Author's Notes
Welcome back again. Another slow update since I'm graduating soon but I'll try my best to pump out more chapters.
From the title of this chapter, some of you might be confused as to what it meant.
But to those who reached the end and can pieced together what's really going on here: Shh.
The foreshadowing going crazy here.
Reviews!
Satosere16:
I want to say, this story is freaking awesome. I'm reading this story from Wattpad and now changed into fanfiction. The world building and characters development and lores everything is amazing.
Especially Ash's fake moves, mind eye and aura techniques and more. I have atmost respect for your research for this story. Minor details about reincarnations and legends. And honest with you sometimes I forget few things in the story. Because, few move techniques, and some characters are hard to understand or I understand later. (my dumb mind very slow.) Still sometimes I confuse with zacian and snow haired girl. The writing, I fan of your writing, lined or blurred words make this story more intriguing. This story give me feeling like I reading a novel.
And characters, first our very lucky boy. I like this Ash in your story, I can't describe but he is very much different from other fanfictions. His personality, attitude and confusing character, a person who can't understand himself or sometimes it feels like only he can understand himself. Very mysterious right. Next Serena, She really is very much orginal personality, I mean, If we see serena as a kid in anime. Her character 100% match your story. swee, adraoble but, same time cold and obsessive. And misty, I don't like pokeshipping. The reason is I see their relationship as a brother-sister. Her character is very likeable, not annoying or irritating but a older sister who cares for her brother but don't show publicly. (tsundere) I miss our man Brock in Kanto arc. Blue and Green they resembles their game counterparts except, green's character much orginal to anime, arrogant and insulting Ash. Happy to see another good camel... no I mean calem. Other important characters, you kept them mystery (like Ash companions and evil teams) Shauna, prof. oak, Grace, currently they have less impact and minor character development. Pokemon, like Ash say, everyone special in their own way. They're very much like anime, except very powerful then anime. I forgot Cynthia, I love her version in this story.
Movies, first movie was very much like anime, except this one is more brutal and dark. Second movie, I didn't except the twist, that Ash isn't chosen one. Finally the boy have some relief from lazy god. But, who knows, what do you have stored for him? Now Ash isn't chosen one. So, it raise so many questions like, then why he have strong aura powers? and more. The way you portrayed kalos legendaries as alien is intriguing.
My few openions, why don't you create a spinoff or chronicle series for this book. you said this story take years longer to finish and currently story not only revolve around Ashuntil sinnoh arc). what I mean is, show little bit of Ash's companions and what's going on their life now or past. you can develop few characters in this, without interfering the main story's space. Like, calem going to be big rival for Ash so, you can show his character or other main rival (paul) and especially about Ash's childhood or what happens to serena when she return from kanto, or how she meet her friends. When Ash meet them in his journey, they create more impact in story because they're already developed. you can write special chapter about this legends and incarnations. It will be less confuseable for us (for me)
And Amour, Man I like this slow paced amour. Even though my heart want them to reunite now. poor serena she have to fight so many girls for this boy. only to realise about his screwed mind. who think himself, didn't deserve for love. Are Serena going to have any serious romantic rivals for Ash in the future? Because it seems like the writer is teasing Serena with other girls and the princess.
And who is the writer of this story? You or him. Or are you two writing this story together?
Thanks for the kind words, Satosere16!
The feeling of reading a novel is definitely one that I'm trying to convey through Fated since its based on FSN's elements, a visual novel. Unfortunately, I can't draw for shit so a fanfic's all you guys are getting. Snow-haired always means Zacian, though that might change in the future (hehe).
Regarding Ash, he IS different from other fanfics. While most fanfics try the edgy route or do their damned hardest to keep Ash in-line with canon, Fated doesn't do that. Fated!Ash is fundamentally different due to his origins or as you said, his confusing character (100% intentionally since its to prepare him for Sinnoh). Ash/Red in canon are truly the simplest characters/protags which is why even though I'm writing Fated!Ash more like Shirou (albeit childlike), you can still feel Ash/Red because all protagonists are really the same character. Where Ash finally departs from the 'mold' and enters Fated's spotlight as 'true protagonist' is when Fated!Ash finally becomes his own character.
TLDR: Fated!Ash is an Ash turning into an OC that doesn't act OOC if you know what I mean.
Serena is in a similar boat. She's Serena with some... exaggerated features until her character development turns her into her own character.
About Misty, ngl I like Misty. Which is why it bugs me when amour fics degrade her. Don't worry, Misty is a sister figure for Ash and that will never change. This is a theme you'll see repeating in the future until you can practically call Ash a 'sister collector'.
So yeah, you're right. Each one is special in their own way but waaay higher scaled in power. (Cynthia is bae)
For the movies, glad you liked them but I do feel movie 2 was a bit lackluster due to Lugia's performance. Although the dude got jumped by 3 chickens, I feel I could've written it to be Lugia being a little bit stronger. Eh, rewrite's in the plans for now.
Ash not being the chosen one is both correct... and wrong at the same time. What do I mean? You'll see. Ash having strong AURA powers was at first, something carried over into Fated through canon but evolved into a plot-centred power of his.
The key to this is from previous chapters: Ash Ketchum is not supposed to be here.
Being Zacian's Incarnation plays a part in this too.
About writing spinoffs about different POVs and Fated's legends and all that: That's probably gonna hafta wait until we reach Kalos. The reason being I'm only one writer and delaying the main story is the one thing I would hate doing.
Like hell, Gen15 could be out and we still got more content to go through. Shit's nuts.
Romantic rivals for Serena is a given, but for now, there's like 2. There'll be more in the future but then again...
Is it really a rivalry if Serena's already won?
And the writer of the story is only me: Balegyr-07 (Shit, is this the first thing I refer to myself with my author name?). AuraAsh on Wattpad is just publishing it there with my permission.
Rajiv:
And so we lose my good boy Charizard so he may become OP and unstoppable. It was a nice ride! I do enjoy Ash's dream states with Zacian as well, it's very unique with being in human form (a pretty lady ofc). That aside, I was surprised to see Clemont appear already and while he lost to Calem, I'm glad you went the route of him holding back because of his thirst for science and creating inventions. Should be interesting as time goes by. Overall a good chapter and I should mention that I'm also glad for Ash coming back to earth quickly by Misty as well. Much better done that way imo. Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks for another kind review, Rajiv. Ash's dream states are always a delight to write since I get to write Zacian as well. By the way, Zacian being a pretty lady is unironically a clue as to who she is in myth.
Clemont (best boy) and Bonnie showing up is part due to Johto being more of a setup region with probably the most introductions that'll snowball into future interactions.
Ash coming down to earth by Misty is something I enjoy since its what Misty is supposed to do since she's a mentor of sorts. Also compliments well with the 'older sister' theme with Ash.
Amen to Charizard, M03 gonna be a banger.
And that's about it. See ya.
Chapter 75: The Blacksmith
The year ended and another began anew. The group said their blessings as they continued their journey to Azalea Town.
"Hey, are we there yet?" Brendan wailed.
"We're close. Just keep up," Ash called out from the front, his eyes never straying from the map in his hands.
"You should learn more from him," Misty patted the white-hatted boy on the back.
Unlike Brendan, Ash was more athletic, someone who had experience travelling. Lengthy walks were nothing to the boy.
"Pikachu," the electric mouse pointed at Azalea's symbol.
"Don't worry, I haven't strayed away," the raven-haired boy replied.
"Kero," the blue frog held the compass to his Trainer's peripheral.
