Author's Notes
Are we back? Maybe we're back... I see, we're back...!
WE'RE SOOOOO BACK!
Damn, when was the last time I did two chapters in a month?
Times have changed... dang.
Anyways, we're back with some Fated goodness and let me tell you, this is one of the most fun I've had writing since the Heian, I mean Grand League era.
For one thing, a new character is joining the Fated crew and is one of my favourite characters in the games.
At the end of the chapter is gonna be some story-changing events that'll be relevant throughout Ash's time in his... sleep.
Now, for a more serious note...
I've heard about Misty's VA passing and it really hits home for me personally.
Writing this story got a lot harder because of this and seeing the fanarts wasn't helping.
God, I don't want to do this...
gurtop:
I loved it. With the discovery of the differents facets of zacian I don't remember if we have seen both nimue and zacian at the same time and if yes, was it just both sides of the same person? Too much question but i reaally love your story, thanks for the chapter.
Thanks for the review, gurtop.
The 3 Faces are an actual myth archetype. They're called Triple Goddesses with the most famous one being the Sister Fates, or Moirai, of Greek myth.
Nimue and Zacian have been in the same place, same time (Chapter 64: Opening) so no, they are not the same person.
Zacian is referred to as the Queen of the Avalonians, which is a massive hint at her identity while Nimue is the foster mother of Lancelot (should also be obvious who she is)
Don't worry, man. The questions are piling up even more after this chapter.
Tainan republic:
lore? check
story? check
connections between monikers and items in the story? check
cross bashing/ him being cooked so hard that entei was surprised? double check
masterful writing? check
hype for the story and where it goes from here? hell yes
funny ass omake that feels like it was made at 2am with crack infused in it? HELL YES!
ngl i'm hyped as hell for the next chapter and overthinking the lore again trying to connect the dots between the old and the new
hopefully the deaths aren't gonna be like what happened in jjk44
also, solo leveling: Ragnarök manhwa released yesterday and it's so peak and with that, solo leveling wednesdays are back
take your time and i know that you'll cook.
Thanks, tainan!
The omake is just a funny jab at Pokémon for making quite a lot of attractive blonde women.
Doesn't help the fact that Fated!Ash has a blonde fetish and a liking towards older women. (Cynthia's not the only one who falls into this requirements)
But Serena is endgame, no harem. Anything that hints otherwise is just Ash being Ash.
Deaths, huh?
*silently curls up in a corner*
I'm sorry, man. I really am.
Solo Leveling Ragnarök is absolutely a banger. Hell, I think it's better than the OG.
The reason being that Suho is going the 'power of friendship' route already makes him unique.
From what I know, SLR isn't going to focus on Suho alone which is the main reason why I think it's better than SL
SL suffers from focusing on Jin Woo like 99% of the time instead of giving the other characters depth, but it is a fun manhwa nonetheless.
if you like Solo Leveling, you're in luck at the end of the chapter...
RegulusCetus:
Ahhh I love pokespe.
Black and White better have their glorious relationship.
Indeed they will, Regulus. Indeed...
Speaking of which, I really do wish I can remove a certain character from Fated despite the story trying to follow the main continuities.
Who is this character I speak of?
Well, his name starts with E and ends with merald.
Fuck that guy for stealing Wally's spotlight.
Please let me remove him...
And we're done.
Get ready for this one!
Chapter 82: Training Quest (1)
"Heracross is unable to battle! Machamp wins!"
How…
"Oi, oi! We've been over this, brat!"
How did I end up in this situation?
"AGAIN!"
"Yessir!"
.
.
.
Cianwood City, Johto Region (A few days ago…)
The far western edge of Johto.
It was known as the Port of Crashing Waves by locals due to raging whirlpools near its coast.
Coupled with the fact that Cianwood City was located at the dead end of Johto also made it unpopular to travel to.
The reason why there were still tourists willing to visit was due to the Safari Zone built near the city, giving incentive to the people to stop near there.
And now…
Ash found himself in front of the Gym with Misty and Brendan in tow.
"Okay! Let's get this next Badge so we can go for the Safari Zone!" Ash pumped his fist into the air.
"Pikachu!"
"Kero!"
"Yogi!"
His Pokémon agreed as well, mirroring their Trainer's infectious enthusiasm.
"Yeah, don't wanna stay too long at the dead end of Johto for too long," Brendan nodded in tandem.
Hearing the two boys' eagerness, Misty let out a sigh.
"What's up, Misty?" Ash turned towards her.
"Honestly, you two have no idea what you're up against…" she said with a hushed tone.
"Ash, Brendan. From here on, you two better prepare yourself."
"Eh?" / "What?"
BOOM!
"WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
A boisterous laugh rang across the city.
"Argh, who's loud mouth is that?!" the white-hatted boy closed his ears hurriedly.
Misty stood unfazed, as if she was already used to it.
Ash, on the other hand, was clutching Larvitar's miniscule earholes while Pikachu and Froakie meshed one of their ear with the boy's respective ear as well as grasping their exposed ear.
As it turned out, a figure had jumped from the blue-tiled roof.
A hulking man with a build best described as similar to an overpowering bear.
The Cianwood Gym Leader, Chuck.
"So it's you, brat. You're the one my disciple won't shut up about," the Gym Leader grinned.
"That so? Guess he's never gonna hear the end of this after I tell him," Ash shot a similar expression.
The raven-haired boy could already hear the embarrassed cries of his rival.
Both man and boy approached each other, the former sizing him up with an appraising gaze.
"Hey, hey, they're not gonna go ham at the entrance, right?" Brendan shivered.
"Don't worry about that. That's just their nature," the redhead shrugged.
