Two years later

The buzzing of his alarm slowly brought him to awareness. A deep breath in - hold - slow exhale. Try to calm the heart that should not be in his throat. With a grunt, Ash pulled himself upright and opened his eyes to the early morning rays.

Today was the day.

His eyes were drawn to the large rumbling mass of fur and scales beside his bed.

Two years ago he decided to pursue the path of a Chaos Trainer. He had studied, planned, mapped, and studied some more. He had the next 18 months leading up to the Indigo League loosely outlined.

The fifteen year old braced himself and climbed out of bed, heading to the bathroom. Donning his black cargo pants, a violet long sleeve shirt, and black vest, Ash looked at his hair and shrugged. Nothing to be done with the shaggy strands. Shoving on his special order hat; black with a half violet/half pink Pokéball, he sighed.

With his hands braced against the sink and red meeting mirrored red, he let the familiar reflection give him some sort of comfort.

He didn't know when the mirror started to show an unnatural golden crown or shadowy tendrils like wings behind him, but he knew no one else could see them. Out by the water, looking through glass, in the deadened screen of a laptop, it has been there. But it made Ash feel like he had… family in this silent house and forlorn town.

Ash could count on one hand the amount of people he has spoken to more than once in his lifetime. His mother barely made the list. As he got older, as he studied more and spoke less, his mother was gone more and more.

He had tried to follow her once. She had walked to the entrance to Route 1 where a sleek midnight car was waiting. As she got in, her amber eyes met his.

She didn't pause, didn't react other than a slight widening of her eyes, and smoothly slid in and closed the door. He had been eight.

Ash gripped the sink until his knuckles turned white, then released it all with a rushed exhale. Shaking his head he stood tall, eyes hardening with conviction.

Everything changes today.

Marching purposefully from the bathroom, his gaze softened as he stared at his partner.

"Styx."

With sudden alertness, the quadruped dragon practically jumped to her feet, one head knocking the other. A quick snap from Ash stopped any morning dispute.

The Zweilous had grown, if that was possible. Before, her snouts had already reached his chest. Now, she could almost butt noses with him.

As long as he was in sight of the lab, he had been allowed to train. That had been the rule.

They had both grown.

"Ready to get out of here?" With a sharp crack as her tail thumped the ground, the hostile Pokémon raced out the door. Rolling his eyes, the fifteen year old eyed the cracked floorboards before following her down the stairs. He couldn't blame her. Detouring to the kitchen, his bag and its contents were splayed on the dining table.

Five containers of varying sizes were stacked off to the side. A surprising gift from his teacher, Mr. Aster. The containers employed subatomic-manipulating particles to shrink its contents and alter weight, similar to Pokéballs.

Folding his clothing, raincoat, gloves, winter boots, and his winter coat, he pointed the first container at the pile and recalled the clothes. A piece of tape and a marker later, it was labeled and placed in the bag.

Tent, flints, sleeping bag, tarp, pots, pans, and dishes went in container two.

TM case, egg incubator, and training weights went in container three.

Cooking ingredients, berries, vitamins, and minerals went in container four. The fifth was left as a spare.

Potions, full heals, repels, and revives went in some of the extra pockets of the bag for easy access.

Finally, Ash picked up the belt Oak had gotten him when he decided to pursue the path of a Chaos Trainer. The belt itself was stark white. Engraved on the buckle were the symbols of the Dragon type, the Dark type, and the Fairy type. Violet, black, and pink, respectively.

Clicking the buckle closed around his waist, Ash ran a hand over the 12 notches. Until he either won six badges or got a league official of high standing to vouch for him, six notches would remain empty.

Rolling the slightly dented Dusk ball in his palm, Ash clipped it onto the first notch on the right with a sense of finality.

The impatient scraping of Styx's ivory claws on the hardwood floor broke Ash from his musings. Fondly shaking his head, the teen swung his bag over his shoulder, grabbed an apple, and followed the impatient Pokémon to the door.

He didn't spare a backward glance for the house as he began his trek to the lab.

