Ron the True Fan: 'Two to three a year' my ass. It'll be as many as I put out as YT and the fic Gibles will allow. (Holds up an exhausted Gible) LOOK WHAT YOU PEOPLE HAVE DONE! THIS IS NOT RIGHT! TO THE SAHARA! YOU LAND SHARKS NEED A GIB-CATION!
Takeshi Yamato: Geez… They look terrible.
Unknown Location - Day 255 of Ash Ketchum's Pokemon Journey
Waiting sucked. Didn't matter what you were, it sucked.
And the longer you lived, the worse it got. Take ghosts. They live until they finally decide to go into the cycle of reincarnation. Which wasn't long in a lot of cases: couple hundred years in most cases, some being less then one thousand. Only the Creation Trio and Arceus lived forever: some legendaries just put themselves into the cycle to forget.
Well, sadly, he couldn't find his trainer. …Ok, he HAD one decades ago, but it wasn't his REAL trainer, just a placeholder until…
HELLO… what's this? A spark. A…resonance.
It was strong enough that he felt it in the Distortion Realm! Who was his trainer?! Like a moth to a flame, he rushed towards it…
Spectra Province, Empire of Ransei, 1438 hours local time
Lots of grave markers, torii, all the traditional signs of burial and respect for the dead.
And he thought Lavender Town was depressing.
Pidgeot landed, looking back at her trainer with unease, Ash shrugging before swinging one leg over to the right and dropping to the ground. "Ok, Max, let me help you down." he said, before he heard something hit the ground behind him. "…And people wonder why I'm so testy…"
"Ow…" Max groaned, his face on the stone walkway, Ash helping him to his feet. "Ok. Should've waited. Admitting that."
"Yeah, next time, wait. I'm taller then you are, so I can help you down," his teacher instructed. "And what I said goes: you see ghosts, you run."
"Ash, with all due respect, I can't run at the first ghost-type I see. Not only do I need more field experience…your Pidgeot's not going to listen to me." Max retorted. "So-"
"Ok, fine. Stick close." Ash relented… then grimaced. "Get. Out. Of. My. Shadow. NOW. Before I sic my Krookodile on you."
Max was confused… until a massive grinning ghost emerged. Dark purple, massive grin… Gengar.
"Gengar!" 'I just wanted to say hi!' said the ghost.
"I've had my soul invaded a few times, so what you just did was a violation." Ash snapped. "And before you say ANYTHING, YES I understand you. Save yourself the trouble and don't shout."
The ghost saluted. "Gengar!" 'Aye-aye-what a minute, you understood every word I said.' Gengar said.
Ash didn't even blink as Pikachu electrocuted him. "Warned you." he said dryly.
"Pika." 'Said I'd do it.' Pikachu said smugly, climbing back up onto Ash's shoulder. Gengar literally shook it off.
"Gar!" 'You're not just my trainer, you're the Chosen of Arceus! Your shadow felt more like that of a Legendary-'
Ash held up a hand to stop him. "Whoa, there. I'm not your trainer." he said. "I haven't caught you and I'm not planning on making any captures any time soon. I'm not denying the other part, just… not your trainer."
Gengar then attempted to do what he clearly picked up from a certain species of land shark: eyesmile comfortingly. It didn't work. "Gengar!" 'Your soul resonates with mine! You're meant to be my trainer! Hate to disappoint you, but it's that simple!' said the ghost.
Ash facepalmed as Gengar opened up for a Pokeball to the face. Max resisted laughing. "Can this wait? We kinda need to talk to the governor of this province." said the younger trainer-in-training.
Gengar then gave a thumbs up. "Gar!" 'I'll take you there!' he said before looking at the shadow.
Ash grabbed a Pokeball in response. "Stay out of my shadow. Please." he insisted. "I have a bad HISTORY with ghost-types forcing themselves on me and I would like to NOT HAVE THAT REPEATED."
Gengar nodded as best he could. "Gengar!" 'Sorry. It's how ghosts hang around people they like. Like Gibles latching onto people's heads!' the ghost explained.
