Ash and Charmeleon stood at the edge of a towering cliff, the winds whipping through their hair as they surveyed the mountainous landscape around them.
"Where is this place, Ash?" Charmeleon asked, looking around the rocky terrain. His eyes narrowed as he tried to make sense of their surroundings.
Ash grinned, his hands on his hips. "Don't you remember the place of your evolution?" he asked, his voice laced with a bit of teasing.
Charmeleon's eyes widened slightly as realization hit. "Oh, the Grandpa's Cannon or something like that, right?" he asked, scratching his head.
"Grandpa Canyon," Ash corrected with a laugh. "And we're here to take the fight to that ancient lizard!" he exclaimed, the excitement in his voice building.
Charmeleon let out a roar of flames, his enthusiasm evident. "Not that I don't want to do this, but why?" he asked, his tone curious but still brimming with eagerness.
Ash stepped forward, his expression serious. "You were too small when you first evolved into Charizard because of that forced evolution," he said. "But look at Butterfree and Kingler—they've grown stronger and larger after proper training for their evolutions. To beat your future self, you need to do what your future self couldn't. And I'll be here to help you every step of the way."
Charmeleon stood still for a moment, his gaze distant, before suddenly dashing off, not wanting Ash to see the vulnerability in his eyes. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's kill this motherfucker!" he shouted, his voice dripping with intensity, though there was a faint quiver in his voice, a sign of emotion he didn't want to admit.
Meanwhile, at Team Rocket's Headquarters
Jessie and James, looking like they'd been through a meat grinder, limped into Team Rocket's headquarters with the rest of the battered former Rocket members. The team looked a mess—bruised, battered, and mostly missing their most memorable member, Meowth, who probably had some interesting stories to tell about being captured.
They stood nervously outside Giovanni's office, while Jessie and James had the honor of entering to report.
Inside, Giovanni lounged in his usual pompous style, sitting in his chair like the villain he was. His Persian was curled up at his feet, looking far more relaxed than its owner. And on Giovanni's left side was Domino—who, unusually, looked worse for wear. She had a few bruises and a rather sour look on her face, clearly having been disciplined in a way that didn't include massages and bubble baths.
"Independent Agents Jessie and James, reporting in! Mission status, sir!" Jessie barked, her voice still trying to sound professional despite the fact her hair looked like it had been attacked by a flock of Spearow.
James straightened up and gave a salute that almost looked like he might pass out from the effort. "Yeah! Mission status! We're, uh, very alive!"
Giovanni, who had the kind of face that could freeze magma, raised an eyebrow. "What was the objective, and who gave you permission to go? What's the status of the mission?" he asked, his voice calm but somehow more terrifying because of it. It was clear that he already knew the answers, but hey, he was a stickler for formalities.
"The objective was to capture or kill the student Ash Ketchum, given to us by Agent 009, sir," James explained. "Though we also got this weird bonus side quest... escape with our lives. You should try it sometime, it's... liberating."
Jessie glared at James but continued with the report, her arms crossed. "The mission was a failure. The target escaped with his Ditto, Eilie. He transformed into a Pidgeot and flew away. And guess what? We lost Meowth. He was—and I can't stress this enough—kidnapped by Ketchum!" she said, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "I mean, who does that?! Ketchum had to go and be all dramatic about it!"
Giovanni's gaze remained steely, but his fingers drummed idly on the chair. "So, you were defeated... by a Pidgeot? A flying pigeon?" He made a sound like he was trying not to laugh, but he was really bad at hiding it.
Jessie gritted her teeth. "That's not funny, Giovanni! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to lose to a bird?!"
Giovanni blinked slowly. "Trust me, I know. I lost to a Zubat once. Once."
Domino cleared her throat, her face red as she shuffled uncomfortably. "I—uh—didn't exactly help out in this mission," she muttered, "I was... uh, busy with some personal business."
Giovanni eyed her suspiciously. "Personal business?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You got knocked out by a Pidgeot too?"
Domino winced. "No... just... punished for not doing things exactly by the book."
Giovanni's eyes softened for a brief moment, but his voice remained cold. "Well, it seems Team Rocket's lack of success is... contagious." He stood up, stretching dramatically. "But that will change soon enough. Ash Ketchum may have escaped... but there's no way he's getting away this time."
