My new story, this project will be very different from the games and anime, but I hope you like what you read.
I'm open to feedback as long as it's respectful.
Before continuing, please be aware that English IS NOT MY NATIVE LANGUAGE. I write the outline in Portuguese and later translate it into English, so I apologize in advance for any grammatical inconsistencies.
Anyway, I hope I manage to deliver an interesting story, enjoy the first chapter of 'Sage'.
"We are not desperate for help, we only seek those with the strength to change the world" – An Unknown Master
What is the meaning of true power? This is a question asked by people throughout human history. Some believe that power is the ability to get what you want through skill, others believe that power is the determination not to give up in the face of adversity.
Nobody is wrong, and nobody is right. The true meaning of power lies within the soul of every person in the world, and it is up to each of us to discover the core of our own strength.
And out of all the humans who have existed throughout history, not one has reached the pinnacle of true strength... with the exception of one man.
Ashura 'Ash' Ketchum, 50 years old, on top of a snow-covered mountain in a temperature considered deadly for any living being, was training without showing any kind of discomfort. The once dreamy boy grew up to be a man in physical and mental prime, with long gray hair and an angular face. With his eyes closed, Ash got into a fighting stance, and threw punches, one at a time, without stopping.
His body is perfectly sculpted from years of training, and Ash is wearing only weather-worn pants, barefoot in the snow, with a blue aura around his body glowing brightly.
At the height of his career as a trainer, right after becoming a pokémon master, Ash felt a tremendous void in his heart, he had conquered the top, but at the same time he seemed to have lost something very important. The happy attitude that defined him disappeared to give way to a bitter man, not knowing the reason for his sadness.
And during his darkest period, Ash decided that he would abandon everything in search of understanding what he felt. After visiting his mother for the last time and informing him of his decision, Ash left all his Pokémon in the care of Professor Oak and disappeared from the world. Nobody could find him, and after a few years, he was declared dead. What no one found out was that since his departure, he has lived in the mountains of Mt. Silver, living with what nature has given him and training his body and mind to find the answer.
Leaving everything he built throughout his life was extremely painful, but necessary so that he could find a new purpose, and it wouldn't be fair to drag his pokémon and friends on a journey that would possibly end tragically, and Ash would never forgive himself if hurt any of your friends or family in any way.
Isolating himself wasn't an easy decision, but all the friends he's met along the way are strong, and can follow their dreams without regrets and worries.
After years of training, on a sunset atop Mt. Silver, something clicked in Ash's mind, and he finally had the answer upon seeing that beautiful landscape.
The answer was gratitude.
Throughout his journey, Ash had one goal, someone he wanted to defeat. Rival, a champion or winning a pokémon league, there was always some obstacle separating him from a goal, however, with the title of pokémon master, the challenge flame went out, and Ash lost the flame that kept the desire to fight alive.
That discovery made the man's eyes shine again, and since that moment, Ash has trained, thanking him every day for the opportunity he had, to travel the world and meet many friends and pokémon along the way.
Thank you for what you experienced, even knowing that you would not experience such moments again.
The answer was bittersweet but it gave him everything he needed to keep training, he had reached the top as a trainer but as a human he still had a long way to go.
Every day, without a single failure, Ash would repeat the same movements, punching the wind from dawn to dusk, and meditate in search of inner peace. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, then months into years.
Time passed without Ash caring, and the world slowly forgot he ever existed, being mentioned only a few times as an ancient champion. But none of that matters, the world went its own way, and Ash did the same.
For the first time in history, a human willingly decided to abandon everything and become a true master.
In another dimension, in the Hall of Origin, Arceus watched its chosen one walk such a path with admiration, but also with sadness. The path of wisdom tends to be lonely, and Ash has given up absolutely everything in search of inner peace. A pure soul who in the moment of greatest despair refused to be sullied, and took the difficult path of self-discovery.
To immortal beings, human life is like a breath in the wind, and Arceus watched closely as Ash's life progressed, and when he turned 50, something unbelievable happened.
Ash opened his eyes at the end of his daily training, and with a smile on his face, he got into a battle stance and threw a single punch at the wind...which created a sonic wave so strong, it swept away half of the top of the MT. Silver.
The pinnacle of strength was reached, and Arceus, along with other legends, could not believe their eyes. That same day, Ash walked into the cave he had adopted as his home and sat on the ground with his legs crossed.
