Author's Notes
Henlo, people. Been busy lately with my overseas internship coming up so unfortunately, this chap's on the shorter side.
To explain, the first chapters of each regions are gonna be introductory chapters, meaning they're setups for the story. So even if this is short, rest assured the contents more than make up for it. Especially since there's some world-building on the... 'Incarnations' stuff.
With new characters and new adventures, I've also been thinking of a 'theme' for Ash to learn and grow. Y'know, like how each region he grows as a person... untilBWcompletelymassacredmyboy.
And the theme I came up with is 'Good and Evil'. And during this chapter, a certain someone re-enters the story to give Ash the push he needs to start thinking more about it.
With that, reviews time!
.
C0rrupted1:
I figured he had his issues but thought that mostly stemmed to his guilt in his mother's death and the sense that he needed to make up for it like it's his fault she died. Didn't think that 'love' would be warped to this extent.
.
Thanks for the review m8. There's a couple more of your review down the line that I'll address individually so let's begin with this:
Yep, 'love' is a completely warped subject for Fated!Ash and serves as sort of 'twisting the canon' trope. In canon, Ash is still 10(somehow), meaning he gets a pass for not understanding 'love'. In Fated, I've twisted that trait and dialed it up to 11 from 'love is something Ash doesn't get' to 'Ash's idea of 'love' is broken and incomprehensible'. Delia's death reinforces it for him to the point where his beliefs are somewhat indestructible... until a certain someone comes in.
Of course, I'm not revealing it this early in the story but always keep in mind that Fated!Ash is very distorted as a character. (Deservingly so since he's derived from Shirou but in his own Pokémon canon)
.
I'm just going to take my shot and say that Serena and him are going to have an argument about that once he lets slip his honest feelings, which will horrify/upset her and she won't talk to him for a bit until she can calm down... in which he still won't get it. Taking place before they meet up since them being together should be a bit happier and have this baggage somewhat mitigated before they dig into that... course probably best it get settled once they're actually in front of each other.
.
This is a great idea... if I was going the 'normal' route of Ash's journey retelling fanfics. It's true that the baggage is detrimental to their relationship and should be discarded after the initial 'slip-up' like you said...
But Fated doesn't work like that. The fanfic's name itself is irony.
Remember when I said Ash isn't gonna have a smooth journey? Yeah, the story itself is actively trying to screw him over in a meta sense which becomes VERY apparent once we've reached the mid-regions (Especially Sinnoh, arguably the most important region for Fated!Ash)
TLDR: Ash is definitely getting screwed by plot before he even gets a chance to unload said baggage.
.
The rest of reviews will be continued at the bottom since it's spoilers for the current chapter, so I'll see you down below!
Chapter 65: Trouble Dealings
"Zzz…Heh?! She just dodged the question!"
The abrupt waking of the raven-haired boy outside the tent startled the two Pokémon beside him, shocking them awake as they took battle positions to the unknown disturbance outside.
"Pikachiii!"
Bolts of lightning zapped Ash as he fell to the ground while coughing out a puff of smoke. Pikachu took a moment before realizing who he had shocked.
"Couldn't you go a little easy on me, partner?"
"Pikachu…" the electric mouse rubbed his head sheepishly.
Froakie simply went back to sleep, unimpressed.
…
Finishing his daily exercise and showering, Ash put on his usual outfit as he pondered over the revelation he heard during the previous night's dream.
'I'm… an Incarnation? Does that mean Zacian's a god…dess?' he wondered to himself.
However, the word 'Goddess' and Zacian did not sit right with him. If he were to use Lugia as a benchmark and with what little he knew of his supposed guardian, Ash felt that the comparison was a little biased towards the silver wyvern.
'I don't even know how she looks like…'
"Something on your mind?"
"Gah… Oh, it's just you," Ash jumped before calming at the sight of the redhead who sneaked up on him.
"Keep that up, and you'll be getting a load more hits from me," Misty gave a gentle chop on his raven black hair.
Ash mused whether Misty pulled her punches, or his body was just that tough now, but he digressed. The two sat patiently in the Centre's lounge before the awaited person arrived.
"Ah, Mr Ketchum!" a man wearing a similar coat as the Professors entered the building.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Professor Elm's aide," the bespectacled man introduced himself.
"Come along. The Professor is eager to meet you."
As it happened, the Johto Professor had arranged his helper to pick up the raven-haired boy all the way to his lab in New Bark Town. Ash was notified of this before his arrival on Johto.
"New Bark Town. That's the Johto equivalent of Pallet, isn't it?" Misty asked.
"That's right. Hm?" the aide took a second look.
He took another look at the raven-haired boy, who was quirking a brow at the man.
"…Is she your sister?"
