Ash's Team
Styx - Hydreigon
Hemlock - Grimmsnarl
Bane - Zoroark
Mirae - Mytheon
Sagitta - Togekiss
Libra - Hakamo-o
Nettle - Naganadel
Castor - Krookodile
Polaris - Greninja
Artemis - Houndoom
Orion - Alolan Ninetales
Ladon - Appletun
Wisteria - Galarian Ponyta
Astria - Pichu
"I don't know why I'm feeling like this, it's like it's suddenly too much to contain." Ash leaned back with a sigh, Wisteria grumbling when her pillow shifted. Soothing her with a long pet down her neck, Ash tilted his head back to stare at the softly swaying leaves above his head.
"Attempting to catalogue your emotions and identify the source has its drawbacks. Being in tune with yourself can be adequate for practicing mindfulness, but it also forces a distance and a harsh pragmatism to those feelings. Emotions can rarely be explained away once identified. For example, you think 'I'm feeling anxious because Artemis's fire scares me due to my past trauma with it.' That's all well and good, but acknowledging that won't magically fix it. But now that you have identified it, you can start working through it."
Dr. Quinzel's voice had a sharp quality to it that forced Ash to listen. No matter if she was being soft and gentle or intense and critical, the sharpness remained. This was only his sixth session with her, but Ash appreciated her perspective and professional input.
It was difficult to not share such a large part of himself; the whole Legend business. Even Grimsley didn't really know the extent of it. And now, with none of that context, how could Ash talk about the thing that was following him? That he was so sure was influencing his emotions?
He didn't think Dr. Quinzel could be paid enough to deal with that whole shitshow. Sometimes even Ash couldn't believe the things he's been through.
"But I thought I had moved past it. I haven't flinched in weeks."
"But you don't train her Fire techniques."
Lo and behold, Ash flinched.
Technically, Artemis worked on her Fire techniques, but only when Ash was a safe distance away.
"But I work on Fire techniques with all my other teammates." Ash was fruitlessly trying to defend himself. Styx, Bane, Sagitta, and Libra had Flamethrower, Hemlock had Burning Jealousy, Castor had Fire Fang, Mirae and Wisteria had Mystical Fire; it wasn't like he was afraid of fire.
Just Artemis's fire.
"Ash, you're a very logical person; almost to a fault. When you're exposed to new or more potent emotions, your ability to manage them is compromised. But emotions are learning tools. They have an irreplaceable role in life. What you need to learn is how to accept them. When Astria shied away from you after she lost that battle, did you think 'it's irrational for her to think that way because logically, if I wanted to hurt her I would have by now' or did you accept that fear and allow her to feel it?"
Ash grit his teeth at the thought of making Astria feel ashamed of her trepidation. She had been dealt a bad hand and how she reacted to it was her prerogative.
Oh.
Ash dragged a hand down his face. Dr. Quinzel's sing-song voice came through. "I love these moments of realization!"
"You can't even see me." Ash grumbled into his brand new Rotom Phone. He felt weird using it after his… interesting battle with Giselle. Dr. Quinzel had helped with that too, guiding him towards the unfortunate recognition that he and Giselle were very similar. Those similarities would cause some… clashing. It was difficult to lose, especially when the emotional stakes were high. Pride was on the line, and Dr. Quinzel understood Ash had pride in spades.
"I don't need to see you, I've gathered a pretty good idea of what reactions to expect from you." Sometimes Ash was concerned about how perceptive and downright brilliant his new therapist was.
Ash pursed his lips and stayed petulantly silent.
"Regardless, what I'd like you to work on is dedicating at least a half hour a day to sitting in your feelings. Acknowledge them as you've been doing, but then don't try to explain them away. We're going to utilize something called ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I'll send you some articles on it."
Ash quirked his lips, appreciating that small example of being seen.
"I wanted to bring up one other thing I've noticed, specifically your intense commitment to your Pokémon's wellbeing as a replacement for managing your own-"
"CASTOR! Drop it! Sorry I have to go." Ash dropped the Rotom Phone by his pack and raced over to the Krookodile who had gotten ahold of the lightning rod that still had over 70,000 amps built up. Ash hadn't drained it yet and now Castor was wielding it against Hemlock.
Libra tackled the croc before Ash could intervene.
The conversation with Dr. Quinzel happened in the knick of time because it was a day later that Artemis attacked Polaris.
Things had been tense since the battle with Giselle, primarily due to Styx's temper. She was the co-leader of the team and wielded quite a bit of influence. Thus, when she was in a sour mood, it put the rest of the group on edge.
Ash knew his starter, and she just had to move through the anger and disappointment in herself. He still made sure to let her know he didn't blame her. I didn't really help.
Styx had snarled and snapped at everyone, even Wisteria. She had broken more than one tree with her thrashing tail and her two smaller heads had been biting at each other. Even Libra hadn't been keen on sparring with her in this state.
Astria was extremely susceptible to any and all agitation, which forced her own development on the back foot. Her amplified timidity did her no favors with the rest of the team, creating a vicious cycle.
Styx possessed infallible leadership, which Ash was discovering had its obvious complications.
They were still a few days away from a Pokémon center that could fix up her damaged wing joints. She was grounded until then and that certainly didn't help matters.