"…Dang it."
Adjusting slightly, the boy was back on the path, a minor change.
Ever since Charizard left the party, Brendan and Misty began noticing a slight shift in demeanour in Ash's behaviour.
He felt more dependable in his body language. His late nights when he was unable to sleep due to his insomnia was used to train his body in the nearby woods.
Misty had caught him one time late at night and immediately chewed him out for it. Needlessly to say, Ash never promised her that he would not do it again.
Brendan was the next to discover his friend's nightly training. Unlike the redhead, he had asked the raven-haired boy once for his training regime. After a single night, the white-hatted boy's body was screaming in pain.
'How the heck does his body keep up with that ridiculous exercise?' Brendan pondered to himself.
Unbeknownst to his companions, Ash's secret to his amazing endurance was due to his Exceeded body. After being conditioned by Exceeding, his physique was permanently strengthened in proportion to his AURA reserves.
Cl…, ..an.!
"Hm?"
In a distance, they could spot multiple buildings of reddish-brown roofs, a staple feature of Azalea Town.
Azalea Town: A town where people and Pokémon live together in simple harmony.
They had arrived.
"We're here!" Brendan cheered.
"About time too," Misty agreed, wishing to feel the hot water of the Centre's showers.
However, what got Ash's little 'hm?' uttered was his noticing of a traditional house located right outside the nearby forests. It was close enough to Azalea Town but obscure enough to not attract attention.
"You guys go on ahead," the raven-haired boy urged.
"Eh? What about you?" the white-hatted boy questioned.
Nodding his head towards the obscure house, Ash told them of his desire. The redhead edged to his side, whispering into his ear.
"Don't you have to deliver the GS Ball to Kurt?" she asked.
"Yeah, but it won't take long," Ash replied in a hushed voice.
Leaving Ash on his own was Misty's worst nightmare, but seeing no harm in letting him explore when they were in such proximity, she relented.
'Sure hope this doesn't end up like Sprout Tower 2.0,' she sighed to herself.
With that, the raven-haired boy was left by himself.
"Now then… Let's see what that was about," Ash tilted towards the house's direction.
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.
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Outskirts of Azalea Town, Johto Region
"Pikapi, pikachu," his partner surveyed the area.
"Yeah, it looks a lot like that dojo in Saffron City," the Trainer agreed.
As it turned out, the building he caught notice of was no ordinary building but a school for training Pokémon. However, Ash was perplexed at the additional shed at the back.
Clang, clang!
'It's coming from th—'
"Kero," Froakie readied himself.
"Hey! Who're you?!" a loud voice called out from within the entrance.
Leaving the shadows was a young adult with grape-coloured hair. His annoyed expression changed into one of surprise as he saw Ash.
"A kid?" he quirked his brow.
"Shingo, inside voices!" another person came out to chide him.
Soon, a handful of people came out of the building to see what the fuss was about.
"A kid?" they all parroted the one named Shingo's blurt.
"Yo, kid here. Am interested in that clanging sound," Ash gave his salutations with maximum sarcasm.
"Clanging sound? Look, kid. I don't know why you're here but—" Shingo growled.
"Shingo!" an elderly voice stopped the grape-haired man right in his tracks.
The raven-haired boy turned to the source of the voice, finding it belonging to an older looking Shingo wearing a forest-green kimono.
Ash immediately widened his eyes as he felt the aged man's presence. He had an air of strength, something that was present within Elite Four-tiered Trainers.
"Hello, Trainer. Sorry for my son's rude remarks," he apologized politely.
"No, it's my fault for coming unannounced," Ash followed suit with equal politeness.
Seeing the boy's pleasant behaviour, the man invited him inside for a cup of tea.
"You must be Ash Ketchum, I presume?" he smiled.
"Yes, sir," the boy nodded.
Ash was no longer surprised that his name was known. He knew how widely-watched the Grand League was, so it hardly mattered anymore.
"May I ask for your name, sir?"
"It is Muramasa."
Thud!
"Aargh!" Ash grunted in pain.
A ringing headache echoed his skull as it tightened his head.
"Ash?! Ash!" Muramasa held him with worriedness in his eyes.
"Someone get me a…"
The raven-haired boy could no longer hear anything, his focus was now only on the excruciating pain being inflicted on his mind.
"Kuh…! Gaahhh!"
Growling heat seared his eyeballs as he tried to fend off the seemingly enlarging stabbings in his cranium.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu tugged his sleeve.
"Kero!"
Poof! Poof!
"Chik!"
"Kiek!"
Chikorita and Heracross wailed in despair as they watched their Trainer slowly succumb to his ever-growing migraines.
B̷̝̅z̸̜̞̉z̵̙̔t̴̘̋!̵̘̭̓ ̸̣͋̀B̴̦͖͊z̴͈̓͘z̷̧̊t̵̹͌͜!̷̳̾̈́ ̷̪̞́́B̵̙͑̀z̵̼͗z̴̪̺̈́t̸̫̻̿!̷̭̒
My body is made of swords.
B̷̝̅z̸̜̞̉z̵̙̔t̴̘̋!̵̘̭̓ ̸̣͋̀B̴̦͖͊z̴͈̓͘z̷̧̊t̵̹͌͜!̷̳̾̈́ ̷̪̞́́B̵̙͑̀z̵̼͗z̴̪̺̈́t̸̫̻̿!̷̭̒
"ARRRGGGGHHHHHHH!"
B̷̝̅z̸̜̞̉z̵̙̔t̴̘̋!̵̘̭̓ ̸̣͋̀B̴̦͖͊z̴͈̓͘z̷̧̊t̵̹͌͜!̷̳̾̈́ ̷̪̞́́B̵̙͑̀z̵̼͗z̴̪̺̈́t̸̫̻̿!̷̭̒
Swords. Swords. Swords. Swords. Swords. Swords. Swords.
B̷̝̅z̸̜̞̉z̵̙̔t̴̘̋!̵̘̭̓ ̸̣͋̀B̴̦͖͊z̴͈̓͘z̷̧̊t̵̹͌͜!̷̳̾̈́ ̷̪̞́́B̵̙͑̀z̵̼͗z̴̪̺̈́t̸̫̻̿!̷̭̒
'Get out of my head!'
"̷ₜ̷ᴴ̶ₐ̸ᴺ̸ₖ̸ ̵ʸ̷ᴼ̸ᵤ̴ ̸ᶠ̵ᴼ̴ᵣ̴ ̷ₑ̶ⱽ̴ₑ̵ᴿ̴ʸ̵ᵀ̵ₕ̴ᴵ̷ₙ̶ᴳ̴.̷"̸
And finally, darkness set in.
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Azalea Gym, Johto Region
"Hiek! D-d-d-don't panic, Brendan!" Misty trembled as he held onto Brendan's shoulders for dear life.
"T-t-t-they're just Bug Types, n-n-nothing to be a-a-a-afraid of!"
"Are you convincing me or yourself?" the white-hatted boy retorted as they entered the Gym.
Azalea Gym. It was an enormous facility that rivalled Violet Gym. If the latter was akin to a tower, Azalea Gym was likened to a botany.
The two were surrounded by wildlife as soon as they stepped in. Bug Types thrived around them. Everywhere, in the leaves, in the trees.
"T-t-t-this sucks!" Misty wailed.
"How rude, Cerulean," a high-pitched voice scolded.
In front of the two was an opening, a battlefield of forested terrain. Standing in greeting was a person with a lavender bob cut, giving off a feminine appearance.
