Anistar International Airport wasn't too busy on Thursday afternoon. Ash leaned against a wall as he waited for Bill to come through. For some reason, the man needed a checked bag for a weeklong visit.
Fiddling with his faux-leather gloves as he waited, Ash frowned to himself. He had thought Xerneas had, well…
But unfortunately the gloves were still needed.
As passengers filed through the doors, Ash spotted the wild curls of Bill's hair in the crowd. Pushing off, he walked forward to meet the researcher.
"Ash!"
The two clasped forearms as they neared. Even though it's been a week, Ash still expected a stab of pain from the touch. "Long time no see, Bill."
The man beamed and led them over to the bag pick up. "You're looking well! Got some new highlights and scars since I've seen ya." He gestured to the blotch on his cheek.
The teen shrugged uncomfortably trying to ignore it. "Dark types, what can you do?"
Bill barked a laugh and nodded. "Too true, too true. I look forward to hearing your stories."
"How's the research and breeding coming along?" Ash deflected.
Bill sighed. "Slow. Eevee and their evolutions don't have large litters, and because of how unstable their DNA is, the survival rate is abysmal, but I've had three healthy litters so that's been some good fortune. Koga is personally guarding the lighthouse while I'm gone."
Wow. No one would be able to get past Elite Koga if they attempted it. There was something to be said about how the Kanto Elite Four were just as deadly as the types they trained.
Ash looked forward to challenging them some day.
Bill grabbed his - frankly massive - bag and they headed outside. Ash hailed a cab and let Bill get his stupidly large luggage in the trunk on his own, much to the man's mumbled curses. Bill was staying in a hotel for the duration of his stay in Anistar, so Ash waited as the man checked in and dropped off his bags.
As he waited, Ash tried to think if there was anything else he needed to finish in Anistar. He had gotten a lot of shopping done, all things on which he was running low. He had replaced some of his wardrobe and got a full check-up of Orion. The Ninetales was severely malnourished and was on a strict nutriment plan for the next month but would be able to start training in a little over a week.
The procedure to embed the Houndoominite in Artemis's emblem went smoothly, only taking a half hour.
Dr. Grubbly-Plank was quick, numbing the area and carefully drilling a perfect divot to insert the Mega Stone. She was even able to connect clasps that held the stone in place that blended with the bony material surrounding it. After the procedure, as Artemis was still sleeping off the anesthesia, she told Ash to call after six months to make sure the emblem doesn't grow around the Stone.
The emblem was similar to teeth in the sense the bone grew outside the body and thus had vasculature and nerve endings, but they rarely grew past evolution.
A few days ago, he was contacted by the League, and had his reward wired to his account.
He had officially too much money to know what to do with six months into his career. One of the youngest 'self-made' millionaires in Kanto. At this rate he might as well be a Bounty Hunter after being paid for his 'capture' of Domino and Omen.
Paldea's Champion Geeta had even added to the reward after their 'Titan', whatever that meant, had been poached by the man. He'd tried to research 'Orthworm' but only found vague descriptions of the Pokémon.
Training had been pretty light, Ash was working with his team to start specializing their instruction. Many had a great physical foundation, and now it was time to find their niche.
He'd gotten a call from Valerie letting him know his outfit was almost finished, maybe a week until it was ready. She had been ecstatic to work with the Hakamo-o scales. Ash had to admit that he was curious. He wasn't one for fashion, but even he could admit there was something empowering about wearing nice, expensive clothes.
Then there was the Cuff that he refused to acknowledge lest he go crazy.
Ash figured he deserved a free pass to push something to the back of his mind and lock it in a box.
He added a few things to that locked box. Yveltal's permanent gift, for one.
The tiny sparks of light and flashes of green that followed him were another.
"Let's go get dinner!"
"Bill, it's 4:00."
"Well, it's 11:00 at night in Kanto, so there." Ash rolled his eyes but let Bill lead them around the city. They sat down at a ritzy place that had Ash pursing his lips but he stayed silent.
Bill smoothed the napkin on his lap. "So, tell me everything about Mytheon."
"Mirae is doing well, Sagitta, Styx, and Nettle have worked with him on his gliding ability. His wings aren't necessarily built for extended flight, more for soaring. He already knows Twister and Fairy Wind, and we're making headway on Dragon Pulse and Dazzling Gleam. He's sturdy, able to take quite a bit of damage before it starts wearing on him. His speed definitely took a hit upon evolution, but his stamina has skyrocketed. While his physical strength is impressive, I think his forte will be elemental variation and durability. He has a layer of energy around him that dampens damage, though I'm not yet sure to what extent."
Mirae's scales on his chest were practically invulnerable, and the scales on his underbelly were nothing to scoff at either. He was strong, he was a Dragon afterall, but his slight size compared to other Dragon's left him at a disadvantage.
He didn't have the overwhelming presence and stature that most fully evolved Dragons did. But it did allow him to fill a peculiar role of being a small, aggressive drake with impressive energy output.
Ash took a sip of water when their waiter filled their glasses and took their drink orders. "He's started collecting shiny things, spare coins, bottlecaps, he even tried to steal a Spoink's pearl on Route 8, though I managed to stop him before that." The Spoink had fled the moment Ash arrived; he'd had to leave the pearl at the base of a tree and have Styx drag Mirae back to camp.
Bill laughed even as his eyes took on that analyzing gleam. "Like a Dragon and its treasure hoard."
The researcher then delved into his own mind. Ash was fine with the silence. He looked around the restaurant and saw some patrons giving him side-eyed glances. This whole week he's been getting recognized more and more. The news report is the biggest story of the month, maybe even the year.
So far, the reception to his 'achievement' has been positive.
How much of that was attributed to Palermo's little scheme was undetermined.
