Ash stopped breathing. He stopped blinking. He stopped tapping his fingers against his thigh. A beat passed, then another, before he whipped out his Pokédex and scrambled to record.
Mirae was evolving.
The light encircled his partner, growing brighter and brighter and bigger and bigger. His tail thinned and lengthened, his legs grew longer, and the nubs on his back finally sprouted and expanded.
When the light broke away, Ash could only stare with awe and incredulity exploding within his chest.
Mytheon was everything Bill said he would be.
He was covered in short silken fur, layered with dark blush pink along the spine and fading to lighter shades on his flank. His creamy underbelly was disrupted at the chest with thick, armored scales. From his back emerged two translucent chitinous wings. His tail was longer than his body and swished spitefully behind him.
His luminous green eyes narrowed, lips pulled up to show off his elongated fangs. Two small horns jutted out from his brow bones, the same light pink as the lower half of his body.
There was a glistening haze emanating from the rosy fur, a shimmer of energy falling from gossamer-like wings. The luster stayed wrapped around Mirae, making his edges appear blurry and ill-defined.
The crowd was in an uproar, not recognizing this new Eeveelution. But Ash didn't care about that.
"Mirae." The newly evolved Pokémon whipped his head around, growling lowly. The sound wasn't like Styx's demonic cauterwal or Libra's rugged bellow. Instead, Mirae released a rolling rumble, like an ensemble was told to mimic thunder. It reverberated in an undulating, mid-pitched cadence that suited his new form like a particularly well-fitting glove.
Ash eyed him for just a moment, seeing both fury and deference in his jade eyes. Ash grinned wildly. "Take them down." Mirae bared his fangs in a dangerous grin.
Slowly and stiffly, he started flapping his new wings, a glistening pink dust stirring before a gust sent it all careening at the stunned Hawlucha. A Shadow Ball, charged up in milliseconds, slammed into the Grumpig.
Serena's Milotic shook off her shock, regrouping enough to knock back the struggling Hawlucha with an Ice Beam.
But Mirae didn't want help. He leapt, not yet used to his wings enough to glide, but new strength letting him cross the distance in seconds. The Psychic swine valiantly shot off a Power Gem, but the stones bounced harmlessly off Mirae's thick chest scales. The point blank Shadow Ball took Grumpig down for the count.
Mirae twisted away from the detonation, uncoordinated with his new size but all the more determined as he launched a Copycat Power Gem at Hawlucha.
Nessie hung back, unsure what to do. This was personal to Mirae. Serena, seeing this, called for Safeguard and Life Dew.
Hawlucha used Acrobatics to dodge the copied attack, smirking as it gave a 'come at me' gesture. Mirae was happy to comply.
Aerial Ace clashed with Take Down, and as Mirae absorbed a Brick Break with his armored chest and swung an Iron Tail into Hawlucha's ribs, Ash noticed something.
Mirae didn't hurt himself with Take Down.
A final Fairy Wind to the face and Hawlucha was out cold in a shockingly quick defeat. The growl of victory Mirae released almost sounded like a Luxray's deep yowl.
Barely noticing Nessie slither over to Serena, Ash jogged out onto the field, meeting Mirae halfway. He didn't let his tension show, instead he stared down at the first ever Dragon and Fairy type.
Mirae stared back.
Ash smiled and his teammate happily bared his new fangs. The teen stumbled back as he caught the airborne Mytheon, arms automatically reaching out to catch the leaping Pokémon.
"Mirae, you're too heavy now!" Oh Mew he was going to fall, his arms were going to give out. He collapsed down to one knee, trying not to drop his aggressively nuzzling teammate. Mirae was heavy, all dense muscle with a thin layer of tough scales. "Okay, okay, yes I'm so proud of you, but I need you to get down!" Of course the new Chaos type didn't listen.
Gathering any possible strength he had, Ash pushed himself to his feet with great difficulty, Mirae's forelegs thrown over his shoulder and hindlegs resting on Ash's forearms. He ignored the burning pain and slowly made his way over to Serena, where she was now waiting on the sidelines.
"He's incredible, Ash." Mirae's low rumbling (he would miss his trills) got louder. Ash sucked in a breath before heaving the Eeveelution higher to get a more secure grip.
"Yeah, we've been waiting for this for a long time. Can you do me a favor? Can you grab my Pokédex, find the video I just took, and send it to Bill Richards and Samuel Oak?"
Serena nodded and grabbed the device from his pocket. He had to free a finger to type in the password, but soon his friend was typing away.
Mirae started his harmonic growls, and that's when Ash noticed all the surrounding people closing in on him. Narrowing his own eyes, he glared at anyone trying to get close. Not a great idea to crowd a newly evolved Pokémon with two entropic typings swirling in his veins. He'd probably be a little volatile for the next few days.
With Dragon and Fairy energy flooding his system, he's probably feeling incredibly out of sorts.
How a Pokémon can be Dragon and Fairy, Ash didn't know. Bill hadn't explained the biology to him quite yet. But it seemed so antithetical. It would be like if a Pokémon was Ghost and Normal, or Steel and Poison. It shouldn't be possible.
Malamar was only possible due to its unique visceral system.
Shit, this was going to be all over the news. Hopefully Bill and Oak would get on it. He was sure Bill had a plan in place.
"Done!" Serena beamed as she slid the dex back in his pocket. "Come on, we have a little while before the final battle. Let's go find some space." Mirae hissed at every person they passed, but didn't outwardly attack other than some warning swipes, which was more than he could hope for.
They found a pair of doors leading to an outdoor patio, and Ash was grateful to fall into one of the cushioned chairs, some of the air being forced out of his lungs in a burst when Mirae landed on him. He was so high on adrenaline he could barely feel the freezing air.
Now that the weight had been taken off his arms, he was able to start scratching his newly evolved partner. As he did, he relaxed his throat and started rumbling, Familial Thrum vibrating the air.
Mirae paused for a moment, then his own slightly broken thrum responded. Ash smiled, knowing it would take some practice before it smoothed out. Moving his hands, he scratched around the horns, then around the edges of the thick chest scales, then around where the wings protruded from his back.