"Could you also keep it down?" Ash asked. "We generally consider yelling in a graveyard like this disrespectful."
Gengar clearly had no idea how that worked… then chalked it up to a 'it's a non-ghost thing'. As Ash was well aware, ghost-types were very noisy. Still, they had a guide!
That was good. …Right?
Illusio Province - roughly the same time
Crystals hovered in the air as the group entered the grounds of the province of psychics.
"What. The. Fuck." Iris slowly said, looking at it.
"Illusio's governors keep out of politics for a reason…" Kyoji said. "I mean… what's the point? Every governor sees the future, predicts the needs of their people, so plotting against them is a REALLY stupid idea. No one bothers."
"They also like to say what you're saying at the same time, so try not to get annoyed." Tatsuki warned. "It can piss you off very quickly-oh, goddamn it." she facepalmed as a young boy approached from their collective right, repeating what Tatsuki said with a smile.
Serena then turned her attention to the boy, whose eyes widened in shock. "How are you sane?" he asked.
"Love. So just let us talk without repeating everything we say or I call my husband." Serena stated sweetly. "The one who LOOKED INTO THE DISTORTION REALM without a filter?"
"The governor is busy, so he sent me to speak with you." the kid said. "He has seen into the future and knows what must be done. He said the Empress and her son must be removed by any means necessary and that the futures of two of you are entwined."
"Who?" Tatsuki asked, impulsively curious.
"You and the Akamura." the messenger said, prompting both to look at one another, blanching.
For Tatsuki's part, Kyoji was a handsome boy, but… something told her he was NOT her type. On Kyoji's side, it was more him fearing getting lynched by his 'bloody family history', but it was more or less the same. Tatsuki was pretty, but… yeah. Not his type.
"That is all I was told. As the Princess will tell you…the governor has something of a twisted sense of humor. You'll understand when it happens." the messenger said before teleporting away.
"…We came here for nothing?" Misty demanded, her eye twitching. "We could've went with Ash!"
"Before you get your panties in a twist, Misty-" Kyoji started.
"Actually, she goes commando." Serena interjected, prompting everyone to look at her in confusion.
"…How the hell do you-Never mind. I KNOW how you know." Misty said, flustered. "Why are the women in my life more perverted then the men?"
Kyoji sighed. "Anyways, before you get angry at Ash, he's dealing with ghosts. So he's probably suffering practical jokes and pain more then you can inflict on him, knowing his luck." he finished.
Misty would take that as a consolation prize. She might've incorporated (or some might say reincorporated) elements of her more independent pre-timeline collapse personality, but she still needed to be within line-of-sight of Ash to truly relax.
"…He still needs to make it up to us." she pouted.
"How about a date?" Neesha suggested. "Ransei should be calmed down after Ash figures out what to do."
Iris snorted. "And knowing his luck, it's regicide." she deadpanned. EVERYONE looked at her. "What? That's the way it's been with him! It's always something extreme!"
"My father hasn't done-" Tatsuki snapped, Kyoji putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Your mother and brother, on the other hand, HAVE. Let's hope it just involves them getting fed to the Carvanha, ok?" he tried to reassure. The princess looked at him in confusion.
"Don't you mean Sharpedoes?" she asked.
"Yeeeeeeah… about that…"
Spectra Province - 1534 hours
The mansion looked disused and abandoned… but Ash knew it wasn't. Too clean, no signs of wood rot or anything like that.
Max, however, did not notice it. "Are you sure they're here?" he asked Gengar, who nodded.
"They just made the place look abandoned, probably because ghosts would be more welcome or something like that," Ash explained. "They like that sort of thing."
Then ghost-types phased into view, Gastlys, Haunters, Shuppets, Driftloons and more floating about. Ash released Krookodile to make a point: keep back or suffer for it.
A woman in a tattered, yet well-maintained kimono in black and purple exited the mansion, looking like a more… living version of that lady that came out of TVs and killed people.
He hoped that movie series didn't exist in this timeline. THAT would be a plus.
