Author's Notes
Konnichiwassup, people! Yaboi is back!
It's been almost a month, huh? To recap, I've been (or at the time of writing this) on my internship in Japan. This past month has been a blast from my own works to the cultures I've experienced. But out of all the cool and amazing stuff in Japan, one thing is forever stuck as number 1 in mah heart:
...The washlet. (Seriously, it's God's gift to humanity)
Now, let's not waste time by going in-depth about a washlet and talk about the meaty stuff.
This chapter's first half is gonna focus more on the relationship dynamics between Ash's Pokefriends and how much important Pikachu is for both them and Ash himself.
Most notably, there's some foreshadowing regarding Pikachu's past and his initial meeting with Ash.
If you guys recall from the earliest chapters, namely the prologues (and also the Pichu days), you could tell that I've left a HUGE blank between Pikachu leaving Mama Kanga all the way to meeting Ash. That blank is VERY VERY important to our resident electric mouse since his origin story is WILD. If you guys wanna know how screwed up it was, then check out Seijun Tombo's Festival of Champions! The very foundation that this fic is based on! (God, I love the story and art)
With that, let's go on to the reviews!
Review Time!
To FictionerA6 and Rajiv, thanks for the kind words! I'm enjoying my internship here with the culture differences. It's really amazing to experience Japan for the very first time.
PalletKing2001:
Why do you use only some of the pokemons of the canon anime Ash?
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For that question, it's cuz keeping them at 6 per region helps me not get jumbled up with personalities since too many Pokémon will overwhelm myself.
Corrupted1:
The whole thing with the creation trio makes complete sense. Though, to clarify, when a trio sends an avatar into a universe, they are like a separate entity, correct? Like they all just don't share the same mind?
Now that you've said Mew is has the clone ability like from Ragnorak... Please tell me Goh is going to deal with the Mew equivalent of "Bitters"? Cause him liking Mew and dealing with that would be just funny.
Man, can't wait till we're like further in, and the new companions are just thinking the same thing as Brendon is: "Is he good?" Especially with each exploit. Meanwhile Serena like "Unfortunately... not without a lack of curbing that."
Ah yes, Chikorita... another female that will also make things harder for Ash. Though, think she'll learn relatively quick where she stands in that department... though she was tenacious. And that vine whip bit... dark. I love it.
As for as I know, cause my knowledge is limited to the anime and certain games, but the fact that it took till like S&V for humans to be like "why not just... stop people from summoning their Pokemon." Course that make things boring for the games, but narratively speaking, Rocket would seem like the people to have that kind of tech, either procure or steal it.
The image of Ash just holding on through a hole in the windshield glaring at them is nuts. And again, love it.
Not going to go too long on it because we're not there yet, but I don't think it was all Carmine's fault with Kieran. It shows she cares for him and is somewhat nice till she eventually becomes better by the end of what, knowing the player for like 4 to 5 days, but dear god her social skills suck. Like saying she is nice cause she didn't hit him and her coming to the player to gossip that he isn't good at a game she forced him to play. Yeah, no surprised he goes through a Joker/Vergil moment because of her actions. Really hope the the second DLC does more with this cause come on!
But still, Kieran still chooses to do these things, like despite knowing he's wrong to do it, and I kinda respect not giving up on his dream, he still fights for ownership of Ogerpon despite her making it clear she has a preference. Again, we knew him for 4, 5 days so more to him than what we see, so Carmine may be right in what he is. Still an ass but still.
Love their designs, regardless. The stupid hair bang in the middle of their face and their eyes when they get serious. Carmine's just funny because of her meltdowns but when Kieran does it, it's kinda intimidating?
And just, I would not be against it if anyone were to have Ogerpon follow them. Maybe bias cause she's new, but she is adorable and tense. Straight up kills her attackers. Also funny in that, she just doesn't care that Kieran and Player are essentially having a custody battle over her.
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Thanks for another lengthy review, Corrupted. Can tell you're psyched for this fic so let's go over the points, shall we?
Creation Trio:
Phew! Thank goodness it makes sense. As for the mind sharing part, again, it's sorta like how the Fate materials book explained it.
Each avatar is born into the 'Earth' with a base personality. Their experiences afterwards is dependent on the 'Earth's' variables.
After that, when that particular universe dies or get pruned or whatever, that information will be sent back to the main body, as if reading a book. (Word for word from the material book).
TLDR: They come from the same baseline but diverged into their own mindset in each reality.
Mew:
Trust me. Bitters is gonna be the first personality Goh is meeting. I'm never gonna budge on that. Shit's too funny NOT to write.
Bringing never meet your heroes to a whole 'nother level.
Companions' reaction:
Yeah, that's actually Fated's main gag, lmao. Everyone who has/is/going to experience the Fated!Ash special is gonna question his sanity more often than not. Doesn't help that he'll probably one-up himself as the years go by.
Chikorita:
Another one on the list, bois.
As for that [Vine Whip] part, you're gonna see the extended cut in this chapter...
Cool Ash moments:
Just goes to show how much he hates Rocket. Hell, I didn't even intend to write that scene like that. It was supposed to show Ash's bloodthirst towards his enemies, but hey! I sure as hell ain't complaining. I gotta write more cool Ash moments... Just him grinning like a crazy person isn't gonna cut it anymore with the whacky shit that's about to come.
Carmine and Kieran:
Kieran is my goat for the first DLC, ngl. A racist and a yandere? Sign me up.
All jokes aside, I kinda get why people think Carmine isn't at fault... because the real villain is the game dialogues.
Like really, game? You're telling me I can't be a decent person towards Kieran? Where's the option to say 'NO' to Carmine's lies?! Bruh.
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Ogerpon is a cutie and deserves to be protected, no objections.
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And that's about it! See ya for a potential chapter before the year's up... Maybe.