Bit by bit, Mirae relaxed, the Mytheon's humming growing deeper and subconscious. Finally, the high of evolution drained out of Mirae and he fell asleep, fatigued after the intense process and growing a whole new pair of limbs.
If Ash hadn't hatched him, Mirae could have turned on him quite easily. Evolution was not a kind process.
He tried to maneuver around to get at his Pokéball, but blinked when the sleepy Dragon was suddenly enveloped in red light. Serena smiled and handed over the Pokéball, which he cradled to his chest.
"Thank you."
Serena grinned. "I should be thanking you. Nessie is practically fresh after Mirae did all the dirty work." She didn't comment on Familial Thrum, though she had an eyebrow quirked.
Ash let his head tilt back. "It's weird, to have finally succeeded with Bill's request. It's been on the back of my mind for most of my journey. There were such strict rules to follow to get to this point. I got incredibly lucky with Styx and Sagitta practically adopting him. To finally succeed, it just… feels weird."
He heard Serena hum. "I get that. I think a lot of people feel that way when they finally reach a goal. But think of all you get to discover! His new limits, the moves he can learn, the things he can accomplish. You get to help him discover what he can achieve. I think you're very lucky."
Lifting his head, he stared at his childhood best friend. "Thank you, Serena." She shifted, but didn't avert her gaze.
She elbowed him lightly before standing up, her dress rippling around her. "Come on, let's head back, the show must go on. Also, you might want to hide those gloves." She laughed and walked away.
Looking down, he groaned. His gloves were shredded and covered in dirt. Lovely. Mirae's scales weren't very smooth.
He peeled off the ruined fabric and shoved them in one of his tux pockets. He stood and followed his friend, feeling lighter; literally and metaphorically.
The frowns of disappointment that greeted them made him scowl. His teammate was not a trophy or something to be ogled. He felt Serena's hand on his arm and forced himself to smooth out his expression.
The last battle was just finishing up, the earl and his son defeating the countess and her sister. This time around, the father-son duo used Slowbro and Slowking against the sisters' Lunatone and Solrock.
Battle of the Psychics.
But the two Water types eked out a win against the Rocks.
Ash leaned towards Serena. "They use pairs from the same family, it'll be tricky choosing counters. Who do you think we should use?" This was Serena's show, and although he had some thoughts on who to use, he'd leave it up to her.
Serena brought a finger to her chin. "I think we should stick with our original duo. It's the pair most comfortable with each other and I doubt our opponents will use their Water types again." Ash nodded and straightened. The two waited until they were called a few minutes later to step onto the field.
Earl Leonard and his son Henry shared respectful nods with Ash and Serena as they readied their Pokéballs. As soon as they were given the signal, they threw.
Ash narrowed his eyes when the Kanto Fighting Duo were released. Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee bounced on the balls of their feet, Hitmonchan throwing light jabs every few steps.
On their own side of the field were the foxes. Bane was under the illusion of a Ninetales, typically favoring illusions that were similar to his own physiology. He and Serena's Delphox had been the two that worked best together, to their trainer's shock. Typically Psychics hated being in close proximity to Darks.
"Swift."
"Future Sight, both."
"Detect." Ash leaned back, not really caring if the Swift didn't land. He just wanted Fawkes to have enough time. The two Fighting types wove and ducked and twisted away from the storm of stars. Ash was a little surprised they would waste one of their precious Detects so early on; they were extremely taxing maneuvers.
Fawkes waved her stick to weave the Psychic attack as their opponents were distracted.
"Hone Claws, wait for them to close in." Bane grinned and ominously sharpened his foreclaws. Ash squinted at the sudden brightness overhead, letting his eyes dart up to see Fawkes had fired off a Sunny Day.
Leonard and Henry shared a frown. They knew their Pokémon's strengths lay in close combat, but they also knew they were being goaded into close quarters.
"Coaching."
"Stone Edge." Hitmonchan turned to Hitmonlee and started shouting, thumping the other on the back and stomping the ground. Hitmonlee cried out and slammed his feet to the ground, sending pyres of stone exploding from the ground.
"Double Team!" Ash and Serena's voices blended together, and the next moment the field was covered with Ninetales and Delphox clones. Bane had worked hard to multiply his illusions, and it had paid off. As the Rock attack ravaged the tiled floor (that'll be fun to fix), Bane and Fawkes weren't idle.
An Aerial Ace sent Hitmonchan stumbling, while a Will-O-Wisp caught Hitmonlee in the legs. Yet Hitmonchan proved to be well trained, and lashed out with a Throat Chop. Bane demonstrated his training by not dropping the illusion. Ash wondered if Hitmonchan actually managed to hit Bane's neck.
"Flamethrower." Once again, Ash and Serena were on the same page. Both Fighting types were bathed in a blaze of fire, superheated by Sunny Day.
Hitmonlee was much worse off after the inferno compared to his ally. But that didn't mean he was down.
"No miss!" Hitmonlee's eyes locked onto Bane and glowed, and then he leapt. Ash could hear Fawkes engage Hitmonchan, but his focus was on Bane.
"Agility!" Ash blanched when Hitmonlee landed directly in Bane's path and delivered the strongest High Jump Kick he's seen. The fox that landed roughly on the floor was not Ninetales.
The crowd whispered excitedly at the sight of the Zoroark, who was shakily pushing himself to his feet, flinching and holding his ribs. Ash heard a concerning wheeze.
Mew, Ash hated Mind Reader.
Hitmonlee was panting harshly, his burn taking its toll, but as he went to advance once more, Bane snarled and disappeared. Ash blinked when Hitmonlee flew backwards, the rapid attack causing him to land between Hitmonchan and Fawkes.
The bruised Delphox took the opportunity, the Psychic latching onto both and smashing them into one another.
As they struggled to their feet, a blue glow surrounded the two, eliciting cries of pain as they shook like they were being electrocuted.
Ah, thank you Future Sight.