"Chosen One of Arceus. I am pleased the brother of Giratina has come to grace this place, but may I suggest you return your dark-type to his Pokeball?" she gently, but firmly, stated. "The spectres merely wish to be friendly."
Ash snorted dismissively. "Krookodile stays out. I don't need my student getting possessed." he retorted. "Spirit channelers prefer honesty, don't you?"
The woman nodded, but the scowl remained on her face. "Bad experiences with spirits, I take it." she surmised. "Friends, please go. The Chosen One worries for his charge as other ghosts have hurt him in the past."
The ghosts disappeared from sight, except for the Gengar. "Gar." 'I'm not doing anything.' he said when given a look from the woman.
"He hasn't done anything, so he stays. I don't trust ghosts I haven't gotten to know." Ash elaborated. "I wanted to talk to you about what needed to be done to restore Ransei's…balance."
"Beyond reintroducing legendaries?" the woman snapped before cringing. "My apologies, that… was uncalled for. I am Rika Nō, governor of Spectra."
"I gathered." Max deadpanned. Ash gave him a look, Max glancing right back. The snark was strong in this one.
The woman visibly tried not to laugh at this. "Indeed. As you have said, supplicants of the cult of Giratina treasure the truth." she said.
"Because the dead don't lie." Ash finished. "I've met a member of your priesthood. So… I have to know. What has to be done to restore Ransei's natural balance?" he let out a resigned sigh. "And how much am I going to hate it?"
Rika rose an eyebrow. "You know you will hate it." she said, curious. "Yet you'll do it."
"What she said." Max said. "I mean… why?"
Ash chuckled mirthlessly. "If Pikachu needed to learn how to use a new attack and I didn't like it, but we had to, I'd do it." he started, his eyes narrowing in ancestral fury as he went into a rant. "If I had to run a marathon just to get into a gym, fine. I didn't want to storm into Orre and trigger a revolution that would see it as a vassal state of Rota, but I needed to get rid of Cipher!" Rika took a step back, Max just staring as Ash took in a calming breath. "So… what do I have to do and how much am I going to hate doing what needs to be done?"
To her credit, the governor said nothing at first, silently asking what the hell the Chosen One had been through. "You ask for my counsel. Yet you already know." she said. "Ransei has no legendaries. They left long ago."
Max facepalmed. "No wonder everything's off. Anywhere without legendaries is just a disaster waiting to happen!" he exclaimed. "People and Pokemon lose their symbiotic relationship without something to regulate the psionic and spectral powers in the region!"
"The Empress and her son must be dealt with before the legendaries can return properly." Rika said. "She rejects Pokemon out of hand. And her son… he has inflicted pain on many Pokemon, but mostly the ones who bear no one any ill."
Ash figured that someone high up in the totem pole was responsible for the Gible finning, just not THAT high up.
"I need to overthrow them, don't I?" Ash asked, resigned. Rika nodded solemnly. It was clear all Ash wanted to do was lead a normal life. Not be forced into decisions like this where he held the fate of a region, in many cases the entire planet and the universe itself, in his hands.
He hated it. No one person should have to make that decision.
He sighed. "I don't hate your Emperor." he said.
"Then make it clear your war is against his wife and son." Rika advised. "And you will harm no one who does not stand in your way."
He was going to need something to deal with this without making any of his own Pokemon killers.
But first, to fight a war, one needed an army. Ash flipped open the Pokedex, seeing that the Ranseian Pokemon Transfer System was connected to the ones used throughout the world.
He had an army. It was time to bring it over.
Pallet Town - Oak Ranch - 1347 hours local time
Samuel Oak poured himself a coffee, preparing for another long afternoon. THEN there was a flash as a Xatu teleported in, with a familiar black-haired young woman being embraced by the totem parrot's wings before the parrot in question released her.
"Thanks, Xatu." said Belladonna Ketchum, right before getting a light, affectionate peck to the head from her mother's giant parrot and returning to resembling a giant totem pole before Bell saluted the professor. "Ready to come back to work, Professor."