In a fortunate development, Hemlock and Bane stepped up to guide the team when Styx was too temperamental. Ash was being pulled in multiple directions; managing Styx, reassuring Astria, ensuring his team didn't feel ignored, and trying to do his homework from Dr. Quinzel.
Obviously he was going to prioritize his team over himself, though he knew he was falling short.
He knew he was failing because he just witnessed Artemis drive her horns into Polaris's diaphragm.
Ash was gaping, absolutely frozen in shock and disbelief.
Polaris had collapsed on the ground, holding his chest that had two developing bruises from Artemis's horns. He wasn't terribly injured, but he was so taken aback that he was splayed on the ground and staring up at his teammate with confused, hurt eyes.
The Houndoom in question was glaring fiercely at the frog, legs braced and panting like she had just run from Celadon. She then turned coal eyes full of betrayal at Ash and darted into the unforgiving forests that surrounded them.
Trusting his team to stay put, Ash followed.
He took off, feet flying across the earth as he tried to keep the hound in his sights.
Following the smoldering footprints left in the grasses, he swallowed his growing panic at both the smoking embers and the situation. Artemis's tail was always at the edge of his vision and deep down he knew that was a good sign; she could outrun him in a heartbeat.
The farther into the forest they went, the darker and thicker the foliage became. He couldn't silence his pounding footsteps, instead praying to Mew that the host of Kakuna around him would stay sleeping.
Ash wasn't sure how long he had been running, he only knew his chest felt like a vice and sweat was dripping down his back. Though finally, finally, Artemis slowed and he barrelled into her, unable to control his own momentum.
The hound yelped in surprise as they went tumbelling, her warm body uncomfortable against his own overheated one.
Ignoring his discomfort and the uneasy prickling sensation that ran across his skin, Ash hugged the canine's neck to his chest. Artemis attempted to wriggle free - though not with much effort - but Ash moved to grip the base of her horns, forcing her to look at him.
He knew what he saw in those eyes.
"NO! You are my family just as much as Polaris. I know I've neglected our own training, I'm so sorry, I'll be better. I swear I'll be better."
The hound's coal eyes were sad and angry and burning with shame. She looked heartbroken.
In the light of everything happening in his team and with himself, whenever Ash was challenged to a battle he had used Polaris. It was easy, the Greninja was so in tune with Ash that he didn't have to focus too hard on the battle when his mind was elsewhere. Sometimes they used the bond, sometimes they didn't, but it was easy.
Ash and Polaris had felt closer than ever.
He didn't realize how that would look to Artemis.
"We will get Mega Evolution down, we will figure it out, I won't let you down."
What he wasn't expecting was for Artemis to whine and shake her head, dropping it in guilt. Ash was confused, but instead of speaking he ran his hands down to her jaw and lifted it up. Her ears were pinned back and eyes cast down, but she didn't try to move her head.
"What is it?" Gentleness hadn't come easy to Ash in his life, but the softness in his voice right now proved he was getting better.
A searing sigh rushed out of Artemis's maw, Ash dutifully restraining a wince. Her nose hesitantly nudged his covered forearms for one moment before immediately pulling back and putting distance between her mouth and Ash's arms. She turned her head away, a very small flame flashing from her nostrils. She eyed Ash carefully.
"Oh." Understanding hit Ash like a Giga Impact. He ran a trembling hand down the side of her neck. "You noticed that."
Ash had tried to cover up his avoidance with the excuse that he had a large team, he had to make his rounds. Make it so he was never around when Artemis was training her fire. But when they battled Giselle, Artemis saw how he turned away from her fire. He saw how she hesitated to use it.
How she wouldn't use it around him.
Fire was a part of her, it was her. With Mega Evolution, Houndoom were practically sentient flame. Their bodies adapted to such a point that molten slag leaked from their bodies, ivory armor crackling and reforming without end. Houndoom had to be one with their flame to ensure no damage came to the Pokémon upon reaching that elevated state.
Ash and Artemis would not succeed if the uncertainty and fear of fire remained.
Shame welled up within him. Artemis hadn't feared her own flame before.
"I never want you to hide a part of yourself to spare me. I trust you, Artemis, I'm sorry I can't show it better. But accidents… they happen no matter how much we don't want them to." Ash needed to be honest, or else they'd never be on the same page.
Fire type trainers were always covered in burns. Blaine kept a shaved head because three quarters of his skull had been burned by his Magmortar and he could only grow patches of hair. Elite Four Flint had a horrific burn that encompassed half his neck and surely a large portion of his torso. Elite Four Liza didn't have fingerprints anymore and Gym Leader Flannery had to have her foot amputated at sixteen when her third degree burns got infected. Grimsley had small burns from Pyre, his own Houndoom, that still pained him to this day.
Burns were an occupational hazard of training Fire types. But Ash couldn't risk a burn from a Houndoom again.
When Ash had escaped Allearth Forest, his newfound gift being used for the first time, it hadn't healed the endless pain. The poison had remained buried deep in his forearms, unable to be purged by the Legendary power.
When Xerneas removed the poison, it left the scars.
If he got burned again, he doubted his own ability to find Xerneas again. He couldn't go through that unyielding agony again. That torment had worn him down until he was empty, hollowed out and broken.