'That's right. Both Chuck and Ash are similar,' she thought to herself.
'After all… Birds of the same feather flock together.'
"Wahahaha! You're great, kid!" the gruff man bellowed delightedly.
"Normal kids would've shunned away from my appearance, y'know?"
"I've been called weird before. This ain't my first rodeo," the raven-haired boy replied.
"Waha, I like you! My disciple Gary was the methodical type, couldn't really teach him much about the art of fighting. Even though he has great senses and learns fast, there's not much in the instinct department," Chuck reminisced about his former disciple.
"Oh right. Speaking of Green…" Ash put down Larvitar and his shoulder riders as he rummaged through his Bag's inventory.
From the Bag, he pulled out some sizeable presents for Chuck.
"Here ya go. Green bought some souvenirs from Kalos for you and Mrs Norris*," he handed them over in a stack.
(Chuck's wife*)
"Ahh, that flippant kid…" Chuck rubbed his temples.
But the raven-haired boy could tell he was extremely happy with the gifts despite his attitude.
'A big ol' tsundere, huh?' Ash remarked mentally.
As the burly man accepted the present stack, his brow raised in surprise.
"Oh? This is quite heavy, yet you don't seem to be struggling, Ash," Chuck commented with an impressed expression.
"Hm? This is supposed to be heavy?"
'Exceeding works wonders. Wait, I won't turn into a macho bodybuilder in the future, right?' he imagined a version of himself with his face onto a mass of muscles, shivering at the thought.
The half-naked man stared incredulously at the raven-haired boy for a fleeting moment before grinning at a singular thought in his mind.
'This kid… He seems worth training!'
The Gym, or rather dojo, had sliding bamboo doors at the entrance.
From within, a pair of girls raced out to find Chuck.
"Sensei, are you alright? You haven't return for… a while…"
A familiar gray-haired teenager widened her eyes at the raven-haired boy.
"...Bea-san!" Ash exclaimed with his arms in the air.
"Pikachu!" the electric mouse squeaked in recognition.
The naturally expressionless teen broke into a surprised expression as she rushed towards the boy, grasping his face with her calloused hands.
Everyone jolted in shock at the sudden interaction between the two, including Chuck.
"Ash! You're really okay!" the karate prodigy inspected the boy's face.
"Sure am! I got your letter, thanks for the wishes, Bea-san," the boy grinned whilst his face was mushed.
"Just Bea's fine."
The last time Bea had seen Ash, the latter was in a coma with disturbing damages to his body back when the Grand League had concluded.
Because of her flight schedule, she had to leave before Ash recovered, resulting in a written letter of congratulations.
"Are your arms still sore? There's no internal bleeding, right?" Bea frantically glanced around his body, still wearing a stoic expression.
"I'm fine, really…" Ash sweatdropped, now realizing how scary his condition was before if it warranted such a reaction from someone so inexpressive.
Brendan recognized the teen girl as she was one of the 16 who participated in the Grand League.
But he did not expect Bea to be this acquainted with Ash.
"You look better now. Taller too," the gray-haired teen smiled slightly.
"Hehe, I might overtake you soon," he grinned cheekily.
"You wish."
As Misty exchanged her greetings with Chuck, Ash noticed someone behind the burly man.
"Hm? Who's that?" he asked.
"Oh, her? Come here," Bea smiled towards the person while scratching Pikachu's chin.
"Y…Yes…" a timid voice squeaked.
'A girl? Must be a tiny little thi…' the white-hatted boy's thoughts crippled into a small cheep.
Ash and Brendan were close in height, around 140 cm.
But the person who came to greet them… towered above them at 150 cm.
'H… H… HUGEEEEEE!' Misty and Brendan could not believe their eyes.
She had jet black hair with a face that was rather
"My name is Eri… Nice to meet you…" the large girl introduced herself.
While the two were at a loss for words, Ash offered a handshake towards the girl.
"Nice ta meet ya, Eri. I'm Ash from Pallet Town, the future Pokémon Master," he grinned in a friendly manner.
At this, Eri was dumbfounded. She had never seen someone her age so friendly towards her due to her body.
Furthermore, she noticed the boisterousness of Ash switched into a more calmer and gentler demeanour, most likely to match her timidness.
"Are… are you not scared of me?"
"Why would I?" he quirked a brow, genuinely curious.
Silently, she accepted his handshake with the boy showing a toothy grin.
After some greetings, everyone moved into the Gym.
.
.
.
The interior of Chuck's Gym was the spitting image of a standard dojo.
Fitting for a Fighting Gym.
However, it was much larger than any dojo Ash had ever seen.
"That's right. What're you two here for?" the raven-haired boy asked the two girls.
"After my performance in the League, I felt inadequate with myself. But soon, Sensei contacted my family saying he wanted to train me after seeing my battles," Bea answered swiftly.
"I'm here… because of my school…" Eri whispered amidst the loud environment.
"School?" Ash repeated, amazed at himself for managing to hear her soft voice.
"Yes… A school in Paldea known as Frutas Academy," she nodded.
]=[
ATL Entry: Frutas Academy
The top academic institute of Paldea. It was originally two separate schools: Naranja and Uva, both of which were constructed around 800 years ago. However, due to the similarities between the two schools, they were recently merged into one, creating Frutas Academy.
It was reconstructed a decade ago in Mesagoza City, the largest city in Paldea as well as its largest building.
]=[
"You're from Paldea? That's cool!" an excited Ash lit up.
"My school conducts a large assignment in the final year so…" Eri whispered shyly.
"Before that, we're encouraged to go overseas to learn more about our interests and… karate was my pick."
