A/N: Hello there. I don't usually put these notes at the beginning of a chapter, but I forgot to include some information at the end of the last chapter.
From this chapter onward, The Three Knights of Cameran (Ash, Riley and Zen), will call Dousan Sanzou as 'Sanzou-jii'. What that basically means is 'Old man Sanzou' in Japanese. If you have further questions on where the term came from, feel free to ask.
Prologue Part III – Old Dream, Old Friend
What defines technology, I wonder? What compels humans to go further in said area? Surely a question asked by many, but personally, it is not a subject usually touched by me. Yet here I am, asking that very question, left to ponder upon it by my lone self. Having no companions at the moment, sadly, there is no one to turn to. Very well then, I believe I should begin with the definition of technology, according to contemporary beliefs. Technology is the making, modification or improvement, applied activity or behavior, usage, and knowledge oftools,machines, techniques,crafts,systems, methods of organization, or environmental modifications or arrangement in order to solve a problem, improve a pre-existing solution to a problem, achieve a goal or perform a specific function.
A quite detailed definition, I must say. However, in all honesty, I am quite surprised at myself at the moment. Has my manner of speech increased in complexity? Or is it just a figment of my own imagination? I cannot, for the life of me, remember if this is how I truly talk. Or think, in this case.
Curse it all, now I am unable to recall where I was going with the topic of technology. It matters not; however, for I shall divert my attention span to a rather urgent subject for the moment; that is today's afternoon meal. A series of choices for today's fine meal was offered to my humble self in my office. Upon arrival to said location, it would be my best course of direction to inspect that list, and of course, warily elect a dish that would fulfill my satisfaction for the hours to come.
But what is this feeling that indicates this humble trainer is forgetting a rather important matter? Ah, of course! How could I forget, it was of outmost importance that I make a phone call to Pallet Town and speak to my honorable Mother-
"…Knight General?" The Nurse Joy of Cameran Palace called, snapping Ash from his wandering thoughts.
Caught by surprise, Ash immediately stood up and gave a bow, his Pikachu playfully imitating. "Yes, it is I! Ashton Satoshi Ketchum, Aura Knight General of Cameran!"
The nurse giggled, waving her hand in front of the Knight. "Mr. Ketchum, you're talking all weird again."
"A-ah, was I? Man, those classes Sanzou-jii gave are really starting to get to me." The young man said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "And how many times do I have to tell you? Just call me Ash, Alessa."
"I'm honored, Mr. Ketchum. Sadly, if I start to call you by your first name, your fan girls will start to look at me unpleasantly. They already do, in fact, because you call me by my first name." The nurse shifted uncomfortably. "Here are your Pokémon, by the way."
"Ah, thanks." Ash took his PokeBalls and attached them on his belt. "Should I stop calling you Alessa and go with Nurse Joy again?"
"It seems the new Knight General is getting more popular by the day." An older man commented, leaning against the counter. "Are my Pokémon ready yet, Nurse Joy?"
Turning to the man, Nurse Joy gave a respectful bow and retrieved a tray from the healing machine. "Here they are, Mr. Blackthorn. It's nice to have you back in Cameran. I believe you enjoyed your vacation?"
The man called as Blackthorn grabbed his six PokeBall and placed them in the inside pockets of his suit. He took off his fedora and held it against his chest, revealing his shoulder-length white hair. He returned the bow to the nurse and wore his hat once more. "It was enjoyable indeed, Nurse Joy. However, it would certainly be better if it weren't cut so short." The older man turned to Ash, offering his hand for a shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Knight General. The Palace employed me as the Royal Trainer to train your men in the art of Pokémon Battles."
"A pleasure, Mr. Blackthorn, is it? " Ash said as he returned the shake. "Pardon the question, but are you perhaps named after the city in Johto?"
"Ah, no, Mr. Ketchum, it's the other way around." Nurse Joy answered for the elder. "Blackthorn City was named after Mr. Blackthorn's family. Nine generations back, the Blackthorn family achieved great power and fame, receiving the honor of having a city named after them. The Blackthorn family still holds quite the influence to this day. Their current leader, the ninth-generation head, would be Mr. Blackthorn right here."
"Is that so? Well, it's an honor, Mr. Blackthorn. I hope you continue to provide us guidance, sir." Ash respectfully bowed to the older man, following the ethics beaten into him by Sanzou. "Shall I escort you to the Palace?"
