Chapter Text
The night in Pallet Town was peaceful. The soft chirping of Kricketune filled the air, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. Fireflies blinked near the grass, glowing like tiny lanterns in the dark.
Izuku sat outside on the small porch steps beside Ash. Above them stretched the wide Kanto sky — full of stars, brighter than anything Izuku had ever seen in the city.
Pikachu and Glitch were nearby, curled up together by a small lantern. Pikachu’s tail sparked faintly every few seconds, and Glitch’s green fur shimmered softly in response, almost like their light was syncing.
Neither of the boys spoke at first. The quiet was calm and comfortable.
Finally, Izuku broke it, his voice low and uncertain.
“Cousin Ash… do you ever… wonder where your journey will take you next?”
Ash leaned back on his hands, looking up at the constellations. “All the time,” he said with a small laugh. “Even after all my battles, championships, and travels… I still feel like the journey’s not over.”
Izuku looked down at his hands, twisting them nervously. “I… I don’t even know what kind of journey I’ll take. Back home, I wanted to be a hero. I looked up to All Might — he’s the number one hero in Japan. I thought if I tried hard enough, I could be just like him.”
He took a shaky breath. “But… my quirk never came. Everyone around me got theirs, but not me. I tried to stay strong, but my classmates, even my childhood friend Bakugou — he laughed at me for dreaming. His quirk is Explosion… he can make blasts with his sweat. We… fought side by side a few times after, but…”
Izuku’s voice trailed off, eyes distant. “I just stopped believing that I could ever be a hero. I didn’t know where I belonged anymore. Until… Mom decided to send me here.”
Ash turned his head, watching the boy beside him. The firelight flickered across Izuku’s tired but hopeful eyes.
“You know,” Ash said softly, “you remind me a little of myself when I was younger.”
Izuku blinked, surprised. “M-me?”
“Yeah,” Ash chuckled. “When I first started, I didn’t know what I was doing. I just wanted to be the very best. But my first day as a trainer? Total disaster. I overslept, almost set Pikachu on fire, and couldn’t catch a single Pokémon. But I kept going because… well, every step felt like it mattered.”
He paused, then smiled at Izuku. “It doesn’t matter if your path isn’t what you expected. What matters is that you *walk it*.”
Izuku looked down, letting the words sink in. “But… you had a goal. You had a quirk too, right? Everyone does…”
Ash tilted his head with a small grin. “Actually, I do have one. It’s not flashy, though.”
Izuku blinked curiously. “You do?”
Ash nodded. “It’s simple — I can feel Pokémon’s emotions. Their fear, their happiness, their trust. Sometimes, I just… know what they need. It’s been like that since I was a kid.”
Izuku’s eyes widened in awe. “T-that’s amazing! That’s… like empathy, but more.”
Ash smiled faintly. “Yeah. My mom doesn’t have a quirk, though. She’s quirkless — like yours. Guess it runs in the family.”
Izuku stared at him, surprised by how easily Ash said it. No shame. No hesitation. Just truth.
Ash looked up at the stars again. “You know, Izuku… being a hero or a villain — it’s not what defines you. What matters is the journey you choose, and the heart you carry with you. I’ve met people who weren’t called heroes, but they still saved lives. And I’ve met champions who lost their way.”
He turned to him, smiling kindly. “If your dream changed, that’s okay. Sometimes you have to lose one dream to find the one meant for you.”
Izuku’s chest tightened, his throat thick. “…Do you really think I can find mine?”
Ash reached over and gave his cousin a light pat on the shoulder. “I don’t think it, Izuku. I *know* it. You already started it when you chose to come here.”
Glitch stirred from the side, lifting his head and letting out a soft “Vee…” before curling closer to Pikachu again. The stars reflected faintly in his green eyes.
Izuku smiled, wiping at his eyes quickly before Ash could see. “Thank you, cousin Ash… I’ll do my best.”
Ash chuckled, leaning back to look at the sky once more. “That’s all anyone can do. And who knows? Maybe your next adventure’s waiting just around the corner.”
The two sat in silence again, listening to the night sounds — the wind, the chirping Pokémon, the gentle breaths of their partners nearby.
Above them, a shooting star streaked across the Kanto sky.
Izuku made a small wish he didn’t say aloud.
*That this journey… be the start of something truly his own.*
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