"The two who are one, who once saved and failed the worlds in turn. The hands of fate have a tight grip on you, child, and the hourglass has been shattered and remade to provide the base for a union of souls. Ashka Ketchum… you are an odd one indeed. I have high hopes for you."

Sabrina's words echoed in her head, taunting yet cautious in equal measures. They made no sense, and yet something in Ash had reacted so violently to them that she couldn't just dismiss them as a cryptic psychic intent on putting her off balance. If it was related to her knowing things, she wanted no part in it. The two who are one… something so odd should not sound so ominous. She was just Ash. Nothing more, nothing less.

She lost the match.

Her team had fought brilliantly, taking out the opposing Espeon and Mr. Mime, but Ash had been so shaken that it gave Sabrina and her Alakazam the advantage. The psychic had given Ash the Marsh Badge anyways, reminding the younger trainer that a Gym Leader only needed to deem a challenger worthy of the badge to give it.

"You have trained your Pokemon exceptionally well," she'd told her as she presented the Marsh Badge. "They responded to even the vaguest of your commands with extreme precision, despite you not being at your best. They trust you, they know you, they love you, and they fought with everything they had. That is the sort of bond a true master strives for, and you have already developed it. You will do great things, by their side."

And then she'd Teleported away, leaving one of her trainees to escort Ash out of the Gym. To be honest, Ash was feeling unsteady and a little alone. Somehow, she made it back to the Pokemon Center to hand over the Pokemon that had battled for healing, and then she retreated to her room in a daze.

Saving and failing worlds? Hourglasses? What had Sabrina been talking about? It was giving her a migraine just hearing it again in her own mind, and with a heavy sigh Ash collapsed onto the bed and tried to put it out of her mind for the day. Pulling out her PokeNav, she sent Serena a message saying that she lost but fought well enough to earn the Marsh Badge, and then she called the lab.

"Hey," she greeted when Samuel appeared on the screen.

"Ashka! What on earth happened? You left us a message when you were headed into the Safari Zone but we couldn't get a hold of you after that, and then I got a call from the League saying that the Champion would be taking you out of the region to recover! Recover from what, Ashka?!"

Ash thought back, and winced.

"I'm sorry, with all that went down calling totally slipped my mind," she said with a frown, and then braced herself for the scolding she was sure to receive in a few moments. "Team Rocket attacked the Safari Zone while I was in it, and I got injured. Lance had just gotten there to check on the Dratini population and I guess he felt bad that I got hurt, so after I'd been treated he took me to Blackthorn City for a couple of weeks, the Blackthorn clan let me train with them. He dropped me off here in Saffron this morning."

Samuel Oak pinched the bridge of his nose, murmuring something that sounded like a prayer, before he leveled her with a flat stare. "I'm sending Ho-oh's feather back to you, you didn't start getting into trouble until you sent it to me. No, don't protest! First the SS Anne, where we all thought you were dead for a week, and now this? Come home. Not for good," he interrupted her immediate protest. "Just for a few weeks. You have plenty of time to get your last few badges, I just… Daisy and I both would like to make sure you're alright. You don't have to tell anyone you're here," he added softly.

"... Okay," she said, defeated. She understood the reasoning, and since she only had two badges left and six months to get them, a bit of training while staying close to Pallet wouldn't hurt. And the professor's experience would definitely be good to have on hand, he'd been one of the greatest, if not the greatest, trainers of his time. "Three of my Pokemon are still with Nurse Joy, but I'll head home once she's finished with them."

"Call me when you have them, I'll have Alakazam pick you up."

Nodding, Ash hung up and rolled over, staring at the ceiling. It didn't seem that long ago that she'd set out with three Pokemon and high hopes. Now, she was almost qualified for the Indigo Conference, ahead of schedule, and with a team she loved more than anything. She'd been near death twice, both because of Team Rocket. She'd met and befriended her idol, spent two weeks at his home with his family.

