My Wings

by DestinyHead123

This vast world is filled with uncertainties, from ancient myths to urban legends. Stories passed down for centuries have become intertwined with current cultures, producing this reimagined world in which our hero, Ash Ketchum, chases the answer to an age-old question. What does it mean to be a Pokemon Master? – AU, adult characters, real-world cultures

9. Homecoming II

Chapter 9

---

Wednesday, March 24th

Ash reached for the skies to stretch out his limbs and marveled at the sparkling sandy dunes of the beach in front of him. He spoke about beaches with the Kimono Girls back in Ecruteak City, but he didn't realize how much he missed them until he felt his feet touch the sand again. This beach in particular was the battleground for the trainers of Vermilion City, placed just outside of the city limits to ensure that there wasn't any interference during the day. There was a small gathering of trainers near the shore, but for the most part, everyone was still scattered around the area so that they had some room to practice with their Pokemon.

Ash licked his lips at the sight of so many trainers and their impressive Pokemon. He saw a Tentacruel down in the water, a Venomoth flying overhead, and an Electabuzz striking the air to warm up. There were many more, and Ash felt his chest swell. The excitement was ready to burst out of him!

He took a page out of everyone else's book and called out his own Pokemon. Frogadier and Growlithe were glad to get some more fresh air. Ash started with an apology to them about the amount of time they would have to spend inside their Pokeballs if he was visiting a major city. He couldn't walk around freely with them like he could back in Ecruteak City, nor did he have a place of residence that they could stay at while he was in the city. Neither of them were particularly bothered by it, but Ash felt bad since both of them were accustomed to total freedom.

Gary and Brock also joined him in calling out their Pokemon for the entire group to mingle. Rockruff was the newest addition to the group, so they went through a quick set of introductions. Gary advised both Brock and Rockruff to tread lightly around Umbreon for fear that Umbreon's fickle behavior would set a poor first impression with potential friends. But, of course, Umbreon allowed Brock to pat his head as a greeting and he lounged peacefully with Rockruff on the sand.

Gary hung his head in defeat. "You can be such a brat," Gary muttered as he turned away from the Pokemon.

"Let's go see where Volkner is hiding," Brock suggested as he, Ash, and Gary ventured down to the gathering of trainers. They quickly learned that Volkner typically arrived around noon, and oftentimes with Casey in tow. It was currently…10:06am.

"So, we've got at least two hours to burn," Ash noted.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to get in a few battles," Gary said as he eyed the Tentacruel down in the water. Nearby was Duncan, the trainer who dominated them the day before with said Tentacruel. Gary was already developing countermeasures, but the biggest issue he needed to address was Wartortle's lack of water combat experience. Gary called out to his partner and waved him over to begin their own private practice, which left Ash and Brock to decide what they would do.

"I think Gary's got the right idea," Ash said with a nod. "I'm gonna warm up with Growlithe and Frogadier."

Brock nodded before he looked to where he left their Pokemon. He saw that Rockruff and Umbreon were on top of each other, snoozing under the mid-morning sun. "Well, I see Rockruff has company, so I'm gonna set up for your battle then."

"Set up?" Ash questioned.

"Yeah, we're gonna stream it to the PokeHub," Brock answered. "I already got the good ahead from Mr. Goodshow."

The mention of that name brought a smile to Ash's face. "I almost forgot about him. How is he doing?"

"Better than ever," Brock replied. "He's busy all the time, but I'm sure he'll want to see you soon."

"Lookin' forward to it," Ash remarked. They parted ways from there. Brock went to his car to retrieve what he needed to record the battle, while Ash called out to his Pokemon.

Once Growlithe and Frogadier were with him, Ash suggested that they go for a run. Their routine from Ecruteak City was in shambles, but at the very least, they could try to make sure they got in some regular exercise. As they started to travel further down the beach, Ash noticed that Frogadier's gaze was locked onto Vermilion City's downtown area which could be seen in the distance. The metropolis was massive and glittering.

"Have you ever seen a city like that before, Frogadier?" Ash inquired and Frogadier shook his head. "I moved here when I was young and lived there for like ten years."

Growlithe yipped upon hearing that piece of information and turned to admire the city. Then with a skip in her step, she returned to Ash's side.

"The city is really big, and there's always something to do. People go out to eat, see plays, visit museums, and do lots of other stuff. It's different from places like Ecruteak City and Pallet Town. Everything is faster…" He paused with a glance at them and then he added. "If you know what I mean," He scratched at his head with a laugh.

Ash wasn't sure if either of the Pokemon understood how the pace of everything differed between Vermilion City and the places that they were familiar with.

That aside, he decided to go to a subject that they would definitely understand. "I have family in Vermilion City too." Both Frogadier and Growlithe looked up to him. Ash's voice grew soft as he gazed back at the city. "Yesterday, I got to see my youngest sister for the first time in years. I couldn't believe how big she'd gotten while I was away. It was…hard to accept at first. But her life went on while I wasn't here to look after her. She's in really good hands now, and I know she's happy, so I'll be happy too."

Frogadier studied Ash's face. "Froga…Froga-dier?" Frogadier asked.

Ash bit down on his lower lip before he answered. "Yeah, I am happy for her. She's better off now. She has people that can give her everything she needs," Ash stated. "This is what's best for her and I can live with that."

Growlithe whined and Ash knew there was nothing that he could hide from this duo.

"She didn't remember me," He explained. "It's been years since she last saw me, so it's not her fault. I just…it hurts. I came back knowing that things would be different, but seeing it all is more than I could've expected. I'm getting nervous about seeing my other sister today," Ash confessed to them. "She's the one that's been looking after Pikachu, and I'm worried about what might have happened to them."

Growlithe rubbed her head against his leg. Frogadier wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. He didn't know what to say to comfort Ash.

"I'm trying not to worry…" Ash went on. He recalled Gary's words to him as they stood outside of his house yesterday.

'It'll work itself out…'

"All I can do now is stay positive," Ash's voice regained some of its usual firmness. "Whatever happens, I've got to keep pressing forward. That's what everyone else did while I was gone."

He thought of Brock and May. Their lives were completely different now.

"I'll be fine," Ash reaffirmed himself with a nod. Growlithe gave a bark of encouragement and Frogadier met Ash's gaze. When he saw Ash's eyes, he was reminded of the person he first encountered at Bell Tower last year. The person who lacked conviction and resilience. Ash wasn't that person anymore.

"Fro-ga-dier," Frogadier said slowly and Ash felt a smile creep onto his face. "You are strong."

"Thanks," Ash said with a wink. Then he raised his hands and clapped his palms against his cheeks a few times. "No time for moping around," Ash declared, raising his voice and his spirits followed. "Volkner challenged us to a battle, so let's make sure we're ready!"

With a clap of his hands, Ash took the lead as he dashed out ahead of his partners. Growlithe barked before she took off in a sprint to catch up. Frogadier mimicked Ash's actions and then he too went off in pursuit of his trainer. They ran for twenty minutes, switching their pace from a log to sprint at different intervals.

Frogadier and Growlithe were gasping by the time Ash called for a break, and both of them collapsed on top of each other. Ash pulled up the collar of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow while he allowed his Pokemon to catch their breath.

"How did it feel running on the sand?" Ash asked them. Neither of them could reply as they wheezed. "It's tough, I know. Running on the sand is different from solid ground, so it's important that you get a feel for it before the battle," Ash explained and Frogadier forced himself to focus. "This is soft sand, so you can't run the way you normally do. Run with your toes and remember to shift your weight, otherwise your feet will sink and you'll lose all your momentum."

Frogadier committed those instructions to memory and once his breathing was steady, he got back onto his feet.

"Don't rush, Frogadier," Ash said as he dropped down to his bottom. Then he invited Frogadier and Growlithe to come to sit with him. "I wanna tell you a few things about Volkner because he's really strong."

---

Further up the beach, an old pickup truck entered the parking lot and its mufflers coughed violently. Casey was seated in the passenger seat and she winced as the truck sputtered and jerked.

"When are you going to take this thing to the mechanic?" She inquired as she looked at the driver of the vehicle, a man with wild golden hair.

"I've been working on it," Volkner answered, and the truck backfired again. "I haven't found the problem yet, that's all."

"My question still stands, when are you going to take it to a mechanic?" Casey repeated.

"I'm so glad Ash is back to deal with your sass," Volkner muttered in a deadpan.

"Just because he's back doesn't mean I won't get on your case anymore," Casey retorted as Volkner drove through the lot to reach an empty parking spot. One car, in particular, caught her attention. A classic car that she hadn't seen in a long time. 'Regal' was printed across the hood, though the decal work was faded since it was left largely untouched over the last few years. "Oh my god! That's Brock's car! He's here!" She turned to Volkner. "Hurry up and park!"

Volkner raised his brow at her sudden change in demeanor, not that he could blame her. Today was a big day for Casey, and for the Pokeball that she held tightly in her hands. He parked quickly for her sake, leaving his truck crooked in the spot, not that he cared. Casey threw the door open and jumped out, scanning the beach for any familiar faces, but she couldn't find Ash or Brock among the trainers present.

"Where are they?" Casey asked as her eyes darted around the beach. Eventually, she found her first clue. She spotted the Wartortle and Umbreon that she treated the day before with Ash's friend, Gary. He was down by the water where he guided his Wartortle through some exercises. As Casey approached them, she didn't hesitate to call out to him. "Hey!"

Gary flinched before he turned to see who shouted. He greeted Casey with a nod and told Wartortle to take a break. "What's up?" He asked Casey.

"Is um…" She took another look around the beach. "Did Ash come today?"

"Mhmm," Gary replied. "He went for a run with his Pokemon. He's like an exercise freak, so I'm not sure when he'll get back."

Casey groaned, but she took a breath to quell her impatience. She only had to wait a little bit longer and she would finally see him again. "What about Brock?"

Gary merely pointed to the sandy battlefield further up the beach. A battle concluded moments ago, and the crowd dispersed since there were no arrangements for another battle to take place. Brock approached the loser of the battle to share a few words. She couldn't make out their discussion, but it eventually led to Brock taking out a small red device that he used to take a snapshot of their beaten Mightyena.

"What's Brock doing?" Casey asked and Gary looked at Brock to see for himself.

