"This is a weird feeling," Dawn said, as they crested a hill and got a good view of Mount Coronet. "Recognizing this place, I mean."

"Hmm," Ash frowned, thinking. "I guess… this is somewhere you went hundreds of years ago, right?"

Dawn nodded, and Ash kept going. "So it's a bit like when you go back somewhere and it's different, because things have changed, only it's way more time than most people have to deal with that happening. And at the same time, you only saw it a few months ago for you, so you really didn't expect it to change much because for you it's like there hasn't been time for it to change."

He looked down for a moment. "I wonder if something like that is going to happen with me," he admitted. "Not the, not much time, bit. But… you know, coming back somewhere and it's totally different because hundreds of years have passed."

"Don't be sad, Dad," Koraidon pleaded. "Plus, don't forget, with Walking Wake and Iron Leaves you could come back and visit something?"

She frowned. "I don't actually know how that would work, though."

"They're the experts, but we can't ask them right now," Latias agreed. "Are they the experts yet?"

"I'm not sure what Koraidon or Latias said, but I assume it was reassuring," Cynthia said. "And, in that case, I agree."

Ash chuckled. "Thanks… though, uh…"

He leaned forwards slightly, not that that helped look. "Is it me or is that a lot of… Shieldon?"

"It is Shieldon!" Koraidon agreed. "I saw them in the museum!"

She frowned, trying to remember. "They polish their faces by rubbing them against trees! And they're a fossil Pokémon, too."

"I'm surprised there's so many Shieldon down there," Cynthia agreed, looking at the herd. "They're fossil Pokémon."

"That's what I said!" Koraidon giggled.

"Maybe there's been a mass revival," Cynthia wondered. "Those happen sometimes, though I've never seen one."

"I did, in the Orange Islands," Ash volunteered. "That was, uh… what island was it, Pikachu?"

"I don't remember, it had a number not a name," Pikachu replied. "It's not there any more, though."

Latias blinked.

"Not there any more?" she asked. "Did you have to destroy the island?"

"No, this was way before I found out I was secretly a Pokémon," Ash told her. "The Kabuto just revived, and it turned out they were keeping the island in one piece."

"Fascinating," Cynthia said. "That must have been the Fukuhara Island revival. It's the biggest one yet known."

"If they might have woken up not long ago, maybe they don't know where they are or what's going on?" Koraidon said. "So we should go and help, right?"

"That's a kind idea," Ash said. "Let's go down and check – I think that's on the way to Hearthome anyway, but it'd probably be the right thing to do even if it wasn't…"

When they actually got down there, they found that the herd of Shieldon were just fine, thank you very much, and that they'd been in a mass revival event but that was months ago and they were all acclimatized now.

They also found out that there was a researcher studying the herd.

"And look who it is!" Gary said, waving. "Ashy-boy! I'd recognize you a mile off!"

He frowned. "So, what happened to Brock and Misty? Who are these- wait, is that Champion Cynthia?"

"Unless someone's beaten me recently, yes," Cynthia answered. "You're one of Ash's friends, I think?"

"That's me," Gary agreed. "Gary Oak. Though I guess friend is a generous way to talk about it."

"It's been a while," Ash said. "I didn't know you were a Pokémon researcher now."

Gary shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I just sort of ended up doing it. It doesn't stop me from training Pokémon, and there's always the chance of finding out something cool and getting my name in a journal or something… I'm actually studying these Shieldon to see if they're now officially native to the area."

"What does that involve?" Dawn asked, interested. "I thought you just had to see if they were there, right?"

"There's a bit more to it than that, but I can't tell you," Gary apologized. "This is Pokémon science, and one of the rules of Pokémon science is to remember that Pokémon can understand you – you don't want them to change their behaviour if their behaviour is what you're measuring."

"Aww," a Shieldon sighed.

"Though, speaking of Pokémon science," Gary went on. "Gramps has kept me up to date on some of your new Pokémon, and I caught the League challenges, but what's the latest news?"

"Oh, Quilava and Starly evolved," Ash replied. "Typhlosion's a Hisuian one now, he's Ghost type."

Gary blinked.