If that happened again, Ash knew he would never achieve Mega Evolution, and that was an impossible pill to swallow. It was a weakness of his own character, one he was so painfully aware of.
The two sat in silent surrender for a long while.
Ash grit his teeth and snarled, startling the canine pressed to his chest. His mind practically screamed 'Fuck this'.
He whipped out his Rotom Phone, scrolling through the search results. Artemis was both bewildered and subdued, warily watching the Phone that she knew connected to Professor Oak's Ranch.
Thinking he was going to send her away again.
Ash shook his head and continued typing and scrolling, uncaring of the cost that these items sold for. Frowning when he realized it was speciality equipment, Ash's eyes hardened and he swiped over to his contacts.
Dickhead
He pressed call.
"Uh, hello Ash, what can I do for you?" Lance's deep voice had a modicum of confusion as he answered the unexpected call.
"Hey dickhead." The Kanto champion audibly choked on the other end of the phone. Before he could speak, Ash cut in. "Do you know where I can get a fireproof jumpsuit?"
"...Why do you need one?"
Ash pushed down his immediate defensiveness with a quiet inhale. There was a reason Lance was asking. The suits were specialty equipment and regulated, only given to Firefighters, Scientists, and other hazardous professions.
He actually remembered there was an issue years ago about some poacher who got her hands on one and ventured into Mt. Ember. She had managed to capture extremely rare Fire types in the center of the volcano before she was caught.
"So I don't get burned by a Houndoom again."
The silence on the other end wasn't as satisfying as Ash thought it would be.
"I regret giving you the task of Mega Evolving your Houndoom."
If Ash was expecting anything, that certainly wasn't it.
A cold chill traveled up his spine. Did Lance think he couldn't do it? Was it a lost cause? Did he know Ash was going to fail from the start? He needed Lance's support if he was to change the taboo.
Before his brain could spiral, Lance continued.
"Mega Evolution is already one of the most unachievable, hopeless endeavors for any trainer. For me to give you the task of Mega Evolving a Houndoom, knowing you were traumatized by one, was exceedingly cruel on my part."
Ash's chin quivered as he spoke. "But… you gave me a Key Stone, not a Houndoominite?"
"I knew Grimsley was going to give you his. I should not have chained an impossible trial to the earning of my trust. For that I apologize most sincerely. You already have my trust."
Artemis whined when Ash's breath hitched.
He… Lance trusted him?
He did his damndest to keep a steady voice when he said, "Regardless, I'd still like that jumpsuit."
Lance huffed on the other end, but even to Ash it sounded fondly exasperated. "I figured. Let me see what I can do. What city are you headed to next?"
"Fuchsia."
"I'll text you when it's delivered."
"...Thank you, Lance."
"Least I could do, kid. Good luck."
The Kanto Champion hung up, and Ash was left staring at his phone. In the back of his mind, he admired the sparkling red and black color scheme he chose for the casing as he tried to ignore the emotions swirling within his chest.
He was broken from his deflection when a searing tongue swiped up half his face, leaving a prickling trail behind.
"Gah!" Ash fumbled and wiped the gross toxic drool from his face with a sleeve. Artemis had sprung up, her tail wagging so fast he was worried she'd break it. Her tongue was lolling out of her mouth and her eyes were brighter than he'd seen in weeks.
Laughing, Ash threw his arms around the vibrating canine. "We'll be fine." His thumb rubbed the smooth shell of the Mega Stone embedded in her chest.
This had been her stance, her trust that they would succeed. She chose to permanently implant this stone, forever keeping proof of their budding and ever-growing bond close to her heart.
It flashed brightly in sync with Ash's spark of devotion.
He wouldn't let her down.
Ash hung up after his check-in with Kanto Poké Social Services and swept a keen eye over the forms of his hardworking teammates. Astria had 'spoken' to an Alakazam that translated her recount of being on Ash's team.
He had been reprimanded for the stressful environment of the last few days, and he gave a detailed list of all he was doing to fix it.
Things had been getting better, and once Ash had left the Pokémon center, the team had returned to normal. Styx was healed and her damaged pride had settled somewhat. Astria and Nettle had only gotten closer, the Pichu also electing to interact with Artemis, Polaris, and Ladon more. Ladon was really only her nap partner, but still.
Training had ramped up, his team working on the niches he had talked to them about back in the Wild Area
Of course they were well rounded battlers. Ash wouldn't put them at a disadvantage by neglecting their ability to counter every threat, but they all had their own fighting style and it finally seemed like they were on the same page with their trainer.
Styx's role as the Juggernaut was unfailing, always an overwhelming force. She was honing her control and power over various energies, her ability to call upon them improving day by day. Their battle with Giselle showed that she had difficulty against other overwhelming forces, so they were improving her ability to counter with low-energy, highly technical strategies.
Hemlock's evolution forced them to take time to work out how to manipulate the wiry hair that now covered his entire body. What kind of damage could it take? What was its distance limit? What was its smallest unit of independent movement? How did it interact with different energies? His role as the Cage was unfolding now that he had reached his final form.