That person also wore a green shirt and has a pair of green shorts with a light green collar, suspended with a brown belt and white socks included with brown shoes. A yellow handkerchief was wrapped around the collar.
Equipped with a Bug-catching Net, the individual smiled at their arrival.
"A girl?" Brendan queried.
"How rude. I'm a boy!" the revealed boy corrected with a frown.
'Your voice says otherwise!' the white-hatted boy retorted once again.
"Bugsy…" Misty recognized with small tears in her eyes.
"You're still such a scaredy-cat, Cerulean. Haah… the bee suit's at the back," Bugsy gestured to the shed behind him.
"Yahoo! You're the best, Bugsy!"
The redhead practically sprinted towards the shed as she quickly wore a cerulean blue suit of woven cotton with bubble patterns over herself, skipping with a pleasant smile on her face as she returned.
"Now no bugs can touch me," she sighed in relief.
"Again with your ignorant words towards Bug Types…" he grumbled.
Brendan blinked at the two's interactions, connecting the dots that they were acquainted before.
"Now that's settled… Welcome, challenger!" Bugsy began.
"I'm the Azalea's Gym Leader, Bugsy—"
"The Walking Bug Pokémon Encyclopaedia!"
[=]
ATL Entry: Bugsy Mushi
The Azalea Gym Leader. Although his appearance resembled that of a young Bug Catcher, he was currently the leading pioneer of research regarding Bug Types due to his specialization in them. This vast knowledge had earned him the nickname 'The Walking Bug Pokémon Encyclopaedia'. The only ones who could match or surpass him in Bug Type understanding were the Regional Professors.
[=]
…
The two Trainers immediately took their sides, not wasting any time.
Seeing how Bugsy's Gym referee was out, Misty offered to take their place.
"This is a Gym match between Brendan Birch of Goldenrod City and Bugsy Mushi of Azalea Gym!"
"The stage is a forest terrain. Standard Battle with 3 Pokémon each!"
The redhead stayed silent for a moment to allow the Trainers their final say before the match began.
"Brendan, huh? With those red eyes, I would have thought you were the Faker with a funny hat," the Bug specialist readied himself.
"Fun—?! Apologize to Goldenrod's Department Store!" the white-hatted boy barked back.
Bugsy sweatdropped at Brendan's rant before getting back on topic.
"Let's see if you're anything like Faker!"
"C'mon and pull up, bug boy!"
"Begin!"
"Nana!"
"Swarm them, Metapod!"
The hyena made her entrance as she barked at her opponent. On the other side was a crescent-shaped green chrysalis with heavy-lidded eyes.
"A Metapod, huh?" Brendan grinned, taking out his Dex for good measure.
]=[
Metapod, the Cocoon Pokémon
The shell covering this Pokémon's body is as hard as an iron slab. Metapod does not move very much. It stays still because it is preparing its soft innards for evolution inside the hard shell.
]=[
"Ohhh! Is that the famous PokéDex?!" Bugsy beamed at the sight of his opponent's red device.
"I wonder how many Bug Types have been recorded in there…"
"Dude, you're kinda freaking me out," Brendan irked.
The white-hatted boy had grown up with a Professor for a father so to him, a Dex was more of a common tool. Because of this, Brendan failed to see the importance of the red device.
"Sorry, let's continue. [Harden]!" Bugsy commanded.
"Don't let it, Nana! [Bite]!" Brendan responded.
The little hyena pounced onto the chrysalis, chomping down on its shell before her eyes went wide open in shock.
"Arf?!" her muffled puzzlement barked.
'No way! It's already at max Defense?!' the white-hatted boy gritted his teeth.
"Is this… Equivalent Exchange?!" he realized.
"Not really. You might not know this, but Metapods have the ability to rebuild their cells to prepare for evolution. Within the shell, they have a hormone that strengthened their outer layer in case it gets worn out," Bugsy explained tirelessly.
"My Metapod's [Harden] works differently than most as it prompts the liquid hormones to reinforce instead of the usual move enhancement."
Brendan clicked his tongue in frustration as he felt severely lacking in knowledge despite being a Professor's son.
"But the real perk is this: Metapod, use the [Harden] move!"
The green chrysalis' armour grew thicker. Now combined with Bugsy's unique [Harden] and maxed out Defense from the regular [Harden], Metapod was now a still fortress.
"This isn't good," Misty muttered under her breath.
"One more [Bite]!" Brendan commanded.
"Arf!" Nana nodded.
Her fangs rushed headfirst into Metapod's green armour, connecting them onto it…
CLANG!
Only for Nana's fangs to bounce back with a loud echo reverbing across the forests.
"Damnit!" Brendan frowned.
"Counterattack, Metapod!" Bugsy smiled knowingly.
"What do you me—"
"[Tackle]!"
BOOM!
The armoured Bug gave a full body blow onto the stunned hyena, throwing her far back into a tree trunk as her body cratered into it limply.
"Nana!" Brendan gasped in horror.
"Grrr… Arf…!" the scrappy Dark Type barked her defiance, still not wanting to leave the game.
'Thank goodness… What the hell was that?' the white-hatted boy mused with slight panic in his throat.
'A [Tackle] shouldn't be that powerful. Is it cuz of Metapod's hard shell?'
'It's like fighting a tank with a primitive spear!'
"Metapod is my perfect strategy as the first hurdle for challengers. He might not be able to combat heavy hitters or Type effectiveness, but you can sure bet he's more than capable to wear down your team," the Bug specialist explained.
Faced with this unexpected obstacle, the ruby eyes faced forward with a bead of sweat falling down his cheek.
Wordlessly, Brendan's mind raced back to the strongest person he knew. His friend and companion. And imagined what he would do.
.
.
.
Light rushed into bloodred eyes as they slowly opened, finding themselves in a room with Pikachu and Froakie on his body.
"How did I…?" Ash rubbed his eyes.
An inch to both opposite ends and the boy found his room's walls adorned with multiple handcrafted katanas, earning his fascination.
"You were knocked out after meeting me," Muramasa answered him on his bedside.
"Truth be told, I haven't felt this humiliated since my playboy days, hahaha!"
"Um… Really sorry about this," Ash bowed in apology.
…
"So kid, what got you falling down in my school?" the man asked.
"I don't really know… I just heard your name and… yeah," Ash struggled to remember.
The static visions he saw were blurred and unreadable, eliciting a frown on his face.
Pikachu and Froakie stared with worry in their eyes before their heads underwent a patting session from their Trainer.
"So, Muramasa… san. Is that your name?" Ash broke the ice.
"Ah… It's more like a title passed down in my family," Muramasa replied.
The raven-haired boy quirked a brow at his answer.
"My real name is Sengo while Muramasa is a title dating back around 600 years ago."
"Can you tell me more?" Ash requested with an interested expression.
Seeing the curiosity worn on the young boy's face, the man could not help but chuckle before agreeing to his request.
"Haha, it's not a long story, I'm afraid. Truth be told, it still isn't known if 'Muramasa' was a name or title. But what's known is that it was recorded 600 years ago in Sinnoh's history."
"If Muramasa was a title, then what did it meant back then?" Ash asked.
"The title 'Muramasa' meant…"
"Hey, pops!" Shingo interrupted with a laptop in hand.
"Is that kid finally out and about?"
'This dude…' Ash popped a vein.
"What is it, Shingo?" Muramasa, or rather Sengo, sighed.
"That kid… you're the Faker from the Grand League, aren't you?" Shingo addressed the raven-haired boy.
"I'm aware," Ash said in a sarcastic tone.