"How?"

"Actually, I've got an idea about that," Dawn said. "See, some Hisuian evolutions were only recorded during the time I was there, Professor Laventon had a hypothesis about space time distortions, but it could be something to do with Walking Wake and Iron Leaves or it could be something to do with Dialga and Palkia. But it's all hypothesis."

"Did you say Professor Laventon?" Gary asked. "What are Walking Wake and Iron Leaves?"

"They're two of my children I haven't created yet," Ash explained. "But because they're specialized in time travel they brought Dawn back after she went back in time to Hisui… I guess maybe it was because Dialga and Palkia needed to have time sorted out so that they'd met Dawn at the right time? But I'm not sure."

Gary began to speak, paused, rubbed his eyes, and sat down.

"Okay," he said. "So clearly Gramps hasn't been telling me nearly as much as he should have. What do you mean, two of your children? How could… are you even old enough? And… what?"

Ash looked at Latias, and Latias looked back at Ash before shrugging.

"I guess we should start at the beginning," Ash decided.

Then he got a slightly evil idea.

"That sounds good, right?" he asked. "You know, rather than skip over something you might not know?"

"It sounds like a good idea, yes," Gary said, sounding a bit brittle.

"Great!" Ash pronounced. "Okay, so, in the beginning my dad created the whole universe-"

There was a lot to go through, and Gary asked for somewhat incredulous clarification a couple of times, but eventually Ash reached the end of explaining the whole thing.

The short version, anyway.

"Amazing," Gary said, shaking his head. "That's… a lot to take in, Ash. And I know I got it all at once, while you had it spaced out, but… I'm just hearing about it. You had it happen to you, and it's about you."

He shook his head again. "I'm impressed, Ash. Really I am. That you've handled all… this, I mean."

"Heh, thanks…" Ash said, a bit embarrassed. "I guess I've just been… trying my best, anyway."

"I think you've been doing a great job," Latias told him. "And I've been there to see almost all of it."

"I don't need to wonder about how it is you've got two Legendary Pokémon with you, at least," Gary added. "Since you are one, now."

He spotted Cynthia about to say something, and continued. "Yes, I know Mew is a mythical Pokémon by some classifications, and I don't know how Arceus would be classified. But the underlying reason behind that classification is whether or not we have good evidence that the Pokémon actually exists, and…"

Gary waved his hand at Ash.

"I was actually going to ask something else," Cynthia replied. "Do Koraidon, Miraidon, Walking Wake and Iron Leaves count as Legendary Pokémon?"

"Oh, please don't ask me," Gary requested. "Ask Gramps, that's more up his street."

He frowned. "Though I guess all your siblings are Legendary Pokémon too… or Mythical ones. So… maybe?"

"I think I would be the Legendary Pokémon of running," Koraidon said. "Miraidon would be the Legendary Pokémon of not running."

She frowned. "Or maybe it would be like the twins? And we have different specialities related to moving around in a different way?"

As Koraidon considered that important question, Gary rallied a bit.

"So you're in Sinnoh to do the Pokémon League, and to try and visit your dad," he said. "Well… I'd say we could have a battle for old times' sake, but it's up to you and your Pokémon."

"Could be fun," Pikachu said. "Or maybe it'd be better to give Buneary some practice, he's got some new stuff to try out…"

All in all, it was a pleasant afternoon with Gary, where Ash got a look at the Pokémon Gary had picked up or evolved since they'd last met and Gary got to see what Ash's Pokémon could do now.

He was especially impressed with Zorua, who managed to trick Gary's Nidoqueen into using Rock Smash twice after the Ghost-type's Night Daze made it seem like the first Rock Smash had missed.

Then, though – and after Gary had extracted a promise to at least get told about the conversation if Ash ever did manage to meet his dad – the two of them parted, as friends.

Two days later, and not far from Hearthome, someone waved down their little group as they went by the side of a lake.

"Hi, uh – look, this is a long shot, but – can you help?" she asked. "I lost something in the bottom of this lake, and I need someone to help me out."

"Why us?" Dawn asked. "I'm not saying no, I'm just curious."

