Author's Notes
It's ovverrrr! 3 long years of school is finally over! Graduation's on the horizon, bois! (Fk, its work now...)
Hopefully, we'll be back on at least 2 chapters per month. Anyways.
How y'all doing? Been suffering but what's new, amirite? Now, let's get talking about this chapter.
Do not be fooled by the seemingly harmless chapter title, this shit's kinda an info dump near the end so be sure to digest it.
As from the title, we're finally seeing Dababies (lezz goo) and of course, some trauma relief near the end.
Not much else to say about this chapter since it speaks for itself.
Hm? What's with the Green Onion in the title?
...Seriously, anybody who's familiar with Pokémon knows 'onion'.
Now, onto the reviews!
Satosere16:
Another awesome one. One thing I understand is, I have to watch fated series for understanding storyline better. Did you inspired few things from AOT? Because, that one title and few parts reference that anime. Especially Ash's character almost same as Eren's character, emotionless, confusing and cold. Spin-off series after kalos, how many years are you going to take? I hope before 2050. Reading this heavy plot based foreshadowing chapters, I don't know why, but sometimes I feel like in the end of story, either Ash or Serena will die and story will have netural ending.
*Breathes in*... *Breathes out*
Yes, AOT was an inspiration for that one chapter title. But that's where it ends. So I'm going to make this VERY clear:
I absolutely loathe AOT. I was a huge fan until the final parts.
As for spinoffs, it probably will take a long time but definitely not 2050 and beyond. Ain't no way I'm writing till that point.
And finally, end of story: Ash or Serena dying as neutral ending.
...What? I ain't gonna spoil it. And yes, Fated's ending is confirmed. You can't expect a story to start and NOT think of the ending, right?
Who would do such a thing, right, Isayama?
But i can tell you this:
With what I'm planning to do, Ash or Serena dying is DEAD last (heh, see what I did there?) on my list of priorities.
You say I was inspired by AOT but definitely not.
If Fate was the idea inspiration for Fated, my story inspiration would be... Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint. (If you know the ending, you know what kind of fuckery I have in mind.)
Rajiv A. Rajaram:
Finally got around to reading this chapter and it was a doozy. Nice to see Brendan get spotlight and a proper gym battle to boot. I recalled you said you may skip some of Ash's gym battles because he'd be steamrolling at some points so I'm not surprised we didn't get to read it. Just curious about which Pokémon Bugsy would have used in your canon though? Beyond that, Ash showing some bite to Shingo was surprising and I assume we'd uncover more of that attitude as the chapters go on? Is it tied into his fainting? Dropping the bomb that Kurt should know the maker of the GS ball is another one I'm looking forward to coming out in the open as well. Overall it was a good chapter with lots of setting up for the future especially with the Ash being a forger, loving it so far.
Thanks for another review, Rajiv. Brendan getting the spotlight last chapter was one thing on my checklist before M03.
For Bugsy's team, it's not really important but his 3 'Level 2' Pokémon would be Ledian, Ariados and Ninjask.
And yes, current Pikachu is faster than Ninjask (don't trust the Dex entry, it's a load of BS since Ninjask's top speed would be Mach 7)
Ash showing some bite is also something on my checklist since this is some of the few times we get to see Ash angry. Remember how in previous chapters, it is said that he has a filter constantly active? Yeah, this is some of the times that filter comes undone. It's to show Ash having a more immature side to him, which you'll see in this chapter too. Making him vulnerable is key since during the Grand League and Orange Islands, he felt more of a shonen protagonist reciting the same cliche lines. This side of him makes him more human.
Kurt knowing the GS Ball maker makes sense since this storyline is vaguely in line with the manga. Plus, adds a bit of suspense even though the surprise is ruined cuz most people have read the manga.
And finally, Ash being a forger. This is more important than you guys realize with all the clues scattered around. To those who figured it out, shhh.
C0rrupted1:
DAMN IT! Procastination again. Okay, let's get three things wanted to say from last chapter:
1) Serena's Eevee needs to turn into a Vaperoeon and just hit her with water like a spray bottle to a cat, cause 'firm hands', 'another homewrecker'. Down girl.
2) That answers that. I assumed it was just a dream realm Ash was being taken to, but if her lipstick kiss was still there, her realm is an actual place and he's been taken there. Guessing everyone's just too asleep to notice he's gone or it's like he is taken there but the body remains and changes made while in the realm affect the body. Either way, no way anybody could say it was his fault he got a kiss, far as they know, everyone there has to be looking at each other.
3) And GOD that's right. The stupid Darkrai fight. Such a rigged fight by the writers. Think that was when I finally gave up on the anime cause I just wasn't excited for Black and White season. Ash finally got an amazing win on Paul when it mattered, Infernape got his revenge/victory on Paul, and then some random dude comes out with a mythical and a legendary, and who knows what else on his team, just to insure Ash couldn't win. Like he really couldn't get a win right there? Whatever man.
Speaking of, I've no idea if they every explained it in the anime or people just had to figure it out, but guess for this fic, legendaries are only one while mythicals have a chance to have more than one correct? Cause in the anime remember seeing Heatran multiple times (hell, it was in a League Lobby for gods sake) meanwhile you have Tobias with Latios and then you have Latios again in Ash's last season. Like would they be one in the same or different ones? Cause I know they had that weird episode where Lugia had a kid.
Also Shiny Legendaries, since we have multiple universes, there's a chance that they could have shinies. Will some of Fated Legendaries be Shiny just to be different or will that be the same? Cause I mean...Shiny Giratina.
Now then:
Old. Man. Sycther! I am content and happy. Was expecting Froakie to take some inspiration from it since he'll eventually use water kunais and with Syther being old and using blades, maybe learn from it or at the least pull off a cool pose. But no, yeah, Pikachu would just demolish.
Glad to see Misty is still afraid of Bugs. She just had her game face on during the League fight.
That answers the question of Teleport. If it can just be used to go to different spots or if it can have the Pokemon return and swap.
Don't worry about procrastination, brother. I subscribe to that religion myself lol.
Don't feel pressured to give a review since you reading is already good enough. It's more of a bonus for me.
Now, let's get right into this juicy review.
1) Ayo? Nah, but seriously. Serena being the down-bad one in the relationship is funny and hilariously canon-accurate. Though... there might be a plot twist in the future.
2) Oh, this. Lemme explain real quick. Remember Blue's solo chapters? How the injuries in the dream world self-actualizes itself in reality? This is similar, but unlike it, it's actually a little foreshadowing of the true power of Fairy Types. Dragon Types having that bullshit partial inertia negation (and friction negation by extension since they'll go up in flames if that happens). Sheesh, if you think that's overpowered, wait till it's revealed what the Fairy Types' progenitors can do.