Pokemon journeys were something else.

XxXxX

"Nice to see you again, Alakazam," Ash greeted the aged psychic softly.

'I am glad you are well,' Alakazam replied, shuffling closer to her as she exited the Pokemon Center. 'Many things have left their mark on you, but you live and thrive still. Let us be off.' Crossing his spoons above his head, the Psychic type gathered his power and suddenly they were outside of the lab, not even a flash of light to announce their presence. Awed by the display of power and skill, Ash thanked him and went inside.

Recognizing the lobby, Pikachu called out their arrival. There was shuffling, and then Samuel swung around the doorway of the main seating area. He smiled when he saw them, and Ash hurried over to hug the man.

"Welcome home," he said against her hair, and then Daisy barged in and snatched her away from her grandfather, scolding Ash so quickly the younger girl was having trouble making out what exactly she was saying. After a solid three minutes, Daisy finally relented and dragged them all to the kitchen.

"You're just in time for dinner," Daisy informed her. "Oh, we've missed you tons, Ashka… go on and tell us about your journey so far. And I want to see your team later!"

Sharing a resigned look with Samuel, Ash dropped into the closest chair, rolled her eyes when Pikachu grabbed the ketchup bottle from the table, and started her tale. Daisy was a terrible person to tell a story to, always interrupting with questions and little stories of her own, but it was always enjoyable. The Coordinator pouted when Ash mentioned how she sent the shiny Buneary to Serena, clearly put out by missing a chance to see it, but she approved.

"I'm glad you've reconnected with her, she's a sweet girl. It sucks she has to wait so long, but I guess that's why she has you－to get her the Pokemon she can't go out and get herself."

"Daisy," Samuel scolded, but he was grinning so his granddaughter didn't take it seriously.

"I just feel bad that her mom keeps forcing her to do the Ryhorn racing," Ash admitted. "But I promised her that when she's allowed to start her journey, I'll go to Kalos and we'll travel together."

Daisy hummed in thought. "Sounds nice, I've heard Kalos is beautiful. And traveling with friends is always fun!"

"I actually met Professor Sycamore recently," Ash remembered, hand automatically dropping to Froakie's Pokeball. "He came to Blackthorn to ask for advice for his Gible, he's the one I asked to take Buneary for Serena. He ended up giving me a Froakie; its one of the Kalos starters, the Water type."

"Really?" Samuel sat straighter, intrigued.

"Yes, you can study him later."

"I like how she doesn't even wait for you to ask, Grandpa, she already knows."

"Professor Sycamore had the same look when I told him Buneary was a shiny."

"We're researchers, girls, of course we want to look at Pokemon we don't see often, or ever."

XxXxX

Being back in Pallet was… weird. Ash never once left the lab except to head off to the wilds for hours to train, but she had missed the Oaks, and enjoyed spending time with them. As she'd hoped, Samuel agreed to watch a few of her training sessions and the spars she had her Pokemon doing, and then gave her tips on how to improve.

He was very impressed with Alto and Houndoom, not surprising given their larger than normal sizes, and he was fascinated with Froakie. He ended up contacting Professor Sycamore and offering to trade a set of starters, so each could study the foreign Pokemon up close. After a bit of debating, Sycamore agreed to it, and Ash had been startled so badly by the shout of triumph that she fell off the couch she'd been dozing on.

Samuel encouraged her to have Oberon train with Alakazam, then Pikachu and Houndoom with his Arcanine. Titania, Alto, and Froakie somehow convinced the professor's Dragonite to train with them, so Ash made a mental note to contact Gary and recommend he do the same. Samuel Oak's team was still monstrously strong, and it was probably the best preparation a trainer could get for the League.