That simple question was met with a disbelieving look on Ash's face. But before he could refute…
"That's right! I'm his older sister, here to take care of this little rascal~"
Misty decided to have some fun instead.
"Get off…" Ash swiped away the arm on his head.
The raven-haired boy was silently wishing he was taller so that he would never again be subjected to such torture.
"She's Misty Waterflower, Gym Leader of Cerulean City," the boy introduced the still smiling redhead.
'Seriously, what's with her?'
"She's not my sister… And I never will have one."
The last bit was caught by Misty's ear, earning a slightly shocked expression directed towards Ash. Luckily, the aide did not hear it and instead, ushered the two to his car, taking them to the Professor.
As the two sat in the car with the raven-haired boy calling shotgun like a little kid, Misty hung onto his nonchalant words in the end.
It was not as if the redhead did not understand the context behind his words. She knew Ash was an orphan and the likelihood of him having a blood relative was in the negatives; and so, she knew what he was conveying.
However,…
'…Tch, stupid brat. You'll break Daisy's heart at this rate,' she clicked her tongue.
It still annoyed her.
.
.
.
Pokémon Academy, Kalos Region
The students of Class A gathered near the school bus as Cynthia straightened them into single file. The day had come for their promised visit to Santalune Gym.
"Oh boy, someone please calm Calem down," Gary sighed as he noticed the black-haired boy about to explode in excitement, judging from his crooked smile.
"Well, you can't really blame them. Most of them haven't been to a Gym before," Blue laughed as she watched Shauna pacifying the boy.
As it stood, Gary and Blue were the only ones with such experience with Alain being an unknown.
"…It's good experience," the taciturn commented simply.
"Oh! Alain's one of us!" the chestnut-haired girl grinned.
The older teen did not mind the girl's excitable personality, even humouring her with a curt nod.
"Alright, kids!" Cynthia grabbed their attention with a clap.
"A second class will be joining us on this trip so Class Reps, get along, okay?"
Serena was the Class Rep of Class A, though she never wanted to be one. It was due to the majority's vote that she ended up with the position, surprising her back then. But even though she never wanted to be Class Rep, she was amazing at her job as evidenced from her popularity and management of the class a year before Gary and Blue joined.
The honey blonde noticed the accompanying class's representative and held out a hand in greetings.
"Class A Rep, Serena Yvonne. Nice to meet you," she greeted.
The person smiled as she accepted her hand and shook it.
"Class B Rep, Miette Napoleon. Hope we get along."
.
.
.
.
New Bark Town, Johto Region
.
The vehicular travel to the town did not take that long, mostly thanks to the aide's careful driving as well as his knowledgeable mind to find an optimal path to New Bark without traffic. Ash preferred the aide's driving as opposed to Daisy in a heartbeat.
"Woah, this place feels a lot like Pallet…" Ash commented as he exited the car.
The town of winds of new beginning.
The slogan of the remote town was apt to say the least. Ash took in the fresh air and smiled at the peaceful environment.
"Pikachu."
"You like it too, partner?"
"Chaaa~"
"Kero, kero."
"Really? The lab you lived in was similar?"
"Kero."
The boy marched ahead with his two Pokémon on his shoulders, completely forgetting about the aide and Misty.
"Let's exp— Gfwoh?!" Ash felt his collar yanked backwards.
"Have you forgotten about us?" Misty gave an accusatory glare.
"I uhh… No… Ehehe…" the raven-haired boy gave a sheepish laugh.
'Yeah, I definitely can't let this kid be by himself,' the redhead concluded vindictively.
"Please take us to the Professor," Misty requested to the aide.
Without waiting, the man nodded as he led the two to the town's lab with Misty holding onto the younger boy's gloved hand like a fuming parent.
Anyone seeing the two would have drawn the conclusion that the two were siblings, eliciting a childish scowl from the boy.
"I'm not a child, y'know?"
Misty was thoroughly unconvinced.
"You ARE one in my eyes. 5 years difference, remember?" she shot back mercilessly.
'Urk…' he groaned internally.
And the smug teen dragged along a frowning boy.
…
It was not long till they arrived at the front of Elm's lab. The building was rather close in design to Oak's but with a fern green roof instead as well as a second floor.
"Ah, Ash! So glad you could make it," the professor greeted with a handshake.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Professor Elm," Ash accepted his hand.
]=[
ATL Entry: Professor Inoue Elm
Johto's very own researcher, dubbed the Professor of Johto. His specialized research was on Pokémon Breeding and credited with the discovery of Eggs.
He was also the first person to discover that Pikachu was an evolved Pokémon due to Pichu being rare in the wild.
]=[
The upper floor was caught by Ash and Misty's ears of loud stomping and banging.
"Ah, those kids…" Elm deflated, though he was not annoyed.
"Yours?" the redhead asked.
"One of them. The other 3 just visit regularly after they heard about the recent news."