Also, it is the dreamworld since it's canon since the early chapters (Blue). The reason why Zacian meets Ash there is like a Zoom meeting. Ash from reality and Zacian from wherever she is are connected through the Zoom meeting that is the dream realm... Holy shit, that is the most accurate and dumbest thing I've ever said.
3) Wholeheartedly agree. I inhaled copium by telling myself that the writers rigged the fight by giving Ash an impossible match because Sinnoh Ash was legit unstoppable. Ash finally winning when it mattered plus Infernape spinning back for that final revenge W was satisfying af.
Sure, Tobias happened but guess what?
Ash didn't go out like no bitch. This 10 year old legit saw a Darkrai, a Mythical that he knew was strong cuz of the movie... And proceeds to square up.
Any girl in that area musta been blushing the hell outta their system, cuz that was straight fire. AND he was the only one to take out 2 of Tobias' team.
TLDR: Canon Sinnoh Ash is HIM. He's the goat.
XXX
Now, for the case of Legendaries and Mythicals.
Certain Legendaries have multiple as implied from M02 where the chick- I mean, birds are called the Shamouti trio, meaning there are others like them, making them more legendary creatures who can match Gods like IRL Fenrir. But only some Legendaries are one of a kind.
Lugia is not since canonically it can reproduce asexually, like the Water Horse movie (shoutout to anyone who remembers that movie, ayyyy)
Ho-oh is one of a kind since the anime and games really like to limit that guy's screentime.
The Lati siblings are in the 'many' category.
As for Mythicals, you're right on the money. Heatran being in a lobby had me taking a double look lol.
XXX
Shiny Legends didn't really make sense to me since if there's only one Legendary and if it happens to be Shiny, then how do people know if it's Shiny?
Like imagine Earth-1 having a black Rayquaza and Earth-1 Guy A has seen it before. Guy A then enters Earth-2 where Rayquaza is green.
The more likely reaction from Guy A would be "Oh, a green Rayquaza? That's a Shiny!"
That's why back in Chapter 53, there's a small little detail that lets someone know if it's a Shiny: sparkles.
So with this, if Guy A came across black Rayquaza in his home Earth, he would know that it's a shiny despite never seeing a normal coloured Rayquaza before. Then if the same thing happens again and sees a green Rayquaza, his reaction would be "Oh, so this is what a normal Rayquaza looks like."
And with the clusterfuck that'll happen in the future, you're definitely seeing them.
XXX
Old man Scyther: A promise is a promise. It's a tad short but hopefully, I managed to convey just how much of a threat he was to Brendan, even with his old age. Tracey was mentioned too as a last minute cameo even though I said he wasn't gonna be in Fated.
Misty: Some things never change lol. Doesn't diminish how much of a badass she'll turn out in the future...
[Teleport] : Seriously, this is like the most simple move with TONS of potential. If in a real battle, this would be disorienting af since the opponent has to second guess every time. Is he switching or blinking to another spot? That's what makes the move so good even if it's simple.
End note: WE ARE SO BACKKKKKKKKK! POKEMON Z ! ! ! ! IKZ!
Chapter 76: Eggs & Green Onion
The end of the month approached as the students of Pokémon Academy got excited for the coming holidays.
"You guys are going back?" Serena asked as she petted the two foxes on her desk.
"Oui, oui, Sere-chan!" Blue flaunted her Kalosian with glee.
"It's not that long," Gary answered back.
The holidays lasted only a few days which was enough time for the two Kanto students to visit their families with ample time to spare.
"Then…" the honey blonde faux whistled with darting eyes.
"Tell Red all that jazz and spill the tea when we come back," Blue shot a thumbs up to Serena.
"That's my gal!" the Kalosian girl returned the gesture.
As the two girls shared a laugh, the other members of their group began to chat away for their plans during the holidays.
Serena took a breather before basking in the glorious sunlight permeating their classroom, taking a deep breath as she smelled the faint scent of flowers.
'He's probably heading to Goldenrod about now,' she mused to herself, silently swinging her legs under her desk.
The honey blonde was amazed at the speed Ash was clearing the Gyms since it had not been long since he started his Johto journey. And now, he was on the road to Goldenrod City.
'Goldenrod City's Gym Leader, Whitney,' she recalled the Gym Leader's name with increasingly inflating pouts.
Serena was adequately self-aware. She knew her jealousy was unwarranted since Ash was not the type of character to fall for some person he hardly knew. And so, she was not mad at him at all.
What she was jealous about was the fact that some stranger was having more time with Ash than her, the one who was truly deserving of said time.
'Irrational. It's irrational… Agh, but it's so unfair!' her pouts grew larger as she huffed.
Serena's woes grew more each passing day.
.
.
.
Ilex Forest, Johto Region
After a day's worth of travelling, the Johto group found themselves trekking into a large dense forest. The strong trunks stood tall and firm as their heads were adorned evergreen by their illustrious leaves. Despite their bunched appearance, the trees' fruits, the hazel acorns, could be noticed scattered across the everlasting greens above.
"Ilex Forest," Ash read the map in front of his face, supported by Froakie and Pikachu's help on each side of his shoulders.
"My dad used to gush about this place, that it had a wide variety of Pokémon," Brendan remarked as he scanned the canopies above.
The two boys chatted along the way before noticing their only female member skittering close to the numerous bodies of water.
"Misty?" Ash quirked a brow at her unusual behaviour.
"Ah! It's fine! Just keep going, I'm fine!" the redhead jittered shakily, her voice unsteady.
Wondering what was wrong, Ash decided to ask Brendan.
"What's up with her?" he asked.
"Misty's scared of Bug Types, apparently," the other boy answered readily.
After the white-hatted boy's experience in Azalea's Gym, it was a no-brainer.
Pondering to himself for a moment, Ash stretched his body with his two Pokémon disembarking his shoulders.
"Then, let's find an open area to camp," he suggested.
Misty whimpered as she nodded vigorously, gluing close to the two boys for comfort.
"Thank you…" she sniffed.
"Remember how you called me a kid back at the Grand League?" Ash teased.
"Another word, I'll hit you."
"…Copy that."
It was a comedic scene as the older girl was getting escorted through the forested area by two younger boys.
"Pikachu," the electric mouse rubbed his rosy cheek onto Misty's face.
"Thank you, Pikachu," she scratched his chin.
"Kero," the blue frog joined in as Misty picked him up in her arms.
"You too, Froakie."
…
Afternoon was beginning to set in as the trio walked further in. Not that it was helpful since Ilex Forest was blocked off from sunlight to begin with. Without the Pokédex's internal clock, the group would have never realized it.