Relying on muscle memory, Ash took the time to watch his partner. She really was incredible. Two years of navigating trust issues, authority issues, abandonment issues, and more issues. But they had made it out on the other side stronger than anything Ash was expecting.

Ash could remember with perfect clarity the event- the person- that united Ash and Styx as one.

Flashback: one year, seven months ago

"Come on, Styx, Aqua Tail!" Ash was at his wits end as the Zweilous once again coated her teeth in darkness, snapping the thick tree branch from its base.

She wouldn't listen.

Styx was opinionated. She was harsh. She was wild. She was hurt in ways Ash understood. Even after she accepted Styx as a name she hadn't responded to it for the first three months of their… partnership.

She was a survivor, the scars on her body where her heads couldn't reach was a testament to that. And as a survivor, she wasn't one to let anyone in. Oak hadn't done him any favors keeping her locked up in a ball for however long. Her sense of control was tenuous and she was doing whatever she could to regain it.

It had been five months and she only heeded his orders once in a blue moon.

Snarling as fiercely as a Dragon, Ash stalked over to her.

"Why the fuck do you think you know better?" Styx stepped up to him, muscles coiled dangerously, lips pulled back and tongues darting out. Ash knew he was playing with fire, but he was so done.

"I'm the trainer, I'm the one who calls the shots, I'm the one in control!"

Ash dove just in time, the Dragon Pulse searing his cheek as it flew past. The tree behind him took the full brunt, exploding in a shower of debris.

Lowering his arm, he surveyed the destruction. However, he wasn't given much time to take stock of the splinters littering the grounds before a savage shriek echoed through the forest.

Dropping to the ground in a roll, Styx slammed into the ground, her sharp nails tearing up the ground where his neck had been. Her left head released a horrific cry, one that pierced the eardrums and targeted the amygdala, a natural warning of her species.

Ash's blood pumped in his ears, adrenaline and foreboding mixing within his veins. He knew, logically, he needed to run.

But this was a fight for control.

Ash hurled his sweat-soaked shirt at the Dragon, her keen sense of smell working against her this time. The distraction worked, her two mouths of dagger-like teeth darting out and fighting over what she thought was Ash's corpse.

Even with five months of frustration, Ash had still learned.

He leapt onto her back, ducking and locking his arms around the middle of her necks, limiting their ability to rotate. She snarled, snapping like a rabid Lycanroc, trying to get her teeth around Ash's throat.

His biceps were screaming at him, and it was only his careful study of Zweilous over the past few months that told him that there was very little musculature in her lateral necks that allowed him to lock it in place.

Ash squeezed his eyes shut before letting go, shoving handfuls of dirt right above the crunching jaws, his left wrist getting gouged as he filled her nostrils with earth. Throwing himself from her back, Ash rolled away and crouched, trying to be as quiet as possible now that she only had her hearing.

The sounds coming from the Hostile Pokémon were bone-chilling, her fury knowing no limit. She reared back, slamming her forelegs into the ground, crumbling the dirt beneath her.

Ash shifted his weight and heard a 'snap'.

'Of course,' Ash thought to himself as Styx's heads snapped towards him.

She charged, and Ash had nowhere to go.

Out of nothing, a form appeared, colliding with the Zweilous with the force of a Rhydon. Styx screeched, landing on her flank and showing her vulnerable underside to the new… attacker? Protector?

Slamming two gray fists into the ground, crumbling shackles hanging from the wrists, was something looking eerily like a Primeape.

Gray fur fading to white atop its head, it moved in the still air like smoke. Eyes were pupiless, as red as blood and looking so much more angry than Ash's.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Ash pulled himself up, watching his… Pokémon deftly get back to her feet and roar at the new adversary. The odd Primape stood still as a Ghost, only its wispy hair moving.

Then it moved.

Ash froze at the force of the Focus Punch as it struck Styx in the side, pulling an agonized whine that Ash had never heard from her. She tried to get up, but there was a dark blotch blooming on her side that was growing too fast.

His newfound relief hardened to solid lead in his stomach as the Pokémon once again raised its fists.

"STYX!" Ash scrambled forward, throwing his body into the unknown Pokémon.

