Well, I lied. Welcome to the official first chapter of my fanfiction! Lets crack some bottles and pop champagnes everybody!
I feel like it's a bit short. To be honest, I have no idea, Traveler has fucked up my perception on what is a short chapter or not. Not that I'm mad, it felt like never-ending content. Alas, this is the chapter, and I do hope you all enjoy it. Let's begin with the proper "Chapter 1", Enter Champion Ash Kethcum.
September 18, 2022
Alola Coliseum
At this moment, the stadium was burning up with excitement. The announcer's words caused a storm not only inside the stadium, but around the world. All of the 150,000 seats of the stadium were occupied, cameras were stationed everywhere and Rotom Drones were broadcasting the event in every single TV Station around the world. The attention of the world was captured in a bottle, every one excited to watch the monumental battle of the first ever Alola League Championship defense battle.
But one man was not excited for it. He just wanted to find out why his trusty Elite Four refused to battle the challenger and sent him straight to him. But, he wouldn't get mad about it. They must have had a valid reason. Thus, he started walking out of his chamber and into the corridor leading to the spotlight.
He was a 25 year old man, with a cold look in his eyes and mystery around his name. The mystery would be solved in five minutes tops, but it was long overdue. He stopped in front of a mirrored wall in the corridor to look at himself. His spiky, disheveled black hair has become heavy enough to be weighed down around his head, looking incredibly fitting on him. Ever since he stopped wearing hats, the top of his head was neatly organized to feed the locks that hovered around it. His auburn eyes, long lost of childish excitement and passion, looked like a deep abyss of freezing cold and they hid secrets of pain, sadness and calculated, ruthless determination. There was a tiny flame, waiting to be fed into an inferno and sate his lust for a good battle. He was wearing an ash-grey t-shirt, black jeans and an intricate trench coat that ended a little bit below his knees, with many pockets a chain starting from the left side of his mid-section and ending inside a pocket on the right side of his chest, effectively holding the trench coat from billowing like a flag in the wind. He also wore black sneakers, completing the color-less look he started wearing since that fateful day, the 18th of September of 2015. Ah, yes. It was the 7th Memorial day today. And he was here, inside the fucking coliseum instead of mourning in memory of Pikachu at the Champion Quarters Pokemon Ranch, with the rest of his family. Well, he'd best end the fight fast then.
He continued down his shiny, never-walked-before path. In these 7 years, he never needed to defend his title. Every Manalo Conference winner couldn't even get past Gladion, how would anyone challenge him without first beating Gladion, not to even mention Kukui, Paul and Guzma? Speaking of Guzma, how was he? It's been quite a while since he last saw him, since he would always be bickering and fighting with Kukui during the meetings. That is also the reason he doesn't live with the rest of the Elite Four and the Champion inside the Alola League Mansion. Well, that will be tomorrow's problem, today he needed to end a challenger's dreams and spent his day drinking in front of the Pikachu Memorial in the middle of the CQPR.
Hot, charged with excitement wind blew around his form. The loud commotion of the Coliseum filled his ears and he took a deep breath. He was required to do this. He was needed to defend his title, and it was also time to let his identity known to the world. Might as well enjoy it right? Thus, he pulled out a cigarette from a shiny case and lit it up with a silver lighter, pure silver with engravings on it, reading G. D'Ignazio, in curved, fancy letters. The zippo lighter had a weird, empty socket on it. In reality, it was a slot for a Key Stone. Sometimes, Ash put the Key Stone in there instead of it's usual place hanging from the chain.
He took a long, nicotine infused breath and walked into the spotlight, drinking up the screams and excitement of the crowd. He heard the announcer through the massive speakers of the Coliseum.
"Everyone knows him as Champion Hadrian of Alola. But that, is NOT his real name! He is a man with a long list of achievements since his early years as a trainer, having ended minimum Top 16 in every single conference! He has also conquered the infamous Kanto Battle Frontier! Look at this man stoically standing on the Champion's Side of the Coliseum. I can feel the air of mystery and power from here! So, without further ado, give it up for your Champion, the uncontested, Ashton Hadrian Ketchum!"
5 days ago, September 13 2022
Alola League Mansion Meeting Room
"Oh fuck right off Paul" Ash yelled from a side-room of the meeting area.
"What's gotten inside your ass again dipshit? I just wanted your rugged mug looking AT LEAST a little bit presentable in front of the other champions" Paul shrugged and put down Ash's papers on the table in front of his seat.
Ash then walked out of the room, wearing a casual gray jacket, white shirt and blue jeans. "Yeah, as if the champions don't see my 'rugged mug' every fucking month for the meetings. I still don't know why we have them monthly. Last month we were playing poker through the entire meeting, and Alder still owes me 25,000 dollars" He took a look at the papers sent by Mr. Goodshow, scanning them for anything interesting. His eyes landed on a specific section called 'King's Coronation Tournament'. He cocked his head and looked at his glorified secretary. "The fuck is this?"
"THIS, is a tournament you will be discussing here. Since your ass is too useless to actually read papers if they don't have orders for Orre Whiskey, I did it for you, AGAIN. The KCT is a tournament-"
"Oh wow, the King's Coronation Tournament is a Tournament, who would have thought"
Paul sighed "It's the biggest tournament yet. It has 1024 contestants, and the first scale of it will include every contestant getting split in groups of four. When the groups are decided, every contestant will battle 3 times, once for each of his group members. All battles will be one on one, with the random chance of them being two on two double battles. A win is 3 points, a tie is 1 point and a loss is 0 points. When all matches are concluded, the 2 contestants with the most points in each group will be moved into a bracket, and that will be how the rest of the tournament will go. The 512 stage will be 2v2, 256 and 128 stages will be 3v3, the stages of 64, 32 and 16 will be 4v4, the Quarter-finals will be 5v5 and Semi-finals, along with the Grand Final, will be full 6v6. All stages except the Grand Final and semi-finals will have a 25% chance to be double battles, doubling the Pokemon battling, for example, a double battle at the stage of 128 will be 6v6 Double Battle. That does not apply at the stages of 64-32-16, as from 4v4 singles, they become 4v4 Doubles. As for the 5v5 quarter finals, in the case of double battle, they become 6v6. There is also a 5% chance that they become 6v6 Triple Battles, called the 'Golden Explosion' or some shit. Sounds more cringy than your combinations" Paul ended with a shrug
"Hey hey, most of the combinations are names chosen by the Pokemon performing them, blame them not me" Ash replied with a smirk. "But this..." he murmured looking at the KCT "this looks nice. Like, very nice. I just hope i don't win it too fast" he quipped and at that moment, they both heard a knock on the door.
"Come in" Ash hollered, making Paul wince at the sheer volume of his voice. A bald head popped through the crack of the door, the smiling visage of Mr. Goodshow making itself present in the room like a second sun, quite literally thanks to the reflection of said sun on his forehead. "Ash my boy! And you Paul, how have my two prodigies been holding up? Paul I hope you are not back in a Pokemon abusive power trip! Hahahahaha!" Mr. Goodshow said when he entered.
Paul's face turned white and a poker-face decorated his expression. Ever since he was reformed, this has been a running joke, even among his own Pokemon, with Electivire being the number one culprit. Well, if it keeps up, he might start abusing people instead "Why the fuck am I still getting flack about my past mistakes? Champion Dipshit over here is on a power trip the last 7 years but no, he has a more stable moral code than my young ass" he said, having given up at the situation. He caught a glimpse of Ash's empty stare on him, observing him lighting up his cigarette, then playing with Giovanni's custom lighter in his hands. Yes, Ash had a reason to chase power...
"Hahahaha! Come on Paul, don't be like that. It's an honest young mistake, believe it or not, way too many young trainers act like you did when you were a young teen. But enough of that! Ash my boy, did you read the memo I sent over?" Mr. Goodshow inquired
"Oh yes, Paul read it and gave me the details. I have to say, it's an incredible concept, and I am all in favor for it's creation. I'm pretty excited for it." Ash said letting down the papers and pocketing his lighter
"I was hoping you'll like it! And of course, Paul read it for you. No offense, my boy, but he is way better at desk work than you, we all know he does the paper work here! You just have unmatched skill in battling" Mr. Goodshow commented, and Paul sighed. Of course he knew he was better at this, both him and Ash knew it, that's why they set their system up this way. While Paul does the desk work, Ash's Pokemon train with Paul's while Ash does work that involves physical presence.
"THINK FAST KETCHUM!" a fourth voice hollered, and Ash saw a flying bottle heading to his face.