"Battle me, so that I can prove to my father that my way is right!"
As soon as the phrase 'my way is right' left Shingo's mouth, Ash was blasted with a wave of shudders as memories of his rival's venomous words pierced in his mind.
"Pikapi…!" Pikachu squeaked.
"…What's up with him?" Ash pointed at the headstrong man.
"Haaah, Shingo here believes every battle's outcome can be predicted just by analysing his database on his computer," Sengo explained exasperatedly.
"It's a laptop, old man!" the grape-haired man countered.
Shingo turned back to Ash with a small glare.
"My father was one of the best Trainers in Johto, someone who was par with the Elite Four. However, seeing how he wasted half of his life training and battling, I thought of a better, more efficient way to get stronger!"
'…What is this guy smoking?' Ash's eye twitched.
"There's a proven theory that Pokémon grow stronger by winning battles. If that's the case, isn't it better to always know the outcome of each battle, then win said battle resulting in the Pokémon growing stronger and by effect, no time wasted in training."
As Shingo's spiel finished, the raven-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the grape-haired man was called out at the entrance.
"Oi, scrub. We're doin' this or what?"
Ash stared at the man impassively while the Pokémon on his shoulders glared instead.
Hearing Shingo's misguided words rubbed them the wrong way. They, who had experienced defeat multiple times, could never agree with him.
But more surprisingly, Ash himself showed no strong emotions towards Shingo. There was nothing in his bloodred eyes. No loathing nor anger.
Only… emptiness.
As the raven-haired boy stepped outside the building and into the battlefield…
"Just one thing."
He summoned his remaining 2 Pokémon before beckoning Shingo with his finger.
"Choose how you'd like to get packed up."
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Azalea Gym, Johto Region
"What would Ash do here?" Brendan muttered under his breath.
Trying to expand his methods, the white-hatted boy began to think outside the box.
"Nana, return!" Brendan recalled his hyena.
"Oh? I guess that's one way to solve this dilemma," Bugsy smiled, impressed.
In a Gym battle, only the challenger may switch their Pokémon.
With Nana, Brendan had revealed [Bite], [Take Down] and [Howl]. With 3 moves, his final move was more important than ever. Empowering Nana's attacks with [Howl] proved to be insignificant due to the sheer thickness brought about by Metapod's biology.
All this in mind, the white-hatted boy was forced to use his one out.
"Coco!"
A pink feline mewed her entrance as she growled at Metapod with slitted eyes.
"A Skitty?" Bugsy questioned.
'If Nana's teeth and claws don't work…!' Brendan sucked in a deep breath of air.
"Coco… [Iron Tail]!"
'[Iron Tail]?' Bugsy blinked owlishly.
'But that's not a Special attack? That's your one out and you didn't take it?'
The ball of pink sprinted towards the hardened Metapod before leaping above. As she twirled, the cat's bulky tail turned metallic, now resembling a wrecking ball as she brought it down upon Metapod.
CLLLLAAANNNGGGG!
A deafening crash echoed around the battlefield, the leaves on the surrounding trees swayed and fell from the impact while the dirt shivered.
As Coco twirled back to Brendan, it was revealed Metapod was still standing, seemingly unhurt from [Iron Tail].
"I can't believe it. Listen here, with this much Defense, the only way to beat my Metapod is to use Speci—"
Thud!
The Bug specialist's lecture was cut short by his Pokémon's fall, swirls in his eyes to signal its forfeit.
"…!" his face wore muted surprise.
"Metapod is unable to battle. Brendan wins! Gym Leader Bugsy, please send out your next Pokémon," Misty announced, as formal and polite as usual.
"No way… The vibrations!" Bugsy understood.
"Bingo! I wasn't really sure if it would work the same way that I thought in my head, but woohoo!" the ruby-eyed Trainer hoorayed with a proud Coco in his arms.
'Vibrations strong enough to knock out Metapod? That line of thinking is quite novel… and rather barbaric,' the Gym Leader was floored.
"That was purely guesswork? You shouldn't make a habit out of that," Bugsy advised.
"Please. Do you know who I'm travelling with?" Brendan scoffed with a grin.
"I'm with probably the craziest Trainer in the world!"
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"Blade!" Shingo summoned his Pokémon.
By his side was a bipedal, insectoid Pokémon with a red, metallic exoskeleton. The most prominent trait of the Pokémon was its large, round pincers that were patterned with black eyespots with yellow 'pupils'.
"Hassu!" the Pokémon named Blade greeted.
"At least your Pokémon has more decency than you," Ash returned the greeting with a nod while dissing its Trainer.
Hearing this, the raven-haired boy's Pokémon spun to him with perplexed gazes. They knew Ash was not one to openly mock others and even if he had the urge to, he would usually keep it to himself.
The bloodred eyes. They conveyed a sense of silence and shockingly… pure indifference.
"Pikapi…?" the electric mouse squeaked with trepidation.
From the sidelines, Sengo's own capsule summoned the Pokémon within, revealing the same species as Blade, albeit visibly aged.
"This is my own Scizor, Masamune. He's my oldest partner and my trusted friend," Sengo smiled as he patted his partner's metallic shell.
"Hassu…" Masamune conveyed his happiness through closed eyes.
"Woah, it's the Crimson Streak!" one of the aged man's students exclaimed in excitement.
"Crimson Streak?" Ash parroted with a cocked brow.
As it so happened, Masamune's epithet, the Crimson Streak, was earned due to his lightning-fast movements that made Sengo an Elite Four-level Trainer. It was after all; the last thing Masamune's opponents saw before their defeat.
'Sounds badass,' the raven-haired boy agreed wholeheartedly with the students.
"Oi, can we get back to our duel?!" Shingo interrupted with his laptop ever-present in his arm.
'Imma smash that laptop on your face,' Ash managed to suppress.
"By the way, what do you mean by 'duel'?" he asked.
"Huh?! Our battle, duh!" Shingo exasperated.
As if to mock him further, Ash lazily scanned the battlefield and his Pokémon before tilting his head towards Shingo with a bored expression.
"Ohhh, you mean this?" Ash gently slammed his fist into his palm.
"This ain't a duel, though?"
Before Shingo could exasperate further, Ash proceeded to borrow a wooden sword (bokken) from the building's dojo, pointing the blunted tip towards the grape-haired man with an unnervingly familiar smirk.
"This is a lesson, idiot," he announced with a dangerous expression adorning his face.
.
.
.
Azalea Gym, Johto Region
Now, it was Rara vs Kakuna.
'A Poison Type!' the white-hatted boy scrunched his bottom lip.
"[Poison Sting]!" Bugsy immediately ordered.
From the yellow cocoon's stinger came a missile of poison heading straight towards Rara, alarming her Trainer.
"Dodge, Rara!" Brendan commanded swiftly.
Rara's red horn picked up on her Trainer's distress and acted accordingly with virtually zero time lag. An evade to the side had left the [Poison Sting] missing.
'What was that? A [Poison Sting] that acts like a Special move instead of Physical?' the novice pondered.
'…No way. That's…!'
"An Equivalent Exchange!" Brendan figured it out.
"Correct. Changing [Poison Sting] damage category was something that Faker showed me," Bugsy nodded, referring to the Prelim's first showing of [Swords Dance (Fake)].
Seeing how Pikachu changed a Status move like [Swords Dance] into a Physical attack, the Bug specialist was inspired with Kakuna's [Poison Sting] being a core example.
"Once more, [Poison Sting]!"
"As if we'll fall for the same trick twice! Rara, [Teleport]!"