The waiter came back and took their orders, Ash stumbling over the pronunciation of his dish. Ash was pretty sure Bill just said the first thing he could remember with how distracted he was.
Dinner passed quickly, Bill muttering under his breath and writing on paper napkins he had to request after he was reprimanded for writing on the cloth ones. Once in a while he asked a weird or specific question. "What is the average scale size?" or "Has he shown any interest in classical music?"
The researcher was practically dead on his feet by the time they finished dinner, and Ash directed him back to his hotel to get some sleep. The man was murmuring random formulas under his breath but Ash didn't put much stock into their legitimacy since Bill had calculated the quantity of 'glitzy glow' to be 21.
A few days later, Ash stood off to the side with an amused grin on his face. Mirae kept shooting him miserable pouts as Bill measured and prodded and poked. Mirae quickly learned that Bill didn't care one bit if the dual type injured him. The bite marks and scratches hadn't done the trick of convincing the researcher to leave him alone, and the headbutt that sent him flying across the field just made the man beam wildly and ask him to do it again.
Poor Mirae.
"You're doing great, bud!" He said with a shit-eating grin. He really should have expected the answering gust that knocked him on his ass. Mirae had barely put any effort into that flap of his wings and it still knocked Ash over.
The last few days have been filled with testing. Bill was trying to get an understanding of the Mytheon's capabilities and that involved a lot of exercise. The Eeveelution was eating twice the normal amount to keep up with demand.
Luckily, today was the last day. Bill was going to spend his final three days in Lumiose with Professor Sycamore. Then apparently he was flying to Indigo Plateau to register the new species with the League. Otherwise, Ash wouldn't be able to use Mirae in League-related events. It was like when Oak had to register Nettle.
From his spot on the ground, Ash groaned. His teammates were releasing chuffs and guffaws instead of helping him up like the freeloaders they were. Nettle, always thinking they're playing, shut off its electromagnetism and plopped on the ground beside him.
He wound his arms around the beast and tugged it to his chest. "Nettle is my only Pokémon now. I'm putting you all up for adoption." Nettle didn't really know what was happening, but cried out happily and wound its stubby arms around Ash.
Styx and Libra gave simultaneous scoffs before glaring at each other and looking away. Ash laughed, his eyes darting over when he saw something shift in his periphery.
He paled.
"Wait wait wai- oomph!" Nettle abandoned ship right before Artemis launched herself at her trainer, her fall cushioned by her very fragile, very squishy human. The cackles from Hemlock made it hard to keep the frown on his face. Artemis nuzzled his face, getting tingling, sizzling slobber all over his chin.
"Orion! Come get your hound!" Artemis had made it her job to draw Orion from his shell, tackling him every chance she got. The Ninetales flicked his tails and licked his paw, ignoring his new trainer with a poorly concealed smirk. His reaction elicited some light sounds of amusement from a few of the other Pokémon.
Ash had been doing things like this all week, trying to draw Orion into the team and shine some good lighting on him. Ash had almost cried when the fox headbutted him in the leg like he had as a tiny kit on Mt. Lanakila. Yes, it had resulted in Ash tumbling to the ground, but it was a glimpse at his old spitfire personality.
"Aaaaash!" Artemis refused to move even as Ash tapped her side, so he had to make due with lifting his head to look at a pouting Bill.
The researcher and Mytheon were having a heated glare-off. "He won't listen to me!"
Ash smirked. "Good boy, Mirae." His teammate smugly fluttered his wings.
Bill crossed his arms. "I just want to see his techniques!"
Ash raised an eyebrow, wondering when he became the mature one in all this. Sighing, he heaved the warm Nether-hound off him and stood up, brushing the dirt from his clothes. He knelt down in front of Mirae and scratched around his tiny horns, eliciting a rumbling purr from the Dragon and Fairy.
"All moves or just new ones?"
"All."
Rolling his eyes, Ash pushed himself to his feet and clapped his hands, sharing a challenging grin with his partner. "Quick Attack." His speed was nothing to shun, but it was definitely slower compared to before evolution. They were learning how to navigate the orientation of his wings to decrease drag. Growl was much more permeating than before, and Double Team clones were a bit more solid.
It had taken a few days to relearn Dig, now that there were wings involved. Mirae didn't have much mobility with them so it had taken some work to flatten the chitinous membranes to his fur.
Toxic, Wish, and Copycat were much the same, while all his other techniques had jumped in power. Shadow Ball, Iron Tail and Hyper Voice packed a much bigger punch, and Bite was a lot more painful with his sabertooth-like fangs.
Dragon Pulse was… decent. It still destabilized once in a while and didn't have the power it needed. Dazzling Gleam had been coming along quickly after using the TM. When Orion could start training, Ash would have Mirae help the Ninetales with the blinding Fairy technique.
Fairy Wind and Twister were getting stronger every day as Mirae learned his new physiology. He only evolved three weeks ago, so he was still new to the whole 'extra limbs' thing. Styx had greatly helped with that.
'Helped' meaning her two smaller heads latched onto Mirae's legs, immobilizing them, and forced the Eeveelution to use his wings to escape.
Throughout the lovely demonstration, Bill had been writing furiously on his clipboard. Ash could practically see the calculations running through his head. The two waited patiently for the man to finish writing. He took a gulping breath of air and pushed his erratic brown curls away from his forehead.
"So, a few things I can share right now about Mirae. First off, he has the ability Magic Guard, which honestly, is a fantastic ability. His fur holds a thaumaturgic energy that reinforces his nociceptors to improve his pain tolerance. Really this means that he is protected from weak attacks and 'chip damage' as you battlers say.