The older man chuckled and lightly tapped Ash's shoulder. "It's okay to drop the formalities, General. I'm not too fond of them myself."
"Thank Arceus. Speaking like that sure gives me a headache sometimes." Commented the young man, rallied by agreeing coos from Pikachu. "Oh, excuse me. This little guy is Pikachu, my partner and my best bud." Pikachu waved at Blackthorn, receiving a smile in return.
"How old are you, General? If you don't mind me asking." The elder asked, gesturing Ash to accompany him in his walk back to the palace. "I understand you are the youngest Aura Knight General in history. And the youngest fully pledged Aura Guardian after Sir Aaron, for that matter."
"I actually just turned nineteen a couple of days ago, Mr. Blackthorn. But yes, I'm quite fortunate to receive this title at such a young age." The younger of the two answered.
"That's very impressive." Blackthorn commented. The two entered the Palace, greeted by many of the staff. "From what I've heard, you are also quite popular with your men, General. Your laidback attitude makes for a great change. I'd say you're fitting very nicely in Cameran, considering you've been here for only a couple of months."
"Please, just call me Ash." The two stopped in front of Ash's office. "And thank you, Mr. Blackthorn. Everyone here is very nice, they make fitting in very-"
"-Good morning, Brother!" Zen interrupted, playfully holding Ash in a chokehold. "Ah, g'morning to you too, Mr. Blackthorn."
"…G-good morning, Zen, Riley." Ash said as he struggled to breathe in fresh oxygen. "As energetic as ever, I see."
Riley was behind the martial artist, giving his own greeting the Royal Trainer.
"Morning, you two. It's been a while." The Royal Trainer addressed back. "What's this about Ash being your 'Brother'?"
Zen released his hold on Ash and eagerly answered. "Brother here is amazing! Hey, Riley, you want to tell the story?"
"I would, but you'll cut me off and continue telling it yourself anyhow." Riley said, shrugging.
"'Kay then, listen to this, Mr. Blackthorn," The knight started. "Not long after Brother got his position as the Knight General, we were assigned a mission to subdue some poaching threats in the outskirts of Rota that's been increasing at that time. Riley protested about how the mission didn't need the Knight General's presence, which was quickly shot down by Sanzou-jii, though. He said Brother needed the field experience. Anyway, so we went to stop the PTA threat-"
Mr. Blackthorn quickly stopped Zen. "-the PTA?"
"Yeah…?" Zen raised an eyebrow, looking at the Royal Trainer in confusion.
"The Parent-Teacher Association?" the elder asked.
"No, the Pokémon Thieves Alliance." Zen said.
Mr. Blackthorn nodded to himself. "Oh... That PTA."
"Right. So we went to the mission site, completely decimated the poachers' camp and apprehended their members quite easily, catching them by surprise. But what Riley and I didn't know was these poachers had these 'Dark Balls'. Scary things, they are. Apparently, the Pokémon that are caught by these balls will become evil and get their level increased to their highest." Zen continued.
"Someone was taking it too easy, so one of the poachers was able to release their Pokémon. Because of that, the others were able to take advantage of the confusion and call out their Pokémon from their own Dark Balls." Riley added, glaring at Zen.
"I already said that was my bad, didn't I?" the martial artist said, wincing. "Anyway, after that, all hell broke loose. We had these super powerful Pokémon going berserk in the vicinity." Zen continued his enthusiastic storytelling. "There were about six of us - the other three were from my platoon - fending off about twenty of those Dark Pokémon. It's sad to say, but that was a bit too much, even for the Three Knights of Cameran – Or so I thought."
"The Knight General here pulled you guys through?" Mr. Blackthorn said.
"Damn right he did! Even with those Pokémon spraying a barrage of Hyper Beams, Brother here was able to completely overpower them and knock them out with the help of his own Pokémon. He completely took the situation under control and saved our lives."
"That is quite the story." The elder commented, amazed. "Is that why you started calling him 'Brother'?"
"No, it's the oath we made after." Zen simply said.
"Oath?" the older man asked.