'[Teleport]? Is he going to switch?' Misty queried to herself.
Vhoop!
The answer came in the form of Rara disappearing…
Vhoom!
And reappearing behind Kakuna.
"No switch?!" Misty and Bugsy gasped in surprise.
"Take this, [Confusion]!" Brendan cried out.
A wave of concentrated Psychic energy spiralled into Kakuna's mind, effectively rendering it unconscious due to Type effectiveness.
"Ru…!" Rara winced in pain.
The green-haired humanoid stepped back, revealing a small stinger jabbed into her white body.
"Kakuna is unable to battle, Brendan wins! Gym Leader Bugsy, please send out your final Pokémon," Misty announced.
'Damnit, he's got Rara!' Brendan furrowed his brows nervously.
As soon as Rara countered, she was immediately hit by Kakuna's [Poison Sting]. To make matters worse, the Feeling Pokémon got poisoned on the first hit.
"Rara, return!" Brendan made his decision swiftly.
'If it wasn't for [Confusion], Rara would've been toast,' he gulped.
"Wise choice. Delaying the poisoned state is a valid strategy," Bugsy complimented.
Showing the white-hatted boy his final capsule, the Gym Leader gave an amused smile.
"Swarm them, Scyther."
In a bright flash of white, Bugsy summoned his final Pokémon:
A primarily green bipedal insectoid mantis with scythes for arms.
'A Scyther!' Brendan bit his lips.
[=]
Scyther, the Mantis Pokémon
Scyther is blindingly fast. Its blazing speed enhances the effectiveness of the twin scythes on its forearms. This Pokémon's scythes are so effective, they can slice through thick logs in one wicked stroke. While young, they live together deep in the mountains, training themselves in how to fight with their scythes and move at high speeds.
[=]
That was Scyther's recorded entry in the Dex, but Brendan did not need it to know. Scyther was a popular Pokémon for battles, after all.
"Wait… It has wrinkles?" he squinted his ruby eyes for a clearer look.
"Ah, my Scyther's a bit on the elderly side. I found him at the Orange Archipelago, a place called Murcott Island," Bugsy explained.
"I was there with my assistant, Tracey, to observe the rare Bug Types there while he does the sketches for them."
The experienced Bug specialist patted his old Scyther in remembrance.
"This one was a leader of a Scyther swarm, but he lost his position after being defeated and exiled. But after a few things here and there, everything ended fine and dandy!"
'Oi, aren't you skipping some important details? I kinda wanna know too!' Brendan retorted.
But that was enough banter, it was time to resume the battle.
"Nana!"
The gray hyena howled her return as she snarled fiercely at Bugsy's old guard.
"Seeing its age, your Scyther's definitely past his prime!" Brendan shouted.
'Which means it's slo—'
Fwhip!
A green blur circled behind Nana, leaving her eyes in an instant as she was unknowingly and completely at the mercy of the bladed mantis.
Brendan's assumption was utterly wrong. His mind raced in proportion to the speed of his eyes widening.
"Nana, roll forward!" the white-hatted boy panicked.
"[Slash]!" Bugsy commanded.
The small hyena whimpered as a sharp pain ran across her back, leaving her tumbling to the centre of the battlefield.
Nana was already damaged by Metapod's infuriating counterattacks with [Tackle] and now, Scyther's [Slash]. She struggled to get back up, only doing so with pure determination.
"Grrr…" she growled at the mantis.
The elder mantis narrowed in on Nana, an impressed nod was shown towards her. Even in his long lifespan, the little Poochyena was the feistiest opponent he had to date.
"Strike!" Scyther primed his scythes.
'C'mon, c'mon! Think!' Brendan clenched his fists.
While Brendan was in a pinch…
Another was undergoing his own battle.
Sengo's School, Azalea Town
'What the hell…?!' Shingo grinded his teeth in frustration.
He had thought that his opponent and his Froakie were easy pickings. A lucky boy who managed to reach the Finals in the Grand League through sheer luck.
But what Shingo was not aware of…
"What's up?" the raven-haired boy continued smirking.
Ash's luck was anything but 'good'.
Both Ash and Froakie held their respective weapons in their hands, a bokken and a needle made of [Cut].
The two mirrored each other, entering a two-handed sword stance. It was the acquired swordsmanship from Caliburn, though partly. And from the onlookers, only one person recognized the stance.
'That stance…!' Sengo thought with surprise written on his face.
'That's the Fool's guard, a Western technique.'
The two's bodies were slightly low, their eyes never leaving the bewildered Blade as they held their weapons pointed to the ground, apparently careless.
Ash's animalistic bloodred eyes reflected the quivering Scizor's expression, as if to say: 'Try me'.
"Tch! Go in, Blade! We can win this!" Shingo yelled, losing his patience.
"…Hassu!" the bipedal red Pokémon nodded.
As the Pincer Pokémon edged close…
"…!" / "…Ke!"
Ash and Froakie immediately reacted with slight adjustment to their positions.
Although insignificant, that was more than enough to throw off Blade as it recoiled in surprise.
'What the hell… Blade clearly surpasses that Froakie of his, both in parameters and wins,' the grape-haired man tried to rationalize.
'So why's Blade all cowardly now?!'
The Pokémon sensed it. Especially Ash's closest partner.
After blacking out from the mention of Sengo's 'title' and accepting Shingo's 'duel', Pikachu noticed it:
The shift in demeanour from his partner.
As soon as he held a weapon…
"Make your move," the raven-haired boy exhaled sharply.
Ash was a completely different beast.
"RAAAHHH! [Metal Claw]!"
"Hassam!"
The pincer that arced down towards the blue frog was quick, but because of his previous battle, his clash against Talonflame…
0.13 seconds elapsed.
Ash was faster.
"Froakie." / "Kero."
And Froakie did the same.
The needle of light in the Kalos starter's hands zipped beside the red insectoid's [Metal Claw]…
CLANG!
And parried it resoundingly.
"Ehhhh?!" Shingo and the other students flustered.
The bloodred eyes caught the miniscule frame of Blade's surprise and capitalized on that.
Froakie's successful parry was sequenced with letting go of his [Cut] and proceeded to hop towards Blade's armoured face.
"[Water Pulse]!" Ash called out.
Vapours of water swirled into liquid form as the spiralling sphere of aqua was promptly slammed into the red insectoid's face.
"Hass—!"
BOOM!
"Blade!" Shingo cried out as he watched his partner crashing onto a tree trunk.
And just like that, Ash secured his victory against Shingo. A clear victory over the grape-haired man's preconceived mindset, destroying it.
'He understands the use of the Fool's guard,' Sengo stroked his chin, impressed.
'Though it seemed full of openings, that guard allows the opponent to strike first, thus reacting to it is made easier.'
'However, utilising it in a Pokémon battle is suicidal… This boy…'
"Nice job, Froakie," Ash slapped Froakie's webbed hand.
"Kero!" the blue frog grinned.
"Pikapi! Pikacchu!" the boy's partner squeaked as he adjusted the red cap on his head.
"…I looked scary?" the raven-haired boy repeated his worries.
"Well, he did piss me off…"
'Strange…' he mused to himself.
At that moment, Ash realized something important: Time.
"…Whoops," he muttered as he saw the afternoon sky.
.
.
.
Azalea Gym, Azalea Town
"Coco is unable to battle. Gym Leader Bugsy wins! Please send out your next Pokémon, challenger," Misty announced.
Brendan's final hope was dashed with Coco's fall, returning her back into her capsule with a river of sweat flowing down his back.