As for the insect-fearing redhead, with Pikachu and Froakie's comfort, Misty's worries were alleviated majorly.
"Eh?"
An out of place object caught the raven-haired boy's eye.
"What is it?" Brendan squinted his eyes at the dimmed zone where Ash was staring.
"…A shrine?" Misty hazarded a guess.
As they approached closer, it turned Misty was correct in her presumption.
It was a miniature wooden shrine, its height as tall as Ash himself. The structure was made seemingly entirely of wood, material of the same kind as the Ilex forest's surroundings. It had maroon roofs with an oak-coloured body. The shrine's front was adorned with some bundle of vines, creeping the wooden doors shut. To finish off its look was a small straw rope hung above the doors with glinting thin bells of yellow.
"Agh! Gotta pray!" Brendan clapped his hand together, not wanting to be rude.
Next was Misty, who followed suit with Pikachu and Froakie doing the same.
But…
"Ash?" the redhead called out the retreating boy.
The raven-haired boy did not participate.
"Let's camp here. That hokora* is a landmark probably," he remarked plainly.
(Hokora = a miniature shrine)*
Brendan and Misty were shocked. They could not believe Ash was nonchalantly showing disrespect towards the shrine, aware or not.
The 4 regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh.
Although different landmasses altogether, they were close enough to be considered a single super-region compared to the more distant regions. Johto, in particular, was the closest to Kanto.
The people were categorized by their birth region, but one thing was always consistent with them:
They were all in some form, religious.
It was how they were raised up and why Shinjohism, the Sinnoh faith, was so popular and widely known.
So, for Ash as a Kanto native to be indifferent towards shrines was like witnessing a fish walking on land.
"Ash, that's bad manners. C'mon, go pr—"
"No."
The raven-haired boy replied with an apathetic expression, his singular answer cold like sharp steel.
During his time in Johto, Ash had never been angered to this point.
With Shingo, he was more annoyed than angry.
With Team Rocket, he was more focused on other things.
And now, Ash showed a glimpse of his fangs as he glared momentarily at the hokora.
"I'll make food so come when you're done," he sighed, finally turning away to their camp area.
As Ash hastened away, Misty and Brendan stared at his figure with wondering eyes.
"Does Ash… not like praying or something?" the white-hatted boy scratched his head.
"…I don't know. C'mon, Brendan. Let's finish up with some Berry offerings," the redhead patted him.
…
"Alrighty! Heracross, pass me the herbs," Ash reached out his hand towards the beetle.
"Kiek!"
The blue beetle passed the jar of leaves to his Trainer, who sprinkled some onto his outdoor cuisine.
With the Bag's digital storage, Ash could carry a large amount of stuff, unfathomable by normal means.
If he wanted to cook, the boy could simply take out an entire kitchen setup, complete with tables and such for eating outdoors.
And with the newfound items he received in Azalea Town, he was going to get busier.
'Where are they?' Ash turned away from his cooking for the first time.
He saw the two chatting near the campfire, tugging a smile as he prepared to serve.
It was, after all, the one hobby that helped him rela—
"Bi?"
"Hm?!"
The raven-haired boy snapped his attention backwards as he felt an unknown presence.
His bloodred eyes scanned the blackened forest, finding the presence like heat-seeking missiles.
"Bi?" a curious whisper brushed next to his ear.
It was already next to him.
'What…'
His eyes inched to the right as he witnessed the source.
'Are…'
It was a small floating green, pixie-like creature.
"…You?"
"Bibibi~" it chuckled at him.
That's enough, kkoma.
'Zacian?!' Ash exclaimed internally.
Harass my ward further and thou shalt pay for thy tomfoolery.
The green pixie widened its large baby-blue eyes in shock, as if it could hear the words of the overprotective godmother.
"Bi…" it bowed down apologetically.
'Is it… sorry?' the boy collected himself.
"Hey, Ash?!" a distant voice called out.
Just as quickly, the small creature flew off skittishly.
"Wait!"
But it was already gone.
…
A while later, Ash and his friends ate contently in peace around the warmth of the campfire. Without Charizard, the group had to make their own fire. Fortunately, the raven-haired boy was equipped with such knowledge due to his versatile survival skills.
'What was that Pokémon?' he questioned.
His mind could not stop thinking about that green pixie he met earlier.
Tis a kkoma, dear.
At this point, Ash was no longer surprised.
'Zacian,' he greeted with mild exuberance.
'I remember hearing you say that word before. What is a kkoma?'
The raven-haired boy was inquisitive on the inside as he conversed with his godmother but maintained a poker face on the outside so as to not draw attention to himself. Even Pikachu was unaware.
]=[
ATL Entry: Kkoma
The little helpers of the Gods, making them minor deities in their respective regions' culture. The most well-known were the kkomas of the Warden and the Speaker: Celebi and Hoopa respectively.
]=[
'So I'm guessing the one I saw was…'
Aye, tis Celebi thou hast encountered.
"Oh!"
A sudden exclamation from Brendan caught Ash's attention, Misty included.
"I think our Eggs are about to hatch!" he pointed excitedly at the Eggs near the fire.
Ever since obtaining them, the three always placed them somewhere warm for incubation such as the Centre's incubator whenever they were there or a simple campfire when they were outdoor camping.
However, only Ash and Brendan's Eggs were twitching slightly.
"Hm… Well, aren't you a late bloomer?" Misty poked her white Egg with triangle patterns.
The redhead's Egg was inert, not responding at all.
Although unnatural, it was possible for an Egg to take an indefinite amount of time to hatch. A common superstition was that the longer an Egg took to hatch, the greater their potential and future strength.
Seeing how the Eggs were most likely hatching the next day, the group turned in for the night.
…
Darkness came once more as Ash found himself staring at the Egg that he received next to him with his snoring Pokémon on his body. Chikorita was the latest addition to his band of 'sleepmates'.
The boy soon closed his eyes, hoping to see his godmother again.
.
.
.
"Hm…"
A pair of bloodred eyes slowly opened to feel the familiar meadows.
'This place is loads better than the other one,' he thought to himself, referencing the gloomy land of blades.
He took in the sight before registering a green pixie floating upside down, staring at him.
'…Wait, what?'
"Whoa!" the raven-haired boy scampered backwards, before stopping at a firm obstacle behind him.
"Oof!"
"Calm down, Tonelico."
The serene voice of Zacian caused him to shout at the top of his lungs, spinning back to see the veiled woman with gladdened eyes.
"ZACIAN, SAVE ME!"
He immediately hid behind her, alarmed eyes locking onto the confused creature.
"Thy frantic panic was amusing," she teased the boy, patting the head that poked from the side of her waist.