When the older Pokemon took the younger away to train, Ash split her time between training herself and her aura (something that had been set on the back-burner for a while) and hanging around the Oaks. With Samuel, she helped out around the lab, and with Daisy they tried new recipes for Pokemon food and treats, and debated grooming methods. Daisy also tried to get Ash into Contests, but since the younger was so focused on getting ready for the last two Gyms and the League, it didn't go anywhere. Ash thought it was fun, and she enjoyed it, but battling was her passion and what inspired her.

Ash did keep it in mind, though, because Charmander liked the idea of dancing and making his few moves look pretty. She was pretty sure that Kalos had some version of Contests that didn't have any battling involved… maybe she could look into that. Charmander deserved to have something he could do with his trainer, something official that could be watched and won just like a battle. She'd ask Serena about it later.

She messaged Lance occasionally, sometimes sending him pictures she'd taken during training. He had congratulated her on earning the Marsh Badge, but when Ash wouldn't answer what seemed to be bothering her about it, dropped the subject. He sent her pictures of his own team, and sometimes they were up late going over various topics that caught both their interests.

Froakie evolved two and a half weeks into their stay, now a speedy and agile Frogadier. He'd learned Pound and Double Team, was close to perfecting both, and had already mastered his other moves. Ash planned on having him work on Cut and Aerial Ace next. He also tended to join her when she practiced the martial art moves Surge had taught her, and they sparred sometimes (she used her aura, and he wasn't allowed to use his move set).

She spent a good month back in Pallet before she decided to go for her next badge. It was about time she got going, anyways (no, she was not running from Daisy, who kept teasing her about Lance, no matter what the other girl implied). Right before she left, Serena called to tell her she finally got her license, and Ash was finally able to tell her that her first Pokemon was waiting with Professor Sycamore in Lumiose City. Having to suffer through the resulting squeals and elated shrieks was worth it, though, and the next day Serena called with her new Buneary cuddled in her arms to thank her again. Ash was just happy that her friend liked Buneary so much, and that Buneary returned the sentiment.

Samuel also insisted on her taking the Rainbow Wing with her. She pressed it to the skin beneath her right collarbone, and it's feeling its warmth again was like greeting an old friend. Feeling significantly lighter and less stressed by the troubles of her journey, she let her fingers brush over it once before she went back to packing.

Getting to Cinnabar Island was easy; it would have been a two day ride by boat due to the number of sandbars and reefs to go around, but Alto could cross the distance in just over six hours. And there were tons of small islands for them to take breaks on, or camp if it was really necessary. After Samuel and Daisy saw her off at the docks, Ash climbed up onto Alto's back and got Pikachu settled, and then they were shooting off into the open air.

Ash still hadn't bothered to buy an actual saddle or goggles, but she didn't care. Flying was amazing no matter what safety measures－or lack of－she had. Alto seemed to feel same, easily gliding with the air currents and headed straight south of Pallet, totally happy just to fly with her trainer.

It was a clear, warm day, and Ash took the time to think. She was－somehow－far ahead of her schedule, which placed her even farther ahead of most trainers. The average trainer would have about two months left by the time they reached their seventh or eighth badge; she had six, and while she didn't have a rotating team, her Pokemon were still in the middle of a skyrocketing learning curve that showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Hell, Houndoom had just recently figured out a way to create a tangible cloak of Dark type energy. It was awesome and terrifying, and while he could only hold it for five seconds at the moment, with practice it could be his signature technique.

After she got the Volcano Badge, her plan was to head for the wilds. There were several in Kanto, but the one north of Fuchsia was the one she was considering. There was a decoy power plant farther north, one of the ones that kept Electric type Pokemon from seeking out electricity in cities, but it was a rugged area with a lot of naturally strong Pokemon. Because of its remote location, it was the perfect training grounds for Ash. Not to mention that the sheer number of Electric type Pokemon caused the landscape to be slightly charged, and for Pikachu to master Magnet Rise, he needed to be able to control it no matter what conditions were created on the battlefield. Unstable magnetism would be the perfect way to practice.