'Damnit… Coco's down, Rara's poisoned, and Nana's taken the worst beating outta all of them,' Brendan analysed his situation.
'Think, think! What would A—'
"Oh! Found it!" a new voice made itself known.
Everyone turned back, finding Ash ambling towards them while playing with some flying Bug Types gathered around his person such as Butterfrees and Ledybas.
"Ash!" Brendan and Misty exclaimed, the former clearly happy to see him.
"Sorry, got caught up with something," the raven-haired boy waved with his Pokémon on his shoulders mirroring him.
"Faker!" Bugsy grinned.
Ash stopped at the side, observing the field and the battle screen, showing Coco's profile crossed out.
'That Scyther… is strong,' he noticed the formidable air around the aged Pokémon.
Next was Brendan, seeing the nervousness written on his face, Ash concluded he was in trouble.
He detested interruption in battles so that was a no-go. In the end, Ash gave Brendan the perfect words to move forward.
It was after all… His greatest motivation.
"Don't give up until it's over, Brendan!" the raven-haired boy gave his toothy grin.
"Pika Pikachu!" / "Kero, kero!"
The white-hatted boy widened his ruby eyes, gazing at the honest eyes of bloodred that believed in him. Ash was someone he respected the moment he met him so for him to have this much faith in him was moving.
'Don't give up until it's over… Yeah, I'll do just that!' Brendan shifted back into his concentrated state.
'Oh? He didn't fumble,' Bugsy smiled knowingly.
Peculiarly, Brendan held his final two capsules in both hands before declaring his next Pokémon.
"Rara!"
The poisoned Rara entered the battlefield with the fiercest cry she could muster.
"Get ready…" Brendan whispered to his other capsule.
As soon as the Feeling Pokémon was sent out, the elderly Scyther screeched in rage as soon as he laid eyes on her.
'The heck?!' Misty stepped back.
"Scyther doesn't like the colour red," Bugsy explained, pointing at Rara's red horn.
From now on, the Mantis Pokémon would be more aggressive in his attacks.
"[Slash]!"
"[Teleport]!"
A blinding swipe sliced the air with Rara reappearing in a flash of lilac behind Scyther. However, using the momentum from the initial [Slash], the scythe-wielding mantis spun back with ease, throttling the attack down upon the little humanoid.
Vhoop!
BANG!
Another miss. Rara still evaded but she was coughing more frequently due to the toll of the poison.
The angered Scyther and the hacking Rara repeated this back-and-forth with the battlefield slowly adorned with cracks and slashes on the ground.
And finally… the time came.
Scyther took a leap backwards suddenly, leaving Rara kneeling on the field with violent coughs. Seeing the opportunity, Bugsy took it.
"Finish her off with [Lunge]!" the Gym Leader commanded.
Twin scythes brandished; the green mantis blitzed with great speed.
'It's now or never!' the white-hatted boy exhaled sharply.
As Rara coughed one last time, Brendan finally broke his silence.
"Rara, [Teleport]!"
'Evading again? That's no use!' the Bug specialist thought.
FWHHHm!
"Wha?!" Bugsy stiffened his words in shock.
Scyther was visibly surprised as well.
To their sudden surprise, Rara did not teleport anywhere on the battlefield. Instead, she returned herself back into her capsule…
And Brendan instantly summoned his third.
"Nana!"
However, the elderly Scyther was already in the middle of his [Lunge] motion and Brendan had summoned his hyena right in his path.
'He messed up!' the redhead gasped in worry.
'That was foolish, Brendan!' the Bug specialist lectured mentally.
But…
Only one saw Brendan's shrewdness.
"Give him hell, you two!" Ash cheered with a large grin plastered on his face.
Form the bright flash of light came Nana…
"Nana…!"
Charging up her final attack.
"[Hyper Beam]!"
And everything turned white.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
…
"Scyther is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Brendan of Goldenrod City!" Misty announced jovially.
The white-hatted boy roared to his knees, immensely happy of his win and the payoff of his gamble.
Beforehand, Brendan had Nana charge up [Hyper Beam] inside her capsule while Rara's continuous [Teleports] drained Scyther of his stamina quickly. His gamble that Bugsy would get used to the field [Teleport] had paid off as the Bug specialist was not prepared for the eventual [Teleport] switch.
"You got me, Brendan," Bugsy admitted with a refreshed expression.
"As a reward for beating me: the Hive Badge!"
With that, the Johto boy received his second Badge with an exuberant cheer.
"We did it!" he yelled out.
"Arf!" / "Meow!" / "Raru!"
Though still poisoned, Rara still managed her best to bask with her Trainer's victory, or rather, their victory.
From the sidelines, Ash sported a smile, happy that Brendan pulled out a comeback from the losing edge.
However, it was now time…
"Right then…" the Bug specialist stretched a little.
For the raven-haired boy's showing.
"My Level 2 team is itching for you, Faker."
"Dang, I'm honoured."
.
.
.
.
.
It wasn't even a battle.
It was a one-sided beating.
After celebrating my victory, I thought I had closed the gap between me and Ash…
But…
As I watched the match that unfolded…
The first time I'd witnessed Pikachu's first showing…
I realized how wrong I was.
"Haha… I did request for Pikachu, but…" Bugsy muttered in slight disbelief.
"This power is ridiculous for a Pikachu. Did you get stronger since the Grand League?"
The terrain was trampled with sparks of yellow. The trees bore sizzling spots of black. Some even felled from the strength that was Pikachu.
"…I did some training," I heard Ash reply.
Pikachu and Ash's flawless teamwork. Their unwavering trust in each other.
Even if I wasn't as interested in battling as them… I still found it beautiful.
If I had that strength, that power… Back then…
I recalled the person in my mind.
I remembered her name. The one I called her after her sapphire eyes.
But even if I couldn't remember her face…
I remember her loving words.
My absentmindedness mechanically reached for my hat, rubbing where that reminder was left.
.
.
.
Kurt's House, Azalea Town
"Well, here we are," Misty said rhetorically.
A house in the northwest corner of Azalea Town. A humble one.
From the sliding door's open, an elderly man came out to greet the group.
"Yer' finally er'e," the man grumbled.
"So yer' that squirt that Oak sent, ain'tcha?"
Finally face to face, Ash had met Kurt of Azalea Town.
"Nice to meetcha, Old Man Kurt!" the boy greeted with a grin.
]=[
ATL Entry: Kurt Tetsujin
A world-renowned Pokéball Crafter known as the Monster Ball Maker who specialized in utilizing Apricorn in his capsules' craft, creating a variant known as 'Apricorn Balls'. Despite his unorthodox ways, Kurt's method was regarded as the origin for the PokéBalls' creation, unlike the modern steel version. Sometimes, he would use special stones as well…
]=[
While they talked, Ash suddenly turned towards Brendan, provoking a quirked brow from the latter.
"Hey, Brendan. Remember that house I visited near Azalea Town?"
"Hm… Ah, that place. Why?"
.
.
.
Few hours ago…
"…Whoops."
As Ash prepared to leave after his bout with Blade, Sengo stopped him with a grateful look.
"Thank you for setting my son straight, Ash. With this, that fool can finally see training tirelessly bears the greatest fruits," he thanked.
"You won't hear me complaining," the raven-haired boy shrugged.
"Are you perhaps in a hurry?"
"Yeah. A friend of mine's challenging the Gym right now and this has been a great warmup for my head so… gotta stay on top of my game."