"Second, as I'm sure you know, there's a loose stat distribution scale for each Pokémon. Really, it just tells trainers what the average strengths and weaknesses are for a species. By no means is it rigid and there are always outliers. I once met a Snorlax in the Orange Islands that was faster than a Sneasel. But anyway, from my research, all Eevee evolutions have typical strengths common for their species.
"Umbreon are astoundingly bulky while Jolteon are some of the fastest Pokémon, though notoriously frail. Leafeon are known for their physical offense while Sylveon have incredible energy output.
"After the last few days, I can conclude Mytheon is similar to his parents, Umbreon and Sylveon, who have complementary strengths. Mirae has his mother's bulk and his father's high energy output. I must say I'm impressed with his physical offense, seeing as neither parent boasts that kind of strength."
Ash had to take a moment or two to digest that. "So you're saying Mirae is well rounded and strong."
Bill huffed, displeased with the simplification. "In the most bare bones explanation, yes, very strong. Fight good. Yada yada yada." Ash shared an amused look with the Pokémon in question.
"Do you think this'll help with discovering more dual types?"
The researcher relaxed his stance and shrugged. "Possibly? Honestly, we got lucky with Neureon and Mytheon. I didn't actually expect the directions 'be raised by a Fairy and a Dragon' to work."
Ash gaped. "I thought you were confident it would work?"
Bill waved his hands erratically. "I kinda was! Like, 27%. But it worked out, yeah?"
Ash slapped his palm to his forehead. Mew almighty, give him patience. He breathed in through his nose and exhaled slowly out his mouth. "Yes. It did work out." Look at the positives. He felt Mirae press his weight against his thigh in support. One hand reached down to rest atop his soft head.
With the fabric barrier, he missed the feel of Mirae's silky fur under his fingertips.
Beaming, Bill started putting all of his equipment away and zipping up his bags. At least Ash figured out why the man had such large luggage. Ash helped by grabbing the gate timers and cones from the various speed and endurance testing.
If he ever heard 'The FitnessGram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test…' one more time he would willingly find Yveltal again.
Ash looked down at Mirae and hummed. The Eeveelution looked up at him with a curious look.
"First thing we do is teach you Skill Swap or something."
Bill, overhearing this, balked. "Why would you do that? His ability is amazing!"
Ash nodded. "Exactly. As soon as an opponent finds out, they'll do their best to nullify it or take it for themselves. It's a complicated move, but I'd rather not need it and have it than need it and not have it."
Bill frowned but shrugged, continuing to gather up his equipment. The researcher had never been a battler, so Ash didn't expect him to get it. Not fully.
There was a tense silence when Bill was all packed. The two stood a few feet apart and shifted awkwardly for a few moments. The researcher cleared his throat. "I do really appreciate what you've done, Ash. I hope you know you can call me if you need anything. When you're back in Kanto, swing by, yeah?"
Ash grinned and stepped forward, clasping the man's forearm. "Of course. Mirae will be so much stronger by then, you won't recognize him."
Bill barked out a laugh, releasing Ash's forearm and stepping back. He was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again. "I hardly recognized you when I saw you. You've grown just as much as your team."
Blinking, Ash's eyes were wide as Bill grinned. The researcher sarcastically saluted before he turned on his heel and headed inside the center for his teleport. Ash watched him go with a baffled expression.
Ash zipped shut his new backpack and took one last look around the room. He had about two weeks before he had to be in Snowbelle, which was plenty of time to travel there. Shrugging on his layered leather jacket, he headed through the center, dropping off his card key on the way.
The lobby was practically empty with how early it was, so Ash was unimpeded when he grabbed a breakfast sandwich from the cafeteria. Many of his Pokémon would be hunting today so they'd all be released for an early lunch.
He hummed lightly as he stepped out of the center and headed for Route 18.
"Ashton Ketchum."
"Holy shit!" And there went his sandwich. He frowned sadly at the sight of the croissant, egg, and cheese scattered on the dirty ground.
Ash was much more difficult to sneak up on ever since Yveltal, but this spark of bright light appeared out of nowhere.
Whirling around, he came face to face with a woman he'd only ever seen on TV. "Uh, good morning, Leader Olympia." His heart was about to pound out of his chest but what else was new?
The imposing woman towered over him, her constellation cape adding an air of mysteriousness to her person. Her tanned skin was lined with wrinkles, denoting her age and wisdom. Ash stared at her cape, uncomfortably reminded of the boy who stalked his shadow.
She eyed him for a moment, periwinkle irises seemingly seeing two things at once. "You have a great many events tied to your fate. Though it is shadowed by the Nether."
Ash almost sighed. This was so similar to his run-in with Sabrina it wasn't even funny. Olympia, while not as powerful a Psychic as Sabrina, had unprecedented clairvoyance. She was one of the reasons many of Lysandre's cult had been caught in the wake of everything. She was the one who had warned a disease would ravage Kalos prior to Lysandre's… attempt.
"Yeah, Sabrina said something similar."
The first signs of emotion entered those all-seeing eyes; amusement. "Hmm." She hummed lightly. "Such fascinating discoveries. Phenomena of such variance and with such far-reaching consequences. Connection at their heart and core, and such discord that shakes the foundation of your identity and personal Truths. Discord that shakes the foundation we all know. And so soon…"
Alright, Ash was getting pretty fed up with everyone knowing his future and all the shit he'd go through except for him. They'd tell him he had such horrid events coming for him, but it doesn't actually help or prepare him in any way. Connection? What is he supposed to do with that?
It was Tauros shit.
He huffed somewhat aggressively and crossed his arms. "Got any advice for me or am I just supposed to go about my day?"