"What news?" Ash asked in turn.
"Apparently, the test you Kanto kids took from Oak was distributed to other regions, giving the same opportunities to other children who may be as gifted as you and those two friends."
'Well, that makes sense. Wouldn't be fair if we were the only ones with an official license at this age,' the boy nodded in understanding.
"Are there any fellow Trainers who passed?"
"So far, there are 2. One from Sinnoh and another from Paldea."
'Paldea? If I remember right, that's the region closest to Kalos…' Ash found his mind drifting back towards a smiling straw hat girl.
The sense of longing permeated his head before refocusing on the present despite its lingering.
"Well, I hope I can meet them one day."
"Haha, I'm sure you will. It's nice to have more friends."
As the boy and the researcher conversed, Misty was eyeing the raven-haired boy suspiciously. She had never seen him this polite before, but she could chalk it up to being respectful towards a Professor.
However, the smile and expression he was showing was rather…
'Empty and fake…' she narrowed.
The dots were there, but she could not connect them.
BANG!
Suddenly, the front door flew open as 3 children came barging in.
"Oh! It really is him!" a black-haired boy shouted boisterously.
The raven-haired boy turned towards the rowdy bunch, homing in on the seeming leader: a black-haired boy with golden eyes and wore an Ultra Ball-themed cap too large for his small head.
"Red of Pallet Town! This great Gold shall defeat you today!"
A loud declaration of battle but the silence that followed was deafening. Broken only by a dumbfounded Ash.
"Wat?"
…
A few minutes later, the sudden large group was moved to the upper floor where Elm's family lived. His wife and son were incredibly hospitable to the two visitors, but the former was busily scolding the boisterous boy who made his declaration.
"Haha, sorry about that. This child's a little headstrong," Elm apologized.
"Nah, it's fine. I'm kinda the same way," ther avne-haired boy chuckled.
"Yeah, you really are," the redhead teased with a smirk.
Meanwhile, the scuttering boy made his way towards the raven-haired boy, tugging on his vest with stars in his eyes.
"Hey, hey! Is that your famous Pikachu?!" the boy called Gold asked energetically.
"Yeah, but he's not mine."
"Huh? Whaddya mean?"
"Pikachu's my partner. My closest friend. He isn't someone I own," Ash clarified.
"Pikachaaa~"
The pleased mouse rubbed his face on the lightning-marked cheek affectionally.
"Ohhh… Sorry," the boy apologized sheepishly.
"Now then, may I have the honour of asking the great Gold's name?" Ash smirked.
At this, the capped boy lit up and posed like an exaggerated superhero.
"Haha! I'm the great Ethan Gold of New Bark Town, and I'm here to take you down, Red of Pallet Town!"
"And how about you two?" Ash asked the other two.
As the raven-haired boy interacted with the children, Elm and Misty sat and watched the boy's handling of them.
"He's rather good with children," the Professor noted.
"They do say similar age group do get along well," the redhead joked.
Next up was a brown-haired girl with pigtails.
"I'm Lyra Ur, nice to meet you…" the timid girl introduced herself.
'So she's the 'Blue' of the group, huh? Biiig difference in personality.'
And finally, the third member: a red-haired boy.
The sharp slanted eyes of the boy reminded Ash of someone…
'…No, no, no. It's just a coincidence,' he shook it off.
"Silver Giovanni."
'…'
Ash sat there, frozen on the spot.
"Wait, isn't that…?!" Misty's eyes flew open in alarm.
Right on cue, a gruff voice could be heard from outside the door.
"Professor Elm, may we enter?"
The Professor's wife opened the door to invite them in, revealing the familiar face of Lance, the Johto Champion…
"Oh, Lance!" Ash widened his eyes.
As well as a man trenchcoated in black with a hat of the same colour.
"Ash?! Why're you— No, this is bad!" the carmine-haired man went into a panic.
But it was too late.
The raven-haired boy turned his gaze towards the approaching man, finally seeing the face…
"…This is a surprise," the smirk grew larger.
Of the former leader of Team Rocket.
.
.
.
Santalune City, Kalos Region
The school bus finally arrived at its destination. The passengers within murmured in excitement as they scanned the new surroundings with the Kanto natives being extra fidgety.
"It's like a movie set!" Blue exclaimed as she scrutinized the houses' design.
It was vastly different from the ones in Kanto where in the Eastern region, the houses were primarily built with wood as opposed to Santalune's brick walls.
Disembarking the bus, the group found the slogan for the city, only to find it rather boring.
"A traditional city… That's not very helpful," Shauna deadpanned.
Meanwhile, Gary and Blue, or mostly Blue, were sightseeing the place. Serena, on the other hand, was enamoured with the forested area surrounding Santalune City as she took in the earthy scent.