Sengo watched the excitable boy cackling along with his pokemon, tugging a warm smile on his face.
'I wonder how long it has been since I was that exuberant…' he mused to himself.
"Hassu," Masamune sat next to his Trainer.
"Yeah, we've really gotten old huh, partner?" he eased his shoulder with his Crimson Streak chuckling.
"Oh right. Sengo-san, what's with the clanging in that shed?" Ash suddenly asked, remembering the reason why he approached the man's school.
'Clanging?' Sengo repeated in confusion.
Eyeing the shed, the man's eyes flew wide open in shock as he spun back to a confused Ash.
"Ash, can you come back later? I have something to gift you."
.
.
.
Back in present time…
"Can ya help me get something from there? A guy named Sengo's the one ya lookin' for," Ash requested.
The reason why the raven-haired boy asked this of Brendan was due to Sengo's gift as well as to exclude the novice Trainer from the GS Ball knowledge.
Seeing no reason to refuse, Brendan nodded and left.
"Smart thinkin', young'un," Kurt nodded.
"Wouldn't want more people finding out about this bugger er'e."
Now with 3 people left, Ash passed over the GS Ball that materialized from his Bag.
…
…
…
After some time fiddling and examining the GS Ball, Kurt let out a lethargic sigh as he rubbed his temples.
"Whoever made this is a real piece of work."
"Whaddya mean?" Ash asked, curious about Kurt's work.
Seeing the glint of interest in the boy's eyes, the elderly man could not help but go off about the work he took pride in with an expert's expression.
"As yer know, I specialize in makin' Balls with Apricorns instead of those steel ones ya carry," Kurt pointed at Ash's capsules that were fastened on his belt.
"Apricorns are tough material. Without getting processed, it's tough enough that sharp-toothed Pokémon can't eat them."
The raven-haired boy was fascinated by the Monster Ball Maker's explanation, wondering how a fruit could be as strong as steel.
Thump, thump, thump!
"Grandpa, grandpa! I brought the juices!" a little girl entered the room with juices for Ash, Misty, and the absent Brendan.
"Ah, well done Maizie," Kurt praised with a pat on the head.
"Hehe!"
Ash and Misty thanked the little girl for her troubles before she returned to the living room.
"That's my granddaughter, Maizie. She's my apprentice," Kurt clarified.
After the two nodded, Kurt continued.
"Anyways, since I'm the only one who can make these sorts of Balls, whoever created this GS Ball…"
"…Has to be someone you know," the redhead put two and two together.
"A bright lass, and a pretty face to boot."
However, the uneasiness from Kurt's confirmation swept the two travellers.
'It's someone Old Man Kurt knows. But who is it?' Ash narrowed his eyes.
"Who could it be? The Professor?" he whispered to himself.
Pikachu gave a thinking pose before imitating the face of Professor Oak, not really believing it to be the researcher.
"Pikachu?" he squeaked inquisitively.
"Kero…" Froakie waved it off, knowing it was impossible.
'Yeah, it can't be the Professor. What kind of guy suspects hims—'
'Wait. Why am I doubting Professor Oak?'
At once, disgust corroded Ash's mouth, leaving a taste of loathing.
'What the hell am I thinking?! How could I…'
The thought that he could even suspect the man who took care of him was crazy. It angered him greatly, causing his innate self-hatred to materialize in the form of a pained frown.
"Ah, Maizie. Can you bring me that photo?" Kurt instructed, remembering something.
In no time, the sprightly girl rushed towards her beloved grandpa with a picture frame.
"Thank you, dear. Talking about the old days got me nostalgic," Kurt revealed the framed picture.
What Ash and Misty saw got them amazed as it was a photo of Kurt and his friends when they were younger.
"Professor Oak?!" Ash spluttered in shock.
"Ah, that must be Agatha!" Misty exclaimed in equal shock.
"Hahaha. Those two were oil and water, always seeking a battle with each other," Kurt chuckled.
"And these two right here are Goldenrod City's Day Care Couple. Wahaha, it never gets old how many times I say it."
"To think they would name themselves that even back then AND stuck to it will never not be funny."
The raven-haired boy studied the photo, seeing the 5 people shown before letting out a sigh of relief.
'What was I thinking? Everyone Kurt knows are probably old now,' Ash reaffirmed himself.
The Masked Man the raven-haired boy saw in his Analysis was intimidating, a tall man with a black cloak and his signature mask of glassy crystal. There was no way in Ash's mind that someone that menacing could be an elderly person.
"Hehe, it's handsome Grandpa!" Maizie giggled.
"Huh? Handsome Grandpa's still here, you little rascal," Kurt guffawed, hugging his sunny granddaughter in his arms.
Just as Ash kept the GS Ball back into digital space, Brendan returned just in time. This time, with a book in hand.
"Here you go," the white-hatted boy passed it.
"Sorry for making you do this, man," the raven-haired boy scratched his hair in embarrassment.
"Nah, it's fine. I even got pulled into a battle with that guy Shingo."
"Did you win?" Ash asked.
Seeing the smug smirk plastered on his friend's face drew the same smirk on Ash's face as well.
"As if Brendan would go down that easy," Misty assured.
"You got that right!"
"Hey, kid. That book…" Kurt noticed.
"Is that from Sengo?"
"Huh? I think so. I didn't think he'd gimme a book of all things…" Ash nodded.
'If I could choose, I'd rather have one of those katanas. They were so cool…'
Although, those very katanas had ingrained themselves within his world of blades, lessening the disappointment in Ash.
'That book…' the Monster Ball Maker rubbed his chin.
"…Pft. To think he'd finally give away that."
Inquisitively, Ash opened Sengo's gift as he read the contents before widening his eyes progressively after each line.
"This is…" the raven-haired boy gasped.
"Forging techniques?"
"Tell me, squirt. Didja hear clanging in dat ol' shed of his?"
"Uh, yeah. I did, why?" Ash asked.
Kurt's interested eyes fluttered slightly, taking another look at the boy.
"…Hah! Samuel really raised quite a weirdling."
'Rude,' the boy sassed mentally.
"Since yer' hands are gonna get busy, lemme get you some gifts as well," Kurt stood from his seat.
Within minutes, Kurt returned with some metals, logs of wood and an anvil.
"Uh…" Ash drawled.
"That's a lot of things…" Brendan gulped.
"Can you even fit all of that in there?" Misty stared at Ash's Bag.
"Sure it can. Technology these days are getting better and better," Kurt huffed.
"Kid. Get some of these things to start yer' own portable forge."
"What makes you think I'm gonna start a forge?" Ash retorted.
"You look like the type."
"…Touché."
Ash sighed as he received Kurt's gifts graciously before noticing the logs of wood.
"Ah, that there's Apricorn wood. Its some fine material, sturdy and can withstand a darn Machamp's punch, all 4 I reckon."
Seeing the wood, an idea crept up in his head.
"…It's coming up," he realized as he glanced at a nearby calendar.
"Thanks a lot, old man! I'll be sure to make good use of these!"
"Bah! If you see Samuel, tell him to stop by for a drink!"
"Oh, and that kid there. Heard from Birch that you'll be taking Contests in Hoenn," Kurt noticed.
"Uh, yes," Brendan nodded.
For the novice Trainer, he received an ApriBlender and some Apricorns. Apparently, they were useful for performance enhancing which put Brendan in a great mood.
"Thank you so much, sir!"
New gifts in hand and a book in interest, the Johto trio headed out once more.
"Next stop, my hometown!" Brendan cheered.
"Goldenrod City, huh?" Misty smiled.