The sun was just setting, and Ash took one last look at the beautiful landscape that had accompanied him for countless years.
Taking a deep breath, Ash smiled with tears in his eyes. "Finally, it's time to rest."
Having finally found his answer, Ash closed his eyes one last time and stopped breathing.
By his own free will, Ash decided to die that day.
Arceus didn't understand what had happened, Ash gained enough power to rule the world if he wished, and simply preferred death. The world would not be in danger, as Ash had already fulfilled his role as the chosen one, however, the way he decided to leave for the life beyond death left Arceus with a bad taste in his mouth.
For the last time, he wanted to speak with his chosen one.
The gears of fate began to turn
Ash opened his eyes and found himself facing Arceus, who stared at him enigmatically. It wasn't something he expected to find after he died, but he immediately knelt down, after all, it wouldn't be smart to disrespect the creator of the world.
A psychic force forced Ash to his feet again. Arceus walked over and looked straight into its former trainer's eyes. "Ashura Ketchum, you have fulfilled the role of 'chosen one' flawlessly, and have defended the world against evil countless times. You sacrificed everything you achieved, your dream, your family, your friends, the chance to find love, everything to find an answer, and when you finally found it, you decided to die. Why?" Arceus was sincere in showing his doubt, not even he could understand the man's attitude towards him.
Ash was slightly confused by the question, but then he smiled and held out a hand. In it, an aura sphere appeared, and took the shape of a flower. "I abandoned everything for fear of losing my purpose, and I found in solitude gratitude for everything I've experienced. I witnessed events so unique that no one would ever believe if I told them, I got to meet beings that everyone believed were just myths, and I cultivated friendships that I will forever keep in my heart, however, I realized when I reached the pinnacle of strength, that I don't have more purpose."
Arceus was surprised to see how wise Ash had become over the years, but something still bothered him. "You have reached such strength, but why did you decide to die? Ash, you could go back to your family, see your friends, try to rebuild your life, and find a new purpose, so…" Arceus trailed off as he saw the tears streaming down Ash's face.
Such pain, Arceus has never felt such sadness come from the heart of its chosen one.
The aura flower in Ash's hand slowly began to disintegrate, and Ash watched with a bitter smile on his face. "I have no place in the world anymore, my power would be a source of conflict, my friends have built a whole life away from me, and we both know my mother is no longer in the world of the living." Ash looked at Arceus and what the Alpha pokémon saw deep in those eyes was one of the saddest things in his countless years of life.
Your 'chosen one' was broken,
"I'm tired, please let me move on..." Ash whispered, and Arceus felt guilty, as he knew that even indirectly, the decisions Ash made during his life had their influence, and now the only human he can call a friend is begging for the right to die.
For a moment, Arceus considered granting the wish, but quickly pushed the idea from his mind. It would be too easy to just let Ash get on with it.
This boy, no this man, deserves a second chance at life.
"I'm sorry Ash, but I can't let your life end like this. For my selfishness, you wasted a lifetime for the world, and you never asked for anything in return." Arceus raised a paw and touched Ash's forehead. "The time has come for your reward, long live Ash, enjoy your life and know that I will always be watching over you."
One of Arceus's plates floated in the air and turned into a necklace with a golden pendant, which settled around Ash's neck. Not understanding what was happening, Ash held the pendant. "But how am I going to do that? I disappeared for many years, everyone believes I'm dead, I can't just reappear."
Ash's vision began to blur, and Arceus spoke to him one last time before everything went black. "Don't worry, to pay off my debt, I'll break a law or two of the universe. I will always be watching you, enjoy your new life, my 'chosen one'.
Ash wanted to ask what was going to happen, but he couldn't as he lost consciousness, not knowing what would happen next.
Sky Pillar, an ancient tower that is a sacred temple to the ancient Draconid people. Since its creation more than a millennium ago, the Sky Pillar has been championed for use when Rayquaza's return is needed.
Zinnia was flying her Salamence, patrolling the surroundings of the Sky Pillar, when she saw something that made her heart stop for a few seconds. At the top of the Sky Pillar, a white light began to appear, and on the central altar, the body of a man appeared.
Many strange things happened in the Lorekeeper's life, but since Rayquaza returned a few years ago, I didn't imagine that the Sky Pillar would be used again during her lifetime. The shock of the strange event was quickly replaced by a sense of urgency.