Glimpses of the forest in her youth brought a sense of nostalgia as she unconsciously smiled.
"Hmm… Even the fabled Ice Queen can smile, huh?" Miette commented.
The honey blonde twirled to her newest acquaintance with a questioning look.
"Just making conversation," the blue-haired girl said.
"I appreciate it, Miss Napoleon."
"Hm? Why're you calling me by my surname? Just Miette is fine," Miette giggled.
Serena blushed at her mistake. During the summer camp, she had adopted the Kanto's way of addressing as the natives there typically referred to acquaintances by their surnames instead of given names. Even after returning and living in Kalos for most of her life, the habit stuck.
Most would call it a bad habit, but the honey blonde would affectionally refer to it as 'deeply ingrained memories of that fateful camp'.
"No need to be overly polite."
"I'll do just that… Miette."
Not long after, it was time to regroup as Cynthia beckoned them to follow her.
"Mm, this place looks a lot more forest-ty than I remember," the teacher commented at the greenery around them.
"Have you been here before?" Gary asked from behind.
"Yes, when I was travelling during my youth. Incidentally, this is where I got my first Kalos Badge."
Cynthia's fond words gave the children the impression that the blonde woman had lived a storied life, but Serena knew even more. Back when Grace was stuck at the exact location they were at, Cynthia took the honey blonde under her wing and taught her the basics of Battling.
During that time, the Sinnoh Champion would awe the girl with stories of her past, describing her younger times and her journey to other regions.
Soon after, the Academy kids found themselves outside the Santalune City's Gym. As they approached, two women were waiting for them with one waving towards Cynthia.
One of them was a sandy blonde-haired woman with a white tank top while the other was brown-haired woman with red and black themed shirt.
"Diantha wasn't kidding when she said you were working as a teacher," the sandy blonde snickered as she held the camera around her neck to the face.
Snap!
"That's a good smile, Cynthia!"
"Everyone, this is our guest for today. She's the Santalune's Gym Leader: Viola." The blonde woman introduced.
]=[
ATL Entry: Viola Blanca
The Gym Leader of Santalune City. An avid photographer and the younger sister of Alexa Blanca.
]=[
"Hey there, kids. Hope you guys are excited to see a Gym Battle," Viola grinned.
Just then, Cynthia noticed the other woman, surprised.
"Alexa? So you're back, huh?" the Champion greeted.
"Well, Kanto's a nice place. I couldn't help but explore a little bit," Alexa replied sheepishly.
"Did you arrive today?"
"Hey! I'm not THAT much of a wanderlust."
"So last week?"
"…Yesterday."
The two bantered and chatted while Viola took Cynthia's place as the children's guide.
"Okay, kids. Follow me," Viola beckoned the group as they finally entered the Gym.
The entrance within Santalune Gym was remarkable, housing several beautifully framed photographs, resembling closer to an art gallery of sorts. As the group passed each one, they noticed a trend present in the photographs:
They were all pictures of Bug type Pokémon.
"I'm just gonna guess here that you're a Bug type specialist?" Gary began.
"You would be correct, Mr Semi-finalist. Oh don't gimme that look. The Grand League's a lot more famous than you'd think," Viola smiled as she noticed the peeved expression on the orange-haired boy.
"In fact, my older sister over there did an interview during her job*."
(*See Chapter 36: Dark Assault)
"Ah! I knew I've seen her somewhere! She was the one who interviewed Miss Karen!" Blue remembered.
'From back then, huh?' Gary recalled.
His mocking words from back then after watching that interview brought back his shame as he tried to shake it off.
"Now then…"
The group of students entered the backroom, revealing a large battlefield with forest themes as greenery was present at every corner of the room.
"Who's up first?"
…
As expected, Calem was the first to raise his hand.
"Me, me! Please!" the black-haired boy begged with wishful eyes.
"Haha, sure," Viola chuckled.
The two classes made their way to the stands to observe Calem's first official Gym match. Shauna from the crowd began cheering loudly.
"You can do it, Cal!"
The novice Trainer grinned and pumped his fist towards her as he proceeded to stare down the Gym Leader.
"Oh? It's already starting?" Cynthia returned from her chat with Alexa.
"You have some eager students," the older sister said with amusement.
At the battlefield, Viola took out 2 PokéBalls from a sliding compartment behind her as she placed them on her belt.
"Since it's your first time, I'll be using my Level 1 Pokémon against you," the Gym Leader announced.
]=[
ATL Entry: Gym Pokémon Levels
Gym Leaders owned 3 sets of Pokémon with corresponding Levels of 1, 2 and 3.
Level 1: Novice and Beginner Trainers
Level 2: Experienced Trainers
Level 3: Veteran Trainers, including Elite Four tier and above.
These tiers served to sort out each Trainers' power levels accordingly.