Chapter 71: Violet City
"Chik! Chik!" the Grass starter hopped away from Heracross.
Her panicked cries reached the stinging eardrums of the reprimanded Ash as he immediately checked on her. Twisting Misty's hold on his collar, the raven-haired boy went to pick up the little sauropod.
"You alright, Chikorita? You're not too hurt, are ya?" he asked with a grin.
Something was terribly wrong with that question. Chikorita knew it too as she could not understand why the human boy would ever prioritize the safety of her, a stranger he had just met, over himself.
"Chik…"
"Ah… Don't worry about it. I had beef with them as well."
Soon, a swarm of police cars arrived at the crashed vehicle with the frozen Elites wailing in defeat as the Officer Jennys came in droves. Above them, a different presence commanded them as it swooped below, revealing a familiar sight for both Ash and Misty.
A caped man landed off his Dragonite as he greeted the boy in question.
"As I feared, it's really you," a familiar carmine-haired man identified the boy as he returned his Dragonite.
"The one and only," Ash greeted sarcastically.
Lance, the leader of Kanto's Elite Four as well as the Champion of Johto.
"Good grief… I can't tell if you're a trouble seeker or a magnet for it," the man pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I ain't any of them, I'll have you know," the boy protested.
In a sense, Ash was right. He did not deliberately seek for Team Rocket since he set foot onto Johto. In this particular case, Chikorita and his Pokémon were kidnapped by the Elite Trio, which elicited his response.
"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about you. I do remember seeing your mysterious power firsthand after all," Lance whispered to the boy, triggering a nod from him.
Though it would make his fight earlier a lot easier, Ash opted to not bring out his Projections as they served as 'trump card' of sorts. Like his tendency to force his opponents in Standard Battles to reveal their entire 4 moves, the raven-haired boy preferred not to show his entire hand, especially against Neo Rocket of all.
As Lance's yellow eyes fell upon the raven-haired boy, he began to ponder about something before shrugging it off as he decided to focus on the extraction of the Neo Rocket members.
"Now then, you lot are coming with me," the Champion glared.
Three simultaneous audible gulps emanated from Al, Ken, and Harry as they were carried off into one of the police cars.
"Good work, Misty. Sorry that you've got your hands full with him," Lance praised.
"No worries, sir. Leave the babysitting to me," the redhead saluted, snickering at the twitching boy.
"I'm not—"
Ash was immediately cut off by the Johto Champion's swift withdraw.
'Are they mad at me or something?!' he fumed internally.
"C'mon then, kids. Let's get these Pokémon back to their Trainer—"
"YOU WON'T GET AWAY THAT EASILY, PIKACHU BRAT!"
A high-pitched scream of indignation pierced Jenny's words as the trio glared angrily at the raven-haired boy.
"Our Boss will hunt you down!"
"Our Admins will flay you alive!"
"The Three Beasts are already onto you, shitty brat!"
With their last cries, the trio were taken away, leaving behind a worried Misty.
She took a fleeting glance at Ash, barely noticing a flash of emotionless void in his eyes as he clenched his fist before turning away from the speeding car.
"Let's go," the raven-haired boy switched to a beaming smile towards Chikorita.
That sight did not went unnoticed by the redhead.
.
.
.
Route Centre, Route 30
The two made it back to the Centre with the stolen pokemon in tow. Chikorita, cold from the thrusting winds, was wrapped in Ash's blue vest as they entered the heated Centre.
"Yo," Ash grinned at a boiling Brendan with Pikachu and Froakie mirroring the boy's expression.
"Don't 'yo' me! What the heck were you thinking?!" the white-hatted boy yelled.
"…What do you mean?"
"What do I…?!"
Brendan was about to go off again before he noticed the inquisitive look on Ash's face, his expression wondering why he was considered in the wrong. Normally, people in the raven-haired boy's position would look away in guilt due to their reprimanding actions. However, Ash himself was a total unknown case for someone as emotional as Brendan.
'He… He really doesn't get it…' the white-hatted boy could not believe his eyes.
"I don't really get why you guys are even angry. But if I did something wrong, then sorry," Ash apologized casually.
'That's right. Chikorita and the others were in trouble, so there shouldn't be any problems…' he mused to himself before quirking a brow at his two companions.
'…So why are they looking at me like that?'
Pikachu and Froakie could only sigh at their Trainer's cluelessness.
As the Centre was up-and-running once more, Ash promptly handed the Grass starter back to Nurse Joy, who was more than happy to treat the wounded sauropod.
However,…
"Chik!" Chikorita squealed, not willing to part with Ash.
Chikorita pleaded with big soft eyes of red as she silently begged the boy to stay for the whole healing.
"Urk…" the raven-haired boy had to shield his eyes from the cute display before sighing to himself.
"…Fine, I'll stay."
Seeing no way to escape, Ash stayed with Chikorita through every process of Joy's healings.
"This is remarkable. To think this little girl's part of the Chikorita herd," the nurse commented as she tended to the Grass starter's wounds.
"Chikorita herd? Are Chikoritas common in this route?" Ash asked curiously.
"Yes, or rather… they were."
The little sauropod bit her lip as she heard the sympathy from the healer's words.
"What happened to them?" Brendan initiated in trepidation.
Misty and Ash already had an inkling but for the novice who just began his journey, he was clueless towards the hidden darkness of the outside world.
"…After the disbandment of the Kanto's Team Rocket, the Neo Rocket of Johto started appearing a little over 2 months ago," the nurse replied.
'2 months… That's around the time I was in the Orange Islands,' Ash counted back.
"They began to run amok around Johto so much to the point our Johto Champion, Lance, had to temporarily rescind his Elite Four seat in Kanto for his duties here."
"Around that time, the Chikorita herd here, famed for their public challenges against Trainers were… visited by those nefarious people."