But he sailed right through it with brief resistance.

He grunted with pain when his shoulder made contact with a dense root, unprepared for the lack of collision. Gaining his bearings, Ash only had a second before he had to roll out of the way before a pair of fists dented the forest floor where his head had been.

'Good' he thought. 'I have its attention.'

Ash had always been quick for his age, agile with sharp reflexes to an alarming degree. But it took every single neuron firing to keep his brains from painting the forest around him.

Ghostly energy gathered around the Pokémon's fists and Ash gracelessly jumped back, and still he didn't see a single emotion in the assailant's dead eyes.

He's had Ghosts attack him before for no reason, but they have never turned that violence towards Styx. For Ash, Ghosts were a captivating mystery. They'd either flinch away and wouldn't get near him, or attack in a blind panic.

Ash felt about Ghosts how he felt about his affinities, but they did not feel the same for him.

And now that might kill him and his partner.

From the corner of his vision, he could see Styx trying to get to her feet, her fury now aimed at herself. The damage to her side was only getting worse, and Ash knew the splotch could only be internal bleeding.

Ash swallowed his fear.

Dodging another Ghost attack, Ash took his only Pokéball and rolled it to his downed partner. He cursed and tripped when it stopped before touching her, failing to return her to safety.

Ash lashed out, screaming when the deranged Pokémon grabbed onto his leg in a crushing grip. Somehow his foot came into contact with its snout, not fading through like it had before. The creature cried out in pain, releasing his leg.

He didn't hesitate.

"STYX GET IN THE BALL!" Ash tackled the Pokémon to the ground, but it didn't do much.

One large hand clasped his skull, pulling him up and eliciting a sharp cry from Ash as his neck took the strain of his body. He flailed, trying to strike the creature once more, but his legs went right through. The grip on his head tightened, and Ash could feel something crack.

There wasn't even a howl of victory, not even a glint of success in its empty eyes when it raised a single fist, coated in electricity.

An awful thought came to Ash through the blurry pain. This thing had been, or is, a trained Pokémon.

Ash didn't close his eyes. He didn't look away. He glared in defiance at his death and bared his teeth in a draconic growl.

An unholy roar and two gaping maws pulled him from Yveltal's awaiting hold.

Not yet, crooned a voiceless song.

Ash collapsed to the ground, Watching with detached awe as his partner lived up to her classification.

Teeth flashing, claws slashing, tail smashing; the Pokémon didn't, couldn't, stand a chance. At one point Ash saw the creature's knee snap in the wrong direction when Styx's water-coated tail connected.

In a matter of seconds, the Pokémon was pinned beneath the reptilian monster, darkness seeping from claws to keep it tethered to earth. Two draconic heads each took a jugular and held the thick skin roughly between her Dark-coated jaws. Styx held, teeth slowly sinking deeper and deeper into her enemy.

Until suddenly, it disappeared in a flash of red light.

Ash inhaled sharply, fighting through the fuzziness surrounding his damaged head to look up.

Standing there silently was a boy.

He was Ash's age, but that was where the similarities ended.

Ash shook his head, trying to keep his focus.

The boy was small, skeletal, and looked half-dead. His skin had a purplish tint, his eyes an empty blue, his black hair as wispy as the Pokémon he'd just recalled.

A red glow came from the boy's forehead, and Ash must have been seeing stars because stars were dancing along the boy's skin.

A blink and the boy was gone.

Ash felt strangely removed from his body. Everything was fuzzy and his vision had little black spots on the edges. Two warm scratchy snouts were pressed to his neck, and he felt more than saw a large body collapse beside him.

Before Ash could think better of it, his shaky hands looped around the base of her necks and clung to her. They both shook, and Ash squeezed his eyes shut knowing that he would not be able to get her back to the lab.

If only-

IF ONLY-

Ash gasped, the sound echoing oddly around him. His eyes snapped open, seeing the shocked visage of Oak in front of him.

"Oak-"

The Nether embraced him.