"L-L-Lay off, will you?" he stuttered uncontrollably.
For some reason, the creature had invaded his dreamscape as well. As if it had followed him.
The reason why Ash was incredibly startled by the appearance of the green pixie was due to his complacency that his dreamworld was shared only by him and Zacian. Never had he thought that a third party would crash in.
"Bibibi~" it giggled.
"Celebi, thy mischief mirrors that of Ratatoskr," Zacian scolded softly.
"Rein thyself."
"Bi…"
Seeing the creature deflate made the previously cowering boy leave the woman's back.
However, a pair of strong hands pulled Ash back into a soft embrace. He felt a pair of pillows comforting the back of his head.
Being so close to his godmother, the boy noticed a pair of braids flowing down, similar in appearance to her wolf form. And even though it was visually obscure, he was able to detect the ends of her long snow-white hair transitioning to cyan blue.
"Zacian…" Ash grumbled, not really fighting back her hug.
"Thy hair has lengthened much, no?" the snow-haired woman swept the boy's hair while trapping him with an arm.
Since the Orange League, Ash's appearance had almost returned to his original look back in the Grand League.
"Woahhh… I've never seen the Witch so motherly!"
The sudden child-like sound caught Ash by surprise, turning towards Celebi in shock at its androgynous voice. But at this stage, he was more mild in reactions.
"So you're like Mewtwo?" he asked rhetorically.
Now it was the kkoma's turn to be surprised. Normally, a being such as Celebi, a minor deity, would be met with amazement or reverence from the humans or Pokémon, both considered mortals in general.
But the raven-haired boy in front of it was strange. His tone carried a demanding edge. And most shocking of all…
A pair of bloodred orbs that seemed to carry resentment.
"…Yes. But I can assure you; unlike Mewtwo, I am a true deity, not something manmade," Celebi answered, this time without jest.
"And somehow, that guy's a lot more tolerable than you," Ash snapped back.
Celebi's confusion was now growing ever larger at the boy's hostility.
"Hey, human. No, Ash Ketchum," the pixie addressed.
"Did I do something to offend you?"
Zacian's black veil masked her face and yet, anyone could tell she held a mournful expression behind it.
"That's not really fair, you know?" it huffed playfully.
"If anything, I should be offended. I mean, you didn't give any offerings to my shrine!"
'Celebi. If I remember from Professor Oak, it's the Time Travel Pokémon, isn't it?' he remembered.
Ash was quite an airhead but never blatantly stupid. He knew about Celebi prior to their encounter, something discussed by Professor Oak among some offhanded tangents.
He recalled the researcher's hypothesis, the most knowledgeable man's own take on the 'Time Travel' part.
.
.
.
Pallet Town, Kanto Region (4 years ago…)
A 7-year-old Ash approached Oak's study whilst covered in bandages, overhearing a conversation about Legendary Pokémon. Pikachu was perched on his shoulder, inching to listen the man.
"Ugh, Pikachu, you gotta lose some weight," Ash grumbled.
"Pikapi, pikachu," Pikachu sassed back.
"What do you mean I'm weak?!"
That little outburst caused the door to swing open without warning, prompting the partners in crime to tumble into the study, face to face with a startled Oak.
"Ash?"
"Heya, Professor…" the little boy scratched his cheek.
…
After ending his call, the Professor proceeded to change the boy's bandages with clean ones.
"Next time, please don't lean into an open door," Oak reprimanded with a huff.
"Your wounds have not yet healed so don't do anything reckless, okay?"
"Sorry…" Ash apologized.
As the elderly man finished up, Pikachu hopped onto the boy's lap with his ears drooped down in shame.
"I'm fine, partner. See?" he flexed his arm with a toothy grin.
"Pikachu…" the electric mouse licked an open scar as a sign of apology.
Oak gazed at the two affectionally as he put back the first aid kit.
"Now then, how can this old geezer help the Pokémon Master?" the Professor grinned.
"Heh! Oh yeah, what were you talking about just now, Professor?" Ash asked.
Legendary Pokémon. Pokémon of great significance in the world.
Icons of unparalleled strength and authority, they are also known as…
"Gods."
"The one I was discussing about was Celebi," Oak continued.
"The Time Travel Pokémon, as it is called."
Ash absorbed every little detail that the researcher continued to explain. Most of it went over his head but he listened, nonetheless.
"So this is my hypothesis:"
"I think that there's only one Celebi in the entire world."
"Eh? But you said some people seen a lot of them at once though?" Ash tilted his head in confusion.
"Hence, my hypothesis," the man smiled.
"All of them are the same Celebi, but from different points in time."
"Eh?" Ash did a double take.
Even as a kid, the raven-haired boy had a feeling it did not make sense.
"But wouldn't that mean this Celebi guy is sus… suseti…" he struggled.
"Susceptible?" Oak laughed.
"Yeah, that! To time para… paradokkusu!" the boy parroted what he knew from Gary's previous ramblings with his native dialect.
Pomf.
"Paradox, huh? That's an excellent counterargument, Ash," the researcher patted the bandaged boy on the head before doing the same to an eager Pikachu.
"Chaaa~" the mouse cooed.
"Say, do you know about the Sinjohism myth?" Oak asked.
"Oh, that thing? Probably beaten into my head a gazillion times over by now…" Ash muttered under his breath, clearly disinterested in the religion.
"Well, from that myth, scientists and researchers like me proposed a theory for the creation of our universe…" the elderly man described.
"The World Egg Theory."
"…Oh! Like how that the Big Guy came out of an Egg?" Ash wondered aloud.
"Hahaha! Not sure if anyone else other than you would call the almighty Arceus 'Big Guy', but yes."
"Anyways, from the birth of Arceus, he created the universe as well as Dialga and Palkia. Time and Space was then brought into existence. From there, Celebi was born from Dialga."
"And from there, with an irremovable setpoint A, Celebi is able to travel across our world's timeline at multiple places and times at the same time, ranging from point B to Z."
On that day, hearing his foster grandfather gushing his research and theories like an excited child moved Ash. He was entranced by how Professor Oak enjoyed his work and aimed to have as much fun he could on his journey to be Pokémon Master.
"Of course, that's just a theory. There are some holes in it like implying Celebi is outside Time and Space, making it somehow on par with Arceus," Oak admitted with a sheepish expression.
"Hahaha! The other researchers even named it the Celebi paradox from my blunder."
"Nah, Professor," Ash shook his head.
"Just hearing you talk about something you enjoy is already fun! Even if I didn't get any of that…"
The last thing he remembered from that memory… was Professor Oak gazing at the raven-haired boy with softened eyes, full of nostalgia and pride.