'I see. But dang, what kind of school grants students this much autonomy?' Brendan wondered to himself.
"Then, Eri? Do you not have a License?" Misty realized.
"Um… no. For the students like me who went overseas, we're usually paired with another student from a different school with a License," the large girl answered with a hushed tone.
"And that's me," Bea said, raising a palm with an impassive look.
'Makes sense. Bea was one of the Grand League participants, so she's definitely got a License,' Ash thought as only the Kanto trio were the only ones who were children with Licenses.
"Alright, enough chatting," Chuck clapped his hands.
"Which of you are the challengers?"
Both Ash and Brendan raised their hands.
"Hm… okay. Miho!"
On the side, a door slid open to reveal a sunset-haired woman.
"Yes, dear?" the woman named Miho smiled angelically.
As Chuck's wife approached, the burly man gestured towards the white-hatted boy.
"Miho dear, can you be this one's opponent?"
"Ara, so he fails in your eyes?"
"Yeah, he doesn't have 'it'."
"Oi, this couple's been talking mad shit about me!" Brendan pointed accusingly at the two.
"And also! Why're you making your wife do your job?!"
"Oh, sensei. You're being rather kind to him," Bea noted.
'Yeah, seems kinda rude to- Wait, kind?' Ash glanced.
The gears in his head was beginning to turn.
'...Oh. Oh no.'
The raven-haired boy felt a small tug on his sleeve, turning back to find Eri with a worried expression on her face.
"Good luck…" she cheered.
'NONONO, THIS IS CLEARLY A DEATH FLAG LINE?!'
"And you, brat. You're with me," Chuck grinned towards Ash.
'...I'm screwed.'
…
The dojo's battlefield was different from what Ash was used to.
Instead of the usual rectangular field, Chuck's Gym was circular, akin to a sumo ring.
"Alright, Faker. Here are the rules," Chuck explained.
"This is a 1v1 between Fighting Types. I assume you have one?"
Ash nodded, taking out the capsule that contained his blue beetle.
At this, Chikorita summoned herself and joined with the rest of her teammates to watch.
"Good. Now, this is going to be an Unrestricted Battle with no move limits. As for the field, the Trainer whose Pokémon steps out of the ring will be disqualified immediately, got it?"
'So it is a sumo match,' the raven-haired boy nodded back.
The two Trainers got into position with their respective Pokémon in their side of the ring.
The boy eyed Chuck's choice: A large four-armed humanoid that was familiar to him.
'A Machamp.'
[=]
Machamp, the Superpower Pokémon
It quickly swings its four arms to rock its opponents with ceaseless punches and chops from all angles. With four arms that react more quickly than it can think, it can execute many punches at once.
[=]
'Who's writing this?! Professor Oak, get a proofreader!' Ash's eye twitched at the exaggerated entry.
"Ohoho, a Heracross. What a nice specimen you have there," the Gym Leader appraised.
"Not that I disagree but you can tell?" Ash wondered aloud.
"Of course. A Heracross that size as well as the robust horn, it's an insult to call it anything but exceptional."
"Kiek~" Heracross looked really pleased with himself, blushing at the compliment.
"Get ready."
"Yessir!"
Both Trainers shifted their demeanour in an instant.
Their eyes focused onto the battlefield.
And with a breath of exhalation…
The match began.
0.13 seconds elapsed.
Starting with a sudden fist right in front of the blue beetle.
"Dodge!"
"Kiek?!"
Thankfully, Ash and Heracross had experience mirroring one another, matching their rhythm and thought process.
Because of that, the blue beetle narrowly escaped the incoming punch.
FWOO!
'Was that [Mach Punch]?!' the boy's thoughts raced.
"Hey, I hope you didn't forget about the others!" Chuck grinned.
"Oh you've gotta be kidd-!"
[Mach Punch] x 4!
3 successful punches landed on Heracross.
"KIEKKKK!"
Instinctively, Heracross distributed the force by tumbling back, rolling out the impact.
"Nice, Heracross! Counter with [Lunge]!"
"Kiek!"
A burst of energy welled inside the blue beetle, exploding into a dash towards the humanoid.
"Ha! That isn't enough, kid!"
"I ain't aiming to hit ya with that, old man!"
Before Heracross could attack Machamp…
"KIEK!"
He opened his elytra, priming them onto Machamp with the momentum created by [Lunge].
"[Wing Attack (Fake)]!"
The forewings landed their attacks cleanly, prompting Machamp to skid back, reeling from the sudden pain.
"Oho, interesting! So this is the Faker," Chuck's smile grew wider.
However, Ash and Heracross wasted no time, taking advantage of the small window of opportunity.
"Gotcha! [Megahorn]!"
The blue beetle's horn glowed a dull green as he charged towards Machamp speedily.
'I got-!'
"Naive!"
[Megahorn]'s charge was unceremoniously stopped, courtesy of the 3 muscular arms that grabbed it.
'You're kidding! That Machamp didn't even move!' Ash widened his eyes in a panic, baffled at the humanoid's unmoving figure.
"By the way…" the Gym Leader grinned.
"Machamp still has a free arm."
"...!"
"[Fire Punch]!"
The humanoid's free hand balled into a fist, igniting with bright flames as it jammed it into Heracross.
BOOOM!
A torrent of fleeting fire flew around the ring, exploding from the dustclouds.
"Ash!" Misty cried out.
Bea and Eri watched over the match, both antsy in their body language.
The gray-haired teen knew how much her Sensei loved to go overboard, so she was worried about Ash since Heracross did not seem as strong as his Pokémon in the Grand League.
'It would be a different story if it was Pikachu,' she thought to herself.