Hitmonlee didn't get up, but Hitmonchan was a fighter through and through. He stared down the two foxes with defiance, powering up an Aura Sphere while his ally was returned.
As the artificial sunlight faded, Hitmonchan threw the glowing ball of energy. Bane hissed and threw his hands up, Protect's dome expanding to cover him and his partner. When the sphere collided, it shook the shield, forcing Bane to grimace and slump, legs shaking.
When the dome came down, Fawkes was ready. Her Psychic froze Hitmonchan in place as a wave of fire washed over him. Mystical Fire moved in unnatural ways as it folded and rippled around the Fighting type.
And then it was over.
Hitmonchan was returned in a flash of red light. Bane refused to show any more weakness, instead forcing himself to hide his shaking limbs from his place beside Fawkes.
Ash and Serena thanked their Pokémon and turned to each other. The look in Serena's eyes gave him warning before she threw her arms around his shoulders. Ash hugged his friend, trying to make it comforting even if he didn't exactly know what that felt like. Serena squeezed before releasing him.
Bane and Fawkes approached and Ash could feel his teammate's trembling muscles beneath his hand. That High Jump Kick did more damage than either were expecting. Must've been a critical hit and struck something vital. Bane was returned, he's earned his rest.
Fawkes had kept her distance for most of the battle, but had received some painful strikes. Serena patted her shoulder and returned her as the announcer made his way onto the ravaged floor.
"After a very interesting event, we have our winners! Viscountess Serena Yvonne and Trainer Ash Ketchum! For their impressive win, we grant both the title of Count and Countess, and also gift them a voucher to learn under Master Cort Champlain!"
Serena squeaked and grabbed onto Ash's upper arm when an old man walked into the room to the cheers of the audience. The man was balding, white hair encircling his head with a long white mustache. He was in a plain pair of black slacks and a gray sweater.
Ash had no clue who that was but it must be a big deal based on everyone's reactions. Master Champlain came over to them to shake their hands. "That was marvelous battling, I see a fire in both of you. I look forward to teaching the ultimate attacks." Ash's eyebrows furrowed and he darted a look towards Serena, but she was staring at the old man with stars in her eyes.
"When do we start?"
The man chuckled. "Unfortunately not for a few weeks. I expect both of you in Snowbelle City on January 10th." He tipped his head and walked out, waving to the surrounding Chateau members.
Ash wanted to ask who in the Nether that guy was, but he was immediately swept into a brief afterparty, food, drinks, and pictures galore. The photographers were relentless, shouting pose requests before the reporters took over.
Both Ash and Serena did their best to make the photos look natural as opposed to the awkwardness they really felt.
The interviewers tried to pretend they weren't leading up to Mirae's mysterious evolution or Bane's rarity, but Ash and Serena were both a deft hand at deflecting, and soon the interviewers had a whole sheet of quotes that meant nothing.
Ash and Serena slipped out, smirking as they escaped. They managed to sneak away between conversations, running to the changing rooms with relief on their faces. The minute he had his traveling clothes on, he was able to relax. Ash shrugged on his backpack and hung up the tux, hiding the destroyed gloves in one of the pockets.
He heard a 'psst' and turned to see Serena hiding behind a column, waving him over. Making a valiant effort to stifle his laughter he looked around dramatically and darted over, the two making a break for the outside world.
They burst out a pair of double doors and didn't stop until the Battle Chateau was hidden behind trees. Ash leaned back against one of the trunks, his breath coming out in choked gasps while Serena thunked her head against another tree, her giggles sounding a bit hysterical.
"Who in the Nether is Cort Champlain?!" Serena's head snapped to face him, her eyes wide before she devolved into more laughter, her frame shaking from the force of them.
"You don't- this whole time- oh my-" Her sentences were broken up as she tried to calm down. "Ash, he teaches the Elemental Exclusives; Hydro Cannon, Frenzy Plant, and Blast Burn."
Ash's eyebrows furrowed. "But what if someone who didn't have a Pokémon capable of learning those?" The Elemental Exclusives, or Elemental Recharges were the most powerful attacks mundane Pokémon were able to learn, and only exceptionally well-trained Pokémon were capable. The attacks had the reputation of only being learned by Starter Pokémon, but that was usually because they were the most well-trained on a team. But Ash has seen a Magmortar using Blast Burn, a Tangrowth using Frenzy Plant, a Kingdra using Hydro Cannon.
In short, Pokémon needed their primary typing to be Grass, Fire, or Water to handle it.
"He's famous for those three moves, but he teaches Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Sky Attack, and Head Smash. But his tutoring is crazy expensive."
"Shit, Polaris won't be fully evolved in a month." Ash knew, even if he brought Houndour back right now, that she wasn't strong enough for Blast Burn. He didn't have a Grass type, though Galar would hopefully change that.
Serena waved it away. "He'll be able to learn the basics." He nodded and then shivered. In their mad dash to escape, they hadn't donned their winter coats. It was the 2nd of December, and Ash was somewhat incredulous that he's already been in Kalos for a month.
The sun would be setting in an hour, and they needed to get to the Pokémon center that was situated by the entrance to Connecting Cave. Ash dug around in his pack for a pair of warmer gloves than his pink fingerless ones.
"Come on, it should take maybe three hours to get to the center." Serena nodded and adjusted her earmuffs.
He had his worries, but for now the calm winter night embraced him.
Leaves turned to stone
Roots turned to stone
Flesh turned to stone
Energy pulled. Energy drained. Energy transferred.
Down
Down
Down
Used
Betrayed
How dare
Never again
Allearth
Find it
Claim it
Find me
Ash gasped, shooting upright in bed, chest heaving and hands shaking. Sweat dripped down his temple, yet he shivered uncontrollably.
Dragging his hands down his face, he tried to rub the panic away. Images and emotions faded away until he was unsure why this dream had woken him so violently.
One memory remained, however.
A dying forest, a massive stone hollow, and piercing blue eyes.
"Are you sure?" Ash tried to hide his yawn by looking down and smoothing his shirt.