Whoever that man was, when he emerged atop the Sky Pillar he became the responsibility of the Dradconid people, and by extension, of the Lorekeeper.
"Come on Salamence, go down to the top of the temple, we need to get that man to Meteor Village!" With a roar, the dragon pokémon approached the top of the tower, and landed a few meters from the altar. Zinnia jumped off her Pokemon's back and slowly approached.
What she saw was startling and strangely familiar, she could have sworn she knew that man's face from somewhere, but she couldn't remember where.
Long white hair and an angled, pretty-looking face with strange 'z' shaped markings on her cheeks. He was shirtless, with a perfectly chiseled body, and pants that were nothing more than mere lint that did just enough to hide his modesty. He was barefoot, and around his neck was a necklace with a golden pendant that glowed slightly.
Zinnia approached the man and instinctively placed a hand on the necklace, and at that moment, something appeared in the sky. It was Rayquaza, who slowly descended and landed on the Sky Pillar. Zinnia sighed in shock, and swallowed hard as she saw her folk deity approach the altar.
The jade dragon stood beside the pillar, and placed one of its claws on the man's chest, and with the other claw, pointed towards the east. Rayquaza did at that moment something that Zinnia did not expect.
The legendary jade dragon that rules the skies of Hoenn spoke to her.
"Lorekeeper, this man who owns the necklace my father gave him must be protected at all costs. He saved the world, and in return, we'll give him the chance to live in peace. He ensures the chosen one is safe, his people have never failed me, I'm sure they won't fail this time. I will watch you." Rayquaza roared and took to the skies, disappearing into the ozone layer.
Zinnia opened and closed her mouth several times. Rayquaza appeared to her, and finished talking! And not only that, he ordered her to keep this man safe.
Zinnia placed a hand on the man's face. "I don't know what you did to be so important, but in the name of my people, I will protect you with my life." Zinnia, in a surprising display of strength, carried the man on her back and placed him on top of her Salamence, and together, they flew towards Meteor Village.
For at that moment, the most ancient people of Hoenn were honored to receive the chosen of the gods.
Some hours later...
When Ash opened his eyes, he didn't recognize where he was. It was a simple-looking room, built of wood and with a small bed. Even though it was simple, it was more comfortable than sleeping on the cold mountain floor.
Slowly, Ash sat up in bed and the memories of what happened surfaced in his mind. Arceus has done something, and now he is far from the mountains that have been his home for so many years. Ash got up and was surprised to find that someone had given him some new clothes to wear.
A red tunic with green details, something simple but by far the most comfortable outfit he'd worn in a long time. With an orb of aura, Ash saw his reflection and almost fell back onto the bed at what he saw.
He looks as he did when he went into exile, but while his face is that of a young adult man, his body is in the physical peak of the day he died, and his hair is still white for some unknown reason. "What have you done to me Arceus?" Ash whispered, but quickly calmed down.
If it was an act of Arceus, it can trust the Alpha pokémon.
Ash went to the bedroom door, and when he opened it, his eyes were graced with the view of a village full of simple houses, built with wood and without any sign of modern technology. Villagers could be seen walking around the village, going about their daily errands, but everyone stopped what they were doing when they saw Ash, and immediately knelt down.
This was without a doubt one of the strangest events in Ash's life.
"Sora no Senshi!" Everyone cheered at the same time, foreheads touching the floor. A comical bead of sweat broke out on the back of Ash's neck, and he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment at the strange attitude of the people who welcomed him.
"Uh...can someone explain to me what's going on?" Ash's question seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, as no one dared to stand up, however, an elderly voice caught his attention.
"The day will come when the gods will send a warrior the likes of which have never been seen, he will descend from the heavens under the guardianship of the great jade dragon. The warrior who fought countless battles must be protected by the Draconid people, and in the same way, we will be protected. Sora no Senshi, the warrior who descended from the sky. I never imagined that he would be honored to be the elder who would be honored to live in the same age of a legend." An old woman in white robes walked with difficulty, being held up by a girl dressed similarly to the rest of the villagers.
The younger woman has short hair, slightly brown skin and wears a shirt with symbols present in the male villagers' clothing, a cape that has seen better days swaying against the wind, gray shorts and on her feet a pair of sandals and long socks of the same color. While the elderly woman had a friendly smile, the other woman was alert, and Ash saw the slight twitch of muscles with eyes trained by the many years of his former life.