Eri, on the other hand, had no interest in the Grand League prior so she did not know Ash's capabilities. Although curious as to how a boy her age could receive a License, she was more distressed regarding his current predicament.
But both worrywarts would cease their concern when the dust cleared.
"Kai?!" Machamp was taken aback.
Its opponent had twisted his body so that he could intercept [Fire Punch] with his insect claws.
As a super-effective move, it dealt a heft damage to Heracross but not enough for a one-hit KO.
Ash and Heracross grinned back, the Trainer baring his fangs as excitement overcame his body.
It had been too long since the ecstasy of an uphill battle crossed his path.
'Crafty little brat. He made sure [Fire Punch] burned Heracross first before the impact, triggering Guts. Because of that, he was able to withstand the hit!' Chuck marvelled with an excited smile.
"Just like I thought, you're no ordinary brat!"
"I'll take that as a compliment, ossan!"
The two Pokémon repelled each other, giving them some distance.
"Kiek!" the beetle shrieked, pumping his fists.
"Yeah, I'm fired up too!" Ash agreed.
Fighting spirit.
It was something ingrained into every Fighting Type Pokémon, both mono and dual.
It was a mindset ideal for warriors.
Chuck, and by extension Fighting specialists had it.
And he felt Ash's own spirit.
The two were enjoying the heat of battle.
Their expressions were similar, elation of a challenge.
Because of this, their minds matched as they shouted at the same time:
"[Close Combat]!"
The two Pokémon charged at each other and…
.
.
.
"Return, Heracross. You did great," Ash thanked while scratching his head in frustration.
"Not bad, you lasted 5 minutes longer than I thought," Chuck praised.
"That's the same as saying you were expecting to steamroll us from the get-go!" Ash retorted.
Meanwhile, Brendan had won against Miho.
…Barely.
"That… That was close…" Brendan jittered shakily with wobbly legs.
Miho's Pokémon, Machop and Machoke were pure Fighting Types.
All of which Brendan knew was covered by Rara.
But despite that, Chuck's wife was destroying the boy and his Pokémon seemingly effortlessly.
If it was not for the fact Brendan was able to use his full team instead of matching her two members, he would have lost without question.
"She was so strong too…" he broke into a cold sweat.
"What about you, Red? Did you win like you always do?"
"Nah, I got my ass handed to me," the raven-haired boy gestured towards the four-armed humanoid, Machamp.
And so, the first day ended with only Brendan receiving his Storm Badge.
.
.
.
Chuck's residence, Cianwood City
As it turned out, the Gym was connected to Chuck's house which was more of a single floor mansion with Johto-styled architecture.
"Come on in. Cianwood isn't big on tourism so the Centre doesn't have the best facilities," Miho smiled towards the group.
"Our house has more than enough rooms for all of you."
"Thanks, ma'am," Ash bowed in gratitude.
Bea and Eri were already staying there, but even so, Chuck's residence was more than enough to fit even the Johto gang.
"Ah, I'm sorry, dear," Miho addressed her husband.
"Hm, what's the matter, dear?" Chuck turned to his wife.
"I didn't prepare dinner."
"What? How… Oh. My bad."
'So she was in the middle of cooking when he called her just now, huh?' Brendan gave a thousand-yard stare towards the Gym Leader.
Growwwl~
The stomach of the girls demanded food.
Their faces blushed in embarrassment, including the impassive Bea.
"Um…"
"Do ya mind if I help?" Ash offered.
…
"Here ya go," Ash finished chopping the spring onions with dexterous hands before sprinkling them to complete the dishes.
"Pika!" the electric mouse saluted as he carried a tray with bowls on one side.
"Kero!" the blue frog croaked in understanding as he helped Pikachu with the other side.
The two Pokémon brought the tray steadily towards the dinner table while Heracross and Chikorita brought along the tray with miso soup.
'Thank goodness Miho-san had the miso soup ready otherwise it would've taken a longer time,' Ash sighed a breath of relief.
Not that the boy did not have alternatives but according to him:
Miso soup was justice.
After some time, Ash exited the kitchen to find everyone waiting for him despite the food already served.
"Seriously, just eat first."
With the boy joining them, everyone began eating.
"Oh! This is pretty good!" Chuck praised heartily.
"Yes, this is surprisingly good, Ash," Miho nodded impressed.
The raven-haired boy's katsudon was met with high praises by the others.
Normally he would be humble about his creations, but cooking was the one thing he took immense pride in.
"Your miso soup is amazing, Miho-san. The tofu doesn't crumble in the soup yet they practically melt in the mouth," Ash said with a smile.
"Oh you flatter me, Ash."
"I don't flatter, ma'am."
Bea and Eri enjoyed the meal as well.
The reason why Ash decided on katsudon was due to the girls being Chuck's students.
As karate practitioners, they would require protein more than usual.
"That was delicious, Ash," Bea thanked.
"Um. It was really good…" Eri nodded enthusiastically.
"It's no problem. I still have a long way to go," Ash chuckled.
"Ah, Miho-san. I'll help with the dishes so please relax."
The raven-haired boy did not stop for an answer as he walked into the kitchen with the dirty dishes to clean them before the sunset-haired woman could say anything.
"Dear…" Miho turned towards her husband.
"Children are amazing, aren't they?"
"Ahem! They sure are…" Chuck looked away bashfully.
The adults began discussing about a son or daughter while Brendan and Misty followed Bea and Eri alongside the Pokémon.
"Aren't you going to help Ash?" the large girl asked.
"Oh, don't worry. That guy's pretty stubborn; even if we did, he'd shoo us away," the white-hatted boy replied.
They walked near the end of the house before sliding open the door.