Her eyes bore into his own, and he didn't know what she saw, but she saw something. "Train for more than just silly matches. Train for a fight bigger than just you." Her eyes glowed brightly, more intensely, for a moment before she gasped quietly. "Before the following year has passed, you'll learn the Origin. You'll learn the Truth."
'Fuck'
The Origin, or his Origin? Everywhere he went since he'd been young, he'd been reminded that he didn't know his father. Guess that wouldn't be true much longer. And he must be a real fuckface if he was reading the signs right.
Thanks Delia.
Ash closed his eyes and breathed for a moment before opening his eyes and looking at the Psychic. "Well, thanks for the timeline, I guess."
The glow had disappeared from her eyes and she looked at him with something akin to pity. "Strong bonds lead to strong trainers."
He shot an exhausted thumbs up at the woman. "Sounds good." He went to turn and continue, not caring about being rude, but then there was a hand on his arm, on his Cuff through his shirt and Olympia collapsed.
"Oh, shit!" Ash hurriedly knelt next to her as the woman spasmed, eyes rolling back and only the whites of them visible. "Olympia?" Ash didn't touch her, holding his hand to his chest protectively, mind whirring.
Was he going to get arrested for attacking a Gym Leader?
The woman suddenly gasped, a loud rasping sound as she sat up. Ash fell back, legs askew and hands supporting him. Her eyes were wide as she looked to him, mouth agape and hands shaking. She slowly pulled herself to her feet and Ash followed her lead.
He kept distance between them as they stared at each other in silence.
Olympia smoothed her robes and stood straight. "The Nether has a tight hold on you." She shook her head and cleared her throat. "Slumbering Weald."
"What?"
"Slumbering Weald. For the third Claiming."
Ash threw up his arms. "I don't know where that is!" And third claiming? What claiming? His voice was strangled and cracked, betraying his youth. Olympia didn't respond, instead stared at him imploringly then turned, her cape flaring dramatically around her as she walked back towards her gym.
He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering.
He wasn't in the business to ignore Psychics, not after three of the six prophecies Sabrina gave have already come true.
Hurting people… that wasn't supposed to happen. Making a Psychic collapse just from her touching him? Ash squeezed his eyes shut and started walking again.
What's one more weight on his shoulders, right? He forced back the encroaching sense of doom and anxiety. Later. He'd worry about it later.
If he called Grimsley in a panic later that night, that was just coincidence.
"Ash, do you remember what you told me when we were almost to Undella?"
Propped against Libra, Ash rolled his eyes, playing at nonchalance even though he just word-vomited every worry he had not 30 seconds ago. "I told you a lot of things, Grimsley."
The Elite gave him a look over his reading glasses. "You were telling me about your time with Hau and Gladion, about how Hau was traveling to Kanto to find his father and get closure. You told me you wanted closure too. Now, that's a possibility. I'm not going to say look at this whole thing with stars in your eyes, but look at it as an opportunity for closure."
Grimsley had always been a futurist. Always looking forward, rarely back.
Holding the Pokédex with one hand, Ash wrapped his free arm around his knees and rested his chin on top. Grimsley waited as Ash got his thoughts together. "Did I tell you what Omen said to me?"
The Elite's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, you said he threatened you and knew how you'd react to Euryale."
Ash bit his lip and shook his head. "No, there was more… I didn't tell the League, or Interpol. He uh, he said I 'look just like him'. When I grabbed his face he laughed and said 'just as ruthless as your old man'." Ash swallowed thickly and pressed his forehead against his knees. His stomach roiled with the memory. It unsettled him, acting like that and realizing it might be hereditary.
"Ash…"
"How does a man like Omen know my father? How does he know what he's like unless they've worked together?!" And that was the root of it. Omen knew his father. Quite well, by the sound of it. All clues pointed to his father being a… a really bad dude. "And now… I'm hurting people."
"Stop. Ash, I need you to look at me." Grimsley waited, face stern but gentle, until Ash met his eyes. "This reaction? Being worried about hurting people unintentionally? That tells me all I need to know about what kind of person you are." He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "In regards to your sperm donor, I'm not going to tell you your fears are unfounded about what kind of person he is. But you're leaping to the worst possible conclusion. Yes, it might be true, but it might not. Your father might be a businessman or he could be the worst criminal in the League, but we don't know. Omen could have been lying for all we know, wanting to torment you even after his death. Don't drive yourself insane with 'what ifs'. You are a good person, Ash."
If Ash wasn't so caught up in his worries, he'd crack a smile at Grimsley's use of 'unintentionally'. Grimsley and Ash both knew they could and would hurt people consciously. Most often with words.
Probably one of the reasons why they got along so well.
But instead, Ash averted his gaze, picking at the Cuff that wouldn't come off. "How much does nature overpower nurture?"
"It doesn't. It is the resilience of our convictions that determines who we are. When you cannot give yourself hope, turn to those around you."
Ash briefly met Grimsley's gaze through the screen and quirked his lips to avoid the emotion rolling around in him. "How much for that tidbit of wisdom?"
"I take Black City Bisharp season tickets or Casteliacone gift cards."
"Don't lie, you get season tickets for free every year."
"Then I take Casteliacone gift cards."
Ash snorted, the knot in his chest loosening from the familiar banter. He missed Grimsley. The man had filled some empty part of him that Oak hadn't been able to. Their similar experiences tied them together in some ways. Ash felt lucky to know the man.
Saying goodbye, Ash closed the Pokédex and tilted his head back against gray scales, exhaling slowly. Libra grunted, looking back at him from where she had been trying to hit Nettle with a Flamethrower. He waved her away and let her get back to her game.
She was a bit lethargic after hunting earlier, but she had proudly brought back the empty Torkoal shell and gifted it to her trainer. He had no idea what to do with the 35 pound shell, but it was thoughtful of her. Though there were a few fleshy bits left over that Ash tried not to think about.