Bane's illusions were reaching a new level. Being the 'Ghost' of the team, he was able to stay hidden and attack his opponent's weak points. They were working on making his illusions more complex, what were the limits of his imagination? He was unlocking the ability to create sound, and now they were also attempting to mimic smells.
Mirae was quickly rising in the ranks, his elemental control and exploitations truly giving him the moniker of 'Trickster'. Ash had been watching Elite Four Will's battles, and Mirae was loving the intricacy of them. His next task would be tackling flexible barriers to really infuriate his opponents.
Sagitta was the fastest on the team now, no question. Her stamina has improved alongside the length of time she could stay in Agility and Extreme Speed, both doubling over the past few weeks. Working on her reflexes was just as important, and even when she changed direction you could hardly see her. Her masterful use of Dazzling Gleam, Flash, and Shock Wave have really made her look like a falling Star. Battling opponents that do not rely on eyesight was still a challenge, but they'd get there.
Libra had improved her ability to keep a cool head. With her growth, she became calmer, less reactive, more patient. She has even found some measure of amusement in watching opponents trying to break past her defenses. Her scales were her greatest weapon and greatest defense, and each time she lost them in battle, she just grew back stronger.
Nettle, now that it was back to training in its new form, was working on how to battle like a 'Virus'. Toxic Armor gave them a makeshift Poison Touch ability, and their adhesive poison could 'Tag' opponents to make it impossible for them to hide. Nettle had a sense for its own poison and could trace it with startling accuracy. Their massive needle could puncture most hides, giving them a terrifying means of damage infliction. They were researching if Nettle's poison, due to being not-of-this-world, could work on other Poison types and maybe even bypass certain abilities like Pastel Veil and Poison Heal, like if Nettle had Corrosion as an ability.
Artemis had plateaued in her training to become a living 'Furnace' since both she and Ash had been too hesitant to work on it. For now, Ash was having her work on a breathing technique he had read about called Circular Breathing that would keep the amount of oxygen in her system steady even as she created flames, allowing the heat to reach greater heights.
Castor had really grown into his final evolution. His Sandstorm setup was almost as fast as a Pokémon with the Sand Stream ability. Being the 'Pitfall' had come naturally to Castor, and his command over the terrain was evolving day by day. His Sand Pit technique took only a small drop of his power to create now. When he had full control over the battlefield, Hemlock wouldn't be able to approach without risking injury.
Polaris was a bullet, and with their Battle Bond they could detect weak points with deadly precision. His frailty was helped by various Water shields, and they were working on creating a second 'skin' of water, much like Castor's Sand Skin. With Rain Dance, Ash was hoping to mimic Vaporeon's ability to disappear in water with a little help from Mist and Double Team. Being the 'Shuriken' of the team meant a lot of guerilla warfare.
Orion had been given a moniker to encapsulate the type of fighter he'd be; Frostbite. It was finally showcased in his battle against Erika, the cold emanating from his body intense enough to stop the spore cloud.
Ash knew that as much as Orion would like to fight like Styx, he didn't have the defenses. His stamina was on par with a Dragon's, never wanting to give up a fight, but he needed some support. Ash had to be a tiny bit manipulative, disguising protective moves as offensive attacks to have him willing to put in the work. Improving his call of Hail was equally important; Aurora Veil a boon they couldn't afford to squander.
Ladon had also started towards his role as 'Eternity'. Their battle with Erika and Paul showed them where their weaknesses lay, and Ash had spent a few all-nighters thinking of ways to counter, well, drowning. The Appletun had to become one with the field, drawing nutrients and energy to offset any damage. He had to outlast the opponent no matter the cost. Ash had created multiple strategies to make that a reality.
Wisteria was almost old enough to start specializing, but she had to reach maturity first. Now that they knew the nature of her psionic and spectral abilities, they were working on all the different ways they could be used. Physical training was a big part, as well. If she was going to be as formidable as her dam, she needed to work hard. Ash did have a vision of her one day turning all of her opponent's strengths against them.
Astria was in the same boat, too young to focus on anything other than building up the foundations. He had no idea how her mutations would affect battling until he saw her get more experience, so until then they had to build up power and speed.
It was Astria and Nettle that had surprised him the most over the past week.
They had both demanded battle.
The Naganadel had been watching intently over the past weeks, quivering with excitement with every fight. Much like Astria, it was when they crossed paths with an irate Muk that Nettle dove in and looked at Ash pleadingly.
How could he say no?
It had taken time to get back in sync with each other, but in their wake was a trail of defeated wild Pokémon and even a few trainers.
Nettle had been incredible, with only one hiccup when they hadn't realized a piece of gravel had gotten wedged in the soothe bell until it wasn't chiming correctly during a match.
The other trainer, a soft spoken girl named Su, had paled when Nettle had a momentary lapse in control. But to the team's immense pride, Nettle had broken out of it after a few tense seconds and completed the battle with a beautiful Air Cutter to Su's Noctowl.
Astria, on the other hand, was getting defeated left and right, but it only fueled her determination. After that first battle with a Psyduck when she realized Ash wouldn't punish her for losses, all hesitancy had been banished from her little body. There was that hiccup along the way with Styx's agitation, but Astria bounced back without issue.
She attacked everything, which was kinda funny even when she was knocked out within seconds by the stronger wild Pokémon on the routes.
