Welp, the new chapter of Timeless Wonders complicated a bit, it's currently split into three parts and I'm still trying to balance it out with all the new official content we've been getting from both the anime and the games so while I clear that out, I decided to take a little break and finally release this other story I've been having in my head for a while.
Let's get into it.
In a Pokemon High School, somewhere in the Kanto region.
"Serena... I really love you... would you like to be my girlfriend?"
"A-Ash... Ash Ketchum, you're an amazing person and friend, I'm flattered, but... I just can't see you as my couple... my answer would be a no."
Later that day.
"And that's one fricking hundred." A girl with long blonde hair wearing a purple long-sleeved best and a skirt said while marking a notebook.
"Thanks for cheering me up, Astrid." Ash said to the girl and her Absol while they walked together down a street.
"You were the one who asked me to keep track of this!" She replied to Ash while the Empoleon who accompanied him nodded. "Still, this got to be a new world record or something, a hundred rejections, I'd like to say it's your fault for trying so hard to get a girlfriend, but, like, what the hell is up with these girls? You're Ash Ketchum, the man, you're good at sports, amazing at Pokemon battles, you're a great chef, you have good grades, you're emotional and easy to get close to, yet very serious and focused when the situation demands it, you're the whole package! What's not to to like?"
"What's with all that sudden praise?" Ash asked.
"I'm just trying to make you feel better." Astrid admitted. "But we both know all that is true. Any girl in her right mind would kill to be your girlfriend... any girl expect for me, of course... since, you know, wer're childhood friends and all that, it'd be weird if we become a couple, right?"
"Right." Ash nodded while Empoleon and Absol shared some confused looks.
"Anyway, I'll be going to the Pokemart. Wanna come with me?"
"Nah, thanks, I'll just go home." Ash replied.
"Fine, be safe and see you tomorrow." Astrid said. "And don't worry, even if you're losing hope, I know we'll get you a girlfriend sooner rather than later."
"Thanks, Astrid." Ash said and the two fist bumped before going their separate ways. With Astrid and Absol turning around a corner while Ash and Empoleon continued going down the street until they reached a park to then go through it, said park was filled with happy couples sharing moments together and Ash looked at each couple for a couple seconds to then turn his sight to the floor while Empoleon simply gave him a worried look.
"Maybe... there's just something wrong with me." Ash said. "Maybe I'm not as good as Astrid thinks." He sighed to then hear his Rotom Phone ringing and see a message from Astrid.
-My best friend sense is telling me you're looking down on yourself!- He read. -You stop this instant or I'll go all the way to your house to give you a reality slap! I'm sure you'll get all the love you deserve some day, so for now raise that chin and stand proud! There's nothing you aren't worthy of!-
"Heh, what would I do without this girl?" Ash smiled.
"Guess she's right, I mean, none of the rejections have been mean, I'm in good terms with all those girls, they all told me I'm great but they just don't see me that way, it's all about finding that one person, isn't it?" He asked and Empoleon nodded. "Astrid's right! I'll find my special someone even if it takes me another hundred of rejections!" He exclaimed to then stand proud and straight and notice a small wooden house on one side of the road.
"House of the God of Love." Ash read a sign nailed to the front door. "Make your wishes and prayers here if you want a life full of love, prosperity, health and baby-making... come on, I'm not that desperate." He said while Empoleon simply raised an eyebrow. "Ok, fine." He sighed to then knock the door, which apparently opened on its own. "Uh..." Ash gulped before walking in while Empoleon kept his guard up, the two then noticed the house was made out of a single room which only had a shrine with many candles and the picture of what appeared to be a pink turtle Pokemon. "This is the God of love?" Ash asked. "Oh, well, I'm not sure of what I should've expected." He said to then kneel in front of the shrine while Empoleon sat by his side.
"So, uh, God of Love, my, uh, my name is Ash Ketchum and I, uh, well, I know we haven't talked before and I don't know if you keep, like, a love graph of every individual or something, but I... I just had my hundredth rejection today, and well, I'm not sure if it'd be too much trouble, but... could you please lend me a hand? I want to believe I'm a person worthy of love, even if that sounds a little arrogant, I'd just like to share my all with someone, someone who'd also share they all with me... is that too much to ask?"
"Of course it isn't, kid." A feminine voice replied and both Ash and Empoleon stood up to look around, but there was nowhere to be seen.
"What was-" Ash was about to ask, but the room was suddenly surrounded by a pink fog and in front of Ash appeared a skinny pink humanoid riding on a cloud.
"Greetings, Ash K-"
"Flash Cannon!" Ash shouted
"What?!" She asked and Empoleon shot the move from his beak, with the creature barely having time to avoid it while the beam left a hole in the roof. "Hey! I just fixed that!"
"Uh, S-Sorry, I mean... wait, who are you?" Ash asked.