Polaris was making use of it, having crawled inside and filled it with water to make himself a shallow pool. Ash had made sure to get a picture, the Frogadier looked so content.
Some of his teammates were getting in light training even though he'd given them the night off. He'd told them all what Olympia had said, so they'd start ramping up their training tomorrow. But for tonight, he let them do what they wanted.
Artemis had wrangled Orion into a light game of tag, and Ash was relieved to see the challenging smirk on the fox's muzzle. He was still waiting for Orion to gain a few pounds before they'd start battling together. Plus, he was trying to give the Ninetales time to mourn.
It'd be a few days until they got to Couriway Town, and then a little over a week to Snowbelle. His outfit from Valerie would be waiting for him. Kalos New Year would fall during his stay in Couriway, and he wasn't sure what to do. Did he celebrate? Ignore it? Couriway wasn't exactly known for its socializing spots, not that Ash cared all that much for it.
He hummed and settled more comfortably against Libra's side as he thought about all that needed to be done before leaving for Galar. He'd be flying out of Snowbelle in a few weeks, landing in Galar on January 20th. He had to train, of course, and learn from Master Champlain, get his new outfit, and also wait for his Keystone pendant.
Figure out if he had another stalker with the tiny green worms that he kept seeing out of the corner of his eye. His Pokédex didn't register them as anything in particular, and the sparks that showed up in his mind weren't particularly potent.
Either way, after all that he'd be done with Kalos.
Ash had to admit, Kalos had been beautiful. It'll be the longest he's spent in a region, almost three months. He'd have to cut Galar short if he wanted enough time to find Slumbering Weald and get all the Kanto badges.
So much to do, so much to plan.
No, he wasn't pouting. He was grimacing intimidatingly.
His teammates were cackling madly or shaking their heads in fake disappointment, the noise making the pounding in his skull worse.
Hangovers were evil.
He'd decided not to be a recluse or hermit for the New Year, instead heading to a small pub for dinner and to celebrate. What he didn't expect was for some of the townsfolk to start buying him drinks when they recognized him.
Couriway Town was a peaceful settlement with beautiful stone walkways and bridges. It was a retirement hub, but also an area to find the quiet so hard to come by in the city. Couriway in particular boasted a large veteran population immigrating from the regions affected by the Rocket War.
Ash had been thanked and patted on the back more times than he could count for his take down of Omen, cheery war veterans buying him their favorite beers. Everyone had conveniently forgotten he was underage for the night.
He thanked Mew he didn't do anything too embarrassing. One of the vets had appointed herself his common sense for the night and had stopped the never ending waterfall of alcohol an hour before midnight.
What he had done was get into competitions with the vets about who had the best scars. Ash, in his stupor, had been flabbergasted he hadn't won. This one woman, Victoire, had a mangled acid burn that took up almost half her body, starting from the left ankle and winding up to her waist. Said it had been from a Rocket's Arbok that had coated itself in poison and wrapped around her.
Third place had a mangled friction burn around his throat from a Victreebel's Vine Whip.
It had been a shockingly fun night, but he didn't see himself drinking again any time soon, especially if this was the response he got.
Hemlock cackled again and he couldn't withhold his wince, the sound stabbing against his temples. He was sure the bags under his eyes looked like they belonged to a Galarian Zigzagoon.
They were all outside the Pokémon center, Ash grunting and groaning as he fed his team. They had arrived the evening before, and he'd only healed his team and grabbed the package waiting for him before getting dinner and subsequently drunk for the first time.
Yawning once again, Ash ran his fingers through Sagitta's feathers as he tossed a few pieces of food into her open beak. This was a thing she did sometimes, randomly thinking using a bowl was beneath her.
He hoped Libra didn't get any ideas, it would take forever to toss all that food into her mouth.
Once everyone was properly satiated and Ash had been greeted by some of the town's residents, he headed back up to his room to shower. It was like having new life breathed into him.
He was chugging water as he opened Valerie's package, but had to set it down quickly when he saw what Valerie had made.
'Oh wow' he thought as he pulled out the garment and laid it on his bed. He just had to stare for a few moments to take it all in.
It was a suit. Somewhat.
Black pants that looked loose, somewhat baggy around the knees. There was a sleeveless black shirt with a neckline that'd hit the base of his throat. Ash was somewhat taken aback by how simple they were. He'd expected Valerie to avoid the 'dark and gloomy' aesthetic she said he had. Luckily the fabric was as breathable and flexible as his travel clothes.
The centerpiece, however, was the jacket.
It was loose and flowing, with thick lapels and a hem that flowed down to stop above his knees. The sleeves only went down to his elbows, so his scars would be on full display. Ash didn't know if that was intentional, but he had a feeling Valerie thought over every last detail.
It had Libra's scales meticulously sewed into the entire garment.
They had been thinned and somehow broken into smaller pieces, but layered much like a reptile's. The slate gray color had been kept, but other pieces had been painted or dyed gold and black to form intricate flowing patterns all over the jacket. The lapels and hem had scales of crimson red that were stark against the more neutral surrounding colors, while the inside of the jacket was a soft red material and had Pokéball holders sewed into the fabric.
The scales rippled like water in the light, having been covered with a smooth finish.
Holding it up, the jacket itself had to weigh about 15 pounds, but it was sturdy and didn't make a sound, unlike when Libra moved.
It was astounding.
The outfit was strong, practical, powerful, and not over the top like he had expected. Overall, it was so much more than he'd been expecting. It even came with a pair of Paldean Tauros black leather boots, one of Paldea's few notorious exports.
