Chapter Summary: With one review, Psychic wins the 6th spot
Shipping: Timeshipping

Time of the Reunion

Ash and Pikachu had wandered right back to the Keri Keri Mountains quite some time after their first go-around. Ash received an e-mail from a girl named Calista about a discovery while hanging out in the mountainside. So far, the fog seemed light with visibility of around 200 feet. "I wonder what Calista wanted to talk with me about?" he wondered. Don't ask Pikachu. It was clueless.

("Obviously something to do with the Baltoy Civilization,") he reviewed an incident prior. ("What it is exactly, I'm not sure.") They toured the mountainside as the fog began to thicken. You don't want to be caught in a foggy area at a bad time. Even Ash was getting weary of the ever growing fog.

"We better stay on our toes. This fog's starting to get worse." Regardless of his own words, Ash pressed on. Walking, they were unaware of a ledge they fast approached. That drop beyond the ledge could be deadly. Suddenly, Ash stopped a foot from the cliff. One more step and that would lead to a world of pain. "That's a far drop." No kidding. Pikachu checked the ledge, knowing something familiar about this spot.

("Isn't this where we fell to where we met the aged Calista?") This was where they fell before? That's when Ash saw tracks leading down the ledge. Butt tracks. His butt tracks.

"Good eye." Ash was ready to head down the ledge. "Ready for a little sliding, Pikachu?" Pikachu was ready and leaped onto Ash. Ash leaped down onto the side and began sliding down it like a rail grind. "Yahoo!" A little extreme. Soon enough they reached the bottom which scooped a bit. Ash made it...but wiped out and fell on his behind. Needless to say that hurt. "Note to self: order myself some seat padding." Not sure those would help as much as you'd like them to react to lower injury prevention. Ash got up and viewed a hole in a tree. This hole was familiar to him. "This is where the Baltoy's Time Machine resides." Was this suppose to be the place where he would meet Calista? "Let's see..." Hhe released Grovyle to see if maybe she's down in that hole. "Grovyle, check inside the tree for anybody."

("You got it, Partner") Grovyle obeyed as he leaped into the tree...disappearing... Spooky...

"Good luck, Grovyle." Grovyle slid down a huge slide that didn't seem to have an ending. When it felt like the slide would go on forever...it ended and Grovyle landed in a patch of fluff. At least he had a soft landing. He looked back through the slide.

("Talk about an adrenaline rush. Maybe Partner's life is more thrilling than I wanna believe.") Sounded like he enjoyed it. Before long...

"Is that a Grovyle?" a female wondered. Grovyle turned to a redhead girl with a Baltoy by her side. Could this be Calista? "What brings a lonesome Grovyle down here?" Lonesome? Grovyle was gawking toward the slide, saying someone was up there. Baltoy became startled, nearly falling off the top's needle as feet.

("That Grovyle belongs to Ash!") Baltoy squeaked. The girl jumped in surprise and ran to the slide.

"Ash! You up there?" Back up the tree, Ash heard the girl's call.

"Looks like I made the right call before going down recklessly," he sighed in relief. "Calista! I'll be right down!" He wasn't going to use that same slide...was he?

"What about the slant Team Rocket made?" There was an easier way? Even Ash had to feel like an idiot for risking Grovyle's leaves without considering an alternate entrance. He dipped his head in shame.

"Whoops..." He managed to retain composure. "Hang on!" He and Pikachu ran over to find the entrance which Team Rocket dug. It didn't take too long. The two raced down and reached the underground landmark. Calista was happy to see him again.

"Ash, long time." Ash was happy to be back with Calista.

"Yeah, likewise. So how's our junior archeologist doing on the research of the Baltoy's Civilization?"

"Great. I've been studying nonstop on all I've seen involving the civilization's ancient technology from simple fire without the use of a Pokémon to the time machine we saw the future me use. Not only that, but reading the hieroglyphics indicated that civilization rulers were decided on Baltoy Battles." Baltoy battles?

"It sounds much like a Pokémon battle pitting two Baltoys and no other Pokémon." Baltoy only competitions. The most dominant Baltoy trumps the tribe.

"Pretty straightforward. I read that a ruler would be determined by the Baltoy Bonds." That's an interesting determinating way of choosing a ruler. "You're correct in a sense that it's like a Pokémon battle but that comes at the end. Legend has it that a series of trials helped divide those who have what it takes to rule the civilization to who died or greatly injured trying. After the trials, the lone survivor battles the current patriarch to the match with the winner being the emperor." Talk about a strict time to have a Baltoy.

"I guess since I don't have a Baltoy, I can't actually participate in these trials." If you lived back then, yeah it would suck.