Jessie and James exchanged nervous glances, silently wondering if they were about to be sent on yet another disastrous mission.
Giovanni leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping on the armrest like a villain in a bad movie. "Remember, we don't tolerate failure here. Especially failure involving giant flying pigeons."
As they turned to leave, Jessie shot James a glance. "I'm telling you, next time we're just getting a regular mission. Maybe something with a lot of rocks. Not birds."
James sighed. "Yeah, rocks are fine. As long as they don't... fly."
And with that, they limped out of the office, ready for their next "adventure." Both of them exchanging mischievous smirks as they did.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Charmeleon, don't let go!" Ash commanded, his voice steady despite the chaos around him.
Charmeleon had firmly latched onto the back of Aerodactyl, his flaming jaws sinking deep into the creature's uprooted spinal column, and his molten claws digging into its back with a brutal intensity. The ancient Pokémon was thrashing around blindly, its rampaging movements echoing off the cave walls.
Ash had no sympathy. When the Aerodactyl was sleeping earlier, Charmeleon had taken the opportunity to gouge out both of its eyes. It wasn't pretty, but when you're facing an opponent with superior strength, sometimes you need to play dirty. And Ash was all for it.
"Just keep hanging on, Charmeleon!" Ash shouted, watching the battle unfold. "Let it tire itself out!"
Charmeleon snarled, his body brimming with anticipation as the Aerodactyl, now blind and frantically slamming into cave walls, caused the rocks around them to tremble. Charmeleon gritted his teeth, hanging on.
"Die already, you old bastard!" Charmeleon growled, his body beginning to glow. He expanded rapidly, his form increasing in size as he evolved into Charizard. His flaming jaws clamped down with one final, ferocious bite, tearing off a chunk of Aerodactyl's spinal column and killing the creature with a decisive roar.
"Finally!" Charizard bellowed in triumph, wiping the blood off his face—though it didn't do much to clean up his blood-soaked body. "FINALLY! I CAN FLY AGAIN!" In his excitement, Charizard let loose an inferno of flames, turning the cave ceiling into molten lava as his Blaze ability kicked in.
Elysia, who had been quietly maintaining the cave's structure with her psychic abilities, winced as the flames shot upward. "Charizard, control the flames! You're going to turn this whole place into a volcano!"
Ash chuckled, stepping back and wiping his hands. "Guess it's hard to contain that excitement. You've earned it, big guy!"
————————————————————————
Charizard leveled up!
Level 45
XP: 33,462 / 68,150
Type: Fire / Flying
Gender: Male
Ability: Blaze
Stats:
HP: 211
Attack: 145
Defense: 112
Special Attack: 180
Special Defense: 127
Speed: 145
Moves learned: Wing Attack, Air Slash, Heat Wave
————————————————————————
Charizard let out a satisfied growl, looking down at the carcass of the defeated Aerodactyl. "Ugh, are you gonna eat that?" Ash asked, his stomach growling in protest as he looked at the remains.
Charizard eyed the carcass for a moment, then glanced back at Ash with a smirk. "I don't mind eating raw, but since you're now a master chef, I'll let you cook it for me. And, of course, I'll let you keep some as payment!" Charizard said, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm.
Ash raised an eyebrow.
Elysia, who had been watching the exchange with amusement, gave Ash a teasing look. "Sounds like Charizard's got a bit of a tsundere streak, doesn't he?"
Ash sighed, shaking his head. "Charizard's always like this. Don't mind him."
As Ash gathered his cooking materials, preparing to make the best of the ancient Aerodactyl for their meal, he couldn't help but laugh. It had been a tough battle, but with Charizard's evolution, they were finally on the path to even greater strength—and maybe a really good meal.
Charizard shot Ash a side-eye. "Don't mess this up, okay? I expect gourmet-level stuff."
Ash smiled as he set the pot down. "Trust me, Charizard. We're about to eat like a king."
With Ash's Astral body.
"Why do I have to do this? I don't even have the abilities of the original!" Ash's clone grumbled, pacing the class room with a frown.
Pikachu sighed, clearly exasperated. "You're Ash's clone. You don't need his crazy powers; you just need to act like him. You look exactly like him, and that's enough to fool anyone."