.
.
.
"Ahaha! That was hilarious!" Celebi guffawed without shame.
"To think you humans have such a fanciful imagination!"
"Silence, kkoma."
Twin orbs of frigid cyan blues glowed ominously underneath the black veil, glaring menacingly at the pixie.
"That human thou hast spoke ill of is none other than the man who raised my godson. Thy recollection may be faded, but my Authority hath engraved itself into thy memories, nay?"
The kkoma shivered from the frightening words, its mind racing back to that day and swiftly apologized.
"Why I didn't give offerings, huh?" Ash scoffed to himself.
"Then let me ask you this."
"Why the hell should I?"
The steel edge emanating from Ash's question made the green pixie shudder.
Bloodred eyes glared with increasing hostility.
"Tonelico."
A hand squeezed caringly onto the gloved hand, returning the hold in response.
Finally, Celebi moved away from that topic before one last word.
"I don't know why you bear such hatred in you, but I should let you know something," the green pixie circled above him.
"Congratulations in advance!"
Ash gave the kkoma a confused stare before the latter giggled once again.
"You'll know when you wake up."
.
.
.
Blink, blink.
As the boy woke up from his slumber, he found another pair of eyes staring back at him curiously.
It was a small, green reptilian Pokémon with rocky skin. It had a blunt spike on top of its head, a short, rounded snout, and triangular, black markings below and on the upper corners of its red eyes. Red scales covered its diamond-shaped belly, and there were several small diamond-shaped holes in its body. Its short arms lacked fingers, while its feet had a single toenail each. It had a tail with a conical centre surrounded by a ring of plate-like scales, causing it to resemble a tunnel-boring machine.
"Wha—"
SMACK!
CRACK!
"WHY?!" he yelped as he was sent flying through his tent with full force.
The rolling boy halted his tumble only due to his face getting smacked into a tree trunk.
"Pika?!" / "Kero?!" / "Chi?!"
At once, the Trainer's Pokémon awoke at once, training their eyes at the new stranger in their midst.
"Yogu!" the green reptile hissed defensively.
The three saw how their Trainer was positioned, his face planted into the ground and his rear pointing to the sky, and immediately faced the Pokémon with preparation for battle.
"Whuarit!" (Wait!)
Ash yelled a muffled shout from the dirt.
He got back up, now sporting some scratches from stray splinters and a dirtied face. His messed-up raven hair was exposing half of his forehead, revealing his prominent scar on his eyebrow.
He looked like an exact description of a ruffian as he spit out some dirt.
His bloodred eyes traced to the ruined tent's interior, spotting the broken pieces of shells within.
"I see. So you're the 'Congratulations', huh?" he muttered to himself.
As the boy approached, the newly hatched Pokémon scurried off behind a tree, staring at him in fear.
"…Pft. For a strong baby, you're quite the scaredy-cat, ain'tcha?"
Just then, Brendan came rushing out of his tent with an excited grin.
"Hey, Ash! Look!"
The novice Trainer proceeded to show the newly hatched Pokémon in his hands:
It was a small, amphibious, quadrupedal Pokémon. It had a blue body with a light blue underside. Additionally, it had a large head with a blue fin on top and a light-blue tail fin. It had black, beady eyes and orange, star-shaped gills on its cheeks.
"So noisy…" Misty was the last to come out of her tent.
Only for the two to find the wreckage that was Ash's tent and the boy's state.
"…"
"…"
"…"
It was a rowdy morning for sure.
…
After some much-needed calming down, the trio and their Pokémon began to eat breakfast with Ash's reserved baby Pokémon peeking at a distance.
Chop! Chop!
'And that's the sandwich done,' Ash twirled his knife.
Cut into 4 equal pieces, the raven-haired boy passed the plate of sandwiches to Pikachu for the latter to deliver it to the shy Pokémon.
"Pikapi!"
"Counting on you, partner."
After their downtime, it appeared that the green reptile was rather comfortable with the Pokémon. It was just nervous and scared of humans.
However…
"Yogu…" it shook his head at the plate, pushing it back to Pikachu.
"Pika?" the electric mouse squeaked inquisitively.
'I wonder what's up?' Ash cocked a brow as he scrubbed the dirty dishes with help from Froakie's [Water Pulse].
'…Does it not like sandwiches?' he hazarded a guess before pulling out his Dex.
[=]
Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokémon
A Larvitar is born deep under the ground. It must eat its way through the soil above and reach the surface for it to see its parents' faces. It feeds on soil. After it has eaten a large mountain, it will fall asleep so it can grow.
[=]
'What kind of ridiculous entry is this? A mountain's worth of soil?!' Ash staggered in disbelief.
However, with this information, the raven-haired boy knew Larvitar's diet and got ready to prepare it.
…Which was in abundance all around them.
As he prepared, the boy could not help but linger a few seconds longer at the Dex entry.
"…"
Meanwhile, Brendan and his Pokémon welcomed the newest addition with glee as he scanned the blue amphibian.
[=]
Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon
The fin on Mudkip's head acts as highly sensitive radar. Using this fin to sense movements of water and air, this Pokémon can determine what is taking place around it without using its eyes. In water, Mudkip breathes using the gills on its cheeks. If it is faced with a tight situation in battle, this Pokémon will unleash its amazing power—it can crush rocks bigger than itself.
[=]
"Woah, so you're pretty tough, aren't you?" Brendan had starry eyes as he spoke.
'YEEESSSSSS! I FOUND MY POKÉMON FOR THE TOUGH CONTESTS!' he was overjoyed inside.
"Welcome to the team, Zuzu!"
With that, the mudskipper grunted happily, both at its welcome as well as its new nickname.
"Mi!" it blinked joyfully.
"Looks like a pretty good Water type too…" Misty observed with an interested glint in her eyes.
Then, her eyes trailed back to the raven-haired boy collecting a large amount of soil nearby.
…
"This should be enough," the Kanto Trainer wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
A bucket of soil was then plopped down in front of the skittish Larvitar. But before it could scurry away, the human immediately left its vicinity, not even making eye contact with it.
"Yo?" it wondered aloud.
"You're not used to me, right? I'll try not to intimidate you," Ash waved at the rocky reptile without looking back.
As the boy walked away, Larvitar saw the electric mouse and blue frog leaping onto his shoulders. While watching their playful banters, the Rock Skin Pokémon took a bite of the collected soil within the bucket.
"Yogi?!"
It was delicious. Rich with nutrients, it gave a flavourful taste.
Being a newborn, Larvitar wasted no time digging in with a blissful expression written on its face.
From afar, Ash allowed a small smile before returning to the group.
.
.
.