End Flashback

Still feeling leftover shock and dread from that day, Ash shook his head. Sometimes he thought he dreamed up the boy, someone he could blame. Styx had five broken ribs, three of which had punctured her lungs. Ash had multiple skull fractures that hadn't led to brain damage, miraculously.

He still didn't know how they got to the lab, and whenever he asked Oak, the man Clamperled right up, looking like he'd seen a Ghost.

Maybe it had been the boy.

But another part of him, one he tried to stamp down, was thankful to the boy, imagined or not.

It was a domino effect, the change in his and Styx's relationship. Control, he realized, was their fatal flaw. So Ash had stamped down on his reluctance and asked Styx how she wanted to train. She met him in the middle, and for every training session she chose, he chose the next.

The light, but still painful, nip at his hand startled him from his thoughts. The right head pushed her crest into his palm, making Ash smile.

He's never had a connection like this.

When the laboratory came into view, Styx growled and stamped the ground in excitement she would deny if asked. She was just as sick of this town as Ash was. Not many people knew Ash was training a Zweilous, even with her walking around in broad daylight with him. But those that did know (neighbors, lab assistants, Mr. Aster), kept their distance and skirted around them.

Styx wasn't impressed by their fear.

Eyes darting around the entrance to the lab, Ash was relieved to note they were there early enough that there wasn't a crowd yet. Plenty would be here to see the teenagers off. From what Ash had heard in passing, Liam and Luke wanted to go into the Ranger Corps, Astrid wanted to be a Flying type specialist, Lillian, or Leaf as she preferred, a Poison type specialist, with Viktor going into contests. Gary… well, he was attempting to be a Champion.

Ash smirked as he thought of the other new trainers. Astrid was the only one not intimidated by him, and that was because she was scary in her own right. A grade-A badass. She was the only other trainer besides Ash and Gary that managed to secure a sponsorship from Oak.

While the other trainers will get a Pokémon and some Pokéballs from Oak, they would have to either only stick to Pokémon they could carry with them, or hire a daycare to hold extra Pokémon. Feeding and caring for Pokémon was an expensive venture, thus Oak only ever sponsored a maximum of three trainers per year.

Finally making it to the lab, Ash veered around back in order to let Styx through the fence to wait for him in the Ranch. Retracing his steps, he walked through the front door, lab assistants going about their work without acknowledging him.

Rolling his eyes, he made his way to the main room only to almost run into Astrid. She scowled and quickly stepped back, grip tightening around the Pokéball emblazoned with the Fire type symbol. Charmander, then.

Ash nodded to her once and stepped around. And that was that.

Oak was waiting for him with what Ash could only describe as a look of pride. It made the teen feel twitchy so he brushed it away. He walked up to the old professor and planted his feet and waited patiently. Oak huffed a laugh.

"Ash, how are you feeling?" The teen thought for a moment so he could answer truthfully.

"I'm… relieved, I think, to finally leave." The professor nodded in understanding, not a trace of offense on his face, before placing his hands in his coat pockets.

"I realize you don't want either of the remaining traditional starters, which I must say is lucky for Leaf, she did want Bulbasaur, and you don't necessarily need one. However, I didn't want you to miss out on the experience of starting out with a new Pokémon, so I pulled some strings." Ash stared at the professor in barely suppressed surprise. He did not expect to get a Pokémon this morning.

Removing his right hand from his pocket, Oak held out a standard Pokéball with its top half painted black. Reaching out, Ash plucked the ball from the man's palm and stared at it. A cough brought his attention back to the professor. Seeing him holding a black rectangular device, Ash's lips quirked and grabbed the Pokédex with his other hand.

"As we discussed, that's the national dex. Freshly updated after that conference with Kukui and Magnolia. Unfortunately, Professor Sada was unable to attend, and even if she did, I doubt she'd share Paldea's Pokédex." Using his left hand, Ash flipped the dex open. Only taking a minute to input his information, he readied the Pokéball and pressed the release.

A tiny form with spindly limbs materialized, and when the light died down, Ash's gaze was drawn to large pointy ears, a large pointy nose. Excitement flooded him.

