pikachu wasn't able to get through to Ash, then how would she? While they were traveling now, Pikachu and many other Pokemon had probably traveled with him for far longer.
And.. Serena shivered, he's probably traveled with a lot of other people. Girls, at that.
Her self-esteem wasn't the highest when it came to serious situations like this. She didn't know where she inherited this overthinking ability, but it gnawed at her often. Thanks to that, her will to even try lowered. That was why she hadn't done anything on her own accord yet.
But now, she felt better after seeing Pikachu worried as well. She got ready and headed out towards the entrance of the Pokemon center. Where Ash was waiting. Her palms were sweaty.
"Morning Serena," Ash greeted in a nonchalant tone. He stared at the sky, which was cloudy again today. By the gray shading in them, he had a strong feeling it would snow today.
"M-morning. Where's Pikachu?" She asked with a stutter. The blonde sat down next to the boy, looking at him nervously.
Her mind raced back to that one time in Snowbelle City. Back then, and even a few days ago, Ash had exploded on her in the heat of the moment. His whisked-away eyes haunted her. She didn't want to go through that again.
"Pikachu said he'd join me later for training, and I should start without him," he said with a shrug. While his body was next to her, his mind wasn't.
"Then why aren't you training?" She asked the obvious, confused. The boy's eyes widened a bit, "Huh, you're right. I should be training." He muttered, then went back to staring. Serena bit her lip.
"..Something wrong, Ash? You don't seem into it today," The blonde said, her voice laced with concern. Her fist was clenched tightly as Delphox's grim tone rang in her head. She had overcome many challenges in her life, but this one seemed the most difficult. Ash felt like an unclimbable tower.
"It's nothing, I'm just tired," Ash said emotionlessly, "I'll be up and ready in a few. We still have a while till we reach Coumarine City. You should prepare." He said, stretching his arms. Despite his suggestion, Serena didn't move from her spot.
"I think we should talk a bit before then," the blonde said, "I want to know why you're acting so strange." The male teenager turned towards her, confused. "Even you? Pikachu was saying something like that earlier.."
Serena froze. Had he realized Pikachu's idea? If that were the case, everything would go to waste. Ash would be less likely to say anything, and their day would be ruined by his damp mood.
"I don't know how to explain that it's no big deal- I wasn't thinking of anything." Ash shrugged. While the dream was still something concerning, he truly had just been staring off into nothing, not thinking of anything. It was something he did rarely, but it certainly has happened.
Serena didn't believe the line one bit. She'd heard that line before many times, but every single one was from a guy- usually her manager. He'd stare off somewhere like a mirror or window, and sit still. Every time the performer asked what he was thinking of, he'd reply with the same 'nothing.'
These boys sure are secretive. I never took Ash to be the type to keep secrets, though.
She sighed. "Are you sure? I can lend you an ear anytime." Ash shook his head again, laughing. "It's been a slow morning, I guess. There's nothing else- really." He assured her. Serena couldn't find herself assured by his words, and he could tell.
Stumped, the teen crossed his arms and tried to think of a way to show he was fine. Acting fine wouldn't work for the whole day, as he was bound to start staring off into space again, so that was off the table already.
The battle junkie was idiotic when it came to anything but battling. Unable to think of anything, he decided to try and explain his dream.
"If I had to say something was bothering me, it would be some random dream I had," Ash said after a pause of silence. Serena's gaze, which had turned to the floor, shot back at him. She looked delighted that he decided to open up.
Cute.
He explained the dream as vividly as he could remember it. The water, how he felt, and anything in-between. Serena was left stumped this time, "It's. Random, to say the least," She commented, laughing nervously, "I get why you've been thinking about it."
Serena's shoulders felt like a weight had been lifted off them. While it was for a short while, the teen had thought Ash was going through something serious and was preparing herself for the worst. His little dream was a relief for her to hear.
"Yeah. Usually, whenever I have these dreams, something big happens." He explained. Serena paused, looking at him with interest. "'Big' as in what?" She asked curiously. The black-haired boy took a second to ponder.