Ash, in his panic tried to catch the bottle, he barely succeeded and yelled back "LANCE YOU GINGER CUNT, WHY DO YOU WANT TO TAKE MY HEAD OFF"
The red haired trainer wearing his usual attire of a weird, dark suit with a cape flowing in the wind, started laughing, walked up to Ash and hugged him, ruffling his hair in the process "Don't be like that Ash, you know we all love you. I'm just helping your Aura Guardian training, giving you free whiskey in the process!" Lance then turned his hand, politely greeted Mr. Goodshow and then he saw Paul "Hi Paul! How are you? Still belting Electivire?" he said with a snicker
"Hi Lance, no Lance, Electivire has more chances belting ME instead nowadays" Paul exasperated, rolling his eyes and he turned to the side door "I'm going, it seems the bundle of Child-pions will be swarming in moment now, I need my sanity and I DON'T need to get mad with your childish quips" He walked out of the room without giving a chance for anyone to respond.
Ash shrugged and sat down on his chair, but stood up again when he realized he needs to welcome the Champions. He waited for a couple of minutes, making small talk with Lance while Goodshow set up the projector. Then, a knock on the door was heard and Ash opened it, seeing a neatly dressed silver haired man beaming at him.
"Ash!" Steven Stone said hugging him tightly. "It's so good to see you! How you've been? How are the Mega Evolutions going? Apparently, we are on the verge of discovering a new Mega Evolution that might interest you!" He said and walked past him towards his designated chair, sitting down
Before Ash could reply to the genuine pleasantries of the silver haired man, Lance broke in the conversation "Of COURSE!" He yelled with fake sadness "Of course it will interest Ash 'I have an army of Champion-level Pokemon' Ketchum. But nooo, poor Lance can't have dreams for a Mega-Dragonite" he ended, sliding down his chair while Steven sighed.
Another knock was heard on the door, and Ash commented on Lance's antics "You and Wallace both, and he is worse. I have seen him cry in front of a fan-made poster of a non-existent Mega-Milotic" Ash smiled at Steven, not having a chance to exchange pleasantries with the man before he opened the door.
"Did I hear something involving my beautiful name?" An extravagant, cyan haired man said and smiled to Ash. He was wearing an intricate, white and purple suit that looked like it came straight out of a fashion boutique. "How are you Ash?" Wallace asked and shook his hand before taking his spot next to Steven. The duo of champions greeted each other before looking at Lance's sullen form. The Dual Champions of Hoenn are a weird case. They are both champions of their region, and there are weird rules in place for that to work. If one of them loses in a Championship defense match, they are both dethroned from the position. But the one who didn't fight in the defense match, has the privilege of attempting to reclaim the position for himself. Effectively, if Wallace loses to a challenger, and Steven challenges the throne and he wins, Steven will remain as the only Champion of Hoenn. The reason this is a thing in the first place is because their Championship match ended in a draw, when Steven Stone defended the title against Wallace Mikuri.
Ash greeted Wallace, and before he could say anything else, a very light knock was heard on the door, and Ash opened it to see the form of Kalos Champion Diantha Carne. Unlike the other champions, she wasn't wearing her usual attire, instead wearing black shorts and a pink t-shirt with a stamp of a Mega-Gardevoir on the middle, priming a Moonblast. She was wearing black sunglasses and a white feminine straw hat. "Ashyy!" she screeched and hugged him tightly. Well, he shouldn't be surprised. Despite being only 2 years older than Ash, she still had that teen energy going about her. "How are youuu, I am sooooooo excited to be back in Alola! I am jealous of you, you know, I might come and live here full time!" she giggled looking him in the eyes. Ash sighed and smiled back warmly.
"Hi Diantha, I'm fine, and please no don't come here. Pidgeot will be up my ass wanting to go to photoshoots with you and I can't handle her being even fuller of herself" Ash said and guided her to her chair, pulling it so she could sit, in a gentlemanly gesture that got a giggle out of Diantha. Then, yet another knock was heard on the door, this time, despite being light, it felt like the door was knocked with authority. Of course, everyone knew who would knock the door like that.
Ash opened the door (again) and saw a golden river of hair, framing the beautiful face of Champion Cynthia Shirona. She was wearing her usual black trousers, her long black coat with a V‐neck and black fur rimming its cuffs and hem, with a teardrop‐shaped pearl on the center of the coat. The trained eye could see a Key Stone embedded in said pearl. The coat was covering a black tank top and the outfit finished with black kitten‐heels. Ash's official outfit was very similar to this, but that makes sense since Cynthia was the one who put it together for him. "Ash! Look what a handsome young man you have become!" She cooed before enveloping him in a tight, warm hug that felt more like a vice-grip.
"You... Say... The same thing... Every time... You see... Me... CYNTHIA I'M DYING!" Ash choked in her arms, and she released him. She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.
Ash took a deep breath of valuable oxygen, and smiled at Cynthia "I am sorry I couldn't attend your 25th birthday Cynthia. I got you a present though!" He said while he was fixing his hair and Cynthia looked at him comically wide-eyed.
"I turned 38 Ash..." She said quietly like it was a secret, and a mischievous smirk decorated Ash's face. "Really? Well, I wouldn't believe you, you look like you were born in 1997 along with me" he said in a matter-of-fact tone, and he felt a mighty but soft hand smacking his head with the force of a Rhyperior.
"WHAT" Cynthia screeched while blushing and covered her mouth with the hand that whacked her friend/student/colleague, then started laughing a manic laugh that showed she became nervous
Diantha sighed "See Lance? His flattery melted a woman near her forties, you should take some lessons from him"
Lance sneered in response and pulled Ash on his chair.
After regaining his bearings Ash smiled at the group and stood up again to wait for Alder. "500 dollars that this fool is drunk again. I swear to Arceus, if he doesn't have my m-"
"Alder will be late my boy" Mr. Goodshow said in order to make Ash sit down "This meeting will be his last, as he got replaced in the position of Unova Champion. We all knew he wanted to retire, and the time has come."
Sadness came over Ash's features and he twitched. "It's time huh... I will make multiple inquiries to include him in future meetings" He stood up, again, and continued speaking "He might no longer be the Champion of Unova, but his experience and wisdom is valuable. And, drink nights are not near as fun without him and Lance going head to head in alcohol battles" That gathered small giggles from the table, and Mr. Goodshow smiled. It wasn't a bad idea anyway. Ash continued "I will go bring us some drinks. I know what all of you and Alder drink, for the new champion who we'll meet shortly I'll bring coffee. Be right back." With that, he left through the side door.
"So, who is our new colleague?" Diantha inquired quietly
"Probably some dude that took advantage of the fact Alder wanted to lose in the end" Lance responded.
Steven raised an eyebrow "Alder might want to retire, but he'd rather watch his hair burn and turn bald before he throws a match for the title"
"Why should it be a guy? We have enough men holding champion titles already" Diantha pouted.
"You just reinforced my point of Alder throwing the match, Diantha"
"You seem to forget that you have never won against me Lance, did you throw your matches too because I'm female?" Cynthia poked
"The new Champion is a female, and a young one at that. Also, Lance, the girl is a Dragon Master recognized by Dragon Master Drayden of Opelucid" Mr. Goodshow interjected, and that made his head turn.
Before anyone could add another comment, the door opened with enough force to knock out any unfortunate soul standing behind it. A man around his fifties, with an orange mane of hair billowed "I'M HERE", causing Ash 3 rooms further to wince. The man was sweating, and apparently he has been running all the way to the meeting room. A young, dark skinned girl behind him face-palmed at his antics, not having noticed the inhabitants of the room.
Alder coughed in his hand and looked around sheepishly, before walking towards his chair. "Where's the boy?" he asked, the lack of Ash's name in the question was intentional, as the girl coming in had no idea who the Alola Champion was. Speaking of the girl in question, she walked in the room with awe-struck eyes, not able to contain her excitement seeing every single champion in one room. She had a massive growth of purple hair, neatly gathered in a purple ponytail that reached her thighs, and on the top of her head she wore some sort of gold tiara that had two ear-like appendages, with emeralds in each ear. She wore a majestic white and pink dress with see-through ribbons flowing around it. The dress had a massive bowtie in the middle.
It was just now hitting her that she would be sharing the same table with her idols. Dragon Master Lance Wataru, Crystal Idol Diantha Carne, Queen of Sinnoh Cynthia Shirona, Steel Wall Steven Stone, the self-proclaimed 'Most Beautiful Man in the World' Contest Legend Wallace Mikuri (now that she sees him up-close, he surely isn't the most beautiful man in the world) and the mysterious uncontested Champion Hadrian of Alola...
Wait, where was Champion Hadrian?