"He's probably working on a Pokedex entry," Gary answered.

"Poke-dex?" Casey repeated as she tilted her head. "What's that?"

"It's an encyclopedia for Pokemon. He's been working as a research fellow for my grandpa to help design it. He was in charge of beta testing for the first and second prototypes, and he was the project lead for the software development too." Gary explained and Casey made a face.

"I was talking about Brock," Casey said.

"So am I," Gary replied.

They stared at each other.

"You're serious?" Casey exclaimed and furrowed his brow. "I've known Brock for years and I could never imagine him being some kind of researcher."

"I mean, I get it. He doesn't look like it, and he certainly doesn't act like it," Gary remarked and Casey stifled a laugh. "But my gramps says that he's been a huge help, so you know how the saying goes, 'you can't judge a book by its cover.'"

Casey agreed though she was very familiar with the 'book of Brock.' Perhaps Brock finally turned the corner and developed some maturity. She couldn't wait to find out. At long last, Brock was done collecting notes about Mightyena and scanned his surroundings in search of his partner. Gary raised his arms and waved to get Brock's attention. Casey chewed on her lower lip as Brock approached them, and he paused to study her.

"Well, look who it is! If it isn't little Casey!" Brock announced as he rushed to see her. "Look how much you've…" Brock sized her up for a moment. "Well, actually you didn't grow that much. What happened?"

Casey shot him a leer and kicked his shin. "What do you mean what happened?"

"Ye-ouch!" Brock hopped on one leg as he held his assaulted leg until he lost his balance and fell flat on his bottom. "I haven't seen you in at least two years if I remember correctly. I thought you'd be at least a little taller by now," Then he added as an aside. "I guess you got the short genes, huh?"

She raised her foot. "You want some more?"

"Have mercy!" Brock exclaimed and Gary chuckled at the scene.

"Here I was expecting you to have matured at least a little while you were gone," Casey muttered as she crossed her arms. Maturity was clearly beyond Brock even in his late twenties.

"What can I say," Brock began as he slowly got back onto his feet. "Being around Pokemon keeps you young at heart, and time just flies by," He remarked as he put an arm around her. Brock pulled her into a hug. "It's good to see you too, Casey. I'm sorry that I've been away for so long, but I've been busy with a lot of work."

"Yeah, I heard from your friend here," Casey said with a nod to Gary.

"Oh, so now I'm not a 'Pokemon nerd' anymore?" Brock asked as he aimed his grin at Gary.

"No, that hasn't changed," Gary shot back. "But your current company finds it impressive."

"Aww, thanks. I appreciate that Gary," Brock said and Gary rolled his eyes. Before Brock could continue, a trio of figures in the distance caught his attention. "You know, I think that's enough about me. Today is about Ash," Brock said this and gave a nod in the direction he was looking.

Gary turned and Casey leaned to the side to see for herself. Casey's stomach tied itself into a knot as she saw him. He was…bigger than she remembered, and his hair was shorter. But his face was still the same. It was Ash!

"Just a little bit farther, guys!" Ash said to his partners as they ran together. With the trick to running on soft sand in mind, Growlithe and Frogadier were both able to match Ash's pace as they ran. Frogadier was especially quick at making the adjustment of running on his toes as he led the group.

In the distance, Ash could see Brock with Gary and someone else, their arms raised to wave him over. "Alright, final push here!" Ash hollered as he ramped up his pace. He pushed ahead of his Pokemon, but both of them responded with their Agility. They flew past Ash, kicking up sand at his face as they did so. Ash went tumbling to the ground where he coughed and sputtered to get the sand out of his mouth. "Ah, not cool guys!"

Ash sat upright and dusted the sand from his shirt and pants. As he did so, someone approached and offered him a hand to help him back up to his feet. Ash raised his eyes and they grew wide as he stared at the girl in front of her. Her hair and face were familiar, but the sound of her voice confirmed it.

"Hi, Ash…long time no see." She said flatly.

"Casey…?" Ash said as he leaned forward. "Is that you?"

She nodded slowly, blinking rapidly as she did so.

"W-wow, you're…" Ash began as he sized her up. She wasn't twelve anymore. If his math was right, she should be seventeen years old now. She may not have been much taller, but her body reflected the passage of time in its own ways. His little sister wasn't that smart-mouthed girl anymore. She was a young woman.

Casey shrugged her shoulders since Ash had yet to accept her hand, so she sat down across from him. "I heard you went to see Macy yesterday," Casey began. "How did that go?"

Ash continued to stare at her, so Casey raised a hand and snapped her fingers in front of his face. That helped Ash get a grasp on the situation. Casey repeated her question.

"That uh…it wasn't so bad," Ash said through pursed lips.

"Did she remember you?"

Ash broke eye contact and shook his head. "I didn't want to tell her," He stated, and Casey frowned at him.

"Why not? Don't you want to reconnect with her?"

"I did, but she's in such a good place right now. I didn't want to disrupt that…" Ash answered.

Casey narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. Her brother wouldn't have let his existence slip away from Macy so easily. This couldn't be the Ash Ketchum that she knew.

"And what? Is that it?" Casey asked sharply. Ash furrowed his brow as she continued. "Is that what you're going to do to everyone you left? Are you just going to avoid us and expect us to pretend you don't exist anymore? Some of us have been waiting for you to come back," Casey raised her voice. "That's not good enough, not for any of us!"

"Casey, I'm sorry…"

"Save it!" She barked at him. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Macy and I found people to help us through the rough spots…but there was someone that was all alone from the moment you left."

Casey withdrew a Pokeball from her pants pocket and pressed the center button to enlarge it. When she spun the front of the device to face Ash, his stomach dropped. He saw the lightning bolt sticker that he attached to that Pokeball years ago.

"Pikachu," Ash whispered as Casey extended her arm for Ash to accept the Pokeball. He cupped his hands and they trembled as the Pokeball was placed in them. It felt like a stone in his grasp…cold and hard.

"Once you were gone, Pikachu started to spend more time in his Pokeball. It got to the point where he'd be inside more than out. And then, one day I…I couldn't get him to come out anymore," She explained. Casey felt a sudden chill as she watched Ash. His whole body was shaking as he stared at Pikachu's Pokeball. "The only person who got him to come out since then was Volkner and Ampharos but that was only for a few hours. He hasn't come out since then. Pikachu has been in there for…a really long time."

Ash brought the Pokeball close to his chest and hunched over it. But it remained cold.

"I've been hoping that maybe when you came back that Pikachu would come out again," Casey explained. "After all, I'm sure he's been waiting for you."

Ash rose to his feet. He knew what he had to do. "Pikachu," He called out and gave the device a gentle toss into the air. Ash watched it rise, his mouth partially open, the vision in his left eye blurred by the threat of a tear escaping. All he wanted to hear was the familiar pop of a Pokeball opening. He wanted to see that formless white light jump to the ground and take on the form of his most cherished friend.

The Pokeball fell back to the sand, sealed shut.

A lump sat in Ash's throat, choking him as he walked toward Pikachu's Pokeball. He fell to his knees and leaned over it. "I'm sorry…" He croaked and his voice faltered. Ash hiccupped and inhaled sharply. "I made…I made a mistake, Pikachu. I shouldn't have left you…"

Ash looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Kneeling down beside him was Brock who offered a tiny smile, one of reassurance. "It's going to be okay, Ash."

Ash shook his head. "I don't think so," He whispered before he cleared his throat. "I did more than stick Pikachu back in his Pokeball that day," Ash said. "He still believed in me, that I could turn back before I went too far but…I forced him to accept that I was too far gone. I severed my bond to him."

Brock gulped. He wasn't aware of everything that transpired between Ash and Pikachu years ago, but staring at the results of it, Brock could see why Ash was so distraught. This wasn't a bridge that could be restored with a simple apology. Ash had a lot to prove to Pikachu.

"Show him them," Brock said as he grasped Ash's shoulder tightly. "Show him what you've become…because I want to see it too."

Ash rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hands. "Show him…" Ash repeated with a nod. "I know what to do."

---

Word traveled fast around the beach as every trainer present gathered. Volkner, the 'Golden Flash' would be participating in a Pokemon battle. It had to be at least forty people in addition to their Pokemon, all packed on top of each other to view the upcoming match.

However, when Volkner heard that Ash would be battling with a water Pokemon, the battlefield was moved from its usual location near the top of the sandy dunes, down closer to the shore. The audience assumed that Volkner was showing a little more mercy to his opponent after how quickly he annihilated a trainer and his Umbreon the day before.

There was a lifeguard chair set up, which was often used as a spot for the acting referee to view the battlefield when it was crowded. Brock sat there for this upcoming battle as he prepared a phone mount to lock the device into place. His duty was to broadcast this battle to the PokeHub, and he did so under Charles Goodshow's account, which had one of the largest followings. Once his phone was in place, Brock started the live stream, using the front camera of his phone to wave as viewers started to tune in. As soon as the audience was more than a hundred people, Brock introduced himself to make sure he didn't lose their interest.

"Hey there fellow trainers," Brock addressed. "I know it's not often you get an alert from Charles Goodshow, and I promise you this isn't a hoax. There's a really special battle about to start here on the beaches near Vermilion City. I've got two superstar trainers here."

Brock switched to the back camera on his smartphone and angled it to the right side of the battlefield where Volkner and his Ampharos stood. "I'm sure you all recognize this guy," Brock continued. "That's right, Volkner, the 'Golden Flash' is going to battle someone. And not just anyone. An old favorite from a few years ago is back," Brock turned his phone to the opposite side of the battlefield where Ash and Frogadier stood, stretching out their limbs one final time before the battle commenced. "You might not recognize him, but this is Ash 'Quest' Ketchum! I'm not joking when I say that. He's back! For those of you who remember, he had a crazy run through the underground circuit and became the youngest trainer ever to hold a top-five ranking in it, though I would appreciate it if someone could do a fact check on that for me. But if there is anyone that can hang with Volkner, it's this guy, so message all your friends and tell them to tune in. There's still a few minutes before this battle begins, and I can promise that this is a battle you don't want to miss even a second of."