She is combat-ready, but has done a good deed to hide her alertness. It would have worked against anyone else, but unfortunately Ash is not just anyone.
Turning his attention back to the old woman, Ash decided to approach the situation with a sympathetic attitude, the last thing he wants is to start an unnecessary conflict with the people who took him in. "I don't understand, why is everyone kneeling? Look, I appreciate the hospitality, I don't even know how I got to this village, but ask them to stop kneeling, that's embarrassing." The elderly woman, with the help of the other woman, walked over and placed a hand on Ash's shoulder.
"Such humility, as expected from heaven sent." The elderly woman praised Ash, however, the younger woman did otherwise, she turned to the villagers and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Fools! You heard Sora no Senshi's orders! Get up!" Immediately everyone got up, afraid that they had offended the 'deity' in some way.
Ash wished he could turn into a Digglet and disappear down a hole.
The elderly woman noticed Ash's discomfort, and spoke to the other woman. "Zinnia, there is no need to be so strict, it has become clear to me that the Sora no Senshi does not wish to be feared." The one now known as Zinnia blushed in embarrassment and nodded, meanwhile, Ash's brow twitched in mild irritation.
Again they were calling him 'Sora no Senshi', since when is he so important?!
Doing his best not to offend them, Ash took the old woman's hand from his shoulder. "Please, you don't have to call me 'Sora no Senshi', my name is Ashura, or as everyone uses to call me, 'Ash'. You don't need to treat me like someone important, I'm just a man who fell from the sky." The joke attempt to lighten the mood didn't seem to have worked as he intended.
Exactly the opposite happened.
The villagers, along with Zinnia and the old lady gasped in shock, starting to whisper among themselves.
"He told us your name!"
"I can't believe Sora no Senshi considered us worthy!"
"He truly is the chosen one of the heavens."
Ash groaned in dismay and smacked his forehead with his hand. This is going to be a long day. Ash died, was revived and is now something of a local deity, if this happened to anyone else it would be considered a ridiculous story.
For Ash, or rather Ashura Ketchum? It's just a Tuesday.
The village elder noticed the discomfort of the man before her, and slowly started walking towards the largest house in the village, her home. However, in the middle of the steps, she lost her balance, and began to fall to the ground.
"Grandfather!" Zinnia called out with genuine concern, she was too far away, and wouldn't make it in time. The villagers were horrified by what was happening, but they didn't count on one small detail.
The local 'deity'.
A mantle of aura enveloped Ash's body, and he disappeared from where he was, appearing in front of the old woman and holding her by the arms. In the next instant, a sonic boom made everyone fall on their asses to the ground.
No one was as impressed as Zinnia, she is the Lorekeeper, the strongest warrior in the Draconid village, and not even her trained eyes could keep up with such speed.
Oblivious to all of this, Ash helped the elderly woman to her feet with concern. "Ma'am, are you hurt? If you have any injuries, tell me, I can help you." The old woman blinked twice, surprised by what she just witnessed, but quickly composed herself, and with Ash's help, she got to her feet.
"Thanks for saving me. My name is Astrid, elder of the Draconid people, but everyone in the village calls me Grandma. I see you're confused, so if it's not too much trouble, follow me to our village's main house, I'll answer you what I can." Having no choice, Ash nodded, and helped Astrid to her house.
Zinnia watched everything from afar and clenched her fist tightly. For the first time she has met a warrior who surpasses her. Chosen by the gods or not, she is the Lorekeeper, and must prove she is worthy of the title. Wasting no more time, Zinnia turned and started walking towards the forest.
One of the villagers saw it and called out to her. "Zinnia, where are you going? Shouldn't you be with Grandma and Sora no Senshi? Zinnia didn't stop walking, and she responded quickly.
"I am going to train." Was all the Lorekeeper said, leaving all the villagers with beads of sweat on their heads.
Typical Zinnia and her obsession with training.
Ash and Astrid sat in the two available chairs at a small table in the old woman's house. Ash wasted no time in asking the question that had been bothering him since he woke up.
"Why does everyone treat me like a deity? I am a human, like everyone else." Astrid studied Ash's body expression for a while, and then her eyes glowed purple.
In the small closet full of parchments at the back of the room, one of them began to float with the same purple energy enveloping it, quickly falling into the old woman's hands.