"Yeah, I'll let the League know so they'll send someone to guard the lighthouse. I'm not going to wait until you're back in Kanto!"
Ash sighed. Of course Bill would fly all the way to Kalos to meet Mirae. The researcher was employed by the League for his study and breeding of Eevee, so Ash would have their full backing when it came to the media and naysayers.
"So I'll see you in Anistar City in three weeks?"
Bill beamed and held a thumbs up to the camera. His hair was in a wilder disarray than usual and his grin was manic. Honestly, Ash was pretty sure he didn't sleep last night from excitement.
Whereas Ash hardly slept last night for reasons he still couldn't deduce.
Ash shook his head in amusement and bid Bill goodbye. He disconnected and checked the time. His call with Houndour was in fifteen minutes. Sighing, he leaned back in the plastic chair and cracked his back.
Each week it got easier and easier to see Houndour. He still got nightmares after, but not as vivid, not as debilitating. So much so, that they were deciding on a nickname. He had assumed, since she was such a people-pleaser, she'd agree to the first name he suggested. Turns out the Houndour was just as indecisive as Mirae was.
They had already scrapped Delphi, Azalea, Ivy, Calliope, and Hemera. She was picky.
He was feeling more and more ready to bring her back. When he had talked to Grimsley a few days ago, the man had warned against rushing it. If he wasn't ready and brought her back, it wouldn't be good for anyone.
He had to reluctantly agree.
"Ash!" He turned over his shoulder to see Serena walking over to him. Her hair was pulled back today in a small ponyta-tail with a few strands framing her face. She was frowning down at her personal phone.
"We made the front page." Ash pressed his lips together as Serena passed over her phone. Plastered on the screen marked 'Trending' was a picture of the two of them from yesterday.
He knew something like this was supposed to happen, this was the whole point of their little charade.
Pressing his lips together, he stared at the screen.
It was one of the photos from the afterparty, Ash had gotten fed up with the shouting and was glaring at the camera. He had one hand in his pocket and the other wrapped around Serena. She had one glove-clad hand on his shoulder, the other resting by her side. Her head was tilted back to look up at him, a small quirk of her lips hid her annoyed expression.
He hated to admit it, but it was a really good photo. They looked oddly powerful. Influential. They looked exactly like the parts they were trying to play.
Looking up at Serena, he saw her arms crossed defensively over her chest, her chin tucked against her sternum.
Ash started to scroll.
'Prince and Princess: Power Couple on the Battlefield!
Our Kalos Princess, Serena Yvonne, has been shaking things up, appearing in public with a possible significant other twice in the last week. After her second place win in the Showcase Finales, the two were seen eating at one of the leading restaurants in Kalos, Buvette. In their second public outing, the two displayed their groundbreaking chemistry when they won the Battle Chateau Tag Battle Event. Even their Pokémon seemed to be in sync! All of Kalos is watching with bated breath as Yvonne's first public relationship takes shape!
Yvonne's mysterious prince is Ashton Ketchum, a Pokémon trainer from Kanto. Ketchum has been making waves ever since he started his journey six months ago. He's been photographed with the likes of Champion Lance Blackthorn, Elite Four Grimsley Griima, and Alola Regional Professor Koa Kukui.
After a little digging, it was found that Ketchum claims the title as the first trainer to own the Unovan Pseudo Legend, Hydreigon, as well as an interdimensional Pokémon called Poipole! Could this trainer get any more intriguing? The answer is yes! In yesterday's tag battle, he battled with a Froakie, Zoroark, and a never before seen Eevee evolution! For more, see page 8'"
Ash leaned back, staring down at the article. Serena's silence was blaring. Opening the top comments, Ash cleared his throat.
"Oh. My. Xerneas I just swooned."
Serena's head snapped up. "Huh?"
Ash tried not to flush as he found another. "He seems like the type of boyfriend that would tell the server that his girlfriend needs ketchup."
Wandering closer, Serena's eyes were wide, but her hunched shoulders were relaxing. That had been the goal.
"It's the glare for me and Serena just staring at him *heart eyes*"
At this point, Serena was standing by Ash's shoulder, reading over his shoulder. She read the next one. "Where has HE been hiding *drool*" She gave a playful swoon, the back of her hand to her forehead.
"If someone held me like that, I think I'd just cease to exist."
"I've been staring at this pic for five hours"
"Serena, Serena please, I know he's cool but I'M RIGHT HERE"
Serena was laughing breathlessly by the end of it, and her discomfort was gone. People in the Pokémon Center were staring, some grinning at their performance. Taking a deep breath, Serena turned grateful eyes to Ash.
"Thank you, Ash."
He twisted back to the video camera, fiddling with the controls.
Ash has always been on the receiving end of comfort since his journey started. It's been other people making sure he doesn't break down too badly, other people helping him be secure with the situation.
This was the first time doing it for someone else.
"I will admit, unfortunately this probably paints a target on my back for any greedy or ambitious criminals to try and steal my Pokémon, but that was always going to be a risk."
His friend dragged a hand down her face. "I don't like the idea of you in danger because of this ruse."
"Hey, being a trainer is dangerous. Living is dangerous. I've almost died, like, three times already. It's an occupational hazard." He quirked his lips, getting a laugh out of Serena with the reference to their favorite movie as children.
"You know, that really doesn't make me feel better."
Ash shrugged. "Want to meet my last teammate?" Serena didn't comment on the subject change, instead nodding.
Houndour was ecstatic to meet a new friend, and Serena was cooing at the canine and talking in a rather embarrassing voice, if Ash was being honest.
But throughout the call, he couldn't take his mind off the article. He knew it was the plan, but actually knowing that Kalos thought they were a couple made him feel… duplicitous.
He didn't realize how much he would feel like a liar.
How doing this to get in the public's good graces felt slimy.
So as Serena laughed at Houndour's excited wiggling, he stared and thought, and his thoughts just kept circling back to that one thing.
It probably wasn't a good idea to pile this on top of all his other shit.