]=[
"Question!" Calem raised his hand.
"Go on," the Gym Leader nodded to him.
"If it was Gary or Blue, which Level would you use?"
"Those two… Judging from their performances in the Grand League, I would say my Level 2 team would suffice. However…"
Viola broke into a serious grin.
"If it was the kid who defeated the Witch of Frost, I would definitely use Level 3 against him."
The black-haired boy gulped as he was taken aback by the sudden aura of battle from the Gym Leader but regained composure as he took out his first Pokémon.
"Let's do this, Chespin!"
A bipedal hedgehog of green was summoned from the capsule, grinning towards Viola with confidence.
"I'm guessing this is your first Gym Battle?"
"Yeah! How'd you guess?"
"For one thing, did you know you need at least 2 Pokémon to battle?"
Calem stared at her, unmoving.
A second later, a cold sweat ran down his forehead. And Viola chuckled, amused towards the boy.
"As much as I would like to battle such a brave Trainer, Gym rules still take precedence, I'm afraid."
With a whimper, Calem retreated back to the stands with Chespin in his arms.
However, as humiliating as it was, not a single student watching really blamed him. They were fledgling Trainers, not even having an official license, so acquiring a second Pokémon was out of the question due to their inexperience.
"Then, how about you two? You guys up for a bit of sweat?" Viola asked the Kanto natives.
"I'll pass."
"Samesies~"
The two were here to observe, not battle. Gary was confident he could take on Viola but knew if he took it seriously, there would be nothing for Calem to learn.
Ever since their mock battle, the orange-haired boy became interested in the black-haired boy's growth similarly to Blue. The chestnut-haired girl even taught Calem and the rest how to trade Pokémon, revealing her knowledge as an evolution expert which was something she excelled more than Gary.
With no one willing to go, a hand raised. Not from the stands…
But from a blonde woman spectating.
"How about I give a go?" Cynthia smiled.
…
"Go easy on me, Cynthia," Viola pleaded with a faux tone.
"Same to you."
The Champion wore a relaxed expression, her body showed no sense of worry.
Suddenly, Cynthia turned towards the crowd, spotting Serena and waving to her.
"Cheer me on, Sere-chan."
"Of course, Cyn—"
"With as much emotion like your precious Ash, please~"
"That's way too much!" the honey blonde blushed all the way to her ears.
The sudden outburst surprised the crowd with the teasing blonde woman snickering mischievously on the battlefield, eliciting a cute pout from Serena.
But what got their attention was the fact that the honey blonde was close to the missing third member of the Pallet trio. Though, it was more of a shock for Class B since this was the first time that they were hearing this while Class A knew of it as old news.
As Serena pouted, the honey blonde did not notice a certain blue-haired girl studying her. Miette watched the girl intently.
"Alright, let's do this," Viola summoned her first Pokémon.
"Spread your wings, Vivillon!"
A butterfly Pokémon revealed itself, showing off its pink wings that sparkled beautifully.
"Wow…" / "That's so pretty…"
Murmurs of awe decorated the battlefield as Vivillon flew above the children, enchanting them with its wingbeats and colourful appearance.
"As flashy as ever," the blonde woman said.
"You do the same thing too. You just keep destroying everything in the end," Viola shot back.
'…Wait what?' everyone did a double take.
The only one unfazed was Serena.
"Vivillon's your Level 3, huh? I wonder who's the second?"
"You'll have to beat us to find out."
Serena's group were amazed at Viola. Despite being only a Gym Leader, she showed no fear nor hesitation battling against the Sinnoh Champion.
And then, Cynthia raised her capsule.
…
Graceful spirit of water—
—Milotic.
From the capsule, a bright flash of white emerged as it transformed into a sight nobody was able to turn away from:
It was a cream-coloured serpentine with red eyes with long, pinkish antennae above them. Additionally, there were long, hair-like fins above its eyes, which thinned and thickened towards the tips. Its lower body was a pattern of blue and pink, diamond-shaped scales outlined with black. The tail consisted of four large, blue fins with pink ovals in their centres. Each of the tail fins overlapped the next slightly, causing it to resemble a fan.
From the other side, Viola was already snapping photos with fervent breathing.
"There it is! It's a Milotic!" she squealed.
An awestruck Blue absentmindedly took out her PokéDex as she scanned it, not wanting to take her eyes off the Pokémon.
[=]
Milotic, the Tender Pokémon.
Milotic has provided inspiration to many artists. It has even been referred to as the most beautiful Pokémon of all. It was said that a glimpse of a Milotic and its beauty will calm any hostile emotions you're feeling. Milotic live at the bottom of large lakes. When this Pokémon's body glows a vivid pink, it releases a pulsing wave of energy that brings soothing calm to restless spirits.