"Ugh, I always forget to change the photo in the shrine." She rolled her eyes to then float closer to Ash. "My name is Enamorus, I'm the fourth wheel of the Forces of Natures Tricycle, the weird sister, get it?"
"I... guess."
"Bravo! Then, continuing with my introduction, I'm the Goddess of love, responsible for everything regarding the heart, except for circulation."
"Wow, really?" Ash asked.
"Yup." She nodded.
"FLASH CANNON!"
"What?!" Enamorus shouted and the scene repeated. "Hey! What was that for?!"
"You're basically telling me it's your fault that I've been rejected a hundred times!" ash shouted.
"It'd be nice if you let me explain first." Enamorus said.
"Explain what?" Ash asked.
"Alright, what do you know about the multiverse?"
"Uh... nothing?" Ash said.
"Guess that makes sense." Enamorus replied. "You're one of the most 'normal' Ashs out there after all."
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Listen, there are countless dimensions and universes, each one vastly different from all the other, but in all of them there is constant, an Ash Ketchum, who always has the same role, saving his dimension/universe, you're what we legendaries call a key species, a 'kind-hearted trouble magnet', world-ending events always have an Ash Ketchum in the middle of them, and he always manages to fix them, there have been a few exceptions where he failed or turned evil, but that's when the big boss sends another Ash to fix it or simply does it himself."
"Uh, you're really confusing me." Ash said.
"What I'm trying to get at is that you're a different kind of exception among the Ashs of the multiverse, in the sense that instead of traveling the world and stopping evil organizations and apocalypse or two like they do, you simply study in a school, pretty boring if you ask me."
"Come on, I'm 16, there has to be someone more qualified for 'world-saving' than me." Ash said.
"What a Werner. Anyway! Those other Ashs also seem to have more luck in love, like, there's this one with like 56 girlfriends."
"56?!" Ash shouted.
"So far, one of them is an alien loli even. Moving on, it seems like in contrast to those Ashs your love aura in specific was inverted by your passive life, making you be rejected by girls who would be madly in love with you in other conditions, even if you still have most of the things that make the other Ashs attractive."
"You're basically telling me I'm too normal to have a girlfriend?" Ash asked and Empoleon tried to contain a chuckle.
"More or less." Enamorus nodded. "While other Ashs are extraordinary, you're simply extra ordinary, which is not a bad thing, but the universe and the ladies work in mysterious ways."
"Ok, you somehow managed to depress me even more, guess I'll leave now." Ash said.
"Wait, wait, hold on. That's the exact reason why I'm here." Enamorus said stopping Ash before he reached the door. "Listen, I'm the Goddess of Love, but I'm not allowed to alter love auras, last time I did, a whole town in Hisui had a massive orgy, but that's not something you should worry about, anyway, while it is funny to see you fail, I do feel bad for you, so, to commemorate your 100th heartbreak, I talked with the big boss himself, he took a look at your situation and in thanks for all the good that the other Ashs have done, he gave me permission to balance you out and invert your love aura back to what it should've been since the beginning."
"D-Does that mean I'll finally get to have a girlfriend?!" Ash shouted.
"Yup, no need to thank." Enamorus said. "But there are a few things I have to explain you first."
"Thanks you so much, Enamorus!" Ash shouted prostrating in front of the Legendary. "Whoever that girl is, I promise I'll make her the happiest girl in the world. Let's go, Empoleon! We have to tell Astrid!" He exclaimed to the run out of the shrine being followed by the penguin.
"Hey, wait! I told you I had to explain some... Oh, well." Enamorus simply shrugged shoulders. "He'll find it out eventually, I just hope he is up to the task, even for an Ash, having 100 girlfriends who really, really, really, really, really love you is no easy task... might as well boost his stamina while I'm at it. Poor boy's gonna end up dry."
And that's it!
100kanojo is one of my favorite manga of all time, I'm ridiculously hyped for the anime and a Pokemon version of it is an idea I've had for a while, but only now I'm managing to put it in paper, so yeah, this story will mostly be a parody of said manga but of course I'll try to put as much original elements as I can. It'll also be nice to give it a try to the famous Pokemon High School AU.
Ash of course is taking the role of Rentarou while Astrid plays the role of 'Anonymous Friend A' although she'll be far more relevant to the story.
The plan is to have more laid back and short chapters compared to my other stories, hope it stays that way.
As for the girls, in case you didn't guess it from the title and the picture of the story, we'll be using NPC Trainers, such as Ace Trainers, Breeders, Lasses, Beauties, Grunts, Battle Girls, Swimmers, and of course, everyone's favorite, Hex Maniac. The designs between regions are pretty unique enough so we have a lot of material to work with. I'm personally looking forward to use the BW Ace Trainer.
See you next time in 'Meet Astrid'
Oh, also, Ash having an Empoleon is a reference to Pentarou the Penguin, a recurring gag character in 100kanojo. Seriously, go read the manga if you haven't. It's hilarious and has a lot of heart.