"You are…" Ash whispered, and Astrid nodded.
"Yes, I am a Psychic. I developed the skill in childhood, but I don't even reach the feet of masters like Sabrina in Kanto. I can't read minds, but this ability allows me to sense the aura present in people, and Ash, you give off a pure yet powerful aura far beyond that of any man. You are someone who has attained enlightenment.
Astrid's eyes were seeing something that no one else in the village could see, around Ash, a huge cloak of golden energy glowed like a small sun.
Ash tilted his head to the side in disbelief. "Lighting?" he asked doubtfully. Astrid opened the parchment and began to read the ancient writing. "Those who come to deep understanding, who reach the core of their own soul and understand the true purpose of life, will reach true heaven. Sora no Senshi is not only blessed by the gods, he is someone who will show the world the true meaning of strength, while maintaining an immaculate heart, never succumbing to his own power, as his strength was not obtained with the intention of to conquer, but to protect." Astrid closed the parchment and folded her hands on the table.
"You have seen things mere mortal eyes would never dream of imagining, you have faced hardships impossible for the average human, and you have transcended the limitations of the body on your own merits, keeping your heart pure, free from evil. I'm old Ash, very old. I have lived a lot and seen many things in my life, and I know when I meet a soul that is undecided about the future."
Ash's spine shivered listening to that woman, he never said anything about his past, and with just a single look Astrid summed up, even if superficially, a good part of his past adventures.
Ash took a deep breath and spoke with true sincerity to the old woman he had just met. "It's just…I don't know what to do. I abandoned everything I achieved to find purpose, and now I feel lost. I am not a god, much less someone worthy of admiration. I ran away from Astrid, I ran away from my family, my friends and my pokémon, I was selfish and I feel sick to myself every day because I can't feel regret." Astrid saw how lost Ash was, and began to understand the meaning of the ancient scriptures.
Sora no Senshi is someone powerful and fragile at the same time. He has the power to change the world, but he is lost precisely because he has sacrificed everything to the world he was destined to protect.
She is the elder of the Draconid, and her duty is to guide the younger ones to find their purpose in life. Ash is no different, for even though he is a deity to his people, deep down he is still just a poor lost soul in need of a new purpose.
She knows her time in the world of the living is ending, but the gods have given her the privilege of guiding the Chosen through the world, her last task as a Draconid wyrm.
And she will fulfill this task with everything she has left.
Astrid took one of Ash's hands, and smiled at the man before her. "It's not wrong to be afraid, it's not wrong to regret, it's not wrong to fail. We are all subject to failures, but it is up to each one of us to learn from failures and build a worthy future for ourselves and for the people we love. Sora no Senshi, no, Ash Ketchum, we just met, but know that I will do my best to help you find a new purpose. Our people have been tasked with protecting you, don't be afraid, let us help you, you are not alone."
Those words hit Ash hard, for so many years all he's done is train, isolated from the world, and he's forgotten everything he's given up, and what it means to have someone he can trust.
For the first time in 30 years, Ash allowed himself to cry, in front of a woman he had just met, but who understood him better than anyone else in his entire life.
A few meters from the south gate of Meteor Village, a small training field was being used as the place where Zinnia trained on a straw mannequin, performing several blows with enviable precision.
Not far away, three pokémon watched their trainer confused, Salamence chose that moment to sleep, as he had nothing better to do. Goodra on the other hand was babysitting for Aster the Whismur who was worried about her 'mom'.
A strange family for an even stranger trainer.
Zinnia stopped punching the doll and growled angrily. "Damn it! No matter what I do, I can't see how I'm going to beat that speed. How can I be the Lorekeeper if I don't have the strength to accompany the one I'm supposed to protect?" She started to cry in rage, and Aster ran towards her mother.
With clumsy steps, the small pokémon approached the woman and hugged one of her legs, drawing Zinnia's attention, who, when realizing who held her, showed a small smile for the first time in the day.
She knelt down and picked Aster up in her arms, starting to rock her. "I'm sorry I made you worried, didn't I? Mom will stop scaring you." The little pokémon started to laugh with joy, however, the happy moment was interrupted with a new arrival.
"You really love your Pokemon, it's rare to see a bond as strong as yours and your Pokemon." Ash spoke with his arms crossed. Zinnia quickly put Aster on the ground and knelt down.
