The darkened skies over Pallet Town seemed out of place as Kara Zor-El, known to the universe as the Warrior, descended from the heavens, her form crackling with an otherworldly energy. She had crossed galaxies to fulfill the orders of her mentor, Brainiac, a being of unparalleled intellect and ruthlessness who had set his sights on the world of Pokémon for reasons she had yet to fully understand. Brainiac had ordered her to scout, conquer, and bring back anything of value that might aid in expanding his vast empire, but Kara's eyes gleamed with the thrill of battle.
As she landed, the entire area seemed to hold its breath, as if nature itself sensed the danger. A gentle rustle in the bushes drew her attention, and a young boy with a cap tilted backward stepped forward, his eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and wariness. Beside him stood a yellow creature with pointed ears, its cheeks sparking with electricity.
Kara's eyes narrowed at the sight. What an odd creature, she thought. But it was the boy himself who piqued her interest. His stance, his confidence, even in the face of her daunting power—he's no ordinary child.
Ash Ketchum, freshly crowned Monarch of the Pokémon world, took a small step forward. "Who… who are you?" he asked, his tone challenging yet slightly thrown off by the strange girl who seemed to have dropped from the sky itself.
"I am the Warrior, second-in-command to Brainiac's legion," Kara declared, her voice cold and resolute. She tilted her head slightly, assessing him. "And you...You're just a weak human boy. How… underwhelming."
Ash clenched his fists. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but you can't just waltz in here and threaten us!"
Kara smirked. How quaint, she thought. This boy thought he could stop her. Brainiac's orders were clear: leave no one who might resist. She ignited her eyes with her heat vision, sending a streak of energy directly at Ash.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.
With a cry of "Pika-CHUUU!" Pikachu released a bolt of electricity that intercepted Kara's attack mid-air, dispersing the energy in a powerful flash.
Kara's eyes widened, the spark of battle igniting within her. "Impressive, but futile." She rocketed forward, fists outstretched, as Pikachu and Ash dodged to the side, barely evading her blow.
Dragonite, Lucario, Sirfetch'd, Gengar, and Dracovish burst from their Pokéballs, taking positions around him. Each Pokémon readied themselves, sensing the formidable power radiating from the stranger.
"So, you have an army of creatures at your disposal," Kara remarked, her voice dripping with disdain as she eyed the Pokémon surrounding Ash. "Show me what they can do!"
Ash's eyes were fierce. "You asked for it! Dragonite, Hyper Beam! Lucario, Aura Sphere! Sirfetch'd, use Meteor Assault!"
Dragonite opened its mouth, unleashing a beam of blinding energy, while Lucario conjured an orb of shimmering blue, thrusting it toward Kara. Sirfetch'd, with its fierce gaze, charged at her, its blade-like leek glowing.
Kara took the full brunt of their attacks, her figure swallowed by the combined explosion of energy and dust. But when the smoke cleared, she remained standing, untouched, her eyes glinting with approval.
"You've got some spirit," she said, cracking her knuckles. "But let's see if you can keep up."
She blurred forward, closing the distance between her and the Pokémon in an instant, delivering a crushing blow to Dragonite's chest that sent it tumbling backward, crashing into a tree. She then spun, her eyes flashing again, forcing Pikachu and Lucario to dodge as beams of heat scorched the ground around them.
Ash's heart raced as he directed his team. "Gengar, Shadow Ball! Dracovish, Fishious Rend! Keep her off balance!"
Gengar floated behind her, launching a series of dark energy spheres, but Kara twisted in midair, dodging each one with graceful, fluid movements. Dracovish lunged at her with jaws snapping, the power of Fishious Rend focused in its bite, but she caught it mid-charge, flipping it to the ground with a powerful throw.
Pikachu rushed forward, a look of fierce determination in its eyes. "Now, Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
With a battle cry, Pikachu's tail gleamed as it swung toward Kara with blinding speed. She braced herself, but Pikachu's Iron Tail landed a solid hit on her arm, causing her to stumble slightly, her smirk vanishing in surprise.
Kara's eyes flickered in confusion for a split second. How? These creatures—are not even in Brainiac's archives, she thought, clutching her arm.
Ash seized the moment. "Pikachu, Gengar, Lucario—attack together!"
Gengar, cackling with glee, launched another Shadow Ball as Lucario charged an Aura Sphere, the two attacks combining and hurtling toward Kara alongside Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Kara raised her arms to block, but the force sent her sliding backward across the ground. Her breathing was slightly labored, her armor scuffed and dented.
"Enough!" Kara yelled, her aura exploding with raw energy as she rocketed into the sky, high above Ash and his Pokémon. Her hands glowed as she charged an energy beam, her eyes fixed on the group below. "If you wish to protect your world so badly, then prove you can endure this!"
Ash steeled himself. "Everyone, get ready!"
As Kara's attack roared toward them, Dragonite and Lucario leaped in front of Ash, forming a shield with Dragonite's Reflect and Lucario's Protect. The energy crashed against the shield, pushing them all to their limits, but they held strong, refusing to let Ash be harmed.
With a final effort, the Pokémon countered, releasing every ounce of energy they had left. The resulting explosion lit up the sky in a dazzling display of power, the shockwave rippling through the area. As the dust began to settle, Kara's form dropped from the sky, finally succumbing to exhaustion, her unconscious body landing a few feet from Ash.