He started changing, strange excitement running through him. The only other thing he'd ever owned as nice as this was a kimono he had as a child. One of the few things his mother taught him was how to put on and tie a traditional kimono. Professor Oak had held parties once a year to celebrate the anniversary of the lab opening. The whole town would be invited and it was the only event his mother ever attended at his side.
It was sad those parties were the only good memories he had with Delia.
For a moment he was confused about the boots and pants before realizing he had to tuck the fabric in the tall shoes.
As he stared at himself in the floor length mirror, he couldn't help but think of how he's grown. He looks confident and sure, the garment highlighting the width of his shoulders and the red of his eyes.
He'd be 16 in March, but he felt older, more worn, more experienced. Sapped of his innocence too early.
But he was also happier than he's ever been.
Because this is what he was meant to do.
Ash took a few more seconds to stare at the person he'd become, Valerie's work spotlighting the change. It was good. He had been expecting Valerie to go with a Chaos color scheme, with black, violet, and pink. He was surprised she went with black, gray, red, and gold.
It matched his gold beryl necklace and the Ancient Cuff a little too well. At least that stayed hidden beneath the jacket.
He got back into his travel clothes and groaned at the thought of swampy, rainy Route 19. He shrugged on his raincoat and packed everything up, gently folding up his new outfit and heading out.
Waving at the few people he'd met last night as he walked through Couriway, Ash made it to the edges of town quickly. His headache had faded slightly, but it still sent a persistent ache through his skull with every step.
He knew how to fix it. He knew how to make the headache go away. The sparks all around him, people, plants, Pokémon; full of energy.
Instead he tugged his gloves down as a reassurance to himself.
It took a few hours for Route 19 to show its true colors, but when it did it was immediate. His shoes sunk into the soppy grass and the damp air turned into a downpour. Castor immediately charged Ash, tapping his Pokéball to be returned. Artemis whimpered and Ash took pity on her and recalled her. Sagitta just glared at him until she got returned too.
He'd make them train in the rain this evening, but until then he'd let them have this little bit of reprieve.
Polaris was living for this weather and happily hopped from puddle to puddle in an endearingly childish way. Nettle was quick to join the joyous splashing.
"Discharge!"
"Mist." Ash watched intently as the frozen mist around Orion dampened the electricity to only give him a slight shock. He smirked at his opponent, a teen who seemed to keep dancing in place but obviously cared about his Raichu very much. "Ice Shard."
Orion's mouth opened and took a moment to collect the energy into a solid form before shooting the high speed Ice attack. Raichu dodged the first wave with a frantic spin, tail destroyed the shards, but was struck by the second. The Electric type was huffing with shallow cuts bleeding sluggishly along its orange coat.
"Agility and Iron Tail!"
"Extrasensory then Ice Beam." Ash knew his stare was intense as Orion's eyes flashed pink with Psychic power, trying to latch on to the speedy mouse. Lips pulled up in a snarl, the Ice and Fairy growled and jumped to the side just as Raichu sent mud flying when the Iron Tail slammed to the ground. It only had a second for its eyes to widen before the Ice Beam struck it dead on.
Raichu cried out as its midsection froze, and Orion grinned savagely and shot forward to slam his own 9x Iron Tail into the mouse.
There was no getting up from that.
Orion snarled once more at his downed opponent before trotting over to Ash with his chin in the air. Ash chuckled and nudged the fox, earning a challenging nip at his arm.
"Wow, I didn't expect to ever see an Alolan Ninetales!" Ash looked up and saw his opponent, Tierno, approaching with an excited grin. He held out his hand and Ash barely hesitated before clasping it with his own.
"He's my newest teammate, but I'm lucky to have him on the team." Orion preened even though he looked like a drowned Rattata with how sopping wet he was.
"You two worked super well together! Chu hardly landed a hit! I'm almost convinced you let that Electro Ball land."
Ash shook his head. "No, we weren't expecting that quick turnaround. It was a good battle."
Tierno laughed and nodded, waving goodbye, his Ludicolo following close behind, its lilypad acting as an umbrella for the shorter human.
They were two days from Snowbelle, and the week was going surprisingly well. The ramped up training took a few days to get used to, but his Pokémon were champs and adapted quickly. Having the knowledge that they'd probably be fighting for their lives in a year was great motivation.
The biggest change to training was working on endurance and energy reserves. His Pokémon would choose one attack and fire as many times as physically able. This training had a few benefits. One; it would improve their resistance to fatigue. Two; over time it would get easier to access the specific type of energy. Three; their internal pools of energy and ability to convert said energy will increase drastically to adapt to demand.
His team hated him that first week.
Grimsley had warned him this was tricky training and could burn Pokémon out very quickly. Thus, only three days a week were dedicated to this highly intensive training. The other three days were like normal training, but just extended an extra half hour. Sundays were always active recovery days, having his Pokémon travel with him and do some light stretching before dinner. He tried to groom everyone or massage sore muscles as often as he could to ease the strain.
Pokémon were much quicker to heal than humans.
Training together as a group, and how their abilities could complement one another was a definite work in progress.
His team knew each other's strengths and weaknesses with how often they battled each other, but it was one thing to target those weaknesses and another to combine strengths.
The rain was definitely grating on nerves, just like Route 14, but his Pokémon were begrudgingly getting used to it. Castor was definitely the worst off, but he was building his resistance slowly but surely. He had some weak control over his scales, similar to piloerector muscles that allow mammals' fur to stand on end. He was learning to flatten them tightly to gain some water resistance. It was fascinating and Ash was scouring the internet for information.
He'd had a good number of challenging battles. Route 19 was known for its strong wild Pokémon, so there were some powerful trainers searching and tracking.