"Sora no Senshi, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?" Ash narrowed his eyes, walked over and did something that would be considered foolish by any villager in Meteor Village.
He hit Zinnia on the head with an open fist.
"Stop this 'Sora no Senshi', call me Ash. Now get up, I've seen his punches, they're not bad, but we can improve your technique." Zinnia rubbed her head which had a little comical bump on it and yelled at Ash, breaking her 'serious' character.
"Why did you hit me?!" Zinnia took a second hit, which earned her a second, smaller bump.
Ash smiled when he saw that he got to know the true personality of the girl before him. "I beat you because I am the stronger of us." That made a vein stand out on Zinnia's forehead, and she glared at Ash like he was the most hateful thing in the world.
A sight that would have sent the overwhelming majority of men running for the hills, but not Ash, who crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at her. "What it was? Did Meowth get your tongue?"
Zinnia ran towards Ash and tried to land a punch, which he dodged without any problems, then she tried to connect a kick, which Ash caught with his hand without hesitating. With an iron grip, Ash lifted Zinnia by the leg and threw her into the air.
With a display of agility and flexibility, Zinnia collected herself, landing on her feet, and saw Ash with his arms crossed. Salamence and Goodra thought about intervening, but quickly felt that Ash wasn't trying to hurt their trainer, and decided to observe the 'battle', after all, it's not every day that a pokémon can see the battle of two humans firsthand.
But Aster had other plans, her 'mommy' was in danger, and she needs to do something. Running with awkward steps, Aster threw herself at Ash just as Zinnia tried to land a kick, leaving the Lorekeeper horrified at what was about to happen.
However, Ash acted quickly and created an aura barrier, preventing Zinnia from hitting Astrid. The woman fell to the ground with wide eyes as she had never seen this kind of skill.
"What the..." Zinnia stammered, but was even more surprised to see a strong hand extended towards her. Glancing at the hand's owner, she saw Ash with a friendly smile. "Come on, I just wanted to see your skill, I don't have much to do, so why can't I train a martial artist? I know a thing or two about throwing a good punch or kick." Ash scratched the back of his head with a goofy smile, and Zinnia was at a loss at what she saw.
How can someone so powerful be so annoying and cool at the same time?
She accepted the help, and with a single tug, Ash lifted her up, however, he misjudged his strength, and Zinnia found herself in an embarrassing moment...in the arms of the same man who had just kicked her ass without breaking a sweat. .
Zinnia's face started to turn red with embarrassment, and she quickly walked away, mumbling incoherent words. Ash cocked his head, not understanding what had happened, but he was slightly worried when he saw the woman's red face.
"Zinnia, are you sick? Why did your face turn red?" It only made the situation worse.
With great embarrassment, she screamed. "Shut up you idiot, pervert, idiot!"
"…called me an idiot twice." Ash rubbed his cheek, the attitude reminded him of a certain Cerulean redhead, the thought made him fear, does Zinnia also have a hammer?
Just thinking about it made Ash fear for his own safety. The infamous 'Misty PTSD' is trauma that is hard to heal from.
Aster watched her mom act strangely, and in her innocence jumped to the wrong conclusion, which would be the beginning of a huge misunderstanding.
Hopping up and down on her tiny paws, Aster started to reach for Ash with her hands. Although it is a pokémon, Aster learned the basics of human language, enough to babble small simple sentences, however, in its innocence, it used this ability to speak the first thing it deduced. "Dad, Mom found Dad!" Zinia froze, and slowly turned to her 'daughter', and then looked back at Ash, who in his naivety (or stupidity), had driven the final nail into the coffin that was the Lorekeeper's dignity.
Ash didn't expect to hear that, but he shrugged, taking care of a pokémon is something he would never deny, and without hesitation he knelt down, took Aster in his arms and with all the ingenuity that is part of the 'Ash Ketchum' package, spoke to the Zinnia, holding Aster out with her hands to emphasize what she was going to say. "Can you help me? I don't know how to change cheats."
Zinnia collapsed and fell to the ground, her face steaming and her eyes swirling.
Ash's Innocence is a super effective move...
Ash looked everywhere, and after making sure that no one would have a misunderstanding, he took Zinnia in his arms and took her to the village, the Lorekeeper's pokémon followed him, after all, they had nothing better to do and the day was ending.
When Ash arrived in the village, he made a point of speeding towards Astrid's house, and left Zinnia lying on a small couch. After checking one last time that she was properly accommodated, he left the house and headed towards the outskirts of the village.