The clone paused, pointing at Pikachu with an annoyed expression. "So, what you're saying is, I'm basically just here because I look like the guy? That's it? No special powers, no insane skills—just 'look at me, I'm totally Ash'?"
"Exactly," Pikachu deadpanned. "Oh, and you're also the one who gets to deal with Domino, so congrats on drawing the short straw."
The clone blinked, his face scrunching up in confusion. "Domino? That Domino? The creepy one with the unsettling grin? You're sending me in there?!"
Pikachu shrugged nonchalantly. "Look, you're supposed to help maintain the act. People need to think Ash is just a super-talented prodigy, not some reality-bending powerhouse. And since he's busy fighting ancient Pokémon or something, you're up."
The clone sighed dramatically, flopping into a chair. "So, I'm just the stand-in? The discount version? The guy who keeps up appearances while the real Ash is out playing superhero?"
"Pretty much," Pikachu said, smirking. "But hey, you're doing a great service. Keeping the world thinking Ash is just a regular guy—that's a big job."
"Big job, my ass," the clone muttered, rubbing his temples. "I'm basically just the understudy who gets yelled at for forgetting lines."
Pikachu hopped onto the table, patting the clone's shoulder with a paw. "Don't sell yourself short. You're not just a clone; you're a very convincing clone. Trust me, Domino won't know the difference... probably."
The clone shot him a flat look. "You're a real morale booster, you know that?"
Pikachu chuckled, hopping down. "Hey, good luck in there! Just smile, look confident, and whatever you do, don't accidentally reveal that you're not him. Simple, right?"
The clone groaned, rising to his feet. "Yeah, simple. Totally not nerve-wracking at all."
As the clone left the room, Pikachu grinned. "He's got this. Probably."
"Ash, you coming or not? It's your turn already!" Ritchie called out from the doorway of the classroom.
Astral Ash—or rather, Ash's clone—sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. This wasn't exactly the mission he signed up for, but it wasn't like he had a choice.
After Ash's little performance, most of the classmates conveniently forgot all the insults and remarks they'd thrown at him. Except for a few, of course—his rivals, Giselle and J, were still as snarky as ever. Though now, their rudeness carried a weird sort of camaraderie. On the bright side, Ritchie and Duplica had never been rude to begin with, and the duo had quickly become his closest allies in this chaos.
"Yeah, I'm coming!" Astral Ash replied, jogging toward Ritchie. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of his friend's bruised face.
"Looks like Domino's 'training' really left a mark on you," he commented, putting an exaggerated emphasis on the word training.
Ritchie scowled, gingerly touching the side of his jaw. "You're telling me. I thought we'd start with, I dunno, exercises or something. But no—she went straight to sparring. Pretty sure she gave me extra attention, too. No clue why, but I definitely don't appreciate it."
The clone chuckled lightly but kept his thoughts to himself. Yeah, I think I know why. The original Ash just loves making enemies, doesn't he? Now I get to deal with the fallout. Fun.
As they reached the physical examination room, Astral Ash noticed Domino standing in the center of the arena. Her arms were crossed, and a twisted, psychotic grin spread across her face as she waited. It was clear she wasn't just here to teach—she was here to make an example out of him.
'Guess it's time for the "Perfect Ash Ketchum" to take a fall,' the clone thought, rolling his shoulders as he stepped into the room.
"Well, well," Domino drawled, her grin widening as her eyes locked on him. "Finally decided to show up, huh? Let's see if you're as good as they say, or if you're just another wannabe playing dress-up."
Astral Ash plastered a cocky smile on his face, the kind he knew the original would wear in a moment like this. "Wouldn't dream of disappointing you, Instructor."
The room went silent as the two squared off. Ritchie muttered a quiet "Good luck" before retreating to the sidelines, though the look in his eyes clearly said, You're gonna need it.
The clone cracked his knuckles, his mind racing. Time to see if I can keep up this act without ending up in a hospital bed.
"I want to tell you something before we start," Astral Ash began, putting on his best determined-yet-naïve tone. "I wanna be the best Pokémon Trainer! Not some brute who resorts to fistfighting at the first sign of defeat!"