He had... a lot to work on. And now he was throwing a whole fake relationship atop that with the childhood best friend he hadn't seen in years.
But Ash was a realist, and he probably would never feel whole, but like Grimsley said, every trainer worth their salt had trauma. Serena did too, and they were still compatible as friends.
Palermo preyed upon that, and Ash couldn't help but feel weak for letting her.
They disconnected the call a while later, Ash actually feeling lighter after Houndour's contagious energy pushed the conflicting thoughts away. Their Pokémon had already eaten breakfast, so now all they had to do was check out and head into the caves.
"Hey Serena, when are you due back… wherever?"
She paused in her adjustment of her backpack. "Palermo wants us to travel together for another two weeks. I do have to dip out for a day or two for a fundraiser in Kiloude City once we get through to Cyllage City. I'll meet up with you in Geosenge?"
After Professor Sycamore had recommended seeing Geosenge, Ash had included it in his plans. It was a bit out of the way, and would require looping back down through Cyllage.
"How about we meet back in Cyllage? I'll fly."
Serena hummed in agreement. "Sounds good, we can head to Ambrette Town after that."
"Are there Teleport services in Kalos?" Ash looked around for the counter.
"Yeah, every major city or town should have one." Ash nodded and finished his own preparations, holding out his hand for Serena's card key so he could return both.
Ten minutes later, they were staring at the opening to Connecting Cave. He made an effort to send a challenging grin at his traveling companion. "Ready?"
She answered his grin with one of her own. "Born ready."
Come
Come
Claimed
My choice
Come
Share
Bestow
Gift
Come
Chosen
"Serena."
"Ash."
"You didn't tell me you had a Misdreavus."
He watched Serena freeze, her back to him. She turned around slowly, a hand coming up to rub the back of her head. He had her trainer profile up on his Pokédex and there was the mischievous Ghost type.
Ash's tired eyes blinked slowly, the fatigue a new development, but persistent all the same.
The two were a few hours from the exit of the cave, the whole trek only taking two days. He had finally gotten the chance to see Serena's Pangoro in action, and he was magnificent. It had reminded him that she mentioned a nocturnal Pokémon that he hadn't seen yet, even when they camped.
"Why hide it?" Ash made sure he wasn't demanding, he hated when people expected him to tell them things. Instead, he just sounded tired.
Serena sighed and turned to walk backwards so she could face him. "You offered your Dusk Stone, and I didn't want to put you on the spot. What were the chances I'd have one of the few Pokémon that need the stone to evolve? I figured… well I didn't want you to feel obligated."
Ash shook his head. "Serena, I offered because I wanted to. I have more money than I'd expected this early in my journey. I'd rather the stone go to good use rather than sell it and have a rich asshole use it on a Pokémon they don't use or love. Do you want to evolve Misdreavus? Are they ready?"
She looked down and clasped her hands behind her back. "Yeah… she is." Ash stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, offering an awkward smile before pushing, turning her around to walk forward.
"Great, we can do it today. Polaris is literally seconds away from evolving and maybe a battle with a new Mismagius will be the push he needs." There was a reason the regional starters were so coveted; they evolved quickly. It was practically a guarantee sponsored trainers would have at least one fully evolved Pokémon early on.
Polaris had been more experienced and bigger than a regular Froakie when he joined Ash, it wasn't a surprise that he was ready. Honestly, he should have evolved a long time ago. The serious Water type had been quite envious of Mirae's boosted abilities.
As an Eevee, Mirae had a small lead on Polaris even though he was far younger. Now as a Mytheon, Mirae had left the Froakie in the dust.
It was a good motivator.
So, a few hours later in the crisp winter sunlight on a Sunday afternoon, Ash met Hela.
The excitable Misdreavus was zooming around, even though the Ghost type was obviously uncomfortable around Ash and the sunlight. She had taken one look at the Dusk Stone in Serena's hand and practically vibrated out of existence.
"Hela, Hela! Do you want to fly around or do you want to evolve?" The next second the Ghost type faded from view and popped up in front of her trainer. She still couldn't hold still, twitching and jerking around in the air. Serena smiled indulgently.
Ghost types were hard to handle. It took a lot to gain their loyalty, but Serena seems to be having no issues.
She held out the stone, and Ash stood off to the side with Serena's phone to record the momentous occasion.
The Misdreavus darted forward and pressed her forehead against the stone. An ominous purple haze engulfed Hela before she was enveloped in a dark light.
He hadn't expected evolution to look different for Ghosts, but here they are. Instead of bright white light, shadows converged over her form, and Ash's fingers twitched.
Mismagius floated a few feet above the ground, Ghostly energy pouring from her. There was a universal pause, everything quiet, before Serena shouted and jumped forward in excitement.
Hela grinned and spun around, her new body wavering unnaturally in a nonexistent wind.
Ghosts were such an interesting topic. They were both material and immaterial beings, falling on a continuum for how connected to this realm they were. A Pokémon like Golurk was much more corporeal than a Gastly. People weren't sure where Ghosts originate, were they stuck here? Did they choose to leave their home? Were they a natural part of the Earth?
Professor Oak had spent a long time studying Ghosts for his affinity research, but it proved very difficult since Ghosts didn't follow the same laws of life as the rest. There was still a current argument that Ghosts should be classified as Chaos types, but Oak didn't agree.
Because Ghosts weren't so much a type as they were a creature. Like the Ultra Beasts.
Surprisingly so, Ash thought.
Ash stopped the video and let the two have a few minutes to themselves. He pressed the release on his Lure ball and watched as Polaris materialized a few feet in front of him. The frog had even more dark splotches of color on his back and his head had started to elongate.
"Hey bud, we're going to have a practice battle with Mismagius. You up for it?" Polaris didn't even turn to look at his opponent before he cried out his agreement. Ash laughed and leaned down to pat him on the head. He'd gotten over the grossness of touching the slimy mucus that covered the frog's body weeks ago.
"Okay, we're ready!" Ash turned to see Serena and Hela standing side-by-side, matching looks of determination on their faces. Ash grinned wildly and jogged a ways away and took a braced position.