He had nothing better to do, so a little good old-fashioned training wouldn't hurt.
Astrid watched from afar with a small smile. It was good to see that Ash started to find his own path, and Zinnia found a good friend and someone who can help her grow as a person and a Lorekeeper.
And who knows, maybe she'll gain a few grandchildren before she finally sets out to find her ancestors.
Night began to settle in Meteor Village, and with that, Astrid returned to her home. The next few days were going to be interesting.
Not far from Meteor Village, a woman was getting ready to camp for the night after a day of hiking in her rare spare time between gigs throughout the Hoenn region.
However, when she would start preparing the camp, she saw some lights in the distance, a sign that she was close to a village. And with the imminence of finding a place to camp, she didn't think twice, speeding up her steps with barely contained joy.
Nobody gets between a girl and a comfortable bed to sleep.
With greenish hair flowing in the wind, and a face well known throughout the Hoenn region, Lisia Mekuri ran as if her life depended on it, or in this case, her beauty sleep.
Unlike her usual outfit, she is not wearing her costume for pageants and concerts, having chosen a set of clothes more appropriate for long trips. A tight-fitting blue shirt that shows a little belly, jeans that stretch to the top of her thighs, white sneakers, and a pink backpack on her back. A simple set of clothes, but still did enough to enhance the young woman's beauty.
"Come on, just a little while longer and I'll get a nice bed to sleep in!" Lisia spoke aloud, trying to increase her pace, in a surprising display of agility for a woman who many believed did not need to travel long distances on foot.
However, just before reaching the village, Lisia saw something that made her heart skip a beat. Slowly she stopped running and watched that scene that would be marked in her mind for the rest of her life.
A man, with long straight white hair and an eerily handsome face with two small z-shaped marks on his cheeks, stood in the middle of a small clearing, with the moonlight shining on him and his robes of simple appearance, but that strangely matched the image she was seeing. Slowly, the man began to perform some martial arts kata with his eyes closed, and a serene smile on his face. The wild pokémon began to approach the clearing, and they watched with curiosity as the man continued his katas, and the curiosity turned into admiration when a blue energy emanated from his body, making the flowers in the clearing glow, as if they were announcing that something incredible was happening. was happening.
And then, the man placed his hands together in prayer and slowly opened his eyes with blue pupils, looking directly at her with a serene smile, without a hint of malice. "Hi, can I help you?"
Lísia considers herself a woman with talent for recognizing beautiful things, and part of her dream was to find possible candidates for future coordinators, after all, she loves pokémon contests. However, what she saw was something completely different, it was something that permanently marked her.
Her heart began to beat in an awkward rhythm, her face grew hot, and Lisia could have sworn she could have passed out in that spot if not for the sight before her.
Falling in love at first sight seemed ridiculous to her, after all, how could someone spot a person and instantly fall in love? But now that this had happened to her, Lisia didn't know what to do but shyly smooth one of the green locks on her hair and say a single word. "...Hey..."
Ash scratched the back of his head in confusion, why did he feel like he'd just gotten into trouble? And why the hell is this woman's face turning so red... could it be that she has the same disease as Zinnia?!
Ash Ketchum's boundless density strikes again.
This was the first chapter of 'Sage', I hope you enjoyed it. It's a very different approach to what I'm used to, and honestly, I'm excited for where this story is going.
As you could see, this story will be quite OC compared to the events of the games and anime, I left a lot of things with vague explanations on purpose, and I promise that I will align everything in the next chapters.
I also decided that Ash's name would be 'Ashura Ketchum'. It's something I like to joke about, and let's face it, it's not normal for someone to be called 'Ash', so I decided that Ashura would be the real name, and Ash the nickname everyone knows. Not a big deal, just something to ease the script in the future.
Many characters will appear in this story, and I want to do this in a unique way, so expect unexpected developments with many characters in the future.
Something I'm sure someone will ask, so I'll answer it right away: Ash will get your Pokemon back, don't worry. He had a reason to part ways with them, but I ask you to be patient as this may take a while.
Thank you in advance for those who read, and I hope you follow this story, until the next chapter of 'Sage'.
Age of main characters introduced so far:
Ash: 50 years old (before dying) – 20 years old (after being sent to the past)
Zinnia: 20 years old
Lisia: 19 years old