"Altaaaa," Alto trilled, a sweep of her elegant neck telling Ash that they were passing the first island. She glanced down, noting how clear the water was, eyes widening when a large flash of white and blue circled beneath them.

"Hey, can you go a little lower?" Ash raised her voice above the wind, tightening the grip her legs had on Alto's body as the dragon suddenly dived, only to level out once they'd dropped to about fifty feet above the water's surface.

Ash's breath caught as Lugia's neck burst through the waves, its head almost as big as her entire body. Alto crooned, dipping her head in respect to the Legendary, whose eyes squinted a bit as it smiled and swam alongside them while they flew.

Lugia was magnificent, silver-white feathers with navy blue plumes around its eyes, on its back and long tail, and an underbelly coated in pale blue-gray feathers. Ruby red eyes glinted, glowed pale violet, and Ash shivered as psychic power flooded the area around them.

'Greetings, Chosen.'

"Hi," she squeaked, shocked beyond belief and unable to question the 'chosen' bit. Flushing as a wave of amusement swamped her senses, she held the Legendary's gaze.

'I see Lady Rainbow has already delivered her gift,' the deep baritone voice resonated through the water and air, making Ash's bones feel like they were vibrating. 'Forgive me, I had not the time to do the same when you had been in my domain; your survival was my priority. Come here, little one.'

Without hesitation, Alto swooped down and onto Lugia's broad shoulders, and the massive Pokemon twisted his neck and kept swimming. Slowly, Ash slid of her friend's back, and cautiously sat down, mind blanking out in the presence of what was basically a god. Pikachu, like Alto, seemed almost blissfully relaxed as he clambered down to bury himself in silver feathers.

'I know you have many questions, Chosen, but be patient. You will find your answers with time. For now, focus on your journey, your bonds with your Pokemon. You are doing well, yes?'

"Y-yeah," Ash replied, a little high-pitched but better than before. But a Legendary was… conversing with her? Casually? What? "Yeah, I'm doing well. My team is… they're amazing." I sound stupid! "What… what do you mean by Chosen? Does it have anything to do with what Sabrina said?"

'Sabrina… the inland psychic, yes? Indeed it does. But do not let her words confuse you; you are Ashka, Our Chosen One, whom we Legendary Pokemon love. Someday, you will understand why. Worry not about it until the answers become clear on their own. Fate has plans for you, but your choices are your own, and always will be. All that we ask of you, Chosen, is that you do not forget the bonds you have made, and that you do not turn away from the path you have chosen. Take this," Lugia rumbled, and with a flash of his glowing eyes, a single feather was plucked from his neck, silver with one edge of navy blue. It floated over to her, carried by psychic power, and just like she had done with Ho-oh's feather, Ash tucked it against her skin, beneath her shirt. 'You are precious beyond explanation, Chosen. You will face trials like none other… but your strength and that of your bonds will carry you through so long as you permit it. Now, the time comes for us to part.'

Blinking at that, still trying to process Lugia's words, Ash looked up and beyond his neck. Sure enough, Cinnabar Island was just barely in sight on the horizon. She had more questions than ever, but in the end she decided to trust the Legendary and just wait. Getting to her feet, she approached his head, and he lowered it to press his forehead to her chest. He radiated heat, and she felt herself relax, tension draining from her body.

Had she been more aware of her surroundings, she would have noticed the soft click of a camera shutter, and Pikachu's scramble to shove the camera back into her pack before she turned away. She might have even noticed the return of Lugia' amusement as he glanced towards her partner, but she didn't.

"Thank you," she said lowly before stepping away, back towards Alto.

'No, Chosen. You played my song. Thank you."

In a daze, Ash climbed back on top of her dragon after slinging her pack over her shoulder (when had she dropped it?), waited for Pikachu to get settled behind Alto's neck, and waved before Alto launched upwards. By the time Ash could safely lean over and look back, Lugia was gone, and they were almost to Cinnabar.

Both feathers pulsed against her skin, and she smiled.