"It's been a long day so I thought it's best to direct you guys to the bath first," Bea remarked.
"That's very kind of you. Thanks," Misty smiled in return.
"Brendan, you can go first."
"Huh? But aren't you tired?" the novice Trainer raised a brow.
"I'll go with the girls later. Besides, you know how Ash gets when he cleans."
'That's right. Red's the type to clean like a madman, including the entire kitchen… Welp, no point waiting for him,' he shrugged.
With that, Brendan took the first bath.
.
.
.
"Whew… Finally done," the raven-haired boy stretched his body.
He looked around, finding everyone had left the dining area, including the Pokémon.
'They must've gone with the others after their meal,' Ash deduced.
Seeing no other chores for him to do, the raven-haired boy decided to walk leisurely in the garden.
…Only to find Chuck and his Machamp sparring.
"Oh, Ash. Thanks for your troubles," the burly man noticed.
"It's fine. I insisted pretty heavily too," the boy shook his head.
"You're probably the only kid I know who's ever that enthusiastic about cleaning. Well, other than my wife, hahaha."
Ash chose not to comment on that, rather focusing on the two's spar.
"...Isn't that dangerous? Y'know, battling with Pokémon?"
Truth be told, the raven-haired boy had never sparred with his Pokémon before.
Training alongside them, sure. But never trading blows with them.
"Well, why don't you give it a try? Machamp is able to gauge his opponent's strength accurately so it wouldn't be a problem," Chuck offered.
"...I mean, I could use the exercise," Ash nodded, rolling his shoulder.
The four-armed humanoid stood opposite the smaller boy before the latter froze for a moment.
He saw a barrel of wooden weapons and proceeded to grab a wooden sword.
…And another sword.
…And a spear.
…And a dagger.
…And a-
"Hey, kid?! How many are you taking?!" the Fighting specialist was baffled at the sight of Ash equipping 5 weapons.
"Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to deal with 4 arms without these?!" the boy retorted.
The weapons he picked were blunt, so he had no fear of hitting Machamp with all his strength.
The issue plaguing his thoughts now was…
'Do I even stand a chance?'
"Kai!" the humanoid beckoned with his upper arms while his lower ones got into a stance.
"Ash Ketchum! Iza, jinjou ni shoubu*!" he shouted with a feral grin.
(Now, let's have a fair fight*)
At once, the boy threw all 5 of his weapons onto the ground before sprinting towards Machamp.
The humanoid was surprised but quickly regained composure.
As Chuck's partner Pokémon, he had long been used to his Trainer's training, especially interspecies sparring.
It was dangerous for a human to fight Pokémon so Machamp had to learn how to hold himself back until it was considered a fair match.
It took trial and error, mostly Chuck's bruised body in his youth, but Machamp eventually gained the ability to gauge his opponent's strength and adjust to them.
And now, against the raven-haired boy…
"Kai!"
He found a human who was unnaturally tougher than even his Trainer.
Ash started off with a basic punch to the chest.
It was intended to be a head blow, but due to the boy's short stature, it would have to do.
Anticipating the hit, Machamp moved one of his hand to intercept it.
Tmp!
"Kai?!"
However, the raven-haired boy switched gears, delivering the punch downwards into an open palm for a forward handspring.
'Good reflexes…!' Chuck watched with impressed eyes.
As Ash's feet touched the intercepting hand, he bounced back…
…towards a wooden bō.
Thwap!
Without wasting a single breath, Ash stabbed the staff into the ground as he circled around the long weapon.
'He's using the centrifugal force to propel himself outwards?'
The four-armed humanoid's judgement changed.
As the child leaped towards the Pokémon, Machamp had to use every single one of his hands to block.
BAAAM!
Ash felt the bō staff's stab attack halted before his skin felt the breeze of incoming danger.
"...!" he turned his head back, dodging a pair of muscular grabbing arms.
Machamp threw away the staff, focusing back on the boy with punches.
THe attacks were fast, but harmless enough that a good night's rest would be enough to heal.
Thwap, thwap!
However, Ash parried them off with a pair of bokken that he threw on the floor.
'So that's why he chose to throw them on the ground. Holding them would be too cumbersome for him to move, so his decision was rational,' Chuck observed the flurry of fists and wooden blades.
'And that initial charge was no mere fluke either. He wanted to go on the offensive so that Machamp would be caught off-guard. That backtrack to get the staff was intentional as well, so as to spook Machamp with that heavy blow.'
'Now, Ash has Machamp where he wanted. A straight offense while fending off his attacks against a disoriented Machamp.'
Meanwhile, Ash was getting nervous.
'Damnit, fighting against 4 punches at the same time is no joke!'
Not only did the boy had to account for the angles which the attacks came from, his eyes were also working overtime to grasp the speed at which Machamp threw his fists.
The only reason Ash was even barely parrying them off was a small sliver of rhythm to Machamp's consecutive punches.
CRACK! CRACK!
Finally, the two bokken broke into splinters of wood.
However, Ash expected that as well.
He knew the durability of the wooden blades were never going to last the entire spar.
'Now that Machamp's focused on the attack rush, I can use the fourth weapon!' Ash grinned to himself.
The last weapon the boy had in mind for the spar was a wooden dagger.
His plan was to dodge the rhythmic punches and settle the match by stopping short at the Pokémon's chest.
Ash reached down as he avoided the last punch.
'Alright! Let's go!'
…Finding nothing but the cold floor on his touch.
"Eh?"
He looked back at the field, only to find his final weapon far away from his position.
"..." a stone-faced Ash stared with disbelieving eyes .
'I MESSED UPPPPPPPPPPP! I FORGOT TO MOOOOVVVVEEEEEEEEE!'