He knew the words were complete nonsense. The original Ash was absolutely the kind of person who'd punch his way through a problem if given half a chance. But appearances mattered, and the clone had a role to play.
Domino's grin widened, a glint of sadistic amusement in her eyes. "Let me educate you, child!"
Before he could react, she dashed toward him like a blur, her movements nearly impossible to follow.
She's fast, he thought, adrenaline spiking. Really fast.
But speed wasn't everything. The clone carried the experiences of the original, memories of battles fought against horrifyingly powerful enemies—enemies far worse than Domino could ever hope to be. To him, her movements were almost laughably slow in comparison to what he'd seen.
But here was the catch: his body was still that of a 10-year-old kid. No matter how much his mind could process, there was no way his body could match her speed or strength.
Why did the original have to make me this young? he internally groaned, ducking just in time to avoid a fist that whizzed over his head. He rolled to the side, feeling the air pressure from her attack.
"Too slow!" Domino taunted, pivoting to deliver a spinning kick aimed squarely at his ribs.
Astral Ash braced himself and crossed his arms, letting the kick connect. The impact sent him skidding back across the floor, his sneakers squeaking against the polished tiles. Pain shot through his arms, but he forced himself to stand tall, flashing a cocky smirk.
"That's funny," he said, voice slightly strained. "You call that fast? My mom moves faster when she's chasing me with a broom."
Domino's expression twitched. "Oh, you're gonna regret that, kid."
Mission accomplished, he thought, his smirk widening. Let her underestimate me. The longer this takes, the more chances I'll have to figure out how to get out of this in one piece.
But as Domino charged again, Astral Ash couldn't help but think: Seriously, original, couldn't you have left me a stronger body?
Astral Ash ducked to dodge the incoming punch, only to catch a knee to the face. Intense pain flared throughout his head, and he heard a sickening crack.
Yep, that's broken. Thank Arceus my pain receptors are dulled, he thought wryly, clutching his nose as he stumbled backward. Before he could recover, Domino spun, landing a brutal roundhouse kick to the side of his head. His vision blurred as his head snapped to the side, and he crumpled to the ground unconscious.
Pikachu, watching from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes. Guess it's my turn now.
Violent, hot electricity surged through Pikachu's body. Sparks danced off his fur, and his normally cheerful demeanor had twisted into one of pure fury. To everyone else, the little yellow Pokémon looked utterly feral—like a predator ready to rip through anyone who dared harm his trainer.
Domino barely had a moment to react before Pikachu lunged. With a blur of motion, he slammed an Iron Tail into her forearm. The strike was brutal, would've severed her arm cleanly if he didn't held back just enough to break a bone.
Domino she let out a scream of agony. Before she could recover, Pikachu followed up with Spark, sending a surge of electricity coursing through her body. The overcharge of pain and voltage was too much, and the disguised Rocket agent collapsed, unconscious.
As Domino hit the ground, chaos erupted in the classroom. Students screamed in terror, some frozen in shock at the sight of their seemingly lifeless professor. Others scrambled to the corners of the room, unsure of what to do.
Pikachu didn't care. His focus was entirely on Astral Ash. He hopped down, pushing off the fallen agent with his forepaws, and stood guard over his trainer, sparks still crackling around him protectively.
"Good job," came a faint whisper from the ground. Pikachu glanced back, his ears twitching as Astral Ash's eyelids trembled slightly.
The clone wasn't done yet. He was just getting started.
Time skip
Astral Ash blinked his eyes open, the ceiling of the infirmary coming into view. He quickly realized he was lying on a bed, Pikachu curled protectively on his chest and growling lowly at someone standing nearby.
Noticing that his trainer was awake, Pikachu calmed slightly, letting out a small huff before snuggling closer to Ash. With some effort, Ash pushed himself up, wincing as his body protested. He turned to see who Pikachu was growling at, and the moment his eyes landed on the person, understanding dawned on him.
"P-Principal Giovanni?" Ash stammered, blinking in surprise. "What are you doing here? What happened? Where am I?"
Giovanni's expression was unreadable, his tone polite but tinged with something far colder. "I wish to apologize on behalf of the academy. During her first lecture, Professor Domino... went overboard and harmed multiple students. Rest assured, she is no longer part of the teaching staff. Additionally, no charges will be held against you, as your Pokémon acted out of instinct to protect their trainer."