Down on the sidelines, Casey was entrusted with Pikachu's Pokeball once again. However, she wouldn't have to wait years to put it in Ash's hands again. Casey witnessed as Pikachu was gradually consumed by loneliness in Ash's absence, and she wanted nothing more than to see a genuine smile on Pikachu's face again. "He's right there, Pikachu. Ash came back, just like I said he would." Casey whispered to the Pokeball. Then she looked at Ash on the field. "If anyone can help Pikachu, it's you."

Gary stood beside Casey, accompanied by Umbreon, Wartortle, Rockruff, and Growlithe. Even as Rockruff attempted to wrestle with Wartortle to pass the time, Gary's gaze was locked onto Ash and Frogadier. Their actions as they stretched were almost in perfect sync, and seeing them like that gave Gary chills as he recalled the times that they acted in unison against him in battle. It always led to startling upsets and unexpected comebacks. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. They would all witness something special during this battle.

Ash rolled his shoulders as he and Frogadier completed their stretches. Then he looked across the battlefield at the man they would be facing. It seemed like Volkner was waiting for them to make eye contact, and he gave Ash a smirk. Ash bit down on his lower lip as Volkner's majestic golden wings appeared, and he spread them valiantly. That was his challenge, and Ash felt his muscles begin to tingle.

"So, Ash," Volkner began, and the sound of his voice silenced the crowd. "I've wanted to battle you for a long time. I'm not sure how much longer I can wait."

"I could say the same, let's get started!" Ash declared as Frogadier and Ampharos stepped further out onto the battlefield. As Frogadier approached the center of the field, he observed Ampharos and narrowed his gaze. Ash filled him with all the little details he could spare about Ampharos during their run earlier, but Ash told Frogadier to reign in his expectations. Frogadier lacked experience against different types of Pokemon, and Volkner was the type of opponent that would take advantage of that.

With clearance from both trainers, the acting referee stepped onto the battlefield. "This will be a one-on-one Pokemon battle. The contest will end when one Pokemon is judged unable to continue, and a call for a forfeit will be acknowledged," The ref looked to both Volkner and Ash one last time before he raised one hand above his head. "Battle begin!"

Frogadier took up his traditional fighting stance, an arm raised in front of him while Ampharos planted her feet further into the sand.

"Remember Frogadier, get a feel for moving on the sand first," Ash advised him. "Even though we ran on the stand, battling is going to be a whole new challenge. Keep your distance until you feel comfortable."

However, Volkner would make them fight for everything. "Ampharos, don't let them get away. Use Thunder Wave!"

Ampharos cried out as the gem on her forehead flashed. Lightning bolts crackled around her body before she rattled off a chain of them. They flashed through the air and Frogadier's eyes widened at how quickly the attack approached him. He jumped in time to escape the jagged bolts that crashed down onto the sand. The electricity sputtered before it fizzled out on the sand while Frogadier put a healthy distance between himself and Ampharos.

"Ampharos," Volkner called out to his partner. She shrunk as she heard his tone of voice. "Stop being nice to Ash, he won't appreciate that."

Ampharos took a breath, and Frogadier slid his forward foot backward. It felt as though Ampharos suddenly grew larger. The cheery expression she wore before the battle faded, and she narrowed her eyes to focus on her opponent.

"Thunder Wave again!"

Ampharos followed the command again, but the electrical mayhem came on a far larger scale. Frogadier was fortunate to get a freebie on the Thunder Wave because Ampharos' pushed the attack to a new level. Frogadier reacted quicker this time to avoid the initial attack, but Ampharos blanketed the field to pursue him with her Thunder Wave. Sparks and bolts dazzled the surface of the sand as Ampharos constantly refreshed it to take over the field. As Frogadier fought to keep his distance, the audience moved to give him so additional space. But it was already too late, Frogadier was boxed into the corner of the battlefield with electricity crackling on the field to deny him an escape route.

"Electro Ball!" Volkner hollered as the follow-up attack. Ampharos cried out once again as the gem on her head glowed. Electricity shrouded her body before it all converged into a howling sphere of lightning which she launched at Frogadier. As it traveled across the field, it snatched up the remains of her Thunder Wave attack to further increase its mass.

"I had a feeling you would start with this combination," Ash remarked. "Frogadier, remember what we practiced and counter with Water Pulse!"

Frogadier clapped his hands together, and when he separated them, the moisture in the air gathered between his palms to form a spiraling sphere of water. It glowed in response to his touch as he grabbed it with both hands and positioned the attack in front of him. The Electro Ball met it with a deafening clang and Frogadier was pushed back a few feet, but since he was ankle-deep in the sand, he wasn't overwhelmed by the force of the collision.

Ash observed the two conflicting forces closely and marveled at how the spiral of Frogadier's Water Pulse was able to redirect the lightning of Electro Ball from him. It was the only countermeasure he could think of to defend against Volkner's classic combination of Thunder Wave and Electro Ball. As Electro Ball lost its momentum, Frogadier then launched his Water Pulse, hurling both attacks into the air above the field where his attack detonated and the Electro Ball followed suit.

"I'm glad you can deal with at least that much," Volkner noted as he sent a smirk at Ash.

"Oh, we're just getting started!" Ash declared as he looked to Frogadier. He checked Frogadier's stance, and Ash saw that his partner's knees were bent and he lowered his center of gravity. Frogadier was ready to engage. "Frogadier, let's use your Agility!"

"Use Thunder Wave once more!" Volkner countered, but as expected, the results favored Frogadier this time.

At the call to act, Frogadier burst forward. The sand where he stood plumed as proof of his sudden acceleration, and the audience there was left choking on a cloud of sand and dust. Ash did his best to hide his grin as Frogadier raced around the perimeter of the field, moving on his toes with each step to maintain his speed. Their second attempt at dodging Thunder Wave allowed Frogadier to move around the field and learn how the sand limited his acceleration. Now that he was able to take all of this into account, his greatest strength was restored. His speed.

Ampharos unleashed another torrent of electricity that jumped across the surface of the sand in little arches, but her attack was no longer fast enough to cut off Frogadier's movements. He could get from one side of the field to the other before she could corner him. Ampharos turned, trying to follow Frogadier as he moved around her, but she struggled to track his movements with her eyes. Her use of Thunder Wave paused as she tried to predict his pathing, and Ash recognized this as their time to strike.

"Brick Break!" Ash called out as he pumped his fist. Frogadier turned and dashed into Ampharos from her side. She barely reacted in time and used her tail to bat away his first attack. On his second attempt, Frogadier paused for a brief moment to bait out a reaction from Ampharos, which left her exposed. He flickered in front of her and delivered a blow to her stomach.

Volkner winced as Ampharos fell to one knee, hunched over and writhing in pain. That punch wasn't normal. It felt like his fist punched a hole through her abdomen. Volkner raised his eyebrow. He assumed that Frogadier's small stature would also indicate the degree of his physical strength. But that Brick Break proved that what Frogadier lacked in terms of strength could be made up by his technique.

Just as Ash said, Ampharos wasn't very coordinated and she struggled to respond to his attacks at close range. This battle was winnable as long as Frogadier stayed at this range and overwhelmed Ampharos with his speed. Ampharos wrinkled her forehead and glared around the field in search of Frogadier. As she spun around, Ampharos received a foot to her face and her head rocked backward from the blow. Frustrated, she grunted and discharged a field of electricity to force Frogadier away for a moment, but that only bought her an extra moment of peace.

"Let's turn it up now, Frogadier," Ash announced. "Let's add in your Aerial Ace!"

Their newest attack, and probably the highest degree of difficulty when it came to its actual usage. It hinged on Frogadier's sensory abilities, a true test of his awareness. Not only did he have to read the air currents around him, but warp and twist them around his body to create something tangible that he could touch for an instant.

Frogadier approached Ampharos again, and she whirled around to strike him with her tail. The action of swinging her tail created a ripple in the air which was exactly what Frogadier was searching for. He jumped enough to clear her tail and he set one foot down onto the air current to halt his momentum. Ampharos' eyes grew wide as Frogadier froze in midair right in front of her, and he swiveled in the air to deliver a roundhouse kick. She cried out as her head was thrown backward from the blow and Volkner clicked his tongue. Frogadier's assault became relentless as he ran circles around Ampharos. His movements were sharp and quick when he was using Agility, but now with Aerial Ace thrown into the mix, it added a whole new dimension. Frogadier was unpredictable.

Volkner smirked as he watched Frogadier seemingly float in the air around Ampharos. It reminded him of the first time he really battled Ash and Pikachu years ago, and Pikachu demonstrated his ability to 'run on lightning.' This skill allowed Pikachu to become airborne and move freely from any position, a skill that made him truly unpredictable.

Frogadier delivered another blow to Ampharos' torso, and she fell to one knee again. Ampharos held her side tightly and glared at Frogadier. He was an annoying pest that relied on his speed both to attack and defend, the epitome of her worst matchup…one she hadn't seen since perhaps three years ago. She could feel Volkner's excitement. Her trainer saw enough of Frogadier. There would be no further observation going forward.

The eyes of both Pokemon met for an instant, and Frogadier felt a chill. The gem on Ampharos' head was shimmering, and he backed away from Ampharos.

"The resemblance is uncanny," Volkner remarked. "Your Frogadier isn't Pikachu, but it still feels like we're battling against him."

Ash rubbed at the tip of his nose when he heard this. "Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."

"Good. After all this time, my expectation is that you've surpassed what you were previously," Volkner nodded to Ampharos and she returned the gesture. "Let's see how you handle this. Ampharos, Ion Deluge."

The glint Frogadier noticed from Ampharos' forehead gem became a defiant red glow. Electricity crackled around her form, bolts branching out from her fur and circling her body periodically. Ash and Frogadier observed her for a few moments, waiting to see what would follow, but Ampharos raised her arm in a gesture for them to attack.

Ash wasn't familiar with the move Volkner called for, but he knew inactivity wasn't going to get them anywhere. With a shout, Frogadier reengaged with a feint first to force a reaction from Ampharos. She expected his initial approach to be a feint and focused only on his follow-up action. On his second engage, Ampharos swung out at Frogadier but this was bait. She swung her tail with the intent to crush Frogadier with her superior size and weight, but he flickered and darted out of her field of vision. Committed to her action, Ampharos' side was completely exposed and Frogadier came in to deliver a Brick Break.