Brendan needed no further context as to what Nurse Joy was implying.
"They pillaged their home near the mountainside and robbed many of their members as their minions. If not for this little one, I would have thought the Chikoritas here were all gone."
Pikachu and Froakie eyed sorrily towards the grimacing Chikorita as they understood her reason for challenge. To grow stronger so that no humans would ever harm her home ever again.
The raven-haired boy said nothing, nor did he show any signs of anger on his face.
Squeeze.
However, a small tighten from his gloved hand that held Chikorita's stubby front leg was more than enough to convey his feelings towards the Grass starter.
'Neo Rocket…'
'I'll show you damn bastards no mercy.'
.
.
.
A few days later, Chikorita recovered without any difficulties.
"Chik!" Chikorita cried resolutely.
"Huh? Ya sure?" the raven-haired boy blinked in surprise.
Brendan and Misty watched the two as they had been for the past days since Ash's chase. On the second day, they began noticing Chikorita sticking closer to the raven-haired boy.
…
After that, it snowballed into a situation of scuffles up to yesterday…
"Arf! Arf!" Nana barked at Chikorita.
"Chik! Chik!" Chikorita growled back.
As it turned out, Nana kept harassing the Grass type as she kept gluing herself to Ash, to which the latter responded back in kind. The human boy thought they were merely bonding in a rivalry, causing his companions to stare at him in disbelief.
'This dude gotta be the densest guy I've ever seen!' Brendan was still flabbergasted towards Ash's blindness.
The white-hatted boy took a while but finally realized that his Pokémon had a oh-so-little crush on Ash. Chikorita's appearance made it more apparent.
…
"What did she say?" Brendan asked.
"She wants me to take her to her home," Ash answered.
Misty pondered for a moment before breaking into a smile towards the shy Chikorita.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
And off they went.
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.
.
The muffled steps on the cold snow were the only sound heard as the trio arrived at their location. Chikorita sniffed the air, allowing herself a wistful smile as she had returned home.
The bloodred eyes scanned the area of the sauropod's home:
It was a barren land of white.
No denizens could be seen roaming despite being a flourishing place in the past. The snowy earth was uneven, indicating traces of battles littered around. The charred trees stood out as they were painted around the white land.
Greenery had long gone before even the cold came.
Not only that…
They saw a few buried bodies of Chikoritas, hidden away by the merciless snow.
"Those people…!" the white-hatted boy gritted his teeth in anger.
"…" Misty closed her eyes as she paid respects to the ones that had fallen here.
Ash placed Chikorita on the ground, walking with her as they accompanied each other through her destroyed home.
Accursed humans.
'I agree,' the raven-haired boy darkened to himself.
Zacian held animosity in her voice, as did her godson.
Normally, the woman would keep her feelings to herself, not wanting to cloud her godson's thoughts. But seeing the saddened Chikorita and the state of her homeland brought back visages of her own past.
'Zacian… Do you think Caliburn can heal this place?' Ash wondered.
Unfortunately, nay. Tis beyond the capabilities of the Sword.
He nodded. To him, it was worth a try, even if he knew the answer.
"Key Items: Shovel."
A sturdy shovel materialized in his hands as the Bag allowed. Pikachu and Froakie nodded to their Trainer as they got to work.
"Chik?" Chikorita wiped away her tear.
"C'mon. Let's make sure they pass on properly," Ash patted her head.
Brendan and Misty gathered stones while their Pokémon searched for the bodies. Nana's nose was an excellent tracker as she could even track the concealed smell. However, she could only do so much before the wilting bodies took a toll on her.
Misty and Brendan stumbled onto some as well, they too were unable to stomach the grotesque sights.
"I'll do it."
But Ash's expression betrayed no signs of revulsion nor horror. It was an expression that showed nothing.
Each hole he dug, he did it without a word.
Each corpse he wrapped, he did it without a tear.
And finally, for each grave he covered, Ash finished without even a moment of repulsion.
It was simply a robot doing its tasks.
Soon, the field of white snow was arranged with graves of Chikorita's clan, decorated with stacked rocks atop of them.
Ka-chak!
Ash stabbed the shovel into the cold earth as he sat next to a sombre Chikorita, silently gazing upon the cemetery of fallen Grass starters with her. Beside him, Pikachu and Froakie made themselves comfortable in-between his cross-legged position.
Brendan and Misty watched from behind, feeling that it was best if Ash took care of this. The redhead may get on his case a lot, but she would never deny that Ash always had the right words to cheer people up. Case in point, his piercing declaration to Gary.
"Chik…?" (Will I ever be free from the pain…?)
"I don't know."
"Chik, Chikorita." (My family are all gone.)
"…"
The Grass starter turned upwards to find an unbothered look in Ash's eyes when he did not give an answer.
"…I don't know my family."
It was a startling start to Chikorita, her eyes widened in shock.
"I don't even remember my mother's face, nor do I have pictures of her."
"…From the very beginning, I was never given a blood relative."
"But Chikorita… You remember them, right?"
Chikorita nodded vigorously, not allowing herself to self-doubt.
"Then, keep them close to your heart. Unlike me, you know their warmth."
"Cherish them in your memories. That way…"
A gentle warmth spread from Chikorita's head as Ash caressed her with a genuine smile.
"They'll always be with you."
Drip.
"Chik…!"
Warm tears fell onto the cold land as Chikorita leapt into Ash's arms, the latter accepting her without a second thought.
"I won't look so cry all you want," Ash patted her back as he continued gazing towards the graves, ignoring Chikorita as she cried into his clothes.
"Pikapi," Pikachu muttered to his partner.
"Kero," Froakie croaked.
Silently, he mouthed to his two Pokémon to not disturb the Grass starter:
Take. Care. Of. Her.