But she was improving, rather rapidly if he was being honest. Her Thunder Shock was bigger and more accurate. Her vocal attacks were growing stronger every day, though she needed honey and lemon infused water at the end of the day as the vocal folds adapted.
Her speed had been a bit of an obstacle. The protrusions on her back were slowing her down. It was, to Ash's great surprise, Mirae who helped. The Eeveelution had worked tirelessly to gain control over his own wings, and didn't even ponder the idea that Astria wouldn't be able to control her own.
Where Ash thought it was a fruitless undertaking, Mirae had no basis to think the same. He saw 'wings' on Astria's back that were like his own and decided she could move them.
His tenacious attempts bore fruit, when after six days of one-on-one training, the protrusions twitched.
Astria's back muscles had immediately spasmed and locked up after the attempt, putting her in rather intense pain. But cuddled up next to Artemis and utilizing the massage lessons he got from Suzy, Ash was able to relax the muscles.
The perseverance Ash saw every day from the tiny Pichu was inspiring. She put in twice as much effort, working on her voice control, 'wing' control, and overall battle technique. She refused to let her deformities limit her.
Ash had to force her to rest every few hours and up her calorie intake at every meal so she wouldn't burn out.
Even now, as they were walking towards the police outpost they could see in the distance, Astria was sitting on his head, all four paws gripping the edges of his hat as she flexed her 'wings'.
The fine motor control would take ages to gain, but once she did she could adjust the 'wings' to be more streamline with her body.
Sagitta was flying overhead, picking fights with the multiple Fearow she encountered up there. Brown plumage was constantly sprinkling the route much to Ash's amusement. She had a grudge against the Sharp Beak Pokémon for some unknown reason.
Wisteria was trotting alongside him, stomping the ground and sending small shakes through it with her early stage High Horsepower.
The heightened emotions and odd ache in his chest was still there, the anxiety knowing something stalked his steps. But he was able to… block it, somehow. Knowing it wasn't him, but instead a 'parasite', as Madam Celadon called it, helped. Some outside influence was trying to corrupt all the work he had done and he refused to allow it to undo the effort he put in with Grimsley and Dr. Quinzel.
He was spiteful like that.
Ash was proud of how far he's come.
"Ashy Boy! Hold up!"
Nevermind.
His spine stiffened inconspicuously, looking for all the world like he didn't recognize the nasally voice or the repulsive nickname.
Using every bit of self control, Ash raised an eyebrow as he saw Gary Oak approach.
Guess this was the month of reunions, huh?
His once upon a time childhood tormentor had changed a bit since he last saw him. For one, he was alone, something Gary never would have tolerated back in Pallet. His auburn hair wasn't as spiky, the insane amount of hair gel gone from the locks.
The once pristine clothing was replaced with worn, somewhat dirty beige cargo pants and a black jacket. An Arcanine was happily trotting beside him, towering over its trainer.
The bewildered expression that crossed Gary's face when Ash turned around was as baffling as it was amusing.
Ash stood still as Gary approached him, hands gripping the straps of his pack. Soon there was a noticeable tension as Gary stopped at the far edge of what would be considered appropriate distance.
Awkward silence hung between the two as neither spoke scathingly for the first time since they were very, very young.
Gary's eyes were flickering over him like he didn't recognize Ash. He had to restrain himself from looking down. He knew he was wearing black joggers and a long-sleeve white T shirt which wasn't anything interesting.
"Uh, new look?" Gary gestured at Ash's face, making Ash frown at the level voice. He was used to aggressive, brash, and demanding tones from the other boy, not this… normalcy.
"Oh, you mean the hair and jewelry?"
Here, Gary rolled his eyes, something familiar. "No, the nose job, yes the hair and jewelry!" The sarcasm almost made Ash snort. Almost.
Compared to Pallet, Ash must look like a completely different person. His hair had grown long, past his shoulders and was now kept tied up in a Ponyta-tail. The two colored strands of hair had been re-dyed in Celadon and hung free of the hair tie. The two necklaces he had around his throat and the cuff around the shell of his ear reflected the spring sunlight. Styx's fang dangled from his ear, quite large and hard to ignore. And of course, the scars on his face and neck weren't exactly subtle.
Not seeing the harm in telling the truth, Ash answered, "Some friends in Alola did this without me realizing," he tugged the pink and violet strands, "and some friends in Galar bullied me into these." He pointed to the cuff around his helix and the fang. "I… also got this in Galar." Ash gestured at his neck and didn't elaborate further.
"Friends?" Ash scowled at Gary's disbelief, insecurity crawling up his throat. He had to remind himself that he's changed a lot since he's left on his journey and some people would be taken aback by it.
Ash took a deep calming breath before nodding. "Yes. I do have friends, shockingly."
To his great incredulity, Gary looked contrite. The other teen dug the toe of his boot into the ground and grit his teeth.
"Sorry, that… that wasn't kind."
At that, Ash really couldn't withhold his snort, this one gushing derision.
"Kind? Since when do you care about being kind?" Okay, yeah, some old hurts were showing themselves. Even if Ash didn't let Gary torment him after that first incident, it didn't mean the boy's words hadn't hurt.