"That's not all I found out. When word of the time machine was uncovered back then, people would constantly abuse the power it wields. One leader chose to bury the treasure in an undisclosed area so that anyone who had any bright ideas to scoop out the future would go on an adventure just to find it." Talk about fascinating... "Which actually leads to why I called you back here." There was a reason. The question became what.

"Someone used the time machine to come from the past?" A further history lesson?

"Not quite." She turned to the distance, to a side of the platform. "Okay! You can come on out!" That's when a...another Ash? Same hair, same marks under the eyes, same height. It was as if this was a clone of Ash...except female. That's right. This Ash had hills. Small hills but they're there.

"You look...just like me." Even Pikachu had been doing so many double takes that it's a surprise he didn't suffer whiplash.

"Wow," she scoffed. "When Papa said I remind him of him, he wasn't kidding." Papa?

("Did she say, Papa?") Pikachu questioned. Calista, help them out!

"Ash, meet Ashley," Calista introduced. "She's...your daughter 20 years in the future." Ashley's Ash's girl?

"My daughter?" Ash jumped in surprise. Ashley scoffed, humored by her "Papa's" reaction.

"That's right, Papa," she teased. "And this must be Pikachu before you had to use the Thunder Stone because he still wanted to battle." So Pikachu would evolve into Raichu. Pikachu was astounded that he would battle for a long time and evolve on his own will to battle for so long.

("It seems I've left myself no choice but to become a Raichu,") Pikachu chuckled. Ashley gently scratched Pikachu's ears to feel how soft his fur was. Ash still felt left in the dark on something.

"Ashley, er, pumpkin," Ash tried to act fatherly. Nice try. Ashley shook her head, not liking the word, "Pumpkin."

"Nah, you don't call me 'Pumpkin,'" she corrected. "You'd like to call me 'Ashy Bashy.'" Ashy Bashy? Cute! "Anway, what is it?" It had to be family.

"If I'm your Dad, who's Mom?" All Ashley did was gaze at Calista. Calista's the mom? She wasn't trying to deny it...nor was she trying to confirm.

"You could say that the more you guys stayed together, the more passionate you started to appreciate archeology and the more she wanted to further her work, making me want to discover truths more fascinating and illustrate the beginning of time up to my time." Ashley glanced back at the time machine that brought her here...to meet her parents as kids themselves. "Speaking of time, I gotta get back to mine." Calista knew it too. All three stepped toward the machine as Baltoy placed itself in the middle of it, doing Rapid Spin. The centrifugal rotations began to light the machine in a gold veil.

"Well, Ashley," Calista spoke. "I know we'll see you real soon." Was Calista hoping Ashley would return and tell her future parents about what it's like in the future?

"Right, when you guys are older." Ah, not as kids but parents. That's when Ash had one question before the light would consume Ashley.

"Hey, A-Ashy Bashy?" Ash shouted. Ashley turned to Ash, her father. "I-In your time, am I a...Pokémon Master?" He wondered if maybe he attained his prize and then had a family. Ashley smiled. He did?

"Let's just say that I can't let you know. But I can say this: continue to believe in yourself, your friends and your Pokémon. You taught me that before I started." Ash smiled as her Ashy Bashy entered the light...and vanished. The time machine was back at rest. Ash smiled. He met his own daughter at his...or her age and understanding of what's to come. He knew some of the future...and what he believed he would teach his child.

"Ashley...Bethany Ketchum." What was that he said? Calista was awed with...what nonsense was that?

"You know her full name?" she gasped. Ash couldn't have known and began to scratch his neck.

"I-I just thought of what our child's name will be...when the time comes." He began to plan a child which may not be real good news. "You know...meeting our child as children made me think how short our lives are. I think we need to do whatever we can to fulfill all we can before we pass the batons to the next generation." More awe filled Calista. She was fascinated with his sudden burst of wisdom.

"Indeed. And I know how to start. Pikachu, if you don't mind..." Pikachu pulled Ash's cap off, startling the trainer before...SMOOCH! Calista laid a big wet one on his lips. This was his embrace, his sudden desire...and nothing was going to separate-

"Wow, Ash," sounded...Max as he yanked Ash away from Calista...by ear. "I never thought you'd stoop this low for a girl!"

"OW! OW! OW!" Ash whined. "Max!" He got there fast. "Not the earlobe!" How did he arrive there so fast? And why did he need to rip Ash away from Calista?

"Come on, mature boy..." Okay...

END of PSYCHIC

(It looks like Fighting is next to start the second half and Bug is no going to be a factor. Keep up the reviews and opinions.)