[=]
'No wonder… That Pokémon really lives up to the title of 'most beautiful Pokémon of all',' the orange-haired boy agreed with the encyclopaedia entry.
He also noted it was the first time he found a Pokémon entry that actually lived up to the presumed exaggeration.
The honey blonde was visibly stunned by the beauty of Milotic before she snapped out of it, opting to watch the battle instead of admiring.
"Good luck, Cynthia!" she cheered.
"Ehhh? Only 'Good luck'?" the blonde woman teased.
"T-t-that's the most I can do for now!" the honey blonde protested.
Milotic coiled around its position, not taking its eyes off Vivillon.
With no referee, Alexa decided to take to the middle and announced the beginning of the match.
"I never done this but… This is a 2v2 between Sinnoh Champion Cynthia and Gym Leader Viola!"
"Begin!"
Thus, the battle started.
"[Energy Ball]!"
"Counter with [Aqua Tail]."
A verdant bullet shot from the pink butterfly, travelling towards the cream serpent before getting slammed ruthlessly by an aqueous-armoured tail.
A small crater broke the battlefield, destroying the silence from Cynthia as she went on the offense.
"Milotic, [Coil]."
The next moment caught everyone by surprise as one moment Milotic was there and the next…
SLAM!
Milotic was next seen mid-air, using its tail to smack the pink butterfly into the ground, grounding it.
'What the…?! I couldn't see a thing!' Gary widened his eyes, now completely alert and baffled at what he was seeing.
The most shocking thing of all was Viola's unchanging expression, as if she knew this was going to happen. Undeterred, she commenced her next move.
"Seal off its movements, [Stun Spore]!"
"[Safeguard]."
Pollens of paralysis unaffected the cream serpent, who was now surrounded by an invisible force.
"Mm, let's end this. [Aqua Tail]."
Milotic's tail was once more equipped with water as it snaked swiftly towards the grounded butterfly and brought its appendage above it before…
"Right now, [Hurricane]!"
The pink butterfly screeched with a nod as it summoned a large gale of wind, bursting forth around the battlefield as it exploded onto Milotic, sending it drifting backwards.
The powerful winds' explosion made their way towards the crowd, the students shielding themselves from the danger.
"This is… a Gym Leader?!" Calem grunted as he covered Shauna with his own body.
'Damnit! How strong do you gotta be to even land a hit at their peak?!'
The black-haired boy's first taste of a Level 3 was slowly chipping down his confidence.
'Grrrrrhhhh!' Gary ducked both Blue and Serena, barely able to keep himself safe from the stray leaves that blew past him.
He could hear Serena and Blue calling out to him but due to the overpowering gales, it was merely muffles for his ears.
But soon, Gary was able to catch a glimpse on the battlefield. His jade green eyes went towards Cynthia's side. What he saw unnerved him:
Cynthia was still unmoving. Still keeping a calm and collected expression as she observed the tornado before commanding with a resolute voice.
For a moment. For one single moment.
Gary swore to himself…
He saw a pair of glowing platinum eyes.
…
"[Blizzard]."
The winds immediately stopped.
One single command forced them to keep silent.
The children in the stands felt a chill down their spines, figuring it was just their fear of getting blown away. But soon, they found it was literal cold that permeated their skins.
The battlefield was changed into a frozen wasteland as a sculpture of the tornado bloomed in the middle. Milotic slithered victorious, seemingly suffering no damage.
And with a cold breath, Alexa announced the winner.
"Vivillon is unable to battle, Milotic wins."
"Maaan, and I thought I had you with that," Viola chuckled as she returned her Pokémon, who had been dug out from the frozen [Hurricane] by the cream serpent.
"For a Bug type specialist, you sure have quite the talent with Flying type moves," Cynthia bantered.
"No, thank you. I still prefer Bug types," the sandy blonde crossed her arms into a X.
The children were still bewildered as to how the two adults could converse normally after such a destructive battle.
"I think we should leave it as it is for today. You two spooked those poor kids," Alexa chided the two.
"Ah," they remembered as they turned towards the stands.
.
.
.
Hotel Richissime, Kalos Region
"Thank you for your hospitality once again, Incarnation," Squishy and Puni-chan thanked.
"It's fine. I do enjoy the company, especially with the venerable Verdant Guardian," Cynthia grinned.
Grace had to leave for a Gogoat racing competition last minute, leaving the honey blonde under the care of the Sinnoh Champion, something she was 100% on-board with. Serena had the sneaking suspicion that the blonde woman was really angling for her desserts and tea.
"Sorry if I scared you a little today, Sere-chan."
"It's fine, I got used to it after seeing you and Garchomp train…"
Cynthia concluded the outing which ended up being a resounding success. The students began to aspire to be more like her, though more than a few held a wholly different perspective of the Champion.
"But I think some of the students are scared of you…" Serena frowned.