With that, the 3 silently took care of the weeping sauropod.
…
Brendan was at a loss for words.
'Incredible…' was all he could think of.
A Pokémon that had every reason to resent humans… was now crying her heart out into a human's arms.
"Ash may seem dumb at times," Misty started with the white-hatted boy listening attentively.
"But he's never stupid. Everything he does, all the infuriating situations he gets himself in…"
"Ash does it to help others. Just as he did when he fought off Neo Rocket."
In an instant, Brendan's mind clicked. Every single action Ash had taken, every outlandish situation he landed himself in…
'It was always for someone,' he finally realized.
'He doesn't care if it's for a human or Pokémon. He just… does it.'
"But that's…"
Never once for himself. Always wanting to help everyone.
…Because helping everyone could never be wrong.
Such a revelation washed over Brendan. And just as quickly…
He realized the hypocrisy in Ash's actions.
"That's… That's so selfish of him…" Brendan pitied the boy.
"And now you know why he drives me crazy," the redhead sighed.
Misty eyed Ash like a protective sister. The way he lived his life, his mindset. All of it was vexing for her to watch.
'Daisy realized it early on. Brendan got it the quickest,' she thought.
'…So why don't you get it?'
Misty knew why. She heard it from both Gary and Blue. Not only that, but the reason was also uttered from Ash himself:
"I don't even remember my mother's face, nor do I have pictures of her."
"…From the very beginning, I was never given a blood relative."
"…I really can't let him out of my sight."
.
.
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"Now then, let's go," Ash announced.
The Johto trio were finally back on the road as they prepared to travel to Violet City. The location of both Ash and Brendan's first Johto Badge.
"Thanks for everything, Nurse Joy," Brendan bowed to the nurse.
"It was no matter. I should be thanking all of you instead," she smiled.
"Thank you for bringing peace to the Chikorita herd."
Of course, Ash said his go-to phrase, causing both Pikachu and Froakie to roll their eyes at their Trainer.
"Chik!" Chikorita blushed as she eyed Ash expectantly.
"…?" the raven-haired boy quirked a brow.
Whack!
"Ow, what the heck, Misty?!" Ash rubbed the back of his head.
"Are you really going to play with a maiden's heart like that?" Misty deadpanned.
"That's a real scummy move, Ash. Not gonna lie," Brendan agreed.
"You too, Brendan?!"
Seeing this as well as the nervous expression on Chikorita's face, Nurse Joy came to the rescue.
"I think she wants to be with you, Ash."
The wording was embarrassing but Chikorita felt a smug smile creeping up on her face, silently thankful to Nurse Joy's masterful sentencing.
"Eh? Really?" Ash blinked owlishly towards the sauropod.
"Chik!"
Seeing the big red eyes brimming with excitement got Ash the message. With a grin, he took out a PokéBall and presented it to Chikorita.
"Well then, Chikorita. Welcome to the team!" the raven-haired boy gave a big smile.
With a small headbutt, Chikorita was captured into the Ball. The capsule did not even shake and went straight into its starry jingle function.
'Fast!' Brendan and Misty exclaimed in their minds.
"Let's get along, Chikorita!"
.
.
.
Night fell and the two companions retreated to their tents in the nearby woods. Ash stayed up for a lengthier time, his habit of staying vigilant from his first year returning in full force after his encounter with the Elite trio.
'It's been a while since I've stayed up this long,' Ash thought to himself.
"Pikapi," Pikachu squeaked behind him.
The Trainer turned back, surprised to find his smaller Pokémon waiting for him in the tent. Seeing them like that, he gave a reassured smile as he waved them off.
"Go sleep. I'll go to bed when I'm tired," he said.
'Probably not for today, but I'll just tell them that.'
Seeing his partner's ears droop strained his heart but Ash knew that Pikachu understood. After all, their relationship was at the point where they needed no words to communicate their thoughts.
With a sigh, Ash summoned his two bigger Pokémon: Charizard and Heracross.
"Gra—!"
Ash clamped his orange dragon's snout shut before he could roar.
"Dude, it's already night," the boy deadpanned.
Charizard blinked as he glanced at his surroundings before sheepishly rubbing his elongated neck while shushing himself, amusing Ash.
"This is perfect timing. Go introduce yourselves to Chikorita. You guys can play till you're tired," Ash grinned to them.
…
"Pika, pikachu?" (Was Ashy tired?)
"Grr, grah." (Nah, he's still looking at the stars.)
As the oldest members of the team, Pikachu and Charizard were aware of their Trainer's fondness for stargazing. Since he was in his trance of stars, they rather not bother him.
"Chik, chik…" (Maybe I should accompany my beloved…)
"Pi, pika." (Froakie, stop her.)
"Ke roro." (Aye, aye.)
Chikorita was held back by several Frubbles stuck onto her stubby legs.
"Chik, chik!" (Lemme go, toad!)
"Kero…" (I'm a frog, lady…)
Charizard and Pikachu stuffed a giggle down their throats at their friend's correction.
"Kiek, kiek?" (Do you call Master by his name?)
Heracross wondered for a while since this was his first time being captured. He had heard stories in the forest of how Trainers caught Pokémon as their servants and was puzzled as to why Ash's Pokémon referred to him so familiarly.
"Grah, grr." (Just call Ashy by his name. He doesn't like it if you call him Master.)
"Pikachu…" (I don't have that problem though…)
The electric mouse's friends looked at him with a 'Really?' face full of sarcasm, to which he laughed.
"Chik, chik!" (So you're the final boss between me and my love!)
Chikorita totally got the wrong message.
'Pikachuuu…' (Another one into the list…)
'Grr?' (Another one, huh?)
'Kerooo…' (He got another one…)
Sometimes the 3 Pokémon wondered how their Trainer could be so effective while simultaneously being so ineffective.