"What're we waiting for? Let's go!" Ash grinned.
"Pikachu!" / "Kero!"
And off they went.
.
.
.
.
.
Sengo's House, Azalea Town
The man sat on his porch, feeling the midnight air tickling his skin as he recalled the day's events.
"Clanging sounds… So, it was him," he said to himself.
He remembered his grandfather's words. The instructions from his ancestor, the one who called themselves the disciple of Muramasa himself:
To pass the manual of Muramasa's techniques…
Clang!
To the one who hears the voice of the forge.
Chapter 75: The Blacksmith
…To the distant traveller from 600 years later.
Author's Notes
This chapter was written by the Foreshadowing Devil lol.
WOOOOOOOO! Finally got this chapter out!
For context, this chapter is the single greatest setup for the future. It might take years to get there, but man is it gonna be worth it. It's gonna be rereading season once the foreshadowing pays off!
Side note, Brendan gets some spotlight this chapter since he deserves one after so long. Nana's final [Hyper Beam] is actually a reference to Adventures Pika vs Giovanni with the charging and whatnot.
As you guys might've noticed, Muramasa is a pretty important title, both for Fated and Fate series enjoyers. Of course, IRL Muramasa is a blacksmith's name but in Fated, its different. It's a title, a title whose meaning is currently unknown.
Ash's battles being offscreen serves to tell readers just how strong he is, even without Charizard. Remember, he hasn't used Charizard in any of his Gym battles.
The steamrolling units being Froakie and Pikachu are no coincidences since they are Ash's powerhouses, after all. Froakie serves to show how much in sync Ash is with Froakie, both using Fool's guard (IRL fencing stance) to beat Shingo (fuck this kid, never liked him in the anime). Pikachu destroying Bugsy cuz the latter fucked around and found out.
If I were to compare Ash's 3 powerhouses power-wise in ascending order:
Froakie, Charizard then Pikachu. (And we haven't gotten a full battle on Johto Pikachu yet, get hyped)
Now, I have some PM from f46adpg which I'll answer here:
From f46adpg:
I think fafnir is being some sort of foreshadowing of necrozma tbh. The greedy part since he literally swallows all the light from planet to planet and his heart is storing everything and all and the dwarves being greedy of the sun's material is very logical since dwarves make their weapons of the sun.
Oh and the little tidbit of nibelungenlied I didn't actually know. I had always known that it was some sort of opera or play acted out in 1500 to 1800 or something which could also be referenced to the era of witches because the term itself was popularized by England because of beer brewing and you used witch to address renegade but didn't call zacian's name. So is it going to be some sort of reference to Athena and her owls? NGL but a secret hexencircle manipulating everything in the shadows or even learning about the world or protecting it from outside influence would be really cool!
Oh and the text is alright, it wasn't that much of a problem in the first place since you've established the character traits and their form of wording sentences very specific but it may take a 2nd or 3rd look if I'm not that focused.
If I had a concern then it would be with where the overall story is going in regards to the whole world since many of the authorities of the legendary do overlap and how much is it limited to earth and stuff. Is there a seat system, what if a legendary dies or something if you ever actually do go in that direction. How does the Pokemon science actually go in tandem with what abilities different Pokemon have especially regarding legendaries. These are mainly due to the actual franchise not expanding over anything or any legendaries not reappearing but I'm kinda afraid that these will make the time between writing chapters longer and longer. I know Kalos is going to be kind of the main region but the story before that is very important and what you've done until now is impressive in hindsight because you just started expanding upon the lore just after or in between Kanto. I really was not expecting to go this deep into the tank but I do think there has to be a major arcs between and before Hoenn since the groudon kyogre and raquaza trio is going to be like a pedestal for other legendaries. Also there's Ho-oh and Lugia to explain since they appear more as the lady of Lake rather than anything so I think entei will hold a major lore regarding Ho-oh but I don't know how you'll execute that since Delia isn't present here. My memory is a little bit weak going that far in the past but I know you'll do great.
The characterization of the characters are honestly the best I've ever read or seen in my life so I've got absolutely no problem in that. Every character is used in one way or another where all of them are relevant but we do have a hierarchy in terms of major and minor characters ( still don't know where to put Misty) but yes your story is possibly one of the best I've read so far in my 4 to 5 years of reading fanfictions.
The only thing I find somewhat difficult is the style of writing and still it's a general type so don't worry about it if you are not a native english-spokes person. But maybe finding a beta among your fans would be convenient although I think that even an experienced one will just sit still and give an okay with every chapter with your level of writing.
Honestly that's it, the overall story is flawless until now. I think you're one of the best person to ever step into the site. I only have some "concerns" for the future timeline but that's where it stops. Everything is point perfect and I can only say that you're like the goats of fanfiction
Once again, huge thanks to f46adpg!
To start, I legit had no idea what was a hexencircle until I searched it up. Turns out it was a genshin ref which I'm not familiar with. A witch coven sounds like a fun idea but it probably won't be implemented nor is a secret society. While all that sounds exciting, it'll be more and more confusing in the later parts like 'Why didn't they do X during that time, are they stupid?'. Plot holes will form with their motivations if I screw up which is why making something like that is scary. Right now, Fated is BARELY plot-consistent since its all foreshadowing for now. Not that your PM was useless, you actually helped me realize that making an Illuminati-like org is impossible so thanks, really.
The reason why I had Renegade(Da top G) address Zacian as Witch is cuz that's her title and a placeholder until her True Name gets revealed. I'll say this though:
Comparing Athena and her owls to Zacian is a DANGEROUSLY close likeness to Zacian. It was SO CLOSE, I was sweating for a moment.
Like how Athena is closely associated with the owl, Zacian's true identity is also closely tied to a bird as well (hell, its a bird that's closely associated with wolves as well)
Glad the text formatting wasn't as confusing, but better safe than sorry, right?
Seat systems for legendaries:
Now, as per canon/games, there are multiple Legends in-universe such as Lugia and the bird trio (we don't talk about Mewtwo from the Unova movies)
However, if you noticed in M02, the birds are referred to their names with 'of Shamouti'. There's a Moltres in Victory Road from what was written in the Grand League entrance.
This means there's no seat system but rather territories for each Legends. Of course, that doesn't matter for the weather trio who go where the fuck they please. Even if they die, the World/Gaia will find a way to restore balance kinda like the Counter Force (Gaia version) so don't worry about that.
As for Pokémon science: The world is centred around the mons themselves, but Gods are still Gods in the end. It's like the difference between Magecraft and Magic.
So science (as in our science) is applied onto Pokémon and their Abilities (depending on the feasibility) but just like Fate, some bullshitery is gonna happen with Gods.
I agree that the Hoenn trio are gonna set the scale among Gods since Gen3 is the first Gen that suddenly jumped from minor deities to freakin' Christian myths! Gotta cook more on that. Ho-oh and Lugia are gonna be my official starting point of writing Legendaries.
M03 already has the initial draft so there's that. Don't worry about the Delia part.
The rest of your review are too embarrassing for me to write (KYAAAAA~) but nevertheless, I do appreciate you thinking I'm good enough for someone who's been reading fanfics for 5 years now.
Gotta say, I really thought Fated was gonna be a flop since y'know... it's my first fic I've ever written. And now, it seems popular and well-received enough that it baffles me. Like, "Really? These people really like this crackfic I wrote on a whim?"
But even with all that, I wanna thank you guys for reading Fated so far. I'll continue to improve so that Fated can shine brighter.
And now... back to the drawing board.