Machamp settled the spar with a light harmless chop onto the boy's head of raven.
"Kai!" the humanoid grinned with satisfaction as he offered a handshake with the boy.
"Hahaha… It was a great fight," Ash accepted with a defeated laugh.
'What a blunder…' the raven-haired boy sighed lengthily.
"Hey, Ash," Chuck addressed.
"Hm?"
"Do you want to be my disciple?"
.
.
.
"Haaaahhh… I'm so tired," Ash walked towards the bathroom.
"Oh, Red," a clean Brendan noticed him, still wearing an unfamiliar hat.
The novice Trainer was out of the bath, surrounded by the Pokémon who went with him including Ash's.
"Ruby! Thanks for taking care of them," the raven-haired boy thanked while patting Larvitar and the others before staring at the hat.
"You can relax with the hat with me, y'know?"
"Hm? Oh no, this is just a towel wrapped around to look like my hat."
"Woah, really? You even got the spikes perfectly!" Ash was impressed.
"I know right? Towel folding is one of my talents!" Brendan posed spectacularly as he boasted.
Seeing the Pokémon fresh out of the bath, Ash waved them off as he left.
"I'll dry them off, don't worry," Brendan smiled.
"Thanks, counting on you!" Ash nodded back.
"Pikachu!" the electric mouse squeaked.
"Yeah. Onwards, you guys!"
The Pokémon followed the towel-wrapped boy as they headed to their room.
'Hm? Did I forget something?'
…
The raven-haired boy walked, his mind still thinking about Chuck earlier.
'A disciple, huh? Well, if there's any demerits, it's that Green's my senior… Uwaaahhh! Just imagining his smug face telling me to call him senpai… Uwaaahhhh!' Ash's face scrunched in disgust.
The bloodred eyes saw the sign for 'Bath' and stopped right outside the sliding door.
"Let's not think about it anymore…"
Slide!
"EH?!"
"W-W-WHA?!"
"A-A-A-ASH?!"
The raven-haired boy's eyes gazed upon the sight that was-
0.13 seconds elapsed.
SNAAAPPP!
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Ash screamed out in guttural pain.
"Wait, why're you on the ground already?!" Misty shouted.
Before the boy's eyes could even register, his body instinctively snapped his neck away with as much force as possible.
However, that only served to hurt himself in the process.
"My neck, my neck! I snapped my neck too fast! Ow, ow, ow!" Ash struggled to breathe.
.
.
.
After a few minutes…
Ash found himself in the bath with a towel wrapped around his eyes as well as his neck.
The pieces of clothing he was wearing in the hot bath was a pair of trunks.
Unbeknownst to him, he was surrounded by three very attractive girls.
"Did… Did you see us?" the redhead interrogated.
"Nope, turned away before my brain could even process," Ash answered honestly.
"Phew, then good."
"Eh?! Just like that?" Eri flubbed her words.
"Listen, girls. This magnet for trouble never lies, believe me," Misty gestured towards the boy who looked as if he was wearing a neck brace.
"He would rather die, like he literally cannot lie to save his life."
'That's going too far…'
"There wasn't any 'occupied' sign outside so I just assumed no one's inside," the sole boy explained.
"If anything, I'm the victim here."
"Wait no! You're the pervert here!" Misty dug her finger into Ash's cheek.
"The real pervert is the one who didn't lock the door or hang up any signs!" Ash retorted.
"Urk!" the redhead could not refute that.
The girls realized they forgot to put up said sign or even lock due to their want for a bath quickly.
"That being said, I should've called out first to check so I'm really sorry for what happenedblublublublub," the boy bowed his head, dipping his face in the hot water.
"How chivalrous," Bea snickered.
"It was an accident so please come out of the water," Eri tried to pull Ash's downed head out meekly.
"That being said, I was really fine waiting for you three to wash up first, y'know?"
"And leave you writhing on the floor with that neck? No way."
The gray-haired teen was understanding towards the boy as he meant no harm and was an accident he walked in.
"So? How does it feel knowing you're surrounded by three beauties?" the redhead grinned mischievously.
"Hah? Three?" Ash counted his fingers mockingly.
"Bea-san… Eri-san… Huuuuuh… Who else is there?"
Misty gave a great big smile.
…
"BLUBLUBLUBLUBLUB!"
"THREE! THREE! THERE'S THREE!"
"See? Wasn't hard, right?" Misty flicked her hair dazzlingly.
"What kind of person drowns an injured guy?!" Ash snorted out the water from his nose.
"Alright, as punishment…" the redhead clapped her hands.
'Ignoring me?!' the boy's covered eyes twitched.
"Describe the beauties around you with your oh-so-honest words!"
"...Hey, you're taking out your stress on me, ain'tcha?"
"Maybe."
A blindfolded Ash sighed since he knew there was no getting out of it.
He took a moment to think about his answers before turning Eri.
"Misty…"
"Pft!" Bea and Misty stifled their laughs at the blind boy.
"I call you ugly and a lot of dumb things a lot, but really, you're a really pretty girl. Your eyes are like the ocean while your hair's closer to a sunset, both of which makes me think I'm staring at the sea. And if I'm being honest, I see you as my compass. You're the one who I would look to if I'm ever in a pinch, a really sisterly compass."
"H-H-Hm… hmm…"
Misty began to submerged herself into the water, not wanting to show her bubbling mess of a face.
"Next… Bea. I didn't really get to know you much during the Grand League, but I could tell you're a hardworking person. Your tough appearance may give an unapproachable vibe, but sometimes it cracks and shows your cute side like how worried you were earlier today. People might find your calloused and rough hands unappealing, but I think it's charming how much you enjoy karate."