"Chikorita?" (So, who's my beloved's partner?)
Both Charizard and Froakie immediately pointed to Pikachu, snickering away as they watched Pikachu sweatdrop towards an irritated Chikorita.
"Kero." (He's screwed.)
"Grah, grr." (Let's watch how he gets outta this.)
Froakie jumped onto Charizard's head as they prepared to enjoy the fiasco that was about to ensue.
"Chik! Chikorita!" (Watch out, rat! I'm going to usurp your position soon!)
'Pika…' (I'm a mouse though…)
Froakie wheezed alongside the orange dragon as they crashed onto the grass laughing.
"Pikachu. Pika." (Sorry, Chikorita. But that's something I'm unwilling to give up on.)
"Chi?!" (Pardon?!)
"Pikapi, Pikachu. Pika." (I'm Ash's first Pokémon. He made an oath with me when he saved me.)
Pikachu recalled his first meeting with the raven-haired boy. It was no pretty encounter; rather, it went beyond starting off on the wrong foot. The electric mouse was an unpleasant company back then, so much so that he began to feel embarrassed whenever he remembered his previous state.
However, he would periodically recollect himself back into the past. The reason being Ash himself. The raven-haired boy never once showed him hostility, only mild annoyance at best. Despite that, Ash's genuine will to help the mouse was something that still touched his heart to this day.
It was a warmth he would never forget. A warmth that Pikachu sought to give his precious partner.
And… That fateful day.
Chikorita widened her red eyes as she watched a thankful expression on Pikachu's face with Heracross mirroring her expression. Charizard and Froakie stayed silent, they knew when their leader was serious.
Charizard, the second Pokémon to join Ash.
He had deep-rooted respect for Pikachu since the Starter Selection. He remembered his old self, weak-willed and timid.
Back then, all he could do was hide behind Oak when it was time for the selection. It was so bad that he could not meet the then-10-year-olds in the eyes. But then…
"Then I'll pick Charmander."
Charizard remembered Ash's extended hand towards him. Normally, this single action would not be enough for his timid self to accept the boy's hand, but what captivated him was the boy's bloodred eyes. They held a warmth of kindness while at the same time, carried passionate flames that would never bow to anyone.
Any Fire type would be overjoyed to join such a Trainer. Just as their Typing suggested, the Fire types were generally temperamental, second only to the Dragons.
Charizard's timidity back then was an oddity, but under Ash's command and nurturing, he quickly grew into the powerhouse he was after a little over a year.
"Pikapi! Pikachu!" (I'm Ash's partner! There's no way I'll let anyone take my place!)
Hearing this, Heracross and Chikorita was stunned by the bold declaration by the admittedly small Pokémon while Charizard and Froakie grinned at their leader.
'Chik…' (This is making me feel embarrassed…)
"Pikachu, pika." (Besides, if you wanna be Ashy's favourite, you best give up.)
Chikorita was confused as to what the electric mouse meant before slowly realizing the implication.
"Chiiikkk?!" (My beloved is already taken?!)
.
.
.
In the front, Ash watched the stars as he guarded Misty and Brendan's tents. His insomniac nature already returning completely.
'The stars are nice today,' he noted the night sky.
Indeed, they are.
'You might give me a heart attack one day if you keep showing up outta nowhere.'
And yet, I can sense thy elation, Tonelico.
'Touché.'
Even if Zacian came and went as she pleased, Ash had never been surprised nor shocked by her whimsical voicings. In fact, he was always happy to hear her pleasant voice chiming in his mind.
"…Hey, Zacian?"
Yes, dearest?
"Why do you call me Tonelico?"
Though Ash could not see her, nor had he ever saw her face, the raven-haired boy could feel Zacian giving him a smile.
Tis the seed that gave root to thy bloomed name.
"So you named me?" Ash understood her archaic words.
'No wonder she calls herself my godmother…'
Aye.
Then two felt comfortable with each other. Ash, aware of being Zacian's Incarnation, realized his comfort with her was due to their familiar and intimate connection.
Oh, right. Tonelico?
"Yeah?"
Do take caution with thy flirtatious nature towards the opposite gender.
"You too?!" he exasperated aloud.
Ash was getting sick of hearing others chiding his 'normal behaviour', mistaking it for flirting.
Listen closely, Tonelico.
"Oh, oh… Yeah?"
The firm tone from Zacian grabbed Ash's attention as he unconsciously straightened up, awaiting her words.
Thou art a sweet boy. To see thee display such kindness does wonders to this frigid heart of mine.
'That's a little embarrassing to hear…' Ash frowned.
However, modest in thy affections, thou art not. The usual fondness thoust exhibit… Tis already the level of a lover.
'…Wat?'
By Gaia's graces, this boy…! Your default display of camaraderie with both people and Pokémon are far beyond what normal humans show!
"…Oh. Ohhh…"
He got it.
Ash's show of friendship and helpfulness was incredibly intimate that most would mistake it for 'love'. With Zacian beating it into his head, he was finally aware of his misunderstandings.
"…Sorry," Ash planted his forehead onto the grass to seemingly no one.
Pardon? There is no need for apologies, Tonelico.
The exasperation gone, Zacian's voice returned to its gentleness.
As I have said, I enjoy thy clueless nature, Tonelico. Tis a source of entertainment for me. However, do be mindful of thy displays from now on.
'But I can't help it though… That's my 'normal',' Ash grumbled.
Tis heartbreaking for me if I had to tell my goddaughter-in-law about thy infidelities.
"Hol' up now, let's not get hasty!" Ash jerked into panic.
"Wait, no! Who're ya calling 'goddaughter-in-law'?!"
Tis the time to make my grand escape~ Fufufu~
"Wait, Zacian—! Damnit, she got away…"
With Zacian's retreat, all that was left was a blushing mess that was Ash, clearly aware of who his guardian was referring to.