Staring at the Pokémon and seeing the mischief in his eyes, the teen internally braced himself. Ash made sure to meet the Pokémon's eye before winking. Side-eying the professor and noticing his attention on a clipboard, Ash slowly reached around to grab his pack and removed an Oran berry that was readily available. He rolled it in his hands until the fruit was soft and malleable.

Digging through another pocket of his bag, he removed a knife and a spoon. Slicing the berry in half, he slipped one half to the confused Pokémon. Setting the other half in the spoon, Ash lined up the shot and then…

"OAK!"

"Huh?"

SPLAT

The Impidimp fell over himself with high-pitched laughter, holding his stomach as he rolled on the lab floor. Ash spared an apologetic glance at the berry-faced professor, who just sighed.

"I should have expected this to be honest." Oak meandered away, probably looking for a towel or napkin to wipe away the blue fruit smeared across his face. Ash felt slightly guilty, but Impidimp were Dark and Fairy types, and much more inclined towards pranks and hijinks. If Ash wanted to have a chance of gaining his allegiance, if not friendship, he needed to appeal to that side of the Pokémon.

"Impidimp, my name is Ash. I'm about to leave on a journey to defeat powerful opponents and see the world. Professor Oak seems to think we can work together. I think you have potential. But it's up to you if you want to come with me and work hard. If you don't think you're up for it, fine. But if you are… what do you say?"

The Wily Pokémon didn't hesitate to puff out his chest and screech his name. Ash nodded and pulled out his Pokédex.

Impidimp: The Wily Pokémon. Dark and Fairy Type. Through its nose, it sucks in the emanations produced by people and Pokémon when they feel annoyed. It sneaks into people's homes, stealing things and feasting on the negative energy of the frustrated occupants. It thrives off this negative energy.

This Impidimp is Male and has the ability Prankster.

Known Moves: Fake Out, Fake Tears, Sucker Punch, and Draining Kiss

This Pokémon stands at 1'06" and weighs 12.6lbs.

Ash raised an impressed eyebrow. Draining Kiss was a TM move. Lowering the Pokédex, the teen gave Impidimp a considering look.

"I have a partner already, and she has a nickname to set her apart. Do you want one?"

The Pokémon froze for a moment and then raised his arms and waved them around. Ash guessed that meant he wanted a name.

"Hemlock. Looks innocent, decidedly isn't." Impidimp jumped up and down, clapping his hands. Rolling his eyes fondly, Ash thought about the implications of Impidimp listening to him so quickly. As he evolved, he might get more unruly and vicious, but if Ash stayed on top of his training and allowed innocent pranks once in a while, it should curb any major disruptive evolution hormones from taking over.

Oak walked back into the room at that moment, face washed and a new pristine lab coat.

"Sorry about that, professor. That was the quickest way of getting Hemlock to somewhat accept me." Oak waved his words away.

"No problem, my boy. I figured that could happen. I take it you two have come to an agreement?" Upon Ash's and Hemlock's nods, he continued.

"Great, I have a few more things for you - no, don't object. Gary and Astrid got the same presents, so I'm not giving you special treatment. Well, I actually have one thing to give you that they're not getting, but we already agreed on this." Removing a hand once again from his pocket, the professor handed Ash a long piece of paper.

"Here is your ticket to Alola. I know that's your first stop. The SS. Moana leaves in a month. It's up to you if you want to try to get the Pewter, Cerulean, and Vermillion badges before it leaves." Ash took the ship ticket and nodded to the professor in thanks. He carefully folded the ticket and stuck it in a small pocket of his bag.

"Now, for the other gifts. As I mentioned, both Gary and Astrid got the same." Holding out a small case, Oak unlocked it and the top popped open. "I'm giving you five Pokéballs, three Ultra Balls, three Dusk Balls, one Luxury Ball, one Quick Ball, and one Lure Ball. I don't automatically expect you to use them all, but I think they cover your bases."

"I - thank you, professor. Ultra balls aren't cheap, so I appreciate it." Oak smiled and shrugged.

"Gary and Astrid got an assortment that was relatively similar with only a few variations. Now, choose some to set on your belt." Ash looked through and decided on one Ultra, one Dusk, and two regular.