Though his words were smooth, Giovanni's expression barely concealed his displeasure. Without waiting for a response, he turned sharply on his heel and began to leave.
"Wait!" Ash called after him. "Tell me what happened!"
Giovanni didn't bother answering, striding out of the infirmary without so much as a glance back.
As soon as the door shut behind him, Astral Ash's worried expression melted into a wide, excited grin.
"Mission accomplished!" he declared triumphantly.
Pikachu rolled his eyes, his tail flicking with annoyance. "Yeah, great. Now Team Rocket will focus all their resources on killing us. What a victory!"
"Hey, look on the bright side," Astral Ash said, gesturing dramatically. "Now that their main goal is us, things will be way less complicated!"
Pikachu sighed, smacking a paw to his face. "Sure, because constant assassination attempts are the epitome of simplicity."
Ash gave a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Well… when you put it that way…"
At that moment, Astral Ash's stomach let out a loud, disgruntled growl. He groaned dramatically, throwing his head back against the pillow. "I need food! I know the original is probably feasting on some rare, mouthwatering meat right about now. You don't understand how hard it is being a clone! Just a copy, doomed to follow every order of my creator, never getting a taste of–"
Pikachu rolled his eyes and tuned out the rest of the clone's sob story. He'd heard it all before. Every Astral Ash got like this when they were hungry. Despite being clones, they had separate thoughts, emotions, and consciousness from Ash—something that came with all the annoying human cravings, especially for food.
But unlike Ash, the clones had it worse. They weren't just hungry; they'd experienced the master chef-level cooking of the original Ash. For them, it was like being stranded next to an endless buffet and being told to eat plain crackers instead.
Pikachu shot a glare at Astral Ash as the latter continued whining, now dramatically clutching his stomach as if he were on his deathbed. "If you spent half the effort you're using to complain on asking someone for food, you'd probably have a sandwich by now."
"But it's not just food!" Astral Ash wailed, pointing a finger upward as though preaching to some invisible audience. "It's the experience! The seasoning! The spices! The perfectly seared meats! And I'm left here to suffer with cafeteria mush—DO YOU KNOW THE PAIN?"
Pikachu groaned, swatting at his trainer's face with his tail. "Yeah, yeah, Shakespeare. We get it. You're starving and poetic about it. Let's go find food before you faint from emotional hunger."
Astral Ash dramatically flopped back onto the bed again, still clutching his stomach. "You don't understand, Pikachu. You've never been a clone forced to eat bland sandwiches when your original self is probably having a culinary adventure!"
"Right," Pikachu deadpanned, hopping off his trainer's chest. "Guess I'll just eat without you."
That got the clone moving faster than a Quick Attack.
With Ash
"Y'know, Dad, considering the age of that Aerodactyl, this was surprisingly good," Gardevoir commented, delicately wiping her face with a handkerchief, her psychic aura radiating satisfaction.
"Hey, of course, it's good! I made it! Anything prepared by me is bound to taste amazing!" Ash said, grinning as he began putting his cooking supplies back into his inventory.
Charizard, now lounging contentedly near the fire, gave a hearty thumbs-up. "I gotta hand it to you, Ash. You might even be better than Brock when it comes to cooking!"
That comment made Ash's face turn as red as Charizard's flames. He stammered, waving a hand. "Oh, quit it! I'm not that good!"
"Yeah, sure, Mr. Modest," Gardevoir teased, smirking. "You literally transformed a prehistoric flying fossil into a five-star meal. If cooking were a Pokémon battle, you'd be a Champion by now."
Ash scratched the back of his head, muttering, "Well, it's all about preparation and seasoning, you know..."
Charizard snorted flames in amusement. "You're blushing more than a Flamethrower, Ash! Just admit it—you're a culinary genius."
"Alright, alright, fine," Ash said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender, "I'll admit I'm pretty good. But don't let Brock hear you say that, or he'll challenge me to a cooking battle, and you know how seriously he takes those."
Gardevoir laughed softly. "Oh, I'd pay to see that. Two chefs battling it out, one with a frying pan and the other with prehistoric ingredients."