"Alright Hela, Magical Leaf!"
"Spinning Aqua Jet." Ash narrowed his eyes intently as he watched the technique hold. They had been working on it for a while, the torque of the water acting as a barrier to any attacks below a certain power.
The little frog slammed into the Ghost, but was caught in her Shock Wave. Ash grimaced. "Double Team, Toxic Spikes." Serena gave him an odd look, knowing Mismagius's Levitate and ability to go incorporeal would protect her from the poisoned frubbles.
Ash didn't give anything away. She humphed and called, "Shadow Ball."
"Counter with Scald." The steaming water destabilized the cold spectral energy and caused an early detonation. Ash capitalized on the burst of smoke. "Smack Down."
He grinned wickedly when the Ghost was slammed into the ground, the hunk of stone crumbling off her as she rose back into the air. She flinched as the poison took her system. It seems Hela wasn't trained to use her incorporeality, which made sense since she wasn't a big battler.
Ash offhandedly wondered how incorporeality could be used in performances.
"Smokescreen!"
"Shadow Sneak." Ash frowned. He was going to lose his lead. As the thick smog covered the road, Hela sank from the corporeal realm. Polaris and his multiple clones hopped around with no rhyme or reason, trying to throw off the 'scent'.
"Aqua Jet!"
The shield of water protected Polaris somewhat, but the Ghostly energy seeped into his pores and caused him to shiver and drop to the ground. Serena proved to be unforgiving, calling for another Magical Leaf.
"Water Pulse." The wave swallowed most of the leaves, only a few getting through but not doing too much damage. "Lick!" Polaris lunged, Hela making the mistake of not putting enough space between them. The Ghost shrieked from the attack, opposing Ghostly energies causing her form to lock up.
"Echoed Voice!" Unluckily, Hela was still able to speak. Completely by reflex, Polaris burst into another Aqua Jet, the roaring water protecting him somewhat from the awful noise.
Then the torrent of water began to glow.
Ash smirked.
The entire water structure was suffused, glowing like a cocoon. When the light finally dispersed, water thundered as it fell to the ground and Frogadier was revealed. He was almost three feet tall, frubbles now extending behind him like a scarf.
Ash's throat felt cold moments before Polaris reared his head back and shot off the biggest Ice Beam managed since he got the TM. Hela was struck in the chest and slammed into the ground. When she returned to the air, a chunk of ice had frozen her chest.
Her face twisted into a sneer and the three Shadow Balls forced Polaris into Quick Attack to evade. Ash would have lost sight of him if he wasn't used to such speed from Bane and Sagitta. Feeling his grin grow at his newest teammate's improved speed, Ash watched with a sharp eye.
Polaris's dash took him close to the Ghost type, and a final call from Ash had him striking her in the chest with Scald.
The rapid temperature change had the Ghost's miasmic body expanding and thinning.
Ash caught Serena's eye. She sighed deeply and called it.
Hela was returned and Polaris stood tall.
Jogging forward, Polaris met him halfway. The newly evolved Water type leapt onto his shoulders and if Ash hadn't expected it he would have stumbled from the new weight.
What was with his Pokémon jumping on him after evolving? Not that he was complaining.
Polaris wrapped around his neck, feeling like a solid slab of molasses was draped over his shoulders. It was an odd sensation, but Ash reached behind him to cradle the frog's jaw.
Walking over to Serena, the two locked eyes before they both grinned, high fiving. "Not bad for a performer."
She scoffed and flipped her hair. "I'll have you know I did a brief stint in the Hoenn Contest circuit."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "How many contests did you do?"
Serena pouted and mumbled, "Two." Ash chuckled and nudged her with his elbow.
"But seriously, you're a good battler."
"Thanks Ash." She hesitated, and Ash tilted his head knowing she wanted to say something. "I never had another friend that got me like you did. We were so different but so similar. I would have never tried contests or learned to battle if I hadn't met you. I did it to keep a part of our friendship alive, even if I didn't think we'd see each other again. You were always a great source of strength for me, and I wanted to honor that through your passion." She closed her eyes and inhaled, smiling before she looked at him again. "You are who I channel when I battle."
She patted him on the shoulder and went on ahead, leaving Ash heartbroken in a freeing way. The last of his childhood resentment faded away, replaced by warmth that chased away the lingering cold from his fractured dreams.
Come
Come
Closer
Allearth
Come
Let
Me
Bestow
Ash's body felt heavy as they walked though Cyllage. The air was thick enough to choke on, and his breaths were coming in silent wheezes.
The odd thing was that no one else could feel it. Serena was skipping through the town, pointing out places she remembered from her last visit. The city denizens walked around like they hadn't a care in the world.
He was starting to think he was coming down with something. The interrupted sleep, the fatigue, the persistent chill in his bones, and now this.
The worst part was that his skin felt too tight, too small. His very blood was almost buzzing beneath, itching and crawling in a disgusting sensation. It was hard not to scratch, and it was even harder to ignore how his fingernails had started to crack and split.
Something was wrong.
But the oppressive atmosphere was loosely familiar. Familiar in the way exhaling was like a hurricane. It pressed in on all sides and made it feel like he was wading through syrup. It almost reminded him of Styx's presence when she evolved.
"-that sound good?"
Ash blinked out of his stupor and turned to Serena. Her head was tilted in question. "Can you repeat that?"
Serena's eyes lingered on him before she repeated, "You're heading up to Geonsenge, right? Are we good to meet at the Pokémon Center here in two days?"
Ash's eyes were drawn back towards the north and shook his head absently. "Yeah, that's good." He knew Serena was confused, but she didn't comment. They hugged, awkwardly, stiffly, before she left to catch a Teleport to Kiloude City.
Geosenge Town was just north of here. The ancient town was surrounded by thousands of mysterious stones, and the town itself was where Lysandre's cult was stationed. Where he had successfully committed genocide. Luckily it hadn't stuck.
But it had been so long ago…
Ash blinked and he was in the air.