Cynthia giggled at the girl's enthusiasm, and she stood up. Of course, she knew who this girl was. Every one in the room knew. They never expected her of all people to become the new Champion of Unova, but it happened, and they all knew better to question the power of a Champion. She spoke up "Welcome to the inner circle of The League Champions. I am Cynthia Shirona, and you might know your new colleagues, Lance" she gestured at the Dragon Master and he stood up "Steven, Wallace, and Diantha" everyone stood up when their name was mentioned and they greeted their new colleague.
"I-I-I..." the girl gulped and tried to control her breathing "I am Champ-..." She stopped speaking again and sparkled before screeching "I can't believe I'm in the same league as Legends themselves!" Like a light brown blur she whirled around each champion, shaking their hands. She knew Cynthia personally, but she never met her at this level. She returned to her spot and introduced herself. "My name is Iris Emerald, and I am the newest Champion of the Unova Region!" she announced with pride, beaming at everyone. When the rush ended and everyone was silent, she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head and inquired. "Where is Champion Hadrian? I was expecting to meet him since, well, we are in Alola after all..."
During the commotion, nobody noticed the side door opening and closing. A shocked Ash Ketchum was just standing in front of the door, mouth agape and eyes blank, staring at Iris.
"Ah! Yes! Champion Hadrian!" Mr. Goodshow remarked, wiping a sweat bead running down his forehead. The eyes of all Champions turned to stare at Ash, who was still under shock from seeing his old traveling companion being the new Champion. Iris was staring dumbly at his visage, not quite sure if he was who she thought he was.
Cynthia cleared her throat nervously and introduced Ash, since he was incapable of such actions at the moment. "Yes. Let us introduce you to the first generation Champion of Alola, by his full birthname" a certain tone of irritation was heard in her voice, clearly not happy to introduce him to a person that already knew him quite well. "Ashton Hadrian Ketchum. Or by his unique title, Pokemon Master Ash Ketchum"
Ash's hands trembled, and suddenly a Pokeball in his belt shook and his Lucario was released, holding Ash's tray before it fell on the floor and ruining the drinks. Lucario looked around to observe what caused his trainer to fall into shock. His eyes fell on Iris and he understood everything.
"Ah yes. Aunt Iris" Lucario spoke telepathically, causing Iris to look at him in bewilderment. She knew certain Pokemon could speak through telepathy, but a Lucario needed to be in the top echelons of Aura training in order to master it.
Ash shook his head, finally regaining his bearings and held the tray with one hand while taking out Lucario's Pokeball.
Lucario awkwardly looked at Ash, and then turned to the Champions "Nice to see you again Champion Aunts and Uncles" he quipped before being sucked back into stasis. Ash sighed and mumbled some gibberish greeting to Iris, before setting the tray on the table.
Iris silently walked up to him and touched his face, checking if he was actually real, and when she confirmed it, she beamed at him "Hi Ash. I missed you. You never called or visited or anything really" Her voice was sweet and welcoming before a dark glint decorated her eyes.
Ash's screams couldn't not be heard anywhere, and no champion would even attempt to save him from the dark skinned woman's fury.
"ASH-MOTHERFUCKING-KETCHUM" whack " YOU IMMATURE SWINE" whack "HOW DARE YOU" whack "KEEP THIS SECRET" whack "FROM ME" She grabbed him by the neckline of his shirt and help him up to the wall. "SO NO CALLS, NO VISITS, NO RESPONSES AND I FIND OUT YOU ARE THE MYSTERIOUS CHAMPION OF A FUCKING REGION, PRANCING ABOUT WITH YOUR HEAD SO FAR UP YOUR ASS THAT YOU THINK YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT PRIVY TO YOUR LIFE" she madly spat and put him down before speaking again "And don't you dare, don't you dare use grieving as an excuse motherfucker, I WAS THERE WHEN YOU WERE GRIEVING FOR PIKACHU" she screamed before kicking him again for good measure.
"I WANTED TO KEEP MY IDENTITY HIDDEN FROM THE WORLD TO HIDE FROM THE REST OF THEM" Ash hollered back and stood up "My mother won't tell anyone, Professor Oak surely won't tell anyone, Gary would rather die before boosting up my fame on his own, Paul is my own fucking Elite Four, Brock-"
"Brock Harrison M.D." Steven quipped and turned his eyes to the wall to avoid Ash's deadly gaze
"Brock is living in Alola full time owning the most advanced hospital in the world, so he SURELY won't speak to anyone here, Misty is surprisingly good at keeping secrets and Cilan is fuck-knows where in Kalos giving cooking classes and avoiding Serena's path like the plague. Clermont and Bonnie are also living in Alola, but you Iris, you are, or at least were, traveling Unova Sinnoh and Hoenn. I fucking know you still keep ties with the rest of them. And we both know what a blabbermouth you are. So yes, I kept it SECRET" Ash spat, but he got another smack across the face for his efforts.
"Is that why they still don't know that Pikachu died Ash? Because I can't keep my fucking mouth shut? Yeah, that's fucking GRAND coming from you. I still get teased for getting mistaken for a Pokemon when you came to Unova!" She sighed and sat down on her chair, teary eyed from the whole ordeal. She looked up at him and noticed that he was really battered. Maybe she did go overboard.
Slowly but steadily, Ash stoop up, and sat on his chair before looking at Iris. Before he could speak, he heard her soft voice. "Ash, I already told you, you should meet them. A lot has changed since... Since Pikachu died. You should forgive them, and let them in your life once more". Her tone was sincere, but it didn't help Ash even a little bit.
"Oh right. Their 'best friend' asked them to come because he is having a very hard time and he needs his friends with him, and they refused. Well, I understand Max. He was in Orre doing research during sandstorm season, and he couldn't leave. But the rest? One had worse excuses than the other. Especially fucking May..." he trailed off, with a broken, sad look in his eyes.
"Ash, May was in a weird and hard place in her life, being stuck with the green haired twat... She has opened her eyes, and regrets ever stepping into that trap. Believe me, she would co-"
"Why did she not come?" Ash interjected
"Ash, just ple-"
"Why did she respond like she didn't even read the message?"
"Don't try to-"
"It's like she didn't even care, like she ignored that 'her best friend and mentor' was in elbow deep shit"
"But Ash, you don't under-"
"I guess she just removed me from her life when she left for Johto, I should have kno-"
"SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF HAVING SEX WHEN YOU SENT IT" Iris finally screamed, not able to handle Ash's depressed words. The room froze, people shuffled uncomfortably in their seats, and Ash's face looked broken, like a cracked porcelain visage, and his eyes were hollow of emotion.
"We will discuss this at another time. Dinner after the meeting?" Ash finally spoke to Iris, and she gave him a warm smile.
"Of course Ashy" She said happily, causing the young Champion to wince at the name she used.
Ash stood up and opened his arms. "Welcome to the monthly Champion meeting, this time being in my home ground, Alola. As your humble host, I welcome you, Iris Emerald, Champion of Unova and Dragon Master under the tutelage of Dragon Master Drayden of Opelucid City. You also have my congratulations in besting your predecessor, Alder Adeku" Ash sighed and relaxed in his chair "Now that the formalities are done, drinks everybody?" He asked the table with a smile on his face, watching the utter chaos caused by the Champions rushing to grab their favorite drink. Diantha accidentally touched Ash's hand and hastily pulled her arm away, blushing. The handsome champion just shrugged at her antics, and lit up a cigarette to enjoy his Orrian whiskey.
"Ash I fucking told you 6 years ago to stop smoking" Iris pouted, before she noticed the rest of the champions lighting up cigarettes, the exceptions being Diantha and Wallace.
"You know little Iris, sometimes stress is just a tad bit too much" Steven said, drinking a sip from his favorite Alolan cocktail.
"I concur" Alder said with a hearty laugh
"You're talking about stress?" Ash choked, looking at Alder with disgust "I should be stressed since I still haven't seen the 25.000 dollars you owe me"
Alder burst out laughing at that, knowing full well that Ash didn't expect the money. Lance just sighed at his antics, but before he could speak, Diantha cut in.
"If any of you old dudes knew how to actually play poker, me and Ash wouldn't be stripping you of your belongings" she quipped and looked at Ash, playing with a strand of her dark gray hair.
"Old dudes? Diantha, we're not like Alder-
"HEY!" Alder yelled, but he was ignored.
"-while he may have the same age as Giratina, me and Steven are just 5 years older than you!" Lance responded, heart-broken at being called old, while barely 32.