They had hurt. Badly. Ash had just pretended they hadn't.
Gary swallowed thickly, shifting from foot to foot.
Astria and Wisteria were picking up on his anger and bristling restlessly. Gary eyed them for a moment in curiosity before Ash shook his head and held up a hand, closing his eyes and sighing. "You know what? Nevermind. My therapist said confronting someone should be done with a clear head."
"Therapist?" What was his life right now? Interestingly enough, Gary didn't look repulsed, just stunned.
"Yes. Therapist." Gary didn't deserve any explanation or reasoning.
"Hope they're not as blunt as mine."
…what?
Gary, Gary Oak, the asshole who was such a dick to him his whole life, gave a self-deprecating lopsided smile that didn't reach his eyes. He shrugged and rocked back on his heels, shoving his hands in his pockets. The Arcanine beside him nudged his arm, almost knocking the teen over.
"When none of your 'friends' reply to your messages and only your family bothers to talk to you, you're forced to confront some things."
Ash kinda hated himself for the bolt of pity that struck him.
And then he hated himself for the exasperated déjà vu that smacked him in the face.
Would Ash survive if Giselle and Gary ever met?
Both entitled intellectuals who treated their friends poorly enough that they were left isolated.
Dear Mew could Ash not catch a break?
With one last deep sigh, Ash groaned and headed to the edge of the route where a few large, flat boulders lined the path.
Ash dumped his pack beside one and fell onto it, hands slightly behind him to hold the weight of his upper body. Ash almost laughed at Gary's unsure face. Instead, he waved a hand at the other rock.
"We're obviously diving into our past mutual antagonism, so take a seat."
A choked sound squeezed out of Gary's throat that Ash initially thought was a laugh, but then he saw Gary's eyes locked on his forearms. Scowling, Ash pulled his sleeves back down to hide the Houndoom scars.
Eventually, the other teen tiptoed over and sank down onto the stone. Arcanine curled around him into an enormous cream and orange fluffy ball and Gary had to spit out some of the fur that got into his mouth.
Wisteria glared at the boy distrustfully, but she did tuck her forelegs beneath her and lie down. As she aged, she had gained some semblance of restraint. Not much, though.
Astria had climbed down from his hat and instead was now perched on his knee, facing Gary and not blinking. Ash had to smile and run a hand down her back. She purred for a second before batting his hand away with her tail, annoyed he had distracted her. She returned to her unblinking stare down.
Gary looked both concerned and amused for a moment before he started rifling through his bag. With an overly gleeful shout, he took out two bottles of Soda Pop. Once again, there was an awkwardness when he passed Ash the drink.
The two sipped quietly before Ash broke the weird atmosphere.
"So you're not as much of a dick and I'm not as much of an antisocial bastard. Did I summarize that correctly?"
It looked like the other teen almost spit out his drink but he held it in. Wiping his mouth and coughing, Gary nodded. "Uh, yeah, pretty much." He was obviously lost in thought when he stopped talking, so Ash let him be, waiting somewhat patiently.
"You were right, all those years ago. About expectations. About how living up to my Grandfather's legacy would be impossible." Once again, Gary shrugged. It seems to be a nervous tick of his. "Everything you said that would happen did. I win a battle and as soon as they see I'm an Oak, they're like 'well obviously he was going to win'. And it's just… it stings! I put in the effort training my team and figuring out strategies and it all means nothing because I'm an Oak!"
Ash refused to feel bad, but he did - what was the word? Empathize? Yeah something like that. Expectations suck.
"I'm- ugh, I'm sorry, Ash, for how I treated you. I was jealous of the attention Gramps gave you, that the teachers gave you, that it manifested in verbal harassment." Even Gary shied away from mentioning the one - and only - time it manifested in physical abuse.
Recognizing an olive branch when he saw one, Ash exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "You were an asshole, I'm not going to say you weren't. But I had some hang ups too, and I said equally cruel things. For that I'm sorry."
The two shared extremely uncomfortable and inept grins before falling silent and drinking from their bottles.
He hated to admit it, but Ash felt more settled. Grimsley had told him that people treated others badly usually because of projection or an inadequacy they see in themselves, but he had always worried that he was destined to be treated poorly.
Ash was having a lot of deep talks recently. It was making him emotionally exhausted.
"Ya know, I've always wondered what kind of Pokémon you'd catch, and I have to admit, they are not what I had in mind."
Ash barked out a laugh at that. Oh he had no idea. Instead, he reached down and carded a hand through Wisteria's glossy mane.
"Don't take this the wrong way but… they're pretty young? We've been on our journeys for a while now…"
Ash held up a hand, grinning despite himself. Gary was inelegant as usual. "These two are my most recent captures. I actually caught Astria here a few weeks ago, and Wisteria a bit before that. Wait, one moment." Ash put his fingers to his lips and whistled.
Within seconds, Sagitta landed with a plume of grass and dirt, sharp talons crushing the ground beneath her where she landed beside Ash.
"You have a Togekiss?!"
Ash would never tire of people's disbelief when confronted with his teammates.
"This is Sagitta, caught her as a Togetic in Alola." Ash ran a hand over her beak and through her pristine feathers. He had to discreetly pull out a brown feather that was sticking out of her mouth.