"Alright!" Misty clapped her hands to get the two boys' attention.
"Since we can't move right now because of the new kids, let this Onee-san teach you about Battling."
'Something as dignified as an Onee-san can't possibly be he—'
Bam!
"Oww!" Ash held onto his skull for dear life.
'How did she know I was dissing her?!'
"As I was saying… I'll train your Water Types with my techniques!" the redhead continued.
The raven-haired boy recalled the move Golduck used back in Sprout Tower.
'Now that I think about it, that was a [Water Gun], but how did it have so much power?'
Next was the time Charizard fell to Golduck when the boy was still on his arrogance streak.
'She called it [Water Gun] : Pump Action…'
"The technique I use now is called…"
"Variation."
Brendan gave an applause and Ash was silently pondering while Misty gave an exaggerated bow.
"Now then, Brendan. I want you to teach Mudki— Oh, my bad. Zuzu to use [Water Gun]," the redhead instructed.
"Aye aye, ma'am," the white-hatted boy saluted before turning his attention to Zuzu.
"As for you…"
The raven-haired boy and Froakie stared inquisitively at the Gym Leader.
"I'm going to teach you the hidden tricks of Water Types!" she huffed proudly.
"…Huh?" / "…Kero?"
Both Trainer and Pokémon were immensely lost.
.
.
.
Larvitar watched from a distance as Ash and Misty conversed with Froakie listening intently.
"Pika, chu!" (Hey, there!)
The electric mouse came over to keep the reptile company.
"Chik chi chik!" (And mommy's here!)
"Pika…" (Stop confusing him…)
Heracross joined as well since Larvitar was fine with Pokémon no matter their size.
"Yogi… Yo gigi?" (Mama… Where Mama?)
The blue beetle immediately held the Grass starter back, the latter squirming to spread misinformation while the former signalled his leader to continue.
"Pikachu. Pika pikaka." (We don't know. We don't even know where she is.)
Hearing that saddened Larvitar before the electric mouse patted the reptile's rocky head.
"Pika, pikachu!" (But that doesn't mean you'll never see her again!)
"Yogi?" (Huh?)
"Kakapi, Pikapi pika!" (Ashy will make sure of it!)
The human who scared him. Larvitar spun towards him, his red eyes gravitating towards the raven-haired boy who was discussing with the other human.
Although a newborn, Larvitar knew that shunning someone would result in bad feelings all around. But from Ash's care and words, he truly felt that human boy was an oddity.
"Pi…" (That's why…)
"Pikachu. Pikapi chuchu!" (Don't give up until then. Ashy will find her, he's that stubborn!)
Those words comforted the baby, nodding towards the mouse before watching the human boy once more.
.
.
.
"Changing the Water move's water?" Ash repeated incredulously.
"Yeah, it's been on my mind since I watched Froakie go up against Drake's Electabuzz," Misty nodded.
That being said, the redhead began her lecture.
"Now, do you know the reason why Froakie's [Water Pulse] managed to match Electabuzz's [Charge Beam]?"
"…Equivalent Exchange?" Ash guessed.
"Bingo. Whether you knew it or not, that was undeniably the result of Equivalent Exchange," Misty ruffled his unruly hair.
'Nah, I definitely didn't…' Ash thought monotonously.
'Kero…' Froakie thought the same.
"But if you ask me, it's not very efficient," Misty continued.
"I'll explain by categorizing them into processes…"
1) Forming [Water Pulse] with water
2) Undergo Equivalent Exchange (Removing the confusion clause to boost power output)
3) Shoot [Water Pulse]
"Sounds about right," Ash nodded at the redhead's logic.
"But what if you could change the type of water for [Water Pulse]?" Misty grinned.
"Eh?"
"Instead of using normal water to form the attack…"
"What if Froakie used pure water instead?"
"Kero…" the blue frog grew interested.
"Pure water? Isn't that just regular water?" Ash tilted his head.
"Nope. Pure water, or distilled water, is fundamentally different from regular water," Misty explained.
"The water you and I drink contain impurities, boiled or not. That's what makes it a good conductor of electricity since they act as charge carriers. However, pure water is exactly as its name described: pure."
"It doesn't have extra ions, meaning there's nothing for electricity to conduct, meaning…"
"It's an insulator!" Ash finally got it.
"Umu! And if we integrate that into the processes…?" Misty questioned rhetorically.
The raven-haired boy's mind began to optimize the stages into:
1) Forming [Water Pulse] with pure water
2) Shoot [Water Pulse]
'It completely skipped one stage! It's not needed since [Water Pulse] would become immune to electricity!' Ash gasped.
"See? Inefficient, right?" Misty gave a smug smile.
Soon, Ash and Froakie began their training.
…
A few hours later, the two finally caught their breath, finally succeeding in creating pure water.
'Finally… Now we gotta form an attack using that…' Ash exhaled.
How did the boy know if Froakie managed to create pure water? Simple.
He tasted it.
'Tastes like crap! It's like metallic water!' he shivered at the thought of drinking it again.
As the boy plopped himself onto the grass with Froakie laying on his chest, two bottles of water entered his view.
"Hm?"
"Y… Yogi…" a trembling Larvitar muttered as he held out the bottles.
Ash was stunned. The Larvitar was finally so close to him.
Excitement bubbled from within, washing away his fatigue.
"For us? Thanks," the raven-haired boy thanked, trying his best not to raise his voice for fear of startling the newborn.
He held back from patting the rocky reptile, only accepting the bottles.
"Froakie," he passed the other one to the panting frog, who caught it flawlessly.
"Pikachu!" (Good work!)
The electric mouse hopped towards his friend with a towel, patting his tired body.
"Kero…" (Thanks…)
The blue frog thanked, wiping his face in the process.
Once Larvitar's job was done, the baby immediately hobbled towards Pikachu, shyly gluing himself to the mouse.
"He likes you, Onii-san. Pupupu~" Ash teased with a smirk.
"Keroro~" Froakie joined in as he gulped down his drink.
"Pipika…" (Give me a break…)
With that, the electric mouse urged Larvitar to play with the others while he sat alongside Froakie and Ash.
"So, what's up?" Ash asked as he chugged his bottle of water.
Pikachu explained Larvitar's desires with the raven-haired boy and blue frog listening intently, without interruptions.
"…I see."
.
.
.
'Am I asleep? No Zacian this time, huh?'
It was a familiar feeling. The raven-haired boy had felt this before.
Yes, it was during…
'Pikachu's past!'
And a bright light devoured the boy.
…
"Woohoo! What a haul!"
A disgusting howl forced Ash to open his eyes.
The raven-haired boy saw a motorcyclist speeding downhill on a mountain path. What was striking was the red 'R' on his black uniform.