"Alright alright, that is enough" Mr. Goodshow restored order in the rowdy group of Champions and he cleared his throat "Today, we have two topics" Suddenly, Iris shot up and whispered something to the President of the Pokemon League, which caused him to nod in agreement. "Excuse me, three topics of discussion. Let's start with the first. I trust you have all read about the King's Coronation Tournament?" Everyone nodded in agreement. "Good. Then I need to speak more on the organizing aspects. I have every arrangement ready and the event can be ready to begin in 3 weeks time. I took the liberty of organizing it ahead of time, because I trust you all to vote in favor of the plan"
"Of course, we all love battling here. But I wanted to ask. Will Gym Leaders, Elite Four and Champions be able to participate?" Wallace inquired.
"But of course! This is a Tournament to decide the strongest trainer in the world! We would be utter fools to exclude the best trainers in each region. People will be excited, people will be hyped, people will rush to see their favorite idols, their favorite Masters and the strong underdogs duke it out for a chance at a unique title. The title in question being Pokemon Legend! Gym Leaders, Elite Four, Frontier Brains, Champions, Battle Facility Masters, all of them will be able to join without going through the preliminaries" Hums of agreement and excitement were heard in the meeting room. A burning fire lit up inside Ash, a fire he hasn't felt in quite a while. Ash attempted to say something but Mr. Goodshow cut him off "Yes Ash, Island Kahunas will be treated like Gym Leaders, although they are quite a bit stronger than your regular Gym Leader
While all Titled trainers can enter the tournament without any requirement needed, normal trainers around the world will have 2 weeks to battle nonstop and gather enough points to enter. Every trainer will need to pass the 500 point mark to enter. Points will be given by calculating multiple variables, those being size of the match, match score and compared point total. To give some examples, Full 6v6 battles will give way more points than simple one on one. If you beat your opponent with a good performance you'll get more, for example, a 6-2 battle will reward more than a 6-5 battle. And lastly, if you are let's say, on 50 points, and you battle someone with 400 points and win, you will be awarded way more points than battling someone with 70 points. The program that will run those calculations is already developed and ready for Pokedex distribution.
When we reach the number of 1024 contestants, including of course the trainers in positions, the opening ceremony will begin!" Mr. Goodshow ended with a fist in the air, smiling. The people inside of the room clapped warmly, each of them excited with the prospect of battling strong trainers from around the world. The president let the commotion burn out before he continued. "Now I'm brought to the second topic of our discussion. You must all have a question. Exactly where will an event this big take place? Well, I have my ideas, but let's hear from the heads of each region"
"I would love to have this event held here, in Alola" Ash began "It would be an incredibly rare opportunity to give Alola more publicity, and flood our beautiful region with tourists. You all know how under appreciated it is" Diantha, Cynthia and Wallace nodded wildly in agreement, while Alder, Lance and Steven hummed. Iris had no idea what she should do. "Alas, there is simply no way to host it here. We only have the Alola Coliseum to host the Manalo Conference here in Manalo City, and we simply don't have any grand-scale stages to host 1024 people" Ash ended with that and sat down, looking at the floor.
Goodshow hummed, smiling and spoke again "I want to ask the rest of the Champions. Do you like the idea of the first ever KCT being help in the beautiful region of Alola?"
Cynthia nodded, while Diantha beamed more brightly than the sun at the prospect. Alder was just sitting there, while Lance nodded, thinking about all the exotic girls at the clubs of HeaHea. Wallace looked ready to go for a swim in the clean Alolan waters, while Steven was thinking of the chance to explore Mount Lanakila and the Ruins of Abundance. With that settled, the President spoke loudly once more. "It is settled! The King's Coronation Tournament shall commence! And it will be hosted in the beautiful region of Alola!"
Loud claps were heard in the room, along with some whistling from Lance (who promptly got smacked for the absurdity), but Ash just looked at the president in bewilderment "How the fuck will I-"
"Battleships" The silver haired champion interjected, fully understanding the president's intentions. "We will bring the Hoennic Battleships in Alola to host the first rounds of the Tournament. All 24 will be dispatched here, and in fact, I should already be making calls to mobilize them"
"Indeed" Wallace added "They might not support crowds on them, but Rotom Drone live coverage will be more than enough to broadcast the event"
"And when we reach the top 32, all of them will be brought back to Hoenn, to host the rest of the matches matches inside the Coliseum" Goodshow finished, and gave a pleasant smile to Ash. "You'd best start making arrangements for the incredible wave of tourists coming your way"
"I-I... Thank you" Ash finally said, a warm, genuine and most certainly rare smile decorating his handsome face. Everyone sat back down, and the President started speaking again.
"And now, to our third and last minute topic, brought to my attention by Champion Iris" he said, flashing a toothy smile at the young champion. Ash for some reason shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "The grand reveal of Pokemon Master Ash Ketchum, or as the world knows him, Champion Hadrian of Alola"
Ah. That's why he shifted uncomfortably. He sat in silence for some seconds, that felt like decades to him. But it wasn't too hard to decide. The cat was out of the bag right now, and it was time to reveal the power held in his name to the world. "Alright. I accept. I will reveal my identity to the world. But I need to ask. How, and when?"
Right then, in a moment that felt like divine intervention, Paul burst through the side door, a mad look in his face.
"Paul? What are you doing here?" Iris asked furiously as she shot up, but before she could do anything more, Ash held his hand up.
"Iris, this is Paul Shinji, 3rd of the Elite Four of Alola" he announced, but before the shocked Iris could respond, Ash stopped her again "Later, during lunch. I will answer everything. Now Paul, what is it?"
Paul quickly got rid of his shock at seeing the, apparently Champion Iris, and spoke to Ash.
"You have a Championship Defense match, held September 18" Paul spat, shocking everyone in the room. There has never been a Championship Defense match in Alola before. Everyone lost to Elite Four Gladion Aether, and one challenger lost to Elite Four Guzma Skullen. Which is why Ash, more than anyone, was shocked to the core.
"How the fuck did you all lose? AND WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD ABOUT A CHALLENGER?" Ash hollered, but Paul's next words were even weirder.
"We didn't. We decided to send him straight to you" Paul replied like it's the most normal thing in the world. Before Ash could speak, Paul continued "Believe me, when you find out why we sent him to you, you will be glad we did. He can't even get past Gladion's Zoroark in all reality, but he definitely deserves the destruction you will bring. Have a nice, enjoyable meeting" With that, he quickly left the room.
Ash just stood there, looking at the door, wondering who the fuck was the challenger. But he had some ideas as to why he would want him for himself. Maybe he is an old acquaintance, maybe an old enemy... Maybe he didn't even know the dude, but he'll hate him within minutes. Who knows. Sighing, he lit another cigarette and took a long ship from his whiskey. "Well, I guess the time is as good as any. I will be revealed to the world, I will send my people to speak to the announcer, and I will schedule Rotom Drones to broadcast the battle. As a bonus, I will also announce the King's Coronation Tournament. Now, can we please get the clouds off my shoulders so we can enjoy the rest of the meeting? You guys know I can't handle that much pressure all at once"
The rest of the champions giggled and thanked Ash for his cooperation and resolve. Iris and Diantha hugged him, and Diantha specifically gave Iris the stink-eye for the gesture. Huffing, she went back to her chair.
"Well, what do you want to talk about dear Champions?"
The rest of the meeting went smoothly, full of nonsense discussions and banter between the champions. Like a usual meeting, basically. Iris herself quickly felt at home between them, and participated in their banter too. She also tried to join in the bets being put for Ash's big match, but Ash forbade her from joining, saying that he has lost more than he made during his travels in just the 1st year of joining the meetings.
Now the sun was on a steady path to hide behind the horizon, bathing the world in a deep orange light. Ash was in his room inside the Alola League Mansion, or commonly known as Manalo Mansion. He checked his visage on the mirror, fixing random strands of hair from flying too wildly. His Lucario was sitting on the bed, looking curiously at him, while Greninja was in the balcony with Sceptile and Charizard.
He was wearing a black pair of jeans, with a slick black dress shirt on top. He was also wearing a gray tie with ash-grey patterns on it. The look was complete with a black coat and black shoes. The chain from his trench coat was wrapped around his waist, on top of the belt holding his jeans, but his Keystone was not there.
"Where exactly are you going dad? You look like you're getting ready for a date with a romantic partner" Lucario quipped, thinking that he would never see his father going to a human date.
"You are watching too much TV Lucario. People don't dress well just to go on romantic dates. You can also dress well when you go for a simple dinner in a professional setting, like I am. Specifically, I am going for dinner with Iris. She has way too many questions and I cannot escape her again"
"So, no mating?" Lucario asked while Ash was drinking his water, which he promptly spat across the room.