"How did you get a Shiny Stone? Daisy only got one because of Gramps' connections."
"I was watching the Vertress Conference in the top box and got to meet the top three trainers. One of them, Trip, had won a Shiny Stone, but had a Lampent. I had won a Dusk Stone a while back and offered to trade. The asshole thought he could beat me and challenged me to a battle and whoever won would get both stones. I suggested it be a battle between Sagitta and his Lampent. I won."
"Do you still have the Dusk Stone?"
Ash shook his head, "No, I gave it away."
"YOU GAVE IT AWAY?!"
"What is with you just repeating everything I say?"
Gary rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Ash, please tell me you didn't just give away a stone worth over a couple hundred thousand dollars."
"Okay, I won't say it."
The other teen grabbed fistfulls of his hair and glared at Ash. "What compelled you to do that?"
Ash shrugged and leaned back. "Ghost Pokémon hate me," Except that creepy, possessive Dusclops that disguised itself as an old woman, "and I wasn't going to catch a Murkrow. Plus Serena had a Misdreavus so I gave it to her."
"Serena… Serena… oh wait! The chick who used to live in Pallet?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah, we ran into each other in Kalos and traveled together for a while. She's a bit of a celebrity over there."
When Ash didn't hear anything, he lifted his gaze and grit his teeth. Gary had a shit-eating grin on his face as he held his hands against his heart and fluttered his eyes.
"Does Ashy have a girlfriend?"
Ash scowled. "No. Neither of us were interested in a romantic relationship."
With a bit of maturity Ash didn't know Gary had, he let it go. Instead, he changed the subject. "Alola, Unova, Galar, Kalos, were you just traveling the world for the last year?"
Ash crossed his arms. "Yeah, there were Pokémon I wanted to catch that weren't native to Kanto."
"Wait, how many Pokémon do you have?"
"Fourteen."
"In rotation?"
"No, they're all with me."
Gary's jaw dropped. "How… how do you care for them all? I only have seven and even that is almost too much. Wait, how did you get the 18 Pokémon extension? What is your life?"
Ash laughed a bit, no real humor in it, just exhaustion. "Mew, you have no idea." He rubbed his eyes before dropping his hand to pet Astria. "Anyway, I specialize in types, which early on saved me time and money with food. I wouldn't say they're well-behaved, but we're a family and they mostly respect my authority."
Sagitta chirped in a way that was surely a snort, and Ash shot her a fond glare. She ruffled her wings before smacking his head. Ash shoved a hand against her beak, making her have to catch herself with a hasty step.
Laughter broke them from their fight and they turned to see Gary with his head thrown back.
"Man, I never thought I'd see you like this, but it fits." It was an odd thing to say and an even odder thing to hear, so Ash decided to ignore it.
"Let's talk about normal trainer things. How many badges do you have?"
"Eleven." Gary smirked.
"How many of them from the Big Eight?"
Grumbling under his breath, he replied, "Four."
"So we're even." Ash smirked.
"You were literally out of the region for who knows how many months! How do you have four badges from the Big Eight?"
Ash really didn't know how to answer that. Instead he counted off his fingers, "Pewter, Cerulean, Vermilion, and Celadon. I've tried once at Saffron and that was a disaster. Obviously heading to Fuchsia."
The other teen signed and slumped back in his chair. "Pewter, Vermilion, Cinnabar, Fuchsia."
Ash leaned forward. "How was Cinnabar? Against Blaine?"
Gary's eyes got a faraway look in them as he thought back. "Probably the hardest battle I've ever had, and that was with him still having to hold back. He used a Vulpix, Magmar, and a weird Pokémon that was a Grass and Fire type."
"Oh, Scovillain right?"
Gary threw his arms in the air. "How did you know that?" There was a bit of jealousy in that statement but Ash didn't let himself get offended. Old habits certainly die hard.
"A… rival of mine, I guess you could say, that I met early on is apparently from Paldea as a representative. She told me she's delivering Paldean Pokémon to Gym Leaders for them to try out. She must have stopped by Cinnabar a while ago. I actually saw her recently, she was coming back from Fuchsia."
"Hmm." Gary hummed under his breath and brought up a hand to grip his chin. It was such a cultivated pose Ash had to take a sip of his soda before he laughed. "I want one."
"What?"
"I want a Paldean Pokémon. Could you imagine how the League would go if I used a Pokémon no one knew?"
Yes, Ash could imagine it because he's battled tons of people who didn't know his Pokémon. Nettle, Mirae, and Styx in most cases.
"How would you go about achieving that?"
"Not sure yet. But I'll figure it out." There was an ambitious glint in Gary's eye, and Ash knew at that moment he'd be seeing a Paldean Pokémon on Gary's team in the future. "You're not going to show me any of your other Pokémon, are you?" The statement came out of left field but was said so bluntly Ash had to pause for a moment.
"Of course not, we might battle in the League."
"I can always go on your trainer page and find out myself."
"But where's the fun in that?" Ash had leaned forward and was giving a sharp grin, one that used to frighten Gary but now just seemed to make him exasperated.
Huh. Growth.
"What about you? You've seen three of my teammates, but I only know two of yours."
"Wait, two? How do you know two?"