"Well, for starters, I managed to meet Arceus after a strange dream. Same goes with Palkia," He said casually. Serena's eyes widened. "A-Arceus? As in the legendary Pokemon? And Palkia?"
She would have been far more shocked if it weren't for their adventures five years ago, where they met Hoopa and Volcanion. But even then, meeting the pokemon known as 'God' and the Pokemon of Time is no small deal.
"Yep. I managed to help them with some stuff back when I was early in my journey. I don't remember all of it, after all, it's been a while." Ash remembered, smiling a bit. Serena listened silently, amazed. Ash had been through a lot more than he lets on from his personality.
Or maybe it's his personality that lets him have all these adventures.
The thought wasn't wrong. Ash had always managed to gather a group around him and become the 'leader' of said group, mainly deciding where to go next. He was born a leader, and probably will be for the rest of his life.
"When exactly was this?" Serena inquired. She was thoroughly interested in how the whole story went. "Well, it happened during my first trip to Sinnoh," Ash explained. The boy continued to recall the adventure he had with Arceus and even a bit into the time he met Palkia. He appreciated how attentively the girl listened and reacted with great emotion. It made him feel a lot better.
"That's one heck of a claim," Serena said after hearing it all, awe still running through her veins. It was hard to comprehend everything, as she hadn't even seen what either pokemon looked like. She knew the tales- everyone did. But meeting and seeing them in person was a different
conversation entirely.
Ash seemed to be in a better mood after reminiscing a bit. A small smile lifted his lips from the side. The blonde felt happy seeing him happy.
"You seem better already." Serena giggled, getting up. "Just don't worry too much about the dream. If something does happen, I know you can prevail through it all." She spoke sweetly, her words tickling his ear. The same feeling of butterflies grew in his stomach again.
"Thanks, Serena, I needed that." He said, following her steps and standing up. He did a light stretch, then looked at the honey-blonde with a grin.
"Alright, I'm pumped up now! Let's get some quick training, everyone!" Ash let out his four pokemon, who yelled in delight, pumped up. Serena was a bit surprised at the 180 in his attitude.
"That's my Ash," Serena whispered, a smile on her face. Her body warmed up after seeing him return to the regular, cheerful Ash she loved.
"Serena, we'll be out for a bit. Thanks again!" Ash said with excitement, rushing out of the pokemon center. Serena waved him goodbye and turned to a pc on the side. Her eyebrows furrowed a bit as she walked towards it.
-
Ash was in a heated double battle with two of his pokemon against the other two. His mind felt a lot more clear than it had been the past few days, which let him enjoy the training to its fullest.
"Extreme speed!" Ash yelled. One of the pokemon seemingly vanished, a cloud of dust in its awakening. Both Pokemon on the other team strategically backed off, using all their senses to see where the pokemon would reappear.
Ash turned to the other two pokemon, pointing at one and then the other, "Fly up, and run around!" He yelled. The two gave a subtle glance, nodding.
The part-flying type Pokemon flapped its wide wings and flew up at lightning-fast speed, The dirt on the floor stirring at the strong wind coming down on it.
The other pokemon started running around the field, weaving and dodging randomly. It took sharp turns like a zig-zag line and randomly turned around, trying to be unpredictable.
But, the Pokemon hadn't expected the dormant opposing pokemon, who hadn't been given an order, to suddenly approach him. He came to a rough halt, losing his balance for a mere split second.
Unfortunately, That one second was more than enough. The Pokemon using extreme speed flickered back into view and gave a mighty kick to the unbalanced opponent. Sending him blown away to the other side of the field. It rubbed across the ground, making small indents in it from the force it was hit with.
Ash gripped his fist tightly, impressed, "Well done!" He had a massive grin on his face, looking like training had paid off.
Ash had been focusing on wordless orders with his pokemon, to not only grow their bond but greatly increase his options on what to do in certain situations.
He didn't plan to use it like how Diantha did, but it would be some sort of trump card he had on him at all times with any of his pokemon.
"Counter with Dragon Tail!" Ash yelled. The pokemon that had flown upward turned towards the ground and tucked its wings in. Within seconds, he was coming down toward an opponent at high speeds, his tail curled with green scales growing on it, getting ready to hit him.