.
.
.
Violet City, Johto Region (Days later…)
"We're finally hereee!" Brendan cheered as the group entered the city.
"Sure took a while," Ash whistled at the infrastructure designs around him.
After that night, it was a blur of days that hazed the group's measure of time. On the bright side, however, they managed to arrive at their destination without any sense of fatigue whatsoever.
"Violet City. The city of nostalgic scents," the raven-haired boy read the sign of the city.
He stopped to take in the smell of the breeze, tickling his nose with familiar scents. The scent of baby-breath flowers, to be exact.
'Yellow…' he allowed a small tug on the corner of his lips.
"Ash! Imma head off to the Gym first!" Brendan grinned before speeding off to the grandest building in the city.
Of course, it was Violet Gym. Despite its name, the appearance was that of a tower. A spiralling tower with a top resembling a hat's brim.
'Throwing in a guess, it's probably a battlefield up there,' Ash hazarded a guess.
"Ash, I'll go with Brendan to make sure he stays out of trouble," Misty sighed.
"In exchange, go check out the Sprout Tower."
Ash quirked a brow at her suggestion.
"Honestly, are you really here just for the Gym battle?" the redhead chided.
"When you're at someplace new, it's always nice to explore and enjoy it, right?"
Her words carried meaning, and Ash nodded.
"I guess you're right. Fine, I'll take a look there."
"Hm, hm~ Good boy," Misty was pleased.
With that, the two separated with the older Trainer leaving to accompany the white-hatted boy ahead while the raven-haired boy sauntered off towards Sprout Tower.
'He's not about to dive headfirst into trouble now, is he?' Misty worried.
…
Sprout Tower, Johto Region
"It's tall…" Ash witnessed the top of the building.
"Pika…" / "Kero…" the two Pokémon watched in awe at the size of the tower.
Sprout Tower was a three-tiered tower with multiple eaves. Its structure was solely made from wood, creating a multi-story effect. The tower itself was 100-foot tall, or roughly 30 metres in height.
'The most interesting part about this place is…'
Froakie pulled out the brochure in his mane and with the help of Pikachu at the opposite shoulder, spread it out for all three of them to read.
"A giant Bellsprout that was also a 100-foot tall," Ash read.
"Pikapi?" the electric mouse squeaked curiously.
"Who knows? There probably was a Bellsprout that huge back then."
"Kero, kero," the blue frog pointed at the building's pillar on the brochure.
"Oh, that? The tower's using jūkōzō technology so that it's more resilient to earthquakes."
Ash was aware of the building's structural logic and understood it since it was something he watched with Blue and Gary, a documentary of Sprout Tower back when they were still in Pallet Town.
"Hey, look! That guy's got two Pokémon on his shoulders!"
A shrill voice caught the three's attention as the two Pokémon folded the brochure away from their Trainer's face, revealing a group of children pointing at him to Ash.
Seeing the wilful exclamation on the child's face, Ash decided to mess with him by turning back to see who he was talking to. Pikachu and Froakie mirrored him, seeing the mischievous glint in the boy's eyes.
"I'm talking to you!" the child barked, much to Ash's amusement.
Just then, a woman approached the group of children and began frantically bowing to Ash.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I hope these kids haven't caused a problem!" the woman apologized.
"Um… Nah. It's fine, ma'am," the boy bowed back.
As Ash took a closer look at the navy-haired woman, he realized from her outfit that she was a teacher, which made sense for her to be leading a group of children.
"There's a school here?" Ash blurted out.
"Pikachu," the electric mouse turned his partner's head towards a certain direction, leading him towards a humble institute of learning nearby.
"Oh."
Upon the raven-haired boy's blurt, the woman lit up as she introduced herself.
"Yes! I'm Priscilla of Violet City's school: Earl's Pokémon Academy," she greeted.
Seeing her greetings, Ash smiled back as he replied in kind.
"I'm Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, the future Pokémon Master! Nice to meetcha!"
The strongest version of his introduction, the boy would make it his go-to intro from now on.
"Ash… Ah! Are you perhaps…?!" Priscilla gasped in recognition.
"Ah, that guy's Red of Pallet Town!" one of the children exclaimed.
Like dominoes, the children roared in enthusiasm as they began to recognize the raven-haired boy, causing him to rub his cheek sheepishly.
"Yeah, Red of Pallet Town. But call me Ash since that's my real name."
The children nodded in excitement before suddenly…
"So what?!" an audacious voice erupted.
The owner was a blue-eyed boy with unruly black hair that glared haughtily at the raven-haired boy.
"He's just a loser who couldn't even show up to the Grand League Finals!"
Hearing this, Priscilla proceeded to scold the boy for his rude remarks.
"Zackie, that was very rude!"
"Yeah, Zackie!" a redheaded girl chided the boy as well.
"Ugh, you're such a teacher's pet, Lizzy!"
'This is a headache…' Ash rubbed his temples.
The now-identified Zackie just landed himself on both Pikachu and Froakie's blacklist. Not only that…
Poof!
"Chik! Chik!"
'Damnit, headache #2 just came out!'
Chikorita scowled at the boy, prompting Ash to pick her up to soothe the sauropod.
"Calm down, Chikorita. It ain't a big deal."
"See?! He can't even control a weak Chikorita!" Zackie accused with a shriek.
Ash almost let go of Chikorita… Almost.
Now he had 3 Pokémon on his body ready to deal some payback for the kid's harsh accusations against their Trainers.
"Alright, time out!" Ash shouted decisively.
…
Lining his 3 Pokémon up away from the children, Ash knelt to their level with an accepting gaze.
"Chik, chik!" Chikorita cried out vehemently.
"Don't let it get to you, Chikorita," he patted her head gently.