Ampharos collapsed from the blow, fighting the urge to vomit. Her stomach was in knots and her sides were bruised from these sharp blows. But Frogadier was punished for attacking. His whole body trembled violently as a jolt of electricity traveled through him. He jumped away from Ampharos, but as he landed several meters away, his knees buckled and he fell to the sand. All of his muscles tingled, and he lost his strength.

"Frogadier!" Ash exclaimed at the sight of his downed partner.

He expected Ion Deluge to do something…but what happened certainly wasn't in the realm of Ash's expectations. However, Ash recognized the effects of paralysis when he saw them, and he quickly pieced together an idea of how Ion Deluge functioned. Ampharos must have overcharged herself to enhance her Static ability. Physical contact not only posed the threat of paralysis, but now the electricity could bite back like a Thundershock. Ash pursed his lips as he concluded that physical attacks were now off the table.

Volkner raised an eyebrow as he saw Ash scrunch up his nose and flare his nostrils. "Hmm, you like our new trick?" Volkner called out to Ash. The wrinkles on Ash's forehead deepened before Volkner challenged him. "Let's see what you do about it!"

"Frogadier, are you alright?" Ash asked as Frogadier slowly got back to his feet to check his balance. The wobble in his knees was gone and the tingling through his body subsided. Frogadier looked back and gave him a nod.

They lucked out that the effects of Static didn't take effect immediately, and Ash wasn't going to push his luck. Paralysis would take a major toll on Frogadier, especially with how running on the sand drained his stamina. There was no sense in taking an unnecessary risk.

"Let's try this, Frogadier! Use Water Pledge to toughen up the sand for you!" Ash called out with a gesture to the nearby ocean water. He was thankful that Volkner moved their battlefield closer to the water, and he would make full use of it.

He and Frogadier separated their feet and bent their knees. Then they shifted through a set of three stances and Frogadier looked to the water. The audience followed his line of sight and there were exclamations as a stream of water was channeled from the sea. With his arms raised above his head, Frogadier commanded the water and it gathered into a large sphere above Ampharos. It burst and water poured forth on top of Ampharos, drenching her and the sand around her. She shook her fur and looked back at Frogadier with her head tilted.

"Are you giving her a bath?" Volkner inquired but Ash merely grinned in reply.

Frogadier reached outward with his arms, and the water that resided in the sand was raised as tiny orbs, no bigger than a marble. Ampharos was completely surrounded by them, and one by one they were launched at her from different angles. She winced as one hit the back of her neck. They stung and a red welt marked the spot where she was hit.

"Go, Frogadier!" Ash commanded and Frogadier swung his arms through the air. The beads of water attacked in greater numbers and Volkner was forced to intervene.

"Magnetic Flux!" Volkner barked. Frogadier's use of Water Pledge would do some significant damage if left unchecked, but Volkner already had countermeasures for a move like this.

Frogadier ramped up the pace at which his Water Pledge attacked, but his bombardment was met by a forcefield around Ampharos. Ash's mouth hung open as he saw their water bullets attempting to puncture this shield, but they were repelled into the air. There were shouts from people in the audience as they were hit by stray water pellets and Frogadier halted his attack.

"Frogadier, let's hit it harder with Water Pulse!" Ash called out, eager to test the resilience of Ampharos' defense. The remaining water pellets that hung in the air gathered into Frogadier's open palms to become a sizeable sphere of water in Frogadier's hands. He held the orb tightly, testing its density before he hurled it at Ampharos.

There wasn't any fear from Ampharos. She welcomed the Water Pulse with open arms, and the transparent barrier around her rippled as the attack met with it. Despite the difference in size and force generated, the result remained the same. Ampharos' barrier repelled Water Pulse, launching it right back at Frogadier. The water Pokemon slapped the sphere down onto the sand where it burst and his trainer bit down on his lower lip.

"Man, this is tough," Ash exclaimed. "Ampharos has gotten a lot better since the last time I saw her."

"How so?" Volkner inquired.

"I remember she used to have a really hard time with fast opponents like Pikachu," Ash pointed out. "But now, she's got some pretty good moves to force away someone like Frogadier or Pikachu. I can see why you compared them since Frogadier has the same strengths as Pikachu did. I'm willing to bet you made this whole strategy to counter us, right?"

"Your hunch is correct," Volkner replied with a grin. "I still remember that battle you had against Flint in the Hidden Cove. I was amazed how the two of you seemed to level up during the battle, constantly trying to outdo each other. I've tried to emulate that style, but it's not something just anyone can do…so I decided the best way to keep trainers like you in check is to stop them before they build momentum."

Gary perked up as Volkner made this statement. Then a smirk formed on his face as his brain was tickled by an idea.

"Well, you've sure got a good handle on that strategy," Ash commented. "You shut down all our best options so far."

"Does that mean this is the end?" Volkner asked him. "I was hoping you would've developed more during your absence…but maybe I expected too much."

"No, we're still warming up!" Ash cut in. "I expected you to get a whole lot better too…and it's killing me because now I'm realizing just how much time I lost over the last few years. I have to play catch up with everyone. But even though I know you're better, I still don't want to lose, and neither does Frogadier!" Frogadier gave a shout of agreement. "Facing strong opponents always gets us fired up, and even though you and Ampharos are so strong, my blood has been boiling this entire time!"

Volkner raised his brow as he saw Ash's wings flutter and stretch out. He smirked and leaned forward, eager to see what was to come. Gary felt his heart thump in his chest and a familiar chill throughout his body. It was the same feeling he had before the few times he witnessed miracles from Ash and Frogadier. Would he see another one within the next few minutes?

"Frogadier!" Ash called out as they shifted from a one-foot stance to a cross stance. Their movements were in perfect unison, and there was a glow in their eyes. "Their defense is tough, and we're not going to break through it unless we bite the bullet. I hope you're ready!"

"Ga-dier!" Frogadier confirmed and he tensed his legs, gathering all of his strength.

Volkner bit down on his lower lip. He knew what was coming and he couldn't wait to see it.

Ash studied Ampharos closely, eyeing the bruises on her torso. That was evidence of Frogadier's Brick Break, and also their targets going forward. Their only option was to force Ampharos to concede the battle with one well-placed attack. They'd done it to Gary's Wartortle, so it was certainly in the realm of possibilities against Ampharos.

"Let's go, use Agility, and create an opening for your Brick Break!" Ash commanded.

"Ampharos, Ion Deluge!" Volkner called out.

Frogadier burst forward, appearing as nothing more than a blue blur that cut a line in the sand as he moved. He circled around Ampharos and his right hand glowed white in preparation for his next attack. Ampharos instinctively positioned her tail in front of the two bruises on her body, and Frogadier knew that she wouldn't fall for a feint and expose her wounds. He would have to forcefully create the opening that he needed.

As Frogadier circled behind Ampharos, he caught a glimpse of Ash and they made eye contact. They shared a nod as the plan was relayed, and Frogadier went on the offensive. His first approach was a feint, a test to see if Ampharos would respond, but she kept her tail in position to defend herself. She didn't bite on the bait and instead, the electrical cloak around her flared to life. So Frogadier followed through on his plan and jumped at her to close the distance. He performed a front flip as he did so and this action led to a dropkick with Ampharos' tail as the target. Despite Frogadier's thin frame, Ampharos couldn't support his weight with the added momentum from his fall, and Frogadier successfully pinned her tail to the ground.

Frogadier shuddered as the electricity coursed through his body. From his first experience with Ion Deluge, he knew that he only had another moment or two before his muscles would lose their strength. The bruise on Ampharos' lower torso was exposed and Frogadier would make the most of this opportunity. He remembered Ash's lesson about meaningful damage.

"It's not a jab where you want to create space," Ash explained. "Now you're using the space you have so dig in, use your weight, use your hips, use all of it to generate power and hit your target."

He created space by pinning down Ampharos' tail. Now came the next step. He kept one foot on Ampharos' tail while the other slid back for leverage. Then he twisted his toes into the sand, the motion traveling up his body, through his hips, and into the short uppercut that he delivered to Ampharos' stomach. He hit his mark, and the effects of Ion Deluge doubled. He was shocked mercilessly, and ultimately sent skidding away on the sand. Ampharos doubled over with a shriek and fell to the sand, grasping at her side as she rolled about.

Ash grimaced as he felt his right arm go numb. It twitched violently and he raised his left hand to grasp at his bicep. Both Pokemon writhed on the ground from their exchange of attacks, but Volkner was positive that Frogadier was in significantly worse shape. A second dose of Ion Deluge would surely lock up Frogadier's muscles with paralysis. Much to his surprise, Frogadier was the first on his feet, though his knees wobbled as he tried to keep his balance. Volkner furrowed his brow. Frogadier should have been paralyzed unless…Volkner took a moment to study Ash and Frogadier closely. He could see that Ash was visibly in a pain. Were they sharing the damage?

"Frogadier, she's down right now! Let's go with Water Pulse!" Ash shouted.

Frogadier clapped his hands together to summon the sphere of water from the moisture in the air. Once the attack was ready, he hurled it at Ampharos who was resting on her side. The orb followed a spiral course as it neared the target, but a call for 'Magnetic Flux' from Volkner resulted in the Water Pulse being repelled into the sky.

"Tsk, damn it," Ash muttered. Ion Deluge and Magnetic Flux were such a strong defense. While they could do physical damage through Ion Deluge, that damage came with a costly return of paralysis. Magnetic Flux, on the other hand, seemed to deny any and all of their ranged attacks which meant their only option of doing damage would lead to their downfall. "I was hoping that Brick Break would've been enough to end this," Ash mumbled as Ampharos slowly got back to her feet. "But I should've known better than that."

"Nothing will come easy against us," Volkner called out and Ampharos gave a shout as the electricity roared to life around her.

"We can't afford to get shocked like that again," Ash said softly. "We need something to negate Ion Deluge."

A familiar shout gained Ash's attention. It was Gary's Wartortle, offering some words of encouragement. Ash thought back to their final battle in Ecruteak City, and how Wartortle used Aqua Jet and Rapid Spin to redirect Frogadier's Water Pulse. That was what they needed!

"Frogadier, do you think you can do that?" Ash inquired and Frogadier looked back at him. Use Water Pledge to create a protective, spiraling water shield that could take on the role of a lightning rod for them when they made contact with Ampharos. Frogadier furrowed his brow, but he could see what Ash was thinking. He gave Ash a nod. "Alright, then let's start with Water Pledge!"