"I think I'll take it from here." Ash interrupted. "Ever since I joined Cameran's Order, it was always a mystery to me what I should use my powers for. Here, I got to know Riley and Zen better and learned of their ideals and dreams, the very reason they joined the Order. I admired that very much, you see. I felt that it wasn't fair. Not for me, but for them." The Knight General explained. "I had power, but no dreams. So on that day, I swore on my position as the Knight General. As they strive to accomplish their ideals and dreams, I will be there to protect them."
"As cheesy as it sounds here," Riley started, "We were very much moved by his speech and sincerity that day. So we three made an oath. An Oath of Brotherhood."
"Ash is the First Brother and Riley Second. The Third is I, just like our positions in the Three Knights of Cameran. But we simply call each other 'Brother', to avoid complicating matters." Zen added.
"It sounds like the Three Knights are more than ever," Mr. Blackthorn commented. "Good to know Cameran's new Knight General is very capable. But that brings me to the task assigned to me by Sanzou."
Zen snapped his finger. "Oh! You're thinking of challenging Brother to a Pokémon battle?" the Second Knight asked, answered by a nod by the Royal Trainer.
Ash raised an eyebrow, interest piqued. "Oh? This should be fun. But I must warn you, I'm good."
"You'll have to do your best, brother! Mr. Blackthorn here was the former Kanto Champion!" Zen added.
"He is?! How come I didn't know about this?" the youngest man asked in surprise.
"Mr. Blackthorn doesn't really like publicity. Besides, he retired from the position about five years ago." Zen simply answered.
"That reminds me," Riley said, catching everyone's attention. "During the three years you were in separation, were your Pokémon trained at all? You were a Pokémon Trainer before all this, if I recall correctly."
Ash smirked and motioned the others to head to the battleground. "Oh yes, I was able to communicate with this world. So naturally, when I wasn't trying to exit the Ethereal, I was training my Pokémon."
"Ah, is that so? So you were pitting them against each other?" Riley continued.
The Knight General shook his head, Pikachu doing the same. "Nope, I had them battle against Mew."
"You what?" the other three blurted in unison.
A massive explosion shook the very foundation of the empty Indigo Plateau Stadium, signifying the end of the battle that took place on its main arena. A small, yellow mouse Pokémon stood tired, gasping for air. In front of it laid an unconscious bulky, orange dragon. The fall of the Dragonite marked the end of the 'closed door' Elite Four Challenge, with the challenger as the winner.
The day after Ash had met Mr. Blackthorn, the former Kanto Champion, he was invited by the Royal Trainer to take on the Kanto Elite Four Challenge with his recommendation. Ash had beaten the older man when they first battled, the Knight General winning by a two Pokémon margin. Immediately after his loos, Mr. Blackthorn quickly called Charles Goodshow and arranged for Ash to take the Elite Four Challenge, with Mr. Goodshow happily obliging. Complying with Ash's request for the Challenge not to be publicized, Ash took on the battles in a 'closed door' manner, out of the public's eyes.
Several weeks after he accepted the offer, Ash departed for Indigo Plateau. The challenge lasted for four days; each day spent battling one member of the Elite Four.
On the first day, he defeated the Ice-type Master, Lorelei.
On the second day, he bested the Fighting-type Master, Bruno.
On the third day, he triumphed over the Ghost-type Master, Agatha.
And on the fourth day, he stood in center of Indigo Plateau Stadium hugging his Pikachu, tears of joy running down his cheeks. He had fulfilled his long-time dream of becoming a Master, overcoming Dragon Master Lance's devastating and powerful team.
Witnessed only by Mr. Goodshow, Mr. Blackthorn and Kanto's Elite Four, Ash was crowned Kanto's Champion, filling the five-year long vacant seat.
"Congratulations, Ash! That was a wonderful match. I've heard that you went missing for the last three – nearing four now – years. I guess you were just training for this very moment, huh?" Lance said, shaking hands with Ash. After the match, the two had moved to the Champion's office to start formalizing the title.
Ash rubbed his head sheepishly. "You can say it like that, I guess. But I've spent the last couple of months in Cameran's Order."
"Is that so? The organization I lead, the Pokémon G-Men, are working together with Cameran's Order." Lance continued.
"Ah, yes, I'm aware of that." Ash said.
Mr. Blackthorn coughed awkwardly and tapped Lance on the shoulder, "Lance, you should introduce yourself properly to Cameran's Order new Knight General. The G-Men have often relied heavily on the Order's capabilities, after all. "
"Oh, hey there, Grandpa." Lance muttered. He looked around to look for said Knight General. "Is new Knight General here? I didn't even hear the news about Mr. Sanzou retiring."