Oak rose an eyebrow. "And…what are you doing here, Belladonna?" he asked. "I thought you were in Rota. You ARE Ash's legal successor-"
"AND I WAS GOING INSANE!" she shouted, making her boss back off. "I was doing nothing but walking the grounds EVERY FREAKING DAY! I was going insane from boredom! I'd rather deal with my brother's Pokemon then spend ONE MORE MINUTE in Cameran Castle!" After this…outburst…she took in a breath. "So I'm coming back to work. Where do you need me?"
Oak didn't answer as the computer in the corner started making alarming noises, Ivysaur and Infernape coming in and briefly checking on it, Infernape making an "APE!" before both ran out in a panic.
He looked at his senior assistant. "Apparently on the transfer system. Your brother must be needing a total change over." he said with a grin before looking at the request.
ALL of Ash's Pokemon were requested for transfer.
"Oh, shit." he swore, with Bell making muffled screams behind him, looking to reveal Bell wrapped up by Ash's Dragonair, who was trying to act like a Gible by eyesmiling.
The unfettered Oak didn't even move to help. She'd be fine. "Not five minutes back and they're at it again…" he deadpanned.
The ranch rocked with the roar of "SAUR!", prompting ALL of Ash's Pokemon to congregate at predesignated muster points. After all, he had a LOT of Pokemon and not all of them could fit in one place.
The Tauros herd had some of them on their backs, the Chancey having an evil grin as she rode on the back of the leader. Apparently she enjoyed…OPERATIONS just a little too much.
Still, all hands were on deck, including Meltan.
"Ivysaur!" 'Alright, people, we're being called to war again!' Ivysaur announced. "Saur!" 'Ash apparently needs us for some extreme work and I am NOT leaving him in the lurch! Tauros herd, you're first!'
The bulls marched two by two towards the lab, Sceptile watching. "Tile." 'It feels like something is missing.' he said, unsure of what.
Ivysaur ignored the comment as the herd was guided in by vine movements, Dartrix and his fellow Alola Pokemon preparing to move in next. "Saur!" 'Johto Team, you're next! Quilava, get your kid to Red and get your butt over here!' the second-stage Pokemon ordered before the herd came to a stop.
"BRWO!" 'Dragonair's got Belladonna wrapped up!' came the call from the front. Eevee sighed, turning into a Sylveon, then jumping from bull to bull before a WHACK was heard and Eevee yelling at Dragonair to let the lady do her job. Then the herd began to move again, on the march.
"Saur-Saur-Saur!" 'Hoenn Force, follow Johto Team! Sinnoh Team, you're with Unova Group!' the saurian grass-type ordered, vines whipping in every direction. "IVYSAUR!" 'Kalos Brigade and Alola Trainees, get the New Captures ready on support duty and WHERE THE FUCK IS SNORLAX!'
The ground shook as said Pokemon marched up. "Lax." 'Sorry, was napping. Still trying to get out of the whole habit.' the metric-ton Pokemon said.
"Saur." 'Don't care, get with your group! Lapras, you're gonna need to be partnered up with psychics and a water-type!' the saurian said before the bug-types started…making a silk container? "Saur." 'Well, that just means you'll need a pusher. Primeape, that's on you!'
"Ape!" 'I'll watch his back if he watches mine!' Primeape replied, Lapras waving with a flipper to affirm.
Ivysaur would prefer Pokemon like the Alolan Meowth, Grubin and Meltan to stay, but it was literally all hands on deck. The only Pokemon left behind would be Mewtwo, who was still out of his gourd.
So they were on support duty. Whatever was going on, they wouldn't be doing much except helping keep the veterans' flanks safe.
Whatever Ash was doing, it was going to be big.
Yakasha Province - 1613 hours local time
Kyoji scowled, not knowing what the hell the psychics were on about. His fate was tied to Tatsuki's?
One, she was clearly interested and confused about Ash. Mostly the former, but knowing Ash's track record of unwittingly seducing people, he would be calling Ash King of Rota and Emperor of Ransei in a few years. He wouldn't exactly MIND, either. Ash wasn't a dick, though Rotan and Ranseian politics would be a BITCH to navigate.