Styx's six wings beat in a powerful ripple, her body slithering through the air like a Gyarados in water. One of her smaller heads was twisted around, weak eyes locked on her trainer. Her nostrils flared, and even over the wind Ash could hear Styx's low rumble.
Dragging his fingers through her feathers, Ash frowned when his nail broke off. Not so much that it hurt or bled, but enough that the free edge was gone. Now that he was looking, his fingers looked white, like there wasn't enough blood flow. They felt numb.
"Let's go lower." He didn't necessarily feel that cold, but it was early December. Styx didn't argue, descending to speed over the sea of pointed stones that covered the open grasslands outside Geosenge.
Ash wasn't sure how long he had been out of it, but it only took another twenty minutes to land on the fringes of the town.
When he jumped down from Styx's back, it was quiet.
There was a somber, heavy air that cleared the simple streets. It was mid morning, there should be more people going about their day.
Raising Styx's Dusk ball, the Hydreigon growled low, her senses alert but unable to lock onto anything. All three heads swiveled out of sync, her wings quivering oddly. When Ash looked at her chest, she was breathing in deep gasps, like she caught a scent she wanted more of.
"Styx." Six fuschia eyes snapped to him. "I have to return you." Even if there were no people out, a town with such a bleak history would not want any trouble.
Ash's eyes widened when his starter released a soft whine, a sound so unlike his proud, deadly partner.
As he returned her, he wondered if he was making a mistake.
His gut was screaming at him, but Ash couldn't tell if it was urging him forward or pulling him back. Fingers flexing in stiff twitches by his sides, he walked deeper into the ghost town.
The houses were modest, not terribly rundown but not pristine either. There was an aura of sadness as well as wisdom that emanated from the foundations of the town. As he walked, he felt eyes on him, but not malicious, or secret. Just eyes from the houses, eyes from the stores that were open but hosted no customers.
He came to the center, and he looked down into the sprawling divot.
What should be dirt and grass and roots looked more like crumbled slate. The cavity that once housed The Ultimate Weapon would have been barren and lifeless if it wasn't for the offerings.
Bouquets, plushies, notes, greeting cards, knitted clothes, jewelry, paintings, and more were thrown into the trench.
A Thank You for life.
"You lost?"
Ash didn't startle, but he didn't think he had the energy or attention to. He felt even heavier than back in Cyllage.
Using what little energy he could, Ash strained his eyes to the side to see who owned the croaky voice.
It was a woman. An old woman.
She had puffy, boney knuckles and withered lips, with hair that had long been sapped of color. A black crocheted shawl was thrown over her hunched shoulders, but she looked at Ash with all the intensity of a Fearow.
Ash had to move his tongue around in his mouth a few times before it was no longer too dry to speak. "I'm… not sure."
"Humph." She dug her heel into the dirt road that ran through the town. "Well, whatever you're looking for you won't find here, I can tell you that."
"I don't know what I'm looking for."
"Well, south for Cyllage and north for Shalour. West for the ocean and east for Allearth."
Ash froze.
"Allearth?" He croaked, sounding much too similar to the ancient woman beside him.
"Hm. Allearth Forest. Not a place tourists typically want to see."
Ash was too distracted to be annoyed at the tourist comment. "Why?"
"It's dead."
"What?"
"Well, not all of it, just the center. Doesn't make for good 'photo-ops'." The woman forced her gnarled fingers into air quotes. But her eyes stayed on the chasm that marked the center and legacy of Geosenge. "Follow that trail until you can't." Her hand pointed down a dirt path.
She hobbled away after her insightful words.
Ash followed the trail.
He walked and walked and walked.
At some point he wasn't conscious of his own footsteps. The further he walked, the more his heart pounded, like it was desperately pumping against the pressure building up on all sides. It beat like it would soon be unable to.
The forest eventually swallowed him, a passing thought that didn't spark any further consideration. Somewhere in his mind, he noted the forest started like any other; thick trunks, moderate canopy, and a myriad of typical vegetation.
But over time… it changed.
Vegetation grew thin, reedy, and withered.
Trunks got frailer, practically skeletal.
The canopy grew thinner, but only weak light reached the grassless, cracking ground.
As the forest grew more barren, so too did his mind. His thoughts became fuzzy, humming around in his skull but he was too slow to grab the threads.
His scars pulsed in time with his sluggish heart, and if he could, he would have felt concern at the black veins slithering down his arms and winding through the burns. Concern at how his fingers were losing color, losing movement.
The air felt thick on his tongue, clogging his ears and blurring his sight.
The forest grew paler, harder, deader around him until it was nothing but spires of stone.
Again, if he could, he'd be concerned. But as it was, he couldn't think. There was almost a sense of peace to his being.
Something whispered in the back of his head, a hissing croon that assured and threatened in equal measures. There was a promise hidden in there, an elation, a crowing delight. A screech of finally.
Ash thought he knew fatigue, but this…
It felt like his body was shutting down.
Ash groaned and fell against a stone tree, bringing the heel of his palm to his forehead. He huffed and gasped for air like there wasn't enough oxygen. The scar on his cheek flared to life, making him flinch. He felt the phantom trickle of blood dripping down his chin but when he went to wipe it, nothing was there.
What was happening to him?
Why didn't he turn around?
The whispers got louder, their promises of freedom and comfort twisting around in his head. A low, almost imperceptible rumble quavered through his veins. His hands attempted to flex, fingers pulsing like they were swollen but looking anything but.
His ear gave a valiant twitch when it latched onto a direction. The rumble in his blood came from somewhere.
Ash lifted his head, though it felt like an impossible task, turning towards the darkness of the petrified forest. His vision wavered as he stared into the depths.
There was a drop.
A cliff.
His feet brought him forward, and in the back of his mind Ash wondered if this was the strength of 'the call of the void'.
When he got to the edge, he swayed forward just enough to look down.
It was… a rock?
What lay before him was like a crater, vast and desolate and bleached. In the center sat the equivalent to a meteorite.