The pokemon he had aimed for was also a flying type, so it flew up too. "Dodge it!" Ash commanded. With gusto, it began to wing away from the incoming Dragon Tail.
The two Pokemon flew gracefully through the air at high speeds, one weaving and dodging with minimal movement while the other aimed well-trained hits at it. After a while, Dragon Tail landed on its target.
The hurt Pokemon fell to the floor with a loud crash, a large puff of dirt surrounding it. It got up, with a few cuts and bruises on its wing and torso. The pocket monster had tanked the hit well.
"Well done." Ash applauded, causing it to yell in happiness. It had just taken a super effective move to the face and remained standing tall. His pokemon could keep going.
"Alright, let's get a bit serious," Ash announced, adjusting his hat. The four Pokemon grinned as they changed their stance. Out of nowhere, the aura around the four morphed into one of life or death. It could make one freeze in place.
Suddenly, a small explosion nearby caught them all off guard. Ash, who had just entered his zone, was snapped out of it and almost fell over.
"What was that?" He asked. The four pokemon moved off the field, an alert glint in their eyes. Pikachu came out of the Pokemon Center around that time as well.
"Pika-Pi?" He asked, jumping onto Ash's shoulder. The trainer shrugged, unsure of what the explosion was about. "Let's go check it out. A pokemon might be in danger."
They all nodded and stepped into the bushes. Immediately, the clear fields with roads and cloudy skies were gone. A busy, snow-white terrain lay ahead of them. They maneuvered through the snow skillfully, the snow under them crumbling from their weight.
One of the Pokemon pointed to the right, telling the rest they heard the noise from there. The group headed that way. After going through another bunch of bushes, a clearing appeared.
A small mountain was right on the side, and an Ampharos stood there, facing off against an Ursaring. Its hand was shaking, scared, but the Pokemon bravely stood against its oppressor.
Ash waited silently alongside his Pokemon. While he did want to save the poor thing, he had to respect its will to fight.
The Ampharos must have ticked off the bear by accident, and were forced into this situation. Ursaring wasn't the type to let things go easily, especially in their territory.
The bear-like Pokemon let out a roar, ignoring the light bruises on its arm. It began to charge up a small run, before bulldozing its way toward the Ampharos.
Ash was prepared for the pokemon to get hurt and planned on getting involved if things got too sour. What happened wasn't something he would have thought- ever. He didn't even know it was possible, as it was never mentioned in his travels across the world.
A shocked Pikachu tapped Ash's cheek. He didn't respond, mesmerized. The Ursaring was on the floor, knocked out cold from the attack. Ampharos stood still, a bit surprised at what it had just done.
Another one of Ash's Pokemon nudged him alongside Pikachu. This time, he snapped out of his awe. The two whispered something to him. He nodded, agreeing with their idea.
He pulled out an extra Pokeball from his belt, one which didn't have an assigned Pokemon yet. The trainer's eyes fired up, "I'll catch that Ampharos without fail."
-
Serena made her way out a while after Pikachu had suddenly run away. She had thought the mouse had forgotten about training and suddenly remembered, so she left him to his own accord.
When she came out, things were much different than she would have imagined. Ash sat in the middle of a wrecked field, stumped. Five pokemon sat around him, one especially panicked.
"Huh?" Serena gasped. There were four Pokemon just yesterday. Now, there was an extra. She brought out her Pokedex and aimed it at the familiar-looking Pokemon.
Ampharos, the Light Pokemon; The tip of its tail shines brightly. In the olden days, people sent signals using the light from this Pokemon's tail.
"Ampharos? Isn't this the Pokemon Meyer has?" Serena asked nobody in particular. An amused Sylveon and Pancham popped out of their Pokeballs and rushed towards the six seated on the floor.
Ash noticed them after they approached him. Pancham and Sylveon stared at the new pokemon with great interest, slowly approaching it. The Ampharos tilted its head, curious at the appearance of two strangers.
Ash cleared his throat, gaining the three's attention. "This is our new friend, Ampharos. Treat him well!" Ash said with a cheer. The two Pokemon excitedly introduced themselves, to which Ampharos greeted them with equal vigor.