Ash had actually lost twice, both to Rangers. Mirae had been taken out by an Azumarill. The Mytheon was still getting used to having more type disadvantages and it had been a painful lesson. He didn't have any strong long-range counters to Fairies so that had to be rectified.
Bill had given insight into how Mirae's biology worked, though it was a very abridged version.
Dragon and Fae energies interacted like how light affects photoreceptors, specifically the rods of the retina. Light bleaches the photopigments in the rods which is why it takes time for 'night vision' to kick in, and why it's so easily lost.
Fae energy had the same 'bleaching' effect, but on the cells that produce Draconic energy. And just like how too much light can damage photoreceptors, too much Fae energy can damage these cells.
For Pokémon with the primary Dragon typing, these cells are found within all major systems. Too much exposure could be fatal if not caught fast enough, since in high enough doses the Fae energy induces cell apoptosis.
Cell death.
In Mirae's case, the Fae energy his body naturally produced was just slightly altered, as were his draconic energy-producing cells. He was a miracle in fine balance seeing as he was just a small adaptation away from being unable to damage other Dragon types with his Fairy techniques and being completely immune to all Fae energy.
Bill hypothesized that being exposed to both Dragon and Fae energies as a genetically unstable Eevee allowed this internal synergy.
Unfortunately, his body was still susceptible to foreign Fae energy, of which the Azumarill took full advantage.
His other loss had really been a tie, but Sagitta had fainted a few seconds before the heavily armored Drapion. That had been a surprising matchup, the hardened woman had been unrelenting and stern, her Drapion obedient in the face of her iron fist.
Sagitta had been just as tenacious and had fought with every ounce of energy in her. She'd been able to aim for the breaks in the scorpion's exoskeleton, but the Pokémon had been gratuitous with its poison.
Ash tilted his head back and let the rain run down his face. He shivered a bit with how every few drops some sleet made its way into the mixture and sent a chill through his body. Frost Cavern created an unnaturally cold environment around Snowbelle, a city that was situated in a rather warm area, geographically.
His Dragons were going to be pissed.
Clapping his hands, Orion looked up at him and he gestured for them to keep walking. The Ninetales had reached the target weight a few days after leaving Couriway, so Ash had been battling with the fox as much as possible the past week. That spitfire personality was coming back bit by bit, the fox being bold and aggressive during battle, something that took his opponents off guard.
It was rather entertaining to watch.
He needed to teach Orion more physical attacks. The fox liked barrelling into opponents with nothing but claws and teeth and blazing fury.
One day he hoped to have a double battle with Orion and Artemis just to see the reactions to their swapped expected personalities. Houndoom were expected to be aggressive and Alolan Ninetales angelic. Oh how wrong they were.
Sometimes he wishes he named them Angel and Demon.
Ash whistled before they got too far from the site of the battle, hoping Polaris heard. The frog had gone off on his own, probably to find a small Bug type for lunch. The Frogadier was replenishing his water stores as much as he could while they were in the rain. Ash learned early on to let the frog soak for at least an hour every day in any body of water they found.
He'd have to teach him Rain Dance soon.
Snowbelle had a good TM department and it had been a while since he'd splurged on the technical machines. The last one he'd gotten was Ice Beam for Polaris. He mentally ran through his teammates' movepools, and decided Orion and Artemis needed a bit more range. He wondered if Styx would teach Orion Aqua Tail and Dark Pulse.
Actually, maybe Artemis could learn Dark Pulse as well and Thunder Fang? Nettle could teach her Sludge Bomb. Ash might not even need TMs.
Polaris hopped out of the swamp, covered in algae and the wing of a Yanma sticking out of his mouth. Ash shook his head in amusement and let the slimy frog jump onto his shoulders.
The next two days didn't see any more trainers, but there were plenty of strong wild Pokémon that gave the younger members of his team a good fight. Nettle was on fire, Dragon Pulse getting stronger and stronger each day. Still not mastered, that'd take a while, but it was usable.
The little UB darted over after it finished off the uncommon Sliggoo, waving its arms around in an energetic retelling of the battle - the battle that Ash had witnessed - but he still smiled and 'oohed' and 'ahhed' at the proper moments.
He would forever be thankful to Burnet for saving Nettle.
Ash scratched purple and fuschia scales when the Poipole plopped down on his shoulder, its tail wrapping snuggly around his neck. Polaris called out his compliments on the battle, much to Nettle's unrestrained appreciation.
Nettle had been the first to welcome the frog to the team with unbridled joy, and Polaris would always be grateful for that.
Nettle had also been the first to try and greet one of the odd green worms that could be found in trees, bushes, grasses, and underneath stones but the creature had just stared vacantly at the beast. Ash gave the UB a berry to try and befriend the worm, but it had ignored that too.
Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't dangerous.
Ash eyed the downed Sliggoo for a moment and considered catching it before shaking his head. He wanted more time to bond with Orion and let him find his place in the family before introducing another member.
Smiling and shaking his head, Ash felt that warm ball of contentment flare up in his chest. It had been happening more and more frequently over the weeks and even the looming past failures and future threats couldn't dampen it. It was shocking how much his scars had been weighing him down; emotionally, mentally, and physically. It's like he was a new person.
His shoes crunched against the frosted grasses as they got closer and closer to Snowbelle. He'd had to don his scarf and hat the day before and it almost wasn't enough. Artemis had been more than happy to cuddle with him. His own personal heater.
A security guard doing his rounds at the entrance to Snowbelle grinned widely at him upon catching sight of Polaris, and his grin only grew when he caught sight of Ash's face. "Kid, you have no idea how impressed some of us are that you took down Omen. Like, holy Nether." The man clapped Ash on the back and waved him through. Speechless, Ash's mouth opened and closed like a Magikarp before he managed to nod in thanks.