"Chik…"
"Kero, kero!" Froakie swiped a glowing dagger from his back.
"No, we're not gonna [Cut] a kid today, buddy."
Froakie slowly put down the dagger with a disappointed look.
"Pikapi…"
Pomf.
"C'mon, partner. Ya already know this ain't a problem for me," Ash rubbed his partner's cheeks.
The small sparks that flew were already accustomed by the raven-haired boy, who had unknowingly built quite a resistance towards Electric-based attacks.
"I'm truly sorry, Ash. That child's a problematic one," Priscilla came over and apologized again.
"Nah, it's fine. I did fail to show up, after all," Ash grinned.
'That's because you were in a coma!' was what his Pokémon were thinking.
Chikorita was especially livid since she had recently known of her Trainer's exploits and mighty proud of him. A foolish child who had not experienced even a fraction of her Trainer's adventures should not be legally allowed to criticize him, according to the Grass starter.
Froakie was slightly more mature about it, but the ignorance of Zackie caused him to almost fly off the handle. The only reason he regained composure was due to Ash's reassurance as well as Pikachu holding him back. If not for those two, the blue frog would have never let that slide. He respected his Trainer that much, after all.
Just as Ash was trying to calm them down, Pikachu heard footsteps approaching behind him. As it turned out, it was Zackie with a determined look on his face.
"Hey, Pikachu."
"Leave that guy and be my Pokémon."
"…Pika?"
Priscilla caught Zackie's outlandish demand and was already strutting towards him.
"Pikachu…" the electric mouse shook his head.
"Grr… What's so great about that guy anyway?!" Zackie threw a tantrum upon his rejection.
The child's outburst caused everyone to stare at him, including Ash and his team.
Poof!
"ROOOAAARRR!"
Charizard summoned himself in a fit of rage upon hearing Zackie's pompous declaration towards his best friend.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu dissuaded his friend, causing the orange dragon to halt his pursuit, held back only by Ash and Froakie on his head.
"Grrah, grr?!" (How dare that pipsqueak even think of something like that?!)
"Kero. Kero, kero." (I know. But let Pika take care of this.)
But Zackie was not going down without trying.
"Khh! Then…!"
The child suddenly jerked towards Ash, stunned by his sudden dash, and swiped a Ball from the raven-haired boy's belt.
"This is your PokéBall, right?!" Zackie showed a capsule with a lightning bolt on it.
'That's…!' Ash paled.
"Zackie! Stop this at once!" Priscilla shouted indignantly but the child ignored her.
Contrary to what he thought, Pikachu was visibly shaken. Fear crept onto his yellow fur, rendering him unable to move. His eyes were cladded with fright as he eyed his prison, stunned to even breath.
'Pi...! Pi...!' the electric mouse hyperventilated.
"Now you're mine, Pika—"
One second.
Zackie was seeing a frightened Pikachu shaking on the ground.
And the next…
He was face to face with a pair of bloodred orbs.
"Oi."
Worthless maggot.
"Don't you dare use that against Pikachu."
Thou should have never angered me.
Both Ash and Zacian were equally pissed.
Their patience evaporated when they saw Pikachu shaken.
The raven-haired boy's Pokémon immediately covered their leader, glaring with disgust at Zackie.
"Uh… I… Uh…!"
The amount of bloodlust emanating from Ash's eyes was more than enough to soak Zackie's pants as he began to sniffle.
"UWWWAAAAHHHHH!"
Zackie broke down in tears with Priscilla coming over to check on him while Ash strode towards his Pokémon hurriedly.
"Pikapi…" the electric mouse held out his arms towards his Trainer.
Glomp.
"Shh… I'm here," his partner whispered as he picked him up.
Though jealous, Chikorita opted to let this one slide for now, especially after seeing the mighty Pikachu frightened. It was enough to make her angry at Zackie.
"Pikapi…" he muffled into Ash's neck.
"I'm sorry. I should've put your Ball away."
The electric mouse slowly calmed down; his heart rate lessened back to its normal.
What gave his strength back were the memories of that fateful day.
…
"Keep: Pikachu's Ball," Ash kept his partner's capsule into digital space.
"I'm truly sorry, Ash. I'll reprimand Zackie for this," the teacher glared at the crying boy.
"…Can I talk to him for a sec?" the raven-haired boy requested.
Kneeling to the weeping boy's level, Ash began.
"Hey, Zackie."
"Sniff… What?"
The child was still a mess.
'Couldn't you have gone easier?' Ash gave a thousand-yard stare.
Hmph. That worm dared to lord ownership over little Pikachu.
'I mean, I get it but…'
It was a tad overkill.
"You wanna be a Trainer, right?" Ash asked, to which the boy nodded.
"Then, lemme tell you of some bad guys I met."
The bloodred eyes of the raven-haired boy deadened as he recalled the heinous crimes of his enemies.
What they did, what they were doing as well as what they would do.
"Those bad guys hurt Pokémon. They don't care if they cry or scream."
"What matters to them is that they're profitable. It's a bonus if they're strong."
"I've met them several times during my journey to Kanto. Each meeting I had, the deeper the pit in my stomach grew."
Hmm… Tis a tad 'overkill', as thou said before, no?
'Yeah, yeah. I can heard the sarcasm in your voice.'
Zackie was terrified.
His schoolmates' faces were horrified. Even Priscilla was disturbed.
"Can you imagine what it's like to find an orphaned child, his mother taken away from him by a horn to the chest?"
The Kanto team frowned upon remembering the horrid experience Marowak had to face.
"Can you imagine what it's like to bury a herd, a family, into the ground, knowing the fact that there was a high chance they would've never gotten a proper burial?"
Chikorita and Heracross' faces were sullen, the former's lips trembled slightly.
"Wha… What's the point of you telling me this?!" Zackie burst out, trying to mitigate his fears.