Ash rolled his eyes. "You obviously chose Squirtle as your starter. It's also why you would feel confident enough to challenge Blaine so early on if your strongest Pokémon was a Water type."
Gary frowned and crossed his arms defensively, muttering to himself. He soon straightened up and lifted his chin. "Well, I only have seven Pokémon, you have fourteen. You know almost 30% of my team while I only know 20% of yours. You need to show me one more for us to be even."
Gary had always been better at quick mental math.
The egoistic side of Ash wanted to release Nettle or Styx or Libra, but the logical side told him to save the surprises. Grinning when he thought of a compromise, Ash unclipped the older black and white pokeball from his belt.
"Holy shi-" Gary threw himself backwards and off the boulder when Hemlock was released.
The enormous Grimmsnarl bared his teeth in a grin, but to the average person it looked like aggressive snarling. He had his fists pressed into the ground like a silverback Rillaboom. Hemlock released a horrifying wheezing sound that Ash knew was a laugh but Gary didn't.
Professor Oak's brave grandson was crouched behind his happily panting Arcanine and staring at the Galar native with wide eyes.
"You have a Grimmsnarl?!"
Alright, Gary's endless disbelief was getting old.
Ignoring him, Ash smiled and fist bumped his second ever teammate. Hemlock chuffed and wrapped a rough arm around Ash's shoulder and pulled him to his chest. Ash withheld a grimace when the tiny hooks embedded in his hair scratched his face and arms. Patting the great brute's bulky arm, Ash was released after a few moments.
"Hemlock, this is Gary-" The guttural growl cut off Ash's words, Hemlock recognizing the name from some of the stilted stories Ash has reluctantly told. "Hey, hey, none of that. He apologized." Hemlock's expression was funny with all of his doubt and incredulity. Ash gave a soft smile and patted Hemlock's arm. "It's okay. Trust me." The Grimmsnarl grumbled and shot Gary a dangerous glare but nodded and relaxed his stance.
"Er, yeah, I'm sorry I was such a jackass to your trainer, I'm trying to be better." Gary had stood up but still had the boulder between himself and the giant Pokémon.
Hemlock stared the teen down before falling back into the grass, sitting cross-legged and tearing grass from the ground and ripping it up.
"Professor Oak actually gave him to me at the start of my journey. He was a tiny little Impidimp back then." Trainer and Pokémon shared a grin.
"He knew you wanted to specialize in Fairy types?" Ash wasn't going to correct him. Technically, he was specializing in Fairy types.
"Yeah, he caught me making flower crowns with Zinnia and someone's Clefairy."
"Pfft." Gary laughed into his fist, but it wasn't malicious. Ash figured it was just Gary trying to combine who he thought Ash was with who he actually is. "Zinnia hates me."
"Can't blame her."
Gary smiled.
Once again, the two were silent for a while. Sagitta had taken off back into the air and Hemlock had wandered over to some trees and was plucking off leaves until an angry Victreebel almost swallowed him.
"You have a lot of scars."
Trust Gary to not have a filter. Rubbing the side of his face, Ash huffed. Even with long pants and long sleeves, multiple scars were visible. The wound from the Kanto Navy Veteran and the two scars from the Darkest Day; the long slash on his neck and the cut through his eyebrow. The newest one on his left palm from Nettle's claws and the slice from Zacian's sword on his right. Gary had already seen Domino's Houndoom's scars when the sleeves had ridden up.
"Astute observation."
Gary snorted, the sarcasm not lost on him. His face fell the next moment and he twisted his fingers. "Are you okay?"
Ash opened his mouth but paused. Gary's concern was… what? Unappreciated? Touching? Selfish?
"Getting better with time."
And to that, Gary nodded. "So, have you seen any of the other Pallet hoard?"
The change of subject was welcome. "Viktor in Mount Moon and Luke and Liam in Vermilion back in June, and then I saw the twins again at the Ranch in March. Saw Leaf in Vermilion last month. Haven't come across Astrid."
"I saw Astrid in Fuchsia two weeks ago. Seemed like she was traveling with some dorky dude. Didn't really chat."
Ash hummed. Astrid had always been brash with rather single-minded focus, not interacting with many people. Not that Ash was any better.
Their conversation naturally trickled to a stop, and with little fanfare the two trainers cleaned up their trash, their Pokémon jumping to attention and ready to move on.
Gary was the first to step forward and offer his hand. "I'll see you at the League."
For a long moment, Ash stared. Finally, he grasped the offered hand and shook it, firmly, but not as hard as he once would have.
"See you at the League."
Ash wouldn't mention his deal with Liam.
Just guys being dudes talking about their feelings.
I'd like to believe that anyone who spends a long period of time on their own, facing lessons and challenges, is going to reflect a bit. I think it was a kick in the face for Gary to realize no one except his family actually cared to keep in contact with him.
By noticing how similar Gary's anecdote was to Giselle's, it unconsciously made Ash more willing to hear him out despite their long spiteful history
So yay to all around healthy communication, including Artemis and Lance.
Back in Chapter 7, Ash's condition for helping Liam with Surge was that at the League Conference, he has to roll his eyes and scoff loudly every time Gary says something arrogant.
Next up: A test and Fuchsia City!