Frogadier and Ash slapped their thighs to focus on something besides the weakness in their muscles. Frogadier then raised his arms to extract the water from the sand on the battlefield. It all converged around Frogadier and engulfed his body. The audience could hear the water churning as it swirled around his body, but his opponents could still see his glowing red eyes from within his new shield.

There was no signal to attack. Ash and Frogadier lowered their center of gravity, and the Pokemon rushed forward to engage Ampharos again.

Ampharos tightened her guard to protect her most vulnerable areas, but Frogadier didn't care. He struck her body leg with a side chop, and Ion Deluge went to work. The electricity was channeled from Ampharos to Frogadier, but the swirling current of his water shield did exactly as Ash hoped. The lightning that threatened to paralyze them harmlessly wrapped around the outermost layer of Frogadier's shield. Volkner's eyes widened as Frogadier was unaffected and able to rattle off a string of blows onto Ampharos' body.

"Hmm, that's a creative adjustment," Volkner commented. "But now it's our turn. Ampharos, use Charge!"

The electrical field around Ampharos fizzled out, and she coiled her tail around her body tightly to conceal the bruises from Brick Break. The gems on both her forehead and tail sparkled Ampharos shut her eyes. Ash was very familiar with Charge, after all, it was Pikachu's biggest weakness for months since it required that the user remain stationary for a short time.

"This is our chance, Frogadier," Ash shouted. "Give this everything you've got!"

"Froga!" With the threat of Ion Deluge out of the picture, Frogadier pressed the attack. His tiny knuckles glowed white, and he deliver a barrage onto Ampharos, striking her from every angle. It was a mixture of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, but Ampharos withstood them all without a complaint. Her focus rested firmly on her instruction. Charge.

Ash swung his arm through the air, mimicking Frogadier's action of chopping at Ampharos' shoulder. However, faintly, he could hear the crackle of electricity. It didn't take long before the crowd heard it too, and at long last, the electricity that Ampharos summoned became visible. Frogadier leaped away as large lightning bolts cropped up from the sand around Ampharos. However, he only got a few feet of separation before Volkner gave his next command.

"Discharge," Ampharos took action instantly. The gem on her tail flashed and a dozen lightning bolts were fired at Frogadier. He barely sidestepped the first one and dove to his stomach to avoid the next one. But before he could get back onto his feet, a third one dropped down onto his back from above. "Electroweb!"

The pressure from the lightning bolt held Frogadier against the ground, but what started as a reasonable amount of weight on his back became an oppressive force that held him down. He struggled against the restraints, but with a web of electricity on top of him, he couldn't do anything to break free.

"Ash, I'm sure you know what comes next," Volkner called out to him. Ash knew it. He could remember it from his first unofficial battle with Volkner. Electroweb was the setup for this attack, designed to fully immobilize an opponent for the follow-up attack. A move signature to electric types with an internal power generator like Ampharos because of the electrical output required for this attack. "Zap Cannon."

"You want to know about my other finishers?" Volkner repeated as he stroked at his chin. "Alright then, let's have a battle and I'll show you a special finisher that we've made. This one earned us the title, 'Golden Flash.'"

Ash and Pikachu weren't familiar with Electroweb at the time. The trap was sprung as Pikachu came into contact with Ampharos and he was entangled in an electrical net that he couldn't absorb. Then Volkner gave a shout for the next attack, Zap Cannon, and the conclusion of their battle was veiled within a golden flash.

Pikachu's body was flooded by the electricity from Zap Cannon, and despite being an electric type, he was overloaded and knocked out as a result. Ash couldn't even begin to imagine what Frogadier would experience if he was hit by this attack.

Ampharos raised her voice as both of her gems shined brilliantly. The electricity that emanated from her body was gathered in front of her. It twisted and screeched as a tiny red orb formed at the core of the attack. Electricity was layered around the core several times over. As the electricity became denser, it became a dark green and its discharges punched holes into the stand beneath it.

"That little water cyclone trick was really smart to block out our electricity," Volkner noted before he raised one hand as if to take aim at Frogadier himself. "But it won't protect you from this attack. It was a good battle Ash, but this is where it ends!"

Ash and Frogadier wore a similar expression as their wide eyes stared at Ampharos' Zap Cannon. Ash's lower lip was sore as his teeth dug into it for the umpteenth time during the battle as he tried to plan another escape. But with that Electroweb holding Frogadier in place, there was nothing that they could do.

They tried everything in their arsenal against Volkner and Ampharos, but it was all shut down. Nothing they did was good enough. Nothing they could do was enough…

"How do you surpass your limits?" Bruno repeated his question before he looked up. "You must put aside your distractions and immerse yourself in the possibilities. In your reality, have you chosen to be defined by your limitations…or have you decided that you can go beyond them?"

"No, we're not done yet. We can still go farther than this!" Ash declared and a gust of wind was whipped up around him. His vision blurred and he shut his eyes to rub at them. Suddenly, his posture was changed. He was seated on the ground, and something was leaning against his back.

Ash blinked rapidly and saw that he was on the mountaintop. He was seated back-to-back with Frogadier, but Ash could feel someone else nearby. With a glance around the area, Ash clicked his tongue. The fog concealed everything. But thankfully, the voice of this mystery person called out to him.

"Pika-pi!"

Ash nearly fell over as his small partner emerged from the fog. His eyes grew moist and he quickly raised his hands to swipe at them.

"Pikachu, have you…have you been waiting here all this time…?" Ash asked softly, but he shook his head as Pikachu came toward him. When he cleared his eyes and looked at Pikachu, their eye contact was message enough for Pikachu to stop. He stood up on his hind legs and waited for Ash to speak. "I have so much I want to tell you, so much to apologize for…but the first thing I want to do is prove to you that I haven't lost my way. I've spent the last year learning how to be a better trainer and you're about the see the result of all the training. This is the person that I want to be. Please…please watch this battle, Pikachu."

Pikachu's eyes glistened before he gave Ash a nod. Then his form faded.

Frogadier shuddered behind Ash before his eyes snapped open and a cyclone of water was summoned around him. However, Frogadier sunk into Ash's back, just like their experiences within the alcove in Ecruteak City. Ash trembled as his field of view expanded. His skin tingled as the breeze brushed it. He could feel everything!

These heightened senses caused the hairs on his neck to stand on end as the breeze seemed to gather in front of him. White sparkles came together at the edge of the cliff where Ash sat, and the stairway appeared in front of him.

On the sidelines of the battlefield, Casey clutched Pikachu's Pokeball tightly as she stared at the battlefield. This was the first time she got to see one of Ash's battles live and in person, and she hoped to witness a victory. But with Frogadier trapped beneath an Electroweb and a Zap Cannon aimed at him, all hope was lost.

Casey furrowed her brow as she felt the Pokeball shake once. Then again. Her heart leaped into her throat as it popped open, and a yellow light jumped down to the sand in front of her. It needed a few moments to take its form, but when the light faded, Casey's eyes grew wide as she saw Pikachu. She couldn't even find the words to address him, but as she saw that his gaze was firmly locked on the battle, she joined him. Pikachu appeared for a reason, so Casey wouldn't lose hope.

Gary's heart thumped against his chest. As the audience around him gave shouts that the battle was over, Gary thought otherwise. He could feel it! There was a miracle in the works.

There was a flash from the Zap Cannon and a screech marked its completion. Drained from the cost of this attack, the gems on Ampharos' forehead and tail flickered before they grew dim. With a great shout, the Zap Cannon was propelled forward towards Frogadier.

Frogadier's eyes snapped open, the glow in them more pronounced than ever before. The water that shielded him from Electroweb gathered onto his back and assumed the shape of a shuriken. It spun on his back to slice open the Electroweb and a pillar of water erupted beneath Frogadier. There was a white flash from the base of the pillar, and there were exclamations from the audience as a glowing white form could be seen traveling up the water pillar. Zap Cannon reached its destination and crashed into the base of the column. It burst within and all of the water was launched further into the air while a furious gust of wind assaulted the bystanders. The sand around the blast site was thoroughly fried, now glittering in its new transparent form of glass.

All eyes went upward in search of Frogadier, and everyone could see a body shrouded in white light descending toward the battlefield. A brief rainfall occurred as he landed on the field, and the light faded to reveal Frogadier's next form. He was taller, his upper torso more built, and his eyes were a sharp red. The crowd cheered wildly as they witnessed a mid-battle evolution.

'Ascend!'

The command was clear as Ash stared at the astral stairway. With a breath, he rose to his feet and jumped to the second step. He took the steps two at a time, eager to see what awaited him at the top. The stairs took him higher, far beyond the mountaintop! He'd never gone this high before!

Beside the battlefield, Gary raised his Pokedex and with one snapshot, it was able to identify the new Pokemon on the battlefield.

"Greninja, the Ninja Pokemon, and the final form of Froakie. Greninja are capable of compressing water into different shapes and forms as their primary tool in battle."

Greninja raised one hand and the brief rain shower from the destruction of his water pillar froze. Gasps filled the silence as the crowd looked around in awe. The water droplets gathered around Greninja to recreate the bubble of water he fought with earlier. Once his entire body was cloaked, his physical form was altered. These changes were subtle, save for the horn that traveled up the center of his forehead. It glowed red, just like his eyes. Volkner took a step back as a chill ran down his spine.

"No...it couldn't be..." Volkner muttered.

The water that surrounded Greninja then gathered at his back, first into a tiny sphere that sparkled before it expanded into the shuriken that saved him from Electroweb. Ash was silent throughout all of this, but he nodded and Greninja did the same. Together, they transitioned through three of their stances, from the 'ride,' to the 'crouch' and then to the 'cross' stance. Then, they set their eyes on their target.

Ampharos coiled her tail around her body in preparation, and Volkner clenched his hands tightly. The momentum now belonged entirely to Ash and Greninja, there was nothing he could do about it with Ampharos' present state. Her gems were still darkened from the use of Zap Cannon, and a call for Charge sounded like a terrible idea with a newly evolved Greninja staring down at them. There wasn't time for a plan, Ash and Greninja leaned forward so Volkner had to give a command.