"Don't tempt fate," Ash joked, pulling out a Berry to snack on. "Next thing you know, Brock will be knocking on my door with an apron and a ladle, ready for war."
Charizard chuckled, patting his full stomach. "Well, whenever that happens, just remember—I've got dibs on the leftovers."
Ash grinned. "Deal. Now let's pack up. We've got more prehistoric caves to explore before dinner."
"More caves, more fossils," Gardevoir mused. "Wonder what's on the menu next? Kabutops steak? Omanyte soup?"
Ash groaned. "You're joking, but now I'm actually considering it."
"Don't you think we should have a bit of variety, like Grass-types, so the Tauros could also enjoy?" Charizard remarked, stretching his wings as he eyed the pokéballs hanging from Ash's belt.
Ash sighed. "Guys, please, let's not start hunting Pokémon unless it's absolutely necessary. For now, let's stick to the dungeon monsters, alright?"
Charizard groaned, his claws idly scraping the ground. "That sucks. I was really hoping to take revenge on that brat's Imaginary Entei. That bastard almost killed me!" He rubbed his neck, the memory from another lifetime still vivid.
Ash raised a brow. "Wow, you can hold a grudge. That was so long ago... and it hasn't even happened yet!"
"What are you even talking about?" Gardevoir asked, tilting her head in confusion.
Ash waved a hand dismissively. "Long story. I'll tell you later." He walked over to the ESP bubble Elysia had maintained and tapped it lightly. The fossil Pokémon inside watched him warily.
He grinned. "Alright, time to give you guys a new home." One by one, he captured the Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, and Kabutops in Luxury Balls, their designs shimmering faintly in the dim cave light.
As the last ball clicked shut, Charizard huffed. "Luxury Balls? Seriously? You're spoiling them. They were trying to rip your face off a few minutes ago!"
Ash shrugged. "What can I say? They'll make great gifts for Serena and Mom. Plus, a comfortable Pokémon is a happy Pokémon."
Gardevoir smirked. "You're building quite the prehistoric zoo, Dad. What's next? Reviving a Tyrantrum to give Ritchie a heart attack?"
Ash laughed. "Don't tempt me. But for now, let's focus on getting out of here before Charizard starts listing more Pokémon he wants revenge on."
Charizard snorted. "I mean, it's a long list..."
Ash groaned. "Let's just go."
Ash, Elysia, and Charizard stood within a colorless dome, and in the blink of an eye, they found themselves on the main island of Asholm— a planet inside Ash's personal dimension.
"Bye, I'm off to show off my new evolved form to the unevolved fools!" Charizard declared, laughing as he soared into the sky.
"How brutish," Elysia remarked with a shake of her head.
"Aren't you the one who swears the most on the battlefield?" Ash replied flatly.
Elysia blushed, glancing away. "Dad, I'm not always like that!" she tried to explain, but before Ash could respond, Eilie—who had been in the form of a ring on Ash's finger—transformed back into her original Yveltal form.
"Yeah, in front of you, she's all polite, but once you're out of sight, she's worse than Charizard!" Eilie teased.
Elysia flushed deeper. "Why did you reveal yourself now? Just go back to being the accessory that suits you better!" she retorted.
Before Eilie could respond, Ash stepped in, his tone calm but firm. "Girls, enough. I don't want you both to fight. Elysia, don't hold back— I don't mind you acting like yourself."
"Sorry, Dad/father!" both Pokémon apologized in unison.
"You should apologize to each other, not me!" Ash responded with a sigh.
Ash looked at Elysia and Eilie, sensing their readiness. "I know you both are already strong, far stronger than Charizard right now, but there's always room for improvement. We may be powerful, but we haven't fully unlocked our potential yet."
Elysia tilted her head, her shiny Gardevoir form gleaming under the light of Asholm. "You're right, Dad. But it's still hard to imagine getting even stronger than this."
"That's the point," Ash said with a grin. "Strength isn't just about raw power. It's about understanding, growth, and finding new ways to fight as a team. Charizard might be strong, but there's more to being a real powerhouse than brute force."
Eilie, who had been silently watching, smiled softly and perched on Ash's shoulder. "And what about Charizard? You said he had room to grow too, right?"