'Why is it always these bastards…' an anger mark placed itself on the boy's forehead.
'Wait a minute…'
Ash took a closer look at the rider.
'Have I seen that guy before?'
"Nevermind that, whose memories are the—"
"AH! THE PREMIUM CRATE!" the Rocket grunt suddenly screamed in terror.
The trolley connected to the motorcycle snapped, sending a certain crate falling all the way to the mountain's base, crashing along the cliff on the way.
"Damnit! I risked my life in Mt. Silver for that one!" the grunt's cries trailed away as he rode off.
Ash stared from the cliff in muted shock, watching the tumbling crate break open…
…Only to reveal a familiar green Egg.
"…No."
"No. No…"
With a weakened step, Ash jumped off. Falling towards the Egg.
"Larvitarrr!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Bzzt! Bzzt!
The scenery changed.
"Wha?!" the raven-haired boy spun to observe his surroundings.
Now it was a stream. The boy's descent had been replaced with him merely standing on a river's bank.
Flowing down the path was the green Egg.
"You survived… that?" Ash glanced at the tall mountain from where the Egg flowed.
'Mt. Silver. Everyone knows that place,' he gulped.
]=[
ATL Entry: Mt. Silver
Classified as one of the most dangerous locations in the entire world. The pokemon living there were a hundredfold stronger than any regular wild ones. The reason was due to the harsh conditions that forced the Pokémon to adapt and immeasurable foes that fought for territories.
Entry was prohibited, unless an Elite Four or Champion-level Trainer was present. Even in present, the exact number of species living there was unknown as more and more Pokémon were seen almost every day.
]=[
The boy moved.
Each step, he walked alongside the Egg. He watched its journey from beginning to end.
Humans came by the river. Children, mostly.
They were defiant creatures that refused their parents' warning to not get close to the perilous mountain.
"Haha! Dumb rock!"
Kick!
They were cruel, thinking the Egg as merely an oversized rock. If it were not for Larvitar's naturally thick shell, a single kick would have destroyed it.
Grip…!
Ash could do nothing but watch. His fist balled into a bloody mess while his lip drew red from frustration.
Furious bloodred eyes glared but was ultimately powerless.
All because…
"This is a memory…" he muttered to himself.
"I can't change a damn thing."
Separated from his mother.
Stolen away by humans.
Physically tormented by humans.
'No wonder he's so scared of me…' he hitched his breath.
'Even if he doesn't know, it was engraved in his body…'
"Because I'm… human?"
A question rather than a statement.
Soon after, Ash watched as the Egg was rescued by the scientists of the Marine Pokémon Laboratory, ending the sequence.
Fwwhooommm!
…
A white room. An endless horizon of white.
Click, clack.
The sound of heels reverberated behind the raven-haired boy.
As soon as they stopped in front of the boy's back, the latter immediately spun back to hug the taller woman.
The snow-haired woman returned the embrace as she drew affectionate circles around the child's back.
"Tis alright, Tonelico," Zacian assured, feeling his embrace tighten.
"Why…?" Ash asked rhetorically, gritting his teeth in frustration.
"He's just a baby… He didn't do anything wrong…!"
The unfairness, the injustice. The raven-haired boy could only vent.
"Tis the way life is, Tonelico. Human or Magical Beast, the variable known as unfairness is nothing more than a statistic in the eyes of the divine."
"…Then why? Why doesn't God do something about it?"
She held him closer, burying his face close to her heart.
"Remember this, Tonelico: Thou may howl, thou may cry. But blaming God is nothing but a waste of time," she spoke sagely, a little spiteful at addressing God however.
"Rather than concentrating thy energy on that arse of a God, thou should focus on healing. After all, there is one that requires thy help, no?"
Hearing this, Ash recalled his creed. His need.
To help others. And now, there was one in desperate need of it.
"…Thank you, Zacian. Thanks for showing me this."
"Tis no matter. A mere whim of mine," she replied haughtily.
Even though her face was shrouded by the veil, Ash could tell by her reddened ears that she was lying.
But that was a lie that the boy found amusing.
.
.
.
.
.
A new day arrived.
However, Larvitar's slumber was peaceful, showing no signs of waking.
He was a baby and so, needed his sleep.
But even so, it was too comfortable.
Was it raining? It seemed too dark for…
"Yogu?!"
The frightened cries of the newborn muffled as he soon found out that he was trapped in an overwhelming amount of dominating soil.
"Yogi! Yogu!"
He feared his cries would never be heard as the claustrophobic coffin of soil around him embraced viciously.
"Yogugi…!" he cried.
…
"You can do it, Larvitar!"
It was muffled. If it was a little softer, the Pokémon would not have heard it.
But he heard it. It was the human boy.
"Eat your way out!"
Larvitar pulled himself together and began to devour the soil haphazardly.
"Yogi! Yogi!" he munched.
"That's the spirit! Not that I can see you…" he chuckled.
The baby ate and ate, but the darkness around him felt suffocating. Soon, he began to lose hope of ever getting ou—
"Don't give up, Larvitar!"
'Yogi?!'
"Don't give up until it's over!"
…Munch.
"You wanna see your Mama, right?!"
Munch.
"…I'll take you there."
Munch!
"I'll find her for you!"
Munch! Munch!
"That's why…"
Munch! Munch! Munch!
Fwoosh!
Gentle breeze welcomed the dirty Larvitar, his red eyes squinting at the sudden light.
But the first thing he saw was forever ingrained into his memories:
An extended hand, belonging to the human with bloodred eyes.
"You did great, Larvitar," he said with a gentle smile.
Inexplicable feelings clamoured within the Rock Skin Pokémon. But the most prevalent that overwhelmed his teary eyes was obvious…
Hope.
"Yogi…" the reptile sniffled.
"I swear to you: I'll get you to your mother," Ash gave his word.
'No matter what it takes.'
Finally, the newborn took his hand, embracing his warmth.
"Yogi…!" Larvitar buried himself into Ash's chest.
"Is this a bad time to ask if you're still hungry?" he caressed the baby's head with a toothy grin.
…
After the Pokémon calmed down, Ash brought out a row of PokéBalls while the others were eating.
'A regular Ball ain't gonna cut it. Even if it's a short time, I'd rather Larvitar be as comfortable as possible,' he pondered while he deliberated.
Just as he was thinking, both Misty and Brendan came to join him.
"Hey," Brendan greeted.
"Hey," Ash nodded.
"Y'know, when you dug out a huge hole and dump Larvitar into it before burying him in it, I was somewhat impressed at the advanced level of bullying you were able to think of," Misty commented sarcastically.