The battle was simple, not full of shrewdness nor tactics. Just a pure show of strength. But because of that, Cynthia and Milotic's destruction birthed a hidden fear within the children.
'I mean, it was already bad when Gary's the one who got spooked…' Serena recalled the orange-haired boy's pale reaction.
"It's natural."
The honey blonde turned to the blonde woman, who still wore a smile, unfazed.
"…What do you mean?"
"It's just the natural reaction towards an Incarnation."
The honey blonde could not believe the woman. Not so much as her words, but the nonchalant expression on Cynthia's face. It was like she was basically saying 'it couldn't be helped'.
"Say, I haven't really explained much about Incarnations, huh?"
Serena shook her head.
"Well, to start, Incarnations are tied very closely to their respective Legendaries. It's an intimate bond that's more of a familial link. Because of this, Incarnations gain Blessings from them, accessing some of their powers, so to speak."
"Mhm," Serena nodded in understanding, already knowing this.
"But I don't think I've ever explained what kind of Blessings, did I?"
The honey blonde tilted her head in confusion.
"The term 'Incarnation' doesn't refer to a God using their mortal as a vessel. If anything, it's the opposite. The Incarnation receives a portion of their God's powers, including their signature moves."
The knowledgeable woman baffled Serena before the latter voiced out the question in her head.
"Wait, how do you know so much?"
"It was written in the records of my ancestors. Back when Sinnoh was known as the Hisui region," Cynthia answered.
"Apparently, my ancestor, Volo Descartes, was in contact with Incarnations before with him being one himself."
"The ones he met were the heir and heiress of the Diamond and Pearl clan respectively."
As soon as Cynthia said that, Serena felt a weird sensation in her heart, as if she had heard this before.
"Although the records didn't describe much about the two, Volo did write something bizarre when I was reading it."
"What is it?"
"…He met an unknown third Incarnation."
.
.
.
Little Bark Town, Johto Region
"My, oh my. Look who returned to the land of the living," Ash gave a pleasant smile with unsmiling closed eyes.
"Same to you, damn brat. Last I saw you, you were practically falling to your death," Giovanni returned it with an unnerving smile.
"Gosh, did you forget the part where I kicked your ass? You should've taken your pills, you shitty geezer."
"Says the little shit who got lucky last minute."
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
"…"
"…"
BANG!
"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, OLD MAN!"
Misty immediately went to apprehend the berserk boy, locking his arms with her own to prevent him going on a rampage against the smug Giovanni, still calm as he sipped on some coffee.
"SQUARE UP! I'LL PUT YOU IN THE RETIREMENT HOME WITH A DAMN TUBE IN YOUR NOSE!"
Pikachu was similarly held back by Froakie, the latter of which was still in the dark about the unknown man's actions that earned the ire of his two companions.
Chapter 65: Trouble Dealings
'This is gonna be a long day…' Lance facepalmed.
Author's Notes
That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Giovanni's back in the story! Though, as a side character.
Back in Kanto, some reviewers (special thanks to them) have said Giovanni's defeat felt rather lacklustre, mostly because I was speeding the region to get to the Festival of Champions. I agree with that, since my plan is to give each character a chance to shine... Which is really freaking difficult since it's a HUGE cast.
Giovanni's role is gonna be the catalyst to Ash's lesson in Johto: Good and Evil. How does this theme coincide with Giovanni? You'll find out in the next chapter.
Back to the reviews!
.
C0rrupted1:
Meant to bring this up before but think it was stated that they'll have a third traveling companion but won't be Brock. Taking another shot at this; since Ash is Red, gonna say Gold will come along. So that way, there's a build up between the two to their battle on MT. Silver. Course if it's still going to follow how it is in game and how long it takes in anime, then they won't fight till after Ash is done with Hoenn. Other person I can see is Gold's female counterpart, Kris/Lyra. So that way, there's still a connection with Gold since they're friends... plus it be funny if Ash is completely outmatched by the woman.
Or you'll just pull the rug on us and be like "Oh hey Silver, how's it goin?"
.
Haha, yeah. They're here as kids, Silver included. Of course, Fated isn't gonna adhere all of canon since then, this story would lack originality. So, Silver's a good kid here... for the most part, the kid's still got some beef with Gold.
Unfortunately, as I've said in a previous note: Gold, Silver and by extension, Lyra are still too young to travel, so they're out.
Kris, on other hand (yes, Kris and Lyra are different characters, Adventures screwed up), can be written as older since I don't remember her being the same age as Gold... Eh, fanfics gotta fanfic. So, she'll be showing up later... I dunno when though. Chapters are a pain to track.
Ash getting outmatched by women would be a really funny gag since currently, he has struggled against Misty and Lorelei despite winning through AURA Ex Machina, Blue's extreme pushiness and finally Serena's wrath... Yeah, that gag's probably gonna be common. Expect more Ash getting traumatized by the opposite sex.