"You're standing in front of him, Lance." Mr. Blackthorn answered.
"What? You mean- Oh, so he's-" Lance muttered in confusion.
"Aura Knight General of Cameran, Ashton Satoshi Ketchum. My apologies for not introducing myself sooner, G-Man Lance." The younger man bowed, Pikachu following suit.
Mr. Blackthorn shook his head, "No, no, I should've done it sooner. My apologies, Ash."
"Ah, it's a pleasure, Knight General. I hope we can continue the good relationship between the G-Men and the Order." Lance said, bowing his head.
"No, please, just call me Ash." Ash started, "We're practically the same position now in the League anyhow, with you being the Johto Champion still."
"I guess so," Lance replied, "Next time, we'll really duke it out. I'll use my Johto Championship team when we battle."
Mr. Blackthorn chuckled. "So you're saying; your team of three Dragonite, a red Gyarados, a Kingdra and an Aerodactyl is not your all-out team? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that team exactly the same like your Johto Champion team?"
Lance coughed loudly, covering up what his grandfather had just blurted out. "In any case, I will train with my team to get even stronger for the next time we meet. That would be at the Champion's Duke competition, starting in about a year or so, Ash."
"Champion's Duke?" Ash asked, however, interrupted by the entrance of a gentleman.
"I believe congratulations are in order for the Knight General." The man said, tapping Ash's shoulder.
Ash bowed slightly, a grin plastered on his face. "Thanks, Sanzou-jii! What are you doing here?"
"I have some business here in Indigo Plateau. Also, I have a task for you, Ash. It's not a Royal Order, but it's something only you can do at the moment." the stoic man stated. "Do you recall the Queen's Mime Jr. being sent to a facility in Pewter City?"
Ash nodded, "Yes, the Queen had to leave for an important matter, unable to bring Mime Jr. with her. Isn't the head of the maids, Jennie, supposed to fetch Mime Jr.?"
"Well, that's the problem. Jennie had to go on a rather sudden errand. And Arceus knows why, Mime Jr. only likes you, Jenny, and the breeder-doctor person from Pewter City, aside from the Queen. Isn't that person your friend? His name is Brock, if I recall correctly. He runs a Pokémon breeding and medical facility next to Pewter's Gym." Sanzou explained. "Oh, would you look at the time. I'll leave it to you, then. You don't need to hurry, Mime Jr. is schedule to be picked up in three days." The man said as he started to leave the room.
"Wait, wait! Can't somebody else do it?" Ash asked.
"Nope, sorry. Mime Jr. likes nobody else but you, kid." Sanzou said, exiting.
"Well, you should head to the hotel and rest, Ash." Lance said. "We have to meet again here tomorrow morning to discuss potential Elite four members."
"We're changing the Kanto Elite Four line-up?" the younger man asked, allowing his Pikachu to hop back on his shoulder.
Lance sighed and nodded dejectedly. "Unfortunately, yes. We are in need of two new members, replacing myself and Bruno. As much as I'd like to be the head of the Kanto Elite Four, there are just too many things to deal with in Johto and in the G-Men."
"Understandable," Ash commented, "What of Bruno?"
"He's getting married and settling down." Lance simply answered.
Ash raised an eyebrow, "Bruno? Married?"
The Johto Champion nodded. "It's not unusual for an Elite Four or a Champion to get married. I'm married. Well, soon. Still engaged, actually."
"Oh, really? Congratulations." Ash said to the red-haired man. "But still, it's Bruno." The young man continued, shrugging. "All my colleagues are either married, or getting married. It's strange."
"Ah, yes. I believe The First Knight and Second Knight of Cameran are both married?" Lance asked.
"They married quite young, yes. They told me how they met their wives, the stories were very romantic. It was very unusual, coming from Riley and Zen." Ash explained.
Mr. Blackthorn sighed and sat down on the couch in the center of the room. "Ah, to be young again. It's a shame I can no longer meet my deceased wife…"
Lance turned to his the older man, confused. "Grandpa, your wife's not dead. She's at home right now, in Blackthorn. Clair's taking care of her."
Mr. Blackthorn gasped in surprise, "That woman is not my wife! That monstrosity is a demon spawn!"