"Because those same people steal Pokémon. Just like what you were about to do."
Those two sentences silenced the child. Zackie tried to persuade himself that Ash was merely bluffing with such grotesque examples…
But one look at his eyes gave him the answer:
They were no hypothetical examples. They were true experiences that Ash had to go through.
"I'm not telling you this to scare you all," the raven-haired boy assured as he stood up.
"What I'm trying to tell you is simple, Zackie:"
A simple smile dispersed the gloominess. Zackie looked at the Trainer in the eye, shocked that despite the horrendous sights he had witnessed, his eyes were still shining with hope.
"Learn to understand Pokémon. Their feelings and listen to them."
"And while you're at it, walk with them."
"That's what it means to be a Pokémon Trainer," Ash finished.
'Don't be like those Rockets. Be better than them.'
Zackie felt a surge of warmth in his words, his blue eyes wandered back to Pikachu, who gave him a look that answered his previous question:
"That's what's great about my partner."
…
"Once again, I'm really sorry about Zackie's behaviour," Priscilla continued apologizing.
"Really, it's fine. Besides, I can tell he got the message," Ash glanced at a more determined Zackie alongside his friend, Lizzy.
"Ah, as a token of gratitude, may I ask that you join us in our field trip to Sprout Tower?"
Ash was surprised. To think the group was also thinking of visiting the Tower, though as he thought more about it, it got more and more obvious.
"I'd be happy to, Miss Priscilla," Ash bowed.
"Wonderful. Though… are you alright?" she sweatdropped.
As she took a wider look, Priscilla noticed all his Pokémon tightly hanging onto him, with a hint of thankfulness in their eyes.
They were really touched by his words and acted upon their urge to get closer to their Trainer.
"Ahaha… Don't mind them," the boy scratched his nose.
.
.
.
Sprout Tower, Johto Region
'Woah, it really sways,' Ash noted the singular pillar of the Tower.
"Pikapi, chu!" Pikachu marvelled at the machinations of the building.
"Kero?" Froakie wondered aloud how such an unstable support could stand against the test of time.
To think there was one here…
'Zacian?'
Pay me no heed. What was it you called it, Tonelico? Jū… kō…?
'Jūkōzō?' Ash assisted the tongue-twisted guardian.
Aye… Forgive me, the Eastern language is rather difficult for me.
'It's fine, Zacian. It's not really a common word, after all.'
In any case, tis a fascinating concept for stability, especially against quakes.
'Did you have earthquakes where you lived?'
Ash was growing more curious about his guardian's past as the longer she stayed by his side with each time she communicated with him.
Nay. However, my birthplace was met with some degree of collapse due to erosion.
'Erosion? Was it close to a hill or mountain?'
Aye, but the reason was due to the coast, rather than the slopes.
Ash showed surprise on his face. He heard a mixture of fondness and sadness in Zacian's voice. Knowing this, he surmised that she really loved her home and from the sadness in her voice, it was very likely her homeplace was destroyed.
Oh, how I wish I could show thee my ho—
"Hey, Ash!" Zackie called.
"Huh? Oh, yeah?" Ash was snapped out of his mental chat.
This little…
Zacian was getting more and more frustrated with the child's interruption.
'Dearest godmother, he's just a kid…' Ash appeased the best he could.
Hmph. See to it that he does not annoy me further, dearest godson.
'Roger that.'
With that, Zacian retreated from his mind, leaving the raven-haired boy to his own.
"What's up, Zackie?" Ash asked.
"What's that?" the little boy tugged his blue vest, pointing at a monk.
Upon closer inspection, Ash noticed a box of charms next to the monk, cluing him on what it was.
"Ah, that? Those are luck charms," the raven-haired boy answered.
"Luck charms? What do they do?"
"You pick one from the box and open it. Then, there'll be a paper inside that'll tell what fortune you'll have for the rest of the year."
'Not like it'll matter since the year's about to end.'
As Ash glanced back, he saw the group of children staring at the box with starry eyes, eliciting a sigh from the raven-haired boy.
"Excuse me, how much for the charms?"
…
"Wow, I got 'Very Good Luck'!" one of them cheered.
"That's so cool! I got 'Medium Luck'!" another cried out.
Seeing the children happy made Ash conclude it was money well spent. And he had it in spades.
"Thank you so much, Ash," Priscilla thanked.
"It's the least I can do since you've invited me to this little field trip."
Priscilla herself had gotten 'Excellent Luck', the best luck of all of them. Not only that, sharing her spot at the top were both Zackie and Lizzy, both of whom had gotten 'Excellent Luck' as well.
"What did you get, Ash?" Priscilla asked.
"Hahaha…" Ash chuckled with dead eyes.
On his paper wrote: 'Worst Luck'.
"The usual, I guess…"
The Trainer was the only one who had gotten such rotten luck out of everyone. It was such an impossible situation that one could say it looped back around to being 'lucky' due to the enormous odds.
'Zacian, make me lucky…' he bemoaned his fortune.
Fufu… I'm afraid meeting your beloved hast taken all your life's worth of fortune, Tonelico.
'…Fair enough.'
The guardian's words gave him happiness since he believed meeting Serena was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
'If that's the case, by all means, gimme the worst of worst.'
DONG! DONG! DONG!
'…Eh?'
The monks of Sprout Tower were alarmed as smoke began to descend upon the group. The signs of fire.
"Everyone, get out of the Tower!" the monks ordered.
"Kids, follow the monks!" Priscilla shouted panickily.
Pikachu and Froakie stared at their Trainer with a thousand-yard stare while Zacian was trying her best not to laugh.
"Pikapi…"
Peace for the clan.
"Kero…"
Brewing trouble.
…Pft.
Chapter 71: Violet City
"Goddamnit."