"Iron Tail!" Volkner shouted.

Greninja flickered before he burst forward, and two after-images joined him on his approach. Ampharos couldn't do a thing to stop Greninja from getting close to her, and her attempts to knock him away with Iron Tail did nothing to disrupt his attack. Greninja's footwork was impeccable as he maneuvered around Ampharos, his onslaught of basic attacks now impossible to react to with a Double Team in effect. A snap kick to the head, a chop at her neck, and a knee to her stomach. Ampharos was being beaten and battered.

"Holy crap!"

"This is insane!"

"Unreal!"

The trainers in the audience could hardly contain themselves as Greninja dominated the battle. Casey couldn't believe what she was seeing. She started coming to this beach over two years ago, and in that time, Volkner never lost a battle. But to see Ampharos on the receiving end of a beatdown was something she never expected to see. And when she looked at the person responsible for this, a smile crept up on her face.

Ash mirrored all of Greninja's actions, a broad grin on his face as he moved. Casey looked down at Pikachu and saw that the little Pokemon's eyes were watering. She kneeled down beside him and placed a hand on his head.

"I feel you, Pikachu," Casey said softly. "It feels good to have him back. This is where he belongs, after all."

Greninja's relentless assault concluded with a vertical kick that he delivered to Ampharos' chin. She was launched into the air by the attack and Greninja jumped to pursue her, driving both his feet into Ampharos' torso to further elevate her. Greninja bounded back to the ground from that position and quickly scanned the air for a current he could ride. He tore off in a dash, and jaws dropped as he ascended the airways through the use of Aerial Ace. With his speed, Greninja quickly raced past Ampharos to get in the air above her, and he reached to the large shuriken that rested on his back. Ampharos raised her arms as she saw Greninja above her, his Water Shuriken now raised to strike her.

It burned blue before he dropped it down onto Ampharos, and any upward momentum she had was immediately reversed. She was sent back down to the field, and her impact sent sand everywhere. The audience coughed and gagged, trying to remove the sand from their mouths and eyes. It took some time for the dust and sand to settle, but the result of the battle was clear as day.

Ampharos rested within the base of a crater, partially buried as the sand around her filled the massive gap that her impact created. She remained completely still, eyes replaced by black swirls. Brock, the acting referee, raised one arm to make his judgment.

"Ampharos is unable to battle!" Brock declared. "Ash and Greninja are the winners!"

The audience went wild.

The astral stairway continued to extend in front of Ash. He sprinted up the stairs in total silence. The mountaintop was long forgotten, nothing more than a minuscule landmark in the distance. Ash looked around as the skies darkened and the vastness of space opened above him. Stars dotted the empty black void, but something in the distance caught his attention. A light pierced through the darkness to illuminate a small island that hung in the starry heavens. It was still tiny and far out in the distance…

A shout startled Ash, followed closely by another one. The astral stairway flickered beneath his feet, and Ash reached out for the island before the stairs disappeared completely. He went plummeting back to the earth below until he shut his eyes. With a breath, he was back on the beach with the audience screaming!

Greninja exhaled as well, and the additional changes to his body dissipated, running off his skin like water. Greninja looked down to examine his new form, his brow raised, and his next instinct was to turn around in search of Ash. He was already running toward Greninja who met him halfway. They had the same thought process for their celebration. They locked hands at the thumb, and Ash lowered his head to place his forehead against Greninja's.

"Congrats on evolving," Ash said to his partner. "You were amazing!"

"Gre...ninja," Greninja said in response. "I could say the same about you."

A shout of 'pika-pi!' snatches Ash's attention, and his head snapped to the side to look for the source. He saw Pikachu dashing out on the field to meet him, and Ash fell to his knees. His partner was welcomed into his arms and Ash rocked back and forth as he held Pikachu. When their embrace concluded, Ash set Pikachu down on the sand and prostrated himself. The sand was hot and grainy against his forehead.

"I'm sorry, Pikachu…" Ash breathed, unsure of where to begin. "I made a terrible mistake that cost me a few years of my life…but since coming back to Vermilion City, I'm starting to see how exactly I affected other people. I wish I could go back and knock some sense into the stupid knucklehead that I was."

The fight that the two of them had that day almost five years ago ended with words that cut right at Pikachu's heart.

"You have to let me go, Pikachu," Ash said one more time.

"I'm so sorry, I can't take back what I did, but I promise you that I'm not that selfish person who left you," Ash assured him. "I won't ever leave again. I love being a Pokemon trainer and just being around Pokemon. This is where I'm meant to be, and I'd like to do it together with you again."

Ash's proposal was met with something tickling one of his ears and something climbed onto his shoulder. Ash raised his head and sat upright. Pikachu was perched on his shoulder, and he gave Ash a small salute.

"Pika-pikapi," Pikachu said before he nuzzled his cheek against Ash's.

Ash grinned back at him and rose to his feet. Pikachu was on his shoulder again…all was right with the world.

At least, for a few moments. Casey marched right up to Ash now that his reunion with Pikachu was complete. Without a word of warning, she kicked Ash in the shin. He yelped as he went up on one leg, but Casey latched onto his torso and they all went down to the sand.

"Ugh, what was that for?" Ash asked her. Casey kept her face buried in his shirt, but he could feel her tremble as she sniffled.

"Why?" Her voice was strained as she spoke. "Why did you leave us?"

Ash's expression softened and he placed a hand on top of Casey's head to console her.

"Because I was stupid," He answered.

Watching from the vantage point of his lifeguard seat, Brock switched the camera feed of his stream to the front camera of his phone.

"What did I tell you guys?" Brock asked proudly to the audience which peaked at over ten thousand viewers. "That battle was ridiculous. So, I suggest you keep Ash Ketchum in the back of your mind because he's back and better than ever."

Brock concluded the stream with a wave to the audience. Once he shut off his phone, he leaned into the back of his seat with a sigh of relief. That battle had his heart racing the whole way through, and he was exhausted!

But…he saw them. He saw Ash's wings! They matched what was depicted in the mural N showed him years prior.

Ash really did have rainbow wings!

---

Gary crossed his arms and scowled at the sea. Beside him was Wartortle and Umbreon, though only Wartortle observed Gary as his expression contorted. It started as a frown, then a scowl, and Wartortle anxiously waited to see if there was a third and final form. Wartortle nudged Umbreon and motioned to Gary, which earned a snicker from the dark Pokemon.

"What's so funny?" Gary asked as he looked at his Pokemon. Umbreon sneered in reply, but Gary decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and directed his scowl at Umbreon. They glared and sparks erupted between them until Wartortle swatted them away in an effort to defuse the situation. Both Umbreon and Gary turned their noses up with a huff and looked away, and Wartortle groaned.

Gary shook his head as he looked back out at the ocean beside him. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the extremes of Umbreon's attitude, not after the battle he just saw. Ordinarily, a battle of that caliber would leave any trainer trembling and anxious to get into a battle of their own. After all, Frogadier evolved during the battle, and he seemed to unlock some sort of new power in the process. Those were the best kinds of battles!

However, Gary felt a weight in his chest. He expected to see a miracle during the battle. He predicted it. He felt just before it happened…but he wasn't happy about it. Ash and Greninja surpassed his wildest expectations and defeated Volkner and Ampharos who had utterly destroyed Gary in their battle yesterday.

Gary came to Vermilion City expecting some dramatic improvements in terms of the level of competition. What he did not expect…was for Ash to make the improvements needed in one day to compete with the best trainers here. How did Ash do it?! There was no conceivable way for Ash and Greninja to get that strong so quickly!

Umbreon shot a glance at his trainer and watched as Gary balled up his hands into fists and took a breath.

"Alright, Ashy-boy," Gary said as he put his hands in his pockets. "This isn't the first time you jumped out in front of us. We'll catch up, just like we always do."

Gary looked to Wartortle and received a nod of agreement. His eyes jumped to Umbreon in hope of something similar, and they made eye contact. Umbreon didn't look away for a change. He just stared back at his trainer as they walked.

Gary shuddered as he felt a chill on the back of his neck. Umbreon gave him all sorts of looks, that ranged from cheerful and goofy as an Eevee, to snide and spiteful in his current form. But Umbreon's face was blank, his eyes large.

"Is that all you want?"

There was a whisper, and Gary broke eye contact to scan the area for it. He raised a hand to the back of his neck as he saw that it was just him and his Pokemon. With a furrowed brow, he returned his gaze to Umbreon but the dark Pokemon was a few paces ahead of him now, trotting along the sand and paying Gary no mind.

---

With Pikachu on his shoulder and Greninja at his side, Ash wanted nothing more than to sit down and talk with his 'new' Pokemon.

But as the hotshot trainer who beat Volkner, privacy was something he wouldn't be able to fathom for the next few hours. Of course, the attention was to be expected. Greninja displayed something that their viewing audience had never seen before! He did something not even Ash could've anticipated.

Evolving during the battle wasn't out of the realm of possibilities. But Greninja took it a step further. He…transformed? Ash didn't know what to call it, and it showed as he struggled to explain it to the dozens of trainers that swarmed him after the battle. Everyone wanted more details about Greninja. How long were they partners? What sort of training did they do?

They answered every question that they could. It wasn't easy as new arrivals checked into their question-and-answer sessions, which led to the same questions being brought up over and over again. In the end, Ash met a lot of trainers that lurked around Vermilion City, many of which wanted pictures of Greninja.

As the crowd thinned out, Ash gave a sigh of relief.

He was done, although Greninja was caught by a pair of trainers that requested a few photographs with him.

The water Pokemon with a hand on his neck, unsure of how to pose to appease these trainers, but Ash didn't offer any help. He would let Greninja figure this one out on his own. Casey approached Ash, and she slapped his back.

"Yikes, is that how you greet people?" Ash asked her.

"Not usually, but I could make this a special arrangement for you?" She suggested and Ash narrowed his eyes. Casey stuck her tongue before she continued with a gesture to the beachfront. "You did this," She related. There were well over a hundred trainers present, broken up into smaller groups around separate battlefields. "We haven't seen this much action here in months."

Brock joined them as he finally saw an opportunity to speak with Ash. "So, did you enjoy your first taste of stardom?"