"The actual fuck Lucario? How did that even..." He shook his head "Yes, of course you watch too much fucking tv. Anyway, I have no reason to 'mate' with anyone. I need no one in my life. I am just fine in my life, being the most powerful I can be, having you guys in it and I am dedicating it to keep you all safe and sound. I will be the perfect trainer for you guys."
"So basically, you want to be a hermit taking care of his team, like the old legends of a Pallet Trainer named Red, who lived on the top of Mt. Silver. Is that really a life goal?" Lucario asked his father, worried about him.
"Yes. Not in Mt. Silver, but yes. I don't need anyone. People have only proven bad to be around. People hide so much evil inside them..." Ash bit his tongue thinking of the past, but Lucario wouldn't let him.
"Ah yes. So do you, right? You have evil inside you. So, if humans are dangerous to be around us, your family, that makes you dangerous too, right? You are human, and you carry darkness and evil, right?" Ash jerked his head towards Lucario with an incredulous look in his eyes, but before he could even think of a response, Lucario kept going. "Don't get me wrong father, I know you will never hurt us. But that is as humans call it, a double standard. If all people have evil in their heart and only look after their own personal gain, you are also vulnerable to that. But why shouldn't other humans be able to have the kindness you exhibit? You are no saint father. But you are the best father and best trainer any one of us could wish for. Humans are capable of that, and yet you insist for the last 7 years to stay inside your shell, a shell made of grief and mistrust and hatred and, according to Venusaur, utter nonsense. I can see how you enjoy being around your Elites, your human family of Uncle Kukui, around all the uncles and sisters from the Pokemon School, Aunt Lusamine, Grandma Delia. And yet, all you show them are hollow laughs and distant attitude. You honestly believe they can't see that?"
"Since when are you thinking that deeply into the human psyche, Lucario?" Ash quipped, although he was honestly shocked at his partner.
"Since I started visiting the psychologists of Aether Foundation, of my own volition of course" The canine walked towards his father and held his paw up. "I know your pain. You saw your closest partner, our eldest brother Pikachu die a brutal death in front of you, in the hands of a Legend corrupted by an evil man. But that is the past. And you, father, you are denying your future. All we all want from you, is to-"
"Lucario" Ash said sternly. "Thank you for the talk, but it's getting late. I would love to say we will continue our discussion at another time, but honestly, I can't share those views. I-I... I just can't. Most of the people I loved in my life have turned their back on me. I was just a stepping stone for them. They stepped on me on their way to their own greatness. And I was left behind. When I wanted their support, they were nowhere. And those that came... I just can't shake the thoughts. What if they came out of obligation? What if they didn't care what I was going through and they wanted to leave? What if, what if, what ifs. I just... Can't. You know?" By this point, a single tear had made it's way to Ash's jawline, trying to escape his face. "Nobody really wants me with them. They only stick around because of how mighty I have become. That's the truth" he said shaking his head and walked towards the door.
Of course, this is not the truth. But Lucario wouldn't press on the matter, he would just say a few simple words. "Pikachu wouldn't like what you have become. He wouldn't want you be this way because he died protecting you. You were always bright, energetic, full of life, wanting to know the world. You saw and believed in the best aspects of people and Pokemon alike. Pikachu loved that about you."
Ash looked at the door in silence, retracting back a single tear. He turned around to look at his current team. "Who wants to come with as security?" Greninja suddenly appeared next to him, and Ash recalled him with a smile.
Before he left the room, he took a look at a trophy shelf on his wall. His badge collection was there, as well as his trophies. But above the shelf, there were some items hanging from the wall. A pair of glasses, a miniature ship anchor, a glove more fitting in a futuristic suit, a silver ring and above them, a massive staff with the Team Plasma Insignia on it. The thing they all had in common, every one of those items had a Key Stone engraved on it. He pulled Giovanni's lighter from his pocket, and looked at the Keystone engraved on it.
"Knock yourselves out, I'll be back in a couple of hours"
The newly built Manalo City was a beautiful landmark in the Region of Alola. Built under the commands of the First Champion of Alola, with help from the best architects and engineers in the world. Clermont Ferrand also helped with the development of the city, along with Sophocles Mamane. It was a mixture of futuristic and classical architecture, perfectly blending the classical look of Alolan towns with the vision of the future ahead for the region. Surprisingly, instead of being purely a tourist resort, many Alolan natives made their home inside the city. From being made as a tourist attraction for the Manalo Conference, it turned into the most populated city in the region. Almost every street and alley had a warm and welcome air blowing, especially the massive Culture Square, right in the heart of the city. Being literally, a massive square with parks and stands situated in the paths between them, with Alolan natives smiling and welcoming everyone. Shops, hotels and restaurants decorated the streets adjacent to the Culture Square, as well as one massive building named Sunne Cinema which shows the latest movies from Unova during world premiers.
A certain dark skinned girl was waiting outside of Sunne Cinema. She was wearing a beautiful white dress that ended on the middle of her thighs, perfectly contrasting her beautiful skin. It was wrapped tightly around her body, showing every single curve on her body to perfection. Her hair was very neatly wrapped in a long ponytail, ending lower than her dress. She was still wearing the golden tiara with the emeralds on her head, but this time she was also wearing a beautiful golden necklace with an emerald bead hanging from it. The look was complete with a pair of cream white high heels.
She was patiently waiting for Ash to appear at their designated meeting place. She was very deep in thought for the duration.
"Well, would you look at that. Ash Ketchum, one day a child with a dream of being the best, like no one ever was. Now, the mysterious Alola Champion, with the Champions themselves calling him Pokemon Master Ash Ketchum. Times change I guess..." Suddenly, she saw a black sports car parking in front of her, on a private parking space. Out of it came a handsome, black haired man. He had a look and air of authority about him, and a confidence unmatched. "But ignoring everything he has done for himself... He became hot as all hell..." She unconsciously bit her lip looking at him, but she shook herself out of her stupor. She can't be thinking these things, besides, his other friend loved him still... Well, Ash was a tasty treat. Maybe...
"Iris? Hello? Earth to Iris?" Ash insisted with a raised eyebrow. His mood got already sour. She was ignoring him to his face...
"AH! YES! HiAshDidn'tSeeYouThere!" she rushed, and laughed sheepishly. It was a shitty excuse, and it was evident in the emotionless look he gave her.
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever, at least the people here actually see me now that I am an honored citizen of Alola." he said bitterly, but suddenly he whipped his head around to look at the center of The Square. There seemed to be a covered object, dead center of the square, between the parks. Most likely it was a sculpture, destined to be a monument. Ash however, couldn't stand the existence of that thing. Thank god no one besides himself and the Aether Foundation knew what it was... But that would change. Lusamine gave orders to reveal it tonight. Unfortunately, Iris noticed his gaze, and started her parade.
"Wow, why is that thing hidden? What is it?"
"Nothing. Something that I'd rather didn't exist" He said and tried to rush towards Mallow's restaurant. When the city was built, Mallow decided to open her own restaurant, since her brother Ulu returned to Alola and is running her parents' restaurant. Ash helped fund it, and it is now one of the biggest restaurants in the city, the Green Flower Restaurant.
Iris, however, was not having it. She somehow managed to overpower Ash and drag him to the monument, with him whining the whole way.
When they arrived, Ash saw Aether Foundation workers around the monument, and he realized he wasn't going anywhere. "Who are these people? They look like... You know. An evil organization copy" She whispered to Ash, and he vigorously shook his head.
"No, they are Aether Foundation workers. They are here to... reveal. The monument" He said with a tone of resignation in his voice.
"Well... you can't blame me. Those outfits look shady, and Aether Foundation? Borderline Team Galactic levels of name giving"
"Way to put more dark thoughts in my mind sweetie" Ash thought and sighed. "No. Aether is Lusamine's last name. She created the Aether Foundation from the ground up, an organization made to take care of stray and abandoned Pokemon, as well as making research on Pokemon and Ultra Beasts... It does sound shady doesn't it?" He said chuckling, provoking a chuckle from his companion as well. "But no, I am personally involved in the Foundation, and Lusamine has done a lot of things for me. I can never thank her enough"
"I understand" She said, not pressuring the subject, but she would pressure on the hidden monument in front of them "What kind of monument is it?"
