Chapter 17
(Note from UltimateGoomba: Hey, so I need to clarify some context on which version of who is talking since there are now two Ash Ketchums and three Lillie Aethers. For this, the Ash from Ash's Story will be referred to as 'AS-Ash', the Ash from this story will be referred to as 'RBB-Ash', and the Lillie from this story will be 'Lillie-Vee', Lillie from Ash's Story will be referred as 'AS-Lillie'. The void trio was already given names last time.)
(Note from me: When UltimateGoomba and I discussed the stories, he seemed to be interested in Ash's Story where I made an original part of Ash and Lillie jumping from dimension to dimension so that they would be able to go home. So we decided to put it into this chapter)
Minami and Trenor stood in shock, their eyes locked on another version of Ash and Lillie, accompanied by a Lunala. As Goh's family noticed the unusual scene, they hurried over to investigate.
"This looks like the outskirts of the Sevestar League stadium, but something feels off like it's not our world," remarked AS-Lillie with a sigh. "How many attempts have we made to return home now?"
"I've lost count. Lunala is too drained for another attempt until tomorrow," AS-Ash replied wearily. "Let's hope this alternate version of me isn't facing trouble here." The pair then noticed the concerned gazes of Trenor, Minami, and Goh.
"Are you both okay?" Goh asked as he extended a helping hand. "You seem far from home. Is that what's happening?"
"Yes, we've been trying to find our way back for a month," AS-Ash admitted. "Hey, Goh, Trenor, Minami."
"At least he recognizes us," Trenor remarked with a sigh of relief. "But you should both conceal your identities. It's risky to be out in the open like this." AS-Ash and AS-Lillie nodded, using their Aura abilities to temporarily alter their appearances before Minami and Trenor escorted them to the safety of their suite.
"Alright, my family is here. They might be able to assist you," Trenor said, using his key card to open the door. "Welcome." AS-Ash and AS-Lillie peered inside, spotting an older version of Ash, Serena, Golly, Mark, and Delia, all looking at them with curiosity. Chase and Sarah were engrossed in a game in the bedroom with Insey.
"So, you probably have a lot of questions," AS-Lillie began, "This isn't our first encounter with—"
"Let me guess, you're from another dimension?" Golly interjected, causing the two teens to exchange surprised glances. "I've met alternate versions of you before, so don't worry. But the absence of Pikachu and Snowy is concerning." Pikachu nodded in agreement, clearly worried.
"Pikachu's with my girlfriend, Alice, and Snowy might not even exist yet in our world," AS-Ash explained. "At least we don't have to delve into the intricacies of dimension hopping."
"So, you're me from a different dimension," RBB-Ash mused, his eyes widening slightly. "And you're dating our friend Alice there too. I hope she's doing well."
(Note from me: If you don't know, Alice Urup is actually my OC that I used a lot in my stories. She is the daughter of Valerie and Wulfric and she likes Ice Types.)
(Note from UltimateGoomba: Essentially, Alice does exist in this story's AU, we just haven't implemented her into the story.)
"Yeah, recently, we've been encountering alternate versions of ourselves while attempting to return to our home dimension," AS-Lillie explained. "We've been staying with alternate versions of Ash whenever Lunala needs to recover. But that's enough about us. Could you explain why we had to conceal ourselves until we got in here?" The family exchanged looks, and Delia retrieved a newspaper from 15 years ago.
-Breaking News: Ketchum Killer on the Loose! "Ash Ketchum," recent winner of the Masters Eight Tournament of the World Coronation Series, has been accused by eyewitnesses of mistreating his Pokémon and allegedly orchestrating the tragic death of "Lillie Aether," daughter of the beloved Aether President. Upon being confronted by witnesses, he fled with his Pokémon, Lillie's body, and her Alolan Vulpix "Snowy," leaving behind a mystery. Some Champions doubt Ash's guilt, but the majority believe otherwise.-
"Seriously?" AS-Ash groaned. "Another version of me accused of a crime involving someone I care about? How do people keep falling for these schemes?"
"People can be quite foolish," Golly remarked, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Yeah, it's incredibly messed up," AS-Lillie sighed, suddenly realizing something about this world's Lillie. "Wait, this is similar to those worlds where Ash was falsely accused of a crime. Does that mean the real culprits..." AS-Lillie's voice trembled, and Serena quickly hugged her to offer comfort.
"No need to worry, the traitors didn't succeed in killing her, though they certainly tried. Lillie survived, but she hasn't been the same since..." Serena sighed, then turned around. "Lillie-Vee, are you up for coming out of hiding to meet our new friends?"
AS-Ash and AS-Lillie glanced towards the far end of the couch, where Lillie-Vee appeared and slowly approached the group. AS-Ash was visibly taken aback; seeing a version of his beloved transformed into an Eevee was understandably shocking. Lillie-Vee gazed at them, her tail wagging slightly, mostly focusing on her counterpart. It had been almost two decades since she last took her human form, and for the first time in a year, her ears perked up again.