"Eh, I'm not starving for attention or anything," Ash mumbled as he scratched at the bridge of his nose. "But it kind of reminds me of when I was teaching back in Ecruteak City."

"Teaching?" Casey repeated with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh yeah," Ash gave a chuckle. "I guess I've got some stories for everyone to hear."

"It sure sounds like it," Casey remarked. "I hope you save some good ones for when you meet my parents later today."

"Today?" It was Ash's turn to be a parrot.

"Yup, today," She replied with a nod. "When I heard you came back to Vermilion City yesterday, I couldn't stop talking about it at home," Casey stuck her tongue out, her cheeks tinged pink. "They're looking forward to meeting you, so I told them I would bring you over as soon as possible."

Ash pursed his lips. After meeting Macy's parents, Ash definitely wanted to meet the couple who took charge of caring for Casey over the last few years. There was no denying that he was curious about the couple who took charge of caring for Casey.

"And Mr. Goodshow wants to talk to you soon too," Brock added and Ash creased his forehead.

"You might not want the attention, but you've definitely got a lot of people that want to see you," Casey remarked with a grin.

"I see what you mean," Ash paused and thought of his Pokemon. "But there are some people I haven't had a real chance to talk with in a while."

Ash excused himself from the group and called for Pikachu, Greninja, and Growlithe to follow him down the shoreline for some privacy.

The sun was setting, and the still waters of the sea reflected its orange glow. Ash clasped his hands together and placed them behind his head as he walked.

Growlithe trotted out in front of him, with Pikachu half a step behind, and Greninja following them. Ash looked back to the footprints that they left back in the sand and a smile crept up on his face.

"I walk with Pokemon."

"So," Ash began and all three looked back at him. "We've finally got a moment where it's just us. I thought it would be a good idea to introduce ourselves since we went through some changes today."

Pikachu was the newcomer, so most of the conversation was directed at him. It started with Growlithe, and how she first met Ash back in Pallet Town. She spoke about his attitude and that despite how he appeared, she still sensed that there was good in his heart. Greninja spoke next, offering insight into his first meeting with Ash, and once again describing him as an excellent teacher.

Growlithe couldn't help but interject that not too long ago, Greninja was a little Froakie that she used to push around in their early practice battles. Greninja scratched at the back of his neck in a meek attempt to ignore her comments. And finally, it was time for Pikachu's introduction.

"I know that I've told both of you about him," Ash said as he looked to Growlithe and Greninja. Then he grinned as he looked at Pikachu. "This is Pikachu…my brother."

Greninja raised his brow slightly, while Growlithe barked happily. She came close to Pikachu and pressed her head into his side. Pikachu laughed as he accepted her embrace, enjoying the warmth of her body. Greninja kneeled down and Pikachu looked up to him, their gaze locked.

As Ash observed the interactions between the Pokemon, he stifled a laugh. Both Growlithe and Greninja greeted Pikachu in different ways. Not only did these creatures have amazing skills and abilities that interacted with the world around them, but there was evidence of their own distinct personalities as well. This was a whole new experience for Ash, an experience that he was certain would make him fall in love with Pokemon all over again.

"Pi-ka?" Pikachu's small voice caused Ash to refocus, and he saw that all of his Pokemon were looking at him now.

"Is something wrong?" Ash asked as he looked at each of them.

Greninja touched a hand to his own face, and Ash mirrored his actions. Ash felt how his cheeks were raised as he wore what must have been a gigantic grin. "Oh…I've got that stupid grin on my face, huh?"

"For as long as I've known you, anything involving Pokemon would always put this stupid grin on your face," Serena gave a chuckle as she said this.

"I'm…happy," Ash said softly. "I'm happy to have you guys with me."

Pikachu returned Ash's smile. Growlithe skipped in place as she wagged her tail. Greninja raised his brow and gave Ash a nod.

All three saw Ash Ketchum in the depths of darkness at one point or another. To see his smile at this very moment was a gift.

---

Ash cringed as the muffler of Volkner's old pickup truck backfired. He, Casey, and Volkner were all crammed into the lone bench seat of the truck as they left the beachfront. Considering the state of the vehicle, Ash was surprised that all of the seatbelts were still usable. Pikachu rested on his lap, curled up and dozing quietly while they spoke.

"I didn't expect you to be so popular," Volkner noted. This was his first opportunity to speak with Ash since the conclusion of the match earlier.

"Well, he did beat Volkner the 'Golden Flash,'" Casey teased as she stuck out her tongue at Volkner. "Plus, your battle was insane! That was the kind of battle that would make two trainers famous overnight!"

"That reminds me," Ash noted as he looked at his sister. "When did you get into Pokemon battles?"

"My older brother was a trainer," She answered, and with a little shake of her head, she added. "Duh."

"I don't remember you being this sassy," Ash commented and then he looked to Volkner.

"Don't look at me," Volkner replied with his hands raised. "This is how she was when I first met her."

"Speaking of which, how did you guys meet?" Ash asked curiously.

"It was nothing special," Volkner noted as he shrugged his shoulders. "She showed up at the beach a couple of years ago looking for me. She said that she was your younger sister and that she needed help with Pikachu."

Ash furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"At that point, Pikachu didn't come out of his Pokeball much and my dad was worried," Casey explained, her gaze downcast. "He suggested we try to find people that Pikachu was familiar with to help him out of his funk…I remembered that you used to train with Volkner all the time, so I went out looking for him."

"And that's how we met at the beach," Volkner concluded with a nod. "Ampharos managed to get Pikachu out of his Pokeball that day," Volkner paused as he thought back to Ampharos holding the Pikachu's Pokeball and discharging electricity into it to speak with him. "But after that, he didn't want to talk anymore. I was worried about the little guy too, but I'm glad to see him out and about again."

Ash looked down at Pikachu and stroked his back. "Thanks for looking after him," Ash said softly to them. Volkner stole a glance at Casey and their eyes met briefly. In that short exchange, Casey understood the need to change the topic.

She nudged Ash with her elbow. "It's not a problem," Casey said with a nod. "And now that I think about it, today was the first time I got to see you battle in person. I knew you were good, but to beat Volkner is nothing to sneeze at."

Ash scratched the tip of his nose as a grin broke out on his face.

"Now before you get a big head, Ampharos and I still had an ace up our sleeve," Volkner injected and Ash raised one eyebrow.

"Stop being a sore loser," Casey responded.

"I'm being serious," Volkner insisted and Ash believed him. Those golden wings didn't appear during their battle. There was definitely something that Volkner was still holding onto. "Zap Cannon is an all or nothing attack, that's why we use Electroweb to set it up. I wasn't expecting Frogadier to evolve to avoid the attack, so Ampharos was pretty much defenseless. If we had a little more time, we could've turned that battle around."

"I've gotta admit, Ampharos is way tougher than when Pikachu battled her," Ash added. "That whole combo of Ion Deluge and Magnetic Flux was tough to crack."

"We designed it to counter fast Pokemon like Pikachu, and it worked perfectly," Volkner noted. "But I guess I should've expected you to find a way to get past it."

"It's more like we bulldozed our way through Ion Deluge," Ash said with a chuckle. "And I still don't really understand how Magnetic Flux works. What in the world was that move?"

Volkner stifled a laugh. "Do you remember Magnet Rise?"

"Remember? How could I forget?" Ash exclaimed. That was the first time he saw a flying Ampharos!

"Well, we built on Ampharos' ability to manipulate magnetic fields. With a lot of practice, she got to the point where she can use create shields that can repel attacks," Volkner explained. "In fact, she's so good now that she creates a blanket shield that protects her from any direction."

"It kind of sounds a special version of Protect, just for Ampharos," Ash reasoned.

"That was kind of the idea," Volkner went on. "Protect can negate almost any damage, but it's not a guarantee. Magnetic Flux, on the other hand, will shut down any projectile attack. However, it comes with a trade-off because it can't stop any physical attacks."

"And that's why you switched to Ion Deluge…" Ash said as he stroked his chin. "You force your opponent to use physical attacks, and then punish them with paralysis…that's nuts. And that's on top of all the other combinations I'm sure you're sitting on."

"We weren't going easy on you, but don't think of that battle as me and Ampharos at our best," Volkner said. "Like I said, we've got an ace of our own that can handle that little transformation Greninja can do."

Ash saw Volkner send a smirk in his direction. "Oh really? I hope I get to see it one day soon."

"Hmmm…" Volkner shook his head a bit. "We've been saving it for something truly special, although I'll be the first to admit I think we missed that opportunity against Greninja today."

"Why not have another battle and go all out?" Casey suggested.

"It won't be the same," Volkner replied. "Every battle has its own unique set of stakes that affect the outcome. It's not easy to recreate those stakes to get the same performance that you saw today."

"Yeah, that um…transformation?" Ash repeated the term as he looked to Volkner who nodded. "I'm not entirely sure, but it felt like what Frogadier and I were developing back in Ecruteak City. It's not something we can do consistently, but after what I saw today, we're definitely going to work at it even more."

"If the two of you ever master that transformation, I'd be more than happy to go all out against you with Ampharos," Volkner said and they shared a nod.

"Eyes on the road!" Casey hollered and Volkner quickly corrected his course. The car in the opposite lane honked at them twice as they drove by and Volkner gave a weak laugh.

---

They arrived at Casey's home after thirty minutes on the road, give or take. Ash was pleasantly surprised to learn that she lived in a beautiful suburb on the east side of Vermilion City. Her living situation was much improved, similar to Macy's when compared to where they lived previously. Casey invited everyone to come inside, and as soon as she entered the foyer, Casey announced to the whole house that she was home with guests.

The first to join them in the foyer was a well-dressed woman, and the first words out of her mouth was a warning to Casey not to yell indoors. After that, she addressed their guests with a warm smile.

"It's good to see you again Volkner," She said before her gaze settled on Ash. "And you must be Ash, correct?"

Ash offered a smile and bowed as a greeting. "You got it."

"Casey has told me so much about you," She replied. "I've been looking forward to meeting you in person. My name is Monica."

"It's nice to meet you," Ash said. Then Pikachu poked his head out of Ash's jacket and chirped gleefully at Monica. As Pikachu made his appearance, climbing up onto Ash's shoulder, he beamed at Monica and her eyes grew wide.