Serena, who had overheard his little announcement, finally arrived at the area where everyone had gathered. "Hey, Ampharos! I'm Serena." She greeted me with a smile, "These are my partners Sylveon and Pancham. And this is Delphox. Hope we can get along!" Serena brought out her oldest pokemon, who greeted the light Pokemon coolly.
The Ampharos nodded happily, greeting the two. Serena then turned to Ash, "What's up with the sudden catch?" She asked. It was rather random, knowing he had a huge tournament coming up.
"We were training when there was a random explosion. After exploring, we found this guy," Ash explained, glancing at his new friend, "Ampharos is amazing. If I manage to train him up properly, I'll be using him in a few battles in the tournament."
If she was drinking something, all that would have spluttered out in an instant. Her wide eyes looked like they'd tear at the slightest pull. "Use him in the tournament?! But that's not nearly enough time!"
Ash was taken aback at her expressive response. "I'll make something work. It would be a waste to not use him to the best of his abilities." Ash said, gripping his fist with determination.
"He'll change the game. Kalos won't know what hit them!" He shot the fist into the air, turning his determination into a cheer. His Pokemon followed his lead, along with a bewildered Ampharos.
"..Is he that amazing?" Serena asked with a tinge of guilt. She felt bad for doubting Ash and his new Pokemon, but his claims were a reach.
No- we're talking about Ash here.
If something seemed like a stretch, Ash would make it an achievable goal without breaking a sweat. She should know this best.
"Actually, ignore that last remark," Serena said while adjusting her hat, mimicking Ash, "Let's have a quick battle. I want to see this new strength with my own eyes."
Ash grinned. "We were having a bit of trouble getting him to do his magic again, but I'm getting a feeling you'll be able to cause that reaction. I'm counting on you, Serena!"
"Bring it on!"
The two made their way to opposite sides of the field, Ampharos following Ash and Delphox following Serena.
The two situated themselves and got ready. Ampharos, although a bit nervous, turned to the fully evolved fire type, ready to fight. "You got this, Ampharos! But don't take Serena lightly, she's no pushover." Ash warned.
Ampharos was caught without the Pokemon taking any damage, so it was in tip-top shape while going against Delphox. Yet, its trainer's remark made him nervous.
"You ready, Ash?" Serena yelled from the other side. He gave a thumbs up. Pikachu counted down from three.
"Pi!" The mouse said, its tail sticking to one side. Ash steadied itself with Ampharos, who felt more comfortable when its trainer seemed to be battling with it.
"Ka!" The Pokemon's tail went to the other side. Delphox turned to its trainer for a second and nodded. Serena returned the nod with a determined one of her own. While she wasn't the best at battling, the bond she carried with her Pokemon could prevail.
"Chu!" Pikachu exclaimed. The battle began.
"Ampharos, get warmed up!" Ash yelled. The newly caught Pokemon listened, dashing around. While its speed wasn't as fast as the other four Pokemon Ash brought, it was still blazing fast. Delphox could barely track it.
"Delphox, keep your distance. Watch Ampharos for an opening." The performer said. Her pokemon nodded, acting according to her instructions.
Delphox could see Ampharos was using its speed to try and confuse Delphox into moving unnecessarily and losing balance, so she kept herself grounded, randomly dodging in a direction.
Ash couldn't see a single mistake in Delphox's movements. If he left her alone, the other side would move first. He needed to make an opening.
"Ampharos, Electro Ball!" Ash yelled. The light Pokemon took a step back and charged up a ball of electric energy. Sparks zapped off its surface, creating a metallic smell.
The ball launched at Delphox, who hadn't moved yet. "Delphox, use Psychic and send it right back!" Serena yelled. A pink outline grew on the electro ball as it slowed in pace. By the time it was right in front of Delphox, it had stopped.
The ball shook a bit as it traveled back where it came from, the speed slowly picking up. Ash was ready to counter the psychic.
"Ampharos hit your tail on the ground and create a dust cloud!" Ash yelled. To his surprise, Ampharos turned around and looked at him, bewildered. The light pokemon couldn't believe what his trainer was saying.