"Lillie...Vee...?" AS-Ash gasped, kneeling down to offer a trembling hand. Lillie-Vee nuzzled against his hand gently. "There, there, it's alright..."
As AS-Ash continued to comfort Lillie-Vee with gentle pets, AS-Lillie turned to RBB-Ash with a question. "I hope this doesn't come across as disrespectful, but why did you decide to transform her into a Pokémon instead of letting her keep her human form?"
"Well, let me explain," Delia sighed. "The traitors inflicted severe injuries on her body, to the point where she was slowly dying. Given the concern for Ash's emotional well-being upon seeing Lillie in that state, my siblings and I decided it would be best for her to become a Pokémon..." AS-Ash noticed a hint of sadness in Delia's eyes, and it seemed like there was more to the story. He made a mental note to talk to her and his siblings later about it. It was painful to learn that this world's Lillie had her happy life taken away from her. For now, they needed to figure out their next steps for the next day or two.
"We'll come up with a plan, but for now, let's ensure you both feel comfortable here," Minami reassured, receiving nods of agreement from the AS-duo.
Later that evening, the family gathered for dinner in the apartment's dining room. RBB-Ash and Serena generously offered their room to the alternate world couple for the night while they settled in the living room. Before settling in, however, RBB-Ash proposed a friendly battle with AS-Ash to gauge each other's skills. They teleported to one of the available battle courts for a 2-on-2 match, with AS-Ash choosing Absol and Glaceon, while RBB-Ash opted for Pikachu and Dewott.
AS-Ash found it surprising that this version of Ash didn't evolve most of his Pokémon to their final forms, but he understood that it ultimately depended on the Pokémon's preferences. He decided not to judge and focused on the battle instead.
"Alright, Absol, use Future Sight!" AS-Ash commanded, directing Absol to release a barrage of purple orbs through portals, causing Pikachu's tail to twitch nervously.
"Dewott, Razor Shell on Absol! Pikachu, Zippy Zap on Glaceon!" RBB-Ash countered, prompting his Pokémon to charge at their opponents. Absol countered Dewott's attack with Night Slash, but Glaceon was caught off guard by Zippy Zap and took the hit before retaliating with Ice Beam. "Good moves, but let's keep the momentum going. Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Dewott, Hydro Pump!" Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt while Dewott fired Hydro Pump, and Glaceon responded by using Mirror Coat to deflect the attacks.
"Let's try this!" AS-Ash instructed, as Glaceon fired a laser attack. However, RBB-Ash smirked, noticing Pikachu's reaction.
"Pikachu, use Floaty Fall on Glaceon! Dewott, dodge with Aqua Jet!" RBB-Ash ordered confidently. Pikachu leaped up using magical balloons, narrowly avoiding Glaceon's attack, while Dewott swiftly dodged the Mirror Coat with Aqua Jet, positioning himself strategically as the portals surrounded him and Pikachu.
"I think I know what he's planning!" Serena exclaimed, catching everyone's attention.
"What is it?" AS-Lillie inquired, intrigued as RBB-Ash prepared his next move.
"Dewott, block them with Razor Shell! Pikachu, Zippy Zap to send Glaceon upward!" RBB-Ash commanded, with Dewott attempting to block the Future Sight orbs while Pikachu directed Zippy Zap at Glaceon, propelling it into the path of the Future Sight attack. Dewott took a few hits, but Glaceon was knocked out of the battle.
"Turning our own move against us, huh?" AS-Ash remarked with a chuckle. "I was just in Kalos before all this space-time travel; I should've considered you might pull off a trick like the one I used against Olympia."
"Nice try, but no more cheap shots from those moves. Dewott, X-Scissor on Absol!" RBB-Ash grinned, as Dewott lunged at Absol. Absol countered with Psycho Cut, then followed up with Night Slash. "Not so fast! Pikachu, Splishy Splash!" Pikachu gleefully unleashed Splishy Splash, sending Absol tumbling backward, and Dewott swiftly finished off the Disaster Pokémon with another X-Scissor.
"Wow, that was an intense battle, other me," AS-Ash exclaimed, laughing. "That's what I call an epic showdown! Looks like I still have plenty of room to grow as a Pokémon Champion." The two trainers shook hands, signaling mutual respect after their friendly competition. Afterwards, the group ensured their Pokémon were healed up, and Chloe listened in awe as AS-Ash recounted his impressive catching achievements.
"Wow, you're really dedicated to catching them all," Chloe marveled at AS-Ash's accomplishment of catching Pokémon from Kanto to Kalos. "These days, Goh and I focus more on earning a Pokémon's respect before catching them. But we still make sure to catch those who want to join our team."
"That's commendable," AS-Ash remarked. "It's important to treat Pokémon with care and respect. Never lose sight of that." The group shared smiles, then retired to their respective rooms within the suite for the night. Before going to bed, Mark couldn't help but think about Lillie-Vee in RBB-Ash and Serena's room. He resolved to find a way to help her, no matter what it took.
(UltimateGoomba; Okay, so next up is the second part of this crossover thing!)