"Pikachu?" Monica craned her neck as she looked at him. Pikachu nuzzled his forehead against Ash's cheek, and Monica raised her hands to conceal her smile. The last time she saw Pikachu, his ears were always drooped and he could never look anyone in the eye. He wouldn't smile for anyone, not even Casey. That was all before he locked himself away in his Pokeball a few years ago. Compared to what saw now, it was like his fur was a shade lighter, and his eyes were sparkling. "You…you look fantastic!"

Pikachu raised his eyebrows and thanked her kindly.

"Would you care to meet his other Pokemon, mom?" Casey suggested and Monica gave a nod. Ash called both Greninja and Growlithe from their Pokeballs. Monica adored Growlithe, who was delighted to make a new friend. Greninja was a little more imposing, with his sharp eyes and slick skin that caused Monica to shiver when they shook hands.

"So, Pikachu, will you be going with Ash now?" Monica inquired as she led the group into the living room.

As Pikachu nodded to her from Ash's shoulder, Casey bit down on her lower lip. Growlithe sniffed the air before she looked to Casey and tilted her head.

"Well, I'm glad you're back with your trainer," Monica went on. "I can tell you really missed him."

As they all got settled in the living room, they were joined by Monica's husband who introduced himself as Spencer Hale. He was a well-built man, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties and he gave a firm handshake.

"I've got to say, Ash," Spencer began as he studied Ash's appearance. "You look just like your father."

Ash wrinkled his nose. "You know my dad?"

"Yes, I lived in Pallet Town long before you were born," Spencer explained. "In fact, I was at your parent's wedding, and I knew your mother back when she was still a teenager."

There was a picture for proof. An image of Spencer when was young, his hair was much fuller and his face was wrinkle-free. He stood proudly beside none other than Samuel Oak, who was clearly in peak physical condition as well. And seated on the fence beside them was a young brunette with her hair braided into pigtails.

Ash and Pikachu raised their eyebrows, and in Pikachu's case, his ears as well, as they studied the picture of Delia back in her youth. They shared a glance and grinned ear to ear.

"So, what made you leave Pallet Town?" Ash asked the couple.

Their gaze became downcast. "Our daughter, Molly…" Spencer took a long breath, and Ash could see his chest swell and deflate. "She passed away in an accident and…nothing felt the same after that. It was hard for us to stay there. We made so many memories with Molly in the time that we had with her that it made things harder than it should've been. So, we moved to get a change of pace."

"We came to Vermilion City but it didn't get any easier," Monica added. Her voice was firm, though Ash saw that Casey offered a hand for her to hold as she spoke. "Even though time passed, we couldn't move on. Losing your child isn't something that you can get over, but," She squeezed Casey's hand as she looked at her. "We were given an opportunity to look after a girl, and she helped fill the hole in our hearts."

Ash fought to keep down his smile as he looked at his younger sister. He was glad that she not only found a new home but helped to heal the hearts of her new parents.

Spencer was especially proud of Casey as he showed pictures of her over the last few years. Ash saw her transformation from a preteen to the young woman she was now. She changed in subtle ways, enough to confirm that five years passed since he last saw her. Five years…

"Hey, that means you're a senior in a high school, right?" Ash inquired as he looked at Casey.

"Yeah…somehow," She muttered.

"Ah, so when is your graduation date?" Ash asked though he saw Monica and Spencer share a glance.

"The school made a lot of concessions for her," Monica added. "She's been through a lot, and one of her counselors suggested that she repeat her senior year to have a little more time for her to transition onto the next stage of her life."

Ash pushed out his lips at the thought. He almost forgot how good Casey was at putting up a front. No matter how resilient she appeared to be, she was still a teenage girl at heart. Of course, she would need time to heal…

"You know Casey, that sounds a lot like what I was going through before I came back to Vermilion City," Ash noted as he looked at his sister. "When I was released, I didn't know what to do, where to go or who to trust. A good friend told me that it's alright to run away, and take the time to figure things out. I did that for a little while and there's nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. But while I was doing that, I realized that all the things I was doing were holding me back because I was afraid. Once I got over my fears and started doing the things that I loved…everything started to fall into place," Ash motioned to her. "I can't promise that things will work out the way they did for me. But if there's one thing I've realized in the last twenty-four hours, it's that you can never get back lost time. So, are you really okay with standing still for another year?"

Casey averted her gaze, and Growlithe whined as she came close to Casey.

"It's not my place to tell you what to do," Ash added with a nod toward Monica and Spencer. "You have two people who clearly love you to help you figure out what you want to do with your life. That choice will always belong to you. So, whether you chose to graduate this year or not, just let me know the date," Ash put on a grin when Casey made eye contact. "And I promise you, I'll be there to see you in your cap and gown."

---

Volkner and Ash departed from the Hale residence as the skies started to darken. But with some daylight still available, Ash made one more request of Volkner before they made their way to the Hidden Cove. With a call to Brock, Ash got the location of the last person he needed to see.

She was located in a Vermilion Crest Cemetery in the northern suburbs. With instructions from Brock, Ash soon found himself standing in front of a headstone.

In loving memory, Cassidy Cole-Stanton.

October 9th, 1362 – June 27th, 1403.

Forever in our hearts.

Ash kneeled down in front of the headstone and placed his hand on the grassy field. He gave it a pat, and Pikachu climbed down to the ground to do the same.

"Cassidy, I bet you're mad that I finally show up and didn't bring any flowers," Ash remarked as he forced a chuckle. But it died in his throat and he took a breath. "I don't even know what to say to you."

Ash shut his eyes as he thought of everything that she did. She was a strong woman, so strong that Ash never realized how frail she was. It wasn't until her first cardiac episode that he realized she wasn't well. All those years that he watched her pinch pennies and cover their needs as best she could. She did all of that in poor health.

Then she went through rehab and got herself back into decent condition. She did everything she could to give three orphans a home and maintain it.

And in the end…Ash invalidated everything that she built for him and the girls.

"I failed you as a son…" Ash said softly. "I took your work for granted and I destroyed everything. 'Sorry' can't even begin to make up for everything that I did to you and the girls."

Ash thought of his two sisters, and the new families they lived with.

"Someone might have told you this already, but you don't have to worry about your girls anymore. Both of them are safe and sound," Ash assured her. "They're both part of families that are taking good care of them. They still see each other, and both of them are still holding onto small memories of you."

Ash thought of Macy's locket that had a picture of Cassidy inside of it. Even after all these years, she was still wearing it. And Casey reminded him of Cassidy more than he wanted to admit.

"You left your mark on those girls…and you did the same with me and Pikachu," Ash went on. "I know I can't take back what I did, but I'm working to make up for all of my mistakes. And don't worry, I'll take care of myself. I have Pikachu and my Pokemon to look after me…so rest easy for me."

Ash pressed his hand against the ground, putting some extra weight on it this time before he rose up. Pikachu quickly scurried up his clothes and returned to Ash's shoulder, giving Cassidy one last salute.

---

As Ash returned to Volkner's truck on the roadway, he walked under the scrutinizing gaze of thousands.

"This one with rainbow wings…this is an important step for him."

"This one is eliminating the attachments that previously kept him grounded."

"To disown oneself. To no longer live for yourself, but for your Pokemon. There can be no distractions. Just you…and your Pokemon."

"Hopefully this one will progress farther along the Path of Mastery than his predecessors."

"Whether this one completes the journey is up to him…but he is clearly being molded into a worthy Candidate."

"His future is one warped with uncertainty…"

"Is he a prophet…? A revolutionary?"

One voice rose over the chatter of the many.

"This one we shall challenge. He will be known as Delta…a symbol of change."

---

A/N

There we go! The first significant battle of My Wings! Not that earlier battles weren't important, but similar to Caged Wings, I pour more time into specific battles as opposed to covering every single one. I don't think I could give every battle this level of detail because this was exhausting and longer than I thought it would be. For perspective, this was two thousand words longer than the climax battle of Caged Wings! So I want to keep expectations in check. This battle was very special because it had a ton of narratives leading up to it, some of which started way back in Caged Wings. In fact, Ash and Volkner had a practice battle in chapter 34 of Caged Wings that was directly alluding to the battle they had here. So this one specifically was a long time coming. Thoughts and comments on it are greatly appreciated, and I hope this battle lived up to the expectations set in Caged Wings. I'm not sure if this one tops some of the late-game battles in Caged Wings, but I have some plans that, in my opinion, will definitely surpass those battles.

Is it too early to have a fully evolved Greninja on the scene? If that's how you feel, I don't blame you one bit. But I think as you see the level of their opponents (Volkner is the current example), you'll start to understand that we don't exactly have time for the 'low level - use Tackle and Headbutt' section of the journey. And frankly, Ash has been way beyond that level since Caged Wings. I'd much rather focus on the more practical, memorable, and unique abilities that we adore in Pokemon. I don't want to spoil future plans, but don't assume that Greninja being fully evolved means that he's a finished product. He's very far from it.

I received a few questions about Pikachu, and I think it's safe to assume they were answered in this chapter. My two cents, I couldn't write Ash without Pikachu. That's not a stab at other writers, but rather, I feel like I can't disregard everything they accomplished in Caged Wings. I want to keep them together because there is so much more that I have in store for them.

You might have noticed that Cassidy's headstone had some dates on it, and finally, a year is attached to the dates I've been giving. I've been working on a massive timeline project to help tighten up the history of this AU so that I don't say one thing and then backtrack later on. Previously I was using the occasional '100 years since the Great Crisis' to kind of keep track of what year it is, but now I've got something more tangible to use going forward. Of course, that's a story element and I may continue to use it, but who knows?

As a concluding note, the battle also brought in what I believe is the final element to that concept that involved the astral stairway from chapter seven. We had the 'wings,' then the 'mountaintop,' next was the 'astral stairway and now we have the 'plateau.' Since we're not going to visit this subject for a while, I figured it was safe to disclose a little bit of information about this. These elements make up something called the Path of Mastery. Only a very specific group of characters mention it in both Caged Wings and My Wings, though I'm not sure if anyone can figure out who they are. The hints are there, but it might take some sleuthing lol. What is the purpose of the Path of Mastery? Well...we'll just have to wait and see.

Okay, I'm done talking now. Thank you for the support! My usual shoutout to MjGenMatt for his help!