Black and red and twisting and swirling like it was living energy. It roiled and pulsed, the thick rope-like divots shining red one moment and black the next. Ash felt hypnotized as he watched the twisting darkness. It took up his entire view, blocking out the forest, the sky, the light.
How had he gotten down in the crater?
The thought fluttered away like a Beautifly on a breeze as he stared up at the towering sphere.
No.
Not a sphere, he thought belatedly, emotions dampened despite his realization.
A cocoon.
The moment he touched the mass, not even conscious in his decision to do so, glowing blue eyes flared to life and Ash screamed.
Yes
Yes
TAKE
His scars were burning. The wound on his face was piercing with remembered pain. Every injury, every scar he'd ever earned, was lighting up in agony like it was fresh. The claw marks from the Grimmsnarl, the internal bruising from the Shelgon, the month-long migraine from the Shiinotic, the 3rd degree burn from the Skuntank, the bite marks from the Gible, the laceration from the Klefki.
The electrical burn from Domino.
Every injury he's ever had flared to life once more.
Ash fell to his knees, arms straining from where hands were glued to the cocoon. Pain locked his muscles and numbed his mind. His throat was scraped raw with his bellow. He felt trapped, chained within his own body, tortured with the replicated agony of old lessons learned.
His insides felt petrified.
But even now, even through all this fear, peace wrapped around him.
Something old, something ancient, something unintelligible echoed within him.
You have suffered
I have suffered
You will see corruption
I have been used
You have been shunned and shamed
My Chosen betraying our domain
You have suffered
So I suffered
You have felt destruction
Destruction never abused
For that we are CLAIMED
He didn't know how he found the ability to move; open his eyes and crane his neck, but he lifted his head to lock eyes. Red meeting blue.
A moment of untenable glee.
The pain spasmed and wavered, an instant of soothing relief. His arms fell.
He ran.
He ran from the cocoon. He ran from the pain. He ran from the peace.
He ran, even though he felt every stride would fail him. His palms bled from stone scraping against them when he caught himself against a trunk. His shoulders ached from where he slammed into tall spires, feet uncoordinated and limbs working against him.
As life returned to the forest, Ash left handprints of stone behind. Leaves crumbled to dust as unfeeling fingertips brushed the delicate membranes. Fingernails no longer broke.
Fear squeezed his throat and cut off air. It sent pins and needles racing across his skin, prickling and lasting. It sent his brain into overdrive, focus narrowing into pinpricks as time moved sluggishly. Composure broke and scattered, unveiling the bare soul beneath.
Peace hung heavy from his eyelids, pumped like warm honey in his veins. It gently tugged tension from the body, easing a release of white-knuckled fists. Worries dissipated, pains soothed, burdens vanished. But so too did passion. Drive. Aspirations.
First there was fear, then there was peace.
A tale as old as Life itself.
His mind was too overwhelmed by the dichotomy to process anything else.
Ash didn't know how long it was before he broke through the tree line, but as soon as he did, the pressure was gone.
Just like that.
Falling to his knees, Ash's lungs heaved, the air too thin and his chest ached from his desperate attempts to get more oxygen. Lungs spasmed like they hadn't been used in eons. He was suddenly aware of his heart, its reassuring beating hard against his palm. Ash desperately grasped at his chest, anything to reassure himself that his heart beat.
That it hadn't given into the fear or the peace.
Between one second and the next, he was enveloped by black feathers.
Ash collapsed against the blue scales that radiated protection. Gasping for air, he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to hold himself together. Feathers and scales pressed against him from all sides, helping him stay whole.
His awareness was intact enough to know he was shivering and that there was a soothing humming surrounding him.
Nothing like the rumbling from before. The crowing delight. The screech of finally.
He wasn't sure how long he stayed kneeling like that, cut off from the rest of the world in the dome of Styx's presence. He forced himself to lift his head and blink, his eyes crusty with long dried tears he didn't' remember shedding.
Styx was facing the woods, lips lifted in a fearsome snarl even as she thrummed. The tear in her upper lip allowed one huge fang to be completely on display.
"Styx…" Mew, his voice sounded wrecked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Styx, I'm alright." The massive Hydreigon huffed but finally turned her head, nuzzling against his face.
"Were you unable to release yourself?" She growled in response. "Huh…" His mind was still trying to wrap itself around what that was. Logic was warring against what his senses processed.
Because that was Yveltal.
Why, why, why would the Legend of Death show itself? To Ash? Not just show itself, but call him? Ash would never have found the Legend on his own.
Yveltal had been forced into slumber almost 16 years ago, and myth says it sleeps much, much longer than that.
Why was it awake?
There was so much about that whole instance to unravel and investigate, but right now he was just tired, though an unfamiliar vitality made him shiver. He felt like a glass of water rattled by a thumping bass.
As he unwrapped his arms from around his middle, something niggled at him. He didn't feel the cotton of his shirt dragging against his skin, only the pressure of his hold. He looked down at his hands.
Ash's breath froze in his chest, blood draining from his face.
Ba-bump
Ba-bump
Ba-bump
His scrapped palms had healed, dried blood the only proof there ever was an injury. But his fingers…
His fingers were stained black with death.
I have so many plans for this, I'm so excited.
Polaris and Mirae evolved!
During the initial planning for this story, I stumbled upon Mytheon on inprogressPokémon. I knew I wanted a dual Fairy/Dragon type in my story to match Hydreigon and Grimmsnarl, but the only option was Mega Altaria.
Maybe Legends Z-A or Gen 10 will finally have one
Also, we might know about Hisuian Zorua and Varoom, but Ash doesn't.
Ash's Team:
Styx - Hydreigon
Hemlock - Morgrem
Bane - Zoroark
Mirae - Mytheon
Sagitta - Togekiss
Libra - Hakamo-o
Nettle - Poipole
Castor - Krokorok
Polaris - Frogadier
At Oak's
Unnamed - Houndour
Serena's Team:
Fawkes - Delphox
Hei Bei - Pangoro
Degas - Kirlia
Hedwig - Oricorio
Nessie - Milotic
Hela - Mismagius