"Yeah, yeah… Let's call it a day, shall we? I believe we're all tired from today." Lance suggested, turning to Ash.
"Sure then, I'll see you guys." The Knight said to the two Blackthorns, exiting the room.
Arriving at Pewter City in the afternoon by flying on his Staraptor, Ash decided to have lunch in a restaurant near Pewter City's Gym.
Ash had spent the past three days formalizing his title and going over the Kanto Elite four line-up with Lance and Mr. Blackthorn. They decided to grant the final decision to Ash, leaving the young man to find two trainers two replace Bruno and Lance as Elite Fours. He had told them that he would think it over while he was in Cameran. For now, he had to pick up Queen Ilene's Mime Jr.
After finishing his afternoon meal, Ash began making his way to the City's Gym, taking note that Mime Jr. should be in the building next to the Gym. Spending less than five minutes on the walk, the trainer reached the facility.
"'Pewter Pokémon Clinic and Breeding Center', huh… I guess Brock's really made it as a breeder and a Pokémon doctor." Ash muttered to himself. Pikachu was on his shoulder, giving a coo in amazement. "Not sure if I'm ready to meet Brock again, Pikachu. I mean, what am I going to say?" Ash said to himself once more. Deciding that standing still was resulting in nothing, he went ahead and entered the facility.
"Good afternoon," the receptionist greeted, "How can I help you today?"
"Good day, miss," Ash replied, "I'm here to pick up a Mime Jr. from Cameran."
"T-then you must be Cameran's Knight General?" The receptionist immediately stood up and gave an apologetic bow. "I-I'm sorry for not recognizing you, s-sir!"
"It's absolutely fine, miss." The young man said to the woman. "There's no need to bow as low as that."
The woman carefully straightened her back, "A-are you sure, sir? The man who called from Cameran has instructed me to treat you like I would the Queen…"
"I might be the Knight General, but to treat me like you would the Queen…" Ash crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "Did the person that called here sounded like he was in his mid-twenties? He has a flare of an eastern accent."
The woman nodded, confirming his suspicions.
"Yes, that's Zen, the Second Knight of Cameran. The next time he calls, don't listen. He's an idiot." Ash said with a chuckle. "So where's Mime Jr.?"
"Mime Jr. is currently with Dr. Brock. At the moment, the Doctor is having a Pokémon battle with his brother in the Gym." The receptionist answered. "Would you like me to take you there, sir?"
Ash shook his head. "No, I should be fine. I'll go visit the Gym and talk to Brock myself." Said the young man as he exited the facility. He walked around the block to find the simply decorated Rock-type Gym, sounds of battle coming from inside the hall. He opened the door and stepped inside to find two persons with similar slanted eyes in a battle. Mime Jr., who was cheering from the sidelines, saw Ash and ran up to the young man. The Psychic-type baby jumped up on Ash's free shoulder, the other occupied by the loyal electric mouse. Ash watched the match between the two Rock-type trainers.
"Brock, we have a guest." Forrest said to his brother after the two had finished the battle.
The older of the two siblings turned to see Ash standing at the entrance. "Ah, you must be the Knight General of Cameran. It's a pleasure. My name is Brock Harrison, owner and head doctor of the Pewter Pokémon Clinic and Breeding Center. Although around here, we just call it the 'Clinic'. It's easier on the tongue."
Ash looked at Pikachu and nodded. The rodent hopped off the young man's shoulder and ran up happily to the former Gym Leader. Stopping in front of the man, Pikachu waved and greeted his friend. "Pika Pikachu!"
"Oh, hello there, lil' guy! What an energetic Pikachu you have. Here you go, Pikachu. I happen to have my batch for Electric Pokémon with me." Brock commented, offering Pikachu some of his homemade Pokémon food. "Your Pikachu looks really familiar to me. By any chance, have we met somewhere before?"
"I challenged the Gym, once, about nine years ago. Back when you were still the leader." Ash answered, walking closer to the battlefield. "Got the Boulder Badge with Pikachu. I called the match off; it was a pretty unfair how Pikachu managed to down your Onix. But you gave me the badge anyway."
Brock stood still and pondered. "That's strange… The only person who was crazy enough to face me with a Pikachu was…" he paused, taking another look at Ash. "I-I'm sorry, but I don't think I know your name. The person who called from Cameran didn't fill us on the details."