Ash ran to her side, kneeling down as he carefully looked at her face. She seemed peaceful, so different from the fierce Warrior who had just been attacking him and his friends. He glanced back at Pikachu, who nodded in understanding.
"We can't leave her here like this," Ash murmured. "Whatever she's doing here, maybe she's not completely bad."
Ash gently lifted Kara, surprising himself at how light she was, and started the walk back to his home. Pikachu, Dragonite, Lucario, and the rest followed, each worn out but standing strong. They'd faced a formidable opponent and somehow managed to survive, but a strange feeling lingered in the air.
As they arrived at Ash's home, he laid Kara on a couch, covering her with a blanket. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, giving him an encouraging pat with its paw.
"Think she'll be okay?" Ash asked softly.
"Pika," Pikachu responded, watching the Kryptonian with wary curiosity.
Ash turned his gaze to the unconscious girl, wondering just who she really was and why she had been sent to his world.
"Ahh..." Kara's eyes blinked open, the world coming into sharp focus as she stared at an unfamiliar ceiling. The soft light filtering through the window confused her, and she jerked up, gasping in alert. Her head snapped around the room, searching for any sign of her whereabouts until her gaze landed on a figure by the couch—Ash, sitting nearby with Pikachu on his shoulder, watching her curiously.
In an instant, Kara moved, her instincts kicking in. She surged forward, tackling Ash to the floor and pinning him beneath her with one arm wrapped firmly around his neck, applying pressure. Her eyes were fierce as she glared down at him.
"Where am I?" she demanded, her grip tightening. "Answer me, human. What is this place?"
Ash struggled beneath her hold, grimacing. "Ack—y-you're… in my home…"
Kara's eyes narrowed, but before she could say more, a gentle voice interrupted the tense scene.
"Ash, honey, who is your new friend?" Delia Ketchum's warm voice echoed from the hallway as she stepped into the room with a smile. But the sight that greeted her made her pause. Kara, still holding Ash in a headlock, spun around, her eyes blazing as she used Ash's body as a shield.
"Who are you?" Kara growled, eyeing Delia with suspicion. "Don't come any closer. You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to this boy."
But Delia's only reaction was a look of mild surprise mixed with curiosity. "Oh, don't be silly," she replied, an amused smile spreading across her face. "Ash is my son, you know."
Kara faltered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her expression. "Your… son?" she repeated, her voice almost disbelieving.
"That's right." Delia nodded, her tone kind and reassuring. "I'm his mother."
Something seemed to crack in Kara's hardened gaze. "M… Mother?" she murmured, the word hanging in the air like a ghost. Unbidden, a memory surged forward—faint, hazy, and painfully distant. She saw a pair of warm, loving faces, cooing over a baby in their arms. Her mind struggled to grasp the images before they faded, leaving only an ache that made her clutch her head.
"Are… you alright?" Delia's voice broke through her turmoil, and Kara looked up, momentarily vulnerable.
Ash's Pokémon were all on edge, watching her carefully, ready to defend Ash if necessary. Lucario's aura sense pulsed, reading Kara's emotions, and for a moment, it sensed a deep, tangled mix of sorrow and confusion.
"You're… concerned?" Kara muttered, almost to herself, still holding Ash close. This boy's mother, his family—it was such an alien concept to her under Brainiac's cold command. Yet, here was someone who was worried about her, an enemy, a stranger.
"Well," Delia said with a gentle smile, "if you're feeling up to it, you're welcome to join us for lunch. You look like you could use a warm meal."
Ash's eyes widened, both at the invitation and at his mother's utter nonchalance about the situation. Mom's… inviting her for lunch? he thought, bewildered. She just tried to attack us!
"I'm serious!" Delia said, brushing off the incredulous look on her son's face with a soft chuckle. "I'm sure this young lady didn't mean any harm. It's all just a misunderstanding, right?"
Ash and his Pokémon exchanged looks of pure disbelief. His mom's response felt unreal. Kara had nearly crushed him a moment ago, and Delia was treating her like a guest?
Kara released Ash, her grip loosening as she stood, brushing herself off and regaining her composure. She cast a wary look at Delia, who still regarded her with a calm, motherly smile.
"Fine. I'll join you," Kara said, her voice still cautious, though a faint pink colored her cheeks when Delia's smile brightened at her acceptance.
"Lovely! I bet you two will get along just fine," Delia remarked, a playful glint in her eye. "Ash has been looking for some new friends, and you're a very cute young lady."
Ash's jaw dropped. "M-Mom!" he sputtered, thoroughly clueless about his mother's teasing.
Kara blinked, caught off guard by Delia's casual compliment. She felt a warmth creep up her cheeks that had nothing to do with embarrassment in battle. "I… I am?" she murmured, the faintest hint of pink blooming across her face. Her whole life had been forged in battle, trained under Brainiac's cold calculations; compliments were foreign territory.
Ash scratched his head, still baffled by everything. But he managed a small smile. "Uh… I guess if you're not gonna hurt anyone, you can stay."
The invitation hung awkwardly between them for a moment until Delia ushered everyone into the kitchen, cheerfully setting up plates and silverware as if Kara were an old family friend rather than a warrior from another world.
As they sat down, Kara found herself looking around at Ash and his Pokémon, who were finally relaxing. The smell of home-cooked food, the warmth of the little kitchen, and the gentle hum of Delia's voice filled the air, and for the first time in a long time, Kara felt something other than duty and command. For once, she felt… welcome.