Ash nodded, his expression softening. "He does. He always has. But that's why he's here—because even he needs to learn to work with us better, not just use his strength recklessly."
Charizard landed nearby, dusting himself off with a cocky grin. "Yeah, yeah, don't go soft on me, Ash. I've been training just as hard as the rest of you. I'm ready to prove I can keep up!"
"Good," Ash said with a chuckle. "Let's see it then. We're going to push ourselves beyond our limits, no more holding back."
With that, the trio gathered, ready to train together, pushing each other to grow stronger—not just individually, but as a team. The island of Asholm was their proving ground, and with each passing moment, they knew they were becoming even more unstoppable.
"You guys can train with the others. I still have some work to do!" Ash said as all three Pokémon flew off.
"BOO!" A small flying figure suddenly appeared infront of Ash.
Ash flinched, startled. "Serena! It's just you!" he said, relieved.
"I got the jump on you again!" Serena giggled playfully.
"How do you keep doing that, and always at the perfect time? What's your secret?" Ash asked, still a bit shaken.
"What do I get if I tell you my secret?" Serena asked with a teasing smile.
Ash grinned, eager. "I'll give you a special gift if you do."
Serena raised an eyebrow. "Alright, deal. I've recently gained a few new abilities. One is Spy Statue, which lets me create small statues to spy on people. Another is Hide Presence, which allows me to completely mask my presence. And the last one is Life Sense, which lets me detect anything with life energy within a 15-meter radius."
She extended her hands, expecting her reward.
Ash placed a Luxury Ball into Serena's tiny hands. Compared to her, the ball seemed massive, and she struggled to stay afloat. In response, she surrounded herself in a radiant glow, summoning her astral puppet to stabilize herself.
"What's inside?" Serena asked curiously, inspecting the ball with keen interest.
"You'll find out when you open it, but be warned—it's incredibly angry and may not listen to you right away," Ash explained. "You'll have to beat it into submission a few times. Just do what I usually do to tame mine."
Serena tilted her head thoughtfully before smirking. "So, scare them by any means necessary until their only option is submission, then treat them kindly to earn their complete loyalty. Is that right?"
Ash nodded. "Exactly."
At his confirmation, a dark smile crept across Serena's face.
"Go do that on the other side of the island," Ash instructed. Her astral puppet sprouted wings resembling his, and she flew off.
As she left, Ash let out a sigh of relief. "I really don't want to see what Serena's going to do to tame that Kabutops," he muttered, a sweat drop forming on his temple.
Shaking off the thought, he turned to his task. "Alright, now it's my turn," he said, releasing three Kabutops, three Kabuto, two Omastar, and three Omanyte from their Luxury Balls.
The moment they were free, the prehistoric Pokémon tried to attack him. However, Ash released a fraction of his Ki, freezing them in place and radiating an aura so overwhelming it struck fear into their hearts.
The Kabuto and Omanyte were on the verge of fainting, while the Kabutops and Omastar were paralyzed with terror.
The prehistoric Pokémon trembled under Ash's aura. He crouched slightly, meeting their wide, terrified eyes with a stern gaze.
"Listen up," he began, his voice calm but laced with authority. "I don't need you to like me. I don't even need you to trust me right now. What I need is your obedience."
The Kabutops glared defiantly but made no move to attack. The Omanyte and Kabuto, meanwhile, huddled closer together, their small bodies shaking. The Omastar seemed more calculated, eyeing Ash as if measuring his strength.
Ash smirked. "Good, you're smart enough to know your place," he said, lowering his aura slightly to give them some breathing room. "But I'm not here to keep you as mindless pets. Earn your freedom through strength, and I'll give you the respect you deserve. Until then, you're mine."
One of the Kabutops clicked its scythes together in frustration but reluctantly lowered its stance. The others hesitated before following suit. Ash knew he had them—at least for now.
"That's better," he said, tossing them some berries from his inventory. "Eat up. Training starts in an hour. And trust me, you'll need every ounce of energy you can get."
The group hesitated before cautiously accepting the food, their movements still tense. Ash crossed his arms, watching them carefully.
"They'll come around," he muttered to himself, a small grin forming on his lips. "They always do."
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