"Wait, focus on the attack!" Ash shouted reflexively. Even he knew the first rule was to never take your eyes off the target. But it was too late. The electric sphere made contact and an explosion ensued.
When the dust cleared, a heavily damaged Ampharos appeared. It was on the verge of tipping over. Delphox backed away, returning to its original position.
"Ampharos, are you okay?" Ash checked in, using his usual line. The Pokemon gave a slight nod, shaking its body as if to wiggle all the pain off of it.
Ash was concerned. Ampharos, who was his newest catch, could barely trust him as his trainer. While it seemed the Pokemon was interesting by its nature, it still hurt him. He desperately wanted Ampharos to trust him like his other Pokemon.
Serena could feel his concern. She spoke up, albeit timidly, "If you want to stop, for now, that's fine-"
"No, we'll be fine. I trust Ampharos!" Ash yelled back, half consoling Serena and half cheering up Ampharos. The electric-type Pokemon looked at its trainer with a slight glow in its eyes, grateful for the trust.
It turned around and focused on Delphox, seemingly ready to do anything. Serena had already begun to see a few glimpses of Ash in that Ampharos, just like the other 5 Pokemon he had.
"Let's keep it up Delphox! Sunny Day!" Serena commanded. The fire-type starter let out a cry, and the sun started to grow hotter. Ampharos was a bit startled by the sudden change in weather.
"Let's finish this before they can do anything else. Dragon Pulse!" Ash shouted. A ball with violet and white streaks swelled in the Pokemon's mouth, an eerie noise filling the area.
Delphox leaned down, lowering its center of gravity. She was ready to react the second her trainer said anything.
"Wait.." Serena whispered. Delphox nodded, understanding what Serena was going for. The timing was something these two- no, Serena's entire team had perfected across the years. While this wasn't performing, she could apply the fundamentals in battle.
The Dragon Pulse released a fast yet small beam, which uncurled from the sphere into a long, skinny Dragon. Its eyes were glowing.
Delphox waited for it to close in. While it would wait for the command, she had a good idea of when she would have to move. Her foot adjusted to the right.
"Now, Delphox! Dodge and use Flamethrower!" Serena yelled with haste. The fox weaved past the attack at the last second and rushed at the Ampharos.
Ash was prepared for the dodge, but Ampharos wasn't. The light Pokemon froze after seeing Delphox rush out of the dust cloud untouched.
"Ampharos, Dodge!" Ash yelled. The Ampharos yet again couldn't listen, too shocked. The Flamethrower, which was amplified by Sunny Day, hit Ampharos directly.
This time, the Pokemon couldn't handle the damage. After the smoke cleared, an unconscious Ampharos lay on the floor, its body littered with bruises and burns.
"Return, Ampharos. You did well." Ash said, sighing a bit. He was disappointed with himself more than anything else.
He got ahead of himself and sent an inexperienced Pokemon in to fight, expecting the same results from it as the rest of his Pokemon. This was his loss as a trainer.
"That was a great battle, Ash. Ampharos will get far," Serena consoled him, walking over to the teen. The black-haired boy clicked the button in the middle of the Pokeball, making it smaller. He then tucked it safely into his belt.
"Thanks, Serena. You and Delphox are a lot stronger from what I remember." Ash said, laughing a bit. Serena smiled at his compliment. "Thanks. These five years were rough, but it paid off."
Ash put his hat back Into its regular position. The hype he had felt died down a bit, but it didn't weigh down on him. He was still willing to keep trying.
"We'll get stronger too. Five years is too long, but we'll make these remaining weeks worth it." Ash claimed, Clenching his fist. The honey-blonde didn't doubt his words in the slightest.
A small wind blew. The girl gently held her fedora, which shook under the pressure. Serena looked at Ash with warm eyes that made his heartbeat speed up. "I know you will."
The chapter was delayed again by a day or two, but I don't think you guys mind too much (hopefully). This was also my first time making a fight scene, so please let me know if things felt off or bad in any way.
With that, See you guys in the next chapter.