Ash tried to answer, but suddenly spotlights lit up from the ground, bathing the covers of the monument in light. He sighed and just pointed at it. "Just... Watch. And hold me back, please, I don't want to destroy it. Not yet"
As if they were waiting for his words, the workers cut the ropes tying the black cloth on the monument, and pulled it off. A whopping 7 meter (23 feet) tall, extremely detailed marble sculpture of Ash Ketchum was there, right in front of their eyes. Local people gathered around the monument. It was a depiction of Ash in his battle outfit, the one with the black trench coat and wild hair, both of those details looking like a wild wind was blowing through them. It was very obviously a recent depiction of Ash, way after the Rainbow Rocket Incident. That's why the sight of a smiling rodent with a tail shaped like a lightning bolt was heartbreaking to Ash. Just imagine what it would be like if Pikachu was here with him... It was obviously directed by people who knew him well. Just like Iris next to him. She could tell that this sculpture depicted an Ash right in the middle of a heated battle. Energetic grins decorated the dynamic duo's faces, wind billowing around, making fur, hair and coat a flowing mess. Almost like the wind was caused by an explosion from contact between two powerful sculpture was sitting on top of a square patch of marble and on it there was a golden plaque:
The First Champion of Alola
Ashton Hadrian Ketchum with his late partner, Pikachu
"May we live our lives the way
the ones who gave us a future intended"
Iris spent a good minute admiring the monument, the sadness at Pikachu's passing welling up in her throat. She turned her head towards Ash, and his sight was the most insane thing she has ever seen. She could never imagine tears coming out of eyes that had such a disgustingly cold stare. Ash's face was a mystery on its own. Cold and lifeless eyes filled with hatred, leaking tears down his face, running down his chiseled jawline. His lips were but a white slit, like he was biting down a scream. For some reason, she could feel the cold the void he had inside him. She could feel an icy chill around him, a feeling of emptiness, an empty void that had one thing circling around it. Cold, calculated hatred. She looked lower, at his hands. Both were white from the force he was using to hold them closed, dripping blood from the nails digging into his skin. Iris had one feeling right now since sadness for Pikachu was driven away. Now, she was dripping fear.
"Ash...? Are you... okay?" She whispered, barely audible. Of course, Ash ignored her. But the Greninja inside the ball hanging from his belt didn't. It forced itself out and put a hand on Ash's shoulder. Ash turned his head and stared and the ninja frog behind him.
Greninja shook it's head negatively, and Ash slowly calmed down. Neither Ash nor Iris noticed that everyone had avoided them by some subconscious impulse. After another minute, Ash closed his eyes and recalled Greninja.
"Let's go. Mallow is waiting for us" He choked out. His voice sounding rugged, harsh and injured. Iris just watched him walking towards the Green Flower Restaurant, still a bit afraid of her old friend. Who has Ash Ketchum become after all those years?
"This place is amazing!" Iris marveled at the beautiful interior of the restaurant. Ash, still affected by the monument merely nodded, but suddenly a green-haired beauty slammed into him, tightly squeezing him in a hug. She had her usual, kitchen attire, covered with a white apron. The results of her growth, though, were easily noticeable.
"Aaaaaaash!" she cooed, not letting him go. He gave up trying these years, he know she was too strong to stop her. She started spinning around, a resigned Ash flying around in her spinning hug. Iris sweat dropped at the spectacle in front of her.
"Nice to see you too Mallow. I missed you too" he said, kissing her temple when she let him go, causing her to shiver in sheer happiness. "This is Iris. You have met her before, but since she is the new Unova Region Champion, re-introductions are in order"
"Hi Mallow, it's great to see you again!" Iris beamed at the shocked Mallow who was still processing the news she heard.
"Well! I can't have not one, but two region champions in just a simple table! I will get you a private booth on Floor 4!" she announced happily.
"But... that's what I booked" Ash sweat-dropped, promptly getting smacked on the head.
"She doesn't need to know that!" Mallow hissed and guided them to the elevator, which they boarded and Mallow rushed in the kitchen.
The ride in the elevator was overcharged with an awkward silence. Iris was constantly shifting, contemplating what she witnessed from Ash at the monument. What was it? She could feel him. Meanwhile, Ash was anxious about the food. He trusted Mallow to handle the dinner without input. Of course, she was too good of a cook. But he was scared that he might feed him too much, again. He shrugged, thinking that he won't escape the mighty stomach ache of the mountain of food about to be served.
The elevator door opened, and Ash all but blinked on his seat at the table. Somehow, he managed to pull Iris' chair in his rush. With a dumb stare fixed on Ash, she sat on her served chair. She watched some tense moments pass, and she opened her mouth first. "So... What happened at the monument?" She asked, a bit on edge, still afraid of his reaction.
"Aura" he said flatly, voice void of emotion. Noticing her raised eye-brow in question, he continued. "4 years ago, I went to the Kingdom of Rota with Lucario to receive Aura training. Apparently, my natural Aura is very potent, and sometimes, if I am too charged emotionally, I affect those around me with my emotions. I don't know what you felt, but it was probably not pleasant. I can still feel your fear" he commented, causing her to gulp.
"I-I... Yes. I did get scared. I could... feel everything. Or, that is a bad term. The problem was not that I felt everything, the problem was that I felt nothing. I felt your... emptiness. But... You know what? Let's just not talk about it. I understand that you are emotionally wounded-"
"That's a mighty understatement, Iris"
"Yes, thank you. So, let's just discuss other things. I guess your training is the reason Lucario can speak?" Ash merely nodded, so she continued "That's extremely cool, I mean, I can communicate with Dragons but that's just through feelings shared... This... WAIT. Can you actually speak to Pokemon too?!" She asked, leaving her mouth agape and eyes wide. She was bright enough to make the connection to aura powers.
"Yes. I can understand their words perfectly through my own telepathy" He said simply, like it was a normal thing. Well, to him it was. He had 3 years to stew on his abilities.
"Wow... That's really awesome..." She commented. She could tell Ash's mood was ruined. It made her sad. "Um... How did Paul become your Elite?"
Ash giggled at that. "Paul... Damn, what a story me and Paul share. Who would have thought that my worst rival would become one of my best friends? It started when Pikachu died. Do you believe that he was worse than me when Pikachu died?" Ash said, watching her expression turn to curious shock "Thought so. Well, it's the truth. As he said, seeing a bond that strong get severely destroyed, was painful. You see, he understood the value of bonds with Pokemon after his loss in the Lily of The Valley conference of 2012. By 2015, Paul was true friends with his Pokemon. He imagined losing the Electivire in my place... He went through so much with him. All the hardships and attempt to bond with his Pokemon... He imagined losing that. And it ruined him. And he saw how it ruined me. Since then, he stayed with me, wanting to help me. Slowly, but surely, we turned into great friends. We are still on each other's ass, yelling and cussing at each other, but we love each other despite that. Our brotherhood could never be any other way. He became a great friend, same as all of you. The difference is..." From a happy memory trip to a cold truth, his expression changed just as much. "Unlike the ones who were supposedly always there for me, Paul started on the opposite end. How funny is it, that the ones pledged to my side left it, and the one wanting to destroy my side, is here building it?" he ended by lighting up a cigarette brandishing the Mega Lighter (now isn't that a funny notion).
She had nothing to say to that. It was painful, but unrefutable. Besides, they knew Ash was somewhere in the world, thinking that he was still trying to make it big. They tried to find him... Ash cut all contacts. In her eyes, both sides were equally at fault. Well, everyone will find out the truth. In 5 days, in fact. During that train of thought, she couldn't help but notice the lighter, eyes widened at the sight of the Key Stone. "Can I see it?" Iris asked, and Ash gave her the lighter with a shrug. She held it against the light, seeing the engraved 'G. D'Ignazio'. She pondered for a while, then realization hit her. "I-Is that... You know... G-"
"Giovanni's. Yes. This Lighter and Key Stone belonged to Giovanni D'Ignazio."
"But... Why? He cause all of your grief!" She all but spat, but Ash's sad look stopped her parade.
"Well..."
Flashback
September 18, 2015
Rocket Castle
"TORKOAL NO!" Ash screamed, watching his trusty turtle using Explosion on Mega-Mewtwo Y. Before he even thought what happened, he recalled him to stasis. The mere movement to recall his Pokemon got a cry of pain out of him.
Just minutes prior, before Mewtwo got knocked down by Arceus' Judgment in the form of a singular sphere, Ash narrowly dodged a Psybeam from the mad clone. While he wasn't gravely wounded, a massive strip of flesh had melted off his back, starting from his right shoulder blade, down to the left side of his lower back, effectively scarring the teen diagonally across the whole expanse of his back.
"Ash, the fight against Cyrus is getting out of hand. Please, hold live a little while longer" Ash looked up at Arceus that blinked out of existence, before he heard the voice of the loathsome cunt, Giovanni.