"...because you've got a Water type," the girl replied. "I saw your Piplup and – it seemed like the… obvious…"

She trailed off.

"Wait, I recognize you!" she said, pointing at Ash. "You're that Pokémon that won the Pokémon League in Hoenn a while ago, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," Ash agreed. "Something's missing in the bottom of the lake?"

"That's right," the girl agreed. "It's… my grandmother's locket."

She looked torn for a moment, then went on. "And there's a Gyarados in the lake, which makes it way harder and means my Abra can't just go down there herself."

"You could help, right, Latias?" Ash asked. "Or… actually, I guess I can look myself, because I can breathe underwater."

"Inquiry," Unown said, rising out of Ash's bag as Ash switched to the Rain Badge. "Do you know what the locket looks like?"

"Oh, actually, I don't," Ash admitted.

He turned to the girl, who still seemed a bit amazed. "What does the locket look like? If I went in myself, then I couldn't spot it, and I don't think Latias knows what it looks like either. And a whole lake is a big place."

"I was… honestly expecting to be going down with you," the girl admitted. "I have some underwater breathing kits, I came ready to do the search and I know roughly where to look, I just don't have… you know, a Pokémon that can battle that Gyarados."

"I have a superior solution," Unown suggested. "It would be simpler to just move the water out of the way."

"I guess, yeah," Ash agreed. "Is that something we can do together, Unown?"

Unown transitioned to Alphabet Form.

"Preparing for operation execution," they said, by way of an answer. "Please state the target area."

"About where is it?" Ash asked the girl. "And what's your name, actually?"

"...Mira," the girl said, pointing. "About there, I think?"

Ash stepped forwards, and the moment his hoof touched the water it pulsed with a flicker of golden light.

Then his ring lit up, gems and ring alike shining a clear sea blue, and half the lake folded over on top of the other half – revealing a town.

"...what?" Mira said, astonished.

"This must be a lake made by a dam," Cynthia said. "Recent, as well."

Mira took a tentative step forwards, to where there'd been water a moment ago, and crouched down to feel it. "The lake bed is… dry?"

"The location was vague," Unown explained. "This seems to be an acceptable solution."

They pulsed. "I estimate that it will become difficult to maintain this in: five minutes."

"We'd better hurry, then!" Latias said.

"Yeah, good idea," Ash agreed. "Latias, can you give Mira a lift? That should be quicker, if she knows where to look."

Three minutes later, Latias brought Mira back to the lakeshore, and Ash and Unown unfolded the lake.

"I see what you mean about it getting difficult," Ash said. "Maybe if we need to do something like that again I should learn Dive, instead."

"I've never even heard of anything like that," Mira admitted, getting off Latias's back with a bit of a shaky wobble. "And… um, thanks?"

She took a Pokéball out of her pocket, and sent out a Sandshrew.

"Weren't you looking for a locket?" Cynthia asked.

"That's what I thought too," Latias nodded. "But she definitely went straight to the Pokéball, it was in a hiding place in the school."

"What even happened?" Sandshrew asked. "I was in there for ages!"

Mira was staring at Cynthia.

"...you're the Champion, aren't you?" she said, in a small voice. "Um… sorry for lying to you, Champion…"

"I can understand that you felt embarrassed, if that's your Sandshrew," Dawn said. "But you're actually more likely to get help rescuing a Pokémon than getting back a locket."

"I was worried that someone would ask if Sandshrew was mine," Mira admitted. "My friends and I found Sandshrew and his Pokéball and cared for him after school, but we were too young to own a Pokémon… and we were stupid, we didn't pay attention to the news of the evacuation or remember to rescue Sandshrew when we finally found out… and it seemed like explaining would just make things worse…"

"Sometimes, you can need to keep things secret, but usually asking for help is going to work out better than you're afraid it will," Dawn told her. "What matters, though, is that Sandshrew has been rescued."

She paused. "Though maybe you could teach your Abra an Electric move? That way the problem could have been solved without folding the lake in half."

"...okay, what did I miss?" Sandshrew asked. "Was I down there long enough for slang to change? What does folding a lake in half mean?"

AN:

It's rare to get an opportunity quite like that.