"Yeah, why'd you do that anyway?" Brendan wondered.
Wordlessly, Ash handed him his Dex for them to read. Specifically, at a certain part of Larvitar's entry:
A Larvitar is born deep under the ground. It must eat its way through the soil above and reach the surface for it to see its parents' faces.
"I didn't feel it was right for Larvitar to skip that process, so I did it," Ash answered simply.
The raven-haired boy felt as if it was a rite of passage for the green reptile's kind. It was probably how they gain nutrients as a baby and for the parents to imprint themselves.
"Wait, but doesn't that make you his dad or something?" Misty realized.
Ash jerked to a halt. His paused body slowly processed what he just heard.
"…I don't think I… Never mind," he sighed without looking at them.
.
.
.
.
.
"Yogi!" Larvitar held out a black Ball for Ash.
"This one?" the boy patted the newborn.
The baby had chosen a Luxury Ball for his capsule, seemingly glowing at the design with an excited smile.
'Of course it's the most expensive one… Eh, I don't really care as long as it makes Larvitar happy,' he shrugged.
With a shower of white light and a thud on the ground, the black capsule sparkled with digital stars, signalling Larvitar's capture.
Poof!
"Welcome to the team, Larvitar!" Ash grinned.
"Yogiii!" the pokemon immediately dove into the boy.
Crack!
"Oof!"
"Yogi?" the green reptile stared up, noticing a line of red coming out of Ash's lips.
"Oh… this? I must've drank… juice… Don't worry about it…" the raven-haired boy gave a thumbs up with swimming eyes.
He was that bad at lying.
Thankfully, being a newborn, Larvitar took his word for it and continued burying himself into Ash's clothes.
"O-O-Oi, Ash…?" the white-hatted boy pointed with a trembling finger at the damage caused by Larvitar's solid body.
The two human companions clamped their mouths shut as soon as they saw Ash shushing them. He did not want Larvitar to feel responsible after all.
'Zacian, can I get a heal?' Ash closed his eyes.
Shing…
A low thrumming echoed in his ribs, miniature swords began to repair the damage, alleviating the pain.
'Ah… Much better.'
With an energetic stand, Ash turned to his companions with his signature grin.
"Next stop: Goldenrod City!"
Chapter 76: Eggs & Green Onion
And they were off.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The previous night…
"Sleep well, Tonelico," Zacian comforted as the boy's form was sent back to the real world.
As the boy disappeared, the Witch came out in full force.
"Speak, kkoma."
Celebi stopped its circling flight.
"Why doth the humans have the Speaker's kkoma? Especially its ring," she questioned with overwhelming authority.
"I don't know… I thought it was strange too!" Celebi defended.
"Just a few days ago, Hoopa's Incarnation and her brother came to find me!"
"The Speaker's kkoma has an Incarnation?"
"Yep. Anyways, the wicked humans had captured Hoopa, and they were here to bring Hoopa back. Unfortunately, I'm still trying to find Hoopa since my powers aren't that effective outside of my domain."
"…Why not utilize the Warden's Authority?" Zacian asked.
"You're asking me, who can't even access the Boss' Reality Marble?! Do you hear yourself?!"
"Pardon me. I was under the impression you were a competent deity," she apologized both eloquently and sarcastically.
"But even if I can, I still wouldn't find Hoopa," Celebi sighed in defeat.
"I have to be there in person to use《Magic Blue》, and that's IF I can use it."
"Understood. Leave."
Her command was curt, leaving a grumbling Celebi disintegrating from the dreamworld.
As for the snow-haired woman, a wave of her hand and the entire world around her crumbled.
With a single step, Zacian was back. Surrounded by beautiful meadows and flowers.
"Tonelico…"
The woman recalled the anger in the boy's eyes when Celebi complained about the offerings, silently exhaling.
Her mind raced back to the night she met Delia. How her prayers were answered by her all of people.
"Even if there's no memory, the soul still remembers…" she lamented.
"…This will not do."
"I must free myself swiftly."
The golden chains revealed themselves once more, struggling to keep the snow-haired woman in check.
"I will not stand for this, Original One."
"That boy deserves his mother."
"So wait for that day."
"The day I come…"
"And pluck out thy tongue."
Author's Notes
Woooo! Reality Marble mentioned, lezz gooooo!
Finally, it's been a long time coming. Now let's start dissecting what just happened this time.
First and foremost, this chapter is rather full of little hints and details regarding the prologues such as Ash's flashback where he was covered in bandages.
Why was he covered in bandages? Well, the prologues should tell when that talk with Oak took place. (Hint: Pikachu)
Not only that, there are some underlined words that served as foreshadowing so be sure to theorize on what they mean like how Ash somewhat recognized the Rocket grunt.
And now... Ash's disdain.
This is a bit of a bold move on my part, but it's a highlight on Ash's childlike parts of his character. Mainly, his hatred for Gods.
Remember how I said that Ash never once said the words: Oh my god or OMG, only goddamn? Yeah, all deliberate.
The reason stems from of course, what Zacian was thinking: Delia's passing. Even though there's NO WAY Ash could have known that nobody answered Delia's prayers despite listening to her plea, SOMETHING that Zacian did made Ash's soul 'know'.
What that SOMETHING is will be revealed in the later parts. (Hint: Remember baby Ash before he was even born? Yeah...)
As for Zacian herself, being the only person currently who has enough reason to spit at Arceus' face, knowing what the latter did to her...
She still dissuaded Ash, advising him to care more about Larvitar, rather getting hung up on God's unfairness. This gives her a layer of depth as someone who is rightfully angry but still chose to guide her boy instead of encouraging said hatred. (She still got pissed in the end tho (lol). But Ash wasn't there, so y'know.)
REALITY MARBLES! WOOOO!
Why the hell do all the good stuff happen in the 'goofy' chapters?! (The goof chapter being this chapter's title and Chapter 69 (nice))
Anyways, let's get to explanations:
Reality Marbles is a Fate term so no surprise if Pokémon fans have never heard of it. Basically:
The materialization and projection of one's inner world onto reality following the Thaumaturgical Theory World Egg.
Familiar underlined term, isn't it? Now, in Fated, Reality Marbles work quite differently in that EVERY Legendary possesses one. Even how it works is different:
Reality Marble: A materialization of one's soul. The pinnacle of Projection, following the workings of the World Egg Theory.
That's gonna be in the Active Time Lore (ATL) if I ever make one in the future but yeah, that's the jist of it.
And since Arceus was the one who created all of existence (barring the aliens, of course), it makes sense that every godlike Pokémon has a Reality Marble since it's a power that's a direct image of Arceus' birth.
Also Magic Blue (lol)
See ya!