"You are just an annoying pest. I must not exist in this world, I would already have you dead for being an obstacle to my conquest" He said, his words full of disgust. "Mewtwo, blow, him, UP!" He screamed at his creation, but he failed to notice that Mewtwo was on the floor, screaming, while it was trying to touch a left arm that no longer existed, courtesy of Torkoal's suicide. "You useless fucking lab abomination" He spat in disgust, pulling a Pokeball and tossing it. "Rhyperior, killing time"
A massive lump of stone landed on the marble of the top floor of Rocket Castle with a mighty roar. But before Giovanni or Rhyperior could move, a Hyper Beam sent Rhyperior flying through the solid wall of the Castle. A man wearing a fedora and black attire barged in behind a positively massive and bulky Mega Swampert. The man stood guard infront of Ash, and his face made Ash confused as hell. The man that attacked Rhyperior and was protecting Ash, was Giovanni.
"So it seems my foolish self from a dimension you weren't born got power beyond his control. Why am I not surprised" Giovanni calmly said. He took a calm breath and released his team "IT'S TIME TO RIGHT OUR WRONGS GENTLEMEN AND GENTLEWOMAN"
A swarm of bright lights revealed the forms of Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Flygon, Claydol and Mamoswine. In response, Steelix, Nidoking, Nidoqueen and Golem appeared on the side of Rainbow (?) Giovanni. A fight promptly started, with Swampert letting out Muddy Water. A cacophony of explosions, commands and chaos cause the already dizzy Ash Ketchum to slump on the floor, trying to regain his bearings. The next thing he heard was...
"MEWTWO, KILL THE FUCKING BOY" followed by a loud "NO" coming from a Giovanni. In his condition, he couldn't make out who called what. The next thing he knew, he was shoved aside by a mighty tackle from Giovanni, who promptly got hit by a Psybeam straight through his heart.
The world froze. Ash looked in the eyes of Giovanni, who looked oddly content. With one last smile, his visage dropped lifeless on the floor. The silence of the fighting lasted for some more seconds that felt like eons. At last, Ash had enough.
"KILL MEWTWO" he screamed in response, and Giovanni's team responded in kind, with Nidoking slamming horn first on Mewtwo. It doesn't matter how powerful of a Legendary it was. It was still dazed from the loss of a limb. And now, he would become a plaything to Giovanni's post-mortem wrath. Swampert promptly used the biggest Surf of it's life to send Giovanni and his team on the walls, with the threat of the walls giving way to the empty, sky-high void. Meanwhile, Mewtwo's hour had come. Claydol caught it frozen in a psychic hold, and Mamoswine charged on it, cleanly piercing one his abdomen with one of his mighty tusks. Mewtwo's scream never left it's body, not because of Claydol's hold, but because it's head was sandwiched between the mighty fists of Nidoking and Nidoqueen. Flygon bit it's remaining arm, cleanly ripping it off. The Royal duo kept brutalizing Mewtwo's body still hanging from Mamoswine's tusks, life long lost but they just wouldn't stop. But Ash wanted it to stop. At first, his guilt was enjoying watching Mewtwo dying. Then, he could handle it no longer. The brutality was... Too much. It made his stomach making flips on itself.
He took the Pokeballs from Giovanni's belt and recalled his team when he figured which ball belonged to which mon. He left Swampert for last, who was staring blankly at his Trainer's corpse. Rainbow Giovanni had long since found his demise, falling from the now extinct wall of the castle. Swampert returned to it's base form, and looked at Ash.
Ash did not know what to do. Speak? Console? Recall? He just did nothing. At that moment, Swampert fumbled to his trainer, crying. It closed Giovanni's eyes with it's massive fingers, and took a weird phone from inside the coat. It handed it to Ash, and then took another object out of Giovanni's pockets that he also gave to the young trainer. A custom made silver zippo ligher. It had a keystone engraved on it, and also some letters.
G. D'Ignazio. Giovanni D'Ignazio. Ash dumbly looked at Swampert, who was already holding a neatly folded envelope, giving it to Ash. When it gave the man everything it had, it touched it's own Pokeball and got sucked back in stasis with one last tear and a sad, choking sound.
Finally, silence. Mewtwo was dead, and brutalized in a corner of the room. The cause of this chaos was dead on the ground below the castle. Other Bosses where probably still fighting, but he couldn't take it anymore. After a few minutes have passed, he opened the phone given to him by Swampert. He stared dumbly at the wallpaper depicting a baby Ash, running around with a fake gun in his, and a Giovanni laughing while he was being brutalized by a mad Delia Ketchum. He could hear what his mother was potentially saying. But why is this picture in existence... What does it mean? He took a look at the neat envelope. His questions were answered from the writing on the cover.
'To my beloved godson,
Ashton Hadrian Ketchum'
'By your distant ,
but loving godfather,
Giovanni Hadrian D'Ignazio'
When Arceus returned 20 minutes later, bloodied and battered, it was welcomed by a gruesome sight that caused it to wince. A whole side of the castle was gone, Mewtwo's remains where smeared in a corner and Ash was passed out on top of the corpse of a Giovanni different than the one fighting before.
His Chosen had suffered... He had suffered much. Too much. Why should he have chosen a Chosen in his stead to keep the world he created in balance? He should have been the one fixing the wrongs. And this time, an ordeal bigger than anything his chosen imagined happened. He was forced to send a part of it here to save the day. That's what should have happened ever since the fight between Proto-Mewtwo and Mew in New Island. And yet, he let his supposed 'Chosen' suffer the worlds cruelty. Yes, some 'Chosen'. A title of glory and power, sullied from the pain. He managed to hold it together all those times events of Legendary proportions came upon him. But now...? He lost too much.
While the Creator vowed to himself to make sure Ash would grow old and happy, Palkia and Dialga appeared next to it, looking equally sad, if not mad at their father.. Silently, they healed and moved Ash out of the castle and started rebuilding the site of Ash Ketchum's blackest day.
x
"I had... No idea..." Iris said, tears flooding her shiny eyes. Food had already came and went by the time Ash finished his story, and only the leftovers were left on Iris' plate, Ash's was cleaned by the glutton in Apollo's body. She turned her gaze to Ash's eyes, and the fact they were empty and emotionless drove her crazy. Where was her Ash? This is wrong. He isn't supposed to be this cold. Ash was a bundle of joy, an overexcited mess, ready for everything the world had to offer. His eyes were always warm, and you could feel the kindness in them. Now, all of these aspects of Ash Ketchum are dead. She had to find out just how much he has changed. She decided on a specific course of action that he would surely enjoy.
"Ash?" She said with determination in her voice. In response, he merely looked up at her straight in her beautiful maroon eyes.
"Yes?"
"Battle me." She announced and stood up, walking out of the booth before stopping when she heard no footsteps, no actual movement from Ash.
"What? Why?" Ash asked with genuine confusion but Iris winced. Ash asked 'Why battle'?! That was just wrong. She felt her hopes plummeting to the ground at break-neck speeds. Ash not excited in the prospect of a hard battles was no Ash at all.
"Cause I said so" She said with finality, and walked towards the elevator. Ash simply shrugged, put out his cigarette and followed her.
In truth, Manalo City was loaded with Pokemon battlefields. Since it is a trainer hotspot and the city-host of the Manalo Conference, it is only logical. Coincidentally, the Green Flower Restaurant had a whole battlefield in it's backyard, serving two purposes. Entertainment of the customers of the restaurant, and a fun event between trainers. Despite all of that, when Mallow saw Iris and Ash heading to the battlefield, she ordered every waiter to move every customer in the back yard to other tables inside the restaurant.
She knew what a battle with Ash meant. And she also knew that this was a random battle between two champions. She would not allow anyone filming the carnage with a phone. She didn't know what kind of power Iris held, but Ash Ketchum was a man who defeated Dragon Master Lance 6-2.
With Mallow's consideration, Ash took chose his side and situated himself inside the trainer box, waiting for Iris to do the same.
Iris normally wouldn't feel nervous in a battle, of all things. But that look in Ash's eyes... This wasn't an Ash she battled before. Instead of warm excitement, ready to overcome every obstacle, there was cold calculation, certain that there were no obstacles. She was nervous because, while she was strong, she had no idea how strong Ash was. There were no documented battles of the Champion of Alola. Effectively, the last time she saw Ash battle was in Unova. Nine years ago. No matter what Ash felt like now, there was one thing she was certain about. Ash would never stop training.
"Are you sure you want to actually battle him?" Mallow whispered in Iris' ear, causing her to jump. She never noticed her walking up.
"Yes. He is wrong. He is not Ash. He asked me 'why battle'. Can you believe that?" Iris whispered back, and she saw sadness in Mallow's eyes.