"If you don't mind me asking, are you going to try the first three Big Eight gyms?" Ash shrugged.

"If I catch a couple more Pokémon here. But I'm not counting on it. There aren't any Dark or Dragon types here, natively, and I have my team mostly planned out, that's why I'm traveling to other regions to gather my team. If I catch one or two other Pokémon before Cerulean, I'll challenge Cerulean and Vermillion. I don't want to rely on Styx too much." Ash looked down when he felt tugging on his pants. Hemlock was looking up at him with his head tilted.

"Styx is my partner. I've known her for two years. You'll meet her in a few minutes." That placated the prankster so he nodded, but didn't let go of Ash's pant leg.

"Did he have a trainer before me?" Oak nodded.

"One of Magnolia's sponsored trainers caught him, but didn't want to deal with his more mischievous side. I reached out to her a year ago and told her to stay on the lookout for an Impidimp. She had a Grimmsnarl at one point but I didn't want to push it." The professor smirked and Ash frowned, embarrassed.

There had been a Grimmsnarl at the Ranch for a week for Oak to study. Ash had just come off working with a Cacturne and had felt a little overconfident. Needless to say, Ash got a new scar to add to his collection and a knock down from his pedestal.

"Yes, yes, I learned my lesson, old man." Oak chuckled and then held out his hand. Tilting his head, Ash placed his hand in the professor's, letting him shake it twice, and then dropped it.

"Good luck, Ash. Call when you can. Any Pokémon you send here will be well cared for." Ash took a deep breath, feeling the twitchy feeling again.

"Thank you, for, uh, believing in me." Oak merely smiled softly and stepped back. Ash rolled his shoulders back and stood tall. Nodding once more at his mentor, he looked to his new partner.

"Ready, Hemlock?" Jumping in place a few times, the Wily Pokémon cried out in affirmation. Ash gestured toward the back door that led to the Ranch and started walking. As he closed the door behind him, he heard "Yo, Gramps!" and allowed the door to shut softly behind him.

Styx was impatiently waiting by the door, growling and swiping at any Pokémon that ventured too close. Ash snapped his fingers and immediately both heads whipped around to face the sound. Letting out a low growl, Styx meandered over. The left head tried to nip his fingers before the right head bashed her skull into the left's snout.

Ash actually had to reach up to scratch the two chins, fingernails coming away with some black fur stuck beneath. She had been shedding at a higher rate lately. Ash was cautiously hoping it meant she was getting ready to replace fur with feathers.

"Styx, this is our new teammate, Hemlock." Just now noticing the small Pokémon's lack of noise, Ash looked to his side and saw Hemlock frozen in either fear or awe. The teen lightly tapped the Pokémon's back that caused him to stumble towards the Dragon.

Styx leaned both heads down to sniff the short Fairy who stood stock still. The left head headbutted the Impidimp, causing him to brace to avoid falling over. The head paused, turned to the other head, nodded, and stepped back. Ash huffed in amusement. Guess Hemlock passed the test.

Ash clapped his hands, creating an echoing crack through the morning mist. Styx and Hemlock turned their attention to him.

"Alright you two, let's get out of here." Styx reared her heads, black fur catching wind, and made her way to the fence. Ash and Hemlock followed, and as Ash walked through the gate, he heard a light cry behind him, causing him to turn and see two figures in the distance.

Ash squared his shoulders and saluted the two fairies whose friendship had kick-started his path. Zinnia and Clefairy waved, calling out their goodbyes and well wishes.

Walking down the dirt road heading north, Ash turned back once more to look out across Pallet and almost missed the woman standing by the lab watching him go.

He slowed his backward steps and stared as his mother nodded once to him, leaving him filled with confusion.

Delia Hill, after all, didn't love her son. She didn't even give him her last name.


So, setting up a few plotlines.

Ash gets an Impidimp, now he has each type represented somewhat right off the bat.

All his Pokémon will be getting nicknames. I have his whole team planned out and their names, so unfortunately I won't be doing any polls for which Pokémon you want Ash to catch.

I have all the power.