Two, he was the scion of a pariah yakuza family. Sure, he had no intentions of restarting the family business, but his name was well-known.
Three… while he would freely admit Tatsuki was a beautiful girl, she wasn't his type. Not to mention he was a good six or seven years older then her. Hell, according to Max and Misty, May Maple, Max's sister and Dawn Berlitz, the quote 'Sinnoh Girl', were two or so years younger then Ash, which was was an acceptable age gap, if barely. Tatsuki was nearly TEN YEARS younger then Kyoji was!
The only reason him and Ash got along so swimmingly was because Ash was mentally closer to his age, if not a good ten years older. Hell, in many ways, Ash was a mentor to Kyoji as much as Kyoji was a mentor to him. 'You teach me, I teach you', indeed.
Speaking of…where the hell was he? He was supposed to meet them here.
"This can only be a bad thing." Misty said, a slight tremble in her voice. She'd been away from Ash too long and her insecurities were popping up.
"He's probably delayed. You know spirit channellers. They can be pretty crazy." Kyoji replied reassuringly, pulling out his Pokedex to get in contact with him before seeing a busy signal with a 606 code.
Curiously, he looked up siad error code and nearly dropped the dex. 606 was 'recipient engaging in mass transit'. And Ash had over 60 Pokemon. And had no limiters.
"Oh, shit," he said. Ash was effectively GOD in Ransei. He knew that local trainers were nowhere NEAR the same level as trainers on the mainland continents. He'd seen Lance vs Ash and seen his own local champion. They weren't in the same league, pun unintended. Ash would SLAUGHTER them.
"What is it?" Sabrina asked, respecting her boyfriend by not poking into his brain. "Bad connection?"
Kyoji chuckled mirthlessly and nervously as he started looking through his contacts list. "No, just…Ash going to war." he answered, now visibly panicking as he tried to find the number in question.
He finally found it, tapping 'Hiruzen Nagama' and hoping it would connect before the military and Ash came to blows.
Entry 114: Dragnor Province
Dragnor Province has had a turbulent history. In ancient times, it was the base for Oba Nobunaga, the Great Invader who attempted to conquer Ransei. The First Emperor defeated him, but in a show of humility, pardoned him and gave him control of Dragnor, hoping a strong leader would help settle the unruly province's tendency to rebel at the top of a hat.
It worked…but over the years, many of Ransei's nobles began to want the 'outsiders' removed from Ransei by either exile or purging. Currently, Jin Nobunaga, governor of the province, is defending his family's right to govern as put forth in the Treaty of Ransei that ended his ancestor's war that led to unification, but Empress Sayaka and Prince Komuahito are of the opinion that the Treaty of Ransei was merely a temporary solution and that judgment on their continued suitability should be taken.
Ron the True Fan: I'm a goddamn prophet. First, I predict Ash getting a Riolu back in late 2018. There's a delay between the planning stages and the writing ones. Then a Dragonite (though I used Dratini) a few months later in the planning process. Now, six months ago, I laid the seeds for this in our planning document…and two weeks prior to the completion of this chapter, Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner PMC marched on Moscow, though, sadly, they did not go all the way. …Sue me. Russia invaded a sovereign nation and their government and military deserve all the headaches they can get. Unlike Prigozen, Ash will not be stopping halfway to Aurora.
117Jorn: Maybe you've got psychic pokemon in your blood at some point. It explains how we keep thinking of the same ideas so often…
Ron the True Fan: I've been pecked by Natus enough to explain it. It's still insanely uncanny how I predict these things. First, it was the anime, now it's real life events. What's next, the walls of reality explode?
Takeshi Yamato: I certainly hope not, though I will admit the thought of potentially crossing over with fictional universes does sound intriguing.
(BOOM!)
Ron the True Fan: …You HAD to make my prediction come true. We'll seal this hole while you enjoy my birthday present to y'all! HAND ME THAT GRAVITY GENERATOR!
Ja Ne!