The gray-haired teen was already covering her face with her palms, steam simmering above her.
"Finally, Eri. Honestly, I don't really know you much," Ash said truthfully.
The large girl let out a sigh of relief.
"But… I do think your shy demeanour is cute."
"Wha-!" she squeaked before blushing in a corner of the bath.
That one sentence was more destructive to Eri, equal to the damage suffered by the older girls.
"Hm? Did everyone fall asleep?" Ash could not hear any of the girls.
The raven-haired boy was as clueless as ever.
.
.
.
Misty, Bea and Eri exited the bathroom with their pajamas.
Their hair still wet from the hot water.
Ash himself had went out earlier, though with much difficulty navigating due to the towel around his head.
"I can't believe he said all that…" Misty clicked her tongue, still blushing.
"To be fair, you did tell him to do it," Bea eyed the redhead.
"But he went a little overboard...!" Eri protested with a soft voice.
The girls entered their room, finding Ash with a towel still around his neck as a makeshift brace while Brendan immediately bowed to them in dramatic fashion.
"My dear ladies! Can you find it in your hearts to forgive this forgetful lamb for not telling Red about the bath?" the white-hatted boy apologized.
"Sigh, it's fine Brendan. It's already happened anyways," the redhead ruffled his hat.
The girls found three bottles of milk lined up for them.
"That's Moomoo Milk I brought from Goldenrod that time. I cooled it after dinner for you girls. Take it as an apology gift," Ash grinned.
Cold milk after a hot bath?
A feeling of satisfaction swept over them.
"Next… I'll dry your hair, customers," Ash gave his best hairstylist impression.
"Okay, that's a little too much," Misty retorted.
However, the gray-haired teen went over to the boy, gesturing him to continue.
"Right you are, customer!" he gave a toothy grin.
Weee~
The whirring of the hairdryer coiled around the room as everyone watched Ash blow Bea's hair.
He moved his fingers through the gray strands, heating them up with gentle movement as they passed without resistance.
Everyone could practically see Bea purring at the comfortableness of her hair-drying session.
"Okay, done. Next."
Soon, Everyone got their turn, including the Pokémon who could not dry off properly.
…
"Hey, Red? Where did you learn to do such girly stuff?" Brendan asked.
"Yeah, you were even better than some hairdressers!" Misty admitted begrudgingly.
"Ah… I practiced a lot back when I was a kid. Yell… Serena would often ask me for it and I just kinda got better at it, I guess," Ash answered.
"Girls treasure their hair, right? I wanna at least take care of that treasure for them if I could."
'Oh… Oh wow,' Eri felt her cheeks flaring up.
The girls were definitely flattered by his words.
Pat.
Brendan placed a hand on Ash's shoulder.
"You're really something, man."
"Eh? What did I do?"
"This Serena girl. I assume she's the one who made that cute confession during your match against Lorelei?" Bea smiled slightly.
"Right? She was so cute back then, I even have it recorded it my PokéDex," Ash bragged.
The boy continued to laud and gush about Serena with the girls especially interested.
Brendan went to sleep immediately.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
'Is this the dream cycle?'
Ash found himself in another's body.
Once again, he assumed it was the same girl he saw that day.
"Hath thee called for me, Mother?" the girl he possessed asked with grace.
As the girl turned to the person in question, Ash was speechless at her appearance.
The girl's mother was the most beautiful woman the boy had ever laid eyes upon. Her midnight black hair paired with her flawless skin painted her as more of an ethereal beauty, found only in fairytales.
"Ah, there thou art, ██████," the mother smiled fondly.
'What was that? It sounded with static noise,' the boy questioned.
However, that thought whisked by quickly as Ash stared at the woman's eyes.
…It was a familiar pair of cyan blue eyes.
'No way…'
"Come hither, darling. Come meet your b̸d̶f̴s̶n̶d̵f̷n̸i̶n̴e̵o̴i̵f̴n̶j̷s̸a̷n̴g̵d̸a̸b̶e̵f̴b̴s̸d̷i̷b̴a̸g̶b̷"
The memory crackled.
The scene warbled into static.
"What's going-"
He fell.
"OONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
.
.
.
.
NNNNNNNNN- OOF!"
The raven-haired boy felt the ground on his back as he raised himself up.
"Ow… Screw the dream cycle, my head…"
His background changed once more.
This time, it was the field of blades he was familiar with.
"Haven't seen this place in a while," Ash stretched his back.
"Zacian, you here?"
…
No response.
"Zacian?"
…
More silence.
He was alone.
Alone in the desolate land of swords.
"What's… What's going on?"
Suddenly…
A presence could be felt behind the boy.
"Zac-"
0.13 seconds elapsed.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A burst of light exploded around the field with a tumbling boy released from the smoke as he rolled away.
"Urk…" he struggled to get up.
The reason he had even evaded the sudden assault was due to Mind's Eye reacting to danger.
Knowing this, the raven-haired boy concluded whoever it was that attacked him was a threat.
Calling Caliburn to him, Ash got up to face the invader.
"Show yourself!" he shouted, pointing his blade.
And right on cue, the opponent revealed… herself.
It was a teenage girl.
Her appearance looked to be around 16 years of age.
She had long pale blonde hair that ended with cyan blue which was tied into a ponytail by a black bow as well as pink braids.
The girl wore a robe of cyan blue with golden lining while her chest was covered with a shining steel cuirass. She also wore a skirt of pristine white with black leggings and knight-like boots.
Her weapon consisted of a staff made of wood from a certain ash tree as well as a gigantic curved contraption of sword-like thorns floating behind her.