"Ah, how rude of me. I guess I haven't introduced myself," Ash started, taking a formal bow. "Aura Knight General of Cameran, Ashton Satoshi Ketchum." Said the young man, receiving a dumbfounded look from his old friend. "It's been too long, Brock-o."
"Ash… Is that really you?" Brock asked.
Ash grinned and gave a thumbs up. "The one and only. I'm with Pikachu, aren't I?" the young man said, extending his hand for a friendly shake. Brock carefully shook back, before pulling Ash into a bear hug. "Brock..! C-can't breathe!"
After minutes of suffocation, Brock finally placed Ash down. "Where the hell have you been, Ash?! You were gone for almost four years now, you worried us sick!"
"I was literally out of this world. You wouldn't believe it." The younger said, trying to regain his composure.
The two spent the afternoon in a café catching up, Ash dominating most of the conversations. He answered the many questions that came from Brock.
"You mean to say," the former Gym Leader said, "That as of this moment, you are the Knight General of Cameran and Kanto Champion?"
Ash sipped his tea and nodded. "Uh-huh. If you were still a Gym Leader, I'd be your boss right now."
"That's absolutely amazing! How come there's nothing on the news?" Brock commented.
"Well, I requested for the Challenge not to be publicized. I've still got a lot to do back at Cameran; I don't think all the attention would do well for my duties." Ash answered. "Speaking of which, I've got something to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"You see, two of the Kanto Elite Four are considering retirement, and I have to find their replacements. And from what I've seen from your battle earlier, you've been training quote a lot, haven't you?" Ash asked.
"Yeah," the older of the two nodded started, "When you were supposed to arrive back in Kanto from Unova, I've actually finished my studies and gotten my license as a Pokémon Doctor. I was thinking of joining you on your next adventure at that time, but unfortunately you never came back." Brock explained, taking occasional sips from his drink. "So I went on ahead and opened the clinic. It became very successful and gained many staff, opening a lot of free time for me. I don't know why, but from then on, my passion for battling kind of rekindled. So I've trained and caught more Pokémon during the last two years, in my free time of course."
"Excellent," Ash said as he stroke his chin. "I have a proposition for you."
"You want me to join the Elite Four?" Brock asked.
"Close, but no cigar." Ash said as he held up a finger. "I can't just get you to join the Elite Four. What I can do is get you trained under Bruno for a while, and see how it goes from there. I need all of the Elite Four's approval to admit you into the Elite Four. But from what I've seen just now in the Gym, you're going to fit in pretty easily."
Brock considered the offer for a short while before accepting it. "That'll be a pleasure."
"Great! I'll call Lance when I get the chance. This is going to be a lot of fun." Ash said as he gestured to the waitress for the table's bill. "I'll get this. It may sound weird coming from me, but I happen to have a lot of… 'Idle' funds. And I don't really know what to spend it on, except for clothing and personal grooming."
"Speaking of which, what happened to you? You never used to care about personal looks. Now your clothes are all nice, your hair's stylish… Is your hair highlighted, by the way? And are you wearing colored contacts?" Brock asked curiously.
Ash shook his head. "Remember when I said going into the Ethereal made physical changes to my body? Yeah, the white streaks and blue eyes are also caused by that. Though I reckon the hair and the eye were caused by my grown familiarity in aura use, not specifically from the Ethereal. And as for the clothes and hairstyle, well… I happen to like them. Not to sound vain, but I look pretty good in them."
"Aw, look at the dense Ash, all grown-up. Four years ago, you were still a kid whose world revolved around Pokémon only." Brock mocked in a motherly tone.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm going to hear that a lot, aren't I?" Ash murmured, getting ready to stand up. "Anyway, have you seen Gary lately? He's on Lance's list of candidates."
"He's usually found wandering about in Professor Oak's lab. Although right now, he's also a 'Professor Oak'." Answered Brock, holding the door open for Ash. "You want to go over there right now? I'm sure he'll get the surprise of his life."
"That'll be wicked." Ash said as he exited, heading towards Pallet with Brock.
A/N: That's the end of the prologue. I'm aware that Ash is quite powerful, but he won't be a Gary Stu (or Mary Sue, Larry Stu, whichever you prefer).
On the next update the main story will start.