Polaris croaked a laugh but took the lead into the snow covered city. Ash shook off the encounter and looked around, taking in the winter wonderland. The houses varied in size, but none were taller than three stories. Each had smoke curling skyward from chimneys and natural icicles hanging from gutters. The streets were salted and plowed, and like most cities he barely saw any vehicles.
People were bundled and milled around, faces flushed from the cold and shopping bags hanging from elbows. Ice type Pokémon accompanied their humans, some carrying children like the Piloswine and some meandering alongside like the Delibird.
As Ash passed the central square, he stopped for a few moments to watch a performing duo skating atop two Avalugg. The massive iceberg Pokémon were some of the largest Pokémon Ash had seen. While they weren't too tall, they were wide. Styx, if she didn't despise the cold, could probably stretch out on one and still have room to spare.
He watched for a few more minutes before moving on. The city wasn't large, not like Lumiose or Saffron, but it was certainly substantial. The Pokémon center was a few blocks from the city's center and he was relieved to note it was practically empty.
"Oh my!" Ash blinked and looked up to see Nurse Joy with a hand pressed to her sternum, staring at him. She flushed and smiled with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, please excuse my outburst. It's just an honor to meet you."
This was more 'fame' than he could handle at the moment. But still, Ash smiled (grimaced) and made his way to the counter. "Thanks, but it was my Pokémon who stopped Omen, not me. Could you give them a full check up for me?" The nurse beamed and nodded, setting out two trays for his 11 teammates. He returned Nettle and Polaris and added their Beast and Lure balls to the tray. "Could I also get a room for 11 nights?" He handed over his Pokédex and tapped his thigh to the clacking of keys.
He pocketed the device and took the card key, thanking the nurse with a polite smile. He didn't bother heading up to his room just yet, instead bracing for the chill once again and heading north. He wrinkled his nose at how empty his belt was but continued on.
His heart rate spiked whenever his belt was empty. Ash now knew the risks of being caught without protection.
Ten minutes later, he was staring up at the enormous building carved into the mountain face. The steel beams and windows didn't promote much warmth, but that wasn't unsurprising for an Ice type gym.
Ash pushed the doors open and looked around the sterile lobby. His footsteps echoed as he headed for the receptionist. The blonde woman looked up from her tablet and gave a thin smile. "Good afternoon, here for the badge?" Her eyes darted down, eyebrows furrowing at the lack of Pokéballs on his belt.
"Not necessarily, just want to request a battle to work on type disadvantages. Can I schedule a battle with Leader Wulfric?"
Expression clearing, the woman nodded and tapped on her tablet. "Does tomorrow morning at 11:00 work?"
Ash tilted his head. Serena would be Teleporting in a half hour before that. "Yes, that's perfect." He handed over his Pokédex so she could scan it. He saw recognition flash in her face before she handed it back.
"We look forward to your battle, Mr. Ketchum." He had to temper a challenging grin as he thanked her and left the building. He had been torn trying to decide if this was a battle he wanted, but ultimately figured any battle was wanted, especially after his last few weeks. There wasn't an Ice gym in Kanto, which wouldn't prepare him for Lorelei when he would eventually battle her.
There was Leader Melody of Circhester, but Wulfric was said to be the strongest Ice Gym Leader in the eight regions. Pryce was in a close second.
Ice was an extremely impressive type, able to shock most Pokémon into becoming sluggish, open targets. They had weaknesses to exploit, but any trainer worth their salt would have counters. The stronger and older the Ice type, the less Fighting, Rock, and Steel type techniques would affect them. Ice became denser and colder with age and experience. Even fire and flame could be brushed off a particularly well-trained Ice type.
Some of his teammates needed a good battle. He was hoping Mirae, Castor, Sagitta, and possibly Libra could be used in the match. Styx had battled a Walrein, Beartic, and Glalie on their way over and hadn't had too much trouble. Her susceptibility to cold temperatures could be circumvented by channeling some of her internal energy reserves into her limbs.
Shoving his hands in his coat pockets, he looked skywards as delicate flakes started to fall. There was something very calming, so gentle, about the city at this moment. Smiling to himself, Ash headed back to the center, ready to spend the day curled up by the fire in the lobby and catch up on the newest scientific breakthroughs.
That night, camping out in the sitting area with a fire roaring in the fireplace, Ash sighed. Peace and fulfillment radiated off of him as he looked around.
Fanned out right in front of the fire were Styx, Mirae, Artemis, and Castor, soaking up the heat and comfort. Completely zonked out on the couch were Nettle and Hemlock, the Morgrem's spindly limbs hanging precariously off the side. The furthest from the fire were Polaris and Orion, the Ninetales shockingly allowing the Frogadier to curl up on his fluffy tails.
Leaning up against an armchair, Ash smiled down at the enormous head in his lap.
Libra rumbled, tilting her jaw more into Ash's scratches, her scales clacking dully from the minor shift. Bane huffed in sleepy annoyance as his backrest moved, but Libra quieted him by wrapping a large arm around the Zoroark and tugging him to her sternum like he was some plushie.
Atop Ash's head, Sagitta chirped in haughty derision and ruffled her wings before roosting deeper within his wild black hair. Her talons scraped rather unpleasantly, but Ash couldn't bring himself to care.
He had his family around him; healthy, content, and together.
Short chapter, transitioning back into journey-mode.
Fun Fact: One of the ideas that sparked this entire fic was how interesting it would be to have a Houndoom named 'Angel' and an Alolan Ninetales named 'Demon' and have them be a double battle team. I loved the dichotomy
Did I give Ash the 'main character in a dramatic anime' outfit? Yes.
One day, Ash, psychics won't feel the need to give you prophecies. But it is not this day