.
Don't know if was meant to be obvious or if this is when it's confirmed, but it didn't occur to me that Zacian and Nimue were two different people. Maybe I'm blind.
.
(First sentence would make for a really funny joke in the Nasuverse community, especially after figuring out who both of them really is.)
To be fair, their hair colours probably threw some people off so I don't blame readers for getting confused. But yeah, Zacian and Nimue are two different people. The main distinctions you can make are:
Nimue's a silver-haired woman with long ears like an elf while Zacian's a snow-haired woman wearing a black veil over her face.
I did say we're loosely following Arthurian myths as well so their identities are a secret for now.
.
And should have clarified when asking about the Dragon question, my bad. I meant that do the Pokemon who have Dragon Megas have the Dragon characteristic/personality tics that but it's more downplayed until they've megaed.
.
Ohhh, I get what you mean now. Ahem!
Currently, there are 3 species that turn into Dragon types when Mega-ed: Charizard, Sceptile and Ampharos.
They absolutely do have that tic due to the genetics but yes, it's mostly subdued. However, Charizards are more prone to the tics since... well, y'know.
.
And this is more of a random thing; remember listening to a goodbye ash tribute and they used a song called 'I lived' and after hearing that, it absolutely fits Ash to a "T" but honestly, I feel it would suit Fated!Ash the best once he travels farther and get's out of his self-sacrifice mindset.
.
Absolutely agree! However, Fated!Ash is gonna end up with A LOT more than a few broken bones lol
.
Speaking of anime, sorry but just for fun, considered their difference, how would Fated!Ash feel if he saw how Ash handled himself in his adventures and most importantly, how Ash couldn't see Serena's feelings even up to when they say goodbye.
.
Never apologize for some fun moments. Lord knows this fic needs more.
As for that request...
Yorokobe shounen. Your wish has come true below this Author's notes.
.
That's it for now. Hope I don't get ambushed by more goddamn tasks before internship.
I JUST WANNA WRITE FOR FUCK SAKE!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Satoshi-kun no Omake!
A large empty theater began rolling as a raven-haired boy popped into existence in the middle of the seats.
"Whuh?! Where am I? Did Zacian screwed up my dreams?"
Without warning, an avalanche of popcorn fell onto him, leaving him buried in caramel yellow.
"Pwah! What the hell?!" Ash removed himself from the heap of popcorn before hearing a deafening sound from the theater screen.
The raven-haired boy saw no escape and decided to sit next to the pile of popcorn and watch in silence, grumbling mentally still.
'Huh, this popcorn's not bad...'
The movie started with a young Ash getting up late as he rushed to Prof. Oak's lab to receive his first Pokemon.
"Wait, what? Didn't Green, Blue and I go there together?"
The scene changed to one where Ash was given Pikachu, shocking the human boy due to his mistrust.
"Wait, wait, wait! There's too many differences here!"
'What is this? Some kind of elaborate prank?' he thought.
But as he continued watching, he found the movie way too genuine to be a prank... Especially after reaching the part where Pikachu brought down a surge of lightning onto the flock of Spearows.
"That's my partner, alright! Wooo!"
Soon, a large bird with accompanying rainbows came into view. Both Ash counterparts watched as the bird flew off, amazed by the dazzling sight.
"Woah..." he muttered in awe.
'...I'm jealous of this other 'me'. He got to see such an amazing Pokemon.'
The movie kept going, scrolling through all of the other Ash's journey across many regions. All the while, he was wondering why the kid on the screen was not aging at all.
'The heck? Is other 'me' doing all this in a span of a year?!'
Ash was incredibly impressed if his conjecture ended up to be true.
And then, Kalos.
He watched his other self interacting with Serena and two others he knew not of. Envy crawled into his heart as he began furrowing his brows in annoyance.
'This little...!'
"NOTICE HER, GODDAMNIT!"
It pained his heart seeing how oblivious his other self was, doubly so when he constantly had to endure watching the movie's Serena frown.
"This damn punk..." he rolled up his sleeves as he made his way to the screen. Ash had enough.
And then, it finally came.
The day they were separated once more. A kiss for the oafish boy to realize.
{ THANK YOU! }
Serena's thanks as she went down the elevator caused Ash's heart to lurch, finally realizing what this meant.
"No... No. Don't go..."
He reached out his hand towards her before the screen cut back to other Ash's view.
{ GOODBYE, SERENA! }
"Shut up, dumbass! Wait, don't!"
And at last, the screen died.
"Yellow!"
'You don't know how lucky you have it...'
"Serena!"
'You didn't cherish her enough!'
"Don't leave me!"
.
.
.
"Huh? A dream?"
"...Can't remember."