"Yeah. None of us has seen the Ash these years. He still cracks some jokes, he still tries to lighten the mood sometimes, he still is warm to us... But... He just isn't the same. We still love him, all of us, no matter what he becomes like" Mallow sighed before continuing "He is just trying to 'keep everyone safe'. He thinks being powerful and mighty will fix everything. He never fucking listens to anyone. He still thinks that this is what we want. We just want Ash, you know?"
"Will you keep whispering about for long? I want to drink something before it gets too late" Ash said, causing both of them to look at him sadly. Ash rushing a battle. It's been said too much, but that's wrong coming from Ash. Mallow sighed and responded.
"Fine. Finish your battle and come to the bar, drinks on the house" She said and returned to the restaurant, leaving the champions to their battle.
Iris pulled a shrunken Pokeball from the V-neck of her dress, between her breasts. Well, a trainer must have the Pokeballs somewhere. "Dragonite, I'm counting on you!" she called, throwing the red and white ball in the air. The orange pseudo-legendary landed on the battlefield, letting out a fierce battle cry before grinding his claws together, generating a nasty sound.
Ash responded from detaching a lone Pokeball from the chain around his belt. "Greninja, let's fight" Ash called coldly before throwing the ball in the air, summoning his mighty Greninja in the middle of the field. Greninja himself did nothing when summoned. It just stared at the feisty dragon, without making sound or movement.
His whole attitude was wrong. "Dragonite, start with Dragon Claw!" She called with a hand gesture, and her dragon rushed straight into Greninja with a roar.
Neither Ash nor Greninja did anything until almost the last moment. "Dodge into Night Slash". With nary a sound, Greninja ducked under the dragon and cleanly slashed him with kunai conjured from water, causing Dragonite to wince. "Into Acrobatics" was the next call, and the frog backflipped into the dragon's stomach without missing a beat, following up with multiple flips and tumbles on it's head and body.
"Dragonite get out of there!" Iris screamed and her Pokemon complied immediately, but...
"Clip its wing with Water Shuriken" Ash retorted, and before his sentence was finished a Water Shuriken cleanly ripped through the pseudo-legendary's wing, cause it to stagger in the air.
"Dragonite, Hyper Beam!" Iris was clearly panicking already. This is wrong. He is wrong.
"Aerial Ace" Ash calmly said, knowing full well Greninja will do what he intended. Indeed, Greninja flickered out of the path of the Hyper Beam and smashed into the wobbling dragon, causing it to wince once more. The frog had great power behind it's moves, and it would be hard. But Dragonite would pull through for Iris, besides, this is Ash, it's probably a training match... But Ash took full advantage of Iris' hesitation "On it's back into Hyper Beam. Bury it"
Iris couldn't even respond when she heard the ruthless command. "Dragonite, try to fly away..." She said with a shaken voice, but Ash gave no such chances. Dragonite was harshly slammed into the ground, causing a crater around it's point of impact.
"Water Shuriken while you're falling. End it with a Hydro Pump" Ash finally said, Greninja following every order to perfection. It's downward trajectory was decorated with blindingly fast blue blurs slamming into Dragonite's howling visage.
"DRAGONITE NO!" Iris screamed, tears filling her eyes. Before she could react though, she saw a massive torrent of water slamming inside the crater where Dragonite was laying battered and beaten. This is wrong.
Ash knew this was over, feeling Dragonite's unconscious aura. He promptly recall the untouched Greninja. "You were awesome like always my friend. Thank you" he whispered before kissing the ball and attaching it to his chain.
He is wrong. He is very very wrong.
Iris started walking, tears running down her beautiful face.
This is not Ash. This is a mistake. How did this happen? How did any of us let that happen? This is wrong.
She recalled Dragonite on her way to Ash, not able to utter a word to her trusty partner.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
On her way she was already crying, trying hard to keep her tears inside. As got nervous. What the fuck happened to her?
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. WRONG. WRONG-
"WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG" she screamed at him, trying to hit him between every 'wrong'. But Ash just stood there, not having an idea of what was going on. "YOU ARE FUCKING WRONG ASH KETCHUM. I SHOULDN'T EVEN CALL YOU FUCKING ASH KETCHUM" she screamed again between her tears and sobs "Wh-what.. What.. What the FUCK HAPPENED TO YOU?" she screamed, again, and looked him in his eyes. Those beautiful auburn eyes... This time they weren't cold. He was just shocked and confused.
He had no idea what was wrong after all... He tried to hug her, but she punched him in his gut. "Don't touch me Hadrian" she spat at his folded from the hit visage "I will allow Ash Ketchum to touch me, but you are not him. Stick to Hadrian until you bring the Ash we love back" she wiped her tears and her expression was replaced with one that attempted to look harsh. She spared him one last look at stormed inside the restaurant, leaving him wheezing for oxygen on the ground.
"Ah, I see the business meeting went as planned" Lucario quipped when his drunken father wobbled in the room. But he cut the jokes when he saw a river of tears dried on his face. He rushed to hold him up.
"I don't know Lucario" Ash said, sobbing "I told you people only want to hurt you. They just want your pain, both physical and psychological. Why does everyone hate me Lucario?" He grabbed the flabbergasted canine by the shoulder "Do you know? Why do people hurt me and leave me for dead? Why does all the pain of the world rest on my shoulders Lucario? I need answers, PLEASE" Ash hollered and Lucario sweat dropped. "I'm just waiting to die, you know? I'm just waiting to meet Pikachu finally, the only reason I am... holding... on..." Ash trailed off, falling unconscious in Lucario's arms.
"Dinner didn't go well huh?" Paul asked from the doorway, a Hypno standing next to him, holding a sad gaze on the champion. Lucario mentally sighed and carried Ash to the bed, where he unceremoniously dropped him like a sack of potatoes. Ash wouldn't care. He often slept on the bed fully dressed after ruining his liver.
"It seems that things with Aunt Iris went south somewhere. My guess would-" at that moment Greninja forced itself out of the Pokeball. "Gren. Greninja-ja" it said to Lucario, who promptly translated to Paul "Apparently, father and Aunt Iris had a battle. Iris lost."
"Say no more. I can already guess that he was ruthless enough, cleanly beat her and she lost it because the Ash she just battled is nothing like the Ash we all knew. Which" he spared a look at his best friend and sighed "Is true. And his hard headed ass refuses to listen to anyone. We have been trying for years."
"No kidding" a third voice interjected "My sister is still moping about his situation. She has been trying to get him to listen to reason for years and return to his real self, but he just rejects everything she has done. I've caught her crying for this stupid man we call our Champion... This dense fuck fights like a worse 13yo you, Paul"
"Father is an incredible battler, Gladion" Lucario said with genuine confusion, prompting Greninja to face-palm before it went to the balcony.
"I meant in attitude, Lucario" the blonde haired Elite said. He looked roughed up, fitting since he just came back from the Crown Tundra of Galar.
"Normally I would get mad, but..." Paul sighed "It's the truth, again. He doesn't fight like he used to. He doesn't enjoy the sport itself. And he would always berate me, 'You must battle for the sport, not to win' yet look at him... He still thinks power is the only thing that matters"
"What would you think if Electivire got gutted by a Primal Groudon, Uncle Paul?" Paul winced at the mere thought and tried to placate the canine.
"I understand his reasoning, I know why he does all he does. It's a noble, but distorted cause... He already has enough power. He had power. He was one of the strongest trainers ever, now he just had time to grow his skills, and on top of that he removed all restraints. He fights to win, and does everything in order to secure it. Just look at fucking Hyperdark Lance!" The mere mention of the technique cause everyone to flinch. It was too much. Even for him.
"Let's leave him. He is wasted enough, he doesn't need to be choking because we talk behind his back as well" Gladion said and walked away, Paul following him, and Lucario closing the door.
"If that was true Gladion, then Ash would die by choking on his food years ago"
Present Day
Alola Coliseum
He could try faking all he want. He didn't feel the warmth of the stadium. He didn't feel the heat of battle. To the trained eye, it was obvious that he just wanted to finish this fast and leave. He only needed to win. He needed to prove that his efforts were not for naught. He would prove that he is the best. Like no one, ever, was.
But he couldn't enjoy it. His mind was way too fucked up there past 4 days, ever since he woke up hungover from the disastrous dinner. A mind full of hows and whys and whens and questions leading to no answers.
Being the 7th Pikachu Memorial day did not help matters. That's why, when his opponent appeared on the opposite side of the battlefield, the only thing he spared was a cold, emotionless stare. He had no time for nobodies. He had a memory to honor.
Aaaaaand sceeeene. I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as it is a proper start to the journey. As before, I would love to read your reviews or pm's if you feel like it. And this time, Chapter 2 will actually come within the next 2 weeks. I got loads of content up to 7 chapters so far, so it shouldn't be too much trouble. Thank you for reading!