Ash's breath turned ragged as he gazed upon his opponent.
The girl's face was hidden, her eyes concealed by a knight's visor of black.
Her mouth was exposed yet showed no signs of emotion.
"I… I don't wanna fight you…" he gasped in hesitation.
"Please don't… Zacian…"
RING!
I==============I
( ALERT )
SYSTEM COMPLETE.
USER 'ASH KETCHUM' RECOGNIZED.
I==============I
"...Huh?"
I==============I
( QUEST )
ADMIN '██████' HAS ISSUED A CHALLENGE FOR ASH KETCHUM IN PLACE OF HER ABSENCE.
I==============I
"W-W-What? A quest? Is this some sort of game notification?" Ash stared at the interface window in front of him with bewildered eyes.
'It even has flavour text before giving the quest…'
I==============I
DUE TO ASH KETCHUM'S CURRENT STATE, ADMIN HAS DEEMED HIM INADEQUATE TO FIGHT BY HIMSELF.
HENCEFORTH, THE TRAINING PROGRAM SHALL BE RUN EVERY NIGHT* AS THE USER SLEEPS.
(THIS IS OPTIONAL AND THE USER CAN CHOOSE TO SLEEP SOUNDLY INSTEAD*)
I==============I
"I see. So this is a dream simulator of sorts? So I can train myself while I sleep…" Ash gathered his thoughts.
"This is amazing!"
The prospect of training himself was too good for the boy.
"I see, so Zacian had something to do. But she took the time to help me even when she's not around…"
"Hey, you weird window. Tell her I said thanks. And also, what's my current quest?"
I==============I
( QUEST )
SURVIVE FOR 5 MINUTES*.
DEATH WILL RESET THE TIMER.
IF ASH KETCHUM CHOOSES, HE MAY GIVE UP THE QUEST FOR THE DAY.
THE SAME QUEST WILL REPEAT UNTIL ASH KETCHUM CLEARS THE TASK GIVEN.
(QUEST WILL UPDATE AS SOON AS ASH KETCHUM CLEARS*)
I==============I
"Hey, what kind of tutorial is this?!" Ash complained.
"I mean sure, I won't exactly die or whatever but isn't this too much for a first quest?"
I==============I
CLEAR REWARDS
SURVIVE FOR 5 MINUTES - COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF BLADE MOVES
I==============I
"Sure are a lot of unknowns here…" the boy scrolled down to check future rewards before stopping at one of the final ones:
? ? ? - DREAM CYCLE FULL UNLOCK
"..."
All the instances of Zacian's hesitation of speak of her past resurfaced.
Ash could tell she had a lot to hide and he had never pursued further.
However, with this reward as the final stage of his training, it was as if Zacian was giving him a chance.
"...I accept," the raven-haired boy resolved himself.
Caliburn and Carnwennan shined with AURA in his hands as the boy stared down at his opponent.
I==============I
QUEST ACCEPTED.
OPPONENT'S MODIFIER WILL BE REVEALED.
I==============I
The knight-like mage before him pointed her weapon.
A fighting spirit.
THE RAIN WITCH, TRAVELLER OF THE STARS
Strength to gather.
For just a moment…
A hellish training awaits.
Ash caught a glimpse of a fond smile on her face.
Chapter 82: Training Quest (1)
"AURA, on!"
Author's Notes
BEA AND ERI:
Yay, new characters!
Not really since Bea's first appearance was in the Grand League.
Eri's here, guys! And yes, her current appearance is pre-Team Star Eri.
She's here as Ash's first glimpse into Paldea and his connection to that region in the future.
(Wouldn't it be funny if Ash was somehow responsible for Team Star? Hahaha... anyways)
DISCIPLE:
Ash finally loses a Gym Battle! WOOOOOO!
Yeah, we're gonna be here a while with Ash powering up.
Some character development for the other characters is something I wanna write too.
Our boy having the same master as Gary is comedic fun since he's the junior.
Chuck being the one who teaches Ash also allows the latter to actually learn some H2H combat cuz frankly, his level is at that of a street brawler.
(The Wing Chun/Bellsprout Style doesn't suit him)
LUCKY ASH:
As of Chapter 82, ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you:
A normal anime trope in this godforsaken fanfic.
I've been wanting to write in some classic tropes for a while and this seemed like a good time to write in the 'accidental enter the bathroom' trope.
Although it's a 'perverted' trope, my reason for writing this in is to show how much of a 'green flag' Ash is.
He cooks and clean.
He's more than willing to snap his own neck rather than peek on the girls.
Dude says incredibly nice things to girls and apologizes right after some needed criticisms.
And he's someone who takes care of girls, especially their hair.
Ash is a green flag through and through, and the reason was because he's used to it due to Serena.
Now if only his mind wasn't as screwed up...
SYSTEM:
Oh boy, oh boy.
A system? In my fanfic?
Has author lost it?!
Yep, Ash has a system, courtesy of Zacian.
This was hinted when Zacian showed some interest in games Larvitar was playing as well as one of the things she stayed back in the Root to create.
Where is Zacian?
The previous chapters have shown what it was that she was struggling to deal with.
Who is this Elden Ring boss?
An amalgamation of the Warrior Maiden, Zacian and the second Face.
The full dream cycle memory serves as a goal for Ash to reach.
When he finally reaches it, Zacian's backstory will be revealed to both Ash AND the readers.
The reason why I made the System in the first place?
...It's a hassle to explain a lot of shit so I wrote the System to simplify things.
Describing the situation? Nah, I'll let the System make it a Quest.
What does Ash get out of it? Lmao, just add Rewards lol.
And that's about it! See ya guys next time!